I went to LA for a week. It was awesome.

Drag Queen Bingo, Porn Star Karaoke, Disneyland, fabric district, dim sum, Hollywood, renaissance festival, movie in the graveyard. Was there anything I *didn't* do?

~

We were laying in the hip-high grasses, gazing up at the cloudless sky. It was a smooth gradiation of clear blue, through ash purple, through orange and fire red as the sun went down.

Voices, indistinct, coming for a distance.

He sat up, glancing through the foliage.

"Two people," he murmured as he lay back down. "Heading that way." He pointed away from the direction we'd come from.

He was silent for a moment, and I didn't respond, because there was no need to. A small crow flew overhead, circled once, and then continued on.

"You know," he said companionably, "when those people are out of sight, I'm going to rape you."

I laughed almost until I peed myself.

"Didn't we go over this?" I asked, still laughing. "It's supposed to be a surprise!"

"Crap!" he said, pounding his fist into his palm. "We did go over that!"

~

The Renaissance festival was surprisingly good. I had low expectations.

This was probably the best one for me to attend, though. It was out of the way, so only people who were really interested went, not necessarily people who were just wandering by.

Also, it was primarily a 1450 German military encampment, so that meant a great deal of Lanskenect outfits, and truly excellent ones too.

The jousting was fun to watch, but so rehearsed I couldn't do anything but laugh.

I took a lot of pictures, though, and flirting shamelessly with a few of the passing men.

~

His breath feathered along my neck, the tip of his tongue flicking out to taste my skin.

One hand skimmed up to brush wisps of hair away from my face, and gently cup my chin.

I couldn't think, wouldn't think.

He pulled back and sat up a little to look down into my face. I leaned up a little, on my elbows. The setting sun made a halo of his hair, giving an angelic cast to his hooded eyes and serene expression.

"This is the gentlest rape I have ever experienced," I told him, a wicked glint in my eye. Rough square fingers slid up the line of my neck, and the corners of his mouth twitched into a feline smile.

He caught me square by the throat, fingers pressing on the two major veins in my neck, and shoved my head back into the grasses.

"We could do this in the more traditional manner, if you prefer," he purred as he leaned over me.

I couldn't think, wouldn't think...

~

"My Lady, you look hot!" a young man exclaimed, aghast, as Amy and I trundled through the Renaissance fair. We were both dressed in mundanes.

"Why thank you," I replied, cheekily.

"That, too, but I meant temperature wise! You should come to my shop and try on something a little breezier!"

"Ah ha!" I say. "So *that's* how it goes..."

"Aye, Lady," he said, still smiling. "That's how it goes."

I flashed him a smile, but didn't even slow down. "And I," I replied, "I go this way."

"Awww!" his companion teased him. "She's got you there!"

~

The sun set and so did I, sinking back into the damp grass.

It has been a very long while since I've been with a man who had the patience to satisfy me.

Seven months or so, in fact.

.

Rosie.

Before&After