❝ Do you ever feel like your life and everything in it...❞

[unpreach]

Who: Kate Fuller & You (Yeah and maybe Richie Gecko okay. This could happen)
Where: Various Locations in Wonderland
When: Early to Mid January.
Rating: PG+ to NSFW.
Summary: Kate settles into Wonderland
The Story: ❝...is just slowly turning upside down, like a ship flipping over in the ocean?❞

ɴ.ʙ I welcome threadjacking from anyone (tagging into ongoing threads to have more than 2 characters in it). That said, if you'd prefer the thread to only be with Kate, just put [closed] in the subject line! Prose or Action is good with me, I'll match whatever I get.

[ Despite her appearance with Richie at the New Years Eve Ball, Kate's presence in the Mansion is not easily noticed as January rolls around. She keeps to her room on the tenth floor, getting out only when the walls feel like their closing in on her. If encountered during the day, you can be fairly certain that Kate will be alone but as the sun goes down, there's every chance you'll find any conversation you might have with her, interrupted by a tall man with glasses who if you think is sizing you up, undoubtedly is. ]

ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴇʟ

[ The house of God had once been a place where Kate felt welcomed with open arms, a sanctuary that wrapped her in peace and warmth in a way that even her home could not. It was one of the few places where she had the certainty of belonging that so few ever found in life and she'd thought it would always be that for her, no matter where her life took her. Now? She wasn't so sure.

It had been many months since Kate had stepped foot in a Chapel and though Richie had shown her the one here in Wonderland as a way of putting her at ease, she already wondered if it existed to torment her more than comfort her. Kate had never wavered in her beliefs, despite all she'd seen and experienced this last year. She'd held firm to the knowledge that God loved her because as far as she was concerned, God was love but having time to stop and think about every choice she'd made, Kate could feel the weight of every one of those decisions whenever she stepped foot inside the chapel.

While she doesn't spend hours on end here, Kate can still be found in the Chapel at various times throughout the day, usually when there doesn't appear to be anyone else around. Always tucked into one of the pews at the back, as if she weren't sure she should really be here at all. ]

ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪᴛᴄʜᴇɴ

[ While some people took to the magic of Wonderland; the ease and comfort it afforded those who lived here, Kate found it difficult to trust anything that could be achieved without effort. She'd tried eating in the dining room where most people took their meals but these attempts usually ended with her being more hungry than satisfied and she always ended up retreating to the kitchen where she could fix her own meal.

She was hardly what you'd call a gourmet cook, but Kate had always helped her mother in the kitchen and she'd in many ways taken on the role of caretaker in the time since her mother's death. It wasn't like her father had been in a state to do so and Scott? It was a miracle if Kate could get him to set the table.

Used to cooking for two or more, Kate will be prone to making too much and never one to see food go to waste, anyone who happens into the kitchen while she's here will be offered some of whatever she's making. Those who happen to frequent the kitchen might even realize that she's the one responsible for the plates of food that have handwritten notes beneath them, inviting anyone to take it for themselves. ]

ᴏᴜᴛsɪᴅᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ sɴᴏᴡ

[ When you spend your whole life in the small town of Bethel, Texas, a place that despite the bitter cold that came during Winter, had never seen an inch of snow in the time Kate had lived there, the Winter Wonderland that existed beyond the Mansion walls had its own kind of appeal.

Some days, Kate would be content to sit by a window, a cup of hot chocolate warming her hands as she watched the flurries of snow, dance through the air. On days when the weather was mild enough to dare venture out, however, Kate would don multiple layers of clothing and would brave the biting cold just to experience what for her, was more magical than anything she'd seen inside the mansion.]

ᴘʟᴀʏᴇʀs ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇ

[ Set something up yourself! Kate will explore the various parts of the Mansion so it won't be inconceivable that you'd come across her almost anywhere. She will also be curious about the mirror side of Wonderland so Mirrors! are more than welcome to tag her as well. Alternatively, if you want to hash an idea out with me, you're welcome to PM her journal or hit me up on plurk: brooklyn2181]

Comments

[seeingthings]

[Richie is all too content to follow her cues, smirking when she tugs at the waistband of his dark jeans, crawling on his hands and knees over her, before he settles his body between her legs, holding up the majority of his weight on one elbow while the other arm reaches up so his fingers can tangle in her hair as it slips behind her head.

For a moment it looks like he's going to lean in and kiss her, but instead his face moves past hers, burying itself in the crook of her neck, his lips dragging across all the skin she's left exposed, leaving behind a meandering trail of kisses over her shoulder, across her collarbone, his tongue licking away any traces of saltiness that might have collected where the valley between her breasts begins.

Once he reaches the other side, where her throat is untouched by his fangs, he breathes hotly against her skin while his hands push up on the fabric of her tank so he can run his hands up her abdomen, fingers running gently across the divets between her ribs.]

[unpreach]

[Kate even goes so far as to lift her head, ready to meet his mouth with her own but then she can feel the heat of his breath against her neck, the sensual play of his lips across her skin and she tilts her head back instead, letting it sink into the pillows as she exposes her throat and collarbone for him to explore.

Every time she finds herself with him like this, it becomes harder and harder to stop; her body always crying out for more as the fear gets washed away by her desire. And she does want him; he'd have to be deaf and blind not to know that. The way her body reacts to his every touch, the soft moans of pleasure and longing that spill over.

A shuddering sigh escapes; half contentment, half desire and her hand comes up to tangle through his hair, Kate's legs shifting, one hitching up on his thigh while her body arches into his touch. Rather than rush ahead to pull at his clothes, she allows herself a moment to drink in the feel of those kisses, her free hand moving to grip his side, pressing into his ribs as he exhales hot air against her neck.]

[seeingthings]

[Her fingertips press into his sides and he rocks against her, lips lifting to her ear before he quietly speaks to her.]

Roll over.

[Then he's lifting his body up slightly so his weight is mostly on his knees, his hands moving to her waist to guide her.]

[unpreach]

[As he lifts up he'd see the confusion reflecting back at him, more curious than put off for the moment at least and while she does open her mouth as if to ask him why, there's a shift in her eyes, a trust being given as she allows him to guide her onto her stomach.]

[seeingthings]

Relax.

[His hands move back down to her waist, where her shirt is still slightly pushed up to her ribcage, and proceeds to shimmy it upward and over her head, tossing it aside on the floor. The brush of fabric over her head pulls her hair along with it, and once his hands are free, he leans forward and presses a kiss to the nape of her neck while his fingers make quick work of the closure on her bra.

It's a lot easier to do from this angle, okay?

Once that's done, his hands splay out across her back, pressing into either side of her spine as they move up the now unrestricted path from hips to shoulders. He presses another kiss to the curve where her neck curves to meet the rest of her body before he sits up slightly, his hand replacing his mouth on one side and his other matching on the opposite, his thumbs starting to work into her shoulders.]

You'll have to tell me if I push too hard.

[unpreach]

[Being told to relax doesn't immediately mean that she can, especially with Kate not being entirely sure what was happening and while she'd been intending to remove her shirt all along, this position means that he doesn't get to see the look of uncertainty that plays across her features as he does so.

Kate tries to get comfortable, however, her arms coming up for her to rest against, turning her head to the side just as his fingers begin to make quick work of her bra. There is a stiffness there, a tension that runs through her shoulders but no sooner does he begin to press his hands into the muscles that surround her spine, does everything fall into place, her body shuddering gently as she exhales the breath she's been holding in.

His lips brush against her neck, sending a shiver sliding down her spine and despite the straps of her bra slipping over her shoulder, Kate relaxes further into the mattress, humming her understanding back at Richie as he starts to work the knots out of her shoulders.]

[seeingthings]

[It's handy that he picks up little skills and things from the people he's 'had to' consume since becoming a Culebra. No doubt at least one of them knew a bit about how to do this, given that his fingers apparently know where to go and what to press, how to find knots and ease them out. He's no professional, but it sure seems like he's done this before.

He works her back from top to bottom, smoothing out each spot of tension he comes across with almost technical precision. If he's gonna do something, he wants to be as damn good at it as he can be, and this is no exception.

He uses any sounds she makes to guide him, trying to interpret the good pain versus the not so good, focus on places where pained groans turned into something better.

She'll know it's almost over when his nails start to lightly drag over her skin, easing away any lingering tightness from the press of his fingers, his head dipping back down to press his lips right behind her ear before he trails his palms down her sides.]

[unpreach]

[It's fair to say that in Kate's thus short life, she's never once had somebody massage her back; Not even fully clothed, let alone the way that she is now but if anyone was in need of relaxing like this, it was the person slowly turning to jello beneath Richie's strong, skilled hands.

As the minutes tick by, she relaxes more and more, the soft sounds she makes in response to his touch, coming without restraint, her body seeming to melt into the mattress as he manipulates the tension out of her, one inch at a time.

By the time he's finished, she's in that hazy, half awake place, still conscious and very aware of his hands but not tensing as he brushes areas that before might have made her jumpy, more comfortable with him than she's perhaps ever been before.

The gentle scrape of his nails makes her shiver beneath his touch, a pleasant hum of contentment vibrating in her chest and as his lips press against her, Kate's head turns towards him, a small smile lingering as she tries to catch sight of him in her periphery.]

I wish I'd known you could do that... [Her smile widening a little as she exhales another dreamy sigh and Kate tries to turn a little so she can open herself up to a kiss, far too relaxed to be concerned about being on display right now.]

[seeingthings]

[His hands are there to help her turn over and, to his credit, his eyes remain focused on her face as he gives her the kiss she's searching for before he lifts his head to speak.]

That mean you're making me your personal masseuse now?

[He shifts from off her back, laying down beside and facing her with one arm draped over her waist, pulling her gently closer to him.]

[unpreach]

[Still hooked over her shoulders, her bra, more or less, stays in place, keeping her as modest as she can really be in this situation as he helps her onto her side, Kate a little more aware of her lack of coverage, but no trace of panic in her eyes.]

Mmm. [Almost pretending to think about it before it's followed up with a definite;] Yes.

[The wide smile that pulls at her mouth, shifts as he draws her into him, Kate's heart beating a little faster in her chest as she falls into his gaze; more aware still, of the strap that slips down her shoulder, of the fact that neither had made any moves to fasten the clasp on her bra.]

Are you complaining? [Kate's leg shifting, pushing between his as they become entangled.]

[seeingthings]

Nah.

[He says the word casually. Totally not a big deal. He doesn't mind in the slightest.

Their legs entwine and he shifts even closer, his hand sliding up her waist and under the loose band of her bra, his thumb running back and forth over the skin there as he leans in to murmur against her mouth.]

If you'd been a paying customer, would you have left me a nice tip?

[This is his dumbass way of asking if she has any suggestions. He's pretty sure he did alright by her reaction but...you know.]

Anything I can do to improve?

[unpreach]

[Drawn in by his lips brushing against hers, Kate's arm slips over his side, not obsessed with trying to keep herself covered like she had been in the past.]

No. [The grin likely being felt before she could finish that teasing response.] But that's only because I'm cheap.

[Eyes fluttering closed, Kate's tongue trails out to tease at his lower lip, her teeth taking over as she lightly nips at him.]

It was perfect. [Finally offering some reassurance.] But it was also the first time anyones ever done that so... [She was in virgin territory here.

Mind the pun.]

[seeingthings]

[Seeing as she's not exactly in a hurry to try and fix the very loose article of clothing she's only half wearing, he's instead going to let his hand run over her shoulder, finger hooking in the strap that's hanging over her upper arm, pulling it lower.

That can't be comfortable, can it? These things sure as fuck never look comfortable.]

Low standards then, huh? I can work with that.

[His teeth drags over his own lower lip where she's nipped at him, the continuous smirk on his face only growing more confident as time passes.]

[unpreach]

[Oh Richard. They're not comfortable at all and most women would honestly rather live without them but at present, kate's not quite bold enough to voluntarily remove it completely.

She doesn't however, make a single move to stop him from aiding in its removal. It's almost like, if she doesn't openly acknowledge what he's doing, then she doesn't have to panic over it.]

Maybe you're just setting the bar very high.

[She'd been working very hard not to think too much about the bra strap that was moving down her arm but it reached a point where there was nowhere for it to go, either back up her arm, or off completely and she all but froze as she lay there with him, her mind see-sawing between one option and the other.

As if to buy herself a few seconds, her lips press against his, a slow, drawn out kiss that sends a wave of warmth through her body and she shifts again, inching closer to Richie before, without overthinking it, she pulls her arm back from his waist so that he can pull the strap free, Kate's lips still gently working against his.]

[seeingthings]

[That's permission enough in his book as he pulls the strap free from her arm, letting the entire article of clothing fall against the mattress between them. To save her the trouble of dealing with that, he draws out the kiss even longer as his arm against the bed does the last quick tug to get the other strap from where it's trapped, pushing the whole thing off the edge of the bed without breaking from her mouth.

He pulls her back in close, his chest pressing against hers, now fully bare, as he reaches for the covers to drag over them both in an effort to make sure she doesn't get cold. Then his hands are on her again, resting against either side of her ribcage, thumbs brushing over the outer edge of her curves.]

[unpreach]

[A wave of nerves arcs through her chest as he helps to rid her of the undergarment, Kate's heart doing a series of flips and false starts as she almost forgets how to move her lips against his. Their kiss makes it that much easier, though, distracting her, and him to some degree and before she can second guess everything she's doing, he's pulling her beneath the blankets and dragging her in close.

It's only once she's beneath the security that the covers provide that she remembers to breathe again, closing the kiss with a series of tender presses before exhaling a shuddering breath that fans out across his face.

It's hard to ignore the rising nerves that roll around inside of her, Kate's senses heightened as his thumbs trace her curves, her gaze trailing along the line of his lower lip as she drags in another shaky breath.

Another shiver winds its way down her spine, Kate's hand moving back to rest against his waist and for another few seconds she merely inhales and exhales, trying to find the easy calm she'd experienced only a little while ago.

But then she's leaning into him again, her lips brushing his and a soft, hum of a moan vibrates between them as some of those nerves start to dissipate, her lips parting so she can taste him.]

[seeingthings]

[He watches her quietly, his gaze shifting from her eyes to her mouth and then back again, watching her roll thoughts over in her head, watching her breathing, her chest pressing against him with each inhale as they slow.

Once she leans back into him, his eyes slide closed, mouth parting for her as his head tilts, tongue meeting hers halfway.

His hands release her briefly to move to the neck of his shirt, undoing the first few buttons with slow, measured movements. After another round of reading her soul, the emotional intensity of that encounter still burning through his veins, he has a hard time resisting the urge to want to rid himself of the barriers that still keep them apart, his skin craving hers the way his tongue craves the taste of her soul.]

[unpreach]

[Kate's mouth moves against his, slow and gentle, the tentative dance of their tongues sending a thrill through her body. One that wars with the wave of giddiness that starts in her chest and settles in her stomach. She breathes him in, allowing his scent to wrap around her and Kate falls back into the safety and security she always feels in his arms, the knots in her stomach slowly starting to release as her body relaxes against his.

The wild hammer of her heart begins to slow and settle, the kiss deepening in response and the hand that so uselessly rested at his side, begins to cut a path up his body, growing in confidence with every inch that it travels.

Eyes fluttering open when he releases her, Kate watches his fingers work over the buttons of his shirt, her body aching with the memory of his skin against her skin. The kiss stalls, as if she's forgotten how to move her mouth, unable to think through her actions and maintain their intimacy.

With a tilt of her head, Kate peers up at Richie, her fingers kneading flesh through the material of his shirt and she knows what he wants - like she can read the thoughts racing through his head, knows because they so clearly echo her own and the hand at his side weaves between them, trembling fingers brushing against the closed button of his shirt before trying to slip it free.]

[seeingthings]

[His eyes flick down at her, bright and hazy in the same breath, another contradiction to go along with the rest of him. His lips part as he realizes what she's doing, and he allows her to finish the job of unbuttoning his shirt instead, busying his hands by brushing them through her hair, letting his fingers trail along the side of her face, down her neck, over her shoulder, another act of memorizing her.

He shrugs off the shirt once she's finished the last few buttons, pulling his arms free before losing it somewhere on the floor behind her, and then he's reaching behind his head to pull at the neck of his undershirt, removing that over his head in one smooth movement.

Once that's gone, he's reaching for her, pulling her into a simple embrace just so he can exist for a moment, feel her warmth, his only other movement to press his lips gently against her shoulder.]

[unpreach]

[Nerves threaten to overwhelm her, Kate's heart in her throat as she watches him peel off the layers, a shuddering intake of air making her shoulders shake as he wraps his arms around her and pulls her flush against him.

Blood rushes to her head, pounds in her ears, her chest all but heaving with her quickened breaths and it takes Kate several moments just to pull herself back from the edge of panic to simply exist in his arms with him.

The gentle brush of his lips against her shoulder, acts like a balm to soothe her, Kate's arm moving back around his body to hold herself firm against him and her face presses against his chest as she exhales a shaky stream of hot air, Kate willing herself to settle so she can simply focus on being here with him.]

[seeingthings]

[She feels small in his arms, fragile in a way, and yet he knows that so much of that is just an illusion. In many ways, she's stronger than he is, so sturdy in her convictions and her ability to look past the surface in a way that is similar and yet different from his own.

Kate may think that he's steadying her in this moment, but she does the same for him every day. Who knows what he would be up to, the things he'd be doing, if she weren't here. He would go about his business, act 'fine,' but when had he ever actually been okay?

Instead, she brings out this person in him that he didn't think existed, an almost semblance of normal, his more impulsive tendencies buried beneath a desire to just be in her orbit.]

You okay?

[It bears asking because he knows what it's like to not be okay and not want to say anything.]

[unpreach]

[Nothing in her life had been okay, not for the better part of a year. She'd found a way to keep moving, to put one foot in front of the other, not because she knew how but because there was no other choice. Somebody had to hold it together, hold her family together, hold Seth together. Somebody had to keep everyone's heads above water, even though she felt as though she was drowning most days.

Kate went through the motions of existing in the hopes that one day, she'd learn how to live with the constant ache that she carried with her but she hadn't been okay, not really and the truth is, nobody really wanted to know that.

It's funny then, how two words can be so simple and yet turn a moment completely on its head. How the act of simply asking, of wanting to know, can be everything to somebody who feels like nobody has truly considered how she is for a very long time.

She's not prepared for the wave of emotion that washes over her when he speaks, Kate's grip on him tightening, as if he can be the anchor that keeps her from being lost at sea and she lets out a shuddering breath, presses her lips against his chest, waiting for the rising emotion to settle and subside as she swallows past the lump that's lodged in the back of her throat.

Kate doesn't respond at first - can't, instead brushing her cheek against his bare chest, pulling comfort and calm from his closeness, the warmth of his body and the steady beat of his heart. She feels her own pulse start to steady, as if responding to his and the ache that had surfaced begins to ease as she focuses on Richie.

Finally lifting her gaze, she drinks in his features, her grip on him easing, becoming more tender than desperate.]

I will be.

[She wasn't exactly talking about this moment but it applied to it just as much as it did to everything else and is if to show him that, she stretches up, her lips seeking his in s soft yet tender kiss.]

[seeingthings]

[She doesn't answer him with words, not right away. Instead, Richie is there to hold her while she brushes her lips and skin against him, listens to the beat of his heart. It's not all that unlike what he does himself at times when he curls up with her to just exist for a while, to take comfort he's lacked over the years.

He knows what her life was like before they came together in Wonderland, the shit she went through with Seth and her brother after Richie went his own way, as if the crap in the Twister, not to mention her family drama, hadn't been enough. He didn't feel sympathy for her, not exactly. He's not sure she would even want that. Life sucked and life was unfair and he'd come to terms with that a long time ago. You either dealt with it or the world tore you apart.

The world hadn't torn Kate apart.

Not the one he held in his arms, anyway.

He holds still as she leans back in, letting her reassure him because as these thoughts speed through his overactive brain, he needs it in order to pull himself back out of the darker recesses of his mind. He finally kisses her back, tentatively at first, and then with slowly growing hunger as he lets her presence consume him.]

[unpreach]

[Kate didn't need his sympathy any more than she needed him to rescue her. All she really needed, wanted was this. To be seen, to matter. To be asked. She needed patience and understanding and somebody to just, check in with her from time to time, to let her know that what she felt was important.The rest of it would work itself out along the way and that would be so much easier to bear, knowing she didn't have to deal with it alone. That's what he gave her and it was more valuable than anything she could ever ask for instead.

As he kisses her back, the tension melts away, Kate humming softly against his lips, a surge of emotion rolling through her as it slowly intensifies. Her lips part, her tongue snaking out to dance with his, and a feeling of certainty washes over her, quelling her nerves as she wraps herself up in Richie.

Her hand moves over the muscular plains of his back, a groan rumbling in her chest as the other winds up to cup his face and she can finally appreciate the sensation of skin against skin, the hum of pleasure that comes from their bodies brushing together. He'd feel her breathing change, made ragged with her desire as her nails lightly run across his bare skin, her body rolling into him as if craving the friction.]

[seeingthings]

[Over time, he's figured out what that sounds means when accompanied by the rolls of her hips. It's how he knows that she's not overthinking things, when the way he touches her seems to take over, and she stops holding back.

He gets why she would. He's done it plenty over the years, though more out of necessity and lack of opportunity than anything else. Acting on his urges almost always ended badly, people not reacting to him the way he might have wanted, his general difficulty in connecting with people outside of his brother and Eddie just a simple fact of life. He was different. He knew that, and it didn't really bother him.

Kate was probably the first person outside of what he considered family that he felt like he could talk to without having to try so hard.

It's what made him try harder in some ways, though in a completely different way. Because she made him human, which was almost ironic considering he wasn't even actually human anymore.

His hands drift down to her hips in reaction to the movement of her body, fingers pressing in before he rolls onto his back, taking her with him and settling her body on top of his so that she could continue to do as she pleased to find what it was she wanted from him.]