Heartthrob

Sleep came with dreams, as it often did for Esper James nowadays - but this dream was nowhere so long, nor so infuriating, as her last. It was a simple dream, one that spoke to the closing of wounds deep within her heart's flesh. In her dream, she and Esthrielle and Purity were in a field, one of the great wheat fields of the southern UNAC. The sun shined overhead, no longer obscured by clouds of smog; it was brighter than EJ had ever imagined it could be, though her eyes didn't seem to sting at the sight of it.

In fact, on the topic of daytime, she felt plenty of energy - energy that usually dissipated at the sun's light. It was invigorating - empowering, even. Feeling the warmth of the springtime (summertime?) wind, the sun on her bare skin... Oh, she was wearing a sun dress. That was a bit odd; she'd never owned a sun dress before, much less worn one. But it felt appropriate. All of it felt right.

Purity and Est were sat upon a red and white plaid blanket, the cozy kind you wrap yourself in during the coldest months of winter. There, they were setting up a picnic, drawing items out of one of those stereotypical wicker baskets, the ones with two lids. First came a bottle of wine, some Moscato whose name was illegible... EJ only knew it was Moscato because she had helped pick it out, of course. Then, after the wine glasses, sandwiches - they were wrapped in plastic, but EJ could tell they were chicken and mayonnaise, with some sort of green.

She couldn't have told you what the veggies were if you asked, but she knew they were there.

And then, grapes. Oh, the grapes looked excellent: heavy, juice-dense red grapes, an entire vine of them. And what was that last thing, in a rigid plastic container? Surely it wouldn't have fit inside their basket... but out it came, regardless. EJ couldn't see through the frosted design of the translucent plastic - only able to pick out a vague, dark brown shape - but the scent of chocolate came rolling through the partition anyways. Oooh, cake... Cake sounded excellent. Cake sounded amazing. She wanted cake so fucking bad in that moment.

Purity turned to her and snickered, waving the blonde over. "Come on, sweetie! You're gonna miss out if you don't come join us, y'know - we spent so long packing this all, wouldn't wanna waste it, you know?" That was all it took. Of course that was all it took, the simple invitation coming through with the urgency of an order within EJ's mind. She wouldn't want to disappoint her lovers, of course. They'd spent all morning packing this!

Esper James trod over with restrained enthusiasm, dropping to a sit, her legs crossed and her butt comfortably placed upon the blanket. Est and Purity sat similarly, the three of them forming a rather perfect triangle, with the basket set off to the side and the foodstuffs in their center. Without further ado, consumption began in earnest. Simultaneously, it seemed to be done in an instant and yet last forever - the flavor of the chicken and mayonnaise on EJ's tongue so creamy and savoury, the sparkling fruitiness of the wine like a dream, the dark, saccharine notes of the heavy red grapes lingering far longer than even the most reluctant houseguest.

And yet, when they were done eating, the sun was still exactly where it had been. The breeze still blew warm upon their bodies, bringing with it the distant scent of flowers - no flowers EJ had ever smelled, but she supposed that she'd also never really left Vitus, so perhaps it was just her own inexperience that led to her ignorance.

Esper James was aware that some conversation had been made, and may still have been happening; perhaps her own mouth and tongue were joining in, frolicking within one another as a single entity, speaking words of love and joy to an audience of three. She couldn't have told you what she said, though she could hear herself saying it - and she could see Esthrielle laugh and snort, eyes narrowing down to blink away tears of mirth. She could see Purity blush and swoon, giving EJ a gentle push on the arm, her words telling the ghoul to stop but her body silently begging her to flirt even more. They were both loving it.

EJ knew, somewhere in herself, that she was loving it too.

And then... they finished their food, finally, even though EJ hadn't eaten anything in an uncounted expanse she approximated as 'a while'. The flavours on her tongue still felt fresh, and she shuffled between them at will - though all that was put from her mind as Purity drew her attention to the plastic container, Esthrielle grabbing it and beginning to open it.

"Esper James... Today is a really important day, you know? It's the anniversary of the three of us starting to date. It's been-" A loud-yet-soft sound, like the vibration of rushing wind in one's ears, came from Purity's mouth. "-years since we got together, right? Well, to celebrate, we got your favorite: chocolate cake!" As Purity said it, Est's fingers pried the lid of the plastic casing free. In its absence, there was revealed a luxurious-looking ring, glazed over with coffee-coloured icing.

It was as rich and dark as grave mud, and smelled so strongly of cocoa that EJ briefly wondered if she might faint. She could imagine the flavor here and now, the deep, bottomless chocolate abyss of it all... The way it would take her by the tongue and lead her far from the light, down, down, down into an endless, hopeless well of sugary delight. It would melt itself up like fondue, only to then pour over her brain, chocolatey drizzles seeping into every wrinkle and nook of grey matter. It would consume her just as she consumed it.

Ohhh, that sounded good. Yes, yes, yes, she had to have some of this cake. She loved chocolate. She began to reach for it even as Purity started to cut into it, divvying it up with a knife she had always seemed to have had. Est took EJ by the wrist of her reaching arm, stopping the ghoulish advance with a snicker of her own. "Oi! Before we start diggin' in, EJ, we've got something we wanna discuss with you!"

EJ felt her face flush red with embarrassment and hot crimson blood, a bashful smile drawing itself like a blade's kiss across her face. Est was right - there was no need to rush through things. Here they were, together as a trio, enjoying the sun and some food. Better to take things slow, and really drink it all in. Est gave her a wink as EJ leaned back to her seat, the Wayward releasing her ghoulfriend's wrist and going back to her own hunched posture. Purity dished up the three enormous slices of cake, placing them upon disposable paper plates and pairing them with plastic forks and knives.

Then, once each of them had a plate before them, Purity nodded to Est. Est nodded back, a giddiness heretofore unseen upon the Italian's face rushing to the forefront of her visage. She turned to Esper James, drawing deeply of the midday air in a greedy breath, releasing it slowly and steadily to steel herself. And then, she began to speak anew.

"Esper James Price-Wynnfield. We've been through a lot... So, so much. So very much, and all of it, we've been through together. We've seen each other at our lowest and highest, at the depths of despair and the heights of ecstasy... We've been by one another's sides for-" Again, that sound of vibration, as though water pressure was straining at EJ's eardrums. "-years, ever since we first met in Vitus... And now, here? We're safe. We're loved. We're together, and nothing can ever pry us apart."

Esthrielle continued to smile as tears formed in her eyes; Purity, too could not stay the wetness that gathered at the edges of her eyelids. They both were gripped by emotion in an instant - Esper James found herself feeling like she was falling, though not in an unpleasant way. It was far more akin to the drop of a rollercoaster, where one enjoys all the twists and turns, and the anxiety and apprehension from each and every drop is part of the delight. She couldn't help but smile from ear to ear, as nervous as she was excited.

Est continued then, blinking away some of the feelings that clung to her eyes. "Purity and I would never have been here without you; and without us, you'd probably still be at Tsang. We were made for eachother, love. S-So, aha, uh... F-Fuck, I'll just..." Esthrielle shifted her stance back a bit, straightening her spine so she could reach into her pocket. She fumbled with something for a few moments, a sheepish tinge now tainting her anxious excitement. Purity put her hands into her own pockets for a second as well, going to futz with something of her own.

Had they always been wearing pants? Was Esper James the only one in a dress? Seemed so; she couldn't recall what the other two women had been wearing only moments ago, so she supposed it had to have been pants. Est was wearing her HATEFUCK tank top, very normal for her... Purity was wearing a lovely orange blouse, loosely fit and comfy looking. Both were looks that made more than enough sense, EJ figured, and so she didn't think upon it any longer.

Esthrielle's hand recoiled from her pants pocket, trembling now, going to hold out something small. Her other hand shakily came to the top of the small box, gently flipping it up and open to reveal the plush white interior. Esper James nearly screamed aloud, a vocalization ripping itself free from her voice box with a sound like squeaking ice.

Within the small black box sat a ring, plain gold, with a trio of stones set within it: a pink sapphire, a topaz, and some whitish stone she couldn't identify at a glance. Something told her it was a diamond, though from how perfect it seemed, it was likely man-made. "P-Please, Esper James, marry me. Marry Purity. Marry the both of us. Be our beloved bride forevermore, and... A-And make our new life together that much more official. Please..." Est had begun to cry outright now; her smile never faded, but with gentle shakes she sobbed soundlessly, and the tears formed twin rivers to outline her cheekbones.

Purity was crying as well, now - her hand had been removed from her pocket and was put forth, palm down, displaying a ring of the exact same sort as the one in Est's box. The pinkette's smile was wavy, threatened by the swell of raw emotion in her chest which was fit to burst free at any moment; still, she held on strong. As strongly as she could, at least.

"EJ... Please, sweetheart. We love you. We love you more than anything else in the world. W-We've been talking about this ever since we came up to Nova Scotia... We got your parents' blessing to ask you... Would you make us the happiest women in the world, sweetheart?" That was the extent of what Purity could muster; further speech would only invite the collapse of tearflow which hung as Damocles' blade above the bubblegum babe's heart. The two other women were as still as they could be as they waited for an answer.

Esper James's brain was whirling like a top. She said yes, right? She had to say yes. This was exactly what she wanted! It was everything she had ever hoped for, ever dreamed of! To be loved by the sweetest, most delightful, caring, compassionate women she had ever known. To fall asleep and wake anew at their sides; to see them every day forever; to hold them in her arms just as she was held in theirs. There was no way she could say no. There was no other answer but to accept.

"I... I a-acce... Er, Y-Ye-!"

-

Just as she went to agree, the blonde snapped awake. Instantly, a few things came clear: the first was that the scent of flowers in her dream? It had been the incense of the convent. They must've put out a new batch while she napped. Secondly? She wasn't getting married - not any time soon, at least. The blonde's heart felt as heavy as lead as she looked down to regard her snoozing sweeties, the both of them still in the depths of dreams. The yearning ache to reach out and swaddle herself between them even further than she already was nearly overwhelmed the carnivore, but she managed to restrain herself for their sakes.

The final thing that really struck her about the dream was the food. She hadn't had chocolate, real chocolate, in decades. Nor had she had cake, or grapes... or any alcohol that wasn't spiked with blood. So why was she dreaming of them now, of all times? Why hadn't the picnic of her dreams been one where they'd packed food to fit her dietary restrictions? It wasn't nearly as sanguine as she'd have preferred... but still, it all felt so real. That cake had tasted so... lifelike.

She mulled it over with a heavy heart and heavier mind, thinking on it with malaise that bordered on depression. She had been so close... If only she hadn't stuttered, if only she had been able to just say 'yes' like she wanted... She wanted it more than anything in the dream, and yet here and now? Her yearning to accept was even greater than it had been in that mind-made field.

With a deep sigh, she nestled herself back into her lovers' embrace. She stayed that way for at least an hour, eyes staring up at the ceiling, ghoulish senses allowing her to pick out the delicate stonework even through cover of darkness. Wanting it did nothing for her, of course, but she couldn't help but keep replaying that scene in her head as the minutes whiled away. A field, back in Nova Scotia... They had mentioned her parents; were her parents still alive, then? It had been so long since EJ had spoken to them.

And then, finally, movement from her left side. Esthrielle began to awaken, a soft beeping coming from somewhere within her head - EJ guessed the Wayward's mouth, given how it became ever so slightly louder as the woman opened her mouth to yawn. Esthrielle rose up slowly; the beeping stopped, and the lights came on, though at a dim glow rather than the normal level from before. She leaned over to put a hand on EJ's shoulder, gently shaking her 'awake'; then, the same treatment was offered to Purity.

"Oi, ladies... C'mon, babes, we gotta get up. Nap time's all said and done, yeah? I mean, shit, I'd love to laze around in bed some more, but..." The rest of her sentence was eclipsed by another yawn, the force of it making her lower jaw tremble almost imperceptibly. She pulled her legs back in to crouch upon herself, then stretched them back out to stand upon the bed. It was a simple matter to hop over Puri and onto the floor.

Purity herself awoke with a soft, sleep-addled grumble, her eyes blinking open like a lizard staring at the sun. She wasn't so spurred into motion as Est was, though once the Easterner sprung over her and landed, Purity seemed to remember why they had even awoken in the first place. She forced herself to a sit, rolling her head and shoulders as a yawn of her own poured from her mouth. When finally it stopped, she peered down at the blonde beside her and gave EJ a gentle, love-laden smile.

"C'mon, little lamb... Up, up. We've got a big rest of the evening ahead of us, yeah? Ahead of you! You're gonna do so great tonight, I just know it... I don't think there's anything Zofi could throw at you that you couldn't handle. Come on, let's get dressed. Hey, Est, you're messaging her, right?" Purity leaned down to smooch EJ on the cheek before swinging her own legs over the side of the bed, pushing the comforter and sheet aside by virtue of a sluggish stand. After a momentary stretch, she went to gather up their respective habits, handing them out like gift boxes.

Est nodded. "Yeee, of course, Puri. She's all good to go; I know where her lab is, and she sent directions, so we'll be there asap. Just gotta get dressed - oh, hey, how'd you two sleep?" She took the offered habit from Purity with a muted sense of disdain, not for the pink-haired socialite, but for the garment she now gripped.

EJ pantomimed a groggy wake up, rolling out of bed and faking a yawn to seem as though she had also just awoken. She didn't dare tell them the details of her dream... It seemed like it would be way too forward, she figured. After all, what, they had been dating for less than a week? Like, yeah, Est had been around longer than that... They had shared an incomparable level of closeness, and related on so many levels, in so many ways... But still. Telling your girlfriends of a cumulative two or so weeks that you had a dream of them proposing to you?

It seemed a bit rushed, no matter how good it felt. So, EJ simply shrugged. "It was pretty good... Good sleep. Comfy-cozy between two cuties, how could it not be? Heheheh~ But yeah, no, feeling... rested and recovered, I guess. You, Puri?" She regarded the tallest woman with a quizzical glance, a single eyebrow raised in inquisition. Purity handed EJ her own custom habit and nodded, a smile blooming on pink lips. "Yeah, I slept great. Like you said, hard to sleep bad when I'm all snuggled up with you two. Est?"

Est found a smile of her own to produce, plastering it upon her face like a billboard. "Yeah! I slept really well, actually... It's good to be back home, in the convent. Good to sleep on convent beds, not some dusty-ass couch, or a sleeping bag. Plus, y'know... It's sure nice to share someone else's body heat, heheh~" She gave Purity a wink, and - upon noticing EJ's gaze had shifted to her - offered the same gesture to the tiny blonde.

EJ drug up a smile as well, completing the trifecta. She shimmied into her habit without assistance, much easier to get on than off; once it was on, she yawned again (this one genuine) and put her hands on her hips. "Alright, Est! Lead the way! I'm as ready as I'm ever gonna be, and I'd rather get through whatever bullshit Zofia's got cooked up for me when I'm still full of energy! It's like ripping a bandage off, y'know?" She sprinkled a touch more joy into her bared teeth, the edges of her lips curling just so; Purity ruffled the blonde's hair, rolling her eyes.

"Uh-huh. Yeah, let's go. Est?" Puri turned her head to Est, who gave the two an affirmative nod. "A'ight, let's head out! Testing, here we come... Whatever the fuck testing entails. We'll stop her if things get too weird, EJ. Now, stay close to me - these are busy hours at the convent." And like that, the trio began to move. Out into the hall they went, and just as Est said, there were dozens of nuns milling about or heading to destinations unknown. It made EJ think of the crowds at a concert venue.

But, of course, tonight's concert would have her as the headliner - and her audience was eager to see her perform.