Who: Katherine & Cindyrella What: The sun's trying to kill Katherine, and Cindy has a little bit of possibly life-changing news When: Sunday Where: Downtown Huntington Beach Rating/Warnings: Talks of insemination, mostly Status: Complete!
The sun was trying to kill her.
It wasnât a hyperbole. It was truth, even if she knew her skin wasnât literally being set ablaze by the exposure - and at first she didnât think anything of it when the day started. A stroll out in HB Downtown to browse local wares with Cinderella herself (one of the very few females that trusted Katherine Pierce with genuine friendship), and maybe theyâd hit up a juice bar or dip their toes in shallow beach waters because the day was gorgeous. Cloudless skies, rising temperature.
And that ball of celestial fire beaming down on them, irritating that honey-kissed canvas of flawless skin.
âThatâs it,â hissed the model, stopping by one of those tourist trap stands with overpriced souvenirs (next to a recently closed shop, rumors spreading of it being a hut of crime that had been recently busted) and irritably tossing cash their way. âKeep the change. Iâm taking this one.â
The purchase, of course, being a sun hat. Itâd offer some shade, she hoped, and she fixed it atop that curled hair. âAm I the only one whoâs feeling a little crispy out here? I distinctly remember waking up and not feasting off someoneâs neck.â
Yet.
Cindy loved the beach, the whole briny aroma, the cry of gulls, the way the sea seemed alive with its constant motion. The sun was a vivid and brilliant light, melting into the sky and ocean, perfect for paintings - in fact, there were some artists out with their canvases and brushes all set up on the sand today. But it wasnât so staggeringly hot as to cause a normal person to crisp and sizzle.
âI think itâs just you,â she said, lifting an eyebrow as she observed Katherine plunking a hat onto her head - a scorched scalp really would ruin the day though, wouldnât it. Cindy felt fine though, in her shorts and tank top - with fashionable footwear, naturally. She wanted to walk on the beach without stepping in glass or getting pebbles lodged into the soles of her feet, then take them off for the sake of wiggling her toes in water, but house shoes that resembled ugly slippers wouldnât do.
Kate Spade never failed her. These sandals were bright and colorful. New arrivals at Shoegasm, too.
âIs there a way to ultimately ward off the effects of the sun once things...happen fully?â she asked. Because not being able to go out during the day, being nocturnal, seemed depressing and inconvenient. âAnd I guess this means that thereâs a transition officially starting.â That made her frown a bit - she had hoped Katherine would escape impending vampirism.
A scorched scalp would ruin her day, and then the flakes would ruin her hair and itâd be a terror for someone as vain as Katherine to even want to deal with - and not to mention? Keeping her skin clear and void of blotchiness was something sheâd ideally like stick to. âThereâs an amulet at home, but considering everyone around here tends to magically wake up with fangs and a switch in appetites I didnât think Iâd need it today.â
There was a small, nagging voice that had already told her what this was the moment she felt something off - and she hoped it wasnât, hoped that whatever dreams coming her way would take their time before crashing into her everyday life and throwing off the balance of her routine but maybe it was closer than she thought.
Katherine adjusted the very boho, flowy top to cover her shoulders a little more. âThereâs hit the vintage boutique,â she motioned over to the quaint shop, refurbished from an old cottage home. Polka dot dresses, bold accessories, elbow-length gloves. âThe sun wonât try to murder me there.â
âThatâs one hell of a way to wake up,â Cindy winced, because really? Seemed kind of sudden, but what did she know. Sheâd once woken up on Deathâs doorstep and didnât have any warning prior to that at all, besides that her dreams started again after a la. And generally anything in Fabletown was too dark or gritty to really bode well regardless.
The vintage shop in question looked cute too, maybe a place where those in the Red Hat Society shopped. Bless them. She had an errant thought of her stepmother, who would have loved to browse around in here.
There was a tinny sound of a bell chiming when she and Katherine entered. Handbags - maybe Cindy could use a new handbag (when could she not, was the question). True enough, it was respite from the sun, and she flashed the lady up front a friendly smile before moving to browse. Without being bothered. âAre you okay though, I mean, besides the sudden sun allergy?â
Sun allergy. Katherine had to smile, albeit bitterly. âIâm fine,â she assured, and if she wasnât then sheâd what she did best - endure. A spine of steel, iron will, claws to tear her way through. Running had been an option she pondered before, but it involved leaving behind more than she liked to admit. It was a route sheâd taken in the dreams and she lived decades of regret, left to stalk an old love from the shadows.
The accessories rack was what drew her in, and she could stand to be distracted from what was in the immediate horizon - the death of her humanity, cursed to thirst for blood, damned by nature itself. âOh, did I tell you I went on a date? One that involved keeping my clothes on too, for that matter.â It was impressive. Her routine usually involved nudity before an official date, or actually? Just nudity. Dating led to false hopes, though there was no lies when it came possibly romancing the scientist. âIâm proud of myself, all the while as I wonder exactly what this place is doing to me.â
A date. Cindy would refrain from calling that sweet - but it kind of was. Still, Cinderella wasnât really one to squeal and gush. She just grinned coyly, obvious delight sparkling there in her bluebird eyes. âOh yeah? Whatâd you guys do? And wait, who was this with again?â
She had a lot of questions; they would be asked in due time, since she was curious. Katherine was not only Cindyâs favorite Americaâs Next Top Model winner, she had become a close friend of the fairytale princess. Kind of reminded her of Snow White, actually, also a good friend - and a woman who Cindy would (and did) take a bullet for, who was also in possession of a spine dipped in steel. Who would have thought two ex-wives of Prince Charming would become such bosom buddies.
So, you know, she had a lot of questions and she needed answers. She also might need this handbag. Well, it was really a clutch that resembled a seashell, but how adorbs.
Earrings, large and vibrant ones - Katherine sifting through those, as they were her preference considering the volume of hair she possessed. âScientist,â she reminded, eyes flickering in amusement. âThe one with the feet? Went a little feral when the aliens hit?â Little. That was an understatement. Hank changed that night in more ways than one. âWe spent the day at the Renaissance faire for a pub crawl.â
Neither of them had ever been to one, and he was trying to break out of the lab a little more often while she was branching out of her comfort zone of petty glamour parties with frequently passed blow. But anyway, itâd been a good time for them both - unique drinks and eats with kisses shared in between. He was sweet. Different.
With an undertone of something rough, something carnal beneath still waters. Katherine was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.
âOh, right!â Cindy remembered the âone with the feet.â Sheâd called upon her powers of shoe searching and procuring, especially when it came to the specialty sizes, to find Katherineâs scientist friend some prime footwear. âHe seems cute,â she observed. âAre you going to go out with him again?â One date could turn into two, et cetera.
Sometimes these things just happened. She, personally, hadnât been expecting to find her husband when she did - as far as she could recall, it had happened because he seemed interesting in calibrating her pumpkin carriage. And that wasnât a euphemism. Then, from there, they just started spending more and more time together.
Earrings. Speaking of cute and all. She examined a pair of vintage-looking ones, silver with bold colors like turquoise and red and quite dangly. A hole in each lobe was about all Cindy wanted pierced, but she definitely liked decorating her ears. âAnd the feral thing is kind of a turn-on or what?â
Katherineâs head cocked to the side in a very âduhâ fashion, because of course it was a hell of a turn on - she wanted to wind him up until he burst, all sharp teeth and claws, molten gold eyes. âHeâs teasing me,â she answered with a pouty huff, pretty mouth jutted out in a pout. âThen thereâs the fact that he hasnât experienced the naughty touch yet.â
He didnât want to just be a quick roll in the hay for her, and she wasnât planning to fuck nâ go either - but the chase was part of his appeal. âI plan on more dates, assuming this entireâŚâ A motion to herself; a body in the beginning stages of becoming a living dead girl. âThing doesnât become too much of a problem. He doesnât seem to be worried about my possible want to rip into his throat in the future.â
An employee had brushed past to get to a rack and offered them a strange look, and Katherine responded with a classic âmean girlâ look of disgust and âmind your own business, cunt.â
See, thatâs what you get when you eavesdrop. Shit you donât want to hear - so buzz off, lady. Cindy turned her back to the Nosy Nellie over here, and continued browsing. Her and adorable accessories were like peas and carrots - or peanut butter and chocolate, really (except if you were Garrus, and had formerly swelled up like a balloon even being near something nutty). She just couldnât resist and would probably end up purchasing a matching earring and necklace set. Plus this handbag.
âGod, I canât even remember what being a virgin is,â she laughed a little. âThatâs kind of big though, losing it. Or it should be.â Sure, Cindy cashing in her v-card hadnât been memorable at all (sheâd lost it to her first husband, far too young to be married) but sometimes she wished it had been. Alas. âAnd if you find the feral thing a turn-on, maybe he finds your...situation a turn-on too?â
Pop culture, admittedly, made vampires out to be these sexy, mysterious creatures - when it seemed like the drawbacks were shoved aside, because Edward Cullen was sooooo hot. The drawbacks needed to be addressed too, but she could also see how the bloody side of it could lead to intimacy between two people.
âOr at the very least, itâs a good sign heâs going to stick by you.â
In her case, the model had been sex on legs in high school - sheâd lost her maidenhood young, and in turn got very pregnant young. A history so hilariously (sarcasm, honey) repeated, and after that she had developed such a lengthy list of bedmates that her first time wasnât even something she cared to fondly reminisce about. Katherine thought it was love but it was hormonal infatuation in her teens that lead to heavy consequence. Life went on.
At least she ended up on Americaâs Next Top Model and not some worse trash like 16 and Pregnant.
âIâm interested to see what really pushes his buttons,â she mused, lips quirking into such a smile meant to show she was up to no good. âBut heâs not scared about what all could happen - for now.â There was no blaming him if he didnât want to be with someone whose diet was very specific, though she tried not to think about it. Katherine was enjoying things the way they were. âAnyway, Iâll make sure his first time doesnât end in baby like mine did. What about you, princess? Howâs it with the alien sex?â
Canât blame a woman for being so fascinated with the concept.
âYour first time ended in baby?â Cindy repeated, quite surprised because...had she missed that? No, she was pretty sure sheâd have remembered Katherine mentioning such a tidbit, and her eyebrows arched upward toward the ceiling. Obviously, it hadnât ended well (since sheâd never picked up âdoting momâ vibes from her sassy friend, there were no child photographs to be shown off) - though she wouldnât pry about the details. If Katherine wanted to share, that was her choice.
But alright, sheâd just mull that over while trying to think of a way to describe the wonders of alien sex. Definitely made the olâ in and out a lot more interesting than usual? What could she say, Cindy had unique tastes. âWell, you know - itâs probably a good thing I have some hardiness, thanks to my Fable nature because,â she lifted one shoulder. âI told you about the...quirks of sleeping with turians, like, what generally happens with humans.â
As in, chafing and allergic reactions to their semen. Cindy hadnât experienced much of that; the allergic reaction was what she was most concerned with, and chafing tended to be negated by lots of lubricant anyway. âI mean, he has hard skin, and scales, so I just have to be careful about not getting bruised or something - but I work around it,â she said. âWe - â Well, speaking of baby stuff. âI went to a clinic for...insemination. Which is the worst word ever, but. Itâs the only way we can have biological children since my DNA isnât compatible with his anymore. He had already filled a cup with the necessary requirements, froze it before he changed completely. So. Weâll see if itâs a success.â
She hadnât told anyone else yet, not wanting to jinx anything, but hey. Since they were discussing this and all.
It wasnât exactly a well kept secret, Katherineâs previous indiscretion that tarnished the Gilbert name - but no, she didnât bring it up too often, and when she did it was with an air of nonchalance and not a single tear. Itâd taken practice to get to that point.
Though she was glad sheâd brought it up to get that juicy nugget of information. Not a lot had her pause but that did, and she lowered an earring from her ear (sheâd been trying it on) when Cindy opened up about her own venture of baby-making. âLook at you,â she murmured, raising a brow. âYouâre ready for that step of your life? The aches, swelling, the end product?â
Insemination wasnât the sexiest way to create a life, but if they actively wanted this, good for them. She hoped to give her a âcongratulationsâ in the near future if the tests came back positive.
Lying there on a cot and having penis pudding literally shot up into her while she was ovulating definitely was not sexy in the slightest. It reminded Cindy of basting a turkey, kind of, but it was the procedure closest to actual intercourse - as in, when it came to the whole biological process. After a brief rest sheâd been free to close her legs and go on with her day like normal, so overall it wasnât very invasive which was good.
âWeâre definitely ready,â she nodded, fingertips brushing over small glass beads on the necklace she was looking at - the colors matched the earrings, so bright and tropical. âI feel like Iâm definitely ready too - I just say that because Iâm the one who will have the aches and the swelling.â That was said with a grin, easygoing - much more than sheâd been when Cindy first considered pregnancy. Back then, it was more like âhell no, get the fuck out of here with that.â But things had changed. âWe had to wait for that damn alien invasion to be conquered - for a whole year we never could relax since the signs kept pointing to a Reaper invasion, and that wasnât the best time to be having a kid.â At least not for them, with Garrus being so heavily involved in thwarting any invasion.
Things were a lot more settled now. Theyâd take advantage of the calm while they could. âAnd Katherineâs a good name,â Cindy teased. âMaybe youâve inspired me.â
Inspired her. That made Katherine chuckle, actually, and she abandoned her interest in accessories to fold her arms. âThe only thing I inspire are eating disorders,â she responded sardonically - and then she went on to be a little more sincere. âDonât know your spouse, but you? I can see you as a mother.â Not everyone was cut out for the job. She sure as hell wasnât (especially not at the age sheâd been knocked up), and she never would be - every maternal sliver in her disappeared with her daughter, wherever she was. Giving the possibility another try was something she decided she didnât want. Not ever.
It still didnât mean she couldnât be happy for someone who did want it, though. âIâll be the good friend that makes sure you get some high-end products to prevent stretch marks.â Katherine winked. âYou know, assuming the stick you pee on in the near future comes out positive. How likely is it to get the job done on the first try, anyway?â
When done the old fashioned way, what they said was true - sometimes it only took one time.
âYouâll have to meet him sometime,â Cindy encouraged. Garrus was great, though she knew she was biased. But still. âBring the one with the feet - we do sâmores and stuff at our outdoor fire pit all the time, so, perfect opportunity.â Plus, itâd be a good chance for Cindy to meet the guy Katherine went to a Renaissance Faire with (and the guy she planned to de-virginize. Hey, she must like him).
But oh boy, that stick peeing. Cindy couldnât wait. She was prepared in case this didnât happen the way she wanted it to on the first try - these procedures were kind of pricey, but that was fine. It would eventually take - she was healthy, she was using healthy trouser gravy, sheâd briefly taken extra egg-producing drugs to increase her chances also. âI think itâs usually about a twenty percent chance per cycle - but for us, I would imagine itâs higher,â she mused. âI mean, weâre both fertile and have no medical issues. So weâll see if the gods of knocking up smile upon me - who knows, I could get lucky the first time.â And not have to do it again and again, but whatever, sheâd do it for as many menstrual cycles it took.
âI learned so much though. Like how they liquefy the stuff first, to pick out the very best swimmers.â Must be an interesting job, analyzing sperm all day.
âNot to be rude, but ew,â Katherine grimaced with what seemed to be a smile underneath. âSpare me the unsexy details of your conception, or at least fictionalize it with some steamy alien smut detail.â All she could picture was a Cindy-shaped turkey full of semen-gravy - so attractive, wasnât it?
But as for her suggestion, ooh la-la. âIâll take you up on the offer of doubling up around the fire,â she said. âHankâs the type to get excited about meeting an alien - but donât worry, heâs not rude enough to poke and prod and take samples.â Unless it was consensual, of course, and it was cute when he babbled and fanboyed about things like science.
âYeah, itâs pretty gross,â Cindy was laughing because a lot of it just made her go what the hell. Pump and dump the old fashioned way was so much less complex than all the medical junk that went into it. Then again, being pregnant in general was also gross. Babies were gross.
Seriously, considering what came out of them? How in the hell did they literally shit tar? She didnât have a ton of experience, mostly just growing up in Atlanta taking care of cousins at family reunions or whatever, but those tiny humans were weird and nasty. Bless them.
Enough of that. She finally made a decision about what accessories she wanted, and patted herself on the back for a good choice. âDoubling up around the fire sounds good to me,â she smiled. âWeâll plan on it one weekend soon here. Theyâre both blue! Thatâs exciting. So much in common.â
There wasnât much she could offer (nothing at all, actually) in regards to the baby-rearing aspect, but the pregnancy part of the package - Katherine remembered all the discomfort, the disgusting changes and all the tricks that worked for her so sheâd try to help during the human incubation period. Assuming it all went as planned.
âHe could stand to socialize a little more, I think,â she mused, adjusting her purse strap - not that he was anti-social but the genius aspect of him seemed to have always been an issue when making friends. âBut letâs grab get a bite somewhere indoors with plenty of shade. Your baby batter talk hasnât ruined my appetite yet.â