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eemcintyre · 9 months

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Let the Games Begin

TW- era-appropriate but questionable attitudes about women and non-American cultures; predatory/mildly stalker-y vibes

Summary- Terry Silver (80s edition™️) is determined to claim the one woman at Dynatox who doesn't appear to be interested in him, and he concocts an elaborate scheme by which to do so.

Alright everyone, we are officially rolling on Part 1 of this series! Hours and days have gone into this, my most involved post to date. I hope everyone has as much fun reading this as I did writing it 🥰🤞🏻 This series will take much longer between posts for obvious reasons, but rest assured that I am working diligently and keep your eyes peeled for the next part!

Terry Silver hadn’t been able to truly focus on his work since the previous autumn; one year ago. What he had done, and was doing at the present moment, had been a lot of delegating and a lot of smoking cigars with his feet propped on his desk.

What had started out as a minor annoyance had mutated into an undeniable obsession, so revolting that he was almost nauseated. As much as he tried to deny it to himself, Terry could feel the situation gradually spiraling out of his control. When she’d started appearing in his dreams a few nights ago, robbing him of even the briefest moment of peace, that’s when he really felt his control and composure starting to slip and knew something drastic needed to be done.

She. Valerie. She who had been hired one year ago to work for Dynatox as a public relations specialist (no easy task these days with the growing environmentalist movement). Who had quickly become one of their hardest and most talented workers; who was polite and quick-witted, and who, although certainly plain-looking in the grand scheme of what the state of California had to offer, had the nerve to be the only woman in the company who wouldn’t give Terry Silver the time of day.

Over her comparatively brief tenure at Dynatox, she’d been pleasantly surprised to work her way up to the top floor. It was a convenient coincidence that this was where Terry’s office was. The proximity had afforded him countless opportunities to drop lines and try to pique her interest, but, every time, he was unceremoniously shut down, whether she politely laughed it off as a joke or regaled him with her very full roster of work tasks.

These interactions left Terry in a state of confused fury. After all, what made her, some nobody public relations rep from nowhere, think she was so special? Where did someone like her get off treating someone like him so ambivalently, when any other woman would consider herself lucky to attract his interest?

She didn’t wear a ring or appear to be dating another man, and for a time, he’d wondered if she was a lesbian. However, after digging into her history, he found that she had once seriously dated a man back home (home being the other side of the country) and casually gone out with a couple of others since arriving in California, but nothing had come of them. So, what was the problem? Tapping into the company grapevine, he found that, rather, her reservations regarding him seemed to be that she was well-aware of- and thoroughly unimpressed by- his playboy reputation.

Terry clenched his jaw as he stared through his open office doorway, a perfect window to Valerie’s desk. Her pretentious round glasses, the fawnlike, coy hazel eyes behind them, and her bland but form-fitting skirt suits all seemed to taunt him. He could have her fired at the snap of his fingers, and he often comforted himself with this knowledge, but it would be far more satisfying to somehow get her in his clutches, make her see what she was missing out on and make her equally obsessed with him. Have her in every conceivable way and ruin her for anyone else- better yet, trick her into falling in love with him- just so he could drop her like she was nothing and put her back in her place.

At this immensely appealing thought, Terry took a lusty puff of his cigar, the smoke hovering over Valerie’s figure before dissipating along its upward path. He’d taken to smoking in his office more and more often- she thought he hadn’t picked up on the way she glared at him every time she detected the scent, but he caught it every time and it gave him an admittedly childish satisfaction. It was just too hilarious how easy it was to get the little thing so riled up, thinking her insignificant opinion mattered at all when he himself was on every fucking Forbes list and the provider of her livelihood.

Her soft laugh floated through the doorway from where she sat at her desk, engaging in a friendly exchange with the person across from her. She was wearing red lipstick today. It was as if she was purposely trying to torment him. Terry watched her raise a teacup to her lips and studied the lipstick stain left behind on the rim with particular attention, wondering what it tasted like.

If he were to just openly ask her out, she would undoubtably say no. A covert operation would be required. The previous night, over a thoughtful soak in the bath and a glass of whiskey, he’d managed to finally come up with the perfect plan. With just the right amount of basis in reality, it would be cunning enough to fool even her while being a lot of fun along the way for him.

He would ask her to act out a fake relationship with him, the pretense being that he was trying to get back at an exe, as well as temper his wild image for potential investors who were not too enthusiastic about his outrageous lifestyle. To lay a believable amount of groundwork for everyone around them, the ruse would start months in advance- it was early autumn now, and the plan would culminate with the perfect event- the suitably theatrical backdrop of the company’s annual Christmas gala.

The exe would be a real figure from Terry’s past- Alicia Harlow. A fellow high-profile figure in the business realm- specifically the heir to AllNation, the U.S.’s number-one insurance company- they maintained a tenuous acquaintance with each other for the sake of their respective business interests. It was also true that, while she currently spent her time traveling from country to country, Alicia would be spending Christmas in California to visit relatives and recuperate at home for the first time in a few years. Though Terry really hardly cared what Alicia thought of him, secure in the knowledge that the breakup was all her loss, it would be an added bonus to reconnect with her just to show off how well he was doing and make her jealous.

Not only would this scheme serve to lessen Valerie’s suspicions of ulterior motives toward her, thinking all such motives were directed toward Alicia, but Terry could evoke her sympathy if he really laid it on thick with the pathetic, rejected-lover-with-a hurt-ego act. Show her that he was so much more than the narrow view his reputation regrettably portrayed. Finally, to ensure it would be an offer she couldn’t turn down, he was going to offer to double her holiday bonus. That kind of money would be hard for anyone to refuse- especially someone like her- and to him, it was pocket change anyway.

The process of researching Valerie had gone beyond just her dating history and Terry had also delved into her financial situation. Apparently, her move across the country was all part of some grand plan to prove to herself and her family that she could “make it on her own” and attain the kind of success and renown that she had been told was unreasonable. It made perfect sense why she worked at Dynatox- she was about as ambivalent to the company’s goals as she was to the man who oversaw them, but it was a highly successful company. Her eyes betrayed her hunger to get somewhere, be someone, and there was a good place to do it.

It was such a terribly overdone and insipid trope that Terry would have been disappointed if it wasn’t going to work so well to his benefit. While she was paid well for her work, living in California wasn’t cheap. Apparently, she lived in some shithole apartment that just bordered the rough part of town. Some extra funds would definitely capture her attention and were likely to seal the agreement.

Yes, Terry could work with that. His plan would take a lot of work, but he was no stranger to hard work- he was a stranger, however, to not getting what he wanted when he wanted it.

He summoned her to his office.

Valerie had observed Mr. Silver out of the corner of her eye and noted that he’d been reclining, feet on the desk and cigar between his lips, for a solid half hour. While the rest of the floor hummed with activity- and the PR team had been double-timing it lately, managing a situation in the Midwest where protestors were objecting to a new Dynatox plant in their area- he seemed not to have a care in the world.

Therefore, upon receiving a page on the telephone from him, summoning her to his office, Valerie punched the last few letters of the document she was typing abnormally hard. She respected the man as her boss; as someone who had built up a highly successful company that was currently paying her bills. But, beyond that, he exhibited many of the traits that she found to be the most abhorrent, from his short-fused and loud temper to the way he peacocked his wealth and good looks… Yes, she’d be lying to herself if she said his imposing stature, intense topaz-blue eyes and glossy, dark hair weren’t attractive. She could be fair and impartial enough to acknowledge that. But what a waste.

Reaching the end of the sentence she was typing, Valerie took a last sip of tea, as if to prepare herself. Knowing that he had a direct line of sight to her desk all the while, and feeling his eyes on her, she took her sweet time meandering into Mr. Silver’s office.

“Mr. Silver, you wanted to see me?” she inquired, lingering in the doorway. She took in the details of his attire: his white trousers and loose-fitting navy button-up, the gold chain around his neck and the diamond stud in his left ear all reeked of California excess. Not to mention the slicked-back ponytail- Valerie had no idea what he possibly thought he was doing with that stylistic choice.

“Yes, Ms. Clancy, come in,” he replied, gesturing her forward. “You can shut the door behind you.” The words themselves were a suggestion, but he phrased it like an order.

She coughed pointedly upon entering the cloud of cigar smoke that encircled him.

“Sit down,” he smiled warmly, uncrossing his long legs and resting them under the desk, replacing them with his elbows as he leaned toward her, hands folded.

Valerie sat with her own hands folded in her lap and adjusted her skirt, sitting under his piercing gaze and getting the irrational feeling like he could see through her clothes or something. Trying to maintain eye contact without turning red, she attempted to make their interaction as quick and painless as possible:

“If this is about the Midwest project, I told you that my team and I aren’t going to be able to get it to you any sooner than the end of the week. We’re already working double-time…”

“No, no,” he interjected, tapping the ashes off the end of his cigar into a tray on his desk. “There’s something else I need to discuss with you.”

“I… okay?” Utterly mystified, mildly annoyed, and growing a bit concerned, Valerie subconsciously adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose. She mentally reviewed the tasks she’d completed recently, wondering if she’d unwittingly made some kind of mistake she was about to be reprimanded for.

“Oh, don’t look so worried,” he assured her, his gaze softening as he grinned apologetically. “I have a proposition for you.” Silver suddenly rose from his chair, cigar in hand, and began pacing lazily before her. “Ms. Clancy, I don’t suppose you’ve heard of Kimura Capital Investments?” he inquired, exhaling a stream of smoke in her direction.

“Of course. They’re the most prestigious investment group outside the States.” Her hands fisted in her lap as she blinked through the smoke. He nodded.

“Well, and keep this under wraps, if you don’t mind- they’ve expressed some interest in Dynatox. The only problem is that, being a Japanese company, they’re a lot more… traditional than what we’re used to. They have a lot of antiquated ideals when it comes to morals and values and all that jazz- plus the board members have it in their heads that I’m unstable; a loose cannon, if you will, and so they aren’t entirely comfortable handing me a bunch of their money. We’ve been courting them for months with everything we’ve got, but no luck yet.” He paused, temporarily setting the cigar down to smolder in the ashtray.

“I also don’t suppose you know a woman by the name of Alicia Harlow?” Though he paced back and forth, his gaze remained steadily on hers.

“No,” she shook her head, proud of herself for how she kept his eye contact unflinchingly. She watched as something not only in his eyes, but his entire expression changed, becoming shadowed. He briefly pursed his lips, glancing toward the floor, and shifted his lower jaw.

“Well, not only is she AllNation Insurance’s heir apparent, but she and I also used to go out. This was a couple of years ago, at this point, but she and I had a pretty messy split. We’ve maintained an acquaintance with each other because it benefits us both for our companies to work together. Of course, since she is an important business partner and she’ll be in town this winter, she is invited to this year’s Christmas gala.”

Silver finally ceased his pacing, leaning over his desk with his hands on the tabletop. He smiled ruefully.

“But it still hurts me to think of her, much less talk to her… this December will be the first time I have to see her in-person since we broke up, and she’s bringing her fiancé… Meanwhile, I think I’ll cut a pretty pathetic figure if I’m there by myself or with one of the random women I could pick up between now and then.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Silver, but I’m just confused what all of this has to do with me.” Valerie felt a headache coming on- whether it was from the smoke, missing valuable work time to listen to whatever point Mr. Silver was trying to make (so much for meeting that deadline), or merely being in his presence at all, she wasn’t sure.

“I guess I should get to that. Of course; you don’t want to hear my sob story,” he acknowledged, chuckling self-deprecatingly. “Valerie, I’d like you to pretend to be my girlfriend. Now, listen, before you say no: it would just be for a couple of months, and it would mean a lot to the company, and to me, for two reasons. First, and most importantly, if I can clean up my image- and being with one reasonably well-adjusted woman consistently for, well, longer than a week, let’s be honest- it would go a long way in the department of making me look more stable and whatever the hell else Kimura is so interested in. Then, the chances of them investing in Dynatox go up exponentially.”

He slid back into his desk chair so that he was close to and directly across from her. “It would be so good for the company and everyone who works here would benefit. Plus, and this would just be an added bonus on top of that, but I would be able to show Alicia that I’m doing well for myself without her and I’ve moved on. The breakup was really tough on me and it was hard to get over her, but I don’t want her to think she destroyed me, y’know?” He toyed with the signet ring on his right hand.

“But… why me, though? I’m sure you know plenty of other women who could do a better job than me.” Valerie eyed him incredulously, eyebrows knitted to a level she had never before reached.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Valerie. You may not be built like a model, but you’re decently attractive, and you’ve got a lot of things that most of the other women I know don’t.”

Valerie had to keep her mouth from falling open at the underhanded compliment, her incredulous look intensifying as Silver continued, seemingly obliviously, onward.

“You work hard at everything you put your mind to, and you’re trustworthy. This would be a challenging project that would require the utmost discretion. You’re also not currently seeing anyone, and besides, you work in public relations- you specialize in bullshit. You put on a show for a living.”

As much as Valerie was stunned, she was also intrigued by this extremely unusual proposal. Even if she was undoubtably going to say no, it didn’t hurt to find out more just to satisfy her curiosity. One thing that bothered her, however, was how did he know that she was single?

Speaking slowly, she asked: “When you say ‘pretend to be your girlfriend,’ what exactly would that entail?”

“Well, it would mean accompanying me to various events, posing in front of the media, and of course, a lot of play-acting on both our parts. I know it’s not in your job description, but I’m willing to make it very worth your while. How does it sound if I double your end-of-year bonus? Does that sound like a pretty sweet deal?”

Valerie was no longer able to keep her mouth from falling open. That kind of money was enough to make her sincerely rethink and consider his offer.

Outlandish and downright unbelievable as it was, the idea of leaving her cramped old apartment and living in an area of town where she didn’t have to constantly look over her shoulder was inviting. And, being able to show that achievement off to her doubtful family and friends back home… Silver wasn’t the only one interested in stirring up some feelings of regret. Still, this would require substantial commitment, in more ways than one. The idea of spending large amounts of time with him, let alone pretending to be affectionate toward him and having people think they were intimate with each other… Silver certainly noticed her face turning red now.

“Mr. Silver, I...”

“It would just be until the Kimura deal is resolved and the Christmas gala is over. Shouldn’t be more than a couple of months. After that, once Kimura is up to their ass in contractual obligations and Ms. Harlow thinks I’m the one that got away, we can easily taper things off and our ‘relationship’ can die a discreet and mysterious death.” His tone was so nonchalant, it was like he was discussing any everyday business deal.

“I… I don’t know…”

“I want you to think about it.” He reached his hand halfway across his desk in a reassuring gesture. “I need an answer soon, but not right away. It’s an odd request, to put it lightly; I’ll admit it.” He chuckled to himself again with a self-conscious smile. “It would be some extra work, of course, and sometimes it might be a little awkward, so if you agree I want you to really have considered it. But just try to think of it as a special work assignment. I would be eternally grateful. Do you think you can get back to me by, say, this time tomorrow?”

“Um… y-yes, sure.” Valerie’s own voice sounded to her ears like it was coming from some other person. She couldn’t believe what she had just said, but comforted herself that all she had agreed to do was think about it, which was the polite thing to do, anyway. She could refuse Silver’s offer tomorrow, letting him believe that she had at least carefully considered it before shooting it down.

“Great,” he replied, flashing his typical bright, expansive smile this time. Rising from his seat again, he guided her to the door as she walked stiffly in its direction. “Well, when you have your answer, just swing back by my office.” He placed one of his large hands on her shoulder, opening his office door with the other. “Thank you so much for your time.”

As she padded back to her desk, Valerie didn’t notice Silver snatch his cigar back out of the ashtray. Reclining back into his chair, legs crossed over the desk once more, he blew a smoke ring after her as she walked away. It was as if he was trying to rope her in with it so he could devour her.

Valerie sat back down at her own desk, her thoughts and everything around her seeming like they were hazed over. All she could think to herself at first was What the absolute hell was that? Who, besides cartoonish movie villains, thinks up a crazy scheme like that? And it would only be crazier for her to accept it.

But then there was, perhaps, the craziest part of all, which was also the most intriguing- the money. And sure, Valerie could understand the importance of getting Kimura to invest in Dynatox. She could also understand even more clearly the desire to prove people wrong and make them regret the things they said about you; Silver’s insecurity had finally humanized the larger-than-life, seemingly all-powerful, and invulnerable figure to her. If it was in fact true, it was hidden behind thick layers of pride, but maybe- just maybe- she had been wrong about him.

But the idea of proving her family and friends back home wrong, and even making them feel proud of her and proud to know her, was tempting. And the same went for those she had met in California- she knew that many of the people around her either looked down on or pitied her with her final-sale clothes and small apartment, while most of them wore the latest fashions and owned their own property. It would be nice to finally be seen as an equal.

Earning that extra money, and the increased security and status that would come with it, could really help her on her way to finally making some kind of mark on the world. If that journey had to start with pretending to be Terry Silver’s girlfriend, well, it could definitely be worse. How bad could it be, really? Mingle at an event here and there, call him “baby,” hold his hand and smile? Maybe have to kiss him a couple of times? If he could somehow keep his mouth shut over the entire next few months, it would really be all too easy.

Silver’s obnoxious personality and the fact that this all seemed too good to be true were what really stood in her way. Double her bonus, just to essentially play pretend for a couple of months? And speaking of pretend, two could play at that game. Where had this previously unseen sensitive and vulnerable side of his come from? She thought she had detected him flirting with her in the past, and for the briefest moment, she entertained the thought that this was all just some bizarre, elaborate plan to get her into bed with him.

But that thought almost immediately evaporated- while he might possibly want her just for the sake of being able to say he’d had her, Valerie doubted that he would go to such lengths to do so. As one of the most successful men in the country, Terry Silver could easily have his pick of the most desirable women out there. It must have to do purely with her other qualifications, like he’d said. The general word on the street must be true- Mr. Silver was just a very strange man.

While Valerie was attempting to parse through all of these lines of thought, her work friends had clustered around her as soon as she sat down. Without even bothering to hide their curiosity and concern, they immediately peppered her with questions about what Mr. Silver wanted and whether anything was wrong- after all, it was highly unusual to be called into his office like that. But Valerie managed to play it cool, eyes either glued to her computer or glancing innocently wide as she reassured them that he merely wanted to check in on the status of their project because it was so important. Having made it clear, by typing all the while, that she wanted to focus on her work, her friends soon lost interest and filtered away to their respective desks. Valerie was relieved it had worked, because, despite the calm and work-focused act, it was hard to concentrate the rest of the day.

Perfect, Terry thought to himself as he observed. She was going to be an even better actress than he’d anticipated.

It wasn’t merely at work where Valerie had trouble concentrating. Despite her best efforts, she continued to think about the meeting with Mr. Silver all evening- while she cooked and had dinner, while she showered, and as she fell asleep- she even dreamed about it.

She certainly didn’t enjoy having Terry Silver occupy that much of her mind, but what was worse was how, as the hours went on, the deal began to look more and more tempting. When was an opportunity like this going to come up again? Besides, she thought, it could be fun having some occasions to get dolled up; pretend like she wasn’t single and her life was far more interesting than it really was.

By the end of the following workday, she had made up her mind. In actuality, she had made her decision that morning, but it took most of the day to convince her body to cooperate with her mind and carry her into Silver’s office to tell him.

An hour before business drew to its daily close, the same time as yesterday, Valerie had finally sorted out what she wanted to say to the best of her ability and scrounged up the gumption to enter Silver’s office. She entered without knocking and he looked up, telephone receiver to his ear, briefly glaring daggers until he registered that it was Valerie who had interrupted.

“Yeah. Yeah, listen- I’ll call you back. I said I’ll call you back.” He hung up, his eyes softening and posture relaxing, though inside he was fuming that she’d not only interrupted him but also made him wait this long to give her answer. Nothing like waiting for the last minute. She’s really relishing this, huh? He thought. You think it’s fun to get under my skin, babydoll? You want to make me squirm? Just wait until the tables are turned on you… But he bit all trace of this back, greeting her with merely a welcoming smile.

“Mr. Silver, I’ve made up my mind,” she declared before he had a chance to make even a cursory greeting. She hadn’t meant to burst in quite so unceremoniously, but she had started the luge- there was no getting off the sled now.

“Wonderful, of course, come in,” he replied, gesturing her closer. She closed the door without being asked this time. “Sit down.”

Too concentrated on how to deliver what she was about to say, his words did not register with Valerie and she continued to stand awkwardly.

“Mr. Silver,” she repeated.

“Yes?” he lightly tapped his desk with a pen as it was becoming difficult for him to conceal his impatience.

She drew in a breath. “I understand how significant a deal with Kimura would be for everyone at this company and I don’t want to stand in the way of that- I would like to help if I can. But while I can sympathize with the situation with Ms. Harlow, honestly, your personal life is not really my concern and I’m still a bit confused how I’m the supposed best fit for that role...”

“I appreciate your honesty.”

Valerie couldn’t tell if his tone was meant to be sarcastic or genuine. Either way, she realized that she did not want to show weakness; she needed to appear confident, lest he begin to see things from her point of view as well and change his mind, meaning all of this thought and discussion would be embarrassingly all for nothing. Plus, she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her rattled. Speaking more forcefully and clasping her hands in front of her, she continued:

“...Like any other assignment, I would be prepared to give it my all and your belief would not be misplaced…”

“Ms. Clancy, I just need a yes or a no.” He said, his face and body language cool and motionless apart from raising his eyebrows.

“Yes. I accept,” she blurted out at last.

Silver’s level expression broke into a wide grin as he exclaimed “Oh, that’s great-”

“-But I have conditions,” she attempted to reel his enthusiasm back in, uncomfortable with how gleeful the news had made him. “I want to be compensated very well. I’m not ashamed to tell you that my main interest in this is for the money.”

Silver’s delighted expression and tone went unbothered by her gravity. He tossed aside the pen that had been clasped triumphantly in his fist. “You’ll get double your bonus, as promised. It’ll be in your bank account the second the last guest leaves the gala.”

“And I want it in writing.”

“Smart woman,” Silver nodded approvingly. “I just so happen to already have a contract drawn up.” He swiveled in his chair, snatching up a paper from the table behind his desk. “It’s basic, but it will do. I’ve already had my secretary notarize it.”

Valerie studied the signature at the bottom of the page that read “Margaret Spencer” in neat cursive. While Silver’s foresight made things efficient, she was irritated that he had assumed she would say yes.

“And we can’t take it too far.” She made her final, perhaps most important demand. “With the public affection.”

“Would you like me to draw up a contract for that, too? Hand-holding acceptable, no heavy petting or kissing with tongue?” He chuckled, meeting her solemn gaze with a mocking glint. She reddened, but did not flinch.

“That won’t be necessary. I just want to set expectations. After all, at the end of the day, I don’t care how much you’re paying me- I’m a businesswoman, not an actress or an escort. There are certain boundaries we can’t cross.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Silver assured her, like he was ever the gentleman. Inside, he looked forward to when he would indeed cross every single one.

Terry didn’t appreciate her thinking she could order him around. He kept his outward composure, but he knew that a long and aggressive karate training session was going to be in order when he arrived home that evening.

“I guess it’s settled, then.” He clapped his hands together. “Good. Now, I believe I made it clear yesterday that time is not on our side here. We’ll have to start planning and preparing this weekend, so you’ll have to cancel any plans. I’ll have a car sent to pick you up and take you to my place Saturday morning.”

“Mr. Silver, you don’t need to do that-” Valerie protested, not wanting to feel like a charity case or to be more obligated to him than she already was.

“-Of course not.” He waved his hand dismissively. “But it’s my pleasure, and it’s easier than giving you directions and getting you through security. Is 10 AM too early?”

“Not at all.” She paused, not sure how to respond to this new barrage of unusual requests and information. “Should I… bring anything?”

He chuckled. “No. But Valerie, you should start calling me Terry.”

“Alright… Terry.” The syllables felt foreign on her tongue, but not entirely repulsive.

“Maybe not around the office,” he added, “In the interest of maintaining some façade of professionalism, but of course, the lines are going to start to blur…”

“Of course,” she nodded, adjusting her glasses.

“I really can’t tell you how thankful I am.” Although she was still standing, he leaned in, voice lowered. “Regardless of whatever your reasons are, you’re helping me out a lot. More than you know.” He paused and they merely held silent eye contact for a moment. He was impressed by how long she returned his stare, but was pleased when she eventually was the first to break the contact and glance uncomfortably at the wall behind him.

“Well, until Saturday. I’ll see you bright and early.”

“Mr. Silver.” She nodded again, this time in farewell, stepping out of his office as suddenly as she had come in.

As she wrapped up her work for the day, Valerie felt weird and inexplicably dirty. She tried to focus on the money and everything she would be able to do with it. She told herself that she was just doing him a favor and being nice. It was just an extra work task. But she couldn’t shake the feeling of what the hell have I done?

#thomas ian griffith #terry silver #cobra kai #the karate kid #creative writing #enemies to lovers #fake dating #karate kid fanfiction

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butterflyinthewell · 5 years

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Old fanfic: Get Off My Island!

Era: Heisei era

- Written in 2006, so my writing skills were less polished then. -

Characters: Shezilla, Godzilla and Zilla (GINO to some!).

Summary: An unwelcome guest takes up residence on the island Godzilla and Shezilla call home. With Godzilla off foraging for food, Shezilla has to fight for her territory alone.

* * * TW: Violence, blood and a bit of poop. * * *

The dialogue in italics are noises and gestures translated into words. Translations would appear in subtitles if this was a real movie. I'm pretending all monsters have a "common language" so they can always communicate with each other regardless of species.

I love this piece. It showcases Shezilla’s personality so well. She doesn’t take kindly to invaders of her space and neither do I! ;)

GFW Goji gif is appropriate because Shezilla has the same build and moves the same way. Just paint the suit granite gray, toss on a Heisei era head and (slightly smaller) dorsal spines and you’ll have a girl with attitude.

Fanfic beyond the cut.

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Get Off My Island!

Shezilla stirred to awareness in the deep blue of the calm ocean. It was the first time she'd opened her eyes after hibernating the winter's coldest months away. She found a gleaming reactor core waiting for her - clearly a gift left by Godzilla. He always woke up first and left her a little present before taking off to find himself a meal. Shezilla drew the reactor to herself and felt the familiar prickle as her body absorbed the radiation. Her small, silvery dorsal plates flickered, the heat in them causing the water in her vicinity to boil. After she drained the reactor, she cast it aside and pushed up with her whole body. The powerful movements of her body and tail dislodged various barnacles, remoras and even bits of coral that took root on her hide while she slept. What didn't come off on its own got scraped off when Shezilla paused to groom herself with her long claws.

Finally, after nearly an hour of swimming off her stiffness, Shezilla surfaced near the island her and Godzilla called 'home'. The familiar rocky shores, white sand, brown mountains and a lush green jungle growing in a huge gorge were a welcome sight. It was mid-day, muggy and clear, the sun a brilliant white flare in the blue sky. For a moment Shezilla just enjoyed the sparkles on the water. She even grunted and rolled over on her back to let the sun bake her belly.

The kaiju female may have remained on her back all day. But something captured her attention. Shezilla rolled over and swam slowly towards the beach. Her eyes were drawn to a large pile of black feces on the the sand. Wastes told her a lot about her mate's health, like how much he ate and whether or not he was in season. Shezilla had taught her mate how to dig a hole in the sand and bury his business afterward - and he did, most of the time, so it really irritated her to find his nasty black filth just sitting in the sun to stink up the island.

Wait...black? Godzilla produced many interesting colors, but black was not among them. Shezilla moved closer. The sand had no drag marks from his tail. The footprints were narrow with less toes. Shezilla could not count, but she could tell the difference between more and less. She bent to sniff the feces and smelled fish. It definitely was not her mate's doing. Godzilla liked to eat whales, not fish. Shezilla growled low in her throat and stepped around the mess, her nostrils flaring at the unfamiliar scent hanging around the footprints. Her gold eyes narrowed, snarl lines appearing on her nose and cheeks. Her lips pulled away to bare one fang.

Intruder, Shezilla thought, now very wary and alert to every sound. She cautiously followed the footprints until they vanished into the jungle. The fishy, leathery scent was strongest there, so she knew she found the intruder's hiding place. Shezilla felt small prickles of fear rise up her spine. Charging into the jungle wasn't a wise idea - for all she knew the intruder could be stronger than her.

Shezilla opened her mouth and roared. "I know you're in there!"

Trees rustled, then stilled. Whoever hid there did not come out.

"Come out!" Shezilla howled again.

When that failed to get a decent response, Shezilla hauled off and kicked one of the boulders near her feet. It flew up into the air and disappeared into the trees with a loud crash.

"Owww!" cried the intruder, its roar hoarse and screechy. "This is my island! Go away!"

"YOUR island?!" Shezilla's gold eyes widened. Her fear became anger. This was HER island, her home! How dare this fool come here and invade it! She snarled, "You must be mistaken. This is MY island."

"It was empty when I came here." hissed the hidden creature.

"Because I was enjoying my winter's sleep," Shezilla replied coarsely. "You're not welcome here. Leave!"

She heard a low growling sound. Then, suddenly, a silver-gray form emerged from the trees. The creature had a large, flat head with glowing golden eyes and triangular gray spines running down its back. Its body was muscular while its arms and legs were very lean, and its posture was decidedly horizontal. Long black talons tipped its fingers and toes. Yet despite its menacing face and gleaming claws, the creature only came to Shezilla's throat.

Zilla regarded this unfamiliar female curiously. He knew she was female by her scent. Her wet hide was granite gray, bright and glistening against the sky. She glared at him through narrowed light gold eyes. Her fangs were bared, gleaming in the light, and she had bone white claws that rivaled his own in length. She stood upright on muscular legs and flat feet. He could see a hint of her dorsal plates glittering over her shoulder. Her arms were shorter than his, but also viciously muscular.

"Well?" Shezilla puffed out her chest and shook her shoulders. This caused her dorsal plates to slam together, creating a deafening clang. "Are you going to leave?"

Zilla hunched himself down until only his head was visible above the jungle foliage. "What if I don't feel like leaving?"

Shezilla's lips twitched into a half smile. "You want to leave."

"You know..." his glowing eyes arched in a grin, "you are quite lovely."

"You're not my type," Shezilla clenched her fists, "I'm taken anyway."

"Pity. You're probably wasting your time with him, whoever he may be." Zilla huffed and stood up again.

"Wasting my time?" Shezilla growled deep in her chest. Not only did this creature invade her territory, he also insulted her mate! She closed her fingers and her knuckles all cracked one after the other. The rumbling crackles rebounded off the mountainsides. "Now listen here, you pathetic, fish-eating excuse of an iguana! You invaded my island, you insulted my mate and your ugly presence offends me. Now for the last time—" she roared and ignited her dorsal plates, "LEAVE!"

Zilla wasn't about to let a mere female push him around. He hissed and snapped his jaws. "Make me!"

"Very well, then." Shezilla's plates brightened and crackled. A blue-white glow formed in her throat. She reared back and spat her atomic ray into the trees.

But Zilla proved as quick as his wit and leapt clear of Shezilla's ray. The blue-white beam vaporized trees and dug a molten trench in the ground. Steam that smelled like ozone rose from superheated water in the soil. Shezilla hissed. Zilla had jumped against the sun. She cursed its glare...where did he go?!

"You're mine!" Zilla crashed down on Shezilla's back. He was heavier than he looked and Shezilla tumbled with the impact. He locked his jaws around her largest dorsal plate and yanked backwards. Sharp shooting agony raced down Shezilla's back. Shezilla felt her lips pull back in a rictus of pain. A startled cry wrenched itself from her throat. Zilla grabbed her shoulders and shook his head like a dog with a toy, trying to rip the plate off her spine. She bucked beneath him, but he had such a good grip that he wouldn't be shaken off.

"Get off me!" Shezilla's spines glowed again. They heated so fast that the spit in Zilla's mouth boiled. His eyes widened. He screamed bloody murder and rolled off her back. She stared down at him, twitching her fingers, "Feel like leaving yet?"

"Gimme a kiss and I might consider it." Zilla grinned. Some of his jagged teeth were singed black. He dragged himself back to his feet and sand clung to his lean body.

Once again, Shezilla rattled her spines in warning and wrinkled her nose. She kept tabs on Zilla's feet, noticing they were moving."You're disgusting!"

Shezilla saw Zilla's clawed toes dig into sand and rocks. His body angled itself more forward. He was going to charge. The female widened her stance in the same instant her opponent raced forward. Sand and rocks were thrown aside by his huge toe claws. He came closer and closer. He was almost upon her. At the very last second she sidestepped. She caught his head under her arm and fell backwards, driving his face into the sand. Too hard, it seemed, for he couldn't easily free himself! Shezilla grabbed the struggling Zilla's tail.

"Here, I'll help you out." she snickered. Then her muscles bulged as she yanked Zilla up by the tail. Only, she didn't let go. She swung him above her head and slammed him against the rocky ground. Then she lifted him up and did it again. Once. Twice. Three times. Each slam shook the beach. All Zilla could do was protect his head with his hands and arms until Shezilla flung him aside like a worthless toy.

Zilla smashed back-first into the rocky cliff. Pieces of it crashed down with him when he slid to the ground. He shook the sand and dirt off his face, coughing on the grit stuck in his throat. His body ached from the slamming. Dark red blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth. He heard Shezilla coming and jerked himself aside. Her claws smashed the boulder his head occupied a second previous. The boulder broke into several jagged pieces...that could've been his skull!

They froze that way - Shezilla with her fist to the ground and Zilla arching his back. Their eyes were locked, glowing in anguish and determination. The only sounds were the ocean lapping the shore, their heavy breathing and the occasional low growl. Shezilla's lips twitched away from her fangs.

Suddenly, Zilla dashed down the beach at seventy miles an hour. He was heading for the lowest cliff that jutted over the jungle's edge.

"Oh, no you don't!" Shezilla took off after him, angling her body forward and lifting her tail off the ground. She ran like an olympic sprinter, her feet smashing everything she stepped on. Zilla glanced over his shoulder. He was shocked to find her almost right beside him. Looking back also slowed him down. Shezilla passed Zilla. She ramped off a slanted boulder and leapt at the cliff. Then she threw her feet forward and kicked off the cliffside, gaining even more height. In one graceful motion, she twisted around in the air like a feline and dropped across Zilla's back. Zilla couldn't handle Shezilla's weight and his legs collapsed. They both rolled across the sand, dazed by the impact. Shezilla recovered first, her heart fluttering from the effort of running. She began to pummel the mutated iguana's head and ribs, each impact echoing across the island. Zilla shrieked as each blow jarred his bones. He snapped until he caught her fist in his teeth and squeezed, dragging her off his back. He did a standing leap onto the cliff, which was as high as Shezilla's chin. Shezilla lost sight of him.

"This isn't over!" she screeched, digging her claws into the cliff and using sheer upper body strength to haul herself up. Her bitten hand ached, angering her even more. Zilla was waiting for her. She snarled up at him. "Coward!"

The air cracked like a whip and Zilla's tail became a blur. Searing pain struck Shezilla's face. Her head jerked sideways and her blood splattered on the rocks. A thin red wound opened up near her left eye. She touched her cheek and blinked at the crimson streaks on her claws. He...he cut her face! Even if it healed in a minute...he still cut her beautiful face.

That really pissed her off.

"You are DEAD for that!" Shezilla screamed. She saw Zilla sprint up the jagged, rocky path leading into the mountains. He was leading her away from the solid, flat ground to a place where her footing wasn't always assured. Shezilla heaved herself onto her feet. A being like her looked utterly out of place on top of the cliff she stood on. She was covered in dust that fell off her in wispy clouds.

You're not getting away that easily! Shezilla snarled silently, watching him. She followed her opponent at a slower pace, studying how he jumped and wove around the sunbaked rocks. The sound of a roaring waterfall echoed up from the gorge. It fed a deep lake attached to a river that lead into the sea on the opposite side of the island. Shezilla's lips twitched...so that was where he headed. She wasn't much a fan of breathing freshwater, it smelled terrible, but it did taste nice and do wonderful things to her skin.

Zilla was almost in a panic - he hadn't expected Shezilla to follow him up the cliff! She proved more agile than she looked. He needed a hiding place she couldn't get into, and fast! She wasn't able to jump like he did and only ran in short bursts...if he could just exploit that weakness, he might be able to—

He smelled ozone. Shezilla's ray rushed towards him. He ducked it. The mountain top above him exploded in a shower of rocks.

Shezilla rushed Zilla when he crouched. She waded through the rock slide like it was nothing. Zilla screeched and did something unexpected - he lunged! Unprepared, Shezilla halted her advance. He kicked his foot out and scraped his huge toe talons across her chest. Sparks flew. Pain made Shezilla see stars and she smelled her own blood. Three diagonal red gashes marked her torso like war stripes. Zilla's claws were covered in it, too, like some kind of morbid nail polish. She blindly flailed her arms, catching the side of his head with her claws. His darker blood splattered all over her arm and flowed freely from the four slashes she opened on his cheek. He wrapped his jaws around her throat and began to squeeze.

"I hate to damage such a lovely face," growled Zilla, his glowing eyes narrowing, "but I've had enough of your attitude."

"So says the one who invades territory that isn't even his." Shezilla panted back just as Zilla's powerful jaws cut off her air. Her chest heaved uselessly, burning from the wounds, and she once more called upon the nuclear engine that powered her life.

Zilla's eyes widened. Shezilla's body got a lot warmer all of a sudden. Before he could disengage his teeth, the sledgehammer force of a shockwave slammed him into the mountainside. The whole cliff shook and more rocks rained down on them both.

Shezilla got up and shook the dirt off her body. Then she reached down to lift the largest boulder from the rock slide, a big, jagged boulder as large as her torso. Her chest, leg and arm muscles bulged with the effort and she bore her teeth at the pain it caused her wounds. The spines on her back flickered bright blue.

Blinking, Zilla stared at her. There was no way Shezilla could throw that at him! It took everything she had just to lift it!

Suddenly, Shezilla spun around like a shot putter. When she released the boulder, she fired her atomic ray on it. The concussive force of her breath sent the rock flying at Zilla. Just before it hit, the boulder glowed and shattered into thousands of molten shards that sandblasted the hapless creature. He wailed and writhed in white hot agony. It was in his nose and mouth, steaming, burning, boiling. Some of the pieces stuck to his skin and kept on scalding him. Parts of his gray hide smoked and bubbled. The air smelled like burnt flesh. Black burns created cheetah spots all over his body.

"Damn you!" spat Zilla.

Shezilla snorted at him. "It's your own fault."

Still screaming, Zilla broke away from Shezilla and raced down the incline leading towards the jungle lake. It was a one hundred foot plunge, but the water was almost as deep as Lake Michigan. Zilla threw himself headfirst off the cliff and splashed hard into the cold water. His body sent displaced water surging into the jungle.

"Stupid move!" Shezilla sprinted down the sharp incline after him. She leapt into the air, did a forward flip for more airtime and landed feet first in the lake. The resulting tidal wave flooded the jungle a second time. Her world turned blue as her body sank like a stone in a flurry of bubbles.

Now Zilla REALLY started to panic. Shezilla could swim, too? He saw her as a dark shape drifting between the shafts of moving sunlight. She cut through the water without hardly moving her body...how did she do that? Then he caught sight of her gold eyes boring into his skull. In the time it took him to blink she was on him. They both slammed against the bottom of the lake. Great sediment clouds rose up as they grappled. Then Zilla wormed away and took off for the surface. But Shezilla swam faster. She came up beneath Zilla so fast that both of them rose completely out of the water. Shezilla snapped her jaws shut around Zilla's fleshy throat and dragged him back into the depths with her. As they fell, dark blackish-red blood mixed into the frothy white splash.

After a moment of quiet, Zilla stumbled out of the lake. He moaned from his wounds. Chunks of his soft throat had been torn away. He was missing a few teeth. His sides were covered in burns and slashes. All of his wounds bled freely all over the jungle greenery.

Shezilla emerged as well, her eyes full of malice. She limped slightly from a deep slash in her lower calf, but her speed was not reduced at all. Her throat was covered in teeth marks that hadn't healed yet. The front of her chest still bore diagonal stripes. Bloodstains turned her teeth from white to red.

Growling, Shezilla leaned forward and bum rushed Zilla. Their bodies crashed together with a deafening thud and they tumbled through the mud. Zilla shrieked, trying to roll her off, but she wouldn't let him go. He ended up on his back with her on top of him. Shezilla pinned him with her weight and slapped him on either side of his flat face, snarling viciously, "How dare you taint my jungle with your blood! You disgusting beast!"

"Finders keepers," Zilla grimaced. The heavy blows stopped coming. He managed to grin, eyeing her. Her posture gave him a complete view of something people weren't supposed to see.

Shezilla followed her foe's leering gaze. Her eyes widened. If she could blush, she would have. She slammed her fist into his windpipe."Pervert!"

Zilla coughed from the surprise attack. He caught her head with his whip-like tail. Shezilla wailed at the blow and fell over sideways, clutching her ear. Then she got a face full of mud when he sprinted away. He cleared the gorge to see a rather pretty orange and yellow sunset. The sun was a red half circle sitting right on the water.

Yes! The ocean was right there! Zilla paused to look back at Shezilla. The surf crashed around his feet, stinging some of the burns around his claws. He saw her grin wickedly at him...and that was when he realized that he couldn't win against her. Best to run while he still had legs. Zilla shuddered and turned to run for the ocean.

And he slammed right into something so solid that he recoiled and lost his footing. He blinked up. A charcoal black leg, bulging with muscles, filled his vision. It moved aside and a face even meaner than Shezilla's peered down at him.

Godzilla grinned down at Zilla. "Boo."

Zilla squealed like a hatchling. "Don't hurt me anymore!"

"That's the invader!" Shezilla howled.

"This scrawny excuse of an iguana?" Godzilla rumbled, slapping his fist into his palm. His golden brown eyes narrowed contemptuously and his lips pulled away from his jagged teeth. A low growl rattled in his chest.

Gulping, Zilla stumbled back a few steps. He looked backwards at Shezilla. Her dorsal plates were glowing. He glanced forward at Godzilla. His spines also glowed. Whimpering, he covered his face in the same instant he heard their atomic rays discharge.

But they didn't hit him. Instead, the heat beams smashed into the sand right next to him. The shockwave flung him face first into the sand. Before Zilla could figure out what the heck just happened, Godzilla grabbed the back of his neck.

"Seeing as you're not even worth killing, I'm going to let you go. But if I ever so much as glimpse you near this island again..."Godzilla growled so low that it vibrated Zilla's bones, "...there won't be enough of you left to be dust on the ground. Am I clear?"

"O-okay. Yes! Uh-huh." Zilla squeaked.

Godzilla adjusted his hold on the back of Zilla's neck. He turned him towards Shezilla. "Now apologize to my mate."

The mutated iguana blinked when the claws on his neck tightened. "I'm sorry!"

Shezilla snorted. "You better be. If I ever see you again anywhere..." her lips curled into that wicked smile, "...your day will end most unpleasantly."

"You'll never see me again! I swear!" Zilla cried, flailing in Godzilla's grasp.

The idiot iguana's whining wore on Godzilla's nerves. He snatched Zilla's tail with his other hand, faced the water and punted Zilla with all his might. Zilla sailed through the air and landed with a tremendous splash over fifty yards away. He vanished under the sapphire sparkles without a sound.

Godzilla gave Zilla no more thought. Turning now to Shezilla, he studied her. She was bedraggled, blood-splattered, soaking wet, covered in mud and she gave off the most delicious musk. Godzilla thought she looked gorgeous like that. He decided not to mention that he was hiding just off shore, watching the entire fight. Sure, he would've jumped in if Shezilla required help, but she didn't need him. He loved it when she did things that showed off her muscles. The sight of her savagely beating up that iguana was...it was the hottest thing Godzilla had ever seen in his life. It took all of his willpower to not tackle her in the middle of the fight.

"My love?"

She grunted as her breathing regulated. "Yes?"

He approached her, grinning, and swished his tail. "Lay down."

"But I'm a mess!" Shezilla protested, gesturing to herself.

"I know." he purred, nuzzling her and licking the ticklish spot behind her ear. "But I like it when you get all dirty, because I get to clean you up."

"Oh, you!" Shezilla slapped her mate's chest, giggling at the hidden meaning in his statement. "You're terrible!" Then she caught his scent and sighed, curling into him. How could she resist a big lug like Godzilla? He began to lap at her face and throat, his sandpaper tongue cleaning away the dirt and dried blood clinging to her hide. She nuzzled him affectionately. "I'm going to be so sore later, thanks to that stupid iguana."

Godzilla just snickered against her ear. His gaze softened when he saw how the sunset sparkled in her gold eyes. He bent to clean the wounds still present on her chest. They were almost healed, but he wanted to tend to them anyway. As he did so, he purred, "You'll forget all about it in a few minutes, my love."

His gentleness was getting to her. It always did. She looked down at him, though all she saw was the top of his head. "Ooh, promise?"

He paused to look at her. His amused brownish-gold eyes sparkled and the setting sun outlined his face. "Do ugly, oversized iguanas fly?"

Shezilla stared at him. Godzilla grinned back. They both burst out laughing.

Somewhere far away, Zilla stirred from his tormented slumber. His wounds were all healed and his strength had returned, but he couldn't shake the memory of his humiliating defeat. He needed a place to nest. It had to be an island with an ample food supply and plenty of places to hide. The island he chose before was perfect, but its current residents weren't very welcoming. So once again he found himself searching for a nesting site.

Finally a day came where he encountered floating beasts that captured fish in gigantic brown membranes. He surfaced into a torrential rainstorm to see where these creatures came from.

Bingo, he thought.

Godzilla and Shezilla might have beaten him...but they didn't know they just showed him to spot of land even better than theirs. Right in front of him was a massive island covered in weird silver boxes. The tallest two pierced the clouds. He could hide in there for months and nobody would ever find him. It was beyond perfect.

Zilla closed his glowing eyes and submerged with a smile.

#Godzilla #Shezilla #Zilla #GINO #Heisei Godzilla #Heisei era #fanfiction #my fanfiction #fun #2006 #gif #seizure warning

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