ROLEPLAY HQ

It was just another day. The girl in his bed rolled out of the sheets with messy hair. She gathered her belongings, broken promises to see him again, and left without leaving a lasting impression. Once the door closed they’d never speak, and Cutter wanted it that way. He took a shower to get rid of the memory of her and got dressed in his usual black pants, leather boots, and a clean t-shirt. He stroked black eyeliner under the bottom of his golden eyes then ran a hand through his brown hair, which fell against his face at the worst times, such as having sex - girls loved to tug on his hair as he hovered over them. The last accessory on Cutter was a watch strapped to his left wrist. Made from black steel, forever ticking, keeping him from wasting time on people who didn’t matter. He smelled good, too. Like a scent on the street when their doors were open, luring customers in to see what it was, tempting them to pay the price to find out. He pulled a black hoodie over his head. The material gripped his upper body. Cutter had lean muscles, a swimmer's build, and looked like someone’s secret fantasy when standing in front of a mirror. Calculated fingers finished the outfit with a leather belt that would come in handy later. He left his apartment on the corner of 11th ave, the name and face of the girl from the night before forgotten. There was a small coffee shop around the corner where the baristas knew him. He grabbed his coffee, and just when he was about to leave, spotted a woman sitting at a table by herself. She was reading a book next to a window with a cup of something steaming. Cutter walked over to the table and sat across from her. His stare was intimidating, though not done on purpose. Those eyes had a way of undressing someone without touching them - entering someone’s soul without permission, and it was clear he wanted to see what was inside of her. “Hello…” he said, intending to break her away from whatever book she was reading.

12:25 PM

@Loni

Zoé kept to herself for the most part. If she didn't, she would be starting many problems with other people...her mouth tended to be unhinged, if someone were to cross her she hit back twice as harshly. She didn't care. If she couldn't be handled, that was on them. Not her. Zoé had her own boundaries and a lifestyle that kept her happy. She started her day by lazily waking up, slumping in her bed as she scrolled on her phone. Yawning and curling up in her covers. She was like that for about a half hour before deciding to get up and get dressed. Her choice of clothing was something simple...some shorts with fishnets, some combat boots, and a long sleeve shirt with cutouts on the shoulders. Zoé paired this look with a small choker and earrings. Her body was rather...average, though. But the clothing she wore always made her look better, and she appreciated that. With her phone on the table, the book in her hand as the other was left open to sip her coffee, a man sat down at her table. Now, she knew she didn't have a morning date, let alone invite anyone to join her. She slowly set her book down and looked up at him, her gaze piercing. She was the type of girl that would push a man away with few words. "Hi. I don't think I know you, and I know there are open tables. In case you didn't see them." @Taking Back Luxday

A tiny golden bell jingled over the door to the coffee shop. It was a bright chime, which set off an alarm for the baristas - and just like that, a slew of people flooded the establishment. The morning rush hour hit out of nowhere and it was as if God was playing with destiny, puppeteering a miracle right before their very eyes. The empty tables Zoé spoke of vanished and Cutter rose a brow in her direction, “Looks like I’m out of luck…what a shame. Suppose I’ll stay here for a while. Besides, I wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to get to know you...” He held onto their eye contact for longer than he should have because he wanted her to see him the way he saw her - a reflection of new beginnings. She was pretty. Cutter liked the color of her hair and the outfit she decided to wear. Looking her over unapologetically, he casually made his way down her body, noting the fishnets on her thighs and the boots on her feet sticking out under the side of the table… The place was getting louder with people looking for seats, but there were none. He leaned forward and placed one of his forearms on the corner of the table, “You strike me as the type of person who has a great sense of humor once you get to know them. Someone who might have a few secrets they don’t want anyone to know about…I wonder if I’m right.” Without warning, he reached for the book she was holding onto. “Interesting read you’ve got going on here, mystery, romance, adventure - I feel as if I know so much about you already,” he commented, thumbing through the pages. “...looks like it gets really good towards the middle…” he was smiling now, scanning line after line while turning the pages, “...someone dies, how tragic…” then he got to the very last page and suddenly the sound of fragile paper ripping filled the air between them. Cutter folded the last page of her book into a perfect square and shoved it into the pocket of his jeans. “...I guess you’ll need to go out with me tonight to find out how it

5:48 PM

ends.”

5:48 PM

@Loni

Zoé's eyes flickered from this dark stranger to the door. How the hell did all these people just suddenly show up? Before she realized it, the cafe was full, and well...he was staying put, it seemed. Her gaze shifted back to his in a rather annoyed manner. She was stuck. "A lot of people would love to get to know me. I can only imagine what your pervy eyes are doing. Ah! No wait, I can. It's always the same." Their gaze did hold for a few moments if looks could kill. She didn't seem to be the type of girl to be messed with. And it seemed that Cutter would do so regardless. "Sense of humor? What gives you that idea?" Zoé asked, raising an eyebrow. "Look dude, you need to just-" Her sentence was cut short as suddenly the man took her book. "Hey! What the hell?! Give that back!" Zoé reached out to try to get it back, but alas...he was too quick and far. As he practically spoilt something for her, she groaned in annoyance. "Are you kidding me?" But what really moved her was that tear. That rip. It shattered her bookworm heart. Zoé's eyes widened, glancing from the page as it was folded to him. "Are you a psycho? No! No, you can't just come up to me, rip my book and then bribe the ending like that on me! Who do you think you are?" @Taking Back Luxday

“That’s a loaded question. Who do I think I am…” was it wrong he was amused by her anger? Or enjoyed the way a fresh wave of red hit her cheeks from his actions… “I am someone who enjoys making fun of girls who think they’re better than everyone else. Girls with noses turned so far up they’ve never seen their own feet before, ignoring the people they walk on. The ones who think they own every table in a crowded coffee shop as if it’s their own personal throne - do you really think I would spoil it, precious? You figured from the few seconds I glanced at your book I was able to gather someone died?” He continued to lean on the corner of the table with those golden eyes staring directly into hers, “I was right - you are funny.” Cutter brought the piece of paper ripped from her book out of his pocket, creased into a square, and set it down on the table in front of her. “The last page is empty.” Hopeful eyes watched Cutter as he stood up, the chair making a sound as the legs pushed against the cold floor - everyone wanted his seat. So when he walked over to the counter to grab a pen, the number of people wondering if he was leaving or not only increased. He wrote his number on the ripped piece of paper, the one the girl was heartbroken over, and left it sitting next to her steaming drink. Cutter returned the pen to the barista, but before he was gone for good, he stood behind Zoé. He placed his hands on the back of her chair and leaned down to the side of her ear, “Who do I think I am…I am the guy you’re going to have grandchildren with someday - you’ll tell them the story of how you met your husband in a coffee shop, how I ripped your book and forced you to make a scene in front of everyone…” Cutter stole the book from her hands and walked out the front door with the bell jingling overhead - it was a fair exchange after all, his number for the book she was enamored with.

12:36 PM

@Loni

Zoé watched Cutter as he spoke to her, her anger still lingering within her. He seemed to have such an ego, this arrogance...it was frustrating to listen to him. She really wanted nothing to do with him. Did he insult her too? Is he acting like he's knocking her down a peg? She just didn't want to be bothered at the shop, her peaceful coffee stop. Was that too much to ask? Apparently so, with him. A bit of shock and relief mixed into her face as he revealed that the last page was actually empty. Damn it, Zoé, you should've guessed. They always do that at the ends of books, why, who knows! But you knew that! Why did you forget?! Now she felt like a fool, shown by her defeated sigh. Her eyes followed him as he walked to get a pen, her brows furrowing in confusion and curiosity. Zoé stared as he wrote down a number, his number. Why did he think that she would contact him after this exchange? He's crazy. But before she knew it, this man was standing behind her, and she tensed up as his breath hit her ear. Before she could react, shortly after his declaration of their future, her book vanished from his hands. "-!" Zoé let out a faint gasp, and part of her wanted to escalate the scene and chase after him. But she sighed, looking down at the number and her drink. This felt like a weird trap, he just gave her a reason to contact him. It was a plan. Was she about to fall in? Zoé mumbled to herself, getting some cash to pay for the drink, and picked up the cup and paper, exiting the shop. But he was absent when she decided to leave...guess she'll have to text him. When she got home, she sat down in her living room and pulled out her phone, texting this number. It's coffee shop girl, the one you took the book from? What do I have to do to get MY book back? @Taking Back Luxday

A pot of boiling water sat on a stove with the burner set to high. The hot bubbles rumbled against the metal as if trying to escape. Thick steam spiraled up to the ceiling and disappeared before reaching it. Cutter strained the angel hair pasta and placed it into a white ceramic bowl topping it with fresh tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. He stuck a stainless steel fork into the mound of noodles, twisted the utensil three times, and brought a heap of spaghetti to his mouth. He liked his noodles long so he could suck them up one at a time... Slurp. The noodles moved as if they were one of those blow-up inflatable men at a car dealership. Freaking out until getting shorter then finally vanishing through a tiny hole. A spritz of tomato sauce burst into the air from the way he chose to eat, and little red dots speckled the counter as a repercussion of this. He used his index finger to wipe them up instead of a napkin because it was more fun that way. Once dinner was over, Cutter loaded the dishwasher and started his nightly routine. After washing his hands, he went to his living room and laid back on a black leather sofa positioned in front of a large brick mantle. He propped his feet on a matching leather ottoman and watched the flames in his gas fireplace sway like seaweed. A glass of ice water refracted bits of light next to him. Beads of condensation slipped down the sides of the glass, and when he took a drink, a circle of water stained the wooden coaster underneath. His phone buzzed, vibrating on the corner of his side table. When he saw the message was from the girl he’d met earlier that morning, his future wife, he decided to text her back so she wasn’t left wondering if he’d given her a fake number. Prove it’s you. The message was simple, followed by a link to add him on Snapchat. Cutter stroked the spine of Zoé’s book with the edge of his finger, tracing the rim until he touched all four corners.

7:38 PM

As he waited for her to follow his instruction, he opened the front cover and read the first couple of lines as if interested in how she spent her time…

7:38 PM

@Loni

Zoé glared down at the phone at the phone. How did he already want her to prove it? He just met her earlier, unless he truly does just hand out his number to everyone. Zoé sighed, clicking on the link to be sent to Snapchat. Her finger hovered over the 'Add' button for a while, before finally pressing it. She was then brought to the camera of Snapchat, now she needed to at least look decent in this selfie. Zoé would raise the camera up at a decent angle, picking a filter that gave her freckles and black hearts on her cheeks. Giving the camera a half smile, she snapped the photo and sent it to him. She was nervous though, placing her phone down face first. Why did she just do that with ease? Now Zoé just waited until she heard it go off, and her notification would glow yellow... @Taking Back Luxday

To his side, a screen lit up a rectangle glowing within the dark. Cutter opened his phone and looked down at a photo of the girl wearing a filter with some hearts, confirming it was her and not some random - it was entirely possible she left the coffee shop that morning upset, unable to deal with her emotions, and given his number out to a stranger to play a joke on him. But he had to be certain. Couldn’t be sending messages to a look-alike that didn’t compare to the real thing. Can’t tell if it’s you. Send another with no filter. Second times the charm. He sent the message via text and placed the phone back where it belonged, on the corner of his side table parallel to the edges. Since he didn’t know how long it would take her to follow his directions, he decided to get up and finish his night. Cutter turned the shower on making the metal handles creak, forcing hot water to pour down from the ceiling. He stepped inside leaving his clothes on the floor somewhere, placing his feet on the cold tile, and surrendered to a waterfall of warm water crashing over him. Soaking his hair. His shoulders. Down his chest. Each drop slid over his muscles, and eventually, he was drenched. Using his artisan body wash that made him smell like sandalwood and rain, he slathered the stuff all over him and then rinsed the soapy mixture off. Sometimes Cutter would stand there with his eyes closed just feeling the water on his skin. This was one of those times. Listening to the sound of the water against his ears and the feeling of it spilling off his chin and back.

9:00 PM

He thought of Zoe, her photo, and her unwillingness to smile at the coffee shop and it made him hard. Making it easy to grab ahold of his dick and begin working himself into a rhythm he could appreciate - stroking while thinking of her face and what she’d look like on her knees. Wondering how wide her mouth opened and if she liked being choked. He thought about grabbing her hair and shoving his cock down her throat to the point she couldn’t breathe. He finished off with a handful of cum spiraling down the drain. After cleaning himself, he turned the water off and got out, placing his dirty clothes in the laundry basket, and found a pair of black sweats to wear. He did a decent job drying off, but there was the occasional drip of water running down his chest, glinting in the firelight as he returned to check his phone.

9:00 PM

@Loni

To Zoé's surprise, she didn't receive a Snapchat back. Her screen glowed blue, indicating a text back. She picked up her phone and read the text, rolling her eyes. Was he serious? A filter like that does not drastically change her features. Stupid men... Whatever, dickhead. *She replied, shaking her head now. Now she had to find a decent area with some appropriate lighting to take this new photo. She would head into her bathroom, clicking on the lights. Her mind was flooded with irritated thoughts. Who did he think he was? Just commanding her to take another photo...and yet she was listening. Why? Why was she listening to him? This made no sense. Zoé knew that he was annoying her, yet here she was. She stood in her white and black tile bathroom, surrounded by a striking artistic contrast. Mainly white with black accents, almost giving it a minimalist look. Her mirror above her sink had some vanity lights which always worked in her favor for pictures, especially now. She would snap a picture of herself holding up a middle finger, her phone to the right of her face while she looked into the phone. No smile this time, her hair pushed back so at the very least, he could see her face. Zoé would send this over Snapchat with an accompanying text to follow. *Done. And don't ask for another one. That's all you get. Take it or leave it. Zoé huffed, bringing her phone with her to head into her room, picking out some pajamas to change into while she awaited a notification back from him. (edited)

Ah, yes. The classic snap in the bathroom. How unoriginal. It was a start. At least she wasn’t toilet bound and taking a shit. Her middle finger only added flavor to the cheese plate of fuckery she’d served him. He’d send her a snap back now that she’d complied - his object of desire passed his test, verifying she wasn’t some cheap knock-off that wouldn’t satisfy him in the long run. She was the real deal. An unholy gift waiting to be unboxed, and Christmas was right around the corner. He thought of wrapping Zoé in a silky red ribbon, tying her wrists behind her back in an unbreakable bow, then tagging her with his name written in permanent magic marker. For Cutter. Merry Christmas. Limited Edition. He’d write on her until she was his tattoo queen threaded with strings to control her like his favorite puppet, making her bite on the end of the pen so that he could see the way her mouth worked… The book belonging to Zoé suddenly left the couch, now in his possession, and was laid on the bricks of his fireplace. A photo of her book glowing and surrounded by flames was sent back to her. Careful how you speak to me or I’ll turn these pages into kindling… He grabbed his glass and finished half of his drink in two swallows. Droplets ran along the side of his arm from the fallen condensation. He chewed on a piece of ice, crushing it between his teeth, sucking on the small bits playing with his tongue, then snapped a thirst trap for her. Him looking down at the camera mostly in darkness with firelight somewhere in the background, no shirt just tanned skin and the tops of his broad shoulders, the tips of his brown hair at an angle still wet and dripping from shower water, and this barely there smile that said he was on his way to fucking her up the right way. Meet me at the Mini Golf course on 24th tomorrow at 5pm. If you have plans, cancel them. In the middle of writing his text, another message popped up from someone named “boring”.

1:00 PM

A side hoe that laid like a fish in bed so utterly terrible at sex he didn’t bother to remember her name and gave her a nickname that he could easily forget her by. Cutter swiped the text from boring away and came back to Zoé’s message, saving her in his contacts as “Future Wife”. @Loni

Zoé would get dressed into her pajamas shortly after she finished sending messages and whatever else to Cutter. Thankfully she lived alone, so in reality, her pajamas were really just oversized hoodies with nothing else. She would then curl up under two blankets in bed, which gave the sensation of being warm and hugged. Once she had gotten situated after grabbing some water to drink as she settled in for bed, she got a number of notifications from him. Her eyebrows raised as she read his first text, scrolled a bit...and then saw the photos. One was her book laid out before the fireplace, making her gulp. Zoé scrolled just a little more, and boom. There he was. Many unholy thoughts bombarded her mind, making her flustered. There was quite a delay in her responding to him, as she tapped on the picture for it to fill her screen. Shamelessly, her eyes took in every inch there was to see. The low lighting, his skin, and his shoulders just barely peeked out to show in the photo. And that smile...that sinful smile. It did something to her she didn't expect. A hand snaked down below the covers, her fingers grazing between her legs. Her body spoke for itself. That photo did something to her that made her suddenly desire him. Her fingers worked as she set the phone down on the bed, her eyes closed and fantasizing about what it would be like with him above her like that. By the fireplace, laid out like the book... She gasped as she finished minutes later, catching her breath and letting her head swim in the high. Zoé could only imagine what he could do to her if just a photo got her that worked up. Why was she letting him do this to her? It felt like he was swarming her world all of a sudden, now in her own bed. Shit...she forgot to reply to him. Zoé took some time to clean herself up, wash her hands and then return to the bed. Picking up the phone, a substantial twenty minutes had passed at this point. Oops...Zoé responded quickly, clearly more passive than her earlier

7:58 AM

retaliation. Sounds good. See you then. @Taking Back Luxday

Fan blades rotated slowly on the ceiling, spinning flickering shadows on the plain white-painted walls of his bedroom. Cutter stared upwards, considering how the next day would go. Somewhere between imagining Zoé in leather cuffs, ripping her fishnets with his teeth, her thighs reddened by a slap of his hand, and her sprawled out on his bed waiting for him, he’d slipped into a landscape of carnal dreams featuring the girl from the coffee shop. As the story goes, Cutter did not go to sleep that night counting bodies like sheep to the rhythm of a war drum. Nor was there another useless cunt laying next to him to kick out the next morning. It was just him, those grey sheets with his cologne pressed into the Egyptian cotton, and a comfortable darkness that surrounded him like a cocoon. The next day started the same as it always did, minus a woman leaving his apartment after a night of meaningless sex. He showered with the smell of temptation on his skin from the soap he used, brushed his teeth to make sure his breath was all minty fresh, then fixed his hair in the mirror to accompany a black hat, which he put on backwards. His low-rider black jeans hung around his waist, exposing a happy trail, partnered with a black belt fastened with a metal buckle. A matching black shirt gripped his body in ways that unintentionally made his muscles stand out, and often forced his interests to do a double take. Black eyeliner under his golden eyes didn’t help his cause for a lack of innocence. His stare, to some, was alluring to the point his gaze became toxic. Those who could not handle rejection often grew desperate and weak - one look from him, depending on whether he liked them, either made someone crumble from fear or fall to their knees begging for one of those collars he kept in his drawer.

9:09 PM

So when he showed up at the mini golf course wearing his black hoodie with strings dangling over his chest, holding onto a pair of metal clubs he’d gotten from the employee at the front desk, it was safe to say Zoé better be ready to play a game with someone like Cutter. In the long stretching shadows of a dying sun, he leaned against a wall and looked at the watch on his wrist. It was 4:55, and a sherbert orange pink sunset had just struck the sky with candy clouds. If she didn’t show up, he’d send her a snap of her book burning in his fireplace that night. Yet faith or some twisted form of destiny told him she’d be on time, that she wasn’t a basic hoe, late, and behind schedule - and even if she was…to him, she was worth the wait. @Loni

Zoé eventually passed out after she sent him the text. Her mind kept wandering to unholy thoughts until the very last conscious one. Numerous fantasies and ideas, one after another, more temptations to repeat her earlier activity before she scolded herself to sleep. She had a date, after all. The next day for her started just as usual, her groaning at her alarm yelling at her to get up. Zoé would slam the alarm to shut it up, grumbling as she grabbed her phone to check it. Nothing new...at least not from him. Not a good morning text, or anything really...was it to add to the mystery? She wasn't sure, but it slightly bothered her. Maybe he wasn't sure about her yet. Zoé would eat some breakfast and go on about her day until it was time to get ready. What could she wear to a mini golf date? It felt like she tore her entire wardrobe apart, trying to find something decent. She doesn't go on dates! But then Zoé remembered, fuck it. Be yourself. Her outfit of choice was pretty similar to what she would usually wear. She put on an oversized black crew neck sweater that had decorative tears in it, where white was seen underneath. All part of the piece. One side of the sweater would be tucked into a pleated skirt, where she would wear some safety shorts underneath of course. Alongside that were fishnet leggings, with a decorative snake design all through it. She would pair this with some black sneakers, some silver necklaces and her hair was done up into a ponytail with face framing pieces. She hoped this was nice enough. Zoé then showed up almost on the dot at 4:59pm, she seemed to have been looking down at her phone with a smile. She had taken photos of the sunset and was looking them over briefly before pocketing the phone away into her shorts underneath. Her eyes scanned around briefly before they landed on him. Zoé felt her heart jump, he was really here. And he looked...damn attractive. She cleared her throat and hesitantly walked up to him, tilting her head

8:35 PM

briefly. "Hey uh...girl from cafe here." Zoé greeted him awkwardly, why was she clamming up now? Was it because she hadn't been on a date in ages? Was it because he looked so fine? Was it because she was afraid...she might actually have fun? "Ahhh...sorry if I made you wait. I saw the sunset and I really wanted to grab some pics before it was too late, you know?" @Taking Back Luxday

Cutter tapped his watch, indicating her arrival was unsatisfactory. “Those four minutes are going to cost you.” Sure the look in his golden eyes was playful, but the way he said it was questionable, ominous even - if only Zoé knew Cutter wasn’t joking, and someday when she least expected it, he would punish her for being late. He took her by the hand, feeling her soft skin against his rough palm, carrying the clubs in his other, and led her through the main entrance of the mini golf course. Colorful flags waved in the wind staked around the venue. Fake grass and column lights beamed up at miniature amusements scattered everywhere. He brought her to a starting point where the number “1” was painted on the ground, having them begin at a windmill spinning its blades with the sunset flaring in the background. Cutter handed Zoé her metal club and a golf ball. His was orange, and hers was pink, making it easy to tell them apart. Before starting, he snapped a photo of her with his phone when she least expected it, capturing the fading starburst candy light behind her. “Now we both have pictures of the sunset.” He positioned his golf ball at his feet, but before he took his shot, he needed Zoé to understand the rules of the game they were about to play… “Every time one of us misses, the other one gets to ask a question - and you have to be honest and tell the truth about yourself. But if one of us makes it on the first try, you get to dare the other to do something either now or in the future. I’ll go first.” Cutter swung his club against the golf ball like he was Tiger Woods. It flew through the air. One would think it would bounce back and go missing, but instead, it disappeared into the darkness of the windmill, and after a moment, sputtered out the side rolling near the hole in the ground, and stopped inches away from going in. “So…what truth does the girl from the coffee shop want to know first?”

1:17 PM

He placed the golf club in both hands, knuckles curling around the metal bar, and widened his stance. Cutter’s brown hair hung near his chin and only accentuated his laid-back demeanor as he stared at Zoé as if she were a piece of a puzzle he was putting together. That smile tempting her to be flustered didn’t help either, he knew what he was doing, and he wanted Zoé to enjoy her time with him. @Loni

Zoé chuckled quietly, taking it all as a joke. "Forgive me. I'll try to make sure it doesn't happen again." She then walked hand in hand with him. His hand was rough but it wasn't bothersome. They both walked through the entrance to the mini golf course. All kinds of fun themes throughout the course made Zoé smile idly. In giving Cutter a fair chance, she wasn't keeping up her hard-headed attitude. She was taken to the starting point with a metal club and a golf ball. Pink and orange...like the sunset. Zoé smiled at that, but then she turned her head as he mentioned having a picture of the sunset now. Her brows furrowed for a moment, but nothing was said. Zoé leaned on the golf club while he set up to strike, but then he spoke up... His rules made her brows perk up in interest. When Cutter said he would play first, she watched him swing the club and strike the ball with ease. "Huh, damn." Zoé watched as the ball didn't quite make it in, but she was impressed regardless. Her gaze turned back to him curiously as he inquired what truth she wanted to know. As Zoé contemplated, his stance and smile flustered her, forcing her to look away, but not without a smile of her own. "I wanna know the last time you lied, and over what?" She grinned, turning her gaze back to him with curiosity. @Taking Back Luxday

“And here I thought you’d want to know my name. Start off with a pumpkin spice basic bitch question. I guess I was wrong about you - first time for everything, though. Let me think. When was the last time I lied…” He looked up to the sky with all those pretty colors fading away and stared as if the answer he was looking for were somewhere up there. How tragic it must have been for Zoé when he brought his stare back down to her with an answer she probably wasn’t looking for… “Sadly for you, I don’t lie. For instance, let’s say you had a best friend who I thought was more attractive. She smelled better. The way her voice carried was more interesting. Even the way she dressed caused me to want her more than you. You couldn’t compete. Instead of leading you on and playing both of you at the same time, I’d tell you to your face that I’d want to be with her instead.” He was standing in front of her now, and his gaze was less than friendly. “And then I’d burn any gifts you gave me so you’d know we were over. I’d take a photo of the fire and send it to you over Snapchat just to make sure you knew I was saving you from wasting my time.” There was a piece of her hair out of place and tugging on a breeze. One of those strands that were supposed to frame her face instead betrayed her and exposed how beautiful she was. He took the liberty of fixing it so her hair was tucked behind the shape of her ear, his fingertips trailing down the edge of her lobe. “Honesty is always the best policy. If I catch you lying, you better have a real good fucking reason for it.” His fingers went to her club and forced it against her chest, pushing her in the direction of the windmill so she could take her shot. “Your turn.” @Loni

Zoé watched as this mysterious man spoke, raising her eyebrows in a feigned offensive way. But she continued to watch, waiting for his answer. When he did answer, those same brows furrowed. For some reason, his demeanor shifted, at least to her. And it felt...unfriendly, threatening maybe? She didn't look away from him though as he spoke, no. Not even to fix that stray piece of hair. She stared into his dark eyes. Even though his words were harsh, she seemed unbothered on a surface level. But...deep down? That struck something that she wasn't quite sure of yet. As he wrapped it up, tucking that strand behind her ear, Zoé flinched for a moment. Then, she staggered back a step as he pushed the club against her chest. It caught her off guard, but she wouldn't admit that. "Funny thing, I don't lie." Zoé then approached, setting her ball up and lining herself up, assessing what he did and what she could possibly do to adjust and maybe even do better. But it seemed difficult, so she did her best and took her shot. She would take her time easing the club back and tapping the ball forth with some force. The ball rolled on until it hit one of the windmill blades that blocked the tunnel, making her sigh. She turned her attention to him, using the club as a makeshift cane, leaning on it. "Alright. What do you wanna know about the coffee girl?" @Taking Back Luxday

When Zoé’s ball went rolling back down the fuzzy green felt ramp, Cutter lifted his heel and caught the plastic sphere under the sole of his heavy leather boot, trapping it there until the innocent game of truth or dare was complete between them… “It’s your last day to live - where do you go, and how do you spend it? Pretend money isn’t an issue and you can do anything your heart desires…I want to know where you’d spend your time and why.” More people entered the mini golf course, some with children and some without, and each time they wandered towards Cutter and Zoé, they were given the same silent response delivered by a less than friendly demeanor - that they’d either need to wait their turn or go somewhere else. It was clear he wasn’t in a rush to move along or to make his date feel pressured to give an answer she wasn’t entirely sure of due to time constraints. He wanted Zoé to be confident in her responses, and as it stood, he’d already begun a list of judgments against her, starting with how she liked to look away when he spoke to her. Little things he’d like to go over when she was on her knees in front of him, when he could stare into her eyes and make it so she couldn’t turn away, giving her reasons why she wouldn’t want to, telling her all about the tiny flaws he adored in her personality, the ones that made her special to him… He went down another rabbit hole fantasizing about her again, and it agitated him in ways she’d never understand. To Cutter, she was a series of splendid red flags creeping into his subconscious, reminding him she was more than a one-night stand. Though she wouldn’t know it, imagining the women he slept with was uncommon, and for some reason, he couldn’t keep Zoé out of the restricted section of his mind. Using the side of his foot, he kicked the ball in her direction, making it so she could take a second shot while thinking of her answer. @deleted-role

Zoé furrowed her brows quietly at his question. Out of everything he could've asked, why this question? It was so deep, and personal. It nearly caught her off guard, as Cutter trapped her ball beneath his leather boot. She watched him for a few moments, as people walked by and skipped the hole, likely to return later once they moved on. Zoé did feel a bit guilty about being an obstacle for the other putters, but Cutter didn't seem to care one bit. The wind still blew around her gently moving her hair about. This caused her to fix it before pondering her answer. Her eyes were drawn away from his figure so she could concentrate without distractions. He was oddly dangerous to look upon. If she let her eyes linger longer he may have entered her own restricted section of her mind. Before she knew it, the ball came back to her after a small kick from him. Zoé stopped it with her club, and lined up her shot to try to succeed this time around. She drew back faintly and then hit it again, and it smoothly travelled through the windmill, thankfully. Where it ended up after, she didn't really pay attention, as she finally formulated her answer for him. "If nothing was an issue at all...I would like to spend my last day on an isolated island. Somewhere where there was certainly food for me to eat, but when I passed, no one would blink an eye...somewhere where I could watch the last sunset, and admire that big ball of light in the sky sink below the ocean's horizon, before I took my final breath. Watching the stars with little to no air pollution, and admiring the fact that we're so small...and the sky above is so vast and beautiful. That would be my last day." She smiled faintly, almost sadly, as she pried her eyes off Cutter and walked to wherever her ball ended up. It seemed like her ball stopped just short of the hole. "If you could do anything, what would you do? No repercussions, no punishments?" Zoé asked as she leaned back on her golf club, her hand firmly on th

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e end of it, not putting her full weight on it or she would certainly fall. But enough to lean a little bit. @Taking Back Luxday

Strange how they both caught each other off guard, his question with her answer delightfully paired together to make a meaningful and unlikely conversation cascade into existence. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had the chance to talk with someone he liked and to care about their thoughts. Nor did he anticipate her to be eloquent with her words - then again, from the moment he spotted her reading that prestigious book, ignoring the world, pretending like she didn’t want attention from strangers, he knew there was something inside of her that offered more than the average bimbo. “Wouldn’t you like to know,” he replied with the smallest of smiles, the kind that usually made women stop in their tracks just to see how long it’d last. But this was only to give himself some time to think. He didn’t want to screw this up. One dickish comment and he imagined this girl would go flying into outer space. There was a part of him, a very small part, that wanted her to be able to handle his toxicity. The part of him that enjoyed the way women looked when they were sad. If only she knew the games he liked to play. Cutter felt an ounce of discouragement as he was forced to cover up these emotions from Zoé for the time being. He was flawed. Royally fucked on the inside, and once discovered, that would be the end of them. “Not to mention, you missed, which means it’s my turn to ask the question...” He brought her over to where their plastic little balls had landed, one arm looped around her shoulders to guide them down the slinky path of the golf course so someone else could take their spot at the start, and only did this act of chivalry until they reached their destination where they could see his ball was closer to the hole than hers. “Fuck it…you want to know what I’d do without any repercussions or punishments? I’d drive as fast as I wanted on the highway with my motorcycle, so long as no one, including myself, got injured. And if I’m being honest. There are a fe

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w assholes I’d enjoy taking off the face of this planet for fun.” Cutter aimed his club and easily made the shot into the hole. The golf ball spun around making plastic noises before settling down. It was her turn to do the same, and to answer another question. “Are you close with your parents?” @deleted-role

Zoé raised an eyebrow at him as he answered her, giving her that faint small smile. It nearly took her breath away. The way he looked at that moment made her falter for a moment. But would it be a moment he'd notice? She wasn't sure. As she was guided to their golf balls, an odd sensation rippled through her. It was shivering, bone-chilling, her hair sticking up. Whatever this man was doing to her, he certainly knew it, and it drove her crazy that he knew. She looked up at him with a little suspicion as he expressed that he wanted to go as fast as he could with no repercussions. He also wanted to get rid of a few people from the population count. Zoé eyed him over before watching him putt his ball into the hole. Huh... When he asked her her question, Zoé lined up her shot as usual, and putted the ball in. Was she close with her parents... "Ah...well...I was closer to my mom than my dad. My mom just got me more. My dad was my protector. He was there for me when I needed him, but he worked a lot. So my mom was around a bit more and we bonded more." Zoé smiled at that, shrugging it off. It didn't seem to bother her though, smiling as she talked. Nothing negative came from the conversation or how she stood as she spoke. Maybe she wished things were different, or closer... Zoé seemed content with the way things were. She knew that her parents loved her and that was enough for her. She was grateful for the bond she shared with her mom and the security she felt from her dad. @Taking Back Luxday

They continued on throughout the golf course asking each other questions. Simple topics such as where they grew up, favorite colors, the kind of talk that wouldn’t get him in any kind of trouble - since that’s exactly what Cutter was known for. It was like handling a delicate object inside an antique shop. He got this feeling Zoé was more sensitive than she let on, which was both arousing and nauseating at the same time. First instance he genuinely wanted to get to know someone and he felt like he couldn’t - because he couldn’t be himself. By the end of their trip around the golf course neither one of them kept track of who took more shots. Cutter claimed he won, but it was only in jest to get a rise out of her. He brought her over to several rows of lockers where people kept their belongings while golfing. “The thing is, Zoé, I went into this thinking one thing about you, that you were a ritzy snob too good for anyone, and ended up with a different opinion - my usual taunting and teasing doesn’t seem to resonate with you the way it does with other women, and I am not interested in making you suffer through another round of fuckery in order to get your book back.” He pulled a key out of his pocket and placed it in her hand. “Locker number 487. Open it. Your book is in there. I’d had something else planned for us, but I don’t think we should see each other beyond tonight. You’re a nice person, and deserve a nice life.” Cutter and his tan skin, golden eyes framed with black eyeliner, and sudden shift in mood departed from Zoé with a motorcycle helmet in his left hand - doing the right thing by turning his back on this date where he’d inevitably lead her down a road of no return. @Loni