Happy Halloween, my friends! π
This is the first time I release a new extra scene to Patrons only. I want to thank you for supporting my work and explain why some things on this website have changed so much. Time for some brutal honesty here!
For many years, I wanted to keep everything absolutely free for everyone. This was my dream for the podcast. I hoped that releasing extra content would inspire people to give back voluntarily and keep things free for everyone. This was my idealistic view of how I wanted to share my work.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work. Support for the show wasn’t enough to keep going this way. It never was, to be honest, but I was able to pay the bills with doing extra jobs as a marketer and using my savings.
Now that my life has changed considerably, I’ve had to make some tough decisions. One of them is to start looking at this podcast a bit differently and making the extras only available to patrons. It is needed for me to be able to keep going. It’s less idealistic, sure, but perhaps realism was needed all along.
Don’t get me wrong: I am still very excited about the podcast and its future. There is plenty that I can do differently still. I look forward to working with this new model and I intend to connect more than ever with the warm community that helps keep this podcast going. With you.
Thank you again, and I hope you enjoy this extra scene. I wrote it for you with much gratitude.
Much love,
Sigrid
βYou look scary as hell,β Emily said, her eyebrows shooting up as Lea stepped into the living room.
Lea showed her teeth and growled. She didnβt sound that scary, she thought. βHmm, I think itβs mostly the lenses.β
Emily took a careful step closer, looking deep into Leaβs eyes. βYeah, those are creepy.β
βThey should be,β Lea replied proudly. βIβm a nuclear dog.β She growled again.
Emily laughed, shaking her head and pushing a pair of oversized glasses up her nose. βWhere did this dog come from?β
Lea huffed. βFrom the nuclear reactor in Lesser Malling!β
Emilyβs lips parted in confusion.
Lea chuckled. βItβs from a book.β
βYeah, I figured as much,β Emily replied, gesturing at Lea. βI would have recognized you if it was something from Netflix.β
βThis is from a pre-Netflix era,β Lea said, wiggling her super furry eyebrows. She was very proud of her costume.
In fact, she had been so occupied with Emilyβs reaction to her own attire that she hadnβt paid attention to Emilyβs Halloween costume.
βWho are you?β she asked, taking in what Emily was wearing but not recognizing anything.
βYou canβt tell?β Emily asked, tucking her hands in her pockets and doing a little wiggle.
Lea stared at the oversized, dark suit pants and boring shirt in an ugly color she didnβt even have a name for. Perhaps something in between brown and yellow?
βSome guy in the 80s?β she guessed, tilting her head. βIs this your entire costume?β
βWhat?β Emily asked, appalled. βOf course it is.β She adjusted the large glasses again.
βBut youβre not scary,β Lea said slowly, scratching behind her ear. The fur of her costume was already making her feel itchy.
βHalloween doesnβt always have to be scary in a scary way,β Emily stated, crossing her arms. βScary is a subjective term anyway.β
βOkay,β Lea laughed. She pointed at the spider decorations in their living room. βThen why did we put up creepy decorations everywhere?β
Emily stuck out her tongue. βI think my co-workers will appreciate my costume.β
Lea grinned. βI bet they will. Hopefully, they can explain to me what itβs all about.β She scratched her cheek. βFuck, this costume is itchy.β
βHa,β Emily snorted. βMine is very comfortable.β
βJust not Halloween-like,β Lea said and stuck out her tongue.
Emily closed the distance between them and kissed Lea enthusiastically.
The softness of Emilyβs lips felt so wonderful. Lea pressed into the touch. Emily shrieked in response.
βThat tickles,β Emily said, rubbing her cheek.
Lea laughed and then noticed the brown smudge on Emilyβs nose. βYou have makeup on your face,β she grinned.
βShit,β Emily said, pulling a tissue from her pocket. βWhere?β
βGive it to me,β Lea grinned, gesturing for the tissue.
Emily did and stood perfectly still as Lea tried to rub off the makeup. Their eyes met and Lea smiled.
βYou really do look scary,β Emily said, smiling back.
βI know,β Lea agreed, focusing on the last bit of face paint on Emilyβs nose. βI wanted to impress at our first Halloween party.β
βThis isnβt our first Halloween party,β Emily replied.
βI mean at our own apartment,β Lea explained, tapping Emilyβs nose.
βOh!β Emily beamed. βI guess it is.β
βAnd the first time I get to meet your team,β Lea continued. Her heart rate picked up a little.
βYouβre going to love them,β Emily said, covering Leaβs hand tenderly.
βProbably. They sound so smart andβ¦β Lea said softly, not finishing her sentence because she spotted another smudge near Emilyβs ear. βHow did this face paint get everywhere from just one kiss?β
βI donβt know but I must look squeaky clean!β Emily replied. βI donβt want to get out of character.β
βYouβre weird,β Lea chuckled, removing the last bit of face paint. βThere. All clean.β
βThank you,β Emily said, wiggling her eyebrows. βAm I weird for wanting another kiss anyway?β
βYes!β Lea giggled.
Emily pouted. βIβm sure we can do it without rubbing our faces.β
Lea pursed her lips, tilted her head and carefully kissed Emily. They smiled at each other again for a long moment, their hands reaching for each other.
βI am so happy,β Lea said softly, holding Emilyβs gaze. βI love living here with you.β
βOh my God, me too,β Emily replied. She squeezed Leaβs hands. βI donβt think Iβve ever been this happy.β
Lea swallowed hard, overcome with the most wonderful feeling she had ever experienced. βI feel the same way.β
βAnd Iβm really proud of how far weβve come these last months,β Emily added.
βWhat do you mean?β Lea asked, still smiling.
Emily shrugged happily. βJustβ¦ We seem to talk so much better. I feel like weβre finally telling each other what weβre thinking and feeling.β
βI try,β Lea said, fully aware that the change mainly had come from her. Emily always had been pretty forthcoming in their relationship.
βYou are amazing,β Emily continued, pulling Leaβs hand up to her lips and kissing it tenderly. βI see how much you do for us.β
Much to her own surprise, Leaβs eyes teared up. βItβs important to me. Itβs just so scary sometimesβ¦β
βI know,β Emily said and kissed Leaβs fingers again.
βIβd rather run into a nuclear dog than talk about how I feel when I think you wonβt like what I have to say,β Lea admitted, laughing uncomfortably.
Emily grinned. βItβs scarier than any Halloween costume, for sure.β
βIt is,β Lea chuckled and shook her head. She almost wiped her cheek but stopped herself just in time.
The doorbell rang before either of them could say anything else.
Emily glanced down at her watch. βSomeoneβs early.β
βGood thing weβre ready!β Lea said, straightening. She blinked a few times.
βJust a second,β Emily said and pulled Lea closer. βWe were having an important conversation here,β she smiled.
Lea smiled back, shoulders dropping. βItβs okay,β she said, βIβm ready to meet the herd of super geeks.β
βAlright,β Emily said slowly. She placed another careful kiss on her lips before letting go of her.
βLetβs see what your co-workers think of your costume,β Lea told Emily as they walked to the front door together.
βTheyβre going to be scared,β Emily said, sounding convinced.
She winked at Lea and opened the door.
A tall man stood in the doorway, wearing jeans and a black turtleneck. Lea frowned. Surely this wasnβt his costume?
βOh my God,β the man said, βBill Gates at the launch of Windows 95?!β
Emily burst out laughing. βThatβs right!β she said and did a silly dance. βCome on in, Steve Jobs!β
Leaβs eyes widened.
Emily grinned at her. βTold you!β
βI guess you guys arescary,β Lea said, shaking her head.
This was going to be a Halloween unlike any other before. The weird thing was⦠Somehow, that made her feel even happier than before.
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