Farah Dowling WRITOBER 2O22

If you're sad, add more lipstick and attack

“Why did Farah leave the feast so upset?” you asked professor Harvey as your eyes observed Scott Smith, the new Metacomposition professor.
Ben followed your gaze. “Ah” he murmured, watching Scott coming towards you. “Romantic disappointment, I believe.”
“What?” you said, bewildered, trying not to show how much the news hurt you.
You were crushed. So Farah was in love with Scott Smith? If that was the case, you had even less chances with her than you had thought.
“I think she might have realized that there might be no future with the person she loves. She is very private, you know. And it’s difficult to capture her interest. To be honest, I haven’t seen her like this since we were young. Her affection- her love, once given, is given forever. So it’s even more difficult for her to realize that the first… connection she feels in years is hopeless. But you shouldn’t worry about it” Ben said, forcing himself to go back to a neutral tone for your sake. “You’re young, you should go and have fun.”
“Care for a drink?” said professor Smith’s voice behind you.
You turned and accepted a glass of linfean champagne with a weak smile as professor Smith started to talk about the gods knew what. Ben was gone, and all you could think about was that the man in front of you had just rejected the most beautiful, deserving, sweet fairy alive. You couldn’t imagine refusing her anything. As far as you were concerned, the sun rose and set with her.
“...and as I was saying to Farah I have been interested in you since I saw you giving that lecture on the Atsuko Spell. I really admire you… you know, it was impressive. How you described the spell. How you held all the facts in your head and then you knew how to present them to an audience so that they saw the magic just as you wanted them too. It’s… really sexy.”
“Were you Farah’s date tonight?” you asked, making an effort not to sound aggressive.
He looked surprised. “Kinda” he answered. “I asked her out last night, we talked about you and we kind of decided we could come to the party together-”
“You talked about me? It’s not very chivalrous to ask a woman out to talk about another…”
He grinned mischievously. “I offered her dinner, did I not? And as a result now I know that you like linfean champagne and” he materialized a flower out of thin air “white roses?”
“How does Farah know that I like-”
“Oh, come on, you’re always together when you’re not teaching. Of course she knew. I thought she was my safest bet to gather informations about you. And I was right” he said, putting the rose in your hair.
“And why did she leave the party so abruptly?”
“I… don’t know” he said, frowning. “I told her I was going to ask you out and then she left. I’m sure she was just tired, don’t worry. So… the Metacomposition Annual Symposium is next week and I wondered – and if I’m out of line I apologize… I wondered if you might like to go together. As a dat-”
Scott watched you turn and quickly walk in the same direction Farah had taken a few minutes ago, clearly not having heard a word of what he had just said. You shouted “Thank you for the flower!” as you run away, and he was left alone, murmuring to himself: “Or not.”
You searched for Farah in all the hallways, but you couldn’t find her. As much as you hated to think that she was in love with someone else, let alone a pompous prat like Scott Smith, you liked even less the idea of her being miserable.
The idiot had invited her to dinner and asked her as a date for an official party and then proceeded to show his interest in another woman. Could anyone be less sensitive than that?
You arrived at the door of her office and knocked twice.
“Farah? Are you there?”
After a moment you heard her voice saying: “Come in.”
You entered. She was watching outside the window, a glass of something that looked suspiciously like whiskey in her hand.
“What is it? Did something happen?” she asked.
“No, I…” How to say it? “I just saw you leave. You looked… sad.”
She raised an eyebrow, throwing a glance at you.
“I’m surprised you noticed. You don’t have to worry about an old crone like me, my dear. Go back to the party, I’m sure the boys are all waiting for you… and one above all will be particularly anxious to see you. Go, have fun.”
“Look, I just want to be sure you’re okay, then I’ll go.”
“I am perfectly fine” she said, taking a long sip from her glass.
“Farah” you reproached her softly. “Don’t lie to me. I saw you talking to him. I saw you leave. You are distressed.”
“So?” she said, still looking out of the window. “He was very clear. It’s not a problem, he is free to spend his time with whoever he likes, same as you, same as everybody else.”
“Yes, but I know you were hurt-”
“That is my problem, not yours, nor his. Go out with him, have fun, see if you like him.”
“He just shouldn’t have asked you out for dinner and then brought you to the party only to leave you alone-”
“Believe me, I was relieved when he left me.”
“Why do you insist on putting on a brave face for me?” you pressed on, frustrated. “I thought you trusted me by now. You can talk to me, Farah. You can let it all hang out when you’re with me.”
“What do you want me to say?” she said, finally turning and looking at you. She was slightly trembling, and she seemed angry. You could understand that, but – why was she angry at you? All you had done was trying to help.
“I don’t know” you said, taken aback. “What you think about all this. Whatever you want.”
“Why do you want to hear it? I never thought you had a big ego-”
“What does my ego have to do with all this?”
“Why, why on the Seven Realms would you want to hear how much this whole situation has hurt me if not to boost your ego?” she said in a broken voice. “Do you want me to say it was difficult not to cry when Scott Smith told me he wanted to pursue you? Do you want me to say it will be Hell to see you in his arms? There, I said it. Are you happy now?”
“Of course not!” you retorted, shocked. Did she really think you were such a cruel person? Did she really think you came to gloat about the men she loved asking you out? “What kind of person do you think I am?”
“Just tell me what you want to hear and go back to your new boyfriend, will you? Please” she said in a tired, defeated voice.
“I just wanted to try to make you feel better, Farah!” you shouted. “I don’t know what I want you to say, but maybe something along the lines of ‘Fuck Scott Smith’ could help you unwind, don’t you think?”
She turned at once, staring at you. “You want me to… insult him?” she asked, hesitant and obviously confused.
“No, I-” Gods, you were bad at these things, you were saying all the wrong words. “I don’t know. If you want to insult him go ahead, but if you still want him just tell me and I’ll encourage you. Whatever makes you feel better!”
“If I still want him?” she repeated, stunned. She opened her mouth then closed it. Then she opened it again and asked: “But you- don’t you- you don’t like him, then?”
“No, I don’t!” you said, chuckling bitterly. “I really, really don’t like him. So don’t worry about me, you should-”
“I’m sorry” she interrupted, putting down her glass and taking a step forward. “I am afraid I don’t understand what is going on here. What do you think about this whole situation?”
“What do I think? It’s better if I don’t say it.”
“Please” she insisted. “Indulge me.”
“What I think,” you said, looking away nervously and knowing fully well that your voice sounded sourer than you’d have liked, “is that Scott Smith is a bloody pillock who should have been shot for sniffing around you, Farah. But that is only my opinion” you added quickly. “If you are in love with him just add more lipstick and attack! I’m sure no one could refuse you if you really wanted to-”
“You thought I was sad because of him?” she murmured, baffled, stepping closer to you. “You think I am in love with him? And that he’s a” you could hear the smile in her voice “how did you say? ‘A bloody pillock’?”
“Of course I think he is” you cried, turning towards her. “He was beyond rude, and he doesn’t deserve you- Farah, you’re the most wonderful… what are you doing?”
She had taken another step and was now right in front of you, her hands reaching for your shoulders.
“I think we might have both misunderstood the situation” she murmured quietly. “Let me see if I am right.”
And with that she leaned down and placed her lips upon yours. You almost moaned there and then. You didn’t understand what was happening, but far from you to pass up an opportunity to kiss the woman you loved more than life. Your hands went immediately on her back, pulling her closer, and you opened your lips, letting her feel the moisture inside. She didn’t hesitate, and a moment later her tongue was in your mouth, tasting you.
“I've wondered” she said when you pulled away to breath. “I’ve wondered what this would be like.”
“You have?” you asked, breathless. “You… thought about kissing me?”
“My darling, you have no idea” she said, smiling, and then she leaned forward to kiss you again with an overwhelming confidence that made you weak in the knees.
She broke the kiss and started to make her way down your body, neck, breasts – kneeling down to kiss your abdomen through the silky dress you were wearing…
“Farah,” you breathed out, “I don’t understand. I thought you-”
“You thought I was interested in Scott Smith” she said, looking up, her eyes so bright they took your breath away. “And I thought the same about you.”
“You thought I wanted to go out with Scott?”
“I thought you were going to fall for him. He’s quite handsome, you know. I- I shouldn’t have left like that, but I couldn’t stand the idea of his hands on you. I thought at least I could avoid looking at it happening and spare myself some of the pain.”
You took her face in your hands, dizzy with happiness and disbelief.
“You’re telling me that you- you-”
She stood up and took your hands in hers. “I love you” she said, simply.
You felt tears threatening to fall from your eyes and you had to blink repeatedly. “Oh, Farah.”
She didn’t let you say anything else. She crushed her lips against yours and guided you backwards toward her desk. She pushed you down and made you sit on one of the two chairs, her lips never leaving yours.
“May I?” she asked, lifting her hands right in front of your breasts. You took them and pressed them on your chest with a little sob. She started to slowly massage your nipples through the fabric, enjoying the aroused fire she could see in your eyes.
“Farah” you whispered after a few minutes of that. “Please. I need…”
You didn’t know what you wanted to say. I need your skin against mine, I need another kiss, I need you to make me com-
Farah decided for you, pulling up your skirt and shaking her head when she saw your underwear, her gaze alive with lust and admiration.
“Is this what you needed?” she asked, touching you lightly. You arched your back with a moan and she touched you again. “You’re soaked” she groaned.
She took off your underwear and before you could realize what was happening her head had disappeared between your legs, and all you could feel was the hot, wet tongue licking you.
“Farah, wait…”
She looked up for a second, spreading your legs and putting your left heel on her desk to keep them as open as possible. “Just sit back and enjoy it, love.”
She sucked you as if she was trying to suck your soul out. And, as far as you were concerned, she was succeeding. All your world were the long, confident strokes of her tongue and her mouth swallowing every little movement you did. You bucked helplessly against her, your hands gripped on the chair’s armrests to avoid grabbing her hair and pressing her down, and you knew she only had to suck once more to send you into a sea of pleasure.
Right then she stopped, looked up at you and said: “Go on. Put your hands in my hair and pull me down. I can see that you want it. Go ahead. You won’t break me.”
You all but groaned and tangled your fingers in her glorious golden hair, pushing her down to your core once more. Her tongue was deep in you, and when she resumed sucking you immediately came, an overwhelming wave of pleasure rushing over you.
“Good gods, Farah.”
“Did it feel good?”
“Good?” you said weakly. “I think I could have got off only by looking at you doing that, even without the feeling.”
“Can we continue, then?”
“Please” you whispered. “I never want to stop. I need…”
“What?” she asked, smiling. You guided her up until she was standing in front of you.
“I need to taste you. Please” you begged.
“Do you want me here on this chair or should we move this to my bedroom?”
“Whatever you prefer, as long as we keep going.”
“Bedroom it is, then” she said, taking your hand and helping you stand. She magically grabbed your underwear with her free hand. “You don’t get to put this back on while we walk there, though.”
You snorted, amused. “I had no idea you could be so aggressive during sex.”
“You don’t approve?” she asked, and suddenly the vulnerability that you knew was hers was all there in her voice.
“On the contrary” you reassured her. “I love it. Besides, Farah” you murmured, stopping her and leaving a feather-light kiss on her lips. “I love you. There’s nothing I would not approve when it comes to making love with you.”
“That’s a relief” she said, chuckling, and you noticed her cheeks reddening. She might not say it, but you knew hearing your words had moved her.
“And, really,” she added, “I was only following your advice.”
“Advice?” you said, confused. “What advice?”
“Didn’t you say to put on more lipstick and attack? You didn’t specify who the… pray should be.”
“How smart of me” you murmured, capturing her lips once again.
The night was just getting started.