The Disney Diaries Part Two: The Triad Arrives

I was waiting until I got a bit farther in this one before posting the next part, but since that seems to be taking forever, here it is now. Thank you to everyone who has reached out and shared their well-wishes. I’m doing better right now.


Bradley

Justine’s family lived in a big, brick house surrounded by manicured bushes. The neighborhood looked like the kind of place where kids would flock on Halloween for the best candy. The kind of place where the kids who used to call me “trailer trash” grew up.

I parked Brian’s car in their driveway. He unbuckled his seatbelt. “Coming?”

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Introducing Platt, Myrick, and Cameron

I got a request to do an introduction post for these three, which I had already been thinking of doing myself, so I figured now was as good a time as any.  😁 I’ll try to add clothing styles for them at a later date.


picture of Platt Bradley Christopher Platt  was born June 7th, 1997 on a US Navy base in Spain. He is an only child. When he was nine, his father, a SEAL, was killed in action. Platt and his mother then moved to a small town in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley to live near his paternal uncle. His mother soon became addicted to alcohol, and his uncle was abusive. As a result, Platt isolated himself socially from his peers, although he was an Eagle Scout and active member of his church. He loves kung fu movies and studying samurai. His lifelong dream is to become a SEAL like his dad. He is touchy, determined, principled, and inhibited. He got accepted to USNA in the same class as Zain and was his roommate for their Plebe Summer.


picture of myrick (and cameron)

Brian Alexander Myrick (pictured with Cameron) was born October 21st, 1992 in Jefferson City, Missouri. He has one older sister. He attended a military boarding school from ninth through twelfth grades and started USNA at age twenty. He once taught judo, and he enjoys playing pool. His skills include lock-picking and writing in shorthand, but his social skills could use some work. He is an Electrical Engineering major who will be taking a two-year civilian scholarship at Johns Hopkins before he enters the service. The best words to describe him are controlled, righteous, and “still waters run deep.” He rarely lets emotions show, except to those who know him well.


photo of CameronJustine Mae Cameron was born premature, on November 8th, 1993, in Charleston, South Carolina. She grew up in the Charleston suburbs with her two brothers (she is the middle child), and was doted on by her family, leading her to be somewhat spoiled and always demand the best, though this is tempered by her good heart. She took an interest in both medicine and the military from a young age and decided to become a Navy physician. She constantly has to prove herself in defiance of stereotypes about pretty blonde girls from the South. She enjoys a good fight but tries to show compassion to those who deserve it. With a sharp sense of humor, she likes to relax and let her guard down when she’s off-duty.

Chart a New Course

The want nearly had a physical sensation, like an itch somewhere beneath the surface of my skin. Like something was missing. Like thirst. It rose from the soles of my feet and enveloped my whole body in a desperate craving for touch, but it was strongest between my… well, there. Yeah, I got boners too, but when the want came, jerking off didn’t satisfy it. That was the scary part. And it kept getting stronger and more frequent.

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The Disney Diaries – Part One: Marathon Weekend

I’ve decided to post this one in parts, because it will be so long overall. This part focuses on Quint/Theo and Seb/Zain, but the triad will be featured as well in the next part, so I’m tagging with all of them.


Zain

I sighed and jogged my knee up and down. Slouching in my chair, I stretched my foot out across the aisle until I could poke Seb’s shin with my toes. He looked up from his book, rolled his eyes, and went back to reading. Next to him, Quint was also peacefully absorbed in a book. A voice droned over the PA. Likely announcing the next flight to board. It wouldn’t be ours.

I sighed again.

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A Platt Family Thanksgiving

Rain pattered against the bus window in a slow tempo. The rivulets of water blurred my view of the town beyond the glass, but I could make out the wreaths decorating each lamppost. The same wreaths appeared on the same lampposts every year around Christmastime. In another few weeks, lights would be wrapped around the skeletal trees that lined the street. I missed the cheer they brought.

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Learning the Ropes

Takes place a couple of weeks after Anchors Aweigh (and I promise I will update the timeline page soon!)


Justine & Brian Group Text
Friday 19:04

Brian: Meeting rescheduled. Bradley, if you’re done with homework, I have time for a game of pool.

Bradley: Meet you there in five

Justine: Whip his ass for me

Brian: Which of us are you talking to?

Justine: Bradley. Obviously…

Justine: And if he does I’ll send him a special pic as a prize 

Bradley: I’ll try my best, my lady

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Anchors Aweigh

The necklace shimmered in the window display, the afternoon sun playing along the length of its gold chain. That wasn’t why it caught Bradley’s eye, though. It was the shape of the opal pendant. An anchor. He stopped on the sidewalk.

Justine liked anchors. She had a small tattoo of one low on her right abdomen, just above the crease of her thigh meeting her hip. He’d only seen it once, in a Snapchat video she’d sent. It started on her smiling face, before she panned the camera slowly down over miles and miles of bare skin, all the way to her glittery blue toenails. It didn’t matter that the app deleted the video after one view. He had it burned into his brain.

“Bradley?”

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Ask Them Anything: Platt, Myrick, and Cameron

This follows the same basic premise as my other Ask Me Anything posts, but this time I’m opening it up to blog readers to ask more questions in the comments. I’ll update the post with new answers and also reply to your comment to let you know. If you want ideas for questions, try googling character development worksheets. Now on to the questions they’ve already answered! 😀

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Back to School, Ring the Bell – Ch. 17

Bradley

I hopped up, turning away from Mohyeldin to brush the tears out of my eyes. Behind me, Seb said, “Un moment, Z.”

Clearing my throat as I faced them again, I said, “No, now’s fine. Everyone’s waiting to watch your presentation, Seb.”

“Don’t say that,” Mohyeldin said, sounding amused but looking concerned, the way that used to get me spitting mad. I’ve learned to accept it now, so I let him see in my expression that I was okay. He shook his head and smiled. “You’ll undo all my good work making him relaxed.”

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Back to School, Ring the Bell – Ch. 16

Seb

The house was painted a moss green, pale against the forest foliage surrounding it like a nest around an egg. Theo, beside me, took a deep breath. I glanced over. He was surveying it with a grim expression. Quint put his arm around his husband’s hips and pulled him closer, kissing his temple while Zain turned his head to track a noise through the trees. “That’ll be Cecilia with the keys,” Zain said.

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Back to School, Ring the Bell – Ch. 15

Zain

I left Seb strangling the plush unicorn and edged along the row of people to the aisle between the benches. By then, Cameron had spotted me. She smiled and sped up. Focusing on Platt, I tried to read his expression. About the same as when he’d left, I thought. All that time, and they’d made no progress?

“Hey,” I said. “Where’s Myrick?”

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Back to School, Ring the Bell – Ch. 14

Zain

Friday simultaneously flew and crawled by. Every minute of it was filled with schoolwork, thanks to my classes and assignments. I didn’t want to have to crack a textbook all weekend, so I had to finish a couple of things early and make enough progress on others to be able not to worry about them. No Skype call took place that night, since Seb, Quint, and Theo were in the car on their way down already. I did call Seb on the phone just to hear his voice, though.

I also didn’t see Platt except for our PoliSci class and in the few minutes before meal formations. I was glad. A secretive smile kept coming over my face, so often that JJ asked, “Why do you look like the cat who got the cream?” I didn’t want the kid to be suspicious. His reply to my emailed invite—the last piece of the puzzle—was an unwitting, Sure, see you tomorrow.

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Back to School, Ring the Bell – Ch. 13

Zain

I hung up with Seb and Quint just as JJ was coming through the door from the Spectrum meeting. He climbed onto his rack with a long, drawn-out moan. “My life has gotten way too interesting since I met you,” he said. “Myrick wanted to go after Platypus the moment you left. I almost had to physically block him while I convinced him to give the kid some space. I didn’t see exactly what happened between you three, but it seemed like it wasn’t good.”

Linking my hands together on top of my head, I considered that. Five minutes earlier, I would’ve agreed. Now, with Seb’s reassurance Platt was at least a little open to the idea of polyamory, I’d revised my opinion. “I think it was a step in the right direction,” I said.

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Back to School, Ring the Bell – Ch. 12

Zain

Platt showed up at my door on Wednesday night five minutes before Spectrum. Given that we had to walk to Chauvenet Hall for the meeting still, that was practically late. I didn’t mention it, though. I was glad he’d come at all.

He stood staring blank-faced at the window while JJ finished tying his shoe. I’d seen that look before. It was the does-not-compute one he got when he was doing his absolute best job at blocking out anything beyond his own head. Trying to shake him free of it, I asked, “How was the pool lesson after I left last night?” I’d decided to raise the training wheels a bit and let him and Myrick talk alone.

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Back to School, Ring the Bell – Ch. 11

Zain

I went to get a snack from Drydock, mostly to distract myself from wanting to call Seb again. I had to let him work this out with Quint and Theo, hard as it was when I knew he was feeling miserable and might be headed into a diabetes rollercoaster. My poor boy just couldn’t catch a break. I was glad, though, that we’d already been working on improving his morale. He was much better positioned to deal with it today than he would’ve been a few weeks back.

As I carried the bag of chips I’d bought out of Dahlgren Hall, I heard a shout. “Mohyeldin! I need to talk to you.”

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Back to School, Ring the Bell – Ch. 10

Seb

The Botanic Gardens were an oasis of calm and green, growing things. Songbirds flew among the trees while rabbits hopped in the rosebeds. I lay on soft grass with my head close to Quint’s and Theo’s, listening to them point out clouds that looked like bicycles and guitars, and I breathed deep. I didn’t even notice how much time was passing until Zain’s phone call.

When I came back to them from the bench where I’d moved during the call, Quint sat up. “Everything alright, mon chaton?

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Back to School, Ring the Bell – Ch. 9

Zain

Platt showed up at my door after dinner on Friday. It was propped open, and he hovered in the passageway just on outside the room, looking between me and JJ, who was reading something on his computer. I waved the kid in from my rack. “Sup, Platypus?” Pointing to the chair at the desk below the rack, I said, “Sit.”

He did. JJ grinned over his shoulder and said, “Yo.”

“Hi,” Platt said, before craning his head to look up at me. “I wanted to talk to you about the… the meeting we discussed attending.”

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Back to School, Ring the Bell – Ch. 8

Seb

After Quint brought me to my room and pulled back the covers so I could climb into bed with a newly-reheated butt, he let me check my phone. Two emails had come in, one each from Bradley and Zain. I opened Bradley’s first.

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Back to School, Ring the Bell – Ch. 7

Zain

I stuck my hand in the cubby by my head, pulled out my phone, and answered it on the second buzz, but even so, JJ groaned from his own rack. He’s not at his best when he gets woken up in the middle of the night. Ignoring him, I asked Quint, “‘S’goin’ on?”

“Seb is alright,” he said, “and I’m sorry for disturbing you so late, however, I felt this was potentially urgent.”

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Back to School, Ring the Bell – Ch. 6

Seb

Theo was at the table eating a bowl of cereal when I came out the morning after that disastrous first day of classes. He smiled and said, “Hey. Sorry about yesterday.”

I’m sorry,” I said. “I let slip that you didn’t get enough sleep.”

“Nah, I really needed that early bedtime.” Ruefully, he added, “Although that didn’t stop me from throwing a tantrum about it after you left. Wound up sleeping on my stomach.”

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Back to School, Ring the Bell – Ch. 5

Sorry today’s chapter is so short. The next one is extra-long to make up for it. Also, I wanted to let you all know I’m going to Disney World at the end of April to research an upcoming story! Be sure you’re following me on Twitter (@zillahwrites) for sneak peeks of that, plus lots of other fun stuff. I might even run a poll or two about what I should write next. 😀

Edit: Apparently WordPress doesn’t know the clock shifted. Sorry for the late post, everyone!


Zain

Working out the details of the plan with Quint was a great distraction from wondering too much about what Platt had emailed Seb. If the kid wasn’t mad, I could let it lie for now.

The other Top and I wrote back and forth a few times that night. I’d been worried he’d disapprove of what I had in mind, but he said, Yes, I do see the value in that, and even suggested some great ideas himself. My Brat was in good hands.

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Back to School, Ring the Bell – Ch. 4

Seb

The door below opened with a squeak of unused hinges. A sliver of light from the hallway cut across the dull gray wall, widening and then shrinking again as the door swung shut. Quint’s footsteps echoed through the stairwell. He climbed the first half-flight, stopped on the landing, and looked up at me sitting above him.

I had a flash of when he’d gotten me down from the tree in the park, back when we barely knew each other. Calm expectation filled his face, the same as then.

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Back to School, Ring the Bell – Ch. 3

Zain

My idea of going to Myrick had to be put on hold temporarily, thanks to mandatory company meetings, drills, meal formations, and, of course, classes. Not being a plebe gave me more free time, but not that much. I barely even saw JJ.

And then part two of my plan—letting Platt have his space until Seb reported back—went out the window in my second-to-last class of the day, when I walked into the room and saw the back of his platinum blond head shining like a beacon. I should’ve expected it, really, now that we were both polisci majors.

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Back to School, Ring the Bell – Ch. 2

A quick announcement before today’s chapter: I created a Twitter profile, @zillahwrites, to share when a new blog post is live, as well as writing articles I find interesting and behind-the-scenes stuff. I’d love if you followed me. ?

Also, I’m so excited because a story I’ve been co-writing with Dizzy for months is finally finished! It’s a crossover with her wonderful Teardrop Lake Resort Seminar Series, and you can read it here. (Just a note, there are major spoilers for Of Churros and Anger Management.)


Seb

“Aren’t you supposed to be the one who comes up with the brilliant plans, Z?” I asked, frowning.

He slouched in his desk chair and crossed his arms over his chest with a heavy sigh. “Yeeeesss, I am, and it’s soooooo frustrating. That kid foils the every single strategy I’ve got. Put him in charge of fighting ISIS. They’d give up within a day, I swear.”

I rolled my eyes. “Stop sulking. You can’t get your way with everything.”

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Back to School, Ring the Bell – Ch. 1

I’m doing something a little unusual (for me) with this story. I decided to post it in chapters. If you’re the kind that doesn’t like to start WIPs for fear they won’t be finished, don’t worry. I have about forty-nine thousand words of this baby down and am putting all my focus on it until it’s done. I just don’t want to make my readers wait that long for another story. Also, comments and feedback are truly great motivation for me to buckle down and write already. ?

Each chapter is scheduled to post at 3pm (New York time) on Sundays, so you can check back weekly for the next part. Or if you want, you can subscribe in the sidebar and get notifications for all my posts.

We pick up shortly after Of Churros and Anger Management. Enjoy!


Zain

The flight that would bring me back to Annapolis from my last summer training block took off at a tiny regional airport. Four other people sat in the only terminal with me, all of us comfortably absorbed in our phones. One guy was bobbing his head along with music from his earbuds. As for myself, I spent the time catching up on my email.

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Plebes No More

Zain described Herndon as “a bunch of sweaty, shirtless sailors climbing a giant lubed-up phallic symbol.” I had to admit he had a point, even if it’d made Theo choke on his orange juice and Quint’s eyebrow go sky high.

That breakfast was over a week ago, during the few days of intersessional leave he got between final exams and Sea Trials. We left to drop him off at the bus back to Annapolis right after.

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For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow (And So Say All of Us)

I fed out slack on the rope, watching carefully as Platt pushed off one of the brightly-colored holds on the climbing wall about forty feet above me. He stretched his right hand up as far as he could. His toes barely gripped. I stayed light on my feet, prepared to jump if he fell—a technique called “dynamic belaying” that would give a softer catch and reduce the risk of injury. To my left, JJ was calling to Sullivan to clip into the wall before she went further up. I ignored them and stayed focused. Platt grunted, his fingers spread and flexing.

The new hold he was aiming for remained mere inches out of reach. If his audible huff hadn’t given away his frustration, the way he pounded the side of his fist against the wall would have.

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Roots and Sprouts

Zain

“I want to do all the cheesy touristy stuff, babe,” I told Seb as we followed Quint and Theo into the subway train car. “Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, all that.”

He looked askance at me. “Why?”

“Because it’ll be fun!” I said. “And it’s my first visit to the city where I’ll actually have time explore. C’mon, do it with me and I’ll go to that art museum Quint bought a membership for with you.”

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And Love Dares You

Note: This focuses far more on Platt and BDSM-type relationships than on Seb and Zain. The title is from “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie.


With the start of a new semester came new classes, and I was happy to find out that Platt and I had been scheduled to the same PE section. The kid actually smiled when he saw me in the locker room, too.

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When Life Leaves You High and Dry

This is a long one. It’s long enough to be called a novel, actually, but I prefer to think of it as a novel-length story. Like Plebe Summer, I’m hosting it in a separate PDF file. If you’re downloading using a mobile device, it is best viewed in something like the Kindle or iBooks apps. Some PDF viewers don’t support the navigation links.

When Life Leaves You High and Dry

-Zillah