Ink, Sun and Playful Sarcasm: Otep/Jem

[otep2point0]

"Eww..." Otep said as she took the bandage off of her neck. It had been an hour since they got their tattoos and it was time to take the bandage off. Oh how she loved neck tattoos and oh how she loved this one because it wasn't only for her but... for Jem... and it symbolized them. And their soon to be marriage - a lifetime together. Now they could really be like that old couple they saw in the park.

Jem watched her remove the bandage off her neek. Yeah, not exactly a pretty sight. She frowned a little and made a slight face. She hadn't taken her bandage off yet. Now she was kind of glad it was on her shoulder, where she wouldn't really have to see it until it was all healed up. "That's...really not...all that attractive." she teased.

Otep laughed. "Give me a minute!" she giggled a little as she then began to wash the blood and stuff off of the tattoo. Yeah... now it looked pretty. "See? There..." she smiled as she looked over at Jem. "Want me to get yours?"

"Yeah...ok. That looks better." SHe wasn't really wanting to remove hers. She was more than okay with having Otep do it. "Yeah...be gentle." she teased.

Otep laughed. "Aww what you don't want me to set the ink?" she joked a little as she went around the Jem's shoulder and began to carefully take the bandage off. She then washed it gently and padded it dry. "There... it's..." she smiled. "Beautiful." she finalized and turned Jem to her and pulled her into a careful hug.

"If I handle the actually process of the tattoo, I can handle the removal of the bandage. I just..don't want to be the one to do it." When Otep removed it, it wasn't bad at all. She turned to her and smiled. Hugging her back, "I can't believe...I let you tattoo me."

Otep laughed pretending to be offended. "Well... excuse me... should I have let Chris do it!?" she joked.

Jem laughed and kissed her nose. "No, that's not what I meant. I mean...that I can't believe...I actually went through with it and got a tattoo. And I LOVE it!"

Otep smiled at her. "Well I'm glad you did... and I'm glad we got the same thing. And this... is the most meaningful thing on my body... and my new favorite tattoo." she smiled.

Jem slid her arms around Otep's waist. Resting her forhead on hers. "I'm glad. I wouldn't want you to have something that you didn't like or meant nothing to you." she smirked.

Otep smiled a little. "Well I love it. And it does mean something to me... it represents you... and you mean EVERYTHING to me..." She told her as she rested her arms around Jem gracefully.

Jem just smiled. She didn't need to say anything. The look in her eyes said it all. She lenaed forward a bit and gave Otep a soft kiss on the lips. "Does this mean we can't go to the beach now?" she pouted playfull after a few moments of silence.

"Ha... we could but... the water is not a good idea unless you only go in up to your bust..." she said plafully poking her right breast and winking at her.

Jem pouted. "We can't even just...go walk? I'm not lookig to swim or anything." she gave her another pout with the sad puppy dog eyes. "Hey...no poking."

Otep grinned. "We can walk... come on let's go." she told her as she looked over to Chris and Carly. "You lot have a good time... don't get in trouble. And don't burn the place down." she said laughing a little as she flipped Chris a pretty good tip for her tatt. Since she didn't have to pay for either of them she at least tipped him for doing hers. "Thanks, C... See ya later." she smiled as she held her hand out for Jem to take. "Bye O.. have fun at the beach." he told her. Carly smiled - a pretty fake smile - but something that was at least believable. "Bye guys." she smiled as she watched Otep and Jem walk out of the place.

Jem took her hand and got to her feet. Ready to head out. Enjoy the sunshine and show off her new tatt. She said bye to Chris and Carly as well before they headed out. "He seems like a nice guy...and that girl. I seemed to sense a little...something something."

Otep laughed a little. "I think she has a little puppy crush on me." she told Jem shaking her head as she opened the door to her car and let Jem get in.

"Aww...isn't that cute." she smirked. "Wonder what it's like to actually have a crush on you?" she teased. She had never really gone through that phase. She met her...they hit off, and the rest as they say was history. There never really was waht one might say a *crush*.

Otep laughed a little. "Oh I don't know... I never had a crush on me." she said as she got into her car and closed the door, starting her up and heading to the beach.

"Really...you never had a crush on yourself?" she laughed jokingly. "Wow..with that ego I figured you were your biggest fan." She was only teasing her. Otep wasn't that bad. She definitely wasn't that vain.

Otep thought for a moment. "Well there was that one point in time where I knew I was hot enough to get this one girl... and then get her to be my fiancee... and it worked so... yeah... I might have had a tiny thing for myself in the mean time... you know... the whole big head thing." she joked.

"Oh...I see. Well....it's a wonder it worked then. This must be some girl if she was able to see past that big head."

Otep laughed. "Yeah she must be..." she smiled at her as she took her hand in hers.

Jem laced her fingers through Otep's. "Well you'll have to introduce me to this gril sometime."

"Well I'm pretty sure you're already pretty close to her." She told her as she kissed the back of her hand and let her eye catch the engagement ring on her finger. She let herself smile a little and then pulled into the beach parking lot.

"Oh am I now..." she laughed. She sighed softly and looked out as they approached the beach area. "Love the beach. There just something...calming and relaxing about the beach."

"Yeah.. there is." Otep said as she parked, got out and let Jem on out of the pasenger side.

Jem pulled her shades down over her eyes before she stepped out of the car. She got out and let the warm sun bet down on her face for a moment. Breathing in the sea air.

Otep smiled a little as she looked over at Jem. She caressed her cheek gently before putting her own shades down over her eyes.

Jem laughed lightly as that tickled slightly. "All right enough standing around. This is the beach...let's go enjoy ourselves."

Otep nodded as she looked over before walking straight into some random girl. She let her pass and then looked back at Jem and smiled at her. "Come on slow poke!" she joked a little. She was only a foot or less behind her but she loved to poke.

"What's the hurry? You late for a hot date or something?" she asked, sliding her shades down her nose just a bit peering at Otep from over top of them.

Otep nodded. "Yes! With the sun! Come on!" she laughed a little.

"Well I don't think the sun's going anywhere...at least not for a few more hours." she laughed and jogged a little to catch up with Otep. "All right...all right. You know you need to learn how to slow down and smell the roses."

Otep looked around. "I don't see roses... no need to slow down to smell them." she winked and took Jem's hand in hers.

"It's a figure of speach.." Which she knew Otep knew that. "Just...slow down. Enjoy the little things in life a little"

Otep smiled a little. "I'm enjoying the things in life... I just... do it differentlty." she told her

"At this pace I'm really going to have to start spending more time at the gym, otherwise I'll never be able to keep up with the big bad rockstar."

"Oh no no... you will." Otep laughed a little. "You will."

[otep2point0]

She would. She really didn't have any doubts about that. She walked in step with Otep now. "Yeah..I will. Cause I'm just awesome that way."

Otep grinned and nodded. "You are. If I didn't think you were able to keep up with me... I wouldn't be with you." she told her honestly.

"Yeah you would....cause I make up for it other ways. LIke my stunning good looks and my witty sense of humor." she joked.

Otep laughed a litte and nodded. "You're right... but now who's big headed?" she joked.

"Takes one to know one." she grinned. "So..ok. We to start? Walk along the water? The pier?"

"The water." Otep suggested first.

That suited her just fine. Jem kicked off her shoes and held them in her free hand. Stepping out ton the sand of the beach and headed down towards the water. Pulling Otep along. "Now whose being the slow poke? C'mon.."

Otep giggled a little as she tried to catch up with her lover. "Now who has to slow down?" she joked. "Smell the salt water?" she giggled.

"I'll slow down...sometimes you do have to speed things along." she snickered. As they reached the water's edge. She slowed down. Just walking hand in hand with Otep. Letting the wataer lap at her feet.

Otep smiled a little. She could so get used to this. "I am so in heaven right now." she told her as she squeezed her hand gently.

Jem squeezed back. This was pretty perfect. Sure they had thier ups and downs. Their problems. But they were still pretty perfect at times. "This has been...one of the best years...even wtih osme of the...*issues*. It's been a good year."

Otep smiled a little and put her head down and then looked back at Jem. "Issues." she reiterated and shook her head.

"Hey.." Jem nudged her lightly. "We are human...netiher of us are perfect. Yeah..of course we are going to have issues and problems arise in life. In our relationship. And despite those...things have worked out..and made for a great year..."

Otep gave a crooked grin. She still beat herself up over the... issue... they had. "I'm just..." she shook her head and smiled. "Nothing... It has been a great year."

"We had one pretty big hiccup. But we're moving past that. Right? Didn't we decide that?" she looked at Otep. "We're looking forward...not back."

otep nodded. "Yeah. We're moving passed it. WAY passed it." she agreed.

"All right. Then stop...beatig yourself up over this. I'm moving past it, it's time you started doing the same thing."

Otep nodded. She then just sort of stopped, turned to the water and then just sat down. She looked up at Jem and pulled her down with her...

Jem jerked to a stop and flopped down with a humph and thud. "Ok..a little warning next time would be appreacited."

Otep just sort of smiled and pulled Jem into a kiss... pulling her closer.

Jem leaned into her, returning the kiss. Otep...what was she going to do with her? She was a character. A real piece of work. "You're horrible.." she smirked.

"You love it." was always Otep's answer to things like that. She pulled her into another wildly passionate kiss.

Jem just rolled her eyes. "Whatever.." she laughed, kissing her back. Then pulling back. Looking at her. "Dork.." she teased.

Otep ggigled and nodded. She looked over across the water holding Jem in her arms. "And you love that, too."

"Yeah..yeah. I'm a sucker for a dork." she laughed. "At least your cool badass dork..and not some whimp."

Otep laughed a little. "Yeah that's a plus." she laughed and shook her head.

"A HUGE plus.' she nodded. leaning back a bit in Otep's arms. "So, i still got to have to that talk...you know. The one I've been putting off." she frowned.

Otep leaned her head down on Jem's head. "Yeah... when?" she asked her. Now? Later? Tomorrow? Never?

"As much as i would perfer..the never. I know t hat's not fair to you. Or..them really." she shrugged. "I"m thinking..tomorrow. Gives me today...and tonight..to think of what I'm going to say."

Tomorrow seemed like forever away. She didn't know how to deal with that. But she did. "Ok... tomorrow."

Jem was stalling. She knew she was stalling. but she needed a plan of action. she couldn't just walk in there...and tell them. She needed a plan..and time to come up with that plan. 'Yeah...tomorrow."

Otep nodded slowly. "What do you think they'll...?" she trailed off.

"Say? Think?" she cocked her head to the side for a moment. Watching Otep. Then turning back to the water. "I think...they might yell. They'll get that look of disappointment and where did we go wrong on their faces.....and after that...I don't know."

Otep pulled her closer. "If you don't want to.. tell them." she trailed off. She wanted her to tell them but she didn't want it to ruin everything.

"I know...I keep saying..I'll tell them. I know I keep putting it off. But...I need time..wtih this. If it were anyone but my parents..I would have NO problem telling them...because I wouldn't care as much waht they thought. But..I do actually care what my parents think."

Otep nodded. She knew how that was. "I just... don't wanna ruin everything for you."

"Don't...worry..." she said softly. "You're not going to ruin anything."

Otep took in a breath and then looked up at the sky. She wished things didn't have to be this hard.

Jem rested her head over on her shoulder. "It's all going to work out. I'm not going to let this..take you away from me. No matter what hapepns."

Otep pulled her into a hug. She loved Jem more than life itself. She couldn't handle losing her - not for a second time. "I love you." she whispered.

"I love you too." she whispred back. Rubbing her arms and hugging her back.

"I don't want bad juju with your parents... they're gonna hate me forever... blame this whole thing on me.. but if that means that I can keep you... then by all means... let them hate me." she told her.

"I don't think...they'll blame you...probably themselves moer than anyone...but who knows..they may react the exact opposite of what I'm fearing."

Otep just sort of got quiet and nodded as she looked over the water. She was so at home at the beach. She loved it. "It's so beautiful out here." she whispered.

"It is beauttful." Jem agreed. "How close was that house to the beach? I don't remember..what all that paper work you showed me said. It would be nice..if it were..close."

"It's close baby. Plus... on the days we cant go to the beach... there's a giant in ground pool... and I'm getting them to put in like a waterfall sort of..." she smiled.

"Oooh..." she smiled. "Sounds...great. Sort of?" she looked up at her curiosuly. "Either you are...or you aren't." she teased. "How do you sort of put in a waterfall?"

"It's sort of a waterfall silly..." Otep corrected her poking her sides.

Jem laughed. Knowing perfectly well what she meant. But still. The way it came out. It was like well was she or wasn't having on installed. "I"m not tht dense." she smirked. "I'm nto the blonde.." she teased more.

Otep laughed. "Ha ha ha very very funny." Otep laughed as she tossed her own hair playfully. "Jerk." she joked.

"Jerk?" she made a face. "Whatever...ms diva." she rolled her eyes.

Otep laughed at that, too. "DIVA!?" she said playing offended.

"Did stutter?" she gave her a playful stern look. "You heard me, I called you a diva. What'ya going to about it?"

"What makes you think I'm a Diva, Miss Thing?" She asked her lifting a brow.

"What makes me think you're a diva?" she pondered the question for a moment or two. "You love being the center of attention..that's a big one." she smirked. "You've taken more of an interest in your appearance..and started dressing girlie and...that's another step into becoming a full fledged diva."

Otep rolled her eyes. "I'm so not a diva... and I'm not the center of attention.. am I?" she asked.

"I'm going to just plead the fifth on that one." she smirked.

[otep2point0]

Otep lifted a brow. "No no no no girlie... speak!"

"Nah...I think I'm done for now." she grinned.

Otep pouted, sticking her bottom lip out cutely. "Babeee."

"What...?" she eyed her, but remained silent. While she was sitting here enjoying her moment with Otep. Her phone..which was left in teh car was raning like crazy. Her mom was trying to track her down. Fun times.

Otep looked at her. She kissed her head. "Hmm." she thought out loud.

Jem laughed to herself. Yeah, she liked messing with OTep sometimes. It was just fun. And sometimes it was just too easy.

Otep shook her head. "Ugh..."

"What?" she laughed. "YOu know you love a good mystery...now you get to figure out what just might be going on in my head."

Otep looked at her. "I could make that go out of your head and have other things go into it." she said as she then playfully bit at Jem's neck. She wasn't looking to have sex but she LOVED to tease her.

"I bet you could..." she rolled her eyes. "You a such a guy somtimes." she teased her.

Otep giggled a little and kissed her neck where she bit it. "Yeah well... whatever." she joked.

Jem shook her head and moved it out of the way. Messing with her more. "You...have a one track mind."

Otep laughed at that. "No... I've got two tracks apparently because I'm still trying to figure out how I am the center of attention. Miss." she laughed a little.

"Uhh...hello. You're a rockstar. How much more center of attention do you need to be to realize....you want to be the center of attention."

Otep laughed at that. She never really thought of that. She always thought of her band and her music as an escape from the reality she liked to call Hell sometimes... Though she never really had to call it that nowadays with Jem. Now all she had to talk about was Politics which were always a big thing with her. But the center of attention? Not as much. "Not so much... but it is nice having fans!"

"Ha...see there's my point. You are a divia. Or at least a diva in training. Give it time..and you'll be a full fledged, card carrying Miss Diva."

Otep laughed at that and shook her head. "Absolutely not." she laughed.

"Oh..just and wait and see. when you hit the big time..things jsut might change."

Otep shook her head. "I'm so not a diva." she said shaking her head. She giggled. Then her mind shot to a different type of thought momentarily. Jem's ohone hasn't gone off all day... did she tell her mom she was with her and she wasn't going to be home for a while or did her mom just cease caring anymore?

Jem cocked her head back and looked up at Otep when she suddenly got real quite. "Hey you...." she nudged her with her elbow. "Why you so quite all of a sudden?"

"I don't... Is your mom sick?" Otep asked her curiously. Only half serious.

"What?" Jem shifted a bit so she was facing Otep more rather than just looking up at her. "What do you mean is my sick? Why do you ask?" She was a little confused here.

"Well she hasn't called you all day... I'm sort of worried." Otep cracked into a slight grin. Now Jem could tell she was just being sarcastic.

"Yeah..I bet you're worried." she rolled her eyes. "I left my phone in the car...on vibrate. So, I honstly don't even know f she's tried calling or not. Knowing her...she has. Multple times."

Otep laughed a little and kissed the tip of Jem's nose. "Do you care?" she asked her.

"Do I care that you're being a smartass and sarcastic? Or do I care if my mother has been trying to reach me?" she raised a brow. "I probably don't about either one of those thing as much as I should."

Otep tilted her head a little to look into her girlfriend's eyes. "You know I'm only playing with you." she said gently. "Maybe you should check... just in case. We'll go get ice cream." she smiled at her.

"I know.." she knew she was.But it didn't really change the fact that she didn't care all that much if her mom was trying to reach her. It was kind of sad, she used to have a better relationship than this with her mother. She wasn't sure when it all started to change, or why. "All rgiht..fine."

Otep cocked her head back a little bit at the sort of bitterness Jem seemed to have about the whole checking her phone thing. "I mean if you wanna skip the phone we can just go right to the ice cream." she said lifting a brow.

She softened her expression. "No, it's ok." she said softly. "I was just thinking...trying to recall...when things got so distance between my mother and me."

Otep frowned. "I could probably tell you." she sort of mumbled.

Jem shook her head. "No, this had nothing to do with you, or us. This had been happening for a much longer time. I just..don't when...or why even it started."

Otep hugged Jem to her. "I'm here for you, you know that." she told her.

"I know..I know.." she sighed a little and pulled back a git. Getting back to her feet. Dusting sand from herself. "C'mon. Let's get thsi over with."

Otep got up herself and dusted her own self off. "Ok." she said before heading slowly to the car.

They walked back to the car. Jem her got her purse and dug her phone out. Flipping it over. There were three missed calls and two voicemails and one text. Good grief. She rollled her eyes. "I give her this...she's persistant."

[otep2point0]

Otep looked at her as she seemed to have just stared down at her phone.

"Well? What does she need?" she asked her curiously. "Is it dire or something?" she asked.

Her mother never really called or texted her unless it was a dire emergency or if she needed something. She knew Otep had her own life to deal with and having her on top of that would not help her at all. So she pretty much ceased to exist if Otep was out. Otep would call or text her mother if there was a problem or if she was staying out late or not coming home at all and she knew that. She also knew her daughter could take care of herself in EVERY situation possible. So she didn't bother her at all. Ever. Not that Otep really thought of her mom as a bother. But her mom figured with this day in age every kid would think their parents were problematic. But not Otep. Her and her mother were a sort of understanding. Lisa was there for her when she needed her but she didn't smother her. And Otep was the one that partied to a certain extent but still sort of played by the rules. There was no problem between them and people sort of looked at that as if they were some sort of weird combination of friends and not mother daughter.

She thought about that and knew that wouldn't be the case with Jem and her parents. They cared a little too much sometimes but at the same time she knew that was what Jem needed. If they didn't care as much she wondered how that would effect Jem. Maybe she needed the overbearing parents and the loving girlfriend. It could just be how she had to run her life.

[otep2point0]

"She just wants to know where I am, and why I didn't come home last night, or call or anything." she shrugged. "She wants to know if I'm coming home tonight...or staying with *that* freind of mine." she frowned. Not liking the way she had used the term *that friend* on the voicemail.

Otep looked at her. "Maybe you should call her?" she asked,

"Yeah...I proably should." she sighed. "May be I'll text her..tell her I'll be home tonight..and I'll call her later..." she bit her lip. She had never been this worried about anything in her life or so afraid of facing anything like this. May be she wasn't as strong a person as she tried to convience herself that she was.

Otep looked at her. "Don't be afraid." she told her gently.


"But I need..time to think this over. Plan my thoughts..and words. I don't want to go in....and just not have a plan and it turn into a shouting match or something...I want ot have...a talk..a disucssion. Not...an argument."

Otep nodded. "I know you do. And I'm here for you."

Jem smiled at her and kissed her cheek. "I know you and I appreciate that. Now..how about we go for that icecream..and I'll start brainstorming my plan of action."

Otep nodded as she looked at her. "Let's go." she whispered.

Jem grabbed her purse and Otep's hand. She headed off towards tehir favorite little icecream joint.

Otep walked with Jem toward the ice cream place and looked around at the people who were just sort of walking by. Half of them didnt even notice that they were dating anymore. It used to be that everyone stared and even whispered. But now people didnt quite mind it. And she loved that. "Hmm." she pondered to herself.

They were just...Jem and Otep now. Not the big deal they once were. Which Jem never quite understood the big deal to begin with other. Other than they were just a slightly odd pairing. She looked at Otep curiosuly. "Hmm?" she eyed her. "Hmm...what?"

Otep snapped out of her little thoughts and smiled at Jem. "It's just odd that we are not the whole big to do anymore... I could TOTALLY get used to that." she said with a smile. But once Otep became more known in the music industry.. Jem would be the whole to do... the rockstar's fiancee all over the tabloids. Ugh she could wait for that. Definitely.

"Ah...you miss having everyone look at us and talk about us. Is that is?" she grinned. "Now...see that is just more proff that you are becoming a diva."

Otep laughed and shook her head. "No... I'm just used to it. I could so get used to them not doing it though. Maybe we could get more peace and quiet." she said. But then when the wedding comes it'll be a pretty big to do. LA's big lesbian wedding.

"So face it whether you want it or not...you are the center of attention in some fashion. And one hand you LOVE every minute of it." she smirked. "And it's only going to intensify...as word gets out...about the impending wedding."

Otep smiled at her. "Let's just hope it's not a media-powered event." she laughed a little.

"Well we're try to keep it low key...as much as we can. If the media get ahold it....well we'll just have to take it a step at time...and cross thsoe bridges as we come to them."

Otep smiled a little at her. "Not that I wouldn't mind us making front page of every magazine." she laughed.
Heather Scott: "Oh course you wouldn't..." she rolled her eye. "Why don't we go ahead and invite the media now?" she teased.

Otep laughed and looked over at a random newspaper boy and thought about shouting "Hey! Wedding soon! Us! Bring everyone!" but closed her mouth and smiled at Jem.

There was one thing...just to be a passing media frenzy. And becoming a spectical. She did not want to be to some spectical in the media circus. She wasn't sure she was ready to live her life under the media microoscope having everything little thing she said or did torn to bits and analized.

Otep looked over to Jem and took her hands. "Baby... chill... it'll all be fine... the media can s my d if they have a problem." she said with a shake of her head.

"I know...I'm fine. I'll be fine. Just to many things on my mind at once. Once I start getting them all sorted out I'll be...fine."

Otep smiled as she pulled Jem into a cute little kiss and then kept going never missing a beat. "Ok then... let's sit, eat ice cream, and sort." she smiled.

She retuned the kiss. Otep had her ways of making ehr feel better, or at least temporairly taking her mind off the things that were troubling her.

Otep got Jem to the ice cream place in a jif and smiled as she turned to her. "ok so what do you want?" she asked her curiously.

"White chocolate raspherrry." she aaid without any hesitation. She had tried it on their last visit and fell in love. It was her new favorite flavor.

otep nodded. "White chocolate raspberry for the lovely lady and... cotton candy with gummy bears for my crazy ass." she laughed a little.

Jem stepped down and waited on her order to be made. She might have to steal herself a gummy bear or...two though.

Otep paid for and brought both ice creams over to Jem and handed her the raspberry one. She then handed her a spoon. "Here you go babe."

"Thank you..." she smiled taking the spoon and reaching over and grabbing a couple gummy bears as well off Otep's icecream.

Otep giggled a little and pretended to be mad. "Jerk!" she joked.

"Snooze you loose..."S he smirked at her popping one of the gummy goodness into her mouth.

Otep giggled and shook her head. "Ok meanie." she joked.

"What? You want it back?" she opened her mouth and acted like she was going to stick her tongue out at her.

Otep looked at her and lifted a brow. "C'mere." she said pulling her in, kissing her... ending up with the gummy bear in her own mouth. "Success." she said with a grin.

Jem shook her head. she should have expected a move like that. That was...Otep. She just picked her spoon up and started digging into ehr own dish.

Otep smiled at her. "So... what exactly are you sorting?" she asked her.

Jem stirred her icecram around a bit. "Everything..."

Otep looked at her and thought a moment. She had just the idea. "Ok... so I have an empty notebook... what you can do is... and this is what I do sometimes... write everything down... and put it in categories of importance."

Jem had actually been thinking of doing something like that. That might help her out a lot really. Get everyting out of her head and onto paper and get her thoughts straightened out. "That..might just work."

Otep nodded as she put a spoonful of icecream in her mouth. "Yes." she said. "Then I can give you said notebook and you can begin writing things down." she told her. "Then you can put them all in their own little groups and then take one problem at a time."

"All rght...that's what I'll do then." she nodded. This was the first step in getting her...life on track again.