#I came back to eat the cactus

[nonameonlyflowers]

Pillars of the Light -new blog, reupload-

-this is a reupload of the old intro post that was deleted with the old blog-

You were six when you were taken by the Sun clan.

You spent most of your life in a limbo of sorts: your childhood was comfortable enough, yet you're expected to spend your adult years serving the clan that took your away from your family. You're an agent for the people that care little about you, in a time when tensions are brewing between clans and the demonic threat is rising in the wastes to the north.

An unexpected mission changes your life… again. But maybe, for someone determined it can be an opportunity. Gain Freedom through Power.

Reach Heaven through Hell.

Or, maybe, you’ll decide that Hell is a nice enough place.

A fantasy story I’m working on-and-off in my free time, so updates will be slow. I’m intending for it to remain a free game from start to finish. 

As of 09/07/24, the prologue and ch1 are done and can be found here.

Current word count: 62k words w/o code/67k with

CoG forum thread is over there

Planned features:

a story with a focus on plot and character interactions;

elements of horror and thriller;

a MC that is not a completely blank slate, but whose stats and relationships will affect their behaviour;

a mix of adventure and political intrigue storylines;

though there will be opportunities to build relationships, this won’t be a romance-focused game (romance will be a possibility, but not a focus).

(eventually) gain a voice in your head (for free)

(eventually) gain special powers (not for free) (and maybe decide it was not worth it)

(very eventually) decide that maybe you just want to burn it all to the ground

an attempt to mix western and eastern fantasy

The story is expected to eventually touch upon some pretty heavy topics in addition to the usual (by usual I mean profanity, fantasy violence, blood and injury etc.). More details in the game itself.

Characters:

The Guard: Throughout your childhood, Ember had been by your side, whether either of you wanted this or not. If he detested his position, he never showed it; in fact, he showed very little at all. You don't know what kind of person lies behind the polite mask, so if you ever see him again, you might find him to be very different from what you'd guessed about him.

The Princess: Neith had a sheltered childhood. A very sheltered childhood, mandated by her mother's fear for the life of the family's sole heiress. Now she's trying to fight, but not against the role of the heir itself; rather, she feels that to become a worthy leader to her family, she must grow and learn first. Her behaviour is continiously putting her in opposition to her mother, and you sometimes wonder just how far she is willing to go.

The Priestess: An unusual priestess of the Temple dedicated to the Crying Goddess. She had asked to be sent along with you on your mission, but shows little interest in the mission's success. Cold and irritable, she seems to have personal reasons for following you, and occasionally you notice anger burning in her eyes - one that is not aimed at your enemies.

The Ascendant: He's the one you're supposed to be helping. He's also perhaps the one whom you can trust the least, no matter how friendly his smiles seem. You're all using each other, and as time passes, you realize more and more how precarious his position is. You suppose it's to be expected: if he didn't need help, you wouldn't have been sent to aid him.

tags: @interact-if

[un-fwuit-un-fwog]

Your Warmth

Part six of The Rain series

Synopsis: Jack, Epel, and Sebek visit The Prefect in the infirmary. (Ramshackle Collapsed and The Prefect was inside)

TW: Sebek cries, The aftermath of Ramshackle collapsing on The Prefect

Note: Idk how to write Jack (or Epel apparently, even though I love him). I'm not exactly the biggest Sebek fan, but I think his part turned out best despite it (I used to hate him cause I have trouble w/ such loud people, but the Sebek propaganda got to me).

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 (here), Part 7, Part 8, Part 9 (coming soon), . . .

After Ace and Deuce's visits, you took a few days to rest. Your voice had been totally shot and you had reopened a few wounds from the shifting around you did.

You didn't even notice you had reopened them until Professor Crewel walked in, his face turning horrified when he saw you. Your blood had seeped through the bandages and was staining the comforter and sheets.

After you had gotten the chance to rest, guests were once again allowed to visit.

Jack stood awkwardly at the door to the infirmary, his tail drooping. It took him a while to actually knock, but when he did, it was uncharacteristically quiet.

He lurked into your room, trying not to stare too obviously at your unfamiliar form. "I. . .I brought you a cactus." he held up a small pot with a flowering cactus.

He places the pot on the windowsill and stands awkwardly next to your bed.

"Thank you." As you spoke, you patted the space next to you (after what happened last time, Crewel had decided it best to help you move over before visits (even though he didn't particularly like the idea of those mutts sitting in the bed with you)) and he hesitantly sat down.

His tail draped softly across your lap as he sat (he knew how much you loved petting the soft fur). A soft warmth radiated from it and warded off the persistent chill plaguing your body. He watched as a smile crept onto your lips and your hands drifted to his furry appendage.

Silence fell between the two of you.

Tick Tick Tick Tick

Just as you were opening your mouth to break the silence, there was a puff and Jack was gone. In his place, a large, white wolf laid. Instead of his tail being in your lap, his head rested softly on your thighs.

He wasn't looking at you, but you could tell how he was feeling from the way his ears twitched and drooped.

The chill that had remained stubbornly in your body was now completely gone thanks to the living space heater lying next to you. Silence fell once again, but this time it was more comfortable. Jack never spoke much, a fact you were more grateful for now than you usually were as the lack of conversation gave your throat a rest.

You stayed like that for a while. You took in the sound of his soft breath. It was an even sound, but not in the same way the clock was. Jack's breath was comforting like a lullaby.

You ended up drifting off for a while. When you woke up, Jack was still there, but now his head was on your stomach, his ear placed just above your lungs. His head bobbed slightly up and down with each breath you took: a reminder that you were, in fact, still alive.

He shifted back before he had to go, and complied when you opened your arms slightly for a hug. As he let go, he gently shifted the blanket that was falling off your shoulder back in place.

If may have just been your imagination, but his tail seemed a bit less droopy as he left.

Epel came the day after Jack (Crewel had set the limit to one visit per day). In his arms he carried a large basket containing a blanket his grandma made for you, some apple juice from back home, and a few apples. He sat the basket next to your bed with a huff before plopping next to you dramatically, yet still, somehow, carefully.

"Meemaw heard the news and sent ya a care basket. I told her ya probably wouldn't be able to eat apples in yer state, but she wouldn't hear it."

As Epel was shifting to get comfortable, his hand brushed against one of your (now freed) fingers. He jolted back "Yer as cold as ice!" He reached into the basket and pulled out the blanket, throwing it over you. He adjusted the blanket, patted it down, and smoothed out wrinkles; he was being oddly attentive, but you weren't going to complain.

The blanket was a beautiful quilt with apple designs all around the edges and a big one in the middle.

"Meemaw started makin it the moment she heard the news."

Your eyes widened and you stared at him in shock. "That fast?" Your voice was soft and scratchy. It reminded Epel of the days he'd lay in bed sick as a child.

Of course, he knew you were in a state much worse than any cold had put him in. The reality of it all hit him hard and he pulled an apple from the basket to distract himself.

When he wasn't feeling good as a child, his grandma would always cut him an apple into slices and make them look like little bunnies. He knew you couldn't open your jaw much at the moment, so he figures this would be the best way for you to be able to eat them before they went bad.

You watched in awe as he cut the apple so easily and precisely with a pocketknife he had pulled out of his jacket. However, when he finally handed it to you, your face fell a bit. After you had reopened your wounds a while back, you were no longer able to bend you arms enough to be able to eat or drink on your own (you weren't physically unable, but Crewel threw a fit when you tried).

You looked at the apple slice he was handing you and then back at him. You opened your mouth to speak, only to have an apple bunny pressed to your lips. Epel was no longer looking at you, instead he seemed to have found an intense interest in the fabric of the bedsheets.

He continued cutting the apple into the cute little bunny shapes and feeding them to you, and you happily ate what he gave you. The cool, soft apple caused little hurt to swallow, and the juiciness of it helped rehydrate your dry mouth and throat.

When he was finally done cutting the apple, he laid back next to you, grabbing your hand closest to him and holding it. He cupped his fingers around yours in an attempt to warm them.

When he finally left, he did so with the promise to ask his Meemaw to make you some mittens too.

Yet another day later, Sebek showed up to your door.

At least, you think it's Sebek.

You had been told he was who would be visiting you today, and you heard his familiar footsteps outside the door, but something was off.

It was quiet.

You rang the little bell next to your bed to tell him he could come in.

Still nothing.

You rang it again.

Just as you were about the ding it a third time, the door creaked open. A few moments later, he walked in.

His usual rigid posture was now slumped, and his mouth was surprisingly closed for once. He simply loomed next to your bed for so long that you eventually had to gently tug at his arm to get him to sit next to you.

The moment he was next to you, his head rested softly on your shoulder, and his hand cradled your wrist. Through the thick layers of bandages, you could feel his thumb putting the slightest pressure on your pulse point.

It took you a moment to adjust to what was happening. Your last two visitors were clearly visibly distraught, but they had hidden the majority of their worry rather well (no doubt as not to make you feel bad). Sebek, on the other hand, was putting his emotions fully on the table.

You softly sighed before leaning your head against his.

Even when he started crying, it was unnervingly quiet.

You stayed like that for however long it took him to stop crying, and when he did, he lifted his head reluctantly.

"I. . ." he tries to speak, his voice barely a whisper, but he can't manage to get his words out.

"Thank you for coming, Sebek." When he's unable to speak himself, you decide you'll take the burden off his shoulders and speak instead. "I appreciate your care. I've only ever seen you so emotional for Malleus. Seeing you like this breaks my heart, but it also makes me happy to know that you care so much." You struggle to get all the words out, this was the most you had spoken since the incident, but you figured it would be worth the uncomfortable scratching in your throat later.

He started crying again and you opened your arms for him.

His body delicately rested against yours and stayed like that for the rest of his visit.

When he left, his eyes were red and puffy, and his cheeks still damp from the tears.

He spoke his first and only sentence of the visit as he left: "I care more than you know. . .Prefect."

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[stellawish]

evil papa

summary: satoru being menace nothing new genre: fluff obviously dad!gojo x mom!reader and ur 6 month old son 👶

request

All the problems in your life begin with two words: Boredom and Satoru.

Haru watched Satoru with a cheeky smile. After adjusting the camera, Gojo began unpacking the box.

“Dad got you something,” he exclaimed excitedly.

One day, he saw a video of a child reacting to a talking cactus and decided he had to buy one for his son, but then he forgot about it. Yesterday, however, he got bored at work. While his students argued over something, he was scrolling through his phone and came across the video he had saved. Of course, he immediately ordered the toy online.

He set the cactus up, pressed the button, and placed it in front of the baby.

Your son reached out to touch the toy, exclaiming, “Eeek!”

Eeek!

The sweet smile faded from his chubby face as he shuddered and backed away.

Satoru chuckled at his son's reaction, and the cactus mimicked the sound. Suddenly, the room filled with crying. Haru, who had been trying to stay brave, edged even further away from the toy, his eyes fixed on it the entire time.

You and Satoru exchanged surprised glances.

Amused by his son’s reaction, Satoru couldn’t hold back a laugh. His voice, distorted by the toy, echoed through the room, making the frightened Haru turn toward you. Still crying, he quickly crawled in your direction.

Your evil husband continued to tease his son, grabbing the toy and walking toward you both.

You opened your arms and placed the baby on your lap. “Oh, my poor baby, are you scared?” you cooed softly. The cactus mimicked your words, and Haru shuddered in your arms.

Satoru was laughing silently, covering his face with one hand. “Oh my God, I can’t!” he exclaimed, choking on his laughter.

Meanwhile, Haru’s cries only grew louder.

You kept stroking your son's back, trying to soothe him, though you couldn’t help but crack a grin. “Satoru, that’s enough! You’re scaring him—turn it off!” you said firmly.

Wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, Gojo finally composed himself.

When he glanced at Haru, still crying, he noticed the little boy had buried his face in your neck. Quiet sobs and tiny hands clutching your shirt made Satoru’s smile fade.

“Okay, baby, Papa’s sorry. Look, I turned it off—see?” he said gently.

Haru pressed his chubby cheek against your shoulder, his hiccups breaking the silence. His damp white eyelashes fluttered a few times as he cautiously glanced at Gojo, then shifted his gaze to the green toy in his father’s big palms.

“See? It’s all right,” Satoru said softly, his tone soothing. He moved closer and held out his hands toward his son.

Haru hesitated for a moment before reaching out to his dad, his lips forming a small pout. Gojo gently wrapped his arms around him, brushing away the tears still streaming down his cheeks with a careful finger.

“Now Papa feels bad,” Satoru murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to Haru’s rosy cheek.

“I’m sorry for scaring you,” he added, planting more kisses on his son’s tear-streaked face.

You rested your head on Satoru's strong shoulder and whispered conspiratorially, “Your dad is such a fool, right? Let’s punish him and eat all his sweets?"

As if he understood what you were saying, your son cooed.

"Hey!" Satoru exclaimed.

You reached out and lightly touched Haru’s tiny nose.

“Boop,” you said softly. Haru’s lips curled into a small smile.

“Boop,” you repeated, smiling back.

extra

Haru stared warily at the three cactus toys in front of him. Even though he had mostly overcome his fear since their first encounter, and he almost didn’t cry. Almost. Clearly, this toy wasn’t his favorite.

He crawled closer to Satoru, his wary eyes never leaving the green toys.

Gojo, of course, thought he was incredibly funny and couldn’t resist ordering a couple more of the same toys. But hey, don’t rush to judge him. He just wanted his beloved son to overcome his fears. Or at least that’s the excuse he had been rehearsing in his head—since, after all, you didn’t know about the purchase yet.

He patted his son gently on the back and started, “Remember, my son, the best way to destroy your enemy is to make th–.”

“Satoru?! What the f—?”

taglist: @3lliesrifle @k-kkiana @issamomma @spicana @achbbys000 @happytreetale @mashtura

🌵more dad!gojo and Haru HERE

please be a sweetheart and leave a comment it means the world to me and keeps me motivated

this piece might look a little clumsy and weird i just didn’t write for a minute and i forgot how to do it and i forgot english too😞. but it was in my drafts and maybe some of yall missed my baby Haru so here we go. anyway i hope u liked it!!!

i missed yall and Haru missed u too. 👶😘

all rights reserved ©stellawish. do not copy, repost, translate, or modify my works in any platform.

[bloomseishiro]

CHOKI’S NEW FRIEND — NAGI SEISHIRO

⋆｡˚ ❀ summary: nagi hasn’t been able to spend time with choki due to all his away games, so he decides it needs a friend. he visits the local flower shop and meets a…strange florist.  ⋆｡˚ ❀ contents: fluff, pro football player!nagi x florist!reader ⋆｡˚ ❀ wc: 1.6k ⋆｡˚ ❀ a/n: i wrote this before seeing today’s leaks aha let’s cry and cope together 

Nagi Seishiro didn’t want to take care of others. He was hardly able to care for himself. If it weren’t for the team chef and nutritionist that came with being a professional player, there was no way he’d be able to eat well enough to sustain his current physique. 

Eating was a pain enough as it is, and cooking a completely balanced meal was almost out of the question. 

The moments Nagi was able to have a break from football and training were spent gaming and sleeping. He didn’t have much time for anything else. 

And yet, as he greeted his pet cactus this morning, he felt a strange desire to get it a friend. 

Getting Choki helped fulfill Nagi’s communication needs, but he’s been busy and away from his apartment for longer periods since being scouted. Maybe Choki needed another cactus to keep it company. He hoped a florist would have a recommendation for another low maintenance pet. 

He sighed in resignation. He knew what he had to spend his valuable day off doing.

Nagi shrugged on a hoodie and slipped on some joggers, flashing Choki a peace sign as he left his apartment to head to a nearby flower shop. 

The door chimed as he entered the small store, the flowery smell immediately hitting his nose. 

“Hi, welcome in!” 

Nagi looked around to find you sticking some roses into a large piece of foam. He had no clue what you were doing, but the foam seemed to be in the shape of a heart, and he assumed you would be filling the rest of the space with more flowers. 

You must have sensed him observing you, as you stuck one last stem into the craft and wiped your hands off on the front of your apron. Meeting his gaze, you shoot him a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I’m just finishing up this order, but please let me know if you need any help! It’s for a guy who wants to ask someone to be his girlfriend! Isn’t that cute?” 

Nagi nodded wordlessly, though inside he thought of how troublesome that sounded. That seemed like a lot of effort to put in just to confess to someone. Then again, it’s not like he had much practice in that department. 

“Are you looking for anything in particular?”

“Yes. Please give me a plant that isn’t a pain.”

Your head tilted to the side as you comprehended his request. “As in, something easy to take care of, you mean?”

“Yes.”

You hummed understandingly, gesturing for him to follow behind you to a section in the corner of the shop. “I have some options for you. Believe it or not, but I don’t have much of a green thumb myself. I’m quite well-versed in non-troublesome plants.”

“Aren’t you a florist?”

“I’m good at making floral arrangements and designs,” you said with a grin. “That’s why they hired me. I didn’t let them know I couldn’t grow plants.”

Nagi gave you a small glance as you brought some leafy green plants over to an empty countertop. “I’ll trust your judgment, then.”

You giggled, holding out what appeared to be a vine-like plant. “This is a pothos! Really easy house plant. It doesn’t need direct sunlight, and you only have to water it every one or two weeks.” 

“Does it do well with other plants?” 

The corner of your lip quirked up as you tried to hide a smile. “You have a plant friend already, then?”

He nodded.

“Well, yes, I’m sure this pothos would get along well with it!”

“It’s a cactus. Choki.” 

“Choki and…Tsuru maybe!” you suggested, pointing out the long vine coming from one of the leaves. 

Nagi considered it for one moment. “Maybe. What else is there?” 

“A tough customer, huh?” you teased, but placed Tsuru back onto it’s shelf nonetheless. You reached in the back for another pot, but yelped as your hand pricked something. “Ouch, shit—!” 

“Are you okay?” He walked over to your side and glanced down at your finger. There was a small bubble of red pooling at the tip. An inconvenience for sure, but thankfully nothing too serious. 

Nagi watched as your lower lip jutted out into a frown as you stared intently at your finger. “Yes, I’m used to this. It was just surprising, is all. I didn’t see the cactus back there!” 

He wasn’t one to carry around frivolous things. All he brought when he left the house was his phone, the clothes in his back, and a method of payment. Nothing else seemed necessary. But this was one of the few moments when he realized the merit of bringing around a handkerchief. 

“Here,” said Nagi. 

You glanced down at Nagi holding his arm out at you, brows furrowing. “What do I do with that?” 

“To wipe the blood.”

Giggling, you gently pushed his arm away with your clean hand, walking past him with a small bounce. “There’s a sink behind you, silly. But thank you…”

He realized you were prompting him for his name. 

“It’s Nagi.” 

“Thanks, Nagi,” you chirped, turning the sink on to sanitize your wound. “That was cute of you to offer.”

Cute…? 

Nagi felt a strange burning in his face and slapped his cheek to get rid of it. It didn’t work. 

Weird. 

After placing a small adhesive bandage on your finger, you walked back to the table of plants and pulled the one at the back out. “So this was the culprit. A tiny cactus.”

“Small, but sharp,” commented Nagi.

“A deadly combination,” you said seriously. “But anyway, this cactus is super easy to care for, too. As long as you watch out for its needles.” 

He looked at the round cactus. Its pot was small, but on top of the body were two little arms that looked like a peace sign. A small Choki.

“I like it. Choki Jr.” 

You nodded in agreement, laughing at the name. “Choki and Choki Jr.! They’ll definitely get along.”

“I think so,” Nagi said. “I’ll buy this one.” 

“Great! I’ll go ring it up for you.” You held Choki Jr. in the palms of your hands and headed over to the cash register. Nagi tapped his card to pay for his new pet and thanked you for your time. 

“Thanks for helping me pick a plant. And…sorry it hurt you.” 

You waved off his apology. “That was my fault for reaching in so carelessly.” 

He nodded once, hesitating as he looked to the door. Talking was usually troublesome, but he felt like there was something else he should say. Unfortunately for him, his main source of communication was with a cactus, so he didn’t know what it was he wanted to verbalize. 

Before the door shut behind him, he heard you call out, “Oh, wait!” 

Nagi looked back. “Yes?”

“Maybe if you need any tips on caring for Cookie Jr…or if you ever want another plant friend, you can give me a call?” You looked up at him with wide eyes before glancing around shyly. 

“But I don’t have your number,” he stated. Then he realized what you were asking. “Oh. Oh— Sure, I can…give you a call.” 

Nagi walked back over to the checkout counter and unlocked his phone. 

Suddenly feeling bashful, you shook your head rapidly. “No, no! You don’t have to. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make things awkward! Sorry.”

He held his phone out, the screen open to the ‘Add Contact’ page. “No, not at all. I wouldn’t mind giving you my number.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” Nagi wasn’t lying to be polite. He had no need for that. There really was something about you that he found tolerable. “Talking to you… It doesn’t bother me.”

You let out a surprised giggle, finally accepting the offer of his phone. As you typed in your phone number and contact name, you said, “I’ll take that as a compliment, I think.”

“It is,” he assured. 

“Well, Nagi. Call or text me when you’re around,” you said, handing his phone back to him. “Even if it’s not about plants.” 

Nagi looked down at the device in his palm. You had saved your contact name with a flower and cactus emoji at the end. That got him to crack the smallest of smiles. 

“I will.” 

You nodded and waved as he walked out the door. He hoped you believed that he would. He wasn’t a man of many words, so if he said them, they wouldn’t just be half-assed promises. 

When he made his way home, Nagi placed Choki Jr. next to Choki and took a picture. It seemed only reasonable that his first message to you would be about the plant you helped him pick. 

Nagi [12:45 p.m.] their first meeting

Y/N [12:47 p.m.] cute! tell them hi for me. 

Nagi [12:47 p.m.] i will 

He placed his phone down, looking between his two pets. “Y/N said hi.” 

Nagi then changed into indoor clothes and decided to spend the rest of his day off reading manga in bed. He only had a few more weeks before the football season started back up and he would have to travel away from home, but he knew before he had to pack up, he wanted to see you again. 

Huh. Weird. 

His feelings surprised even himself. But Nagi lived intuitively, both on the field and off. And if his gut told him he wanted to talk to you some more, he wasn’t one to ignore it. 

[unabashegirl]

Camping — oneshot

Harry and Y/N were friends in college until that day. Now they are being forced to face one another...

Author's note: this one shot was posted on Patreon a long time ago. Happy that you all have a chance to read it!

check out my patreon and get access to this week new one shot (y/n's bff dad) and much more :)

warning: smut

word count: 4.8K

masterlist

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"I can’t believe you’re making me do this," she said as April tossed her backpack into the back of her car. "This feels like kidnapping."

"Stop being so dramatic and get in the car," April replied, a big smile on her face. You and April had been best friends since college, bonding over the ridiculous workload assigned to your class each week. You were opposites: you loved city life, running water, and comfort, while April thrived on nature, adventure, and challenges. She adored plants and meticulously cared for the ones she had at home. In contrast, April had once gifted you a cactus, which you managed to kill.

"I got us muffins and coffee from that place you love," April said.

"Is this your way of bribing me into going?" you asked, reaching for the bag of treats. "I know this is Mark’s idea." April just shrugged as she started driving.

"Aren’t you tired of the city? This will be good for you! All you do is work, sleep, watch The Office, work out, and repeat," April said, giggling as you stopped chewing.

"Leave The Office out of this," you warned. It had been your favorite show since high school, your comfort show, always playing in your apartment. You even tried to get others hooked on it. "I’ve seen you laugh."

"Listen, there’s something I need to tell you," April said, turning down the music.

"Did Mark propose?" you asked immediately, knowing they were endgame. The three of you had met in college and stayed close ever since.

"No," April replied.

"You’re pregnant then?!"

"Shut up!" April interrupted. "Harry is coming. Mark invited him, and I had no say in it," she blurted out, like ripping off a band-aid.

"Oh! Let me out. I am not going," you said, instantly annoyed at the mention of his name. "I thought Mark and he weren’t friends anymore."

"He just came back from America. He called Mark a few weeks ago, and they had drinks and dinner together. Apparently, he’s changed and is more mature." You rolled your eyes as you finished eating your muffin. Your appetite was gone, and you felt suddenly nervous. "You have to let go of that grudge against him!"

"It’s not a grudge, April. The man ghosted me after we had sex. That was all he was after. Him leaving was the best thing that could have happened to all of us," you said. You had fallen for his charm, and after much convincing, you finally gave in during your senior year.

"You’ve moved on, and so has he. I’m just asking you to be polite, babe," April insisted. "I just want us to have a good time."

You sighed, leaning back in your seat as the cityscape blurred past. "Fine. But if he starts anything, I'm not holding back."

April laughed, patting your leg. "That's the spirit. Just remember, we're here to relax and have fun."

The rest of the drive was filled with casual chatter and music, the tension slowly easing. As you neared your destination, a clearing in the woods where you would set up camp, you couldn't help but appreciate the serene beauty of the place. The stress of city life began to melt away, replaced by a reluctant sense of peace.

April parked the car and you both got out, stretching your legs and taking in the fresh air. "It’s gorgeous out here," you admitted begrudgingly.

"See? Told you it would be worth it," April said, grinning.

Mark emerged from behind the car, waving. "Hey, you two! Glad you made it. I'm surprised you managed to convince Y/N,” he said, wrapping his arms around April.

“It took a lot,” April giggled as Mark kissed her cheek. “Muffins and coffee.”

“I can still go back,” you said, throwing your backpack over your shoulder. “How long is this hike going to take?” you asked, walking up to Mark and giving him a friendly side hug.

“About thirty minutes. Is that fine or are you going to melt?” he teased, grinning.

April slapped his chest playfully before opening the trunk to get the rest of the stuff out. “Where’s your friend, anyway? Or is he still the unpunctual asshole he always was?”

“M’ right here” Harry said as he emerged from the trail that they were going to take to the campsite. You abstained from saying anything surprised at his appearance. He had kept his good looks. He had even gotten more attractive with more age. However, you would never admit it aloud.

April turned to look at you with her eyes widen opened. You gave her the same look, letting her know that you agreed. Harry wore tiny black shorts that left little to imagination. His legs seemed to never end and his thighs were inked. His grey shirt was tight enough sculpt his chest and his pectorals. His curls were tucked under his basketball cap and his eyes hidden away by some aviator sunglasses.

“You were saying, Y/N? I didn’t catch the last part” Harry asked you, with a small smirk. “Are you still a yapping bitch?”

“Just that we should start the hike” You responded, looking straight at him. You weren’t the same quiet and shy girl you were in college. You had matured and life experiences had shaped you. You were more outgoing and vocal about your opinions.

“I thought so” you heard him say as you turned your back towards him.

As you all gathered the camping gear, the anticipation of the weekend settled in. The woods were peaceful, with the sun filtering through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Birds chirped in the distance, and the fresh scent of pine filled the air.

Mark led the way, carrying the heavier equipment with Harry, while April and you followed. Despite your reservations, the beauty of the surroundings began to work its magic, and you found yourself relaxing a bit.

After a short walk, you reached the designated camping spot, a small clearing by a bubbling brook. It was picturesque, almost like a scene from a nature magazine. You couldn’t help but admit, if only to yourself, that it was a nice change from the city’s hustle and bustle.

"That was more than thirty minutes," you complained, dropping to the ground to rest your legs. "You're lucky the view was pretty." Mark and April laughed, while Harry remained silent, just watching you.

"Let's set up camp," Mark said, and he and April began unloading the gear. You took the opportunity to pull out the speaker and connect your phone.

As you selected a playlist, music filled the air, blending with the natural sounds of the forest. You watched as Mark and April worked together seamlessly, their laughter and chatter a comforting background noise. Harry joined in, helping with the heavier items, his actions precise and deliberate. You couldn’t help but feel a simmering resentment toward him, remembering the night that had led up to the hate that you had grown towards him.

You glanced around, taking in the beauty of the campsite. Tall trees encircled the clearing, their leaves rustling in the soft breeze. The nearby brook added a soothing melody to the scene, and the late afternoon sun cast a warm, golden glow over everything.

Harry approached, handing you a bottle of water. "You looked like you could use this," he said, his tone neutral.

"Thanks," you replied curtly, accepting the bottle but avoiding eye contact. His gesture did little to ease the tension between you.

With the tents set up and the campsite organized, the four of you gathered around the fire pit. Mark expertly built a fire, and soon the flames were crackling as the sun descended behind the trees, providing warmth and a focal point for the group.

"How was America?" Mark asked Harry as he handed him a beer. "Did you enjoy living there?"

"It was nice for a while," Harry replied, taking a sip. "But it got lonely after a bit. I'm actually happy to be back."

"Marketing, right?" April asked, earning a quick nod from Harry.

You listened quietly, not fully trusting his cheerful demeanor. It was hard to forget the history between you.

"Well, we're glad to have you back," Mark said, clinking his beer bottle against Harry’s. "It’s like old times again."

April smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "Yeah, just with more responsibilities and less reckless behavior."

"Speak for yourself," Mark joked, earning a playful nudge from April.

Harry chuckled, but his eyes kept drifting toward you. You avoided his gaze, focusing on the fire instead.

Mark instantly got up from his spot, his eyes twinkled mischievously as he took off his jacket and shirt.

April raised an eyebrow, “What are you doing?!”

“I’m going for a swim” he said, grinning widely as he took of his pants along with his boxers.

You burst out laughing, shaking your head as you covered your eyes not wanting to look at your best friend’s boyfriend privates.

“A swim? It’s pretty late, Mark.” April said as Mark used his hands to cover himself.

“Why not?” Mark said, standing up and stretching. “We’re out here in the middle of nowhere, no one around for miles. It’ll be fun.” He wanted to cut the tension. He wanted for everyone to have fun and it was a way to get everyone out of the funk especially the both of you. “Oh, it’s fucking cold” He said as he ran towards the lake.

April rolled her eyes but smiled. “You’re crazy, you know that?” she yelled after him as she got up from her spot.

“That’s why you love me,” Mark quipped, winking at her.

You bit your lip, considering it. The idea was wild and spontaneous, something you wouldn’t normally do. But maybe that’s what made it appealing.

“Alright,” you said, surprising yourself. “I’m in. But if anyone mentions this to anyone back home, I’m denying everything.” as you started stripping. You couldn’t see Harry, but you could feel Harry’s stare on you.

April laughed. “This should be interesting. Okay, I’m in too.”

Mark clapped his hands together. “Harry?” He yelled as he splashed water. The water was surprisingly warmer than expected.

As soon as your pants came off, you sprinted towards the water, not wanting to give anyone a chance to inspect your body. April followed right behind you, and before you knew it, both of you were submerged in the cool, refreshing water.

The initial shock of the cold water took your breath away, but it quickly turned invigorating. You surfaced, laughing and pushing your wet hair out of your face. April emerged beside you, her laughter echoing across the lake.

"This is crazy!" she shouted, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Harry was right behind, diving into the water with loud splashes. The four of you swam around, the thrill of the spontaneous adventure making everyone giddy.

"Not your worst idea, Mark," you admitted, floating on your back and gazing up at the starry sky. "This is lovely." Mark grinned, splashing water at you.

“Things haven’t changed at much. We still let you convince us into doing shit” said, his tone lighter than it had been all evening.

For a while, you all floated and swam, the cool water refreshing and the company surprisingly pleasant. The tension and animosity seemed to wash away with the gentle waves.

The atmosphere grew quieter as April nestled closer to Mark, the two of them wrapped up in each other's presence, sharing quiet moments and exchanging soft words. The only sounds breaking the silence were the faint music playing in the background and the gentle crackling of the fire.

You glanced over at April and Mark, their closeness evident in the way they leaned into each other, their whispered conversations carrying an intimacy that made you smile despite yourself. It was a rare sight, seeing them so openly affectionate, and you couldn't help but feel a pang of envy mixed with genuine happiness for them.

Harry saw opposite you, lost in his thoughts as he stared at the sky. The events of the evening seemed to have softened his demeanor, his usual guarded expression replaced by a contemplative look. For once, the animosity between you felt less palpable, overshadowed by the camaraderie of the evening.

The music played softly in the background, a soothing backdrop to the quiet moments shared among friends. The night air was cool against your skin, but the warmth of the water and the company kept you comfortable.

"It's good to see you again, pup," Harry spoke up suddenly, his voice breaking the peaceful silence. The old nickname tugged at your emotions. He had called you that since college, back when you both shared dreams and aspirations.

You looked at him, caught off guard by his unexpected warmth. "Yeah," you replied softly.

"I heard you landed your dream job," he continued, glancing at you with a hint of a smile. You nodded, trying to conceal your own smile. "A reporter for BBC News. I remember how you used to talk about it non-stop. Proud of you."

“Thanks. How is your mom and Gemma?" you asked, recalling that final year of uni when Harry had invited you to his family home. It had been Easter weekend, a time when you got to meet the two women who made Harry’s world turn.

Harry's face softened at the mention of his family. "They're doing well," he replied, a hint of fondness in his voice. "Mom's as busy as ever, and Gemma is a mum now”

"Wait, what?!" You were taken aback, genuinely surprised by the news. It was unexpected, and you hadn't seen it coming.

Harry chuckled softly at your surprised reaction, his eyes reflecting a mix of amusement and pride. "Yeah, she had a baby girl a few months ago," he explained, his voice tinged with happiness. "It's been quite the adjustment, but she's doing great."

You couldn't help but smile at the thought of Gemma as a mother. "That's amazing," you replied genuinely. "Congratulations to her."

As you processed this new information, you felt a twinge of nostalgia for the times you had spent with Harry and his family. It seemed like another lifetime ago, yet the memories were still vivid in your mind. Despite the distance that had grown between you, moments like these reminded you of the bonds that once connected you.

"Listen, Y/N..." Harry began, but he was swiftly cut off by Mark and April.

"We're heading out. We are starving!" Mark called out, trailing after April as they exited.

Harry paused, his words hanging in the air as Mark and April hurriedly headed towards the campsite. You exchanged a glance with Harry, both of you momentarily sidelined by the interruption.

“I’ll see you out there” You said, trying to sound casual despite the awkwardness of the moment. Deep down, you wondered what Harry had wanted to say—whether it was something about the past or the tentative future you both seemed to be tiptoeing around. However, you didn’t want to stay behind. You weren’t skeptical about giving him a chance to explain himself.

Carefully, you swam back to shore and climbed out of the water. Attempting to regain your composure and stride confidently back to camp, you couldn't help but feel you'd failed miserably, especially with the chilly air gnawing at you.

Everyone changed into comfortable clothes while Mark prepared hot dogs for dinner.

"Did you bring your sleeping bag?" April asked, emerging from her tent.

"Yeah, I think so. It was in the hall by the door," you replied, brushing your hair. As you watched April search for it, a feeling of panic began to creep in. You mentally retraced your steps, recalling the things you had taken out of the trunk.

"No way," you muttered under your breath, frantically rummaging through your belongings. "I thought we grabbed everything!"

"What’s wrong? What are you looking for?" Harry asked, wanting to help.

"I think I left my sleeping bag at home," you sighed, realizing it was going to be a tough night. You had brought your tent, but sleeping on the bare ground wasn’t part of the plan.

Harry frowned, considering the situation. "we'll figure something out," he said, his voice reassuring.

Mark, overhearing the conversation, turned from the campfire where he was tending to the hot dogs. "I brought an extra blanket. It's not a sleeping bag, but it should help.”

"Thanks, Mark," you said, grateful for the gesture. Still, the thought of an uncomfortable night's sleep loomed over you.

April emerged triumphantly with a blanket. "Here, hopefully this makes it more comfortable," she said.

You took the blanket from her, managing a small smile. This trip was definitely not going as you had expected—it seemed like one thing after another.

"Hot dogs are ready!" Mark announced cheerfully as he handed everyone their plate and they gathered around the fire.

“Remember the last time we went camping?” April asked as she swallowed a bite of her hot dog.

“Wasn’t that the time that Mark though there was a bear attacking us?” Harry smirked, taking a bite of his hot dog. “What animal was it?”

“It was a racoon” You joined in, the memory making you chuckle.

“In my defense it was SO loud! It made a lot of noise” Mark laughed, shaking his head. “It was bloody big”.

"Was that before or after you tried to scare it away by singing 'Eye of the Tiger' at the top of your lungs?” April busted out laughing.

“He was so off-key. I am surprised the racoon put up a fight”

“I was just trying to protect us!” Mark threw up his hands in mock indignation.

Everyone busted into laughter again, the tension had melted away in the shared amusement. For a moment, it felt like old times, with jokes and stories like in college.

Later, as you settled into your tent with the borrowed blanket, you couldn’t help but think about all the conversations that you had with your friends. Harry's earlier attempt to talk still lingered in your mind, and you knew that the conversation was far from over.

Just as you were about to drift off, you heard a soft knock on the tent flap. "Hey, you still awake?" It was Harry’s voice.

You sat up, your heart beating a little faster. "Yeah, what’s going on?"

Harry unzipped the tent entrance and peeked in, holding a sleeping bag. "I thought you might need this."

"You brought an extra one?" you asked, suspicion creeping into your voice.

"Yeah," he replied, but his eyes betrayed him. You knew Harry too well to be fooled.

"You're lying," you said, stopping him just as he turned to leave. "You can’t fool me. I know you, Harry Styles. I know this is your sleeping bag."

He paused, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips. "So, what if it is?"

"That I’m not taking your sleeping bag from you," you insisted, handing it back to him. "Thank you, though."

He hesitated, the flickering firelight casting shadows across his face. "Let's share it then," he suggested softly.

You blinked, taken aback by his offer. You were nervous. The though of you sharing such a tight space and being in such proximity made your heart beat faster and the palms of your hands sweaty.

“Are you sure?” You asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

“Yeah,” he said firmly, stepping into the tent. “It’s cold, and I don’t want you to be uncomfortable”.

With a nod, you scooted over to make room. Harry stretched out the sleeping back and unzipped it for both of you. As you both settled into the sleeping bag, the proximity was comforting, but unsettling at the same time. The warmth of his body next to yours was a stark contrast to the chilly night air. You both shared a pillow and the blanket that April had giving you.

His scent enveloped you — a mix of pine, musk and a hint of the campfire smoke. His warmth radiated through the thin layers of the fabric, soothing the chill of the night air. The gently rise and fall of his chest against your back created a rhythmic presence. His arm draped lightly over your side and the sensation of his body pressed against yours brought an unexpected sense of nostalgia.

“Are you confortable?” He whispered as if sharing. secret, as if what you were doing was somehow forbidden.

You nodded slight, feeling the wright of his questions. “I am” you whispered back, the darkness amplifying the intimacy of the moment.

The silence that followed was filled with the soft sounds of the forest and the distant crackle of the campfire outside.

“Thank you” you murmured, your voice barely audible.

“No problem” he replied softly, his words brushing against the back of your neck, sending a shiver down your spine.

You closed your eyes, allowing yourself to sink into the moment. There was still something in the air. Something unspoken.

“Remember that night?” Harry whispered after a while, his voice a gently murmur in the quiet night. Referring to the night of passion that they had shared back in uni. The night that had stayed with you ever since.

“Every second of it” you replied, your voice tinged with a mixture of longing and hurt. Memories flooding back, vivid and bittersweet. You could still recall the feel of his lips, the way his touch had ignited a fire within you. “Why did you never call or text back?”

Harry sighed softly, his warm breath against your neck. “I was a coward,” he admitted, his voice thick with regret. “I was scared of what I felt for you, of how much you meant to me. I didn’t know how to handle it, so I ran”

His words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken emotions. You turn slightly to look at him, your eyes searching his for the truth. In the dim light of the tent, you could see raw vulnerability that he rarely showed.

“I thought I wasn’t good enough for you” You admitted, “I resented you for it” Tears welled up in your eyes, a mixture of relief and sorrow.

“I am wrong. I was so wrong. I missed you” he confessed. Harry reached out, gently brushing a tear from your cheek.

The air between you grew thick with unspoken words and lingering emotions. His eyes locked onto yours, his gaze intense and unwavering. You could feel yourself drawing closer, every inch of space between you crackling with tension. The warmth of his body, the gently rise and fall of his chest and the soft brush of his breath against your skin all conspired to lure you to him.

He hesitated, his eyes flicking down to your lips, and you felt like your breath hitch, the moment stretching into an eternity. The desire to close the gap, to feel the familiar yet thrilling sensation of his kiss, was overwhelming and every fiber of you yearned for that kiss that would final bridge all those years of resentment.

Harry’s gaze was intense, his eyes searching yours as if trying to decipher your every thought. His hand trembled slightly as he reached out, cupping your cheek with a tenderness that spoke volumes.

With a deep breath, Harry leaned in slowly, closing the miniscule gap between you. His lips brushed against yours with a feather light touch, tentative yet filled with longing. His lips were warm and soft, fitting against yours as if they had always belonged there.

A soft sigh escaped Harry’s lips, a mixture of relief. His hand moved from your cheek to the nape of your neck, pulling you closer. The kiss deepened, each movement a silent confession of years of yearning and regret.

Lost in the moment, you ran your fingers through his hair, savoring the texture and the closeness it brough. His touch sent sparks through your body, awakening every nerve ending with a delicious ache between your legs that only he could take care of.

“Let me have you” His breath mingling with yours as he whispered, “I want you so bad” His hand took yours, guiding it to him, making you feel the intensity of his longing and the very evident erection that he had grown for her. His words hung in the air, heavy with desire.

You nodded slowly, your breath hitching in your throat. "Yes," you whispered, your voice trembling with anticipation. "I want you too.” You didn’t think much about it. Your mind was too clouded.

Harry closed the distance between you, his lips capturing yours in a kiss both tender and urgent. He used the kiss to roll you to your side with your back towards him. Harry pulled off the sweater off your body and pull the straps of your bralette off your shoulders, exposing more skin for his lips to capture.

Harry hands came down to your pants as his lips trailed down to your neck, each kiss a lingering, deliberate caress that sent shivers down your spine. As his mouth found the sensitive spot just below your ear, he paused, letting his lips brush lightly over your pulse point before his right hand found its way into your underwear.

“Try to stay quiet, yeah?” As his fingers started playing with you, touching your most intimate spots. His knee came between your legs, spreading them more and allowing him to explore more of you.

Harry left arm went under her head, for you to rest your head against his bicep while he had his way with you. You bit your lips, arching your hips towards his hand just as his fingers entered you. A rush of pleasure coursed through you, mingling with a cascade of nerves that made your heart race.

“God. You are so wet, pup” He groaned as he tried his best to contain himself. Harry left hand came down to cover your mouth as your moans got louder. “You are doing so good, baby”, he mumbled, his arms tightening around you.

“For the love of fuck” you gasped as you came undone on his fingers. It was hot, you were both still nuzzled in the sleeping bag. Just as you unzipped the sleeping bag and sat up, you caught Harry sucking the same two fingers that had been in you a second ago.

“Come here” Harry commanded as he slipped off his joggers and boxers. It was a sight that she hoped to never forget. The muscles of his abdomen flexed proof that he spent his diligent time at the gym. His erection stood tall and proudly inviting you to ride him.

You slipped off your pants and underwear. Harry hands gripped your waist tightly and guided you down on to him. The pleasure was instant as he stretched you out. Harry’s fingers gripped you tightly, holding you still for a second as you both adjusted to the sensation.

His chest rose and fell with rapid breaths as his head was thrown back.

“Show me how much you missed me” You said to him which only ignited the fire within him. His hands guided your hips, as you both tried to find the perfect rhythm to drive you off the edge.

“Look at you. So fuckin’ perfect just f’me” Your words only ignited the fire within him, a spark that quickly grew into an all-consuming blaze.

His hands firmly guided your hips, every movement deliberate and driven by an intense desire to bring you both to the peak of ecstasy. The sensation of his strong hands on your skin, the way he moved with you, sent waves of pleasure rippling through your body. You both sought the perfect rhythm, each thrust and shift in sync, the friction and pressure building with every passing second.

“Oh, baby… you are so tight” he moaned, Harry’s grip tightened on your waist, his fingernails digging into your skin. Your thrust and grinding became sloppier and soon enough both of you were moaning. You clenched around him as Harry lifted his hips from the ground as you both came undone.

You laid down on his chest with him still in you. It was comforting, having him in you. Harry’s hands came up and brushed your sweaty hair back.

“You aren’t going to disappear now, are you?” You asked as he drew patterns on your sweaty back.

“I am not going anywhere”.

[pelova4president]

Shadows are to protect III

Alessia Russo x Putellas!Reader

Victoria Pelova x Putellas!Reader

shadows are to protect I, II, IV

summary~ Victoria has been nothing but good to you but somehow you find a way to ruin everything

You picked the dead plants up and carried them into your kitchen that was still covered in white flour. Surely you could bring them back to life right. They just needed a little more loving and they’d come back. A little water and some sunlight.

You were puzzled by Alessia’s reaction. She didn’t want you, she made that very clear. But why was she so upset about it. Okay yeah, you made sure to show her that you were over her, that you moved on. But she had a boyfriend, she shouldn't even care.

You took a good look at the plants, they were doomed. In some way they were just like humans. They needed to be taken care of, they need love, light and water. They can't survive on their own, at least not long. Some can, like a cactus. But even they can't remain alive like that forever.

You've been doing most things by yourself, until Alessia. She was your water and sun until she wasn't. And you had held yourself up after but you couldn't keep doing that forever so you'd gone to your sister and then Vicky came along. And Victoria didn't just give you water and sun, she took care of you. And maybe that was the difference between the two of your teammates. One cared for you and the other pretended to.

Victoria was there for you when you needed her and she actually liked being around you. Alessia loved the idea of you, she was there whenever she wanted you. Not when you wanted her. It was a hard pill to swallow but it was the truth. You've been romanticizing this idea of Alessia Russo, the goalscorer, the golden girl, the fucking winner.

And the fucking worst of it all was that you still cared for her.

You fell into a new routine in the upcoming weeks. Victoria insisted on driving you to training even though she was clumsy in her car, maybe even more than Alessia. She'd buy you coffee on the way to training and you'd kiss her thank you every time. It was nice, she was nice.

Victoria took you out on dates after games and you'd have little picnic dates after training. You'd make the food and she covered the drinks. The two of you would spent hours playing with puppy’s and talking. You loved the park.

Training was less enjoyable. You got dirty looks from a certain striker and especially when you were with Victoria. Alessia took it upon herself to make trainings a living hell for you. She tackled you harder than was necessary and was throwing you at the ground every chance she got. You were absolutely fucking done with it and so were your teammates.

“God, Alessia what has gotten into you!” Leah scolded the blonde when she made yet another unnecessary hard tackle. “Nothing, just a bad day.” she grumbled. But Leah knew it wasn’t a bad day, she’s been doing this to you for a long time now. “Whatever, keep that out of training okay. No need to injure our own players.” Leah told her. You rolled your eyes at her, why did she have to act like this.

It wasn’t until days later that you spoke Alessia again. She hadn’t reached out since that kiss with Vic. You didn’t try to text her, if she wanted to say something she should be the one reaching out to you.

Vic drove you to Viv and Beth’s house. They planned some kind of victory dinner before the national camps. You were actively trying to get more along with the team since Victoria was close with most of the girls and you knew she’d love it for you if you got closer with them. Viv was like family for her so you tried your best to put your awkward self away to attend a team dinner.

Everything was going fine, Beth welcomed you in and Rona and Myle were happy to see you too. The dinner was amazing, since Viv cooked it for you. It’s been a while since you had a home made meal so it was nice. There were people all over their house talking and eating, it was kind of like team hang outs you had in Barcelona.

Looking around, in search of a Dutch girl’s eyes your eyes caught those of an English player. Her blues were drilling into you. It was hard to ignore the feeling of someones eyes on you, so you didn’t. You stared right back at her and the only reaction you got was a huff and some eye rolling. Jesus, what did she want.

You got up, ready to pour yourself another drink. “Vicky, you want another drink?” you asked the brunette. She was in a conversation with Teyah so she shook her head no. You walked towards their kitchen. The chaotic noise of conversations was still somewhat on the background but the quieter space was still nice.

Filling your wine glass with some water, something Caitlin would take the mick out of later, you leaned into the wall.

You were somewhat in peace until someone bumped into you. Your eyes shot open, “What the fuck?” you groaned. Blue eyes stared back at you, totally unimpressed. “What? Can’t take a little push, just like in training. Grow up man.” Alessia rolled her eyes.

Now you were getting mad. She’s been the one telling you to fuck off, how you were clingy and that she didn’t want you. “What is your fucking problem. I’ve done nothing to you, i stopped bothering you right? Just like how you wanted.” you placed your glass on the counter.

Alessia took a step towards you. “Yeah so you got with my best friend to get back at me. You’re so fucking selfish.” she huffed out.

“Joder, I didn’t do anything to you! I’ve let you do your thing with your boyfriend. I didn’t say anything to anyone about us, just how you’d like that right. I was just your dirty little secret no one should know about.” you walked out. But she captured your wrist before you could take another step.

“I broke up with him weeks ago and when i wanted tell you i saw you.. with Victoria. I wanted to say sorry but then you seemed like you didn’t want it anymore.” she whispered carefully.

It was hard to believe she wanted you, especially after what she had said to you. “Don’t say that, you don’t want to be with me. You made that very clear.” you turned around. Alessia’s brows were knitted together and her eyes were getting glossy. But she did that every time. And every time she got what she wanted, you in her bed by the end of the night. And after, she told you those lies all over again. How she didn’t want you, how nobody could ever want you and the next Saturday she’d look at you with those eyes and you’d fall for it all over again. It wasn’t healthy.

“Alessia, don’t.” you looked at her. But she didn’t take that for an answer and took your head in her hands like she’d done on some many other evenings. But those evenings were in one of your houses, where nobody could see. Her lips touched yours and you didn’t pull away, not fast enough.

You heard someone clear their throat and that pulled you out of your trance. You opened you eyes and saw Vic standing there with an empty glass in hand. “I- i uh i was just getting something to drink but..” her voice trembled.

“Vicky. Vic, i’m sorry but it’s not what you think it is.” you got out of Alessia’s grasp but Victoria was faster. She picked her keys up from the dinner table and walked out of the door.

Alessia watched the scene play out in front of her and placed her hand on your shoulder. You pushed her hand off of you. “Fucking look what you did Alessia! I don’t want you okay, you’re confusing me and i don’t need that. I just want someone that loves me as much as i love them and you clearly don’t” you breathed out. The tears had found an escape in the corners of your eyes and they traveled down your cheeks. You wiped them away angrily and walked out of the door.

Why couldn’t Alessia just leave you alone. You were finally getting along with everyone, you found your person, football was going good but she just couldn’t let you be. You’ve hurt Victoria, the only person that cared about you enough to be there for you.

You took your phone out of your back pocket and called her. No answer.

“Vicky, lo lamento. I didn’t want that. I only want you and our picnic dates, your weird movie choices and your clumsiness. I’m so so sorry. I will explain everything if you give me the chance. Ik hou van jou.” you spoke.

You knew she never listened to her voicemail but it was worth a shot. Maybe she’d listen to it. You had to leave for camp tomorrow and somehow that felt worse than your situation here. You had to pretend everything was fine and you were thriving at Arsenal like always. And you had to leave Victoria, that just wasn’t fair. You don’t get the chance to make it right.

And even though you don’t have a choice in leaving, you want to stay, or even better, disappear.

A/N i don’t know what i’m writing anymore. It seems like the story is only getting more angsty and there has to be another part. Should r just disappear and move or something?

[ddoralaexplorer]

Chapter one- The Cactus and the Truck

Love is just an idea; it’s not real. Love is a myth— a pretty lie people tell themselves to feel less alone. It never made sense to me that people can meet and stay by each other’s sides. It just can’t be, not for me at least. Going from loving someone deeply to forgetting about them the next day. There’s nothing in this forsaken world that can make me change my mind; nothing can make me think that love is real. And yet, everyone’s obsessed with it. Like being adored is the key to survival. I don’t get it. I don’t need anyone. I like being alone.

Most days, at least.

There are moments— quiet ones— loneliness creeps in. But I’d rather sit with it than chase something fake. I have my books. I have my dad. That’s enough.

Renee, my mother left my dad when my sister Bella was an infant. She didn't even know she was pregnant with me yet.

For years, Bella and I spent holidays and school breaks visiting our dad in Washington. Unlike her, I grew to love it here. The gray skies, the rain, the quiet. Phoenix was nothing but dry heat and blinding sun— miserable. When I was five, I threw the tantrum of my life. I begged, screamed, and refused to leave until Renee finally gave in. She let me stay with Charlie, thinking I’d regret it. That I’d eventually come crawling back.

I never did.

Sure, I didn't get to grow up with Bella. And yeah, sometimes I wonder what it would’ve been like if we had stayed together. But I don’t regret my choice.

Everything was perfect, my life was perfect. Simple. Me and my dad. Just us.

I never minded being alone. It wasn’t loneliness— it was peace. My dad understood that. He wasn’t the overbearing, emotional type, and I liked that about him. We had our routine, our little traditions. Sunday fundays, as I called them. Just the two of us on the couch, watching old movies, eating take out. I never wanted anything more.

The soft, fading light cast a glow on my bedroom walls, mixing with the crisp scent of rain drifting in from my cracked window. Perfect evening. A good book, cool Forks air, and music humming softly from my laptop— what more can I ask for? I curled up on my window seat, flipping through Crime and Punishment, when a knock interrupted the peace.

“Hey uh, Ves?”

Charlie. His voice was careful, almost hesitant. Weird. My dad wasn’t the type to sound serious unless something was really wrong.

I frown. “Yeah?”

The door creaked open, revealing him standing there, looking— thinking. He had that expression he got when he was trying to find the right words, which instantly made me uneasy.

“Bella is coming to live with us”

It came out fast, like he was ripping off a bandage. I just stared. What? No way. NO WAY. Bella swan— my sister, technically— was moving to Forks? After years of barley tolerating this place? This is my home. My dad. Why now? It’s not fair.

“Is that a question?” I blinked at him, hoping he’d crack a grin, say he was joking.

Nothing.

“You’re serious?”

Charlie sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Shell be here tomorrow morning”

“Tomorrow? Dad— why are you just telling me this now?” I snapped my book shut, finally facing him. He exhaled through his nose, lips pressing into a thin line before he stepped closer, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“Hey, kid” His voice softened. “She’s your sister. I just don’t want you to be alone anymore”

I scoff, shrugging off his hand. “I’m not alone. I have you”

Charlie sighed again, this time heavier. “I know, Ves. But—” He hesitated, looking at me in that way he did when he was trying to make sense.”You’re sixteen almost seventeen. You keep to yourself. You don’t hang out with many people outside of school. That’s not—” He scratches his jaw. “That’s not normal, kid.”

“What, so now I’m a problem?”

Charlie shook his head. “That’s not what I said.”

“I’m fine, Dad. I don’t need fixing.”

“I’m not trying to fix you, Ves. I just think it might be good for you to have your sister around.”

I let out a dry laugh. “Oh yeah, because we’re so close.”

Charlie gave me a look. “She’s family.”

“She’s a stranger.” The words slipped out before I could stop them.

Charlies face Softened, and that made it worse. I didn't need his pity. He squeezed my shoulder again.

“Just give it a chance”

I rolled my eyes, leaning into him despite myself.“She better not bring me a cactus”

Charlie chuckled, ruffling my hair. “No promises.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She actually brought a freaking cactus.

When my dad pulled up with Bella on Sunday, there it was— small, spiky, and cradled in her hands like it was a piece of home she couldn’t let go of. Seriously? She’s going to miss Phoenix that much?

Bella looked different from the last time I saw her— which in my mind, might as well have been fifty years ago (okay, seven, but close enough). Her hair was longer, reaching past her chest, and she’d grown taller. She was pale, beautiful, just like Renee. Me? I looked more like Charlie.

“Vesper, hey”

We stood there, caught in an awkward stare off, until i forced a small, thin smile. She hesitated, then held out the cactus toward me. I took it, feeling the coolness of her fingers brush against mine.

“…Thanks.”

It wasn’t a bad gift, but what was I supposed to do with a cactus?

Seeing her now was strange. It shouldn’t have been— she was my sister after all— but I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was intruding. Taking up space in the peace I’d built.

Charlie carried her bags inside as Bella took slow steps into the house, her face flickering with something like nostalgia. She glanced around, taking in the place like she was trying to reconcile old memories with the present.

“Ves and I cleared some shelves off in the bathroom” Dad told her as he hefted another bag over his shoulder.

Bella barely seemed to register what he said, already making a beeline for her old room. Of course.

Great. One bathroom for three people.

I let out a quiet sigh and turned toward the kitchen, not bothering to stick around in the awkward atmosphere brewing between Bella and Dad.

I wasn’t in the mood for awkward sibling bonding.

Outside, voices carried through the damp Forks air, followed by the honk of a car horn. I stepped onto the porch and spotted Billy Black and his son, Jacob, standing with my dad by an old, rusted truck.

“Jake! Billy!” I called out, breaking into a run.

Jacob barely had time to react before I tackled him into a hug, nearly knocking him off balance.

“Woah, Ves!” He laughed, gripping my arms to steady himself.

Jacob was my person. We’d been inseparable since we were kids. If he went, I went. If he jumped, I jumped— whether it was into a lake or into trouble.

I pulled away and turned towards the house, catching Bella peering out from her bedroom window. Was she planning on coming down or just staring at us like some ghost in a horror movie?

Shaking my head, I turned back to the truck, running my fingers along its sides. it could definitely use a new paint job.

“Dad, this is a nice truck” I said, more as an observation than a compliment.”

Jacob followed my gaze but quickly turned toward the door as Bella finally emerged, her hands stuffed into her jacket pockets. She hesitated for a second before walking up, and Jacob— who was rarely ever shy— shifted from one foot to the other.

“Hey, Im Jacob” he said, smiling. “We used to make mud pies when we were little”Mud pies?

I stared at him. Of all the things to mention, that’s what he went with?

Bella blinked. “Right. No, I remember.”

I stifled a groan, feeling secondhand embarrassment settle in. Was this always going to be this awkward?

Charlie, ever the peacemaker, cut in. “So, what do you think?”

Bella glanced between him and the truck. “Of what?”

“Your homecoming present”

I snapped my head toward Charlie, then at Bella, then back at the truck. No way.

Jacob elbowed me before I could say anything, but I couldn’t believe it. Bella had been here for five minutes, and she already had a car?

I tried to smile, tried to act I wasn’t completely annoyed, but seriously? How was that fair?

I folded my arms and rocked back on my heels, forcing my voice to stay light.

“wow, Bella. Not even here a full day, and you’re already getting gifts. Guess forks isn’t so bad after all, huh?”

Bella turned to me, her brows knitting slightly, like she was trying to figure out if I was joking or not.

Jacob coughed into his hand, failing to hide a smirk. “Yeah, Ves, when’s your new car getting here?”

Charlie shot him a look. “Don’t start.”

I huffed a laugh, shaking my head. “Too late, already started.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Come on, Jake! She just got here, and I’m already being pushed aside.” I groaned dramatically, flopping face-first into my bed.

Jacob chuckled, shutting my bedroom door behind him. “That’s not fair, Ves. Maybe he’s just trying to make up for lost time with her.”

I groaned louder, muffling it into my pillow. “Lost time? Please.” I lifted my head just enough to glare at him. “There’s no way you’re actually defending her right now.”

Jacob raised his hands in surrender. “Hey, I’m just saying, you’ve had Charlie all to yourself for years.”

I scoffed. “Exactly! I put in the work. I earned it.”

Jacob snorted. “Didn’t realize dads were something you had to earn.”

Ignored him, rolling onto my back and staring at the ceiling. It wasn’t that I wanted Bella gone, exactly. But for almost seventeen years, it had just been me and Charlie. Our routine. Our home. And now, Bella swoops in, and suddenly, everything is about her? Yeah. No thanks.

Jacob, of course didn't get it. Not when he’d spent his whole life hopelessly crushing her. Even as kids, it was always Bella this, Bella that. If anyone should be annoyed by her sudden reappearance, it should be him. But no— here he was, defending her like some kind of Bella Swan lawyer.

“Wanna come to La push with Embry and Quil?” Jacob asked, changing the subject completely.

I lift my head so fast it nearly gave me whiplash. “Yes”

He laughed. “You didn't even let me finish.”

I sat up, already grabbing my hoodie off the chair. “Doesn’t matter. Anything to get me out of here while she settles in.”

Jacob just shook his head, amused, as I shoved my arms into my sleeves.

“You’re so dramatic.”

“And you’re just realizing this now?”

He rolled his eyes and pulled open the door. “Come on, lets go before you start writing tragic poetry about being replaced.”

I huffed a laugh, shoving him towards the stairs. I had no idea how much things were about to change. If I had known, maybe I would have fought harder to keep things the way they were. Maybe I would have appreciated that last peaceful day a little more.

Because after this, nothing would ever be the same.

[mysteryshoptls]

SR Jack Howl - Apprentice Chef Voice Lines

Summon Line: I'll make it so that I can make any kind of dish perfectly. It's never a bad thing to get better at cooking.

Groooovy!!: Woah, that one actually came out pretty good. I gotta do it again before I forget how I did it.

Home: I'm getting pumped!

Home Idle 1: These macarons... They're just tiny little pastries, but they take a lot of hard work. I guess I shouldn't just finish them off in one bite without a care anymore.

Home Idle 2: Apparently, there's a new kind of confection at the Mystery Shop. I heard about it from Ace. He's always up to speed when it comes to this sort of thing, huh.

Home Idle 3: I get a little nervous whenever Ruggie-senpai asks me about my cactus. Maybe it's because I learned that some places eat them...

Home Idle - Login: I mean, I've only ever helped out back home, so I don't have much experience, but I'm sure I'll get better if I just do my best. Putting in the effort has never failed me yet!

Home Idle - Groovy: Oh, doesn't it look like it's baked pretty well this time? [sniff, sniff] You smell that? I bet it's delicious!

Home Tap 1: The best time to replenish any lost carbohydrates from exercise is right after your training finishes. Eating a sweet compote will really help that exhaustion melt away.

Home Tap 2: The cafeteria's soup has way too much onions in it... I somehow gulped it all down, but the smell really messed with my nose.

Home Tap 3: Stick it in the oven and wait 5 minutes... I hate wasting time doing nothing. Guess I'll put away the cooking supplies.

Home Tap 4: I bet making the meringue can be a great way to train. I'll just use a whisk and... Hraaaaaah!

Home Tap 5: Urgh, too much batter came out. I keep messing up the amount of force I need to use. This piping bag is hard to use.

Home Tap - Groovy: Was it good? There's still some left over, so eat as much as you like! D-Don't read anything into it, or anything. I just made too much, so it's just what's leftover.

Requested by @sakurakudo.

[thedivineflowers]

Pt2. Of after the overblot. 😈😈😈😈 MWUAHAHAHBHABAHAGAHHAAGHAAHAHABSUSJSNJDHRGDJJX

You woke up in the infirmary as usual. But you oddly felt calm, too calm. You felt a warmth forming at your stomach and you looked to see Malleus standing beside you with his hands above your tummy. "You're awake, child. How are you feeling?" He asked as he gently lifted your body up and had you sit up straight on the infirmary bed. "I feel fine. And my stomach feels weird." You said as he chuckled. "That's just the spell that I placed. Don't worry. You're supposed to feel that way." He said as he helped you out of the bed. "How did I get here?" You asked him "You collapsed in Crowleys office. You're body was feeling exhaustion even though you've slept for two weeks. If you had slept longer and not force yourself to wake up you probably wouldn't have fallen." He said as he helped you put on your slippers. "What time is it? Where are the others?" You asked him as he guided you to the door. "They're waiting for you. Would you like to see them?" He asked as he guided you out of the infirmary. "yeah..."

Heartslaybul:

Dawg everything is happening at once. One is crying and is hugging you to their head. The other is posting photos of you looking better and well. one is just standing idly next to you and the other is fussing over you while another one of them is trying to feed you cookies.

Guess the order 😈😈

Savannaclaw:

Jack is giving you like protein bars and stuff (maybe a small cactus plushie idk 🤫🤫) and Ruggie is giving you one of his grandmas homemade donuts! Meanwhile Leonas keeping his tail around you arm so he can keep an eye on you and so you don't get hurt again. (He might bring Cheka over for a visit. And maybe he bought some things that you mentioned that you wanted, maybe.)

Octavinelle:

Before you came to see them Azul was whipping up a storm of potions for you. One to help you with your magic, one to help you with any side effects from your magic, one to boost your energy, and another to call for him for anything! When Azul gave it to you you fell to the ground with the potions. He used a spell to make the bag lightweight and he gave you some food to eat while Jade and Floyd guarded you and gave you some expensive gifts from who knows where.

Scarabia:

You and Kalim are running at each other full force. But not without Jamil 😡😡. As Kalim and you squeezed each other tightly Jamil as stuck trying to breath and asking you if you were okay. Once that was finished Kalim dragged you to your room that you had in the dorm along with Jamil. Kalim had given you multiple boxes full of things that you were to scared to open. While Jamil just gave you a nice meal and your favorite drink. ( He cares about you just as much as Kalim but he knows he doesn't have the money or energy like Kalim to show it. So he cooked for you and stayed close to you both. ( Y'all ended the night by you and Kalim sleeping on the floor with multiple pillows. Jamil stayed up a bit to watch over the both of you.)

Pomefiore:

Vil is fussing over you while also doing your makeup. Epel is waiting next to you so you both can goof around in the mud and Rook is doing your hair. Once your deemed decent enough your dragged off to go eat while Epel salutes to you. You both ended up eating unknown greens and kid safe vitamin gummies. But Vil then took you to go practice your magic while Epel and Room spectate. You almost cut Rooks perfect bob cut if it weren't for his hat. You and Epel then eventually get to go and goof off but you both came back with very noticeable nose bleeds and Vil scolded you both.

Ignihyde:

Idia has you take a small visit to STYX (? Is that how you spell it) and he tries to figure out the reason of your sudden overblot and magic formation while Ortho distracts you with games that match your interests. Then once the testing for the day has ended you three go into Idias room and play games while you and Idia make battery acid drinks.

Diasomnia:

Lilia is a bit weary of allowing you near the three of them because of the overblot but you were a kid! And you of course couldn't harm Malleus because you barely had control over your magic so he pushed it aside and greeted you with warm arms as he tried feeding you his ravioli with some weird sauce. Silver stepped in and gave you some sweets to snack on while Sebek stood guard to protect you and Malleus. Who simply sat next to you and watched over you just in case your magic acts up.

Grim:

He had slept next to your bed while you were resting. He tried using some magic to help you recover faster but he just sighed and slept next to you as well after your body rejected his magic. He was so happy to see you well after your overblot and collapsing that he dropped all of your gifts he had for you and hugged you. He always followed you everywhere and even helped you adjust to your magic.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHAJWJNEBENSJSNEN

[brightside-brigade]

Questioning and exploring potential possibilities: Partial/incomplete programming aka "frameworking"

READ WHOLE POST BEFORE RESPONDING SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO.

The purpose of this post is to note down what I've noticed before my brain eats it all again and see if anyone else has similar experiences, or if what I'm experiencing in sys is something else. Also because I find it interesting as I've always been fascinated by how our system functions and all that.

Disclaimers:

1: I am not directly/for sure claiming to be a programming or TBMC/ OEA / RAMCOA survivor. These are observations I've made within our system that has some similarities to accounts we've heard as well as stranfe happenings within our own system. I fully understand this may not be what's happening.

2: the term partial is used because if the hypothetical is true, nothing ever came of the potential programming, or it was never fully utilized, hence "frameworking,"

3: keep syscourse off this post and our blog. Despite the overall stance of this particular subgroup of the plural community, we are pro endo and consider ourselves mixed origins for multiple reasons. Any hate regarding this will be blocked at best or reported at worst. This post and our blog is not the place for that. Move on if you don't have anything nice to say.

4: in that vain, fake claimers can also swallow a full cactus. Any aggression will be ignored, blocked, or reported.

TW below cut for discussion of the above mentioned topics.

Disclaimer 2: if any of this is unclear, I apologize. I'm having to fight through a bunch of dizzy to write about this and I'm fueled by spite and spite alone.

With that out of the way let me get into the meat of the this.

We are bodily 22, and have known we're a system for six years now, give or take. This is a rough estimate. I am Jack, the current host, hi. Roughly last year I learned about programming in systems, and all that came with it. I got briefly fixated on the topic, as I generally tend to gravitate towards morbid or dark subjects. This does not mean I condone or romanticize them, I'm sure we've all been there.

Regardless, it was last year I started to notice in-sys happenings that point to something being up. I took a step back from looking into the subject as I suspected the fixation may be what was causing it, but after roughly a year of noticing things still going on, and old reactions returning upon looking into the subject, I suspect maybe something is up.

I'm progressvly getting more and more pain in my head and neck as I type this and I'm straight up forgetting words. , so I'll keep my points simple.

I'll start with points on why we "probably aren't" programmed.

We have never been a part of any cult or TR, nor has the bodies family had history of those.

Our body does not show symptoms of long term physical abuse (scars, permanent pains, ect.)

We live a normal life currently. (Not saying survivors can't have normal lives or that everything in our lives is pleasant. But we live relatively safely in our childhood home, ect.)

I cannot find a way to fit long term abuse into our timeline. Some trauma, yes. Anything OEA or RAMCOA levels? Not currently.

Those out of the way, I'll now note what I've noticed over time.

General interest in programming with a felt sense of familiarity

On a couple times, I've been able to guess and help with things going on in friends programming (I am not claiming to be able to help or know everything. I am not someone to come to for advice. This is just to point out how on a few times I've shown understanding on the subject I probably wouldn't usually have.)

in my case particularly, I overall tend to be more submissive in actions but not personality. My main concern is usually geared towards helping others and not myself, to the point of experiencing emotional shutdown when others around me are distressed so I can better help them. I also desperately seek praise and affection

I also struggle to do self care things without permission, including the bare minimum of eating and sleeping.

To further this, after learning about programming, I off and on deeply desire a handler

I also find myself wanting to BE a handler, like it's what I should be doing when not helping others. (Note: I would never, I'm simply talking about thoughts and feelings that are not actions.)

Our system occasionally spawns in "blanks," as I've taken to calling them. Blanks are not fragments, but are more like empty vessels that hypothetically could be programmed, which I occasionally feel the urge to do but don't, as I don't know what effect it would have on us. They sort of just despawn after a bit.

Dizziness: it varies. If I read about this sort of thing in terms of what it means for us, I get dizzy. I actually got a migraine halfway through drafting it. If I think about it in relation to OTHERS, however, the Dizziness isn't caused.

This can be accompanied by the feeling of burning skin on the arms and head.

I struggle with thinking I'm constantly "bad," if I'm not actively doing something for others.

We have an alter that only shows up to cause dissociation when whoever is fronting is in distress, though this is rare and we have yet to figure out what kind of distress brings them out.

Headspace itself is very hard to explore, every time I try and go past a certain point I never remember what I see or find and always find myself back in the main hub.

Our system shows signs of being what I can only guess is the "main," one, the ones who upkeep the front, as we really only consist of those who would hypothetically be needed to keep up the day to day.

There is more, but I'll leave it here as those are the main ones I can pull up in my mind rn. Feel free to comment what this could be, or if you've experienced similar. Please refer to the disclaimer points before you make your comments. This took a couple hours to get out due to the migraine that onset but I cannot be stopped.

Thank you, have a lovely day/night/morning/afternoon/purgatory time/ect.

-Jack

[link-posting]

Sand Seal Wipe Out

Hyrule looked down as he adjusted the harness around his waist, his eyes flicking nervously toward Wild. “Are you sure about this…?”

Wild let out a carefree laugh, patting Hyrule on the back as he clipped his harness to the leash of the sand seal in front of him. “Very sure! You’re going to love it,” he exclaimed confidently, sliding his boot into the strap of the shield he was using as a surfboard.

Hyrule quirked an eyebrow at Wild, looking apprehensive at best. Wild had that manic look in his eye he got before he tricked Hyrule into some dangerous (yet exhilarating) activity. He’d gone shield surfing once, but this wasn’t exactly the same thing. This time he was strapped to a beast that could swim through hot granules of rock hot enough to cause burns to the touch. One bad wipe out could turn out to be hell.

Despite his hesitance, he trusted Wild. He’d taken him on some amazing adventures, and no doubt this would be another one. Wild looked over at him, giving him a quick once-over to make sure he was clipped in right. “All set?” he asked, practically bouncing with excitement. Hyrule would be lying if he said it was anything other than infectious.

With a resigned sigh and a playful roll of his eyes, Hyrule stepped onto his shield. “Okay, I’m ready,” he said, bracing himself for what was to come.

Wild let out a loud whoop, and they were off. Hyrule let out a scream- terrified, at first, but quickly devolving into laughter. He held onto the rope attaching him to the sand seal, mostly for some sense of security as the beast pulled him along. He leaned to one side carefully, testing his ability to turn. He was still scared of wiping out, but he was starting to understand why Wild took him out on this ride.

Wild was having ten times more fun than Hyrule, and it showed. He had no apprehension or fear of sand surfing (or any other time, the Chain was convinced), so he had no reservations as he weaved through the sand, not bothering to hang on to the tether. Even if he overcorrected, Wild had taken enough sand to the face to know how to fall to minimize injuries. Sort of.

Hyrule was quick to let go of his initial nervousness. The longer the two raced through the Gerudo Desert the more comfortable he got on the shield. Soon enough he was zipping alongside Wild, laughing as the sun beat down on them, blindingly bright off the sand but so worth it. Wild had got him jewelry that would help resist the heat at least, but that didn’t help him when he nearly barreled straight into a Voltfruit Cactus. He yelped and overcorrected, getting flung off his shield and skidding through the sand.

“Rulie!” Wild yelled, quickly twisting on his own shield. He came up alongside him, pulling up in a way that allowed him to unclip his harness and jump off the shield, using the forward momentum to run up to his friend.

When he reached his friend’s side, he was surprised to see Rulie laying in the sand, laughing even as he sat up to shake sand from his hair. “I’m okay,” he said, waving his hand as Wild slid up beside him. “I might have a few scratches but I’m okay.”

Wild gave a relieved smile and held out his hand to help him up. “Good. You had me scared for a second. Eating sand can be pretty unpleasant,” he said, giving a little shudder of solidarity.

“Oh, it wasn’t pleasant. But I am okay,” he said, grinning and clapping a hand on Wild’s shoulder.

Wild chuckled and wrapped his arm around the Traveler. “I’m glad. Let’s get back to town, I’ll cook your favorite for dinner to get the taste of sand out of your mouth,” he laughed, ruffling Hyrule’s hand- causing the other to splutter as sand rained down into his face- including his mouth.

”You better throw some dessert onto that!” he said, sliding his foot back into the strap of his surf-shield.

”I would’ve thought you had enough of the desert!” Wild laughed, clipping himself back to his sand seal, letting out a whoop for it to take off as Hyrule let out a stream of threats and started chasing after him, the sun slowly setting behind them.

[novastaar]

One Last Chance to Belong

Chapter 4

Just the thought made her head swim with questions and sharp pain.

She could feel her eyelids grow heavy again, but she didn't dare close them. If she fell back to sleep, there was no guarantee she was waking back up. Besides, who knew what this odd penguin would do to her.

Speaking of, she could hear him coming back, watching the door suspiciously as he waddled in.

He came up to the edge of Trixie's cot, holding a tray of what looked like… biscuits. It looked fine… and certainly didn't smell dangerous. It smelled great, actually

Trixie's body reacted before her mind did, snatching up a handful of the fish-shaped biscuits and cramming them into her mouth.

The penguin jumped a little at the sudden motion, making her smile slightly. Good. He should be afraid of her.

It was a challenge to eat. Her throat was dry and felt like it was lined with cactus spines. Still, she scarfed down the food as if she'd never eaten before.

“you eat, drink, and rest for now” the penguin instructed gently “I'll be back later to do a full check-up on you”

He left a glass of water behind on the tray, which was apparently a mini foldable table, before walking out once again.

Well… that was odd. Shouldn't a medic stay with their patient a little longer after they wake up like that…?

But Trixie, of course, knew nothing about proper medication… only the basic first aid she'd learned and picked up on over the years. Useful, but not quite professional.

With nothing else to really do, Trixie eyed the glass of water.

Like the food, it seemed to just be… plain old water. Not spiked or poisoned or anything, as far as she could tell, anyway.

She didn't often drink straight water. As a desert creature, she usually got all the moisture she needed from food and morning dew.

But those biscuits had been awfully dry… and how long had it been since she'd had a proper meal, anyway? The best she'd gotten out at sea were a couple of fish. And after her energy had deplenished, those fish had been reduced to anything dumb enough to wander up and get caught in her paws.

Can foxes even eat fish?

Well, it wouldn't have been the worst thing she'd had to stomach before, would it?

Hesitantly, Trixie reached out a trembling paw, using her small amount of replenished energy to pick it up and raise it to her lips.

The relief was almost immediate, the two gulps of water she took soothing the dryness of her throat. The discomfort wasn't entirely relieved, but it was close enough.

Trixie rolled over onto her back with a sigh, her muscles aching in protest, somehow still refusing to shake the blisteringly scorching cold.

Her thoughts drifted off back to the Sahara, and with a full stomach and so little energy, she slowly allowed sleep to consume her mind.

•●•

So... uh... yeah, I've definitely missed a few weeks. I honestly don't even have an excuse. Life just be like that sometimes.

I didn't get as much writing done as I'd hoped to over break, and I only have half of the next chapter finished, so updates may slow down.

I'm sorry you guys have to deal with my shitty schedule and motivation-

[trollsedits]

Brozone Headcanon pt2 ft their Voice Actors mentioned…..

John Dory:

-when ever his parents introduced him to his baby brother he would asked his parents if they could return them back to where they came from…

-He copy’s everything that Eric Andre dose he’s eric Andre biggest fan

-Eric Andre Once called John Dory a Amazon box or has mistaken John Dory for an Amazon box

-John Dory once try to sell all of his baby brothers because they couldn’t hit the perfect family harmony which made Floyd cry so loud that John got in trouble

-just like Floyd who chased troye Sivan John would chase Eric Andre for miles

-Eric and John would be good friends John would even embarrass his brother in front of Eric 

-After Trolls band together; he will probably hangout with the snack pack cuz poppy made him after branch said “Poppy No!”

-He tells dads/uncle jokes to the snack pack

-The fashion Twins Looks up to John Dory for some reason

-The younger brother play pranks and tricks on him

-Floyd pranks on John Dory was the cruelest of them all back in their bands days John was protective of baby branch Floyd thought it would be funny to hide branch in his hair and told John that branch has been kidnapped by some fans which cause John to panic and called the cops and cancel shows….

-John Dory “Hates Creek.” Despite never meeting him b/c branch told him about creek betrayal

-John was secretly there during barb rock-apocalypse that’s how he knew branch was still alive (That’s my biggest theory)

-He moves around without making a sound so he will appear out of thin air without making a sound just like branch

-John Dory gets along with most trolls

-King peppy; still holds grudges against John cuz he played a prank on king peppy back in the days telling him that his daughter viva has been taken by Bergens (Now I know where Floyd gets that from)

-He cussed a lot even in front of Bruce kids Bruce would make Jonh eat literal soap

-John Dory and clay still have beef w each other (They would secretly get along when no one around)

-Branch caught both clay and John bonding together but they deny it

-Clay was probably Jonh Dory favorite brother beside branch

-Probably screams like a little girl

-John has a harder time opening up his feelings to clay since the two has some grudges against each other

-when branch,poppy and tiny diamond walk out on them Bruce and Clay didn’t stop Jonh Dory from parking on the spot maybe they try too but John refuse to listen to them “reserved for brozone” it was probably Jonh Dory most dumbest moment even Floyd was shaking his head on how dumb his square brother was

-will stare at his brother when sleeping (totally not creepy at all right)

-Beside chasing Eric Andre around John Dory stalk clay the most out of the brothers

———————

Bruce:

-made John Dory ate soap because he keeps cussing in front of his 13 little angels 🥺

-He meet Daveed diggs when he came into his restaurant he and daveed became good friends and he became a regular at Bruce restaurant

-That dude loves hugs he will hug anyone and anything 🫣 he once hugged a cactus brandy spend hours taking the spikes off Bruce

-Bruce would love to be in a musical theater w daveed

-Bruce would describe John Dory as the Wicked Witch of the West

-Bruce also describe clay as the tin man, Floyd as dorothy, branch as the scarecrow and Bruce would describe Queen poppy as the good witch and also describe himself as the lion

-Bruce always talks or quote stuff from any musical when talking to his brother or anyone in general even his kids who dose not get the reference

-Bruce is a smooth talker

-He still got that charm ;)

-Bruce listen to what ever his kids listen too

-Bruce along with clay try to stop Amazon box Dory from parking at the “Reserved for Brozone.” At mount rageous but failed

-Bruce also called John Dory a potty mouth even back in the days

-Bruce didn’t cause much trouble beside giving people wet Willy’s (mostly his brothers)

-Bruce is happy on Vcay island 🏝️

-when he visit pop troll village all of poppy friends would surround him with hugs (that dude will hug anyone) he kiss one of poppy friends hands causing them both to faint *cough cough* satin and chenille

-Bruce always act like he’s living in the Wizard of Oz for some reason

-Bruce asked guy Diamond if he could babysit tiny diamond but branch knows what’s up

-Bruce loves his kids but he hella adore tiny diamond b/c he’s so small (I also adore tiny he’s so cute 🥰)

-he would go to prison for attempting to kidnap guy Diamond child but guy Diamond bailed him out and he could understand why Bruce wanted tiny b/c they bonded and how well Bruce took care of tiny

-After band together; tiny would beg guy Diamond to marry Bruce “Ayo, Daddy can this big hair purple dude be my other daddy please 🥺👉🏻👈🏻”

-guy Diamond and Bruce would be good friends exchanging dad’s advice…

—————————-

Clay:

-missed John Dory the most despite having beef with an Amazon box poor dude missed his big Amazon box brother

-Went to a kid Cudi concert and meet him back stage and he started being his little assistant but left cause he’s a licensed CPA Fools

-He’s and branch share the same exact personality

-He would also describe Jonh Dory as the Wicked witch of the west

-He and viva are like branch and poppy ✨

-Clay and Bruce still hung out with each other before the Bergens escape clay sent a letter telling Bruce that he was alive cuz Bruce was worried sick during his stay at Vcay island

-Clay is the tallest (How is he tall sjshshshs)

-Clay makes fun of John Dory heights

-Clay dose not eat sweet

-Clay has contact name for his brother which are name by Viva she gave him that idea…

John Dory: Square Fish head

Bruce: Grapes

Floyd: Fro-yo

Branch: Blueberries

-Clay has a masters degree?

-John Dory always calls clay for inconvenience stuff

-Clay loves April fools his pranks are scary af even bitty B wasn’t safe around the house during April fools days

-Clay can rap

-Clay will roast each one of his brothers he roasts John the hardest and Floyd the lightest since Floyd is sensitive clay would often roast Floyd with nice words instead of insults 😮‍💨

-Floyd is clingy to clay when they were younger

-Clay adore Floyd still dose at this point

-Clay would often talk about Jonh and Floyd the most to viva and the others trolls

-Clay would rather be locked up in a room with a Bergens rather than his own brother John cuz he had a harder time expressing his feelings towards him

-after trolls band together: Clay,branch and Floyd would have a day where they do stuff together like a younger siblings stuff

——————————-

Floyd:

-edits himself on every single one of Troye Sivan posted (totally not edit by me doe 🫣)

-would kill for Troye Sivan

-Wants to do a song collab w Troye Sivan

-Troye got a restraining order on Floyd what??

-plays pranks on John Dory a lot where he tell John Dory that branch has been kidnapped back in the days which cost him to freak he never trust Floyd afterwards

-his favorite show is “The Idol” because troye Sivan is in it duhh

-Floyd is a grandma boy :)

-Grandma Rosiepuff gives branch and Floyd the most kisses and attention

-Floyd had live with rocks trolls during his solo days

-he is claustrophobic (From being locked up in a diamond prison)

-Floyd listen to Twice so he’s a “Once.” 😙

-His favorite member is probably Momo or sana

-He likes Newjeans song “Super Shy & OMG”

-He dose the best Troye Sivan impression

-Floyd is still afraid of Velvet & Venner 🥺

-Floyd has no clue what happen after he got out of the diamond prison

-Dose Kpop cover dances and stuff

————————

Branch:

-his Bts bias is Rap monster cuz he reminds branch of clay and his blackpink bias is Jisoo (She’s really underrated show some love to jisoo 1 like = love for jisoo 🥹🫶🏻💕)

-He got poppy into kpop aswell

-He used to follow Floyd around when he was younger

-Also a Grandma boy along w Floyd 🫶🏻

-He miss grandma Rosiepuff the most 🥺

-“Singing killed my grandma!” Was his quote even poppy and the snack pack would rephrase it

-He also Listen to Ariana Grande his favorite song is “Yes, and?” And “I wish I hated you” and no tears left to cry and so on

-He would answer almost every question by saying “Yes,and?” Or “No,and” especially to his brothers

-he definitely has gone through phrases (not even one that his brother knows only poppy dose)

-He once got beef with Justin Timberlake b/c they sound alike but they made up for it and confused people with their voices

-Branch is literally the troll size Justin Timberlake 🤧

-Branch went into Floyd room one time and saw massive posters of troye sivan even one that was edit w him and Floyd ._. And even a Pillow of himdon’t ask what Floyd dose w it

-Branch loves all his brothers ✨

-when branch was a baby he has gone through phrases where he would bite his brother Floyd was use to branch bites since they sting like a bee..

-He won’t even try biting Floyd cause Floyd was use to it but for his three older brothers is a hell of a ride

-Branch once got Justin Timberlake to gather Eric,daveed,kid Cudi and troye, to a get together with the brozone brothers troye would sit far away from Floyd as possible ;-;

-Branch would ask king peppy for baby pictures of poppy or viva since she has baby pics of him

-Branch likes it when his brother baby him around just not in front of Queen poppy or anyone else

-Branch don’t need sleep 💤 (HE NEEDS SOME SLEEP YALL!)

-Branch would quote songs when talking like “If anyone gonna love you Queen poppy it’s Gonna be me.” Or “It’s gonna be May~” you get the idea right…

——————

Anyways, I hope you enjoy that funny and random headcanon of Brozone part 2 if you want to request me anything just click on my profile and press on “Ask Me Anything!”

—————

Like + Follow are very much appreciated! ✨

P.S I kinda want to see the Brozone Voice Actor do a video together or even the hot ones video 🫨🥹

[itsmarsss]

Annual Birthday Plant [Jared Kleinman x Evan Hansen] (Dear Evan Hansen)

(from the vault)

Jared Kleinman gives Evan Hansen a plant for his birthday every year since 7th grade.

Words: 2,934

Warnings: like one brief/vague mention of sex

[. . .]

In 7th grade, Jared Kleinman gave Evan Hansen a plant for his birthday. 

He was supposed to come over so the two of them could play video games and eat pizza until their stomachs hurt, their favorite thing to do together since forever.

But, for the first time ever, Jared had to pick Evan's gift himself, unlike every other birthday, when his mom would do it and he wouldn't even have to think about it.

And so for weeks Jared tried to think of something, but nothing seemed to come to mind. He tried making a list with everything he thought Evan would like, but ended up crossing out most items as they were either too expensive or just outright impossible to get, and the more he thought about the things he still had left on the list, the more he convinced himself that Evan wouldn’t actually like any of the options.

So he postponed deciding, because what else would he do? Then suddenly it was Evan's birthday and he was supposed to be at his place in an hour and he didn't have a gift. He started panicking as he got ready to leave, knowing not only it would be a big dick move if he showed up with nothing, but that his mom would probably murder him- but then it hit him, out of the blue: he knew exactly what the perfect gift would be.

His mom did indeed get mad at him for procrastinating until the last minute, but, still on time, Jared managed to show up at Evan's with the perfect gift in hand. 

He never forgot the look of pure joy in Evan's face when he saw the cactus. 

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!" Evan kept repeating, grabbing the plant and staring at it in awe. "Mom look!"

"It’s beautiful honey!"

"Thank you so much, oh my God!"

Jared was shocked by the amount of happiness the tiny little plant he picked up in a rush at the store was bringing his friend. He couldn’t help but feel extremely proud of himself for choosing the perfect thing. 

"Oh that's fine. I uh. Remembered you said you wanted a plant a few months ago so. Yeah," he said, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

"You remembered that?" Evan looked genuinely confused.

"Yeah. No big deal," Jared said, wanting anything but for Evan to get emotional.

Evan didn’t say anything back, and Jared has ever been able to handle silence well, so obviously he started talking. "I uh. I named it uh- shit. Nevermind."

"No, what did you name it?"

"Well I was like. You know just joking about naming it with my mom and we thought Jeff would be a funny name so. But you don't have to name it that. Obviously. Or like. At all."

Evan shrugged. "I like Jeff."

“Cool.”

"Well do you wanna go play Mario Kart?" Evan blurted out after a few seconds of a really awkward silence.

"Hell yeah dude!" 

In eight grade, Jared Kleinman gave Evan Hansen another plant. 

He didn't exactly mean to make it a tradition. In fact, he only got Evan another plant for his birthday the next year because, once again, he couldn't decide on a gift. And so he thought that, well, considering the way Evan seemed to absolutely love Jeff (who was still very much alive, which Jared, who had let dozens of his mom's plants die before, found impossible), he would most likely appreciate another plant.

This time he got him a succulent that came in a little white vase. The moment Evan saw the plant was when Jared did decide to make it a tradition- he had no idea what the deal was with Evan and plants, but he liked that it made him happy. 

"Oh my God. Another one?" Evan sounded stupidly excited.

"Yup. Thought Jeff would like some company."

"Thank you! Holy shit!"

“Evan!” Heidi yelled from her room at his cursing.

“Sorry mom!”

"You know I don't really know anything about this stuff so I got this one. I don't know if you like succulents but-"

Evan cut him off. "I love it."

"Uh, good. That's good."

Evan made way for Jared to enter. "So. Did you name this one too?" He closed the fornt door behind them.

"Not really. But we could think of something."

"Jessica?"

"Ew dude. No."

"What's wrong with Jessica?"

"What's not wrong with a succulent named Jessica?"

"Because a cactus named Jeff is pretty normal?"

Jared rolled his eyes in response. After a couple seconds in silence, his eyes went wide. "Oh shit I got it!"

"What?"

"Are you ready?"

Evan shrugged. "Shoot."

"Hear me out: Tom."

Evan laughed. "All that build-up for "Tom"?"

"Do you have any better ideas?"

Evan seemed to try to come up with something, but quit pretty quickly. "Not really."

"Tom it is!"

On Evan’s 15th birthday, Jared Kleinman gave Evan Hansen yet another plant. 

He had another list, days before the actual birthday. But this time it only consisted of different types of plants. Not that he’d ever- ever- admit to absolutely anyone that he, a totally heterosexual highschool freshman, had spent hours googling different plants to try to find the perfect one to give his (also totally heterosexual) completely platonic best friend for his birthday.

He made his decision as soon as he saw the first picture of the last option on the list, even making sure to go to the store a few days in advance to see if they had it (which they thankfully did). 

He picked it up, like the previous two years, right before his mom dropped him off at Evan’s (because he knew he could not be trusted to take care of it for even a day), but made sure it was in a box this time for completely selfish purposes. He would not just waste a joke.

“Hey! Are you-” Evan’s eyes landed on the small box his friend held. “Oh. Is it not a plant?” he asked him, obviously trying his hardest not to, but sounding a little bit disappointed. Jared’s heart did… something in his chest, like fucking… cartwheels or some shit.

Jared proceeded to ignore those cartwheels. 

“Of course it's a plant.”

Excitement was back on Evan’s face instantly. “Oh cool! Thank you! You know I lo- uh- I really like them.”

“I was gonna say it’s no big deal but you should be so fucking grateful for this one, dude.”

“Why?”

“You’ll… see.” Jared couldn’t contain his laugh. 

Evan started laughing too, but simply because of Jared’s own laughter- he still had no idea what was going on. “Dude what is it?”

“It’s um,” he cleared his throat, trying to stop laughing. “It’s called Lithops? Ever heard of it?”

Evan shook his head no, and Jared wordlessly handed him the box, now unable again to contain some pretty embarrassing-sounding chuckles. Evan opened the box and took the plant out. Now Jared was flat out cackling.

“Get it? Cause it looks like- cause it looks like a-” He couldn’t stop laughing, not able to even talk properly. Apparently only then did Evan register what was so funny about the plant, slapping Jared’s arm. 

“Oh my God! No! That’s disgusting oh my God,” Evan complained, but it was obvious he was fighting a smile.

“I’m sorry!” Jared said, still laughing and very obviously not sorry at all.

When Evan Hansen turned 16, Jared Kleinman crossed out his first plant idea.

He decided to buy Evan an incredibly specific plant instead- one so specific the flower shop where he’d bought all the plants from the previous years didn't actually have it, and he had to drive across town to get it. 

“Heeyyy Ev!”

“Hey. You’re… late” Evan sounded a bit disappointed, and Jared couldn’t help but feel a little guilty about it. Still, he also couldn’t help being sarcastic about it.

“Maybe I’m not. Maybe you’re just early!”

“To… my own place?”

“I’m sorry.” There was no sarcasm in his voice anymore. 

Evan seemed surprised by that. “Oh it's fine! It’s- it’s okay.”

“I’m late for a good reason though!”

“Which is?”

“Your gift dumbass! Now normally I buy your little plant friends from this shop a couple blocks from my place BUT I really wanted to give you this one and turns out they didn’t have it so I had to drive across the city to get it from this other shop, which was kinda sketchy by the way, not gonna lie, but anyway yeah here it is!” He outstretched his hands, holding the small box with the plant inside.

Evan laughed at his lienghty explanation as he grabbed it, and started opening the box before pausing. “Wait. What’s so special about this one that you did all that to get it? If it’s another-”

“Stop being so dramatic! It’s cute I promise.”

Judging by the look on his face, Evan didn’t seem so sure, but opened it anyway. 

“Oh. It IS cute! It looks like that thing that nemo lives in!”

“The… anemone?”

“I guess? I don’t know dude.”

“Well you wanna know what it’s called?”

“Here we go.”

“Don’t be a perv, Hansen! It’s nothing dirty it’s just funny!”

“Okay what is it?”

“Baby toes,” Jared announced in the same tone Evan would picture someone using to pitch a brand name idea for a CEO.

“There’s no way this is called baby toes.”

“It is!”

“You are so stupid, oh my God,” Evan said, smiling.

“I mean I’m not the one who owns baby toes, so...” 

“Well what are we gonna name this one?”

“I dunno. I thought about a few names but it was for another type of plant so I don’t think it fits.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh well uh. I was actually gonna give you this one called anthurium? Is it anthurium?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, well it was gonna be one of those ‘cause I thought it had like cool colored leaves but apparently the colorful parts are actually just leaf-looking flowers so. Baby toes.”

“What’s wrong with flowers?”

“Oh you know. Just like… giving a dude flowers you know. Sounds kinda uh. You know what I mean.”

Evan seemed like he was gonna push him further about it, but decided not to. Jared was more than thankful for that. “Well I liked this one. It’s pretty cute. What about Joey?”

Jared was too busy tensing up and holding his breath to properly register what Evan said. “What?”

“I said what about Joey?”

“Like from Friends?”

“I thought you hated Friends.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t know anything about it! It’s pop culture!”

On Evan's 17th, Jared Kleinman chose Evan Hansen’s plant pretty early, and he was really proud of himself.

“Jared?” Evan asked when he opened the door. “You’re early,” he pointed out with a frown.

“Can’t a guy be early to his friend’s birthday celebration?”

“Is this about the plant you’re gonna give me?”

“Who said I got you a plant?” Jared asked exaggeratedly, hiding the box behind his back.

Evan laughed. “Okay whatever. I’m almost done. Just gotta put on deodorant and do something about my hair and we can go.” He ran upstairs, and Jared waited for him by the doorstep. After about five minutes he was back.

“Okay I’m done! We should probably get going so there’s no chance it’s sold out.”

“Dude we’re watching a Captain America movie at like 5pm I don’t think it’s gonna sell out.”

“Let’s just go.”

“Okay, fine. But first, your gift!”

“My ‘not a plant’ gift?”

“Your… ‘maybe a plant’ gift.”

Evan grabbed the box and opened it. Then he freaked out. “HOLY SHIT ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I’VE BEEN WANTING ONE OF THESE FOR FOREVER! IT’S LIKE A MINI TREE!” 

Jared laughed at his excitement. “Don’t get too turned on, tree boy! we still got a movie to catch.”

Evan flipped him off before carefully placing the plant on the kitchen counter. He took one more look at it before turning back around. “Okay, let’s go.”

“Not even a thank you?”

Evan said nothing, just motioning for him to move, locking the front door before they both walked to Jared’s car. He did awkwardly thank him when they got in the car.

“It’s whatever. So what are you gonna name it?”

Evan stopped to think about it for a second. “Oh! Maybe Steve?”

“You totally just thought about it because of Captain America.”

“So what?”

“So the obvious choice should be Tony!”

“I am not naming my plant Tony, Jared.”

“You’re no fun!”

He did name the plant Tony.

On their senior year, Jared Kleinman gave Evan Hansen nothing for his 18th birthday, as he saw fit.

A year later, things were going better between the two of them. Still, Jared Kleinman gave Evan Hansen nothing for his 19th birthday.

On Jared Kleinman’s sophomore year of college, he decided they were finally fine again. He got an air plant, which he didn’t even know were a thing, and planned to keep it in his room until Evan’s 20th birthday.

Evan ended up getting his plant a couple days early though, when they were just hanging out in Jared's room.

“What’s its name?” Evan asked, pulling Jared out of his own thoughts.

Jared looked up from the videogame screen. “What?” 

“What’s its name?” He asked again, pointing to the tiny glass vase with a plant in it.

“No! Shit!”

“What?” Evan asked, probably scared of having done something wrong.

“You weren’t supposed to see that!”

“Why?”

“Because it’s your gift dumbass.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Well. Now that you ruined it. You like it?”

“Yeah! Air plants are pretty cool.”

“Cool.”

“So,” Evan spoke up after a few seconds of awkward silence. “What do you think I should name it?”

“Aren’t you a little bit too old to name plants?” Jared asked, mindful to emphasise his jokeful tone.

“If not me then who?” Evan asked dramatically. 

“Whatever you say Mr.-I-speak-for-the-trees.”

“Oh wait I know!”

“Okay shoot.”

“Audrey II!”

“I should not have introduced you to musicals.”

“But you did.” Evan smiled. Jared didn’t like how much he liked that.

The following year, Jared Kleinman made the decision to tell Evan Hansen about the no-so-platonic feelings he realized he felt for him.

And chickened out of it.

"Are you gonna say anything?"

Evan looked up from the daisies in his hands. "What?"

"You just gonna stand there and stare at it or what?"

"These are daisies."

"Yes they are."

"These are flowers."

"I guess."

"You just gave me flowers."

"I guess I did."

"Does it… mean anything?"

Jared seemed to be taken by surprise. He didn’t expect Evan to get it so quickly, let alone be so upfront about it. So, he chickened out. 

"Except just me giving you your annual birthday plant? It's your 21st it's special!"

Evan sighed. "I don't get you."

"I mean neither of us are in the closet anymore at this point so I figured like. What's the matter, ya know? That's all."

Silence.

"Okay. Sure."

"Alright."

"Her name’s gonna be Patricia by the way."

"I cannot stress enough how much I hate this decision."

"Well the flowers are mine so..." 

On Jared Kleinman’s junior year of college, he smiled as he walked to Evan Hansen's dorm room with his birthday plant in hand.

He knocked on the door and waited. Evan opened it in only a few seconds. Jared noticed his hair was wet, probably just having taken a shower, and he was wearing his favorite dress shirt. 

"Oh we're fancy today huh?" He raised an eyebrow and pointed at the shirt. 

"Shut up. What's that?"

"You seriously need to stop asking that as if it's not gonna be a plant."

"I'm being polite!"

"Well stop! You can't be polite to me. It makes me look like an asshole."

"Maybe you're just an asshole regardless."

"Actually go back to being polite."

"Are you gonna give it to me or what?"

He faked an indignated gasp. "What kind of guy do you take me for, Hansen?" 

He handed Evan the box, and both of them entered the room. Evan set the box on his desk and sat down to open it.

"Oh It's- it's an anthurium."

"Yeah. You like it?"

"I do. But…”

“But what?” Jared pursed his eyebrows together. Shit had he done something wrong? Dis Evan not like anthurims anymore or-

“Don't you think it's a little weird giving flowers to another guy?"

Jared let out the breath he'd been holding. "I will murder you."

"I'm just saying, you know."

“I literally gave you daisies last year.”

“I didn’t wanna say anything back then but like… that was kinda... you know... it was a little gay.”

"I will break up with you."

"No you won't.”

Jared couldn’t think of a funny comeback, so they just stayed in silence for a moment. 

Then Evan stood up. "Thank you. Really,” he said seriously, and leaned in to kiss him. He smiled at Jared’s lack of response to it.

Jared, in turn, could barely speak, his cheeks burning an embarrassing, obvious amount. "That- that's okay-"

Evan laughed at his flustered state, which he still got into pretty often considering they’d already been together for a few months now. He decided not to tease him about it this time, grabbing his jacket instead. “C’mon we’re gonna be late.”

“I mean. Your mom won’t mind…” Jared went on, obviously not entirely serious about it since they really were almost late, but also not entirely joking. Evan found it extremely cute.

They really had to go, though. “What kind of guy do you take me for, Kleinman?” He asked, mocking what Jared had said earlier. 

Jared rolled his eyes. “Okay let’s go you ruined the sexy mood.”

They both took one last glance at the anthurium on the desk before leaving.

7th grade Jared Kleinman really had no idea what he was getting into when he gave Evan Hansen that first cactus, did he?

[. . .]

A/N: You go 16 year old mars with the dead ship from the dead fandom of a dead musical! If anyone remembers this it's cause it's been on ao3 since it was written a few years ago and it's actually been posted here when i had a different blog (i was bigbilliamdenbro/marsiguess). I'll be going back to writing and posting and old writing will be tagged as from the vault! Interact and maybe even request away! I'm really glad to be back :)

[articskele]

Hellao everyone!!! Buttermilk Daydreams lore be upon ye!!! :D

Tagging @iiboronii ouo

There’s a lot to see when you’re on the road. Landscapes that look like they came straight out of a movie, bright and vast as you look on in wonder. Stars shimmering overhead and ripples in the lake. The way sunlight shines through the leaves, the haze of a snowstorm, the layers in the sandstone.

Coyotes nipping at your heels, getting tipsy off cactus juice, trying (and failing) to identify edible plants, using marshmallow bags for pillows. Wait, are mules the ones that can stand on super steep inclines? Or was it goats… Yeah, yeah it was definitely goats. Ouch.

It’s a wild world out there, but it’s nothing you can’t handle!

And the sweet relief of finding a town to stop by for the night! A nice breath of fresh air, restocking on supplies, eating good food, and just having idle chit chat. Not to say that mules can’t be conversationalists in their own right, but it’s just nice to be around other people.

Beaming with pride and ambition as you regale the events of your journey to put yourself out there, to prove yourself, to change the world as we know it!!

Or at least that’s what you would do, if anybody bothered to ask.

—

Your heart is bursting at the seams with creativity and enthusiasm, just desperate to be noticed!! And one day, someone does!! This gal in a light blue sweater and overalls – says her name is Artic – matching your enthusiasm right off the bat as she bombards you with questions!

How will this invention of yours work? What about the prototypes? Your mule looks so soft, what’s his name? Woahh, you can play guitar? How long have you been out on the road? What have you seen?

And most importantly… Can I come along?

Turns out she’s been on the road too, with plans of her own and eyes to the skies. She loves his ideas! And not only does she want to see him succeed, she wants to help too! Nobody’s done that before!!

And yknow, she was actually prepared for a big journey like this and packed a lot of boring useful things the Onceler miiight have forgotten about.

And so, they were off!! Melvin now has to deal with two bumbling doofuses aklsdjs

—

They discover the valley, the Onceler sets up shop and chops down the first tree, and it isn’t long until he and the Lorax get in a squabble about it. But Artic steps in, trying to find a compromise.

If we can’t stay here, where else could we go? And besides, there IS a town not far from here. If they haven’t been a problem, then surely we could find a way to stay here?

On the other hand, if thneeds do become a smash hit and people want more, then what? You’ll cut down more trees, unable to stop just to keep up. And at that rate, they’ll all be gone!

Artic lights up as she gets an idea, whispering to the Lorax about it before being given a tentative go ahead. But for the Onceler, it's a surprise and she does a cheeky wink as she runs off to the cottage.

Of course he’s all “Aw cmon! You'll tell him but not me?” and he tries to ask the Lorax what she said but he's not budging.

He tries to sneak a few glances when Artic’s tinkering away, but he can never quite figure out what she’s up to…

—

Until one day, Artic says she’s finally got it. It’s finally done! And she leaves a note saying to meet her at that super tall hill to the east!

The Onceler, the Lorax, and a buncha animals make their way up there, to see Artic with the biggest grin on her face! And straps around her shoulders and waist, and some kinda thingy on her back?

Wait, are those- FWOOSH

Big ol makeshift wings unfurl from her back, causing some of the animals to back up in surprise! She rolls her shoulders, and interestingly, her wings seem to follow the movement.

THIS is what she’s been working towards!! THIS is what she’s been working on for like a month!! THIS is what she, admittedly, had been sneaking out at night to test prototypes for-

You see, Artic wanted to make a way to grab truffula tufts without chopping down the whole tree! But in order to do that, you would need your hands free. So, she made wings that move with your shoulders and upper back!!

(Inspired by the fact that I can make my shoulder blades stick out of my back, and Artic’s wings have a wider range of motion because of that :D)

Plus having a bird’s eye view of the valley gives you an easier time seeing which trees have more tufts, which ones have nests so you don’t disturb them, and it’s just plain fun!!

—

As if on cue, the winds shift. And before you know it, she’s running up the hill, getting closer and closer to the edge until!!

She leaps off, fabric billowing as it catches the air, and she’s off!! Swooping down to a nearby tree, grabbing the tufts, and spiraling down to the soft grass below, her face just barely peeking out from the armfuls of pink fluff :D

The Onceler runs up and tackle hugs her, but she’s like “AAA WAIT” bc the wings are kinda fragile and wouldn’t handle her landing on her back too well, so the two of them just kinda spin around mid-hug to regain balance ouo

The Onceler is absolutely ENAMORED with the wings, inspecting every little part and the materials and how everything was put together and!!!!!

Actually, speaking of which, he suggests that she could've used a different type of stitch on the fabric in order to keep all these moving parts together.

To which Artic admits that she doesn't actually know how to sew, she just figured it out from watching him- So he offers to make celebratory pancakes and teach her a thing or two ouo!!

—

I’ve always imagined Greenville looking less… Suburban? Is that the word? Honestly everytime I see canon Greenville it’s a jarring experience aklsfjds

I picture half-timbered style houses, little flower planters in the windowsill, this central farmer’s market type area in the center near that marble gazebo thingy the Onceler performs at.

Maybe there’s a part where the land goes upwards into a hill, and that was made into a dirt path that goes up around the back of the town where you can look over the whole thing!

And there’s a grassy flowery field up there that makes for a perfect picnic spot ouo. Maybe a small pond too!

The whole place just feels more organic and cozy ouo

—

The two of them go into town for the first time, with Artic selling pies and people love it, while the Onceler tries to sell his thneed and you know how that goes.

The look in her eyes when she sees how they're treating him- And the fact that everyone's being so nice to her just makes it worse! They broke his guitar and everything ono

Where's that one meme of someone holding another person and pointing their finger bc THAT'S HER. Just holding this dude way taller than she is and ready to throw hands aslkfjsdf

And when they get back she offers to wash all the tomato out of his clothes and she’s just so sweet and supportive and arghrgksdfd I need to be there for him!!!!!

She finds a buncha seeds in the tomato splatter, so they grow their own tomato plant outside the cottage! Finding good even when things don’t go as planned, and now they get to make a homemade pizza together!!

—

And by this point Artic had built a second set of wings just for him, larger and more built for gliding long distances as opposed to Artic’s more angular high speed wings.

There’s this scene in my head where he’s using the wings for the first time, and he loses balance and almost crashes but Artic swoops in and saves him, and they’re just smiling at each other and akjskdf <3

—

Artic and the Onceler making homemade hot chocolate! They were originally just making it for themselves, but the Lorax showed up like “What are you two makin all this racket about?” along with some other critters, so they ended up making a whole buncha hot chocolate for everybody!!

Here we've only got one rule, never ever let it cool!!

Just this fun montage of them getting everything prepared! What do you MEAN you haven’t seen the hot chocolate scene in the Lorax movie-

Eventually they run out of mugs, so they had to use stuff like bowls and gravyboats- And they had a buncha toppings to go with it! Candy canes and cinnamon sticks and chocolate wafer sticks, and of course a buncha big ol marshmallows ouo

Artic and the Onceler clink their mugs together and everybody sips their drinks and there’s just this big collective sigh of comfort -u-

The Lorax gets a hot chocolate mustache, and if this were a real scene in the movie, I could totally see “double mustache” becoming an old fandom meme

The window’s open and it’s a bit chilly, so Artic goes to shut it, but she can see her breath a little bit. They don’t exactly have a weather forecast out there, but given those clouds in the distance they might get a snowstorm soon!! Her and the Onceler getting all excited about how they’re gonna make snowmen and have snowball fights-

Buuut they realize their little pop-up cottage situation probably isn’t built for that kinda weather. It’s certainly waterproof! I imagine it’s got a top layer of this thick scratchy tarp stuff with fabric underneath?

But either way there’s definitely not enough insulation for the cold. Not to mention the snow could build up on the roof and send the whole thing collapsing in on itself!

Luckily, these two are smart cookies with a love for tinkering. They’ll figure something out! They always do ouo

—

AAAA Artic and the Onceler are just so bright and energetic and full of life!!! Long days and bright skies and goofy little dances and the smell of fresh blueberry pancakes and going to the farmers market and stargazing and working with what you’ve got!

There's always some new invention or adventure or something to explore, just fun slice-of-life shenaniganry! The air is fresh and the sunlight is warm and everything is gonna be alright ouo

Now this whole time they’ve just been friends. Buddies! Business partners, even! But the Onceler thinks he might be starting to have feelings for her… So with no one else to go to, he asks the Lorax for advice.

Though not without a bit of searching first. Geez, where is that guy when you need him?

When asked what he likes about Artic, I mean, just look at her!

She’s brilliant! She made wings and jumped off a cliff and it worked, how crazy is that! She’s just so… Fun! And full of energy and bright like the sun! Oh, and she makes an amazing pie, you’re really missing out- And she listens to me, and we bounce ideas off of each other, and…

She thinks I’m worth something.

Basically these two are obviously crushing on each other but they’re sooo awkward and oblivious about it and the Lorax is just in the background like “KISS EACH OTHER ALREADY”

—

They have soooo many little nicknames for each other- They don't really use "standard" petnames but they'll just go back and forth calling each other all sorts of goofy stuff

Ollie. Butterfly. Hummingbird. Bumblebee. Morning glory. Buttercup. Sunflower. Dragonfly. Dandelion. Sweet pea. Bell pepper. Sweet potato. Milkshake. Apple fritter. Cornbread. Texas toast. Egg sugar salt flour bake at 350 degrees-

—

Suffice to say, neither the Onceler nor Artic had good families. But even if their circumstances were similar, the way they responded to it are near opposites.

The Onceler still wants to believe that his family cares about him.

Given how his family lives in the middle of nowhere, maybe he didn’t leave very often. And between that and a lack of friends, he never had much frame of reference for what’s healthy and normal.

He’s so used to just giving in and doing what they want, in the hopes that eventually they’ll see how hard he’s worked and give him the validation he craves. He set out on this whole journey to prove himself to his family.

He’s always been told that family is important, if not the most important thing out there. Blood runs thicker than water, they say. He still talks to them because they’re his family, how could he ever let them go?

So he keeps convincing himself that if he just tries hard enough, everything will work out. 

—

Meanwhile Artic set out to prove to herself that there’s more to life than a cluttered room.

You go outside and feel fresh air fill your lungs and you remember the world is real again. Those mountains in the distance can be touched! They can be climbed!

There’s a feeling in your chest, in your gut. All the things you never did, all the things you never said. All that pent-up energy built up into the very core of your being and left to fester, acidic and searing through anything it touches.

But it doesn’t feel like that anymore. It hasn’t ever since you came to the valley.

Ever since you left that house you knew you were searching for something, but you could never quite figure out what.

But the answer was right here all along. You were looking for home.

Home is an unfamiliar concept to you. A vague sensation, a faraway daydream, something you never thought you’d see. But it’s here now. You’ve found it.

Open windows. A sunlit room. The smell of a cake in the oven. The soft strumming of music in the air. A warm embrace under soft, heavy blankets. You’re safe. You’re home.

—

Sometimes there are long, tearful nights talking about the past. Both of them coming to the realization that their circumstances were not, in fact, the most normal thing in the world. Nor did they deserve that treatment.

Both of them have been hurting for a long, long time. But in the subtle way, the way that makes you question if you’re just overreacting. A hundred little “not as bad as it could’ve beens”, tucked away in the cabinet.

One night, during one of these talks, Artic asks if she's… Damaged goods, so to speak. Of course to which the Onceler says she's not a burden at all!

We're both fruit in the basket that's been a little battered up but if there's anything he's learned on the farm, it's that overripe bananas make the best banana bread, and sometimes the watermelons with spots and webbing are the sweetest.

Like he just goes on a tangent about ripeness and flavor in crops and it's adorable and she's just watching him with a smile <3

Because now that they’re here, they can start to heal. They’ve found home in each other, and now, they’re never letting go. Figuratively or literally, they’re so snuggly they just cling to each other in their sleep like their lives depend on it

Also Artic has pajamas similar to the Onceler’s! Except they’re pink with offwhite hearts, and with short sleeves and shorts. And socks, specifically the white ones with the gray toe and heel ouo

—

With the sharp ringing of the telephone, the Onceler’s family calls him insisting to know where he is. Not because of his invention, but because they want money from him.

This wasn’t new, and back at the house, he had a habit of hiding his stuff so nobody would steal it. But when his family found out he had been hiding money from them, they’d just guilt trip him into handing it over anyways.

But if you budge on your boundaries, that won’t satisfy them. They’re just gonna keep pushing now that they know the pressure works.

—

So it isn’t long until a trailer barrels through the forest, and boy is it a mess

His family clowning him for living in the middle of the woods and still not amounting to anything, his mom keeps calling Artic his girlfriend (derogatory), everybody’s just trampling around like they own the place.

And while the Onceler is still very intimidated by all this, his movements made stiff with stress, he is able to stand up for himself thanks to Artic’s support. But they still show no signs of leaving.

So, Artic meets up with the Lorax and the animals and gets to planning. After all, they do say that intruders get cursed by the forces of nature…

Through a combination of nature and machine, a buncha little contraptions get set up in the night to scare the Onceler’s family away! And a sigh of relief sweeps through the valley-

When the trailer barreled in and outta there, a lot of trees got trampled and snapped. The leftover wood was then used for firewood, among other things.

The wood itself smells pleasantly sweet when burned, and they discovered that the inner bark makes for a cinnamon-like powder that tastes like butterscotch!

—

And for a while, things are back to normal, with the duo’s latest adventure being exploring the valley, charting it all on a big ol map! But one day…

He’s not quite sure how it happened. Artic was seemingly gone without a trace.

Both of them often split up to do their own thing, so it wasn’t a worry at first, but the day was almost over and she hadn’t even left a note. Maybe she had gotten lost in the valley? But her wings and the map were still at the cottage.

The Lorax says that he spotted her in town earlier, having what was clearly a tense conversation with someone he had never seen. He swore he only looked away for a second, but with that, she was gone like the breeze.

So with that, he grabbed his wings and set out to find her. Without much of a lead, the search took days on foot and hoof and wing alike. But eventually, he found it.

—

A regular old house, or so it would seem, In a place where not even fireflies gleam Grass that grickled and tickled and scratched at your skin A well-worn doormat that beckons you in

And in the dark hues of blues in the night Where clouds came to stifle the full moon’s light All the windows were shut, locked as tight as they could All but one, where a lone figure stood

There behind the curtains Look close and you’ll see Soft blue eyes drip, drip, dripping

—

I’m not exactly sure how her family found her in Greenville, or why they brought her back. I imagine for some kind of family event? But then there was a holiday coming up soon, and this, and this, and before she knew it she was living there again.

And she stayed there because she felt like she didn’t have a choice. That, and, she thought she could help. Her family is struggling, but if she stays any longer, this house threatens to swallow her whole.

Artic looked… Tired. Awfully so. She glanced to the side, almost yelling in surprise as she finally noticed the Onceler standing there at the windowsill sjkfsd

Hushed chatter, a quick kiss, having to hide and pretend to be asleep at one point… The hope in her eyes, accentuated with tears that sparkled in the hazy moonlight, was heartbreakingly bittersweet. I missed you so much.

…I wanna go home.

Then let’s go home.

—

When they get back everything seems all fine and dandy, but Artic can’t help but wonder.

They had bonded over their passion and spirit of adventure. For being as bright as the sun and twice as energetic. For all the ideas they’ve shared and the things they’ve made and the places they’ve been.

But what if she can’t always be like that? Would he still love her then? When she’s tired and scared and can’t get anything done? When she feels as though she could shatter at any moment? When she needs a lot of comfort and encouragement just to keep going?

She resents feeling so down, telling herself that she’s not supposed to be like this. That she’ll just bring everyone down with her.

Is it not Euridice’s fault for dying, for being the reason Orpheus trekked into the underworld? She’s terrified of losing what they have, but even more scared of being the reason it fizzles out.

But she’s brought out of her thoughts as a hand gently pushes the hair out of her face, followed by a dreamy sigh. There she is. There’s the girl he fell in love with.

—

Of course he’ll still love her when she’s feeling blue. How could he not? The Onceler fell in love with her, not just her happiness. How could he not love her in her darkest moments when she did the same for him? How could he not?

And besides, you can’t expect anyone to be happy all the time, especially not with what we’ve been through. You don’t have to be a certain way to be lovable, to be loved. You just are.

I love you. And I’ll say it as many times as I need to convince you.

—

One of these nights, they have dreams of if things were different. If the Onceler achieved incredible success beyond his wildest dreams, but it came at a cost. Of the valley, of his workers, of Artic.

Basically they dream of the Biggering AU, and when they wake up to tell each other the crazy dream they just had, they realize that the events line up perfectly. Some kinda funky shared dream situation

When they go and ask the Lorax about it, he just says that the valley works in mysterious ways.

To which the Onceler scoffs. He can believe a colorful valley and a giant furry peanut, but either of them being magic is too far!

The dream spurs conversation of what could’ve gone differently, if they would change things if they could, and if it would even be worth it.

But while things haven’t been perfect, they have each other, and they wouldn’t trade that for the world. The time will pass anyways, so might as well enjoy it.

They have another shared dream later, but this time it’s all sweet and fluffy with giant fruit ouo

—

Here is the playlist!!

High Hopes: The Onceler setting out on his journey, always keeping his eyes to the skies, even when the light hurts. He’s gonna shine that bright one day. Taking his mother’s words like "burn your biographies" and "light up your wildest dreams" and twisting them into something positive. This song is the embodiment of the Onceler’s optimism.

The Mall & Misery: The journey itself! Passing under archways of branches and leaves, across expanses of sand, over the rivers and through the reeds. Humble beginnings, working with what you’ve got, hope in every step. You are destined for greatness. And somewhere, a girl lives and breathes…

The Once-ler’s Traveling Madness: But yknow, even soon-to-be great inventors get bored sometimes.

World’s Smallest Violin: Meeting Artic!! Wanting to be something more, having ambitions so high it burns in your chest. I don’t think I can properly articulate the magic in this song. “Like finishing this melody / This feels like a necessity / So this could be the death of me / Or maybe just a better me!!”

This Is The Place (Tricky Version): Tricky version my beloveddddd I love how this song shows so much of his personality!! How he just carelessly hops from one thing to the next with a tip of his hat

Onceler Lorax Meet: This is also here just because I love this part of the OST, it’s so fun :D

Put Your Records On: Sunny days and a cool breeze, just Artic and the Onceler in the valley together! Loosening up a little, being goofy and free, calling each other silly nicknames! Believing in the Onceler when no one else did, hoping that his dreams come true ouo

Stars At Our Backs: I just can't help but think of this song when I think of the test flight, or just flying with the wings in general!! The spirit of adventure, the determination to try and try again and make this work, and that part at 2:35 just has this sappy romantic feel to it hehe -u-

Houseguests: Also just part of the OST bc I love it ouo

Everybody Needs A Thneed: The two of them are brainstorming songs to help him sell his thneed, and this is what Artic comes up with! There’s a little scene of her performing it in the cottage and it’s just delightful :D

Nobody Needs A Thneed: Another banger of a scrapped song!! ALSO THIS STORYBOARD IS CANON. TO ME.

Yesterday: Based on this hc!! In terms of story, this could be him still feeling down after failing to sell the thneed, playing the melodica since his guitar isn’t fixed yet.

Fine: Artic, the Lorax, and the animals cheering him up! Making him feel welcome, showing him that this isn’t the end. Another representation of his persistent optimism, and even the guitar in the song shows that it’s been fixed! ouo

September: Just soft and cozy and whimsical vibes -u-

Hot Chocolate: HOT CHOCOLATE SCENE MY BELOVEDDD :D This song is what inspired it in the first place!!

All I Want For Christmas Is You: THIS SONG. This has been stuck in my head for so long because of him. I JUST WANNA SEE MY BABYY STANDING THERE OUTSIDE MY DOOR- And the Onceler unironically loves this song, he’s suuuch a Christmas guy

Yes to Heaven: I struggle to describe what this one means. Somewhere between the Onceler being able to stand up to his family with Artic’s support, them realizing their love for each other, and how this is an AU where he doesn’t destroy the environment and it’s just peaceful ouo

With You Around: AND ALL MY LIFE I LOOKED FOR YOUUUU FOR ARMS THAT I COULD FALL INTOOOOO- If the Onceler family leaving marked the end of the movie, this is the opening to part two :D

Moon: There’s this scene where they make their way up a super tall hill that peeks above the clouds, taking in the view <3 Also there’s a single truffula fruit up there that’s the sweetest they’ve ever tasted

Search for the Girl: What the title says, the Onceler and his search for the missing Artic!

If I Needed You: Finding her and taking her home…….. Also it’s sung by Ed Helms ouo

Home: And here’s the part where I start crying if I haven’t already- They’re home now….. They’re safe….. They know each other better than anyone and the future is the soft glow of the sun peeking through the curtains on a brisk morning <3

We Fell in Love in October: I love you. And I’ll say it as many times as I need to convince you. AAAAAUGH

Go To Sleep!: Now with all that being said, it’s late and you have a bad habit of staying up. Time for eepy

Butterfly Wings: The shared dream plot! Also butterfly is one of the Onceler’s favorite nicknames for Artic <3

Strawberry Avalanche: A direct reference to the last dream with its giant fruit, just something unabashedly sweet and fluffy after everything these two have been through ouo

Sweet Little Bumblebee: Yeah I have no lore explanation for this I just like imagining them dancing to this song. Also sometimes the Onceler calls her bumblebee!

Hamtaro Credits: Artic finds some old Hamtaro DVDs in town so they watch some episodes together and it’s just nice and nostalgic. I picture them trying to do the little credits dance, and it makes for a cute end to the playlist ouo

—

And lastly, if you made it this far, here's an old sketch of the hot chocolate scene that I really wanna fully draw someday :D

[ask-ozai]

Hi, Phoneix king Ozai! If somehow Zuko gives you freedom, what will you do? Will you try to usurp the throne ? Or will you try to make the world a better place with the help of the avatar (or atleast try to help the fire nation(For that you should become Zuko's minister)) ? Or will you try to have some daddy-daughter time with your daughters? Or Will you try impress your excess wife? Or will you decide to have a brand new family? .....

How will you try to spend your time ????

-From your foreverloyalist

It makes very little sense to think about that possibility, even as a fantasy. I am not delusional yet and the soup may have cactus juice in it, but not that much. Zuko's reign is already fragile enough with me and Azula still alive. And that fragility has forced him to resort to one of the oldest strategies in populism: blaming the previous government. That is, me. Zuko cannot afford to free me even if I could solve all of the nation's problems. (And I can, but Zuko insists on making things harder than they have to be with that human rights nonsense. They're going to eat him alive).

But let's pretend for a moment that Zuko one day hits his head and starts making good decisions like getting me out of here: he would still be forced to confine me to house arrest for the rest of my life (where I would at least have access to a bathroom and a bed, although probably not to better food, Zuko is determined that only I eat this soup) or banish me. He can't afford the luxury of freeing me or many people would try to organize a coup. Even the worst idiot knows this, so there's no way Zuko doesn't know it.

But let's continue developing the fantasy and say that he somehow decides that it is best to banish me. I think the first thing I would do is trying to get Azula out of the madhouse. (If she hasn't escaped yet, the information on this is very confusing). Although it would be very difficult to achieve. Freeing Azula is the one thing Zuko would never do, because everyone would prefer Azula on the throne instead of him. The people would prefer Azula. The court would prefer Azula. Even Zuko would prefer Azula. My son makes very bad decisions, but I want to believe that he is not self destructive on purpose.

Which would leave me with only one purpose in life: to do whatever it takes to get my firebending back.

When Zhao returned from his year-long stay with the giant owl he told me that on the island where Iroh killed the last dragon, people have secrets about healing and firebending (in the case of anything Zhao said back then could be trusted, I don't forget that he came back convinced that destroying the moon was a good idea). Unlike Iroh and my father, I never believed much in the importance of spirituality. But my will and perseverance have always been made of steel. I was the best firebender in the world not only because of the power I was born with, but also because of the strength of my character.

You mentioned my wife (Because Ursa is my wife, no matter how many playthings she has. We don't have divorces here like the savages from the Earth Kingdom) and my second daughter (Because it's absurdly obvious that the child is mine no matter how much Ursa insists she's a bastard. She melted a huge steel door, for Agni's sake. What even is wrong with Ursa). It's not a bad idea to take them with me on my quest to recover my bending, after throwing Ikea off the balcony. It would save time, since they would eventually return to my side anyway. Kiyi has immense potential that should not be wasted making wooden swords with Ikea. Most likely I would have to kidnap them, however, but they would get over it. And then it would be possible to get Azula out of the madhouse.

We would give Zuko a taste of his own soup medicine.