#I’ll work on coves colors in the future | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

fizziefizzco · 4 years ago

Text

A to Z of LynnCove: E is for Eternity

A quick look at a bright future

This was supposed to be posted yesterday but I had a bit of a panic attack so that did not happen :] Sorry about that!! Here’s a long one to make up for it <3

-------------------------------------------------

Even though it was his day off, Cove still woke up to his alarm in the morning. He wasn’t a natural morning person, and needed the extra push in order to wake up most mornings. The sun filtered in through the semi-opaque curtains of his bedroom, and the 25 year old man groaned softly as he moved to turn his alarm off and grab his glasses. Just as soon as he slipped them on his face, did the sliding barn door to the bedroom open to an eager little Chesapeake Bay Retriever that bounded over to him and licked at the free hand that laid off the side of the bed.

“Well good morning to you too, Fleche.” Cove hummed and petted the not-quite puppy , but not quite an adult dog, her coat was soft yet a little wet, as Fleche was a very messy eater. At the little girl’s insistence, Cove swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, stretching in the light of the summer sun after he opened the curtains. Just as he stood up, the smell of breakfast cooking reached Cove’s nose. “Ah. So this is what you were sent here to do. Already had your breakfast, little girl?” Fleche pushed against Cove’s legs, not even looking up at him to answer his question.

The house he lived in at age 25 was nothing short of beautiful. A small beach house right close to the water, it was like something out of a dream when he found it. Gorgeous wood floors, an overall hawaiian feeling to it (for being in southern california) and the best view ever…. Well, the beach was good too.

[Rest Under the Cut]

His view, though, came in the form of a person’s back being turned to him as they stood in the kitchen, cooking breakfast. Tall and angular, the years had been very kind to them, and their hair was long and in its natural color, a warm brown. There was a tattoo on their left calf of a crab surrounded by poppies, one that matched his own of a dolphin that resided on his lower back. They didn’t hear him coming, but Cove wasn’t one for pulling pranks, that thankfully, was his spouse’s forte. Cove walked up behind them, gently wrapping large arms around their waist and nuzzling his face in their hair.

“Good Morning sleepyhead.” They spoke, not turning their head to look over at him.

“ Mornin’ Lynn.” Cove returned, pressing a kiss to his spouse’s cheek.

Lynn and Cove had changed a lot over the years in terms of likes and appearances. Lynn, who had once been asked to model thanks to their beautiful and femmine figure, was now a lot more androgynous after some soul searching, and a wonderful support network. Cove fit the more masculine look, and looked a lot more like his father, but that same look betrayed his soft and shy personality.

“What are you making?” Cove asked after Lynn turned to look back at him and to get a kiss. Lynn smiled warmly as they turned back to the pan, and what was cooking inside it.

“Pancakes. I made some separate ones for me, these are your pancakes.” Cove had only been half-listening after they mentioned that they made pancakes, the hungry thoughts of food filling his mind as he let go of his spouse.

“I’ll set the table. What do you want to drink?” Cove asked, rubbing his eyes with a wide yawn. Lynn shrugged as they flipped one of the pancakes.

“Orange juice sounds good.” Lynn said nonchalantly, to which Cove nodded and grabbed the bottle from their fridge, which was decorated with many tourist magnets as well as photos, ads, and sticky notes.

Sooner, breakfast was finished cooking. Lynn served Cove’s plate first, and then their own at their small nook that served as their dining table. Fleche had run off to nap in a sunny spot on the couch, their living area being an open floor plan. The two of them weren’t perfect, as many people seemed to still believe, but they worked well and communicated with each other - which led to such a strong relationship. They had their own things that they did, and own friends, but they still did a lot together as a couple - one thing they loved doing, even now, was going for a surf on their days off. Cove wanted to ask Lynn if they were up to the idea.

“Are you up for surfing today, husband?” Lynn asked, as though they’d read Cove’s mind. A mischievous smile danced on their lips, and Cove wasn’t sure if they could...or if they were just messing with him, but he felt like they knew.

“Yes.”He squeaked out, a blush appearing on his features.

The topic soon, even though it was their day off, developed into talking about work. At age 25, Cove was a chef and organizer for a local charity kitchen. It wasn’t a glamorous job, certainly, but it was one that he enjoyed doing. People loved him, and he was able to talk easier with the vulnerable people he taught to cook. Lynn’s hard work their entire life paid off, and they were a zookeeper, taking care of marine animals at the zoo’s aquarium. Their work and his helped pay for their gorgeous house, and dog.. And the nice set of savings for when they would try for children.

The trip to the beach was as mundane as it always was, but for the two of them - every moment was magical as they ran around the water near their home. Fleche loved to play fetch with them when they went out on their surfboards, she could swim really far and would bring back the frisbee they threw each time. Fleche was also a very good girl as well, when they set her back on land and went at it surfing; the waters near their home were a prime spot for waves but were unknown except for by the locals. There was a kid that always came by to watch them, and the two of them often joked how much it was like they were already parents.

After coming home from the beach and taking a shower, the couple split off and would do their own things on their day off. For Cove it consisted of testing a new muffin recipe that he wanted to surprise Lynn with, as well as getting in a few chapters of his new book, and watering the plants they were growing on their porch. For Lynn, their free time consisted of watching a new soccer match, a few crosswords during lulls in the game, working more on a painting they were doing, and unfortunately answering emails as the newest intern was a complete klutz but Lynn was very very patient.

That night was time though for the two of them to get dressed up for a joint-family dinner. The Holdens and The Chos started it after Lynn went off for college and Cove moved out, though the individual families would still have separate dinners from time to time. It was much better with everyone though. Kyra still lived in Nevada, working ever hard on her writing - she had a boyfriend recently though, last time Cove and Lynn saw her. As for Mr. Holden, he’d gotten married the last summer, to a lovely woman named Aya who owned a flower shop, but Cove was still not sure about her. Mom and Ma were doing really well for themselves, taking it easy but still being the life of their country club. As for Lizzie… well, as much as Lynn’s older sister loved to joke about her lil sibling doing all the big milestones before her, there was one thing that she didn’t count on. Lizzie had a kid, and with her oldest friend no less. Shiloh and Lizzie had met again after that awkward encounter, and he’d apologized to her, with real feelings. They weren’t married yet or anything but things were going well for them, and they’d had a kid. Bertie, who was three. Lynn loved the little guy, and even though Cove and Shiloh were still awkward around each other as ever - the Holden-Cho family was good.

“Do you have the thing you told Ma you’d bring?” Lynn waved their hand over to Cove who laughed as he took a container out of the fridge.

“Of course. I made sure to tell Claude that she liked it so much when she came to visit. And yes, he promised to stop hitting on her.” He responded to his spouse’s question, watching as they slid earrings in while grabbing their keys. Lynn stopped short before doing anything else , feeling their husband’s eyes on their back the entire time.

“Can I help you, Mr. Holden?” Lynn’s face split into a sly, seductive smirk. Cove bit his lip as he went to grab his coat from the counter barstool.

“Why no, Mx.Holden, I was just admiring my ravishing spouse. You never cease to amaze me.” He mumbled as he closed the distance to them, Lynn using their hands to move his to their waist.

“And you never cease to be the cheesiest man alive. You’ve got to stop hanging out with those boys.” Lynn’s words were drawn from their lips as Cove pressed a kiss to them. No makeup, but lip balm this night. Cove pressed another kiss, and then another to his spouse’s lips, before pressing their foreheads together with a happy, contented sigh.

“Normally I love being home with our families, but..”

“But..?”

“But I’d rather much take you back to our bedroom and show you how much I appreciate you.”

Lynn laughed at that and pulled away, heading to the shoe rack and front door.

“Come on handsome. I’ll let you show me later tonight.” Lynn slid some cute flats on, their slender fingers brushing against the anklet around their … well, ankle. Before heading for the door, Lynn shot a look back at their blushing husband, whose hands were empty.

“Don’t forget the food.”

#our life beginnings & always #Our Life #Cove Holden #OC: Lynn Cho #Cove Holden x Lynn Cho #mywriting

11 notes · View notes

plush-anon · 4 years ago

Text

Happy Halloween Scooby Doo! Review

Muahahhhahahhahahaha! Thanks to the Walmart tradition of stocking movies for sale weeks before the intended release date, I have myself a copy of what claims to be Scooby Doo’s FIRST Halloween adventure!

…in spite of movies like Witch’s Ghost and Goblin King, holiday specials like WNSD’s A Scooby Doo Halloween (which had a haunted Scarecrow too…), BCSD’s EL Bandito (for Dia de los Muertos - obvs not the same, but most companies act like it) and Halloween, The NSDM’s Halloween Hassle at Dracula’s Castle, and the DTV short film Scooby Doo and the Spooky Scarecrow (which, ironically enough, did NOT take the opportunity to feature Dr. Jonathan Crane).

So let us take a look now at Happy Halloween Scooby Doo! and see whether this film will be a graveyard smash of a treat, or a black licorice bomb of disappointment.

Full review (and SPOILERS TO GO WITH IT) are below the cut in my new review format; if all goes smoothly, I’ll go with this for future Scooby films.

WARNING: This review is very long.

One minor note before we begin: the Special Features actually include BCSD’s Halloween, WNSD’s A Scooby Doo Halloween, and PNSD’s Ghost Who’s Coming to Dinner

...so they were AWARE this was not the first Halloween adventure of the Scooby gang, and yet still use that tag line. Hm.

Still, kudos for including them - this’ll help boost the reasons to keep this movie, if it turns out to be a real Milk Dud of a movie *ba-dum tish* :D

-----------

The movie starts off rather abruptly, actually - no slow pan over the setting, just WB Animation credit and BOOM, we’ve cut to a Halloween parade and Elvira is talking.

I’m of a mixed opinion including Elvira on top of having Bill Nye and a Batman Rogue - while she most certainly fits the Scooby aesthetic, it doesn’t feel as grand an impact after her weird little cameo in Return to Zombie Island (ugh) and I’m not sure how well the movie will balance her in wait a minute

wait just a

WAIT A MINUTE

Did - did that parade float skeleton just sing Crystal Cove as the town’s name?

oh no.

Oh No.

....also their song is terrible and they should feel terrible.

-------

Fred: We got him! Banh Mi Shop, second floor!

me: the heck is a Banh Mi Shop? *mild googling noises*

So I guess Jonathan Crane really had a craving for a Vietnamese sandwich before he enacted his Halloween scheme.

...you think he’s a lemongrass chicken type of guy or a BBQ pork guy? It’s always hard to guess at these things, esp when coffee and pumpkin spice aren’t on the table (as per fanon, of course)

-----

Velma: We have a flawless track record!

So I guess WB is just gonna ignore the past few DTV retcons established in 13 Ghosts and Return to Zombie Island?

I mean that rather defeats the purpose of them existing at all, but fcuk YEAH I can get behind throwing that retcon garbage out of canon!

And STAY OUT!!

------

Shaggy, talking about ghosts being real: I’m like the boy who cried wolf - I keep warning you but like, you won’t believe me until I finally get eaten!

Yet again, Warner Bros makes a wolf reference to Shaggy. Yet again, I am torn asunder between wanting werewolf!Shaggy in a new Scooby property, and fearing for the appearance of werewolf!Shaggy in a new Scooby property.

-------

Velma: Point is, being afraid is a waste of time!

Scarecrow, LITERALLY EXPLODING THROUGH A BRICK WALL three buildings away:

------

He’s floating through the air and t-posing to assert his dominance 🤣🤣🤣

Gods bless animation 😁

------

Daphne @ Shag and Scoob locking themselves in the van: Are you serial?

Me: wait, SERIAL? *re-reads captions* yup, that says “serial”.

Is this an editing mistake? I don’t think that works here…unless that’s supposed to be a joke on how they always do this. But then why would that be an irritating surprise, they literally do this EVERY episode 🙄

-------

Oh hey, Red Herring’s Party Screams truck has Red Herring running out of it

Could this be a hint to how the story goes? The villain appearing on a literal Red Herring?

Naaaaaah, WB’s not THAT smart

-------

So if we take @captainbaddecisions crack theory on Jonathan Crane being Shaggy’s uncle seriously, does this mean that Jonathan is using magic to fly, float fear toxin orbs around himself, and making things explode, a la the family trait of Crack Theory A?

Logically he’s probs using wires or magnets or some shit, but it’s a fun thought to entertain 😁

------

Welp, we finally get the opening credits! … with Jonathan Crane smashing through the Mystery Machine’s windshield, set to a slow poppy song straight from the 60s, and spewing the title of the film out in glittery pink mist.

All the while Scooby and Shaggy throw candy at each other, deliberately obtuse to the cloud of fear toxin enveloping their friends and the townsfolk, the steady destruction of the Mystery Machine they’re laying in as multiple cars crash into it and send it spiraling, and the general mayhem and destruction that Scarecrow is causing

Never change, guys, never change

--------

I just choked on my lemonade

There’s an article plastered to the roof of the Mystery Machine titled “Talking Dog Confounds, Ignites Ethics Debate Over Dog Labor”

ahahahahaha

-------

Annnnnnnnd there goes the Mystery Machine, tumbling in the air and over the roads with Shaggy and Scooby still inside without seat belts. Will they perish in this horrible road accident? Will Death finally come to claim them at last?

Of course not. This is Shaggy and Scooby we’re talking about - I’m almost positive they can survive anything up to and including a nuclear bomb. This is child’s play to them.

-------

So they “capture” Scarecrow… by pinning his cape to a tree with crossbow bolts.

And they do not try to at least tie up his arms or his hands in ANY capacity.

JUST the cape.

...you know, Velma, for a team with a “flawless” track record, you guys are making a hecking TON of mistakes in facing against one of Batman’s ROGUES GALLERY, ESPECIALLY with no Batman in sight, good freakin’ grief. 😩

------

Yaaaaaaaaas, this Scarecrow design is LUSH

He’s got the lank, the height, the BTAS costume colors, the elongated face with beaky nose and pointed chin and angular cheekbones, the eyebags like Gucci, the furrowed brow… honestly the only thing missing is the more reddish color hair, and even that isn’t mandatory. I love 😍

Not to mention the HOT DAYUM voice he has - low and velvet rough and so godsdamned particular in a way that could either tie in to obscuring a southern accent as in fanon or just as a stringent academic, oh my yes. He’s voiced by someone called Dwight Schultz, who’s most well known for playing Captain ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock in the OG A-Team show, and someone called Reginald Barclay in Star Trek TNG and Voyager, if any of y’all know that character in particular.

And of course, the first line he says is a delightfully wry “Oh, but I AM getting away with it,” with the sort of smirk that absolutely lends credence to why he’s a threat to Batman, and not some simpering wimp that can be defeated with some crossbow bolts in a tree.

I think I’m going to enjoy this movie at least somewhat, so long as we get to see him 🥰🥰🥰

(tho on a side note: Daphne why on EARTH are you trying to film Crane saying the meddling kids line? Do you have a video compilation of past villains who’ve done that, and you hope to add his to it? Was your phone damaged when you went up against the Riddler a few DTVs ago and you want a second shot at recording a Gotham Rogue saying it? Bc I don’t think a Gotham Rogue would be too pleased with seeing himself as a Mystery Meme on the Youtubes, you get what I’m saying?)

-------

Okay, so the floating orb things are explained away as fear toxin bomb drones somehow… despite looking nothing like the other drones and being much smaller with no visible propulsion, while also flying unassisted through and around objects to explode against places once flung…

(tho interesting note, none of them are aimed directly at the crowds, just behind them - odd, that)

But how did he heckin’ FLY at the beginning?

Yeah, they show him wearing wrist-mounted grappling hooks at the end of the intro song sequence, but they are NOWHERE IN SIGHT at the beginning - and I do mean in sight, since he emerges against a backdrop of flames. There was nothing there (see the T-pose above for further evidence), and nothing there when he FLEW THROUGH THE MYSTERY MACHINE’S WINDSHIELD AND FLEW BACK OUT AGAIN. And these things are pale silver, which stands out like crazy against the darker backgrounds, so no hand-wavy ‘they were always being used’ bullcrap we’ve seen in other movies.

Hmmm *scribbles in notepad* note to self, add notation concerning Crack Theory A on magic!Shaggy to “Uncle Crane” theory files - evidence denotes that Crane is able to fly (or at least hover in mid-air unassisted) for terrorization purposes. May boost strength of CTA by family association, lending credence to magic inheritance along the bloodline...

------

“Avocado Toast Generation”? Crane, I honestly don’t know if you really mean that, or if you understand just how much that phrase gets under any Millennial/Gen Z kid’s skin. Having seen multiple variations of your character, it really could swing either way (tho kudos on the dead switch idea - very nice 👍🏻)

Although this does lead to an interesting stand-off: Fred, upon seeing the town threatened with 3 days worth of fear toxin, immediately moves to let Crane go, while Velma stops him and refuses to consider compromising if it means Crane escapes. They both look legitimately frustrated at the other for taking the stance they do.

Fascinating~

------

Hmmm

Crane honey, I don’t know if your drones are made of flash paper and hope, or if Scooby and Shaggy are using the reeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaally old candy (the stuff made about ~3 years ago most neighborhoods give out to the teenagers that knock around midnight on Halloween) to shoot them down, but either way you may wish to speak with the manufacturer about this

Then again, this IS Shaggy and Scooby - they probably could’ve spat marshmallows at the drones and brought them down with equal success and explosions

(and good on them for shooting those down! Atta boy 👍🏻)

-------

Aw dang it

1. They still have Crane captured and now in handcuffs (despite having… you know… NOT been bound by anything except cross bolts in his curtain cape thing)

2. Dwight Schultz has decided to pitch his voice higher and more nasally than what he has. Hopefully this is more of an incredulous sort of pitch than something that sticks for the rest of the movie, ugh.

Also, I think they’re framing the movie to be more Velma-centric this time around - she’s the one explaining to Crane how they tracked him down, apparently through a piece of fan mail he sent Elvira (is that the only reason she’s there? Also why was Velma examining random pieces of fan mail for toxins, Elvira probs gets hundreds a week irl) and it looks like they’re framing something up on how fear isn’t something you can pretend isn’t there. neat!

------

whajit

53rd?

53rd?!?!

ONLY 53rd?!?!?!?!

Boooo, Scarecrow’s WAY more popular than that! I call foul

---

Okay why is Daphne’s schtick so far to spit laaaaaaame slang after every sentence Velma says

I would rather this not be her schtick

Actually could she go back to filming mystery stuff, bc at least I can pretend it’ll build into the OG Zombie Island Daphne

----

Phew, his voice has returned to its low, raspy goodness

also, Crane needs to learn about personal space, good grief

(interesting clue brought up tho - Crane only steals tech that CAN’T leak his toxin, ergo it can’t be tracked until he releases it. Sensible use, given that Batman probs tracks it if it does.)

----

Velma: I’m not afraid of you, Crane. Fear is an illogical reaction to an imagined threat.

Crane:

-----

Crane: Fearless, then. Intelligent. Proud and stubborn. You remind me very much of the one person in this world I care about.

uhhhhhh

Yourself? Harley? Edward Nygma? Ichabod the raven? Idk, I’m honestly curious as to where this thread will go 🤔🤔🤔

-----

Fred, leaning against the Mystery Machine: Guys, it’s gonna be okay. She told me!

O_o

Fred? Honey? Are you sure you weren’t supposed to join Crane in the transport vehicle back to Arkham?

----

OH SWEET JESUS SHAGGY GREW YAOI HANDS

WHAT THE HECK

THAT’S WAY MORE UNNERVING THEN YOU GUYS NOT BEING AFRAID ANYMORE

(although the fact that they’re both unsettled by NOT constantly shaking or having their heart racing is honestly kind of heartbreaking. Y’all need therapy, good grief)

----

Shaggy and Scooby just chewed up candy (wrapper and all) to make themselves a Halloween costume of… what looks like barfed-up candy (ew)

Before then proceeding to dance so well that everyone around them also starts dancing in a 60s-70s era rainbow light show and giving them candy

I worry for these two sometimes - that kind of power seems to be getting to their head 😬😬😬

---

Oh hey, acid green toxic waste is spilling from an 18-wheeler onto the Fear Toxin drones and emitting a purple pink haze that envelops a pumpkin patch! That won’t do anything suspicious at all I bet!

(wait is Poison Ivy going to come into this at some point)

(also major kudos to the music here - very 80s horror synth, I like)

----

So the Pumpkins have grown faces, limbs, consciousness, the ability to fly and a lust for human flesh

And they appear to be led by the Pumpkin King of the Pumpkin Patch mentioned in the Charlie Brown Halloween special

He’s not as friendly as I pictured him being, sadly 😕

---

Why is this random ass cop coming up to FD&V to say that they’re in over their heads�� AFTER the mystery’s been solved?

Like dude, you’re only making yourself suspicious at this point, go home

----

Huh, interesting - the gang are being interviewed for a tv news network while they’re considered the town heroes

Why am I getting bad vibes from this…

Eh, it’s probably nothing

----

Velma: {Shaggy and Scooby} are, um… REALLY into the Halloween spirit.

Shaggy: THIS ISN’T COSPLAY, VELMA!

I’m dying 😂

------

Holy Shit

Velma just snapped and went off on Shaggy and Scooby for acting scared and doing nothing to help wrap up the mystery

(even though these guys are the ONLY reason that the gang didn’t have to choose between setting Scarecrow free and poisoning the entire town for 3 days straight, but hey, what do I know - I’m just writing an in-depth reaction post to this movie and taking note of details like this, clearly I know nothing *eye roll*)

Last time I saw Velma critique the guys’ usual mystery solving shenanigans, it was much more low-key and without knowing they were nearby

But I’m sure that’s just a coincidence

------

What the

Bills?

Bills?!?!

Fred just mentioned that fixing the Mystery Machine was going to leave a hefty bill and that they may need to get dishwashing jobs to earn money

Which is more of a job you might expect a high schooler to get on the go and yet

They actually have to pay bills

How old are they here??!

------

wait a tic

THIS is how they introduce Bill Nye?

He just calls up Velma with no explanation other than Velma saying “Oh hey, it’s Bill Nye!”

I just - what?!?!

How do you know him so well that he can just pull up your number and call you, and then geT YOU A NEW FREAKING CAR LIKE

WHAT?!?!?!?

Was there a Scooby episode with him in the past two years where the fcuk did this come from

------

Also the car is dressed like Bill Nye

And he can talk to the gang directly as the car

So that he can solve mysteries with them whenever he wants

This… this was not what I was expecting to come about from the Bill Nye cameo

(alas, poor predictions of being Crane’s roommate, you will not come to pass this day) 😔

-------

Ooooo, purple haze throbbing on the horizon! That’s always a good sign of things to come! 😀

------

And now Daphne’s… asking Elvira to mentor her fashion wise. And Elvira’s taking her on as her unpaid intern/personal assistant.

Yooo, movie, can you pick a direction and stick with it for Daphne? You’ve gone from her spewing outdated slang to wanting a costume for trick-or-treating, and now this.

-------

Welp, now I can say I saw a giant pumpkin dog vore an old woman

I didn’t WANT to see that mind, but I guess I can say it now 😐

------

OH SHIT NO

IT TURNED HER INTO A FLYING PUMPKIN SHAPED LIKE HER FACE

ABSOLUTELY UNSETTLING, 0/10 WOULD NOT RECOMMEND

-------

At least we get a nice scene of Daphne kicking the pumpkins’ collective butt

Something normal

------

Elvira: WOW! You’re a regular Mary Sue!

*falls over cackling*

------

And now there’s a giant purple fissure opening up in the concrete to swallow the town of Crystal Cove whole

(good, i whisper softly into the darkness of my living room. Let it fall)

--------

Man, I feel so bad for this single father right now

He’s gotten wrapped up in all of this nonsense with his daughter, and he is just Distraught at being chased by Jackal Lanterns, having the town collapsing under his feet, and having to gorge jump in his sedan to get away from the worst of it

It’s okay, Mike Dad - we would feel the same way in your shoes

-------

Hologram Bill Nye is wearing Cat ears and cat whiskers/nose, and is cleaning his hands like a cat cleans its paws

Why was this the movie we found out Bill Nye was a furry

Why Warner Bros

Why would you inflict this upon us in a Scooby Doo-Scarecrow mystery

-------

Hey, can Jonathan Crane return now? The movie needs its dignity back.

------

A clue on the whys here - the town was built on top of a MASSIVE lithium deposit, with the talks to mine it being scrapped due to environmental concerns. That’s actually a decent lead in for why some

-------

Welp

The Jackal Lanterns just went full Mad Max with the Halloween Parade floats and cars

No, I don’t have any idea why either, just roll with it

-------

Nice, they confirmed that Fred’s full name is still Frederick Herman Jones XD

Also a great little action sequence with Daphne - while there’s not much movement, they frame the scene dynamically, with some good quick wordplay. Very nice.

--------

Velma has a mind palace

Aight

--------

Velma: Shaggy, I could kiss you!

Oh, to hear this as a child, when I still hardcore shipped Shelma *sigh*

------

Oh thank gods we’re going back to Scarecrow again

------

Shaggy ate some Scooby Snacks, leapt out of a moving vehicle, and onto the backs of two flying pumpkins that he promptly reined in to fly to Crane’s prison transport

...yet again, I am amazed at the sentences I am led to type for Scooby Doo DTVs

------

Ah, how very Hannibal Lector of you, Jon

Man, he actually looks very meek in normal clothes - red long-sleeved shirt and grey slacks

-----

Hmmm

So Crane ISN’T behind the Jackal Lanterns - in fact he’s outright befuddled by them. This means his whole spiel to Velma earlier about both of them being caught in the same trap was… metaphorical? The breakdown doesn’t actually go into WHY he thinks they’re in the same trap - Crane’s whole schtick is tied to accepting fear, not denying it, so why would they be the same?

Either way, someone is using both him and Mystery Inc to do something to Crystal Cove (please be Red Herring, please be Red Herring, please be Red Herring)

Actually, that reference at the beginning really WAS a red herring - they framed it as being Jon the whole time when it wasn’t. Kudos!

Additional kudos to having Jon be seen more out of mask than in - he is a looker, and I aim to look as much as I can ;)

-------

Annnnd Daphne’s now trying to convince Elvira to switch clothes with her

I don’t get it - how on earth did we get from Daphne trying to find a good costume for trick-or-treating to asking Elvira to switch oh there it is nevermind.

-----

There is literally a scene where a giant buzzsaw is slicing towards Crane

and he just

stares at it

going “huh, that’s different”

And I LOVE IT

------

And here we have another fascinating scene: Velma going to free Crane from his cell, as Daphne tells her to just leave him to die by pumpkin

I’m wondering if they meant to draw a parallel between the two here - Velma starts by reciting a nursery rhyme, then overcoming her fears in order to release madness to take control. It’s not done very cleanly - mainly bc we barely have any time with Crane in this movie - but I wonder if they meant to insinuate that Crane was like Velma once, where he refused to acknowledge he was afraid, which caused him to lose focus on his initial goals

Idk, ignore my ramblings

---

Crane, smirking: I’ll need my personal effects - extenuating circumstances.

Me, fanning myself: I’ll need you to remove yours first

(i am not even kidding, Crane is an absolute DILF in this movie and it flusters me. Stupid sexy animation)

---

YAAAAAAAAAAASSSSS

SCARECROW TO THE MOTHERFCUKING RESCUE BABY, SCYTHE AND FCUKING ALL!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

----

FCUK YEAH THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

HE HAS A DANCE LIKE QUALITY WITH SOME OF HIS FIGHTING MOVES

VIOLENT DANCING BRINGS THE GIANT JACKAL LANTERN DOWN BABY

THEN HE BACKFLIPS AND GYMNASTIC SWINGS INTO THE VAN

ROCK IT SCARECROW FCUKING ROCK IT

(minor note here, but the subtitles show Dr. Crane instead of Scarecrow - unsure if that’s more that the movie calls him Dr Crane or if it indicates he’s acting more heroic than villainous)

---

GODDAMNIT

THE GIANT PUMPKIN SNUCK VINES INTO THE VAN AND STOLE HIM BACK

WHEN CRANE WAS... wearing a seatbelt before, but isn’t now.

...

BOOOOO

---

Yet again, we find a Scooby movie that attempts character development, but with Velma

Unlike Shaggy’s Showdown however, I’m mixed on how successful it is.

For starters, Velma hasn’t been this cocksure in other DTVs we’ve seen, so it’s a bit odd to see it now. While not 100% out of place - after all, the gang DID capture one of Batman’s Rogues Gallery on their own - it still feels a touch forced. Compare that to Shaggy’s Showdown, where Shaggy has ALWAYS been a coward (one that, in more recent years, writers have had willing to abandon his friends for safety), so the character development there feels more natural.

The progression of events with Velma actually work somewhat okay - but again, here’s where past DTVs come to bite them in the ass. The past handful have had the gang be wrong, have had them fail, or catch the wrong guy. This makes Velma’s attitude here at odds with the other films, something that sticks more due to a character that’s appeared in the past few films as a minor inconvenience - a Sheriff who keeps telling the gang not to interfere, they’re doing things wrong, etc. If this had been a character who was completely wrong in the past AND SHOWN TO BE WRONG FOR HIS OPINIONS, while the gang never guessed wrong, this would work much better. Unfortunately, it doesn’t, and here we are.

I think it would have flowed better if Velma’s cockiness came solely from catching Crane on their own. Have a random cop character or reporter or whatever (just not the recurring cop), insinuate that the gang is in too deep with Scarecrow, that he should be handled by the adults or professionals or whatever. Velma could bristle, overcompensate, and THEN fall from her pedestal like we see, reach out to the gang and commiserate over feeling scared, and grow. Again, it’s not too far to reach for, but they handle it poorly; as a result, the outcome feels a little more shoehorned in.

It’s an honest shame, bc we haven’t had a Velma centered story since Frankencreepy, and we all remember what a hideous fcuking mess THAT was *shudders*. Still, it somewhat gets its point across, I guess.

---

Fred why did you rip your shirt off

Actually better question why do you not have nipples

---

Awwwwwww

Velma just apologized to Shag and Scoob for snapping at them earlier, and admits how she doesn’t appreciate how much they make Mystery Inc what it is

Also she eats a Scooby Snack with them and admits they taste pretty good

----

Huh

Velma’s mind palace is the Mystery Machine driving through space

Also Shaggy and Scooby are able to telepathically follow her in and communicate with her

Literally, they actually followed her into her head telepathically, and show her their memories of things she hasn’t gotten to see tonight (while also possibly enhancing her ability to remember things, given how much DETAIL she captures perfectly of things that she would maybe have glimpsed in a millisecond AT MOST)

...another tally for Crack Theory A of magic! Shaggy and Scooby *scribbles*

-------

Fred, be very very thankful that there are no people operating those pumpkins in person cause uhhhh

Those traps would be spraying red instead of orange

------

Another weird music choice - the gang goes up to fight the Jackal Lanterns, but the music is the same 60s bubble we heard earlier

Not terribly atmospheric, really

(wouldn’t a Smashing Pumpkins cover of Scooby Doo be more appropriate, or did you guys spend all your money on hiring Elvira and Bill Nye?)

------

Dang

Velma just admitted her fears and jumped into the mouth of the Mega Pumpkin, before getting Fred to use the app from earlier to shut it down, revealing it to be a giant drone surrounded by smaller pumpkin drones

This feels… counterintuitive, but I’ll try to explain at the end

---

Okay

I’ll admit it

The Whodunnit is actually pretty decent in concept

There was a sprinkling of tidbits that could be assembled for the final conclusion and still make a decent amount of sense, all to find the sheriff doing it

Only he isn’t a sheriff

He’s a former Tech CEO who was also busted by the gang years ago in a case the Sheriff kept bringing up throughout the movie - due to his prison sentence, he lost more than half his wealth and the opportunity to expand it further with the Crystal Cove Lithium deposits

He was also someone who sold tech to Crane for his fear toxin distribution, where he got the idea to frame him for it

(tho on a side note, Crane is an absolute dork and a terrible liar - just look at the email he sent XD and that profile pic, my gods)

He deliberately picked at the gang for the past few DTVs (specifically 2: Return to Zombie Island and Curse of the 13th Ghost) to fracture their confidence, undermine them, etc - all so that in one fell swoop, he could retake his fortune, frighten everyone in town away from the mines so they couldn’t interfere, frighten away the gang (while also ruining their reputation as mystery solvers), and take Crane off the docket so he couldn’t identify the CEO when he pretended to be the sheriff

This… is actually a pretty damn good plan, for a Scooby villain. He was patient, manipulative, and clever, learning how best to tie up loose ends and win back what he lost. A clever revenge story that came so close to coming to fruition, and could have honestly been sold convincingly…

...if it hadn’t been done so much better in Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.

Yeeeaaaah, this movie basically lifts the rough framework up from that one - past mystery villain comes back to attack the gang and ruin their reputation (tho this one decides to also make his fortune back and tie up loose ends with former criminal contacts, a la Crane). Gang is embarrassed in front of the news folk, another villain is framed for it (like Old Man Wickles of the Black Knight fame), and the gang must reconcile to foil the villain for good.

Although it also??? Merges elements of Frankencreepy in it?? The movie is focused on Velma, who is struggling to admit when she’s wrong (which ties into her fear, somehow… I’ll think on that point a little) and things purportedly go haywire when she won’t bend. This… isn’t illustrated as well here, since there’s very little direct cause-and-effect from Velma’s actions that would prove this point - that insisting her way is the right, best, and therefore only way to go ends up making things worse.

As much as I despised Frankencreepy (and I DESPISED IT), it did do that part well - showing that refusing to budge on something can lead to you hurting your friends (literally, in that one), and that admitting you were wrong and need help isn’t the end of the world.

(that movie also had former villains returning to gain vengeance upon the gang using psychological warfare, hm - may need to go over that one again, unfortunately).

It’s a shame, too - the basic elements for this plot are all here, they just need to be polished and reworked a bit to make a really fascinating movie.

------

Anyways, back to the asshat CEO who just… faked being a sheriff. Because white people can get away with that so long as they have the outfit and the car *throws up hands* (the sad part is this is probably something that actually happens)

As he drives away we see a familiar silhouette looming in the cornfields, watching him approach

Velma had Bill Nye on speaker, so he could record the entire confession for the federal officers nearby (who were taking Scarecrow back to Arkham), and track the phone signal to his exact location

And right as his holographic call cuts out, we see the shadow of a Scarecrow looming over him, causing him to scream.

When the feds arrive at his final location, both his body and the money have vanished. The car still sits, engine running, before the crows leering over him from the field vanish into the sky.

-------

Now that he’s dead, the gang walks and finds themselves at a Halloween party, with friendly faces and good food. The mystery is solved, though the culprit may never be found again.

Then Daphne admits to NOT trying to steal Elvira’s costume for Halloween, but instead trying to steal Elvira’s identity and replace her.

Something that she’s apparently nearly gotten away with on past mysteries working with Phillis Diller

*sighs* movie, why couldn’t you just stick to the costume schtick? This is just… so much worse.

-----

From there, Elvira walks off to wrap things up, reveal the monster face on the back of her head sans wig (which was also a monkey), and start the credits, where we see the gang working to bring the Mystery Machine back to its former glory a la Frankenstein pastiche.

This movie… this movie is a hot mess, but at least it’s an OKAY hot mess.

It really does feel like someone started writing a decent Velma-focused movie concerning the Scarecrow and a past Mystery Inc villain interfering, but was bogged down by notes from higher-ups: Wait! Write in Elvira! Also write in Bill Nye! Hey, let’s have a Mad Max car chase with the Jackal Lanterns! And have Daphne obsessed with literally becoming Elvira! Also make reference to things that we’ll insist be explained this way instead of a way that makes sense! Great!

(seriously tho, we never find out who Crane cares about most that reminds him of Velma, what the heck?)

It’s like two or three different scripts were smooshed together without being cleaned up - stuff is said that doesn’t get resolved, the celebrity guests don’t get to breathe much and feel squished together, and the build-up for the villain feels… less impactful, even knowing that he’s been in the past two films.

It might have worked if he’d been in… let’s say like 5 or 6 DTVs in a row, speaking roles for dissing the gang growing in each (ex start with “Good job kids! But maybe next time, leave it to the professionals, okay?” and growing more bitter from there), but only 2 feels kind of meh. Still, I do appreciate the clues we got to collect together, and they all work in the final breakdown of the scheme - some DTVs can feel like they pull stuff completely out of nowhere, so kudos there.

I appreciate what they wanted to do with Velma - give her a character development arc similar to Shaggy’s in Shaggy’s Showdown. Unfortunately, it wasn’t set up quite so neatly: they blended her ‘refusal to admit fear’ with her overconfidence that she was always right, and it led to a weird conclusion. To face her fears, she leapt into the Giant Pumpkin, which… proved that she was right all along about it being fake, and that solves things somehow. It doesn’t address how she can get something wrong sometimes, it doesn’t really address what she’s afraid of (which is honestly quite good: she’s afraid of failing in a way that allows bad guys to escape justice and in a way that hurts her friends), it’s just a bit of a mess. Points for aiming the focus the right way (and in a way that DOESN’T sexualize the underage teenage girl, unlike some DTVs cough cough Frankencreepy cough cough), but it’s very very messy how it goes about it.

The movie actually balanced pretty well for the whole gang - no excessive focus on one leaving the rest in the dust (too much at least - Fred was a touch underdeveloped, but nowhere near as annoying as past iterations have been. Shaggy and Scooby were kind of meh in some places but great in others, while Daphne was just odd. I think they were trying to recapture the BCSD Daphne characterization, but they failed. Still, she did spend some good time kicking ass with the pumpkins, so that was fun.

Now for the Rogue, Jonathan Crane. If you like Crane, this movie gives you: maniacal Scarecrow, calm and creepy Crane, a brief glimpse at fanboy!Crane (he admits in his own awkward way that he’s a fan of Elvira, and later tells her he loves her work - it’s fun), and (best of all for me) a heroic Crane - one who helps the protagonists and ends up kicking ass pretty damn well, brief as it was. And while DILF Crane is always a treat, he feels underutilized in this. In comparison, Scooby Doo/Batman Brave and the Bold really utilized a lot of different aspects of Riddler, to the point he actually does feel pretty menacing by the third act. It’s a shame we don’t quite get that with Crane, but I do love seeing him 1. More out of mask, and 2. Acting as a good guy (in his own way), so he’s enjoyable on the whole.

I kind of wish that the whole movie was spent more with Crane, but again, the script is a bit of a mess on this part - the fact that he’s not completely screwed over is a goddamn miracle.

Elvira was… okay. She didn’t have much of a purpose beyond getting the plot started and giving Daphne some hooks to play off of. Bill Nye (abrupt as his introduction was) did provide some necessary elements to the mystery, as well as the tech; he wasn’t too bad by the end. (still a touch bitter we didn’t get ex roommate Nye, but hey, what can you do)

Humor was… mixed. Some good, some meh, but very few long enough to feel painful. Some bits felt extraneous at times, but they did help to build to the conclusion, so points for effort.

At the end of the day though, I’m probably keeping this more for Jonathan Crane than anyone else. It does have a lot of fanfic potential tho 🤔🤔🤔

That’s all from me tonight, folks! Hope you enjoyed my own little breakdown of the movie.

#happy halloween scooby doo #plush reviews: final thoughts #jonathan crane #scarecrow #spoilers

32 notes · View notes

creepyalienghost · 4 years ago

Text

Family secret

Elizabeth Afton jumped outta her fathers truck and ran inside to see the festive touches of her fathers robots. Her two brothers usually never come by the restaurant because Michael thought it was a stupid childish place for him and Timmy was scared of it for some reason, she didn’t know. But she loved Freddy fazbears. She’d come with her father and played games with free tokens while he worked on them or some paper work.

Today thought was the first time coming in December and the employees always decorating the place for the holidays. When she saw them standing on the stage her eyes sparkled at how Beautiful and perfect they looked! Freddy’s hat was replace with a puffy Santa hat for the Theme of Christmas. Each one them were a green and red scarf around there necks and the stage was made to look like Santas workshops with a Christmas tree off to the side. She looked over at pirates cove and noticed foxy’s eye patch was switched for a green one and they also gave him the same Color scarf to match his friends. They charged his back ground to make it look like the waters been frozen over which she loved the detail. The tables were theme as Work stations for the elf’s with a sign of work station. The party hats were red and green and laid at each sit for the future birthday parties. Elizabeth ran to the prize corner to see what cool toys they have for the season. There was so many! Elf ears, Christmas plushies from Santa to a reindeer, Christmas coloring books and some Limited addition Christmas theme plushies of Freddy and the gang.

As she was picking out what she watched to pick with her tickets later, Her father came up to her and knelt down. “Heres your cup of tokens sweetheart. You go along and play now. I’ll come get you when I’m finished.” He said, handed her the cup and ruffing her hair.

Elizabeth watching her father walk though the employee door then she turned to the empty arcade game. It was to early in the day to have many People-if any- here so she had the who pizzeria to her self. She ran to a random game. A maze one she liked and entered in a token. The music to it burst up with exciting music and the game started. Elizabeth sent her Bonnie character though the zigzag maze looking for all the little coins before the spooky ghost got her. She got though most of the coins before she lost her third life. The Machine gave her a reward of 10 tickets.

She played for a long while and went though all of her favorite games before counting her tickets. 295 in total. She has enough for the a Limited addition plushy and some candy now. She gathered up

all her tickets and skip her way to the prize corner, handing her tickets to the lady behind the the Prize counter and waited patiently for her to count the tickets. “Alright Elizabeth. You may pick from the orange area down.” The lady said.

Elizabeth didn’t had to think very long. She chose the Limited addition Christmas foxy which was 250 tickets. The lady handed it to her and she hugged it to her chest. She loved foxy. He was her favorite one there and she would sit by herself to watch him sing and share stories of his adventure for hours.

She decided to save the rest of her tickets for a bigger prize next time plus she was getting a bit hungry but her father was still busy. Elizabeth turned to the Employees only door her father had gone though. She’s had never been though there to see the other side of her fathers restaurant and her father always told them to never come back there. But she does want to know what’s behind that door and it’s growing more and more on her.

Elizabeth approached the the employees only door and reached for the handle. She turned it, opening the door and took a step into a long corridor. She walked down to the first room and peaked inside. It was a Standard small office with a desk on the back wall. No one was in there so she didn’t feel the need to go inside. Moving on down the hall she only saw other notices, a break room and a Storage room. She came to a closed door at the end of the hall and looked up at it. There was no sign on the door to indicate what the room was used for so she reached for that door knob and opened the door all the wall revealing a stair case leading down into darkness.

She hugged her Christmas foxy tighter as she gulped and took the first step down. The stairs wasn’t squeaky and she was light weighted so she was as quit as a mouse as she descended down. She got down the last step then turned the corner, stopping in placed. The Christmas foxy fell from her tiny grip onto the dirty floor.

Two children laid died, tied up on metal tables, stomachs cut wide open. There was so much blood underneath them and her father was standing over there dead bodies, holding a bloody knife in one hand. Elizabeth knew that this wasn’t right. Yes she was a kid herself but she knew there blood wasn’t supposed to be out of there bodies. She knew this wasn’t good and she was afraid.

“D-daddy...?” She whimpered, taking a step away from her father. The Christmas foxy totally forgotten.

Her father stopped what he was doing and turned to her, In surprise. “ Elizabeth?!” He put down the knife and walked slowly to his daughter, careful not to scare her more. “Hey sweetheart.” He knelt down in front of her to get on her level.

Elizabeth glanced at the dead bodies then back at her father. “Daddy..what are you doing?...what’s going on?”

Her father smiled a kind fatherly smile at his daughter. “Oh that?” He ask. “I’m helping this kids have a great Christmas. That’s all.” He replied to her.

“Helping?...” she ask, looking back at the bodies then her father again. She has no reason to think her father would ever lie to her. she nodded to him and gave him a big hug. “Alright daddy!” She smiles back at him.

He scooped up his happy little daughter in his arms and headed back up the stairs. “But we can’t tell anyone about this ever, alright? Not even mommy” he told her. “Other ways the helping will go wrong.” He informed her. “And we don’t want it to go wrong do we, Elizabeth?”

She shook her head no. “No. We don’t! I won’t tell a soul” she replied then pretended like she locked her mouth shut to seal the deal.

Her father chuckled. “That’s my girl. Now let’s go get lunch.” William said headed for his truck with his daughter in arms. He even gave her ice cream after for being a good quiet kid.

#five nights at freddy's #william afton #elizabeth afton

14 notes · View notes

thiswasinevitableid · 5 years ago

Note

Could you do #28 indruck? Or maybe OT4?

#28 was: Mermified. I went with Indruck. Hope you like it!

The rocks on the window start the night he moves in.

He writes it off as an anomaly, or perhaps kids from the town deciding to toy with the new resident.

After three nights in a row, he’s beginning to understand why this house was such a bargain. Yes, it’s a lovely houseboat for one on the Pacific coast, offset from much of the neighborhood for privacy. But every night, small rocks and shells will hit your window, disrupting your already tenuous sleep schedule.

It can’t be a human, because his bedroom faces the ocean, and he’d hear or see a boat or paddleboard or whatever else they used to get there. For awhile he assumes it might be a ghost; his last apartment was actually haunted by a miner who died from the Spanish Flu. They got along rather well, as he didn’t manifest often and Indrid was always careful to leave him offerings or tokens of respect on days like his deathaversary.

But after scoping the house top to bottom, using a Oujia Board, and just politely asking if there was anyone there who needed to talk to him, he’s disregarded that possibility.

And tonight, he’s made the mistake of sleeping with the window open, meaning the chunk of bull kelp hit’s him square in the face.

“Oh for goodness sake.” He sits up, sticking his head out the window to glare at the waves.

The waves glare back. Or, more accurately, a face sticking out of the waves does.

“Do you mind?”

“Yeah, I mind a whole fuckin’ lot.” The man swims right to the side of the house, locomotion too smooth for there to be legs beneath the water, “I mind because this whole area is under my protection, and this big fuckin house is gonna fuck up this cove.”

He knew there were merpeople along this coast, he just wasn’t expecting to see one up close. Or for it to be so grumpy.

“I’ll have you know I asked for multiple modifications to this house before I moved in. It is designed to have almost zero impact on the marine environment.”

“Uh huh, sure.” The merman crosses his arms, “you ain’t just sayin’ that to get rid of me.” A flash of yellow light under the water.

“Well, technically, I am. I would prefer to not have you hurling things at my window every night because you think my leaving is the only way for your patch of ocean to be safe. A strategy, I take it, that worked on my predecessors.”

“Yep. Most left after a couple of days.”

“Most probably had more places they could go. I do not.”

“Ain’t my problem. Never shoulda let them start buildin’ here in the first place; wrecks havoc on the forest.” He glances towards open water, tips of giant kelp just visible in the moonlight. He sounds tired.

“How about this: you keep an eye on this cove, and if you notice any issues directly caused by my home, I will leave. But if not, you stop throwing things at my window.”

“Fine.” The merman turns, makes to dive under the water, then spins around, “but if I catch you tryin’ anythin’ funny, next time I’m throwin’ a shark through the window.”

The next night brings welcome silence at his window. The day after, however….

“What are you doin’ here, anyway?”

“Good afternoon to you as well.” Indrid doesn’t look up from his drawing; a benefit of being born with odd, future seeing abilities is that he isn’t startled by the merman’s appearance (said abilities don’t function well when he’s sleep deprived, which is why he didn’t see the merman’s initial appearance coming).

“I mean, y’all can build houses wherever you want up on land. Why live on the water?”

“Because I find it peaceful. I have limited luck living in cities, and have grown used to isolation.”

“Don’t humans have to have jobs? You ain’t left here except once to get food.”

“Spying is impolite.”

“So is livin’ on someone else's turf without askin!” The merman raises out of the water, and Indrid finally gets a good look at him. He has dark hair, mismatched eyes and, just visible, a row of fins like those of a leafy sea dragon dotting his lower back. Ironically, his build is one Indrid finds attractive, a mix of muscle and fat that undoubtedly would feel nice to hold. Were it not for the complication of the tail.

“I am an artist. I draw for a living, hence my ability to live out here. And nobody told me there was a merman living around here, so I did not have the option of speaking to you ahead of time.”

There’s a huff of annoyance, and he barely moves his drawing out of the way of the splash as the merman disappears.

Three days later, he’s once again sitting on the back deck when he hears, “You ain’t seen an injured seal around, have you?”

“No.” He looks up, finds the merman looking thoughtful as he scans the waves and shoreline, “ah, what does it look like? What color is it?”

“Smallish, speckled grey. Got caught in a net and all torn up gettin loose, but I can’t find it.”

“I will keep an eye out. Should I signal you if I see it?”

“Hmmm….yeah, that should work. Maybe hang somethin’ bright' on that line?” He points to the clothes line.

Indrid closes his eyes, focuses on the futures.

The merman sniffs, intrigued, “somethin smells good.”

“It’s my lunch. It ended up not quite being what I wanted, you are welcome to try some.”

The merman grabs the take-out bowl of soup, sipping from it gingerly. His face lights up, and then he gulps the remainder down.

“Damn, that was good.”

“It’s french onion soup. I can bring you more in the future if you’d like. Also, odds are good you’ll find the seal you seek on the beach about a mile that way.”

The merman blinks, “Shit, really? Thanks man.”

“You are welcome.”

The merman hesitates, a flash of white, barely visible in the daylight, zips under water, “Uh, name’s Duck by the way.”

Indrid smiles, “Indrid. Good luck with your search, Duck.”

Duck smiles, bright and friendly as the beach on a hot day, “Thanks.”

--------------------------------------------

Indrid awakens with a cry of alarm. It’s only a nightmare, not even a bad vision, and yet he’s so rattled sleep becomes an unreachable goal. Hoping the night air and lapping waves might help, he drags a blanket onto the back deck, laying down with his back to the water. The nightmare pursues him still, setting off a dozen related memories and fears in his mind until he’s shuddering, trying not to cry.

A cool hand touches his hair and he freezes for a moment before another gasp pushes from his chest, the images flooding his system too much to ignore. The hand continues down his back a ways, then starts at his head once again.

“Why?” He says, not even sure who he’s asking it of.

“Helps the seal and otter pups when they get upset. Thought it might help you too.” Duck replies, “I was doin’ a night round and heard you yell. Came to make sure you were okay.”

He wants to say thank you, but the words are weighed down by the realization of how long it’s been since anyone did such a thing.

“You...pet the pups? Doesn’t, doesn’t that make it difficult if they are eaten by something?”

“A little. Sharks got as much right to live as they do, but still, sometimes they need comfortin if their parents are out huntin. Not my job to protect ‘em from predators. I’m just the keeper of the forest. Means I look out for the animals, the plants. Nature does most of the work for me; lot of my job boils down to makin sure humans don’t fuck everything up.”

“It is a habit we seem to have.”

A pause, Duck’s fingers playing gently with his hair, “Not all of you.”

Indrid rolls over and Duck rests his arms on the deck, soft blue flashes coming off his tail.

“Will you tell me more about what you do?”

“Sure.”

Duck talks and Indrid listens until finally his eyes droop closed. He wakes up hours later, a bit chilly but with the blanket drawn around him. He wonders how he avoided falling into the water in his sleep. Until there’s a soft splash as his nighttime gaurdian slips back into the waves.

---------------------------------------------------

“Ta dah! No, wait, stay over here. That’s a good boy.” Duck proudly circles the large ray he’s herded near Indrid’s boat as Indrid sits down to draw. Over the last few weeks, he’s brought the human more and more items to include in his illustrations, after Indrid mentioned he was working on a pictures for a book about marine life.

It started with brightly colored shells or seaglass left on his deck, then Duck would ask for mason jars or bowls to help place a fish safely where Indrid could sketch it. Lately, he’s taken to shepherding larger sea life where Indrid can see it; seals, otters, rays, even a shark. It’s almost as if he’s showing off, and Indrid notices that his tail flickers bright green whenever Indrid flaps his hands with excitement or thanks him for his help.

Duck visits him every day, even on days when there is no drawing to be done. They talk, or eat together, and Indrid has even hung a hammock out so they can talk well into the night without him accidentally rolling off the deck or Duck having to watch over him until he wakes. Duck can only be out of the water a short time, but he’ll join Indrid on the deck to sun himself, tail bright green and leafy at the “V” that marks the tip of it. When Indrid asks about the lights, Duck explains that they’re tied to his emotions, something to help merpeople signal to each other even in the darkness or murkiness of the ocean.

Indrid buys a kayak, paddles out into open ocean with Duck as his guide, the merman eagerly showing him his favorite places, introducing him to wildlife, and generally mooning over him whenever he thinks Indrid isn’t looking.

The mooning is mutual, of course. Duck is funny and kind, easy going now that he knows Indrid is not a threat to his beloved kelp forest. He’s also painfully handsome in Indrid’s eyes, but the futures show scant chances for Indrid to admit this fact without torpedoing the relationship.

Their laying side by side on the deck tonight, dusk creeping across the sky. In the fading light, he notices Duck’s fins flashing between white and green.

“Are you alright, Duck? You’ve been rather quiet tonight.”

“Uh, um, yeah? Fuck. Uh, you remember me tellin’ you about my friend Aubrey?”

“The one dating the human surfer girl?”

“Yep. They, uh, Aubrey said they finally worked up to kissin. I never heard of mer kissin’ a human and likin’ it before, usually we do it on dares when we’re young and foolish.”

“You seem to be going somewhere with this.” Indrid rolls over, smirking at the future he sees.

“No, uh, fuch, uh, I mean, would, would you ever wanna try it?”

“With any merperson, or just you?”

“Me.” Duck says softly.

Indrid leans in, cups the back of his head to draw him into a kiss, salt and sun mingling on his lips as Duck moans. Sun-warmed skin caresses his back as Duck pulls him closer, and a cool, smooth tail hooks over his ankles.

“Indrid, I, I really, really like you.” Duck whispers, kissing a line along his cheek.

“I really, really like you as well, Duck.” Indrid runs a hand along his side, watches his tail light up bright blue at the touch.

“Can, can we try bein’ together? Like Dani and Aubrey are?”

“Of course.” Indrid grins, then gives a muffled laugh as Duck kisses him once more, rolling atop him, wiggling happily as the kiss deepens, Indrid teasing his fingers along his fins to make him whine.

Then the mer gasps, dropping into the water and coming back up panting.

“Shit, that was close.”

“You were out too long?” Indrid shifts to his stomach

“Yep. Can’t blame me for gettin’ distracted, and honestly I’d fuckin pass out if that’s what it took to kiss you again.”

Indrid bends down, kissing him softly, “no need for such drastic measures yet. But I agree it would be nice to have, ah, dalliances that can last a bit longer. I’m sure we can think of something.”

They try filling the bathtub with seawater, but can’t get Duck to it. Indrid opts to swim, but he’s not a strong swimmer, and any beaches where they could be half in and half out of the water are either too well-traveled or made out of sharp rocks that hurt them both.

They have some success when Indrid lays on his side, facing the water, to touch himself, moaning Ducks name and telling him just what he’ll do to him once he’s able as Duck frantically kisses him, tail flashing blue and purple.

But after night after night of longing looks, too-short embraces, and kisses at odd angles, he decides enough is enough.

------------------------------------

“Why have you come, young man?”

“I wish to make a deal. There’s something I need you to enchant.”

The man grins, cat-like and hungry, “Very well. But it is going to cost you.”

--------------------------------------

Duck circles the patch of kelp he’s checking for the tenth time. He can’t focus, should just go home and rest, but he needs to keep occupied so he stops worrying about the note he found on the deck two days ago.

Duck,

Have a problem that needs solving. May be gone several days. Don’t worry, it will be alright.

Love, Indrid.

In spite of the reassurance in the letter, he’s terrified that Indrid might be hurt. Might have left him entirely.

An unfamiliar shape flits in the corner of his vision, and he turns.

“Holy fuck.”

“Good afternoon to you too.” Indrid grins, swimming to him a bit gracelessly with mottled black and red tail. The red and black fan of fin on his lower back flashes bright green for a moment.

“Indrid.” Duck says with awe, not quite believing his eyes even as his tail curls around Indrid’s own.

“Indeed. I, ah, found someone who would help me. Help us.”

“Are you, uh, stuck like this?”

He shakes his head, “No, I have a charm” he holds up his wrist to reveal a small cord, “I can go back to being human as needed. But I, ah, I can no longer see the future. I...that was the trade for this.”

“You gave that up just for me?” Duck cups his cheeks, brushes their noses together.

Indrid grins, “Yes. After all, whatever the futures may hold, whatever I can no longer see coming, does not matter half as much as the future I’m holding right now.”

#indruck #mermay fills #mermaid au #indrid cold/duck newton #duck x indrid

38 notes · View notes

som3thingcr3ative · 5 years ago

Text

Voluspa Part 6

I’m speedy now! Part 8 is started, which means part 7 will be out soon too!

synopsis: Astrid sees a future for some fishermen; her abilities are questioned and she gains an enemy. Her brother, stuck in the future without her, attempts to find her. Enemies move against her, forcing her hand.

warnings: Swearing, mild suspense, mentions of pain and blades.

PART 1 2 3 4 5

previously: “I’ll see you in the morning,” I tell her, moving to cover myself with a fur. “Good night, and sleep well.” Behind me, I can hear her move to the solitary torch burning against the far wall. Einar, curled against my legs, watches her carefully as she walks to her bed and gets comfortable. He is still wary of her, but is slowly warming up to the idea of another person sleeping close to him.

The next morning, something inexplicable draws me to the docks where I find a small fishing vessel preparing to depart. There are four men on board, each with varying shades of blond hair.

I squint at the horizon. The sky is cloudless, the sun reflecting on the rippling water in golden waves. “Do not go out today.” I say to the fishermen, the color bleeding from my irises, leaving only white behind. They startle, having ignored my presence until I’d spoken. “The sea brings death to those who dare cross it.” My eyes fix on the sun, pupil-less and blind by any normal definition, but the energies around me map out everything down to the smallest egg of the smallest fish in the depths of the cove. “One who does not heed this warning will be found soon, killed by that which he killed.”

Einar’s whine brings me back to myself; the fishermen are staring at me wide-eyed and frozen, their faces identical masks of confusion and terror. One swears, invoking Thor for protection. I offer them a small smile, the best I can manage after seeing their futures change. They had been destined to die on the water, and that had not changed- but I’d given them a chance to postpone the inevitable. “Go home to your families,” I say. “Spend the day with your wife, Kalin, son of Arne. Play with your child, Skarde Arnesson. Sune,” Here I fight with my eyes to remain colored as a prophecy claws free. “Go to the market when the sun is at its highest and talk to the woman in the lavender dress. You will find happiness. Njal, ask your sister what she needs. Some things are beyond her reach.”

I turn away, blinking at Rita who stands demurely on the sand just beyond the pier, her eyes wide as she looks between the men and I. “Are you alright?” I ask her, stepping off of the wet wood. She blinks, surprised that I’d asked.

“I’m alright, thank you m’lady.”

“You look a bit pale.”

She bites her lip and looks down, feeling chastised. “I don’t much like the water, m’lady.”

I smile at her, taking her hand to guide her toward the market. “Then let’s get away from it, shall we?”

The busy market is much different than what I’m used to- each stall is crowded with hand made goods, pelts, raw materials. Men and women sell animals they’d raised or ones they’d hunted. A seamstress measures a shieldmaiden, a blacksmith pounds away at the makings of a sword. Near the mead hall, a group of men sing while another beats a drum, two women dancing to the beat.

I close my eyes, for once allowing the darkness to remain instead of the glowing, pulsing light of human energy. There are so many sounds- and beyond it all, the call of seabirds, the whisper of the northern wind. My lungs fill with air too pure to be anything but ancient. I don’t want to ever leave. Whatever seidr brought me here, I pray that it does not see fit to take me back.

“Lady Astrid?” A timid voice asks. I open my eyes to see a young boy standing before me wearing servant’s rags. He avoids my eyes, nervous, so I squat down to his level.

“Yes?” I ask, giving him a smile. He blinks, unused to someone treating him like a human being. For all the love I hold for the Vikings, I do not enjoy this particular aspect of their culture.

“King Ivar requests your presence.” The boy says, fear in his eyes, likely due to Ivar’s representation. “May I tell him you are coming?”

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Thank you, m’lady.”

“What is your name, child?”

He hesitates, blinking owlishly up at me. “Leufred, m’lady.”

“This is for you, Leufred,” I say, pulling a small coin from my pocket and handing it to him. “When you spend it, be sure to mention that Lady Astrid Seerschild gave it to you, alright?”

The boy’s eyes widen as he takes the coin, holding it with a reverence that twists my heart. He holds it to his chest, staring up at me with awe. “Thank you, m’lady!”

“I’ll go to Ivar,” I tell him, patting his shoulder before I stand up. “Thank you, Leufred.”

Rita comes up next to me as Leufred runs off. She looks at me oddly, her gaze soft. “You are truly unlike anyone I’ve ever met, m’lady.”

“I’d hope so,” I say to her, grinning. “Fitting in is too boring.”

King Ivar waits for me in the great hall, lounging on his throne listening to his brothers squabble. His expression is somewhere between bored and annoyed, eyes only lighting up when they land on me. He sits up suddenly, attracting his brothers’ attention. “Astrid! Good, you’re here. I was beginning to worry that boy couldn’t find you.”

“I was in the market, my King,” I say, offering a bow of my head. “He found me and relayed his message. What happened?”

Ivar waves a hand toward his brothers: Ubbe and Hvitserk are red in the face from screaming at each other: Bjorn has his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at me. “These three have been bickering incessantly about you.” He says, rolling his eyes. “I told them that you are völva, but they do not believe me. It is not polite of me to ask, I know, but they do not believe and the only way they will is with a demonstration.”

“She’s not a witch!” Bjorn growls.

“I think she is!” Hvitserk comments, taking Ivar’s side.

Rita, standing a foot behind and to the left of me, radiates curiosity. I know she hasn’t seen me at work yet; the closest she got was the edge of the pier. “I had two prophecies earlier today,” I tell Ivar, ignoring the brothers. “One was a warning not to go on the sea today. The other was to help a man find his soulmate. I believe that the first is coming true right now.”

Ivar sits back with a smile. “I told you she is a witch.”

“Oh,” I say, turning halfway to the door. “Here they come!”

Skarde and Njal, two of the fishermen whose fate I’d changed barge through the doors to the great hall bearing a limp body between them. A slave follows them, carrying the head of a narwhal whose horn projects through the dead man’s chest.

Skarde’s eyes are wide as he looks at me, fearful. “She warned us, she said someone would die on the sea today. She warned us!”

“One who does not heed this warning will be found soon, killed by that which he killed.” I say, repeating my prophecy.

“He killed the narwhal,” Njal says. “I saw his sword in the beast’s eye. We cut off the head and brought him here. She’s a völva, my King, truly.”

“It doesn’t prove anything!” Bjorn growls. “Until she makes a prophecy about me, I won’t believe it.”

“Do with him as you see fit,” Ivar says to the brothers. “Tell everyone that Astrid’s prophecies are to be heeded. Let them know that a witch walks among them and must be respected.”

I watch the brothers leave with the dripping wet body held between them. Once the doors close behind them, Ubbe throws his hands in the air. “It could’ve been coincidence. I’ll believe if it happens again.”

“You will respect her,” Ivar growls. “You know the laws.”

Hvitserk rolls his eyes. "You don't want to believe because she likes Ivar more than you. The more you hate her, the further you push her away, and a witch makes a powerful enemy."

My eyes linger on Hvitserk. For all his quiet nature and the foolish energy he gives off, he is much smarter than he appears. I can see him going far in life if he makes the right choices.

Damon sits with his head in his hands, staring at the small, petrified wood statue of a woman he has come to realize resembles his twin. How did I not see it earlier? She’s dressed just slightly different than she usually is; her standard jacket has been replaced by a doublet of armor, but her pants and riding boots are the same, as is the sword strapped to her back that she rides with- and of course, Einar by her side.

The archaeologist curses, his chest aching from the knowledge that his twin is gone. He’d felt it late during the first night, a tug followed by a sharp pain in his heart. Dead, he thinks. She must be. He hadn’t recognized the runes scribed into the bottom of the statue at first, the runes she hadn’t spoken aloud before fleeing from the dig site, but slowly their meaning had come to him as an old childhood memory was recovered. The woman bears the same name as her. It couldn’t be a coincidence, but people don’t just travel through time to have statues and poems written about them- or be reincarnated. It just wasn’t scientific.

“Sir?” Officer Lewie asks, waving his notepad in front of Damon’s face. No reaction.

With a sigh, Damon rubs idly at his chest where his heart beats sullenly, as if forced to continue without its other half. ‘I’m leaving’, were the last words she spoke to you, insufferable idiot. And her eyes- gods, you’ve seen her with eyes that emotionless only once before. She shouldn’t have died thinking you fear her.

“Sir!” Lewie yells, drawing the attention of most of the precinct- but in such a small town as theirs, it was no true accomplishment. “Damon!”

He blinks, looking up at the officer. “Sorry?”

“You were telling us about your fight with Astrid.” He says, raising his eyebrows. “She rode off, and then what? Did you follow her?”

Damon shakes his head. “I should’ve.” Ruefully, he twists the statue. “She’s dead, I can feel it.”

“You can...feel it.” The officer repeats, brows raising higher.

“I know my twin, Lewie.” He explains, hands in the air in an exasperated motion. “She’d never ride off like that without coming back in a few hours. We’d apologize to each other and go out to dinner. Whoever was at fault would buy.”

Lewie rests his weight on one leg, slouching a bit. He’s no longer taking the missing person’s report seriously. “She’s a formidable woman, D.”

“It’s been thirty-six hours.” Damon complains. “Can’t you go looking for her now?”

The officer looks at Damon with a critical gaze. Paperwork, he thinks, but his friend’s pleading, bloodshot eyes do him in. Ah, well it’s a small town. The least we could do is look.

“We’re not going to find a body.” He says finally. “So until we do, you’ve gotta know that she’s fine.”

I wake with a blade pressed to my throat.

For a second my pulse hammers in my veins, adrenaline flooding my body. My fingers close around the hilt of a dagger under my pillow and my heart calms just enough for me to fake being asleep a second longer.

Across the room, Rita whimpers. Einar startles into the waking world at the sound, a rippling growl filling the air- but there’s a blade trained on him, too.

“If you were here to kill me, you would have by now, Bjorn.” I calm the wolf with a raised finger, slowly opening my eyes to the dark of the room and Bjorn’s back-lit face. “Hello, Tir, Fjaller.” My voice doesn’t tremble, despite the imminent danger. “I’d advise you leave now, while I am still liable to think this a dream.”

Bjorn’s two partners-in-crime glance at each other, shifting their feet. Clearly they hadn’t been prepared for me to know them.

“Shut your mouth.” Bjorn snarls, the blade pressing under my jaw. I raise an eyebrow at him, keeping my cool. “You are going to listen very carefully to what I am about to say.”

Am I now? I think, wishing telepathy had been among my gifts.

“By the morrow, you will have left Kattegat, never to return. If I ever see you again, I will kill you. You are not a völva. I am calling you out on your lie, and should you leave now, I will not expose you to the King.”

He eases the pressure on the dagger. In a flash, I am up from the bed with his wrist in my grip and my own dagger against his throat. He blinks and he is kneeling on the ground, arm bent behind his back and his weapon on the ground beneath him. I kick it away, hand steady on my blade. “Release my maid,” I demand of Tir, whose hand still covers Rita’s mouth as she lays pressed against her bed. He does so instantly, eyes wide as he backs away.

“My lady-” Rita starts, terrified. Her whole body is shaking.

“These men won’t harm you.” I say to her, eyes bleeding out to white that catches and reflects the fire from Fjaller’s torch. It’s not a prophecy, but a warning made to look like one as I search the energies around myself for others. I’d only forseen Bjorn and his two lackeys, but one could never be too careful. Einar whines, paws curled over the edge of the bed, eager eyes on Bjorn. His tail wags as he glances from me to his prey and back. In english, I ask him to speak. He offers a deep woof in his chest, then barks outright, scaring the two men off.

“You will not try this again, Bjorn Ironside, or else you will find that a name doesn’t protect you from receiving my iron in your side.” To prove my point, my blade punctures the skin of his throat, drawing blood. “I am a true witch, and you will respect me as such or else face my wrath. I will not have mercy for you or those who follow you. Do you understand me?”

I can feel his simmering rage and I know our fight isn’t over. He’s unwilling to believe that I am anything but fake, more than likely because I have chosen to side with his most hated brother. Just for good measure, I slip around him, squatting before him with my dagger still against his throat. “I have seen that Ivar is the Viking’s best chance at survival.” I prophesy, watching him behind all-white eyes. “He will lead our people to victory against the saxons and change the course of history. The gods have spoken through me and delivered me here for their purposes. You are nothing to them, Ironside. Best you fall in line now and have your name spoken with reverence later than to go against their will and fall.”

As my eyes return to normal, I tilt my head and give him a lopsided grin. “Your choice, buddy-o.” And with a quick pat on his shoulder, I steer him out my door.

Even after I firmly shut it behind him, I can hear his labored breathing on the other side. He’s pissed.

“My Lady,” Rita says, dropping into a low curtsy. “I confess to being uncertain at first, but now I have seen and I believe.”

I wave off her near-apology. “My abilities are not easy for a christian to accept.” I say. She flinches, clearly knowing the C-word doesn’t mix well in a heathen country. “I understand your uncertainty, Rita. We can talk about your questions tomorrow, after I have rested.” I glance at her as I tuck myself back under my furs. “Do try to rest now, the hours left to us until the dawn will be uneventful.”

All Ivar tag (open): @inforapound @amy8220 @sallydelys @youbloodymadgenius @i-am-a-teenage-dirtbaggg

Voluspa: @tis-itheapplepie @thetwistedqueen @inforapound @wuxiesalt @readsalot73 @themusingkitten @youbloodymadgenius

42 notes · View notes

rememberthattime · 6 years ago

Text

Chapter 47. Fiji

I was born on May 13, 1989. I don’t remember much about the day, but from pictures, it looked like a great time. My parents were celebrating, there were balloons, someone brought a children’s Chicago Cubs baseball set.

Today is my 30th birthday, so I’m reflecting … looking back all the way to the very start.

It’s interesting to imagine my mom & dad’s thoughts in that delivery room 30 years ago. They must have been terrified by the responsibility of raising a toddler (I would be), but also excited for their new son’s future. What will he grow up to be? Where will he live? What will he do? Their dreams for me had to be bigger than their 1980’s hair.

In the least dramatic way I can say this: they couldn’t have predicted where I’d end up 30 years later.

Birthdays are important to celebrate, but especially milestone birthdays. This is mainly Chelsay’s influence speaking, but I agree with her: milestone birthdays are ones you’ll always remember. 15 years from now, we’ll think back and ask: “What did we do for your 30th birthday?” ... I won’t let that be an ordinary memory. Life is busy though, so it’s tough to carve out a day for festivities, let alone plan them. Even a month ago, Chelsay and I didn’t know how we’d be celebrating. Chels had plans in motion, but my work complicated things by scheduling meetings in Atlanta the week before. My trip back to Sydney would require 24 hours of flights, so would we still be up for a big celebration? The answer is Yes. I’m not 70, and I just said milestone birthdays were important, so we’re making this happen. Work would pay for me to get from ATL back to SYD via any route, so Chels and I started looking for convenient connecting destinations. Hong Kong, Tokyo, Patagonia, and Hawaii were all considered, but in the end, we found the perfect blend of celebration, relaxation, adventure, and convenient flights in Fiji. Fiji is a county made up of 330 islands, and each island chain has its own unique characteristics. Viti Levu is the main island and home to Nadi Airport, but most tourists don’t stay here. Near Viti Levu are the Mamanucas, small sandy dots amongst the expansive blue. The Mamanucas are stunning, but they’re typically more resort-y and popular with nearby Aussies & Kiwis. Then there are the Yasawas, where Chelsay and I chose to stay. The Yasawas are further from the mainland, and their remoteness means their less touristy.

This is a double-edged sword though, because less tourists means there’s less tourist infrastructre, so finding a comfortable option would take some research. We eventually decided on Paradise Cove, which perfectly balanced vacation comforts (comfy bed, outdoor shower, and excellent food, which can’t be understated on a remote island) with a sense of wild adventure (fewer guests, great snorkelling, and hiking paths around the large island).

I nailed my meetings in Atlanta, so my birthday weekend was off to a good start even before boarding the plane. For the next 24 hours of flights, I had nothing to worry about - just enjoying a few movies and catching up on sleep. Chelsay and I met up in the Nadi Airport after extremely disproportionate flight times (hers was only 4 hours), and caught a ferry to Paradise Cove. Seaplanes were an option, but they were 5x the price and this wasn’t our honeymoon. The other advantage of the ferry is that it allowed us to see the different Fijian islands up close. Viti Levu and the Mamanucas were very nice, but Chelsay and I knew we’d made the right choice as we arrived in the less crowded Yasawas.

youtube

We were in heaven as we stepped onto the sandy beaches of Paradise Cove. A jungle of palm trees lined the beach, at first hiding the resort before eventually revealing a dream island getaway: shaded cabanas, pool-side lounge chairs, and a bar concocting frozen, fruity treats.

The pineapple on top of this pina colada was that Chelsay told the resort it was both of our birthdays, so they upgraded our villa and outfitted it with balloons and welcome drinks. As birthday surprises go, drinks on a beach in Fiji was pretty good.

youtube

After drinks on the beach, scuba diving wasn’t really an option, so we decided to snorkel in Paradise Cove’s house reef. I was really surprised by its color. It was just last week that I wrote about the scale of the Great Barrier Reef... but out in the middle of the Pacific, Fiji’s immense soft coral, highlighter vibrancy, and sea life abundance were incredible.

youtube

Now, it was inevitable that jet lag would catch up to me. Atlanta is 16 hours behind Fiji, and I was mentally nearing midnight. Chelsay was also dealing with severe time zone change (2 hours), so she was equally down for a nap. We gave ourselves 90 minutes but would wake up well before our 6:30 dinner. Apparently we woke up to the alarm at 5:30... I don’t remember. I guess I turned it off and only woke up once Chelsay checked her phone. 6:20. Woof. I say all this only to give you an idea of the mental state I was in over dinner. It was similar to that infamous Innsbruck dinner, where Chelsay and I giggled through our whole meal in a tired haze. After our mains, I asked Chelsay if it was time to call it a night... Despite having sour straws in the room, she insisted we stay at the restaurant for dessert. “Alright, well if we’re going to be here awhile, I need some extra bug spray.” I stumbled back to the room and, as I was re-applying, I heard singing in the distance. “Must be the ‘Kava Social’ by the fire pit,” I thought. ...These resorts always put on a show. Still in a sleepy haze, I leisurely made my way back to Chelsay. As I got closer though, I realized the singing wasn’t coming from the fire pit… it was coming from the restaurant. I turned the corner and could see they were surrounding Chelsay and I’s table... and Chelsay had her hands clasped over her mouth... and they weren’t making eye contact with her... and they had a cake. OH NO! They’d been singing this whole time for me!!!! Ahhhhh-I rushed back to the table, face bright red, and started clapping along as they sang a Fijian happy birthday song. I don’t know what they sang actually... it could’ve been the alphabet. I just tried to focus on Chelsay and not on the fact that the song had been going for at least three minutes. I thought to myself, “Chelsay must be so embarrassed!” And then I thought, “Oh no everyone thinks I was taking a shit!” The song finally wrapped up, and the waiters were laughing with Chelsay and I. They accusingly pointed out that it was the longest they’ve ever had to sing happy birthday… “Guys, I swear, I was putting on more bug spray!” Luckily a nearby couple caught the awkwardness of camera.

The next morning, Chelsay and I had scheduled back-to-back dives. We’ve been diving quite a bit recently, but it was still fun to float around the bottom of the ocean. Much like the local humans, Fijian fish seemed incredible friendly: the sea life was very comfortable with divers, staring back at Chelsay and I from only a few inches away.

youtube

After our dives, Chels and I took a 1.5 hour hike around the island, stopping at a secluded beach for private snorkelling. Along the hike, the resort had set up a few small exercise stations. One station was a tire flip... like what NFL prospects train with. This is probably why all the Polynesian players are so big. Anyway, Chelsay challenged me to flip it and I did so without difficulty. It must not have looked hard, because Chelsay confidently stepped up to try it herself. She bent down, grabbed the tire, lifted from her legs for less than one millisecond, and walked away with nothing but a “Nope.”

At dinner that night, first of all, there were no birthday song surprises. Second, we had phenomenal steak with a spread of beetroot, pea, and garlic purée. It was exceptional, as was every meal we ate at Paradise Cove. This can’t be overstated. I mentioned earlier that food in many Yasawan islands is poor, often limited to rice and fries. These resorts just aren’t prepared to meet all vacation comforts... Paradise Cove was ready though. Over our three days, we enjoyed tasty local kokoda, beef lettuce wraps, coconut crusted chicken, and their many fresh catches of the day.

The next morning, Chelsay and I joined a snorkel excursion through a nearby island channel. In Fiji, these channels serve as a funnel for pods of manta rays, which are probably my favorite non-dog animal. See, ever since our failed hunt for mantas in the Maldives, I’ve had an appreciation for how hard they are to find. Even though we’ve since seen entire pods of mantas, I’ll always jump at the slightest chance to see another. Our boat between the two islands, and the guide jumped in the water. He wore a weight belt so that he could sink down where the mantas swim, which I only mention because I want to remember how easily he descended 10 meters (30 feet), sitting in the dark blue for 2 minutes before resurfacing. This guy is a fish. On the other hand, Chelsay had a less graceful descent. When we scuba dived the day before, we exited the boat by sitting on the ledge, tanks over the water, and just falling backwards. The weight of the tank would naturally fall into the water and 360-degree flip you back to the surface. When snorkelling though, you don’t have the weight of the tank. Chelsay threw herself back and entered the water, but was too buoyant to complete a flip. She’d contoured herself into an arch, with her belly sticking out of the water and fins frantically trying to rotate over. She probably scared the mantas away. It took about 30 minutes of tense anticipation, but while staring down at the blue abyss, we heard the guide yell, “Manta!” Chelsay and I swam over quickly to take in the majestic giant. At around 3 meters wide, this female manta was bigger than me, yet swam with such gentle grace. Its grace is deceptive though, because it’s actually still moving quickly - between our hunt and subsequent chase, I probably swam 3 km that morning.

youtube

Chels and I were tired when we got back to Paradise Cove, but it was our last day so we decided to snorkel the house reef one more time. It was cool to see the soft coral again, but we were pooped. I actually had to tow Chelsay back: you know, when I swim in front and my wife just holds onto my foot.

As I was towing her, we passed over a shallow part of the reef but I kept powering along. Suddenly, Chelsay let go of my foot and started slapping the water. I stopped in my tracks, unsure what she was freaking out about. She swam off, so I followed, and it wasn’t until we’d gotten to shore that she told me what it was: apparently a venomous white-banded sea snake popped out and launched within 1.5 ft of me. That was enough sea life for this trip, so we spent the rest of the day on the resort’s inflated jungle gym. We laughed, played around, and attempted backflips (key word: attempted). Just a reminder that I’d turned 30 a few days before.

youtube

That note actually transitions well into my conclusion…

A lot of people get anxious about their 30th birthday. It isn’t a vitality thing - too early for that - but the anxiety comes more from gauging where you are vs where you thought you’d be. Life isn’t a checklist, but it’s natural to have expectations for when you turn 30, 40, etc. Well, I’m writing this from my villa patio in Fiji, so I’m nailing the “Where you are” part. To answer that question less literally though, I’ll instead consider “Where I am” against Chelsay and I’s life motto, something we wrote in our wedding vows: “We’ll never let age get in the way of our youth.” This is perfect motto for age-related milestones because youth isn’t a concept tied to age. It isn’t chapter in your life that just fades away. It’s a mindset, and it’s one you can measure whether you’re 5, 20, 30, 40, or 80. To be youthful is to be energetic, playful, and optimistic. Now I’m technically 30, but this milestone age doesn’t bother me. “Where I am” is energetic enough to swim with Mantas, playful enough to laugh at awkward cake situations and splash around on an inflatable jungle gym, and optimistic enough to make a celebratory Fiji weekend happen despite all of life’s complexities. I’m not worried about turning 30, because after the past weekend, I know I’m as youthful as I’ve ever been.

2 notes · View notes

gb-patch · 4 years ago

Text

Ask Answers: December 11th, 2020

How old are terri, miranda, lee, shiloh and jeremy? Are they all the same age as the mc?

Step 1: MC is 8 and Shiloh is 7

Step 2: MC and Lee are 13 and Jeremy is 12

Step 3: MC, Lee, and Terri are 18, Miranda is 19 (though she just barely turned that age)

How many different personalities are there for Jamie? Does picking one color of dialogue option mark down the personality or is it the choices and actions themselves?

There’s not really any set amount of personalities. You can mix and match traits in different ways and different levels, it’s really up to you. The colored options just give an idea of the tone of what you’re doing (whether it’s serious or more lighthearted or more emotional, that sort of thing).

Hey! Sorry to bother, but I was just curious. Why does MC and Cove react the way they do in the errands moment? It just sorta seems like they overreacted to being left alone in the farmers market.

I’m a little confused on what you mean. You can choose not to care or to have a good time, your MC doesn’t have to be upset. There are more choices that lead to upset feelings, but that’s because there’s really only one way to say you’re really okay and multiple ways to feel upset (sad, angry, scared, etc). And if someone is upset, there’s nothing wrong with that. Feeling fine is okay too.

As for Cove, he’s just like that. Cove is a sensitive guy and he is especially bothered by parents pulling stunts without talking to their kid ahead of time. If you wanna annoy Cove, that exact thing they did is one of the fastest ways to do it, ahah. And he’s not gonna let it slide just because it was the MC’s parents doing it to them rather than one of his own parents doing it to him.

so if I were to become a one time patreon pledger, would I still have access to the things from that tier after the month is over (such as 18+ pics or access to a demo/beta)?

If you join Patreon for one month you’ll get everything released that month and have access to all our past posts, and you can save the stuff to your own computer to keep it forever. But you won’t get access to things that come out after your subscription has ended. So if you want to join for a specific piece of content, just make sure you wait until that content has already come out and then subscribe.

Why did Noelani and Pamela decide to adopt within the USA when they had previously adopted abroad?

Because we wanted to highlight more than one type of adoption. Both are valid.

At what age was MC adopted in our life?

Only around a year old, but it’s flexible based on what the player wants for their story.

If Pamela is estranged from her family and Noelani doesn't really talk to her's, where did Lee come from?

Lee is a backer created character, she wasn’t originally part of the cast. Because our main supporter wanted her to be related to the MC’s family, we gave Pam one sibling she still talks to and that sibling has a daughter, Lee. The game was still in pretty early development way back then when we first mentioned the family situation. It’s just kind of inevitable that during the game making process some things ended up changing, aha.

In the relationship DLC’s for Derek and Baxter will there be options for polyamory to include Cove?

I’m afraid not. The way Our Life: Beginnings & Always works doesn’t support developing a poly relationship well, it’d very quickly build up too many alterations to manage. But we do hope to feature polyamory options in future games.

Will it be possible to confess to Cove (or vice versa) in Step 4, if it hasn't been done already?

Yeah!

are you going to put the credits song on youtube or spotify? i really like it and want to play it for my friends 🙏🥺 ty

I’m so glad you like it! We have rights to use the song in our game and for our game to be the only game it’s ever used in, but the rights to sell/upload the song belong to the actual creators of the music. We’re happy to let them decide where they’re comfortable posting the track.

Quick question, do you plan on continuing to use MC we can custom? I liked all your games but being able to customize Our Life's MC was awesome

I can’t say if every game we ever make from now on will have a super customizable MC, but we are planning other projects with that feature. Our Life: Beginnings & Always won’t be the only one. It’s nice to hear you appreciated the effort to add that.

Can I just express my disappointment that you only get a 'makeout session' in Step 3 if your MC is outgoing? My shy MCs miss out on grabbing the Cove booty... xP

Whether or not you can make out with Cove and how intense it can get depends on how long you’ve been a couple. If your shy MC takes longer to get with Cove, he’ll need more time before he’s ready to do that sort of stuff. And if your confident MC has been with him for years already, then he’s at a point where he can go that far with them. I’m afraid patience is required when it comes to romancing that boy, haha.

If we played in 1.0 and we updates to 1.1 do we have to start over? Or do save files transfer? I hit the "ignore" not sure if I should have for the game to work properly

1.0 save files should work with version 1.1. If you’re getting error reports can you send us more details about what the error is saying?

Bug report: At the end of the 'Mall' DLC moment in Step 2, there's a point where Cove says the MC's name, but it's said in his Step 1 voice instead of his Step 2 voice. I don't know if it happens with ALL names, but it happened with my most recent game using the name Devin.

As a follow-up to my earlier bug report about the voiced names (or at least Devin) in the Mall moment, I had the same issue in the Soiree moment as well (with the same name - again, it might just be that one).

Thank you for the report! Can you let me know when you downloaded the DLC files? I think that should be fixed in the most recent version of them.

Dear gb-patch, I'm one of the OL Kickstarter backers (and I had and still have a great time with your updates, it's great to see the project grow and you are great in communicating with your fans 💕).

I want to wait until all steps are complete until I play, I know I'll enjoy it even more if I can experience it all together. Because of that I didn't open the game myself but I just saw your post with the screenshot of the voiced names and noticed that the name that I submitted to you isn't on the list. The name is Mai (or May), will it be available later?

Thank you for supporting us! Mai is one of the names that we’re still working on. It accidentally had a tone missed.

And thank you for all of these asks <3

—————————————————————— We released a new FAQ! It answers common questions and we’ll keep adding more to it. Please check there before sending an ask. FAQ Also, if you prefer to just see the main posts without all the asks/reblogs, feel free to follow our side account instead: GB Patch Updates Blog

#our life #ourlifeba #Our Life Beginnings & Always #ask #asked #gb patch #gb patch games

157 notes · View notes

your-highnessmarvel · 7 years ago

Text

Lemonade ~ chapter two

SUMMARY: Hailee, Boston born and raised, leaves in the dead of the night on a state train. Tears in her eyes, hurt in her heart, she ends up in a small town off the coast of Southern California that she knows only through her recently deceased father. She only finds shelter with a woman she barely knows; her grandmother. Hailee tries to rebuild herself despite the ruins she left behind in her other life. And then she meets Chris and finds herself, for the first time in her life, afraid.

LEMONADE MASTERLIST

RATING: MATURE (FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS)

WARNINGS: None for now. Maybe just language

Pairing: Chris Evans x OFC

WORD COUNT: 3705

TAG LIST IS OPEN (tags are at the end of the cut)

Banner made by me. Pictures are not mine.

A/N: LMAOOO ok so i finally posted part two! Still haven’t established Chris’ age... still figuring it out. Please leave feedback.

Chapter Two: I Ruin Everything Good; It’s What I Do

There are a few reasons as to why I choose to act the way I do. As others would call it; a bitch. Living in the high-class Boston citizenship had more downs than ups; more disadvantages than its counterpart. From the outside, yes, the high-end cars and the endless flow of cash seemed as delicious as it sounds, but there were dark corners to everything.

The high-end Boston life required an armor thicker than the ones they put on our soldiers. Everyone was out to get you, even if they seemed to be your most trusted friend. If they could find a way to take you down from your throne, trust me, they would. Loyalty did not exist in that kind of world.

Hence, my trust issues.

I had been in the town of Heaven’s Cove for well over a week, and I was still locking my room behind me and making sure all my stuff was still there when I got back. Despite the neighbors being literally miles away and my grandma deserving no distrust, I was cautious.

I hadn’t found a job yet, but my hopes were up after distributing a few resumés. I had an interview tomorrow. I could start gathering enough money to buy a car and move to LA, possibly find a better job and a place to stay. All of this, in the hopes of leaving this town.

The people were typical small-town folks. There were no proper hair salons, and the clothing stores sold last seasons magazine. I hated the town more than the life I led back in Boston.

Even now, as I watched Liza fry some eggs, made me hate it. Who even fries eggs like that?

“Are you going to the party tonight?” she asked, looking at me sideways because she could probably feel my glare on her.

“No,” I answered, shrugging, sipping on the coffee mug I held in my hands.

She frowned, dark red brows knitting together. “Everyone in town is going,” she added, as if that would totally convince me to go. “It’s an annual thing. Happens every June to welcome summer.”

I rolled my eyes with a quiet sigh. “Summer doesn’t need welcoming,” I grumbled, “it just comes whether we want to or not.”

The spatula clanged on the counter as she turned to face me, red hair a fiery mess. Hands on her hips, she gave me a glacial look from under her brows. “It would actually really please me if you went,” she said, fighting to stay steadily grave and not completely angry. “If you’re going to stay here and have a job, you’re going to have to get along with the people. That’s how it works around here.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling the typical mix of guilt and anger for feeling so weak. I didn’t normally feel guilt, or any type of weakening emotion, but when I did, it got me angry. I hated feeling that way, and more importantly, I hated when others knew I was feeling that way.

Liza was still staring. I shrugged. “I’ll probably go,” I answered under my breath.

Going back to her eggs, she said, “we’re leaving at seven.” I rolled my eyes, trying not to grunt, but alas, she heard me.

At seven I was ready to jump out the window and pretend I had been kidnapped. I had planned to stage a fight in my room, but when Liza came knocking, I abandoned all my plans of excavation. I had gotten dressed in a red tank top with blue jeans and my Vans shoes. I didn’t really know how people got dressed in Heaven’s Cove, but I was sure it was not cowboy boots and stuff.

When I came outside to meet Liza, she was sitting in her Jeep, wearing a black blouse, her fiery hair a knot atop her head.

We rode in silence, the scenery going from forest green to the light pastels of the city. I could smell the salt from the sea in the air. The wind was gentle and warm, and as the sun fell beyond the horizon, the climate slowly descended to a very comfortable temperature.

By the time we’d arrived at the parking lot, the weather was kind and the wind was low, and the smell of sea salt still hung in the air. Liza got out of the car, whistling under her breath, and I followed behind her.

As we walked down the main lane of the town, I could hear the soft booming of music and the chitter chatter of a crowd. We rounded the corner to what was known as the “town square” by the common folk. All the stores had their interior and exterior lights opened, creating a intricate cacophony of light against the town amassed in the center. Music was playing from the ice cream store, soft and gentle tunes. Merchants had their stock displayed on wooden tables here and there, the smell of food invading the square.

Truthfully, the view was adorable. Folk who’d known each other since birth were gathered, laughing, dancing, tasting the foods, and enjoying the company of each other. Old and young, teens and adults, all were gathered in the dim lights of the square.

I was honestly awed.

Liza’s hand found my shoulder, bringing my closer against her body. The intimacy made my mouth dry, my hands twitching, wanting to avoid all kinds of vulnerability. “This is where your father grew up,” she said, her voice low. “He had friends like them,” she added, pointing to a group of teenagers laughing beside a small fire. “He had ambitions and dreams for this town. He was going to go to school and come back to help us.”

I stood there, feeling the insides of my palms itching. “What about my mom?” I asked, feeling salty. Liza always talked about my father like he was a god and my mother was the goddess of hell. But I knew them both, and yes, my mother was a bitch, but to me she had had those fleeting moments of pure motherhood.

Liza sighed. “It’s hard to explain.”

I rolled my eyes, swiftly stepping aside. “My mom was not as horrible as you think,” I growled, feeling venom on the top of my tongue.

My grandmother shrugged, a sad smile on her lips. “It’s hard to see the good in someone who took away the only thing you had.”

She left me on that, walking towards a group of women and men that appeared to be in her age range. She just left me standing there, a sour taste in my mouth, overthinking every moment spent with my mother. Was she really as bad as everyone said she was? If she was bad, was I? I had her looks and her temper, maybe a hint of her anger and snapping character. But was I as bad as everyone said she was?

“Hailee!”

The sound of my name brought me back from my reverie. A curly-haired blonde was barreling down the path from the parking lot. A huge smile on her lips, splaying those pearly whites, her big blue eyes round and joyful. Behind her, a tall young man with shaggy blonde hair and a beard, looking strangely familiar.

“Hailee,” she breathed, “I’m glad you could make it.” She was wearing a beige sweater and bright blue jeans, her hair tousled to one side of her head. She had on dazzling earrings and shining lip-gloss.

“Hey Carly,” I muttered, smiling slowly. The man behind her gave me a huge grin, hugging his blue cardigan around his torso.

“This is my brother Scott,” Carly continued, introducing us. “Scott, this is Hailee, the girl that lives with Nanny.”

His grin turned into a full-on smile and he gave me his hand. “It’s really nice to meet you, Hailee.”

“You need a nickname,” Carly laughed, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. “How about, Haze?”

“That’s actually really not necessary,” I tried, but now even Scott was into it. He was strangely familiar; his height, his light brown coloring, the way he smiled made his eyes turn in a very familiar manner.

“Mom!” Carly exclaimed suddenly, waving to a couple walking in through the same path. “Mom, dad!”

They seemed endearing, hand-in-hand, soft and kind with their gentle features. The man was tall with the same auburn colors as his son. The woman was shorter, of tough build, and wore the same smile as the blonde fire-ball before me.

“This is Hailee Smith,” Carly said matter-of-fact. “Haze, this is my mother, Lisa, and my dad, Bob.”

I smiled shyly, waving at them awkwardly as if I was a teenage girl meeting her boyfriend’s parents. The woman, Lisa, looked me over with a kind smile.

“You look like your mother, doesn’t she, Bob?” she said, looking up to her husband. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

“You knew her too?” I mumbled. Lisa nodded.

“She moved in here she was, what, maybe seven or eight,” she said, and it was the first time I heard someone talking about my mother with not a hint of hatred. “She had a drive, that young woman. Whatever she wanted, she got it.”

Just like my dad.

I didn’t say anything more. I decided hearing about the past meant nothing for my future. I needed to move on; move away from this toxic town.

“Have you met my two others?” Lisa asked, making me frown. “Carly go find Shanna, would you?” As if she was a child, Carly playful ran off to find her sister, I presumed, while I stayed back.

“I assume you’ve met Chris?” Lisa asked me.

I froze. That name rang a bell. A bad bell. The guy who was at Liza’s place and treated me like a smoocher? That Chris? The man I deliberately insulted? I had totally forgotten Carly and him were related. Well, that was going to go bananas later.

Lisa was oblivious. “He said he went by Nanny’s place last week to fix her pool and her AC,” she went on. “He didn’t have time to fix the AC, but I’m sure he’ll be back some time this week.” She looked truly concerned, so I doubted that Chris told her about our whole dilemma.

I had deliberately tried to ignore and avoid Chris the entire week. I had seen glimpses of him here and there, always with his tool box, a bright smile on his lips. I caught him at the resto I had an interview at tomorrow, helping out with the industrial fridges. I saw a bit of him repairing someone’s car. But I had avoided him at all costs. He made my ego hurt.

“I’m going to go get a drink,” I said, smiling awkwardly, stepping back.

“I’ll go ahead with you,” Scott added quickly, waving to his parents as we headed for the table with free beer.

Scott was tall and had such a warm smile that it evoked zero ounce of hatred in me. I felt completely at ease with him. Walking in silence, despite his awkward throat-clearing, wasn’t as bad as I had thought.

“My parents are quite talkative,” he said shyly, hands in his jean pockets. I waved it off.

“Mine never really talked to me so,” I answered, shrugging.

I didn’t know why I had said that, but that moment of clarity, of openness, didn’t taste as bad as I had envisioned.

“My brother is the real talkative guy,” he continued. “He’s older than me, so he’s always looked out for me. Do you have any siblings?”

“I’m the only one,” I answered with a grimace.

“Oh boy, you’re lucky,” he said. I grabbed a beer from the table, thanking the woman sitting there with a smile. She was short and stocky, grey hair a tangled mess on her head.

Scott continued. “My brother and my sisters, man, they were so much trouble,” he giggled. “Chris was into sports and my sisters tried to follow, and that made the household such a mess!”

I laughed with him, finding it in me to put aside the awful feeling I had since I had left Boston. “Carly is the spitfire,” he added, his tone softening, “and Shanna is the brilliant one. And then Chris is the big-hearted bro, you know.”

“What about you?” I asked, sipping on the cool beer, walking back towards the center of the square.

“I’m just the little brother,” he answered.

“You’re more than that, for sure,” I said, laughing, enjoying the feel of simple company.

However, the feeling didn’t last long. A broad-shouldered hunk of a man came into my line of vision, accompanied by a bustling blonde. I felt the wave of bile at the back of my throat; anger and pride rising to meet the knowledge that I might have overreacted the other day by the pool.

Scott turned to his brother with wide arms, embracing him. “Chris, good to see you,” he said. I rolled my eyes shyly, looking away from the siblings.

Even though Chris made me fume, I couldn’t deny how good he looked. Even though he wore a simple blue blouse and dark jeans, he looked better than anyone at the gathering. His hair was messy and gathered behind his ears, while those baby blues matched his attire. Of course.

“You met Hailee, right?” Carly piped in. I turned, feigning surprise, and nodded. I met Chris’ eyes for a brief instant, ignoring the sly smile on his endearing mouth.

“I’ve gotta go find my grandmother,” I spat, turning on my heels, feeling my chest squeezing with both hatred and awkwardness.

“I’ll go along with you.”

I resisted the urge to growl. He really wanted me to throw another tantrum in the middle of town?

He slid in beside me, matching step, smiling like he won the lottery. “So, did the lemonade come off easily on the carpet?” he asked sarcastically.

“Do you really want me to tell you to fuck off?” I asked, gritting the words between my teeth. I held my cup of beer tightly. He shrugged.

“I’m still waiting for an apology,” he said. He smelled like cars and salt and man, and even though I wanted nothing more than to rid my mind of him, just his presence made me want to rip his clothes off.

When I looked up at him from under a deep frown, I saw the good in those bay blues. The never-ending sweetness and goodhearted intentions. He was not a bad man. He was not the man I wanted him to be, because it was much easier to see him as bad than to come to terms with the only true fact being that I was the worst thing that could ever happen to him.

“Fuck off.”

He laughed, following my steps again. “Would you like ice cream?” he asked, his voice laced with laughter as we made our way through the tough crowd in the center. “I’m sure you’re not really looking for Nanny, right?”

I turned to him, staring daggers, fuming. I wanted nothing more than to scream at him, but I also didn’t want to cause a scene.

“Or maybe you’re just trying to find a way to get rid of me?” he asked feigning innocence. I huffed, really, huffed, and turned on my heels. “So chocolate or vanilla?”

I didn’t really know where Liza was or anybody else in this town, so I sighed and stopped. “Chocolate,” I answered, watching as he slid ahead of me, shooting me a heart-stopping grin.

He went up to the clerk, elbows on the counter and all, grinning from ear to ear. I watched, standing a few feet away, as the light from inside the ice cream canteen reflected off his face. Even his smile, so sweet and good, was more angelic than anything I’d ever encountered.

Thinking back, that is the moment I realized I would destroy him.

He came back holding two cups of chocolate ice cream, an even bigger grin on his face. “Don’t you think vanilla is just overrated?” he joked, handing me the cup.

I shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t really care.”

“Hailee, look,” he said as we stepped aside, his tone going from joking to serious. “I think we started on the wrong foot, you and I, right?”

“Right,” I grunted, finishing my beer and starting on my ice cream.

“Whatever it was, I’m willing to put it behind us,” he said with a slow smile. I looked up at him, dark eyes meeting light blue. He was serious. He stuck out his hand dramatically. “Friends?”

I hesitated. Then I brought my hand into the warmth of his, letting him engulf it and shake it gently. “Friends,” I muttered.

He smiled. He let his hand stay in mine a little longer, my skin beginning to tingle, my mouth watering. Quickly, I wrenched my hand from his and wiped it on my jeans.

“So what are your plans now?” he asked. He motioned to a bench that was sitting just outside the square borders. It was in the shadows, conveniently away from the crowd.

“I have a job interview tomorrow,” I admitted, following Chris to the bench and sitting down. His thigh brushed mine, and I had to fight the tingles crawling up my thighs.

“Where?” he asked, and he did that classic boy thing where he lay his arm on the back of the bench, his fingers skimming my shoulder.

“The diner that overlooks the sea?” I squeaked. He chuckled, his laugh rumbling through his chest.

“The fish ‘n’ chips?” he asked. “Good luck with that.” I laughed with him.

I enjoyed his company for the entire night. Maybe Chris was not as bad. He made me laugh. He made me forget there were things out there that tore me apart. He made forgot the pain that was wedged deep within my soul. I was hurt. I was broken. But in those moments, sitting in the shadows, ice cream freezing my lips, with Chris by my side, I was content and whole.

“I should drive you back,” he said. “I saw Nanny leaving and I’m sure she wouldn’t want you walking all the way back.”

I stood, giggling, feeling the one beer and the ice cream sloshing in my tummy. I felt good. “What, is this town full of serial killers and stuff?” I asked sarcastically. An expression, dark and fleeting, passed quickly across Chris’ face. As soon as it had been there, it was gone. I was left questioning it as I followed him back to the parking lot.

He had been chatty and smiling the entire night, and now, his face had turned somber. Even if I couldn’t properly see his face in the fading lights and the darkness of the path, I could tell he was triggered.

“It’s just not safe at night,” he answered as we got to his black pick up truck. I shrugged.

“Boston was never safe,” I grumbled, “day or night.”

We rode in silence. Chris was lost in thought and I was lost in the scenery of the forest green with the glinting sea beyond. Inside his car it smelled like boy and oil, soft music playing in the speakers. When we arrived at Liza’s, he got out.

“You don’t have to,” I grumbled, shutting the door behind me. Liza’s place was all dark, but the porch door was swinging opened, blocked from closing by a rock, probably placed there by my grandmother.

Chris chuckled. “Good luck for your interview,” he said.

I laughed. “You’re only saying that to be nice.”

He shrugged, walking onto the porch, the steps creaking under our weight. Under the moonlight, he looked soft and pale. His eyes kept finding mine, his mouth twitching. “Can I take you out to dinner Friday?” he asked calmly, no inch of anxiety in his tone.

Oh, I wanted to refuse, really, I did. But even despite his good looks, there was a certain magnetism to him, a certain calm that drove me to him. I barely knew him, and I wanted nothing more than to stay with him. Yet I was dangerous and destructive, elusive and spontaneous. I was like my mother. Him and I, we were not meant to be. He was the type of boy that I used and disposed of back home. And I didn’t want to be that girl anymore.

I was so lost in thought, my brows pulled, that I didn’t feel his hands on my biceps until he shook me slightly. His fingers were warm, caressing my skin, and I didn’t want him to stop one bit. “Am I being too forward?” he whispered. He was leaning in slightly, his much larger frame almost cupping around me.

“I just… um…” How could I say it without sounding stupid?

He chuckled, rubbing my arms again, making me sway slightly. I wanted to, but I couldn’t. If I did accept to go out with him, nothing would stop me from ruining the good in him.

“Hey, look, um,” he took out his phone, his hands leaving my skin, a cold trail following the lack of his warm palms. “I could leave you my number and whenever you want, you can text me?” he said.

I nodded. “Yeah,” I breathed. I handed him my phone, watching the electronic light up on his face.

“We don’t have to go out,” he added, just to be sure I got the message. “We can go surfing or hiking, you know, anything you want.”

I took my phone back, unsure of what to answer. He stood there, tall and almost intimidating, watching me with intent in his eyes. Then, quickly, almost so quick I thought I had dreamt it, he kissed my cheek tenderly, his hand cupping shoulder. I closed my eyes slightly, enjoying the innocence of that fleeting moment. And then he was slowly walking down the steps.

“I’ll see you around, Haze,” he chuckled, back to his boastful and energetic self. I waved at him, feeling broken and complete all at once.

tags: @iamthemaskhewears @void-imaginations @poerebel @ironmanlover24@fluasch @thatcrazybookwormgeek @papi-chulo-bucky @patzammit @wildefire

39 notes · View notes

hidding-in-shadows · 7 years ago

Text

the killer in me is the killer in you (ch. 1)

I’ve been sitting on this project for a while, but finally decided to post the first chapter which I finished last night. Please enjoy this Avatar the Last Airbender AU. More to come!

---------

Long ago, the four nations had lived in harmony. But everything changed when the Southern Water Tribe attacked.

The air was so cold that the mist from her attack had formed into crystals on her cheek instantly. She ignored her instinct to simply rub them away, and instead pulled the water particles from her cheek and joined them with the rush of water she pulled from the hollowed out walrus-shark tooth on her belt. Her attacker moved, curling his own water around his body before bending it into two dozen icicle daggers and rushing them her way. The girl grunted, eyes narrowing as she quickly raised an ice wall, defending herself, before slamming a foot to the ground, pushing the wall quickly towards her opponent.

“Katara!” A holler came from behind the wall, which was quickly transformed into its liquid state. “I did not travel here to have beginner moves thrown at me. I have trained you for years now, you should be using more advanced bending techniques than this.”

“Master Pakku, I apologize,” Katara said, gritting her teeth. (No matter what she tried, it wasn’t good enough.)

“It took a lot of convincing from your father to get me to travel all the way down here,” the Master Waterbender snarled, his aged face twisting into a look mixed between anger and frustration. “You may be my blood, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be soft on you. You have been using moves I taught you within our first month of training. I expect more from you.”

With his final words, Pakku stomped on the iceberg, breaking the sheet in half. He gave Katara one last stern look before bending the ocean around him, using the strong waves to glide himself across the water and towards the outline of the Southern Water Tribe. Katara could see the tall, snowy walls from where she was, a faint light glowing from the Tribe. It’s growth had been substantial in the last fifty years as the scrolls told. When Katara was born, the walls were up and the Tribe was bustling. The Chief’s home was being rebuilt, using material from the Earth Kingdom to create a skeleton of the home before waterbenders and tribespeople built the snowy and icy outer layer, decorating the home with a traditional Southern Water Tribe exterior. Now, at the age of sixteen, Katara had watched the walls be taken down and expanded three times and their simple home had transformed into a palace of ice. Northern Water Tribe people migrated South, making homes and families. Ever since their successful raid against the Fire Nation almost forty decades ago, the Southern Water Tribe was the most powerful Nation.

Which made Katara’s father, Chief Hakoda, the most powerful man.

Which made her the most powerful princess and heir to the Tribe.

(Or so, that’s what the other nations thought.)

“Katara!” A new voice rang out from across the water, breaking Katara from her thoughts. She turned towards the voice, blinking away wet tears that she didn’t realize were forming. Katara quickly rubbed her eyes with her royal blue sleeve. She watched as her brother’s fishing boat came close to the iceberg. The young man gave his little sister a lopsided smile. “I’m going to go fishing. Want to come along?”

Truthfully, all she wanted to do was stand there and watch the water sway, meditate until her heart was at a slow, steady rhythm so she could work on waterbending. Her form was getting sloppy, her temper was beginning to act up, and Master Pakku wasn’t going to let it slide forever. A few months prior to her sixteenth birthday, when had been informed of her future as Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, her bending had slipped. (She tried to push the memory that triggered the degresion of her bending far into her mind.) Everything her master had taught her escaped her when they trained. While deep in meditation, she could focus on the water, its push and pull.

Her brother grinned wider.

“Sure,” she shrugged, walking towards his boat. It was a simple wooden canoe, one he had carved and made with their father on his sixteenth birthday two years ago, and although there were a few holes that were hastily patched up, Sokka was too prideful to find a new one. (Also, if any water flooded in, she would bend it back out of the holes it leaked through.)

“Dad said that Arnook and Yue are coming in a weeks time,” Sokka said as he pushed off the iceberg, “and I want to practice fishing. I’m hoping to ask Arnook for Yue’s hand.”

“You two are already arranged,” Katara huffed, putting her chin in her hand, “what’s with the formalities?”

“Well, as future Chief of the Northern Water Tribe--,”

“Oh here we go again…,”

“What? I have to look good. Arnook already had a strong candidate for Yue before I went there. Some soldier named Hahn. Even though Dad arranged it, I still have be credible.”

“No, I get it.” Katara sighed, waving her hand over the water that had begun to leak into the canoe.

“What’s up with you?” Sokka raised an eyebrow at his sister, placing the paddle back into the canoe. “Pakku seemed a little … well, more Pakku-like when I saw him leave your training.”

“Don’t worry about it Sokka,” Katara sighed, freezing the water over one of the small holes in the canoe. “I’ve just been … out of sorts lately. It’s probably the new moon, it’s no big deal.”

“Katara, you’ve been out of sorts ever since--,”

The waterbender sent her brother a deathly glare, making him shut his mouth. He sighed heavily through his nose before grabbing the spear from the bottom of the canoe. (Did he really not realize that the floor just had a layer of water a moment ago?) Sokka turned on his bench and peered outside of the canoe.

“There’s usually some good ones around here,” he muttered more to himself than to his sister, “maybe I can try that cove I found the other week.”

Katara hummed as she also peered over the canoe. At first, she didn’t see any movement within the icy waters. She figured that their canoe probably scared the fish away, but when she closed her eyes and pushed her senses out, she felt the water below them vibrate with energy. Too much energy for a school of fish.

“Sokka, something doesn’t feel right.” She warned, placing her hand into the water for a better feel.

“I see one coming this way right now!” He hissed, readying his spear.

“No, Sokka, I’m serious.”

“Shut up, it looks really big and it’s coming this way.”

“Sokka--,”

“Katara!”

The second he threw the spear, a huge dome of water appeared in front of them. Katara winced at the sound of the water releasing the object; a huge icey sphere with dark figures inside. Sokka lost balance in the canoe as a wave rushed underneath them. He threw the spear haphazardly, tumbling off the side of the canoe and into the water. Katara gripped at the edge of the canoe, wobbling as the waves past, her blue eyes wide and locked on the orb.

“I missed!”

“You’re really worried about that?” Katara hissed, steadying the vessel as her brother clumsily climbed back in. “Not about the huge, random ice orb with figures inside that just came out of nowhere?”

“Oh,” Sokka looked towards the formation, blinking water from his eyes. “I didn’t even … what is that thing?”

“I don’t know,” Katara said, “I felt an energy in the water but …,”

Sokka picked the paddle back up, ignoring the spear that floated in the water next to him. He paddled towards the formation as Katara bended the water from his body and clothes, drying him off so he didn’t become a total popsicle.

The siblings moved closer to the object until Sokka lined his canoe up right next to it. Katara stood up, pressing her hand against it and closed her eyes. Though she could see the dark figures in the ice, she couldn’t feel them. There must have been some barrier between the icey exterior and whatever resided inside. Katara opened her eyes once more and waved a hand over a portion of the ice in front of her, making it turn from a misty color to a shear, glassy icicle. She pushed her hands to it, cupping her face against the ice.

“Holy Tui,” Katara whispered, pulling back from the orb.

“What? What is it?” Sokka asked, standing as well.

“There’s … it’s a boy and some giant … creature. They’re trapped inside.”

“What? How is that even possible?” Sokka said, eyes narrowing.

“I don’t know!” Katara growled at him, “Stop asking stupid questions.”

“Well, what should we do?”

Katara looked between her brother and the iceberg. She was the future Chief, she had to make decisions much more difficult than this. (Decisions that has costed lives.) Katara took a deep breath and closed her eyes, expanding her senses to the water around her. She let her breath out through her mouth and adjusted her feet before raising her hands. Sokka watched as his baby sister bended, a crack forming in the ice in front of them. It ran upwards, splitting the sphere in half. Katara quickly flicked her wrists and the two halves flew off. Before the two got a good look at what was inside, a blue light blinded them.

The two shielded their eyes, wincing at its intensity. Soon, though, the light vanished and the two peered back. Inside was a young boy. He had a shaved head and donned orange robes. A light blue tattoo worked its way over the top of his head, ending in a pointed arrow. His hands were folded in his lap, also donning the same arrow tattoo. His tattoo’s seemed to glow with the same blue light, and he opened his glowing eyes. Behind him laid a massive creature, six legs sprawled out. Before Katara or Sokka could react, the boy’s tattoos stopped glowing and his eyes rolled in the back of his head. He fell forward, sliding down the slab of ice that remained from the sphere. Katara panicked, bending a small wall in front of the edge of the iceberg, stopping the boy from landing within the water.

“What in the world is that thing?” Sokka said, gripping at the walrus-shark tooth knife that was sheathed at his side. Katara followed his gaze to the creature.

“Maybe a pet? It doesn’t look dangerous.”

“And you said that about the bison-bear.”

Katara rolled her eyes and went back to bending, breaking off a portion of the iceberg where the boy had landed and influencing the oceans current to bring him to her. She peered at the boy, examining his clothes and how his was relaxed. He had an orange tunic pulled over his shoulder and pale yellow pants. Both were far too thin to survive in the North Pole. His tattoos were odd. Many of the men and women in the Tribe had tattoos, but they were created with dark, black ink and took place of animals or unique patterns. She had one of her own that marked the raid she lead. (No matter how hard she tried it wouldn’t scrub away.) This boy had simple, light blue ink stained into his skin.

“Leave the creature,” Katara said, her voice dropping and becoming serious, “I’m sure Dad or Pakku will know who this boy is. He looks like he’s from another Nation.”

“Okay,” Sokka said, nodding. The siblings had turned into their other selves, their warrior training and chief preparations taking over. Sokka helped Katara board the boy and turned the canoe away from the laying creature. He placed his paddle back into the canoe and Katara inhaled before sitting back down and bending the water around the vessel, pushing the canoe forward with incredible speed. Within a few minutes they had returned to the shore of their Tribe. Outside stood a dozen guards, armed and ready. Their dark blue uniforms stood out against the pure white of the walls. They all gripped spears that were carved by the finest craftsmen and decorated with rich paints from the best painters. The tips of their spears donned metal which was sent from the Earth Kingdom. They use to use carved walrus-shark tooth and bone, but now those spears were used purely for hunting.

Katara and Sokka pulled up to a snowy dock against the shore of the land and as Katara tied the canoe down amongst the other ships, Sokka heaved the boy onto his shoulder. He stepped out of the canoe, Katara following as they made their way to the single gate of the wall. The guards all bowed to the royal siblings, two of them pushing the huge, bone doors open to allow them pass. (New metal ones were being sent from the Earth Kingdom in a few days, along with sketches from the best Earth Kingdom strategists for a new wall.) None of them challenged the unconscious boy over Sokka’s shoulder.

Upon entering the Tribe, people bustled around. The outskirts of the Tribe was filled with igloo homes. They were makeshift and used for the poor to sleep in free of charge each night, an initiative Katara’s mother had made when she stood by the Chief. Scattered around the homes were tall, guard posts, raising above the wall to watch out for any incoming traffic. The bases of the towers were used as barracks for the soldiers, who would be stationed at a different tower each month to avoid familiarity and allow for the soldiers to always be on their toes. As they continued to walk, the homes disappeared amongst merchant shops. There were restaurants, clothing stands, and food stands all mingled together to create the Tribe Trade Center. In the distance, Katara could see the metal gates that surrounded the palace, which were encased in icicles due to the cold.

As the siblings walked through the Trade Center, tribespeople parted, bowing and mumbling greetings to the siblings. The two continued on, their faces molded to look like the Chief's they would one day become. As they neared the palace, guards began to flank their sides, ensuring that no one would stop them or distract the two, question them or the strange boy they had.

Katara melted the ice on the gate of the fencing around her home and pushed the doors open, waltzing in with authority to her step. Sokka followed close behind her, adjusting the boy on his shoulder. Word must have traveled fast among the soldiers to Chief Hakoda. Their father stood in his Chief robs, a mixture of royal and dark blue clothing. His coat was thick, fur spilling from around the cuffs and neckline. Pure silver thread lined the royal clothing and the wind blew at a few stray hairs that had escaped his wolves tail. His face was pulled into an expressionless canvas, eyes strong, though a flash of curiosity danced across them when he spotted the strange boy over Sokka’s shoulder.

“Chief,” Katara and Sokka both grunted, beating their fists across their chest twice. Hakoda nodded to them, a signal for one of them to speak.

“We were out fishing,” Katara said, glancing to Sokka who had adjusted the boy on his shoulder, “and I felt an energy under the water. Suddenly, a large ..,” she paused for a second to think of how to explain the experience.

“A large, hollowed iceberg,” Sokka continued, “sprung out from the water. Katara looked through it with her bending and saw this boy and a creature inside. She opened the orb and then we took the kid with us. We thought that maybe you or Master Pakku may have some insight. It looks like he is in a different Nations colors.”

Hakoda’s eyes scanned over the two siblings as if he were evaluating their story. He then waved his hand before turning around and walking up to the palace doors. A guard opened it wide as the Chief entered. Katara and Sokka climbed the few snow stairs that lead to the front door and entered their home.

Inside was warm. The floor was decorated with elegant volcano-rock tiles from the Fire Nation. The walls stood tall, painted a simple baby blue color. Two large stone fireplaces flanked the side walls, roaring with heat from the intense flames within them. There was a servant at each fireplace making sure the flames continued throughout the day. Above them hung an icy chandelier. Hakoda took a sharp right, walking toward the right flank of the palace where the dining rooms, meeting rooms, and social rooms were laid out.

“The creature you mentioned,” Chief Hakoda’s voice was low and strong, gravely from the many years of controlling a whole nation. “Where is it?”

“We left it behind,” Katara said, “it seemed harmless and was asleep, just like the boy.”

“I see,” there was an uncertainty behind his words, “I’ll have a group of soldiers go retrieve this creature and bring it back as well. Master Pakku is in the study.”

The three walked a bit more, passing large, bone carved doors before stopping at a smaller one, the handle sprinkled with frost. Katara quickly bent the frost away before her father turned the knob.

Inside the room was dark, the tall windows against the back wall had been drawn closed, and a few candles flickered around the room. Tall, long bookshelves made aisles down the room and ran along all of the walls. A few desks were scattered near the front of the room, candle sticks on them and ready to be lit if needed. At one of the desks sat Master Pakku with his head in his hands and a scroll in front of him. A single candle flickered by him, giving just enough light to read the inked words from the ancient scroll. They had scrolls and books dating back a thousand years in the room, most taken from the vast library system of the Fire Nation after they were demolished.

“Master Pakku,” Hakoda gave a small bow towards the man in apology, “Sorry for interrupting your studying, but it seems as if my children have run into a stranger and need some answers.”

The Master Waterbender looked up, a single gray eyebrow raised. He looked towards his own grandchildren, then his eyes flickered to the boy on Sokka’s shoulder. They widened a bit and the old man suddenly bolted up out of his chair.

“Put him down,” he growled, “lay him on the floor.”

Sokka quickly did so, gently placing the boy down. Pakku kneeled next to the boy, his hand hovering of the boys head before long fingers gently ran over the pale blue tattoo that graced the boys head.

“Do you know who he is?” Katara asked.

“Oh yes,” Pakku said, “but no one has seen him in years. I was told stories about him when I was a boy. Though, I did not think his tattoos were this pale. The way he was described … they would emanate with light.”

“When the orb opened,” Katara said, “there was a blinding blue light before we saw him. It came from his tattoos and eyes … Master Pakku?”

The man suddenly had a wide-eyed look, fright dancing in his iris’. He took his hand back and then closed his eyes, lips moving in a prayer.

“My dear family,” the strong voice of the Master Waterbender disappeared and was replaced by a shaky, breathless whisper. “We’re look at Aang, the Lost Avatar.”

#the killer in me is the killer in you #ATLA #zutara #atla au #role-swap #katara #aang #sokka #zuko

7 notes · View notes

immalittlepandybear · 7 years ago

Text

Down By The Seashore

So, I have been gone for a while BUT I’M BAAAAAACK! And I may have gone a wittle bit (a lot) out of control with the story and I may have added A LOT more things to the original plot SO this is going to be a chaptered AU. Three chapters to be exact, nothing more. I hope.

Words~ 1,367

I hope you guys enjoy and I plan to be on Tumblr more in the future! :)

"WildCat! I got it fixed now. Do you want to take it for a test run?" Tyler's friend, Daithi yelled across the pier at the approaching individual. Ty set down the planks of wood he was carrying and looked at Nogla quizzically.

"Are you sure, it's fixed? The fisherman said it was bad. He should be back tomorrow. We should probably wait until he checks it over so that we can make sure that it looks good." Nogla pouted at WildCat.

"Are you questioning my work? I have been working on boats for 3 years now and not one! Not. One. Hasn't been fixed by me on the first try!" Daithi threw his tools in his belt and slung the toolbelt over his shoulder. "But, you can wait until the man comes to look it over, you prissy!"

"I didn't say that! It's just that you haven't worked on this type of boat before! So yeah, I'm worried! I don't want to die!" Tyler stopped Daithi from walking away from him and tried his best explaining what he meant without getting too loud and attracting attention. Never works but he can sure try.

This time he gained the attention of the baker that just so happened to be walking past. His name is Ryan. But most people don't call him that. They don't even really talk to him. He is an orphan that nobody wanted. His best friend and the only one he ever really talks to is Brock or MamaBrock. After what his friend went through, Brock decided to take over the orphanage after the old bat that ran it before, died. He doesn't want anyone to go through the same pain Ryan did.

Most of the town doesn't even talk to Ryan and when they do, it's to order bread and sweets at his bakery. The Rabbit Hole. No one knows why he called it that, maybe if they asked he would have told them that it was because of his love of rabbits and the fairy tale Alice In Wonderland. When the townsfolk do talk about Ryan, they call him Ohmwrecker. They call him that because when he wandered into the town on a late, foggy night. It was the coldest day, no one could have survived without a fire by them. But he did. He walked right into the town, holding a small cloth that had the Omega symbol on it and a knife. He was confused and covered in, what later was assumed to be, animal blood. He was taken to the orphanage where the old bat sold him to the village baker. The baker wasn't a nice person. But when he learned that Ohm could bake, he became somewhat tolerable towards the boy. Ohm soon took over the business when the baker passed away from old age. Forcing the villagers to finally talk to him.

Ohm stopped walking and listened to the conversation. Tyler noticed Ohm looking at the incoming clouds and quietly whisper, "You probably shouldn't sail today. A big storm is coming in." Before he hurried away with a bag of flour on his shoulders. Tyler wanted to go after the man, but he knew not too. For if he did, he would be rejected by the town as well.

He turned back towards Nogla. "I will take it out today. If you’re sure that you fixed it, 100%."

Nogla looked at him and nodded his head. "I am absolutely sure I fixed it completely. Would I ever put you in danger?"

"Ok, you get the supplies and I'll get the boat ready for sailing." They went their separate ways. Nogla to collect food and plenty of water, while WildCat went and checked the boat out.

~~~*~~~

It is around midday when WildCat actually got out to sea. It took him a little bit to get the boat in the water and everything back where it was supposed to go. At first, everything seemed fine, and then a strong gust of wind came and pulled the boat out past the reef. Then, the mast ended up shifting to the left, which caused boards to be moved and the water sealant, that Nogla put on the underside of the boat, to thin and crack. With water seeping into the bottom and the howling winds not helping with the position of the mast and making the boat rock. Tyler would never say that he was afraid. He totally didn't panic when the water got past his ankles or when the bucket that he had flew out of hands because of the strong gusts of wind. Yep. Totally not afraid. He would never admit, to anyone or himself, but he was pretty sure that he let out an undignified squeak as wave after huge wave started to rock the boat even more until finally, it capsized.

Ohm, watching from a cove that was safe from the storm, sprang into action as soon as he saw the waves overtake the boat and the villager. Normally Ohm wouldn’t risk his fins over a drowning stranger, but he can’t help it. WildCat is a friend of Brock’s and Brock is his friend. Ohm’s powerful tail powered him through the storm with little trouble. How he wishes that the stupid idiot listened to him, or at least was able to tell from how the sky looked that there would be a storm today.

Ohm growled under his breath as he looked at the wreckage of the boat. That’s going to take days to clean up, maybe even weeks. Not to mention all the fish and sea creatures that are going to need medical attention because of this. Ohm reluctantly set WildCat down and swam away. He must get back to the village before anyone else notices that he was gone and blames the storm on him.

~~~*~~~

Tyler didn’t know how he was alive or where he was right now. As soon as he sat up, he started to violently cough the water from his lungs. He looked around and saw a forest and a tiny trail on one side and the ocean on the other.

“Good job, Nogla. ‘Would I ever put you in danger?’ You asshole. Last time I’m ever going to listen to you, you dumb fuck” Tyler slowly started to walk down the little trail through the forest. As he walked, he started to see things that he recognized, or so he hoped.

“No! I literally just saw you! How the fuck am I walking in circles? Does this forest even go in a circle? Or have an end!?” Tyler lost it when he turned the corner and saw that stupid chipmunk stuffing its cheeks full of seeds and nuts. So, he did what any well-mannered individual would do, he punched a tree, or tried to. “FUCK!!!” His scream rang out through the forest and seemed to bounce off the trees. Clutching his hand, Tyler leaned up against said tree and mentally cursed out anything and everything under the sun.

“Are you ok? I heard screaming and I came rushing ov- Oh goodness, look at your hand!”

Tyler stood straight up when a person came out of the undergrowth with a bag slung over their shoulders. It took him a moment to recognize that the person and face belonged to Ryan, the outcast and baker. It also took him another moment to register that his hand has significantly grown and changed colors.

“What are you doing out here?” Tyler didn’t mean for it to come out so defensively but with the way Ohm took a step back and lowered his head, it came out quite nasty. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-.”

“No, it’s okay. I just came out here to gather some berries and other things for the bakery. I-I heard you yell and I came running over, I’m sorry.” Ohm shuffled his feet and looked anywhere but at Tyler.

Tyler sighed and clutched his hand, “No, I’m sorry for yelling at you. I shouldn’t have done that. The thing is, I’m a bit lost and I can’t find my way back into town. Uh, would you… would you mind helping me?”

Again, I really hope you guys enjoyed and the second chapter will be up next Sunday! I might even post some more couple moments for MiniWrecker and DaithideWildcat.

#ohmcat #ohmwrecker #wildcat #bbs #down by the seashore #PandyWritings

27 notes · View notes

gaiyofanfiction · 7 years ago

Text

Rare Blood

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 (Final)

Vampire Prince!Yoo Kihyun x Siren!Reader

Much angst, maybe fluff

Vampire world!AU

A/N: Hey everyone! We are so thankful for all our followers and everyone loving our stories! We are proud to present our new story, Rare Blood! It’s a Vampie AU. We’ve been wanting to write a vampire story for so long, so hopefully you all like it! Here’s the first chapter, enjoy!

Disclaimer: This store is pure fiction. Yoo Kihyun and the rest of Monsta X are the sweetest creatures on this earth, we know they would never do anything to harm or manipulate anyone.

Trigger warning: Mentions of abuse for right now. Maybe something else in the future.

Chapter 1:

Vampires. A word that strikes fear into any living human on Earth. Creatures that stalk the night, buying and selling human beings to other vampires. Humans in this world are a source of food and service the creatures of the night. The same creatures you were trying to hide from.

You are running through the forest as fast as you can, not daring to look back. You had just escaped your vampire captors, who had planned to sell you to a vicious vampire Lord. You could hardly handle the abuse of the seller, the last thing you could handle was a vampire as a Master.

You had escaped during the day, when vampires like to sleep. But the forest is so crowded with trees, it might as well be night time. You make your way through the trees, bringing greater distance between you and the house of horrors.

Suddenly a sharp pain runs through your side, making you slow down. “Ahh cramp, cramp!” You stop moving, breathing heavy. At the same time you feel your stomach growl.

“Dammnit. Now I have a cramp AND I'm hungry.” You mumble to yourself. “I have no time for this.”

Sighing, you look around, trying to find anything that could appease your stomach. You squint your eyes and notice a stone wall in the distance. Usually a stone wall means a residence. You half jog and half walk your way to the gray stone wall ahead.

Once you make it to your destination, you groan. The wall is at least ten feet high. Luckily it's so old, the stone bricks aren't made evenly, giving you a path to climb. Mustering up enough strength, you scale up the stone wall and jump over the top.

“Woah.” You look up wide eyed. Standing in front of you is one of the biggest castles you've ever seen. ‘Surely there has to be some kind of food inside to eat.’ You think to yourself. ‘Maybe even something I can take so I can sell for money.’

The sunlight barely shone through the trees but it was enough for you to see where you were going. You scour the side of the castle and come across a low window that you could easily climb through. You rub your hands together and grab the side of the stone wall, slowly scaling upwards. Once you hit the window, you pry your hands under the latch and push the window up. You climb through the window and land lightly on your feet.

Looking around the dark room, you notice yourself in some kind of study. Your eyes rake through the room, trying to find something that could be used to sell for money. Your eyes land on the desk with a small golden paper weight.

“Bingo,” you smirk. You quietly move towards the object and snatch it up, depositing it into your small bag. “There's probably more around here but first I really need to eat,” you murmur to yourself.

You find the door to the study and slowly open it. You look around the door to see a very dark corridor. 'This must be a vampire’s castle for it to be dark in the middle of the day.’ You knew you had to be careful and quiet. 'Luckily I have my power in case I get myself into trouble.’

You make your way down the dark corridor, trying to keep as quiet as you can. Every time you pass a door, you peek in slowly to see if it's the kitchen. Most of the rooms are closets, bathrooms or studies. Finally you get to the end and open the last door. You squint your eyes and make out a fridge.

“Sweet,” you whisper and tiptoe to the fridge. You open it slowly, the light illuminating the kitchen. “Yup, this is definitely a vampire’s castle.” You mumble, noticing the bags of blood. Even if a vampire has a feeder, they keep back-up bags of blood in case of emergencies.

You spot a few fruits, some bread and a few bottles of water. 'Probably for the feeders’. You lick your lips and grab the fruit, a loaf of bread and two of the water bottles and stuff them in your bag.

You turn around, letting the door close on it's own. Suddenly, there's a figure standing right in front of you. Your eyes widen and you scream in shock. The figure puts a hand over your mouth.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” It says with a deep voice. You kick him in the shin, catching him off guard. You run around him and book it out of the kitchen. By this time, you stopped trying to stay quiet. All you wanted to do was get the hell out of there. You run as fast as your legs can take you back to the window you crawled in from.

Unfortunately, before you could make it to the door, a hand grabs you by the back of the shirt. You struggle, trying to get out of the tight grip, but it doesn't work. Suddenly, you feel a pain in the back of the neck and your vision turns black.

“Ah, our little thief is finally waking up,” you hear as you start to come to. You groan and sit yourself upright, shaking your head to rid the blackness from your vision.

You feel a sharp pain in the back of your neck, making you yell. You touch the back of your neck to feel two small puncture wounds.

“Those were made because I needed to sedate you,” you hear the voice again.

“W-who are you? Where am I?” You tried to get your voice not to waver but you failed.

“Are you sure you really want to know, my dear?”

“Just tell me,” your patience is starting to wear thin.

Suddenly a dim light comes on. You squint your eyes as you get used to the light. Different shapes and objects start coming into focus. You see that you've been confined in a small jail cell.

“What the hell? Get me out of here!”

You hear the voice tsk. “I don't think so. Why should I let a thief go?”

You squint your eyes again and make out a dark figure leaning against the corner of the room. “Hey, I can't see you. I still don't know who you are.”

The voice chuckles and you see him move. Once he steps into the light, you gasp. In front of you is the most beautiful man you have ever seen. His dark brown hair slicked back showing his pierced ears. His face is shaped like that of an angel, his skin porcelain. His chocolate brown eyes pierce yours, and his perfect lips curve into a smirk.

“Like what you see?” He snickers.

You close your mouth and shake your head. You send the handsome man an icy glare. “I asked who you were.”

He raises an eyebrow. “You really don't know who I am, do you? Interesting. Well, I'm the one and only Yoo Kihyun.” He bows his head mockingly.

Your eyes widen. “Y-you're THE Prince Kihyun? The v-vampire prince?”

He nods his head moving closer to you. You back up slightly away from the bars of the cell. The corner of his mouth turns up into a sneer, showing a fang. “Are you scared, little human?”

You plaster a glare onto your face. “N-No, but I do want to leave, let me out.”

The Prince laughs, “you break into my castle, steal gold and food, attack one of my guards and you expect me to just let you go?”

You smirk, “well, you left me no choice.”

Suddenly your eyes turn an icy blue and your voice changes pitch. “You will unlock this cell door and let me go unharmed. You will never look for me and I will be but a distant memory.” You say, your voice melodic and hypnotising.

Kihyun snaps to attention with a dreamy look on his face. He grabs the key from his pocket and unlocks the door. You step forward with a proud smile on your face, ready to walk out. When you get to the door, however, Kihyun grabs you harshly by the wrist.

“Ah, ah, ah. I don't think so.”

Your eyes widen. “W-What? Why aren't you hypnotized?!”

Kihyun pulls down the sleeve of your shirt to reveal the little 'X’ tattoo on your wrist. “So the rumors are true. The X Clan can use the powers of a siren. How interesting.”

You growl and pull your hand away, coving your wrist back up. “How the hell did you break out of my spell?!”

Kihyun chuckles, “I'm a vampire, darling. And not just any vampire, I'm the prince of the most powerful clan, the Monsta Clan. I'll show you how to really compel people.” Suddenly his eyes turn a gold color. He looks straight into your eyes. “Come.” He demands. His voice turns dark and velvety. You don't know why, but suddenly you wish to do everything he tells you. You take a few steps forward till you're almost chest to chest with him.

“Kneel,” he commands, pointing to the floor right in front of him. You drop to your knees and sit back on your heels. He squats in front of you and runs a cold finger down your cheek. “See, my dear? I can make you do anything I want.”

You try to fight his powers, but he has you too deep in his trance. Struggling you lose all will and become as helpless as ever. “You might be strong, but not strong enough. You’re pathetic.”

His eyes turn back to normal, snapping you out of your trance. You quickly stand up and brush yourself off. “H-how can you do that? I have siren blood! I can't be compelled!”

“I already told you, dear. I'm part of an ancient clan, just like you. Except, I'm more powerful.” He stares at you intently, making you squirm uncomfortably. “I also heard your blood is the most craved blood in existence.”

You swallow the lump in your throat, your nerves setting in. “Y-yeah, I've heard that too.” You put a hand over the two puncture wounds on your neck.

He licks his lips, thinking. Just then you can see a light bulb go off in his head. “Since you so desperately wanted in this castle, I’ll see to it that you never leave this place. You will now be my personal feeder and servant till the end of time.”

You growl and back away quickly. “Hell no. I'm no one's personal feeder. I never will be.”

Kihyun’s eyes turn cold and you feel the room quickly drop in temperature. “Is that so? You have some nerve to talk back to a prince.”

“I… Serve… No one.” You stood your ground challenging the prince before you.

In a blink of an eye he was just inches away from your face. Suddenly his nails dug deep into your neck making the wounds bigger. You winced in pain and fell to your knees.

“You’re a siren alright. Noisy, annoying, and worthless!” He pushes you to the ground. A pool of your blood starts to form as your neck is deeply wounded.

He walks circles around you, licking the blood off his nails. “I don’t need you. All I need is your blood. But, if you want to live, you will serve me as my personal feeder. Betray me and I will let your old Master have his way with you.”

Feeling at a loss, you nod your head. “Fine. I will be your personal feeder.”

The amusement returns to Kihyun's face and claps his hands. “Very well. Now, there are a few rules you must follow. One, I will always be addressed as Master or Prince Kihyun.”

You scoff, “there's no way I'll ever call you Master. Prince Kihyun it is.”

Kihyun chuckles, but doesn't comment. “Rule two, you are never to leave the castle unless accompanied by me. Your blood is rare, therefore others may seek you out. However, you are my property now and I do not share with others.”

You slowly nod in understanding. 'Seems reasonable I guess’.

“With that said comes rule number three. You are not to have anyone else bite and feed from you. If they tell you I said it was okay, they are lying. Especially stay away from my brothers and cousins. Let’s just say… They have quite the taste for rare things.”

You gulp, trying to imagine how his relatives would act. You really hope you'll never have to find out.

“Finally, Rule four.” He looks directly into your eyes. “You are not to fall in love with me.”

You burst into laughter and hold a hand up against his face, “listen, just because you’re a prince, doesn’t mean I want you. You may be handsome, but your personality is hideous.”

He hisses and backhands your face. You fall backwards into the cell and he locks the door. “Let’s see how well you hold up without food and water. Better rethink your words, or else you’ll never see the outside of these bars and die a slow death.”

You spit at his face and immediately he grabs your neck through the bars. His grip getting tighter and tighter. “Your blood may be rare, but not rare enough that I wouldn’t kill you without hesitation. You're still a filthy human and are put on this earth to serve my kind, now act like it.”

Gasping for air he finally lets go of your throat and disappears into the dark. Your hands tremble as you hold onto your neck. You lean against the wall and slowly fall to the ground.

Defeat settled in as you uttered, “I am now the personal feeder of Prince Kihyun.”

[Masterlist]

#monsta x #Monsta x reactions #monsta x scenarios #monsta x fanfiction #Kihyun fanfiction #Yoo kihyun fanfiction #kihyun x reader #yoo kihyun x reader #monsta x x reader #shownu #wonho #minhyuk #kihyun #Hyungwon #jooheon #IM #gaiyo fanfiction

372 notes · View notes