#I've had this plant for a month and a half now and she seems to be doing well

[shimyereh]

Not much blooming outside yet, but at least my calandiva knows it's spring. Note the new buds on top!

[grogusmum]

Please Mister Please

JOEL MILLER X F!READER (nicknamed)

SUMMARY: You can't seem to escape that one song even after the apocalypse. Joel and Ellies friendship brings you some comfort, and maybe Joel is interested in more.

WORD COUNT: 1700ish

WARNINGS: None to speak of. Unless you need one for soft Joel. As always, if you see something I've missed, let me know in my DMs, and I'll add it.

A/N: Just a little something inspired by the Olivia Newton-John's song of the same name. (She was in her country music era) It's hardly edited, written on my phone, and Imma just yeetin' it out there. Oops. It's just the usual fluffy hurt comfort. But it IS my first go round with Joel. I hope you enjoy it! 💚

The jukebox was found on a supply run at some honky tonk out Fort Collins way called Sundance something or other. You laughed at your first thought, which was it's wasn't one of those new ones with CDs, realizing "those new ones" were now 40 years old... but this one was truly an antique, with vinyl in it and everything.

A Wurlitzer in all its chrome, brightly colored bakelite, and satisfying push button glory.

You shake your head now, thinking you should have known the moment you heard. Everyone was so excited. Because, of course, they were! How fun is an old timey jukebox full of country-western ballads, anthems, and line dance classics?

It brought an energy into Jackson, the likes you hadn't seen before it. You'd gotten in early on, and watched its evolution from place where people were merely surviving to an industrious hive of busy bees, creating abundance but there wasn't much room for joy and then out of the clear blue sky - line dancing. At first they couldnt keep it plugged in all the time, it was turned on for a half an hour at the end of the day, until they had a good handle on the dam and the power plant was working consistently. You're sure it was the inspiration for Maria's attention to holidays and socials after seeing the excitement and morale lift from it. Suddenly, y'all were living, not just staying alive. So it seems silly, with so much real life and death shit to deal with, to get so hung up on one song, but it carried so much weight for you, you just couldn't shake it. If only it wasn't so sweet, if only it wasn't so catchy… Maybe people wouldn't have noticed it among all the other tracks. But it was sweet and it was catchy, and about making it after all the shit they'd been through...

So naturally, at five songs for a quarter, it ends up in the mix at some point. (It's the only reason the town has any coins. Paying it could have been bypassed, but dropping the 25¢ seemed to be part of the fun.) So when you least expected it, it would start to play, and so far, it continued to flip your stomach and make your eyes glass. And think about how he and you didn't actually make it.

Joel and Ellie have been in Jackson several months now. Ellie dove right in, school, taking care of the horses afterward, trying to socialize. She's a little guarded sure but mostly funny and eager. Joel started helping Tommy right away, but it seemed to you more to keep busy than to join the community. He's wary and taciturn. When they weren't in those organized work times, they stuck close. When Ellie ventured into social activities, Joel let her go, but he was ever watchful, with Ellie checking in often even just a look over her shoulder, just to see if he was still there. He always was. They reminded you of a bonded pair of strays.

You liked your place, Catnip's Apothecary. They'd come in twice so far, once when Joel brought Ellie in for a poison ivy rash and once when Ellie brought a very grumpy Joel for inflammation in his knees Ellie found all your jars of tinctures, teas, herbs, and powders fascinating. Asking what everything did, looking at drying plants hanging from rafters in wonder, pspspsing the cats.

“Are you a witch?”

“Ellie!” Joel admonished, but looking at you for a tell. Were you? You could see him wondering.

You only laughed. Sure you were, but what they were seeing here was hardly witchcraft, just herbalism, mostly. Joel and Ellie are both bright and observant - you're pretty sure they both noticed you didn't answer.

Tonight, Ellie is at the rec center, a movie theater for the evening, awaiting the start of none other than Star Wars.

Where did they find all these 70s flicks? Nevertheless, A New Hope's a great find. You can't resist going, even though you know it by heart, and you'll have to force yourself not to recite all the dialogue. Sitting smack dab in the middle, surrounded by all these kids and young adults, seeing it for the first time, you munch your popcorn and smile.

You don't see Joel, but it's not like you are actively looking for him… just curious, given their penchant to stay together and you figured he will know the movie too, maybe he's more of a Trekkie. When you catch Ellie's eye, she waves animatedly and moves to sit beside you.

“Sssoooo, you're like one of the only grown ups here.” there is a gremlin glint in Ellie’s eye.

“Yeah, I thought there'd be more nostalgia watchers-” you say a little sheepishly. “ But it's okay, I'll see it with a soon-to-be New Generation of Star Wars Fans. Bear Witness!”

“And what if it sucks?”

The noise you make is somewhere between an indignant scoff and a gasp of purest offense. But you rally.

“Oh just you wait padawan-”

"What's a pada-"

As quickly as the lights go down the attention commanding drums of the 20th Century Fox fanfare begin.

“Oop here we go! Buckle up, buttercup!!”

You live vicariously through the new audience for the next two hours, and it is a pure joy.

The young people of Jackson laugh at the Laurel and Hardy comedy stylings of Threepio and Artoo, they eat up the “though she be little she is fierce” snarky spirit of Princess Leia, gasp at Alderaan's fate and Obi Wan's sacrifice, cheer at Hans return, hold their collective breath when Luke turns off his targeting device to use the force, and burst into applause when he makes the one in a million shot, womp rats in Beggars Canyon take heed.

“Aw man I really hope we can see Empire some day,” you say as the credits roll.

Ellie is elated, peppering you with questions about the sequel and then Return of the Jedi as you walk out of the rec center, and everyone begins to head home. You do you best answering, not wanting to spoil too much if she actually gets to watch it.

“I'm this way,” she says suddenly, as she peels off from the town center, “see ya!”

You head toward the Tipsy Bison, to join the adults, most of which took advantage of the kids being off at the movie to do a little drinking and dancing.

The spring has brought high spirits, and with it bright chatter and the stomp of line dancing in progress. Grabbing a spot to watch, you order yourself a drink. When the song ends, there's hoots and applause, and the next one is slow and sweet, and it only takes the first note for you to feel the drop in your belly.

Joel saw you come in, he had seen you from the street actually, when the community center emptied after the film, he had his eye out for Ellie and saw her come out with you, talking animatedly and laughing. He smiled. You were his age, or close enough, he guesses, not only from both the smile and worry lines but your points of reference when talking, only missing references that are local to growing up in Texas. It's comforting, you remember Before. You also have a light he can't get enough of. You didn't confirm nor deny it, but he is sure you've enchanted him witch or not. He's just been too, 'shy' isn't the right word... he just hasn't been able to make any sort of move.

Then he does his best to saunter over to your little table, drink in hand. He's pretty sure his sauntering days are over.

Now you sit alone, a moment ago smiling, tapping to the music. He had been taking in some liquid courage, in the form of whiskey, to ask you to dance. But the light in your eyes is replaced with a shine, not in the way he loves. He's seen this a couple times, he realizes. Times when your eyes go far away and a sadness descends on you.

He gets up and checks the jukebox, taking note of the song. He's pretty sure he's right. He can't bypass a song on a jukebox, nor can he tell a DJ to change it. But he's gonna talk to Walt the barkeeper, first chance he gets.

“Hey Catnip, can I sit?”

You look up wiping your wide eyes.

“Oh, sure, Joel, please,” your smile tries to reach your eyes, but it flickers and can't stay.

“So," Joel starts, he's not good at this. He's gotten better but, “You're Still the One, huh? For me, it's Vince Gill- When I Call Your Name ”

You just look at him, and he starts to think maybe he hasn't improved at all.

“I don't know that one, it was kind of a fluke that our song, his song was a country song. It's not my usual genre.”

“Well it wasn't my lady and my song, it was the song that I listened to after she left. Sarah was so little. I felt so lost in those early days. Now I can't even hear the open-”

“Opening chords,” you finish with a chuckle, “yeah, I can't- and now of course it all wrapped up in the Before Times, too. But here it is, in a jukebox of less than 200 songs, the one song that represents my husband walking out on me before the shit hit the fan.”

“I can't even picture anyone leaving you with nothing but a song.”

“Yeah, well, I can picture it quite clearly. I can't imagine someone leaving you with a little baby girl to raise.”

“We are in the same boat, darlin’ until it happened I would have been with you on that. We were very young, 22, she panicked.”

“Aren't we a pair?”

“Why don't this pair go for a walk then?”

Joel holds his breath, looking into your lovely face.

“I'd like that.”

Standing, Joel holds out a hand to guide you up and out of the bar, it settles comfortably on your lower back, the song long over. His hand tingles and theres a flutter in his chest at being allowed to touch you this way.

It smells like petrichor, though the skies are clear. Joel's hand leaves your back to your chagrin, but he gently holds out his elbow, and with a crooked smile you slip your hand in the crux of it.

“Such a gentleman.”

He smiles and brings you to the newly constructed, yet to be painted, gazebo.

You climb the handful of steps and look at the town from this new vantage point.

Behind you, Joel comes close, his hand casually on your hip, like you did this everyday. His mouth close to the shell of your ear and a quiet hum floats in, the controlled breath tickling, you smile knowing the very apt song choice,

“Are you making fun of me Joel Miller?”

He chuckles, then the words over take the hum -

“Please mister, please, don't play B-17

It was our song, it was his song but it's over

Please Mr. please, if you know what I mean

I don't ever wanna hear that song again…”

Joel turns you, arm around your waist, his other hand sliding into yours -

" I'd sound a bit better with my guitar, but when we couldnt dance, so-"

He starts a simple box step, as he sings quiet and low, just for you, while turning you around the gazebo.

You join in singing, whispering in his ear the chorus when it comes again. It feels cathartic. Then you step back - who is this man? Not the guy who came in with a little girl, a gut wound that should have killed him, poorly healed knuckles, and the wary eye of someone who is always waiting for the other shoe to come down on him like it's made of lead. But looking at him now, those brown eyes wide but the little crease between his eyes holding his concern. His jaw soft, making you take more note of his natural pout and the salt and pepper scruff, the little spot that just won't fill in, it looks like a heart… you wonder if it's as soft and smooth as it looks and if he'd let you touch it to find out.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING 💚

Please consider commenting and reblogging. If you are interested in reading more of my writing, you can find my masterlist here. If you would like to be notified when i post more work, you can find my taglist form here.

[trumanbluee]

if its not with you (part two) - matty healy

minors dni !! this is 17+ nsfw material !!!!

please reblog if you like it! ᡣ𐭩

this is part two of this fic!! i recommend reading that before this one, but it's not necessary!!

word count: 2.7k

content/warnings: afab main character, established relationship, unprotected sex (no mention of protection). please lmk if i missed anything, thanks! <3

a/n: enjoy!! i've missed posting on here!

She sat on her couch in anticipation, leg bobbing rhythmically as she scrolled through her phone, expecting a call from Matty any minute.

At 9am on the dot, his name flashed across her phone, interrupting the TikTok she was watching. She clicks the ‘accept’ button as if it’s muscle memory, which it is by now, they’d called so many times in the last few months,  and presses her phone to her ear.

“Matty?”

“Hey baby! Just got off the plane. Wanted to let you know I’ll be home in about an hour and a half, ‘kay?” She could hear his smile through his words, and her chest bubbled with excitement at the thought of their reunion.

“Are you sure you don’t want me t’come get you? I’ve got the car, I can just-”

She’s cut off when he tuts over the phone, and she can practically see him shaking his head.

“Nah, honey. Thank you. Just wanna come home to you, yeah? Don’t want the first time I see my girl in months to be in some grimy airport, baby. I love you, I’ll see ya’ in a bit.”

And just like that the call was over, though she wasn’t offended by the abrupt end. Matty’s brain moved extremely quickly, and he often got distracted from the task at hand. She didn’t take it personally, she just couldn’t wait to see him.

She spent the hour she had before he got home tidying up, not wanting Matty to come home to a messy house. Now, she stood in front of the mirror, attempting to tidy herself up to look somewhat presentable for her boyfriend, though she knew he wouldn’t care how she looked. She still donned his oversized - on her at least - dress shirt, buttoned up to just above her cleavage, but had brushed her hair and applied a light amount of makeup, not wanting to seem too messy.

She sat, anxiously, on the couch facing the front door, ears perking at every sound that came from the hallway leading to their shared apartment. 

Then, she heard the rattling of the door, as well as a huff of slight frustration as Matty struggled to walk through the door, dragging his suitcase and carry-ons with him.

She sprung up, rushing over to him in record time. Fiddling with his bags, he finally notices her there in front of him, and dropped everything he was holding on the hardwood floor, instead opening his arms for her to fall into.

Slamming herself into his chest, she wrapped her arms around him, squashing her cheek against his chest.

He stumbled at the impact, chuckling slightly at her eagerness. 

“Hi baby,” he leaned down to whisper in her ear, one hand wrapped tightly around her as the other caressed the back of her head, carding through her soft hair. “Missed me, huh?”

She nodded against his firm chest, chin planting against it as she looked up at him through her eyelashes, eyes bleary with tears. He had no idea.

He cooed, “Oh darlin’, I missed you too. So much.” With this, he picked her up, with her instinctually wrapping her legs around him. He shoved his head into her shoulders, breathing in her scent that he’d missed so much, a mixture of her strawberry shampoo and floral perfume, though she hadn’t even put any on today.

He sighed, keeping one hand on her back, rubbing slow, comforting circles as he hugged her tight, placing his other hand on her bum to keep her stable.

Sniffling slightly, she rubbed the wetness around her eyes away with her fist, placing her head back onto Matty’s shoulder.

“Missed you so much, baby,” He whispered in her ear, planting a soft kiss just behind it as he said it, sending a shiver down her spine. He continued, placing kisses across the side of her neck and along her chin, lifting her head slightly to grant him more access. 

She sighed airily at the feeling of his soft lips against the sensitive skin of her throat, bringing her hand up to twirl the curls at the nape of neck.

“Need you, Matty,” She whined in his ear.

“I know, honey. Wanna take my time with you though, yeah? Haven’t seen you in so long, baby.” He spoke softly into her ear, pressing a kiss to her cheek sweetly before gripping her tightly, her legs still wrapped around his waist.

She reached her head up, placing her lips on his in a desperate kiss, almost as though she was trying to show him how much she’d missed him.

Matty sighed into the kiss, like it was a relief to him to feel her lips on his, and continued the kiss, deepening it slightly as he made the short walk from the hallway to their bedroom and over to their bed, his knees hitting the soft bedding that laid over the end.

He kissed her once more, still holding her in his arms, before he gently laid her back on the bed, the lower half of her body hanging off slightly. She watched him, smiling down at him as he knelt between her legs, pushing her feet softly so they’d bend at the knees, opening her up to him. 

She whined as he pushed up the bottom of his dress-shirt so it bunched up just above her belly button, Matty planting a soft kiss just above the hem of her underwear. 

He hummed, “Missed this, honey. Missed you being such a good girl for me.” He slipped a thumb into her underwear, using his other hand to gently lift her hips up in order to pull them down her legs. 

He kissed the side of her right knee, trailing sloppy, open-mouthed kisses all the way up until he reached her cunt, now sopping wet, before doing the same thing to the other leg.

“M-matty,” she whined, drawn out in complaint at his teasing, “Puh- please.”

He smirked up at her through hooded eyes to see her looking down at him the best she could, eyes furrowed, cheeks red, and biting her lip. 

“What’s wrong baby? Please what?” He pressed a kiss to her throbbing clit, spreading her open with his hand as he did so, before blowing cool air over her aching pussy. 

“W-want you,” she managed to stutter out, already almost completely fucked out from his teasing kisses. 

“Yeah, baby? Want me where, darlin’? Here?” He placed an open mouthed kiss on her lower thigh, “Or here?” He placed another kiss on her soft stomach, hearing a loud whine above him.

He faked surprise, “No? Not there, darlin’? What about here, then?” And with that, he finally placed his hot mouth against her, swirling his tongue lightly around her puffy clit. She keened above him, lifting her hips to meet his mouth, only for them to be softly pushed back down on to the bed, Mattys arm coming up to lay across her stomach, holding her hips down with the weight. 

“Fuck, honey. Y’taste even better than I remember.” He praised, licking a strip from her hole up, earning a loud moan. 

She reaches her hand down, twirling her hand into Matty’s thick, dark-chocolate curls, and presses his face into her pussy. He obeys her silent command, licking and sucking her clit as he brings his hand - the one not occupied with holding her impatient hips down - up to her dripping hole, teasing a single digit at the entrance slowly. 

She whines, hand tightening in Matty’s hair, and grinds her hips to meet Matty’s kitten licks. Taking pity on her, Matty pushes two fingers inside her, curling them up to hit the spot he knows oh so well. She keens, back arching slightly off the bed, eyebrows furrowing at the sudden, though not unwelcome, intrusion. 

He pushes his fingers in and out, in and out, in a steady rhythm, while continuing his attack on her pudgy clit, wanton moans sounding in the air around him, though he can barely hear them as her thighs tighten around his head, muffling any and all sound. Though he doesn’t mind at all, she could suffocate him in her pussy, right here, right now, and he would die a happy death. 

He groans against her pussy, sending vibrations throughout her entire body, as he begins to buck his hips against the edge of the bed in the same rhythm his fingers are fucking her. He’s rock hard, and can’t help but attempt to relieve the uncomfortable pressure building in the tent of his pants. 

Moaning against her clit, he speeds up the movement of his fingers, curling them upwards as he does so. She groans, a slightly guttural sound from the back of her throat, and begins moving her hips back and further against Matty’s face rapidly. 

“G-gonna cum f’me, honey?” Matty asks, hips stuttering against the bedcover as he quickly approaches his own orgasm, the sound of her pleasure being enough to get him off. 

She whined, nodding rapidly as her eyebrows furrow and thighs close around Mattys head. He felt his stomach tighten as her moans got louder, less contained, and he let out a final moan against her clit, sending her over the edge as he came against the grey sweatpants he’d worn on the plane. Her chest rose rapidly, breathes short and high-pitched as she came down from her high, Matty’s fingers still inside her, guiding her through it softly. 

Catching her breath, Matty crawls up the bed, holding himself above her, and begins kissing up her neck, his knees pressed against her sensitive cunt. 

“God, darlin’ y’taste so good you made me cum in my pants.” He admits, laughing slightly as he kisses along her jaw sweetly. 

She giggles, lidded eyes looking up at him as he holds himself up over her, “Really? God that’s so hot.” 

They both laughed softly, basking in each other's presence, but she could still feel the heat of need in the pit of her stomach, oozing down between her legs. She reaches her hand up, curling it around the back of Matty’s neck to pull his head down to reach her, smashing her lips against his. 

“Still need you, baby,” She whispered against his lips, lifting her hips off the bed to grind up against his hardening cock. 

“Fuck, honey, y’killin’ me, wearin’ my shirt. Y’look so gorgeous, sweetheart,” He placed kisses down her neck, stopping to suck on the sweet spot just above her collarbone, before bringing his hands up to tug at the buttons of his shirt, pulling it off to expose her boobs, nipples perking up at the exposure to the cold air in the room. 

He takes one into his mouth, sucking and biting softly as he caresses the other in his hand, thumb brushing over her sensitive nipple harshly, causing her to jolt and let out a loud, drawn-out moan. 

“Missed you so much, sweetheart,” He whispers against her skin, eyes looking up at her adoringly before he turns his attention to her other nipple, performing the same actions again. 

She reaches down, tugging at the top of his sweatpants, silently telling him she wants them off, and he obeys, sitting up to pull his shirt off too, before he returns back up to her face, pressing a soft kiss against her lips, eyes fluttering closed. He reaches his hand down, gripping his hard length, pumping it softly, dragging it teasingly up and down her sticky slit, tapping it on her puffy, red, clit twice, before pressing his thick head into her hole slowly. 

He leans forward, shoving his head into the crook of her shoulder as he slowly pushes into her, feeling her soaking cunt tighten around him as she welcomes him in, welcomes him home. A broken, high pitched whimper sounds below her ear as he finally bottoms out, hips stilling as he feels her tight pussy contract around his cock, her breathy moans in his ear making it difficult to control himself as he slowly drags his cock out, before slowly pushing back in again. 

He lets out a low groan as she cries out, wrapping her legs around his waist, interlocking her heels to keep him inside her.

“Such a good girl, darlin’. So gorgeous… Fuck, I love you so much, baby,” he mumbled out, hips stuttering as he continues his slow rocks into her, her hands reaching his back, dragging her nails up and down. 

She cries out, tight cunt clamping around him as he leans further over her, grabbing one of her hands and intertwining them, placing it on the pillow above her head. 

“L-love you so much Matty, fuck… feels so good.” she stutters out, tears sprouting in the corner of her eyes as he fucks into her slowly, hitting that sweet spot inside her over and over again. She’s completely overwhelmed. That, mixed with how he squeezed her hand almost reassuringly, and peppered kisses over her face and neck, was fogging her brain, and all she could think was, ‘Matty, Matty, Matty’, over and over. 

She said his name like a prayer, breathily calling out to him as she felt herself get tighter and tighter around him, gripping on to his hand in an attempt to ground herself as he brought her closer and closer to coming. 

His brows furrowed, eyes lidded in pleasure as he felt her contract around him. He knew her like the back of his hand, and he could tell from the way her brows screwed up, her mouth lolled open, and how her cheeks grew a bright pink, that she was on the brink of her orgasm. He kept his rhythm, slipping his head back into the crook of her neck and placing kisses across her shoulder as he fucked his cock in and out of her. 

“C’mon, honey,” He whispered in her ear, planting a kiss on her earlobe softly, “Can feel you tightening around me, baby. Gonna cum with me? Yeah?”. He pulled back from her neck to see her nodding, eyes rolled back in her head as her mouth opened in a silent scream.

 He felt her gush around him, and, as if on cue, he felt that familiar tightness in the pit of his stomach, continuing to work his hips, slowly fucking his cock in to her, guiding her through her orgasm, he felt himself spill into her, eyes closed tight as he let out a low groan before stilling inside her. 

Their heavy breathes filled the room, both of their chests rising rapidly as Matty pulled out as carefully as he could, rubbing soft shapes on her upper thigh with his thumb as he did so. She whined at the sensitivity as Matty pulled out, feeling the mixture of both of their orgasms seep out onto the white sheets of their shared bed. 

She allowed her eyes to fall closed, sleep beginning to overtake her when she was brought to reality by the warmth of a wet towel being swiped over her skin, with Matty beside her, shushing and comforting her softly as he cleaned her up. 

“Come on, honey. Ran you a nice warm bath, okay?” He took her hand, placing a hand on her back to guide her up, before leading her into their ensuite, thumb rubbing smooth lines across her knuckles. He helped her step into the bath, arms holding her elbows as he helped her to sit down, before going to walk out of the bathroom. 

He was quickly stopped, however, when he heard her sweet voice from behind him call, “Matty? Aren’t you gonna sit with me?”

His heart stopped at her soft tone of voice, spinning on his heel to face her. 

“Of course, honey. I was just ‘gonna get you some water, yeah?” 

She shook her head, no, pouting down at the water, she spoke softly, “Just want you in here, please.”

He nodded, already beginning to strip the clean sweatpants he’d thrown on mere minutes ago. 

“Of course, sweet girl,” he cooed, settling himself in the bubble bath he’d run for her, “C’mere.” He ushered her over and she placed herself between his legs, head rested on his chest lazily as she drew circles on his open palm whilst he told her all about the tour, and what the band had been up to while they were away. 

©trumanbluee - reblogs, comments, and likes are always appreciated! but i do not wish for my work to be republished, translated, or copied. thanks!

[thealienfantasy]

Alien Fantasy-File 8: The giant that gives us water.

(It's been a minute since i've uploaded. I've been focused on my new job and i've also been suffering a bit from writers block. I can't say it's been fixed. But hey, i got something out. hope ya'll enjoy it.) the Chlorovian Research team wandered about in their makeshift settlement. This research squad, literally the size of ants, crash-landed in this weird place full of giant plants about a month ago. And using whatever they could salvage, they were able to create a small camping site that served as their home until they could repair the ship and return home.

Commander Zeno gazed up at the towering plants surrounding them. his leaf-like appendages rustled as they gathered around a particularly interesting specimen - a small tree that stood out from all the massive ones in the area. This one was roughly the size of the trees back on their home planet. if not slightly larger.

"Fascinating...." Dr. Phyla said. Her iridescent wings fluttered with excitement as she pointed towards the tree.  "Look at this specimen! It's so much smaller than the others. Do you think it will grow to match their size eventually?"

The group turned their attention from the small one to the big trees. These were so big. Almost bigger than the biggest mountain on their home world. and there were several of these. She suspected they were behind the mass amount of oxygen on this planet. 

As they continued admiring the gigantic trees, Scout Pol slid up to the group, munching on a small piece of the red fruit he just gathered.

"You know, I wouldn't mind staying here. Have you seen the size of the fruit? It's incredible! Way bigger than anything we have on Chlorovia!" He said, taking another munch. "The other day, I saw a green sphere hanging from one of the plants down there. It was easily twice the size of my house! And the flowers! Some of them are big enough to house our entire colony!" He said with excitement. 

"It's not just the plants." Phyla said. "Have you noticed the creatures that fly around? They're massive compared to us, with wings that create gusts of wind as they pass by. And don't get me started on those eight-legged monstrosities that build sticky traps between the plants!"

A collective shudder passed through the group at the mention of the multi-legged monster. They're the reason why they were now one squad member short.

As they chatted, Commander Zeno's attention was drawn to the enormous structure looming over their base. His gaze fixed on the transparent section. It was definitely a window. Much larger than the ones on his home planet. but a window nonetheless. 

"I wonder what lies beyond that clear barrier.." Zeno mused aloud.

"Well, We've sent rovers to investigate, but they never last long inside." The engineer said. They had gleaned precious little information from their ill-fated expeditions into the structure.

"From what we've gathered," She added. "giants inhabit that building. Beings of unimaginable size and power."

As if summoned by the mere mention, a massive shadow suddenly loomed behind the window. 

"They're back! Everyone, back to the main plant! Now!" Zeno commanded. The entire squad scrambled towards their crash site, seeking shelter among the leaves.  They watched  as one of the giants emerged from the structure and began approaching the plants. This particular giant was taller than the others they had caught a glimpse off, with hair on the lower half of its face. In its massive appendage, it wielded a strange device that seemed to dispense water.

The squad huddled together, some cowering in fear while others watched anticipation as the giant moved from plant to plant, dousing each with a torrent of water.

As the behemoth approached their plant, the aliens held their breath. Some ducked under leaves, while others pressed themselves flat against stems and branches as the giant loomed over them. Suddenly, water cascaded down upon them, flooding their makeshift home. The squad clung desperately to whatever they could grab, fighting against the raging current that threatened to sweep them away. Just as quickly as it had started, the rain ceased. The giant moved on, leaving the drenched aliens in its wake.

"Is everyone alright?" Commander Zeno called out, doing a quick headcount of his team. A bunch of affirmatives rang out, followed by a series of relieved sighs. Then, unexpectedly, a moan of delight pierced the air.

"Oh, by the great deity of chlorophyll!" exclaimed one of the scouts, his body practically glowing.  "That was... incredible!"

"Speak for yourself." grumbled one of the members, shaking his antennae. "I nearly got washed away... again! We really need to find a way to secure our equipment against these floods."

Commander Zeno watched thoughtfully as the giant continued its watering ritual with the other plants. Questions swirled in his mind: Did this enormous being know of their presence? Was this act of watering an attempt at communication? A gesture of kindness? Or simply the incomprehensible behavior of a creature beyond their understanding?

As the squad regrouped and began the process of salvaging their waterlogged equipment, while soaking in the giant droplets left behind by the titan, Zeno couldn't help but wonder...What would it be like to establish contact with these giants. 

Maybe they could come to an agreement. Maybe they could get along? Maybe the giant would give them a whole ocean?

"Oh, for the love of {{Redacted}}! One of our rovers got destroyed again!" 

...Of course, it was just as likely that they would dispose of them the same way they've been disposing of the rovers.

..Maybe it was for the best to remain confined to these plants for now.

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

Donnie stepped back from the last plant, a satisfied smile spreading across his face as he set down the watering can. He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, taking a moment to admire his handiwork.

The garden was his pride and joy, and it always filled him with delight to see it it flourish. It was an activity that always seemed to calm him down.

His eyes lingered on the bonsai tree, a recent addition to his collection. It had been a surprising challenge to keep it healthy, but the results were worth the effort.  Though come to think off it, he recalls hearing of his kids go on about how they saw something glowing near the bonsai every night. Maybe it was just fireflies. who knows?

 "DAD?! WHERE IS THE FLY SWATTER!?" A young voice shouted from the house.

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

i think one of my favorite things i've seen online are couples that will gift their partners bouquets made of artificial, handmade flowers (such as being made of metal, cloth, or similar materials) and tell their partners that "when this flower dies i'll stop loving you"; considering the plant is fake, it will never die, and so they'll never stop loving. i think it's incredibly cute and sweet, even if initially it takes you off-guard if you don't process it properly LMFAO.

anyways, what about some headcanons with the bachelorettes (RSV + vanilla) about the farmer gifting them that when asking them out?

Oh, I've heard of this before. Usually it was the gift of a single rose, and the speech that it, like the giver's love for the recipient, would never wither. Pretty sweet, although a bit too sweet for me, to be honest 😅 If I was given a bouquet of goodies and snacks, that's what I'd be talking about 😁

Very cute idea though, thanks so much, dear anon, for the ask! 💕

_________________________________________

Stardew Valley:

Farmer thought at first that they had somehow broken Penny with their speech, for the girl froze in place without making a sound. But then they heard a sob from her, and were almost knocked down by a sharp embrace. Penny had never received anything like this before... *sniff* "Thank you, Farmer..." The teacher just overflowed with emotion, mostly happiness.

Oh, how touching and romantic! Emily had heard about this new tradition, and always thought it was a very beautiful symbol. And you can see that Farmer has put their creativity, strength and soul into this bouquet, which the blue-haired girl will cherish like a treasure. She will kiss her (already now) partner for such a gift.

Maru was also the kind of person who decided to give her friends and family unusual gifts with symbolism. More often than not, small inventions with messages. But roses that would never wilt was also a very lovely idea that melted the young ingenuity's heart instantly. Who would have thought that Farmer was such a romantic!

"Oh, stop it, you~" Though it seems like Abigail was complaining about so cheesy Farmer, there wasn't an ounce of dissatisfaction in her voice. Quite the opposite, the girl's heart began to beat even harder at the realisation that her crush had reciprocated her feelings, also proving the seriousness of their intentions with such an unusual bouquet. Of course she would accept.

It was probably the first time Haley had ever been so smitten that she couldn't get a word out. She'd had a bunch of admirers before, a whole line of them, but none of them had ever done anything like this to her. The girl's face would be as red as a tomato and she would turn away slightly, but then look at Farmer again with a tender and loving gaze before agreeing to date.

Leah laughed after Farmer finished their speech. "All poets around me," the artist thought, but her cheeks were burning with fire as this gesture is really very romantic and she had had feelings for Farmer for a long time. So lest the hopeless romantic should take her laughter as something wrong, the red-haired artiste kissed them, accepting their proposal to date.

Ridgeside Village:

There's about half a minute of silence before Irene makes a sound like the whistle of a boiling kettle. You'll have to excuse her, but she's just been secretly having a crash on Farmer for a month now, and the way they invited her over and gave her such a gift was beyond her dreams. It was just like a fairy tale...

"Yeah yeah, very funny, haha. Great prank." But with every passing second, Maddie realised that Farmer had said it in complete seriousness. The unique bouquet the young lab technician was holding was already adorned with a little dew that dripped from her eyes. Is this... really what's happening?

Kiarra had been so absorbed in her new design projects lately that she didn't realise the meaning of Farmer's words when they came to visit her. She woke up with a beautiful handmade bouquet of flowers in her hands (and a very cool one at that, Farmer is a master at everything!), and only now she realised that Farmer had just asked her out. That's so... She... She's said yes.

Flor felt her cheeks blush, and the first thing the red-haired teacher did was to hide her face behind her book. Both the bouquet itself, and Farmer's speech, touched her so much that she did not know what to reply. The whole thing had rendered her speechless...

"Is it.... really for me?" Of course it's for you, Alissa, why are you asking this? Farmer literally confessed their love for you, then gave you a bouquet of handmade flowers to symbolise their love for you. Even the flowers are Alissa's favourite - Aurorean Iris. So yes, Alissa, this is for you.

Even the customers who stood near the cash register of Pika's restaurant did not dare to interfere with their orders to Corine, who stood speechless and with the symbolic bouquet in her hands. Farmer almost regretted choosing a crowded place, not wanting to put the girl under pressure. But Corine accepted the flowers with a smile, calling Farmer a hopeless romantic- Oh wait, visitors!

Faye thought that Farmer had invited her to another friendly dinner at Pika's. Except that Farmer went from pleasant reminiscences to saying that they cared for the girl, and handed her a bouquet made by their own hand, explaining the meaning of the gift. Had it not been for the table, Faye would have been ready to throw herself into Farmer's arms.

"Ah, aren't you cute~" The slight teasing was expected by Farmer (after all, that was one of Daia's appealing qualities). But what Farmer definitely didn't expect were the tears on the girl's cheeks. No one had ever given her... any gifts at all, and this. Heh, how lucky she was to have met such a friend- no, not a friend anymore, something more.

"Heh, so I predicted the future, didn't I? Maybe I should become a clairvoyant, give predictions." Blair tried to make a little joke, but she was so full of joy that she couldn't get any more words out of her mouth. It was a bouquet she would definitely put in a prominent place to remember the night Farmer had told her they loved her.

When Farmer finished their speech, Ysabelle was calm, reciprocated their feelings and accepted this unique bouquet. But as soon as Farmer distinguished themself for a moment, the girl almost jumped to the ceiling with happiness, doing pirouettes and twirling all over the hotel lobby. A bouquet that would never wilt, a love that would never fade away. Ah~

A gentle embrace, a look full of embarrassment and love, a light kiss on the cheek - Farmer was afraid that Paula would perceive their bouquet and gesture as too pathos, but the girl didn't show them a single sign that she was bored with this whole event. The military doctor only gratefully accepted the gift, examining every detail of the fake flower petal, and shifting her gentle gaze to Farmer again.

[hihoace]

Humans drink poison?

(here is part 3. I hope you will enjoy it.)

Helle laughed out loud watching the scene. Which reminded Ga'al that he's not alone with Fe'ek, so he let his friend live another day.

She was curious as to what does Ga'al still do to make him fall asleep but it seemed she'll have to wait to learn that.

"So yes... We all had our ways to stay calm... You'll be fine." Ga'al tried to save whatever left of his dignity after the previous scene.

"Sweet!" she smiled than she heard the metallic noice that ment it is soon time to sleep on this side of the ship. "Oh, that's the first nightcall, think we should eat dinner, right?"

"Oh, you are so right... Humans are not exclusively herbivorus, right?" Fe'ek asked. When Helle shook her head he nodded. "Perfect. That means I don't have to cook separatly!"

He started to pack out his cooking tools. He knew he could just use one of the fast food packages but no matter how long he stayed on the ship he couldn't get used to them. They tased like plastic to him. Ga'al was perfectly fine with them, but still preferred "real" food so he also agreed to get a few cooking tools and make a kitchen in their quarters. It took months till they got the green light to build it, but they both agreed, it worth the effort.

While Fe'ek made dinner, Ga'al and Helle started to have a conversation. They talked about their homes. Helle was amazed that on Ga'al home world, the cities were builed on trees. He talked about how Felleg, the biggest city there was taking up half of the planted and still it could not be seen from above.

And Helle told stories about Gaia's culture and how it is still devided into small local regions and all of them have different laws and a lot of the time, even different languages. Fe'ek was listening to them from the kitchen.

"So what do your species eat? Do you also like fish?"

"Yes I personally like it, but some of us hates the taste or the texture. Humans can eat almost everything. I even like coffee in the morning."

Ga'al stopped mid movement. "What?"

"Coffee!" Helle repeated.

"Oh I thought you said coffein... The poison."

"Coffee has coffein in it." Fe'ek peeked out from the kitchen. "I've been working with poisons before and learned that humans are somewhat immune to them. 400 milligrams of coffein daily is completly manageable for them."

"And we can drink more from time to time, but if we go above that every day it can cause some heart problems." Helle added.

"You mean to tell me, that the worst poison that is still legal is barely causing an inconvenience to you?" Ga'al was buffeled.

"That's the main reason it's still legal. Some scientists even suggest that it is beneficial to drink it every day, though it's still debated." Helle shrugged.

"And wait, I know something even better!" said Fe'ek as he came out from the kitchen. "Humans can digest alcohol."

Ga'al stared at Helle. "Is that true?"

The girl just nodded. "Though I hate the taste of it."

Up untill this point Ga'al has looked at Helle as someone who has a very similar physiology to him and is otherwise harmless. Now he was was looking at her with a bit more respect. Helle tilted her head to the side.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Dinner is ready by the way!" Fe'ek's hand landed on Ga'al's shoulder. "Could you two set the table, please?"

Ga'al nodded again.

He was silent troughout the dinner while Helle and Fe'ek exchanges a few gossips from the ship. Helle seemed to know a lot about what happened lately in sector no. 12 and 13 and Fe'ek knew all the local gossips in 25 and 26 where they worked.

After eating they cleaned up the table and the kitchen. Everything was done when they heard the nightcall again. It was time to sleep. The lights of sector no. 24 went out with the lights in theor room.

"Oh well... I think we should sleep..." Fe'ek yawned.

Helle started looking for her nightlight. She turned it up as soon as she found it.

Ga'al offered his bed to her, but she declined the offer, saying she's fine with sleeping on the couch and she doesn't want to be any more of an inconvenience.

After that everyone went to sleep. Helle fell asleep almost immidietly. Fe'ek noted that she probably had a long day. Ga'al agreed.

Before falling asleep Fe'ek taught Ga'al some things about humans he knew. He reassured him that even though humans are fine with alcohol and coffein they are not immune to botulinum for example. Ga'al fell asleep after a while so he could go to sleep too finally.

[ellethespaceunicorn]

use a photo on your phone camera roll and write a quick scene/hc for it

Hi Nonnie!!! Funny story, the last time I wrote for these two, I was on pain meds for a tonsillectomy. Now, I've got Covid and I'm awake at 4:19am posting this story. I hope you enjoy!!

Title: My Little Strawberry 

Rating: Mature, 18+, Minors - DNI 

Pairing: Syverson x Black!Reader (Peaches) 

Fandom: Sand Castle 

Word Count: 556 

Summary: A follow-up to Shape Up. Sy has a conversation with his baby girl while she’s still in your stomach. 

Warnings: mention of creampie, sexy fluff?, mention of oral sex (f receiving) 

A/N: Unbeta’d, we die like people who tried their best.  

Dividers by: @firefly-graphics 

Support/Reblog banner by me

My Masterlist 

“There she is. Eating her breakfast. Looking mighty fine as usual.” Sy walks up to you and kisses the side of your head. 

“Whatchu want, boy?” You smile up at him through your lashes. 

“I ain’t want nothing at all, Peaches,” Sy holds your chin and gives you a peck on the lips, “But there is one thing I had to talk to Strawberry about.” 

“Strawberry?” Your cute little eyebrows scrunch up in confusion and Sy turns your chair around to face him as he laughs. 

He runs his hand over your swollen six-month-pregnant belly before kneeling to talk to it. “Hey there, Strawberry. How’s Daddy's little girl?” 

“I see you stuck with the fruit theme. And since I’ve been eating strawberries for months now, you named her after my craving?” You could barely hold in your laughter at your husband’s tenderness. 

“I don’t know. It seemed perfect. And I know she’s gon’ be sweet if she’s half you,” Sy planted a kiss on your belly before standing up to his full height. “And since she’s half me, I apologize in advance for her temper.” 

“I knew what I was getting into when I wouldn’t let you pull out, you know that right?” You bite your lip and wink at him. 

“And I knew what you were doing when you turned on Tennessee Whiskey and poured me two fingers of Jack. And you were wearing that damn sundress with the little yellow flowers on it. Pretty as a picture.” Sy remembers the night you made Strawberry fondly. 

“So, what did you have to talk to Strawberry about, baby?” Popping a sliced piece of fruit in your mouth, you chew and wait for Sy to start talking to the baby. 

“Alright, Strawberry, so look. Mama here has been such a sweetheart. She has given you a nice first apartment while continuing to take care of your old man. So, I was thinking of getting her a little something. And I wanted your opinion on it,” Sy leaned in to whisper into your belly so you couldn’t hear, then turned to place his ear close to listen to what the baby says. When he leans back, a smile paints his features. 

“Well? What did she say?” You ask, more than invested in Sy’s little conversation with the baby. 

“She told me to thank you for taking care of her and me. And she told me to make sure I pay attention to you when you’re being ornery because that just means you need a firmer hand.” Sy rubs the sides of your belly. Moving his hands up to your waist and then further up your sides to cup your face. 

“She said all that?” Your eyes close as he rubs a thumb over your cheek, already feeling warmth rise under your skin. 

“She did. She also said I could probably take you upstairs right now and have my way with you. But I’m gon’ let you finish your breakfast first.” Sy sits next to you, picking up your fork and feeding you. 

You take the offered bite and get up from the table, picking up the bowl of sliced strawberries. “C’mon, I can eat these in bed while you eat me in bed.” Winking again, you turn to scurry up the steps with Sy on your heels. 

**Taglist**

@brattymum96 @ambinxe @avengersfan25 @kebabgirl67 @thabiddie23 @astheskycries @enchantedbytomandhenry @rebelangel1102 @raccoon-eyed-rebel @geralts-yenn @peyton-warren

[jacklynchh]

Wildflowers & Honey • Self-Para

Spring, 2018.

"What's that?"

"It's a beehive!"

There was a moment of silence in which Jack set down his coffee, trying to decide whether or not to question it. Grace offered no further explanation and just continued hauling boxes of unfamiliar equipment through the door, humming happily to herself.

"When you said you were going to pick up a few things, I thought you meant groceries," he said finally, deciding to get ahead of… whatever this was.

She grinned at him.

"I got groceries too."

It was a thing she did. He should be used to it by now, really. Grace would hear about some new hobby or craft and for the next few months it became Her Thing. Sometimes they stuck, knitting and pottery were particular favourites, but most of the time after a while she'd get bored and move on to the next. It was the reason they had a closet full of basket weaving materials that hadn't been touched in two years.

"Okay," Jack said, and then, "Should I ask?"

"Well, Heather from pilates was telling me about this amazing local group that runs all these courses on self-sufficience. You know like growing your own produce, animal care, foraging, and-"

"Beekeeping," he finished with a sigh.

"Exactly! And I figured we already grow our own stuff, and since we don't have enough space for a chicken coop, then this is the next best thing." She straightened up and dusted her hands off. "I thought it could be a cool thing to do together, you know? And think how great it would be to be able to make our own honey. You could sell it at the market with everything else."

She joined him by the kitchen island, swiping his unguarded mug to take a sip. There was a twinkle of joy in her eyes and she looked so pleased with herself that any half formed protests he had died on Jack's lips.

"Do we have to get a license or something?"

"There's a register and a small fee, but it's only like ten dollars."

"And the course?"

"We can afford it."

Another heavy sigh and he gave in. "Fine, but if I get stung you're never gonna hear the end of it."

"I think I can live with that," she said, smiling as she leaned into his side.

Present day.

There was a swarm hanging from his mailbox. Not the most helpful thing in the world, considering Jack had come out to see if anything had been delivered yet. A gentle buzzing noise filled the air and a few lone rangers were flying haphazardly above the main cluster, looking for places to land. The bees seemed relatively calm, so he just stood there for a moment debating what to do.

The sight of them had sparked a memory he hadn't thought about in years; Grace coming home and declaring them soon-to-be beekeepers. She'd been so excited about it at the time. He remembered wondering whether it was something they'd end up sticking to or give up on two classes in—they'd never had a chance to find out. Her diagnosis had come in only a couple of weeks after she'd signed them up.

He still had the hive though. It was sitting in the potting shed, hidden behind a pile of old tools and a wheelbarrow, alongside a whole collection of other seemingly vital beekeeper's equipment that he didn't know all that much about using.

It would be stupid to dig it out now, wouldn't it? Pointless. He should just call someone to come and get them, be done with it. That would be the sensible thing to do.

But they'd chosen to stop here. And his garden was full of pollinator plants. And he could see Grace's fucking smile-

Fifteen minutes later, he had his phone lodged between his shoulder and his ear as he tugged the hive out from its hiding box. It was still in relatively good condition, all things considered.

"Yeah, yeah, I've got frames too. Everything, I think. How soon can you be here?"

Only in Blue Harbor could he have found a qualified beekeeper not fifteen minutes away totally willing to help a complete stranger catch an absconded swarm. He hung up, proceeding to pull out one of the old suits stored away with everything else, feeling ridiculous as he climbed into it. It was insane, wasn't it? To see your dead wife in a swarm of fucking bees and, what, decide to keep them because of that?

And yet here he was. Oh well. He'd done it now. Might as well just accept his fate.

[bloodyknucklesforme]

Room for More | Soap x Nina

I was randomly inspired so have a really sweet/sorta sad fic

CW: pregnancy, talk about miscarriages

"Can I bum one?" Johnny asked, walking up to Gaz. They'd gotten back to base a couple hours prior. He'd drive back home tomorrow morning.

"Thought you quit?" Gaz still handed him a cigarette and his lighter.

"I did. Don't tell Nina?" Johnny asked, ashamed. Gaz drew an x over his heart. "She wants to keep trying for a baby. I do too but she's had two miscarriages now."

"Nothing you can do to prevent them?" Kyle was the only person he felt like he could talk to about this.

"No," he shook his head. "Decade and a half of malnutrition and no medical care will do that. I don't want to tell her no because she really wants it. I really want it. Maybe I talked it up too much. Wanting a big family."

"There are other options."

"I know. I'm not against it. She said after the first one that she wanted to give me something. I told her that I don't want anything from her. I don't need it. She's insistent."

"She is," Gaz nodded. "She's always been tough. You only have a couple months left before you're out."

"I think we'll hold off trying again till then. If she has another miscarriage I want to be there for her. I wasn't there for the first one and the second one was awful for us." He took a long drag to distract him from the memory. "Felt like it was my fault."

Gaz clapped his back and pulled him into a side hug.

"I don't think it's anyone's fault," He said. "Not either of yours at least."

Nina had decided to keep it a secret, even from herself. She forced herself to forget what the test had said. She told herself it was easier. She would be less upset when it didn't work out and if she didn't lose it would be a pleasant surprise.

She'd done a good job of forgetting.

Johnny was due back later tonight. His missions were taking longer. He'd been gone for over two months. She'd started her usual rituals of cleaning the house and making him shortbread biscuits. He'd pick up dinner on the way. They'd spend the next couple of days decompressing. The weather was getting warmer. She wanted to have a picnic outside.

She'd gotten everything done and took a shower to freshen up. She caught herself in the floor length mirror as she shrugged on her cardigan. Her stomach had a small bump to it. Almost unnoticeable to anyone except her. She stopped and cupped her hands around the bump.

"Hi, there." She spoke softly to her stomach. She'd never gotten this far. She walked up to the mirror and sat cross legged on the floor in front of it. "I'm...I'm sorry I've been ignoring you these past couple weeks. Truth is I'm afraid of you."

"Not really of you but I'm afraid you'll leave. I won't be upset with you if you do. I know it's not the best place to be. I'd like it if you stayed. I won't ignore you anymore. You can keep me company while your dad is away." She felt a little foolish talking to them. And..and if you make it all the way I promise to take care of you. You won't be cold or hungry. Your dad will love you. I'll keep you safe. He'll keep you safe."

"I don't know if you can hear me. You're probably not bigger than an apple or something. I always thought it was weird comparing you to fruit. It just seems so small. You're so small yet you're bigger than your siblings. They couldn't stay very long. I wanted them to. Like I said, I won't be mad at you if you can't. I know it's not your fault. If you can though, it'd be nice."

"Your dad doesn't know yet. He'll be home soon though. You can meet him. He's quite handsome even with his dumb haircut." She laughed. "He's also kind and he's an artist. If you wanted he'd probably paint a mural in your room. Another reason for you to stay. I hope you like the names we've talked about. Elsie Poppy for a girl. Poppy was my mum's name and I'd like to grow a row of them in the box outside your window. You'll have a whole garden to run around in and I'll plant whatever you want."

"I feel like I should stop talking to you. I think if you leave I won't try again. Your dad drew me a flower for the last two times. They're hanging up in the hallway and I think that more than three would look weird..." She wiped her cheek. "This time it'll be a poppy. Would you like that? I didn't get to ask last time. I don't want to guilt you into staying. I know it's not up to you. I love you. I hope you know that. I'll always love you. Your dad loves you even if he doesn't know about you yet. If you can't stay for me, try to stay for him. He's been through a lot. He'd really like to meet you. He has a nephew and I just know he'd be the best dad to you. He wouldn't yell at you or make you feel unwanted or small. He'd teach you how to play football and draw. He would.."

The floor creaked behind her. Nina spun around. Johnny was standing in the doorway. They had matching tears. She reached out her hand and beconed him closer.

"How long have you been here?" She asked, as they wiped each other's tears.

"I like the name Poppy," He smiled, pressing his forehead against hers. She took his hand and laid it across her stomach. He looked down and grinned. "I'm sorry I don't smell better. I'm your dad. I'd also like you stay. You're strong like your mum."

He pulled Nina into his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist, rubbing a hand over her stomach. His chin sat on her shoulder.

"She makes great biscuits and soups. She'll love taking you to the beach. She might not share her plushes but she'll make sure you have so many of your own." Nina laughed. "She might be English but no one's perfect. Except maybe you but that's because you'll be Scottish."

"She'll read to ya every night. And she'll write the most gorgeous poems about ya even if she won't let anyone read em. You'll have a cousin, a grandma, an aunt on my side. On yer mum's side you'll have Grandpa Price."

"He'll hate you for saying that."

"It's true though. Now let me finish." He kissed her cheek. "Uncle Kyle and Uncle Simon. Then there will be your Teehos."

"You're saying that wrong."

"How do you say it then?"

"There's no H. Tío."

"Since when did you speak Spanish?"

"I've been practicing. Rudy and I facetime every other week so I can practice. He says I'm very good."

"Your tío's Alejandro and Rudy. There will be so many people who love you." He rubbed one of Nina's arms. "Can't say it'll be more than us though. So if you can stay we'd love to have ya."

He moved his hand off her stomach to cup her face to turn her towards him.

"Whatever happens, I love you. If you don't want to try again that's okay with me. We can try other things but even if none of that works. I'll be happy just living my life with just you."

"I love you. I'd be happy too." She turned to hug him, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"You been to the doctor yet?" He asked, rubbing his hands up and down her back.

"I've been afraid," she admitted.

"We'll make an appointment tomorrow, yeah?" He kissed her forehead. "How far along do you think you are?"

"Maybe three months," she shrugged. "I wasn't keeping track like I should have."

They had to wait a week but they got the appointment. Everything looked well. Nina was starting on pre natal vitamins among other supplements. They made another appointment in another two weeks for the first ultrasound.

"What if something's wrong?" Nina squeezed his hand as they waited for the tech.

"We'll figure it out. I'm right here. It'll be okay," he kissed the back of her hand, his leg was bouncing up and down despite his attempts to hide his own fears. He held her hand tightly as the tech performed the exam.

"Everything looks good. Fetal development looks well. That's the heartbeat and oh.." He thought Nina might break his hand until the tech turned grinning. She turned the screen around for them to look at. "Listen to that."

"There's two heartbeats. Why would there be two?"Nina looked at Johnny.

"Twins..."

"Congratulations." She pointed towards the screen. "That's baby one and here's baby two. Fraternal twins."

Nina laughed as tears ran down her face.

"Twins? Really? Johnny... we're going to have twins?" He leaned down and kissed her.

"You made a compelling case. They must have been listening."

"Would you like me to print out photos.''

"Yes please!" The last time he saw her so happy was their wedding day just a year prior. She couldn't stop looking at the photos on the drive back.

"Can't believe I got ya pregnant twice," He laughed.

"Oh you owe me for this. Twins are much harder."

"I'm the one who has build two nurseries now. Do you think we get two baby boxes now?"

"I would hope so. We can't fit them in one." She laughed.

"We'll have to tell my mum soon."

"Price too." She looked at the photos again and laughed.

"What is it?"

"I'm really happy. Like really fucking happy."

Johnny reached across the console and squeezed her knee. All the memories from the past couple years with her played over in his head. All the hard times, the hospital stays, the sleepless nights, the panic attacks, the depressive episodes. All he ever wanted was for her to be happy.

"I love you, Nina. I'm happy too."

AN: Forgive any errors in regards to the ultrasound, I've never been pregnant lol.

tag list: @macravishedbymactavish

[hikennosabo]

musing about tesla (trimax vol 7)

idk, i feel like this deserves its own post, because i've been thinking so much about her.

cw for... discussion of everything that comes with the tesla territory under the cut.

so, after conrad accepts vash and knives, knives is fully confident that they can get along with humans. and in THAT moment, he sees tesla.

now, in tristamp it said she was alive, but i'm not sure if she's also alive in the manga...? (schrodinger's girl...) i mean i know the report says her "physical functions have ceased," but i ask because... is this a choice she made? like, we know plants can communicate telepathically, so is that what she's doing? showing vash and knives a vision leading them to the truth? or is this like... a ghost/remnant/lingering memory of her (something like in the previous volume when vash saw a vision of knives killing conrad after knives had already left)? because if she is alive... this is the only thing she's ever done - ever been able to do - by her own will. the only action tesla takes, the only agency she has. she wanted the twins to know the truth.

the actual report on tesla is just... i don't even have the right word for it. cruel. detached. clinical. inhuman. calling her a subject and a specimen. they even acknowledge that she's sapient, yet they carried on with the experiments. it's just fucking cold.

like. no wonder rem was so keen on keeping the twins a secret. only she and conrad opposed the experiments, and the other four (i'm assuming four even though we only see three) continued to torture this little girl. (sorry for the crude diagram lol)

the report totals 229 days - seven and a half months - and they never once thought of her as a person. a "question of ethics" was brought up at the day 100 mark (presumably thanks to rem and conrad) but they never change the language they use for her. even on the page i used above, where they're all remembering what they did to tesla, it's not clear how much they regret what happened, or if they wouldn't do it again given the choice. rem certainly doesn't seem to trust them. and in the brief time we see these people, they joke around, show emotions, act human as they are, one of them even hugs rem before going back into cold sleep - you would never guess the depths of the cruelty they were (are) capable of.

i've decided i love tesla and i want to know everything about her. who she would've been as a person. her likes and dislikes. times when she laughed and times when she cried. all taken from her. she could have grown up and helped raise vash and knives. she was never allowed to be a person. she was never given the choice of how to feel about humanity - all she knew was torture. we'll never know her, and vash and knives will never know their sister. all they (and we) have is a cruel, clinical report. tesla herself was never able to know either.

knives's hatred and desire for revenge, as twisted and cruel as he would become himself, was fueled by his anger at her abuse. truly, she is haunting the narrative. a ghost of what could have been. a character defined by absence.

[moogles93]

Die For Love

Halsin x Original Female Character.

Angst, hurt, comfort, SFW

This Oneshot is about an Elf (AFAB!) Tav that chose to live with Halsin after the events of BG3.

Please like and comment if you have feedback. This is literally my second published work guys and I’m still getting used to starting and ending a story at a random place in time that allows the reader to enjoy the scenario without too many specifics surrounding the situation.

Halsin is hurt and angry as Celeste (Tav) nearly died in an attempt to save him. He sends her away to spare himself future pain, but what will he do when he realises that there’s so much more at stake?

"Leave this place!" Halsin shouted at her, his eyes dancing with fire and his face a soft red.

She had tried to calm him down, to get him to let her stay by his side, but it was no use. He seemed to have made up his mind.* "I said leave! I'm cannot be your lover, and you are no longer welcome here.” His voice was louder this time, and it made you tremble slightly. All because you saved his life.

Her eyes filled with tears and she tried to control the tremble in her hands, not understanding why he was so angry that she had put herself in harms way to save him.

She hated to see the man she loved in so much pain and didn’t want him to see how much this was breaking her.

If he wanted her to leave then she would, but she hoped deep down that he knew her heart would stay with him.

“I’ll leave if that’s what you need me to do, but may I at least know the reason I’ve earned such ire from you…?” She tried to blink away tears and clenched her fists at her sides as she determinedly met his eyes.

He took a step closer to her, his chest heaving with heavy breaths. His gaze bore into hers, searching for something. When he found it, his expression softened ever so slightly. "Because... because you put yourself in danger for me… again." His voice was low, almost a whisper now. “You did it for me. Without thinking, without considering the consequences, or how it would have affected me if you..."

He ran a hand through his auburn locks, frustration etched across his features. “I can't lose anyone else, Celeste. Not after everything I've been through. I won't risk it, no matter how much..." He trailed off, swallowing hard. "...how much I care about you."

Halsin turned away, unable to meet her gaze anymore. "Just go. Please. Before I say something I might regret."

She nodded softly without meeting his eyes again, quietly turning to go and retrieve her belongings. She wouldn’t risk looking at him again, if she did, she knew she would crumble.

When she neared their home, Nettie was tending to their garden, harvesting medicinal herbs that they had planted months ago.

When she looked up at Celeste she immediately dropped what she was doing and rushed to her side.

“What’s happened my young friend?” She spoke softly with her lilting accent.

Something about the genuine concern in her voice was enough to break through the last of Celeste’s energy and she dropped to the ground and into the halfling’s arms. Nettie was only half her height, but the way she held her felt like the way a mother would try to hold and comfort their child.

Sobs wracked Celeste’s body as she told her friend what had just happened. About how she had risked her life using almost all of her magic and energy to heal Halsin and save his life when he’d been gravely injured. How he couldn’t look her in the eye afterwards… how he was now sending her away from their home.

“My poor, poor child,” Nettie comforted, stroking her hair and rocking her gently. “Did you tell him though…? About the baby…?”

Celeste shook her head in shame and despair. He might never know he was going to be a father…

~

Halsin sat alone in a clearing not fair from the settlement , his back against an ancient oak tree. The sight of Celeste walking away from him was burned into his mind; every detail etched into his memory forevermore.

A pang of guilt stabbed at him as he thought about what he'd done. But it was better than risking watching someone else he cared about lose their life for him. Wasn't it?

He reached up to rub at one of the many scars marring his body—a constant reminder of past battles fought and lives lost. Each mark told its own story—tales of bravery and tragedy intermingled.

The sound of rustling leaves caught his attention momentarily before he sighed heavily and leaned back further into the comforting embrace of the tree trunk.

~

It must have been hours later when Nettie, and not Celeste, came to find him. Her face was stormy with anger and disappointment darkening her eyes.

She stood before him as if waiting for an explanation. He had never seen his small friend look so riled up before.

He looked up at her, surprise flashing across his face at the anger emanating from the normally serene halfling. Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet, towering over her diminutive form.

"What seems to be the problem?" He asked cautiously, crossing his arms over his broad chest. Despite his nonchalant demeanor, there was a flicker of unease in his eyes.

“Why did you send the young girl away?” She asked with frustration and disbelief in her voice. She placed her hands on her hips and looked the very image of disapproving mother, an intimidating sight, even to the large Druid.

“She sobbed the whole time she packed and left without saying goodbye to many. Said she didn’t want to tarnish YOUR image.” Nettie’s tone left no room for excuses. She was clearly angry and hurt after seeing Celeste in such a state. “Do you realise she was going to walk? Walk!? The whole way to Baldur’s Gate!? And in her condition…”

Her last words seemed to have slipped out accidentally and she cringed at her mistake. She quickly regained her composure, hoping Halsin hadn’t caught what she’d said.

“I sent her with one of the mules. It can carry her and her belongings at least... But I think you’re making a mistake.”

Halsin listened as Nettie explained the situation, his brow furrowing deeper with each word she spoke. By the time she mentioned the Celeste’s ‘condition’, his jaw had set firmly.

"Condition?" He echoed sharply, his eyes narrowing. "What do you mean 'condition'?"

There was an edge to his voice now - a hint of desperation mixed with confusion. The realization hit him like a punch to the gut.

"Oh gods," he murmured under his breath, running a hand through his hair and looking at his friend with deepening concern.

Nettie’s expression softened somewhat. “She didn’t tell you before the battle because she didn’t want you to be distracted… and when you came back so close to death…” the halfling closed her eyes in resigned sadness. She was still angry at her friend, but the sorrow she felt for Celeste was the stronger emotion in that moment.

“She said she couldn’t lose the father of her unborn child… that’s why she used so much of her magic to save you…”

The world seemed to spin around him as the weight of Nettie’s words sank in. His knees buckled slightly and he had to reach out to steady himself against the nearest tree.

"A child?" He whispered hoarsely, his voice cracking with emotion. "Our child?"

He closed his eyes tightly, images of Celeste's tear-streaked face flashing through his mind. The pain he had caused her, the fear she must have felt... all because he had been too stubborn, too afraid to face his own feelings.

"Fuck," he growled, slamming his fist against the bark of the tree. "What have I done?"

He turned to Nettie, desperation clear in his hazel eyes. "Where is she? Did she really leave already?"

“She certainly started to make her way out of the Reithwin.” Nettie replied, needling him with a glare. “She wouldn’t have gone anywhere if you hadn’t rushed to conclusions and pushed her away.”

She would be sad at what Halsin had done later. Right now she was still furious that he had sent away Celeste, the one woman she had known who loved him for who he was, half-elf, Druid, leader… not once had she judged any of his shortcomings.

Nettie had watched that girl come back with him from Baldur’s Gate, and had watched as she comforted him and listened when he was angry or felt guilty for past failings, laughed with him as an equal and smiled at him with so much adoration.

“If you’re going to find her, you’ll have to leave now.”

Halsin stared at his small friend, feeling a whirlwind of emotions coursing through him. Guilt, fear, anger—all vying for dominance within him.

"I can't believe this..." he muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples in frustration. "I've been such a fool..."

Despite the self-recrimination, there was also determination burning bright in his eyes. He wasn't about to let Celeste slip away from him—not without trying everything possible to win her back now that he understood.

"Right," he finally said aloud, nodding decisively. "Keep watch over things for me, Nettie. I'm going after her."

Without another word, Halsin began moving toward the road to Baldur’s Gate. Every step felt heavy with anticipation and dread, but he knew he had no choice now—he needed to find Celeste before it was too late.

~

The sky was darkening as she found the remains of a small building just outside the borders of Reithwin.

“You did so well girl,” She spoke quietly, praising the donkey that had carried her this far. The animal turned and nuzzled her soft mouth into her palm. Its eyes looked sad, as though it knew that her heart was breaking. “I’ll be alright, sweet girl. I’ll have to be for this little one.”

She gently placed her hand over her lower belly. Though it wasn’t noticeably swollen with pregnancy yet, she could feel the tiny, growing bump under her clothing and the aura of a new life.

“I’m so sorry, my little heart,” She whispered to the unborn child inside her. “I’m sure if he had known about you none of this would have happened…”

She made herself as comfortable as could using grass and hay around her, and wrapped her warmest cloak around herself. As she sat next to the small fire she had made, feeling cold and alone in the world, she let new tears flow freely and silently down her cheeks, humming a sad lullaby as a strange exhaustion began to take her.

~

After several hours of trekking along the road, Halsin finally caught sight of Celeste. She was sitting by herself under a ruined building, her silhouette outlined against the fading light of dusk.

His heart pounded in his chest as he approached her, every step echoing loudly in his ears. He could see the gentle rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathed, and he could almost hear the quiet rhythm of her humming.

"Celeste..." he called out softly, not wanting to startle her. "Please... I need to talk to you."

His voice wavered slightly as he spoke, betraying the rawness of his emotions. There were so many things he wanted to say—to apologize for, to explain—but most importantly, he wanted to tell her how much she meant to him.

"Just give me five minutes," he pleaded quietly, not yet seeing how ill she looked.

When she turned to face him, his heart almost shattered. She looked so forlorn and heartbroken, wrapped tightly in a warm cloak with tears still silently falling down her strangely dull and gaunt cheeks.

“Why are you here?” Her words were not filled with anger. They were filled with exhaustion, sadness and perhaps, fear - the fact that she might fear him now created a hollow feeling in his chest.

At the sight of her gaunt, tear-streaked face, Halsin felt a pang of guilt twist in his stomach. He had done this to her—had driven her to this point of desolation.

"I came..." he started hesitantly, “to apologize. To beg forgiveness if necessary."

He paused, taking a deep breath to steel himself for what he was about to say.

"And maybe, if you'll let me..." he continued more confidently now, "To tell you how much you mean to me."

“I don’t understand…” she said in a small, frail voice. She pulled the cloak tighter around her small frame and reached out one hand to calm the donkey beside her, who seemed to be eyeing him restlessly.

“I still used too much of my magic to save you… nothing has changed… and I would do it again with no hesitation…” as she spoke even she could hear how hollow and forlorn her voice sounded. She truly did sound like a broken woman. “Why are you here now if those facts remain unchanged?”

Her heart felt too heavy in her chest, her vision was swimming and she suddenly felt sharp pain in her chest and abdomen. She winced at the pain, using her healing magic to try and check on their unborn child. She thought Halsin didn’t know about the baby and hoped he wouldn’t realise why she suddenly seemed so scared.

As Celeste spoke, Halsin noticed the wince of pain that crossed her face. Concern immediately flooded through him and he stepped closer, instinctively reaching out to touch her arm.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice heavy with worry. “Is…is it the baby?"

The truth of the situation dawned on him as he said the words aloud, and he felt a rush of emotions—shock, joy, fear, and overwhelming protectiveness.

"You're carrying our child… aren’t you?” he whispered, his eyes wide with wonder and concern. "That's why you risked everything to save me?"

In that moment, all the walls he had built around his heart came crashing down. The thought of losing both Celeste and their unborn child was unbearable.

"Please forgive my foolishness," he begged, dropping to his knees in front of her.

“How did you…? Who told you…?” Her breaths were still coming too quickly. It felt like her breaking heart had almost stopped beating entirely. She wanted to be defensive, to keep her walls up and make the large Druid explain himself.

Instead, as she watched him fall to his knees, her pain, fear and desperation along with the concern in his eyes got the better of her.

“Halsin…” her voice sounded distant to her now, like she was underwater, her vision was quickly going dark. “Halsin… something’s not right… please… help me…”

She managed to get those few words out through her pain and dizziness, before losing consciousness.

The last thing she saw were his terrified, desperate green eyes and her last thought was a silent prayer to the Oak Father that their unborn child would be alright.

Time stopped as Halsin watched Celeste collapse before him, her body going limp and her eyes fluttering shut. Fear unlike anything he had ever known gripped his heart in a vise-like hold.

"No, no, no..." he chanted frantically, catching her in his arms before she could hit the ground.* "Stay with me, Celeste. Please..."

He could feel the faint, rapid thrum of her heartbeat beneath his fingertips, it was so erratic and weak. With trembling hands, he pressed two fingers to the pulse point on her neck, praying to Silvanus that it would remain steady as he attempted to stabilise her.

"We're going to be okay," he promised fervently, even as panic threatened to overwhelm him. "I'm here. I've got you both. Just hold on..."

~

The first time she woke, she was in familiar surroundings. It was the bedroom she had shared with Halsin in their home in the reclaimed land of Reithwin.

As her blurry vision cleared, she realised that Halsin was at her bedside and a healer was speaking to him with a concern. She was so tired and it felt so hard to stay awake.

“You’re lucky they both survived at all…” she vaguely heard the healer scolding Halsin. The last thing she heard before she drifted back into a deep sleep was: “You cloud have killed her… Elves like her are known to fade away when their heart is irreparably broken…”

~

Over the next several days, Halsin hardly left Celeste's side. He barely ate or slept, instead focusing all his energy on monitoring her condition and caring for her needs.

The healer had assured him that both Celeste and the baby were stable now, but warned that it would take time for Celeste to fully recover physically and emotionally from the ordeal.

Each time she stirred or opened her eyes, Halsin was there, holding her hand and murmuring reassurances. He poured out his heart to her, confessing his deepest fears and regrets, vowing to be the partner and father they deserved.

"Come back to me, my heart," he whispered fervently one night as she slept fitfully. "I can't live without you. Our child needs you. I need you..."

…the warm timbre of her Druid’s voice, and his hand over hers were the first things she was aware of as she finally awoke.

“Halsin…?” her voice was hoarse and quiet. She weakly squeezed the hand that covered hers.

A wave of relief washed over Halsin at the sound of Celeste's voice. He leaned in closer, his breath tickling her ear as he spoke.

"It's me, love. I'm here. You're safe now." His thumb brushed tenderly over the back of her hand.

"How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" He glanced at the healer hovering nearby, giving a subtle nod to indicate he would handle Celeste's care personally from now on.

“How… why are you here…?” She was struggling to understand why Halsin was here, holding her hand, touching her with such tenderness. The last thing she remembered was him telling her to leave and then turning up as she tried to make camp under the ruin of an old building… she couldn’t remember any of the things he had said or done since then.

Halsin's heart ached at the confusion in Celeste's eyes. He knew he had a lot of explaining to do, but for now, he simply focused on soothing her with gentle touches and soft words.

"I came back for you, Celeste," he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. "I realized how much I needed you, and how selfish I was to push you away. Seeing you so hurt and alone... it nearly broke me."

He brought her hand to his lips, pressing a tender kiss to her knuckles. "Please, my heart, forgive me for my foolishness. I promise to cherish and support you, now and always—as your partner, and the father of our child."

She looked panicked then. How did he know about the child? Would he be angrier that she had used so much magic while she was in the early stages of pregnancy? Was he truly happy that she was pregnant or was he simply here out of some sense of duty and responsibility.

She remained silent, but the look in her eyes told him everything she needed to know: she was worried about how he found out and terrified of what that meant; she clearly had lost her faith in his love…

Seeing the panic and uncertainty in Celeste's eyes, Halsin knew he had to reassure her completely. He carefully set her hand aside and sat up straighter, meeting her gaze with unwavering sincerity.

"I learned about the baby from Netty," he explained. "She found me after you left and scolded me. She never meant to break your trust. I was devastated, mostly because I had driven you away before knowing the truth."

He reached out to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing lightly over her soft skin. “Celeste, I am overjoyed that we're having a child together. This is a miracle, and I want to celebrate it with you, not hide from it."

His voice dropped to a whisper, filled with conviction. “I love you, Celeste. With my whole heart and soul. Nothing will change that—not even my own foolish insecurities or pride.”

Tears welled in her eyes and fell softly down her cheeks, hitting against his thumb as he held her face.

“I c-couldn’t lose y-you,” she cried quietly, shutting her eyes as she explained her actions. The actions that had initially angered him to the point of sending her away. “I knew y-you would be upset, b-but I n-needed you… our child n-needed you… I c-couldn’t let you d-die…”

Halsin's heart shattered at the anguish in Celeste's voice. Tears pricked at the corners of his own eyes as he listened to her pour out her heart.

"My brave, foolish woman," he murmured, leaning in to press his forehead against hers. "I'm so sorry I diminished your actions."

He inhaled deeply, breathing in her scent and committing it to memory. "I swear to you, I will strive never to put you in a position where you feel the need to sacrifice yourself for me. Your life and happiness are more important than anything."

Slowly, gently, he captured her lips in a kiss—a seal upon his vow. It was a kiss full of apology, gratitude, and devotion. A promise of a future together, no matter what challenges lay ahead.

~

It took several more days before Celeste was ready to be left alone and allowed to go about her daily activities, and then she was immediately determined to be up and about.

Keeping herself busy meant that she didn’t have time to think about what had happened between her and Halsin.

She spent most of her days with the orphaned children of Reithwin that Halsin had brought here from Baldur’s Gate after the invasion of the mindflayers. She would read to them, teach them, play games with them and comfort them when they were sad or fearful.

Halsin found her like this one afternoon. Children playing around her in a clearing, running and laughing whilst she sat with a young tiefling child in her lap, humming a lullaby and rocking them gently as they fell asleep against her chest.

As Halsin approached, he couldn't help but smile at the peaceful scene before him. Celeste looked radiant in the dappled sunlight that filtered through the trees, her hair a halo of dark auburn curls around her face as she rocked the sleeping child.

He slowed his pace, not wanting to disturb the moment. Instead, he simply stood at the edge of the clearing, watching her with open admiration and affection. In that instant, he knew with absolute certainty that he wanted to spend the rest of his long life loving and supporting her, no matter what trials they faced. He needn’t roam when his heart was rooted to her.

Eventually, he cleared his throat softly, not wishing to startle her. “You look beautiful," he said quietly, his voice warm with sincerity. “Like a goddess of nurturing and care."

She kept her eyes on the tiny child, still asleep in her arms, but smiled at his compliment and the reverent voice with which he said it.

She had let her hair fall in soft waves to her waist, flowers tucked haphazardly into the long tresses. Her long silken skirts flowed out around her where she sat on the ground. With her pale, white gold skin and her deep blue green eyes, she looked like an elven princess as she cradled the child.

“What brings you out here to us?” she spoke quietly, so as not to disturb the little one she was holding.

She had been distant since recovering. She was healthy again, and she glowed more every day as her belly slowly began to show signs of her pregnancy, but she had not opened her heart to him, no matter how easy it would be.

Halsin's gaze lingered on Celeste's serene profile, drinking in the sight of her. He could sense the guardedness still surrounding her heart, but he was patient. He knew it would take time for her to fully trust him again.

"I just wanted to see you," he admitted, his voice soft and sincere. “Watch you nurture these precious souls. You have a gift, Celeste. A capacity for love and compassion that inspires others."

He took a step closer, his boots crunching on the grass. “I miss you, my heart. Even the brief moments apart feel like an eternity. Can we... talk?” His eyes searched hers, pleading for a chance to reconnect on a deeper level.

She regarded him for a long moment. There was a hesitant sort of hopefulness in her expression and it was as if she was searching his features for any tell that he was being insincere. When she found none she let out a long breath.

“I must watch the children until supper time, but after that… perhaps we could go for a walk in the woods… like we used to?” She was offering him a chance and she hoped that he realised this. She didn’t think she could bear having her heart so thoroughly broken again - was unsure she would even survive it - so she had to be cautious to protect the tiny life inside her. Even if that meant being cautious of the man that helped to create them.

Halsin's heart swelled with joy at Celeste's suggestion. A walk in the woods—it was exactly what they needed to rekindle their connection and mend the rift between them.

"That sounds wonderful," he replied, his voice warm with enthusiasm. “I'll meet you here after dinner. We can take our time, enjoy the peace of nature, and catch up properly."

With a final glance at the sleeping child nestled in Celeste's arms, he turned to leave. As he walked away, however, he couldn't resist stealing one last glimpse over his shoulder at her beautiful figure against the sunset.

~

She arrived at the small clearing before Halsin, dressed in a flowing silk dress of pale green that trailed slightly behind her as she walked.

Her magic and connection to nature seemed to be surging with her pregnancy, and each time her bare feet left the ground, tiny wildflowers seemed to bloom in their wake.

Under the rising moon, surrounded by fireflies, and with flowers literally blooming around her… she truly looked like a goddess of nature, sent to care for and love all those around her.

Seeing her like this, Halsin’s breath caught in his throat. She looked breathtaking, bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight and surrounded by the delicate petals of the wildflowers that seemed to spring forth with each step she took.

"Celeste," he breathed, his voice filled with awe and admiration. "You're absolutely stunning. Like a dream made manifest."

He moved closer, drawn to her radiance like a moth to a flame. As he neared her, he could smell the sweet fragrance of the blossoms mingling with her own unique scent—the scent that always reminded him of home and belonging.

Unable to resist, he reached out and gently took her delicate hand in his, marveling at the softness of her skin and the warmth that seemed to emanate from her very core.

She allowed him to take her hand, comforted by his owns size and warmth. There had always been something so comforting about feeling tiny as he held her in his huge, muscular embrace.

As his thumb brushed tiny circles on her hand, she realised that she felt shy. It almost felt like they were beginning anew, despite the presence of the life inside her that remained as proof of their former love.

“You have always looked handsome to me, Halsin… like a warrior of nature, ready to protect his flock from any danger,” her voice sounded full of life, so different from what it had mere days ago. It was a relief to hear and see her so healthy again.

Halsin's heart swelled with warmth at Celeste's words. Hearing praise from her lips, especially after all they had been through, was more precious than any of nature’s gifts.

"Thank you, my heart," he said softly, squeezing her hand gently. “Your words are like music to my ears."

He gazed down at their entwined hands, noting the contrast between his rugged, weather-beaten skin and hers—soft and unblemished except for the faintest blush of color that had begun to spread across her cheeks.

"Let's walk," he suggested, tugging gently on her hand to lead her deeper into the forest. "I want to savor every moment of this beautiful evening with you."

“Let’s hope that’s how our night ends… but I must warn you, there are things that need to be said between us before we can easily enjoy each other again.”

Her words were not unkind, merely genuine in that she felt that closure was needed. Both to heal her remaining broken heart and to make him understand her better than he did now.

She had reflected upon entering the glade, that whilst they were both hundreds of years old, they had only known each other a little over a year. There were traumas in her past and facts about her lineage that he could not have known about, things that had made what he had done so much more frightening, heart shattering and dangerous for her.

Halsin nodded solemnly at Celeste's words, understanding the gravity of the situation. He knew that true healing required openness and honesty, and he was prepared to listen to whatever she needed to share.

"You're right, of course," he agreed, his voice low and earnest. "We owe it to ourselves—and to our child—to address everything that stands between us."

He guided her to a secluded spot near a babbling brook, the water's gentle murmur providing a soothing backdrop for their conversation. Sitting down on a fallen log, he patted the space beside him invitingly.

"Take your time, my love," he encouraged, his eyes filled with patience and support. "I'm here to listen, without judgment. Whatever you need to say, I want to understand it all."

“When I found out that I was pregnant, I had wanted to share my joy with you straight away,” she began, taking a seat on the log beside him. Without her noticing, a soft moss seemed to grow to cushion her and protect her from the firm bark. She seemed so much more connected to nature now. After a pause, in which she looked sad and regretful, she continued: “…but the what was left of the Absolute cult had started attacking our borders and so you were called to defend them…”

She looked up at the stars as she continued, as if admitting a sin or a fault, though he understood now that her choices had all been fair ones driven by love.

“I was afraid that distracting you with worry for us could put you in danger in the fight and so I stayed behind, planning to tell you when you came home.”

She took a shaky breath, remembering how terrified she had been when he was carried back to her on a stretcher and covered in blood.

“I couldn’t lose you. I hadn’t even had the chance to tell you about out our child… what if you never met them… what if they were never blessed with knowing you…”

“My father died in battle… did you know? He died as my mother gave birth to me…” she whispered. “But did I ever tell you how my mother died?”

She sighed as she briefly met his eyes, before wrapping her delicate fingers around the small, crystallised piece of ember that she wore around her neck- the only thing she had left of her mother, and really the only thing Halsin knew about her.

Halsin shook his head slowly, his brow furrowing with curiosity and concern. He had sensed that Celeste harbored a deep grief regarding her mother, but he had never pried, waiting for her to share the story in her own time.

"No, you haven't," he said gently, his thumb brushing comfortingly over her knuckles. “I know only that she died shortly after your father… But I'm here to listen now, whenever you're ready to tell me.”

He shifted closer to her, his broad shoulder brushing against hers in a gesture of solidarity and support. "Your mother's memory is a part of you, and I honor that. Whatever happened, I'm here to hold you through the pain, just as I hope you would be for me."

She smiled sadly at his words, knowing that the knowledge her mother’s death would likely hurt him. If he had known, he might never have sent her away initially.

“My mother died on her birthing bed as the news came that my father had died… they said that without him, her heart broke and she faded fast…” she chanced a look at him, worried that this information might be saddening him too deeply.“They said that when she heard the news, it was like the light inside her failed. She died of that broken heart…”

She waited for his response. For him to realise that she loved him so fiercely and so deeply, that him sending her away had nearly caused her own untimely death. Just like the death of her father had killed her mother centuries ago. It was rare for a bond that strong now, even amongst high elves.

Halsin's eyes widened in shock and horror at Celeste's revelation. The parallels between her mother's fate and her own emotional state were impossible to ignore. He felt a surge of guilt and self-reproach, realizing the devastating impact of his actions.

"Oh, Celeste," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. “I had no idea. No concept of the depth of your feelings… of your pain. I'm so sorry for sending you away. I was blinded by my own fears and insecurities."

He pulled her into his arms then, holding her close as tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. “My actions nearly cost you your life. I don’t want to even imagine living on without you, my heart."

He stroked her hair soothingly, his heart aching with remorse and adoration.

“What I did was almost as bad though…” tears began to fall from her eyes and for the first time since their fight, she clung to him.

“I didn’t even stop to think how you might feel if you had woken up after that battle to find out that your lover, your pregnant lover, had died… along with your unborn baby… because she selfishly didn’t want to live in a world without you in it - was too afraid to face parenthood alone.”

She sobbed into his chest and Halsin realised, for the very first time, the true depths of her love for him.

He had always told her she was free to roam and have other loves, because he assumed that HE would never be enough for HER. He never imagined that she would love him to such depths.

She HAD told him when he first told her that he had feelings for her, that he was all she needed… and she had once expressed the desire to marry and have a family with deep roots, but that she was content with him as they were… he had merely assumed she was saying it for his benefit, not making sacrifices to appease her idea of his desires.

His heart shattered at her confession. The realization of how deeply she loved him, how utterly devoted she was to their bond, hit him like a tidal wave. He had been so blind.

"Celeste, my love," he murmured, his voice raw with emotion, "you could never be selfish in my eyes. Everything you do, every choice I have seen you make, is born out of your immense capacity for love and loyalty."

He cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs gently wiping away her tears. “I was the selfish one, pushing you away when I should have embraced you. I let my own insecurities cloud my judgment, and for that, I am truly sorry."

He rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed as he savored the closeness of their embrace.

“Just… please Halsin…my Druid, my heart…” Her voice was so small, she sounded like a frightened child, sobbing into his chest and clinging to his robes as if he might disappear at any moment. “Please don’t leave me… don’t send me away again…” she moved slowly to place his palm across her belly, which was just swollen enough for him to feel proof of the tiny spark of life within her. “We need you…”

Halsin's heart swelled with overwhelming love and devotion as Celeste placed his hand on her belly. Feeling the gentle rise and fall of her womb, the tiny flutter of their child's heartbeat, he knew he would move mountains to ensure their happiness and well-being.

"Oh, Celeste," he breathed, his voice thick with emotion. "Never again will I threaten to abandon you. You are mine, and I am yours, now and forever, so long as you, and Silvanus wills it. Our child is a blessing, a testament to the strength of our love."

He enveloped her in a fierce hug, pouring all his pent-up affection and apologies into the embrace. "I promise, my heart, my dear one, to cherish and protect you both with every fiber of my being. You are my home, my everything."

She had been sleeping in the large home they had built for the orphans since she woke up, rather than with him in their home, but as she looked up at him with teary eyes, she spoke softly: “Take me home?”

Halsin nodded, his eyes brimming with love and resolve. He scooped Celeste up into his arms effortlessly, cradling her against his chest as if she weighed no more than a feather.

"Yes, my love," he murmured, his voice filled with tenderness. "Home it is."

He began walking towards their home, his strides long and purposeful. Each step laden with meaning—this time, he was bringing her home not just as his beloved, but also as the mother of his child. And this time, there would be no uncertainty between them.

By the time they entered their small cottage, it was late in the night.

Celeste was drifting in and out of sleep in his arms, emotionally exhausted from opening up to him and sharing her pain in order to gain his understanding and trust him again.

In her tired state she had nuzzled her face into the side of his neck as he carried her, searching for warmth and comfort. She felt so small in his large arms that it was easy to feel warm and safe enough to let herself be vulnerable.

*Gently, Halsin laid Celeste down on their bed, careful not to jostle her. He took a moment to admire her beauty, illuminated by the soft glow of the moon filtering through the window.*

*Leaning down, he pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, then another to the tip of her nose. “Rest now, my love," he whispered. “I'll be right here, guarding your slumber."

True to his word, he settled himself beside her, his large frame enveloping her smaller one. One arm wrapped possessively around her waist, while the other rested protectively over their growing child.

As he listened to the steady rhythm of her breathing, Halsin felt a profound sense of peace wash over him. He knew that whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together—united in their love and commitment to each other and the small life they had created together.

Let me know if you’d like an NSFW follow up 😁

[red-eft]

creature corner, featuring my art wall and trinket shelf.. i ended up swapping everything between the 20gal long aquarium and quemada's 10gal. everyone's settled in and looking good <3

rambling about this under the readmore bc i think my animals are fascinating and i've learned a lot about their behavior + needs from this pfft

ok so first off- quemada! she's going into a growth spurt and is almost the length of her old 10gal. she was restless and seemed cramped, so i decided to upgrade her to a bigger terrarium. she's settling in nicely. depending on how big she gets, this could be her permanent adult enclosure, or i'll eventually shift her to echo's 40galB and then put him in a 4x2x2.

the fish weren't doing so well in the 20gal long- they never used the full extent of the tank and were very shy with how open and empty it was. no matter how i arranged it or how many plants i bought/propagated, i could never get it to fill in properly.

my fish had been passing away due to old age over the past few months- opal (betta), mango (honey gourami)... and now most of the corydoras catfish. i've had these fish for years so it sucks a lot. i feel helpless because no matter how i maintain the tank, they still wither away and pass.. ;-;

i don't want to get any more fish, so downsizing makes sense right now. i'll let my fish live out their lives and then keep it as a shrimp-only tank.

the 10gal has some harlequin rasboras, 2 bronze corys (the last ones left;;), and worminator, my yellowtail spiny eel.

i feel weird having wormie in what feels like such a small tank, but i've gotten to know her body language over the past year and a half. i know what she looks like when she's stressed- she's comfortable now. she has so many more places to hide than in the 20gal, which helps a lot. her size is maxed out at ~4", which would normally be too large for a 10gal- but she doesn't swim around like a regular fish. she's an ambush predator that hides in one spot and sticks her head out to watch for prey.

i also found one single shrimp when taking down the 20gal long. i have no idea where the fuck she came from or how long she'd been in there. here she is in the 10gal:

i'm honestly not worried about the 10gal being overstocked- the filter is rated for a 20gal and there are tons of live plants in there. there's a cleanup crew of pond/bladder snails, too, and i plan on getting more shrimp. their bioload is negligible + they help break down waste over time. add regular water changes like usual and it's gonna be just fine.

[sapphire-weapon]

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD. Different anon, but I've had this opinion on Aeon THE ENTIRE TIME but was scared to point it out. Aeon makes Leon indirectly responsible for like... multiple fucking genocides, but it is NEVER addressed! They act like that part doesn't carry any weight to the story at all. That has irritated me for months. She never "steals" samples, he just never had the backbone to stop her. And it ruins his entire objective and makes no fucking sense. How can we have Leon constantly snivelling about how the world's so unfair, bioterror is ruining lives, blah blah while he's also responsible for it!?

The cover ups can somewhat be justified, as there's the whole issue with being forced into it, blackmail, threats and so forth. (Justified as in this story is consistent, has thought behind it and makes sense).

But Ada? Ada is justified by "we need a sexy, mystery Dragon Lady with no background, known objective nor consequence, so our main man can have a melodrama that... doesn't actually add up at all given everything else we know about him."

My fingers are crossed TIGHT in hopes of the remakes are doing a total redo. They need to be separated so that Leon can grow and develop as a character that actually adds up, while Ada can live out her own arc that actually HAS substance, autonomy and like... literally anything that isn't "woman in skirt manipulates, smirks sexily and skips away to god knows where for the eight hundreth time".

I really feel like Capcom is aware of the issue, because like.

In OG RE4 and Degeneration, Leon has no problem being who he is with regards to his role in the government. They made it seem like Leon was even proud of being a fed, to a certain extent -- that it allowed him to continue the fight that he felt was important while also being able to protect Sherry. It was a win/win for him.

It isn't until Damnation that we see a shift in the direction of his character. The writers of Damnation were the first ones to plant the seeds of Leon resenting his position and being at odds with the very government that owns him.

And I think, once RE6 was a complete catastrophe and they were forced out of this little bubble of hubris that they'd built around themselves, like.

They shelved Leon's character for a long time after RE6. I've talked about this before, but Leon was supposed to be the playable protagonist of RE7. They scrapped that entire game and all of the ideas they had for it and really took the time to re-evaluate what they wanted to do with his character and the direction they wanted him to go in.

And there they found the little tiny seedling that'd been planted all the way back in Damnation, and they ran with it.

And now, after Vendetta and Infinite Darkness and Death Island and even RE4make to a certain extent (the intro comes to mind here, as well as the entire revamping of Krauser's character), the conflict driving Leon's character arc is his relationship with and cognitive dissonance about the very government that owns him -- so much so that it feels like it's always been this way... even though it hasn't been, really. It's actually still a relatively new thing.

We haven't seen Ada in the OG timeline since, and the Remakes seem to be pulling Leon's character away from her and going all-in on the government being the driving force of his arc instead.

I really, really think that RE2make and RE4make were Capcom's way of going "We see exactly where this stopped making sense, and we can fix it early on so that the second half of his arc makes sense with the first half of his arc, this time around."

We'll see what happens. But that's what it's looking like to me.

[bevswashere]

Koi No Yokan

Chapter 7: A Family Dinner

August 2005 Over one month later.

I pull back the threading from the orange, placing it in a pile with its peel. Then I spin the orange again, carefully observing for any leftover threads. Pull, pile. Pull, pile. When I split it apart, I scan the insides.

"Kaede-chan." 

I look up. They're all staring at me. "What?"

"You've been peeling that orange for half an hour," Nanami says.

I hadn't realized I was being so meticulous. "My little sister hates the strings, so I usually take them off... Odd habit, I guess." 

"Your sister's a picky eater?" Haibara asks. 

"Like you wouldn't believe," I say, continuing to pull threads from the inside of the orange. "She doesn't like anything spicy or too salty. She hates eggs, cucumbers, onions, celery, cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, most sauces. Oh, and she can't have fruit unless all the skin and seeds are removed." 

"My sister is kind of similar," Haibara says, "Not that extreme, though. I think she can eat oranges with the strings." 

"Lucky you."

"Ugh, thank God I don't have siblings," Mariko sets down her magazine to express. "I only have to worry about my mouth to feed."

"What if you have kids?" Haibara asks.

"They'll eat what I feed them." 

"And if they don't like it?" I pose.

"They'll deal with it."

"I think you'll be more difficult than your picky kids, Mariko-chan," Haibara says. "Your future husband will have to have a lot of patience."

"I'm worth being patient for."

He smiles. "Right." 

Pull, pile. "Do you have siblings, Nanami?" 

"An older brother." He didn't seem to be very glad about it. "He's off in Manila, helping the Jujutsu there." 

"Manila. How cool!" Mariko says. "I wonder if we'll ever get sent overseas." 

"I want to be sent to Europe," Haibara says. "I've always wanted to go there."

"I doubt being sent overseas would be much of a vacation," Nanami says. "With all the curses and such."

No one has anything more to say after that, so Haibara redirects the conversation, "Kaede, don't you have a brother too?"

I nod. "Tomiji. He's ten years old." 

"What's he like?"

"He's pretty sharp for his age." Pull, pile, pull. "He likes biking and playing outside, but he's also a little clumsy which isn't a great combination." 

"He sounds cute," Mariko coos. "Why didn't he come with your sister to drop you off?"

"He gets a little nervous about leaving the estate."

"Is he scared of running into a curse?"

"I think he's scared in general."

The largest disruption possible interrupts our conversation. "Kaede-chaaaaaann!" 

Satoru barges into the room, planting himself in the seat next to me. I put half the orange in his hand. "Pack your bags," he says. 

"For what?" 

Excitedly, he pops an orange slice into his mouth. "We were just approved for vacation time!" 

"I thought there's an hour requirement to earn that."

"There is, but between all the curses we've exorcised, and the four days you spent lost with Suguru, we have enough for a weeklong vacation." 

Had we really been working that hard these past few months? It all feels like a blur now. "I'm assuming you made the requests." 

"You don't have to say it. I know I'm the best." 

"I wasn't going to say that." 

"This is great, Kaede-chan," Mariko says. "You can go home and see your family."

I smile, but it's weak. 

Nanami sets his book down. "You're not excited?" 

"No, no I am." I can't say I'm trying to convince them or myself. "Only the estate can get a little suffocating. Monotonous." 

The last thing I had wanted was to be separated from my family. I came here convinced that I would hate every second of it, eager to return home at the first chance I received. Now, I hesitate, scared that this new life I've been given will be taken away. 

"You'll see your siblings, though," Haibara says. "Weren't you just saying you miss them?" 

"Of course I do, but with them comes the package deal of all the other Uematsu. Especially my dad and whatever higher up he's convinced to have dinner with the family, so he can brag the whole night and parade me like an—" I stop myself. The bitter things I've so carelessly said about my father to people he's never even met. I'm ashamed. 

"I've got it!" Satoru finishes his last orange slice. "You should come with me." 

"Come with you where?" 

"You can take your vacation with me. We have an island near Okinawa. There's only housing staff, nobody else would bother us." 

"A week away on a private island," Mariko whistles. "Wonder what you two will be doing." 

I can't place what's funny, but she and Haibara are laughing. "I would, but my siblings." 

"Bring them too!" 

It's an utterly ridiculous idea. Yet, it could work. Nobody stands in the way of taking Momo and Tomiji out of the estate for a little while. Tomiji might fuss, but he'll get over it. The only bartering to be done would be convincing my dad to let me go. He won't be pleased to hear my free time won't be spent on his personal agenda, but he might give in if I point out that this will be time spent with the Gojo clan—a singular member of the Gojo clan, but the Gojo clan nonetheless. 

I say, "Okay," and can see Satoru is overcome with excitement, but I pull him back to a reality for a moment, "How would you feel about having dinner with my dad?" 

His face falls. "What?" 

∞

"Please be nice."

"When am I ever not nice?" 

Bringing Satoru into the estate has already drawn an absurd amount of attention. Part of him seems to enjoy it, though, to know everyone is staring. 

"Sometimes," I tread carefully, "You say the first thing that comes to mind, but it's not always appropriate." 

"Appropriate doesn't always mean true." 

"Yes, but tonight isn't about being correct, it's about getting along." We pass the high, black gates, and arrive in front of the iron doors. "So, please. Behave." 

"Don't worry about me, Kaede-chan," he says. "I'll be good." 

The moment the door opens, Momoko leaps into my arms. Her face seems fuller, and her hair smells like flowers. Seeing that she's okay immediately puts my heart at peace. "Why aren't you at Hama's?"

"You said you were coming home tonight. We wanted to be here, oh—" Momoko falls silent because she has spotted Satoru behind me. 

I set her down. "Satoru, you remember my little sister, Momoko." 

"Of course!" He leans down to level with her. "Good to see you again!" 

I can tell his enthusiasm overwhelms her. Courteously, she smiles and bows before taking a step closer to me. "Where's Tomiji?" 

To answer my question, he comes bolting down the stairs. With every step I wince, thinking he might trip and hurt himself. He prances forward excitedly, jumping into my arms with more force than Momo had. "You've gotten bigger!" He had changed so much in just three months—both of them had. 

"Who is this?" Tomiji peers out past my shoulder. "Is this your boyfriend of something?" 

Satoru laughs. "She wishes."

"I do not wish," I say. "Tomiji, this is Gojo Satoru, a friend." 

"Gojo?" he says. "As in the Gojo clan?" 

"That's me!" 

Like a wrench has pulled on his mouth, "Your boyfriend is from the Gojo clan?" 

"He's not my boyfriend. Have you not listened to anything I just said?" 

Tomiji has always been cynical in a way Momo cannot muster. Despite his young age, he has very set opinions on the three big clans. He's grasped the way they look down on people like him and put people like me in a position of servitude. Simple put, he despises them. For a time, I think I did too. 

But that was before I met Satoru, who diffuses the situation first, "It's okay if you don't like them, kid. I don't care for them much either." 

"Don't call me kid." 

"If you're done lingering in my foyer, dinner is ready." My father is standing in the doorway to the dining room. There's a displeased look on his face, as if we had all done something vulgar. My siblings deflate immediately. "Welcome home, Kaede-chan." 

It all sounds so formal. No one would think we're related had our faces not been so similar. "Thank you." 

"I take it the train ride went well?"

"Yes."

A prolonged period of silence fills the room. My father cannot find anything to say, and I have nothing to say to my father. 

"Hello, Uematsu-san, long time no see!" Satoru's voice is so loud it echoes. He tosses his backpack onto the floor and pushes Momo and Tomiji forward by the shoulders. "Thanks for dinner!" 

My father's jaw clenches as they push past him into the dining room. At first, I believe it's because his previous encounter with Satoru left a bitter taste in his mouth. However, when I step inside, I realize it's because Momoko and Tomiji were not supposed to join this dinner. Half the table is already filled by socialites in suits. Some of them were other Jujutsu from the estate, but most were the big names who pay large sums for curse exorcising. Of course, all their eyes are glued to Satoru.

"I should have known better," I think to myself. My father has turned what was intended to be a private dinner into a propaganda event that screams, "Look at me! Look at my daughter! Look how we're close with Gojo Satoru!" 

"Kaede-chan, stop staring." Satoru has made this revelation too. If anything, he knew from the moment we entered the house. And yet, he's playing along. He pats the empty chair next to him, "Come on. I'm hungry." 

I seat myself, bones feeling heavier. My father does the same at the head of the table. "Momoko and Tomiji's dinner was supposed to be served upstairs." 

"Nonsense, they should join us," Satoru says, voice loud for the rest of the party to hear, "You have this big, fancy house and can't fit two more people at the table?" 

Trapped, my father laughs it off, "Of course I can. It's just my children don't take well to larger crowds." His children who are sat across from us, gazes glued to their laps. It's a truly pitiful sight.

"I think they'll be fine, right, Kaede-chan?" 

Satoru looks at me, prompting the rest of the table to follow. I force a smile, nod, "Of course." 

My father has chosen our best markey goods in an effort to make dinner luxurious. The fish is incredibly fresh and every vegetable perfectly ripe. He handles all the conversation, going back and forth with these socialites about the "booming" economy of our estate, the political ground the Uematsu are gaining, and—without fail—my growing abilities. 

Satoru and I are meant to remain ornament pieces to his dinner. Something I can manage, something I've done hundreds of times, but eventually, Satoru grows bored, maybe annoyed, of being on display. "Tomiji-kun," he says, regardless of who was originally talking. The table goes silent, eager to listen to whatever Gojo Satoru has to say. My brother's eyes double in size when he realizes the attention is now on him. "You play any video games?" 

Some of the table resumes conversing once they hear it's nothing of importance. Others are half-listening, though, and it makes Tomiji hesitate. "...A few." 

I bought him a game console with birthday money two years ago. We put it in Hama's house so my father couldn't take it away.

"Which ones?"

"Well... I like Mario Kart, Zelda, and Street Fighter a bit." A bit is a massive understatement. 

"Awesome! My friend Suguru and I stayed up for thirty-six hours once playing Street Fighter," Satoru says. "Do you have a favorite character?"

Just when I can see Tomiji getting excited, my father cuts in, "Maybe we save such trivial topics for outside the dinner table?" 

Instantly, Tomiji closes his mouth and focuses on his plate. 

"I didn't realize you would rather I spent the whole dinner listening to you talk about boring adult shi—" I grab Satoru by the leg, dig my fingers into his thigh hard. A slight gasp leaves his lips, partly from the pain, partly from trying to withhold his temper. "Actually, I did have something I wanted to say to you, Uematsu-san." The table goes silent once more. 

"I'm," Satoru doesn't want to say it. I know he would rather die than say it. But if he swallows his pride, just this once, we can leave and enjoy the rest of our vacation elsewhere. So, I squeeze his leg harder. "Sorry for how I acted when we first met. What I said was rude." 

The breath I had been withholding is finally released in relief. I stop squeezing his leg, and instead give it a grateful pat.

I can hardly believe Gojo Satoru has willingly apologized, but my father doesn't appear to share the sentiment. Instead his expression has melted into one I recognize instantly—the same one that appears on his face whenever he's about to boast. "I shouldn't have expected anything less. You are just a kid after all. I suppose your family didn't teach you that power doesn't equate to wisdom or respect. Maybe one day you'll understand that." 

Satoru's leg tenses under my hand, but I'm not squeezing it this time. My father has succeeded in egging him on. He knows if he can't play the "we're friends with the Gojo clan" card, then he could at least force Satoru to lash out, making our family seem more refined. 

Satoru's mouth opens, and I've seen what he's about to say. 

"We're going on vacation together!" I blurt out. Everyone's eyes have fallen on me. My heart is racing. I'm certain, though, that this is better than Satoru announcing my father had paid to become a first grade—I can't even say it isn't true. 

"Kaede-chan, don't shout at the dinner table," my father says, eyes carefully ablaze now. "What's this about a vacation?" 

"Satoru, uh, and I... we, um...."

"Don't stutter either, I taught you better than that." 

The hand I've left on his leg, Satoru takes and holds. "We were granted a weeklong vacation," I say. "I'm going to spend it with Satoru on their island. Momoko and Tomiji are coming with us." 

He remains calm. The showman's smile remains on his lips, and it sends a shiver down my spine. "Sounds wonderful. I'm sure the Gojos will be proud to house the Uematsu children." 

My father directs the conversation elsewhere, and continues to do so for the remainder of the dinner. It would seem everyone has forgotten what I said, but I knew better. I lost my appetite thinking about what would come next. 

By the time his final guest left, the four of us remained seated, empty dessert plates in front of us. Mine is untouched. I let Momo and Tomiji share it. 

When my father steps into the dining room again, his voice is chillingly tranquil, "Kaede-chan, a word?" 

I force myself to let go of the hand I'd clung to the entire night. My father leads me into his study. The moment the door shuts, he turns on his heel and I let him slap me across the face. It burns. "What were you thinking?" he hisses.

"You were trying to embarrass Satoru."

"So instead you embarrass your own blood? Do you have any idea how detrimental this is to our future?"

I mutter, "Your future." 

"Think Kaede! This affects all of us." He's lost the composure he so carefully conserved the entire night. Somehow his hair and face have turned wild. "Our family cannot survive solely on generational wealth, not while it maintains this estate. You have put everything at risk all for the sake of presenting yourself to our sponsors at Gojo Satoru's whore!" 

"I..." I don't know what to say. "I'm sorry."

"I thought it was right to send you to Jujutsu High. I thought you might learn something important, but instead you've become more complacent than ever before," he fumes. "You were right. The best place for you to remain is here, I'm canceling your enrollment immediately—"

"Wait."

"You can work as a private-hire Jujutsu and funnel your earnings back into the estate. We'll clarify with each of our guests that your relationship with Gojo is a misunderstanding." 

"It is a misunderstanding."

"Are you really so naive that you expect any of them to not believe he's fucking you in those dormitories?!" 

I've heard my father say many things, but nothing like this. "He," my voice wavers, "He's not." 

"The truth of it doesn't matter anymore." He manages to lower his voice. "You are a disappointment regardless." 

An anvil must have landed on my chest, because all the air has suddenly been forced out. Tears bubble up to the surface of my eyes. I can't help but let them spill out like hot rain. "I'm sorry." 

"Don't cry, you know I hate that."

"I can do better," I offer. "Something like this will never happen again."

"It doesn't matter. You'll resume training and schooling here."

"Wait, please," I beg. "I'm so sorry—"

"And Momoko and Tomiji will be sent to the children's home in Kyoto until we can rebuild your reputation." 

Whatever tears are ready to fall don't. It's as if in a single breath, I've forgotten everything that's happened tonight. "What?" 

"I have no choice, Kaede-chan. You've brought this on all of us. I can't move forward with you distracted like this. They will be allowed back into this house once you've proven—"

"No." 

"Excuse me?"

"I said, 'no,'." It feels like I've been falling down this dark chasm the entire night. No sense of what to do or where I was going. And the moment he threatened Momo and Tomiji, I hit the bottom. No hope left, nothing more to lose. 

"You can't say no to me, Kaede. I'm your father."

"Don't you want me to be the strongest?"

"Of course I do."

"I don't think the strongest should be so easily controlled then. Not even by their father." I never thought a declaration of freedom would feel so binding. It weighs heavily on my soul, makes me sick to my stomach. "I'm going on vacation, staying in Jujutsu High. I honestly don't care if my reputation is ruined, or if you never see your three children again." 

"Don't be ridiculous—"

"I've given you so many chances to be better, to prove you're human." I'm drowning in disbelief. My eyes can hardly focus on anything in the room. "And you fail every time." 

"You would have nothing. No money, no connections, no home."

What am I doing? What am I saying? It feels as if the room is spinning. Nothing makes sense. "I don't want any of those things from you." 

"Everything okay in here?" Satoru rips the door open, and it does little to cut the tension. "Kaede-chan, everything alright?" 

I wait, and wait, but my father says nothing. I feel my heart break. "Everything's fine. We should get going." 

I leave the study, each step feeling unsteady. Before I can enter the dining room, Satoru grabs my wrist, and pulls me to face him. One hand at a time, he takes hold of my face, and slowly wipes the wet streams off my cheeks. Nothing's been said, but the message is clear: "Don't let them see you like this." 

"Thanks." Momo and Tomiji are still finishing up their dessert inside. "Pack your things. We're leaving." 

"I thought we leave tomorrow," Tomiji says, and he's right. Our flight to the Gojo clan's island isn't until morning, but I can't spend another minute in this house. None of us can. 

"We'll stay at Hama's. Bring everything." 

"What?" Momo says. "What do you mean?" 

"Our dad..." My voice shudders because the thought of him alone makes me want to sob. It's an overbearing feeling, one that burns in my eyes and throat. "He can rot in this house by himself." 

Tomiji is quick to nod, and leaves to pack, but Momoko isn't as certain. She remains in her seat. "Have you thought this through, Oneesan?"

Of course I haven't. "Of course I have." 

"You don't think... I don't know... that dad might..."

"He won't," I say curtly. "I'm sorry." 

The reality of it is incredibly harsh for all three of us. Our father, no matter how long we wait, will not change. He'll never love us the way we want, never be the man we need him to. There's no Forward Sight required to understand that. 

Momoko nods slowly, and I can tell she's fighting the urge to cry when she leaves for her things. 

With both of them gone, it's easier to lose sense of the next step. I feel like I'm floating in an endless sea. "Don't you need to pack?"

"Most of my things are in the dorm." I don't understand what to say or do with my limbs. I'm stuck, standing helplessly in a dining room I'll never see again. 

"You should check to make sure you're not leaving anything behind." 

"Satoru."

"What is it?"

I hold out my empty hand. "Can you come with me?" 

He takes it, and I find the will to move again. "Whatever you need." 

∞

Great Aunt Hama's house is towards the end of the estate, near the dairy farms where you can hear the cows mooing into the night. It's small and the smell isn't very pleasant either, but none of us are in the position to be picky. 

"What're you doing here? The bears told me you're going on vacation," is the first thing she says after opening the door. Then she scans Satoru up and down. "And who's this?"

Leaving out several key details I explain our current situation and how we need a place to stay. She has no problem letting her "little bears" in to get ready for bed, but Satoru she's more tentative with Satoru.

"I never liked the Gojo clan," she told us. "Too unbothered to get their hands dirty to stop my brother, Jin." 

Inside the spare bedroom, Momo and Tomiji are already covered up to their chins in the heavy quilt. 

"Oneesan?" Momo's small voice says.

"Yes?"

"Are we supposed to hate dad now?"

"Well," I wish I knew the adult thing to say. But I'm not an adult. I'm only a slightly bigger kid than they are, and after what I did tonight, I'm scared. "I don't think you should force yourself to feel a way that isn't natural to you." 

"Do you hate dad?"

"I don't think so," I say. "But the important thing is, no matter what I feel for him, I love you more than that, and he can't take care of you." 

"I hate dad," Tomiji says. "I'm glad you made us leave tonight, Oneesan." 

I open my mouth, but fall short for words. Instead all I say is, "You guys need to get some rest. It's a rough start, but we have an exciting week ahead of us, okay?"

I kiss each of their foreheads before stepping back out into the living room, where Satoru has somehow charmed Hama enough to make tea. He's sitting on the couch as if it were his own. "Four sugar cubes please." 

"You sure like sugar." 

"Like you wouldn't believe." 

I drop into the seat next to him. "I'm sorry to show up unannounced like this." 

"It's fine, you're family. Besides, I like seeing my little bears here." 

"I can pay to rent their room out," I offer. "Plus allowance for their food and clothes." 

"Oh please, Kaede. I've got my own share of the Uematsu wealth, you know. I think I can manage two tiny extra mouths to feed." 

"I'm sorry." I look down at my shoes. "I feel like I'm being unfair leaving them here. You shouldn't have to do this for us." 

"You shouldn't have to do this either. You're young. Enjoy being young. Kill some curses, date a few boys." Hama glances between myself and Satoru. "If that's all been decided then I'll be going to bed. I assume you two can figure out your own sleeping arrangement." 

The door closes to her bedroom. "I like her," Satoru says. "We should have had dinner with her instead." 

"What have I done?" The question leaves me like a long withheld breath. 

"What you had to. Your dad's a jerk. You did the right thing." 

"I uprooted them for my mistake." The more time I take to process, the more my dinner threatens to come back up. "They have no money or security to their name anymore." 

"I could set up a trust fund for both of them with a phone call. Seriously, they'll both be fine." 

"You're not funny."

"Do you hear me laughing?" 

I sink into the cushions, and stare up at the ceiling. "Don't ever do that for me."

"Why not? You're my friend."

"It's so embarrassing."

"It's not a big deal. My family wouldn't even notice."

"No, I was waiting for him to apologize." The desperation is evident in my voice. "Back when you opened the door, I was waiting for him to magically agree to be a good person—not even a good person, just a good father—but he didn't say anything." 

"You really love that moron, don't you?"

"I don't want to." 

"It's fine. Not everyone you love will be a good person." He pauses, as if contemplating this. "Maybe no one is actually good. It all depends on whether you're right for each other." 

"I think you're good. Annoying, but good." 

He shakes his head, and leans back into the couch cushions with me. Our heads drape over the backing. "We're just right for each other." 

He's already facing me as I turn. "You were crying earlier," he says. There's a lovely softness to his skin in this lighting. "I've never seen you do that before."

"You must think I'm weak."

"No, I know you're strong."

Looking at him, the idea strikes me without warning, the dangerous curiosity. The image of Satoru leaning in to kiss me. Is that what I really want?

Before I can figure it out, he sits up. "Ah, what a long day." He sets down his glasses, and turns longways on the couch.

"Sorry." I follow suit, our bodies lined up against the little surface area the couch provides. "This isn't how I wanted to start our vacation." 

Satoru's hand traces my waist, landing on the small of my back. He pulls me in to keep me from falling off the edge. Every part of my body flush against him, feeling his warmth envelop me better than any blanket. We've never been this close before

"I think this is a great start." 

[deliriousfangirl61]

Calla Lillies [Jake "Hangman" Seresin] Chapter II

Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Hailey Dugan

Masterlist [~~~~]

18+

Series Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, smut (later on in the series), age gap? (like 6 years because I feel like Jake is around like 32/33, lemme me know if you disagree), cursing. MINORS PLEASE DO NOT INTERACT 18+ content in later chapters.

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

Jake "Hangman" Seresin was finally settling into his new posting in North Carolina. He is back up in the air after his last mission and back to raising hell like always. Yet he can't help but miss The Dagger Squad and after watching Liv and Rooster tie the knot he is feeling just a tad bit lonely and longing for something more. Not that he would ever admit it though. However when he gets some new neighbors in the form of a stunning 26 year old plant-shop owner and a 7 year-old boy, Jake just might feel that tiny little whole in his chest filling. His new neighbor is kind yet fierce, and as she struggles to navigate the new realm of guardianship over her younger brother her next door neighbor is more help then she could have every imagined.

-2 Months Later-

The loft is incredibly quiet, I sit at my kitchen counter sipping on coffee as I flip through the latest inventory report. Lucas has yet to stir, but he doesn't need to be up for another 30 minutes. My phone dings but I know who it is. Matthew has been trying and failing to come up with a half-decent excuse to see me. I ended things two days after I brought Lucas home and Matthew quite loudly told me I was ruining my life.

Asshole

Lucas also decided then and there that he hated Matthew and had 'accidentally' sent his little rocket toy straight into his groin. I had laughed so hard I nearly cried and I had yet to see Matthew for more than a few minutes at a time. Once when he came to get his things and I returned the engagement ring and another when he cornered me in the shop. I had threatened to hit him with a shovel until he left. I had no want to see him then and I have no want now.

"Can you make pancakes for breakfast?" Lucas' voice is soft and groggy and I turn to the curly mop of hair that is truly a sight to behold after he first wakes up.

"Sure bub."

Lucas grins and climbs onto the high barstool of our kitchen island and rubs the sleep from his eyes. His cast is still a bulky annoyance on his wrist but he gets it off in a week and I'm sure he can't wait.

I had packed most of the kitchen things away for the move but I pulled the things out that I needed and started to make the pancakes. Lucas and I found the perfect house for both of us and since I've saved up a lot I was able to snatch it up pretty quick.

The savings was supposed to be for a wedding but fuck that

So I was able to put the down payment and pay most of it off. I've spent the last week decorating Lucas' room. He said he has always wanted a baseball-themed room so with the help of Maura we did a baseball-themed bedroom. It's not too kiddish so when he grows he isn't too embarrassed.

If you win custody and he can even grow up in that room.

I push that thought away and busy myself with the pancakes.

"Can we get a cat?"

I glance over at Lucas who is staring at me. He is resting his chin on his non-broken hand.

"That seems a bit random. What makes you want a cat?"

"It's not random," Lucas says in a serious tone I rarely hear from him. "I love cats and so do you. They are very easy and I saw a book at Dr. Kelter's office about how some animals can help with stress and anxiety. Plus! We are moving into a whole house so plenty of room." I want to laugh at the amount of thought he put into this but his comment about stress and anxiety snags my attention.

"Are you feeling a bit anxious again bub? That's okay but I want to know so I can help."

"Not really. Dr. Kelter helps a lot and I feel really safe with you."

My heart melts and I lean over kissing his forehead.

"I always want you to feel safe Lucas."

"I really like staying with you." He says softly.

"I really love you staying with me bub." I take a deep breath. "You know there's always a chance I can try to make it permanent."

Lucas peers through his curls.

"Really? Like I wouldn't go back to Arizona?"

"Yeah, but that also means you would stay with me, and you might not get to see Mom as much as you'd like." I want to be honest with him despite my feelings towards our mom.

Lucas is quiet for a moment. "I don't feel safe with mom though I feel safe with you. Do you think she'd be mad if she knew I wanna stay here with you instead of with her? I don't know if I wanna make her mad"

"I don't know honey. But I also wanna make sure you don't feel confused. So why don't I ask Dr. Kelter if you guys can talk about it in your next session?"

Lucas nods. I finish the pancakes and cut them up for him.

"Alright, here you go bubs."

His eyes light up as I push the plate in front of him, temporarily forgetting our previous conversation.

"Thanks, Hails," Lucas mutters.

"No problem bub, I'm gonna go get dressed and get your things together for school. Whenever you're finished get ready please."

"Mkay." He mumbles through a mouthful of pancakes.

I ruffle his hair and place a kiss on the top of his head before heading to get ready. I take a deep breath when I'm out of his view.

Holy crap

I wasn't expecting that conversation today. I have been trying to figure out how to bring it up. I followed Erica's advice and I got a lawyer as soon as I got back to North Carolina. I hadn't told Lucas, he was dealing with a lot of emotions and I didn't want to confuse him.

My phone starts blaring Taylor Swift in my pocket. Luckily that is not Matthew's ringtone but it is Maura's. It does snap me out of my little stupor though.

"What are you doing up so early it's not even past 8 yet." I joke as I answer and I can practically see her roll her eyes.

"What are you doing tonight?"

"Lucas and I were gonna watch a movie and eat popcorn in a fort with all the boxes."

She huffs. "Crap do you think it's too late to get a babysitter?"

I laugh softly. "Probably, but why would I need a babysitter?"

"There's a new bar opening and I'm pretty sure it's gonna be a Navy bar, so some of the guys from the base should be there and you know I am a sucker for that uniform."

I laugh.

"Not that I'm in love with that idea but I think Collin's mom mentioned a sleepover on her weekend with him and I think that's this week. I'll ask her at drop off today."

"You're the best! Oh, you should wear that blue dress that you ..."

"I gotta go Maura."

"Love you!"

I pull on some of my work clothes, which mainly consist of old T-shirts and jean shorts. Or the occasional overall or leggings. Owning a plant shop isn't exactly clean work.

"Alright, Lucas hurry up bud! We're running early for once let's not squander it." I call after him.

"But I like our mad dashes to the car." Lucas calls back."

"Please."

I hear his sweet giggle and then I see his curly mop of head appear.

"I should probably fix your hair first."

Somehow Lucas and I managed to keep ahead of the time today. I pull into the school parking lot at the perfect time when all the other moms are actually there too. Normally I'm scrambling in with Lucas towed behind me and Mrs. Thunton is the only one left.

"Oh wow everyone is here," Lucas comments as I pull his bag out of the back seat.

"See this is what happens when we're on time. Isn't it cool?"

"Sure." Lucas sounds completely uninterested but I appreciate the effort.

I don't miss the surprised looks of some of the moms as we approach. Yes, I am that guardian who is constantly scrambling, but 90% of them have husbands who help or they've been doing this longer than 9 months.

They can suck it up and stop being so judgey.

"I see Collin!" Lucas exclaims as he yanks his backpack from my hands and bolts to the playground.

He completely ignores his principal Mrs. Thunton as she greets him. I wave to the woman and send her a smile. Now to find Collin's mom.

"Kelly!" I call and the woman glances up from her phone and a smile spreads on her face.

"I was going to wait for you but look at you being on time." She jokes.

"Don't get used to it. Are you still offering to have Lucas over for a sleepover? He and I talked about it and he doesn't seem too anxious about it, he's made a lot of progress and honestly, he absolutely loves playing with Collin."

"Oh my god yes! That's what I waiting for you for. Collin has also been struggling and I think their friendship is such an anchor."

I nod. " I completely agree he's been so amazing to Lucas."

"Oh great, do you want me to just pick him up from school today?"

"I need to get his things together but I will meet you here and see if Lucas wants to ride with you or with me. Driving still makes him a bit nervous I think."

"Completely understand."

I grin. "Thank you so much, Kelly. I will see you at 4:00."

"See you at 4:00!"

Once I'm back in the safety of my car I call Maura. She picks up on the second ring.

"I am free tonight."

"Yes! It's party time bitch!"

What a freaking dork

Alrighty folks! Yes I know I finally updated but listen I have been one stressed spaghetti with school so I am sorry but give me a break lol.

Just comment below if you wanna be on the tag list.

I hope you guys enjoyed it.

[~~~~] Next Chapter- Coming Soon

[encrucijada]

PÍA RAMBLES #6

nanowrimo is technically over and i barely made a dent on what was supposed to be my main wip during november. but one thought led to another and i made some changes that contradict the powerpoint i posted at the start of the month... so let me tell you about evergreen lung!

if you're new to my writing updates: because of how inconsistent i am with my progress i just label everything as a writing update and then theme them accordingly.

disclaimer: this is my original work, plagiarism of any kind won’t be tolerated.

[ all images ids in alt text! ]

i was having a lot of trouble making the relationships between characters work, which is a problem considering character relationships would make or break this book in particular. i've only written one and a half chapters which, i know is too soon to know if the dynamics were really as bleh as they seemed in my head (especially considering i've only barely introduced the character of raquel)... but things just weren't clicking in an appealing way.

so what did i do? i opened my phone's notes app and started typing naturally lmao. i laid out all my troubles and i think i've found it now! the version of evergreen lung i like.

these are the changes

august is now a completely different character! originally she was supposed to be ezra's "friendship interest" (like love interest but for friend) but i was having this problem about their relationship being too similar to that of ezra's mums xiomara and katalina. something that was bothering no one but if i didn't do something about it it was gonna bother me for all intended 70k words of this. i've aged august up and now she is running the radio station mentioned in the powerpoint (there's also something new and magical about her but [spoilers]).

it also allowed me to implement a dynamic i would have otherwise discarded with the changes i did to ezra's family, which makes me happy as i really liked it. see, since her inception august has been the someone new by hozier sorta character where she falls in love with pretty strangers on the bus. in the earlier versions of evergreen lung, ezra was supposed to live with her aunt who couldn't really hold down a partner and that was going to contrast with ezra who didn't want a partner. now that dynamic is the one shared between ezra and august! they have more of a "queer neurodivergent student who imprints on their cool teacher" vibe

juan diego figueroa! you may remember him as santiago figueroa from the powerpoint, i changed his name. the obligatory adam parrish-esque character because this is a book about a sentient forest. he's ezra's new platonic soulmate. a story about two aspec kids with lots of nature imagery surrounding them and whose relationship people are being extremely amatonormative about. after all, they're a boy and a girl so they should be falling in love

not only are they extremely cute, but their dynamic immediately puts me at ease with being Different(tm) from xiomara/katalina/caleb, which is what was bothering me if i had made a little trio out of ezra/august/santiago. as said in the powerpoint, his family runs the greenhouse where xiomara buys all her plant babies and it gives juan diego and ezra a fun thing going on. where they know each other but will grow to be each other's best friends much to their surprise

okay! let's talk chapters

i have named a few scattered chapters. these are the first five (at least for now some titles could be moved around later). as of rn i have only written chapters one and i'm working on finishing chapter two. yes, in my head that is more than enough to talk

I: CREATION ACT

so for the uninitiated: evergreen lung is about this girl named ezra who died and then undied. what felt like passing out overnight in the forest for her turned out to be a year of her being missing.

i'd written the opening scene of the book many moons ago, around the time when i first had the idea for this story. it remains one of my favourite openers. here's an excerpt!

I woke up again because I couldn’t breathe. It turned into crying. Blood smeared on my cheeks, my nose, my mouth. I think… I might have been having nightmares, but I couldn’t remember. The sun made nightmares go away.

Checked my phone again, mechanical. The dead screen spiderwebbed and mosaicked with the honeycomb light through the canopy of branches. I did that three more times, forgetting each time, until I sprung panicked because the weight of my own body made my arm fall asleep and I thought the fox was back and had taken it along this time. I pressed the power button on the phone like that might will it to work.

I also got bitten on the leg, the tender tissue on the back of my knee, and I kicked. A fox with shamrocks as way of ear tufts whined and sprang away. That made me sit up and I cried, whimpering apologies. Whimpering please forgive me’s to an animal that wasn’t there anymore.

i'm now gonna shout out @rxinbowbright and @chaoticdecember because it's thanks to them that i even conceived making any progress with this book at all. and it's all thanks to the characters of ezra's parents who are actually our ocs for a personal project we share. with katalina being teddy's and caleb being fluffy's, xio is mine. it makes sense for a story about the importance of queerplatonic relationships for our main character to be born into one imo.

a while back (a long while back) i decided to start using chapter titles. they add so much personality and i think they need to do a comeback in books. i'm especially fond of the two words structure which is what i'm gonna be doing with evergreen lung. it creates such vivid imagery with something as simple as creation act, especially considering the subject matter. ezra coming back home and all.

II: PRESSED FLOWERS

aka ezra takes a walk around town and reunites with raquel, they go to a concert. alternatively: sometimes the main conflict is the fact your best friend has a boyfriend.

the plot truly begins here: ezra realises there's a disconnect between her and the person who's her best friend, she missed graduation and we all know how much things change in not even a year of being done with high school. the people you saw 5 days a week aren't part of your routine anymore, friend groups don't survive, everyone's got their own goals and no one's worried about the same homework as you.

other stories might turn raquel into the villain but there are no villains here (except for amatonormativity). i love raquel, and i love the relationship with her boyfriend like i love any other ship in my wips. they've got this fun garage band aesthetic going on and damian is friends with ezra... sadly while she was gone they planned and agreed to move out of town together. and now instead of having time to process this, ezra's arriving a month (or so) before it happens.

the title of pressed flowers is supposed to be a metaphor about preserving things.

Raquel’s mum was a redhead like her two daughters. She was wearing an apron and a dress, hands clad with rubber gloves, she looked as if she’d stepped out of 50s USA nuclear family propaganda. Wendy was forced to stay outside and I stood in their kitchen on the verge of tears for an agonising ten minutes.

I kept asking them: Raquel? Raquel? Raquel?

And they put a glass of pink lemonade in my hands and hugged me until I spilled it on the floor anyways. You went missing, they said, as if I was a third-party stranger who hadn’t heard of the local tragedy. Instead of being the very subject of it. Yeah, I know, I said, objective, like speaking of the weather. Your parents— Raquel's mum started to say. They know, I said.

“She’s going to be so happy.” Marianela was holding the baby to her chest.

“Where’s Raquel?” I asked again.

“Not here,” her mum said. “She got this crazy idea in her head when she turned eighteen. Moved right out, said she was ready to be independent.”

“Where’s Raquel?” I asked again.

“She didn’t even have a job!” her mum said. “Now I think she’s working as a cashier.”

“Where’s Raquel?” I asked Marianela directly.

“The shopping centre downtown,” she said, patting the baby’s back as she became fuzzy. Warning of a wail. “They have these empty rooms serving no purpose at all.”

okay! i think that's gonna be it for now. i mainly wanted to talk about the changes i made (which also helps me it's the rubber duck method). and also hopefully this gave you a better idea of what the book's about, where it's headed.

the other chapters will tackle the following:

dead heading: the real weight of being gone

organic bodies: trying to reconnect

blink twice: ezra goes to a party with her old classmates

the sentient forest is coming, i promise.

cheers, pía