#Landscaper Near Me The Woodlands

[cypressandwoodlandslandscaper]

BDH Landscaping: Your Reliable Landscapers Near Cypress and The Woodlands

When searching for “Landscapers Near Me Cypress” or “Landscaper Near Me The Woodlands,” you want a company that can transform your outdoor space into a stunning, functional, and sustainable environment. Look no further than BDH Landscaping, your local experts in creating breathtaking landscapes in Cypress, The Woodlands, and surrounding areas.

Why Choose BDH Landscaping?

1. Local Expertise in Cypress and The Woodlands

At BDH Landscaping, we pride ourselves on our deep understanding of the local climate, soil types, and plant species that thrive in the Cypress and The Woodlands regions. Whether you’re looking to create a lush garden, a cozy outdoor living space, or a low-maintenance, drought-resistant landscape, our team is equipped with the knowledge to make it happen.

2. Customized Landscaping Solutions

Every property is unique, and so are your needs and aesthetic preferences. BDH Landscaping provides tailored landscaping solutions that match your style and budget. From initial design to project completion, we work closely with you to ensure your outdoor space reflects your vision. Whether you’re considering hardscaping features like patios, walkways, and retaining walls, or softscaping elements such as vibrant flower beds, shade trees, and lush lawns, we craft custom landscapes that elevate the beauty and functionality of your property.

3. Comprehensive Services for Every Outdoor Need

BDH Landscaping offers a full range of services to meet all your landscaping needs in Cypress and The Woodlands. These include:

Landscape Design & Installation: From concept to creation, we design landscapes that suit your property and lifestyle.

Lawn Care & Maintenance: Keep your lawn looking its best year-round with our expert lawn care services.

Hardscaping: We install patios, pathways, retaining walls, and other hardscape features that complement your landscape and add long-lasting value.

Irrigation & Drainage Solutions: Proper irrigation and drainage are key to maintaining a healthy landscape. We install systems that conserve water while ensuring your plants thrive.

Seasonal Planting & Mulching: Enhance your yard’s appearance and health with seasonal planting, mulching, and other upkeep services.

4. Commitment to Sustainable Landscaping

As responsible landscapers in the Cypress and The Woodlands areas, BDH Landscaping is committed to using sustainable practices. We incorporate native plants and eco-friendly materials whenever possible to create landscapes that are both beautiful and environmentally friendly. Our water-efficient irrigation systems help reduce water waste, making your landscape not only stunning but also sustainable.

5. Skilled and Professional Team

Our team consists of highly trained and experienced professionals who are passionate about delivering the best results for every client. When you choose BDH Landscaping, you get a crew that is prompt, courteous, and dedicated to exceeding your expectations. We take great pride in our craftsmanship and attention to detail, ensuring that every project is completed to the highest standard.

Landscapers You Can Trust

Finding a reliable “landscaper near me The Woodlands” or “landscapers near me Cypress” doesn't have to be a challenge. With BDH Landscaping, you are choosing a team that is committed to providing top-quality service, personalized care, and exceptional results. We understand the importance of having a beautiful outdoor space to relax and entertain in, and our goal is to turn your landscaping dreams into reality. Whether you need a complete yard makeover, regular lawn maintenance, or a custom outdoor living area, BDH Landscaping has the skills and expertise to deliver outstanding results.

Conclusion

Ready to transform your yard? If you’re located in Cypress, The Woodlands, or nearby areas and are searching for reliable “landscapers near me,” BDH Landscaping is here to help. Contact us today for a consultation and let us bring your landscaping vision to life. With BDH Landscaping, your perfect outdoor oasis is just a phone call away.

[bdhlandscaping1]

Landscaper Near Me The Woodlands

Discover BDH Landscaping & Design Company, your premier landscaper near me The Woodlands, TX, offering exceptional services to elevate your outdoor space. Based in Cypress, TX, our team brings years of expertise and creativity to every project, transforming ordinary landscapes into stunning outdoor retreats. Whether you're looking to create a tranquil garden oasis or enhance your property's curb appeal, our skilled professionals are dedicated to bringing your vision to life.

[reasonsforhope]

"Thousands of trees have been planted by volunteers as part of a new temperate rainforest in south Devon.

More than 2,500 native trees have been planted so far this winter at Devon Wildlife Trust's Bowden Pillars site near Totnes.

The charity said as well as storing carbon, temperate rainforests supported "a super-abundance" of wildlife.

The trust is transforming 30 hectares (75 acres) of sheep-grazed fields into a landscape with 70% tree cover and open glades and wildflower-rich meadows.

The charity said more than a 100 local people planted species including oak, rowan, alder, hazel, birch, willow and holly.

Nick Biggs, an 83-year-old volunteer, said he got involved with the project after being inspired by his apprenticeship with the Forestry Commission in 1958.

"That introduced me to the environment," he said.

"I was really keen to carry on with it and it's good for your fitness just to get out and do something."

The trust said in decades to come the new trees would form a temperate rainforest with high rainfall and humidity.

Helen Aldis from Moor Trees, which supplied some of the saplings, said many had been gathered locally.

She said: "The oak that's going in today is from acorns that we've gathered on Dartmoor that have come back to our tree nursery.

"Our volunteers process those, pop them into the root trainers and then they come out a year or two later to become the woodlands of the future."

'Incredibly rare habitat'

The trust said the damp woodlands used to cover large parts of Britain, but today amount to just 1% of its land area.

Project leader Claire Inglis said: "It's an incredibly rare habitat and we've lost a great deal of it over the years.

"Across the UK there is around 13% woodland cover but in Devon it's actually 11%, so it's lower than the national average."

The trust said the forests supported a variety of birds such as pied flycatchers, woodcock and redstarts, while the damp conditions meant mosses, liverworts, lichens, ferns and fungi thrived on the trees and forest floor.

Ms Inglis added: "The mix of young trees in amongst grass pastures and hedges, along with our commitment not to use pesticides and artificial fertilisers, will be better for local moths, butterflies and bees, along with farmland birds such as yellowhammers and barn owls."

The trust said 7,000 trees would be planted in the first winter with more planned in the future."

-via BBC, January 30, 2025

[velvetlilith777]

Snow Angel

Haley x Fem Reader

18+ NSFW 🪽 MDNI

Author's Note: It's entirely unrelated to this fic, but ask me how many times I listened to Snow Angel by Reneé Rap while writing this 🤭 Anyways I really hope you guys enjoy this one because it's one of my favorite works so far!

Synopsis: Haley is a summer girl at heart, you love nature in all its forms, even snow. What better way to get her to love winter than a silly, snowy escapade?

CW/TW: subby Haley, loose exhibitionism, oral (female receiving), fingering (female recieving), nipple play, slight religious imagery (a lot of angel illusions and references, nothing more), heavy pet name usage, I think that's it?

Minors and ageless blogs do not interact! I will block you.

Word Count: 2k

Dividers by: @anitalenia (bow) and @animatedglittergraphics-n-more (snow) 🖤

🎄Ficmas Masterlist! 🎄

Smut under the cut!

“Do we have to be out here? It’s a lot warmer inside, you know!” Crunchy steps quicken behind you as Haley protests your choice of activity.

“Mmhmm, but it’s not near as pretty.” You retort.

The sight of the Cindersap forest under a fresh blanket of powder is certainly a sight to behold. Pines glisten with small sparkles as light reflects off the crystals. Still silence falls over the landscape, with most animals tucked away in their little homes for the season and the snow absorbing any remaining noise.

Your pace stops, taking in the scene in front of you in awe. When you left the city all of those years ago, you knew you had always had an affinity for nature. Even still this was breathtaking beyond your imagination, like something out of an internet wanderlust post that seemed too good to be true. But this was real, and it was practically your backyard.

Your attention leaves the scene as you grin at the blonde beside you. “See! I told you it was pretty,” you beam.

She playfully purses her lips and glances away from you. “Maybe you’re right.” She drags out before closing the gap and batting her lashes at you. “But I still think I’m prettier, don’t you?”

Huffing out a laugh at her proposition you grab her hand, enclosed in a carefully chosen mitten that perfectly matches her outfit.

“Of course you are, angel.” Leaning in to place a chaste kiss on her flushed nose before continuing your thought. “But I don't think that means we shouldn't appreciate this, too.”

Giggling like a couple of school girls, you keep your hands together and stroll through the frosted forest, letting the quiet envelop you. Studying differently shaped footprints freshly marked in the snow, recounting the paths of animals still stirring despite the chill. Serenity overtaking your senses, it remains uninterrupted when the saccharine voice of your girlfriend cuts the silence.

“It really is stunning out here. I can't believe I haven't ever been in the winter.” She muses.

Your head tilts, eyes finding hers before cutting a teasing response back. “Me too, it’s literally a short walk from your house.”

Haley's face forms a fake pout at your remark, her bottom lip jutting out while the corners of her mouth creep slightly upward. Almost unable to hide the snicker creeping in at the realization.

“I know, I know. You're built for summer and tan lines, not the cold and ice.” You huff out a laugh and shake your head.

A glint of light strikes your eye, the sun reflecting off the angel wing necklace you’d gifted her, matching the endearment you frequently called her. The illuminated white gold reminding you of a wintery pastime you loved as a child.

“Hey!” A wave of excitement overtaking your voice. “Have you ever made a snow angel?”

“No, I haven't. Cold, remember?” Her eyebrow raises, grinning as she pokes back at you.

“Well that changes today!” You’re practically bouncing up and down as you drag her toward a small clearing in the woodland. It was perfect, flat with no debris and plenty of soft powder.

“Okay, want me to show you?” Crinkles forming in the corners of your eyes from how hard you’re grinning.

“I mean, I think it’s pretty self explanatory,” an affectionate laugh slips through her lips.

The pair of you lie on your backs together, ready to craft holy impressions of your bodies in the powdery blanket covering the earth.

“Okay, ready? Go!” You instruct.

Immediately, you're a couple of giggly messes, swiping limbs against the ground together in unison. Wings and perfect skirts forming around human forms, projecting a sacred image. Once you imagine the artistry has reached its full potential, your movements settle in tandem. Your head rolls to the side to catch her gaze, laughs still leaking from your mouth.

Replicating a heavenly form better than your nostalgic activity ever could was the sight of the woman next to you. Sunshine is pouring in through the trees into the clearing where you lie, illuminating her in an otherworldly fashion. Golden curls shine in a messy halo around her face, while her cheeks flush the most beautiful shade of pink any artist ever labored to craft. She’s glowing, the true depiction of the divine feminine beside you.

Forgoing any preservation of the shape you carved into the snow, you roll to face her, your fingers carefully cupping her cheek as you breathe in the scent of coconut and orange perfume.

“Have fun?” Your voice is small and breathless as you take in the sight of her, unable to believe that something so beautiful is real and yours.

Haley grins up at you, lashes fluttering as she leans into the touch of your hand.

“Mmmm, yeah,” she pauses, “but I think you make everything fun. Even snow, somehow.” A slight snicker inflecting on the end of her thought.

“Trust me, it’s all you angel.”

Your lips take hers in a soft, chaste kiss. Her peach flavored lip gloss coating your mouth as you push to deepen the kiss, tongues dancing together delicately. It’s sweet and longing, not harsh and needy. Born from the reverence you share for each other. A small moan travels from her throat into yours, her core beginning to tingle under your affection.

You pull away from her lips, trailing yours down her rosy cheeks into the side of her neck. Tenderly, you begin nipping and kissing the soft spot at her collarbone, eliciting whimpers from her.

“Wait.” Haley gently grabs your face and pulls it to her view. “Won't we be seen out here?” Her brows are furrowed together with worry.

“No, we’re far enough out from everyone and Leah is visiting Elliott today, so we shouldn't run into anyone.” You explain between breaths.

“Lucky us.” A smirk flits across her lips before she gasps as you work your lips against her skin with a bit more purpose this time.

The tips of your fingers burned red from the chill in the air. Coming underprepared for an activity that was your idea would prove to be useful today, having not thought to grab your gloves on the way out the door. As you continue to peck at her neck, your frigid hand works to undo the buttons on her coat before lifting her sweater up. Her skin feels as if it’s on fire, the effect a combination of her layered outfit and lust for you. You evoke a tiny squeal from her as your mouth encloses around her nipple, while your icy fingers twist and pinch the other. Aiming to work her up, you switch your attentions, your hand and mouth swapping breasts. Eventually, her hips begin bucking up, her squeals becoming more desperate in nature.

“Use your words, pretty.” Your voice is melodic as you coax her.

“Mmmnh, need you please.” Your angel whimpers.

Your fingers slide down her stomach before hooking under her pants, carefully pulling them off and setting them aside. She spreads her legs for you, the sight enough to take your breath away. Her core is glistening in the sunlight against the sparkling snow, soaked with want.

You waste no time, dipping your fingers down to her entrance to gather slick and dragging up to her clit. The pads of your fingers begin tracing out light circles around the bud, icy digits enhancing the sensation. Puffs of breath rising in the air as Haley’s mouth falls open, gasps spilling into the chill air. Slick increasing as you speed up your motions, steadily increasing the tension in her stomach and the volume in her moans.

Two cold fingers on your free hand tease her entrance, lightly ghosting the outside before plunging in, immediately tingling with warmth from her supple walls.

“O-oh my god,” she pants, leaning up on her elbows to watch you work away at her.

“Yeah, angel? Feeling good?” Pushing snow around under your weight, you perch on your knees leaning over to kiss her while your hands fervently continue their efforts. Slipping your tongue against hers to pull her closer, you wait until she’s blissfully unaware before curling your fingers up into her satiny sweet spot. Obscene moans and squeals descend from her mouth, your tongue stealing every last one before pulling away. A mischievous expression finds your face as you watch her eyes roll back into her brain, your hand warming despite the frigid temperatures as her sweet little hole starts gushing around your fingers.

“You're doing so good angel.” You coo. “Think you can cum for me?”

“Yes, yes, god right there!” Teardrops roll down her temples as her head drops back, staring up at the sparkling trees around you. “Please, please don’t stop.”

Movements speeding up the slightest bit in effort make her brain go numb and her eyes see stars, you give her more encouragement to find her release.

“I love you so much, gorgeous. Can’t believe that you're mine, that this beautiful body is mine. You're perfect, angel. Cum for me, I know you can.”

Your sentiments seem to help bring her to the edge, the tightrope in her stomach finally snapping as her cunt pulses and grabs at your fingers. The sight below you is blissful, gorgeous cream oozing into the palm of your hand down onto the powder below you.

When she finally comes to her senses, Haley cups your face hard, kissing you with urgency. Small whimpers exchanged as your tongues fight a long battle for dominance.

“Your turn.” She huffs between lips meeting, her hands frantically pulling at your jeans to unbutton them. Lifting your knees to assist her in getting them off, becoming aware of how slick you are in the thin winter air.

The blonde slides down between your silky thighs, your knees straddling either side of her head as her hands snake around your hips before yanking you down to sit on her. Her tongue teasing your entrance before slowly dipping in, slurping up your juices. She carefully makes her way up your folds, licking and kissing at a leisurely pace, drinking up the mewls crying from your lips. When she finally reaches your clit, flicking her tongue against the pert bud, you feel like you're ascending. White hot tension building inside of you as she switches from

gentle little flicks to light suckles.

She’s building you up despite your every wish for her to go faster. Already feeling impossibly worked up as you beg “please, please Haley. Need more.”

Vibrations rumble deliciously through your want as she laughs against you at your eagerness. But Haley is forever going to give you what you need, when you need it. It’s how she loves. So she obliges, tongue assaulting your bundle of nerves rapidly as static overtakes your vision. Thighs trembling with pleasure, you add to it by pulling your sweater up and grasping at your breasts. Haley lets out a whine beneath you, snaking one hand from your hips up your form before reaching her destination, taking a nipple into her nimble fingers, rolling it in between them. Lewd howls spill from your lips, your impending orgasm bubbling over as her fixed pace hits you in the perfect spot.

“Angel, go-go-gonna cum,” you pant, hand locking your fingers in the mess of hair beneath you. Fighting your thighs that desperately want to close around her pretty face while also struggling to hold yourself up at any rate.

Your gaze meets hers as your waves crash against the shore, gasping for air, a slurry of her name and obscenities muttering from your chest.

Haley glides out from underneath you, both collapsing side by side. Content giggles leaving your throats as your fingers intertwine.

“See how much fun the snow is?” You poke at her, heavy eyelids giving away your exhaustion.

“I’m still not fully convinced,” she shakes her head. “I guess we’ll have to do this again… so that you can really prove it to me.”

[naturistgirl]

Crowded Tourist Spots, Deserted Places and the 'Textile Offended'

I live close to a beautiful tourist area. For a naturist that can be frustrating. The beautiful landscapes, valleys, hill tops and woodlands near where my home, come in two flavours - crowded and deserted.

I am openly naturist. I hate getting tangled with the 'Textile Offended'. Let me explain my meaning. Most people I meet are generally accepting of naturism; happy and cheerful in their greetings; few are ever offended. All of us have seen a naked woman before. The 'Textile Offended' apparently aren't among them. These are people who walk past you several times to get a closer look or even a photo on their phone. They are likely to go out of their way, even changing direction so that they can be 'offended'. They wear clothes and in this hot sticky summer weather they can get awfully hot and bothered. If possible I like to avoid the risk of being on the same path. They will come up to you to tell you you're 'breaking the law' (you aren't) or 'damaging children' (naturism is NOT a safeguarding issue). The clothed don't offend me by wearing textiles but I do draw the line at them bothering me with groundless arguments and accusations. That does offend me and and it can spoil my day!

Yesterday we went hiking above Newchurch-in-Pendle. This is a well frequented area with people climbing Pendle Hill. It is a very pretty village and one associated with the Pendle Witches. There is a little shop here 'Witches Galore' and the churchyard reputedly has a hanged witch buried there. See the little witches on brooms on the fingerpost above? It gets busy in summer (and on Hallowe'en).

I generally don't even put clothes on to start with. I do however carry a side tie bikini with me 'just in case'; little triangles of cloth that cover me (barely). I have 'Daisy Dukes' too if necessary and a very skimpy little gingham blouse. They don't get much wear and the bikini is pretty pointless anyway but they do keep the 'textile offended' at bay! Yesterday I had to wear them for a little while as there were plenty of people about. It is one of the penalties of visiting textile tourist spots!

Once naked, I STAY naked, even if I see someone approaching. They have already seen me, so what? Nothing looks worse than scrambling furtively into clothes or hiding behind a rock! Just be bold; smile (a lot) and say a very cheerful 'Hello' (around here the phrase is 'How do?' Generally, my 'emergency textiles' stay neatly in my bag where they belong!

The photographic shots here were all taken in relaxed fashion as we walked the track away from the village towards Ogden Clough. It demonstrates how you can do a little naturism even in a really popular tourist area.

Most people just tend to hang around the pretty village, buy souvenirs and take cute photos on their phones. I really like that they do! It keeps them off the trails. Yes, we did see a few people hiking on the same path as us but they were mostly busy, like us, enjoying the great outdoors.

If another hiker comes along the path behind me (one did), I don't really worry too much. I don't think my derrière is capable of offending anyone? I hope not! Hopefully the same is true for my husband. Girls like tight buns too!

Finally an entreaty! Tumblr is first and foremost a Blog Site. If you are a naturist like me and enjoyed this blogpost, please like, share and re-blog with my blessing. Do add your own affirmative comments. More important, if you feel inspired to hike clothes free, please blog about it too! Though there are maybe 6.5 million naturists in the UK, we do need some more!

I welcome messages from anyone who generally wants to know more about naturism. I also love to chat with other naturists about the lifestyle. This ISN'T a sexually themed blog however (I do have one of those too but the photos will never appear here).

Indeed a Naturist lifestyle is NOT about having lots of sex simply because you're naked! Paradoxically, sex is NOT about nudity and the absence of clothing. Erotic clothing (and its gradual removal) is a sexual tease and a must!. I also work as an adult model. Photoshoots generally start with underwear and what happens when it is removed! As a naturist I simply don't wear any!

My perennial postscript: Thank you to this wonderful guy (my loving husband) for the photos shown here. (I married my photographer!)

Without him, these blogs would be all words. He makes the blog special with what he does and I love him to bits.

Walking together with Mart, we are a naturist couple and if we meet anyone else, this is generally more acceptable (for some reason) than being alone. Single naturist men are often criticised, single naturist women tend to get chatted up (and delayed!).

Jane xx

[fr3sh-tragedies]

Hurt What's Mine

[Shadow of the Tomb Raider] Lara Croft x Female Reader

Word Count: 8.05k

Proofread: No

Content Warnings: Language, mentions of blood, heavy descriptions of gore and death, hospitalization, brief mention of medication

Categories:

Angst Fluff Mix

One-Shot Preference Headcanon

[A/N]: Thank you for 170+ followers! I've got a couple of people who have requested things through my inbox, and I'm hoping I'll be able to answer them soon! I will be open to requests soon, but there are a few more characters I want to write for ahead of time so it's easier to get an idea of what fandoms I'm open to. If you sent in a request, thank you! Once I've posted for a bit longer, I'll upload the masterlist I've made as well as the rules for requesting, then I'll answer requests!

[A/N] #2: If you do have a request that you'd like me to write in the future, please let me know! I'll get to it eventually, things are just hectic right now. Thank you for reading!

Enjoy!

Amongst the loud snapping of twigs combined with the rustling of the leaves overhead, softened chatter could be heard throughout the entrance to the forest. The sky, which had been painted warm shades of red and orange mere moments before, had grown murky with hues of purple and black. Small stars illuminated the sky as it grew darker, bright pools of light poking through the inky atmosphere to aid the moon in flooding the landscape with a soft glow. In accompaniment with the darkness seemingly swallowing up the woodland area that Lara and [Y/N] wandered into, a harsh breeze rushed through the air.

As the two walked deeper into the forest, Lara made sure to reach over when coming across drywood and break it free from the ground, tucking it under her arm. After seeing her do this, [Y/N] mirrored her actions and began to gather wood as well. The two had decided they’d head into the nearby forest to gather kindling for the fire they planned to build back at camp. There, Jonah was waiting, sorting through his supply of herbs and a small flask of water he’d said he would use to stir up a broth of sorts that would help all three stay warm for the night. The only problem being there was no fuel for a fire nearby, so both women volunteered to scavenge for some together.

It had taken quite a while to make it to the woodland area safely, but the conversation they had struck up with each other managed to keep the journey bearable. Thankfully, Lara had remembered to snatch her makeshift machete before heading out. Using the sharpest part of the rusted blade, she sliced through the brush that obstructed their path, allowing them to meander forward with a partial trail behind them.

Soon enough, neither of them were able to carry more of the drywood they came across. With a huff, Lara spun on her heel and jutted her chin toward the path she had made. “We should head back. We can always come back later if we need to gather more.” [Y/N] nodded, trailing behind the brunette as she led the way. A few minutes passed in silence, both women focused on not tripping over the loose roots or pebbles that littered the dampened blades of grass. Ultimately, as they neared the halfway point of the path, [Y/N] decided to break the silence.

“God, I’m glad we haven’t had any run-ins with Trinity. Those guys are a huge pain in the ass,” she complained. At her words, the corners of Lara’s lips perked up into an amused smirk. “Yeah, they are. We still need to keep our guard up, though. There weren’t any traces of them following us here, but that’s been the case the last couple of times as well. They’ve got the wrong motives, but they’re clever, and they know how to handle stealth operations.”

A grimace painted [Y/N]’s features as she nodded in response. “Yeah, I guess that’s true.” Silence once again fell upon them, allowing their senses to return to the sound of their own footsteps beneath them as they staggered ahead. While they recalled the way they came from, they struck up another conversation with one another, trying to keep the mood light in the eeriness that made itself known between the towering trees. It seemed to work–both felt more at ease as they chatted away. Merely a moment seemed to pass, however, before a loud clamp echoed throughout the area, followed by a ticking and whirring noise nearby.

Before either had time to react and understand what had happened, Lara flew backward with a holler and collapsed onto the ground. She was yanked forward once she made contact with the soil. The whirring noise returned, louder this time, and she was soon dangling high in the air by her foot. She groaned, her ears ringing and vision blurry from the way her head had bashed against the floor. Her eyes were pinched tightly shut, though her hand instinctively reached for her belt to find her gun.

Squinting and blinking her eyes rapidly, Lara managed to clear her view. All at once, she could make out what had happened. Just a few feet away, [Y/N]’s leg had been caught in a similar trap, but she wasn’t conscious enough to try and escape. Lara’s arm whipped forward to take aim, watching with a newfound sense of terror as a horde of shielded soldiers, clad in black, swarmed forward to the two. Even as she struggled to steady the hand that she gripped the gun harshly with, Lara began to fire warning shots, striking several of the soldiers and watching them plummet to the ground in waves.

A few that hadn’t been shot dashed toward [Y/N] and took hold of her limp arms. They hollered at each other to get her down, using her as some sort of human shield to avoid being killed as well. Upon seeing them grab the unconscious girl, the blood pumping from adrenaline underneath Lara’s skin lit aflame with fury and a desire to defend. Her aim became far more accurate, more fatalities becoming visible as she fired away at them, a wolf’s snarl lacing her words as she bellowed at them to leave her alone.

She knew she just needed to get enough of them down so she could break free from the pulley that tightened the rope around her ankle to a painful degree. If she could do that, she could protect [Y/N] and help her flee. A false spark of hope flushed through her veins as she noticed she had cleared most of the squad, the lie of it evident as her clip ran empty and more men emerged from the distance. She cursed at herself, her hands unsteadily flying back up to her belt to find another magazine and reload. As she struggled with fiddling her pack open to search, she failed to register the sound of thundering footsteps nearing her from behind.

Finally, she pulled a clip free with a small huff of relief. She let her empty mag drop to the ground, flicked upward with the new one to reload, then cocked the hammer back before taking aim. A single bullet fired from the barrel, and everything went black.

Everything seemed to come back at once–every sense flowing forward and overwhelming Lara’s mind. A muffled groan slipped past her lips as she managed to lift her head. Entirely unaware of her bearings, her eyes flitted around in confusion, unable to see with her eyes wide open. She jerked her arms forward, hoping to grab hold of whatever fabric covered her face, only to feel cold steel dig harshly into the skin on her wrists. She hissed in pain, wriggling for a moment as she tried to understand what had happened.

Her focus returned to what she could feel. She had been chained to something, though it was hard to make out exactly what it was. Against her back, she could feel jagged wood scratching at her scarred skin each time she moved. Her arms encircled whatever it was she was pinned up on. Piecing things together, she figured she had been cuffed to a wooden beam somewhere. That didn’t explain where she was, though. Aside from the village she and the others had passed through once they arrived, there were no structures of any kind as far as she could tell. Had one of the villagers turned and taken her hostage?

She could feel the frigid grated steel beneath her, which confirmed she had to be somewhere else. The ground in the homes of the village had been purely dirt and tattered cloth.

Then where the hell was she?

What had happened before she blacked out?

“Oh, look who’s up from her nap,” a booming voice called out, pulling Lara from her thoughts. Her head shot up, a quick yelp of pain greeting her as her head throbbed from the sudden motion. “Who the hell are you? Where am I? Where’s [Y/N]?” She couldn’t recall what she had been through beforehand, though some part of her told her she needed to defend herself regardless. A deep chuckle rumbled nearby before the owner of the previous voice stepped closer. Lara braced herself for a hit, fighting back a flinch when gloved fingers gripped the top of what had been obstructing her view and tugged upward.

She squinted with a hiss as the overhead lights flashed their way into her eyes, effectively blinding her for a moment. As her vision cleared and adjusted, she jerked her head to the side to face whoever had granted her the ability to see again. A moment hardly passed before her face contorted with anger: her brows furrowed tightly together, practically knitting themselves as one, her jaw clenching as her teeth ground painfully against each other.

“Who the fuck are you?” She snapped. Quickly, her outrage completely replaced the feeling of distress, only worsening when her gaze flickered down to see Trinity’s emblem stitched into the man’s tactical vest. He laughed, tossing the woven bag that had been tied around her head to the side. “You don’t need to know who I am, but I certainly know who you are.” He grinned, then reached behind Lara to pick something up from behind the pillar. Briefly after, he leaned back again, dangling her tactical belt tauntingly in front of her, still fully equipped with all of her weapons.

Her eyes widened a fraction at the sight, instinctively flying down to find and confirm that she had indeed been stripped of her only means of defense in this position. Immediately, she knew she needed to free herself. With the methods she had been taught after tussling with offenders before, she knew she could easily wrestle this man to the ground and overpower him. With her arms restrained, however, she could only fight back at an infuriatingly close range.

He seemed to notice the stress that had returned to Lara’s mind, letting out another cackle at her misfortune. He stood, twisting his torso far enough to hurl the belt over the railing. As he made his way over to squat in front of her again, she took this opportunity to look around. She had been right: she was chained to a wooden support beam, and she was seated against steel. Through the holes in the grated plates, she could see she was far up off the ground, at least three or four stories high.

Looking up, she could see layers of other platforms above, towering to an ungodly height. Dropping her gaze back down, the platform she was on curved around a circular building just behind her, and ahead of her, a long metal bridge stretched out to connect to an identical structure. As her eyes focused in on a figure across the platform, her blood ran cold, wishing she hadn’t recognized what was happening.

Everything that had happened before she ended up here came flooding back. The forest, the traps, the soldiers, everything. Now separated, [Y/N] was similarly cuffed to a pillar. Her binds seemed tighter, red lines already formed on her wrists as though she had been struggling against them for a while. For the first time since making it to the town, Lara felt genuine fear. Had they already hurt [Y/N]? Had they forced her to give away where Jonah was?

“[Y/N]!”

“Ah, so you noticed,” the man voiced, bringing her attention back to him. Shakily, she lifted her head, She screamed at herself, willing her voice into intimidation. “Let her go. She has nothing to do with this.” Internally, she cursed at the way her voice wavered and cracked.

The man grinned devilishly, shaking his head. “You don’t get it, do you? The moment you brought her here, you forced her to be a part of this. Like it or not, she has everything to do with this.” He leaned forward, blocking her view of [Y/N] and forcing her to look him in the eye. “It’s your fault.” Bringing his hand to his chin, he glanced up and mockingly pretended to think. “I suppose the saying, “like father like daughter,” is true after all. Wouldn’t you say so?”

At the mere mention of her father, a concoction of emotions bubbled beneath the surface of Lara’s skin. Even so, she forced her expression to remain stern. “Don’t you fucking talk about him.” Once again, she was met with a laugh.

A soldier that had been stationed nearby stepped closer to the two, concern laced in his tone. “Sir, shouldn’t we be careful? She’s taken out half of our men already, and most of it was entirely on her own.” The man in front of Lara rolled his eyes and stood, giving a small shrug. “Relax, I’m just having a bit of fun. There’s nothing she can do like this,” he gestured toward her. “With respect,” the soldier started, “she’s gotten out of tougher situations. Maybe we should–”

In an instant, the man, who Lara assumed was the captain at this point, whipped his gun from its holster on his hip and stood. He flicked his arm upward and pointed the barrel directly against the soldier’s forehead, prompting him to freeze. “I’ll fucking take care of it, you got it? All I’m gonna do is get her to tell me a few things, then we’ll blow both of their brains out, then be on our way. Stop me like that again, and the first round will go through your thick skull. Understand?”

Quickly, the soldier nodded and stepped back to his station. “Yes, sir.”

The captain then tucked his gun away. He turned and made a motion with his head to the group across the bridge. Lara glanced behind him to see what was happening, only to panic further as they crouched beside [Y/N], who flinched away at their touch. “Don’t touch her!” She screamed, thrashing violently against her restraints.

“Oh, don’t worry,” the captain teased, crouching down in front of her again to look her in the eye. “As long as you answer some questions, we won’t hurt her anymore.” Anymore. That word bounced through Lara’s head as she barely managed to notice that [Y/N]’s skin was littered with bruises and cuts. She swallowed hard, glaring at him. “What do you want? What questions?” He again acted as though he was deep in thought. “Well, for starters, you could tell me where the artifact you're looking for is.”

She scoffed. “So what? You can use it to wipe out humanity? Like you tried to do with the Divine Source?” The captain forced a smile. His hand lifted from his side and made a motion toward the group behind him. Lara watched, horrified, as one soldier used all his strength to kick [Y/N] in the stomach, another grabbing a fistful of her hair and slamming her head back against the pillar. She cried out in pain, desperately trying to free herself.

“Like I said, tell me what I want to know, and she won’t get hurt.”

Lara practically growled at him when she spoke. She ordered him to call the group back, threatening to make his death hell if he didn’t comply. “What do you think you can do? Can’t exactly kill me while you’re stuck here.” She scowled, her fingertips tapping at the chains in search of the padlock. Her arm shimmied a bit, allowing one of her hairpins to slip from the cuff of her sleeve and into her hand that she kept tucked away for situations exactly like this.

As she fiddled with trying to find the padlock, the captain continued to hound her with questions.

“Where’s your camp? I know you brought someone else here too.” She shuddered at the thought of Jonah being dragged into this as well. “I don’t know. I don’t even know where the hell I am, and you expect me to remember how to get back?” Another motion was made, prompting another harsh punishment to be given to [Y/N]. Lara shouted her name, begging her to hold on and promising she’ll get the two of them out.

The captain scoffed and crossed his arms. “Are you really not grasping what I’ve said? Answers for me means less pain for her.” Panicked, Lara thrashed again, her hands trembling as they continued their search. “I’m trying! But you aren’t giving me questions I can answer!” It was hard to mask her relief when her fingers finally found the padlock, though she instead focused on wriggling the bobby pin into the lock. “Well,” the captain huffed, standing again and slipping his gun from his belt. “I think I know something that might trigger your memory.”

At that, he turned and began walking toward [Y/N], wordlessly ordering the group of soldiers to back away. “No, don’t hurt her!” Lara was practically screaming at her hands to still, and with another brief moment, she finally managed to pick the lock, wrestling her arms free from the chains and stumbling as she stood. Without an ounce of hesitation, she lunged forward toward the captain, grabbing hold of him and trying to keep him away. He hollered in surprise, reaching back to claw at her and get a grasp. “Get off of me, you bitch!”

The team of soldiers that had been abusing [Y/N] only a mere moment before were now hurtling toward her. With a bit of a struggle, three of the soldiers managed to pry her off of him, throwing her back before forcefully pinning her against the pillar yet again. She fought against them, screaming for them to let her go. The captain ahead grumbled and stared her down for a moment, though he was quick to turn and walk toward [Y/N] again.

As Lara thrashed against the soldiers holding her down, the head of the team reached up toward a sheath against his hip, his gun having been smacked out of his hand and over the ledge from Lara’s outburst. Something felt as though it were burning in her mind, growing hotter and hotter as the captain closed the space between him and [Y/N]. She couldn’t let Trinity take another person she loved away from her. She wouldn’t allow it.

Hardly managing to remember her training, she turned and lunged her torso forward, using all of the momentum to headbut the soldier grasping her right arm in the face. He howled in pain, letting her go and falling backward. She then turned to the man holding her left shoulder. In the blink of an eye, she whipped her arm in a circular motion, gripping his wrist and forcing his arm to twist until he let go. Just as quickly, she shuffled forward and kicked the third soldier square in the chest, effectively knocking the wind out of his lungs.

Before she could stand, two more men sprinted forward and blocked her path, one of them managing to land a few rough kicks to her face and head. She hooked her arm beneath the back of his leg, jolting up to stand and flipping him backward. The second soldier struggled to free his rifle from the band on his back. By the time he managed to try and aim at her, her forearm flew sideways and struck his wrist, the impact catching him off guard and causing him to drop his weapon. Lara then leapt forward and gripped the straps of his tactical vest. She spun around to gain more force before driving him around again and launching him over the railing, not bothering to watch as he plummeted toward the ground countless meters below.

She turned, determined to get to the captain, but froze in place. Still so far away, he had freed [Y/N] of restraints, knowing she wouldn’t have been able to fight back. He pinned her against the platform, his knees planting themselves on either side of her hips as he drove his knife down into her stomach. Lara watched as [Y/N] tried to gasp for air, only to choke and let out a silent scream.

She felt everything grow heavy, ready to give into the temptation to drop to the ground. An inhumane level of fury coursed through her veins, and soon she found herself running forward at full speed, no longer in control of her body.

The neared the captain in only a few seconds, leaping from the ground and thrusting her arms forward. She tackled him off of [Y/N]’s writhing body and ripped the blade from his hand, dropping it and instead using her fists to beat any part of him she could see. Hit after hit, punch after punch, a new bruise formed on his skin, thinner sections splitting open into gashes. His blood seemed to all pool together beneath his head.

Lara let out a yell with each strike made against his skill. She lost count of the amount of times her knuckles made contact with the swollen form beneath her, not even noticing that her knuckles had begun to tear open and bleed from the sheer force alone. As his arms and legs fell limp against his sides, Lara’s punches came to a stop. Her bloodied hand reached over and grasped the handle of the knife, knuckles white from the tightness as she lifted the blade above her head.

Instantly, she plunged the knife down, listening with a sick joy as the thin metal ripped through layers of skin and organ, cracking through parts of his ribs. Mirroring what [Y/N] had done, the captain hopelessly tried to gasp for breath, instead wheezing and sputtering while his hands weakly scratched at her arms. Only for a moment, she kept the knife there. Before she could watch the life leave his eyes, she drew the blade out and immediately thrusted it down into his jugular with an equal force.

Her hands let go of the handle and dropped to land at her sides. She stared down, gleefully studying the way the captain clutched at his throat, a thick puddle of blood erupting from his mouth and trickling down his cheeks and jaw, disappearing into his hairline and accumulating with the crimson red under his trembling form. Glaring down at him with dull eyes, she lazily tugged the rifle from his back, forcing herself to stand and turn around.

She hadn’t heard the group of soldiers thundering up the stairs, but she had apparently sensed it. Effortlessly, she lifted the rifle and took aim, crouching down and firing away as the men made their way up one by one. By the time the team died out, she heard the gun click. Her gaze bored down at the rifle, realizing she had burned through the ammo. With a grunt of disapproval, she discarded the gun, then ripped another one away from a nearby lifeless body. She used that rifle to finish off the squad, blankly staring ahead after lowering the gun.

As her mind clouded over, taking in the scene before her, she tossed the gun to the side, straining to hear as it clattered against the steel platform. A bloodbath. That was the only way she could possibly describe it. Piles of bodies across such a small space, silver metal now stained red from blood and black from gunpowder. Lifeless eyes of the fallen seemed to watch her as she lifted her hands, taking in the way blood coated her skin. She wasn’t sure how much of it was hers and how much of it was the captain’s. She paid it no mind, instead rotating her hands to examine her knuckles. She had most definitely broken a few, if not all, of them,

Had she actually done all of this?

Nothing felt real.

The sudden sound of harsh coughing broke her out of her trance, forcing her attention toward the source. She scrambled over to [Y/N]’s side, holding her head up as she processed just how badly she had been hurt. Adding onto the gaping wound in her torso, countless bruises and cuts peppered every exposed inch of skin. The back of her head had been dripping blood from being hammered into the wooden beam. Lara gasped and frantically helped her prop her head up to prevent choking on her blood, her eyes scanning the surrounding area for something to help stop the bleeding. She grimaced when [Y/N] whimpered from the way she stretched over to grab a torn uniform.

Thinking on her feet, she slid to the wall of the base and leaned the wounded girl against it, apologizing tearfully each time she yelped in pain. After tearing the uniform into a thinner piece, she began stuffing part of the wound, earning more cries. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, finally using the rest of the cloth to ball it up. “This is going to hurt, but I need you to trust me.”

Before [Y/N] even opened her eyes, Lara forced her hand downward, applying an immense amount of both pressure and pain to the wound. At this, [Y/N] screamed in agony, her eyes beginning to roll back as her breaths quickened. Lara cupped her jaw and shifted forward. “[Y/N]? No, [Y/N], I need you to stay with me, okay? Keep your eyes open! Everything’s going to be okay, I promise. Stay with me,” she said, struggling to keep her voice steady.

“[Y/N], please, I can’t lose you. Not like this. Keep your eyes open–that’s all I need you to do!” Her words fell upon deaf ears, no matter how desperate they became. Before Lara could beg for her to listen again, [Y/N]’s head drooped down, her body now completely limp.

“[Y/N]?” Lara whimpered, shaking the unconscious girl’s head as a silent plea. When no response came from the motion, the Croft felt her tears beginning to spill, only being able to whisper “no” repeatedly. Her hand, the one that had been holding up the woman’s head, slid down to check for a pulse. She gasped softly when she found it, though realized she had to act quickly from how weak it was. “Shit,” she blurted, once again examining her surroundings. That bastard had thrown her radio over the railing with her weapons. There was no way she could contact Jonah without alerting any other potential Trinity bases of where they were. One look down at [Y/N], however, forced her to take that risk.

She stood and quickly rushed over to the nearby bodies, her calloused, bloodied hands desperately searching their equipment for a radio of sorts. She cursed with each failed search, though lit up only a fraction once she found one. Quickly, she ran to sit by [Y/N]’s side again, holding her up and pulling her close, keeping an eye on her as she sent out a message.

“Jonah? Jonah, are you there? Can you hear me? I need your help: [Y/N]’s bleeding out!”

She released the button, only earning static in response. Her eyes shot back to the woman beside her, her only shimmer of hope dimming immediately. Her finger clicked down again, lifting it closer to speak into it once more.

“Jonah, I need you here! Jonah, please, can you hear me?”

A choked sob erupted unwillingly from her throat. She felt like curling into herself and breaking right there. Now hunched over, she clutched the radio tightly against her chest, grasping a handful of her hair as she tried to come up with another plan. All she could bring herself to do for a moment was weep, terrified of losing the woman propped up by her side.

Her mind cleared for a brief second, and although she had no idea where they were, she knew they couldn’t stay there. More reinforcements were bound to show up sooner or later, and she was in no state to fight them all. She stood, peering out at the landscape in hopes of finding a landmark she had passed before. The lids of her eyes threatened to shut, heavy with fatigue from the loss of adrenaline and the salty tears that had fallen.

She staggered closer to the rail, gripping onto it tightly as a way to ground herself as she searched further. Her heart felt like it was going to sink down into the pit of her stomach upon spotting a village in the distance. She turned to [Y/N], unsure if either of them could even make it that far. There was a chance it wasn’t the village she had been in either, on top of the fact there could be more traps hidden in the forest.

That only stopped her briefly. She knew they needed to leave, and she knew it was better to head out with the chance of finding Jonah than staying there to die.

Willing every ounce of strength she had left, she plucked the rifle she had thrown to the side back up, slinging it over her shoulder before wobbling back to [Y/N]. She huffed, sucking in a deep breath to ready herself, then bent down to pick her up, one arm tucking itself underneath her knees, and the other wrapping around her torso.

She turned, stumbled forward toward the stairs, and wrestled with the urge to look down at the unconscious form in her arms.

Each step down felt like a mile, Lara’s calves straining and aching, feeling as though they would give in and snap like twigs. By the time she managed to make it to the ground, it took everything in her not to collapse. She just kept telling herself they’ll be there soon. That was all she could do to keep moving forward. If she didn’t make it, not only would [Y/N] die, but she would as well. The marks from the beating she had taken had begun to finally sink in, adding to the difficulty.

She swayed every few steps. Her body threatened to fall over anytime she leaned too far.

She had no way of knowing she was going in the right direction, only able to rely on her instinct. There was no path, no landmark, no sign of nearing the village, which is why it was such a surprise when she could hear hollering up ahead. She strained her ears, hardly managing to make out that the unidentified voice was calling her name.

“Jonah?” She whispered hoarsely.

“Lara! [Y/N]! Are you two out there?”

“Jonah,” she weeped, unable to raise her voice any further.

Her feet continued to stumble toward the sound of his voice. The closer she got, the stronger the small spark of adrenaline she somehow still had grew. Finally, realizing he was only a few feet away, Lara managed to pick up her pace, lightly jogging forward. “Jonah, we’re here,” she cried out weakly. She moved ahead, breaking through the entrance of the forest to reveal the small patch of land they had originally tried to set up camp at. There, Jonah turned around and instantly ran over.

“Lara, you’re alright! I heard gunfire, but I didn’t know where you were, and–”

“Jonah, we need to get back to the plane right now. [Y/N]’s losing too much blood, and I don’t know how much longer she’s going to last,” although her tone was weak, there was no doubt she was terrified. Jonah finally looked down to the woman in Lara’s arms, his body tensing at the sight of all she had been through.

“Shit, what did–okay, but what about what you came here for? We can’t come back! Trinity’s going to–” Jonah knew that even mentioning the artifact in that moment was a mistake, but his mind was racing, preventing him from thinking logically.

“Forget the artifact, Jonah!” Lara snapped, her raspy voice finally reaching the volume she’d wanted to have when calling for him. “I don’t give a shit about that right now! I just want [Y/N] to survive! I’m the reason she’s in this state to begin with–I don’t want to be the reason she dies!”

At her sudden tone, Jonah could only nod and motion for Lara to hand [Y/N] to him to carry her there. Reluctantly, Lara did so, only after realizing she wouldn’t be able to make it to the plane in time if she were the one taking her. Without a moment to lose, Jonah began rushing up the path toward where they had landed, shouting behind him for the Croft to follow.

The ringing returned the closer they got, her vision blurring and growing dark. Everything was spinning, and she had to force herself to keep track of Jonah. By the time they had all made it into the plane, Lara’s body finally gave out.

“You know, I don’t think I had ever scared my father that badly before,” Lara murmured, a gentle chuckle escaping as she smiled fondly at the memory. With a sigh, she felt the pad of her thumb caress the tattered skin on the back of [Y/N]’s hands. For just a single moment, the ticking of the clock hanging above the door synced up with the beeping of the monitor beside the bed. Just as quickly, they fell out of rhythm again, and Lara waited for them to repeat it. Every few minutes, for the past several weeks, both would beat together for just a brief second, only to fall apart again.

It was the only thing she could look forward to anymore. It kept her distracted so she didn’t have to process everything just yet–so she didn’t have to look up at the woman deep in a coma in the bed she sat by. Jonah would come in here and there, reminding her to eat something small or to bring her a spare blanket for the night. Nurses would step inside to take vitals and update Lara on what was happening. And even though [Y/N] was there, whenever everyone else would leave, Lara still felt alone.

She could talk to her, but it was more like talking at her. She had no idea if the woman could hear anything she said, nor did she know when she was going to wake up. It had been seven weeks since they made it back from the expedition. Lara’s injuries were treated fairly easily, but [Y/N] had fallen into a medical coma from blood loss and excessive blunt force trauma. Her chances of survival in the beginning were slim, but things started to steadily improve as the days passed by.

Those days, however, felt like years to Lara. The woman she could once talk to and joke around with, the woman she could once hold and be held by, the woman she could once gaze into the eyes of, now lay before her, unmoving and silent. She was alive, but to Lara she seemed dead. She had been so lively before, and now she couldn’t even open her eyes.

To fill the never-ending silence that weighed heavy upon her shoulders, Lara would talk aloud, pretending as though she was sharing her thoughts with [Y/N] like she had done before everything went awry. Recently, after running out of small-talk she had murmured like it was scripted, she had resorted to retelling memories she had of her father back as a child. Somehow, even as [Y/N] stayed unconscious, Lara felt comfortable sharing her favorite times spent with her late father. Anyone else would’ve been waved off and told she wasn’t comfortable, but [Y/N] had always been the one person she could come to to speak of him freely.

Even seemingly dead, [Y/N] was still the only one she trusted. It was funny, in a way.

She huffed out a sigh, lifting the woman’s hand to her lips and pressing a featherlike kiss to her knuckles. Once her lips left the clammy skin, she brought her head down to lean it against the back of her hand. Her eyes closed, brows furrowed as she bit back a sob.

“I wish I had never brought you with me. If I hadn’t, you would still be comfortable at home, watching TV and sleeping in. You wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t… You wouldn’t be hurt, or strapped to this machine, or fighting for your life. You wouldn’t be in a coma.” She sniffled, squeezing the hand still against her forehead. “This is all my fault. I’m so sorry, [Y/N]. I would take it all back if I could.”

Some part of her waited, half-expecting a response. She whimpered, clearing her throat to prevent herself from bursting into tears again. With a hard swallow, she lifted her head, gaze trailing up to [Y/N]’s face. She smiled. “I have no idea how, but you still look so beautiful. Even when you’re out like this.”

Her free hand lifted far enough to caress the girl’s cheek, then pinch the bridge of her own nose, internally groaning at how heavy her eyes felt. Once her hand planted itself back on her thigh, she glanced over at the heart monitor, watching each movement on the screen intently for a moment, allowing herself to gather her thoughts. Finally, she faced [Y/N] again. Her hand squeezed her leg, unsure of what to say.

“I love you. So, so much. I should’ve said it more before… all of this, but I’m saying it now. I do love you, [Y/N], more than anything in this world.”

She huffed out a pained laugh.

“I don’t know why I’m so mad at you. None of this is your fault. I’m the one who dragged you into the expedition, and I’m the one who ended up getting you captured. I wish I hadn’t begged you to come with me. You deserve to be at home, not in this bed. I should’ve protected you, and I didn’t, and for that, I’m so sorry. You deserve someone better: someone who wouldn’t have gotten you into this mess.

“The worst part is: I don’t even know if you can hear me. I’m not sure if you’ve heard anything I’ve said this entire time. I’m not sure why knowing that you might not hear me hurts so badly, but it does.” Tears once again pricked the corners of her eyes. “God, I wish I could hear your voice again. I miss you so much. I know you’re right in front of me, and I know you’re still breathing and alive, but I’ve never felt so alone. It doesn’t feel like you’re really here. It feels like you’re not you.”

The tears stinging her eyes now blurred her vision and poured down in thick masses. Her free arm raised, allowing her to use the sleeve of her jacket to wipe them away. Once they dried, she looked up at her again, hands trembling harshly.

“Please wake up. I’m begging you.”

Grumbling was all Lara could do in her unconscious state. Any small sound she could hear had her grumbling louder: pages flipping, pens scribbling, pills rattling, doors opening, monitors beeping. Everything that she could hear seemed to be working against her, screaming at her to wake back up. It was late at night when she finally let herself drop her head onto the edge of the hospital bed to rest. Hand still clutching onto [Y/N]’s, she managed to drift off for the first time in days.

The sounds grew incessant, however, stirring her partially awake. Each little noise irritated her further, and she had to fight the urge to muffle the scream bubbling up in her throat with the sheets cushioning her head. To add onto her growing frustration, something squeezed softly at her hand, forcing her back to her senses.

“For fuck’s sake,” she mumbled, lifted her head, then looked down at her hand. Her brows pinched tightly together, she sat there, processing what she had just felt. Again, her hand was squeezed.

Her brain, although severely sleep deprived, finally managed to register what had happened. Immediately, she looked up from her hand, her eyes landing on [Y/N], who finally opened her eyes for the first time in months. She gazed back at Lara the way the brunette had been craving the entire time. Upon seeing that she was now awake, tears instantly trickled out from Lara’s eyes, a shaky sob accompanying them.

“[Y/N]?” She whispered, unsure if she was actually awake.

“Hey, Lara,” came her raspy reply, a tired grin gracing her cracked lips.

Right away, Lara sprung up from her seat by the bed and leaned forward, capturing [Y/N] in a tight embrace. “Oh my god, I don’t–” She sniffled. Her leg lifted up, allowing her to sit beside the woman now practically cradling her in return. “You’re awake. You’re finally awake. I don’t believe it.”

She leaned back from the hug, cupping [Y/N]’s face in her hands and studying every little feature she could see. Sob after sob wracked through her body as she pressed a kiss to the wounded woman’s lips, only shifting back to pepper the rest of her face in similar kisses. “I thought I lost you,” she whispered after calming down enough to speak. Her voice trembled and broke more with each passing word, rambling about what she had feared.

“God, I love you so much.”

Again, she captured [Y/N]’s lips in her own, pure relief washing through her senses when she felt her kissing back. Weakly, the bandaged girl chuckled. “I love you too,” she rasped out.

Lara instantly leaned back into the embrace, clutching desperately at the hospital gown she rested against. She swayed side to side, shivering as [Y/N] soothingly rubbed up and down her back. She couldn’t begin to explain how she felt at that moment. All she could say was she was so relieved to know that the woman she held closest to her heart was alive and breathing.

“Can I ask you something?” A soft voice whispered. She leaned away again to look her in the eye. “Of course. Anything at all.”

“What happened after I was stabbed?”

Lara froze, now growing uncertain. “You don’t remember?” She sucked in a shaky breath when her only response was a shake of the head. Her gaze dropped down, unsure of where to start. She scratched the back of her neck anxiously, took another deep breath in an attempt to steel her nerves, then cleared her throat. “Well, I’m not really…”

She turned to glance behind her, ensuring no one else was in the room before she spoke again. There was no shame in what she had done–not for her–but she’d be torn away instantly if someone overheard. [Y/N] had just woken back up, and she wasn’t going to risk losing her all over again. Although, that still might be a possibility, depending on how she took the news.

She explained herself, sparing no detail of what she had committed in her blind rage. From wrestling with the soldiers to stabbing the captain of the team in both the chest and the throat, she confessed every little atrocity that had been brought about by her hands alone. As she spoke, she averted her eyes, too afraid of being gazed at with disgust. She focused on the pattern stitched into the bedsheets bundled up atop [Y/N]’s legs.

Finally, she managed to tear her eyes away from the sheets and look back into [Y/N]’s. She swallowed, surprised to see that familiar glint of admiration in her eyes. There was no sign of repulsion or discomfort at the heinous things she had admitted to. “You’re not mad?” Was all she could ask. [Y/N] snickered and shook her head.

“Are you kidding? Those asswipes beat the shit out of me, and one tried to kill me. I don’t exactly have sympathy for them after that.” Relieved, Lara sighed and grinned. It was a breath of fresh air to see her laugh again, even though it was rather weak.

She turned to sit next to [Y/N], who she then pulled into her side. With a quick peck to the top of the head, she closed her eyes and yawned. “Tired?” “Mmhm.” “Yeah, same.” Lara laughed, looking down at her in confusion. “You were in a coma for nearly three months. Why are you tired?” [Y/N] smirked and rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t willingly unconscious. Plus, my body just sucks,” she murmured, earning another chuckle.

“Well, I love your body,” Lara mumbled, tugging her closer. “Every bit of it.”

Waiting a moment, [Y/N] leaned against the brunette fully, her head dropping onto her shoulder as she closed her eyes. She grinned, listening to Lara yawn again before she shivered. “Move your legs for a second,” she whispered to the already half-asleep woman. “Hm?” “Move your legs.” “What? Why?” “So I can cover you up with the blankets.”

Lara seemed to take a moment to understand what she had said. Finally, though, she lifted her legs with a groan, letting [Y/N] slip the covers out from under her and essentially tuck her in beside her. Both sighed in relief: Lara from the warmth of the sheets and [Y/N] pressed against her, and [Y/N] from the feeling of Lara holding her close.

Lights had been turned off throughout the ward for a while, which both women were silently grateful for. As they shuffled to lie down more comfortably beneath the covers, everything seemed to settle down for the first time in months. Lara’s body finally relaxed, the lack of sleep from the past several weeks catching up to her at a rapid speed. She hummed softly as she turned onto her side, pulling [Y/N] into her chest.

“I’m never taking you on a trip like that again,” she slurred out. “At least, not until I know Trinity won’t be there.”

[Y/N] nodded as she listened, also partially asleep. She squirmed a bit, sliding closer while trying to mind her IV. As her head settled against Lara’s chest, she yawned. A moment passed before she spoke again.

“You do know the nurses are gonna come in any minute and realize I’m awake, right?” A groan sounded from Lara, prompting a snicker from [Y/N]. “I’m gonna crawl back into the bed again the second they leave. I just want you in my arms right now.”

“Well, either way, I want you to know that I could hear you for most of the time I was out. And I also want you to know that I plan on saying “I love you” as many times as you did before I woke up. I really do love you. I mean, you were right here the second I woke up, and I don’t know if you ever…” She thought for a moment, opening her eyes and looking up at Lara. “Did you ever leave the room?” Even as she fought to stay awake, Lara scratched her cheek nervously. “Only when I used the restroom. I was afraid I wouldn’t be here when you woke up.”

[Y/N] grinned. “Well, I’m glad you were here. I was worried you wouldn’t be here at all when I woke up. I figured you’d leave and head home, or maybe go back to the village we were at.” Gently yet reassuringly, Lara squeezed her closer. “I would never do that to you. You’re everything to me.”

“And you’re everything to me.”

Another yawn managed to escape the brunette’s lips. She pressed a small kiss to the top of [Y/N]’s head and sighed, already drifting off again. “I love you, so damn much. No one’s going to hurt what’s mine, never again.”

“I’m yours, huh?”

“Of course.”

A gentle smile graced [Y/N]’s features as she shuffled closer, pressing a kiss to Lara’s collarbone as her eyes fluttered shut.

“Of course I’m yours.”

[sorceresssundries]

Hero of the Veilguard

Warnings: Veilguard spoilers, grief, angst (seriously, don't read unless you've finished veilguard)

Words: 3k

<3

The cottage was somehow smaller than Taash had imagined, and in their imaginings it had been pretty small. 

It sat amidst bleak farmland, the soil so rotted and black it seemed impossible that anything could ever grow there again. Once, there had been woodland nearby, but now it was nothing but a ghostly remnant. The dead trees had thick trunks and wide-spaced branches that boasted they once stood tall and full of life. Now, they were little more than skeletal sentinels, their bare limbs reaching skyward, stubborn roots tangled in the earth they refused to let go of. 

From the cottage, the only signs of life were the cracked, mismatched plant pots and hanging baskets, where freshly planted saplings had just begun to stir—tentatively waking and stretching. And then there was the faint glow from a single window, its light blinking lazily like an eye still groggy from sleep.

Taash wrinkled their nose, still unused to the smells of the south. It was acrid like the aftermath of a fire. Not a good, clean fire that scorched away the old to make way for the new, but the choking stench of burning flesh and blistered landscapes. There was a difference, for those with a sensitive sense of smell. 

They sighed, adjusting the sack slung over their shoulder. A fleeting thought crossed their mind: they could leave the sack at the door, scribble a note, and walk away.

Hey. Sorry about Lace. She was the best of us. Here are some of her things - Taash.

It would have been easy, something they’d considered countless times. Taash wished they had taken the others up on their offer to handle this, but at the time, they had insisted on doing it themselves - for some stupid reason they couldn’t think of now. 

They trudged up the path towards the house, past a boarded-up well and a dog-kennel with nothing inside. A small figure of Andraste stood tilted, with long-dead flowers at her feet, just before the front door with faded green paint peeling off it in curls. 

Taash knocked once, and a part of them hoped there would be no answer. 

But an answer came, in the form of a small woman with grey hair that still clung to the warmth of red, and freckles scattered across her nose like flecks of long-forgotten soot from a hearth that had long since gone cold.

“Taash,” she said simply, her smile a mirror of one Taash had seen many times before.

Their heart cracked all over again.

“Hi” Taash didn’t move. Not to hold out a hand, or offer a hug, they could barely meet the woman’s eyes. They were a different colour to Harding’s, a deep and rich brown. Soft and kind, with crinkles at the corners and long lashes. The lashes looked damp, her gaze heavy with dark circles that weighed them down. There was a soft shimmer to them, but Taash had the feeling they had once flickered brighter.

“How lovely to see you! Please, come in. I’ll put the fire on.”

The invitation was warm, but the house was not. The cold wind outside whistled through the cracks in the stone walls. Mrs. Harding herself was swaddled in layers—thick sweaters, shawls, and a blanket draped over her shoulders. She knelt by the hearth, her small, trembling hands struggling to light damp wood that had clearly been sitting there, unused, for far too long.

“Let me,” Taash said, stepping forward.

Mrs. Harding hesitated but then nodded, pulling her blanket around her a little tighter.

Taash stepped outside, retrieving a few dry logs from a covered pile near the house. The cold bit at their fingers, but they worked quickly, bringing the wood inside and stacking it neatly in the fireplace.

They knew Mrs.Harding was watching them, and with a little embarrassment they breathed their dragon fire onto the wood to get it started. It caught and crackled, and straight away it was as though much-needed breath sighed into the lungs of the still and cold little room. 

“You should keep this fire lit. It’s too cold without it.”

“Thank you, dear. Come sit at the table, I’ve made some potato stew,” Mrs. Harding said with a small, tired smile, gesturing to the modest dining area.

“Oh.” Taash hesitated, a polite response tangling with their instincts. They wanted to accept, to show gratitude, but If the stew was anything like her daughter used to make, Taash wasn’t sure they could stomach it - or hide their reaction. Their honesty was as plain as the dirt under their boots, and they doubted they could mask their feelings, even for the grieving mother seated before them.

Mrs. Harding must have seen the flicker of unease cross their face, because a soft, wheezy laugh escaped her, raw and unpracticed, like a door long rusted shut suddenly swinging open.

“Don’t worry,” she said, waving a hand dismissively as she moved toward the kitchen. “Lace’s inability to cook wasn’t inherited from me. This should be safe to eat.”

The spread of warmth receded. At the sound of Harding’s name spoken aloud by her mother, Taash felt themselves splinter, the fragile courage they'd been clinging to cracking wide enough to let the cold seep back in.

They sat at one of the small chairs at the dining table, which had been laid out in wait. The chair creaked beneath Taash as they settled, their legs awkwardly shifting beneath the table. It was too cramped and they felt like a giant in a house too small for them. Taash worried the wood would splinter under the weight of them.

A fleeting thought crossed their mind: At least there would be more dry wood for the fire.

“I would have prepared something heartier, but I'm afraid our tough little potatoes are one of the few vegetables that survived the blight. And as for the animals..” Mrs.Harding made a noise as though there was something stubborn stuck in her throat. “Well, luckily I make a very good potato stew.”

She placed a bowl down in front of Taash, and it did look much more appealing than anything Harding had ever attempted to cook for them. It looked and smelled edible, for one thing. Mrs. Harding sat at the table opposite Taash, her movements slow but steady as she set down her own bowl of stew. 

For a while, the childless mother and the motherless child sat silently with an empty chair beside each of them, and struggled with what to say to the other.

It was Taash who spoke first.

“I brought some of Hardi.. Lace’s things for you. I would have brought you back some of the plants from her room, but they all died when she..” Taash suddenly had the same thing caught in her throat that Mrs.Harding had struggled with. “When she didn’t come back.”

Taash fidgeted uncomfortably, not wanting to leave it there. 

“She collected a lot of random cra..stuff.” they said. “She had a stupid collection of rocks that she thought looked like frogs.” they sniffed and folded their arms across their chest. “We’d be in the middle of something dangerous and she would stop to pick up a frog-rock.”

Mrs.Harding smiled warmly, “She used to catch frogs when she was a girl,” she said, her voice quiet. “When she was seven, we had a year of endless rain that nearly flooded us out, followed by a drought that killed off my poor garden. The frogs had laid their frogspawn in the puddles and shallow ponds that appeared, but as the sun scorched and the water dried up, she just couldn't stand to leave the tadpoles. So off she went, with a bucket and—of all things—a ladle, to scoop up the tadpoles and move them to the lake.” 

If grief had a voice, Taash thought this is what it would sound like. 

“She was always trying to save the little things,” she finished softly

“Mrs. Harding…” Taash began, their voice uncertain, but the little woman raised a hand, her movements slow and deliberate.

“Please, Taash,” she said gently, “You can call me Ma.”

Taash blinked, surprised by the offer, and Ma Harding immediately panicked.

“Oh, my dear, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think—”

“It’s okay,” Taash cut her off gently, fixing their gaze firmly on the table, unable to meet those kind eyes. “She was my Tama. Not Ma.” They picked at the skin of her thumb as they spoke “I could probably use a Ma.”

The room stilled. Then, with a tenderness that spoke of years of motherly instincts, Ma Harding reached across the table, her frail but steady hand covering Taash’s, which suddenly felt a little warmer. 

“You’ve dealt with so much, so early, Taash,” she said, her voice cracking just slightly. “More than anyone should ever have to bear. Lace always told me in her letters what a brave and kind soul you are. I’m so grateful you came here. Your strength helps me find my own.”

Taash nodded, their throat tight. They weren’t used to this kind of comfort, this quiet acknowledgment of pain without an expectation to brush it aside. They squeezed Ma Harding’s hand in return.

“People lose parents,” Taash said at last, their voice low and halting. “And lovers.” They stumbled slightly over the word, their awkwardness prompting a small, fond smile from Ma Harding. “No-one should lose a kid.”

Ma Harding’s breath hitched, and her brown eyes, glistening with unshed tears, met Taash’s. Her gaze was rich with the kind of motherly warmth Taash had rarely known.

“No,” she murmured, her voice barely audible. “they shouldn’t.” She looked away, her hands trembling slightly as they folded back into her lap. “When the Inquisition was disbanded, I thought she’d come home for good. And she did, for a little while. Put on some weight, got some proper sleep in a comfy bed, and I—I let myself hope. But it wasn’t long before she was off again. There was more to do, more people to help.”

Her gaze wandered to the far wall, where an array of maps hung in a haphazard mosaic. Each map was covered in little crosses and scribbled notes, the dates and details chronicling Lace’s endless travels. The lines traced a decade-long journey, looping and spiraling across Ferelden like the trails of a restless spirit.

“All of a sudden she was seven years old again,” Ma Harding whispered, “Running off with a bucket and a ladle.”

Taash swallowed hard, the ache in their chest deepened, but before they could say anything, Ma Harding stood abruptly, brushing her hands on her apron.

“Tea,” she declared, her voice breaking the stillness. “I’ll make us some tea.”

She bustled into the small kitchen, her movements quick but slightly unsteady. Taash watched her as she gathered the teapot and cups, steeping the tea with the practiced ease of someone who had done it a thousand times.

“This tea is much better than the stew,” Ma Harding said, a faint smile curving her lips. “One of Lace’s friends from the Inquisition brought it to me. Cullen—handsome man” She blushed faintly at the memory, the colour warming her freckled cheeks.

The corners of Taash’s mouth quirked upward despite themselves.

“He said Lace used to share the tea I sent her with him when he had bad days,” Ma Harding continued, her voice soft. “So, he came to share his with me. It was kind of him.” She set the teacups down on the table, the scent of the brew filling the air with a delicate, floral warmth.

“And Josephine,” Ma Harding added as she sat down, her smile growing more wistful. “She sent me a hand-crocheted blanket. I met a lot of the Inquisition when I stayed at Skyhold for a while,” She said, her gaze distant. “It was when things here got really bad - the worst of it, I suppose. They told me I could stay there whilst Lace was in the North. That place… it was chaos. Loud, busy, like a hive of bees. People rushing everywhere, voices echoing off those great stone walls. It was overwhelming at first, for someone like me.”

She paused, her hand drifting to the edge of her teacup, running her fingers over the rim in a slow, thoughtful motion. “But they looked after me, every single one of them. I thought I’d be just another burden, but they wouldn’t have it. Especially Thom.”

Her lips quirked into a wistful smile. “He gave up his bed for me. That big, strapping man went to sleep in the barn as if it were the most natural thing in the world. When I tried to protest, he just grinned and said it reminded him of old times.”

Taash watched her closely, the faint smile on their lips faltering as the sadness coiled its fingers around their heart.

“There were so many stories of Lace,” Ma Harding continued “From everyone. Everywhere I went, someone had a memory to share. The cooks, the soldiers, scouts coming back from long journeys, and healers tending to the wounded. It was as if she had touched every corner of that place”

Her voice cracked slightly, and she cleared her throat before continuing. “They told me how she’d stay up late, helping with plans or maps. How she’d bring extra food to the blacksmith because she thought he worked too hard. One of the scouts said she used to sit with them on watch during the night, keeping them company so they wouldn’t feel so alone in the dark.” 

Finally, a small sob escaped. “They were all looking forward to seeing her again.”

The silence that followed was broken by a sharp, sudden crash. One of the teacups had slipped from Ma Harding’s trembling hands, shattering against the cold stone floor. The sound echoed and bounced.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, dear,” Ma Harding stammered, her voice trembling as she bent over to gather the broken pieces, hands shaking.

Taash was on their feet in an instant, crossing the space in a single fluid motion. They knelt beside her, gently taking her hands and stilling them. “It’s okay, Ma,” they said softly.

Taash helped Ma back into the chair, and began carefully picking up all the pieces, one by one. 

“I have stories too,” Taash said, not taking their eyes off the broken cup. 

They paused, swallowing hard. ““A lot has happened. You’ll probably hear a lot about it. From all over the place. Stories about Rook. Or the First Talon of the Antivan Crows. Or the Lich Lord.” Their voice grew steadier as they continued. “The Grey Warden who saved the griffons. The Shadow Dragon who leads Dock Town. The Veil Jumper. The Fire Breather.”

They stopped and drew in a slow, deep breath before meeting Ma Harding’s eyes. “But Lace Harding saved the world. I could talk about her all night.”

“I would like that.” Ma Harding said, still weepy. “You could tell me about your Tama too, I would like to know more of you Taash. You are always welcome here. This home isn’t much, but it’s yours too, for when you need it. You were her family, and so you are mine.” Taash tightened their jaw and tried to keep in control.

“She loved you very much.” Ma said.

Taash did not know what to do with all this kindness, all this love from a person they had not met before today. Grief and love swirled together, indistinguishable, until Taash couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began. They ignored the defensive instinct to push it down or cast it aside, and realised…It was probably all the same thing. So, Taash did what they thought Lace would want them to do. They accepted it. 

They went and sat back with Ma, and tears spilled out, from both of them, as they held hands in the hopeful little cottage in the land ravaged by blight. 

They talked for hours. About Lace, about Shathann, about Taash’s journey and Ma’s hardships in Ferelden. About when the world was brighter, and how they hoped it would be so again. About the small things you only seem to remember when lost in the haze of nostalgia, one happy thought slipping comfortably into another, until the sadness drops for a little while to allow for some respite. 

Exhausted, Taash stayed for one night. And then another. And then a few more.

They called in favours with the Lords of Fortune, who sent supplies to the cottage, and hands to toil the land. Mages conjured gentle winds to clear debris, while battle-hardened warriors used their muscles to turn the soil, lifting rocks and uprooting the remnants of blight. They filled in the cracks in the stone house, and chopped enough wood to keep the hearth burning well into the summer months.

They brought animals—stubborn goats, a few chickens, and even a dairy cow which Taash named ‘Isabela’, to the fury of her namesake.

Slowly, the patch of land that the blight had claimed began to fight back. What had once been a land choked by decay, began to breathe again. The blackened earth softened, shifting to grey, then brown, and, at last, to green. Tiny buds sprouted and bloomed into spring flowers, fragile petals that danced in the breeze. Insects, delicate as raindrops, flitted from flower to flower, and soon, the damp soil was teeming with worms, their wriggling forms breaking open the earth to nourish it. Pollen-dusted bees hummed lazily in the air, while butterflies fluttered through the garden, their wings like watercolor splashes in the sunlight.

And then, one morning, Ma Harding awoke to the sound of birdsong.

It was the sweetest of music. The songs of the calling, of the stone, of ancient elves and long-dead titans, of battles won and lost, were nothing compared to the song of birds in Ma Harding’s garden, and the bright laughter it pulled alongside it. 

In that same garden, Taash built a small pond, its waters clear and still. And by the edge, they placed Lace’s collection of rocks that looked like frogs, and a bucket and a ladle - for the next little thing that needed saving.

[burning-burning-burning]

One of Those Nights

In which Shadow can't sleep, Sonic can't either, and a restless sort of night might reveal the start of a path to a brilliant shared future. ((Pre-Sonadow One-shot))

The night was peaceful, the sky wide open, and Sonic felt a rare moment of serenity descend over him as he settled himself in his hammock, stretched between two palms outside his and Tails’ home on the beaches of Green Hills. 

He was almost dozing when he heard hear a distant sound, like an air blast breaking over the ground. It was far from him, and yet, when he sat up, he knew right where to look- and what he would see. He grinned.

A yellow-orange light trail streaked across the landscape nearby, coming from the direction of the small city’s downtown area where Rouge’s nightclub, and Team Dark’s shared apartment, was located. Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog.

But, it was late, nearly three in the morning- where was he going?

Sonic jumped from his hammock and set off, climbing to speed quickly as he entered the sparse woodland path Shadow streaked down. He leapt up a rock wall and continued, following from above. Shadow wasn’t running at full tilt, because Sonic caught up with him easily.

A leisurely jog, just under mach, then?

“Shads! Hey! Where ya headed in such a hurry, huh?” Sonic called down, grinning. As he matched speed with the hybrid, the blur of the light trail gave way to the sight of the man himself. Sonic hopped down from the ledge he had been running to stay alongside the dark hedgehog, weaving behind him to run on his right.

Shadow, skating effortlessly over the ground, snorted and shook his head. “Mind your business, Faker,” he shot back with a glance and smirk. He had been more open to Sonic’s little intrusions since his return from the ARK and the White Space.

Sonic laughed and sprinted ahead, arcing around and in front, forcing Shadow to brake. They were stopped now in a well-traveled path Sonic had always called “Hedgehog’s Pass”, for no other reason that it served as a prime strip for getting up speed.

Shadow didn’t seemed as pissed as Sonic might have expected after being stopped from his run. “Something I can do for you?” he asked, boredly, and crossed his arms over his chest. His brow was furrowed, but he seemed relaxed.

“Yeah, tell me what you’re up to? C’mon, Shads, I’m bored- if you’ve got wind of some action, I want in!” Sonic said, motioning to himself to emphasize his words. Shadow rolled his eyes, but he was smirking again.

“No action, Faker,” he sighed. “Only needed a run. Restless kind of night, tonight.”

“Yeah,” Sonic said after a moment of staring, hoping Shadow would laugh and change his answer. Another beat, no such luck. So much for a spontaneous adventure to spice up the night. “Obviously, me too.” He blew roughly and stepped back, out of Shadow’s way. “I was gonna sleep, but, well, then this crazy alien-hedgehog came streaking by my house so, I guess now I’m chasing him instead.”

Shadow rolled his eyes. “Please, I was no where near your hut.”

“House.”

“Same thing.”

“Dude, you lived in a cave for like, two years before Rouge found out and made you move in with her-“

“First of all no one makes me do anything-“

“Fine, fine,” Sonic sighed, crossing his arms and tapping his fingers on his bicep. Shadow was watching him almost expectantly, and it was making his skin feel… weird. Prickly. Bad. Good? He wasn’t sure. He made eye contact, something he was good at and he knew Shadow hated, and that made the Ultimate Lifeform squirm enough to drop his gaze and stop staring. Well. At least he had one weakness, then.

“Hey, so…,” Sonic began, “Since we’re up, and you were looking for a run anyway… you wanna-”

“Thought you’d never get around to asking,” Shadow said, self-important smirk back on his face and already dropping into a runner’s starting position. He looked up and waited for Sonic to assume the same beside him.

Sonic was frozen for an instant at the sight of Shadow before him, strong arms stretched to brace against the ground, powerful legs drawn like a bow ready to be shot-

His ass just ever so temptingly up in the air behind him, whip tail weaving in anticipation.

Sonic swallowed thickly, face flaming, and was thankful for the night for hiding the flush that surely was overtaking his face. He dropped to a ready position beside Shadow, then, as expected, and cleared his throat. Fuck. That was weird. Okay. Gotta act like you weren’t just checking out his ass. His… really cute ass. With that tail- Fuck, when did he get so sexy- Stop. Stop, do not, c’mon, act natural-

“You re-ready, Shads?” Sonic voice creaked. It broke like a pubescent child’s. Oh Chaos please kill me-

Beside him, Shadow made a tch sound. “Always ready for you, hedgehog,” he replied evenly.

Fuck okay that was kind of hot- Nope. No. Race time. Focus. Banter?

Sonic glanced over at his rival and grinned, his eyes drawn once more to the twisting, softly lashing tail behind the hybrid. It had been a few months now since the Time Eater incident; long enough for him to get used to Shadow’s new appearance, he had thought, but, apparently also long enough for his brain to make the association between the tail and Shadow and decide it very, very much liked the sight of the two together. “Haven’t raced you since you got back from the ARK,” Sonic began, voice still higher than usual as he fought to control all the raging hormones in his body telling him to pin the hybrid to the nearest palm tree and claim that ass as his right now. Not that that would end well, Shadow would probably snap him like a glow stick if he tried- Fuck. Don’t think that. Hot. “Hope your new tail situation back there doesn’t slow you down too much; you know, slower than you already were, I mean.”

Shadow snorted and grinned, brows furrowed intently. “Hasn’t hampered me yet,” he replied. “Enough talking- Go!” And he was gone.

“Woah!” Sonic shouted, laughing, and took off after Shadow, both now flying at nearly their top speeds. As Sonic once again caught back up to Shadow, he felt a moment where he was sure time slowed, and he could feel the beat of the earth beneath his feet as his sneakers, nothing more than a blur of red and blue and white, struck off the ground below him. Then there was Shadow, his own legs a blur, yellow-orange light trailing from him as his entire body pulsed with Chaos energy, channeling into his air shoes. He was still grinning, a fierce look of determination on his face, even as he glanced sideways to Sonic.

Sonic didn’t know exactly when the dark hybrid had become so attractive, but, it was starting to be a real problem. If he let himself wander down particularly dangerous paths, he would swear he could hear his heartbeat and Shadow’s sync up as they raced, free and unburdened and wild. 

Fuck, when did he become such a hopeless sap? He grinned back and shook out his quills, trying to leave the confusing mess of feelings to the path behind him.

Their race took them up to the cliffs and over the raised pillar-bridge, to the loop and further still, tireless, infinite as they were. It took Sonic a moment to realize where their feet were carrying them- the Temple Mountain, the old former home of the Paradox Prism. They raced up the mountain side, faster and faster still, weaving in and out from one another- they both slowed, instinctually, at the cave mouth.

Sonic was fine to admit he was a bit winded by the time they had reached the top, and at least mostly from the actual run. Mostly. Shadow, too, was breathing a bit harder, which made the blue hedgehog feel better. Some tiny, rebellious part of him wondered if it was only the run stealing the hybrid’s breath, or something more.

Shadow turned, crimson eyes tracking over the landscape they had just sprinted through. The beach was out of sight over the horizon, as was the small coastal city. All that was visible was forest, and flat cliffs, and starry sky. The hybrid closed his eyes as a soft breeze blew up the mountain side, quills rustling.

Sonic dared watch him a moment longer, his own eyes tracing the broadness of Shadow’s shoulders; the way the muscles of his upper arm made his black fur ripple subtly; his equally well-muscled chest and sides; the fan of red fur and fine quills that now grew from the back of his arms at the elbow like weapon’s blades. His eyes tracked down further, to Shadow’s waist, then his hips- to that damn tail, with its line of long red-and-black quills flowing down his base and its barbed half-spade point, sharp enough to cut. His mouth ran dry, and he had to look away before he made it any further. Though, even still, his mind, unbidden, rebellious, conjured up images of Shadow’s powerful legs; namely, those legs wrapped around him, at his leisure to grab and hold and squeeze before-

Woah, woah- dude. What the fuck-

This new attraction as getting out of hand. He told himself it had been a phase when it started, a product of… he wasn’t sure. He had first noticed it happening before the Time Eater, before the ARK incident and finding Shadow… changed. Maybe it happened after the Shatter event, after working so closely with the hybrid for the first time in years, after finally righting his past mistake and saving Shadow from the falling to the void, and after Shadow returned the favor to save Sonic before he could fade into oblivion. 

Shadow’s eyes were still closed, his arms crossed now over his chest and his ears with their tufts of fur at their tips (something else new, and fuck, Sonic wanted to know just where else on the hybrid’s body all this new fur had grown-) perked and twitched to catch every sound that traveled up the mountain’s face from the forest below. If Sonic was a bolder hedgehog, or perhaps just a bit more of an idiot, he would have kissed his rival right there, on the Temple Mountain, under the crystal skies and cool breeze of a Mobian night.

But… he couldn’t do that. Shadow would never be in his reach, like that. He turned to look back out over the landscape again, ears pinned. His heart threatened revolt if he didn’t give into its disastrous desires, but, he couldn’t- the hybrid only barely tolerated him on a good day, and in times like this, when he was clearly in a good enough mood to be almost… playful, with Sonic. Racing him and teasing him and… It couldn’t be more than that. Sonic could lie and tell himself that was enough, but…

“Hey, Shads, you ever just… I don’t know. Want… more?”

Shadow hummed and opened his eyes. He turned to lean back against the cave mouth wall and looked out over the side of his shoulder at the expanse of Green Hills before them. “No,” he replied at length. “Maybe once, but, now? I’ve got friends, an endless supply of badniks to smash, more complicated missions from G.U.N. if I’m bored… and even a mouthy, annoying rival, to keep me sharp. What more could I ask?”

The hybrid had not looked to Sonic during the exchange until the end, when he cast a teasing smirk the blue blur’s way at the final comment. Sonic snorted and grinned. “Aw, yeah, you know, yada yada, heart you too, Shadow,” he replied. He held the hybrid’s gaze a moment longer before Shadow turned back to look over the landscape again.

Shadow gave a sigh. “No,” he continued, “I… I think I’m finally content.”

Sonic felt himself deflating inside. Well. That answered that, he supposed. Content. Happy, with no more need for edits or exchanges. His ears pinned, though he forced them back up and plastered his signature smile back on his face. Nothing was lost, really- whatever this… physical draw was on his side of their equation, it didn’t matter if it was reciprocated. It would fizzle out soon and everything would go back to normal; they would just be… best rivals, as they were now, and nothing more. And that’s enough.

…. It… it’s not, though, is it?

Feelings threatening to overwhelm him, Sonic shook out his quills and stepped up to the edge of the cliff again. “Hey, space-age, got your breath back?”

Crimson eyes, brilliant and glowing with their own intensity in the darkness, locked on emerald green. “Never lost it, Faker.”

Liar. “Great!” Sonic said, brow furrowing in a close approximation of the intense determination Shadow typically wore on his face. He grinned toothily, daring the hybrid, and dropped to a stance. “Then… rematch? If you’re ready?”

Shadow was already by his side, mirroring him perfectly save for the wavering, weaving tail he could not seem to keep still. Sonic had to wonder what it meant, it’s positions, its waves and snaps- Shadow, so hard to read, maybe this was his Rosetta Stone. “Born ready.”

“You weren’t born-“

“You know what I meant!” And the tail cracked, whip-fast, just behind Sonic’s head.

He really, really hoped Shadow didn’t read too much into the way he felt his pupils dilate at that, or how his breath caught in a spasm in his chest. His eyes met Shadow’s again just as the hybrid turned to face their track, and he thought he caught… alarm? Was Shadow… flustered? Sonic blinked, and, no, no he was seeing things correctly, he was sure. He turned back before he could be accused of staring, but, he had seen what he needed. The quick pinning of Shadow’s ears, the jolt from his breath leaving him all at once. If not for the dark of night around them, Sonic could even be convinced that a flush had darkened his cheeks under the tan fur of his muzzle.

Sonic grin and shook himself. “Alright!” He said, fingers gripping the ground beneath him. Shadow’s did the same, wicked claws that had forced the hybrid to exchange his usual white gloves for damn-near scandalous black fingerless ones scratching against stone, more evidence still of his changed form since the ARK. They still covered his palms, but Sonic shivered at their sight regardless; the sight of the hand uncovered on Mobius so ingrained in his psyche to be sensationally suggestive.

“Ready?” Sonic asked again, quieter, leaning back on his legs, ready for the push-off. He didn’t know himself what he meant by it, but it felt like more than their race.

Shadow’s tail whip-cracked again, a tiny bursting of the sound barrier, like a prelude to the display of speed Sonic knew they were both about to give over to. He looked to Sonic, a firm nod, features set in a sort of nameless ferocity. Something dangerous and unspoken floating between, on the edge of a shared experience neither quite knew how to approach.

One of those restless nights, Shadow had said. Maybe this is what he meant, this stirring of the soul, straining, clawing, desperate to reach out and swirl around its predestined other half. They once ran together, at this place, this sacred mount, to thin the veil between worlds and escape the fates the Prism’s breaking had sealed. This felt no different- a run to thin the barrier between them, escape the restless wanderings of two halves of a broken whole. Sonic felt infinite, under this sky, Shadow at his side and the promise of something jus teasing along the edges of their colliding realities.

“Then… go!”

And they were off again.

Link to masterlist

[smallraindrops-blog]

First Snow

(sleep Family shorts)

word count: 1.3k

warnings: no beta, fluff

notes:

Thanks everyone for your patience while I slowly peck at my writing. I’ve been struggling a bit. If you had sent me a request, don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten them. They will be out eventually.

enjoy.

(Childhood) 

Chiron's hoofs sunk into the dense, powdery snow with each step he took and he glanced over his shoulder to watch you trail after him. There was a sled tuck under his arm. 

You walked along the path he had created by his sheer bulk, huffing as you tried to lift your feet up. The hill was steep and covered in gleaming untouched snow. You were still very small for an eight year old, and this was the first time you had countered it.

Frankly, you weren’t impressed. You had liked watching the snowfall last night, peering out into the dark with the warmth of the hearth at your back and your family’s quiet chatter close by. 

However, You were now cold and wet and you would much rather not be.

“What is the point of this stuff?” You grumbled as Chrion continued onward. The centaur kicked more of the snow on the way for you as you and him near the top, peering at the bare woodland below.

Achilles waved, his breath white as the snow itself, his golden locks shone like the hidden sun. Pa stood close by, a dot of warm brown in the stark landscape. He watched you and Chrion like a hawk. 

“Same reason as for rain, there was water in the clouds but the cold causes them to form into ice crystals. It is good for insulation for plants and replenishes the nearby freshwater lakes.” Chiron explained with great patience, chuckling as you finally caught up with him.

You made a grumpy noise, kicking at the snow. “I don’t know if I like snow.” You informed your teacher. It was then he placed the sled down and gestured for you to get on it.

For a moment, you hesitated. You weren’t exactly sure what sledding was, just that your Father seemed excited for you to try it. You heard him cheering faintly, calling out your name. 

Chiron lifted an eyebrow, as if daring you to back out. Because you weren’t a coward, you got on the sled. You instinctively grabbed the sides as you looked down the hill, realizing how tall it really was.

“Three, two.” Chrion placed his hand on your back but before you could tell him that you changed your mind, he gave you a great push. “One!”

You went flying down the hill with a scream, everything a white blur. You grinned, screaming loud as you could but a small bump, an unseen rock or plant, caused you to break into a wild spin. 

The whole world, whites and blues and blacks blurring as it went around and around and around-

You didn’t even see the lump of snow that you landed in, head first.

Then you were surrounded by cold, it was in your hair, mouth, and face. Your eyes unable to focus as you kicked your legs uselessly.

Hands wrapped around your stomach and yanked you right out. You heard Achilles’ hardy laughter as Pa’s hands brushed the snow of your face. You blinked rapidly in confusion, seeing three blurry Pas before they fused back into a singular, very concerned Pa.

“Are you okay, lad?” Patroclus fussed, peering into your eyes. 

You flashed him a feral grin, “Again!”

~

(now)

Morpheus babbled sweetly from your arms, his hand tapping against your armor, seemily delighted at the noises it produced. You adjusted your hold on him, keeping him close with one hand under him and another holding on your spear.

Your son was almost a toddler now, but you disliked the idea of him just walking around anywhere in the underworld. There could be broken pottery that could cut his little feet, spear tips that he would try to pick up, ashes and dirt and gods knew what else.

Eyeing the bottomless darkness that surrounds the paths of Temple Styx, you gave your son a gentle squeeze. Now you knew how Pa felt, everything and anything could be dangerous.

”Why did you listen to Zagreus?” You asked as Morpheus decided to tug at your cheek, giggling with a gap tooth grin when you gave him a mock growl. 

Hypnos grinned, “I think Morpheus would like it. I did when I was a kid. Me and Thanatos used to play out here sometimes.” 

At the sound of Hypnos’ voice, Morpheus glanced over to his dad, remembering that he existed and promptly began wiggling. His little arms moving toward Hypnos, his fingers grabbing at empty air.

You shifted over to Hypnos, mindful of Morpheus’ winter shoes and cloak. You let go of Morpheus and Hypnos took him into a big bear hug. “I didn’t. Not at first.” You warned. 

It was an odd thing you had realized as a parent that one never knew what traits a child would reveal. Morpheus may be a perfect little copy of Hypnos but he had definitely inherited your grumpiness. 

Hypnos kissed Morpheus’ chubby cheek, nuzzling him with a laugh. “He takes after me, of course he will like it.”

You decided to stay quiet.

Once outside, you took a deep breath of the crisp air. The door of the Underworld closed with a heavy thud, the ground shook under your feet.

Beautiful fresh snow blanketed the earth, sparkling under the moonlight. Morpheus gave the land a wide eyed stare, quiet as Hypnos tugged his little blue cloak around him tighter.

You stood to the side, just quietly taking in the moment between dad and son with a slight grin.

Once, you would never have been able to imagine a world where Morpheus existed, the idea of a perfect little being that belonged to both you and Hypnos seemed impossible.

Now you couldn’t remember life before Morpheus. Hypnos moved closer to a pile of snow and you trailed after them, curious how your son would react.

Hypnos bounced Morpheus, his voice cheerful as he gasped in mocked surprise. “Oh look at all this pretty snow!”

Morpheus gave his dad a doubtful glance then did the same at you. You chuckled, glancing to make sure he still had little winter shoes on. “Put him down, love. Maybe he just needs to get used to it.”

Hypnos did, swinging him down with a loud ‘whoopie!’.

Morpheus stood in the fluffy snow, stiff as a board with his arms sticking out. His eyes somehow got even bigger. You bit back a laugh, kneeled down next to him and picked up a clump of snow.

“Look at this. See, it won’t hurt you.” You reassured him, patting the snow into a ball. Morpheus didn’t acknowledge you, just scowled at the ground, lifting one foot up to shake off the show.

In a crystal clear voice, Morpheus pointed at the snow on the ground and declared. “No.”

You and Hypnos gave Morpheus, not quite believing what just happened. Morpheus glared up at them both and in that moment, he truly was your son, that grumpy scowl was all you.

“His first word.” Hypnos said numbly. “The first one ever and it is just ‘no.’”

You couldn’t help it, the laughter rumbling out of you, filling the night air. Hypnos gave you a miffed glance, scooping up the snow and tossed at you. “He learned that  attitude from you!”

You held up a hand to block the second hit of snow, dropping the snowball you made but couldn’t stop laughing. Morpheus squatted down, clumsily grabbing the snow in two small fists and planted on it your legs with a squeal of delight.

He pointed at you. “No. No. Nonono-”

Gently you scooped up loose snow and tossed some toward Morpheus, getting another delighted squeal from their son as he stumbled out of the way. Morpheus grabbed more, tossing the fluffy snow into the air with a pure hearted giggle.

For a little bit, all there was the sounds of a family at play. Footsteps, some large and a few of them so very small, printed in the snow. 

Later, Morphues dozed in your arms, bundled up in Hypnos’ cloak as they made their way back home. His nose and cheeks flushed dark from the cold, his curls fluffed from running around. 

He was perfect, the most perfect and best thing that ever happened to you beside Hypnos.

“I think you were right in the end.” You informed Hypnos who grinned at you. He leaned over and kissed your cheek.

“Aren’t I always?” 

[solarpunknow]

Solarpunk work day

So I've spent the last two days pulling out invasive species! Which, honestly, is very tiring. I'm really glad we have a four-day work week, but even so, I'll be glad to get home and relax. I'm working with Wren and Bobi on this site which, before the mass migrations north, was someone's second (third?) home, and there had been some attempts to incorporate native plants into the landscaping, which is awesome. Unfortunately, who ever had been taking care of this land didn't recognize that Spruge Laurel (Daphne laureola, not a spurge and not a laurel, but a stinky, poisonous daphne) was an invasive species and had actually set up irrigation for some of them.

Now, of course, it's part of the climate immigrant resettlement housing network, and the land around the house is being transformed to be better habitat and to grow food. It's steep, shady, near saltwater (on a fucking cliff in fact, why did rich people think it was such a good idea to build on these crumbling cliff sides anyway? It still has about 30 meters until it gets to the house, but still), with native soils, so it's not a great option for so-called western-style agriculture, but it will grow our native plants quite well.

Pulling out the spurge laurel, and the Himalayan blackberry, and the english ivy, and the vinca, cutting down the english holly, and digging out the italian arum is only the first step. We need to help a healthier ecosystem re-establish. Fortunately, there's already beaked hazelnut, salal, service berries, dewberries, and evergreen huckleberries that are surviving despite the carpet of invasives... and the particular pruning choices made in the past. Who thinks it's a good idea to hedge prune a hazelnut???? As we pull out the ivy and others, we'll be replanting the native woodland strawberry, riceroot, springbank clover, native oxalis, western bleeding heart and western lily of the valley, which in addition to holding the soil in place with either be food for native animals or us. Or, as is the ideal case, both. There's a lot of culturally relevant foods in that paragraph, and it brings me joy to see them becoming a bigger part of the people's diets again. If you want to learn more about them, I suggest reading up on the ethnobotany of the Salish peoples. It's really interesting!

On Thursday we'll be renting a truck and trailer, and taking all the invasive species that we've pulled out to the folks who specialize in composting invasive species. Eventually all this stinky daphne will be a really nice compost for someone's vegetable garden. Which is a welcome and encouraging thought.

That's just this year of course- going forward for quite sometime will be regular invasive species removal, along with harvesting of nuts, berries, and roots, and pruning of the berry bushes. Can't do a controlled burn so close to housing, and it wouldn't work on the English ivy anyway. So manual pulling it is.

[totkdaily]

Day 23: Satori, and Misko

It's pouring down when I wake in the bunker at Lookout Landing.

I collect Pumpkin from Lester and follow his instructions to head out of the east gate to find Woodland Stable. 

I almost ride past Addison in the rain. Almost. 

I'm looking for shrines through the scope when I see strange movement. Someone's under attack! I ride Pumpkin over the bokoblin and speak to the Gerudo who was under attack - Calisa. She's a treasure hunter. She's been dreaming about riding falling rocks back up into the sky.  I wish her well. But it's a neat idea.

Yamiyo Shrine is on the way - I might as well. 

Just down the hill is a cherry blossom tree surrounded by fruit. There's a Gerudo sitting under it - Konora - who's waiting for her one true love.

Konora says Satori are sometimes seen near trees like this. I remember the blossom tree on Satori Mountain, years ago. She might be right.

I offer a wildberry, and a glowing blue Satori creature appears. Glowing banners unfurl across the landscape in response.

I use the scope to see that a couple of the closer ones look like cave entrances? I wonder… I race to the crumbling Castle Town wall for a vantage point, and mark as many of the banners as I can on my map. I don't know how long they will last.

A thought strikes me - the Satori creature looked not dissimilar to the bubbulfrogs. Is it possible that the banners denote not the caves, but the frogs? I'm not sure it makes much difference at this point - I've only found a few. But it might be something to keep an eye on. 

I cross back to my horse to check out a couple of the nearest spots before I move on, when I bump into Meeshy on the road. She's wearing a very mushroom-heavy outfit, and is seeking Misko's treasure - it's a day for treasure, it seems.

Misko the bandit is known to hide treasure - I've found some of theirs before. It sounds like these caves opening up has revealed some old caches. She marks two places on my map where one is known to be. The first will give me power, the second protection from lightning… She reminds me also that the Great Fairies can imbue clothing with power. 

Interesting. The piece of clothing nearest me of the two is right on one of those Satori marks. I've found clothing in a cave before - perhaps that was Misko's too. Let's check. 

I use Tulin's power to cross the river and find Crenel Hill Cave. Keese fly out, and I head in. Looks like an old luminous stone mine. And there's more of those flags - I wonder if they only appear in caves that hide Misko's treasure? 

I spot the frog first. And the gem lands right on a rock that turns out to be a Talus. I look around desperately for Misko's flags - and spot a large luminous stone deposit on the wall. A bomb flower clears it, and I scramble up the wall to escape into the tunnel. Beyond, a piece of barbarian armor. Might be just the thing to kill a Talus. 

It's not. I flee.

At midnight, I fail to ambush some bokoblins, and Tulin saves my life from the moblin with them. It would be ridiculous, when the Princess is relying on me against the Demon King himself, to fall to some bokoblins - or even a Talus. I have to keep moving.

[wannaeatramyeon]

Samuel Seo: Melancholia

Me at 2am: I can fix him

Light Samuel SEO angst drabble

One of the first lessons Samuel Seo learnt is that life is better for those who have money, and now that he has money, one of the perks is being able to afford this view from his home.

Serene, tranquil, peaceful. Or at least that was what the seller said.

He pensively takes a drag of his cigarette and surveys the landscape from his balcony. The darkness of the woodlands, the quiet of the night, and the stillness of the lake at odds with his thoughts.

It is another crisp, cold night.

The kind of night where it hurts to inhale extra deep, and exhaling water vapour used to feel mystical; the sort of night that lends itself well to melancholia.

These evenings tend to start with a Workers problem.

Nothing hugely important, just enough to keep his brain active afterhours. Maybe it's something to do with how to boost the profits further of NewTube, or a major shareholder meeting, but it's the same mundane shit of corporate life - never anything truly interesting.

It's enough to keep him up, and keep him thinking. Even after the solutions have long been found and the problems have worked itself out.

And then the thoughts stray, everytime. Always leading to thinking about Jake and Sinu and Alexander and Jerry and Brad and Jason and even Old Face.

About Big Deal in its Golden Era.

The grimy street, the shitty food, the grotty house that he would share with the crew. How he would get woken up with the sound of Jake singing in the shower, never get any peace with Jerry playing the flute, have Alexander clinging after him, and Jason and Brad squabbling all the time.

And then that lighthouse, that fucking lighthouse.

It was a somewhat simpler time.

If he didn't want to be King, perhaps he could have liked the number 3.

But he does, so he couldn't.

His fate was decided before was born. Born to nothing, and sentenced to nothing. Everything he has, he clawed for himself.

Even though it's still bitter to think about, he's risen far beyond his birthright. So why isn't he happy at all?

Why hasn't he felt an ounce of satisfaction or contentment?

"Is it because I'm still nowhere near my potential?"

The lake does nothing to answer his qualms, just silently reflecting the moonlight and stars above.

"Why do I do this to myself. I should just let the past stay in the past."

The self doubt and hatred and inferiority finds him without fail in moments like these. Connects to him and welcomes him like an old friend.

"After so many years... Jake, Sinu, Alexander. Why can't I find anyone willing to stand by my side?

Do I have so little to offer?

Is there something wrong with me-"

Samuel chuckles to himself. Even he realises that thought is a step too far, a thread he doesn't wants to unravel.

He continues to look out over the water, and to the bright lights of Seoul.

It's impossible but he likes to imagine if he squints he can see Big Deal street. And if he imagines he's further away - lightyears away, he can still see the years when he was happy.

The cigarette by now has dwindled to nothing but ashes. He discards it and retreats back to another night alone.

[bdhlandscaping1]

Landscapers Near Me Magnolia

BDH Landscaping & Design Company, located in Cypress, TX, offers expert landscapers Near Me Magnolia. From meticulous lawn care to stunning garden designs, we bring your outdoor vision to life with precision and flair.

[maryellencarter]

have started a new playthrough of breath of the wild with the intention of practicing the combat techniques, which i am quite bad at. (look, shield surfing and flurry rushes both require using three of the control inputs at once, i know i have ten fingers but i was never very good at playing chords on the piano either)

i don't know how far i'll get on any of these goals, but i'm also sort of vaguely considering:

* 100% run? have never finished one. there's at least one korok (near the akkala tech lab, uphill boulder golf with a lynel in the middle of the course) that i'm genuinely just not sure i can complete. i want to do this part glitchless if at all, so no seed duping allowed.

* clear all enemies no blood moon run? this is technically possible, although the timing to get the blood moon shrine to spawn without actually respawning enemies is quite tricky. there's a save-reload exploit that lets you delay the blood moon for a full cycle at a time, which would be pretty necessary for some of the night quests to be completable. my main interest in trying this is to force me to actually fight more enemies (and therefore get better at the combat) rather than rely totally on sneaking around and avoiding them. also to make weapons rarer and therefore more valuable/exciting to find, because in a normal playthrough i usually get overloaded on high tier weapons pretty quickly, especially once i get woodland tower with the respawning royal claymore. it's not actually possible to completely clear the map, because there will always be random spawns, like nighttime stalkoblins, or yiga after you defeat master kohga, but i feel like it'd be pretty entertaining to just be waltzing around past enemy camps you cleared and having them continue to have been cleared.

* all chests run? this would not be a true 100% objective because i have no interest at all in the glitching required to get "impossible" chests. perhaps "poke my nose into every nook and cranny" run would be more accurate -- there are so many tiny hidden things in BotW that even people who've spent thousands of hours in the game have never seen. this kind of goes hand in hand with the no blood moon run, because i'll definitely run out of hero's path time long before i finish any such playthrough, so the main way to tell if i've already been somewhere (other than my own memory, which *is* pretty good for BotW locations because the geology is so realistic it feels like an actual landscape and sticks in my memory the same way) will be if i already killed off the enemies there.

* no guides run. at least until like 99% completion or so. i've been playing pokemon violet with a collectibles map constantly open, which is about the only way i can enjoy that game because the geology/geography is just impossible for me, and i have played BotW the same way on other saves, but... hyrule feels, idk, homey enough? it already lives in my bones enough that i can, and want to, run around it like a real place and get to know every corner. like i did with my childhood hometown, and have not had the spoons to do irl since. i'll definitely make a great deal of use of the sheikah sensor (i've done all shrines before -- on the switch lite, which is a *trip* for motion controls shrines) and any other detection things like the korok mask, any ingame method i'm granted to find the collectibles.

* no amiibo run? this is more practicality because i left my botw amiibos at leia's. but also they always feel a little game-breaky, not even so much with the exclusive drops as just with the extra resources you get early -- i don't even remember most of the places you can find safflina in the game, just because i always get so much from zelda amiibos if i'm scanning them daily, for instance.

i'm playing on my switch lite again because the regular size switch really kills my hands in handheld mode. my beat-the-game save is also on the switch lite and i didn't want to overwrite it so i made a secondary profile. so far i have done the magnesis shrine (failed deeply at using the metal boxes in the shrine to bop the guardian on the head, which will kill it if you do it right but you have to either use motion controls to fling it down or get the guardian to stand under the box while you drop it from a great height) and almost shot king rhoam for a squirrel because he was wandering around in the forest (as the old hermit, of course) and i didn't know he could spawn there if you dick around long enough before completing the plateau. so i'm already discovering things! ^_^

(the main issue with attempting a no blood moon run is that i am absent minded and usually fail to notice it's a blood moon night until it drops the cutscene on me. that will probably be the major obstacle there. i don't expect to run completely out of weapons -- at minimum i can always get more yiga gear, champion gear, and once i have the master sword it recharges. i've never attempted trial of the sword, idk if i will? certainly not until i'm much more confident with my combat techniques)

one of my favorite things about playing video games is that there's always an intended way for you to solve whatever puzzle is presented to you. in games where the intended way is the only possible way, i get pretty frustrated, because i do not have the 30+ years of gaming history knowledge that most games assume -- i got my first controller in 2021 (for PC, so as to decide if i even wanted to get my first console, the switch, which i also did in 2021). but botw is so committed to the open-world creativity thing that there are usually a bunch of different ways to solve the puzzles -- for instance, there are many "stand on this switch and the door opens, now find something to put on the switch and hold it down so you can go through the door" puzzles, and there's always something provided like a barrel or a chest to put on the switch, but on many of them you can also use the stasis rune or 1-3 campfires (which are weirdly heavy) to hold the switch down. so it feels... idk how to articulate this... when i know i *can* just use stasis or a campfire, it's more fun and less frustrating to try to figure out what the game devs were thinking, what the intended method is and especially how they signposted it. (i have watched so many botw streams just trying to get a feel for how the devs handle signposting, because i don't have much of that assumed gaming background -- mainly mass effect trilogy, which handled signposting and loot placement extremely differently in each game -- and i'm not naturally very observant. leia says i'm high INT/low WIS, and that definitely applies to my irl perception score too :P another reason to try for an all chests type of run. getting in the habit of Perceiving things more)

(mass effect 1 is why i even bought botw though. i absolutely love the open world aspects of dicking around on the uncharted planets, except when i trip over thresher maws, so i was like "people are calling this the best open world game ever? i will Investigate" and they were correct)

(also i am very impressed that moldugas are not thresher maws. so damn many things copy dune and have their desert sand burrowing giant enemy be sandworms, complete with the blue tongues, which i always think of as thresher maws because i encountered those way before dune. moldugas are completely unlike thresher maws except for the burrowing and popping up at you. i genuinely can't figure out if there's any rl critter they're supposed to resemble, but by god they're not fucking sandworms)

[istandonsnowpiles]

You have a natural talent for photography. Your work consistently evokes emotions and leaves a lasting impact on viewers. Congratulations! The question I want to ask is this: What is the best photograph you have ever taken?"

Thank you much for your kind words! I'm so glad you enjoy my photography! I doubt I can pick one best photograph, but I'm happy to talk about a few of my favorites, and I'll say a few words about "natural talent" at the end.

To me photography is so great because it gets me out into the world doing cool things. It gets me to explore places that I wouldn't have otherwise and gives me awesome insight into the world. That's more important than any photo I've taken.

Flickr links are attached to each photo if you'd like a higher quality look at them.

Waiting

Okay first favorite photo is this shot at Dulles Airport. This was taken right after the Dulles Metro station opened in late 2022. I think this was the first time I really nailed the alien blue/green night time look. I've used it a bunch since.

The photo perfectly captures the distant, disconnected feel I often try to capture in my photography. In this case, the photo was taken from a parking garage next to the metro station with a long lens. Love it.

Forest in the Tidal Basin

Next up is this landscape taken at The Tidal Basin on a foggy night. So many things I love about this photo, first just being the experience of capturing it. I love foggy nights and this one was perfect. Thick fog all night, not too chilly.

In many ways this photo is an anomaly. It's a pure landscape which is reasonably rare for me to shoot living in DC, and it's a woodland shot which I've never really understood and generally do not like. I used a tripod for this shot, which is fairly rare for me. Yet it has a lot of elements that are familiar in my photography. Long lens, devoid of people, night shot, and a bit spooky.

As soon as I took this shot I knew it was gonna be good, and I was flabbergasted that this was first truly great shot for 2023.

Castle and The Sunset

Third we've got this panorama taken on Whiteface Mountain in The Adirondacks, above Lake Placid. This photo also comes with a cool story. @lesbianredpanda and I were headed down Whiteface Mountain as the place was closing.

We got caught up in this gorgeous sunset. We took our all of our cameras and started shooting. A truck full of employees pulled up behind and told us the place was closing & they were gonna shut the gates when they got to the bottom & we'd have to call the State Police to get out.

We packed up and Avery sped us down the mountain, burning brake smell the whole way. I was scaring her by taking pics out the window. Awesome time. Terrifying.

Technically, I did everything wrong in this shot. I took this HDR panorama that consists of 40 photos, shot handheld with a 28mm lens wide open at f/1.4. It shouldn't have worked out but it did!

What's in the Dark?

Last shot is my most popular photo here on Tumblr. It also should not have worked! An 8 minute exposure into darkness in the middle of the night near Lake Placid in The Adirondacks. The vibes are immaculate.

This photo has inspired me to keep trying weird stuff to see if it works. Usually it doesn't. I don't think I've ever really replicated the feeling of this shot since. Doesn't matter tho, it's cool & has inspired so much.

Those are my favorite! There's so many important photos to me, it's hard to choose a few.

Natural Talent

Okay, so I do have a bone to pick with the concept of natural talent. I doubt it really exists. For me specifically though, I don't think I'm naturally talented in photography.

I've tried to get into photography several times, and failed many times! Heck, I didn't even think to get a camera until I had been hiking around NY for a year. When I finally did get a camera I didn't like it and quit photography soon after.

There is no natural talent here. Instead, there's years of trying, failure, and, most importantly, a ton of time spent learning and going out taking photos. Then repeat the process to learn how to edit photos.

I would much rather have this time I've invested in photography be recognized, as I think it's what has made me any good at this stuff. Not inherent ability.

[rueroyale]

Lines Written in Oregon

Vladimir Nabokov

Esmeralda! now we rest
Here, in the bewitched and blest
Mountain forests of the West.

Here the very air is stranger.
Damzel, anchoret, and ranger
Share the woodland’s dream and danger

And to think I deemed you dead!
(In a dungeon, it was said;
Tortured, strangled); but instead –

Blue birds from the bluest fable,
Bear and hare in coats of sable,
Peacock moth on picnic table.

Huddled roadsigns softly speak
Of Lake Merlin, Castle Creek,
And (obliterated) Peak.

Do you recognize that clover?
Dandelions, l’or du pauvre?
(Europe, nonetheless, is over).

Up the turf, along the burn
Latin lilies climb and turn
Into Gothic fir and fern.

Cornfields have befouled the prairies
But these canyons laugh! And there is
Still the forest with its fairies.

And I rest where I awoke
In the sea shade – l’ombre glauque –
Of a legendary oak;

Where the woods get ever dimmer,
Where the Phantom Orchids glimmer –
Esmeralda, immer, immer.

Annotations

Title. In Oregon. VN rented an apartment in Mount Ashland in the summer of 1953, where he wrote Lolita and hunted butterflies in the local woods.

1. Esmeralda. A butterfly or moth. Several species of moth or butterfly share the species name esmeralda/-us, or are commonly called “emerald”, but it seems clear to me that this is a mythical green butterfly that reminds Nabokov of one he found during his boyhood. Cf Speak Memory, Ch. 6, in which a butterfly flew (in VN’s imagination) from Russia to North America, “and southward along the Rocky Mountains- to be finally overtaken and captured, after a forty-year race, on an immigrant dandelion under an endemic aspen near Boulder.” “Esmeralda” recalls Victor Hugo’s gypsy, Lucette, called "our Esmeralda and mermaid" in Ada, Esmeralda and Her Parandrus from Look at the Harlequins, and Gerald Emerald from Pale Fire.

3. … West. Cf LATH, Part 4.1 on rediscovering Russian landscapes in the Rocky Mountains: “I spent what remained of the summer exploring the incredibly lyrical Rocky Mountain states, getting drunk on whiffs of Oriental Russia in the sagebrush zone and on the North Russian fragrances so faithfully reproduced above timberline by certain small bogs along trickles of sky between the snowbank and the orchid.”

5. Damzel, anchoret. Damzel, Cf The Blessed Damozel by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. An anchoret is a religious recluse.

11. coats of sable. Other examples of heraldic language in Nabokov include the obvious Bend, Sinister; in Pale Fire, the crest of King Charles and the multiple appearances of a “heraldic butterfly, volant in arrière, sable, a bend gules”; Nabokov’s family crest in Speak Memory; The Blazon, a poem from Poems and Problems, in which: “I adopted the blazon of exile: on a field of sable a starry sword.”

12. Peacock moth. The Great Peacock Moth Saturnia pyri is the largest moth in Europe.

17. L’or du pauvre. French, poor man’s gold.

20-21. Latin lilies… Gothic fir. Metonyms for the southern France and Russia of VN’s youth, respectively. Lilies are the symbol of France. Cf VN’s poem Provence, a Russian poet in a French setting: “What bliss it is, in this world full of song,/ to brush against the chalk of walls, what bliss/ to be a Russian poet lost among/ cicadas trilling with a Latin lisp.” Also parallels the European languages used herein, ie French and German. Russian is notable in its absence.

26. L’ombre glauque. French, pale green shade.

29. Phantom Orchid. Endemic to the Pacific Northwest, the Phantom Orchid Cephalanthera austiniae is a species of orchid whose entire body is white.

30. Immer, immer. German, always.