#Outliving dinosaurs

[joleneghoul]

i need to go to the natural history mueseum in the city next to me now or i might die. i miss it dearly. havent been sense i was a kid. i need information and the giant dinosaur statues

[pukicho]

Puki tell us it's all gonna be fine

It always is, it always will be. We outlived the dinosaurs, we outlived that damned meteor, that damned ice age. Pompeii? Don't worry about it.

[rachelambery]

dbf!joel no outbreak hcs

nsfw near the end

- joel owns 1 pair of boots. at this point it's an ongoing joke that they're gonna outlive him, the once hard protective fabric has turned into something that now resembles tissue paper. they're pretty sure he thinks it's his second child

- you're unsure how he was a single father with his inability to cook anything except for breakfast, as far as you're aware him and sarah lived on frozen pizzas and Chinese takeout.

- as cheap as he is, he refused to skimp out on birthday gifts for you. even when you say "i don't want anything!" he'll show up to your party with a box of whatever trinket reminded him of you

- of him and tommy, he was definitely the lower maintenance of the two. everytime you'd sit next to them by the fire, the conversation of eye cream would always come up, maria put him onto it, and he REALLY things joel would benefit from it.

- joel doesn't play about his cigarettes, you're unsure how all of his teeth haven't fallen out with how many times he smokes a day. you'll look the other way and when you look back it'll just appear in his mouth.

- he smells like a mix of smoke and whiskey, as gross as it sounds, at this point the smell is comforting. reminds you of him. his truck.

- you're pretty sure he's narrowly avoided death with how poorly he cares for himself when he's ill. you'll go with your dad to work and your eyes will settle on him, coughing up a storm and practically vomiting while he builds the roof. when he eventually passes by and you question his state, he'll just say. "it's a cold. everyone gets it"

- once sarah moved out, he'd stay way too late at your dads house. and on nights back from college when you couldn't sleep, you'd end up sitting next to him on the couch, laughing. after a while you'd both fall asleep on the couch, your head normally nuzzled into his neck, enjoying the mix of whiskey and smoke that emanated off him.

- don't let his buff physique fool you. that man is only athletic looking, even at your state, when you hadn't trained since middle school track, you'd smoke him on a race to his truck everytime.

- he's the cheapest man you've ever met. in the 18+ years you've known him, you've only ever seen him buy 1 new pair of pants, and that was onto after he'd ripped his old reliables. you're pretty sure that's the first time you've seen that man cry like that.

- every bandaid in his house has dinosaurs on it, sarah used to refuse to use anything other than dinosaur bandaids, so it's ingrained in his brain to only buy them. even though she's been out of the house for months.

- he once fell off the roof during a job, they don't let him up there anymore.

nsfw starts here !! minors avert your gaze !!

- he's very respectful during sex, talking you through it, kissing you at every opportunity, praising you.

- he refuses to listen to you when you say your legs still work after, he'll pick you up bridal style and lay you in bed.

- he loves teasing you, it's actually sick how much he loves it. placing a hand on your thigh during family dinners, slowly working its way up until it's barely not touching you.

- he's a munch (self indulgent)

- whenever you're alone, he'll pull you into his lap nearly immediately, sometimes just to toy with your hair and sometimes to tease you

- speaking of hair, he likes when your hands find their way to his hair, pulling and gripping it

ok thank uuuuu

this was so self indulgent it's actually insane :P i apologize for my actions

[thedelicatearcher]

finnick odair hcs for reader who loves animals?

finnick odair x reader who loves animals

the first thing to know about finnick is that he never had a pet in his life, not even a puppy when he was a little boy or a fish (since he spent most of his time fishing, he wouldn't have felt comfortable pulling some out of the water while taking care of one at home). finnick never disliked animals, he just wasn't familiar with them.

so, when you came into his life, you turned it upside down. with a house full of loving animals and a mind filled with animal fun facts, you made your way into his sensitive heart and his previously lonely home.

he loves when you tell him everything you know about sea animals. he discovered that turtles are his favorite; so at night, when both of you can't sleep and are just holding each other, staring lovingly and talking nonstop about nothing and everything, you tell him how sea turtles have outlived dinosaurs, how female turtles never forget their home beach, and how they are immune to the sting of most jellyfish.

finnick never knew that cats could be such little devils. he really struggled at first because your mischievous orange cat loved knocking stuff off the table, welcomed him home with scratches, and ran around the house every night until exhaustion got to him, driving a restless finnick nearly to madness. despite their bickering, you know they love each other unconditionally. every time you return from the market, you find them snuggling and napping together; finnick snoring softly while lying down on the couch on his back, and your little guy comfortably situated on finnick's chest, purring his heart out.

when you adopted a guinea pig, finnick insisted on being the one who named him. many names were vetoed, from mags II to robert. “finn, it sounds like he is a working man with a briefcase,” you told him, laughing at his idea. “his close friends could call him bob!!,” he insisted, invested in the idea. in the end, you agreed on naming him triton. “a big name for a big man,” finn said dramatically as he held the little animal in his big hand

bathing your dog was a chaotic experience. persuading your pet wasn't easy, as she knew what treats-leading-to-the-bathroom meant. many attempts later, you resigned and finnick had to carry her into the tub. finnick was assigned the important duty of holding her while you gently wet her with a bucket and applied the shampoo, getting as wet and soapy as your pet. then, without any warning, she started shaking off, splashing water and soap all over you and the bathroom. all soaked and laughing your asses off, your puppy took the opportunity to escape while you were distracted. now, you have soaking clothes, a messy bathroom, and a soapy dog hiding in the kitchen corner.

now a proclaimed animal lover, finnick loves wearing his starfish shirt, owns several colorful crocodile slippers, goes outside with the sole intention of observing the animals passing by, insists on celebrating every one of your pet’s birthdays, and every now and then surprises you with an animal fact you’ve never heard before.

[ijustsitinacorner]

Just how old is Malleus’s grandmother? A total(ally) serious rant.

Words cannot explain about the sudden rant rush in my head during the most random moments.

Like what do you mean this woman survived a war, has been reigning for centuries, outlived her own daughter AND is near outliving her own grandson’s guardian?

WHY IS NO ONE RANDOMLY THINKING OF THIS??

IS NO ONE CONSIDERING HOW LILIA WAS LITERALLY TAKEN IN BY THIS WOMAN???

Plus, the whole age ranges of fae in twisted wonderland sometimes doesn’t make sense to me 😭

This woman is well over a millennium old cause ain’t no way

Not to mention I fear this woman will disintegrate in any second.

SHE’S BEEN REIGNING FOR TOO DAMN LONG

Remember the jokes about how old Lilia was BEFORE we found out his canon age???

CAN WE GO BACK TO THAT EXCEPT DO IT WITH MALLEUS’S GRANDMOTHER???

IT WAS NEVER LILIA THAT SAW THE DINOSAURS IT WAS QUEEN MALEFICIA ALL ALONG

QUEEN MALEFICIA HAS BEEN THE QUEEN ELIZABETH II OF TWISTED WONDERLAND ALL ALONG.

Istg if twisted wonderland reveals she’s anything less than a millennium old I’m jumping out a window.

[raptoroferebus]

Holy shit new dinosaur related IP. Takes place in post-apocalyptic Japan where bioengineered dinos outlived their creators. Looking great so far but it's hard to find much about it.

Not sure if it's a series or a movie, but it's always a delight to see new dino media. The concept art on the site is pretty cool too!

[bisexualdeans]

'you gotta stop talking about this kid like she's got some sort of life in front of her.'

oh, but she does. she's going to learn how to swim. she's going to fly to the moon on her sixteenth birthday. she's going to have her first kiss and her first girlfriend and she's going to dance with this beautiful girl she's in love with and kiss her in front of everyone. she's going to see dinosaur fossils and draw and play guitar and serenade her girlfriend with old classics taught to her by her father. she's going to have friends and she's going to have an uncle and a community and her room and her music and her hobbies. she's going to outlive her dad like most kids do. she's going to lose herself and find herself back and she's going to have a home to come back to and she's going to have a life.

and that's all thanks to him.

[bluegekk0]

did lemn ever crack the arcane eggs ghost gave him

Hmm I haven't thought about that before, but I want to say no? I think that, while it would be very tempting, he'd treat them as a museum relic which shouldn't be destroyed. I checked the wiki and he even mentions himself that he doesn't want to destroy them. Though it's very possible that some of those arcane eggs had more layers exposed, which would allow him to study them further.

You know, thinking now, perhaps he ended up opening some kind of museum with all those relics Ghost brought him? It would give him a pretty interesting role in the AU, I feel. I'm already imagining a scenario where Grimm hears that a museum opened in the city and takes Vyrm there on a date, only to learn that the owner is none other than Lemm (who dislikes Vyrm to put it lightly; and the feeling is mutual).

But to get back to the eggs. What would be inside them? Well, looking at the in game art, they remind me of fossils quite a lot, particularly trilobite fossils, so I'm going to say that that's exactly what they are. Fossils of ancient creatures, distant ancestors of some of the tribes which evolved sapience, or perhaps prehistoric relatives of beasts that still roam Hallownest.

And if they are fossils, then that opens up the possibility of other types of remains of prehistoric creatures. Fossilized bones, teeth, fragments of shells, footprints... Maybe arcane eggs were just one type of such ancient artifact. In fact, since wyrms in the AU are more reptilian than what's suggested in the game, they would most certainly leave bones behind. Which means that the remains of Vyrm's previous form would be a fascinating site for someone interested in learning about prehistoric creatures. That's what wyrms were, prehistoric megafauna which outlived other similar beasts due to the mutation that made them stop aging, a trait that significantly increased their survival rate (but ultimately ended up dooming them anyway, since they were left with no prey large enough to sustain the population). So as fun fact there, Vyrm is technically their equivalent of the last dinosaur.

I quite like the idea of Lemm opening the museum, I'll definitely add it to my list of ideas I want to expand upon. He still buys artifacts and relics, if only to make more money, but he does seem genuinely passionate about them, so it makes sense that he'd want to give them a new purpose outside of studying them. And Lurien would most certainly support such endeavor in his efforts to bring the city back to its prime, especially since he himself values education and knowledge.

[just-shower-thoughts]

All of us have direct ancestors who survived 5 global mass extinctions and outlived the dinosaurs

[mjrtaurus]

I just realized something funny

Crocodiles don't die from old age, they just slowly continue to grow. They die from injuries, starvation or illnesses

Which means that grandmadile, Crocodile, Gabriel, and possibly Luffy can live much MUCH longer if they're lucky. They literally can outlive their enemies if needed

The name of this particular biological phenomenon is “negligible senescence” and it’s fucking WILD. It’s when the typical degradation of the body associated with living to an extensive age is so little in comparison to our own lifespan that it seems the creature is immortal.

It doesn’t mean the creature cannot age, per se, but that it happens so slowly by our standards that it seems that way. For example, we would very much come across as exhibiting negligible senescence to many of our fluffy little friends, such as dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and rats, etc…

We document this in certain species of tortoises and sharks, and- yes indeed- many crocodilians. It’s not out of the realms of possibility that some dinosaurs were the same way. In fact there are theories that mammalian lifespans are the way they are because of how long living the ancient reptiles were. The distant common ancestors to modern mammals- including ours- had to reach maturity quickly and reproduce quickly in order for the species not to die out from predation. Think rodents and how often they reproduce and how many babies they have per reproductive cycle due to having to compensate for all the snakes and lizards and birds of prey that eat and outlive them. But this is still just a theory, mind.

Crocodiles don’t die of old age in and of itself, as far as we can observe, but can- as stated above- indeed die of complications associated with their environments, luck of their genetic draw, and how they behave just in general.

Another thing with crocodiles specifically is that they don’t have a set “adult” size. They can grow as large as their food supply and environment will allow, but this can be to their detriment. Look no further than the case of the saltwater crocodile Lolong, who grew to a massive 6.17 m (20 ft 3 in) in length and 1,075 kg (2,370 lbs) over the course of his 50 or so years.

Lolong is to this day considered the largest saltwater crocodile to have ever been caught and put in captivity, and his cause of death? Pneumonia and cardiac associated with his size and his poor living conditions. Bear in mind he was caught because he was so big (and a man-eater at that), and did not become that big in captivity. If left to his own devices in the Philippine waterways, he very likely could have gotten bigger and lived longer. He just would have had to spend more time in the water so gravity didn’t crush his vascular system beneath his own weight.

All of that to say, yes, Crocodile and his family are very long-living and well-aging if left to their own devices.

Given his status as a logia, and-debatably- Luffy’s as a mythical zoan, they’re set to live comfortably into their hundreds. Gabriel, just on account of his durability from the Lunarian heritage alone is probably going to have them all beat in terms of long life. That isn’t even touching on the additional bioengineering that the World Government did. I would reckon little Sir Gabriel is looking at well over a comfy 300 years at least.

[edenfenixblogs]

as a fellow tree-loving jew you gotta check out monkey puzzle trees if you haven't already. they're ancient evergreens (literally living fossils) and theyre so cool. maybe it's because I'm used to our sequoias & various redwoods but idk, to me they're just so special because something about them makes it so whenever i pass one (there's a couple in the neighborhoods by where i live) im like "wow. that's a dinosaur tree. thats literally a tree that dinosaurs used as a resource. and theyre still around to experience" (they originated in the jurassic era iirc)

(also im kind of a sap for anything that remains & outlives tremendous events bcuz as a jew im like "fellow survivor & thriver!!! fellow survivor & thriver!!!" albeit these guys unfortunately are endangered.)

OMG I LOVE THESE!!!! I HAVE TO CHECK MY INBOX MORE OFTEN! I LOVE THISSSSSSSSSS

[mattibee]

kind of too bad prehistoric mammals didn't have like. culture or writing or whatever like imagine the potential folklore surrounding dinosaurs from the perspective of weird little nocturnal shrews that could outlive global catastrophe

[forasecondtherewedwon]

PJO, any pairing that strikes your fancy + the creak of leather, sorry I can’t remember the number

Hello!! Thank you for the prompt💕 It felt like a Percy and Sally one!

45: The creak of leather

There’s a piece of furniture Gabe never let Percy and his mother use. Not the recliner where he’d sit while he gambled, the impression of his ass so established it can only be compared to the crater left by the meteor that killed the dinosaurs. No, there’s a leather couch Gabe respected more than the human beings who outlived him.

Their first movie night post-Gabe, Percy’s mom bounces onto that couch and Percy leaps over the arm, spilling popcorn she unconcernedly brushes off the leather. She presses play and he leans against her, shoving his feet deep between the cushions.

send me a sensory prompt for one of these fandoms!

[underscar]

DIE IN A PLACE OF LOVE

Pairing: Near/Female Reader/Mello

Summary: The flowers of spring were your proximate stimulus, displayed not in a sheltered and rancid dwelling nor through a difficult pathway, but instead lingering in an affectionate grass field. You thought a lot about life as your illness became more and more terminal. The presence of two childhood friends encourages reflection. Mello hoping to be helpful during this challenging time of your life, while on your bedside always was Near watching you with morbid interest. Your decisions since becoming ill had seemed questionable to both of them. How you chose to stay at the orphanage rather than a hospital. Your reasoning is that it would make more sense to die in a place of love.

DEATH NOTE MASTERLIST | TAGLIST

A/N: This oneshot is sooooo old omg

I remember first writing this when I was in like 6th grade on wattpad! I had a whole death note oneshot book back then lol. i plan on rewriting more of them in the future >_>

WORD COUNT // 3,061 words

The spring breeze consoles your nerves and shaky hands. Your open window permitted the breeze to pass through, which hovered over you, and gave you more comfort and cuddles than your stuffiest blanket ever could. The flowers of spring were your proximate stimulus, displayed not in a sheltered and rancid dwelling nor through a difficult pathway, but instead lingering in an affectionate grass field.

Outside of Wammy's House were the cheerful sounds of children; you could hear them clearly through your window. The sounds of their delight brought a smile and warmth to your face. The scene brings back memories of your adolescence. Being L's successor often made you feel older than you are, and you frequently forget that you're not that archaic. However, compared to those vibrant orphans outside, you were a despondent dinosaur among them. 

People behave in that way when they are L's successor after all. Well, perhaps the more appropriate phrase for you at this point is "former successor." Being ill and all, you are now unable to succeed L. 

This wasn't detrimental to you in any manner. You never anticipated standing set to proceed L anyway. Regardless, even just being deemed competent in upholding that pinnacle was an honor. In any case, Mello or Near stood a better shot of becoming the new L.

Everyone at the orphanage makes an effort to hide the truth from you or to avoid bringing it up themselves. The truth is that you're running out of time. You'll narrowly outlive L, they say. Yes, you were gravely ill. Yes, you were going to die soon. And yes, you knew all of this. After all, you are not an imbecile, so of course you already knew. 

This isn't something you discovered from another or as a result of your intellect or intelligence. You figured this out because, in the end, you were the suffering individual. Each day, you could feel your body failing you, and every day, you were in pain. You don't feel anxious or glum about dying too soon; everyone passes away, and you've given in to that.

Your foreordained death was something no one liked to talk about, except for Near, who found a morbid novelty about your condition.

You and Near have known each other since the beginning, or at least you believe he considers you friends. Although remarkable and the closest thing you'll ever come to...love, Near is a strange person. Regardless, you wouldn't want anyone else; you don't mind that he's your first and only love or even that it's one-sided. You didn't have to confess, there was no need, of course, as Near was already aware. 

You appreciate Near's candor about your unwell condition. Everyone here has attempted to keep the facts from you, with the exception of Near. Overall, he has been very blunt about your current state and ailment.

You heard the door creek while staring out the window in a wistful daze. You perk up and whirl to see who had come to visit you, Mello, in his jet-black leather jacket, peaked half his body into your modest room. 

"Iris," he voices, before clearing his throat, "-_____, I mean." 

Since your diagnosis, you had developed a preference for using your real name rather than your pseudonym. To you, your alias stood for a life that is no longer fitting or accurate. And as for your general safeness using it, well, at this juncture, it didn't matter.

When you two locked eyes, you beamed at his face. Months had passed since you last saw your beloved Mello. It didn't matter that he was wearing a dissimilar set of clothes or the burn that scarred the bulk of his face, he was still the same boy you had grown up with. With chocolate stains on the corner of his lips, you bet. The thought brought delight to your heart. He has been out there in the world investigating the contentious Kira, likely putting himself and others in danger, though if you knew him as well as you thought, you can guarantee he didn't mind the risk at all.

Your smile screamed home in Mello's mind, and lured the blond further inside the room like a siren's song, shutting the door behind him. 

You scooched further back on your bed till you hit the headboard, drawing him to sit at the end of your bed, which he did, making it bounce scarcely as he sat.

The subsequent silence wasn't uncomfortable in the slightest. Until Mello broke the silence, as he always did, you preferred to continue examining him and observing him without speaking. Now that he's closer to you, you notice that his hair was a little longer, and his neck was bruised the color of plums, you didn't want to know the origin. Near the corner of his lip was stained chocolate, which made you grin. You peer down at your lap to attempt to hide your merriment till you catch how calloused his hands were.

When you look up from his hands, you catch Mello just staring at your face as you did him, then your neck, then your form concealed under the white nightgown you wore, taking it all in, and you knew he was realizing the same thoughts as you: you both had grown up.

Mello sighed at how colorless you were in the face. It crushed him to see how ill you had become since his last visit. 

Mello makes small conversation to mask his exhale. "It's odd saying your name, you know?" he chuckled to himself.

Mello was the opposite of Near; they were in many aspects. Similarly, like everyone else, he detested considering or even bringing up the topic of your illness. Furthermore, he had no desire to undermine your health. You were not bothered by his behavior because he was more devastated by the reality of your circumstances than you were.

You and Mello have also known each other since the beginning, and unlike Near, you could openly read Mello like a book. You would say you knew his thoughts as clearly as you did yours. You were aware from the outset that Mello had a romantic interest in you. 

Even though he made it crystal plain and obvious since you were all kids, you never experienced a romantic spark with him. He was always aware of the one-sidedness of his emotions.

"Should I call you by yours? To even the playing fields?" you proposed.

A grin spread on his face. "Only if you whispered it in my ear," he toyed. "If you are going to say that name, then only I should hear it, after all."

Mello was an exceptional guy, and he is your most beloved friend. Years have passed and you hoped that you both were mature enough to have now moved on from that phase of your friendship, you'd hate to hurt him.

"How have you been, Mello? Having fun, I assume?" 

Mello shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't describe it as fun," he said. "Yet, overall everything's been alright, though the Kira case has been bloody demanding. Especially with Near constantly getting in my damn way," he mumbles while pouting almost imperceptibly.

You emitted a small laugh. "You and Near's detestation is peculiar!" you blurted. You never grasped why Mello and Near were never amicable. Regardless of you getting along with both of them, they never got along, not even when you were all kids. Due to their one-sided rivalry, you could never hang out with both of them at the same moment without conflict.

Once you started laughing again, Mello couldn't help but smile a little bit. You hide your giggling with your right hand and the sun seemed to shine more brilliantly in the room, and on you.

Then, however, the clouds abruptly materialize, casting a gloomy shadow, and you start coughing in between laughs before hysterically doing so. Mello instinctively starts patting your back to aid you, but you shove him away simply because you don't want to be a burden.

"I-I'm...fine," you reassure in a small voice. You reach for a tissue on your nightstand as your cough subsides, but Mello grabs it for you. Grudgingly, you thanked him and accepted the tissue, wiping your mouth. 

Blood stained the cotton when you removed it from your mouth. You instinctively tuck it within your fist in the hopes that Mello won't notice.

Mello looked down at his lap. "How have you been, _____?"

You scrunched your brows. "I...haven't been able to sleep, lately," you admit. "Near says it's a symptom in the ending stages of my condition," you added, dropping the tissue into the trash bin on your bedside.

You should've known better than let those words slip out, 'cause, with the mention of Near, Mello visibly flushed and his fist locked.

"Iris..." he scowled, "_____. You're gonna be alright, okay?" he reassured. You could tell he was saying it more for himself because there was no reason for him to tell you this, you already didn't have any childish hope to give. You were one of Mello's closest friends and a one-sided lover, and he didn't want to think you were about to pass away. How could that bloke Near just make your dread worse when you can do nothing about it?

Mello voiced this. "You're already going through a rough time. How can that white-haired bastard tell you that?" he growled, gazing back at the door as if Near was there. You reasoned that Mello might be able to picture Near's mocking white form standing at the door.

Mello stomped to your door from your bed without saying anything and with a grimace on his face.

From your bed, you watched helplessly as he slammed the door behind himself and stomped through the hallway. As soon as Mello enters Rogers' office, you can clearly anticipate what will happen. 

You withered. "Mihael..." you whispered; yet, no one heard. 

The wooden desk in front of Mello was struck by his hands, driving it to squeak and tremble like a hurricane on his legs. 

Mello scowled at the older man. "We're not trying hard enough!!" he exclaimed. His rebellious fist trembled and bounced, they were a clear indication of his emotions and mental state at the moment.

There was cozy lighting throughout the room. Dark curtains were draped over the windows, and the blinds were sealed. Giving the older man and two orphans proper privacy. Today was a reunion of sorts, yet you were missing, and instead, you were the case of discussion and irritation.

Amid the dispute, Near worked on his blank puzzle while seated on the antique couch, crouched over the table. He deadpanned, "Do you have an additional lung to share, Mello? I'm quite tired of you passing the blame.”

With a nasty glare on his face, Mello glanced over his shoulder at the boy. "Near, if I DID, she would have had it by now," he said through clenched teeth. "I care about her passing, unlike you. I'm surprised she even likes you. You act like you don't even care that she's dying, you bastard!"

"Quit making everything so personal, Mello," Near stated. He twirled his white hair as he glanced up at Mello. Mello had a poor tendency to always invest all of his emotions in things even when they weren't linked, which is what he's doing right now. Near could see that habit plainly. 

"You're clearly more resentful that she doesn't share the same affection for you as she does for me. Please abstain from bearing grudges that have nothing to do with the circumstances, Mello," Near suggested.

Mello had moon-sized eyes and a heated face. In a rage, he gritted his teeth. "W-Why you-"

"Mello, Near, that's enough," Roger says sternly, standing up from his desk chair. Abruptly, the tension in the room burst like a water balloon with the sound of Rogers's voice, drawing the attention of both of the young men to him. He said nothing more because he was at a loss for words to comfort Mello.

The first to speak up was Mello. He shook his fist as he spoke. "I want her...fixed. I don't want her sick anymore, and for her, I'll do this shit myself. As always!" Mello barked, his voice shaking. He stopped speaking after saying and walked towards the door, the door then slammed clumsily behind him as he quickly leaves the orphanage.

With his back to the door, Near refocused on his puzzle. "Whatever makes you feel better, Mello," he uttered. 

The room is silent for a minute as Near continues to solve the puzzle. After he completes it, he calls out to the man. 

"Rogers?" he says, whirling a strand of his wintry hair while marveling at the emptiness of his colorless puzzle.

Rogers sighs from Mello's outburst. "Yes Near?" he acknowledged, restoring the misplaced items on his desk as a result of Mello.

"There won't be a donor in time, will there? Near asks, expressionless. As he disassembles the puzzle, each piece is placed in a box.

"...You already know the answer, Near," Rogers answered, sorrowfully. He sighs and closes his eyes. Rogers watched you develop into a young woman, and he finds it hard to accept that your life is being stolen. The girl he reared, the one who never frowned, was imprisoned in a room that now acted as a cell, with that notable smile, still watching over the other children who slowly grow to forget you. No remorse or pity for yourself, either, just pure acceptance. Few people who have lived longer than you feel as at ease with death and bearing of it as you have.

The boy doesn't confirm. With the puzzle box in hand, Near instead gets to his feet and silently leaves the office.

"Iris," Near calls out to you. "Why don't you go to the hospital? You should be there rather than at the orphanage?" he asked, intently. He sat on the floor with his back against your bed, his back facing you.

Mello did not come back as you had expected. He left without saying goodbye to you. Cynically, you wonder if you'll even have time for him to visit again because you knew he'd be apologetic when he returned. When he allowed his emotions to overwhelm him, he was always ashamed.

As you answered, you fixed your gaze on his back. "I don't like hospitals. They reek of death and despair," you explained, reaching for your cup of water on your nightstand.

You set your cup back on the nightstand after drinking some water to clear your thoughts before proceeding. “I'd rather die in a place full of tenderness than a place full of cessation."

"Hm, I see," he murmurs. "And do you believe you are going to die, Iris?" He asks, impassively, twirling his wavy locks.  

You sigh as you sink even deeper into your pillow. "Near, I am at the ending stages of my conditions, and nowhere near the top of the list for a transplant. Regardless, it's going to transpire sooner or later."

He does not respond and instead stops twirling his hair. Rather then responding, he kept piling his large dice into buildings. You smile as you watch him. He does not change at all and that fact comforted you. You cast a somber glance at the ground below from remembrance.

“Near, please use my true name instead of my pseudonym from now on, all until the day I die," you requested.

Near nodded. "Okay."

The sound of his dice falling repeatedly could be heard as you two sat in complete stillness. When you're together, you may merely relax in quiet conversation. There are no necessary words to enjoy each other's calm companionship.

"Near, are you afraid of death?" you asked, staring up at the white popcorn ceiling.

"No," he answers.

The wind howled outside and pushed the curtains to flow in obscure directions in the room. It was ignored between you and Near.

"The sentiment of not knowing what will transpire when I'm not here is what I'm more fearful of," you admit. Although it was said that you were melancholy as your life came to an end, you didn't perceive it that way. You understood this to mean that while you were accepting your reality, everyone else was not. However, Near didn't make you feel absurd.

Near maintains silence while listening to you. To be honest, Near doesn't have much to say—at least not anything significant.

Raindrops flickered into the room from outside the window as they paddled onto the ground. Outside the window, you can see the kids hurrying inside as the rain started ferociously pouring onto the fields.

You sighed, "I'm worried for Mello; I don't know how he'll react after my death; he already has a lot going on with Matt, the mafia, and the Kira case." You hated to be another burden on his cluttered plate.

"He would allow his sentiments to get the better of him," Near predicted. He then set the last dice on the top before making the tower fall all over again. "It's quite effortless to predict Mello," he claimed.

You nodded. "I'm sure he will, though, what would you do after I die, Near?" you wondered out loud; not anticipating a literal response. However, to your wonder, Near answered. 

"Continue to investigate the Kira case," he said.

The Kira Phenomenal. It was covered extensively in the press, both in Asia and internationally. Kira was a difficult foe who presented more questions than possible answers. A case that could not solely be solved with just logic. The incident that killed L.

"Why are you here anyway? You should be working the case and not frittering your time here," you inform him.

Near twirled his locks. "I...think more reasonably when I'm with you, _____," he confesses before repeating the process of piling his dice. As long as the rain outside falls, the dice tower will continue to crumble. 

Hearing him call you by your true name and say something so delightful makes you beam. For him, it was uncommon, so you cherished it. 

"I'm also at peace when I'm with you, Near. So...I'm not as afraid of the aftermath of death when you're still here."

"Perhaps...you're sentimentally cynical," Near said.

REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED

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[incorrect-hgs]

Parnelle: The worst thing about being immortal would be...

Parsley: Outliving your family and friends?

Parnelle: The bacteria inside you evolving into dinosaurs and bursting out...

Source: Litterbox Comics

^

[plants-in-the-clay]

I met two kittens today

Warm and soft and floppy

Obsessed with the little red dot

And a paper bag on the floor

And I thought about how new they were

In this world of newness

And how some of the oldest things

Are still here

Like the ginkgo

Older than most animals and insects

Outliver of dinosaurs

Much much older than kittens

And still just an ordinary tree

On an ordinary street

With leaves that turn yellow every autumn

And flutter down for tiny kittens to play with

And stick to the sidewalk like every other tree