#PathWalk

[reikomakoto]

Sure, maybe going for a walk around the neighborhood won't fix mine or the world's problems, but with the sun on my skin and the wind in my hair it is easier to not feel so doomed.

[km-pic]

"In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous." — Aristotle

Sometimes, the most profound lessons come from the smallest teachers. This beetle, journeying across the forest floor, embodies the persistence and resilience found in every corner of nature. May it inspire us to embrace the strength and determination required to walk our paths, no matter how rugged.

[primediscipleofthekingofthieves]

Gazyrs, brigandine with a long overskirt, nice hand and a half sword, sensible boots, fun cloak, cool knife, skull for a face. All the marks of a proper knight.

The Warden by Manilyn Toledana

[awrkive]

Wer is grumpy jk! We badly need it 😫😭

summary: you and jungkook are getting closer, moving forward – but to where, exactly? what does that entail for your relationship? 

w/c: 3.3k

note: this is for all the girlies who asked for part 2 for this drabble. nothing but fluff in here ): ive been thinking abt college jk lately and i lowkey like this grumpy!jk guy… basically this takes place two months after the first drabble u may read this amm for grumpy!jk for a brief bg on what their relationship has become before u go read this parr. anyway the ending is a bit diabolical and im saying sorry in advance

also pls listen to come here by kath bloom, its literally so them 😮‍💨😖

It’s almost natural the way Jungkook immediately slings his backpack on one shoulder, heads straight out of the lecture hall, and starts the almost ten-minute walk from his department building to yours the moment his last class for the day was dismissed. 

He waits outside by the hallway along the lecture room, scrolling through his phone mindlessly, knowing that any minute now you’ll be coming out of the door. 

And just as a slew of students’ chattering becomes louder, their heavy footsteps coming out from the hall, Jungkook instantly spots you; talking to a friend animatedly – Joy, maybe? – before you look to the other side and finally see him. 

“Jungkook!” You exclaim with excitement, smiling up at him and even doing a little wave. Jungkook watches as you turn to your friend. “Sorry, I gotta go. Zoom meeting at five, right?” He hears you say before she nods, bidding your goodbyes to each other before she goes in the opposite direction while you saunter towards him with that usual dashing grin on your face. 

Jungkook meets you halfway, lips curling up slightly at your enthusiastic greeting. Even more so when you don’t fight off the way he goes for your tote bag, taking it off your shoulder and wearing it on his own, the weight not adding that much to his own bag perched on his back. 

He remembers the first time he tried to do it (awkwardly, might he add), and you vehemently refused. But Jungkook can be persistent sometimes when he wants to, and eventually you gave up trying to resist.

Currently, as you walk along the hallway out of your building, standing close together, Jungkook tries not to think too much about how easy this feels. Like it’s normal the way you immediately interlock your arm around his own, skipping a little bit upon your walk as you begin speaking.

“You really did cut your hair.” You marvel at him when he looks down at you. And he can’t help it; the blood rushing to his cheeks and certainly on his ears. 

“I sent you a picture.” He simply says. It was yesterday. He originally went to his barber for just a trim but he remembers you saying something about a particular actor’s haircut… and look, it’s not like he was trying to look like that man but it may have influenced the decision a little bit… 

Anyway, he thinks it looks okay on him. He trusts his barber and Hoseok said it suits him. From your response, you also said it looks nice. 

And you tell him so. “I like it! You look so good. Especially with this frame!” You point to his eyeglasses, smiling up at him. “I was thinking you were just sending me a random picture last night.” 

Jungkook chuckles. “I wasn't, and uh, thank you.”

“You're welcome. Anyway,” you say, “Did you wait for long earlier? Sorry ‘bout that. Prof. Shin had to extend a little bit ‘cause there were a lot of questions about our new project.” 

“You have a new project?”

“Yeah, but nothing really heavy. Just a hotel lobby interior design. We got a week and it’s a paired task thing, that’s why you saw me with Joy earlier—”

He sees a flock of students ahead huddling by your side of the pathwalk, and because you have a tendency to not really pay that much attention to your surroundings, he takes you by the waist slightly to avoid bumping with them, causing you to stumble closer to him. 

You crane your neck to look behind you for a moment, gaze falling back up to Jungkook with widened eyes. “Sorry.” you say with a jutted lip and a little frown. 

“It’s okay.” Jungkook says with a reassuring smile. He means it. He likes being close like this and if you don’t watch your surroundings, he’ll just do it for you. He doesn’t mind. 

You grin. “Anyway… I was saying, it’s a hotel interior. But! The thing is, it’s a themed hotel, which I’m really excited about ‘cause I’m tired of designing contemporary, luxury ones. They always tend to be so redundant.” 

Jungkook nods. “I think so too. What’s the themed hotel about?” 

“Have you heard of a film called Metropolis?” He shakes his head. You nod at that. “Well, yeah, me neither. At least a week ago. Prof gave it to us as an assignment and it’s a silent film from the ‘20s. A sci-fi tale, so very futuristic – at least for that time. So that’s the theme of the hotel, right, and Joy and I immediately thought of art deco.” 

Jungkook intently listens as you go on about your initial ideas, and he doesn’t even have to worry about the terms he doesn’t understand because you always take time to explain it to him in layman’s. It’s funny, really, because ever since he’s learned that you study interior design and started to talk to him about it, he found himself taking interest in it as well. Two months ago, he couldn't have given a single care about a couple named Charles and Ray Eames and their weird chair called La Chaise, but here he is, anyway.

Maybe it’s because of the way you so passionately talk about it. Your zeal oozes out so much when it comes up as the topic of conversation, and there’s always been something about you that pulls people right in. And Jungkook’s at peace with himself now that he’s just one of those people. 

He’s willing to be pulled right in, anyway. You don’t exactly make it hard to. 

And Jungkook finds that the newfound dynamic between you two isn’t… so bad. He finds excitement at the prospect of seeing you after his classes are concluded, going to Fro-yo for a quick snack because you’re obsessed with it, and studying together at his place later in the day.

A lot of people would say he’s making up for all the times he’s ignored you. The times when he pretended to not care about you. The times when he was just unprovokedly mean and treated you the way he regrets now. And sure, it may have started that way. Ever since your Environmental Science project was finished and the term was over, Jungkook started to feel like he couldn’t go back to the life where you weren’t within his perimeter. Couldn’t imagine you both being back to – practically – regular strangers, so he just… opened up to you more.

He shares his own stories now. Tells you about his day after you do so, and invites you to Fro-yo and other cafes and restaurants around campus whenever your schedules align. 

And maybe at first it was, indeed, because he was trying to make up for his past behavior – but that may have only been what he convinced himself of for the first few weeks. When the week stretched into months and the months suddenly involved you doing sleepovers at his place whenever his roommate, Hoseok, is not around, Jungkook is starting to question himself if this is all still about simply making it up to you. 

Because frankly, he’s starting to feel like it's a little more than that.

He’s not just buying you frozen yogurt and helping you with any assignment (that requires his silly and minuscule math and science expertise) and letting you borrow and keep his hoodies and shirts whenever you sleep over because he’s trying to make up for the past – he’s doing all of these because he genuinely enjoys your company and would like to do more for you… with you… to you… and just… just more. 

He wants more with you. 

And every single day is a daunting battle for his internal mullings. 

Because he knows he’s been stupid all this time not to realize right away that he’s got romantic feelings for you. That his confusion when it comes to you didn't come from the reason that you were extremely extroverted and had way too much energy – it was that those things made him like you and his little heart and brain couldn’t comprehend any of it the way he can easily wrap his head around math equations and concepts.

But he keeps himself on the sidelines. Thinks about keeping himself there until he’s sure of what you truly think about. 

You’re always nice to him. But you’re kind of nice to everybody… so that gets him a little twisted.

On Monday, when you were supposed to hang out – when you usually sleep over at his place, you bailed on him to study with Jae, as per Taehyung's words, your mutual friend.

He just can’t tell if the way you treat him is different to the way you treat everyone else, and that’s what’s been on his mind lately. 

“Oh, Kookie,” you say as soon as Jungkook takes out his keys, going for his keyfob when you arrive at the parking area. He looks at you in question, completely ignoring the way his heart flutters a little at the nickname. He kind of hates it, thinks it's too childish when other people call him that – but with you it sounds so much like an endearment, so he doesn't protest. You press your lips into a thin line before you say, “I can’t go to Fro-yo today. Joy and I agreed to have a zoom meeting later to start conceptualizing.” 

“Oh,” Jungkook blinks. “Rain check?” 

You pout. “Yeah.” 

“You can do it at my place? Hoseok’s doing an all-nighter with his study group, so he won’t be there ‘til the morning.”

“But I didn’t bring my laptop today.”

With furrowed brows, Jungkook steps closer to you. “It’s alright. We can drive to your place, get your laptop then go to mine,” he smiles. “Sleepover?” 

Jungkook doesn’t want to toot his own horn but he may have seen your face light up at that. But it comes off easily and he begins to worry.

“I want to, but I don’t want to impose.” You say. 

Instantly, Jungkook’s forehead creases. “You won’t be imposing.” When he sees that you’re about to decline again, he lets out a, “Please?” 

At that, you stop. You stare at him for a moment. 

“Uh…” you trail off. “You sure? Are you not busy tonight?”

He shakes his head. “I’ll probably start on an assignment so we can be both busy–” you nudge his arm at that, laughing. “– but other than that, no. I’ll cook us something. Or do you want to get take-out instead?” 

“I’d really, really appreciate your black bean noodles tonight.” You muse, looking at him like he holds the stars in the sky. With you gazing up at him like that, how can he say no?

“I think we have the ingredients in the fridge. Black bean noodles it is, then.” Jungkook says before you’re muffling your own squeal in your excitement, saying your little delighted “thank you” when Jungkook ushers you in the passenger seat after opening it for you. 

He rounds the car before he settles on his side, and when he starts the engine, he can’t help but smile slightly at the way you lean comfortably on your seat, as if you’re so used to being in his car – which you are.

And Jungkook finds he likes that. He likes you that way; being used to being around him. 

“You’re done?” Jungkook looks up from his computer, seeing you doing some arm stretches and leaning into his gaming chair to do it on your neck as well. 

“Yep.” 

“Then come here already.” He shuts his laptop close, places it on the bedside table, and pats the space on the mattress next to him. 

It’s nearly 10pm and your zoom meeting with Joy went for nearly 4 hours. You got on it immediately after you two ate your dinner, and like clockwork, asked to borrow one of Jungkook’s shirts because your top was getting a little too uncomfortable on your body. You’ve both already showered – separately, of course – and that’s one of the many things that Jungkook smiles about when he enters his bathroom sometimes. Because the fact that you shower in his bathroom means your essentials are slowly making a space for themselves in his own place; the yellow cup holder of your toothbrush sits next to his blue one, and a bottle of your moisturizer is also in his lavatory cabinet. 

“‘M so tired” You let yourself fall on the mattress, bouncing a little on it face down, sprawling across the bed like some starfish, your other hand landing on Jungkook’s abdomen. 

“Meeting went well?” Jungkook asks, and he’s a little disappointed when you remove an arm on him, but that’s okay, because soon you’re leaning sidewards to properly look at him and it makes him smile to see you so cozy like this. Barefaced and in his shirt. 

“Yeah, we got some work done,” You say. Jungkook watches as you try to get comfortable on your side of the bed. “I think I’m sleepy now.” 

“Yeah?” He follows after you, and he doesn’t hide his huge smile when you go and turn your back to him immediately after he slides his arm under your neck, spooning you from behind. Snuggling closer to him, Jungkook wraps his other arm around your waist and lets out a contented sigh against the back of your head. “My first class is at one thirty pm tomorrow.” 

“I have one at eight am. Then the next one is at ten.” 

“Tough.” 

“I know… I wish I didn’t enlist in morning classes.” 

He chuckles, closing his eyes as he starts to feel that familiar lull of sleep dancing behind his eyes. But truth be told, he doesn’t want to give into that just yet.

“You were with Jae on Monday?” He asks, carefully treading through the subject. It’s Thursday now. It's not like Jungkook’s a jealous guy… it just kind of threw him off a little, because you didn’t tell him you were with Jae. 

“Uh… yeah?” Jungkook feels you freezing in his arms. “How’d you know?” 

“Taehyung told me.” 

“Oh.” He can practically hear the wince. “He has such a big mouth.” You say drily. 

That earns you a laugh from Jungkook. But he decides to take down the jokes for a more honest and open conversation with you tonight. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” It’s not accusatory. It’s soft and gentle, the way he asks it, with his thumb rubbing the exposed skin of your hip due to the hem of your – his – shirt riding up. 

Your answer takes awhile. 

“I was… getting help with estimates.” 

“... Okay,” Jungkook tightens his hold around you, growing confused. “But I’m really good with estimates. I could’ve helped you.” It was easy math for him. And you never shied away from asking him for help before… why now?

“Well, he offered.” 

Jungkook’s brows crease deeper. “That’s not…" he trails off, then continues, "You know you can ask me for anything, right? Jae’s not even on the dean's list. How’d you know he’s teaching you the right stuff?”  

Silence hangs in the air before Jungkook hears your laughter. Shuffling in his arms, Jungkook loosens his hold around you to let you turn to him. When he sees your face, there's a huge grin on it.

“He’s not even on the dean’s list?” You sound intrigued.

Jungkook assumed you were curiously speaking, and so he nods, looking into your eyes seriously. “He isn’t. Look, I’m not saying–” when he notices your smile only getting wider by the second, he realizes you’re just trying to fuck with him, so Jungkook cuts himself off, letting out a sigh. “I’m sorry. I sound like an asshole.”

You scoot closer until both the front of your bodies are stuck. Jungkook tries not to think too much whether you’re wearing a bra underneath his shirt or not. 

You shake your head. “Not really. I believe you’re way smarter than him.” 

“Then why come to him and not me?” 

You stare at him for a moment, then you let out a heavy breath. “I just feel like you’re doing so many things for me nowadays. You were also really busy on Monday– don’t deny it–” you say before he opens his mouth to oppose that. He shuts his lips close, listening to you go on instead. “– and I was just being considerate. Jae offered because we saw and sat next to each other at the library, and I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to disturb you.” 

Jungkook blinks, processing your words. After a pregnant pause, he slowly nods, still dumbstruck. 

“Ah… okay. I understand.” he says, embarrassment slowly filling his system. 

You smile at him. Playfully. “Sorry for asking help from someone who’s not on the dean’s list.” Jungkook drops his expression into a poker face at that, which makes you laugh even more. You nibble on your bottom lip before you stretch your hand to his cheek and pinch it. He doesn’t bother dodging your hand. With a giggle, you say, “Sorry, sorry. That was just so funny. You’re so funny without even trying sometimes, you know?” 

“Not really.” Jungkook says and you can tell the tell-tale signs of his grumpiness starting to kick in.

What he doesn’t expect is the way you suddenly squeal and launch yourself on top of him, causing him to lie fully on his back with you sprawled all over his body, hugging him tight and burying your face in his chest. 

“You’re so cuddly and warm. Can we stay like this for awhile?” You break away from his chest and look at him from a low angle. 

Jungkook meets your gaze. 

Sure, you’ve been cuddling (platonically) all these past few months – but they never went to this length. And he’s not sure what the difference is, anyway – just that you’re much closer like this and Jungkook can feel everything. Still, that doesn’t deter him from wrapping his arms around your waist, slightly locking you in the position. Quite frankly, he doesn’t even want you to move. 

“Alright.” Is his simple answer. Not like he needed to think about it.

“I’ll sleep now, okay?” But you don’t wait for his response before you lay on his chest again with your cheek pressed on his hoodie.

Because the moment just feels right somehow, Jungkook lets his hand wander on your head. Then slowly, he lets his fingers comb through the strands of your hair, tentatively at first, lest you didn’t want him touching you or something like that – but once he hears a sound akin to a purr coming from you, he continues and finds himself getting comforted by the action as well. 

“The Jae thing really bothered you?” You ask suddenly, not breaking away from the position you’ve assumed on top of his body. But your words are slightly slurred in the haze of sleep.

Jungkook hums. “Yes.” 

“Sorry for not telling you myself.” 

“It’s okay,” Jungkook reassures you. His gaze falls to the ceiling, hand still caressing your hair. The surface is empty, and there’s not really much going on. Meanwhile, in your own bedroom, you have those glow in the dark star stickers pasted on your white ceiling. He’s never slept over there, but he thinks it would be nice to lay under your makeshift galaxy with your homely scent surrounding the two of you. “Are you not gonna ask why I was bothered?” He says after a beat. 

“I was gonna. But I think I know.” You answer, and Jungkook doesn’t expect that one bit.

He stops his ministrations on your hair, and it’s obvious that you’re about to question it when you suddenly peel your face away from his chest again. 

When you do, Jungkook meets your gaze and with a leveled tone, he asks the question he’s been mulling about for the past two months.

“__, what are we?” 

[lauraivancie]

Saturday, March 4th, 2023 @Earth Space PDX!

Come see HP Music's Showcases hosted by Jessie Starr at EARTH Space PDX Featuring Local Pacific Northwest Soulfolk Artists, Singer Songwriters, Musicians, Poets, Spoken Word Alchemists, and more! This is a Mixed Media Event like no other! 

~ Opening Acts ~

7 PM - Jessie Starr 

7:30 PM - David Harris 

~ Showcasing ~

8:00-9:00 PM - Laura Ivancie 

Performing with the lead guitar stylings of Mark Bowden, we will be integrating David Long's Light Painting, to create a truly unique and immersive experience! 

Enjoy a bath of light and sound, where you are sure to laugh, might just cry, and definitely gonna feel a deeper connection with your soul and with the community around you!

Tickets in advance are $15 $20 at the Door

Let's come together on Saturday Night!

www.healingpathwalkers.com/hp-music/showcases

Earth Space PDX

4135 SE Gladstone St.

Portland, OR 97202

(503) 970-2947

Earthspacepdx@gmail.com

[3jane-rosen]

platonic tumblr bot spam messages be like

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[lemmetreatya]

tennis player!nanami whos so fucking determined to win his local majors, but even more grateful that he has a friendly opponent who's always willing to allow themselves to be what he matches himself up to.

but one thing tennis player!nanami knows about himself was that he was a man of great will but one of little resistance. when he thinks about it, tennis player!nanami believes your only flaw is that you were always so willing to use a person's weakness to your advantage — even if it meant losing at the extent of yourself.

how you'd bend a certain way when picking up stray balls, or the way you'd lean over the tennis net to taunt him to do better, or even how you refuse to wear the usual skorts, and always opted for wearing shortless tennis skirts when playing doubles against him. tennis player!nanami knew it was all a ploy but he struggles to deny it.

but one day, tennis player!nanami realises that he's had enough.

dusk had long gone and the usual park audience had trickled home. it left only you and tennis player!nanami underneath the darkening evening sun — the court only seeable via the lamps that dotted the pathwalks. the two of you had been playing sets all day but tennis player!nanami just hasnt been able to win. lose after lose after lose, so much so that tennis player!nanami aggressively slams his tennis racket against the tarmac with a loud ‘fuck’, the blonde man instantly walking away from the pitch just so you knew that his outburst wasn’t directly aimed at you.

but with a sweaty yet excited grin, you try and catch your breath as you place one hand on your hips and spin your racket in the other.

"come on, ken! you giving up already?"

and tennis player!nanami groans into his hand because he knows you're taunting him. he knows you're trying to gauge an exemplary reaction out of him but he’s savvy, he’s cunning, he thinks he’s better.

“i’m not giving up.” he says before beckoning you to his position off court. and stupidly you follow through because you’re so unaware of the darkening cloud that grows over his face.

“well, it kinda looks like you are to me!” you gleam.

but the smirk is quickly wiped off your face once tennis player!nanami lightly wraps his hand around your neck and pins you to the court cage as he hungrily captures your lips between his.

and its all so hot, very hot, because you can feel tennis player!nanami’s dick print press against your thigh and hiked skirt whilst his other hand fondles its way up your tennis vest. but as he subjects you to a lack of his resistance, all you can think to yourself is ‘finally’.

tennis player!nanami ends up viciously fucking you against the court cage, the unoiled cricketing against the pressure of the high fence no match for the loud slaps and moans that the two of you shared during sex. his core strength allowed him to hold you up against the cage as he pistoned his cock in and out of your easy-access cunt.

and it’s animalistic how tennis player!nanami almost growls upwards at the appearing moon, his stamina keeping him going way longer for someone who’s just been playing tennis for the past hour or two. the both of you moan into the others mouth, spit slicked lips and wet sexes — you’re sure you’ve never felt this full whilst this moist.

"i'll walk you home." tennis player!nanami says as he pulls his tennis shorts over his cock. you were well spent, still out of breath, but definitely in the mood to keep going — you’re not even sure where your knickers went.

"you don't even know where i live."

tennis player!nanami only huffs as he goes to pick up his, and your duffel bags, by the racket net. he slings them both over his shoulders with little to no care of your objection.

"don't need to, you're coming to mine." tennis player!nanami makes an effort to turn round and give you a look that signalled to hurry up. "we've still to finish what we've started."

[meatycube]

the pathwalker class. more coming.

[ccaptain]

Scrap everything I tentatively wrote about Kaeya's H:SR verse. I got it now.

Drafts and ideas for Kaeya's H:SR verse:

KAEYA ALBERICH, THAT CURIOUS FRIENDLY FELLOW YOU FEEL HE'S HIDING SOMETHING BUT HE'S ALSO KINDA?

Traveling from planet to planet, it's almost certaint that one will stumble into a cobalt-haired individual that will help them through their journey at zero cost, and never seems to want to part from his newly found friends. He's always happy to help.

However friendly and charming he may be, Kaeya hides a secret...

He has been appointed as an Emanator of Enigmata; he summons Mythos's power to alter, manipulate or outright fog away any knowledge he can find of his home in every planet he visits

His work has been consistent and by now most people who are in the known about his homeplanet are starting to forget how it was destroyed, and if said planet ever existed in the first place.

The destruction of his home planet was due to its inhabitants discovering some sort of forbidden knowledge harmful for the Aeons and trying to abuse it to their gain. This attracted either a pissed off Nanook's gaze or the gaze of many equally as pissed Aeons; as a result, the destruction of the planet was so absolute, and it has affected so many planets nearby for such a long time, that informations about it were seized by Remembrance, Preservation and in some cases even Erudition pathwalkers and restricted to particular planets in order to preserve the knowledge of this planet's existence and history

However, Mythos (aeon of Enigmata) and the History Fictionologists thought that keeping records of what happened to the planet was harmful, as history tends to repeat itself almost unconsciously, and the forbidden knowledge could resurface once more. Thus, Mythos found a survivor of the planet that was willing to go through hardships and loops to bury the harmful knowledge that his planet had abused, and due to their aligned goals and sensing his determination, cast their gaze on him and allowed Kaeya to tap into their power, making him an Emanator of Enigmata

Kaeya's eye is covered by an eyepatch to hide the heritage of his long lost planet; a mismatched golden eye with a black sclera. To anyone curious about it, he tells them the story of how a beast attacked him and clawed out his eye and he'd rather not expose the gore left of it. True to his words, there's elaborate layer of scars and make-up covering his real eye. The promise and sight of a gruesome story often turns most of them away

He usually wears gloves to cover his hands as a precaution; his bare touch is enough to start altering history and memories related to his planet, and under certains circumstances, of his own presence as well

He often disguises himself as a pathstrider of Erudition as an addictional insult to them, and occasionally of Nihility, in order to avoid detection and uncomfortable questions should one ever grow suspicious of him

Despite his ''occupation'', Kaeya prefers a more pacific approach to solving things; he's still a pragmatist and would rather talk things out than start a fight. He's silver tongued and has talked himself out of trouble more than once, instead of simply erasing traces of himself from one's memory and bolting

Tying to the above headcanon, Kaeya doesn't act out of maliciousness, nor he's evil; he acts out of worry that the same knowledge his home planet once discovered will resurface and be abused again. If to avoid another intergalactical catastrophe he has to carry out the mission to manipulate history, he will do it- and then, when all is sufficiently muddied, he'll be able to rest and enjoy a peaceful life. This is his goal. And it's a lonely path to walk.

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 141. brb x oc

a/n: I had a good time with my dad...it was good to take this break. Thank you for everyone who messaged me and checked on me, really, you guys are incredible and I couldn't thank you guys enough. Kinda short because of shitty connection but I hope you guys like it. Smut coming soon(reblogs and comments are super encouraged <3)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

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(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

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-

“So this is your school.”

“...it was.”

He sounded disappointed, with reason considering his high school looked…nothing like he remembered. He holds onto the front gates with his brows low, eyes moving at every corner he could find, hoping to see something that was similar to his brain, something that could wrack his memory. “They removed the old gym,” he mutters, pressing his face harder against the iron bars and squinting under the gentle falling now “And built it so much farther from the school building. Look,” he couldn’t even put his arm through the bars to show it to Beatrice but his wife approached him with Nicole nonetheless.

“That…gray building was your gymnasium?”

“It was rich green back then,” he mutters “They painted for St.Patrick’s day in 1956 and never changed it…until now I guess…at least the tree is still there and they added a pathwalk around it.”

“It wasn’t there before?”

“No, it was just fuckin’ hard earth.” he chuckles as he reminisces, “And some grass that looked like someone just spat it on the ground…” he walks to the left a bit, trying to see more of the glass doors that were covered with cards and ‘Merry Christmas’ signs on it…alongside a large vinyl illustration that Beatrice had to squint her eyes to see better.

“Is that a bobcat?”

“Yeah, we used to call him Bob but I’m sure that wasn’t his name.” he frowns more, “They gave him a goatee, that’s terrible.”

Beatrice felt a bit bad because of Rooster’s constant disappointment in showing her about his past, when in reality it was actually really fun. Their schools weren’t that different, except, well, hers didn’t have a tree…and the gym wasn’t that big…and of course the school building had two floors and the basement of her school was haunted but it was still good! She approached her husband, keeping Nicole wrapped inside her jacket and smiled up at him, “You are pouting.” she giggles, seeing that he immediately pouted more, “Roos, things change, I mean, it’s been over ten years since you’ve been here,right?”

“I mean,yeah.”

“It’s okay honey,” she kisses his covered shoulder, then his jawline, “I still like your school…did you have fun here?”

“I did.” he pauses, “A little.I got in a lot of trouble here too. I fought,” he sputters, “I don’t know, half of the bullies? No one bothered me once I started working out. I know most of my teachers hated that I did that…’You are good boy Bradley’ ‘Don’t let your anger control you,Bradley’, my mom was called to school too often.”

“You mentioned that.”

“She did get mad.” he mumbles, eyelids lowering, “You know? She’d get mad at me, she’d scold me and we’d fight for a few seconds then we’d make up with ice cream or she’d take me to the movies…we never got really angry at each other for too long.” until that day after he was refused entry in the Navy. “...anyway, let’s move on.”

“Where to?”

“I can’t show you the inside because, well, it’s closed…I dunno if they’d even let me do it.” he murmurs, holding the bars tighter then pushing himself away with a light impulse, “We can take a walk around the park I used to go, but-” he looks up with a frown, “Maybe we should go back to the cabin, we spent a good chunk of time outside.”

Beatrice follows his gaze to see the clouds were getting darker and darker, meaning they’d better go back or else they’d be stuck in this area and wouldn’t be able to return. Nicole, who was just having a blast, bounced on Beatrice’s arms as they walked back to the car, making her father smile towards her once he opened the back door so Bea could latch her in, “I swear, she has so much energy for a six months old.”

“She does,” Nicole’s cute little ‘mama!’ when Beatrice kissed her and placed her on the seat made her mother laugh, “My mother said that if she’s like this now it means the terrible twos won’t be so bad.”

“Really?”

“Well,” she pushes the door closed,”She said the same about Sabrina and she set my nonna’s curtain on fire when she was one and a half.” she blinks at him, “And she was considered a ‘calm’ baby.”

Rooster didn’t know if he should be worried or surprised, then he chose to turn the subject towards Bea, “But you were a calm baby.”

“I was.”

“Did you ever set anything on fire?”

“No,” she giggles, “But I used to bring insects into the house, I especially loved ladybugs.” she heard him whisper a ‘of course you would’. “And…maybe I brought some birds, some…cats and dogs I found on the street, abandoned…the cats never stayed ‘cause Leo is allergic, but the dogs? The dogs did.”

Rooster chuckles, his chest moving for a brief second, “You’d do that, you are just a Disney princess in real life.” her cheeks immediately turn red, “Every day I think you’ll wake up singing and the birds will help you get ready.” he wiggles his fingers, the gloves creaking when he does so, “Like Cinderella–wait, no, Cinderella has a shitty family life…who’s the best one? Oh,I know, Belle.”

“Belle?”

“I had a crush on Belle.” he smirks, “What can I say? Brunettes are my one,” he steps closer, “And only,” his arms wrap around her waist and hers go around his neck, “Weakness…and if their names start with ‘B’?” he whistles lowly, “Don’t even get me started.”

Beatrice smiles at him even more, cupping his cheeks with her gloved hands and bringing their lips together in a repetitive flurry of kisses that left the two blushing harder, a mix of their own teenage like feelings and the cold, ‘We better get out of her before it gets too cold to move,Roos.”

“I agree…one more kiss tho.” he does kiss her one final time, loving how her cherry chapstick left its taste on his lips when he licked them, “Alright, atta girl.” he swats her ass cheek as she turns around, opening the passenger door for her and waiting until she was inside fully.

Bradley entered the car a few minutes before the snow intensified so he wasted no time  stalling, driving off from his school towards the cabin. It was quite a trek to go there, but it was fine, the snow was only getting stronger behind them so it was easy to reach the cabin without worries.

Well, of course it was much better to stay inside once the snow landed heavily on the roof and the outside turned one singular color instead of the different shades they were seeing before. Beatrice held Nicole to her chest, their daughter laughing happily when she saw the snow piling on the window, stretching her little arm towards the glass as if she wanted to touch it “Wow, good thing we left,Roos, look.”

“Yeah, it’s going to be bad,” he murmured,”The weather app said it’s a red alert for this region.”

Beatrice turned around with her eyes wide, panic in her green irises, “Wait, really?”

“Yep, but don’t worry,we’ll be okay. It won’t be as bad as the first time we got here.”

“Okay-” she was about to say more but she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket, pulling it out one handed to check who it was “...oh it’s Evelyn.”

“Yea?” he calls from the kitchen, ripping a cocoa packet open as soon as he poured the hot milk in his mug, “What does she want?”

Privacy, Beatrice thinks,”Just to talk…can you stay with Nikki for a bit?” he stops what he was doing and Bea has to chuckle at his boyish grin when he walks over to the two, picking Nicole from her arms and kissing her cheek over and over, “I’ll be right back.”

“Alright,” he didn’t want to pry but Beatrice left the living room area in a hurry, locking the door behind her once she reached the master bedroom, leaving her husband looking in the direction she disappeared into with a frown on his face.

Beatrice licked her lips once she was alone, then frowned, “Weird.” two missed calls…wasn’t it around seven in the morning in California? Beatrice blinked, then shook her head before pressing Evelyn’s name, almost jumping in surprise when her friend picked in the very first ring, ‘...Ev?’ she asks after a few minutes of silence.

“...hi,sorry for bothering you guys during your holiday week.”

“Um no, no it’s okay. What happened?”

Another pause, longer this time, “...I just wanted someone to talk to.” she whispered, “I’m in Jake’s family home in Texas.”

“Oh I didn’t know you were uh…traveling.”

“Me either.”

“...are you okay?”

Beatrice hears her friend sigh, then her feet walking around the room, “...I…I got kinda sick these past days, while we were here.” she explains, “And so I went to the doctor, a family friend of Jake’s…to…check.” Beatrice felt a cold claw coming up in her stomach, the fear palpable, “And see if the Pumpkin is okay.”

“...and?”

“He is okay.”

Beatrice sighed out in relief, almost falling on the floor but managing to do so by sitting on the bed, falling onto the mattress as she rubbed her forehead, “Oh thank God.” she whispered, “I’m so happy to hear that,Ev.”

“...Yeah.Me too…it was really fucking scary,Bea.” she says softly, “I thought–it was scary. The doctor told me it was normal, nothing to worry about, that it was because of the plane and the jetlag and whatnot…he said if it were twins it’d be much worse.”

Beatrice’s eyes snapped open, her body rigid, ‘...what?”

“Yeah, if it was twins and I was feeling like this,he said it’d be worse. I didn’t want him to elaborate as you know I wasn’t really in the mood to do it. It was just a random comment, nothing more.” but that made something within Beatrice panic. What does that mean? What sort of thing was she feeling? Should she be worried? What was she going to do? 

‘But…um…what exactly were you feeling?” what should she look for on the trip back?

“Just really heavy nausea, some headaches.My body hurt too, that was all I was feeling.”

“Ah…I see.”

Both of them remained silent for a second, then she hears Evelyn walk around again, “...Bea.”

“Yeah?”

“You got quiet.”

I’m worrying about the little beans inside of me so there’s a reason I’m worried but I don’t want you to worry “It’s nothing,Ev. I’m just…well,it’s scary. I didn’t know that it could happen.”

“The doctor said stress also fucks you up so…that could be why? I’ve been really tired ever since my parents found out about it.”

“Oh…I’m sorry Ev.”

“Oh it’s okay…I’m okay now.Jake’s mom is making me uh…I don’t know, something that smells nice and I didn’t want Jake to worry and I couldn’t call Shells because you know how she’d get.”

“Haha,yeah.” but her laugh sounds so nervous, she really didn’t need that right now…stress…stress causes a lot of things. So what should she do? What could she do? Maybe she should stay…quiet inside the room and not move at all- even if she planned things this week, hell even if Rooster had things planned- no, no she shouldn’t let the paranoia take over her especially since it’d be a good week…

Maybe she should tell Rooster later, he’d understand…right? Yeah, of course.

“Anyway,I’m sorry Bea…for the sudden call and message.”

“It’s totally okay,Ev.”

“...can I ask you something,though?”

“Sure,anything.”

“Do you think you can call your aunt? The witch lady?”

“...sure? Why?”

‘Just so maybe she can give me some tips on how to not freak out so much during my pregnancy,” she laughs “You know,I’m glad you already had Nikki, it’s a terrible feeling to have when you are pregnant, it really is.” she didn’t hear Beatrice’s hard swallow, “Anyway.I’m going to go now,I’ll talk to you soon okay?”

“Y-Yeah,sure! S-See you!” they end the call and Beatrice stays seated on the bed, mind running miles per minute before she sighs,rubbing her face with both hands, looking down at her phone for a few seconds…Only for then decide that maybe she should call her aunt now.

[rowonlgc]

         QUACKED UP        ( w. ) @lgcbk  

“byeongkwan, just the man i wanted to —” QUAAACK! rowon stops abruptly, his sights trailing to the yellow blob peeking out from under his foot. he shifts his heel. QUAAAaaak… oh, ancestors that be. it’s duck fury. he had stepped on duck fury. he scrambles to pick up the poor thing, quickly rubbing off all the mud and dirt from the squeaky companion that he’d gifted byeongkwan as a truce for cheating on a drinking game two fortnights ago.

... wait. something’s off. duck fury has always been dutifully attached to its owner. what is it doing, laying here several distances away? and what is byeongkwan doing, taking a nap in the middle of a pathwalk?

eyes narrowed, rowon makes his way over and nudges byeongkwan with his foot. no movement. he frowns and does it again, this time with more strength to turn him over. byeongkwan flops on his back like a dead fish. uh. “kwan. kwan.” he crouches down and shoves a finger under his friend’s nose. hm. without warning, rowon slaps him across the face. “hey.” another slap, harder. “hey.”

[thatringboy]

Now I’m so curious as to the Paths of the rwby characters omg. You said they’re gonna be mostly The Hunt, but that some are gonna change?

Yeah they’re all almost entirely The Hunt/the Path of their home nation with some exceptions.

For reference, Atlas follows Erudition, Mistral follows Harmony, Vale and Vacuo follow Hunt, White Fang follow Nihility, and the Grimm come from Propagation and Finality

Each character and their Path is what they are as of their most recent appearance in RWBY canon, whether that’s time of death, last scene, or as of the v9 epilogue. Some minor characters have not been included as I don’t believe they are necessarily Pathwalkers/forgot about them when this list was made. It’s safe to assume that any non-mentioned Huntsmen follow the Path of The Hunt

Additional note, the line in my post about there only being 4 Emanators in Remnant outside of Ozpin and Salem is still technically true as of the information that Ozpin knows. All other Emanators are mysteries to him and were not intentional. The wills of the Aeons is strange…

Team RWBY

Ruby Rose, The Hunt, wind

Weiss Schnee, The Erudition, ice

Blake Belladonna, The Harmony, formally Nihility, quantum 

Yang Xiao-Long, The Preservation, fire

Team JNPR -> ORNJ

Jaune Arc, The Preservation, physical 

Nora Valkyrie, The Destruction, lightning 

Pyrrha Nikos, The Hunt, physical 

Lie Ren, The Harmony, formerly The Hunt, physical

Oscar Pine, The Trailblaze, imaginary

Beacon Teachers

Ozpin, The Hunt, Emanator, formerly Permanence, Emanator, imaginary

Glynda Goodwitch, The Erudition, quantum

Bartholomew Oobleck, The Erudition, fire

Peter Port, The Erudition, physical 

Beacon Alumni

Qrow Branwen, The Preservation, quantum 

Raven Branwen, The Nihility, Emanator, quantum

Taiyang Xiao-Long, The Abundance, physical

Coco Adel, The Beauty, physical

Fox Alistair, The Hunt, physical

Velvet Scarlatina, The Hunt, imaginary

Yatsuhashi Daichi, The Hunt, formerly Remembrance, physical

Salem’s Circle

Salem, The Finality, Emanator, formerly The Propagation, Emanator, quantum 

Cinder, The Destruction, Emanator, fire

Leonardo Lionheart, The Finality, formally Harmony, physical

Mercury Black, The Finality, formerly Nihility, physical

Emerald Sustrai, The Nihility, imaginary

Hazel Rainhart, The Nihility, formerly Preservation, lightning 

Arthur Watts, The Finality, formerly Erudition, quantum

Tyrian Callows, The Finality, wind

Tock, The Finality, imaginary 

Atlas Citizens

James Ironwood, The Abundance, Emanator, formally Preservation, physical 

Winter Schnee, The Erudition, Emanator, ice

Clover Ebi, The Equilibrium, physical

Harriet Bree, The Equilibrium, physical 

Vine Zeki, The Equilibrium, imaginary

Elm Ederne, The Equilibrium, imaginary 

Marrow Amin, The Equilibrium, quantum

Robyn Hill, The Preservation, imaginary

May Marigold, The Preservation, quantum 

Fiona Thyme, The Preservation, imaginary 

Joanna Greenleaf, The Preservation, physical

Jacques Schnee, ew.

Willow Schnee, The Erudition, ice

Penny Polendina, The Erudition, Emanator, ice, formerly physical

The White Fang

Adam Taurus, The Nihility, fire

Ghira Belladonna, The Harmony, physical

Kali Belladonna, mother of Blake

Illia Amitola, The Trailblaze, formerly The Nihility, lightning

Fennec and Corsac Albain, The Nihility, fire & wind

These Two

Roman Torchwick, The Elation, physical 

Neo Politan, The Elation, Emanator, quantum 

Team SSSN -> SSSNN

Sun Wukong, The Trailblaze, imaginary

Scarlet David, The Hunt, wind

Sage Ayana, The Hunt, physical

Neptune Vasilias, The Preservation, lightning 

Nolan Porfirio, The Hunt, lightning

Other Huntsmen

Arslan Atlan, The Hunt, physical 

Bolin Hori, The Hunt, physical

Reese Chloris, The Hunt, quantum

Nadir Shiko, The Hunt, physical 

Brawnz Ni, The Hunt, physical 

Roy Stallion, The Hunt, physical 

May Zedong, The Hunt, physical 

Nebula Violette, The Hunt, physical 

Dew Gayle, The Hunt, wind 

Gwen Darcy, The Hunt, physical 

Octavia Ember, The Hunt, fire

Maria Calavera, The Hunt, Emanator, quantum

Book Only

Carmine Esclados, The Beauty, wind

Bertilak Celadon, The Nihility, physical

If you’ve got any further questions about this AU, feel free to send them my way!!

[papermonkeyism]

Now that I'm back on my pathwalking bullshit, you'd think not having snow anymore to obscure tracks and set traps, and with dark of the night not really being a thing anymore would mean there's no more shenanigans

Today's episode includes such classics as

How to wipe spider webs off your face when you're not allowed to touch your nose because you walked through four different ones in a row

Ah, I see mosquitoes are back, and they enjoy my favourite routes too

And

*coming from the grocery store* "Oh, a path! Wonder where this one leads" and then an hour later remembering you bought cheese from the grocery store and you probably should have gotten it home and into the fridge half an hour ago.

[riathedreamer]

So I went to town today, heading for my fave shop, and on the wide pathwalk, there's this guy with a baby carriage heading toward me. So I move a bit to the left so he will have an easier time passing me, but he suddenly swerves and goes right in my direction. So I figure we are doing that weird dance you do when you both try to get out of the way but end up just continuing to block each other's path. So I swerve right, and he gets even closer but also goes right, so I look up, get eye-contact, then step to the left again and he does the same! And the guy is basically running me over with the carriage when he goes "What is wrong with you, Ria?"

And then I recognized the voice.

Anyway, turns out the guy is my brother with my nephew. He wasn't wearing glasses or a hat or anything. It's not like it'd be weird seeing him here either, we live in the same city. I saw him ten days ago.

I made freaking eye-contact without recognizing him and thought "what is wrong with this stranger".

I am faceblind, and I've been aware for years, and yep, it does make life so much more chaotic.

[unhallowedrp]

SUBPLOTS PART ONE.

Each  of  our  subplots  contains  a  matching  wanted  ad  to  accompany  it!  We  have  a  total  of  6  subplots  currently  open,  and  1  closed  until  further  game  development.

01.  THE  PATH  WALKERS  .  .  .  DO  THE  GATES  CONTINUE?

The  Forest  of  Spores  has  always  been  off-limits.  However,  a  pocket  full  of  communities  isolated  themselves  from  the  outside  world.  Bound  by  steel  gates  rising  six  feet  tall, keeping  grey  broken  fingers  and  hanging  maws  from  their  flesh, the  villages  divided  themselves  up  into  several  smaller  villages.  Although  each  village  operated  independently,  they  were  still  a  cooperative  unit,  utilizing  the  gated  paths  to  trade  material  and  crops  that  others  lacked.  If  one  village  fell,  another  would  take  in  their  survivors  to  ensure  prosperity.  However,  slowly  over  the  last  few  years,  the  gates  and  paths  attaching  each  village  have  been forbidden  for  exploration. Kept  under  lock  and  key,  they  started  to  rust  with  disuse,  and  any  communication  from  the  neighboring  villages  went  completely  silent.  One  village, The  Path, has  stood  tall. "We're  the  last  ones  left," their  Sisterhood  proclaimed,  their  towering  chapel  dominating  the  horizon. "It's  best  we  start  acting  like  it." But  those  who  remember  when  the  villages  were  first  constructed  also  remember  strength  in  unity.  The  gates  were  a  safety  measure,  not  an  opportunity  for  isolation.  Without  it,  the  village  suffered. Despite  some  murmured  disagreement,  The  Path  operated  under  the  leadership  of  the  Sisterhood,  and  the  gates  remained  guarded. "To  open  them  is  a  death  sentence," they  told  them  all, "God  can  only  protect  us  within  our  own  village." A  large  majority  of  the  community  took  their  word  for  law,  attributing  their  survival  to  how  the  Sisterhood  ran  The  Path.  Others,  however,  saw  isolation  as  selfish,  power-hungry,  and  an  inevitable  damnation  of  their  village's  population.  Although  the  paths  have  been  forbidden,  any  who  dare  to  stray  too  close  are  punished,  and  a  select  few  have  started  to  group  and  question  what  happened  to  the  other  villages.  .  . One  group,  dubbing  themselves The  Path  Walkers  -  or  simply  The  Walkers  - have  formed  together  in  an  attempt  to  understand  what  the  Sisterhood  and  the  Guardianship  have  been  hiding. SUBPLOT ROLES: - Sister Agnes (Open, Jessica Lange) - The Sisterhood (0/8, Open) - Guardianship Leader (Open) - Guardianship (1/10, Open) - Pathwalker Leader (Open) - Pathwalkers (2/6, Open)

02.  BREAKING  NEWS:  MURDER  IN  RIVERWALK  TOWN!

Along  the  James  River,  a community  of  shanty  town  boats  put  along  from  month  to  month,  powered  by  generators,  solar  panels,  and  water-powered  electricity. Riverwalk  Town  established  itself  as  a  major  hub  of  commerce  in  central  Virginia,  capable  of  sustaining  its  community  due  to  its  unique  homestead.  Unlike  most  settlements,  Riverwalk  Town  migrates  up  and  down  the  James  River,  and  only  trusted  traders  are  given  their  new  location,  visitors  arriving  by  word  of  mouth.  Their  boats  and  shore  living  meant  less  infected  and  for  the  most  part,  they  remained  neutral  to  those  around  them.  However.  .  .  not  all  agree  with  the  direction  Riverwalk  Town  has  taken. While  the  boat  town  has  prided  itself  on  its  neutrality  and  long-standing  democracy,  the  council  composed  of  elected  individuals,  some  have  taken  issue  with  the  way  operations  have  run  and  the rumor  of  corruption. Lately,  more  and  more  violence  has  erupted  and  been  promptly  swept  under  the  rug,  Riverwalk  Town  appealing  to  the  militarized  (and  tyrannical)  power  of  the  Richmond  Safe  Zone.  The  primary  paper, Sweller  Scrolls, has  kept  the  headlines  squeaky  clean,  while  the  opposing  and  more  obscure  paper, The  River  Run, attempts  to  bring  attention  to  the  state  of  the  community. 'The  settlement  used  to  be  a  prime  hub  of  job  opportunity  and  supplies,  and  yet,  the  prices  have  since  surged  and  jobs  have  been  unfairly  distributed.' One  journalist  wrote. Protests  have  been  squashed  with  a  heavy  hand.  The  councilmen  who  enact  the  law  have  been  repeatedly  re-elected,  though  there  are  rumors  that  it  is  less  an  election  and  more  the  result  of  bribery.  When  democratic  practices  were  met  with Mayor  Sturgill  Atkins' attempts  to  deny  the  declining  state  of  Riverwalk,  matters  were  escalated.  No  one  can  say  for  sure  who  murdered  the  man,  only  that  his  body  was  located  under  a  mass  of  Swellers  at  the  edge  of  the  boat  town.  Members  of  the  council  claim  it  was  committed  by  a  settlement  that  has  lost  its  way  and  must  be  changed  -  while  others  wonder  if  the  death  of  the  mayor  was  just  another  power  grab.  An  emerging  and  neutral  councilman  was  placed  as  acting  mayor  as  the  upcoming  election  loomed.  .  .  his  smile  charismatic  and  words  promising  a  brighter  future. SUBPLOT ROLES: - Acting Mayor Vincent Shepard (Open, David Morrisey) - Sweller Scrolls Editor (Open) - River Run Editor (Taken) - Council Members (0/4, Open)

Stay tuned for part two. . .

[phyre-anon]

8/8 drabble be upon ye

I'm not gonna lie I completely forgot that time passed and 8/8 was upon us but HERE IT IS I DID SOMETHING Warnings for. Uh. safe, soft vore. Yeah. I think that's actually it.

They never told anyone about what they saw when they glanced out the portholes. It seemed silly in the face of ship maintenance, documentation, planning—all of the things a good explorer needed in the folds of space. It was silly, they thought, to speak of the ghostly, cyan image that danced on the other side of the glass. Silly to mention the games it played with them to pass the time. Silly to even breathe of how it smiled more in a feeling than a word, and laughed without sound.

So they didn’t. The Thing in the glass stayed their… secret. Not so much for any reason other than their own avoidance. It didn’t feel like anything big or important—that was saved for the adults on the ship and their experiments—so maybe that’s why they let it flicker quietly in space for so long. Let it follow along with the ship as they drifted through endless darkness toward nowhere in particular. Maybe it was just that no one would believe them if they said they saw things in the void. 

No one believed them when they claimed the ship was alive, anyway.

“Arii.” Brown eyes flickered up to look at the main pilot, a page of their book crinkling as they shifted. “We’re about to Fold.” The main pilot was an older man. Gruff, but kind for the most part, even if his sense of humor escaped them. He was the sort they dodged around unless spoken to first… not that Arii did much of the “speaking first” thing in general, anyway.

They hummed something understanding and set their book aside—page 42—half-rolling half-sliding off of the stiff backseat to shuffle their way to the front of the silvery, domed bridge and place a hand on the console. With the main pilot out of his seat, they bared their back to the rest of the crewmates simply by standing there. The feeling of the many eyes crawled along their skin like centipedes over stones, prickling at their nerves and sizzling just under the surface. The numbness of plunging their mind into the warm hum of machinery and computer code was a relief in the broadest of terms.

The ship blinked awake.

The ship’s interaction AI was an interesting sort. Modified by centuries of being out in space and surrounded by its crew, had a younger Arii not known it was performing and filling in expected answers, they may not have been able to tell it wasn’t a conscious being in and of itself. Now, though, the knowledge of how AI worked was little more relevant than it was when applied to their own crew. Things were different, they supposed. Different after so long spent in the void.

“Pathwalker,” it greeted, using the stupid, silly title they had come up with when they were no more able to think for themself than a goldfish. 

“Jet.” Its name was something of an accident. A derivative of the original designation warped and twisted over time until it could be confused for a crew member's name. With only their internal voice going into its net, it was really too easy. 

“Initiate Fold?”

Hesitance rode on their nerves as they registered the wide map of possible outcomes. In empty space like they were, Folding was an art more than a science, each touch of the next dimension a dice roll. For people sensitive to the… feeling of Folding like Arii, it was easier. The only reason they were on an explorer ship to begin with, really.

“Initiate Fold.” Their spine curled, anticipation running down it like water. The initial shock had long since lost its bite, but it still clamped down on their wrists good enough, something like a high vibration shooting up their tendons and leaving a trail of ache. Their skin tingled like they had shifted their surface temperature too quickly, and their breath hitched on air too thick to inhale. 

They didn’t know what Folding would feel like were it not for their… themself… ness, but the pivot to the path with the most give to it was a nearly subconscious response. Like testing water for temperature and jerking back when it burned. The prickling along their back shifted to their shoulders, and they rechecked the time and place. 

Mercous system. Not close enough.

A shift to a sturdier path as the coordinates changed too quickly. “Fold,” they commanded as they caught one. It was slower moving than the first and such that it made their hands itch, but predictable enough that it caught the ship’s place in space just where they wanted it within just a few breaths. 

“Release.”

“Release in progress. Do not change the ship trajectory. Do not change the ship trajectory. Do not—”

Arii was promptly ejected out of the system, their vision coming back in blinking lights and blurry images. Their skin crawled. Their head spun. Bile rose in their throat threateningly.

“Release complete.”

The world swayed in their gaze as they reoriented themself, something like “tired” working its way past their lips as they stumbled out of the ship bridge. A headache poked at their temples, and their ears rang with a noise too loud.

They found themself at the porthole.

In their spotty vision, cyan twirled, the figure that made up the image wrapped in a cloak of black so dark they thought it could have been ripped from space itself. 

“Little thing,” the lights whispered, something melancholy tinting its nonexistent voice. “Silly thing.” It was in the ship, now, blue light pooling under their chin and tilting their head this way and that.

Maybe that was another reason they never spoke of the light. Maybe they didn’t know if it was real or not.

“Rest now, little thing.” It took shape in miniscule increments. Scales such a dark grey they looked like slate. Feathers from many wings black as the void beyond. Their vision spotted, but even then they knew the creature was massive. Towering over them as warm breath pooled against their neck. “Rest now. I will keep you safe. Out of sight.”

They thought alarms might have been blaring as the world turned red around them, but just as quickly, abyss-black flesh—smooth and slick with something warm—filled their vision. 

Maybe they didn’t talk about the lights because they were always there. Quiet and calm. Listening.

Metal scales kept in place by printed flesh pressed against their stomach, lifting them and pushing them gently—ever gently—into the silken confines only their exhausted mind knew. A catch at their shoulders, and a tug. The warmth spread to their back. Another that rippled down their body and ushered them further, guiding them as their hair dripped saliva into their face. A last, and they pooled into the stretchier space that let them bring their knees to their chest. 

And in the dark, as the creature rejoined with the full bulk of the ship and cords of varying function snaked through the stomach to line the ceiling, they leaned back. Their spine pressed into the smooth flesh behind them, and tiny ridges told them where the folds would be. “Rest now, little thing. I will take care of the rest.” Its voice was soft. Quiet, but clear even amongst the deep, low thump of whatever the ship had for a heart. 

Their own voice was a tired mumble. “Th’nks, Jet.”

“Always.”