#a baby specter ship

[specter-dollhouse]

Melody & Miranda have been dating since middle school, they met in the YA section of the library. Melody spends a lot of time at Miranda’s because they like being around all the chaos of Miranda’s siblings. Miranda can’t wait to move away to college so she can finally get some real alone time with her partner.

[babybirbb]

he goes, i go, a marvey playlist

harvey - her’s // good luck, babe - chappell roan // i can see you - taylor swift // calling after me - wallows // cologne - beabadoobee // snap out of it - arctic monkeys // settle down - ricky montgomery // forever with me - conan gray // change - djo // fresh out the slammer - taylor swift // all in - the army, the navy // you’re all i have - snow patrol // leaning on you - haim

[faeriekit]

horribly practical side effect of reading several months of mdzs fanfic: I can now recognize the little titles the Mandarin-speaking moms use for the staff and other kids when speaking to their mandarin-monolingual babies. On the one hand, aw!!!! Baby mandarin!! Everything is so cute and sweet and you're doing so much work to bring up your kid with a primary language they'll use for the rest of their life!!

On the other hand, gods, why me. Why this. Why in this way 😭😭 Haunted by the specters of gay ship fics past.

[journalsouppe]

Professor Layton and the Spectre’s Call!! I actually discovered ordering the game from the UK with shipping was actually cheaper than ordering the American version of the game, there were no major differences that I could tell as they still had the original English voice actors.

I enjoyed this game!! Not my top favorite installment but I still had a great time and loved the new characters. The puzzles were well designed and had nice scaled difficulty and the mini games were really neat too. The Eternal Diva references were so blatant lmfao but I’m excited for Miracle Mask! I was also super exhausted when writing the summary so sorry there’s so many errors and I use the word fun a million times ToT

The Descole and Tea sticker are from JordyDrawsMerch! All other stickers are from Daiso. Writing typed below!

Rating: 8.3

Played: Sp 2024

Port: DS on 3DS

Favorite? Y

Replayable? Y

Recommend? Y

Series: Professor Layton

Comments

Emmy and BABY LUKE!!

OH THANK GOD IT’S CHRISTOPHER ROBIN MILLER

Ngl im so excited to watch the anime, I love the animation sm

Oh Layton is not taking Claire’s death well at all

I love how animated the background now is!!

Beautiful music as always

Does Clark have the same VA as Dmitri lol

THE WORLD WILL END? Damn Luke

The specter looks like one of those little kingdom hearts guys

Luke’s been a LaytonMobile hater since day one lmao

Luke is especially funny in this game

Layton taking Luke to the black market is so wild

THE PUPPET PLAY IS ADORABLE

I’m going to fight aunt taffy

Ooo we get to play as Emmy

Holy shit Emmy

GIRL FROG

Emmy asking if Layton always pokes lamps he sees is making me think he physically touches everything the player taps

The convo with the meowing man???

CHELMEY AND BARTON

Based anti-cop npc

THE DYNAMITE WORKS LMAO

Is Hershel gonna get a cask of amantillado’d T^T

The canals are so pretty i like the design of misthallery

Oh i do not like the police chief

I LOVE YOU EMMYYY

Grosky is very funny

Omg the cliff death police cover up reminds me of killer frequency which i just watched a playthrough of

FUCK JAKES

Where’s phoenix when you need him

JAIL BREAK JAIL BREAK!!!

I love descole’s voice

YAAA LADDER VS STEP LADDER

NESSIE???

The story book stories and animations are so CUTE!!

I wonder if Naiya was added to the game to hit at the Eternal Diva

This kinda reminds me of a pokemon movie but I don’t remember which one it was

^^ it was pokemon heroes when latias and latios were caught ^^;

AN OCARINA!!!

Creepy fucking factory music ToT

Oh dear. I seem to have stepped on a hexagonal spanner

Descole always serving massive cunt

Woah the golden garden is beautiful

Ohh so that’s why Luke was fork life certified in plvspw

ZAMN T^T

THE WAY THE SPRITES WALK KILLS ME LOL

I really like these little episodes from others POVS! ^_^

Summary

This was such a fun origin story for Luke and Layton. Very much a classic Layton game with world ending machinery and gorgeous environment design. I really liked both Emmy and Descole, there’s a more serious undertone than with Don Paolo as the main villain (even though I do love Don Paolo). Emmy is amazing!! I was afraid she would be sidelined like Flora was but I’m glad to she stands her ground and does what she wants to do. I alos like how we got to go on our own adventure as her to London, she’s a character that doesn’t need to rely on Hershel to solve everything. Meeting Luke was great, loved his blank stare. It was fun seeing his origins and how Clark and Hershel knew each other. I’m curious how the prequels will play into the New World of Steam, especially now that Luke’s family have stories and sprites (unlike in the original trilogy). Loved the ACAB story, v nice to play while I’m still so mad at what’s happening to university students currently. Descole was so fun, I am obsessed with his outfit and personality. Unfortunately I was spoiled on who he is but I’m very excited to learn more. I think similar to Ace Attorney, the fourth installment is that last game in the classic 2D style, which is sad but PLvsPW makes me very hopeful about 3D Layton. The overall story was fun, I really liked the sub plot about the Ravens - that was really fun (i was so tired writing this omfg). I wish we got a little more backstory on the rich guy who died, I feel like there’s more to the story. OO I loved the little episodes, especially the one about Chelmey. They added a lot of fun context and gave more life to the NPCs. Such a fun and classic Layton game, I can’t wait to play Miracle Mask! (And read the light novels). This wasn’t my favorite Layton game but I still really loved it and had a great time and loved the puzzles — that’s all I want from PL!

[cdyssey]

I am FULLY obsessed with whatever the hell Jeff and Shauna have going on. Like, this isn’t even a ship thing. It’s. Just. Whatever. The. Hell. They. Have. Going. On.

Shauna said, “I’m turned on when you’re with another person” and Jeff was like, okay, and then they passionately fuck in the studio THAT BELONGED TO HER DEAD LOVER THAT SHE KILLED, surrounded by erotic portraits of her. And they both loved the same dead girl, but they never talk about her. They can’t. That’s how this all started in the first place; Jeff represented what she could never have in Jackie. Jackie is the specter who constantly haunts the space between them. 

But she can never, ever say that aloud. 

Hell, maybe he’s already guessed as much, though.

BECAUSE HE READ HER DAMN DIARIES. (Like Jackie did. In their little effed up triangle, they were always viciously invading each other’s boundaries. Shauna consumed her best friend in so many more ways than one.)

And there was possibly a baby in the woods.

Their baby.

But they can’t talk about that either.

They’ve worn facades of suburbia and normalcy for twenty-five-goddamn-years, but now everything’s coming undone, and the masks that they capably donned for their neighbors and their friends are insufficient; she’s unhinged, and he’s a devoted follower.

BUT ALSO, ALSO??????? They’re cringe failures?! They got their DNA all over that damn studio. They set their tree on fire. He breaks down in the car to Papa Roach. She’s the worst liar in the world. He decided to exploit his wife’s trauma and poorly blackmail her friends? She fucked an artist in their marital bed and nearly got caught! He thought there was actually a book club! They’re both effing up their very normal teenage daughter who reminds people of Jackie!!!!!

I’M SO??????

[dickarchivist]

Hello!

I am obsessed with your OC Clone squad. Thanks for sharing them with us!

You said you’re taking requests so I’m sliding in with one 👀

I’m taking from the same delicious NSFW prompt list @dystopicjumpsuit used!

The prompt is “Keep your eyes open, look at me, baby.” with Ghost. He seems so sweet and deeply caring. With his cybernetic eyes perhaps eye contact is important to him/his partner???

Do with this as you please, no pressure! 💕

Thanks @starrylothcat for the fic request!! I'm so excited to deliver, and for my sweet boy Ghost too 😭

I Will Know You Forever, Even In Darkness

Clone OC Ghost × fem!Reader (civilian mechanic) (new relationship)

Word count: 2860

🔞Minors DNI🔞

Prompt: “Keep your eyes open, look at me, baby.”

Summary: After a scare on a mission, your new sweetheart's in recovery at the hospital. When you're finally allowed in to see him, you make up for lost time.

Contents and Warnings: fluff and smut the ultimate combo, bit of angst at the beginning, PiV sex, mentions of eye trauma (nothing graphic), yearning good lord the yearning this man does for you. Happy ending, pinky promise.

Author Notes: This fic takes place directly after the mission that causes Ghost to lose his eyes and get his prosthetics. No actual eye trauma is described in detail, it's only stated that he lost them from acid splash, and he's given cybernetics as a replacement.

Small cameo of others in Grave Squad, the jedi of the 404th, and even smaller cameo/mention of two other sw OCs I've made over the years.

Sorry this one's so long, but also not sorry at all because I think it's really good.

When The Crypt lands in the hanger, you're absolutely thrilled. Ghost and his brothers were home at last. You set down your tools and twll your assistant you'd be back in a second, to which they roll their eyes with a smile, "Boyfriend's back huh?"

"Shush," you giggle, and start toward the ship with glee. But the closer you gwt, the more your smile fades

Wraith is out first, Specter and Banshee carrying a stretcher after him, "Careful! He's fragile, don't jostle him, I just got his vitals stable again!"

Guilt bubbles in your stomach as you hope and hope that the clone on the stretch was Phantom. You wouldn't wish for any of them to be hurt, but please. Please, anyone but--

"Ghost's gonna be fine," Phantom stretcha as he gets out of the ship, play wrestling with Wraith in a bad attempt to lighten the worried media's mood, "You saved his face, I'm sure he'll thank you for that when he wakes up."

"If he wakes up, Tommy!" Wraith spits at his brother, poking his finger hard into his chest, "Like I said, he's fragile, we can't be too cautious! I don't know the extent, he could die for all-"

"Wraith." Specter's voice cuts like a knife. He had noticed you when you'd arrived, and knew all the talk wasn't helping your anxiety.

"He's... he's not going to die, right?" There's a tremble in your voice, your hands are gripping the front of your jump suit so tight its almost hard to breathe, "He can't, he's- please..."

Phantom pushes his brothers along, the stretcher jostling just enough that Ghost's arm falls limp from it, and the cry that comes from you is mournful enough to make the hanger fall silent.

Wraith tries to comfort you, but his anxious yammering only proves to make things worse. Phantom catches your shoulders, then pulls you into a hug, "Hey, hey Mesh'la, it's fine. It's fine, Cap's been in worse spots than this. His name is Ghost, not Dead Guy, right? Afterlife can't get him, he's stuck here with us. Take a breath, okay, it'll be fine. He'll be fine."

His brothers keep you up to date while you aren't allowed in to see Ghost. He's lost both his eyes. They tell you he was heroic, only thinking about the lives of the people he was protecting during the battle. Wraith later confides in you that he believes it was his fault, that if he hadn't forgotten his helmet, Ghost wouldn't have given him his. Ghost's eyes wouldn't have been lost. You want to be angry, but you know them too well at this point.

"Rai, you didn't take his helmet off him. You didn't throw the acid. You didn't do anything malicious... Specter said you kept him alive, it was your quick actions that saved him. Stop calling yourself Ghost's attacker, he'd hate to hear that..."

Wraith nods, but doesn't say anything else, just goes back to Ghost's hospital room to do his best in helping his brother. You get the feeling that Wraith isn't going to belive it's not his fault until Ghost tells him that himself.

On the fifth day, you hear a voice you don't recognize.

"I don't care, no one is going to replace Captain Ghost." There's a few garbled words, then the voice came back, more forceful, "Ghost, not CT-1313." There's another pause before you hear a snarl, "HIS NAME IS GHOST!"

There's hushed murmers, then the voice speaks again, "Good, now that we're clear that this is a man and not a number: you'll give him new eyes. Yes, I do mean that. I do not care what it costs you, he's an irreplaceable asset to the 404th, and I will not have him decommissioned when the best course of action is to replace what he's lost."

You don't realize how close you've gotten to the door until it a little girl grabs your hand, "It's not polite to easedrop... it's fun to do though."

You'd seen her once before, Ghost called her "Vod'ika", and you aren't sure if that's her name or not. She's got her ear pressed to the door, and she giggles, "Oooh, Master Dax is angry, he's using his little voice."

"Master-" when the door opens, a yellow zebrak in jedi robes stands before you. His bright blue eyes catch you, then the little girl behind you.

His glare turns to a funny face immediately. Hands beside his head flaired out, tongue sticking out, eyes crossed. It makes you laugh for the first time in days. "Good!" The zebrak booms, holding your shoulders, "We like happy. Happy means hope, and what's wrong with a little hope right? You must be this "Cyare" Ghostie has been muttering about in his sleep, I know all his brothers, and none of them have that moniker, Athena there is "Cyar'ika", so Cyare must be you!"

You know that word, you heard it often when you were a mandalorian foundling as a child. Beloved. Your face blooms with blush, and you look down at the kid behind you, then back to the man, "uh... y-yeah, I guess so."

"Good, good good good, excellent, good!" He puts his arm around your shoulders, leading you away from the door you'd been camped in front of since Ghost was admitted, "Listen Cyare, Ghost's gonna be fine, Wraith and another clone, I don't know if you know him, Repeat, they'll be preforming Ghost's surgery. Why you ask? Because I don't trust those smug asses with my boys!" His laugh booms again, and you can't help your giggle either, "Now, Re is from my previous Padawan, now a master, so proud. Re is from Annika's battalion, the 418th, let me tell you..."

Master Dax talks your ear off for hours. But it takes your mind off of the situation, and before you know it, Specter is collecting you from the enthusiastic jedi, "Buir, shut it. C'mon, Ghost's up, he wants to see you."

You wave to Dax and Athena, thanking them for spending the day with you. As you walk the now familiar path to Ghost's room, you find that your pace moves quicker the closer you get. Specter chuckles at your side, "Just run, we told the staff to let you in."

"Thanks," you manage before sprinting away. You're running so fast the doors don't part for you at one point and you slam directly into them, eliciting uproarious laughter from a few of the clones lucky enough to see the disaster. It takes a lot of patience to slow down enough for the automatic doors, but eventually you're where you need to be.

Wraith is waiting inside Ghost's room for you. He's fidgeting more than normal, and when he sees you, his speech goes into over drive, "Okay keep in mind I'm not perfect I did my best and he's my brother so of course I did my very very best for him and Repeat was a huge help please don't be mad at-"

"Wraith," Ghost's voice sends your heartbeat further into overdrive, "Shut up before she thinks you killed me." There's humor... stars you're so happy to hear that light chuckle, "C'mere Cyare, I want the first thing I see to be you."

Before you go to his side, you stop at Wraith, kissing his cheek lightly, "Thanks for brining him back to me..."

"Y-yep." As Wraith stumbles out of the room holding his cheek, you cross to Ghost.

Your hand finds his, and immediately his head turns to you with a smile, "There she is, my heart. Rai said the bandages could come off a few hours after surgery. Told him I wanted you to be there for it, hope that's alright."

You don't say anything. You climb into the bed with him, your arms wrapping around him, tangling your legs together as best you can with the blanket over him. Ghost kisses the top of your head as you settle in, rubbing your back, "I'm alright..."

"I know."

"If I'm not handsome anymore, you can always date Phantom, he hits on you enough to where I think he might be serious." He chuckles, but when you don't, he stops. Ghost's hand finds your cheek, and brings you to look at him, even though he can't see you yet, "Hey. I'm not going anywhere, alright? I'm alive, and I want to see you... please Cyare, let me see you."

You move on him, straddling his hips, thankful for his eyes being the only injury this time. You hold his face gently, and he steals a kiss to your palm, making you blush. "Ghost..?"

"Hm?"

"It's not just your looks, you know that, right? It's you. Even if you're still blind, or your face is weird, I'd still want to be with you... Phantom's gross anyway, not made of boyfriend material like you." When he laughs this time, so do you. Hope, you think, a little hope is good.

Careful, so much so you're holding your breath, you begin to take off Ghost's bandages. His eyes are closed underneath, and you cover your mouth for a moment. It's like a mask of scars tissue, still gently pink from the acid. When he flutters his eyes open, white irises meet yours, and you can help but cry. Tears stream down your face, and Ghost looks almost dejected before you croak, "You're okay..."

Ghost lets out a breath of relief, his new eyes focusing on you, "I was hoping to see you smile, but I'll take happy tears too. They are happy, right?"

"Yes!" You burst, bouncing in his lap a little with the laugh, reaching for him again as you go to kiss him.

Ghost gives an appreciative "mmm~" as your lips find his. He puts his hands on your hips, one leaving its post rather quickly and rubbing across the small of your back and side. He's surprised when you deepen the kiss, and you feel his length move under you as your tongue slides over his. He chuckles when you part, and looks up at you with new eyes, "Careful there Cyare, I'm getting excited."

"Is... is that a bad thing?" You bite your bottom lip a little and deliberately roll your hips on him this time, "I... I missed you, and these last few days, I couldn't stop thinking about... a-about how I don't want to be without you."

Ghost throbs against you, but you get the feeling it wasn't because of your movements on him, rather your words. You keep rolling your hips on him, wanting to feel him yourself, "For a moment I thought you were gone, and I realized I didn't get to tell you how I feel-"

"Stop," he holds you still, his hands finding yours, "Don't say it. N-not unless you mean it, got that? Don't say it because you feel like you have to."

You recognize the look of fear in his eyes, of rejection, pain from a love once spurned. You're not each others firsts, but you do know one thing, you want him to be your last firsts. You put your hands on Ghost's and guide them to your heart. It beats fast against his palms, much as his does on yours when you reach out to him. You mirror each other's moves, one hand each going to hold your cheeks. His thumb rubs your cheekbone, eyes locked with yours, "Cyare..."

"Kar'taylir darasuum." The mandalorians who found you, became your family, they had taught you this phrase when you left them. With how Ghost's eyes soften at you, you know he understands them too. You repeat them to him all the same, beginning to rock on him again, "I will know you forever, Ghost."

Ghost repeats them back to you, his hand guiding your face to his for another kiss. It's slow and lingering, when you pull back, he's smiling so warmly, lips gently parted with soft breath, "I will know you forever, even in darkness."

Ghost's eyes roam down between you, and blush finally shows on his face, "Cyare, if we don't do something about these clothes, I might throw a fit."

You're both giggling as you fumble with your clothes. Soft stolen kisses, small gasps of appreciation, little stories of "What's this scar from?" And kissed freckles. When you're standing beside Ghost's hospital bed fully bare to him, he looks at you with so much adoration. His hand reaches for yours, and you're guided back to his lap. He's bigger than you thought, his length hard in your hand. "Wow..."

"I could say the same," Ghost chuckles and puts his hands on your hips, eyes on your slick folds before slowly working up to your eyes again, "Never seen such a beautiful body before."

You bite your lip as you move against him, running his length through your folds to slick him. The groan he makes joins yours as you toy his tip against your clit. Ghost smiles up at you, hands holding your breasts, circling your nipples with his thumbs, "Stars you feel great already... Cyare, mmm~"

Your eyes flutter closed as you take him into your waiting walls, "Ghost..."

“Keep your eyes open, look at me, baby," when he speaks, it's so soft, so breathy and light, you're not sure if you heard it or thought it. You look down at him, and he already looks love drunk. Eyes half lidded, his hands move down to your hips again and pull you further onto him. You moan, bracing on his chest, and he groans with delight, "That's right baby, eyes on me... I want to see you."

"Ghost... kriff, s-so full," your eyes stay on his as you start to move on his lap, taking him fully each time you lower back down. You start slow, easing yourself through the burn of the initial stretch, but soon you're at an even pace. The sticky wet sound of his length moving in and out of you fills the room with your tandem breathing.

His hands hold you tight, hips bucking up into you as you bounce on his length. His eyes flicker between yours, your breasts bouncing, and the way he glides in and out of you with such easy. You whine for him, hands balling in his chest hair, clenching around his length, "Feels so good, Ghost, s-stars." When his fingers slide to your clit, you cry out for him with an arch of your back, "Ghost! Ah!"

"D-dont look away," his other hand holds your face, thumb running over your bottom lip before you take it in your mouth and suck. Ghost's eyes widen a little, his hips stuttering before the pace quickens, "Oh kriff..."

You release his thumb and lock eyes with him again, "I'm close, do-don't stop, don't stop, Ghost, oh-" a whine releases from your lips as he rubs your clit faster, eyelashes flutter but you keep your eyes open, closer and closer to the edge, "Ghost, oh, oh baby, oh Ghost!"

"S-stay with me baby, come on, s-so close, so--" he grunts, his hips snap up into your walls in an intense build of pressure before he sits up off the bed with a cry of your name, spending himself inside you without restraint.

His wild bucks and intense attention to your clit were enough to get you to the edge, but feeling him fill you with his spend, it sends you over into ecstasy. You collect his lips in a kiss as you orgasm, body clenching around his length and shuttering with aftershocks of pleasure. Tears prick the corners of your eyes as you come down, and as Ghost holds you close, kissing your neck and shoulder, you feel so warm and safe.

Small drops of warmth hit your shoulder, and for a moment concern holds your body still. Was he hurt? You pull away to see Ghost's face, and to your surprise, tears are filling his new eyes, falling down his cheeks. You hold his face gently, wiping the tears from his unmarked skin, Careful of the sensitive scarring, "Ghost... what's wrong baby?"

"Nothing," he laughs a soft cry, kissing your lips just once, "I'm... overwhelmed. Spent the last month thinking of this, the last week needing to see you, just one more time, and..." He chuckles, feeling silly, kissing you again, "I can't believe this is real."

Your heart flutters, how is he this sweet? You press a delicate kiss to his forehead as you ease the both of you down. You nestle under his chin, still full of him, not willing to let that feeling end yet, "It's real, I promise."

After a few minutes of silence, Ghost rubbing your back in soothing circles, you're nearly asleep when you hear him again, "Did you mean it...?"

"Hm...?"

"You love me?"

You press a sleepy kiss to his jaw, "I love you, Ghost."

His heart picks up, you can feel it against your own, and it has you smiling. Ghost gives you a little squeeze, going back to rubbing your warm skin, "I love you too, Cyare."

[mystical-salamander]

kit! Zeb idea you say? 👀👀👀

Yeee!! 👀👀👏

So I talked about this briefly on the discord, but basically! It's an old concept that I'm finally working on of Zeb getting temporarily turned back into a kit through some Force shenanigans.

He, unfortunately, has no memory of his present and is understandably confused and scared. He's somehow far away from home with no memory of how he got there– all he remembers is telling his parents goodnight before suddenly waking up on an unfamiliar ship!

So it's a mix of slice of life and angst– with the Specters and Kallus having to deal with a rambunctious kit running around the Rebellion base. Doesn't help that they have no idea how to take care of a kit and can't communicate clearly with him because he really only speaks Lasana. Thankfully we have Kallus who was learning a bit of Lasana (along with maybe Sabine? Haven't made up my mind) who can somewhat translate.

I also wanted baby Zeb to keep asking to go home– he misses his parents and siblings. But for some reason whenever he asks these strangers who call themselves his friends, they just sadly smile and keep telling him that "he'll go home soon they promise." :) Kallus especially looks distraught whenever he mentions it :)

[katherinewinchester13]

Lyrical smile, indigo eyes, hand on my thigh

We can follow the sparks, I'll drive

Lyrical smile, indigo eyes, hand on my thigh

We can follow the sparks, I'll drive

"So where we gonna go?"

I whisper in the dark

"Where we gonna go?"

I think he knows

He got my heartbeat (Heartbeat)

Skipping down 16th Avenue (Baby)

Got that, oh, I mean (I mean)

Wanna see what's under that attitude like (Yeah)

I want you, bless my soul

And I ain't gotta tell him, I think he knows

I think he knows

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣

★★★★✩

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Complete 💯

🚨 Trigger Warnings 🚨

Words: 242k+

fanfiction.net

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Ships 🩷

Mike Ross/Harvey Specter

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

DESCRIPTION

What if when his parents died Mike wasn't taken in by his grandmother? But instead he was taken in by Jessica Pearson? Becoming Mike Pearson-Ross a year later. How would this change things? How would it change Mike, the person he is? And most importantly how will it change his relationship with Harvey? EVENTAUL MARVEY.

▅▄▃▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅

[heymacy]

hello pals! it's time for a (very late) weekly tag game wednesday! (yes, it's still wednesday in chicago!) i was tagged by @energievie, @deedala, @palepinkgoat, @juliakayyy, & @jrooc - thanks pals!

about you

name: macy

age: thirty and flirty and surviving

star sign: cancer

your first language: english, the dumbest language

second language: i can take your coffee order in perfect spanish and i think that's my biggest accomplishment in the last few years

favorite lip product: aquaphor!

the best food dish you can make without a recipe: ........boxed mac and cheese

if you drink tea, what kind?: sleepytime tea, peppermint, and earl gray (depending on the time of day)

if you drink coffee, what roast do you usually get?: i drink cold brew which i think is technically a medium roast? ah shit, i'm totally getting fired

favorite thing to watch on youtube right now: i almost exclusively use YouTube for ASMR videos

favorite thing to watch on youtube in 2012: jenna marbles i miss you every fucking day

favorite item of clothing right now: a Whidbey Island, WA sweatshirt that i magically found at a thrift store here in Chicago! the world is so small and i miss home!

favorite item of clothing in 2012: my VS PINK leggings, the kind with the thick ass waistband, y'all remember those? mine were black and baby pink

fandom

three movies you recommend: i'll give y'all my letterboxd top four: Some Like It Hot, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Pride and Prejudice (2005) and Moonrise Kingdom

your favorite concert: CHAPPELL ROAN!

have you ever unfollowed someone over a fandom opinion? unfollowed? babygirl this is a blocking household

have you ever left a fandom because of the fans? not because of the fans, no. i keep my circles pretty tight and use the block button liberally. i only leave when the fixation breaks and even then i still linger about like a specter of fandom's past

the best tv show you watched last year: suddenly i don't remember a single TV show i watched last year, YIKES. now if you'd said movie...[cracks knuckles] how much time y'all got?

do you have a fancasting you just can't let go of? none come to mind!

a ship you've abandoned: i do not abandon my children, i just sometimes-occasionally-infrequently-intermittently forget to pick them up from daycare, that's all

on a scale of 1-10 how willing are you to share your ao3 history? [sweeping gesture] look upon my archive and see that i am an open book

do you have a fandom tattoo? nope!

what fandom do you wish was bigger? talk to me about Anastasia (1997)

has a finale ever ruined a show for you? ruined? no. soiled a little bit, left a sour taste in my mouth, riddled me with disdain? sure, often!

have you...

swam in an ocean? many times!

been vegan/vegetarian? yes, both at different times in my life!

gone skinny dipping? yes!

gone skiing? yes!

been to a convention? yes!

i'm tagging @gardenerian, @7x10mickey, @mmmichyyy, @callivich, @captainjowl, @sleepyfacetoughguy, @arrowflier, @too-schoolforcool, @sickness-health-all-that-shit, @y0itsbri, @creepkinginc, @pomegran4te, @sxltburn, @thisdivorce, @vintagelacerosette, @crossmydna, @michellemisfit, & @transmickey ✨

[virgocathaunted]

NEYTIRI KILLS SPIDER

Quaritch don't even have to close his eyes to hear, feel, or smell it. He could hear his breathing slowing by the second. He could feel his body losing heat and blood spurting out. He could smell death coming to claim him.

While he was looking through the window of the ship the spectacular views that Pandora had.

They are supposed to watch Pandora together. They would discover all the ecosystems that the planet had, its forests, mountains, beaches, deserts and tundras. They would have all the time for themselves and a whole planet to explore. The day he died, his team had opened up to him before dawn, they wanted to defect. They wanted to live outside the RDA

. Living as Spider was teaching them. They did not want to destroy towns. The Colonel did not accept it. But Miles Quaritch, yes. He wanted to live in peace with his son, as it always should have been.

But they needed equipment for Spider, they would leave in 3 days. First they would gather information, they knew that there were small outposts all over Pandora from 15 years ago if they were lucky they could use it so the boy wouldn't have to wear the mask all the time.

It hadn't been 2 days when everything collapsed.

His mind reproduced the image of his son dying in his arms. Six months they had been together and it only took 6 minutes for him to see how brave, kind, intelligent and loyal he was. It took six hours to get him out of the human facilities to put the greatest distance between the child and the General. And six weeks to love him completely. His baby, the only good thing that "I"human left behind.

And in six hours he lost it. DEAD

HE will bring hell to Pandora. Not all Pandora, his son loved this planet and showed her a lot about it.

But the Na'vis would meet a true demon.

What he did to Home Tree 15 years ago will be nothing to what he would do. Neytiri, Sully's Wild Wife,is an indomitable hurricane when she gets angry. It was with that strength that he took away his team in minutes. Quaritch will be an earthquake accompanied by a tsunami, destruction that only escalates from bad to worse. A force that did not warn, and that destroyed everything in its path.

This planet should be theirs, both of them and their team. All flying in their Ikrans. With Spider.

Their son's death will be avenged, the planet will be theirs but not for humans. For Spider.

Silence, only the exo packs of Norm and Max could be heard along with the slow steps of their captors and the ship's engines. It took him a year to find it, the new Home Tree, but he did it. And now Norm had in front the being that plagued the nightmares of many Na'vi and humans alike, Colonel Miles Quaritch, but now in a Na'vi body. Like a specter that refuses to leave them alone. More dangerous.

That day had started like any other, many scientists outside studying the fauna, others in the common areas discussing their findings.Na'vi going hunting, children playing here and there. It was a quiet day. They did not wait for the ambush, they did not know how the RDA had found them.

Bombs, arrows, smoke... everything was confusing. The number of human scientists dropped rapidly. The Omotekiya did not have more luck. Warriors fell like a leaf. Moat gave instructions, with the body of the new Olo'eyktan in her hands dying.

The new Home Tree was destroid.

They are in the cargo bay, the three hostages kneeling and tied up. Seeing how the demon walked while seeing something in his hand, two other recoms in front of them. Lyle and Mansk.

Mo'at, had too many feelings. Her first dead grandson, the curious human child that always helped dead too. And a dead demon not so dead in body Na vi. JakeSully had told them that Neteyam and Spider had been killed in the battle. It remains to mention that it was her daughter's dagger that ended the life of the human child.

No one could believe what he told them, Neytiri would never hurt a child, not even if he was the son of this demon. Mo'at knows his daughter, she knows. But she doesn't want to believe it, children are sacred. The Spider boy was calm, respectful, loved Pandora. Sometimes she would look at him and see him as a Navi in the heart, she would see him. Next to her Max was crying and Norm was insulting, They didn't want to believe him. They had mourned the kidnapping and later the death of the child they all raised. HE was lying. But the video of Quaritch's vest was the proof.

They didn't know how to feel. They knew of Neytiri's antipathy towards Spider, but from that to her killing him it seemed almost like a fantasy. But the video playing again freaked them out. Not even in war did she have that unleashed anger in her eyes. Not an iota of guilt.

In the demon's gaze there was only truth, pain, and revenge.

Quaritch kept looking at his hand, some plates that he had made. Reaching out, grabbing the canvas and letting it fall. In the bay, nothing was heard except silence. Seconds later the piercing cry of Mo'at.

Two Toruk.

Dead.

Killing the Toruk was not easy, but between the three of them and various weapons they did it. This is the reason why the clans came together. The reason why he lost the battle 15 years ago and did not see his son grow up. But also the one who gave him a second life. The call of the Toruk Makto.

It is a symbol, and symbols are destroyed.

He approached Norm and put the plates around his neck, the man looked at him with hatred."Tell...tell Sully what's coming."

On the plates it had written

MILES "SPIDER" SOCORRO QUARITCH.

2154 - 2170

Seeing the General's last name with Spider's name made him sick. That he killed both Toruk made him sick.

Mansk opens the hangar doors, When you stretched out his arm, Norm could see a tattoo, 8 adults viperwolfe adult and one young.

8 recoms dead.

1 child dead.

Only the 3 of them knew what that tattoo meant. Viperwolves were Mansk's favorite animals, he and Spider spent hours talking about them and observing them during mission breaks.

Lyle drops a chain that drags the dead Toruk down, then shoots at Max, Norm, and Mo'at in the abdomen. They're not dead, but they won't be long.

🔹️I'm still writing it, but I wanted to post what I have so far. Maybe and give it a touch up and divide it into part 2 so the Sully's reaction would be 3.English is not my first language, so that Google translator.🔹️

[robinpixels]

Have you ever thought about how much worse the dynamic between Beta and the Zeniths are, when you do up the timeline and realize she could be as young as fourteen/fifteen? In no way a developed socially adept child because she grew up with freaking holograms and had no positive physical contact?

If you ignore the age bit. Beta probably only knows physical touch through the Specters and maybe some robotics around the ship. The first time she has physical contact that’s nice isn’t even from Aloy. It’s from Varl. And then he gets brutalized and she has no one to hug her or pull her close because Aloy is also socially inept (and possibly 19/20). Zo is trying to deal with the loss of not only the guy she liked but her baby’s dad. The others aren’t even sure how to connect. Though Erend might cause he’s a sibling.

But just. Does anyone else realize how traumatized Beta actually is and how much worse it is for her?

Opinion or your own thoughts? Cause this has me very concerned for how Beta could be mentally for the next game.

oh hello!! haha, god its been so long since i've put my hzd/hfw thinking cap on but i love chattin' shop and opinions and i've a few to toss around

to start around my thoughts personally i've always interpreted beta from the time we know her to be about 18! not from any hard concrete evidence, so this is definitely not a correction, i just gleaned so from initial impressions and from a personal bias in my head how its quite poetic to me if Aloy were staring back at someone that could resemble a version of herself back when she first started her journey. Then lending to her personal frustration when said mirror doesn't in actuality resemble her (or Lis, in her view) at all. its even more devastating to me in this sense too 'cuz what she could have had as a 'childhood' is essentially already all gone. but yeah, long story short - while if i'm honest i don't think she's a child anymore, she is definitely very much so floundering and struggling in her young adulthood (i still stand by how she's depicted in False Negative, like that's just Her to me, Tessa u absolute wonder u).

god, ur probably right about her not having positive physical contact all this time - either violence or nothing up until the point she meets the GAIA squad. the concept of the bond beta and varl could have had always makes me SO sad to think about, it could have been so good, and personally it does frustrate me how they never leaned more into it to the detriment of both varl and beta. they could've had such a beautiful meaningful friendship (please pardon 'Ro is Annoyed at How Varl was Treated as a Character In-Story, Part Infinity, but this does touch upon it). It's undeniable she's been through a whole hell of a lot in that brief span of time she was on Earth and away from the Zeniths - the whole crew has, and as trauma does it's definitely gonna leave them all scrambling.

but in my wholesale opinion i gently pat ur head and assure you she will probably be alright at the end of the day! while FW was imo incredibly garbled in its delivery in places it does make clear that coming together to form a community to withhold against adversity is the goal here, and one everybody at Base recognizes and I feel are making great strides to get there! i have faith in this motley crew - Alva is Alva, bubbly and cooperative as ever; Kotallo's stoic but incredibly warm and well-meaning; Erend is Erend, he's always been good to his friends; Zo as an Utaru probably knows better than anyone the importance of community support and cooperation. as for Aloy i think she's taken that good bopping to the head in regards to learning to depend on people and letting people depend on her - she's got a lot of solitude issues herself as is to be expected but it really did warm me seeing how she's trying to get over them for the sake of everyone around her, and is enjoying finally leaning on that community too. my most precious babygirl. i'm very proud of her

i'm absolutely positive beta is in astoundingly good hands - they're all in astoundingly good hands w one another! it's been so cute to me how post game you can tell she's starting to heal and engage with others, just how the team had done before and after her. While absolutely I think they're all going to have their missteps and stresses and maybe a falling out here or there as they try and adjust, I honestly think the horizon series is at its core all about having compassion and care for your fellow man (albeit taking no shit from them at the same time) and the world you live in, so I doubt any of them will even accidentally leave Beta behind. she's got a sister, a mom, and a wholeass family now!! i adore how all the post-game content has been beta shyly but slowly but surely getting better, determined as she is to contribute the ways she can now.

hahaskdaflj; you were probably expecting an angstier response out of me and oh believe me i love the angst!! but i also have such a soft spot for when horizon goes all Indomitable Human Spirit on us it makes me go all gooey. i think the kids will be alright <3

on a funnier note to an extent i believe in beta precisely BECAUSE she's already a little unhinged. girl came in with the box already banged up and inherently fucked up. yeah miss beta 'let me just knock myself out cold and tear this implant directly out of my head that'll thwart em' sobeck will fit right alongside that hall of madness now known as Base GAIA she'll do just fine and dandy. i've gotten such a taste for unhinged sapphics lately and when horizon delivers it DELIVERS

[burstfoot]

mmmmmmm🅱️ all the irene/hunters ships? <- not biased

Ok I'll do this one too. For Irene Skadi/Irene: Answered earlier, potentially interesting but their relationship is mostly abandoned in SN, doesn't feel like they're that close. I think their relationship is most interesting in the context of how much they both love Specter & how they get along with that (be it angsty, sweet, or silly) Andreana/Irene: Also answered earlier! Another pairing that I think works best alongside the other pairings in the AH polycule with them both adapting to these three insane women and taking solace in each other as the babies of the group, relative to the strength of the pure hunters Ulpianus/Irene: I'm 99% sure you didn't care about Ulpianus as part of this group I only included it because I thought of it and the concept reeked of gachabro reddit mischaracterization so hard it made me naseous Gladiia/Irene: Potentially some very juicy stuff, considering how Gladiia is the most antagonistic to land-dwellers, similar potential to what I like in Gladiia/Susie (though Irene is far more antagnostic than Susie is). They would both be very passive-agressive towards each other for a WHILE before any sort of connection could be reached, but whatever happened from there is very interesting Specter/Irene: ITS SO CUTE ITS SO CUTE I LOVE ALL THE 'Li'l [x]' pairings I love seeing Irene flustered... I maybe don't understand the deepness of their connection as much as some other Specrene fans but its just really nice!! You are a fruit

[babybirbb]

a couple of dentist visits ago i was sitting in the chair for a few hours and i was in pain and not having fun but this was when i had just started obsessing over marvey so to cope i came up with a fic idea while i was there...

ive been having tooth pain again but i hate going so to cope again all ive been thinking about is this marvey fic idea again where hurt!mike has to go to the dentist so im gonna force yall to hear about it too

the gist is that yes even though mike is an adult, he hasn't been to the dentist in a hot second (ie since high school) bc he just didn't have enough money for it to be a priority

anyways he starts dealing with some general issues: toothache, headaches, sensitivity, disrupted sleep, etc. that just gets bad enough to the point where it's obvious that something is wrong

harvey can tell he's not functioning at full capacity: is avoiding certain foods, looks like he's in pain sometimes, and just generally seems more irritable as of late

eventually it reaches it's breaking point and harvey confronts mike and has to force him to go to the dentist cuz he's fed up (also cuz he cares about mike obvi but he's not gonna say that)

mike has general dentist anxiety (he hasn't been in a while and he's also definitely worried about the copay even tho i imagine this law firm provides dental insurance lol) but harvey’s nice enough to be there for him

anyways after finally going and figuring out the issue, mike's set up for a procedure (tooth extraction? root canal? idk yet), and after said procedure harvey has to deal with gassed up mike who's either woken up from the sedative or just heavily anesthetized

basically just harvey taking care of mike from then on, giving meds and comfort when the pain becomes too much after the anesthesia wears off. i just want harvey to be all soft and sweet with equally soft and loopy mike

i have hopes to write this at some point (my depression is kicking my ass rn) but anyone else is welcome to take inspiration from this! i encourage it cuz i'd love to see what other people come up with! <3

[focsle]

so we all know sailors were a superstitious lot, but did they believe in actual ghosts? if so, did they have anything specific they'd do other than typical christian things like praying?

Just like today I’m sure some believed in actual ghosts and some didn’t. No one’s a monolith now or historically! Ghost stories and ill omens were often the subject of many a’ yarn with specters ranging from murdered shipmates to dead brides and babies. With that said, with the exception of the tale I’ll share below, I haven’t come across any journals thus far where a man was convinced he saw a ghost in real time (outside of yarn spinning) and did something to defend himself against it (which I believe is what the second half of your question is asking?).

But here’s one of my fav whaling instances about a ghost that I’ve paraphrased before but I’ll share in full here. It comes from wet-blanket Charles Nordhoff, who shipped on a whaler out of New Bedford in 1850 and wrote about his experience in his travel journal ‘Whaling and Fishing’. All his shipmates were convinced his berth was haunted, he was deeply skeptical, and as a result everyone but the cook fuckin hated him for it. Under the readmore:

“It was but a few days before we left the bay, that a singular incident occurred, which, had the succeeding circumstances been only more favorable, would have given rise to a veritable and most undeniable ghost-story. Many such, I dare say, rest on a less plausible foundation. 

The humpback is in many regards a fish of very singular habits, differing in great measure from those of any other species of the whale. Among his oddities is one which those of us who daily labored in the boats had soon gotten used to, but of which the ship-keepers knew nothing. A whale would sometimes get under the boat, at such a depth below the surface that the crew were entirely unaware of his presence, and there utter the most doleful groans, interspersed with a gurgling sound such as a drowning man may be supposed to make. The first time I heard these sounds it was almost incomprehensible to me that they could proceed from a whale. But close watching of their motions convinced us all that they were the true authors. So little noteworthy had the matter been thought after its cause was explained, that it was not a topic of conversation on board, and so it came about that our ship-keepers were left in entire ignorance of the imitative powers of the humpback. 

One morning about eleven o'clock, when the boats were all on the daily cruise, and but half a dozen men on board each ship, our steward happened into the forecastle, and was there startled by a most unearthly groan. Thinking that his ears were deceived, he listened intently for its repetition, and was soon gratified. A moan as of one in terrible agony, he said, issued from the berth of the present writer. Two jumps carried him safely to the deck, where he at once informed the cook of what he had heard, declaring his firm belief that the ship was haunted. The cook laughed at the, to him, funny idea, and thought a ghost must have but poor taste, to come into this outlandish part of the world. The steward, however, related his story to the ship-keepers, and asked them, to make assurance doubly sure to step into the forecastle in person, and regale their ears with the mysterious noise. Accordingly, all hands (only three, the other three being at work ashore), descended to the haunted region. They had scarcely entered, when the groans were repeated with even more horrible emphasis than before. With hair erect, and elongated faces, they listened sufficiently long to vouch that the real sounds proceeded from no where else but my berth; and then, overcome with terror, rushed to the deck, seized the jolly boat, and took refuge on board our partner ship. The black cook alone remained on board. He scorned to run from anything that could only groan, and having satisfied himself that there was no tangible cause for the noises, in or about my berth, quietly busied himself about his galley thinking, as he remarked to me afterward, that “if it was really a ghost, and it did the poor thing any good to groan, he had not the slightest objection.”

In a short time the sounds could be heard upon deck, and then they gradually died away, until presently quiet was restored, and the affrighted fugitives returned to the vessel.

“It is a ghost or spirit, that's certain,” asserted the steward, who had told the captain of it, already before the latter got out of his boat. 

“If you talk to me of ghosts again, stupid, I'll put your head in a bucket of water,” was the reply. 

This threat put an effectual stop to the dissemination of spiritualism in the after part of the ship; but meantime, our ship-keepers had laid their experience before the forecastle, the story of course gaining fresh horrors with every recital. The case was so plain - even the cook, who laughed at the whole matter, having to own that he heard the sounds, and that they were marvelously like human groans - that most of our greenhorns soon became devout believers in the immediate presence of a spirit in our midst, and the poor Portuguese, whose nature it was to be superstitious, turned a sickly yellow, and began to shake in their boots. 

Having heard the matter duly discussed, I ventured to suggest that it was clearly a humpback that made the mysterious noise. This was treated, however, with that degree of scorn which is usually bestowed upon any reasonable explanation of a ghost story. My scornful laugh was severely frowned down, and I was informed by one of the wiseacres that the groans having evidently come from my berth, and no where else, portended some unheard of accident to myself. So eagerly does ignorant humanity swallow the most egregious humbug, if there is only something supernatural about it, that of the sixteen men who had probably heard the same groans dozens of times in the boat, not one could now be convinced, by reason or ridicule, that those in question owed their existence to a natural cause.

I found myself regarded as a doomed man; and certain of the more friendly disposed privately advised me to prepare my mind for the approaching calamity, and even offered to share their berths with me, not considering it prudent that I should sleep in the haunted bed. If my excellent ship mates before cordially hated me for my unsociable spirit, they were now doubly bitter against me on account of my present doubts; and one poor fellow went so far as to impugn my faith in the existence of a Deity, on the ground of my skepticism on the subject of ghosts.

I joined with the cook in laughing at their foolish fears (which by the way procured me the present of a huge piece of pie from that worthy, who declared me to be a “good fellow”) and slept soundly as ever before in my haunted bedplace.

The ghost was the staple of conversation next morning at breakfast and prophecies were freely made that before sundown that day, our boat would be stove, and I would be severely injured, if not killed. Fortunately for my credit, not an accident occurred during the remainder of our stay in the bay. Had I been in the slightest degree injured, or even had our boat been stove, as was prophesied, this would have formed a well authenticated ghost story, and I should no doubt have been held up to future generations of whalemen as a melancholy example of stubborn unbelief.”

[kimberlyannharts]

Ranger Academy #9 notes -

= In this issue and the solicits they talk about the Headmaster "lying" and her "deception" which I guess is supposed to point to more malicious intent in how she told the story. Though as I'm typing this I realize it could also be a hint to how she's getting possessed by Dark Specter, as this book interprets infection as a gradual thing versus the instant evil zap in the main series. idk. Just add it to the list of "we really don't know enough about Headmaster to say anything" points

= I'm kinda surprised that we won't see Zilan attacking his team in Rhianth's account of what happened. I guess because it's a little too violent to show fully in a kid's comic (Nika seems to have gotten his ARM CUT OFF) but still

= The team hug is so cute. my baby boos

= "so if you can morph Green doesn't that mean Dark Specter can get in this dorm right now" THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING, KARTYR

= So many children swear in this issue

= There were more "wait, is this meant to be a ship" moments with Kartyr and Theo in this issue, particularly the distraction scene. Or maybe the boys and Maev are going to end up in a polycule. Either was Lindy/Sage is still superior, though I do feel a little bad that the Theo/Sage/Lindy trio we started with kind of fell off in the second half of the series

= speaking of which Lindy stowing away on the shuttle same as Sage did is cute

= I like Nadira being a jewel thief but her kid is a hacker. Different generations of crime specialty

= Knowing the shadowy figure approaching Rhianth at the end is Tula makes the big dramatic cliffhanger that much funnier

[immoralimmortals]

A Song With Ten Names

Chapter 6: Yes, to Err is Human, So Don't Be One (1)

Chapter 1 ☆ Next chapter

Summary of chapter: It’s like she’s in a haunted house, seeing his face, his eyes. She eventually runs outside, and it only gets worse.

Author's Note: This song was MADE for Zetsu. ...Ok yes it's a character song for a podcast that has vampire imagery but STILL! Hopefully I'm not stretching the verses out too much. Like with Hidan's chapter, Misanthrapolagist, I plan on more with this title for Zetsu. The song is Yes, to Err is Human, So Don't Be One by Will Wood. Also I have SO many song associations and playlists for these characters, I will hyperfixate you to death if you ask (lovingly)

CW for talk of cannibalism. Because of Zetsu. Existing.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I could drink your blood if you let me, baby

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The hisses of wind only grow sharper as the gusts blunder past the cracks of the brick house. Was weather here always prone to this?! It didn’t so much as drizzle in the months she’s been around! The caged bird believes no omen, but hell if the anxieties don’t multiply one another.

She grips her shoulders through the thin blue sweater; it’s nearly useless to this kind of storm. In her gritting teeth she can feel a racing heartbeat, her stomach tipping upside-down like a trashcan in a tornado. It’s been five-something fucking hours since her comrades left at the break of twilight, five-something fucking hours in what’s become practically a haunted house. Fearing the roof cave in after one more groan of the ceiling, the woman finally tears herself from the glue trap of fright and figures there must be a better way to take shelter, just in case.

Her lip is bit till it turns stark white. If her Kakuzu and Hidan were here, they wouldn’t leave her like this, right? She’d be protected again. No fear of kidnappers, handsy patrons, nor a maelstrom such as this. They never spoke nice but they always were nice, somehow, when it mattered.

How desperate is she to think they really had such sentiment, she scolds herself. No, regardless of this deal with a god she’s been left alone again. Her eyes feel like they’re being squeezed in their sockets, since they’ve no more tears to give tonight.

“I’m so scared…” she murmurs, holding herself. Her eyes pinch shut but with a crack of lightning, they burst open and she can only scream. A stoic face with candlelight-yellow eyes stares at her from the wall, lifeless, and it disappears in the dark once the bolt’s glow decays. Feet scramble underneath each other till she trips out the door and into the hall.

The hallway itself feels like a rickety bridge overtop ten stories of mountain air, dizzying altitude making it hard to stand up straight or breathe. Like a newborn deer she staggers up, limping through vertigo-induced twists and turns. Just as she regains some sense of control, approaching the first stair down, lightning strikes again and the specter returns in a picture frame. Another cry and she pushes forward, panic yanking her down the staircase so she runs with any body part but her legs, pounding, pounding, poundingtill the last thud is more mute. Shaky arms raise herself up yet again, and the ache in her bones causes the woman to forget the course of her ship.

A growl in the throat of the storm brings another vision of him: massive green, jagged teeth around a split face in the corner of her eye, and the only thing she knows how to do is run.

Is she any good at it?

Grazing the sides of dusty furniture scrape her skin, knickknacks shoved from their shelves in a pop, pop, pop like grenades, shattering porcelain. The head of a doll rolls until it catches on the lapse of two floorboards, one eyeball caved in and rosy lips pursed in emotionless death. The woman’s arms fling open the door of the cage, and it feels like a mile in the few seconds it takes for her to turn and look back.

The wind plays with the back porch gate as a restless child would, square edges stark in shape against the sea of thick, foggy gray in the sky. The leaves cling to the branches around for dear life, and the space in the doorway where the creature should be is empty. The woman inches a few steps backward, unsure, disoriented, as she finds herself outside.

And nature takes her, as while the leaves don’t fly away in early summer, the branches still can.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Hang from your rafters, patchwork & paisley

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The wind coos like an owl, deep and songful. It plays with her hair, cold weaving up the strands till it hits her scalp. Then slowly, but surely, his fingers do too, cupping the side of her head as she lays on his lap- in his arms. Zetsu, of course, can only ponder this: her eyes are shut, refusing to see him. The sight of him made her flee. And yet she grips now, to his familiar cloak, with her life depending on it.

Humans are such silly things.

Yellow irises take in the amputated limb ahead, the branch that almost fell on her. Its bark is healthy, its inside green at the edges where bisected. Quite the gust to rip that off, half of him muses. It’s time to take shelter, the other minds. They’re in agreement as the phantom plucks her from the earth and returns her to the haunted house.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I could suck you dry on the rocks with a twist

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

It’s funny. The woman always thought the iconography of ghosts to be enamoring, you know? From little round sheets with holes for eyes, to wisps of foxfire and gossamer, to visceral mutilations of what a person used to be-- they’re all fascinating, representing different aspects of longing and lingering and leaving this plane. It makes sense, a woman nearly obsessed with death and perspectives of afterlife to find attachment to their personifications. As she is placed gently as a feather atop a bed unused for years and years, does she see her ghost, ahead in the vanity mirror? And as that face returns, is that what he is?

Weariness of a long night must overcast prior instincts, as now she merely flutters her eyes in surprise. “Oh,” she speaks too simply, “It’s you…!” The woman recognizes him now, once she stops burying her face in red clouds. The scent of pollen fades off of him like a perfume as distance increases. The man is a mirror of himself, plain as can be, and even as she stares, she can’t figure out how his face works. The complete eye of Zetsu’s becomes hooded now she's properly rescued and subdued; she becomes flushed.

“A-apologies.” A formal tone is necessary, not only after being so erratic but as she doesn’t know him at all. But the expression of his isn’t short like she first thought; he begins to smile.

“You almost killed yourself.”

Never mind, he’s probably mad.

“Sorry.” Her head bows. “The wind, the thunder—”

One eye blinks. “...It scared you?”

She can’t even nod to that; the woman knows how childish it is. “...A tree fell into my room. When I was little.” It’s so hard trying to relax her shoulders after being tense so long. “I get anxious when it’s windy like this.”

Zetsu’s sweeter voice exhales an “oh,” calculations running in his head. “...It makes sense. Forces of nature like this kill all the time. It’s only a matter of time until you—”

A sharp pang rings through his skull, one communicating the other to for the love of god shut up. Great. As White Zetsu refocuses, he sees that she’s fixated on the storm again, a still intact glass arch in the wall framing a branch that swings up and down like a kid carrying a teddy bear by the paw.

Why do you care if she’s upset?

Pain-sama’s intentions are clear.

But being attentive doesn’t mean babying.

Look at her.

And he does. The woman is withered, drained and meek to the imagination of forces smashing her down like a bug. She’s small. In this big, big world, she is still so very small. Zetsu sighs.

“There's no threat,” he assures, truthfully. For his soft voice, it’s so confident. “This building has stood for years. It won’t fall tonight,” the other voice adds. The fear-paled lady in her white dress now finally nods in agreement, eager for some logic to stand onto.

“You’re right...You’re right.”

The gaze falls from the window to the broken mirror some meters away, seeing herself in it- propped up against the headboard with hands folded on her lap- and the creature looming on the bedside. Forces of nature, huh...?

“...Are you like them?” she inquires. The black cloth can only bring such questions. “Do you kill, too?” Though the exact nature of the Akatsuki- the execution of Pain's peace- eludes her, the bounties and (to an extent) the rituals of her entourage did not.

The monster of a man doesn’t shake his head, nor says a proper no. “I’m not a fighter,” he explains. “I’m not suited for such work.” A tiny bit of relief enters her heart, but it still holds worries.

“...May I ask what you do?”

A curious one. Best she be careful.

“...Watch. Learn. Listen," he provides. "The roots take me where I need, pass information that needs to be known.” He’s the reason the other Akatsuki know she exists, why she’s here now, sitting next to him in wait for the next pair.

“It sounds...more peaceful,” she admits, admiration creeping in her weary tone. She envisions herself as he must be, weaving in and out of oak and birch as smooth as watercolor brushes on paper. Her head sticking out on the very tippy top of the woodlands, the smell of magnolia or plum blossom surrounding as an aura. She’s above the world, anything that could crush her--

“Oh yes. It can be meditative,” he agrees pleasantly, “...Especially the meals.”

She blinks again. “Meals?”

“The bodies,” Zetsu says. “Consumption of them renews my chakra. I presume it’s much like how you must enjoy sleep or a bath.”

“...Bodies? Of…?!” The woman regrets it as soon as she asks.

“Corpses,” he elaborates. “My most vital duty is to dispose of our dead.”

It is suddenly so very nauseating imagining herself so high up.

“Mm?” The man cocks his head, though the woman isn’t even using the mirror to look at him anymore; indeed, her eyes aren’t seeing anything that’s actually in front of her. He chides once again.

Damn...so sensitive…how annoying...

Then don’t make it worse! Fix it!

“...You needn’t think about that. I only eat you if you die.”

That is NOT AT ALL what she was thinking about, thank you very much!!!

Predictable as a jack in the box, fear encapsulates her again, shivers making her bolt straight up in bed. A hand searches blindly desperately across the blanket till it palms a pillow to shove into her face. A brow curls in confusion as he watches her muted scream, and then just as quickly, she stops, setting it back where it was. That helps a little. Unified, he and her exhale in release of stress, lest the remaining time get even longer than it already will be.

“You'll just be brought back again if you leave, you know…”

“I do, I do…Just.” She swallows, forcing herself to take in his visage in the mirror once more. The way his coat wraps around the plant structure causes the collar to taper off, sort of like a vampire's cape. “Never heard that one before.” ...No, she hasn’t heard that one before. Eating the dead... And she’s so morbidly curious--

--No. No, she’s not going to ask what they taste like!!! She needs the sky to stop spinning before that box can be unwrapped. God. Oh god...! She mouths a quick "bleh!" and vigorously shakes her brain free of the idea. Zetsu allows himself to smirk again, questions of her filling his own fascinated mind. A woman that may be of another world, perhaps across time and space...she's a weird one, indeed, but not in the way one would expect. Before he caught a whiff of it, the traveler had already put herself in the good graces of the Akatsuki's arguably most unstable members-- a talent of some sort, surely, amount of magic (or jutsu) involved still unknown. As much as one can ask how many of her fairy tales are real, how much of her self is one?

“Must be quite a few things you’ll experience for the first time.”

You strange thing, he ponders, what secrets do you keep...?

The infinite is in the wind, across the fluttering leaves and in the waves of grass. Ghosts and ghouls and Frankenstein’s monsters. The two aliens share this space as the other carries a whole other universe- way of existing- upon their back, both grotesque and incomprehensible. Another flash of lightning, and electricity fills the air with possibilities grand and grave. As she rests upon the bed, though eyelids beg to close, the exhausted woman finds herself staring at his split reflection in wonder. The flytrap tilts its torso forward till he can see his own face in the cracked glass, and he tries to see what she sees.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

But just like a vampire, I don't exist

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───