#but the weather changing and the state of the world now is really brining me down again

[alienated-idiot]

Trying to figure out if my thyroid is at fault or Tis The Season to get my mood stabilizer upped

[sjjdkdkwo]

Thinking about Nick and Stephen again and idk I just feel they’d have such a neat relationship? I know Nick only has like 4 lines in the movie but still. I really want scenarios where they could interact more? Just, anything really? Like—

Nick finds Stephen in an empty room in the hospital, he’d stopped by earlier to see some other friends. He and Nick are still learning how to go about starting something that isn’t intense dislike or scorn for each other, but they’re well off now that they can at least exchange pleasantries. Still it’s surprising to Stephen that Nick has actually sought him out that day instead of letting them run into each other’s paths naturally like normal. So he prepares his usual greeting but stops when he gets a good look at Nick. To say he looks awful would be an understatement, his eyes are sunken and dark, his hair looks greasy and uneasy, and he looks like he hasn’t eat much if at all. Before Stephen would’ve thrown a rude jab at him, and told him to fix himself up before heading to work. But he’s different now, and the sympathy that he once lacked brings him to give Nick a soft but firm hello and a curt nod. Though he’d loathed to admit it at one point, he now sees that he and Nick share the same prideful and independent personality(perhaps why they’d gotten along so poorly before) and he also knows better than to make his concern obvious.

Unlike before however...Nick doesn’t hide his sorrowful state behind and air of superiority and confidence and instead asks Stephen if they can speak in private. He joins him in a more quiet and solitary part of the hospital and waits for Nick to speak. Nick confides in him that he believes he’s being haunted. Stephen narrows his eyes and asks Nick why he’s telling him of all people only for Nick to scoff. He’d seen him portal of one day after he’d finished speaking to Christine, and he’d managed to put two and two together. He knows Stephen can help him, and does something unexpected. He begs Stephen to go to his home with him that night to help keep him safe from the spirit who he believes has become more malevolent. Stephen considers him for a long moment, and after taking in the fear and panic in his eyes, and the slight tremble of his body, he agrees. He feels uneasy as he watches relief flood Nick’s eyes.

Stephen makes it to Nick’s apartment later in the day, and tries not to feel awkward. They’re not exactly friends yet, and usually their prone to not speaking to things beyond medical articles and the weather on occasion. So when Nick lets him in with a smile—his features leased strained and more relaxed than they’d been in the morning—and leads him to the living room Stephen can’t help but feel confused. Shaking any lingering perplexity though he settles in gets started on trying to gauge the energies in the room while trying to keep up with Nick’s newfound desire to ramble on. He’s put off when he finds that...nothing in the apartment feels odd. In fact, there’s nothing there.

He knows by now though that sometimes spirits don’t linger permanently, instead making sporadic visits in between and decides to stick around enough to see if that’s the case. Settling in he takes in Nick’s apartment. It’s nice and well decorated but something about it feels cold and almost unlived in. He lets Nick talk him into picking out music while he prepares dinner(Stephen had given in after enough persistence) and then settles onto the counter to watch Nick work. He won’t offer him help, and he thinks Nick knows that too, not with his hands being the way they are. And while he and Wong had overcome his shame and embarrassment enough to work through meals together some nights, Nick is different, still not yet friend enough even for Stephen to even let his hands settle on the counter out in the open. Nick doesn’t seem to mind though, instead filling in the silence with his own commentary on the culinary arts and Stephen finds himself actually listening to him. Apparently it’s something he enjoys, a sentiment picked up from spending many hours in the kitchen with his grandmother. And as the afternoon goes on, Stephen can admit that Nick is not bad company at all. He even finds himself chipping in to the conversation, enjoying the easy flow that develops between them.

After dinner there’s still no sign of supernatural entities and so he asks Nick when the spirit normally takes to appearing. Nicks goes silent for a second, and Stephen can see him swallow. With a shaky breath he tells him it’s presence is most prominent in the night, and Stephen calls Wong to let him know he’ll be home later than he’d intended. After Nick invites him to sit down and watch television, and though he hesitates at first, Stephen settles down next to him on the couch—leaving a bit of room between them. After deciding on something together the easy conversation picks up again, and before Stephen notices, night has befallen them. He also notices that Nick has gone quiet for the first time since he’d arrived and turns to look at him, assuming he must’ve fallen asleep. But he hasn’t.

Instead Nick looks blankly at the screen in front of him, still and unmoving even when Stephen calls his name. Stephen searches again for any sign of the spirit with not luck in sight. Until he realizes. There is no spirit, and Nick is not being tormented. Not in the paranormal sense at least. Stephen tells him so, and is surprised when Nick nods in agreement, further giving in to Stephen’s uncertainty and he has to ask. “Why did you ask me to come here then?”

Nick doesn’t reply at first. Instead keeping his empty gaze forward as though he hadn’t heard him. Stephen wonders if he didn’t. But before he can answer Nick tells him. After the snap he’d encountered many issues, he doesn’t go into detail, and Nick had been left trying to deal with the aftermath of it all. He admits that it had felt like he’d woken up to a different world(technically they had) with everything he’d known gone or changed. And he’d been alone. Stephen doesn’t have to ask to know that likely means Nick’s close ones are dead. Nick tells him he’d tried at first, and really he had, to adapt and try and catch up. Everyone else had, even through their grief. But through it all he couldn’t, and at the sudden foreign territory his mind had well, shut down on him. He doesn’t even remember how it started or when he’d first noticed something was wrong he says, and the one day, he’d wanted to die.

Stephen lets him go on, a chill settling in the middle of his spine as he takes in Nick’s words. Emotion over flooding him not just for the suffering of another person like usual, but of someone he knows. Nick tells him he’d ask him to come over because the thoughts had gotten stronger, and he hadn’t known if he could trust himself to be alone anymore. He lets out a quiet apology once he’s done, and Stephen’s heart aches at the fact that Nick thinks his sorrow and state of mind are something to be sorry for. Even so, Stephen is aware that a few encouraging words will not be enough, and instead tells Nick not to apologize and asks him if he wants to see a trick. Nicks face twists into confusion but Stephen goes on, brining his shaky hands up, letting Nick see them on purpose—as if to let him know there is no shame in the way he is feeling, in being vulnerable—and with a few movements of his fingers produces a butterfly. Nicks hole face breaks out into shock as he scrambles back and Stephen almost laughs, but stays silent, allowing Nick to lean forward again to stare in wonder and Stephen’s seemingly facile show of magic. The usual questions follow. How did you do it? What is it? Can you show me?

Stephen is happy to entertain every question, carefully watching Nick’s face for any signs of the despair that had been their prior. He knows this won’t fix anything, but that’s not what he’d intended, knows Nick needs to seek proper care an attention. Something unfortunately even Stephen can’t provide. No, what he’d wanted to create was a distraction. A moment for Nick’s mind to not know peace, but to be overtaken by something other than sadness and goes about showing Nick more spells and gestures as the night goes on.

Nick has still not gotten a hold of magic by the time his morning alarm goes off(not that Stephen had expected him to), startling at the sound and looking back at Stephen with astonishment. Stephen only smiles, kind but not pityingly and places a hand on Nick’s shoulder and giving it a soft squeeze.

Waiting for Nick to scurry to get ready, Stephen places a few protective spells around the apartment. When Nick comes out he thanks him for the evening and tells him sincerely that he’d enjoyed himself. And he had. Nick gives him a lopsided smile and agrees before going serious and thanking Stephen. It’s quick and stiff but Stephen can look through it and see all the emotion and sincerity hidden behind it. Smiling he tells Nick to set an appointment with a therapist and to his relief Nick nods. Then he tells him he’ll see him again later that night. In his own home. This time he does laugh at Nick’s shocked face and tells him where to find him. Nick nods dumbly again, thanking him once more and waving him off.

Later he meets Wong, and between the two of them he endures their critiques and chastising on his inability to rely on others even now. But watching Nick laugh about a story from their residency days he thinks he’s ok with it. He’s happy to be a distraction for Nick, and starts to realize that maybe he can be a friend now too.

[elsanna-shenanigans]

February Contest Submission #8: The Treasure Of Doggerland

words: ca. 5000 setting: Modern AU lemon: No cw: None

The Ocean held so many wonders and mysteries. While mankind had chartered the stars and heavens above, so little was known about what lay underneath the oceans and seas of the world. And for Anna and her colleague Kristoff, their life’s work had been to discover the mystery of one of the most fascinating underwater locations on earth.

Thousands of years ago, around the time of the last ice age, there was a large mass of land that connected the United Kingdom to the rest of Europe. Modern-day scientists had termed it Doggerland and there had been several expeditions to the area over the years that had dredged up all sorts of things, from bones to primitive tools used by early man.

For Anna and Kristoff though, they hoped to be the first explorers to make a complete survey of the whole area and finally make a map of every notable point of interest. Their work would hopefully be the backbone for all future research and exploration in the area for years to come.

Sadly, their work had hit a slight snag. They had been unable to fully acquire funding for such an expedition and so, had to go about it themselves. They’d flown to Denmark, hired a submarine, a ship and a captain who would take them out to sea.

It wasn’t much, but Anna hoped that at least part of the survey would allow them to convince investors to further support their efforts. But of course, that all did indeed depend on this whole endeavour being successful.

After being out at sea for over a day, Anna and Kristoff were ready to begin, starting with Anna going down in the submarine to make a survey of the area near their ship, before moving onwards to another area the next day. Anna had hoped that everything would go smoothly.

However, the weather had certainly gotten worse. As Anna stood on the deck of the ship, she felt torrential rain batter the deck of the old rackety vessel. The storm was one of the worst she’d ever seen. A wind that howled and threatened to carry Anna off the deck of the ship at any moment, to the waves the size of small houses, battering the sides of the ship every once in a while, drenching the deck in brine.

But Anna wasn’t scared. If anything, the storm was actually motivational for her, triggering some primal instinct to push onwards no matter what the weather was like. And besides, it wasn’t like she’d be above the water when she’d be doing her survey.

“Hell of a storm out here!” A voice called to her.

Anna turned, seeing the captain of the ship, Eric, walk over to her. “Yeah, not it’s a real tempest out here.”

Eric chuckled. “Not scared of a bit of thunder and lightning, are you?”

The redhead scoffed. “Hell no. Besides, where I grew up, we used to get storms like this every day.”

“Heh, you seem like a born sailor,” Eric remarked.

“Actually, my dad was a fisherman,” Anna explained. “I guess I got my love of the ocean from him.”

Kristoff soon joined them on deck, almost slipping over as another massive wave rocked the boat. He clung onto the railing, sighing in relief that he hadn’t been thrown overboard into the sea. As he stumbled back onto his feet, he walked over to Anna, clutching his coat as it was blown about in the gale.

“Did we have to do this in the middle of a storm?” Kristoff asked, his tone reflecting how unsure he felt.

Anna walked over to her partner. “Hey, when life gives you lemons.”

Her friend shot Anna a rather serious look. Kristoff had always been the cautious of the two, as far back as when they had met in college. He’d always had to be the one to keep Anna out of trouble and from the looks of this storm, it was probably suicide for Anna to go out in that.

“Anna, this storm is battering the ship!” Kristoff cried in alarm. “Are you sure you wanna go down in the sub now and not wait until the storm passes?”

“Yes, I’m sure!” Anna called back. “Besides, I’m going under the water, not across it.”

Kristoff folded his arms. “I don’t like it at all, feisty pants. With this storm, the sub might get caught in the currents and you could be dragged away. Or maybe smashed against some rocks and sink.”

“I’m a good swimmer,” Anna argued.

“Yeah, but you’re going thousands of feet down to the seafloor,” Kristoff reminded her. “You really think you can swim that far?”

“Kristoff, we spent five years planning this,” Anna argued. “I don’t intend to stop now just because of a bit of bad weather.”

Kristoff sighed, giving in. “Alright, I know never to argue with you when you’re stubborn like this. But I’m gonna keep in constant radio contact. The first sign of trouble, you hit those ballast tanks and come straight back up, right?”

“Sure thing,” Anna stated, putting a hand on her shoulder. “And Kristoff? Thanks for being here with me.”

Kristoff smiled. “Well… we are in this together after all.”

“Good” Anna stated. “You and Eric prepping the sub. I’m gonna get changed into my wetsuit and remind myself of the area we’re surveying today.”

As Anna went below decks to get changed, Eric chuckled.

“And what’s so funny?” Kristoff wondered.

“Oh, nothing. Just your girlfriend here reminds me a lot of my wife. Stubborn, very confident in herself… and a redhead too.”

Kristoff blushed. “Uh… she’s not my girlfriend.”

“Oh I apologise,” Eric said. “It’s just I thought that maybe…”

“Yeah, you aren’t the first but… I’m not exactly Anna’s preference if you get what I mean,” Kristoff said.

“Ah,” Eric nodded in understanding. “Duly noted.”

Down below, Anna was getting changed into her wetsuit. As she looked at herself in the mirror after tying her hair up in a bun, she felt a sense of butterflies in her chest. Finally, today was the day when five years of hard work were going to pay off once and for all.

As she went to a nearby table to look over the map of the region, the area she was going to survey, she looked at an old family photograph she’d brought with her. It was of her mother and father from when she was a little girl. Anna thought of how innocent she looked then, with her twin braids. These days, she felt much more mature about herself, wearing her hair longer.

“Well dad, I promised you I’d go see the sea for myself,” Anna whispered. “I bet you’d be proud of me.”

Tragically, Anna’s father had actually died at sea. His ship had been caught in a massive storm and capsized. The coast guard sadly never found his body, but the tragedy hadn’t stopped Anna from wanting to unlock the mysteries of the ocean itself. If anything, it had influenced her.

Anna smiled. “Maybe if I find anything down there, I’ll show it to you next time I’m home.” She sighed, remembering the coastal town in Maine where she grew up and spent her weekends on the beach, gazing out at the sea. It had been years since she visited her father’s grave, though she wasn’t exactly keen on seeing her mother again anytime.

But Anna didn’t have time to be dwelling on all that now, she had a route to memorise. She looked at the map again, making a mental note of the area once more. She wanted to survey the entire site, right down the last detail, leaving no stone unturned as it were.

When she was done, Anna headed out on deck, ready to begin her adventure.

xXx

Sometime later, Anna was on board the submarine as Eric lowered it into the water with the large crane on the back of his ship. As the crane let go, the yellow and black vessel plummeted down into the water, making an almighty splash as it hit the waves below.

Kristoff looked over the side of the ship, still concerned about the weather. He took out his pocket radio and spoke into it. “You all set down there, Anna?”

“Yeah, I’m about to fill my tanks now,” Anna replied.

The ballast tanks on the submarine soon filled with water and Kristoff watched as the sub dove under the waves. Anna sat at the controls of the craft, looking out of the glass cockpit at the ocean that surrounded her, watching the bubbles of air float to the surface as she descended.

As the sub sunk deeper and deeper, Anna switched on the submarine’s massive spotlights, illuminating the darkness surrounding her. She also switched on her sonar, the familiar echoing sound filling the canopy. On a nearby radar screen, Anna saw a monochromatic map of her surroundings appear next to her.

When she reached the ocean bed, Anna started up the sub’s engines. The small propellors on the craft pushed it forward, Anna driving across the sea bed. As she followed the route she mesmerised in her head, she looked around at the wonders that surrounded her.

Coral reefs, schools of fish, even a shark in the distance. But so far, there didn’t seem to be anything of much note. Though Anna wasn’t expecting to find much on her first trip. This was mainly so she could make a map of the actual area.

it would others later on that would likely be doing the real archaeological work.

Anna peered into the inky blackness as the submarine cruised across the sea bed. As she stared out of the window, seeing schools of fish swim through the glow of the submarine’s spotlights, she took a moment to enjoy the wonders.

But she thought about what this sea bed would have been like thousands of years ago when it was a vast grassy plain, where early mankind had once lived.

As she scanned across the seabed, Anna looked at the sonar screen to her left, seeing how it was picking up the nearby school of fish to her left and large rock formation to her right. It seemed like she had been coasting along the vast seabed for hours and covered some vast distance, but she had only gone a few miles away from the ship.

“How’re things going down there?” Kristoff asked.

“Kinda boring so far,” Anna admitted. “I’ve only covered about thirteen per cent of the area and I haven’t seen anything of much value besides some fish.”

“Well, we’re not likely to strike gold on our first day doing this, fiesty pants,” Kristoff replied. “How’s your oxygen meter doing?”

“I’ve got plenty of time,” Anna stated. “How’s the weather up there like?”

“Still not great, ” Kristoff stated. “Be careful down there.”

“I will,” Anna promised.

Over the next few hours, Anna’s submarine cruised across the seabed along the route, the oceanographer taking note of anything of interest. As time ticked by though, Anna started to become a bit bored. She partly wished she’d brought her phone down here with her to listen to some music, but she remembered why she hadn’t.

If she had to go out in her scuba gear, the canopy would be flooded and last time she checked, phones weren’t waterproof. But Anna knew she needed to do something to pass the time. So she started to sing a merry tune to herself, something from her dad’s old record collection.

“We all live in a yellow submarine,” Anna sang to herself. “Yellow submarine, yellow submarine.”

“Is that the Beatles you’re signing there?” Eric’s voice chimed in.

“Oh uh,” Anna stuttered, blushing bright red in embarrassment. “Yeah, yellow submarine was my favourite as a kid.”

“You’ve certainly got a lovely singing voice,” Eric complimented.

“Hey uh, captain, mind staying off the radio?” Kristoff said. “Anna’s doing important survey work down there.”

“No, it’s fine, Kristoff,” Anna replied. “Still pretty dull down here.”

However, just then, Anna heard a very loud ping from the submarine’s sonar. Anna’s eyes widened, looking at the monitor to her left. Though she couldn’t tell what it was, the sonar had detected something massive near Anna’s location.

“Woah, what the heck is that?” Anna wondered.

“Coral reef maybe?” Kristoff suggested.

“I’m gonna check it out,” Anna stated.

Turning her submarine to the left, Anna headed in the direction of the mysterious sonar signal. Though she hadn’t expected to find anything on the first day, she wasn’t exactly complaining now. The thought of whatever she was about to find filled her with passion for her adventure.

Eventually, after cruising for a while, Anna noticed something out of the cockpit of the sub. The ocean around her was starting to grow… lighter. There was something in the distance illuminating the surrounding ocean, just beyond a nearby rock formation.

Switching off the sub’s spotlights, Anna radioed Kristoff. “Kristoff, whatever I’ve found, it’s lighting the ocean up like a Christmas tree.”

“That’s odd. The storm is still raging up here, so it can’t be the sun.”

“No, it’s something here at the bottom of the sea,” Anna stated. “I’m going in a closer look.”

As Anna’s craft flew over the rock formation, her eyes widened as she looked upon what she had discovered. Just in front of Anna was a giant scaly, ring-like structure that encircled a large area of the ocean bed. It was at least the size of a football pitch, the structure of the ring made of a sparkling mineral that gave them the appearance of ice. One part of the ring seemed to resemble a dragon’s head.

But what intrigued Anna the most was what was at the centre of the ring. On some sort of strange stone plinth, there stood what appeared to be a statue. The statue was made of the same mineral as the giant ring, sparkling and glowing with unnatural light.

Taking the sub in closer, Anna gazed at the statue. It seemed to be around seven or eight feet in height, in the shape of what appeared to be a humanoid woman with pointed ears and long hair, wearing a flowing dress of some kind.

Her heart pulsing in her chest, Anna felt a strange sensation when looking at the statue. She was mesmerised by how beautiful it appeared to be, She almost could have sworn it was smiling… at her. She couldn’t take her eyes off it, no matter how hard she tried.

“Uh, Anna?” Kristoff spoke into the radio. “You okay?”

Anna didn’t respond.

“YO FEISTY PANTS!”

Gasping, Anna shook her head. “Uh, yeah big guy?”

“Are you alright ?” Kristoff wondered. “You went quiet for a moment there.”

“I… I think so,” Anna stated. “I’ve found the source of the signal. It’s some sort of massive underwater crystalline structure. No idea how old it is, but there seems to be some kind of statue here made of the same mineral.”

“What? How is that possible?”

“I know right! This changes everything we knew about this area,” Anna remarked. “Maybe those old rumours of Doggerland being the British Atlantis weren’t far off after all.”

“Maybe,” Kristoff stated. “But you should really finish up your survey. Come back to this area later, Anna.”

“No,” Anna insisted. “I… I think we should bring that statue back to the ship for further study. I’ll finish the survey tomorrow.”

“What?” Kristoff wondered. “Anna, I thought we were supposed to be only surveying the area.”

“Change of plans,” Anna said. “We’re bringing this statue up.”

She wasn’t sure what was happening, but some sort of strange influence was compelling her to protect this statue. She… She didn’t want to just leave it down here. Something so beautiful didn’t deserve to be hidden away from the world, in the depths of the ocean.

Kristoff sighed. “Alright, I’ll have Eric bring the ship over to your location. Hang tight there.”

“Thanks, Kristoff,” Anna replied.“

Taking the sub in closer, Anna activated its large, robotic grappling arms. The two massive claws extended from the craft as Anna positioned her vessel in just the right position in front of the statue. She had to be gentle though. The last thing she wanted was to damage the beautiful figure of ice before her.

Carefully, Anna manipulated the arms, their mechanical fingers gently clutching onto the statue. With a little tug, the statue was pulled free from the stone base it was attached to, now being held in the arms of Anna’s vessel, thankfully without a scratch or being chipped.

"Yes!” Anna cheered.

As the submarine floated upwards, Anna reached forward, her hand touching the glass of the canopy. She stared into the statue’s icy eyes, feeling that somehow, they were staring back at her. Anna smiled, feeling that she had done the right thing.

This was certainly something her father would have been proud of her for.

xXx

Once Anna was back on the surface and aboard the ship, the strange statue she’d recovered was brought down the cargo hold. Over the next few hours, Anna and Kristoff studied the mysterious sculpture, Anna in particular still mesmerised by its gorgeous features.

And she wasn’t alone in thinking that. Eric had complimented on how beautiful the statue was, which had made Anna feel unusually jealous. But right now, she and Kristoff were looking over the statue, trying to figure out what it was, what it was made of, and more importantly… who could have carved it.

But Anna wasn’t entirely focused on her work. Now that she had the statue with her and nothing was between them, she felt she could spend forever just staring at the gorgeous woman. She reached out, caressing the cold, icy surface of the statue in her hands.

For a moment, she felt as though her hands were meeting cold skin instead of rock and ice. Soft, smooth skin that belonged to whatever being the statue was in the image of. As she stroked the statue’s head. she imagined her fingers threading themselves through locks of soft hair.

It was quite an unusual sensation, the feeling as though this statue was, in fact, a living being and that Anna felt as though she and it were… connected somehow. Nothing in her life had made Anna feel quite like this before.

“So who do you think made it?” Kristoff wondered.

“I… I don’t know,” Anna admitted. “My guess is there was some sort of civilisation in this part of the world thousands of years ago that were wiped out when Doggerland fell under the sea.”

“You think so? This thing would predate the Egyptians if it did and I find that hard to believe,” Kristoff stated. “My guess is maybe it fell off a Viking ship or something during the middle ages, that it was carved around that time.”

“That doesn’t line up,” Anna admitted. “I didn’t see any shipwrecks in the area where I found her, or that stone plinth, or that weird ring structure that surrounded her. She’s quite a mystery.”

“That it is,” Kristoff admitted, though he was a little confused by Anna referring to the statue as a woman, despite it not being alive. But he brushed it off for the moment and looked at the statue. “It’s remarkably well preserved. Whatever this stuff it’s made of, it’s lasted for centuries.”

“She’s certainly unique,” Anna remarked, staring at the statue. “I doubt there’s anything else in the world quite like her.” She found herself gazing at the statue again, being lost in its features.

Kristoff gave her a look. He couldn’t ignore this now, especially now that Anna seemed to be consistently calling the statue a woman. “Uh, Anna… you know this statue isn’t a living being right?”

“Oh yeah?”

“Then why are you calling it a she?” Kristoff asked. “I mean, yeah it’s depicting a female figure, but she’s not exactly… alive. Are you sure you weren’t down there in the ocean too long and you’ve caught the bends?”

“W-What?!” Anna exclaimed, blushing bright red. “I’m fine, really! But… I hadn’t realised I was calling her a she. I… I can’t help it. It’s like she’s really here with us and she’s more than just some statue I found at the bottom of the sea. She’s… She’s completely perfect.” She looked away. “Don’t judge me, okay?”

“I won’t, don’t worry,” Kristoff chuckled. “Now I realise why you wanted to bring it up so badly. She is rather pretty and hey, wouldn’t be the first fictional person you’ve fallen for.”

Anna blushed redder, remembering how Kristoff used to tease her for her crushes on various fictional women when they first met. Lara Croft, Wonder Woman, Jasmine from Aladdin, Anna clearly had a type and this statue fitted it. She just hoped Kristoff wasn’t going to tease her too badly over it.

“But this is the first time I’ve seen you fall for a statue,” Kristoff remarked.

“Oh I can’t help it,” Anna sighed dreamily.

Her partner just smirked. “Even after all these years, you’re still a useless lesbian. I swear Honeymaren had no right to dump a cutie like you.”

Anna groaned. “Please don’t bring that up again… and for the record, this statue is still important regardless if I’m in love with her. If we show her to people, we’ll definitely get more funding to continue our research here and who knows what else we’ll find. Maybe some idea as to what the people who carved her were like.”

“Yeah and you get to look at a pretty girl,” Kristoff teased.

“Ugh, I hate you,” Anna groaned.

But Kristoff wasn’t wrong though. The statue was indeed gorgeous and… in a way, Anna wished she could keep it for herself. It didn’t deserve to be in some museum, with so many people staring at it. She wanted the statue to be hers, all hers. Part of her wanted to lean in and kiss the gorgeous statue… though that was a little weird even by her standards.

As she stared intently at the statue, she reached forward, caressing its crystalline surface. As she did so, she noticed that the dress of the statue seemed to be lined with strange runes, symbols that weren’t familiar to Anna at all. She thought about what they could possibly mean.

“Uh, Anna?” Kristoff then spoke to her.

Anna shook her head, drawn out of her daze again. “Uh yes?”

“I’m gonna go get something to eat. All this exploring has worked up an appetite. You coming?”

“Uh sure,” Anna replied flatly, still gazing at the statue.

She then left the room with Kristoff, going to get dinner with him. After leaving the room, however, Anna never saw the runes she’d been looking at on the statue were now glowing a mysterious white aura, as were the statue’s eyes. Clearly, there was definitely more to it than either of them could have imagined.

xXx

Anna was standing on a strange rocky beach in the middle of a storm, thunder and lightning crashing around her. She wasn’t sure what was happening or where this beach was. She walked around, feeling the freezing cold all around her. She desperately sought out shelter as rain pelted down from the sky.

But before Anna could reach a nearby cave, she looked out at the ocean as a massive wave rose above her. She screamed, trying to outrun it before she was drenched in the water. As she was dragged along the beach, Anna coughed and spluttered, seawater having jumped down her throat.

As she got to her feet, she looked around, seeing the storm only growing in intensity. At that moment, the howling wind was interrupted by a strange voice calling out to Anna in a melodic tone.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

“Who… Who said that?” Anna asked. “Where are you?”

Aaaaaaaa, the voice called out again.

As the howling wind resumed, Anna looked out at the stormy sea Was the voice… coming from the ocean? Anna wanted to know and suddenly, she sprinted into the ocean and to her amazement… she was somehow walking on the surface of the water itself, the waves turning slowly to ice beneath her feet.

“What the heck?” Anna asked, but then heard a loud rumbling as a massive sea serpent burst out of the water, flying over Anna’s head. The creature let out a deafening, hissing roar before it dove back into the water. For a few moments, Anna saw that it had scales made of the same crystal as the statue.

Then, she heard the sound of galloping, as a strange, horse-like creature galloped along the waves beside Anna, before also dipping under the waves. Anna blinked, confused as to what exactly was going on. But before she could think about that, she felt the wind pick up again.

Looking up, Anna saw a figure floating above her, flying on the wind itself. She couldn’t make out what the figure looked like, but it clearly had long flowing hair and was wearing a dress with a cape of some kind. Was this… was this the statue come to life?

Glowing blue eyes gazed upon Anna and the redhead felt… strangely comforted by them. They seemed so warm and inviting. And yet, Anna still had no clue what was actually going on here? Where was she? What were those creatures? What was this strange woman?

There has been an awakening, a voice then spoke. You have been chosen.

“What?” Anna asked. “I don’t understand.”

You are the one who will awaken us.

“Me? What are you-”

And then, Anna woke up.

The redhead panted as she shot out of bed, wiping her brow of sweat. She was glad that it had all just been some sort of crazy dream, yet she found herself filled with more thoughts about the statue. She… she felt that it was in danger somehow, that she had to be near it.

Quickly getting dressed Anna tried to make it out of her bedroom, only to trip up and fall over, banging her head on a wall. “Ow!”

She groaned, realising the storm outside the ship hadn’t calmed down at all. After rubbing her head, Anna made her way down to the cargo hold, wanting to check on her mysterious statue. Something about it was drawing to her, something she knew was connected to her dream.

Fortunately for Anna, the statue was safe. It hadn’t moved an inch, much to her relief. After going over to the statue, Anna let herself become lost in its beauty once more. She was glad to be alone with the mysterious statue, entranced by its wonders and secrets.

It sounded crazy to her now though, that she had indeed fallen for the statue. She felt guilty though, seeing as it was just a statue and not a real human being. No matter how much she wished the statue could come to life right before her eyes, Anna knew magic was only a thing that existed in fairytales.

It also seemed pathetic that the only woman she would love was a strange crystal figure she found at the bottom of the sea. Her love life hadn’t exactly been great. Most of her time she’d been focused on her work, but the few times she had tried dating it hadn’t gone well.

Honeymaren was the one that had stuck with her longest, but she had to leave her when her family had to move to the other side of the country. Anna understood why she left, even if Kristoff still insisted that she should have tried to make it still work between them.

Still, Anna knew that a statue wasn’t going to truly give her the connection and love she had truly wanted. It just wasn’t meant to be.

“I’m sorry,” Anna whispered. “You’re so beautiful, but I guess I should look somewhere else for love.” She caressed the being. “You can’t hear me, but I just want you to know that… I’m glad I found you and I know you’re going to help my research so, so very much.”

But the statue indeed didn’t respond and Anna felt guilty again, that the statue was heartbroken that Anna had to end it between them. And Anna realised she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t let go of her icy love, no matter how badly she knew it couldn’t work.

“Oh damn it,” Anna swore. “I’m sorry… I won’t leave you. I… I’ll make sure you’re safe, and where we can be together for as long as I live.” She caressed the statue. “I… I love you so much… my goddess.” And then at that moment, Anna kissed the statue’s lips.

As Anna kissed the statue deeply, pouring all of her love into it, the crystal figure started to glow an eerie blue. Unbeknownst to Anna, the icy crystal that the statue was made from started to melt like liquid, forming a puddle on the floor beneath her, flowing like water.

Anna felt the watery feeling against her lips, suddenly pulling away in shock. Her eyes widened as the glowing blue fluid melted away from the statue, giving way to skin and hair. The redhead covered her mouth in shock as the runes on the statue glowed again.

With the crystal having melted, the figure stood before Anna, a seemingly human woman with long blonde, almost white hair and sparkling blue eyes. She was dressed in a flowing, sparkling white dress, seemingly made of the same crystal that she had once been entombed in.

“What… What the?” Anna spoke, lost for words.

The blonde woman looked at her hands, feeling rather confused.

“Who… Who are you?” she asked her, and then looked around in wonder and puzzlement. “Where… where am I?”

[moonyremembrall]

A STROLL IN THE PARK PLAYLIST

Tenerife sea by Ed Sheeran

Grow as we go by Ben Platt

I was made for loving you by Tori Kelly

You’re all I need by by Marvin Gaye and Tami Terrell

Strawberries & Cigarettes by Troye Sivan

The tiny and cold pair of hand that belonged to Ginny obstructed Starr from walking in steady steps, the light of the world was completely shut. The two walked timidly as the crunch of dried leaves filled in the gaps of sereneness. Starr was certain that she apparated to a place she called home, The Burrow. Positive that in the distance it was the crooked and slanted home that hums with joy and laughter every day. Despite the fact that Starr trusts Ginny, she can be careless and distracted therefore to prevent future bruises and bumps, Starr had her arms outstretched. “Watch your step.” Oddly enough, Ginny reminded Starr at the perfect moment, because ten steps ahead was the threshold that welcomes people to the kitchen where memories are made.

Normally one would hear the clang of clashing pans as it levitates in the air, the dicing of luscious vegetables and the sizzle coming from the soup that Molly would have ready on a daily basis. The moment Starr stepped into the shabby kitchen, she could sense something was wrong. None of the things that happened on the daily basis as explained occurred this time. It was dead silent.

“Why is it quiet here? Where is everyone?” Starr inquired, she grew out of patience and tried fighting her way out of the blindfold. “Will you calm down for a bit?” Ginny tightened her grip on Starr and was out of breathe when she accomplished it.

The floor slowly creaked as the steps of a person who obviously tried to be discreet made their way to where Starr and Ginny were standing. Gradually the sound of tiptoe became impatient steps. Right when the world was no longer full of blackness for Starr, the scent of fresh mown lawn took grip of her entire body and spun her around in the air. His touch was gentle and tight as though the two have long been separated from one another. Once her feet touched the wooden ground, she cupped his face in her tiny hands and said with grandeur enthusiasm “Ron!” Her eyes lit up and she smiled from ear to ear. As though the law of soulmate gravitated him to mimic her, he requited the enthusiasm and said softly with his melancholic voice “Starr!”.

“Wait here, alright?” He fumble about his way out of the kitchen and in a flash was back with his arms hidden behind his back. Starr was sure that he knows when her birthday was and today was no more than a regular day, her curiosity then grew “What have you got behind your back?” She interrogated. His eyes suddenly built up with hope and excitement as he made his way closer to the girl in a blue shirt. “Close your eyes and put out your hand.” He said gently though he was trying his hardest to contain his agitation. At first she was suspicious and eyed him with narrow eyes but she trusted him with all her heart and decided to follow his request.

What was on her hands was unlike any other thing she has yet to touch, the object was soft and light. It warmed her cold hand from standing out in the cold air for too long previously. “Now open your eyes.” Ron rarely sounded nervous but this time Starr could hear how much her opinion on this object meant to him.

Starr was holding onto a blue knitted jumper with a personalised S on it. Lost for words she remained silent and stared at the jumper in awe. Ron broke the silence as his voice quivered while asking “Do you like it?” Starr raised her gaze to see that he had his fist clenched and was nibbling onto it with petrified eyes while waiting for her reaction. “Like it? I love it. Thank you so much.” She was practically jumping with joy as she clutched her sweater tightly.

A tide of relief washes over him, because to him nothing matters more than her opinion, “Thank goodness. I would honestly spend another fortnight just to remake it if you said you did not like this one.” He seemed taller and prouder now that Starr had complimented his creation, it was as though her words filled his lungs with air. The gap between them now closed as Starr steps closer to Ron, she stands on her tiptoe to reach for his cheek then planted a soft kiss as a way to thank him. Blood flowed quickly reddening the entire face of Ron, he quickly shuffled his hair to distract her from the shy grin that was forming. Starr chuckled because seeing Ron all bashful makes her heart warm, she reminded him with her soft voice “You are the best, did you know that?”. The ocean coloured eyes stared deeply into the chocolate one. In that moment he knew he has found his person. In that moment he believed in the word ‘soulmate’.

Shocking to the both of them, Starr intruded the moment “Now come along. I want to bring you somewhere.”. Her tiny hand grabbed onto the large set of hand. She felt as though he was really made for her by the way that their hands fit together so perfectly. The excitement builds up inside her as she drags him to the cold air.

Though Starr often complains about the dreary cold weather, she adores it when Ron pokes her nose as it reddens amidst the chilly wind. Starr jolted back her head as Ron poked her nose in surprise, his entire face drowned in apology as he realised her state of shock, “Your nose is red.” He informed her whilst brining his finger to his own nose to tell her where the redness on her face was. There was nothing better than a little laugh to shake off the awkwardness and hence Starr laughed to dismiss the topic. She entwined her hands into his and said “On the count of three we are apparating.” As she said this her brown eyes were so fixated into his. She was far shorter than him so she lifted her face to meet his gaze.

A look of terror swam up and his voice was suddenly hoarse, “Starr, you know how terrified I get.” He looked determine to get himself out of this situation, his jaw clench and his eyes pierce into hers.

Nevertheless, Starr kept her stare soft and her voice convincing, “Don’t you trust me?” She pursued a tiptoe and reached up to ruffle his hair as her hand travels down to his cheek where he presses gently against them. He breathed slower “Well, yeah. Of course.” He said in a matter-of-factly tone. To this declaration a slight smirk drew itself on Starr’s face, “I promise I am here to protect you. Now, grip my hand tightly and have faith in me.” She felt the strength of his hand as he held her tighter. She felt his trust in her as though with her he can do no wrong. She counted down her voice slow and steady “One……Two…….Three.”.

It happened in a matter of seconds. As though the two were sucked into a void of blackness. A void where everything twirls and spins and entwines. A narrow space where bodies collide and transform. The bodies spat out of nothingness. Landing dishevelled on a dirt track. Head first into the pile of dried leaves.

Starr quickly stood up and cleaned herself from the mess it had bestowed upon her. Whilst Ron was summoning up the power to regain consciousness. The two walked alongside each other. Simply the breeze of the wind breaking the silence. It was music to her ear to listen to the trees brush against one another making a beautiful song. There they were. Finally. Overlooking the world. Tiny houses line up next to each other. Even more tinier bodies inside it. Simply doing daily activities. A mom is probably working right now. A dad may perhaps be changing the diaper. In all seriousness they felt more connected to each other knowing that in this tiny world, he meant the world to her and she meant to world to him.

Taking this all in relaxed them and they sat themselves on the cliff, where the sky seems to be limitless as though nothing can end the colours of the sky. She painted his world with love and as did he. He watched her hug herself as her lips began to quiver. The wind was getting stronger. Grabbing the sweater he made from behind Starr he then scooted to get himself closer to her. She glanced sideways and smiled. His voice was hypnotising and was music to her ears “Starr, may I?” The sweater was outstretched and as she scanned upwards to his face, he was wearing his most sincere smile and gentle eyes. She nodded. He slipped the sweater carefully around her neck and once done he cupped both her hands and warm them up with his breathe.

At this precise moment, nothing else mattered. It was them against the world.

[douglasconstruction]

7 Things I'm Totally Obsessed with This Month (August 2017 Edition)

These are thoughts, the artwork, the news stories, the tools, the food, the conversations, and whatever else we just can't get out of our heads this month.       

1. The Astronomical Event: The 2017 Solar Eclipse

A lot of people are talking about this today. Consider me among them. My house is only 45 minutes from the "path of totality," which means two things - 1) the epicenter of the event is extremely physically close and accessible (with planning) and 2) what I would have seen from my front yard is 99.3% of the real deal. Is that good enough?

In most situations, I'd say — yeah, 99.3% is as much as you can ask for. And you can avoid the crowds, the hassles, and the traffic jams. But, in this case, that .7% makes all the difference.

So, we headed out on Sunday, to Madras, Oregon, the premier place identified by experts to see the eclipse. (Dead center in the path of totality, and the least chance of clouds or other weather to obscure the sky.) Madras, where NASA itself decided to host its event. Madras, where teams of scientists from all over the the world set up their equipment to monitor the event.

Madras, which is accessible only by two-lane mountain pass state routes that were guaranteed to clog with traffic.

I'll share the details with you if you want. Email me. Yes, it was crowded, but not unbearably. Yes, I stood in line for an hour to use the filthiest portable bathroom I've ever been in. Yes, the traffic on the way out was truly ridiculous (though we arrived there with no problems). Yes, the volunteers running the thing had no idea what they were doing. Yes, my neck still hurts from sleeping in the car. 

But — and I have no other way of saying it — it was completely amazing and totally worth every, dust-covered second. The people their became a real community, they helped each other out, they bonded, they shared their supplies, telescopes, and food and water. I had a completely enjoyable hour long conversation while waiting for that bathroom with folks from all over the west. And. the. moon. covered. up. the. sun. entirely. for. more. than. two. minutes.

It came. Just like they said it would. The light was insane. The shadows unreal. I stared directly at the sun at 10:20 in the morning, and it was among the most beautiful things I've ever seen. 

The older I get, the more I struggle with the calculus about going to big, crowded events. Is that concert really worth $50 a ticket, plus fees? Do I really want to stand on my feet for six hours through two opening bands and not have the headliners start until after 11:00pm, meaning I don't get to bed until at least one or two on a work night?

But, when I go. I never regret it. I don't remember the traffic jams. I remember the event that I signed up to see. The eclipse reminded me that when I say yes, I always think it's worth it. 

Photo: Andy Whale/Courtesy of Faber & Faber

2. The Interview: Billy Bragg in conversation with Terry Gross

Here's my take on Billy Bragg before listening to this: I like him. He's really important to a certain lineage of roots music that I'm particularly interested in. I'm glad he's out there. He's had a thirty-plus year career and I'm familiar with some of his music, but I certainly haven't heard most of his catalog.

Here's my take on Billy Bragg after listening to this: Billy Bragg is the most fascinating, well-spoken musician of all time, and I should listen to him non-stop.

I exaggerate, but just a bit. The truth is: this is a great forty-five minute conversation. Bragg is incredibly evocative with his language, but always approachable and easy to listen to. Terry Gross is obviously charmed by him, and she's at her best when she lets her guard down a bit, and allows herself to become a bit giddy. 

Worth a listen, even if your not a huge fan of either Fresh Air or Billy Bragg. It's simply great audio, period. 

3. The Film: Beatriz at Dinner

This thing truly blew me away. It's one of the most interesting movies I've seen this year. 

Not a line in this movie is wasted. There's so much control present in the filmmaking here. Everything is intentional, purposeful, and contributes to the desired tone. Every actor delivers every single line exactly the way they should. Hayek and Lithgow get the biggest lines, but Connie Britton and Amy Landecker manage to pull up both a creepy/disgusting and yet sympathetic vibe that totally blew me away.

The reviews seem to think it's "pretty good," though users don't seem to give it as high praise of the critics. It might be because it was released the same year as "Get Out" They're great companion pieces, for sure.

Maybe it's because I've seen all of Miguel Arteta's previous movies, and liked them. I think Mike White is a particularly interesting screenwriter. Maybe it's because I was on a really nice date night with my wife, on our first evening out alone after having had house guests for nearly a month. It might have even been the two particularly good Oregon beers I sipped during the run time. But I really, really loved this as a piece of filmmaking, and an avenue for serious performers to be great. I think you should see it too.

Honorable mention: I watched Nocturnal Animals last night. I think it's pretty great, and worth a watch. It's streaming now on HBO if you have access. 

4. The Recipe: Big's Smoked Chicken

This is the dish I have been craving all summer. I made it early in the season, and many times since, and I'm certain it will become a go-to when having friends over for a grill night.

It's from a local Portland restaurant, that I have not been to, because, tragically, the building that housed it experienced an electrical fire a riff on Alabama-style barbecue chicken, meaning it comes with a white, mayo-based sauce which sounds crazy, but it amazing as it caramelizes and blackens over high heat at the last minute. (Mayo, is, basically just oil and eggs, so not that nuts.) I've made some adjustments to make it simpler to prepare on the regular in smaller batches. I'll use whatever fruitwood or hickory smoking woods I have on hand. I don't always do the Fresno pepper sauce, though I do like it, and sometimes I'll just brine or use a simpler rub to make it happen faster. 

But - it's good stuff, and anyone who eats meat will love this, we promise. Throw in a couple extra thighs or leg quarters to make sure you have plenty of leftovers to go with the sauce. 

5. The Podcast: Slate's Hit Parade

Here's why Hit Parade from Chris Molanphy is my podcast of summer: it's the exact right length. It gives you only as much details as you need to dig deep and understand what's happening, and spares you unnecessary details.

What is it? It's a look at music chart history, and an exploration of the cultural context that surround pop music hits: four, so far. 

Here's what I don't like about it: it's hard to find. Technically, I think it lives in Slate's Culture Gabfest feed once a month, but it doesn't show up in my SlatePlus version, so I have to remember to look for it and manually track it down. It's worth it, but the info here is good enough to warrant its own URL. 

Here are the episodes so far. Please start in order, even though you don't think you can listen to forty minutes on UB40. You can.

6. The Chart: The Ultimate Single Malt Scotch Flavor Map

I love summer, like a lot. But when the weather starts to crisp and the days shorten a bit, I'll be plenty okay. I have my fall traditions, but the one I'm looking forward to the most is my annual indulgence bottle of whiskey purchase.

I actually don't spend much on liquor. People think I'm some connesieur, but I think I really just have an interest in learning. I like higher end stuff, but I really don't drink enough to justify the spending. I have a few sub $25 staples that I keep around, and that's usually it. 

But each October, I do treat myself to one $80 or $100 bottle to enjoy as the leaves change, and before the craziness of the holidays hit, and this graphic on Vinepair totally helps me understand why I like what I do. You better believe I'll be consulting it before I bust out the credit card. (Considering that Talisker 18...but it goes for $165 here. Maybe I should see if I can find a glass first. Anyone have any experience with it?)

7. The Good for You Habit: Stretching

I'm hesitant to give any sort of medical advice here, but I do want to share: this month, I have visited the chiropractor for the first time. I wanted to learn proper stretching technique to tackle specific issues, and its completely changed my life. I had no idea how few of my muscles I was using to support my back, and how limited the two activities I do most - road biking and working at a desk - keep me cramped up from the top of my head to the base of my feet. 

If you've never been, and your health insurance will make it affordable, I really do encourage you to try it. It's not just about cracking and adjusting, it's about learning lifestyle changes to keep you flexible for as long into life as possible. I'm sold. 

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