#by the time half the raft climbed back into the water i was honestly ready to say my peace LMAO

[notveryglittery]

Lava

summary: the floor sizzled and patton screeched excitedly, happy to see just how quickly their imagination had kicked in. ships: it's LAMP! there's leanings towards moxiety and logince! you can read it as platonic or romantic! warnings: imaginary lava, reckless stunts, a tiny bit of panic words: 2,200 notes: i've been wanting to write this for AGES and i dunno, it just finally came to me last night, and i wrote it all in one sitting. read on ao3

It was a quiet afternoon in the commons, each Side peacefully minding their own business. They had gathered together in the living room, perfectly content with spending time together, but for the most part, keeping to their own tasks.

Logan was working on the agenda for the next week, from proper bedtimes to video recording schedules, to various appointments. His pens were lined up neatly next to his planner, in order of which got used most to least (black to navy blue to forest green). There was a mug of coffee, steam rising off of it still, but looking like it hadn’t been touched recently.

Roman was sitting on the floor, hunched over the table, furiously scribbling in a notebook. It was doodles of various imagined scenes including himself and the others: a battle with sorcerer Logan at his side versus the Dragon Witch, a race with a winged Patton soaring ahead of him through the sky, a tour through an art gallery with Virgil eagerly leading the way.

Virgil sat perched on the back of the couch, headphones nestled comfortably over his ears, and scrolling through his phone on what could safely be assumed was Tumblr. He looked surprisingly mellow, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth every other post. He was tapping his socked feet against the cushions along to the music.

The tranquility was shattered when a thunderous noise came from the floor above and Patton appeared at the top of the staircase, looking flustered and out of breath.

“Patton, what on Earth—” Logan began before Patton barreled down the rest of the steps, coming to a sudden stop on the very last one. Virgil looked up, eyebrows raising as he paused the playlist. Roman seemed too intensely focused on his current sketch to even have noticed Patton’s arrival in the first place.

“THE FLOOR IS LAVA!!!!” Patton shouted which garnered him three very different reactions.

Logan’s expression fell from concerned to indifferent as he spoke, “Patton, don’t be absurd—”

Only for Roman’s deafening shriek to cut him off as the prince leapt off of the carpet and onto the table, very nearly knocking over Logan’s mug. He wobbled precariously for a moment before his wide eyed surprise narrowed into an accusatory glare at Patton. “A bit more warning would’ve been nice!”

Virgil let the padded band of his earbuds curve along his neck, adjusting to the sudden lack of a song. He smirked at Logan, whose feet were still firmly planted on the ground. “Better get on the couch, Lo,” he advised, “I think you underestimate how serious Patton gets about this one.”

Logan gave him an exasperated look, “really, Virgil? I hardly expected—” This time, the only one interrupting Logan was himself, by way of an alarmed yelp. He yanked his legs onto the couch, knees against his chest, and arms wrapped around his calves. The floor wasn’t so much lava as it was a shimmering orange and red. It radiated heat the same way asphalt does in the distance but it seemed like it would really only be dangerous after prolonged exposure.

Patton looked absolutely thrilled from his spot, hands clasped together underneath his chin. “Oh, I don’t think so!” Roman exclaimed, pointing to the floor beneath Patton’s feet, “that counts, too!” The carpet took its time shifting which gave Patton the few precious seconds he needed to dart away. He shot passed the trio and to the dining area, where he clambered first onto a chair, and then onto the table.

“Hah!” He crowed in Roman’s direction, looking particularly proud papa; whether it was at himself for his success or at the others for playing along… honestly, it was definitely both entirely. Virgil had stood up, balancing a little uneasily; he shrugged off his hoodie, as if it would only weigh him down for this game. It was then that Patton knew he’d been triumphant in his plans to get everybody to play together.

Roman was on his phone, posing just right so that he could get them all in his selfie. Logan looked disgruntled in a delightful “has a soft spot for Patton” sort of manner, Virgil was half turned away but his grin at Patton was shining clear as the sun on a cloudless day, and Patton was the only other looking directly at Roman’s camera for the photo and he was smiling like he’d won the lottery. Roman kept his peace sign pressed close to his own face, beaming and effortlessly charming.

The floor sizzled and Patton screeched excitedly, happy to see just how quickly their imagination had kicked in. Virgil gestured towards one of the chairs and Patton caught on easily, scooting it closer to him. In a move that seemed uncharacteristically dangerous of him, Virgil crawled onto the back of the couch, and used his agility (thanks fight or flight reflexes) to hop onto it. Roman gasped and then broke into applause. Logan sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Very well then. How does one win this game?” Logan asked, pivoting so that he was facing Patton. Virgil had joined him on top of the dining table by now and Logan took a moment to scowl at them, “we eat there.”

“I’ll clean it later!” Patton promised, clutching Virgil’s arm. “Whoever makes it back to the top of the staircase first wins!”

Roman, who was certainly the closest, gave a mighty “huzzah!”

Virgil groaned, “what’d I come over here for then?” He tried to come off as upset about it but the spark in his eyes was a dead giveaway.

“Don’t worry, kiddo,” Patton whispered, “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve!” He pulled on one of the sleeves of the cardigan tied around his shoulders as if to make a point. Virgil snorted.

“Hey, that’s cheating!” Roman’s shout drew their attention and they watched as Logan tossed a couch cushion onto the floor. It was the second so far and Logan was reaching for another.

“I don’t see how this could be considered cheating,” Logan responded loftily, “I’m not stepping on the floor, am I?”

Roman looked ready to jump onto the path made so far before Patton cleared his throat. “Ah, ah, ah, Ro! You’ve gotta find your own way!”

“And just how is your strategy going to help me then, Patton?” Virgil muttered. All he received in return was a wink. Virgil rolled his eyes but it somehow only came across as exceedingly affectionate.

“Surely you can come up with something for yourself, Roman.” Logan said, and oh, that was a tone Roman simply would not stand for. “You are Creativity, after all.” And, oh, that smug tilt of his lips was absolutely unacceptable!

With a flourish and snap of his fingers, an oar landed into Roman’s open palms. Virgil watched in awe as the table Roman had claimed shifted into what was easiest to describe as a raft. The floor must’ve taken on some sort of liquid properties as it bobbed in what used to be solid carpet. “Imagination really is something, huh, Virge?” Patton giggled, applauding Roman’s feat. There didn’t seem to be any shrinking it, however, and so it moved slowly and awkwardly. Still, he was gaining headway on Logan, who had taken a moment to gather his supplies.

Patton tapped on Virgil’s shoulder and gestured towards the ceiling. A zipline (that really was the best word for it) trailed from above the table to over the step that Virgil occupied for videos. Patton undid the knot of his cardigan and tossed one sleeve over the cable; he wound the fabric around his hands a few times and gave an experimental tug. It seemed to hold just fine but Virgil’s panic skyrocketed anyway. “Are you crazy?!”

Patton leant forward and kissed Virgil on the cheek, “people do crazy things when they’re in love!” And with that, he kicked off of the sturdy surface, tucking his legs up as high as he could.

Roman cried out “Hercules?!” just as Patton went flying by him.

Virgil, more out of fear for Patton’s safety than anything else, sprung back onto the chair towards the couch, grabbed his hoodie, and then moved just as quickly to the table again. He looped his sleeves much the same way Patton had and took a deep breath, before launching himself after his best friend.

It all happened so rapidly that the terror barely had time to take hold. The adrenaline kicked in instead and he actually laughed, startling Roman out of his rowing and Logan from his careful progress. The sound was abruptly cut off when he crashed into Patton and knocked them both to the floor. “Ow, ow, ow,” Patton chanted while somehow still snickering. It didn’t hurt, not really; it was more like the sensation of sinking into a hot tub than burning oneself with hot water. They got to their feet and Virgil hoisted Patton onto the banister before climbing on himself.

“You used Patton’s idea!” Roman criticized, paddling faster now to make up for getting distracted.

“Breaking the rules should lead to disqualification,” Logan agreed, hauling the cushion behind him around and to the front of the one he currently rested on.

“He did not!” Patton argued, gesturing to the outerwear left on the floor. “He had his own mode of transportation!”

“While using your form of transit!”

In the midst of the disagreement, Virgil was steadily climbing up the staircase, slipping his feet between the balusters. Patton either didn’t notice or was more than alright with letting Virgil win.

Roman arrived close enough to the television stand and he lunged for it, very nearly knocking everything over. He tiptoed along the edge, arms outstretched for balance. The same moment he jumped for Virgil’s discarded hoodie went hand in hand with Logan leaping for Patton’s abandoned cardigan. They collided and, much like the others had before them, felt the heat briefly before getting to their feet, and scurrying for the banister. Patton hadn’t pulled ahead by much and so it was feeling very cramped suddenly on the staircase.

Roman, realizing now just how close Virgil was to winning, and feeling very much like adding some tragedy to their game, let go of the handrail and landed noisily on the steps. “Oh no!” He cried, throwing himself against the wall and farther from safety. “Logan, help!”

“What— Roman, what are you doing?!” Logan demanded, holding an arm out for Roman to grab onto. Patton’s horrified gasp was well done and Roman made a mental note to shower him in praise after this was all finished. From the corner of his eye, Roman could see Virgil had paused, a mere three steps from the top. “Go on without me!” Roman wailed, crocodile tears springing to his eyes.

“That would be highly illogical,” Logan sounded very much like a scolding parent, “whatever would we do without you?” And while Roman had planned to draw his death scene out in the most dramatically agonizing way possible, Logan was apparently having none of it as he reached even further. He grabbed Roman by his sash and tugged; Roman willed the fabric into something stronger so that it wouldn’t tear and allowed the logical Side his victory. Something warm bloomed in his heart at the possibility of Logan being entirely serious, despite this all being pretend.

Just as suddenly as it had began, it ended. The floor returned to soft carpet and the heat disappeared. Virgil stood at the top of the staircase, hands on his hips, looking especially proud. Patton hopped up the remaining steps and very nearly tackled Virgil in his enthusiasm; they only stayed standing by way of Virgil grabbing onto the handrail and keeping them steady.

“Hooray, Virgil!” Patton acclaimed, keeping an arm looped around his neck as he took Virgil’s free hand, shooting it into the air. “Three cheers for our favorite emo!”

“He’s the only emo we—”

“Hip hip!” Patton began.

“Hooray!” Roman followed.

“Hip hip!”

“Hooray!” Roman said again, nudging Logan in the side.

“Hip hip!”

“Hooray!” Logan acquiesced, looking at Patton with a gentle fondness in his eyes.

Virgil seemed embarrassed by all the attention and slipped out of Patton’s grasp, rubbing his hand along his bare forearm a little uncomfortably. “This was fun, guys,” he admitted, snapping his fingers and shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie the moment it materialized back onto his body. Roman shot him a pair of finger guns and the headphones appeared back around his neck, to which Virgil gave him a tiny, if not grateful, smile.

“Dinner’s in an hour, kiddos!” Patton chimed, hopping onto the banister and sliding down it, passing Logan and Roman. They both protested his action, proclaiming safety and jealousy, respectively. He scooped his cardigan up off the floor and began putting the cushions back onto the couch. “Go rest up,” he instructed before anybody could move to help him, “I’ll call you when the food’s ready!”

There wasn’t much contradicting Patton when he went full on Dad mode and so the others left for their rooms, each thinking of how they’d thank Patton later on for getting them all gathered for some well deserved fun.

[elenasadventures]

My Rafting Adventure!

I finally got the photos from rafting!! 

So last weekend a couple of us decided to go zip lining and rafting! Neither of which I’ve done before, so I was a little concerned, as you can see from the second picture... 

We were picked up by a bus early in the morning on Saturday and drove about 2 hours out of Cusco to a ‘base camp’ which was located along the Urubamba river. First we got ready for the zip lining. They gave us a demonstration in Spanish that seemed far to quick considering my level of concern, then they sent us climbing up a tall ladder to the platform. I was just a little terrified. But I got to the top, hooked on to the wire, and jumped off that platform over the rushing Urubamba river. It was actually just super fun and once I had done it I realised that it was possibly the smallest zip line ever. So the zip lining was cool but it wasn’t really the main event. 

Then came the rafting! We were provided with all the equipment we needed; wetsuits, jackets, helmets, and life vests, which was awesome. However, it also meant that they didn’t necessarily have the equipment to cater to all different sizes... So the wetsuit situation was nothing short of hilarious. They were too tight, too small, too long, too big, and we all looked ridiculous. It was great. So after laughing at ourselves for a while we put on our jackets and life vests and hopped in a van to take us to the beginning of the rafting area. And let me tell you I have never been as hot as I was in that stupid van with three thick layers on squished in the back with two other people. I couldn’t wait to get in the water. 

Rafting was super super fun! It wasn’t too hard or too scary but it was definitely a challenge! The day after, my arms hurt in places they never have before... We did class 1, 2, and 3 sections which doesn’t really mean a whole lot to me but it does sounds cool. About half way we stopped on the side of the river to do some cliff diving which was kind of insane. It wasn’t really that high but still totally not a thing I would usually do!! It was actually pretty fun. Then at the end of the rafting (it went for about 2 hours) we decided to play a game in the calm waters before we went back to land. We all stood up on the very edge of the raft and locked our paddles into the opposite side. Then each side basically took turns squatting. So we were essentially just intentionally rocking the boat very roughly and trying not to fall in. Well guess who fell in? It was me. Of course it was me. It was fun tho, I was fine. 

And that was the end of our rafting adventure!! We had some lunch and then headed back home to Cusco for some well deserved hot chocolate. I slept very well that night...