#cold observatory vibes

[aylen-san]

The stars don't sleep

The Question

The day was cold and clear. The air at the height of the observatory stung the skin with icy freshness, like a thin blade slicing across the face—but without pain. The sky stretched above, even and washed in light—bright blue, like the surface of ancient glass, and not a cloud in sight. Sunlight filtered through the crystal dome, casting pale reflections on the mosaic floor of the terrace. The metal railings were coated with frost, and if touched—skin would stick instantly.

On the upper terrace of the Observatory of Time, where philosophers and Commission staff usually gathered for informal conversations, there was no one. Only one man stood at the edge, his back to the dome, in the shadow of an ornate arch. Rudolf Sikorski, Deputy Head of the Commission, stood lost in thought, slowly sipping strong black coffee from a heavy ceramic cup. Steam no longer rose—the drink had gone cold, but he hadn’t noticed. His lips were pressed together, brow furrowed: he was pondering Kammerer’s latest report.

The numbers were precise. The logic—ironclad. But beneath the perfect smoothness of graphs and formulas, there was something… alive. Too alive. As if behind the statistics, someone’s gaze was hiding.

He didn’t like such thoughts. They fell outside the bounds of the scientific paradigm he had spent years building—with the cold certainty of an engineer. And an engineer, essentially, should not wonder about gazes. Especially if there’s nowhere for them to come from.

The silence was broken by a voice.

— Excuse me, Mr. Sikorski… may I ask you a question?

The voice was soft, but carried an undertone of unwavering confidence—the kind of tone used not by subordinates, but by equals, even if they bore no title or rank.

Sikorski turned around. A stranger stood before him. An utterly ordinary-looking man: average height, a face neither handsome nor unpleasant. It was hard to place his age—his features seemed outside of time: no wrinkles, no youth. His clothes were faded, gray, neat—but such that the eye barely lingered. His movements were smooth, fluid, as if he wasn’t walking but flowing from one position to another. He hadn’t approached or appeared—he was simply there, as if he had suddenly become visible in a place already known.

Sikorski frowned slightly. His fingers tightened around the cup. The instinct honed over years spoke: be careful.

— You may, — he replied shortly, his tone still guarded.

The stranger nodded with gratitude, as though he had received not just permission, but personal involvement.

— How do you imagine God?

The words weren’t loud, but on the quiet terrace, they rang out like the toll of a bell. The sound was almost physical. For a moment, everything seemed to freeze—the sunbeam on the glass, the slowly settling dust, even Sikorski’s thoughts. The coffee in his cup cooled, but he paid it no mind.

He raised his eyebrows slightly. Reflex—the habit of deflecting surprise with irony—kicked in automatically. He even smiled, though uncertainty lingered beneath the smirk.

— God? — he echoed with mild sarcasm, though his gaze sharpened. — We don’t use that term anymore. We have observation, empiricism, probabilities. The world is governed by laws. What exactly do you mean?

The guest appeared neither surprised nor disappointed. He merely tilted his head slightly, like someone listening to faint music only he could hear.

— I mean… not a concept, not a theory. An image. When you’re standing alone, at night, looking at the stars—who, in your opinion, is looking back?

Sikorski’s heart clenched. He hadn’t expected that. There was something in the question too precise, almost painfully personal. As if someone had cracked open a capsule containing a long-buried memory.

A moment rose unbidden before his inner eye—one of those rare moments: the night after the disaster at the station in the Lyra sector. Then, he had indeed stood atop the wreckage of a communications tower, under the stars, amid dead metal and silence. He had looked up, so he wouldn’t have to look down. And the stars then had not seemed mute, but attentive. As if someone had seen him. And was waiting.

He lowered his gaze. The sky, no matter how open, in such moments felt closed. A trap—you yourself.

— If there is someone looking, — he said at last, slowly, choosing his words like careful steps on thin ice, — I hope they’re great enough not to judge us for our mistakes. And human enough to understand that sometimes… we just don’t know what the right thing to do is.

He didn’t realize he had whispered the last words. As if he weren’t speaking to the stranger, but to himself. Or—to someone who had long been silent inside him.

The stranger smiled. It wasn’t a triumphant smile, not the smirk of an observer. It was warm, almost wistful—like that of an old friend who had long waited for you to finally say the truth aloud.

— That’s a good answer, Rudolf. A very good one—for a start.

He inclined his head slightly in thanks, and then, unhurriedly, turned and began to walk away. His steps were light, soundless. He didn’t disappear—that would’ve been too simple. Rather, he dissolved into the very space: the light shifted slightly, the wind swirled some dust near a column, and in the next moment, he was simply gone. As if he had never been a person—but a thought, finally fulfilled.

Sikorski remained standing. He slowly looked down at his cup—his fingers were still gripping it, though the coffee had long since cooled. It tasted bitter, like a memory that had lived too long in the shadows.

He didn’t move for a long time. Just stared at the empty space where the guest had been. There was no fear, no panic—but in his chest stirred a quiet, muffled unease. Unexpected. Almost forgotten.

As if someone had softly knocked—not on a door, but on the very core of his being.

[takumiraine]

Once Upon a Time chapter 9

Danny is still going through it, but it gets better I promise.

Taku note: jesus fuck putting the links in on these ones was a beast. I actually had to LOG IN to tumblr on my COMPUTER. ick.

<first> <prev> <next>

There is some texting abbreviations here. The abbreviations are: B, meaning Bruce, obviously. It is saved as just ‘B’ in his phone. R, meaning Replacement which is Tim. Tim is saved as Replacement. DB is Damian, saved as Demon Brat. D, is Dick, and is just saved as an eggplant emoji in Jason’s phone. This may or may not be relevant later.

—-

Okay. Okay. He needs a plan. He needs to think and form a plan. He needs a computer. He grabs a notebook. Scrambles around his upturned apartment until he finds a pen. Starts writing equations. The equations will solve to binary numbers. Each one a different letter. His brain is humming. He double checks his work. Triple checks it. Tears the page out.

Checks the work again.

He grabs a bit of his remaining cash. Climbs out onto his fire escape. Phases his hand through the glass to carefully reset the trap.

Move on silent feet, sticking to shadows. Hoodie on and hood over his head. Silent and fast. Alert. Find an Internet cafe. Buy an hour of computer time. Log onto the conspiracy site. Send a new private message.

Carefully type in the equations with shaking hands. Time ticks by so slowly and yet so fast. Equations come back to him. Solve. Translate. Read. Send more back. More frantic than before. They have to run. They have to hide. They cannot come here.

He received a picture of a chocolate bar in return.

They’re coming here. They’re coming. They’re coming and Danny can’t stop it. Can’t stop any of it.

He deletes the messages. Logs out of the website. Clears the history. Takes the paper. Leaves the building. Burns the paper to ash.

Hears a van. Pulls his hood further down over his head. Has to get to the observatory. That was the agreed upon meeting place. Has to get there. Has to hide.

Has to find a way to keep them safe. He’s out of practice. He doesn’t have the upper hand. He’s so scared. Scared for his friends. He gets to the observatory. It’s dark in there. Locked. Danny finds a ladder. Climbs. On the roof. The dome is solid. Cold. Damp. He sits in the shadow of the lens. He waits.

Time moved. Time stood still. Heavy cloud cover meant he couldn’t watch the passage of time in the moon and stars. That was Gotham. Last clear night or day was a long time ago. Danny couldn’t breathe.

Loud footsteps. He pressed himself deeper into the shadows.

“D…?” The voice was familiar. Danny peered out into the darkness, and saw two familiar faces.

“Tuck… Sam…” he croaked, voice raw like he had just spent hours Wailing.

“Hey Danny, good to see you.” Sam sat beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. The Fenton Creep Stick laid across her lap. Tucker came to join them, sitting on his other side and rifling around in his backpack. Before Danny could process it, a couple high protein granola bars and a bottle of strawberry pedialyte was put on his lap.

“Eat. Panicking burns calories and you need them.” Tucker insisted, nudging him gently. Already Danny felt the panic subsiding, leaving him exhausted. He ate the protein bars mechanically, forcing himself to focus on the taste and the feel of them between his teeth. He needed the nutrients desperately. After the protein bars were eaten, Danny chilled the bottle of strawberry drink and popped the cap off, chugging it.

“Alright. Now that you’re sort of fed and hydrated, breathe. You know I love the whole dead vibe as much as the next girl, but you’re still half human.” Sam rubbed his leg with her free hand and Tucker rubbed his back. It was soothing and almost involuntarily he took a deep breath in and out, then another, and another. He felt his mind settle. When he could finally think clearly again, he pulled them both close in a hug.

“Ancients, I’ve missed you guys…”

“Us too man. Us too,” Tucker agreed, squeezing Danny back just as tightly.

“Now, not to turn you back onto a doom spiral, but what the hell happened?” Sam asked once they pulled back from the embrace.

“Well, it’s kind of a long story. But I’ll tell you everything.” And Danny did. He started with getting enrolled in school, which they knew, because Tucker helped. Then with the cute guy that befriended him out of nowhere, and although he kept the name to himself, Sam clocked his crush almost immediately.

“It’s okay Danny, I have a radar for that. You were in love with me for how many years now?” She teased. “I am now able to spot a Danny-crush from a hundred yards.”

Tucker laughed with her and Danny groaned putting his head back in his hands. “I hate you so much sometimes…” he moaned.

“Yeah we love you too buddy.” Tucker patted him again. “Keep going with the story.”

He did. The tutoring, the meetings with red hood, and then finally, the week before and that evening. Again he left out the fact that he recognized Hood’s real identity. Sam and Tucker wouldn’t tell, but he couldn’t out another hero in good conscience. Even if they were fighting.

“Shit man.” Tucker scooted himself closer, while Sam did the same on his other side. “That was…”

“I’d rather fight Skulker and Technus together without my powers or a thermos…” he mumbled, pulling his knees to his chest and pressing his face into them.

“Okay. So here’s what we’re going to do. Tucker is going to make sure none of his trip lines have been tripped, I’m gonna make sure no creeps sneak up on us here. You’re gonna take a nap. You look like you’re about ready to drop dead again.” Danny nodded into his knees, and Tucker got out his pda and got to work.

Slowly, Danny’s breathing evened and slowed then stopped almost completely. Having his friends nearby meant he was safe. Safety meant sleep.

Jason was out looking. He started at Danny’s apartment, but he wasn’t answering, there was no sound of movement, the thermals were all ambient, so he moved on.

The longer he looked the more he realized, he barely knew anything about Danny. Danny was great at hedging around questions about himself. Turning the conversation back to Jason, or topics that were safe. The weather, the best places to get burgers, the best type of tree to climb, the best dangerous animal to be freed from the zoo. That last topic was courtesy of Damian but…

Then Jason remembered. They had been eating outside after dark. Danny had looked up at the sky and sighed, then pointed fries accusingly at Jason. “Your dad is like, richer than anyone else here right? He should really do something about all this smog. Seeing the stars at night is one of life’s great pleasures.”

“You could go to the observatory,” Jason had suggested, fairly used to Danny occasionally having ideas for Bruce’s money without any real interest in using it for himself. Always for the betterment of the city as a whole.

“That’s a last resort option. Nothing beats constellation spotting laying on a rooftop. You should be able to see Orion’s Belt over….” Danny looked up at the sky, head shifting as he oriented himself to north and then pointing “over there, somewhere.”

“Well, I’ll bring it up and see what WE has in the works for ecological initiatives.” Jason had said, taken in by how certain Danny was. He could have been bullshitting Jason, but sure enough when he looked it up later, Danny had the right idea, even if he was a few degrees off in his estimation.

Not having any better idea, Jason sped off towards the observatory.

Danny had been asleep for maybe an hour when the motorcycle was heard pulling up. Tucker turned off his modified PDA, the backlight in the screen would have given them away in a heartbeat.

Once the motorcycle turned off though, Sam woke up Danny. He woke with a silent start, looking around to see what had alarmed his friends. When he felt the familiar press of another halfa’s core he pressed a hand to each of their knees and wrote a small smiley face on them. Danny did not miss the way Sam’s grip on the creep stick tightened.

Jason didn’t immediately think anything of the observatory as he circled it. There were two hot spots on the roof that were likely just horny teenagers. He would make his loop and then head off. At least, that was the plan until he spotted the ice cold person shape between the two warmer ones.

Nobody ran that cold except Danny.

Jason stood at the base of the ladder and considered his options. He didn’t know who Danny was up there with. He didn’t know if Danny was in danger. Though the pit in him wasn’t any more riled up than it normally was. He didn’t know if Danny would throw his ass right off the roof. There wasn’t anything around here for him to grapnel onto if he was.

‘I did not know your trip into the pit made you a coward, Todd’ he could hear Damian taunt in his head.

Shaking the thought of his brother off, Jason climbed the ladder. The moment his helmet popped over the roof Danny’s eyes were fixed on him. “Go away J-Hood.”

Jason was momentarily surprised, Danny had obviously not expected him to come in costume, but corrected himself fairly flawlessly. Not outing him to the two people who were holding him protectively. Must be Sam and Tucker.

“I’m not going to hurt you. Are these your friends?” He asked, not moving any further up the ladder. Danny nodded, continuing to glare over his knees.

“Sam and Tucker. They knew me… before everything else.”

Jason nodded. Climbed up enough to get a good look. “I have a safe house nearby. Can we go there and talk?”

“Is more of your little guano group” Sam snickered at the name and Tucker gave Danny a fist bump, “going to hunt me down if I don’t?”

“No. But you’ll want to hear what I have to say.”

Danny looked between his friends for a minute, before slowly uncurling and standing, helping his friends up. “Fine.”

Once they were all on the ground they walked to the safe house, a couple blocks away. Once they were inside, Jason pulled off the helmet.

“Jason Todd. Also known as Red Hood.”

He noticed Sam give Danny a look, and he made a face back at her. Tucker rolled his eyes. “You talk to the Bat?” Danny asked, rather than confront his friend.

“Yeah. But that’s not the important part. After we talked tonight Oracle noticed something. The firewall was an automatic scoop. Anything related to your parents’….hobby got thrown into a…. Technological bucket. It’s why your messages never made it to the League.”

Danny took a step back, and Sam and Tucker automatically moved closer, supporting him. “You…. Heard the messages?”

“There was video too. Of… an attack.”

“Of course those assholes were filming it.” Sam tightened her grip on the creep stick as she spoke. Danny raised a shaking hand to his face, feeling for something. His eyes had gone unfocused.

Damn it. Jason took a step forward and Danny flinched, the air going cold. “Easy D.” Tucker soothed. “You’re in Gotham. We’re gonna go sit.” Sam and Tucker bullied Danny to the couch. Tucker sat next to him, while Sam stood in front of them protectively. When she caught Jason trying to look around her she snapped to get his attention.

“Hey, Danny needs some water. About 35 degrees if you have it that cold, cold as you have otherwise.” The snapping and hyper specific orders placed her in his memory. Samantha Manson. Daughter of the Amity Mansons. They attended a few Galas when she was younger. She was very insistent on her veganism even then.

Jason wasn’t about to argue with a woman holding a bat. If Sam was anything like his brothers, she knew how to use it even before the vigilante training.

He brought Danny water, tap with a couple of ice cubes, and passed it to Tucker, who was still talking quietly to Danny. Danny was nodding and occasionally giving a thin half smile, but was able to hold the glass on his own and sip from it.

“We need a plan.” Danny said after he finished drinking.

“Batman wants to talk to you.” Jason told him, which got Danny opening his mouth to protest.

“First,” Sam interrupted, looking at Danny then at Jason, “Tucker is going to do his checks, Danny is going to sleep, and we are going to wait.”

“I don’t need to sleep.” Danny crossed his arms, protesting.

“And Dash didn’t shove you in a locker at least once a week.” Tucker’s response was combined with an eye roll. “You look like you just went a dozen rounds with Skulker without your powers. You need pizza rolls and a nap.”

“You make me sound like I’m a kindergartener.”

“I think I have pizza rolls.” Jason interrupted the protest. “I’ll kill the lights, make the brat’s pizza rolls for you and you just lay there until they’re done.”

Danny scowled at Jason for hanging up on him but as Tucker slid off the couch onto the floor in front of him, Danny obediently laid down. As Jason pulled the bag out of the freezer and started the oven heating, he watched Danny’s breathing slow down and even out, then stop altogether.

Sam followed his gaze and took Danny’s sleeping form in quickly before peering at what Tucker was doing. Seeing that the people Danny knew the longest weren’t concerned about his lack of visible breathing, Jason settled a bit, texting the family chat.

From J: so I found Danny. But he has backup now. He managed to get in contact with his friends.

From B: Are you on your way?

From J: no. He was freaking out. Right now he’s asleep on the couch and I’m making pizza rolls.

From DB: Excuse me zombie child, those happen to be mine.

From J: Better learn to share now before you learn the hard way like Dickie, Timber and I did.

From B: Jason, please.

From J: what? It’s not a lie. He’s the fourth Robin that we know about.

From DB: I am the best. I will not be replaced.

From R: idk Dami, the new kid has black hair, blue eyes and a troubled past. He’s adoption bait. Hopefully he didn’t lie about his age and really is older than you.

From D: it’s never easy having to hand over the spandex and cape to a younger more dangerous Robin.

From DB: So you admit that I am the best.

From D: no I said you were younger and more dangerous than we were as Robin. Except for maybe Jay. He liked to bite criminals.

From J: hey! They were the idiots who put their hands near my face. I grew up hungry. You eat what you can.

From B: Before this gets more out of hand, Jason, do you know about when you will be arriving?

From J: probably going to leave here in 45 minutes to an hour. I will let you know.

Jason was going to take his time cooking those pizza rolls correctly. He wasn’t going to let them ooze out everywhere, then they would have to cool so when Danny inevitably wolfed them down he wouldn’t scorch his mouth. Allow for some wake up time…

Jason was completely, and understandably in his opinion, giving Danny as much time before the meet the family scene happened. The guy had been through enough.

[batwritings]

Hii, I hope you're doing well! Can I please ask for headcannons for the brothers and dateables (if not everyone, you can choose, but please write for Lucifer, mammon and barbatos) would react if MC offers to put chapstick on their lips.

I know it's a strange ask, but imagine this scenario: It's gotten really cold suddenly (in? On? At?) the devildom and MC notices said character has chapped lips and seems very uncomfortable with it. She offers them her (can be gn!reader but I'm using she/her for better explaining) chapstick and they deny, but she insistist in putting on them, and they feel giddy because she's caring so softly for them 😭😭😭

I in the vibe of soft casual love, stay warm and hydrated 🫶🩷🩷🩷🩷

I don't think this is strange at all! Soft caring actions like that are honestly cute as fuck to me. Enjoy!~

Lucifer The absolute quickest to deny you. The great and powerful Lucifer? Receiving a smidgen of help??? The greatest travesty in all the realms, clearly. But bat your eyes and maybe bring him some Demonus and he might crack. Once you get it on, he didn't realize just how badly his lips were chapped. You'll be offered a small thanks, and a promise of something more substantial for a reward once he has more free time.

Mammon How could the cold affect the great Mammon so much? He simply didn't believe you at first. Fun fact, he knew damn well his lips were chapped as fuck. He just really didn't want to admit he needed the help. Simply subdue him with a kiss after putting on the chap stick and he'll be a puddle of grimm in your hands.

Leviathan <Insert MC doing the inhale "BOI" meme here> Being a shut-in means Levi doesn't exactly get out into the cold much. Therefor, he's a little more susceptible to the effects of the cold than his brothers. One trip to get a new Ruri-chan figurine and he's got chapped lips for days. Thankfully he has you to thoughtfully apply chapstick to his lips which leaves him with a persistent blush every time the two of you cross paths.

Satan Oh? It honestly hadn't crossed his mind. While he's no Asmo, Satan does take pretty good care of himself. He's actually the most lenient of the brothers in letting you help. If this were the Nightbringer universe, he's fight you a bit more. Yet the wrestle session would be a nice release for his anger, even if he couldn't go full force on you. He'd thank you by letting you put the chapstick on, blushing in denial of enjoying the attention.

Asmodeus Asmo, sweetheart, darling, you can't use lip gloss as chapstick, I'm sorry. And that'll be his excuse, mark my words! You have to explain to him that sadly, most gloss doesn't cover the chapping and he'll be more than amenable to let you put it on him. In true Asmo-chan fashion, of course he'll need to test it on you, just to be sure. A reward for helping him always look beautiful.

Beelzebub This man's gonna try to eat the chapstick, and no, you cannot convince me otherwise. You know how people see a big animal and go "if not friend, why friend shaped"? Beel, sweet himbo lad that he is will legit ask you, "if not food, why food smelling?". Did you have to reapply it multiple times because he kept licking it off? Yes. Did he complain to you every time that it didn't taste nearly as good as it smelled? Also yes. Did he learn his lesson? Nope!

Belphegor He spends ONE (1) NIGHT up in the observatory and ends up with chapped lips. It's rather annoying to him, and he genuinely doesn't hear you the first few times when you offer to put chapstick on for him. Belphie will deny it at first purely on the basis of "I'm not a little kid just because I'm the youngest". Just wait til he gets too tired to fight you on it and you'll get a mumbled little "thank you" before becoming his favorite pillow. Hope you have nothing to do for the next few hours.

Solomon Unsurprisingly enough, it wasn't the cold that got him! It was a spell gone wrong in trying to make a chapstick that would never let your lips chap again. Solomon sighs very defeatedly and sits back with a pout as he lets you put the balm on his lips. For practice purposes, he has you sit down and look over the ingredients to see where he went wrong. May or may not purposefully mess it up again to have you so close again.

Simeon You can't tell me this man wouldn't absentmindedly pick at the chapped parts of his lips. He can't be perfect forever ya'll, he's gotta be a little weird like the rest of us. (/j) You actually catch him in the act which makes Simeon fluster and admit to forgetting his chapstick in his room. His denial of attention and care for you is half-hearted and he very quickly crumbles at the chance to be so close to you. Maybe he'll have to forget his chapstick more often.

Barbatos This man is far too busy to realize his lips were chapped. It was one of those rare instances that you two crossed paths that you noticed and offered to put some on for him. In another rare instance, you notice Barbatos blush slightly because he didn't realize he'd looked so out of sorts. He had meetings with Lord Diavolo later that day as well, so yes! Please! Quickly! You make sure to add a generous amount in the hopes that it would last him through his meetings.

Diavolo His lips were chapped? Truly? It's only then that the demon lord to be realizes how absolutely flooded he'd been and that Barbatos had even told him about that earlier in the day. When you offer, Diavolo tries to politely decline, asking you not to waste what you have on him. It only takes a few minutes of remembering how busy he'll be and how this is absolutely a chance to know even a smidgen more info about you that he relents and lets you apply it gingerly to his lips.

[elsie--young]

New Year’s Countdown Spots in NYC: My Personal Picks!

Celebrating New Year’s Eve in New York City is a dream for many, and I was lucky enough to experience it firsthand. The city truly comes alive, and there are countless spots to ring in the new year. However, with so many choices, picking the right spot for the New Year’s countdown can be a challenge. Let me guide you through some of the best spots in NYC based on my own experience, so you can have a memorable night without any regrets.

Problem: Overcrowded and Overwhelming

When I first planned my New Year’s Eve in NYC, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of places to celebrate. Times Square is the obvious choice, but the crowds can be intimidating. I didn't want to spend hours standing in one spot or risk missing out on the best views. I needed to find spots that offered a great experience without all the hassle.

Agitation: Fear of Missing Out on the Best Experience

I didn’t want to look back and feel like I missed out on a better celebration spot. I wanted a place where I could enjoy the energy of the city, see the fireworks, and be in the middle of the action. I needed to make sure that wherever I chose, it would give me the full New York City New Year’s experience.

Solution: Top Countdown Spots in NYC for New Year’s Eve

Here’s a list of my top recommendations for New Year’s countdown spots in NYC, based on my personal experience:

1. Times Square

Let’s start with the classic: Times Square. If you want to be in the heart of it all, this is the place to be. I remember arriving early in the day to secure a good spot. It was cold, and there were tons of people, but the atmosphere was electric. The ball drop is an iconic experience that everyone should try at least once. Just be prepared for large crowds and long waits. If you're okay with standing for hours, you’ll witness one of the most famous New Year’s Eve celebrations in the world.

2. Central Park

If you prefer a slightly less crowded yet still vibrant atmosphere, head to Central Park. The park hosts its own New Year’s Eve festivities, including the Midnight Run, a fun 4-mile race with participants in costumes. I joined in one year, and it was a unique way to start the year with a burst of energy. The park also offers great views of the fireworks without the intense crowds of Times Square.

3. Brooklyn Bridge

For stunning views of the Manhattan skyline and the fireworks, the Brooklyn Bridge is a fantastic spot. I found this location perfect for a more relaxed celebration. Arriving a bit early is essential to secure a good viewing spot, but it's worth it. The bridge gives a panoramic view of the fireworks across the city, and the crowd is usually more laid-back than in Times Square.

4. One World Observatory

If you're looking for a more upscale experience, consider One World Observatory. From here, you get a bird’s-eye view of the city’s fireworks displays. I splurged on tickets one year and enjoyed the 360-degree views of the city. It’s an unforgettable experience, especially if you want to avoid the cold and still be part of the New Year’s celebration.

5. Grand Army Plaza

Located in Brooklyn, Grand Army Plaza is another great spot for those looking to avoid the massive crowds of Manhattan. The fireworks display here is impressive and less known to tourists. I enjoyed a more local vibe and found it easier to move around and enjoy the festivities.

Conclusion: Choose Your Perfect Countdown Spot

Whether you’re looking for the iconic ball drop at Times Square or a quieter celebration with fireworks in Brooklyn, New York City offers something for everyone on New Year’s Eve. Each spot has its own unique vibe, so think about what kind of experience you want. I’ve tried a few, and each offers a different slice of NYC’s New Year’s magic. Plan ahead, dress warmly, and enjoy the night.

If you’re looking for the best New Year’s countdown spots in NYC, you now have a few great options to consider. Choose the one that suits your style and ring in the new year with an unforgettable experience in the Big Apple.

[victorluvsalice]

-->To Moonwood Mill! Yeah, I was thinking that I hadn’t been there for a while, and it might be nice to go and visit again and let Alice work on some werewolf stuff. :) They of course started their grand day out at the local library/gym, where they all grabbed a nice werewolf-related book to read for starters (and Coty got a little weak at the knees looking at Smiler. XD Apparently that high reputation is making them VERY attractive!). Having fulfilled THAT want, Victor then got sent out to the observatory to look at the sky for a little while; Smiler hopped on the computer to play games; and Alice –

-->Well, Alice just couldn’t seem to decide on what she wanted to read, as she kept grabbing new books, getting a few pages in, then putting them away and getting more. XD I’ve had days like that, girl. I managed to stop the vicious cycle and instead had her, Smiler, and Victor hit the gym for a while for a little working out – after all, Alice enjoys keeping fit, and it was a good opportunity to work on that skill too! She ran on the treadmill (taking a little spill when she tried to start a hill challenge a bit too soon) while Smiler did some boxing and some lifting, and Victor struggled his way through a session on the weight machine. I did my best to boost them up by adding the “Bracing Breezes” lot trait to the place (along with “Peace & Quiet” and “Study Spot” to reflect the fact that, well, it IS primarily a library), but I don't know how much difference it made this particular session. Victor and Smiler eventually got tired and wandered off to do other things – I let Victor rest with a good book while Smiler got put on “filling the local pet bowls” duty – and eventually I stopped Alice’s run as I could see she was getting hungry. The problem was, I could also see Victor was getting hungry – and while Alice could easily transform and hunt for food, Victor was kind of dependent on getting something someone had COOKED. I thus started looking around for a barbecue or something in the immediate area –

-->And then looked at the bar just across the street, went “you know what, those serve food”, and had them swap lots right after Alice had swapped into her beast form! *thumbs up* I sent her out to hunt while Victor and Smiler hit the bar (and I hit the lot traits in Build/Buy to add “Great Acoustics,” “Convivial,” and “Party Place” to give it the right vibes). Victor ended up ordering a Blue Steak and a Wrench, while Smiler got their typical Plasma Jane, and they ended up chatting with the other two Sims hanging out at the bar – Akshara and Camille. Everyone was having a very good time –

-->And then Camille pressed her fingers against her forehead and Victor ended up getting brain-zapped! Guess who is an alien in disguise! O.O And guess who did that autonomous “memory-erasing” thing I hate so much. >( Fortunately all it did was make Victor forget the little relationship he’d built up with her – if she’d affected Victor’s memories of his actual partners, I might have just killed her.

-->And then, right before Alice returned from her hunt, a completely naked J. Huntington III showed up. For no reason. And when I say “completely naked,” I mean that – he didn’t even have the censor on for some reason! I’m not sure what disabled it, but there was a lot of naked man-butt in front of the bar. The local Sims were appropriately “what the everloving fuck, dude.” XD Even Alice, who was a little distracted by the scent of freshly-"found" steak when she first arrived, found herself shocked by all the naked flesh on display after she'd eaten. Fortunately, Smiler managed to introduce themselves after a little confusion and get him to put on some cold-weather clothing. *shakehead* Sims, man. Dunno what to tell you.

[kaijuposting]

The Pacific Rim Draft Script: Who The Heck Is Newt Gotlieb?

Some of you may have heard (or even read it on Travis Beacham's blog) that Newt Geiszler and Hermann Gottlieb were originally one character. And indeed, in the Pacific Rim draft script, we can find a guy named Newt Gotlieb.

But if we read through the script, we can see that this an oversimplified statement. Newt Gotlieb has a different vibe from the both of them, and it's very obvious that Newt Geiszler was strongly influenced by another character.

Newt Gotlieb is a particle physicist who works for the Calixto Particle Observatory near Lima, Peru. At some point before the story, he began e-mailing Felicity "Flick" Kincaid, reporter and former girlfriend of Yancy Antrobus, who wants to uncover the mysteries of the kaiju and maybe even find a way to stop them. But it seems he got cold feet, because whenever Flick tried to e-mail him for more information, his replies were "vague and infrequent."

Finally, Flick tracked him down to his workplace. Here's his introduction and first scene:

INT. MAIN CORRIDOR -- CONTINUOUS Flick enters the dim hallway, relieved to be in from the cold. No sound save for the BUZZ of fluorescent lights and the ghostly CROONING of the wind outside. She spots a man come out into the hallway and linger, engrossed by his clipboard. He wears headphones, listening to music. He hasn't noticed her.

He's NEWT GOTLIEB (33) -- a lanky, unkempt academic with scruffy brown hair and an impish grin. Geekishly cute in his own peculiar way. Flick attempts to get his attention.

FLICK Excuse me… (he doesn't hear) Excuse me! Finally he looks up and takes off the headphones.

FLICK (CONT’D) I got an e-mail from someone here in reference to an article I'm --

NEWT You're Felicity Kincaid.

FLICK You can call me Flick… And you must be gotlieb @ calixto.org?

NEWT No. No, I'm not.

She glances at nametag on his lanyard: "Gotlieb." He relents.

NEWT (CONT’D) What are you doing here?

FLICK You e-mailed me. “I have info relevant to your investigation.” That’s what you said.

NEWT I figured you probably got stuff like that all the time.

FLICK I don’t. How substantial is it?

NEWT I don’t know. But I know COSDEC’s got it too, and I know they don’t talk about it.

FLICK All the more reason to have this conversation in person, right?

He turns to go.

(A quick note - "COSDEC" stands for "Combined Special Defense Corp." It's essentially an older version of the PPDC.)

Newt Gotlieb also works with a "stout, bespectacled scientist" named Myron Toynbee. Toynbee is glad that Newt e-mailed Flick, because there's some hot scientific data they're sitting on that Toynbee would rather the world know about. Eleven years ago, Gotlieb and Toynbee worked for a Doctor Ivo Czerny, who discovered that the kaiju were coming from a portal leading to a parallel universe. Soon Czerny got a call from COSDEC and went to work for their sci-division... until one day, they exiled him to the Australian outback.

Flick decides to talk to Doctor Czerny, and Newt follows after.

Across the lobby, Newt enters off the street, looking lost. He cranes his to scan the casual crowd of GUESTS. He searches and finally spots Flick at the front desk. He beams.

NEWT Hey! I caught you.

Finished with both her transactions, Flick hangs up and turns, a bit surprised to see Newt.

FLICK What are you doing here?

NEWT Well, I was thinking -- You're going to need some help.

FLICK You're bold all of a sudden.

NEWT I got you into this. I feel like I need to own up to that.

Before they can leave for Australia, a kaiju attacks and the pair of them have to avoid getting squished. After escaping, Newt cleans Flick's wounds; Flick abruptly insists that they'll never have a relationship, and Newt plays ignorant.

They reach Doctor Czerny, who reveals that the Interstice is a portal to an older, dying universe. He believes that the Precursors used a particle accelerator to create a new universe - our universe. When Czerny refuses to give Newt and Flick more answers, the pair of them poke around his place.

Flick picks her way into a quonset hut, but she's caught by Czerny, who reveals how he learned this information: he drifted with a kaiju brain. He lets Flick drift with the kaiju brain he has.

While this is going on, Newt discovers Czerny's data on the Interstice, and discovers what appears to be a weak point. Czerny, who has made up his mind that there's simply no stopping the Precursors, attempts to blow the whole place up with a nuke to try and stop Newt from bringing false hope to the world. He attacks Newt, but Newt escapes and rescues Flick before the bomb can go off. (It's quite obvious that this inspired the scene of Hermann rescuing Newt in the film.)

Flick reveals that she learned through her drift with a kaiju brain that the Interstice is stabilizing, which means that the weak point Newt discovered can be targeted. The pair of them take their discovery to COSDEC. The scene where Newt explains the Interstice's weakness is very similar to the scene where Hermann explains how he believes that detonating a nuke in the breach will close it.

Mako and Raleigh close the Interstice, and Newt holds onto Flick as they wait to find out whether they survived.

I'm sure you've noticed that Flick has quite a lot in common with Newt Geiszler, and that her interactions with Newt Gotlieb strongly mirror interactions between Newt Geiszler and Hermann Gottlieb. So while I would say that this statement that Newt and Hermann used to be one character isn't exactly wrong, I would also propose that it's just as accurate (if not more accurate) to say that Newt used to be a gal - until Guillermo del Toro transed his gender.

[hisunshiine]

—whims & inconsistencies | 1

→ posted: june 24, 2022

→ pairing: kim seokjin x poc!reader

→ genre/au: victorian era!au, pride&prejudice vibes, angst!!!, smut, fluff

→ chapter rating: PG-13

→ wordcount: 4.8k words

→ chapter warnings: mentions of misogyny, reader is an orphan, mentions of parents passing away, creepy old men, a lot of vulgar things implied, im sorry but maknae line are the villains :(  and this is just the start.

→ credits: @hobeemin​ for the most amazing banner idea. @peachiilovesot7​ you are the best beta reader i could ever ask for. thank you to @moonleeai​​, @heathfritiiiary, @a_bit_jess for the feedback on the prologue! I think it really helped make a difference. 

→ an: i created a map! you can click the link below to see the city and help build the setting in your head the way that i see it! Updates will be weekly! If you would like to be on a tag list, please reply to this chapter or send an ask!

series masterlist   map of Sonyeondan

The Jung residence is a large house located at the end of a row of other large houses in the Highgate district. Across the street, instead of another row of similar houses, is a large brick wall that outlines the town. Beyond the wall are large trees leading into a forest. 

The home, two-stories, with a library, observatory, and a large hall for banquets and balls, is clearly the home of a well to do family. Hoseok’s father holds a well paying, top position with the local private school, overseeing the curriculum for the students, explaining the wealth of the dwelling. They greet you warmly, having just seen you at your graduation a month earlier, and Jiwoo shows you upstairs to your room while Namjoon and Hoseok catch up in the library.

Placing your violin case on your bed, you take in the spacious bedroom, curtains pulled open to show the afternoon sun spilling across the desk across from the window. An armoire to your left and a vanity to your right, there is ample space for you to get ready for each day, as well as practice each night. 

Jiwoo pulls you from your thoughts.

“I am so excited that you are here now! I was able to talk my parents into postponing my debut a year so that we could have a joint one. Thought it would help reduce the pressure for you, and obviously it will mean ours will be the biggest and best party of the season.”

“Thanks, Jiwoo, I appreciate sharing the limelight. I can’t say I’m exactly happy for the end of my freedom,” you frown, opening the armoire and making note of what you will store in it.

“I don’t think being married will be so bad…my parents seem happy. Yours did too.”

The memory of your parents' marriage warms your heart a bit, reminding you that it was perfectly realistic to find a good suitor. You had some other worries though. Some that Jiwoo wouldn’t necessarily relate to.

“I know that it’s not terrible. I actually look forward to the thought of spending my life with someone who completes me, the way my father did my mother and vice versa. But my father was a foreigner, and I look…well, foreign.” 

You glance at your reflection in the vanity, your unruly curls coming loose to frame your tan skin after the humidity latched onto it during the carriage ride. Your eyes, larger than was average in this monolithic country, are at least the same color as others: a warm coffee with a splash of cream that you were told drew people in on a cold day. Your frame, petite but curvier than typical, stands out, but you hope in a good way. You rather like how you look, but when you had attended boarding school you received your fair share of bullying for features that are out of your control. 

“Please, YN, you are gorgeous! I wish my hair could curl the way yours does,” Jiwoo brushes a flyaway back to tuck behind your ear as she continues. “And your skin is so pretty, like my favorite caramel candies that we used to hide in our pillows and eat after we were supposed to be asleep.” You laugh at the memory.

“What’s so funny?” Hoseok asks from the doorway, Namjoon following him in with your luggage and boston bag.

“Oh, just telling YN how jealous I am that she will steal all of the best suitors during our debut ball with her luscious curls, beautiful skin, and hips—”

“Okay!” You interrupt, but that interruption is interrupted by Hoseok and Namjoon agreeing with Jiwoo.

“Yeah, already several of my friends have asked when you were debuting. They always see you when you visit on break from school and want to know more about you…”

“Even at school, guys would hang out in the practice room watching her play—”

“They wanted to hear me play!” you defend.

“Yeah, have you ever seen what you look like when you play? A goddess among us mere mortals, and there were only five women in the school! And Sunmi did not have a crowd when she played the flute.”

Rolling your eyes, you grab your Boston bag and begin to unpack it, pulling out a folded metal contraption that opens into a music stand for your compositions. Namjoon continues talking about you, making up stories, you’re sure.

“I actually don’t know if I want her to meet my brothers. She might decide she doesn’t want to be friends with me anymore, or worse, she could end up marrying one of them.”

Ignoring him, you pull out the leather bound folder that holds the music sheets, hastily tucked away before boarding the train so that now loose papers with Yoongi’s cramped scrawl and Namjoon’s larger swirls flutter to the ground. 

Jiwoo picks up the fallen sheets and hands them to you, and you place them on the stand. 

“Are you about to practice right now? You just got off the train!”

“You can’t be a virtuoso violinist if you don’t practice!”

“At least have a light lunch first. Mother and father have prepared a small spread for us to enjoy.”

You allow Jiwoo to drag you away from your violin, case unopened on your bed and music sheets still against the stand.

Getting ready for the first party of the season was a whirlwind of a time. Jiwoo’s personal maids brought in a friend to work on your makeup and hair at her request. She had asked for two, but they had struggled to find someone who had any experience working with someone…foreign-looking. Your maid for the evening, Eunwoo, had previously worked in a different part of the country with a family that was similar to yours. 

She’s quiet, but efficient; her hands move swiftly to section your wet curls and place several plaits that end halfway across your scalp and are pulled into hair ties. She saturates the bottom half of your hair, letting it remain loose as she teases a few curls to frame your face. Pretty, sheer lilac ribbons are the finishing touch as she winds them to cover the ties and pins them in place. 

She turns your chair away from the mirror, and sets off to doll your face up and you relax as she moisturizes your skin before applying the various makeup palettes to your skin. 

Walking arm in arm with Jiwoo, Hoseok following the two of you with his cheerful smile and noises he doesn’t even realize he’s making as he provides a soundtrack to your entrance, is terrifying. You had wanted to arrive earlier, but missing an extra set of hands made it difficult to dress you in the soft purple gown you chose for Nayeon’s debutante ball. 

It fit your frame just so, and the criss-crossing satin strings along the back made it slightly hard to breathe with how tight they were laced. Luckily your legs had more freedom to move, since the dress cascades down to the floor, the silkiness of the material shimmering in the light with every step like a light violet waterfall.

Of course, you enter just as the music quiets, with dancers swapping on and off the dancefloor as the musicians turn the pages to a new song, and the door closes loudly behind you as you appear in the view of all of the guests. 

Heads turn to face you, and you feel the heat rise to your cheeks, a tight smile overtaking your lips as you walk carefully down the few steps into the large parlor. Hoseok waves to a few friends and disappears into the crowd; you notice Namjoon in the group Hoseok is heading towards and you want to follow him, but Jiwoo steers you towards the hosts to greet them and tie a dance card around your wrist. 

It’s easy to escape from Jiwoo once she is distracted by making pleasantries with Nayeon and her parents, but you entered a side hallway that is mostly abandoned as other party goers walk past you to go out the doors you just entered. Taking light steps in your kitten heeled shoes, you walk to the end of the hallway and see an opening back into the parlor. There’s a wooden table that is home to the largest bouquet of wildflowers, but nothing else blocks you from making your way to your giant of a best friend and cheerful housemate.

Stepping around the intricately carved circular table in the entryway, you attempt once again to head into the safety of your male friends. You are stopped, however, by a large man. His suit is a puke green color, and his teeth are crooked and yellowing as he leers down at you, the strong odor of tobacco emanating from his person. 

“Ah, you must be the ward the Jung’s have taken in. I’m Park Jinyoung. You’ve probably heard of me. Or at least of my businesses. Will you allow me to sign your dance card? I saw you as soon as you made your entrance, and I hear that you're musically inclined…”

“Oh, um,” you startle at his abrupt introduction; the way he jumps around in his topics is dizzying. “Yes, I’m YN. And I’ve just moved here recently and haven’t had a chance to explore the area. I play the violin, so I practice several hours a day.”

“Yes, yes, girl, I know, I told you I heard you were musically inclined. Now, about your dance card, have you got spots left? I can fill it up for you if you want, and we can get to know one another better.”

You don’t like the way that his eyes stare at your chest as he talks. The sweetheart bust of your dress does a great job at accentuating your cleavage, but you had hoped to catch the eye of someone who was closer to your age, or at least could hide his boner a bit better!

“Darling, there you are!”

A friendly voice draws your attention from Park Jinyoung, and you feel like you can’t breathe. The most handsome man you have ever set your sight on is standing behind you, and he just called you darling?!

“You were looking for me?” You ask, unsure of his intent.

“Of course I was! You were supposed to wait for me by the other entryway, you must have gotten lost on your way back from the bathroom.”

“You are seeing this woman?”

“She is certainly in my sights right now.”

“I see. I was under the impression that she had not yet been approached by any suitors.”

Your head whips back and forth as you follow the conversation happening about you, but not including you. So you decide to join in, standing a bit taller.

“I haven’t been approached by any suitors. I have just met this man tonight, much like I have just met you, Mr. Park.”

The handsome man widens his eyes at you, as if signaling some secret message that you don’t comprehend, and Mr. Park smiles at you before turning towards the man.

“But you called her ‘darling’, that’s not a term of endearment one uses so…loosely, Kim Seokjin, unless you are acquainted in a rather unseemly way.”

You blink furiously at the suggestion that you have loose morals and were hiding in the hallway with this Kim Seokjin to be promiscuous. Seokjin steps into Jinyoung’s space, and you step back from the way the tension feels dangerous. 

“It is but a way to address someone when you can’t remember their name, Mr. Park. Now let us all return to the parlor, lest people begin to think we are back here fighting over a woman. And I would remind you to bite your tongue when speaking of such matters in the presence of a lady.”

Butterflies fill your stomach at the way Seokjin defends your honor; he is younger than Park Jinyoung by many years, but his manner of speaking and the way he carries himself commands respect even above the elder in the room. 

“Out of respect for your father, I will not smack that smart mouth like you deserve for speaking to me in such a way, but make it a habit and I will not hesitate, no matter the company we are in.”

Park Jinyoung turns on his heel and walks back into the parlor, leaving you alone with Seokjin.

“I’m sorry. I tried to save you from him, but he turned it into something it wasn’t. I promise if anyone says anything to try and compromise your honor, I will defend it. I’m Kim Seokjin, by the way.”

“YN…Thank you for standing up for me. He wanted to fill up my entire dance card, and I was just thinking of how I would escape it, when you appeared. So thanks again. I should go find my friends before we get caught back here alone.”

Seokjin reaches for your arm, stilling your movement from walking away. 

“If I could, I would love to sign your dance card. If there is still space of course.” He smirks, and you can only nod as you extend your arm so he can scribble his name onto the last line. 

“I’ll find you before the last song plays.”

You blink, and he’s gone, back into the crowd. Leaning onto the wall, you take several deep breaths. Get it together, girl! You think to yourself. You never get weak over a man, let’s not start now…now matter how beautiful his face is! Or how soft his lips look…

“Oh thank the gods, I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” Jiwoo appears in the hallway, moving quickly to your side. “It’s time to get some names on your dance card and spend the night being twirled around the room by handsome men!”

Jiwoo has a point, and there is already one handsome man penciled at the bottom of the list, saving the best for last.

There are lights glittering off of the chandeliers, sending dancing beams of rainbow light scattering across the walls. Your hair, bouncing as you twirl in the arms of one of the many suitors you have been dancing with tonight, is so unlike the other girls dancing in the room. You feel self-conscious, but you catch Seokjin’s gaze from where he stands across the room, and you no longer care. He smiles at you, as if there is just a secret the two of you share, and as the song playing ends, he takes a rather large gulp from his drink and sets it down, marching across the dancefloor to you. 

“May I have this dance?”

You step towards him, curtsying briefly as you take your place in front of him and as the pianoforte and violins start to play, you raise your arms to his broad shoulders and his hands go to your waist. The hold is modest, exactly like you have practiced with friends and dance tutors, but his touch sets you alight. His shoulders under your hands heat your gloves, almost burning at the touch, but the goosebumps rising across your skin would make anyone think a cold flame spread through your veins.

You step forward as he steps back, movements in sync to the notes that play around you. The eye contact as his fingers draw you ever so closer to him causes you to shiver, and the smile on his lips is soft as he whispers, “are you cold, darling?” The term of endearment used is a reminder of how he saved you earlier. 

“No, Mr. Kim. I am quite content.”

He spins you around, stepping apart before leading you back in closer than before as you spin across the dancefloor, weaving around the other dancers. 

“I must say that makes me quite happy to hear that you are content in my arms.”

You can feel your cheeks warm under his twinkling gaze, and butterflies flutter when he winks at you. You remain in a state of bliss the rest of the song, and you are breathless once the song ends. 

“I am quite parched, do you mind if we step off to get something to drink?” you ask, secretly needing to step away so that you may gather yourself after putting some space between your bodies. 

“Yes, actually I see my brothers over by the refreshments, and I must remind the youngest one to behave himself accordingly.”

The two of you walk along the edge of the ballroom, making your way towards some familiar faces. Hoseok is standing with Namjoon, and a few other younger men are there as well, laughing loudly at a joke you missed.

“YN! Enjoying yourself?”

“Quite! It is a delightful ball, the first of many this season I presume, that I will enjoy myself at.”

“Namjoon, do you always speak so comfortably with women? We send you away to a music conservatory and you come back without any sense of respect?”

You laugh along with Namjoon at Seokjin’s scandalized expression.

“Oh, me and Namjoon are not strangers, Seokjin. This is one of my dearest friends from said music conservatory.”

“Ah, it seems you and my brother are also on close terms, YN, if you are already calling him Seokjin.”

You gasp, gloved hand covering your mouth as you realize. Kim Namjoon is the younger brother of Kim Seokjin. Namjoon’s eyes dance with humor at your realization, and he can no longer hold back his laughter when he makes eye contact with Hoseok. The laughter catches the attention of the other three men, who step closer to your circle of friends.

“Whatever is so funny, Joon?” The owner of the voice is tall, lean, and gorgeous. His hair falls around his face in a mess of waves, and despite his beauty, there is a coldness about him.

“Oh, Taehyung-ah, this is YN. She is one of the friends I graduated with and who I traveled home on the train with. She has just realized she danced around the room with our dearest elder brother.”

Our dearest elder brother. This man must be the younger brother of your best friend. Kim Taehyung. You have heard a little about Namjoon’s brothers, but not enough to realize you are surrounded by them. 

“Ah, well, YN, it is a pleasure to finally meet you.” Taehyung extends his hand to you, and to be polite, you place your hand in his as he draws his lips to the back of your hand, a chaste kiss to the gloved skin. “We have heard so much about you from our dear Joonie-hyung.”

“Hopefully all good things!” You hate the way your voice sounds, trying not to feel nervous, but there is something about the youngest brother that is off-putting to you. His two friends flank him, both with beautiful smiles that don’t quite reach their eyes. Of the two, the taller one's eyes rake across your body in a way that makes you feel naked, and the shorter one can’t seem to find your eyes amidst your chest as he introduces himself.

“I’m Park Jimin, it is nice to make your acquaintance.”

You curtsy, if only to bring your face into his line of sight, and he smiles cheekily at you.

“Jeon Jungkook. You look stunning in that color.” His eyes continue to trace your figure, and when he finally makes eye contact, he is not the least bit embarrassed at being caught gawking at your figure. You feel that he quite enjoys knowing you know he was undressing you in a full room. The air is thick with uneasiness, and you are ready to relieve yourself of their presence. 

“Well then, it was very nice to meet you all, Kim Taehyung, Park Jimin, and Jeon Jungkook. If you will excuse me, I’m going to grab a drink and see if Jiwoo is anywhere nearby.”

“I’ll come with you.” Seokjin steps behind you, following as you retreat from their end of the table and towards the refreshments at the other end, his hand on the small of your back guiding you through the crowd.

“Sorry about my brother, Taehyungie is a bit…much.”

“Oh, no worries, I was delighted to finally put a face to the men Namjoon speaks about all of the time. I’m kind of embarrassed that I did not realize that you are his older brother; you weren’t at his graduation ceremony.”

“Oh, yes, we had a family emergency come up, but now Namjoon is home, so we have plenty of time to celebrate his accomplishments.”

“An emergency? Namjoon didn’t mention anything…is everything alright now?”

“As all right as it can be, no need to worry. Oh, which drink would you like?” Seokjin expertly changes the topic away from his home life, but you are too parched to continue to needle. Pointing at the crystal bowl full of a light pink liquid, you accept the small cup he passes to you filled halfway with drink. 

He turns away from the table once he’s poured his own cup with the salmon–colored drink, and you both gulp them down. The eye contact between you two causes both of you to laugh into your cups, Seokjin’s eyes twinkling with mischief as you turn away quickly to avoid spitting out your drink. Most unladylike behavior, but you have a feeling Seokjin would not care about such frivolous societal rules. 

The next couple of hours are spent tucked into the corner, still visible to everyone, but in your own world; just you and Seokjin talking about everything and nothing. You haven’t felt a connection like this with anyone before, and the butterflies in your stomach let you know this is more than how you feel about Namjoon and Yoongi. No, what you are feeling towards Seokjin is anything but platonic companionship. 

You watch the way his lips form words, the full pout alluring without him trying, and when he licks his lips, you fan your face with a gloved hand, pretending that the room is starting to feel stuffy. Like the gentleman he is, Seokjin asks if you would like to step outside to get some air. You nod, and he places his hand gently on your lower back, a shockwave of warmth traveling down your spine. You want to feel more of his touch on your body, not covered by clothes, and you feel the burn of your cheeks as he leads you towards Jiwoo.

“Jiwoo noona, can you please go with YN outside for some air? The stuffiness of the room has seemed to get to her, and she looks a bit flushed.”

Seokjin looks at you, but you turn your face away shyly, afraid he’ll realize it’s not the room, but his aura that has you so heated. Jiwoo escorts you to the back garden, and you sit on a bench with her while she looks at you knowingly. Under her scrutiny, you decide to come clean.

“Yes, I think the eldest Kim brother is rather…handsome.”

“Well, from the looks of it, he thinks you are quite the beauty as well. I have never seen him spend so much time talking to a woman at a party, let alone appearing to enjoy it. He’s usually with his friends…I guess he’s stepping into his role more now.”

Your eyebrows furrow, a confused look taking over your face. Jiwoo leans in conspiratorial-like as she begins to share.

“Seokjin is the eldest of the Kim family. Their father recently had inflammation of the heart of some sort, and he has been bed ridden since. The family missed Namjoon’s graduation because of it. Seokjin will take over as the head of the family if something happens to their father, but he hasn’t had to really face that thought until now.” Jiwoo shakes her head despondently. “Their father is really nice, and I always enjoyed when their family would come over for dinner. My mother used to host a sewing club with theirs and a few other women inside, and I can’t imagine how she would fair if something were to happen. I mean, Seokjin is super smart, so I am sure the family will be okay, but I can’t imagine what it would be like to be a widow.”

You nod slowly, taking in all of the information. This must be the emergency that Seokjin mentioned in passing. You wonder to yourself about his intentions tonight, spending so much time—publicly—with you, during your debuting season. Is he looking for a wife? Could you be a wife who sits in sewing clubs? Did you want to be? The two of you stand, ready to head back inside, when Jiwoo lets out a sigh and pulls you from your thoughts as the three younger men from earlier approach the two of you. 

“Jiwoo, how lovely to see you again.” 

The two friends step towards Jiwoo, flanking either side of her as they enter into her space. You can see how uncomfortable it is for her as they squeeze their bodies between the two of you, Jungkook separating her from you as Taehyung approaches your other side.  

“Well, my brothers sure have a type. One befriends you at school and the other can’t take his eyes off you since you’ve met tonight.” Taehyung leans down, voice lowering as he brings his breath to your ear. “You’ve got all three of the Kim brother’s attention, but I’d love to have a sample before my eldest brother does.”

A gasp is pulled from your throat at the lewd idea he propositions you with, and you feel the same way you did when Mr. Park had cornered you earlier: slimy.

“I am not anyone’s plaything to be sampled.” Your voice is curt, slicing through the sleaze of his implications.

“But you look like so much fun to play with, YN. I promise I won’t tell Seokjinnie hyung if I get to see under those skirts of yours before he does.”

You step back, appalled that Taehyung could speak to you so vulgarly and also be related to one of your best friends and your savior from earlier in the night. It was as if the latter two were cut from a different cloth. Maybe he was a different material altogether. 

The step you took brought your backside into Jungkook, who turns away from whatever lewd words he and Jimin are spewing lowly at Jiwoo, and it is enough for you to reach for her and make your escape. 

Instead of returning to the party, you and Jiwoo silently agree it is best for the two of you to leave, bypassing the opening to return to the main floor and instead turning to exit the house and swiftly walk to the row of carriages lining the street. The Jung’s footman jumps down from where he’s sat, patiently awaiting your return. You remember after Jiwoo has climbed in that Hoseok rode with you to the party.

“Should I go grab Hoseok?”

“Damn it,” Jiwoo intones, and hearing her curse lightens the mood a tiny bit. 

“I’ll be quick and I won’t stop for anyone, and I won’t walk out unless Hoseok or Joonie is accompanying me.” 

Jiwoo nods and you retrace your steps, keeping your head down so that no one tries to speak to you in your haste. Luckily, Hoseok is in plain sight, standing with Seokjin near the refreshments table.

“Hoseok, Jiwoo and I are ready to go, as it is getting quite late. She’s already in the carriage.”

“Late?”

The look you give him trumps his incredulous one, as the party has thinned out and despite time being seemingly halted, it is nearing midnight. He glances around the room, eyes observing the large clock with both hands pointing towards the upper half of the circle.

“Yes, you’re right of course. Seokjin hyung, I must bid you farewell and get these ladies home. Can you escort YN to the carriage? I’m going to visit the lavatory before I join them.”

“Of course, it’s no issue to see her safely.”

Proffering his arm, you place yours atop his and walk with Seokjin out of the house. As the two of you approach the carriage, he slows his gait, turning slightly to you.

“Could I, perhaps,” he starts, voice a little higher than earlier, “call on you at the Jung’s residence?”

You’re sure that if there were no lamps to dimly light the street for the partygoers that your smile would have lit the street up as if it was daylight. Seokjin is sure that were it daylight, you would have seen the way his ears are a bright red as he waits for your reply.

“I would love that.” 

series masterlist —thank you for reading! i hope you enjoyed this chapter! see you next week!!

© hisunshiine 2022. All rights reserved. 

[cherryboba-lilies]

part 3! jotaro(before the crusade) x reader relationship headcanons

joot isn’t very affectionate , so he would need time to actually confirm his feelings and confess them since we all know he isn’t that in tune with anything romantic

baby is very shy lowkey but his bad boy exterior wouldn’t have anyone thinking that , so when he asks you out it actually startled you

i hc that his favorite coffee is a vanilla sweet cream cold brew because it’s not overly sweet but it’s not overly bitter either ,, so he asked but softly told you to come get coffee with him

goin down the road to future dates , joot gives me the vibes of anything that has to do with study or animals

this meaning ,he would subtly but not subtly plan dates to places like museums , aquariums,observatories, zoos etc

now when it comes to physical affection , joot is more standoffish when it comes to receiving it so he’ll stiffen up a bit until he can fully get comfortable

he also isn’t a man of many words so i feel like arguments wouldn’t be a thing unless one of you is really pent up , but even then he isn’t the type to argue back bc he knows it won’t do anything

also speaking on this , joot doesn’t really say his affection nor is he one for love letters and constant flirting but he knows how to show his love if it makes sense

so don’t expect for him to have many words to say when you’re particularly feeling down , but he’ll listen and comfort you in the best way he can even if it means having to get physically affection

also jojo is very attentive so he remembers your favorite things and important dates like your birthday and y’all’s anniversary , so just maybe he’ll plan some unexpected dates

this is very random but PLEASE imagine you two having matching dolphin plushies

he is a phone call type of person because he needs to know that the person he’s talking to is there , and he won’t tell you but he likes hearing your voice

so calls are type frequent if you guys aren’t together , or can’t see eachother

another random headcanon , he would want to hand craft you something ( not bc holly told him he should-) and would accidentally injure himself in the process with something like sewing

i feel like jojo’s love language would perhaps be gifts but he would subtly be like “oh this? yare yare don’t ask, just take it”

rain thought of this but , he wouldn’t have anythin cutesy for your contact

he would have your whole government name ,& no icon photo

which is like polar opposite to yours which is like “joot 💕💍” with some picture of you guys on one of your dates

it takes a lot for him to take a picture so please appareciate the ones you do have , & yes he does take so many off guards of you but won’t tell you lmao

but please just be patient with him , my boy is very caring on the inside but can’t show it , doesn’t mean he don’t love you tho

——————————————————————————

all i have to say is i’m a hugeeeeeeee simp for this man

- ash

[mimik-u]

“Homeworld Bound” Thoughts:

I wasn’t going to watch this one today, but then I realized that I really missed the Diamonds and wanted to consume novel content, so!

OOH, good on the show for taking us directly to the aftermath of “Fragments” instead of putting space between the episodes. That’s just... a really good choice narrative wise.

Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl’s expressions are so distressing here. He’s been gone for three days; they must’ve been so worried.

Jasper steps aside to reveal an absolutely ruined Steven.

He just technically killed a gem and then resurrected her. How intensely will that forever lie on his psyche? Oh my g od

NO, NOT JASPER PASSIVELY MAKING THE DIAMOND SIGN IN THE BACKGROUND AUGH

“You can’t just disappear for days without telling us!”

Steven silent walking up to the Observatory as the Gems continue to freak the fuck out is harrowing. And Dee Dee Magno Hall is killing it with her voice acting here. The simultaneous fear and anger and horror in her voice. Oh my g d

“You guys... I love you, but you can’t help me anymore. I’ve been avoiding the only people in the entire universe who can.” 🥺 This is sad, but I’m also, like, problematic grandmas time!!!!!

“Find something better to do with your life.” God, Jasper’s look of disbelief and sadness here. I didn’t really delve into this during my “Fragments” watch because I was just roridoodwrjfkrkeke reeling, but her reaction to being accidentally shattered is psychologically devastating???? I’d wager that she simultaneously respects the fact that she’s been subjugated by a being more powerful than her, that she’s grateful to Steven for being both subjugator and savior, and likely, she’s conflating this new loyalty with her former loyalty for Pink. This is a really complex psyche (a tragic one most of all).

Garnet: “Steven, remember, we’ll always be your family.” I’m so fucki n emo

AWHWHWH, HOMEWORLD IS SO BRIGHT AND COLORFUL NOW!!!

YO!! Homeworld has a democracy now!! The Zircons!!!!!!!

THE WALL GEM IS MOVING??????? KWOEOEIDJDKSJS

Can u imagine being a wall cursed with sentience. that is so funny on so many levels

But it’s also really interesting, too. If the Wall Gem is a gem in the way say Topazes are gems, which, judging by her mobility, she is—then her explicit purpose in Era 1-2, as molded by presumably Yellow, was to b a wall omg. (Or, arguably, I think it can be argued that the inanimate object Gems, like Comby, were probably accidental sentient creations, made in relationship to their proximity to the Diamonds during their various secretion rituals!!)

Anyway, I love thinking about Homeworld worldbuilding. It’s fascinating.

SQUARE PERIDOT

SPIIIIIINELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!

Her heart eyes!! She looks so happy!

Steven, angry af: “Spinel, what is wrong with you?” / Spinel: Oh, you know—the usual.” KEKDSKDK

Also, Steven really wanted to say fuck there. NEKDDKKSSKKS

“I was such a wreck then, but I am so much better now.” We stan character growth 😭😭

One thing I have loved the Crewniverse so much for doing is never taking away the physical signs of gems’ mental distress, even after they’ve gotten better: Blue’s eye bags, Volleyball’s eye, Spinel’s running mascara. That is so important.

YELLOW SITTING AT HER LIL VANITY!!

IT’S LIGHT INSIDE HER ROOM! THERE R FLOWERS! THRIVE, QUEEN, THRIVE.

YELLOW REVERSING HER GEM EXPERIMENTS OH MY G D

FUCKING QUEEN!!!!!!

(I’m sorry in advance. The rest of the live blog is just going to be screaming about the Diamonds.)

“I can permanently alter any physical form!” She’s so proud of herself. 😭😭😭 I fuckin’ love her.

Yellow laying down on the ground like that is SENDING ME SKSKSJSJ.

Ugh, and her being such a good mom to Spinel. I’m cry in f

“If anything’s out of proportion, it’s your temper. You can be big if you want to, or you can be small if you want to, but if you’re going to be upset no matter what, then this problem isn’t physical—it’s emotional. Go see Blue.”

I really like her advice here because it’s advice that comments so clearly on her own character arc. At her lowest, she was quick to anger, aggressive, and temperamental, which she diagnoses in Steven here. Additionally, she was the Diamond who was concerned largely with physical actions. She coped by maintaining the Empire through conquering planets and maintaining the minutiae of leadership; she thought the only way to receive justice for Pink was through the physical act of destruction. And in doing so, she pushed her own emotions deep, deep down until they manifested in anger, aggressiveness, and temperamental outbursts. This hurt the people she cared about, and it hurt herself most of all.

Also, “Go see Blue. That is her department.” Ejdoiddjdjjsjdjdks, “go see ur other grandma.”

BLUE FLOATING ON A CLOUD!!!!!

“Your powers have been causing you dramatic mood swings? That seems awfully troubling Steven.” God I love her

“You don’t seem troubled.” This is a really interesting line because it comments on how Blue’s emotions, especially her negatively charged ones, used to be so visible all over her; indeed, she both wittingly and actively used to project them on other Gems, forcing them to feel her suffering, too.

OH, SHE GOES ON TO SAY THE EXACT SAME THING EOEODODISSJJS. LISTEN, I REALLY VIBE WITH BLUE.

“Back before you came into my life, Steven, I wanted every one to feel the pain I felt. I realized I must make up for my awful behavior by bringing joy to others.”

Another thing I’ve appreciated about the writing in this episode: So far, both Blue and Yellow have used the adjective awful to describe their former actions. It’s the self-awareness and the refusal to try to excuse themselves that powerfully shows how much they’ve grown. And it’s their continuous endeavors to keep moving forward, to help the Gems that they’ve hurt, that indicates that they’re willing to constantly keep growing and atoning.

NFOFOFDKSSKSKSK, THESE CLOUDS ARE JUST HER VAPORIZED TEARS HELP.

Sick vape clouds, Blue

I’VE HEARD THE SONG BEFORE, BUT EVERY TIME SHE SINGS, I LOSE MY SHI T

LISA HANNNNIGAAAAAAAN

This is such a pretty line: “Cold palace walls, and endless empty halls, haunted by echoes of laughter.”

BLUE ASCENDING THROUGH THE CLOUDS AUSHAHHSHD

BLUE MAKING HEART CLOUDS FOR SPINEL!!

BLUE CALLING SPINEL N STEVEN HER LITTLE REASONS WHY.

“I’LL NEVER MAKE YOU CRY.” This line is particularly lovely because I think it plays well with Steven’s line to her in “CYM:” “How many times did you make her cry?”

BDJDJDJSJDJ, BLUE LAYING ON HER CLOUD LIKE YELLOW LAID ON THE FLOOR.

The way she sings the last “loving you.” 😭😭😭😭 I’m gonna weep. I love her so fucking much.

“I found happiness. If that's not something you think you deserve, then I suspect this is an issue of self worth. I suggest you go to White for assistance with such matters.” 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 And like Yellow did, Blue gets to the heart of her arc cleanly.

Before Steven and before her own emotional reckoning, she didn’t think it was her place to be happy: “I know my purpose isn’t to be happy.” But in learning to love others, Blue has found true, inner happiness, which she literally shares with others. Wow.

And I think there’s something powerful in her distinction between true happiness and self-worth. You can’t find one without espousing the other.

White’s room is so pretty. 🥺

THE FLASHING STROBE LIGJTS DDNJDFJDJDNF.

SPINEL WHITE DIAMOND?!/!:$;8;83&:&:

SHE FUCKING LETS OTHER GEMS CONTROL HE R HELP.

SPINEL MAKING WHITE TAP DANCE FICODODOFODJDNDJSJDJDJJDDJDJ

Steven’s horrified expression omg

“I’m scared I’m gonna hurt people; I guess I already have.” God.

And that’s another thing that this episode has called to mind. Blue, Yellow, and White alike once used their insane powers to hurt other Gems and to hurt themselves, and here, throughout this series, we see Steven discovering that same capacity for destruction and self-destruction. Along with the systematic oppressions they facilitated, a big part of the Diamonds’ modus operandi was that their powers were directly correlated to their mental states and their various inabilities to confront their own selves and effect inner change. The corrective wasn’t necessarily Steven; the corrective was him helping them to do that initial act of introspection and looking inwards. And so, too, will Steven have to do the same by the end of this series. But I presume that his family, all the people and gems who have loved and cared for him, will in effect be his Steven, just as he has always been for them.

“Half a Diamond, half a creature of Earth—in all the universe there's no one else that could know what you’re going through, so maybe it's time you talked to yourself.” This is so viscerally sad. White hits the nail on the head here. Steven’s human friends/family and his gem family and even the Diamonds, who come the closest to matching his own strength, can never fully understand him. It’s the tension that underscores a lot, if not the entire show.

White briefly touches Steven with her nail, and you can viscerally see the trauma on his face; he hasn’t forgotten her act above all, wrenching his gem out, nearly killing him.

“I’m... I’m a Diamond.” Steven, in looking at White Diamond, realizes that she’s a mirror of himself. Holy fucking shit

“I don’t want to be you! I don’t want to be anything like you!” HOLY FUCKING SHIT

“Don’t hurt me! She can’t hurt me! I’m controlling her...” And here, Steven doesn’t light upon the essential thing... in making White punch the wall, nearly knocking a huge rock into him, he’s the one hurting himself.

This show, oh my g o d

“She’s the one who should be afraid.” STEVEN?!!!!????!??!

“No, stop it! I don’t like this!” / “Please, you’re scaring me.” OH MY GO D

HE FUCKING MADE HER SLAM HER GEM AGAINST A PILLAR HOLY HE LL

“What... what was that?” Christine’s delivery here. Holy shit. 😭😭 And both of them are surrounded in the carnage of Steven’s wrath. Holy fucking shit.

This act is fundamentally different than him accidentally shattering Jasper in “Fragments”; this was an intentional attempt to hurt White, to crack her, to break her. Holy fucking shit

Spinel, Blue, and Yellow waiting for Steven outside of White’s door has my heart a little and a lot tender 🥺🥺🥺🥺

SPINEL SINGING I CAN MAKE A CHANGE SO DRAMATICALLY DJDIDJDJDJDJD. (But yeah, lmao, this will absolutely be the conclusion of Steven’s arc at the end of Future.)

“Steven! Let us help you, Steven!” The Diamonds are so concerned (mirroring the Gems back at home, too). 😭😭

He leaves a flip flop behind like Cinderella lmao

“Steven, let us help you!” / “We’re your family!” 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

And just as he implored the CGs, he tells the Diamonds not to follow him either.

Steven is completely and utterly alone.

Not by necessity.

But God, by choice.

Okay, this is my new favorite Future episode.

[petri808]

The Truth is not far from Fiction

@nalu-week bonus day AU prompt. Ghost story, modern setting, 7k words

Based on a real life experience.

One day late in the afternoon, Layla Heartfilia hears talking and pops her head into her toddlers bedroom. She sees the four-year-old playing with a doll in the middle of the floor, just babbling away and smiles. “Who are you talking to Lucy?”

The child’s brown eyes beam at her mother. “Mishi wanna pway wich doll.”

Assuming it was just an imaginary friend, the woman plays along. “I see. And are you being a good girl and sharing your toys?”

“Uh-huh, mommy.”

“That’s a good girl. I’ll be back shortly to get you for dinner, okay, you just keep playing nicely with your friend.”

“Otay,” Lucy giggles and looks at the girl sitting across from her, “Mishi you hungy too? Oh.” She then looks back at her mother, “Mishi say no can eat.”

“Why is that dear?”

“Mishis dead.”

><><><><><><><><><

From all outward appearances, Lucy Heartfilia was just your typical teenage girl. She had her tight-knit group of friends, a girly-girl when she wanted to be, but deep down was just as comfortable hanging with the guys. Fangirling over the latest manga heartthrob or relaxing with a good book were her two favorite things to do, well that and spending time with her best friend slash boyfriend Natsu Dragneel.

Natsu was born and raised in Hawaii whereas Lucy was a transplant to the islands. After her mother’s death, her father moved them to Hilo when the opportunity to invest in some new property developments came about. It was a small town compared to the big city they’d left behind, but it was a beautiful place and Lucy fell in love with it quickly. She knew her mother would have loved it because if there was one thing Layla Heartfilia had instilled in her daughter, it was a love of the stars.

Every cloudless night on the island provided a perfect opportunity for stargazing thanks to the role of the observatories on Mauna Kea; the islands largest volcanic mountain. Nothing brighter than an orange amber glow was allowed by law, cutting down on the amount of light pollution in Hawaii. Lucy loved it and took any opportunity to simply kick back under the stars picking out her favorite constellations.    

It was now the summer of their graduation from high school and the friends wanted to do something together to kick it off. A few options were thrown around, but when the idea of relaxing under the stars came to mind, Lucy suggested a camping trip. Campfires and smores, maybe some hiking, or even better, snuggling after dark. The group was sold.

“Gajeel’s dad said his contact will let us stay at K.O.E.C in volcano for the weekend since it’s not being used during the summer.” Levy McGarden was the first friend Lucy made after moving to the island and Gajeel Redfox was the girl’s boyfriend.

Lucy tips her head in confusion. “Where’s that? I don’t think I’ve heard of it before.”

“Oh,” Levy chuckles, “sometimes I forget you weren’t born here. In elementary school, all the kids are taken camping there. It’s like an educational retreat cause it’s right next to the national park.”

“Ah, gotcha. So, it’s a camping ground?”

“Mmm, sort of. There’s a building and a big grass area and a bonfire pit.  I don’t know the details if they’ll let us use the main building, but it’ll probably be fine if we just set up tents. Gajeel said the guy will give us a key to the gate when we arrive so we can go in and out.”

“Sounds perfect to me.”

Despite her father’s wishes for Lucy to go to a bigger college in the states, she decides to stay local for now, though that still meant relocating to a different island. It was true her decision was partially based on where her boyfriend was also attending school, but Chaminade University had a good reputation as well as the programs she was interested in. Natsu had graduated the year prior and received a football scholarship to attend the University of Manoa.  He’d be home for the summer in just a couple of days and she was excited to spend as much time with him as possible.

Starting fresh in a new place during middle school after leaving all of her friends behind in California can be tough on any young person, so it was really thanks to Levy and Natsu for making her feel so welcomed in Hawaii. On the first day of class Levy had befriended her and introduced Lucy into the group of kids that would stick together all the way from Waiakea Intermediate through Waiakea High. They’re like a second family for the girl who didn’t have any siblings and a father who was too busy to pay much attention.

But that was part of the beauty behind her and Natsu’s relationship. It wasn’t something that happened overnight, rather blossoming over several years from a friendship until one day their friend Gray Fullbuster pointed out they were already a pseudo couple so they might as well just make it official. Whenever Lucy thinks about that moment, it always makes her smile, because Natsu had simply chuckled, asked if she wanted to be his girl, she said yes, and they went on with the conversation as if nothing had changed.

Bright and early on a Friday morning, the group meets up at the local McDonald’s parking lot before the caravan heads out as a group to the Volcano area. Lucy rides with Natsu in his pickup truck, while everyone else were in other vehicles. There were eight of them total on their way for a fun filled weekend out in the countryside. It was the first time Lucy would be spending an extended amount of time in the area. Prior to this trip she’s only visited the park to do the typical tourist things like seeing the Jagger Museum or hiking the sulfur banks.

As they make their way to the area, no matter if the vehicle slows or accelerates, the road ahead blends as Lucy stares out the window. Greens, browns, mixed with multiple colors when they pass buildings. Her mind drifts with it, strangely lulled by an energy she cannot place, nor is even aware of its pull on her. The radio playing becomes a background noise with only the bass beats standing out… the drums especially calling to her and lulling her into a spell.  

“You okay, Luce?” Natsu questions her as she stares out the passenger window. The normally chatting girl was surprisingly quiet through the drive.

Lucy breaks out of her trance and looks over at her boyfriend. “Yeah, sorry I was just spacing out.” She smiles to allay his concerns. “I was so excited for this trip that I didn’t get much sleep.”

He reaches over and squeezes her hand with a smile. “How about I set up the tent first thing so you can take a nap?”

“I think I’ll be okay once we start doing stuff.”

“Whatever you say,” he winks.

She really wanted to enjoy this trip but the closer they got to the area the more a churning knot tightened in her stomach. It was a dubious feeling to place, not sick as if she were coming down with a cold, and she didn’t get motion sickness like her boyfriend, it was more like a foreboding feeling. Though a strange time to kick in, she had been a little stressed out about going off to college in the fall, so perhaps it was just a case of nerves.

That must be it, Lucy chalks up the weird feelings and rationalizes them as nothing more than a case of the jitters. Going away from home to a new place was a scary proposition, but she reminds herself she won’t be totally alone. Natsu will be on the island and so will Cana Alberona another close friend. And hey, thanks to the internet, those like Levy will be a simple click away too. She takes a deep breath and releases the churning emotions. It was time to focus on this camping trip and make it memorable.

When the caravan of vehicles pulls into the parking area, everyone waits with their vehicles while Gajeel settles up with the caretaker. Once that was complete, the group starts the task of setting up their gear. They break up the work, with the men focusing on the bigger jobs, erecting the tents, tables, and carrying the heavier items. The girls follow up with the sleeping bags, getting the food and other supplies squared away.

It was a nice place, just like Levy had described to Lucy. To the left of the parking lot was a large main building that housed expansive rooms used as classrooms. Downstairs were restrooms and showers, along with maintenance rooms. The caretaker had turned on the hot water and electricity for them to use on the bottom level, but the upstairs rooms were locked for security purposes. There was also security lighting around the building and on the street, but from what Lucy could gauge, once the sun goes down, the area would be quite dark. Good thing they brought a bunch of lanterns and flashlights.

In front of the building and parking lot, it opened up into a sprawling grassy area surrounded by trees. Beyond the trees were homes and subdivisions. At the very edge of the lawn, Lucy could see the bonfire area her friend had mentioned tucked in a corner. According to the caretaker, it was no longer used for full bonfires due to the threat of starting a forest fire, but they were allowed to make a small, normal sized campfire for doing things like roasting marshmallows or for warmth. The pit was also ringed with fallen Ohia tree logs to sit on.

The place was serene alright… but why was that nagging feeling eating away at her? As she stared towards the bon fire area, every fiber of her being was screaming at her to stay away from it. She didn’t like the vibes this place was giving off, which made absolutely no sense to her. It looked completely safe and quiet, they brought children here to camp for Pete’s sakes! Surely, the county wouldn’t allow visitors if this place wasn’t safe.

A shiver rushes along Lucy’s frame despite the lack of a breeze. Maybe she was just psyching herself out, so she turns away from the pit and focuses on something that did make her feel safe. Natsu had just finished setting up their tent. It was time for her to get their bedding down so they could settle in. Perfect, she could do that.

“So, how do you like it?” Natsu asks her as soon as she walks over to him. “Nice, right?”

“It’s a really scenic place,” Lucy agrees. She didn’t want to concern or spook him with her true thoughts of the place. “Is the tent ready?”

“Yup,” he grins, “pretty sure it won’t cave in.”

She chuckles, “I’ll get our sleeping bags and stuff set up.”

Natsu pulls her close and wraps his arms around her waist. “Just make sure I’ve got easy access to ya,” he wiggles his eyebrows. “After six months apart, I need to make up for lost time.”

That brings a flush to her cheeks and a giggle from the woman. “I think I can figure something out.”

He places a soft, lingering kiss on Lucy’s lips. “Remind me again how I managed to make you my girl?”

Lucy grins coyly, “by being an adorable dork.”

“Dork? Says the weirdo,” he chuckles and kisses her again. “Okay, you get cracking on this and I’ll be back in a bit after we set up the campfire for tonight.”

She just nods and watches him walk away for a moment, before turning her attention to the tent. Natsu had even added an additional tarp over the top in case it rained, how thoughtful and smart considering the weather here could turn without warning. Everyone had set up their tents, five in total, at distances from each other. Lucy chuckles in her head, knowing they weren’t the only ones with a little hanky-panky on the agenda.

Instead of using the sleeping bags as they were designed for, she unzips the two sets completely open, using one as the bottom and one as the blanket, finishing off their makeshift bed with the pillows. She then takes the bags that holds their clothing and toiletries and places it in the corner of the tent. Lastly, she double checks that their lantern was working properly and stores it near the entrance, so it was easy to turn on when needed.

With their accommodations ready, she could relax a little while she waited for Natsu to return. Since she didn’t know how long it would take the men to finish, Lucy decides to lay down and close her eyes. He’d suggested she take a short nap, and well, it seemed like a good idea now.

The moment she closes her eyes, the sunlight fades away behind her eyelids as her body slowly gives in. ‘This sleeping bag… is really comfortable…’ She felt peaceful, a sense of stilling calm like in the eye of a hurricane. The blue skies brought warmth streaming through the thin nylon fabric of the tent, pacifying the nervous pin pricks licking along her frame. Is that music playing somewhere? Lucy wonders as the edge of oblivion comes calling... Does someone have their bass cranked up?  

‘Did I sleep the afternoon away?’ Lucy looks around as the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge and the sickening feeling pitted in her stomach tightens. Something’s wrong, her mind screams. Where was the tent?! Why was she in the forest?! Where did everyone go? She was taking a nap and suddenly she was in the middle of the dark Ohia forest.

It was deathly silent save for the drumbeats and chanting getting louder— so loud that she felt it in her bones. No other signs of life, of crickets or coqui frogs, nor distant sounds of the homes she knew were laid out around the campsite. Only the drowning of drumbeats and the word kapu (sacred) repeated over and over. She covers her ears in a useless attempt to shield them from the noise, but it was as if they were coming from inside her head.

‘Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!’ Her voice cracked and trembling, desperate to get away from the torment. Fight or flight takes hold and she starts to back away, but her legs feel like rubber, her feet like dead weight. She looks down as a silent scream bubbles up in her throat. Why is her feet sinking into the mud! The ground had been solid a second ago!

She opens her mouth to cry out for Natsu, anybody, but no sound leaves her. Panic sets in, sending her mind into a tailspin, and energy surges through her body. She claws at her throat in desperation, why wasn’t her voice coming out! Her mind is begging for someone to please hear her screams. Natsu! Where was Natsu?!

Something grabs her from behind and her arms begin flailing out desperate to fight back.

“Lucy, wake up!”

“Natsu!” The blonde screams, kicking and punching as she sits straight up on the bedding. Still in a panicked fight for her life, she scrambles away until her back hits the wall of the tent. Her brain is struggling to take back control from the dreamworld, but the sounds were all she could hear roaring in her eardrums.

The hold around her center felt as if something very strong and powerful was squeezing the life out of her. All she could hear in her head were her own screams and that incessant drumbeat! Make it stop! Make it stop! The tears are pouring down, clouding her vision and marring the scene in front of her. Get me out of here!

“Lucy, Lucy!” Natsu grabs hold of her wrists to keep her from hitting him. “It’s a dream, Lucy, you’re okay now.” His own panic was rising faster than a flood. Why wasn’t she responding to him? Her eyes are open, but she was staring past him as if he didn’t exist just screaming for help.

“Lucy?” He feels what he can only equate to as sticking your hand in an electrical socket. His hands start to tingle and the air around them heats up. “W-What the hell is going on?!” Natsu squeaks out as a true fear takes hold. He could understand daymares, but this… this was abnormal!  

She thrashes against his hold for a few more seconds, shaking her head as tears pour in torrents down her cheeks. But despite the eerie shocks Lucy was giving him, he holds on tight until the opportunity presents itself to pull her into a fierce bear hug. Natsu had no idea what had set this off, so he fights off his own panic and does what he can, cooing and speaking softly to calm her. He couldn’t tell if his voice even had any weight behind it, but it was all he could muster.

“Shhh, babe I got ya now. Whatever it was, you’re safe.”

Natsu cradles her head, keeping it locked against his chest. There are footsteps around the tent along with a few ‘are you guys okay’ being asked. He responds that it was just a bad dream and not to worry. Lucy must have been much more tired than they’d realized for her to fall asleep so deeply and enter the dream stage in less than 30 minutes. He and Gray had only completed a third of the firepit when Levy had come to get him. The woman had heard distressing sounds coming from his girlfriend and they’d been enough to concern her.

Though Lucys mind was coming out of the dream world, and reality was taking hold again, a heavier panic sets in. How was she supposed to explain this to him? There was something about her life that she’d kept secret from everyone for fear of being looked at as a freak, and most of the time it wasn’t a problem to keep it hidden. Lucy fights to gain back control and to stop shaking. ‘It was just a dream Lucy,’ she tries to psyche up the lie in her head. ‘Nothing paranormal about a dream. It’s the stress manifesting itself.’ She didn’t want to worry anyone.

She takes several long, slow, deep breaths until the panic attack starts to wane. “Thank you, Natsu I-I’m fine now. I’m so sorry. I think all the anxiety of college is just getting to me.”

“No need to apologize Lucy, leaving home is scary. But you know I’ll be there for you right?”

“Yeah,” she cracks a smile. “I know you will be.”

“That was a pretty crazy dream though. Do you remember what it was about?”

Kapu… “No,” she shakes her head as if accentuating the word, but in reality, wishing the sounds echoing in her head would disappear.

“Okay.” His gut tells him not to push the topic until she was ready. Natsu kisses her forehead, “well if you do and you wanna talk about it, I’m all ears.” He smiles at her, “hey, why don’t you go wash your face, catch your breath, and maybe hang out with the girls to distract yourself while I finish up what I was doing?”

Lucy nods, “That’s a good idea.”

Of course, the moment she sat down with her concerned friends they bombarded her with questions about the daymare. Cana the ever-budding ‘spiritualist’ of the group pressing for information so she could discern the meanings behind what Lucy had seen. But she feigned not remembering anything once she’d been awoken by Natsu. She didn’t want to remember, rather forget it had ever happened. So, she falls back to the same excuse she’d used for him. Why not? At least if it were a consistent lie it would be easier to keep up.

“Are you sure Lu?” Levy reaches over and places a hand on her friends knee, “cause the way you were screaming… I swear even I was getting chills.”

“You literally sounded like you were being murdered.”

“Blunt enough, Cana?” Levy rolls her eyes. “She doesn��t need to be freaked out any more than necessary.”

“I really appreciate you’re guys concern, but I swear I’m fine now. I don’t remember what it was about and if it’s as bad as you’re saying, I’m glad I don’t remember.”

Levy fixes Lucy with a stare. “At least promise me if it happens again, you’ll talk to me.”

“I promise.” Lucy smiles back hoping to allay her friends concerns. “I think my nerves are just fried over college.”

To Lucy’s relief the rest of the group quickly switched into that topic. Juvia Lockser, Gray’s girlfriend was already a Sophomore in college, but she and the others shared their feelings of anxiety. It turns out they all felt similar to her, maybe even more so. Levy and Cana were born and raised in Hilo and had never travelled outside of the state before. Juvia is a transplant like Lucy except she came here for college from Seattle, Washington. It was only after meeting Gray at the University last year that she was folded into their group.      

“Lemme see if I can explain it,” Levy taps her chin. “A lot of islanders feel like they’re stuck here— okay maybe not stuck, but like… they don’t wanna leave their comfort zone. So, going away for college is really nerve wracking, that’s why I’m really anxious about it and excited at the same time.”

“Speak for yourself,” Cana chimes in, “I’m nervous sure, but I can’t wait to go to Honolulu! First thing I plan to do is hit the clubs! And I plan to drag you with me Lu.”

“Oh, no, no, no,” Lucy waves her hands excitedly while laughing, “don’t drag me into that!”

“Aww, come on, think about it! I’ll get you all hot and bothered and unleash you on Natsu.” Cana winks, “I’m sure he won’t mind.”

“OMG!” Lucy throws a handful of ripped grass at her friend as the other girls burst into laughter.

It’s not long in chatting with the girls that Lucy’s fears subside and the daymare is semi-forgotten. They talk about the rest of their plans for the weekend, like how tomorrow will be spent in the park checking out the latest volcanic activity and hiking the trails. Someone needs to stay behind to watch the camp, so Cana and Loke de Lioncourt agree to do it. Their reasoning is let the couples have fun exploring, but everyone else knows that the pair wanted some “fun time” to themselves.

Things were still quiet for Lucy by the time the men finish prepping the fire pit. The girls had made a simple lunch of sandwiches for the gang, so the guys join the conversation and things continue to flow smoothly into a relaxing afternoon. With Natsu by her side, Lucy feels an additional calming energy and that helps to settle the remnants of creepy sensations she was still having. She didn’t know how of why he was having that effect on her but welcomed it regardless.  

No matter where you go, there are spirits and because of her abilities, Lucy did what she could to acclimate to her surroundings. After moving to the islands, she familiarized herself with local legends and lore, about the gods and aumakua’s (spirit guardians), and so much more. There were tons of spirits here. But that didn’t mean she knew everything or when or where she may encounter them, and she certainly was no expert in how to deal with it. There’s no training manual for this stuff. The lucky ones find someone to mentor them, but beyond picking up tidbits where she could, Lucy worked by intuition most of the time.

After the incident in the tent, Natsu’s instincts were heightened. He couldn’t get a good read on what Lucy was thinking or feeling, but he could tell something was bothering her despite her downplays. But unless she was willing to tell him, he could only guess why her energy was spiking in an unusual manner and as darkness approached it was only increasing.

He watches her closely and starts to notice more troubling signs. Clearly, she was trying to hide them, but her mood was starting to change from engaged to removed. Where she was chatting normally at lunch, Lucy had slowed to only answering when spoken to. It was as if her mind was elsewhere and her energy level was waning. It reminded him of her behavior in the truck on their way to the site. Was it returning again?

“Here you go,” Natsu hands Lucy a plate of dinner. The group had barbecued some meat and thanks to the buildings electricity were able to make rice for a starch.

“Thanks,” she smiles, though the look behind it gave off a disinterested vibe.

Lucy had been holding her arm around her stomach as if it were bothering her. He’d just hoped she would say something if that were the case, but she never had. He sits down beside her, eating, and continuing his vigil. Was Lucy getting paler, or was it just the waning light? Even her eyes seemed dimmer.

“Are you feeling ill, you don’t look well.” Natsu finally whispers hoping not to gain attention from the group.

“Huh? Why?”

“You just look a little peaked is all.”

“I don’t know,” Lucy picks at the contents of her plate, “maybe I’m still tired… I kinda feel zapped all of a sudden.” She was feeling ill, as if an unexpected flu was kicking in, but she didn’t want to admit it. Her stomach was queasy, and her head was starting to get dizzy.  

“If you’re not feeling well, I don’t mind taking you home.”

“No, no,” she shakes her head determined to push through this bout. “I don’t wanna ruin your weekend.” But shaking her head was a bad idea and now she really felt dizzy. Why was this happening now? She’d been perfectly fine when they were in Hilo.

“Luce, helping my girl out isn’t gonna ruin my weekend.”

“Are you sure? Because…” her voice trails out and eyes roll back seconds before Lucy collapses forward. She never had a chance to finish.

The next 30 seconds is like a slow-motion scenes in a movie. Her name is screamed, and gasps ring out. Natsu reacts on instinct, dropping his plate and shooting his hand out to grab her before she face plants onto the ground. Everyone around them is on their feet in a flash, rushing over for support. When he lands partially under Lucy, Gajeel and Gray help him to get back into a sitting position with the unconscious woman still cradled in his lap.  

Natsu could feel a dark energy gathering around her that hadn’t been there before, triggering electrical sensations along his skin, similar to what he’d felt in the tent. This was not good… not good at all! Whatever had affected Lucy earlier in the day was intensifying. “I better get her to the hospital, somethings not right!” He scoops the unconscious woman up and gets to his feet.

Gray reaches out to support some of Lucy’s weight as Natsu stands up. “Yeah, man, do what you gotta do.”

“And don’t worry about your stuff, we’ll take care of it,” Gajeel chimes in. “You just worry about you’re woman.”

Levy places a hand on Natsu’s arm, her eyes clouded and barely holding back the pain of her concern. This was her best friend. With such an eventful afternoon, every worst-case scenario was running through her mind. Was Lucy sick? What kind of illness could strike a healthy young woman down so quickly? “Please call us as soon as you find out what’s wrong, okay, promise me.”

“Will do, Lev, I promise. Thanks guys.”

As Natsu secures Lucy into his truck, the girls grab the couple’s personal belongings like Lucy’s purse and a duffle bag of clothing for him. The camping gear, tent and such will be safe in the care of their friends. He was doing all he could to stay calm because the last thing he needed was to lose control and wreck his truck or something. When he climbs in and starts up the vehicle, he notices Lucy starting to stir a little. She was strapped in so she wouldn’t fall over, and her body stayed slumped, but her head was working to hold itself up. “Lucy? Can you hear me?”

“Yeah…” she mumbles with her eyes closed.

“I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“What… happened?”

“You collapsed.”

Once he makes it out of the country roads and clears the forest, the truck roars it down the highway. Natsu wanted to get Lucy to the hospital as quickly as possible since it was about 40-50 miles away. Lucy was healthy, so he was concerned with the speed this illness had hit her, fast and hard.

He keeps his eyes on the road but checks on the woman in his passenger seat every few seconds. When they’d put her in the truck, she was barely ambulatory and coherent. Lucy still had her eyes closed as she rested her head in the crook of the door frame and seat. She was breathing normally as far as he could tell and at least her arm had relaxed away from clenching around her abdomen.

If he didn’t know better, it was as if Lucy had fallen asleep again. But the longer he watched, the more he could tell the situation was changing. After 10 minutes of driving and reaching the Fern forest area, she had shifted in the seat, stretching out her legs and sitting upright.

“How ya feeling Lucy?”

“A little better,” she responds. It was strange, but the heavy pressure she had felt back at the camp was slowly lifting the further they got away from it. Her body still felt tired as if all the energy had been sucked from it, but at least the foreboding vibes were melting away and she could breathe easier again. It was a complete reversal of how she felt going to the area.

“That’s good to hear.” It wasn’t just her words that brought him some relief. Natsu could sense the shift. The aura around her was no longer as dark as it had been at the camp.

Another 10 minutes or so passes by and they’d reached the town of Mountain View. Here Natsu was forced to slow down due to a slower speed limit and higher traffic flow. They come to a red traffic signal, so he takes the opportunity to make a better assessment of his girlfriend. Not only was Lucy’s eyes open, but they looked bright and her skin wasn’t as pale anymore. She was sitting fully upright just looking around as if taking in the view. Certainly not the look of someone being rushed to the hospital.

“Could we stop and grab food,” Lucy asks out of the blue when they’re about to hit Keaau town. He turns and looks to see her smiling at him. “I’m really hungry all of a sudden.”

“Um, yeah sure,” his eyebrow raises in confusion, “we could stop at McDonalds.”

“Great!”

“You know,” he pauses, “you seem a lot better Lucy, like completely normal and that’s kind of freaking me out.”

Lucy averts her eyes and her lips curve down in a small frown. “I’m really sorry for worrying you Natsu.”

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“I don’t really like to talk about it…”

“Well I think I deserve to know considering you just scared the hell out of me Luce.”

She sighs, “You’re right— I-I don’t know exactly what happened back there, but there is something I haven’t told you or anyone else.”

Natsu can see the moisture building in her eyes, she was clearly torn and upset over whatever it was. He wasn’t angry that she’d withheld something from him, maybe a little annoyed, but he assumed she had a good reason for it. Lucy was never one to lie to him, so this must be a big deal to her. “You know I’d never judge you, right? You can tell me anything.”

“I know you wouldn’t,” she sighs again. “You don’t need to take me to the hospital, there’s nothing medically wrong with me.”

“Are you sure?”

Lucy nods. “Can we grab food and go back to your house? Then I’ll come clean… a-about everything.”

He picks up her hand and kisses it, nodding before turning off into the shopping complex’s parking lot. They order food through the drive through, then set off for his parent’s house in Hilo. It takes them about 20 more minutes to arrive and after giving a half-hearted explanation of cutting their trip short to his parents, the pair settle upstairs in Natsu’s bedroom.

Starving had been an understatement as Natsu watched Lucy inhale her burger. Normally he would finish meals first and would have to wait for her to catch up. It was eye opening, and probably the first time in all the years they’ve known each other he’s witnessed it. Of course, the whole day has been filled with new experiences with her, and this was the least concerning of it all.

With her food gone, Lucy pushes herself up and sits back against his headboard contemplating exactly how she should explain things to Natsu. She didn’t know why she was so worried about telling him, since he’s never been judgmental before. In fact, he often teased that he found her quirks endearing. But this wasn’t exactly normal. For his part, Natsu just sat on the bed in front of her in a cross-legged position, patiently waiting.

With her fingers fidgeting in her lap and her eyes boring holes into his comforter, Lucy starts out with a question of her own. “Do you believe in ghosts?”

“Never seen one before, but I believe it’s not impossible for them to exist.” He shifts in his position to let his legs stretch out and props himself with his arms behind his back. “I mean growing up here and being bombarded by the culture kind of gave me an open mind to it.”

“W-What if I told you that I’ve been able to see them since I was a kid? Would you think I’m weird?”

“You mean weirder than I already think you are? No,” he chuckles, “I wouldn’t.”

“I’m serious!” she pouts.

“So am I,” Natsu laughs harder. “Hey, I’m sorry,” he leans forward and pats her foot, his expression softening. “I’m just trying to show you that it doesn’t bother me. I’m not making fun of you, I promise. Is that what is was back there, a ghost?”

Lucy shakes her head. “I don’t think it was a regular ghost, and I still don’t fully understand what happened.”

“How about starting from the beginning. You were distracted before we even got to the place.”

“It was strange… like, as we drove into the area, I was getting a creepy feeling, you know, like when the hair stands up on the back of your neck? I tried to ignore it, but it only grew stronger once we reached the site. I kept telling myself it was nerves and then that daymare happened.” Lucy didn’t want to admit it, but in hindsight all the warning bells were there, and she’d chosen to ignore them. The creepy feelings, the energy drains, that daymare… If she’d listened to her instincts, she could have invoked a protection barrier. Of course, with how strong the energy source had been, she didn’t know if it would have worked, but trying would have been better than nothing.

“Yeah, the daymare. Do you remember it?”

She squeezes her eyes shut still wishing she couldn’t, but nods, “I do.” Sometimes her abilities came in handy and other times it was more like a curse. Lucy couldn’t see ghosts, but she could feel them, hear them, and being a sensitive attracted them to her. Most were benign, simply stuck in this realm, while others were angry and strong enough to affect the living world. As a sensitive, Lucy was more likely to become a target because just as she could sense them, they could sense her.

“Are you up to telling me? You don’t have to if you don’t want to cause you were pretty freaked out about it.”

“I should…”

Natsu realizes just thinking about it is triggering a small panic attack again. He sees her body start to shiver and shake. “H-Hey,” he quickly crawls over, pulls her into his lap and cradles her. “Don’t force yourself.”

“No, I-I want to. Maybe if I let it out, i-it’ll help.” Lucy releases an exhale. “I was in the forest hearing all these drumbeats and chanting and it was getting louder.” Her hands cover her ears as if she was re-living the dream. “I was so confused, no idea how I got there. My feet started to sink into the ground, and I couldn’t fight back when something grabbed me. I-I started to panic and the word kapu kept ringing in my head. I was screaming for you, for anyone… ugh the drums! A-and that’s when I woke up.”

He moves her hands away from her ears and tightens his embrace in a bid to make her feel safe again.

“After you calmed me down, I was able to forget about it for a while. I figured it was just a bad dream and moved on. But then during dinner I started to feel drained, like all my energy was being sucked away. I tried to ignore it thinking I was just tired and the next thing I knew, I woke up in the truck.”

“And this has never happened to you before?”

She shakes her head no. “At least not this bad before.” This wasn’t the first time Lucy had encountered an area heavy with spiritual energy. The islands were rife with it, but this was the first time that it had affected her to this extent.

“So, it has happened before?”

“Sort of… like once before when I went to a place that I learned later has evil spirits.” Lucy relaxes a little. “Best I can explain it, is when there’s really strong energies around me, it makes me feel weird, like zapped. Maybe there were powerful spirits around the camping area.” A chill runs along her spine causing her to shiver. “Definitely not going back to that place again.” Lucy looks up at Natsu. “Do you think I’m crazy?”

“Far from it.” He hugs her tighter. “You just have a gift and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Lucy snorts a laugh, “can I return this gift?”

“Mmmm,” he chuckles too, “probably not. But you know, you’re not alone, right? I mean, you’re the only person I know that’s actually seen stuff, but as far as being sensitive, you’re not the only one. My mom says that I have a little bit of empathic abilities. I don’t know,” he shrugs, “I just know I pick up on how people are feeling around me. That’s why I kept asking if you were okay.”

“Wow,” her eyes widen, “I had no idea.”

“Yeah, cause I don’t advertise it,” Natsu laughs. “The guys know about me, but it’s not something I talk about to others.”

She sighs, “guess we were both hiding something from each other.”

“I won’t hold it against you, if you won’t hold it against me.”

“Thank you Natsu.” Lucy leans up and kisses him softly. She cups his cheek in her hands, “I really appreciate you being so understanding.”

He places his hand over hers, eyes smiling, just holding the special moment. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” He then pulls her head against his shoulder.

Lucy settles happily on his lap just relieved that the whole ordeal was over. It was disheartening that she wouldn’t get to hang out with their friends this weekend but having Natsu with her was enough for now. They still had the rest of the summer to spare.

While she recuperated in his arms, Natsu sends a text to Gray and Levy explaining what happened. To his surprise the girl sends a message back saying she may know what Lucy was experiencing. There was a Hawaiian legend from the volcano area that may explain it. So, he calls Levy and puts her on speakerphone.

According to the girls readings, during the time King Kamehameha the First was working to unify all of the islands, many battles took place with local chiefs, including in the volcano area. Legend holds that sometimes spirits of deceased soldiers will continue to march in death. Such ‘Night Marchers’ have been seen right around the area where K.O.E.C. is located. They come out at specific times, which Levy had no idea when that could be. But perhaps, that was the source of what affected Lucy?

It was as good a guess as any.

Levy, “Some say that if the living encounters them, unless there is an aumakua in the procession of marchers to protect that person, they can become ill or even die from exposure. Course no one’s ever verified any of that.”

“I remember reading about the night marchers. I always thought it was exaggerated like a lot of claims are.” Lucy frowns, “but it sure explains what I might have been sensing.” She’d studied local lore because it was interesting to her and the culture in Hawaii made it fairly easy to research things. Stories of ancient tales and ghostly encounters abound here, but there was so much information, it wasn’t always easy to tell fact from fiction.

“Do you think they were warning you or something?” Natsu questions. “Cause it wasn’t even fully nighttime yet and I heard they come out later in the evening.”

“Ugh,” Lucy groans, “I have no idea because I really don’t fully understand all this stuff yet. Like I said, I thought night marchers were just folklore, so I never believed all the stories. But thanks Levy, knowing what it might have been makes me feel a lot better that I wasn’t going crazy.”

Levy, “Aww, you’re welcome Lu! It’s kind of late to pack it in for the night, but everyone agrees we rather find somewhere else to camp so you guys can join us for the rest of the weekend.”

“Wow, really? That’ll be so great!”

Levy, “Of course! It’s always better when everyone’s together. Take care you guys, and don’t worry about us. I’ll text you as soon as we figure out the plan.”

Natsu hangs up the phone and bundles Lucy close. “So, what’dya say? Spend the night here with me?”

“Your parents won’t mind?”

“Pfft, my parents love you. Just kinda bummed we can’t… you know,” he grins.

“I’m just as bummed about that too,” she teases, “but there’s always tomorrow.” Lucy cuddles against him and closes her eyes. Natsu’s energy was so soothing to her and now she knew why. It was kind of amusing that she ended up with a guy who had gifts like her, albeit a different one. Still, it made her feel normal for once in her entire life. “Thank you again Natsu, you know, for everything.”

He kisses the top of her head and leans his against hers. “You’re welcome, weirdo.”

“Yeah, well a weirdo you’re stuck with.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

><><><>Notes<><><><

Much of the spookier elements are based off an experience I had when I was around the age of 11 when we were taken to this location for a school trip. By the end of the day I was getting so sick a chaperone had to take me home, but just like in the story, once we were away from the area, I was completely fine. I’ve had many experiences over the years, this one isn’t even the scariest. No idea how you label me, all I know is I am sensitive, possibly an empath, I absorb and affect energy. I don’t actually see spirits, I just sense them and generally unless they are strong like those in this story, they don’t bother me or can’t because I can repel them now. Oh, and the reason I made Natsu have something too is just because lol. My husband actually sees stuff, and I think it’s ironic that I picked someone that has gifts too. 

[tinytourist]

Milk Stout, No Trout

For Greg’s 25th birthday, we planned a surprise reunion trip with the American crew. All Greg knew was that he needed to pack a bag and prepare for all activities. On Thursday morning Greg was instructed to drive to the airport where he discovered the first destination of the trip, Christchurch.

When we landed, Porter surprised Greg with a hug and the trip was off to an exciting start. We picked up Evan and drove to Lyttelton for a tasty brunch at the Coffee Co. It was a sunny winter day in CHCH so Evan recommended that we walk on the aptly named Coastal Path to Pony Point Reserve.

We scooped Alison before heading to the Port Hills to watch sunset. It was such a serene and relaxing spot, that I didn’t even mind the cold. When the sun dipped beneath the mountains, we went to Pomeroy’s for dinner. The restaurant had a cozy vibe to it with wood panelling and plaid wallpaper. There, we ate, laughed, and sang Happy Birthday to Greg. The guys and I spent the rest of the night chatting back at the hostel.

In the morning, we had brunch at Addington Coffee Co-op. I thoroughly enjoyed my Asian fusion style mushrooms on sourdough.

Evan wanted to go fishing at our next destination, so we popped in to a shop to get information. As we were leaving, the shopkeeper wished us luck and said “that’s a long way to go not to catch fish”. That was Greg’s first clue that we had a big trip ahead.

Evan was bursting at the seams and could not wait any longer to tell Greg where we were going. Porter helped him out by saying that we had to “Tek a po-lice escort” to get there.

Eventually, we made it to the bouldering gym, Uprising, where we met Evan’s friend Josh. We all had a quality climbing sesh before heading to Hagley Park to sling some frisbees. When Al was ready, we quickly packed up the car and hit up the Countdown for supplies before beginning the journey to Tekapo.

We were all impressed by how nice the Airbnb was. It was equipped with two sitting rooms, a fireplace, gas stove, telescope, and 3 bathrooms! We made use of that stove immediately and got to cooking a pesto pasta with Brussel sprouts and mushrooms. We ate and hung out for a while before passing out.

In the morning, we awoke to breathtaking views of the lake and snow-capped mountains. We faffed around for a bit, planning our day, cooking brekkie, and prepping sandwiches. Eventually, we left the house and went down to the lake. At the beginning of the walk we stumbled on a playground with a scenic flying fox. Naturally, we had to stop and play for a while before carrying on with the walk.

We passed by the Church of the Good Shepherd on our way to the frisbee golf course. There, Evan and I played one of our best rounds. We had lunch at the house and then drove out to the Pukaki Canal. Al and I dropped the guys off to fish, and went to the Kettlehole track. We drove through the clouds and began to hike our way through the fog to clear skies with a beautiful view of the lake and mountains at the top.

Al and I went back to the fishing spot to meet up with the guys and watch sunset. Unfortunately, they didn’t catch anything; however, the views more than made up for it. Back at the house, we had some drinks and made a delicious spread for tacos. We were all stuffed but we did our best to sit up and play spicy uno.

The highlight of the night was the stargazing Summit Experience at Mt John Observatory. We were given jackets from the National Science Foundation US Antarctic Program and taken to the top of the mountain. We lucked out with having one of the clearest nights to view stars. With our naked eyes we were able to see two galaxies outside of the Milky Way called the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds!

Our guide pointed out Alpha and Beta Centauri, the closest stars to earth outside of our solar system. Then, we got to look through the huge telescopes to see Saturn and Jupiter. It was hard to take it all in. We made the most of our last night there and stayed up late playing games.

We slept in a bit, packed up the house, and made huevos rancheros out of the leftovers. Then, we went back to the base of Mt John and hiked to the top. Another clear day presented us with exceptional views. It was interesting to get both the day and night perspective from the top.

After the hike, it was time to head back to Christchurch. We stopped for pies in Fairlie, unpacked the car at Evan and Al’s, and went to dinner at Cassels. There, we all ordered the Styx Mill pizza and appreciated the roasted garlic cloves. Just like that, the trip had come to an end. We said our goodbyes and headed off. I felt so lucky that everything went smoothly and that we got to enjoy perfect weather throughout the entire trip.

[strangesmallbard]

part 2 of my ideal s13 episode concepts, assuming yaz is the sole companion:

(they’re getting Very Long, so i may go back and fill out the original concepts!)

13.6 - The Angels Take Los Angeles: the vibe is very stylized, kitschy hollywood meets the ominous high stakes of the weeping angels. ep begins with yaz tardis skyping ryan, saying thirteen has been weirdly distant again. thirteen overhears, decides that they need some FUN. they wind up in roughly 1998. montage w/ music of: selfie at the hollywood sign, buying souvenirs at the big farmer’s market, the star walk (and thirteen listing every celebrity she’s met,) and finally, the griffith observatory, where they see a planetarium show. thirteen laments that they came before the samuel oschin planetarium was built, yaz leans in & whispers that’s alright, i’ve got the real thing anyway.

the day winds down, yaz decides to broach the doctor’s Mardy Mood when suddenly, thirteen sees a sculpture that definitely wasn’t built by sculptors during the depression era. they discover the angels want something stored in the observatory—a power source. thirteen is caught in grief and manages to explain more about the ponds than just “the angels are very dangerous, trust me.” yaz devises the plan that traps the angels. with help from an interning grad student who knows the building, they save the day together.

back in the tardis, thirteen apologizes for being cagey. they have a good conversation about friendship, support, and boundaries. when yaz goes to sleep, thirteen nearly calls the shadow proclamation to turn in the power source, but hesitates. she takes out her mysterious device.

final shot: a familiar figure watches the parked tardis from a distance, wistful & contemplative. she taps the vortex manipulator on her wrist and vanishes.

13.7 - Ice Age........2! yaz and thirteen on an alien planet experiencing an extinction event. the tone is contemplative, not too heavy. bright blue tones. icy landscapes. yaz brings up the possibility of global warming, but thirteen isn’t sure that’s happening this time. it’s important to note: they’re wearing giant parkas & thirteen has a backpack in the shape of a smiley face.

they wind up on a science base run by humanoid aliens. one of the scientists, a stern older woman, is a famous guest star. she advises them to move on: the scientists have exhausted all options. they’re having an “end of the world party” before the last transport arrives to them to a spaceport colony. the scientists invite yaz & thirteen to join; both are incredulous that the team is just giving up.

yaz joins the party to get more info while thirteen snoops around the base. they play card games; something similar to DDR, play music, eat dehydrated food. she offers them a new pair of eyes, and they vehemently turn her down. she learns about how a red giant stole their first planet and how this one will become uninhabitable despite their efforts. she also learns about this team-turned-family; old and young, with diverse backgrounds. when they talk excitedly about their spaceport plans, yaz is taken aback.

meanwhile, thirteen is searching for answers. we can hear the party in the other room. she tests (eats) the soil, she tests the ice. she finds an anomaly and the shot cuts to the tardis; thirteen in front of her mysterious device, carefully siphoning from the power source the angels wanted in 13x6. she shows yaz her plan excitedly. the sun, yaz, it’s too far away. if we use this to nudge the planet’s coordinates just a bit to the left, that’ll buy them time.

yaz is thrilled at first, but then hesitates halfway through planning. do they have that time? i mean, how will that affect their timelines?

thirteen is teetering on the edge of timelord victorious; this time, however, there’s no explosions or loud background music. just muffled party chatter and thirteen, tense at the shoulders. she goes: she’s run through the diagnostics, of course she has! yaz couldn’t possibly understand, this will buy time and won’t impact the timeline significantly. this will work.

yaz looks right at thirteen, asks if this is about gallifrey, what happened when she left the fam. i was there, doctor. i saw it burning. thirteen is still tense, her hands are fidgeting. it’s not the same, yaz. when we can help, we do.

yaz paces. she looks out the window. shot cuts outside to the still, icy cold planet. it’s silent. back inside: yaz sits next to her. i know it’s not, but. i’ve saved earth plenty with you. and i know these kinds of endings. i used to...not care if my own world ended before.

thirteen is startled out of timelord victorious mode. she’s awkward again, but her hands are still. her eyes are deep-set, serious. there’s no universe without yaz. she squeezes her hand and softly says i didn’t know. i’m sorry.

yaz squeezes her hand back, accepting her apology. they talk about her past a bit; the urge to keep moving forward despite overwhelming emptiness. it’s hard to celebrate something like that, she thinks aloud. maybe this is what they need to move on. maybe this is why we’re here this time, so someone else remembers.

in thirteen’s responding stare: this isn’t gallifrey. this isn’t the timeless child, sacrificed to build the timelords. quieter than usual but definitive, almost stern, thirteen says this time, everybody lives. she powers down the lab, pockets the power source, and lets yaz lead her back into the party.

montage of the party: raucous & weighty, a wake. thirteen is subdued at first, until someone challenges her to DDR. yaz challenges her next. they listen to stories about the planet, about their families. someone challenges thirteen to shots until they realize alcohol doesn’t really affect her. montage winds down into thirteen by the open sun roof, talking to guest star about the sun anomaly. 

guest star laughs, not unhappy at all. of course we found it! can’t do too much about bloody gravity, can we, traveler?

lasts shot of the party scene: thirteen watching yaz—curious, a bit affectionate, now that the lights are dim and no one can bear witness—before turning her head up to the stars. we see a flash of timelord victorious before her expression becomes oddly serene. that’s us. a couple of travelers. 

as the scene ends, the camera pans out; beautiful shot of the tardis on a sheet of ice, underneath double moons.

the next morning; yaz rushes into the tardis with an idea. the transport vehicle arrives for the team; yaz exchanges goodbyes. the doctor bounces around the console, finishing the idea: a digital time capsule that will survive nearly anything the universe throws at it. they give it to the Stern Lady Guest Star, who is bemused; she asks where they’ll bury it. yaz suggests they carry it with them.

second-to-last shot: thirteen and yaz helping the transport leave. buttons to push, etc. they wave. they watch the transport leave the atmosphere; low, but hopeful music playing. huddled together in their parkas, thirteen takes a deep breath. after a few seconds, yaz gestures with her head to leave.

last shot: wide view of the landscape, music still playing; we see two figures following their own footsteps back home to the tardis. 

we hear slightly muffled voices: think i could go for some good weather, how about space florida?

you know, i’m sort of feeling sheffield, 2021. tea at mine? dad isn’t cooking, i promise.

oi, i like your dad’s cooking. it...

fade-out.

13.8 - “Yasmin” - found footage style, we follow yaz making video diaries ostensibly for her sister to watch later. the tone starts out light: first shot is her bedroom, and we follow her all the way to the games’ room. she points to a wii remote. i beat her at mario kart yesterday, don’t let her say otherwise. (today it’s Yaz’ TARDIS.)

she enters the console room where thirteen is tinkering, goggles on and a bit greasy. there’s banter. for a moment we see thirteen as yaz sees her: hair askew, bright smile, glowing in the light of the tardis, engine grease on her cheekbone. there’s a “you’ve got something on your nose” moment.

then, of course, someone in need of help pings the tardis. well, the doctor. she gets a text that says “help us, doctor,” which is all sorts of curious. yaz flips the camera to herself and says: “alright sonya, you ready for this?” while the doctor gives a cocky grin to the camera. the tardis leaves the time vortex with a great jolt, the opening credits run.

they land in front of a rickety farm house. the gate swings, ominously. a cow moos. the camera takes the scene in; thirteen pops up to give trivia about the era, which is.....earth, approximately 2014. britain.

yaz makes a face at the camera before they open the door.

the house seems regular, aside from abandoned; there’s a plate of molding food on the table. an outfit laid out on a bed, covered in cobwebs. scans turn up a “particle curiosity” in the air, but no one who could have sent a text message.

they decide to spend the night in the house, just in case. thirteen puts up sensors. they sit next to each other on the couch; yaz sets the camera on the table and there’s some planning before the camera abruptly goes dead.

we pick up later into the night—yaz is asleep. thirteen pulls a blanket over yaz; the footage starts skipping strangely, lines and shadows and distortions. she offers apologies to sonya; the censor picked up something and she’s modified the camera.

just as thirteen starts to awkwardly smalltalk about dimensional fragmentation camera censors, there’s a piercing shriek, more distortions. yaz wakes up; there’s scrambling and then: a face, screaming, glowing blue eyes.

the genre abruptly careens into found footage-style horror. yaz gets the figure to chase her around the house, nearly taunts it, until thirteen can hold it off with a Barrier that won’t last. yaz and thirteen argue about their mutual appetite for recklessness, thirteen’s duty of care, yaz’s protectiveness. the camera is abandoned, viewing them from an odd angle. it catches thirteen’s hand reaching for yaz, pulling back before yaz notices.

through clues in the house & rebooting an abandoned iphone, they discover what happened in this house. a young woman, a teacher—vivacious and funny if her texts are anything to go by—moved into this house ten years ago. then, she vanishes without a trace.

thirteen recognizes the date she disappears but doesn’t know why. the figure breaks in, forcing them down into the basement. there, they happen upon a gruesome sight that shocks thirteen: a powered down toclafane from the simm!master arc in s4.

she realizes that the date corresponds to the original paradox—and realizes that the creature is the vestiges of the young teacher, trapped by dark matter in a paradox that shouldn’t exist anymore. yaz mentions she used to have a nightmare about the orbs as a young kid every night for a week.

there’s Plot Stuff as they figure out how to fix the paradox for good. turns out, the creature is mad at the doctor, but thirteen won’t shoulder this burden for the master. he orchestrated that and thirteen did the best she could. she’s too angry to connect; it’s yaz who connects to the young woman left in the creature. who wanted her own adventures. she’s afraid of dying for good. yaz says she’s sorry, and the creature believes her.

the camera is abandoned on the table. the distortions have stopped. the sun rises. there’s a fast forward and yaz & thirteen are at the kitchen table, drinking “coffee.” (it still tastes good, anyway.) the aftermath of an argument. they mention the master. before the camera dies again, thirteen asks yaz if she has any new nightmares. she’s soft.

the last scene: yaz and sonya curled up together on the bed. sonya is shook. yaz is like, yeah i told you it was a lot. but sonya is shook because she had the same nightmare as a kid too. she asks if the doctor meddles too much, if they’d all be safer if she weren’t around. 

yaz contemplates. she says: nothing in the universe is safe. she can’t save everyone, neither can i. but we try. and i feel safe with her. in more ways than one.

sonya teases yaz about a crush. yaz goes “no way!” but looks briefly devastated.

before they fall asleep, yaz remembers something. she asks sonya if she can borrow her phone. 

ending credits: found footage of thirteen singing taylor swift on the tardis, doing some repairs with her greasy goggles on. yaz laughs.

[valkavavaart]

hi im bored so im doing an oc thing

i decided i wannan do this w multiple soooo im going wwww ophelia, alice, and beatrice thats all bye

1. how easy is it to make them angry? do they show their anger or hide it?

ophelia - it's kinda easy to get under her skin, and she holds a grudge so if u piss her off then she won't forget it. but also she doesn't really ACT on grudges, she'll just be a little rude next time u talk to her. she doesnt really show much emotion but does kind of having a permanent :| or >:| on her face, so she'll look annoyed even if she isn't...

beatrice - generally just being rude or annoying will make her mad, but she gets over things within seconds and doesn't take people all that seriously to begin with, so it's not like pissing her off will do much. she'll be like pouty and tell u to knock it off, but she also doesnt rlly care

alice - it's difficult to make alice mad. like you have to be SO annoying or hurt him in such a drastic way for him to get pissed. usually when hes mad hes still all smiley and happy tho so he'd kinda just be >:)

2. do they believe in soulmates

ophelia - she believes in them in the sense that one person may have multiple people that can come into their lives and be considered a soulmate bc nothing is permanent and blah blah blah she doesnt rlly care tho

beatrice - she doesn't believe in soulmates but enjoys soulmate au fanfiction

alice - he definitely believes in soulmates and fate drawing people together, but is conistantly disappointed when he finds out people he like arent destined to stay with him

3. do they have any pet peeves?

ophelia - people with no concept of personal space (unless theyre like merrick or one of her close friends)

beatrice - ppl who eat w their mouth open

alice - the sound of violins

4. do they have a happy place? somewhere they go in their heads when they need to relax?

ophelia - oph just goes to the library man

beatrice - she doesnt need one bc shes always vibing

alice - when the man needs to relax hes either drunk as hell or hanging out with as many friends as he can get together, spending time alone with his thoughts is literally a nightmare for alice

5. at what stage of their life were they the happiest?

ophelia - the current stage of her life

beatrice - there hasnt been a stage where beatrice hasnt had fun :) she doesnt have anything to worry about!

alice - the current stage of his life

6. at what stage of their life were they the least happy

ophelia - the ages of 12-17

alice - any time he gets to the point in a relationship where he breaks up w someone and then he goes into "my life sucks wahhhh" mode for a few months

7. at a bar are they more likely to buy someone a drink, or have someone buy them a drink?

ophelia & beatrice - have someone else buy them a drink

alice - buy someone a drink

8. have they ever broken any bones? if yes, how?

ophelia - when her powers manifested at the age of 12, oph lost the ability to feel physical pain which lead to her straining herself more. she'd get into accidents or push herself too hard because she couldn't feel that it hurt and wold get injured through that (and she still does, but she has more knowledge of her limits now) so i guess she wouldve broken some bones through stuff thanks to that.

beatrice - never ever broken a bone!! she drinks a lot of milk to keep her bones STURDY :)

alice - has broken like his arm or fingers or just anything in that area due to a fight or something. he'll probably have broken a leg at some point too. again, probably in a fight. or maybe he fell out a tree. who knows.

9. do they have any memories/experiences they'd rather forget?

ophelia - she generally wants to brush most of her teen years away and forget things relating to her family, but also cant bring herself to hate them despite how garbage they are, so,

beatrice - there are probably a few conversations she's had with alice and percy that she's like to never remember ever again

alice - he cherishes all his memories, good or bad! he always thinks that he can learn from his mistakes and hardships! even though all he does is repeat the exact same things over and over and o

10. what is their favourite memory from their childhood?

ophelia - although her parents have always been cold to her, they used to go camping when she was about 9-10ish, and she always enjoyed spending time with her siblings around then.

beatrice - in the method she had been created she technically never was a child um. but in her early life, she enjoyed hanging out with levi! :D

alice - haha

11. do they have a "type" that they are usually attracted to?

ophelia - no

beatrice - bea will generally befriend anyone if theyre cute or theyre like her guy friends. as for a partner, she wants someone thats at LEAST a head taller than her normal form (her regular form is 5'5"), they need to be someone that likes hugs, someone who would coddle her, someone who would cosplay with/for her, someone who would buy her things..

alice - his "type" is just "someone interesting", but he thinks all people are interesting in their own right- you have to be SUUUUUUPER boring for him to not be into you in some way.

12. do they have any favourite possessions?

ophelia - ALL her alien plushies (most of which were gifts from merrick)

beatrice - everything inside her wardrobe

alice - cleaver

13. do they have any tattoos? if no, would they ever consider getting one?

ophelia - she doesn't have any, and doesn't really want one, but she's seen some real cool space ones, and--

beatrice - tattoos vanish when she changes her form unless she focuses REALLY hard on keeping it there, so she's given up on trying to get one to be permanent.

alice - he doesn't have any, but thinks that getting a sleeve would be cool. he doesn't have any idea for what he wants, though, so he hasn't bothered getting one. he also gets worried that if he gets one of his current aesthetic, he'll get bored of it and have to do something drastic to remove it.

14. do they have any piercings? if no, would they ever consider getting any?

ophelia - has her ears pierced

beatrice - doesn't want piercings, wears clip-on earrings

alice - wants a tongue piercing r belly-button piercing maybe.. and ear piercing might also be cool...

15. what is their dream house like?

ophelia - she'd like to live in a small town on the coast or something.. she doesn't really mind living in a small house since it'd just be her and merrick. but also if she had a house with an observatory, she'd love that a LOT. generally just wants somewhere nice and laid back.

beatrice - due to her void realm taking the form of whatever she wants, she has her dream home! it's literally just an apartment with a few rooms, but it has enough space for all the stuff she wants.

alice - he's in a similar position to Beatrice in that he already has his own dream place bc teehee void realm. He's a little more selfish in that he gave himself a big house with lots of space and rooms for him to fill with stuff- but also he wanted somewhere big so that all his friends could stay with him :)

16. what is something about them that people would not expect just by looking at them?

ophelia - UHHH just how lazy she is, probably.. woman barely tolerates having to jog somewhere please let her sit down

beatrice - idk probably the fact she befriends murder boys like alice

alice - all the music he listens to is like crazy frog and caramelldansen

17. how good are they at choosing gifts for others?

ophelia - she'll either just outright ask you what you want, or she'll give you money or a gift card, she doesn't like having to guess for people

beatrice - she literally picks gifts for other people based on what SHE likes.. like she'll get u something cause she tinks it's cute it doesn't matter if u've ever mentioned it before

alice - if ur his friend then he will have a list of all ur interests in the back of his brain at all times and does a pretty good job picking out gifts thanks to that

18. do they have a certain skill that they're particularly proud of?

ophelia - she's very good at researching things and digging up information that a lot of people can't find so she thinks that's kind of epic for her

beatrice - she's good at dancing, video games, and memorizing things. she will show off these skills as much as she can.

alice - umm... eyeball removal...?

19. how would a stranger they just met describe them?

ophelia - UHHHH... she's just polite to strangers so i think she'd be described as just that?? she doesnt really leave lasting impressions on people

beatrice - cute, bubbly, maybe super annoying

alice - friendly? :D

20. how would a close friend they've known for a long time describe them?

ophelia - kinda stupid but really cute

beatrice - just a lil ray of sunshine :)

alice - if you're asking like.. kai or beatrice then it's "he's cute and fun and pretty and nice to hang out with!!" but if youre asking like percy or nero then its "hes creepy and gross and im gonna beat his ass"

[mythicallore]

Strange and Creepy Encounter’s on Scotland’s Mountain of Mist

     Located at the western end of the Grampian Mountains of Scotland, looming up into the clouds over the grey landscape of the Scottish Highlands towers the majestic mountain called Ben Nevis, or Beinn Nibheis in Scottish Gaelic. Soaring up 1,345 meters (4,411 ft.) above sea level, it is the tallest mountain in all of the British Isles, an imposing figure and its perpetual wreath of clouds swirling about it have contribute to its name, which translates to “mountain with its head in the clouds.” Indeed, 355 days of the year see this land of fog, ice, rocky peaks, and jagged cliffs immersed in an impenetrable cloak of clouds and mist, making it a dangerous proposition for the many hikers and mountaineers who come here, finding their way through the haze through manmade rocks pile trail markers called cairns. It all has a rather ethereal, dreamlike quality to it, and although it is a beautiful, haunting landscape of craggy mist-shrouded peaks, icy fields, and sweeping cliffs, there have been reports over the years of very strange encounters out there in the freezing fog and ice.

One of the odder accounts I have come across, and the one which prompted me to look into reports of strange experiences here to write this article in the first place, was one relayed to me personally in the wake of my recent article of the mystery of a supernatural apparition seen on another Scottish mountain called Ben Macdui, known as the Big Grey Man of Scotland. Although this contact had never seen the Big Grey Man, he had had a rather similarly unnerving encounter while hiking out on Ben Nevis, when he encountered a group of what seem to have been very mysterious entities indeed wandering through the fog. He would tell me:

Not Ben Macdui, but I had a pretty strange experience that might be related as I was hiking up another Scottish mountain called Ben Nevis. I was hiking a trail with a friend there near the high cliffs of the north face, and on this day the fog was real thick, like a soup hanging in the air, and we had to be very careful because there was some difficult terrain there, good for scrambling but not ideal for taking a leisurely hike when visibility was so low. We were the only ones out there at the time and there was a very eerie vibe to it all, the only sounds our own voices as we made our way along the rough footing.

At one point we came up past a cairn and saw something moving through the fog ahead. It appeared to be three figures, and these individuals were tall, probably at least 7 feet if not more. It was disconcerting to see, and as they drew nearer we could see that they seemed to be decked out in some sort of robes which looked to be an off-white color but it was hard to tell because of the fog. They were just so tall and weird looking that my friend and I were taken aback, and what made it even stranger was that they were just sort of gliding along, moving incredibly smoothly over rock piles and loose footing that would have even a professional struggling to work over it. But these guys, they were just having no problem at all, moving far more fluidly and quickly than they had any business doing. It was unsettling and spooky to say the least.

These massive robed figures just sort of swiftly moved past us through the mist, totally silent and completely ignoring us, before disappearing out of sight into the fog and rocks. I have no idea what to make of what we saw that day, but it is definitely one of the oddest things I’ve ever seen and I’ve always wondered about who or what those figures were.

What were these strange wraiths? Were they ghosts? Illusions? Something else? This would not be the only time mysterious shadowy figures have materialized from the fogs of Ben Nevis. A report for Deadline News Agency tells the strange tale of brothers James and Alex Robbie, who in August of 2015 were at Ben Nevis to camp out there for a week in order to raise money for the children’s charity The Archie Foundation. They made a camp near the ruins of an old abandoned observatory that sits at the peak of the mountain and was once used from between the years of 1883 and 1904. One day, a mysterious stranger suddenly stumbled out of the mist blanketing the area and held out what appeared to be a stone graver marker bearing the cryptic inscription “Wilson 1810,” before disappearing back into the gloom as suddenly and inexplicably as he had appeared. Robbie described what happened:

We only had about two days left on our trip. This guy came up quite early, about 10 or 11am. He described the observatory and he said “I’ll show you something.” and he went to look for the stone. We could tell he knew where it was but could see he was playing for time. He actively used the word “gravestone.” There was this amazing inscription on it. He let us take a couple of photographs and then he disappeared into the mist, down the hill. Quite disturbing stuff, and I spent the final two nights wondering if some reprobate would come forth from his tomb, dressed in the garments of the grave, and visit us in our hut.

It is hard to say what could possibly be going on here. Was this a hoax or some sort of prank, or is there something more mysterious going on? It’s a rather unsettling encounter whatever the case may be. Interestingly, there have been quite a few sporadic reports from people seeing mysterious figures lurking in the fog of the mountain, which are often said to emanate a heavy sense of unease, fear, and even abject panic, usually vanishing into thin air when approached. Are these ghosts, spirits, or just the mind playing tricks?A decidedly even scarier account of an unidentified entity was reported by British Bigfoot Sightings Reports, and concerns some sort of shambling beast on Ben Nevis. The witness claims that he and a friend had gone to Ben Nevis to do some camping and hiking, and that on the second evening he had heard something very large and ominous prowling about in there in the dark just past the thin veil of the tent. The witness explains:

Sleeping in a damp cold bivvy is not at all pleasant. I did finally drop off to sleep but I woke up for some unknown reason in the middle of the night. As I lay awake I could hear footsteps walking round us. At first I was quite interested in this, as I thought an animal of some description had paid us a visit. But as time went on I began to realise this was definitely a two legged creature, with quite purposeful steps. The footsteps, by now, were really close – only a couple of feet away, and I started to get the chills and had a massive fear come over me from nowhere, I was on high alert instantly. Writing this I still get the chills about who, or what, it may have been.

It would later become apparent that the others had heard the very same sound, none of them were able to explain it, and it was frightening enough that none of them was in a hurry to ever camp at Ben Nevis again. Considering that noone in this case ever saw the actual source of the sounds it is hard to know what to think of this one, but there have strangely been Bigfoot sightings on the mountain in the past, so is that what this was? Or was it a ghost or just someone messing around with them? Who knows?

One phenomenon that could be indicative of mysterious creatures or spectral entities roaming the mountain are the occasional reports of unearthly howls, screams, or wails echoing out from out in the foggy wilderness, which serve to baffle just as much as they do to terrify. One such account was brought forward by a witness named Christopher Sleight, a producer for BBC Radio Scotland’s outdoorsman program Out of Doors. Sleight gave his own account of his spooky encounter with this mystery on BBC News, and claims that he was out ice climbing with a friend at a place called Comb Gully in February of 2015 when they were alarmed by a very bizarre and disturbing noise. Sleight says of the bizarre experience:

I was placing an ice screw when I heard the first scream. It started indistinctly, slightly muffled, but quickly became sharp into focus. It pierced through the mist – the most visceral, awful sound. People talk about blood curdling screaming and for the first time I understood what they meant. That noise sent a stream of cold blood around my veins and chilled the back of my neck. My first thought was simple but terrible: I was listening to someone who had just watched a loved one – not simply a climbing partner, but a loved one – fall to their death. There was so much pain and loss in that dreadful noise. At that moment I just wanted to be gone – off the climb, off the mountain.

The first impression that he and his companions had was that there had been a climbing accident, either from the victim or more likely someone who had seen the victim fall. They did an inspection of the area and could see no sign of anything amiss, yet due to this suspicion they kept an eye out for any sort of rescue activity or accidents on their way down the mountain after their climb, and along the way they met other climbers who reported having heard the same ear-piercing wail. However, it became obvious that there was no sign of any rescue efforts, no trace of any accident despite several other climbers having gone off to investigate the mystery scream as well, and it also turned out that no one had even been reported missing at all. Sleight would later say:

A brief search close to where we finished our climb revealed nothing. We headed down to Fort William. I later spoke to another climber I knew who had been on a route in the same corrie. He had abseiled off his route and gone to investigate the screams he heard, but he also found nothing. Other climbers have done the same. Nobody could find evidence of an accident and the police said no-one had been reported missing. So we don’t know who was screaming. We don’t know what happened to them. We probably never will. But I’ll never forget how a horrible scream coming out of the mist reminded me so vividly, so awfully, of the dangers of this beautiful game that we play. Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team was asked to investigate the reports of screaming, but later stood down after no trace of a casualty could be found. Screams and howls are still heard on the mountain by climbers to this day.

That last line there is rather ominous, implying that these sorts of screams are a continuous phenomenon, and indeed they have been reported in the area from time to time. Are they related? What is going on here? Although Sleight does little to speculate on what the origin of the mystery scream could have been, there is something rather enigmatic and ominous about the whole thing. Why would there be no sign of any accident or people in distress if a climber had just perished? Why was there no trace of activity related to a search or rescue, and indeed why wasn’t there any person reported missing on the mountain that day? More eerily, why have such mysterious screams continuously been reported over the years on Ben Nevis, all without any news of an accident or disappearance? Are these really the anguished howls of doomed climbers? Are they from some sort of nefarious creature, or even something more mysterious still? No one really knows.

Here we have looked at just a few of the strange mysteries of this isolated misty mountain, a selection of the truly bizarre from this fog shrouded locale. It is hard to know what could be behind any of these odd occurrences and encounters, whether it be supernatural forces, unexplained mysterious phenomena, or something more mundane. These cases are anomalies that deft any real clear explanation and serve to stir the imagination. Whatever may be going on, the imposing Ben Nevis with its crown of clouds sitting king over all it surveys can certainly be said to be a place of great magnificence, as well as one of great mysteries hiding within its mists.

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Best places to visit in Shimla

Best Places to visit in Shimla

Shimla is the capital and the largest city of northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Shimla is located in the north-west Himalayas at a height of 7200ft and is the commercial, cultural and educational centre of the state. It was revealed by the British in the year 1819. The small hill station amongst the patronizing snow-clad Himalayan ranges is surrounded by lakes and lush green pastures. Shimla is spread across 12kms of various cultivations and is beautifully robed in dense forests. It is one of the few places in the world where a massive amount of history and heritage has been extracted within such a short span of time. There are many best places to visit in Shimla. Shimla is a place where honeymooners, couples, nature lovers and those who look for peacefulness and calmness come to enjoy their holidays. Shimla is one of most artistically scheduled cities in India and its well-knit roads, perfect cleanliness and well organized administration makes it a seamless combination for any tourist destinations in the world.  The exceptional thing about Shimla is that it still keep hold of its colonial charisma that generates an atmosphere that is not found anywhere else in India. There are many best places to visit in Shimla and this lovely hill station has derived its name from "Goddess Shyamla" who is supposed to be an avatar of Goddess Kali. So aao chale Shimla and grab our best  Shimla tour packages

 Best time to visit Shimla

Shimla can be visited in any season depending on your preferred timing and choice as every season has its own significance and preference. The best time to visit Shimla can be during spring season which is from March to April when the temperature is between 10℃ to 20℃ with the clear skies or during the summer season which is the month of May and June is also a good time to visit Shimla as the temperature during this season is between 16℃ to 28℃. Monsoon season starts from July and it lasts till September and the temperature at this time is between 13℃ to 20℃ with cold and humidity. Months of October and November brings the autumn season and the temperature in this season is between 10℃ to 23℃ with the clear skies and cold evenings. However tourists likes to visit Shimla more during the winter season as it is one of the best time to visit Shimla for snow lovers which is from December to February as it receives frequent snowfall and the temperature during this season reaches to minus 7℃ to 10℃. Shimla is the famous destination among the newly wedded couples so aao chale Shimla and get our best price on Shimla honeymoon package.

 Places to visit in Shimla

The Ridge:

Ridge is situated in the heart of Shimla and is one of the best places to visit in Shimla. It is a wide open street placed on the side of mall road. It is quite renowned for its scenic beauty, photography and for shopping. From here you can see the marvellous view of snow-clad mountain ranges that will absolutely fascinate you with its beauty. The Ridge has everything starting from shops selling some elite artefacts to the outstanding view of the snow-capped mountain ranges. It is not just a market place but also social hub of the city. The road is lined with cafes, bars, boutiques, shops and restaurants which attracts the huge crowd visiting mall road. The Ridge is connected to the lakkar bazaar on the east which is one of the most famous wooden crafts market in Shimla and on the west side it is connected to the famous scandal point. So aao chale Shimla and avail best discount Shimla holiday package.

 Scandal Point:  

 As the name suggests itself it is one of the most visited place as it attracts large number of tourists due to its fascinating scenic beauty and is one of the good places to visit in Shimla that stands as a proof to the city’s reputation. It is heaven for mountain lovers as one can enjoy a picturesque and unhindered view of huge mountains enclosed in the blanket of dense forest. Apart from the incredible view this place is also home to the well-known Tudor library and the platform also offers stunning view of sunset and sunrise.

 Jakhoo Temple:

  Set amongst the lavish green background of the shivalik hill ranges on Jakhoo Hill is one of the highest point in Shimla. The Jakhoo temple is a prehistoric site cloaked in legends thus making it one of the best places to visit in Shimla as it offers a spiritual vibe to the devotees. The temple is devoted to the Hindu monkey god – Hanuman. This temple has the world's biggest Hanuman statue which is noticeable from most of the parts of Shimla. It is located around 2 kilometres from the Ridge in Shimla. According to the myth that surrounds this temple lord Hanuman stopped at this spot to take some rest before continuing his search for the sanjeevani booti to regain consciousness of lord Lakshman.

Chail:

 This small village in Himachal is located at a height of 2250 m above sea level. It is one of the good places to visit in Shimla and is known as heaven for trekkers. Surrounded by lavish greenery and enthralling views from such a great height Chail is bound to give tourists an unforgettable travelling experience. It is a silent hill station close to Shimla known for the world's highest cricket and polo grounds and the famous heritage hotel and Chail Palace in the middle of pine and deodar trees. So aao chale Shimla and avail our Shimla Tour packages.

 Indian Institute of advanced study:

The Indian Institute of Advanced Studies is situated on the Observatory Hill and is famous due to its magnificent structure made with Victorian-style architecture. The building was created between 1880 and 1888 during British reign. It is one of the good places to visit in Shimla as the building was previously used by the British Government in order to hold essential political meetings but now it has been converted into an educational institution which offers post-doctoral courses.

 Christ Church:

The Christ church in Shimla is one of the second oldest church in the entire northern India and is a place of pure devotion as well as architectural beauty. It is one of the best places to visit in Shimla as the church took 11 long years to be completed and today it stands as a reminder of the British establishment in India.

 Kufri:

Situated about 17kms away from Shimla at an altitude of 2510 meters and in the Himalayan foothills the hill station provides full enjoyment and satisfaction to the nature lovers and adventurers. It manages to be the hub of many adventurous activities during winters. Skiing is one of them and is a popular sport here and the town also hosts a winter sports festival in February.

 Himalayan Bird Park:  

 It is one of the most visited tourists’ places in Shimla by the bird watchers, bird lovers and photographers. Shimla is a wonderful town and its beauty is enriched by the extensive diversity of wildlife flourishing in the hilly slopes and forests. The Himalayan Bird Park is one such place where you can find a wide variety of birds which you might have not seen anywhere else before. The park has all elite as well as imperilled species of birds and in order to support their life the park is featured with calm trees, flora and fauna. Some of the common bird species are like Himalayan monals, peacocks and pheasants etc which are the main reason for attracting tourists in the bird park. So if you are a bird lover and enjoy watching different endangered species then Himalayan Bird Park is one of the best places to visit in Shimla.

 Tattapani Tourism:

It is a famous tourist destination in Himachal Pradesh. Tattapani is a charming and an attractive area which is almost 60kms away from Shimla. It has several attractions lying within the nature. This lovely place is nestled among the mountains which one doesn’t want to miss out. It is one of the good places to visit in Shimla as the major attractions are like hot water springs, temples, Shiva caves, fields and one can enjoy various adventurous activities like trekking, river rafting and rock climbing.

 Green Valley:  

 Green Valley is an attractive and has wonderful mountain range that drops on the way to Kufri from Shimla. This remarkable and stunning valley is God's gift to the magnificent and pleasant city of Shimla. The greenery and beauty of this place is so fascinating that it makes the tourist forget everything else and simply relax in the absolute joy of being in nature's lap. Green Valley is bounded by luxuriant hills on all sides that are covered with thick forests of pine and deodar. The picturesque beauty and elegance of this valley makes it one of the best places to visit in Shimla.

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Original caption:

There are only a few regions in the world where the skies meet the Earth with almost no distinction between the two. La Palma in the Canary islands is one of them. ‘Entre Ciel et Terre’ literally means ‘Between the sky and Earth’ and was a perfect fit here. While most of the volcanic island is isolated under a thick layer of clouds, the tip of its crater often punches through it and allows you to be one step closer to the Heavens. At an altitude of about 2300 meters above sea level you feel so far removed from any kind of civilization especially because of the cloud inversion. The air is thin and pristine and the living conditions are harsh but that’s the reason why the ORM (Observatory Roque de Los Muchachos) -operated by the IAC (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias) and part of the European Northern Observatory, was built up there. The summit of La Palma’s caldera benefits from dry and clear skies almost year round with almost no light pollution to disturb it, and only rare Calima (this dusty wind coming from the Sahara desert). It’s safe to say that the ‘Isla Bonita’ is one of the top places in the world to observe the northern hemisphere’s night sky!

The purpose of this short was to capture that special place from a different perspective. I really wanted to give the audience sort of a confusion as to where they are because that’s precisely the feeling you get when you look up at the stars from the mountains. You somehow lose sense of any orientation as if you were lost in the immensity of the universe! One image that I had in my head to describe La Palma’s summit was Asgard or Mount Olympus, where all the elements are united and blend together divinely. Even life found a way to survive in this environment bombarded by high-energy rays during the day and battered by cold winds at night. One highlighted species is the fascinating and mind-boggling Tajinaste flower. Also called Tenerife Bugloss or tower of jewels, this docile and resilient endemic plant can endure extreme drought. I included it in the movie because it looks majestic and prehistoric. It really adds something special to the special atmosphere I wanted to convey, especially when the milky way galaxy and the sea of clouds move in the background! By tracking the night sky or displaying the sequences upside-down I was able to give that impression of the Earth floating and rotating in the void of the cosmos. The unusual but innovative close-up views of some parts of the milky way (including the core, Rho Ophiuchi or Cygnus) moving behind the operating telescopes of the OMC helped me give that only human dimension to the movie. The use of an astro-modified camera also enabled me to almost get the full range of colors a DSLR can pick up on single frames from nebulae.

I already traveled to La Palma island in November 2017 but I really wanted to shoot there again for several reasons. First I really wanted to get more shots of the core region that would be less spoiled by light pollution than the ones I recently took on Tenerife. Secondly I desperately wanted to meet the extremely talented photographer Alyn Wallace (check him out: alynwallacephotography.com) and do a collaboration with him on the island. Thirdly I am still on my way of perfecting the novel art of deep-sky time-lapse and I wanted to reshoot some sequences that didn’t give satisfying results in the past. Finally I wanted to personally experience the Spring vibe of the island when all the plants are blooming and give that sweet smell to the air. I am absolutely thrilled to have met all my expectations (and more!), and I really believe the results look stunning!

Everything was recorded with the Canon 6D Baader modified, the Sony a7s, the Sony a7rII and a variety of bright lenses ranging from 14mm to 300mm. I used the Lonely Speck Pure Night and Matt Aust Light pollution filters to reduce light pollution and increase details, and also the Vixen Polarie to track the stars and get cleaner shots. Syrp Genie 3 axis system was used for motion control. All post production was made in Lr with the special timelapse plus plugin, Sequence for mac, TLDF, and final production was made in FCPX. I hope you like the movie as much as I liked shooting and processing it and I thank everyone of you for your support. All content is of course copyrighted AMP&F (except sountrack licensed through Envato Market), and no footage can be used in any way without the author’s permission. Please contact me for media and purchase inquiry. Please share and comment if you liked the video and follow me for more videos like this one! More at adphotography-online.com.