#eagle bluff

[susiecards]

Eagle Bluff (Lighthouse), Door County, Wisconsin (USA)

8 of spades

[dewitty1]

5,000-acre fire near Oroville in Okanogan County prompts evacuations Saturday night | The Spokesman-Review

The Eagle Bluff fire is just north of where I'm at...

(╯︵╰,)

[canadianabroadvery]

Home sweet home Vancouver , Eagles Bluff, Cypress Mountain B.C.

Through the glaze of time

I peered 

and felt from the cradle of the past. 

a warm embrace

[amerasdreams]

view from my window this morning

[bkenber]

'The Equalizer 3' - The Best of the Trilogy

The first two “Equalizer” movies directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Denzel Washington were effective action flicks, but much of what happened in them did not stay in my brain for very long. The most I can remember is that Denzel played Robert McCall who, when he starts the timer on his digital watch, is gifted at leaving his opponents in a world of immense pain in about five seconds’ time.…

[the-whatcherof-89]

Tangotek aka Mr Decked out the tangler.

CR 20 N Humanoid Native Outsider

XP 307,200 (if used as npc for encounter)Ifrit (Sun Soul) Sorcerer 20 (Cross-blooded: Harrow-Mechanical)

Neutral Medium humanoid Init +4; Senses Perception +23

AC 32, touch26, flat-footed28 (+4Dex, +6Armor, +6Natural, +5Deflect) HP 175 (20d6+100)

Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +26

Speed 30 ft. Melee Flaming scimitar+13 +1d6 fire Ranged Light Crossbow+16 1d8+2

Racial Native outsider, Darkvision 60ft, Fire in the blood, Fire resistance 5, Sun metal 1/day.

Traits Fiery gaze, overprotective.

Class features Eschew materials, Bloodline powers(Launch gears, See it coming, Invoke the harrow, Harrowed home, Clockwork masterpiece), Bloodline arcana, Bonus feats: Toughness, Iron guts, Harrower, Skill focus Engineering, Craft wondrous times, Extend spells), Bonus spells: Analyze device, Shocking grasp, Harrowing, Shadow conjuration, Rapid repair, Repulsion, Greater Harrowing, Moment of prescience, Weird).

Spellcasting CL20 DC21 spells per day 9/9/9/8/8/8/8/7/7 

Spells known:

9-Wish, Time stop, Meteor swarm.

8-Discern location, Polymorph any object, Sun burst.

7-Limited wish, Symbol of stunning, Spell turning.

6-Dispel magic (Greater), Geas/quest, Anti-magic field.

5-Secret chest, Telekinesis, Cloudkill, Teleport, Fabricate.

4-Wall of fire, Superior invisibility, Stoneskin, Dimension door.

3-Fly, Dispel magic, Haste, Fireball, Phantom mount .

2-Glitterdust, See invisibility, Fog cloud, Resist energy, Molten orb.

1-Shield, Mage armor, Magic missile, Burning hands, Grease.

0-Read magic, Detect magic, Mage hand, Mending, Acid splash, Resistance, Flare, Prestidigitation.

Str 14Dex 18 Con 18 Int 14 Wis 10 Cha 32

Base Atk +10/5; CMB +12; CMD +16

Feats Quicken spells, Strong personality, Eldritch heritage(Mechanical emphaty), Improved Eldritch heritage(The rebuild), Greater eldritch heritage(Warmachine).

Skills Appraise+7, Bluff+16, Craft(Metal and stone)+15, Disable device+9, Fly+9, Intimidate+16, Knowledge (Arcana)+15, (History)+7, (Engineering)+15, Profession(Architect)+13, Perception+13, Spellcraft+15, Use magic device +24. 

Languages Common, Ignan, Draconic.

Combat gear Ampoule of flash blood, Staff of metals[allows the use of the following spells: Major creation(1 charge only metal objects), Wall of iron(1Charge), Wand of cure critical wounds, Rod of absorption, Rod of empower metamagic, Ghost touch light crossbow+1, 50+1 seeking Bolts, Flaming scimitar+1, Shoes of the firewalker, Bracers of armor+6, Trapspringer’s gloves, Crimson robes  of Tek(Glamered robe of the Arcane heritage-Harrowed combined with Sorcerer’s robes), Headband of alluring charisma+6, Eyes of the eagle, Ring of protection+5, Belt of physical might+4 (Con Dex), Ioun stones (Scarlet blue and blue sphere, Incandescent blue sphere), Ring of spell knowledge IV(Sculpt stone), Pearl of power III, Tome of leadership and influence+4 (used), Bag of holding (type I), Potions: (2)Cure critical wounds, (2)Gaseous form, (2)Haste, (2)Displacement, Fly(2), Alchemist kit, Sorcerer’s kit, Spell components worth 2000gp, Harrow deck, 442gp. 

Background Cordial, polite, vibrant and cheerful the red eyed Tangotek is one of the many inhabitants of the land of hermits where many buildings are made, defying the very laws of physics reaching an unseen level of wonder. Tango is famous especially for the creations of various games made to entertain the various hermits(sometimes in hilarious ways) and various iron farms that support the local economy. Appreciated and used by all, once you enter the circle of friends of Tango it is certain that he will protect you fiercely like a male alpha lion defends his pride. It was one day like the others and Tango was supervising his creation called Decked out to see if all the mechanical parts were in working order. He was about to finish when he noticed an area that wasn’t there before. “When- when did i make this? Did i make this? He peeked inside to find a strange hallway with many dioramas displaying different miniature buildings that he made in the past and a very large iron door at the end. “I didn't make this. Grian? Is this yours? Are you trolling me?” As he was looking around someone spoke to him: “I tried your game, very inspiring. Do you want to try mine?” Tango looked around but saw no one, he was alone. “Where are you? Did you build this? You are not Grian, aren’t you?” The voice smirked “No, but he accepted my challenge, as well as the others… ALL OF THEM.” Tango suddenly became worried: “What did you do?!” His yelling was filled with frustration. “Why don’t you find out? Come in.” The large iron door opened, slightly. Tango approached cautiously but when he placed his hand on the handle the world around him shifted and found himself in another room full of traps with new equipments on him: spikes from the ceiling, buzzsaws, wall flamethrowers and so on. “The rules are simple: to whoever finds me first i will realize that person most deep wish. Ready? Set… GO!” Tango, still bamboozled took a deep breath: “It’s READY… SET… NINER! You…!” Realizing that the voice wasn’t there anymore, he just clenched his teeth and pushed forward.

[grimfox]

uplift

up from heated stone

under a dome of indigo

the wings still spreading

ruffled feathers heading

up to the unknown

the tussled plumage bright and glowing

only sun above

the love becomes enough

just flowing over

knowing some things seal the trust

upthrust from bluffs below

the zephyr's holy hideaway implodes

in light and wonder

sum of unearned humble hunger

(feed it slow)

the eagle soaring roars the reason

for the seasons' deeper meaning sewn

in home and hearth alone

i feel it seeding into bone

[tinyhousetown]

Eagles' Bluff Treehouse

Vashon Island, WA

[watcher-with-burned-wings]

Wake Me Up, Let This Be A Dream

(A twist on session 7 of Secret Life)

Years have passed since the beginning of the end. It had all started with mythical creatures appearing out of thin air.  Manticores and griffins appeared in the forests. Selkies, sirens, and sea monsters ruled the seas. Unicorns appeared along with other mythical animals, but these myths were not the downfall of humanity.  Among these creatures, giants resided, ruling above every other creature.

The monstrous humanoids started decimating the human population. At first, few people were killed, as not many giants existed. As giants multiplied, whole communities seemed to disappear after a few giants had passed through the area. Anyone's guess was whether they were eaten, crushed, or disappeared. Countries were falling quickly as the populations were decimated. Granted, giants were still few compared to humans by the time the human population was nearly extinct.

The governments of the world had tried to destroy them with military power, but the most powerful creatures were immune to the bullets and bombs. Any attempt failed, only making the mythical beasts more aggressive. Soon all the remaining governments fell into the hands of giants. They were the rulers of the world now.

When the world first ended, many giants were feral, consuming whole cities of people and destroying everything in their path. But this was short-lived, many gained sense and started communicating and talking with humans. Only a few retained the feral mindset. Some even tried to compromise with the world's governments before resorting to destroying them after the attacks. Many giants decided to settle in small groups and built large houses to live with one another. Many of these groups were secluded to only their members but used trained griffins to send messages to other groups. Soon small societies popped up as giants began bartering and trading for essentials with other groups.

With the new species appearing, the natural world changed around as well. All trees now stood as tall as the great redwoods and continued to grow taller. Besides trees, plants became larger as well. Cites were quickly being overgrown by these new exotic plants. New magical rocks also appear to spring up in canyons and bluffs. Fresh water became scarce and hard to come by with the new creatures. Weather patterns have changed as well. Summer has heated up to exceptional levels. Winter temperatures have plummeted deep into the negatives. Fall and Spring can change instantly from warm sunny days to bone-chilling, frostbiting days. With all the odds stacked against them, nearly all humans have gone extinct, with a few exceptions…

=============

              A blue-haired human male dashed through the large colorful leaves and bushes, hopping over log-sized twigs that fell from the large tree around him. His blue jacket wrapped tightly around his waist, leaving him in a once-white tee shirt with a blue heart. His jeans were dirty and ripped in several places. In his arms, he carried large bird feathers. An aggravated screech sounded from behind closed him. A creature with an eagle’s head and a lion's body bound through the foliage. Large, feathered wings propelled the creature forward, but the monster was missing several feathers, making it hard to fly.  The guy didn’t even look back as he bolted towards his goal.

Anger chirps and caws continued to chase down the human. The human continued dodging and ducking swipes the massive paws of the exotic beast delivered.  Leading the creature down towards a seemingly dead end, trapped between a couple of saplings and a large, towering boulder. The human spun around to face the angered lionbird. Slowly, it prowled forward, claws flexing as it backed the blue-haired guy into the rock. Just as the creature pounced, the human dived into a small hole dug between the roots of one of the saplings. The guy shouted as he dove, “Now Grian!”

A red sweater-wearing sandy-blond haired man sprang from the top of the rock, holding a crossbow loaded with purple stone-tipped arrows. Firing the arrow, he hit the beast mid-air in the back leg. The fabled icon cried out in fury and pain as electric poison sunk into its body, causing it to bite at the arrow and favor its back leg.

The new human called out, “Cleo it’s poisoned! You can go for the kill!” He shouted.

A red-haired, green-skinned woman with a black stone sword dropped out of the branches of one of the trees, landing square on the creature's back. She used the momentum of the fall to stab the sword deep into the neck of the griffin. The creature screamed as she pulled the sword through its neck and she slid off the side, pulling the blade down with her. She pulled the sword out of the griffin as the wound bubbled and spread. The griffin fell dead a few seconds later due to the poison and wither coursing through its body and the neck wound.

Cleo sheathed her blade and called out, “Scott! You good?”

Said person pulled himself from the hole, brushing himself off, grumbling, “Next time I’m shooting the shot with my bow and Grian is baiting.” He shoved his feathers he grabbed into his backpack and then pulled out a knife. He started removing the feathers of the griffin’s wing.  

Having just slid down from the boulder, Grian squawked in offense. “Hey! I hit it, didn’t I? You should have said something sooner!” He put his hands on his hips. “And you need to be bait Scott, you’re the only one fast enough to outrun those things.” Scott rolled his eyes and grumpily plucked the griffin.

Cleo chimed in as she knelt to assist Scott. “I kinda agree with Scott, Grian.” A smirk played on her lips. “He is a better quick shot than you.” Grian made an offended noise. “But you are right, you are the only one who can outrun them, Scott.” Cleo pointed out.

Scott sighed, “I know but I’m tired of fighting to survive every day.” He gathers up the feathers and turns to his friends' worried expressions. He quickly amends. “I want to live, not just survive. For the last few years, it has been a struggle to stay warm during winter and find food. We were lucky to discover that the new stones made killing these things easy.” He gestures to the dead griffin. He slips on his hoodie and picks up his full pack. Then he began walking towards their home.

Cleo mimicked his actions, throwing on her pack filled with feathers and falling in step with him. “I know we aren’t living a glamorous life like you are used to, but we are alive.” The women comforted him. “After those berries that turned me green, we were glad to be alive. So, let’s be grateful for what we have.” She suggested.

Scott sighed defeated, “You’re right Cleo. Thank you.” He said with a smile.

“Hey! You guys left me!” Grian squawked as he ran up to them, carrying a bunch of fur. The duo looked over at their short friend and giggled a bit.

“Sorry, G. Didn’t mean to, it just got in my head.” Scott apologized as they headed towards their current base.

Together, they walked in relative silence. Occasionally, they will discuss what other preparations they need to get or set up before winter sets in. Taking care to avoid predators, they arrived at their setup at sunset. Even though it would have been an hour’s walk, Scott and Cleo were not taking any chances to be caught by surprise. Whenever they saw something out of place, they hid beneath roots, behind rocks, or under large leaves.  

Their camp was built beneath the roots of one of the many large trees. The roots were tightly woven together making a great defense to keep out predators. There were gaps between the roots allowing entrance from all angles. This was perfect whenever they were chased down by something that could kill them. The gaps allowed sunlight to seep in during the days which was a bonus.

Scott slipped into the knitted roots, followed closely by Grian and Cleo. Inside, a fire pit was dug out in the center, and embers glowed faintly from an early morning fire. A cooking pot rested beside them; remains of breakfast were evident in the pot. Encircling the fire pit were their three sleeping bags and a miscellaneous survival bag. Preserved food, water bottles, and first aid supplies filled the bag in case of an emergency.  A pile of twigs, the size of logs to them, were gathered in the corner of the heaven. Overall, a safe place to live. But life in an apocalyptical world is never that simple.  

After he set his pack down, Scott walked over to the embers, stoking them with a stick, and blew on them to reignite the flames. Mimicking Scott, Cleo sets her bag down and grabs two branches. She brought them over to the fire pit as Scott got a small flame going. While the other two were working with the fire, Grian gathered the material they collected from the griffin and got to work on crafting gear to withstand the winter chill.

The blond started by using the fur he collected. He had enough fur to craft mittens and boots. He used fabled spider thread to stitch it together, and as treads, he used exotic mushroom bits that were comfortable and similar to rubber, so it was waterproof. Next, he moved to creating cloaks. He retrieved the feathers out of Cleo’s and Scott’s bag and laid them out into three groups. Each group is going to be turned into a cloak. He grabbed more spider strings and began stitching them together. Griffin feathers were perfect for cloaks because they were insulating and waterproof.

Once the fire was going, Scott grabbed some ingredients from their food rations and began cooking dinner. He decided to grab some dried boar meat, strange purple peas, green carrots, and light blue leaves that felt frosty to the touch. He grabbed a water bottle after a last-minute thought. He grabbed the pot and poured some of the water in, rubbing the remains of their breakfast into the water to clean it somewhat, and then poured it out. He set the, now clean, pot in the fire, then placed the rest of the water in the pot and tossed in the other ingredients.

While Scott cooked dinner and Grian made the winter gear, Cleo brought up some important topics while taking inventory of their weapons and sharpening them.

She was wiping off her sword with a leaf when she inquired, “We all agree we can’t stay here for the winter, correct?”

Scott hummed as he stirred the stew he was making. “Agreed. The ground will soon freeze here, leaving us vulnerable to hypothermia even with our sleeping bags and gear. It would be better if we could find a tree hole like last year.” Grian piped in.

“Nah, I nearly slipped off the icy bark multiple times.” Pulling his makeshift wooden needle through another stitch, he added, “Though I agree we need to leave. We’re gonna get snowed in here. Plus, there isn’t water for a good two hours from here. We can’t be making that trip constantly.”

Cleo nodded, now sharpening the clean sword. “So what direction are we heading? We can’t go North again. It’s much too dangerous with all the yeti that come from hibernation.” She remembered, causing a shiver to go down the two guys' spines. Both will never forget the near-death encounter with one of their first year.

Grian frowned as he looked up. “We can’t head west either.” The blue-haired male and redhead looked at the blond confused. He explains, “On the news, I remember them saying tar pits have appeared in that direction. I know it’s been ages, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

Scott nodded in agreement. “So southeast it is.” He stated the others agreed with him. “We’ll head out in the morning. We don’t have much time before winter.” He took the soup off the fire, filled three bowls, and passed them out.

They ate in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company. They were quite a rag-tag group of people. An architect, rockstar, and teacher. All very different, but all survivors. After dinner, Scott cleaned up and packed while Cleo prepared their weapons. Grian added the finishing touches to the cloaks. Then all of them settled into their sleeping bags to sleep.

The trio headed southeast early the next morning as the sun rose above the horizon. Scott shouldered his pack, the pot tied onto it as well. His new cloak was tightly wrapped around his shoulders, the morning chill nipping at the bare skin of his face.  Grian trailed beside him, heaving along his pack and the emergency bag. His face was half hidden in the collar of his sweater, holding his cloak tightly to his chest to keep it closed. Cleo took charge, leading the way. On her person, she carried her pack along with extra weapons.

They traveled for nearly two days before they found something interesting. As they headed in their chosen direction, the large forestry began to thin out. What was even odder was that more hostile creatures seemed to thin out as well. Realizing this, the group exchanged glances before continuing onwards. With every step they took, everything began to paint a picture. A large imprint in the dirt, crushed bushes, and tree stumps without a tree present. Flattened bushes and grass seemed to become normal the farther south they when.

Scott was getting bad vibes from the area. He admitted his reluctance to continue going forward with the group. Both Grian and Cleo agreed, but Grian pointed out they didn’t have much of a choice. Winter was coming too fast, and they couldn’t backtrack. They were running low on water and food. Going back would only spell trouble for them. Scott agreed with Grian’s assessment of the issue, so they all continued, but with caution.

The feeling didn’t leave Scott if only increased as they traveled.

It was one of the coldest days of the year when the trio stumbled upon a large wooden wall. They all cautiously advanced towards the structure, not sure what to make of it. On closer inspection, the wall was made of large planks, identical to the wooden fence humans had in their backyards. There was a human-sized hole in one of the nearby planks.

Cleo turned to them, “I’m going in.” Grian quickly grabbed her arm.

“Like you are! We don’t even know what's behind there!” He viciously argued. “It blocked off for a reason.” Cleo spit back.

“But what choice do we have? We can’t go back! If only one of us goes in, the other two can escape.” While Cleo and Grian had a heated discussion, Scott snuck over to the hole.

Crouching down, Scott peeked into the crack, not prepared for what he saw. A house. A ginormous house stood looming over him. He stumbled back in awe and shock, falling onto his butt. Finally, Cleo and Grian took notice and rushed over to him.

“Scott! Are you okay!? What happened? What did you see?” Cleo fretted over him, double-checking him for injuries, as he was the youngest of the group. The red sweater-wearing mischief maker nodded in agreement.

“I-I-” Scott stuttered for a moment as he collected himself, “It was a house. A…a very large house…” Cleo raised an eyebrow with confusion.

“A house? What do you mean Scott? Explain.” She demanded him, picking him up from the floor. Grian stood back, giving the younger boy a stern look.

Swallowing hard, Scott tried to explain. “I think could be a giant den, but it looks just like a normal human house!” Scott grabbed both of his companions’ hands and dragged him over to the niche in the fence. “It’s easier to show than explain.”

They all crouched, the blue-haired boy doing it first, his friends mimicking him quickly. Grian gasped and laughed in disbelief. Cleo muttered a quiet, “No way…”

The house itself was more of a cottage. It was quite small, and the siding was wooden but had some technological advances. The roof was constructed out of stone and wood with a chimney coming out of it. The whole house was painted dark, almost black, purple, and grey, giving a sharp contrast to the bright pink and red of the garden that sat nestled in the space between the fence and the house.

 A bright pink brick path cut through the garden, with red bricks outlining it. Garden beds were sectioned out, the path acting as a barrier. Many plants had blackened and withered; colored leaves scattered around their bases, branches barren. There were a few exemptions,  a still-green pine-like bush, and a few stubborn flowers.   

Standing up, Scott crawled through the gap, tossing his bag through first. Cleo and Grian grabbed him by the ankles. “What do you think you're doing!? Are you nuts!?” Cleo shrieked.

“You can’t possibly be thinking of us going in there, do you?” Grian added, a bit frantic.

Scott kicked away their hands and asked, “What choice do we have? We either go through here to continue our journey,” Scott looks back over his shoulder with a grin, “Or we are set for winter, living off the giants.” Cleo and Grian shared a nervous look before letting the younger boy go.

Scott finished climbing through a brushed himself off, glancing back to see Cleo making the trip next. Grian commented, “I hope you are sure about this Scott.” He quickly army crawled through once Cleo got out.

Scott nodded. “I am sure. We can check it out, if we think it's too dangerous, we can grab some food and water then leave.” He explained his logic.

Cleo slowly nodded, “I see. That makes sense. Giants need mountains of food to survive so it’s only inevitable for them to have food lying around.”

Grian added, “And gallons of water somewhere. Which we need desperately.”

Scott grinned, “Plus, think of how warm it will be?” He pulled his cloak tighter around his body. “The giants will have fires or something to keep their house warm, in turn, we will be warm.”

Cleo sighs, defeated. “Fine. We’ll check it out,” She stressed, “But! If there is any sign of danger, we are leaving.”

Both guys silently celebrated, then picked up their packs, heading into the looming shriveled-up dead plants of the flower bed. Cleo sighed and shook her head, following the two numbskulls to prevent them from causing any trouble.

=============================

              Traveling through the garden was uneventful except for a close call with a sphinx. The trio hid underneath a few loose leaves and waited for it to pass before continuing onto the house. When they reached the side of the house, they quickly discovered a hole in the siding, leading underneath the house. From there, they managed to shimmy up a pipe, cross a support beam, and avoid live red stone wires using some skilled parkour and teamwork to get into the wall of the house.

Cleo and Scott gave one last tug, helping Grian up through the clean-cut hole where the wires lead into and spread throughout the house. The three of them glance around, pausing momentarily to get their bearings. Before they could leave, the vibration of giant footsteps shook the wall they inhabited. Cleo instinctually crouched down, seeming to be getting ready to spring into action at the drop of a hat. Grian froze like a deer in headlights, looking like he was about to leap back down the hole they just arrived through.  Scott felt his heart beating rapidly in his chest, trying to leap out of his chest. He held his breath, stiff as a board till the footsteps faded away. The group collectively breathed a sigh of relief. They quickly gathered their stuff and scurried in the opposite direction of the footsteps.

After traversing the walls, they finally settled into a corridor that seemed to have a lesser giant presence. Grian heavily flopped onto the floor next to his pack, going limp against the board acting as the floor, grumbling, “I hope this was worth it. I’m exhausted and sore.”

Scott looked up at him from digging around in his pack and tried to reassure him. “It’ll get better from here on out. It was just a pain to get in here.” He pulled out his sleeping bag and laid it out on the floor. “We won’t have to move anymore so we can make a proper bed at some point. And once we get a layout of the house, we can find a better space to call home.”

Cleo viciously shushed them, whisper-shouting. “Keep your voice down you two, we don’t want to alert the giants to our position.” She warily eyed the walls around them, like a giant would burst through any second. Scott rolled his eyes but lowered his voice.

“Tomorrow we will explore deeper into the interior of the house, find a water source, and get more food rations. Those are our top priorities.” He pulled out the meager food rations they had left and passed them around to the two. Grian sat up from his sprawled-out position, accepting the food and plan without any comments.

Cleo took the food before hesitantly questioning, “What if one of us gets caught by a giant? Then what?”

The question honestly catches Scott off guard. He always knew it was a possibility in the back of his mind, but he never planned for it to happen to any of them. The blue-haired male pressed his lips together as he contemplated the answer.  Logically, it would be best for the others to escape while they had the chance. But Scott knew deep down neither of them would abandon each other.

He sighs heavily, “Look Cleo, we both know the logical answer, but we also know that we won’t follow through with it.” He gives her a tired smile, feeling Grian observing the conversation silently. “It’s been a long day. Let’s sleep on it and we can discuss it in the morning.”

The redhead huffed but gave an equally tired smile. “Fine, okay yeah. We’ll figure this out when were aren’t dead on our feet and our brains are mush.” The rest of the night they spent in heavy silence.

The small red-sweater fiend fell asleep first, snuggled deep into his sleeping bag, snoring softly. Cleo was quick to follow, her arms tucked under her chin as she lay on her stomach, passed out cold, drool dripping down her chin. The only one still awake was Scott. He tossed and turned for hours, Cleo’s question echoing through his mind. With a frustrated sigh, he got up from his sleeping bag.

The ex-rockstar went to his pack, changing his shirt and slipping on his favorite jean jacket. Then he grabbed his bow and quiver, glancing over to the other two frequently in case they get woken up. As he was about to stand up, he decided to grab his knife as a precaution. He stood up, making a silent promise that he was just going to go on a quick walk and then be right back.

              With a light bounce in his step, Scott set off down the corridor toward where most of the noise seemed to be coming from. Going on walks or runs always cleared his head if he had trouble sleeping. This would be no different.

              The beginning of the corridor was normal, dark, empty, and chilly. He still was alert in case, but it didn’t seem like anything was there.  As he went deeper, he noticed there was a soft glow emitting from farther down the hallway, as well as warmth coming from the source. He bit the inside of his cheek, debating if he should check it out or not. Knowing it was stupid, he continued onward.

              As he approached the light, the wall warmed up, making Scott melt slightly. The heat felt good against his icy skin. Along with the heat, he could hear faint murmurs getting louder, causing him to slow his pace down and be more careful. The murmurs soon turned into voices, that turned into loud booming voices. Soon he recognized that he was heading toward where the inhabitants of the house were. The closer he got, the lighter his footsteps got.  He turned the corner to where the heat and light were the brightest. He was relieved that the way was empty, but he did find a crack in the wall.

Now that he was close enough, he could understand what the giants were saying. Mindful not to make a sound, the blue-haired boy crept closer to the hole in the wall. He crouched down, kneeling beside the opening, preparing himself. He peered out and made an audible gasp at what he saw.

From his position, Scott could tell it was a living room area. A large yellow couch sat in the center of the room in front of the cobblestone fireplace, which had a nice large blazing fire in it, heating the surroundings. The walls were decorated with shelves of pants and paintings. On each end of the couch, lamps powered by red stone sat. A bookshelf filled with books was pressed into one corner of the room. But none of those things caught Scott’s attention.

It was the giants themselves. Two giants sat on the couch, chatting to one another. One seemed to be female and the other male.

The female sat facing towards the wall where Scott was hiding. She had reddish-orange braided hair, with mismatching-colored eyes. One a dark green, the other a bright red. A pair of deer ears and antlers sprung from her head as well. He was wearing a red T-shirt and black overalls. The man sitting beside her laughed at something she said, allowing Scott to see his face.

The guy had a yellow mark, like a scar around one of his reddish-brown eyes. In his brown hair, two yellow demon horns poked out as he moved his head. Glancing at him more, the small human notices a demon tail lazily swaying near the floor. Black spiked bracelets were on both his wrists, as well as a black sleeveless leather jacket resting on him, and a shirt with a yellow “i” underneath it.

Scrambling back, Scott couldn’t believe his eyes. His back hit the other wall harshly, but he couldn’t care less as he tried to get his breathing under control. Tears threatened his eyes as he closed his eyes, his heartbeat deafening in his ears. He grabbed his pants to ground himself. ‘No, no.’ He thinks to himself. ‘Those can’t be them. Gem and Impulse died the day the outbreak happened.’

Covering his mouth, Scott opened his eyes, trying to muffle his sobs, eyes locked to the grainy wooden broad. His body trembled as he remembered it. He wished he could have been there for his bandmates. Movement out of the corner of his eye catches his attention. His eyes widened in terror as he noticed Gem look-alike moved slightly to the left…and was certainly looking directly at him.

The teal-haired human scrambled backward, away from the hole, away from the imposters. He clambered to his legs and booked it down the dark corridor. Hot fat tears dripped down his chin as ran, calling himself a coward for not protecting his old friends, practically family. The survivor bumped into several walls; his vision blurred from the water in his eyes. He hardly noticed the chill growing as he ran.  

              He finally slowed down when the tears slowed down, and his cheeks were icy from the cold in the air. Wiping his eyes and then closing them, he took a very deep breath, to calm his racing heart. Once his heart was beating normally, Scott opened his eyes and headed back to Cleo and Grian, convincing himself that he was just tired and imagining his friends.

              When he reached the small camp they had, Scott put his bow gear away then his knife. After putting his gear away, he climbed into his sleeping bag. He glanced at his current friends. Both Grian and Cleo were knocked out cold. Grian was still snoring away, and Cleo had rolled onto her side. He watched his friends sleeping peacefully before relaxing, deciding that he should just focus on the present instead of the past.

With that, Scott got comfortable and drifted off into a deep sleep.

-----------------------------------------------

              During a temporary intermission, Scott stepped out from backstage onto the street for a quick breather. Brushing his hand through his hair, stressing over the night’s events. Gem collapsed suddenly during their last song. Impulse had caught her before her head could hit the floor. They called an intermission even though Gem had woken up a few moments after she passed out, claiming she was fine.

Due to Impulse’s and Scott’s insistence, they got a venue nurse to check her out. Impulse noticed Scott was stressing out by pacing around, so he told the guitar player to go take a breather to calm down. Reluctantly, he listened to the drummer but had him promise to tell him what the doctor said. Said drummer grinned, nodded then shoved him out the door, telling him that everything would be alright.

So here he was now, standing outside a backstage door on the unusually warm September night. Sighing, he headed down the street, pulling up the hood of his blue zip-up hoodie to avoid attention. Drunk concertgoers stumbled out of the bar, laughing, and giggling around him as headed down the street. His original plan was to walk around the block and return backstage to check on Gem.

His walk was doing its job as he slowly started to calm down after turning the first corner. He started to think more rationally now that he was calmer and could face the diagnosis. Turning the corner to the street that would lead him back to the concert, he was met by a gaggle of girls, who recognized him. Resigning himself to his fate, he pulled out a pen and started signing autographs.

Once the girls were taken care of, he made his way back to the alleyway. As he was about to enter backstage, the guitar player was startled by the sounds cracking around him. He spotted cracks growing up the side of the monstrous building. He couldn’t get a clear view from where he stood, but a noticeable dent in the domed roof had started to bugle out. He backpedaled away, knowing he was in a dangerous position, Scott ran for the alley exit.

With a loud crash, debris came raining down from the once-pristine concert hall. The cyanette made it out of the alley just in time as the concert hall's walls collapsed. Dust and screams filled the surrounding area. He spun around, trying to see what was happening, shielding his eyes from the cloud of debris threatening to blind him.  

Coughing harshly, Scott stumbled out of the dust cloud, using his shirt as a mask as he guided other blinded spectators. Once on a clear street, he glanced back towards the concert hall. A sudden terror stuck through him as he spotted something out of a fairy tale. A monstrous giant was standing in the middle of the venue where he and his friends were just playing minutes ago.

The back was facing Scott, a wave of messy hair trailed down the back and it had something growing from its head.  He couldn’t get a good look at the giant before more chaos broke out. The survivors of the building collapse sprinted out of the rubble, covered in dust and dirt.   

Realization struck Scott like a lightning bolt. Gem and Impulse. They were still in there. They could be trapped under the rubble. The first instinct he had was to run back to get Gem and Impulse. He started running towards the venue as people ran away from the giant. Before he had a chance to go farther, a female police officer snagged his shoulder dragging him away as he kicked and fought.

Just as Scott was getting desperate, another giant grew from the rubble. This one grew into a sitting position. Taking advantage of the rock star’s momentary shock, the officer dragged him farther away, pulling him toward the subway tunnels. From there, she ushered him towards a group large group of people who were all survivors of the incident.

She then explained that they would be evacuated when the next train came, this being the fastest and safest way to get them all out without issues. The guitar player tuned her out, staring at the stairs, hoping that any minute his friends would be carried or come walking down them. Many people whispered and murmured, clearly anxious about the situation.

Suddenly the whole station shook, and the fluorescent lights swayed from where they were hung. The officer quickly grabbed her radio, pressing it up to her mouth. The station shook again, some dust falling from the ceiling, making the crowd cry out in fear. The cyanette flinched as a thunderous thump came from above them. She informed the crowd that the giants were on the move.

She looked grim and panicked as she shouted over another footstep that the two were heading towards the station. The cries of the terrified people echoed off the walls of the subway station. Scott’s blood felt like ice in his veins as he felt the ground shake harder, all the oxygen was stuck out of his lungs as panic consumed him.

A cheer and the screeching of wheels knocked him out of the all-consuming panic that overcame him. The subway train pulled into the station, opening all its doors. The crowd quickly swarmed into the small tram. The officer tried to do crowd control, but everyone was in a panic. Scott kept looking over to the stairs, and then to the train. Biting the bullet and praying to Aeor, the teal-haired boy slipped up the stairwell, ignoring the call of the officer, leading to the ground level. The ground around him shook with the weight of the giant as it came closer.

As he reached the top of the stairs, he was met with a startling sight. Buildings were toppled and cars were wrecked. In front of him, the giants were walking together, taking off building tops, seeming looking for something. One of the giants spotted him, making him step backward. His foot slipped on a step, making him fall down the stairs partly.

He groaned, pain echoing through his body. Thunderous hurried footsteps pounded toward him, causing him to force himself up. A loud creaking sound caught Scott’s attention as he glanced up. A part of the office building above him broke off and hurled towards him. He covered his head with his arms and then blacked out. But before, he swore he heard Gem call out his name…

--------------------------

Scott jolted up in his sleeping bag with a gasp, looking around frantically before realizing where he was. He grabbed his chest, doing quiet breathing exercises before he relaxed fully. Once calmed down, he noted that Cleo and Grian were already up. They both were looking at him with concern from where they stood.

Cleo was the first to speak, “Scott bud, you good?” Her voice echoed the worry in her body language. All he could do was nod as he stood up stiffly. He moved around robotically. She paused in stuffing her pack.

Grian huffed, “Scott, we all know you are not okay. So what’s wrong?” Scott scowled, hating that Grian could see through him. He packed in silence for a few more minutes while his friends patiently waited for him to respond.

He finally sighed, “It was just a memory.” he said softly. “The day the apocalypse started; my bandmates were in the concert hall when it started.” He viewed Cleo’s and Grian's reactions. Cleo looked sympathetic told him and murmured, “Oh Scott…”

Grian had a similar expression. The ex-rockstar simply shook his head. “It’s in the past, no need for sympathy. We all lost someone so it's water under the bridge.” He hefted the pack onto his shoulder. Grian and Cleo shared a concerned look before looking back at him.

Cleo spoke up, “We are here if you ever need to talk Scott, death isn’t something that can be taken lightly.” She walked over and gently patted his shoulder. “We got your back bud.”

Grian came up onto his other side and nodded. “Yeah, if you wanna talk, we're here to listen.” Scott scoffed at them but smiled slightly at their comfort.

“Thank guys, I appreciate it.” He gives each of them a quick hug before stepping back. “Now let's get going, we need to find water and food.” He turns around before they can respond, heading down the path from the night before.

The others quickly caught up to him. The three of them chatted quietly as they walked through the wooden corridors. The farther they traveled, the quieter they became till they were silent. The sound of creatures moving became clearer as they headed towards the giant's living quarters. As Scott examined the walls around them, he realized that they were closing in on where he was spotted last night.

A pit of dread grew in the cyanette’s stomach as the hole from last night seemed bigger last night. Grian slowly approached and grimaced as he stepped in something sticky. He pulled his foot out easily, making Scott breathe a sigh of relief. The dirty blond walked across the sticky spot without trouble. Cloe followed next, then Scott. He glanced out of the hole but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

Traveling deeper into the house, they soon smelled something delicious. They all perked up as they knew they were getting closer to the kitchen. Grian blushed as his stomach rumbled loudly, making Scott and Cleo silently chuckle. With a pep in their step, they sped up, knowing they were close to their goal.

The voices of the giants became clear and loud, letting them know they were in the right place. The trio slowed their pace. Grian looked nervous and anxious. Cleo looked determined, pressing her lips into a thin line. Scott’s blood rushed through his ears, but he felt an odd calm flood his system. He pressed his ear against the wall, curious what the giants were talking about.

“Are you even sure this is gonna work?” A feminine voice asked, skepticism in her voice. A masculine voice replied, “Of course! I made it, didn’t I?” A smug voice answered. “You say that now.” The female voice countered as she seemingly left the room as her voice got farther away.

Scott felt the tension leave his shoulders as the male voice gets farther away as well. He turns to his found family and whispers, “They left, we’re in the clear.” Cloe nodded but said, “Still we need to find a way in and out quickly because we don’t know how long.” Scott nodded in agreement. Grian frowned a bit but nodded as well.

They explored more of the wall, getting increasingly nervous when they thought they found a loose board, but it was glued over or something was blocking the entrance. It was later in the day when they finally found a perfectly round hole in the wall, looking like it was drilled. Cleo was hesitant to use it, but when Scott’s and Grian’s stomachs groaned, along with her own, she relented.

 Grian peeked out first, not seeing anything unusual, he ushered for Cleo and Scott. When Scott stepped out, the breath was knocked out of him. The kitchen around them was so large but beautiful. Flowers were painted along the cabinets; pink trim gave life to the bland wooden counters. A black and white checker floor covered the area below them. But what caught his attention was the paintings hung on the walls. They were landscape paintings, of a beach, a meadow, and a forest. He shook his head, to stop getting distracted.

Looking over, Cleo and Grian seemed to be in awe as well, except they were looking at something else. The guitar player’s jaw dropped as they spotted what they were staring at. On the counter, a large cake sat. Drool pooled in Scott’s mouth as it was decorated with berries and white and pink frosting. Swallowing, Scott also noticed a fruit bowl next to the cake.

Grian took a step towards the cake before Cleo grabbed his shoulder. She whispered to him furiously, “We can’t. It’ll be too noticeable.” Grian whispered back, “Come on, one berry.” He begged. Cleo brazenly shook her head. “No. Too dangerous.” Scott couldn’t help but agree with Cloe’s sentiment.

“The fruit bowl could be good.” He points it out. Cleo looked over to Scott and nodded. “Yeah, that seems more reasonable.” Grian crossed his arms but reluctantly agreed. Scott headed towards the fruit bowl, having to walk around the edge of the cake. Cleo and Grian followed behind him.

They all froze as a quiet click was heard. Scott glanced around trying to find the sort of noise. It was only when he looked down, he realized he had stepped on a mechanical button. He felt the blood drain from his face as he hopped off in a panic, turning to his friends.

“Run! It’s a-“He doesn’t get to finish his sentence as his feet are suddenly pulled out from under him, making him yelp. Two more cries follow as well. He felt himself get pulled unwillingly to a metal circle, his friends joining him shortly after. He looked down at his shoes, his eyes widening in panic. They were coated in metal flakes, making them magnetized.

Realization hit Scott, the sticky stuff. It was glue. And they walked through it. And it was filled with these metal flakes. Cloe was trying to pull herself off the magnet, while Grian struggled violently.  Scott began trying to get his shoes off to escape but giant footsteps made his blood go cold.

Scott’s breathing picked up as the Impulse-looking one entered the kitchen and cheered loudly, making all the humans flinch harshly. “Gem! I caught him! And two others.” Scott covered his ears with the loud voice, tears threatening to escape his eyes. It’s not them. It can’t be.

His breathing picked up as the giant came closer to them. His struggles got more desperate to get his shoes off. A scream rang through his ears, and it took him a moment to realize that it came from him as Impulse-look alike reached for him. The horned giant seemed taken aback by his sudden cry, pausing in his advances. His friends were shouting and yelling at the giant to leave him alone.

The Gem-look-alike came into the room. She walked over and frowned then scolded the horned giant. “You idiot, you’re scaring him. Don’t just try to grab him.” She crouched down and in a very soft voice, “Hey there Scott, can you count to five for me?” The ex-guitarist couldn’t help but close his eyes and picture Gem holding his hand, rubbing circles on his back as he calmed down from a panic attack. He quietly counted to five, taking deep breaths as he did.

Opening his eyes again, he was considerably calmer, but his heart rate spiked as he saw the giant smiling down at him. “There you go. It’s okay, we’re not going to hurt you.” She reassured them. Cleo spit. “Yeah right! And how do you know Scott? Let him alone!” Cloe struggled hard.

Scott croaked, “You can’t be them. They died the day of the outbreak.” Tears rolled down his cheeks as he lay on his back, trapped. Both his friends and giants looked at him. The deer giant frowned, “Oh Scott, no. I am Gem and that still is Impulse. We just look a little different and bigger.”  Gem tried soothing Scott by touching him.

He flinched away from the large hand, sobbing, “Let us go then, please.” He begged, adrenaline and fear blocking out the hunger and thirst he felt. “Please Gem.” Both Gem and Impulse shared an uneasy look before Gem sadly shook her head.

“I’m sorry, but we can’t in good conscious.” She said softly, making Scott’s throat close with terror. “You three look like you are about to drop dead in a day. You are all so skinny and it’s scary.”  She explained, as Impulse carried in a fish tank-looking thing but built for a human.

Scott didn’t have it in him to shout or yell as she gently pried him off the magnet and placed him into the tank. She did this with Grian and Cleo as well. Grian shrieked and tried to bite her as she picked him up. Cleo glared but didn’t do much, not wanting to cause them to get angry.

Gem looked at them sadly. “This will be only temporary.” She comforted. “We just need to humanify the house and get you guys healthy.” Scott glared at her through tear-filled eyes, through gritted teeth he mutters, “I hate you. I hate both of you. You are not them.” Shock then hurt filled Gem’s eye but she replied, “You know you don’t, you just need to get used to us like this.”

Impulse looked hurt as well as he added, “I’m sorry for scaring you all. But it’s true, this is only temporary. I hope you’ll trust us soon as well.” He carried the enclosure over to a table and placed it down gently. The walking made the humans flinch harshly. Impulse apologized softly then turned away. Impulse and Gem left the room after that, saying that they were giving them space to adjust.

Scott bushed his hand through the plush carpet bottom of the tank, glaring at it like it had wronged him. He immediately took off his shoes and chucked them at the glass around them with a frustrated cry. He watched them bounce off the glass onto the floor. He wiped his eyes and examined their temporary home.

There was a little kitchen area in one corner, it had a fridge, sink, and oven. Another was a walled-off room with a door labeled ‘bathroom’. The room the three of them seemed to be in was a living room of some sort, it had a couch, coffee table, and loveseat. Looking over to the last side of the tank, it was also walled off but with two doors. Both were labeled ‘Bedrooms’ in fancy bold letters.

Grian shrieked, “How did they know that we were here!? We were so careful.” He threw up his arms in frustration as he flopped onto the loveseat. Scott’s stomach churned with guilt because he caused this. Cloe scowled at him. “Get off there, we are not entertaining them with thinking we’re comfortable.” Grian huffed, “What’s the point? We might as well take advantage of this situation.”

Scott walked to the miniature kitchen and looked through the cupboards, to get away from the arguing of the other two and through curiosity. He was pleasantly surprised to find that they were filled with grains and dried fruit. He looked in another and found plates, cups, and silverware. He took three cups hesitantly and walked over to the faucet, filling them will water.

Once all three cups were filled, he walked back to the other two, who had stopped arguing when he turned on the water. He handed each of them a cup and said, “Here, we need it. I don’t care if it’s dosed or poisoned, we will die of dehydration if we don’t.” Grian eagerly down his cup, while Cleo cautiously sniffed it before sipping it. Scott slowly drained his cup. The water felt nice on his dry throat.

Cleo finished her cup and sighed. “That helped clear my head.” She looked at Grian. “I’m sorry, I suppose you’re right. We can rest up and regain our energy for a while then we can escape in due time.” She walked to the kitchen, placed her cup in the sink, and grabbed dried fruit for each of them, passing them to Scott and Grian.

Scott nodded and whispered, “I’m sorry, it’s my fault we’re in this mess.” He took a small bite of his fruit. Grian shook his head, swallowing as he did. “Don’t blame yourself, it was bound to happen eventually. We’re just lucky it was your old friends.” Grian happily munched on his dried fruit. Cloe gently hugged him.

“Don’t blame yourself kiddo, we all agreed to go into the house,” Cleo reassured. “So don’t blame this completely on yourself.” Scott sighed and replied, “Okay…” He still felt guilty for not telling them he was seen last night but decided to change the conversation.

Scott walked to one of the rooms and looked back at them. “I’m gonna take a nap. I’m exhausted. Wake me up if they come back.” He said before opening the door and closing the door behind him. The bedroom was simple, a bed and a wardrobe were the only two thing decorating the room.

The cyan-haired boy climbed into the bed and curled up in the sheets. Tears pooled in his eyes as he buried his face into the pillows, hiccupping softly as he thought of how Gem and Impulse could do this to him. Sobs escaped him as he dragged Cleo and Grian into this mess as well. It was all his fault. He soon cried himself to exhaustion, his unconscious consuming him. His last thoughts before he fell unconscious were “I’m sorry everyone.”

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Update: The South Okanagan town of Osoyoos in B.C.'s interior is now partially under an evacuation order.

At 10 p.m., the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen upgraded an evacuation alert it had issued just hours earlier after an American wildfire crossed into Canada. [...]

The wildfire is called the Eagle Bluff Fire by American fire officials, but it was called the Lone Pine Creek wildfire by B.C. officials.

However, late Saturday, BC Wildfire ditched the Lone Pine Creek name and went with the U.S. version.

BC Wildfire also upgraded the blaze to being a wildfire of note. [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

Issued on July 30th 2023.

[meme-streets]

dollars event day 6. prompt: money ---

“What would you spend all that money on?” Tuco has asked him once, slumped languidly back against the wooden siding of the wagon.  He’d been half asleep; he must’ve been, because otherwise they didn’t talk about the gold.  Too many assumptions there that neither of them wanted to make. “I don’t think it’s wise to spend money you haven’t got,” Blondie had replied, a pit in his stomach, and Tuco had made a sullen kind of a noise and put his hat down over his eyes and that was the end of it.

Well, now he’s got the money and he still hasn’t got an answer to that question.

A hundred thousand dollars.  It’s an almost obscene amount of money.  He's never been one for buying much more than the bare necessities; Tuco had always ragged him for never spending the money they made pulling the rope trick.  There hadn't been anything he wanted that badly, and there's certainly not anything he wants now that costs that much.  He doesn't even know what people put that kind of money into.  Land, probably, but land’s got to be managed, tended, looked after, and consequently stuck close to, and he has no desire to do that.  Might be useful to have a place to come back to, but his hideouts in the past have all been temporary–caves and old shacks and abandoned farmhouses–and it's suited him just fine.  Even a permanent hideout has to have somebody to look after, which means hiring somebody, and he's got no desire to do that either.  So he does what he always does: he keeps moving.  He’ll figure out what to do with the money on the road.

In one town he tries to gamble some of it but despite his well-practiced poker face, he's not much of a card player.  Too cautious.  He wins a little and then gets impulsive and goes all in on a bad bluff and loses it.  He isn't even angry.

In another he spends a night in a too-fancy hotel getting drunk on champagne behind his locked door before he discovers he hates champagne and remembers he hates being drunk.  Spends another half a day nursing the worst hangover of his life, spends the second half lying around doing nothing but feeling sorry for himself and consequently bored out of his skull, sleeps horribly on the overplush bed, and checks out at the crack of dawn the next morning, thoroughly disgusted with himself and convinced the life of the idle rich isn’t for him.

He leaves a considerable chunk of it in a sack outside a San Antonio mission.  He considers a note but doesn't know what to say.  Considers signing somebody else’s name, but that won’t go over and he knows it.  So he just leaves it in the night and rides off without so much as getting off the horse, and if he sees a half-familiar figure in the window watching him go, he decides not to make anything of it.

Each inkling of civilization he passes through (and at this point he skirts it) he hides all of it he doesn't need someplace outside of town, but then he has to go pick it up again and that gets old fast.  It's heavy.  It weighs him down.  It puts a target on his back, has him sleeping with his hand on his gun more even than he used to, has him waking up at every little sound, has him watching every lone stranger on the range with eagle’s eyes and his jaw set too firm.  One night setting up camp he gets so sore at the sight of those money bags it makes him almost sick. He buries all but a couple thousand in a dozen different places all across the desert and accidentally-on-purpose halfway forgets all of them.  He hurls his shovel off the top of a ridge and listens to the distant clatter it makes in the depth of the canyon and he only sort of feels better.

He tries bounty hunting for a while, legitimate, but in truth he was never as much as a bounty hunter as he let Tuco think.  His heart wasn't in it then and even less now. He scans newspapers and wanted posters and tries not to feel twisted-up inside when he doesn't see what he wants.  He spends hours looking over maps.  Thinks of going to Flagstaff where the high mountains are coated in snow, thinks about going to California to see the ocean.  It does sound nice.  Get away from all this, from the heat, from the dust, from the memories.  Somewhere nobody’s ever seen his face before.  Something stops him, and it's nothing to do with money.

There's only one worthwhile thing he spends any money on, and it's a neat little pair of binoculars that he saw in a shop and thought it might be nice to see from a distance who and what was coming and going. One morning he sees smoke on the horizon, back the way he had come from, and peering through the glass he spies a figure, small and blurry and familiar. And for the first time since Sad Hill, Blondie smiles.

[magpie-to-the-morning]

Insatiable - Breeding Kink

RATING: Explicit (18+ ONLY)

Pairing: Santiago Garcia x Frankie Morales x OFC

Word count: 2.6k

Tags: Sheer filth, oral sex (female receiving), PiV sex (unprotected because breeding kink), dirty talk, lactation kink, discussions of pregnancy

Author’s Note: This started as a Kinktober prompt and just... took over my brain. So thank you, @leslie-lyman​ for requesting breeding kink with the Insatiable boys. You made this happen and I’m so happy you did.

Thank you as always to my amazing, patient, eagle-eyed beta @acrossthesestars​ You give me the courage to just go ahead and use the word cum and I think that’s beautiful.

Missed Part One? You can read it here. Which, if you’re not familiar with the worldbuilding and relationships in Insatiable, I highly recommend. This is a wolf shifter AU and context is key!

“Incoming!” 

Frankie’s brief warning came just in time. You rolled out of the way at the last second, narrowly avoiding the football that had been barreling towards you. 

You’d been reading on the beach, sprawled lazily over an old blanket with a book and a bottle of hard cider when Santi and Frankie decided, purely by coincidence, to start up a game of shirtless football only a few yards down the sand. The two of them, your mates, all sun-kissed and wild, were impossible to ignore, though you did your best to at least feign an interest in your book behind the smoked glass of your shades. 

At least, until sand sprayed over you from the wayward missile.

“Sorry, leoncita. Did we distract you?” 

“You mean with your broad shoulders and glistening chests?” You raised an eyebrow at Santi’s mock-innocence as he jogged toward you. “Nope, I hardly noticed.”

“Sure,” he grinned, all white teeth and gorgeous tan, making your fingers itch to dig into his dark brown hair and tug his laughing mouth to yours. 

Frankie loped up behind him and rested his arm on the other man’s shoulder, his aviators flashing in the sunlight as he smiled down at you. “Must be a good page,” he said, nodding towards your book.

Puzzled, you ask “Why do you say that?”

A smug look spread over Frankie’s face as he replied “Because you’ve been looking at that same one for the last ten minutes.” 

Sand sprayed out behind you as you scrambled to your feet to tackle him but he caught you easily, laughing good naturedly and heaving you over his shoulder as he headed toward the water. 

“It’s so hot, don’t you want to go for a swim?”

“You wouldn’t dare, Francisco.”

“Oh, you shouldn’t have called his bluff,” Santi tutted, mock-sympathetically, his arms crossed as he resigned you to your fate. 

You shrieked with laughter when Frankie stepped into the waves, your fingers scrabbling for purchase at his sun-freckled shoulders. “Okay, okay! I was watching your manly display of athleticism, now will you put me down?”

Frankie considered this for a moment, shrugged, and grinned. “Sure.” 

You realized your mistake a moment before you hit the water.

Later, after you’d pulled him in after you and the two of you had joined forces to drag Santi in, the three of you huddled, dripping, in the bedroom of your rented cottage. Their hands slid over you, solid warmth against your sea chilled skin, and you relaxed eagerly into the hold they had on you. Frankie pressed himself against you, a comforting wall of heat at your back while Santi undressed you with a slow, patient grin that made you want to scream. 

“Come on,” you whined, impatient to step out of your wet things and into their arms properly. 

“So needy today,” Santi chided. You chose to ignore that and the amused huff that skimmed past your ear from behind. 

“And whose fault is that? The two of you knew exactly what you were doing, showing off for me back on that beach.”

“Oh is that what we were doing?” Dark curls brushed your cheek and you shivered as Santi leant in, his sly mouth now hot against your neck. Not to be outdone, Frankie nipped possessively at your ear and slid his arm around your waist, his clever fingers unbuttoning your shorts with a practiced flick. 

“Uh-huh,” you breathed, your head tipping back against Frankie’s shoulder to grant the other man better access to your throat, the submissive gesture earning you a pleased growl of satisfaction. “Is it a wolf thing, all that competitive maleness? You fighting over who gets to breed me first?”

Both men freeze and, realizing what you’ve said, so do you.

Fuck, ohhh fuck, you think. Was that… speciesist? Or just rude? Or, oh god, do they think I’ve gone off the hormonal deep end with no warning?

It’s not like the idea had never crossed your mind. You were their mate after all, though the entirety of what that meant was still not entirely clear. 

Before you can start babbling excuses or apologizing profusely, Santi’s head jerks up. The ferocity of his gaze would be enough to make you stumble backward, if your other mate didn’t have his arms banded around you.

“Would you want that?” For all his ferocity, there is a husky note of restraint in Santi’s voice, a thin leash of calm stretching between his question and the wild beast pounding of his heart beneath your fingertips.

“Would I want… what?” You ask it carefully, needing to be sure. Mistaking your coyness for caution, Frankie’s grip slackens. He can’t see the look on your face, the excitement making your lips part and your eyes glaze.

But Santi can, and he moves in for the kill.

“You do, don’t you leoncita?” Pride swells in him as he grabs your jaw, forces your shy gaze to his. “You want me and Frank to fill you up?”

“Yes.” Your response is so shaky that you wonder if anyone without their predators’ senses would even hear it, and you clear your throat to try again. “I want it.”

The smirk on Santi’s face is pure alpha male smugness when he asks “You want what, baby? Use your words.”

Your thighs feel suddenly slick and you’re not sure if the thin whine you can hear came from your chest or Frankie’s. It hardly matters - you’re both utterly caught, excitement kicking through your veins at the suggestion of this new desire. 

“I want you to breed me.”

The last tether snaps. 

The next few moments are a blur of strong hands and ripped cloth and then you are finally free, skin to hot skin and mouth to hungry mouth. Frankie seizes you around the waist, pulls you into a tender, vicious kiss, all tongues and teeth and fierce, animal need. 

“You have no idea baby,” he pants against your lips, his nose pressed to your temple as he groans, his face already crumpling. “No fucking idea what that does to us.”

“I think I have some idea.” You wrap your fingers around his thick length, smiling when your thumb passes over the near-purple tip and comes away sticky. Squeezing just hard enough to make his breath come faster and his hips to buck, you move to kneel at his feet but he stops you with a finger beneath your chin.

“Not tonight, deseito.” Gathering a trace of that pearly slick on his fingers, Frankie slips them through your folds, rubbing slow, sticky circles around your aching clit. “Tonight you’re only taking us here.” He pushes two thick fingers inside you, making you gasp, his fierce, hungry gaze burning as he watches.

-

It’s not long before they have you flat on your back in the king-sized bed that had been your only request when looking at Airbnbs (well, that and beach access). Frankie’s head is between your legs, his tongue hot and urgent against your slick heat.

“Come for me again,” he urges when he finally comes up for air, soothing the stubble burn on your thighs with reverent kisses. “I know you’ve got another one for me, sweetheart, and then we’ll fuck you, I promise.” 

They’d insisted on reducing you to this whimpering, sweaty mess before moving ahead with the proceedings. You’d caught something about how “it’ll help it take” and while you were pretty sure that would only apply after one of them came inside you, you were too blissed out to argue or hurry them along.

Besides, it had given you and Santi, at least, a chance to talk between the shattering climaxes Frankie was pulling from you with his tongue and fingers.

“You sure you want this?“

“I’m sure. I mean we should talk about it more when -hnngh- I can see straight let alone think, but - oh, fuck, oh fuck Frankie right there, fuck don’t stop, don’t stop!“

They knew you were still on birth control for the moment but for now, the idea was enough. 

It was everything. 

When you finally came back down and Frankie emerged, his jaw glistening and his expression downright triumphant, Santi kissed him hard as he took his place between your legs.

You watched them for a moment, your heart caught in your throat even as you felt it pulse deeper, hot and eager. Primal. You’d never expected this messy tangle of love, but oh, you wouldn’t trade it for the world.

They were yours. 

You were theirs. 

Utterly. Completely. And forever.

As if sensing the shift in your mood, the two men turned to you. Even blown wide with lust, their eyes were soft. Reverent.

They kissed you together, deep and searching until you couldn’t tell where one of you ended and the other began, just that they held you close, petting and soothing and stroking until that coil inside you tightened once more. 

“I need you,” you whined. “Both of you,”

“Shh, we've got you, baby. Gonna take such good care of you.” Frankie’s soft words rumbled against your side as he wound close enough for you to reach out and give his swollen, aching cock some relief when you felt it press hard and insistent against your hip. His large fingers closed over yours, guiding you to give him the slow, steady strokes he needed to keep him on the edge without spilling over.

“My mates,” Santi hummed. Despite the affection obvious in his voice, you caught the wild edge of anticipation simmering in the depths of his dark eyes and splayed your legs wider in silent invitation. 

He needed no further urging. 

Santi buried himself inside you to the hilt. His face creased with pleasure when he bottomed out inside you and he didn’t waste a moment before grinding his hips against you.

“So fucking wet,” he groaned, the sound of his skin slapping against yours filling the room as he picked up speed. “You’re always wet for us but fuck, baby. If I’d known you wanted us to breed you this bad I would have done it sooner.”

He hit the word hard, the corner of his mouth lifting in satisfaction when you whimpered and clutched at him.

“Oh, you liked that didn’t you? You wanna hear what we’re gonna do to you?”

You nodded frantically and then, knowing it was coming, answered his unspoken command to give voice to how badly you wanted it.

“Please, Santi,” you gasped. “I want to hear it. Tell me how you’re both gonna breed me.”

You felt rather than heard Frankie’s growl against your breast, your only warning before he bit down sharply, then kissed away the sting.

“Someone’s thinking ahead,” Santi chuckled, his expression fond before it shifted back to yours and open hunger took its place. “Gonna keep you in our bed all night, baby. All fucking weekend. We’ll take turns fucking our seed into you until it’s leaking out of this pretty pussy, then push it back in so it takes.”

Your hips were already jerking beneath his in an instinctual need to keep him close, to match him stroke for stroke, urging him on and on and on. 

“Feels so fucking good, don’t stop, don’t stop,” you chanted breathlessly. 

Frankie’s hand closed over your other breast, massaging roughly as he wrapped his lips around your nipple and sucked hard, his tongue flicking rhymically against the swollen bud to match the frantic pace his partner was building between your legs. 

“That’s it, fuck you’re taking me so well,” Santi praised. Beads of sweat shone on his forehead but he only quickened his pace until his thick cock was slamming against that devastating spot that made you wail. “You gonna let us have a taste, huh? Or will that milk be just for all the pups you’re going to give us?”

Your grip faltered around Frankie’s cock then but he didn’t seem to even notice, his doe eyes wide and pleading as if he’d drink from you then and there. The idea nearly shattered you - his stubbled mouth pulling streams of life-giving nourishment from your own breast, his tongue chasing after rogue droplets of pearly white sweetness, the taste of your milk on his tongue. 

Feeling the tight grip of your cunt, Santi lifted your hips and fucked even deeper, faster, harder, every stroke battering against your inner walls until you knew they’d give way, birth control or no. 

“That’s our good - fucking - girl,” he ground out. “Come for me so I can fill you.”

Your back arched off the mattress as the tension within you finally snapped. Waves of pleasure rippled through you but Frankie’s hold kept you grounded enough to hear Santi’s muttered “Fuck, that’s it, that’s it, fucking take it all, baby. Every - last - drop.” You felt it then, the low, hot spurt when he came deep inside you. 

He’d barely finished before he grabbed Frankie by the shoulder to tap the other man in, and his cock was inside you before you could do more than whine at Santi’s sudden absence. 

“Jesus Christ,” Frankie swore, wonderstruck, as he pushed into you. You parted easily for him this time, his passage eased by your slick and his mate’s cum. He followed Santi’s example, tilting your hips up and fucking you so deep it tore something guttural and desperate from your throat. “Our sweet girl, our perfect mate, letting us breed you like this. Still with us, baby?”

You couldn’t manage more than a throaty noise of pleasure and assent, but he understood, bending to drop a gentle kiss to your lips even as his thrusts came faster.  

Santi curled up beside you, one leg thrown over yours to keep your legs spread wide while your mate rutted into you like a beast in heat, his own lips moving against your neck. 

“Can’t wait to see you round with our little one, deseito,” he murmured, one possessive hand resting on your belly while the other strokes down Frankie’s back. “His, mine, it doesn’t matter, they’d be ours.”

It’s that thought that overwhelmed you. The idea of a tiny, dark haired, brown-eyed addition to your hearts and lives seizes your heart in a way you’d never dreamed possible. The bonds of love passing between the three of you pull taut, sending you tumbling over the edge, Frankie close behind.

Afterwards, they cradle your body between theirs, stroking the sweat from your brow and pressing soft, loving kisses to your face and body. When Frankie lays a palm over your stomach you chuckle and remind him that “there’s nothing there yet, honey.” 

“Yeah, I know,” he said, a tinge of embarrassment in his voice even as he laughed with you. “But you really think you might want that? With us?”

The question would have knocked you back not too long ago. It’s a huge step, a leap into the unknown. But knowing they’d be leaping into the dark at your side makes it seem not just possible but… exciting. Fulfilling. The next logical step on this winding road you’ve begun to tread together. 

“Hmm.” You tapped your chin, pretending to still be deep in thought. “Depends. Would you promise to go out in the middle of the night and get me whatever gross foods I was craving?”

Correctly interpreting your teasing as a positive sign, Frankie and Santi joined in. They assured you that they would rub your feet and fetch things from high shelves - all the cliches you can come up with. Somewhere around sleepily asking if baby shifters are born with fur and demanding to see what you referred to as “puppy pictures,” you drift off with their arms around you. 

[superinjun]

She Who Watches with Copper Cloak

Lillian Pitt (Warm Springs, Wasco, Yakama)

copper, glass, granite base. 18” x 3.75” x 3.75”

She Who Watches, whose Native name is Tsagaglal, is an image created in stone. Unlike most of the rock images found in the region, which are either rock etchings (petroglyphs) or rock paintings (pictographs), She Who Watches is both. Petroglyphs (rock engravings) and pictographs (rock paintings) are an important part of the rich cultural heritage of the the Columbia River people. Archaeologists estimate that the oldest of them could be between 6,000 to 7,000 years old, but no one knows for sure. Tsagaglal sits high up on a bluff, overlooking the village of Wishxam, the village where Lillian’s great grandmother used to live. She Who Watches was the first rock image that Lillian ever saw or knew anything about, and it was only because an elder took her to see it. The elder thought it would be good for Lillian to learn something of her heritage and of her grandmother’s village.

“Just about all the art I create is based on the traditional arts of my ancestors and on the legends that have been handed down by my people from generation to generation. My goal is to make the characters in these legends come alive, and to make the images they incorporated into their arts appeal to contemporary tastes. So, my art features the Creator’s right-hand man, Coyote, who helped the Creator make the world and helped the Creator teach people about the way things should be. And it features a host of other characters and stories as well She Who Watches, the Huckleberry Sisters, Salmon, Eagle and Owl, and many more. My intention is always to honor the stories of my ancestors, as well as to educate and entertain people just as the stories of my ancestors have done for so many thousands of years.”

The Story:

“There was this village on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge. And this was long ago when people were not yet real people, and that is when we could talk to the animals. And so Coyote — the Trickster — came down the river to the village and asked the people if they were living well. And they said “Yes, we are, but you need to talk to our chief, Tsagaglal. She lives up in the hill.” So, Coyote pranced up the hill and asked Tsagaglal if she was a good chief or one of those evildoers. She said, “No, my people live well. We have lots of salmon, venison, berries, roots, good houses. Why do you ask?” And Coyote said, “Changes are going to happen. How will you watch over your people?” And so she didn’t know. And it was at that time that Coyote changed her into a rock to watch her people forever.”

[themculibrary]

Summer Camp Masterlist

First Times and Second Chances (ao3) - Artemis_Egeria wanda/vision M, 1k

Summary: Wanda and Vision take advantage of their last few hours at summer camp to share something special with each other.

Guess I've Been Looking For You (ao3) - Cobrafantasies sam/bucky T, 8k

Summary: Sam and Bucky meet at summer camp. They make a pact that when they’re forty, if they're still single, they’ll marry each other. Twenty-six years later, they meet again and they’re both single. So what’s stopping them? Except that they don’t really know each other anymore.

Into the Woods (ao3) - Tonight_At_Noon bucky/darcy M, 4k

Summary: A rivalry born in the snowy New York winter comes to a head every summer at a camp in southern Virginia.

I Remember You (ao3) - AlyKat clint/phil T, 11k

Summary: Camp Eagle Bluff was everything a little boy could hope it to be. A huge lake for swimming and fishing. Trails for hiking and trees to sneak off and climb to as high as they could reach. Ghost stories around a campfire and building friendships that campers swore would last a lifetime. But like all summer camps, the season came to an end and those friendships faded into the cool haze of fall and school supply shopping.

Camp Eagle Bluff was different though. It was someplace special and magical. A calling in the wind that brought two former campers back to its lake and trails and campfires years later, to rekindle the spark it had started to light all those years before.

It's always fun with you (ao3) - kalika_999 jack/brock G, 1k

Summary: Usually they’re sneaking out to skinny dip in the lake, or climbing onto the roof to look at the stars, not leaving the security of the camp and going into town. 

I Want To Linger A Little Longer Here With You (ao3) - donniedont sam/buckyM, 24k

Summary: "You have any camp experience?”

Bucky furrowed his eyebrows. “Absolutely not,” he said.

“I mean, that’s okay, man. What about working with kids?”

Bucky shook his head.

Sam shoved another fry in his mouth to cover up his shock. “And… you got assigned counselors-in-training…” he said.

“Look, I know Steve put me here so you can keep an eye on me. There’s no need for us to talk around that.”

Sam is a veteran camp counselor who's been paired up with a new counselor named Bucky weeks before the program starts. Will they be able to figure out how to work together or watch their summer fall apart?

Long Summer (ao3) - ashes0909 steve/tony T, 2k

Summary: This was the first night of their tenth, and last, year of camp.

Love Is Alright Tonite (ao3) - Daslebensmittel steve/bucky E, 4k

Summary: Steve is excited to return to Camp Firewood as a newly minted hunk of beef. Little did he know that his childhood crush would be returning as well… Steve has absolutely no chance of winning against super-hot counselor Bucky and his seduction tactics.

Might Have Drowned (ao3) - poison__dart, strawberry_poison_dart steve/bucky T, 25k

Summary: It's Camp Azzano's 107th summer and veteran counselor Steve Rogers has been promoted to the head of Arts and Crafts, a job that suddenly becomes a little less interesting now that new head lifeguard Bucky Barnes takes the camp, and Steve, by storm.

Never Let You See (Baby, What You Mean To Me) (ao3) - Carsonian steve/tony M, 12k

Summary: Steve Rogers' life was the kind of romantic comedy that most people would find themselves cringing out of watching after the first twenty minutes.

(A.K.A. the summer camp fic where Steve is a pining mess, Tony is an unrepentant brat, and there's a game of prison break to be won.)

Playing Dirty (ao3) - toli-a (togina) steve/bucky T, 858

Summary: Summer camp is supposed to teach lots of important lessons, Sam supposes, even to counselors. Important lessons like "never play a game with Bucky and Steve."

Rolling in the Deep (ao3) - broodybuck steve/bucky E, 1k

Summary: Steve has a crush at summer camp.

stars shining bright above you (ao3) - cable-knit-sweater (cable_knit_sweater) steve/bucky T, 3k

Summary: Steve has never been great at making friends. Going to a football camp to increase his chances of getting into a good college freaks him out a little - not so much because of the pressure put on him, but mostly because he feels like he’s not gonna fit in, and will have the longest summer of his life. It ends up feeling unfairly short, when he meets one Bucky Barnes, the most gorgeous guy he’s ever met.

Street of Dreams (ao3) - stuckyinlove steve/bucky T, 8k

Summary: After a disastrous end of school year, Bucky Barnes has been sent to a summer camp where he's supposed to be away from his friends and learn something about his life and responsabilities. Instead he meets Steve Rogers who made a list of things he wants to do this summer along with many other new friends and has summer of his life.

-

“So, uh,” he ran his eyes across the list, “you wanna make some more friends, have fun, get drunk, stay up all night, go skinny dipping, go to a party, smoke, kiss, make out, have sex, watch the sunrise, fall in love.. Seriously?”

Steve gave him a shy smile, “I wanted to do fun things kids do this summer.”

“Stevie, we'll do all of these this summer. I mean what you want to do with me. Even, uh,” he smirked, “sing karaoke at 3 am.”

Summer Camp (ao3) - IAmAllYetNotAtAll pepper/tony G, 2k

Summary: Stark STEM Summer Camp - dream destination for nerdy kids. Peter's finally made it, if only he'd thought to update his file ahead of time.

talkin' bout honeysuckle rose (ao3) - bisamwilson sam/bucky M, 2k

Summary: Bucky's been half in love with his co-camp counselor for years.

Maybe this is the summer he'll figure out how to talk to him.

The Boys of Summer (ao3) - Katiebug harley/peter, background pepper/tony T, 2k

Summary: Peter Parker met Harley Keener when they were both eight years old and attending summer camp in the Catskills. To say it was best-friendship-at-first-sight would have been an understatement, to say the least.

Wet Hot Avengers Summer (ao3) - Sarea Okelani (sarea) clint/natasha, pepper/tony, jane/thor, clint/barbara T, 21k

Summary: At summer camp, Clint’s met the girl of his dreams. Then he meets her four brothers.

when you kiss me, heaven sighs (ao3) - bellaaanovak steve/bucky M, 2k

Summary: Steve and Bucky are at a summer camp in Brant Lake, New York. Bucky finds a lake and drags Steve to go see it in the middle of the night when he decides he wants to go swimming.

you're like the thing that makes the universe explode (ao3) - michellejones_stacy harley/peter T, 6k

Summary: Harley’s roommate is… he’s… holy shit, he’s absolutely the most perfect boy that Harley has ever seen.

or

Harley and Peter both end up at the same summer camp for geniuses. It’s about as gay as you’d expect it to be.

[its-just-shrub]

Eagle Bluffs 🌱

Midwest

[a-world-of-whimsy-5]

Alqualondë

And here it is! My attempt at a layout of Alqualondë. A more detailed breakdown of some of the sights in the city by sea can be found below the “keep reading” cut.

5. Seafarers Square: Fresh seafood and pearls can be found here.

The City:

1. Saltstone Keep: The palace of Olwë, where he holds court. The layout is based on the shape of a turtle. The palace gets its name due to the white stone obtained from quarries by the Saltstone Cliffs.

6. Plaza of Merchants: Traders from all over Valinor and  Alqualondë itself, come here to sell their wares.

7. Assembly Hall: Public meetings, hearings, and dances are held here.

8. Plaza of Guilds: Every guild, from shipwrights to bakers to weaponsmakers to apprentices, can be found here.

9. Plaza of Troupes: Entertainment. Fire dancers and jugglers and acrobats can be found performing here during the times allotted for each troupe.

10. City Square: Town criers make public announcements here.

11. Plaza of Steel: Chain mail, arrowheads, and other steel goods are produced here.

12. Plaza of Stone: Sculptors of stone and clay can be found here.

13. Plaza of Gold: Gold and silver jewelry of all sorts are produced by smiths here.

14. The Library: The rarest of books, parchments, and engravings are stored here. The library is also used as a school for elflings.

15. Starlight Grove: A park open to the public.

16. Cobblers Square: The ideal place to find all kinds of shoes, sandals, and boots.

17. Plaza of Glass: Glassmaking, glass art, and artists who specialize in stained windows can be found here.

18. Plaza of Jewels: Gems can be cut, polished, brought, and sold here. 

19. Plaza of Weavers: Everything from sails to garments is made here.

20. Eru’s Temple: A place dedicated to Eru. Weddings are held here.

2. The Singing Trees: So named for the strange but beautiful sound the trees make when the wind blows through them.

Others:

1. The Labrinth: An ancient forest with a complicated network of trees. It is easy to get lost in this forest. Only experienced hunters and trackers go here.

3. Eagle’s Bluff: The only place in all of Alqualondë where eagles can be found.