#flew waaaay too close to the sun

[souphamsters]

I've been hopelessly fixated on drawing one (1) sweetheart butchfemme couple ... they're all I think abt ... HELP !!!

(silly lesbian ocs that I love , chae🍓and lucky🍋!!!)

[visage-of-hell]

Okay SO ... apparently I didn't learn anything from the LAST time I was "oh-so-confident" I was gonna get, like ... hella writing done and then the universe imploded, cuz HERE WE ARE AGAIN! XD Sorry, y'all, offline world continues to be nuts in random intervals and I suck at determining how big or small my windows of writing/arting opportunities are and then I get WAY too confident WAY too soon/late. So THIS time ... we're gonna err on the side of HELLA fuckin' cautious and I'mma just say ... EVERY attempt possible will be made to start getting replies and starters out over the next few days. Cuz apparently when we're negative and/or vague, we get shit done, so ... let's put it to the test again! LOL

[acefaun]

I’m not sure if my requests are good but maybe when it’s possible can you scm gods find out that their girlfriend is immortal and that not matter how severe her injuries are or how many times she dies, she end up coming back to life ( kind of like Deadpool) ?I’m so into superhero type of requests

Immortal

Synopsis: MC feels out of touch with the gods thanks to her newfound immortality. But having a heart-to-heart about life and death could provide some possible solutions along with relief from the existential dread.

✨Masterlist✨

Female goldfish; Warning: death, attempted suicide

A/N: YES YES YES! Immortal girlfriend! And Yes, I had the song ‘Immortals’ stuck in my head every single time I looked at this.

I've been meaning to do this request even though I was told it was optional and should probably ignore it, but I couldn't resist. This came out waaaay angstier than it was supposed to be. It was supposed to be superhero, but I feel like they absolutely wouldn’t let her do that! They’re too protective to let her recklessly die for other people(I do briefly mention this somewhere…) But I hope it’s okay other than that!

–Word Count: 6,035–

The pain was excruciating. The air of the under realm burned my throat to the point where I was certain I'd stop breathing. The gods tried so hard to protect me but I was going to end up dying anyway. They wasted all of their efforts on me.

“What the hell,” Servillah hissed. “Her soul isn't coming out.” Despite the pain I was in, their frustration was a good thing. The harder it was for them to get my soul, the more time it gave the gods to come find me. 

The Dark King glowered at me, as if I were purposefully withholding my soul from him. “It's dying, isn't it? If the soul won't come out willingly, then finish killing it.”

I wasn't ready to die. I shut my eyes, trying to prevent my tears from falling. I didn't want to leave the gods as much as I didn't want the Dark King to win. If he got my soul, then it would be hell for the gods to defeat him.

For a moment, my eyes widened, and I stopped breathing as something sharp hit my chest. The world was still, cold, and dark; I was unaware of what was happening. It wasn't until I gasped for air that I could see my surroundings again. Though, I wished it was all over. Part of me wished they would just kill me and get it over with instead of prolonging my suffering.

“Why is it still breathing?!” The Dark King was both confused and furious. Though, I wondered the same thing. For a moment, everything felt so peaceful—as if… I had just died.

I didn't know what death was really like. But it was easy to assume I kept dying. After the pain, came a brief moment of relief where I wouldn't feel anything, only to wake up and find myself in more agony as they continued to torture me for my soul. It was a vicious process that left my body feeling exhausted.

I could hardly hold my head up when Servillah lifted me off of the ground, holding me up before the Dark King.

“(Name)!” I barely caught a glimpse of Zyglavis followed by a few other gods before I collapsed. There was a gaping hole in my chest and I was sure I wouldn't be waking up this time. He took my heart out this time, right? Humans couldn't live without hearts. The gods probably flew into a frenzy as soon as the Dark King gave the final blow.

I knew I shouldn't have been conscious to think such thoughts. I should have been dead before I hit the ground, but for some reason I wasn't. Before I went back into that calm dark space, I registered the pain and chaos around me. 

I wasn't sure what happened after that. It was dark for a long time, though I couldn't say how long. I could only tell that time passed when I next opened my eyes and I was in a room starkly different from the Under realm. It wasn't a hospital, but it looked like Heaven. The clothes that clung to me were also white, almost glowing with the sun that streamed through the open window. It was much warmer than it was when my eyes were closed. My breathing was slow as I looked around the quaint room. There were a lot of flowers in various colors and types around the room.

I sat up in the bed, trying to get an idea of where I was. Though, it was less of a bed for sleeping and more of a beautiful resting place for the dead. Still, I pondered on my location. My limbs were lethargic as I slipped my legs off the side of the bed and eased myself off. Slowly, I walked over to the window. I vaguely recognized this part of the Heavens, suspecting that I was in the palace.

The gods thought I died, the exact thought I had when he killed me the first time, and the second time, and all the times after that—until the point where the Dark King destroyed my heart entirely. I placed a hand against my chest, feeling the light thumping of my heart under my palm. There was no gaping wound on me and it made me wonder if Ichthys tried healing me or if this had something to do with me not being able to die. 

Maybe one of the gods would have answers. Huedhaut was extremely smart, and he once gave his stars to save my soul, so he might have some idea on what was going on. Maybe it was thanks to him I wasn’t able to die. But why did that answer seem unsatisfactory to me?

I wasn’t swift as I made my way out of the room. My bare feet thudded quietly on the marble floor.

“Hey-”

I heard someone call out in surprise. But when I turned around, no one was there. My eyebrows furrowed. Was that one of the gods? Changing my direction, I followed where I heard his voice. I paused outside of the door, just staring at it. 

“I’m serious. I just saw her out in the hall. She was walking around.”

“Were you sleep-walking again, Aigo?”

“No, she was right in front of me.” 

“How about we check it out then,” Ichthys said, following his suggestion with a nod. “I’ve been meaning to visit her, anyway. I wanted to tell her how things were going.” I stood still as the door opened, my eyes slowly trailed up and met the eyes of the frozen god in front of me. Ichthys’ eyes were wide, and he screamed, “A GHOST.”

The gods who were sitting on the sofa stood, all of them wearing varied expressions of shock. But among them was the very god I was looking for. “Hue… I had a question.” 

The room was silent, none of them knew what to do or say. Hearing my voice seemed to shake them up. Aigonorus rubbed his eyes, wondering if this was a weird dream. “(Name)... you died.” 

“Yeah,” I agreed, my eyes trailing down to my chest that—though a shirt covered it—was completely healed. I didn’t get a response from Huedhaut, but I asked anyway since the topic was open, “Is this what it means to be a god? Is this your power?” 

“No.”

I couldn't breathe as Ichthys threw his arms around me, squishing me against his chest. “You died! This time I couldn't heal you and you were gone!”

I was still too numb from the shock to register why they were crying. They were touching me, verifying that I was really alive and well in front of them. It was scary to be killed so many times and have your heart blown out of you… only to still be able to walk around. 

I was clearly tired from all the healing my body had done, but my mind would need a little more time to heal. I didn't realize the tears that were rolling down my cheeks until Karno was waving the eager gods off of me. “Give her some space. She's been through more than we have.” He took my arms, gently leading me to sit on the sofa, but everyone's eyes were glued on me. They were afraid I'd disappear again if they weren't watching.

They gave me space, though they still stayed as close as possible. Finally, when I felt collected enough to speak, I whimpered out a question. “Did I really die?” My fingers deftly gripped the collar of my shirt. There was no answer. They were all just as shocked to see me alive. I made them all worry. “I'm sorry.”

“What?” It surprised Ichthys to hear my apology? “What are you sorry for? We- We couldn't save you. We should be sorry. We should be apologizing. You should have never been through that!” 

I shrugged my shoulders slightly. “No one has answers.”

I was right; they didn't have answers and they could admit to that much. They had no idea what was going on with me. I was completely human as far as they were aware. This made them question what they knew about humans with stars in their eyes, but I could have been a special case—I was always a special case with them.

Soon, they were all gathered in the living room debating on what was next. After the initial shock of my survival, they were wrapped in chaos. They were in search of answers that they just couldn't find. The only option available was for them to go to the King for advice, but that would be a last resort.

I, however, returned to Earth to start my life anew—or try, anyway. The gods didn't want to pressure me or run experiments on me like a guinea pig, so they let me return home instead. They didn't need to keep me locked away; I was clearly anything but fragile.

They didn't want to turn me into a lab project—but I did. It was traumatic to be killed and then return not long after death, but the lack of answers didn’t satisfy me. I wanted to know if this was normal for a human with stars in their eyes, or perhaps it was just a side effect of being killed by a dark god. It didn't really make sense no matter how I tried to look at it. 

I knew the gods would be extremely disapproving of my methods, but how else was I supposed to test my rapid healing and immortality? So I did my best to keep my testing to myself—something which was difficult the more blood I got around my house and in my clothes. 

Rather than experimenting in my house, I took it outside, using my immortality as a shield to take down bad guys. It turned out knives and bullets didn't do more damage than what the Dark King was capable of. Even getting my neck slit only took me out for several minutes at most while burns didn't last more than a few hours. The scars lingered, but they too faded in time.

I hadn't realized how drastic I was making things until I walked in the mansion and Tauxolouve fretted over me. He checked my temperature while scanning my body before asking, “Are you feeling any worse? You're gettin’ pale. Do you feel weak?”

I looked down and shrugged my shoulders. I prayed they didn't notice, but I was probably pushing my luck. My non-stop healing was tiring me out. “I'm just tired. I feel okay though.” That wasn't true. I might've been able to heal fast but my blood seemed to need more time than my other cells to regenerate. If it weren't for that, I probably wouldn't be feeling the way I did. 

“This still concerns me. Huedhaut can check you over again and see if there have been any changes.” Tauxolouve was pretty insistent that I get looked over, so he didn't wait to take my hand and drag me to Huedhaut's room. 

Huedhaut knew most about my condition since he's the one I spoke to most when I first woke up from impermanent death. Not to mention all the research he had been doing while I was home. So before he could start examining me, I asked timidly, “Can we talk… alone? I found out a few things.”

He looked surprised, but felt more concerned that something else came up for me to tell him. Tauxolouve didn't linger around at hearing that I wanted to see Huedhaut alone, he was respectful enough. 

Huedhaut sat me down at the end of his bed as he removed my shirt to check over my body for any visible changes. “Should I be worried about how you found out about any of these recent developments?” His fingers lightly traced the burn marks that were still healing along my shoulder. 

I didn't respond to his question, simply starting by asking, “Do you remember how long I slept after the Dark King…?” I trailed off, but he was smart enough to connect the dots.

“Six days… Fourteen hours.” 

As he knelt down to check my legs, I nodded slowly. “I started feeling tired again even though I get sleep at night. I think it has to do with how long my blood takes to regenerate. I lost a lot of blood with the Dark King and even though my body healed, on the inside I still needed a certain minimum amount of blood to function. I guess the condition of my heart might also have to do with it since that's what pumps the blood through my body.”

Now he was full-on staring at me with those angrily worried eyes. “And how, pray tell, did you find this out?”

I sighed. He knew exactly how I figured this out, but he really wanted me to admit it to him. “You won’t find answers in books. You said it yourself that I'm a special case. I'm the only way you're going to get any answers and you're not looking at me.” I watched as he stood up in frustration, pacing his room. He didn't want to hurt me just to get information—none of the gods wanted to do something so cruel. 

I sat in silence, watching him pace back and forth. He probably knew I was right but didn't know how else to address it. “You're not taking your health into consideration.”

“What health?” I snapped back, leaning forward to challenge him. “I'm immortal. They blasted my heart out of my chest and I was out for a week! You don't even know what I am!”

“Does it hurt?” He questioned without missing a beat. He wanted me to understand that it wasn't morally right to be doing these things to myself. “Are you in pain when you do this? And the healing process?” He took my hand, pulling me up from the bed as he spun me around, his fingers trailing along the scars. “These; Do these hurt?!” I flinched when he pressed just too hard, but he was quick to pull away. 

I turned to face him but he was already turning away from me. “Huedhaut-”

“It does hurt,” he answered his own question. “Even as gods, we feel pain. How much agony do you put yourself through all for the sake of getting answers for us? We don't need this anymore than you do.” 

“It wasn't for you,” I mentioned quietly, making him turn his head to at least regard me curiously. “It wasn't for any of you. You have no idea how I've been feeling since I died. I want answers more than anyone. I want to know what I am.”

“You're being self-destructive.”

“So what? I can't die. I hardly even scar.”

He faltered. “Have you tried to kill yourself?”

“I can't die, Huedhaut!” I ranted, “Bullets to my vital organs are nothing. Having my throat slit open leaves me unconscious for a few hours. I can drown myself but the minute oxygen flows to my brain again I'm alive. Nothing kills me! No one can kill me! I'm starting to wonder if I'd survive jumping into a volcano where nothing would be salvageable! I can't-”

I stopped my howling as something firmly covered my mouth. It wasn't his hand. Huedhaut's arms wrapped firmly around me, keeping me pinned against his chest, my mouth pressed into his shoulder so I couldn't speak. 

He whispered my name quietly; I almost didn't hear him at all. “Stop… Stop doing this.”

I forced my head away from his shoulder and hissed, “You have no idea what it feels like. If I can feel pain, I have a chance don't I?!”

“Stop!” His grip tightened around me. “I've never met anyone so selfish.”

“I’m the selfish one?” I couldn't help but retort. He was the one who wasn't helping. “What about you?! You're so thoughtless… You're the biggest idiot in the Heavens!” I shoved myself out of his arms, wiping the tears of frustration out of my eyes. It didn't matter that he was on the verge of tears. He didn't understand. 

I felt too frustrated to stay and talk it out as I grabbed my shirt and stormed out of his room. I nearly threw my shirt on backwards at the speed I was angrily shoving my arms through the sleeves. God knows we needed to have a proper talk where we weren't screaming our emotions at one another. None of them even bothered to ask me how I was feeling about anything. The only thing that seemed to matter was their feelings! Those poor gods had to watch me die. It was so disturbing; I bet!

Was I upset about dying? Sure. But since I knew I couldn't die I was feeling a new kind of dread—one that wouldn't go away in a few days once I was over it. 

“(Name), what'd Hue say?” Dui called as he spotted me in the hall. He was walking over, but I really didn't want to see any of them. They were all the same kind of selfish.

“All of you gods share the same brain cell. I don't want to talk to you right now.” I muttered a response, quickly trying to escape the mansion. 

This left Dui speechless as he stood there for half a second with his mouth hanging open. “I- Uh- Hang on!” He scurried after me. “Wait up a second. What happened? Did he have bad news?”

“He got upset with me!” I snapped, spinning around to vent my feelings. “He had the audacity to get upset with me!”

“What do you mean he got-”

“He said I'm not considering my health,” I scoffed, wincing as I punched the marble wall. I knew nothing would happen besides me getting a bruised fist—maybe a few broken bones that would be mended in a few minutes. “I'm the only one considering my health. I can't die!” 

“You should calm down a bit,” he offered in concern, slowly offering me his hand for help. “Hue’s a nice guy. It was probably just a misunderstanding. He only wants the best for you. You're going to hurt yourself if you punch things like that.”

“Pain is the only thing that makes me feel like I'm normal,” I jeered. It made me feel less permanent in the world. “You don't even understand!” I smacked his hand away, retreating down the hall despite him following me. 

“We’re trying to understand,” he said, frantically trying his best to calm the situation. “(Name), we’re worried about you. You died and came back so suddenly. Even Shadow’s been having a hard time with this so I know you can’t be doing much better. But you can’t keep it all to yourself.”

“I can,” I argued. Spinning around, I fixed him with a steady glare. “No one’s been willing to listen to me and actually try to understand how I feel. When have any of you thought about mortality?!”

“When you died,” he said. He didn't come much closer with the way I looked at him. It looked like I was more stressed than they thought, and Dui was finally getting some answers from me. “We didn't have to think about mortality before you died because… we didn't imagine you'd be dying at all.”

Yes, I knew all of this. They were gods; they lived a long time. They didn't have to think about when they would die—and they never again had to think about when I would die. “You understand that much,” I said, my tone quiet compared to how I was screaming a moment ago. “So, swap it around. Try thinking about how I feel. I didn't want to leave so soon but… I don't want to live like this.” 

Glancing at Dui, I could tell he was trying to piece together my words, but he wasn't getting my point. It made me wonder if gods ever thought about their own mortality—Dui of all gods should know that they aren't immortal.

Leaving Dui alone with his thoughts, I left the mansion. When I ruminated on what it was like for them as gods, I realized it was more than Dui that should know. Ichthys was young but he would die sooner than the other gods, everyone knew that even if they said nothing. Krioff almost killed his sister, that was a memory that always haunted him—especially when he had to watch me die in the under realm. Huedhaut’s girlfriend died and Tauxolouve's biological parents died. They understood death. 

So why did Huedhaut have to get mad at me when I wanted to die? Did he want me to understand how much suffering he went through? 

No… Huedhaut wouldn't be so cruel. I wished they could see how I felt.

***

I was stubbornly avoiding them. Huedhaut started this whole thing. If he hadn't been on my back about my immortality, then I wouldn't have had a reason to stay away from the mansion. Unfortunately, it was fairly obvious what I was doing, and I knew they wouldn't let me keep it up forever.

Regardless of how I previously felt, Huedhaut’s words got to me. I knew what I was doing to my body was useless. I was just hurting myself for the sake of feeling closer to death—something I knew I could never achieve. Though, the more I thought about it, I was hurting the gods as well and I didn’t want to do that. 

“If I could wish for anything in the world, I wish you’d understand how I felt,” I muttered quietly, my gaze set on the sky above, only separated from me by the glass window in my room. “No one can live forever, not even a god. So what am I supposed to do when you all leave me? I don’t-” My voice cracked, and I paused, leaning my forehead against the window as I shut my eyes. “I don’t want to be left behind. It was easy because I was going to leave before you, but now… I have to watch everyone leave me and you’re all so focused on yourselves to even think about how I feel.”

I was brutally honest. I wasn’t sure I would ever have the heart to say that to their faces. How selfish do I have to be to be to say something like that to them? I knew they had their own internal struggles—it’s just that they weren’t seeing me like I needed. Did any of them really know what it was like to die and then be reborn countless times? Krioff might have had some semblance. Partheno may have partially understood since his demon-side died. But they were all still alive, and they were all still mortal.

“Lady (Name)?” A tiny voice called out, bringing my somber attention to the open door. Vega stood there with calculating eyes I swore could see through my soul. It made me wonder how long a god truly lived, and if Vega would be in my immortal life for far longer than the other gods I love. “Lord Leon and the others want to see you. They said they found out more about you.” 

I perked up slightly. Were they so good at granting wishes they found a solution to my infinite suffering? Maybe it was better that I avoided them for some time; it gave them time to figure things out. 

Following Vega into the mansion, she took me to the living room where a vast majority of the gods were gathered. Though, their faces made it look like they had gruesome news rather than anything good to hear. After bringing me, Vega took the silence as her cue to leave.

Karno was the first one to ask, “How are you feeling?”

“Physically or…” I trailed off, his face telling me it was the latter, unspoken option. “Upset. I… I guess this feeling is anxiety. It’s almost constant and never leaves me alone.”

Teorus’ eyebrows furrowed. “Because of the future? You know those things won’t happen until centuries from now.”

“Centuries?” I questioned, tilting my head as if he had just sputtered some lie straight to my face. “Ichthys could die this year if something happened to him. And what about any of you? You say beings of equal or greater power can kill gods, but it’s still possible. I don’t know if you remember Partheno nearly killing Scorpio. Or Dui having to kill his best friend just to protect him.” The gods were silent for a moment. I was right. They couldn't correct me or refute my knowledge. Changing the subject, I grumbled, “You said you learned something.”

“Yes,” Huedhaut replied, though he didn't look half as defensive as he was the other day. “You're emotionally distressed and we've been ignoring it for our own selfish reasons. Why should we have been upset when we learned we wouldn't have to lose you?”

That was the base of how all of them were feeling. They neglected my worry over them dying before me just because they wouldn't have to see me die in the next 90 or so years I was supposed to live. 

“We didn't think about it the other way around,” Aigonorus added on quietly, his hand hesitantly moving to trace my fingers. “That we were the mortal ones. But mortal or not, we don't want living to mean you have to suffer.”

“How am I not going to suffer watching the universe evolve and change without me?”

“We're going to help,” Leon said, his face not betraying his promise. “We’ll need you with us to understand the limits of your body, but we will not abandon you. Are you willing to give yourself to us, body and soul?” 

The very thing they didn't want to do was cause me pain, but the only thing I wanted was to stay with them—for them to stay with me. As long as I didn't have to be without them, I'd accept anything they offered and give them anything in return. “Yes.”

[sparkledragons]

May i request some dragon!Taako and Dragon!Kravitz finding Angus as an egg and hatching him and raising him? i know there are some out there like it, but I wanted to read it in your style! thank you for taking the time to read this!

Alright so this isn’t exactly what you asked for and tbh I’m not sure how I feel about how it came out and it also took waaaay too long cause i got this ask when i was going through exam times and also here you go:

Taako’s copper wings skillfully caught the air as he gracefully soared over the hill lands. The harsh heat of the summer sun beat pleasantly against his upper scales as he scanned the grasses below for a meal. Perhaps he’d come across some wild horses. He might get lucky and land himself a griffon or chimera, but for now the only creatures to catch his eye were things like goats and rabbits; not worth his time.The dragon huffed a sigh of boredom. It was a slow day and he’d been hoping to take a trip to the small humanoid village and play some of those money-based games they seemed to care for so much. Taako enjoyed wording his way around their trivial rules, even if he never much desired the meager copper and occasional gold pieces at stake. He did, however, have a rather large collection of shoes by now and many of the townsfolk knew not to play games with the magic-inclined elf he made himself out be. A shame, he rather enjoyed that disguise. If he returned to the layer now maybe Kravitz would be willing to switch off hunting duties for the day. He’d done the last three shifts, one more couldn’t hurt. Taako’d make it up to him next time.As he mulled over the possible excuses he could weave to convince him a traveling caravan caught his attention. Eight carts in total, passing through the thin trails snaking through the hills. Looked like he might get a chance to play today after all.Taako beat his wings in the direction of the humanoids, even from a distance he could hear their shouts of concern as a creature as large as himself approached. Dumbasses. Didn’t they know the difference between a chromatic and a metallic. He wasn’t gonna do anything except maybe making walking a bit more painful for them. Even then they could just ride in the carts anyways.His landing shook the narrow path, sending rocks tumbling down the hillside. The travelers struggled to control their horses, startled by the apex predator suddenly in their midst. Taako chose to take his eleven form, to ease tensions. Most mortals didn’t fancy talking up to a fifteen foot flying reptile if they could help it.“Hail and well met travelers!” Taako greeted, flashing a ever so slightly devious smile. “What brings you to these hills?” He didn’t approach, keeping his distance to gauge their reactions.The caravaners talked nervously amongst each other and Taako did them the courtesy of not trying to listen in. They were mostly human, though he caught sight of a gnome and two elves within the crowd as well. They were all caring some form of weaponry. He liked to see that. These were dangerous hills and he’d watched one too many traveler meet their doom due to lack of defense. Eventually a rough-looking human was pushed forward. He had a scraggly beard and it looked like his cloths had seen better days. It also seemed he could do with a bath. As much as humans smelled this one in particular made Taako’s nose wrinkle even from a distance.“A-apologies m-mighty dragon… sir,” he licked his lips nervously. “We weren’t aware this- uhm.. We weren’t aware this land was your territory.”Taako laughed. He liked how he laughed in this form, high-pitched and light instead of deep and earth-shaking. He also liked when humans thought they had to be all polite and shit. Like, as long as they didn’t insult him or something he was fine with informality. And it wasn’t like he owned this land. He just lived here. Owning shit like that was a chromatic thing.“Cool it, Kimosabi. Just looking for a game. Do you like games?” Taako’s grin widened and he steepled his fingers at an angle. He really hoped they’d say yes. He wanted to quickly trick these people out of their footwear and be on his way. He didn’t need to go through the whole ‘here��s why we should play a game together’ bit.“Y-yes?” The man said, although he didn’t really sound that confident. Ah well, Taako wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth.“Wonderful,” Taako lilted and approached, allowing a deck of cards to appear in his hand. “So. What kind of-“ His usually spiel was cut off by a high-pitched whine sounding from somewhere among the caravans. The noise immediately set Taako on edge and he raised his fancy elven ears to search for the source.“Shit,” one of the elves cursed. Di’an go shut that thing up, she hissed to the other in elvish. Now that was insulting. Did they think Taako would take a form he didn’t know the language of? He heard the whine again and felt a snarl building in his throat.“Is there something you wan to tell me?” he practically growled to the travelers, the thieves. “Maybe something concerning a lost hatchling?”

The entire caravan was on edge as Taako’s angry gaze slid from person to person. He could practically smell the fear coming off them.“W-we promise we…” the human who addressed him before spoke up. “We promise we just found it. It-it was alone, and-“ another call of the scared wyrmling interrupted him. “Yeeeaaaah,” Taako narrowed his eyes, “that’s not gonna fly.”Taako was back in his dragon form in seconds and spewing gas over the humanoids attempting to draw their weapons. As the vapor entered their lungs and circulatory system Taako could see their movements slowing. The chemicals in his breath were locking up their muscles and sinking into their nervous system. He’d grin and take a moment to appreciate his power if he weren’t currently ripping apart caravans searching for a lost dragon child.He found him in the third cart, curled up in a too-small cage and bound with leather straps. Taako snarled angrily and his tail lashed, sending carts and likely some people over the edge of the trail. Pricks along his back legs alerted him to the humans jabbing at him with their swords. The silver mother they took the hatchling from must have been younger than him to have been defeated by these pathetic creatures. Their attempts were no more than a nuisance and he brought his head around to kill a magic user channeling her spell with a quick snap of his jaws.Anyone smart enough to hang back were now running as fast as their legs could carry them. A few pulled themselves onto horses cut loss in Taako’s raid. He payed them no mind, instead reaching down to rip apart the bars of the cage.The wyrmling whined again, unable to do much else with the fucking bindings holding his wings down and mouth together. Taako reached a paw in and carefully scooped him out. He was too warm for a silver dragon. Admittedly Taako didn’t know much about them, they lived high in the mountains and until now he’d never actually seen one before, but he knew they weren’t supposed to be warm-scaled dragons.Cradling the dragonling close to his chest, shielded as much as he could from the sun’s heat, Taako took flight. The beating of his wings alone knocked another cart down the hill face, but that wasn’t thorough enough. He sucked in a breath and let lose a blast of rock-melting acid, leaving a gaping wound in the side of the landscape. He hoped some of the humanoids was caught in it.He flew to the layer as fast as his wings would carry him. He took the secret entrance a hill or two away from the ruins decorating what Kravitz had made into the leading cave for travelers to wander in. On some days Taako passed his time working his way through his own traps and illusions, improving and altering them to his wishes. He didn’t have time for that now.He slipped through the narrow opening in the cliff-side, still keeping the too-still wyrmling to his chest. Inside was much cooler, the deep earth forever shielded from the sun’s heat.“Kravitz!” he called through the tunnels. He didn’t wait for a response before worming his way through to the main treasure room. He knew he had some enchanted bullshit that made things colder in here somewhere. Coins, trinkets, and gems cascaded from the piles as he dug though them to the best of his ability while cradling a hatchling.“Taako?” Kravitz entered the cavern wearily. The golden serpent tended to spend his days off sleeping if he could. He liked to be alone sometimes and Taako could respect that on most occasions. This was not one such moment. “Taako what are you doing?”Taako paused his search for a brief moment to shove the child in Kravitz’s direction.“What is… Fuck is that a silver wyrmling!?” Kravitz started, taking the small form from Taako’s hold. “Where did you find him? The nearest silver territory is miles from our boarder.” The quite snaps of breaking leather told Taako Kravitz was snapping the bindings. Good. He hadn’t had time in his rush.Ah! A glint of enchanted blue satin caught Taako’s eye and he reached through to grab the blanket of ice. This thing was meant to keep stuff cold instead of warm. A curious object to be sure. The things mortals came up with.He turned to drape the fabric over the panting little dragon and immediately watched him relax, letting out a sigh of contentment. His scales looks so dull and his now released wings hung loose at his sides, too exhausted to bother tucking them in.“Taako where did you find a wyrmling?” Kravitz repeated, settling the silver dragon into a pile of coin.“A caravan train. Had him locked up in there and thought I wouldn’t notice.” Taako sniffed at the sickly hatchling.A concerned rumble made it’s way up from Kravitz’s throat. He reached a claw forward to lightly nudge the young dragon. The wyrmling was looking up at them intently despite his bleary eyes.“Do-uh… Do you have name?” Kravitz asked and yeah that’d probably be better than continuing to refer to him as ‘the wyrmling’ or ‘the hatchling.’“Angus,” the wyrmling, er, Angus replied, scratchy voice barely over a whisper. Taako had to strain to hear it.“What happened to yah, Ango?” Crisis seemingly averted, Taako climbed up on the pile of treasures to lie down. He’d probably have to go out again later since he hadn’t actually caught anything but that was a problem for future Taako.Angus curled in on himself. It was at least a minute before he said anything. “It was an ambush, sir. Mother didn’t see it coming. I don’t think they expected to find me afterwards.”Kravitz hissed through gritted teeth and and glared at the wall. “Some mortals are… especially vile.” “Thank you for helping me. I’ll get out of your scales as soon as I’m well enough.”Taako studied Angus for a brief moment. He was already looking better but certainly wasn’t in any shape to be on his own. The bindings had left some nasty wounds along his wings and snout. Bahamut above, he did not feel like looking after a wyrmling; but even without the heat sickness Angus was probably too young to be on his own.“Yeah that’s bullshit,” Taako rolled his eyes.“Taako, language” Kravitz scolded, gesturing towards Angus.“It’s ok you can curse in front of me,” Angus quickly interjected.“Cool. That’s bullshit and we’re not gonna kick you out.”Angus sheepishly pulled his head in towards his body and said, “O-oh. I don’t want to be a bother. Really. I can-““Angus,” Kravitz interrupted, “it’s a mute point until your healthy anyways. At least agree to stay until then?”“I-“ Angus started, about to protest.Taako make a short humming sound in the back of his throat and stared pointedly at Angus once he had his attention.“Alright. I’ll stay until I’m healthy.”Taako nodded ever so slightly and set his head back down to the pile. There was no fucking way he was letting this kid leave even once he was healthy, but they’d get to that another day. For now he’d rest and heal.A soft nudge in his side prompted Taako to irritably open his eyes again. Kravitz was looking down at him expectingly.“Can I help you?” Taako smugly grinned.“Hunting?”The smile quickly fell from Taako’s face. “Shit…”

[kristannafever]

Bad Dream - Part 4

Kristanna Canon au Rated: M WC: 3495

FLUFF!  Waaaay too much of it.  And heavy on dialogue… so I feel it’s kind of boring, but had to get it out of the way before what happens next….(Cue ominous music)

Chapter Index

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Kristoff woke slowly.  He could feel Anna still pressed up against him as he became more aware, gradually opened his eyes and realizing that he had slept the entire night without dreams.  Actually, he felt rested for the first time in what seemed like a very long time.  He thanked the Gods for it and hoped Anna’s sleep went dreamless as well. 

She was breathing slowly and softly under his arm, still in a deep sleep.  He dared not move so as not to disturb her.  He desperately wanted her to catch up on her rest, to be able to sleep without the fear of being haunted by the things that had happened.  

The room was filled with a flat light.  Kristoff knew without looking that clouds were obscuring the sun and that rain would soon start to fall.  Autumn would be coming early this year.  It was Kristoff’s favorite time of the year - the morning air was crisp but the days still warm, the trees changing their colors and losing their leaves, the extra comfort of a warm fire at night and the pumpkins and winter squash that were available in the markets to make fine stews. 

But he also knew with every early fall the mountains brought, they would follow with a dreadfully long and brutal winter.  He’d never been in Arendelle over the course of an entire winter and he wondered what he would do to bide his time.

Anna stirred under his arm as Kristoff was lost in thought.  She gradually woke, snuggling herself again his body, hummin with satisfaction.

“Did you dream?” Kristoff whispered in her ear.

She smiled but did not open her eyes. “Only of you.” 

“Pleasant dreams I hope?” he fished.

She laughed.  “Oh my yes, very pleasant.  Very intima…”  Her eyes flew open and the smile fell from her face.  “Very nice, yes,” she covered quickly.

Kristoff laughed in spite of himself.  He was glad to have a sleepless night but was a little envious that he did not have an intimate dream about Anna the way she had clearly had about him.  He rolled away to his side of the bed and got up, stretching out his body.  He could feel Anna’s eyes on him as his back was to her.

A knock at the door startled them both.  He whipped around and looked at Anna, her eyes as wide as his. 

“Kristoff?” said Elsa’s muffled voice.  “Is Anna in there?  Can I come in?” 

Anna shook her head violently at Kristoff.  She scrambled off the bed and clumsily gathering her dress and undergarments in her arms. 

“Uhhhh,” Kristoff stammered.  “Just a second.  I’m not… uh… decent.” 

He quickly grabbed a shirt lying on the ground and yanked it over his head.  As he was shoving his arms into the sleeves Anna mouthed words at him, ‘I’m not here.’

“Kristoff?” Elsa said again with impatience in her voice.

He looked back at Anna who was ducking behind the far side of the bed with no where else in the room to hide.  He inhaled deeply, smoothed out his shirt and opened the door.

“Is Anna in here?  She’s not in her room.”  Her voice was sharp.

“Uh, no, not here.  Maybe she uh, woke early and went for a walk?” Kristoff chided himself for stammering.

“Her bed has not been slept in,” Elsa said accusingly.

Kristoff knew that Anna had not wanted her sister to know she had spent the night with him and he had to admit that he didn’t either.  He knew the implications of the lie they were telling and he knew he would have to act concerned given the current situation they were all in. 

“Okay then, I’m worried.  Let’s go find her,” he said as he entered the hallway and closed the door behind him.

*****

Anna immediately scrambled to put on her clothes.  She fumbled so much with her undergarments that she began to panic causing her to take a second to calm herself before she could continue.  With shaking hands, she re-did all the buttons on her dress and pulled it over her head.  She ignored pain as she contorted her arms to get the dress on.

She dashed from Kristoff’s room in the opposite direction she had heard Kristoff and Elsa go, hoping that she would not meet anyone in the halls.  She went to the closest logical place she could have spent the night, shutting the door behind her.  No sooner had she grabbed a book off the shelf and laid down on the couch closing her eyes then Elsa strode into the room. 

“Anna!” 

Elsa’s voice was so heavy with relief that the startle Anna knew she had to fake upon being woken up, felt very genuine.  She felt the sharpness of guilt poke at her, knowing that Elsa had been worried.

Anna scrambled to her feet as Elsa pulled her into an embrace.  “Oh Anna, I went to wake you and when you weren’t in your room and your bed was still made…” she trailed off hugging Anna tight.

Anna looked at Kristoff over her sister’s shoulder.  She could see the guilt he harbored in his eyes as well before he averted them to the floor.  “I’m sorry, Elsa.  I wasn’t tired so I came here to read and I fell asleep,” she lied.

Elsa held her at arms length.  “I’m just glad you’re okay.”  Her eyes suddenly became accusing.  “And I’m sure Kristoff is too.”  She turned from Anna to look at him standing in the doorway. 

Anna’s breath caught in her throat and she could see the look of panic blaze across Kristoff’s eyes.  She had said that so pointedly that they both knew in an instant that Elsa had figured out their lies, but was choosing not to acknowledge out loud what she had learned. 

“Well then, why don’t you two head for breakfast.  I have things to do,” Elsa said.  

Anna began to follow Kristoff as he disappeared into the hall when a sharp tug at her sleeve stopped her. 

Elsa’s eyes were filled with warning. “We will talk about his later.”

Anna gave a sheepish nod and sprinted quickly after Kristoff, away from Elsa’s scrutiny. 

*****

The day went by at a snail’s pace.  Anna was too distracted to do anything besides follow Kristoff around as he did chores.  He had been told of course, when he was given his room in the castle that he would have no such obligations, but she knew that he was uncomfortable with not using his hands for work.  Being idle did not suit him anyway.

As it was getting late in the day, Anna lazily brushed Sven’s fur as Kristoff mucked out the stall.  She was half mesmerized by his body moving under his shirt, remembering back to the morning as she watched his muscles ripple across his back like waves while he had stretched out the nights sleep.   She was pulled from her happy observations upon hearing her name.

“Princess Anna.”  A castle aide stood at the entrance to the stables.  “Queen Elsa has requested a word.  She is in her study.”

Anna gulped and looked at Kristoff who had stopped his work.  He slowly turned to her with a question she knew in his eyes.  She could only shrug, her lips pulled into a thin line.  She didn’t know what the answer would be. 

*****

Kristoff watched Anna walk towards the castle with a nervous sadness.  He suspected that she would be told to stop the impropriety of sleeping in a man’s bed while she remained unwed.  He felt in his heart that it completely harmless, but he knew it was viewed as wildly inappropriate.

As he busied himself back at work, a light ran finally began to fall from the clouds that had been hanging low over Arendelle all day, which to Kristoff, seemed ironically fitting.  He thought again over what he had been mulling over in his mind all day, that the nights sleep, so deep and free of nightmares, had formed a deep bond between them that there was no turning back from it.  Despite his previous reservations about her feelings, he knew this time that Anna had felt the connection as well, just as he knew it would now be impossible for them to not to sleep in the same bed if they were under the same roof.

He knew what he needed – wanted - to do to make the situation right, but he worried that their time being holed up in the castle with the threats looming beyond its walls would make it difficult to acquire what he needed.  He also knew who he had to talk to, but he was terrified of the conversation he would have to have.

*****

Anna entered Elsa’s study slowly as her sister’s muffled come in came through the door.  She was sitting behind her big desk with her hands folded neatly on top of it, eyeing Anna in a way she was unfamiliar with.  Was it disappointment she saw in her sister’s gaze?  Mere disapproval?  Perhaps anger?  Things had been so happy amongst them as of late that the expression her sister wore was foreign to her.  She was at least glad that doors now opened when she knocked. 

“Please sit.”  

Elsa gestured to the chair on the opposite side of the desk.  The formality in which her sister was treating her made her even more uneasy.  She sat as commanded, watching Elsa regard her a moment before speaking. 

“Anna, I thought we agreed that we would no longer have secrets between us.”

Anna opened her mouth but Elsa’s raised her palm to quiet her.

“I understand that is very hypocritical coming from me, but after everything that happened and we have talked for the first time in…”  she paused, pain flashing in her eyes.  “… a long time, we agreed that there would never ever be secrets between us again.”

There was a silence as Anna contemplated the weight of her sister’s words.  They had indeed promised each other that.  She twisted the fabric of her skirt nervously in her hands as she grasped to find the right way to tell her, knowing there would be no more lies from her mouth.  

“Where did you really sleep last night?” Elsa prodded.  Rain began to tap lightly on the window of the study.

“In Kristoff’s bed,” Anna answered, casting her eyes downward, unable to watch her sister’s expressions as she confessed to her. “I really didn’t want to be alone last night.  I was scared, I guess… and lonely.”

Elsa said nothing.

“It was the best sleep I have had since what happened,” she told her sister, eyes still down at her hands.  “I slept soundly in a way I was used to when we were young… when we were close as kids… before you shut me out.”

She knew her words had hurt Elsa without having to look up.  A sharp inhale told her that her sister understood what she was saying, which gave Anna a conflicted feeling of sorrow and justification.  She hadn’t wanted to dwell on it, to bring it up, but it was hard to forget all those lonely years so quickly.

It was a while before Anna raised her gaze to see a glimmer of tears in Elsa’s eyes and she immediately regretted what she had said.  But at the same time a piece of her felt happy that Elsa was finally understanding how after all those years of solitude, it would be natural of her to seek solace, to seek comfort.  Had the past events not taught her that?

“Anna…” Elsa’s voice was weary.  “I am so sorry.  I know there are not enough times in this life I could say that, but we have to move forward from this.  You know I have suffered in those years too.  I’ve spent just as many lonely nights in our past as you.  You understand that, don’t you?”

Elsa’s words cut her back and she began to cry.  She cried over the past, brought so freshly up in her mind.  She cried for the present, of their fear of retaliation from a problem they thought was solved.  She cried for the future that she has a hard time imagining at the moment whereas a week ago she knew that everything to come would be happy and wonderful.

She felt Elsa pull her from her seat into an embrace and her sister’s body cry in tandem with hers, but Anna could not offer any sort of comfort.  The wounds that were so deep have been opened and she could not help the flood of emotion that rolled out of her. 

It is some time before the sisters calmed their demeanor and held each other at arms length.  Finally, Elsa broke the silence in a way that surprised Anna. 

“I guess I should get used to the fact that you are truly a woman now.”

Anna wasn’t sure if it was the wording or her sister’s tone that made her realize exactly what Elsa had thought spending the night with Kristoff had meant. 

“Elsa, you don’t understand,” Anna said quickly.  “I only sought his comfort and that is all he wanted in return.  Nothing… happened.”

Elsa’s eyes scanned her face. “So… you still have your…?”

“Of course!” Anna said loudly to imply the obviousness of it.  “You don’t think Kristoff would be the kind of man to take that from me right now… do you?” 

Elsa shook her head quickly she but Anna didn’t miss the relief in her face.  “Of course not, he is very honorable.  I am truly sorry I have misjudged you… both of you.”

Anna could understand her sister not fully grasping the situation.  She had been so afraid to open up to people for so long that a relationship such as the one Kristoff and Anna shared must seem almost impossible to her.  She felt a sudden pang of sadness for her sister and she hoped one day that she would work her way to open up to someone and find her own true love.

“As long as you are discreet, I will have nothing else to comment on the matter,” Elsa said.  “But should you cross that line into womanhood, I hope that you would at least tell me.” 

The look on her face was more of a protective parent than a sister at that moment, and it drove home to Anna a small piece of what her sister must have been going through since their parents had died. 

“Can I ask,” Anna said bluntly. “Did you know when you knocked on Kristoff’s door that I was there?” 

“No,” Elsa said slowly.  “I was genuinely worried, but Kristoff is terrible at feigning emotions.”  She laughed.  “If you really were missing, he would have been a hurricane going through this castle to find you instead of following me around looking in rooms.”

Anna laughed in spite of herself.  She did indeed know that to be the truth.

She left Elsa’s study to seek out Kristoff.  He was surely done the mucking of the stalls and he would be somewhere inside since the rain had become heavier.  She could not help but feel excited at the prospect of her future nights in the bed of the man she loved.  So warm and so comforted and so safe, she didn’t even realize her stride quickened at the thought of it. 

*****

Kristoff sought out Elsa that night while Anna took a bath.  He found her in the hall outside her room - the one her parents had once slept in - looking fixedly out the window through the rain that surely obscured her view.  She didn’t even acknowledge that he was standing there until he gently cleared his throat, yet she looked his way slowly as if she was indeed aware that he was standing there and had been choosing to ignore him.

“Uh, Elsa… Queen Elsa…” he stammered nervously until a slight pull at the corner of Elsa’s mouth told him that she wasn’t as furious with him as he imagined she was, and probably should have been.  

“I want you to know that I would never do anything to hurt Anna…in any sort of way,” he continued walking closer, looking her intently in the eyes as he towered above her so that she would understand the weight of his words.  “I know that I am not worthy of her.  I have no noble lineage and nothing to offer her other than my undying love, my loyalty and my protection, such as it is.”

Elsa still said nothing.

Kristoff continued, “I want you to know that I have forfeit my life to her.” 

Elsa’s eyes widened and brows raised ever so slightly at that comment. 

Good, he thought, she is listening. “I have nothing yet to present to her, but I want to ask you, when the time is right of course, for your permission to offer her my hand… if she’ll have it.”

“Oh Kristoff,” Elsa said. “I know that you love her, and I know that she loves you back, so very much.  While I may not agree with what you’ve decided as your sleeping arrangements, I understand the want and need of it and I am happy that you and Anna both look so well rested today.”

Elsa surprised him by grabbing up his hand and squeezing it tightly between hers. 

“You don’t know in what high regard I hold you, do you?” 

Kristoff could only shake his head. 

“You risked your life to help Anna.  You saved her so that she could save me and herself, and neither of us will be able to properly repay you for that.  You are courageous and honest and act more of a gentleman than most of the noble people that have visited here.  You are worthy of her, and she of you, so put those thoughts from your mind.”  She dropped his hand.  “And of course, you have my permission to ask Anna to marry you.  But don’t think she needs to be given a shiny trinket.  She would wear a piece of string as long as it was from you.”

Waves of relief rolled through Kristoff’s mind and body like a tidal wave, making his heart swell for the beautiful sisters even more.  He felt happy tears prick at his eyes which he could see did not unnoticed by Elsa.  

Her eyes narrow in thought for a moment and she said, “I love you, Kristoff… because Anna loves you and because I love her, so very much.  You fit in so well with us and I welcome you to our family.”   

Kristoff hugged her tightly and quickly, trying to swallow past the lump in his throat.  “Thank you,” he said thickly, then he bid her a quick goodnight and turned before she could see the tears of gratitude escape his eyes.

*****

Anna came to his room that night and automatically grabbed one of his shirts.  He knew by the zealous way in which she moved that it matched the smile which he could not seem to wipe from his face.  No words were spoken as they resumed the same position from the previous evening.  Hans was all but a distant memory as they prepared to share a bed once more.  Sleep came swift to them both. 

That night Kristoff woke by the sound of rain pounding on the glass of his window.  It hadn’t yet stopped since the sprinkling had started that afternoon, and from the sounds of it, would not let up any time soon.  Thunder rolled softly in the distance. 

Kristoff dozed off again, wondering somewhere in the back of his mind if the rain was somehow foreboding. 

*****

The sea-weathered captain regarded his shipmates with careful eyes.  Had he not been offered so much money, he would have told the young man with a hooded face and his dirty old friend with a twisted cane, to find some other passage to Arendelle.  But the lure of gold had been too much and he ignored his gut telling him that these two were trouble.  Even his crew had given him questioning glances as the passengers came aboard.

The anger he saw in the young mans eyes made him especially uneasy.  More uneasy than the fact that he was sure the dirty old codger was a warlock.  The two did not speak while he was in their presence, and that suited him just fine. 

“How long until we reach Arendelle?” asked the hooded figure in a very low and menacing voice, startling the captain.

“’’Bout two days,” said the captain, hoping that would be the end of the conversation.  He wished again he had turned down their offer.

The hooded man nodded slightly and said nothing more.

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[travelbugemily]

🌴 Hawaiian Adventure 🌴

It’s 3:30am and like usual my insomnia has gotten the best of me. So I figured why not start making posts about my previous trips! I don’t know if anyone will find these interesting, but I’ll include some pictures, videos, tips, and probably start rambling about random things. Hope you enjoy!

I went to Hawaii’s Big Island in May 2013. I had been to Maui, and didn’t feel like I had really taken advantage of all the cool things to see and do. Unfortunately Maui was waaaay out of my price range, so I did a little research and playing around with Kayak (a travel website for those who don’t know), and found the Big Island to be much more cost effective. I decided to actually go for a package deal from Expedia, which included a 5 night stay (I think?) at a four-star hotel, roundtrip airfare from Sacramento, and a car rental. I went in the off-season in May, right before the summer crowds showed up, and got a killer deal. I was worried that I’d feel out of place as a solo traveler since tourism in Hawaii is geared more towards couples and families. I learned though on this trip that traveling solo is only as awkward as you make it.

The Flight: I flew from Sacramento, to LAX, to Kona which is one of the airports on the Big Island. American Airlines was the carrier and I’ll just say that if you can avoid flying with them, do.

The Car Rental: It was my first time renting a car, and I wasn’t expecting to be hounded by the rental car agent to get extra insurance, damage coverage, and they even tried to convince me to upgrade to a convertible. Yeah, ummm can you imagine me in a convertible? Me neither.

The Hotel: My hotel was located about 20 minutes north of the airport in Waikoloa. I stayed at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort. Very nice hotel. Not much of a beach, but a good pool area and friendly staff. Concierge was extremely helpful with directions, restaurant recommendations, booking tours, and more. Breakfast was not included which was a bummer, but I wasn’t about to pay an extra $20 something/day.

The Activities: Now for the good stuff. I made a very loose itinerary for myself before I left. Here is some of what I did.

Check out this video for a couple of highlights!

Akaka Falls State Park (Honomu, HI): Simply gorgeous! It’s a quick little hike that leads to not only views of the falls, but also just the scenery along the hiking route that is beautiful. The hike to the falls (I wouldn’t really even call it a hike) is a paved walkway, but there are stairs so if you have mobility issues you might have a more difficult time.There is an entrance fee and don’t be that person that skips out on paying. It makes you look like a real jerk. When I was here there was no attendant to monitor payment, so it was all the honor system. Make sure to bring your camera, because this state park is not to be missed!

Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens (Papaikou, HI): BRING THE BUG SPRAY! Okay, I had to get that out of the way. After coming here my legs were absolutely covered in bites. That’s pretty much my only gripe and it was completely my fault. This garden was a little hard to find, but if you have the Google maps app you’ll be fine finding your way here. Admission was $15 per person, which I think is a pretty fair price. Parking was a breeze. If you happen to have forgotten the bug spray, I think they have some for sale inside.Walking down to the garden itself is a very steep hill. You have to be super careful not to slip and fall like I saw a few people do. Once coming down the hill, you enter a rainforest of waterfalls, tall leafy tress, gorgeous and some kinda weird looking flowers, and tons of paved trails. There is even a trail that goes out to the ocean.I recommend bringing a backpack to carry water bottles and extra bug repellant. And make sure your camera or phone is completely charged because the scenery will make you want to take tons of pictures. Also, good quality walking shoes are a must. I wouldn’t want to do all that walking in sandals. You’re just asking for blisters.Bring the bug repellant, water, and camera and you’re all set for a great day of exploring at this amazing garden.

Hapuna Beach (Kamuela, HI): Close your eyes and think of the perfect Hawaiian beach. Now take a look at this gem! It’s exactly what I imagined a Hawaiian beach to be like. Beautiful white sand, clear blue warm water, gentle waves, people hanging out having picnics under their beach umbrellas. This beach can get busy and there is an entrance fee. Parking can be difficult because if you get there late in the afternoon the lot can be close to full. I didn’t find the beach to be too busy actually. Granted I went around 11am on a weekday, but still. There weren’t tons of people crowding together to get that prime spot on the beach. Just a very chill, relaxing environment. This is one of the of the best beaches on the island in my opinion!

Big Island Candies (Hilo, HI): Loved my visit to Big Island Candies! I came here as part of my island bus tour, and it was one of my favorite stops. Big Island Candies is a very busy factory with tour buses dropping people off frequently. I just think that it’s a testament to how good this place is. Right upon entering, we were offered free samples. A shortbread cookie and some Kona coffee. I declined the coffee, but boy did it smell good. The other people on my tour did tell me it was some of the best coffee they’ve ever had. Now the shortbread cookie was literally melt in your mouth good. As soon as I tasted it I instantly knew that I would be buying several packages. I ended up buying a package of the chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies, pineapple shortbread, and dark chocolate dipped cookies. Let’s just say that only one package actually made it back to California with me. They also had macadamia nut chocolates and other candies which were packaged beautifully and would make for a great gift.I just found out that they sell their products online at their website. This is very bad news for my wallet, but very good news for my stomach. If you’re in Hilo and looking for some genuine island treats, stop by Big Island Candies!

Punalu’u Black Sand Beach: On your way to Volcanoes National Park? Definitely make a stop here and take in the views and maybe even see some cute sea turtles!I made a quick stop here during the island bus tour I was on. I didn’t get to spend much time, but the views were incredible. The sand was pristine and the water was pretty calm for it being an east coast beach. While I wouldn’t go swimming or snorkeling in the water, I saw people wading in it. I expected the black sand to be rough and rocky, but it was actually the opposite. It was nice and soft and warm. I can see why the turtles like it so much. Also, supposedly sea turtles frequently sun bathe here! Unfortunately, they must’ve been scared off by the large crowd walking the beach the day I was there. *sadface*

Other activities I did that I’m not covering in this post because this is already way too long included a visit to Volcanoes National Park and an island bus tour with Roberts Hawaii.

I’ll end this post here because it is now past 4 and I guess I need to sleep at some point. 😝  

- Emily