#however he Has shared his watered down ~recreational mix~

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

Hi I really love your art👋🧡💙💜

is it alright if we could see more bardaby art with the illusion smoke I really liked the last bit of art you did of that!

also has he ever used it on anyone before? Or not?

Thank You! im glad to hear it <3

if i ever draw more i'll post it, dw! & well yeah, he'd use it on opponents lol but he wouldn't use it on his friends unless there's like... a special circumstance that necessitates it

[oneshot-wxnderland]

Sweet Dream Part 1 | Jason Grace

Summary: Jason has an interesting dream about his friend Y/n and he can’t get it out of his head all day.

Category: smut

Part 2

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          For the first time, Jason was very glad to have a cabin to himself when he woke up this morning. Breathing hard and his pulse pounding, he screwed his eyes shut and cursed Apollo for the morning rays that were breaking up the images of his dream. Images of you. And him. 

          He felt hot all over and threw his sheets off, laying there in a daze. 

          That was so weird, he thought, throwing his arms over his eyes to block out the sun. Incredibly wrong to have a dream like that about a friend like you. 

          He lay there for too long, thinking rationally about how it was just a random dream that his subconscious threw together and happened to pick you for the subject. Thinking that it meant nothing and that it was something he should just forget and move on from. And yet, as he lay there, bare chest rising and falling in the morning light, he couldn’t stop replaying the scenes from last night. 

          Scenes of you scantily dressed and beckoning, a seductress so tempting that he thought for sure you were some kind of monster waiting to ensnare him, but when he reached out and took you in his arms, he thought that even the most powerful monster couldn’t be as alluring as you were right now. 

          Scenes of you and him together, touching and kissing and more. He recalled how your body felt beneath him, his hands gliding over and gripping your soft skin. Your own hands, in his hair and pulling him ever closer. 

          When he finally roused himself to check the time he cursed, seeing that he had missed breakfast and was going to be late for sparring with Percy. 

          “Dude, where is your brain today?” Percy asked when Jason belatedly parried his strike. “I mean you’re usually easy to beat, but not this easy.”

          “Funny, Jackson.” Jason deadpanned and forced all lingering thoughts of you out of his mind so that he could focus on beating his friend. He found it to be a good distraction and went a little harder than he usually does in practice, causing Percy to respond in kind. 

          After a while, Jason had finally bested Percy and was about to disarm him when a clear voice rang out and hit him in the gut.

          “Yeah Jason! Show him who’s boss!” His head whipped around to spot you and your cabin mates gearing up to have their turn in the arena. You waved at him and the wall of distraction that sparring had provided broke and he thought of his dream again, of your hair shining like it did last night when it was fanned out against his pillow.

          Percy, intrigued by this occurrence and taking advantage of Jason’s distraction, flipped the position and left Jason disarmed on his back. 

          “You good?” He asked, lending a hand to help his friend up. 

          “Yeah,” Jason replied absentmindedly, clearly not aware of how openly he was staring at you as you warmed up. “Yeah, I’m good.”

          Percy looked between Jason and you with a raised eyebrow but decided not to question it. 

          “Okay… well, come on. It’s our turn on the lava wall.”

          The rest of the morning went better, with Jason putting his all into every task they did trying to keep his mind from wandering back to you. By lunchtime he was a sweaty mess and was having an easy conversation with Percy, who desperately wanted to consult with Annabeth on what the matter with Jason was. 

          Since Jason and Percy were each the only children of their godly parents at camp, they shared training schedules and a table at lunch so they wouldn’t be all alone. Except their lunch table rarely only housed the two of them since almost always Annabeth and some of their other friends would break the rules and sit by them. 

          So today for lunch it was the two boys and Annabeth talking about plans for their next trip to New Rome until Y/n came and sat next to Jason. 

          “Hey guys,” she greeted as she straddled the bench, leaning in to steal a grape off of Jason’s plate. He immediately stiffened at Y/n’s sudden nearness and the smell of her freshly washed hair clouded his senses. She must have just taken a shower after her morning training since her hair was still damp. And picturing her in the shower did wonders for Jason’s predicament. Great.

          His change in demeanor didn’t go unnoticed by Percy and Annabeth, who shared a look, but it was completely lost on Y/n, who grabbed another one of his grapes.

          “Hey, Y/n,” the couple greeted and started the conversation back up. Except this time Jason wasn’t contributing much since the way Y/n was leaning towards him with her arms braced in front of her on the bench was causing a very tempting distraction to peak up over her tank top. 

          “Jason?” He realized too late that she was talking to him and his eyes snapped to his plate almost as fast as his cheeks reddened. 

          “What?”

          “I said…” Y/n poked him in the shoulder. “Do you want to go canoeing with us tonight?” 

          “Oh, yeah. Sounds fun.”   

          It was most certainly not fun. This wasn’t the first time they’d snuck out after lights out to hang and do stuff, and objectively canoeing was one of the least sexy activities there is, but it still got to Jason. 

          Of course Annabeth and Percy shared a canoe which left Jason and Y/n in their own trailing after them. However, they quickly fell behind since Percy had given up on paddling and just willed their canoe forward. Damn water bastard that he is.

          “You still alive back there?” Y/n called back to him.

          “Yeah.”

          “You’re not talking.”

          “Yeah.”

          “Okay.” She put down her paddle and started to stand up, rocking the canoe as she did.

          “What are you doing?” Jason asked concerned as he tried to keep the canoe steady while she turned around and sat to face him.

          “You’ve been weird all day. What’s up.” 

          “Nothing.”

          “It’s definitely something.”

          “No. It’s not.” 

          Y/n sighed and turned back around, starting to paddle back to shore. “If you don’t wanna talk, that’s fine. I’m gonna go to bed.”

          Jason’s mind was at war with itself as he hopped out of the canoe and tied it to the dock. On the one hand he felt bad for being rude to Y/n, but on the other he was wondering if her moonlit skin was as soft as he remembered it being in the dream. Or if her laugh sounded anything like the way she moaned in his ear.

          He was so caught up in his head that when Y/n tripped getting out of the canoe, Jason not only caught her but pulled her to him. Her eyes slightly widened and her intake of breath made Jason want to get more sounds out of her but he came to and hastily stepped away as if she would burn him.

          Now thoroughly confused and pissed off by his mixed signals, Y/n scoffed and turned to leave. 

          Without thinking, Jason caught her wrist and blurted out, “I had a dream last night.”

          Y/n looked at him more confused than ever, but didn’t shake his grasp.    

          “Okay?”

          “About you.”

          “Oh?” She took in the clench of his jaw and how he refused to look at her and it clicked. “Oh.”

          “So that’s why I’ve been weird all day. Sorry.”

          They stood there in silence for a few seconds that seemed like an eternity while Jason waited for her to curse him out, laugh, or even push him off the dock. But when her hand came to rest on his cheek it wasn’t to shove him away and instead gently turned his face to hers.

          She took a step closer to him and the heated gaze of his dream seductress moved from his lips to his eyes as she spoke the words he would remember forever: 

          “Do you want to recreate it?”

Part 2 

[captain-azoren]

Avatar: Spirit Forging

Something that I haven’t really seen categorized or analyzed in the Avatar ‘verse is instances of spirits possessing, fusing, or otherwise combining with humans. These fusions however have happened in in every main era, with many varying results. I’m going to explore the possible mechanics and methods of these fusions, or spirit forged humans, and try to theorize how it all works.

1.) Possession

Chronologically, the first recorded and most basic of fusion would be what the franchise calls “Possession.” This is where a spirit inhabits a human’s body, whether willing or unwilling. Most possessions that are seen or described have been only temporary, usually with the spirit just phasing through the human, but the effects on the body are almost always drastic;

First seen is Yao, Wan’s friend, though we only see the after effects. He was presumably possessed by a tree spirit, which transformed his body into a misshapen, asymmetrical mix of wooden and human parts. We then see this happen to a hunter when the Aye-Aye spirit possesses him;

During the possession, we see traits of the Aye-Aye form and replace parts of the hunter’s body and features. The Aye-Aye and later Raava claim that a spirit staying too long inside a human body would kill the human, though how that happens is unclear. It is possible that if a spirit stays inside a human too long, the spirit completely takes over the human’s body. Essentially, the human would cease to be, as if the spirit consumed their body, or possibly took over their mind. 

Apparently, changes in appearance are not the only effect of possession. In Rise of Kyoshi, it is mentioned that the son of a governor during the Hao Dynasty was transformed by a dragon-bird spirit flying through him. In addition to growing feathers and a beak, the boy developed unusual abilities. These abilities were not elaborated on. Corrupting possession like this would not be seen again until the era of Korra, where the full effects would be demonstrated;

Tokuga was an ambitious criminal who was transformed by the Dragon-Eel spirit flying through him. One effect was his arm being changed into a tail or tenril like appendage which could stretch great lengths. Tokuga could lift and constrict others with his new appendage, and claimed that his strength and speed were enhanced by his transformation. He was even immune to poisonous gas. It can be inferred that a human possessed by a spirit obtains attributes of said spirit outside of outward appearance.

What should be noted is that in each of these instances, the human was unwilling to be possessed. However, in cases where the human was willing, a much different transformation occurs, one in which the human’s physical body and appearance are mostly unchanged.

2.) Energy Transfer

When a human and a spirit are both willing, the human does not suffer any permanent physical transformation. This could possibly mean that physical transformations are done purposefully by the spirit while inhabiting the human’s body, as a direct form of harm or punishment, though this is unconfirmed, and may have more to do with the nature of the spirit. More animalistic spirits may cause a more directly physical transformation.

We see that Wan did not change physically when Raava passed through him, but he did describe feeling a rush of power from it. This could mean that a spirit can give humans a boost to their chi and strengthen their bending. This may be similar to how the Avatar State works, as it taps into Raava’s spirit energy latent within the Avatar. In the battle against Vaatu, Raava outright possesses Wan to allow him to bend all elements, but it put great strain on his body and would have killed him eventually.

In The Siege of the North, we see when a spirit simply gives a human its life energy. When Yue was born almost lifeless, the Moon Spirit gave her some of its own life energy to save her. It worked, and one side effect was Yue’s hair turning white. Whether or not this could be considered possession is unclear, but it may be safe to assume it is a case with a positive outcome for the human. This could be due to the spirit itself not inhabiting Yue’s body, just leaving her its energy

Another non-permanent, unharmful combination we see is Aang and the Ocean Spirit, La, to create an immense and powerful being. This form was a mixture of Aang, Raava, and La, and was only temporary, leaving Aang exhausted. This form was only created when Aang entered the Avatar State, and like other instances of possession, would likely have killed him if he stayed in the form for too long. Interestingly, Aang’s own body did not transform, and the Ocean Spirit transformed instead.

3.) Permanent Fusion

A much more rare transformation is a complete, permanent fusion between human and spirit. The first was Wan fusing with Raava to create what would become the Avatar, a being that would be reincarnated until Raava was forcefully separated from Korra thousands of years later. Raava was only able to combine with Wan temporarily in order to allow him to bend all four elements at once, but using the power of the spirit portals during Harmonic Convergence, they were able to fuse permanently. Unalaq repeated this process with Vaatu to create a Dark Avatar, and Korra did the same with Raava to recreate the Avatar.

What this could mean is that when two different sentient beings, or “souls,” try to inhabit the same body (the human soul and a foreign spirit), the body becomes overwhelmed by too much conflicting energies at once, with the more powerful one, the spirit, eventually winning out. The soul could be seen as a battery that energy or chi comes from, and a physical body can only accommodate one.

It requires a specific set of circumstances in order to create a permanent and stable fusion that leaves both parties alive. The process likely involves having to not just balance but also harmonize the two souls. This way, the two souls can share the same “will” and fuse into one soul that the body can handle. Harmonic convergence itself is a supernatural event that rebalances and harmonizes the whole planet’s spiritual energy, so tapping directly into it is likely what allows new Avatars to be created. That said, there are at least two instances of permanent, empowering fusions outside of Raava/Vaatu.

When the Moon Spirit Tui was killed by Zhao, Yue gave the energy that she was given. While this appeared to kill Yue, she instead became the Moon Spirit itself. Indeed, her physical body seems to dissolve in Sokka’s arms. The body of Tui glows and Iroh places it back into the pond, where it then rises from the water and takes the form of Yue. She speaks to Sokka and kisses him goodbye. Tui was not really brought back to life, rather Yue seemed to fuse with it and both were essentially reborn. How much of Yue remains human though is unclear.

What this could mean is that a human can take on the energy of a spirit IF that spirit has been killed or sufficiently weakened. Yue having lived so long with Tui’s life energy may have also made their fusion easier. Because Tui had died, it could be deduced that Yue’s will was not overcome by Tui’s, allowing Yue to keep her human form even after the transformation. It’s also possible that somehow Yue’s entire soul was absorbed into the physical body of the Moon Spirit, as if she were possessing it instead.

The final example of a human being reformed or “reforged” by a spirit is the most rare and most drastic, with its effects still unclear.

(Spoilers for Rise of Kyoshi and Shadow of Kyoshi)

4.) Consumption

During the era of Kyoshi, Kyoshi’s friend Yun was captured by the ancient spirit Father Glowworm and taken to the Spirit World. While there, the two battled each other to a stalemate until Glowworm proposed a deal; it would grant Yun some of its power, allowing Yun to create passages between the realms if Yun would bring Glowworm more victims to feed on. While it is possible that Glowworm was bluffing, it stands to reason that he would be able to grant Yun this kind of power, similar to how the Moon Spirit granted Yue life.

Yun appeared to agree to this, but instead, he attacked Glowworm, crushing the spirit down small enough that Yun was able to physically eat him. This gave Yun all of Glowworm’s power. It is repeatedly mentioned in the novel that Yun acted of his own will and not due to the influence of the spirit. From this is can be assumed that Glowworm was effectively killed when Yun ate him, too weak to impose his will over Yun’s. In essence, consumption is the inverse of possession; the human absorbs the spirit, rather than the spirit absorbing the human as is usually the case.

With Glowworm’s power, Yun was able to tunnel his way out of the Spirit World and into the Physical world. He also gained the ability to sense where the Avatar was, as Glowworm had formed a connection to the previous Avatar, Kuruk, though an intense battle in the past. It is unclear what other changes Yun underwent, though Kyoshi described something human was missing from him.

It could be assumed that absorbing Glowworm’s power amplified Yun’s already impressive earthbending skills to incredible levels, as he was able to liquify earth without the use of heat, something that not even Toph has been seen doing, among other feats.

(End of Spoilers)

And there you have it, all instances of “Spirit Forging” that occur within the Avatar universe, at least as much as I can find. From this, I think I can determine a few ground rules;

1.) Spirits, humans, animals, and plants all posses energy and souls. This energy is essential to life and can pass between beings, whether willingly or unwillingly. The soul is the source of this energy, or chi.

2.) Humans, plants and animals require a physical body to harness their souls and energy. Bodies can harness and unleash almost limitless amounts of power and spiritual energy if it is given to them. A spirit’s body is corporeal and a physical manifestation of their soul.

3.) The soul is the source of energy and willpower of a being, whether within a physical body or as a corporeal spirit. A body can harness limitless energy, but it cannot carry more than one soul for long without harmful after effects. The more out of syn or opposed the two souls within a body are, the more harm is done to the body.

4.) Energy can be taken by force through consumption or possession if the will of one being can overcome the other. If fully overcome, one soul can completely destroy the other. It can also be given freely with lesser side effects and with both souls remaining intact.

5.) Under specific circumstances, two souls can fuse into one soul by achieving a willing harmony and balance. This essentially causes the two souls to share the same will power and prevents the body from being torn apart. This fusion can be achieved with an immense outside energy source that acts as a harmonizer. Soul fusion is also possible if one or both souls are sufficiently weakened enough.

I hope that all makes sense. I haven’t seen much discussion on the topic, and I hope people find this as interesting as I do.

[darkmindsotome]

On the Riverbank

Title: On the Riverbank

Fandom: Love365 Masquerade Kiss

Pairing:  Kei Soejima x MC

 Word count:3,963

Warning: NSFW Smut

Written by: darkmindsotome

Summary: After suffering from cabin fever a date is in order. Only this simple date plan is going to get spicy.

Tagging @voltage-vixen as requested. Prompt #15: Free Prompt (Picnic on the River)

---

 I was willing to blame uncontrollable events on the fact that we hadn’t managed to go on a date in a while. Between work and recovering from work, it had been impossible to plan anything. However, it had become the new norm for us to remain living together at Kei’s rooms in Raven.

At some point, I began to feel like I had cabin fever. I was happy to be with Kei and a secret part of me loved being at home with him 24/7. To think there was a time when I thought this was a prison sentence. I couldn’t deny the fact I wanted to go out and do something now things had settled down though.

After looking out of the large windows in the suite over the streets of London, sighing for what must have been the sixth or seventh time, into my nighttime cup of tea. Kei put down his book and announced we would be going on a date. Later that night I curled up happily in bed wrapped in his arms and fell fast asleep.

The next day I woke up alone. My mysterious man had vanished before I could say so much as a good morning or ask about our date plans. Patting down the sheet on his side of the bed resulted in me finding them stone cold. He was always an early riser but this was ridiculous. I then noticed a note left on his pillow.

“Good morning, forgive me I had some things to tend to. I have arranged a car to bring you to our date. K”

I rubbed my fingers over his beautiful cursive writing just as a courier arrived at the door and delivered a beautifully wrapped box. The duck egg blue container was almost pearlescent with a thick cream coloured satin ribbon all perfectly tied around it.

The timing was so perfect I really had to marvel at the man organising this and wonder if I was always this predictable or if I would discover a hidden camera somewhere in the room. Opening the box up revealed a single white rose with a card resting on top of a black dress that fitted Kei’s tastes perfectly.

“I can’t wait to see you. K”

The message had me smiling long before I took the dress out of the box. It was a vintage style tea dress with little cap sleeves made from some of the most delicate lace I’d ever seen. It looked almost like patterned smoke.  

There was something different about getting ready for a mission and getting ready for a date. The feeling I got from both was similar but I found I was much more nervous about a date than a life-threatening mission. I rushed through my prep stage of shower, hair and make-up.  

Slipping into the dress I instantly fell in love with it. Kei knew my measurements off by heart and I was pretty sure he had them on file with his usual tailor so he could get the outfits he gifted me perfect right down to the last stitch.

Walking into the closet to find a pair of suitable shoes I discovered some already sitting out. They were naturally also black with the addition of ribbons that wrapped around my ankles. Securing the bows, I couldn’t help but make the comparison between them and cuffs. I felt heat climbing up from them at the thought. I imagined Kei and what was probably going through his head as he picked them out for me. How his fingers would have traced the shoes and the ribbon. The idea of tying me up was never far from his mind and with these shoes, it felt like he had already started.

Shaking my head, I looked at my watch and doubled checked my reflection in the mirror before leaving to go get in the car. I watched from the back seat absentmindedly playing with my choker as the car took me away from the centre of the metropolis. 

The modern landscape changed slowly into something that felt more historic. The buildings looked older; the concrete jungle had passed into something more like a tv drama set. In fact, if I hadn’t known how far I had travelled I might have thought I was somewhere else entirely.

My eyes caught a familiar figure standing near the roadside. He was dressed in more casual clothes. The white trousers, cream coloured cricket jumper with a blue stripe around the collar and the light blue shirt under it all made him look like a student. The car slowed until the backdoors aligned perfectly with him. I had seconds to smooth down my dress and mentally brush off some of the nervous excitement before the door was opened.

“M’lady.” I smiled at the Princely Kei as he offered me his hand. It was all too easy to forget what he truly was like even for me. Yes, I loved his sweet and angelic side, but I also loved that tricky Devil he hid behind his mask too.

“Thank you.”

Kei guided me to his side, away from the car, and sent it on its way. Now completely alone he used our still joined hands to make me twirl for him as he looking me over from head to toe.

“You look even better than I imagined.” Kei smiled and brought me closer to him. Sweeping some of my hair away from my neck so he could brush his fingers along the neckline of the dress and the choker around my neck.

I once more felt the difference in attire. I was all dressed up and felt far more formal than he did. The idea of him being a student once more flitted through my mind conjuring up kinky scenarios of a socialite sneaking off for a romantic rendezvous with a hidden student lover. It was silly, Kei was older than me even if there were times it was hard to tell that from appearance alone.  

“Careful now or you might start sounding like Kazuomi.” I joked attempting to forget the thoughts going through my mind.

My eyes naturally fluttered shut. His cold elegant fingers ghosting over my skin was enough to remind me of the many nights we spent together. Where he had dyed me in his own colours and shown me the abyss behind the door to depravity. Joining me as we fell through purgatory to our own private Eden.

“Perish the thought.” He let go of me. A sensation that left me feeling the need to chase him.

Opening my eyes, I saw that impish look on his face. He was slowly becoming more and more adjusted to life outside of his own nightmares and past. It was still obvious he was a little lost and confused at times but when he was like this, I could almost imagine him as a little boy. It made my heart sing to think we could stand here now together and I could enjoy such a candid fragment of my elusive boyfriend.

“Come now we should get this date started.” Kei laced our fingers and matched his pace to mine.

We walked through some trees and right up to the side of a riverbank. There in front of us was a beautiful craft floating on the water. Inside were some large cushions a few blankets and a basket.

“I thought I would show you a little hospitality and tradition.” Kei let go of my hand briefly to climb onto the small craft and then held out his hand again to help me get on board as well.

“We are going boating?” I giggled as the whole thing rocked under my feet. The idea of mixing something traditional from his own country and a date was so him it made me happy.  

“Punting. It is quite different but I trust you will enjoy yourself.” Kei’s correction came with all the patience I had come to expect from someone who knew so much and was used to sharing it in the course of his work.

“I think I’ve seen it before. It looked like the river had turned into Venice or something.” I sat down carefully feeling rather small when I looked back up at Kei.

“I can understand your comparison and whilst you can use a pole on both vessels a Punt is different to a Gondola.” He smiled and retrieved the long pole from the riverbank using it to cast off.

I watched him standing near my feet moving the pole through his hands with little effort. If you were really quiet you could hear the smooth wood, polished with years of use, slipping through the water and his palms.

“It doesn’t feel as safe as I thought it would.” I commented as the pole in his hand seemed to get stuck on something under the water and give a little tug that made the punt slightly rock.

“I assure you that I am an excellent Punter.” Kei’s expression was so deadpan and relaxed as he declared this I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“I get the feeling your friends would be doubling over in laughter right about now hearing you say that.”

“Yes, they probably would. Thankfully they aren’t or I would have tipped them both into the Thames and made them swim.” He looked down at me. The shadows from the trees we were moving through were casting shadows on his pale skin. I didn’t miss how his playful eyes shone through the shade.

“You wouldn’t…”

“Just sit back and enjoy the ride. I did consider placing the seat facing forward but selfishness prevented me from doing so. I wanted to see your face, forgive me.” The Devil faded in the light once more replaced by the charming Prince.

“You know I never once pictured you doing this?” I sunk back into the cushions, finding them much more comfortable than I thought they would be. The blankets as well were a mixture of textures but each one was thick and luxurious.

“Oh? Punting has been a traditional pastime in England since the 1860’s it really caught on by the 1880s and 1900s though. Before they became used for recreation these little crafts were used as part of the transporting of traders.” He spoke as he manoeuvred the pole and pushed us forward in the water. “Are you familiar with Alice in Wonderland?”

“Yes of course it’s a children’s classic.” I happily nodded. I know it is kind of a strange thing to enjoy but I did genuinely love how knowledgeable he was and how he explained things. It was like having my own personal tour guide and professor.

“Quite so. Well, the author Lewis Carroll used to punt along the Thames and during one of his outings where he was with a friend’s children he started to tell the story of a curious little girl who followed a rabbit. He later put pen to paper and created the beloved tale as a gift.” He lowered his voice as if he had just shared a piece of information vital to national security.

“I didn’t know that.” I don’t know what face I was showing him when he looked down at me. His face seemed to soften, although it could also have been my imagination.

“Literature aside I thought I would show you some more of England than the inside of Raven or shopping in the capital.” I looked around at the countryside slowly passing. I knew there was more to London than concrete and cars but I didn’t think there was this much greenery.

“I thought the Thames was larger than this.” I mused and put my hand over the side dipping it in the cool water playing with the ripples made by the punt as it moved.

“It is. We are currently on one of its many streams. Still part of the river but not as heavy with the tourist trade. You will also know of the boating traditions between Oxford and Cambridge, yes?” Kei always seemed to become a little more animated when talking like this. It was like he suddenly had an outlet for all the bottled-up information and facts he had in that well-read brain of his.

“The boat race?” I titled my head against the sun and saw him nodding happily.

“Yes, it is covered by the media extensively at the time. Well, the competition between the two on these waters doesn’t stop with rowing. There is a traditional Oxford way to Punt and then there is the traditional Cambridge version.” Kei grimaced theatrically as he explained.

“Haha, you don’t sound like you approve of the Cambridge way.”

“I am an Oxford man.” He almost seemed to stand up straighter as he said that. “The flat raised planking behind you is called the Till. A Cambridge man would stand on the Till and punt like so.” He stepped over me and demonstrated what he meant. It caused the punt to lurch which had me clinging to the sides of it thinking it might tip us both in the water. “Whereas an Oxford man, He will stand in the punt and work from here.” Kei stepped back into the punt and resumed moving us from inside. The vessel settled back down and I ended up breathing a sigh of relief. “Also a notable difference is the till. Following Oxford tradition, it is always facing front in the direction one is moving."

"I had no idea there were so many traditions.”

“There are more but I fear any more information will bore you under this hot sun. Here should be suitable.” He pushed the punt so it brushed up against the bank again this time next to what looked like a very secluded spot. The grass was short and looked to be recently cut. Surrounding it were high hedges and some trees.

“What is this place?” I asked as we left the punt for more stable ground.

“You will find them all around. They are locations people usually used for picnics.” Kei spoke as he stuck the pole into the bank and tied the punt to it.

“Are they all this well maintained?” I was still looking around. I don’t think I have ever been to a part of London that has ever made me feel so totally alone. It was pleasantly unusual.

“The ones that are owned are yes. This is one of my family’s spots.” He leant over and scooped up the basket and grabbed a blanket. With them in hand, he then walked into the centre of the grass and quickly set up.

“What do you have hidden away in your basket of tricks?” I sat down on the blanket and waited for him to reveal his secrets.

“We have tea, the very seasonal and traditional strawberries and cream.” He placed a flask down next to the punnet of fresh fruit and a pot of thick white cream. “We also have peanut butter sandwiches…”

“You made this picnic, didn’t you?” I couldn’t help but giggle. When he said he had things to do in his note I thought it would have been work-related. Now I had visions of him shopping and preparing this picnic instead.

“What is wrong with it?” He asked. His golden hair shining like a halo under the sun.

“Nothing just it's very you. If you had brought the basket from somewhere or had someone else make it, I doubt peanut butter would have made it on the menu.” It was true he could have ordered it from room service or had it made up somewhere in town and just brought it along. The fact that he actually made anything himself was endearing.

“Did you want something different?” His expression shifted and he looked like a child that was waiting to be scolded.

“No this is perfect.” I reached over and took one of the sandwiches from the plate in his hands.

“I did think of bringing some Pimms but I reconsidered.” Kei recovered fast, the cracks in his mask reformed.

“Why?”

“The time of day for one thing. I mean as Kazuomi would argue it's five o’clock somewhere but I would hate for you to be so drunk you fell overboard.”  He poured some tea from the flask and handed it to me. Our fingers touching for a second, more than long enough for me to realise his body temperature was still as cold as normal.

“We both know I have a better tolerance to alcohol than that.” How can he do that? It was so hot the world could be melting and Kei would still be sitting there in a pullover surrounded by his own internal climate control. “You said this was one of the quieter parts of the River. Why come here? Oops!”

I had been so concerned with not spilling the tea he had given me I had completely misjudged the integrity of the sandwich in my hand. Part of it failed to make it to my mouth and vanish down the neckline of the dress. Embarrassment threatened to bloom inside me and I really hoped Kei had missed what I had just done.

“Is it a crime to want to spend some time alone with my girlfriend?” His voice was so close and I hadn’t felt the blanket move or even seen him shift. Yet he was right next to me his face so close to mine I could feel his breath in my ear. “Honestly I did think of following one of the other paths of the river. There are more pubs and places to go along them but I wanted to enjoy something more scenic with you.” He trailed his fingers along my choker and then slipped them down the front of my dress. “Now I’m glad I made this choice.”

“Something about how you just said that makes me think you weren’t referring to a quiet picnic together.” I acted cooler than I felt. I knew he could feel my heart beating and see the pulse running wild in my neck. All the time I faked being calm as his fingers extradited the rogue peanut butter sandwich from my body.

“You always were very observant.” I followed his hand as it carried the salvaged food to his own mouth. Those eyes of his locked on me looking like pools of golden lust.

They drew me to him like a spell and held me there as he locked me up in his arms, his hands roamed freely over me. Tumbling back together onto the blanket the picnic was threatening to be forgotten.

“Mmm Kei.” My breathy cry came out as he nibbled on my collarbone and began moving a hand up my leg under the fabric of the dress.

“Careful now. It might be a secluded spot but there is no telling who you might summon with a voice like that.” He teased as his fingers did some teasing of their own. Rubbing the outline of my sex through the sheer fabric of his favourite lace panties.

“As long as one of the people I summon is you I don’t care.” I was done with coy. Coy and demure didn’t get you anywhere fast with this man. There was a time and place for all that and when we were alone and things were heating up was not one of those times.

“Mmm, have I ever told you how stunning you are when you are honest with your desires?” He slipped his fingers past the lace pressing his thumb onto my clit before pumping a couple of digits inside me. I wanted to moan louder but his warning from before made me stop.

I looked up and found him smirking. He knew I was holding back. He knew I was trying to be a good girl but damn him if he wasn’t trying to break me.

“I don’t think I can remember.” Two could play that game and I tried to make it look like I was still in control. With every stroke from his hand, I was losing my sanity, but I kept up a strong front and played the game.

“Then I’ll have to take my time and remind you.” He moved on top of me his hand still driving a fever through my core as he spread my legs wide with his own.

“What about the picnic?”

“There is time enough for both. I don’t intend to let anything here on this blanket go to waste.”

His voice purred erotically as he slid the zip on the dress down my back and dragged the bodice low enough to expose my breasts. The cap sleeves I had thought were a nice addition were now part of the binding of fabric that was preventing my arms from freely moving.

Kei brushed his fingers over the lace of the bra and once more slid his hand inside. Treating each nipple to a firm pinch as he ravished my mouth with his tongue. I squirmed under him trying to wrap my legs around his and return the restraint in kind.

“Hehe, you really are the only one that has ever tried to dominate me.” His laugh was like a clear bell whilst the things he was doing to me had my head crashing like a drum.

“Kei… please stop teasing me already.” I moved some more only to find his weight was gone. He had stopped touching me completely and was sitting back on his heels looking at me.

“As My Lady commands.”

I watched as he licked his hand clean and used the other to undo his belt and trousers. It wasn’t unusual for him to remain clothed but it rarely happened where it was so bright.  I bit my lip as he rolled my dress higher exposing all of me. He said nothing as he undid the strings on the panties and placed them into his pocket. The silence was deafening given how aroused I was. He leaned over and dipped a strawberry into the thick cream holding it just out of reach of my mouth.

“Eat it.” His command seemed absolute even if it was given in a sugary-sweet tone.  I tried to stretch for it but couldn’t. His eyes twinkled and his smile became more wicked. “I guess if you can’t be a good girl then I’ll just have to treat you like a bad one instead.”

I felt my core tighten as he brought his palm down with a crack against my bare thigh. He pressed down on me again. His mouth connecting with mine. Fruit and cream filled my senses as he used his own mouth to feed me. The escaped juices were lapped up by his tongue as he arranged himself to take this to the next level.

“Ah!” A slight sharpness ripped through my body and was quickly numbed as the pleasure of us finally connecting took over. With each rock of his body, it moved my body against the ground far more than the swaying of any boat.

Our mouths connected again and again at different angles to the point where I was sure I had forgotten to breathe. His fingers ran through my hair sometimes pulling grabbing at it but each time it only emphasised his desire for me and made my whole body tingle.

I never did find out if anyone else was around as Kei had said or if it was all just another layer to his devilish lies to set the mood. I did discover that I would never be able to eat a picnic again without the addition of a peanut sandwich.

---

[remmyswritings]

Hello Professor// charlie weasley x reader

Hello my Puffs!! Today I decided to do something a bit different and do a charlie weasley x reader fic. I hope you guys like it!

Also, I’ve decided for Charlie to be asexual (which I remember having read somewhere)... this will make more sense later on in the fic but it’s sort of important

taglist: @curious-curios​, @summer-writes​, @willowbleedsonpaper​, @strawberriesonsummer​, @jenniweaslee​, @cherrycolakxsses​, @peeves-a-legend​, @booksmusicteaandanimals​

*Not my pic, found it on Unsplash*

It had been 4 years since you graduated from Hogwarts, and also 4 years since you took on a position of assistant teacher for Muggle Studies. You’d always enjoyed the class as you were a muggleborn yourself and had even worked on making a special section for fellow muggleborns so that they could discuss any topics, especially those surrounding pop culture, freely without having to worry about their fellow wizard friends either mocking them or asking so many questions that they couldn’t really talk as they wanted too. However, you knew since the summer that this particular school year would be rather interesting as the Triwizard Tournament was being hosted at Hogwarts. Meaning that not only would you have to deal with more students at the school, but for once being able to spend time with your boyfriend Charlie Weasley.

You and Charlie had started dating during your seventh year, but practically nobody except for your parents and Molly knew about the relationship… mostly because by the time it really started to become serious was when it also became long-distance. While you wished to be able to discuss the relationship with your best friend, Nymphadora Tonks, you also liked the fact that the relationship was just something that you and Charlie shared. Because of this, Tonks was under the belief (like most people) that you were single, and when Tonks found out that Charlie would be at Hogwarts for the Tournament she decided to do something about you being “single.”

“What do you mean you want to set me up on a date?” you screeched at her, your face becoming warm, “And who would you even bother to set me up with?”

Tonks’ hair turned to a mix of light blue with her bubblegum pink, which honestly frightened you just a bit, “Well… I heard that a certain Weasley was in town for once and the two of you need to go on a date and I know you won’t do anything about it so I’m doing it for you.”

“I take it I have no choice whatsoever when it comes to this,” you sighed and brought your face down into your hands. “Tonks, you are going to be the end of me.”

Tonks merely walked towards the door of your classroom, giggling before she tripped over a chair that wasn’t tucked all the way in, “That was totally the chair’s fault… and be prepared for this Saturday.”

You knew that Tonks was just heading out to Hogsmeade so she could apparate back to the Ministry. The second you no longer heard her footsteps, you rushed out of your classroom and headed down towards Hagrid’s hut where you knew Charlie would be for the time being. Arriving at the door, you took a breath… or two… and knocked on the door, “One second,” a gruff voice called out.

“‘Ello Y/N! It’s nice to see you here,” Hagrid smiled down at you. “Charlie’s inside having some tea, why don’t you come in.”

The second you walked inside you felt a pair of arms wrap around and pull you into someone’s body. Of course Charlie would do that to you, he loved hugging you any chance he could get, “Hello love,” he kissed the top of your head.

“Hi darling,” you hugged back before stepping back slightly so you could look up at his face, “You know I just got the funniest news today…”

“Oh, really,” you saw a smirk form on his face and you knew right then that Charlie had already spoken with Tonks, “and what is this news?”

You couldn’t help but chuckle, “It seems as though our lovely friend Nymphadora has decided to set us up on a date this Saturday… although from what I can recall we already had something planned that day.”

Charlie’s face turned as red as his hair and you knew you’d caught him, “Well I didn’t really tell Tonks about us but she had asked me when I was free and when she told me that this date was to be with you I figured I’d set it for Saturday… you know, have our “first” date on our anniversary.”

“You are one cheeky bastard, Charlie Weasley,” you laughed and ran your hand through his hair. “So I take it you want to use this date to prank Tonks?”

“Oh definitely,” he smiled that smile that you love so much. 

At that, Hagrid’s clock went off, “Oh shit! I have class,” you rushed out the door, “I’ll see you later darling!”

During the rest of the week you became rather busy and weren’t able to see Charlie until late one night where the two of you ended up walking through the hallways, reminiscing on old times. Thankfully, the only person you ran into was Prof. McGonagall who merely smirked and carried a shimmer in her eyes as if she knew something that you didn’t. You found out the next day that her and Prof. Sprout (your head of house) had been betting when you and Charlie would finally be in a relationship… Let's just say McGonagall won.

Finally Saturday came around, and while it wasn’t really a first date for you and Charlie, you couldn’t help but wake up with butterflies in your stomach. Just to mess with Charlie, you decided to wear the same outfit that you had worn for your first date: a pair of ripped jeans and a red wrap top that you knew he adored. Now if only breakfast could go by quickly so that you could go and meet Charlie at The Three Broomsticks.

“So, just to confirm… you and Mr. Weasley have been dating for how long now?” Prof. McGonagall looked at you before sneaking a look to Prof. Sprout who sat next to you.

You looked at the two women in bewilderment, “I still can’t believe the two of you bet on my relationship, but since clearly this isn’t gonna stop I’ll have you know that today it has been 5 years exactly.”

“Hmm, would you look at that Pomona,” McGonagall smirked to the woman next to you. “I believe someone owes me a pint of Butterbeer today.”

You merely turned towards your plate and sighed, wishing that time would pass by faster.

Prof. Sprout turned to you, no longer focused on McGonagall, “Are you alright dearie?”

“Hm?” You looked up at her, still a bit lost in thought, “Oh, sorry. Yes, I’m fine. Just wishing that breakfast could finish already so that I could go meet Charlie.”

“Well it seems as though you won’t have to wait ‘til then,” and motioned to something behind her.

You turned around to see Charlie- all dressed up and with some flowers in hand- standing at the entrance of one of the side doors that the teachers use. Making sure that nobody was really paying attention, you quickly stood up and rushed over to him, “What are you doing here?”

“No ‘Hi darling!’ or ‘Wow, thank you for such beautiful flowers,’” he laughed and gave you a kiss on the head.

You merely shook your head at his antics, “Hi darling,” you gave him a quick peck on the lips, “Thank you for the flowers, but you still haven’t answered my question.”

“Why don’t we go to your classroom real quick and I’ll answer it then,” he nuzzled his face against the crook of your neck.

“Damn you Charlie Weasley,” you felt yourself getting flustered just by that one movement. You turned and waved to McGonagall and Sprout who couldn’t help but observe the love that both Charlie and you had for one another, “They are definitely perfect for one another. Don’t you agree Minerva?”

The two of you walked down the hallway, him pulling you closer into his body and giving you small pecks here and there, “I haven’t seen cuddly Charlie in a while now this is nice.”

“Well, I haven’t been able to spend this much time with you in a while, so I figured I’d enjoy it all,” he pulled you into his waist and gave you a long, passionate kiss.

Then he pulled away and started to drag you down the hallway, “Charlie, do you even know where my classroom is?” Right when you finished your question, Charlie stopped in front of a classroom that you definitely knew wasn’t yours.

“I know where it is, but Prof. McGonagall mentioned that we’d have more privacy in here, so come on,” he opened the door and led you inside, holding you by the small of your back.

Your eyes couldn’t help but water at the sight in front of you. Little fairy lights were charmed to hang above you, the light dimmed just enough to give a romantic air to the room, all the tables and chairs seemed to have been transfigured to pillows that were scattered around and in the middle was a blanket with a picnic basket and a wine bottle sitting on top. He had recreated your first date exactly.

“Oh my… this was the classroom,” you turned to him, your eyes bright and full of love, “I can’t believe I hadn’t noticed it.”

He walked over to you and enveloped you in his arms, “Well might I remind you that I did blindfold you so that I could surprise you.”

“True, you did do that,” then the clock went off. “Wait, what are we gonna do about Tonks? You know she’s gonna be waiting at Hogsmeade.”

Charlie merely pecked your head, “Don’t worry about it. I actually asked her to set this up, she just thinks that this is a first date not an anniversary date.”

You nodded your head and let Charlie lead you over to the blanket, sitting down himself before he brought you down to his lap.

You are not sure how long the two of you were there for, sometimes feeding each other the food that Charlie had brought, drinking bits of the wine, talking about whatever popped into your minds, or just cuddling and enjoying one another’s presence.

“What do you imagine your future being?” Charlie suddenly asked as he stroked your hair, with you leaning on his chest.

You shifted at the question, sitting up so you could look at him. You brought your hand to his cheek, caressing it softly, “I imagine my future with you, maybe in Romania, maybe in a reservation closer to here. But all I know is that I see us together, forever.”

“Ya,” Charlie couldn’t help but mimic your action, “what about children? You know I’ll never be able to give you that.”

“I don’t need children Charlie, and let’s say one day I want a child, then we can just adopt,” your hand moving from his cheek to his hair. “All I need is you. Why the sudden questioning though?”

“I-” Charlie cleared his throat, “I just wanted, no needed, to confirm something first before I asked you something really important.” He sat up straighter and closer to you, “Can you close your eyes for a second?”

You nodded your head and closed your eyes, hearing Charlie move around as you tried to figure out what was going on, “You can open them now.”

“Oh,” your hands went to cover your mouth as you opened your eyes to find Charlie in front of you, knees bent, with a ring in his hand.

“I know that it’s been difficult sometimes with the long distance, but… well… gosh I had thought up this whole speech… what I’m trying to say is, will you marry me Y/N?” The tips of Charlie’s ears having turned bright red by the end of his spiel.

You couldn’t stop the tears that rushed down your face, “Yes! I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else.”

Charlie brought you into a tight hug and wiped the tears from your face before he pulled the ring out of its case and placed it on your finger. As he hugged you again, kissing your neck and shoulder softly, you heard a crash outside the classroom.

You couldn’t help but pull away slightly and laugh at the noise, “Tonks, we know you’re there! Just come in here already, you big klutz.”

The door slowly opened and in popped the head of your dearest friend, “Charles! I told you to take her on a date, not propose!”

You couldn’t help but laugh, “Tonks, I can’t believe you haven’t figured it out yet… Charlie and I are already together, we have been for the last 5 years.”

Her hair slowly turned dark red, “Why haven’t you told me before?!”

Before you could answer, Charlie spoke up, “I asked her not to. We weren’t really sure what would happen, us being long distance and all. And I sort of liked the fact that this was something just the two of us share. She’s been dying to tell you though Nymphadora.”

Tonks calmed down a bit after that, “Fine I’ll take that response… Charles,” her hair then turned yellow as well as its normal bubblegum pink, “I can’t believe the two of you are engaged now!”

The rest of the day went by in a flash and the next day Y/N woke up to her boyfriend sorry fiance lying next to her in bed. She reached over and brushed some of his hair out of his face, just as he was waking up. He grabbed her hand and kissed her palm, “Good morning Professor,” his voice rough from just having woken up.

“Good morning my fiance,” you continued to admire him. “I can’t wait to be married to you.”

“Me neither,” he brought you into his chest, “Let’s just stay like this, forever.”

“Ok,” you started to nod back to sleep as Charlie drew small circles on your back and hip. As you slowly succumbed to sleep you heard it, “I love you Y/N.”

[qhazomb]

I had a slightly angsty idea inspired sort of by your Thingrey AU and an anime with shapeshifting alien parasites.

Body Horror Warning

So let's say Gordon gets severely wounded, like impaled and suffering damage to some vital organs. Benrey panics bc he doesn't want to lose Gordon, so he calls on all the information he gained from eating enemy humans, figures out which organs are required for survival, and he uses shapeshifting to recreate the vital ones with some of his own biomass and then carefully sets them in place so they can pick up the slack left by the ruined human organs (which were removed, and possibly consumed by Benrey for 'recycling' purposes)

It would take some work, to make sure the replacement organs don't follow a "consume and convert" directive and end up completely replacing the human, but if it does work, then Gordon wakes up with a few enhancements.

(Or he wakes up partway through the process to see an alarmed Benrey with one limb tendril reaching into his chest. Wouldn't THAT be a shock)

And overtime, the result of living with alien organs means Gordon becomes less human (or more than human) as the alien organic matter integrates properly.

Basically another take on the concept of Benrey unintentionally making Gordon like himself, and teaching him how to exist in this new state.

OKAY SO THIS GOT REALLY LONG CAUSE I GOT TWO AUS/PLOTS THAT SHARE IDEAS WITH THIS HERE WHOOPS i’ve thought about something kinda similar to that whole “thingrey heals gordon by basically giving him a biomass transplant” thing! i’ve mentioned before that gordon doesn’t get his hand fully cut off in this au, but it does get cut down to the bone, and aside from some sweet voice to stop the bleeding, it doesn’t get proper treatment until they get back to the states. he keeps his hand, but it’s got nerve damage, and how well he can feel and move his hand fluctuates often. thingrey feels kinda guilty over this, both ‘cause if he’d just stuck around longer he probably could’ve healed the wound up fully, and also the only reason that red shirt attacked gordon in the first place was cause the dude was paranoid about gordon being another “thing”. he tries brainstorming ways to maybe fix the damaged nerves.... all he can think of is by replacing those nerves with his own biomass... but then, since literally every part of himself is connected to his consciousness, he’d basically become gordon’s hand, and neither of them are very jazzed about that idea. so he tries to figure out a way to replace the damaged nerves, and then maybe... remove his consciousness from those cells? and hope they don’t do like you said and basically turn into a fucked-up alien cancer. he tests this out on some deer in the woods, giving them non-fatal injuries that at least fuck up their nerves, replacing those damaged nerves with some of himself, trying to yank his own ‘brain’ out of them (takes a few tries, but he’s able to do it eventually!) and then very closely watching the deer to see if his old cells go all super cancer on the deer. when they don’t, just integrating cleanly and seamlessly with the deer’s body, he is absolutely delighted :) this doesn’t end with gordon turning into his own thing-alien, tho. i have another au that DOES, though! it also involves a “sharing a body” thing.

so gordon’s dying from some sort of unknown cancer-like disease he developed during those times he had to swim through fuckin’, probably-radioactive sewage water while there was a hole in his HEV suit with a big open wound. despite their best efforts, nobody’s able to figure out how to cure him, but then benrey gets the idea of just making him a new body like he does for himself. but to get gordon’s consciousness in said new body and actually stick, gordon needs to have a direct link to the cosmic ether like benrey does, so that his life energy will actually be strong enough to keep the body going. and to do THAT, gordon’s consciousness/life energy needs to hang out in a space that’s already full of cosmic energy. which benrey’s brain just so happens to be. this happens still kinda early on in them being roommates, so when benrey proposes the idea he is more than half expecting gordon to turn it down, rather dying than being stuck THAT close to benrey for however long it’d take to get him all cosmic-i-fied. thankfully benrey was wrong on that front, as gordon tells him that “Dude, you’re annoying as hell, but are in NO way worse than straight-up death. Let’s do it.” gordon doesn’t get to control benrey’s body any, he’s just riding shotgun. “spectator mode” as benrey describes it. he is able to feel all of benrey’s senses, though, and benrey uses this to do him another solid and offers to do stuff that gordon missed being able to do while bedbound, benrey’s like “i’m your player character in a life sim game now, bro.” the first thing gordon asks benrey to do is eat some fast food from like bk or mcdiddy’s or something because “All I could eat for well over a month was that nasty fucking slop they served at the hospital. In liquid form. I want. A fucking. Cheeseburger.” some weird dream shit also happens, and gordon ends up learning a whole lot more about his weird alien annoyance-turned-enemy-turned-roommate-turned-savior while stuck in his head. once gordon officially achieves glowcloud status, benrey puts him together a new body (he tried to get as many details about gordon’s old looks right, but also assured gordon that if any where off, he could fix them himself. grats feetman, YOU’RE a shape-shifter now, too!) oh yeah, and in order to get gordon out of benrey’s body, benrey just does what gets his own consciousness out of it. and dies. by just casually snapping his own neck. gordon is VERY DISTRESSED by this but tries to calm down cause he knows for a fact that benrey ain’t dead. it’s still awkward as hell having to tip-toe around his at-the-moment lifeless body, after gordon slips into his brand new one. tho when benrey ‘wakes back up’, gordon just yells at benrey for not giving him a proper warning before the guy broke his fucking neck. also later mr. coolatta does his bs time freeze thing to have a word with the newly ‘ascended’ gordon, and gordon decks in the fucking face, having now learned not only about benrey’s lab rat childhood, but that mr. coolatta is p much the whole reason benrey had to grow up like that. thankfully mr. coolatta is just ‘that’s fair’, as tommy was similarly pissed at him when he learned. (tommy didn’t punch him, but he did near completely avoid interacting with his father for over a month, and what little interactions they did have at that time, tommy made a point to give off just the angriest fucking vibes. mr. coolatta would rather have been punched, honestly.) THAT GOT LONG WOW, i’ve just had a lot of thoughts about this “sharing a body/becoming non-human” mix au of mine, ha ha. might make a whole fic one day. maybe. dunno.

[oh-obrien]

Paper Houses {1.0}

Pairings: Bellamy Blake (AU) X Original Female Character

Warnings: Mentions of Underage Drinking and Recreational Drug Use

Word Count: 5,502 (a little shorter to kick off here).

Author’s Note: This one is going to be a fun ride, and I’m really excited for the story I have planned. Each section will be a mix between the present and either the past or the future, time changes will usually be pretty clear and they try to help support the plot throughout the entire story. It’s more of a college-esqu AU but you’ll see what happens. Also the title is inspired by Niall Horan’s song Paper Houses which is one of my all time favorites of his and that should be a little hint for some of the plot.

“Some guy on tinder last night slid into my DM’s!” Aisling yelled over the music that had been turned up so loud it felt like the bass had begun to make her teeth vibrate. The playlist that had been on most of the night had a mix of the friend’s favorite songs on it, everyone contributing their top ten favorite songs to be added. Aisling would have turned the music down if her dad's property didn’t have ten acres, she felt more than comfortable with the fact that none of their ‘neighbors’ would be disturbed by her friends. “Yeah! And he goes, ‘oh you’re that bitchy girl on the Arkadia lacrosse team all the boys talk about,’ I was absolutely dying!”

Harper laughed before giving Aisling a questioning look. “Isn’t that what Tinder is for?” She asked with a confused tilt to her voice, “sliding into people’s DM’s?” Aisling found it amusing sometimes how easy it had been for Harper and Monty to find each other; they were each other's first loves, and everyone believed they’d be in it for the long run. Their two-year anniversary had just passed, and the couple seemed happier than ever. 

“Aisling is too busy pining after Bellamy to actually use dating apps the right way,” Clarke waved off Aisling’s warning glare as she finished taking a drink out of the bottle in her hand. “Everyone here knows you’re in love with Bellamy, don’t act so surprised.” Clarke hiccupped and laughed before continuing, “and you say that like this entire island doesn’t revolve around lacrosse and everyone doesn’t know you as ‘that bitchy girl on Arkadia’s lacrosse team’, who even was it?”

“Probably Finn!” Raven announced loudly before she and Clarke both started laughing again, both clearly well past tipsy and on their way to drunk. “Why doesn’t your dad go out of town every weekend? This is awesome!” Having the two girls hungover at playoffs tomorrow would be an absolute treat for the rest of the friend group, that is if they weren’t all hungover the next morning.  

Aisling just shook her head while she stood up, stretching afterwards, her spine cracking in that sickly satisfying way when she turned to the left. “My dad doesn’t have an away game every weekend, ask the AEC if they can switch his schedule to no home games.” She set her water down on the table before turning around. “Actually don’t,” she corrected herself after realizing she wouldn’t put it past Raven and Clarke to actually email God knows who at the America East Conference and ask to have Stony Brook’s football season shifted to all away games while they were drunk. 

Aisling took Raven and Clarke falling into a very animated conversation about how much they dislike their shared ex as her cue to leave. Slipping her feet back into her flip flops, she made her way up the stairs of her home’s large patio and grabbed her half-drunk bottle of Gatorade off the wooden railing after she reached the top. “How’s not drinking going?” Octavia asked while they both looked out into Aisling’s backyard, filled with their friends who were all probably at least tipsy. 

The lights her father had installed into the yard when she had been younger lit up the area and the pool sat illuminated in the background. The early Long Island summer air still had a chill to it, enough of one that Aisling slipped on a hoodie when she had gone inside to order dinner earlier. They were waiting for Octavia’s older brother, Bellamy, and their friend, John Murphy, to get back from picking up the group’s excessively large order from The Dead Zone.

Leaning over the wooden railing of her deck, a bottle of red Gatorade in her hand, Aisling just laughed, her shoulders shaking slightly. “I can’t believe we’re the ones who have playoffs tomorrow and we’re babysitting our drunk friends. Like I at least wanted to take a couple shots of something,” she scrunched her nose up when the strong smell of marijuana washed over her. “I said no weed Jasper! Monty too! It does not need to get out that my dad lets his daughter’s friends come over while he’s at a game to drink underage and smoke pot!”

Aisling rolled her eyes when she heard the boys in question yell “Sorry!”. Where they even were in her large yard wasn’t a question she asked anymore, she just needed to make sure they stayed out of trouble. 

“Effective,” Octavia laughed. “So,” She trailed off while she dangled her water bottle over the edge of the deck, swinging it back and forth slowly. “Is your dad still recruiting that boy from-” Octavia got cut off when the two girls heard the back door slide open. Bellamy and John each carried two large boxes that were filled with food. At least she knew that their weekly orders were probably paying some of the bills at the Dead Zone. 

“They have your dad’s card on file?” Murphy said as he set his boxes down on the outside kitchen’s countertop. “Because we said we were picking up under Bryne and the guy was like ‘oh yeah Aisling called we put it on the card already’, that was at least three hundred easy.” Aisling grabbed her order of mozzarella sticks and crunchy chicken wrap before shrugging. 

She bit into one of the sticks before speaking. “When my dad says to buy whatever we want and he has the salary he does, I think it’s fine.” She set her things down on the outdoor bar. “Tell the drunken delinquents that their food is here, but I suggest grabbing yours first.” She walked over to the fridge and sifted past the countless types of alcohol that had been placed inside it earlier to grab a bottle of raspberry tea, cracking the top before grabbing her food and walking out to the pool. 

Walking past her friends who were going to retrieve whatever they had ordered, Aisling pushed the gate to her family’s large inground pool open, walking around the brick deck area before carefully setting her things down next to the edge of the deep end. She balanced on one arm while she slid her feet into the water, the LED lights in the pool illuminating the water in different colors. She slowly kicked her feet back and forth, watching the water ripple as she did. 

“Food for thought?” She gasped and nearly fell into the pool when she heard Bellamy’s voice. She hadn’t heard him enter the pool area and wasn’t really paying enough attention to have heard him anyway. “Sorry if I scared you,” he set three containers down along with a bottle of Cherry Coke. 

Aisling just shook her head, “you’re okay, I wasn’t paying attention so part of that is on me. You can drink, you know?” She nodded towards the bottle of Coke, “you’re like the only one of us who’s actually twenty-one.” She kept kicking her feet in the water, watching as it rippled out with each movement she made. She hoped that it would distract her from the fact that Bellamy Blake actually sat down right next to her. Well, it’s not like they’re not in close proximity all the time, because they are, but this just feels different.  

“I’d rather not leave the babysitting up to just you and O,” Bellamy picked up one of his wings and bit into it, licking the extra sauce off his lips before continuing. Aisling tried not to watch as his tongue swept across his lips, that would definitely be awkward if he caught her. “You two are stressed enough as is, you more-so probably,” he continued to devour his food. 

“I’m not like, stressed,” Ash mumbled around the bite of chicken wrap she had in her mouth, “I know I’m playing at Penn State next year, my commitment is locked in if we win tomorrow and move on to states or not.” She wiped her hands off on a napkin, “it’s not like a problem for seniors y’know?”

Bellamy dropped the bone that had been left from his first wing back into the container before grabbing a few french fries out of another container and shoving them into his mouth.

“It’s still probably weird for you,” Bellamy spoke after a few moments of silence between the pair, “I mean sure you’re graduating a year early and with almost all of your friends now,” Bellamy took a long sip of his Coke. “And I know that almost all of you are going away to school, but Clarke is going with Raven and they’ll be able to room together. Jasper and Monty are doing the same thing, Miller’s staying here and I think Murphy is taking it day by day,” Aisling laughed at that, “but you’re going up to Pennsylvania by yourself, a month earlier than everyone else is leaving, it’s just weird is all.”

Aisling wasn’t quite sure how to respond, sure she’d had a weird sense of guilt about being the first of their friend group to leave home nagging her for months, but she hadn’t had someone else bring it up to her yet. Bellamy had seemed to be one of the few constant figures in her life since she had met Octavia at her very first lacrosse practice in second grade. The now twenty-three-year-old, had spent more than his fair share of time babysitting Octavia and Aisling when they were younger. He had played too many board games, fallen victim to makeovers and watched more Disney movies than any teenage boy would have wanted to admit at the time. However, he always did it with a smile and never seemed anything less than happy to be with the girls. That had never been something Aisling experienced with her own brother’s.

Patrick, Aisling’s oldest brother, had been in the tenth grade when she had been born. He had been in the middle of the college recruiting process for football and sat at the number five spot for recruits nationwide. He didn’t have time to deal with a baby sister, especially after he went off to Louisiana State University right before Aisling had turned two. Tanner, who had been in kindergarten at the time, also didn’t want much to do with Aisling. He had been much more engrossed in learning how to play football with his dad and older brother, something she didn’t blame him at all for. Football had been their family’s culture for decades. Around the time Aisling had been born her dad had just started coaching college football at Baylor after his pro career with the Cowboys had ended due to injury, football was in the Bryne blood.

Two weeks before Aisling had started second grade the Bryne family had relocated to Arkadia, New York. A small beach town about ten minutes from Stony Brook University, home of the Stony Brook Seawolves football team and her father’s new head coaching job. She met Octavia Blake at the very first lacrosse practice she attended after moving. Aisling hadn’t wanted to play lacrosse at first, but her father insisted his daughter at least learn to play lacrosse if she would never have the chance to carry on the family name playing football.

“I-” Aisling started but couldn’t figure out how she should respond. “It’s not that I’m not upset, because I am, trust me,” she went to take another bite of her wrap, but her appetite had seemed to disappear. “It’s just an opportunity that’s kind of hard to turn down, and Penn State is one of the top teams in the country Bellamy, they’re looking like they’re going to make it to at least play-off, if not to a national title game next year.”

Silence came over the two and Aisling wasn’t quite sure how to continue. ‘Yeah I love you and it sucks I have to leave?’ definitely not smart. “I guess all I’m saying is that,” Bellamy sighed, “as weird as it is for you, it’s just as weird for everyone else and some of us feel like you’re putting what your family wants before what you want.”

✧༝┉┉┉┉┉˚*❋ ❋ ❋*˚┉┉┉┉┉༝✧

Aisling Bryne had always been raised to be an athlete, to be competitive, not to be nice. With a former NFL player and current Division 1 College Football Coach for a father, one brother in the NFL with a Super Bowl ring on his finger and another brother attending the University of Texas as the number one ranked college quarterback in the country, she knew no different. She grew up living and breathing football, which meant she also grew up around her dad’s players and her brother’s teammates. 

Safe to say unrealistic relationship standards had been set for her very early on in her life.

At the age of ten Aisling’s competitive nature had earned her the very first broken bone. A Saturday morning lacrosse tournament during college football season meant that Aisling’s father, Sean, wouldn’t be able to attend. Instead, she had stayed with her best friend and teammate Octavia Blake the night before. Aurora Blake had ordered two pizzas before she had to go to work and left her son, Bellamy, with strict instructions to make sure the girls didn’t inhale all the sugar in the house and that they got to bed early. Luckily, Bellamy had let the pair stay up for one extra movie and even made them hot chocolate!

Octavia and Aisling were both in fifth grade while all their other teammates were in sixth or seventh grade! The two girls had proved their athletic abilities very early on in their lacrosse careers and instead of being put into the 10U division when they were eight, they had been bumped up to 12U early. They had formed a tight knit friendship rather quickly and both girls intended to stay playing on the same team until they were forced to part ways in college, if they didn’t commit to the same team, of course. Now they played on a 14U team and it was hard to form bonds with the girls in middle school while they were still in elementary school.

The two girls sat on the sidelines of the turf field, lacing their cleats up along with the rest of their teammates, getting ready for the final game of the day. The Arkadia Knights 14U team had made it all the way to the tournament’s championship game and all the girls wanted to win another trophy. “I’m still not great at tying these by myself,” Aisling held the two laces in her hands while she worried her bottom lip between her teeth. 

“Oh,” Octavia looked over to her best friend with a crooked smile, some of her visible teeth still missing, “I’m not good at doing other people’s yet.” She huffed while looking around them.

“I don’t want to ask one of the other girls,” Aisling whispered so only Octavia could hear. “They’ll think I’m a baby!” She had spent long enough trying to prove she could play just as well as the older girls on the team. After she had taken one of the starting defensive spots from a sixth grader, Aisling wasn't sure if they liked her very much anymore. She did not want to have to ask for help tying her cleats, what if it got back to their coach that she couldn’t do it by herself and he took her spot away?

Octavia spent a little longer looking around before turning to aisling with a smile. “You could ask Bellamy!” She pointed to her older brother who sat next to her mom in the stands, clearly engrossed in his phone. Bellamy would also probably think Aisling was a baby for not being able to tie her own cleats, he had been the starting quarterback for their highschool football team as a sophomore! Definitely too cool for little kids. 

However, asking Bellamy seemed like a better option than asking one of her other teammates so Aisling sighed and pushed herself off the ground, carefully walking towards the stands. She made her way up the metal stands and over to where Bellamy and Aurora Blake sat. “Hey Ash,” Aurora looked at the younger girl, “what’s wrong?”

“I can't tie my cleats and make them stay by myself,” she looked down at her untied laces. “And I didn’t want to ask one of the other girls because they’ll think I’m a little kid and make fun of me and O said to ask Bellamy.” 

At the mention of his name the teenager in question looked up and set his phone down next to him. “No one should be making fun of you for that, Ash,” Bellamy patted his knee and Aisling put her right foot up on it. She watched as Bellamy quickly double knotted her first cleat before telling her to switch. “Don’t let anyone be mean to you or O because you’re younger, okay?” Bellamy asked after he finished tying her second cleat.

“Okay,” she nodded, “thanks Bell!” She waved before running back down to join her team. 

About halfway into the third quarter while playing defense Aisling had managed to check the ball out of an opposing player’s stick and scooped it up before she started running up the field to find an open teammate. Just as she had been about to cross midfield, she noticed a player from the other team running up to try and block her.

However, the other player clearly had another idea and Aisling didn’t have time to move before the head of the other girl’s stick came down hard on her wrist. A crack could be heard upon impact and Aisling’s stick fell out of her hand before she fell on the ground, holding her right arms close to herself. The penalty whistle on the other player didn’t register in her mind as her coach came running out to make sure she was okay. 

When she pulled her arm far enough away from herself to look at it, she noticed her wrist had been bent at an odd angle and she couldn’t really feel her fingers. Octavia sat down on the turf next to her while her coach went to go get Aisling’s cell phone so she could call her dad. “He has a game today!” Aisling winced when her assistant coach wrapped an ice pack around her wrist.

“Well it looked broken, I’m sure he could miss his game because you got hurt,” Octavia helped aisling up and they walked off the field to where Aurora and Bellamy were waiting. Aurora had her phone held to her ear but stopped talking to tell Octavia to gather up her and Aisling’s things.   

“Let’s see what this looks like,” Bellamy carefully pulled the ice pack away from Aisling’s wrist and pulled his bottom lip between his teeth when he too noticed the odd angle it had been bent at. “Mom called your dad,” Bellamy spoke softly while he wrapped her arm back up in the ice pack, “he said we could take you straight to the college if you’re the most comfortable with that,” Aisling just shrugged and held her arm close to herself again.

She knew that there would be actual doctors, definitely an orthopedist, at Stony Brook that day with there being a home game. The tournament had put them about half an hour away from the university and the Blakes knew that she didn’t like hospitals, especially after her mom had passed, so it seemed like the most obvious solution.  “I mean, I don’t want to bother anyone with you guys having to go there. You could just bring me home once the game is over and I’m sure my brothers will know what to do.”

“There’s a football game!” Octavia dropped her and Aisling’s things on the ground before she started to pack them up, “I’m sure Bell won’t be bothered going to Stony Brook the same day there happens to be a football game going on.”

Bellamy shrugged, his hair falling into his eyes a little bit while he picked up Aisling’s packed lacrosse bag. “Let’s go Ash, I’ll sit in the back with you to make sure you’re okay and O will be more than happy to ride shotgun, I’m sure,” he smiled at his younger sister. Octavia just answered her brother with a wide smile and ran off in the direction of her mom’s car while Aisling got sent off with well wishes from her teammates and coaches. 

After driving the half an hour to Stony Brook Aisling pulled out the SBU ID card her dad had gotten her for when she had to spend days at the stadium or training fields. She handed Aurora her card when they pulled up to the security booth and rolled down the passenger side windows while they waited for one of the security guards to approach them. “Hey Ted!” Aisling waved with her good hand while the older man walked up to the car. “Ms. Blake has my ID card! Dad’s expecting us,” she pointed to her arm that Bellamy still held tightly wrapped up in the ice pack. 

“He did call and tell me you’d be coming,” Ted laughed lightly before waving off Aisling’s ID card. “I’m sure Ash could direct you to the medical center, Sean called the orthopedist and he’s waiting for her.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of sideline tickets for the game. “He also left these, told me that someone would be very interested in watching the game.” 

Aisling reached out and grabbed the game tickets with her good arm, “see,” she waved them in Bellamy’s face. “I told you dad would let you watch the game!” She handed him the three tickets. “Now let’s go get this fixed because I also want to see the game!” She waved goodbye to Ted and started to direct Aurora to the medical center.

Bellamy watched with fascination as they drove around the football complex, his eyes clearly trying to take in everything they could. Being a sophomore in high school and a starting quarterback currently ranked twelfth for the position nationally, Bellamy already had coaches looking to begin the recruiting process. Those coaches included Sean Bryne. “I think it’s a bit much,” Aisling speaking snapped Bellamy out of his trance, “but that’s what Division 1 football looks like apparently,” she winced as they went over a speed bump.

Aurora pulled up outside the medical center and Bellamy got out first before rounding the front of the car to help Aisling out, holding her arm steady while she did. She felt the bones inside shifting and it hurt, really bad, but she couldn’t cry in front of Bellamy of all people. Instead she bit down on her tongue while the pair made their way inside the building. “Mark!” Aisling smiled when she saw the team orthopedist, he wasn’t at the university every day, but when he was, he usually showed Aisling pictures of his dogs. 

“What happened to you!” Mark gave Bellamy a thankful smile while he took Aisling’s arm out of the teen’s careful hold. “Your dad told me you’d be coming!” He led Aisling over to one of the many medical style tables in the large room, picking her up by her waist and setting her down. 

Bellamy followed behind the pair, unsure what he should do now that he didn’t have Aisling to actively take care of. “Is he here?” He heard Aisling ask while the man, Mark, unwrapped the ice pack and small towel from around her arm.

“No,” Bellamy winced when he heard Mark mumble the word. “His game is starting soon, but I promised I’d take care of you!” A younger woman walked out from a different room and Mark lifted Aisling up again and set her on the ground. “How about you go with Heidi and get an x-ray then we’ll fix you up!” He ushered Aisling toward the blonde woman.    

✧༝┉┉┉┉┉˚*❋ ❋ ❋*˚┉┉┉┉┉༝✧

“I cannot believe you still have that,” Bellamy really needed to stop sneaking up on her. Aisling didn’t even flinch this time while she continued peeling her rings off her fingers, tucking each one back into the box it belonged in. The party had begun to die down and with assurance that Murphy had actually stayed sober, Aisling and Octavia didn’t feel too bad going to bed early so that they could be well rested for playoffs the next morning.

She felt Bellamy’s presence at her side and watched as he reached up on the top shelf of her dresser to pick up the smallest cast there. The purple plaster appeared to be old and dusty from all the time it had sat on display. She also felt oddly at ease with how comfortable he felt being in her space. There had never been an awkwardness in the air with the two while they moved about each other’s spaces. They were just able to easily exist together and function like a well-oiled machine. It was comforting.

“I kept all of them,” Aisling watched as Bellamy turned the small cast over in his hand, being careful not to pull apart the plaster that had been glued back together once Aisling had it taken off. She grabbed her second cast off the shelf, the one from a wrestling match with her older brothers that had gotten slightly out of hand. “Here,” she grabbed the purple one out of Bellamy’s hand.

She turned it over and pointed to a signature that had been signed in silver, right above where her thumb would have been when she had the cast on. “Oh my god, my handwriting was absolutely terrible, how did I actually do well in school,” he laughed lightly. 

“This one got a little better,” Aisling turned the second cast over in her hand, this one orange instead of purple, and pointed to Bellamy’s signature that had been placed in the same spot and written in the same color.  

Aisling braced herself on her dresser with her right hand while she placed both casts back into their places with her left. Her left forearm still had the scar that stretched from about three inches below her elbow to her wrist. After her oldest brother had practically snapped her arm in half, by accident of course, she needed to have screws put in to hold it together. “Won’t you miss things like this too?” Bellamy sat down on Aisling’s bed.

The girl in question didn’t answer immediately as she continued to peel off the jewelry that she had put on earlier that morning. She had never been one to dress fancy, usually being most comfortable in a pair of shorts or jeans and a tee or hoodie. However, Aisling did love to pair every outfit she wore with an abundance of jewelry. In her sophomore year her friends had started joking that she looked naked without any jewelry on. She always had the same earrings in, two diamond studs, her birthstone, in both earlobes and a helix piercing in her left ear. She also tended to wear the same necklace every day, but it could almost be guaranteed that she would never wear the same combination of rings or bracelets. 

“Of course, I’ll miss all the memories I have here, Bellamy.” Aisling rolled her eyes while she continued placing her jewelry into the appropriate bags and boxes. She wouldn’t be able to wear them for playoffs the next morning and opted to put everything back into her jewelry box. “You’re really starting to sound dumb now,” she finally turned around, her arms crossed over her chest. 

Bellamy leaned back on to Aisling’s bed, bracing himself on his forearms while his eyes raked over Aisling’s figure. She didn’t shrink under his gaze and instead opted to lean back against her dresser, her arm still crossed over her chest. She’d grown up with Bellamy, she knew too much about him to ever see him as intimidating. Sure, when she had been younger she never would have wanted to overstep any boundaries with him and his authority, but now, now they were on a level playing field. Aisling had recently turned seventeen, she didn’t have to listen to Bellamy anymore.

“Oh,” he tilted his head back to laugh. Aisling tried to avert her eyes from his neck, the tan and freckled skin stretching in the most inviting way. “I’m the one who sounds dumb?” He pushed himself upright, his feet planting themselves on the plush cream carpet that covered Aisling’s floor. His elbows came to rest on his knees, and he rested his chin on his folded hands. “Enlighten me then!”

Taking a moment to collect her thoughts Aisling closed her eyes and breathed in deeply through her nose. She didn't understand why Bellamy would pick the night before playoffs to start asking her the ‘deep’ questions. She really wasn't all that stressed about winning because she had a four-year scholarship secured, but she had a whole team behind her she couldn’t let down. She couldn’t let Octavia down. Octavia planned to commit to playing at Notre Dame for college, her commitment more or less depended on Arkadia’s performance in playoffs this season.

“Not everyone wants to stay home forever Bellamy!” Aisling hadn’t meant to raise her voice at the older boy, but she did. “I love Arkadia, I love all the friends I made here,” she sank down into the chair next to her dresser, “but sometimes you have to let yourself explore the world a little bit.” She felt her muscles start to tense up and tried to force herself to relax, she couldn’t be tight for the game tomorrow. “Not all of us turn down a D-One scholarship to stay home!”

“And not all of us have a rich dad or brothers who try to buy their kid’s happiness or sibling time because they’re never home to see her!” As soon as Bellamy finished speaking Aisling watched his eyes widen, his adam's apple bobbing when he swallowed. “Aisling I-”

“Save it, Bell,” Aisling stood up and grabbed a hoodie, pulling it over the tank top she had on before she also picked up her wallet and keys. She pressed the automatic start button and watched as the headlights on her ocean blue, Jeep Wrangler Sport lit up the driveway. “I’ll see you tomorrow okay?” She made sure to tuck her charger and phone into her lacrosse bag before slinging it over her shoulder. 

Bellamy stood up, his mouth opening but no words coming out, “seriously,” Aisling mumbled. “Save it for another day, Bellamy,” the door to Aisling’s bedroom closed behind her. “C’mon Moose!” He heard her call her family’s German Shepard along to follow her. Bellamy stood in the middle of Aisling’s room, alone; the carpet she had put down to cover the hardwood floors soft under his sock covered feet. He felt the guilt starting to crawl up the back of his throat, or maybe that was just the wave of nausea that had hit him already. Bellamy felt a stronger wave of nausea hit him and he quickly pushed into Aisling’s bathroom and found himself hovering over the toilet, waiting for the feeling to pass.

“Bell?” He heard his sister’s voice in the hallway and quickly pushed himself up off the floor, forcing himself to fight through the feeling that he would be sick any second. “Bellamy?” He heard Octavia call again, louder this time. He took a deep breath before stepping out into Aisling’s room again, Octavia hovering in the doorway. “What happened?” 

Octavia’s question hadn’t even registered in Bellamy’s mind before he brushed past her to get into the hallway. Aisling’s room felt suffocating all of a sudden, the scent of her perfume lingered in the air.

He could smell the coconut shampoo and conditioner she always used.

The pink sugar lotion she loved.

Icy Hot.

It was too much her, for him to handle. “Bellamy!” Octavia yelled this time. 

Like a bucket of ice-cold water had just been poured over his head; Bellamy took in a sharp breath before he turned to face his sister. “We need to find where she went!” He tried to push past Octavia who now stood in front of the staircase of the Bryne home, stopping her older brother from going anywhere in his panicked state.

“Aisling said she’d be back later,” Octavia spoke softly, like she would scare Bellamy away if she said the words any louder, “she told me to make sure we lock up the house before everyone goes to bed.”

Octavia’s words, however, didn’t register in Bellamy’s mind. All he could hear was the erratic rhythm of his heartbeat pounding in his ears and Aisling’s voice echoing in his mind.

[ramonaprintmakingtwo]

Assignment Two: Abstract prints

I have been looking at the ongoing photographic project by Clarissa Bonet called ‘Stray Light’. Constructed from multiple photos Bonet’s images looks at the light cast within urban environments from different homes. The dark buildings fade into the night sky creating a constellation like image. In the city you rarely see the stars due to the light pollution, Stray Light, highlights the beauty within the city. 

These photos strike differently when viewed through the current pandemic. Many people have been isolated, unable to go out or meet with friends and family. Within the photographic project Individual homes are viewed simultaneously, this creates a sense of shared experience and community. We are all alone together. 

Stray Light (2014- 2018 C. Bonet)

I wanted to use Stray Light as a starting point for a series of abstract prints. breaking the print down into two key layers. The first a more expressive abstract monoprint and the second a black layer making up the buildings. The negative space allowing the monoprint to come through, like the windows in Bonet’s photographs. 

Initial designs and planning

In Abstract Expressionism: The Mystical Experience. Art, Levine describes Action Painting as conveying the personality of the artist from their mark making. ‘Action Painting can be viewed as a surrender of the self and individuality.’ (Levine, 1971).  I wanted to attempt to ‘think less’ for my first layer, focusing on going with my gut rather than trying to plan it. However for the printing to be successful I needed to plan the process and layers. 

Abstract art and Jazz

Norman Wilfred Lewis 

Arrested Fractions (Lewis, 1961), Untitled (Lewis, 1977), Cathedral (Lewis, 1950), Untitled (Urban Abstraction) (Lewis, 1949) City Night (Lewis, 1949)

Lewis was a figurative painter before becoming an abstract expressionist in the 1940s. Although a contemporary of Pollock, Klee, Rothko and Kooning, and despite his active involvement in the movement and his work being featured in exhibitions alongside many credible abstract artists, he does not appear in any of the historical narratives of the time due to being African American and a civil rights activist. Growing up during the Harlem Renaissance Lewis’s work was influenced by the city he lived in, his community and music, specifically jazz. 

The vertical stokes within his work create crowds of people, the movement of music and cityscapes. The use of bright colours overlaid with black in Cathedral and City Night resonate with what I hope to achieve in my  printing. In a audio recording for the MoMa curator Ann Temkin discusses the use of line within City Night (Lewis, 1949)

‘You have the buildings that line both sides of the street and indeed the very thin lines that you see going from the coloured vertical on the left to the colour vertical on the right have been interpreted as the laundry lines or perhaps the power lines that go from building to building in a city.’ (Temkin, 2011)

Lewis’ use of rectangular forms and bold shape is a stylistic aesthetic often associated with Jazz music. Developing alongside each other Abstract Expressionism and Jazz music became synonymous with one another. This has continued to inspire the creative world, more recently with animation. 

Drums West, Jim Henson (1961)

Monsters Inc Opening Credits, Disney Pixar (2010)

It's Just Some Crazy Jazz, Sergio Blanco (2018)

I love colour, and the contrast between high colour and black. I wanted to consider this within my mono-printing keeping the movement fun and joyful.  

Monoprint plates

I used A3 sheets of acetate as my printing plate and a range of materials. Traditional oil based ink, craft ink pads, water, string, thread and sequins. I had various brushes, rollers and tools to make additional marks on the plate also. 

The inked plate prior to printing.

Drying monoprints.

Finished first expressive print layers

I really love the expressive prints, the colours and movement within them. It made it harder to plan for the next layer as I was anxious I may ruin the prints!

First attempt at second layer

My initial idea was to continue using the acetate as a plate to create the areas of black. I cut the acetate into uneven strips, inked each piece and used various tools to remove areas to create the windows. 

One of my monoprints unfortunately had some marks in the boarder from residual ink on my self-healing mat. For this reason I decided to use it as a test print. I later used it to help register the lino layer for the other prints. 

Photo has been edited to try and recreate what it looks like in reality. Unfortunately it is too big to scan. 

I was not happy with the result of the acetate monoprinting. The saturation of the ink was poor, so that the overall print didn’t have the impact that I wanted. For this reason I decided to change printing method and create a linoprint as I knew I would be able to create a stronger image. 

The impact of the print was not what I had hoped nor what I had in my mind. I decided to do additional research into the mid-century aesthetic I had in my mind. I was influenced and inspired by mid-century, Bauhaus and California design. My subsequent research and reflections can be accessed here. 

https://ramonaprintmakingtwo.tumblr.com/post/647827952041689088/artist-inspiration-mid-century-textile-design

Subsequent designs

I wanted to ensure my designs weren’t static and had versatility. For this reason I chose to cut the lino into different strips, much like the weft of the Bauhaus textiles. 

Usually when I carve lino I have made strict plans prior to carving. Using tracing paper I will transfer the design to stained lino often going over the line work with a pen if I’m unsure of the layer I am on. Stepping away from methodical approach to carving, for this design, I just made cuts where I felt they should go. 

Final Prints

Final Selection of Three Prints

Reflection

These are the three prints that I have selected to submit for assignment two. A key element that links the prints is the visibility of the string imprint within the monoprinted layer. When mixing the ink for the black lino layer I cut it with extender in order to reduce the opacity of the ink, this allowed the negative of the string to be seen throughout the print. I wanted to create an abstract print based on Bonet’s photo series, depicting the glow of windows in the night sky, but also to represent the sense of connection and community. The string becomes symbolic of the ties between individuals creating something larger. 

I am pleased with the prints overall from a technical standpoint however there are some parts that I need to improve upon. I’m still getting used to my new press and learning about the correct pressure. Unfortunately I didn’t notice as I was working but there are embossed marks on the outside edges of the top and bottom corners where I had additional lino (in order to prevent ‘jumping’). There are also tiny marks on a couple of the prints which I find incredibly frustrating. I have been trying to improve my practice to ensure my workspace remains clean, my hands remain clean, no enough apparently! I could use disposable gloves in order to keep everything clean however this is something I would like to avoid as it is wasteful. 

 References

Blanco, S., 2018. It's Just Some Crazy Jazz. [video] Available at: <https://youtu.be/tcUgV0PkveA> [Accessed 3 April 2021].

Bonet, C., 2014. Stray Light. [Series of photographs].

Disney Pixar, 2010. Monsters Inc Opening Credits. [video] Available at: <https://youtu.be/nOCc8D2rbkQ> [Accessed 3 April 2021].

Henson, J., 1961. Drums West. [video] Available at: <https://youtu.be/9RysUNvQZTE> [Accessed 3 April 2021].

Levine, E., 1971. Abstract Expressionism: The Mystical Experience. Art Journal, 31(1), p.22.

Lewis, N., 1949. City Night. [Oil on wood].

Lewis, N., 1949. Untitled (Urban Abstraction). [Brush, ink and wash on cream wove paper].

Lewis, N., 1950. Cathedral. [Oil on canvas].

Lewis, N., 1961. Arrested Fractions. [Oil on canvas].

Lewis, N., 1977. Untitled. [Oil on canvas].

Mir, S., 2016. Filling Out the Story: On the Art of Norman Lewis. [online] Hyperallergic. Available at: <https://hyperallergic.com/281487/filling-out-the-story-on-the-art-of-norman-lewis/> [Accessed 3 April 2021].

Temkin, A., 2011. City Night, Norman Lewis. [audio recording] New York: Museum of Modern Art. Available at: <https://www.moma.org/collection/works/140169?artist_id=3524&page=1&sov_referrer=artist> [Accessed 3 April 2021].

[anikkis-fantasirealities]

“Misty Meets, the Valued Rocks and Seas”

② Travelogue ┊ ᵗʰᵒˢᵉ ʷʰᵒ ᵃʳᵉ ᵗʳᵉᵃᵗᵉᵈ ʷᶦᵗʰ ᵗʳᵃᵍᵉᵈʸ ᵃˢ ᵗᶦᵐᵉ ᵗʳᶦᶜᵏˡᵉˢ··· ᵗʳᶦᵖ ᵇᵘᵗ ᵇᵉᶜᵒᵐᵉ ᵗᵃᶜᵗᶠᵘˡ ᵗʳᵉᵃˢᵘʳᵉˢ ᵒᶠ ᵗᶦᵗˡᵉᵈ ᵗᵉˢᵗᶦᵐᵒⁿᶦᵉˢ·

꒰⁺˚₊·₍₍loading...₎₎ ✎...۪۫❁ཻུ۪۪ -ˏˋ 🗺 ˊˎ- ༘✶ ㊉ ㈦〘 ⅯⅯ 〙⋆｡˚𓆟 ༉ ║ Posted : ０６/１５/２１° ｡༄ ‧₊˚ ๑ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ •ଓ.° ｡❍ ㈩ ㊇

- - ——— ꒰ An article by Nicole “Nikki” Elaine S. Chua ꒱

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ₊·͟͟͟͟͟͟͞͞͞͞͞͞➳❥ ࿐ྂ—͙❬₊° ᶦ ᵃᵐ ᵃ ᵇˡᵒᵍᵍᵉʳ ᵃᶠᵗᵉʳ ᵃˡˡ·“= ‹⸙͎

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ❐ · ⸰ㅤ ㅤ ⋇ · ◦ ㅤ ㅤ ⁕⸰ ㅤ ㅤ ☁

⊹ ㅤ ㅤ ⋇ ㅤ ㅤ ·⁕ ㅤ ㅤ ◦ ❏ ⋇

ㅤ ㅤ ◦ ⸰ ㅤ ㅤ ◍ ㅤ ㅤ ⊹ ⁺

· ㅤ · ⊹ㅤ ㅤ ⋇ · ◦ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ · ❏

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ · ⁕ ㅤ ㅤ ⋇ ⸰ㅤ ㅤ ❐ ⊹

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ❐ ⊹ ·

ㅤ ㅤ ❐ ⊹

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ · ⊹ ⋇ · ◦

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ · ❏

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ· ㅤ ㅤㅤ⁕ ⸰ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ⊹ · ⁕

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ❐ ⊹

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ.ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ .

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ. ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ.

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ.

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ.

“Wait, it’s about to rain?” I can vaguely remember saying something similar to those impulsive thoughts, as I look up into the gray skies and those monotoned clouds steadily sailing in mid-air. I felt the raindrops on my face—the mix of awe and worry from my father, mother, and sister who were about to trek on those rocky grounded fields of the wild Yehliu. The other visitors, whose language I could not understand, fiddled through their belongings. They opened umbrellas and covered themselves in pastel-like colored jackets, transparent in design, as I observed their casual clothing for a supposed sunny adventure. This was about to be one of the greatest family travels out of the thousand places I’ve visited—one that was like no other.

Welcome to 𝙔𝙚𝙝𝙡𝙞𝙪 𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙖𝙞𝙥𝙚𝙞, 𝙏𝙖𝙞𝙬𝙖𝙣! For this article, I’d like to tour you around one of the most memorable and breathtaking travel destinations that my family and I visited during our second vacation in Taiwan. To be honest, the Chuas loves to stroll around new locations together—whether we linger the Pearl of the East, or the rest in the Heart of Asia. Whenever there is time to escape from the world of academics, we break out from that comfortable 3D box to walk to the outskirts of recreations, entertainment, and sights to behold. Dad, who was always our captain on the steering wheel of our adventures, would schedule the perfect itineraries during our summers. Mom tends to take pictures and post mementos of our times together on Facebook—as my sister and I enjoy the blissful moments noted in our own book of life.

This geopark, however, gave a different kind of atmosphere to our typical visits. The humidity has been thickening and the cold crisp air swept through the open area. A geopark is molded by nature’s wonders. There are no futuristic buildings, leaning towers, nor brilliant inventions of men standing uproot, rather, jaggy rocks and murky land persists in this long-cape landscape. It has 1,700 meters of earth carved from top to bottom—shaded by bland hues of brown and green. However, such a scenery cannot be underestimated just because there is nothing but bumpy stones, flimsy pathways, and barren holes on the crust. This is the sole reason why it is visited, for Yehliu Geopark is not only a tourist attraction, but also a habitat for rich ecological resources and thriving fishing communities. The entirety of Yehliu’s cape runs through a sea—yes, you read it right, a 𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙚 of soothing waves that compliment the greenery of the mountains above.

╭⋟──────────────────────────────────────╮

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ❝dissolve into seafoam. ❞

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Do you know the story of how Yehliu Geopark became to be in its present form? Each rock and stone structure in this site has its own character, as if they are interacting with one another. The locals here in Yehliu witnessed how nature refined itself with its own miracles. Hence, they are also the ones who shared the geopark’s origins to tourists like us. The landscape was crafted by marine erosion, because it so happened that the seashore’s layer is made out of limestone. Because of the scientific method of weathering and movement by the Earth, the limestone crumbled over time—dissolving slowly by the seawater bashing itself into land. It resulted into those eerie, yet interesting sea-water eroded holes on the ground. What’s even more amazing is the fact that because of the flurry winds, blinding sunrays, salty water, harsh rains, and dreadful northeastern monsoon paths, the rocks gained identity and almost became celebrities due to their unique figures.

It is truly a work of God, that these elements who continuously burdened stones to rapidly change and adapt to the impact they cause, made them into what they are today. It is like humans, who also tolerate, endure, and persevere from pain to transform into better people—tested by time, yet surviving with resolve. The day my family and I visited the geopark, the rain drizzled from the heavens. There was the thought that I could slip over wet ground and plunge into the sea if I was not careful, but looking around, I figured that this peaceful nature will not allow anyone to be taken by its mystical works. It embraces you, like there’s nothing to be scared about. Instead, it greets you hello with open arms—wanting us to continue our plans despite the misty dewdrops.

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ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ❝ bridge to terabithia. ❞

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The chilly atmosphere was actually quite relaxing, especially when nature desires its visitors to breathe for a while after an industrious environment in the urban society. My family and I walked with our umbrellas on our heads with smiles on our faces—the waves from the sea yearning to approach us, only being stopped by the sturdy ground that we walked on. If ever you visit Yehliu Geopark, you must get ready to meet some of the rocks in this travel destination! There are candles, mushrooms, a cute princess, that arch-shaped gorilla, some kind of marine bird, ice cream, tofu, and the main attraction: the Queen’s head. Just like the other tourists, we did not hesistate to take home souveniers of our adventures from the unwinding views we’ve seen. Even though more than 1,000 meters is a big horizon to explore, we walked around—hoping to spot more rock formations.

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ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ❝ uniting the cynosure’s roads. ❞

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Imagination is what created those rock formations’ attributes and parts in this still story of Yehliu. If you have tons of imagination of both the possible and impossible, then your sightseeing will be plenty of fun to commit to! The 𝙈𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙨 are like little children sitting on the seashore, except they were not just two but 180 of them all together in one area. After stepping with caution across the slippery rocks, you will notice a familiar figure that looks like a woman with a large headdress. She wears it with all honor and responsibility as the star of Yehliu. Oh! You guessed it, we found the 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣'𝙨 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙙! We captured a shot with her hazel beauty which you can see in my cover edit. Mission accomplished, now let’s look for the other rock characters, shall we?

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ㅤㅤ ❝ ephemeral angst, nefarious epiphany. ❞

╰──────────────────────────────────────⋞╯

After walking for a while over bridges and stairways that connect the geopark together, we discovered the 𝘾𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙨. They were soaked in sea-water, so its usual beige color like all the rocks we’ve seen so far has dimmed to pitch black. Though, you will be surprised that they are shaped like short candles—with their wicks sticking out in the middle, as if it has already melted deeper into its center. According to the brochure we held before entering the tourist spot, these rocks were originally ball-like concentrations with softer surfaces, before they were completely scoured off. So, that must be the magic of Yehliu, huh?

Then, we noticed an unique rock formation that was not documented on boards or printed material by the management. It was like an animal, laying down on a rock—resting with pride and confidence. I wanted to call this the 𝙇𝙮𝙣𝙭 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠, because it looks like a feline who is about to hunt, perhaps the marine bird from meters away. It’s not the official name of the rock formation, though, I felt closer to it when I made the connection. I felt chills all over my body when I heard the tiny pitter-patters hit my navy blue umbrella. It was definitely a fateful encounter—the calm rain, the rushing of the sea ridges, and a new found friend. When you come over to Yehliu, do say hello to Lynx for me! I terribly miss her, after all these years that I haven’t picked up my suitcase for another trip.

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ㅤㅤ ❝ the serendipity of tranquil encounters. ❞

╰──────────────────────────────────────⋞╯

There is apparently an anecdote documented in Yehliu’s history about a certain fisherman, namely “𝙇𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙯𝙝𝙚𝙣.” In 1964, a group of students were visiting the scenic charm of the rocks and sea, when one of them unintentionally fell into the sea. Without thinking twice, Lin Tianzhen showed his courage and jumped into the raging sea to save the helpless pupil. Sadly, none of them were able to come back to shore alive—devoured by the depths of the salt water, unaware of its crime. When the news came to the attention of President Chiang Kai-Shek, the first president of Taiwan, he quickly ordered for a monument of Lin Tianzhen to be built in Yehliu. That’s why if you would see a marble sculpture of a man in baggy pants, that is the heroic fisherman in the stories of the locals here.

Throughout the rest of the adventure we’ve challenged to carry on despite the moist surroundings, we faced the 𝘾𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 and her adorable figure, like she was posing her bent head to the camera. We found the arched-shape 𝙂𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠, who stood still, yet to our surprise, it was a literal arch! You can see the Gorilla in one angle if you do it correctly, though, you could also look at it in another angle to realize that it has a hole through its structure. We raised our peace signs in eagerness of the enticing discovery while the camera flashed. The 𝙄𝙘𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠 and 𝙏𝙤𝙛𝙪 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙨 made us hungry, because they looked like actual food enlarged and hardened in their positions—though, of course, they never expired! I could imagine that famous Taiwanese ice cream brand scoop on that jar-like rock, and the dream of tofu soup, for the Tofu rocks laid in two rows within the middle of the sea.

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ㅤㅤ ❝ a pluviophile soaked in hyperborean aqua. ❞

╰──────────────────────────────────────⋞╯

Since we were hungry, we looked for a place to fill our tummies to satisfaction. Thankfully, Yehliu Geopark still has facilities to accommodate tourists’ basic needs. A visitor’s center is established for dining, renting of wheel chairs & baby strollers, and inquiries of guests to the staff of the geopark. You can also ask for assistance from the friendly tour guides of the travel destination—if you are able to speak in Chinese, that is! Don’t worry—they are able to understand and speak basic English. Just make sure to pack your skills in speaking the foreign language if you’d like to talk more with the locals here, then! They also have a nursing station & lost and found section in the center in case of emergency or urgency, which is useful for scenarios such as the unexpected rain when we visited.

Because Yehliu Geopark takes care of the reefs and water ecosystems nurtured in their location, they also have a oceanpark in the geopark! It is called “𝙔𝙚𝙝𝙡𝙞𝙪 𝙊𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙,” though we were not able to spend time taking a peak into the realm of sea creatures and corals freely living in the pictures of exhibits. There are diving performers in the oceanpark, too, that make visitors astounded by their splendid act. Oh, and how can we not forget the souvenier shop for merchandise from Yenliu Geopark? It’s always great to show your loved ones how much you enjoyed Yenliu, its stories, and the sights you’ve seen! It also supports the geopark’s operation, so that it can continue its goal and mission to keep sharing the wonders of this valued scenic area by the Heart of Asia.

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ㅤㅤㅤ❝ iridescently frozen in an ethereal epoch. ❞

╰──────────────────────────────────────⋞╯

There are also many earthy figures here that were molded by weathering. They are known as “𝙃𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙮𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙨,” that possess an artistic style like that of a solidified sponge. Through these rock structures, Chinese culture is shown—an example being the “𝟮𝟰 -𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙡-𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙡” that presents the importance of superiority and inferiority relationships to Chinese people. The hill of rocks have 24 men-like figures standing nearby each other, revealing a picture of hierarchy based on the positions of each men.

Additionally, the geopark has fossils scattered across its long cape. We only found this urchin fossil in the picture above, plaqued like a prized possession with the proud mark of Taiwanese tourism. The words, “Tai Power,” reminded me of the rest of the adventures that my family and I had in the warmth of this country. Even though the distress comes, it fades away with the power of bonds to go against the negativity to be refined everyday—that’s Tai Power, the ability to touch hearts wherever you are right now!

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ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ❝ petrichor at selcouth midday. ❞

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Before I forget, if you’re looking for extreme activities, you can try tracking down the caves of Yenliu that were also crafted by nature’s power. They are placed in spots that are hard to reach by visitors—including me and my family who did want to risk getting harmed. Do try it out, however, if you’re looking for the thrill! There are other rock formations to uncover in Yenliu Geopark aside from the ones we were able to locate. You can trace down the footprints of a fairy in the 𝙂𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙨 and notice the 𝙁𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙮'𝙨 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙚 was left behind before it has taken flight again. The locals here believe in a legend that this fairy sent by the Jade Emperor, from Taoist beliefs, cursed a turtle elf who troubled the seas and caused many shipwrecks back in the day. So, if you see white smoke coming from the mountains, locals will exclaim that the turtle elf is taking its last breath. It’s a motivating tale to conclude this article, and our visit to the geopark.

Most importantly, I’d like to remind everyone who plans to visit Yehliu Geopark to obey and respect the guidelines given by the management of the landscape, as well as the North coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Administration! If you observe red warning lines on the ground, do not pass that zone—always stay on the path, because it is for our own safety. Let’s 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩 these astonishing wonders offered to us by the beloved nature we owe daily. We need nature, but nature does not need us. We should not touch nor damage these creations of Mother Earth. Climbing & tagging on the rock formations, smoking, biking, wading, swimming, fishing, littering, or disturbing the plants in the location is strictly prohibited! Otherwise, you might need to pay for a fine when caught.

Our duty to look after Yehliu Geopark, while saving the environment in our own way, is for the sake of the next generations whose imagination will also be aroused by these treasured beings and narratives of this place. The staff would like more people to enjoy the unique scenery it offers to the world. The rock structures in this geopark are still actively developing and dynamically changing with the tides of our times today. So, it is only rightful if we give them the same amount of growth they need, as much as we do.

At the end of the day, the trip I had in Yehliu wasn’t too bad at all! It was beautiful, stunning scenery to keep in my memories as I move forward to the present. Through my travel to Yehliu Geopark, we were able to unveil the mist and take a glimpse of the true colors of ordinary rocks and common seas. We got to know many stories of still stones, and the amazing people who make the geopark the apple of the eye for more tourists. A part of nature—to witness its ability and wonders through an alleviating journey to find peace—Yehliu Geopark can surely be described that way. If you’re interested in travelling to Taiwan, Yehliu Geopark is a tourist spot that you absolutely must consider in your own bucket lists! Maybe not now while the pandemic is still ongoing, but someday, hopefully! I’d love to hear your own experiences in visiting the geopark in the comments!

╔ ———————————————————————————— ╗

Yehliu Geopark is open from 8 AM to 5 PM. One entry ticket costs 80 NTD or New Taiwan dollars for one adult tourist. On the other hand, kids aged 6 to 12 can avail an entry ticket half its price. In the Philippines, 80 NTD is 139.54 pesos, while 40 NTD is 69.77 pesos, as of June 15, 2021. However, you can get a 20% discounted group ticket if you are a group of 30 or more people. The geopark is located in the Heart of Asia—Taiwan! Its exact address is No. 167-1, Kantung Rd., Yehliu, Wanli, New Taipei City, Taiwan.

If you are already in Taiwan, you can get to Yehliu Geopark either through bus or car. There are four routes that you can choose from if you will ride on a bus. Meanwhile, if you choose to arrive at the geopark by car, there are five dispatch options that are possible to use, depending on your starting point. You can check this link for more information regarding a planned trip. Safe travels, and thank you for reading! Let’s meet again in another blog where my fantasies become realities! A Nikki reminder: find passion in your work, and you’ll never tire from it! See you!

╚ ———————————————————————————— ╝

· * ✫ * ⊹ * ˚ . . 　　· ⋆ * . * . . · . · . * · . · · + . ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ· ** ˚ . . + 　　· ⋆ * . * . . · . · . *

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ. . + 　· ⋆ * . * . . · . · .˚ ⊹ · * ✧ ⋆ · * . · . · · .. . .

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ· + ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ· * ✫ * ⊹ * ˚

ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ · ** ˚ . . + ㅤㅤ　· ⋆ * . * . . · . · .˚ ⊹ · * ✧

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ⋆ · * . · ㅤㅤ . · · .. . . · + .

ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ. · + . *

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ⋆ * . * . .

ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ . · ·

ㅤㅤ﹙dedication. ﹚ ୨˚୧ ˚ ༘♡.↳ ₊˚‧

This blog is dedicated to heroes who stay to be ordinary, because they glisten the most when their humbleness is that of the rocks and seas. You are truly the ones who give Rising Hope to all of us.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ﹋﹋﹌﹌﹌「 🌄 」﹌﹌﹌﹋﹋

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ ┊彡 Credits

➥ Cover Edit

➫ Pictures captured by my mom, Helen Sy

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ

➥ Blog Dividers

➫ Pictures captured by my mom, Helen Sy

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[jace-the-writer-guy]

Deities of Palara

Good

God of Law and Justice: Tyriel

"Tyriel is the god that nearly every member of nearly every city, town, or village guard in the world of Palara worships. He is the embodiment of law and justice, and triumph over evil. He has numerous acolytes throughout the world, all striving to bring justice to those that wish to cause pain and suffering. His followers constantly battle the insane followers of his sister Skrios, who he has been at war with so to speak for millennia."

Goddess of Love and Sexuality: Ayukoi

"Ayukoi is a kind goddess that only wishes for love to be shared between all races, and wants everyone of consenting age to be able to be open about their sexualities with one another. She wants mortals to experience all that love and sex can do for them to make them happy. Those who follow Ayukoi share in her ideals, and wish to spread love however they can, as well as teach the people to not be ashamed in their sexualities."

Goddess of the Sun: Sol

"Sol is a goddess that shines her warmth down on everyone in Palara and help them grow their crops. Her warmth spreads across the world and her light shines down on all. She is worshipped by all farmers in tandem with Djinn, the Deity of the Elements and the Seasons. They pray to Djinn for rain, and pray to Sol for the sunlight after."

Goddess of the Moon: Kuu

"Kuu is a goddess that lets the moonlight shine in the darkness of night to help those lost find their way.  She isn't as widely worshipped as her twin Sol, but those that do so worship her efforts in illuminating the darkness of night, and pray that the new phases of the moon doesn't bring out any of the deadly creatures that dwell in the darkness."

God of Light: Valo

"Valo is a god that wants his light to be shined anywhere to light the way through the darkness, much like Kuu. Valo's light cuts through any darkness his wicked brother Myrkur spreads, and lets all people illuminate what could be hiding in the dark and keep the creatures that dwell in the dark at bay. He is worshipped by nearly everyone in the world."

Neutral

Goddess of Balance: Libra

"Libra wants nothing more than balance in the world between good and evil. Too much good can see the world grow too complacent and people's lives become too easy, and too much evil can see the world plunged into complete chaos and anarchy letting only those evil or strong enough to survive. Balance must be upheld, and followers of her teachings are completely neutral between the forces of good and evil. A warrior who fights side by side with the forces of a righteous cause could then fight to keep a rebellious population down. But, there are more of these followers that fight on the side of good, because it takes more effort to preserve the balance from that side than it does with fighting for evil."

Goddess of Shadow: Penumbra, also known as only Umbra

"Penumbra is the middle sibling of Valo and Myrkur. She is neither good nor evil, and she and her followers make use of both light and darkness. Her followers are called Shadowdancers, who are able to use her mystic teachings to meld into shadows casted by the light. These men and women can be of either alignment, as that isn't an issue for her in the slightest."

God of Creativity and Craft: Artis

"Artis is the god of every single craftsman or artist both good and evil all across Palara. He is the god of the forge and the god of the canvas. He is the god of the hammer and the god of the brush. Everyone that worships Arits hone their craft to as close to perfection as possible and love to do it. Artis loves to see creativity flow no matter who worships him."

God of Luck and Fortune: Luck

"Luck is the god of both fortune and misfortune, just like a flip of a coin. Many people praise Luck for all their good fortune and luck in life while many others curse him for their own bad fortune and luck. Some wealthy worship him, as they see him the reason for their wealth to begin with, and many gamblers both praise and curse him."

Goddess of Battle and Strength: Valienca

"Valienca is the goddess of warfare and physical strength, no matter what alignment her followers are. She is the embodiment of triumph in battle, and is the goddess worshipped by many pit fighters and soldiers alike. Many men and women who also grow stronger to protect their loved ones can worship Valienca as well."

God of Life and Death: Suvlenoyus

"Suvlenoyus oversees the living and the dead, and sends the mortal souls of those who pass on to whichever plane of existence between the Heavens and Hells he deems neccessary for the soul in question. He is neither good nor evil, and is most commonly known as Death. Many of his worshippers celebrate both life and death. Life for those that live it as best they can, and death because their lost loved ones can be at peace in the afterlife. When Death comes, it is always when a person's time on the mortal plane is at its end, no matter how rich or how poor, and no matter how good or how evil. He comes for everyone someday."

God/Goddess of the Elements and Seasons: Djinn

"Djinn is the goddess of spring and summer, and the god of fall and Winter. They are the goddess of fire and the god of water. Djinn has no set gender, which changes with the elements and the seasons themselves. They aren't widely worshipped deity, except for by farmers when they pray for fair weather for their crops, but they are highly respected."

Goddess of the Sea: Aquaris

"The first of Djinn's children. Aquaris is very highly respected, feared, and worshipped by all sea-faring folk and those who live in coastal port settlements. She is the goddess who oversees the vast oceans around the world, and sometimes has been known to guide lost sailors on their way if they are lost at sea. But she can also be a cruel goddess as evidenced by the raging storms over the seas and the tidal waves that devastate the villages, and capsize ships."

Goddess of the Earth: Terrasi

"The second of Djinn's children. Terrasi, like her sister, is respected, feared, and worshipped by many people around Palara. She holds domain over the earth and its mountain ranges and deep chasms, and its deadly volcanoes. Many travelers worship him in hopes they have safe travels and pray they won't be set back by treacherous terrain. But as with Aquaris, Terrasi can be cruel as well when her volcanoes erupt to devastate the landscape at their bases."

God of Nature and the Wild: Unelanv

"Unelanv is mainly worshipped by druids and rangers. Druids because of their connections to nature and its wildlife, and many rangers because of their isolation in the forests around the world. Unelanv is a peaceful god but his forests and their creatures can often be very wild and untamed. Those who worship Terrasi also worship and pray to Unelanv for safe travels through the the world where wildlife roam."

Goddess of the Arcane: Materia

"Materia is the goddess of all arcane magics, enchantments, and arcane knowledge. She is the deity many magic wielders worship and continually seek guidance from whether in the form of arcane tomes or visions from the goddess herself. Clerics worship Materia as well due to their need for the knowledge of healing spells. Her followers are very mixed within the forces of good and evil, with both alignments having many sorcerers, wizards, clerics, and any who may learn the arcane ways on that side."

God of Knowledge: Vidennis

"Vidennis is Materia's brother. Where Materia's domain is all arcane knowledge, Vidennis is the god of all other knowledge, working in tandem with his sister. Nearly every historian across Palara worship him, always seeking new knowledge for themselves. Many alchemists also worship him as well along with Materia and always search for new knowledge of alchemy and transmutation. Those on the side of good seek knowledge of how to better themselves or learn about history, and those on the side of evil seek knowledge of ways they can recreate a person's horrible deeds from the past for their own goals."

Goddess of Stories: Mirianis

"Actually a Demigoddess, Mirianis is the creation of Vidennis, Artis, Materia, and Ayukoi to combine aspects of their domains into one deity. Mirianis is the patron of all authors and playwrights, as well as the patron of all magical appraisers and identifiers, and is the mother of all seers. She has had a hand in many of the world's stories and legends, and she has used her visions to aid adventurers in their quests just to make interesting stories. She continues to write stories to this day and will continue to do so for as long as mortals roam Palara. She is not a known deity at all, meaning no one knows exactly who she may be."

Evil

God of Darkness: Myrkur

"Myrkur is the ruler over all things that dwell in the darkness. Where his sister's domain is shadows casted by the light, Myrkur's domain is just all encompassing darkness. He wishes the world of Palara to be plunged into total darkness so that his worshippers can all revel in the fear the darkness would spread. The majority of lycanthropes and vampires both worship Myrkur, even through the inherent hatred werewolves and vampires have toward one another."

God/Goddess of Deceit and Lies: Decida

"No one truly knows what gender Decida is. They are a deity that is so widely reviled by the populace due to their deceitful offerings made in the guise of an innocent person. Decida is the only deity that actively interferes in the affairs of mortals themself, although no one can truly know just who or what they may take the form of. Decida is worshipped by liars, tricksters, and anyone who cheats and manipulates to make their way in life. Those people pray to Decida for their blessing in hopes that no one can discover their deceitful ways."

God of Greed: Avarice

"Avarice is the most well known god in the world, in the worst ways. He is the god of greed, covetous of treasures hidden for him by his followers and very covetous of the souls he had stolen in his lifespan. He is the elder brother of both Decida and Luck, and has a close relationship with Decida in order to gain more to his hoards all across the world and in his realm of greed. He is worshipped by those who want more power and wealth to have all to themselves, and worshipped in some capacity by the thieves guilds dotting the world in all its cities."

Goddess of the Abyss: Barathrum

"Barathrum is the goddess of the Underdark in every part of the world. The Underdark is typically known as the abyss, and is darker than anything Myrkur holds domain over. Barathrum's desire is to have all her followers and all the creatures in the Underdark to one day storm the surface of Palara and completely take it over, making all surface dwellers into their slaves in her name. She is worshipped by a vast majority of drow in the cities of the Underdark, although many drow only wish for peace with the surface dwellers."

Goddess of Destruction and Chaos: Skrios

"Perhaps the most evil of the deities, Skrios wants nothing but destruction and chaos spread around the world of [to be determined] in her name. She is the twisted sibling of Tyriel and Valienca, and she despises Tyriel with burning hatred. The only people in the world who worship Skrios are those who just want to cause mindless violence, incite riots, commit acts of arson, and do anything to serve their goddess. Skrios' most devoted followers can never be reasoned with, as the only things they think of is just chaos, and breaking anything they want."

[goddamnitdazai]

Chasing Moonlight | Chuuya

{ this is a prologue of my new multichapter series for patrons only. I’m uploading this portion for anyone interested in continuing to read the series & to show what work you’d be supporting if you do become one along with multiple one shots posted the last few months to patrons only--> patreon } {Prologue} --                                            11.02 -- Twenty Water; Yokohama’s breathtaking attribute that set the city apart from bustling Tokyo. Just as populated and just as thriving but the endless navy waves gave the illusion of privacy from the rest of the world. Possible danger lurking just beneath the surface and in the middle of the night it was an escape. To a new life, or to end a current one in a peaceful slumber as they float down to the bottom never to return. Everyone knew two things about what resided in Yokohama. The port mafia and the ocean. Frightening criminals blending in with the populace. Ability users--- but nobody could tell until there was a reason and then the explosion would detonate, and it still hadn’t become widespread knowledge unless you belonged to that section of the inhabitants. Every so often the road would vibrate and black smoke the shape of a great beast would eat through buildings like the city build them out of paper. Once, a few years back, there had been a great dragon--supposedly. It felt more like an earthquake, and then it was never mentioned again.

What outsiders didn’t see was how breathtaking the city skyline was glimmering beneath a vibrant moon. Reflecting pigments of gold against the water as it ripples and breaks apart in white-capped waves beneath the speedboat shooting vibrations up your shins. How the wind smelled like salt water with a hint of plum sake and, despite the ownership clearly stated in the name, the mafia didn’t exactly care about people using their ports for recreation. Unless there was something to gain from breaking in. However, the speedboat wasn’t theirs and the liquor wasn’t either. No harm no foul. They were the only ones with a solid reputation to protect in this city anyway. Besides, borrowing was a better word. You had every intention of returning it at some point. Unless it crashed--both were substantially possible outcomes to this little adventure. Vodka, something easier to get than the sake you wanted, but it warmed you in the fall breeze. Numbed your throat, your mind. Sometimes it was easier to accept denial rather than kid yourself into thinking the world’s cruelty was something that could be combated. Luck. Skill. Both relatively hard to acquire. Like the boat--practice made perfect. Music drifts behind you from the speaker wired to Ido’s phone. He’d lose it eventually in the water but he was too drunk and in love with the girl at his side (whoever she was) to care. You smile and inhale the calming scent of salt water letting it comb through your hair wind throwing the long strands wildly behind you. Twinkling lights mimicking a fire set off on the coastline curving along the shore. Ido wouldn’t risk the docks, too stupid. Cameras. Since childhood he tended to tie up the loose ends of your plans while you set them off without knowing the second step. Or third. Or fourth. Balance. That’s what the two of you brought to each other. Soon he would go off to Tokyo. If you weren’t so in love with Yokohama you’d tag along. But nothing beat this view. Inhaling sharply you plop down on the front of the boat empty bottle rolling somewhere under the seats. Both hands on the railings lining the edge of the boat to keep you from twisting sideways into the water as it draws near the coastline. Nearly midnight and not a soul on the beach. Drunkenly you slide off once the boat jerks on the ascending ocean floor leading to the beach. Shoes in hand it takes only a few minutes to wade through the cold water. It jolted you awake. Stole the breath from your lungs and replaced it with minty, ice cold exhales of smoke into the open air. A passing glance. You smile at Ido before parting ways. He and...what was her name? Someone, walk off to a section of beach with lounge chairs to watch the stars. You, left alone wandering up the stairs towards a strip of late night restaurants and bars. Drinking without company was nothing to be afraid of, and people watching in these kinds of places gave the city more personality than one could hope. Most weren’t incredibly crowded, mid-week, salarymen inhabited most of the barstools and tables. Keeping to themselves and their company. Some laughing, some complaining. A few drinking faster than the bartender can pour. Shallow lighting casts the bar in amber leaving the edges of the place shadowed if someone wanted to remain unseen. Music just high enough to hear but low enough you didn’t need to shout. Not that there was anyone to talk to and the red head with the cigarette seemed to be doing enough loud-speaking for that half of the bar to begin with. Attractive, from his profile. You walk behind him noticing how sharp his eyes were at your movement, though the conversation never pauses. Ice blue; different. Wordlessly you plop on a barstool near the corner in his view enough to watch but far enough away you couldn’t hear as much of the conversation. His cheeks were tinted pink already. Cute. Your heel knocks against the wood of the bar, eyes drifting close to listen to the music. Thumb already scrolling through random shit on your phone. His wine glass empties rather quickly; preemptive strike. The sound he makes when the bartender says his next glass is paid for makes you accidentally knock your glass against your teeth. Unexpected, a man that looked like that had to be on the receiving end of endless wine and attention. The wood creaks beneath his weight as he spins to watch you from his peripheral. Did the man next to him just say something about lemons? The ice ball rattles in the glass as more vodka is poured on top. Orange juice afterwards. “Oi,” his voice carries with precision and grace prompting you to turn immediately, “if you’re buying then you shouldn’t be drinking alone.” He states moving his jacket from the empty stool next to him. Blue eyes glossy, but that gaze has you hypnotized. Pathetically quick, too. “I didn’t want to interrupt.” You answer simply, but your legs are already moving. He grins as you sit, swiveling in his stool one elbow propped on the bar top hand already holding a lit cigarette. “Yeah? Being that forward sends mixed signals.” Oh, he didn’t like it slow. Good. Slow got annoying and the night was beautiful. You return his smirk and sip on your drink one leg thrown over the other. “I hate small talk,” the empty glass lands on the bartop softly, “______.” Bills are thrown on the table, enough to cover the entire bar’s drinks. “Chuuya.” He replies eyes skimming you up and down. “I guess we don’t need to waste time then.”  He slips out of the seat first offering you a gloved hand. Unexpected politeness, it made him all the more interesting. You slide off with the help of his hand, heels clicking on the hardwood as you walk towards the door feeling the woosh of air at your side from his jacket being thrown over his shoulders. Hat set on carefully, perfectly you notice, covering a decent portion of striking red hair curling around his face. “Hotel work?” He asks, opening the door for you. Gentleman. More interesting given his loud drunkenness before hand. The scent of pinot noir still lingers as you pass by him into the cool night air. “Yeah, I like walking at night anyway.” You smile at him and push your hands in your pockets. Chuuya walks besides you keeping pace head tilted up to admire the towering buildings surrounding the two of you. Yokohama found its true beauty between midnight and sunrise. “Not afraid of the dark eh?” He smirks, eyes slanting to the side to watch your reaction. You laugh softly and shake your head, shoulder bumping into him when you misstep. One arm shoots out instantly to flatten along the small of your back keeping you up right. “Good.” Chuuya comments pulling a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket tilting them in his hand. “You mind?” Another shake of your head fingers extended out. “Share?” You ask with a smile. Chuuya’s grin spreads as he stops and pulls you out of the center of the sidewalk towards him. Planting the cigarette in his lips eyes focused on you in front of him rather than the orange flicker of the lighter. Butterflies ripple at the pit of your stomach, the smell of his cologne overpowers the autumn air and it’s delicious. Subtle, memorable. Chuuya’s stare seeps through your skin and sticks in your chest. Like watching a star burst to life or a comet light up a pitch black sky. Gentle beauty that both comforted and hit a chord in your chest; there was something hidden beyond the starlight staring back at you, glowing in a color that mimicked the depths of a tropical ocean. The only thing that tears you from his captivating gaze is the cigarette being flipped and placed at the center of your lips. “See something you like?” Chuuya asks teasingly, keeping his hand planted firmly on your back as he pulls his own out. Eyes flitting back to you orange flame licking the air before it ignites the tip. “I wouldn’t have spent money on a drink if I didn’t.” You retort, smoke billowing through your lips as you speak. Chuuya chuckles and clicks his tongue head tilting sharply to the left. Two fingers pointing towards a highrise in the distance. “I’ll repay the favor then.” Chuuya’s voice drops. Thunder striking the earth. Goosebumps pebble up your spine. Oh. It could be that kind of night. You bite the inside of your bottom lip and turn with him continuing your walk. This side of the city had the most late night activity, and was heavily crowded despite it being past midnight. But, Chuuya walked like he owned the city. Shoulders back and head held high, confidence oozing from his features. That fucking smirk made your heart backflip into your throat. He catches you looking, every time, and it rises higher. Cocky. Fuck, it looked good on him too. Idle chatter, even though you didn’t want to bother with it. Didn’t need to rather, but this felt more natural despite both of you knowing how this would start and end. Chuuya’s laugh was addicting. Sweet, and he kept his attention directly on you. Guiding you with ease down the sidewalk and through the crowds of people. Ashing in corners then tossing the butt in proper tray. Little things made him more appealing, as trivial as not littering sounded it was something in the way he purposely timed his drags. Pointing smoke away as he exhaled still listening intently to whatever retort you had for his comment. Like he was keeping the city’s feelings in mind while he smoked on its sidewalks. A gentleman with the mouth of a sailor and the simper of a devil. Beauty--lightening caught in a bottle. Chuuya opens the door for you ushering you in like a proper date would.Brilliant, bright light from the chandelier glimmers over the marble beneath your feet. Swirls of golds and whites following each step in a trail of glistening sheen. Alcohol prompt you to spin just to see if the fragmented glitter followed. In the backdrop Chuuya smiles unintentionally, hand reaching out to secure itself over your wrist. “Elevators this way.” He spins you left completely bypassing the check-in counter. Though, the man at the counter pays no mind to the pair of you walking towards the elongated hallway housing three elevators on each side meant only for hotel guests. You stare dumbly at the doors decorated in faux gold lace on the front skewing the reflection of the mirrors underneath. “What is it you do to have connections to a place like this?” You ask curiously, rocking on the back of your heels. Chuuya bites the side of his cheek. “Finance.” He responds simply, lacing his fingers with yours to pull you into the elevator hand slapping the button before anyone else can join. His teeth glint under the overhead lighting as he pulls your chest flush with his. “And what do you do?” Steal cars. Drive them to Tokyo to sell in Europe and America. “Receptionist at a dealership.” You tilt your head up bumping your nose against his breath warm and fanning down his bottom lip. Chuuya’s eyes snap down to your lips then retreat back to match your gaze. “You haven’t kissed me yet.” “I should fix that then.” Your breath barely escapes your lips before he’s kissing you. Nibbling your bottom lip to pull out a surprised gasp and let his tongue slip in. Soft, teasing. Rolling along the roof of your mouth and behind your teeth. The world spins. All the air stuck in your lungs is ripped out leaving you dizzy. Head rush. Shit, this was too good too fast. When you break to breathe the air is electrified. Snapping tension and heat. Your fingers curl over his shoulders pulling him in for another kiss. And another. Until your lipstick is smeared and he’s tugging you out into the hallway, stumbling back against the wall with his arms cinched around your waist. Biting at your bottom lip, your jawline, back up to your ear then cycling back to your lips. “Room.” He murmurs between nips, spinning with ease on his heels to walk you both backwards down the hallway. When the fuck did he get a key? You follow regardless. Nails sinking in to the back of his jacket unwilling to part with his body. The heat from his skin seemed to engrave itself in yours, warming your blood. Flickers of moonlight streak white from the far window at the end of the hallway through the blinds, painting a stripe over his shoes as Chuuya’s back hits the door. “Card.” He grates, pulling away reluctantly with a dark chuckle. “You look a mess.” He teases, using his sleeve to wipe the lipstick from your chin. “I didn’t expect to be mauled I would have worn my expensive one.” You smirk and nip at his fingers when they pass over your lips, tongue darting out to wet the tips. Chuuya’s eyes darken. Ocean blue beginning to swirl in a hurricane of navy and moonlight. The door opens with a sudden jerk, Chuuya’s hands wrapping around your forearms to yank you inside before his foot kicks the door shut with a loud bang. The full moon hangs low in the sky. Blindingly luminous against the dark celeste sky framed by the arched window and painting the room in white gold. Chuuya leaves the curtains open letting the sky and the city illuminate the bed. Your hands reach his jacket first yanking it down his shoulders in haste while Chuuya merely stops in the center of the room letting you strip him. Kissing you between movements. Leaving his mark on your neck in fresh blossoms of red. Buttons bounce of the floor making the man laugh out loud. Vest thrown somewhere along with his now torn white shirt. Gloves strewn on the bedside and hat already placed on the furthers table near the door with his phone. “You have claws don’t you?” Chuuya purrs the words in your ear voice smoother than silk. You shiver; his grin cooks right. “It’s okay kitten, you can scratch me.”

[tlatollotl]

Initially, it was books that led Fernando Rodriguez Delgado to his interest in cacao. Today Rodriguez runs Chocolate Macondo, a café that specializes in ancient preparations of cacao, but prior to that he was a bookseller, fanatical about reading and fascinated by the history of Mexico.

The day that he came across the Florentine Codex, a 16th-century manuscript documenting Mesoamerican culture, was an important one: it would eventually spark his countrywide search to discover the traditions of cacao and seek out ingredients, the names of which he only knew in Nahuatl. Rodriguez didn’t speak this native language of Mexico, so trying to work out the recipes for cacao drinks he found in the codex was no easy task.

“They put mecaxochitl [in the cacao drink],” Rodriguez told us during a recent visit to his café. “But what is mecaxochitl?” he added with a laugh.

Rodriguez’s kind face revealed a little glint in his eye as he remembered his multilingual search for ingredients for a cacao drink referred to as atlaquetzalli, or “precious water,” in the ancient codex.

“We dedicated ourselves to finding the recipe. We thought it was unique,” continued Rodriguez.

It turned out, however, that all of the different cacao drinks infused with any combination of herbs, fruits and spices were referred to by the common name of atlaquetzalli in the Florentine Codex, regardless of the extra ingredients added to the cacao water. The codex was an ethnographic study written by the Spanish Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagún. The study, which was conducted in partnership with his indigenous students, documents the cosmology, rituals and way of life of the Mexica people. While written with the motive of converting the indigenous Mexicans to Catholicism, it is now an important document for understanding how native Mexicans lived and saw the world before the conquest worked to remove many of the ancient traditions.

As we sat in the Chocolate Macondo café, sipping on warm cacao drinks infused with hoja santa (a fragrant herb), pepper and chiles, we were just a five-minute drive away from the ancient city of Teotihuacan, revered by the Mexica people as the Birthplace of the Gods.

The proximity of the mighty Pyramid of the Sun and Moon to this café full of books about ancient Mexico, traditional clay chocolate pots and volcanic rock grinding stones, made every sip of our spicy cacao drink feel like a connection to Mexico’s past.

“We feel that our work is to restore and reconnect to the use of cacao here in the Central Mexican Plateau,” explained Rodriguez, whose interest in cacao took him across Mexico to discover more about how the ingredient was being used countrywide.

His travels led him to the discovery that in Southern Mexico cacao was consumed in traditional Mesoamerican ways (grinding down pure cacao beans and mixing it with water), while in central Mexico, the heartland of the Mexica and the area that took the biggest brunt of the Spanish conquest, the traditions had been lost and replaced with “European customs,” such as combining cacao or even cocoa solids with milk and chocolate bars that barely contained any cacao.

So, deciding to do his part in restoring these traditions, he bought a cacao grinder. Rodriguez would grind the cacao beans for a while and then the grinder would get stuck. He would leave it for a few days before trying again, but the same would happen. This went on for a year until one day it suddenly worked, and he was inspired to play his part in reintroducing traditional cacao products to Central Mexico. The cacao grinder has continued to grind the cacao – which comes from the jungles of Chiapas – into powder to this day.

Initially, Rodriguez worked with his brother, who is an herbalist, making bars of chocolate with different herbs and spices. However, realizing that they couldn’t compete with the big-name chocolate makers, they turned their hand to something more unique: the “precious water.”

Now, some eight years since making their first cacao drinks, the family has traveled around the country sharing these traditional Mesoamerican spiced cacao concoctions at festivals and fairs. Alongside the drinks, they often offer performances of traditional Mexica music and dance. For Rodriguez, “there is a historical, cultural and scientific reason” for their work.

Chocolate Macondo has made packs of their different chocolate drinks, which are for sale in powder form. If a customer falls in love with Chocolate Macondo’s special creations such as the warming Quetzalpapalotl drink infused with ginger, rosemary and cinnamon or the uplifting Tlexochitl with damiana flowers and mint, they can buy the ready-made formula to recreate it at home.

The café in which we sat has been open for two years, and according to Arjelia Rodriguez Rojas, Fernando’s daughter, they have had visitors from all over the world, “even some who left comments in Arabic and other languages,” in the visitor book that sits open, full of glowing reviews.

The café sells vegetarian tamales too, made by a chef in Mexico City. Rodriguez’s research led him to discover that across many parts of the country, cacao and corn were often consumed together.

“So, it made sense to sell tamales,” he said.

And the combination of the cacao drinks with the tamales does indeed work incredibly well, especially on the cool, cloudy morning that we sat in the cozy café.

Chocolate Macondo is very much a family business. Rather than industrialize and expand, they have preferred to continue making their chocolate drinks and products by hand. They are, however, looking to start making beauty products, like shampoos and soaps made from a base of cacao, and they are also planning to expand by opening up more cafés.

In keeping with their desire to contribute to culture, the family also offers a Pulque and Cacao tour for those interested in sampling another of Mexico’s Mesoamerican tipples. The tour starts at the café where participants learn about cacao and try the different drinks, discovering the herbal creations of Chocolate Macondo. Next, they will head to the fields nearby where agave is grown and harvested to make pulque. For those who want a more spiritual option, the pulque section of the tour can be replaced with a trip to a local temazcal (Mesoamerican sweat lodge) to partake in a ritual ceremony with a local shaman.

Whether you want to take a tour or simply imbibe some drinks rich in flavor and history, make sure you take a trip to Chocolate Macondo on your way to or from the mighty Teotihuacan pyramids.

[idkthisisjustforfanfic]

Chapter 10 - Come Sunday

I was sat at the counter later that night as Victor cleaned up the kitchen from making dinner. Harry--who was stood on the other side of the open concept living room strumming a guitar--seemed to finally understand the need to keep a safe distance from each other.

Alex was to my right, scrolling on his phone as he pushed around pieces of rice with his fork. I took one last bite of the papaya glazed chicken on my plate and downed the last sip of my piña colada on the rocks--Victor was truly a Godsend--when my phone rang.

The screen immediately reflected the ceiling above, letting me know that a facetime call was coming through. Kyle’s name, and the obnoxious eggplant emoji he’d chosen to accompany it, started to scroll by. I slid the button at the bottom to answer it, immediately grinning at the image on the screen.

Charlie was looking into the phone, Kyle behind him, both of them at a ridiculously unflattering angle. I let out a laugh in greeting. “Glad it’s just me you’re calling--this angle makes you both look a little...plump.”

“Ha ha,” Kyle rolled his eyes, picking up the phone to hold it at a more appropriate level. He used a hand to reach for Charlie, pulling him onto his lap on his couch back in London. It was late there--dark outside the window behind him and likely much colder than the current warm breeze that floated in from the open slider. “Nice to see you, too.”

Harry, in the time it took Kyle to adjust and get Charlie resituated on his lap, had made his way over to me, eagerly smiling into the camera behind me like an idiot. He liked Kyle, of course, but I knew very well he was just trying to get a glimpse of his favorite feline friend.

“How is he doing?” Harry cooed into the camera, shoving his face over my shoulder--leaving only a few inches between us, as he let a grin take over. “He looks good, is he eating well?”

“Margaret did you forget to tell me that Harry has signed adoption papers or something?” Kyle teased, pulling his head back in amusement as I shoved Harry away from me with an elbow.

“He’s just clingy,” I dismissed. “But--is he eating well?”

“Jesus, the both of you,” another eye roll. “He’s eating just fine. He’s been excited to see us when we come home from work and extremely excited for cuddles at bedtime. Figured we’d give a call to say hello.”

“Well it’s very much appreciated,” I smiled, watching as Charlie maneuvered his head to keep Kyle’s hand moving in a calming pattern. I could hear clamor behind Kyle, likely somewhere in the bathroom or kitchen. “How’s Mark? How’d wedding planning?”

He let out a sigh, running his free hand through his quiff of brown hair. “He’s fine, it’s fine. Just--trying to pick a venue,” he raised his voice, clearly hoping Mark would overhear his conversation. He turned back to me with a smile. “The real question, however, is how’s Jamaica? How is the sun in your hair and the sand in your titties?”

“Okay, alright, a lot of people in the room,” I said to Kyle, taking a quick scan to determine who’d heard his comment. Based on the smile on Jeffrey and Alex’s faces, it seemed like it was just them. Tyler, Jeff, Mitch--the guitarist who’d be playing on the album, Ryan, Teddy, and Matt, had all seemed to meander outside, a few of them were seated in the recliners that were dispersed over the slate patio.

I figured we’d have a few drinks, write a bit more, enjoy the nice weather outside. Suddenly, I felt a little homesick for London and a bit more out of place. I thought I’d made my peace with being the only woman in the house, the only one who needed to figure out what type of Jamaican tampons would best suit me, the only one to have titties to get sand in.

But with the once mixed drink I’d already had, a wave of sadness washed over me. How long was I supposed to pretend that I belonged here? These people--these writers and producers and musicians--all had been vetted and hand-picked by Jeffrey and the rest of Harry’s management. I, however, was handpicked by Harry--likely due to his need to get laid and his inability to think with his brain as soon as it became clear that maybe he’d get some from me.

But I knew that something about that didn’t feel right either. Whether or not I knew Harry as well as Niall or Liam did, I knew he wasn’t just keeping me around for that. I mean, afterall, we’d only had sex twice.

But was I ruining it? Was I ruining a chance of him seeing me as a real writer and someone with real talent if I slept with him at his beck and call?

Kyle’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. “Where is good old Harold? Let me talk with him,” he said.

At the sound of his own name, Harry’s eyebrows jumped in excitement as he made his way back over to me. I handed him the phone before bringing my drink over towards the fridge to try to recreate whatever Victor had poured in it before.

**

By 9pm when the sun was down and the music had officially been turned on, I was sat at the edge of the pool with Tyler and Mitch on either side of me. It was nice to get to know both of them, nice to hear their stories, hear where they were from, and it was especially nice to hear that we’d added another American (Mitch) to the team.

I wasn’t exactly keeping track of how much everyone was drinking, but it became clear as the stars became brighter that everyone else was a little bit ahead of me. Maybe it was the fact that I didn’t have my dirty shirley’s, or maybe it was the fact that my overthinking didn’t quite lend itself to a drunken night.

“Alright, then, what’s on your Jamaica bucket list?” Teddy asked Matt and Harry. They sat a ways away from us, Teddy’s back to me as he ran a hand through his hair.

I figured keeping my distance would be smart--I worried that my closeness with Harry would come off as unprofessional. I worried that if anyone found out that we’d slept together, I’d never get hired again in the business. Call me catastrophic, but the jump from A to Z didn’t seem too difficult. Would Jeffrey fire me if he knew? Did he have that power?

“Ziplining would be wicked,” Harry shrugged, waiting for Teddy to chime in. Mitch seemed to quiet down to hear their conversation, Alex did the same. I kept my eyes on the small waves in the pool, wondering how on earth I’d gone from an awkward rendezvous in the hallway to having sex with Harry in a master suite in Jamaica. Jeff Bhasker--who was waist deep in the water--had shared that he was definitely in the mood for an evening swim.

“What about like a pub crawl?” Teddy suggested, looking from Harry and then back to Matt.

“I’m always up for that,” Alex chimed in, leaned back to see past me.

“We might get a ridiculously drunk former popstar on our hands,” Ryan called from his spot in the pool. He leaned against the edge, watching between the two groups as the conversation seemed to become an entire, house-wide topic.

“I can handle myself just fine,” Harry held up a hand in defense, his nose scrunched in amusement.

“I’m sure you’ll have plenty of girls trying to get with you if we go into Kingston or Montego,” Tyler let out a laugh, his words seemingly innocent and comical.

My stomach, though, did not find them either innocent or comical. Instead, a knot the size of the fancy shower head in my bathroom suddenly felt cemented in my gut--a steady reminder that the deeper I got in this whole thing, the more I had to lose.

Harry’s eyes seemed to look everywhere but mine. “I’m definitely trying to keep a low profile, so that’s--not going to happen.”

I didn’t know if he was saying that because of me or saying it because of my presence. Either way felt uncomfortable and made me feel stupid. I waited for someone else to speak and stood from my spot and headed for the doors inside. Luckily, Tyler and Alex seemed to say something else about a rowdy night out, keeping others entertained while I slipped back into the house.

I let the sliding door shut behind me, their voices and music now muffled. The air inside was cooler--the air conditioning had kicked back on and the lights were all off. I wondered, for a second, what would happen if I packed my bags and called for a car to the airport.

I didn’t have a chance to really think it all through before the sliding door opened behind me.

“Oh, hey,” Jeffrey said, his smile soft and concerned behind me. I turned to face him, the light from the patio seeping in to light our silhouettes.

“Hi, sorry, I was just--thinking.”

“Y’okay?” He moved towards the kitchen, his eyes narrowed at me as he reached for a bag of chips on the counter. I was thankful that he’d come inside for a snack, not because he picked up on my nervousness or embarrassment.

“Fine, yeah, I was just gonna use the bathroom.”

He nodded, reaching a hand in and placing a few chips in his mouth. “Big day tomorrow, you ready?”

He was referring to the fact that we were set to spend all day in the studio. We’d decided that getting ourselves up and out of the house in the morning might lead to more productivity--Harry had decided that he wanted to really get comfortable with the space and the instruments we’d have access to down the road.

“Pumped,” I told him. And I was--I was excited to be writing again and be working with people who were extremely talented. The only catch was that one of them--the one who was technically my boss--was also the guy I was sleeping with.

**

I was stood behind Harry at a small deli in town as he ordered some sort of intricate sandwich. The morning rain had made way for a sunny day--and when he suggested we leave the rest of the group behind on our lunch break, I was hesitant at first.

I’d dipped outside of the studio to check my phone. Not only did I need a minute in the sun, but I also could stand a minute of silence before heading back inside. The studio was our dark and carpeted sanctuary for the day, and Jeffrey and the others had ordered Italian take out.

It’d been a week since we’d arrived. A week of writing and swimming and exploring the town that was now somewhat of a home base. We’d written about 7 different songs. Each of which had a melodic reminder that I was digging myself a ditch.

When Harry found me on the deck, he’d said he was in the mood for a sandwich.

I reluctantly got in the car, feeling like every word we said to each other was somehow cementing my fate. I couldn’t tell if anyone suspected anything so far--no one had brought it up, no one had mentioned that we seemed to spend a fair amount of time together and be awfully close.

I hoped, with everything in me, that they believed him when Harry introduced me as his good friend Maggie.

“And whatever she wants, too,” he spoke to the man behind the counter.

“I can get lunch,” I told him, reaching for my wallet in the bag on my shoulder. “Can I do a chicken caesar wrap, please?”

Harry kept his eyes on me, and when I sidestepped him to pay at the register, I narrowed my eyes. “What?”

He shrugged his shoulders quickly but didn’t abandon the smirk on his face. “You’re just funny.”

“Why’s that?” I asked, my eyebrows raised in amusement as I handed a woman my card.

“The money stuff,” he said quietly. “I don’t mind--if I did, I’d tell you.”

I didn’t know if I believed him--I didn’t know if he would tell me. I thanked the woman for my receipt and stood beside him as we waited for our sandwiches. “I can buy you a sandwich. It won’t break the bank.”

He let out a quick laugh at that, slinking an arm over my shoulders. He pulled me closer to him, the warmth of his body felt comforting against mine. He leaned down, pressed a kiss to the top of my head, and then pulled his phone out his pocket.

I stood, frozen for a second. It was a small gesture, one that could never have happened in London, or likely anywhere else on the planet. He let his arm rest there, dangling over my shoulder.

Eventually, the man behind the counter turned around to offer our food. He looked down at the two wrapped sandwiches in his hands, offering one forward first. “For you,” he held it out to Harry, and then held the other out. “For your girlfriend.”

Harry immediately looked down at me with an obnoxiously silly smile, his eyebrows raised in delight. “For my girlfriend,” he repeated, both dimples present on his cheeks. I took the sandwich he handed forward to me and turned to head for the door, doing my best to fight the smile on my own face.

We found a table outside and sat, the smirk still on Harry’s face as bit into his lunch with sunglasses perched atop his nose.

“Knock it off,” I said, keeping my lips in as close to a straight line as possible.

“Knock what off?” He asked, looking up to meet my eyes, his lips still curled up into a tight smile. “I can’t control that everyone else sees what you don’t.”

I let out a sigh at that--partially because I didn’t know what to say, but mostly because he hadn’t been that straightforward with me about it.

“I don’t see why you’re so afraid of this,” he shrugged his shoulders, again, leaving me a bit speechless at his honesty and bluntness. He chewed and watched me, apparently more than comfortable with the conversation at hand.

What was I supposed to say? Sitting on a rickety old porch of a sandwich shop in Port Antonio didn’t leave me feeling equipped for this conversation. Being thousands of miles from home and thousands of miles from stability made me wonder what he wanted to hear.

“I don’t see why you’re so not afraid of this,” I murmured, instantly regretting the words that left my mouth. Natural, Maggie. Articulate, Maggie. I rolled my eyes at myself as he took another bite.

He spoke around the food in his mouth. “You have feelings for me, yeah?”

He asked the question but kept his eyes on his sandwich as he repositioned the roll and his hold on it. I nodded, which made him look up at me. I didn’t speak, I was kind of just waiting to see where he was going for this.

“Okay, and I’ve got feelings for you.”

“That doesn’t make it a good idea. That doesn’t mean that we can just ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. This isn’t some movie or stupid love story.” I was getting angry now, my appetite suddenly gone for the wrap in front of me. Harry, who seemed rather unperturbed by my sudden shift in mood, took another bite of his sandwich.

“M’not saying that,” his words were muffled until he swallowed. “But I am saying that I think we should stop pretending this isn’t a thing.”

I watched him for a second. His calmness was equal parts annoying and reassuring, but I couldn’t decide which felt more accurate. I stared at him--watching as he took another bite and chewed. He stared at me--waiting for some sort of response.

“And what do you suppose we about the fact that there are a bunch of other people here?”

He looked up at me, shrugged his shoulders, and then shifted in his seat. “Dunno. M’not saying we have to tell everyone--I’m just tired of having to pretend that this isn’t happening. Just--I dunno--be my girlfriend.”

“Be your girlfriend?” I asked, pulling my head back from him in a mix of shock and doubt. I didn’t necessarily doubt that he had feelings for me, but I couldn’t wrap my head around the idea of being his girlfriend.

He nodded simply, his eyes only leaving my face when another car pulled into the parking lot.

He was being naive--he was acting as if this weren’t as big of a deal as it was. Sure--it might feel like nothing to agree to be his girlfriend on the deck of some sandwich shop in Jamaica, but when we went back to London, everything would be different.

Aside from the fact that he was paying for everything on this trip, we were on a pretty level playing field in the present moment. Here he could come to the grocery store, walk down the street and even come out to lunch.

In London, things just weren’t that simple. This album held meaning. It meant he was committing to at least three months on tour. At least two continents, probably a month of promo. This album simultaneously gave us time to figure out whatever was going on between us, but it also set us up for an undeniable shift in the near future.

“I can’t be your girlfriend,” I said quietly, trying to mask the disappointment in my voice.

“Why’s that?”

I rolled my eyes at him a little--the way he spoke so casually about it made it seem like I was being difficult. I preferred to see it as realistic.

“You’re going to have to tour this album, and you’ll be busy, and I’ll be stuck in London.”

He took another bite, his eyes lazily flashing to the wrap in front of me that was sufficiently uneaten. Maybe he disagreed, but he didn’t say so. Instead, we were interrupted by his ringing phone--another reminder that we lived two different worlds. People always wanted something from him. People wanted to know where he was, what he was doing. I didn’t know if I could quite keep up.

He clicked his phone to silence the ring and flipped it over on the table.

“You can get that,” I said flatly, bringing my eyes out to the ocean that was likely only a mile down the road.

He shrugged and waved a hand to dismiss it. “S’just Mitch. We’ll be back there in fifteen. It can wait.”

I was quiet for a second, I kept my eyes on the trees and the scenery around us, the air much fresher than it was in London. I appreciated what he was saying, I was flattered and pleased and probably even somewhat flustered over the fact that Harry was requesting a label on our relationship.

“You don’t have to commit to anything,” he said, his voice now quiet and his eyes avoiding mine. His hair was up in a bun--a few loose strands blew in the wind against his forehead.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be his girlfriend. In a perfect world I wouldn’t question it--I wouldn’t feel insecure and I wouldn’t always feel so hung up on the fact that he was basically my boss. It a perfect world we would have met in a bar instead of at a bus stop and he’d just be Harry--not the one with the long hair who cost me my job.

I turned to look at him now--his eyes were on mine and he offered me a sheepish smile.

“We just--” I paused, almost surprised that the words were about to come out of my mouth. He raised his eyebrows in an effort to get more words out of me. “We can’t tell anyone.”

His lips pulled up into a smile. “It’ll be between you, me, and the guy who made our sandwiches.” I rolled my eyes playfully at him, but he reached over and poked at my wrap. “Eat up,” he said. “I didn’t pay one thousand Jamaican dollars for you to throw that out.”

**

I was laid in bed that night, my hair up in a bun and the door shut to block the noise from downstairs. We’d spent most of the afternoon writing--after four new songs and a sunburn from being by the pool, I’d decided that I was going to turn in early.

Apparently, everyone else had a different idea. I could hear the laughter and the voices travel up the stairs and drift down the hall, lighting a tiny flame of loneliness in my stomach. I didn’t really want to be down there with them--in fact, I think they were all just hanging out in the living room.

The weather had taken a turn around dinner and it seemed to be a colder night than usual, but it didn’t stop me from feeling like I should be social, make a name for myself, impress my co-writers and not let them know that I was secretly shagging the boss.

I tried to focus on the movie in front of me--I was 45 minutes in to The Time Traveler’s Wife when there when the noise volume finally lessened. Another ten minutes passed before there was a knock on my door.

I figured it was Jeff or Mitch, coming to see if I wanted a drink or if I wanted to go out wherever they were likely headed. We’d been doing that a lot--even if we just brought bottles of rum to the beach and stared up at the stars.

Instead, though, I found Harry, a big grin on his face and a good 90% of his hair missing. “What did you do?!” I reached a hand forward to touch it--the strands that once skimmed his shoulders and collarbones were gone. Instead, it was pushed to the side, styled, almost, and the smile from his face faded quickly.

“You don’t like it?”

I let out a laugh, shaking my head. “It looks great, I just have never seen you with such...little hair.”

He smiled at this, tilting his head to the side, leaning in to press a kiss to my lips. I kissed him for a second, but eventually let my hands reach up to put distance between us. “Who cut your hair?”

“Someone Jeffrey’s friend knows. He just left. Is it too short?” He pushed past me and walked into the bathroom that was attached to my room. He slipped the light switch on and stared at himself in the mirror. He looked side to side, analyzing his new look.

“It looks--” I paused, searching for the words. He looked older, less boyband and more solo. He looked cleaner and more attractive and I felt my eyebrows raising as he stared at me in the mirror.

“It looks what?” He turned around, leaning against the counter as he crossed his arms.

“It looks fine,” I said simply.

His typical obnoxious smirk found its way onto his face, as he wiggled his brow in a suggestive manner. “You think it’s quite attractive, don’t you?”

I shrugged my shoulders, trying desperately to keep my cool. I wasn’t about to tell him that he looked straight out of a GQ cover shoot--it would clearly just go to his head. “Yeah, you look good.”

He let out an amused laugh, reaching to grab my hand and pull me into him. “You’re quite difficult,” he said, his voice low and in my ear. “But I find it quite entertaining.”

There were steps on the stairs in the hallway, I pulled away quickly, just in time for Ryan to stick his head in the doorway to my room. “What are you guys doing?”

I took a step away from Harry and back into my bedroom. “He just wanted to see if it got the approval of a woman. And it did.”

Ryan smiled a bit and watched as Harry turned around to ruffle his own hair again in the mirror. “What are you up to, all alone, anyway? Are you okay?”

“Oh yeah,” I said casually. “Just was watching a chick flick.”

“I love a good romantic comedy,” Harry said with wide eyes and another smirk.

“You can all go back downstairs,” I laughed a little. “Have your bro time and crush beers or whatever you all do.”

Ryan let out a laugh but Harry pulled his head back in feigned disgust. “Is that what you think we do? Crush beers?”

I shrugged, just trying to get Harry to stop drawing attention to the two of us.

“Jeffrey and I are known to enjoy a good rom com here and there. Haven’t you read Cosmo? The Notebook is one of my favorite films.”

I let out a scoff, Ryan seemed entertained by our dynamic. “I did not know that,” I admitted.

He walked past me towards Ryan, waving over his shoulder. “Bring it downstairs, we can all watch.”

I stood frozen in my bedroom, watching as he wedged past Ryan in the doorway. “What? No. We’re not all going to watch a dumb movie, it’s not even that good.”

Harry turned around quickly and looked utterly unimpressed. “Trust me, it’s one of Jeffrey’s favorites.”

**

“Shut up,” I hissed at him two hours later, his face barely visible in the dark. He grabbed at my waist, causing a high pitched squeak to come out of my mouth--I didn’t even know my vocal cords could make that noise.

He laughed, trying his best to keep his voice down, as we walked down the hallway. He spent our entire trip up the staircase trying to convince me to come to bed with him--and while it sounded delightful, there were four other people in the house who had to come upstairs, down the hall, and go to sleep with zero knowledge that Harry and I were spending the night under the same sheets.

I opened the door to his bedroom, and as soon as it was shut behind us, he brought his hands to my face and pressed his lips hard against mine.

I giggled against his mouth, the warmth of his skin against mine helped push the impending thoughts of doom out of my head. In these moments, his tour, his album, the rest of our lives waiting in London didn’t matter. It was just me and him and the sound of the jungle outside the house.

He walked me over to the bed, and when we were close enough, I let myself flop back onto it. He laughed at this, rolling his eyes at how dramatic I was as I let out a quiet sigh. He crawled up to me, but then instead of bringing his lips back to mine, he laid on his stomach and rested his head on his arms.

“It’s so short,” I reached out to touch his hair again, he made a pleased sound when my hand made contact with his head.

“Hey Maggie,” he said, his voice still low and his eyes more droopy than before.

“Yeah?”

“I just wanted to let you know that I’m falling in love with you.”

**

“Did that sound shitty?” His voice carried through the microphone and into the room.

He was behind the glass in the dark booth, his eyes waiting for a response from Ryan. “No,” he reassured him. “It was fine.”

“Actually?”

“Actually,” Ryan confirmed. “But let’s do it again.”

Mitch and I both let out a laugh, more than amused by how picky both Harry and Ryan had been throughout the entire morning.

We’d decided to record three or four songs today--ones that we all really liked and felt were sure to be on the album, that is, unless we wrote better songs that took precedence.

I had my feet up on the coffee table, a water bottle in my hands that Jeff Bhasker wanted to use as a percussion instrument on the previous track. Mitch, whose head was back against the couch with his eyes closed, seemed to hum along as Harry sang.

I didn’t feel as awkward as I thought I would. In fact, in the ten days that had passed since Harry had told me he was falling in love with me, I almost felt more at ease with the rest of the group.

We’d spend our mornings having breakfast, we’d head to the studio, do some work, and then come home for lunch. We’d go back and do it again, sometimes ordering take out and working until 1am.

Other days we’d come home in the afternoon and swim, we’d go to the beach, we’d write songs around the long dining table. It was a constant flow of creative energy. Even if we weren’t writing, we were thinking. We were bouncing lyrics and concepts back and forth. We’d hum and sing melodies that we’d come up with and we’d edit old songs that we thought needed work.

After three weeks of being here, I finally settled in.

“Okay that one definitely sounded like rubbish,” Harry laughed into the mic, making eye contact with me as he ran a hand through his hair. He gave me a toothy grin, waited for Ryan to set him back up where he’d punch in, and then sang the line again.

I stood--I realized what it was that they didn’t like. When Ryan paused him again, Jeff looked up at me in expectation.

“I think the problem with the verse is that the melody is too repetitive,” I looked at Harry behind the glass window. “If you go up in pitch in the middle I think it’d be more...catchy.”

“What do you hear?” Jeff asked, his hands clasped over his lap.

“I can’t touch what I see,” I sang the line back to them and waited. Harry, who looked thoughtful, nodded at Jeff.

“I think that sounds better,” he said.

“Me too,” Jeff agreed. “Do it again,” he pointed at Ryan, who queued Harry up at the same exact punch.

Harry sang the line, looked to Jeff expectantly, and then to me. “We’ve got to start from the top and re do it. That’s the way it should sound.”

Jeff smiled a bit, then turned to Ryan. “You heard him.”

**

I wasn’t quite sure what time it was, but almost everyone was inside. It’d been a long week of recording, recording more, and writing. It was finally Friday, meaning we had about two weeks left in Jamaica before we were set to head our separate ways. With 12 songs recorded, Harry was starting to get antsy about making the final decisions on what would stay and what would go.

The fix, for that, we all decided, was an excessive amount of alcohol after Victor had cooked a delicious lobster dinner. We weren’t all quite inebriated yet, but when the rain started to pour down outside and we were cooped up in the living room, the drinking continued, the music got louder, and Harry started dancing in the center of the room in a Hawaiian shirt. That’s when I knew it was going to be a long night.

I decided, though, at half past midnight, to FaceTime Kyle. He was traveling in the states with Mark--they claimed to need a pre-honeymoon to deal with all of the stress of wedding planning. It rang twice before he answered.

It was dark and loud and I could barely hear him, but when he stepped outside of whatever bar they inhabited in New York City, his face became much clearer.

“Long time no chat,” he smiled into the phone, Mark waved from behind him as he lit a cigarette.

“I’m busy--you know, working,” I laughed, motioning around the room behind me--which was nearly as rowdy as a Greenwich Village nightclub.

Harry, at the sound of Kyle’s voice, was making his way towards me with a big smile and an eagerness to talk to our friend.

He was sitting down beside me on the couch when Kyle replied. “Thank God that you stuck it out even though you didn’t even want to be his friend. It has obviously paid off financially!” He let out a giggle, completely ignorant to the weight that his words held and the ears they fell on.

Harry pulled his head back and I could see him try to process Kyle’s words despite the liquor in his veins. I could feel my own world slow down as I realized what Harry had just heard.

“Kyle,” I said slowly, my heart rate climbing--Harry tensed beside me. I looked at Kyle through the screen, back to Harry, and then back to my phone again.

Harry stood, his fists clenched beside him as he made a beeline for the sliding door to the patio. I was frozen for a second, unsure of if this were real and how to respond. The music in the room seemed obnoxiously loud, the laughing was distracting, and I suddenly wished that the alcohol that I’d already consumed would clear itself from my brain.

I looked back to Harry as his hand made contact with the door.

“Fuck Kyle,” I said, emotion raw in my voice as I hung up quickly and tried to weave between Mitch and Teddy. The front door slammed behind him, causing Jeffrey and Tyler to look in my direction as I made my way for the foyer.

I was outside and into the rain behind him--he was ten steps ahead of me, walking around the corner of the house.

“Harry hold on!” I called out, the adrenaline pushed me into the rain, the water was cool on my feet as I picked up my pace through the wet grass.

He didn’t turn around--instead, he trudged up the hill towards the front of the house.Sure, maybe I hadn’t initially wanted to be friends with someone who was rich and famous and undeniably out of my league. Maybe I didn’t want to be friends with the guy who cost me my job and seemed to know exactly how to irk me before he even knew my name. Maybe it was the alcohol in my system, but maybe it was the fact that I suddenly felt extremely vulnerable. Instead of trying to apologize, I criticized him.

“This is so dramatic,” I called after him, watching his figure storm into the night. “Really? Running away into the rain?” I yelled louder this time, my voice carrying through the little piece of jungle that had become somewhat of a private paradise.

“Oh fuck off, Maggie,” he yelled over his shoulder--his voice much angier than I’d expected. He stopped short in the driveway, turning to face me suddenly. His eyebrows were drawn together in anger, his lips in a thin line that made me question the entirety of our relationship. “Don’t tell me m’being dramatic when you’re the one who’s been lying.”

“I haven’t been lying!” I defended, letting my hands slap against my legs in defiance. He’d barely given me a chance to speak before running out of the room--I figured he at least owed me a minute to explain myself.

“No? You haven’t been? Then why is it that Kyle’s under the impression that you’re here just for the money? Just for the work? That’s all this has ever been?”

“No,” I said through clenched teeth, but he didn’t even pause for a breath.

“You’re only friends with me--doing whatever this is--because you were so terrified of what you’d be without a job?”

“No!” I said again, this time the emotion more raw in my voice. I could feel the tears pooling in my eyes, but I was thankful for the fact that the rain would mask whatever spilled over and onto my cheeks. He faltered a bit when he heard my voice crack--the anger seemed to dissipate in the slightest for just a second, and then he frowned again.

“I thought this was different, Maggie,” he sounded almost defeated now--the rain was soaking into his short hair, the droplets felt warm on my skin as then soaked through the t-shirt I wore. He shook his head quickly, rolling his eyes. “For fuck’s sake!” He yelled, his voice carrying over the trees and echoing against the garage doors behind us. “I sound so fucking stupid,” he said. “I can’t fucking believe I fell for this.”

“You didn’t fall for anything, Harry!” I tried to take a step towards him, but instead of looking at me, he kept his gaze above my head. He stared off into the night--a light in the driveway illuminated the asphalt on which we stood. This was the type of scene we’d written about so many times.

This type of dramatic, emotion-fueled climax was the shit that songwriters ate for breakfast. We lived for it, really. We lived for the imagery of tears mixing with rain, the feeling of a heart so broken you wonder if it’s jumped right out of your chest and now lies beating on the ground.

I was quiet now--mostly because I didn’t know what to say, but also because he wouldn’t look at me.

He was shaking his head. It wasn’t pronounced, it wasn’t obnoxious, it was just a slight and steady head shake that made my head throb a little harder. My entire face was wet--I was sure that most of it was tears, but the passing storm still seemed to mask my emotions as I reached a hand out to touch him.

I reached for a button on the front of his shirt--mid way up, it was right next to a printed leaf that now looked like darker green, thanks to the rain.

He looked down at my hand--at the contact between us--and then stepped back.

“You just need to hear me out,” I said quietly, my voice barely loud enough over the sound of the rain on the concrete beneath us. “Please,” I panted.

His eyes, still lingering on the spot where my fingers met his shirt, avoided my face at all cost. “No, Maggie, I don’t.”

[osmw1]

Poison-Wielding Fugitive   Chapter 22

“Father, is there anything else that you need?” “I’m alright for this here now. But the next batch will be a bit tricky, so I’ve got to get started on it soon.”

The trembling apothecary replies with a cough interspersed. That’s a little worrying.

“I’ll help out too.”

I begin tidying the messed-up room. Arleaf watches her dad so that she can make his work easier, even if only a bit. A coughing fit interrupts his work, but he soldiers on. He blends herbs both poisonous and not, along with some dried monster organs all together with his mortar and pestle. He then distills and boils the mixture, but the lengthy and complicated process still isn’t finished. During a break in their work, I meet Arleaf’s mother for the first time. She walked out to the shop from her bedroom.

“Haa… haa…” “Mother. Hold on, okay?”

Arleaf wipes the cold sweat off her mom’s face, wrings out the towel, and places it on her forehead to cool her down. I take a peek at Arleaf’s mom. I can see where Arleaf gets her good looks from. There’s a red spot around her collarbone… I see a petal.

A single petal… and according to Veno, she dies if the petal disappears. It’s no laughing matter anymore. There’s no way they didn’t notice her condition until now. While we wait for the medicine to be finished, I can only hope both Arleaf’s parents get better after taking it.

I’m not here to watch them work; I help out with the compounding. Seems like they’ve gotta turn a bunch of different ingredients into medicine. And after helping out at Arleaf’s home for a few hours…

“Almost done.”

Arleaf’s dad mutters out while holding back his coughs.

‘How baffling… that would only halt its progression but not completely cure the person of the disease. Does he want to test the vitality of the patients?’

What?! Why would they make something like that? Didn’t you say that they can easily recover if they take their meds?

‘Judging by that man’s work, it looks as though he knows not how to make medicine to treat Bloodflower… aye, it seems not all humans have found a cure.’

Hold on, Veno. You’re saying the cure isn’t common knowledge?

‘If that is the finished product, then indeed, I think he knows not.’

… that reminds me, Veno even knows how to make stamina recovery potions.

‘Perhaps, that is how the apothecary makes his money. By selling his symptomatic treatment and not curing the cause, he will have an unending source of income.’

No way he’d do that. Never mind himself, that’s his wife who’s been infected. That kind of profiteering just doesn’t make sense.

‘I wonder. Humans are greedy animals. There are humans that can simply abandon the sick, even if they are blood-related. For example, if a man wants another woman, his first wife becomes a nuisance.’

You’re cold. Why are humans such despicable creatures to you, Veno? You’re normally brimming with curiosity, and so I even go out of my way to tell you about things…

‘…’

He stays silent after hearing me out. However it may be, Veno, do you know how to make a proper cure? If you do, tell me and I’ll advise them.

‘By doing so, thou art beckoning misfortune upon thyself. Even I would avoid doing so. Dost thou recognize the risk of this action?’

… what do you mean by that?

‘Thou wilt not be recognized for thine efforts if thou should fail. We shall be driven out of this village.’

How awful for you to speak like that. I’m trying to do what I can to save these people. How can I do nothing and watch them suffer?

‘That medicine depends on the fortitude of the patient. There is a chance of survival; there is no need to be pessimistic.’

I can’t stand such a cold-hearted idea of prioritizing my own survival.

‘Thou… I do not disagree with thine feelings. In fact, I find it very noble. However… I have experienced how foolish humans can be, thus the reason for my advice.’

But I haven’t heard a single damn reason from you! How the hell am I supposed to understand anything?

‘Hah… listen then. Hear my advice then extend thine hand. I fear the burden of the repercussions will be too heavy for thee. I ask thee to refrain from making a hasty decision.’

A hasty decision?

‘Aye. Saving others will incur an appropriate liability. Should thou fail, they will hesitate not to turn upon thee. It matters not whether our intentions are good or not, they will come for thine head.’

Veno begins to explain. Once, there was a person trying to find a cure to the epidemic. By chance, he concocted a potion that was effective and shared it with the people closest to him. The ones who received help were thankful to him. Unfortunately, the cure he created was by accident. He was not able to eradicate the disease. Once the story of how he found a cure spread out, others surrounded him desperately demanded him to recreate the cure. Of course, he had no more cure to offer. He tried reasoning that he had only unexpectedly stumbled upon a working formula.

Those who clung to that small glimmer of hope found nothing in return. Anything else they did was rash and thoughtless, Veno lamented. This is the guy that spread the disease around, isn’t he? I bet that bunch bought their cure for an unimaginable amount of money! That’s right, they’re his accomplices. That makes them no better than him.

They’re witches—no, demons! Let’s get them! We’ll hunt them witches! Try them all!

The family of the dead arm themselves and lynch the ones who were saved. The ones who were saved were branded as witches…

‘… a long time ago, I was given a record of pharmaceutical insight. I spoke with this person and learned that he was repenting for living. Repenting, as the others who were not so lucky had shifted their blame on him, making him a scapegoat.’

… Veno must have a point in telling me all this. Man is bound to commit acts of foolishness. I can deduce that he’s trying to tell me that I could possibly hurt the innocent.

‘Thus, if I teach thee how to create a cure, thou ought to take responsibility. Ascertain whether thou can and should.’

… I can’t half-ass this. I really have to do this well and follow through with it.

‘I have come to be fond of thee. Hence I wish not to see thee needlessly hurt.’

I believe him. Really, that kind of thing isn’t out of the realm of possibility. What if I give people a hope but can’t follow through with it? That’s scary to think of. Not to mention, I’m a nobody. They’re just some village people from a strange and unknown parallel world.

“…”

Suddenly, I had a flashback of everything that had happened since I came here. Arleaf saved me, helped me complete quests, and got me a good rate at the inn. And though this village may be rather quiet, people took me in. Everyone’s been warm and cordial to me. To think that I could emotionally wall them off and think about my survival first…

I was only staying here to train and develop myself before the pursuers get to me. The swamp was simply convenient for me. I can make all these excuses, but I can’t excuse the fact that everyone treated me well. I chuckle a little at Veno.

‘What is it? Is something funny?’

I’m a wanted criminal because of you. If I do good, then they’ll have less of a reason to pursue us. That means I should help them out to fulfill my childish sense of justice. Even if Veno’s medicine doesn’t work, it doesn’t change a thing. I’d rather regret doing something than regret not doing anything at all.

‘Good grief… well, we have become stronger. Thou need only to do thine best. However, if others seem to do anything foolish, thou must follow my orders. Thou must protect thyself against any possible dangers.’

Suppose the villagers do anything foolish like Veno said, I have to listen to what Veno tells me to do to survive. I pray for that day never to come.

‘Then, I shall teach thee how to create a remedy for Bloodflower. Listen closely.’

Gotcha. As Arleaf’s father completes the finishing touches on his medicine, I grab the bowl he was planning to use.

“That won’t heal this disease.” “Hah? What are you sayin’, Cohgray?” “Yukihisa?”

Arleaf’s father glares at me with doubtful eyes while Arleaf worriedly watches us.

“You know that too, don’t you? This will only alleviate the symptoms of Bloodflower and nothing more. It depends on the patient’s system to fight the disease.” “… ah. But as everyone knows, this is the only thing that works against Bloodflower.” “I know of a cure for Bloodflower. I didn’t think it had spread this far, so I was a bit shocked is all.” “The hell you sayin’? If you’re going to screw around, then get the hell out of—cough cough cough.”

The instant the man looked at me when I interrupted him, his face flushed red with anger, only to be cut off by his violent coughing. I took the opportunity to bare his chest. Only one petal of blood remains.

His condition is as bad as his wife’s, who has been confined to her bed for a while. Impressive. Normally at this stage, people can’t get up. That’s what Veno’s said in his analysis of the disease.

“Father!”

Arleaf calls out while rubbing her father’s back, trying to soothe his cough.

“Cough cough. Ar-Arlea—cough.”

Arleaf’s father points at me, trying to get me out of his way.

“Mu…” “Father, I didn’t know your condition worsened this much…”

Flustered at the state her dad is in, Arleaf avoids looking him in the eyes. It doesn’t seem like Arleaf’s dad has the strength to force me out of his way either.

“Are you saying—there’s such a mi-miraculous drug…?” “Watch me. All I need to do is add a little more to what you’ve just made.”

I repeated what Veno had just said to me and continue Arleaf’s dad’s work. The poisonous herb pogneuk magically appears in front of my eyes. Consumption of it causes shortness of breath.

‘Mash the pogneuk with the mortar and pestle then add the neutralizer, making a potion. Add in a pinch of dietetrodake spores.’

I add the ingredients exactly as Veno instructs me to.

‘Then, take five milliliters of water squeezed out of marphina and mix that in. We do not have enough from the previous time we made it.’

I just wanted to double-check whether I’m making this right. Most of what I added in is toxic. This only looks real deadly to me. You sure this is okay?

‘Worry not and just do as I say. Up comes the hardest part. So that it accounts for five percent of the potion the apothecary has made, add in our concoction. Any less and it shall not be effective. Any more and it shall spell death.’

Gah… you couldn’t have made this any harder, could you? I can probably use Detect Poison on the final product, but I can’t stand to see myself fail now. I try to stop my hand from shaking so much and hope that this is five percent.

previously: /ch001/ /ch002/ /ch003/ /ch004/ /ch005/ /ch006/ /ch007/ /ch008/ /ch009/ /ch010/ /ch011/ /ch012/ /ch013/ /ch014/ /ch015/ /ch016/ /ch017/ /ch018/ /ch019/ /ch020/ /ch021/ /ch022/ /next/ (full list of translated chapters) (discussion thread on Novel Updates) (please support me on Patreon or Paypal)

[dark-canary]

A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Hail and Hallowed Hunting friends and fellow witches. I wanted to share some of what's been going on with me lately. After speaking about my grandmother's passing, I wasn't in a very good place. However, after my initial bout of grief, I felt a strange sort of peace descend around me. Perhaps it was because of the offering I made to her of words or of cupcakes (ridiculously chocolate ones, she would have loved them). Perhaps it is that I have grown and learned better how to deal with death. Perhaps it is that death and rebirth are so prominent in my journey that I understand it is just another part of life's cycle and beautiful in its own right. Whatever it was, I am not crippled by the grief that I felt. I am still sad of course, but it isn't making it so that I can do nothing. And for that I am grateful. The past few days it has been ridiculously hot, and I have been without AC during these days that have reached upwards of 96 degrees with so much humidity it was becoming unbearable. Two days ago during the worst of the heatwave I called for rain. Or storms rather, to help make the weather more bearable. That same day, shortly after performing the spell, the wind kicked up a little and the temperature outside cooled enough to make the rest of the evening comfortable. Yesterday the skies were mostly gray and in the afternoon, during the hottest part, there was a summer thunder storm which provided some relief. Today the sky is still very gray and I am hoping for more rain. And tomorrow the weather is indicating that we will have storms throughout the entire day. I cannot say for certain that I had anything to do with the weather or if it is just a coincidence. Or rather, that it was coming anyway. I have no idea. I'm not sure I was able to do much myself on this, it's been a long while since I've worked any real significant weather magic. However, during my spell that day I offered a pact to the Fae. A simple one. Not a request. But more of an offer of exchange. That I would put my magic when I could into doing things for them. Bringing rains to help their groves and natures grow. Continued offerings so long as they were things that I could provide them. In exchange for their assistance and teachings. But rather than asking for help specifically, I worded it in such a way to specify that they would do this of their own volition, their own free will. If they so desired it. Then yesterday, during the storm, I was on call with someone on skype. Running on only four hours of sleep for that day. I started to nod off. Or at least I thought I had. Except that it was more like being pulled down. A sensation that has become familiar to me from going into trance. That it was a trance was confirmed by the fact that I wasn't sleeping. I had apparently been talking during it, gently prompted to tell what I was seeing by my friend, though when I came out of it I didn't realize I had been until I explained a second time what I saw and they explained that I had told them about it already, while I was seeing it. I was brought somewhere I had never been before but that felt strangely familiar. Everything in black and white. I was standing on a floating island of white marble it seemed, surrounded by the darkness of the void. Upon the island was a slab of that same stone raised up, like an altar, and upon that altar was a man. His eyes were closed, he was still as stone, but not dead. More like a statue than sleeping though. And he was the only thing in color during the entire experience. Everything else was either black, white, or some shade of gray. The vision lasted only a few minutes before I pulled out of it and “woke up” but the sensation it left behind was very strange. Then last night, when I went to sleep, I dreamed and remembered that dream for the first time in a week. I cannot remember the details of the imagery from the dream as well as I would like. But the sensations and feelings that came across though it are very difficult to forget. I cannot remember much of where I was, but I can remember what I was doing. In the dream I was being tested or directed to use magic. In some cases, the magic was to destroy. Crumbling great stone structures. Pillars or perhaps shelves. Something similar to the altar that was in my vision earlier that day. In others it was to create. Or connect. Webbings and threads of magic woven and plucked and sung into existence. Becoming things that were useful. For healing for change, for destruction and recreation. Much of it elemental. From the earth and water and fire and air. There were others there, watching me, or as I said perhaps directing me in what to do. And I moved around this strange place I was in. A place of broken stones and greenery, mixed in with strange bits of wooden shelves and knickknacks. Dolls and crystals, mundane human things. All of this braided into the mix of creation and destruction and the elements. Sometimes the place was a room, sometimes it was open sky above and just the general shape of what could have been a room. I could only briefly glimpse the other creatures around me. A flash of a body, or some long hair. The abnormal color of a set of eyes. They were always just out of site. But their feelings came through. Amusement, curiosity, interest, approval. Except two. Two who's faces and bodies I cannot remember at all now, even though in the dream I looked directly at them. And I handed them each a letter written on thick parchment with a reddish seal holding it closed. Or perhaps they handed me the letters, one each. I cannot remember clearly, because I awoke with all of us holding the letters. One in each of my hands on one side, and one hand of each of them on the other side of their respective letters. While standing there, frozen like that for just a moment before being startled out of the dream by my alarm. I spoke only one word. The word that echoed in my mind as I woke, the only word I can remember being spoken in the dream at all. Fae. Fae. Fae. Over and over it repeated in my mind as I rose up out of the dream into the waking world. I have no idea what it means, or why I had such a dream. Because I have not dreamt of the Fae since I was a little girl. Not that I can remember at least. Still, the dream of such a thing on Midsummer, I cannot simply dismiss it, no matter how disjointed my memories of it are. Today I am going to leave a small tart or pie and some red wine for the Fae. My offering for Midsummer. I had intended to bake bread, but I do not have the things to do so and it is much too hot to run the oven for as long as that would take me to do properly. Last night was the first decent night's sleep I've had in weeks. Where I finally slept more than a few hours. I am still tired today, still so very tired, but I am also restless. And I feel that more change is coming. Change I must prepare for. That is all I have for now. If you have any questions or comments about my practice, or this particular dream, please don't hesitate to share them. I'd be interested in hearing what you think. Hallowed Hunting, Ydra

[oh-obrien]

Inscrutable {1}

Inscrutable: Impossible to Understand or Interpret 

Relationships: Stiles Stilinski x Original Female Character

Word Count: 5,611  6,683

Warnings: None 

Author’s Note: My first Stiles fic!! I’m super excited to share this series with y’all, especially being new to the Dylan O’Brien / Teen Wolf Fandom. Send me an ask or message me if you want to be tagged!

THIS PART OF INSCRUTABLE HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH MORE CONTENT AND HAS ALSO BEEN EDITED MORE THROUGHLY!

Finley Mannulv carefully scooped a second heaping spoon full of protein powder into her shaker bottle, hoping that the drink would give her a well-earned boost of energy for her first class of the semester. Knocking the scooper on the side of the bottle, she watched as some of the white powder stuck to the sides of the clear-blue plastic of the bottle, the rest forming a thick layer on top of the water. Finley dropped the plastic scooper back into the container and a small cloud of powder puffed out of the top, accumulating on the black fabric of her t-shirt. She hugged the protein powder container to her chest and closed it tightly before she tucked it back into her locker, wiping off what had gotten on her shirt afterwards.

Moving her bottle off of the bench in front of her locker, Finley kneeled on the wooden bench and let out a deep sigh looking into her messy locker. “Dad would have a hemorrhage,” she mumbled to herself before pulling out her dirty clothes from conditioning that morning. She made sure her number, eleven, had been printed on each piece of clothing before she clipped them on to her laundry clip and dumped them into the bin that their coach had brought in earlier. She made sure her clothes for practice later that night, along with her pinnies, were in her locker before deciding it looked clean enough for the time being.

She had never been the neatest, a controlled chaos being the easiest for her to navigate more often than not. The same philosophy also held true for any living space or locker she had prior to starting college. As soon as she made a space spotless, she suddenly couldn’t find anything she needed, and it just fell back into some sort of disarray a couple of days later anyway. A little bit of mess made her spaces feel more comfortable, more lived in.   

Finley pulled one of her many school provided hoodies off of a hook inside her locker and slipped the white fabric over her head. She looked down at the American University logo that had settled in the middle of her torso, the reality still not fully sinking in that she’d be spending the next four years of her life at the university. Her junior year of high school Finley had verbally committed to the University, contingent on the fact that she produced favorable grades through her senior year and also kept up her performance on the lacrosse field. Now, nearly two years later, she had just finished her first pre-class conditioning session and was in the process of getting ready to attend her first class of her college experience.

Finley just shook her head, not needing to be reminded about how quickly her life seemed to be blowing by, and tucked some of the extra fabric of her hoodie up under itself so she could prove she did, in fact, have on shorts. Her hair, which had mostly dried during team breakfast, got pulled out of the back of her hoodie and settled in messy, half damp auburn strands on her back.

“What do you have going on this morning?” Finley asked Cameron, one of the other freshmen on the team, who had been filling up her own shaker bottle at the water station when Finley approached.

Cameron screwed the top of her bottle on tight and looked down at the unmixed powder that had been pushed down when she had poured the water in. “Caramel,” Cameron replied as she started shaking the container, “it’s good. My go to in high school.” Finley nodded and started filling up her own bottle, the fresh water pushing the powder down into the small amount of water that Finley already had in the bottle.

Finley made note of the flavor as she watched the bottle’s water level rise. “I need to order a few more, vanilla and cookies and cream get old after a couple weeks, but they’re all I brought with me.” She flipped the switch on the water fountain, turning the water flow off. “My brother stole a few containers for himself before he left for school so I’m low on my stock.”   

Cameron took a long sip of her drink before tilting the bottle towards Finley in some sort of ‘cheers’ motion, “I’ll drink to that one. See you tonight.” Finley offered a smile in acknowledgement as she screwed the top to her own bottle back on tightly.

She held the top tight with her index and middle fingers and shook the bottle vigorously, watching the spring ball bounce around inside as the drink mixed. After she made sure her drink had been properly mixed, she took a long sip, swiping her tongue over her teeth to remove the film that stuck to them from the protein powder. “I’ll see you tonight!” She waved to Savanna, her locker-room neighbor, and adjusted the straps of her designated ‘class’ backpack on her shoulders.

When she had helped to move her brother into college a few weeks prior, she had made fun of him for taking his ‘Notre Dame Football’ backpack with him everywhere. But, to his defense, he had been gifted quite a lot of gear by the university prior to even getting to college and he had also used a similar backpack throughout his senior year of high school. Now though, Finley looked at herself in one of the mirrors and snorted, realizing she was now in the same position. Team sneakers were on her feet, team shorts her choice attire of pants and an ‘AU Lacrosse’ hoodie topped off her outfit with the matching t-shirt underneath.

“Good luck with your first day of classes!” Savanna offered Finley an excited smile. Finley nodded in thanks while she picked up her lacrosse bag with her free hand, she needed to bring it back to her dorm to tighten the pocket of her stick, and bringing the bag to class with her was a better option than having to travel back to the locker room after her class just to pick it up.

“This entire year will go a lot faster than you think it will now, the countdown to graduation in four years really starts now.” Jayden, a junior, added. Finley nodded as she grabbed her lacrosse stick and gripped it in the same hand as her bag, off to officially start her first day of college.

She received the opportunity to move on to the American University campus two weeks early, along with the other athletes who attended the school. The two-week period seemed to allow her, and the other freshmen athletes, a cushion to comfortably adjust to college life and the campus itself. It felt like it gave her a leg up on the other freshmen, she already looked, and felt, comfortable on campus that was a huge part of adjusting to college life and she already had it in the bag.

In her two weeks already on campus, Finley had been able to find where all of her classes would be, as well as settle into a routine. Six o’clock morning workouts, seven fifteen shower, seven-thirty team breakfast. After breakfast she knew her classes started at eight-forty-five or eight-fifteen depending on the day.

Taking all early classes would allow her plenty of time to nap in the afternoon if she felt like she needed to before attending evening practices. On the days when she didn’t feel like sleeping a little extra, it would allow extra time for homework and studying. Her brother had settled into a similar routine at Notre Dame, although a little busier because football was in season at the university, but it was comforting to know her twin was in a similar mindset.

At eight-thirty Finley stepped out of the William I Jacobs Recreational Complex, the sun had finally risen within the timeframe she had been inside the facility. The early mornings would begin to get old near mid-terms, but for now the early start felt somewhat refreshing, she was already awake and nearly three hours into her day while most of the other students had probably just woken up.

Despite her classes being in the first time block of the day, Finley noticed that campus had already started to bustle with activity. Students who were excited, nervous, and overwhelmed for their first day of classes were all on the way to the multiple academic buildings. Some were chatting in small groups, others walked alone with headphones in, and she even noticed a few couples holding hands. Must be nice.

The late-August morning air had a slight chill to it and Finley felt the hair on her legs stand up when a breeze passed. The morning air seemed easier to breathe than the stuffy August afternoon air she had been practicing in for the past two weeks during two-a-days. Her first class for the day was Introduction to Law, a class she didn’t feel all that excited for.

Finley liked to think she had a solid knowledge of the basis of the legal system. Thanks to her parents, of course. Her father’s current job title read ‘Director of the Central Intelligence Agency’ on various news channels when he would give interviews, and her mom had once worked for the Department of Homeland Security, she felt well versed in the basics of the law. However, Finley had also accepted that fact that she couldn’t use her father’s government position and the stories he had told her to get out of introduction level classes for her major.

However, Finley had been able to use many of the dual enrollment and advanced placement classes to get out of many of her core curriculum classes. She only had two freshman level classes to take this semester and would then be fully immersed into the classes for both of her majors, and with her starting out on campus as a sophomore, she would be able to register for what she needed next semester rather than getting stuck with the leftover dregs for classes.

Carefully reaching back to put her protein shake in her left backpack pocket, Finley pulled her phone out of the waistband of her Nike shorts and saw a text from her twin brother. Cian was a freshman quarterback at Notre Dame and hoped to start a couple games in the upcoming season and be named the permeant starter his sophomore year.

“You cheating on the field yet?” Finley snorted reading the text message over to herself a couple more times before trying to think of a witty response, she felt too tired to think of one, her brain not being awake enough to muster a proper insult.

“It’s not cheating when it’s my natural athletic ability. Same goes to you man.” She responded before tucking her phone back into her waistband before scaling the steps to the academic building her first class took place in.

Entering the old building Finley inhaled the stuffy air before trying to remember which way she went to find her classroom last week. The strong smell of mold and sheetrock made her sneeze and she realized that she would need to take one of her ‘allergy pills’ every morning to be sure none of the buildings would bother her going forward. After deciding to take the hallway to her left she quickly found the room she had located once before and pushed the door open with her elbow. She stepped into the lecture style room and saw a few students already inside the tiered room, scrolling through their phones or laptops.

Surveying the room, she noticed plenty of prime seat options and opted to climb the stairs and slide into the first seat closest to the middle aisle in the third row. She grabbed her protein shake out of its pocket and settled it on the table in front of her along with her water bottle. Finley set her lacrosse bag on the floor, tucking it up against the end of the table that spanned her whole half of the row, making sure nobody would be able to trip over it. She stood her stick up next to her bag before sitting down and pulling one of her headphones out.

Scrolling through her team’s group chat she followed along with dinner plans and made a mental note to remember to go after practice later that night, their coach stressed team bonding, and team meals fell under that umbrella. Finley would look up every time the door opened, and her classmates started to trickle in. So far only one other girl had settled into Finley’s row, on the complete opposite end from her.

At eight-forty a middle-aged man entered the room and started logging into the computer, no materials with him other than his reusable water bottle and cell phone. Finley assumed he had to be the professor and nodded before looking back down at her phone. Something about him just felt off, but she couldn’t pinpoint what the ‘offness’ he gave off was.

A couple minutes later she heard someone move past the girl at the end of the row, mumbling a ‘sorry’ as they slipped behind her chair. The footsteps indicated they were most likely a male, and as they got closer Finley got a whiff of their body scent. It could only be described as ‘boy’. The cologne and deodorant he had on clashed and the smell of the two mixing with his normal scent made Finley sneeze. Fantastic.

She heard the stranger get closer and closer until his erratic heartbeat settled right next to her, he also smelled like some type of medication, something with amphetamine in it. “Hey,” his voice distracted her while she was in the middle of typing out a message to her brother, trying to concentrate on the message she had been through the fog that was this boy’s natural scent. She hoped he would leave after she didn’t acknowledge him, but after he didn’t leave after a few seconds Finley caved.

She looked up and noticed the boy had dark hair and soft brown eyes, his facial expression definitely gave away his anxiety about his first day. His thumbs were hooked into the straps on his backpack while he rocked on the balls of his feet. “This seat free?” He asked while pointing at the chair next to where Finley sat. She gave him a quick once over and noted how he nervously chewed on his bottom lip, his cheeks getting a little bit red as his heartbeat quickened, his nerves only growing.

He was nervous, and kind of cute, he could stay. Finley nodded and pulled her other headphone out, “yeah.” She didn’t understand why he had to sit right next to her when there were plenty of other seats free that weren’t near anyone. There were also a few seats two away from her but decided not to point it out.

He wore a loose red and black open flannel shirt that contrasted the fitted white tee he had on underneath; his spindly muscles visible through the material. His legs sported a pair of dark jeans and he had a black leather belt tight around his waist. To anyone else he would smell like old spice deodorant and fabric softener if they were sitting this close to him. However, Finley smelled the anxiety that seeped out of his pores.

“Some boy just sat next to me,” Finley sent her brother.

“He reeks of anxiety,” she added, wrinkling her nose and trying not to sneeze again after she had sent it. She went to slip her right headphone back in but instead felt the boy next to her stealing a nervous glance at her. Finley knew he considered saying something to her and instead opted to unplug her headphones and slip them into her school bag in a messy tangle of wires.

“I’m Stiles! I’m from California!” He offered Finley a nervous smile after his more than awkward introduction, his heart beating ever faster than after he sat down. Did he know introductions didn’t have to be so formal and forced?

Before Finley mustered a response to Stiles’ introduction, she watched his eyes trail to her lacrosse stick that peeked over the top of the table. “Oh woah! You play lacrosse here?” She looked down at her hoodie which had ‘American University Lacrosse’ printed on it, to make sure she pulled on the hoodie she thought she did before leaving the locker room. Maybe he thought it could be her boyfriend’s? But American didn’t have an NCAA men’s lacrosse team, they only had a club men’s lacrosse team.

Holy shit, Finley thought to herself, he also had too much energy. “I’m Finley. I’m from the D.C. area,” she replied slowly. “And yes, I do play lacrosse here,” she could have ended her introduction there, but her dad telling her to be ‘diplomatic’ with her classmates the night before flashed across her mind. “You’re familiar?” She added after the fact.

He nodded enthusiastically, “I played in high school! I’m also playing on the club team here, since we don’t have a varsity men’s team and all. I also probably wouldn’t have been asked to play on a varsity team if there was one.” He reached back to scratch the back of his neck nervously. Maybe he wasn’t so bad, just nervous about being across the country. Or maybe he had ADHD, just like one of her and Cian’s younger cousins.

With a nod at his response Finley turned back to her phone and saw another text from her brother. “The downfalls of being supernatural. Suck it up Fins.” She rolled her eyes at his response and tried to think of something to snap back at him when Stiles’ voice caught her attention again

“So, are you a Justice and Law major also?” Finley could feel his eyes on the side of her face. “Wait no!” He cut her answer off before she could even begin. “This class is for my Legal Studies Major!” He had decided to double major, that had to mean he was pretty smart, right?

Taking another sip of her protein shake to prevent herself from sighing, Finley turned her chair so she faced him this time. “Accounting and Legal Studies.” She saw Stiles ready to ask another question and felt thankful when she instead heard the professor’s voice carry a full ‘good morning’ through the room. 

Her eyes turned to the man at the front of the room as she pulled her legs up on to the chair she sat in, with her legs ‘criss-cross-applesauce’ on the plush material. She felt herself start to swivel back and forth as the professor started his introduction but avoided the urge. “I’m Robert,” their professor seemed to run a very informal classroom. He wore dark jeans and a polo shirt, an unzipped American University hoodie over it.

All of high school Finley’s teachers had spent time telling their classes, ‘this will never fly in college!’ However, that statement quickly had seemed to becoming false as one of the classes for the next day had already been cancelled and the Professor had sent them an email that just stated, ‘read the syllabus, ask any questions in out class on Thursday.’ Mix that message with this professor’s relaxed attitude, casual dress and lack of materials and Finley really believed that her high school teachers had just been trying to scare the students into listening.

“If you’re not here for Introduction to Law, you’re in the wrong place,” he leaned against the table at the front of the room. Finley watched as a few students stood and left the room, they all had their eyes on pieces of paper which most liked contained their schedules. “Anyone else?” Robert gave others the ability to leave if they needed. After he received no response to his question, he pushed himself off the table and clapped his hands together. “Fantastic!”

“Seems nice so far,” Stiles mumbled from his place next to Finley who tried not to show her annoyance with him. She just simply nodded in response and continued watching their professor, still slowly turning back and forth in her chair.

Robert picked up a piece of blue chalk and started writing on the chalkboard. “Since we’re in a freshman class I’ll do the whole introduction thing!” He scraped a few more words on to the board. “So, give us your name, where you’re from, you major, and I guess a fun fact about you or some shit like that.”

Oh, so it would be this kind of class. He pointed at the student who occupied the very first seat in the front row and prompted them to introduce themselves. Finley listened as others introduced themselves mentally taking note of who seemed to give off anxiety and those who were confident going into the first day. Most of the room stank of anxiety, but Finley tried to ignore the smell. She took frequent, small sips of her protein shake to fill her nostrils with the scent of vanilla instead of anxiety. After the boy in the row next to her, David, introduced himself she watched Robert’s eyes flicker over to her.

Mentally groaning, Finley pulled the protein shake bottle away from her lips. “Hi, I’m Finley Mannulv. I’m-”

“Wait. Hold on,” Finley audibly groaned when her professor cut her off. Why did professors or teachers always have to do this? Especially in D.C. didn’t they get the kids of government officials, congressmen, ambassadors, anyone else with a title seemingly ‘important’ to the function of the country and the world, all the time.

“Yes, Mannulv as in Maxwell Mannulv Director of the CIA’s daughter,” she finished for him while rolling her eyes. “Now that we addressed the elephant in the room I’m moving on. I’m here for an education just like everyone else.” She saw Stiles’ jaw open slightly next to her and shook her head. Fantastic, already off to a great first day. “Anyway, I’m from around D.C., originally from New York though, but I’m sure you knew that already,” she glared at her professor. “But I’m an Accounting and Legal Studies major and I’m on the lacrosse team.”

Robert narrowed his eyes at Finley who just offered him a lopsided smirk in response. “And no, my dad didn’t get me in here. I had at 35 on the ACT and a 1550 on the SAT.” She wasn’t going to let him intimidate her.

Robert smiled through clenched teeth, “so nice to have a student with such close ties to the legal system in the class.” He turned to Stiles. “And you?”

Finley coughed when she smelled his anxiety grow even stronger, did this boy ever relax? “Umm hey,” he awkwardly waved around the room. “I’m Stiles Stilinski, I’m from Beacon Hills in California, and I’m a Justice and Law and Legal Studies double major. Umm-” he hesitated, “a fun fact? I’m on the men’s club lacrosse team here.” Stiles took in a deep breath of air after he finished speaking. Finley allowed herself to breath after that and noticed that the air of anxiety around him decreased greatly. She had more important things than Stiles’ anxiety to worry about right now though.

Finley made sure Robert no longer looked in their direction before pulling her phone out. “There’s a guy in my class from Beacon Hills!” She quickly typed out in the group chat she had with her dad and brother knowing they would be interested in the information.

“Is it anxiety boy?” Cian replied.

At the same time her dad sent, “Is he one of us?”

“Yes and no!” She quickly sent. She followed it by saying, “his first name is Styles? I don’t even know if that’s how it’s spelled and I didn’t catch his last name but it started with like Still.” Finley wasn’t sure if that was how he spelled it but that’s how it had been pronounced. Hopefully it would be enough for her dad to work with.

“Just pay attention in class. I’ll send a few messages out and see what I can find.” Maxwell replied while his son answered with “Who the hell names their kid Styles?” Finley locked her phone and slid it face down on to the table in front of her with the ringer turned off.

Still having heard most of the introductions of her fellow classmates, Finley tuned back into class while watching the boy who sat next to her closely.

He definitely seemed human, another supernatural tended to be incredibly easy for Finley to sense, her father had been training her how to do it from a young age. He also didn’t smell like he had recently been in contact with any other supernatural creatures, maybe that was because he had just moved into college? If he lived in Beacon Hills he had to know about all the supernaturals there, especially after Scott McCall managed to somehow chase most of the hunters out of town and create a ‘supernatural sanctuary’ of sorts.

Finley felt a migraine creeping into the back of her head and knew she had to stop stressing about this Styles boy before she wouldn’t be able to make it through the rest of the day. Instead she focused on Robert as he began speaking about what the class would entail.

“As you all know this is an introduction to law class.” No shit, Finley rolled her eyes and took another long sip from her protein shake. “Let me start with this question. Is anyone here somewhat comfortable with the legal process?”

Finley’s hand shot up with absolutely no hesitation and she gave Robert a fake smile, as if she asked him to challenge her. She watched as Stiles’ hand slowly raised from his place next to her and her suspicion of the boy only continued to increase.

Robert looked at Stiles with shock, his hand coming up to point at the pair. “Now I know about Ms. Mannulv’s legal background of sorts. But what about you Mr.,” he trailed off forgetting his last name.

“Stilinski,” he filled in the missing word. Finley would need to remember that as best she could. “And my dad’s the Sheriff of our town back home. I also had an FBI internship for part of the summer.” Finley almost choked on her shake and had to cough again to cover it up, her eyes widening.

“Are you okay Ms. Mannulv?” Finley held a hand up at Robert’s question and nodded for him to continue. She set the shake down in front of her and her fingers were itching to pick up her phone to text her dad and brother with the update, but she knew she needed to wait.

Robert walked back to the computer and pressed a button that had a projector screen coming down from inside the ceiling. “Well, since you two are so comfortable with the basis of law already,” Finley watched as the screen lit up. The words ‘Partner Based Case Study and Mock Trial’ were written across a PowerPoint slide. “You can be our first pair for this semester!”

Finley actually choked on her protein shake this time and spiraled into a coughing fit. She quickly reached out for her metal water bottle and unscrewed the top taking a long sip to clear her airway. “Sorry, practice this morning has me wiped out, especially with the air being cool.” She let the ice water coat her suddenly dry throat. That had been a total lie, her body easily adjusted to the change in air that morning, but it would need to be a good cover for now.

She felt Stiles’ eyes on her and carefully listened for his heartbeat. After detecting a quicker than normal resting heartbeat again she realized he felt just as anxious about this assignment as she did. Maybe they would be able to pull it off.

“So now that we all realize this is a case-based class, if the rest of you would like to partner up with someone else in the class we can go through the syllabus after.” Finley watched as other students started talking with one another, trying to make compatible pairs for their projects. She took the opportunity to open her laptop and pull up the syllabus, also grabbing her phone.

“His dad’s the sheriff.” She quickly sent in the group chat before flicking her ringer back on and turning it all the way down so she would feel the phone vibrate.

Finley quickly made herself come to peace with the fact that she would have to talk to this Stiles boy more often than she originally intended to and turned to face him. “So, this just took an interesting turn.” She offered him a small smile, taking note of the indifferent expression on his face, but she did note that his heartbeat had slowed slightly.

Stiles nodded then looked over to Finley again, his eyes were soft and carried some hints of nervousness, but a genuine smile spread across his face. “Definitely not what I expected to say the least. But I think we’re both pretty experienced so we should be a great team.”

“Definitely,” Finley suddenly decided the rings on her fingers were interesting and started spinning them. “I wasn’t a huge partner work person most of my life, but this should be an easy introduction.”

Stiles snorted out a small laugh and his smile grew, “seems like all I’ve done the past few years is group work.” He shook his head slightly, “this should be a nice transition into college though. A little calmer than life back home.”

Robert clapped his hands to get the attention of his class, waiting for the room to fall silent before speaking. “Hope everyone has a partner,” he walked over to the computer and pulled up an excel spreadsheet. “So, we have Mannulv and Stilinski to start us off.” He typed their last names in and looked up. “Who’s next?”

Finley tuned out after that and picked her phone up off her thigh.

“Stilinski?” Her dad had asked. After replying with a simple ‘yes’, Finley looked to see the spreadsheet almost completely filled out.

Robert filled in the remaining rows and turned the PowerPoint back on. Finley quickly read the ‘Types of Cases’ slide and immediately had her mind set on completing the murder case with the added mental state determination element and wanted to argue on the state’s side.

She turned to Stiles whose eyes still traveled across the slide and waited until he finished reading it and also looked over to her before speaking. “Four?” She asked him, making sure she had the case number right.

“I mean, since you knew what you wanted that quickly,” he shrugged, “sure.” After agreeing on the case, Finley tuned back into the instructions Robert read to the class off another slide.

“So! With that being said after discussing with your partner which case and side you would like to argue for,” he flicked back to the slide. “I would like one of you to raise your hand and let me know.” He leaned back on to the desk.

Finley made eye contact with Stiles again and raised an eyebrow. “Go ahead,” he laughed lightly, giving Finley the go ahead to lock their case in. She quickly raised her hand and watched as Robert raised his eyebrows at her.

“Ms. Mannulv, Mr. Stilinski. That was awfully quick.” He crossed his arms over his chest while speaking.

Finley shook her head with a small smile. “We’re experienced right?” She didn’t wait for the professor’s answer before continuing, “by those standards we should know what we want then. The homicide case, which I’m assuming is actually murder charges, with the mental state element, state’s side.”

Robert smiles after hearing her choice and nodded. “Now as most of you will find out, your case is based on real life cases!” Robert’s voice filled the room, cutting off other student’s conversations. “Which will be expressed in the email I send to those working on each individual case after class. Some cases are closed, others are cold. Cold cases are much harder to work with,” he turned to Finley with a smirk. “After I take down which case, you’re doing you’re free to leave!”

“Thank god,” Finley began putting everything back into her backpack and zipping it up. She watched as Stiles did the same, standing up afterwards and looking over to Finley expectantly.

He watched as she tucked her empty protein shake bottle into the side of her backpack, and she also did the same with her water bottle on the opposite side. She reached down to pick up her lacrosse bag and her stick. She seemed to have everything under control, but should he offer to help her anyway?

Stiles nervously scratched the back of his neck before speaking, “do you umm need, I mean want, do you want help?” He asked her. She stood up straight again, her phone in one hand and her lacrosse bag and stick in the other, a soft smile on her lips.

“I’m okay,” she shook her head. “I mean I’ve been doing it for years now, but I really do appreciate the offer.” Stiles noticed her blue eyes were softer now as they made their way down the middle stairs of the room and out the door. Maybe she wasn’t as cold as she gave off in class.

He wasn’t sure if she had class after this or not, but he knew they finished their class about half an hour early and had been interested in making new friends at college. Lydia told him he should get to know people early on and establish a couple friendships he could see lasting past college. “You’ve played for a while now?” He asked her as they walked outside of the building and into the warming morning air.

“Me?” She laughed a little bit. “Started in second grade, haven’t stopped since. Always wanted to play with the boys though like my brother did.” She shrugged. She didn’t seem to give off the ‘girly’ attitude that Lydia and Allison had through out high school. Finley didn’t ‘dress to impress’ like they had and clearly went for comfort and functionality.

Stiles laughed lightly, “I mean, I didn’t get a ton of playing time in high school, but the pushing and shoving was fun sometimes, especially if I had a little pent up frustration.” The pair stopped once they were outside the building and Finley dropped her bag and stick. She sat down on the top stair of the staircase and looked up to Stiles motioning for him to sit.

He dropped his backpack next to both of hers before sitting next to her. “What brought you all the way out here though?” She asked. “I mean California is across the country and all.”

Stiles carefully thought over his answer, he didn’t want to give away too much about exactly why he had left Beacon Hills. He hoped he didn’t have to open that part of his life up to anyone new so quickly. “Umm, I’m looking to work in the FBI after college, so thought it would be a good place to go to school.” That part held true. “That and my girlfriend is at MIT, we’re close enough to visit when one of us has time.” Right being close to Lydia had also been part of the original plan.

Stiles had been so busy in the past week he had hardly been able to talk to Lydia, or any of his other friends from back home for that matter. Diving across the country had him absolutely exhausted, mixed with the stress of moving in and trying to get settled pretty quickly it had taken up the remainder of his energy. He felt guilty, but he also realized that the lack of communication would sometimes be the consequence of a long-distance relationship.

He watched as Finley reached back to pick up her water bottle and unscrewed the cap, taking a long sip. “Oh god that must be stressful,” she cleared her throat. “I’m only like half an hour from home at most, and I never had time for relationships. That and I think any boy I brought home would be scared of my dad.”

Stiles gave her a curious look and raised his eyebrow, urging her to continue on her thought. “You said he worked for the CIA or something right?”

“Yep, he does. Head honcho of the CIA.” She grabbed the edge of her hoodie and quickly pulled it over her head, resting it across her lap once it came off. “Sorry I started to get warm. But sorry if I acted like kind of a dick in class, I don’t like people questioning my intelligence because of my dad’s position in government.”

Stiles could understand where that frustration could be coming from. He had often used his father’s position as Sheriff to his advantage but had never really experienced the negative consequences that his position could have brought as everyone respected his dad. “I think we’ll be a pretty great team though.” He looked over to Finley who swung her water bottle back and forth between her legs, his eyes momentarily focusing on the object.

“I think we’ll be the best team that guy has ever seen!” She smiled. “I’ll make sure of it.”

A silence fell between the pair and Stiles closed his eyes and allowed his face to tilt up into the morning sun, it’s warmth quickly spreading out across his body. He opened his eyes when he heard one of Finley’s bags being opened. She shoved her hoodie into her lacrosse bag and put her water bottle back into the open side pocket on her other backpack.

She huffed and closed the bag again, standing up. “I need to get to my next class soon,” she offered. “If you want to get lunch and stat looking over our case if we have the materials in time that could work. Here-” She held her phone out to him. “I usually eat at the gym with my team, but I know a couple good places off campus that the meal plan covers if you’d want to do that?”

Right. She grew up around here of course she would know what to eat in the area. “I get finished at 12:20 but after that would work for me.” Stiles hoped their schedules would line up.

“Oh yeah same,” Finley watched as Stiles typed his number into her phone. “I have all early classes, easiest option for me.” She took her phone back before picking all her things up. “I’ll text you after my class gets out!”

“Sounds good!” Stiles threw his backpack over his shoulder before waving goodbye to Finley who went the opposite direction from him. She seemed nice enough, maybe this would be the beginning of his life settling into a new normal.

Finley returned the wave with the hand she gripped her phone in before making her way down the stairs and off to her next class, financial accounting. She flipped her phone over in her hand and unlocked it, looking through texts her dad and brother had sent her.

“Best friends with McCall for years now, human part of his pack basically.” Fantastic, Finley groaned audibly after reading the message her dad sent. She finds a nice boy and he’s best friends with Scott McCall and has a girlfriend.

Finley felt her phone vibrate and looked down to see a message from her brother this time. “Well at least McCall is intelligent unlike some of the others we’ve worked with.” That held true.

Finley sighed deeply as she pushed open the door to the business building, why would she be getting herself wrapped up with a guy from Beacon Hills?