#i know i advertised this as strawberry moon but i messed up it's actually the buck moon lol

[kiatheinsomniac]

— ꒰‧⁺ ☾ 𝐋𝐔𝐍𝐀𝐑 𝐑𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐋𝐄 ˀ ☁️ *ೃ༄

──── 𝐌𝐘 𝐉𝐄𝐖𝐄𝐋, 𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 ˊˎ - ☾ ⋆ ﾟ𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 / 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒: buck moon jul. 2023 winner: @one7hell7of7a7simp who asked for some possessiveness hehe 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: Fëanor x Reader 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓: 1k 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: possessive behaviour, marking (?), Fëanor thinking Fingolfin only exists to ruin his life lol

When Fëanor looks over you in your flowing dress, made of layer upon layer of soft, sheer oranges with a faint autumn leaf pattern around the skirt’s hem that subtly shows in the light like a mirage. He cannot help but smile and yet grimace at once. You look stunning. You take his breath away all the time and he sees you in the jewels he cuts, the ones he creates. He sees the curve of your cheek in the necklaces he makes, the sparkle in your eye in the earrings he crafts. 

But it’s also a problem. You look almost too good and the last thing he wants is his brothers drooling over you, especially Fingolfin. He approaches you from behind. You’re sitting upon a stool in front of a vanity, applying a little bit of tint to your lips and cheeks. Fëanor sets down the box he holds in his hands upon the table as he takes your soft hair into his hands. 

Without a word, he leans over you to pluck up your hairbrush from where it lays on the table in front of you. In his peripheral vision, he catches your eyes glancing up to his own grey ones in the mirror but his gaze is fixed upon where he’s pulling the brush gently through your hair. 

“What’s this, my love?” You ask as you peer at the box he’s set down beside you. It’s a deep red colour with a white velvet ribbon wrapped around it in order to keep it closed. 

“A gift for my beloved.” He answers simply, still tenderly brushing your hair. He leans down to press a lingering kiss to the crown of your head. You’ve perfumed your hair for the important event of meeting his family. You smell like lily of the valley and he takes a moment to just nuzzle his nose against the top of his head while one of his hands cups your cheek from behind. You’re so wonderful, the elleth that possesses his heart and he’ll be damned before he stands by while his brother falls for you and tries to take you away from him. 

Fëanor sets the brush down for a moment as his hands cradle your face beneath your jaw in order to tilt your head back so that you look up to meet his eyes, each of you appearing upside down to the other. He leans down once more to paint a trail of kisses across your face, starting from your forehead and then travelling in a straight line to your brow, your nose, passing over your mouth to your chin and then finally kissing your lips. It’s slow, soft and sweet. Each of his kisses is warm and tender like the simmering embers of his furnace when he is finished crafting for the day. 

“Open it, my love.” He takes the box back into his hands and sets it carefully in his lap. His arms drape over your shoulders as he leans down over you, his cheek pressed to yours. He watches on with a silent excitement within him while your fingers pluck up the end of the velvet ribbon and then pull, undoing the knot. You slip your hands beneath the white material in order to slide it off the box and then you slowly lift the lid. You want to savour this surprise, especially when considering the effort he must have put into it. 

You suck in a quiet, gasped breath. 

Inside is a set of glittering jewellery and, with this being your husband, he has not stopped at just earrings and a necklace, no. Inside, crafted from gold and set with larger red gems and smaller white ones, is a set of earrings, a necklace, rings, a bracelet and an anklet. 

“Oh, Fëanáro…” You breathe out in a whisper as you take up the largest piece – the necklace – in hand. The details on the gold are never ending, like the intricate branches of trees criss-crossing one another, overlapped by stem and leaf. Fëanor had abandoned no detail of them, adding a subtle amount of texturing and even working veins into the leaves. 

They weave around smaller white gems that reflect little rainbows and larger red ones that glimmer against the gold. Each piece is polished to perfection and is cut with such attention and symmetry that it’s without flaw at all. Even the chain that clasps around the back of your neck resembles the same leaf-like structure. The bracelet and anklet are styles similarly but are much more simplistic whereas the necklace cascades over your collar.

The rings are no less lavish, some more simple whereas others have larger, statement stones. They all follow the same theme as your dress and the necklace your husband has crafted to match it. Some are bare branches while others are crafted from golden branches or are made to resemble a leafy crown. The earrings are the most different though as it is the gems that are shaped like leaves – cut so thin, you wonder how many Fëanor might have broken before he got them right though you doubt the number is too high as he is the best in his profession – and they dangle from golden chains to make an effect like they are falling from the little branch cuff that crawls up the curve of your ear. 

“I’m speechless, they’re wonderful.” You say softly, truly at a loss for words as he takes the necklace and clasps it around your neck. Mine. Then he does the same with the bracelet. Mine. The rings. Mine, mine, mine. The earrings. Mine, mine. And at last he kneels in front of you and his hands glide to the back of your calf, gliding his hands over the curve of your soft leg as he sets your foot in his lap so that he can fasten the anklet around you. Mine. 

He looks up at you as his fingers gently caress your leg. You’re adorned now in jewels and precious metals that he moulded with you in mind. His craftsmanship is all over you and he hopes that it will serve as message enough that you are off limits. You’ve stolen his heart now. You have a piece of him and he will protect you and his heart in your hands for as long as he breathes air into his lungs. 

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[soudam-appreciation]

Carousel (3)

Kazuichi further zipped his jacket from its current chest level to his chin. He shivered, taking long strides to keep up with Gundham. They had entered the event with no trouble whatsoever, and Gundham had received a congratulatory look from the man at the ticket booth. Gundham didn't want to answer why, but Kazuichi thought it was likely because he had witnessed Gundham waiting.

"What attraction would you like to visit first?"

"Hm? Oh- well, I've never really been to something like this before... what stuff is there to do?"

Gundham paused and made a wide sweeping motion, gesturing to the rows and rows of flashing lights and temporary structures that surrounded them. Kazuichi turned in a wide circle, eyes catching on nearly every sign. He had been so focused on not bothering Gundham that he hadn't paid any attention to the actual attractions. Turning back to the way they had come, he looked down the row of nothing but food trucks and booths.

Kazuichi inhaled deeply, a sweet scent drawing his attention. He stopped his odd rotation, turning to face the stand that seemed to be the source. Said source seemed to be yet another brightly flashing booth, advertising lemonade, hot dogs, and... funnel cake? His mouth watered, and he wondered what real carnival funnel cake tasted like.

Gundham noticed Kazuichi's draw. Turning the same way he was facing, he too noticed the stand. Glancing back and forth between Kazuichi and his focus, he tucked a hand into his pocket.

"Would you like one?"

"Huh?" His attention snapped back to Gundham, startled out of his deliciously scented trance.

"Would you like one?" Gundham fished for his wallet.

"Oh, well, I mean, y-you don't have to-"

"Would you?"

Kazuichi didn't quite know why, but he said, "I- I mean, yeah..."

. . .

Gundham nearly marched to the stand window, stomach in knots. He had no idea what his goal was, or why he essentially forced his "date"- no, no no no- his "friend" to agree to eat garbage carnival food. He simply had the uncontrollable feeling that he should be purchasing something for the mortal he was visiting with.

He held his place in line behind a tall woman with dark hair, shaved short on both sides, and a shorter, rounder girl with cropped red hair. Ignoring their lovestruck chatter and discussion of what to order, he turned his focus to the menu posted on the side of the construction. He selected a "fresh-squeezed" lemonade and Pespi Cola™, both for his companion. For himself, he decided upon a mere water.

Then the odd couple before them had moved on, and it was Gundham's turn to order. Preparing to express in his usual way whilst also coming across clearly and concisely, he stepped up to the window. The hot, sticky, syrupy air rolled over him from within the edifice, and he resisted the urge to gag.

"Hey, what can I get for ya?" The woman inside was a plump one, eyes shining with the fake luster of customer service. Her cornrowed braids were pulled to the crown of her head, and her large hooped earrings jingled softly.

"Ah, yes, pardon, but may I request one Lemonade, one Pespi Cola™, one water, and one... funnel cake?" His voice trembled, and he cursed his unreliable social anxieties.

The woman, however, was completely undisturbed. Her hands tapped away at a small tablet before her as she entered Gundham's total order. "And what  kinda topping on the funnel cake?"

Blinking, he took a quick moment to recover from the unexpected question. "Pardon?"

"What kinda topping on the funnel cake?" Noting Gundham's sheer confusion, she clarified further. "We have chocolate, caramel, cherry, and apple."

He stuttered a bit, stumbling on his words. Where is Souda? It's his dessert! He turned quickly, almost running headfirst into the boy standing directly behind him. On second glance, it seemed Souda had followed him to the vendor and was now cowering behind him. "Ah, Souda. Chocolate, caramel, cherry, or apple?"

"Huh?" Souda simply stared at him, eyes round with the same confusion.

"Topping on the confectionary. Which of the four would please you, chocolate, caramel, cherry, or apple?"

The mortal's face lit with understanding before wonderment took hold. Gundham briefly wondered if the boy had ever consumed the fried monstrosity they called 'funnel cake'. "Oh, um, could I maybe get caramel?"

Sighing, he nodded. "That would be precisely the reason I asked you." Then, mumbling, "Why would I offer it if it was simply out of the question?" Returning focus to the woman in the booth, he raised his tone again. "Caramel, then."

"Ok, gotcha!" She tapped a few final times, then offered his total. He paid quickly, as the heavy cloud of sickening sweetness that enveloped the cart was gnawing at his stomach. Taking his printed receipt, and thanking the woman with one final high-pitched squeak, he stepped back to wait.

. . .

Kazuichi's (clearly irradiated) taste buds met the sweet sticky caramel, and the deep-fried dough melted in his mouth. He hadn't expected it to taste as good as it smelled, but by the Gods, it delivered. The caramel sauce was rich and thick, drizzling softly across the twisted mess of pastry beneath it. The cake itself was crisp and, well... cakey.

He had difficulty walking while he experienced this new delicacy, and Gundham looked mildly annoyed at the slowness of their pace before suggesting they make their way to one of the many picnic-type seating areas scattered around nearby the food trucks.

Kazuichi also had difficulty taking small bites of this delicious treat and easily devoured around half the dish before instinctively offering Gundham a large bite as well. He waited a moment, plastic fork outstretched, as he slowly noticed Gundham's expression. When he finally did notice his look of obvious confusion, shock, and embarrassment, he quickly lowered the utensil, face reddening almost instantly.

"Ah- uhm- uh... s- sorry... I kinda..." He set the fork back on his plate, reflexively reaching up to fidget with his braid. "I kinda forgot we d-don't... we don't hang out th-that much..."

Gundham coughed quietly into his scarf, which he had tugged up over his nose. "I-It's alright..."

Kazuichi felt heat flooding his head and chest, mortification pooling near his heart like lead, making it hard to breathe. He just did something that stupid, huh?

. . .

Gundham found himself staring intensely at a grime spot on the picnic table, scarf softly scuffing against his cheeks. His mind was spinning a million miles a second, although he wasn't entirely sure why. His heart raced, and when he tried to focus on the feelings and rationalize them, he found he couldn't gather the correct words for it. It was as if the thought of eating after a mere mortal, specifically that mortal, was what was causing his confusion and embarrassment.

He tried to avoid looking too intensely at Souda as he finished consuming the fried thing. As he finished the grease-saturated confection, Gundham rose and offered to take the disposable tray. This offer came in the form of him holding out his unbandaged hand, waving it around a bit to get the boy's attention, and mumbling something incoherent into his scarf. Obliging, Soda handed him the tray, turning his attention to the lemonade and taking several large gulps.

Heading toward the nearest trash receptacle, he walked quickly, utilizing his long legs to the best of his ability. He still wasn't sure to what stimulus his emotions were responding, but it hardly mattered. He tossed the soiled cardboard into the trash, taking several steps back from the stench before taking a deep breath. He inhaled from his stomach, pushing all dizzying thoughts from his mind. Or, trying to, anyway. He was still a bit too close to the trash, and the strength of the smell invaded his lungs with every inhalation. Coughing a bit to clear his airways, he turned around and began to wander slowly back to the table.

However, it seemed Souda had begun to follow after him. Not expecting him to be so close behind, Gundham stumbled back the slightest bit.

"Ah! Sorry, didn't mean to startle you!"

"I- Pardon, it's no trouble." Gundham dismissed the apology with a wave, briefly hoping his face had ceased its embarrassing fluster. Hoping to direct them elsewhere, away from the stink of sugary carnival food and garbage, he said, "Perhaps we could wander elsewhere, to other possible attractions?"

Nodding vigorously, his tangled curls and braid bouncing, Souda displayed unsurmountable excitement. Zest for life. "Yeah! I wanna see what other cool things there are!"

As the two made strides towards the rest of the hundreds of structures, Souda turned to face Gundham once again. "I uh, I just wanna say thanks. For the food and stuff. It was super good, and also really nice of you to get stuff for me." He stumbled, having tripped while walking backward, and promptly turned around again. This was, of course, lucky for Gundham, as he was once again drawing his scarf towards the moon.

. . .

Kazuichi bounced from booth to booth, staring wide-eyed at all the bright colors and stuffed prizes. He wasn't sure he'd be good at any of the games, but he desperately wanted to win a prize. Preferably a big one. He didn't want it for himself as much as he felt like he needed to repay some insurmountable debt to Gundham, who had given him the real Funnel Cake Experience™.

He looked high and low, ping-ponging between the duck grabs to the ring toss to the dartboards and all else in the area. Gundham walked slowly behind him, allowing adequate time to jump back and forth as they moved through the fair. However, despite his searching, Gundham seemed to find the perfect gift before he did.

. . .

Gundham stalled before a silly racing game, the kind powered by water guns. He looked up, attention captured by the biggest prize available. It was an overly cute, very round hamster holding a strawberry half its size. It was absolutely ridiculous. And Gundham loved it.

Of course, he would never admit to loving it. He was a dark character. He chanted rituals and spells in the dark of night! He controlled entire worlds, and would soon conquer this one as well!

So obviously, he would never tell anyone about the way its large round eyes melted his heart, or how the soft, full cheeks reminded him of... that boy. How its tiny paws holding that ridiculously sized strawberry sparked so much joy. Or about how much he wanted to squeeze it to his chest and feel the plush fur against his face. No, he would never tell a soul.

Souda, however, had seemingly noticed the foolish god standing completely still before the booth. He must have tracked his gaze, which was very much focused on the large, round, soft plush hamster.

. . .

Kazuichi smiled, poking Gundham in the shoulder. "Whaddya think of that one?" He pointed directly at the round rodent that Gundham was fixated on.

Spluttering, Gundham took a step back. "I-It's-" He steeled his gaze, glaring at Kaz ferociously. "It's ridiculous." He crossed his arms over his chest, trapping his scarf against it. He shrugged his shoulders, wriggling a little bit to loosen the fabric.

"Really?" Kazuichi turned back to the booth. It seemed like just the kind of guilty pleasure a so-called "dark overlord" would like. he spun on his heels to face Gundham again. "I think it's kinda cute. Reminds me of you," he added, intended to be a completely separate statement.

Realizing the implications of his words far too late, Kazuichi watched in a blend of terror and embarrassment as that simple statement registered slowly on Gundham's face. His eyes widened, and he turned his attention to studying the rouge gravel on the ground. Hot blush raced to his cheeks, spilling across his nose and forehead. His hand once again flew to his scarf, and he yanked the front up almost past his eyes. He coughed, tension flowing thickly between them.

After a few more panicked seconds, Kazuichi scrambled to correct himself and promptly tumbled over his tongue. "I- I mean- not the cute part- reminds me- I mean... the- like, uh, I dunno- shit- I mean, j-just... I didn't mean- cute- I meant... the hamster stuff- cause, you know... you have- y-y'know... hamsters..." He ran his fingers through his hair, tangling it further as he desperately tried to correct himself. Tugging his hand from the mess, and wincing at the pains, he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"W-well, if you insist..." Kazuichi glanced back at Gundham as he inhaled, seemingly steadying his voice. "If you desire a factual answer... I do... 'like' it..."

Kazuichi smiled wide, feeling around for his wallet. "Oh, ok! If you like it, then gimme like 5 minutes!"

"Wait-" Gundham seemed confused, but Kazuichi was already gone. He wove through small clusters of other fairgoers, sliding to a halt in front of the game booth. It was a racing game, one where the player must aim a stream of water at the center of a target, thusly causing the car to move forward. He fished out his wallet, handing the money necessary for one play to the attendant.

He lost the first round, complained about being out of practice, and paid again. On the second go, however, he pulled ahead easily and won with almost no difficulty. When prompted for the prize, he looked back at Gundham, grinned, and pointed at the Very Round Hamster.

. . .

Gundham watched in confusion and awe as Souda won a Very Good, Very Round Hamster while playing one of the strangest, most confusing carnival games he had ever seen. Souda's smile was broad as he skipped back over to Gundham, and he held out the plush.

"So? Pretty cool, right?" He was breathing hard from bouncing around so much, and he nudged the fluffy toy into Gundham's chest. Gundham took it in his hands, astonished by the size of it.

It was as big as his entire torso and made of annoyingly soft Minky synthetic. He wrapped his arms around it and squeezed it softly. He had to resist the urge to bury his face in the silky fabric as the stuffed fiend gave way to the perfect amount of plush.

Realizing he had let his guard down, he snapped to attention. The soft smile that had unknowingly appeared on his face was quickly wiped away, and he fought the need to drop the hamster and hide the rose dusting on his face.

"Are you... presenting me an offering?"

Souda's grin fell a tad in confusion. "An offering...? Oh, like a gift. Yeah, it's for you." He slid his hands back into his pockets.

"Oh..." Gundham couldn't hide his smile this time. He ducked behind the plush, hiding his face to the best of his ability.

. . .

Kazuichi couldn't keep the grin from his face as walked with Gundham. Where he almost had to run to keep up with him before, now it seemed the boy had slowed considerably. He was still burying his face in the toy Kazuichi had won for him, and he took that as a sign Gundham really liked it.

They continued walking, seeming to wander toward the space occupied by the rollercoaster and other rides. Kaz had been so distracted by the lights and signs he hadn't realized that was precisely where they were heading. He felt the bottom of his stomach drop to his toes as he thought about going on the rollercoaster.

It was easily one of the most intense rides the little fair had. Even as they were about 300 feet from it, he could hear the screams of its riders. It was a simple coaster, but it had lots of dips, bends, and, worst of all, cameras. The thought of going on such a ride made him nauseous to no end. He unconsciously gripped Gundham's sleeve, just as he began to lower the plush.

"Would you be... interested... in riding one of the other attractions here?"

Kazuichi's attention snapped to Gundham's face, and despite the sinking feeling that overwhelmed him, he asked, "Which one are you thinking about?"

"Well, there aren't too many interesting ones... perhaps the main 'coaster'?" His voice tinged with a strange disgust as he spoke the words, and Kaz got the sense he wasn't the biggest fan of them.

"No- nonono I think I'm good on that one actually. Really, I don't think that one is the best or most interesting one here so maybe... we could just skip that one!" He rushed to get the words out of his mouth, without focusing nearly enough on keeping the rising panic out of his tone.

. . .

Gundham trained his mismatched eyes on Souda's. His voice had shaken as he denied the ride, and Gundham understood that to mean he was truly terrified of it.

Nodding, he conceded that it surely wasn't the best here. He turned around and around, looking from sign to sign for a ride suitable for the two of them. His gaze landed on the carousel.

"Perhaps that one?" He gestured vaguely in the direction of the attraction, and Souda followed.

"The Merry-Go-Round??" His tone was one of confusion, and he read the words off of the sign as if they were entirely foreign to him.

"Yes, that one. It is fairly simple, all it does is turn."

Gundham watched as Souda's tension eased, the fear dripping slowly from his face. He smiled and said, "Yeah, ok! Sounds easy enough!" He laughed, still sounding a bit tense, but not nearly as fearful as before.

They stood in the annoyingly long line for nearly 15 minutes, and they both became restless. Souda had removed the hair tie from his magenta almost-curls and began to unbraid and re-braid his hair over and over, and Gundham had simply fidgeted with the trinkets at the end of his bandage clip, rolling the smooth bead over and over between his fingertips.

When it was finally their turn, Souda had replaced his hair band and buried his hands in his pockets instead. They stepped to the very front of the line as the woman operating the ride said, "There's only one pony left. Are you two riding together?"

Gundham stuttered slightly, glancing at Souda. He also seemed unsure, however, as their eyes caught and they both stumbled.

"Of course-"

"We can wait-"

The words tumbled out in unison, and Gundham choked up more as he corrected his claim to fit Souda's.

"Er, yes, we're riding together."

"Alright, to the left."

They entered the space, placing the Very Soft Hamster in one of the 'personal belongings' bins before following the edge of the attraction to the left as they had been instructed.

They soon came upon a vacant horse, presumably the only one, and stepped up to take their seat. It was a chestnut bay, sporting a  cream-and-rose saddle for two with leather reigns. The pole through it was twisted and worn of its sheen at around hand height, and it was one of the animals that was firmly affixed- it would not rise or fall.

"So this is it, huh?" Souda's voice cut through Gundham's silent assessment of their steed, and he snapped to attention.

"Yes, that is correct." He stepped closer, unsure as to who would be seated in the front, before Souda made the decision for him.

"Can you help me up onto this thing?" He had one hand on the worn pole and the other on the cast saddle. "I dunno how I'm s'posed to..."

"Here, put this foot here." Gesturing to the stirrup, Gundham held out his arm as a support. Souda gladly took it, and lifted himself into the seat. He scooted forward, looking expectantly back at Gundham.

Taking a deep breath, he followed, placing his right foot in the stirrup and swinging his other leg over effortlessly. He had already begun to settle before realizing how close he was to Souda, and that there was nothing to grip to steady himself when the ride would begin.

Glancing over his shoulder, Souda noticed his lack of a handhold. "Hey, aren'tcha worried you'll fall off?" He faced center again, muttering, "I'm worried as it is, an' I've even got these." He wriggled the reigns half heartedly.

Gundham hesitated, then held his breath as he wrapped his arms around Souda's waist. The instant their bodies came into contact, he felt Souda tense as much as he had, before reclining slightly into Gundham's chest.

. . .

Kazuichi was unused to physical touch, but anything was better than falling off a kid's ride at roughly 10 PM. He was made painfully aware of his shoulders pressing into his companion, Gundham's hands resting dangerously near to his thighs as Kazuichi felt his stomach knotting itself into a fishtail braid. He tightened his grip on the leather reigns. He didn't have much time to think about it though, as the ride began seconds later.

It began rotating, very slowly, and the music dulled to accommodate the ride attendant's voice delivering the usual spiel about holding on, keeping hands and feet in the ride, and staying seated. He stayed focused on the horse in front of him, which was white with a gold gilded saddle. Its rider was a younger girl with long dark hair, and he chose to focus on the large crimson bow that pulled her bangs from her face. However, as the ride picked up speed, he found that his eyes began to wander, only recognizing his mistake when he caught the slight blur of the world sliding past...

Oh no.

Facing front yet again, he felt the twisting discomfort rising in his abdomen, curling around his organs like a snake. It wrapped around his ribcage and arms, turning his muscles to gelatin and breaths shallow, before reaching for his skull. Spots started to dance in his vision, the swirling unease constricting his sight and mind. He felt like patterns were tracing themselves beneath his skin, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on the reigns. Leaning back into Gundham, he tried to focus, but the steady and violent sickness rolled his world from side to side, and he made no feeble move to correct it. 

. . .

Feeling Souda go nearly limp in his arms, Gundham felt concern rising in his chest. He held him tightly, reaching one arm for the pole so they wouldn't fall, and leaned in next to Souda's ear to ask if he was alright. Even more worrisome, though not surprising, he shook his head no. His eyes were closed, knuckles white against the reigns, face pale, his usual blush entirely gone. Gundham wondered if there was anything he could do to make him feel better, but knowing the most likely environmental stimulus, there didn't seem to be anything that would help.

Luckily for both of them, the ride began to slow, horses and children together coming to a complete stop. Souda's eyes fluttered open halfway, and he whispered, "Is it over?"

Nodding and assuring him that yes, the ride was over, he began to dismount. When both boots had touched the ground, he held out a hand to Souda, offering the most support he could. Souda thankfully obliged, almost tumbling to the ground in his effort to stand again.

. . .

Kaz stumbled blindly, gripping Gundham's sleeve as he tried to right himself. He felt Gundham place his hands upon his shoulders, and the added support made it a bit easier to stand. Straightening his back the best he could, he allowed his partner to lead him carefully to the exit (but not before they retrieved the stuffed hamster).

As they exited the ride's grounds via the gate, he quietly searched for another attraction for them to visit. However, most of the rides nearby seemed to either be fast or a real coaster. He'd rather not die tonight.

"Do you feel alright?"

Halting, he saw that Gundham had stopped a foot or so in front of him, concern apparent on his features despite him seemingly attempting to hide it.

"Huh? Me?"

"Of course you, who else would I be speaking to?" Annoyance flashed in his eyes, and Kazuichi shrunk slightly.

"You're right, sorry... Yeah, I'm ok. Just got a little motion sick is all." He found himself toying with the end of his braid again.

"I would hardly say 'a little,'" he said, punctuated his words with air quotes around Kaz's. "You looked to be near death."

Kazuichi felt his face heat up again, and he pushed his hands deep into his pockets and scuffed his shoes in the dirt. "I guess so... sorry about that."

Gundham sighed deeply, then turned back to the rest of the fair, as if to drop the matter. Kazuichi took a few steps to stand beside him, and he once again set to surveying for the next event.

"Perhaps that should be next?" He waved his bandaged hand in the direction of the tallest ride by far, the one Kaz had only seen in movies. He was pretty sure it was called a ferret wheel.

"Uh, yeah, sure. Ok." Swallowing hard, he tried to keep the fear out of his voice again, this time very deliberately. He really did want to go on another ride with Gundham, but he wasn't sure he could handle it. The height, not the riding with Gundham.

[fortysevenswrites]

all the odd numbers <3

Alllllllll the odd numbers? Okayyyyy then.

1. when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk?

It’s been a loooooong time since I’ve had cereal, but definitely more cereal, added milk as needed. The last thing I can handle is soggy cereal.

3. what random objects do you use to bookmark your books?

I’m that asshole who dog-ears her book pages. Sorry not sorry.

5. are you self-conscious of your smile?

Not really.

7. do you name your plants?

Lol I’d have to keep plants to name plants. The closest I’ve gotten is when I was house-sitting for my sister and thought I murdered her strawberries last summer. Turns out, I didn’t.

9. do you like singing/humming to yourself?

Not really. I do most of my singing to myself in my head.

11. what’s an inner joke you have with your friends?

Too many to count.

13. what’s something that made you smile today?

I bought these sour gummy snakes at the market today. Had them for brunch. Meal of champions.

15. go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is!

According to the great google and Arizona State University, there are more trees on earth (3 trillion) than there are stars in our galaxy (100-400 billion). That’s a lot.

17. what color do you really want to dye your hair?

Overtone, the hair dye company, has been advertising this color blend called Merlot, which is a mid between red and purple and it’s SO my vibe.

19. do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it?

I try to, but by the time I’m done with my day, I forget to journal. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

21. talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces.

answered here

23. what’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations?

answered here

25. what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into?

answered here

27. what’s your favorite bubblegum flavor?

I don’t chew gum.

29. what’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing?

My best friend does this nose crinkle thing that is adorable.

31. what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks.

I wish they would just FUCKING FIT. So I don’t wear socks unless I have to.

33. what’s your fave pastry?

Chocolate croissants. Hands down. 

35. do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often?

I have the handwriting of a twelve year old boy, so stationary is wasted on me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

37. do you like keeping your room messy or clean?

I am blind to most messes. My closet is on the floor, pretty much.

39. what color do you wear the most?

Black. Hands down.

41. what’s the last book you remember really, really loving?

Any book in the Sigma Series by James Rollins. I am trash for a good military thriller.

43. who was the last person you gazed at the stars with?

Probably not since I was still working at the summer camp I grew up at, so, years ago, and probably with my campers.

45. do you trust your instincts a lot?

Yeah. My instincts are always right.

47. what food do you think should be banned from the universe?

I don’t do bananas. 

49. do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought?

Oh man, I used to LOVE buying CDs. The last record I bought was a vinyl of Haley’s Badlands when she did a club concert around the corner from where I live. It was SO much fun. Do I have a way to play said vinyl? No. 

51. think of a person. what song do you associate with them?

I recently got news about a person who I used to work with back in the ye olde. The song I’m thinking of is Fuck You Very Much by Lily Allen. So, uh, take from that what you will.

53. have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them?

Beetlejuice is one of the best movies of all time. I’ve actually never watched RHPS all the way through. And I’ve never seen Heathers or Pulp Fiction.

55. what’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point?

Quit my job.

57. go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics?

Like I could conquer the damn world. And yes, I did sing along. Duh. And now I want to listen to Radio Gaga. So thanks for that.

59. what’s your favorite myth?

I’ve always been a huge fan of the story of Serenity and Endymion. Goes back to my Sailor Moon phase. As one does.

61. what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received?

I don’t think any of the gifts I’ve given, gag or not, are stupid. Even the socks I’ve given (and gotten).

63. are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be?

Not really. I like knowing where the books I go back to regularly are, but that’s really it. I used to be really organized about my music back when iTunes was a thing. Now I really just listen to music via YouTube.

65. is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with?

Yes, and that’s as far as I’m going to go on that nonsense. It’s been nine damn years. Ugh.

67. how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel?

SO FUCKING GOOD. Love days like that.

69. what are your favorite board games?

Uhhhhhh....I haven’t played board games in years. 

71. what’s your favorite kind of tea?

I used to drink green tea before I realized caffeine gave me serious anxiety.

73. what are some of your worst habits?

A great many things.

75. tell us about your pets!

My four-legged roommate Bishop. She’s the black cat I’ve always wanted and she’s the biggest, brattiest baby and she screams when she wants me to pay more attention to her. I am also the the aunt to four dog nieces, Belle (black lab mix), Raven (beagle mix), Ivy (miniature aussie), and Cora (husky/german shepherd mix), and two dog nephews, Sebastian (miniature schnhauzer) and Sven (husky/german shepherd mix). 

77. pink or yellow lemonade?

Pink when I’m feeling fancy. 

79. what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you?

Someone I know, two years ago, the day after he met me, snuck me a cookie from the leftovers after team meal. It’s been a problem ever since.

81. describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of.

They change colors, but most often, somewhere between fanfiction yellow, and the color of dead moss. And they’re the best.

83. what’s some of your favorite album art?

I don’t really have thoughts on album art? But I have my Halsey Badlands vinyl right in front of me and it’s pretty cool.

85. do you read comics? what are your faves?

Not often, but I have a giant pile of Power Rangers comics that I’ve been meaning to read through for like...ever.

87. what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives?

Blazing Saddles, Pacific Rim, Beetlejuice, Crazy Rich Asians

89. are you close to your parents?

Well that’s a complicated question. Let’s just leave it at that.

91. where do you plan on traveling this year?

Well I was supposed to go to Hawaii for a friend’s wedding this summer, but she pushed it back to 2022, which makes sense. Other than that, California at some point to see my grandparents because I haven’t seen them in over a year because of the pandemic.

93. what’s the hairstyle you wear the most?

Either a ponytail or a messy bun. Sometimes I’ll wear it down, but it depends on which day I am between shampoos. My hair is, well, finicky at best.

95. what are your plans for this weekend?

I have a module for a course I’m taking that I need to watch and do the homework for. Maybe go up to my sister’s house once my niece gets back from her dance tournament

97. myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house?

MB is steeped in eugenics so, no thank you, and also I just don’t have time to take the quiz. I’m a Taurus, and damn straight am I a Taurus. And I’m a Slytherin, full stop (though apparently I’m also a Ravenclaw, which makes sense).

99. list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them.

marjorie by Taylor Swift, any song on Halsey’s Badlands album, The Pit by Silversun Pickups, Jet Pack Blues by Fall Out Boy, and Save Rock and Roll by Fall Out Boy, to name a few.

these are actually hella fucking cute y'all (except, you know, all the odds)

[theymetinthetoihlet]

Just need to write down my opinions on the songs and how they make me feel. Again,it is just MY personal opinion.I am not saying this is what they are actually about.There is no way of knowing that. Harry said it himself:he doesn’t explain songs because he wants people to interpret music their own way.

Golden:I read it as a song about grief. In my opinion,it is like the aftermath of what is described in ESNY. When you get bad news,you initially feel empty and like there’s no antidote for that sorrow. Then you feel heartbroken and helpless because what can you do when something bad happens? But then someone,someone golden,helps you. They take control of the situation even though they’re scared to see you that broken and open and vulnerable. And you find that antidote you were looking for in loving that person. The melody is everything. The way he sings “You’re so golden”!! It really is that song I’d be listening to on my way back from the beach with the windows of my car down and the sunset as background.

Watermelon sugar:In my opinion,it is about this person who makes you feel warm even if it’s cold outside. They’re the end of June,they taste like strawberries,they give you that watermelon sugar high you don’t want to go without. You want to keep tasting it because how can you go without that summer feeling once you’ve got a taste? It’s the song I’ll dance to the most probably. Even if I’m sweeping,I’ll grab the broom and start dancing if it comes on shuffle. It is THAT BITCH.

Adore you:When you don’t need any more reassurances.When you’re sure of what you have.When all has been said and done. The only thing left to do is adore this person you’d walk through fire for and whose eyes you get lost into. I personally think that adoring someone is the ultimate form of love. I come from a catholic environment and the term adore is usually linked to the worship of a “greater being”. How much do you have to love someone to get to the point of adoration? Its sound is so great!

Lights up:I’ve already shared my opinion on this one when it was first released. I still think it is about fame and the struggle between who you are and who you should be when you are someone who lives under the spotlights.

Cherry:Sorry but lyrically I cannot see it as more than a stunt song. He has an album full of metaphorical lyrics and then you have this song where you can suddenly see what/who it is about?which is made even more obvious by the added voicemail?Okay. I bet the new person the subject of this song is in a relationship with,is very please to know that their so gave the permission to use their voice in a song like this lol Anyway the melody is so soothing.LIKE! I didn’t expect that at all but I like it!

Falling:It is one of those songs which make me feel sad even if I’m not. I read it as that feeling you have when you’re feeling down and you think that you’re not enough especially for the people you love the most. You start questioning yourself. You start regretting the stuff you said when you weren’t in the right mind to say things. You start thinking about all the what ifs. The melody would make me cry even without the lyrics. And his voice!!! I relate to this song a great deal especially when he sings the chorus. One of my favourites!

To be so lonely:It’s like when you mess up (maybe because of jealousy?)and you know it but you can’t admit it so your person kind of takes a step back. It is easier when you’re out and about but then you come home and feel all the loneliness. In the end you say sorry though because missing your person wins over you being an arrogant son of a bitch (his words not mine 🤷🏻‍♀️). I read the lyrics between the album came out but I’d never imagine for the melody to be LIKE THAT! Wow I can picture myself to listen to this song while lying on a straw bed in the countryside!

She:A man who has kids,an office job and a boat. A man who sometimes imagines to sail away but what would he tell the others,his mates? A man who plays pretend because at the back of his mind there always this “she” which I think represents his true self but he doesn’t know neither where or who “she” is. “She” is the other part of the “we” he sings about in Fine Line,in my opinion. I’ve has the chorus stuck in my head since I first heard it! The sound is soo good.It is a JAM.

Sunflower,vol. 6:In my opinion,it’s like seeing someone you love going through a hard time and wanting to get inside their head to see what they’re thinking about so that you can try and help them. It’s you telling them to plant new seeds but keeping the memory of what went lost at the same time. It’s you loving them more and more and more. The sweetness of calling your lover sunflower... I also have some thoughts about the “volume 6” but I think I’ll keep ‘em to myself. The sound is so good! You can’t help but bop to it! And what even is that end! I love it!

Canyon Moon:I‘m trying to keep this as generic as possible but this song is literally about Harry missing Louis during his tour. I think that “The world’s happy waiting” refers to the people all around the world waiting for him to go to their cities and perform. “I’ll be gone too long from you” hello?? “Two weeks and I’ll be home” HELLO?? I think “Canyon Moon” is a metaphor for the places and the moments they’ve been together and happy that he keeps thinking about when he misses Home too much. Harry said country music rights with this one! Sooo good! Is he the one whistling though?

Treat People With Kindness:I think this is about tour. It’s about how free and accepted he felt. And it is not just for him. It is for all the people who felt the same. If you treat people with kindness and they do the same to you,you can create a good space where you are free to dance around and feel good. This is so much fun! The chorus would have made a good advertisement jingle in the 90s. He’s going to have so much fun performing it. I think it is the Kiwi of Fine Line when it comes down to the live performance. I can’t wait to see his dance moves 💃🏻

Fine Line:Okay so the first time I read the lyrics of this one,I thought it was a song about a relationship. Then I read the lyrics again and...I kind of think this is a conversation between two sides of the same person? The two sides being the masculine and feminine sides,in my opinion. It’s like you’ve struggled to get to know and accept that other part of yourself. In the end you succeed by “spreading it open” and finding that balance that helps the two sides co-exist and you (we) will be alright. Of course,you will 💚 I don’t know I guess it could be about both. Or neither. I really like this one and the melody is so soothing. Like I’m going to play it every night before bed so that I can relax. I can almost see him performing it while sitting on a stool with just a light beam on him.

This is my take on the album. I’m really happy to have new music from Harry. I really liked HS1 but I think I like Fine Line more. They’re very different sound wise and I think he made this album by focusing more on the melodies than the lyrics maybe because he was thinking about how the songs could work while being played live on tour. Once,Harry said that the amazing thing about music is that there is a song for every emotion and that’s what I feel while listening to his album(s). There is a song for feeling:feeling sad,feeling happy and accepted,feeling loved and taken care of,feeling conscious of yourself,feeling secure of what you have with your person. And there is a different sound for each of those feelings.m which is what I like the most about this album. There is not even one song I’m going to skip! I’m glad he had fun while making this new album.You can feel it. I hope he’s proud of himself as much as I (and many more of us) am of him.

[thethespacecoyote]

“A Haunting in Helios”

A company like Hyperion never truly slept, especially running on an artificial day-night cycle. Though plenty of businesses shut down after the workday many more stayed open, serving those dedicated or crazy enough to pull all nighters all in the name of an extra hundred bucks on the next paycheck or an inch above the competition when it came to promotions.

Rhys slipped into the sparse crowds pretty inconspicuously, looking little different from the rest of the late-night crunch crowd. As he walked, he accessed one of the more reliable forums he’d found on the rumors of Handsome Jack’s ghost, refreshing himself on the personal accounts he’d been pouring over for the past day.

Maybe Jack’s soul wasn’t at rest. That’s why ghosts happened right? Like, hypothetically? Spirits with unfinished business? Pandora was still a mess and Hyperion was dealing with a serious power vacuum. That screamed pretty unfinished to Rhys.

If that was true, maybe he could help him out?

Ha-hah. Rhys snorted at himself. As if Handsome Jack would ever accept help, even in the afterlife.

Rhys chases a rumor into the bowels of Helios and winds up having a life-changing encounter with a “ghost.”

Considering they were employed by one of the most advanced, technologically savvy arms companies in the galaxy, Hyperion workers could be surprisingly superstitious.

Rhys knew some guys who carried around lucky skag’s paws in their pockets or dangling under their clothes. He’d witnessed people skipping the third and fourth steps in stairwell J-4 off the Hub because allegedly that’s where the bodies of unfortunate interns were buried.

Even Rhys had a pair of special socks he would wear on days that he had to make important presentations.

But a ghost?

That extended beyond mere good-luck charms and forces of habit. And yet, that was the rumor Rhys had been hearing about the water cooler. That down in the depths of Helios, in some long-forgotten and rundown old hallway, haunted the ghost of none other than Handsome Jack himself.

“Can you imagine? Walking down the hallway, minding your own business, and bam! Jack is just there.” Rhys waggled his spoon in emphasis, before digging it back into his half-eaten ice cream sundae.

He always saved the cherry for last. A weird habit people always commented on, though Vaughn was long used to it. He watched as Rhys nudged the bright red fruit around in the melted puddle of ice cream at the bottom of the bowl, coating it in a mixture of strawberry and chocolate.

“Well you know. It’s all just stories, right?” Vaughn scoffed, digging a spoon into his own, much smaller sundae. “Right?”

Rhys swirled the ice cream soup at the bottom of his bowl.

“I mean…who knows? If there’s anyone who I’d bet money could come back from the dead…it would probably be Jack.”

“God. No, Rhys, no. Don’t jinx it with your obsession!”

“I’m not. Shut up, dude.” Rhys rolled his eyes, dropping his spoon back into the bowl with a clink. “And finish your ice cream! I’ve been done for like ten minutes.”

“Oh, it definitely hasn’t been that long.” Vaughn slipped an ample morsel between his lips. “You’re just a garbage disposal when it comes to this stuff.”

“If you mean the most handsome garbage disposal this side of Helios…then yes.” Rhys pretended to slick his hair back and shot Vaughn his sleaziest look. This earned him an eye-roll.

“Well, I guess Handsome Jack lives on in one of us.”

“Oh sure,” Rhys smirked. “You know I always had the better hairstyle.”

It probably was crazy to go chasing a rumor as insane as “Handsome Jack’s ghost haunts the abandoned halls of Helios” but well, Rhys had grown a little restless lately. And with no big projects to distract him, all he could think about was the stories of those employees who had allegedly come into contact with him.

So late that evening, Rhys left Vaughn sleeping on the couch with some dumb late-night ECHO program running, moving as quietly as possible as he slipped on his boots and slid out the door.

A company like Hyperion never truly slept, especially running on an artificial day-night cycle. Though plenty of businesses shut down after the workday many more stayed open, serving those dedicated or crazy enough to pull all nighters all in the name of an extra hundred bucks on the next paycheck or an inch above the competition when it came to promotions.

Rhys slipped into the sparse crowds pretty inconspicuously, looking little different from the rest of the late-night crunch crowd. As he walked, he accessed one of the more reliable forums he’d found on the rumors of Handsome Jack’s ghost, refreshing himself on the personal accounts he’d been pouring over for the past day.

Maybe Jack’s soul wasn’t at rest. That’s why ghosts happened right? Like, hypothetically? Spirits with unfinished business? Pandora was still a mess and Hyperion was dealing with a serious power vacuum. That screamed pretty unfinished to Rhys.

If that was true, maybe he could help him out?

Ha-hah. Rhys snorted at himself. As if Handsome Jack would ever accept help, even in the afterlife.

This whole excursion was a really, really stupid idea, and he should just turn around and head back home to Vaughn. But if he didn’t go and at least take a look, it would eat at him for days. Better just go and confirm it wasn’t true sooner rather than later.

The instructions on the forum lead him to one of the auxiliary elevators in the hub and told him to punch in a floor he was pretty sure he’d never visited before. A couple other people got in with him, inputing their own floors before the elevator started to descend through the space station. Gradually everyone else filtered back out, until once again Rhys was left all alone, with nothing but the hum and click of the machinery around him to keep him company.

Finally, the display above the door lit up with a cheery ding that belied the sight that opened up in front of Rhys’ eyes. Swallowing, his finger briefly danced on the button to take him back up to the Hub as he gazed out into the empty floor extending out from the elevator’s entrance. Just as the doors were about to close however he took a step forward, then another, until he was too far away to run back as the elevator slid shut behind him.

This far away from the central hub and offices of Helios things looked a lot less like the polished, colorful corporate environment Rhys had grown used to and more like of the abandoned facilities on Elpis he’d seen through photographs and holograms. The hallway he now braved walking down thankfully didn’t look infested with torks or any other horrible creatures found moon-side, but dust flaked down from the walls and any doors he passed were broken or locked. Rhys took a peek inside one, finding nothing more then shattered cubicles and conspicuously spaces on the floor when computers and appliances used to sit.

Rhys tightened his jaw, wrapping his arms around his stomach as he willed himself to keep walking.

As the hallway continued, the light fixtures above grew less and less reliable, with some panels completely broken, leaving bands of the ground in the dark. Some stretched longer than others, with a good couple yards of hallway dim and even more eerie than the rest of the deserted floor. Rhys walked especially quickly through these portions, mind creating terrors in the busted doors and empty walls even when his ECHOeye told him nothing was there.

As the hallway turned around a corner, he slowly realized the usual cool, re-circulated air he’d grown used to living on Helios felt stale and stiff here. Still breathable, sure, but like dust clung to every atom of oxygen.

He didn’t know how far this hallway went, or if he might end up encountering a collapsed ceiling or flaw in the life support systems. Readouts on his ECHOeye fed back data on the composition and quality of the air around him, but this far away from the center of Helios—far enough that even the holographic map he brought up on his palm—his connection to the net could get a little spotty.

Still, creepy as this part of Helios was, Rhys hadn’t seen any evidence of the supernatural yet. Nor, honestly, any sign this hallway had been touched by Handsome Jack’s presence at all. Even now, after his death, the rest of the space station remained stamped with his mark, his posters and advertisements plastered everywhere and his statues lovingly tended to. But here?

When Rhys actually stopped to take a look at the faded images on the walls or scattered on the floor, none looked anything like those iconic images of Hyperion’s most illustrious CEO. He could make out an old logo here and there, colored in passé red and white, alongside some pictures of what had to be long-passed company leaders. Rhys felt less like that elevator had taken him to another part of the station and more like it’d transported him to a completely different time.  

Looking at these relics actually helped to distract him from the reason he’d come here in the first place, at least until he lifted his head to glance towards one of the deserted doorways—and there he stopped in his tracks, at first unable to process what he was seeing.

Just above the darkened entrance, emblazoned in sloppy, blue lettering, read:

WELCOME KIDDOS.

A weight dropped in Rhys’ stomach, rooting him to the floor as he stared at the words, trying to process their existence.

Oh fuck.

It was probably just random graffiti, maybe sprayed there by someone trying to mess with people who came here looking for the ghost, but it had Rhys on edge. He took a deep breath, trying to ignore his panicking heart as he took a step through the doorframe. He’d come this far, already sunk enough time into this rumor. Creepy as it was, he wasn’t going to let some message scare him off.

Rhys turned the light in his cybernetic palm on, using it to scan over the floor to make sure he wouldn’t trip over any debris.

It looked like one of the many other offices he’d walked by so far. Anything useful had been ripped out long ago, leaving snapped wires and noticeably cleaner spots in their wake, with only real clunky, useless technology still sitting besides cracked desks and stains cubicle walls. Rhys moved the light carefully over his path, securing each step before he moved forward. He peered around, hoping to find something interesting, but the office looked similar to the hallway outside—decrepit, and covered in old Hyperion advertisements that might’ve sold for a pretty vintage penny if they weren’t tattered and spotted with mold.  

The office looked old and creepy, sure, but as he scanned around the room, he couldn’t find much else of interest. But just so nobody would doubt him when he told this story, he decided to peel one of those old posters off the wall. One of the smaller ones, that he could easily fold up and put inside his pocket without risking it disintegrating.

Just as he finished and he turned to leave, however, something suddenly prickled through the air like static electricity. Rhys tensed, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up if someone had traced a cool finger down it.

“Who…who’s there?” Rhys whispered, feeling less isolated and alone than a few minutes ago.  

He expected—and hoped—for no answer, but the moment he finished speaking a hush of static brushed up against his ears like an eerie kiss, and even as Rhys desperately tried to grasp for a rational explanation an erratic, electric blue sheen cast upon a broken cubicle wall, silhouetting his terrified shadow up against it. He whirled around, eyes wide and heart pumping, only to regret his choice a mere second later at the sight in front of him.

His first thought—holy shit, the rumors were true—couldn’t hold a candle to the second, more alarming realization that raced up right after—that’s Handsome Jack’s ghost and it’s going to fucking kill me.

Because there was no doubt that the brilliant blue specter hovering in front of him belonged to Jack. It looked exactly like him aside from the color and unsettling transparency. The ghost’s brilliance sucked all remaining light out of Rhys’ surroundings, leaving him swallowed in black as he tried convincing himself to move.

Gold eyes suddenly fixed upon him, too bright and alien even against the already surreal, glowing body.

“Hey pumpkin!”

Rhys screamed. He screamed a scream he might be embarrassed about if anyone else had heard him, but right now with a jagged, neon blue ghost hovering in front of him he didn’t care how he sounded. Or how he looked, as he spun on his heels and lunged in the opposite direction, fleeing from the apparition as quickly as he could manage.

“Woah, wait! Hang on!”

Rhys wouldn’t “hang on” for anybody in this creepy part of Helios, especially not a real fucking ghost. Unfortunately, he only ended up running couple of yards before his body betrayed him—or rather, the heel of his boot did, as it landed wrong on a slat of debris and nearly snapped. Rhys screamed, even louder this time, his arms pinwheeling out as he tripped, landing with a smack and a squeal against the floor. He even skidded a bit, knocking fallen ceiling panels and loose wires out of the way as he ground to a halt. His heart hammered in his chest, sending shocks of pins-and-needles pain all the way down to his knees and palms.

A harsh noise sounded too close behind him and he quickly flipped onto his back, Rhys’ stomach nearly dropping out his ass when he saw the ghost floating towards him, arms crossed tightly about its chest.

Rhys could nearly see right through him, glowing blue form as translucent and intimidating as a bolt of electricity. He could almost feel the energy in the air, the hair on the back of his neck standing up as if he’d rubbed his socks against the apartment carpet. He tried to push himself up off the ground but his ankle protested, still recovering from the tumble. He managed to squirm only a couple of inches, the distance between himself and the ghost easily overtaken as Jack floated closer, his ghostly form looming large, ready to engulf him whole.

“S-S-Stay back! Back!” Rhys cried, holding his hands out defensively in front of him as Jack advanced upon him, those eerie golden eyes blazing above an aggravated looking frown. Surely, the last thing many employees had seen from Jack in life, and now probably the last for Rhys too, before the ghost decided to suck out his soul or drain the air out of the hallway or whatever horrible thing it was planning to do with him. Rhys shut his eyes tight, shaking with fear as he thought of all the worst torment the ghost of a man like Handsome Jack would do to him.

But the ghost didn’t try to asphyxiate him, or try to take his soul. He didn’t try to bring the whole hallway down around them or shock Rhys with his freaky blue spirit energy. No, instead, it did something familiar, something Rhys recognized from recordings and public appearances back when Jack had still been alive.

It laughed.

The sound crackled and broke, as if fed through an old speaker. It twisted Rhys’ stomach further into knot, his fear so strong now he could feel it in the back of his throat. The ghost laughed like someone had taken Jack’s voice and pulled all the life out of it, leaving it a cold, improperly preserved recording.

“You’re…would you believe you’re the first one to frikkin’ face-plant like that, kiddo? Jeez. Lots of dummies have come down here but…man…” The ghost mimed wiping a tear away from its eye before it leered down at Rhys.

“Well…I’m not about to say no to a free lunch. Finally got one of you small fry right where I want you.”

Rhys jolted when the ghost floated towards him. He grabbed around with his hand looking for anything to fend it off. He grabbed only a broken piece of molding but still swung it in front of him, a last ditch attempt to look intimidating.

“Back off! I’m t-telling you!” He managed to squeak. The ghost’s eyebrows slid up, unimpressed.

“I’d say kudos for trying, pumpkin. But this is pretty lame.” It laughed again, sound this time edged with a darker humor that chilled Rhys’ bones. “Too little, too late. You’re mine.”

Rhys saw the movement to his left a moment too late. Before he had a chance to move out of the way or even turn his head, something long and yellow and much more solid than Jack shot out and struck him right in the temple. Rhys screamed, cupping the side of his head, expecting searing pain or blood, but after a moment of terrified groping finding only something firmly stuck into his port.

“W-W-What? Huh?” Rhys babbled only for a sudden shock to ring around his port. He jerked, feeling something probe into his brain—no, his very mind itself—out from the thing stuck in his temple. He twitched involuntarily, a little bit of spit running down the side of his mouth. The visual feed of his ECHOeye glitched violently, warnings and pop-ups full of gibberish flashing in his vision as he writhed against the floor.

God. No no no no, this can’t be happening, this can’t—

And yet as soon as the shock had started it stopped, retreating back through his body to his port. He flopped against the ground, a light tingling in his extremities the only sign anything had gone wrong. He took deep breaths, trying to expand his lungs slowly—only for Handsome Jack’s face to appear inches from his own and scare the shit out of him once again.

“Jeez, kiddo.” The ghost grimaced, sticking a finger in its ear. Rhys scrambled back, heart again beating against his chest as he stared incredulously at the figure before him. The ghost crouched, still hovering a good couple of inches off the ground. An eyebrow raised above one yellow eye, watching him as Rhys struggled to comprehend what had happened.

“Wh…what did you do to me?” He finally drummed up the courage to speak, but couldn’t overcome the stutter in his voice.

“You know. I’m like. Inside you.” Jack waved his hand. “Well, you know. Not inside but like, inside your mind. Really lucked out, didn’t I? You’re just the vessel I needed.”

“You mean you’re—you’re possessing me?” Rhys cried, voice edging up hysterically. “Oh god, am…am I gonna have to get a fucking exorcism?”

“Watch your mouth, kiddo, I—wait a sec, no. You—” The apparition pinched the bridge of its nose and shook its head. “—You still think I’m some kind of ghost, right?”

“I…well…” Rhys swallowed tightly. “That was the most logical…well…that’s what I was assuming.”

“Logical?” Jack snorted, looking at Rhys like he was stupid. “You live in a frikkin’ space station with guns and tech that work like god-damn magic, and you still believe in ghosts?”

“But the stories said—“

“Yeah, ‘cause I play up the act to get some frikkin’ entertainment. Else it’d be a total snore-fest around here.”

“So what…what are you?” Rhys propped himself up on his elbows. Still on edge, but feeling a less tense and sick to his stomach than before. If Jack was in—inside him, then he wouldn’t try to hurt him, right?

“Not a frikkin’ ghost, I’ll tell you what. If I was a ghost, I wouldn’t have needed that—“ He pointed to the plug still stuck in Rhys’ temple. “To get inside of you. Or I’d be able to phase through walls and not have to deal with this damn isolated subsystem.”

“Subsystem?” Rhys furrowed his brow. If this part of Helios was long abandoned, it might’ve wound up cut off from the rest of the space station’s network. If Jack was reliant on that then yeah, he wasn’t a ghost, but then—?

Wait.

“Nakayama’s lost AI…I thought it was destroyed when he…” Rhys’ eyes widened, the pieces suddenly clicking into place. “So you’re…you’re Jack, you’re the real Jack…”

Well. As close as the real Jack as they were ever going to get again. Rhys wasn’t about to anger the AI any further by nit-picking.

“Of course I am. This—“ Jack gestured around the hallway, “—was just a stupid little setback. A mere bump in the road of my awesome heroics.”

He turned to look down at Rhys, who’d managed to wedge himself into a crouch but still wobbled on smarting feet.

“Well? I’m finally ready to move on out of this crap-pile and back to the top where I belong. Who knows what you dimwits have been doing to my company.”

Rhys bit his tongue, figuring he’d let Jack deal with the current power squabble on his own. Best not to get in the middle of something like that, especially with an unpredictable AI now throw into the mix.

“Of course, I…I don’t mind taking you back, sir, but uh…” Rhys rubbed the back of his neck. “What if no one believes me? There’s been a lot of uh…conspiracies and rumors and stuff ever since you’ve been gone.”

“No biggie.” Jack shrugged. “Anyone doesn’t believe you, just plug me back into Helios. Give them all a real fright once they see daddy’s back in action.”

“Right. Um. Guess there’s no point in hanging around. Guess I should…get you back…” Rhys finally pushed himself to his feet, his limbs still shaky and numb. He still felt a little disconnected as he pulled the plug from his temple, the reality of the situation yet to set in even with the AI of his dead boss and idol following him as he turned around to walk back the way he’d came—back to civilization. Back to Hyperion.

Rhys had gone in search of a rumor, and had instead come back with a legend.

He swallowed, looking over his shoulder to watch as Handsome Jack floated after him.

Wait ’til Vaughn heard about this.

[la-appel-du-vide]

THAILAND 2019 - Day Twelve {Krabi}

Today was another free day for us - meaning we didn’t have anything specifically booked or planned, we just knew we wanted to go visit Ao Nang Beach and Railay Beach! We got up and ready, tried to eat some toast in the hotel lobby but all the bread was gone, and then caught a taxi to Ao Nang Beach.

This is a major tourist area as well. There are a million shops, restaurants, boats for rent, etc. We thought it would be a good idea to eat something before we started our day, so we grabbed something quick, and then went over to the beach.

I suggested we start over on Railay Beach, because that’s the most popular one, and I thought we should get there before it got too crowded. We got to ride on another long-tail boat to get there, and that never gets old. So authentic, so traditional, so fun.(Bring a poncho though - you’re gonna get wet haha.)

We got to Railay Beach, took some photos with the huge line of long-tail boats, and then set out to find a smoothie of course. Mel said she had one of the best smoothies of her life on this beach, so we hoped to find it. (Spoiler - We didn’t.) We each ordered one from a different shop, and they were both much more like drinks instead of thick smoothies which is always a disappointment, but at least they tasted good and were cold!

We set up base camp in a shady spot, and then I went off to wade around the bay. The water temperature is amazing and refreshing, every single time I step into it. This area has a super sandy floor, which was a nice change from so much coral and rocks elsewhere. 

Can’t help but feel like these kinds of days are really what makes life worth living. We get through the mundane, boring routine of normal life for moments like these, and they really are worth it.

I wandered around for awhile, but then noticed some kayaks for rent that I thought would be a fun activity for us. I went back to where Beach was sleeping, and asked her if she thought we’d be capable of kayaking with all our important stuff, and not capsizing and destroying everything haha. We decided to give it a try, so we put all our money and phones in our little waterproof cases, and then wrapped my camera bag in two towels, and put it in Beach’s backpack. Once we were prepared, we went over to the rental area and filled out the paperwork to get one. Only then did we learn that we could leave our bags in the office. All that work for nothing. (;

We had a hard time carrying that heavy thing all the way out to the water, but once we got it in, we were solid. We paddled around the island, and even ran into a live, wild jellyfish! I spotted him, and we circled back to get a closer look. Could hardly believe our eyes. We’ve been up close to so much wildlife here!

We paddled into a couple sea caves (which were sooooo dark), over to a rock that had a gold stripe made out of some sort of tin wrapped all the way around it, and then stopped at a different beach so Beach could take a dip. I waded around behind here, and on the way back in, I got stung by a jellyfish. I went from fine to severe stinging pain on and around my knee. I tried to use water and sand to stop the pain, but nothing worked super well. I learned later that using water can actually release more toxins into your body and make things worth, so that was knowledge that came a little too late. No fun. The swelling took quite awhile to subside, and my freaking knee hurt the rest of the day. Ow ow ow.

I finally sucked it up and got back in the kayak,and we paddled around some more. I enjoyed laying down on the kayak, and just feeling the motion of the waves... it’s one of the most relaxing feelings in the world. UNTIL we hit the rocks. We took a different route going in than we had taken going out, and we regretted everything. We got stuck and high-centered on so many different rocks, and it was nearly impossible to get ourselves backed out of there so we could go in the right direction. Omg so frustrating hahaha.

But we made it. Carrying the wet kayak all the way back was even worse than the first time. My arms were dead. 

We grabbed our stuff and started wandering around the tourist area just off the beach. It’s such a cute little area, surrounded by palm trees, and so many things to see. Such chill vibes. Very island-y. We loved it.

Beach stopped to try a sugar crepe from a food stand we passed, and I would describe the “crepe” as something more like very sweet chips haha. It was so crunchy! Unexpected for sure!

We stopped and had lunch at a small, rooftop restaurant, and it was pretty good. Filled us right up. But not enough that I couldn’t get some more rolled ice cream from a stand we passed on our walk! I’m obsessed! This time I went with plain chocolate and Oreo. So delicious. I need one right outside my hotel tbh. 

We checked out some more of the souvenir shops, and I finally got Aubrey a Buddha statue. She seems to love Buddha lately, so I’ve been looking for a good one for her this whole time. Mission accomplished.

Ended our day at Railay Beach with some more photos in the bay. While we were out there, we came across ANOTHER jellyfish. Took some up-close photos of it (though they aren’t great due to the murky water), and then we got spooked and jetted on out of the water. We warned a nearby family they were there too, and they got out as well. Let me tell you from experience - OUCH. Don’t mess with those things. On our way out of the water, we came across a dead jellyfish floating to shore. Beach dragged it to the water’s edge and marked it with a stick. We hoped people would notice the stick and be careful. But nopeeee, just a few minutes later we noticed a little Asian girl wandering over to it. We were nervous watching her, as she got closer and closer. Finally, it looked like she was bending over to touch it and we couldn’t take it anymore. We jumped up, started running over to her screaming not to touch it, and probably scared her half to death. Her mom didn’t have much reaction down the beach a ways, which is interesting haha. But I also can’t imagine being a little kid and having two strangers start running at me yelling in a different language! We had the best intentions though, truly. Her dad finally understood what we were saying, and he came over to pull her away from the electrocution just waiting to happen. So we were basically superheroes today. Changing the world one potential jellyfish sting at a time.

We grabbed our stuff and went over to the long-tail boats to catch a ride back over to Ao Nang. For the record, I should mention that this sand is high up on my list of quality sand for the trip! Powder white, so soft, and I’m obsessed that’s all.

We got back over to Ao Nang just as the sun was starting to set. So beautiful to watch the sunset over the ocean, wow wow. We went looking for a smoothie (I know it sounds like we get them all the time but they are literally a dollar so it’s fine I promise), but wandered in and out of souvenir shops on our way. We picked up a couple more things - oops. And every smoothie location we passed had smoothies that looked way more like drinks than smoothies (trust me, there’s a difference - and we are paranoid af). So we eventually gave up and settled for some ice cream we found. I got a scoop of strawberry and a scoop of coconut, but literally right after he handed it to me, I turned around, started licking it, and the top scoop fell RIGHT off. Just like the movies. SAD.

So I had a scoop of strawberry. (;

We finished those as we walked back to the main dock area to get a taxi, and passed hella drag queens on our way, all dressed up and advertising a cabaret show. Very interesting, I’m kind of impressed with how realistically they can make themselves look like women... Like, how?? 

We also made the decision to send it and buy a watermelon smoothie to try, because we’ve seen them everywhere and were intrigued. It was not a good purchase tbh hahaha, not great. Mostly tasted like we were drinking watermelon juice. But we tried it! Now we won’t wonder. (;

The first taxi we tried was a disaster. She drove us like 3 minutes to a La La Moon in Ao Nang, and when we tried to explain that this wasn’t what we wanted, she insisted it was. Finally we got her to understand, and she said Krabi was too far and wanted us to get out, BUT SHE STILL WANTED US TO PAY HER. Like, lady... we could have walked to this point in five minutes. You didn’t take us where we wanted to go at all. Dumb. So we gave her just a little bit and that was that.

Found a community bus that travels from Ao Nang to Krabi for way cheap, so that worked out ok. It dropped us off near Walking Street, and then we were able to catch our own taxi back to the hotel pretty easily. 

Then the typical night routine - Tumblr, checking our phones, editing/posting pictures, travel logs, Beach does homework, we shower, and then bed.

It’s really not a bad life. (;