#it’s gonna be a big ole task to map all of them out

[makenna-made-this]

I love you chickens and offer two of my own. Do you have any advice on how to improve my backgrounds? I have a lot of trouble with flowers and other plants, like the purple hyacinths in the first drawings?

all your BAWKtobers are so cute I love them

!!!!!!!!!! I'm so glad you are enjoying BAWKtober! It is the highlight of my year. And my goodness, these are lovely! Your choice of colors are so nice to look at, they feel like a soft place to rest your eyes.

Honestly, backgrounds have always been something I myself struggle with, and I don't know if that makes me more or less qualified to offer advice, but I can pass on what I have found helpful for myself.

1.) Start with something you LOVE. Trying to draw something you struggle with can already flick the little task avoidant I Do Not Want To Do This switch in your brain, so we are going to stack as many positives against it as we can in an effort to get our mindset as far away from This Sucks and I'm Not Doing It zone as we can, so: Start with something you love.

Are you passionate about nature and plants? Start practicing with nature backgrounds. Fascinated by roman architecture? We're gonna get drawing those pillars. Have a bunch of OCs that live in a fantasy setting and desperately want to be able to draw them interacting with the places you've imagined in your head? Get ready to get worldbuilding. If it's a subject you are already interested in it is going to feel significantly less like pulling teeth at the start than if you are stuck doing Boring Square House In 2 Point Linear Perspective (unless you love Boring Square House in 2 Point Linear Perspective, in which case, follow your heart).

I do this a lot with my BAWKtober drawings. I love drawing chickens and want to be able to have them interact in fun environments. The Chickens Part of the drawing are easy and familiar for me. It's something my brain is comfortable with. So I use it as a bit of a mental touchstone to keep myself skirting just shy of the This Sucks edge long enough to stay motivated on the background part of it.

Find your "Chickens."

2.) SIMPLIFY! Even complicated things are just many big and small shapes. Learn to break things down into their most basic shapes and use those as the building blocks to map out your background. Everything is Shape. Think Shape.

You don't have to get hung up on finer details right now. Those can come later. I did this with the rows of wheat field in my Harvest Moon prompt. Envisioned them as large blocks laid out next to each other. I mapped out shadows by darkening the sides away from the source of light (Big Ol' Moon Circle),

And after i got that base work i built off it with details (notice how you can still picture those shapes underneath it all). While this is by no means a Complicated background, the general method works for more intricate things too.

It's also helpful when trying to map out lights and darks. I do this a lot when I am trying to get a sense of depth and shadows for an environment:

Start with the really basic shapes. I like to imagine the background, middle ground, and foreground are all on different layers stacked atop each other facing the viewer (think those cut paper shadow boxes).

GENERALLY speaking, you are gonna have things closest to you be darker and more vibrant colored, and objects in the distance will be lighter and less saturated as they fade into the atmosphere. There are of course instances where this is not the case ( a background of a dense jungle or mouth of a cave may do the reverse, getting darker and darker the deeper you go, to show the lack of light and shadows that grow the further you venture from light) but it is a good rule of thumb when starting out, especially with landscapes.

Once you have that figured out, you can start slapping down more details~

3.) REFERENCES! I know everyone and their mother says this but it's true. The human eye and memory can be so, so faulty when trying to think back on how something looks. You might THINK you know, but when you try to sit down and draw it you sit there and have a 10min existential crisis (If you don't believe me, just try to draw a bicycle completely from memory. It's miserable).

So look at real things! Pay attention to the way your fav walking path curves over the hill on your walk home. Make note of how the distant skyscrapers on the outskirt of town fade into the soft pinks of the sunset much more the the stark, towering ones right outside your window. Look at cars and bushes spaced out in your local wal mart parking lot, take pictures of the flowers in your grandmother's window box. What's the simplest shape they can be broken down to and still be recognized? You are training your eye to see things in a new way and help you get good at positioning them in 3d space. Eventually, you will get better at this and won't need to reference things as often (but you always CAN. References are your friends!)

4.) Lastly, JUST DO IT!!!

JUST DO IT OH MY GOD JUST DO IT! JUST DRAW tHE BACKGROUND. I know, i know! It sucks and it's hard and it's not as fun as drawing the characters that you love and it might look bad at first but jUST DRAW IT BAD.

In the past i've spent so much time getting in my own damn way because I somehow get it in my head that there's some hidden knowledge or information or tutorial that i am missing, and if i wait until i Learn It i will finally understand the thing and Then i can go about learning it the "right way." Which is a wonderful way of shooting yourself in the foot before you even take a step.

It's really easy to get bogged down in the mindset of "i'm not good at this right now, so i have to wait til i Get Better so i can do it right" and this is Lies. This is the devil on your shoulder talking. This is the mind killer, and it is also a paradox. You want to get better at The Thing before you Do It, but you have to Do It to get Get Better. So you just do Nothing and then you feel bad 'cause you haven't moved anywhere.

So, just start trying. Pick something you love and let that carry you through the hard parts of the learning. Try not to care so much about how it looks at first. You are learning a new language, a visual one. If you get frustrated take a step back, or try drawing something else. Keep it simple, at least at first. And if you feel discouraged, remember i recently had a 10min existential crisis when i realized i couldn't remember how to draw an egg carton, which I see and hold in my hands every single day.

TL;DR DRAW IT BAD, BUT DRAW IT!

[impossible-rat-babies]

Soon I’m gonna do a map of Fisk’s tattoos since ze has the most out of my Lavellan squad, but also one of those head turn around ones.

But like a list of some of his tattoos:

—An arrow pointing up on the back of zir neck and going up into zir hairline. Ze got it not long after ze received zir Vallaslin.

—Two sets of lines at the tops of zir thighs. Ze also has a set of three arrows that start at zithip bones and trail down towards zir nethers and thighs. They make zem feel sexy. That’s the whole reason.

—A set of curling branch like tattoos across the tops of zir shoulders. They honor Mythal and Livonah.

—A design like June’s tattoos around zir left calve and foot. They honor June and Darva. Ze also has a curling pattern of tattoos on zir bicep like Darva’s tattoo.

—Ze’s right hand is covered in tattoos with curling vines in negative that curl up to zir wrist. They’re for Ashby.

—Ze’s left hand has arrow like designs from zir palm and down zir index and middle finger for Andruil. It is also mirrored onto zir palm. Each time ze fires zir bow, ze honor Andruil.

—Ze has little dots and rings around zir toes as simply adornments. They make zem feel pretty.

[meruz]

Aforementioned long ask post please excuse me while i try to figure out tumblr's new text editor. I’ll get into the art meme questions first and then the rest at the end.

Ok first of all thank you all for sending in questions! Giving me an excuse to talk hehe. I’ll address these in number order. Here’s a link to the ask meme for reference but also I’ll restate the question for ease of reading.

1. When did you get into art?

Super cliche answer but I don’t remember a time where I WASN’T the weird art kid! I started keeping a dedicated sketchbook when I was about 12? But here’s a page from my kindergarten journal about what I want to be when I grow up.

2. What art-related sites have you ever signed up for? 

LOL this is a weird question. Not sure why so many people want to know. Anyways I definitely had a dA. more than one dA account. I used to browse oekakis when I was a kid but I think I was only signed up to some small ones that internet friends owned. What else...? Mangabullet,Tegakie, Paintberri, iscribble back when that was a thing, instagram if that COUNTs, I used to post art on livejournal and dreamwidth too. Patreon, I guess. Gumroad, inprnt, bigcartel, storenvy all for selling stuff.

In terms of resources.. I have a schoolism account that I’m sharing with friends. Used to take classes on coursera for free. I signed up to textures.com for work recently haha. I can’t remember if I ever had an account on posemaniacs. Did they have accounts...? I definitely used to visit all the time.

3. Show us your oldest piece of art you have on hand.

Alright here’s me actually logging into my old deviantart account. These are from September 2008 So I was 13 years old. I don’t have a deviantart account from before then because 13 was the required age for having an account and I didn’t want to lie about my age because I wanted people to be impressed by how young yet clearly incredible at art I was LOL.

4. What defines your artistic style?

You guys are probably more equipped to answer this than me but uh... I wanna say... Focus on colors. And... a slightly heavy hand? Like confident... not always well-considered mark making HAH...

Also I think I have a pretty healthy mix of american comics/manga influences. I feel like people who are into american comics always think my art is too manga and people who are into anime/manga always think my art is too american. And I’m taking that as a good sign.

5. Do you practice other styles/have you tried other styles in the past?

I like to think I switch it up a bunch! I mean, these are pretty different, right?

I think I’ve mentioned this before but one thing I really took away from art school is that, for an illustrator at least, art style shouldn’t be consistent. Your greatest weapon is changing the aspects of your style based on the task, the emotions and message you want to illustrate etc. So depending on the project I’m working on, the fandom I’m drawing for, whether I want something to be funny or serious or dramatic, I’ll change things about my style all the time.

One thing I don’t rly post on here is really tight polished work and that’s because I do that for my day job haha. If you’re not paying me... I’m probably not gonna color in the lines.

6. What levels of artistic education have you had?

I have a whole ass diploma LOL. Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration. from the Rhode Island School of Design. And I had a great college experience tbh. Besides the student loans. If any of you guys are thinking about art school feel free to e-mail or message me questions or concerns, I’ll be happy to help. Be as honest as I can be.

7. Show us at least one picture you drew or sketched recently that you did not put on a public site.

heres the wandavision kids. Uhh what else do I have...I feel like I’m rummaging for loose change here...

assorted valentines prep doodles

8. What is your favourite piece that you have done?

Well, obviously this is gonna change all the time and generally it’s gonna be my most recent piece LOL. So yeah, why the hell not. I’ll say it’s this one. I have a pretty short memory which I count as a blessing for an artist. I don’t dwell that long on older work and it keeps me moving forward.

10. What do you like most about your art?

I like that it’s something that only I would make! I had this thought fairly recently and I wrote it down in my sketchbook, it’s pretty cheesy and rambling but it felt revolutionary at the time:

So yeah. I like my art best when it’s the most me and for me. And I like it least when it feels like I’m just making something for social media or for other people’s expectations or whatever.

14. What do you like drawing the most?

Kids in baggy clothing are like my go-to LOL idk if that’s obvious. but also I like being challenged so lately I’ve really loved drawing multi-character compositions, environments, weird angles, etc.

oh i LOVE drawing the underside of shoes lol. And bandages. People that are kinda beat up.. I think it comes from getting a bunch of cuts all the time. I’m always patching myself up and I want to patch characters up too.

15. What do you like drawing the least?

mmm I try to find something to like in every drawing but lets see... I don’t like doing commissions of people’s dogs. Just because it’s normally like... a family friend and my mom volunteered me without my consent and I don’t even really know what they’re expecting me to draw and I don’t even get to meet the dog. Also I’m not that great at dog anatomy. Trying to learn though.

18. What is your purpose for drawing?

This could have a million answers! Uhhh to GIT GOOD??? But also to express myself... and also to make money... I mean it depends on what the drawing IS. I draw fanart mostly to connect to people in the fandom so if you ever see me drawing fanart please take it as like an open invitation to talk to me about the character haha. 

20. How would you rank your art? (poor, mediocre, good, etc.)

Good!!! I have a lot of self-confidence primarily born out of ignorance and a short attention span. If I don’t think too hard about how many other artists are mindblowingly unfathombly good... its easy to think I’m good too! LOL

In all seriousness though, I think the opinion a person has of their art is like a crazy balancing act, right? Like you have to think you suck enough to want to get better but also you have to think you’re good enough to not want to give up. I think we’re all walking that line, I know I am! But also I’m a glass half-full type of person so. Most of the time I feel good about it.

22. List at least one of your “artspirations.”

This is a good question because I’ve been trying and failing to put together one of those “influence map” memes for like a full month now. What’s giving me a hard time is I feel like none of these are actually really obvious “““influences”““ in my art? Like it’s hard to see a lot of them in the work I make...? But idk maybe you guys’ll see what I can’t.

And these are just a couple! God there’s so many more. I could talk about other artists for ages, from all different genres of art. Daumier, Rockwell like every illustrator out there, Dana Gibson, Alex Toth, Hiroshi Yoshida, a lot of the Brandywine School. Lots of current working artists too, Karl Kerschl, frikkin Masashi Kishimoto lol, Jake Wyatt, Richie Pope, Edouard Caplain, Matt Cook, Sachin Teng, - lots of big internet artists, Sophie Li, Freddy Carrasco, Milliofish, Angela Sung... like all my friends from art school too. I could just keep going but I’ll stop for now lol.

24. Do you have a shameful art past? (recolour sprite comics, tracing art, etc.)

I mean if that’s how we’re defining shameful?? sure LOL. It’s not sprite comics but I used to do pokemon sprite recolors all the time. And I used to trace manga panels and color them... Granted this was all when I was like under 12 yrs old so it’s not even embarrassing. Can you really call it shameful when a 7 year old wets the bed or whatever? Not really. In fact some of these are cool as fuck. Look

25. Draw a picture!

Man I’m so tired now but here.

I used to get a lot of compliments for drawing people smiling lol but I don’t think I’ve drawn a lot of smiling lately.. here’s proof I’ve still got it.

OK MEME DONE. onto the rest.

I read this ask first thing when i opened my computer in the morning and it made me really emotional.. I’m so glad my sketches could help you!!

I think a lot of artists on social media talk about the struggle of making art but imo not enough people talk about the joy! Like I know it’s corny but. I really meant what I said at the beginning of that sketchbook about re-contextualizing art around process and progress > product and perfection. I think its super important..! The strength of messy, unfinished, and energetic art! For the feeling of it, for the love it!

That's crazy!!! I hope you like 'em. The whole line of x-books is really good rn imo.

Hi! I totally have the answer for digital stuff on my faq lol. But in terms of drawing on paper.. it varies! I tend to use sketchbooking and any on-paper doodling I do as a way to loosen up/warm-up or experiment. But right now my go-to aresenal is:

from top > bottom

- kuretake no.55 doublesided brush pen

- tombow fudenosuke

- muji 0.38 ballpoint

- medium size poscas

- grey tombow double brush pens

- good ol bic mechanical pencil

not EXACTly sure which inking you referring to from my sketchbook but if I had to take a guess it'd probably be the kuretake no55. That's been my main inker, lately. Great for sketching with the thin end too.

You can print out and eat my art if you like. Just please don't mass produce or re-sell. <3

Thanks! I've come to accept that my art is always gonna be sort of gestural and painty naturally. It's getting it to tighten up enough to be legible that's hard lol...

uh yeah lol I agree actually. I think yolei is great.

I assume these asks are related? LOL

1) Yeah totally true. I love David.

2) I don’t take requests, sorry! But if you want to commission me to draw Legion i would be MORE than happy to. Just e-mail me at isellhotdogs@gmail.com.

<33333333333333333333333333

[moxfirefly]

Ive come back from the depths of hell to request smut for the rest of the boys >:p

I welcome you with open arms my friend. I hope these are to your liking.

Mikey

• This lad is possibly the most open minded of them all

• a ‘don’t knock it till you try it’ mindset

• He’s also a pleaser. Your pleasure is 1st, his pleasure comes from getting you off basically

• I’ll be sued if I don’t state the obvious: Boobs, tatas, titties, badonkers, hakuna de tatas. You get it, he’s all about the fun bags.

• which means: boob jobs 😬

• let him slide himself between them

• let him cum all over them

• motorboating is a de-stresser honestly you gotta get used to him having a whole ass conversation with you while face first in them

• hi role playing

• I will definitely get sued if I don’t state: King of Oral™️

• honestly it makes sense

• he once almost passed out trying to beat a personal record when it came to going down on you

• honestly he’d happily die like that let’s be real

• he loves over stimulating

• return the favor he lowkey loves being overstimulated

• do you want a make out session that’ll leave you a complete and utter MESS?

• This is your MAN. Mikey really loves making out, it’s the one time he shuts up and just the intimacy of kissing makes his insides all gooey

Leonardo

• welcome to Dom nation

• I wanna say daddy kink....

• ima say daddy kink 😬😬

• hi rope play

• hi orgasm denial

• but honestly he’s a soft boi on the regular. He’s all about that good ol love making. All passionate, slow and sensual

• but if you ask him to wreck you

• he gonna wreck your shit

• I mean once Dom mode is activated. Consent is said. Boundries set. It’s on bitch.

• tortourously slow

• deep short hits

• either way he’s rolling your eyes into the back of your head

• say his name

• say his full name bruh, and if you stutter halfway through or it mixes into a moan, absolutely GUTS HIM

• fucks you with his eyes from across a crowded room

• mouths ‘behave’ if you get frisky with him near his brothers

• pls don’t behave you will be rewarded in the most punishing way

• hi edging kink

• he will gag you with his mask, he will tie you up with his mask

• wear blue I dare ya

• you ain’t making it out alive from the bed

• don’t worry after care GALORE, he’s all about praises and holding you and asking you

• body worship, here’s the kicker, worship his body. He’s lowkey pretty proud of his physique. Run your hands all over him, map out the scars, admiring it all, Marcel it my dude he’s gonna eat that shit up something fierce

• will try more bdsm stuff cause he enjoys the discipline it brings as well as the sexual factor of it.

Donatello

• strap in my guys you’ve just acquired shy in the streets freak in the sheets

• apprehensive before he’s sure sure, like he’s gotta know he’s in the right lane, give him the green light and he’s gonna put to practice EVERYTHING he’s read or watched

• which go figure: he watches a ton of porn. The lad has had access to the World Wide Web for a while. Huge percentage of the time it’s to learn but he’ll never admit he’s loves to beat off every chance he gets, it’s a destresser

• hi edging kink (edge him 😬)

• hi switch (my boy will be your best sub and or dom)

• THIGHS THIGHS THIGHS he loves them he’s obsessed, big or skinny muscle or twig. Boy just loves a good piece of thigh

• which also warrants: PLEASE TOUCH HIS THIGHS IF YOU WANNA SEE 6 feet and 8 inches of turtle man become GOO

• bite his thighs, kiss then, scratch them, grab a hold of them, give them a good slap. Please you will not regret this.

• THIGH HIGHS, you will make brain empty no thought

• crush his head, please he’ll thank you

• COMPLIMENT THIS LAD I BEG YOU

• Gas him the fuck up, not just by stating how smart he is, go for the insecurities. GAS THAT SHIT UP. He’s gonna think about it for a week straight, he’s gonna be in the shower literally wasting hot water like “my arms?? He/she/they love my arms??!!”

• Donnie will literally be mid bang absolutely mesmerized by watching himself go in and out and in his crazed sex hazed mind he’s gonna say how he fucking loves watching how you take him in, how tightly you suffucote cock

• say his name, say it completely, say it and then beg him, omg he’ll have to reverse engineer some experiment in order to but bust a nut right then and there

• the computer chair™️

• wrap your arms around his neck while he’s sitting, press your lips to the back of his head. Let your hand slide down his neck and caress his chest. HEAD EMPTY MY BOY IS GONE.

• the garbage truck™️

• he loves doing the deed in his terrotory so to speak. Any spot he’s claimed his own, any invention like the truck. His bed? Oh gosh, make sure you make a mess perv likes smelling you on his sheets

• really loves getting a hand job especially if he’s busy doing something, he wants to try and multi task

• ride him, he turns into such a bottom when you do

• honestly he’s my fave I could go on forever

[wayward-dreamer]

Strength To Let It Show

Pairing: Dean x Female!Reader

Word Count: 3,758

Warnings: Angst. Swearing, some sexual talk/thoughts about the other person, drinking, unrequited feelings, denial of feelings. (I think that’s it!)

Summary: Y/N and Charlie have a girls’ night in, where Y/N gets drunk and can’t stop complimenting Dean. On their brothers’ night out to the bar, Dean gets drunk and can’t stop complimenting Y/N. They’ve never acknowledged their feelings to each other, and Charlie and Sam are sick of it. They devise a plan, giving them enough time for feelings to be revealed. But will Dean and Y/N take the opportunity to tell each other how they feel? Based on this anonymous request: “Dean and reader get drunk, all they do is complement each other but when they’re sober, they deny their obvious feelings.”

Story title comes from “Can’t Fight This Feeling” by REO Speedwagon!

A/N: I had a lot of fun writing this, I enjoy writing a little angst every now and then. Hope you guys enjoy it; please let me know what you think! :)

It wasn’t often that Y/N got to spend some quality girl time with someone. So, when Charlie called, she invited her over to have a girls’ night in a couple of days, while Sam and Dean went out to a bar. She missed Charlie and it would be great to catch up with her.

Dean walked into the kitchen, as he shrugged his jacket on. Y/N stood at the kitchen table and collected ingredients for the margarita’s she planned on making for her and Charlie.

“You sure you don’t wanna come with me and Sammy?” he asked, as he eyed what she was doing.

Y/N smiled, shaking her head. “Positive. Charlie’s going to be here soon with the food, so say your ‘hi’s’ and then out. Okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. Okay. Jeez, so eager to get rid of me. Should’ve known you wanted alone time with Charlie for a reason” he teased.

“Dean!” she squealed, as she reached over and smacked his arm.

Dean grinned as he shook his head. “Just kidding, sweetheart. I know you’ve got a big ol’ crush on me.”

“In your dreams, Winchester” she groaned.

She had no idea how right she was about that. Before Dean could respond, they heard the heavy Bunker door open, squeaking loudly.

“Hola bitches!” they heard Charlie call out.

Dean walked out of the kitchen to go meet Charlie. Y/N didn’t follow behind him straight away, as she thought about what he said. He may have only been teasing her, but he was right. She did have a crush on him. More than a crush; she was in love with him and had been since they first met. She just never mustered up the courage to tell him.

They met on a werewolf case, one that Y/N had been handling alone. She had killed it but not before the son of a bitch had scratched her upper arm, deep. The boys found her and insisted on bringing her back to their motel room to patch her up. One look at Dean’s green eyes and she was done for. As he patched her up, he was gentle, caring, and told her stupid jokes to distract her from the pain.

She hunted alone a couple more times after that, but the boys eventually convinced her to join them. That was now 5 years ago. In that time, she and Sam had become close, like brother and sister. She and Dean had become close too, and while she did consider him her best friend, Dean was a lot more, too.

She loved him, but she couldn’t tell him. It was never going to happen, so why should she embarrass herself by telling him the truth?

Y/N walked out of the kitchen, down the hall and into the war room. Sam and Dean were talking to Charlie. There were bags of take-out on the map table. Charlie noticed her come in and beamed.

“Hey!” she exclaimed as she hugged Y/N tightly.

Y/N grinned as she let go. “How was the drive?”

“Shockingly, not tiring. I think I’m finally getting used to driving all the way out here” Charlie replied, starting to take the boxes out of the bags.

“Glad to hear it” Y/N smiled.

“Alright, we got… nachos, tacos and quesadillas” Charlie said, pointing to the boxes.

Y/N hummed as she smelled everything; she couldn’t wait to dig in.

“Alright, we’re gonna get out of here. Leave you two to swap stories, braid each other’s hair” Dean said, checking his wallet and phone.

“Have fun” Y/N said, simply. She looked at Sam, with a pointed look. “That means you too.”

Sam shook his head, a small smile on his face. “I will, don’t worry.”

“Make good decisions!” Charlie called out as the boys walked up the stairs.

“Always!” Sam called back.

Y/N watched as Dean walked through the doorway. The door closed behind them and Y/N turned to Charlie. Charlie smiled as she watched Y/N looking at Dean. She was so obvious.

“Alright, you take a load off, put your stuff away. I’ll finish making the margarita’s and then we can eat” she said, as she picked up the boxes.

“And after the food, you’re going to tell me everything I know you’re hiding from me” Charlie said, knowingly.

Y/N frowned. “What?”

“Don’t even try to deny how you feel, Y/N. I want all the details” Charlie replied, as she picked up her duffle and walked out of the room.

“Great” Y/N mumbled, shaking her head.

She was going to need more than one pitcher of margaritas.

-x-

Dean and Sam walked into their usual haunt, the bar filled with locals and some college kids. Dean took one look at them and scoffed; maybe he could hustle the Abercrombie wannabes later. Right now, he needed a drink. He walked up to the bar where Donny was working.

“Hey guys. Usual?” Donny asked, wiping down the bar.

Dean shook his head, as he sat down on a bar stool. Beer wasn’t going to cut it tonight. “Whiskey first.”

“Jeez, Dean. Starting with whiskey… something’s up” Donny said, picking up the whiskey and pouring a double.

“Something’s always up, Donny” Dean mumbled, as he picked up the whiskey.

Donny poured Sam a double too and slid it over to him.

The boys clinked their glasses together, but Sam watched on as Dean downed it like a shot. He tapped the glass, signalling to Donny for another. He supposed his brother was starting early.

“What’s the plan, Dean? Get drunk before you start flirting?” Sam laughed, taking a sip. Dean usually paced himself through the night in order to be on his game to flirt, so this was unusual. Even for him.

Dean downed another double. “Nope, no flirting tonight, Sammy. Just… forget it.”

“Dean” Donny said, getting his attention. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d said this is about a woman.”

Dean rolled his eyes. Damn bartenders and their so-called therapy. He looked at Sam, who was smiling into his glass.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this is about Y/N” Sam smiled, knowingly.

Dean nearly choked on his drink. He coughed a few times, the whiskey burning his throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, sure” Sam scoffed. “Dean, come on, man. It’s been 5 years of you being crazy about her, ignoring it with alcohol and hook-ups. You don’t think I can see it?” Sam asked, turning on his stool to face Dean.

Dean shook his head. “Shut up, Sam.”

“Gotta say, I agree with Sam on this one, Dean. You guys have been coming in here for 5 years, and every time she’s here with you, you just strategically tell the guys she’s flirting with to fuck off” Donny chimed in.

“You’re both insane” Dean mumbled. “I’m gonna go hustle.”

Dean got up from the bar and picked up his drink. He walked over to the pool table, ready for a distraction. Booze and pool. It would have to do. It would have to be distracting enough to stop thinking about Y/N. That being said, it was a hard task because she was always on his mind. As much as he tried to deny it, he had been crazy about her since the night they met.

-x-

Y/N polished off the last bite of her quesadilla and sat back. She swirled the margarita around, and tipped her head back, drinking it down. Charlie sat in the same position across from her. They had dinner in the library, spreading the food out across the table.

“That was amazing” Y/N smiled. “Thanks, Charlie.”

Charlie nodded with a content smile on her face. “No problem. Man, I’m stuffed!”

“Me too” Y/N muttered. “But I think we can handle a few more marg’s right?”

Charlie laughed. “Definitely.”

Y/N got up and took the pitcher with her, walking out of the library. Charlie followed her into the kitchen and watched as she started putting stuff in the blender.

“So… I wanna ask you something” Charlie said, as she leaned against the doorway.

Y/N looked at her and smiled. “Shoot.” She poured tequila into the blender.

“How long have you been crushing on Dean?” Charlie asked, without missing a beat.

Y/N turned around, a look of shock and confusion on her face. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Oh, come on, Y/N. I saw you checking him out as he was leaving. I don’t blame you, the man is gorgeous, even I can see that” Charlie replied, stepping down into the kitchen.

“Charlie…” Y/N shook her head, not knowing what to say.

Y/N turned back to the blender, putting in some more tequila. She needed it if she was going to deal with more questions about Dean.

2 hours later…

Dean was well and truly drunk, which was a hard feat these days. He was sitting at the bar again, having won a couple of games of pool already. The room had emptied slightly, just a few locals left. Dean stared blankly, his eyes not focusing on anything with a smirk on his face.

“S-She’s s-so fucking beautiful” he slurred, thinking about her. “I love her laugh. She’s hilarious, and s-smart, I mean, s-smarter than me for sure but she’s way smarter than you, too.”

Sam nodded. “Yeah, she is.”

“And she always smells so good” Dean smiled. “Like fruit. Sometimes apples, but most of the time it’s straw… strawberries.”

Sam and Donny looked at each other, trying not to laugh.

“Man, the things I would do if she gave me a chance” Dean snorted, closing his eyes. “Her ass… I hate it when she goes, but I love to watch her leave.”

Dean slammed his hand down on the bar and chuckled to himself.

“Dean” Sam tried to get his brother’s attention, but Dean wasn’t listening.

“She could do whatever she wanted to me, I wouldn’t care what” Dean smirked, taking another gulp of his drink.

“Okay, I think that’s our cue to leave” Sam huffed a laugh, trying to grab onto Dean’s jacket. Dean swung away from him, frowning. “And… she’s just so nice, right? She never says… bad things about anyone. She’s so awesome. She loves everyone and just wants to help ‘em.”

Dean went to pick up the bottle of whiskey, but Donny swiped it before he could reach it. “You’re officially cut off, man. Should’ve done it a while ago.”

Sam took out some money and handed it over to Donny. It wasn’t enough to cover Dean’s pity party, but Donny knew they’d settle it later.

“I’m-I’m fine” Dean hiccupped.

“Dean, come on” Sam huffed, trying to shift Dean off the bar stool.

“She’s amazing… and I don’t deserve her” Dean sighed, looking down at his empty glass.

“Yeah, okay. We’re really going now” Sam said, practically pushing Dean off the stool. He grabbed his arm and hooked it over his neck, leaning Dean’s weight on himself.

“See you around, Donny” Sam said, staggering away with Dean on him.

“Drive safe, guys” Donny called out.

Sam struggled with Dean as they walked out of the bar and towards the Impala. Dean was swaying, and Sam was trying his hardest not to drop him. They got to the car and Sam leaned Dean against the side, making sure he didn’t fall. He reached into Dean’s pockets, trying to find the keys.

“Don’t you think Y/N’s hair is really shiny? I think it’s really shiny” Dean remarked, as he played with the zip on his jacket. “And it looks really good when it’s down.”

“Sure” Sam agreed, without really listening. He tried Dean’s jeans pocket.

“Sometimes though, She puts it up and she looks like a naughty librarian” Dean smirked. “Makes me wanna bend her over one of the library tables-”

Sam got the keys and quickly opened the car. “Whoa, okay. Sit down.”

He helped Dean into the passenger seat, before going to the driver’s side. As he started the car, he looked over at Dean, who had fallen asleep. He laughed a little to himself, before he pulled out of the parking lot.

-x-

Back at the bunker, the girls had moved to Y/N’s room. She was leaning back against the headboard, a glass in her hand with no salt around the rim. She gave up on salt half an hour ago. Charlie was lying on the end of the bed, propped up on her elbow.

“His arms are so strong. His lips should be a sin” she sighed, dreaming of the hunter she was in love with. “I bet he’s really good with them.”

“They are pretty great” Charlie had to agree. She may have been attracted to women, but she had to admit Dean was good looking.

“His face is just made for sitting on” Y/N smiled and started laughing.

“Wow” Charlie laughed as she looked at Y/N. “You’re so drunk.”

Y/N ignored that, as she stared at the wall. “And his heart… he just cares about everyone so much. He’s the most selfless person I know.”

Charlie nodded and lightly tapped Y/N’s legs in front of her. Y/N looked over at Charlie.

“You should tell him that” Charlie suggested.

Y/N tipped her head back, trying to catch the last drops of margarita in her mouth. She frowned when there was nothing left.

“He smells so good, too” Y/N smiled. “Like leather and… something just so… so Dean.”

“You’re not listening to anything I’m saying, are you?” Charlie asked.

Y/N giggled. “Nope.”

She laid her head back against the wall, as the alcohol started to make her sleepy.

Y/N frowned as she shook her head. “I can’t tell him, Charlie. What… what would he want with me? He can have any girl he wants. He already has. I’m nothing compared to those girls.”

Charlie took a deep breath as she watched Y/N’s face morph into sadness. “Y/N… you’re way better than those girls.”

Y/N closed her eyes, feeling overwhelmed by what she was feeling.

“Alright, you better sleep it off” Charlie said, getting up from bed.

“No!” Y/N yelled and reached for the pitcher, but Charlie took it before she could get to it.

“You’re done, Y/N” Charlie playfully scolded.

She took the glass out of Y/N’s hand and handed her the large one with water in it. “Drink that, it’ll help with the hangover in the morning.”

Y/N gulped the water down and put the glass on the bedside table next to her. She slipped down on the bed, and kicked her feet up, pulling the sheet up to cover herself. Charlie walked to the door and turned to say goodnight, but Y/N was already fast asleep. She smiled and turned off the light in the room, shutting the door and walking down the hallway. She heard footsteps coming from the other end, before she saw Sam carrying a very drunk Dean. They walked into Dean’s room and Sam carefully let him down on the bed. Charlie walked in without a word and took Dean’s shoes off, as Sam covered him. Dean snored softly as he turned onto his stomach and snuggled into the pillow.

Sam and Charlie walked out of Dean’s room after shutting the door and walked down to the kitchen. Charlie put the food into the fridge as Sam grabbed himself some water.

“How was your night?” she asked.

Sam scoffed a laugh. “I think my drunk brother is the answer. How about you?”

Charlie nodded. “Well, pretty much the same. Though, I finally got her to admit her massive crush on Dean.”

“Yeah, there was a quite confession at the bar on his part, too” Sam said, sitting down at the table.

Charlie shook her head as she crossed her arms, leaning against the counter. “I don’t get those two. I think it’s time we intervene.”

Sam nodded, thinking it over. “Maybe we head out for the day tomorrow. Give them enough time to be alone around each other; see if that works.”

“Yeah. They may even get something else out of their system” Charlie smiled.

Sam cringed. He didn’t need to think about that. “Sounds like a plan.”

He walked over to Charlie, offering his hand. She took it and they shook, firmly on it.

The next day saw Dean and Y/N incredibly hungover. She cursed the tequila and swore to never touch it again, and Dean wondered how he could even still get drunk enough to be hungover. Y/N got up before him at 11am, starting on the coffee. She had no appetite just yet and hoped the coffee would help. There was no sign of Charlie or Sam, so she enjoyed the quiet for a while. She rubbed her hands down her face, as she sat down at the table.

A few minutes later, Dean stumbled in, still in his shirt and jeans from last night. He was wearing his robe over the top and his hair was sticking up in different directions. Suffice to say, he looked adorable.

“You look like how I feel” he mumbled; his voice gravelly from sleep. He walked over to the coffee, after one glance at her.

She scoffed as she took a sip. “Trust me, you look just as bad as me.”

Dean sat down across from her, slurping his coffee.

“Any idea where the other two are?” she asked.

Dean nodded. “Sam sent a message; said they were going to Wichita to see some boring French movie.”

“Man. I wish I wasn’t so messed up right now, I could’ve gone with them” Y/N frowned.

Dean looked at her. He hoped she would be fine with just his company today. “Maybe we could have our own movie marathon.”

He may have been drunk last night but remembered what he said to Sam. Maybe he had to take this opportunity of an empty bunker to tell her how he felt.

She smiled, nodding. “Sounds good.”

After they had both recovered as well as they could, the hunger finally kicked in. Deciding to make sandwiches for lunch, they made their way to the kitchen to make them before they started their Indiana Jones marathon. Y/N took out all the necessary toppings, as they started constructing their lunch.

“I guess we’re sticking to soda today” she laughed.

“I guess so” Dean agreed.

“Hey, can you get the mustard out?” she asked, while he was standing at the fridge.

Dean took out the bottle and held it out for her. Without realising it, their fingers touched as she laid her hand over his.

“Sorry” he mumbled as he put the bottle on the counter.

“It’s okay” she smiled softly, as she went back to what she had been doing.

They ate their sandwiches through Raiders of the Lost Ark but got hungry again ten minutes into Temple of Doom. Y/N quickly made some popcorn and brought into the Dean cave in a big bowl. As they watched, they munched on the popcorn, engrossed in their mutual favourite franchise.

Dean looked over at Y/N, smiling as he saw how invested she was, despite having watched these movies so many times. He picked up a piece of popcorn, flicking it at her cheek. She looked over at him as he looked away, trying not to smirk. She shook her head and looked back at the screen. Dean did it again.

Y/N scoffed as she looked at him. “Cut it out, Winchester.”

“I didn’t do anything” Dean shrugged.

“Yeah, right” Y/N rolled her eyes. She picked up a handful of popcorn and threw it at him.

“Real mature, Y/L/N” he laughed. He flicked some up from the bowl at her, hitting her in the face.

“You’re so annoying!” she yelled. She picked up the bowl and moved it away, pouncing on him.

“Ah! Y/N! Get off!” she yelled in frustration as she started messing up his hair.

They started to playfully fight, Y/N trying to tug his hair as he tried to grab her hands and keep them away. He reached up and tickled her neck, causing her to scream and laugh uncontrollably. He grabbed her hands and held them against his chest.

“Dean, let go” she laughed, trying to free her hands.

“Never” he smirked.

She saw the twinkle in his eye, but there was something more behind it. His look did something to her, a tingle running through her body.

She stopped laughing as she looked down at him. With her Y/H/C flowing, she looked so beautiful to him. He saw something in her eyes, something that resembled what he was feeling. A deep desire; something he had kept buried until now. Maybe, just maybe��� he had a shot.

She had to stop this. Y/N knew that as much as she wanted to see what happened, she couldn’t. She couldn’t handle the rejection. Just as quickly as the desire in their eyes shone through, it was gone from hers. She pushed herself away from him, his hands falling away from hers. Dean felt his hope fizzle out.

“I’m still not feeling so great, I think the tequila’s still making me foggy” she laughed slightly, downplaying what just happened.

“Yeah, um…” Dean muttered, not knowing what to say.

“I think I’m going to go lie down” she said, trying not to let her sadness show.

Dean nodded. “Yeah, I’ll clean up here.”

“I’m sorry. I can help-” she started but he cut her off.

Dean got up from the couch, as far as he could from her. “Nope, I got it.”

Y/N flinched as he moved away. “Okay” she whispered.

With one last look at him, Y/N walked out of the room. She made it all the way to her room before she let the tears shed, that she had been holding back. She threw herself on her bed, muffling her sobs with her pillow. She knew this was how things would end up between them. Awkward with no chance of moving forward into something new and exciting. She never should’ve fallen in love with Dean.

Dean swept up the popcorn, cursing himself internally. He had read the signs wrong, clearly. She wasn’t interested. She never would be.

They both knew that denying their feelings, as they had already been doing for the last 5 years, was the only thing they could do to protect themselves. That’s what you had to do as a hunter.

Even when you wished for the strength to show your feelings, you had to bury them.

It was easier that way.

Tags: @flamencodiva @deanwanddamons @winchest09 @katehuntington​ @akshi8278​ @hobby27​ @michellethetvaddict

[ericsonclan]

The Sea’s Mesmerizing Trance

Summary: The Ericson pirates venture forth into an unknown cavern where the sound of singing turns everything into chaos.

Word Count: 4399

Read on AO3:

It was a beautiful day out at sea. The clouds were a pure, fluffy white and the sea’s water was a clear crystal blue. The birds above lazily cawed here and there as they searched for a nice snack to devour while the Ericson pirates enjoyed the peaceful afternoon. The sounds of a sparring match rang throughout the air.

Brody slid backwards with a confident grin as she dashed forward with her training sword. With a well placed step she shifted her weight and sent her weapon crashing down towards Mitch. Her love grinned and blocked the attack with ease. He spun around his wooden dagger with a smirk as he looked at his wife. “Just watch, I’m gonna win this match,” Mitch declared proudly.

“Oh?” Brody returned the expression. “Is this going to be like last time we sparred and you ripped your pants trying to do a badass move?” Her words made Mitch grow embarrassed and a frown appeared on his lips.

“Whatever, I’m gonna kick your ass this time,” The street rat ran forward and began to send a flurry of attacks at Brody. The auburn pirate had a sturdy defense though and continued to block the moves with ease. Brody would wait for the perfect opening. She had sparred with Mitch so many times over the years that she knew all of his tells. Brody parried and blocked some more moves. Mitch dashed around this way and that, slashing and spinning his blade around to get in the winning move.

After a while Mitch had grown cocky in his fighting and she suddenly spotted his opening. Dancing around his few quick dagger jabs, the auburn pirate lunged forward with a powerful attack. But as soon as she did so a smug smirk appeared on her husband’s lips. Mitch sidestepped the attack and quickly sent his blade slicing upwards, disarming his wife. Her sword flew up in the air and Brody fell onto the deck.

“Looks like I win this time, Brodes,” Mitch caught his love’s sword in his hand then pointed it at her. Brody let out an annoyed groan before an idea appeared in her mind. She was about to turn the tables on her love. Getting up, Brody cupped Mitch’s face and kissed him passionately, making him drop both of the training weapons.

Brody pulled back with a confident grin. “Are you sure I haven’t won?” The auburn pirate walked away and immediately became overwhelmed by her own romantic power move. Mitch stood there in a happy daze, still processing what had just happened. Brody continued to walk forward. She was sure to be quiet as she strolled by the hammock on the upper deck.

Ruby and Aasim were peacefully sleeping there. Ruby’s arms were wrapped around Aasim who had a soft smile on his face while he napped. His hand was intertwined with Ruby’s and the two continued to cuddle as the hammock rocked with the gentle waves that crashed against Ol’ Kickass. Ruby mumbled something and moved her head closer towards her husband who sleepily kissed her hand and fell back asleep.

“Come on, Marlon, please!” Willy begged as he held Garbage who was hissing rather insistently. “Play that new song that you picked up at the last town!”

“Yeah, please!” AJ looked up at the blond pirate with big eyes. Rosie whined too in agreement as Tenn gave her some pets. He was silent but Marlon could tell the teen also wanted to hear the song.

“Ooo, are you about to play the flute, Mar?” Sophie walked forward, her hands casually placed behind the back of her head. The swords on her sides clinked as she walked and the sun shone brightly on her thumb braces. Her warm smile made Marlon’s heart flutter and he glanced at the ground as he spun the flute in his right hand.

“Yeah, Willy, Tenn and AJ wanted me to play that new tune I picked up,”

Rosie barked at his answer.

“Oh, and Rosie too,”

The pitbull’s tail wagged at those words.

“I’d love to hear it too. I bet it's a great one to dance a jig to!”

“It is,” Marlon smiled up at his best friend then he looked over at the others. “Alright, I’ll do it.” The blond pirate’s words made the others cheer. Taking a deep breath, Marlon placed the flute up to his lips and began to play the tune. It was a happy, joyful tune that had a clear, playful edge to it.

Willy bounced up and down and began to dance right away with Tenn and AJ. Garbage bounced on his head, hissing loudly but not moving. Sophie laughed and clapped before Tenn pulled her into the dance. The redhead pirate’s smile grew as she locked arms with her brother and spun round. Her dancing caught Marlon’s eye and he felt his heart warm. Turning round he began to dance around Rosie who hopped this way and that, barking and panting happily. Omar walked by with some new ropes for one part of the rigging when AJ and Willy spotted him.

“Omar, dance with us!” Willy exclaimed and spun in a circle while hugging Garbage. The possum hissed somewhat happily as she looked up at the street rat.

“Maybe after chores,” Omar smiled at the pirates.

“New chore just got added,” Sophie grabbed his arm and pulled him into the jig circle. “Mandatory jig time!”

“Woooo!” AJ beamed and linked arms with Omar and started up the dance again. The group laughed and smiled as the waves rocked the ship, the force of which shifted the small planks of wood Prisha and Violet sat upon while on barnacle duty. The ropes creaked as Violet and Prisha held on for a moment due to the force of the wave.

“Shit, that was a big wave,” Violet took one of the barnacle scrapers and got back to work.

“Yes, it was unexpected,” Prisha began to work again. It took some navigating and angling to knock off the barnacles on the side of the ship with one hand but Prisha made it work. The couple continued to work in silence for a few moments before Prisha glanced over at her wife’s hand. A part of her felt frustrated that she couldn’t hold Violet’s hand and unbarnacle the ship at the same time. Violet glanced over at Prisha who felt slightly embarrassed by her stupid frustration and had returned to work.

“After we finish this chore you want to cuddle for a bit?” Violet’s words made a smile form on Prisha’s face. The blonde pirate didn’t have to look to know the answer.

“Yes, the barnacles aren’t bad today. We should be able to finish this in no time!” Prisha declared and returned to the task with new determination and vigor. Violet smiled softly and returned her focus back onto a stubborn barnacle that wouldn’t let go of the ship.

Ol’ Kickass moved a bit to the right as Clementine turned the wheel. A happy, peaceful smile was on her lips as she took in the salty air. Nothing felt more natural to her than guiding a pirate ship. She continued to gently move the wheel as the ship cut though the water and moved to the next unknown location that the Ericson pirates had in mind. Clementine’s gaze was focused on the sea when all of the sudden she felt arms wrap around her waist.

“Hugs are the best,” Louis whispered and kissed her cheek before he rested his head on top of hers. Clementine chuckled softly as her husband melted into the hug. The two lived in that moment and let the cool air blow around them. Clementine lifted up one of the captain’s hands and placed a soft kiss on it. Louis smiled and gave Clementine continuous kisses on the cheek.

“Louis,” Clementine smiled and giggled before her eyes caught sight of something that made her pause. There, a short distance away, were two large, jagged rock structures that spanned many miles. So much so that it would take forever to get around them. A small opening stood between them.

“I’ll get the others to drop anchor.” Louis gave his love one final kiss then walked away. “Alright everyone, let's prepare to drop anchor!” His loud voice caused his crew to look at him and woke up Ruby and Aasim. “Aasim, meet me in the cartography room in five minutes!” Louis instructed. The pirates all nodded and began to get to work. Willy, Tenn and Marlon worked to drop anchor while Sophie teamed up with with Brody and Mitch to close the sails.

“Someone should be in the crow's nest. We’re nearing Dead Eyes’ territory so we need sharp eyes!” Louis calmly spoke to his crew.

“I can be in the crow’s nest!” AJ immediately volunteered himself and ran forward towards the captain. Louis smiled and ruffled AJ’s afro.

“Alright, I’m counting on you, little man,”

AJ beamed at Louis’ words and he gave a firm nod before scampering off towards the rigging.

“Careful for the right corner of the rigging! It needed reworking,” Omar called out to the youngest pirate who gave a thumbs up and continued to climb up the rigging.

“Louis, I’m ready when you are,” Aasim poked his head out of the cartography room. The captain gave a nod and disappeared into that room. Aasim immediately pulled out the map of the area and flattened it onto the table. He moved a few items to make sure the map didn’t curl up. “I’m guessing you wanted to know whether or not there’s a way to get around that huge rock structure out there safely?” The cartographer looked up at the captain.

“That's right,” Louis sat down in a chair and stared at the map. His eyes studied it carefully and he soon noticed that the huge obstacle that stood before them now wasn’t on the map.

“You see it, don’t you? This map tells nothing of that area before us. But what it does show is that the area to the left and right of this structure are dangerous.” Aasim pointed at the map that was marked with different points to avoid. The entire area surrounding the rock structure was covered with warning marks. “We thought that we could cut through Dead Eye’s territory by going straight through the middle. This structure doesn’t change that. The only risk is that we don’t know what's inside.” Aasim looked at his captain who was deep in thought.

“Then we’ll prepare the cannons and make sure everyone is armed. That's all we can do. I don’t want to risk anyone’s life by scouting it out by rowboat first.”

Louis’ decision seemed sound and Aasim nodded and rolled up the map. “I’ll let Clem know the plan,”

“And I’ll let the crew know to prepare,” Louis stood up, his pirate coat swaying lightly with the abrupt movement. He strode out of the cartography room and started to share his plan with his crew. Prisha and Violet got back up onto the ship and started to gather the weapons while Mitch worked with Brody and Willy on setting up the cannons. Clementine was in a discussion with Aasim about the plan to sail through the opening of the rock structure.

After about a half hour of making sure they were all set the anchor was pulled up and the sails were set at half mast. Louis began to climb up to offer to switch look out duty while Clementine guided Ol’ Kickass towards the entrance. Her eyes wandered round and saw the lush green plants and trees that covered the large, jagged rocks. Fog covered the entrance to the area, curling around the ship as it slowly moved through the greenish water below. The clouds had turned a more ominous grey and the waves were picking up in intensity. Clementine could feel her stomach turn; she felt sick. Mitch, Willy and Brody stood by the first set of cannons while Violet and Tenn stood at the ready to switch the height of the sails at a moment’s notice. Sophie, Marlon and Aasim stood on the other side, their hands on the hilts on their swords as they stood at the ready by the other set of cannons.

The ship sliced through the eerie fog and revealed the inside of the hidden waters of the rock structure. Ships lay shattered all around them and the area was filled with jagged, sharp deadly rocks jutting out of the water. Prisha walked forward towards the very front of the ship. Her brown eyes scanned the area to the left. A huge ship stood there, completely wrecked as shattered wooden boards floated around lazily in the greenish water. Blood dripped from the defeated ship, splattering in the water where a few bones lay half submerged.

The sight sent a shiver down Prisha’s spine. She glanced over to see that Sophie was studying the other side of their surroundings. More ships stood in this massive graveyard of fallen souls. Crushed skulls lay on rocks and bobbed in the water. An odd sound began to emanate throughout the cavern. Tenn and Willy clutched their heads and began to wince in pain.

“Shit, Tenn, are you okay?” Violet placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at him with concern.

“Yeah, my head just started hurting,” His gaze wandered over to look at Willy who was trying to shake a headache of his own. Garbage scurried around him and hissed worriedly while Brody and Mitch asked the teen if there was anything they could do to help. The sound grew louder and turned into a much sweeter tune. It was a soft, mesmerizing song. It seemed as though it was sung with the intent to lull the listener into long, comforting peace.

Sophie searched around to try and find the source of the singing. “Mar, do you have any idea where the song could be coming from?” The redhead pirate glanced back at her friend who had a rather flirty expression on his lips. Marlon reached up his hand and brushed back his hair as his eyes looked directly at Sophie. The look made Sophie’s face heat up and her heartbeat quicken. Was Marlon really trying to hit on her right now? The blond pirate strode forward and Sophie backed away.

“Marlon, I-” She paused when she saw her friend walk past her. That made no sense. Who was he trying to flirt with? Everyone else on this ship was taken. Sophie’s gaze followed Marlon’s movement; he was heading right for the edge of the ship. Sophie jogged forward and looked over into the sea to see a girl with long, beautiful black hair and piercing green eyes. Her lips held a seductive smile as she hummed softly. She reached out a hand that had thin, nearly transparent webbing in between the fingers.

Marlon smiled flirtatiously and reached out his hand. The girl returned the smile then opened her mouth to reveal rows upon rows of sharp teeth. Slivers of bone and droplets of blood covered the deadly teeth. Marlon didn’t react at all to this though. Instead he stretched his arm out further towards her mouth. Sophie felt her heartbeat quicken - she had heard of this type of sea monster. They were in siren territory.

“Marlon, stop!” Sophie grabbed her friend’s ass and yanked him back. “We gotta cover your ears and-”

Suddenly the ship veered right and scraped against a medium sized rock. The ship rocked from the move and Sophie stumbled forward, nearly falling into the sea. She looked over to see Clementine staring off with a dazed, happy expression on her face. Her right arm was lazily resting over the wheel while her left arm propped up her face. Soon her expression turned more flirtatious and her eyes danced with confidence.

“Come with me and I’ll show you the wonders of the Seven Seas!” Clementine moved away from the ship’s wheel, causing it to spin. Ol’ Kickass veered strongly to the right and was sailing closer and closer to a massive, jagged boulder.

“Shit!” Sophie yelled then looked towards the pitbull. ” Rosie, hold onto Marlon for me!”

Rosie barked and ran forward. Her mouth clamped onto the seat of the blond’s pants. Marlon let out a pained yelp. Sophie ran forward to help Clementine when she noticed that others were becoming affected by the siren’s song. Tenn was trying to snap Violet out of her trance while Mitch was swaying around as Willy tried to talk to him.

“Sophie! Get Prisha!” Brody instructed as she stumbled forward to reach the ship’s wheel so that the ship didn’t crash and sustain irreparable damage. The redhead’s eyes looked around for her friend when she heard the older pirate’s voice.

“Your eyes are like sapphires of the sea. How I would love to become lost in them,” Prisha smiled and began to walk on the bowsprit of the ship. Her bare feet clutched onto the thin slab of wood that was above the figurehead. “Your voice heals my aching pirate soul and your smile is mesmerizing,” Prisha looked at a brunette siren that was in the water below her. The siren smiled, showing her sharp, unnerving teeth.

Sophie ran forward, her feet whacking on the boards of the deck as she desperately tried to reach Prisha. With a long jump she landed on the bowsprit and closed most of the distance between them. Prisha twirled her braid around with her finger and was about to leap into the sea when Sophie’s arms locked around her waist like a vice. With a grunt Sophie pulled Prisha back and the two fumbled around backwards before the redhead shifted her weight and they fell back onto the ship.

“Why did you do that! Why are you keeping me from my love!” Prisha glared up at Sophie.

“That isn’t your love! That’s just a siren! Your wife is on this ship, dumbass!” Sophie snapped at Prisha. Suddenly footsteps echoed on the stairs that lead to the lower decks. Ruby and Omar emerged and looked utterly lost as to what was happening. Ruby’s eyes caught sight of Clementine who was walking towards the side of the ship.

“I’ll be showing you the ultimate treasure,” Her peg leg clacked against the deck as she strode forward.

“Good Lord! Did Clem get bit by another love leech!” Ruby soon realized that wasn’t the case though as multiple people were acting like they were in a lovesick trance.

“That was real?” Sophie struggled to hold Prisha back as the older pirate continued to recite long monologues of love.

“You thought we were making that up?!” Ruby grunted as she pulled back Clementine who had almost successfully fallen into the siren infested water. “You believed us about Cthulu! We found you in a giant seashell!”

“Listen-” Sophie was about to continue when she saw what Mitch was doing. He was struggling to get his shirt off and after a few seconds had thrown it overboard.

“Come and get it, ladies!” He began to shimmy his chest and strolled forward until Willy tackled him.

“Mitch, stop, you're with Brody!” Willy scolded as Garbage hopped down and bit Mitch to try and snap him out of his trance. Brody watched in disbelief and quickly turned her attention back to steering the ship and guiding them out of this sirens den.

“We need to gather them up and restrict their movement,” Omar remained calm as he ran off to grab some rope. Ruby and Sophie shared a look and began to get to work.

“I’ll draw a map and follow it to your heart,” Aasim leaned against the edge of Ol’ Kickass, his eyes locked with a blonde siren’s as he undid his cravat. Ruby huffed. Storming forward she quickly lifted up her husband and moved him away from the edge. Ruby didn’t consider herself the jealous type but this was irking her.

“Guys, what's happening? Louis is acting weird!” AJ called out from the crow’s nest. Sophie, Brody and Sophie all glanced up just in time to see Louis holding onto a rope and placing his pirate hat on his heart.

“My love is out there in the sea! I hear her voice calling for me!” The captain tossed his hat aside and gripped the rope. With a mighty swing he swooped down toward a redheaded siren. “Your soul sings the same song as mine! My heart belongs to you!” Louis let go of the rope and outstretched his arms only to belly flop into the sea. His landing made a loud clapping sound and soon the sirens were swimming towards him.

“I’ll save him!” Willy sprinted forward and grabbed a rope with a hook on it before diving into the water to retrieve the captain. It was a risky move as sirens were swarming round the area. Willy saw their scaly long fish tails as he swam underwater to hook Louis’ pants with the rope. The lanky teen emerged back above water and flicked back his sopping wet hair.

“Tenn, AJ! Pull the rope!”

Tenn wanted to but he was worried about Violet who had a dorky expression on her lips as she wandered around. His worry about her finding the ship’s edge was soon proven faulty though when she ran right into the ship's mast and fell over.

“This is the first time I’ve ever been glad that Violet is blind,” Sophie commented as she worked with Rosie to hold back Marlon and Prisha.

“I’ve got the rope!” AJ climbed the rigging and moved to the right part of it heading towards where the hooked rope lay. Suddenly he felt the ropes holding him snap and he swung out towards the sea at an alarming rate. He had completely forgotten about Omar’s warning about the damaged rigging. AJ knew he had to be brave though; Louis’ life depended on it.

With a long jump he desperately reached out for the hooked rope. His hands slid down its length as he clutched on to it. Rope burn covered his hands as the tween pulled on the rope. The action made Louis get yanked up by his pants, safely away from the sirens.

Tenn ran over to help Willy out of the water while Violet ran into another one of the masts and fell over onto the deck, rolling along it. Tenn soon reached his friend and used a rowboat oar to whack away some sirens before grasping Willy’s hand and pulling him up.

“Round them up!” Omar called out as he ran forward with a rope. The crew nodded and started to herd all their friends who were in the trance. AJ worked along with Willy and Tenn to get Louis back onto the deck while Ruby and Sophie teamed up to gather the others. Sophie lifted up Violet who had run into yet another part of the ship while Ruby picked up Aasim and bustled over as she carried him.

“Brody, turn the wheel ninety degrees to the right!” Omar directed.

The auburn nodded at the pirate cook’s words and harshly spun around the wheel. Ol’ Kickass jerked wildly to the left causing Clementine, Mitch, Prisha and Marlon to fall backwards.

“We’ve got all of them!” Sophie turned and looked at Omar. Omar nodded and gave one end of the rope to Rosie.

“Help me out, girl,” Omar smiled at Rosie who barked and bit down on the rope. The pitbull ran around the crewmembers that were stuck in a love trance while Omar ran the opposite direction with the other side of the rope. The rope caught the pirates and jerked them back as it dug into their guts. Soon the seven were slammed against one of the big masts. Sophie and Willy worked together to tie the rope tightly while the others turned their attention back to helping Brody guide the ship to safety.

The auburn navigated the dangerous waters where sirens continued to sing. Their voices made the mesmerized pirates continue to call out to them, declaring love and demanding to be let go. Brody focused entirely on the task at hand when suddenly she felt a strong wind. She could use this to propel the ship forward.“Guys! Pull the sails up to full height!”

Omar and Ruby nodded and  pulled on the ropes, lifting them up to full mast. The wind caught  the sails and Ol’ Kickass began to cut through the water at a faster speed. The ship whacked against the sirens, crushing them under its mighty strength as it neared the exit point. Brody swore under her breath as she moved the wheel. She had to carefully dodge dozens of sharp rocks and any shipwrecks that stood in the way.

Moments later Ol’ Kickass burst out from the crevice and onto the open sea. They had made it through the sirens den; the song had stopped. After a few minutes the seven pirates that had been under the sirens’ bewitchment snapped out of it. All of them were confused at the joy on their friends’ faces and why they were tied up.

“Woooo!” Sophie crowed and picked up Tenn, spinning him around.

“We did it!” Willy high fived Brody who collapsed onto the ship’s wheel. Omar calmly undid the ropes as AJ and Ruby ran forward to check on the seven pirates. All of them were too stunned to talk except Mitch who was staring down at his chest.

“Where the fuck is my shirt?”

“It's a long story,” Sophie replied and laughed as Marlon was shocked by the hole in the back of his pants that Rosie had made.

“One that we can talk about over food,” Omar added.

“Just get ready for some embarrassing tales,” Brody smiled and let Tenn take a turn at the ship’s wheel.

“What does that mean?” Prisha asked with large eyes. The crew members that hadn’t been under the trance shared a playful smile which just made the others all speak up at once. Now that there was no danger the pirates returned to their regular ways and began to tease those who had been under the sirens’ spell. This dinner was surely going to be an unforgettable one.

[agrinsosardonic]

Wicked Little Thing

A/U: CloudxReno 

Also on: A03 and Fanfiction.net

Reno wasn’t like the other boys. 

He solidified that when he showed up at Cloud’s window in the early morning hours on the first day of his 18th summer. He had something to show him. Of the utmost importance. Cloud, with half opened blue eyes stared at the boy smirking in the window. The heat of the sun already suffocating despite just breaking through the dark clouds of night. Cloud’s skin felt like rubber. Sticky wet. Like something was crawling through the little blonde hairs on his arms. 

But still, he dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, and snuck out of the sleeping house to join the other boy. Reno didn’t say much, but it’s rare for him to use any words. Follow me. Died in the humid air right as it grazed Cloud’s ears. And Reno already walking towards the forest. Cloud thought about arguing. Or bitchin’, as Reno called it. But arguing with Reno was as useful as fist fighting a brick wall. The brick wall always wins. Cloud laments this fact, silently of course, as he steps through mud and sticks towards an undisclosed location. 

The trees like statues as they provide minimal relief from the ball of flame in the sky. 

The air smelled stale and wet.

Like the mold that grows in the boys home, where Reno lives. 

The stench that sticks to their clothes; a tell-tale sign of the abandoned.

But Cloud noted, the one time Reno allowed him close enough he could take in his smell, the other boy reminded him of flames. 

They come upon a clearing. And Cloud gagged when death crept into the air. 

Rotting eggs and sulfur.  Cloud pulled his shirt over his nose to filter the smell, though even his mother’s soap proved to be a pathetic barrier. Nothing really prepared Cloud for the stench of a floating dead body baking in the hot sun. At the edge of the swamp, half of the blue flesh bobbed in the water. It’s clothes tattered and torn; button down and no pants. Bloated beyond recognition. Veins like a road map twisting along milky skin. 

Cloud darts blue eyes towards Reno. The other boy stared at the body; his face like stone never acknowledging the pungent stench. 

“Gotta get used to dead bodies if ya gonna be in SOLDIER,” he said in a thick accent that Cloud could never place, but was one more thing that separated him from the other boys. Reno’s lips tugged into a smirk. 

Cloud tried breathing through his mouth; but it tasted like spoiled meat. And he knew if he threw up, Reno would never let him live it down. He swallowed the bile that burned in his throat. And didn’t say another word. 

The sounds of summer embraced the scene. The animals that lurk in the swamp send ripples of waves crashing to the surface as they feed. Birds squawk overhead. Breaking twigs in the distance. Mosquitoes and flies buzzed too close. The hum pierced Cloud’s ear drum as he tried to swat them away. 

The heat had them both sweating through white shirts. Reno pulled his over his head, revealing the lean muscles and faded bruises. Like dying fireworks in a peach skyline. And Cloud couldn’t help but gaze along his body. Taking inventory every line and freckle until tattooed to his brain. Reno cast his two pearls of lake colored eyes upon the other boy, curious like a fox.

“Comeon,” he drawled, “we’re pullin’ it out.”

“Uuh,” Cloud stuttered, dropping his shirt from his mouth, “What?”

Reno walked closer to the body- Cloud impressed that the other boy could handle the smell- and grabbed a swollen ankle. “I wanna burn it.”

“W-what?” Cloud repeated.

“Fuckin’ what,” Reno snaps, “I ain’t speakin’ a different language.”

Reno hated speaking at all. This was the most string of words he’s spoken in a while. Cloud liked the sound of his voice. Rough like coal. Bitter like whiskey he pretended he didn’t drink when the sun went down. Not like the other boys with their clean grammar and smooth inflections uttered through pearly white teeth. Not like Clouds, who flumbles through words like he’s running through boulders. Getting caught up. Tongue too big for his mouth. Swollen. 

Cloud huffed. And followed the order. The smell only grew impossible to handle. The smaller of the two boys coughing and hacking as he tried fruitlessly to shield his nose with his shirt again. Reno watched him the whole time with hooded eyes that darkened under the mess of red hair. Cloud tried to focus on the task. And not how Reno scanned his body. Resting on the bit of skin exposed from pulling up his shirt. 

Cloud hesitated. The flesh that held together the foot to ankle looked diseased. Black. Putrid. He didn’t want to touch it, not at all. The amount of bacteria eating away at the stinking flesh was enough to make Cloud sick. But he could still feel Reno’s burning gaze. And he doesn’t want to look like a coward in front of him. He wrapped his fingers around the skin- and it feels like wet, slimy, clay. He pulled and the flesh peeled away from worn bone. Slipped from his hands like thick water. 

He yelled and jumped back, tripping over a rock. 

Reno’s laugh sounded like razor blades. He’s pacing around the clearing, holding his stomach. And if Cloud had an ounce of courage, he might swing at him. 

“Fuck you!” He shouted instead. 

“Poor lil bird.” Reno regained his composure. His toothy smile revealed two sharp canines.

Cloud scrambled back to his feet. “You’re sick, man.”

The red-head shrugs, wiping his hands on dirty blue jeans. He pulls out his crumbled pack of smokes and places a cigarette between his thin lips. 

“Can I bum one?” Cloud asked. 

Reno ignited the match, the flame orange and yellow casts haunting shadows across his face. “No.”

“Why?” 

He took a drag, “Waste.”

Cloud knew what he meant. “I heard everyone smokes in SOLDIER. I got to learn right?”

“Who told ya that? Zack?” Reno scrunched his face like the name tasted like poison on his tongue. Cloud nodded and Reno just shook his head. “Zack has half a brain and it ain’t in his head.”

Cloud doesn’t respond. Eyes wilted to the dirt ground; a large centipede crawled over his shoe and he kicked it into the lake where it can be a gators snack. 

“You can’t burn the body, by the way,” he said. “It’s too wet. It won’t catch.”

Reno grimaced in response. Cloud admired the scowl on the other boy’s face. How it compliments the rest of his rough edges. He watched him take slow drags of his cigarette. How the black smoke slowly escaped his lips, obstructing his features except for those two eyes that glow against smoke. Like the stars in the midnight sky. 

Reno was a house fire. 

And maybe Cloud felt that way because the first time he saw him Mrs. Fost house was engulfed. Glowing orange embers fell from the sky like rain. Hissed and singed when they landed on the cobble stoned street. Everyone watched. Some helped. The good  ol’ boys, like Zack, rallied each other and grabbed water from the well to put out the fire. 

Cloud stood hypnotized by the dancing reds that ate at the flimsy wood, which scorched the air. And he thought it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen up to that point. He wanted to feel as powerful as a fire. Eat away at the things weaker than him. But Cloud wasn’t a house fire. Cloud was the wood structure collapsing like a dying star. 

He heard the striking of a match. Turned towards the sound. 

Saw a boy, with hair the color of blood, bringing fire to the cigarette between his lips. 

He looked like danger. Cut from metal. Sharp like the switchblade in his pocket. 

And then, like now under the muted morning light, in a swamp that reeks of death, Cloud can’t stop staring at the boy. Who appeared a year ago like a phantom under the flames of destruction. Cloud gravitated to him like he was the sun. And found only darkness. A red dwarf. Two minutes from midnight and ready for armageddon. And that’s all he knew.

Reno’s past a mystery but everyone tried predicting his future.

Boys like that end up in the gutter.

The mothers whispered. 

Filthy monsters. Wicked little things. All end up dead before eighteen.

Zack and the rest of the boys warned him much the same.

You hang out with trash you start to smell.

But Reno smelled like burning wood, nicotine, and pomegranates. 

Reno was fire and Cloud wanted to burn.

Thunder cracked. Cloud looked into the darkening sky. “It’s going to rain.”

“So?” Reno grabbed a long stick and stomped back towards the body. “Afraid of gettin’ wet?” He winks, “Little birds can’t fly in rain?” 

He plunged the stick into the bloated stomach of cadaver. Black ooze pushed out. Cloud swore he heard a wheeze before another boom of thunder. He flinched as Reno dug the wood deeper until it stood on its own. 

“Wh-why did you do that?”

Reno snapped his eyes at Cloud. And shrugged, again. Cloud pursed his lips looking for words. But found vacant expressions. Reno didn’t need to explain himself; he’s red hot anger. And everything he does is a result of that. 

“You gotta learn to stab shit if you wanna be a SOLDIER.” Reno said and revealed a switchblade from his back pocket. “Comeon.”

Cloud hesitated. “W..Why?”

“I just said why, fuck.” 

The sky opened and cold rain cooled the hot earth. The drops slammed against the bloated body; singing through the dense forest and murky swamp. Tap tap tap. Rapid like bullets. 

“I won’t be stabbing something that’s already dead, right?” Cloud shifted. 

Reno removed the dead cigarette from his mouth, flicking it into the swamp and approached Cloud. His feet sunk into the mud with every step; but as if blessed, he doesn’t stumble. And the blonde can’t seem to move, even though Reno’s giving him this look; like an alligator lurking below the surface of the swamp, ready to bite his head off. He stopped too close. Cloud could see the gentle rise and fall of his chest. The bones of his rib cage that peek through the skin. The small cuts. The large black and blues. From one too many fights with those good boys. 

To Cloud’s surprise, they’re the same height. Blue green meets slate blue eyes. Reno always gave off the impression of being impossibly larger than life. Cloud crushed under his gaze. But in the pouring rain, in the morning light, with the smell of rotting flesh and still water, they were equals. 

Reno grabbed Cloud’s wrist, with a sudden movement that it stole the blonde’s heartbeat, and placed the hilt of the blade in his wet palm. 

“Stab me.”

“What!?” Cloud didn’t stutter this time. He blurted the words from his mouth with a frantic tone. He tried to move back but Reno held him firm. Rooted to the ground. “No w-way!”

“Gotta learn.” Reno grinned something vile. He closed Cloud’s fingers around the worn wood, and pressed the sharpened knife against his own side. Guiding the other boy. His skin tickling the blade like a dar. “Right here.”

“Y-y-you’re fucki-in nuts, Re.”

“You think this my first time bein’ stabbed?”

“No, bu-t-” Cloud could only shake his head, “I ain’t stabbing you. No w-way.”

Reno frowned, bringing Cloud and his wrist and the blade to his neck. “How ‘bout here?”

“That’s w-worse!” Cloud panted. “You’ll die.”

“You can’t kill me, lil bird.” And Reno laughed. A devastated laugh that sounded more like the lightning that flashed overhead. Blinding Cloud for a moment. But only a moment. And he saw electricity in the redhead eyes. And felt his skin rise towards the cement sky. And he didn’t know if the shock was from the angry god above or the boy before him, yanking him closer. Stumbling over feet. His collision with Reno- skin to skin- proceeded the thunder. 

“Hm,” Reno purrs, and Cloud felt his breath against his lips. “Ya never gonna make SOLDIER.”

Cloud growled, “F-Fuck you, Reno.”

Reno squeezed Cloud’s wrist. Tight. Until he was forced to drop the knife. “Ya finally gettin mad, huh?” 

But Cloud stared into Reno’s eyes- too busy to get mad. Trying to focus on anything else besides Reno. Not his lips and how they were slightly opened and just slightly inviting. And that he smells of smoldering flame that eats at an entire forest. And his hand feels rough around his wrist. And Cloud’s aware of the lack of blood traveling to his fingers that they are going numb. 

Reno relaxed his grip. Moving his hand up Cloud’s, over the scars that littered his calloused fingers. Burns. “I like it when ya mad,” he whispered, “ya more interestin’.”

And he’s giving Cloud the same look he flashed him at Mrs. Fost’s house fire. When the smoke around his face cleared. And Cloud saw the dramatic curves of his face. His slanted auburn eyebrows that clashed against the red hues of his hair. Mesmerized by the way his eyes glowed- literally glowed- brighter than the fire that consumed the wood house over the old women’s feverish cries. And Cloud was, himself, engulfed by Reno’s gaze that he didn’t acknowledge how the strange boy traveled from Cloud’s face, down his chest, to his bandaged right hand that blistered underneath the cloth. 

Not until the red-head curled his lips into a wicked little smirk. 

Under the rain, the hot rain that stuck to his body like grime, Reno had the same look, Curiosity mixed with bloodlust. 

Or…

Just regular lust. 

And Cloud couldn’t stand another minute not knowing if Reno tasted like he smelled-

Pressed his lips against the red-heads, snaking his fingers into his wet hair to pull him closer. Impossibly close.

He expected a fist in his face, rocking him from this earth. Instead, Reno returns the kiss twice as forceful and with more practice. Wrapping his lean arms around Cloud’s small frame. Gliding his nails through the white fabric. 

Cloud opened his mouth so their tongues can meet,

And he tasted like tar. And electricity. And sulfur. 

They managed to get off the shirt that clung to Cloud’s body like suction cups. And they were back to skin and mess of limbs and lips. 

And teeth that bit on Cloud’s lip; and he moaned from his throat a sound that rushed through Reno’s body like a shockwave. Then fall to the floor. Cushioned by the mud. 

They tarnished their bodies in dirt and filth. Rough hands digging into flesh. And Cloud couldn’t keep track of how many times Reno’s name left his bruised lips through harsh breathes. 

And he didn’t stutter. 

He memorized that name. Branded it in his brain. 

The only word he knew. 

The red-head sat up, straddling Cloud’s hips under him. Pressing his hand firm on his chest to keep him on the ground. And blue-green eyes stare at Reno. Flushed with pleading desire. But he’s preoccupied with the scars on Cloud’s chest. 

And if Reno was faded fireworks during the sun set.

Cloud was the scorched woods during sun rise.  

Old burns splashed over his pale skin. Some still pink and angry. Other’s that blended into his flesh.  

And Reno smiled.

His first real smile. 

And Cloud thought he looked like the devil. 

He dropped down, their torsos meeting. Lips just barely touching. “I knew it,” he whispers. 

And he figured it out the night they first met. That Cloud was a match that needed a spark. 

Their lips met again. Clothes torn off.

The rain and mud made their bodies slick. And Cloud dug his nails into Reno’s back while he hissed into the blonde's neck. Nipping and biting skin, adding crimson to muted colors. 

It was the tangled limbs- how Cloud didn’t know where he ended and Reno began- that had raw breathless gasps clawing at his throat. 

And they were gripped in euphoria that they forgot about the body decaying next to them. 

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

The rain stopped. The heat rose from the soil and the earth felt like an oven. Reno stood over the body; his jeans stained with mud and shirt over his shoulder. Cloud walked next to him, still trying to adjust his shorts, with his own shirt balled in his pocket- his mom will have a word with him when he gets home, for sure. But that would have to wait. Right now, he relished the tingles that touched every part of his body, while he watched the red-head. New scars painted his canvas. Long streaks of red that matched the ones on Cloud’s body. And the blonde felt the throb of the bite on his shoulder; and it burned like the fire that decorated his flesh. 

He didn’t even care that Reno had marked him-

Like the house fire, Reno was the most beautiful thing he had even seen in eighteen years on this dying planet. And Cloud wanted every bite, and burn, the red head could offer him. 

Reno grabbed his pack. Placed a cigarette in his mouth and lit it with his last match. 

He turned to Cloud, removed the stick and gently placed it between Cloud’s partial opened lips. The other boy blinked several times in confusion, as Reno replaced it with another one, and leaned into Cloud’s ember to light it. 

The sound of searing fire touched his ears.

His whole body twitched. 

Cloud smiled, couldn’t help it, and took a sharp inhale. Blowing the smoke right at Reno, who smirked. 

“Thought you said it would be a waste?” Cloud sing-songed.

“Heh, ya ain’t gettin’ into SOLDIER anymore. Don’t matter.”

“W-why do you say that?” Cloud cocked his head, and in mid-morning light, he looked like an innocent boy filled with naivety. 

But Reno knew better. “They don’t care for wicked little things like us.”

They shared a look under the heat of the sun that burned their skin. A look they shared against the warming flames. Where Cloud saw him for the first time and knew he needed to understand as much as he could about the mysterious boy who appeared from thin air. Who was filthy. Abandoned. A discarded trash.

But stunning. Like a god. 

He was right.

Reno wasn’t like the other boys.

And neither was Cloud. 

[lilmajorshawty]

📽Harsh aspects and signs as I’ve Experienced them in Others📽

📢📢📢📢This posts is being made as a counter measure to so many of the grim and bleak posts on harsh aspects in a natal chart especially romantic. Always remember your aspects do not define you, they’re merely a map that’s inviting you to look inside yourself and be the very best version of yourself you can be.

◼️Venus opposite Saturn: extremely patient, they have a very cute shyness about them and can be very modest. They have a black and white view on hardships and tend to go on about how nothing in life is a “given” but they tend to do this out of being protective rather then being assholes. They tend to turn into parents unknowingly when they really care about you and they’re immensely loyal. Being with them isn’t as horrible as it’s made out to be and as heavy as they can be they have a very loving and protective heart. Being with them means pulling them out of their shell from time to time and being a little goofy! Be dramatic! Be a kid! Help them forget about grouchy old Saturn for a sec. they just need to know that it’s okay to love, they just need to feel like there is a refuge just over the horizon. So be patient with them just as they are with you! And I think they’re very wonderful and very cozy men and women here :) and they’re sooo beautiful beyond what they even allow themselves to except.

🎶cigarettes after sex affection

💠Venus square Neptune: aha I’m men in can make them a mystery! They can be quiet and a bit perplexing. They can vanish from time to time but this isn’t a bad sign! Just means they like yah :) they need a lot of time to process things and I’ve noticed in a mans chart it makes him incredibly sensitive and he might feel ashamed of that part of him and may try to be 1000x more macho then he needs to be. But just try and be understanding they’re emotions blow over very quickly and they regret things the second they do it. They daydream quite a bit and women here can be very vixen like and have mesmerizing movements and personalities. Both men and women I’ve noticed with this aspect are very emotionally courageous! They just don’t know where to direct it. Being with them is so fun! Men here are big ol babies and they just want a hug! They don’t mind clingy partners and adore quiet moments but they can be very untrusting and can unfairly retaliate if they feel vulnerable. Once more just try and be calm-they feel things strongly-just make sure to be responsive and hold their hands when they get confused- the square here makes them fish out of water and the world around them easily confuses them but that being said there vulnerability is something out of this world. Women I’ve noticed with this aspect are goofy!! Super independent but longing in a way. They have this idea you know? Of something better-be it a person a place a situation? They just always have their mind on the next thing and being with her means serving as that foundation for her desires and helping her construct them into the physical world. They remind me of will Ferrell in a way sentimental and all over the place in a cute way.

🎶sza UR

🎴Mars square Pluto: they are very dominate, and the house Pluto is in says more about the “where” this dominance plays out at. But if you ask me they don’t really come across that way. They’re touch cookies and can have a mean way about showing that they’re into you aha like really harsh, but trust me them being mean is a good sign. They are very calm outwardly and don’t usually resort to power plays or bullying there partner into submission like this aspect is made out to do-I think as they grow older they just kind of ice you out and through you some attitude when they’re mad but other than that they’re so sweet not in a direct way but In an “actions” sort of way. It’ll take them awhile to vocalize there feelings for you and they may be better at showing you during the early stages but don’t worry! Saying it is hard for them! It’s laying there soul out on the table and that takes a lot out of them and it can feel like a life changing experience for them and just because they take longer than most to say it doesn’t mean they don’t feel it! Just give em Time. They speak through there actions for the most part and yes they do like sex but when they’re in love they hold off until it’s the right moment and because they genuinely want you to feel safe. Getting involved with them isn’t signing up for abuse-but it is intense and transformative and you will certainly come out of it or stay in it a more confident and blunt person. But none the less dating them is exciting and it’s very romantic and sort of dramatic you know aha.

🎶Tove lo the way that I am

🃏Venus square Uranus: now despite the hot and cold title they’ve been given I’d have to say from experience? They’re sooo fascinating. They have a very aloof yet deeply intense aura. It’s something you’d have to experience for yourself being with them but the push and pull isn’t so much as emotional as it is physical in a way? The too come hand in hand. On one hand they are immensely engaged and sometimes overwhelmingly so-there emotions come at you hard and fast yet after these big showings they retreat and often can stay gone unless they are reassured they didn’t spook you with their display. Obviously I’ve seen it with many different signs being involved be it water and air or earth and fire and so on but if there’s one constant it would be the depth and magnitude of their love. They don’t love in a usual way and can be quite nervous when they start feeling genuine feelings for you, they usually and always are thinking and practicing, planning and running through constant scenarios on how to be better and do better when it comes to “you” a lot of the time their disappearances are nothing more than them being embarrassed. They’re not lovers in the traditional sense and they’re very aware of that and it makes them feel odd being in love or having feelings for someone because they love the feeling but they also don’t understand it. They want more of it but simultaneously don’t know how to go about doing that. The thing about them is they’ll always disappear, they’ll always need moments of space and moments to collect and plan and Re engage! Be it life that pulls them away from you for a little while or be it them themselves(although not for long) they always will need to process and this is ok! It’s not a deal breaker and no the breakups aren’t incoming nor are they planned and a lot of the time it has nothing to do with you. They pull away out of uncertainty and not knowing how to convey their need to “collect” so if you like them or love them for that matter make sure you understand that it’s okay to be lovey and emotional with them! It’s okay to keep on their tail and it’s okay to let your guard down. Wether you plan or not they are always gonna be a little random and the key to having less disappearances from them is just making them feel understood and loved. Don’t try to change them and just communicate with them a lot! They learn so much from you without being told but still be supportive of them and encourage them to have friends and outside stuff from you! And no they don’t think you’re boring aha they just need to keep themselves properly dispensed but I promise they are very sensitive and remarkably compassionate and receptive lovers and people and their just a little kooky sometimes :)

🎶bonobo Kerala

♦️Venus in Scorpio: aha THEYRE SO CUTE! They have a tendency to come on strongly like in an emotional way rather than physical and can seem very standoffish romantically in the early stages because they’re “testing” so yes during this time which many don’t like and usually end up scrapping them for, they end up being stiff during this period. The thing is this is just a defense mechanism and no Scorpio Venus is inherently a monster who gets off on your suffering-they just want authenticity and someone who’s real and in their:to some seems over the top methods they weed out those who aren’t looking for something serious with them. They are honestly huge softies and have HUGE HEARTS. Many are very sacrificing and easily emotionally aroused when they’re in love. Being with a Scorpio Venus isn’t necessarily an easy task as a lot of them do have their own insecurities and walls in place to insure they’re own safety which can make them seem self invested and heartless in a way but you must remember this is just a mechanism and nothing more. I’ve learned that being with a Venus in Scorpio or any scorpio placement for that matter is just about being yourself. It isn’t about changing your ways or “being hard to get” it isn’t about mind games or being the one with the power—and it’s not at all about “proving your worth” aha being with them isn’t a job or a chore and I really wish they weren’t described this way :( but honestly just be yourself! If your loud and obnoxious and they pursue you? Obviously they like that in you so don’t change that! If your sensitive and over emotional like me? Aha be that. Scorpios are intense and want to see you laid bare so if you read to deeply into those Scorpio posts and that whole “how to pass the Scorpio test” mess you won’t really ever meet them on a real level plain field. Being with them is just being honest and being sure it’s what you wanna do.

🎶Kelela onanon

♣️Venus in Capricorn: they are actually soooo laid back! They aren’t like super serious or angry like everyone makes them out to be and I’ve seen them date young and old partners! I guess it’s more about being an old soul then it is about being old in looks. They are super easy going and have an immensely comfortable atmosphere! They are so earthy and remind me of the end of summer near fall. They do want something serious and can be very mature and heavy in their relationships but also in a paradoxical way they do better in relationships with people who are a little more lax and bubbly then they are! Not saying they can’t date someone equally as serious about intimacy but I’ve met so many of them who come out of there shell around people a little more out of their personality type. They make excellent friends and dating them or flirting with them for that matter is also fun In itself. Me being a Venus in Gemini I LOVE how awkwardly straightforward they are about romance and how many silent giggles and ignored sighs I’ve gotten from them. The low grins disguised as frowns and the red faces. They are so adorable and honestly have such warm and sensuous personalities. Being with them similarly to venus I’m scorpio is about having a sense of humor and not taking them or life to seriously. Yes they can be pragmatic and mature but often times it alludes the carefree spirit in them.

🎶Foals balloons

🀄️Venus in Gemini: ah my placement. Venus in Gemini get torn up on this site and off this site. It’s a recurring statement that we are absolutely incapable more so then any sign of monogamy and consistent feelings in a relationship. Single life am I right? Wrong. Venus in Gemini and many of the ones I’ve met are not as promiscuous as we are made out to be and I think people misunderstand the planet mercury and that’s ever so prevalent with the interpretations of Venus in Gemini. Often times Venus in Gemini are fairly celibate and for a long while-sure some enjoy the concept of a relationship but due to our highly mentally based love nature we are also aware of how demanding and emotionally elevated one must be to be with another. We look at romance from all angles and handle it cautiously. I may find someone attractive but I don’t see them as someone I intend to date for the sake of it and I certainty wouldn’t persist on sexual involvement especially considering how easily emotions and actions correlate. Venus in Gemini are if anything extremely mature in regards to emotions as scattered and turbulent as they are. Love isn’t just as easy as saying 4 letters and it’s not as easy as holding hands. Love demands a meeting of minds and a meeting of bodies. It’s a commitment to someone and it’s something that you must bare all too and Gemini venus know this is the gamble with love and many avoid relationships all together and even self sabotage but not out of a need for “variety” nor out of a need to “experiment” we are insecure-we are afraid because the child in us fears the idea of investing in someone just to have those feelings fade-to have our lovers lose interest or suddenly decide it’s not for them. For that reason Gemini venus inherently maintain a special distance especially when in love in the early stages as to make sure the love is heartfelt and genuine. To some we just don’t know what we want, but really we know all to well and mercury keeps us aware that things an change-people can change and the one thing that doesn’t change for a Gemini venus is “love” we’re picky and don’t open up easily and often times the charming and talkative demeanor is an act. Being with a Gemini venus is exciting! It’s vivacious and full of color-it’s childlike and absolutely endearing but we are complex and there are many walls that need to be pulled down before you see the child behind it all. Venus in Gemini are usually known by their trademark to always feel “iffy” about there relationships and tend to need reassurance that often they provide themselves but it’s nice to give it to them once and awhile! And despite contrary belief they do crave intimacy and love being in an emotionally expressive relationship.

🎶the neighbourhood IDK/24-7

There’s so many others I will talk about in the future but here’s some for starters.

[you-throw-like-a-gnoll]

This Fine bit of Free Real Estate you see before you is the land of Zeta.

This Map was brought to you by inkarnate.com One of the best Fantasy Map Makers thats completely free to use

 I left off some parts of the map such as the gnome village, the pyres, the aarakocra nest, the tower label. the hags label, lunar isle label, lake label, taverns, inns, brothels Its a creativity canvas for you all! If you are interested in some of the stuff I just mentioned, questions like, why is Isleview the most racially diverse? and why is Fort Tau named so? And what the hell happened to the city of eden?? Give me a comment and Ill tag you in the lore post when I post it x 

I made this big ol' bad boi myself, I thought I'd share it with any other DMs out there who might struggle with world creation and be quite good at characters, or cities, or plots, or whatever it is you shine at! We can't all be good at everything! Just give a little and enjoy yourself Anyway, Here's a little bit about Zeta!

TaDAH! You're looking at the very first map I ever drew of Zeta

Needless to say that it is ENTIRELY different (Thank god) You'll notice some things managed to make the final cut, codcatch for example (I just fell in love with the name, I have no idea why - its so bad) plus the towers (Yes, theyre supposed to be towers) around the City was kept in, but given to the Orc settlement this time

But thats enough about that! I hear you cry; "What use is a fucking map bruh?" "Dude, your map is lame, you better come up with something better"  "BRO, you suck, I need some Lore"

You-Throw-Like-a-Gnoll has got you covered! First things first! I've added some racial limitations to make this game a little more 'interesting' (Insert menacing laugh) To be honest, I just love going on a power trip <3 

Racial Limitations

No Half-Orc or Homebrew Orc-kin No Dwarves or Homebrew Dwarf-kin All other races allowed, Homebrew races must be given reasonable cause for arriving/existing Lunar island on west coast, woodlands, mountain and broken islands all available for said task 

Okay. okay, okay - I know Hill Dwarves are the shit. I know. But you gotta just let them go for this one campaign! My reasoning for this is pretty simple - They got fucking annihilated. Like off the face of Zeta. Orcs are disallowed as PCs because of more political reasons. They're bad, and they've always been bad. They've also never been encountered by any human alive today. This is because they live in The Maw, but more on that later 

Recommended starting locations 

This is pretty self explanatory, I mean, depending on what type of campaign to run, you're gonna wanna start somewhere different. 

Adventure: Codcatch, Isleview 

War : Fort Tau, Tryevale 

Mystery: Tryevale, Fort Tau, Illaris Temple 

Horror: Fort Tau, The Maw 

Interplanar: Isleview 

Intercontinental: Tryvale, Illaris Temple (I added intercontinental because hey, I know a lot of people might want to use this as a once-off before beginning their own world creation, I SUPPORT YOU SO MUCH! Steal this shit from me, send me a kiss and forget about me when you're done! I'm okay with this <3 If anything i've said so far has helped you build your campaign, you've made my day) 

Recommended Arcs This one could do with some more explaining on some parts so its gonna be (Dramatic Music intensifies) a TWO-PARTER! 

Recommended Arcs: 

Adventure: Island in the lake, Tower in the forest, Hag's Knife (northern most point) Illaris Temple, The pyres light one day War: The Maw is the most obvious,        --------SubWar - Invasion - Lunar Isle invasion, Dwarven  revival Mystery: Murder in the capitol, spies in the Fort, whats amiss in the temple Horror: Escape from the Maw, Return of the Duergar Interplanar: Save the island from the curse, Fend off the invasion Intercontinental: Set off on a journey to bring back a coveted magical item, what made the volcano stop 

Thats the short of it guys! I'm probably gonna make some more posts about the lore and other politics and stuff, I already have some very interesting lore about that lake done! A lot of open ended stuff also to help you along the way, but to give you full creative license! Which is what DnD is all about! Anyway, heres the Long version of the Recommended Arcs, hope you enjoyed reading 

Adventure- 

Island in the lake - Looks like the tracks are still there, but the land is gone... Tower in the forest - Someone spoke of a Wizard that grants 3 wishes  Hag's Knife - Does the Hagraven's blood hold the secret that you want to hear Illaris Temple - Anyone who has left the temple has taken an eternal vow of silence (The Pyres light) - This requires some more in-depth lore, Comment below if you'd like to be tagged in the Lore post!

War- The Maw - The Maw is ran by Orcs (inhabited by Hobgoblins and Co. See Volo's Guide to Monsters on advice on how Hobgoblins assemble in armies, very interesting read), no one has fought an orc and lived, few have even seen orcs - One day during training in Fort Tau - you see a hundred Lunar Isle invasion - One day, A magically echoing scream is heard from Lunar island, one of the portals on the island  opens up bigger than ever before Dwarven Revival - The Thumping of Dwarven Music can be heard in the distance, The Hobgoblins abandon their posts 

Mystery- Murder in the capitol - easy peasy squeezey lemons Spies in the for t- Easy squeezy lemon peasy Whats amiss in the temple - See adventure 

Horror- 

Escape from The Maw - You all end up in chains, hobgoblins and trolls taunt you with pebbles and hang food just out of your reach, one night, a Lawful cleric frees you all from your chains, what do? Return of the Duergar - See Dwarven Revival, but add +4 to spook Interplanar - Save the island from the curse - this doesn't fit into the lore so much, as it assumes the lunar island is cursed. but hey, Creativity is the name of the game! Fend off the invasion - See Lunar Isle invasion 

Intercontinental - This list isn’t even CLOSE to being complete, intercontinental could literally mean, lets get the fuck off this island and go do quests somewhere else! The Stopped Volcano - A long Haul, Late Game, Lore Heavy, Late Night, Lose your Mind, Load the gun and shoot yourself in the face because this story is so long but so interesting so i cant stop playyyinggggggggg story. But youre gonna need to wait for the lore post for this one ;) Love you all, If you made it this far, I applaud you, you're making me smile, 

Be nice to each other and never grow up 

[dreamingofjoon]

Mutual Understanding//04

Shin Hoseok/Wonho x Reader or Mark Tuan x Reader

Word Count: 3.1k

A/N: :):):):):):):)

Gif Credit

You didn’t want to do it. You didn’t think you could do it. You were planning on just keeping your mouth shut, never letting him know. Now you were being back into a corner. If you didn’t tell him, you could lose him. If you told him the truth, you could lose him. If you lied, you could lose him. Where was the right answer in this situation?! Oh yeah, there seemed to be none.

You hadn’t spoken to Mark all day. You didn’t even think about visiting the library. Okay, that was a lie. You did think about going but didn’t dare. It was awkward enough and you had to gather all of your strength and courage for what you were planning to do tonight. You spent most of the day contemplating on what you should say, moving from the bedroom, to the livingroom, to the kitchen, and kept repeating the cycle.

In the back of your mind, you were also having thoughts about Wonho. He was one of your only distractions during the day. He texted you, seeing as how you hadn’t come to class. He was such a sweetheart. Though, no matter how many times he asked, you couldn’t bring yourself to tell him why you were absent. You weren’t sure why but when he asked, you showed uncertainty and evaded the question. He offered to give advice but you weren’t sure you could get any useful advice on this topic. You ended your question-filled conversation soon enough, anxiousness running rampant. It was already seven p.m. and you knew that today was Mark’s day off.

It was about time your calm, confident demeanor came in check but your smart mouth was no where to be seen today. All of the thoughts left in your head were mostly ‘what ifs’ and insecurities. It’s still a wonder. Why was Mark so worked up about telling him what you thought about him? It was obvious that he was asking if you liked him or not but it still felt strange. The way he asked… why not outwardly? Mark was shy but he usually got his point across clearly. He said it… but not the way you would think he would. Why did he ask what you thought of him? Why did Wonho ask that?

Anyway, back to the task at hand. You weren’t sure you wanted to talk at your apartment so you went over to his. Your hand stood at attention, about to knock on the door when you hesitated. Was this really a good idea? Should you lie to him or not? How… did he feel? All of these questions swirling around your head and you clutched a fist to your chest, wondering if you should proceed or not. You took one step back out of nervousness. Or out of fear. When you took a step back, you were met a creaking of the door, frightening you. You were ready to run back into your apartment, back turned towards whoever was opening the door when you heard a voice say your name questioningly.

You turned around slowly, raising an awkward hand.

“Hey. Yeah. It’s little ol’ me.”

Of course, who else would be there but Mark with a questioning eyebrow raised. He looked… comfy. A grey beanie with a large hoodie and navy blue sweatpants. He was always quite the fashionista. No matter how good he looked clothing-wise though, you couldn’t help but see the fatigue in his eyes. His face wasn’t as bright and lively as it was before. It held a dull color which made him seem like a vampire. That or he hadn’t slept last night. He had slight dark circles that were definitely not there yesterday. His lips were pursed and his expression was confused but he seemed to have a look that still said ‘It’s time’.

“Mind if I come in?” you asked him, keeping your distance.

“Not at all.” he said ushering you into the apartment.

You already had an internal map of his apartment. You planned to make a beeline for the couch since last night. You were making your way to the couch but your plans seemed to have been interrupted by someone. Someone and someone else apparently. Wonho was on the couch. His back was turned to you and he was looking down at something but you knew it was him. When he turned to see who it was, he spotted you. You were planted in your spot, your plans interrupted. As you stay planted in the space between the front door and the living room, someone else chose to come out.  You were very surprised that it was one of the girls you had a confrontation with.

“Hey, Y/N.” Wonho said quietly.

Instead of saying anything, you raised your hand sheepishly in the form of a greeting. The girl just stared at you for a few seconds.

“Who is this?” she finally asked. It’s a wonder. Why did she sound so entitled? As if she had a right to know who you were when you were asking yourself the same thing.

“She’s Y/N.” you heard a voice say from behind you.

Mark came to stand next to you while the other girl stood in front of you with her arms crossed.

“And?” she demanded to know further.

“And she’s a good friend of mine.” Mark continued. The word “friend” seemed to be emphasized in his sentence. Although he was right about that, you couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness from hearing it.

“Yeah, a really good friend.” you said, trying to show a genuine smile when you knew you just couldn’t bring yourself to. You probably had a big, fake, smile on your face that bordered as a grimace. “And you would be?” you questioned.

“I’m Mark’s girlfriend.” she spit, seemingly still having a problem with you.

What. What? Let’s do a double take. Your eyes widened at the realization of what the snobby, entitled, infuriating girl in front of you just said. You turned to Mark but he looked down at the floor rather than facing you. You were honestly ready to cry. This was definitely not how you planned this in your head. This is not how you wanted this to go. Instead of crying however, you just pushed forward, trying to escape our current situation.

“Oh, nice to meet you.” you replied sheepishly. In another situation, maybe you would’ve wanted to shake her hand. Maybe you would’ve actually meant what you said. But this. This was not that situation. You were so ready to go off. It could’ve been on Mark, or his new “girlfriend”. He couldn’t have had her around for long. The question was why were you just hearing about her?

“Nice to meet you too.” she said grabbing at Mark’s arm and pulling him over to where she was standing. Why was she so possessive with him? She already had him anyway. Now that you processed this new information, all that was left was to leave with your dignity still intact.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you guys later?” you asked everyone.

“Why come if you were just going to leave?” the girl asked before you could even turn around.

Quick. You had to come up with an excuse. Why would you be out of your apartment? Aha!

“I was getting my mail and Mark invited me in.” That was the most plausible excuse you could come up with at the moment.

“Why did you invite her over babe?” she turned to look up at Mark.

Babe. Interesting choice of words. It was probably to taunt you but you were expecting that. You probably would be doing the same. If you were as insecure as she seemed to be.

“I was gonna talk to her.” he explained. “So that means you guys have to leave.”

Your eyes were probably popping out of your head now. You noticed that the girl’s eyes were doing the same. You couldn’t blame her though. You’d be surprised by his reply as well.

“And why do we have to leave?” she asked in a demanding tone.

“Because we’re talking about something important and personal.” he continued with a calm but firm tone.

Wonho got up from his seat and proceeded to put his hands on the girl’s shoulders, breaking her out of her silent fuming.

“We’ll see you later then hm?”

“Yeah. Make it home safe.” Mark said, giving a thankful look to Wonho.

The girl silently kept fuming all the way to the door but before she left, she just had look back and give you a glare. You found it amusing actually. If she already was his girlfriend, why act so insecure? So jealous? It was too late for you and you would’ve thought she would flaunt that fact ever so confidently in your face. You were relieved though, when she didn’t. When the girl and Wonho had finally left, Mark led you to the couch, seating you almost immediately after.

The silence that settled between you was tense and very uncomfortable. You just wanted to leave but apparently, Mark had something to talk to you about since you wouldn’t be saying anything any longer. The longer the silence dragged on, the more you were more confident in leaving. You weren’t planning to help him out this time. It was all about him. Although you had many questions to ask him but you wanted to hold those back until he said what he needed to.

Finally, Mark let out a huge sigh and looked over at you. You just looked straight ahead, not really wanting focus on anything else.

“Okay. That’s not really how I wanted this to go but I need you to listen and believe me.”

You turned to him, not sure if you wanted to believe anything he said at this point. You just wanted to go home, wrap yourself and take a long nap. He looked at you with meaningful eyes, showing a glint in them that made you really want to believe him.

“Yes, that was my girlfriend. We’ve been together for about a month but we didn’t really tell anyone except for Wonho because he set us up. I was pretty sad for a while because I…” he trailed off leaving you guessing for a few seconds.

“I started getting feelings for you.” he continued. Your heart melted at the words, glad you were able to hear them coming from him.

“I didn’t think you felt the same so I kind of sent Wonho on you.” You realized pretty quick what he meant by those words. That would explain why Wonho just started looking back at you one day. That would explain why he met you in your secret library spot. It explained so much about your meeting with Wonho but you still kept quiet.

“You know when Wonho asks you what you think of me? I asked him to ask you that. I was almost desperate to find out how you felt but I was too scared to ask until I had some kind of confirmation or sign from you. You always seemed to avoid the question though, so I stayed quiet for a while. Last week, I finally had the nerve to ask if you feel the same but still, you didn’t answer.” he seemed to be driving himself crazy with his rambling but you let him continue his lengthy explanation.

“Wonho saw how upset I was so he set me up with someone but it doesn’t really feel…right. Yeah, that’s the word. It feels like she has me around so that she can show me off if we made it official. But it doesn’t seem like she loves me.” he let himself think about what he just said and sighed again before continuing.

“It felt weird to talk to you after that especially because you didn’t come to school or try to text me so I left you alone. But when I saw you in the hallway, it seemed like I had some kind of chance so I’ll tell you like I should’ve done.” he said before taking a deep breath.

“Y/N, I really like you. I’ve liked you for a long time. Hell, I might love you. If you feel the same, I’d love for you to be my girlfriend.” he said carefully as if he rehearsed it multiple times in his head.

You sat there, further processing all the information you just heard. You were elated and dismayed at the same time. You stayed quiet for a good while longer before he sighed deeply and got up.

“I guess I got my answer, huh?” he laughed almost pathetically if not apologetically. “Can you please forget this? I don’t want anything weird between us.” he said just barely above a whisper.

Before he could say anything else, you spoke up, trying to get him to sit back down.

“No. Sorry. I’m just trying to process everything. Like, I’m really surprised. Before I answer you, I have a few questions.”

As soon as you said that, he sat back down, eager to hear what you had to ask.

“Why did you tell me this if you didn’t even break up with your girlfriend yet?” you asked, a bit angered. There were many things you could be called but you wouldn’t be called nor caught with a cheater. No matter how much you liked this dude, that thought would not leave your mind.

“I was planning on doing it tomorrow but she and Wonho came for a surprise visit today and said it was to cheer me up because I was moping so much.” he explained quickly. That would explain the bottles of beer on the coffee table in front of you. It was only eight o’clock but it seemed they were ready to drink away his sadness.

“And you didn’t think to do it before you asked me whether I liked you or not?”

“Honestly, I was planning on giving her more of a chance if you had said no. Then I wouldn’t have as many thoughts of you instead of her.” he confessed in a hushed voice.

“And you didn’t plan on ever telling me? Or anyone?” you further pressed.

“I was hoping no one would find out but when we took a picture together, it seemed like a few friends of hers found out. I really had to beg them to keep a secret for the time being.”

“And Wonho?” you asked after listening and understanding that miscommunication.

“What about Wonho?”

“Was my friendship with him fake? Because according to you, you ‘sent him to me’. you said, with quotations around the last four words.

“That’s not what I meant. He had actually been wanting to meet you for a while because I was always talking about you but this gave him a better opportunity. He actually considers you a good friend. He talks all about you too.”

There went that phrase again. Good friend. You didn’t have any reason to cringe at the phrase yet it still managed to make you do just that. You liked Mark and Wonho really was just a good friend. Wasn’t he? You shook your head, wanting to get away from those thoughts and focus on your current conversation again.

“So he’s for real?” you asked Mark.

“One hundred percent.” he answered.

“Okay, but why did you give him my secret library spot?” you asked, a bit annoyed that he went so far.

“Well, you see…” he started and rubbed his neck.

“That wasn’t just yours. He’s been doing whatever there too. Just when you weren’t really around.”

You sighed, believing him but there was a still a big topic left to talk about. The elephant in the room kept you planted in your seat. The rehearsed lines you kept saying over and over before you got here no longer held any value to you.

“Mark, if we’re being honest, I have feelings for you too. I have for a while but I didn’t think you felt the same so I kept quiet. Now that you’re telling me, you better believe I’m jumping out of my skin.”

As you were talking, a smile seemed to creep up on his face, showing that beautiful grin that ceased to amaze you.

“But, I’m not happy that you told me while you still had a girlfriend. In fact, you didn’t tell me you had a girlfriend at all! If you want me to be your girlfriend, you have to let her go. I know you wouldn’t cheat on anyone and you know that I don’t want to date someone who would cheat.”

Mark nodded in understanding and agreement, knowing that he could never do that to anyone nor expect you to do the same. He scooted closer to you and held your hand in his, looking down at your hands together.

“Y/N, you seriously made my night. Really. Thank you and I’m sorry it took me so long. Thank you so much for this chance.” he said while caressing your hand.

A lump formed in your throat. You so wanted to cry out of the sheer happiness this talk gave you. Instead of bawling your eyes out, you turned your head away from Mark, hoping he didn’t notice your tears.

“Y/N? Are you crying?” he asked cautiously.

“No, I’m not crying.” you said, wiping a few tears away with your free hand.

You kept your head turned, not wanting him to see that he had this kind of effect on you. You shifted uncomfortably, completely facing away from him and using both hands to dry stray tears on your face. Instead of saying something that could get him kicked, Mark opted to hug you from behind instead. He kissed your cheek, his lips almost feather-light and told you “For real. Thank you.” The statement only made you silently bawl further, glad with how this turned out. You may have felt just a bit bad for the girl he was going to dump tomorrow but she didn’t deserve the best either. No matter how bad you felt for her, you couldn’t help but think the same as Mark. It didn’t feel like she really loved him. He was more of an accessory.

You knew now why she seemed so cautious around you. She probably picked up on the true feelings of her future ex-boyfriend. Now wasn’t the time to think of that though. You were just glad to be sitting in Mark’s embrace with a feather-like impression still on your skin. It was a night and conversation that you were grateful for.

[ryttu3k]

The Champions’ Ballad - Daruk’s section!

Starting with Daruk’s part! The first location on the map is actually right next to Rudania itself, so I’m going to warp over and have a look. And yup, that sure is a suspicious ring of light! Going through them causes a shrine to emerge.

Sharo Lun Shrine - Blind Spots. Looks like the aim is to cling to the blocks in the right position so you don’t get barbequed by the flames as you go by? Yeah, that works. Cling to the right side, scramble around the back to the left side, then climb on top, and jump off where it’s safe. Next up is spikes. ...Ooh, that’s a nasty trick. A few Guardian scouts show up; you can’t shoot while clinging to the blocks and can’t stand on the blocks because spikes. Thankfully, when I got KOed, they were still there and I could snipe two from the starting position, and will just stay on the other side of the block for the third. Sniped it from the end position in case I have to do-over. Next up, a big flame shooter, and, thankfully, waterfalls! Use cryonis to climb up to the platform nearest the flames, then you can paraglide back on to the block once it’s past it. Then, ride the block to the next waterfall, and use more cryonis to climb the falls to the monk at the end!

No spirit orb this time - I got Rudania’s Emblem, instead! Collecting three emblems will lead to a new challenge. You got it, Ol’ Crispy.

Map is pinging me to go back to the monument, but going to investigate another spot first. Lake Darman... yeah, I think this is the Igneo Talus. Alrighty! ...oh. There’s a regular Igneo Talus, but that’s not actually anywhere near the marker. What IS there is... an Igneo Talus Titan.

Ooh, new Compendium slots. Three new enemies, one of which is the above, one new weapon (Big Smacky, I assume). Apparently it’s so huge and so hot it emits continuous updrafts. That’d make it easier to get on top, at least...

Okay, got 6 or 7 smacks in with a 42-dmg Stone Smasher, so let’s say 252 or 294 (not sure if the last one connected before it threw me off). Somewhere between a third and a half damage, so it probably has an HP of... 600-750 range? Oh thank god you don’t have to start from the beginning if you hit the lava, haha. And done! Wear fireproof armour, use something like a Stone Smasher, use the updrafts to get above it then drop on to its back and smash the shit out of it. Shrine time!

Kamia Omuna Shrine - Moving Targets. Aim is to use round bombs to shoot cannonballs at targets, while the cannon swings from side to side. First target is stationary, the second moves up and down. There’s also a chest with a diamond, just shoot in that direction then grab with magnesis. Second target gives you access to a new area, which... appears to be a hellish combination of timing your cannon and manipulating something with motion controls?! Yeesh. Okay, the third target, best configuration is just straight-out facing you. For the fourth one, the structure is actually in the way, but basically you need to wriggle it so you shoot it THROUGH the structure to hit it. And you’re done!

Onwards! The monument is actually on the way to the third and final challenge, so let’s stop by and check that Kass hasn’t turned into KFC! Yup, and no actual change except the orange signs above the ones I’ve done have turned blue. I’m gonna stick my travel gate here, then head off to the third challenge!

Yeah, easiest just to go to Eldin Tower and glide over. (For the other two, glide from Rudania!) Your destination is Darb Pond, where you’ll see three Gorons overlooking a shiny blue ring in the lava. Oh hey, it’s the guys from the endurance contest and Gut Check Challenge! Aim is to stand in that ring. Looking around with magnesis and stasis, there’s a metal box you can move with magnesis, and rocks, in the lava, that you can knock them with! What I did was roll one boulder as far as I could from the shore, then moved a few more to step on and move it into the ring. Moved back up and glided over, then dropped down to the rock. Done! (And then use Revali’s Gale to actually. Get out. Haha.)

Third shrine! Rinu Honika Shrine - Block the Blaze. First two lava jets are easy, just crouch and walk straight under it. For the third one, there’s a metal block - pull it free with magnesis, and the first jet in the third lot will drop away. For the remaining ones, hold the block with magnesis between you and the fire jets, basically sidestepping down the path. Fourth lot, use the second block. Put the first down under the flame jets, then position the second one so it’s balanced on top of the first and the wall, giving you a narrow path to duck through. Finally, there’s a motion-control one. Wriggle it so the bottom jets are blocked, then duck and walk under them to the monk!

Huh. Not going to the monument - I’m going to Rudania. (Note for later: you don’t need to revisit the monuments at all, so long as you note the locations on your map. No need for a travel gate.)

...Well then. Looks like it’s time for a rematch with Fireblight... with only a Boulder Breaker, Knight’s Bow with five ice arrows, basic Flamebreaker armour, and a seared steak, toasty ironshroom, and baked apple. I do still have all runes and Champion gifts. And there we have it! Smack the crap out of it whenever possible, use Daruk’s Protection as needed, use the bombs in the second stage! Didn’t even use the arrows!

Won’t give away what happens next, but I will give you the quote of the day: “Good riddance, bacon-breath!”

Next time - Revali! I’ll go to the monument, at least, and hear what my tasks are.

One, shoot the flame dragon’s horn. Okay, shoot Dinraal’s horn, easy. Map shows a specific spot in the canyon, wonder if that means I HAVE to be standing at that precise point? Two, race down a peak rings adorn. More ring stuff, I guess this time with shield surfing. Can’t actually work out the location. I foresee myself missing that one a lot, haha. And third, shoot four targets to win. Sounds straightforward enough! There’s a marker at the Flight Range, at any rate.

Next time!

[kingsmanxrp]

LOADING PROFILE…

MINABUCHI SEIKO WAS LAST SEEN IN SEOUL, SK.               CURRENT PROFESSION: JOURNALIST

THE FOLLOWING DETAILS ARE CLASSIFIED. PROCEED?

PERSONALITY

with those whom you share a mutual truthfulness, they will be inclined to see, hear, and acknowledge that you’re making an effort to unwind. it’s not so much the feeling of being cold, or stricken by the grief of others, but for the protection of your own privacy that allows you to live carefully as time is always a constant. you’re in no rush to define yourself in front of people, nor do you set yourself up to be in certain criterias that’ll make people comfortable around you. whatever goes, whatever happens and so forth. those who know you best will take your outgoingness with ease; toy around with many jokes and become unphased by your aggressiveness. you weren’t born to impress and create deceit for yourself in any essence of what your self-worth means to you. you pave your way through, diligently and unapologetically. you find peace while working and tending to mundane tasks in the background, and detests being shone in the limelight. at times of which you’re alone is when you work best, unbothered to the best of your abilities. although you are comfortable in your own company, sometimes that leads to messiness or procrastination.

you’re not particularly sure of what influences you to become reliable, or at least, search for means that’ll support your complications. you never sought out to be the person who does things based on spontaneity. you refuse to; you’re an honest and rational person that would rather take time to build practical expectations with goals. your ability to reason with reality is one of your most strongest traits, but it might become unfavorable to you if you allow yourself to become calculating and conservative. it doesn’t hurt to be a little secretive, once in awhile. just loosen up and see where fate’s passion should take you, rather than you attempt to control destiny itself.

your ability to have an appreciation for many things artistic has helped you look at the world in many perspectives, not just one. you realize that the same world, oftentimes, doesn’t deserve your openness in return for their harshness. having the capability to perceive beauty in many forms without merits, you may love people and things all too easily. with all your heart, you will find warmth in the most uncanny resemblances of something vile, merely deteriorating you with the vulnerability of emotion.

regardless, here you are, forbidding to other people how complex your values progress. when it isn’t an unjust state of mind that people condemn you to be lonely and secluded, but really, would like to be pleasant.

BIOGRAPHY

JAPANESE STUDENT SUBMITS HER ADMISSION ESSAY: SEE WHAT SHE HAS TO SAY IN AN ABUNDANCE OF OVER 1K WORDS.

all the other kids are writing about their profound experiences throughout their educational career, but who are we to stick to a single thesis? there’s two prompts: a thesis based on your educational gap statement, or you can turn in a paper about your personal life. think of it as your myspace profile but better. it took a considerable amount of time to settle for either prompt, since a good number of these starstruck hopefuls bullshit on their educational gap statement. we all know in university, you can only choose between two lifestyles out of the three you had in high school. your scholastic life, social life, and, perhaps, familial life if you still like your ‘rents. it’s cool though, nobody’s blaming you. sometimes we come running back to our parents in need of lunch money even at twenty years of age.

so, let’s roll this sucker out.

and that was just the brief monologue. the thoughtful writing has yet to be written.

in the best interests of whom may be reading this, the applicant’s name is minabuchi seiko. she’s a proud osaka gal (the people of tokyo despise her!), born in umeda to a predominant well-to-do household. to put in modest words, her family has had a long line of blood inheritance, old money folk. honestly, even she doesn’t know where the money comes from, but whether or not it was earned with fairness is a whole different story.

okay, so blatant storytelling in essays are kind of, or actually, pretty redundant and even speculates the fact that you have a low vocabulary repertoire. either that, or you really have been stolen of your literary imagination; some form of poverty stricken to the head, not with the wallet. let’s start over.

againー her name’s minabuchi seiko. she went to school all her life in osaka and decided that one day, she’s gonna let all her expectations from her parents define the rest of her livelihood. yeah, y’know, the typical story of a rich kid from an old money family even when you have no idea as to how the money rolls in. dad’s an old maybach lovin’ fellow with the fall/winter versace slacks, his holy grail go-to ready-to-wear pants. probably can’t even tell satin from silk! doesn’t look half as bad, if only he’d lose the beer belly from years of self intoxication poisoning. he managed to meet his old woman at some kind of gala back in the day, the 80s, an era where no country was saved from hairspray monstrosity. some say his great great grandfather was involved in the first world war as an agent, maybe as an ambitious trainee with little to no hand eye coordinationー which could probably be why he ended up shot in the head in great britain.

however, father was probably a no good, wealth lifting legacy. his hands were always perfect, never calloused. perfect hands don’t belong to somebody who has never worked in their lives.

how about we assume that seiko’s mom was a looker back then, yeah? even though she didn’t hail from a just as rich family, that didn’t matter. she was young, naive, a little feisty and that’s when dad knew that she was the one. and for whatever reason, we don’t know, nor do we really want to know; it’s not a prime aspect to shape the story. to put it simply, mum wasn’t a complete trophy wife. no. she lacked in some traits and dad thought that was wholesome and on some level, beautiful. she had ‘flaws’ or whatever that got mr. minabuchi excited. faux humility and a sense of conviction was all she really had. even still, seiko concluded that there was nothing beautiful about a clingy gold digger, but we can’t have everything, can we? though she’d be lying if she said that she didn’t appreciate her. thanks for the nose, mom.

we don’t know what’s romantic about coaxing a ditzy nineteen-year-old into marriage when you’re well into your mid-thirties, but, y’know. you’re not living to please everyone (also whatever tickles your fancy ‘cause she’s pretty sure she tickled his!). the folks of osaka are positive that the million dollar trust fund concept under dad’s belt got all her friends and family hot and ready. really inspirational. honestly, if father father can find love in a sleazy getaway in the corners of kitashinchi station, then so can you!

and this is when minabuchi seiko steps into the picture. they wanted kids but didn’t plan that just one night pursued from alcohol would have mum knocked up. she’s the eldest child among two others, making them a dandy, clean-cut, model family with a house too big for the land on the outskirts of the city. the gardeners came every two weeks, thursday afternoon at 3pm sharp. the pool cleaners are scheduled to pluck the dead larva and leaves even when nobody’s swimming and having hellish family gatherings. yet again, she still has all her index cards of distant relatives that she haven’t frequented. being the oldest has given the gal privileges of earning stuff first, but then again, is she really earning things if the spoon is silver? yeah, no. seiko never had to work for an entirety of her life. she didn’t even know what it meant, or what it felt to knowhow to work. probably washed one dish within a year after she turned thirteen, realizing what chores were. so here she is, protecting her younger siblings and pretending as though she’s the prototype daughter. she’s enrolled into a private grade school until mom (kinda looking like kudo shizuka if only she didn’t butcher her nose) chimes in with, “honey!”— all high pitched and concerning, gotta love mom. “we should send the kids off to an international school,” she says. “they can learn from real life experiences since they’re always comfortable at home.”

(making us sound like we’re some kind of archetypical nuclear experiment.) like, what is she? minabuchi seiko? why is mom so eager to live through her wannabe princeton dreams onto a girl who only wishes to be in sight of takeuchi naoko and matsuri hino?

seiko’s tossed into the horror of an international school, when actually, it wasn’t all that ugly and cracked up as she thought it would be. asides from being a fat four-eyed freak, she had two friends and lived a decent early childhood based on her family’s worth. it was cool, she guesses. it’s nice to travel away from a place she knew so long; from humble ol’ umeda to honmachi. even met a girl who was nice to her later as seiko continued failing, so if that’s not living, then she doesn’t know what living is. they’re still friends, by the way. on some new level gummy shit, perhaps.

at age 16 she’s already living fast and furious, aspiring to seize the world with the ability to compromise and persuade like a filthy politician. yes. she owned over 10 ferrets who all died peacefully while keeping a gpa that was sure to make her bound for yonsei university. no, her parents threw her into piano lessons since it’d be beneficial for her applications if she won a few competitions here and there— yes. you see, she was an ugly and fat kid with a plan. she was the oily skinned bitch who couldn’t put down the big mac, but she had her entire future mapped out.

maybe.. minabuchi seiko is a child from her great great great father’s counterpart. she lacked ambition to better herself and become an agent, thatmuch, she agrees. the thing was, her interest has embraced the world of academic endeavors and its many assorted curiosities. she was a lover of style and lifestyles, and her pen was always mightier than the sword.

boy, did she adore writing. she wrote on the canopies hanging above on a spring afternoon with a piplup plush besides her. she wrote on the dead agents from various field missions miles and miles away, been blocked out of group chats since that was all she keyboard smashed about. all her feelings are on paper, through and through, written in pen. whether she was either heartbroken or optimistic, determined or discouraged. oh, how her heart bleeds on endless journals!

and alas! flicker goes the damn light bulb: an eccentric writer slash journalist slash.. whatever she may be has been born.

[mdwatchestv]

Game of Thrones 7x05: Suicide Squad

Gather children for it is time for ye old Game of Thrones. We got people zippin all up and around this great land of Westeros, just zappin from one side of the world to the other. I guess they finally unlocked all the fast travel check points on the main map. After last week's dragon battle we are back to our regularly scheduled plotting and planning. Plans were planned, revelations revealed, and players travelled around the board at rapid pace. So let's break down everything we learned and bore witness to this week!

First off it is immediately revealed that Jaime and Bronn survived their dive into the drink and conveniently floated a short distance away out of harm's way. I had thought they would perhaps be taken prisoner by the Dragon Queen herself, but turns out they were able to (swim?) to safety just in time. But not all of the Lannister Army were so lucky, and the notably downtrodden survivors were marched in front of Dany's congregation. Dany offers the singed soldiers a "choice" to either bend the knee (her fav) or meet with fiery death. This is about as much of a choice as cake or death, but those pesky Tarlys opt for death rather than defect their loyalty. We hardly knew ye Tom Hopper and now you are ash. RIP Tarlys. Tyrion is notably disturbed by this turn of events, even though Dany claims to be a benevolent ruler she is exerting her rule in the new land by using fear rather than mercy. For Tyrion this iron fist approach to conquering feels a little too reminiscent of Cersei or the Mad King for comfort. Although Dany clearly sees herself as the tough but fair type, Tyrion is still left wondering where he is going to draw a morality line in the sand. This is still a guy who killed his old man on the shitter though, so I think he can grant Dany some wiggle room for now at least.

After dealing out some fire and brimstone justice Dany jets back to Dragonstone and meets up with Jon who is back brooding on his brooding cliff. Khaly K lands her giant sky lizard in front of Jon and what does this fool do? He reaches out to pet that scaly monster like it's the only cat at a house party. Not only is this a nice friendship moment (let's keep it platonic here people), but it seems like Drogon has also gotten the memo and is acknowledging Jon's true lineage (more on that later obviously). As always there's a lot of beautiful storytelling being done in the mise-en-scène, and I particularly liked Dany's fur-lined gown which hinted at her newfound Stark alliance.   Anyway Jon gets the memo from Winterfell that Bran the Seer of Sucktown has seen the Night King's Army descending rapidly on the Wall and he gots to go. Dany's war council decides that, rather than finishing off Cersei in a blast of magma and death, they are going to negotiate an armistice with the Lannisters in order to focus on the undead. To be perfectly honest I wasn't 100% clear on why we are doing this and not just invading King's Landing, but whatever. The new game plan is to go North of the Wall, kidnap a zombie solider, and bring it back to King's Landing to show Cersei. Again, not totally sure what the most desired outcome here is, Cersei surrender? Ceseri alliance? Cersei go into the corner and be quiet? I feel like even when confronted with a wiggling, murderous, undead corpse Cersei is not going to play nice with the new kids. Look, I'm not totally sold, but please don't bring a zombie to my apartment in order to convince me. 

First step of this new plan is to establish communication with the inhabitants of the Red Keep. This plan has a lot of steps, and I am already exhausted by it. But Ser Davos gamely smuggles Tyrion to have a bro-to-bro chat in the Dragon Skeleton Room and talk living dead. While Tyrion and Jaime exercise their dramatic acting muscles, Ser Davos goes to casually pick up GENDRY. When Joe Dempsie's name popped up in the opening credits I shrieked like a banshee for I knew the day had finally come for Gendry to return unto us. If you recall (and how could you not) last time we saw good old Gendry he was rowing away from Dragonstone after Melisandre attempted to assassinate him for his sweet, sweet royal blood. Many a meme has been made surmising old Gendry has just been rowing around aimlessly for the past 4 season to one day wash up on the shores of plot once more. Well today is that day, and boyfriend has been in King's Landing THE WHOLE TIME. He just went right back to blacksmithing and has been hammering away drama-free for YEARS. I am not even mad though, I am just happy to have Chris Gendry back in my life. Welcome back young man.

Jaime and Tyrion have a semi-productive secret conference, productive in the sense they effectively communicate their ideas to one another, not productive in the sense that it is in any way a secret. Cersei lets Jaime know she is on to his sneaky shit, and then drops the bomb she is pregnant with his baby and doesn't care who knows it. This emotional assault of intimate news sandwiched between two scary threats binds Jaime even more tightly to Cersei. However one does have to wonder if Cersei is truly carrying a child or simply attempting to secure one of her last remaining loyalties. Only time and fashion will tell. Boy, she’s a scary hugger. 

Step number one of the 50 Step Zombie Plan completed, Davos, Gendry and Tyrion zoop back to Dragonstone where Gendry is introduced to Jon Snow. Their dads were friends, they're both bastards, they're bros, good times, let's get on the boat and hammer some zombies, wham bam thank you Sam. Except, wait, hold on, I'm getting a breaking news alert- let's cut to our correspondent Gilly for more on this developing story.

"Hello yes, this is Gilly reporting live from The Citadel. I am reading a book about steps, shits, and various other statistical sundries and I have just come across a word I don't know. That word is annulled, and it is next to another word which looks like a name, and that name is-"

GREAT JOB GILLY NOW SHUT YOUR BIG LADY MOUTH. As you clearly heard here first it looks like Jon Snow is NOT A BASTARD, I repeat, NOT A BASTARD. But seriously, while Sam is busy feeling sorry for himself Gilly stumbles upon a pretty major narrative bomb that Sam proceeds to COMPLETELY ignore. Samwell really blew the chance to be one of (arguably two) characters who know the truth of Jon's lineage. What Gilly discovers is that Rhaegar Targaryan (aka Jon's real dad) annulled his marriage to Elia Martell and was remarried to, presumably, Lyanna Stark (Jon's real mom). Now we knew that R+L=J, but this new info means that Jon is NOT a bastard! He is a legitimate son! And most important the REAL HEIR TO THE IRON THRONE. Sorry bout it Khaly K, but if we are going by Targaryan inheritance rules it's all Jon all the time. Not that this matters much to Jon, he's going North of the Wall to get a zombie pet, obviously.

Before we get to the Zombie Acquisition and Retrieval Task Force (ZARTF) and it's many members, let's skip on back to Winterfell. Game of Thrones characters can apparate all over the map, and so can I. Back on the ranch Arya is growing increasingly suspicious of Sansa's potential ulterior motives. So much for a happy sister reunion. Arya thinks she is being super clever following Littlefinger around and getting proof he and Sansa are secretly attempting to overthrow Jon. But Arya's been gone a minute and she has forgotten she is not the creepiest creep in the creeper anymore. Yes Arya learned some sick skills from no one, and can wear other people's faces, but Lord Baelish has been perfecting his spy game since before she was born. Baelish plants an incriminating letter written by Sansa for Arya to find (like come on Arya you think Lord Petyr Baelish hides shit in his mattress? Girl) hoping to further drive a wedge between them. Littlefinger knows that a Sansa without allies is a Sansa ripe to be preyed upon, because he’s gross and a predator. Hopefully Arya will figure this out and rather than lash out at Sansa instead form a positive bond of sisterhood with her. Hopefully.

As you can see a lot of plot happened, there were revelations, machinations, and congregations. A plan to kidnap a member of the walking dead was hatched and set into rapid motion. Jon does not pass Winterfell, and does not collect $200, but rather hops right up to the Wall where he assembles an A-team coalition of male supporting characters who are all vaguely the same. ZARTF ROLL CALL:

Jon Snow! Ginger Beard! The Hound! Ole One Eye! Top Knot McGregor! Papa Jorah! Gendry!

None of them really like each other, and certainly more than one is going to die. TBH I would be fine with losing any of them except Ginger Beard (I just love him okay). Next week they're going on a zombie hunt, they're gonna catch a big one etc etc.

Stuff I didn't get to:

Chronic quitter and non-listener Sam peaces out of the Citadel 

Daddy Jorah came home!

MVP: Gilly

XO MD

Bonus Daddy time:

[cursewoodrecap]

Session 12: Going Green

We learn about the fourth Prisoner, and meet some new friends, and get dunked on AGAIN.

We wake up in Three Oaks Junction, which is still buzzing about the disaster of last night’s circus but has overall calmed down a whole lot. Shoshana finds the courier Valeria and Clem used the day before and sends out a letter to Ser Quentin at Hoska Castle to let him know what we found out and did in Mornheim.

Clem has breakfast near the statue of Three Oaks, and pretty soon everybody finds her and we all have Diner Breakfast. Gral finds a guy selling food and declares, “I’ll have your most slightly off-kilter animal’s eggs, please.” He receives eggs from a chicken with two heads. (He rolls and gets a nat 20. The egg has two yolks. Two yolks, two heads, the SYNERGY!) Flynn orders a breakfast burrito and also rolls well, which means they’ve actually invented breakfast burritos in Valdia. The most important meal of the day!

We hit the road with an up-to-date map and road trip snacks. Bad Herzfeld just looks like a market town surrounded by farms and a river. It’s not a big attraction or landmark, but we’re there for the farms anyway. It’s three days away by the fastest route.

As we travel, Valeria rolls for Aethis to successfully hunt and catch a ‘varmint’.

A couple days go by on the road. About a day’s travel outside Herzfeld, we have a chance meeting. Gral’s been scouting ahead for bandits, and he spots a bunch of garishly dressed riders with long-necked, ram-horned fuzzy mounts. What a pleasant surprise! A squadron of orcish outriders! Gral wants to say hi. They’re set up as a camp at the crossroads.

He sends a Message cantrip to Shoshana. “Orcish outriders up ahead, I’m gonna go talk to them.”

Shoshana: “Are they a threat, or potential buddies?” 

Gral: “They should be friendly. I’m gonna go see what’s up.”

He trots up the road, making no effort to keep hidden from the riders, who are mounted atop horned llamas. “Greetings!” he calls out as soon as he’s close enough. “What brings you this far into the Wood?”

There’s a captain leading the troop, and a bard traveling with them. Gral recognizes both of them: the bard is called Firesong, for her specialty in fire magic. The captain is Trollsfear, an old warhorse. Both are respected veterans of the Ascension War.

“Hey guys!” he says with a genuine grin, taking off his mask. “Firesong! Trollsfear!”

Firesong wears a similar mask to Gral’s, though hers has its own unique designs and a few scorch marks rather than the cracks and dents his has. “Joybringer!” she cries. “Trollsfear, it’s Joybringer! I haven’t seen you in so long - what brings you this far away from battle?”

Gral equivocates. “I had a lead on a local who was fluent in Orcish, who I hoped could serve as an interpreter. But since then we have been fixing various problems, with like-minded individuals. I see it as diplomatic work.”

She grins wryly. “We could use some diplomacy. We’re on a mission.”

“Oh? What mission?”

“Well, we heard some rumors about a group of trolls gathering in this area.”

“Quite a coincidence - that’s what we’re looking into as well!”

“Yeah, well, we hit a problem: standing orders from Shieldeater are to avoid antagonizing the locals if possible, right? So we reached Herzfeld and offered to take care of the troll problem, but the locals seem to take some pretty serious offense to that. When we asked, they said the trolls were welcome in the area?!”

“Soooooo... trolls are treated differently here,” Gral tells her. “They’re fairly peaceful and maintain bridges in exchange for coin. They don’t terrorize, like we’re used to. However – we believe there is a fungal threat to the troll population. You’ve seen fungus that controls minds, that makes people go berserk?”

“Yup, burned down a nest of it down near Barroch.”

“We’re trying to protect the trolls from something similar. Fungus controlled trolls would be good for nobody.”

Firesong goes a little pale at the thought. “I see. Unfortunately, we’ve somewhat, uh – you say you’ve been doing diplomatic work with the Valdians? You might have better luck than we did figuring out what’s going on in there.”

“Let me send a message back to the rest of my party.” He pops off another cantrip to Shoshana. “Coast clear. They’re looking into the same thing we are.”

Shoshana relays the message, and we all head up to the orcish camp. There’s about 10-12 outriders, plus the two leaders. They have these adorably weird ram-horned llama mounts, whose wool is dyed to match the garishly bright clothing of their riders.

(Alas, Gral is an emo orc in a glam rock world. We briefly wonder if Trollsfear has a David Bowie lightning bolt, but some questions shall remain forever unanswered.)

The orcs look at us with suspicion. Gral introduces us, like a proper diplomat.

Valeria hits them with the ol’ standard: “Hello, I am Kyr Valeria Argent, at your service.”

Firesong nods. “Greetings, I am Firesong. This is Captain Trollsfear.” She introduces the other outriders by their orcish names - it looks like only the two of them have been granted honor names.

Trollsfear doesn’t speak Valdian, but luckily Gral and Shoshana both speak Orcish. Better get some translator practice in, Shosha!

“We’ve somewhat burned bridges with the locals in the area. They didn’t react well when we told them we were here to take care of the troll issue,” Firesong explains.

“Did you go in saying you were gonna slay all the trolls?” Shoshana asks wryly.

“...A little bit?”

“Yeah, there’s yer problem.”

Gral nods. “Yeah, I explained it to them.”

“Is it gonna be a problem bringing Gral to Bad Herzfeld?” the sorceress asks.

“No, but they weren’t willing to help us find the trolls. Half of the valley is very heavily overgrown. We rode through the clear-cut areas, but the trolls are probably on the other side. Without a local guide we didn’t want to take our longnecks in there, so we’re kind of stuck right now,” Trollsfear tells us.

Firesong jumps in. “Also, there’s definitely something odd going on in this area. We thought it was just, yknow, humans trying to protect trolls, but....”

“Really? What are they doing that’s weird?”

“It’s not really a specific behavior? I can’t put my finger on it.”

Valeria, as usual, is on task. “You said you were investigating the trolls? Is it just the fact they’re gathering, or are there other concerns?”

“Uh, YEAH, our concern is the trolls gathering! Trolls, in our efforts, have been, y’know, less than cordial to us. Trollsfear here got his name hunting trolls back in the mountains.”

Valeria ponders. So far, she knows that Sea trolls = bad. Land trolls = okay? Mountain trolls being bad is new and useful information.

We explain all our current plot hooks to the outriders: 

-There was that farmer from Bad Herzfeld who set those wheat monsters on us

-The Fairgolds know about the troll moot called there, and we’re worried about trolls getting infected by the curse fungus

-The Fairgolds also found the dagger of Kyr Marius of the Order of the Rose, one of the paladins who was at the Summer Palace when the Crusade fell, in the hands of a fungus guy

-We’re searching for rare herbs for the ritual spell we wanna do in Mornheim.

Firesong nods. “That’s quite a list. I should warn you - in addition to the locals, we also encountered a group of very strange individuals. They wore black leather coats and beaked masks-”

“Oh, there’s Sturmhearst guys?”

“Yes! There’s a whole group of them operating out of an old overgrown farmhouse on the other side of river, where it’s overgrown.”

Gral fills them in on what Sturmhearst’s deal is.

“There was a big one, who had some sort of fire-spitting device.”

Clem’s eyes light up. “I want a fire-spitting device!”

Shoshana looks a little put out. “I am...also considered a fire-spitting device?”

“So is Firesong!” Trollsfear tells us. Firesong, in true bard-showing-off style, pulls out some drums, and sparks fly off skin of her drum as she plays a quick rhythm. The campfire starts pulsing with her beat, and its flames grow and form into the shape of an orcish warrior, who roars a battlecry with a crackle of flame.

“Ooh, neat party trick. Can you do that, Gral?”

Gral shakes his head. “My specialty is more in magic of the mind.”

“…Okay, that’s also cool, but less fun at parties.”

“You are all welcome to share our camp tonight. If you need assistance in the coming days, you can try to call on us. We can stay maybe a day or two – we were expecting to buy supplies from the locals, but we’re going to have to head out and forage, or find a town.”

Shoshana pipes up. “There’s a good trade stop called Three Oaks Junction about two days that way. Just a warning, they super do not like the circus, though.”

Trollsfear whispers an aside to Firesong in Orcish. “The...circus? Is that a Valdian euphemism?”

“I dunno, this place is WEIRD.”

Gral cuts in. “Our group will probably get better results in town. Cooperation with the trolls might not even be a bad idea. They’ve called this meeting for a reason, and if they’re not hostile, we can find our what the reason is and work with them.”

Trollsfear is decidedly not comfy with the idea of working with trolls. Gral tries to assure him. “We recently worked with one, he was quite nice! I saw him crack a few undead on the head protecting his town.” It doesn’t change Trollsfear’s mind, but it’s a nice effort.

The grizzled old captain sighs. “Hopefully you can get to the bottom of this. I came here for a hunt, not for…politics.”

“Do you have anything more than just a weird feeling about the townsfolk? Was there something, anything that you noticed that was off about the town?”

Firesong shifts uneasily. “Well, there was one thing. It’s gonna sound weird, I know. But the people in the town, everybody there, they didn’t seem scared. When we’ve ridden through, every town – even supply stops – have been scared of us, or of something. Fear is everywhere in these woods. These people, they watched us, but they weren’t afraid at all.”

“Well, that’s unsettling,” comments Clem. She’s right. Anti-orc racism is one thing, but a town in the Cursewood that’s not scared of anything???? Yeah, that’s definitely suspicious.

“Maybe the townsfolk are on the side of one of the Prisoners.” Shoshana sighs.

“Or one townsfolk is a cultist, and the others afraid of outing them, for fear of retribution?” wonders Gral.

The outriders agreeably give us the lay of the land in Bad Herzfeld: On the east side of the river valley, the land is mostly clear. It’s the bigger side, and it’s taken up by acres and acres of lush farmland. The west side, however, is very heavily overgrown. The orcs won’t take their mounts in there; the vegetation is too dense for them to navigate. In terms of population, the west side is mostly abandoned. There’s a small town on river, right in the middle. It’s not much - basically a mill, a granary, and a wooden temple called the Farmers’ Temple. It serves the farmers’ basic purposes, even as they mostly keep to their own spread-out farms.

It’s starting to get to late afternoon, and it’s a far hike to the tiny town, so the outriders generously offer to let us share their camp. Gral has smoothed over a lot of the initial awkwardness of the meetup, and it helps that Shoshana can help Gral translate, so everybody’s pretty chill.

The players insist on meeting some llamas. Shoshana pets a llama, and a lucky Animal Handling check means it neither bites nor spits. Everyone is very impressed. Shoshana spends the next ten minutes kneading her claws into its wool like a cat. SOFT.

Valeria pets one; it rotates its head like an owl and spits in her face. “Aw, he don’t mean anything by it, he’s just just grumpy,” his rider assures her. Valeria, glaring pointedly, pets Aethis, who doesn’t spit at her. Aethis hisses at the llama. The llama spits at Aethis. They are immediately sent to time-out on opposite sides of the camp, for everyone’s safety.

“Animals that aren’t reptiles are weird!” Valeria complains to Gral.

“Llamas are better for navigating mountains,” he counters.

“They’re stinky!”

“Yeah, llama deodorizer is a job in orc society. It’s not glamorous, but it’s a livin’.”

Shoshana, having recently gained third-level spell slots, asks Firesong to show her how she did that thing with the flames. Firesong is perfectly amenable to this and straps on her drum holster - it’s some kind of portable elaborate Neil Peart-style kit, which is a reference I had to google - and teaches her a couple of beginner fire tricks.

Apparently, evocation mages are uncommon among orc mages and bards; Firesong studied abroad in the goblin republics, where they have pyromancers like Mercedes. (Yes, she used to have a cool bolero jacket, too.)

“Truth be told, mostly I went to the goblins to learn how to cook.” Turns out Firesong’s cooking and grilling is the REAL reason for her name. Sing and sizzle!

Well, now that the topic of backstories has been breached, Shoshana awkwardly, quietly, asks Firesong and the other outriders if they’ve seen a specific person in their travels...probably not, she’s apparently super stealthy, but she’s an archer, I’m told she looks like she’s dripping with shadow-

“Wait, that does sound familiar,” comments Firesong. “I mean, I haven’t seen anything like that personally, but there were a couple of rumors – not far from the current border of the orc-controlled land, a few warriors saw some kind of archer ‘draped in shadows’…she was seen hunting. Slew some sort of big frogmonster. I heard she had some sort of crazy group with her - the folks who saw ‘em thought they might be werewolves. The frogbeast had been harassing our workers, and then the wolf gang chased it off. We sent a group to see what was up with her, and they found the monster’s body. When they tried to find her, she attacked, drove ‘em off, and fled.” 

All this happened a long ways southeast, on the edge of orc territory, at a place called Outpost Machdu. Shoshana’s player asks the DM if it would have been possible by conventional means to travel all that way in the relatively short time since the attack on Ovruch. The DM would like to remind you that travel times are fake and how dare you make him have coherent math. However, he’ll allow this: someone COULD have gotten there, but they’d have had to move fast. Travel in the Cursewood is extremely slow due to the many hazards, detours, and destroyed towns; to travel that fast you would have had to go a more direct route - not sticking to the roads and unafraid to go through the deep woods.

Well. That’s something to think about.

Later that evening, Gral draws Trollsfear and Firesong aside. “I have something for you both to think about. I believe we have found evidence that Bullbreaker is alive, though we don’t know how warped by the curse.”

There’s a SPIT TAKE.

The two outrider leaders immediately begin pressing Gral for every detail he can give them. He gives them a brief overview of the way the Key transports things to other worlds. “We found remnants of an attacked camp, and heard the cry of the creature - we call it the Lurker - that attacked our crusade. It’s an agent of this curse. We found the remains of Thrice-Burned and Gar Kala’shek, who has been named Shipsaver, along with a message from Bullbreaker. As far as we know, he still lives, but I think he’s gone elsewhere since then.”

They’re absolutely floored. “Joybringer. I don’t - this is-” The two orcs turn aside and converse quietly, hurriedly, under their breath. Firesong turns back to Gral. “I can send a message, but we’re going to have to leave here. We can stay maybe two days, no more. In good conscience, we can’t wait any longer - we have to get word of this to Shieldeater. If his son lives, he needs to know.”

For the rest of the night they interrogate Gral for everything he has about the Duke’s missing son, and he’s willing to tell them everything he knows. He tells them about the mutations we’ve seen due to the Key’s curse, too, preparing them for the worst ways Bullbreaker could have changed since he was last seen.

The news spreads around camp like wildfire. Every single outrider is visibly itching to get back to Barroch, the orc capital, and spread the news.

Firesong and Trollsfear come to a decision: “We’ll head out day after tomorrow. We’ll attempt to check in with you with Sending before we leave. In the meantime, we’ll cast a Sending to the Duke as well. We’ll still have to ride back to deliver all the details.” We give them Bullbreaker’s note from the crate in the Drowned City, to bring back proof to Shieldeater that he’s still alive. 

Flynn and Fiona are doing okay making friends with the orcs. They don’t speak the same language but Flynn still somehow manages to set up an arm wrestling betting ring with Fiona, so. They manage to break even! Apparently some things are universal, and a real buff lady sitting down with her hand in the arm-wrestling position while her brother puts money on the table is one of those things.

Eventually, morning comes, and it’s time to head out. Firesong promises that if the outriders get a message from us for help in the next couple of days, they’ll try to come lend a hand. We thank them and head our separate ways.

After a few hours, we approach Herzfeld. It’s not so much a single town as it is a wide region of loosely affiliated farmers. We come across a handy signpost. The older signs point towards the ‘town’ where the mill and temple are, but there’s a brand new one, pointing to a bridge across the river that leads to the overgrown side. It proudly announces: “Sturmhearst University College of Medicine, Bad Herzfeld Annex”.

The road past the sign, toward the annex, looks like it’s been recently and roughly cleared. The plants haven’t had much of a chance to reclaim it yet.

We can go towards either meeting the farmers, or meeting a new batch of mad scientists. We trust neither, but only one can give us a flamethrower. And Clem really wants a flamethrower.

Shoshana pouts. “Hey, I can basically be a flamethrower! Firesong taught me a pretty neat thing, last night.”

Gral chuckles to himself. He’s seen Firesong throw a Fireball.

...Clem still wants her own flamethrower.

We decide Hearst First, because players can have little a steampunk, as a treat.

We stick to the road, and it’s only a short walk before we reach what is very obviously labeled Sturmhearst University College of Medicine, Bad Herzfeld Annex: Pharmacological and Botanical Research Station. 

We see some more of those bigass guards in owl masks. One is holding some sort of contraption that looks like backpack with a long handheld tube attached. Flamethrower!!! Clem is told by the DM she might be able to use one of these, and is VERY interested in doing so.

The guards stare at us impassively. Shoshana stares back. They continue there staring contest until Valeria decides to be party face.

“Hi, might we be able to talk with one of professors?” she inquires politely. The guard steps to one side, revealing a bell. Valeria cautiously rings it.

Shortly, a halfling scholar comes up, tiny beak peeking over the fence. “Ah! Visitors! How can I help?”

“We’re investigating some cursed happenings, and we knew you’d be the people to talk to. Would you mind telling us what you’ve found out about the Curse in this area?”

“I mean, we’re mostly just studying the local flora? You’d have to talk to the Professor. I’ll see if she’s available. If you would step inside, please?”

We are taken to the porch of what was once a large farmhouse. The barn and several outbuildings have been retrofitted into various structures. They’re centered around a clearing where the plants have been slash-and-burned back, surrounded by an old stone fence that’s been repaired and heightened. There’s bird-masked scholars scuttling about. A group of students, accompanied by an owl guard, are clearly returning from an expedition into the woods, carrying plant samples into a barn. Maybe they have the plants we need for the water-purification ritual!

We are offered tea on porch by the halfling woman. We accept, but don’t drink it. Clem does the throw-it-over-shoulder and mime drinking routine, as is tradition.

“Professor Ulmus will be with you shortly. Oh, and if you see a metal chicken, try to catch it.”

Hey, isn’t that the professor from Clem’s journals? Also....a chicken?

Sure enough, as we wait, a clockwork chicken struts out in front of the porch, plucking at the grass. Valeria, ever helpful, decides she’s going to try to catch it. She rolls a dexterity of Bad. It turns to her, bawks gratingly, and bounces away on its little metal springy legs. Valeria dives for it and falls flat on her face. It nonchalantly goes back to eating blades of grass.

Gral minor illusions some oats. The Robot Chicken does not seem to care, but tries to go around them. Valeria, who will not admit defeat, tries again. She rolls better this time, and as it tries to hop away, she snatches it out of the air as a tall woman in a beaked mask steps out onto the porch.

“RITAAAAA!” she calls.

“Um, I caught your chicken!” Valeria offers helpfully.

The tall woman accepts the handful of cluckwork chicken (lol geddit?), pulls out a brass key, and inserts it in a metal slot. The chicken powers down and lies motionless.

“This is Rita!” the tall lady tells us fondly. “She’s for gathering samples, but has gone a bit haywire lately. Her enchantments make her flee from danger, so she’s difficult to find and catch. Please, step inside.”

We are ushered into the office of Professor Alma Ulmas. There’s a sturdy farmhouse table being used as her desk. Everywhere there’s beakers, notebooks, and plant samples. They’re unusual plants, some lying loose on the desk and a few more contained, including a glass tube with a detached vine in it that’s wriggling around restlessly. On one wall there’s a big beautiful map of an island with a crashed Aquilian city. The caption calls it “The Totaled Isle.” Valeria’s heard of it! It was so named because the thing that crashed there was totally wrecked.

Professor Ulmus sits and tries to spin her chair to face us. Sadly it is not a spinny chair. We politely pretend not to notice. “So, what brings you to see me?”

Valeria speaks up. “We’re investigating a situation in the area. We wanted to go here first, because we figured you might be able to tell us about how the Curse is manifesting here.”

“Well, whatever it is, it makes the plants grow very well. That’s what brought me here originally. I’m a professor of pharmacology, in the disciplines of botany and chemistry. We’ve been gathering and studying plant samples of unique, newly emergent species that seem plentiful here.”

“What are the dangers here?” 

“Well, hostile flora, in all the usual ways.”

“The usual ways?” Shoshana asks. “So, like...vines? Poison spores? Thorns?”

“Yes, all of those. Also, many of the local wildlife are suffering a type of fungal infection, which happens to be specialty of mine. I must admit, studying fungal infections here is far less interesting than I had hoped. We expected the locals would have plenty of willing patients, but they don’t seem to. Not a single one of them has come to us with complaints.”

“Nobody’s had any negative effects from fungal infections?”

“Only a handful, from the other side of the wood. We here are following all proper safety precautions, of course. I have not gone out and inspected their small podunk village. If you see anyone suffering any kind of infection by a Curseborne fungus, please send them to me immediately.”

“Well, see, we encountered someone from Bad Herzfeld, who seemed to have a fungus that affected his mind-”

Professor Ulmus isn’t listening to Valeria anymore, because Flynn’s started coughing. She nat20s her med check and immediately ignores all of us to get all up in his business. “Open up? Hmm, I see. Please cough into this swab.” She sticks the swab in a beaker of liquid and swirls it, looking at the color of the solution. “Hmm, yes. We’ll have to do a full examination.”

Fiona instinctually goes for her hammers. Flynn puts a hand out to stop her. “No, no, it’s fine! This is fortunate, she’s probably the best person to help me.”

It’s Valeria’s turn to pout. “Hey, I’m a Knight of the Rose!”

Professor Ulmus is still peering down Flynn’s throat. “Yes, clearly you’ve been alleviating his symptoms, but there has been no addressing of the root cause. No offense, but your techniques have a certain...brute efficiency.”

“….thank you.” Valeria chooses to believe that efficiency is a compliment.

Clem, meanwhile, is a bit intimidated by watching a highly competent doctor work.

“Isabel?” the Professor calls. The halfling woman comes back. “Please take Mr. Fairgold – and apparently his sister – to the clinic. He has a minor case of respiratory infection. I believe we will attempt procedure three today.”

We get up to follow the twins to the clinic, but she holds out an arm. “I’d prefer not to let too many people examine the procedure room. Any of you could be a spy sent by Professor Quercus.”

“Uh, okay, we have actually met that guy?” Shoshana admits. “But he didn’t exactly seem to be that interested in plants.”

“Ugh. He’s interested in anything that will get him funding. Aberrant Biology? That’s not even a real FIELD. I am a pharmacologist, and a botanist and a chemist, those are REAL sciences-”

She composes herself. “ANYWAY. Mr. Fairgold will need to be here for at least the rest of the day. In the meantime, is there anything else I can assist you with?”

We pull out the component list for the ritual. “Well, we were wondering if you could point us in the direction of a few particularly rare plants...”

“Isabel!” she calls. “No, wait, I just sent Isabel to prep the clinic. Douglas!”

Nobody shows up.

“Darn it, that’s not it...what was his name? William!” Another grad student in a mask pokes his head in. “Fetch the survey maps!” Within a couple of minutes, he’s brought us an armful of maps, and we take a look.

She shuffles through them and produces a map of the overgrown side of the valley. It’s covered in detailed notes on what plants have been found and where. She gets us a blank copy and points out specific plants to us. “Of your list, the moon lily will be the hardest to find, but we have sighted it around here...” She pulls out a soot-black quill and whispers an incantation to it. It sparks, and a thin stream of fire spurts from its tip, singeing tiny, precise details onto the map. She scribbles notes all over it, marking where our ingredients might be found, and blows out the quill when she’s done.

“There you go! This should guide your search. You should be able to find all of these in the valley, with incredibly high magical potency. I assume you’re seeking them for thaumaturgical purposes?”

“Yes, it’s for a ritual to purify a water source of disease.” She is mildly disappointed, but not particularly surprised.

Clem nervously steps forward and asks, ”I thought that your work about replacing limbs with synthetic troll blood was absolutely inspired. Um, would you sign my journal?” Professor Ulmus acquiesces and signs her article with the fire pen. Clem, with stars in her eyes, mumbles something about studying mundane medicine.

“Is that so? Oh, you must come to dinner tonight! Where did you study?”

“Well, I only got to study about a year of traditional medicine…”

“The [] institute?”

“Y-yes! How did you know?!”

“That’s the only Kevan headmaster I can think of who would have accepted a drow! No offense. Elves are racist. Judging by your bearing, you must have used your training as a medic during the war. I’d love to pick your brain!”

We all instinctually recoil.

She groans. “It’s a SAYING. Goodness, you say the wrong thing back home and everyone’s pulling out the BRAIN SAWS. I’m not even that kind of scientist!”

Gral takes the opportunity to break into the conversation. “’Scuse me. Gral Omokk’duu, pleasure to meet you. Have you ever done any investigation on orcish flora?”

She considers. “No, I can’t say I’ve had the pleasure.”

“Have you studied anything about soil purification?”

“We do have a soil lab here. I’m aware of what happened to your homeland, and while you have my deepest sympathies, I’m afraid that-”

“No, I’m more trying to recreate the soil of a specific place.”

“Oh! Well, that’s something I could potentially work on! Not here, though, and I’ll be here for another month or two. I can write a letter of introduction – if you can get a sample or a seedling of the plant you’re trying to grow-”

“We do have some seeds in Barroch.”

“Excellent. If you can send the seeds to Sturmhearst, and a soil sample of what you’re trying to recreate, we can certainly do something, if your duke is willing to make a contribution to the college…”

Gral turns to look at the rest of us. “Huh. Didn’t think it would be that easy.”

(We’re all like, please, professors would do anything for funding.)

And then the DM tells us to google Professor Ulmus’ name. ...DUDE. AGAIN?!

Ulmus is a specific tree genus; this is, of course, Professor Elm. Please direct your notice to the Cinder Quill, the Chicken Rita, and the Totaled Isle.

AAAAAUUUUUGH.

We swear to be prepared next time we meet a professor. But the DM warns us that he’ll no longer be going in order of the games...

So we’ve met Professor Ulmus and we have a map! Let’s look at the map and figure out our plan. 

On the map, there is something called Trollsburg, well north of the annex. A ways in from the river, on the tangly side. It’s probably safe to assume that’s where the trolls are gathering. We decide we want to investigate the town before we get into it with the Big Fellas.

Hmm. How many of our rare herbs could we get today, if we went out foraging? The map shows general areas of where to find things, not specific. Back home, Shoshana could canvass an area this size in a single day. Here, super overgrown with monsters? Lol, nahhhh.

The consensus is: if we have to go find plants, let’s do it before we piss off the Curse.

There’s four main plants we’re looking for, that we can’t get anywhere else: the Moon Lily, the Red-Flowered Mandrake Root, the Purple Cave Creeper (aka Vasilius’ Shawl) and the Norbert’s Wort.

The Moon Lily looks like the most complicated to get. They have the least presence on the map, and it’s the furthest out, in a pond. Valeria and Shoshana, heading up this spell operation, want to get that one first. Gral and Clem are fine with that. Time to draw some cards for the journey! 

We draw The Beast, and the DM hurriedly proceeds to improv a fight plan.

A good survival roll means we aren’t immediately murdered by a shrubbery. As we push in, we are able to detect the tracks of some big, heavy, clawed creature making its way through the woods. WELP. Better go slow and quiet. It takes us a long while to get close to the pond at that rate, well into the afternoon, but we’re avoiding any paths our Survival check gives us bad vibes about.

This place could not be more different from Mornheim. Having just come from a place where everything was withered and greying, the riot of lush and vibrant plant life is jarring. But there’s something distinctly unsettling about this place nonetheless. 

As we get close to the wetlandy part, where our target is, we again find more tracks of some big Thing. They’re a bit like bear tracks, but far bigger than a regular bear. Better get stealthy to take a look around.

Valeria casts Aid on Shoshana, Gral, and Clem, in case we run into the big nasty. Clem, listening intently, hears a sound - the snoring of something huge. Clearly, we’re close. Valeria uses Divine Sense to see if she can get it on radar, but whatever it is doesn’t ping. 

Gral, our de facto rogue, stealths around the side of the pond to check it out. He notices some weird fungal growths spread out throughout the area, lumpy and misshapen. As he approaches, he can also hear the heavy breathing noise of snoring. Peering around a bend, he finally spots a massive shape sitting in one of the ponds, a green blob in a world of green. At first it just looks like a hill of foliage, but it’s moving ever so slightly, rising and falling with the rhythm of breath. It’s covered in mosses and lichens.

“Hmmm,” Gral observes. “Snorlax.”

He’d be happy to leave it well alone, but there’s one other thing in the same pond. In the very center, he can see one thing that none of us have seen all day: In that pond is emerging a shining white lily flower.

Gral quietly messages Valeria: “I found the giant thing and the lily thing and they’re very close to each other. Also, you don’t want to step on fungus.” He sneaks back to the party to guide us there.

We appraise the puzzle. In order to harvest the lily you’d need to get in the water; it’s pretty far in and we need the whole thing – the petals, stamen, flower bits, stem, everything. Our herbalist-sorceress knows you can’t just yank it out, you need to snip it carefully to avoid damaging it. Shoshana’s Mage Hand doesn’t have the necessary precision.

Someone’s Gonna Have To Go In The Water.

Gral casts Silence and Shoshana keeps up a Minor Illusion of the lily, hoping to create the impression that it’s still there after we take it. Valeria grabs the snippers out of Shoshana’s herbalism kit and is goes into the pond on Aethis, who is a gator and can swim. The lorge lizards are not stealthy; Valeria rolls an 11 on stealth as she approaches. As she reaches forward, ready to snip, a wave flows through the pond, the water moving. An eye opens, burning and yellow, in the mossy mass.

Valeria is gonna keep tryin’ to snip the lily! 13 dex check? She’s gotten in there, clipping the stem, when the huge mound of creature unfolds itself to its full enormous height. It’s a bear, but its back is covered in a thick mass of moss. It’s huge, too, bigger in weird, distorted ways. Like it’s just had more mass slapped on top, lumpy like unformed clay. It rises up out of the water and opens its massive jaws in a bellowing roar, and we can see its long teeth, covered in a layer of greenish-brown fungus. 

“Oh, Dynamax Snorlax.”

Vines emerge from its back, lashing at us threateningly.

“Eh, it’s more of a Venusaur. But a bear.”

We roll initiative!

Valeria has secured the flower! But there’s a BEAR in melee range. She takes time to safely stow the lily in the Handy Haversack, meaning she cannot draw her weapon this turn. So she breathes on it. It is now cold, and smacks Valeria about it. Luckily she’s well armored, but it still crits. 21 damage as it grapples her in its thorns! Sweet Rack, we need a Charizard. It misses its bite attack though, its filthy teeth clanging against her armor.

Thigh-deep water is difficult terrain, so Clem can only get there if she dashes. She runs as close as she can, about 15 feet away from it, and hurls a previously unmentioned handaxe! Well, now the bear has a handaxe. Shoshana shoots it with acid from the safety of the bank, and Gral uses Phantasmal Forces to make it think blades are popping out of the ground to stab it. Valeria, still grappled, swings her sword and SMITES. Her vine fu is stronger than its vine fu! (Hers have roses in them!) She can’t get away from it, though, the DM requiring her movement as part of it dropping the grapple. 

The fungal bear growls at us and charges, trying to knock over Valeria, Clem, and Gral in a single turn. It misses Valeria with its teeth, but Clem and Gral are each struck by a tangling vine. Gral is grappled, Clem is not. As it stands in the middle of the pond, roaring ferociously, Clem buries her sword in its side and Shoshana hits it with another stream of acid, burning away some of the thick mossy growth in its fur. We can see underneath, and the fun has almost entirely been replaced by moss, fungus crumbling out of its wounds instead of blood. 

Gral declares he’s going to do the classic Shimmy and Shiv, playing a minor chord to wooble himself behind the bear and then coming in with his sickle. Valeria slashes at it, and her sword comes out covered in moss and fungus. It sinks its teeth into Gral, and he luckily makes his con save, avoiding being infected by the spores trying to invade his bloodstream. Up close, he can see the beast’s mouth and throat is just overflowing with the fungus. 

“This is not how Snorlax is supposed to Gigantamax!”

“I told you, it’s a Venusaur!”

Clem trips it and it collapses into the water with a rippling splash. Shoshana sprays it with acid one more time, striking it face on. It roars, horrible and distorted, spores spewing out of it mouth before it flops forward, its final collapse sending out another soaking wave of mossy water. Clem dives underwater to avoid breathing in the spores, and then quiet falls as the thing lies still.

We all take a moment to be soaking wet, in a pond.

Valeria wants to get a sample of the creature’s fungal growths for Professor Ulmus. Clem and Shoshana, who have Medicine, team up and use the scalpel of Professor Wendell. We harvest some excellent samples! Sturmhearst sent us, so obviously we have a sample collection kit. The fungus is crumbly and sort of yellowish.

We short rest, for 3 Taint. Clem does not rest, and instead does push-ups, avoiding the corruption.

1 of 4 rarest ingredients got.

As we close session, leaving the problem of getting out of the woods to our future selves, our DM realizes that on the eve of this big football game he didn’t remember to make us fight a Superb Owl.

[ethanalter]

'Stranger Things' postmortem: Sean Astin reveals the secrets behind Bob Newby

#JusticeforBarb is so 2016. After binging on Season 2 of Stranger Things, the battle cry we’re rallying around is #JusticeforBob. That would be Bob Newby, the ultra-nerdy, ultra-normal Radio Shack manager played by geek icon Sean Astin of The Goonies and Lord of the Rings fame. Introduced as Joyce’s new beau in the first episode of the second season, good ol’ Bob quickly endeared himself to us with his “aw shucks” attitude and obvious affection for his trauma-plagued girlfriend (Winona Ryder) and her two kids, Will (Noah Schnapp) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton). Even his name — Bob — speaks to his personality as the ultimate square-jawed nice guy dropped in the middle of a crazy situation.

Unfortunately, that name also hinted at his ultimate fate. “I think the Duffer Brothers named him Bob because it started with a ‘B’ like Barb,” Astin tells Yahoo Entertainment. “And if you weren’t 100 percent sure about it, they finish it up with ‘Newby.’ I’ve never asked them, but the comparison is not lost on me. Bob kind of plays the role that Barb played [last season], but Bob lasts a lot longer!” In fact, Bob lasts all the way until Season 2’s penultimate episode, when he’s finally fed to the Demodogs as the love of his too-short life escapes. It’s a heroic fate that’s already earned him lovingly-penned “In Memoriams” and Twitter tributes like the following:

You grew on me so quickly. A true hero. #JusticeForBob pic.twitter.com/rLyqoYk8Ux

— Clay (@claytoon253) October 29, 2017

HE DID NOT DESERVE IT !!!#justiceforBob #StrangerThingsS2 pic.twitter.com/NyAdFuKL46

— Mary (@SpicyInternet_) October 27, 2017

when you get to the penultimate episode of #StrangerThings #justiceforBob pic.twitter.com/wslL1fBprD

— Karen Esperanza (@karenesperanza_) October 29, 2017

For his part, Astin feels that Bob’s seemingly bitter end couldn’t be sweeter. “His death is heroic and satisfying for me as a performer,” he says. “Bob doesn’t need justice — he just needs a nice salute for a soldier doing his job.” We spoke with Astin about his big death scene, and why he’s a Joyce/Hopper ‘shipper at heart.

I have to admit, up until his last episode, I kept waiting for Bob to reveal that he was a bad guy all along. He just seemed too nice! I guess I see that. I stepped into the role when they hadn’t 100 percent decided what they were going to do with Bob, so I guess that possibility could have happened. Who could possibly be that nice, right? [Laughs.] But I think Bob serves a function for the show in that he’s the one person in Hawkins who isn’t in the middle of all that stuff. It’s flattering that you’re glad I didn’t turn evil because the other option is that I could have turned bad and lived! Would I rather be alive and bad or dead and heroic? I think it went down exactly as I would have liked.

So Bob’s fate wasn’t completely decided when you initially joined the show? The Duffer Brothers had a lot to think about, so it wasn’t like figuring out Bob was the most important task. The earliest hints were, “You’re not going to last long!” But they liked what I was doing and Winona [Ryder] liked it, and they saw there was a vibe between us. I think you could feel the energy that suggested there was something special that Bob could contribute. The only thing I said out loud to them was: “I would love it if Bob did something heroic.” And that was at a time where they didn’t know what the heck Bob was going to do! They may well have gone there anyway, but that’s what I was advocating for.

Was there a version of the season where Bob died even earlier? I think so. I mean, I say that without having been in the writers’ room or inside the Duffer brothers’ head. They may have been committed to killing him sooner, but I think they were open to seeing where it went. That was part of the fun for them with that character; he’ s not on the spine of the plot, so they didn’t really need to figure it out 100 percent. They wanted to see what Bob did for Joyce and Will [as characters]. There’s that great scene [in episode 3] where Bob tells Will how to get through his nightmares and ends up almost getting him killed. You’re just like, “Oh, Bob.” With friends like that, who needs enemies? [Laughs.]

What are the Duffer Brothers like as collaborators? When I would ask them a question or throw out an idea, it was incredible to see them think about it and give an answer. It’s highly entertaining to watch them feel their way through this stuff. They’re like puppy dogs: They look so young and yet they have all this responsibility. And yet, you have absolute confidence that they know where the story is going, and that they’re confident enough in their storytelling instruments. I never saw them have any self doubt even though I’m sure they did because otherwise, they wouldn’t be human beings! Hopefully, the audience will continue to embrace the show, and give them a chance. I want to see what happens in the third season! It’s not over for me in my mind even though I’m over [in the show], and that’s the sign of great storytelling.

Let’s talk about your death scene in the eighth episode where the Demodogs make a meal out of you. What was it like shooting that sequence? The Duffers luxuriate in their storytelling, building suspense and creating those jump out of your skin moments. For the running stuff, I’d either chase a golf cart down the hall or the golf cart would chase me, with a camera rig on the side. To watch it [on set] you’d just think, “Oh, it’s just a guy and a golf cart.” But when you’d look through the monitor, it would look so cool! The magic is in the cinematography; Tim Ives [the director of photography] is as much a character in the show as Eleven. The biting scene was exhausting for everybody. It took a long time to shoot, and there was a lot of screaming and writhing on the ground. They put dots all over you, and at one point one of the writers got on top of me and I writhed with them so that my clothes would crinkle up. They painted them out so all you can see is me. Then they brought in this crane thing for the blood spurting out of the mouth. It was a big sequence to do, and a heck of a send-off. I remember hoping that if I got killed off the show, it would be memorable. I think there’s a chance that people will look back at Season 2 and go, “Oh right — Bob’s the guy who got eaten by the dogs!”

Since you have Paul Reiser in that scene telling Bob where to go, I half-expected him to die like Reiser dies in Aliens: cornered in a confined space. Since being on the show, I’ve changed my profile description on Twitter to read: “I guess I’m meta.” I love Paul and I love Aliens, which is one of the greatest horror/action movies ever made. To have Paul Reiser in my ear telling me which way to turn while running down hallways with a gun like I’m Ripley… I guess I’m meta! [Laughs.]

It’s also great that, before his death, Bob saves the group with the power of BASIC. Were you a coder back in the ’80s? In 1984, when the season is set, I was shooting The Goonies and was more of a “run around the neighborhood” kind of kid. But my brother Tom had a big career writing code and software. If I’m just doing a scene about a guy writing code, I can survive, but not doing it myself.

As an ’80s kid myself, it kind of blew my mind to see Mikey from The Goonies in a relationship with Lydia from Beetlejuice. Did you and Winona Ryder reminisce about the old days? I don’t think there’s any difference between Bob hugging Joyce and Sean hugging Winona. It’s the same thing. We have such affection for each other, and we relied on that shared experience. Some people have high school reunions, but visiting with her feels like visiting with my childhood.

Had Bob lived, do you think he would have convinced Joyce to come away with him to Maine? You know, I was a fan before doing the show, and I was always rooting for Joyce and Hopper. So when I got cast as Joyce’s boyfriend, I was like, “I don’t know if I’m rooting for myself or not!” [Laughs.] I don’t know that I ever reached a moment where I thought that Joyce would be better off with Bob. There are certain moments, like when they’re dancing on Halloween night or when he’s offering to move with her to Maine. Maybe in real life that’s what should have happened; it would certainly be in Joyce’s best interest! But I don’t know if that’s what should have happened on the show.

I love that you didn’t want your own character to come between Joyce and Hopper!  There’s that moment [in episode 5] where we rescue Hopper in the tunnels. He gets his knife, stands up, looks over at me and goes, “Hey Bob.” I don’t know if it comes through in the show, but with just those two words, all of a sudden I was back in the AV club in high school and he’s gonna get the girl because he’s so a tall and powerful guy. And she’s on the other side of me, so I’m not even next to her! I felt bad for me there.

This season is set in 1984; if they jump ahead to 1985 in Season 3, are you hoping for some Goonies cosplay like we got with Ghostbusters this year? I hadn’t thought of that, but now that you mention it would be an outrage if they didn’t do it! [Laughs.] Or at least hear the Cindy Lauper song in the background! The Duffers told me after they hired me that they had a conversation questioning whether they should hire me. When they saw my audition, they were like, “That’s our Bob.” But they also thought, “It’s also Sean Astin, which is maybe too much.” The wanted me to know they hired me for who I am in this moment, that Bob was deserving of a casting hire that wasn’t just a stunt. Hopefully, it all fits!

They did avoid any overt references like having the kids say something like, “This is our time!” Yeah, but they weren’t afraid to have me point to the X on Will’s map and go, “Hey, is that a pirate treasure map?” [Laughs.] So I don’t think they went over the line, but they went right up to it.

Stranger Things is currently streaming on Netflix.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

• ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 Chapter One recap: Return that frown to the Upside Down  • ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 Chapter Two recap: Going crazy together • ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 Chapter Three recap: Reunited and it feels so slimy • ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 Chapter Four recap: What happened to Baby Jane? • ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 Chapter Five recap: Tangled and Strangled • ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 Chapter Six recap: They’re heeeere • ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 Chapter Seven recap: Baby’s day out • ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 Chapter Eight recap: Blackout forever • ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 Chapter Nine recap: Ward and savior

[fredericksmeg-blog]

2 more weeks in London.

featuring: Edinburgh, Scotland! Riveting. I think I am always exactly a month behind on this blog, so naturally, here is an update.

Monday, March 20th On Monday I woke up and went to Covent Garden again, but this time I went to the Transport Museum’s gift shop to pick up a few things to take home with me, aka I needed a poster of the tube map. I had a very nutritious lunch at Pret, and then went to the National Portrait Gallery since I hadn’t been before. Aside from being a very interesting concept, I really liked the historical aspect of it. I especially loved the portrait of Dame Maggie Smith. What a lady.

Then, I walked through Westminster and went to the Churchill War Rooms. I’d been meaning to go for a while and I’m so glad I did. You visit the actual Cabinet War Rooms that were used for government meetings during the blitz – it was supposed to be a safe place. There was also a museum inside the space about Winston Churchill, which complimented the whole visit really nicely I think. It was really well done, and I feel like I learned so much when I was there. I went straight to my Internship class after that, and then went home and recuperated from the day!

Tuesday, March 21st I had my BLC class in the morning, and we walked around Kensington and Queensway for another very effective class period. I went home afterwards, made lunch, and got ready to go on another Archives field trip. We went to the Wellcome Collection on Euston Road, which is like a museum of medicine and biology, but with an edgier twist on it. After we saw the exhibits, Emily and I hung back with a few other people from our class, and our professor got us tea and cakes. It was pretty great actually. After that I stopped at Sainsburys for some essential groceries and headed home. I made a quick dinner before I went to go do my laundry and work on a group presentation I had to give in my Internship class. I got home on the late side and went to sleep.

Wednesday, March 22nd Wednesday was interesting. I went to my internship and had a normal day, until around 2pm when the attack in Westminster happened, and the Internet flew off the rails and I could hear helicopters flying over to the river. I don’t work too close to there, but it certainly isn’t very far. I got lots of messages asking if I was okay, so I appreciate all of the people who checked in on me! London is so tenacious and the whole “keep calm and carry on” thing is way more than a slogan that gets put onto mugs and pillows – you can feel that kind of attitude here for sure, and you could definitely feel it after the attack. TFL did a really good job keeping the tubes running and everything was absolutely normal.

After work, I met Bri in Soho and we had some delightful ramen before we went to go see Les Mis at the Queen’s Theatre. Les Mis was phenomenal. The man who played Jean Valjean was absolutely unreal.

Thursday, March 23rd A whole lot of hoopla at work, not too much to say here. It was a pretty normal day. Would you like to know what a normal day is? Of course you do. Here it is:

I wake up between 7:30 and 8:15 depending on how ambitious I am. I wash my face, get changed, do my makeup, and eat either a bagel or some yogurt with granola, or both. I make some sad instant coffee, and make my lunch (unless it’s a Friday, when I let myself buy lunch at the market). I pack my bag, make sure I have everything, and leave between 9:15 and 9:25. I take a bus from outside my flat to Green Park (the closest tube station to Buckingham Palace), and then I take the Jubilee line to Southwark, which is about a 7-minute walk from the market. I get to work, put my lunch in the fridge, and someone usually gets us all coffee. I check my email accounts and check up on any projects that I was involved in the day before or last week. Sometimes I’m given something to do, sometimes not. If I don’t have a task (probably almost ½ of my days), I work on homework, blog, or do extra research for projects that I’ve already worked on. I wait for meetings or for someone to ask me to do something. Between 4 and 5, depending on workload, I go home. To go home, I take the Bakerloo line from Elephant and Castle to Piccadilly Circus, and then the Piccadilly line to Hyde Park Corner, and then a bus to my flat, because it’s better to tube longer during rush hour because of the bus traffic. Then I make dinner. Or lay in bed for a long time. Work on some homework. Plan my free days. That’s a typical internship day. Exciting, yeah?

When I got home I facetimed Will for a reaaally long time because he was on spring break and with a whole bunch of friends. So that was really nice. I made dinner, and packed for Scotland!

Friday, March 24th On Friday, I zipped over to work with all of my stuff for Scotland in my backpack. From work, I went right to Stanstead and met up with my roommates there. The flight was just fine. When we got to Scotland, it was late, but our actual angel of an Airbnb host picked us up at the airport. She gave us a little tour of the flat we were staying in and it was actually so nice. Sara was great. Huge fan. We flopped around a little bit and then went to bed.

Saturday, March 25th On Saturday morning, we dragged ourselves out of bed and headed into town to get on our bus tour of the highlands. At 12 hours long, it is the longest day tour in Europe! So that was exciting. Our guide, Barney, was excellent, and also wore a kilt the whole day while he drove us around the whole country and told us some great stories. The tour was technically titled, Mountains, Monsters, and Massacres, so that’s what we heard about for the most part. Initially, we passed Stirling Castle, and heard a little bit about William Wallace and all that good ol’ Braveheart stuff. We also passed Doune Castle, which was used in the Game of Thrones pilot as Winterfell. Also, it was used extensively in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Yes, this castle:

I’m so sad that we couldn’t stop there. Add it to the list for next time.

Our first stop was at the base of the highlands for some tea and coffee. We heard a little bit about Rob Roy from our guy Barney, and then drove right into the heart of the whole thing and went to Glen Coe. On the way there, we stopped a few times for pictures and some fresh air. Scotland is just phenomenally beautiful, and it was a warm and sunny day, it was just so good. We eventually made it to Glen Coe, which is infamous for being the site of a massacre that involved one family hosting another rival family for a long time, feeding and housing them, until the rival family killed the host family on the King’s orders. This was the inspiration for the Red Wedding in Game of Thrones! The area surrounding Glen Coe was also the home to Ian Fleming (the author of James Bond), and they even filmed parts of Skyfall there. Somehow I spent the whole day out in nature and still ended up on a GoT Pop Culture tour. Despite all of the murder, Glen Coe is absolutely stunning.

From there, we drove on for a bit, listening to some Scottish music which included Loch Lomond, which was a band throwback, and stopped for a lunch break near Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in the UK. Then we drove to Loch Lochy, which I believe literally just means Lake Lake-y, and saw the sights, etc. We then reached our target destination of Loch Ness, and hopped on a little boat cruise. We saw Urquhart Castle, which is a big ol ruin, and listened to a man sing in Scottish for about 45 minutes. After seeing Loch Ness I totally understand how the Loch Ness Monster became a legend. It’s pretty choppy and also really dark in color. So yeah, I get it. I’m on board.

After that, we headed back to Edinburgh, stopping once more to take in more mountain sights. I’m not gonna lie, I fell asleep for pretty much the entire time. I know that Barney played us some Proclaimers, and then talked a bit about Mary, Queen of Scots. I did listen to that. When we got back, we went to a place called Maxies for dinner and it was just fine. It was nice to just hang out with my roommates over the weekend. After that we walked around a little and went back to our Airbnb. We hung out for a while and then went to bed.

Sunday, March 26th On Sunday morning, we forced ourselves out of bed and got ready to climb Arthur’s Seat, which is basically a mountain in the middle of central Edinburgh. It was a real deal hike. I really need some hiking boots if I’m going to be doing this as regularly as I have been for the last few months. We made it up there, though, and it was amazing. The sun had basically just come up, and it was absolutely beautiful. The way down was definitely not any easier then the way up to the top because somehow we ended up literally shimmying our way down the side of a very rocky path. If you know anything about my ability to balance, let alone walk properly, you’re aware that this was a difficult time in my life. Jasmine had to coach me down, and thank god she did, I really needed it. After that experience, we went to grab coffee and some food, so I had a latte and a little toastie. Then we headed over the University of Edinburgh campus.

Now, my personal hero, Joanna K. Rowling, lived in Edinburgh and took some classes at the University of Edinburgh after she moved there with her daughter, freshly separated from her husband, to be closer to her sister. At this point, she’d already started what would become the first Harry Potter book. In Edinburgh, she continued to write the book, mostly in cafes because her flat didn’t have any heating. So naturally, I needed to see everything in Edinburgh that inspired this woman. We went to see the private school that inspired the look of Hogwarts, a gravestone for a man called Thomas Riddell, as well as the pub that she wrote most of The Philosopher’s Stone in. We also walked down Victoria Street, which is a winding area full of colorful shops that served as the inspiration for Diagon Alley. Huge fan. At this point, I had picked up some map prints from a really cool store that sources and reproduces old prints exclusively. I had a nice chat with the storeowner as well and talked to him about Geography. Scottish people are so amicable, it’s the best. After that, we bought smoothies! From there, we walked to Edinburgh Castle and saw what we could without paying to go in. We pretty much trekked around the whole city, went into some more shops, saw Scottish Parliament, and somewhere along the way I bought a denim hat. Once we’d made a huge circle, we went back to the café that’s most famous for J.K. Rowling writing there, and had some late lunch. I had a fish pie and whisky coffee, both of which were phenomenal. From there, we walked back to the Airbnb, packed up, and left to go to the airport. It was a really quick trip, but it was so good. I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with Scotland as much as I did, and I think that now it’s one of my favorite trips of the semester.

Monday, March 27th On Monday, I woke up and worked on my presentation for Internship class, which was on the Map exhibit at the British Library that I went to a few weeks back. It didn’t take me too long, and it was a beautiful day, so I rented a “cycle” as they call them here (or worse, a Boris Bike re: Boris Johnson). So I zipped around the park a little bit and it was a really lovely time. When I returned the bike on the North side of park, I went into a café and got my first iced coffee of the year. Then I went to Boots to grab some cold medicine, because I’d woken up with a sore throat that morning, which usually means I am going to get sick. I had my internship class that night where we gave our presentations, and afterwards went to Tesco for a good grocery haul. When I got home, I fired off a few job applications and watched Harry Potter with my roommates.

Tuesday, March 28th I woke up in the morning for a nice BLC class in Foundation House. Don’t remember what we talked about if I’m being honest. I came home and ate lunch. Then I had my art class, which consisted of more presentations. After class, I went to go flop around in the park with Bri and we saw some really great dogs. I made dinner and uploaded my picture from the weekend. I think I went to go get ice cream with Jasmine later in the night. It was nice. It was so warm outside all day.

Wednesday, March 29th March 29th was Brexit Day! Depressing! Article 50 was triggered, as was I. I had a full day at work. We were going to go over to Imperial College’s Union that night but all the students were on break. Alas.

Thursday, March 30th Another internship day. I did some homework because it was pretty slow. When I got home, I made dinner and watched Deadpool for the first time with Will. Just a chill day, chill night. You know.

Friday, March 31 Yet another day of interning! After work I went home, and then Bridget and me accompanied Will to Clapham where he was participating in a King of the Wing eating competition. It was soooo long but it was super intense and it was fun to watch Will inhale a large bucket of wings. After that we went to a pub called the Miller and had a few beers. There were lots of youths there, and we sat outside on some picnic benches. I would’ve almost forgotten that we were in London if the Shard wasn’t a block away, hangin out, being a cool skyscraper. 

Maybe I’ll have some April blogs posted before I go home, maybe I won’t. We’ll see. I can’t believe I’m leaving London in just 4 days. Then, I have a week on the West Coast of Ireland with my Mom and Aunt, which should be amazing.

Leaving here is a harder goodbye than leaving home, because I genuinely don’t know when I’ll be back. I do miss home though, and I’m so excited to see everyone. Bittersweet, but I’m gunning for the terrace.