#just exploring the surroundings. stopping near a field and kinda just Looking

[coffee-without-anesthetics]

IT'S WARM ENOUGH OUTSIDE FOR ME TO DRIVE MY MOTORCYCLE AGAIN OH HOW I MISSED THIS

[astrandofgold]

take me as i am

chapter 6: fell in love in the only way i knew

Here it is, the latest chapter! It���s only been….forever? I’ve had this sitting in my drafts for so long because I wasn’t quite sure how to finish it off, but I finally figured it out. This one focuses on the sweet, with some minor suggestive content. The song I referenced is Q&A by Kishi Bashi, and I’m absolutely obsessed with it! Also, is it even a story about Higgs if there isn’t a part where he plays guitar? 😂

___________________________

A well-worn blanket, a pack of beers, and a guitar. That’s what was strapped onto Leo’s back. The guitar was awkward, but she’d be damned if she hadn’t carried worse cargo. And besides, Higgs had promised her, with a chuckle, that he’d play for her if she managed to carry it all the way to their destination, of which, was now within view of the two former porters. Out of the corner of her eye, Leo caught Higgs giving her a side glance, smirking. She rolled her eyes, flipped him off, and grinned, trekking forward.

Higgs had to hand it to Leo, the girl had some real grit. It was one of the many reasons why he was smitten with her. She reminded him of himself, and she carried that spark in her that he had misplaced long ago. Higgs mused to himself, thinking about how she was helping him find that spark again. Life had a funny way of placing into his hands the very thing he never dared to dream would come into his life. He could still see his daddy sneering down at him, telling him all the lies that shattered his young child’s heart. The scars still remained, littering his body like constellations. Each one formed the story of a boy wincing at the sound of a cracking belt, a boy covering his face with his arms as tears silently fell, a boy tending to burn marks in the cover of the night. A boy that grew up believing he was as ugly and worthless as his daddy was.

Despite that, Higgs was starting to come around on the concept that maybe he wasn’t as ugly of a person as he was led to believe. If it were true, then why the hell would Leo be with him? Maybe she was batshit crazy to be with him, the thought had crossed his mind more than a few times. But regardless, he was happy that she chose to stick with him. He remembered the night that he finally revealed his scars to Leo, she held him close, placing gentle kisses on each one, eyelashes glistening with fragments of tears. He didn’t know what she saw in him, but he definitely knew what he saw in her. As Leo coughed, Higgs was brought back to the present moment as he focused his attention and realized that Leo’s orange eyes were peering curiously into his own blues.

“What’re you thinking about, babe? You’ve been staring off like that ever since we passed the hot springs.” Higgs smiled gently in response, then chuckled. “I’m thinking about the fuckin’ food I’ve been carrying on my back for the last half hour. I’m starving!”

Leo scowled at him, teasingly smacking his toned upper arm.

“Dammit, Higgs, didn’t you eat right before we left? Where the hell do you store all that food?”

Higgs turned a mischievous eye to her as he patted her head, the height difference becoming strikingly apparent.

“Well, darlin’, you tell me where you think I store it all.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault you’re freakishly tall.”

“And it’s not mine that you’re adorably short. I’m so glad we’ve had this conversation, but now I’m gonna eat something.”

“No, Higgs, just-just wait a second! Look, that’s the spot right there!”

Leo quickened her pace just a little, walking down the slight hill to a spot next to the riverbank. Small, white flowers grew in the lush grass, giving the area an aura of safety. This portion of the valley hadn’t seen timefall for quite some time, yet had a consistent supply of river water, which led to a unique ecosystem developing. Fauna had begun to return to the valley floor, birds chirped in the taller grass, and small deer ran in the woods where Homo Demens had once declared their base. Higgs still shuttered to think about his time there, as infrequent as it was. Surrounded by men who were just as delusional as he had been, who sought to bring about the same thing he had wanted. As he glanced over to the woods with the ghosts of his past, he let out a sigh of relief knowing that they hadn’t succeeded in their goals. He never would have been here with Leo, watching life return to the mountain base. It almost reflected his own healing, and he wryly smirked at the thought.

____________________

The sun was setting as Leo and Higgs reveled at their picnic spread, the worn Bridges blanket hosting a multitude of food items. Higgs couldn’t even begin to figure out where Leo had sourced it all from. She stood there, hands on hips, grinning at the selection. She was resourceful, and Higgs knew that the local preppers gave her gifts on occasion, but some of the stuff was unheard of. Chocolate? Fresh fruit? Those words alone would have caused Mules to come running from across the region to have a go at claiming it as their own. A wave of satisfaction and pride spread throughout Higgs as he thought about his partner’s success, and the fact that she chose to share it with him. He knew he was one lucky bastard.

The meal consisted of attempts at trying to throw bits of food in each other’s mouths, a few delectable favorites hand fed to the other followed by laughter, and one episode of Leo rolling her eyes when Higgs blew right through an entire loaf of fresh bread that she had procured all the way from the Timefall Farm. The light in the sky changed from yellow to orange, and now bathed the valley in soft shades of lavender as mist slowly filled the basin. Leo gasped as the flicker of a firefly appeared near them, low to the grass, but unmistakable in its glow. One after the other appeared, and soon, Leo and Higgs were surrounded by a field of light. Higgs unwrapped his arms from where he had been holding Leo as they watched the light show, and leaned over to grab the unforgotten guitar from the case. He knew Leo had been waiting for this moment with much patience. Her bright eyes, made even more orange by the fireflies, flickered with anticipation.

“Now don’t get your hopes up. It’s been a long time since I’ve played one of these things, and, well…you never know.” Higgs messed with the tuning, strumming until he seemed satisfied, a peaceful smile washing over his face. Leo, despite his protestations, had always thought Higgs attractive. But now, here in his element, surrounded by the glow of the evening and hair falling over his face, with his blue eyes shining, she thought he was absolutely beautiful.

Higgs broke the silence with a hesitant strum, getting the feel for the strings, forming a melody. It was a full, warm sound, and reverberated in Leo’s heart. Higgs looked up at her as he played, beaming.

“It’s somethin’ I heard on the network the other day. I think you were humming to it, and it kinda reminded me of you.”

He continued playing, and Leo laid on her back, folding her hands underneath her head as she listened. The stars twinkled in the sky, something she would never take for granted after a lifetime of chiralium-filled skies.

“You are the answer to my question

You are my accomplice in a crime…”

Leo sat up and looked over at Higgs, a smile breaking out on her face as she processed that Higgs was singing to her. He was absolutely beaming as he sang, the happiest she had ever seen him.

“You are my wing woman and did I mention

We were together in another life?”

Higgs wasn’t one to vocally voice his emotions, Leo knew that. He showed them through actions, through caring touches, hands on the small of her back, fingers gently moving strands of hair, lips whispering on skin in the dark of the night. Leo was surprised when she felt drops fall on her arms. She hadn’t realized she was crying. Higgs looked up at her, eyes earnestly exploring her own. He held her gaze as he sang the next line.

“…in that dream, you probably were my wife.”

With a final strum, the notes gave way to the quiet noise of the night. Crickets chirped, wind gently caressed the two bodies, and the nearby stream bubbled. Higgs set the guitar down next to him on the blanket, and Leo could see he had a hint of blush on his cheeks. Leaning over, slowly and softly, Higgs reached out and caressed Leo’s face. Thumb running over her cheek, over her lips. He wanted to take in every bit of her that he could. Blue eyes met golden eyes, each hungrily taking the other’s features in. Higgs moved in closer until his nose brushed against hers, lips a breath away. Leo closed the distance, softly kissing him, brushing her fingers against his neck, then running them into his hair. He gave a hum of pleasure at the motion, and broke the kiss, only to rest his forehead against hers.

“Leo, I-I love you…I know I don’t say it much, but I do. I really fuckin’ do. You’re the best thing to ever happen to me, and…I don’t deserve you. I just don’t—��� Leo cut him off with a finger to his lips, eyes brimming with tears.

“Higgs, please….please listen to me. I want you to know that every morning, you’re the first thing I think about. When I open my eyes, you’re the only thing I want to see. At night, I want the feeling of you holding me to be what stays with me as I fall asleep.” Leo couldn’t stop the tears from flowing as she earnestly gazed into his eyes, and she gave a laugh amidst them. “I want to live a thousand lifetimes with you by my side, and….I never want anyone to take your place. Higgs Monaghan, I love you. I fucking love you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You are my everything.”

The next moment found Higgs and Leo tangled in one another, clothing rapidly abandoned. Tender hands grasping to bring the other closer still, lips writing their own unique love stories on skin. Hands running through hair, hands running down hips, hands staking claim on bodies that willingly offered. Passionate prayers left Higgs’ lips and spread to the sky, prayers offered up at the alter of Leo’s body. Higgs was by no means religious, but at that moment, he found god in the form of the woman gasping his name from underneath him.

___________________________

Lying under the stars with nothing between them and the balmy night air, the two wrapped up in the blanket. Leo rested her head in the crook of Higgs’ shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her, placing his chin on the top of her head. The night was peaceful, and Leo had never felt safer than she did in Higgs’ embrace. The rise and fall of his chest, rhythmic and soothing, quickly lulled her to sleep. As he lie there, drowsily watching the stars twinkle and absentmindedly rubbing Leo’s shoulder, he thought about how his life led him to this point. How this woman, making soft sighs as she slept, accepted him and loved him with an incredible fierceness, showing him a facet of life he had never known. In that moment, as night in the valley settled and he drifted off to sleep, Higgs knew that for the first time ever, he had a long life to look forward to.

[kyoomiii]

♡ Midnight adventures [hcs]

-  ➣. . . ❝ Could I request a scenario with matsukawa in which he and fem!reader go grocery shopping at night? (づ￣ ³￣)づ ❞

― 𝚛𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢: @ anonie ​ ―

- ✎ 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 ❝ matsukawa, oikawa, and tendou ❞

- [ 𝚝��𝚒𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐(𝚜): heavy mentions of insecurity ]

- ⚘ 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎 ❝ fluff, angst ❞

❝ i apologize for the delay anonie. this is my first time writing for mattsun so i was having difficulties. anyway- i hope this is to your liking, i decided to add a couple of other characters, as well as make this an overall night time adventure kind of situation ❞

-yoomi ♡

The quiet audio of the movie is the only sound that fills Matsukawa’s room as you stare aimlessly at his laptop screen. Eyes trailed mindlessly on the brightly colored characters that appear before your eyes.

Your head is rested on his chest, arms around his torso as he holds you close amid this hushed night. 

Yet, despite the warm comfort he provides. You find yourself wide awake, listening to the thump of his heartbeat, and feeling the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he sleeps through the night, the show the two of you were watching long forgotten to him. 

Sighing softly you shift slightly, your arm reaching just a little further across his body, hand searching what you now realize is an empty snack bag.

The sudden movement causes Matsukawa to stir, eyes peering open into the relative darkness that surrounds the two of you.

“y/n?”

“Sorry did I wake you?”

The feeling of guilt fills your body as you glance at his blurred figure.

“It’s fine. Why are you still awake?”

“Couldn’t sleep?”

He lets out a soft yawn, bleary eyes glancing over the multiple empty bags that scatter his floor.

“You ate all the snacks?”

“They were tasty. (︶︿︶)”

“Then let’s get some more yeah?”

Despite the slight shock that fills you at the sudden proposition, you eagerly nod, the offer too good to pass up.

The two of you throw on your hoodies (well in this case it’s Mattun’s hoodies- but sharing is caring so...) before heading off to the nearest 24 hour store. 

Upon entering, the two of you grab a cart, Matsukawa stepping aside to let you grab the handle before he steps behind you, wrapping his arms tightly around your waist as the two of you explore the aisles of the store. 

“You know, one time we lost Oikawa here?”

“... There’s only like 10 aisles?”

“-But it’s Oikawa we’re talking about.”

“... You have a point.”

It’s a relatively relaxing experience- mainly for the fact that he’s still pretty much half asleep, occasionally dozing off on your shoulder as you look through the varying snacks displayed on the shelves.

“Sei, which one do you want?

“...”

“Sei-? Ew are you drooling on my shoulder?”

“Wha-? No… Of course not.”

Lies, the wet patches on your shoulder tell a different story.

However, as he slowly begins to wake up a little more, his antics become much more intentional.

“I’m so tired y/n… I could fall asleep right here.”

“Please don’t- Issei!”

“Oh no it has appeared that gravity has decided that in this very moment it shall increase on me tenfold.”

“We’re going to get kicked out if you don’t stop!”

“I guess the only solution is to sleep it off knowing that my wonderful, caring, lover shall take care of my unconscious body with the utmost love.”

“-You rotten boyfriend, you’re crushing me!”

Needless to say, the two of you did almost get kicked out. 

But the experience is worth it you suppose- especially since Matsukawa agreed to buy you lunch for the next week as an apology.

Oikawa is a night owl- when he realized this, he honestly had no idea. Perhaps it was in elementary when his love of aliens surfaced, or maybe it was middle school when he learned to love the stars as well. In the back of his mind the timing remains blank, not that it really mattered anyway- all that he needed to know was that at night was when he felt the most alive.

His mind would run wild, and his imagination seemed so much more vivid than it was in the day.

At night he didn’t have to worry about much- that could be saved for the morning. 

And tonight is one of many, so typical, yet so different at the same time. It’s a night where he can’t sleep and his mind is racing- but, there’s nothing to do tomorrow so he can’t force himself to sleep. 

Instead, he finds himself wandering the streets of Miyagi, clad in a pair of sweatpants and a thin hoodie. Letting his feet wander wherever his mind pleased.

He hadn’t noticed where he was until the familiar window had come into view. Illuminated by a bright light that no doubt indicated that you too were awake. Probably unable to sleep just like him. 

Taking his phone out of his pocket, he shoots you a quick text. 

Which in turn has you opening the window, and though it’s definitely not what you were expecting, you’re not exactly surprised to see Oikawa standing on the sidewalk in nothing but his pjs. Grin wide as he frantically waves to you. (He’s definitely done this before)

As a result, by this point you know the drill. Even if it is against your better judgement, you go down to meet him, for the simple fact that the two of you have been so busy that quality time together has become sparse.

Almost instinctively he excitedly engulfs you in his arms pressing kisses to your cheek as you chaste him for being out so late despite it being a weekend.

“Tooru, it’s late- what are you doing here?”

“Couldn’t sleep. And I missed you, so here I am. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯“

“That doesn’t mean you walk around in the middle of the night. (T⌓T)”

He knows, despite your words of disapprovement, you’re more than happy to be wrapped up in his arms, just like he is to hold you against him, Because if you weren’t you wouldn’t be smiling as the two of you walk hand in hand, him guiding you wherever he pleased, in the midst of this adventurous night.

Oikawa leads you, until the two of you are laying at the edge of the field that’s beside Seijoh, cuddled close in each other’s arms as you listen to Oikawa spew facts about the stars, and theories he has about the life forces that may exist far from where we have reached. 

You don’t realize you’re staring at him, until he stops, mid sentence, a look of questioning on his face.

“Why are you looking at me like that- is there something on my face?”

“No- just admiring you is all.”

“Oh- well of course you are. I’m stunning aren’t I? <(￣︶￣✧)>”

His sweet laughter fills the air, even as you send a gentle punch to his arm.

“Shut up trashykawa…”

Turning to you, eyes wide and adoring .

“But I suppose I only come in second, because you’re first.”

You’re glad it’s dark as a bright flush colors your cheeks.

“Sleazykawa (T_T)”

“Ehh? My love for you is only the purest! ꒰,o﹏o,꒱”

The silent click of time sounds throughout your head as you stare aimlessly at the top bunk. 

It’s hours into the night, but you can’t seem to fall asleep. Your roommate has done so long ago, but the simple fact that you just can’t seems to make the situation all the more frustrating.

Silently you lift your pillow from under your head, before stuffing it over your face. A soft groan, muffled by the fabric comes from you as your fingers grip the pillow case tightly.

You almost don’t hear the soft knock against your door.

As quietly as you can, you pad over to the door. Opening it to reveal Tendou.

“Satori…?”

“Did I wake you up?”

“I-Uh...No?”

“Good- come with me!”

The sudden force of his pull has you jerking forward. Shocked ridden on your face- though he wouldn’t be able to see it due to the darkness of the hallway.

“At least let me put on some shoes!”

Halting in his tracts, Tendou chuckles apologetically, watching as you disappear into your dorm for a few moments before you reappear in a hoodie that is obviously his, and a pair of shoes.

“What are you even doing here, you know it’s against the rules.”

“Technically so is staying up, but here we are anyway~”

He wasn’t wrong, and thus you had no argument as he pulled you through the halls. His movements are calculated and careful as he drags you out into the open. The fresh air hitting you as the two of you make a break for the school's entryway.

“Will you at least tell me where we’re going?”

“Honestly- I don’t know.”

“What??? (*ﾟﾛﾟ)”

“I mean- I kinda know- but Wakatoshi was a little vague about where it is…”

The confusion that swirls in your head doesn’t cease as Tendou leads you through the empty streets to your unknown destination. 

Quiet follows the two of you, save for Tendou’s quiet hum as his eyes search for something. Only to immediately light up at the sight of a small corner cafe by the looks of it. The little shop illuminated amidst the tons of darkened buildings.

“A cafe?”

“Mhm, figured if you were still awake. Might as well make the best of our time.”

And with that Tendou opens the door,the jingle of a bell followed by the sweet smell of fresh pastries fills your senses.

The shop is cute and small, with the only people filling the tiny space being you, Tendou, and the woman sitting behind the counter who smiles kindly at the two of you. 

Taking your seats near the window Tendou hands you a menu stacked on the edge of the table. He’s completely unfazed, as he looks through the booklet, eyes scanning over the drinks available.

However, after moments pass. Your silence becomes worrisome as he glances up at you.

“If you want we can go back?”

“No no! I’m just a little shocked is all… I know you said Wakatoshi-kun talked about this place so I guess I’m a little surprised you kept it in mind to take me here.”

Placing his menu on the tabletop and lacing his fingers together, Tendou grins.

“I can be romantic if I want to be.”

“Surprisingly~”

“Hey!”

Giggling softly you pick up your menu.

“I’m joking~ Let’s eat yeah? The snacks here look good.”

“Not as good as you~  ( ᵒ v ᵕ )৴♡*৹”

“Satori!”

[konan720]

Lil’ Julia and MoonJumper shorts

@winttiagloam

(Short four: Field Trip)

Little legs kicked back and forth, a happy hum; end of the year Field Trip was always something to look forward to! She and the entire school were going to go camping for a week. What a fun time that would be!

Being able to see nature that's not just outside her house or around the school! The small child looked out the window now, watching as every blurred object pass by.

Above the moving bus, MoonJumper followed- swiftly through the air unseen. As stupid as this Field Trip sounded, he wasn't about to leave his human to a bunch of judgmental children. Who knows what they might pull on her! Pranks, get her lost in the woods..-!

Why did he care so much? He shouldn't care about this! Idiotic feelings are getting in his way-! Though he can't seem to muster up the energy to do anything to this child he's clinging onto. Why was she so different from the others? Was it the fact that she doesn't know about the troubles she carries, or..-

Stop!

Stop thinking about this!

All he needs to do is making sure this child doesn't get into trouble! She's a magnet for disastrous situations like these! Something is bound to happen, and he's here to make sure the child doesn't dig an early grave! ———————

Here they were, as all the children poured out of the bus in a semi-orderly fashion, they lined up. The campsite was located next to a lake that divided off into glades. The place looked old, yet had modern like buildings- instead of wood, concrete took its place.

Not much an old styled camp, now is it? However, they did have cabins in a way.. just not traditional ones. Little Julia was the last child off the bus, she stood to the side and everyone took role call. Five children will be called out and that was to be their designated group.

Julia was apart of an all-girls group. A few of them were apart of the advanced classes; A rather noise to the sky air about them. Of course, Julia had no idea of the matter, nor did she pay attention well. She was more excited to explore the area, this place was massive and she was happy to be someplace different for once!

Everyone was being led to their cabins, or rather, buildings that were made of cement and had proper air conditioning. It was almost like an apartment but smaller. The buildings had six rooms, all walled off, and a simple living room. Each group was following their, what would be called, 'gator mother' despite some 'mothers' being male.

Once every child was settled in, they were left to mosey about while their gator mother watched over them. Julia stayed in her room for a moment, making sure her tall dark green rubber boots were on correctly. She was planning on getting near the swampy areas of the glades.

"Julia.. what do you think you're doing?" She heard MoonJumper speak for the first time this afternoon.

"Exploring!" Was her reply, she was chipper and happy, remembering a long time ago that her grandfather said these parts were haunted! "I'm gonna go find a ghost!"

MoonJumper had to stop himself from laughing. Julia was unaware that she had been friends with a ghost for some time now. Oh, who is he to ruin her fun? "Just be careful, swamps are very dangerous, their denizens strong and or venomous." Saying this, perhaps he should stay close behind here.

MoonJumper was unfamiliar with the kinds of snakes that roam this world. To a child that could be fatal...

"On another hand, perhaps you should go sightseeing at the local garden?" MoonJumper turned his head, only to find Julia was gone. "Oh, dear." ——————

"Hey, look. There goes the fairytale kid.." one girl mumbled, to their gossiping group.

"I heard she pretty stupid." Another whispered, "Which is kinda disappointing since her dad is a really good cop."

The group nodded at each other, they were all outside watching as Julia skipped around, eyes to the ground looking for a rather large stick. This stick would aid her in finding safe ground during her adventures. Plus to beat of anything that tries to attack her, like raccoons! Julia hates raccoons with a passion; those dirty thieves stole her gram crackers a few times.

"Hey fairytale, what are you doing?" One girl approached the light orange-haired girl.

"Looking for a stick." She said, to busy to explain further. She picked up a rather thick branch, not one that was to clean however, it still had a certain kind of moss her grandfather told her not to touch. She tossed it away to find another one.

"Why?" Another asked with a disgusted face, just watching then Julia made her feel dirty.

"Because!" Julia picked up a perfect stick for her endeavor "haunted swamp! I'm gonna go find the swamp ghost!"

The group of girls looked at each other, trying their best to not laugh though snickers still escaped them. There were no such things as ghosts! Never was, and never will be! They assumed the small girl didn't know that, so what harm would it be to play a little trick on her?

"Mind if we come with?" The taller girl of the group asked, smiling a sickeningly sweet smile. "That sounds fun!"

Julia smiled at them, she had a ghost hunting crew now! Just like on television! ——————

Nighttime came, which was always the best time to go hunting for the supernatural. The group of girls had to make sure their gator mother was unaware of their plan to sneak out, the girls would have to make it back for campfire hours because everyone would be there for their first day.

Well almost everyone, surely no one would miss the local fairytale spinner, right?

Somehow MoonJumper had managed to lose sight of his child, he knows something was off when those girls had taken a liking to Julia. No one would like her unless they wanted something. He frowned at that; the fact he too was one of those people, which was why he knew.

Julia skipped and tapped her stick around, a small map and a headlamp to see where she was going, the girls followed behind. One made a gagging noise, the squishing of soft mud were unpleasant to them.

Once they had made it to the edge of the camp, they saw the swamp that was surrounded by glades. The trees hung over them like arms severing in the soft wind. To Julia, it was breathtaking, but to the girls? They saw it as an ugly backwater alleyway.

"So, what do we do when we find this... ghost?" One asked, looking at Julia, their headlamps crossing streams of light.

"We don't do anything! We just watch!" Julia smiled at them, "we don't know if the spirit is vengeful or not! So making any moves towards it would be bad."

"W-what if it is vengeful...?" One girl said, who was particularly afraid of the dark, asked. The forest was starting to get to them, clouding their judgment of ghosts being real or not.

"We run like the wind!" Julia stated.

"Okay!" The taller girl said, smiling at her, the gasped in surprise "is that it over there!?" She pointed at nothing, but Julia didn't know.

"What, where?!" She was afraid she had missed it, the small girl tried to move forward but a sudden tug and a push knocked her into a tree braking her headlamp and her sense of direction.

Julia gripped onto the bark, pushing herself off. She must have tripped again, the girls laughed at her. It must have been pretty funny!

"Wow! You are stupid!" The tall girl said to Julia, she was smirking but the girl on the ground couldn't tell with the light shining in her eyes. "Wake up fairytale! Ghosts don't exist!"

Julia held a confused, "what..?" They were so nice to her all day, why were they being mean now? "Of course they exist..."

"No, they don't." The group leader said, face no longer smirking "that's just some stupid things adults say to scare little kids!" She then pointed "which makes you a freak since you're not scared!"

"That's not being a freak, that's being brave!" Julia yelled at them.

"Let's see how brave you are when we leave you here then!" The tall girl waved, turning around to walk away.

"Hey, wait!" Julia called back, realizing they took her map and her source of light. "Why..?"

A sudden roar echoed around the forest, more near them then away. It didn't sound like a cougar or a bear. No, it sounded more dangerous than that. The mire had shaken from the sound alone. A flash of color in between teal and green zipped around trees, catching all the girls' attention. Fear told them to run and ran the did, But Julia was having a harder time with the mud.

A massive amount of energy escaped this being as Julia was able to get a clear look. It glowed in the dark, a soft light, yet bright enough for Julia to her entire body. The energy the surrounded the long being looked like lightning, claw-like hands floated in place with smaller coin-like objects acting as arms. Its scary mask with long wavy prods stuck out far.

The small child was amazed, So awestruck she refused to move. Though, the first thing out of her mouth was:

"Are you a dragon?" Such an innocent question from a girl looking up at a being she had no idea what they were capable of.

It looked down at Julia, almost mulling over the thought of what it should do.

"Thank you for scaring away those mean girls!" Julia smiled, finally able to stand up. "I thought they wanted to be my friends.." she mumbled, then she realized all this excitement had made her forget where she was.

Without her map, she was lost.

"...I'm lost now..." the girl quietly said, trying to figure out where she came from. "I'm gonna be in big trouble." She then turned to the large being "are you lost too? Where'd you come from?"

Still no reply.

"That's okay, we can find out way together!" Julia smiled again, Unafraid of the towering long serpentine. It's mask looked down at her, a questioning look.

Looking around Julia giggled "Let's go this way!" The child pointed, only to have the being quickly snap at something, this made Julia freeze when she realized that the being had snapped a water moccasin coming on land in half.

Julia was about to step on it.

"Wow! You're quick! Quicker than a snake!" She smiled, though she then looked away worried. "Moon was right... I shouldn't have done this." The being placed a clawed hand on her head, almost like it was trying to comfort her.

"Julia! Thank heavens I found you!" MoonJumper dashed in grabbing the child away from the being. "What on earth is a Dweller doing here?!" He whispered to himself in a panic, he'd never seen a dweller of this size before. It made him feel, uneasy, almost scared. Though not for himself, but for the child that was now safely in his arms.

"Moon!" The girl hugged him happily, both not minding the mud for now. "I'm sorry, I should have listened to you!"

"No... I'm sorry I wasn't able to be there." He looked down with a sad expression on his face.

"It's okay though, the ghost dragon saved me!" The child pointed out, but she then saw it drift away. Its job was done. "Oh.. it's leaving... bye-bye ghost dragon!" The child yelled waving, MoonJumper was still in shock about this dweller being here, or that it was way larger and dangerous looking.

"Let's... return, shall we?" MoonJumper said, slowly making their way back to camp.

"Let's scare the campfire meet up!" Julia giggled, looking up at him.

MoonJumper smiled "oh, I thought you'd never ask..."

[artificialqueens]

Worlds Collide, Chapter 3 (Witney) - Albatross

AN: The next chapter will be Biadore and the next story to be posted will be Phianca!

And thank you to @VeronicaSanders for beta-ing!

To clarify the ages for these characters, here are all the queens that are used in the chapters posted so far, as well as future chapters: 19 - Bianca and Raja 18 - Courtney, Sharon, Manila, Raven, Dela, Shangela, Alyssa and Katya 17 - Willam, Alaska and Jinkx 16 - Adore, Laganja, Pearl, Violet, and Trixie  More queens' ages will be supplied if they get written as well

Willam’s arrival at the beginning of the semester was a bit…dull. Of course, that was to be expected after all. The headmistress kept a tight schedule and any deviation was likely to annoy her. So, it felt much like business as usual when Willam arrived to the campus, joined the upcoming semester’s round of new students and was sent on her way with her room assignment, a map of the campus, and a wish of ‘Good luck.’

Much like Ru; Michelle liked things to run smoothly as well but at the times they didn’t, which seemed to be more often than not, she still handled the stress with relative ease and remained good-natured for the sake of the students and faculty. As some of the new students had to travel quite a distance to find their way to the school, Michelle scheduled their arrivals over a one week period following the mid-term or end of year exams. The hope was that they’d come to the campus in controlled batches and any incidents in the dormitories would be kept to an absolute minimum. It also allowed the new students a chance to get to know their roommates and hopefully the school grounds as well before classes started.

Willam herself arrived towards the beginning of the week and was promptly assigned to live with another seasoned fire elemental. Michelle actually seemed rather proud of this match up she made, especially after she received word of Willam’s unique brand of flaunting her powers. She had high hopes that Alaska would help round out the Willam’s rougher edges or at least keep her from catching various objects on fire as had become her habit since her powers began to manifest.

Alaska herself took the news of her new roommate quite well and rushed over to the school’s main office to meet her following the mandatory orientation. Most upperclassmen usually let fate decide when they’d actually get around to meeting the new enrollees but Alaska was beyond excited and couldn’t wait to see who she’d be living with. In her first year, she’d been paired with another fire elemental who excelled at teaching her about patience and control with her powers and now she longed for the opportunity to repay that gesture with another student.

Despite the mistrustful gaze present on her new roommate’s face as they introduced themselves, by the time the two actually arrived at their dorm room they were well on their way to becoming fast friends. They found they had a similar sense of humor as Alaska casually commented on the social life present on campus and Willam found she was actually drawn to the way Alaska seemed so easy-going and confident in herself. Her smile was bright and relaxed all at the same time and it helped ease the nerves Willam tried so hard to hide as they made their way across the campus grounds. Even her roommate’s laughter proved to be quite infectious as she recounted a number of mishaps that she had seen when the last group of students moved in a few months ago.

As the pair walked to their dormitory, Alaska was quick to offer assistance with the sizeable amount of luggage Willam had brought with her. It was very nearly too much for one person to haul on their own but with the help of a second person, the baggage became much more manageable. Alaska was quite eager to help with all aspects of integrating Willam into campus life, though her fondness for training became very evident as she excitedly pointed out the sparring grounds as they walked to their living quarters. It was clear she wanted Willam to start accompanying her once she was settled in, perhaps in a week or so, but Willam remained vague on her commitment. Showing off already how poorly she controlled her powers, if it could be called that, was not high on her to-do list. Even just a glimpse of the training grounds caused a shameful lurch to appear in the pit of her stomach…she couldn’t even begin to imagine what might manifest if she actually stepped foot in those sparring rings any time soon.

But almost as quickly as they entered their dorm room, Alaska dumped the luggage onto Willam’s bed and ushered her off to the dining hall for lunch. Following that short break, the rest of the day proceeded normally; Willam found homes for all of her belongings that afternoon and then Alaska began to show her around the campus. They made plans to visit the town a bit later, possibly even save it for the weekend, but there was already plenty to see on the school grounds as it was. The next three days were spent exploring the areas closest to the school. The training grounds were one of their first stops despite Willam’s heavy reluctance, the fields for sports and sparring next, a brief tour of the nature trails in the woods surrounding the school, and then gradually they worked their way around to the academic building itself. It was massive, Willam had to admit, but that was to be expected. Never mind the number of students, a vast amount of the grounds were simply dedicated to various structures to aid them in learning about their powers as well as for the staff to study portals, other worlds, and even what managed to come through from both. In every regard this was a primarily academic campus.

It was on their second day that Willam finally met Courtney.

Alaska had been explaining some of the scattered buildings around the campus as they crossed through the lawn when she spotted a lone student walking from the direction of the greenhouse. The timing couldn’t have been better, Alaska thought as she tugged Willam along in order to cover the distance before her friend was out of sight. She had meant to introduce the two all along but as to when would have been a bit of a guess. Most days, Courtney was usually busy with something related to the greenhouse; whether it be tending to the plants, collecting samples in other worlds, cataloguing new arrivals, or even transplanting across the campus. It usually was a hit or miss if Courtney would be in whenever Alaska stopped by to chat or drop off notes from their few shared classes. But regardless Courtney was still one of her closest friends and she was longing to introduce the pair. She had high hopes that the two would hit it off as well as Courtney and Alaska had themselves. Besides, if anyone Alaska knew could handle Willam’s rambunctious personality, it would have to be Courtney.

As they grew near and Alaska was able to draw Courtney’s attention, it became very clear she wasn’t quite her usual composed self. Her hair looked rather like it had gone through a wind tunnel and smears of something powdery in yellow and red was splattered across her skin and clothes. Once Alaska was even closer she noticed little bits of miscellaneous plant parts clinging to Courtney’s hair.

“What happened to you?” she asked incredulously as she took in the damage.

Laughing it off with a carefree wave of the hand, Courtney gave a bright smile and replied, “Bit of an accident in the greenhouse. Not that big a deal. I’m just heading back to the dorm to clean up a little before finishing up in there.”

Willam was struck by the out of place accent but as she was trying to decipher where this overly cheerful girl originated from, Alaska had begun questioning her in a knowing tone, “You and Shangela working on some new project again?”

Courtney gave a sort of noncommittal noise and replied tentatively, “Mm, kind of. You remember about two weeks ago that trip we went on to, um…DWJ-08?”

Not a world Willam was familiar with but judging by the look on Alaska’s face, it seemed she couldn’t quite recall many details either. Musing to herself for a moment in consideration or at least attempting to recollect the events of the excursion itself, Alaska eventually offered up, “Mm…Oh, that was the one with um…the daisy flowers, right?”

“Like a rafflesia cross-bred with witch hazel,” Courtney supplied hesitantly as she tried and failed to come up with a better analogy.

Either way, the description sparked a memory for her friend and Alaska’s face lit up as she finally recollected, “Ah, yeah, I remember! Hot as hell and rained most of the time.”

Nodding her head in agreement, Courtney continued on to explain, “Well, the samples we brought back started flowering a few days ago so Shangela asked Laganja to come by and raise a light wind to spread around the pollen. Kinda like what happens out in the jungle but there that’s usually by insects or animals-”

As the blonde trailed off on some sort of tangent, Willam nudged Alaska and whispered, “'Lananja’?”

“Air elemental,” the younger woman murmured in response, “Nicknamed for obvious reasons…Can’t even remember her real name any more.”

“Mm,” Willam noted as she pondered over the information. She’d have to catch up with this girl at some point in the near future. Even if she didn’t sell, at the very least she would know who does and that was a piece of information Willam was definitely interested in. But for now her attention was drawn back to the prattling blonde who finally seemed to be arriving at the point to her story, “Well, all was fine till Alyssa popped in about an hour ago. She was talking with both of them and…you know how that goes.”

“Carrying on again?” Alaska supplied as an amused grin formed at the thought.

“Mh-mm,” Courtney confirmed, smiling at the memory of the three chattering away with one another. The trio often acted much like bickering siblings yet strangely enough, Alyssa and Shangela had actually begun dating sometime last year. It was odd they ended up together, most thought their relationship was purely platonic, but they seemed quite happy with one another regardless. They could often be found in each other’s company, for better or worse. Whether it’d be Shangela trying to keep Alyssa out of trouble or Alyssa pulling her girlfriend along for some outing that almost inevitably would end up with them receiving some kind of lecture from Michelle once it got out of hand, they never seemed to be far away from each other for very long. But it was clear they cared for each other very deeply despite their frequently differing opinions or flaring of tempers.

As Courtney ran through these observations in her mind, she informed Alaska of the incident that led to the latest round of bickering between the pseudo-siblings, “’Ganja was telling us how Alyssa freaked out in their gym class last month when a portal opened up on the edge of the field. Something came out of it almost right away, I guess, and she flipped.”

Alyssa was known to get a bit freaked out by most animals from their own world so when others found their way here? It was usually an ordeal and her freaking out was to be almost expected.

Laughing a little as she remembered that bit of gossip from a few weeks ago, Alaska added in, “Yeah, I heard that story. Roxxxy said it was only the size of a cat though.”

Courtney couldn’t stop herself from giving a snorting laugh as a very distinct voice from just a few minutes ago echoed in her mind. She could practically still hear and picture the wide-eyed expression on Alyssa’s face as she had insisted, “A big cat…huge.”

Langanja was quick to roll her eyes as she continued manipulating the wind she rose, and shot back, “Girl, stop being so dramatic! It was not that big and wasn’t even doing nothing. Just walking around and shit.”

But that comment had been rather calculated to dig under Alyssa’s skin and quite predictably she fell into defending herself adamantly. A small shudder ran up Courtney’s spine at reliving the events once more but for Alaska’s benefit, she mentioned lightly, “Either way, they started squabbling and Alyssa got all worked up again. She went on ranting about some of the stupid shit Langanja was busted for last week; getting caught smoking in the bathroom with Gia or something or maybe it was the locker room. Did you hear about that? Anyway, Shangela tried calming her down but Laganja just had to cut in again and…Well, she ended up getting distracted and hitting me with a load of pollen and God knows what else.”

That seemed to be a bit of an understatement but while Alaska wasn’t inclined to comment on that exactly, Willam found herself scoffing and rolling her eyes. She was getting a bit bored by the high-speed rambling but hopefully 'Story Time with Courtney’ was nearly over. She was almost itching to see the rest of the campus if only to work off some kind of the odd, nervous energy that had built up inside of her.

With a beaten sigh, Courtney shrugged her shoulders and tried to excuse herself, “I’m gonna see if I can salvage anything out of my hair and clothes before it all gets washed down the drain. I’ll see you at dinner.”

“Good luck!” Alaska called out with warm smile. But Courtney had barely begun turning towards the direction of the dormitories before Alaska remembered her reason for coming over. Quickly recalling her friend’s attention, Alaska hurriedly interjected, “Oh, before you go, wanted to introduce you two real quick.”

A curious smile found its way to Courtney’s lips as she realized she actually had not yet met Alaska’s companion yet. Often times she found the younger blonde floating between random groups of friends, so much than Courtney only knew about half of them, but this particular woman was not one she remembered seeing around the school before. Her interest was piqued as she heard Alaska mentioning, “Willam, this is Courtney. Courtney, this is Willam. She’s my new roommate.”

Quickly recovering her manners, Courtney shot the restless looking young woman a bright and cheerful smile as she extended her hand. It was accepted with a distinct air of impatience as Courtney greeted her new acquaintance warmly, “Nice to meet you!”

“You too…” Willam replied tentatively. As their hands touched something unusual happened. Willam could feel her fingers growing hot for an unknown reason and strangely, so were her cheeks. Even the lightest brush of their skin had her heart’s pace beginning to pick up.

But there was hardly a moment for her to take notice as she caught sight of a sudden movement from amidst Courtney’s shoulder-length locks. Unknown to the plant elemental, something green and twisty was beginning to emerge between the tangled waves and knots deep within her hair. It looked almost like a miniature vine was sprouting out of nowhere as it rapidly gained mass and seemed to accelerate through its life cycle. Startled by the sudden appearance of the greenery, Willam shot the oblivious woman a strange look and muttered, “Um, your hair, girl.”

Surprised, Courtney’s hand flew up to touch her head as she automatically questioned, “What?”

Upon coming into contact with the still growing plant, which now seemed to be producing some kind of series of small flowers, Courtney found her spirits lifting as she gave the tense young woman a delighted word of gratitude, “Oh, thanks! Good catch.”

Then inspiration struck her and her eyes grew comically wide as an exuberant smile stretched across her lips. This was the perfect way to salvage the plant pieces that had been blown onto her person without risking any damage to them. Excited about her new idea, Courtney let out an eager squeal, “Oh! That’s what I can do! I need Shangela!”

And with that she turned heel and ran straight back to the greenhouse as Willam and Alaska were left standing in place looking after her. Willam was puzzled by all that took place and even a little alarmed as she noticed the tips of her fingers beginning to spit out a small shower of sparks. Hastily brushing them against her pant legs, she glanced up to see Alaska’s highly amused reaction as she watched Courtney dashing off out of sight. Seems this was rather normal behavior for Courtney, she figured.

“Fun, right?” Alaska asked proudly as they continued on with the tour of the grounds.

Still unsure of what to make of the strange plant elemental, Willam muttered, “She’s something.”

******

To say Willam was a bit perplexed by Courtney was an understatement. She just couldn’t get a handle on Courtney’s personality at first; alternating between being rather suspicious of her, to finding that she actually did like her on occasion. Courtney’s behavior was confusing…she’d never go out of her way to say something negative about another person yet she was close friends with a few other students who could easily fit the bully mold or at the very least were of the incredibly sarcastic variety. But although she never really started with the snide comments, Willam found that Courtney could keep up with it quite well, often trading friendly jabs with Bianca on the rare instances when the snarky theater enthusiast joined them for lunch.

The first time Willam had let such a comment slip around Courtney, Willam found herself watching with interest as to what the plant elemental would do. She expected her to get offended, and in truth Courtney did pretend to be, but just as Willam finally thought she got a grasp on Courtney’s personality, the older girl threw her for a loop and began dishing the comments right back. She easily kept pace with Willam’s offbeat remarks, almost lazily adding on to each one as she smiled away in amusement from across the table. It was here Willam found herself getting truly frustrated for the first time in a long while. For every jab she dared to make, testing the waters just a little more each time, Courtney just brushed it all off until Willam finally gave up after her fingers were threatening to spark again. One such exchange concerned their clothing choices for the school day with Willam remarking that of the trio, she was always dressed the most fashionably.

Without missing a beat, Courtney remarked with a placid grin, “Well, if I have to be the pretty one of the group, might as well let you dress the cutest.”

The comment caught her so off guard that she stumbled for a response. A reaction that certainly was not lost on Courtney as she challenged rather unsuccessfully for Willam to come up with any kind of witty retort. Feeling her mind draw a complete blank, Willam was left trying to smother the sparking of her hands as she quickly changed the topic.

That was a feeling she found herself becoming reluctantly accustomed to as they got to know one another. All would go well at first but then out of nowhere some little thing would set Willam off and she felt her skin beginning to overheat.

There were plenty of times when she would end up getting flustered, either by Courtney or something else, and she found herself huffing out little bursts of flame as she spoke. Soon she became known for the behavior but to her immense relief everyone simply assumed it was intentional…though she suspected that one of her new and closest friends actually knew the truth.

Finding Sharon had been almost like a god-send. Though Willam genuinely liked Alaska, she still felt she had to curb her behavior a bit around her roommate. Alaska was an exceptionally talented fire elemental, even earning rare praise from the headmistress herself for her seemingly effortless control. Willam was a stark contrast to that and it was a trait she’d become painfully aware of. Deep down she knew Alaska wouldn’t judge her but still she found she couldn’t bear to admit such a thing to her roommate, even if said person was more than willing to assist with training. It felt akin to admitting defeat every time she thought about asking Alaska for additional help…though Willam was powerful on her own, the lack of control, especially when emotions become involved, was embarrassing. She wanted as few people to know about it and even Sharon was a bit too much.

Though Sharon never said a word, it was clear she was paying special attention to Willam’s little 'quirks’ as they came to be known throughout the school. The fire elemental in question found herself becoming hyper aware every time a little spark or burst of flame escaped from her person around a certain blonde. She tried to hide it but as she began spending more time with Courtney, it became increasingly harder to do so.

Quite to Willam’s surprise, she discovered that deep down she actually did like Courtney’s personality. Even if Courtney would chide her for certain remarks, Willam found herself craving the attention, good or bad, that she received. She loved the instances when she was able to get a rise out of the plant elemental. Before long she had even made it a game to see just how far she could push Courtney until her calm demeanor cracked.

It all began with a few jabs here and there as she got a feel for what would annoy Courtney the most. Then as she picked up on the subjects she was most touchy about, Willam would really begin to sink in her claws. Backhanded comments were an expected form of conversation before long, usually to Willam’s pleasure, earning an exaggerated eye roll but ensuring that Courtney’s focus was strictly on her.

After awhile Willam would get bored as Courtney began to brush off the remarks, so naturally it was then time to really push the boundaries. The friendly jabs turned a little more cutting and as each one dug under the older girl’s skin a little more, Willam felt unable to stop…at least until someone stepped in or she took it too far. She got some kind of sick joy out of seeing Courtney finally getting worked up but all too often she ended up overdoing it. At times it was difficult to tell if Courtney was genuinely annoyed or just acting that way so that Willam would calm down. Far too frequently, Willam would read misread the signs and think Courtney was just pretending when in fact she did have issue with whatever comment was just said.

Once Willam realized that she had managed to irritate her friend, usually via an off-color remark that’d butt heads with Courtney’s passion for social justice, her stomach would turn and of course her anxiety would begin to manifest. She’d huff a little more, shooting out licks of fire as she became irritated that Courtney was 'acting like such a baby’ but all that did was earn her the contempt of a number of her peers. They thought she was callous and rude when in fact the reality was that she was torn apart by Courtney’s reaction.

More than once guilt ate away at her and she’d end up seeking out Courtney as soon as she was able to. Usually by that time Courtney forgot what had happened and Willam was left awkwardly trying to hide her embarrassment. It worried her that Courtney could so easily brush everything off after a few hours while her heart constricted around itself until she was sick to her stomach. Then of course she’d just get irritated with her reaction and blow her off until Courtney came running to her side.

That was an endless cycle it seemed; Willam would become so caught up in her own emotions that she’d lash out yet again at the very person she longed to be near. Courtney would almost always be the one to bridge the gap Willam created, either with thoughtful compliments, confused but genuine apologies, or even simply staying by Willam’s side until she calmed down and got over herself.

Courtney was always better at reading Willam than vice versa and that struck her as quite unfair. Courtney was like a bright, cheerful ray of light while she was just a bitter shadow shrinking away under Courtney’s natural warmth. But Courtney would never let her hide away for long; she sought out Willam as eagerly as the fire elemental seemed drawn to her. Despite their differences, they couldn’t remain apart for very long. Just being in the same room was enough to fill that need to be close because as much as Courtney hated to say it, that was usually as close as they got.

She tried to touch the younger woman, to hug her as she did with all her friends, but Willam actively recoiled from the affection. She didn’t used to be like that, in fact, prior to her powers manifesting Willam was quite good at tolerating that kind of affection from her friends, but now that she was a fire elemental? She was terrified of accidentally hurting someone…especially Courtney. It was almost like a sick joke that she longed to spend time with the plant elemental; Courtney’s pride and joy being so easily flammable and ready to be consumed by Willam’s with just the slightest spark.

Willam wasn’t sure if she could live with herself if she ever hurt one of her friends.

This was why she actively avoided visiting Courtney in her greenhouse despite the occasional invitations.

Courtney had meant it to be friendly; she was so proud of all she, Shangela and the other students had done that she wanted to show it off…particularly because she was the one that took charge of it last year. At first it had been much more sparse, more like additional training or storage room rather than area for study. All that had been growing in the greenhouse were local plant species; hardly anything interesting or unique unless it arrived by random chance or a student brought it in themselves.

But then Courtney stumbled upon a hidden grove of plants that must have been deposited after some random portal opened up many years ago. She’s been off walking through the nature trails of the school while practicing with her mastery over plant growth when she accidentally ended up clearing away a long forgotten path.

When Courtney stumbled upon the spot, she had been randomly testing her powers on the various plants, forcing them to fast forward through their life cycles and then spring up again entirely young and anew. In that particular area, she bent the bushes and vines to her will; tendrils rapidly multiplying and fragrant blossoms springing up from the bush. Then as if it were fall, it all began to wilt away and petals faded to nothing, leaves lost their luster as they shriveled in on themselves and dropped to the ground. Courtney almost let the cycle continue until the plants regained their health like they would every spring but the now exposed path caught her eye in the background.

Curious, she left the plants looking half dead as she pushed her way between them and followed the severely overgrown trail. Vaguely she wondered how long it had been since anyone walked down this path but after nearly 20 minutes of hiking deeper into the forest, she found herself entering a small clearing near one of the edges of the woods. The trees had become far less dense so smaller plants had the opportunity to thrive in the open areas, though admittedly quite clustered. Wildflowers were beginning to pop up and before long Courtney discovered a species that was certainly not native to her world…

Growing much like ivy, she found a dense mass of thin stems with leaves large and small shooting off at each of the individual segments. That alone wasn’t quite unusual, except that was different from every other plant commonly found in the forest. No, what really caught Courtney’s eye were the colors…the top of the leaves were a deep emerald green on the older and larger samples while the younger ones were a dark blue-green. But as Courtney stepped closer she found that what she had at first mistaken for shadows was actually evidence of the leaves’ unusual underside; a vibrant version of royal purple that seemed to darken as the plant aged. Using these small clues, Courtney trained her graze to focus on the darker patches and found that at most, this covering of perhaps five or six square feet of land could all be traced to maybe three individual plants.

It was utterly impressive that it grew to such a size but Courtney found herself curious…what if a piece broke off?

Would it continue to grow and develop its own root system or would it simply die off?

Giving into that burning question, she carefully separated one of the younger offshoots and laid it on the ground. Almost nervously she exercised her powers on both the main plan and the newly detached portion. In the time Courtney would have equated to about a week, yet for her only two minutes or so, the freshly cut plant was growing the beginnings of a new root system before her very eyes. The little white tendrils worked their way into the soil and once there an entirely new shoot rose up from beneath the ground. For several inches it grew straight as a pole and then collapsed under its weight and fell to the ground but even there it did not stop. It wound itself around and produced segment after segment with those brilliant colors fast forwarding through their life cycle. Even the original section Courtney had used was growing marvelously. At almost the same rate as it’s twin, it sped through its leaf and stem production until they were about the same length.

And then the main plant?

It shriveled up a bit where Courtney had cut it but that was to be expected…then quite quickly it formed a second offshoot very near where the first piece was cut off and began growing completely undeterred.

It was utterly fascinating and Courtney just had to take a sample back with her. But before she could dig out her newly grown section, a flash of dark orange caught her eye in the distance. Growing around the base of a tree was yet another invasive species from another world. This time it was a cluster of small flowers barely even a centimeter while in full bloom yet completely covering the mass of chartreuse greenery surrounding the tree’s trunk. If she looked even closer the orange was not the only color in the flower; very close to the center there was a darker shade…a garnet red that must have acted like a beacon to draw insects to flower’s center.

Overwhelmed, Courtney cast her gaze around again and off in the distance was yet another foreign plant. She quickly worked out that there must be some kind of intermittent portal nearby that dropped off these visitors who somehow found that they could adapt to their new home. She wondered how many other species might be nearby but that would require a greater effort to search for them…she needed Shangela at the very least to assist her.

Excitedly, Courtney plucked her sample from the ground, along with a handful of dirt, and ran back to the greenhouse. As she potted her new plant, she texted Shangela to come meet her immediately and once her friend arrived they were off like a shot to see the headmistress. Shangela shared Courtney’s enthusiasm and ached to be able to see the grove as well but first they had to make sure they could use the greenhouse as a storage space for all the specimens they hoped to collect. Ru wasn’t as thrilled as her students about the discovery but agreed to let them do as they wished following some helpful encouragement from Michelle. She fully supported the girls’ desire to study the species so long as they were sure to document everything and of course, remain safe in the process. Each promised to do their best and before the sun had set that day, the greenhouse had been cleaned and prepped in order to receive its new arrivals.

The following day Courtney and Shangela organized an effort with a few other students to search the grove and collect any specimens they could find. It took the entire morning and most of the afternoon but no less than 19 unknown species were found to have been deposited around a stretch of land spanning at least half a mile of the forest. There was no doubt a portal was at work but as to the conditions it needed to appear and which world or even worlds it came from…that was a mystery.

But it was one Courtney was determined to solve.

Regardless, she resolved to keep the area under close watch and turned her attention to taking care of the samples being brought back to the greenhouse. She and Shangela took charge of making sure every newly potted plant arrived safely and securely and later that night set to work documenting each of them. In all it took three days before they agreed that they were satisfied with their descriptions of what the plant looked like, what conditions it seemed to thrive in, and where it was found on the school grounds. As they placed a symbol on their little hand-drawn map of the area, a distinct pattern emerged. It seemed, strangely enough, that the portal was moving!

There was no other way to account for such a wide dispersal pattern but that information just made the situation all the more confusing.

At least, as Courtney pointed out, they could anticipate where it might open up next and sure enough, just a few weeks later there was in fact a new arrival. It was almost missed at first and Courtney was sure that if she had not been visiting the grove at least once a week, it would have gone unnoticed for quite some time. The plant was just a little sapling, hardly more than four inches tall at that point but already when Courtney discovered it, it was set to root itself firmly into the ground. Upon transplanting it at the greenhouse, Courtney was surprised to find that once she exercised her powers to enhance its growth, the plant actually grew into a small bush with the most unusual cluster of berries. There were always three to a bunch, except for one odd cluster where only two managed to grow to full size while the third remained small and shriveled. Beyond that, they were a deep sea-foam green with a slight glossy sheen to them…it was utterly intriguing.

Curiously, Courtney plucked off a random cluster, not quite daring to eat them but certainly tempted to.

She rolled them around in her hand to examine the details more closely. They were all growing from one stem and one seemed to be just a slightly lighter shade than the others. She separated that particular one from the bunch and placed the others into a small clear container. As if it would provide some kind of insight, she found herself staring at them expectantly, almost as though they’d suddenly start spilling out their secrets if she kept it up long enough.

She hadn’t even noticed that Alaska had wandered into the greenhouse to pick her up for lunch nor that she had sat herself down quite calmly only ten feet away. Alaska watched in amusement as Courtney remained solely focused on the container in front of her. It wasn’t anything unusual, she was actually quite used to it, and they still had some time to kill before Adore arrived so Alaska simply let her be.

In fact the only thing that managed to pry Courtney’s attention away from the berries was the sudden appearance of Shangela’s hand on her shoulder. In her deeply distracted state she had completely missed the somewhat loud entrance of her friend as the greenhouse door slammed shut and the exasperated sigh that quickly followed once Shangela had taken in the scene. Her eyes flickered from Courtney bent over the container to Alaska sitting close by in absolute serenity, entirely unbothered by the lack of response from Courtney. Shangela’s eyes rolled as hard as they could at Alaska’s easygoing shrug and she marched right up to Courtney’s side.

When the distracted blonde showed no sign of recognizing another presence, she placed her hand on Courtney’s shoulder, effectively startling her out of intense stare-down with the berries, and firmly told her, “Go to lunch already.”

“No one’s here yet!” Courtney argued in a rather whiny and defensive manner.

Shangela arched a sarcastic eyebrow and questioned, “Oh, no?”

She gestured over to Alaska who gave her signature wave and bright smile as she greeted her deeply embarrassed friend.

“When did you get here?” Courtney squeaked out.

“About ten minutes ago,” the Alaska replied placidly. “Still waiting for Adore though.”

As if that were an excuse, Courtney rounded on Shangela and reasoned, “See? I’ve still got time!”

Another eye roll was sent her way but it went against the grain with Shangela to simply let her resume staring blankly at the container again. Gesturing to the pair of berries, she prompted, “What’s the deal with those?”

Coming back to her senses, Courtney explained, “New arrival. From the grove, you know. Must have come in sometime this week…”

Motioning to the fully grown bush a few feet away, Courtney mentioned, “It grew into that and then these little berries popped up.”

Studying the plant closely, Shangela asked curiously, “Where’s the third one?”

“By itself…the color was a bit off so I set it aside. Not sure if that means anything yet.”

“And that’s what you were trying to figure out by staring down that container?” Shangela questioned her friend knowingly.

Almost sheepishly, Courtney confirmed her suspicions but admitted she was no closer to an answer than she’d been 20 minutes ago. After having listened to the exchange closely, Alaska suggested in a mild tone, “Well, why not try cutting one open at least? We have some time till Adore gets here.”

Though admittedly hesitant to do so, at least until she attempted to try to research the plant in the library’s archives, Courtney had to agree there really wasn’t much else she could do at this point. Staring at the berries certainly did her no good and she doubted the limited records in the library would have anything useful to add. Might as well just see what the interior looked like.

As Courtney prepared to make an incision into the foreign berry, Shangela turned her attention to some of her own plants. She was certain that some of them required more frequent watering schedules than the others but she was still in the process of figuring out exactly how often that ought to be. For now she simply came by to check on how wilted the plants had become since that morning and upon seeing at least two of them beginning to shrivel up, she opted to go ahead and water them a second time today.

While she busied herself with that task, she caught a whiff of a powerfully offensive smell. Her lips twitched in disgust and almost immediately she called out in annoyance, “Good God, Courtney! How many times do I gotta tell you? If you gotta do that, crack a window first!”

“What?” Courtney replied in immense confusion before taking note of the horrific scent herself. Mildly offended by the accusation, she shot back, “That wasn’t me! You’d know if it was me!”

Skeptical, Shangela demanded to know, “Well, if it’s not you then what was it?”

Courtney was at a loss for an explanation at least until Alaska stepped in with watering eyes and a hand clasped over her nose as she murmured, “Uh…guys?”

The pair looked to her before following her line of sight to the now thoroughly sliced berry. Almost as if the realization had made the stench even worse, they all groaned and Shangela immediately demanded, “Get rid of it!”

“Where?” Courtney heatedly argued, “It’s gonna stink no matter where we throw it out!”

“Then fucking bury it!” Shangela shot back as she clenched her nose shut, “Just get it out of here!”

Though Courtney was inclined to agree that burying it might be the best option, that’d still require a bit of time and even then it wasn’t guaranteed to cover the stench. While she hesitated for a moment to collect her thoughts, Alaska suggested hopefully, “Maybe I could burn it?”

A steady flow of water was streaming from her eyes at this point and about the same could nearly be said for the others. Courtney glanced over to Shangela with a silent question and the brunette swiftly replied, “Whatever! Just do something, please, before we have to fumigate the whole building!”

Taking charge, Alaska picked up the container and poured out the berries into her hand. With a silent prayer that the juices wouldn’t stain her hand or leave any trace of the toe-curling smell, she quickly set the plant ablaze…and that turned out to be a colossal mistake.

Smoke immediately poured out and filled the greenhouse with a stench even worse than before. All three girls were gagging but they were too far gone to stop what had been started. They simply just had to ride it out until the berries were gone. Regardless, Courtney and Shangela ran to open all the windows and doors as wide as they could to encourage the air to escape the building quicker. The thought of taking the smoldering berries outside was tempting but already they were nearly nothing but ash in just two minutes. Nothing left for Alaska to do but tough it out, she figured.

As she tried not to retch she heard Courtney choking out, “Call Laganja! Quick! And Raja, too!”

A glance to the brunette in question confirmed she was already on it but thankfully at that point the last remainder of the ash was burned away to nothing and a sense of relief washed over the blonde. Though the smell was still lingering, it was much better than before. She could at least breathe again…somewhat.

Five minutes later, the air elementals had been reached and were on their way over from the dorms while the three debated what to do with the remaining berry, as well as the rest of the plant. Shangela wanted to return it to the grove but Courtney was reluctant. She still wanted to study the sample more intensely and take notes on it…then maybe it could go back to the grove. Though admittedly she hoped by that point Shangela would just either get used to it or forget about the plant entirely.

Alaska of course remained neutral as she calmly watched the two bicker back and forth as they cleaned up a little. In fact when Adore finally strolled into the building she was the only one to take notice at first. Adore seemed a bit confused as to why all the windows and doors had been opened but the look on her face as she stepped inside was priceless. Her nose scrunched up and her lower lip was immediately caught between her teeth as she forced back a dry heave.

Alaska couldn’t help but grin as Adore cried out accusingly, “God, Courtney! The fuck did you eat?”

“It wasn’t me!” Courtney squeaked out defensively.

Adore seemed to have a hard time buying it so Alaska quickly stepped in to explain the situation. Of course by the time she reached the end, all it served to do was restart Courtney and Shangela’s argument once again.

“Just take it back to the grove and study it there,” Shangela insisted.

“There’s no need to!” Courtney argued, “As long as no one cuts open another berry, it’ll be fine!”

“And who’s gonna stay here and make sure nothing else happens, then? Sure as hell ain’t gonna be me!”

“No one’s asking you to! We’ll just separate the bush from everything else. No one else comes here any way!”

They kept arguing back and forth but by this time Adore had grown a bit bored. Her gaze drifted to the remaining berry and less than stealthily she made her way over to it. The bickering pair of plant elementals were so wrapped up in their debate that they completely missed Adore’s wandering eye…at least until she rolled the berry out into her hand and took a curious whiff of it. Almost instantly the two had shut up as matching looks of shock grew across their face.

Turning to face them, Adore mentioned casually, “Seems fine to me.”

Courtney gave an unsure murmur but only Shangela squawked at her to put the berry down that second. The last thing she needed was another round of that horrible stench. Shrugging carelessly, Adore did as she was told but her interest in the plant had certainly not faded. The scent of the lone berry remaining was absolutely fascinating. At the very least it was certainly a sharp contrast than the smell that had greeted her as she walked in. Now if that sweet, floral scent were to fill the greenhouse…Adore might just find herself visiting more often.

The plant elementals quickly returned to arguing amongst themselves and as soon as Adore was sure their attention had been redirected away from her, she cast a sly gaze over to Alaska, Almost immediately Alaska was suspicious of the mischievous grin and once Adore’s head jutted meaningfully towards the remaining berry, Alaska was furiously shaking her head. In the two seconds her sight left Adore’s in debate of whether or not to alert the other girls, Adore had grabbed the small scalpel Courtney had left sitting out and was preparing to make her own incision.

Courtney’s gaze registered Alaska’s worried expression just a moment too late and before she could even call out a strict warning, Adore had already sliced the last berry completely in half. The three that had lived through the brunt of the last overwhelming stench immediately clasped their hands over the mouth and nose as they all scolded Adore for her actions to varying degrees.

Had the end results been similar to the last berry that was cut open, Adore might have listened…possibly.

But since the light scent she had smelled earlier was all that escaped the plant, she felt rather proud as her voice smugly interrupted the trio with, “Smells delicious to me.”

At once the tirade had stopped as everyone but Adore gave a careful, considering whiff. Much to their surprise, the air was beginning to smell pleasant. The stench from before was even disappearing beneath this new scent. But still, Shangela was less than pleased. She immediately returned to scolding Adore for her thoughtless behavior for what little good that did. Adore simply brushed off Shangela’s attempts at reprimanding her with another carefree shrug.

Ignoring the plant elemental, who was still ranting in the background, she brought the berry beneath her nose for a chance to smell it more closely. It was honestly quite intoxicating…and made her realize just how hungry she actually was. Her stomach rumbled and as she eyed the berry consideringly and subconsciously licked her lips. Recognizing the familiar look on Adore’s face, Courtney was quick to step in with an adamant, “Adore, no! Put it down.”

She wasn’t actually intending to eat the thing…at least until Courtney went off on her own little soapbox of how dangerous and stupid that would be. So long as she was in the right, Courtney loved to lecture those around her. Even Alaska was rolling her eyes subtly as Courtney listed off all the reasons why doing anything with the berry was a bad idea. Shangela was mirroring the gesture as well…though not nearly so politely.

As for Adore, she listened for about half a minute until her stomach gave another rumbling. An argument presented itself in her head, ‘If the berry smelled good, why wouldn’t it taste good as well?’

That was perfectly sound logic to her; food that looked and smelled delicious was always worth sampling.

Plus she was just annoyed enough at Courtney to want to piss her off a little bit. So without any showmanship she popped the berry into her mouth and smiled charmingly at the horrified woman glaring at her.

“Spit it out!” Courtney demanded as her voice rose to a pitch very few had ever heard before.

As if she couldn’t help herself, and she probably couldn’t, Adore muttered, “First time I heard that.”

Alaska was snickering in the background but the other girls were not as amused. In almost perfect synchrony they shouted, “Spit it out!”

All they got in response was another eye roll. Adore would comply eventually but their reactions made her want to draw this out for as long as possible. The taste of the berry wasn’t all that bad actually. Not really her thing to eat fruit on its own like this but certainly if added to a recipe, it’d be delicious.

She was showily chewing the berry, practically swishing it back and forth in her mouth, as she smiled blindingly at the girls continuing to try and persuade her to spit it back out. But soon enough, Adore got tired of their little game and was rolling her eyes in boredom. She wasn’t actually being serious in all of this but the plant elementals were treating the behavior like it was the most stupid thing she had ever done. And besides all that, she was still hungry! She just wanted to go to lunch already!

Courtney caught her attention once more and tried to reason with the brunette but Adore just stared at her flatly. As she rolled her eyes yet again and mumbled something to the effect of, “Well, it’d be rude not to swallow at this point,” Shangela took a loud clumsy sidestep that toppled a nearby collection of pots.

In her startled state, Adore choked on the berry and before anyone had realized it, about half of it flew from her mouth while the other bit was quickly swallowed. No one quite understood what had happened at first, Courtney and Shangela were thrilled to see the berry lying on the greenhouse floor but Alaska was watching Adore with trepidation. Almost fearfully, she questioned, “Adore? What happened?”

Horrified, the brunette admitted, “I swallowed some.”

Instantly the joy at seeing the majority of the mushy berry on the floor was replaced with anxiety. Overwhelmed, Courtney asked helplessly, “What should we do? Induce vomiting?”

While not thrilled with that particular idea it still seemed like the best option to Shangela, although her immediate response was an urgent, “Take her outside to do that!”

The worried look on everyone’s face was too much for Adore and rather regretfully she squeaked out, “I don’t wanna die.”

Here Shangela let out an annoyed huff and shot back, “Bitch, your stupid ass should have thought of that before you put that fucking thing in your mouth!”

“It’ll be alright, Adore,” Courtney assured the worried young woman beside her. She might not be able to do much but at least could offer some comfort for her friend while they figured out what to do. With a sort of blind hope in her voice, she suggested, “We can take you to Jinkx, she’ll fix you up.”

A skeptical look flashed across Alaska’s face as she slowly drawled out, “I don’t think that’s how-”

A quick glare from Courtney produced a 180 in her attitude and quickly she caught on to what Courtney was trying to accomplish. Correcting herself, she hastily added in with an eager nod, “Definitely! Jinkx can definitely help.”

Despite the attempt from both women to console her, Adore felt worse than ever. Her stomach was twisted painfully and her face starting to break out in a light sweat. She truly thought this was going to be the beginning of a slow and painful death, even the other three held that opinion in the back of their minds, until a very loud rumbling broke the silence.

Adore’s stomach gave a protesting growl and almost immediately her cheeks started to heat up. Quite sheepishly she gave a small smile and complained, “I’m still hungry.”

Rolling her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that day, Shangela helplessly waved at the three with a feeble hand and defeatedly told them, “Just…go to lunch already. All three of you, get out of here.”

Quite cowed, the trio agreed amongst themselves to keep their lunch plans but certainly maintain a watchful eye over Adore for any additional symptoms. On their way out, Courtney shouted through the door frame, “And don’t touch that bush!”

“No guarantees,” came the immediate reply but Courtney knew that if anything, all Shangela might do was relocate the bush elsewhere in the greenhouse, no matter how much she might object to its presence otherwise.

Following this incident with Adore, the portal in the grove certainly seemed to have become less active. Or perhaps that was normal and Courtney hadn’t noticed while she was busy cataloguing all of the arrivals as she found them. But once she was finally caught up with nothing new left to write about and no activity in the grove for over a month, she had to admit that she was bored…and antsy.

She just wanted something to study and waiting around for the portal to drop a specimen off was not nearly as exciting as it sounded in the beginning. So eventually her thoughts turned to seeking out the plants instead. A number of students already travel to other worlds, either for their own pleasure with their family or on business with the school. She had no reason to believe her request would be that much different so she set forth proposing her plan to Michelle.

To her credit, Michelle listened very patiently and considered all that Courtney had said yet to her absolute shock she actually denied the proposal within seconds of Courtney finishing her speech. Her jaw actually dropped as the vice principal remained firm in her decision and refused to budge on the issue. In a huff, Courtney stormed off after the meeting to one of the few people who would let her vent her anger in peace. While Alaska and Adore were nice and all, Alaska was very much a problem solver and would instantly try to soothe Courtney’s frustrations while Adore wouldn’t be fazed by it at all. In fact, she’d probably just shrug her shoulders and ignore Courtney’s rant altogether.

No, what she needed was someone who’d let her be angry, let her work it out of her system, and then try to help…And Bianca was perfect for that.

Even while busy working on the costumes for the latest school production, she’d still be actively listening and even supply witty or catty remarks as she went. Bianca had been there long before Courtney arrived and in truth was somewhat of a mystery still but overall the blonde genuinely valued her presence. Even if her energy was hard to match at times or she became frustrated by another student’s laziness, Bianca could make Courtney crack up with just the tiniest comment or roll of the eyes and Courtney appreciated that more than anything. But even after more than a year of friendship the blonde was no closer to figuring out what Bianca’s powers were. Yet still it felt like the brunette understood her far more than the other students at the school…and admittedly the light flirting here and there was a bit of an ego boost, she wouldn’t lie.

So off to the theater department she went to unburden herself on the older student.

Though she was again hard at work bringing in the hemline on a dress for one of the students set to appear in the spring musical, Bianca still listened with incredible patience as Courtney bitched about Michelle’s denial of her proposal.

“I just…I don’t get why she’s so against it!” Courtney lamented after ranting for nearly 20 minutes. “Plenty of other students get to travel between worlds…why can’t I?”

“Well,” Bianca reasoned in a vaguely distracted voice as she methodically placed the pins into the fabric, “they’re going to cities, villages…somewhere inhabited…You on the other hand want to go traipsing through the jungle on your own.”

“So?” the blonde shot back defensively, “It’s not like I’m gonna cause any trouble out there. Just collect samples and be on my way.”

Courtney didn’t have to look at Bianca to know she was rolling her eyes. Even hunched over the table with her bangs falling over her face couldn’t hide the trademark manner in which her eyes had begun rolling like dice. But she didn’t make any further comment, perhaps waiting for Courtney to continue on as she expected or just distracted at the moment by making sure every pin is accounted for and will not find its way stuck into her hand later on.

The blonde knew she was nearly pouting like a spoiled child at this point but there was something so cathartic about complaining without the fear of being judged…at least not too harshly. So Courtney indulged herself in whining, “It’s not fair! Michelle even said she wanted me to document everything. Now that’s all caught up, what am I supposed to do? Who knows when the portal will open up again?”

Huffing out in solitary protest, the blonde grumbled, “Maybe I ought to just stake out the grove and wander through the portal when it does appear.”

Here Bianca lost some of her patience and snarkily replied as a stray pin grazed against her unsuspecting fingertip, “Fuck me…C’mon, Courtney. Even you aren’t that reckless!…What reasons did Michelle give for why she wouldn’t let you go?”

“She said it was too dangerous,” the younger woman muttered bitterly as she nestled in further on the old and beaten couch that had been placed in the dressing room. It wasn’t the most comfortable but better than nothing, though Courtney had to admit that today she was having a hard time finding a relaxing position.

Her eyes drifted back to Bianca’s precise hands preparing the dress for sewing as she suggested in a blunt but well meaning manner, “Then just don’t go alone. Bring back up or better yet; tag along with the students that already have permission. Just tack on your little field trip with theirs.”

Mildly surprised at the comment, Courtney drawled out, “That’s…not a bad idea actually.”

From there the pair idly chatted away as Bianca worked on the dress. Between the two of them they really fleshed out Bianca’s idea and prepared it to be presented to Michelle for further consideration. But if Courtney had to admit, it seemed like she was the one coming up with most of the additional arguments. Bianca usually just distractedly agreed but that easily could have been from her focusing almost all of her attention on the garment she was diligently tailoring.

As soon as she was finished and had cleaned up her working station, Bianca rounded on Courtney and asked, “We good then? Now let’s go talk to Michelle.”

Alarmed and finding herself just a bit nervous, Courtney squeaked out, “Today? Now?”

“That a problem?” the brunette questioned with an arched brow.

“No, just…what if she gets annoyed with me showing up twice in one day to argue about this?”

Brushing aside the concern, Bianca confidently replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll be there, too. She won’t say ‘no’ to me.”

With that, their decision was made and once again Courtney was off to pester Michelle in her office, this time with Bianca in tow.  Despite how confident Courtney seemed to be with her newly expanded argument, she still felt rather anxious about seeing Michelle again, especially so soon. But there was little she could’ve said to dissuade Bianca even if her objections were any stronger. At least she had a friend for moral support, what little she might provide, this time.

Almost immediately after knocking on the office door, Michelle answered and quickly her face fell as she saw the two entering. Instantly she knew why Courtney had come back, the girl was persistent after all, and Michelle was not looking forward to another round of debating. But that was part of her job so she ushered the students inside to get the impromptu meeting over with.

While Courtney did most of the talking, as was expected, Michelle found herself genuinely considering the merits of Courtney’s proposal this time. She had been absolutely right earlier on when she said it was far too dangerous, but perhaps in a group it would not be so bad. As she listened to the blonde listing off all of the reasons she ought to get approval for the intended excursions, Michelle felt her eyes drifting to Bianca. She seemed to be listening just as intently yet her focus was solely on Michelle, not Courtney.

And the blank stare was a bit unsettling as well.

But soon enough, almost like a rubber band snapping, her mind was back on Courtney’s speech. It resonated in her head over and over again and slowly she was becoming more and more convinced.

It would be an excellent chance to study other worlds, even if it began with just their flora…and the plants themselves might prove useful.

Soon enough Michelle found her thoughts consumed by every single reason Courtney had listed off and she couldn’t find a single fault with any of them. So long as it was part of a group, she ought to be safe enough, right? And like Courtney had said, other students get to travel to other worlds as part of school funded trips, why couldn’t she just add her objective to theirs? It would even be less costly than separate trips.

With a final concluding argument that the plant elementals were more than prepared to take on the additional work, Michelle found herself thoroughly convinced. And then like her mind clearing up after a long head cold, the school’s second in command felt herself able to think freely about something other than Courtney. Again her graze fell to Bianca as the blonde patiently awaited her verdict but despite her unshakable suspicions, she hadn’t seen Bianca do anything unusual. It was odd though…why would she come along with Courtney if she wasn’t going to help her with her argument? The blonde certainly could have done it by herself.

Pushing aside an uneasy feeling at the blank yet still vaguely expectant stare, Michelle announced her decision; Courtney could join the other teams of students as they traveled but depending on the world they were visiting, she was required to take at least one companion with her that had an active fighting power. Of course the blonde’s first choice would be Alaska but she thought she’d ought to spend time thinking of other alternatives in case her friend was unable to accept.

Thanking Michelle profusely, Courtney practically floated out of the older woman’s office in pure joy. Bianca was her usual polite self to the school staff but Michelle couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong here…that she’d been tricked somehow. But ultimately she had no proof and had to let the girls go on their way.

Shaking her head, she asked herself, “What the fuck did I just agree to?”

As the pair of girls walked back to their dormitory, Courtney made the blissful comment of, “That was easier than I thought!”

Nodding, Bianca mumbled a tired noise of agreement hoping that Courtney would let the subject drop for a little while but unsurprisingly she continued on with, “I can’t believe she actually said ‘yes’!”

Another vague noise of acknowledgment passed Bianca’s lips but she could feel herself getting antsy about the conversation, particularly as Courtney continued to chatter on undeterred by the one-sidedness. Bianca remained mostly quietly but with every praise the blonde had for herself on the 15 minute walk back to their rooms, she felt the urge to take the appropriate credit growing ever stronger.

When Courtney squealed out a self-congratulatory, “My argument really worked!” Bianca just couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes and muttering, “Sure…your argument.”

Conceding just slightly, Courtney replied, “Well ours, but you gotta admit I was doing most of the talking.”

A little scoff was heard from the older girl as she instinctively grumbled, “Cause I was doing all the hard work.”

“You barely spoke!” the blonde shot back.

“Do you really think that was all I was doing there?” Bianca asked as she once again rolled her eyes. “Just giving you moral support? C’mon Court. I have better uses for my time than that.”

Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, Courtney demanded to know, “What do you mean? What’d you do then?”

Ignoring the questions, Bianca remained steady in her pace as she made her way back to the dormitories. After a few feet it was clear she didn’t intend to stop so Courtney rushed off to catch up with her and further pursue her answer.

“Bianca!” she implored, her voice starting to get whiny.

But still the jet haired girl declined to answer. She had the art of ignoring distractions and annoyances down to a science and didn’t even spare a glance to the blonde trying capture her attention.

“Bianca, tell me!” Courtney complained once more. Her voice was getting higher in pitch and starting to grate on Bianca’s nerves but still she was stronger than that. However Courtney insisted on knowing, “What were you doing? Are you blackmailing her or something?”

“No,” the Bianca denied as a slight grin formed at the thought. She probably could have found something interesting if she really wanted to but often times people’s ‘secrets’ just bored her. No, this time she had a mission in Michelle’s office and that was all she had been interested in accomplishing.

Yet unsurprisingly, Courtney refused to let the subject go. Nearly stamping her feet as they traveled side-by-side, she pestered, “Then tell me already!”

Rolling her eyes, Bianca finally slowed her pace to a complete stop and looked directly at her friend. Very clearly, she asked, ‘Why?’

But to Courtney’s shock, Bianca’s mouth hadn’t even twitched as she said it. Yet all the same, Courtney heard her distinctive voice clear as day as if it had been right inside her…head.

Of course.

Finally realizing what Bianca’s powers were, Courtney felt her eyes grow wide as she exclaimed, “Oh!”

But then another stark truth set in…it really wasn’t her that convinced Michelle.

Her shoulders sank as she let out a dejected, “Oh.”

Honestly, a good part of her was annoyed at this revelation. She prided herself on her valid reasoning and logical arguments. It might have been on short notice but she prepared her speech for the impromptu meeting and presented it well, she thought.

She was proud of having such a convincing argument.

Until it slapped her in the face that perhaps in truth it might not have done the trick without Bianca’s help.

But she got what she wanted after all, so what was the issue?

It was a stupid denial anyway. Who cares how she managed to bypass it?

Yet still her stomach twisted that it wasn’t her efforts alone that got the approval.

Bianca knew her friend well enough to recognize all of her conflicting thoughts even without invading her mind. A twinge of guilt for not telling the blonde what she was planning to do beforehand surfaced but ultimately she pushed that aside. Courtney was likely to have rejected that offer had she known about it and almost certainly Michelle would have stood firm in her denial.

No, Bianca didn’t regret what she did. It was a stupid rule according to her logic. Let some students wander around other worlds, interacting with god knows what, while denying others that genuinely want to study something both harmless and potentially useful?

She made the right choice, perhaps not the best one, but in the end it was for Courtney’s benefit. And the blonde seemed to come to that reasoning herself. She still had some reservations but she’d come to terms with that before long.

Accepting Bianca’s actions, she gave her friend a quick word of thanks and changed the subject to meal plans for later that day.

******

Since the day Courtney got her approval, she worked harder than ever with expanding and maintaining the greenhouse’s collection of specimens. At least once a month she’d be off collecting samples in other worlds and then spend nearly a full week simply documenting and describing all of the new arrivals. It kept her quite busy and then even more so once she received permission to transplant a few around the school in what essentially became her private gardens. The plants that she actively worked to propagate were ones known to have beneficial qualities; whether it was a cough suppressant, helped to settle the stomach, or even heal cuts and burns quicker; almost as quickly as the plants grew to maturity, they were plucked, dried, and stored away for further use and their empty spaces quickly taken up by the next generation of their species.

Between the traveling, research, care-taking, and actually attending to her school work. There was not much time left in Courtney’s schedule for anything else. Of course she brought along a number of her friends to help collect samples and a few even visited her in the greenhouse, namely Alaska, but for the longest while her work was what kept Courtney content throughout the day. She looked forward to burying herself among the plants and uncovering their secrets, whether it be for her own curiosity or to help others with their medicinal properties. She was quite happy like that until she met Alaska’s new roommate.

At first she didn’t think much of Willam other than as a new friend to eat lunch with but after a few weeks, she found herself intrigued by the younger girl. She was sharp and witty, a bit like Bianca, but also had moments where she was simply awkward or clumsy, like Adore and Alaska. She represented some of Courtney’s favorite qualities in her other friends so it was no wonder the blonde took a liking to her.

She found herself longing to reconnect with her group of friends again…to see and spend time with them outside of when she was working. She hadn’t realized just how little she saw of them now when it wasn’t related to school or greenhouse work. But most of all, she found herself wanting to get to know Willam more. She chalked it up originally to just wanting to get to know her new friend but deep down she had already begun to suspect there might have been an inkling of something deeper beyond that. A number of instances when she’d force herself to pry her attention away from her work were when she knew Willam would be hanging out with the group. Too often she tried to tell herself that was merely a coincidence but on the occasions when Willam had not shown up, preferring instead to hang out with Sharon, Courtney found herself in an emotional state that was previously uncommon and incredibly annoying to her; she was jealous.

More than once she found herself thinking, ‘If I could leave my work, shouldn’t Willam be able to pull herself away from Sharon?’

Yet too often as she lay in bed reflecting on her misery, she was forced to concede on a number of points. She was hard to pin down to any plans, often times the cincher for her attending a group outing was if someone mentioned Willam would be there. It was quite possible that Willam didn’t even know Courtney was expected to attend. Or on a similar note, if Alaska would be there, Willam was known to avoid her at certain times, especially when she’d get in one of her moods where she tried to encourage Willam to come train with her.

It was easy to see at this point that Willam was uncomfortable with the thought of training and Courtney had her suspicions why. To most others, the little bursts of flame shooting from Willam’s mouth as she huffed in annoyance or the sparks that would fly from her fingertips keeping everyone at a respectable distance might seem like deliberate choices…but Courtney was beginning to suspect they were anything but. Far too often they seemed unintentional; Willam immediately showing signs of guilt and distress if she ever hurt anyone, no matter how minor. But all the same she seemed helpless to stop herself. She’d often turn to drawing in on herself or even just leaving a short time later. And more often than not, Courtney would find herself seeking out the dirty blonde, particularly if she had been on the receiving end of such a display.

Another factor that would keep Willam from participating in a group activity was if Alaska suggested going to Courtney’s greenhouse for a visit. As usual, the youngest blonde was always trying to think of a common area for the three to hang out in and since Courtney loved to be busy and working still, the greenhouse seemed to be the perfect setting…aside from the fact that Willam utterly refused to set foot in there.

At first, of course, the denials were reasonable; she had other plans. Alaska would become a little annoyed, especially if a mention of Sharon’s name popped up in the excuse, but she accepted it. As she tried to regulate the visits so that Willam could plan to attend more easily, it became clear she was actively avoiding that building. Sometimes, she used her old faithful; that she already made promises to other friends to hang out. Other times it was a little more far fetched but understandable; she wanted to catch up on school work. Courtney knew she was rather diligent in keeping up with her studies but never pointed that out in front of Alaska…no, that’d only lead to another round of bickering between her friends.

But then, it turned to a more blatant refusal; Willam simply said ‘No’ and stood her ground no matter how much Alaska persisted.

Willam could be incredibly stubborn and strong-minded, another aspect Courtney had come to admire. There were times when she could be an immovable forced but on the same subject, that inflexibility often led to friction between the two. Courtney was more easygoing, preferring to make plans as they felt right. Willam liked set plans and if someone arrived late, more than what was socially acceptable, she’d get rather annoyed. Usually that was directed towards Alyssa, someone known for arriving hours late and wanting to stay well after everyone else was ready to call it quits, but also sometimes that extended to Courtney as she often found her attention pulled by a number of things that just weren’t what the group agreed to do on that particular day.

At its core, Willam liked predictability; it helped her to keep her composure to be around familiar settings. Courtney was more of free-spirit, just going with the flow until the next thing caught her focus.

This was something they had more than one argument about and certainly wasn’t their only topic of discourse. The pair could often be found bickering with one another before too long though usually it was quite one-sided. Courtney had years of experience, especially after becoming friends with Bianca, of brushing off playful jabs or snarky remarks. The trouble that Willam ran into was that she just didn’t know when to stop or where Courtney’s boundaries were. Far too often she crossed those lines and found that the blonde was actually upset by a comment or two Willam had made. Then she’d get defensive herself and shut down.

Too often guilt would eat away at her but by the time she saw her friend again, Courtney usually forgot about the incident and that just left Willam feeling even more foolish. Her irritation and powers would flare up once more and she’d storm off in a huff. Most people would simply leave her alone until she calmed down but not Courtney. Whether it was wise or not, she’d follow the dirty blonde and remain by her side until everything was alright once again between them. Occasionally they’d talk about it but more often than not, they danced around the subject entirely.

But perhaps, Courtney thought, that really wasn’t the best idea. She was sure there was a topic each was avoiding and equally sure that there was some degree of overlap between the two but she was afraid of ruining the delicate balance she and Willam had worked themselves into. She didn’t want to lose her friend by pushing her before she was ready but like the universe taking a hand or perhaps simply having enough of their games with one another, soon they were forced to talk things out.

It started when Alaska was unusually persistent about wanting Willam to visit the greenhouse with her. She had broached the subject rather sneakily and Willam must have been distracted with another thought otherwise she would have smelled this topic coming a mile awhile. She admitted that she didn’t have any set plans immediately after their classes ended for the day and Alaska instantly jumped on that piece of information like a starving animal. She was insistent that they visit Courtney after hurriedly confirming with the blonde that she intended to be there as well.

Courtney was almost tempted to lie for Willam’s sake but she did have quite a bit of busywork to do around the greenhouse and would need to get started on it right after class in order to have some of the night left for herself still. So rather carefully, she nodded in confirmation and debated on whether or not to step in as Alaska argued in earnest with Willam about finally visiting. More than once Alaska pointed out that Willam had yet to stop by to visit Courtney even though she had been there for months now. All of her arguments were logical and reasonable but she seemed to be overlooking the fact that Willam was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the thought of being surrounded by so many plants.

She knew something awful would happen if she went in there, even if Alaska were accompanying her. Always being around Courtney set her on edge and in a building full of potential kindling? All it would take is one little spark and Willam could see all that Courtney had worked for going up in flames in mere minutes. Even thought of ruining just one of Courtney’s plants was enough to keep her from accompanying Courtney to the grove she visited so often.

But Alaska was relentless.

In a truly impressive manner she had managed to actually bully Willam into a corner until she snapped that, “Fine, I’ll come to the fucking greenhouse!”

Smiling brightly now that she had gotten her way, Alaska replied smugly, “Great!”

“But I’m not staying,” Willam quickly muttered as she tried to settle her racing heart and twisting stomach.

“We’ll see,” the youngest shot back in an overly confident manner.

Seeing the distress on Willam’s face, no matter how hard she tried to hide, Courtney felt a jolt of guilt. Trying to mitigate the situation, she offered, “She doesn’t have to visit if she doesn’t want to. Really, Willam, I don’t mind if-”

“She does need to visit,” Alaska interrupted rather self-righteously, “She’s the only one of our friends who’s never stepped foot in there even once!”

Then turning to Willam to deal the final blow, “Don’t you want to see what Courtney’s been working so hard on?”

And that was the final nail in the coffin, they all knew it. There was no answer Willam could have given to politely excuse herself. She was stuck having to visit for at least a few minutes after classes ended and the thought of what might happen in those minutes completely terrified her.

The rest of the day sped by in a panic for Willam who was spending her time trying to think of some way to get out of the mess she had found herself in. She knew after agreeing to visit that Alaska would hunt her down if she didn’t show up outside the greenhouse so at most she’d have about 10 or 15 minutes between the final bell and when Alaska would come looking for her. Short of hurting herself and going to the infirmary there seemed to be nothing that could excuse her from the obligation.

The only thought she had left was a vague hope that Sharon might be able to help. For whatever reason the two did not seem to get along and while that alone would not stop Alaska from dragging Willam away after she made a promise, she had a belief that Sharon could do or think of something, anything to help her out. But even Sharon was at a loss once asked and Willam was starting to descend into a full blown panic. Her fingers had begun shooting out sparks periodically that threatened to grow even stronger as her sense of impending doom worsened.

All Sharon could think to suggest was to somehow stop Willam’s powers from even activating in the first place and like a bulb going off in her head, Willam found herself blurting out, “Throw some water on me!”

“What?” her companion questioned in shock.

Insistent, Willam declared, “Throw some water on me. I can’t set anything on fire if I can’t-”

The words were barely out of her mouth before she felt a sudden rush of cold and undoubtedly dirty water being splashed all over her. A glare was quickly sent Sharon’s way as Willam mumbled with a heavily sarcasm-laden voice, “Thanks.”

As she squeezed the excess water from her sopping wet hair, Sharon was quick to remind her with a smug smirk tugging on her lips, “You asked me to.”

“Right,” Willam consented with a huff of agreement, “But next time, could you just get my hands or something?“

Sharon muttered something about wanting to make sure she’d done a thorough job but the sentiment was lost as Willam took note of her biting back a laugh. Rolling her eyes, Willam reclaimed the bag she’d dropped to the ground earlier and turned to make her way towards the greenhouse. As she left, she grumbled loud enough for Sharon to easily hear, "Yeah. Fucking thanks…fucking bitch.”

She knew Sharon was grinning wickedly behind her but as much as she would have loved to mumble a few other select words to call her friend, she knew she was already pushing the unspoken time limit she had before Alaska would come looking for her. As Willam plodded along the grassy lawn, she couldn’t help but appreciate how Sharon had gotten her so absolutely and thoroughly soaked with just a small blast of water from the puddle. Her skirt was clinging to her legs and little droplets were still rolling off her body by the time made her way to the greenhouse. The tight top she had worn was now like a second skin but there was hardly a concern for that as Willam tried to picture the mess Sharon had made of her makeup and hair.

Almost to confirm how awful she must have looked, the second Alaska caught sight of her waddling down the pathway, her face morphed into one of concern and shock. Immediately she was asking what had happened, drowning out Courtney’s similar question in the process, and all too quickly Willam realized she forgot to think of an excuse for her appearance on the way over.

Hastily, she ran off with a tangent that she and Sharon had been smoking and some piece of clothing caught fire or something and Sharon tried to put it out by splashing her but it seems only a few key words from that explanation stuck with Alaska. Her eyes became clouded in anger as Willam trailed off mid sentence after catching sight of the fury spreading across Alaska’s face. Before anyone could question her on her sudden change in demeanor, Alaska rushed off in the exact direction Willam had just come from.

Far too late she realized that Alaska was probably looking for Sharon but even as she called out to the blonde to stop her, Alaska did not seem to hear. Willam was ready to run and intervene but Courtney placed a gentle hand on her upper arm and instantly any other thought was jolted right out of her head. She flinched out of reach but Courtney hardly seemed to notice as she assured Willam, “Trust me, you don’t want to get involved in that. And Alaska’s not the type to do anything stupid anyway.”

Against her better judgement, Willam simply nodded and waited to see if Courtney might excuse her from visiting after all. There was a hope that she might but still an ever present thought lurked in her mind that Alaska would just make her come back a second time…and then she really wouldn’t have an excuse for showing up dripping wet.

So she bit the bullet and suggested, “Why don’t we go inside a while?”

With any luck this would be a short visit and then she could leave before she dries off. The humidity in the greenhouse ought to keep her skin fairly damp, she thought, but just in case she’d have to be cautious still.

Courtney was smiling brightly as she led her friend inside the building so she could finally see all the hard work she had done with all of her samples. Wall to wall was lined with specimens of every size and shape. Some of unusual colors, others with strange fruit or flowers, and all of it smelling wonderful. It was like a self contained secret garden just for the two of them as Willam made a quick note of just how empty the greenhouse was of other people. She would have expected at least one other student working and the fact that she and Courtney were alone did nothing to calm her nerves. She could have sworn she felt a little burst of something from her fingertips yet when she looked down there wasn’t a trace to be seen. Her fingers were just as damp as they had been before…must have been her imagination.

Snapping herself out of her thoughts, Willam found Courtney asking quite hopefully and persuasively if she would help to water some of the plants. It was part of her routine at the greenhouse and as she pointed out, it’d go a lot quicker with a second person. Rolling her eyes at Courtney’s obvious and very played up attempt at a puppy pout, Willam agreed with a smile and asked where she could find a watering can.

All too quickly a very full one was thrust happily into her hands and after taking note of two more sitting nearby, it dawned on Willam that the blonde had planned this all along. Certainly she could have gotten a head start on watering already if she had wanted to but knowing her friends were coming by, she must have seen that as a way to lessen her workload.

Smart…and resourceful, Willam had to admit.

Rolling her eyes, she trudged along to the section of plants that Courtney had pointed out as needing to be watered that afternoon. There was quite a lot of them, too much for one can of water to be able to hold, so rather helplessly she glanced around for some kind of tap for when she’d eventually ran out. Guessing at the thought running through her mind, Courtney mentioned a quick list of nearby sinks or spouts that had been strategically placed throughout the building. And with that the two got to work in a comfortable silence.

There was no idle chatter as each focused on watering the specimens with just the right amount that they would need to make until the next day on their watering schedule. Courtney took care of the smaller or more delicate plants while Willam was left to deal with the hardier ones that could stand a little too much or too little water. It was peaceful work, one that consumed the girls as they carefully made their way around the building. Alaska still had not turned up but neither was quite as concerned about that as they ought to have been.

Despite her former thoughts of trepidation, Willam found herself thinking that it might not be so bad visiting Courtney here if this is what she could expect. Sure, her heart was still racing when they brushed past one another in the tighter spaces but in all she felt in control of herself. Perhaps next time she might not even need to be doused with water beforehand. Every time she refilled her can she made sure her hands dipped into the water as well and that seemed to be enough to keep her powers in check. Besides that extra preventative measure, the greenhouse had a calming atmosphere that helped keep her nerves under control and there were plenty of other distractions if that alone was not enough.

The sheer diversity of the samples alone was overwhelming, even those that came from the same worlds as indicated by the ID tags on their pots. It seemed Courtney had been quite busy taking advantage of her traveling, as well as what had been found in the grove or gifted to her over the last few months. It was no wonder she hardly had time outside of taking care of the greenhouse.

The plant Willam found particularly interesting looked much like a short tree or perhaps a bush with a very tall stem and vines creeping around the sides. The vine themselves had a sort of thin, hairy-like covering, in addition to a number of cream tinted flowers that were almost perfectly reminiscent of miniature lilies. As for the main expanse of the tree, the leaves were dense and shone with a deep emerald green. It helped serve as a brilliant backdrop behind the random clusters of pale fuchsia colored blossoms scattered amongst the branches.

Even the light, vaguely floral scent wafting from tree drew Willam in closer as she set down her watering can to take a closer look. It was like time had stopped just for a moment as she took in the sight that laid before her. Courtney’s sudden appearance at her side wasn’t even enough to break her from her tranquil state.

Quite proudly, the blonde noted softly, “This is one of my favorites too. Took weeks to get the cutting to grow properly. I guess where it comes from the conditions have to be just right.”

“The vines?” Willam asked in a vaguely distracted voice as she carefully lifted a cluster of flowers under her nose.

Taking in a stronger whiff, she heard Courtney answer, “The trunk needed something firm to help it grow otherwise it’d just collapse under its own weight…and the vines need something to pull them up from the ground so that their flowers don’t get crushed under foot…”

There was a moment of silence before Courtney’s voice dipped low into a pleased, contemplative tone as she asked, “It’s kinda neat how they both support each other, huh?”

At this Willam nodded and turned her head towards her friend. Though Courtney was only gazing at the plant in that moment, Willam could see an expression of pure happiness and pride like none she had witnessed before. The smile on the blonde’s lips was unmatched by any other Willam had seen before or could ever expect to see on anyone else. Though the gesture wasn’t directed at her, she felt her heart racing in a desperate attempt to escape her chest and her cheeks heated up to where she could almost feel it at her ears.

Unfortunately that wasn’t the only thing thing she felt growing hotter as Courtney returned her attention back to her companion.

In just a few seconds the smile had disappeared and an expression of urgency quickly replaced it as Courtney called out, “Willam!”

As she snapped her head down to follow Courtney’s line of sight, she immediately noticed a trail of smoke originating from the flowers she still held in her hand. Charred edges were beginning to appear amongst the leaves and in just a moment as a familiar panicking sensation began to overtake Willam’s senses, the entire cluster of blossoms had truly caught on fire.

Before Willam could even think about what to do, Courtney had snatched up a watering can and promptly poured its contents over the flaming bundle of flowers. The rush of cold water jolted Willam out of her state of shock and immediately she pulled away from the small tree. Her fingers were trembling and despite the dousing of water, sparks were once again threatening to shoot out from her hands. The guilt and lurching in her stomach doubled at the thought of accidentally setting something else on fire but in a building surrounded by plants she couldn’t see how it was unavoidable.

Her voice was shaky and cracking as she continued to back far away from Courtney, “I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

Pulling her attention from the plant, Courtney dropped the can, completely ignoring the spilled contents, and rushed up in front of her friend. Willam’s eyes were wide with panic and terror, so much that Courtney doubted she was even truly looking at her in that moment. All she could think to do was to place her hands on Willam’s upper arms, and assure her as calmly as she could, “Willam! Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay.”

Willam flinched at the contact, her immediate thoughts consumed by the possibility that she might accidentally hurt Courtney by being so close, but despite the little sputtering flames still emanating from Willam’s fingers, Courtney remained undeterred. Her only mission right now was to take care of her friend. Keeping her voice level and firm, she requested, “Hey, look at me for a minute.”

Willam’s eyes darted back to hers like a scared animal but the second they made contact, Courtney affirmed softly, “You’re okay, I promise.”

“But-” Willam began as her gaze flew back to damaged plant.

“It’s fine,” Courtney cut her off, “We’ll fix it later. Just look at me.”

Almost immediately, Willam complied and once she did, Courtney continued on in a gentle, consoling tone, “That’s it. Now close your eyes and take a deep breath in…”

Trusting her friend, Willam did as requested and waited for further instructions. After a few seconds, she heard Courtney speaking once again, “Now let it out. Good. Deep breath in…and let it out. Keep going.”

This continued on for a good five minutes, the only sound filling the greenhouse was Willam’s breathing and random background noise that was easily filtered out. Though she couldn’t confirm it, it felt as though her hands had stopped shaking but almost certainly they had stopped shooting out sparks. As if sensing her thoughts, Courtney informed her with a smile in her voice, “See? You’re already calming down.”

Hesitantly, Willam opened her eyes as she felt the warm hands disappearing from her upper arms but they weren’t gone from her skin for very long. Without any hesitation, even after seeing the damage they could cause, Courtney took the damp hands into her own smaller ones. Instantly Willam’s fear began to return and she tried to pull away but Courtney refused to let go. As equally gentle as she’d been before, she reassured her friend, “Shh, you’re okay…Breathe in and out.”

There was a moment’s pause were Willam debated trying to run away but as she looked into Courtney’s eyes, she found herself wanting to take a chance and stay by her side. This time with their gazes fully locked, she returned to the breathing exercises and soon found herself calming down once again. Even after she felt her emotional state leveling out, Courtney did not loosen her grip even in the slightest. She wove her fingers through Willam’s slightly resisting ones to demonstrate her absolute faith in her friend.

In an unusually daring act, Willam stepped even closer and allowed her forehead to rest against the shorter woman’s. Her voice was quiet and guilt-laden as she tried to apologize once more, “I’m sorry, I-”

Interrupting with a forgiving smile, Courtney cut her off with, “I know it was an accident. You didn’t mean to…I know you, Bill. You wouldn’t do that on purpose.”

There was another pause shared between the two. Courtney wasn’t trying to rush Willam to say anything more than what she was comfortable with, instead letting Willam build her confidence as she argued with herself over what to do next. Deciding it was now or never, Willam resolved to finally admit one of her biggest secrets. With a cracking voice, the younger of the pair began, “I…I can’t-”

She broke off unable to finish her own sentence but Courtney figured out quite easily what she was trying to say. Her tone dipped low with consolation and understanding as she replied, “I know. I’ve known for awhile now actually….Alaska shouldn’t have forced you to come here before you were ready. I should’ve stopped her…She meant well, honest.”

“I don’t think she…knows,” Willam muttered, feeling entirely ashamed of herself for hiding this aspect from her closest friends.

“No, I don’t think so either,” Courtney agreed, “I don’t think she always remembers how much students coming into their powers can struggle….Did anyone ever tell you what Alyssa was like when she first got here?”

Shaking her head, Willam replied that she hadn’t heard any of the stories yet so Courtney was quick to fill in the blanks. There was a slight laugh in her voice as she recalled the first few weeks after Alyssa’s arrival, “She was a mess. Worse than you, even. She couldn’t go near anything electronic without overloading it or wiping the memory…couldn’t even touch anyone with electrocuting them.”

Her expression became more reflective as she related softly, “She was miserable for the longest time until she finally got everything under control…but just look at her now. She’s holding hands with Shangela every chance she gets! And she’s always pulling everyone in for a hug.”

Even Willam had to laugh at that last statement. More than once she’d seen other students, particularly Laganja, struggling to escape Alyssa’s far too tight and far too extended hugs. She always thought that was just the kind of person Alyssa was, not that it represented how far she had come since her powers appeared.

Before she had a chance to really dwell on that thought, Courtney added, “And you know how Alaska always straightens her hair using her powers? That wasn’t easy for her to learn either. I can’t tell you how many times she burnt herself or her hair off.”

Fully laughing at the memory, Courtney choked out, “She accidentally gave herself these horrible bangs the one time cause she had to cut away a section that had been burnt to a crisp!”

Willam was smiling along with her as she tried to picture that mental image yet Courtney quickly worked herself around back to her main focus of the stories, “But the point is they learned and so will you. You just need to give it time…and practice.”

Nodding, Willam admitted to herself that she’d always known it would probably come to this. She had hoped it would just come naturally but it seems that’s hardly the case for anyone. Taking one more cautious step closer to Courtney, so much that their knees grazed against each other now, she informed her friend with absolute resolution that she’d take Alaska up on the offer for additional training the next moment they saw each other.

With that understanding, Courtney flashed her a huge smile as the pair’s hearts raced at equal speeds. It felt like there was still something left that they needed to talk about but that was a topic for another day. It already took so much strength for Willam to confess one of her deepest secrets, it wouldn’t have been fair to ask for anything more at this point. Pulling away with some degree of reluctance, Courtney picked up the forgotten watering can and handed it back to Willam. With a slight smirk, she informed the fire elemental that despite that little incident, she was not excused from helping out in the greenhouse now nor in the future. Rolling her eyes, Willam accepted her fate with a slight grin and pushed Courtney gently out of the way as she went to refill the can in the sink.

From that day on Willam made it a point to devote a certain amount of time each week to training with Alaska. Their extracurricular sessions were delayed as Alaska served out her detention sentence following her brawl with Sharon but to Willam’s secret relief, there seemed to be no remaining animosity between the two. In fact, within just a few weeks she was shocked to find the two nearly inseparable now and almost always holding hands or touching each other in some fashion. It came as little surprise later on when they announced they had begun dating.

Willam had seen the first inklings of the shift in their relationship long before Courtney had but she felt it wasn’t her place to mention it until the pair made the formal announcement themselves. Once they finally told their friends the news, Willam pulled them aside afterwards and congratulated them quietly. Alaska of course pulled her into a hug straightaway but in the midst of that Sharon caught her eye and motioned knowingly towards Courtney. Again cheeks flared but Willam was becoming used to that.

In response to Sharon’s unspoken question, she simply flipped off the water elemental and mouthed out ’Later’ as the blonde’s eyes rolled.

And Willam had little doubt that they wouldn’t talk about it at some point but it just hadn’t felt right to bring up the topic yet. Sure, their little moment in the greenhouse had been somewhat intimate but that didn’t necessarily mean that Courtney returned her affections. She was almost certain that Courtney had some idea as to how she felt but her own thoughts on the situation had yet to be spoken.

Even still, it was undeniable that something had changed since Willam’s confession. They danced around the subject for weeks but their behavior with one another was an entirely different story. Every day they seemed to try and push the boundaries of their friendship a little further with the silent hope that one of them would finally gain the courage to speak up. Whether it was stolen kisses to the cheek when no one else was looking, fingertips running softly over exposed skin, or even subtly holding hands as most of their friends pretended not to notice. All of it built up until their fondness for each was evident to everyone but them.

Sharon was about the only one who would dare to comment on it and more than once the teasing would break Willam’s self control, which had shown remarkable improvement over the last few weeks. The older blonde seemed to be making it a game to see how far she could push Willam until a little ball of fire or shower of sparks would appear. Of course the quickest way for her to win this battle of wills was if Courtney herself happened to be around as well, which often happened during their lunch hour.

A particular day had Willam holding out quite admirably, only 15 more minutes and she’d have made it through the entire hour. Unfortunately, there was a slight brush of Courtney’s fingers against her inner thigh as she tried to search for a hand to hold under the table and like a hawk going in for the kill, Sharon snatched up the opportunity to point out the light blush with absolutely no mercy. Had Willam not been holding a napkin with her free hand she might have escaped that lunch period unscathed. But Sharon’s targeted teasing once again took its toll and Willam was beginning to feel on edge.

In front of their entire group of friends and likely a number of other students listening in, Sharon loudly began recounting a little incident she and Alaska had accidentally walked in on earlier that week. Something about catching the two nearly in the midst of making out in Willam and Alaska’s shared room that not even a swift kick to Sharon’s shin could silence or even pause. Willam huffed out in an embarrassed annoyance and tried to ignore Sharon’s blathering but unfortunately the very flammable napkin she still held in her hand caught on fire almost immediately after a small spark escaped her fingertips.

In just a second Willam dropped the object onto the table but beyond that she had no clue what to do to put out the small fire was rapidly growing. Sharon however responded quickly and sent her soda flying towards the base of the flames, which worked to extinguish the fire but also to soak Willam’s top and skirt in the process. Understandably, she was less than happy to find her clothes suddenly drenched once again.

Though Sharon soon recalled the soda back to its container, Willam was quick to point out rather irritably that her clothes were still sticky despite being dry once more.

Happily Sharon suggested dumping water on her, a comment earning her a sharp jab in the ribs from her girlfriend’s elbow, but Willam steadfastly refused the offer with a harsh glare to boot. As the blonde smile away with mock innocence, Courtney piped up with, “C'mon, Bill, let’s just head back to the dorms and get you a change of clothes.  We shouldn’t be too late for classes if we hurry.“

With that, Willam pushed herself out of her chair and promptly flipped off Sharon prior to rushing off with Courtney in the direction of the nearest exit. Unfortunately, that particular door happened to be in direct view of the main office and the pair had barely made it 10 feet down the pathway before Michelle came rushing out after them.

"Where do you two think you’re going?” she barked out as she sprinted up to them.

Blinking up in innocence at the administrator, Courtney replied as charmingly as she could manage, “Willam needs to change her clothes. There was-”

“Save it,” Michelle interrupted, “I don’t really care. You two need to go back inside now.”

“But-”

“There’s only 10 minutes of lunch left and even if you were allowed to leave the school during that time, which you’re not, you wouldn’t make it back in time for the next class.”

Her tone left it clear that she was not in the mood to argue but nevertheless, that didn’t stop Willam from trying.

“But I need-”

“No,” Michelle cut her off in a firm tone. “If you need to change outfits, wear your gym uniform.”

“What?!?” Willam squawked out in disbelief and indignation.

“You heard me,” the second in command stated as her arms crossed over her chest and she jutted her head towards the building. “Now get back inside.”

Willam was prepared to keep arguing, even if it took the rest of the afternoon, but Courtney had a fallback plan in mind. Wrapping her hand around Willam she tugged along the greatly resisting body back towards the school.

In a hushed tone, too soft for the glaring administrator to hear as she studiously watched them retreat, Courtney mentioned, “I’ve got another idea. Let’s find Adore. She’ll be able to get your clothes.”

[grgop]

Welcome to Dugi otok

It's been my wish for quiet some time to visit Dugi otok (Long Island), the long and the most distant of the Croatian islands located in the center of Croatian part of the Adriatic sea. Actually, I visited one part of it – the Nature Park Telašćica, when I was a kid more than 15 years ago…but never other places and with the new purpose. However, my wish had been granted surpassing all the expectation I had about this trip. 

The main reason why I wanted to travel there was to find and record the locals who speak the local idioms. For those of you who've been following me for the last couple of years and especially my YouTube channel you know that this was a super exciting trip for me. These native speakers represent a national and cultural treasure in terms of lingusitic heritage and a history of the litoral and maritime people living here for centuries, with some of them being isolated or with little touch to the land (terraferma). Thus the excitement to hear the living past and a nice blend of the Croatian Slavic culture and the Mediterranean Latin influence.

Apart from finding the native speakers I was excited to find out more about being and living as an islander. So I had to chance to record, hear and take photos of stories and experiences of the local people from several villages including both youth and seniors.

How it all started

I was super lucky to be given the opportunity to stay for four days on the island and meet many people whose help I never expected. I got the accommodation for free at the local monastery of St Michael in Zaglav which was thrilling enough and especially valuable since they allowed me to stay during the festive days around Easter. As soon as I got the confirmation that it's not a hallutination but a reality I looked for help among friends and acquaintaes who could aide me in getting to know the island and the locals. Without them this trip would have looked totally different as I knew practically nobody there. In the end I made lots of friends and had plenty of fun while doing my mission. I spent literally days and hourse right before the trip to get the additional camera equipment, gather as much as valuable information about the locals as possible, creating my own map of the potential people for the intervju and preparing the daily routes.

But before we dive into the adventures here's a some info about the island.

About Dugi otok

What do you need to know about this paradise? Dugi otok is the largest of the North-Dalmatian islands situated in the central part of the Croatian Adriatic. Iti s also the last island before the open sea and Italy on the other side of the Adriatic bay. Just like the majoritiy of our islands it has many hills and small bays with its highest peak of Vela Straža at 338m. The island is around 45 km long (hence the name) but at some points its width ranges between 1 and 4 km. This contrast was especially visible when I was driving a car from the south and at one point I stopped and looked to my right – there you see the islands towards Zadar and Velebit mountain. Then you turn to the left and see the nothing except for the blue sky, horizon and the deep blue Adriatic sea. However, during the crystal day and with a good eye sight one can see the eastern Italian coast, more precisely – the Apenine mountains. After all, Italy is less than 200 km away across the sea.

Its western coastline bordering the open sea characterize the sharp contrasts: the southern part around the Nature Park Telašćica is surrounded with impressive cliffs that go up to 80m in height. Telašćica is one of the most beautiful place sin Zadar county and frequently visited by numerous tourists each year.

On contrary, on the other side of the island you can find more peaceful bays. The two most notable beaches are Sakarun and Veli Žal where Sakarun is the most famous one. However, last years due to growing number of visitors and greediness it no longer looks and is as it was 10 years ago. I also never went there but visited Veli Žal instead. All in all, the nature on this island is incredible and as the locals say – you hardly notice any seasonal change. It always looks as if the time had stopped between spring and early autumn. Always green and no leafs falling. In terms of nature this island will be a perfect place to escape the reality and the stress of the modern lifestyle spent in larger urban areas. Clean sea, peaceful nature and the welcoming locals.

People, customs and history

Speaking of locals the island has a population of roughly 1500 inhabitants spread in around 12 local villages. The largest of them is Sali in the southeastern part of Dugi otok with the population of around 800. On contrary, places such as Dragove or Veli Rat in the north have between 40-70 inhabitants statistically. However, accoridng to the stories, there's far less people who actually live for the whole year. The sad truth and reality is that these places will become ghost towns within 10-20 years as the majority of these locals are seniors over 80 years old. The thing is – apart from them most of the visitors are so called „weekenders“ – the islanders who live on the land (e.g. in Zadar) who come there over the weekend…or the other part that's present during the summer are the diaspora. These are the people whose parents, grandparents or further ancestors emmigrated to the United States, Southern America or Australia and New Zealand at the beginning of the 20th century or around the years of the WW2 in search for better opportunities and life across the sea. There are even some remains left of the WW2 bunkers and ship tunnels that I am going to describe you later (I couldn't resists visiting some of them). And even today one can find near the central part of the island a restricted zone which belongs to the military whose base is on top of the hill. It's said it used to watch over the potential threat that comes from the south or across the Adriatic sea.

The population of the island was thus much larger, actually surprisingly larger. However, the Great War in 1918 and the Second World War had taken the toll with great consequences. Many of the islanders died or were killed during those time, especially the young people, men, who were meant to start new families. Those who survived either stayed or moved to new places. Some places used to have a lot of children attending the schools. Now some say it's „a success“ when they managed to gather up to 10 children of the elementary school in total. And they come from different villages.

Being on the island many of the locals have traditionally been turned towards the sea and what it offers. It's not unusal to find people who have spent their lives sailing around the world. Some have been fishermen. Some are into agricultulre and what it offers. Unlike us who live on the mainland here you can't have super large fields but smaller ones where you take care of goods and cultures such as figs, oranges, lemomns, tomatoes, potatoes, salad and olives. In Sali there is a fish factory which provides employment for good amount of the locals. There is another important factor in the lives of the islanders and that is the Church and religion. It's not unusual to find many of them to be (kinda) devoted Catholics who go to the church every Sunday. After all, as some explained me, it's also a social thing or event, when you think about it. And living there for centuries, relatively isolated and surrounded by nature and vast sea surface, one shouldn't be surprised to see faith and religion rooted deeply in the locals. And being an islander does not mean living an easy life, as you are going to find out. Speaking of religion there is this Franciscan monastery of St Michael in Zaglav with a church that was built in mid-15th century. That's the place I stayed at.

The places on the island are connected with one main road from which you have amazing views over the surrounding islands and area. The island has also got quiet good connection with the mainland via trajects and speedboats (catamaran). There are four catamaran lines that go daily from Zadar to Dugi otok. If you are planning a trip on Dugi otok by car you will arrive by traject to Brbinj in the northern part of the island. The same goes if you want to leave the island by car. Speaking of cars the only gas station on the whole island is located in Zaglav in the south. That's also the place I arrived to and stayed at for four days.

What else to add? During the summer season many are some festivals related to religious events, local music and traditional kitchen. Those who prefer to spend their time actively they can go exploring the area, follow many hiking roads, visit the caves, Park Telašćica or National Park Kornati. If you are more into sports then I suggest finding some diving locations or courses, try running, trekking, biking, trail, sailing etc. At the northernmost point of the island at Veli Rat there is another landmark of Dugi otok - the lighthouse of Veli Rat.

I forgot to mention some of the older history of the island. Here are a few interesting things to know. The island was already inhabited with settlers in the early ages in paleolithic and mesolythic. Several years ago scients discovered the human skelleton that date back to 11 000 years BC. This discovered male Dalmatian known as „Šime“ died unnatural death at the peak of his retirement age of 40. 

One can find the remains of the settlements and stuff of the ancient Illryians. There are also several caves on the island and around Telašćica park one can find tomb hills dating back to Iron age 800-400 BC. The last thing I'd add here is the Grpašćak Fortress on the western coast above the cliffs of Telašćica. It was built in 1911 by the Austro Hungarian Monarchy which served as a military patrol base. I came close by my first evening on the island but more about it in the next post..

Time for a break

Alright! I hope you have some idea about Dugi otok. More in details on specific topis as we surf through the days. Grgo

[emeraldwaves]

Title: A Dragon’s Magic Chapter 1 Pairing:  Kacchako Rating: M Word Count:  3,072 Summary: Uraraka Ochako has always believed in dragons, though she was constantly told they were long since extinct. Now an adult and professional mage, she’s ready to help her parents as a healer for their village. The last thing she expects is for her beliefs to become a reality, but when a dragon attacks her village, she learns there’s more to magic than she ever could’ve realized. Read on AO3 Thanks to @its-love-u-asshole @youaremynewdream @roraewrites & @liziscribbles for reading this ahead for me and for all the support! I’m hype to finally be sharing this!! Full prologue under the cut!!

"Uraraka!" A tall blue-haired boy with glasses thrust his hand up into the air, posing sharply as he always did. "Congratulations!"

"Congratulations!" The green-haired boy next to him smiled wide, both looking incredibly proud of her. "And Happy Birthday!"

A smile pulled across her face and she charged towards them, waving frantically. "Iida! Deku! I did it! I passed!" she called out. She held the small scroll up, flailing her hand in the air.

"We knew you could it!" Deku said, and she leaped towards them, wrapping her arms around both of their necks as the three of them tumbled into a hug.

"Wait a minute..." she said, pulling back. "How did you know I passed?"

"Actually," Deku laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "We didn't. But we kinda assumed."

"Your Mom told us to meet you here, since she has a cake to celebrate," Iida said.

She raised her eyebrow, turning towards her mother as her parents approached their house. "What would you have done with the cake if I failed?" she asked.

"You would've needed a good pick me up!" she chuckled. "Cake would've been the perfect remedy. Plus, it’s your birthday, you deserved cake regardless of the results."

Ochako laughed; she couldn't deny her mother knew her well.

"But it doesn't matter because you passed!" Her father's voice boomed, opening the door to their cottage.

"We had complete faith in you, Uraraka!" Iida smiled, nodding his head.

"Do you have faith in me? Or do you just want me to share my cake?" she smirked, narrowing her eyes at the two.

"W-What?! No! We have faith in you! B-But... we wouldn't mind if you shared," Deku smiled.

Ochako couldn't help but smile at her oldest friends. Neither of them were magic users, but the three grew up together. They were the only two who never made fun of Ochako, even when she used to spout nonsense about dragons, mermaids, and other mythical creatures being real.

For the record, she still believed.

As a child, her grandmother would tell her all kinds of stories. Stories about dragons and magic... humans and dragons working together to use magic. She told stories of pirates and mermaids, fairies and goblins. Ochako would listen to them all, wide-eyed and excited.

Her grandmother had the utmost faith dragons and mermaids and mythical creatures were real, and there was no one Ochako believed more than her grandmother. However, when she got to school, she was immediately labeled as 'the weird dragon girl' because she talked about it too much.

Deku and Iida were the only two not to shy away from her; they'd been inseparable since they were small children.

"I guess you could each have a piece," she smiled, helping her mother pull out some plates and cutlery. "It is my birthday, so I'm feeling generous!"

"For a second I thought she might not let us..." Deku murmured, looking relieved.

"Of course! Uraraka would never be so cruel!" Iida laughed.

The room was filled with laughter as her mother pulled the cake out from the cupboard.

"So," Deku smiled eagerly. "Tell us all about your test!" Though Deku had no capability for magic even when using a magical object, he was fascinated by the subject. In fact, Deku wished to be a magical historian... a difficult task for someone who had no sense of magical energy. But he studied hard, and knew next to everything about magic.

In fact, he was one of the only people who believed along with her.

"It went well! It was the standard test until I used the gravity magic!"

"Did you use it on yourself!?" Deku asked, his eyes twinkling eagerly.

"Mhm!" she nodded. "It worked!"

"I cannot believe you took such a risk during the test! What if your magic was off due to nerves?!" Iida scolded.

Ochako waved her hands. "No, no! It was okay, besides magic doesn't really work that way."

"You have to show us next time!" Deku said, bouncing with excitement. "I bet they were so impressed!"

"They certainly were! We were as well," her father said, taking a seat. "I've never been so proud." He wrapped his arm around Ochako's shoulder, squeezing her gently.

"Thanks, Papa," she said, her smile trembling against her lips. She loved making her parents proud, so she couldn't deny the joy the words gave her.

"Should we sing?" she said, placing two small pieces down in front of the boys.

"No, Mom... please don't sing..." Ochako said, shaking her head.

"Uraraka! It's your birthday! We should indeed sing!" Iida said, pushing back from the table to stand up. "Happy Birthday to you!" he began, and the rest jumped into to sing along.

Ochako couldn't help but giggle. Surrounded by her closest friends, it only made her feel happier, her cheeks pinker.

The cake was admittedly delicious, her mother really knew how to bake, something Ochako herself was not very gifted at. Thankfully she wouldn't have to worry about it for a long time. She would probably be living at her parents’ clinic for the rest of her life, or at least, in close proximity to it.

After the cake was inhaled by the three eager teens, Ochako was the first to jump up. "Let's go to our secret spot," she winked.

"U-Uraraka, you shouldn't talk about that in front of your parents!" Deku hissed, waving his hand in front of his mouth.

"Oh, don't you kids worry, I know you love to play on the hill across the river."

"Ah! M-Mom! We're adults now, we don't play," she gasped and nervously looked at Iida and Deku.

"Right. Of course, I misspoke. I meant you go and talk on the hill across the river," she smiled.

"Yeah, okay, if that's what you want to think," Ochako snorted, trying to cover up a poorly kept secret.

Both Iida and Deku snickered. It wasn't as if their spot was really all that secretive. Anyone could've found it if they crossed the river which cut through Ochako's backyard. Though as children, there was something fantastical about calling it a secret spot.

Ochako reached over, yanking Iida and Deku out the door. "Thanks for the cake Mom! We'll be back!" she called out, slamming the door behind her.

"So when did you let it slip to your mom about the secret hill?" Deku asked.

"I didn't! I swear!" she whined, rolling her head down. "I think she just figured it out..."

"Parents are often quite intuitive about such things," Iida explained, nodding sagely as the group walked towards the small bridge across the river.

As children, crossing the small river in her backyard felt like they were going on a grand quest. Ochako would bring her staff, and Deku would carry a few books and Iida, a compass. When they discovered the hill which looked out onto the fields outside the village, Ochako felt as if they discovered a new world.

She always wondered, wide-eyed and thrilled, what could possibly lay beyond the grassy hills and rolling fields.

As an adult, she now knew other villages lay beyond, but as a child, she felt she was staring at the ocean, unexplored territory simply laid out before them.

She missed the sense of wonder... the joy she experienced dreaming what it would be like to explore the world.

Plopping down on the grass, she stared up at the sky and let out a long sigh. "We made it," she hummed softly, her nose pulling in a long breath of fresh air.

"Are you okay, Uraraka?" Deku asked, leaning towards her.

"Mmm... Yeah..." she said softly. She kept her eyes shut, not quite ready to face the reality in front of her.

"That was not very convincing at all," Iida said.

She let out a long sigh and swung her arms up, pulling herself to a sitting position. "You guys know I want to help my parents more than anything, yeah?"

Both boys nodded. "Of course we know that!" Deku smiled. "You care about your family so much, it's why you worked so hard to be a mage!"

She was silent, watching the clouds move slowly overhead.

"I thought you would be happy you got your pro mage license..." Deku said.

"Yeah! I am!" she nodded, staring down at the grass. She flopped onto her back, staring up at the sky. "It's what I've always wanted to do... but... I guess when I think about being stuck here forever, I get a little anxious... is that weird?"

Iida tilted his head. "You can always go on a trip?" he said.

"It's not that really..." she mumbled. Of course she could take a vacation. Her parents wouldn't stop her if she wanted to explore or visit friends from her magic school... "I guess I'm just not quite ready to grow up," she said. "I thought I was. But then I think about how much fun we had running through the fields looking for fairies or pretending to fight dragons."

"You miss pretending?" Iida asked.

She pouted and sat back up again. "Iida! How many times are Deku and I going to have to explain to you that fairies and dragons are real?!"

He sighed. "Not this again..."

"It's two against one, Iida!" Deku laughed. "I think Ochako is right."

"Exactly! I want to go on a quest to find them!" she sighed, puffing out her cheeks. "But... we have responsibilities now. It's so sad..."

"Next time we all have more free time, we should go on a quest together!" Ochako cheered and gently touched Iida's shoulder. "You can call it a vacation!"

"It'll be fun!" Deku said.

"Everything we do together is fun!" she smiled, but quickly frowned when she felt the earth rumble beneath her. Strange. It vibrated against her fingertips, as though machinery was nearby. They were nowhere near a city however, and their small village didn't have the capability for such advanced technology. Oddly enough, the vibrations didn't feel very deep. An earth mage would've been able to pinpoint the source, but Ochako was completely at a loss.

"Did you feel that?" she gasped, turning towards Iida.

"I did..." he said, pushing himself up.

"Earthquake?" Deku muttered, tapping on his chin.

"The earth hasn't quaked in years... why would it start now?" Iida asked, glancing around. "It could've been any number of things. Machinery isn't really near here, but perhaps a visitor from one of the cities?" he said, spurting out potential reasons for the shaking.

There was a large cry in the distance and Ochako attempted to squint across the field. There didn't seem to be anything nearby.

"What was that?" Deku yelped. "Maybe the rumble was some sort of animal?" he suggested, watching Ochako inch further down the hill.

"Did that come from the woods?" she asked, stepping towards the bottom of the hill.

"A strange earthquake, a mysterious cry..." Deku's eyes were darting back and forth, as if he was searching his brain for the logical answer.

"Deku..." she muttered.

"Maybe we should go back?" Iida said. "I've never heard a cry like that before. And we don't want to get trapped outside if a creature is on the loose."

"Yeah..." she said, suddenly hyper aware of the fact she left her staff back in the cottage. "You're right Iida, we should go-"

It was then the golden creature fell from the sky. It plummeted fast, wings tucked in tight, a roar so loud and deafening it shook the entire earth to its core, rumbling heavier than the prior time.

Ochako's eyes widened as she stared at the sky, unsure if she was actually witnessing what she thought she was. It’s golden neck stretched forward, wings close to its side. It roared again, baring it’s large teeth, it’s long tail trailing out behind it. Golden scales shimmered against the sun and large spikes trailed down its spine.

"A dragon..." she whispered. Her mind took a moment to process just what was happening. "A-A dragon!"

A real dragon!

And it was headed straight for the village.

She turned on her heel, practically slipping as she scurried up the hill, running back towards her cottage.

"Uraraka?!" Iida called after her.

"Guys! We have to do something!" she yelled, already rushing back towards her house. She couldn't do anything without her staff. She didn't know if she could do anything really, but she couldn't pass this opportunity to see a real dragon up close!

Ochako practically rolled down the hill, her boots slippery against the grass. She dashed through her large yard, running down towards the familiar cottage.

Her feet pounded against the bridge, forgetting about Iida and Deku trailing behind her as she pushed the door to the cottage open, trying to catch her breath momentarily.

"Ochako! Did you feel that? What was that?! What's going on!?" her mother asked, her words frantic.

"DRAGON!" she yelled, yanking her staff off of the table.

"Not this again..." her father sighed. "Ochako..."

"Papa! I saw it!" she said, grabbing her hat and shoving it onto her head.

"We definitely saw and heard something," Deku mumbled, breathing heavily as he and Iida stood at the doorway.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean..."

"Well I'm not gonna stand around here to find out!" she said, running past them with her staff in hand.

"Ochako! You're not an elemental mage!" her mother said, but Ochako was already running towards the direction of the village

"Uraraka! Wait!" She heard both Iida and Deku chase after her.

She didn't wait for them however, and she pushed off her feet, rushing towards the center of town. She couldn't stop now! Not when she was so close.

As she ran, she glanced towards the sky, looking for any sign of the large creature. If she could just glance at it again...

The town came into view, and Ochako noticed more people were outside, looking confused. The closer she approached the more she could hear the murmurs. It would've been impossible to miss how much the ground shook, or how loud the large cry was.

"Where are you?" she whispered. Coming to a halt, she glanced at the fear on people's faces. Of course they were terrified... a mysterious cry... a large rumble... it was as if the world was ending.

"Uraraka!" Iida called out, Deku following right behind him.

"You're okay!"

"Of course, I'm okay! But I don't see anything-"

Right on cue, another giant roar rumbled through the sky. Ochako immediately turned towards the sky, looking for the golden creature.

It was close. The cry was unlike anything their village had ever heard. People frantically looked about. It was as if no one could pinpoint the exact location of the sound, since it seemed to envelope the town. It vibrated, shaking as if the earth moved with it.

Then, the line of fire appeared from the sky. The flames curling and shooting towards the earth with dangerous speeds.

Screams echoed through the town as chaos took over the townspeople. Ochako immediately jumped back, grabbed Iida and Deku as they dove out of the way, tumbling towards the ground. She moved them towards the small house closest to them.

The fire hit the ground, immediately catching on the grass, a long row of flames cutting directly through the town. The heat was prevalent, and Ochako breathed heavy, happy they dove out of the way in what seemed to be the nick of time.

"WATER GUARDS!" A voice cried, and the town guards were immediately on the scene. Water shot towards the flames, the smoke rising high. The flames were thick, twisting and twirling against the grass, and the guard struggled to keep it away from houses.

The creature’s roar shook the earth once more as it came barrelling out of the sky, falling to the earth. It cried out once again, the fire moving towards the guards with the breeze from the cry.

Ochako's eyes glimmered with joy as she stared at the creature who stood on the edge of town. It was indeed a dragon; golden scales shimmered under the sun and large wings pressed against its body. Dark smoke curled out from its nostrils and it looked to be in pain, panting heavily. From the way it came out of the sky, Ochako wondered if it was injured.

Mostly, she couldn't believe her eyes. Dragons were real! She was right. Her grandmother was right!

The creature opened its mouth, a red glow appearing in the back of its throat.

"It's... it's going to breathe fire again," she yelled, knowing there was nowhere for them to run.

"ICE GUARD!" the same voice cried out, and magical energy pulsed through the air. Ice covering the ground quickly, rushing right towards the dragon.

"No," she gasped, realizing they were going to attempt to freeze it.

The mage guard rushed forward, past the fire and ice as the ice mages built their ice prison immediately around the creature. Fire pushed against the thick blockade, and the creature rolled its head back and forth. It tried to use its wings, but it pushed against the ice, unable to break the intense walls the mages kept adding to.

"T-They're going to hurt it!" Uraraka gasped, covering her mouth.

"Uraraka! They have to subdue it or it will destroy the whole town!" Iida exclaimed, gently wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "If you hadn't grabbed me and Deku we might all be dead!"

Her eyes trembled as she watched the creature struggle. It moved about in the giant ice prison, frantically trying to escape. It was a miracle its roars didn't break the ice, since it kept screaming and screaming, thrashing about angrily.

She stood up. "They're hurting it... w-what if they kill the only dragon we've ever seen!"

"W-We don't know what it is... Uraraka, sit back down," Deku stammered, gently grabbing her wrist.

"I want to see!" she yelled, but Iida and Deku wrapped their arms around her, not wanting her to go any closer.

The golden dragon let out a giant cry when its body began to glow. Looking towards the sky, it collapsed towards the ground, glowing brighter and brighter.

When the light dissipated, the particles melting into the ice, there lay a blond human man... half naked and completely passed out.

[sylvasthesnowfox]

18. fate

Naomi is obviously thrilled to be accompanying Rei to explore the far tower, so much so that she bounds several steps ahead of Rei on the balcony and right up to the tower's enormous double door before she thinks to turn back in confusion. "Wait," she says, "isn't this place supposed to be - "

Rei assumes that the next word was meant to be 'sideways', but Naomi's seized by vertigo and too disoriented to finish, and turning back, Rei doesn't blame her. From here, the world is very strange. Gravity is pulling them the way it seems like it should be, relative to the tower itself, but it's not as simple as a mere perspective shift; the shading of the clouds seems backwards from here, like the light is coming from below or behind the clouds somehow, and the clouds themselves have not turned to match the orientation of the tower. Rei has never imagined what a "sideways" cloud looks like before, but now she doesn't really have to imagine.

"Oof," says Naomi, clutching her head. "Boy, that's a trip."

"It's unsettling," Rei agrees noncommittally. Safe to say that she is distracted at the moment. "Let's get inside."

In contrast to the tower where Gwen and Naomi are waiting - which Rei is tentatively calling the "old tower" - the far tower is cold and lifeless. There are no plants on its stone balcony. When they push open its doors they open into an impenetrable darkness. Rei's first steps inside echo in a seemingly infinite void. She's walking - she doesn't feel comfortable using her Spark here without knowing what lays ahead of her. She's not sure what effect it might have on her surroundings.

Not that that's any comfort against the inky black infront of her. She remembers, against her will, space ripping open into an unfathomable maw of eyes and legs and rocky darkness, swallowing her reality. It's not hard to refocus on her surroundings, but she can't ignore that it's left her shakier than before. "Naomi," she says, as evenly as she can manage, "could you - light things up a bit?"

"Of course!" Naomi's undeterred. She fires several rounds from her handgun - they turn to flares, casting brilliant red light against stone walls around the central room. Sure enough, this tower's layout seems to mimic the old tower, opening up into a huge cylindrical room and some kind of glass monument in the center. "Looks kinda like the monitoring room," Naomi observes, mirroring Rei's thoughts. "Wanna check out the console up front then?"

"If it turns on," Rei hums. She advances slowly, cautiously, feeling the static humming of the Spark around her hand. The flares continue to cast their dancing light, shadows reaching up from the floor and rippling against the far walls all around her. She still hasn't entirely cast off the feeling that she's dangerously close to that numbing void again, and it's hard to deny how uncomfortable the feeling makes her.

To her surprise, though, the console does turn on. A single panel alights as Rei tampers with the nearby controls; a dim electronic glow illuminates her face as Naomi draws near to her again, and violet monospaced text appears on the screen:

CONCEPTUAL SIMULATION ENGINE [MAINTENANCE CONSOLE] v.0.1.597.463.0.0.7

FATAL - ILLEGAL INITIALIZATION PARAMETER 0x00000000000000000000000000000000

CHECK YOUR PARAMETERS OR PROVIDE A NEW CATALYST, THEN PRESS [ENTER] TO TRY AGAIN.

"This seems important," Naomi hums, whipping a phone out of her pocket and taking a picture of the screen. Rei stares at her dumbfounded, and Naomi glances back, innocently confused. "What?"

"Where did you get that?" Rei says hoarsely.

"What do you mean, where did I - I've always had it!" Naomi pouts. "I mean, it obviously ran out of battery back at the remnant, and I couldn't ever find another charger, but when we got here it was full charge!"

"You had a phone all this time," Rei sighs, "and you never told me or showed me because it was out of battery?" Naomi shrugs theatrically, looking only further distraught.

"What did you want me to do?" she cries. "I didn't know it would matter! I just kept it on me cause - I just - I felt sentimental, or something. Shut up."

"I'm not upset at all," Rei laughs, raising her arms. "I'm just - "

"Hey, shh - "

Naomi's gasp silences them both. The room is quiet, except for the hissing of the flares; neither of them are breathing.

"I don't hear anything," Rei breathes. Naomi scowls.

"I could swear I..." She shakes her head, stepping away from the console and raising her gun. "Whoever you are, step into the light, now!"

come here.

"Okay, that I definitely heard," Rei gasps, her heart suddenly pounding. "What was that?"

"Outsider," Naomi mutters darkly, and Rei can't help agreeing with her. If she were to try to place the sound, it would sound like steel cable rubbing against sandpaper, maybe? Like something soft and yet terribly heavy, straining against something coarse and firm, a sound on the edge of ripping into pieces. But it's not hard to believe that such a sound has no real source. It's her imagination trying to parse input it was not designed to interpret.

And despite that, somehow, Rei cannot shake the feeling that she's heard this sound before.

"Last chance!" Naomi bellows. But she's answered with another distant rustling. It seems to be coming from several directions at once, but all leading deeper into the tower. Naomi glances back at the Curator. "Maybe we should leave," she murmurs.

"Maybe," Rei murmurs, a hand over her chest as she tries to calm herself down. Maybe they should. But maybe they shouldn't?

The doors to the tower slam shut. Both Naomi and Rei whirl around - one or both of them yell in alarm - but Rei's eyes are swiftly drawn back to the console, which has changed color. The text is now gold and it now reads:

NOT YET.

"Show yourself!" Naomi roars, now raising her gun and pointing it into the shadows. "Whatever or wherever you are, come out, let me see you if you're brave enough to threaten us!"

Rei looks up again. The room seems somehow darker than before, but just as she's wondering if she should say something, the darkness recedes - whipping away all at once from the walls and through the seam of a door at the far end of the room, which until then she hadn't noticed somehow. "Something's here," Rei gasps, as the door lazily swings open - showing only gaping dark beyond. "Yes, something is definitely here."

"I saw it," Naomi growls, swiftly putting herself between the door and Rei. Rei glances back at the console, but it's blank now. The flares behind them, closer to the huge doors to the balcony, are burning low. The darkness is overtaking them from behind, and as it draws in, that familiarity of the void grows only stronger...

"Okay, we should leave," Naomi urges her, but Rei shakes her head slowly, standing fast.

"There's no need to panic," she replies, raising her hand. She can still feel the Spark. The assurance is aimed at herself as much as it is at Naomi. "I have control over the Seed, don't forget. I can get us out whenever we need to. If there are Outsiders here, we should investigate. They could be Spirits, or otherwise important to recreation."

"Yeah, what with how they're threatening us," Naomi growls.

"I'm not threatened," Rei replies imperiously, crossing her free arm over her chest. "Let's go."

The flares behind them quickly recede into darkness once they pass through the doorway. Naomi fires more ahead of them, but they fade into the black void immediately. Even when they turn as though to fire them at the wall, the hall seems to turn with them. Rei's vague discomfort is starting to take a more definite shape. Naomi is growing more and more tense. They are reminded of Outsider attacks in the remnant. They are reminded of the Outside itself. Reality is breaking down around them.

"We should go back," Naomi says, slowly and firmly, trying to hide that her voice is shaking. But Rei shakes her head. She can see movement ahead of her. It's hesitant, and it's making that noise that is so uncomfortable and yet so familiar to her. Like she's heard it in a dream somewhere before. Maybe she literally has!

"I can still get us out any time," Rei whispers. "Let's play along."

"It's not that I don't trust you," Naomi murmurs. She doesn't have to finish her sentence. Rei admits, she understands how Naomi feels.

They keep advancing. It's hard to tell they're in a hallway. It's hard to tell they're inside; it feels more like they're walking on a stone path through an impossibly dark night, but Rei has never experienced a night so dark before. Her old world was full of light and color, even at night, so that one never lost themselves. But she knows that sort of thing used to exist in ancient history, when people didn't have electricity. You could walk into a field without a lamp on an overcast night and lose any sense of direction except Down. She tries not to dwell on how lucky she is to still have that frame of reference.

Naomi stops. "I feel like we're not in the tower anymore," she says, her voice a bit louder than before. But only a bit.

"Me too." At least it's not just her. What Rei's feeling isn't exactly... fear, or at least she doesn't think it is. But it's certainly true that she feels better for having Naomi at her side. And yet, as she thinks about that, at the same time... she wishes Naomi wasn't here. She wishes Naomi was not facing this danger, and the thought that a threat might appear that Naomi might throw herself into again is...

No... no, the more she thinks about it, the more she wishes Naomi was not here. Her skin's crawling at the thought. This place is dangerous, this journey is dangerous, in a way that Naomi might not fully understand. Maybe they really should go back, just so that Naomi is somewhere safe...

Naomi fires a flare straight up. Rei gasps as she does it - she didn't think of that! The hall can't turn and orient itself upwards without them falling, right? As they follow its arc overhead it flickers and flashes, but nothing catches its light; it's a solitary gleam like a shooting star rushing further and further away... at first.

But then there are other flashes all around it. Rei mistakes them for enormous glass panes, light rushing through them in bands as the flare passes by at the right angle to reflect that light back at them. But that's not what is happening. Suddenly what was one flare, traveling straight up, becomes a dozen, and then a hundred and then more, streaking past each other in many directions like a firework. And illuminated by their baleful light are hundreds of humanoid figures in a great distance above them, standing in pairs, watching the display just as Rei and Naomi are.

"What the fuck?" whispers Naomi, because this is an unbelievable thing to see, and the lingering light of the flares allows her plenty of time to take it in. But Rei knows what this is, or at least she understands what it is symbolically. What it represents. What do you see when you look into a void where there is nothing but yourselves to see?

"Close your eyes," she instructs. Her voice is more bitter than she expected. She glances over and sees that Naomi is looking back at her like she's crazy. "I mean it," she says impatiently.

So, Naomi closes her eyes. Rei threads her fingers through Naomi's and tightly clasps her hand, then closes her own eyes, too. The flares fall silent, because they are too far away. Rei thinks of the remnant. She thinks of the top of the apartment building where she and Naomi caught their breath after many fights, held each others' hands after many arguments and shouts of hopeless frustration, shared little kisses and smiles while talking about what they might do with the future they would build for their new world.

"Open your eyes," Rei instructs. She opens her own. Beside her Naomi screams.

"How are we back here?!" she cries. Rei stares into the abyss surrounding the apartment rooftop with a dull resignation. She knows what this is. She understands where they are. "No," Naomi continues, horror filling her voice, "no, this isn't - there's nothing else here. What happened to everything else?"

"It's just this building," Rei murmurs, "becuase this is all I thought about." She turns around; there is no skyline, no skyroad, no other towers crumbling after two years of decay, no shimmering barrier between the end of the world and their tiny bubble of existence. There is nothing shielding this place from the void. Or rather, there is no separation from 'this place' and the 'void'. They are the same. "Hold on," she says, "I'll get us back."

And she does. She doesn't even have to use the Spark; it's just a matter of remembering where she wants to be, and demanding that she is there. They walk back along a stone floor, through a hallway they can barely see, until the faintest glimmers of dying flares finally comes into view on either side. Rei doesn't even wait long enough to take them through the door; the spark rips through the world and they are standing on the balcony, Rei shielding her eyes from the light while Naomi sputters and blinks in desperation to recover.

"Okay, well, we're back," Naomi says blankly, turning back to her with a sigh of relief. "Man! That was... pretty spooky, huh? It felt kinda like we might get attacked by something in there, you know?"

Rei doesn't answer. She's deep in thought. It's supposed to be very hard to reach the Outside. Even in the remnant Rei could only get there by dreaming. How did they simply... walk into it?

What does it mean that they could walk out of the Seed if they wanted?

[thatdisastrousfangirl-writes]

Kid Finds A Friend

Apparently people liked The Wrong Demon so here you go! 

Also for those who are wondering the next chapter of the Other way is coming I’m just taking a while to get it all together. Chapter seven will definitely be posted some time this month! That out of the way hope you enjoy this in the mean time :)

Alcor watched Kid from the edge of the small collection of trees he had in his field as they played happily with Fluffernutter and Killer. The Flock had questioned his decision to keep the small baby almost six years ago at first but had soon accepted them as one of their own once they had all gotten a look at them. They were a very curious child, which wasn’t the best trait a small, mortal human like them-self could have in a place like the Mindscape. Fortunately the nightmares had learned that quickly and kept to keeping Kid as far away from any boarders and dangerous areas as they could. 

Alcor sighed. He was lucky enough that Lolonja had taken it upon herself to take care of Kid, but they had for whatever reason decided they absolutely adored him to no end which was frustrating. He wasn’t used to that kind of affection right now damn it! And it wasn’t helped by the fact they hugged anything and everything they had even the slightest bit of attachment to.

The advantage of having Kid living fully in the mindscape, in both mind and body, was that they were safe from the barren hell-scape that the physical world currently was, with everyone fighting and betraying each other over the most basic of needs. The disadvantage was that they always, knew when Alcor was nearby, their senses being more sensitive that way. That and they attracted anything and everything that lived in the mindscape that was more then interested in turning Kid into a snack and Alcor wouldn’t really care if they did, he didn’t know or care for this soul after all but, these damn emotions stopped him from letting that happening.

Kid, having probably ‘sensed’ he was there, looked up from tackling Killer to the ground and spotted Alcor, their large smile getting somehow larger. They rushed over to where he floated, wrapping their tiny arms around his legs as best as they could with him floating as high as he was. 

“ALCOR! YOU’RE BACK!” they screamed, hugging him tighter. 

“Ha, yeah, back, I, definitely left and totally wasn’t hiding,” he said, awkwardly patting Kids head before taking their hands and freeing himself. 

“Are you gonna stay and play with me this time?” they asked bouncing up and down, eyes sparkling hopefully. 

“Err.” Quick, think of a way out! “Sorry, Kid, but, oh dagnamit, I’m, I think I’m getting another summons right now! Damn I was so looking forward to spending time with you and your insistent positive affection.” Perfect. 

“Oh okay.” Kid stopped bouncing, looking down at their bare feet sadly. Less perfect. 

“Right, imma just go.” Great, now he felt bad. No, you know what, he’d made plenty of people feel worse then Kid in the past why were they any different. He was just keeping what was his close, no reason to give it anything more than what it needed to survive. 

“Well, see ya Kid.” And with that, he tessered to the other far side of his territory. 

Kid stared at the space Alcor had just been in before disappearing. Aw well, Alcor would return and then they could all play together! Kid’s smile returned to their face at the idea, already looking forward it. Maybe this time the summons won’t take too long and he’ll return within a few sleep cycles! 

Looking to see where Killer and Fluffernutter were Kid saw that they had moved on. They had probably thought Alcor was going to stay as well so they didn’t need to keep and eye on them. Kid was rarely ever left alone, always at least one Nightmare keeping an eye or three on them to make sure they didn’t get into any trouble. Especially near the boarder and grove that they just so happened to be standing on the edge of. All by them-self. 

‘I’m sure it couldn’t hurt to explore a bit,’ they thought, stepping in between the trees. 

The first thing they noticed, was that among the towering pines the “small collection of trees” was significantly more substantial, not that that fazed Kid, growing up in the Mindscape surround by the Flock. It just made them more excited to explore the place. 

Skipping along the non-existent path Kid made their way deep into the forest, not noticing the small shadow sulking out from behind a fallen branch. The further Kid wandered, the closer it got, slithering nearer, and nearer to them, until… 

“OW!” Kid yelped, stumbling forward away from whatever had just bitten their leg. It was a small wound, but it still stung. “That hurt!” they whined, getting a look at what had attacked them. The thing looked almost a tadpole -not that Kid knew what that was- except larger, with fur that flowed as if it was in water, and had large glowing white eyes.  

It hissed at them. They hissed back. 

Kid looked down at the strange thing as it shrunk in on itself at their hissing back at it. “You know you’re kinda cute,” they said to it, tilting their head. “I’m Kid! What’s you’re name?” they asked. It didn’t say anything, a little glowing white tongue licking its lips. “No name hu? How about, hmm,” Kid paused looking just ahead of them-self thinking of the perfect name for their new friend. “Fluffy!” they said triumphantly. 

Fluffy hissed again. “I’m going to assume that means you like it!” Kid moved their hand to pet Fluffy, the small creature in response leaping up and bitting down hard on Kid’s hand. Startled Kid let out a small “Eep!” stepping backwards and falling over, shaking their hand in an attempt to make Fluffy let go but it didn’t work. 

“No! Bad Fluffy! No bitting!” Kid tried to explain to no avail. When Fluffy continued to not let go of Kid’s hand they did the only thing they could think of and bit Fluffy back. It let out a loud screech and finally let go, Kid doing the same soon after. “It’s not nice when people bit you is it!” Kid complained, getting up to loom over Fluffy. “Now no more biting!” 

Fluffy hissed at Kid again and swiftly slithered away into a small eye covered bush. “Wait! Don’t go!” Kid cried out, pouncing on the bush trying to grab Fluffy. “I was just trying to teach you what Lonja taught me!” 

As Kid tried to grab Fluffy’s tail it disappeared from sight, vanishing into a puff of dark smoke. Kid leaned back and sat down, a few tears beginning to form in the corners of their eyes. ‘Why doesn’t anyone what to play with me?’ they thought. ‘First Alcor has to go, then Killer and Fluffernutter left to do their own thing and now Fluffy just ran away!’ 

A small sob escaped Kids throat when they heard a rustling sound coming from behind them. They turned around and looked for the source of the sound, seeing nothing new. 

“Hello?” they asked quietly. Kid stood up, wiping their noes with their arm, looking around again. “Who’s there?” 

The large shadow behind the trees moved, slithering between them towards Kid towering over them. It looked exactly like Fluffy, but significantly larger, with sharp needle like teeth pointing in all directions, and its fur moved erratically, glitching instead of flowing like Fluffy’s.

“Hi! I’m Kid!” 

Alcor stared up at the sky from his spot lying flat on the ground, waves of impossible colours moving between the monotone greys in waves like the ocean. It was nice, relaxing, peaceful. 

“So are you going to explain why you’re hiding from Kid?” Lolonja asked, ruining the peacefulness. Alcor groaned, hiding his face behind his hands. 

“I‘m not hiding!” he grumbled into them, moving them and sitting up, looking at the unimpressed sheep. “I’m just having some me time.” 

“Uh hu, and I’m an real sheep who spends its days doing nothing but laze around, eat normal grass and have its wool shaun off every time it gets to long,” she said, rolling her eyes. Alcor huffed turning away from her. He didn’t need to listen to her! Lolonja was the one that needed to listen to him!

Lolonja sat down next to him, waiting patiently for an explanation. They both sat like that for several moments of indeterminate length. 

“It’s just,” Alcor started, turning back. “It’s. They’re just so, so happy! And so, not scared of me. I don’t know how do deal with that!” he finished, waving his arms around for emphasis. 

“Well to be fair Kid isn’t scared of anything,” Lolonja interjected. “They could come face to face with the biggest baddest demon after you and still try to befriend them.” 

“I know, I know it’s just, they make me feel so weird when I’m around them! They treat me as if I’m the greatest, nicest person they know and, I just don’t know how to respond to that!” Alcor laid back down on the ground, staring at the ocean of colours, and sighed. “There’s not reason for me to care about them, they’re not Mizar or Sarva or anyone else I know but. I like their trust, and, not because I can take advantage of it, use it against them. It, they make me feel-“ 

“Human?” Lolonja interrupted. 

Alcor thought for a second, thinking it over. “Kind of, but not in a good way, they make me feel bad for doing what I’ve been doing for the last how many decades without care and. I don’t like it.” 

“Have you considered the fact that if you didn’t hide from Kid you wouldn't feel bad for being mean to them?” 

Alcor was just about to argue when the sound of Kid screaming filled the air. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath standing up and heading towards the source, Lolonja hurrying next to him. “What happened to ‘isn’t scared of anything’ hu?!” 

When they both found Kid they were hiding behind the few nightmares that had gotten there first, holding their arm close to their chest. The thing they were hiding from was a fairly large negative thought, similar to nightmares in that they came about from peoples minds, but different in that they weren’t properly sentient. 

The moment it saw him it must have seen how strong he was, because it almost immediately began slithering away, a few more nightmares coming and making sure it wouldn’t come back. 

Lolonja stepped towards Kid, demands to know why they had been alone and who had left them that way ready on the tip of her tongue, but Alcor held up a hand to stop her, giving her look to tell her he’d handle this. 

“Heeey, Kid, you okay?” he asked awkwardly, kneeling down to their level. 

Kid shook their head, tears streaking down their cheeks. “It bit me,” they sobbed, holding their shaking arm out for Alcor to see. It was a pretty nasty wound, Kids whole lower arm was essentially torn up, the negative thoughts many needle like teeth leaving long scars, evidence of Kid suddenly pulling their arm away. 

Alcor grabbed Kid’s arm to better look at it, loosening his grip when he saw Kid grimace. “Well that’s no good is it?” he said, Kid shaking their head in response. “Do, do you want me to fix it?” he asked, reasoning with himself that he was just making sure what was his wasn’t damaged. 

Kid nodded their head his time. “Yes please,” they muttered, and they held out their other hand. “The blood for healing?” Kid offered and Alcor thanked whatever that from the few proper interactions he had had with Kid had taught them that he needed something in return when doing something like this. He didn’t think Lolonja would be very happy if he had prompted it. Not that, Lolonja intimidated him in any way, he was her master being worried about what she’d think would just be absolutely ridiculous.

“Deal,” Alcor said, accepting Kid’s hand, a small burst of fire engulfing them for a moment. He then grabbed Kid’s arm again and quickly licked up all the blood, using the small amount of energy to heal it. It would still have the scars but it was better then before. 

Once Alcor was done Kid flung their deceptively small arms around his back, pressing their head into his chest, and Alcor found himself returning the hug. It felt nice. “Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome.” 

Maybe putting in a bit more effort into being more human could be a not terrible thing. 

“Does this mean you can play with me now?”

“Err.” 

[rydenstories]

my sister’s disappearance and the church in the woods

REDDIT

Many people in my life don't know it, but I spent two years of my childhood living with my grandmother.

When I was approaching my teen years, it had come to light that my mother had developed a pill addiction after a surgery left her on pain management. She had kept it hidden pretty well for a while, but eventually rehab was the only option. Unfortunately, this left my dad with no one to care for my sister, Diane, and I while he worked countless overtime hours. Nana had to be the one to take us, even though she lived hours away. I didn't mind the move. Any patch of the middle of nowhere is about the same as any other, but Diane felt betrayed. She was a little younger and didn't understand the nature of the situation, she just thought they got tired of us.

Diane often asked me why I wasn't mad that they'd abandoned us. There was nothing I could say convinced her that they hadn't.

During our time living with Nana, she homeschooled us. Our parents didn't necessarily know how long recovery would take and they didn't want us to acclimate to an overwhelming social environment we could immediately be ripped from at any time. They never expected recovery to take so long and they never expected Diane to see it how she did; lockdown. She felt they shipped us away to punish us. Somewhere along the line, she had come up with this evil fairy tale version of our parents when, in reality, they were just kinda having a hard time.

We spent the first fall and winter inside, expecting to go home any day, and when Dad showed up late one night in March, we thought we might really be going home. However, his face was painted with anger and tears. He told us Mommy needed more time, but that trailer was small. I easily overheard the words "relapse" uttered under hushed tones in another room. I don't think Diane understood that much, but when she saw me cry at the realization, she made some sort of connection and it only heightened her disdain for mom and dad.

Spring came around and warm weather opened up the entire world outside. Nana left us to our own devices after lessons and the trailer sat in the middle of a gigantic campground. She told us that there would be many kids to play with when the summer campers came around, so it would be a perfect time to spend spring exploring the grounds. Diane practically bolted out of the door, despite the chill and the rain. We spent a while getting to know the place better together. There were the normal things kids like; two rather large playgrounds and a swimming pool we just couldn't wait for them to open that summer. However, we were more interested in the wooded trails. The entire place was surrounded by dense forest and if you went just a little far off the trail into the trees, you'd find tons of abandoned structures to climb on, waterfalls, and even a few caves.

Diane was very excited about the prospect of meeting and playing with other children. She had a rather large group of friends in our neighborhood back home, and she felt so robbed of that being sent to live with Nana. I was a little shyer, but wanted desperately to convey that I wasn't. I was two years older, but Diane was much cooler and more charismatic than me. I didn't want to seem uncool, so I played it up that I was just as excited as she was. Together, we planned out an amazing hide and seek game in the woods for when the summer kids arrived. We tried to recruit the few other children living on the campground year-round, but there really weren't many. Most of the people living there were old, and if they did have kids around, they were usually only visiting. We gave up and returned to exploring and planning on our own.

There was a day that was particularly rainy at the end of April in which Diane wanted to go explore, but Nana said there would be a big thunderstorm coming that night and she'd prefer we didn't go out further than the two playgrounds. Diane stomped her foot and protested until she finally realized she wasn't getting her way. Then she turned to me, expecting that I would go with her. I told her that I really didn't want to, and she gave me a look accompanied by the hardest of eyerolls before storming off. She slammed the screen door way harder than necessary and was gone. I shrugged it off and fell asleep on the couch, watching gameshows with Nana.

Diane returned later with a different attitude and pulled me aside later on that night, under the cover of the sound of thunder, to express her excitement about having made a new friend at the park named Eden. I laughed, and she became immediately confused and defensive. I genuinely thought she'd made up the name as I'd actually never come across it before then. Being the older sibling, I picked up on her defensiveness and decided to pick on her a little bit, claiming not to believe in her new imaginary friend. I didn't necessarily believe she'd made it up, but messing with her proved to be an opportunity my sisterly instincts didn't wanna miss out on. This made her determined to prove Eden to me.

It took a week but Diane proved me somewhat wrong after spotting a little girl I'd never seen down the path. Her hair was dark with a natural curl and she wore a green gingham print sundress despite the late spring chill. Diane called out to her, using the name Eden, but the little girl didn't turn to respond and instead ran away, down the path and around the corner. I expected to see my sister hurt but instead, she immediately chased after her, laughing as she turned the corner out of site. I tried to chase them down, but they were nowhere around. I turned around and instead found them waiting for me at the head of the trail. I wanted to ask how they'd gotten there, but I didn't get the chance before Diane started boasting about her new friend.

Eden was Diane's age but my size and although she seemed well spoken enough, she didn't get many words out between my sister jabbering on about how Eden knows where to find great hiding places just barely off the path. I scoffed, knowing myself that we'd explored pretty much all of the immediate areas off trail. There weren't any awesome places I didn't know about. Still, this strange girl seemed like she'd been there much longer than us, so I wasn't about to question her. She led us across the campgrounds to another edge of the woods that was mostly bike trails and I immediately felt a smug little smile cross my face, realizing that there weren't any structures on that side. Diane and her little friend were about to make themselves look stupid and I couldn't wait to laugh it up.

Before I could say anything, however, Eden disappeared into the trees with her hand gripped firmly around Diane's wrist, who immediately snatched mine. Suddenly, we were sprinting across bike trails and through trees, not even really bothering with the trails at all. I desperately wanted to ask either of them where we might be going, but I could barely breathe. Both girls had so much momentum that they were practically dragging me behind them. We finally halted at some high bushes, which Eden pushed aside with one fluid motion to expose a large field. At the back edge of the trees was an enormous church.

I stood in shock directly in front of the small opening we'd gone through. Many of the buildings in the woods were intact, some of them weren't even that old, but nothing this huge stood so solidly, the steeple being the only thing missing. Even most of the stained glass windows were intact. It was the kind of discovery you read about in teen fantasy novels, something you expect to be magical. However, I felt wrong for being there.

Although the grass in the field had grown high, there were multiple tiny paths through towards the church that Eden led us down. As we neared the almost too-goliath building, I started noticing things that bothered me; abandoned toys, a few lost bikes, some other toys that looked like something you'd see in a museum. I finally found my voice and spoke up, pointing out the fact that other kids clearly know about this place. My sister shot a look back at me with a condescending "So?" I reminded her that we were looking for hiding places, and Eden wasn't leading us to a good hiding place if every other kid knew about it. Eden spoke up, calmly stating that it wasn't a hiding place. I stopped, feeling a little more than uncomfortable. This stopped the movement of the entire group, bringing both girls to look back at me with an almost impatient demeanor.

They didn't need to ask before I stated that I felt we might get in trouble for being there, someone had to be keeping the place so nice, and it clearly wasn't the other kids, with them just throwing their garbage toys around like that. Eden answered with a little scoff and giggle that said she clearly knew more than me, but I wasn't going to get into trouble for some girl I barely knew, so I grabbed my sister's arm and turned back. She fought against me, but I threatened to tell Nana, and that ended the argument pretty quickly. Eden didn't try to stop us or follow. She instead disappeared up the church steps and through the heavy sun bleached wooden doors.

The following week, neither of us went out. I was to unsettled by the church, and Diane was a mix of angry at me and afraid I'd tattle. Nana seemed a bit concerned and took me aside, wondering if anything was wrong. I didn't tell her anything, though. To tell the truth, I was mildly afraid I might get into trouble too. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Diane listening in. It was clear that she'd heard and realized that I wasn't going to tell Nana anything. She seemed pretty satisfied with that.

I woke up the following morning and noticed that Diane wasn't asleep in the cot next to mine. I wasn't surprised, I knew she'd wanna go out and play now that she knew she wasn't going to get into trouble, so I got out of bed and went to go find her. She could play with her weird little friend without me but I had to at least make sure she wasn't at that church again. I knew in my gut that we weren't supposed to be there, no one was. However, I didn't find her at any of the regular spots. At that point, I found myself getting more and more miffed at her choices and at the fact that I now had to go search the bike trails for her.

I had this smug attitude about me and even had come up with a pretty good idea of exactly how I was going to tell Diane off. I felt pretty self-assured up until an hour into searching all over that side of the forest and finding absolutely no sign of my sister, Eden, or the church. I doubled back to the trail-head and sat for a moment before ultimately deciding to go back to the trailer and tell Nana. We'd be in trouble, sure, but I reasoned with myself that Diane would be in more trouble than me, and at least Nana would probably know where the church was located, or one of the grounds managers definitely would.

I'd made it about halfway back to the trailer when an unsettlingly warm hand grabbed my wrist from behind and spun me faster than I could react. Eden, this time wearing a yellow rose print button up sundress. She had a genuine look of worry on her face. She told me that she and Diane had been playing hide and seek, and she couldn't find Diane for some time. My own worry kicked up, but I was also a little intrigued; this was the first time I'd heard Eden speak at any length. She had an accent I'd never heard as a child and still can't exactly place as an adult, and she told me that Diane might be hiding somewhere really dangerous.

I listened to her talk more as we walked across the campground together, her taking the lead. Eden spoke the whole time, telling me about all the different structures in the forest, and what they used to be. She told me about these dangerous little rock ledges she'd told Diane about, and how we'd go there to make sure she hadn't hurt herself. Her voice was smooth and even kinda comforting, it put my worries at ease. I started to feel guilty. Maybe my previous discomfort with this girl stemmed from jealousy. I could still feel something off about her, but it was now muffled under the comfortable surface that her voice provided.

When we reached the edge of the trees, she grabbed my wrist again and asked me to trust her. Before I could say anything, we were gliding through the forest again. This time, she pulled me behind her with her own force alone, fast enough that the trees around us all started to smear together in shades of green and brown. We burst through some brush and again, there stood the intimidating church and the toy-littered grounds around it. Eden had let go of my wrist and I was kinda feeling that uneasiness again. I knew this wasn't where she said we were going, but without really thinking about it, I allowed her to grab my hand and lead me ahead.

The doors seemed even larger up close and looked heavy, but Eden grabbed the handle and pulled it open with ease. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust from the brightness outside but I was shocked to find that the inside of the church was almost completely pristine. The red walkway carpet that led to the pulpit looked brand new and the beige floor underneath could've been freshly mopped. Twelve rows of wooden pews lined each side of the center walkway. They were all littered with children's toys, little trinkets, jewelry, jackets, and even a few loose shoes. The rest of the room had stood through the test of time, but those things didn't for some reason.

The fixture that immediately drew my attention was a dark, bathtub sized basin on the far side of the pulpit. Eden led me to it. As we grew closer, I noticed that there was murky water inside. It smelled rank, like swamp. She told me there was a really cool animal living in it. She wanted me to see it. I wasn't able to think much more about it before I felt my legs moving me toward the tub, my head leaning closer to the water in hopes of seeing such a strange creature. Something underneath the surface started to swirl. Light glowed from somewhere far deeper than the basin itself was capable of being. I saw something floating deep and I leaned closer to look.

Diane's face floated in the deep distance, just close enough to see, but somehow much too far away to reach. Her eyes were vacant, her face bloated. The word drowned popped into my head a few moments before my mind registered what that meant. I started to feel my body freaking out and I felt myself start to back away when a hand from behind me, now hot and much too large to be a little girl's, landed on my neck and shoved my face hard into the water. I screamed before I thought to take a breath or close my eyes, so I went in blowing air out. My eyes burned horribly for a second as I closed my mouth and I tried to conserve what little air I had left, while also trying to fight to get my head out of the water. As I struggled, I got a blurry look around. The water around was much too vast to fit the tub's capacity, it was kinda like putting my head down into a hole in a frozen lake. Multiple lights started appearing in the far, murky distance.

They began to approach, dread knotted up with my empty lungs, and I fought harder.

I got my head up long enough to pull air and turn to glimpse Eden. She was much taller now, the floral dress she wore was torn and stretched over her bony, hunched over body. Her skin was all dried up and warped like sun-bleached wood. Then, my head was back in the water. The lights were much closer. I started to wiggle and contort my body in any way I could to get up.

At some point I brought my left arm up a little too far back and I felt something tear in my shoulder. Before I could register what I'd done, that arm struck something hard and Eden lost her grip. I ripped my head out of the water and turned my entire body to her, hoping not to let her get the upper hand on me again. Before I could even focus on Eden, I noticed the room had dramatically changed. The pristineness of it all had disappeared and replaced the whole room with the smell of wet, disgusting swamp stink. A few pews were now missing, the others rotten, termite-eaten, and moldy. The center carpeting was ripped up in a bunch of places and stained. The floor underneath was warped and muddy, with small puddles of dark water pooling all around. The decay of the room finally matched the decay of the objects it housed.

My eyes returned to Eden, still showing her true nature. Her large hand clutched her chest, where I must have hit her to knock her grip loose. I was lucky.

The natural curl of her hair had degraded into long, lifeless tendrils that hid her face as she was preoccupied, looking down at her chest, less in pain and more likely in shock that I was able to knock her back at all. I took the opportunity to move as quietly (but quickly) as I possibly could around the basin, away from the pulpit, and towards the door. I stopped dead in my tracks for a moment when I noticed a single item that hadn't been there before, sitting in the middle of the carpeted walkway; a tiny, silver bangle. It was a gift from my mom to Diane when she turned 8. I know during that time at Nana's, she hated our mom to some extent, but not enough to ever take that bangle off. My knees threatened to cave when three small voices began speaking in perfect unison from behind me. I didn't turn around, I didn't want to see any more of whatever Eden really was, but I never forgot what those voices said.  

"It doesn't matter if you get away. You lost. She's mine. They all are."

I bolted without another thought. I didn't bother to look anywhere except ahead as I ran out of the doors, away from the church, and into the woods. I ran until I realized that I was no longer in the forest at all, and I'd actually exited from a completely different area than I been led into. I returned to Nana's trailer as fast as I could and blabbered out everything without putting much thought to whether or not she would believe me. Whether or not she did didn't make itself immediately apparent. Instead, she covered her very clear concern for my sister in as much comfort for me as she could while she grabbed the phone and called the police.

They arrived and I told them everything as well, but my spirits were dampened by the sheer disbelief and almost disgust some of the officers wore on their faces long before I finished my story. Despite that, I probably recounted it exactly the same, eight or nine times by the time my dad showed up. He shoo'ed everyone away from me and wrapped me in a big hug. It was the first time I felt safe all day. However, it was also the point where the adrenaline finally wore off and extreme pain exploded from my arm and back. The crying began. My dad took me to the hospital, where I learned that I'd completely tore a muscle in my shoulder.

Searches began. The campground owner said that there used to be a church on the land, long before they'd bought it, but they were assured that it had burnt down. In fact, it was one of the only previous structures on the land that didn't have any recorded ruins. They didn't have anything to go of off, so they just searched everywhere. Over and over.

They never found the church. They never found my sister, either.

The authorities wanted to piece parts of my story together that made sense so they could write their reports and let it go. Diane had been lured into the woods by a kidnapper using another child as bait. They tried to do the same to me, but I was able to get away. That was the reality they chose to believe and to present to the rest of the world. It didn't need to be more detailed than that for them.

I spent another entire year living in that trailer, on those same grounds. I lived in fear because I knew what reality actually was. I knew it every time I remembered the taste of that foul water in my mouth, or the heat of Eden's hand on the back of my neck as she held me under. Diane's bloated face stared at me whenever I closed my eyes. It wasn't until my mom finally recovered and I was able to move back home did I start to heal and feel safe again.

The fear faded, but the memory never did. Still, I chose to keep it to myself. It was easier to live with it than experience the disbelief of others over and over again.

In the middle of the night last Saturday, I was jerked out of my bed by my throat. The fingers wrapped around my neck were so hot, I thought they might be metal. It only kept a grasp on me long enough to get me up. I collapsed to the floor in total darkness and loudly gasped for air. The struggle woke my fiance and he quickly flicked on his bedside lamp to reveal an empty bedroom. He got up and helped me up, asking me about a dozen questions, none of which my brain registered. Instead, I ran off to the bathroom, where I cried until I knew I had to tell him everything.

I'm very lucky that he believes me, or at least it seems like he does. I hope he does. Our house has absolutely reeked of swamp stank since it happened, so I know he is at least aware of that. Thankfully, I have yet to be yanked out of bed again, but I'm afraid.

I don't know what to do from here, but I'm tired of being the only person that knows, even if there are no answers out there for me. Even if this just serves as a helpful warning for others to be careful.

[ambiguouslyliterate-blog]

Respawn Point Ch. 3: Waifu Ruckus

"These are the crop fields. They aren't maintained especially well… The players we assign to work in them usually ditch to rp or go dungeon crawling."

It had been a few days since San and I had arrived in Weebtown. San quickly went her own way after she was healed up; the aloof creeper girl venturing into the server to go cause trouble in a way that I wasn't surprised was her standard. I was left to explore the server on my own, only occasionally bumping into her or Roxxie as I walked the streets, the pink petals of cherry blossoms blowing around my feet.

"Here are the mines. There used to be a systematic branch mining system here but now everyone just does what they want. A lot of people have even built little secret bases inside the mines, making other players pay tolls. It’s… A thing."

Weebtown was more like my home server than I'd expected; there were fields of crops, areas squared away for mining and private building, and even a few cool landmarks like the anime-haired creeper that towered over the server’s spawn point. The major difference however, was the mods. My home server, the server where I spawned, was "vanilla," meaning that mods were outlawed, although that didn’t stop the mod users that forced their way in. Either way, anyone who used a mod was seen as an outsider, which was in stark contrast to the streets I was walking now. Modded weapons, armor, special blocks, and plants littered the server, players walking by them as if they were a normal part of the world, as if they hadn't been brought into existence through an otherworldly power. It was a welcome change, even if I had to see players walking around with the occasional overly-graphic body pillow.

"What are all of these for?" I asked, looking around at the legion of bland stone buildings surrounding us. The admin chuckled.

Slenda had been taking me on a tour of the server, both of us hoping that I'd be able to find a place there, or at the very least help me socialize. Slenda didn't seem keen on either, her eyes cold and her voice tired during most of her walk. Though, I suppose I'd be just as broken if I had to run this mixed deathtrap and playground barely disguised as a functioning society. When we reached the edge of the spawn town the ornate buildings and semi-organized gave way to a sea of grey and pale colors, all belonging to buildings of nearly identical structure. They all had a similarly shaped main building with wings to either side, the walls lined with windows. Every roof had a small walkable area with a fence around it and in the dirt beside the buildings' bases there were chalk lines for some kind of sports. The only thing differentiating the buildings were the signs in front of them, all written in that indecipherable weeb language.

"Oh, these? They're all high schools."

"ALL OF THEM?!" I questioned, my mind spinning, "B- But, why?!”

Slenda shook her head, letting out a weary sigh. It didn't seem like it was the first time she'd had to break this to someone.

"That’s anime!” She said with a weak smile and a flash of her hands, “To get to all of the beauty and nuance, you need to dig through a bunch of high schools and horrible waifus."

Weebtown was the peak of superfluous, taking every unnecessary excessive element they possibly could and finding a way to squeeze it into every day server life… But high schools?! What's so exciting about high schools?! Most servers didn’t even build schools in the first place since most players spawn in with a decent amount of knowledge. But this server had what looked like thousands. It felt like being on the top of a mountain where the air thinned, except here you were left gasping for standards and moderation rather than oxygen. I didn’t even want to know what a “waifu” was. I looked to the admin; stern, tidy, straight-laced. Though I'd run into San a couple times around the server, Slenda felt a lot more tangible, for lack of a better word. It didn't feel as if asking her questions would end in cryptic answers or unrealistic spells of unconsciousness.

"Why in the Nether would you want to work in a place like this?” I asked, gazing out over the sea of bland cement and distant neon pink blossoms, trying to ignore the churning disgust in my stomach. Slenda looked at me, her thick eyebrows pulled together in a strained look of confusion. It seemed like she saw the excess, but wasn’t put off in the same way I was, or at least wasn’t on the same page, "I mean you and Roxxie are like... Normal."

Slenda tilted her head to either side, lips parting to laugh but closing as if she wasn’t ready to speak, still putting the story together, grunts and sighs filling the space. I smiled at her, glad that part of this crazy world was finally starting to budge. "Well yeah the server’s messy, but it’s not that bad, y’know? Besides, how Roxxie and I got here isn’t much of a story...”

She let out a deep sigh, scratching her head. Her expressions were more and more fluid as she spoke, her exasperated smile beginning to crack, “Me and her just got tired of the way things were run in our server that we decided to try making our own, y’know? So much land is taken up by established servers, though, so we just started looking for one to join, and we found Weebtown."

“You’ve been in Weebtown for a while then, I take it?”

The admin dusted off a stone slab bench and sat on it, smiling incredulously at herself. "No actually, we’ve only been here a few months… When we arrived, the admin was already begging people to take her place. No one here wanted the responsibility so I took the position and made Roxxie my operator. It's been non-stop weaboo nonsense ever since."

I took a seat next to her, Slenda keeping a slight distance between us, "I mean, you're one of the only normal people here and you stabbed my girl—" A finger pushed up her glasses on her nose, warmth flushing into her cheeks, “San, in the middle of the night.”

To be fair, it was her fault.

At the very least, I was glad to see that I was able to find someone to talk to in the server. Another boring straight with no interest in body pillows or honor fighting. The most significant difference between us however, seemed to be in patience. Where I could never imagine running this bizarre anime death carnival, Slenda seemed to be taking it in stride, or at least doing the best she could.

“Do you ever regret it?” I asked, “Becoming the admin, that is?”

Slenda shook her head, a smile growing on her face, just barely hidden behind her stooping shoulders and curly tufts of hair.

"No... Weebtown's a mess, but that's kinda why I like it,” She smiled, even warmer than before. It was the smile of a proud mother looking over her horrible weaboo child, "It's like a fixer-upper, you know? If I can improve things here, I'll actually be doing something really special.”

I smiled back at her and tried to close the difference between us on the bench, scooting slightly closer. Her eyelids came halfway over her eyes and she slid farther down the bench, the storm over her eyes returned. “I just wish Roxxie felt the same…”

Slenda’s voice trailed off, her eyes wandering upwards. Without a word, she left her seat on the bench, tip-toeing forward. I followed her eyes only to see a thin wisp of smoke rising over the far edge of the eastern district of high schools. Shouts could be heard as the black pillar grew, flickers of heat beginning to pour from its bottom. The admin’s eyes shot open, startled with disappointed realization.

The admin darted down the path, fumbling in her pocket for something as her feet forced her way forward. I ran behind her, trying my best to keep pace by throwing myself in the vague direction she was running, though I was completely lost to the situation. As we neared the swirling smoke and the fiery chaos at its base however, I started to remember what the guardians had mentioned before-- about San “trying to blow up the server every other week.” I gulped.

"Crap don't tell me that's--"

"Oh, it’d better not be.” Slenda growled back. She pulled a book out of her pocket, something I’d recognized as an admin’s book of names, and clutched it tight as she ran. She couldn’t be…

"THE WAIFUS ARE BURNING!!" A distant voice cried, pulling my eyes forward. The area beyond the high schools was clearer now as the excessive stone structures began to part. It was a clearing of technicolor figures, much like other sprite art displays in my home server, but with one major difference. The art wasn’t of innocent, normal things like flowers or mobs or tools, they were all of two-dimensional anime girls that towered over the eastern high schools. Some were blue-haired, some had dragon tails, some cat ears, but all had ridiculous outfits and horrifying cleavage. So that’s what a waifu is… I pondered, my face twisting as I followed behind Slenda, Maybe we could just… Let this place burn?

Weebs ran back and forth under the amber flames, buckets of water and blocks of dirt in their hands that they were using to snuff the flames, though the blaze seemed too much for the disheveled otakus to handle on their own. In the center of the havoc stood a cloaked figure; dark fabric swirled around their body, tossed by the wind. Their hood was pinned in the front by a skull-shaped steel pendant and chain, the little light that glinted off the face shining like a steely grin. The figure stepped forward, followed by one or two weebs, breaking off from the crowds of onlookers. Slenda moved to address the cloaked weaboo but he spoke first, cutting her off with a voice that was such a stark departure from his form it felt like it put a crack in the air. It was somewhere between the shrill cry of a cat and that of a gossiping old woman. It was the kind of voice you’d imagine an old yellowed skull to have, not a living player.

“No need to worry, administrator. We’ve got things under control here.”

His voice may have been annoying, but looking behind him, I found that he wasn’t completely wrong. Though the blaze still roared, the players had been pushing it back, or at least keeping it contained. But, why would he hold someone back from helping, especially Slenda? Weebs climbed and jumped along the structures, some crowding around their feet to stare upwards in disheveled awe while others went to stand behind the cloaked man, their eyes burning a hole through us and their hands restless. Slenda took a heavy breath, pushing a loose tuft of hair back behind the side of her glasses.

“Well, I have to admit,” She said, still gasping from our run up here, “I wouldn’t expect the leader of a weeb gang to do such a good cleanup job, Desu Skull.”

I shook my head. Excuse me, WHAT?

“It’s pronounced Deathzu Skuru.” The cloaked figure gave a fake cough, a hand on his hip, his other hand gesticulating dramatically in the air. His primadonna-of-the-undead voice seemed a perfect fit, “But that’s close enough I guess...”

As I continued to survey the scene behind the sassy skull-faced weirdo, something suddenly caught my eye. There was a structure of iron beside one of the waifus, a hasty assemblage of iron bars like a makeshift cage. There was a blue and green form inside, one that instantly pulled me in. I leaned in to try and get a closer look but “Deathzu Skuru” stepped in front of me, his arms outstretched. He was closer now, and I could see two white lights inside of his hood, glowing brightly, offensively. “Now now, you really don’t have to be here. We’ve got this all handled.”

Slenda strode through his hasty blockade, a look of impassioned disapproval on her face. It didn’t take long for the image within the cage to become clear to us, the neon blue mass of hair flipping to the side to reveal San’s dumb grin.

“Hey guys! I’m being detained!”

“YOU LET HER OUT RIGHT NOW!” Slenda barked, spinning on her heel to face the hooded head honcho. Deathuzu Skuyuru (or however you pronounce his name) simply stood and laughed, his snicker growing to a high, overpowering cackle. He moved a metal-clawed hand to pull back his hood, revealing his face--or rather—a mask. He wore an iron mask in the shape of a skull without a lower jaw, the teeth extending to a cartoonish exaggerated length. A white skull was painted on the metal forehead (because I guess the skull-shaped mask wasn’t enough) and in front of his eyes he wore a pair of sunglasses, each lens of which had a holographic skull sticker that shined a powerful white in sunlight. I wasn’t surprised by the weeb’s outfit at this point, given the other players in the server. Just disappointed.

“IF we let out this little troublemaker, she’ll just do something like this again, and again, and again! You definitely don’t seem intent on doing anything about it. You just give her a slap on the wrist!”

“It isn’t your decision!” Slenda snapped, pulling back out her book of usernames, “I’m the admin here and I decide how griefers here are punished. If you do anything to her, I’ll ban you for PvP in a neutral area, Death Skull!”

The skull-faced vigilante coughed again, “Deathzu Skuru… BUT ANYWAY, you can’t ban me unless I’ve already attacked her, and so you’ll be unable to stop me with my mod—“ The cloaked figure spoke laboriously, epically, reaching into his sleeve. He pulled out a sleek black weapon that fit snugly in his hand, its squared end pointed towards the sky like some ancient and powerful obelisk, “A GUN! THAT KILLS YOU!!”

“YOU FIEND!” Slenda gasped.

That could literally be any weapon, I thought, it’s functionally the same as a bow and arrow why would you even mod that? I rolled my eyes, materializing one of Zolo’s swords in my hands. It barely took any thought to summon my mod anymore, the last weapon I copied appearing instantly, like the press of a button. Like a reflex. “Okay, this is dumb,” I interjected, “Can I just like beat him up or something?” I stepped forward and Desu Skull flailed back, yelping at the weapon in my palm, his gun waggling in every direction. “Hey! Careful with that thing, normy! That’s a dangerous weapon!”

He stuck his feet firmly on the ground, his arm straightening, pointing his firearm at San’s cage like an arrow. I stepped forward, twirling the sword in my hand like a bat, the steel slicing the air. It was only then that I began to think about how little training or understanding I had of swordplay, but I hoped it would work out. These things usually… Well. Okay, maybe I did have reason to be worried.

Slenda would have to punish me somehow for fighting Desu Skull, and I’d probably end up injuring a stray weeb or two, but I figured it was worth it. Maybe it was a weakness of mine, but I couldn’t stand jerks like him bullying other players just to make a point. If I couldn’t kill him, I was hoping at the very least I could give get him away from San, get her to safety, even if it meant getting myself in trouble.

Slenda grabbed the back of my collar, yanking me back and growling at me through gritted teeth, “I know you like stabbing my players, but this situation is a bit more complicated than that, “Cyrustheslayer.”’ I could swear I saw the weeb’s skull mask smirk at us. I scowled at him. This situation felt too familiar to me. Standing across from a twisted modder with a metal mask and a bizarre sense of justice, “We can’t let him kill San. There has to be another way to handle this.”

I pulled my sword to my side, but didn’t despawn it. It still didn’t make sense to me why Slenda was so protective of San; threatening to ban players who hadn’t done anything to her, scolding those who put her in even mild danger, even though she could respawn. I’d heard of players before who couldn’t respawn, whose deaths were permanent, but they all lived in special servers, “hardcore” servers. Was San a hardcore player too? I clenched my sword, ready to take Desu Skull down. Just in case.

Desu Skull cocked his head and chuckled, observing Slenda’s leash-like hold on me. “Oh! Well. I wasn’t expecting you to just let me exact vigilante justice, but I guess it do be like that sometimes!” The modder waved his gun around joyously, nearly dropping it.

“That’s not what I meant!” Slenda cried back.

“NOW WATCH, ADMIN! AS I MAKE YOUR HORRIBLE WAIFU DISAPPEA--”

Desu Skull looked dramatically towards San’s cage, his shades narrowed down the sights of his modded firearm, only to see empty space. A cage with no captive, a hole carved in the bars. “Wh- Wha--” His gun shook in his hand, first with confusion, then with frustration, then with anger. The weeb stomped his foot, pointing at members of his gang who stood in the crowd, crying out and demanding an answer to where she was, , “CAN’T I TRUST MY GOONS TO PERFORM ONE SIMPLE TASK?! WHICH ONE OF YOU LET HER OUT, HUH? STEP FORWARD!”

As Desu Skull spoke the air began to swirl, the air hot, dry, and unnatural. It was as if the air around us was angry. Just as Desu Gun moved to point his gun towards us, to threaten us for an answer, a searing gust burst through the air between our two groups, sending bodies flying in every direction. Burning air whipped around us as if we’d been caught in a tornado, throwing us against nearby walls and dispersing the crowd of weebs like a sand castle kicked by a beach bully. The only thing left standing was Desu Skull, his steel-armored body resolute against the supernatural winds. A figure appeared in the hot, swirling cloud behind him, eyes glowing with yellow fire. The figure’s hand reached out, taking the gun in her iron grip.

Roxxie crushed the gun in her hand, the firearm bubbling out from its corners like hot wax. Death Skull tried to break away but Roxxie pulled him close, her flaming claws moving forward against his verbal protests. Trails of broken flame came up from her eyes, her ponytail bursting into a flaming halo. “N- Now now, no need to be a tsundere..!” He gasped, trying and failing to wrench his hand away from her grip. Though Slenda and I were both pushed against the cement of a high school’s outer wall, Slenda pulled herself to her feet, pushing off and trudging through the harsh wind.

“Lucky for you guys, I just happened to be in the area.” Roxxie grinned, holding her prize high like a hunter. San stepped out from behind her, waving at Slenda. Desu Skull managed to writhe out of Roxxie’s grip only to end up in the dirt where Roxxie pinned him under her boot. The operator smirked down at him, then looked up to give a beaming smile to Slenda.

“Roxxie, let him go!” Slenda cried.

“What, are you’re saying we should just let him off?” She questioned, her tone stirred with a genuine confusion. The operator grimaced, pushing Desu Skull’s steely mask farther into the dirt, “He just tried to execute San for a crime she didn’t even commit! We’re supposed to just let crap like that fly?”

I hoisted myself up, summoning a sword to anchor myself in the dirt, and another to pull myself forward, bringing myself closer to the pillar of flame. One overpowered jerk down and one to go, I guess. I grunted against the whipping gusts. Streaks of flame were beginning to form as well, falling from her body like streamers and spinning in the air around the scene like the beginning of a fiery hurricane.

“Just let him go!” I yelled, Roxxie’s eyes snapping to me in condescending surprise. Slenda stared at me, her half-lidded eyes as unamused as Roxxie’s, as if this was their private squabble. I wondered how many times they’d done this, “I don’t like this guy either but it’s not like being a dick isn’t going to make the players like you any better!”

The operator growled, turning to Slenda. The fires were beginning to die around her as her expression became more weary, “Slenda, you know if we keep letting them do more and more of this, the server’s just going to fall apart!”

“I don’t care!” Slenda cried back, clutching her book of names tightly in her hand, “We can’t do stuff like this!! We are not like this!” Roxxie squinted at her, the fire in her eyes burning brightly, flickers of the flame flying back from her face in streams. Though I felt less than intimidating being that I was pitted against this experienced mod user, I pointed a sword in her direction, holding firmly onto the one I had planted in the ground. Together, me and Slenda stared her down until she reluctantly released the weeb from under her, stuffing her hands in her pockets. She plunged them deep, as if resisting the urge to hurl a fireball at the rebellious weaboo as he rose to his feet, dusting off his cloak. “The admin’s right, Roxxie, that was rather rude of you.” The skeletal loser sneered, tossing the melted remains of his weapon into the dirt. I felt a blood vessel pulse with opposition from deep within my brain.

“However,” The skull-faced gangster interjected, reaching for a black shape that materialized within his cloak, “It is going to take hundreds of man hours to restore the damage done to these precious murals, so I’m afraid as an honorable weeb my hands are still tied--!”

Before any of us could react, a shot rang out, Slenda shrieking as the bullet grazed the top of Roxxie’s forehead, sending her flying back, the fire in her eyes bursting. Desu Skull then turned to us, his gun pointed right between right between my eyes.

“BAN GUNGALEFREAK10. PvP in a neutral zone.”

Slenda clapped her book of usernames shut and after a second’s pause, Desu Skull became a blur of grey, his body launched at an incomprehensible speed towards the server boundaries. Roxxie laughed, smiling coldly as she brought her eyes level with ours, blood trickling down her forehead. San soon came down a path to the side, seemingly gleefully unaware of just how much trouble she’d caused, her eyes beaming as she caught Slenda.

As she passed by Roxxie however, the operator caught her shoulder, laughing as she spoke to her, “Sorry for all of this by the way, didn’t mean for you to get in so much danger.”

San smiled and folded her arms behind her head, seemingly content just to be caught up in all the drama. I turned to Slenda, only to see her eyes brimming with purple fire, her knuckles white on the book she clasped in her hand. She stomped towards her administrator, ignoring San, her body moving like a loosed arrow towards her target.

“Excuse me Roxxie, what in the Nether did you just say?” Slenda questioned through gritted teeth to a smiling operator.

“I set the fires,” Roxxie said with a shrug, as if it shouldn’t have been a surprise. Slenda looked like she was going to erupt, “I got tired of looking at all of those waifus and figured I could just get rid of them. If any of the high schools caught fire I’d consider it an added bonus.”

Slenda grabbed her by the collar, pulling her close enough for the blood from Roxxie’s forehead to drip onto the round lenses of her glasses. I tried getting closer, but I realized there was nothing I could do. This wasn’t an isolated event, but the last straw of a fight they’d been having for months. “YOU CAN’T JUST DO THAT!” Slenda screamed into Roxxie’s face, her arms shaking.

“And why not?” Roxxie chimed back, squinting at the admin, “I’m the second most powerful person in this server since I’m your only operator. I should be able to start controlled burns like this! It’s cleaning up land that we run!”

Roxxie shook Slenda from her collar, staring daggers for a few seconds before finally stomping off. She launched into the air with a burst of flame, flying to some unseen corner of the server like a loosed arrow. Her eyes wet with anger and exhaustion, Slenda collapsed to her knees, San running to her side.

“You okay Slenda?” Asked San, her hand moving instinctively to pet Slenda’s mounds of curly dark brown hair.

The admin smiled at her, wrapping her arms around the creeper girl. “I should be asking you that, you doofus. You almost got shot!”

“I probably woulda been fine,” she smirked back, burrowing her forehead into the admin’s like an overly blunt eskimo kiss. The two smiled, giggling at each other for a few seconds, but Slenda seemed to be holding onto something. Her face never seemed to pull into a full smile, her eyes always a little strained, pointed just over San’s shoulder.

She was worried about the operator, or more accurately, what she was going to do. And so was I. Shivering, I looked to the stream of smoke that followed Roxxie, my stomach churning. Weebtown was just like home to me now… The only problem was, it was just like home.

[khymer-vulture]

Got stuck in work for longer than desired, cuz the next shift never showed, I’ll have to do the other stuff later.

will post a short story for now. Set after Captivate.

While resting for the night in an unorthodox location, the pair encounter a fascinating event.

They haven’t seen signs of any civilization for miles, both Isaac and Rachel were traveling for the longest time near a vast stretch of road, surrounding them, were endless stretches of wilderness. While many different cars passed by them without a second glance, the pair often had to hide into the bushes if they spotted any police vehicles pass by.

The sun was setting, and Zack felt it wasn’t safe to sleep along the road side, too many curious people would stop if they saw two people sleeping near the road. So, he offered to carry Rachel onto his back as he casually hacked and slashed away foliage that got on his nerves. They’ve slept in wooded areas before, though it was Ray who did the sleeping, while Zack chose to keep a look out – who knows what the fuck inhabited the woods. Isaac was venturing through the patch of wilderness until he felt they were deep enough to avoid the possibility of snooping travelers. Plus, the possibility of getting lost wasn’t as big, since he could just follow where he sliced and diced. However, it seemed the stretch of trees ended to a large horizon of open field, and it was obvious that it wasn’t claimed by people. There were no power lines, houses, or even signs of farmland.

Some areas had a large thicket of long grass, while beds of shorter grasslands and even wildflowers blanketed the area. Seemed a decent enough spot to camp for the night, Zack felt Ray slide off his shoulders to check the new area with an awed expression. Aside from the landscape, the night sky was unfiltered by man-made lights, revealing the arrival of stars in their entirety, and with the rising moon being the only source of light.

“It’s gorgeous here…” she murmured.

Isaac rarely ever paid attention to the beauties of nature, but if Ray liked it, then they had found a place to stay for the night.

“If it interests ya’, then I guess we can just camp out in this spot…”

Zack settled himself down as he laid his scythe onto the ground, and watched Rachel explore the area a little more, even picking at some of the wild flowers. He smirked to himself to see her so amused, plus, he had been getting better at learning what it was like to be with her. He pushed away nagging instincts much more easily now in terms of being affectionate towards her, though being more open about it was still the hard part. He continued to watch Ray gather flowers for a bit and even arrange them into strange shapes until he noticed strange glowing orbs appear around her, and quickly got back up to his feet.

"What the fuck?” he said aloud, “Ray, get back from those.”

Rachel was confused at first, until she saw the glow for herself, but she didn’t seem worried at all - rather, she was amazed.

“Oh! Fireflies,” she exclaimed.

Now, Zack seemed more eager to smash the bugs by their name alone.

“They’re harmless, Zack,” she assured him, “They’re called all sorts of names, but they get it from how they light up in the night like this.”

Zack raised a brow as he watched more of the luminous orbs appear around them.

“That’s fucking weird, why would bugs wanna light up like this?” Zack grumbled. “Seems to make them an easy target to get smashed, or bring whatever eats these fuckers…”

“They do it to attract a mate,” Rachel replied, “It looks pretty though, almost like living stars floating around us.”

Zack gazed the area around them, watching every different firefly flutter around them, lighting their surroundings with their strange green light. Maybe they weren’t so bad after all, this was new for him to see, fireflies were non-existent in the back alleys when he grew up. Rachel noticed Zack raising a hand up with his palm flat, and watched as one of the glowing bugs made a landing on Isaac’s hand. The man watched for a moment, eyeing every detail, and felt a little entranced to stare at the strange and natural light that dimly flickered from the insect’s body.

“First time ever seeing a firefly?” Ray asks.

“Yeah, it’s kinda weird and awesome to see them though,” Zack replied, “I didn’t think bugs could glow like that.”

“Want to sit down and watch them for a while?”

“…Sure,” Zack said, as he motioned himself down.

Rachel sat herself beside Isaac, placing the bundle of flowers at her lap, and watched the fluttering balls of light float around aimlessly. The couple watched the many different lights dance for a while, then Rachel motioned herself to lean against Isaac’s shoulder, feeling a strong sense of comfort. This made Zack turn to glance at her, he seemed to notice how the light from the moon and the fireflies made her pop out through the natural dark. She almost looked ethereal - not in the least bit doll-like. The man couldn’t help but stare at her, he didn’t care about the fireflies anymore, the only thing that caught his interest was Ray. The young woman had the feeling she was being watched and turned to see Zack’s heterochromatic stare aimed right at her, before she could question him, she felt his hands cradle her face.

“Zack?”

“Just shut up for a sec…” Zack softly grunted. “I wanna look at you.”

Rachel felt a faint warmth swarm her cheeks, Isaac continued to gaze right at her with both a curious and needy expression on his face. Not once has his instinct screamed at him to do something impulsive, instead, he was acting on his own decisions – he knew exactly what he wanted to do.

Soon, Ray watched as Zack leaned closer to her until his lips found hers, he actually made the move on his own this time. Rachel’s heart skipped a beat as Zack brought her in a small and sweet kiss, not even showing signs that he intended to push it further than it needed to be. Ray felt a warm and relaxing feeling flutter inside of her chest, she freed one hand and wrapped it around Zack’s shoulder. As he slowly broke for air, the two continued to stare at each other for a while – blue eyes meeting gold and black.

“…I liked that,” Ray whispered.

Zack’s eyes tried to shy away now, his usual reaction to hiding his embarrassment.

“It’s nothing special, Ray…”

Then, he felt Rachel bring his attention back to her, always reminding him to not run away.

“It was, Zack. I could tell you put your actual feelings behind it,” Ray replied, “…and for that, it made me happy.”

Zack felt warmth collect underneath his wrappings, “…Should I give you another?”

“I’d like that…you don’t have to ask,” Ray replied.

Zack was about to lean in to claim her lips yet again, but felt the young woman drop something on top of his head. This made the man pause his action, then figure out what she had dropped on top of him, he pulled back as he reached to pick up the object. It was the flowers she had in her hands earlier, only they were arranged in a large ring, he tilted his head in curiosity as he observed the object.

“It’s a flower crown,” Ray explained, “…I used to make them a lot when I was really young.”

Zack glanced at her for a moment, then brought the crown back up to place it on her head, even pulling some of her bangs back to keep them from covering her eyes, before he let the flowers rest upon her locks. For her to tell him a little bit of her past, then it must’ve been a rare, pleasant memory.

“Pretty damn creative,” Zack said as he softly smirked to her. “…you should wear it, flowers are more of your thing, Ray.”

Damn, now the floral accessory complimented the natural lights, and he was going to hold onto Ray’s earlier words about not needing to ask. He leaned to the young woman and placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her closer, and he could feel Rachel meet him halfway. Now, he could see why she said that he didn’t need to ask, Ray would graciously accept his sweet tokens of affection. It felt so out of character to be gentle, but for this warm and pleasant feeling as the reward, he couldn’t care. From the few years that passed by in Rachel’s company, he never felt closer to any person, besides her. He never felt such strange needs before until he began this bond with her, she made him feel like a different person, along with the sense that he would never be alone – so, this was what love was like. It wasn’t just about kisses or holding the other close, it was being together as a whole.

As they pulled back yet again, Rachel brought a hand up to caress Zack’s cheek.

“I love you…” she whispered.

She felt warmth grow underneath her fingertips, knowing that the man was blushing, and she watched Zack nibble at his bottom lip, as if he was having trouble trying to say something. Even his eyes showed the strain of forming the words.

“…Still can’t say it, yet?” she asked. She knew saying sweet things was difficult.

Zack sighed as he buried his face in her shoulder.

“…Yeah…”

Rachel smiled softly as she ran her fingers through Zack’s hair to reassure him, “It’s okay if you’re not ready to say it yet.”

Zack quietly grumbled to himself, “…It’s just…really mushy to say…I’m fine with showing you…shit, I really do suck at this.”

Soon, Ray gently pecked his forehead, “No, you’re just unique. It’s totally fine to show how you feel in your own way. No shame in that.”

“I…I guess…ya’ say all this nice shit…and I can’t even utter a sentence,” Zack groaned.

“Don’t force yourself,” Ray spoke, “there will be a day when you’ll say what’s on your mind.”

Maybe she was right, if Zack didn’t think too hard on it, maybe one day he’d be able to give the same exchange of tender words to her. For now, saying it felt like he was trying to speak a foreign dialect, and he’d just wind up embarrassing himself if he’d try.

Isaac had to give her some sort of reply to let her know that he accepted her feelings of adoration, his fingers found their way into Rachel’s golden locks once more, then gently coaxed her close, as he lightly bumped their heads together. This was normally a recurring method to calm Ray’s nerves when things got her down, but this seemed to be a good alternative to tell her that he loved her as well. Someone who managed to draw out this most human emotion in a man like him, someone he wasn’t ready to part with yet, delaying the promised day further and further. Ray’s feeling was mutual, she had been mistreated all of her life, never knowing what it felt like to be loved, and she wasn’t ready to part with Zack either, contributing the delay in carrying out their oath. It will happen one day, but today and maybe tomorrow wouldn’t be that day.

“Ya’ know I like being around you, right?” Zack said to break the silence.

“Of course.”

Zack quietly chuckled, “Yer’ still a brat…”

“I’m your brat though.”

“Yeah…yeah you are,” Zack mumbled as he reluctantly pulled back. “…it’s getting pretty late…we should get some sleep.”

“Okay…just anywhere?”

Zack didn’t answer, he pulled down the zipper of his hoodie and pulled it open, letting her know what he was going to take her in and let her rest warm and snugly against him. They still had a long road ahead – quite literally, before they would reach another town. The young woman crawled up to Zack and cuddled against his bandaged chest, feeling the man’s arms wrap around her, and zip her comfortably in his jacket. Isaac brought one hand back to pillow his head as the other went back into Ray’s hair to run his fingers through her silky locks, soothing her to a comfortable sleep as they rested under the stars.

Then he noticed the abundance of fireflies began to grow less and less, and he reflected on how their glow seemed mesmerizing.

“Hey Ray…”

“Hmm?”

“I wouldn’t mind watching fireflies with ya’ again…it was nice,” he said. Then he finally felt words fill his mouth, “…you looked good in their light too…y’ know…all pretty-like and stuff…”

Rachel felt a blush grow on her face as she buried it in Zack’s chest, even mumbling a shy whimper. Zack may not be completely ready to say sweet things to her, but maybe Ray wasn’t ready to hear them yet.

“I’d like that,” she replied.

Soon, she felt the man’s lips press against her forehead, that same tender sensation driven by freewill instead of impulse.

“Goodnight, Ray,” he mumbled.

“Goodnight, Zack…”

Ray closed her eyes as she made herself comfortable on Isaac’s body, she slept soundly, while Zack remained awake to stay on guard. It was a gorgeous field they were sleeping in, but it was still the wilderness nonetheless. Zack wanted to make damn sure Ray would be safe.

The man’s eyes directed to one last firefly fluttering in the air, and he slid his hand from Ray’s hair to extend it up to let the insect land on his fingertips. He quietly stared into that otherworldly and hypnotic light for a short moment before letting the bug fly off to the unknown. If things had stayed the same for Zack, he probably wouldn’t have learned new things because of her, it was almost like he was discovering the world itself. Wildlife, civilization, and even his own self – not to mention, learning more about the strengthened bond between him and Rachel.

It felt right, being with this unlikely kindred spirit was so right to him, and he wished he could say it to her – when she was awake, that is. Just wondering how she’d react to him talking all sappy-like is what made his tongue feel like it was being tied in knots. Zack made sure Ray was in a deep sleep and began to lean to her ear to quietly whisper things to her.

There were still many hours to go, and now he had plenty of time to practice.

[wandering-chronicler-blog]

The Wolf of Farore - Chapter 16

An Ongoing Zelda/Witcher Fusion Fic - Updates Wednesdays/Thursdays

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Summary:

War has come to The Kingdom of Hyrule.  The people cry for a savior as monsters and spirits stalk the once green fields of the provinces.  Famine grips the populace as the Gerudo Tribes and their blin allies strike along the borders.  Hope for peace begins to drown in the blood spilled in No Man’s Land.  But Hyrule doesn’t need another hero.  It needs a professional.

The Story So Far:

Investigating the Lakebed Temple revealed a nearly deserted set of ruins.  While exploring, he discovered the missing zora princess, Ruto, surviving in one of the rooms.  With information she provided, after calming her down a little, they have a plan to eliminate the monster...

CHAPTER 16:  AMORPHOUS AQUATIC ABOMINATION:  MORPHA

Finished working on the sword, Link stowed it as best he could on his back with the straps that held his shield and the scabbard for his steel sword.  “So, now we need to find your scale,” he said.  “Is it magic in nature?  Does it have any magic in it?”

 “Yeah?” Ruto answered.

He pulled the wolf charm out.  He was going to have to get Midna a couple bottles of those spices now for how nice it had been to have.  “Then we can find it with this.  It reacts to magic and I can use it to follow a trace.”

“It might not be a strong enough trace for a dowsing normally.”  Her eyes lit up and she looked back at the table.  “Unless…”  Ruto stood up and started looking through the items from the bag.  “I’ve used it enough times that my own trace could be on it.”

“Can you do that?”

“Yeah, I can do that!” She looked at the wolf.  “I’m not sure I should touch that though.  It looks like an Interloper’s Wolf from the history books.”  Ruto frowned a little and Link saw her eyes lose some of their brightness from a moment ago.  “I feel a strange sadness just looking at it…”  She shook her head and looked back at him then.  “You can do magic though.  Right?”

“Yeah.”

She found a bottle with water in it and dumped most of it out.  A moment later, a small flicker of magic was between her fingers.  A fluid formed from the blue light and entered the bottle.  After a moment she finished and corked it.  “Okay.   We’ll get back to the main room and then use it on your charm.  Put a little bit of magic into it when we get there and it should give us a trace of where it could be.  The main chamber is connected to the rest of the temple anyways.”

He pulled the facemask back up.  “Well, let’s go then.”

They reached the central room very quickly.  Apart from the two spiked creatures Link had encountered upon his arrival and Ruto, he hadn’t seen another living being.  He was surprised that they hadn’t even found bodies as he pulled himself out onto the top tier of the tower.  Ruto gracefully exited the water in a jump and landed standing on the platform.  As soon as she had, they felt the room shake. Link saw the water at the entrance rise out of it.  It formed a trio of long tendrils that looked more like gelatin rather than water. Flecks of dirt and pebbles were held suspended in it.

“It knows I’m here,” she said.  Ruto looked towards the exit of the temple.  “I try for the exit and then it forms those tendrils.  And I don’t see its nucleus anywhere.”

“Can it think like that?”

She nodded.

“It just wants to keep you here then…”  Link did not voice his thoughts that maybe the morpha had been summoned with the expressed interest of ensuring Ruto remained out of the picture.  Of course, given she’d said it was used by zora casters made him think that it was equally valid that the entity had been used to try and break her out, but something had gone wrong, recalling what she’d said about the spirit’s nucleus.

“What are you thinking?”

“Huh?”  He glanced back at her.

“You have this weird look on your face and you kinda trailed off there.”

“Just thinking how to handle it.”  He did not tell her that he was tempted to give Ralis an earful when he got out of there for not giving him the whole picture.  “Has it actually tried to hurt you at all?”

“Only if I get too close to the entrance.”  She leaned against the wall of the tower and saw Link pull a potion from one of the pouches on his belt.  He uncorked it and drank it down.

Link coughed then, feeling the elixir start to work.  His veins felt frozen solid from it as opposed to the heat from the venomblood. He leaned over to catch his breath, hands on his knees.  Puffs of cold air left his mouth as he recovered.  After it had passed though, he felt far warmer than he had all day.

“What was that one?” Ruto asked.

“Red Ice.”  He got up, feeling the wolf beginning to shake on its chain.  “You have a spell that can help keep you warm?”

“I have my barriers, yes.”

“Get them up.”  He pulled the charm out.  It was shaking on its chain.  He could see the emeralds begin to glow brighter.  “Where’s that bottle?”

“Here.”  She handed it to him.  He uncorked it.

“Any reason you had to use the water in it?”  Link carefully placed the wolf charm in the bottle, keeping hold of it with his chain. It began to glow brightly and the water rippled around them.  He was getting a fairly good picture of the entire temple in his head as it worked. There was a faint similar trace in the room near them.

“It’s pure,” she said. “Not tainted by the morpha’s presence. Would give us a better trace.” She looked to the entrance.  “As you can see…  The more water it’s given, the more it can take control of. Theoretically, give it enough time and it could engulf all of Lake Hylia.  But that’d take a very long time.  Decades probably.”  Another pulse from the charm made the water ripple.  This time though the ripples didn’t quickly dissolve away.  They slowed down.  Ruto let out a gasp.  “I don’t think it likes what you’re doing.”

Link removed the charm and handed the bottle back to Ruto.  “It’s in a chamber over there,” he said, pointing to the north of the entrance. He drew the silver sword the moment he saw a long tentacle of the manipulated water rise out in front of him at the other end of the platform.  “When I entered, I got a strong trace in there.”

“It’s the morpha’s nucleus I’d guess,” she said.  “If we can isolate that, we can take it down.”  Magic was already flowing between her fingers.  It was glowing blue and behaved more like water as opposed to some of the other spells he’d seen.

He dropped the charm back around his neck and quickly pulled one of the frost bombs out.  Link prepared it just as he’d said before coming in and twisted the cap.  “Count to… Five.”

“What?”  She looked over her shoulder at him.  “You were serious when-”  She let out a shriek of surprise when he threw it.  Link quickly made a sign in his now free hand and the crystal shield formed around him.  He saw the vial clatter on the ground by the tendril.  There was a gushing and bubbling sound as a wall of water formed in front of him.  Through it he saw a bright blue flash and felt a rush of cold air.  The wall of water turned to ice and the crystal surrounding him shrieked for a moment from the force against it.  Glancing back, he saw Ruto standing with her arms outstretched, thin trails of water hanging in the air.  Her eyes were nearly clenched shut and hands glowed.  After a moment she let go and the water vanished.  The wall she’d put up though remained.  She rubbed her arms, feeling the chill.  Most of the northern part of the entire room had been frozen.  The water was solid ice around them.  They heard loud thumps against it from below, the magic water controlled by the monster trying to break free.

Link approached the wall and beat his sword’s pommel against it a couple times.  It gave way and shattered.  The crystal around him shrieked with the impact of a couple large shards of ice, but it held.  The tendril that had emerged was frozen solid.  There was another couple bangs against the ice below.  It was starting to crack.  They broke into a run across the ice to the other room.  As they got close, the ice started to give way.  More of the cursed water broke through. Another tentacle emerged near the edge where the ice was weaker.  It lashed out, but wasn’t quick enough to grab either of them.  Another though broke out of the ice and rose quickly. Before either of them had time to act, it swung at Link and constricted around the barrier.  It shrieked as the water constricted.

He was about to prepare another sign when the tendril broke in half.  The shield around him shattered, but the liquid that had been trying to get around him fell to the floor as well.  Link glanced back to see the zora straining.  

“Can’t keep it back without my scale!” she said.  “Move!”

Link didn’t need to be told twice as he got back to his feet.  They rushed into the door and forced it closed.  They stopped to catch their breath then.  Link looked up though, realizing they had cornered themselves.

 The great chamber of the temple held a statue of Nayru at the other end.  Four great pillars stood in the middle of it with ruined seats on them.   There was also a stairway down to a flooded area for the mass.  The water in the room began to form tendrils.  Floating around in it though was a giant violet glob.  It was mostly circular, but pulsed rhythmically.  For a moment even, Link thought he saw the glob twist and a massive yellow eye appeared, gazing out at them.  Drifting among the gel-like water were a couple corpses that had been ripped apart.  Little flesh remained on the bones and most of the clothing they’d been wearing was nothing but shreds.  A couple were clearly zoras, while Link’s eyes were drawn to one that was wearing a damaged blue and white tunic.  Wrapped around a bone was bracer made of silver scale.  A gold chain was attached to it and held a glowing blue object.

“That’s it!” Ruto cried. “It has my scale!”

“But how did it-” Link started, but was cut off as a massive tentacle of water burst forth and swung at them.  The two jumped to opposite sides.  They heard the door behind them creak.

“That nucleus escapes we’re in trouble!”

He didn’t need to be told twice as he pulled his second frost bomb out.   The entity realized it and sent a pair of tentacles at him.  One grabbed him while he dropped the device on the ground.  The glass cracked, but did not shatter.  It hissed and a white mist started to leak.  The tentacle lifted him into the air and constricted.  He screamed as he felt it tighten and felt the scale plates of his armor snapping.  A pulse of magic struck the tentacle and pulled at it, but the grip was only loosened. He could see Ruto trying to keep it from crushing him.  Link squirmed a bit and was soon falling.  He caught the ledge of one of the pillars and pulled himself up from it.

Another tendril swung for him, but didn’t connect.  A glow of magic was around it.  “I can’t keep holding it!” Ruto shouted.  He noticed something then; it wasn’t going after her at all.

“Get the bomb!  I’ll keep it busy!” he shouted back.  Link ran for another pillar, leaping over the gap. The tendrils followed.  “Throw it at the door!”

She stopped using her magic and ran for the bomb.  It was still leaking and he heard her shriek in surprise at the cold air escaping it. The door was starting to crack and water leaked through.  It moved in puddles, starting to form small tentacles of its own.  Ruto lobbed the frost bomb then towards the door.  A second later, she backed away, hands forming a globe of water between them.  She spun it out and formed another wall as the bomb went off.

Link jumped back to the area around the pit.  Morpha’s tentacles followed.  A couple came from the side and tried to cut him off.  He made a sign and waited a second.  As the tentacles neared, he slammed his palm into the ground and a dome of fire erupted around him.  The flash of fire evaporated the tendrils.  He had barely enough time though to throw another crystal up to shield himself from the frost bomb going off.  As much of the water in the room retreated from it and splashed against the northern walls, attempting to escape the rush of cold air and magic.

 There was a moment when it was still.  Link saw the remains of its previous victims on the floor near the statue of Nayru. The bones with Ruto’s scale on it was out of the water.  He pulled his new clawshot from his belt and aimed.  The water began to retreat back into the center of the chamber, intent on pulling the magic medium back in.  He fired.  The claws opened and latched around the bone.  With the press of a button, it recoiled and pulled the scale and bone away.  The tendrils took a swing, but he was quick to slash the silver blade, slicing through the twisted water.  It hissed and bubbled against the metal before one globe of water slammed into his chest, knocking him into a corner.  When he crashed, the blade shattered against the wall, leaving him only the grip and a broken and unwieldly blade due to the size of the grip.  He glanced at it for a moment and then back up.  He’d grabbed the bone, but not the scale.  

 Link quickly got to his feet and aimed again, while pulling the second to last frost bomb.  He threw it into the stone, not even bothering to set the timer just as he fired the claw back out.  Glass shattered as the device’s prongs gripped the bone.  There was a blue and white flash as the air chilled. The clawshot finished its retreat and he ducked in his magic shield as frost and ice formed all around.  It shrieked and shattered as frost and ice nearly instantaneously formed.  

“Warn me when you’re going to do that again!” Ruto shouted.

Link looked up.  She was shivering and had made a small enclosure by accident by throwing up walls of water to protect herself.  He quickly ran over, skidding on the newly-formed ice. It began to crack as he moved across it. Morpha fought it.  Right behind him, a tendril erupted out of the ice. “Catch!” he shouted.  Link threw the scale and its bracer towards her and quickly turned to keep moving.  Two more tentacles of water tore through and flailed madly, working to smash the ice. Link had no options but to keep moving. His steel sword wouldn’t do anything to the cursed water like the silver one had.

The scale landed on the ground at Ruto’s feet.  She grabbed it and pulled it over her right hand.  With a wave of her hands, the ice shattered around her and the glow from the scale illuminated her corner.  With a cry, she enveloped the tentacles with her magic and pulled back.  They jerked away and fell back into the center of the room.

Link turned around. It had turned its attention on her now that she had the scale.  The tentacles of water formed, rising up and swung at her.  But with her medium, she was able to hold them back with far greater ease it looked like.  It gave him a chance to look in the water.  Among the small pieces of ice floating in it, he saw the nucleus.  It was squirming around, moving with incredible speed.  He pulled his crossbow and moved his hand, following it.  If he’d not already used his Din’s Fury, this would’ve been easy. Instead he had to focus.  Link held his breath for a moment and jerked his hand to the left.  He fired. The bolt pierced the water and slowed before stopping.  The monster realized and a couple more tendrils forced their way out of the ice to swing at Link.  He ducked down, sliding along the ice as a tentacle swung down behind him.  He pulled the clawshot then, wondering if he could grab it out of the goop.  A pulse of water magic forced the tendrils back down.

“Where’s the nucleus?” Ruto said.  She backed away from her corner then, magic still flowing in her palms.

“Center!” Link shouted.

She raised her hands and swept them down like an orchestral conductor with a shout.  A pulse of energy arced out from her and split the water down the middle.  The nucleus bounced in the center as the walls of water started to come back in on it. A globe spun out from a side of it and enveloped it.  Link saw it being pulled into the air.  The rest of the water beneath it fell back into place.  He saw his chance.  Link aimed his clawshot and fired as it was held in the air.  The three prongs dug into the fleshy object and as it retracted it was pulled towards him.    It slipped out of the claw as it got closer.  Link aimed with the broken silver sword as it fell towards him.  He stabbed forward as the purple fleshball fell. Green gore gushed out of the wound. An unnatural sound rippled from the creature as it writhed, impaled on the blade.  It continued to squirm, trying to get back to the water.  Link pulled his knife and stabbed deep, near the initial wound.  It let out another cry of pain.  A third though and it ceased moving.  He gave it a fourth though in anger, making it split in half.  It fell from his sword and landed on the frosted floor.  The remains began to blacken and dark smoke started to ebb from it.

 “Ow…  How do you do this for a living?” Ruto asked.  He looked up to see her.  She dropped to her knees and then hands, breathing hard.

Link took a deep breath. He sat down slowly.  “Been trained since…  Since I was six,” he managed.  “The water…  Will it be okay?”  He put a hand to his head and pulled the mask off.  It was easier to breathe without the fabric.

“In time.”  They were silence for at least a minute as their gasps for air echoed in the room.  “Link?”

“Yeah?”

“I…  I don’t think I can walk out of here.”

He looked over at her. A piece of him wanted to laugh, wondering if the goddesses were indeed finding ways to amuse themselves with his current choices.  “You overexerted your magic, didn’t you?”

“…Uh-huh…”

Link let out a long sigh and shook his head as he pulled a blue potion from one of the pouches on his belt.  “Second time this week I’m going to have to carry a princess out of some goddess-forsaken hole in the ground,” he muttered, pulling the cork out.

“Huh?”

“Nothing.”  He downed the potion then.

[thegeminisage]

hella spoilery zeldablogging from earlier tonight

feel kind of bad cause i had to look up the gerudo maze desert thing but i was SOOO close on my own

oh my god there's a lady over here by this shrine failing at cooking and all the recipes she teaches me give me dubious food

there are PILES of rotting garbage that have flies around them and the thing in the pot is sending up this black cloud of smoke lmao

wow the blood moon came in the middle of me clearing out an enemy camp :/

good god there's a stable out here in all this deep snow? how?? would the horses not, like, die?

aww beedle's here but he's cold ):

WOW you can upgrade the boy gerudo clothes but not the GIRL ones? that is SEXIST

oh noooo shield surfing DOES damage your shield i hate this i love my current shield what if i can't find another!!!!!

lol the ridge tower si surrounded by water and electric enemies. Great

omg i found the royal lab ruins ):

ok, i gotta begin prioritizing here

while i'd LIKE to complete all 120 shrines before i beat the game just for the armor, i don't think that's going to be possible - i haven't even unlocked some of them yet bc i don't have the snowballs or the quest takes so long

but the most important thing to me is memories

so after i check out all the ridge shrines on this map i'm gonna get the hyrule field map as well and get those memories

and i'll just save a lot and if i fuck something up and trigger endgame stuff i'll reload

god idk how to do this trial on the thunderplanes so like...im gonna let it be

see? i could never do all 120 before tmrw night

PLEASE this memory i just got was so cute zelda was being a nerd over plants and caught a frog she wanted link to eat :')

i love this zelda like i'm super not crazy about her voice actress sounding much older than i think of her as, and the fantasy british accent, but she has so much more personality than many of the others

ah, and i see now why she loved the silent proncess so...can't be grown domestically, only thrives in the wild

much like herself if you watch some of the other memories haha she feels trapped by her own destiny that's easy to see

i think it's super clever how even with a map you still have to look around for shrines bc they are hidden semi-underground

and i wish i had more time to stop and enjoy the little things like that, but i CAN come back and explore later, i can't unlearn a plot point

this spoiler fear might be a little baseless...tbh i also want to finish the main story tho bc like

i want it to be something i play in my free time, not something i obsess over 24/7 and HAVE to play and think about all the time

it's been a beautiful fun and absolutely life-changing experience but also it's been two weeks and i gotta get back to my actual life, i can't be Like This indefinitely

i'm kinda stunned that it took me this ling tbh? like, even skyyward sword was like a week and a half the first time iirc and i did that at like, a pace where i could stop and explore, i remember thinking how huge skyward sword was

omg im so glad i decided to ride epona down to where i need to go next rather than fast travel + walk bc 1. faster maybe? and 2. THE MAIN THEME PLAYS WHEN YOU'RE ON EPONA OVER THE NORMAL HORSE THEME i could weep

KASS IS BY THIS BRIDGE HI BUDDY I LOVE YOU

i solved the puzzle! this time im talking to him BEFORE i go in

he told me it was stupendous ;_; thanks pal

aw dude another memeory and it played the trailer music but

is zelda really only SIXTEEN about to turn seventeen? how old is link?? i guess under 21/18 if they wouldn't let him drink...

jesus, they're just babies ;_;

also, she quoted link's horse advice so like

this + the dialogue options gives the feeling that he does actually speak, you know? so as much as i love mute link i also like these glimpses into his personality as well, bc he's always been such a blank slate

he's empathetic, playful, sometimes downright goofy, and very tenacious - confident, but not in a cocky way, and obviously always a bit shaken when he gets a memory back

it's nice getting to know him a bit, even if you have to patch most of it together - kinda like narrachara lol

;w; it's so nice to have epona gallop over when i call her again

omg i think i found kass's house! i see his journal :3

haha i got this song "when the blood moon rises stand naked on that platform" ok nintendo

i wonder if you get all the puzzles do you get to tell him who you are ):

im tempted to unlock this one now lol

like, it takes a long time to get here and it's almost the blood moon

SIGH this is gonna take awhile but it'll save me time later

oh lmao it was JUST the blood moon so i'd actually have to wait a SUPER long time nvm tbh

well. welp. welly well well

i guess.......its time for hyrule field tower

Im Scared

wow. holy shit. i can see the great plateau from here...and it looks so small. i can see the temple of time, i can see the tower from which i first saw hyrule castle. i can even see the little path i nearly followed, when catching sight of my first moblin and becoming curious, before i got myself back on track. damn. Damn. i have come FULL CIRCLE, holy shit

and like, it's just the way i played it. hyrule castle for last. but you know? i love that shit. journeys ending the way they began. gets me in the feels every time

i'll be honest, THIS i could really stop and explore. forget those awful snowy mountains. this is where the #history is

oh god. i see a guardian down near that tower. please god don't let it be a mobile one

FUCK

i saw two still ones and relaxed and a mobile one snuck up RIGHT FUCKING BEHIND ME

[wheezing]

i don't wanna stop and grind but i worry i might HAVE to get some guardian armor before i can do this, even just one piece...!

i have a diamond circlet so all i'd need from the prof is the chest and/or legs........oh god. jesus fuck

motherFUCKER the range on those still ones, i wish i had been able to take them out...!

oh jesus i made it

this is it. final tower. thank fuck

there'll be more guardians, way more. i gotta at least check and see if i can afford some arrows without setting myself back further for the armor

i think i had all the mats i needed actually i just needed cash...maybe i can cook to earn some since i sold my monster parts

k, i only have enough gears for the chest OR legs, and i don't have enough rupees for either... :/

i COULD buy some arrows and still have enough mats for the armor but then i'd be setting myself back HUGELY re: rupees

ok, i FINALLY got the chest, jesus, now i can go back to hyrule field

altho it doesnt have any def and without even going to the fountain i know i cant upgrade it so rly is it worth it at all, but w/e

also, i read online that if you can learn the timing of parrying their lasers they go down REALLY easily but i suck so much at combat

i guess i'll just wear my anti-guardian stuff, i have daruk and mipha's abilities and fairies AND FAST TRAVEL if anything goes wrong

YES i did it holy FUCK

oh my god! three-shotted!

oh

i just climbed a small hill and got my first look at the rolling green plains...i missed you

no, no, i gotta go get epona to make this perfect, there's a stable i can warp us both to

omg it's the very first people i ever encountered outside the great plateau again

NOOO i hit epona when i was aiming for a monster baby i'm sorry!!!

i gave her an apple and some pats to say sorry ;w;

"legend says that an ancient voice resonates inside that sword...can you hear it yet, hero?"

frankly i'm glad they finally got their timeline shit together bc even tho the games are SO far apart im LOVING these continuity nods

yeesh, only two memories left but they're both RIGHT at the castle...im scared LOL

): i wouldn't feel right taking epona any further

reasons i never have money: cannot physically stop myself from buying arrows

oh, hyrule field is just beautiful ;___;

ohh god im scared

its fine its fine they wouldnt put a memory that close to the castle and then make you go back to impa if hat wasnt POSSIBLE its gonna be ok

awww no zelda sees link as a living reminder of her own failures?? whyyy

ha i love fighting guardians for the first time in ages im like COME TO ME LET US BATTLE

im uh. still working on the timing, but

oh JESUS

my mouth fell open in horror i climbed over a wall to get to the outsideish of the castle (castle town ruins, so says my map) and

the music was already creepy but jesus CHRIST

there's no color except for that blight evil goop stuff...no life...it's awful

poor hyrule, oh god

it's a lot like finding hyrule castle town devastated in oot when you first wake up, except of course this time we've nothing to compare it to visually, only emotionally...

i see a fuckton of guardians too so its a good thing i learned not to be scared of them

ok, god, i can do it, just one memory, i know RIGHT where it is

apparently the hylian shield is in here too and i am sooo sorely tempted

i mean if i have to get that fucking close anyway...

lord i googled it and apparently this memory is super hard to get you gotta Activate some shit but they did it this way they made it so you have to go back out i know i'll be able to come back out i WILL

ah, apparently you need to fight a stalnox for the hylian shield.ok. ok. good, great, Nice, Perfect

haha im soooo scared ;_;

ok, apparently the two paths are COMPLETELY different, so One Thing At A Time

we'll start with the memory, it's more important

tbh, i can't even bring myself to go in. i gotta go around anyway to get to the starting point of this path so i will

lmao i am almost PHYSICALLY ILL with dread this is SO stressful

JESUS

the music went all scary and the map is in 3D like a beast!! which i knew but it's so Much

and i got a cutscene of the calamity screaming with the Classic ganondorf theme i'm Dying how the fuck does anyone just get this memory and LEAVE holy shit

oh my god the main theme comes in!!! jesus

even ballad of the windfish a little?!?!

oh FUCK and ofc with the lightning

haha aww there's a "leave area" button on the map i can bail whenever i guess tat's reassuring

not yet!! i'm gonna have Courage

ohhh i dipped into a doorway just to wait for revali's thing to recharge and the music changed!! so i got scared and went back outside lol

oh god the higher you go the oranger the sky turns it looks like the blood moon jesus fuck

I MADE IT INSIDE

oh god, zelda's STUDY, the rooms all have names bc ofc they do

holder of the triforce of wisdom of COURSE she had a study she's such a nerd im crying i bet she loved it here and it's totally decimated

a silent princess sprouted in her study too ;_;

HER LULLABY IS PLAYING IN HERE IM GONNA CRY

oh good there's the memory!!

ohhh this picture of how it used to be is hurting my heart it was BEAUTIFUL

holy FUCK dude

ok old man is struck from my heart forever he was such a DICK to zelda no wonder he called himself a fool

link knelt right away but god damn i would have interjected on her behalf

you can't expect a person to pray 24/7!!!!

and deny her her passions, which are obviously machines and learning!

omg she has a journal in here and i almost missed it jesus

TODAY SHE MET WITH IMPA im cryin

omg this is her finding the sheikah slate!!!

jesus, and she found the shrine of ressurection too and hoped she'd never have to use it, and Yet...

oh GOD i hit leave area and it plucked me down in the middle of castle town nope nope nope fast travel outta there

ok to impa and then last memory i can do it and then do stream

and for once not play again afterwards bc to be quite frank i could never stress myself out this bad right before bed again, FUCK

hylian shield and all the rest of it tomorrow

h o ly fuck

he DIED protecting her, or he was going to, but she stood in front of him for once and finally unlocked the power, that's how she unlocked it, for HIM

i'm WEEPING and the sword made the fi noise from SS

even the sheikah warriors ran like sheik in smash bros

im gonna cry that was so much!!! there's so much continuity

fi is in TWO GAMES like...that was such direct referencing!!!!

SHE HAS BEEN FIGHTING ALONE FOR 100 YEARS jesus CHRIST she is SEVENTEEN

ok, im gonna watch all the memories in order and then quit for the night

i just realized the ceremony scene is where she mentions embers of twilight and adrift in time - putting us on the mm/tp timeline

aaaah im sad

god and i LOVE her princess dress i wanna see it in her classic pink why is everyone in this game blue??

so like, despite me not being crazy about zelda's voice ACTRESSS and the VOICE she's using, she actually does the best ACTING out of the entire cast

high key loving this zelda who is smart but has trouble with feelings, also

holy SHIT

ok so one of the first memories i got was of zelda coming down mt lanayru

amd it was badass and i enjoyed it

but there's SO much in there once you know more context

mipha was highkey about to spill to zelda that she was in love with link

revali's distain for link

urbosa seems less stern and more caring now that i know her better

now i know what zelda was trying so hard to do

"we have to keep trying until we find the thing that unlocks your sealing power [long shot of link]"

and "i'm not a child anymore" ofc it's bc she just turned 17! like link in oot!

oh man oh man

i love so much link's expressions in these serious moments especially that very last look into zelda's eyes before he "died"

it feels a bit like, with the other stuff i was talking about, i'm getting just a hint of character

and it's kinda close to My Headcanon but even if it wasn't i just like getting to know him

warped back to the temple of time & i'm leaving it there for the night

tomorrow: The End

(and my shield)

[morethanamillennial]

Destination Wedding: Colorado

When my husband Christian proposed to me in November 2017, wedding plans began almost immediately after. A dream of ours, and an idea fitting to our personalities, we wanted an intimate wedding in Colorado. Being the organized teacher that I am, I had most of the venues selected and booked within a few weeks.

With our short engagement, June 19th arrived very quickly. Christian and I chose to make the drive out a few days prior so we would have the luxury of using our own car for sightseeing.

Upon arriving in Estes Park, Colorado it was downpouring. Let’s be honest, the drive up the winding mountain roads was a little horrific and so were the dark black clouds covering the white peaks of the mountain range.

The day before our wedding, the rain finally stopped. We went horseback riding that morning with some of our bridal party. Unfortunately, the views were still partially obstructed with clouds.

When we came back down from riding and were driving through the town, I remember this moment where I kinda blinked and went “Oh my God.” We had been to Estes Park before and memories of the views were one reason we wanted to be married there. This time, it was like the dawn after the storm. The clouds had finally dissipated. The snow capped peaks were fully visible and bathed in sunlight.

 Coming from the Midwest (I live in a town called Bradley in Illinois), being surrounded by mountains is an unreal experience. It is straight out of a fantasy novel where dragons and hobbits rome. The whole time I kept thinking, this is unreal.

Our rehearsal dinner that evening was fun and casual, Italian food catered from Sweet Basilico. (I highly recommend the lasagna and the bowtie alberto). We were very fortunate to have my cousins Ann and Thom, who live in Colorado, open up their home to our traveling guests. The weather stayed nice throughout the evening as well.  

The day of our wedding finally arrived. I was a little disappointed to wake up to a cloudy sky on the property of Black Canyon Inn. Having an early wedding at 10:30, there wasn’t much time to stop and think about it. My condo was hectic that morning with my mom working on my hair, bridesmaids beautifying in the background, flowers being delivered, and the photographer popping in. It wasn’t long before I was standing outside in my wedding dress, waiting with my mother to walk to the pavillion where I would be married.

My mother is a big believer in signs. Because of that upbringing, I find myself falling into that line of thinking often too. On this morning, we both agreed the sunshine that appeared right around the time of my wedding was a gift from my father who could not be there with us.

Without exaggeration, the day was absolute bliss from there. Walking down the aisle to Christian adorned in a top hat and tails. Holding hands as we said our vows. Staring at each other the whole time we were taking pictures. Our photographer Janea of Shutter and Stone Photography took us into Rocky Mountain National Park, which is about a 15 minute drive from Estes. We took pictures in fields of wildflowers, atop rocks, and with my mountains up close and personal in the background.

The day ended with a small reception in the loft area of Twin Owls Steakhouse, the restaurant on property at Black Canyon Inn. For a dining experience of only twenty-four people, we felt pretty special as shrimp carbonara, steak, and chicken florentine were served. There wasn’t room for dancing in the loft, but Christian and I took the liberty of ending the night by swaying to “Somethin’ Stupid” by Frank Sinatra.

Looking back on the day of our wedding, I am extremely happy with the choices we made. We were able to spend time with the people closest to us around the day of our wedding. Truthfully, I think they all fell in love with Colorado and want to go back just as much as we do.

From Estes Park, we had a few adventures before heading home. We hiked Greyrock Trail in Poudre Canyon. Not far from the trail, we toured Fort Collins and its hub of shops. While in Colorado, I even went to my first MLB game at Coors Field. (Sorry Chicago, I think the Rockies might be my team now.) From there, it was a short trip to sight seeing in the Black Hills near Spearfish, South Dakota. Our honeymoon was definitely a road trip, something we expected and wanted.

One thing I will always remember was the morning right before we got on the road to leave Estes Park. Christian and I chose to walk Black Canyon Inn property, and we ended up at the pavillion where we were married. Without saying much, I think we both knew that this place was now part of our hearts. The exact moment we turned our back on the mountains, I became really emotional.

I think our goal one day is to move to Colorado and build our life there. From research, it is very expensive, and we might have to settle with visiting in the meantime. If you have never been to Colorado, it should definitely be on your list (No immediate need to get married there!). The people are amazing and so are the shops and food.

Most memorable will be exploring in a part of the U.S. where it seems an artist took a paint brush and slowly began painting.

About the Writer: Angie Lachtara is a mathematics teacher and freelance writer from Bradley, Illinois. She is a newlywed and proud mother to two children (of the four legged variety).

[daveywankenobie]

Despite me originally intending to do a new walk today I changed my plans late last night when I was unexpectedly invited out for a bank holiday lunch at the George in the Tree at Balsall Common.

I’ve been here a few times in the past – but not often for good reasons.

Most recently this perfectly nice pub has somehow become completely associated in my mind with meeting relatives after my mom died in January last year – and a sense of personal failure surrounding this already grim event.

Not only did I have to agree funeral details with relatives that I hardly knew – but also I was hovering around 35 stone and visibly not coping very well at all in life.

This was me around three weeks after those events, having not long given up drinking, but still three months away from joining Slimming World.

It occurred to me when a friend suggested I join them there today that not only I could start to attach more positive memories to this place but that I could kill two birds with one stone and also get my exercise in for the day.

I could probably now walk all the way there from my house –  but then making my way back would probably have been a step too far.

It’s a round trip of 20 miles.

When I wasn’t working if I overdid things then I could just rest up the day after for a bit. However now I don’t have that luxury. I need to be match fit every day to walk back and forth to my job.

I opted instead for the shorter Kenilworth Greenway (about 11 miles round trip), and leaving my car at Crackley Wood – which means I didn’t have to walk along any busy roads and that I also got some nice views too.

The woods looked great just before 10am today, and a wonderful dappled light was playing on the ground everywhere as the canopy above me gently swayed in the breeze.

Initially this morning was a little overcast, despite being quite warm – but as I moved through the woods and onto the greenway it was clear that any clouds were not going to last long, and they were swiftly clearing to make way for blue skies.

I didn’t really know exactly how long it would take me to walk to my destination, so I tried to keep exploration and the impulse to photograph everything to a minimum and just keep moving forward.

Although the Greenway is pretty easy going on the way to Balsall Common it has a continuous incline. When I first did this walk (link) back in April I forgot to set a workout programme – but when I checked Apple watch I remember it showed my heart rate as above 100 bpm. My workout today shows an average of 88 on the outward journey, and on the greenway I didn’t once see it go above 95 – which is really cool progress!

I’m definitely getting a lot fitter!

One of the things that I really love about this particular walk is the bridges.

This is for two reasons.

Firstly (and quite without warning) I’ve become a huge fan of red brick construction. It really boggles my mind that these days we just set steel rods in hundreds of tons of concrete, bolt it all together, and voila!

A bridge!

Sure – they’re strong, light, flexible, resilient and safe – but boy oh boy is concrete UGLY. In contrast railway bridges pieced together, brick by individual brick – now THOSE are things of beauty.

Secondly this Greenway and its bridges are slowly being eaten by nature – and that too is jaw droppingly lovely at times.

When I finally arrived at the Beefeater I was a lot earlier than expected. The whole walk (almost exactly five miles) had taken around 90 minutes, so I sat outside in the shade and changed my (slightly sweaty) teeshirt for a long sleeved one I’d brought along to look a little more presentable.

Shortly before midday I went in and was led to the table my friends had booked.

It was a booth.

There’s still a part of me that has a complete meltdown when I see fixed seating.

I can’t seem to get it through to my panic subroutines that I fit into them now – but I guess thats because it’s really only been a few months since that’s been the case. Partially because of this I’m still taking evidential pictures to prove to myself that I can do it – which I’m starting to think may be a little daft.

However I still find it almost as much of a novelty as seatbelts that actually go around me and click into place in other people’s cars.

I may stop taking these kind of pictures one day… but not today!

I’d already decided waaaaay before arriving that I wasn’t going to get into an ‘I’ve done lots of exercise so I can eat what I like’ mentality, and that I was going to avoid things like mixed grills (what I used to choose when I came here previously) and instead have a salad and a baked potato on the side.

I ordered the chicken Caesar.

What arrived was not Caesar salad (not in my eyes anyway) and was clearly deep fried breaded chicken. Normally I wouldn’t go near anything fried in breadcrumbs – but I reasoned that at the very worst this would just use up my syns for the day and negate some of my exercise I’d already done, so I tucked in.

Honestly – I’m glad I did, because with the (butter free) baked potato I’d ordered on the side this ended up being quite filling and tasty – which was a complete win.

As it’s been a while since I’d seen my friends we sat chatting over drinks for a while after the meal ended. They’re absolutely loving their National Trust memberships at the moment and are using it regularly to go and explore some of the local National Trust estates.

I’d not considered joining before – but they may well have sold the whole thing to me! However – that’s for another day when I have some spare money. In the meantime I’m strictly a cheap walk kinda guy…

A twalker can dream though!

After we said our goodbyes I headed back (a slightly longer way) toward my car. It was now getting a LOT hotter and I’d changed back into my short sleeved top. In retrospect (as I sit scratching my sunburnt upper arms while I type) this may have been a tactical error – but you live and learn.

The way back was at a slightly slower pace, and it gave me the opportunity to look a little closer at the hedgerows and bushes, which were full of butterflies!

I also just missed a shot of a bird of prey hanging on the breeze over the fields surrounding the walk. As I readied my camera it swooped towards its target and disappeared from view. I can’t say for sure what it was but I think it was a Kestrel.

Since getting any pictures of things in the sky seemed impossible I busied myself instead with the floor, which I ‘d realised was covered with hidden mushroom colonies!

By the time I arrived home I felt well exercised, satisfied, and like I’d made full use of my Bank Holiday weekend.

There was a time when I’d have bought myself a new video game and many litres of wine for such an occasion – but I think the way I use my free time now is a far better use of my health and happiness.

I’ve managed 35 miles and around 70,000 steps in the last three days.

I feel content, pleasantly tired and I know that when I get back to work tomorrow internet I’ll have a sense of pride that not a single moment has been wasted.

Davey

  Not a single moment wasted Despite me originally intending to do a new walk today I changed my plans late last night when I was unexpectedly invited out for a bank holiday lunch at the…