#just painting cutesy faces on clay

[purenonsens]

Stuff I've been doing to destress lately

[symphonic-scream]

I'd like to hear about the inaba au

Right right sorry it took me so long I was a bit sick today

Anyways- yes! Since I'm finally actually playing P4G I've built up a little more to the au! Aka. Given it some actual P4 flair

This is to say, I have the order of them being on the TV. Joker starts out with his besties, Ryuji and Ann, they're the starting trio. Ryuji's shadow is like a little kid, crying and sniffling cause he just wants people to like him,,

He's the track star, and he's been taught that it's a one persona sport. That he doesn't have to worry about his teammates, but they've come to resent him a bit for being the golden boy, and. Especially after he got arrested at the end of the last season and cost them greatly. He had been sent to get a "delivery" for his bastard dad. Turns out it was drugs, and he was accused of doping and all

He wanted to start this year fresh, but they all still hate him. He's cleared to compete since his tests never showed any signs of drugs, but. Y'know.

And then there's Ann! Her shadow, it's about how she sees herself as two faced. She hears what her classmates say. She's visibly an outsider, the rich bitch from the city. All she cares about is herself. So, she let's them believe that. But,

She's been in Inaba since elementary school! She's so sick of being the outsider when she's been there the whole time! She was there when that one kid pissed himself at graduation. She was there when their teacher threw up during an assembly. How come they still don't see her as one of them? She just, wants to belong,

Plus she's super gay for Shiho. But that's a given

So once they've got that covered, they're teaming up with the weird Horny Cat in the TV to hunt for the missing third year student. "Burger Girl", Haru Okumura. The last two to go missing died, and. They're determined to save her

Haru's little TV set is themed like a fancy restaurant. She's also from the city, her parents used to own a 5 star elite restaurant. Then, her mother died, and her dad moved them back to her mother's hometown, opening up a food truck where he experimented on American style food. Burgers, mostly

Haru sees her dad stressing over the bills sometimes. Or, crying at the little shrine they have in their small home for her mother. Haru, sees a lot of it as her own fault. Talk on the town is she's going to take over Big Bang, but. She, doesn't want to. She feels trapped in this confusing legacy.

Her shadow has this big fake smile, in half of a formal waiter outfit, the other half the cutesy Burger Girl outfit she wears daily. Her shadow is loud about what she wants. Haru meekly argues back from the floor, tears in her eyes, as her shadow screams about wanting to be free from that dumb title. "Burger Girl."

Then, Haru, she just shouts. "YOU'RE NOT ME!" It's silent. The others watch in fear as her shadow transforms, the tears finally flowing down Haru's face

They rescue Haru, and her dad crushes her in a hug when she returns. In this, all he cares for is his daughter. She joins the group, and agrees to help them find who pushed her in

Next up would be Yusuke. TV victim 2.

He and his mother live in town, where she runs an art shop that is frequently filled with children attending lessons. His mother was left disabled after her former teacher attacked her to claim her art for his own, and to protect her son from a similar fate, she now refuses to produce art herself

Yusuke. Really cares for his mom. She's given so much, and he feels he has to be good, better, to repay her for all she's given him. He's a tortured artist. He barely knows who he is, but he expects himself to be great

His little TV set is, abstract. Colours everywhere, as if Yusuke himself flung the paint around in anger. It's a sensory nightmare, and when they reach the end, it's to a blank room

Yusuke kneels there in the centre, chained to the ground by chains of clay and paint. His shadow, dressed in a torn but colorful smock, scowls down at him, paint palette in hand. Hurling insults and colour at Yusuke, about how he's a fraud, he's not meant to be an artist, he's a disappointment and a disgrace

Yusuke is silent the whole time. When he looks up and sees his classmates and the third year in the room, he's filled with. Horror almost. "This, it isn't me, I swear-"

"DONT LISTEN TO THE LITTLE FRAUD, HE'S NOTHING! HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT THE WORLD, OR THE TRUE PAIN OF AN ARTIST!"

"stop it, please,"

"HA! IF MOM ONLY KNEW WHAT A SHELL OF A MAN SHE WAS RAISING... MAYBE SHE WOULDVE BEEN BETTER OFF GIVING US UP TO THAT MADARAME AFTER ALL!"

"YOU'RE NOT ME, SHUT UP!"

And queue the fight, the room slowly filling with colour as they fight and such. And they drag Yusuke back home, where his mom sobs as she holds her son, she was. So terrified while he was missing,

Oh also, he has pet lobsters. They're named after famous female artists, and he insists the lobsters are soulmates. The true lesbian icons of Inaba.

Anyways next up? Their Navi! Futaba!

This one. Is my favourite idea. So, y'know how Rise is an Idol? Futaba is. Behind one of the most famous vocaloids ever. She develops the vast majority of her songs, rigs, and is responsible for keeping this Internet sensation up with the times. She even poses as this idol for interviews and such

...she's Hatsune Miku.

"wah wah but Scream she should be Alibaba because-" NO. ITS MY AU I GET TO CHOOSE THE SILLY

Anyways. Ryuji is a huge Miku fan and is excited to see the face behind his favourite idol and. He sees Futaba and. Just stares. "Dude. Hatsune Miku is a Weeb."

Futaba is, an orphan. She was living with a programmer for a while but, he got caught up in some. Allegations. And it was no longer safe for her to be around him. So, she was sent to Inaba where someone who worked with her mom owns a little coffee shop

(psst. That's Sojiro)

He doesn't have room for her and she. Is a shell of a person. Didn't go outside for years, doesn't know how to be a proper person, and. Fears no one would like her for her,

So her TV set? It's. Like diving into a computer. Wires and coding along the walls, electronica music. The further in they go, the clearer it becomes that the voice they hear singing isn't Miku, it's. Futaba. First floor sounds like Miku, last floor would just be Futaba

And her final room is a hate shrine. Torn posters of Miku, statues with the heads missing, even a computer with a bat through the screen. Shadow Futaba seethes about how she hates Miku, how she's taken everything from her, that. She'd be better off if she'd never created her. No one loves Futaba, they only love Miku.

She goes as far as to shout that, the world would be better off with just Miku, and that Futaba should just. End it. Futaba is shaking, and mumbles about how, no, no, that's not it,, that's not her-

When things simmer down, she ends up living with the Niijima's like Joker. She spends a lot of time at Sojiro's, learning about her mom, but really, he wasn't prepared for a kid at the time and. She wasn't ready for that either.

And then they'd have to do Morgana's, and. I'm glossing over that we can probably all guess how it would go

So the final TV set they have to venture into, is Makoto's. She's last. Her issues have been boiling over on the side the whole time, watching her "cousin" quickly becoming friends with people she's grown up with, and. Being left on the side once again

Her set is like an empty school. Papers on the floors, flights flickering, spray paint on the windows. But, they catch Makoto's shadow doing the spray painting somewhere inside, and it makes the team kinda. Question if, they really know her

Her shadow is like. In a science teacher getup, but. Way more punk. Black torn labcoat, wild hair, and. In her final room, faceless women dressed in very sexy getups all over her behind her desk. She openly flirts with the girls on the team too, leaving poor Makoto on the ground horrified

"no, no I'm a feminist- I'd never-"

"Ha! At night, we lie awake and Crave, we wanna pin em down and fu-"

"NO! THIS ISNT ME-"

Shadow Makoto is about how. She hates being the rule follower. She's always wanted nothing more than to break free and experience, life. Also, feeling bad about being gay. Shes got some internalized homophobia

They beat her up and take her home, and. Yeah

OKAY THIS WAS LONG WINDED BUT. INABA AU.

[claralaclarividente-fics]

Life is Dream: A Rosegarden story

Chapter 1- Once Upon A Time

Ruby’s eyes watered as the crisp air breezed in front of her face as she fell.

She had watched as her two teammates swooped down the void, only to be swallowed by a golden glimmer. By then, time had slowed down, and she thought about what could happen. Only to be eclipsed by the thought of her sister alone, wherever she might have ended up, waiting for her.

The battle had been arduous, and she had had a hard time tracking down her friends’ whereabouts during most of it, but when it had all quieted down, when Nora had placed a hand on her shoulder with a million questions in her blue eyes, the roar of the answer thumped in her ears.

Penny had understood right there and then, hugging her friends one by one- ‘do what you have to do.’

Jaune nodded gravely, thinking that if he were in their position, he’d do anything to bring his teammates back. ‘We’ll take it from here on out.’

There was no guidance, no certainty of what could happen, of what laid beyond the darkness. But Blake was trembling, her grasp on Gambol Shroud whitening her knuckles. Weiss held on Blake, afraid she might jump alone.

The decision had been made.

A tingling sensation distracted her thoughts, and with a rueful wonder she realized golden shimmers began to dance on her skin.

‘This is it, then.’ She barely had the ability to think before lighting gold consumed her. She felt herself fall asleep and tiredly closed her eyes.

Oscar opened his eyes at the insistence of Emerald. She had probably been trying to shake him awake for a while now judging by the tender expression she tried to conceal with fake annoyance.

Sitting up on his bed, he noticed that the quarters he shared with the rest of his team was empty.

The sunlight streamed harshly through the willowing blinds, telling him that it was way too late to be sleeping.

“Should have woken you up earlier but you nearly fell asleep on your dinner last night, so we thought it would be better to let you sleep in a bit more.” She explained as she slid open her Scroll, checking the itinerary for the day.

Mind still heavy with sleep, Oscar placed his bare feet on the cold floor. The frigid clay under his soles roused him enough so he began mentally preparing for the day.

“What have we got today on the agenda?”

Emerald rolled her eyes and thrusted a paper bag into the teen’s hands.

“Breakfast rolls with honey. Seriously Oscar, you barely ate last night and now you’re insisting on intermittent fasting? This is why even Little Red’s taller than you!” She jeered at his sudden bouts of sleepiness over the past month.

Oscar smiled, pained. Everyone up until now had been walking on eggshells regarding team RWBY, hushing down when they mentioned them, fearing guilt and sadness. But Emerald, who in her pragmatism did what had to be done, and said what needed to be said, did not care too much about being gentle with expectations.

It was weird. A month had passed since the exodus from Mantle and Atlas, and the remaining members of team JNPR were crestfallen, yet tried to ignore the growing negativity stemming in their hearts. They treated Oscar with care, trying to ignore the four missing links in their lives.

Surprisingly, Emerald and Penny were the only ones keeping hope.

Penny was hopeful and reverent. She had been made of alloy, bolts and dolts. But now she wore shoes, sand was annoying, and she could taste food. Anything was possible in this wide world of theirs.

For Emerald, it was more about seeing impossible feats of ancient wonder, something in her ears whispering that there were more incredible feats of magic to be revealed in her time alive. She felt that third chances in life were rare, and thus, grasped at its stray hairs strongly.

So they stuck by Oscar as the task of repatriation began at dawn and ended at dusk.

It had been a grueling month at Vacuo, nobody was happy to have the Atlesians in their land. The citizens of Mantle fared better, they had been humbled when they huddled close together back at the crater in the Motherland. But the Atlas elite? They could not wait for Mistrali ships to come in hoards to get them to colder ground. They revolted, nothing was up to their elevated standards.

But Theodore was nothing but pragmatic, as all Vacuans were, and a night off in the deserts shut the bunch of them up. The ones who made it back that is.

“Alright, I’ll stuff my face with honeyed bread rolls and spiced tea if it makes you happy.” Conceded Oscar after he tied up his boots and threw on the airy cotton cape on his shoulders. He had decided on a lighter fabric for his stay in Vacuo, the gauzy green tunic emboldened with red and white trimmings, and his loose cotton pants were good enough for the mighty sun that beat on the roofs of the deserts.

Emerald smiled despite herself. She and Penny had taken on the big sister role whenever Nora wasn’t there to mother Oscar to hell and back. It had taken some time to get used to, but for anyone that was not privy to the Fall of Beacon, Emerald was just Oscar’s older sister, who emerged at the Fall of Atlas.

Over the course of the weeks she proved herself, as a true Vacuan, and as a true ally.

“C´mon then. There’s a bunch of convoy ships from Argus and Vale willing to take in some snooty idiots in exchange of supplies. Don’t make Nora wait for you more, she’s missed on her hugging quota for the morning.” With a pat on his head, Emerald walked Oscar to the door, and off they were.

The day blurred by Oscar’s eyes, now and again stifling an inconvenient yawn, but nevertheless, persisted during the course of his workday.

Every day there were less Atlesians to send off, and less Mantle citizens who wanted to leave. Like May tended to say, Mantle knows how to show their teeth.

The migratory system they had built recorded every single citizen that wanted to leave or stay under Theodore’s watchful eye. The controls were harsh since there was no way to know if Neopolitan had blended into the crowd at all. Given that Emerald told Theodore and every staff member in Shade that they were to expect Tyrian and Mercury sooner rather than later, security had been the top priority these days.

In between tending to the wounded and sick, delivering supply packets to the tents of refugees, and breaking up fights, Oscar was beat by dusk.

By that time, Theodore insisted Oscar to keep their sparring sessions until he felt that Oscar moved and fought with more fluidity than the day before.

“Squirt,” Theodore would say, “I know Oz has taught you some things, but he was a dandy and thought that battle was graceful matter.” The rippled headmaster would flex and show him how merciless battle was.

Under the strongman’s tutelage, Oscar’s body ached and grew. With Ozpin’s mentoring in his head, his magic grew and he felt something inside of his soul bubble to the surface.

But at the end of the day, when Jaune was sitting right by his side, and Nora was babbling a ten miles per second into his hearing canal, he felt his shoulders drop their tension. He shot a thankful glance at Ren, who was casually conversing with Emerald, but still kept an eye on the youngest of their group. Penny and Nora, two ginger parakeets with insurmountable force and joy lulled his thoughts, until he sagged forward and faceplanted in his tomato soup.

The resounding splash alerted Jaune who quickly pulled Oscar’s face from the cold soup by grabbing him by the collar of his tunic. Oscar’s lack of reaction, and his fluttering eyelids greeted the blond huntsman, flooding him with worry.

The chatter died.

Nora leaned the boy to her side and grabbed his tanned cheeks, wet with stock, and panicked at his quivering eyelids.

Semi-conscious as he were, Oscar saw the motions at the table like photographs forming a standstill gallery inside his mind, the sounds dull and his feeling numb.

Nora and Emerald crowding over him, worried expressions marring his face.

Penny and her cold hands framing his cheeks, her confused expression.

Jaune’s golden aura around his vision as it tunneled.

Lastly, Theodore’s frown before he closed his eyes and tumbled into sleep.

__________________________________________

Ruby tumbled out of bed confused.

Her heartbeat alert and scared, her eyes darted to the four walls surrounding her. Sweet and spices reached her nose, the colourful walls held handmade tapestries and idyllic paintings. The rug that had cushioned her fall was fluffy, and the blanket tangling in her legs felt like a familiar hug.

“Where am I?”

Ruby struggled to stand up, and once she did, she gasped at herself.

In front of her, a mirror held her image. But it was all wrong. She wore a frilly white dress, with white stockings, red lace and ribbons, and her hair was tied in two tiny pigtails. She looked adorable.

And she hated it.

“Where’s-“ she looked at the nearest wardrove, and opened its doors as fast as she could. Rifling through the cutesy dresses, she was taken aback by a familiar skirt.

Holding the black dress with the black combat skirt, she wondered how her Beacon outfit appeared in the room she was in.

She stopped dead on her tracks.

“I’m not in Atlas anymore, am I?”

Clutching the dress to her chest, she slid down to the carpeted floor. She felt a bubble of panic come over her as she remembered the last events of her life.

“Right, Neo struck Yang, and Yang… She fell. We fought Cinder. And she died. I think. Then we…jumped.”

Ruby looked her hands over, turning them this way and that, as if they were given to change at any moment now.

“And-“ Ruby wheezed, close to hyperventilation. She trembled as she remembered flashes of the fight against Cinder, how Blake evolved her Semblance and fought as three copies of herself, about Neo striking the wrong Blake, and being fallen by the original one. Cinder taunting how she used Jinn, revealing their plans. Penny fell to the golden plateau, and then in a fit of rage, silver.

No more Cinder. Probably.

Her heart running like a wild animal under her chest, she took deep breaths as she tried to calm down. She rubbed the black fabric between her thumb and pointer finger, the texture was light to the touch. In the bottom frill, she found her name embroidered by her own hand. It was supposed to be comforting, but it only fueled her confusion.

A few tears threatened to spill, but then several knocks on the door startled her.

“Darling! Breakfast is ready!” a familiar voice called out to her outside the door.

In a haze, Ruby stood up and let the dress fall from her hands. She marched to the door and opened it in a swift motion, scaring the poor woman in front of it.

“Little Red! What sort of behaviour is this!?” An old woman that looked and sounded like María Calavera chided her, hands on her hips as she glowered annoyed at the teen.

“María! It’s you!” Elated, Ruby swooped in to hug the woman, who patted her back confusedly.

“Oh dear, now you’re calling your grandma by her first name too! Did you hit your head when you woke up this morning? What’s wrong with you?” Not-María held Ruby at arms length, checking her head for any injuries.

“Huh?”

Not-quite-María tutted, before guiding Ruby by the hand to the kitchen area of the cottage they seemed to be in.

“Little Red, you seldom ever visit me, and now you’re calling me by my name! Your mother hasn’t been disciplining you as she should!”

More confused than ever, Ruby sat on the stool offered by Not-Really-María.

The old woman sighed before plopping a plate of sausages, beans with crema and tortillas in front of her.

“Repeat after me, Little Red: Abuela María. Ah..Boo-Eh-Lah. Abuela.” Ruby looked at Abuela María in mild shock.

“Abuela?”

The Abuela María nodded satisfied and patted her hand.

“Now, after we finish mending that cape of yours, please give this basket of goodies to your mother for me. Oh! And thank her for the nice fabrics she sent with you, will you?”

Still starstruck, Ruby stared at Abuela María, not yet understanding anything that was happening in front of her.

“My…mother?”

Abuela María nodded, quite exasperatedly at her not-quite-granddaughter. She flipped her gray-haired braid over her shoulder and began repairing the red cape as she mumbled about ���youth these days’.

“Yes, dear. Summer Rose. My daughter, your mother.”

More confused than anything, Ruby brought her hand up and mercilessly slapped her cheek. Abuela María looked at Ruby curiously, halting her sewing for a moment before resuming.

“But-but!” Ruby stuttered, holding her stinging cheek under her palm. “We don’t look anything alike!”

“My dear!” began Abuela María. “Silver eyes run in our family! Look!”

Abuela María removed her thick rimmed glasses and pointed at her eyes.

But all Ruby could see was a puckered red bruise, swollen and hurt. It slashed from her right temple to her left, there was not much to be said about eyes, as there were none.

Feeling not quite in a dream, but more in a bizarre nightmare, she stood up, the wooden stool clattering behind her.

Abuela María, with her glasses still removed and acting normally, bit off the last thread on the eye of her needle and folded the red cape neatly, offering it to Ruby.

Smiling sweetly, but with her disturbing red scarring across her visage, she gifted Ruby a basket filled with fruits, cheeses and breads, and pushed her through the cabin’s threshold.

Ruby looked petrified at the old lady that looked like her mentor but was nothing like her.

“Take this basket to your mother, will you? Be careful of the Big Bad Wolf, don’t let it bite you!”

Laughing merrily, the old woman closed the door on Ruby, leaving her alone in the cabin’s porch.

Jarred and perturbed, Ruby walked away from the cabin thoughtlessly, and into the winding roads that crossed the forest.

Only once she reached a small ravine, did she sit on the forest floor and pushed to her face the cape that smelled like home, like Yang and Qrow and Weiss and Blake and everyone she knew, did she weep.

For the longest time she cried, but after a while she felt her tears dry up, her shoulders stopped their heaving, and her heart dulled to a somber beat.

Ruby wiped her tears with the cape and splashed her face with the cool water from the ravine. She looked at her reflection, and disliking the pigtails pulling the hair at her nape, she tugged at the elastics and ruffled her hair. She bunched the skirt in her fists.

Annoyed at her dress, she looked down to it expecting to see white ruffles on white lace, she was caught off guard when she found herself wearing a black version of the dress she had woken up into.

As much as she marveled at this feat of reality writing itself, she feared it.

Taking one last look at her reflection, and tugging on the hood on her cape, she trudged into the deep forest, following the map she was given and hoped for the best.

[romanceimp]

Valentines W/ Akatsuki hcs: What they would give you

This is actually wholesome content for once... enjoy some goofy fluff yall

NAGATO:  

I think Nagato is quite the romantic and actually really wants love... So when he finally meets you, he really isn’t sure what to give to you. All the stories would tell him that he should give flowers, chocolate... But that didn’t seem like enough for him to really express how he feels. He remembered one story he read where the boy gave his love a class ring from his school that was symbolic of a promise. 

He will place his Akatsuki ring in your palm and close your hand, still holding it.              “A promise... to always keep you safe.” 

PLEASE KISS HIM, he needs that 

KONAN:

She knew exactly what she was going to give you. Love is something that comes easily to her... And you fill her with such a sense of home when her head is on your chest and she can hear your breathing, smell your scent. She hadn’t felt anything like that since she lived in the house with Yahiko, Nagato, and Jiraiya. 

You think it’s cute when she hands you the bouquet of paper flowers, but you tear up when you realise that she’s written inside of them all the things she loves about you. Your sparkly eyes and lilting laugh.

In the middle of the bouquet, there is a small paper house. “What’s this for?” you ask her smiling. She takes your face in her hands and says, “It is a reminder, that you have become my home.”

ITACHI:

Itachi is a simple man in a lot of ways. He loves you so much that a thing doesn’t seem like enough to give to you. 

So he scouts around for a few days, in the woods and small nearby villages, until he finds what he was looking for. 

He wakes you up really early in the morning, before the sun even comes up, and he takes you on a hike. “Where are we going?” you yawn, “it’s a surprise,” he smiles back at you. You’re the one thing in this world that gives him peace and serenity. When he’s with you he feels as if all the bad is melting away and he can just be in the present moment. 

The sun is coming over the hills in a pink and orange glow, just like he hoped it would... The light illuminates the old bridge and dances off of the water. There are cherry trees in full bloom, their petals blowing in the breeze. Fish swim around the maze of water lilies, the light glinting off of their scales. Tears are welling in your eyes and you turn back to him and say “it’s beautiful, thank you.”

He just smiles and takes your hand. “This,” he says, gesturing to the scene of natural beauty, “is how you make me feel... all the time. And I wanted to give you a precious memory, in exchange for all those you have given me.”

KISAME: 

Kisame doesn’t really believe in gifts so much because he feels that items have very little importance. However, he does care about you and he wants that to be obvious. He’s a surprisingly good listener and he remembers you telling him how your family always made blue berry pancakes for breakfast on the weekends. He remembered the nostalgia in your voice so he decided he would make you some. 

They aren’t fancy, nor are they cutesy and shaped like hearts. But they’re sooooo good. They taste exactly like the ones from your childhood. It turns out, that he had called your family to get the recipe...  Kisame feels very proud of himself with how much you like them. “And I’ll always be around for ya to make more...” He really does love you.

Please give him Blu Ray copy of Finding Nemo, just to see what happens...

SASORI: 

He knew Valentines day was coming and was so nervous... Sasori knew exactly what he wanted to do for you. He spent over a week making it but then he decided that it wasn’t exactly right so he scrapped that and started over. He really hopes that you like it. 

He gives you the box wrapped in pink paper with red ribbons. Inside there are two small puppets, one that looks like him and one that looks like you. They're beautifully carved and painted. You reach for the one who looks like you but he grabs your hand. “This one is yours,” he gives you the one that looks like him and takes your puppet in his hands instead. “I know it’s kind of selfish to make myself a gift as well...” He pauses, still holding your hand, “This way, when one of us is away, it’s less like the other is gone.” You squeeze his hand back, “I love it and if I’m gone, I’ll always come back to you.” He will remember those words forever.

DEIDARA:

He had an artistic spectacle planned from the very beginning. He dragged you out of bed because he couldn’t wait any longer to give it to you. You’re standing outside in your pajamas for whatever couldn’t wait until even 15 minuets later. He does the hand sign and there is a gigantic explosion. The ground is violently shaking and you have your hands clapped over your ears. You’re slightly annoyed because he does this everyday. But Deidara makes a clay bird and extends his hand, you hop on and take to the sky.

“There! See! Happy Valentines Day baby.”  The crater from the explosion is in the shape of a heart. “Love... is also an explosion,” he says as he kisses you. “That’s so cheesyyyy,” you laugh and kiss him back. “But look, my love for you will be carved into the earth for hundreds of years... thats how much I love you.”

KAKAZU:

He really doesn’t care about Valentines... or that much about you. He pulls a total grandpa move and puts a 5 in a card and doesn't write in it. 

He hands it to you and says “go buy yourself something nice.” You stare blankly into the card...

It was enough to get a drink and a snack from a vending machine tho

HIDAN: 

Hidan decided that to shows his love and affection for you, he needed to give you something...personal.

He tells you to close your eyes and open your hands. You feel something cold on your palm. “Okay, now open,” he says excitedly. You open your eyes and there is a small vile on a chain. “Lemme put it on ya,” he offers and clips the chain around your neck. There is a strange dark liquid inside the small glass vile. “It’s my blood,” he smiles. Your eyes grow wide and you really aren’t sure what to say. He reads your expressions of confusion and mild horror. “Listen, it’s more symbolic than anything, relax...” He seems almost offended that you don’t understand. “My blood is my weakness and I’m giving it to you, it means that I trust you more than anyone...”

OROCHIMARU:

He’s technically a member still... yes?

Anyways... he remembered you telling him about how much you missed a family member who passed away. 

Well Happy Valentines Day, he’s reanimated them for you! 

The fright you got when you saw them sitting down stairs drinking a cup of tea with Orochimaru is something you will never get over... 

ZETSU:

He didn't need to think hard at all about his gift for you, it seemed pretty obvious. 

He hands you the small succulent in a heart shaped pot. “Aww so cute! A plant baby!” you exclaim. Zetsu is please that you think it’s cute. “It’s me actually, well it’s us... well my clone.” You blink at the plant in the pot. “Good morning, my love,” it says. Zetsu moves closer to you and puts a hand on your waist. “This way, you can talk to me whenever you want to, or call me back if ever you need me,” he whispers sweetly. You wrap him in a hug and tell him you love it and that it means so much to you. 

Zetsu smiles, all those things he told you were true. He wants to make sure that he’s always there for you but he also likes to just know what you’re doing. He’s actually quite Yandere... He wants to keep tabs on you and especially those you talk to. 

And besides, a clone is much easier than hacking your phone. 

[lon3lynation]

Chapter 5: Ways To Go

Previous Chapter

"Even when I can't see my rearview Even if I call just to hear you Even when I sleep all day (Even when I sleep all day) Even if I work it like I'm times two Living in the back of the bunk just like we do Even when I dream all day

Don't wanna sleep tonight You've got me feeling right I didn't know my name, I didn't know my name

I got a little bit longer, I got a ways to go I got a little bit longer, I got a ways to go I got a little bit longer, I got a ways to go Whoa oh oh (I got a ways to go)"

Ways To Go by Grouplove

5 days and 400 miles of Blue Ridge Parkway later, Lexa found herself in North Carolina. After staying her nights in rustic lodges and taking in the views along the parkway, she was feeling spoiled and reinvigorated in such a way she hadn't experienced in a long time. Over the years, it was all cheap hotels and motels. As long it had a clean bed and a running shower, it was all she needed to get by. It was affordable and temporary which was suitable for her type of lifestyle.

It was breathtaking to look out the windowsill and have mountains greet her sight instead of a parking lot or a wall of another building. It had given her a sense of serenity. Lexa had figured that she was a bit of an urban girl after her constant traveling from city to city. It was the source of her freedom. However, she was quickly learning that being around nature and the sheer expanse of the open land was altogether something much more magnificent. It was pure and natural freedom.

The road trip was already opening her eyes to new perspectives and feelings. It served as a reminder of how much more there was in the world outside of her life. It made her feel small and insignificant in comparison. No matter what obstacles she had faced or how lost she felt, her problems will never hinder the world from continuing on with or without her. Strangely enough, she received a small comfort at the realization. It was up to her on how to deal with her own existence and how to let events impact it.

It felt like an awakening.

Lexa wanted to further open her mind and heart to the wisdom that her journey would surely offer her. She wanted to encounter every one of Earth's secrets. It wasn't humanly possible but she wanted to try and learn what she could in her lifetime. A life filled with adventure and world travel could potentially be her new purpose in life. She would love to visit other countries and expose herself to different cultures. Once she had herself figured out and her past wounds dealt with on this particular trip, she would have to seriously consider her options on what was next for her.

Lexa was getting a little too ahead of herself, though. She's only been on the road for about a week now. There was still a way to go mentally and distance-wise. There was no rush but she knew she couldn't put it off for much longer. She needed to make some sort of progress with herself and take that much needed first step. Hopefully, the first step would be the hardest part and the rest will be bearable enough to proceed through.

The time for reflection of her past would have to wait because presently there was shopping to be done. If she wanted to make the most out of the summer, swimwear and more clothes were a necessity. She had already picked out some outfits perfect for the warm weather and a new suitcase for them. Currently, she was taking a moment to ponder the phone in her free hand.

Turning away from the racks of bikinis, she opened up Instagram in the browser and logged into her long-abandoned private account. She rarely ever posted any pictures on it anymore. Maybe she would start using it again and upload photos of the incredible sights she saw for prosperity. It would be nice to have them along with her memories. Maybe she could even make Anya a bit envious for missing out on a joint road trip together.

Actually, they would have positively driven each other insane if they had gone together. It might have been fun and games at first, but eventually, the lack of space and disagreements on activities would have done nothing but frustrate them both. Anya would have wanted to do something wilder than sunbathing on a beautiful beach or enjoying the views. Lexa would have never been able to do her much needed thinking and reevaluating with Anya around.

Still, she missed her friend and hoped to get in contact again. It was the longest they had gone without seeing each other. With that in mind, she opened up her private messages and sent Anya a text.

'Anya, I think we should meet up again soon. It's overdue. I'm traveling southwest of the US via car. Where are you currently staying? Get back to me asap.'

Lexa was looking forward to hearing from Anya again. She wondered if her mentor would feel a sense of pride in her for doing a successful job of stealing a car for a cross-country road trip. However, she was not looking forward to explaining her phone relationship with Clarke to her. Anya wouldn't understand when Lexa, herself, could barely understand it. Clarke called her every day since she had taken the car and Lexa has gone along with it. It frightened her how effortlessly Clarke was getting past the cracks in her walls. She doubted that Clarke even realized just how well she was doing until about 5 days ago. After she had ventured to imagine Clarke standing next to her to share the view of the mountains, Lexa made certain to be more aloof in her calls with Clarke.

Too bad there wasn't some manual book on how to interact with a stubborn and persistent stranger that was the victim of your thievery. How was she supposed to act and feel in such an unprecedented situation?

Lexa didn't know. She absolutely hated how unprepared and uncertain she felt. Her vulnerability was showing and she didn't do vulnerability. Normally she could predict and prepare for every outcome, but this once she was caught off guard. It unnerved her which was downright irritating.

Clarke was so very irritating.

Stupid Clarke and her unrealistic optimism.

Stupid Clarke and her constant questions.

Stupid Clarke and her cracked blue phone case that was now ringing in her hand.

Lexa glared at the vibrating and ringing phone in her hand. Her fingers gave a momentary squeeze around the case before answering and lifting it to her ear with a sigh.

"Hello, Clarke."

"Hey, criminal."

"Very original."

"What? Is that not cutesy enough for you? How about I start calling you Rebel?"

Lexa scoffed.

"God, no and I don't do cutesy."

"Why? Oh, does it put a damper on your badass rep in the criminal world?"

"What do you think we do? Sit around and share stories about our illegal doings? That we know who's who?" Lexa chuckled at the thought. "The only person that knows what I do is -"

"The infamous friend and mentor, of course. Is she aware of how much you mention her to strangers?"

"No, her smugness doesn't need any more encouragement."

"It's nice to have you taking part in our banter again. I was wondering how long you could resist it."

A pause.

"What are you talking about?"

"Come on, it didn't escape my notice that you've been acting like a dick for the past 4 days."

"When are you going to stop referring me to a phallus?"

"When you stop acting like one which is probably not going to be anytime soon. So, are you done with the whole tightlipped routine?"

"You tell me. Am I?" Lexa snipped.

"I think you want it to be because you sorta miss this but you're resisting because it - or I - make you nervous."

Damn her.

"Clarke," she warned.

"Sounds like I hit the mark," Clarke responded smugly.

"You can't just -" Blowing out a harsh breath, Lexa shook her head. "This needs to stop."

"And now you're panicking."

"I'm not panicking."

She was maybe panicking a little bit.

"It seems like you are. Take another breath."

To her annoyance, Lexa found herself taking another breath and felt recentered.

"You need to stop doing that."

"Doing what exactly? Telling the truth the way I see it?"

"Pushing and assuming you know anything about the way I feel. You don't."

"Your reaction seems to disagree with your words. Why does it -"

"No," Lexa sternly interrupted.

"No?" Clarke questioned.

"No more questions. How would you like it if I questioned you constantly?"

"Well, if it gets you to partake in our conversations a little more. Ask me."

"What?"

"If you have questions, then ask me. At least you'll get a detailed answer from me, unlike a certain someone.".

It was annoying how quickly Clarke could turn things back around on her. Anytime she thought she got the reins back, Clarke would only steal them right back and leave her scrambling like a fool.

"Did I put you on the spot? I'm sorry. Let me help you. My name's Clarke Griffin. I'm 21 years old and I am currently still in college. I was a little lost on what I wanted to pursue career-wise. I could follow in my mother's footsteps or do the opposite of what she wants and pursue art. I may decide on something else one day but right now I'm really digging the art direction I've taken. Is this where you remind me again that I'm speaking to a criminal?"

"No. I think you're well aware of what you're doing." She was beginning to believe she'll never truly understand Clarke and what motivated her to do the things she does. However, she appreciated the shift in their conversation. "An artist," Lexa curiously hummed. "What are your mediums?"

"I draw and paint mainly. Pencil, pastels, watercolor, acrylics. I tried pottery before but the misshapen mug that resulted from it didn't exactly encourage me to continue with it. I still use the mug every morning for coffee though."

Lexa smiled wistfully as a memory came to her.

"Pottery was something I wanted to take on as a hobby after my high school's art class introduced us to it. There was something about the cold clay staining my hands and watching them mold a lump of it into something useful."

"Did you take it on as a hobby?"

"I didn't get a chance to." Lexa sighed deeply as the memory turned into a sad one. "I was so consumed with... Costia, my girlfriend at the time and then not too long later, I ended up leaving what I thought was my home."

Suddenly, it occurred to her that Clarke had succeeded in getting her to share something in return. And of all things to share, she allowed Costia's name to flow out from her lips. The same name she has consciously avoided saying out loud for years.

"That sounds exactly like how a high school romance would be. I'm sorry you didn't get the chance, though. There's nothing really stopping you from doing pottery now, right? It's never too late."

"I move around too much. Maybe when I am settled down somewhere, I'll look into it."

"You should." Clarke gently urged. "I, um, I hope you realize that I am really biting my tongue here. You give me little crumbs of information that makes me curious and want to know more, but…"

"But you're trying to hold back now because I was sort of an asshole about it earlier," Lexa admitted, feeling appreciative that Clarke was trying. "Honestly, if our roles were reversed, I'd be just as curious. I guess I can't fault you for that."

"Sort of?" Clarke joked. "And I guess I can see why you would want to stay secretive."

Lexa lingered silently in consideration before responding.

"It's just that this whole situation with you is pretty unheard of and I need to stay on guard."

"I think I understand, but I promise you that the car is staying unreported. I would like to solve this between us."

"The crazy thing is I think I am starting to believe that." Lexa chuckled in disbelief. "I wanted this road trip to be memorable and I am getting that. I simply didn't expect you, though." Lexa softly muttered. "I don't know how to process you, Clarke. You're an enigma I've yet to solve."

Lexa bit her lip in thought. It hadn't escaped her notice that the tone of their conversation had completely shifted. Clarke seemed to be taken aback as she listened closely to the other end of the call. She scanned the racks and distractedly examined her swimwear options.

"Careful, that sounds a lot like a compliment, I think," Clarke chuckled nervously. "Do you really think between the two of us that I am the enigma here? I'm just some girl compared to you."

"It's important for you to have some confidence in yourself, Clarke."

Clarke laughed, "Oh, I have plenty of confidence, but I am not a badass thief that gets to do whatever she wants and road trip across the country."

"You think I'm badass?"

"Of course that's what you took away from that sentence. Have you always been this sure of yourself?"

"No," Lexa grinned with a small laugh. "It took a lot of practice. I was the quiet little loner in school before I met Costia. She helped bring me out of my shell. She told me to pretend until I didn't have to anymore. It took."

"It took and gave you a humongous ego."

"Hey, now you're exaggerating."

"Nope."

"I'm really not as cocky as you make me out to be, you know," Lexa bemoaned.

"Oh, who is referring themselves to phalluses now?" Clarke cackled over the line, much to Lexa's annoyance and hidden amusement.

"Shut up, Clarke. You have the humor of a 12 years old boy."

"It's still a better sense of humor than your total lack of one, rogue."

Lexa pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a quiet laugh. Clarke's random names never failed to amused her.

I think I prefer rogue over rebel so far."

"It may be my favorite name for you yet. Of course, the one thing that could top it is your actual name…"

"Uh-huh, still not giving it to you."

"Dammit," Clarke sighed.

It made Lexa smile to herself.

Clarke was stupidly cute.

It was truly unfair.

"I've been standing here talking to you while staring at a rack of bikinis for who knows how long now. I should finish what I'm doing." Lexa found herself reluctant to end the call but knew she needed to get moving.

"Oh, okay. Sorry, I didn't realize I interrupted your shopping."

"It's fine. I voluntarily let you interrupt me."

"Hmm, I think you're starting to like talking to me, rogue."

"And you claim I'm the one with an ego?"

"Nice deflection."

"It wasn't a deflection."

"Whatever you say. Hey, maybe you could send me a bikini pic," Clarke suggested excitedly.

Lexa snorted, "You wish, Clarke."

"Well, yeah. I asked, didn't I?" Clarke mumbled softly enough that Lexa nearly missed it.

Clearing her throat, Lexa ignored the fluttery feeling inside her that was suddenly begging for attention.

"Thank you for the call. I think you've given me some things to think about."

"Of course. I'm glad we could have this talk and come to a better understanding."

"We did," Lexa whispered in agreement.

After they exchanged goodbyes, Lexa slipped the phone back into her pocket and heaved a huge sigh of relief. It had started out rocky but Clarke had managed to smooth things out between them. An understanding of sorts had been reached, resulting in Lexa feeling less anxious and guarded.

She had meant it when she had told Clarke that she's given her things to think about. It amazed her that she had actually talked about Costia with someone and shared bits of her past. Granted, she didn't open up about her unfavorable memories yet, but it was still progress. Dealing with her past was one of the main reasons why she was doing her road trip. Crazily enough, she was beginning to realize that perhaps Clarke could even help her in some ways. It didn't have to be all internal self-evaluating and assessing how to repair the damage on her own. She could confide in Clarke about certain things and finally vent out everything she had repressed for years.

But should she?

She was driving a stolen car, putting way too many miles on it, and having phone calls with a stranger. Well, not a complete stranger anymore, but still. She couldn't help but feel torn between wanting to just believe Clarke and wanting to protect herself.

Lexa knew it'd be hard and she was prepared for the challenge. Her gut was telling her to let herself trust Clarke. To let whatever it was they were doing happen without all her walls up surrounding her heart. They needed to be brought down, permanently. She needed to free herself from her own defense mechanisms and baggage.

Shaking her head, Lexa finally moved to try on the new swimwear in one of the dressing rooms. Clarke's suggestion to send a bikini photo was actually tempting. Maybe she could give Clarke a shock when she least expected it and send her one.

Lexa smirked at the thought.

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

Hours later near Nags Head, NC, Lexa found herself sitting inside a McDonald's enjoying a food break. She has plans on visiting Nags Head, the name alone being enough to intrigue her, which was a barrier island in the Outer Banks.

Taking a bite of her hamburger, she paused slightly when the phone rang and vibrated on the table. It caused Lexa to grin after swallowing her bite as she raised it to her ear without looking at the caller ID. There was no need, she already knew who had to be calling her.

"Did you forget to add something to our call earlier?" Lexa said teasingly.

"Um, hello? I'm positive I've dialed the right number." A confused but kind female voice could be heard on the other end of the call, causing Lexa's smile to instantly drop.

"Who is this speaking? Is my daughter Clarke around? I'd like to speak to her, please."

Lexa startled upright in her seat, banging her knee against the table as she crushed the wrapper near her hand into a crinkly ball, and gaped like the careless fool that she was.

She did not just completely screw herself by simply answering the phone without looking at the caller ID, did she?

Taking a quick glance at the phone, it only further confirmed what an awkward idiotic mess she had just put herself in.

Mom.

She really did just do that.

Shit!

"Um," Lexa hesitated, her mouth still flapping open and shut for a moment in disbelief over the situation she had accidentally found herself in.

An utterly insane moment that shouldn't even be happening, ever. Talking to the mother of the woman whose car she had stolen. That just doesn't happen.

Lexa needed to rein back her control. She needed to get out of this conversation as quickly, but unsuspiciously, as possible.

Inhaling a calming breath, she released the crumbled wrapper from her hand and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry. I hadn't realized I answered the wrong phone, ma'am," she murmured, allowing a soft albeit nervous laugh to be heard. "I guess that's what I get for not looking at the caller ID."

"Oh," the mother drawled out. "Well, that clears up some of the confusion. Are you a friend of Clarke's? Wait, that's probably a silly question. You're no stranger to my daughter."

Hearing the voice on the other end laugh at the idea of a stranger answering her daughter's phone made Lexa anxiously bite her lip.

Right.

Such an inane thing to imagine to ever happen to someone. Not to Clarke Griffin.

Quietly groaning to herself, she forced herself to join in the laughter before clearing her throat to move the conversation to an end.

"Yeah, that's, uh - exactly, Mrs. Griffin. So, as you -"

"Enough with the politeness You can call me Abby."

"Abby," Lexa nodded, tracing invisible swirls on the tabletop for a sudden much-needed distraction. "Okay. Clarke's not around at the moment. I guess she forgot to take her phone with her."

"I see. I was hoping to catch her before she went off to classes or into one of her secluded artist moods. Did she -" Abby trailed off.

Lexa stored the tidbit of information on Clarke in mind before momentarily panicking at whatever caused Abby to pause mid-question.

Was she catching on?

Did she notice that something was off with her?

She may have only been speaking to the woman for a few minutes now but she couldn't help the feeling that she wasn't one to usually hesitate with words. Not after getting an ear and textful from Clarke. It didn't seem too far off to assume it ran in the family.

"Did you two have a girl's night? I mean, with her phone being with you at this time..."

Okay, she hadn't expected that line of questioning. Furrowing her brow in confusion at the tabletop, she scrambled to come up with something convincing.

"Yeah, yeah. We uh, just hung out and stuff last night. She crashed at my place. It was a tiring day for her."

"I can only imagine with classes, her art projects, and her wild group of friends. I'm just glad to know that she has someone to take the load off with after a long day."

Lexa hummed in response, beginning to feel uncomfortable with the fact that she'd let this conversation go as long as it had.

Also that guilty feeling had returned to nag at her again.

"How long have you two girls known each other now?"

Lexa wasn't sure, but she could've sworn that she had heard a smile in Abby's tone. Fidgeting in her seat, she knew she really had to end this conversation in the next minute because it was becoming too much for her to handle.

"I guess you can say we're fairly new friends."

"I see. Hm, that could explain why I haven't heard about you from Clarke yet. Since it's all so new." Abby chuckled, clearly amused by the topic of their fake friendship.

It was unsettling and even more confusing to hear the almost knowing tone to her laughter. She could almost imagine a scene where she was having this conversation in person with Clarke's mom, that she'd be bumping shoulders with her and grinning knowingly.

Lexa was fully aware that she could've avoided this whole confusing conversation if she had looked at the caller ID first.

"Who knows with her." She huffed out a chuckle. "Sorry, but I need to get going but I could take a message for her if you want?"

"Oh, okay, thank you. I'm sorry for taking up your time. I'm sure you have a busy day ahead of you. If you could tell Clarke that her mom would like to skype with her soon, that'd be great."

"Don't worry about it, ma'am. I'll be sure to bring that up to her."

"Thank you, and remember, it's Abby. It was nice talking to you."

"Abby, of course. You tool. Have a good day."

After exchanging goodbyes, Lexa ended the call and tossed the phone on the table to collapse back into her chair in relief. A small grunt sounded from her, making her realize she had been sitting tensely throughout the whole conversation.

A whole conversation that should've been minutes shorter than it turned out to be.

To say she was disappointed in herself and the way she handled the call was a major understatement. If she expected to keep under the radar, continue driving across the country in a stolen car, then she needed to be more cautious. She needed to not make the same mistakes as she had done just a moment ago.

If Abby had figured out that she was actually not a friend of Clarke's, and was in fact, a stranger that stolen her phone. There was no doubt she would actually report to the police unlike her daughter, who apparently thought she could handle it on her own.

At least she learned that Clarke clearly hadn't told Abby anything that had happened, which helped with the lies she had told. Abby believed she was a new friend of Clarke's. Hopefully, she would continue believing that for long enough and perhaps she'll be able to stomp down the lingering guilt over it.

Deciding it was time to take a bathroom break and head back on the road, Lexa gathered her trash after draining the last of her coffee and dumped it into the nearby garbage can. She pocketed Clarke's phone in her jeans and turned around only to bump into the solid chest of a man donning a uniform.

"Oh, sorry. Are you okay there?" the man questioned, oblivious to just how much he caught her completely off-guard.

Firm hands gripped her arms, steadying her, as her eyes took in the police badge pinned on the top left of the man's dark buttoned-up shirt.

A uniform with a badge.

She just bumped into a police officer inside a McDonald's.

"I-I'm sorry about that, officer." She muttered, attempting to hide her disbelief and fear behind a forced closed-lipped smile. "Didn't see you there. I'm fine, though, thanks."

"If you did, we wouldn't be apologizing to each other right now." The officer responded gruffly but his clear amusement softened his tone enough for her to not take it personally. A quiet sigh of relief escaped her when the officer finally released her arms.

Clearing her throat, she briefly glanced up, catching the man's eyes before switching her view out the window to where Clarke's car sat parked. She could feel her inner panic coming close to overwhelming her.

She needed to leave

"Well, I'll be sure to watch my step next time. I was just leaving. Have a good day, sir." Receiving a polite nod, Lexa edged passed the officer and exited the building out to the parking lot.

It took some restraint from Lexa to basically not sprint to the car to put as much distance as she could between her and the cop. With measured steps, she reached the car and pulled the driver's side door opened before closing it once she was seated inside. She grimaced slightly when her hand reached up to turn the ignition on, momentarily forgetting she had no key to turn.

She really needed to figure out a way to make it less obvious that the car was stolen if anyone were to ever peek inside and see the exposed wires dangling underneath the dash. Grabbing the wires, she gazed anxiously out the windshield as she entwined the correct wires together until the engine roared.

It only took a few moments before she found herself on the road again, and merging back onto the highway. Her own green eyes stared back at her as she glanced at the rearview mirror to reassure herself that the police officer hadn't followed her.

Seeing that she was in the clear, she exhaled sharply before grinding her teeth in annoyance while she pulled the car onto the bridge that would take her to the island.

How had she not noticed that a cop had been standing nearby in the same place as her? Observation and instincts to be alert to any possibility that she needed to tread around carefully had been known strengths of hers.

Lexa shook her head at herself, knowing that she had to somehow snap herself out of the tension she's been feeling. It was something that needed to end sooner than later if she actually wanted to enjoy this impromptu trip of hers. Constantly looking over her shoulders and acting unlike herself could cause actual suspicion. It wasn't what she envisioned, and she was not about to let herself ruin something that could be so good for her.

She had envisioned herself with the windows rolled down, wind whipping through her hair, a content smile on her face while blasting music that perfectly suited the adventurous mood. It was on her to take the step in turning it into a reality. With the image back in mind, she rolled the windows down in the car and tousled her hair with her hand as she inhaled the fresh air.

Turning her attention to the radio, her fingers fumbled briefly trying to find the correct button to switch it on. Finding the button, she pressed it and sat back comfortably into her seat before scanning through the channels until something grabbed at her.

At that moment, with the windows down, her hair flying behind her, a song that sang about having a ways to go, Lexa felt something inside her just crack open and her laughter soon took its place in her surroundings.

She could feel the tension leave her as she continued to laugh in such a carefree way. Tears pricked her eyes over the jumble of emotions that swelled inside her that was starting to put her mind back on track. This was what she wanted. No one, especially not herself, was going to let this moment slip through her fingers.

[jenguerrero]

We put 29 miles on our hiking boots over Thanksgiving week down in Big Bend National Park in west Texas. Just what the doctor ordered. Whenever we go on a road trip, I pack our family favorite, Salami and Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich with Garlicky Mayo. Holy yum, batman! All it needs is some strawberries and grapes to go with it. And if you’re a hiker, stick around after the recipe, and I’ll tell you all about Big Bend.

  Salami and Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich with Garlicky Mayo

1 loaf crusty Italian or French bread – I prefer the wide ones to contain all those delicious fillings Preheat your broiler on high. Slice in half lengthwise, place on a baking sheet, and broil for 2 minutes. Remove the top half of the bread from the baking sheet. 4 oz Provolone, sliced (about ½ the pack) Layer on the bottom half of the bread, and broil for 2 minutes more.

6 oz hard salami, sliced thin 8 oz roasted red peppers, drained really well (about ½ the jar) 1 big fragrant tomato, sliced, and salted. The salt’s important. Don’t skip that part. It makes tomatoes more tomato-y. Fresh basil, washed and dried Layer in order.

Garlicky mayo

(This makes an obscene amount. Make ½ this if you don’t like saucy sandwiches)

3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (fresh is better, but bottled will do in a pinch) 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley ½ t salt 2 turns fresh ground pepper, or a big pinch if you’re using bottled ½ cup mayo (I love Hellman’s regular or olive oil mayo) Combine everything and slather on the top bun. Cut the sandwich into 4. If this is going on a road trip, wrap each sandwich in saran wrap, then foil. Then put the 4 of them in a gallon ziplock.

Okay, now about hiking in Big Bend National Park… We rented an Airbnb in the ghost town of Terlingua, TX. It’s about 15 minutes from the park’s entrance. Two bedrooms and a bathroom. No kitchen, so it feels a little like glamping with super comfy beds. But, oh, that view! And there were four adirondack chairs and a firepit to enjoy it all. There’s no light pollution, so some of the best night sky viewing you can find. Kitchen smitchen. I bought a food saver, FoodSaver Premium 2-In-1 Automatic Bag-Making Vacuum Sealing System, Silver FSFSSL5860-DTC, (there are cheaper models, but I waited for a good deal on Amazon on the mac daddy of food savers) for my sous vide, but really love it for making breakfast and dinner kits to toss in the cooler. And I brought along an electric skillet, Presto 06857 16-inch Electric Foldaway Skillet, Black. I swear that the view makes everything taste better.

FOOD… Breakfast burritos for three breakfasts. Those just needed a bottle of Cholula. For 24 burritos: 2 large russet potatoes, cubed to 1/8” and fried in 1/4 cup olive oil, stirring frequently, til softened, and getting a little color, about 6 minutes. Then add 5 minced, seeded jalapeños for another 3. Salt and pepper. Remove to a plate. Scramble about 12 eggs with a little salt and pepper. Remove to a plate. This time I added 1/2 jar of roasted red peppers, because I had it left over from making sandwiches. Sometimes I do chorizo or bacon.

Hike#1… Day1. West side-Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive side. Santa Elena Canyon. It’s only about 2 miles with some stairs and switchbacks early on, and the rest of it’s pretty flat. Beautiful canyon views. Kids and big kids love to play with the echo at the end.

Weird info my kid would like to point out. The visitor’s center over there has really clean bathrooms that smell like cinnamon. This is the only visitor’s center without a water bottle filler. They sell cool hand-painted walking sticks, and they’re only like $18. Nice.

Hike#2… Day 1. West side-Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive side. Lower Burro Mesa Pour-Off. About 2 miles and mostly flat. Cool rock layers.

Food. My taco salad kits. Meat and beans (1 pound lean beef browned and then 1 can drained, rinsed black beans, and 1 packet or 1/4 cup taco seasoning added), Pico De Gallo (two tomatoes, seeded and chopped, 1 chopped sweet bell pepper, 1/2 red onion, chopped, 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced, the leaves of 1 bunch cilantro, chopped, and juice of 1/2 lime), guacamole (2 haas avocados, half chopped, half smashed with salt pepper, and the juice of half a lemon)1 bag Mexican cheese, and one bag shredded lettuce. I only had to reheat the meat and beans in the skillet. Oh, and bring a bottle of Cholula.

Hike#3… Day 2. West side-Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive side. Mule Ears Spring. About 4 miles and relatively flat with some mild hills. Pretty panoramas, but no big payout. We thought this ended at the ears. It doesn’t. It ends at a little water feature. Really little. lol.

Wildlife quest… Day 2. East side near Panther Junction. Dugout Wells. This is a known javelina hangout. We didn’t get to see one on this trip. We saw coyotes, foxes, and deer, but no javelinas. There are two short hikes (more like strolls) here. One goes through the center looking for javelinas. The second wanders through big patches of paddle cactuses, where you’re sure to spot great big jackrabbits.

Sunset on the west side – Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. West side. Ahhhhhhh.

Food and entertainment. Garlic butter Pringle Burgers. Don’t judge me. I’ve been teased for potato chips in my camping burgers forever, then I got Bobby Flay’s book and see his signature burger is the crunch burger. Totally vindicated. For 2 pounds 85% lean ground beef, I mix in 2 Tablespoons of butter and one crushed, minced garlic clove. Right before I cook them, I salt and pepper both sides. You need one canister of sour cream and onion Pringles, 4 brioche buns, and one jar of pickles. We followed up the burgers with a game of Catan. Oh, look at those sad little faces. Yeah, I won!

Food. Sunny side up eggs with Foxpoint seasoning (shallot blend) from Penzey’s, and about 1/2 pound of bacon lardons that I crisped up before we left the house.

Hike#4. Day 3. Central-Chisos Mountain area. The Window Hike. This is my second favorite hike in the park. It’s about 6 miles, and the last half mile is like a stairmaster. Beautiful views. You’re surrounded by a ring of mountains, and hike down to a framed view of the rest of the park.

The visitor’s center here has a water bottle filler, a mediocre restaurant, and a really nice gift shop attached to the restaurant. You can get goodies like jalapeno peanut butter, hand painted ceramics, Christmas ornaments, and cutesy socks.

Factoid spot. Day 3. Fossil Center about 8 miles north of Panther Junction in the middle of the park. Cool little museum building, and an overlook to re-enact Simba’s big moment. Rafiki jumped out of view.

Panther Junction visitor’s center has a water bottle filler, a great selection of books, and a cool little cactus identification path.

Food. Hot dogs on King’s Hawaiian buns with extra sharp cheddar, Wolf chili with no beans, diced raw onions, and Fritos for crunch. Yeah. Followed with a marshmallow chaser because we already had the sticks out.

My husband loves to tell the kids that everything builds character. Everything. Dishes and Christmas carols… My husband said, “Washing the dishes in the shower builds character.” My youngest responded, “Yeah, character got all over the toilet.”

  Hike#5. Day 4. West side-Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. The Chimneys hike. About 5 miles and flat. At the end, there’s Native American rock art to see, and a big rock to climb. Lovely strawberry and green colored cactuses dot the path.

Food. Chicken caesar salad. Cut 2 pounds of chicken into 1/4” slices. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 crushed, minced cloves of garlic. You need 1 lite Caesar salad kit (2 would be better. 1 pint cherry tomatoes would have been nice, too.)

Hike#6. Day 5. East side. Daniels Ranch Hot Springs trail. This was a happy accident. We wanted to do the Lost Mine trail up in the Chisos Mountains, but the parking lot was full, so we headed to the east side. It’s about 6 miles round tip, with a good climb at the beginning, and some hills interspersed along the way. Great views of the river and Mexico. We saw a donkey and a cow with a bell across the river, playing on the beach, and it was entirely too charming. The hot springs at the end are 105 degrees F, so we gave it a miss, but you can park right there if that sounds awesome to you. This was our favorite hike.

The visitor’s center has a water bottle filler, and a camp supply store.

Some other fun things to do in the park that we’ve really enjoyed on past trips: * Balance Rock hike. It’s about 2 miles long, and flat til the climb at the viewpoint. It has tons of brightly colored lizards to see in the summer. * Marcos Paredes, an ex park ranger for 20 years, owns a company called Rio Aviation. He gives rides to groups of 1-4 in his little Cessna plane, Brownie, over Big Bend, with killer views of the park and Mexico. He’s super informative. * Charlie Angell of Angell Expeditions does rafting and kayaking trips on the Rio Grande, and other waters in both the state and national parks. * Sotol Vista – gorgeous scenic overview on the Ross Maxwell.

Food and fun. The ghost town of Terlingua. Fun place. There’s a huge shop where you can buy all sorts of gifts and souvenirs. The restaurant there, the Starlight Theater, has delicious food and margaritas, live entertainment frequently, and the taxidermied Clay Henry. Who’s Clay Henry? Well, he’s a goat. A beer-drinking goat. The beer-drinking goat mayor of the neighboring town of Lajitas. Not even kidding. He had a good life until he and his son were interested in the same lady goat, and his son killed him. No, really. They sell Clay Henry shirts and hats in the store.

Alpine and Marfa. Day 6. We spent the day enjoying the galleries and food trucks, and the Big Bend Brewery in Alpine. It’s a great little college town. Then we headed to Marfa to see the Marfa Lights. Believe. Alright, I don’t expect to see aliens, but the gravity of having an actual parks and recreation structure out there sure adds to the fun!

Some other fun things we’ve really enjoyed on past trips in that area: the museum at Sul Ross is fantastic! * We saw Monty Python’s Holy Grail performed in the amphitheater at Sul Ross * Marfa Prada is a fun highway art installation that’s great for photo ops * The Chinati Foundation in Marfa is a fun outdoor art installation piece that we loved contemplating and playing in * McDonald Observatory in the Davis Mountains has a killer night sky program and a cool daytime museum.

#bigbendnps

#terlingua

#alpinetx

#marfa

Road trip! Salami and Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich with Garlicky Mayo. Hiking in Big Bend National Park. We put 29 miles on our hiking boots over Thanksgiving week down in Big Bend National Park in west Texas.

[caveartfair]

A Residency at Europe’s Oldest Porcelain Factory Is Attracting Leading Ceramic Artists

Jen Ray, 2014. Courtesy of the MEISSEN artCAMPUS.

When New York-based artist Jen Ray first toured the Meissen porcelain manufactory in Talstrasse, Germany, she was stunned by one of the company’s trained artisans. He was painting an impossibly intricate design on a porcelain watch face, using a single hair as a brush.

“He said, ‘I do it between breaths and heartbeats,’ ” Ray recalls. “When I heard that, I thought, ‘I’m sold. I am definitely coming back here.’” Shortly thereafter, Ray became an artist in residence at Meissen. She had never worked with porcelain before.

Meissen is Europe’s oldest porcelain manufacturer, famous for its fine dishes and figurines. But in recent years, the company has charted a new direction. Since 2010, it’s run Meissen Art Campus, a funded artist residency program. The goals are twofold: Allow the artists to create new works and explore a new medium, and make Meissen—which has historically fallen squarely in the realm of decorative arts—visible in the contemporary art world.

“There’s a lot more that you can do with porcelain, beyond tableware and figurines,” says Claudia Gulden, project manager at the Meissen Art Campus. “That’s what we’re trying to show with the residency. And also, we want to bring contemporary influence into the company as a whole, so we can appeal to a younger generation of collectors.”

Portrait of Arlene Schechet. Courtesy of MEISSEN artCAMPUS.

Last year, the residency had a moment when sculptor Arlene Shechet’s work from her time at Meissen went on display at the Frick Collection in New York (the yearlong exhibition ended this past April). Shechet was the first contemporary artist to have her work shown in that museum. And fittingly, the show uniquely paired Shechet’s works with traditional Meissen pieces she selected from the Frick’s Arnhold Collection—one of the largest and most important Meissen collections in the world.

Also in New York last year, fellow former Meissen resident Chris Antemann had an exhibition of her porcelain works, titled “Forbidden Fruit,” at the Museum of Arts and Design beginning in September 2016. (Antemann’s exhibition has gone on to traveling through the U.S. and is currently on display at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, through June 25th.)

Porcelain is a unique material, unlike any other ceramic: It has a brilliant whiteness, a remarkable hardness after firing, and an extraordinary gloss when glazed. The material was invented in China roughly a millennium ago. Once Europeans discovered it, as early as the 13th century, it became a status symbol. It was imported to Europe from China at enormous cost, and developed the nickname of “white gold.”

Europeans scrambled to replicate porcelain and produce their own, and finally in the 18th century they did. Augustus II, Elector of Saxony, commissioned an alchemist and a mathematician to investigate how porcelain was made. The two men were the first Europeans to do so successfully and thereafter, Meissen Porcelain Manufactory opened in 1710, in Albrechtsburg Castle.

Though it’s now in a different location, Meissen is still owned by the Free State of Saxony, in central east Germany, and it is considered a jewel of the region. The campus, which includes a museum of historic porcelain and a contemporary gallery, is located roughly 100 kilometers south of Leipzig and employs 650 people worldwide.

Portrait of Chris Antemann. Courtesy of MEISSEN artCAMPUS.

Chris Antemann, Covet, detail, 2013. Courtesy of MEISSEN artCAMPUS.

Meissen began collaborating with artists in the 1920s, when its general manager Max Adolf Pfeiffer brought in a group of artists “to bring new inspiration into the company,” Gulden explains. But the artists weren’t creating unique pieces; instead, they developed designs for tableware and figurines, which are still sold today. Later, from World War II through the Cold War, Meissen was behind the Iron Curtain, making collaboration with outside artists all but impossible.

In 2008, Meissen hired a new CEO, Dr. Christian Kurtzke, who initiated the artist residency program. He hoped the artists would served to bridge Meissen’s past—its 300 years of tradition and history—and its future. Rather than an application process, artists were invited to interview and tour the manufactory to inspire ideas. Upon entering the program, artists are given access to the facilities and master artisans, but little formal direction, leaving them free to shape the residency to their interests.

While artists are given this great freedom, they’re also presented with a great challenge: Porcelain is notoriously difficult to work with. “It’s like cream cheese,” says Antemann. “It’s slippery, and it breaks apart. It’s very hard to build without molds.”

The porcelain process is also slow. If an artist is simply painting on the porcelain, they can perhaps stay for just two weeks, Gulden says. But for sculptural works, a year would be a fast turnaround, even for something small. So, artists often have to visit the manufactory numerous times over a period of years.

According to Gulden, many artists work by creating molds from a clay model, and use them to shape the porcelain. Then it has to dry, which takes about two weeks (it also shrinks by 20 percent, something artists have to plan for). Then, there’s firing, glazing, and a second firing—which can draw out the process to around two months. And that’s before the piece can even be painted.

“People think we are just sleeping,” Gulden says with a laugh. “But the reality is that porcelain takes a lot of time.”

Chris Antemann, Pursuit of Love, detail, 2013. Courtesy of MEISSEN artCAMPUS.

Antemann, who earned an MFA in ceramics, was familiar with the process before she started working with Meissen in 2011. She had previously worked with her own mixture of English-style bone porcelain. Long fascinated by the European tradition of porcelain figurines, she took cues from the work of Johann Joachim Kändler, Meissen’s most famous modeler.

Kändler began the figurine tradition when he had the idea to make collectible porcelain pieces based on forms that were cast in sugar for 18th-century banquets. Using the Garden of Eden as a metaphor, Antemann’s sexually suggestive figures riff on the excesses and temptations of 18th-century banquet culture, where alliances were formed and individuals showed off their power and wealth.

“My idea was to take the woman figure down from her pedestal and make her a participant in the party,” Antemann explains. She poses the male figures as the “plus one” and portrays them very simply, while the females are in roles of power, rejecting stereotypically coy relationships and the male gaze. Her approach is intentionally subversive: “As a woman in the male-dominated art world, I was often written off as making something cutesy and decorative.”

Ray, too, is using porcelain in a fresh, unexpected ways. Known for her paintings that depict Amazon warriors and performances that celebrate female strength, she started off painting porcelain at Meissen in 2012. “It was extremely difficult,” she recalls, “which of course I did not know before I got there. Every single piece they make there is hand-painted by these women who are incredible, highly trained experts. Frankly, I felt dilettantish compared to them.”

So, she decided to make something sculptural, even though she knew little about the process. She designed an axe, imagining a weapon that one of her Amazon characters would carry, covered in typical Meissen flowers. She made a mold of a store-bought axe, and used it to create porcelain axes, which she then covered with traditional flowers. “The artisans at the manufactory were bringing me these porcelain flowers they make, on platters,” she recalls. “Making the flowers takes them forever, and the application took me weeks.” The axes were recently shown (and sold) at Art Basel in Hong Kong.

Jen Ray, Weapon (Axe Series), detail, 2014. Courtesy of MEISSEN artCAMPUS.

“I wanted to work as a team with the artisans at Meissen, and I became part of the family there,” says Ray. Meissen was the first residency she’d ever done; the residency experience had never appealed to her before. “The axes are so special to me. I just love them. I don’t talk that way about my other artwork.”

Both Antemann and Ray agree that the way the residency fosters opportunities to create new work is its greatest benefit. Antemann has formed a unique relationship with Meissen, creating, in addition to her unique pieces, limited-edition figurines that appeal to traditional porcelain collectors.

As far as Meissen’s visibility in the greater art world, “with the quality of their product, there’s no reason they can’t have a stake in it,” Ray offers. “They could do an excellent contemporary art show, with a curator’s text and everything. It’s probably time for that.”

—Liz Logan

from Artsy News