#my age when he went to go be a hermit the first time

[webley-art]

[extremelyblackandwhite]

pairing: dad!bucky barnes x au pair!reader

warnings: age gap (reader is 10 years younger than bucky), smut (18+, dni if under 18)

author’s note: i got given a vinyl of go your own way/silver springs last week by my mum that she bought when she was younger, so i've been playing it time and time again and it bled onto this chapter.

masterlist

i know i could've loved you but you would not let me.

Bucky knew Y/N was upset. That's all he knew. He knew she'd come from her date and ever since she'd been quiet as a mouse and that was something considering Y/N gave her opinion anytime the opportunity presented itself. He'd even change the order her mugs in, to see if she would say something, instead she just grabbed a mug and went upstairs to her room whenever he was home to watch Sadie. If he was looking after Sadie, then Y/N would not be found for long stretches of time, instead looked into her bedroom with note and after note typing aggressively - a routine which made Bucky thankful he'd never pursued a PhD or anything other than a bachelors. He'd started to leave little snacks around her room whenever she went out, a pack of Oreos stashed in her nightstand, dehydrated mango slices from the brand she liked on top of her computer, little pots of coconut yoghurt. He knew she was always in that bedroom and he also knew she wouldn't come out no matter if it was breakfast, lunch or dinner.

He was sure there was only one person to blame - Christopher. Sure, Y/N and Bucky fought about it before she went on her date, they always did, but it never resulted in her becoming a hermit, locked in her room. As such, Chris was now enemy number one and Bucky was sure if HR discovered, he would get in trouble. He wasn't making the kid's life too hard, he was just making him work nights and overtimes and weekends. He'd also sent Chris on a coffee run. Yet Y/N continued in her little cocoon of sadness and tonight was no difference. Bucky had ordered Italian in and ended up the evening watching Beauty and the Beast with Sadie. The redhead had fallen asleep at the midpoint and as Bucky was ready to call it a night, he heard the soft steps of Y/N's coming down the stairs, holding a stack of plates and mugs. She was in her little white vintage chenille robe embroidered with blue and pink flowers, her hair up with a way too big claw clip and white fuzzy socks. If Bucky wasn't worried about her, he'd be wondering about what was under her robe.

      - You want some Italian? - Bucky got up to follow her from the kitchen. - I got some of that weird spinach pasta you like. Extra mozzarella balls just as you like.

      - No. - she placed the plates in the sink, starting to wash them with the cranberry dish soap that she always bought the moment the first autumn leaf fell.

      - You didn't come up of your little cocoon today. You know, the cleaning maid is wondering if I'm cutting your pay since you're keeping one bedroom and one bathroom hostage.

      - I can move to the guest bedroom. - she moved to grab a plate but the slippery porcelain slipped, crashing into a thousand bits to the ground. She sighed, her lip quivering and almost as if by seconds, she started crying.

Y/N went down to her knees, grabbing at the pieces of porcelain and shards, as if pushing them together would bring it back.

      - Y/N, shit, darling ... - he went back to his knees to put his hands on her arms to pull her up. - It's ok, don't pick them up, you'll get hurt.

      - I'm sorry. - she sniffled, her hands attempting to go and rub her eyes but Bucky stopped them in case she had little shards of porcelain stuck to her palms. - I'll clean it up, I promise.

      - It's fine. - Bucky kicked the big shards away. - What's wrong, Y/N? Is it Chris? Did he hurt you?

      - I'm gonna fail my viva. - she sniffled once more. - And I'm gonna have to go back to Ohio and I'm not made to live in Ohio.

      - Why would you go back to Ohio?

      - My parents bought a farm there after retiring. I am not Ohio farm material, Bucky. I'm afraid of horses.

      - Why would you even fail your viva? You're a smart woman, you're at a good university, you are okay. - Bucky wrapped his arms around her. - Probably not for long if you keep not eating. Go seat and I'll get you your disgusting pasta.

      - It is not disgusting. - Y/N rolled her eyes before making her way to the table. - Buck? Can I become your secretary if I fail my viva?

      - No. Your skirts aren't as short as I'd like. - he joked, bringing her pasta in a plate and pushing it towards her. - You're too fucking smart to be my secretary, if you were in my company you'd be CEO or something.

      - I worked my entire life for this. - she toyed around with her food, looking up with eyes still wet. - You know? I didn't come from legacy families or families who could actually afford to send me to college, I worked my ass off because I thought if I did I'd get somewhere. I'd be someone, I wouldn't have to count my pennies, I would be respected. Instead, everyone thinks I'm a joke on track to become your unfuckable housewife.

      - Now c'mon, if you do become my housewife, I would fuck you at least once a night. - he joked trying to lighten the mood but Y/N merely deadpanned at him. - Twice actually. You have a nice ass.

      - Not helping.

      - Because you're being ridiculous. You wanna know the reason I hired you? You had zero experience but you were smart and you were fiery and independent and I wanted my daughter to be like that.

      - You're just saying that because you're tired of bathing, Sadie.

      - I'm saying that because you're a great student and you're a smart woman. Besides, if they fail you, we'll just have to bribe the university. We'll donate a building for you.

      - You're not funny. - she swallowed in a giggle before taking the first forkful of pasta.

      - No, really, we'll get you a building. - he moved to seat next to her. - Maybe an astronomy one.

      - How swell.

      - I mean, maybe an astronomy building will be too much. Maybe a farming one.

      - God, I'm never telling you anything ever again. - she took another forkful of food. Bucky was glad he'd distracted her enough where she was eating, genuinely eating. - How's Sadie?

      - Sadie is doing well. She's supposed to go back to kindie next week but I was taking of taking her to the office for a bit. You know? I don't trust the roudy kids.

      - It's a private kindergarten. The senator's grandchild goes there, Bucky. I doubt they have their own fight club.

      - Have you ever seen a bunch of 2 year olds? They're terrifying and Sadie is a sensitive baby.

      - So you'll take her to a corporate office?

      - It's gonna be her company one day. Start them young. - he joked once more. - You want some ice cream? I tried to look for one that would be suitable for 2 year olds but then I came home and goggle it and they said I should blend frozen bananas instead.

Truth was, he'd bought a bunch of flavours thinking one would be Y/N's favourite and would entice her to eat something. That had ended up with him holding over 10 flavours of ice cream in his freezer. He came back with a selection of flavours he thought he wanted in a nice little dish. Y/N always liked nice little dishes.

      - Maybe I just don't belong, you know? - Y/N sighed. - In academic research. Most people come from well off families or are really smart, I'm just ...

      - You're just you. - Bucky said, leaning his chin on his hand to stare at her.

      - Yeah. I'm just me. Plain, old, me. Daughter of working class parents, me. Mediocre grade at masters, me. - she sighed once more, looking at the melting ice cream. - I can't even keep a relationship from falling apart.

      - Chris broke up with you?

      - I am not dating Chris so he can't technically break up with me. Besides, it wasn't like it would actually work.

      - I'm sorry.

      - No, you're not. - she looked at him, cocking her head to the side. - You'll probably be dancing in the grave of my situationship.

      - I don't dance, Y/N. I'm a respectable man. - he once again tried to make light of the situation. - What happened?

      - Guess I'm not suitable or good enough or don't do enough. One of the three. Whatever. - she chuckled dryly. - It was nice to have someone like me even if the me they liked was someone I'm not.

      - You act as if other people don't like you.

      - It's not that they don't like me but they also don't like me. You know what I mean? They put up with me, they are alright with me, they are cordial but they don't like me. They don't tolerate me.

      - I like you. - those words flew out of his lips like it was the most natural thing for him to say. As if he were stating an irrefutable fact like the sky looks blue or the Earth is round. - I like you. Just the way you are.

Y/N's lips parted as she waited for something to compliment the sentence. I like you just the way you are but less difficult, I like you just the way you are but prettier, I like you just the way you are but less argumentative, I like you just the way you are but as a friend. Yet those words never came and she found herself instead staring at the man in front of her, staring into those blue eyes like some sailor drawn to the sea.

      - Daddy? - Bucky recognised his daughter's voice. Bad timing, bad, bad timing.

      - Hey bug. - Y/N got up from her chair and walked up to the 2 year old, kneeling down to her level. - Are you alright?

      - Nightmare.

      - Aw that's awful, bug. I'll go and tuck you in and stay there while you fall asleep. Sounds good?

(...)

      - I'm telling you, Steve. I fucked up.

      - When you said we needed to have an urgent meeting, I didn't think this would be it.

Bucky had called Steve in London, the meeting screen showing Steve in his office. Yet, instead of one of their regular meetings to check with the state of the London office, it was Bucky talking to Steve. He'd fucked up, he'd fucked up badly and he'd only realise he'd fucked up once he woke up this morning and Y/N had left, leaving a note merely saying she had gone down to Ohio to be with her parents for a bit.

      - You just said you liked her, so what? At least you didn't tell her you loved her. It could have been interpreted differently.

      - You don't understand, Steve. I told her I liked her just the way she is.

      - Alright, Mark Darcy, pipe down. Have you considered that maybe, just maybe, Y/N wants to go see her parents because she hasn't seen them in ages? Maybe because she's upset and wants to be with her mum and dad?

      - I'm telling you, she's gonna quit.

      - She's not gonna quit, Barnes. She likes Sadie too much, besides, isn't she with Chris Davis anyway? - Steve leaned against his chair, staring at Bucky through his screen. - Just relax.

(...)

A week had gone by and Y/N woke up with the sun shinning on her face. Being here was different than being in New York, it was quieter, calmer and all the sounds she could hear were the wind and the animals allowed close enough to the main house. This wasn't her childhood home, her parents had bought it yet it was comfortable. The furniture was the same and the feeling of her home was still available, it made her calm. Things were ... too much right now and she needed to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

She moved herself to the kitchen, pouring herself a cup of tea and seating on the wooden chair with her feet on top of the seat. Her mother walked into the kitchen a few moments later, kissing the top of her head before sitting down next to her daughter.

      - Do you want me to make you some eggs, shortcake?

      - I'm okay, mum. - she smiled at her mother. - Where's dad?

      - I sent him out to get some groceries. I wanted to talk to you alone.

      - That's never good.

      - Shortcake, I love having you here. You're my only daughter and I love it when you come to visit but it feels like you're running away.

      - I'm not running away, mum. I just came to visit.

      - When you're 3 days away from defending your thesis? In the middle of the night? I've known you for 27 years, shortcake. You're not visiting, you're running.

      - I'm failing. - she sighed, with a scared laugh. - I've looked through my papers time and time again and in 3 days I'll make a fool of myself.

      - Y/N, c'mon. - her mother put her hand on her shoulder. - You said that about your undergraduate and your masters. You've never actually came to me and told me something is going well academically.

      - This is different. I've invested almost four years of my life into this and I'm just so tired. The thought of failing is just ... terrifying.

      - You've always doubted yourself, always put so much weight onto your own shoulders. You don't need to be the best, Y/N. You don't need to impress us or make us proud, we've been proud and impressed by you since the moment you were born. Running away here is not gonna solve how you feel and you, Y/N, have never been a quitter. - her mother caressed her face, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. - You gave it your best, that's all you can do.

      - There's more. - since she was airing out things, maybe she should talk about this. It wasn't like she could talk to her friends, she didn't have many and she couldn't talk to her colleagues about it either. - There's this guy.

      - Christopher?

      - Not Christopher. Another guy ... He told me he liked me and it just ... it freaked me out.

      - Do you like him?

      - I ... I don't actually know. I, I never really allowed myself to think of him like that. He's different.

      - How different?

      - I never considered ending up with someone like him, you know? He's not what I'd envision ever but he feels, he feels like the only person who seems me. He seems me not postdoctoral student Y/N, not who I may be if I succeed or if I fail. Just me.

      - Then what is the problem?

      - I think he also doesn't consider himself ending up with someone like me. I think .... I think I could love him but he would never let me because I'm not the ending that he pictured. I'm just not the one.

taglist: @talesofadragon @themermaidscales82 @winters1917 @vladsgirlxx @stinkerbelle007 @maybefoxysouls @blackwood-bodecker-housewife @chipilerendi @kandis-mom @belennasif @abitofblues @buckybarnessimpp

[boymeetswerewolf]

Sterek Week '23 // Day 4, Whole of the Moon / @sterekweek-2023

when you get caught between the moon and new york city i know it's crazy, but it's true if you get caught between the moon and new york city the best that you can do ... is fall in love - Christopher Cross, "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"

"The Best Thing You Can Do"

When Derek was little, he asked Talia how anchors worked and how he would find his. She explained that anchors were different for everyone, but for him... for him it would be love. At that age, Derek just scoffed at the idea of his anchor being love. How could something so frivolous like being in love help him control his werewolf transformation?

So Derek went through life never quite fully getting the hang of getting his transformation under control during the full moon. The various places he lived at, he would always make sure to lock himself in during his transformation so that he wouldn't go rampaging through the streets of New York on a full moon.

In the back of his mind, his mother's words stayed with him, even though he'd experimented with a million other things as anchors that never seemed to quite work. It wasn't until he moved into a loft apartment and then met his downstairs neighbour, Stiles Stilinski, that things started to change.

It wasn't exactly love at first sight. In fact Derek found Stiles to be a little annoying and a spoiled college kid at first who was just living off his parents' money. But then, somehow, they began spending more and more time together, and as Derek got to know Stiles more he realised he'd misjudged him. He was pretty insecure at times and tried to mask his social anxiety by - ironically - becoming a party animal. But there was a caring side to Stiles that softened Derek to him. Stiles was often concerned with the welfare of his friends, making sure they had everything they needed and helping them as much as he could. He even managed to drag Derek out of the loft to go and party with other people once in a while.

Though Derek could get annoyed if this didn't fit in with his regimented schedule of being a hermit, he did find himself enjoying his time with Stiles. It was during one night out in a club when Derek realised he'd lost track of time... and the moon. The copious amounts of alcohol might have had something to do with it, but there was another reason too. Stiles had been on his mind all night as they were dancing and having fun, so when he walked outside and saw the full moon, Derek just stopped and stared at it.

He could feel the urge to shift come over him, the fire running through his blood... but for the first time in his life he had control over it. He turned around to see Stiles coming outside to find him, a quizzical expression on his face. "Where did you disappear to?" Stiles asked, glancing up at the moon.

"Oh, nowhere... I was just having an epiphany of sorts," Derek grinned and reached out to take Stiles' hand.

The energy that passed through that single touch was electric, and it surprised Stiles who almost pulled his hand away but then after a moment squeezed Derek's hand tighter.

"Well this is new," Stiles said, sounding a little surprised but definitely pleased.

It was the first time they'd intimately touched like that on purpose, neither having spoken of their attraction to the other before. Derek hadn't even mentioned anything remotely related to werewolves that might give Stiles an inclination that Derek was more than he seemed.

"I don't know what's going on with you tonight, but I like it," Stiles smiled and chuckled, wiping his tired drunken eyes with a smile.

"Yeah, there are a few things I need to tell you," Derek admitted, a glint of joy in his eyes, "But don't worry."

"Well see, that's why I like spending time with you... I never feel like I have to worry when I do," Stiles explained, his voice playful but the message earnest. "You make my anxiety just melt away. I can actually enjoy myself, enjoy life"

Derek smiled to himself, then to Stiles. "It's the same for me," he said softly. He couldn't tell Stiles yet how happy that made him, but it wouldn't be long before he did. Even though Derek hadn't realised he was falling in love, he knew without a doubt he'd found his anchor.

The pair took things slowly after that, carefully navigating the path from platonic to romantic, but every full moon Stiles would come over and they'd hang out, most of the time just watching movies and talking about anything and everything. Just having Stiles around him was enough to help Derek maintain control over his werewolf transformation.

And so he realised his mother was right: the best thing he could do was fall in love, which is exactly what he did.

[thetomorrowshow]

Whumptober 7 - only for emergencies

title: in which gem is the only one with normal eyes

fandom: hermitcraft smp

cw: blood and injuries, mild gore, mild cannibalism (idk if it really counts as cannibalism tho...)

~

“Oh, we’ll be out of here pretty quick!” Scar declared confidently. ���Xisuma won’t rest until he finds us.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Pearl questioned. Gem elbowed her.

Scar just waved her off. “If he doesn’t, then I have a back-up plan. But only for emergencies, I’m sure it’ll never come to that!”

They were stuck in here, in this concrete room, a sink and a bucket in the corner. The door was heavy and locked; the only comfort they had were three ragged blankets, which they had each dragged to separate spots in the room, marking their claim for somewhere to rest.

Gem had never been kidnapped before. Not officially, by someone who wasn’t a Hermit. But there was a first time for everything!

“I’m sorry, guys,” Pearl said after a long moment, the little feelers on her head twitching. “I shouldn’t have gone out in public with y’all.”

“Don’t say that,” Gem reprimanded, smacking Pearl on the arm.

“It wouldn’t have been the same without you!” insisted Scar.

“I just . . . if I hadn’t, then maybe—”

“Then we wouldn’t have gotten to go on this fun field trip!”

Scar grinned. “I love fun field trips. Don’t you, Pearl?”

Pearl rolled her eyes, but at least she was smiling. “Whatever.”

“My mom packed me cookies for this field trip,” Scar stage-whispered to Gem. “But I’m willing to trade.”

“My mom just gave me money to buy food.”

“Oh, that’s way better! Now my sandwich looks boring.”

“What kind of sandwich?”

“Classic peanut butter. But I’ve also—”

“I didn’t think I was kidnapped with children,” Pearl said drily. “Do you two mind?”

Scar grimaced. “I think we made the bus driver mad.”

“We? That was all—”

“I wish the torture would start, already.”

-

They came for Pearl a couple of hours later, by Gem’s watch.

They’d been out on the Hub for a game of lazer tag, of all things. It was supposed to be Gem, Pearl, and Impulse, but Impulse had dropped out last second, and Scar had happened to have a coupon to the lazer tag place, so the three of them went instead.

There was another group in the arena with them, college-age kids, and they all managed to have a good time together. They had seemed like nice kids.

Gem would never stop berating herself for not paying much attention to the way one of them kept staring at Pearl’s antennae. People noticed her—it wasn’t normal at all for an alien to be found on a public world. They usually kept to themselves, as far as Gem knew.

She’d never met one other than Pearl, at any rate, nor had she known anyone who had. In fact, many people didn’t believe they even existed. The Hermitcraft server was split on the issue, with certain people like Ren and Keralis sure of their existence, and others like Cleo and Mumbo fairly dubious.

Pearl had shown up near the beginning of Season 8, and that had put a definitive end to that casual debate.

Gem had honestly forgotten how uncommon aliens were. When you lived with one like Pearl for as long as she had, it became normal. When Pearl had asked about lazer tag, she hadn’t hesitated to find a place where they could go play. She hadn’t even thought about Pearl’s less common features.

“We should’ve seen this coming,” Gem said now, fiddling with the band of her watch. She’d noticed the way that kid was looking at Pearl, but she hadn’t thought anything of it. How could she have ignored it?

Scar shrugged. “Yeah. I forgot that aliens aren’t a thing.”

“Me too.”

“Are you keeping track of how long she’s gone?”

Gem nodded. “Forty minutes, now. How long do you think until Doc and Xisuma find us?”

“Well, they took us to another world,” Scar said contemplatively. “Last time someone got kidnapped, it was . . . Grian, I think? And that only lasted a couple of days, Xisuma tracked him down fast.”

“Do people get kidnapped a lot on Hermitcraft?”

“Usually one per season, at least! Didn’t you notice when I got kidnapped last season?”

“You—what?”

Scar waved nonchalantly. “Yes, yes, I missed a Boatem company meeting for it! I was gone for . . . a week? Maybe less.”

Now that he mentioned it, she did vaguely remember hearing that Scar spent an extended period of time off-world. She didn’t know that he’d been kidnapped, though.

“So it took Xisuma a week to find you?” she said, skipping over Scar’s kidnapping for now.

“Oh, no. Xisuma didn’t find me, I broke out. I mostly stuck around so long because I needed a vacation.”

“So . . . he might not find us within the week?”

“He will! He usually figures it out, at least.”

Gem groaned in frustration, buried her face in her knees. “I hope Pearl doesn't mind waiting.”

She was really trying not to think about Pearl, about what they might have been doing to her. Pearl was strong, that was for sure, but Gem had never seen her in a situation like this. Were they experimenting on her? Observing her?

There was surely some black market out there for aliens. Would it come to that? Were they just showing Pearl to potential buyers?

Were they hurting her?

She couldn’t let herself think about it. Hopefully, Pearl would be returned to them. It was silly to think she wouldn’t be—they were presumably using Gem and Scar as leverage to get Pearl to do what they wanted. As long as the two of them were still here and fine, Pearl was likely also still here somewhere, and not auctioned off to some highest bidder.

That was what was important. Pearl was here, and they were here, and Xisuma was going to get them out of there.

-

If Gem hadn’t been told, she probably wouldn’t have guessed that Pearl was an alien.

There were plenty of hybrids on Hermitcraft—avian, blaze, dog—, so Gem would have willingly believed that Pearl was some kind of bug hybrid. It wasn’t too far-fetched. She had antennae, and spines on her arms, she could crawl up walls.

The only thing that gave her pause was her eyes.

Pearl’s eyes reflected a galaxy. They spun with stars and planets and darkness, and Gem once spent all day comparing an image of their galaxy to the one in Pearl’s eyes and had found nothing similar in them. She wondered sometimes if the galaxy changed, if there was any way to map what her eyes displayed.

She wondered what Pearl saw.

Her eyes were the most beautiful things Gem had ever seen, and now, as she gently brushed Pearl’s hair back from her forehead, she wished she would open those eyes.

“Why are they keeping us around?” Scar murmured, tucking his blanket around Pearl. They only had the one thin blanket each, but Scar just buttoned up his shirt to protect against the cold.

“I don’t know, but I’m not complaining.”

Pearl groaned, shifted just slightly in Gem’s arms. “It’s because of me,” she said, not opening her eyes.

“Hm?”

“I get energy. From people. They want me to be . . . healthy.”

“Oh,” Scar said. “You’re an extrovert?”

Pearl snorted, finally opened her eyes. Yep, those stars still spun. “I draw energy from people,” she clarified. “It’s how I stay alive, being near others. They keep you here so that I can eat your delicious energy.”

“Yum,” Gem said.

“Yum yum,” Pearl confirmed. Her antennae wiggled. “I absorb it through my antennae.”

Pearl already looked a little healthier than she had when they first threw her back in the cell, and sure enough, Gem was feeling a bit sleepy.

She hadn’t looked too roughed-up, thankfully. A couple of bandages on her inner elbows and hands, a woozy look on her face. Just some tests run, probably. She’d been gone for about six hours.

But this was only the first day. What would happen tomorrow?

“Maybe we should break ourselves out,” Gem suggested. “It can’t be that hard, right? How many guards were there, Pearl?”

Pearl shrugged, her eyes slipping closed again.

Scar tugged on his sleeves. “We should wait,” he said. “I mean, Xisuma’s going to find us any day!”

Gem bit her tongue. She didn’t like to sit around and wait. She liked to get to the action, do things herself, make a push when others weren’t expecting it.

But Scar felt like they should wait, and they weren’t hurting Pearl too badly. It wouldn’t be the end of the world to wait.

Gem clenched her fist and just pulled Pearl closer.

-

“You know the drill, up against the wall.”

Every day, three people entered the room.

Scar and Gem would scoot to the back of the cell, sitting on the floor with their hands above their heads, pressed to the wall. One man would stand close to them, a stun gun trained on them. The other two would haul Pearl up by her arms and leave, the third backing up behind them. The third man always locked the door.

Gem could easily take out three men. No problem.

Every day, three people entered the room. Four went out.

This was the seventh day, and she was getting really sick of waiting.

“I’m gonna go for it tomorrow,” she told Scar. Scar shook his head rapidly, hiding a yawn.

“No—no, we should wait,” he insisted. “It’s only been a week, Xisuma’s—”

“You said to wait a week,” Gem countered. “I waited a week. Nobody’s found us.”

“We don’t have any weapons!”

“All of the guards have swords and stun guns. I’m GeminiSlay, I can take one down with my bare hands, then take his weapon!”

“I—look, I have a plan if it gets bad,” Scar said, wringing his hands. “But it isn’t bad, yet, and we just have to wait a little longer.”

Gem sighed. Sure, it wasn’t too bad so far, but Pearl was still suffering.

She now had dark bruises trailing up the insides of her arms, the evidence of many blood draws or IVs. Clinical stitched-up lines marked her arms and bare feet, and Gem was sure that she’d been cut open and stitched back up in more places than that, but she held her clothes closed (her shirt had been sliced down the back for easy removal) and shook her head whenever Gem asked if she wanted help with wounds.

She didn’t really talk much, not anymore. She just rested against their shoulders and slept. Gem and Scar usually fell asleep quickly, her drain on their energy pulling them down as well.

Maybe it wasn’t as bad as it could be, but it was still bad. They had spent days here, leaning on one another, their energy dwindling more and more as Pearl required more from them. They only got fed once a day, and the sink in the corner of the room provided water but there was nothing to drink with, and cupping their hands barely got anything.

Plus, Gem had a base to be building. She didn’t have weeks to spend locked up in here.

“I’m going to attack,” Gem decided. Scar grimaced, buried his face into his knees. “Tomorrow, when they come to get Pearl. If you want to help, you can.”

Scar didn’t respond.

So Gem just settled in with her singular blanket and started planning.

-

It went perfectly.

Until it didn’t.

Gem launched herself at the first guard through the door, wresting his stun gun from his grip. She turned it on him, holding down the trigger until he was writhing on the ground. Then she hit the following guard in the face with the hilt of the gun—and she aimed for the third one—

But it wasn’t right.

There wasn’t just a third guard.

A fourth guard followed in, then a fifth.

Coming straight for her.

Before Gem knew what was happening, she was down, electricity burning through her spasming body. She gasped—her vision went red, flashing, the only sound that echoed through her ears was a distant screaming—

Then it ended, and Gem took in a ragged breath, the world returning under layers of static.

“No more standing, for this one,” a too-loud voice growled. Gem wrenched open her eyes, looked up—

A blurry guard was holding a club over her leg—

He swung, landed with a deafening crack, and Gem screamed and screamed and screamed.

She couldn’t breathe past the pain for far too long. Long enough that black spots floated in front of her eyes, long enough that her chest strained with the lack of oxygen. She gritted her teeth hard enough that one of them gave under the strain, but after several swelling moments, she managed to draw in a breath.

“Okay, can you hear me? Gem, Gem, how many fingers am I holding up?”

She blinked several times, but couldn’t quite keep her eyes open. It hurt so much, sickening pulses spreading out from her left leg, and then it hurt even worse and fire flashed through her brain—

“It’s me, it’s okay, I’m just—I think it’s broken, and we should probably set it but I don’t know how to do that—can you look at me, Gem?”

“Hurts,” she managed, tears squeezing out of her closed eyes.

“I know, I know . . . oh, Gem, oh, this is bad—this is so bad—”

Gem swallowed, then finally forced her eyes open.

Scar was there, leaning over her, hands fluttering as he tried to decide what to do first. Eventually, he just kneeled beside her head, pulling her into his lap. Gem couldn’t restrain a small noise in the back of her throat as even that movement shifted her leg a tiny bit, but she leaned into Scar, desperate for any comfort that might help ease the pain. He wiped her forehead with his sleeve, brushing back strands of hair.

“Oh, geez. I’m sorry, Gem. This is pretty bad, huh? I’ve got you, don’t worry.”

“I’m worrying,” she choked out. Scar chuckled nervously.

“Yeah. Yeah, me too.”

-

Gem slept most of that day, but by the evening, she was more-or-less conscious and able to think through the pain. Her leg was definitely broken, but they didn’t dare set it, not without a doctor present.

She and Scar didn’t talk. Scar sat in the back corner and picked at his nails, glancing around anxiously every once in a while. Gem rested on the ground, trying not to so much as twitch her leg.

When Pearl was thrown back in, though, they were silent for a different reason.

One of her antennae was missing.

It was cut off, messy stitches closing the wound, and Gem could do nothing but gape as Pearl lay in a slumped heap on the floor, her singular antenna barely twitching.

“Oh, Pearl,” Scar said at long last, breaking the silence and diving to Pearl’s side. “Oh, Pearl. I’m so sorry.”

Pearl’s shoulders trembled in a move so foreign that Gem had never seen it before, couldn’t reconcile it with her Pearl—

She was crying. Gem saw it, briefly, as Scar lifted her into his lap—Pearl’s eyes leaked sparkling tears, each one like a miniature star rolling down her cheek.

Then Pearl’s face was hidden in Scar’s chest, and Gem almost believed that she had imagined it. Pearl didn’t cry—all the time that they’ve been here, she’d smiled and laughed almost like it was any other day (albeit more tired and with a few more winces).

If Pearl was crying, that meant things were really bad.

“They—” Pearl choked out, voice muffled by Scar’s shirt.

“Sh, sh,” he hushed. “We’ve got you.”

“They—they’re mapping my eyes,” she cried. “They can’t—they’ll find—they’ll find my home!”

Gem had never asked Pearl where she came from, how she found herself on Hermitcraft, and she never shared that information voluntarily.

Maybe it was to protect her past.

Maybe it was to protect her family.

“Scar,” Gem whispered. When he looked up, she tried to convey to him that this was serious, far too serious to wait any longer. She nodded her head toward Pearl, then toward her own leg.

Scar’s face fell. He bit his lip, glanced between Pearl and Gem.

After a moment, he nodded to himself, coming to some sort of decision.

“I’ll get us out of here,” Scar murmured, gently stroking Pearl’s hair. “I’ve got it, don’t you worry about a thing.”

-

When the guards came in the next morning, Scar didn’t move from his spot against the left wall of the room, swathed in the darkest shadows that the cell had.

“Against the back wall,” the one with the stun gun commanded, aiming it at him.

Scar smiled, just visible in the darkness. It was a smile that would be considered friendly, jovial, if the person didn’t know Scar.

Gem knew Scar. She recognized that smile from a million miles away. It was the smile he wore when he was about to close a shady deal, when someone played right into his hands, when he was in games of death.

It was hungry.

“Move!”

“No, thank you,” said Scar cordially. “I think you’ll move, actually. Right back out of here, if you want to live.”

Gem blinked, surprised at his level threats. She hugged Pearl a bit tighter, her friend limp in her arms.

The guard snorted. “Yeah, right. You have until the count of three to get against that wall.”

Scar sighed. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he said regretfully.

“One.”

“Y’know, it’s always count of three. Why not count of five? Or six?”

“Two.”

“Just wondering! Gem, you might want to close your eyes.”

“Three.”

The guard strode toward Scar, gun out, finger on the trigger.

Gem did not close her eyes. Pearl didn’t look, face still buried in Gem’s shoulder, but Gem watched. She wasn’t afraid of a little bloodshed, and she had no clue what Scar was planning.

Did he really think that he could take the guards on his own, when Gem had failed so definitively just the day before? What did he have that she didn’t?

Suddenly, Scar’s eyes shone from the shadows.

And they shone blue.

Scar leapt at the guard, fangs—since when did he have fangs?—bared in a snarl, and Gem barely had time to blink before Scar’s teeth were ripping into the guard’s throat, tearing it out entirely with frankly impressive jaw strength.

The other two men shouted—one guard got out his own stun gun and hit Scar with a bolt of electricity, but Scar took it in stride without so much as a flinch. His skin rippled, fading blue to match his eyes, and as Gem watched, leathery blue wings burst from his back, shredding his shirt.

The guards barely had a chance to scream before Scar was on top of them, slashing through their flesh with his sharp teeth and black claws (sprouting from his fingertips, still growing longer and longer). He destroyed them in a matter of seconds, blood and viscera flying everywhere, spraying across Gem’s face. She choked, wiped off her eyes, then noticed, with a sense of growing horror, that Scar had stopped to—to eat one of the bodies, digging a hole into his chest and pulling out fistfuls of flesh with reckless abandon.

She opened her mouth to call to him, but no sound came out. Her lips trembled, her breath caught in her throat.

Was this creature still Scar? Blue and terrifying, wings flapping and long claws stuffed into a body, his pointed teeth dripping with blood. His hair was the same, his features still Scar’s (but for the eyes, piercing and ice-blue), the scars on his face unchanged.

Would he recognize her if she spoke to him? Or would he attack them, too?

How had Scar become this—this monster?

Another guard ran up to the cell, but instead of entering, they slammed the door shut, locking it.

That didn’t seem to do more than mildly annoy Scar and distract him from his meal. He growled animalistically, then scampered (and he moved oddly, launching himself from all-fours to flight in a couple of steps, his hands and feet pushing him along even as his wings carried him) to the door. Without warning, he stabbed his claws into the metal of the door and tore through it like it was nothing more than a leaf of paper.

Then he turned, his glowing eyes lighting on Gem and Pearl.

Gem couldn’t help it—she flinched away, pulling Pearl closer to herself. She didn’t know if Scar was a danger to her or not, but after what she just saw, she wasn’t prepared to be seen as a friend.

Oddly enough, Scar’s face twisted in regret. He offered a shrug—rather downplayed by the blood coating him. “Sorry,” he said, and his voice was entirely Scar’s (if with a bit of a lisp from the longer teeth). “I didn’t want—I didn’t want it to come to this.”

Gem wasn’t a squeamish person, but she still avoided looking down at the mutilated bodies. She couldn’t stand to think of literally eating a person—what had Scar become?

“I—I’ll explain later,” Scar said, as if he had heard her thoughts. “I’ll go find a communicator. And destroy their stuff.”

He dashed off down the hall.

Pearl moved against her, tipping her head back. “I’m tired,” she mumbled.

“I know,” Gem said, trying not to gag at the scent of blood that had begun to permeate the room. She swallowed, pushing down her fear. “We’re going home. Scar’s getting us home.”

That was all Pearl needed to hear. She fully slumped against Gem, dead asleep. Gem gently rubbed her back, buried her nose in her hair (carefully avoiding the stump of her antenna).

She hoped they got out of there quickly.

-

Pearl spent a lot more time resting than she ever had. Gem figured it was something similar to chronic fatigue, now that she was missing half of her main source of energy.

When she asked if it would grow back, Pearl had just shrugged.

“Only if I go back home.”

“Are you going to do that?”

“Probably not. It’s far away.”

Pearl still managed to create massive builds practically overnight, though, so Gem assumed it didn’t bother her too much.

Gem’s leg was still recovering, a month out from their week in captivity. It had been broken severely enough that she’d needed pins to hold the bones together, which put her at six weeks minimum in the cast. It limited her sparring and building abilities, but she did what she could on crutches to keep her skills from getting rusty.

She couldn’t spend all her time practicing, though, in order to let her body recover, so she ended up filling a lot of her time with meditation. Her impatience is what got her leg broken, after all, and she’d been beating herself up about it ever since.

Scar joined her, sometimes, at various points of interest across her base where she could look out over the valley and Pearl across the way. He would sit beside her in silence, oddly contemplative as he, too, stared at Pearl’s builds.

Gem understood, now, why Scar hadn’t wanted to act except in case of emergency. She wouldn’t want anyone to see her like that, either.

He had fully transformed back into something human (she wasn’t sure that he was human, though) by the time rescue arrived, and Cub had taken one look at the gore and taken Scar straight to his base on Hermitcraft, ignoring Xisuma’s insistence that he get checked over for injuries.

Now, as they sat on a hill, a couple of feet between them, Gem wondered what Cub knew.

Scar sighed beside her.

She wasn’t scared of him. She wondered if that was what he thought, that he kept sitting with her and sending her terribly guilty and forlorn looks because he expected to be faced with fear and disgust.

She wasn’t scared. It had been—well, it had been a shock, and she still hadn’t quite gotten the image of Scar eating a human body out of her head, but she wasn’t scared.

She just felt . . . awkward, bringing it up. Scar clearly hadn’t wanted them to see that part of him. He probably felt vulnerable, rejected. Why he kept hanging around her, she didn’t know, but she had to get rid of the barrier between them.

“How’s Scarland coming along?” she asked one day, kicking her good leg a little.

As simple as it sounded, that did it. That broke the ice, and Scar started rambling about something or other, and the next morning when she settled down to meditate, Scar was already there with blueprints in hand.

She stared at his fingers as he pointed out different aspects of his design, her mind’s eye momentarily seeing a blackened claw glistening with blood.

Well. If she ever needed help to murder someone, she knew who she was calling.

[raindropren]

I think i should make a hermitcraft camp au

AS A PERSON WHO HAS NEVER BEEN TO A CAMP, IT WILL BE INFLUENCED BY MY BUNK'D OBSESSION WHEN I WAS like 9, CAMP CAMP, AND MY OWN INSANITY ALONE!

Everyone will be like 14-17 and it will be VERY Found Family!!!! U can take the hermits being family to eachother from my COLD DEAD HANDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Xisuma is the Volunteer camp counselor, His parents said it'd be good to be out in nature and would be good for him!! Real Life Experience!! and they dragged him into the role. He did not want to deal with kids(elementary schoolers can be mean...) but he was pleasantly surprised to find people more his age(That being 15 at the time) He took to it well but he is slowly going insane, do not mistake that.

The camp itself is just, alittle illegal, like a camp counselor started at 15 and i don't think he should of been without adult supervision but whatever!

by the second year of camp most of the hermits had already joined the camp! I have few ideas but here's some

Joe actually did want to go to the camp! He wanted to be a camp counselor but didn't really get the opportunity to sign up so now he helps out Xisuma whenever he can! A quarter threw the first year He dragged Cleo out of the new arrivals bus and introduced her to their little friend group! Cleo really didn't wanna be there but she also really didn't like going through the summer without Joe, so now she's here. in the wilderness :]

Did i mention that the camp is a summer camp, cause!!!

S U M M E R!!

ya.

Bdubs was super enthusiastic about the nature part, he wanted to look at cool moss!!!!(me too, me too) and then forgot about the activities part of camp and for a solid month Etho had to drag him out of bed just to do something other then sleep. They'd find him sleeping in trees. I think he'd be an amazing tree climber. He'd only wake up for the forest related activities and has skipped every single swimming activity since he got there. surprisingly it's a 50/50 on if he shows up to a craft activity. one time they had a special animal-care activity and when Etho mentioned the horses the people had brought ONCE and bdubs jumped up and sprinted to them. He did not leave those horses side until they left and after that they got a stable in the camp and bdubs and etho take cake of the horses everyday together! I like them :)

He and Etho share a bunk!!!! They're in the same cabin and after the horse thing they made a little shrine and their other cabin mates... are scared.

Mumbo joined at the same time as Cleo(On the same arrival bus and everything) and was very much the youngest(like just turned 14? maybe) He was the bbabbbyyy... and also exploded something on his first day! :D

Tango, Impulse, and Zed disappeared one night and came back the next day properly unhinged and wouldn't tell a single soul what they'd been up to but after that they're seen together more then not Lol

And the next year they came back speaking of Impulses friend Skizz who they were trying to convince the parents of to send them to camp aswell! It did not work until the 3rd year! Jump for joy, they did!

Grian joined, not wanting to be there at all, having a terrible time and then well

He caused Chaos, left for a week, then came back worse and decided he'd rather be there, super concerning to the others but he didn't speak a peep about it and then went back to causing(now slightly less destructive) chaos! He and Mumbo become extremely good friends, they bribed mumbo's bunk-mate to switch cabins with grian and now they're bunk-mates! it caused confusion for a week and then became the new normal! lol. I think he'd have a digital camera and he'd take pictures of the others, but also birds, so many birds. he'd rush to take a picture everytime he saw a duck, which was everyday, because the camp was RIGHT NEXT TO A RIVER!!! ya.

He would take care of the very few chicken's, and he got the others to help make the coop better because parts of it were rusting and breaking and he was scared that the chickens were gonna get hurt.

I think he'd be a only new arrival for the rest of that summer(so like he arrived like, 2 months into the second summer? how long is summer again? IDK) With hermits that join in season 5 probably arriving during the first month of summer? lets say? ya.

The 3rd summer had two new arrivals which was Pearl and Gem!! They arrived on the same bus and definitely had known eachother beforehand(aka Pearl went "I'm going to this camp next summer, u should come too :3" and Gem said "well okay i guess")

I think Grian and Pearl are siblings(you couldn't take that headcanon away if u tried LOL) and Pearl arriving was wweeirdddd cause grian had missed them arriving and then everytime he saw pearl he did a double take like 'did, did I just see who i thought I saw??????'

aka Grian did NOT know their Parents were sending Pearl to this Camp aswell teehe

I think Joel would arrive and be tackled by Grian, they knooww eachootherr aswell!!! yiippeee, I also think Joel and Etho should know eachother aswell, like they'd been to the same school and stuff lol.

Skizz Arrives and Impulse promptly gives him the biggest hug because He missed his best friend!!!!!!! it's been months!!!! they're dramatic about it.

I really have no other idea's, i wish i did!!!!

either way!! i think they have a camp group chat that is constantly getting chattered in even when it isn't summer lolsie

this was for fun, maybe i'll write more info i've thought about for this au, down again at some point, but ya!!! Fun!!! Yiippeee

[thesovereignsring-if]

Not really an update, but I'm working on a side project...

I'm sick today and it's messing with my productivity so I'm sharing with you guys a little sneakpeak on a side project ive been cooking up for a while. I'm not sure how well it be received since its more horror-oriented with no romance in it (the MC is a baby!) ; w; and it'll be my first time writing horror too. The project is in its very early stages, but when the time comes, maybe I'll make it's own tumblr blog for it.

I have some really old concept art is anyone is interested. Tho my artstyle and process very different from what it was 2-3 years ago. >//< This is a really long post so beware!!

Anyway, I've always wanted to work in the visual novel genre/Renpy, but being a newbie at the whole indie-dev thing makes it feel overwhelming, but since TSR's development is going somewhat smoothly, I've been thinking of giving it a shot! In the future once I finish the Twine version of TSR (probably years from now tbh) I'd like to take a crack at making it a visual novel. I am a visual artist a heart before anything else haha

Hence the side project! I'll be working on it in short bursts between updates, just to wind down and prevent burn out, but I plan to make the story in Twine first before working in Renpy. Anyway here a little sneak peak :)

The Diabolical Estate of Count Blackwood

There is something strange going on in this town...

You were nothing more than a dirty street urchin until you were scooped up by the young Percival Blackwood and whisked away to live in his newly inherited estate. 

There is something going on in the eerie town of Grimvale, from its strange inhabitants to the even stranger events that have been happening ever since you stepped foot here. Even the new castle you call home is filled with mysteries around every corner. Some of them are more sinister than others… 

Will you be able to uncover the mysteries of the town or will you succumb to the shadows over it?

Cast:

The Young Lord/Lady/ Honourable Blackwood: That's you. The dirty street urchin. Your life changed forever when Percival took you off the streets at the age of 8.

Percival “Percy” Blackwood: Your new father. He’s impulsive, eccentric and a bit nutty, but he certainly doesn’t make things boring around here. Apparently he went by another name before taking his grandfather's title.  

Sylvia Blackwood (née Faulkner): Your new Mother. She’s aloof with a sharp tongue- but only to Percival it seems. She mostly tolerates your presence. You wonder what keeps her tied to Percival. Something tells you that it's more than just 'love'.

Abel Waxley: The head butler of the estate. He’s stern and sharp tongued to everyone who upsets the flow of his schedule. He’s one of the few people who can reign Percival in. He looks like he could use a vacation.

Amos Blackwood: The previous count and Percival's grandfather. He was a known hermit and an eccentric man before his timely demise. Only he knows all the secrets of the castle. 

Balan ???: The strange older man who used to live in the castle with the late Count Blackwood. Were they lovers? Or just good friends? 

Concept Artwork:

[valeriianz]

Would you ever write a.....Fairytale adventure type AU (ﾉ*･ω･)ﾉ? (idk how to explain it ajbdkjvakdv)

(Kinda like...maybe Ghibli movie vibes....ABDHBAHCBKAC)

HYPER HUGS

ahhhh always a privilege to see you in my inbox, Mere 😻

(this post gets long, pls bear with me lol)

fairy tail itself, no. im really not into fantasy or fairy tails, sadly (which sucks cos like, that's half of dreamling AUs right there lol).

but ooh i do love some adventure! especially Ghibli-style! i know that's kinda fantastical but i'd be very into it.

my mind immediately went to a Princess Mononoke AU, a film i havent seen in ages, but Hob and Dream in that scene??

Dream: "I'll cut your throat! That'll shut you up!" Hob: "You're beautiful."

or, OR! have you seen that Castle in the Sky AU??

so, in short... yeah, probably haha.

OH SNAP! i just remembered i have a Little Red Riding Hood au that i had been attempting like, in early 2023 after THAT fanart but i could not figure out how to write it, and i got so frustrated with it that i just gave up. below the cut is what i'd written so far, starting with some ramblings to myself before some "proper" writing... i'll never finish it ;_; sorry.

Hob is still a Red Riding Hood/Hunter type character and he is the only one "brave" enough to visit the witch in the woods, aka Johanna when his village requires medicine/care. The whole village is deeply superstitious and so Johanna stays out of the village for her own safety and it's taken a lot of convincing from Hob (who is one of the only capable hunters so he is Important) that she is fine and won't curse the whole village. The only time Johanna forbids Hob from coming to see her is on the night of the full moon.

But then EMERGENCY happens and Hob sets out for Johanna's on a full moon and runs into Dream. Cue fanart scene. Hob fights Dream and somehow manages to hold his own. Maybe they bang here, maybe Dream gets Hob to open up about why he's out during the full moon and then lets him go. Because Hob has zero survival instincts he goes out again on a full moon just to see Dream. Johanna thinks he's an idiot.

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

There is a witch in the woods; the villagers know this and remain wary of her provocation. She is all powerful but she is also a hermit– quiet and bloodless, when ignored. Many elders in the village have spun up stories, history between them and her. Though it seems all unfounded, Hob had never been anything but curious, growing up with these tales of offering sacrificial goats in place of the children they believed her to steal, before moving on to setting up traps on the edge of the woods where their small hamlet lay.

Hob had also heard stories, though not many, of how she’d been run out, that there may be more of her kind hiding in secret within the community. This too, Hob doesn’t allow to bother him. He is surrounded by superstition and pays no mind to any of it.

Which is all to say, he’s encountered the witch on several occasions. 

And whatever tales Hob had grown up hearing of her comes to a screeching halt the day he first met her.

“What the ever loving fuck are you doing out here?”

Snapping up to attention, Hob had regarded the woman. He’d been a boy of 15 the first time they’d met, and had the notion of fright abandon him by watching his mother die in childbirth to what was supposed to be his little brother, as well as his father being robbed and beaten to death by bandits while he cowed away behind a tree. 

Hob would never be that cowardly again. And he made up for it by going out into the woods nearly every night, despite the warnings from his neighbors. His friends would egg him on but then chicken out the closer they got to the edge of the clearing, lined by dense forest and rustling leaves.

[royallygray]

Psst Royal

Do you wanna rant about anymore soul horizon lore? I would like to hear about soul horizon lore if you wanna ramble :D

Also would you like to read the essay I wrote about llkau Pearl's psychological truama and manipulation from her mother?

yes I am always down to rant about soul horizon lore. also YES I WANT PEARLS PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA HEHEHEHEHEHEH

Anyways hello. I am normal sized again wow.

Okay so personally--FUCK I HAVE A MEGA STUPID ASSIGNMENT IM GONNA NEED TO DEAL WITH THAT IN SOME AMOUNT OF TIME--i have recently been obsessed with soul horizon divorcée quartet.

THEYRE. SO FUCKING SPECIAL TO ME. BECAUSE THEYRE LOSERS

OMG OMG I NEED TO EXPLAIN THE EEP

WE DONT CARE ABOUT THE EEP WE CARE ABOUT SCOTT AND CLEO AND PEARL AND MARTYN

Scott and Cleo are canonically married. why did I do this, you may ask? tax benefits. and they were living with each other anyways. and also idk how marriage licenses work but it makes the pay a whole lot like even-er because Scott's a doctor and Cleo's a teacher

Well they're a college professor. idk how much more college professors get paid and I am too lazy to google it

hold on actually

ok so according to the first results: 96k to 300k per year which makes the second result so fucking sad like. the second result is 30k-97k a year. like. rip

compared to high school teachers: 45k-100k per year. Jesus Christ. and then the second result is 38k-46k.

rip teachers honestly

AYY SCOTT IS LOADED. I THINK. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH SHIT COSTS I HAVE NO LIFE EXPERIENCE I AM A BLOB FLOATING IN THE WIND DESPERATELY CLINGING TO LIFE

330k-630k. Yahoo. scott has it good. he's a surgeon because... I said so. he's like a surgeon but also a doctor. I think. mostly a surgeon tho but I am going to call him a doctor for the rest of this because in my mind he wears the coats. like a lab person. with cyan hair

SO. WHERE DO WE ACTUALLY BEGIN WITH THE LORE.

Well. It starts in elementary school. I... don't actually have lore for Cleo and Scott for this part but I do for Pearl and Martyn! So Pearl and Martyn are the same age, and they went to Evolution Elementary and Middle. They're in the same building. People just call it Evo

Also Jimmy barely made it through that school bc the year after he graduated it got shut down bc it was hosting cult activities. hmmm. weird

All the Evo gang went to Evo Elementary. shocker. And Lizzie.

And then they graduated, and they went to Hermit High Academy. Which I love. All the Hermits are there, except for Joel and Skizz (THEY WEREN'T HERMITS WHEN THIS STARTED AND ID ALREADY DONE THIS BACKSTORY), Cleo (she was at EEP), Gem, and Scar.

Also EEP stands for Empires Education Program. I love the EEP. All Empires people went there.

The two significant years-

hold on hold on hold on. okay. so.

Year order. we need this

also my sibling once told me that I text like someone with ADHD and I cannot help but feel like that's relevant here.

hello it is now a completely different day and place (I'm at the kitchen table and it is midnight)

(It has been thirty minutes I'm in my bed again and I am going to fall asleep. I need to take my meds. I have now taken my meds. now if I wanted to I could just fall asleep. I'm gonna keep talking here.)

In the Empires Education Program (which is referred to by people who want to mock it and also the attendees of it as the eep. Others say Empires or E E P (separated letters)) there are two years of people attending that we care about.

Everyone that was in Empires or SOS, minus False, Pearl, Jimmy, and Gem is part of the EEP.

The secondary year we care about (the grade below) has Oli, Owen, Mog, Eloise, and a few others unnamed (prolly from Witchcraft) because I refuse to make this class smaller than Magic School Bus's.

Everyone (minus Pearl, Jimmy, and Gem) in Empires S1 is in the first year of EEP. The second year has everyone else (minus False) that was in Empires S2 and SOS.

The primary year we care about (the most plot relevant people are here) has Scott, Cleo, Lizzie, Joel, Shelby, Katherine, fWhip, Pix, Sausage, and Joey. You might notice that Cleo is in here, and they are not part of this group. Cleo is in here because I said so. Also I needed a place for her to be besties with Scott. And Cleo would be a great addition to this crew, just saying.

... genuinely it is a completely different day and I am in a separate building and I have no idea what my ultimatum here was

Anyways. Martyn is a vigilante, Pearl's a villain, Scott's a doctor, and Cleo's a professor.

The funny thing that I'm absolutely in love with is how they semi get along. but mostly don't.

see. Scott and Pearl had that whole scene where Pearl literally ran out of magic and started ripping it out of Scott's soul. Magic is part of your soul, so it comes from a similar place as your soulbond.

And so Scott and Pearl have a well justified rivalry. And also after they broke the soulbond -- OH I JUST REMEMBERED THE REALLY FUNNY SHIT -- they both became Worthy, Scott significantly earlier than Pearl.

I still gotta explain the Worthy thing dammit

Anyways the really funny shit is that normally, when you reject your soulbond, you essentially function exactly the same as a person without a soulbond except you've got a weird tattoo, and you will die at the same moment that they do.

EXCEPT the divorce quartet are part of the Eighteen (which irl are just the life series members), and this means that the rejection doesn't work. It works at first, and Pearl and Scott have silent minds for the first time ever, and then they hear the slight whisper of the other one's voice and just. they're suffering.

It's funny as fuck, imo, because I'm the sadist author that makes the characters suffer. hehe

essentially, the telepathy hurts more after they rejected it than before. And also they also have the normal consequence of "if the one dies, then the other one dies too" which normal soulmates don't have.

But because of the rejection not working, the four of them realized that they're Winners. And they all figure out that they're Winners because Pearl believes that Mortality mythology (aka life series canon events) is real.

And Martyn was like "hah Pearl you're crazy"

and Pearl straight up goes "Jimmy's the Canary"

and the three of them stare at Pearl

because EVERYONE has heard the legend of the canary. It doesn't fucking matter who you are.

And Cleo's straight up like "holy shit"

And Scott knew the entire time bc he shares a brain with Pearl except he semi didn't believe it but he knew that Pearl believed it

But now they figure out that Scott is the Stars (2nd winner), Pearl is the Moon (3rd winner), Martyn is Mars/water/The Tower (4th winner), and Cleo is Pluto/fire/Death (6th winner).

And then perhaps Grian just walks out of the house and is like what're y'all talking about.

And then Pearl just stares at him. because she remembers what his soulmark is.

It's the sun and the earth. which is the missing duo of winners.

and Pearl is like. Grian. You're a winner.

and Grian's like "wtf are you on"

"like of mortality mythology"

"wat"

Scott: so is he the sun or the earth

Pearl: probably the sun. have you seen that face

Grian: wtf

Martyn: welcome to divorce club, Grian

Pearl: Martyn stfu

Martyn: yeah I'm scared of you so I will actually do that

Also Martyn and Pearl are besties

also I gotta write the scene where they divorce bc it's actually rly cute. not like Scott&Pearl and Martyn&Cleo but like. Scott and Martyn are cute. And Pearl and Cleo are cute. And Cleo and Scott<3 and Martyn and Pearl are like besties. so.

yeah

they. them. they're the perfect combination of like. a lot of shit. because all of them are morally gray.

hey that's almost my name

My name is actually a play on the phrase "morally gray", fun fact

Since Pearl is literally a villain. Martyn is a more hero aligned vigilante. Scott and Cleo, while being civilians, do actively help Pearl by giving her potions and shit since she and Martyn can go to the Nether to get the ingredients, and Scott and Cleo have a permit to brew potions.

Like. Scott and Cleo are like passive and will not get outed in the grand scheme, but technically they break the law daily. And I love them so much for that. Like. They know WAYYY too much to be civilians. Not even JOEL knows as much, and he's the motherfucking husband of Riptide, who is the sister of Scarlet AND Sparrow. AND the Canary.

Anyways. Um. If you want to ask any clarifying questions, I would be more than happy to answer those.

This was rly incoherent and I'm sorry abt that but y'know :D

THANK YOU PERI @periwinklepaint FOR THE ASK :D :D

[ofthenoseclan]

Who is your favorite Touhou character and why? :0

sorry for taking so long to respond to this, i had to charge an infodump spirit bomb. also my original draft got deleted when firefox crashed on me halfway through typing

for a long time i considered renko and merry my favourite characters in touhou as a unit (and they are still definitely second place) but over time another character has grown on me enough that she overtook them in my mind, and that was toyosatomimi no miko!

her backstory is a bit confusing for those unfamiliar with a very specific period of japanese history, so this is going to be a lot to explain, but ill try my best to recap it:

umayado no ouji, or better known today as shoutoku taishi, was a political figure in japan during the asuka period. he was regarded as one of the primary founders of buddhism within japan, which granted him sainthood status after his death. in recent years, the legitimacy of some texts chronicling his accomplishments has been doubted by scholars, making him somewhat of a semi-legendary historical figure nowadays.

in touhou, his biography is reframed a bit: shoutoku taishi was a renowned regent from a very young age, capable of listening to the concerns of many individuals at once and easily posing solutions to issues of the countrys people. he was incredibly caring for his nation, and so feared for the deaths of his subjects—and by extension, himself, as he believed he was the only one capable of leading his people away from strife. because of this, he sought for a way to live forever.

he was then taught the ideals of taoism by seiga kaku, an immortal taoist hermit, or "xian", who moved to the country from china. he wished to follow in her footsteps to ascend to immortality, but the process would take time away from his position as regent. shoutoku taishi needed to be sure that japans public would not be led to unfair death by an improper ruler while he was focused on pursuing taoism, so seiga recommended he first spread buddhism to the public, since its creed discouraged violent acts and power imbalance.

as time went on, shoutoku taishi noticed his health was dwindling faster than expected. the ascetic training needed to become a xian was something that took a great part of ones life, and he feared he would pass on before reaching immortality. so, he devised a new plan: he would become a shijie, a xian who achieves an unjust form of immortality by swapping their body with an item of great value to them. the object takes residence in their coffin, replacing their corpse, and the consequence of death they have gained by living in the first place gets passed onto it. the practice is said to fool deities who would otherwise come searching for them to take to the afterlife, sacrificing the item in their place. in this case, shoutoku taishi chose his shichiseiken, or seven star sword, as the object to swap places with.

to go through this process, one has to cut ties with their identity and all people close to them in their life in order to prevent deities from tracking them down, so after the former regent performed this ritual, he slept under the earth to lay low. while he laid dormant, his legitimacy as a historical figure began to be doubted by many, so his resting place was teleported into gensoukyou, the setting of touhou, where myths and legends that have had popular belief in them fade away get brought in order to survive.

the saint finally resurfaced in 2011 during the events of touhou shinreibyou ~ ten desires., the 13th mainline title in the series, taking a new form and name to avoid detection and subsequent judgment from deities of death. she is now known as toyosatomimi no miko, shijie xian and crown prince of taoist thought, who aims to convert gensoukyou to taoist beliefs using her renowned charisma and leadership skills.

my absolute favourite aspect of miko is not her backstory, but rather her personality. she is obscenely self-centered, truly believing 100% that she is the only one fit to lead gensoukyou, but nevertheless acts completely composed and dignified to maintain her image. she knows gaining power by force wont lead anyone to worship her, so she attempts to gain political favour grassroots-style, just like she did in her prime. she once showed up to a contest where people compete for the most visually appealing danmaku, and upon appearance said something along the lines of, "i truly hate to steal the victory so easily, but i appreciate the opening act before my arrival." no one could call her out for being insulting, however—because, reluctantly, everyone agreed her danmaku unfortunately was in fact better than the competition. this sense of flair extends to her design as well; she's got a huge focus on royal purples and golds, and her danmaku patterns have motifs of blinding holy light, befitting her high-and-mighty attitude of herself and her ideals.

she has an ongoing rivalry with byakuren hijiri, the figurehead of gensoukyous buddhist group, who serves as her foil in many ways. despite publically endorsing buddhism, miko disagreed with its principles internally; now that her act is through, she sees it and its spokespeople as no more than an obstacle on her way to the top, and byakuren is no exception. because of the tension between the two, a lot of people ship them together. i dont, personally, but i dont dislike the ship either, its fun.

miko also has a major appearance in my favourite spinoff literature, touhou gumonkuju ~ symposium of post-mysticism., which transcribes an in-universe symposium between three different religious powers in gensoukyou: kanako yasaka representing shintoism, byakuren representing buddhism, and miko representing taoism. the three of them have a dialogue over how best to lead gensoukyou's people politically and spiritually. this book is wonderful to read if youre someone like me who enjoys touhou for its political satire, because it gives so much focus to the ideologies of these three characters and sets up a lot of dry satire and political text between these three characters with extremely varying mindsets. it gives these cast members a lot of time to shine, while setting up the finale of the ongoing arc within the games that introduced all three of them.

im a huge fan of mikos aesthetic in general. she has a really fun outlook and attitude, and whenever she is on screen she becomes the center of attention without fail. she demands attention, she is confident, self-assured, and an enormous prick, and i love her for it all. she is also, if only by technicality, canonically transgender, which is a big point in her favour for me. toyosatomimi no miko has grown on me for good reason; she epitomizes everything i love about touhous cast, plot, and worldbuilding. shes my ride-or-die favourite and likely will remain as such forever!

ps: here, check out a spell card of hers

[khutao]

. solitude .

. zhongli x reader . college au . fluff + hurt/comfort . 1.5k words .

Although we as humans are constantly surrounded by millions of our kind, it’s still a commonality to feel like the only one in a given space. I’ve existed in a vacuum my whole life, with no one around me willing to give me comfort and company. I suppose I shouldn’t take for granted the people around me who do talk to me, but conversations always feel fleeting and superficial. It feels teasing in a way, like I don’t have little enough to complain that I have nothing, but not possessing enough to feel fulfilled by any interactions I have with people.

I’ve always felt a little different.

University exacerbated this. Seeing people always in a group or a duo, and wishing so longingly that I had that. Someone, anyone, who wanted to be by my side. Even if it was just one person. But human connection still hadn’t made sense by the time I was university age. Perhaps this was my destiny forever. I had begun to accept it as so: eating, studying, walking around, and going out by myself. Reaching out to others with no answer again and again began to wear me down to the point where it wasn’t worth trying anymore. So I drifted through life, traveling on a journey without a destination or purpose.

I sat square in the middle of my class in morning periods. I had geology in the mornings every Tuesday and Thursday, a class to fill some requirements everyone needs before they graduate. Sort of a nothing class. It didn’t mean anything of value to me, but I did enjoy attending for one specific reason: The boy who sat two rows ahead of me.

His name was Zhongli, and he was extraordinarily smart and handsome. He had rich, dark hair and the most vibrant amber eyes I’ve ever seen. His voice was deep and enchanting, and gripped my heart every time it graced my ears. Zhongli was everything anyone could desire in a man, and everyone knew it. That’s why I never spoke to him. Ordinary people were above me, so who knows the kind of pain I would feel if I dared to speak to someone who was not only objectively desirable and special, but someone I personally was growing parasocially fond of. I couldn’t help it. Even hermits develop crushes.

So to say I was surprised when he approached me to join a class group chat would be quite the understatement.

Zhongli explained that it was created by someone else to help everyone study, and hopefully create a group out of everyone willing to support each other. I agreed to join, the idea actually sounded quite smart.

When I entered, I found out there was already plans made to get together and review later that day. Albedo, Alhaitham, Ningguang, and a few others were going to be there. Jesus, there’s more attractive people in this class than I thought, was the first idea that crossed my mind. Against everything I would’ve done in any other circumstance, I typed “I’ll be there too! I’m a little confused about some of this.”

When I got to the table, I was a little flustered by the whole ordeal. Never did I imagine I’d be out with others organically. It felt nice, even if it was foreign. We cracked jokes, we complained about the professor, we reviewed everything the group didn’t know. I couldn’t help but smile, and I couldn’t help but steal glances at Zhongli every now and then, and once in awhile, I caught him stealing glances… at me? No way. I dismissed this idea as nothing but arrogance created from the high of hanging out with other people. How conceited could I be to think that he would ever pay attention to someone like me? Jesus Christ.

But the session went on, and he kept sending me signals of some kind. Zhongli would talk directly to me, ask me questions on what I thought, include me in the discussions. He would make the occasional joke to me, and chuckle when I did the same. It was so strange, but it felt good. It felt good to be wanted by another person, even if I was just imagining it.

Once we finished, he initiated further.

“Hey, Y/N… Would you mind giving me your phone number? I’d like to meet up more, just you and me. I have something to talk to you about.”

“Really?” I sputtered, feeling my face and ears heat up. “S-sure! Here!” I took his phone and typed my number in, feeling my limbs go even weaker at the smile on his face.

“Thank you. Shall we meet up here tomorrow? Same time?”

I nodded, still unsure what to say. Everything I’d felt in my life became… voided all of a sudden. Just because one person, one brilliant person, asked for my phone number, and to meet up again.

I rushed to my apartment and fantasized about the day I’d had. Some might’ve thought it was completely and utterly pathetic the situation I was in, replaying a study hangout in my mind, but it ended with Zhongli of all people asking me to meet up with him tomorrow. I grinned as I picked out an outfit, but suddenly stopped. What if it was something bad? What if he wanted me to stay away from him? What if this whole thing was a stupid prank like the ones I’d faced in high school?

The idea made me sad. Really, really sad. So sad in fact that I was starting to actually dread meeting up with Zhongli. He was so kind on the outside, but what if he was just like the others? I didn’t want to be so pessimistic about someone I’d grown so fond of, someone who’d done something for me that no one else had done for me before, but I just couldn’t help it. I got worried.

Nevertheless, I swallowed my fears and marched to my closet the next day. I needed to wear something nice, so I picked out a button-up and some cute shorts to match. That, plus some shoes and a jacket completed the whole outfit (I’d spent a good hour or so researching good outfits online the previous night). I took a deep breath. There was nothing to worry about, right?

Then came the time. I sat at the same table we’d sat at the day before, bouncing my leg uncontrollably as I attempted to calm my nerves. I grappled at my hands and felt the sweat forming. God, I had to get it under control. This was the most embarrassing thing, and Zhongli hadn’t even arrived yet. Get it together…

“Ah, (Y/N).”

“Hey! Zhongli! Hi there-!”

He smiled and sat in front of me, his moves so graceful and smooth, even with the slightest motions. “How has your day been?”

“Fine, mostly. I have classes in the late afternoons, so my mornings are free…”

“Lovely. Most of mine are in the mornings. I prefer them that way. Then my day is complete early on.”

“That’s true! Y-yeah, I like taking my time to prepare for the day. It’s difficult sometimes especially during exams. But yeah.”

Zhongli chuckled. “Should we order something to drink? I have extra money for the week for campus food. I can order something if you’d like.”

“No thanks! I- I mean I appreciate it but I can get it for myself! Thank you though, it’s really nice.”

“I insist. I don’t like wasting money.” Zhongli opened the app on his phone and punched in his order. “What do you like?”

I told him mine, and he placed it. “Lovely. I like a good cup of tea, personally. Any time of the day, there’s nothing better.”

I chuckled, “I suppose,” and relaxed myself. He really was as kind as he appeared in class, and so easy to talk to. The longer we chatted about things that really didn’t matter, the more relaxed I came to be. Things were nice when it was just him and me. It surprised me. I didn’t think I’d ever be so comfortable alone with someone like him.

“Well thank you for joining me today,” he mused, looking at the clock. “It makes me sad but I have to leave now. One of my clubs is starting soon, and you have class.”

“Oh! Oh, right!” I stood up and quickly shoved everything back into my bag. “Hey, you said you wanted to talk to me about something?”

“Yes, I did. Can we meet again next time? I’ll tell you about it then.”

He waved and turned on his heel, elegantly moving out of the cafe and to his class. I felt my cheeks and ears burn again, processing the whole thing.

The next time came and he still “forgot” to tell me. And the next time. And the next time, and the next time, and the time after that. Things started to click for me. Zhongli had confessed he’d always thought I was cute, and he wanted the chance to get to know me. He truly had become as infatuated with me the way I had with him, which… Was something I’d never thought would happen in my lifetime. We were always together from there on out. Laughing, talking, exchanging words of affection. With one person - one wonderful person, my lifetime of solitude had finally been broken. And I never wanted it to return.

[aventurasdeunatortuga]

Monday, July 8th

I’m way behind on posting so I will attempt to catch up today.

Monday and Tuesday there was a literal monsoon in Korea so most outdoor activities were a no go. Luckily Korea has an excellent public transportation system that requires minimal walking on the sidewalk, but lots of time underground in the metro. The ceiling or ac unit or something was leaking on the subway so even inside the train I couldn’t escape the rain. I spent these two days visiting museums as part of my quest to learn more about Korean history.

The first museum I visited on Monday was the National Museum of Korean. It is considered the top museum in Korea, and was enormous. It went through the entire history of Korea pre 20th century, starting with the Three Kingdoms (Baek, Silla, and Goruyeo) who competed with each other for centuries until the Goruyeo kingdom took charge. This evolved into the Joseon Dynasty that lasted from the middle ages until the end of the 19th century. This is considered a golden era in Korean history, with an over 200 year era of peace. Korea interacted a lot with Japan and China but fought fiercely to maintain their independence from these two competing powers as well as Russia. They resisted any western influence and were known as the “hermit kingdom” by the west for their refusal to engage. There was huge flourishing of arts and culture and the hanguel alphabet was developed by King Sejong the Great in the 1440s, who wanted to create a Korean alphabet that was intuitive and easy to learn, previously they had been using Chinese characters to write which are very difficult to learn to read and write. He based the alphabet off of the literal positions of the tongue in your mouth when specific sounds are produced. The linguistic nerd in me found that very cool.

In the 1880s due to military pressure from western powers they begrudgingly opened up diplomatic relations with the west, which resulted in a huge influx of foreign influences. Joseon was very strictly divided based on social class, wealth, Confucian social hierarchy, and status, and there was an enormous gap between the rich and poor. Western powers came in with egalitarian ideas of democracy and equality, which were very appealing to people of the lower classes that had been oppressed by the wealthy for so long. There was a big internal conflict between the wealthy who wanted to maintain tradition and protect Korean culture and the poor who wanted social advancement and rights, were interested in the advancements the west had to offer, and demanded social revolution.

Korea was put in a difficult situation with a lot of pressure from surrounding countries. The King of Joseon, King Gojong, declared that he would make a new government called the Korean Empire, in 1895, in order to assert their independence to competing world powers.

The Japanese, Russians, and Americans took advantage of the social unrest in Korea and slowly began encroaching on Korean society. For example, the Japanese eagerly began building railroads throughout Korea, which people were excited about but resulted in the Japanese slowly getting more and more control over the Korean economy and infrastructure.

In 1904, Russia and Japan fought a war to assert dominance over Manchuria and Korea. Both countries wanted to invade these areas. Japan won in 1905, and that is when the Japanese Invasion of Korea began.

This is where the museum ended, tomorrow I’m visiting Korea’s Independence Hall which goes into what happened next.

The museum was really cool. They had a lot of artifacts but they emphasized again and again that most of the historical artifacts pre Japanese invasion had been destroyed by the Japanese, and the only way these artifacts survived was through ordinary people hiding them and protecting them for decades.

The museum also had a cool virtual reality room where they took ancient Joseon art and made it into an immersive experience which was really cool. One of them recreated a painting of a rainstorm, can’t escape the rain even in the virtual reality experience.

Afterwards I went to Dongdaemun Design Plaza, which is a really cool looking modern building that had a lot of modern art exhibitions. I don’t really get modern art, but the building was really cool. I went to a Hello Kitty exhibit that was going on.

For dinner I had pajeon, potato pancake, it is tradition to eat pajeon in Korea when it rains because when it’s cooking it sounds like rain.

Until tomorrow,

[im-just-a-br0adway-baby]

Encantober 2023 Day 6: Heart

Today was the day the entire Madrigal family started to take the week off of helping the Encanto. While each family member each had two days off throughout the week, there was only one week in the year they all agreed to take off together. That was also agreed upon by the town, since they were the ones to see firsthand each of the Madrigals overwhelm themselves in their own way that they agreed to take that weight off their shoulders.

The Madrigals usually spent the week spending time with each other as a family around the town. This year, they decided to spend the week out of the Encanto to travel more and find more places to visit in the future. They went to the town just north of the Encanto and stayed in three hotel rooms, since each room only had two queen-sized beds. Julieta and Agustin took the first room with Isabela and Mirabel. Pepa and Felix took the second room with Dolores and Antonio. Alma and Bruno took the last room with Luisa and Camilo.

The Madrigals found a beach near the hotel that they decided to go to on the first day of the week. Once they made their way to the beach, the Madrigals found a spot to put their chairs and bags that was spacious enough for all twelve of them. While they got quite a few annoyed glares from beachgoers because of how many of them there were, they just minded their own business because they never let other people ruin their week. Antonio saw a long row of seashells by the shore and wanted to collect some.

"Mami, can I go for a walk to collect shells?" he asked.

"Si, Tonito; just stay with Mirabel and don't go out too far." Pepa replied as Felix helped put sunscreen on her back.

"Yay!"

Antonio and Mirabel made their way to the shore to find some seashells that struck their eye. They found all kinds of seashells throughout their walk; small ones, big ones, and many in different shapes. The two youngest grandkids stopped in their tracks when Mirabel found a unique shell that no one has ever seen before. It was bright red, with several rough edges, and was shaped like a heart. It was the most beautiful shell either of them have ever seen.

"This must be a super rare shell," Mirabel pointed out as she held the shell up to the sun.

The shell shined and sparkled in the sunlight and Mirabel and Antonio were never more fascinated by anything their entire lives. Mirabel put the shell back down to let Antonio hold it.

"Do you think it belongs to a type of hermit crab we've never seen before?"

"Maybe; it could also belong to an exotic type of snail. Let's show everyone else the shell, since we should go back anyway. It's almost lunchtime."

Mirabel and Antonio made their way back to the family's beach spot with the shells they found. As they continued walking, they saw a young girl that was about Antonio's age crying by the water. Mirabel stopped with Antonio and ran over to the girl.

"Excuse me, I noticed you were sitting here upset. Are you okay?" she asked.

The girl sniffed before she could reply. "I can't find my mami and papi. I went swimming and came out to find them for lunch; now I don't know where they are."

Mirabel sat next to the girl by the water. Antonio followed and put the bucket of shells next to him. "Do you remember what they looked like?"

"My mami had dark, curly hair. Her skin color is just like yours. She was wearing a purple bathing suit with a flower on it."

Mirabel was impressed with how well-spoken the girl was. It reminded her of herself when she was her age. She stood up from the shore and tapped Antonio on the shoulder for him to also stand up.

"Just stay where you are right now. My cousin and I are going to try to find your parents for you. If we find them, we'll let them know and we'll come back for you."

The girl got up and hugged Mirabel. "Gracias; I'll stay for as long as I need to."

Mirabel and Antonio then left the shore to find the girl’s parents. Antonio used the shells they found to make a trail so they could find their way back to the girl when they found her parents. The two found so many seashells that the trail should be long enough for them to make a trail to find someone.

“Remember, Antonio, we just need to find a woman with dark, curly hair with similar colored skin as me wearing a purple bathing suit with a flower on it.”

Antonio nodded and kept on making the trail of seashells. They got further away from the shoreline until Antonio lifted his head to see a woman that looked exactly like the girl described wearing sunglasses and a beach hat sitting in a beach chair under an umbrella with a book, with a man next to her, who must have been the girl’s father.

“Do you think that’s the woman?” Antonio asked.

Mirabel looked in the direction Antonio was pointing in. “That should be her mami! I would like to ask her if she has a daughter, but she seems so relaxed right now and I don’t want to disrupt that.”

Not that long after they found her, the woman closed the book and put it in her beach bag and took her sunglasses off. She then reached for her husband’s chair and they held hands. It must have been a sign she was finished reading for the time being.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go ask her if she lost a child!” Antonio said as he grabbed Mirabel’s arm and ran to the umbrella.

The couple looked at each other, then Mirabel and Antonio once they got to their chairs and stopped right in front of them. She never felt more awkward her entire life, considering the fact that she never had to confront anyone about a missing child before

“Hola; I was wondering if you had a daughter that was about five years old wearing her hair in braids and a little sun hat?”

“Si; is there anything you need?” the woman asked.

“Well, I saw her by the shore crying, and she was scared that she lost you while she went swimming because she couldn’t find you.”

The couple sprang from their chairs. “She’s lost!?” the man asked in shock.

“Not necessarily, my cousin made a trail of seashells in case we also got lost and couldn’t find her while we went back. We can just follow the trail of shells and we should find her.”

The couple smiled at Mirabel and Antonio and got up from their chairs. The four of them followed Antonio's trail of seashells. Antonio led the way and put each seashell back in his pail one by one. The couple felt like they were going at a snail's pace with Antonio stopping to pick up the shells, but Antonio was just excited to put the shells back to show the rest of the family. It was not long before they got to the shore and found the girl sitting at the same place she was when Mirabel and Antonio first saw her. Mirabel walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, I think we found your mami and papi," Mirabel said.

The girl looked up to see her parents behind Mirabel and Antonio. She stopped crying, smiled excitedly, and got up to run up to them and give them a hug.

"Mami! Papi! I was so scared I couldn't find you!" the girl exclaimed.

"Lo siento, querida; we're sorry that you couldn't find you. We're just happy you're okay," her mother replied.

Not that much later, Julieta and Pepa ran over to Mirabel, Antonio, and the family. "There you two are! We've been looking all over for you!" said Julieta as she gave her youngest daughter a hug.

"We saved lunch for you two since we figured you must be starving! Where were you?" Pepa asked.

"We were about to come back for lunch until we saw this little girl right here crying by the shore. She was lost so we looked for her parents."

"Are these your mamis?" the girl asked.

"Si; this is my mama, Julieta, and my tia, Pepa."

"Let me just tell you how amazing your children are. They saw my daughter crying and their first thought was to find us. You are both amazing mothers that raised your children to have the best hearts," the woman explained.

"I'm Maria, by the way. Gracias again for finding my mami and papi," the girl said.

"I'm Mirabel, and this is my cousin, Antonio."

"Maria, before you leave, I want to give you something," Antonio said as he dug through his pail of shells. He dug through until he found the rare, bright-red, heart-shaped shell he and Mirabel found before finding her. “I know you may never see us again, but I want to give you this to remember us by.”

Maria smiled as Antonio handed her the shell. “It’s the most beautiful shell I’ve ever seen. Gracias, Antonio.”

Julieta and Pepa stared in awe at the shell, along with Maria. “Where did you find that shell?” Julieta asked.

“We found it by the shore. We have no idea where it came from, but we thought it looked cool, so we took it with us,” Mirabel explained.

“Well, we’re going to keep it in a safe place when we get home. Don’t worry, Mirabel and Antonio, we will not forget you after this generous gift,” Maria’s mother said.

“We won’t forget about you either, Maria,” Mirabel replied.

Mirabel and Antonio hugged Maria one more time before they went their separate ways. As Mirabel and Antonio walked back with their mothers, they gave their youngest child one more hug.

“You know how proud we are of you,” said Pepa.

“The fact that you found a lost girl and found her parents for you says so much about both of you as people,” Julieta added.

“Gracias, mami, tia; I really do hope that they really won’t forget about us,” Mirabel replied.

“I’m sure they won’t, they will probably put that heart-shaped shell you gave them in a special box that will open whenever they feel lost,” Pepa explained.

The four of them continued walking back until they found the rest of the family by their lounging spot so Mirabel and Antonio could have their lunch. They told the rest of the family what happened when they collected the shells and told the story of the bright-red, heart-shaped shell that started it all.

[wintercosmicskye]

I designed Halkenna a spaceship! Say hello to the Midsummer Meteorite!

It’s a flying saucer-esque ship but more rounded. I actually got the name for it from animal crossing new horizons, its what i made Halkenna’s passport title lol (i might show that in a another post sometime). Forgot to mention this in the ref itself, but the windshield is what open and closes and how he gets in and out.

I think he was around 13 when he found the ship in the scrap yard, and almost 15 when he first went to Earth. I think the spaceship lasted until he was roughly halfway between 17 and 18 when it became too busted up to just keep repairing over and over like he had been until that point. (These are only rough estimates and may be adjusted as needed, I haven’t completely figured out my timeline yet). It lasted a surprisingly long time for something he found in a scrap yard that he repeatedly repaired over the years with various odds and ends. Despite already being a bit obsolete by the time he found it, the technology is still leagues better than Earth’s, as going 80,000 light years away is a fairly reasonable task for it. If that spaceship’s considered old and obsolete, makes you wonder just how advanced the newer and larger ships are.

For awhile he wasn’t sure what to name it, but he thought of it a little awhile after he started visiting Earth. The first time he went there was during the summer, and his landing was a bit rough. A few people (his soon to be girlfriend and her friend) had briefly seen it while it was in the sky, but from where they saw it it merely looked like a meteor/shooting star, granted a little brighter than usual (I’d like to think to she saw it first and made a wish, immediately followed by a hmm uhh wait that shooting star looked a little different actually, further followed by a loud but distant thump). He had luckily landed in a forest and not in the middle of civilization heheh, probably would have caused quite a few problems otherwise. Did she investigate that night or the next morning? I haven’t quite decided that part yet, I’m leaning towards that same night. I got from Bug Spray (the song) that her dad doesn’t like it when she’s out after dark. Either the friend she was with seemed mature enough to him for some lenience to stay out later and watch the stars, or it was a snuck-out situation. Or maybe she just managed to see the meteor and hear the thump from her window. Like I said before, there’s definitely still a few things i need to work out.

The Midsummer Meteorite had its pros and cons. It was fast and agile, but it had no built in weapons and had a lot wear and tear over time. Due to its small size, it would often be overlooked, and it was easy to hide away if need be as well as easily fit on larger ships. Friends he made over the years would sometimes tease him about his ship being “dinky,” but he didn’t really care. Halkenna is used to piloting defensively and a bit unpredictable, because of this he was often described to pilot “like a lunatic/maniac/idiot” (depending on how they each preferred to phrase it) and as such the majority of his friends refused to let him pilot their own ships.

He was devastated when the Midsummer Meteorite did inevitably kick the bucket. It was of course a long time coming, not only because of the damage and age, but since he had gotten it when he was only 13 he had grown taller over the years and the little ship became more confining and awkward to use (it was likely initially designed for a species a little smaller than himself). Like how a hermit crab eventually outgrows its shell and needs to find a new one, Halkenna too outgrew the ship on top of the damage done to it, and had to find something new.

It almost pains me a little to have had so much fun designing this spaceship only to ultimately decide it eventually has to be replaced, but not only does it ultimately make sense but it also kinda matches some of the themes present in the music project. Yknow like moving on and stuff, best summed up by Jami Lynne’s quote in the description of Ultranimboy A Letter to a Dying Star. Despite working fine earlier, for some reason im not able to paste things on tumblr so I can’t put the link to it, so here’s a screenshot of it instead:

I actually wonder now whether it might work even better if he decides to to move on from it before it officially kicks the bucket.

I like to think he keeps a few parts of it to add to his new ship maybe. Speaking of his new ship, im actually not sure what it would look like yet, and before you ask nooo its not gonna be the Mercury Retrograde from Omori. The Mercury Retrograde is cool and all, but the vagabond vigilante Galactic Love Defender Space Boyfriend and his newly adopted little brother Little Jack dont need a ship THAT big for just the two of them or any guest they might have, and there’d need to be a whole crew to man all that. I’m thinking there’s maybe a few separate rooms, at least a separate cockpit and bedroom to sleep in unlike before where Halkenna would either sleep in the seat or on the floor of the Midsummer Meteorite in a sleeping bag.

I’ll elaborate more about some of these things later, this post has already gotten quite long

I actually rambled a lot more than I meant to, especially considering all the stuff i already typed in the image itself lol. Anyways, I hope you like it ^v^

[kon4ka]

Challenge: Drawing D&D classes - Topic 6 - Druid 1

🐝 Druid Classic from the Circle of the Earth.🐝

Race: Hill Dwarf Background: Craftsman (or hermit)

📗 Backstory: For the first **twenty years of my life I was a blacksmith and worked in a fortress, but I never enjoyed it. As a result, on one of his rare trips with his clan, he got to the surface and was stunned by the complexity of the surrounding nature, which stretched beyond the boundaries of the forges and adits. Having returned, after some time he realized that nothing was holding him in the fortress. He was not talented and was not diligent in what he did not like, so he left the fortress and began to live in the forest, contemplating nature and learning to live according to its laws. I started an apiary and learned how to raise bees. From time to time he went on journeys to gain new knowledge.

✒ Character: Peace-loving, does not like forced, unnatural training and is generally quite slow, but whatever he does, he does it thoroughly. He understands humor a little, never gets bored in his company, and has difficulty changing his decisions.

🪢 Skills: In a sense, a jack of all trades in everyday matters. He knows how to work with ore to create weapons, but does not like to do it. A major specialist in honey, bees and similar insects. Good hearing. ✨ Features: Behind his back is a staff with a small Hive in which live the bees he bred with his own hands. Both the bee staff and the bees themselves can be used in battle (1d4 piercing damage, for now 😅). The ax was the only weapon that he took with him when he left the fortress, and since then he has served the druid faithfully.

Gestalt is closed - I ended up with a muscular, middle-aged man of atypical physique, we can go back to the girls (spoiler)

RU

🐝 Друид Классический из Круга Земли.🐝

Раса: Холмовой Дварф Предыстория: Ремесленник (или отшельник)

📗 Предыстория: Первые **ндцать лет своей жизни был кузнецом и работал в крепости но никогда не получал от этого удовольствие. В итоге в одном редких из походов со своим кланом выбрался на поверхность и был ошеломлён сложностью окружающей его природы, что простиралась за границами кузниц и штолен. Вернувшись, через некоторое время он понял, что в крепости его ничто не держит. Он не был талантлив и не был усерден в том, что ему не нравилось, так что он покинул крепость и стал жить в лесу, созерцая природу и учась жить по ее законам. Завел себе пасеку, научился разводить пчёл. Периодически пускался в странствия за новыми познаниями.

✒ Характер: Миролюбивый, недолюбливает насильное, неестественное обучение и в целом довольно медлителен, но что бы не делал - делает основательно. Туговато понимает юмор, никогда не скучает в своем обществе, с трудом меняет свои решения.

🪢 Навыки: В каком-то смысле мастер на все руки в бытовых вопросах. Умеет работать с рудой создавать оружие но не любит этого делать. Крупный специалист по мёду, пчёлам и аналогичным насекомым. Хороший слух.

✨ Особенности: За спиной посох с маленьким Ульем, в котором живут собственноручно выведенные им пчёлы. И пчелиный посох и самих пчёл может использовать в бою (1д4 колющего урона, пока 😅 ). Топор был единственным орудием, который он забрал с собой когда покидал крепость и с тех пор он служит друиду верой и правдой.

Гештальт закрыт - у меня получился мускулистый немолодой мужчина нетипичного телосложения, можно возвращаться к девочкам (спойлер)

[thistransient]

- So I went to the Taiwanese trial class with my friend. It was taught by a little old lady who was nice enough but gave me some mild flashbacks to those harrowing weeks with the Mandarin teacher of a similar age. Most of the session was her explaining the history of 台語 in Taiwan, with a side of trying to force the 8 tones and counting from 1 to 10 upon us via rote memorization. I felt a bit frustrated and not entirely thrilled, my friend was miffed that the school hadn’t explained the price they quoted was for the trial class only. We’ve decided to give it a pass and try a different school, although our scheduled trial there is on hold on account of the teacher falling ill. In the meantime my friend has begun to contemplate taking group Japanese class instead (as his partner and her kid are Japanese), which is much more widely available. I am tempted. Do I need to start half-assedly learning yet another language? Probably not. Do I want to divert my energy from Mandarin to whole-assedly learn Japanese? Also not really. Is there a high chance of following through nonetheless? At least I’m self-aware about it...

- Job applications here largely require a photo, and I need a haircut but I’m afraid to go back to the place I went in August for the big chop. The guy started cutting it while wet, then broke out the blow-dryer and kept snipping til he was satisfied, but because my hair is curly and I do not own styling product more complicated than a comb, it reverted immediately to a vague dandelion shape and took several months to actually resemble the reference photo I’d provided. The thought keeps crossing my mind to simply shave my head entirely. I had it buzzed to a 3 some ten years ago after a dye-job gone wrong and did not enjoy my appearance. Of course I look different now, and hair grows back, but the struggle between wanting the catharsis and radical change (not to mention less mess in the shower drain strainer) of a head-shave, and fearing the hassle of growing it all back out if I do truly detest it is raging inside of me.

- After coming back from Korea I may have spent one whole day languishing in bed and eating spoonfuls of peanut butter as a meal before slowly reconvening daily activities. I have been meeting some friends and going out, but I end up needing one day of hermit-like recovery for every outdoor social endeavour. I have yet to implement any kind of proper schedule (beyond “try to eat three meals and go outside at least once”), leading my friends to recommend I start by contemplating my greater, overarching goals for life. Every few years I come round to the notion of attempting a STEM degree (which would require redoing undergrad, but, as they say, “the time will pass anyways”). I think it would be really engaging to do a program taught in Chinese, and possibly motivate me to overcome my deficiencies in the math department, which is what always puts me off the whole scheme. Scientific terms are so much simpler in Mandarin because they’re extremely 顧名思義 (just as the name implies); English really shot itself in the foot with all the Greek and Latin. I don’t even need to check the dictionary to figure out 光合 means ‘photosynthesis’... Will I actually follow through with this, and live out my days happily studying trees and avoiding small talk with humans, or will I continue to trundle through life intermittently trying to teach English between bouts of autistic burnout? When I put it that way, the answer seems obvious, but this is without factoring in all the bugs that live in trees... Also wasn’t I trying to convince myself to go to grad school for what, translation? linguistics? library science? something? just a few months ago? Maybe overarching life goals are a red herring at present, and I should just get a job first and then see what kind of things I’m interested in when I have consistent disposable income to pursue them at length.

- I am, at the ripe old age of my mid-30s (I’m rounding up since my birthday is next month- again, so soon??) being forced to reconsider what it means to like someone. Perhaps on account of being socially inept and spending all of my formative years in Catholic school, I took for granted that it was that painful, infatuated pining one feels for attractive strangers or casual acquaintances who generally don’t reciprocate. In the past couple years I began to experience the strange phenomenon of having great affection for friends I’d gotten to know slowly and who became increasingly physically appealing as time wore on, but I wrote this off as Mystery Emotion X because it lacked that frantic obsession I was accustomed to. Now I suspect this may simply be a healthy manifestation of romantic attraction. I’ve often struggled with exactly what identity label the intersection of my gender, attraction pattern, and neurodivergency might land me under. I think the plot is thickening... but I will put off pursuing further clarity by going to the BDSM bar instead.

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Thursday, January 11, 2024

december 29_january 11

VENERABLE BASILISK THE HESYCHAST OF SIBERIA (1824)

The Lord said: "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become as children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). For many, at first glance, this appears easy to follow. Yet only God's chosen few, among them Basilisk of Siberia, who attained spiritual infancy by his ascetical contests (podvigs) and the unceasing Jesus Prayer, a complete lack of malice and absence of exaltation, a profound awareness of his own infirmity, and the need for God's intercession at every moment. Venerable Basilisk's path toward this summit lay through heavy sorrows and temptations.

The ascetic Basilisk (Basil, in the world) was born circa 1740 into the family of peasants in the village of Ivanish, Kalyazinsk Uyezd, Tver Governorate. His parents, Gabriel and Stephania, raised their three sons in the fear of God. From childhood, young Basil knew work and hardship, and begging for alms. Later, he was a shepherd for a while. From a young age, he was distinguished by the simplicity of his heart, his love for God, and his humble disposition.

Not daring to oppose his father, Basil agreed to marry, but soon he left the family, with his wife's consent, and began to lead a monastic way of life, at first, in the world, and then in various monasteries. For some time, he lived as a hermit in the forests of Chuvashia. Basil tried to remain in constant prayer, he did not give in to his flesh, satiety, excessive drinking, and especially sleep, keeping vigil on the eves of all the Feast Days. If sleep began to overcome him, he would make prostrations, chop wood, or sing spiritual songs. And so he spent all the Feasts toiling to the point of exhaustion, for at that time he did not yet know of the Prayer of the heart or guarding the mind. When pilgrims visited him he received them all with kindness, but if anyone asked to live with him, he refused, saying that he was sinful and slothful, and that he had vowed to live in solitude. If the person insisted, Basil meekly replied, "We cannot live together, but if you wish, remain in my cell, and I shall go elsewhere."

Once one of the wandering brethren told Basil that Hieromonk Adrian,1 an experienced Elder of exalted life, was living in the Bryansk forests with his disciples. Basil, desiring to place himself under obedience to this skilled instructor, went to him at once. Indeed, this stage of the monastic life under Elder Adrian was something new for him. Basil succeeded in his ascetical contest of fasting and toil. Soon, like a vine which is grafted and bears its fruit in due season, Basil was tonsured into the mantiya by Elder Adrian with the name Basilisk. After a while, Father Adrian was summoned by Metropolitan Gabriel of St. Petersburg to restore Konevits Monastery, and all of his disciples followed him, but Father Basilisk stayed behind to live in the solitude which he loved. Now, however, he was attacked by many temptations and passions, such as he had never before experienced. He was frequently awakened at night by terrible voices which threatened him: "You are here all alone, and there are many of us. We shall destroy you."

He fell into despondency because of this unbearable horror. Moreover, his body grew weak and sore. He ate the simplest foods, even even the most distasteful. If he did accept offerings of food from those who revered him, he himself ate next to nothing, and distributed everything to others. The Elder also carved rough wooden spoons (though he did not know how to do this properly), and gave them to visitors who rejoiced and sacrificed unstintingly for these gifts which were so dear to them.

Such was the life of the humble monk Basilisk, who devoted all his time to prayer and asceticism. It was around this time that he met his future fellow ascetic and spiritual brother, Father Zosima (Verkhovsky), who at that time was still called Zachariah, and wanted to become a hermit. The young man was attracted by the eremitic life of the Bryansk monks, but most of all, his heart was drawn to Father Basilisk.

The Elder also loved him, and later he told him: "I have always asked the Lord to send me a spiritual friend, sincere, with a warm heart, one in soul with me, for it is difficult to live alone in silence. It has been said: "One who has the support of his brother, is like a fortified city" (Proverbs 18:19); and "Woe to him who is alone" (Ecclesiastes 4:10). So, I entreated God, but I did not dare to accept anyone, waiting until the Lord Himself, by means which He alone knew, would show me such a person. From the first time I met you, my soul became attached to you with such a strong love that it seemed as if I were being told that in you, the Lord was granting my request."

In order to experience the power of arbitrariness and the firmness of young Zachariah's intention, Basilisk blessed him to live first at the cenobitic Konevits Monastery, and three years later, with Father Adrian's blessing, he took him along with him to Konevits Monastery. Although he loved Zosima as his own soul, Basilisk would not consider him as a son and a disciple, seeing that he was already quite advanced in the monastic life. He realized that the young man had surpassed him in understanding and spiritual discretion. By studying and the enlightenment of his mind, Zosima had already acquired a greater knowledge of all the patristic writings. In addition, it was Zosima who revealed to Elder Basilisk the secret monastic treasure, explaining to him the teaching about the Prayer of the Heart. Aflame with zeal, Basilisk began to pray the Jesus Prayer, which he loved so much, and trained diligently, and its fruits were not slow to appear in this simple and humble heart which sincerely loved the Lord.

Father Zosima compiled a special manuscript "Concerning the Wondrous Spiritual Activity of Prayer in Elder Basilisk," wherein he diligently recorded all the ascetic's revelations. Not only did Father Basilisk trust him with the secrets of his heart, but he also read and corrected the manuscript. Purity of heart and profound humility before God and his neighbors allowed the Elder to attain the most exalted spiritual heights.

Repeatedly he was vouchsafed the illumination of a radiant light, and was able to behold the Savior and the Most Holy Theotokos, as well as visions of heavenly bliss and the torments of Hell. Once, in the delight of his spiritual love for the Lord he was caught up out of his body into the air, and enjoyed unspeakable sweetness and bliss. The truth of Elder Basilisk's experience was attested by Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov), who, in Volume III of his ascetical writings, states that as far as he knew, during the XIX century only two monks were able to see their soul come out of the body, one of whom was Saint Basilisk.

With Father Adrian's blessing, Father Basilisk and Father Zosima spent about ten years near Konevits Monastery, engaging in monastic struggles, especially the Jesus Prayer. They helped many with their wise counsels; dozens of pilgrims visited the two ascetics, and everyone found good things in them, such as comfort and spiritual support. Father Basilisk often foresaw the changes to come in his life, or in the lives of other people, which came to pass after a while.

Then for twenty years they struggled in a hermitage in the Siberian forest near the city of Kuznetsk. A certain pious peasant promised to bring them food all winter, and then lead them out of the taiga in the spring, before the rivers flooded. Spring came, but for some reason, the peasant did not come for them. Seeing that further waiting would be useless, the hermits decided to set out on their own. They believed that they had covered forty versts in just two or three days, but in fact, their journey took more than a week. After the first few days of their trek, they realized that they were completely lost, and they did not know which direction to take. The sky was covered with clouds, the wind was howling, and the sun did not appear at all. Submitting themselves to God's will, they travelled, sometimes guided by the sun, and on cloudy days, by the bark of trees. The bark of aspen trees is darker on the northern side, and lighter on the southern side.

Their clothing and footwear were worn out, the food supply was diminishing, and they had less and less strength left. Their path took them over mountains and through valleys without forests. Father Basilisk's snowshoes did not have tailpieces, so it was difficult for him to climb hills, and he often slid backwards, which exhausted him even more. Elder Zosima's snowshoes had tail-pieces, and so he pulled the sled by himself. One day a strong wind arose, and brought heavy snow and frost, which made it difficult for the monks to go on. Suddenly the leather straps on Elder Basilisk's snowshoes broke, but it was impossible to mend them during the icy snowstorm, and then it grew dark. They came to a group of small fir trees, and built a fire with some twigs. The wind kept putting the fire out, and so they got little sleep. The next day they came to a river which they had to cross. After the frost of the previous night, the water appeared to be frozen solid. Father Basilisk, who was shorter and lighter, crossed the river without difficulty. Father Zosima was heavier, and just before he reached the other side, and he fell through the ice and he began to sink, plunging chest deep into the water. Because his snowshoes were stuck in the ice and snow, Father Zosima could not bend over to undo the straps.

Elder Basilisk's strength was not sufficient to pull the drowning man out. "Then," Father Zosima recalled, "I was desperate to stay alive. Because of the straps, my feet were stuck in the snowshoes, and the snowshoes themselves were bogged down in the river, in the ice and snow. It was impossible for me to stand up and climb ashore, or to bend over and get my snowshoes out of the water. My Elder, seeing that I was trapped, did not know how to help. Then we cried out to the Mother of God: 'Most Holy Sovereign Lady Theotokos, now is the time for you to help.'

"I asked the Elder to give me his hand, telling him: 'Perhaps the Mother of God will have mercy on me if I hold onto your hand. If not, I will let go so that I do not pull you in as well, and I shall die here alone.'

Unexpectedly, Father Zosima stepped ashore with such ease and speed that it seemed he had not been in the water at all. He could not recall how his feet were freed from the snowshoes, which were secured by leather straps. He said, "For the sake of His Mother, our Sovereign Lady the Most Holy Theotokos, the Lord God wanted me to remain alive, so that I might reveal my Elder's abundant grace."

A few more days went by, and the exhausted travelers got up and moved forward, comforted by God's mercy, but even more exhausted by their adventure, they were unable to go on. Fortunately, Father Basilisk had flint and steel to make a spark to light the tinder. These items were not on the sled which Father Zosima was pulling, and that was quite soaked along with its entire load.

Finally, they saw the tracks of a dog, then a man's footprint, and at last a village appeared in the distance! Their joy was so great that they wept copious tears of gratitude toward God for preserving them throughout their many trials. They praised God, not only for sparing their lives, but also for preventing them from complaining and losing all hope in His mercy.

For a long time they remained in the village to rest. Elder Basilisk was paralyzed for more than two months, and he could neither drink nor eat, but gradually he regained his strength. The younger Father Zosima recovered faster and helped him in all things. They went to another village where they were given warm clothing. Then the two Elders were driven to the District Office, where they knew a clerk. They were not detained very long, and were driven to the city of Kuznetsk. There people also took care of them, but they were so weak that they could not eat normal food. For nearly two months they ate only light foods in small amounts. They remained at Kuznetsk for three months, until they regained their strength.

Elders Zosima and Basilisk lived in the wilderness for twenty-four years, but in 1799 the Elders, who were of one heart, soul, and mind, parted and lived in separate cells for the sake of greater silence. They found a suitable spot fifty versts from Kuznetsk. They refrained from visiting each other, preserving their solitude until Saturday, especially on Wednesday and Friday. On Sundays and Feast Days they would spend time together reading and having spiritual conversations, and strolling through their remote surroundings. In the spring, when there are not yet many herbs, they walked through various places in the forests, mountains and valleys, and did not return for two weeks, taking with them fire, a pot, and some crackers. Devout lovers of Christ occasionally visited the two Elders, and brought supplies to them.

They resolved not to accept any money from anyone, but only the simplest meager donations, such as food and clothing. The ascetics tried to repay them with their needlework. Father Basilisk made pottery, and Father Zosima made wooden dishes. Such was their outward life, but it is impossible to describe what took place in the depths of their souls, for no words can describe accurately the inner life of true desert dwellers. It has been said: "Those who dwell in the desert partake of a constant divine aspiration which is free of worldly care and confusion" (Anabathmoi Tone 1).However, "having lit a candle, they did not place it under a bushel, but on a lampstand" (Matthew 5:15). It was pleasing to the Lord that since they had acquired the highest virtues, they should now labor for the salvation of others.

Anisya Kotokhova, from the city of Kuznetsk, wanted to live a monastic life. There were no monasteries nearby, and it was too far to go to Russia, and she decided to ask the Elders for spiritual guidance. They consented, and she subjected her own will to them. Anysia settled in a village on the banks of the Tom River, and other girls began gathering around her. Elder Basilisk often visited them, nurturing and instructing them in the monastic life, sometimes he sent Father Zosima to them. Soon it became apparent that it was difficult for the women to live a monastic life among the laity. Something had to be done about moving the nuns to some vacant monastery. The Bishop of Tobolsk agreed to give them such a monastery suitable for their needs in the city of Turinsk, and Father Zosima petitioned the Holy Synod to have this former men's monastery redesignated as one for women.

Thus, the Saint Nicholas-Turinsk Monastery was revived, and Saint Basilisk spent his last years nearby in seclusion. Because of his advanced age he often lived for a long time in the Monastery itself. It was there, during a time of turmoil and Elder Zosima's unjust persecution, that he appeared in a dream to two members of the Commission of Inquiry, exhorting them to acquit and protect his spiritual friend and sotainik2 because of his complete innocence.

Elder Basilisk's blessed repose occurred on December 29, 1824, and he predicted the time of his departure beforehand. On the day before, he confessed and received the Holy Mysteries of Christ. A peasant who served him until his death put his hand to the departing desert dweller's chest and felt that the dying man's heart was still beating. Until his very last breath he prayed aloud and with words: "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God," his soul departed as if he had fallen asleep. Even after the soul had left his body, his heart is still beat for a long time. Four days after Saint Basilisk's repose, Elder Zosima arrived in Turinsk with some nuns to find that Elder Basilisk had not been buried. His appearance was like that of a Saint, so that no one could look at him without a feeling of reverence.

Father Zosima invited an artist to paint his portrait. Elder Basilisk would not allow this during his lifetime because of his profound humility. Three more days passed until the artist completed his work. Before his burial on the seventh day, when they took the Elder's body out of the coffin to wrap it in the monastic mantiya, it was found to be quite flexible. Elder Zosima and some of the nuns carried the coffin. The holy ascetic Basilisk was buried at Turinsk Monastery behind the altar on the northern side.

Father Zosima returned to Tyumen with the sisters, but Anisya Kotokhova, one of the older nuns, was devoted to Elder Basilisk. She remained in the Monastery to comfort those who were saddened because they had been left behind.

In 1913, a stone chapel dedicated to the Holy Martyr Basiliskos of Comana (May 22) was built over the Elder's grave, and it was consecrated in 1914. It was visited by many worshippers, who often served panikhidas, praying for the repose of the beloved ascetic revered by all. In Soviet times, both the temple and the chapel were destroyed, and garages were built on that site. The holy relics of the Venerable one were discovered in 2000. There were several cases of healing and spiritual help after people prayed to him.

The Sisters of New Tikhvin Monastery prepared documents and sent them to the Canonization Commission, and Saint Basilisk of Siberia was glorified in 2004.

Elder Basilisk's entire life shows us an example of complete self-denial and fulfilling the commandment to love God and one's neighbor. He possessed no worldly wisdom, but he received wisdom from the Lord above. Because of his humility, he attained the heights of virtue, and by his example he bore witness to the truthfulness of the Gospel's words: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

Some relics of Saint Basilisk are located in the Yekaterinburg village of Elizabeth, in the temple dedicated to the All-Merciful Savior.

1 Basil Ivanovich Blinskiy († March 28, 1812) 2 A sharer in the monastic mystery.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:15-21

15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

MARK 11:27-33

27 Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. 28 And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?" 29 But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: 30 The baptism of John-was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me. 31 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?' 32 But if we say, 'From men' -they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. 33 So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know." And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."