#old-field goldenrod

[thebotanicalarcade]

n14_w1150 by Biodiversity Heritage Library Via Flickr: [Water-color sketches of plants of North America and Europe] biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48296572

[vandaliatraveler]

Despite being a pioneer plant associated with old fields and disturbed sites, gray goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis) is one of my personal favorites of the thirty-odd species that grow in Central Appalachia. This bold colonizer is notable for its short, droopy stature, golden-yellow flowers that only grow on one side of stem, a reddish-purple main stem, and narrow, lanceolate leaves with fine hairs. In short, it's a perfect little bumblebee magnet with a great form factor for a native wildflower garden.

[faguscarolinensis]

Solidago nemoralis / Old Field Goldenrod at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University in Durham, NC

[jtfieldsiii]

Jack of the Wood, of the Green, of the Tales, of Many Names.

I wanted to lean a bit into the whole “aura of summer” he has going on occasionally and got a bit self indulgent. All the species depicted (except one) are found within the Appalachian mountain range.

[mingi-s-dimples]

weird request..? ( kinda ) it’s me lis😚 i love your work bia and i really REALLY want a demon hongjoong fic 🪦 maybe add some praising and choking kink as well…🤭🤭 i recently saw a picture of him that added to the “joong demon agenda” AND OH BOY 🫠🫠 love you 😚❤️

Crimson Nights - Hongjoong

REQUEST BY: @mingleshine (or how y'all might know her, my lovely Lis) she also made the banner ���😋 had to use it for my love.

pairing: demon/incubus!hongjoong x fem!reader

rating: 18+

genre: romance, demon x human, love not necessarily filth (but a little bit cause I love writing filth hihi)

summary: the sillhouette you've always been dreaming and painting about finally finds it's way in your room, giving you what you've been longing for.

WC: 3.5k

warnings: demon au, incubus!hongjoong x human fem!reader, choking kink, neck marking, marking, a sprinkle of praise, pet names (sweetie, darling, princess), ramming (if this is even a warning), hard deep and needy longing love (joong appeared in reader's dreams for years), choking, huge dick!hongjoong, slight belly bulging (he was a big guy hihi), eyes glistering with lust and changing as soon as they're finished, sharp nails (said marking + hickeys), biting, a little bit of cnc maybe from his perspective reader was all down for it, possesiveness, claiming reader (you/re mine/I already claimed you), completely consesual, unprotected (WRAP UP IRL!), slapping/spanking, orgasms (both m&f), fluff (if you squint but I promise there is fluff cause wdym Hongjoong has waited years for reader to be ready to invite him in her world and how he talks to her at the end ansadka I'm blushing), probably forgot something !

Author's Note: I loved writing this one. The description in the beginning made me absolutely looooooooooooooooooove writing this fic, I've always loved to describe nice, vintage/retro like things/rooms. Tysm love for the request andddd can't wait for another one from you hihi <3 love you always, enjoy this one ^^ also I love when u call me bia it makes something in me go insane nshdajkndsma

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction & does not represent in any way the reality of the member.

The room was a sanctuary of warmth and color, tucked away in an old manor where the whispers of time lingered in the wooden beams. As you stepped inside, the scent of aged wood and crackling fire filled the air, mingling with the faint aroma of dried leaves that had drifted in through the slightly open window. The walls were adorned with paintings of every size, each one a vivid portrayal of autumn’s embrace. Rich hues of amber, gold, and crimson spilled from the canvases, capturing scenes of forests bathed in the gentle light of a setting sun, of fields where goldenrod swayed in the cool breeze, and of paths carpeted in a mosaic of fallen leaves.

The floor, covered in a thick, russet-hued rug, creaked softly underfoot, adding to the room’s rustic charm. A grand oak table sat in the center, its surface cluttered with brushes, palettes, and jars of paint that seemed to mirror the fiery shades of the season. On a nearby easel, a half-finished painting depicted a lone maple tree, its leaves a brilliant cascade of oranges and reds against the backdrop of a fading twilight sky.

Outside, the trees rustled softly in the wind, their branches bare save for a few stubborn leaves clinging to their last moments of life. The windowpanes rattled gently, as if echoing the sighs of the season, and through them, the distant cry of a flock of geese could be heard, their silhouettes barely visible against the dusky horizon. The room, bathed in the soft glow of a nearby lamp, seemed to pulse with the rhythm of autumn itself, a place where the beauty of the season was captured and eternalized within the frames on the walls.

You’ve been having some weird dreams lately. The dreams were always drenched in shadows, where reality blurred and the world seemed suspended between night and twilight. In them, you found yourself standing in a vast, moonlit field, where the air was thick with an unspoken tension. The only light came from a ghostly crescent moon, casting long, eerie shadows that danced across the landscape. It was in these shadows that you first saw him — a silhouette against the silver light, imposing, with a presence that sent a shiver down your spine and yet held your gaze captive.

He was not like any man you had ever seen. His form was humanoid but dark, almost as if he were carved from the very night itself. Yet, it was his eyes—those glowing embers hidden within the depths of shadow—that drew you in. They were the color of molten gold, burning with an intensity that made your heart race, eyes that seemed to see right through you, into the deepest corners of your soul.

Despite his demonic appearance, you felt an inexplicable pull toward him, a magnetic force that defied all logic. Each night, the dreams grew more vivid, more intense. You would find yourself standing just a breath away from him, feeling the heat of his presence and the chill of the night air against your skin. His gaze would meet yours, holding you in place, and in that moment, you felt a strange mix of fear and desire. It was as if his eyes were speaking to you, whispering promises of secrets untold, of passions that could only exist in the world of dreams.

Sometimes, you could hear his voice—a deep, resonant sound that echoed in the silence, filled with both menace and allure. He would reach out, his hand almost touching you, but the dream would always end before you had made contact, leaving you waking with a longing you couldn’t quite understand. The sensation of his gaze lingered among you, haunting your waking hours, making you yearn for the night when she would see him again.

In these dreams, you were not afraid. The darkness did not frighten you, nor did his otherworldly form. Instead, you felt drawn into the mystery, consumed by the curiosity of who he was and why you felt such a strong connection to him. Each night you slipped into the sheets, so willingly, eager to return to that shadowy place where the lines between fear and desire blurred, and where you felt more alive than you ever did in the daylight.

The air in the room was thick with anticipation, the kind that made every breath feel heavy. You stood in the center of the old, dimly lit room, the flickering candlelight casting long shadows that danced on the walls. The atmosphere was charged with an electric tension, a sensation you knew all too well from your dreams.

You had been here before—in those haunting visions that gripped you in the dead of night, where the lines between fear and desire blurred into something irresistible. But tonight was different. This time, you were awake. This time, it was real.

The temperature dropped suddenly, and a shiver ran down your spine. The shadows in the corners of the room seemed to coalesce, gathering into a single point of darkness that deepened until it was almost tangible. Your breath hitched as the air hummed with an otherworldly energy. The shadows twisted, taking form, and your heart pounded in your chest as you watched.

Slowly, he emerged from the darkness—a figure of impossible beauty and terrifying power. His skin was pale, almost luminescent against the darkness, and his eyes glowed with a deep, unnatural fire. They were the eyes that had haunted you in your sleep, eyes that saw through you, into you, but you yet had a desire to meet him. His presence filling the room, cloaked in darkness that seemed to cling to him like a living thing.

His lips curled into a knowing smile, one that sent a jolt of both fear and longing through you. It was the smile that had always made you feel like you were teetering on the edge of something dangerous, something thrilling. His voice, when he finally spoke, was a low, velvety rumble that seemed to reverberate through your very bones.

"So, we meet at last," he said, his tone laced with a dark amusement. "You've been dreaming of meeting me, haven't you?" 

You tried to speak, but the words caught in your throat. It was as if the reality of his presence had stolen your voice, leaving you with nothing but the rapid beating of your heart and the heat that flushed your skin.

He stepped closer, his movements fluid, almost serpentine. Every step he took seemed to pull you in, your body betraying you as it leaned towards him, yearning for the touch you knew would burn but also ignite something within you.

"You've been calling out to me, every night," he continued, his gaze never leaving yours. "And now, here I am." 

He was close enough now that you could feel the cold radiating from him, mingling with the warmth of your own body. The scent of him was intoxicating, a mix of something dark and forbidden, like smoke and spices you couldn't name. It made your head dizzy, your thoughts tangling with desire and dread.

He reached out, his fingers brushing against your cheek, and the contact sent a shockwave through you. His touch was cold, but it sparked something deep within, a fire that you had only ever felt in your dreams. It was a sensation that bordered on pain, but also pleasure—a perfect, terrifying balance.

"Why do you fear me?" he whispered, his breath ghosting over your skin. "I am what you desire most, am I not?"

You swallowed hard, finally finding your voice, though it was barely more than a whisper. "Who are you?"

His smile widened, a flash of sharp teeth that should have frightened you, but instead, it only made your heart race faster. "I am everything you've ever feared, everything you've ever wanted. I am the darkness in your soul, the fire in your blood. I am yours."

The words wrapped around you like a spell, binding you to him in a way that felt both inevitable and inescapable. You knew, deep down, that this was what you had been searching for, what your soul had been yearning for in those lonely, desperate moments between sleep and wakefulness.

“W-what’s your name?” you said, your head dizzy from what he made you feel deep inside you.

“I’m Hongjoong.. nice to meet you, princess.”

His hand slid from your cheek to the back of your neck, pulling you closer until there was nothing between you but a breath, a heartbeat. His eyes burned into yours, and you felt yourself falling into them, into him, as if you had always belonged there.

"You have nothing to fear," he murmured, his lips hovering over yours, close enough to feel their coolness. "We are one, you and I. And now, you will never be alone again."

As his lips finally met yours, the world around you seemed to fade, dissolving into darkness. All that remained was the heat of his kiss, the cold fire of his touch, and the knowledge that you had finally found what you had been seeking all along—him.

He stopped kissing you, a heady silence falling between, thick with the weight of what was about to happen. His hands, cold yet searing with an undeniable heat, trailed down your neck with a slow, deliberate touch, making you shiver. His eyes locked onto yours, burning with an intensity that made your knees weak. You could feel the pull, the magnetic force drawing you closer, deeper into him, and you knew there was no escape—only surrender.

With a fluid, almost predatory grace, he lowered you onto the bed. The mattress yielded under your weight, and the cool sheets sent a shiver through your body. He hovered over you, his presence overwhelming, his gaze never wavering from yours as he gently eased you down, guiding your back to the softness beneath. The world outside seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of you in a bubble of darkness and desire.

His lips found your throat, pressing soft, lingering kisses that ignited every nerve in your body. The sensation was intoxicating, a mixture of warmth and cold that made your skin tingle with anticipation. His kisses were like whispers against your flesh, trailing down to your collarbone, each touch a promise of more to come. His sharp teeth, grasping your skin, receiving some whines out of you. 

You gasped as his hands slid under the fabric of your shirt, his fingers cool against the heated skin of your waist. His touch was slow, sensual, exploring every inch of you as if committing your body to memory. He leaned in closer, his breath hot against your ear, sending another shiver down your spine.

“Do you feel that?” he whispered, his voice like velvet, dark and rich. “The way your body responds to mine? The way you tremble under my touch?”

His lips traced the curve of your shoulder, then continued their journey downward, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. His fingers followed, brushing against your sides, your hips, as he moved lower. He was taking his time, savoring every moment, every reaction you gave him.

When his lips reached the edge of your shirt, he paused, his gaze flicking up to meet yours. There was a question in his eyes, one that didn’t need to be spoken aloud, and your answer was in the way you arched your back, pressing your body into his touch, craving more. A satisfied smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he pulled your shirt higher, exposing more of your skin to the cool air.

He kissed along your stomach, his lips lingering on every inch of bare flesh he uncovered, each kiss sending a jolt of pleasure through you. His hands were everywhere, caressing, teasing, and you couldn’t help the soft moan that escaped your lips as he continued his exploration. The sound seemed to please him, a dark glint of satisfaction in his eyes as he looked up at you from beneath his lashes.

His mouth moved lower, his kisses growing more insistent, more demanding, and you could feel the tension building within you, coiling tighter with each passing second. His touch was like a drug, addicting, overwhelming, and you were helpless to do anything but give in to the sensations he was pulling from you.

When he finally moved back up to capture your lips again, it was with a hunger that took your breath away. His kiss was deep, consuming, as if he was trying to devour every part of you, to claim you as his own. You could taste the darkness on his lips, the promise of something forbidden, something you had craved in your dreams but had never fully understood until now.

He pulled back slightly, his forehead resting against yours, his breath mingling with your own in the small space between you. “You are mine,” he whispered, the words more a declaration than a question. “Every part of you, every breath, every heartbeat. Mine.”

And as he kissed you again, slow and deep, you knew that he was right. There was no turning back, no escape. You were his, body and soul, and the thought of it sent a thrill through you that was equal parts fear and desire. As his hands continued their exploration, as his lips found every sensitive spot on your skin, you surrendered completely to the darkness, to him, knowing that you were lost and yet finally found.

Your hands found their way through his hair, rubbing the nape of his neck. He took that as a challenge and as one of his hands was travelling around your body, all touchy on your thighs and waist, the other one went for your neck, putting pressure, almost like choking you. It only made you yearn for more as you squirmed under him, his gaze never leaving your needy eyes.

“I can see it in your eyes, princess. How much you want me, how much you need me. Do you want me to let you give in or… will you let me make you mine?” he said as he pressed down on your neck, hovering his lips over your collarbones, leaving soft, sloppy kisses, waiting for your response. 

But as you didn’t say anything, only moving underneath him, in wish of some friction, he understood your movements and manhandled you on your back, pressing your face into the mattress. 

“See, darling? Your body language is everything to me. The way it speaks to me… in no way you’d be able to portray by words” he whispered, his eyes glistening with lust and desire, eating you as a whole. 

“Joong- i- “ you mumbled, trying to get ahold of yourself, his dick struggling inside the rough fabric of the leather jeans, creating a prominent tent. All of this mess caused by you and your little dreams formed a loop of stroking his cock for a few seconds before rubbing his thigh up and down, all through the tightening cloth. 

His calm, yet lustful, twisted expression gave you an understanding on how much he wanted you, how bad he craved putting you on all fours, head buried in the mattress, holding your hands and pounding into you like the demon he was. 

Trembling hands gripping the silk sheets, your bottom lip quivered involuntarily as breathless pants left your mouth, Hongjoong behind you, squeezing and occasionally slapping your ass. It was already red… at how much he fondled with it.

“So… should I.. finally claim you, princess?” he said as he turned you over to face him. He started undressing you, slowly but surely getting rid of everything. You were now laying bare in front of him, goosebumps visible on your entire body from the cold yet inviting touch he had.

He pulled you into him by your waist, making you gasp once you felt his hard erection press against your thigh. "Feel that, princess? Gonna fill you up nicely" he whispered, his breath stuttering against your face, like he was a feral animal wanting to destroy you. 

As he unbuckled his leather pants and got rid of them, unveiling his already dripping cock, you were left amazed by the size. You expected.. the size.. cause he was a demon, after all, but...

"Oh, fuck" you exhaled when he went between your thighs, his red angry tip pressing and slowly moving up and down on your folds.

"You good, darling? he grunted as he pushed himself inside you, no warning. You softly moaned at the sensation, but as you realised he put only his tip in, you braced yourself on the mattress and when he pushed himself just a little bit more, you whined and tears started forming at the corner of your eyes. As he wiped them soflty, he let you adjust to his size but you never quite completely did.

Pain and pleasure hovered over you, heavy mist in the air and breathing. He lifted you up, still bouncing slowly on his cock, holding you close to his chest. It was it you were making love to your demon.. this was exactly what was happening. Slow, lustful, desireful thrusts, moves and touches, soft kisses from your neck to your collarbones, sucking dark spots on your fair soft skin.

You suddenly moved and twitched as he bottomed down, to which he pushed you down even further, feeling how a small bulge was forming in your belly, almost visible.

"Princess, stop moving. I might actually hurt you if you move without warning" he said as he dug his sharp nails into the flesh of your waist, leaving soft bleeding marks on your skin. You whined at the pain but damn... it turned you on so bad, arousal dripping on his balls, from below you as you bounced on him more forcefully, not caring about the pain anymore, which had turned into utmost pleasure.

Hongjoong was all touchy with you, he was like this... maybe because he was longing you how much you were longing to meet him? All of these years you've seen him in your dreams... all of the paintings and stories you've made up of him, all because you wanted to meet the mysterious entity in your dream and... you were over the moon for him. How he fucked you so good, how he took you under his influence, his voice, his fangs, as he dug them suddenly in your neck, getting soft choked moans out of your rapidly rising chest.

Only sloppy sounds could be heard from between the two of you, soft and slow stuttering moves, arching your back with every thrust of his. It's true.. he was basically ramming into you, feeling like he could destroy your insides any moment. But at the same time.. there was some kind of slowness, caring to it, deeply pounding into you but making sure you slowly take every single inch of his length, while he gave you soft kisses. One of his hands found it's way to your breasts, playing with your nipple as he received a whine out of you. You were already close, your head getting dizzier, cloudy with the thought of the dirty things you've done with your... demon.

His hands all over your back, leaving scratches and his lips leaving spots on your skin. This is how fucked up you were.. but you were close to finishing, and as he rammed into you a couple of more times and felt how your core bursted, you creamed on his cock, leaving out moans and cries of arousal, tears falling down your cheeks. He fucked you through your orgasm, overstimulating you. He later came inside your aching and throbbing pussy, slowing down his thrusts and then finally comming to a stop.

"Such a good girl you are... such a good girl for me. Is that right?" he whispered.

Both of your fluids were dripping down your legs and on his thighs as he let you fall slowly on the ruined bed sheets. He could feel... even smell how your blood boiled for him, how aroused you were.

"Everything good, darling?" he said as he wiped down your tears, rubbing your trembling thighs slowly. "Mhm? Are you feeling okay?"

"Uh, yes, Joong. It was incredible... " you said and he gave you a kiss on your forehead.

"You know.. y/n. I've been longing for this moment... for years. Ever since I first appeared in your dreams... but I had to wait until you finally wanted it to happen. Now I'm here, sweetie. I'm here.. I'll stay here forever. You're mine and I'm yours.. remember?" his eyes changed colours, from a deep red that appeared when he pushed you on the bed... to a soft hazel-like colour.

"You can't escape my grip anyways. I already claimed you before inviting me in your life..." he said and hugged you thightly.

"Hongjoong... I've always wanted to meet you.. the mysterious entity haunting, appearing in my dreams. I was so eager to meet that sillhouette... you won't ever understand." you said and gave in, curling up into a ball in his grip.

"Don't worry.. I'm here and I won't ever leave, as I said" he reassured you, stroking your hair slowly and biting your neck again, marking his terittory once again for the night.

[danceswithsporks]

Centered-Preview

Part 5 of the Complete Series

Hunter x Jedi Master!fem reader

Authors notes: Working through my writers block and decided to try my hand at writing the preview for Hunters story. If you don’t know who Ashla is then I highly recommend going to read Techs story Warm. (As well as the other stories 😉).

I hope you all look forward to Centered!

Now I usually don’t add any music to my previews but I just can’t get this song and the scene out of my head. The entire scene will be amazing, I promise, but for now here’s a little glimpse.

Ethereal, you looked ethereal walking through the flower fields of Tenoo. “Commander, we should be getting Ashla back to Pabu.” He followed after you with his niece in his arms securely. It was crazy to think that a year ago he had never thought of holding an infant and yet here he was. Holding the child like she was the entire galaxy. 

“Slow down and take a moment to smell the wildflowers, Sargent.” Turning around, you walked over to him and carefully pulled the 9-month-old from his arms. “Come along Ashla. Let me teach you about flowers.” 

He would have fought you about taking Ashla away but you gave him a glance that made him trust you. “Five minutes and then we��re heading back to the Marauder.” Hunter followed as you began to walk through the fields once more. 

“And this is a Goldenrod.” You knelt next to the flower and ran a finger against the petal. Ashla cooed and reached for the yellow plant. Carefully, you plucked it. “It means good fortune.” A small white flower sat next to the goldenrod. “This is primrose. It means youth and optimism.”

Optimism, when was the last time he’d been optimistic about something? This entire trip he’d been negative towards you while you’d been bright and optimistic. He watched as you pointed to a purple flower and fought to remember its name. “Stock.” The name came back to him from one of the books he’d read. “It means lasting beauty.” With a few steps, he crossed the gap between you three and stood next to you. 

“That’s right, Sergeant.” It was a surprise to you that he knew that. “What about this one?” You held up a pink and yellow flower. 

“Alstroemeria.” He carefully wrapped his hand around yours and pushed it towards Ashla. “It means friendship.” 

You stared at him and nodded. “Yeah.” Was this his way of extending the olive branch? Your fight had been over a week ago and while you had tried to apologize and go back to how you’d been. He’d been difficult. “This one?” You pointed to the next flower, a purplish-blue flower, and moved to sit down. Ashla was turned and placed into your lap so she could watch Hunter. “Watch your ba’vodu, Ashla. Perhaps we will both learn something.” 

Hearing you call him her uncle in mando’a was a surprise. Yes, he should have expected you to be able to speak mando’a since you’d been a Commander of your unit of clones. But you hadn’t spoken it in front of him yet. Of course, you’d only known each other for three months. “Hydrangea. This one, evaar’la aliit, stands for heartfelt.” He reached next to you while making eye contact, his own chocolate eyes pulled into your warm ones, and plucked a pink flower. “And this pink carnation stands for forgiveness.” Placing the hydrangea and the carnation next to one another, he took one of your hands and slid them into it. “Put them together and you get.” 

“A heartfelt apology.” You whispered it softly as your hand wrapped around his and the stems of the flowers. Squeezing it, you nodded to him. “Thank you, Hunter.” You stared at the pink Carnation for a moment. “There’s also another meaning for the pink carnation.” 

Right, he’d forgotten about that. He paused for a moment and bit his lip. After a moment of thinking, he nodded. “It does.” 

He wasn’t taking it back? What did that mean? The baby in your lap cooed softly making you look down at her. She rubbed at her little brown eyes. “Looks like someone is sleepy.” You carefully picked the child back up and placed her against your shoulder and chest. 

“It’s been a full day for her.” He reached over and placed a hand on her little back. “We should head back to the shop. Chai and Tech will be worried.” He hadn’t had a chance to call them and tell them they’d rescued the child. 

“A few more moments? I haven’t been to a place this beautiful since before the fall of the Jedi.” You held Ashla close while looking around. All around you were countless wildflowers with so many meanings. Hunter had picked the flower that meant forgiveness and affection. Your mind tried to make sense of what it could all mean besides his apology. How could he feel affection for you when you’d only known each other for a few months? With a sigh, you carefully laid back against the ground and stared up at the sky while Ashla lay on your chest.

“Pabu is pretty nice. I think you’ll like it when we return Ashla.” The sight of you with the child lying in the grass made him bite back a sigh. Instead, he bit his lip while looking around. The Marauder would be refilled soon and ready to continue your trip. He picked another flower and held it in front of your face awkwardly. 

“For me?” You stared at the flower in surprise. He nodded carefully before looking away from you and towards the setting sun. Now things were clear. You rolled carefully to the side and placed a sleeping Ashla on a bed of wildflowers. “This is Jasmin.” 

“I know.” Can as a whisper from the clone. 

You licked your lips nervously. “This means love, beauty an-“ 

“I know.” He cradled your cheek carefully. “Tell me to stop and I will.” Hunter couldn’t deny his feelings anymore. From the moment he found you in that bar he’d known you were special. Not just because you were a surviving Jedi. But because you exuded an air of kindness. You were too beautiful for the rundown shack of a bar you’d been working at. During the time you’d been traveling together, he’d seen that kindness in action. From the way you handled those children on Pandora to the way you freed those slaves on Zygerria. Your sweet nature was far too good for the darkness that now enveloped the galaxy. Your beauty was too pristine for the roughness of the places you went. He couldn’t stand it anymore, he needed you to understand what you did to him.

Nervously, you swallowed before nodding. You didn’t need to be a Jedi to know what he would do next. But it still was a surprise. Your stoic and hardened Sargent who was by the books to a fault, was going to kiss you. Your eyes closed and after a moment you felt the roughness of his chapped lips against yours.

Taglist:

@rndmpeep @sarahskywalker-amadala @queenariesofnarnia @idoubleswearimawriter @bambambunny @ravenclawbitch426 @jupitersaturnapollo @mzjakao @heylosers06 @dangraccoon @impala1967666 @andrakass2 @ducks118 @motte-the-goblin @rintheemolion @merkitty49 @jediknightjana @onyxtides @moon-wrecked @mssbridgerton @griffedeloup

[spayki]

ending summer summer ends with a yellow bloom of goldenrod already autumn steals greenery from birch leaves throws the warm colors to the ground above the walls of corn he raises old threads summer ends in the quiet reverie of birds the young raised silent before departure the nests are already empty for the autumn rain results in the onset of a mushroom flavor summer ends with the breath of the earth in the fields he will rest in the confinement of chapped clods the perseids of august onęty dreams in the silent night I look out for yesterday again.Good evening everyone!!!!!!

[pkmnathlete]

What's up?

元気? It's your soon-to-be Pokéathlon Medalist Extraordinaire, Haruto (that's 陽翔, for you kanji fanatics)! Out on the field, they also call me Helios, the shining sun. Choose as you wish! I'm 23, and I go by he/him!

This soaring star's origin story all begins in Johto's Goldenrod City! I stuck around the home rather than journeying to take care of my old man after he got injured at sea, but I spent a buncha time in the National Park, running circles around those local Beedrill!

Since then, my accomplishments include serving as a Gym Trainer for Gym Leader Bugsy, studying Sports Psychology at Naranja-Uva Academy all the way out in Paldea, and now starting my journey as a Pokéathlete!

My main team is full of little guys I've met full of fightin' spirit: Sunny, the Sunkern who's gonna go all the way, Peepy, my hardboiled little Togepi, and Ommy, my cool, calm, and collected Meditite!

I've also got my old gym team with me: Slicey-Dicey, who's really sweet once you get past the scissor hands, Pewwy, who's a bit explosive, and Stabby, who's got, like... zero chill. She's hella fast though!

Looking forward to seeing you all on the training field! Later, rivals! (OOC below cut.)

General warning for unreality of the Pokémon variety!

Hello, it's Ace of @aceoflilies (she/he) out here with yet another Pokéblog! Both mod (21) and muse are adult, if uncomfortable with that feel free to block!

I decided to make Haruto since I realized there's not much coverage of Pokéathlons here, and I recently spent several months in the Kansai region of Japan, where Johto is based off of! As such, Haruto will sometimes use "Kantonian" (Japanese). I'll put translations in the tags. (I should mention, I am NOT Japanese myself. Let me know if I absolutely mess something up, I'll fix it.)

Haruto is mostly going to be low-stakes, but has some (moderate) darker aspects to his background that might be explored in mini-arcs. Any specifics would be warned and tagged, of course! (I'm also open to involving him in medium-to-high-stakes Johto events!)

He's also more than a bit of a flirt. I won't direct that on other blogs that aren't my own without asking first though! And though I'll generally avoid explicit content, if something is suggestive it'll be tagged as such (#suggestive).

Anyways, that aside, I use the usual tags: #pkmn irl and #pokeblogging. Asks will be tagged as #haruto answers. OOC notes will be tagged as #//(content).

Hope you enjoy him!

[rustbeltjessie]

Field Trip to Sanders Park and State Natural Area, Part Two (September 15, 2023):

Cottonwood tree and memorial

Orange Touch-me-not

cracked tree

Wood fern

yellow fungus that looks like vomit

Bottlebrush grass

Zigzag goldenrod

Smilax

Old-Growth Forest Network

[kittypets-unite-au]

Worldbuilding Tidbits: RiverClan Territory

General description: RiverClan territory is a mix between a grassland and a marsh, with many streams intersecting the territory. Their territory to the very west is a twoleg campsite, but thankfully it’s rare for them to venture far into their land. The grasses range from short to long, and trees, while fairly sparse compared to ThunderClan, are still show up. Trees include willows, magnolia, birches, cottonwoods, maples, cypresses, and hornbeams, with the occasional pine or fir trees growing toward the northeast near fourtrees. Common undergrowth includes yarrow, reeds, rushes, bulrushes, cornflowers, dandelions, spotflowers, baneberry bushes, buckeye bushes, winterberry bushes, dogtooth violets, snakeroot, foxgloves, garlic, leeks, honeysuckles, brambles, cattails, water lilies, sedges, ragweed bushes, asters, chaffweeds, lilacs, thimbleweeds, ferns, goldenrod, goldenseal, marigolds, and wormwoods.

Common prey: Trouts, salmon, perches, carps, bass, bluegills, wipers, catfish, breams, pikes, dances, chubs, walleyes, minnows, salmon, water voles, water shrews, wood ducks, ducks, grebe, rails, coots, moorhens, cranes, curlews, loons, and field mice

Rare prey: Swans, rabbits, geese, squirrels, storks

Common threats: Swans, geese, otters, flash floods, things being dumped into water and poisoning the fish, dogs from the campsite, occasional twolegs encroaching on their territory

TERRITORY:

The camp is a wide island surrounded by a gentle stream. The island is in the middle of the territory and is tucked into a grove surrounded by willow and elm trees. The dens are made out of woven reeds and willow branches secured to the ground with deeply-embedded sticks, but they’re designed to float if there’s a flash flood and stick together. The addressing place is a tall rock in the middle of the camp surrounded by water called the Riverstone, and the leader’s den is a large, uprooted bush woven with vines and branches and covered in moss and oak leaves next to a willow that is a few tail-lengths from the Riverstone. The deputy’s den is close to the leader’s den and is a woven mass of branches, reeds, and brambles secured by two branches in the ground. The druid’s den is a thick, hollowed out elm trunk with a roof woven from reeds and branches, and enough room to fit two druids and five patients. The nursery is a woven tangle of reeds and vines with moss plugging the holes situated near the entrance in case of emergencies with room for seven cats. The elder’s den is an old, hollowed log with enough room to fit seven cats. The lorekeepers, warriors, and caretaker dens are thick bushes with reeds and brambles woven in. The warriors den can fit up to 24 cats each, while the lore-keepers and caretaker’s dens can hold up to 12

Tribute Hill- A small hill situated just a little bit from the RiverClan camp, with the top being mostly flat. Lots of lavender, dandelions, and cornflowers grow here, and the top of the hill is the Tribute Stones and the Old Prayer Willow

Tribute Stones- A collection of stones placed on top of the Tribute Hill. Cats come here to pay tribute to passed loved ones, usually through flowers, well wishes, and pretty stones, and some cats even say prayers for the dead

Old Prayer Willow- The Old Prayer Willow is in the center of the Tribute Stones. It’s an old, tall willow whose branches shield the hilltop from bad weather and heat. Oftentimes, cats who are having difficulties in life or need advice from their ancestors go to the willow, as it’s said to be a hotspot for StarClan’s signs

River- The lifeblood of RiverClan, flowing through all parts of the territory in small streams and ponds. The main river wraps all around the territory, acting as a natural border between WindClan and ThunderClan. The river, at its most narrow part, is about 30 feet across, and is full of fish. Certain parts of the river are much more shallow, while some parts are known to flood during spring thaws. The river also gets low during particularly hot summers, which causes RiverClan to hunt on other parts of their land and/or fight for sunningrocks

Swirling Depths- This part of the river has a unique trait of the water swirling and swirling around, but this water is rarely fast enough to sweep away anyone, although it is a bit tricky to navigate. This area is used to help apprentices practice swimming and diving skills, and is an ideal spot to teach water combat

Marshy Shallows- Near the Twoleg Bridge is a marshy area, full of reeds, peat, moss, tall grass, and dogwood bushes. Hidden in the plant life are frogs and salamanders, and fish like to hang out here in the late spring and early summer

Twoleg Bridge- An old but sturdy bridge built by twolegs long ago. The bridge used to be frequented by twolegs as there was a hiking trail from the campsite to Fourtrees, but it has fallen in disuse as the twolegs rarely walk the path anymore. Now it’s only used by RiverClan to get to the gatherings

Twoleg Trail- Connected to the twoleg bridge is an old hiking trail that connects all the way back to the Summer Twolegplace, although it’s mostly grown over and never used nowadays. Seeds tend to scatter in this area during the spring and early summer that attract many types of birds and field mice, making this a valued hunting spot

Rushing Rapids- A little bit away from the twoleg bridge and nearing the gorge is the rushing rapids. The water is powerful and can easily sweep even the best swimmers down into the murky depths, but it is a great fishing spot, especially in the summer when the salmon come. Unfortunately, young apprentices sometimes challenge each other to swim in these waters, and every once in a while a cat dies from such a dare

Gorge- Carving out a natural border between RiverClan and WindClan, the gorge is a steep cut in the ground that contains the river, although the waters are much more wild. The gorge extends to the very outskirts of RiverClan territory and, if any cat feels adventurous enough, they can find the river that feeds into the gorge

Training Stones- A bit aways from the gorge is the training stones, a collection of large stones and soft, loamy earth. It’s a favorite spot for mentors to train apprentices in combat, and the ground is soft enough to cushion harsh falls

Grassy Hills- Gently sloped hills dotted with flowers and the occasional birch or elm. These hills are a great spot for land prey

Dragonfly Pond- In the grassy hills lie a large pond, fed by an underground spring. It has lots of lilypads, reeds, and spotflowers, and the pond is circled by sedge bushes. Dragonflies often flock to this pond, but the pond also contains minnows and shad

Wet Expanses- The grassy hills eventually blend into a marshy expanse of land, called the wet expanses. Many small streams, ponds, and puddles form in to soft, moist earth, and this place is a good spot for frogs, minks, muskrats, trout, and shad. Turtles live here as well, but they are considered sacred and are rarely touched. Catching a frog here in the early spring is considered good luck, and older cats say apprentices that catch them will have a successful moon

Cottonwood Grove- On higher land next to the wet expanses is a forest called cottonwood grove, named for the aforementioned trees that mostly grow here. Unlike ThunderClan’s forest however, these trees are spaced out and have sparse foliage. The forest also contains a few birch, cypress, and willows. Squirrels, mice, and voles roam the forest, but it’s considered bad luck to hunt here during times of easy prey. However, if a flood happens the clan shelters here

Fern Glade- In the middle of the cottonwood grove is a serene glade filled with ferns and wildflowers, surrounded by brambles and baneberry bushes. Here, lorekeeper apprentices learn stories of old and memorize the code, and history lessons are often held in this spot

The Blessed Fields- Right outside the cottonwood grove is a meadow with fertile soil, where herbs are abundant.

The River Cherry- At the end of the blessed field lies a lone, old cherry tree, sitting on a ridge overlooking the river. It’s said that Riverstar died on that hill, wishing to see his beloved river one last time before he died, and when he breathed his last, a cherry tree grew from his body. This tree blooms in the spring and early summer and is very beautiful. There’s a tradition that courtfriends take a part of this tree, be it a twig, a petal, or even one of the cherries to propose

Clear Pond- Next to the cherry tree is the clear pond, a pond full of small tadpoles and minnows. It’s forbidden to fish from this pond, as it’s said that Riverstar himself blessed that pond. When the moon is almost full, the druids travel to this bond to find omens of the clan’s fortune for the next moon

Clear Stream- Running from the clear pond is the clear stream, a small but fast current that runs all the way into a long-abandoned fox burrow.

Flowing Cavern- The flowing cavern is a fox burrow, long since abandoned and having not been occupied in ages. The stream pools in a small crevice on the floor before draining underground. If a cat is struggling with difficulties in their life, they are encouraged to stay a night in the den, as it’s said that the den allows StarClan cats to visit their loved ones and comfort them. Most cats say they wake up with a sense of deep peace and contentedness, sometimes with the smell of a dead loved one in their noses. Druids like to add herbs like lavender and rosemary to give it a soothing smell.

Pastures- A wide, honestly picturesque expanse of grassy meadows where horses are let out to graze and be rode. It's also a common place to have picnics or walk dogs, and kids play here a lot. Generally RiverClan avoids this area due to the high amounts of twoleg activity, plus the dogs pose a danger if they spot a patrol and manage to get loose, and the occasional twoleg kit will spot a cat and take them.

Summer Twolegcamp- At the further edge of the territory lies the Summer Twolegcamp, or called the twolegcamp for short. During the spring, summer, and early autumn, twolegs come in and out of the area and live in tents. The twolegs like to stay up late and play in the surrounding fields, but they thankfully never go too far unless a dog got loose.

[wonderneverlandsystem]

All Below Text Are Subject To Change

TW: Mentions of abuse and neglect, mentions of hallucinations (auditory and visual), mentions of dissociation and panic attacks, implied suicide attempt, successful suicide attempt, and death obviously

This is my (Jace) Spider-Sona, Rainbow-Spider! (It's name is the same as mine, but I will be referring to it as Rainbow throughout this post.)

Despite how, you know... Not rainbow, its suit looks. But that's how the suit looks when Rainbow is neutral & when not being worn. The suit is made of a material that it definitely made. And absolutely did not steal from a lab. That changes colours based on the wearers' emotions/feelings.

Lil Personal Details: It's a trans gay man like me, and like us is Greek, though it has a lot more Greek in it than we do. It likes to doodle and write random things, oftentimes about those it cares about. Despite how cold and avoidant it can be, it naturally attracts people, which can get annoying sometimes, and it loves goofy sweethearts *cough cough wink wink* though it would never admit that. It pretends to be much more cool and badass than it thinks it is... Its best friends are Hobie, Gwen, Noir, and Pav, not in that order (don't tell Hobie-). When it saw Spider-Gwen for the first time it thought she was a hallucination at first until Noir laid a hand on her shoulder, after realizing she was real it ran up and hugged her confused. She looked just like the Gwen it knew, other than the gap in her teeth. It very much dislikes Miguel and doesn't agree with him and is actively trying to prevent him from doing fucked shit from the inside... However. It also knows that you can not like someone or even hate them and still acknowledge that they're hot as hell-

Little Suit Details: I wanted to include something into its suit to honour our Greek heritage so I decided to put the Phi symbol into the spider symbol, it also has connections to the origins of the word empathy and stuff which makes sense for its character & powers. The spider symbol also has 4 larger front legs and 4 smaller back legs because of the Goldenrod Crab Spider that bit it. The red stripes with spiderweb detailing are also a homage to the spider that bit it, as that is the only part that doesn't change colours when the spider changes colours. The ones low on its torso are supposed to mimic top surgery scars because it do be a trans boyo. I also put FNSM (Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man) on the headphones. They're not visible at the angle it's at, but the suit has lil pockets with zippers in the front underneath the chains.

Backstory up to ITSV:

Moved to Manhattan after being taken in by its "uncle" (not actually its uncle, but it calls him that) and leaving its abusive so-called parents in Tennessee. Eventually, it made a friend in a transfer student from Queens, Gwen. They were each others only friends, but they helped each other through thick and thin, Rainbow had to call an ambulance to help her from herself once. One day, there was a 9th grade field trip for agriculture and economics class to a big farm in rural New York, the farm just so happened to be next door to an old lab. After chasing after Gwen, who wandered off, Rainbow really stepped in it, literally. It stepped in a nest of Goldenrod Crab Spiders and proceeded to have a panic attack because of its arachnophobia and the disgusting aensation of the web and spiders on its legs. It dissociated, shaking most of them off as it ran and not coming back to reality until feeling a spider bite its hand.

It came back to reality as it slammed its hand into the ground, crushing the neon yellow spider with red stripes into the ground and killing it, its long front legs twitching. It wasn't until late that night after taking a shower that it realized something was off. It yawned as it looked in the mirror, and its hair was a silvery grey colour instead of its normal dyed dark red. When it saw this, it jumped back in shock, which caused the hair to poof into a bright yellow colour. Eventually, it realized that it was changing based on how it felt, and that realization brought its mind back to the spider. Horrifyingly, it spent the night researching spiders, especially those spiders, not realizing until it tried to get up to get a drink that its hands had gripped the laptop. It was... an eventful night. Well really it was an eventful week full of discoveries and freaking out, and it was extremely annoying to try and get a hold of its emotions more as to not let people see that its hair changes colours.

When its uncle left on a trip that he wouldn't tell Rainbow anything about other than he was going back to Tennessee, it made a decision. It was gonna go around helping people using its new abilities. The rest I think you know. Not even a week later it got a call from the hospital in its hometown that its uncle was killed in a car crash... It got a pretty good inheritance from him, but it would only keep him alive and well for a year, two tops. Then a couple of months later it went to a pride festival in the town square as Rainbow-Spider, the identity the people of Manhattan gave it because of its colour-changing suit that it spend a month planning, stealing- I mean buying, and sewing. This was where the Chief of Police, Captain Bucks would die. Captain Bucks and Rainbow were quite acquainted, he was even more acquainted with its real identity. Rainbow stole. Not to mention it was very public about being anti-cop, anti-fascist, anti-government, and anti-capitalist.

... And it may or may not have spray painted a bunch of anarchy symbols and middle fingers on some banks, cop stations, and other government buildings. So Rainbow was brought into the station a lot, so often in fact that every time they'd bring it in they would call ahead of time to let Bucks know. Two hours. Two hours in an interrogation room with a box of glazed doughnuts and a special frappe from the nearby café, Gwen worked there and of course, knew when Rainbow planned on going out so she'd make sure she was working, and she'd have the doughnuts and coffee already done when the chief got there. It got boring after a while, it was essentially the same speech over and over followed by being driven home. No courts. Nothing. Rainbow was too busy to notice how odd that was, nor did it care.

Until Bucks took a bullet for it at the festival where some queerphobic protestors started getting violent and throwing Molotov cocktails. It was "lunging" (what it calls its ability to essentially "teleport"/ move super fast to anywhere in its line of sight. Its vision gets horrible when doing this and it gets vertigo for a moment after getting out of the "lunge". It often opts to "lunge" instead of waste web fluid, plus it's faster.) around and getting people to safety, it seemed like it was all over. That's when its spider sense went off just a second too late. It whipped around and "lunged" forward, not noticing the person moving towards where it was standing or what was moving through it. It kicked the person with the gun in the shin and knocked the gun out of their hand with its elbow. It used its webs to detain them, only for the spider-sense to go off again along with a feeling of dread as it realized the gun was smoking. It had gone off.

It turned to its former position and saw Chief Bucks on the ground and as it "lunged" over to him it noticed the bullet had hit an artery. And with all the chaos it knew he wasn't gonna make it to a hospital in time. Even if it "lunged" or swang over. It was gonna try anyway, but Bucks stopped them, grabbing its hand and slipping a twenty dollar bill in its hands. "Go get yourself a box of doughnuts and your fancy drink kid." Bright yellow. He knew it was Rainbow Spider... "If you haven't figured it out already, your record is clean, well, clean enough." By now it started hearing yelling from other cops, followed by stomping. Its attention was brought back to him by coughs, "You shouldn't be doing this job kid, seriously. I know you wanna help, trust me I do, but your gonna get killed. Or worse..." And with a smile, "Keep hating cops, that's fine, but don't get yourself into more trouble please, I won't be around to save your ass next time ya get caught." He passed.

It was hesitant, but it decided to go to his funeral, it didn't say anything or do anything other than leave a lily, but it blamed itself so it went. It didn't use the money till a year later... Its hallucinations were getting worse and worse, even being around Gwen didn't make them go away anymore. Then one night, it was doing its nightly patrols as Rainbow-Spider and it was hearing explosions, fire crackling, seeing fires that weren't there, and car wrecks that weren't there. Then it saw Gwen standing on top of the hotel she was staying at, it ignored it, thinking it was another hallucination... But when it saw her move towards the edge it thought twice and "lunged" forward to try and knock her back or grab her but it missed her, barely knocking into her feet. Its vision barely came back in time to see her look back up at it as she fell, that's when it heard its phone go off and notice her phone in her hand. It was loud enough for her to hear apparently as her face went from shocked to scared and apologetic before. It "lunged" forward again, spinning its body as it went in hopes of taking the impact after grabbing her instead but it failed, it was too great a height, too great a distance.

It landed on the ground beside her, its arm taking the brunt of the impact and getting scratched to hell. It ignored the pain as much as it could and moved to pick up Gwen, or at this point, her body. It had to plan the funeral because her so-called parents didn't care, they did kick her out so it wasn't surprising. The night of the funeral is when those twenty bucks got spent, after the funeral that is, it and a couple of teachers were the only people there. No one said a word other than the priest and there wasn't a reception or food, just a cooler with drinks. Rainbow officially had no one left, just an apartment which it would probably be evicted from in a couple of months as the inheritance money from Uncle Zayne was about gone, other than the bit it was holding onto for food after it gets evicted. Then one night as it's packing up its spidey sense goes off and it turns just in time to see what looks like a black hole suck it in and spit it out into a giant electronic billboard.

[seikilos-stele]

Those Idyllic cottage settings for Lest We Forget & Out of the Woods: do you hang out on Pinterest, or is there some secret location that you are recalling?

Nobody does this platonic-angsty-on-the-verge-of-a-relationship quite like you do. Pellaeon taking lead once again is like a distant follow-up to OOTW, true masterpiece.

Ack! Thank you 🙈

I always think of the farmhouse I got to stay in when I came off military service. I was working part-time at a small-town newspaper, so I had lots of days where there was nothing to do but fix up the house and take the dogs on long walks through the pockets of forest and fields around me. There were little thickets of white pine, lots and lots of maple and oak, overgrown fields full of goldenrod, a big, slow river, an old neglected cemetery and a rotting barn — of course farm animals all around. If I walked on the roads I would usually only ever see Amish families in their buggies, old churches and schoolhouses, cows and horses, etc.

So that’s what I think about — it’s a place I 100% associate with recovery and taking things slow, coming to terms with a new way of life.

[faguscarolinensis]

Solidago nemoralis / Old Field Goldenrod

[engshoujosei]

River’s Edge

Releases in English on June 27th, 2023.

Licensed by Kodansha, published by Vertical

From renowned author, Kyoko Okazaki, the creator of Helter Skelter and Pink, comes a story of adolescence filled with friendship, drama and intertwined relationships of six high school friends. At the edge of the city not far from the sea, a field of goldenrod sways in the breeze, its veil of amber flowers obscuring secrets underneath. Old bones and forgotten memories rest in silence, waiting for someone to dig them up. This is where the lives of six young men and women intertwine in ways both tragic and extraordinary. Decaying secrets are revealed as they forge friendships from pain, find betrayal in pleasure, and stare into the face of death itself—in a field of gold by a stagnant river, under the smoke-filled skies.

Status in Country of Origin

1 Volume (Complete)

Tags:

Adapted to Live Action

Adultery

Angst

Animal Cruelty

Bullying

Dark Ambience

Drug/s

Eating Disorder/s

High School

Important Non-Romantic Relationship/s

Japan

LGBT Character in Non-Yaoi/Yuri Manga

Multiple Protagonists

Nudity

[poem-today]

A poem by William Carlos Williams

To Elsie

The pure products of America go crazy— mountain folk from Kentucky or the ribbed north end of Jersey with its isolate lakes and valleys, its deaf-mutes, thieves old names and promiscuity between devil-may-care men who have taken to railroading out of sheer lust of adventure— and young slatterns, bathed in filth from Monday to Saturday to be tricked out that night with gauds from imaginations which have no peasant traditions to give them character but flutter and flaunt sheer rags—succumbing without emotion save numbed terror under some hedge of choke-cherry or viburnum— which they cannot express— Unless it be that marriage perhaps with a dash of Indian blood will throw up a girl so desolate so hemmed round with disease or murder that she'll be rescued by an agent— reared by the state and sent out at fifteen to work in some hard-pressed house in the suburbs— some doctor's family, some Elsie— voluptuous water expressing with broken brain the truth about us— her great ungainly hips and flopping breasts addressed to cheap jewelry and rich young men with fine eyes as if the earth under our feet were an excrement of some sky and we degraded prisoners destined to hunger until we eat filth while the imagination strains after deer going by fields of goldenrod in the stifling heat of September Somehow it seems to destroy us It is only in isolate flecks that something is given off No one to witness and adjust, no one to drive the car

William Carlos Williams (1883-1963)

Image: A photograph by Walker Evans - Young Couple in Parked Open-Air Car, Ossining, New York

[dominae-dominus]

Tell me it was for the hunger

& nothing less. For hunger is to give

the body what it knows

it cannot keep. That this amber light

whittled down by another war

is all that pins my hand

to your chest.

i

You, drowning

between my arms —

stay.

You, pushing your body

into the river

only to be left

with yourself —

stay.

i

I’ll tell you how we’re wrong enough to be forgiven. How one night, after

backhanding

mother, then taking a chainsaw to the kitchen table, my father went to kneel

in the bathroom until we heard his muffled cries through the walls.

And so I learned that a man, in climax, was the closest thing

to surrender.

i

Say surrender. Say alabaster. Switchblade.

Honeysuckle. Goldenrod. Say autumn.

Say autumn despite the green

in your eyes. Beauty despite

daylight. Say you’d kill for it. Unbreakable dawn

mounting in your throat.

My thrashing beneath you

like a sparrow stunned

with falling.

i

Dusk: a blade of honey between our shadows, draining.

i

I wanted to disappear — so I opened the door to a stranger’s car. He was divorced. He was still alive. He was sobbing into his hands (hands that tasted like rust). The pink breast cancer ribbon on his keychain swayed in the ignition. Don’t we touch each other just to prove we are still here? I was still here once. The moon, distant & flickering, trapped itself in beads of sweat on my neck. I let the fog spill through the cracked window & cover my fangs. When I left, the Buick kept sitting there, a dumb bull in pasture, its eyes searing my shadow onto the side of suburban houses. At home, I threw myself on the bed like a torch & watched the flames gnaw through my mother’s house until the sky appeared, bloodshot & massive. How I wanted to be that sky — to hold every flying & falling at once.

i

Say amen. Say amend.

Say yes. Say yes

anyway.

i

In the shower, sweating under cold water, I scrubbed & scrubbed.

i

In the life before this one, you could tell

two people were in love

because when they drove the pickup

over the bridge, their wings

would grow back just in time.

Some days I am still inside the pickup.

Some days I keep waiting.

i

It’s not too late. Our heads haloed

with gnats & summer too early

to leave any marks.

Your hand under my shirt as static

intensifies on the radio.

Your other hand pointing

your daddy’s revolver

to the sky. Stars falling one

by one in the cross hairs.

This means I won’t be

afraid if we’re already

here. Already more

than skin can hold. That a body

beside a body

must make a field

full of ticking. That your name

is only the sound of clocks

being set back another hour

& morning

finds our clothes

on your mother’s front porch, shed

like week-old lilies.

On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous

- Ocean Vuong