#p: juniper

[mystycfics]

Where: Syreni Sands

When: Early Morning

Who: Juniper and OPEN

Juni was finding it harder and harder to put her mask on. She had to keep it together for Gabe and for Cricket or climbing out of the pit was just going to be a waste. She wasn't exactly sure what she had expected but this was pretty far from it. Maybe she had expected too much. If she was honest with herself, a part of her thought she could really go back to what she had before. As if life would just resume where she had left it, with who she had left it. But that wasn't the case. There were still people that relied on her though. Her nightmares seemed to be getting worse since the demons had demolished the town but she tried to keep the schedule. Help clean up the town, go to her job, keep up the house, visit Cricket. She just felt so breakable even though she wasn't. She wasn't even human anymore.

Taking an hour or two break down at the beach seemed a safe place to just sit and detox from everything. She took one of her library books and sat reading it without actually retaining any of the words. One of the pages had really got her attention. There were tear marks and she ran her finger over them gently wondering what had made the reader cry at this particular part. Or had it been something going on in their life? She'd never know. There were footsteps in the sand and Juni jumped slightly. "Oh sorry, am I in your way?" She shuffled her feet in the sand where she sat as if she wasn't the only person on a very open beach right now, "Do you need me to move?"

[emma-williams]

@juniwilson

Emma had low expectations for the auction date, but my god, they should have been subterranean. It showed her exactly why she was glad she stopped pretending to like men. At first, the man seemed like he knew what he signed up for. A date with someone he may have never gone out with otherwise. But as the dinner went along, he kept trying to hold her hand. And he kept pressuring Emma to ‘have another drink.’ He told her at the end that it was time to go back to his place because he paid for her. That comment was the final straw. She dumped her drink on his head and stormed off. And she waited at a nearby shop for her Uber to arrive.

The date made her feel icky the rest of the weekend. To make herself feel better, Emma headed to Juni’s flower shop. A big, beautiful smelling bouquet would hopefully be enough to make her feel right again. She gave the shop owner a smile when she walked inside. “Hi! I wasn’t sure if you would be working today. Are you helping someone right now? I can wait and browse until it’s my turn to be helped out.” Normally, Emma would just pick something she thought was pretty. This time, she thought finding flowers with positive meanings behind them would make her feel even better.

[mystycfics]

~~*~~

Even cleaning up a mess like this was something that she missed during the years that she was away. That was really how she had to think of it now. Or refer to it when talking with people. They wouldn't really understand the complexities of it. Except for Gabe. And now Warren. She hummed an off beat tune as she helped Eden clean up their mess, there wasn't much of one. Much less than when Eden was younger.

Once they had wandered into the living room and the girl had pointed out the shelf, Juni's nerves were all but gone. Everything was normal now. "Let's see," she perused the options, "We could do one of the fairytales like when you were little. Or what's this one? This looks new." Juni held up a book that she didn't recognize.

Eden was the type of person who, if someone made a big and positive impact on her life, she would keep that person around. Juni had always been one of those people, and so Eden had no intention of ever letting the older woman think that their relationship could ever change. Juni meant the world to Eden, and it felt truly surreal that she was standing there in Eden's kitchen after so long.

Hugging Juni back tightly, Eden made the most of the feeling it gave her. The maternal presence that she had missed so much was back, and she couldn't be more glad. Especially now. "Good, I'm glad to hear it. There will always be a place in my life for you, no matter how much time passes." She spoke warmly and genuinely.

"I think that sounds like a great idea." Eden said, taking a step back so that she could start cleaning up. It didn't take long, it was a routine that she knew well, and it was only a few minutes before she was leading Juni back through to the living room. "There's some books on the shelf over there. Take your pick."

[seabeck]

Juniper

[mystycfics]

@ravensrevcnge (Gabe)

"Come on, hora de divertirse," Juni slung her arm in Gabe's as they walked toward the festival where they were meeting Cricket. In her mind, they'd had enough of the negative. Both of them had spent years in hell and then immediately took care of mundane things when they crawled out like jobs and houses. It was time to celebrate the fact that they were alive again.

"You could get your face painted like a tiger and we can eat pretzels or funnel cakes. Oh how I missed sugar." For a moment, she was stuck in a memory of baking a cake for her sibling's birthday. A sibling she would get to celebrate again with this year. "We could even dance. When was the last time you went to a dance?"

[seabeck]

Juniper

[mystycfics]

~~*~~

"Ah," Juni nodded at him. She understood that feeling. Really, the only reason she was around people was because she forced herself to be. In her mind, this was a fake it until she made it situation and she was just getting very good at faking it. The more she did it, the easier it was. Maybe it would be that way for him too.

She glanced down at the mask in his hand and back up to him. "Can I see it?" She asked softly. Pointing at the mask to show what she meant, "Can I see what it looks like on?"

He’d straightened as he saw Juni come out of the club, but Warren let himself relax when her expression showed no fear or concern. Yeah, he probably could have stayed home – do some reading, or work on some of his carving. Hell, maybe he’d even have managed a couple hours of sleep. But the idea of trouble happening in town while he lounged around out in Deadman Acres made him edgy. So, he’d brought himself into town and haunted the street across from the club.

And now he had one of the few people he thought he might consider a friend walking over.

“Still not really sure of myself around people,” he admitted after a minute. “I wanted to be nearby, in case, but . . .” He shrugged, flipping the mask over in his hand. “Just have this so I don’t totally stand out.”

[mystycfics]

@angstfactory (Vicente)

It was like she was back in the pit. Everyone around her was turning into demons. They were starting fires, fighting, hurting, tearing. And the worst part was, she felt a pull to do the same. It had never been this strong. Maybe it had been easier to resist down there where she had gotten used to it. But now...

The visions of flames danced before her eyes. The pain, the hunger, the thirst, the violence. Juni sat down hard and tried to focus on just staying in her own head. Cricket was somewhere. She had to do something. And Gabe, she had to help him. But there was that voice. The one that played every negative thought she'd ever had back to her. One that told her how worthless she truly was and how much easier giving in would be. The one that she knew was selling her a lie. But was it such a lie anymore?

"No, no," she mumbled to herself. Hands curled into fists. Teeth biting harshly into her cheeks so she tasted copper. "No, No I won't. I-I..."

[seabeck]

Juniper

[fivefootoh-andtrains]

Fanfic fanart continues! This time from a lovely fic called "Combūrere." It's fun, it's angsty, it's all about Emmet. But what is submas these days without a little angst, am I right?

Anyways, I came around to this particular part and it gave me a good chuckle.

[mystycfics]

~~*~~

"I'm sorry," it wasn't possible for her to blush even more. He wasn't wrong, technically. If it was someone she knew well or from before she went to hell, she probably wouldn't shut up. Or if it was work. Then she really didn't shut up. But this wasn't any of that and she was nervous. "I guess I'm just...out of practice? I'm not usually this social and the last time there were this many people..." She shrugged. Everyone remembered the festival. She didn't need to bring the mood down, "Well...just nervous I guess."

"I actually grew up here but...I just got back really recently so just kind of...um reacquainting myself. With everything." Why was he flustering her so much? It was obvious he was just a nice guy. Maybe flirtatious was just a part of his personality and it really didn't have anything to do with her. But she honestly couldn't remember the last time someone had made a comment like that. That they would have noticed her. "No," her face shifted, "No I'm so sorry I don't mean to be so weird. I just..." she wiped her hand on her jeans again, "I don't really have a great explanation but it's not you. I like listening to you."

"You don't say too much, do ya darlin'?" Wyndham looked Juniper's way after she introduced herself, with only one question for him after all that stuff he just shared. Bit disappointing, really, but that could happen. She was clearly a shy, introverted type that maybe wasn't too happy he placed her on the spot? He could only guess. Wyndham, though, was chatty and sociable -- it was hard not to want to talk everyone's ear off.

"Lil' under two years now," the Louisianan answered affably. "Don't think I've seen you about, though. Feel like I would'a remembered that." Wyndham finished removing the last couple of burgers from the grill and passing them off, before he finally closed it and left the vent open, so the coals could smoke themselves out safely for a while. "You don't gotta stand here n' tolerate me, ma'am," he advised this as he took off his apron and folded it over his arm. Facing her now, his look of her was one of understanding. "I know I got a case of the motor mouth," he chuckled.

[dubstepdragon]

New mega headshot drawing ft. The pokemon professors!

Me when smart people

Speedpaint down here

[colorsoundoblivion]

Finally, you can get your hands on Issue 2 of FANE!

On The Cover: “The Inspiration of Derek Jarman” by Daniel Land / “Remembering Derek Jarman” by Matthew Levi Stevens, Bruce LaBruce, Florian-Seraphim Fauna, Ben Waddington, Jhane P., Barry H., Jo Z., Kassi W.

Interviews/Features: Xayla Kia Daisy (Photocopy Art), Maria Iolanda (Painting), Tomasz C. (Collage/Painting), Pain Chain (Collage/Music), Plaguehorse (Music), Death Spa (Music), Chv.Volk (Music), A.S. Valentino (Music), Celeste Ziehl (Prose/Poetry), Steff Juniper (Poetry), “The Anxiety Riddled Life of Mr. Disembodied Eye” (Comic Strip), “The Hoarse Motivator” (Unsolicited Advice), and “Pets Are Awesome” (Because everything else sucks).

Music Reviews: MATRIMONY, Unicorn Hits, Solar Hex, WELTSCHMERZ, Walter Campbell, uncertain, False Maria, Dumb Dog, Cum Gutter, smr.tni, Gender is the Bastard, Quivering + Nausia, Yellow Belly, Death Spa, Norillag, Chuck Steak, Pain Chain, Princess Disease, Straight Panic, Threshold: Body Hammer, In Cascades, Hidden Gateways, Cranial Key, CZ, and Nudeconsumer.

110 Unapologetic Pages of LGBTQIA+ Goodness.

Download for FREE at FANEmag.com

After you’ve read the issue, let us know what you think. We’re always open to constructive comments, and who knows, you might even make the Letters section of a future issue! FANEmag@gmail.com

[mystycfics]

Who: Juni and Cricket @glitchfms

Where: Coast2Coast Radio

When: Middle of the Night

The first thing that Juni knew she had to do, now that she had actually rested for the first time in years, was find her sibling. So much had changed in the time that she had been gone she wasn't even sure that her family lived in the same place or what they were doing. A quick search at the library told her devastating news. News she should have been there for. Finding them after that was a little harder but she was a patient person.

The building the radio station was in had windows looking into the main booth. Probably some attempt at transparency or a PR stunt. But there sat Cricket in the booth. Headphones on. Pushing buttons and occasionally spinning around to grab something else. Juni just watched for much longer than was normal. They'd grown so much. Tears welled in her eyes as she was finally noticed standing there. She smiled through the tears and gave a small, halfhearted wave through the window.

[vitalphenomena]

@doomedfist said: “It’s not that kind of party.”

JUNIPER’S RELIEF IS APPARENT. Still, she pouts sympathetically, makes a show of saying, “That’s a bummer.” 

She adjusts her apron around her waist, tucks her notepad back inside of the apron's pocket. If she’s waiting on Lucca, she doesn’t need to write down his order. She memorized it after his first visit. 

“What kind of party is it, then?”

[loveofjuniper]

sea dweller doodles :p