#pine cones after rain

[honeygrahambitch]

You know, we only see Hannibal sniffing Will two times. Once when he detects his encephalitis and then in Mizumono when he smells Freddie. But that doesn't mean he didn't smell him periodically. And I am sure he did. We never find out how Will smells like to Hannibal without his encephalitis. He for sure feels more than that horrendous aftershave. I demand to know.

[padfootagain]

Your life seems perfect. You're engaged, your career is thriving as you become an assistant professor at Trinity College, and this Andrew Hozier-Byrne you're sharing an office with seems to be a nice guy you hope to call a friend soon. Life seems to be smiling at you... until everything goes sour. When your fiancé breaks up with you, your perfect world shatters. And when your colleague also gets his heart broken soon after, your shared office seems to be a curse rather than a blessing. But Andrew seems determined to mend your broken hearts... Will things finally go according to plan?

Pairing : Hozier x fem!reader

Professor! AU

Warnings: hurt-comfort, angst, fluff, no smut but suggestive scenes so 18+ only

Chapter 1 : 'And that orange, it made me so happy, as ordinary things often do just lately'

Chapter 2 : 'Through me the way to the City of Woe'

Chapter 3 : ‘I miss him in the wheeping of the rain; I want him at the shrinking of the tide’

Chapter 4 : ‘For he gave all his heart and lost’

Chapter 5 : ‘But here comes the lyrebird passing through the sky’

Chapter 6 : ‘I’ll lie here and learn how, over their ground, trees make a long shadow and a light sound’

Chapter 7 : 'And so I still wait, like a lonely house, for you to see me and inhabit me again. Until that time, my windows ache.'

Chapter 8 : 'I hope she never learns how to peel oranges'

Chapter 9 : 'I think I will always be lonely in this world, where the cattle graze like a black and white river-- where the vanishing lilies melt, without protest, on their tongues'

Chapter 10 : '[I] was angry that my trust could not repose in the clear light, like poetry or freedom leaning in from sea'

Chapter 11: ‘Lived to see you throwing me aside.’

Chapter 12 : 'Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again'

Chapter 13: ‘So as not to be the martyred slaves of time, be drunk, be continually drunk! On wine, on poetry or on virtue as you wish.’

Chapter 14: ‘Why should I blame her that she filled my days with misery’

Chapter 15: ‘He’s bored- I see it. Don’t I lick his bribes, set his bouquets in water?’

Chapter 16 : ‘Only the things I didn’t do crackle after the blazing dies’

Chapter 17 : ‘Dear pine cone, let me hold you as you open’

Chapter 18 : ‘What the devil do I care what I know, and what I say?’

Chapter 19: ‘I knew winter cold like the nuzzle of fjords at my thighs’

Chapter 20 : 'My heart has made its mind up and I’m afraid it’s you'

Chapter 21: ‘I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where, I love you directly without problems or pride: I love you like this because I don’t know any other way to love’

Chapter 22 : ‘And if you missed a day, there was always the next, and if you missed a year, it didn’t matter, the hills weren’t going anywhere’

Chapter 23 : 'Even the dearest that I loved the best are strange – nay, rather, stranger than the rest'

Chapter 24: ‘Sometimes, when I’m pleased, I let out a little sound. A poet noticed this and it made me feel I might one day properly be loved. Because no one is here to love me, I make tea for myself and leave the radio playing’

Chapter 25: ‘They will think of ways to make you smile so you can be happy for a while’

Chapter 26: ‘Well, how else are you to live except by denial’

Chapter 27: ‘They loved music and swam in for a singer, who might stand at the end of summer’

Chapter 28: ‘You are neither here nor there, a hurry through which known and strange things pass as big soft buffetings come at the car sideways and catch the heart off guard and blow it open’

Chapter 29: ‘My lover’s words were shooting stars which fell to earth as kisses on these lips’

Chapter 30: ‘You liked me well enough in black; I make you a gift of these objects’

Chapter 31 : ‘Six billion tons sounds impossible until I consider how it is to swallow grief’

Chapter 32 : ‘How dense it is, how it carries inside it the memory of collapse. How difficult it is to move then’

Chapter 33 : ‘The scent already in the air’

Chapter 34 : ‘One morning the wind turns, and there is a thaw. And so I must still have hope.’

Chapter 35 : ‘Love comes quietly, finally’

Chapter 36: ‘So I imagine such love of the world—its fervency, its shining, its innocence and hunger to give of itself—I imagine this is how it began’

Chapter 37 : ‘I found the other half above the pillow where you lay’

Chapter 38: ‘They are elsewhere beyond the night way higher than day in the blinding brightness of their first love’

[apoemaday]

Rain

by Billy Collins

Some time after the books had been forbidden – The one about the woman and her daughter, The one about the boy who spoke poorly – And after the smoke from the incinerators had cleared, It was suggested that censorship be extended To the plover, the wild turkey, and the common moorhen. But these birds have done nothing, a few protested. That is precisely the problem, the loudspeakers announced. It rained that month day and night. Men with nets fanned out into the fields And shouted to each other along the shorelines. Teachers disappeared on the way to their cars. Then the committee came after the morning glory For its suggestive furling and unfurling And the ligustrum and the alstroemeria Because they were difficult to pronounce and spell. Then the pine tree for its tricky needles and cones And parsley and red and yellow peppers for no reason at all. You would think the lock and the gate Would be safe, but that was well before whispering, Shaking hands on the street, And hooking an arm around someone’s waist Became the subjects of discussion Across long granite tables behind dark glass doors. And the rain was constant and cold – fine days to curl up with a good book, someone joked – but there were no more books, just the curling up of people quietly in corners and doorways, bits of straw floating down the streets along the curbs into the turbulent rivers and out to sea.

[irishmammonagenda]

Boop!- Obey Me x Reader

Summary: You go on a mission to boop, as per usual chaos ensues. Word Count: 3.5k Warnings: Female Reader (implied), i dont really think there's anything else but if you can see something lmk and i'll add a warning

very obviously inspired by tumblr's boop event

dividers by @saradika-graphics

"Hello Michael!" You greet, signature foxy grin on your face. Michael looks up from where he's playing Connect Four with a man in robes and waves at you.

"Hiya MC!" He puts the palms of his hands on the soft cloud ground and leans back on them, he's bare chested in the heat, though he's adorned himself with waist beads and arm bands, firm muscles on display. His long curly blond hair is in intricate braids, small ornaments threaded through it. He grins up at you, bright red eyes shining under the light of the Celestial sun. "What's brought ya up to the Celestial Realm today?"

"I am evil. I am very evil Michael." You say seriously.

The other man laughs, though not unkindly. His tanned skin shimmers ethereally under the light, dark brown eyes stare up at you, rich like soil after the morning due. Dark waves and soft curls frame his face, some soft stubble one his jawline, barely noticeable. "I'm sure you're not evil." He says kindly.

You stare at him, before smiling as well, touched. "Aww thanks! And you are?"

The man smiles, reaching his hand up, Michael takes that time to sneakily move one of the coins the man had put down a slot over. "I'm Jesus, it's nice to meet you MC."

You cough. "You're Jesus?"

"Yes." He nods, "A lot of people are shocked when they first meet me...something about expecting me to look like Da Vinci's gay lover."

You nod, dumbfounded.

Michael, sensing your inner turmoil, and also needing to keep Jesus' attention elsewhere so he could continue cheating- winning creatively in Connect 4, clears his throat, "So what's brought you to the Celestial Realm and made you claim that you're evil?"

This makes you grin, "Well, my dearest Michael....have you heard of boops?"

Michael straightens up a little bit, Jesus watches him intently, before fixing the board to its original state whilst the Archangel is distracted.

"No I have not...Why, what are they?" Michael asks, signature mischievous grin on his face. "They sound fun."

"Well I'm glad you asked Michael!" You grin, before leaning in and whispering into his ear. The added proximity made you realise he smelt of pine cone and fresh rain.

Michael giggles evilly, turning over to Jesus, before reaching a dark, jewel adorned hand and booping his nose. "Boop!"

Jesus just smiles, Crucifixion was worse. "It's your go, Michael."

"Oh of course! MC wait for this game to be over! I have...uh..business to attend to in the Devildom!"

You and Jesus share a look.

Michael looks over at you two, "You coming Jesus?"

The man smiles gently, "No thanks, I'm still traumatised from that one time when Satan tormented me in the desert."

"Oh okay...." Michael deflates the tiniest smidge before looking back at the board, spluttering. "Hey you moved the pieces!"

Jesus snorts, "Yeah, I moved the pieces back from where you tried to cheat."

"Lying's a sin." Michael huffs.

Jesus laughs, "Was that an admition of guilt?"

Michael falls onto his back dramatically, dark skin shining in the Celestial Realm's blessed light. "Ugh! Woe is me! This is worse than the time that one Irish kid got me confused with Michael Collins!"

Jesus pats his shoulder in pity. "Easter's a hard time for all of us."

Michael blinks at the scars on Jesus' palms from the nails and bites back a very bad Cross joke. "You could say that again."

After the game of Connect 4 ended, (Michael lost) you and the Archangel said your goodbyes to Jesus and began your journey down to the Devildom. Michael walks beside you, a good bit taller than you. Michael having swapped out his less than covering attire for a flowy white flare sleeved top that you'd imagine a pirate or a Victorian would wear, the lace buttons are undone for the most part, as per usual. You'd come to learn that the Archangel hated top buttons with a burning passion.

"I call Lucikins." Michael says with about as much seriousness as a 10 year old calling shotgun on the front seat of the car. So very serious.

"Fine. I call Mammon." You reply, looking up at him, as if daring him to try and boop your first man before you could. He pouts, but relents.

"I call Satan then." Michael blinks back at you with crimson eyes.

"No why?" You sulk.

Michael shrugs. "He's my nephew. I get to boop his nose it's the law."

"No it's not."

"Yeah it is!"

"Prove it then." You huff.

Michael turns around and you hear fidgeting before he hands you a paper napkin with writing on it. You notice the fountain pen he sneakily snuck back into his trouser pocket and glare at him, before reading the napkin.

The Eleventh Commandment: Thou shall let Michael boop his nephew's nose.

You hum, "Something's telling me this is fake."

Michael gasps incredulously, as if offended by the very notion, he places a hand over his breast, where his heart is. "How dareth thou! Truly, 'tis a crime against nature to speak such filth about the Holy Word. A crime against God I daresay!"

"Okayy...drama king."

Michael gasps again. "Alas! Thou speaketh such filth! Such blasphemy to thee! Thy words...such horrors! Cursed are thou amongst humankind!"

You deadpan. "I'm taking away your Shakespeare rights."

"Try it I dare you." Michael challenges, red eyes gleaming with something predatory. "You can boop Simeon."

You grin. "Yay!"

"I call Luke."

Your grin drops. "What the frickety flip that's my son."

Michael's brows furrow. "He's my son too what the flip."

You gasp, bringing your hands to your mouth. "Did we?..."

Michael's eyes widen, he pulls his top up and counts his ribs, losing count several times because you keep adding random numbers in. He looks up at you.

"Did we have a child out of Wedlock?!"

You and Michael look at each other in object horror. Both conveniently ignoring the fact that Luke technically came into existence millennias before you.

"I think we did...." You place your hand over your brow like a Victorian woman seeing the ankles of her secret lesbian lover for the first time.

Michael follows suit.

"Michael....I fear we might be sinners...."

"Well you know what they say in the human world MC...." Michael sniffles, looking away from you dramatically. "Sinner sinner chicken dinner...."

You pause, breaking character. "Is it not Winner winner chicken dinner?"

Michael shrugs. "Not like I care."

You parrot his movement, shrugging your shoulders back as well, before the horror creeps back onto your expression. "But...Simeon and Barbatos also see Luke as their son...."

Michael looks at you wide eyed, grabbing you by the shoulders, "MC! We have to count their ribs!"

You put your head in your hands, "Two angels, a demon and a human with angel blood that's somehow an angel....our son is a hybrid!"

Michael gasps. "Hybrid princess?"

You do a double take. "Why do you know what gacha is." You breath out, looking at Michael in genuine fear.

"I wasn't a gacha kid don't worry! Levi was though! He'd show me his little Gacha stories that he made...." Michael looks nostalgic. "Such an adorable little weirdo....he gets it from Lucifer y'know."

"If I described Lucifer as an adorable little weirdo I think he'd skin me alive."

"That sounds like a you problem." Michael grins.

You and Michael continue your journey down to the Devildom, only this time he's giving you a piggy back ride because you annoyed him until he agreed. Strong hands hold your thighs to keep you from falling, as your arms are wrapped around his neck.

You had been 'calling' people to boop.

"I call Diavolo."

"Deal." Michael nods, trying and failing to twist his head around to face you because you're on his back and he's not an owl. "I don't want to accidentally start another Celestial War by booping the Prince and acting King of the Devildom's nose."

"That's surprisingly a good reason."

"Fuck you mean surprisingly?" Michael scoffs, though there's no real bite to it. "I'm always having good reasons."

"Yeah and I'm the spawn of Satan." You say sarcastically, human world side winning over for a second, until you remember that Satan is in fact a real person and that you are in fact now in the Devildom.

Michael laughs, "You know who Satan's the spawn of? Lucifer."

"Don't let him hear you say that."

"What's he gonna do? Bully me while I'm in a desert? Jokes on him, I hate sand and don't go anywhere near it."

"I don't feel safe anymore, we're gonna get jumped."

Michael laughs.

"I call Levi, I need to return an anime to him anyway." Michael breaks the silence.

"You borrow animes from Levi?"

"Yeah sometimes, me and Saint Peter watch animes at the gates of Heaven when it's a slow day and not a lot of souls are being guided into it."

"Nah imagine dying and waking up in heaven to see the people at the gates watching anime."

Michael sticks out his tongue, though stops when he remembers you're on his back and can't see it.

"I call Barbatos."

Michael sighs in relief, carrying you through the streets of the Devildom. "Thank God, you can have him. Good luck with that."

"Go fuck yourself Michael. I call Thirteen."

Michael gasps excitedly. "Tell her I say hi!"

"Tell her yourself."

Michael huffs. "You're so mean to me MC."

You bite his neck, really embodying your inner feral street cat. He yelps. "Don't try to steal my wife, next time I'll bite your jugular pretty boy."

Michael laughs, "I am quite pretty..." He flips his hair, the intricate golden braids and curls hit you in the face, seeing as you're still on his back. You let out a sound similar to a feral street cat coughing up a hairball, he laughs again. "Also I'm pretty sure Thirteen is a lesbian."

You perk up. "Oh yay! You should be the priest at our wedding Michael. You don't have a choice."

"Fine." The archangel huffs, his plump lips pouty. "But only if Luke's the flower boy."

"I was gonna make him the ring boy giver person." You reply, playing with one of the ornaments braided into Michael's hair.

"Even better!"

Moments of comfortable silence last before you decide to break it because you're evil and have no moral code whatsoever.

"Michael you can have Solomon."

Said Archangel halts. Dropping you off of his back before turning to look at you, now strewn out on the ground. He puts his hand over his brow like a Victorian man who just saw the ankles of his gay lover. (Probably Solomon: You'd decided.)

"No! How couldeth thou?" He sighs dramatically before it just turns exhasperated. "Those rumours just died down...."

You jump up off of the ground, wiping the soil from your clothes, "They have?! Dammit!"

Michael deadpans at you, pulling at a golden coil of hair and letting it be stretched straight before letting go and watching it bounce back up into a curl again. "I hate you."

"That's harsh."

After having separated from Michael, you sneak into your First Man's room. He sits lazily, lounging on his bed and scrolling mindlessly through his DDD. So enraptured he doesn't even notice your presence just yet until you press your finger to his nose.

"Boop!"

"ARGHH-" he screeches, jumping atleast five feet in the air before realising it was you and scoffing. "Oh...It's you...o-of course ye'd wanna boop the Great Mammon's nose! That'll cost ya!" He huffs, trying to avoid the initial embarassment of you seeing him so uncool!

"Boop!" You boop him again, he grins stupidly like an idiot inlove, before snapping out of it and putting his 'too cool for this' persona back on.

"T-that'll cost ye! MC!" He stutters, trying to cover his blush.

"Oh will it now?" You raise a brow before bringing your lips to his nose and pecking it there, pulling away again in less than a second. "Boop."

He pulls you in for a hug before you can pull away completely. You grin, having reduced the Avatar of Greed to a blushy pile of mush in your arms.

Take that Alpha Male podcasters who think women want dominant mean men who suck and hate them. Everyone knows all women want a Mammon.

You and Michael meet back up again. Michael having a scratch on his leg.

"Satan did not like the fact that I booped him at first...until I gave him an emergency kitten that I put in a cage nearby like 5 minutes before." Michael says, noticing that you noticed the scratch. "He almost bit me! He's definitely Lucikin's son!"

You point and laugh at him. He pouts, before interlocking your arms. "Purgatory hall?"

"Purgatory hall." You nod.

Michael knocks on the door. Luke answers it before gasping like a child on christmas. "Michael! Hi!" He hugs the Archangel who laughs and picks him up.

The blond boy notices you at that point, he smiles brightly. "Oh MC! Hi!"

"Hiya Luke!" You smile at him, booping his nose. "Boop!"

"Michael follows suit. "Boop!"

Luke blinks before grumbling. "I'm not a child..." He then turns his head back towards Michael who's still holding him. "Boop!"

Michael laughs. "Do MC now!" With that he quickly moves closer to you, Luke still in his arms, and the young angel boops your nose too. You all grin, laughing. Luke just ecstatic that Michael was able to visit. And he brought you too!

You end up watching a movie together, all three of you. Simeon comes home halfway through it. Having had to visit a publishers. Michael hides behind the door and when Simeon opens it, the dark skinned angel pops out, booping the poor man. "Boop!"

Simeon blinks at him. Michael smirks lightheartedly "Get booped Loserboy."

Simeon smiles, his gaze turning toward you." MC would you lie any help with your Solomon x Michael fanfiction? I heard from Satan that you two were on hiatus."

Michael groans. "Traitors!"

You laugh. "Get fanficked Loserboy."

Michael grins, putting on faux dramatics. "You both suck I'm going back into Luke! At least he's actually cool."

After a lovely movie with Luke, Simeon and Michael, you run away to a cave because why not?

After entering Thirteen's very lovely abode, and avoiding all of the traps laid out for Solomon, you finally catch a glimpse of her vibrant ombre hair.

"Hiya Tee!" You grin, pouncing on her and pulling her into a hug. The reaper, who's clearly batshit insane doesn't even flinch, she just laughs, hugging you back even tighter.

"MC! To what do I owe the pleasure babes?"

You giggle michieviously before bringing your hand up and, "Boop!"

She grins wider, bloodied emerald eyes staring back at you so lovingly, hints of playful devilry in her expression.

"Oh let me try! Boop!" She says before pulling you in for a kiss that makes your knees feel weak.

When you both pull away to catch a breath, you breathe out breathlessly. "That was a super boop....an evil boop even..." You say, face burning red, you know she feels the red hotness of your cheeks.

She just laughs. Tilting her head, some strands of hair falling into her face. "You want another one?"

You've never nodded quicker in your life.

"How in Diavolo's name did you get in here?" Lucifer asks, looking up from the work on his desk. He quickly closes over the confidential files and paperwork, turning his head to Michael once more. Blood red eyes narrowed at their counterpart's.

Michael approaches the Demon at a speed that could rival Mammon's. In an instant he's beside the raven-haired man. "Awww Lucikins don´t worry about it! Boop!"

Lucifer swallows thickly, and flicks his gaze to Michael. Despite having the glare of a thousand suns on him, Michael continues grinning. "Did you...did you just boop my nose?..." The Avatar of Pride asks in a low voice.

"I'm not too sure if I did..." Michael puts his fingers to his chin in mock thought, before grinning, pointer finger in the air. "I'll have to do it again to make sure!" The Archangel exclaims before booping his younger brother on the nose. "Boop!"

Lucifer growls. "Michael-"

"Yes, Lucikins?"

"Michael I am going to kill you."

The elder only laughed, "Awww classic Lucikins! Still in his teenage angst phase!"

"I did not have a teenage angst phase." Lucifer glares, huffing embarassedly, turning away and picking up his quill in an attempt to turn away from this god awful conversation.

Michael gives him a knowing look. "Don't make me pull out the photos."

His head snaps back to his elder brother. "What photos?"

"The photos of you with the wolf cut, the ones with you and the eyeliner, the ones where you're all dressed up in your little emo costumes..." Michael wipes a tear from his eye. "Oh...you were so adorable! Always threatening to murder me...! Glad to see that my wittle baby brother hasn't changed!" The Archangel exclaims, pinching his younger brother's cheeks and making them squish up, Lucifer felt his face flush with embarrassment. Michael laughed, he looked like a chipmunk!

"...'m no' a 'ittle ba'y bro'er! you'r tw' minu'es ol'er than 'ee!" Lucifer tries to shout, but with Michael pushing his cheeks together, it comes out muffled and distorted.

"All I heard is that you said I'm the best big brother in the three realms and you love me very much!"

Lucifer glares at him. A glare that doesn't hold any weight seeing as Michael is still squishing his cheeks together and he still looks like a chipmunk.

With enough squirming and fighting, Lucifer finally manages to get out of his brother's grip, he rubs his cheeks, staring daggers at the angel. "I would never say that. I'm not your baby brother. I'm not Lucikins. You're two minutes older than me yet two centuries more immature." He says venomously.

Too bad Michael's poison proof.

The Archangel laughs, "You're not my baby brother? Huh? Who's bed did you climb in when you were scared of the thunder back in the Celestial Realm?"

Lucifer bristles, swallowing thickly, "That's irrelevant."

"Sureee." Michael grins, though it's softer around the edges, Lucifer feels it too.

Lightning flashes in the Celestial realm. Long before Mammon had even been born. Thunder roars, a small whimper sounds. Lucifer sits in his bed, covers over his head, gripping a pillow tightly. Barely even a cherub, he takes the slight break in the storm to gather the courage to waddle over to his twin's bed.

"Mikey?" Lucifer whispers in the darkness, gripping onto the poles of the bed with his tiny pale hands. "Mikey...you awake?" He says through gapped teeth, a slight lisp in his voice. The gap between his two front teeth would close with time.

The sheets rustle, a young Michael groans, also barely a cherub his voice is as high pitched and childlike as his brother's. "Luci...go to sleep..." The slightly older cherub says, eyes still closed.

"Can't Mikey...'s too loud.." Lucifer whispers, black hair sticking to his forehead in a slight sheen of sweat. As if to prove his point, thunder roars again, lightning flashes. Lucifer whimpers, gripping the pole tighter.

Michael sits up sleepily, short curly hair tied in the tiniest protective braids possible, some small blond coils escaping their confines at the edges of his head. The older cherub wipes a small, chubby hand over his eyes and yawns before opening his duvet up just enough so that Lucifer could climb in.

"Make sure...go to sleep Lucikins..." Michael whispers tiredly, covering his yawning mouth before abandoning his teddy bear and putting his arm around his little brother instead.

Thunder sounds again. Lucifer stiffens and lets out a small sound. "Mikey...'m scared..." He grips onto his twins matching pajamas tightly with his tiny little hands.

Michael grins sleepily, red eyes staring into his twins same coloured ones. "Don't worry Lucikins! 'm always gonna p'tect you! That's wha' big brothers are for!"

The thunder still sounds, Lucifer still stiffens slightly,but surrounded by the warmth and comfort of his twin, he manages to sleep soundly.

After all the madness and badness. (Devil face emoji) You and Michael meet up in a Devildom café.

"That was productive!" The Archangel grins.

"Indeed it was Michael....indeed it was...." You say, a blissed out look on your face.

Michael arches a brow, "Is that one of Thirteen's leather jackets?"

"Maybe..." You say dreamily, playing with the sleeves.

Michael just laughs at you. "Get it, I guess! Anyway wanna watch Gilmore Girls with me? I need to catch up with Raphael...he's a few episodes ahead of me."

"Of course I do."

Michael brings his hands together in an imitation of a fly on a wall doing the hand thing. "Excellent."

.

.

.

"Do you think Luke's going to grow up to open a coffee shop?"

"Nah, he'd open a bakery."

this is utter bullshit and utter dogshit idek

[marigold-hills]

June 27: drought | @wolfstarmicrofic | word count: 480

PREVIOUS PART • NEXT PART • FIRST PART

“Love you, Moony,” Sirius says. Because he can. Because he’s allowed. Feels it like first drops of rain after a drought. Like letting it soak through the skin and drench his hair, a warm summer storm.

They’re wrapped around each other, Sirius’ head on his Moony’s chest. Each steady breath a raise and a fall. Each like a rebuilding.

“Love you too,” a hand tightening around him, lips on forehead.

Bliss, Sirius thinks, and nothing else at all. It’s quiet in his mind. He wants this moment for forever.

“We should let our two idiots back in, shouldn’t we.”

“Must we?” Sirius whines. It’s warm, comfortable. Perfect to drift off. His eyes are already closing. “I don’t want to move.”

“Can’t let them sleep on the sofas. Come on love, take down the locking charm. I’ll get them.”

Sirius burrows his head further into Remus’ chest. “Come back here, after?” Feels strangely shy asking, “sleep here with me tonight?”

Another kiss on the top of his head. “Wild horses won’t tear me away.”

Remus gets dressed – large tshirt, checkered pyjama trousers. Has already vanished the mess they’ve made and cleaned Sirius up. Sirius waves his wand to remove the enchantments.

“Leaving you in bed like this is almost impossibly hard, I hope you know,” Remus pulls him into a kiss, sweet and chaste and so loving it breaks something in Sirius’ soul.

James and Peter are half asleep when they get back in, stumbling and herded by Moony like they’re particularly awkward sheep and he a shepherd. “I want to hear everything in the morning,” James ruffles Sirius’ hair on the way to bed. “Goodnight, gentlemen. Good work today everyone,” he collapses onto his mattress and is out in seconds.

Remus climbs back into the bed, as promised. Faces Sirius, brings him into his arms. It’s the most natural thing. They might have been like this for lifetimes.

Sirius thinks don’t take this away from me. Let me have this. Let me fall asleep looking at him and wake up to his breath on the back of my neck. Nothing else I’ll ask for, just this. Just him.

They have days left in the Castle, but Sirius is no longer weary of the change. He’ll do what it takes to keep them all together. Under no impression that it will be smooth, or without issues, especially not after the last full moon: he thinks how to prepare for the next one, and for the way Moony’s body sometimes needs its time.

“You’re thinking too much for this late at night. Did I not tire you out enough?”

“Just looking forward to all the things we’ll still get to do.”

Moony holds him closer. “Hmm,” sleepily agrees, “me too. But there’s time still. Sleep now.”

So Sirius does. When he wakes up, Remus’ heartbeat is under his palm like a promise.

moon-girl88 @digital-kam @tealeavesandtrash @sweetstarryskies @alltoounwellll @hunnybeemarie @hoje--aqui @annaliza999 @hihimissamericanbi @gipitothefrog @shamelesswolfstarshipper @a-pine-cone @cosmicweeds @cocoabutterandbooks @bloodoffire @residentdisaster @shamelesswolfstarshipper @ravenwordss @prancingpony42 @themoonlovesthestars @starving-marauder-lover @weirdtinkerbellversion @deadcupcakehere @theprettieststarfr @dumbass-gryffindor1960

(let me know if you do/don’t want to be tagged in next parts)

[solaris-amethyst]

🪻Our Journey🪻

✨Pairing: ateez ot8 x gn!reader ✨Chapter 1. What started off as any normal day for you after leaving your siblings at school ended up as a disaster as you get swooped far away from home by accident. ✨Genre: fantasy au, Elsa Beskow inspired, non romance ✨Word Count: 4k ✨Tag list: ☀️Authors Note: This is inspired by Elsa Beskows stories and drawings which means everyone is small sized like in the pictures above by Elsa herself, I have yet decided if there will be romance in this story it's leaning more towards nonromantic right now but we'll see! Let me know if you'd like to join the tag list💓

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As a young child you had heard stories of what exists out in the big wide world by your father. He would tell you about the faeries dancing in rings out on the fields in the early mornings when the grass was covered in dew and the fog was there as well. He’d tell you about the terrifying meetings with mountain trolls and other creatures that sent shivers up your spine.

Sometimes he’d even tell you terrifying stories about creatures like the wyverns hiding deeper in the forest or the dragons and other creatures lurking out in the world that you have to be careful around other wise you might end up loosing your life.

Sometimes you thought he was only telling you and your siblings this to keep you all in check. To make sure none of you would wander too far off when outside of your little home. After all being so small could make it harder to get home in certain weathers. Rain could be especially dangerous because of the mud it created had your mother told you. 

She had said to your younger self:

”Rain is dangerous if it pelts down, it can strike you down when you least expect it and for us who are small it can be fatal. It creates mud in places you would not expect and falling into it can be dangerous, sometimes it’s deep and you cannot swim in it like you can in the little creek. Make sure to find cover if you are outside when it rains. A mushroom or a flower can give you good cover until it’s safe to go home.”

You always heeded her and your fathers words. Rarely stepping outside when it rained or when it got dark. Sometimes you would do something daring when your siblings were with you but never something that would truly put you in any sort of danger.

Most animals did not get too close to you that could be deemed dangerous since you wore your hat that looked like the hat of a fly agaric. Your mother had one as well just like your siblings, your father was different. He wore a pine cone on his head, that had come from his family before he had chosen to live his life with your mother. He even had an armor made of pine cones for when he had to go out and fight of a snake or two.

”Hey Y/n! Are you ready?? Mama is taking us to school now!” Your younger brother called for you at the entrance of your home, taking you out of your daydreaming which made you groan quietly. You had finished school a few years back and would often be tasked to bring your younger siblings to Mama Owl when your own mother had too much to do.

You had loved your time with her learning about the world and all that existed in it. Mama Owl was a wise creature, wiser than any other in the forest and she shared her knowledge with all of the younglings. Everyone from the birds, the squirrels, the rabbits, you and your siblings and many more had come to learn from her until you reached adulthood.

Very often would you daydream during her lessons about exploring the world. It was something you longed to do but it would take an awful long time for someone so small to explore the world which was oh so big. Perhaps one day you could do so on the back of a chaffinch you would have befriended at some point in your life but for now you were stuck in your small section of the world.

”Hurry up! You’re slower than a snail on a bad day!” Your sister called which made you roll out of your bed and hurriedly putting on your hat, making sure your shirt and pants looked good before running towards the door.

”There you are! Let’s go now, we do not want to be late for todays lessons. Mama Owl does not approve of tardiness.” Your mama tells you as she picks up her basket.

”Mama, I am old enough to walk the kids to school myself am I not?” You ask wondering why she is walking them to class today when that was something you usually did. 

”Oh shush, I want to walk them to class today and make sure no one gets into trouble.” She says which makes you sigh thinking back on how yesterday you had been late with your siblings simply because you followed a butterfly for a while in the opposite direction.

Your parents had not been happy with you once they had heard your younger siblings had been late for class and had scolded you for it during dinner. You had apologized profusely and promised it wouldn’t happen again and it seems like your mother was making sure it wouldn’t happen again by making you company all the way to school.

”I’m off with father today to learn more hunting and fighting techniques.” Your older sister tells you, she had already finished her schooling and were learning from your father the last piece of knowledge she needs as an adult. You and your older brother had yet to been allowed to learn from him the same way she was. The two of you would often watch them from afar and play around with sticks you found practicing the movements she was learning.

You two were considered too old for school now but not old enough to learn some of the adult things like fighting or even building your own house. Your parents often told you to just enjoy this time, meet with friends, explore the forest but obviously don’t go to far from home or you might get lost! Or perhaps find someone you could fall in love with. 

”Last lesson Mama Owl started telling us about the mountain trolls! Have you met one Y/n?” Your younger sister asked and you nodded at her as she took your hand to hold as the five of you walked to the big tree where the school was being held.

”I have! He scared me, Opal and Birk when we were kids! We were playing too close to his lair so he came out and shouted BOO at us!” You imitated the troll and your younger sister looked frightened ”But don’t worry, he didn’t hurt us at all. He just finds it funny scaring us. He’s an old mountain troll and is kind sometimes. But I haven’t met any other mountain trolls so I don’t know if it’s just him that is this way or if all mountain trolls are this way.” You told her before your mother chimed in.

”Let’s hope we never have to meet another mountain troll! They can be very dangerous! Especially since they are so big.” 

”Don’t scare them mama!” You tell her when you feel your sister tighten her hold on your hand.

”Oh sorry my sweet little darling, I didn’t mean to scare you.” She apologizes before helping all of your siblings up the tree together with you once you finally reached it.

The five of you climb up and after a while you reach the branches where the classes will be held. Your three younger siblings hug you and your mother goodbye before going to sit on a branch next to some squirrels, it makes your heart warm seeing them greet their friends and talking happily with the other younglings.

”Behave well and learn a lot today!” You tell them before waving goodbye. 

You and your mother part ways further down on the tree branches with you running around happily enjoying the freedom of jumping from branch to branch, exploring the leaves and to be able to see everything happening from above.

You could see in the distance your older sister Opal training with your father, both decked out in their battle gear. You notice a viper slithering closer to them but you are too far away for them to hear you call out to them. Luckily your father is sharp and notices it coming their way, he shows off a brilliant technique of warding it off and eventually killing it and you know he will later find a hedgehog to offer the snake to as a delicious treat.

”Wow.” You whisper to yourself before standing up on the branch and start pretending you’re fighting a viper of your own, copying his moves. Both you and Birk had been begging a few months back to also learn how to fight but your father had refused saying he’d only teach one person at a time and since Opal was the oldest out of you three she got to learn it all first.

She had been incredibly proud when your mother had fixed her armor made out of pinecone. Lovingly sown together to be a perfect fit, Opal still wore her red hat which looked like the poisonous fly agaric, claiming that it fit her perfectly and gave away a sense of danger.

You however speculated that she wanted to have something that resembled your loving mother close to her even when she is out protecting her own. 

”Take this! Hah! And that!!” You swing a twig around maneuvering around and it all goes well until you almost slip and fall down had it not been for your quick reflexes grabbing onto a small branch hauling yourself up again.

”That is enough fighting up here for today…” You tell yourself hurrying away from the edge and downwards.

You hurry down the tree and once you’re safely on the ground again you run towards the tiny little creek to enjoy the feeling of the running water passing through your legs. Perhaps you’d find a nice looking stone, one that shimmers like the sun in the sky to bring home and create a necklace out of it. 

If you were lucky that is. 

You had only seen a beautiful stone like that once when you were five and your father had found it. He had brought it home and carved it into a lamp for which your mother would put twigs in and light up to give a warm light in your home when the fireplace wasn’t necessary.

”Hello Y/n!! Found any acorns today??” Your friend, Twigs, a beautiful auburn brown squirrel asked running up to you, looking at you curiously with her hands closely held together.

”Hi Twigs, I’m sorry I haven’t found any yet, perhaps there will be some in the creek? I’m going there if you’d like to join me?” You ask her with a smile and she perks up before getting on all four in front of you.

”Get on! I’ll carry you there, that way we can get there quicker and not miss a single acorn.” She says and you laugh before getting up on her back trying to tell her that the two of you might not even find acorns there but she doesn’t listen as she takes off.

She’s quick and zig-zags through the blueberry bushes and for you it tickles in your stomach as she runs and sometimes jump from stone to stone. The wind towards your face feels amazing and you close your eyes as your hands grip her fur gently. The fur is soft and it brings you comfort as the two of you journey to the creek. It sometimes feels like you are soaring through the air like those few times you’ve flown on the back of a bat during the nights.

You take your time to truly admire Twig, she’s truly beautiful, her fur reminds you of the sun setting on the horizon, painting the water orange or the autumn leaves. The tuffs on her ears makes you smile and her majestic tail is something you marvel at. You had only experienced one time when she had curled her tail up around you to keep you warm and sometimes you’d imagine yourself cuddling with Twigs when you went to bed surrounded by your warm blanket. 

You loved her dearly, she was the same age as you. One of your first friends outside of your family and no matter what others said about her you’d always cherish her and her goofy self. 

It didn’t matter that she forgot where she had hidden half of the nuts she had collected because she never let it dampen her spirit. She had a positive outlook on life and that was something you wished you could have all the time as well.

”We’re here!!!” She beams happily while slowing down showing you that you were in fact at the creek. You quickly jump off of her back and run to the water happily.

”Thank you Twigs! Shall we play around in the water together?” You question as the cold feeling climbs up your body when your feet touches the water. 

Twigs sit up on her hind legs looking at you with a tilted head, her hands being adorably held together making her look very curious and polite.

”Are there any nuts in the water?” She asks and it makes you laugh out loud before shaking your head.

”No, I’m sorry there are none in the water, but perhaps there are some over at that oak tree?” You point towards the oak tree knowing she buried some nuts over there a few weeks ago and promptly forgot about it. 

She lights up and like a lighting bolt she’s over there sniffing around for her hearts desire. You enjoy helping her out because her reactions to it all are always so genuine and sweet.

”Now let’s see if I can find something to bring home from here.” You mutter before squatting down and getting your hands into the water, pushing around the sand and rocks under you in hopes of finding a beautiful stone. 

You search for some time but is unsuccessful in finding anything that you had hoped to find. Perhaps your father just had been very lucky at that day perhaps the faeries had given him some luck so he could bring back home a present for the love of his life.  ”I wonder if I will ever get so lucky.” You ask yourself sitting down on a rock near by and letting your feet gently splash in the running water, enjoying the sun shining from above.

It was a beautiful day and when you don’t have anything to do it would be a crime not to enjoy it. You sat there for some time, Twigs coming back to tell you all about the different nuts she found where you had suggested she’d look causing you to smile brightly, happy she found some happiness today.

You even managed to talk to one of the kind snails in the area named Pine by you and your siblings. He was always kind and never in a rush to get anywhere simply enjoying his life in his own pace. You two spoke for a while about how you wished you’d be taught fighting as well to which he responded that it will come in time and that you should relax and enjoy your life as a young adult before it’s time for you to take on even bigger responsibilities which would mean you wouldn’t have time for fun the same way you have now.

”Perhaps he was right.” You thought while walking back the same path where you came from. 

Perhaps you should just try and enjoy life right now before it would be time for you to either leave home to find a place of your own or take on much bigger responsibilities. You had never thought of it that way, always so desperate to learn what your older sister was learning, perhaps it was because you yearned to show everyone you were grown up, that you could handle scary situations like this as well.

A need to prove yourself.

Your feet wander taking you further and further away from the creek, wandering through moss and blueberry bushes, past a spiderweb with a large spider hiding behind some leaves. You’re careful not to get tangled up in his net knowing it will leave a nasty encounter because if he was particularly hungry that day nothing would stop him from devouring you. 

You hum a familiar tune that the sparrows had been singing earlier.

It was a beautiful tune and if you sang loud enough they would respond with their own song, sometimes even trying to harmonize with you. They’d fly between the trees, flapping their beautiful brown wings quickly as they danced in the air. To you they looked majestic as they flew around singing their songs to their hearts content.

”One day I hope I can fly as high as they are.” You say to no one in particular as you stop to take them in. 

You would have stayed there for much longer if you didn’t suddenly remember that you had promised your mother you would bring home some wood sorrel for her to use in tonights dinner. Knowing she’d want a big amount and it took you a while to pluck them caused you to start sprinting to the one place you knew plenty of them grew. Not to be confused with clovers that also grew in the forest you called home. Clovers were okay, they weren’t as tasty as wood sorrel and you much preferred the latter, especially when they were combined with the fruits and nuts your mother cooked to perfection.

Weaving through the fauna so quickly as you did almost made you trip on sticks and stones but you were nimble on your feet and stayed up where younger you would have tripped.

Avoiding the ants in the path was also hard, pissing off one of them meant the whole clan would come after you and that was something you did not want. Birk had once been unlucky and had been bitten by several ants, Opal had managed to get the ants away by throwing water at them and by getting the helps of some birds to scare them away. You shuddered as you remembered the bruises and wounds your older brother had sported that day.

He couldn’t stop crying from the pain, their bites itched and he had trouble laying down and sleeping as well. It had been a lesson for all of you and your siblings to always be in the good graces of ants. They could either be your friend or enemy and you would do better to have them on your side than the opposite. You would often leave them treats, things you’d found when out and about that you knew they liked or needed for their home. That way they never really bothered to go after you when they saw you. 

You were so far friend in their eyes and you intended for it to stay that way.

”There!” You exclaimed in happiness as you saw the wood sorrel come into view, your feet speeding up, jumping in happiness at what you saw.

”Perfect! Mama will be so happy when I come home with all of this!” You say walking up to one that reached half of your height, bending down to pick it up. 

”Ouf hrmmm come on!” You mutter as you squat slightly, gripping the stem tightly and pulling as hard you could and just when you thought you’d have to give up on this specific one it flew up causing you to land on your butt.

”Ouch!” You exclaim as you landed before snickering finding it a bit funny. 

”This better not be happening to me with every single one of you that i’m plucking.” You say out loud as if telling the plant off and that it better behave for you as you get up on your feet again.

The other ones you’re plucking goes much smoother, you’ve plucked quiet the collection when you decide it’s time to take a little break. You move all your sorrel to one big pile before you look for a good place to rest your legs for a while. You wander a bit, trying to find the perfect place and while you’re doing that you fail to hear the sounds of wings flapping coming closer and closer to you. 

You barely have time to realize what is happening until the ground is suddenly getting farther and farther away from you as you hang almost upside down. You look up in fear and see that it’s a greenfinch that has grabbed you by your waist flying away with you. 

Panic start to settle into your bones as you realize the bird doesn’t even seem to realize that what he’s grabbed is not something he can eat.

”S-stop!! Let me down!!!” You yell trying to get his attention and you could have sworn you saw the bird look back at you and chuckle as he continued to fly higher and higher and further away from your home.

”No!!! Let me down!! Stop! Don’t take me away from home please!!” You yell again desperately while trying not to look down. 

It suddenly wasn’t your wish to soar high up in the sky. It was scary how far away the ground were from you and you knew if you were to be let go now you’d surely hurt yourself or die from the fall. You continued to scream in both fear and desperation. When you had wished earlier to fly up in the sky like the sparrows this was not what you had meant. 

It was almost as if the bird was speeding up taking you somewhere you would soon not recognize. The forest was big and you were so small that even if the bird didn’t bring you too far away it could take days for you to find your way home.

The last thing you could do while fighting away the tears threatening to spill was to call out to the two people who always were there for you, who always knew what to do in scary situations. Logically you knew that calling out for them at this distance would do you no good but you couldn’t help it.

Right now everything was scary and logic had been thrown away.

”MAMA!!! PAPA!!!” You wailed loudly feeling terror settling into your bones as the greenfinch flew up and down and in circles as if mocking you, finding your reactions funny. 

There were no mama nor papa there to protect you, to hold you tight and chase away the mean greenfinch.

You were all alone with this mean bird and nothing you said or did made him stop. He had a destination in mind and for some reason he had decided that taking you from your home was something he had to do.

[wall-legion]

Fan Tree Concept: Shiverpeaks Tree

So a few days ago I was consumed by the idea of "to be loved is to be changed" and started developing the idea of a seed being carried to the Shiverpeaks and taking root there, resulting in a coniferous Tree (and by proxy, sylvari). More information under the snip!

So the basic facts about this tree are as follows:

Like the Pale Tree in the Tarnished Coast, this tree has an avatar: it is male presenting and has been named Pinefather. (I think he sounds like Patrick Page but that may change!)

The seed was planted by a Shining Blade human monk named Laird, after he was separated from the rest of the Shining Blade and nearly died from frostbite/exposure. He was saved from this fate by a norn warrior named Sif, and in the process of her helping him to recover the two fell in love. Laird planted the seed he had taken from the same cave Ronan had found the Pale Tree's seed outside the abandoned haven where Sif cared for him, and the Shiverpeaks tree has grown through the remains of that same haven.

The sylvari from this tree have body patterns and "hairstyles" more akin to the trees you would find in the Shiverpeaks: think pine cones or tassels, maple leaves, birch bark, etc. Less tropical and more "humid continental".

Unlike the Pale Tree, the sylvari from this tree only drop four times a year and thus are sorted by the time of year that they are "born": Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.

Because of Sif's influence on the seed and their proximity to the norn, these sylvari have their own version of the Spirits of the Wild. They are the Spirit of Rain, the Spirit of Wind, the Spirit of Sun, and the Spirit of Earth. Instead of the Dream, the sylvari commune with these spirits before they awake into the season they're "born" into, and the spirits inform the sylvari of what to expect of the world they're about to join: for example, a Winterborn sylvari might hear "I am Earth. I am frozen and the seeds sleep within me."; "I am Sun. I stay out as long as I can, but I must be fair to the season."; "I am Rain. I fall as snow this time of year and blanket those sleeping within Earth."; "I am Wind. I shake the snow from Pinefather so you do not catch a chill before you awake." Finally, the season the sylvari awakes into is equivalent to the Pale Tree's time of day. And while these are not true for every sylvari born in these seasons, these descriptions are fitting for most sylvari from the Shiverpeak tree.

Springborn sylvari are said to be naive but charming, the kind who will ask a thousand questions about something and then have a thousand more by the time you've answered the first set.

Summerborn sylvari are thought to be naturally gifted at the arts and entertaining other, and there are stories that the first Summer child climbed down from Pinefather's branches by dancing.

Autumnborn sylvari tend to be caretakers: they care for the crops, they care for the sick, or they care for the animals who help them survive. Because of this, Autumnborn are thought to be more serious than their siblings.

Winterborn sylvari seem to be the most shy of the Shiverpeaks sylvari, as they tend to be quieter or more secretive. So there's what I have so far! If I figure out anything more, I'll post it by reblogging this post!

[spiceseal]

𝔽𝕝𝕦𝕗𝕗𝕥𝕠𝕓𝕖𝕣 𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝟙

October 1st. Prompt: Favorite Scent Timeskip!Akaashi Keiji x Gender Neutral!Reader

Pronouns- You/yours

Credit for Prompt. Flufftober 2024 @flufftober Ivy's Mashup List 2024

Word Count: 919 Includes: Akaashi feels burnt out, he had a bad day. Fluff, comfort. The reader loves autumn. He misses you <33. A neck kiss but not sexual. He thinks about a past memory of the Reader. Rain mention. Notes: No beta <3. I haven't written a fic in a while,, so bear with me if this is cheesy and all over the place,, I promise I'll do better. ;;w;;

The train ride was long. Being a manga editor had its perks and cons. But now and then, the Akaashi felt that long impending feeling of burnout creeping up on him. It was hard finding time between your schedule and Akaashi’s. He was missing you. Seeing the season’s change from summer to autumn was just another reminder that time was passing and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was missing it. Keiji liked his job, it wasn’t his first choice of company to be an editor for but he was content. However, he felt hesitation at the idea of going to work the next day. 

His body jolted slightly as the train came to a stop. Keiji grabbed his bag and zipped up his coat before he stepped off the train. The air was a little chilly and the sun was setting. A deep sigh left his lips as he continued his journey home. 

His gaze was kept on the ground as he walked the familiar path to your shared apartment. The wet ground glistened. It must’ve rained today and he was too busy moping around to notice. A thought entered his mind as his shoes stepped on colorful but damp leaves. 

Did you remember to bring an umbrella today? Did you get caught in the rain? Were you able to make it home without getting soaked? 

The thought of you entered Keiji’s mind even more. A small smile tugged at his lips. He could imagine the look of surprise on your face when you realized it was raining. Akaashi couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of your disappointment if you didnt have your umbrella to shield you from the cold and wet rain… It made him feel a little better, even if it was at your expense. 

Akaashi thought of the last time it was pouring rain at the start of autumn. You called him with such a shy and guilty tone. Your apologies were endless. “Keiji, I didn’t know it was going to rain… Can you bring me one? I’m sorry,” He couldn't quite remember if he said much after that but he did remember leaving work to meet you at your job, He sat through a twenty-minute train ride to make it to your job and stood outside with the umbrella waiting for you. Once you came out, you looked embarrassed but it didnt matter to him. Akaashi was internally reeling at the idea of walking home with you. 

Akaashi hadn’t noticed but recalling that memory on his walk home made him walk a little faster. His shoulders had relaxed a bit and his stoic expression had softened unintentionally. But his mind continued down memory lane as a distraction from his bad mood earlier. 

You huddled so close to him on your walk together home, made him so happy. Akaashi never cared to pay attention to seasons changing but you always did. He remembered asking you that day what you liked about fall so much. 

“Autumn has all my favorite scents. I like seeing the change of reds, oranges, yellows, golds and browns… But most of all the scents.” You replied as you stared at the large tree, that was on the way home. It was colorful and bright and the rain continued but you didnt stop. Akaashi’s gaze stayed on your face. He admired the way you looked. He liked the way you spoke of the things that made you happy. He knew why you were so quick to buy candles and incense of crisp apples or pumpkin, pine cones, and cinnamon. Autumn was your favorite season…. But Akaashi snapped out of his gawking when you asked. 

“What’s your favorite scent, Keiji?” 

Akaashi almost stopped at that. Sure, he had scents he liked but he couldn’t pick a favorite. Instead, he gave a halfhearted shrug before telling you he’d think about it. It seemed that his trip down memory lane was enough to get him home; without realizing he was already unlocking the front door. 

The apartment was warm and inviting. The lights were on and those autumn scents candles were lit. Keiji closed the door behind him; he took off his coat and shoes and set his bag down. He had been so used to coming home when you were leaving, he hadn’t realized that you were home. But much to his surprise, you approached him. 

“Welcome home, Keiji.” You smiled and you hugged him tightly. Keiji blinked a bit shocked to see you in your pajama pants parted with an old hoodie of his. His arms snaked around you and he gave a tighter hug than usual. His head fit perfectly against the crook of your neck and your shoulder. With a deep inhale, it was like all his troubles were gone. 

He realized he was missing you more than he thought. Akaashi smiled softly before pressing a kiss against your neck tenderly. He never noticed that the scent of your soap and perfumes or colognes made him content. You were his favorite scene. But he was too embarrassed to answer that question almost a year late. “I missed you, Y/N. Let’s take tomorrow off and we can go get you some new fall decor” 

Your face was shocked at the fact he was so sudden to announce taking a day off. But something told you that he needed it. That warm smile, the way he held you was enough to show you that he wanted to be with you.

[googleincognitomode]

thg head canons

gale is afraid of thunderstorms: it started as a child when he had a bad night as a child. he may hate storms, but enjoys the rain. cuz he thinks the rain cleans the world, removing all the coal n smoke from his home district.

katniss has pretty handwriting. i thought about after her n peeta were adding to her family’s old book: he drew and she wrote. this is in contrast to peeta’s handwriting. his is blocky and all capitalised. it’s okay, but can get very messy very quickly

peeta is really good at braiding and doing ppls hair. he braids katniss’ hair and styles his daughters hair for school

madge’s paternal grandma was from the seam- or at least mostly. her dad is described as having dark hair- something no-native towns people have. (this might be a slight stretch if things!)

gales best friend is thom. they were childhood best friends and very very close. they are the most loyal of friends and try incredibly hard to protect/care for the other. gale may be katniss’ closes friend, but he never does call her HIS best friend (more like hunting partners). and i always thought he called his family and thom is his best friends

peeta is a lot like his mum. he has her mannerism and particular actions, but looks quite close to his father. his favourite person is his eldest brother, who always tried to sneak him some nicer bread when their mum went out of the house.

katniss is skilled with the violin/fiddle. she took it up after the war, since it has a bow and all that. she also hangs out with johanna and tried to learn how to do wood crafting and that. especially making bow and bird houses, just like her dad.

gale is a very skilled dancer. like he would often go to parties and do their traditional seam/town/d12 dances. he does it with his mum Hazelle to bring her some joy since he can’t buy her anything nice.

madge is also a very good dancer. But it’s more that she had to learn to, due to having all the Capitol citizens and having to attend banquets. i also think that she gets many gifts from them: dresses, ribbons and jewellery from her guest as a small gift. that’s why she had many things, not cuz her father can afford it but more so as a gift from the Capitol citizens

since all victors need a talent, I always imagine finnicks was poetry and johanna’s is wood carving. Finnick writes sonnets about annie to be incognito about his devotion. johanna makes carvings of her family and loved one. even fallen tributes too. annie’s would be something artistic too, possibly like jewellery making or crocheting since it requires tying lots of knots.

annie’s dad was a pearl farmer/merchant. she also had the a slightest valley girl accent: not annoying but it’s more endearing and sweet. like a Cher from clueless

johanna’s favourite holiday is/was Xmas. n since she lost her family, she doesn’t celebrate it as much. but she smtimes does make a yule log and sprinkles around pine cones after they went. though now after, she makes it more celebratory and does it with annie and mini-Finn. she gives him the most present, even when annie protest and tell her not to spoil him

[xanticore]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐘 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄

Genre: fluff ,, angst

Setting: early 80s in New York.

Warnings: mentions of low self confidence ,, main character doesn't think she's exactly pretty. ( Kirk reassures her that she's gorgeous 🎀 )

Summary: Kirk invited you to a cabin date as one of your christmas presents. He visited you in New York and rented a cabin for the weekend. It was a fairly nice and cozy one at that. Over the hours, the snow has gotten more strong as a blizzard came through having you two stuck in together. You two were just friends but Kirk was in love with you. This was a perfect moment to confess after the ending of Howls Moving Castle.

Note: this was my entry for @mustainegf writing competition but i got disgustingly sick, so I couldn't finish in time for the deadline. I hope you guys enjoy it. If you never watched Howls moving castle, I highly recommend you guys watching it.

I know the movie came out in the 2000s but for the sake of the fic, act like it came out in 1983!!

I finally landed in upper state New York. I was a bit scared that my flight was going to have to land somewhere else but luckily, the plane managed to land safely. Snow was falling on and off and there was a lot of people getting prepared for the blizzard that was going to pass over. I shook it off. It won't be that bad right?

Anyways, I claimed my bags and headed out to get a taxi. So much traffic, especially on these days since christmas was just around the corner. I decided to visit my best friend (name) and give her christmas presents early. I was able to borrow a car from a cousin who lives here and I drove myself to her house. I couldn't help but get out the car. We both ran into each others arms. I couldn't resist on picking her up and spinning her around.

We did our usual secret handshake and then helped her put her bags in the trunk. It was light rain falling and we just catched up on each other's lifes. I just joined metallica. She just got promoted to manager. We were living life so comfortably I love it. We deserve it...she deserves it.

Before going straight to the cabins, We went to the grocery store to pick up some snacks and other food items. Of course, there wasn't much left of anything as people stocked up for the blizzard. We both managed to get what we can and left the store. Arriving 34 minutes later, we both got our bags in and was able to get the rest of the groceries from the truck. The cabin smelled like pine cones and wood. It was a nostalgic smell that we both remembered from our childhood.

(name) went to put her clothes away and I went to work to get the fire started in the fire place. It was now around 6 in the evening and the snow was falling covering the roads again. We both looked out at the big main window. "We might be snowed in...luckily we have some food, warmth, and each other's company right?" I said looking at her giving her the playful wink. I watched her chuckle and went back to the kitchen.

You know, couples or friends would be baking holiday cookies or try their best to build a gingerbread house, but me and (name) is different. We made christmas shaped pizzas and had an Iron Maiden album play in the background. It's nothing jolly about Iron Maiden but I could careless. I think christmas songs are just too cringey now-especially since i'm not a kid anymore.

But; I still had that christmas spirit in me at heart. That's something I know I can't deny. We finished our pizza and watched the news on the weather. The blizzard will eventually hit us hard than expected.

This is a state emergency. All residents of the New York area, must stay inside at all cost. If needed, tread carefully out in the snow. Only go out for emergencies only.

I wasn't used to this type of weather in California-but it was a change of pace. I will be stuck in a warm cabin with (name). We both fell silent and changed the channel. She immediately stopped channel surfing hearing Jem and the Holograms theme song. "Oh no-" I groaned. "Yes Kirk!" I was defeated. I knew I couldn't argue with her. She was singing the theme song word for word not missing a beat.

I never seen someone so invested in a show like she was. Her room is nothing but Jem and the Holograms-and don't get me started on her halloween costume. It was a glitter nightmare. "You know if you really wanna watch some real cartoons...let me rephrase-anime..cowboy bepop is the way to go." I said with a smug response. I didn't really care for Jem. It was just too girly for me and not really up my alley.

"Tsk..and you think space cowboys are better than pop stars?" She said with a scoff. I scoffed right back at her. "Of course. It's something that's never been done before. Cowboy bepop is so fun to watch and read. I got all the manga when I was in Japan." I said with confident smirk. (name) just shook her head in disbelief and went back to watching her show. I was occupied with some horror magazines and just waited until her show was over. WHICH SEEMED LIKE FOR FUCKING EVER.

I heard that theme song at least 3 times. I glanced over at her and nothing. She didn't seem bored at all. This show cannot be that good if I'm not getting this type of attention she's giving Jem. I sat on the couch in disbelief but found it quite cute. Her eyes were twinkling like stars as she watched. She was so mesmerized by it, acting like it was her first time watching the show.

It was the end of the last episode and finally had her to myself again. We both talked and I even bought my guitar and mini amp. I gave her some tips on how to play and she did it perfectly. I quickly went into our shared room to retrieve her presents. They were still wrapped in her favorite color wrapping paper. I walked out and she was still occupied with my guitar in hand messing around with the chords.

"Hey..." I said lowly. I got her attention and her eyes lit up. She then frowned. "Awh Kirk..It's not christmas yet and I didn't bring your gifts.." She said with a disappointed sigh. "No it's fine. I just wanted to give you this early." I reassured her. I sat down next to her laying the presents down on the coffee table. Two gifts wrapped and a gift that was inside a christmas themed sesame street bag. I noticed her chuckle at the sesame bag. Sesame street was our favorite show growing up and the gift inside was something special.

"Well, go on. Open them. But start with the present that's wrapped. The sesame street gift is for last" I said smiling picking up a random gift and handing it to her. Her face glowed as the tv lights illuminated onto her. I watched as she tear into the first gift. It was a limited edition Jem singing doll that comes with a microphone for her to sing as well. Her eyes sparkled and the way her eyes were so big and animated, I couldn't help but laugh at her reaction.

"Oh my god-" Was all she said. Her eyes scanned over the details and art on the box. "This is a limited edition- I always wanted this as a kid how?"

"I have my ways sweetie." I said before gesturing towards the other wrapped gift.

It was a medium sized box and I watched her tear it open. It was a vinyl signed by Samantha Newark who voices Jem/Jerrica. Samantha was wearing the iconic Jem costume. The cover of the vinyl was similar to the tv show cover art. I knew how much she loved Jem specifically so I got her this version. I couldn't help but laugh and took notice of how (name) was tearing up.

"How Kirk?"

"Well, Surprisingly she came to one of the shows in New York. This was actually her last vinyl before it became sold out. She gave it to me, and I was surprised we stayed at the same hotel." I explained. I could see the way her heart was flipping around in her chest. "You met Jem?!"

I nodded. "In the flesh."

"Ugh as much you crap on the show, you sure do have miracles." She said rolling her eyes. I watched as she looked at both of her Jem gifts. Just taking in the sight of the most prized possessions she owns. "Ok put Jem down. You got one more gift to open."

I slid the sesasme street bag towards her. She took out the bunched up color paper and took out the gift. It was a handmade frame ; made by me. The picture is of us two when we first met at school. Elementary to be exact. We were wearing the same elmo shirt and red pants. It was a coincidence and our mothers couldn't help but snap a picture.

I remember I just so happy and outgoing but (name) was just so timmid and shy. I liked her company ever since then. She looked at the picture, and couldn't help but see the melancholy on her face. "This is so sweet Kirk." She smiled still looking at the picture. She also took the time to observe the homemade frame. She sat the picture back in the bag and gave me a tight hug. I hugged her back. We both sat in silence, for a moment just feeling each other's presence. "This is so precious, thank you..It's going on my night stand when I get home." She eventually broke the hug and grabbed her gifts. I watched her walk into our shared room. I was alone and I felt so confident. I grinned at how my gifts managed to make her happy and I want nothing else in the world but that.

She was gone for about 5 minutes and came back with a vcr tape. It was of a movie. "Lets watch a movie shall we?" She said. "I'll set everything up and you go on and make the popcorn." I nodded before getting and headed my way towards the kitchen. I don't know why my heart was beating so fast. We always watch movies together like this...why is tonight seem so different? I shook off the thoughts and popped the large popcorn bag in the microwave. The microwave beebed and I took out the warm yet piping hot bag of popcorn. I poured each of us a good amount into two bowls before heading out to the living room.

"Here you go sweets." I said handing her popcorn. She mouthed a thank you and I sat down on the couch next to her. The movie started playing automatically. The title of it showed 'Howls moving castle' I never watched the movie before but I heard positive things about the animation. Hell, I even saw pictures around Tokyo of it.

As the movie played, I didn't really eat much of my popcorn. Some parts of the movie was good but even though I was interested, I couldn't stop glancing over at her- every chance I get. I sighed to myself and watched the movie. Some scenes that came on, I noticed how different she acted..or more so reacted towards the main character.

I felt a pang of sadness.

We got to the part where Howl was having his break down.

"I give up. I see no point in living if I can't be beautiful."

That quote really took me aback. I looked over at her once more and heard what Sophie yelled before running out the castle crying. I looked back at the screen and felt sad. (name) looked sad. I grabbed the vcr remote and paused the movie. "Everything alright?" I asked in concern. She seemed super down. Was she relating to Sophie? No way. (Name) is beautiful and she knows it right?

"Just this scene is really getting to me. Especially what Sophie said"

My heart sunk. I never thought she would confess something like that. I didn't say anything as I sensed she was about to say something else. "I don't wanna go too deep into it and ruin our jolly mood but, honestly I really have low self confidence in myself and my looks..." She explained herself. "I never told anyone this because I usually write it in a journal. I just don't see myself as a pretty girl."

I started to process what she said about herself. Why was she saying these things. Out of impulse, I just grabbed her and pulled her into a reassuring hug. Her head was against my chest now. "Don't say such things..it hurts my heart..." I said in a whisper. I caressed her back in a soothing manner. "You know, in my eyes, You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. Whoever told you that you aren't...screw them. They probably look like a demon while you look like an angel sweets. My beautiful girl."

(name), pulled back and we locked eyes with each other.

"You mean that?"

"Of course I do. Why would I lie about something like this?" I replied tucking her hair behind her ear. I watched her smile and I smiled back. I wanted to kiss her so bad but I knew it wasn't the right moment...at least not right now.

40 minutes later the movie was at its end. Howl was cured and Sophie was back to her original age. The two lovers looked so perfectly together and I couldn't help but think about the two of us like that. The movie ended where Howl and sophie kissed as the castle was now flying through clouds.

This being my first movie from studio ghibli, I learned a lot from it. The credits and music came right after and I turned my head to look at (name) again. I smiled with affection and grabbed her chin gently; slowly moving her head to look me in the eyes.

I can't believe I was so bold but, I couldn't help it. "You're so gorgeous you know that?" My tone of voice was soft as silk. I watched her blush and try to turn away.

"Do you know I see you as my sophie?" I moved my hand up to caress her cheek now. "I love you..." I whispered. I watched her face fully blush and pupils dilated. "I can see the way your eyes are..." I chuckled. She giggled at my response and leaned in to place a peck on her lips.

"Seems like we will be in this cabin for a couple days..that's perfect right? I have my own beautiful girl with me.."

a/n: ending a little rushed but idc i just needed this done. I hope all the readers enjoy this concept. Original prompt was by @mustainegf ( not my entry anymore sobbs )

dividers: cr to owners

[judesmoonbeauty]

I wrote an angst about Jude today, then when I played an escort, he gifted me with 2,000 gold coins over 50 diamonds. Well, played, Jude. Well. Played. Thought about it for while, and said, "Nah, let's mess with him." So, here's a little tit-for-tat fic in which I screw with Jude for his giving me gold over diamonds. Also, this is an introduction to my OC - Isla Corbin - that I will feature in my writing from time to time. This fic was written in like 30 minutes, so keep that in mind..... WC: 1,309 Pairing: Jude Jazza x OC Isla Corbin Pronouns: She/Her CW: Cursing Tags: SWF ┃Teasing ┃Self-Aware Characters ┃Bullying Jude ┃OC Introduction

Sitting on a bunch crates near the harbor, Jude, Ellis and Isla sat together enjoying their gelato in the summer heat. The sky was bluer than it had ever been after weeks of rain, the people were working hard, but in a cheerful mood and Jude had a good morning of debt collections. There was no reason for any of them to be questioning the ordinary day, but Ellis finally spoke up after a while.

“Hey, Jude. Have you ever wondered if we’ve ever lived different lives?”

“Hah, I knew ya were off you rocker, but this an another level of creepy. ‘Course not…..why?”

Ellis pulled up from the crates he leaned against, and confessed this odd feeling he hadn’t been able to shake for a while now.

“I feel like, I’ve seen other versions of our lives…..as if they were stories written about us.”

Jude raised a quizzical brow at his assistant’s ramblings and then looked at Isla as she was munching on her cone. She didn’t seem to be bothered by Ellis’ prattling nonsense at all.

“I mean, what if we were works of fiction and controlled by some kind creator?”

“What?”

“Jude, what would you say if you lived in another world and rode around in some kind super fast black carriage that was powered like the steam engine and went on what was called a “road trip”, or if Isla were almost taken advantage of by a bad guy while she was alone in the Scala?

“Say that last part again?!”

Isla kept to herself as Jude became more and more worked up over Ellis’ hypothetical ramblings, but far from being over Ellis continued….

“Yea, what if I you went through months of suffering and pining over her because you were written to be stuffy about your feelings instead of honest about them? Hmm, I feel like I’ve seen some good things to…like you and Isla having a gelato date near the bridge, and reuniting after you saved her……playing with her hair, licking her fingers. But the most recent thing I feel like we’ve lived through was her leaving you soaking wet at the dock over there. Oh! And the creator of that story had a seagull crap on you. Hmmm, I guess you could say they’re like an author. If that’s true, then how’d you feel about it, Jude?”

Furrowing his brows at Ellis and feeling immense anger pipe up like steam, “How would I feel ‘bout it? Ha! What poppycock! Even IF that were true, I don’t remember any of it, and that’s some shitty ass author for writin’ about people like that. I’d roast their ass ‘n sink their ashes in the river Thames.”

“Hmmm, maybe you’re right. But, what if this very conversation were being written as we speak?”

Ellis points up to the vast sky to make his point, “What if they are watching us right now and every word I say, and every reaction you make is being simultaneously written.”

Jude scoffs at Ellis, lights a cigarette and decides to test his little theory.

“Fine, then let’s test it out. Go ahead, call out to this author,” he laughed menacingly.

Standing up Ellis walks a few feet away from Jude and Isla who was finally finishing up her cone, not concerned in the slightest as to what was about to happen. Clearing his throat Ellis calls out to the sky, “Excuse, sir or madam author, um…..if what I say is true……can you make another seagull crap on Jude’s shoulder?”

“Oi!!! What the hell?”

Jude stood up to walk towards Ellis, but within seconds there was a large splatter of white all over his coat.

“Ugh, what the-”

“Wow! See Jude it’s true. Thank you, author!”

A gentle wind ruffled past Ellis like it was patting his fluffy hair in approval. “That’s just a coincidence!” Jude fought back as he took off his jacket and threw it to the ground.

“Then, why don’t you try Jude? Just politely ask them do something as a sign.”

“Outta my way, ya loon.” Jude looked up to the sky too and challenged the unknown being on the other side.

“If this crazy bastard is telling the truth, then make it rain while it’s still sunny outside.”

It was a simple command to control the weather, it should be easy for an author or creator to make happen if it were true. After a few moments, nothing happened and Jude laughed triumphantly, although many onlookers did wonder if they should contact the asylum for a madman screaming commands at the sky.

“HA! See, you’re wrong. Now shuddup.”

Just as Jude was walking back to the crates to take a seat, a sudden downpour erupted and drenched him with bullets of rain and more than that, with small bits of hail pelting him. He covered his head unable to move because of the severity of the storm, and when it finally ended, he was shocked to find that neither neither Ellis nor Isla were wet. In fact, they there wasn’t even a drop of water on them.

Ellis was stunned at what just happened, but Isla just sat there on the crate resting her chin in a thinking position as she crossed her leg, and watched her lover lose his temper. Jude was shocked that what he asked to happen actually happened, no it was not what he asked, it was far more severe than what he asked. Then, if this were true and all of what Ellis said were true…..

“OY! THE FUCK WAS THAT? HAH?! I’LL CREAM YOUR ASS!!!”

When Isla erupted into a giggle over Jude’s tantrum, he turned around to find her sitting there like she was the Queen of Sheba. Her reaction was odd, she’d normally ask if Jude were alright and suggest they go for a drink or something to calm him down.

“Isla…..”

“Are you cold you, Mr. Jazza? Want me to dry you off?”

With a snap of her fingers, a strong East wind blew past Jude knocking him over, but after the wind subsided he was indeed dry again.

“H-how did you…?” He stood up from the ground and walked to his lover.

“I am she and she is I.”

The confused look on his face was quite adorable, so Isla stood up and walked over to him and pinched his cheek, “She has a message for you, Mr. Jazza.”

“What does that mean? Who is “she” and why is “she” doing this?”

Leaning into his ear - Isla Corbin - the young woman whom Jude had known since her days as a clerk at the solicitor’s office that he frequented, the daughter of the well-to-do merchant of a business called D’Lune, and his fiancee who now worked with him and Crown, now seemed to be some one completely different as she whispered in his ear….

“Because you’re fun to bully Short King.”

“Short King? I’m not s-”

Isla grabbed his head before he said another word.

“This is what you get for giving me 2,000 coins during an escort over 50 diamonds you petty, lovable bastard. Do it again, and I’ll melt your brain by stuffing it with all the fan-fiction I’ve written about you.”

“Isla, you’d better-”

The author typed for Isla to quickly give the love of her life a kiss on the cheek, and instantly the entire scene rewound to the start of the fic, leaving the author smiling happily on the other side of the sky - through her screen - as she watched the three precious darlings she loved with all her heart go about their day enjoying gelato and collecting debts - completely ignorant of the fun she just had with them.

@ichigostellaglynn @atelierquinn @mrslelouch Please let me know if you want to be added to my tags list.

[padfootagain]

Love in Verses (XVII)

Chapter 17 : ‘Dear pine cone, let me hold you as you open’

Hi! Here is new chapter! Some cuteness and bounding between our MC and Andrew…

I hope you like this chapter! Tell me what you think!

****

Pairing: Hozier x fem!reader (professor!AU)

Warnings: slow burn, angst, hurt, hurt/comfort, tooth-rotting fluff in later chapters, some scenes in later chapters will have heavy sexual themes even if it’s not explicit nsfw description, so minors here

Summary: Your life seems perfect. You're engaged, your career is thriving as you become an assistant professor at Trinity College, and this Andrew Hozier-Byrne you're sharing an office with seems to be a nice guy you hope to call a friend soon. Life seems to be smiling at you... until everything goes sour. When your fiancé breaks up with you, your perfect world shatters. And when your colleague also gets his heart broken soon after, your shared office seems to be a curse rather than a blessing. But Andrew seems determined to mend your broken hearts... Will things finally go according to plan?

Word Count: 3483

Masterlist for the series – Hozier’s masterlist – Main masterlist

It was early

It was early,   which has always been my hour     to begin looking       at the world

and of course,   even in the darkness,     to begin       listening to it,

especially   under the pines     where the owl lives       and sometimes calls out

as I walk by,   as he did     on this morning.       So many gifts!

What do they mean?   In the marshes     where the pink light        was just arriving

the mink   with his bristle tail     was stalking       the soft-eared mice,

and in the pines   the cones were heavy,     each one       ordained to open.

Sometimes I need   only to stand     wherever I am       to be blessed.

Little mink, let me watch you.   Little mice, run and run.     Dear pine cone, let me hold you       as you open.

Mary Oliver, Evidence, 2009

The rain made a reassuring rhythm as it fell on rooftops and windowpanes. It was kind of perfect for today’s ventures through bookstores with Andrew. You both had books to buy, had decided to go together. Of course, you had two titles in mind, and had already five books in your arms. As per usual.

By your side, Andrew was softly humming. A habit of his, you had discovered. One that came through when he was fully relaxed and happy, a sign of contentment. Today’s tune was fitting the moody weather and the warmth of bookshops. Autumn in New York…

“Andy… I need your professional expertise.”

He looked up at you, glasses perched on his nose, hair tied back but loose curls still fell around his face, a couple of them hiding his right eye and the freckle above it. He looked welcoming, warm, like a blanket and hot cocoa in winter, like the cracking of fire in the hearth of a safe home.

“Devotion, Mary Oliver?” you asked, holding up the book in your hand.

He grinned.

“A must-read, obviously. Breathtaking. I have a copy though, if you want to borrow it. It’s a good selection of her poetry.”

“Would you say I will want to go back to it constantly after I’ve read it?”

“I do go back to it often,” he conceded, and you heaved a sigh.

You placed it on the pile of books that was slowly but surely growing in your arms.

“You have a terrible influence on me,” you sighed, making him roll his eyes.

“I’m merely answering your question.”

“My bank account hates you and your reliable recommendations, just so you know.”

“I’ve finished The Song of Achilles, by the way,” Andrew mentioned it as if it was but a detail, but you noticed the smile he was trying to refrain.

“And?”

“It was… good.”

You raised an unimpressed eyebrow, making him laugh.

“Alright, alright… I liked it a lot, actually.”

“How much did you cry?”

“What makes you think I cried at all?”

“Huh… because you have a beating heart, obviously?”

You saw the glimmer in his eyes, the tug of a cheeky smile on his lips that he tried to hide. You knew he was going to make a stupid joke, and that you would fall for it and laugh.

“How do you know I have one?”

“You’re alive,” you answered, playing along as you narrowed your eyes.

“So you think! I am actually un-dead. You foolish mortals should quake in fear before me.”

“How do you hide the smell of decomposition so well, then?” you asked back, and you noticed the way he was surprised by your answer, the absolute thrill he had because you were yielding into his dark humour.

“Perfume. Like the French.”

“You know it’s a myth.”

“Is it?”

“No idea.”

“I learned from the best, in the 1600s, when it grew out of fashion to stink.”

“So, what are you? A zombie?”

“No, I’m not! I’m not a brainwashed decomposing corps, how dare you?”

“Because you think you’re a vampire?”

“I would be a grand vampire!”

“Definitely a tall one, for sure.”

He narrowed his eyes at you, struggling so hard not to laugh you knew he had stopped breathing.

“Careful, mortal.”

“What are you gonna do? Sink your teeth in my jugular? Well, go ahead!”

You offered your neck to him, were surprised when his smile faltered and he fiercely blushed while staring at the skin you were now exposing.

“Besides, I’m sure I would get rid of you easily,” you teased again, replacing your scarf as it was before, and Andrew seemed to be breathing once more.

“You seem to doubt my vampiric powers to an annoying degree,” he went on again, following you as you walked further down the poetry section, before you’d stop again to look at another shelf of the same aisle.

“Hmm… maybe you are a vampire, indeed,” you pouted, acting like pondering a question. “I bet your white arse does get burned at the smallest ray of sunshine.”

Andrew couldn’t refrain his laughter anymore, it came out in a loud wave, the sound alone making you grin.

“Right, that’s right,” he nodded, doubling with laughter.

“Crispy bacon, I bet.”

His laughter came back renewed in a new wave. It lit up the entire shop, even the world beyond it.

“I cook in the sun,” he nodded, trying to calm down although his words still came out distorted by the lack of air in his lungs. “I become edible, at one point.”

You laughed too, bright and happy, the way you felt with Andy that rainy afternoon.

You didn’t have a care in the world in that moment. Basking in your shared laughter over some silly jokes, in a bookshop you loved, spending all the money you could have saved for later in life, but who cared about later? There was Andy laughing, the pile of books under his arm, the light reflected on his glasses, the pitter patter of the rain. Wasn’t that enough to fill up a world? An entire life?

You were so glad he was your friend now…

“You didn’t answer. How much did you cry?” you asked again, picking up a book, but placing it back on the bookshelf almost immediately, not liking how it looked.

“Quite a lot,” he finally admitted.

“Told you, you would. What did you think?”

He heaved a sigh, and you knew what was coming. You knew he was about to babble away for ten minutes and analyse everything in depth and question the changes made compared to the Iliad, and be too clever for his own good… He was an academic, after all.

He did exactly as you had predicted, you smiled the entire time, discussing some points with him, giving your opinion which he listened to attentively, bouncing back on your arguments to carry the conversation further. And you loved it. Every second of it. Being challenged that way about a book you had loved made your brain buzz in the best way.

You heaved a dreamy sigh, turning towards the shelves filled to the brim with books to buy.

“Oh, but can you imagine though? What it must feel like to have someone loving you that much?”

You ran your fingers across the spines of books before you, read a few titles; it was like touching dreams.

“Do you imagine what it must feel like to write about love that way? To love someone so much you write about them? To have someone writing about you?”

You smiled, a soft gesture as you let your hand fall back by your side.

“What else could we write about, though?”

You turned to Andrew, surprised by his sudden silence, and found him staring at you with an unreadable expression, you weren’t sure whether he was sad or simply deep in thoughts. You noted the red on his cheeks, though.

He seemed to hesitate, his lips parting, and then closing again.

“Like that could happen to us,” you laughed at your own silly thoughts. “Right… I’m done, I can’t allow myself to buy more books! Are you ready? Or do you require more snooping around?”

A smile was back on his lips, although Andrew still seemed a little shaken, you didn’t know why. He nodded anyway, looking down at the five books he was holding.

“I’m all good. Erm… I’m gonna order one, they didn’t have it. I’ll be quick.”

You nodded, let Andrew ask for the book he wanted, while you watched the rain fall outside, the lines it drew on the windowpane, the silhouettes hurrying back and forth in the street.

You didn’t hear Andrew joining you again, you jumped as he spoke.

“Ready?”

You had a new conversation going while you waited to pay for the books; and when it was time to walk out of the bookshop and part for the day, you didn’t want to. It was still early, you had no place to be on that Saturday afternoon. You wanted to finish this conversation with Andrew, you wanted to listen to his deep voice a little longer, let his calmness soothe you…

He looked into the street before you, holding the door open for you, but you remained motionless by his side. The rain was heavier now. It was so cold outside, you wondered if snowflakes weren’t hiding in the droplets.

“Want to get a coffee?” Andrew asked after a short silence.

You looked up at him, exchanged a glance. You read the same eagerness to stay in his eyes. You grinned.

“Yeah, I’d love that.”

You were laughing at Andrew as you ran to the coffeeshop set right across the street when he slipped, almost falling, and cursing loudly at the clumsiness of his tall limbs. The rain was so cold over your face, you savoured the feeling the same way you enjoyed Andrew’s hand on your back when he told you to hurry inside.

“Wow… your standards for that date are… very high,” Andrew declared, pushing his rebel strands of hair behind his ear.

He cursed in a sigh, mumbling something about his hair tie not ‘doing anything’, and he pulled on it to free his hair. He shook his head to let his curls free; you tried hard not to stare, failed miserably…

“You asked for like… the dream date. The absolute dream. I’ve given you the absolute dream. The unreachable standard.”

“So… a movie in a field or clearing, a picknick, at night, and with lights hanging from trees.”

“Yes.”

“That’s insane.”

“You asked for the dream! That would be so fucking romantic!”

“It’s not even feasible, on a purely logistical point. How do you watch a movie in the woods? On a laptop?”

“No! I want it like… projected on a screen, like in cinema.”

“You want to go to an outdoor screening…”

“No! I want to be alone with the guy!”

“That’s impossible.”

“Projectors do exist, you know!”

“How do you create that set up where there is no one…?”

“I’ve never said I will ever get that! That it will happen! I’ve just said… that if anything could happen… I would like a date where we would be just together, in the middle of nowhere, watching a movie we both like and eating good food in a magical setting. Or it doesn’t have to be in the middle of nowhere, it can be… like… in a garden!”

“In this economy? Who owns a garden? Are you a millionaire?”

You rolled your eyes at him. Bantering with Andrew was such a nice sport…

“Why not just… go to a cinema?” he asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

Black, no sugar nor milk. Always the same order. Predictable guy…

“You can’t talk in a cinema. But you’re supposed to get to know the other person during a first date.”

“A restaurant then? You’ll go to the cinema for a second date.”

“Restaurants are okay,” you conceded. “And again, you asked for the dream. The one that is not achievable. That no man would ever do.”

“Because it’s not logistically possible.”

“Because no man would go to such length for someone else.”

Andrew raised a surprised eyebrow, clearly taken aback by the sudden pessimism in your voice. The mood shifted a little, from casually playful to something more serious, even a little sad.

You kind of hated your own thoughts, hated your weakness that made you unable to hold back the rest of your words, but they spilled out anyway.

“Especially not for me.”

Andrew’s expression changed from surprised to a deep frown. He opened his mouth to argue, but you interrupted him before he had as much as a chance to say a word.

“Never mind that. Anyway… let’s talk about something else. It’s your turn to answer a question!”

You narrowed your eyes, mischief back on your features, and if Andrew didn’t seem fully convinced by your sudden change of subject, he yielded anyway.

“Alright, I’m all ears.”

“I can ask you whatever I want?”

“Sure… I might not answer though.”

You looked for something that would make him blush for sure, just to tease…

“Weirdest place where you’ve had sex?”

Andrew broke into laughter, clearly uncomfortable now, and blushing like a tomato all the way up to the tips of his ears. He nervously ran his fingers through his hair. And yet, when he looked at you again, there was something wicked in his gaze, something beyond playful.

“That… is a very personal question to ask a lad.”

“You’re the one who started asking about my dating preferences.”

“Dating and having sex are quite… different. One is much more tamed.”

“Only if the date isn’t that good.”

He smiled, his tongue poking against the inside of his cheek. You knew he liked that, the challenge of talking to someone witty.

“Fair enough,” he nodded, still staring at you, his voice lower and deeper than usual.

Your stomach clenched, you felt warmth spread across your entire frame under the combination of his stare and his suave ton.

He knew how to be a dangerous flirt, alright…

“I’m afraid I’ll be a little disappointing though. I haven’t had crazy experiences,” he admitted. “I guess… I don’t know… a car?”

“A classic!”

“It wasn’t very nice, to be fair…”

“Really?”

He winced, taking a deep breath.

“Very long limbs in a secluded space is all I’m gonna say about it.”

You chocked on your coffee, laughing so hard your belly was soon painful. And Andrew was laughing as well.

“Oh, no! The woods! That’s weirder!” he changed his answer, looking at the ceiling as he seemed to look through his memories. “Yeah, the woods, actually.”

“Risky business. I bet you’ve traumatised an entire family of badgers.”

“Several of them, definitely!” he chuckled, drinking and taking a bite of his cheesecake.

“Alright, next question!” you eagerly asked, making Andrew smile.

“Erm… like… erm… If you could go anywhere in the world now… Like… you’re just, transported like that,” he explained, snapping his fingers for good measure, “where would you like to go, and why?”

“Oh… It would have to be a place far away if I can teleport there and not suffer through twenty hours of flying… erm… Probably Australia or something like that. Or New-Zealand! Oh yeah… going full on hardcore Lord of the Rings fan in New-Zealand, that would be nice.”

“You’d make a very good elf,” he chuckled, but you shook your head.

“Oh, I want to be a hobbit! Quiet, eating a lot of good food, reading books, complaining about people all day long, like… with your busiest time of the day being going for a walk through the nearby fields. Yeah, I want that life.”

Andrew’s gaze softened.

“That sounds nice, indeed.”

You looked for a question to ask him while munching on your cupcake.

“Where would you like to live? Like… if you had an unlimited amount of money, and you could just… buy any house, anywhere in the world… where would you like to live?”

Andrew hummed as he was thinking of an answer, looking by the window at the rain that was still falling and showing no sign of stopping. In the coffeeshop, Mumford and Sons were playing, you hummed along the tune while you waited for Andrew’s answer.

He heaved a sigh.

“I’m… so boring,” he admitted with a smile. “But I… I would really like to live in Wicklow. Like… in the countryside, in a very small town, and to have… like… some land and a huge garden. Some old house where you can feel the weight of time and of people who have lived there before, but… I mean, modernised, cause… comfort, you know?” he joked, looking at you again. “But yeah, I… I would really like to live in a quiet house, a place with a soul. And I want a garden. I… I would really like to keep bees, one day.”

“Bees?”

“Yeah… they’re my favourite insects, even animals to be fair. They’re so… interesting and quite cute. And I just… Can you imagine? Taking care of your bees, and making your own honey? I would really like that. I would really like that a lot. Nothing extravagant, nothing unreachable just… a house with a garden, and a couple of hives. Besides, Elwood would need a garden. I’m lucky, my parents live in the countryside. I… I think I’d like to live quite close to them, actually. When I was a child, we settled in Wicklow, and it was so nice. I loved growing up there. We didn’t have a farm but we were outside any big city. And it was just so nice. I’d like that.”

You felt your heart grow warm at his words. Something so simple he wanted. Bees and a garden, some place for Elwood to run…

“You are aware it would cost you your liver to have a cubicle in the middle of a field, right?” you asked, trying to think about something else than the way your heart was making happy jumps now.

He rolled his eyes.

“You said that I didn’t have to think about the money. With unlimited budget.”

You nodded, checked the time.

It was starting to be late, your coffee was almost empty and you had finished your cake. Time to go home.

Instead, you looked up at Andrew, noticed how long his eyelashes were as he looked down into his cup of coffee. Your request passed your lips before you could think the words you were speaking.

“Ask me something else.”

A week later, Andrew was back in the bookshop, although, he was on his own this time. The book he had ordered had been delivered, he was coming to pick it up. He wouldn’t buy anything else, just what he needed. He had already bought too many books with you, the previous week, learning that you could not be trusted either in a bookshop. He wasn’t surprised. A fond smile spread on his lips at the thought.

He was about to go pay for the book when something caught his eye. A name he recognised and that made him immediately think of you.

Dante Aleghieri

He walked over to the table where a few books were displayed, including this nice copy of the Divine Comedy. He picked it up, turned the book into his hands, weighted it as he hesitated. He hadn’t read that book since his college days, several years ago. At the time, he wasn’t interested in that story, and he reckoned he was too young to understand it. He had studied later on the bits and pieces that Seamus Heaney himself had translated, but that was all.

You loved Inferno though. You had found something in it. He wanted to find out what it was. Besides, it made him think of you…

He heaved a sigh, walked to pay for both books, carried them home.

That evening, he picked up Dante instead of finishing the novel he was currently reading. He checked on Elwood, who was softly snoring in the corner of the living room, before heading to bed himself. He readjusted his glasses on his nose before slipping under the covers, turning off his phone so he wouldn’t be interrupted or distracted, and he started reading.

He was drawn into the story now, more so than he remembered being the first time around. Of course, it was a book written over seven hundred years ago, with such Christian outdated thoughts that some pieces were lost to us. And yet, there was something haunting in its imagery, something touching in the pain inflicted. He made a mental note to research more about the political context that was debated in the book, he didn’t remember the story being so heavily driven by Dante’s political views, but it was. It was mostly political, mostly Christian too. He kept on reading through Canto I and II, until he had to stop, his breathing caught in his throat, his eyes clouded with tears as he reached Canto III.

Through me you enter into the city of woes,

Through me you enter into eternal pain,

Through me you enter the population of loss.

The words carved above the entrance of hell made him put down the book, stare up at the ceiling. It was silly, that wasn’t what the words meant in the context of the book, and yet… there was so much loss in his life at the moment…

 Through me you enter the population of loss.

The words played through his head again and again. What a beautiful way to describe grief…

He let out a breathy chuckle, blinking his tears away and smiling instead.

He should never doubt you. You seemed to always be right…

[lifenconcepts]

So I remember you saying that you're a fir tree branch (correct me if I'm wrong on the tree species, my memory isn't the best). Would you mind telling me how that feels like? Do you retain some individuality as part of a larger tree? Would you consider the other branches to be family, close friends, you/a part of you or something else? I am also really fascinated by the panpsychistic implications of you being a tree branch: Not only is everything sentient, but every single part of everything is sentient, a neverending fractal of consciousness. I really like fractals

I am always grateful for people with genuine interest and open for dissection and ofcourse I’ll tell you about my experience!! Thank you for the questions!! Although I do understand how strange it may seem to some haha.

there’s a very familiar sense of home from the entire tree, similar to how a child may have a pull towards older people both in a paternal sense of like an older brother - that overwhelming sense of it being beyond your understanding but also a knowledgable responsibility of being beside them, that although they may not give you their attention, their presence is overly comforting and strangely intimate even if it may not much of a choice - either you’re all lost or have a belonging, and wherever that is, then it’ll be home. There isn’t a “tree vs me” it’s more so that everyone acts as apart of a whole, without one, the place will ofcourse remain empty, but there won’t be much suffering. For some to bloom is no different than a person putting on jewlery or decorating their house. Just like some needles overlap with others, it’s like a gentle reminder of comfort. the main point of awareness must be the way the breeze affects you differently, that the rain and snow are the primary causes of any difference in the peaceful life of sun, wind, and the everything of nothing. The environment is the most beautiful of embrace and a branch is so sensitive to that life with its little size in relation to all else around, but even then, holding such a beautiful importance! So important, so deep, and beloved.. but the biggest delight is to lovingly cherish, grow and spend energy and time into cultivating some berry or pine cone, and to share the gifts with the critters of the forest is beyond what any reasonable human explanation can transfer. To possibly have all your focus turn into a little treat for some creature also on a journey of their own is so much a pleasure!

Plus life doesn’t end with being broken off a tree or drying up/burning, although it mostly is gone there, but for some time after that source is shattered, there’s still a slow process of healing within the destruction, and to have someone or something carry you a little while longer, see the world beyond where life has been in so far, is well alright, and a good way to say goodbye to life. The bark and leaves turn to rot and decompose to fuel the other organisms around, from grass to shrubs and bushes to fellow trees. How beautiful!

other branches are more so distant family, some more friends and distant relatives, and some more work together but more or so it’s all from the main trunk, where all nutrients stem from, and it’s apart of one bigger thing.

Beautiful beautiful !!

[linksystemfailure]

Build a headspace series

A mountainous forest region

images from unsplash, used free canva templates

Name ideas: Woodland/misty/foggy basin, Forgotten Woods, Veiled Woods...

About: A woodland wonderland, hills surrounding a forested basin, various rivers winding down to meet at a central lake. Cabins are scattered about the area, typically connected by accessible pathways, however some remain disconnected. Zip lines and gondolas bring people up and down the mountains, mainly for entertainment. Caves and crevices dig deeply into the mountains.

Climate: Cool, misty most mornings and nights. Snows in the autumn and winter. Rains often throughout the year.

Services: cabins, well-made paths, bathrooms, hot springs, lake ferries, cafes, restaurants, a tavern or two, gondolas, zip lines, white water rafting, kayak hire, library/book swap.

Senses:

Smells of pine or other woods, rotting leaves and wood, coal and wood fires from the cabins. The fresh smell of the earth after rain, moisture from the mist filling your lungs.

Sounds of birds, perhaps woodpeckers (depends on what kind of birds you want here. Bellbirds are a nice one), wind rustling the trees, branches creaking in the wind, the occasional footstep and crunch of leaves or snow. People cutting wood in the distance.

Lighting is not too bright, dark in the deeper parts of the woods. Mist can make seeing difficult, dull lights light the walkways. The sun filters through the treeline.

Blackberries are sweet and tart, earthy mushrooms, the air is crisp as you breath in. Hot drinks of your liking, pine cone candy, hearty soups or stews.

Ground soft beneath the feet, wooden pathways slippery, stay on the safe parts. In winter the wooden walkways are frozen over, fun slides. Tree bark rough against the hands, cold air prickling the skin. River's waters are freezing year round and refreshing.

Aesthetics: dark naturalism, gloomcore cabincore, dark paradise, cryptidcore

Sub-area ideas:

Cafe and book swap

A cozy cafe where you can read and have food and drinks of your choosing. There may be several of these in the area, or just the one, depending on the size. There's a good hangout spaces for quieter people wanting to get out of the house.

Central lake

The lake in the center of the region. May be dotted with cabins, with a ferry across. Surrounded by woods. In full winter lake may freeze over enough to skate on. Perhaps in the depths of the lake, underwater species could make their home. Plenty of nice picnic spots.

Hot springs spa

A great place to relax, natural hot springs outside along with indoor private ones for those who want it. Sauna rooms and massage rooms also a good idea, with a place to get something to eat and drink as well. All sort of aromatherapy items and soaps are available.

[the-forests-blessing]

Chapter 9

Little white paws bound across a mossy fallen tree that lies in a pool of ferns and ivy. He stops when reaching the fuzziest moss patch to claw at. Sharp talons pierce and pop at the tree bark, tearing up moss bits like the perfect cat scratcher. After that, he hops off the fallen tree and darts forward into a cluster of ferns and bushes. Here he catches the scent of prey. The sleek spotted pelt acts as perfect camouflage, hiding him in the dense thicket. He creeps forward carefully, keeping his belly low enough to brush against the forest floor. Easing his way beneath another bush, he sees it. A field mouse cleaning itself near a large tree root. He stills… waiting for the perfect moment… he wiggles his rear in preparation to strike and-!

     “Dewey? Where’d you go?” 

     The voice alerts the mouse and it quickly scurries off into the undergrowth… Dewey thrashes his tail irritably, huffing from his little black nose; forced to give up the hunt. He turns and exits the way he came, emerging from some ferns to see his owner perk up from the sound of his rustling. 

     “Oh there you are!” Lukas approaches his ocelot now, giving him a stern finger. “What did I say about running off?” Dewey flattens his ears and lowers his head. “I know you like exploring, but we just can’t afford to get separated out here. It’s too dangerous with those traps laying around.” Dewey looks around, even glances down to lift and look at the earth beneath his paws. “Okay not here.. I think..” The author takes a few looks around the surrounding woodland. “I haven’t seen any traps in this part of the forest, only the Admin’s forest so far, so we must stay vigilant once we get past the fog. Put your keen ocelot instincts to use and keep an eye out.”

     Dewey gives two nods and turns around, pawing ahead before he’s being suddenly lifted up, the ocelot emitting a soft squeak as he’s held in his owner’s arms. “Hang on a second, you got sap on your forehead.” Lukas gives his own thumb a lick and smears the sap out of the ocelot's fur, Dewey scrunching up his face in the process. A few light kicks and Lukas lets go and Dewey lands on his feet. “Okay you can walk ahead but no running out of sight. The next forest layer is just up ahead.” Dewey rolls his eyes and turns his nose up, trotting along with his tail held high, leaving Lukas to stand there and watch as he goes. “So sassy..”  

     Approaching the dense forest fog, Dewey hesitates, gazing up into the mist with his eyes blown wide. Lukas comes to a stop beside him. “Stay right beside me, okay?” Dewey nods and Lukas returns the gesture. The two venture into the fog. Dewey is apprehensive of his surroundings while this time around while Lukas is confident with his head held high. The ocelot trots close to his travel companion, hopping over wide tree roots and ducking beneath ticklish ferns. The dark conifers come into view finally and Lukas stops once they exit the fog to glance down at Dewey. His ocelot instantly becomes alert to his surroundings, his eyes wide and his ears swiveling in all directions. The ambience here in the Admin’s forest is different compared to the previous layer. Unlike the birds and other wildlife making the woodland lively with sound and movement, the most noise here is the occasional wind that stirs the dark pine needle coated branches of the giant trees watching over them. 

     “I promise you there’s nothing to be afraid of,” Lukas attempts to reassure, though Dewey isn’t convinced. His spotted tail has puffed up like a pine cone. Lukas leans down and gives him an affectionate head pet. “Just stay close and like I said, watch for anything suspicious on the ground.” Lukas begins to head deeper, leaving the ocelot hesitating for a moment, glaring at his owner before looking around and pinning his ears back, then boosting forward to once again stride beside the author. 

     Today the sun shines bright and the dark gray clouds of yesterday have gone. The rain stopped sometime late last night, leaving the field outside BeaconTown wet with dew once morning came. In his adventure gear, the spindly grass touched over Lukas’ exposed legs, just as they soaked Dewey’s freshly groomed pelt as they approached the forest tree line. 

      Now that the Admin gave him permission to adventure in his part of the forest, Lukas is eager to break into gear and really get into the study mindset. He’s been… awfully distracted as of late, so hopefully being in a fit more suitable for work will help him get his head in the game. 

     Here in the Admin’s woods, the temperature is lower and the bright forest colors have drained into shades relative to the darkness. Dewey stays close to the author’s feet as they travel deeper and deeper, eventually coming across the flower patch from the other day. 

     “Here,” Lukas says, “this is where I last encountered the Admin.” He looks down, checking on his ocelot’s current composure. The jungle cat gives the azure bluets a curious sniff, then stands back with his jaw slightly dropped, allowing the floral scents to absorb into his scent glands. Finished, he looks back up at Lukas with a deep meow. The blond walks ahead, keeping his head raised, continuously searching the surroundings trees for… something. Dewey glances around too and sees nothing. He’s confused and curious about what Lukas keeps stopping to look for. 

     “Let’s keep going,” Lukas says, nodding in a new direction. Dewey gives one last look at the azure bluets.. Giving them another good sniff, causing him to sneeze. Yuck! Too much pollen. Dewey sprints forward to catch up with Lukas who’s wandered onto a trail less occupied with dense ferns and bushes. Here the ground is muddy and wet. Dewey sticks one paw forward before quickly retracting it, flattening his ears at the way his paw is now coated in sticky brown mud. Unfortunately, Lukas is determined to stick to the path and well, what he did say before about the swamps was true. They have experienced worse. Dewey growls and decides to just force himself forward, succumbing to dirty paws he no doubt will be spending hours grooming later.

     “You know, Dewey, I have a good feeling that the Admin will like you. He has an Allay as his own companion, and he cares about the forest. I’m sure a cute little ocelot will catch some positive attention from him.” Lukas smiles at the thought, thinking how nice it would be for Dewey to greet the Admin and they both instantly take a liking to each other with Dewey showing him his loud rumbling purrs and Admin showing… Well… Literally any other emotion besides grumpy. 

     Dewey couldn’t be any more doubtful. After hearing what that red haired human bearing the sword at her hip said yesterday, he thinks Lukas is getting himself into nothing but trouble again. 

     Dewey’s in the midst of scowling when something strange catches his attention. A weird light enters his surroundings, causing the area to glow briefly around him. Dewey stops and quickly turns his head around, his green eyes wide and searching, then narrowing and his ears pinning back again. He decides to walk faster, getting closer to Lukas when he hears a shuffle in a bush nearby and that blue light once again surrounds him. Dewey springs into action, turning tail quickly and looking back, then practically leaps out of his own fuzzy skin at the sight of some… some thing following him! 

     It too startles, then quickly floats up and flies towards Lukas. A bird! Dewey immediately unleashes his claws and surges forward, running after the strange blue creature. 

     Lukas stops at the sound of something coming up behind him. Coming up fast. “Woah!” He gasps as he turns and nearly trips over Dewey running past his feet. Lukas watches his ocelot burst to life, then to his horrors, sees the Allay flee from his friend. Immediately Lukas’ blood runs cold. No… Nonono! He quickly runs after them. “Dewey, no! No!!” He shouts, only able to see the Allay’s wavering light float in the distance, the ocelot taking his hunt to the shadows of the undergrowth. Fear instantly sets in. “Dewey I swear if you lay a single paw on that Allay, I’m going to find an ocelot-sized pitfall and bury you in it! Leave it alone!” Lukas yells out, running as fast as he can whilst the mud grabs at his boots and the ferns smack against his legs. The branch of a bush even slaps him in the face, forcing Lukas to a stop he must quickly recover from. He shakes it off and rushes forward.. 

     To his horror.. the Allay’s light had faded and Dewey’s rustling could no longer be heard. Lukas stops, breathing heavily as he frantically searches the surrounding trees for the Allay’s light. “A-Allay?” Lukas calls out. “Dewey?” He calls again. There’s no response. Nothing but the stillness of the trees and shrubs. Lukas’ heart hammers with anxiety. “Oh please, Dewey. Please don’t hurt it.” He pleads in a desperate whisper. Lukas runs further into the woods, unsure of where to go now. The forest is like an endless maze of the same sights over and over again. No matter where he looks it’s just trees and fog. 

     He calls out for the Allay once more and with a few passing seconds, the sound of familiar laughter snags Lukas’ heart in a different direction, his attention caught by a blue glow he nearly falls to his knees with relief to see. “Oh thank goodness,” Lukas lays his hand over his pounding heart and sighs. The Allay comes, fluttering between the tall conifers towards him. Lukas reaches out and is pleasantly surprised with the Allay accepting his open gesture, emitting a happy chirp as it wanders over and settles in Lukas’ hands. The creature is so lightweight, neither is it cold or warm. With it in his hands, the human’s pounding heart can finally ease. He’s so relieved, he doesn’t think twice before bringing the Allay close to his chest. “Oh I’m so glad you’re okay.” He says, giving the tiny creature some semblance of a hug. The Allay makes a surprised sound at the gesture, completely wide-eyed as its held against his chest before Lukas holds it out again. 

     Then, the bushes nearby shudder. The two look over to watch Dewey emerge from the flora, absolutely soaked in mud. Lukas can’t pay any mind to the mud with how much red he’s seeing. He holds the Allay close and snaps his fingers. “Dewey. Get over here this instant.” Then points at the ground. Dewey flattens his ears and slowly steps forward, sitting down a few feet from his owner. “Dewey the Ocelot, this ,” Lukas gestures to the Allay, “is off limits. Forever . Absolutely no hunting the Allay! Do you hear me? It isn’t a bird.”

     The Allay sits upon Lukas’ palm, glancing between the two. “It’s our friend, so don’t ever let me catch you hunting it again.” The little blue spirit perks up and looks at Lukas with extra wide eyes. Lukas glances back at it and quickly realizes what he’d said. Friend… Lukas glances away, taking one hand back to press the knuckle beneath his chin so he can ponder on that. Meanwhile, the Allay lifts itself up from the human’s hand and descends the short distance between them. 

     Dewey keeps his head low and his gaze lower. Only when that strange light shines in front of him does he glance up, then move his head to look upon this… Allay creature. Far more trusting than a bird ever could be. The spirit gets close to Dewey, then.. A familiar toy catches his eyes. Dewey’s eyes widen as the Allay pulls out his mouse toy from thin air. The action catches Lukas’ eyes too and his jaw drops, quickly reaching into his satchel for his journal. 

     “I can’t believe it. You have an inventory space too..” Lukas notes in the Allay’s section of his journal, watching closely as the little creature waves the toy mouse.. Then tosses it off into the bushes. Dewey instantly chases after it, making the Allay laugh, a sound Lukas won’t ever tire of hearing. “I wonder how much inventory space it has? For something so small.. It can’t be anything close to a human’s. I’ve only ever seen it carrying Dewey’s toy. I wonder..” Lukas continues his writing, glancing up to watch in amusement at the way the Allay and Dewey do this back and forth game of fetch. 

     From such an anxiety inducing chase, to something as light-hearted as a game of fetch.. Lukas is utterly relieved with this outcome. 

     Although…

     His hand raises, feeling the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. He looks down to his exposed arms, noticing the goosebumps. Lukas looks up from his journal and the playful scene, his eyes scanning the surrounding trees… The massive dark trunks produce shadows everywhere he looks, as do the plenty of other plant species living here in the forest. He searches for a particular set of glowing eyes.

     Lukas’ gaze lingers on the trees… On the shadows and the mist beyond them. 

      I know you’re watching me, he thinks, turning his head back down to the journal in his hands. He closes it shut and stores it away, then lifts his gaze up to the trees again. “Come on guys, let’s look for something fun to explore.” Lukas turns around, carrying on his walk. The other two follow, with Dewey dropping the mouse toy for the Allay and both quickly catching up. Dewey once again walks beside his owner, while the Allay floats in and settles on his shoulder. 

     Lukas is overjoyed with this. He glances at the Allay, smiling so wide it hurts. I can’t believe this is my life right now.. And they said I’d never make it this far! Lukas reaches down, unclasping his right thigh pocket and reaches in. “I have something new for you today.” Lukas offers it up now, handing it to the Allay. “It’s a donut hole. Have you ever tried one?” The Allay takes the baked good into its tiny blue hands and looks at Lukas, then shakes its head. "Well don't hesitate- try it!" Lukas encourages. The Allay inspects the ball closely, closes its eyes and brings it close to sniff, then proceeds to take a 'bite'. Lukas smiles fondly at the adorable display. "Do you like it?" The Allay nods, emitting a happy sound that makes Lukas' day. 

     Dewey droops his head down as Lukas gives his attention elsewhere. 

     “That's all I brought today. I have more treats, but these are for Dewey.” Dewey’s ears perk up and he lifts his head, his eyes wide and shining as he’s offered a dried minnow. The jungle cat boosts up on his hind legs and snags the treat from Lukas’ hand. “He’s sweet, I promise. Sure he’s full of attitude, but he’s got a good heart like you.” Dewey purrs at the compliment as he finishes up his treat, only to have his purr cut short when he feels something strange beneath his paw. He glances down and immediately jumps out of the way, spinning around and it’s already too late. 

     “You two will get along great, I prw WOAH– ” The sound of a click and woosh! Dewey watches in shock as his owner is caught in a net and swooped up into the air with a startled yell. The branch above them sways up and down, bobbing in time with the captured author, making many pine needles fall to the forest floor. “Wh-what!? Huh?” He grasps the rope netting and looks down, blinking rapidly as his eyes attempt to readjust with the new height. The blond searches the forest floor, spying Dewey looking up at him, meowing loudly, and next to him, the unmistakable switch of a pressure plate. Once again.. Hidden by leaves.. “Oh come ooon..” Lukas lays back against the net, running his hands down his face. 

     Dewey’s meow sounds from below. Lukas sighs and glances down, taking in just how high up he is. Hmm.. This can’t be any more than eight feet off the ground.. He glances up and examines the knot, as well as the ropes wrapped around the tree limb. “This is insane,” he groans and lifts his hands, attempting to pull at the knot, but his strength meets an unimaginable amount of resistance. Lukas stops and does a quick inventory check, then does a pat down of all his pockets. “Uuugh.. Dammit.” He lays his head back again, closing his eyes and drawing in a sharp breath. “Why do I always forget to bring my stupid survival knife.” 

     ~

     The Allay beside him had risen from his shoulder, its pure white eyes taking in the netted walls that surround it. The panicked trill it makes sends ice through Lukas’ heart, his focus changing from his own predicament to the scared little creature. Watching it press itself against the tight netting, desperately trying to squeeze through the small openings. Lukas looks around the mesh and judges whether it's possible for it to escape.     “Hold on, hold on there, little guy.. We’ll get you out.” Lukas reaches for the Allay, only for it to dash out of his reach in a panic. “Hmm..” He squints his eyes in focus, looking for a better opening. Not even a moment later he spots a tear in the netting beneath his left leg, a perfect area for him to exploit for the Allay. “Oh! Perfect! Here, Allay!” He speaks a bit stern to garner the creatures seemingly scattered attention. “Try this..” Lukas hooks his fingers in the knotted rope, pulling as hard as he could to keep the space wide enough.     Skepticism keeps the Allay in place, though the need for freedom outweighs its hesitation. It floats down and wriggles its way out through the knots, making strained crystalline noises until it finally pushes its way out. Eyes gleaming, Lukas celebrates as the Allay swirls with relief. “Yeah! There we go! Good job, buddy.”

     Dewey seems to be indifferent, only wanting to get out of the mud and to be with his owner. So he looks from the Allay and its joyous freedom before returning his gaze to his trapped friend. Though in another instant, his black rounded ears perk, then swivel toward the sound of snapping twigs and the loud rustling of the dark bushes in the not so far distance.

     With a low mrow, Dewey rises to his paws, ears pinning back as a massive dark shadow takes form. The dark form seems to be the source of the approaching, nearly ground shaking steps. Dewey's eyes blow wide as glowing turquoise irises lock onto him, causing his fur to raise, tail puffing up as his back begins to arch. He lets out a mighty hiss, his slitted eyes furious with.. fear.     The Allay seems to be calmed now, dashing away past Lukas.     “H-hey! Where are you going?“ He chokes out, grappling the net and pulling himself up onto his knees as best as he possibly can. Without the Allays glow, it’s so dark now. The sounds he hears are making him uneasy, though he’s very much trying to convince himself he’ll figure out a way to get himself out.. Even without any proper tools.     “Dewey-- It’s okay!” He tries to comfort his hissing ocelot. “I’ll figure this out!” He says with a defeated sigh. The ocelot hisses again, his growling makes Lukas all the more uneasy.. Then the blue light returns, his heart shaking as the net is grabbed at the very top by an unseen force. He suddenly realizes how the air has changed, how the net has suddenly stopped swinging now that it’s being held still.. Lukas feels his anxiety rising, fending off his comforted ideals of the Admin coming to have saved him. While he wants to get out on his own, he knows that.. Isn’t all that likely. So he calls out,     “Admin? Is that you?!” Of course there’s no reply. He listens to the heavy steps squelching in the mud. Allay greets Lukas first, then it’s massive companion.     For a moment, Lukas finds himself speechless and warm with embarrassment as Admin stands before him. Tired, he just huffs with a soft laugh and must look away from the emotionless glowing gaze. “Come to save me again?” He asks quietly.     The Admin crosses his arms, taking in a deep and slow breath as he stands a comfortable distance away from the captured scholar. He tilts his head, looking at Lukas’ change in clothes, looking at the Allay as it happily circles the snare netting.     “I swear I’m not usually so clumsy! I was looking where I was walking, I tried to stay on the natural paths, I– Dewey! Stop hissing at him!” Lukas began his rambling before Dewey’s insistent aggression towards the Admin drove him crazy. The ocelot has puffed up three times his size, straying further away when the Admin looks back at him. Muddy pawed and out of his element, with his owner still trapped.. His fearful eyes glanced between the powerful deity and Lukas. Another hiss fills the air.     Completely unfazed, the Admin nods to the ocelot and turns back to Lukas. The scholar sees something he hasn’t seen yet, and that’s a change of expression in the Admin. His thick, scarred brows no longer furrowed, and his lips no longer in a scathing frown. Instead the Admin looks.. He doesn’t know, calmer? Tired… Lukas watches Admin reach into one of his brown leather belt pockets, obviously being more than prepared for a snare like this.     Either way, not being greeted with a harsh glare comforts Lukas in the moment. And with his perfect smile, Lukas emits his own special light. “I-I’m sorry about him.. He’s just- AH!” Without warning Lukas plummets toward the ground. The net had loosened up with a quick swipe of an impossibly sharp blade, the blond yelping without so much as a prepared thank you. Lukas squeezes his eyes closed and braces for the impact. This is gonna hurt!     Until the impact never comes.

     Lukas opens his eyes with grave hesitation, his surprise knows no bounds. He’s hovering just a few inches above the ground, of course the moment he attempts to speak, he lands with thud. “Tch--Whoa!.. Oof!” Now he’s.. Just covered in mud, the front of him at least. His fault for not bracing with outstretched arms, he knows this. But this still blows! He seethes as he untangles himself out of the netting, then stands up from the ground, “Whhyyy…”

     Oh how the Allay giggles as it swirls above Lukas, overjoyed now that they’re both free.      Admin makes no motions toward Lukas, watching him this time rather than watching the Allay. Even as the little blue creature rubs itself against his grizzly cheek with visible affection, his gaze stays locked on the author. The Allay floats back to Lukas.. Then to Dewey, only for the ocelot’s unease to spark into flame. He runs toward his owner and stands his ground, facing toward the Admin and putting on his biggest, most frightening look.     “Dewey.. Please . He isn’t going to hurt us!” Lukas tries, embarrassed and dejected he can’t find the energy in properly comforting the ocelot. “You want another minnow?” To his shock, the ocelot doesn’t even look back at him. “Good grief, Dew.. I’m sorry, Admin. Thank you for your help.. Again. I’m sorry he’s so..” he trails off, noticing how the Admin is now staring at his ocelot.      The Admin’s eye gleam with an unreadable emotion, as if examining the jungle cat. Lukas watches the way Admin’s head tilts, he hears the short huff that comes from his nose. And so, the Admin reaches a single hand into his inventory, and pulls out the ultimate deal breaker.. A fresh cut of a Salmon filet. Instantly, the ocelot's ears perk up, though he still holds his ground, scared and hesitant, yet undoubtedly interested. Seconds pass.. Seconds for Dewey to judge the offer and make a decision. 

     He approaches hesitantly. His spotted coat is still puffed up and his emerald eyes are still wide with uncertainty.. He dips his head, eyeing the Admin’s watchful gaze then stopping for another few tense seconds. Dewey’s skepticism is clear, sniffing the air.. Then in a flash, he quickly snags the aromatic filet from the Admins palm! Dashing a few blocks away so neither of them can attempt to take it from him.     Admin seems to be some semblance of pleased with this; straightening up his back, wiping his glove off on his clothes as he watches the ocelot tear into the fish. Those big green eyes rounded with glee, hearing that purr from where Lukas and himself stand. 

     ~

     Lukas is at a loss for words at what he’d just witnessed. He watched the Admin’s every move as he offered Dewey, his Dewey, a special gift for what the author can only assume is a peace offering. The way the large man bent down.. Held his hand out.. Then rubbed any remaining fishy residue off on his clothes. The interaction was very human and.. Lukas can’t take his eyes off the deity. When the man turns, Lukas is still staring, only when they lock eyes does he freeze up and glance away, feeling his cheeks warm. 

     He pretends to be focused on Dewey. “Thank you for that..” He says, watching the ocelot tear at the flaky piece for a few seconds before slowly returning his gaze back to the Admin. “A-and thank you for getting me out of that net. Heh, you saved me.. Again.” Lukas glances away, scratching awkwardly at the back of his neck. “I’ve really got to be more careful where I’m stepping.”

     A quirked brow and deafening silence tells Lukas that the deity agrees with him.

     Lukas again is distracted by the change in expression on the Admin’s dark blue complexion. His mouth falls open, yet no words come out. 

      Why is my heart pounding so hard? 

     Lukas draws in a deep, soothing breath then glances away. He watches the Allay float over to Dewey. The little spirit lowers itself in the ocelot’s space, curious at the predatory display. Dewey just snags the remaining bits of salmon and curls his lip, turning his body around and away from the fairy. Lukas drags his gaze down to the ground now, looking upon the pressure plate that had evaded his vision. 

     “Why are there so many traps out here? They belong to the hunters, but what exactly are they hunting?” Lukas looks slowly back up to the Admin. The deity’s dark brows furrow and he raises his gloved fist, pointing his thumb towards himself. Lukas’ eyes widened, confusion clutching him in its own confining trap. “What? You?” He shakes his blond head, only realizing now as he does that that his hair had mussed up during the fall. His usually slicked back tuft has fallen forward. Lukas quickly attempts to brush it back as he speaks. “I don’t understand.. Why would anyone want to trap you? You’re..” The author gives up fixing his hair, instead gestures with both hands to the Admin. “You aren’t bad.” 

     ~

     The surprise in Lukas is genuine, the words he speaks are kind if not also misplaced. Lukas has.. no idea what he’s dealing with, and seemingly what happened there in BeaconTown. All that's happened to, and with The Admin. It leaves Admin’s expression falling back into its tempered scowl, though this time it's not aimed at the uneducated author. It’s not his fault, Admin recalls that BeaconTown has been rather unwelcoming and shrouds itself in secrecy. 

     He turns his head toward the duo, how happy the Allay seems with its new feline friend. Despite the territorial growling that rumbled from that speckled pelt. Taking in a soft but deep breath, he sighs as he turns his illuminated gaze upon Lukas. With that last comment in mind, he reaches out and grasps the adventurer's shoulder, heavy but not hard.

     Warping is one of the easiest parts of traveling. In mere seconds they arrive and tread within one of the worst scars of the forest. Admin releases Lukas’ shoulder and steps back, which silently urges Lukas to turn around and take in what he sees..

     ~

     The author audibly gasps and his hands smack against each side of his head, shocked and appalled at the sight he’s sent to behold. A burned down, lifeless field of smoldering trees and scorched earth. A blue sky with fluffy white clouds is an ocean of color atop the blackened and charred earth. Lukas steps forward, taking it all in. Chunk after chunk of beautiful forest.. Gone. All that’s left is the dead, lifeless remains of what once thrived here. His head shakes slowly in disbelief, then he glances down. The ecologist kneels, resting his knees against the scorched remains of where grass once grew. He runs his hand through the soot.. Collecting a small amount of the ash upon his fingers, just to let it fall back to its untimely grave. 

     Anger. Rage. Fury. The man stands and turns sharply, looking back at the Admin. The deity hung back in the surviving tree line, storing himself in its protective shadows as the author grieves in sunlight. “What happened here!?” Lukas asks desperately.

     The Admin stays silent, of course, but this gives Lukas the time to figure it out on his own. The author looks at the Admin, his eyes going out of focus on him as he visualizes the traps set out by the hunter’s, learning only today that those traps weren’t for any animal or trespasser, but for the Admin himself. Lukas turns back to the heart wrenching sight. Piecing the puzzle together.

     “Those hunter’s.. Those people back in BeaconTown.. They did this?” Lukas waves his useless hand towards the scorched field. Suddenly his anger sears hot like the charred earth beneath him. They.. burnt down part of the forest. “They did this.. To reach you?” He turns again, searching the Admin for a response. A brief moment of silence.. Then a single small nod from the blue man. Lukas’ hands splay out, then clench into tight, furious fists. He looks upon the field.. Seeing all the scorched trees.. Blackened and wilting.. He scrunches his nose up at the smell, growling as he makes motion to walk forward.

     “I-I’m going to have a word with that damned mayor! I will not hold back on her this time, so help me-” A heavy pressure grabs his shoulder, forcing the author to stop. Lukas comes to a halt, then looks up over his shoulder. His heart shakes when he sees the Admin.. The deity keeps his back to the sunlight, though his massive imposing form is outlined with a delicate touch of light from the afternoon sun. The Admin stays shadowy when facing him, but this close.. Lukas can see more to his complexion than ever before. How deep those bigger gashes on his face are. The split in his top lip. The scruffy facial hair. He can even see white pupils hiding within those glowing turquoise irises. 

     Lukas feels his anger waver.. Subsiding as it drains out of him and becomes one with the blackened dirt beneath his feet. He tries to shake off that nagging warmth that keeps rising within him, all too worked up to give in just yet. Lukas’ voice cracks as it tries to find some grounding in all his spiraling emotions. “W-why are you stopping me?” Lukas stares up into those glowing eyes, just as a light gust of wind snakes between the two men, causing each of their messy hair to stir. The Admin’s gaze softens into that tired expression once more and then…

     Lukas sees white. With a single blink he’s in a new area.. Once again deep in the tree line, but gazing upon another scorched field. One which shared a similar unfortunate fate. Across the field is another tree line, more of the forest that stands untouched, while looking right, further down the field and many chunks away, Lukas can see the grasslands and far off forests he remembers seeing on the other side of BeaconTown.. Which must mean.. 

     Lukas’ brows furrow, looking over the charred landscape. If one side of the forest is scarred, and another is the same… Then..

     The ecologist turns on the Admin, charged with emotion. “They’re trying to burn the forest from b-both sides? To.. To..” He stops and thinks.. Searching the logic he presumes. “Are they trying to split the forest in half? To force you into certain parts?” Lukas winces at the thought, looking back at the Admin. The deity stands in silence.. Residing within the shadows of the trees once more. Instead of nodding, the man looks down and away from him. Lukas has it figured out. 

     “Oh.. Oh my god..” Lukas shakes his head, horrified. “I-.. I’m going to talk to Petra! A-and demand that she–” Before he can even think to move, the Admin has him snared. An unseen force grabs Lukas and holds him still, snaps his mouth shut and forces him to look up at the forest dweller. The Admin’s tired gaze has once again sharpened into a deep, displeased frown. He shakes his head slowly, then releases his hold on Lukas with a huff and crosses his arms. 

     Lukas wants to complain. He wants to ask why, but he knows he won’t get a direct answer. The Admin is stern and forceful with his ideals, practically demanding Lukas keep this knowledge unspoken with a lack of words. The blond’s distraught heart wavers, searching the deity’s eyes briefly before yielding with a heavy sigh. Lukas turns back to this second field and takes his time to look over it. It seems this field has been this way for quite some time.. While there is still plenty of charred earth keeping his heart weighed heavy, there are little specks of life here and there. Young shoots of green grass can be seen poking through the scorched barrier between soil and air. In some spots, even some wild flowers have begun to grow. 

     Even with these scars.. The earth finds its way to recover. 

     The author scrunches his face up, his heart tearing in two. He so badly wants to show Petra the fury he feels for her and her hunter’s actions, but he also desires the Admin’s trust. There’s only one that can outweigh the other. So with that.. Lukas turns towards the dark tree line once more, his head lowered and his heart crushed, he enters the dark woodland. 

     The Admin watches him pass, then looks back towards the devastation BeaconTown has caused. He lingers for only a moment before he too turns and follows Lukas into the shadows of the trees, disappearing into the safety of darkness.

[forest-falcon]

Just an idea I jotted down tonight. I don't know what this is but I thought I'd throw it out there!

🌌 🧡☕💚🍁🌏

John lit a candle. He paused a moment to watch the amber flame grow tall. After three months in space, it was a novelty to witness a naked flame in all of its (otherwise fatalistic) beauty, burning bright.

He'd missed this.

It was a short list - the things he could honestly claim to have missed when floating weightless amongst the stars. His family, of course, went without saying; though he was never truly without them. I mean, he had more contact with them than most families had - even the ones who lived a fence-hop away from one another. And life on Five gifted him with the mental stimulation and full schedule needed to distract from any potential loneliness. So, really...no. He didn't miss his family all that much. He did but he didn't. It was complicated.

Candles - candles he did miss. It seemed wrong to admit that, given his musing on family. Obviously family held an astronomically larger portion of his heart. But, he could count on family to be there. To check in with him. Worry about him. Mither about sleep, diet...calendar dates for potential visits (the list went on.) Then there were their visits up on Five. To some extent, they smothered him. As a person, John couldn't claim to be all that people-y. But knowing what it was to lose a member of family, his family; well...he didn't mind the occasional smothering, not really.

Candles. Candles were clear-cut. With candles came fire - a raw and hypnotic gift from Earth. As an astronaut, John was naturally wary of the exothermic reaction. But like a moth to a flame, he found himself entranced by their ethereal tranquility when back on Earth.

Reading in space was...nice. But it lacked that rain-thrumming-on-the-window-pane, chunky-knit-throw, autumnal-spiced-candle vibe that in John's mind equated to perfection.

Five was home, but her sleek, state of the art design was streamlined in such a way that she lacked the cosy hideaway nooks to curl up in with a hot brew. Virgil, who was perhaps the only brother who shared such an appreciation, had done his best to help recreate such a space in space with a giant John-sized cushion and a steady supply of potpourri with each care package sent. It wasn't the rainy day Earth vibe described, but it had its own merits. The window view, for example, was far superior. Earth swirling like a suspended marble in the black velvet of space; though John found that her presence often stole his focus away from the worlds within said books. Plus, there was that one time when the artificial gravity failed on Five, and John found himself floating in a sea of dried orange segments and suspended pine cones. EOS claimed the ceilings had smelt wonderful for weeks after - not that she could smell. Her sense of humor was definitely improving.