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nyxdelanuit · 5 years ago

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My Kingdom for a Bath (Ojiro x Reader)

This is for the BNHarem’s Apocalypse NSFW Collab!! THE MASTERLIST CAN BE FOUND HERE! Be sure to check everyone else’s out c:

NSFW BELOW~

It had been two years since the world you had known disappeared. No one could come to an agreement on what had happened. Some said that a quirk had raged out of control, some said that it was an act of terrorism, and others said it was an experiment to fight global warming and deforestation gone awry.

All you knew was that two years ago, you were visiting your parents in their modest suburban town one moment, and the next, the ground was splitting apart under your feet. It was pure devastation, a reclaiming of the earth sped up by a millennium. From the fissures grew giant redwoods, consuming houses and breaking people along their boughs. Those that were able took to the skies, leaving those like you scattered among the broken ground.

Few lived through that, and fewer still survived the days to come. So dependent on the culture of convenience, not many were able to find ways to feed and shelter themselves. Those with quirks closely related to nature flourished until people flocked to them, relying on their energies to sustain groups double or triple their limit. Those groups tended to die out quickly, the leader succumbing to their frailties or abandoning them altogether. People that were used to farming struggled to till the overgrown soil, barely able to pull together crop enough to feed what was left of their families. And then there were those like you, who lost everything in the fall: no family, no ties, no way of finding out if your friends survived elsewhere.

You wandered, the only way you were sure you'd survive. It was a surprise to you that you'd been able to survive this long on your own, but while everyone else had tried looting the remains of grocery stores and cafes, you had focused on raiding the bookstores. Books on survival, camping, memoirs of people lost in deserted areas, as many as you could carry, were cradled in your hold. The most useful for this new world were compiled, using a stray pair of scissors you found to carefully cut out the needed pages and bind them to the others with twine. You had tried for the first few weeks to carry them all, covers and all, but the weight on your shoulders prevented you from finding enough food to keep you going.

They were invaluable, teaching you how to find clean water and how to make simple snares for small game. More than once, you had held a plant close to your mouth before deciding to check your notes, finding it the more poisonous cousin of a mild vegetable. It made you wonder how many others passed that way before you.

Now you wandered through the central city, normally an hour's drive from your parent's home. It had taken you months to trek here, through the skeletons of cities devoured by ivy and teeming with wildlife not seen in centuries. They were becoming more brazen as of late, and you had wondered how long you'd be able to stave them off with no more than your survival knife at your hip.

The city looked more eerie than any town you had traversed. The concrete below your feet was reduced to no more than pebbles providing you traction. Redwoods and cedars towered where buildings used to kiss the sky, the structures that still stood consumed in creeping vines and sinking into the loamy soil.

You weren't immune to missing the comforts of your old life, that is why you were here after all. On the other side of this sprawling city was an old road, tucked into what had been quaint woods. Following the path took you to a modest hotel, one that you hoped was moderately untouched, for that hotel had been known for the only hot springs within your area. Thinking about it only made you aware of the grime that clung to you like a second skin.

It was so close, you could almost feel the warm embrace of the water against your skin. Washing yourself in the cold rivers and streams only to be covered in pollen and debris the moment you set foot on land had driven you to the edge of sanity, and those outdoor baths would be your only solace. You felt a surge of energy that hadn’t graced you for months, trekking through the ruins of the places you used to visit. It was a melancholy sight, like seeing the places you walked during the day in the lens of the night. It used to be bustling, always busy, and now you were the only soul in sight scrambling over tree roots the size of cars and through brambles that threatened to embed their thorns into your legs as you passed.

You had made good time on trekking through the overgrown city. You assumed you were a good few miles into the city proper by the time night started to descend. While you weren't able to wait for unassuming prey to fall into one of your snares, you had hidden away a few portions of meat you had smoked in your bag, enjoying your full belly as the embers of your fire lulled you to sleep.

That was your intent, at least, until the rustling around you started to sound less like the usual small animals scurrying around you and more menacing, larger. Your hand flew to the knife at your side, dulled from daily use, but the only defense you had.

You wished you still had enough faith in humanity to feel relieved when a man walked into your clearing. You wish you hadn’t seen how far people could fall when their survival was no longer ensured. But your hand stayed planted on the blade as the blonde-haired stranger made himself known. It eased your nerves a little that he was purposefully making himself known. He made no further attempts to placate you, however.

“Fire is dangerous around here.” The words he spoke were rough, as if he hadn’t needed to use his voice until now. Your eyes narrowed as a tail swung behind him, kicking up dirt and smothering your sad excuse for a fire. The moon was bright enough that it only took moments for your eyes to adjust. The stranger was already turning to leave.

“The animals around here will not hesitate to turn on you if you keep making yourself known.” With that, he nodded, moving to leave.

"Wait…" You called out, not knowing why you were trying to reach out to this man. You had gone so long without relying on others, so why were you teasing yourself with the thought of his company? You watched him pause, turning to you. It seemed that something changed within, and he looked over you once more. For a moment, you thought you could see the shadow of who he was before all of this began.

“How far is it to your group? I could lead you to them if you wish.” His voice was soft, as if he was speaking to a victim of some great tragedy. You supposed you all were, at this point.

“I don’t… I’ve never had a group.” You stuttered out, your throat catching on words unused for months. “I’m… not from around here.” He nodded, eyes unfocused as he thought.

"Neither am I. I was stationed here maybe two weeks before…" Before whatever this world had become. It was funny how, when the world falls apart, people became so xenophobic. Anyone unknown turned away to shelter those they had grown with. What a lousy time for you to be so far from your home. "Would you like to come with me? At least for the night?" A fire burned in his eyes, a desire to protect that you had all but forgotten. You found yourself nodding before you could process his request—anything but staying in the ghost of this place, the dark moving in like an unwelcome visitor.

He moved quickly, naturally, through the undergrowth. His tail, thick and sturdy, providing him extra support as he glided near silently through fallen leaves. He made you feel clumsy and loud despite how far you had come these past few years. He at least had a mind to make sure you were following him alright, adjusting his pace once he realized you had fallen behind.

The silence of the night, filled only with the chattering of bugs, unnerved you. Unable to take the creeping quiet, you spoke your name. A small offering to the person saving you from solitude. "Ojiro Mashirao." His voice was tenuous, as if the name would offend. It sparked some dull memory in your mind's recesses, some small thread that you were unable to follow. Your rolled his name in your mouth, savoring the syllables as they fell from your tongue.

He turned to you with a soft smile. How long had it been since he's heard his voice from someone else's mouth? How long had it been since you had heard yours? It felt almost foreign at this point. Ojiro had led you to a massive cedar, the branches reaching out to shelter the area with a pitch-black canopy. You watched in awe as he swiftly launched himself onto the lowest limb, his tail propelling him higher and higher.

He seemed confused when he realized you weren't following. Even if you had wanted to, the nearest branch fell perfectly out of your grasp. You had doubted the large fungi that littered the bark would hold your weight if you tried to scale the tree using them. Ojiro looked almost ashamed as he watched you struggle below.

You were just a lone citizen making your way through this unforgiving world, you didn’t have the advantages of all the training he had. Snaking his way back down to stand before you, he looked down apologetically.

"May I?" He held his hand out to you, timidly. Touch. Something else you had almost forgotten. Not like you had much of a choice as you placed your hand in his. With no hesitation, he perched you on his back, adjusting his hold before he vaulted into the sky. It was a strange sort of adrenaline that filled you as he raced through the branches. You hadn't felt the wind upon your face this way since the last time you had been in a car.

He brought you into the main boughs of the tree, thick enough to relax without falling to your death. It seemed as if he had been here for a while. Things littered the branches, sets of clothes, buckets of water, personal effects salvaged from the town. From up here, the animals hidden at your approach wandered around the trunk, as small as ants.

You weren't ready to let go of Ojiro's firm shoulders, wanting to keep sinking into the warmth he exuded. Yet some sense of propriety still spoke within you, ushering you from his hold. To distract yourself from these feelings, you took the time to really look at your surroundings. Luminescent plants littered the trunk of the tree, and u were so high up that the air started to feel just a touch thinner.

"Come, I'll set up a place for you to rest. I can't make a fire, for obvious reasons, but if you stay close, I can keep you warm. It gets cold this far up." You nodded, it was logical, but you were still nervous—two years since you had been this close to someone. You watched as he pulled fabrics from branches, settling them in the cradle of the boughs. It was easily big enough to keep a handful of people nestled in its hold. Your eyes stayed glued to his back, watching the muscle tense beneath his shirt. Even that was enough to send a shiver down your spine, so touch-starved that you were aching to run your hands over his back for a taste of someone else's skin.

He must not have been kidding, laying blankets and scraps of cloth next to the bundle that must have been his. He patted the fabric as he sat in his nest of blankets, ushering you to his side. You slid into the makeshift bed, not bothering with your boots or your clothes. Sure enough, the air turns cold as soon as you stop moving, driving you closer to Ojiro's heat.

"So, where are you heading, if not to a group?" His voice was barely a whisper, trying to not startle you from your half-awake state.

“It’s going to sound really dumb… but there’s a bathhouse on the other side of the city. I just wanted an actual bath, even if it’s in a hot spring.” Sure enough, Ojiro chuckles.

“And after that?” You dazedly shrug, the lull of another body next to you dragging you into sleep.

“There is no after that.” The last flutter of your eyelashes before they fell still revealed Ojiro looking at you, concern written over his face.

You awoke with the sun, something your body had gotten used to. Ojiro was nestled into your side, the two of you tangling together in the night. He blinked awake slowly, not making a move to extract himself from your hold. On the contrary, he looked to your eyes, searching for any discomfort. With the part of you that screamed you were acting impolite hushed by the sleep still heavy in your eyes, you moved closer, burying your face in his chest.

You didn't speak of the morning once the two of you got moving. Ojiro insisted on accompanying you to the bathhouse, and you weren't eager to rid yourself of his presence just yet. His touches became more assured, helping you over obstacles with the support of his hand, wrapping his tail around your waist when you stumbled. Brushes of hands left unspoken but not ignored.

With Ojiro's help, you were able to get through town much faster than you expected. If you had been by yourself, you would have traveled the roads you used to know, but Ojiro only knew the paths naturally carved into the landscape. Two years of memorizing this city-turned-forest, and by noon you were almost halfway to your destination. It was bittersweet, you weren't sure how you'd react once this taste of his company disappeared. As much as you had adapted, you missed the touch of another. You could only imagine your hands intertwined as someone else's so many times before you started to feel pathetic.

As you walked, you shared stories of how you had survived this long on your own. Ojiro listened, enthralled, and worried all at once. You had made so many mistakes, had so many close-calls. The fire he had thought burnt out suddenly blazing in his stomach—the need to protect, to cherish. Still, you impressed him with how you swiftly collected edible plants, giving Ojiro ample time to take down a fresh kill for the both of you. It was such a relief, having a decently balanced meal for once. Something both of you were so thankful for, despite the lack of words to voice it.

The edge of the city was in sight by nightfall. You had hoped that this night would be as peaceful as your first together, but as Ojiro stiffened, you knew it wouldn’t. His hands flew to your waist, gripping you close as he hopped into the nearest tree. While he focused on finding the areas that would best support the two of you, you watched the sounder of boars scrounge through the roots of the tree. You held your breath as they passed underneath. Boars were known to be terribly aggressive, especially in groups. You could only imagine what would have happened without Ojiro by your side.

You didn't have the luxury of sprawling out that night, instead you were tucked into Ojiro's arms as his tail wrapped around the tree. The two of you had used the knives you carried to cut the green branches into strips, threading and braiding them together to make enough of a rope to secure the two of you together.

Sleep didn't come easy between the noise below you and your heart pounding against Ojiro. You could feel his heart echo under your fingertips, and could tell he was trying to adjust without jostling you too much. The morning sun warmed your back, the heat of Ojiro's chest dueling with the flush of your face. It was too much, being this close and not being allowed to touch. At this point, you weren't sure what stopped you, yourself, or the fear that Ojiro wouldn't reciprocate.

It was easy going, wandering through the fields outside the city. It seemed like every place outside of the towns had just become wild instead of the crazy growths that blanketed the buildings behind you. Ojiro still followed you dutifully as you tried to enjoy the calming warmth and dancing grasses around you. It was even harder to find the road that slithered into the adjoining woods with how broken up the path had become. Yet you still soldiered on, the call of the springs ringing in your ears.

For a moment, you were disheartened. The hotel wasn’t as bad as most buildings, but it still showed the effects of disrepair. Signs hung off the walls, ivy’s climbed and crept through windows, the masonry started to crumble apart. But your hope renewed as you crept around the side towards the back.

The fences were all but destroyed, some floating through the bubbling waters. Besides that, everything looked… functional. It wasn't as glamorous as you remembered, but the appeal still stood. Ojiro sent you into the dilapidated structure with explicit instruction to avoid any upper floors and to look for some towels while he quickly got to work clearing the debris from the baths. Much of the building had grown damp and musty, the fabrics inside eaten by the bugs inhabiting the walls, but you finally happened upon a room. The doors were cracked ever so slightly, bringing a fresh breeze through the musty air. Hidden in the storage lockers were towels, once fluffy and smelling of lavender, but still usable. The plush against your hand brought another onslaught of excitement coursing through you, running back to Ojiro.

You breath caught as you returned. Ojiro had done his best to restore the hot springs, and he had stood in the waters, pants rolled up to his knees, trying to place the bamboo fence back into place. His shirt already thrown to the side, letting you admire every dip of his chest and the pull of his muscles as he maneuvered the fencing into place.

"To give you some privacy." He offered as an explanation after he caught your stare. It could have been the heat of the water, but you swore you caught the hint of a blush as he turned away. You retreated to separate sides of the fence, and you didn't have the heart to tell him that you could see straight through the missing slats. You turned your back to the opening, gratefully peeling the clothes from your body and throwing them into another nearby pool to wash later. Standing bare to the expanse of nature, you slipped into the water. You tried to hold back the groan building in you as you sunk to submerge up to your shoulders in the warm embrace of the water. All the sweat and dirt lifted from your skin, and you couldn't resist moving to stand under a mild waterfall built into the side. In your search, you stumbled upon some real shampoo and various other cleaning supplies, leaving half for Ojiro with his towel. Now you opened the shampoo, scrubbing viciously against your scalp. You repeated this until your hair felt silky against your fingers, running through quickly with conditioner. This was the closest to heaven you could remember, standing under warm water and smelling of lavender and jasmine. Your skin was rubbed a sensitive pink, but pink, all the same, no longer stained by the grasses crushed under your touch or dirt under your nails.

You had a chance to really look at your body in the dull reflection of dirty glass nearby. You had grown considerably more lean as you learned to survive, but surprisingly not just skin and bone. It gave you a quick rush of confidence. You looked pretty damn good now that you had gotten a chance to wash away all the years of struggling.

Finally you could just relax, and relax you did. Propped up against the cleanest edge you could find, you let yourself take in the natural wonder around you. You were truly at ease until your sight slipped to the break in the fence. Ojiro faced away from you, body freshly cleaned and shampoo in his blonde locks. The reach of his arms showed off the muscles in his shoulders, and you couldn’t help but admire how the muscles twitched in response to his tail swishing against the surface of the water. Rivulets of water streamed down his body, contouring to the dips and curves as he rinsed the suds away. So lost in following the water down his body, you almost hadn’t noticed Ojiro turning.

You rushed to hide your staring, ducking your head under the water. You took the time to calm yourself down, to fight the stirring in your stomach at how good Ojiro looked, before breaching the surface once more. Something that was ultimately worthless, as he stood in front of you, reaching out to you in worry.

"Sorry, I saw you slip, and I-" Ojiro's voice faltered as he finally took you in, body not at all concealed by the water around you, and lust blowing out your pupils. It seemed he had also forgotten how bare he was in front of you, the effects of your body on show for you to see. And see you did, eagerly drinking in every facet of his body. The confidence you had found earlier returned, urging you to stand. The cold air enveloped your upper body, sending goosebumps spreading across your arms and pebbling your nipples. Ojiro watched, enraptured by the reactions of your body, but came no closer.

He didn't mean to at least, but his tail almost seemed to have a mind of its own, slithering towards you. You accepted it with a brush of your hand, lewd thoughts running through your mind. You allowed his tail to trail down your thigh, the tip tickling your sensitive skin, before you slipped your leg around it. Now his tail lay between your knees, and you watched his face as it slowly trailed up your inner thigh. It seemed that this was all he was going to do as his tail pulled away, the red on his face no longer able to be brushed away as a result of the heat, but then he surged towards you. His hands lay on either side of your waist, effectively pinning you to the edge of the hot spring. His head dipped towards yours, a chaste peck placed on your lips. His eyes searched yours, unspoken questions dancing before he allowed his eyes to fall closed, returning to your lips in earnest. You wrapped your arms around his neck and tugged him close enough to hook your legs over his lips.

The water was doing you no favors as he bucked against your heat, and Ojiro could tell too. He wasted no time lifting you out of the water and setting you to sit on the edge. He chased the water dripping down your neck with his tongue, dipping to lap the valley of your breasts. You pushed his hair back from his forehead to watch as he reached up to guide a nipple into his mouth. The warmth of his swirling tongue settled the chill, adding another layer of pleasure to the act. He dropped kisses along your chest as he made his way to the other, a hand trailing down your stomach to prod at your slit. Your legs opened quickly to allow him in, and he groaned against your breast as he dipped a finger into your slick.

He pulled away to watch your face as he dipped fingers into your cunt, easily stretching you out. You braced yourself on his shoulders, his free hand falling to the small of your back to bring you closer. Ojiro's patience was growing thin if you could judge by how he stole your breath with a kiss, his tongue tracing the seam before dipping in, molding his mouth fully to yours. The sensation of his tongue against yours and his fingers eagerly pressing into your dripping slit.

The water splashed around his hips as he rutted into the air, quickly pulling his fingers from you. You whined at the loss, eagerly pulling him closer with your legs. He took your suggestion early, adjusting himself to line up with you before plunging in mercilessly. The stretch burned, the water dripping from his cock not a decent lubricant, but it eased with every shallow thrust. You felt yourself grow wet around his length, easing the passage for the both of you, but it still wasn’t good enough. Ojiro’s hands gripped your thighs almost painfully, lifting you from the edge only to settle himself on it, plunging you down onto his lap.

You were finally full of him, wrapped so wholly around his length. The stone surrounding the sides of the hot spring bit into your knees, but you could hardly care as you rocked yourself on his length. Ojiro groaned, his face falling to place kisses and nips on the juncture of your neck. You were startled as you felt his tail wrap around your waist, the furry tip falling between your breasts. His muscular tail lifted you up, slamming you back onto his length with as much ease as breathing. Your legs fell limp, letting Ojiro use you as a glorified fuck toy. His hands tangled in your hair as he devoured the moans falling from your lips. With his tail fucking you onto his cock, his hands were free to position your legs as he wished, pulling them up to your chest. He was deeper now than anyone had been before, dragging the head repeatedly against a spot that made you writhe in his hold.

“Please.” He panted against your neck, “Please cum for me, please.” One of his hands drifted in between your bodies as he placed sloppy kisses on your shoulder. He looked almost in pain as he started to draw sloppy circles over your clit, the calloused fingers dragging you to the edge quickly. Your nails bit into his shoulders as you moved in earnest, pleas and moans falling from you like water from the springs.

The clench of you around his length only spurred him on further, forcing you harder on his cock and rocking your hips against yours before lifting you again. With the rough movement of his tail at your waist, the fingers circling your clit, and his desperate prayers to you, you came with a cry. Ojiro lost himself to your gasps of pleasure, driving himself quickly in and out of your heat until he spilled himself within you, tears pearling on his lashes.

He was careful with you as he placed you onto the rocks, looking you over for any spots he may have been too rough with you. You heard more than saw him move through the water, coming back to your side quickly. The rough texture of the torn towel in his hand was only slightly softened by the warm water as he took his time cleaning his spend from your legs, laying chaste pecks over every reddening mark on your hips. Ojiro cradled you like something precious before allowing both of you to sink back into the soothing water, enjoying the contrast between the crisp wind and your heated skin.

“So where are we off to next?” Ojiro murmured against your shoulder.

“We?” You turned to look at his face over your shoulder.

"If you'll have me, that is?" You flashed him a soft smile.

“I don’t think I’m quite ready to leave you behind.” His arms curled around you tighter.

“I’ll spend every day making sure you won’t want to.”

#ojiro x reader #ojiro mashirao x reader #bnha x reader #mha x reader #ojiro smut #bnharem collab #nyx writes

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bounce-a-coin-off-your-witcher · 4 years ago

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When the Sun Goes Down

This story is a heavily edited adaptation of “Gabriel-Ernest”, written by H.H. Munro in 1909. I owe this whole story to @tinyplaidninjas (thank you for helping me fix my werewolf story dilemma).

This is almost 3k words long, fair warning

tw: kinda horny, nudity

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"There is a wild beast in your woods," said Lambert, as the two men were being driven to the station. It was the only remark he’d made during the drive, but since Geralt had talked incessantly about his latest publication in the Kaedwen Journal of Medicine, his half-brother’s silence had not been noticeable.

"A stray fox or two, or perhaps some wandering brownies. Nothing more formidable," said Geralt. His brother said nothing.

---

"What did you mean about a wild beast?" Geralt asked later, when they were on the train platform with their bags and tickets in hand. Geralt was bound for his private woodland estate while Lambert was making his way into town to visit with friends.

"Nothing. Probably just my wild imagination running away with me again. Here comes the train," Lambert rushed.

Geralt found it odd, but said nothing. Perhaps he should not have gone on at length about the Medical Journal in the carriage. Perhaps Lambert was tired or overanxious about his meeting with Aiden. It had been years since the two college friends had seen each other in person and Geralt knew that his brother held the other, equally brilliant artist in high esteem. Surely, that was the reason for Lambert’s odd dismissal of his questions.

---

Once he’d returned to his estate and unpacked his bags, Geralt decided to take a stroll through the woods. He often took a leisurely walk in the late afternoon; the trees were full of chittering animals and preening birds this time of day, after all. The natural scientist and medical doctor found the great outdoors to be brimming with new discoveries. He wanted to pick everything apart and reassemble it accurately and down to the last minute detail. He wanted to know why certain animals behaved the way they did and how they communicated with each other. He wanted to know why the little white flowering plants in his yard only bloomed every other day. He craved the answer to the universal question of why as it applied to everything.

The doctor would often spend long afternoons sitting absolutely still in the center of his garden, observing the wildlife as it moved around him. Last summer he’d even managed to get a wild rabbit to eat out of his hand.

Now, though, the forest path seemed uncomfortably quiet. Had a larger predator taken to wandering his grounds? If so, he’d need to send word to a local hunter’s lodge and request assistance in ridding himself of the pest. As he was debating who to inquire after, he came across an unusual sight.

On a shelf of smooth stone overhanging a deep pool just to the side of the path, a boy of eighteen lay asprawl. He was drying his tan, dripping limbs luxuriously in the light of the late-summer sun and he had very few cares about doing so, according to his state of complete undress. His wet brown hair, (disheveled as it was by a recent mussing with his long, slender fingers) and bright blue eyes, so light that there was an almost cat-like gleam to them, were aimed in Geralt’s direction with a sense of lazy watchfulness.

He was an unexpected although not unwelcome apparition, and Geralt found himself quite ignoring his eldest brother’s good advice of “thinking before one spoke”. He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest in what he hoped was a stance of great authority.

"What are you doing on my property?" he demanded. “And have you no shame? Trespassing for a cool dip in the water I could forgive, but you don’t even have the proper clothing to do so.”

"Obviously I came here to have a swim and sun myself," replied the boy. “I rather like how it feels to be bare beneath the warmth of the open sky.”

"Where do you live?" Geralt inquired, stepping closer. Every instinct in his body was telling him to run. To flee this place and the presence of his estate’s mysterious visitor.

"Here and there within these woods."

"You can't live in the woods," Geralt frowned. “It’s not proper.”

"They are very nice woods," said the boy. To Geralt his tone sounded almost patronizing. Borderline condescending. The doctor bristled and stepped forward again.

“You can’t possibly be surviving out here like this!”

“I am rather proficient at fending for myself.”

"Then where do you sleep at night?"

"I don't sleep at night,” the boy winked one of his cornflower eyes. The movement had Geralt’s head reeling and his heart thundering within the confines of his waistcoat. “That's my busiest time, dear heart."

"What do you eat?" the young professor and doctor finally asked. It felt as if that question had been on the tip of his tongue since he’d seen the strange creature come into view and only now did he have the adequate terror in his veins to ask it.

"Flesh," said the boy. He said the word slowly and carefully, almost as if he was running his tongue along every later to catch their flavor.

“What a horrible thing to say.”

“Hmm, it is the truth,” the slender youth rolled onto his back and tilted his head over the stony ledge. His mop of chestnut hair dangled down towards the water and he gazed steadily at the doctor from upside down, “I am plenty good at catching hares and birds and mice and men. I am not picky, you see. I gobble them all up.”

Geralt nearly choked on his tongue. His face flushed and his cheeks grew hot with indignance (and perhaps something else, a stirring in his belly that he quietly ignored). The audacity of such a creature! Such open and frank fliration was unheard of, especially since he was so indecorously nude!

"I can’t imagine you’re eating well. The rabbits on my estate have never been easy to trap or catch or corner. Not even my father’s best games keeper could do it, and that man lived on the property for nearly sixty years.”

"It is easier for me to hunt them than it is for your game keeper to trap them, Dr. Bellegarde,” the boy winked again. The sound of his name in the stranger’s mouth had Geralt mildly panicked. Did he know this improper young villain? Had he forgotten the boy’s name? Had the lad followed him back from university? The strange young man added another cryptic statement, “At night I hunt on four feet. It’s faster that way.”

"I suppose you’re referring to a dog?" Geralt offered. “And wouldn’t that be considered poaching, you hunting on my lands at night with your hound?”

The boy laughed a weird, low laugh; it was pleasantly like a chuckle and disagreeably like a snarl. Both portions of the sound had Geralt’s heart racing even faster in his chest. It felt nearly as painful as he’d expected from cardiac distress and he breathed evenly like he’d been taught to do under such duress. Slowly, the panicked feeling faded away and he gazed back at his trespasser with narrowed eyes. “Why are you laughing, then?”

"I don't think any dog would be very anxious for my company, especially not at night. We wouldn’t get along with each other, me and a dog.”

Geralt began to suspect (with a deep and primal sense of ever growing dread) that there was something odd and uncanny about the strange-eyed, silver-tongued youth lounging above the pond. He uncrossed his arms and put his hands on his hips, “Well you can’t keep sleeping in the woods.”

“I fancy you’d rather not have me in your house.”

The prospect of this wild, naked animal loose in the professor’s neatly ordered and well-kept manor was certainly an alarming one. Geralt glared and shook his head, dislodging some of his long white hair from its ribbon.

"If you don't go then I shall have to make you.”

The boy flipped onto his front in a flash and plunged into the pool. In the span of a moment he had crossed the short expanse of water and flung his glistening body half-way up the bank where Geralt was standing. For an otter the movement would not have been remarkable; for a boy it was sufficiently startling. Geralt’s leather-booted foot slipped as he jerked backwards involuntarily. After his arms windmilled for a moment and his balance failed him, the young doctor found himself almost prostrate on the slippery weed-grown shore of the pond with those cat-like blue eyes mere inches from his own.

He raised a hand to his throat instinctively and the boy laughed again; a laugh in which the snarl had nearly driven out the chuckle entirely. Then, with another of his astonishing lightning movements, the naked youth plunged out of view into a yielding tangle of weed and fern.

"What an extraordinarily wild animal!" said Geralt as he picked himself up. Then he recalled Lambert’s remark on the train station’s waiting platform: "There is a wild beast in your woods."

As he meandered his way back towards the manor proper, Dr. Bellegarde began to turn over in his mind some of the various local occurrences which might be traceable to the existence of his astonishing young savage.

According to the local paper, gathered the day previous by his valet, something had been thinning the game in the woods lately. Poultry had gone missing from several neighboring farms and factories, hares and rabbits were growing unaccountably scarcer, and complaints had reached the local constabulary of lambs being carried out of their pastures in the hills. Could it be possible that this wild boy was really hunting the countryside with a pack of obedient hounds?

The oddly pretty creature had spoken of hunting "four-footed" by night, but then, again, he had hinted strangely at no dog caring to come near him, "especially at night." It was certainly puzzling.

And then, as Geralt was running his mind over the various odd occurrences he’d heard reported from the village in the past few months, he came suddenly to a dead stop. The young man that had gone missing from the milling town upriver two months ago--the accepted theory was that he had tumbled into the millwheel and been swept away; but the boy’s mother had insisted that merely run away with some village girl (who had also disappeared).

He thought of the village youngster, who’d been applying to attend Oxenfurt at the time of his mysterious yet apparent death. Perhaps they were one in the same; but then, why in all the world, would a college hopeful by lying naked in the woods outside Dr. Bellegarde’s lonesome manor house? It was odd. Very odd.

"Where's your voice gone to, Doctor?" asked his housekeeper, Ms. Merrigold. "One would think you had seen a wolf on your walk."

At breakfast next morning, Geralt was overwhelmingly conscious that his feeling of uneasiness regarding yesterday's episode with the boy had not wholly disappeared. He had decided to go into the village and talk with Lambert about the “beast in his woods” and learn what his brother had really seen that had made him so twitchy. With his day planned and his mind slightly more settled, his usual cheerfulness partially returned. The doctor hummed a bright little melody as he sauntered to the morning-room for his customary cup of tea with Ms. Merrigold.

As Geralt entered the morning-room and scanned the familiar space his humming made way abruptly for a quietly shouted curse. Gracefully laid out atop his red velvet settee, in an attitude of almost exaggerated repose, was the boy from the woods. He was drier than when the doctor had last seen him, but still he remained entirely naked. Every inch of his lovely, soft-looking skin was on display; Geralt averted his eyes as quickly as possible and tried to hide his blushing face from the grinning minx.

"How dare you come in here like this!” he huffed.

"You told me I was not allowed to stay in the woods," said the boy calmly. He propped his elbow up on the cushion and laid his cheek against his palm, languidly stretching his legs out at the same time. The doctor breathed deeply and kept his eyes firmly locked with the strange young man’s.

"I did not invite you to come here!"

“Then I have misunderstood,” the boy sighed. The hand that had been supporting his head moved down and flattened against the settee. His arm straightened and his torso lengthened with the movement. Now sitting with one knee resting slightly bent atop the other, his hair messy and his shockingly blue eyes half-lidded, he looked like the painting of a young Cupid.

“Triss!” Geralt called, desperate for another person to intervene on his behalf. To save him from this tempting little beast. “Triss, fetch one of the pantry boys. We have a guest and he’s...he’s quite out of sorts.”

“Yes, Dr. Bellegarde,” his housekeeper called back. “Right away, sir!”

The boy giggled from the couch and Geralt whirled back to look at him. His finger was playing gently with the plumpest part of his lip and the young professor found himself flushing yet again. “Yes, Dr. Bellegard. Hurry to cover me up right away.”

---

Lambert was less than helpful when Geralt first asked about the beastly reference he’d made at the station.

"My dear father died of some brain trouble," he explained, "So you will understand why I am averse to dwelling on anything of an impossibly fantastic nature that I may see or think that I have seen. I don’t even know that I saw anything, you understand?”

"I am a medical doctor, Lambert, of course I understand. But what did you see?" Geralt inquired. “I must know.”

"What I thought I saw was something so extraordinary that no really sane man could dignify it with the credit of having actually happened. I was standing at the end of the lane near your manor property, half-hidden in the hedge growth by the orchard gate. I’d been watching the dying glow of the sunset and committing to memory for use in a future painting. Nothing extraordinary, of course, but beautiful nonetheless.

“It was then that I became aware of a naked boy. I assumed that he was a bather from some neighboring pool who was standing out on the bare hillside, also taking a moment to watch and appreciate the sunset. His pose was so suggestive of some wild faun of Pagan myth that I instantly wanted to engage him as a model, and in another moment I think I should have hailed him over to my hiding spot to discuss such a matter. Just then, however, the sun was lost over the edge of the horizon and the last of its warm orange glow slid away. The landscape was left a cold and gloomy grey.”

“And what of the boy? Your language is poetic, Lambert, but I’ve grown rather impatient!”

“The boy was gone, Geralt!”

"What? Did he simply vanish into nothing like some ghost or phantom?"

"No; that’s the most terrifying part, you see," answered the artist; "That’s the whole reason I didn’t want to tell you about this problem in the first place. Geralt, my dearest brother, on the open hillside where my momentary muse had been standing a second before, there was a wolf instead. It had shaggy brown-black fur and huge, gleaming fangs. Most terrifying of all were its huge, bright blue eyes.”

Geralt’s mind whirled with the new information. Lambert had indeed given him the details he’d so desperately needed to draw his final, strange conclusion: the boy was a werewolf! He thanked his younger half-sibling and made his departure, hurrying back to the manor as quickly as possible.

He had to make it home before dark.

---

“The moon isn’t full tonight,” the boy sighed. Triss had managed to wrestle him into a clean shirt and a pair of cropped blue breeches but despite the clothing he still seemed to ooze a sense of easy, naked confidence. The slim brunette was draped across the chaise lounge of Geralt’s personal study, his bare feet hanging over the arm.

“So?”

“So I will not transform into the horrible monster you fear I shall become,” he sighed again. He rolled his eyes in Geralt’s direction and smirked. “You and your housekeeper are safe. As is your cook, your pageboy, your valet, and your terribly friendly mare. Roach, right?”

“Hmm. You’ve been through my things?”

“Triss allowed me to wander the house and the grounds but then she forced me to bathe again when I came back in,” he frowned. “Soap does not agree with me and neither do these prickly, constricting clothes.”

“And your name?” Geralt asked, finally. “Since you have proven to know me already.”

“You may call me Jaskier,” the boy said, popping up from the couch. He offered his hand, which Geralt shook rather nervously. “And I’ve already decided that I’m going to be staying for awhile.”

“Why should I allow you to stay?” the young doctor bristled. “What have you to offer me in return for room and board?”

“I have no money, but I’m a wonderful gardener and I’m sure that there are, Dr. Bellegarde, other ways we can pass the time together. I sense that we are kindred spirits in many ways.”

Geralt blushed and swallowed hard, blinking down at the boy, whose fingers were playing with the material of the doctor’s cravat. His blue eyes peeked up through their bordering black lashes and Geralt’s will crumbled to dust. “Alright. I suppose you can stay; if it keeps the village safe.”

“Very safe,” the werewolf, Jaskier, smiled. His delicate little paw with its long, lithe fingers spread over the material of Geralt’s silk waistcoat, right over his heart. “So very safe, indeed.”

#geraskier #a very bouncey halloween #bouncey's halloween oneshots #werewolf jaskier #victorian era #hh munro #gabriel-ernest #doctor geralt #professor geralt #flirty jaskier #creature jaskier #inhuman jaskier #rich geralt #wealthy geralt #victorian au #witcher victorian au #werewolf au #romance

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wintcrwinds · 4 years ago

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A series of seventeen canvases are displayed at the Pelican Town Founder’s Day Festival, done in the style of a digital comic, with varying amounts of panels. Matty submitted them to Mayor Lewis anonymously, but may have given himself away by 1) not obviously featuring in any of the pictures himself and 2) lurking around the exhibit to see if people like what he’s drawn. The series is called ‘Hourly’, and is based on things he has seen throughout the time he’s lived Pelican Town - the things that make it special, in his opinion.

6AM - A single panel. Malia’s House.

The sun is just beginning to rise; the sky clear and pale. Malia has just returned from the night shift at the nursing home. She’s still wearing her scrubs, and she looks worn out, but the small smile on her face is undeniably fond as she bends down to pet the black cat winding its way around her ankles.

7AM - Four panels. Johnson-Phan/Pena farm.

The first two panels are of some random things from around the farm - a funny looking scarecrow with a turnip for a head, a clutch of confused looking hens, and three crates of shiny red apples.

The third panel is of Art and Lizzie standing in a barren field at the edge of the property. Art looks crestfallen, but Lizzie has noticed something.

The fourth panel - something is growing! A tiny green sprout is poking out of the dark soil, and Lizzie has thrown one of her arms around Art, pointing at it with stars in her eyes. Art looks shocked and delighted.

8AM - Two panels. Pelican Town Square, Library.

The first panel is of Gabe and Thalia on their way to school. They are holding hands, and appear to be playing some sort of hopping game on the paving stones as they walk. Thalia has a little lunch box clutched in her hand, and Gabe is carrying her backpack on his shoulder.

The second panel is outside the library, just before the school bell rings. Thalia is waving an excited goodbye as Alex holds open the door for her to go inside for class.

9AM - Four panels. Varani farm.

The first two panels are of Kiran’s cows, the second being specifically of Lola and Sadie, who are gently touching noses.

The third panel is of Kiran pouring feed into their trough. His hair is pulled back in a bun, and his shirt sleeves are rolled up to the elbow.

The fourth is of Kiran standing on the bottom rung of the fence around their paddock. He has a hand outstretched to gently pet the velvet of Lola’s nose, the expression on his face pensive.

10AM - Four panels. Doctor’s Office.

The first panel shows the morning sunlight filtering through the window of the clinic, casting Henry’s face in a warm glow as he sits at the reception desk. He looks engrossed in what he’s doing, but seems content. There’s a mug of tea at his side, and a half-eaten danish.

The second panel is of things of interest around the waiting room - the spread of magazines, a potted plant, and the posters on the walls.

The third panel is of Ben sitting at the desk in his office, enjoying a moment of relative calm before his next patient arrives. There’s an empty plate beside him too, and the light from the window catches the steam from his coffee, giving the scene a dreamy quality.

The fourth panel has been drawn through the window in the door that leads to the ward. Koa is sitting on one of the beds, looking sheepish as Ben applies a bandaid to some unseen injury on his forehead.

11AM - A single panel. Pelican Town Square.

A flurry of leaves skitters across the cobbles. Dakota is standing at the community notice board, carefully pinning up their poster inviting people to join their dnd group. They look nervous, but hopeful. Iris is sitting on one of the benches nearby. She’s on the phone, and looks bored and frustrated. She has her own notice clutched in her hand.

12PM - Three panels. Mercers’ General Store

The first two panels are of some of the local produce available in the General Store, carefully reconstructed in bright, appealing colours.

The third panel is of Jillian, who is stacking some shelves, and Finley, who is leaning on the counter and grinning as they talk to her. Jillian is in the process of rolling her eyes, but she has her face turned away from Finley so they won’t see her smile. They’re both in their uniforms.

1PM - A single panel. Graveyard.

The sun is high in the sky. Sofia sits beneath the large oak tree that grows next to the cemetery. She has a little packed lunch set out on the grass beside her, but it looks largely untouched - she’s too busy reading her book! The cover reads ‘Carrie’.

2PM - A single panel. Community Centre.

Having found time in their busy schedules for a little break, Adria and Ben are sitting together in the small park next to the old community centre. They have takeaway coffees from the saloon, and a bag of biscotti open on the bench between them. They are chatting amiably, Adria laughing softly at something Ben has said.

3PM - Two panels. Mayor Lewis’s House.

The Mayor is standing by his front gate, a pile of important-looking papers precariously balanced in one of his arms. He’s the only subject that seems aware that he’s being sketched, and he waves cheerfully at the artist. A piece of paper is caught in the breeze and flutters away.

Sasha is watching her father from the doorway of their house, her expression quietly affectionate.

4PM - A single panel. Abandoned JojaMart.

The sun is low in the sky, but the assembled crew are still hard at work on the construction of the town’s new cinema. Ben and Fry are on the roof, in the process of taking down the old Joja sign once and for all. Elaine is directing from the ground, looking very professional in a hard hat and tool belt, and Art can be seen through the window of the building, sawing enthusiastically through some wooden boards.

In the background, Koa is whistling as he carries a box of geodes. One has fallen off the pile and cracked open on the sidewalk - it’s got a prismatic shard inside, but he hasn’t seen it!

5PM - Two panels. Cindersap Forest.

The first panel is of the exterior of Sloane’s van against the backdrop of the dark woods. There is a handmade sign posted outside, offering palmistry and tarot readings, and the fairy lights hung around the windows are glowing cheerfully.

The second panel is of Sloane faerself, handing over a package of herbal tea to Anya to make use of at the spa.

6PM - Four panels. The beach.

The four panels depict Jemma practicing some manoeuvres with her sword, kicking up sand and ocean spray on all sides. She looks like she’s having a lot of fun. The seagulls scattered around her don’t seem to share the sentiment.

7PM - Three panels. Elaine’s workshop.

The first two panels are of some of the projects set up around Elaine’s shop. There are a few intricately carved chairs and tables, and some beautiful handmade vases standing next to her pottery wheel.

Elaine is busy sanding in the third panel, her hands covered in scrapes and sawdust. Her dinner, which sits on the bench beside her, has only been picked at and left to go cold. Her cell phone is lit up - the tiny letters on the display look like they might say ‘Sofia’, but it’s hard to tell.

8PM - A single panel. The mountains.

The night sky is purple from the remains of the setting sun, and is already filled with a galaxy of stars. Sasha and Zola are crowded around a telescope, which looks a little battered from being dragged half way up the mountain. Zola points into the distance with enthusiasm, but Sasha looks unconvinced. In the sky behind them is a tiny UFO, but they don’t seem to have noticed it.

9PM - Five panels. Stardrop Saloon.

The first panel is of Archie. She sits alone in the corner of the room, headphones on, the screen of her laptop lighting up her face and reflecting in her glasses. Her bag is on top of the other chair at the table, pointedly letting people know she doesn’t want anyone to sit there. There’s a little ghost sticker on her computer.

The second panel is of Arden and Jemma. The girls are standing behind the bar and amusing themselves with cocktail tricks (or Arden is amusing Jemma, who has been given a plastic cup to practice with). They have matching paper umbrellas tucked behind their ears.

The third panel finds a group in the game room. Koa, Malia, Finley and Jillian are playing a game of pool - Koa and Jillian are losing, and Jillian doesn’t look like she’s taking it very well.

The fourth panel is of the bar, where Lizzie, Sasha, Art and Kiran are all sitting together. They look like they’re playing some sort of drinking game, the rules of which are unclear. In the background, Elaine and Sofia can be seen sitting together at a cosy table.

The fifth panel is of Sloane, who is dancing to the music playing on the jukebox, a glass of wine in hand. Fae don’t seem to have a care in the world.

10PM - A single panel. Water tower.

The final panel depicts the water tower near the train station. It stands as an inky silhouette against the night sky, which is full of stars and a large silvery moon. In the distance, the Valley’s purple mountains loom large. Two figures are sat on the tower’s platform, their legs dangling over the edge as they rest their arms against the railing, and their features cast in shadow. The Valley sure looks beautiful from up there.

#dewtask011 #this took ages #i hope u all like it ;;#bc i love all of u <3 #matty: founders festival

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awkwardplant · 4 years ago

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Sci-fi/Misc Short Story: Diorama

Weary travellers entered a building to escape from the zombies that had been chasing them. Night-time drew closer and only a little bit of sunlight filtered through the large dusty windows at either side of the room. Despite the dust, everything here looked pristine, unsurprising as it didn't seem the materials here were much use to survivalists.

"Is that an easel?" Johnny the Veterinarian wandered over to the contraption, lifting away a greyed cloth covering it, revealing a canvas with a few marks of brown oil pastels.

A younger member of the team who refered to himself as the Tailor (everyone else called him Ed, or the Cosplay Guy, or That Teenager) dove into some drawers and boxes. "Please tell me there's a non electrical sewing machine, or fabrics, ooh I'll even take sequins at this point! Anything I don't have to make from scratch."

"Don't think this type of place will have those kinda things, Ed. Looks like a kindergarten's arts and crafts room." said Johnny. "Might have glitter though."

Paul the Farmer rolled his eyes at his group. "No point lookin round 'ere, let's settle down, find somethin soft, and kip for the night." He shrugged off his backpack which carried the all the bare essentials it could hold, and popped his spine with a groan. "Food chain these days is all outta whack I tell ye."

At the entrance, Melissa the Engineer boarded up the door with some convenient planks of wood, nails, and a hammer she carried everywhere. "Oughta keep them out. Phew. Bit cold in here isn't it?"

Melissa's daughter, Isla the six year old, stood in the middle of the art studio, eyes filled with wonder at all the creations. Clay sculptures of graceful torsos, pencil drawings of still lifes that looked more or less exactly like the sketches, completed oil paintings of landscapes hung on the wall next to colorful, abstract ones.

Isla spied a light still on behind a door to another room left slightly ajar. "I see a light, do you think someone lives here?"

All the adults tensed and raised their weapons, eyes peering in the direction Isla curiously tiptoed towards. Paul hissed at her to slow down, firmly grabbing her shoulder and pulling her back behind him as he stared ahead. The air was silent aside from the floorboard's weak groans that sounded like a sigh of relief at the return of humans gracing its surface.

Johnny tapped lightly on the door which opened without any creaks or spooky noises, and revealed a warm orange glow of a desk lamp. The desk was cluttered with tiny objects you would expect to see at much bigger sizes such as doors and furniture. Several drawers of multiple sizes surrounded and sat on the desk filled to the brim with paints, glue, craft knives and other materials. A single mug rested on a green cutting board with some stale coffee inside.

Isla squeaked in delight as she darted across the room. "Mommy! There's dollhouses here!"

Melissa strode towards her daughter, blinking in surprise when seeing there was in fact what appeared to be multiple dollhouses meticulously displayed in glass cases on many shelves.

"Some strange looking dollhouses," Ed said. "Why would a kid want to play with a dollhouse that looks like a swamp?" He tilted his head, narrowing his eyes at the minature shack on stilts that sat atop fake greenery and resin water.

Paul chuckled. "And this ane's even got tiny critters from my farm! Now tell me that isnae just the spittin image of my wee goat." He tapped the glass of a mini farm with toy animals placed in the field.

"I think, uh..." Johnny clicked his fingers, brow furrowing. "I swear I remember... Ah well, I don't know the proper name of them but I've seen train sets that have these kind of things, do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah!" Melissa chirped. "This is how they used to make movie sets isn't it? Because back then they didn't have CGI to make places they couldn't afford to go to when filming."

"And humanity has reverted back to that time period." sighed Ed, who greatly missed his Friday night Star Wars rewatches with his friends. "Maybe even further back than that. Losing the internet was like losing the Library of Alexandria."

All of them wandered around the shelves to look at all the miniature sets. Mountains formed purely by plastic foam, a landscape of a picnic inside an open altoid tin, a greenhouse cluttered with plants no bigger than a pinkie finger. Some miniatures sat on the floor, the ones that were massive compared to the other sets yet still very tiny versions of medieval castles and gothic architecture.

Melissa stopped in front of a small library room that had holes in the ceiling with trees growing beneath them, books and furniture meticulously littered everywhere. Flashbacks to her days studying in her hometown's library filled her mind.

"This is what they thought the apocalypse would look like." she said, with tears welling up in her eyes. "They thought- they- they made art of stuff like this because they imagined it would look beautiful. How could they romanticise such disaster?"

Johnny walked up next to her, crouching down to see inside the library. "Hauntingly beautiful, maybe. I do remember certain types of people were fascinated with the idea of nature reclaiming the lands that humans built on."

"And that idea was dumb," said Paul. "Because now the deer are overpopulated and they destroyed the forests, and who knows what other animals are causing chaos without conservationists."

"There are pros and cons to everything that happens." Johnny replied. "But yes, it doesn't help that the handful of humans that are left don't know how to handle this... resurgence of nature."

Isla looked around, peering back through the door to the main room of the art studio. "This library dollhouse looks just like real life doesn't it? It's like we're little dolls too."

Melissa smiled sadly, stroking her daughter's hair. "It does put things in perspective." She hoped things would settle down enough for her to be able to teach Isla things she had learned in school at her age.

"The Earth is the size of a pinprick compared to the sun and we're all just ants in the grand scheme of things." Ed said, and one could guess he was trying to imagine how small he was compared to the Starkiller base.

Paul snorted. "But bigger than regular old ants and smart enough to put together nicknacks that make ladies cry." He nudged Melissa teasingly.

Eventually, the group finally realized that the lamp was connected to a solar powered generator with a back up of energy reserved and they attempted to recharge their walkie talkies. After a few near-electrocutions, they finally connected to a radio station broadcasting a rather laid back distress signal.

"This is DJ Smooth calling out to anyone, God, just anyone out there, from the abandoned military base in Alconbury. Been out here for uh, 3 months now, there's not been any zombie sightings for a while and I have been sooo bored. Come find me and we can hang out, maybe fight over my remaining supplies so I can remember how to feel something that isn't dissociation. Stay tuned after this music break for the co-ordinates to my location, and my heart. See ya soon cuties. Over."

Later that night everyone created some makeshift beds out of the cloths that had covered some artworks and easels, which Ed would repurpose at some point during their travels to make some new socks. They all lay on their backs in the dark, close to each other to conserve warmth. If there were any zombies outside they didn't hear them, only the rush of wind and rain pattering on the windows.

"Mommy," Isla whispered. "I liked the song that the man on the radio played."

"Yeah sweetie, I liked it too. It was... something from the 90's? I think? Probably not age appropriate but you didn't understand it so it's fine, I guess. Something funny to look back on one day."

Isla rolled over onto her stomach to look at her mom. "When we go back to Paul's farm I want to play the guitar we found."

"We can't go... Tell you what Isla, we'll go see the music man from the radio, and he'll help us cure the zombies, and then we can get everyone an instrument and all make music together."

"Yes! That's a good idea!"

"And we can do plays in theatres and make movies again." Ed added shyly.

"Movies that don't involve zombies and will make us forget this shitshow ever happened." Johnny sighed, unable to close his eyes and dreading the nightmares.

Paul growled and hushed the others, but then he said "Doesnae matter if zombies are out for us and we've got no artsy stuff, we can still sing."

They all sang Country Roads quietly (Isla could only sing the chorus yet sang with such sincerity), with gentle echoes of their melody bouncing off the walls of the art studio until they fell asleep.

The next day they left to find the military base and made up new songs along the way, with renewed and desperate hope that they might find a cure for the zombies someday soon.

The end.

#zombie apocalypse #writing #vignette #original fiction #short story #drabble #science fiction #slice of life

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robobirdie · 4 years ago

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Chapter nine: Balmora

“Ninja welcome to Balmora,” Tafari stated as the train pulled into the station. Just a few miles away the land had been lush and living but as they had gotten to Balmora the vegetation had become less lush and ash coated the ground. The ash was a dark grey and covered the ground like a layer of sand. The town itself seemed to sit at the edge of the wastes framed on the north by some farm lands and a river; the shores of a great inland freshwater sea sat some distance to the north-west and some forests. To the south was the forest they had deemed was the Blackwood while the west held plains, forests and farmland. Some scraggly bushes, twisted looking trees, a few dead branchless tree trunks and a few more pleasant looking trees were in the town. The only things that seemed to be growing were the Trauma Root, some resilient ferns, trees and grasses, strange plants, and some strange fungi of various sizes and shapes. Dark Grey ash made a thin coat on the ground and any level surface like some strange sand or snow. At the eastern edge of the town was the Ghost Fence. Standing at least five to seven stories tall it stretched from horizon to horizon cutting through forests and rivers holding back small dunes of ash while giving off a faint greenish glow. Only some dead or twisted trees, strange grasses and lichens, Trauma roots, some conifers and hardy broad leafed trees and various fungi some of which were as tall as trees were visible in the ash wastes on the other side through the fence. In the far distance a mountainous region sat, hazed over by the ash and heat. Most prominent in this range was the large ash billowing volcano far to the southeast. The sky was cloudy and a few of the strange Racer creatures were hanging around the town, one even perched atop the one tower of the Ghost Fence. Two other strange but smaller flying reptiles were hanging around town feasting on the flies and other insects that were flying or crawling around the town. A strange reptilian creature they called a Tree-Bill was also hanging around town feeding on the plants and fungi or trying to shelter from the ash near buildings. Skeevers were crawling in alleys or trying to steal food from the special enclosed stalls vendors were using to keep Ash away from their wares. A small dune of ash was piled against the fences base. Some folk were going about their business as if everything was normal. A few of them wore masks to filter the air they breathed and protect their eyes while most just used simple scarves over their mouths and nose but most had nothing. Weirdly there were some tourists in more vibrant non ash stained attire also in the town taking pictures of the regular folk as they went about their business to the slight annoyance of the natives.

Most of the buildings in the town were made of some sort of pale sandy clay colored plaster and dark stained wood. Most structures averaged two stories tall though a few taller buildings of around five to six stories tall were in one section by the fence. A few structures were entirely wooden built or at least had wooden facades on them. Only a few towers mainly watchtowers and two windmills which sat in the villages’ border walls and around the outskirts of the village reached as tall as the fence. By far the Ghost Fence was the tallest artificial structure there. On many of the buildings or strung between them were worn and dirty but still colourful lights and lanterns of various designs and cloth banners and flags which were hung to decorate and bring some cheer to folk in the town. In a few places statues or small obelisks sat often in or near areas where native flora were growing particularly glowing shrooms. If it wasn’t for the ash and strange flora the buildings could have fit into some towns in Ninjago. The place looked old yet surprisingly up kept; a mix of ancient and modern. There was really only one defined road an old stone road which looked like it was constantly ploughed to keep the ash from building up on it. This road ran through the town but most other roads in the town looked to have been abandoned long ago a layer of ash coating their well trod on paths with only a few spots showing the pathway that sat beneath. Other than people passing through and delivery vehicles it seemed people here didn’t really use cars. It made sense since the ash would wreak havoc on their machinery. Instead they were using carts, some actually made from disused cars, often pulled by a large tusked reptile like creature they called Kaguars for transport through town. Like any modern town they had electricity, running water and sewers. Most of the town was surrounded by walls made of dark stones coated in a light clay colored plaster like the buildings with dark colored faded terracotta trims and tops which stood at least two to three stories tall likely to aid in defending against creatures from the wild and other unwelcomed guests. A few rounded gateways of large or small sizes were in these border walls to allow folk in and out of the town or to let roads pass through them. Most of the folk in town seemed to be farmers, loggers, merchants, miners or simple workers. There were also guards who wore armour like Tafaris which seemed to take the role of police for the city.

“This is the land I saw in my vision,” Zane whispered to the others before the train stopped after seeing the ash, plants and creatures of the wastes. He was amazed yet disturbed at seeing this place from his dream.

“This place? It looks so… weird and oddly creepy despite how pleasant it appears,” Jay croaked looking out the window.

“This place feels odd. Like it’s…” Cole began unable to find the correct term to describe the odd feeling they were all starting to get from this place.

“Cursed,” Lloyd finished and the others agreed. Though it did not look it there was a darkness to this place. It was more of a feeling than anything visual even though despite being near noon the deep overcast conditions of the day made the place look like it was evening. If anything despite the unpleasant looking conditions the place looked light and full of life despite the darkness they could feel. In the town of Balmora itself it was quite windy. A dust storm made of ash, an ash storm, was blowing through the town. According to Tafari this was a mild one but was still deadly. During such storms if they cared for their health they could not go out without protection, even Zane needed protection.

“I’d recommend you put on these,” Tafari stated handing out goggled masks to everyone, “for you ninja I think ones made for the cat folk should work. I would also recommend your robotic friend wears one as well. The ash does pretty nasty things to all living things no matter what you’re made of.”

“Do we have to wear these all the time?” Kai asked trying on one of the masks and feeling awkward about it. No one was too keen on wearing the masks. All their goggles looked to be rather beaten and worn, likely ready to be retired. When Jay went to try his on the lens for the one eye fell out so Tafari had to give him another one and Nya dumped a handful of Ash out of her mask while Lloyd had to tie the straps for his behind his head since the clips to connect it were missing from his.

“Only during ash storms. For now though just till we’re inside the Dragons Temple; we’ll be safe inside; that is where you will be staying and where most research teams and the guards stay. It is the oldest structure in town and sits above the main chamber to the subterranean section of the city. Most buildings are connected to this subterranean city so folks don’t have to go out in the Ash or have to wear these masks all the time in order to get to places. All is well ventilated, plenty of air purifying systems, special lighting to mimic the Sun and Moon, and other stuff like that. It provides citizens with a safe and comfortable place to live in this unpleasant place,” Tafari explained before putting her helmet on.

“What are we going to do there?” Cole asked cleaning the goggles of his mask after putting it on only to find it didn’t help much. To protect him Zane put a pillow case Tafari gave him over the raven and held the Robo-bird close to his body. It didn’t complain.

“We will prepare you for your journey into Holamaya there, now let’s go. We can talk more when we get there,” Tafari explained with the deep robotic voice from earlier, clearly it was something to do with her helmet that gave her that voice. She led them out into the town. Despite the masks the slightly burning and sulphuric stench of the blowing ash still got to them. Even Zane was getting a sickening feeling from the ash and the air here; there was something not right with this place. The ground felt like sand but didn’t smell as nice as at the beach and was radiating heat and something else, something Zane was unable to identify. A loud rumbling roaring bellowing noise seemed to be echoing from all over now and then terrifying Jay even though Tafari explained that call was just a large peaceful plant eating reptilian creature they called an Ash Walker; a herd of which they kept outside the walls of the city as beasts of burden for jobs the little Kagaurs were not strong enough for and for tourists to ride. Tafari led them through the town to a large temple which seemed to be one of the few buildings made of mostly wood which sat next to a large stone and metal warehouse which had a strange castle like vehicle parked by it. This vehicle didn’t match the designs of the town or what they had seen of the realm leading them to believe it was either from a different part of the realm or maybe not from this realm at all. The vehicle looked to have had an accident by the damages to its exterior. As Tafari led them through the town Zane noticed the folk seemed to not be too pleased with their presence, some possibly even hostile. Some were also muttering their dislike for those of the robotic kind and a few commented quietly to Zane that they hoped the Stag would take him and that he was nothing but animated scrap metal or a worthless machine. A few of the folk even made fake lunges at him trying to threaten him. They were making him feel isolated, threatened, uncomfortable and unwelcome. He was getting an unsafe feeling from this place and it was disturbing him. The others could see the looks the villagers were giving them to and were a little unnerved but not as bothered as Zane. The others noted how mean the people were being to their friend so kept him close hoping their presence would keep the people from possibly hurting Zane. Many of these folk were not very pleasant looking clearly showing they had a rough life here. Many bore scars on their faces, hands and arms. A few who wore sleeveless shirts showed off a tattoo of a beetle or lizard on their shoulder and a few had the tattoo of a hand print on their face. Their eyes seemed bloodshot but likely not from a lack of sleep, probably due to a reaction to the ash. A few of them also had voices which were harsh and gravelly sounding as if they had burning or scarring in their lungs.

“Why are they looking at us like that?” Lloyd inquired feeling unnerved to Tafari. As they moved through town they also noted that the folk seemed weary of Tafari, watching her nervously or quickly moving to put something between her and them as if they feared her. Only kids and animals seemed to be unafraid of her though their parents or owners would pull them to safety as if they feared she would hurt them. Tafari seemed to not acknowledge any of this. It made them all wonder how much they could trust Tafari. Was she dangerous or in league with bad folk? Or were these people just overreacting because of what she was?

“Not many trust outsiders especially those with powers like yours and metal folk they especially hate. After all the Dragon Guard were never around to help them when the Tseci attacked or the hyenoids and every time an enemy to Nirn arrives the Ashers strike alongside them making an already tough existence worse, unbearable even. The Ashers are nasty to deal with normally but give them an ally and they get worse. Especially when you’re nothing but simple folk and scholars who have no need or training to fight such powerful and dangerous enemies. They’ve had to fight back on their own most often. Most folk just want to live their lives in peace, to them you’re a foreign site and your alien presence means danger to them plus you bring a metal man with you. To them he is nothing more but a spy for the Stag, the spawn and ally of a daemon nothing more,” Tafari explained. She led them to the temple, up a few steps to the entrance then into the building. Once everyone was inside and the doors were closed Tafari let them take off the masks and release the raven who hopped off as if going to do some sightseeing while Tafari removed her helmet. Despite all the windows of the building having been boarded up outside to keep the ash out it was well lit inside from all the candles, lanterns and lights. They were in the foyer of the building where a single desk sat behind which sat an ungulate-folk who was reading a book. The person looked like they hadn’t slept in days. Bags under their eyes, short hair stuck up everywhere and seemingly unaware of things around him; by the looks from what he wore he was a guard for the building. He did not appear to be doing a very good job though; he didn’t even acknowledge they had entered the building.

“What have I told you before? You should pay more attention to who enters this building. What if we were Ashers or Necromancers? What would you do then?” Tafari scolded the guard as the others took off their masks and placed them in a bin by the entrance. They also tried to bat and wipe off as much of the ash as possible from their clothes and shoes. Without the masks the smell was quite bad. Sadly it seemed it would take some more serious cleaning to remove the stains and smells the ash left. The guard didn’t seem to care that Tafari was scolding him or about them only giving her a slight glance up from his book to mumble, “Nobody tells me nothin’.”

“I will be talking to your superiors,” Tafari growled before turning to the others, “follow me and we’ll get things started.” She led them into the rest of the building then down a stairwell that went down some distance into a massive, at least two story tall, cavern like structure. The walls were a light brownish concrete with the bottom third being grey stone tiles. A reddish trim which matched in color to the cracked tile floor separated the sections of the wall. Above this trim and lining the top was a dark brown decorative painted trim and below the top trim was a decorative design stretching down from the ceiling. The ceiling was made of a light blue cracked tile. The crosswalks were made of the same stuff and so was the second story floor to the cavern. The second story consisted of walkways that ran the perimeter and formed a few walkways linking the two sides. A few of the walkways had stairs that bent in a v formation to get folk from the second story to the bottom floor. Doorways, windows and alcoves in the walls led to stores, taverns and homes. A few halls led from the main area leading to passages linking other parts of the city to the main cavern. Vents and all spectrum lighting which were attached to the ceiling lit up the place and kept the air fresh; it even seemed there was some sort of plumbing system to simulate rain. There even seemed to be some sort of device mimicking wind since a breeze of various magnitudes could be felt now and then. Paper lanterns and tapestries hung on the walls or from the ceiling offering decorative touches. On the lower level planters held all sorts of plants and even some medium sized trees that reached up to the second story. There were even small crop gardens at one end and a pasture with chickens. Guards were strolling the place keeping watch as folk went about their business. A few strange creatures and birds were even hanging around inside. Perched on some of the railings and trees were the strange reptile creatures the Robo-bill looked to have been modeled off, Tree-bills, and birds like sparrows and other songbirds even a small long tailed parrot species were hanging out there. A few lizards or insects also clung to plants, support pillars or railings. None were bothered by the people. A few market stalls and sitting areas were located on the lower level. All the Ninja were amazed at the place.

“What is this place?” Zane inquired voicing what everyone was thinking.

“This is the under city. It was built to allow the citizens to still happily live here despite the harsh conditions outside. When the ash came while some left others refused to leave their home and when the Ghost Fence was erected the crews to maintain it along with the guards and scientists who came to study and protect from the ash lands came to live here. Living above ground is unpleasant and tough so the mayor of Balmora had this place built so most folk do not have to worry about trying to eke out a living in the ash. The environment down here is controlled to keep citizens safe and healthy. It has become quite a popular tourist destination. You will be staying in the Scholars Guilds outposts. We have acquired for you a vehicle to transport you to the ruins of Holamaya. It is one of the few capable of reaching your location. There are many mining and logging caravans who venture beyond the gates to harvest resources in the wastes but none would ever dare to get close to Holamaya so you and another group of adventurers who seek to join you in your quest will be on your own,” Tafari explained leading them to a large doorway on the second level close to the entrance to the city they had come in at. They went through this doorway into a large foyer where some folk were going over some crates. Two of them were kids a boy and a girl who were clearly not from this realm. They were not beast folk. The girl had long brown hair and purple clothes while the boy had short blond hair and wore a pale blue knight like armour with the symbol of a rooster on it. The two were going over the crates like they worked there, the girl even had a strange tablet she was going over. Both turned to pay attention to the ninja as they entered.

“Non beast folk wearing notably colored attire you must be these elemental masters we have heard of that we are going to be working with. I’m sorry to tell you but you’ll have to wait a couple days before we can head out to this Holamaya place. The ship the town is lending us needs some serious repairs. Its last convoy two weeks ago was ambushed by these Asher beings which drove it into the nesting ground of some creatures called Racers,” the girl stated looking over the tablet she held and the boy added, “Yha let’s just say the Racers were not pleased and, along with the Ashers, they did quite a number to the transport vehicle. The people here are trying their hardest to repair her but they have yet to receive some of the parts.”

“Ah man I thought we’d be heading there first thing. Get the object and be headed on our way now we have to wait,” Kai impatiently blurted out, “How long do we have to wait?”

“Well…, we are hoping what we need will be on the next shipment in…a week I think they said. If not it might be…I’m not sure two weeks possibly more,” the boy proposed. The two seemed nervous of Kai’s attitude and coward a little. The boy clung close to the girl who hid part of her face with her tablet.

“Who are you two?” Lloyd inquired confused by the presence of the two kids.

“I’m Robin Underwood a knight in training,” the boy declared and the girl stated, “I’m Ava Prentis, I prefer the more technological work. The red ones not going to burst into flames or set us on fire or anything like that is he?”

“What? Why would you think that?” Kai inquired. The ninja were confused.

“We heard you guys have some sort of powers. The folk around here say those like you are dangerous,” Robin noted making the ninja better understand the kids reactions.

“Sometimes he can but I wouldn’t fear Kai. He’s just a hot head,” Jay joked relaxing the kids a little.

“Enough idle chat. I’ll make sure the parts arrive,” Tafari stated, “besides it will give me time to prep you all for the ash wastes till they get here. I can guarantee none of you are ready for it. Now where’s Hassiri, he will get you set up here for your stay while I have some business to attend to.”

“Over here,” called a voice from the right of the room. There standing in a doorway leaning against the doorway was a slightly chunky yet muscular cat-folk with scars on the right and left sides of his face and torn left ear. He resembled a cougar with a rusty red Mohawk and wore a sleeveless hide shirt, cloth bracers and ash stained pants and boots. His bare arms bore a few scars and he wore ash stained cloth bracers on his forearms. He held what looked like a small jug of some sort which Zane was pretty sure did not hold milk or juice.

“Show them their rooms and give them a lecture on the dangers of the area. I want them ready for their first test in the arena by sundown tomorrow,” Tafari ordered to Hassiri before storming out of the place slamming the door behind her spooking everyone.

“Whatever you say princess,” Hassiri relented as Tafari left and Jay whispered to his fellow ninja, “I think she might be stricter than sensei ever was.”

“Ninja, follow me,” Hassiri stated leading them down the hall he had been standing in front of. As he led the ninja Robin and Ava followed keeping some distance from the ninja still weary of them. The hall led to some stairs which took them down a story to a large hall with about five doors, three on the left and two on the right. Despite being underground it didn’t feel like it. The whole place was very spacious, clean and well lit. Even the air was rather fresh obviously thanks to the complex air purifying systems and their extensive duct work whose pipes ran all along the walls and roof and the couple planters with plants spread around. In one of the planters sat a little shrine of what looked like some sort of cat folk.

“So we have for you some rooms, all cleaned, fresh bedding, plenty of space. This one Mrs. Misako, is that right, you get to stay here with Fae and some of our trainers and resident scholars feel free to ask them whatever you like. Most love going on and on about their research sometimes we can’t get them to be quite about it,” Hassiri announced opening the first door on the left of the hall to reveal a large room with several beds, a few of them bunk beds, a few bookshelves, a dresser, a small TV and other entertainment devices sat atop the dresser, two chairs around a low table in one corner which behind them sat a cloth and wood divider. Several decorative rugs were on the floor with a few tapestries and paper lanterns hanging on the wall making a rather comfy looking place to stay.

“Then for the Ninja you get to stay here. The previous occupants are currently out at various posts fighting back necromancers and Ashers so you’ll be on your own,” Hassiri continued opening the first door on the right of the hall. The room was large with several bunk beds, a desk with a small wooden stool, on the one wall was a TV and next to the TV on the wall were a few wall shelves which held a few books and some entertainment devices. A cloth and wood divider hid a dresser creating a little changing area in one corner and some simple slightly stained rugs lay on the floor. A few cloths and paper lanterns hung on the walls for decoration.

“As for your metal skin friend, Zane right, he will stay here along with that raven, they are not permitted to stay with the rest of you,” Hassiri explained opening the last door on the right to reveal a medium sized room. It had some beds, a bunk bed whose one part of the frame looked to have been chewed on by something, some simple but stained rugs, a cloth and wood divider set in front of a dresser, a few variously sized animal cages, a TV on the wall with wall shelves next to it holding some electronic devices and a few charging ports for some electronics. There were some food bowls and water bowls for animals, some ledges for cats to lay on (which one was sleeping on) and pet beds. A few ropes hung from the ceiling and worn cloths hung on the walls. It was not the nicest looking room.

“What do you have against those like Zane?” Cole questioned ready to defend his friend. Zane was a little confused on why they were separating him from his friends. He was starting to get a feeling that they either didn’t trust those like him or disliked what they were here. It was making him start to feel a little unsafe, could he trust their hosts weren’t going to do something to him.

“Nothing, we’re not being mean it’s just we would rather not have any incidents with the Black Stag. It’s for the peace of mind of the citizens. By law the mayor has decreed that all animals and robotics must be locked up for the night in case the Stag attempts to attack the city. Even if they’re the gentlest of souls the Stag will turn them evil. Don’t think of it as protecting the citizens from you but us protecting you from harm. You will be locked in at night along with our robotic being and the animals. You can sleep on any of the beds except for the bunk bed. That belongs to Ghidorah and Mzark,” Hassiri explained.

“Ghidorah? Mzark?” Zane wondered and at hearing their names two figures who lay curled up like cats with each other looked up from where they lay on the bottom bed of the bunk bed. The one was a Robo-bill made of Scimitar Steel and the other was a Tree-bill.

“They’re our unofficial mascots. Mzark’s the Robo-bill. We got him from the scimitar ruins that sit beneath the capital Nirnhold and reprogrammed him to help with daily chores, what they were originally designed for. Ghidorah is his organic pal. He got in one day and quickly grew an attachment to Mzark so we had to let him stay. They can’t stand to be separated so we just let them hang out. Don’t worry they won’t hurt you they’re like a cross between a cat and a parrot. Fun lovable things they are they can just be very temperamental at times,” Hassiri explained before continuing to lead them down the hall continuing to ramble on, “the second room on the left has some folk who will be helping you in your quest. You’ve already met two of them Robin and Ava, I’ll be introducing you to the rest shortly. Feel free to question them on whatever you want they don’t bite. Like you they have found themselves in our realm looking to help save their realm from this chaos. The last room on the left is the bathroom. It is quite large and can cater to a considerable amount of folk and yes each shower is its own private stall. If you do plan to have a shower I would recommend using the products we provide, it’s a special formula that we have found can almost entirely get rid of the smell of the ash and don’t worry, after leaving the Ash Wastes you’ll no longer smell of the ash after about a month and several washes. If you do have a shower please make sure to lock the dog door on the rooms door so Ghidorah and Mzark don’t get in. The two love to play in water and it is quite a hassle to get them out of the room and I’ll let you know that wet Tree-Bills is not very pleasant…smells like soggy rotting noodles and mouldy cheese. Oh I’ll give you some detergent for your clothes too. It helps get them clean. If you want I could also get you some clothes from here to wear so you can keep yours clean and ash free. We can make them just for you if you like.”

The hall opened into a very large room that was two stories tall making it feel spacious and open. Since the hall they entered from was on the second story up in this room stairs led down to the main floor a story down where two large tables sat end to end following the length of the room making a much longer table in the middle of the room with large simple rugs beneath them. The tables were lined by two benches on either side. On the benches around the table were five people who like the kids were clearly not from this realm. They were busy talking with each other and going over some texts. On either side of the room were large alcoves whose roofs were only half as tall as the main room. In the alcove at the right of the room was a small library where one of the beast folk was going over some texts. The alcove at the left of the room seemed to be a sitting area with a large decorative rug, floor cushions, a few low couch and some low tables with a TV on the wall and a low shelf below it. Decorative sconces, lights on the ceiling and decorative lanterns lit up the room while decorative cloths, tapestries and paintings decorated the walls. A small planter with native flora sat against the far wall. A few small taxidermy native creatures were placed in this planter. Small planters, urns, baskets and a few floor pillows sat out of the way throughout the main room and alcoves.

The folk at the tables in the main section all wore armour that was a mix of what looked like chainmail with metal and leather plating. A very different type of armour compared to the strange plate and leather armour like what Tafari and the guards had been wearing. Ava and Robin headed over to sit with these folk putting them between them and the ninja.

“Ninja these are the Nexo Knights. Like you their realm is threatened by Dagons actions and the Void Breach. They have agreed to help you reach Holamaya and face any possible threats that may befall you past those gates,” Hassiri explained motioning to the figures at the table who looked over at them, “Knights these are those ninja we told you of. Since you’ll be working with each other why don’t you get to know each other.” Hassiri ushered the ninja over to sit with the knights while Hassiri headed over to the alcove with the bookshelves.

“So you’re these foreign warriors who seek to enter this Forbidden City,” the knight whose armour was tinted blue with what appeared to be a split blue and white eagle on it proclaimed after they had sat down. He had auburn upright hair and looked serious.

“Indeed,” Kai conquered and this knight stated, “I’m Clay Moorington and these are my team mates.”

“I’m Macy Halbert. Yes I am a knight. Just because I’m a Princess doesn’t mean I can’t be a knight I don’t care much for that princess stuff anyway,” the female in the group who had reddish hair done up in a ponytail and freckles on her face proclaimed. Her armour was tinted red and had a white dragon on it.

“I’m Aaron Fox, a word of warning the people here are not very fond of you if you ride around on a hover board. Some un-rad fear of technology or something,” the next knight who had short ginger hair and a small ginger beard on his chin noted. He had freckles, wore headphones and his armour was tinted green with an orange fox on it. Unlike the others who had armour made primarily of metal his was more leather and cloth with metal accents and add-ons.

“If I were you metal skin bro I’d be careful around here, I don’t think they’ll like you much,” Aaron pointed out to Zane and the largest of the knights commented pointing at Zane, “why does he have shiny skin?”

“You got something to say about him buddy?” Cole expressed ready to defend his friend.

“I was just curious. I’m Axl by the way. Just Axl,” the large knight who had a short black Mohawk and wore yellowish tinted armour with the yellowish symbol of a bull on a purple shield stated.

“He’s a nindroid and before you say anything he’s just as much a part of our family as the rest of us,” Jay declared and Macy inquired sounding confused, “nindroid?”

“An incredibly human-like robot, you got a problem with who or what he is?” Nya questioned ready to defend Zane.

“No, just we’ve never seen one like him before. We’re used to simpler bots in our realm. We meant no offense. We have nothing against those like him,” Clay expressed trying to calm the ninjas moods.

“Can you believe it I can’t get my phone to work with this realms signals? I wonder if someone here could help me?” the last knight who had short blond hair and wore white and pale blue armour with a white horse on it stated. He had spent the whole time they were talking fiddling with his phone oblivious to what was going on.

“Who are these?” the knight inquired confused when seeing the ninja.

“That is Lance Richmond. Lance put your phone away; we have important work to do here. These are the ninja, the elemental masters we agreed to work with,” Clay told his fellow knight clearly not happy that he hadn’t been paying attention.

“Hey is what they say about you guys true. You have these sort of in built powers?” Aaron asked.

“Yha I’m Kai the master of fire,” Kai boasted bringing a small fire to his one hand.

“And I’m Jay the master of lightning,” Jay proclaimed holding his hands up to spark electricity between them.

“I’m Nya master of water,” Nya stated and Jay added, “not to mention my betrothed and Kais sister.”

“They don’t have to know that,” Nya noted before Cole stated showing off the glow for his lava arms, “I’m Cole master of earth.”

“I am Zane master of ice,” Zane stated creating a small sculpture of the racer creature out of ice on the table in front of himself.

“I’m Lloyd the green ninja master of I guess you could call it energy and this is my mother Misako, she’s an archaeologist,” Lloyd explained creating a ball of green light in his hands. The knights were intrigued by their powers and while Aaron was thrilled to be working with them thinking their powers were wicked and feeling a little jealous he didn’t have powers like that the others were a bit nervous.

“You have total control of those powers right?” Clay inquired.

“Yha otherwise we wouldn’t be masters,” Kai boasted and Zane inquired curious, “Why do you ask?”

“The people around here when they heard you were coming were not entirely pleased and many claimed you were dangerous. They were even warning us against working with you,” Macy explained.

“Why would they think that? If you’re a bad guy yha of course we’re dangerous for you. We’ve never hurt anyone who was good, well not on purpose. Sometimes someone might get hurt during a battle but we don’t mean for that to happen you know they get in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sure there was the time the overlord was corrupting us all and then there was when Lloyd got possessed by Morro. There was also all that stuff that Zane did in the Never-realm; it was pretty dark but in his defence he wasn’t himself. This evil staff corrupted him and this guy was tricking him to do all this really bad stuff…” Jay began to babble and noting the memory of that time was unpleasant and upsetting for Zane Nya butt in to say, “We are no more dangerous than you are. If we get corrupted yha we can do bad stuff the same could happen to you but we won’t let that happen. We are strong and not easily swayed. I wouldn’t listen to everything these people say.”

“We understand things can happen that you don’t intend to have happen,” Clay noted remaining calm.

“We don’t have elemental masters in our realm. The closest thing we have to you guys are wizards and witches but they’re not really the same thing or good equivalents. We knew nothing about what to expect from you so a lot of people here were quite willing to tell us about elemental masters. Most of them tended to focus on the dangers of them,” Macy explained.

“Yha the way people around here were talking about you guys was like you were some sort of monsters. You don’t seem like that,” Aaron added.

“They said you could harm us in nasty ways or do worse things with your powers things like freezing us in ice, burying us in dirt tombs, setting us on fire and stuff like that and those were just some of the mild things they said you could do. You probably don’t want to hear some of the more extreme things they talked about,” Lance noted and Kai expressed, “why would they think we’d do that? What do they think we are some sort of monsters?”

“Don’t know that’s just what these people were saying about you,” Axl explained. Some of the ninja, mainly Kai, Jay and Nya were starting to get agitated by the claims that they were dangerous. The others could see the threes moods were making the knights nervous. Whatever the people here had been saying obviously had made them wary of the ninja.

“So are you guys some sort of royal guards or something? How did you get here?” Lloyd inquired noting the current subject was not really helping build a relation between their groups.

“Kind of, we are Nexo knights from the lands of Knighton we serve under our king, my father, to protect our lands and its citizens from evil,” Macy explained.

“We didn’t intend to end up here; it was all sort of an accident. We got word from our mentor Merlok of a strange energy disturbance so were looking into it when we fell into this realm. We guess the disturbance was a portal. Oddly we didn’t see it but still we somehow ended up crashing through it into these strange lands. Our vehicle got severely damaged in the process…” Clay began and Aaron added, “yha we ended up driving it off a cliff; defiantly not one of our finest moments.”

“So is that banged up castle ship we saw parked outside your ship?” Jay commented and Clay explained looking a bit embarrassed, “yha that’s it the Fortrex our on the move home. Unfortunately they don’t seem to have compatible parts here to fix it so we have to try and find a way back to our realm to get the parts we need or find some other way to fix it. Luckily those here helped us get it into the safety of the town. They gave us some armour and weapons that work in these strange lands and were going to help us find a way home. When we heard of what was going on and about you guys and your quest we decided to stay and help out. With our ship out of service and seeing you guys don’t have one the town was able to spare for us a vehicle for our journey. We just have to wait for it to be repaired.”

“How long have you been here?” Cole inquired.

“Two days, we ended up on the wrong side of the fence and ambushed by some big beetles and winged reptiles with a wicked venomous sting. Warning the stingers those things have are surprisingly strong, they can pierce chain mail and even metal! That venom of theirs too is so un-cool,” Aaron noted and Lance added, “yha I have to admit though after you were stung that was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a long time. You were yelling ‘bring it on’ with nothing but your underwear and helmet on and dead set on attacking the people helping us. We had to keep wrestling you to the ground cause you kept breaking out of those rope binds we tied you up with in the Fortrex to try and stop you. I got footage of it if you want to see it.”

“Maybe later,” Lloyd suggested. The change in subject calmed everyone down a bit but the ninja could see the knights were still a bit wary of them.

“Since you have been here longer than us it is likely you have had more time to acquire knowledge of this place than us. What have you learned?” Zane inquired.

“Well for starters the area we’re in is part of some sort of thing they call a house,” Clay began.

“House?” Zane wondered confused by what they were meaning by using this word. Somehow he didn’t think they were using it as a literal term.

“Yah, there are or were apparently five of them. All border this Blackwood area. Each house has its own region that it controls with its own royal family which has sworn allegiance to the Emperor for these lands which is I think they said departed now or in limbo can’t remember which. In all I guess the best way to describe these house things is that they are basically a kingdom or territory if you would prefer to call them that,” Clay continued.

“These houses technically mean very little nowadays but are still upheld by tradition. Most are either non-existent anymore or too weak to function outside their borders. Only one is really still strong and independent. House Prong I think they called it. Various forces are to blame for their downfalls though mainly these beings they refer to as Ashers are often behind it. The vehicle we are getting is apparently that of this House Prongs knights. Knights of the Prong they go by. The ship was apparently a gift to them from a group with powers like yours called the Dragon Guard to help the knights fight off evil and keep the peace in these house lands,” Macy explained.

“Where are these Knights of the Prong? Maybe they can help us?” Kai wondered.

“Apparently after this Dragon Guard disappeared these Knights of the Prong went to try to find them but have disappeared as well,” Macy explained.

“Well that doesn’t sound good,” Jay expressed and Nya inquired, “What do you know of this Tafari?”

“Well Tafari is actually the Princess and heir to the House Jadeorans royal family. Balmora and its surrounding areas actually fall within this house Jadeorans borders. Its lands border house Prongs lands in the west well they would have if it still existed,” Aaron noted.

“She’s a princess? She really doesn’t act or look like it,” Kai stated.

“She prefers the life of a warrior more than a Princess. I don’t see why? All the work and dirt…” Lance began before Clay silenced him.

“Her house was collapsed and her parents and younger brother and sister were destroyed by Ashers when these snake people they call Tseci resurfaced a while back,” Axl added.

“It apparently really disturbed her to hear of what happened to her family and it seemed to have a negative effect on her personality making her aggressive, cruel and unforgiving,” Clay explained.

“How did she get those implants?” Lloyd wondered.

“She led a rescue party out into the Ash Wastes to help protect some miners who had been harmed by an attack by these Tseci snake folk. They scared the snakes off but were set on by Ashers after the snakes had fled. They were outnumbered and no match for the enemies forces. Then some of this Black Stag beings forces interfered, destroyed everyone else and took her to their home this Forbidden City. Only she knows exactly what happened there but apparently she was in a very bad shape and to save her the Stags forces fused her with their robotics. They returned her to Balmora two months later,” Macy explained.

“Has anyone ever checked her implants for foreign influence?” Zane questioned while Jay added, “If others don’t trust her why is she allowed here then?”

“They say she has been inspected and nothing was ever found. She apparently even has others chain her to her bed at night and lock her in her room so this Stag can’t use her. She’s even given others the right to terminate her if she gets possessed by him,” Macy confirmed.

“From what we could uncover she’s accepted because she has been the only one to successful lead Balmora to victory over the forces of evil and has let them know when the Stag is near so they can keep everyone safe by getting the constructs and animals locked up in time. Outside that she’s not truly trusted or liked by most folk. A lot of the people here think that she really isn’t herself anymore. That she really died in the ash fields and was just turned into a fabricant, a robotic being with organic parts to it, for the Stags use and she’s just helping the Stag to gain the towns trust and weaken the towns’ defences so the Stag can take over,” Clay added.

“From what we’ve heard I think most of the dislike or fear of her is because of her cybernetics. The mayor trusts her and these knights and Dragon Guard trust her. Since we’ve been here she hasn’t done anything bad. She just has some serious anger issues to work out,” Macy claimed.

“This Black Stag, what can you say about him?” Cole inquired. The knights looked at each other then each seemed to think it over.

“Hard to tell really, most believe he is either some sort of Oni or spirit, or possibly an aspect of this Shadow Lord entity that once threatened this realm. He apparently has no weakness and is said to be even more dangerous than an Oni to deal with. We really haven’t seen much of this being or his minions,” Clay noted.

“Apparently if you’re on this side of the fence they really aren’t interested in causing trouble with you but if you venture past the fence like the miners, loggers, hunters, fishers, scholars and guards however these minions of the Stags tend to attack them forcing them to retreat back to the safe side of the fence or into the mines. They often had these Knights of the Prong have to go into the wastes to rescue a few groups who sheltered in the mines too scared the Stags forces were waiting for them to leave. Weirdly when these Knights of the Prong went to rescue them the Stags minions never bothered them and were often long gone by the time they would show up. In the city and towns around the fence apparently the most frequent incidents with his minions are encounters late at night in towns where they come and steal things,” Macy explained, “kind of odd when you think of it.”

“What do they usually come to steal?” Nya questioned. Everyone seemed to have calmed down by now.

“That’s the strangest part. According to the towns folk what they steal seems random and why they take it sometimes makes no sense,” Clay noted.

“They take food,” Axl stated and Aaron added, “and technology, always technology; sometimes pillows, towels and blankets. Games and toys, books, medical supplies…”

“And soaps! I had to use plain soap last night because one of those filthy metal tree duck face things stole my special soap! It stole it rate in front of me. Ran in here from the rooms and disappeared when I chased it. I turned the whole place over looking for it last night,” Lance added, “who does that? Who steals soap? Why did it even need it? The thing didn’t look like it bathes?”

“Sounds like they’re creating some sort of hotel,” Cole expressed.

“No one knows what they’re doing. Even odder no one knows how they’re getting past the Ghost Fence. All access points are guarded and monitored constantly to keep threats at bay. Places around town have been searched thoroughly and no signs of hidden entrances have ever been found and as Lance noted if you give chase or try to follow them they somehow can disappear without a trace,” Clay explained as Hassiri came over and placed a stack of books on the table.

“Hey Hassiri what can you tell us of Tafari or this Black Stag?” Lloyd inquired.

“Well, I have been lucky to have never met the Stag. From what I have heard he is a great daemon whose motives and nature are unknown. I have encountered a few of his minions. They weren’t too bad. Stole some things and somehow managed to give us the slip when we chased them. I’ve heard though of some of the attacks they can do and let’s just say it is not for young ears to hear of,” Hassiri noted looking at Ava and Robin, “the gentlest I can put it is there is lots of lost body parts, blood, your insides end up on the outside or you become food for his minions. As for Tafari… she’s… a great leader and fighter; tough and brave but surprisingly caring and gentle. If she hurts you then you probably had it coming. She doesn’t harm the innocent like some seem to think. Yha she does have some anger issues but given what she has had to go through in her life I can understand why she comes off the way she does. I think a lot of people are badly judging her, she’s not some metal made monster.” When talking about Tafari both the knights and ninja noted greater emotion to his tone and he sounded almost protective of her.

“Hey Hassiri why do people here hate droids? Why do they hate Zane so much when he hasn’t done anything bad?” Jay inquired.

“Well I think a lot of the peoples fears of robotics and cybernetics here comes from forces of evil often using them to harm the people such as the Stag using the scimitar constructs or the Shadow Lord using hyenoids. Not to mention the Scymer and their technology were so advanced for their time and are so poorly understood most folk don’t understand that they’re creations aren’t inherently evil. A lot of folk have bad encounters with them when they get too close or delve into Scimitar ruins further exaggerating fears of them. The Scimitar creations are just doing what they’re programmed to or are following orders. They just guard what they consider their home for their masters who sadly are never going to return for them. I do not think the constructs understand their masters aren’t coming back the poor things. I’ve run into rogue constructs a few times and they’re not that bad, just more of misunderstood. Why they hate your friend is simply because he is a droid. They see him as nothing more than a pawn for the Stag, a monster trying to pull off being human,” Hassiri explained. His explanation upset Zane and even though he tried to hide it the others could see Hassiri’s explanation hurt Zanes feelings.

“Who cares what they think of you Zane. They don’t matter, we do we’re your family and we would never see you as that,” Lloyd comforted Zane as Hassiri handed out a book from the stack he had brought over to each of the ninja and Misako. The book was titled ‘Keikiary’s Guide to the Ash Wastes’. Zane gave it a quick look over. It was as its name stated a guide on these Ash wastes including descriptions of the ecosystems, features, creatures, plants, history, ruins and even some diseases found in the Ash Wastes. Zane was interested in going over it more thoroughly after the class. It looked like a very interesting and informative book. After getting his copy Kai muttered, “What are we to do with these?”

“I’d recommend since you’re not from here you go through these to learn what you could be up against out there. I have already given a copy to each of the knights,” Hassiri explained and the knights showed off their copy to the ninja.

“I would have preferred a tablet version but that is apparently not easy to come by here,” Ava noted and Lance wondered, “hey if I paid one of you would you read this thing for me?”

“Dude just read it yourself, there’s some really wicked things in here. I wonder if they’d care if I used my hover-shield in the wastes,” Aaron expressed and Clay declared, “it’s definitely a good idea to read. We shouldn’t enter these wastes without knowing what we could be up against.”

“Indeed, the Ash Wastes is a harsh dark and cruel land that has claimed even the toughest warriors of our world. Plants like the Trauma Root attempt to snare things that get too close to their thorn coated vines, several animals use debilitating venoms to protect themselves or take down their prey and others use elemental attacks. Undead and monsters roam dark places. Poisonous and dangerous flora, dangerous gasses seep from volcanic fissures and the soil, acid lakes that can eat through metal, lakes that can turn you to stone, toxic valleys, ash spawn, terrible diseases and the Blight,” Hassiri explained.

“The Blight? What is that?” Misako inquired.

“It’s the worst condition one could acquire out there. It affects animals, people and even robots, ghosts, plants and dragons. It is said to come from the Dragons Maw the volcano which is also called the Oni’s heart Red Mountain or Red Tower among other names. What causes the condition and exactly what it is currently is unknown. It drives the inflicted insane torturing them with symptoms that attack your physical and mental being and turns the infected incredibly aggressive. There is no cure and it is always fatal to all it infects and for a few very unfortunate souls the dark magic that destroyed them brings them back as aggressive bestial soldiers for the Ashers which we call Ash Ghouls. Despite what you might think they are not un-dead but something else. Luckily these Ghouls can be destroyed but only by a select few types of weapons and only by piercing the heart,” Hassiri explained, “Sadly I’ve come across a few who have had the Blight. The best and kindest thing to do for these poor folks is to not get close and put them out of their misery, preferably from a distance; once infected there is nothing that can be done to save the infected. Now with that unpleasant bit of knowledge let’s get this class started, there is lots to go over and not much time.”

Hassiri went on to talk of what they could and likely would face. The corrupt denizens known as Ashers who came in several forms with the nastiest being the Asher Sorcerers who were masters of the dark arts, Ash spawn which were horrid constructs created of ash which were believed to be the soulless physical husks created of ash of those who became lost or died in the wastes, large reptilian creatures which fed on the plants and fungi of the region called Ash-walkers, the apparently infamous Racers, large insect creatures such as oversized millipedes, ants, beetles and spiders, bipedal bird like reptiles called Runners which came in various forms, small relatives to the Fear who were venomous, parrot beaked relatives of the walker with poisonous quills on their tails and strange floating tentacled leathery hided jellyfish like creatures which wielded shock attacks that floated in the air which they called Retch. The Ashers apparently were not the only people in the wastes. There were people stricken with a disease, called Porphyric Hemophilia which was believed to have been created by an Oni which caused the people inflicted to live greatly extended lives but at a cost; the need to feed off the blood and energies of the living. This gave them the name of vampires. It seemed many who suffered terrible diseases which were poorly understood despite having cures, some of which were believed to have been created by the Oni to harm the people of the Lost Realm, came to live in the ash wastes. One condition led to the sufferer developing scaly skin and the inability to control one’s body temperature making them almost reptilian in nature these folk were sufferers of something called Sigmus serpentus; another caused bloated skin, tumours and deformities to develop on the body and their minds to wither these were often labelled Ash Zombies, sufferers of something called Tumourus Rot. All these people were likely to try and stop them having aligned with the Ashers. Likely due to being tied to the ash and the volcano some of the creatures mainly being the Ashers and Ash Spawn were highly affected by or even killed by ice. Serpentus sufferers were also affected by ice and cold due to the inability for their bodies to control temperature. Much of what was in the book had Jay spooked and made him nervous; in the opposite side of the spectrum the knight Aaron was quiet thrilled and enjoying everything which was making Jay nervous of Aaron. Clay explained to the ninja noting some of them were confused or uneasy with Aaron that Aaron got a thrill from danger. Everyone else was a mix of feelings about what they were learning. Zane was finding a lot of it intriguing and was enjoying the learning.

As the lesson went on Zane started to get an odd feeling as if being watched and something was trying to mess with or prod into his mind. He found it distracting as well as highly unnerving. He was unsure at first if anyone else was getting the same feeling but when he looked around he saw no indication that the others were feeling it further making the feeling more disturbing. His sensors were picking up nothing even though he could feel something. It was very odd. He had felt slight hints as they had walked through town that something was trying to pry into his systems however he had brushed them off thinking it was Tafari trying to investigate him again without his knowledge. Now though he started to wonder if maybe it wasn’t her doing it but something else. Just to be sure it wasn’t that Robo-bill Mzark he searched for its signal. Mzark was still up in the bedroom. It appeared Mzark was aware he had looked for him and sent him a greeting in his mind in the scimitar tongue ‘drem-brod-zeymah’ which thanks to the data the hyenoids had given him he could understand. It meant peace clan brother. He communicated through his mind with Mzark about what he was sensing but Mzark was not picking up anything. As they communicated he got the sense Mzark was not responsible. Unable to figure out what he was picking up Zane went back to listening with the others. After how the townsfolk had reacted to them and how the knights had been nervous of them Zane hid how and what he was feeling. He could talk with his friends later whenever they had time to themselves about it. He tried to focus on the lesson but found he could only half listen to what was going on getting too distracted and worried by what he was feeling. What was messing with him or where was it coming from? Was it intending to harm and mess with him or just curious? No matter how hard he tried to focus on the lesson and tried to push this feeling to the back of his mind it kept popping back up and he started to wonder and worry could it be this entity they called the Black Stag trying to do something to him? If so what was it trying to do and why? Somehow he felt it was for nothing good.

Map of Balmora and area:

To find previous and later chapters look here: https://robobirdie.tumblr.com/archive

You can also find a copy of the story written here https://archiveofourown.org/works/34894561/chapters/86888878 and here https://www.wattpad.com/1087355671-ninjago-the-oni-scrolls-foreword-important-info You can also find images pertaining to the story here: https://www.deviantart.com/nerdy-hyena/gallery/72478681/story-project

#ninjago #ninjagofanstory #ninjago zane #ninjago cole #ninjago nya #ninjago jay #ninjago kai #ninjago lloyd #nexo knights #elder srolls

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pureamericanism · 4 years ago

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In Praise of Johnny Appleseed

by Vachel Lindsay

In the days of President Washington, The glory of the nations, Dust and ashes, Snow and sleet, And hay and oats and wheat, Blew west, Crossed the Appalachians, Found the glades of rotting leaves, the soft deer-pastures, In the forest. Colts jumped the fence, Snorting, ramping, snapping, sniffing, With gastronomic calculations, Crossed the Appalachians, The east walls of our citadel, And turned to gold-horned unicorns, Feasting in the dim, volunteer farms of the forest. Stripedest, kickingest kittens escaped, Caterwauling “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” Renounced their poor relations, Crossed the Appalachians, And turned to tiny tigers In the humorous forest. Chickens escaped From farmyard congregations, Crossed the Appalachians, And turned to amber trumpets On the ramparts of our Hoosiers’ nest and citadel, Millennial heralds Of the foggy mazy forest. Pigs broke loose, scrambled west, Scorned their loathsome stations, Crossed the Appalachians, Turned to roaming, foaming wild boars Of the forest. The smallest, blindest puppies toddled west While their eyes were coming open, And, with misty observations, Crossed the Appalachians, Barked, barked, barked At the glow-worms and the marsh lights and the lightning-bugs, And turned to ravening wolves Of the forest. Crazy parrots and canaries flew west, Drunk on May-time revelations, Crossed the Appalachians, And turned to delirious, flower-dressed fairies Of the lazy forest. Haughtiest swans and peacocks swept west, And, despite soft derivations, Crossed the Appalachians, And turned to blazing warrior souls Of the forest, Singing the ways Of the Ancient of Days.

And the “Old Continentals In their ragged regimentals,” With bard’s imaginations, Crossed the Appalachians. And A boy Blew west, And with prayers and incantations, And with “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” Crossed the Appalachians, And was “young John Chapman,” Then “Johnny Appleseed, Johnny Appleseed,” Chief of the fastnesses, dappled and vast, In a pack on his back, In a deer-hide sack, The beautiful orchards of the past, The ghosts of all the forests and the groves– In that pack on his back, In that talisman sack, To-morrow’s peaches, pears and cherries, To-morrow’s grapes and red raspberries, Seeds and tree-souls, precious things, Feathered with microscopic wings, All the outdoors the child heart knows, And the apple, green, red, and white, Sun of his day and his night– The apple allied to the thorn, Child of the rose. Porches untrod of forest houses All before him, all day long, “Yankee Doodle” his marching song; And the evening breeze Joined his psalms of praise As he sang the ways Of the Ancient of Days.

Leaving behind august Virginia, Proud Massachusetts, and proud Maine, Planting the trees that would march and train On, in his name to the great Pacific, Like Birnam wood to Dunsinane, Johnny Appleseed swept on, Every shackle gone, Loving every sloshy brake, Loving every skunk and snake, Loving every leathery weed, Johnny Appleseed, Johnny Appleseed, Master and ruler of the unicorn-ramping forest, The tiger-mewing forest, The rooster-trumpeting, boar-foaming, wolf-ravening forest, The spirit-haunted, fairy-enchanted forest, Stupendous and endless, Searching its perilous ways In the name of the Ancient of Days.

Hear him asking his friends the eagles To guard each planted seed and seedling. While the late snow blew from bleak Lake Erie, Scourging rock and river and reed, For Jonathan Chapman, Johnny Appleseed, Johnny Appleseed, As though his heart were a wind-blown wheat-sheaf, As though his heart were a new-built nest, As though their heaven house were his breast, In swept the snow-birds singing glory. And I hear his bird heart beat its story, Hear yet how the ghost of the forest shivers, Hear yet the cry of the gray, old orchards, Dim and decaying by the rivers, And the timid wings of the bird-ghosts beating. By the hour of dawn he was proud and stark, Went forth to live on roots and bark, Sleep in the trees, while the years howled by– Calling the catamounts by name, And buffalo bulls no hand could tame, Slaying never a living creature, Joining the birds in every game, With the gorgeous turkey gobblers mocking, With the lean-necked eagles boxing and shouting; Sticking their feathers in his hair,– Turkey feathers, Eagle feathers,– Trading hearts with all beasts and weathers He swept on, winged and wonder-crested, Bare-armed, barefooted, and bare-breasted.

The maples, shedding their spinning seeds, Called to his appleseeds in the ground, Vast chestnut-trees, with their butterfly nations, Called to his seeds without a sound. And the chipmunk turned a “summer-set,” And the foxes danced the Virginia reel; Hawthorne and crab-thorn bent, rain-wet, And dropped their flowers in his night-black hair; And the soft fawns stopped for his perorations; And his black eyes shone through the forest-gleam, And he plunged young hands into new-turned earth, And prayed dear orchard boughs into birth; And he ran with the rabbit and slept with the stream, And he ran with the rabbit and slept with the stream, And he ran with the rabbit and slept with the stream. In the days of President Washington.

(Hear the hoof-beats of deer in the snow. And see, by their track, bleeding footprints we know. See conventions of deer go by; The bucks toss their horns, the fuzzy fawns fly. Faint hoof-beats of fawns long gone From respectable pasture, and park and lawn, And heartbeats of fawns That are coming again When the forest, once more, Is the master of men.)

Long, long after, When settlers put up beam and rafter, They asked of the birds: “Who gave this fruit? Who watched this fence till the seeds took root? Who gave these boughs?” They asked the sky, And there was no reply. But the robin might have said, “To the farthest West he has followed the sun, His life and his empire just begun.” Self-scourged, like a monk, with a throne for wages, Stripped like the iron-souled Hindu sages, Draped like a statue, in strings like a scarecrow, His helmet-hat an old tin pan, But worn in the love of the heart of man, More sane than the helm of Tamerlane, Hairy Ainu, wild man of Borneo, Robinson Crusoe–Johnny Appleseed; And the robin might have said, “Sowing, he goes to the far, new West, With the apple, the sun of his burning breast– The apple allied to the thorn, Child of the rose.”

Washington buried in Virginia, Jackson buried in Tennessee, Young Lincoln, brooding in Illinois, And Johnny Appleseed, priestly and free, Knotted and gnarled, past seventy years, Still planted on in the woods alone. Ohio and young Indiana– These were his wide altar-stone, Where still he burnt out flesh and bone. At last his own trees overtook him, at last his own trees hurried past him. Many cats were tame again, Many ponies tame again, Many pigs were tame again, Many canaries tame again; And the real frontier was his sun-burnt breast. From the fiery core of that apple, the earth, Sprang apple-amaranths divine. Love’s orchards climbed to the heavens of the West, And snowed the earthly sod with flowers. Farm hands from the terraces of the blest Danced on the mists with their ladies fine; And Johnny Appleseed laughed with his dreams, And swam once more the ice-cold streams. And the doves of the spirit swept through the hours, With doom-calls, love-calls, death-calls, dream-calls; And so once more his youth began, Johnny Appleseed.

Then The sun was his turned-up broken barrel, Out of which his juicy apples rolled, Thumping across the gold, An angel in each apple that touched the forest mold, Each red, rich, round, and bouncing moon That touched the forest mold. He saw the fruits unfold, And all our expectations in one wild-flower-written dream, Confusion and death sweetness, and a thicket of crab-thorns, Heart of a hundred midnights, heart of the merciful morns. Heaven’s boughs bent down with their alchemy, Perfumed airs, and thoughts of wonder. And the dew on the grass and his own cold tears Were one in brooding mystery, Though death’s loud thunder came upon him, Though death’s loud thunder struck him down– The boughs and the proud thoughts swept through the thunder, The vista of ten thousand years, flower-lighted and complete. Hear the lazy weeds murmuring, bays and rivers whispering, Listen to the eagles, screaming, calling, “Johnny Appleseed, Johnny Appleseed,” There by the doors of old Fort Wayne.

In the four-poster bed Johnny Appleseed built, Autumn rains were the curtains, autumn leaves were the quilt. He laid him down sweetly, and slept through the night, There by the doors of old Fort Wayne.

#america #American poetry #Johnny Appleseed #vachel lindsay #poetry #indiana

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lungsofmumbai · 5 years ago

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THE AAREY vs METRO SAGA

CHAPTER ONE: THE FADNAVIS & THACKERAY ERA

What is Aarey?

The Aarey Milk Colony was established in 1949 as a government dairy farm on 1,287 hectares of land and was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1951. Over the years, the land has been diverted for other uses. A major portion of its green cover has been lost to new construction projects like the housing colony built by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development and Film City.

Wildlife experts have estimated that the area has 48 species of reptiles and 12 amphibian species and 80 butterfly and moth species. It also has 16 species of mammals like leopard, deer, boar, jungle cats and 90 different types of spiders. Many of these species are under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

(A part of the Aarey Colony)

Aarey is an area which starts from Powai and extends all the way till the Western Express Highway in Goregaon. It used to be a part of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park before being opened for commercial purposes and was again declared as a reserve forest. There are at least 27 tribal communities also residing in the colony, making it home to over 3,500 families of Warli Adivasis and other tribal groups that face displacement now.

What is the Issue?

The Save Aarey Movement was never against the metro being built, it was against the car shed which will be built in Aarey for the underground Colaba-Bandra-Seepz metro line. A metro car shed is where all the metro trains which will rest during the non-working hours. It is in the car shed that the trains will be washed, cleaned and repaired and maintained. It is the starting point for train operations every day.

The Colaba-Bandra-Seepz metro car shed is worth Rs 900 crores and Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the project on September 7, 2019. The MMRCL (Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited) has earmarked 33 hectares (around 2%) of the Aarey Colony land for this car shed. The number of trees that fall in these 33 hectares of land is over 27,000.

The movement had started back in 2013 but found its momentum in the year 2019. Huge protests had erupted in Aarey Colony area in Mumbai on the night of October 4 and on October 5, 2019 when the MMRCL had begun to cut down trees for the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro car shed.

After the Bombay High Court dismissed pleas opposing the decision to cut 2,646 trees for the Metro project on October 4th 2019, Mumbai civic authorities started cutting trees on a large scale at Aarey Colony. After this incident, the Bombay High Court ordered the petitioners to approach the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal. On October 7th 2019, the Supreme Court ordered the authorities and MMRCL to not cut down trees in the Aarey.

What is the current situation?

Ever since the Shiv Sena government came into power, the work on the Metro 3 car shed has been put on halt indefinitely. However, MMRCL has stated that 25% of the work for the metro shed is already completed, before the new government came into power. There are huge machines which lie idle at the construction site and ground leveling was also underway.

The entire area has been barricaded. Taking photographs and getting access to the construction site is not allowed and there is heavy security provided by the government. There are security guards at every entrance of the construction site and they do not allow people walking by to see what’s going on behind the barriers.

With the current government’s decision of halting the construction work on the metro shed, several other problems have surfaced. One of them being the Rs 4.3 crores loss occurring per day due to the delay. Till now there has been a total loss of Rs 270 crores on account of work stoppage. This decision will also decelerate the infrastructural projects in Mumbai. This would have a negative impact on the Central Government’s vision of ‘Make In India’.

(The construction work on hold)

Deven R Choksey, MD, KR Choksey, in an interview with Economic Times said, “State governments often cancel or stall projects granted during the last regime. This unnecessarily creates a huge amount of financial consequences for both investors as well as lenders, apart from raising the risk of defaulting by companies.”

He has further mentioned that these kinds of decisions will dissuade the corporates from taking up any more projects in the country. It will also dissuade the investors from coming to the country and from bankers to extending credit.

The new Maharashtra government has suggested about relocating the car shed to Goregaon’s SRPF (State Reserve Police Force) Ground. The State Government had set up a new panel to look into the Aarey issue and see if they could relocate the car shed to another area. The panel came up with same problems which were mentioned by the previous government of unavailability of land, financial implications, technical and operational difficulties.

(An aerial view of the construction site from the JVLR flyover)

If the State Government has to relocate the metro shed to Kanjurmarg, which is 7kms away from the last metro 3 station, Seepz, the trains would have to make dead trips to reach the depot. The metro line has been planned for a service frequency of 2 minutes and if the depot is shifted the crowd will increase at the station and thus will lead to defeating the very purpose of the metro. And there would be a Rs 1,700 crores cost escalation if the metro shed has to be relocated to another location.

CHAPTER TWO: CLIMATE VS DEVELOPMENT

CLIMATE

During the BJP led State Government, the then Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis’ standard response to the Aarey issue was ‘will grow more trees.’ He believed that trees had to be cut as development is also important.

According to a Firstpost article, “South Asian countries today are at a delicate threshold facing severe extreme weather conditions. A Global Climate Risk Index released at the Katowice Summit in Katowice, Poland, in 2018 showed that intense cyclones, excessive rainfall, and severe floods could make India and its neighbours among the worst affected countries in the world.”

India has resorted to afforestation without consulting local communities or conducting serious studies on it. As the Adivasi activist from Aarey Prakash Bhoir says, "The way most of these afforestation drives work is illogical and unscientific. How can you plant twenty-five trees at a mere spacing of a foot or less? What happens to the trees when they grow up? This proves that the approach is incorrect. Most of the saplings planted during afforestation projects die in this manner."

(A dry patch in Aarey)

An activist by the name Zoru Bhathena, who is representing petitioners in the Aarey tree felling case claimed that a substantial number of trees planted by the MMRCL during the work of Mumbai Metro 3 project are already dead. Later, the MMRCL itself admitted that only 36 per cent of the trees transplanted have survived. In a statement by a spokesperson of the MMRCL said that it transplanted 1,582 trees and 36 per cent of them i.e. 572 have survived.

There is evidence that afforestation programs may not be sufficient enough to reduce the climate crisis.

China's "The Sloping Land Conversion" program, one of the largest reforestation programs in the world aimed at "protecting biodiversity and improving environmental conditions", had a negative impact on the natural forests in the area after 13 years of implementation. Researchers found out that the rubber and pulpwood plantations had replaced natural forests on sloping lands. With the sharp increase in these plantations, the natural forests, shrubs and bushes decreased and were converted into pulpwood plantations. There is danger of carbon stock increasing if natural forests are replaced in this manner.

The article further stated that, “Researchers who examined 260 years of changes in European forest management found that despite a 10 percent increase in wooded land, the continent's forests have actually caused a slight increase in regional temperatures since 1750. This was attributed specifically to a shift from broad-leaved tree species like oak to more economically valuable conifer species like spruce and pine, which absorb more sunlight.”

Planting a sapling is the easiest part to regain green cover. The challenging part is the maintenance of the newly-planted saplings and ensuring that the saplings become robust trees. Most studies have found that survival rate of saplings is never 100 percent. Researches in Indianapolis and Philadelphia, which looked at street trees in the city of Detroit, found that high survival rates are critical during the first three years.

(A part of Metro shed which has been barricaded)

In Aarey the car shed is expected to consume an estimate of 50,000 litres of groundwater everyday for washing the metro. The residents of the Aarey Colony are worried that the car shed project will open the doors to other infrastructural projects too.

The cutting down of trees also leads to the increase in air pollution. As Mumbai doesn’t have a vast green cover, cutting down these trees will have an impact on both present and future generations. The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests that air pollution is capable of affecting the health of people.

As mentioned earlier the Aarey forest is home to many species like leopards, deer, boars, jungle cats, reptiles and amphibians. Taking over the 33 acres of land to make a metro shed puts the habitat of the animals in danger. There have been many cases of leopard sightings in Mumbai, where these animals are found roaming on the streets of the city.

With the increase in the number of leopards in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, it would be a lot more difficult to keep these animals in their habitat if the people keep cutting down trees to make infrastructural projects.

DEVELOPMENT

When it comes to development, Mumbai, one of the world’s densely populated cities with a population of 18.14 million people (as per Census 2011) accounts for slightly more than 6.16% of India’s economic growth. Mumbai’s public transport system consists of a suburban Indian rail network (Central, Western, Harbour), bus services as well as private black-and-yellow taxis, Uber and Ola services and autorickshaws.

The suburban rail network carries over 7.5 million commuters and public buses operated by Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) service carry about an approximate 3.65 million commuters every day.

(A double-decker BEST bus in Churchgate)

However, the quality of public transport infrastructure in Mumbai is on a rapid decline, which affects the time and energy spent by the citizens. Being one of the most important mode of transport, the railway network faces numerous challenges. The trains are already bursting with passengers at the peak hours.

According to an article by Youth Ki Awaaz, “In the last 10 years, 25,722 people have fallen off moving trains, of which 6,989 people died due to losing their grip while trying to get into a jam-packed boogie or hitting an electric pole while in motion. There have been alarming cases of deaths due to suffocation, heart attacks and seizures triggered due to a fatal drop in oxygen levels.”

The buses are unreliable as they get stuck during the peak hour traffic. The rickshaw walas and private taxi walas keep rejecting the travelers and Uber and Ola taxis are way too expensive for the common people of Mumbai. Hence, the need for metro.

The ticket price for the Mumbai metro varies from Rs 20 – 50 which is affordable for the common man. It is comparatively cheaper than autorickshaws and private taxis. Furthermore, the metro project will reduce the 2.5 lakhs metric tons of carbon footprint every year. As it will take out more than 50% of the vehicles from the roads such as autorickshaws, private cars and taxis. It will also reduce the number of people traveling in the suburban rails and BEST buses.

CHAPTER THREE: JANTA & ACTIVISTS KI SOCH

Views of the public:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rC6zJUG2UmfaGhJ4oywfA-Qoge0EWtqV

Interview with Reema Sushnar (Activist):

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1bs3fh3n88BTx-vXLt2pU-yfl35E0vmNn

Some of the points that can be taken from the above videos are the clear distinction between the thoughts of the general public and that of the activists and environmentalists. The general public are worried more about the money the government is losing due to the delay in the project. They are also more focused on their convenience and how they could save their time. As long as the trees are transplanted and afforestation happens, they are satisfied with the project.

The activists and environmentalists on the other hand would choose the lungs of Mumbai i.e. Aarey over development. They believe that the Metro 3 will not reduce the carbon emissions as it is an underground metro and will run on thermal power. They also believe that the metro reducing the number of vehicles on the road is just an assumption, as the rich would still prefer to travel in their own cars, the poor won’t be able to afford the ticket prices for the metro and will stick to the BEST buses and suburban rails.

CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION

The fact is, the damage is already done. The previous regime had already taken over the 33 hectares of the land, begun the work and has completed 25 percent of it. To relocate the car shed to another area will just escalate the cost and increase the time overrun. Every delay would cause the exchequer several crores per day. As it is, the metro project is already delayed by a year and the effects caused by it cannot be reversed.

Unfortunately, the Aarey car shed has become a sore spot for both the political parties, that is, BJP and Shiv Sena respectively. The newly appointed panel of the Shiv Sena has also mentioned the same issues which were being faced by the BJP panel. And in the slug fest between the two parties the Mumbai citizens are the losers.

When it comes to afforestation, the government should not use fast growing trees as they have a negative impact on the environment. These trees are generally dry and can quickly catch fire. They also absorb large amount of the minerals from the soil and groundwater. This affects the growth of other trees in that area. Instead the government should plant native or indigenous trees. They should look into replanting trees like Dhaman, Shemat, Bhokar, Kahandal, Apta, Shivan and Subabul as these are some of the native and common trees found in Aarey.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES

1. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/over-60-trees-transplanted-by-mmrcl-dead-claims-aarey-activist-1620745-2019-11-20

2. https://www.dailyo.in/variety/aarey-forest-mumbai-metro-rail-bjp-shiv-sena-wildlife-protection-act-biodiversity-conservation-maharashtra-assembly-polls-2019/story/1/32110.html

3. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/bmc-gets-82000-objections-to-tree-cutting-for-metro-car-shed/article28325173.ece

4. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/aarey-milk-colony-tree-felling-supreme-court-mumbai-metro-construction-1607037-2019-10-07

5. https://qrius.com/the-save-aarey-activists-who-are-they-really/

6. forbesindia.com/article/special/bombay-hc-dismisses-pleas-to-save-aarey-forest-tells-petitioners-to-approach-sc/55591/1

7. https://scroll.in/article/937002/saving-aarey-why-a-city-with-a-weak-protest-culture-is-demonstrating-to-protect-mumbais-green-lung

8. https://www.firstpost.com/india/movement-to-save-aarey-forest-effects-of-climate-change-need-nuanced-interventions-afforestation-isnt-enough-7477091.html

9. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/toi-confirms-trees-gone-at-aarey-site-metro-says-25-percent-of-work-done/articleshow/72376131.cms

10. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/shadow-over-metro-three-after-maharashtra-cm-uddhav-thackerays-aarey-stay/articleshow/72301920.cms

11. https://www.pressreader.com/india/the-times-of-india-mumbai-edition/20191203/281590947430690

12. https://www.dailyo.in/variety/aarey-forest-mumbai-metro-rail-bjp-shiv-sena-wildlife-protection-act-biodiversity-conservation-maharashtra-assembly-polls-2019/story/1/32110.html

13. https://www.urbantransportnews.com/mumbai-needs-metro-here-are-the-facts-about-aarey-forest-and-mumbai-metro/

14. https://www.firstpost.com/india/movement-to-save-aarey-forest-effects-of-climate-change-need-nuanced-interventions-afforestation-isnt-enough-7477091.html

15. https://www.timesnownews.com/mirror-now/in-focus/article/cutting-down-of-trees-in-mumbais-aarey-forest-will-do-more-harm-than-we-know/484890

16. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/expert-view/investors-bankers-to-suffer-if-maharashtra-infra-projects-get-stalled-deven-r-choksey/articleshow/72349482.cms

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xerrey · 6 years ago

Photo

• Animal: dog - pies, cat - kot, fish - ryba, bird - ptak, cow - krowa, pig - świnia, mouse - mysz, horse - koń, animal - zwierzę

• Transportation: train - pociąg, plane - samolot, car - samochód, truck - ciężarówka, bicycle - rower, bus - autobus, boat - łódź, łódka, ship - statek, tire - opona, gasoline - benzyna, engine - silnik, ticket - bilet, transportation - transport, tram/streetcar - tramwaj

• Location: city - miasto, house - dom, apartment - apartament, flat - mieszkanie, street/road - ulica, airport - lotnisko, train station - stacja kolejowa, bridge - most, hotel - hotel, restaurant - restauracja, farm - farma, court, school - szkoła, office - biuro, room - pokój, town - miasteczko, university - uniwersytet, club - klub, bar - bar, park - park, camp - obóz, store/shop - sklep, theater - teatr, library - biblioteka, hospital - szpital, church - kościół, market - supermarket, country (USA, France, etc.) - państwo, building - budynek, ground - ziemia, space (outer space) - przestrzeń kosmiczna, kosmos, bank - bank, location - położenie, police - policja, army - armia

• Clothing: hat - czapka, dress - sukienka, suit - garnitur, skirt - spódnica, shirt - koszula, T-shirt - t-shirt, koszulka, pants - majtki, trousers - spodnie, shoes - buty, pocket - kieszeń, coat - płaszcz, stain - plama, clothing - ubrania

• Color: red - czerwony/czerwona, green - zielony/zielona, blue - niebieski/niebieska, yellow - żółty/żółta, brown - brązowy/brązowa, pink - różowy/różowa, orange - pomarańczowy/pomarańczowa, black - czarny/czarna, white - biały/biała, gray - szary.szara, color - kolor

• People: son - syn, daughter - córka, mother - matka, father - ojciec, parent (= mother/father) - rodzic, baby - niemowlę, man - mężczyzna, woman - kobieta, brother - brat, sister - siostra, family - rodzina, grandfather - dziadek, grandmother - babcia, husband - mąż, wife - żona, king - król, queen - królowa, president - prezydent, neighbor - sąsiad/sąsiadka, boy - chłopiec/chłopak, girl - dziewczynka/dziewczyna, child (= boy/girl) - dziecko, adult (= man/woman) - dorosły, human (≠ animal) - człowiek, friend - przyjaciel/przyjaciółka, victim - ofiara, player - zawodnik/zawodniczka, fan - fan/fanka, crowd - tłum, person - osoba

• Job: Teacher - nauczyciel/nauczycielka, student - uczeń/uczennica, lawyer - prawnik/prawniczka, doctor - lekarz/lekarka, patient - pacjent/pacjentka, waiter - kelner/kelnerka, secretary - sekretarz/sekretarka, priest - ksiądz, policeman/policewoman - policjant/policjantka, soldier - żółnierz/żółnierka, artist - artysta/artystka, author - pisarz/pisarka, manager - menadżer/menadżerka, reporter - reporter/reporterka, actor - aktor/aktorka, job - praca

• Society: religion - religia, heaven - niebo, hell - piekło, death - śmierć, medicine - medycyna, money - pieniądze, bill - rachunek, marriage - małżeństwo, wedding - ślub, team - zespół, race (ethnicity) - rasa (etniczność), sex (the act) - seks, sex (gender) - płeć, murder - morderstwo, prison - więzienie, technology - technologia, energy - energia, war - wojna, peace - pokój, attack - atak, napaść, election - wybory, magazine - magazyn, newspaper - gazeta, poison - trucizna, gun - broń, sport - sport, race (sport) - wyscig, exercise - ćwiczenia, ball - piłka, game - gra, mecz, price - cena, contract - umowa/kontrakt, drug - lekarstwo, narkotyk, sign - znak, science - nauka,

• Art: band - zespół, song - piosenka, instrument (musical) - instrument, music - muzyka, movie - film, art - sztuka

• Beverages: coffee - kawa, tea - herbata, wine - wino, beer - piwo, juice - sok, water - woda, milk - mleko, beverage - napój

• Food: egg - jajko, cheese - ser, bread - chleb, soup - zupa, cake - ciasto, chicken - kurczak, pork - wieprzowina, beef - wołowina, apple - jabłko, banana - banan, orange - pomarańcz, lemon - cytryna, corn - kukurydza, rice - ryż, oil - olej, seed - ziarno, knife - nóż, spoon - łyżka, fork - widelec, plate - talerz, cup - filiżanka, mug - kubek, breakfast - śniadanie, lunch - lunch, dinner - kolacja, sugar - cukier, salt - sól, bottle - butelka, food - jedzenie

• Home: table - stół, chair - krzesło, bed - łóżko, dream - marzenie, window - okno, door - drzwi, bedroom - sypialnia, kitchen - kuchnia, bathroom - łazienka, pencil - ołówek, pen - długopis, photograph - zdjęcie/fotografia, soap - mydło, book - książka, page - strona, key - klucz, paint - farba, letter - list, note - notatka, wall - ściana, paper - papier, floor - podłoga, ceiling - sufit, roof - dach, pool - basen, lock - zamek, telephone - telefon, garden - ogród, needle - igła, bag - torba, box - pudełko, gift - prezent, card - karta, ring - pierścionek, tool - narzędzie

• Electronics: clock - zegar, lamp - lampa, fan - wentylator, cell phone - telefon komórkowy, komórka, network - sieć, computer - komputer, program (computer) - program komputerowy, laptop - laptop, screen - ekran, camera - aparat fotograficzny, kamera, television - telewizja, radio - radio, tablet - tablet

• Body: head - głowa, neck - szyja, face - twarz, beard - broda, hair - włosy, eye - oko, mouth - usta, lip - warga, nose - nos, tooth - ząb, ear - ucho, tear (drop) - łza, tongue - język, back - plecak, toe - palec, finger - palec, foot - stopa, hand - ręka, leg - noga, arm - ramię, shoulder - bark, heart - serce, blood - krew, brain - mózg, knee - kolano, sweat - pot, disease - choroba, bone - kość, voice - głos, skin - skóra, body - ciało, wrist - nadgarstek

• Nature: sea - morze, ocean - ocean, river - rzeka, mountain - góra, rain - deszcz, snow - śnieg, tree - drzewo, sun - słońce, moon - księżyc, world - świat, Earth - Ziemia, forest - las, sky - niebo, plant - roślina, wind - wiatr, soil/earth - gleba/ziemia, flower - kwiat, valley - dolina, root - korzeń, lake - jezioro, star - gwiazda, grass - trawa, leaf - liść, air - powietrze, sand - piasek, beach - plaża, wave - fala, fire - ogień, ice - lód, island - wyspa, hill - wzgórze, heat - ciepło, nature - natura

• Materials: glass - szkło, metal - metal, plastic - plastik, wood - drewno, stone - kamień, diamond - diament, clay - glina, dust - kurz, gold - złoto, copper - miedź, silver - srebro, material - materiał

• Math/Measurements: meter - metr, centimeter - centrymetr, kilogram - kilogram, inch - cal, foot - stopa, pound - funt, half - pół, circle - koło, square - kwadrat, temperature - temperatura, weight - waga, edge - próg, corner - kąt

• Misc Nouns: map - mapa, dot - kropka, consonant - spółgłoska, vowel - samogłoska, light - światło, sound - dźwięk, yes - tak, no - nie, piece - kawałek, pain - bół, injury - rana, hole - dziura, image - obraz, pattern - schemat/wzór, noun - rzeczownik, verb - czasownik, adjective - przymiotnik

• Directions: top - góra, bottom - dół, side - bok/strona, front - przód, back - tył, outside na zewnątrz, inside wewnątrz, up - w góre, down - w dół, left - lewa/lewy, right - prawa/prawy, straight - na wprost, north - północ, south - południe, east - wschód, west - zachód, direction - kierunek

• Seasons: Summer - lato, Spring - wiosna, Winter - ziemia, Fall - jesień, season - pora roku

• Numbers: 0 - zero, 1 - jeden, 2 - dwa, 3 - trzy, 4 - cztery, 5 - pięć, 6 - sześć, 7 - siedem, 8 - osiem, 9 - dziewięć, 10 - dziesięć, 11 - jedenaście, 12 - dwanaście, 13 - trzynaście, 14 - czternaście, 15 - piętnaście, 16 - szesnaście, 17 - siedemnaście, 18 - osiemnaście, 19 - dziewiętnaście, 20 - dwadzieścia, 21 - dwadzieścia jeden, 22 - dwadzieścia dwa, 30 - trzydzieści, 31 - trzydzieści jeden , 32 trzydzieści dwa, 40 - czterdzieści, 41 - czterdzieści jeden, 42 - czterdzieści dwa, 50 - pięćdziesiąt, 51 - pięćdziesiąt jeden, 52 pięćdziesiąt dwa, 60 sześćdziesiąt, 61 - sześćdziesiąt jeden, 62 - sześćdziesiąt dwa, 70 - siedemdziesiąt, 71 - siedemdziesiąt jeden, 72 - siedemdziesiąt dwa, 80 osiemdziesiąt, 81 - osiemdziesiąt jeden, 82 - osiemdziesiąt dwa, 90 - dziewięćdziesiąt, 91 - dziewięćdziesiąt jeden, 92 - dziewięćdziesiąt dwa, 100 - sto, 101 - sto jeden,, 102 sto dwa, 110 sto dziesięć, 111 sto jedenaście, 1000 - tysiąc, 1001 tysiąc jeden, 10000 - dziesięć tysięcy, 100000 - sto tysięcy, million - milion, billion - miliard, 1st,- pierwszy 2nd,- drugi 3rd,trzeci 4th,czwarty 5th,- piąty number - numer

• Months: January - Styczeń, February - Luty, March - Marzec, April - Kwiecień, May - Maj, June - Czerwiec, July - Lipiec, August - Sierpień, September - Wrzesień, October - Październik, November - Listopad, December - Grudzień

• Days of the week: Monday - Poniedziałek, Tuesday - Wtorek, Wednesday - Środa, Thursday - Czwartek, Friday - Piątek, Saturday - Sobota, Sunday - Niedziela, week - tydzień,

• Time: year - rok, month - miesiąc, week - tydzień, day - dzień, hour - godzina, minute - minuta, second - sekunda , morning - poranek/rano, afternoon - popołudnie, evening - wieczór, night - noc, time - czas, midnight - północ, midday - południe

• Verbs: work - pracować, play - grać, walk - spacerować/chodzić, run - biegać, drive - jechać (samochodem), fly - latać, swim - pływać, go - iść, stop - zatrzymywać, follow - śledzić, podążać za kimś/za czymś, think - myśleć, speak - mówić, say - powiedzieć, eat - jeść, drink - pić, kill - zabić, die - umierać, smile - uśmiechać się, laugh - śmiać się, cry - płakać, buy - kupować, pay - płacić, sell - sprzedawać, shoot(a gun) - strzelać (z pistoletu), learn - uczyć się, jump - skakać, smell - wąhać, hear (a sound) - słyszeć, listen (music) - słuchać, taste - próbować/smakować, touch - dotykać, see (a bird) - widzieć, watch (TV) - oglądać, kiss - całować, burn - palić, melt - roztapiać, dig - kopać, explode - wybuchnąć/eksplodować, sit - siedzieć, stand - stać, love - kochać, pass by - mijać, cut - ciąć, fight - bić się/walczyć, lie down - leżeć, dance - tańczyć, sleep - spać, wake up - budzić się, sing - śpiewać, count - liczyć, marry - żenić się/wychodzić za mąż/brać ślub, pray - modlić się, win - wygrywać/wygrać, lose - przegrywać/przegrać, mix/stir - mieszać, bend - schylać się/schylić się, wash - myć, cook - gotować, open - otwierać, close - zamykać, write - pisać, call - dzwonić, turn - obrócić/obracać się, build - budować, teach - uczyć, nauczać, grow - rosnąć, draw - rysować, feed - karmić, catch - łapać/złapać, throw - rzucać/rzucić, clean - czyścić, find - znajdować, fall - upadać, push - pchać/popychać, pull - ciągnąć, carry - nieść, break - zbić/rozbijać, wear - ubierać, hang - wisieć, shake - potrząsać/wstrząsać, sign - podpisywać, beat - bić, lift - podnosić,

• Adjectives: long - długi/długa/długie, short (vs long) - krótki/krótka/krótkie, tall - wysoki/wysoka/wysokie, short (vs tall) - niski/niska/niskie, wide - szeroki/szeroka/szerokie, narrow - wąski/wąska/wąskie, big/large - duży/duża/duże, small/little - mały/mała/małe, slow - wolny/wolna/wolne, fast - szybki/szybka/szybkie, hot - gorący/gorąca/gorące, cold - zimny/zimna/zimne, warm - ciepły/ciepła/ciepłe, cool - fajny/fajna/fajne, new - nowy/nowa/nowe, old (new) - stary/stara/stare, young - młody/młoda/młode, old (young) - stary/stara/stare, good - dobry/dobra/dobre, bad - zły/zła/złe, wet - mokry/mokra/mokre, dry - suchy/sucha/suche, sick - chory/chora/chore, healthy - zdrowy/zdrowa/zdrowe, loud - głośny/głośna/głośne, quiet - cichy/cicha/ciche, happy - szczęśliwy/szczęśliwa/szczęśliwe, sad - smutny/smutna/smutne, beautiful - piękny/piękna/piękne, ugly - brzydki/brzydka/brzydkie, deaf - głuchy/głucha/głuche, blind - ślepy/ślepa/ślepe, nice - miły/miła/miłe, mean - wredny/wredna/wredne, rich - bogaty/bogata/bogate, poor - biedny/biedna/biedne, thick - gruby/gruba/grube, thin - chudy/chuda/chude, expensive - drogi/droga/drogie, cheap - tani/tania/tanie, flat - płaski/płaska/płaskie, curved - krzywy/krzywa/krzywe, male - męski/męska/męskie, female - damski/damska/damskie, tight ciasny/ciasna/ciasne or obcisły/obcisła/obcisłe, loose - luźny/luźna/luźni, high - wysoki/wysoka/wysokie, low - niski/niska/niskie, soft - miękki/miękka/miękkie or delikatny/delikatna/delikatne, hard - twardy/twarda/twarde or trudny/trudna/trudne, deep - głęboki/głęboka/głębokie, shallow - płytki/płytka/płytkie, clean - czysty/czysta/czyste, dirty - brudny/brudna/brudne, strong - silny/silna/silne, weak - słaby/słaba/słabe, dead - martwy/martwa/martwe, alive - żywy/żywa/żywe, heavy - ciężki/ciężka/ciężkie, light (vs heavy) - lekki/lekka/lekkie, dark - ciemny/ciemna/ciemne, light (dark) - jasny/jasna/jasne, famous - sławny/sławna/sławne

• Pronouns: I - ja, you (singular) - ty, he - on, she - ona, it - ono/to, we - my, you (plural, as in “y’all”) - wy, they. - oni, one

#langblr #langblrgang #polish #vocabulary list #vocab list #common words #languageambassadorproject #polishjune

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vikinglanguage · 6 years ago

Text

625 basic words in Danish

The words themselves are all from this blogpost, so feel free to make your own version in whatever language! (I also might’ve added in a few, ooops)

This post is very very long and will be under a cut. Please keep in mind that I am a human person and there might be some mistakes and typos.

Note: The abbreviations “fk.” and “itk.” indicate grammatical gender, common (fælleskøn, “en”) and neuter (intetkøn, “et”).

Animals dog – hund, fk. cat – kat, fk. fish – fisk, fk. bird – fugl, fk. cow – ko, fk. pig – gris, fk. mouse – mus, fk. horse – hest, fk. wing – vinge, fk. animal – dyr, itk.

Transportation train – tog, itk. plane – fly, itk. · flyvemaskine, fk. · flyver, fk. car – bil, fk. truck – lastbil, fk. bicycle – cykel, fk. bus – bus, fk. boat – båd, fk. ship – skib, itk. tire – hjul, itk. gasoline – benzin, fk. engine – motor, fk. ticket – billet, fk. transportation – transport, fk.

Location city – by, fk. · storby, fk. (lit. “big-city”) house – hus, itk. apartment/flat – lejlighed, fk. street/road – vej, fk. · gade, fk. airport – lufthavn, fk. train station – togstation, fk. bridge – bro, fk. hotel – hotel, itk. restaurant – restaurant, fk. farm – gård, fk. · bondegård, fk. court (of law) – domstol, fk. · (lands-/by-)ret, fk. school – skole, fk. office – kontor, itk. room – værelse, itk. · rum, itk. town – by, fk. · landsby, fk. university – universitet, itk. club – klub, fk. · diskotek, itk. bar – bar, fk. park – park, fk. camp – lejr, fk. store/shop – butik, fk. · forretning, fk. theatre – teater, itk. library – bibliotek, itk. hospital – hospital, itk. · sygehus, itk. church – kirke, fk. market – marked, itk. country (USA, France, etc.) – land, itk. building – bygning, fk. ground – jord, fk. space (outer space) – rummet · det ydre rum bank – bank, fk. location – placering, fk. – lokation, fk.

Clothing hat – hat, fk. dress – kjole, fk. suit – jakkesæt, itk. skirt – nederdel, fk. shirt – skjorte, fk. T-shirt – t-shirt, fk. pants – bukser, fk. pl. (you can say “en buks” if you’re in the fashion industry or weird) shoe – sko, fk. pocket – lomme, fk. coat – frakke, fk. stain – plet, fk. clothing – tøj, itk. pl.

Colours red – rød green – grøn blue – blå yellow – gul brown – brun pink – lyserød · pink orange – orange black – sort white – hvid gray – grå light – lys · lyse- (eg. lyseblå, lysegrøn) dark – mørk · mørke- (see above) colour – farve, fk.

People son – søn, fk. daughter – datter, fk. mother – mor, fk. · moder, fk. (mostly outdated) father – far, fk. – fader, fk. (mostly outdated) parent – forælder, fk. baby – baby, fk. · spædbarn, itk. man – mand, fk. woman – kvinde, fk. brother – bror, fk. · broder, fk. (mostly outdated) sister – søster, fk. sibling – søskende, fk. pl. family – familie, fk. grandfather – bedstefar, fk. · morfar, fk. (maternal grandpa) · farfar, fk. (paternal grandpa) grandmother – bedstemor, fk. · mormor, fk. · farmor, fk. husband – mand, fk. · ægtemand, fk. wife – hustru, fk. · ægtehustru, fk. · viv, fk. · kone, fk. spouse – ægtefælle, fk. king – konge, fk. queen – dronning, fk. president – præsident, fk. neighbour – nabo, fk. · næste, fk. (biblical) boy – dreng, fk. girl – pige, fk. child – barn, itk. adult – voksen, fk. human – menneske, itk. friend – ven, fk. (gender neutral or male) · veninde, fk. (female) victim – offer, itk. player – spiller, fk. fan – fan, fk. crowd – menneskemængde, fk. · publikum, itk. (audience) person – person, fk.

Job teacher – lærer, fk. student – elev, fk. · studerende, fk. lawyer – advokat, fk. doctor – læge, fk. · doktor, fk. patient – patient, fk. waiter – tjener, fk. secretary – sekretær, fk. priest – præst, fk. police – politimand, fk. (male) · politikvinde, fk. (female) army – hær, fk. soldier – soldat, fk. artist – kunstner, fk. author – forfatter, fk. manager – manager, fk. reporter – journalist, fk. · reporter, fk. actor – skuespiller, fk. job – arbejde, itk. · job, itk.

Society religion – religion, fk. heaven – himmel, fk. · Himlen hell – helvede itk. · Helvede death – død, fk. · Døden medicine – medicin, fk. money – penge, pl. dollar – dollar, fk. bill – seddel, fk. · pengeseddel, fk. marriage – ægteskab, itk. wedding – bryllup, itk. team – hold, itk. · team, itk. race – race, fk. ethnicity – etnicitet, fk. sex (the act) – sex, fk. sex (gender)* – køn, itk. murder – mord, itk. prison – fængsel, itk. technology – teknologi, fk. energy – energi, fk. war – krig, fk. peace – fred, fk. attack – angreb, itk. election – valg, itk. magazine – magasin, itk. · blad, itk. newspaper – avis, fk. poison – gift, fk. gun – pistol, fk. sport – sport, fk. race (sport) – løb, itk. exercise – motion, fk. ball – bold, fk. game – spil, itk. · leg, fk. price – pris, fk. contract – kontrakt, fk. drug – stof, itk. sign – skilt, itk. (like a road sign) science – videnskab, fk. God – Gud *I want to make it clear that I do not believe that gender and sex are the same, however they are the same word in Danish

Art band – band, itk. · orkester, itk. (technically orchestra) song – sang, fk. instrument (musical) – instrument, itk. · musikinstrument, itk. music – musik, fk. movie – film, fk. art – kunst, fk.

Beverages coffee – kaffe, fk. tea – te, fk. · the, fk. (unofficial, but very common spelling) wine – vin, fk. beer – øl, fk. juice – juice, fk. · saft, fk. water – vand, itk. milk – mælk, fk. beverage – drik, fk. · drikkevare, fk.

Food egg – æg, itk. cheese – ost, fk. bread – brød, itk. soup – suppe, fk. cake – kage, fk. chicken – kylling, fk. pork – svin, itk. · svinekød, itk. beef – okse, itk. · oksekød, itk. apple – æble, itk. banana – banan, fk. orange – appelsin, fk. lemon – citron, fk. corn – majs, fk. rice – ris, itk. oil – olie, fk. seed – frø, itk. knife – kniv, fk. spoon – ske, fk. fork – gaffel, fk. plate – tallerken, fk. cup – glas, itk. · kop, fk. breakfast – morgenmad, fk. lunch – frokost, fk. dinner – aftensmad, fk. · middag, fk. sugar – sukker, itk. salt – salt, itk. bottle – flaske, fk. food – mad, fk.

Home table – bord, itk. chair – stol, fk. bed – seng, fk. dream – drøm, fk. window – vindue, itk. door – dør, fk. bedroom – soveværelse, itk. kitchen – køkken, itk. bathroom – badeværelse, itk. · toilet, itk. pencil – blyant, fk. pen – kuglepen, fk. · pen, fk. photograph – fotografi, itk. · foto, itk. · billede, itk. soap – sæbe, fk. book – bog, fk. page – side, fk. key – nøgle, fk. paint – maling, fk. letter – brev, itk. note – note, fk. wall – væg, fk. paper – papir, itk. floor – gulv, itk. ceiling – loft, itk. roof – tag, itk. pool – pool, fk. · swimmingpool, fk. · pøl, fk. · svømmepøl, fk. · bassin, itk · svømmebassin, itk. · badebassin, itk. (specifically and inflatable pool) lock – lås, fk. telephone – telefon, fk. garden – have, fk. yard – have, fk. needle – nål, fk. bag – taske, fk. · pose, fk. box – kasse, fk. · boks, fk. gift – gave, fk. card – kort, itk. ring – ring, fk. tool – værktøj, itk.

Electronics clock – ur, itk. lamp – lampe, fk. fan – ventilator, fk. cell phone – mobil, fk · mobiltelefon, fk. network – netværk, itk. computer – computer, fk. · EDB-maskine, fk. (use this if you’re like 80 years old) program (computer) – program, itk. · computerprogram, itk. laptop – bærbar, fk. · bærbar computer, fk. · laptop, fk. screen – skærm, fk. camera – kamera, itk. · fotografiapparat, itk. (again, great if you’re 80) television – fjernsyn, itk. · TV, itk. radio – radio, fk.

Body head – hoved, itk. neck – nakke, fk. · hals, fk, (technically “throat”, but if you’re talking THE ENTIRE neck area you should use hals) face – ansigt, itk. beard – skæg, itk. hair – hår, itk. eye – øje, itk. mouth – mund, fk. lip – læbe, fk. nose – næse, fk. tooth – tand, fk. ear – øre, itk. tear (drop) – tåre, fk. tongue – tunge, fk. back – ryg, fk. toe – tå, fk. finger – finger, fk. foot – food, fk. hand – hånd, fk. leg – ben, itk. arm – arm, fk. shoulder – skulder, fk. heart – hjerte, itk. blood – blod, itk. brain – hjerne, fk. knee – knæ, itk. sweat – sved, fk. disease – sygdom, fk. bone – knogle, fk. · ben, itk. voice – stemme, fk. skin – hud, fk. body – krop, fk.

Nature sea – hav, itk. ocean – hav, itk. · ocean, itk. river – flod, fk. mountain – bjerg, itk. rain – regn, fk. snow – sne, fk. tree – træ, itk. sun – sol, fk. moon – måne, fk. world – verden, fk. Earth – Jorden forest – skov, fk. sky – himmel, fk. plant – plante, fk. wind – vind, fk. soil/earth – jord, fk. flower – blomst, fk. valley – dal, fk. root – rod, fk. lake – sø, fk. star – stjerne, fk. grass – græs, itk. leaf – blad, itk. air – luft, fk. sand – sand, itk. beach – strand, fk. wave – bølge, fk. fire – ild, fk. · bål, itk. (like a bonfire) · brand, fk. (the kind that firefighters put out) ice – is, fk. island – ø, fk. hill – bakke, fk. · høj, fk. heat – varme, fk. · hede, fk. nature – natur, fk.

Materials glass – glas, itk. metal – metal, itk. plastic – plastik, fk. wood – træ, itk. stone – sten, fk. diamond – diamant, fk. clay – ler, itk. dust – støv, itk. gold – guld, itk. copper – kobber, itk. silver – sølv, itk. material – materiale, itk.

Math/Measurements meter – meter, fk. centimeter – centimeter, fk. kilogram – kilo, itk. · kilogram, itk. inch – tomme, fk. foot – fod, fk. pound – pund, itk. half – halv circle – cirkel, fk. square – firkant, fk. · kvadrat, itk. temperature – temperatur, fk. date – dato, fk. weight – vægt, fk. edge – kant, fk. corner – hjørne, itk.

Misc Nouns map – kort, itk. dot – prik, fk. · punktum, itk. (punctuation) consonant – konsonant, fk. vowel – vokal, fk. light – let (weight, adj.) · lys, itk. (illuminating, noun) sound – lyd, fk. yes – ja no – nej piece – stykke, itk. pain – smerte, fk. injury – skade, fk. hole – hul, itk. image – billede, itk. pattern – mønster, itk. noun – navneord, itk. · substantiv, itk. verb – udsagnsord, itk. · verbum, itk. adjective – tillægsord, itk. · adjektiv, itk.

Directions top – top, fk. bottom – bund, fk. side – side, fk. front – forside, fk. · foran back – bagside, fk. · bagved outside – udenfor · udendørs inside – indenfor · indendørs up – op down – ned left – venstre right – højre straight – ligeud · lige north – nord south – syd east – øst west – vest direction – retning

Seasons summer – sommer, fk. spring – forår, itk. winter – vinter, fk. fall – efterår, itk. season – årstid, fk. (of the year) · sæson, fk. (of a show)

Numbers 0 – nul 1 – en · et 2 – to 3 – tre 4 – fire 5 – fem 6 – seks 7 – syv 8 – otte 9 – ni 10 – ti 11 – elleve 12 – tolv 13 – tretten 14 – fjorten 15 – femten 16 – seksten 17 – sytten 18 – atten 19 – nitten 20 – tyve 21 – enogtyve (one-and-twenty) 22 – toogtyve 30 – tredive 31 – enogtredive 32 – toogtredive 40 – fyrre · fyrretyve (outdated**) · firti (only for cheques) 41 – enogfyrre 42 – toogfyrre 50 – halvtreds · halvtredsindstyve (outdated**) · femti (cheques) 51 – enoghalvtreds 52 – tooghalvtreds 60 – tres · tresindstyve (outdated**) · seksti (cheques) 61 – enogtres 62 – toogtres 70 – halvfjerds · halvfjerdsindstyve (outdated**) · syvti (cheques) 71 – enoghalvfjerds 72 – tooghalvfjerds 80 – firs · firsindstyve (outdated**) · otti (cheques) 81 – enogfirs 82 – toogfirs 90 – halvfems · halvfemsindstyve (outdated**) · niti (cheques) 91 – enoghalvfems 92 – tooghalvfems 100 – hundred �� hundrede · et hundred(e) 101 – (et) hundred(e) og et 102 – hundred og to 110 – hundred og ti 111 – hundred og elleve 1000 – tusind · tusinde · et tusind(e) 1001 – (et) tusind(e) og en 10000 – ti tusind(e) 100000 – hundred(e) tusind(e) million – million, fk. billion – milliard, fk. 1st – første · 1. (yes, with the “.”) 2nd – anden · 2. 3rd – trejde · 3. 4th – fjerde · 4. 5th – femte · 5. 6th – sjette · 6. 7th – syvende · 7. 8th – ottende · 8. 9th – niende – 9. 10th – tiende – 10. 11th – ellevte – 11. 12th – tolvte – 12. 13th – trettende – 13. 20th – tyvende 21st – enogtyvende 30th – tredivte 40th – fyrrende · fyrretyvende** 50th – halvtresende · halvtresindstyvende** 60th – tresende · tresindstyvende** 70th – halvfjerdsende · halvfjerdsindstyvende* 80th – firsende · firsindstyvende** 90th – halvfemsende · halvfemsindstyvende** 100th – hundrende 1000th – tusinde dozen – dusin, itk. score – snes, fk. number – tal, itk. · nummer, itk. **Frankly, I’ve added a lot (19, oops) of kind of unnecessary ordinal numbers, but I promise they do serve a purpose. While it is outdated to use “fyrretyve” for the cardinal number, it is however not uncommon to use “fyrretyvende” for the ordinal number 40th. If you want to know why Danish numbers are so weird, here’s a post.

Months January – januar*** February – februar March – marts April – april May – maj June – juni July – juli August – august September – september October – oktober November – november December – december ***In Danish months aren’t capitalised. Also if you REALLY want to assign them a gender, all months are fælleskøn.

Days of the week Monday – mandag**** Tuesday – tirsdag Wednesday – onsdag Thursday – torsdag Friday – fredag Saturday – lørdag Sunday – søndag weekday (Monday-Friday) – hverdag, fk. weekend (Saturday-Sunday) – weekend, fk. ****Days aren’t capitalised either. Again, if you’re really into grammatical genders, the days of the week are fælleskøn.

Time year – år, itk. month – måned, fk. week – uge, fk. day – dag, fk. hour – time, fk. minute – minut, itk. second – sekond, itk. morning – morgen, fk. afternoon – eftermiddag, fk. evening – aften, fk. night – nat, fk. time – tid, fk.

Verbs work – arbejde play – spille (things like sports-ball)· lege (kids’ games) walk – gå · spadsere run – løbe · spæne drive – køre fly – flyve swim – svømme go – There’s no direct translation for “go” in Danish. The closest would be “gå”, but that’s not very accurate. stop – stoppe · standse · holde · holde op follow – følge · efterfølge / følge efter think – tænke (the act of thinking) · synes (having an opinion) speak – tale say – sige eat – spise drink – drikke kill – dræbe die – dø smile – smile laugh – grine · le cry – græde buy – købe pay – betale sell – sælge shoot – skyde learn – lære***** jump – hoppe smell – lugte · dufte hear (a sound) – høre listen (music) – høre · lytte til taste – smage touch – røre · berøre see (a bird) – se watch (TV) – se · kigge på kiss – kysse burn – brænde melt – smelte dig – grave explode – eksplodere sit – sidde · sætte sig (sit down) stand – stå · rejse sig (stand up) love – elske pass by – passere · forbipassere cut – skære · klippe (with scissors) fight – kæmpe · slås lie down – lægge sig · lægge sig ned dance – danse sleep – sove wake up – vågne · vågne op sing – sove count – tælle marry – gifte sig pray – bede win – vinde lose – tabe (a game) · miste (losing an object) mix – blande stir – røre · røre rundt · røre rundt i · røre i bend – bøje wash – vaske cook – lave mad · kokkerere open – åbne close – lukke write – skrive call – ringe til · kalde på turn – dreje build – bygge teach – lære***** grow – gro · vokse · dyrke (the act of growing a plant) draw – tegne · trække (like in a lottery) feed – fodre · made catch – gribe throw – kaste clean – gøre rent · rengøre find – finde fall – falde push – skubbe pull – trække carry – bære break – ødelægge (I break the vase) · gå i stykker (the vase breaks) wear – have på hang – hænge shake – ryste · trykke (shake hands) sign – gøre tegn · gøre tegn til · underskrive (with a pen) · skrive under på (with a pen) beat – slå · tæske lift – løfte *****Learn and teach are in fact the same word in Danish, which is why you will often hear Danes say “I will learn you abt. smth.”

Adjectives long – lang short (vs long) – kort tall – høj short (vs tall) – lav wide – bred narrow – smal big/large – stor small/little – lille slow – langsom fast – hurtig hot – varm cold – kold warm – varm cool – kold · kølig · cool (character trait) · sej (character trait) new – ny old – gammel young – ung good – god bad – dårlig · skidt wet – våd dry – tør sick – syg healthy – rask · sund loud – høj quiet – lav happy – glad sad – trist · ked af det beautiful – smuk ugly – grim deaf – døv blind – blind nice – venlig mean – ubehagelig · dum rich – rig poor – fattig thick – tyk thin – tynd expensive – dyr cheap – billig flat – flad curved – kurvet male – mandlig female – kvindelig tight – stram loose – løs high – høj low – lav soft – blød hard – hård deep – dyb shallow – lav · overfladisk · snæver clean – ren dirty – beskidt strong – stærk weak – svag dead – død alive – levende heavy – tung light (vs heavy) – let dark – mørk light (vs dark) – lys nuclear – nuklear famous – berømt · famøs

Pronouns I – jeg you (singular) – du he – han she – hun it – den · det we – vi you (plural) – I (capital i) they – de

#danish #danish language #danish langblr #dansk #dansk sprog #language #langblr #tongueblr #vocab #vocabulary #vocab list #verbs #nouns #adjectives #pronouns #masterpost #long post #original

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fluentlee · 7 years ago

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625 words in korean

These are the 625 words to know in your target language in Korean. I excluded honorific/formal words, which you can find in my last post. Please feel free to correct me if there are any mistakes as I’m not a native speaker ^_^

A D J E C T I V E S || 형 용 사 to be long // 길다 to be short (vs. long) // 짧다 to be tall // 키가 크다 to be short (vs. tall) // 키가 작다 to be wide // 넓다 to be narrow // 좁다 to be big/large // 크다 to be small/little // 작다 to be slow // 느리다 to be fast // 빠르다 to be hot // 덥다; 뜨겁다 to be cold // 춥다; 차갑다 to be warm // 따뜻하다 to be cool // 시원하다 to be new // 새롭다 to be old (vs. new) // 오래되다 to be young // 젊다 to be old (vs. young) // 늙다 to be good // 좋다 to be bad // 나쁘다 to be wet // 축축하다 to be dry // 마르다 to be sick // 아프다 to be healthy // 건강하다 to be loud // 시끄럽다 to be quiet // 조용하다 to be happy // 행복하다 to be sad // 슬프다 to be beautiful // 아름답다 to be ugly // 못생겼다 to be deaf // 귀먹다 to be blind // 눈이 멀다 to be nice // 착하다 to be mean // 못되다 to be rich // 부유하다 to be poor // 가난하다 to be thick // 두껍다 to be thin // 얇다 to be expensive // 비싸다 to be cheap // 싸다 to be flat // 평평하다 to be curved // 둥글다 male // 남성 female // 여성 to be tight // 팽팽하다 to be loose // 헐겁다 to be high // 높다 to be low // 낮다 to be soft // 부드럽다 to be hard // 딱딱하다; 단단하다 to be deep // 깊다 to be shallow // 얕다 to be clean // 깨끗하다 to dirty // 더럽다 to be strong // 강하다 to be weak // 약하다 to be alive // 살아있다 to be heavy // 무겁다 to be light (vs. heavy) // 가볍다 to be dark // 어둡다 to be light (vs. dark) // 밝다 to be nuclear // 핵이다 to be famous // 유명하다

A N I M A L S || 동 물 dog // 개 cat // 고양이 fish // 물고기 bird // 새 cow // 소 pig // 돼지 mouse // 쥐 horse // 말 wing // 날개 animal // 동물

A R T || 예 술 band // 악단; 밴드 song // 노래 (musical) instrument // 악기 music // 음악 movie // 영화 art // 예술; 미술

B E V E R A G E S || 음 료 coffee // 커피 tea // 차 wine // 와인; 포도주 beer // 맥주 juice // 주스 water // 물 milk // 우유 beverage // 음료

B O D Y || 몸 head // 머리 neck // 목 face // 얼굴 beard // 수염 hair // 머리카락 eye // 눈 mouth // 입 lip // 입술 nose // 코 tooth // 이; 치아 ear // 귀 tear (drop) // 눈물 tongue // 혀 back // 등 toe // 발가락 finger // 손가락 foot // 발 hand // 손 leg // 다리 arm // 팔 shoulder // 어깨 heart // 심장 blood // 피 brain // 뇌 knee // 무릎 sweat // 땀 disease // 질병 bone // 뼈 voice // 목소리 skin // 피부 body // 몸

C L O T H I N G || 옷 hat // 모자 dress // 원피스; 드레스 suit // 양복 skirt // 치마 shirt // 셔츠 t-shirt // 티셔츠 pants // 바지 shoes // 신발 pocket // 주머니 coat // 코트 stain // 얼룩 clothing // 옷

C O L O R S || 색 깔 red // 빨간(색) green // 초록색 blue // 파란(색) yellow // 노란(색) brown // 갈색 pink // 분홍색; 핑크색 orange // 주황색 black // 검은(색) white // 하얀(색); 흰색 gray // 회색 color // 색깔

D A Y S O F T H E W E E K || 요 일 monday // 월요일 tuesday // 화요일 wednesday // 수요일 thursday // 목요일 friday // 금요일 saturday // 토요일 sunday // 일요일

D I R E C T I O N S || 방 향 top // 위 bottom // 밑 side // 옆 front // 앞 back // 뒤 outside // 밖 inside // 안 up // 위 down // 아래 left // 왼쪽 right // 오른쪽 straight // 직진 north // 북쪽 south // 남쪽 east // 동쪽 west // 서쪽 direction // 방향

E L E C T R O N I C S || 전 자 제 품 clock // 시계 lamp // 전등 fan // 선풍기 cell phone // 휴대폰; 핸드폰 network // 네트워크 computer // 컴퓨터 (computer) program // 컴퓨터 프로그램 laptop // 노트북 screen // 컴퓨터 화면 camera // 카메라 television // 텔레비전; 티비 radio // 라디오

F O O D S || 음 식 egg // 달걀; 계란 cheese // 치즈 bread // 빵 soup // 국; 수프 cake // 케이크 chicken // 닭고기 pork // 돼지고기 beef // 소고기 apple // 사과 banana // 바나나 orange // 오렌지 lemon // 레몬 corn // 옥수수 rice // 쌀; 밥 oil // 기름 seed // 씨 knife // 칼 spoon // 숟가락 fork // 포크 plate // 접시 cup // 컵 breakfast // 아침 lunch // 점심 dinner // 저녁 sugar // 설탕 salt // 소금 bottle // 병 food // 음식

H O M E || 집 table // 식탁; 탁자 chair // 의자 bed // 침대 dream // 꿈 window // 창문 door // 문 bedroom // 침실 kitchen // 부엌; 주방 bathroom // 욕실; 화장실 pencil // 연필 pen // 펜 photograph // 사진 soap // 비누 book // 책 page // 페이지 key // 열쇠 paint // 물감 letter // 편지 note // 메모 wall // 벽 paper // 종이 floor // 바닥 ceiling // 천장 roof // 지붕 pool // 수영장 lock // 자물쇠 telephone // 전화 garden // 정원 yard // 마당 needle // 바늘 bag // 가방 box // 상자 gift // 선물 card // 카드 ring // 반지 tool // 도구

J O B S || 직 업 teacher // 선생님 student // 학생 lawyer // 변호사 doctor // 의사 patient // 환자 waiter // 웨이터; 종업원 secretary // 비서 priest // 성직자; 사제 police // 경찰 army // 군대 soldier // 군인 artist // 화가 author // 작가 manager // 부장님 reporter // 기자 actor // 배우 job // 직업

L O C A T I O N S || 위 치 city // 도시 house // 집 apartment // 아파트 street/road // 길; 거리 airport // 공항 train station // 기차역 bridge // 다리 hotel // 호텔 restaurant // 식당; 레스토랑 farm // 농장 court // 법원 school // 학교 office // 사무실 room // 방 town // 마을 university // 대학교 club // 클럽 bar // 술집; 바 park // 공원 camp // 야영지 store/shop // 가게 theatre // 극장; 영화관 library // 도서관 hospital // 병원 church // 교회 market // 시장 country (usa, france, etc.) // 국가; 나라 building // 건물 ground // 땅 (outer) space // 우주 공간 bank // 은행 location // 위치

M A T E R I A L S || 재 료 glass // 유리 metal // 금속 plastic // 플라스틱 wood // 나무 stone // 돌 diamond // 다이아몬드 clay // 점토 dust // 먼지 gold // 금 copper // 구리 silver // 은 material // 재료

M A T H / M E A S U R E M E N T S || 수 학 / 측 정 meter // 미터 centimeter // 센티미터 kilogram // 킬로그램 inch // 인치 foot // 풋 pound // 파운드 half // 반 circle // 원형 square // 정사각형 temperature // 온도 date // 날짜 weight // 중량 edge // 가장자리 corner // 모퉁이

M I S C E L L A N E O U S || 잡 동 사 니 map // 지도 dot // 점 consonant // 자음 vowel // 모음 light // 빛 sound // 소리 yes // 네 no // 아니요 piece // 조각 pain // 아픔; 통증 injury // 부상 hole // 구멍 image // 이미지 pattern // 양식; 패턴 noun // 명사 verb // 동사 adjective // 형용사

M O N T H S || 달 january // 1월 (일월) february // 2월 (이월) march // 3월 (삼월) april // 4월 (사월) may // 5월 (오월) june // 6월 (유월) july // 7월 (칠월) august // 8월 (팔월) september // 9월 (구월) october // 10월 (시월) november // 11월 (십일월) december // 12월 (십이월)

N A T U R E || 자 연 sea // 바다 ocean // 대양 river // 강 mountain // 산 rain // 비 snow // 눈 tree // 나무 sun // 태양 moon // 달 world // 세계 the earth // 지구 forest // 숲 sky // 하늘 plant // 식물 wind // 바람 soil/earth // 흙 flower // 꽃 valley // 계곡 root // 뿌리 lake // 호수 star // 별 grass // 풀 leaf // 잎 air // 공기 sand // 모래 beach // 해변 wave // 파도 fire // 불 ice // 얼음 island // 섬 hill // 언덕 heat // 열 nature // 자연

N U M B E R S || 숫 자 0 // 공; 영 1 // 하나; 일 2 // 둘; 이 3 // 셋; 삼 4 // 넷; 사 5 // 다섯; 오 6 // 여섯; 육 7 // 일곱; 칠 8 // 여덟; 팔 9 // 아홉; 구 10 // 열; 십 11 // 열하나; 십일 12 // 열둘; 십이 13 // 열셋; 십삼 14 // 열넷; 십사 15 // 열다섯; 십오 16 // 열여섯; 십육 17 // 열일곱; 십칠 18 // 열여덟; 십팔 19 // 열아홉; 십구 20 // 스물; 이십 21 // 스물하나; 이십일 22 // 스물둘; 이십이 30 // 서른; 삼십 31 // 서른하나; 삼십일서른 32 // 서른둘; 삼십이 40 // 마흔; 사십 41 // 마흔하나; 사십일 42 // 마흔둘; 사십이 50 // 쉰; 오십 51 // 쉰하나; 오십일 52 // 쉰둘; 오십이 60 // 예순; 육십 61 // 예순하나; 육십일 62 // 예순둘; 육십이 70 // 일흔; 칠십 71 // 일흔하나; 칠십일 72 // 일흔둘; 칠십이 80 // 여든; 팔십 81 // 여든하나; 팔십일 82 // 여든둘; 팔십이 90 // 아흔; 구십 91 // 아흔하나; 구십일 92 // 아흔둘; 구십이 100 // 백 101 // 백일 102 // 백이 110 // 백십 111 // 백십일 1000 // 천 1001 // 천일 10000 // 만 100000 // 십만 1 million // 백만 1 billion // 십억 1st // 첫 번째 2nd // 두 번째 3rd // 세 번째 4th // 네 번째 5th // 다섯 번째 number // 숫자; 수사

P E O P L E || 사 람 들 son // 아들 daughter // 딸 mother // 어머니 father // 아버지 parent // 부모 baby // 아기; 애기 man // 남자 woman // 여자 brother // 오빠; 형; 남동생 sister // 언니; 누나; 여동생 family // 가족 grandfather // 할아버지 grandmother // 할머니 husband // 남편 wife // 아내; 와이프 king // 왕 queen // 여왕; 왕비 president // 대통령 neighbor // 이웃 boy // 소년 girl // 소녀 child // 아이; 어린이; 애 adult // 성인 human // 인간 friend // 친구 victim // 피해자 player // 선수 fan // 팬 crowd // 군중 person // 사람

P R O N O U N S || 대 명 사 I // 저; 나 you (singular) // 당신; 자네; 너 he // 그 she // 그녀 it // 그것 we // 저희; 우리 you (plural) // 당신들; 너희들; 여러분 they // 그들

S E A S O N S || 계 절 summer // 여름 spring // 봄 winter // 겨울 fall/autumn // 가을 season // 계절

S O C I E T Y || 사 회 religion // 종교 heaven // 천국 hell // 지옥 death // 죽음 medicine // 약 money // 돈 dollar // 달러 bill // 계산서 marriage // 결혼 wedding // 결혼식 team // 팀 race (ethnicity) // 민족 sex (the act) // 섹스; 성교 sex (gender) // 성별 murder // 살인 prison // 감옥 technology // 기술 energy // 에너지; 정력 war // 전쟁 peace // 평화 attack // 공격 election // 선거 magazine // 잡지 newspaper // 신문 poison // 독 gun // 총 sport // 스포츠 race (sport) // 경주 exercise // 운동 ball // 공 game // 게임; 경기 price // 가격; 값 contract // 계약서 drug // 마약 sign // 신호 science // 과학 God // 하나님; 하느님; 신

T I M E || 시 간 year // 해 month // 달 week // 주 day // 하루; 날 hour // 시간 minute // 분 second // 초 morning // 아침 afternoon // 오후 evening // 저녁 night // 밤 time // 시간

T R A N S P O R T A T I O N || 교 통 수 단 train // 기차 plane // 비행기 car // (자동)차 truck // 트럭 bicycle // 자전거 bus // 버스 boat // 배 ship // 배 tire // 타이어 gasoline // 휘발유 engine // 엔진 (train) ticket // 표 transportation // 교통수단

V E R B S || 동 사 to work // 일하다 to play // 놀다 to run // 뛰다; 달리다 to drive // 운전하다 to fly // 날다 to swim // 수영하다 to go // 가다 to stop // 멈추다; 그만하다 to follow // 따르다 to think // 생각하다 to speak/say // 말하다 to eat // 먹다 to drink // 마시다 to kill // 죽이다 to die // 죽다 to smile // 웃다 to laugh // 웃다 to cry // 울다 to buy // 사다 to pay // 내다; 결제하다 to sell // 팔다 to shoot (a gun) // 쏘다 to learn // 배우다 to jump // 뛰다 to smell // 냄새를 맡다 to hear (a sound) // 듣다 to listen (to music) // 듣다 to taste // 맛보다 to touch // 만지다 to see (a bird) // 보다 to watch (tv) // 보다 to kiss // 뽀뽀하다; 키스하다 to burn // 타다 to melt // 녹다 to dig // 파다 to explode // 폭발하다 to sit // 앉다 to stand // 서다 to love // 사랑하다 to pass by // 지나가다 to cut // 자르다 to fight // 싸우다 to lie down // 눕다 to dance // 춤을 추다 to sleep // 자다 to wake up // 일어나다 to sing // 노래하다 to count // 세다 to marry // 결혼하다 to pray // 기도하다 to win // 이기다 to lose // 지다; 잃어버리다 to mix/stir // 섞다; 젓다 to bend // 구부리다 to wash // 씻다 to cook // 요리하다 to open // 열다 to close // 닫다 to write // 쓰다; 적다 to call // 부르다; 전화하다 to turn // 돌리다 to build // 짓다 to teach // 가르치다 to grow // 자라다 to draw // 그리다 to feed // 먹이다 to catch // 잡다 to throw // 던지다 to clean // 청소하다 to find // 찾다 to fall // 떨어지다 to push // 밀다 to pull // 당기다 to carry // 나르다 to break // 부서지다; 깨다 to wear // 입다; 신다; 쓰다; 매다; 끼다; 차다 to hang // 걸다; 매달다 to shake // 흔들다 to sign // 서명하다; 사인하다 to beat // 치다 to lift // 올리다

practice on quizlet

#korean vocabulary #korean language #korean #language #korean langblr #langblr #studyblr #625 words to know in your target language #korean vocab #vocabulary #vocab #한국어 배우기 #한국어 공부 #한국어 #한국

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finnishfun · 7 years ago

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I hope this hasn’t been done yet! Inspired by the Finnish list by @languagesandshootingstars and original post here

kutya - dog macska - cat hal - fish madár - bird tehén - cow disznó, malac - pig egér - mouse ló - horse szárny - wing állat - animal vonat - train repülő(gép) - plane autó, kocsi - car teherautó, kamion - truck bicikli, kerékpár - bicycle busz - bus csónak - boat hajó - ship gumi - tire benzin - gasoline motor - engine jegy - ticket közlekedés - transportation város - city, town ház - house lakás - apartment út - way, road utca - street, road repülőtér - airport vasútállomás - train station híd - bridge hotel - hotel étterem - restaurant farm - farm bíróság - court(room) iskola - school iroda - office szoba - room egyetem - university klub - club bár - bar park - park tábor - camp bolt, üzlet - store, shop színház - theater könyvtár - library kórház - hospital templom - church piac - market föld - country; ground; soil; Earth épület - building (világ)űr - (outer) space bank - bank hely(szín) - location kalap - hat ruha - dress öltöny - suit szoknya - skirt ing - shirt póló - t-shirt nadrág - pants cipő - shoes zseb - pocket kabát - coat folt - stain ruhák (plural) - clothing piros - red zöld - green kék - blue sárga - yellow barna - brown rózsaszín - pink lila - purple narancssárga - orange fekete - black fehér - white szürke - grey világos - light sötét - dark szín - colour fiú - boy; son lány - daughter anya - mother apa - father szülő - parent (kis)baba, bébi - baby férfi - man férj - husband nő - woman fiútestvér - brother báty - older brother öcs - younger brother lánytestvér - sister nővér - older sister húg - younger sister család - family nagypapa - grandfather nagymama - grandmother feleség - wife király - king királynő - queen elnök - president szomszéd - neighbour gyerek - child felnőtt - adult ember - human barát - (close) friend haver - (casual) friend áldozat - victim játékos - player rajongó - fan tömeg - crowd ember, személy - person tanár - teacher tanuló, diák - student ügyvéd - lawyer orvos, doktor - doctor beteg, páciens - patient pincér - waiter titkár(nő) - secretary (male/female) pap - priest rendőr - police hadsereg - army katona - soldier művész - artist író - author menedzser - manager riporter - reporter színész - actor munka, állás - job vallás - religion menny(ország) - heaven pokol - hell halál - death gyógyszer - medicine pénz - money dollár - dollar számla - bill házasság - marriage esküvő - wedding csapat - team faj - race szex - sex nem - gender, sex gyilkosság - murder börtön - prison technológia - technology energia - energy háború - war béke - peace támadás - attack választás - election magazin - magazine újság - newspaper méreg - poison fegyver - gun sport - sport verseny - race; competition mozgás, torna - exercise labda - ball játék - game ár - price szerződés - contract drog - drug jel - sign tudomány - science Isten - God együttes, zenekar - band dal, ének - song hangszer - instrument zene - music film - movie művészet - art kávé - coffee tea - tea bor - wine sör - beer gyümölcslé - juice víz - water tej - milk ital - drink, beverage tojás - egg sajt - cheese kenyér - bread leves - soup torta, sütemény - cake csirke(hús) - chicken disznó(hús) - pork marha(hús) - beef hús - meat alma - apple banán - banana narancs - orange citrom - lemon kukorica - corn rizs - rice olaj - oil mag - seed kés - knife kanál - spoon villa - fork tányér - plate csésze - cup reggeli - breakfast ebéd - lunch vacsora - dinner cukor - sugar só - salt üveg - bottle étel - food asztal - table szék - chair ágy - bed álom - dream ablak - window ajtó - door hálószoba - bedroom konyha - kitchen fürdőszoba - bathroom ceruza - pencil toll - pen fénykép - photograph szappan - soap könyv - book oldal - page kulcs - key festék - paint levél - letter jegyzet - note (as in “to take notes”) fal - wall papír - paper padló - floor plafon - ceiling tető - roof medence - pool zár - lock telefon - telephone kert - garden udvar - yard tű - needle táska - bag doboz - box ajándék - gift kártya - card gyűrű - ring szerszám - tool óra - clock lámpa - lamp ventillátor - fan mobiltelefon - cellphone hálózat - network számítógép - computer program - program laptop - laptop képernyő - screen fényképezőgép- camera (for photos) (videó)kamera - video camera televízió, tévé - television rádió - radio fej - head nyak - neck arc - face szakáll - beard haj - hair szem - eye száj - mouth ajak - lip orr - nose fog - tooth fül - ear könny - tear nyelv - tongue; language hát - back lábujj - toe ujj - finger lábfej - foot kéz - hand láb - leg kar - arm váll - shoulder szív - heart vér - blood agy - brain térd - knee izzadtság - sweat betegség - disease csont - bone hang - voice; noise; sound bőr - skin test - body tenger - sea óceán - ocean folyó - river hegy(ség) - mountain eső- rain hó - snow fa - tree; wood nap - sun hold - moon világ - world erdő - forest növény - plant szél - wind virág - flower völgy - valley gyökér - root tó - lake csillag - star fű - grass levél - leaf levegő - air homok - sand part - beach hullám - wave tűz - fire jég - ice sziget - island domb - hill hő - heat természet - nature üveg - glass fém - metal műanyag - plastic kő - stone gyémánt - diamond agyag - clay por - dust arany - gold réz - copper ezüst - silver anyag - material méter - meter centiméter - centimeter kilogramm - kilogram hüvelyk - inch font - pound fél - half kör - circle négyzet - square hőmérséklet - temperature dátum - date súly - weight szél - edge sarok - corner térkép - map pont - dot mássalhangzó - consonant magánhangzó - vowel fény - light igen - yes nem - no darab - piece fájdalom - pain sérülés - injury lyuk - hole kép - image minta - pattern főnév - noun ige - verb melléknév - adjective rajta - (on) top alatt - under oldal - side előtt - in front of mögött - behind kint - outside bent - inside fel - up le - down bal - left jobb - right egyenes - straight észak - north dél - south kelet - east nyugat - west irány - direction nyár - summer tavasz - spring tél - winter ősz - autumn évszak - season nulla - 0 egy - 1 kettő - 2 három - 3 négy - 4 öt - 5 hat - 6 hét - 7 nyolc - 8 kilenc - 9 tíz - 10 tizenegy - 11 húsz - 20 huszonegy - 21 harminc - 30 negyven - 40 ötven - 50 hatvan - 60 hetven - 70 nyolcvan - 80 kilencven - 90 száz - 100 kétszáz - 200 ezer - 1000 tízezer - 10000 százezer - 100000 millió - million milliárd - billion első - first második - second harmadik - third negyedik - fourth ötödik - fifth szám - number január - January február - February március - March április - April május - May június - June július - July augusztus - August szeptember- September október - October november - November december - December hétfő - Monday kedd - Tuesday szerda - Wednesday csütörtök - Thursday péntek - Friday szombat - Saturday vasárnap - Sunday év - year hónap - month hét - week nap - day óra - hour perc - minute másodperc - second reggel - morning délután - afternoon este - evening éjjel - night idő - time dolgozik - to work működik - to work (“function”) játszik - to play (children, games, sports, instruments) sétál - to walk fut - to run vezet - to drive repül - to fly úszik - to swim megy - to go megáll - to stop (moving forward) abbahagy - to stop (doing something) követ - to follow gondolkodik - to think beszél - to speak mond - to say eszik - to eat iszik - to drink öl - to kill meghal - to die mosolyog - to smile nevet - to laugh sír - to cry vesz, vásárol - to buy fizet - to pay elad, árul - to sell lő - to shoot tanul - to learn ugrik - to jump szagol - to smell hall - to hear hallgat - to listen ízlel - to taste érint - to touch lát - to see néz - to watch csókol - to kiss ég - to burn olvad - to melt ás - to dig robban - to explode ül - to sit áll - to stand szeret - to love vág - to cut veszekszik (verbally), verekedik (physically) - to fight (le)fekszik - to lie (down) táncol - to dance alszik - to sleep felébred - to wake up énekel - to sing számol - to count házasodik - to marry imádkozik - to pray nyer - to win veszít - to lose kever - to mix, to stir hajlít - bend mos - to wash főz - to cook nyit - to open zár - to close ír - to write fordul - to turn épít - to build tanít - to teach nő - to grow (by itself) rajzol - to draw etet - to feed elkap - catch (e.g. a ball) dob - to throw tisztít - to clean talál - to find esik - to fall tol, nyom - to push húz - to pull visz - to carry tör - to break visel, hord - to wear lóg - to hang ráz - to shake jelez - to sign üt, ver - to beat emel - to lift magas - tall hosszú - long rövid - short alacsony - short (person); low sekély - shallow (water) széles - wide keskeny - narrow nagy - big, large kicsi - small, little lassú - slow gyors - fast forró - hot hideg - cold meleg - warm hűvös - cool új - new régi - old (object) öreg - old (person) fiatal - young jó - good rossz - bad nedves, vizes - wet száraz - dry beteg - sick egészséges - healthy hangos - loud halk - quiet boldog - happy szomorú - sad gyönyörű, szép - beautiful ronda, csúnya - ugly süket - deaf vak - blind kedves - nice gonosz - mean gazdag - rich szegény - poor vastag - thick vékony - thin drága - expensive olcsó - cheap lapos - flat szűk - tight laza - loose magas - high puha - soft kemény - hard mély - deep tiszta - clean koszos - dirty erős - strong gyenge - weak halott - dead élő - alive nehéz - heavy; difficult világos - light sötét - dark nukleáris - nuclear híres - famous én - I te - you ő - she, he az - it mi - we ti - you ők - they ön, maga - you (formal)

#hungarian #not finnish #625 words

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lostinfic · 7 years ago

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Nubivagant 2/3

(adj.) wandering through or amongst the clouds; moving through air; from the Latin nubes (“cloud”) and vagant (“wandering”), c. 1656.

Summary: Based on the movie “A walk in the clouds” but on a sheep farm in the north of England, at Christmas. During the war, Betty ran away from her grandfather’s farm with a man. Now that he’s left her and she might be pregnant, Betty must go back and face the family she abandoned. When Colonel Mercier finds her crying at the train station, he offers to pose as her husband. Tags: Hurt/comfort! fake married! sharing a bed! huddling for warmth! and many more! Pairing: Jean-François Mercier x Betty Vates Word count: 5400 Rating: Mature Warning: pregnancy scare

A/N: For @timepetalsprompts adoption drive

Part 1 | Ao3

December 23rd 1945

As soon as Betty woke up, she checked the floor beside her: no makeshift bed, no khaki duffle bag, no Frenchman.

She supposed she ought to be happy he’d stuck to the plan. Of course, he would. A man of his word.

Betty rose slowly, expecting a bout of morning sickness. She waited but nothing happened. Still, she remained sat on the bed, staring in the middle distance with bleary eyes.

Even if she didn’t know him from Adam, Jean-François was on her side, unquestionably, and that had given her strength. Now she was alone again. “Well, not quite.” She rubbed her stomach tenderly. She should visit the village’s midwife, but it scared her to know for sure. Right now, she could entertain either possibility depending on her mood.

As she bit her nails, something glinted on her finger: Jean-François’ signet ring. “Oh bugger, I forgot to give it back to him. I don’t even have his address.” Maybe someone in London, from their office, had it. She would send the ring, and he would reply with a thank you note, ask how she’d been, and maybe— No.

Wrapping a blanket around her shoulders, she walked to the window. Plumes of frost framed the landscape. A patchwork of lands, in greens and yellows, with dry stone walls and shrubs in lieu of stitches.

The morning was grey, in the distance the Howgill Fells slept, mellow curves, covered in moorland pastures as smooth as velvet, and dusted with snow. At their feet, in the gorge, fog slithered above the river and the trees.

Movement on the right caught her eye. Grandpa Marshall walking out of the shed with Jean-François behind him, carrying tools. Her heart skipped a beat. “What the heck?”

She found some clothes in a trunk, and hastily pulled wool socks up to her knees and slipped a wool jumper over an old floral dress, then rushed down the stairs.

Her mother, Sarah, was in the kitchen, washing the dishes at the big enamel sink. She didn’t look at Betty when she said, “Is it your French gentleman giving your airs and graces, or have you forgotten what time we wake up on this farm?”

Betty stopped dead in her tracks. “I’m sorry, I overslept. In London—”

“There’s a basket by the door, gather the eggs.”

War and the death of her husband had affected Sarah, she looked so much older than when Betty had last seen her, her shoulders hunched, grey streaked her hair and wrinkles etched worry lines on her forehead and mouth. Despite her mother’s coldness, a protective sort of affection rose in Betty’s chest. “Mam… I— I never meant to hurt you by leaving.”

Sarah finally looked at her, her silence was unbearable. At last, almost reluctantly, she opened her arms.

After two years of fear and guilt in London, after her heartache, if felt good to be held by her mother. Sarah rubbed her back in broad, soothing circles. “I missed you too. I was so worried about you. You’re lucky it worked out well. I thought he’d leave you at the first chance.”

“Why?”

“Well, you know…” And that was the thing with her mother— the thing Betty hadn’t missed— she couldn’t tell if this “you know” referred to men’s flighty nature or her daughter’s unlikeable character.

When they stepped away from each other, her mother was misty eyed. She patted Betty’s cheek and returned to her dishes.

Betty put on wellies and a scarf and exited the house. Being up north like this and cloudy, the temperature was cooler than London, the absence of wind kept it comfortable.

Jean-François was hard at work, sawing planks. Wood chips dusted his chic tweed trousers and olive jumper. A curly fringe fell on his forehead as he bent to hold the plank, working the saw harder. He was stronger than he looked, she realized.

“Hello wife.”

“Is that the best pet name you can come up with?” she teased.

“Darling? Sweetheart?”

“How about ‘light of my life’ or ‘my queen’?” she joked.

He pretended to consider it, then looked her up and down. “Ma belle?”

She buried her nose in her scarf to hide a blush. “Oh, em, yeah that— that will do. Why are you still here?”

“I’m sorry, but when I tried to slip out this morning, your grandfather was already in the kitchen. He asked me to help him fix the fence.”

“Oh, no. You’re stuck here another day.”

“It’s okay. I can leave tomorrow.”

“You sure?” she asked.

“Yes. It gives me more time to smooth things over.”

“Is he any nicer to you, at least?”

“Is he ever nice to anyone?”

She smiled sadly. “He was to me. Before. I was his favourite of the grandchildren.”

Grandpa Marshall had high hopes for her. All his daughters had married men who’d sought work in the factories, and they’d moved to the city. He worried no one would take over the farm, but then Betty had showed such a keen interest, a natural understanding of plants and animals. He had it all figured out that she would marry Donald (the son of his best friend who also owned a farm in Tebay) and he’d bequeath them his land. It was always implied that she had to marry— if not Donald, at least another farmer— to inherit the farm as if she couldn’t be more than a farmer’s wife.

Betty had gone on a few dates with Donald before he received his called-up papers. He was a nice enough boy, if a bit boring, and it might have worked out hadn’t she met Craze. She wondered if she still had a chance with him, boring might not be so bad after all.

Her grandfather pushed a wheelbarrow up the path, carrying more wood for Jean-François to saw.

“Did Homer break the fence again?” Betty asked, referring to a ram with a bad character.

“Homer’s dead. We ate him last winter,” he replied curtly. “Stop dawdling, John, we’ve more work to do.”

Betty and Jean-François exchanged a resigned look. “John?” she mouthed. He shrugged.

A flutter of feathers and cackles welcomed her inside the coop. Some eggs had frozen overnight, the shell cracked from the yolk expanding, the others were still warm. She hadn’t eaten such fresh eggs in too long, she hoped her family would let her eat breakfast today. Her mouth watered at the thought of Marnie’s pancakes and sausages. Before leaving, she added fresh straw to keep the hens warm and cozy.

She brought the eggs back inside the house, her sister was in the kitchen now. She wore a scarf to hide her dark hair roots. “Did you check their feed?” she asked.

“Er, no.”

“Well get back there, fill the water buckets whilst you’re a it, give ‘em a good scrub before. And Marnie needs help with the laundry.”

“I’m on it.”

“I hope your husband’s not snoring, he took advantage enough of this farm last time.”

“He’s real sorry, Margie. Really.” She wondered if she could have said as much about Craze. “S’like he explained last night, he didn’t have a choice. He’s working with Gramps now. Working hard. He’s a good man, he is.” Her voice rose with passion. If only she could explain all Jean-François was putting up with just to help some girl he barely knew.

“What kind of good man takes a daughter away from her family?” Grandpa Marshall said, walking in at that moment.

“But he brought me back.”

He grumbled something busied himself filling his pipe, Margaret averted her gaze. Betty went back outside, the least she could do right now was prove she was helpful on the farm.

She hauled bags of food over her shoulder, fed the chickens and the rabbits, scrubbed grass stains off clothes and hung them to dry. The wind chafed her cheeks, and her fingers went numb with cold as she scrubbed the animal’s tin water buckets. Her stomach growled with hunger, but she ignored it, vigorously swiping hay with a pitchfork. Hercules, the dog, followed her around, watching with his head cocked. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m fine,” she told the dog.

“Sure, ‘cause talking to a dog is a sign of sanity,” Margaret said, walking into the barn. “That’s enough, soon you’ll be digging through the ground.”

Betty rested her arms on the tip of the pitchfork, panting.

“Look, I’m sorry,” Margaret said. “You’re my sister and I love you…”

“But?”

“You don’t know what it was like after you left. Gramps went to the post office twice a day, in case you’d sent a letter or a telegram. Grandma made the sign of the cross every time we heard of bombing victims. You broke their hearts. And Mam, well, she’s not doing any better and you left me alone to take care of her.”

“I know. I keep thinkin how different things would be if my letter had reached you.”

“It wouldn’t’ve changed the fact that you ran away. Why did you do that?”

“It’s complicated.”

“You keep saying that. I’m worried there’s something you’re not telling us. That he made you do something.”

Betty bit her tongue, fighting, again, the urge to defend Jean-François. “I was so in love with him...” She held her sister’s gaze, willing her to understand. Margaret was no stranger to the effects of attraction.

“Well, if you still do love him, he could use a cuppa. He’s not gonna catch a break any time soon with Gramps.” They walked out of the barn together, and Margaret added, “He’s not me type exactly, but I can see why you fell for him. Bit too posh, but nice bum.” The sisters giggled, and, for a moment, it felt like they had never been apart.

Their laughter attracted Jean-François’ attention. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and waved at them. Warmth bloomed on Betty’s cheeks.

Oh goodness, get a hold of yourself.

She followed her sister’s advice, and prepared tea. She liked to put a dash of milk at the bottom of the mugs, and let them warm up on the stove, until the kettle boiled.

She joined Jean-François outside. “You look like you could a thé as you French say.”

“Tout à fait.” He put down the sledgehammer, and they sat on bales of hay.

“You don’t have to work so hard,” Betty said. “You don’t have to do anything really.”

“I’m repaying Craze’s debt.” He took a sip of tea and sighed in contentment, a little cloud on his breath. “I’m enjoying myself actually.”

“You are?”

“I spent the last four years in London thinking, analysing, planning… always in my head.” Before today, she had only ever seen him in uniform or suits, usually walking briskly down a hall or shouting at someone, always tensed, but now he looked relaxed. “It feels good to work with my body, surrounded by nature,” he concluded.

They looked at the horizon, at the land sloping gently towards the mountains. A hare hopped across the field. In London, one can never see that far ahead without a building or black smoke blocking the view. All this space. She felt like she could draw in more oxygen. And here, no coal dust polluted the air. Every breath was cleansing.

With each rise and fall of her ribcage, her bones and muscles ached from exertion. A rewarding sort of ache, not the sore feet and neck pain of office work, but a reminder of a job well done. She would sleep well tonight.

Beside the bleating of sheep, all was silent, and flurries drifted lazily from the sky to melt on the ground. The softest sky she had ever seen. A cashmere sky, all pale gradients of blue and pink. No sun in sight. A feeling of peace swept over her.

She leaned sideways, towards Jean-François, her body unconsciously pulled to him. She caught herself before her head touched his shoulder, and straightened her back.

“Is it a river over there?” he asked.

“Yeah, river Lune in the Lune valley.”

“Lune?”

“It’s a Roman word, supposed to mean clean and pure.”

“Lune means moon in French. Valley of the moon.”

“That’s nice. With the fog sometimes, it looks like the sky is on the ground.”

“Heaven on earth,” he commented.

“Well, except for the smell of manure.”

He laughed and tugged her into a one-arm hug that made her heart stutter. “Your family’s watching, ma belle,” he whispered against her hair. Of course, that’s why he’d hugged her. Marnie, Margaret and Sarah were at the kitchen window, observing them without a hint of subtlety.

She allowed herself five more seconds of hug before asking him to help her feed the sheep.

As they neared the pen, she told him about the history of the farm, her great-grandparent and how much bigger the herd used to be before the war, she went on to talk about shearing in the spring and auctions in the square. “They love oat mixed with molasses, and— sorry, I’m babbling. Dunno why I’m telling you all that.”

“No, I think it’s interesting.”

“You don’t have to say that.”

“I know. Do they have names?”

“Yeah… Me favourite’s Violet. That’s the one over there. She’s a bit shy.” She called its name, and the ewe approached slowly. “I used to feed her apart from the others ’cause her brothers and sisters ate everything. She couldn’t make room for herself.” Through the fence, Betty scratched Violet behind the ears. “Ain’t that right, Vivi? You’re a good girl. Oh yes, you are.” Jean-François squatted down to pet its head too, and their fingers brushed together.

Betty and Jean-François grabbed pouches of feed and slipped inside the pen. She’d forgotten the strength of a herd. The females were all pregnant and in full wool, weighing over 200 pounds. The rams were even bigger. Huge balls of wet wool shoving and pushing as Betty wedged herself between them to reach the manger. Like an undertow, the animals carried Betty and Jean-François. Both were in stitches, holding each other’s hand for stability as the sheep pushed them every which way, hungry and impatient. Betty dropped the bag of grain and grasped Jean-François’ sweater. Excited by the food, a ram knocked Betty in the shins and she toppled over. Jean-François shouted her name, threw away his bag and hauled her up by the underarms. He carried her over his shoulder away from the herd.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine. I’ll have bruises, that’s all.”

“Are you sure?” He placed a hand on her belly, and she instantly pushed it away. “I’ll help you to the house,” he insisted.

“I’m fine,” she said coldly. “I’ve fallen before, I can take care of meself.”

“I can’t leave you like this.”

“Yes you can. That’s what you’re here for.” She ran away from him.

After the incident with the sheep, Betty was nowhere to be found. Mercier suspected Marnie knew something, but she kept her mouth shut. And although he knew more than one way to make someone talk, he’d rather not use them on this lovely elderly lady.

To be honest, it upset him that Betty had dragged him all the way to Tebay, but rebuffed him when he tried to help. He thought they were getting along well, but it could be she was only being polite and didn’t like that he’d stayed one more day.

Mr. Mashall declared the work completed, and they headed back inside. Before supper, Mercier showered, shaved and dressed up, and was unsettled to find that no one else had bothered to do as much. He felt the judgement in their gazes, then a “fancy-schmancy” was mumbled. Still, he kept his jacket and tie on, it’s how he’d been brought up, proper guest etiquette.

Betty came back just as Mrs. Vates pulled a pot out of the oven, but he couldn’t ask where she’d been in front of the whole family.

He stood up to pull out a chair for her, she glanced at it and pretended to have to wash her hands. He followed her to the bathroom. “Can’t I pee alone?” She slammed the door in his face. When she came back, she sat away from him. He talked to her, but she barely said one word back.

For a reason Mercier had yet to understand, Eric chose politics as a discussion topic. Mr. Marshall quickly joined in, and they expressed unfounded opinions on anyone and everyone from the American president to the Japanese soldiers, not sparing French or Poles along the way.

Betty’s agreement with some of their statements surprised him. She should know better after working closely with the Polish resistance organisation during the war. But he noticed her hands tucked under her legs, her pinched lips and tight nods. Mercier, however, had less patience with ignorance and prejudices, and, after suffering Mr. Marshall’s bad mood all day, he didn’t hold his tongue for long. He launched into a impassioned monologue about the French people’s resilience, and the courage of the Résistance. Betty stared daggers at him, but he didn’t stop arguing with the other men.

“Enough politics or there’ll be no dessert,” Marnie declared. Silence fell on the room, only the sound on cutlery on plates disturbed it.

“Guess who’s pregnant,” Margaret said. Betty gasped, and Mercier groaned inwardly. “Lil’ Suzy MacEwan.”

“Suzy? She’s married?” Marnie said.

Margaret snorted loudly. “No, she ain’t! Won’t say who the father is. Thank goodness that didn’t happen to you, Betty, eh?”

“We thought it might have,” Eric said.

“But I says to him, she’s smarter than that our Betty. Didn’t I, Eric?”

“Yeah, Margie, but you also said—”

“Shu’ up.”

Betty stood up swiftly, knocking her chair over, and stomped away. The door banged behind her, and she disappeared into the darkness. Mercier rolled his eyes at her immature reaction. How did she expect to get back in her family’s good graces? He kept eating. He’d worked all day and he was hungry.

“So,” said Marnie, “are you gonna go after your wife or not?”

Mercier put on his coat and scarf, and lighted a storm lamp. He had no idea where she could be. He roamed the property, but his heart wasn’t into it. If she wanted to sulk and act like a child, so be it. She wouldn’t want to talk to him anyway. He searched for her in every outbuilding on the large estate, calling her name.

The wind picked up, and worry crept up his spine. What if there was something wrong with her pregnancy? Or worse. He’d heard of what some women do in desperate situations. His throat constricted, his mouth went dry, with every minute that passed without finding her, he imagined worse and worse scenarios. He quickened his steps, called her name louder. She wasn’t on the farm.

Then he remembered she’d found Craze in an abandoned shed. He ran to the edge of the forest. Shouted her name. No sign of her on the west side. He crossed to the east, heart hammering in his chest. Branches whipped his face, but he didn’t care. Between two oaks, he spotted a small stone building with holes in the thatch roof and half a door. Inside, Betty paced the small space, biting her fingertips. He let out a woosh of relief. “What are you doing here?”

“Leave me alone,” she said.

“I couldn’t well leave my wife—”

“I’m not your wife.”

“No, you’ve made that abundantly clear.”

She continued pacing. The wind howled and whistled through every crack of the shed. She crossed her arms, rubbing herself for warmth. She’d left without a jacket.

He didn’t ask her to go back inside or offer his coat, for fear she might push him away. As long as he stood there, in silence, she tolerated his presence. Mercier leaned against the door and fought with several matches against gusts of air to lit a cigarette. When the fourth one went out, he cursed under his breath and gave up, knocking his head back with an impatient sigh.

“This is where I found him,” Betty said at last. “The first time I saw him, he was curled in on himself in a corner. He hadn’t shaved in weeks. He looked like a bear hibernating…” That fond little smile annoyed him more than he cared to admit. Thankfully, it didn’t last long. She levelled his gaze, eyes full of defiance. “I don’t regret it, you know. Sure, he was a tosser in the end, and maybe he didn’t love me as much as he said he did, but he wanted me. Me. And he showed me— other things. And I went to London and I got a job, and I did it well, I did it all on me own!” Her voice broke and she looked down at her feet. Her teeth clattered from the cold. “Oh, gimme your bleedin’ coat, I know you want to do it.” He draped the trench coat over her shoulders. She tucked it under her bum and sat on the ground, arms around her knees.

She looked so vulnerable like that, his annoyance melted away. He racked his brain for something to say. “I’m certain you will be able to take care of this child, with or without your family’s support.”

She didn’t say anything, but absentmindedly twisted his ring around her finger. Through holes in the roof, snowflakes fell and twinkled in shafts of moonlight. He pulled up his collar, and his sleeves over his hands. After some hesitation, he sat down beside her, knees up too, and placed the storm lamp at their feet for warmth.

“I’m not pregnant. I went to see the midwife this afternoon. Something to do with weight loss and nerves. Says it’s been happening to a lot of women.”

“That’s a good news. You must be relieved.”

“Yeah. Sure.”

She sighed and scooted closer to him. An inch of snow had accumulated in front of the door. Cold seeped through the stitches of his jumper. She didn’t seem ready to leave, so he stayed.

“You don’t look relieved.”

“I never asked, did you have children with your wife?”

“No. We wanted to, but Annemarie’s health was too fragile.”

A gust of wind chilled his spine, and it was his turn to move closer. His bum was growing numb.

As she picked at her pilling jumper, Betty said, “I guess, since I started thinking I might be in the family way, despite everything, it made me a bit happy. I’d imagine taking care of a little bairn… Gave me some hope.”

It pained him to hear that. “Don’t you have hope anymore?”

“Maybe hope’s not the right word. I just meant it was something to be, in the future. I’d be a mother. Now I don’t know what I’ll be.”

“You could get another job?”

She scoffed. “D’you really think they’ll let women keep working now men are coming back?… I’d love that, though. Now I’ll just be the girl who ran off. The girl her husband left on Christmas Eve.”

“It does seem unnecessarily cruel.”

“Makes me more pitiful. I couldn’t keep you from Christmas with your family, anyway.”

He didn’t argue, instead scanned the forest outside. Strong gusts of wind made the trees creak ominously. His jaw ached from suppressing teeth clattering. “We should go before it gets worse.”

“It’ll pass soon,” she said. In an attempt to share the coat with him, she ended up with her arms around his waist. He slipped an arm under the coat, around her shoulders, and they held each other with some awkwardness.

“Is this okay?” he asked. “Are you warmer?”

“Yeah, warmer. Ta.” She kept glancing up at him. “I’ve told you all my problems. You can tell me what’s on your mind.”

“I told you my estate was destroyed… it wasn’t just the buildings. I don’t think I have any family left in France. Maybe some distant cousins. My sister and her husband are still in the United States. Everyone else in Boutillon is—” His throat closed around the words. He knew, from agent’s reports and newspapers, the state France was in, but seeing it with his own eyes that would be something else entirely. If he was being honest, his offer to come here with her was not entirely selfless, but an attempt to delay the inevitable. “It would not be a happy Christmas,” he summed up.

Betty shivered, so he held her closer, resting his cheek atop her head. Her hair smelled like grass and cold. Her breath warmed his chest. They should really leave this place, head back to the house, but he couldn’t bring himself to move.

“You could stay one more day,” Betty said.

“Are you sure?”

“If you want to. You wouldn’t be alone on Christmas Eve. It wouldn’t change anything to our plan. ”

“It might even make it better,” he said, although he couldn’t explain how.

“Yeah, absolutely.”

“I will need gifts for your family.”

“I have some, you can add your name.”

“I’m not sure your grandfather deserves one.” She burrowed further into his arms, and he caressed her hair.

“He’ll come around,” she whispered.

Betty slipped her frozen fingers under his sweater. The cold reached the marrow of his bones, but it seemed worse outside. When they both yawned, Betty reacted. “Oh no, we really have to move. Come.”

Through the blizzard, the house’s lights shined dimly. Holding hands, they ran, wrestled against the gale. Margaret and Eric came out of the house with big blankets to help them cross the last feet.

They were ushered in front of the fireplace, buried under more blankets and offered mugs of steaming tea spiked with whiskey. Eric threw another log in the fire. They removed their shoes and socks to soak their feet in hot water, his skin tingled and itched as it heated up.

“Betty, you’ve got to stop running away,” Marnie chided her gently.

“Where’s Gramps?”

Marnie pressed her thin lips in a sad smile. “You have to understand, he lost his precious little girl.”

“But I’m back now. I was only gone two years.”

“But you’re not a little girl anymore.” Marnie glanced at Jean-François, and, for the first time, he sensed blame from her. His honour rebelled against it— it was Craze, not me, I’d never— but he clenched his fists and kept his mouth shut.

“Your place is here,” Marnie added.

“Is it?” Betty asked. “Do you really want me here? The way I am, not the way they want me to be.”

“Yes, sweetheart, but I think we need to get to know the woman you’ve become. Listen, tomorrow’s Christmas Eve, we’ll make my special mince pies. Together, okay? I love you.” Marnie kissed Betty’s forehead and left the living room.

“There’s hope,” Mercier said, and she smiled at him.

He wished he could huddle with Betty again, but they were two separate bundles of blankets. She looked at him over her mug, something shy in her eyes, nose and cheeks still pink, and he wondered if she wished the same thing.

With Margaret, Eric and Mrs. Vates, they listened to Paul Temple, a popular private detective show on the radio. But Mercier didn’t pay attention to the plot, he thought of the first time he’d seen Betty, at the Poles’ HQ in Dorset Square, those chestnut curls and plump lips, her eagerness to help the officers. When his Polish counterparts had invited him to the pub at the end of that day, he’d accepted hoping she’d be there.

One by one, the family members went to bed, and Mercier stayed behind, watching the last glowing embers in the hearth.

“You’re still here, John,” said Mr. Marshall, and Mercier worried he was onto their subterfuge. It would explain his hostility.

“Yes. I am.” Mercier stood up, hands on his hips.

Mr. Marshall’s eyes flashed with contempt as he lit his pipe. “Don’t do that, using your height, that’s a cheap trick. Might work on me granddaughter—”

“Why can’t you be nice to her? Hate me all you want, but don’t hate her. She’s kind and strong, and I didn’t take any of that away from her.”

“But you did take something away from her.”

Was this whole quarrel about her virginity?

“Dunno what she did in London,” Mr. Marshall continued, “but she ain’t the same. She’s lying to me, I can tell. And she’s sad. You took away her joy.”

The accusation hit Mercier right in the stomach. Not me, he wanted to claim again. “Well, you’re making her even sadder,” Mercier replied.

Mr. Marshall huffed, but there was a flicker of pain in his eyes. “If it wasn’t for me wife, I’d’ve chased your stinky arse all the way back to France with me rifle, I would.” He turned on his heels and left the room with a puff of pipe smoke.

To be hated by her family was all part of their strategy. He doubted staying one more day would do any good. He had better put an end to this, once he left, they would rally around Betty and bound over their hatred of the husband who left her.

When Mercier entered the bedroom, Betty was standing in front of a tiny mirror, rubbing homemade lotion on her face to soothe the effects of the cold. If she’d heard him arguing with her grandfather, she made no mention of it.

Mercier undressed and piled blankets and pillows on the floor. The sheepskins looked like clouds against the chipped blue paint of the floorboards. Valley of the moon. Heaven on earth.

“What if your grandfather comes up here again?”

“Oh, right, yeah, maybe… maybe you should lie down with me. Just for a wee bit.”

“Yes, just a little while. Just in case.”

They turned down the blankets together and lay down as far apart as the mattress allowed. Mercier’s limbs were stiff, and he was uncomfortably aware of his breathing. Aware, too, of his desire. Her turned on his side, one arm under his head. She emulated him. Although he couldn’t she her face in the dark, only the vague shape of her silhouetted by the starlit window, he liked to think she was smiling at him.

“If I ever meet Craze,” he said, “may I punch him on behalf of your family?”

She giggled but a yawn stifled her laugh. “You’d make your ancestors proud,” she mumbled sleepily.

“What?”

“Knights. You’re my knight.” And that made up for all the undue blame he’d received today.

Betty fell asleep quickly. In her slumber, she shifted around, closing the gap between their bodies. Her cold toes sought the warmth of his legs.

After some inner debating, he put an arm around her. Lightly. Resisting the urge to pull her closer. Under his hand, through the cotton nightgown, he could feel her ribs, and it made him want to feed her all the foie gras, chocolate truffles, wine and croissants she could ever want.

It was unlikely Mr. Marshall would come up the stairs tonight, and Mercier had said he would only stay in her bed for a little while. That little while was well over now. He called upon the strength of the knighthood in his blood and carefully disentangled himself from Betty to return to his place on the floor.

More than ever, he knew he had to leave the next morning. There would be no train on the 25th, and the more time he spent with her, the harder it became to walk away.

Mercier didn’t sleep, he stared at the ceiling, debating the pros and cons of leaving right now. He felt responsible for her, but it wasn’t his place to be. Every time he looked at Betty, at the soft rise and fall of her chest under the sheet, his resolve crumbled, which further proved his point that he should go before the line between pretence and reality became too muddled.

Around 4am, he stood up, as silently as possible, and put on his clothes with a heavy heart.

“You said one more day.” With her mussy hair, and her nightgown sliding off one shoulder, and those big brown eyes staring at him, Mercier knew, then, he would never refuse Elizabeth Vates anything.

Part 3

#*bed sharing intensifies*#Mercier x Betty #teninch fic #timepetalsprompts #lostinfic writes stuff #nubivagant fic

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