#she hates the 29% “colonizer blood”

[bitchy-peachy]

"Where do you tan? You've got a tan all year round!"

"Girl... Have you ever heard of something called genetics?

[sunshine-and-waffles]

2020 Book-End Review

Here it is! My 2020 Book-End Review. My only consistent New Years tradition.

HARD COPIES 

Kingdom of Copper: The second book in the Daevabad Trilogy. Female protagonist, Islamic influenced fantasy world, love stories (gay and straight). Uhg, this was so good. I literally couldn't put it down and was subsequently sleep deprived for a week. I did get a little confused with all the titles and names, but that's what google is for. I haven’t read the third book yet because I haven’t had the time to completely give myself over.

The City It The Middle of The Night- Charlie Jane Anders: Science fiction with female and non-human protagonists. Themes of colonization, the polarization of government, and human nature. It was so hard to get into, but by the end I was completely enthralled and was wishing for more.

Enchantment by Orson Scott Card: Time travel, fairytale (sleeping beauty), Jewish protagonist. It’s simple and enjoyable. I read most of it in the swimming pool :)

All The Birds in The Sky-Charlie Jane Anders: Again, Ander’s books deal with duality, only this time the duality is magic and technology. This book was easy to get into, complex, and brutal. It was so complex, I think I could read it a few more times and get something out of it each subsequent time.

The Lost Gate-Orson Scott Card:  The first book in the Mithermages series. All gods are real,  coming from an alternate world where their magic and power originates. The gate between worlds has been closed, so the gods' strength has withered. A young boy, from the norse god family, escapes their abusive clutches and discovers his special strength. Meanwhile, on the other world, a young boy observes the palace intrigue and his own powers. The plot is so strong and enjoyable. It’s easy to read, and is well written, which is such a rare quality.

Loving Across Borders: A book on how to navigate multi-cultural relationships. I was hoping this would be interesting and insightful, but I found it to be dry and obvious. The author didn’t include significant personal stories (which is what I find the most interesting and helpful). Essentially, a summary of the book is:  Communicate with people, each situation is different, and set boundaries… Duh. 

 2020 Audio Books

The Polygamist's Daughter - Anna LeBaron: A memoir told by the daughter of a cult leader. It is told from her adult perspective, remembering her childhood which is full of abuse and neglect, and then working through her trauma with a therapist at the end. It was an interesting enough story, but could probably have benefited from some editing. I honestly wouldn’t recommend it. 

The Heart Goes Last: Freaking love this book. A dystopian future where the poor and disenfranchised can sign up to live in a compound with shifts in a utopian world and then in a prison/work compound. In this setting there is love, romance, and DRAMA. I listened to it twice.

Little Fires Everywhere: Socioeconomic differences, race, art, women’s rights, mother daughter relationships, infertility, motherhood. The book is better than the show.

An Easy Death- Charlaine Harris: Book one of the Gunnie Rose series. A little western/gun slinger genre, a little magic, a little alternative history. A hot Russian magician and a female gunslinger protagonist. It’s not a great book, but I bought the second one, so I guess it was good enough.

A Longer Fall- Charlaine Harris: The second Gunnie Rose book. I actually liked this one more than the first book. The characters seemed more flushed out and the story was more complex. The ending left me wanting more, and I’m looking forward to the third book in Feb 2021.   Widdershins-Charles Delint: The follow up to The Onion Girl, the background story is a war between native spirits and fairy, while the protagonist Jilly faces the abuse she endured as a child and the guilt she carries for leaving her younger sister in the abusive home in order to survive herself.

His Majesty's Dragon: Book 1 of Temeraire. Alternative history of Napoleonic wars with DRAGONS. A sea captain unexpectedly bonds with a baby dragon, and has to change his whole life to accommodate it. I really enjoyed that this book has almost no romance. It’s just straight up about the relationship between a man and his dragon.

Throne of Jade: Book 2 of Temeraire. The Captain and the Dragon/Temeraire travel on a mission to China, where dragons are treated with respect and care.  The dragon/Temeraire is becoming more mature and the disparity between West and East is highlighted, which causes some tension between the captain and the dragon, as well as between the reader and the book (at least for me).

Black Powder War: Book 3 of Temeraire.  I gave up on this series with this book. The main human character’s inability to stand up to society and the government to demand that they treat his  his dragon (who’s basically a soulmate) as a whole and independent being was too frustrating.

Moonheart -Charles Delint: This is the third time I tried to read this book, and I didn’t finish it. I just can not get into it. I love Charles Delint, but this book isn’t for me.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: I love Harry Potter, and with the quarantine, listening to the whole series was the best mental comfort food. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets:Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 

Midnight Sun: LOL, sorry not sorry. This is trash and I love trash. However, Edward is super self-pitying and creepy. I knew that from the original series, but reading it from his perspective made that feel even more clear.  I spent a lot of time making rude comments about Edward under my breath. I’d honestly listen to or read the rest of the Twilight series again, but I’d skip this one. 

The Witch's Daughter: Female protagonist, with an immortal witch, and a young female apprentice. I had to force my way through it until the last quarter, and then I was really engrossed. The ending was nicely wrapped up, and I don't feel the need to read the sequel. Interestingly, I really disliked the narrator's voice, but it was the only audiobook I’ve listened to that Kal didn't mind. (Because he hates the sound of audio book I usually use my headphones).

Too Much And Never Enough: Donald Trump’s niece exposes their shared, terrible, abusive, and sad family history. It sheds some light on who Donald Trump is as a person. The psychological background doesn’t make his actions any better, but it helped me to understand how he could be the way he is. Honestly, this book was good for my mental health. 

A Deadly Education-Naomi Novik: I LOVED THIS BOOK. In a world where the magicaly gifted are hunted by terrible monsters, magical children go to a school where they have to fight to live. It deals with how inequality in socioeconomic standing impacts students and their ability to succeed… with magic and romance.

The Betrayals: This book started a little slow. The characters are all flawed and make terrible mistakes because they are too proud. There is romance, magic, and redemption; I enjoyed the ending, but there were so many emotionally tense moments I wouldn’t say I enjoyed the book as a whole.

Caraval: Sisters escape their abusive father to become embroiled in a magical game where what is real and what is fake is unclear. Magic, romance, sisterly love, and mystery. The writing isn’t perfect, but I enjoyed the ride of this book. 

Currently Reading: 

Hard Copy: The Gate Thief, Book 2 of the Mithermage Series. 

Audiobook: Legendary, Book 2 of the Caraval Series.

Poetry: Salt

I read/listened to 29 books this year.  I'm tempted to try to finish a 30th before my 30th birthday on Monday. We'll see if I make it :)

[chris-hartley]

85 Questions Tag Game

rules: answer these 85 questions about yourself and then tag 20 people

tagged by  @callmebi-yourname. THANKS BOO!

last?

1. drink: Lemon Propel

2. phone call: My best friend

3. text message: My group chat

4. song you listened to: Fool of Myself by The Band Camino

5. time you cried: 6/21/18

ever?

6. dated someone twice: What is this “date” concept you speak of

7. kissed someone and regretted it: OH HELL YES

8. been cheated on: Yes

9. lost someone special: Yes

10. gotten drunk and thrown up: I don’t drink. Never have, never will.

fave colors?

11. Teal

12. Mint Green

13. Black

in the last year have you?

14. made new friends: Yes

15. fallen out of love: Yes

16. laughed until you cried: Almost every day

17. found out someone was talking about you: Nope

18. met someone who changed you: Nope

19. found out who your friends are: Yep

20. kissed someone on your facebook friends list: They were on my FB list but they recently unfriended me.... because I kissed them

general

21. how many of your facebook friends do you know in real life: All of them?

22. do you have any pets: A dog

23. do you want to change your name: Nope

24. what did you do for your last birthday: Went out to dinner with my ex.

25. what time did you wake up today: 9:31

26. what were you doing last night at midnight: Watching John Mulaney on my phone about to go to sleep

27. what is something you can’t wait for: Becoming a mother

28. what are you listening to right now: Break Your Heart by Eli Young Band

29. have you ever talked to a person named tom: Thomas? Yeah. Tom? No.

30. something that gets on your nerves: How uneducated people are about mental health

31. most visited website: Youtube? IDK

32. hair color: Dirty blonde/light brown

33. long or short hair: short

34. what do you like about yourself: physically, my eyes

35. want any piercings: HELL NO

36. blood type: AB+

37. nicknames: Kenzie, Kenz, Dulla, Kinky (long story), the Kink, Kinkyboo

38. relationship status: SO SINGLE ITS PAINFUL

39. zodiac sign: Virgo

40. pronouns: She/her

41. fave tv show: Dawsons Creek

42. tattoos: Semi-colon, match with the words “It’s just a spark”, butterfly, brain with the words, “Our brains are sick but that’s okay”, and the serotonin chemical symbol on my ankle

43. right or left handed: Right

44. every had surgery: Nope

45. piercings: First hole in my ear

46. sports: I hate sports

47. vacation: I’ve been a lot of places. I really wanna go to Europe though.

48. trainers: <What does that mean?

49. eating: Nothing rn

50. drinking: Nothing rn

51. i’m about to watch: Nothing rn

52. waiting for: The future

53. want: To have a baby

54. get married: I want this so bad

55. career: Nanny

56. hugs or kisses: Kisses <3

57. lips or eyes: Eyes

58. shorter: I’m 5′1″. If you’re shorter than me, it’s probably illegal for us to be dating

59. older or younger: ....Younger.....#futurecougar

60. nice arms or stomach: Stomach

61. hookup or relationship: Relationships for SURE

62. troublemaker or hesitant: Hesitant

have you ever?

63. kissed a stranger: Define stranger....

64. drank hard liquor: Nope

65. lost glasses: Not yet *fingers crosssed*

66. turned someone down: Yep

67. sex on first date: Not on the first date

68. broken someone’s heart: Yeah

69. had your heart broken: So many times

70. been arrested: Nope

71. cried when someone died: Nope. I’m cold hearted...oops

72. fallen for a friend: Nope

do you believe in?

73. yourself: Eh

74. miracles: Yeah

75. love at first sight: Yep

76. kiss on the first date: OOps I did the thing

77. (What did that say? Cause all it said was “yes”)

other?

78. best friend’s name: Aurora/Zoe

79. eye color: blue/green/grey

80. fave movie: If I Stay OR We Need To Talk About Kevin OR Call Me By Your Name

81. favorite actor: TImothee Chalamet OR Jamie Blackley

82. favorite food: CHICKEN

83. extrovert or introvert: Ambivert (however you spell it)

84. favorite flower: Gardenias

85. favorite hello kitty characters: WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK

tagging:

@ilovetwentyonepilotsandmusic @unexciting-houseplant-2 @modthryo

[redravenapts]

every other question foooor sam and ian bc i can

Know your muse - Sam1. Do they have living close relatives (brother, sister, parents, uncle, aunt, etc)?Yes, his father is alive but locked up, serving a life sentence for the murder of Sam’s mother. He has no other family, aside from his foster one, whom he can’t contact anymore.3. Are they more likely to choose Marvel or DC?Though he likes both, he’s partial to Marvel, especially the X-Men. He used to play with action figures of them when he was small, and watch the cartoon on tv with his mom. 5. What color are their bedroom walls?The ceiling is painted light blue, the walls are white. 7. Have they ever binge-watched a TV show?Hahahahahahahahah. Yes. 9. What’s their favorite book genre? Urban fantasy and science-fiction. He’s particularly partial to Douglas Adams. But he also likes crime novels, like Agatha Christie. 11. What is the pet they would absolutely never keep?Any type of bird, really. He doesn’t really like them much, especially loud ones.13. Dracula or Frankenstein? Dracula. Always Dracula. He loves vampires, especially Anne Rice’s.15. Have they ever been to the ER? What for?He was taken to the hospital when the police arrived at his house the night his mother was killed; he was uninjured but he was in shock and had her blood on him. Another time, when he was fifteen, he had a small accident as he was riding his bike to school. He was taken to the ER, but he was mostly okay, just a little bruised. 17. Have they ever stormed out of their workplace in a rage? If not, would they?No, he hasn’t, but he would, given a good reason. Though it would have to be a very good reason.19. What’s the first movie they remember watching at the movie theater?He went to see Madagascar with his mother when he was about six. 21. Do they have a funny email address or a serious one? Or both?He has several emails, most of which are funny and dorky, but also a couple of serious ones. 23. Would they hire a prostitute?Probably not. He’s not the type to consider paying for sex. He either gets it, or he takes care of business himself. 25. Uber or taxi?Uber, most of the time. 27. Do they prefer sunny or rainy weather?Given that he doesn’t like spending time outside much, he prefers rainy weather, which gives him an excuse to stay inside. 29. Have they ever kissed someone of the same sex?Not really, though he’d do it if he’s dared to. 31. Would they sleep in a haunted house for $1,000?Definitely. Not for the money, but to see if it’s actually haunted or if it’s just a hoax. 33. Do they prefer traveling by train or plane?Train, there’s too much scrutiny at the airport and he’s still very aware that he’s a criminal. So just in case, he prefers to avoid the authorities whenever he can.35. What’s their favorite season?Winter, he loves sweater and blanket season, and hot cocoa with candy canes. Though it’s hard for him to get into the Christmas spirit ever since living alone. 37. What do they put in their coffee/tea?He drinks his coffee with just sugar, but a lot of it. He’s not too big on tea, but when he’s offered it, he drinks it with just as much sugar. No milk. 39. What’s the liquor that made them so sick that one time that they can never drink it again?He’s never been drunk enough for this to happen, but he generally stays clear of hard liquor like whisky and vodka.  41. What photographs can be found in their home?In his living room there are no pictures of loved ones, just random prints of city landscapes and movie posters. In his bedroom, there is a picture of his mother with him, and a few with his best friend Ian, and in some with Javier too. Of course, there is a picture with him and Belle on his desk. 43. Did they tell their parents when they lost their virginity?Definitely not. His foster father gave him the talk, but Sam never really felt comfortable talking to him about that stuff. He did tell his therapist, however. 45. What’s the one place on Earth they’d never visit? His father’s prison. And any desert area, because he hates extremely hot weather.47. Would they go live on another planet if given the chance?Hell yeah. He plans on signing up for the Mars colonization program as soon as it starts. 49. Was there another FC in the run when you picked theirs?No. Well, for thirty seconds, there was a Tyler Posey there in my mind, but no, Sam is Tom Holland. No one else.  ———————————————————-—————————————Know your muse - Ian2. Would they step in to stop a mugging? Definitely yes, and possibly get hurt in the process. He wouldn’t just stand by and watch it happen, though. 4. Do they use their car’s air conditioning or do they just roll the windows down?Roll the windows down and enjoy the wind. Even though it means breathing in city traffic air. 6. White, milk or dark chocolate?All chocolate is sacred to Ian, but he does have a soft spot for, like, super bitter dark chocolate.8. Have they ever met a celebrity? If so, how did it go?He met the British royal family, complete of the Queen’s corgis. It was very formal and brief, but he got the impression they’re all less uptight than most people think. Ironically.  10. Do they prefer liquid soap or regular soap bars?Liquid soap, it’s just more practical and pleasant to use. 12. What are they like with the flu? “I’m a stoic Greek hero and I can endure anything” or “OH MY GOD CALL THE PRIEST I’M DYING”?He’s definitely the “OH MY GOD CALL THE PRIEST I’M DYING” type; he was very spoiled by his mother as a child, when it came to being sick, and he’s way too overdramatic about the whole thing. 14. Do they prefer having women or men doctors?It depends on what the problem is. He’s perfectly fine with women doctors, as long as the problem is not localized in any nether region. 16. As a child, did they sleep with a night light or not?He did when he shared the bedroom with Margaret, but stopped after she got her own room. He wasn’t really afraid of the dark as a baby, but strangely enough, he was terrified of fireworks. 18. What would they name their first child?Probably something that refers to his Welsh heritage, but nothing like his middle names. Though his father would probably guilt him into using at least one of their traditional names. He likes Gavin for boys and Gwyneth for girls. 20. What was their dream job when they were little?He was a huge Indiana Jones buff, something he would never admit to now, and wanted to become an archeologist. When he realized he wouldn’t be melting Nazis with the Ark of the Covenant, he lost interest in this career choice. 22. Have they ever cheated on their significant other? If so, did they confess, keep it a secret or were they discovered?No, he’s never cheated and if it did happen, he would end up confessing it sooner rather than later. Though he likes to think of himself as unattached, he does have a deep sense of loyalty which would make it hard for him to lie about it. 24. What’s their breakfast drink of choice?Tea, black, with no sugar. Two cups. Very strong. 26. What’s their dream vacation?Somewhere warm, tropical, with plenty of girls in bikini and unlimited drinks with colorful umbrellas. Montego Bay would be perfect. 28. What’s the best Christmas gift they’ve ever received?Believe it or not, his parents actually got him a pony when he was eight years old. His name was Buckbeak, because Harry Potter was definitely a big thing in his life at that time. 30. What’s the worst memory they have?He’s been blessed with a good life, but he dreads the memory of his maternal grandmother’s death. He was very close to her, and it came unexpectedly, so it really hit him hard. 32. Have they ever been in a threesome? If not, would they?Oh yes, he has. And he would definitely repeat the experience. 34. Do they have a phobia?Not anymore, but as a child, he was terrified of fireworks. No one ever figured out why, but as he grew older, it slowly got better until it went away. 36. Have they ever experienced something traumatic that left a scar (physical or not)?He fell off his horse when he was seventeen and injured his back; he was bedridden for two months, but ended up recovering completely. 38. Have they ever smoked weed? What about harder drugs?Yes, he has, and he does it from time to time, though not very often. As for harder drugs, no, he’s not interested in trying them. His brain is his trade and he needs it to be fully functioning. 40. Did they like coloring as a child?Not at all, every time he had to color something as homework, he’d get Margaret or someone else to do it for him. 42. Train at the gym or run at the park?Both. He trains with weights at the gym, but often goes jogging at the park.44. What city in the world would they move to if they could?New York City, and he did. He’s never leaving. 46. Do they want to have children?Yes, it’s definitely in his plans, but down the line, in a few years. 48. Did they go to prom?Kind of. He went to the school’s formal ball, and it was mostly boring, until he and his friends snuck alcohol in. 50. Do you think you would get along with them if they were real? Possibly, yes. He’s got a good sense of humor, and he’s a good guy, so I think we could chat over beers and get along just fine. 

[abutterflyobsession]

Doctor Who AU Part 30

prelude/one/two/three/four/five/six/seven/eight/nine/ten/eleven/twelve/thirteen/fourteen/fifteen/sixteen/seventeen/eighteen/nineteen/twenty/twenty-one/twenty-two/twenty-three/24/25/26/27/28/29/ao3

The day was soft and gray, a smooth layer of clouds spread across the sky. The sweeping fields of tall green grass were more vibrant without undiluted sunlight bleaching them. The air was cool, heavy with the smell of rich, damp earth.

A few stray drizzling drops of rain fell onto a square patch of dirt that had been cleared of grass. Already a few tender sprouts had pushed themselves up from the loose dirt, undeterred by the loss of the previous generation.

The loose patch of earth shifted.

The newborn sprouts trembled.

A distant flash of lightning lit up a corner of the sky, bright and silent. The wind had died down to a sigh, the world going still in anticipation.

Thunder rumbled and crashed, the wind picked up sharply, blowing in dark clouds, lightning flashed again, and the patch of earth began to heave upward, as if the ground were taking in a breath.

Thunder brought rain crashing down.

The dirt rose up.

A gnarled hand thrust its way into the open, just as another flash of lightning burst overhead, turning the hand into a black silhouette of clawing roots.

“Alright,” a muffled voice said, “did that look as cool as I think it did?”

“Totally.”

Sunny squished through the mud in tall boots, an umbrella held in one hand, a camera in the other. Dawn trudged in from the opposite direction, similarly equipped.

“Ah, the crops are doing so well this year! The nerds are ripe for picking!” the Doctor called from somewhere out of sight.

“I'm going to hug you when I get out of here!” Bog called back, struggling in the mud.

“Just you try it, mudball.”

“These are going to look so cool when we put these clips together,” Dawn said, tucking the camera away in its bag, “How's this one fit, Boggy?”

“The legs are on the right way around this time,” Bog said, clawing his way out of the mud, shaking rain drops and momentary double vision out of his eyes.

“That was one time,” the Doctor shouted, still not visible.

“She's putting newspapers down in the Tardis,” Dawn explained, “she's tired of cleaning mud out of the wiring.”

“She made me get in the cracks with a toothbrush,” Sunny remarked, resting his umbrella on his shoulder so he could grab Bog's hand.

Dawn took Bog's other hand, “Okay, and pull!”

The arm Sunny was pulling on snapped off at the elbow.

Bog looked at the yellow liquid oozing out of the stump.

Sunny looked at the arm he was still holding by the hand.

“Bog . . .?” Dawn began.

“I'm out,” Bog snapped. He slumped forward into the mud.

Sunny finally came to himself and dropped the arm, flailing backwards to get away from it.

“This one a better fit?”

Bog squinted. Dawn's bright face and fluffy halo of hair coming into focus as she bent over him. The sunlight was bright, the outline of it around Dawn was blinding and Bog threw a hand over his eyes.

“He's a shade plant, remember?”

A shadow fell over him and he looked up to see the Doctor had unfurled an enormous yellow and red beach umbrella.

“He needs some sun,” Dawn insisted.

“I need a drink,” Bog's voice was hoarse and his mouth was dry. He wondered if that was a good sign or bad sign. Every time he tried on a new body and felt good it usually ended up that his nerve endings were dead or something.

The Doctor poured a cup of water over Bog's head.

“Not what I meant.”

“But it's what you're going to get, my teetotaling tuber. Plants don't drink hard liquor and it therefore follows that you don't drink it either. Anyway,” the Doctor crouched down, the umbrella closing in further on them, “how does it fit?”

“Gimme a ruddy minute, love,” Bog wheezed, feeling his lungs reluctantly inflating, the rigid segments of bark on his chest shifting with each breath.

“Don't smother him,” Dawn chided.

She pulled the umbrella a little further away so the world was a little less smudged yellow and red. There were some green smudges too now. Bog flexed his hands, his joints moving easily, and touched his thumb to his fingertips, feeling the softness there. That was an improvement, definitely.

“Peach fuzz,” the Doctor said, taking his hand and twisting it this way and that, “for a tree you've got really soft hands. The insides, anyway. Backs are still nice and crunchy. Imagine if you hit someone with that. Total annihilation. They'd be picking splinters out of their face for months.”

“Mm,” Bog took the Doctor's hands in his, savoring the newly returned sensitivity in his fingers. It had taken six tries to get his hands right, to turn them from stiff, thick roots to something that he could imagine using to play the guitar with again. He could feel the callouses on the Doctor's palm, the chipped coat of polish on her fingernails.

“He's getting touchy-feely again,” the Doctor called to Dawn, “maybe we need to reboot him.”

“I keep telling you,” Dawn sighed, “that's normal.”

“How's the connection?” the Doctor freed herself and shone the screwdriver in Bog's eyes, “Any lagging? Double vision? Double sensation? Teeth growing in sideways?”

“Nope. Help me out of here and let's see if everything stays where it should.”

“Your ears sliding off that time was weird and disturbing,” Dawn grimaced.

“Then why are you keeping them in a jar?”

“. . . science?”

“Hey, man,” Sunny took Bog's hand, “if your arm falls off again I am done. Completely done. I'm almost at my limit of zombie body horror.”

“And how do you think it feels to be me?”

“If I planted your arm,” Dawn said thoughtfully, “would it grow another Bog? Would it be a tiny Bog? A pocket Bog?”

“Neither your nor your sister are allowed to play with my genetic material without my permission. I thought we established this. And there has got to be an easier way to do this!”

Bog struggled to pull free of the ground, snapping the tiny rootlets that had spread out around the body while it grew. It stung where they broke off, leaving tiny yellow droplets of blood beading on the skin. The skin was still segmented bark, but patterned to be smoother and not grate together so badly at the edges. Only a Cheem body could be grown using the methods Bog and the Doctor had worked out from the data in the primrose. It would take years for a body to slowly take on a more human structure.

“Maybe we should try pods,” the Doctor said. She was pulling hard, but Bog's arm was still attached, “big old pods, bodysnatcher style.”

“Why didn't you make that suggestion half a dozen bodies ago?!”

“I was thinking trees, not peas.”

“Stupid!” Dawn smacked her forehead with the heel of her hand, knocking her glasses askew, “We got too hung up on plants and forgot all about the human aspects! A pod would be so much easier to program a template into and minimize the need for roots to gain nutrients because the body would be suspended in--”

“Miracle-gro?” the Doctor suggested.

“Hate you,” Bog muttered, getting to his feet and brushing dirt off. After the first attempt at growing and piloting a new body Bog had quickly figured out how to add a simple, separate, fabric-like growth in the shape of pants.

“Good, good, the cheekbones came out nicely,” the Doctor nodded in satisfaction before reaching up and pinching Bog's dirt-encrusted cheeks.

Bog was embarrassed to feel himself blush, but also pleased. The body felt real. Almost as if it were him and not just a remote-controlled drone. His real body—real self—was still firmly rooted to the inside of Roland's former Tardis. With a thought Bog could be pulled right back into that prison. Right back into reality.

“Someone is in loooove,” Dawn giggled.

“I'm allowed to appreciate an aesthetically pleasing face!” the Doctor huffed.

“It's the first one I've ever seen you appreciate, sis. Or consistently recognize.”

“He's easy. He's the one covered in bark.”

Bog smacked the back of her head.

“Hey!”

“Oh, so sorry. My reflexes must still be off kilter.”

The Doctor punched him in the stomach.

“I hope this isn't standard courtship stuff for Time Ladies,” Sunny said, standing on his tiptoes behind Dawn so he could rest his chin on her shoulder, “I bruise easily.”

“Sunny, I've seen you fall off a ten foot wall and walk away without a scratch. I'm theorizing that you're either an alien with enhanced resilience or a sudden leap in human evolution.”

“Don't disrespect my skills like this. I am one hundred percent token human and have collected enough bruises and broken bones to take down an elephant before I reached true mastery of parkour.”

“It isn't natural, it just isn't natural. And these bizarre courtship rituals are exclusive to my sister and her lovesick Larch.”

“I'm going out on a limb here and guessing Larch is some kind of tree.”

“Limb,” Dawn snickered, “that's a good one.”

Bog's leather jacket still fit.

Was it 'still' when the body he was wearing had never worn the jacket before?

His tattoos were gone. No, again, the tattoos had never been inked into the tough skin of this body, on the twined bundles of roots that mimicked the shape of arms. The hands he flexed had never picked up a guitar, the feet that were digging their toes into the dirt had never walked on Earth.

Because they weren't on Earth at the moment.

“One of seven Earth-like planets orbiting a dwarf-star called Trappist-1, recently discovered by Danish scientists,” Dawn had explained, “rather less sunlight than Earth, but suitable for a weird Bog garden. Humans will start colonizing in the thirtieth century. Until then it's like your own personal planet.”

Bog had viewed the scenery on the monitors, his interest piqued by a brand-new, untouched planet, “Can I name it, then?”

“Frank,” the Doctor immediately suggested, “or Earthy. Not Earth. Nearth. Frank Nearth. Frank Nearth the Second.”

“You are not allowed to name anything. Ever.”

“What's wrong with New Earth?” Sunny asked.

“Already taken. Or will be,” Dawn shrugged.

“Also that's totally boring,” the Doctor added, “hey, what about calling it Broden? Planet Broden.”

“Never mind,” Bog said, “we're not naming the planet. Not if I have to deal with this.”

Now Bog stood outside Roland's hair salon Tardis, watching Trappist-1 sink behind the horizon. A pristine planet, untouched by the industry of humans—or any intelligent species—and a cheap hair salon was parked in the middle of a grassy meadow, a neon 'open' sign blinking red and blue in the growing dark.

“I guess we've got a keeper,” the Doctor said.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I don't seem to be shedding anything important.”

The Doctor took Bog's hand.

And stabbed his fingertip with a needle.

“Yup,” she said, ignoring Bog's yelp, “nerve endings are good.”

“Wasn't there some nicer way of checking that?!”

“Don't be a sapling about it. You're not even bleeding.”

“Hmf.”

“Connection is holding. Since you're real body is hooked up to a Tardis you're very unlikely to experience signal loss, no matter where or when you might be. All data you collect in your avatar body will be relayed back to the original so even if the avatar body is damaged you won't lose any—any . . . “

The Doctor stammered her way to a stop when Bog brushed his fingertips over her cheek. Was it the newness of his body that made it seem that his fingers were more sensitive than before? Or maybe it was just the novelty of touching a person with affection.

“I guess . . . I guess that's a nicer way to check nerve sensitivity,” the Doctor remarked awkwardly. She hitched up her shoulder and squinted her eyes when Bog's hand traveled down her neck, but it was only a few moments before she was leaning into his touch, eyes half-shut.

“This really is me, isn't it?” Bog asked quietly, “My body? My hand?”

“Do you want me to be scientific of philosophic about it?” the Doctor had her arms folded tight in front of herself, making no move to reach out to Bog, “I've got a good repertoire built up.”

“I wouldn't mind a straightforward comforting lie.”

“I'm good at lies. Bad at comforting.”

Bog let his fingers coast over the back of her neck, counting the vertebrae that made gentle rises in her skin. The contact helped him feel real. It made the Doctor feel real. She was a strange being, too big inside for him to fully understand, too quick for him to catch unless she stood still and let herself be caught. She was always running and even now, in this moment, it didn't feel like she had really stopped.

“New bodies . . . I've had loads. They come with memories of worlds you've walked a thousand times, but never walked before. At least you get to say the same height. I had to lower all the shelves so I could reach things without a step ladder.”

“Doesn't it bother you? Not to be yourself anymore?”

The Doctor shrugged, “Sometimes there are things you're glad to leave behind.”

Bog's fingers had been pushing the Doctor's hair back behind her ear and he paused, looking at the familiar shape of unfamiliar hands.

Hands that had never held a gun.

“I see,” Bog gently rubbed away a smudge of dirt near the Doctor's hairline, “I see.”

“You wake up and it all begins again. There's the whole universe, new again, waiting for you, and you've got a brand new set of eyes that see everything differently than you've ever seen them before. I'm glad we got your eyes right. I was afraid we might get the wrong shade.”

“Hm,” Bog toyed with the lapels of the Doctor's coat, “this is all a new beginning, is what you're saying.”

“Things begin and end every day. Some are just more noticeable than others. Today you set a clock to count down the ten years, more or less, until you're avatar is more human than Cheem. And I've set my own timer . . .”

The Doctor looked out over the fields and Bog followed her gaze to Sunny and Dawn. The two were pulsing the light on the end of Dawn's screwdriver to attract fireflies. Or some sort of firefly creatures. They actually looked more like flying, glowing spiders.

Bog tugged on the Doctor's coat, making her turn away from the scene. Dawn and Sunny were beginning something, something bright and fresh. They carried their own hurts and worries, but the both of them were fundamentally sound and happy in a way that Bog and the Doctor could never be. Sooner or later Dawn's path would diverge from her sister's.

“She's not gone yet,” Bog said softly.

“That's one of the things about being a Time Lord,” the Doctor said, her head lowered, hiding her eyes in shadow, “you see more endings than you should.”

“Doesn't that just mean you see more beginnings, too?”

The Doctor looked up, slight frown on her face while she took in his words. Something seemed to click into place because she laughed, her painted lips twisting into a reluctant smile, “I think I'm starting to see why I keep you around, Bog.”

“I thought it was for my good looks.”

“I guess you're alright. For a tree. I wonder if you'll turn red and orange in the autumn, because that would be spectacular.”

Bog tugged on her coat, pulling her closer as he bent down, “You're completely bizarre.”

He gave her a brief kiss, confirming that the nerve endings in his lips were functioning properly. He took a breath and looked into the Doctor's eyes. It was hard to say whether the stars he saw there were a reflection of the night sky or from the vast universe she carried within her.

A sudden thought tickled Bog and he laughed.

“What?” the Doctor drew back.

Bog pulled her back, “I was just thinking, technically, that was my first kiss.”

Dawn let the twelve-legged insect dance over her hand while it followed the light from the screwdriver, “It wants to play! I thought it was like fireflies and it was a mating thing, but it's just that he wants to play, like crows. What smart little things.”

“Pretty too, in their weird way,” Sunny picked one out of his hair and shooed it back into the air.”

The two of them stood, knee-deep in grass, surrounding by the winking of the insects and the steady light of the stars. It was cool and the wind was rustling mysteriously in the grass.

“Is it over, then?” Sunny asked, holding Dawn's hand while they watched the sky.

“I guess it is. For the moment.”

“You'll take me back and drop me off in time for my shift, just like none of this happened.”

“I guess.”

Sunny's chest felt tight. Dawn was going to go whirling off into the stars. He would be stuck on Earth, just like before, except this time he would know that he was stuck. Before it was just life. You walked on the surface of the world and knew that anything beyond that was out of your reach.

“I mean,” Dawn took his other hand and swung their hands back and forth a little, “if you want. But after your shift ends . . . are you free?”

The cord tied around Sunny's chest broke and fell away, leaving him able to breathe freely again. The shy look on Dawn's face, the puffs of her hair nodding in the breeze, the sparkle of light glittering from under her eyelashes . . . she was beautiful. She was new. Her sister was like some ancient stone, craggy furrows worn into her by time and trouble. Dawn, just like her name, was new, just peeking over the horizon. Sunny wanted to follow her and see new things together.

“Well,” Sunny could only barely keep himself from grinning, “actually, I kind of have a family dinner I have to help set up. Big deal, the whole family, aunts, uncles, cousins. Even an army of plant people could stop us.”

“Oh,” Dawn dropped his hands, drooping a little, “yeah. Can't skip out on family. I guess we'll just—”

“But,” Sunny took her hands again, “are you free to come to the dinner?”

“Your family dinner?”

“Yeah, we're all allowed to bring dates, but only if we're super serious. No casual flings allowed. It's my grandma's rule. Family only.”

“Family only?”

“Yeah, well,” Sunny's face was suddenly hot, “I mean, I don't know how this is going to end up, but . . . I'm—I'm kind of serious. About you.”

Dawn's face lit up brighter than all the stars and lightning bugs around them. She grabbed Sunny by the shoulders and pulled him into a kiss, pushing away all her thoughts about the terrible revelations of the last few days while she slid her fingers through his hair.

Those were endings.

This was a beginning.

Not Exactly The End

I plan to do several epilogues to fill in some details. But, basically, this is over. Y’all got any questions you want answered that were in the main story? Lemme know and I can incorporate them into the epilogues.

thank you all so so much for reading this super random crossover and enduring endless tree puns

[oh-styles]

92 Truths

Tagged by @4everinsane thanks, doll!

THE LAST… 1. Drink: Green tea

2. Phone call: My sister. She was upstairs and I was too lazy to go back up there.

3. Text message: Once again, the sister.

4. Song you listened to: Liability (Reprise) - Lorde 

5. Time you cried: Almost cried today but bottled that shit up and carried on with my day.

HAVE YOU EVER…

6. Dated someone twice: Pass

7. Been cheated on: Oui

8. Kissed someone and regretted it: Non

9. Lost someone special: Oui oui 

10. Been depressed: Eh yeah

11. Gotten drunk and thrown up: The reason why I stopped drinking as much as I did.

LIST 3 FAVOURITE COLORS: Maroon, a soft pink, and black.

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU…

15. Made new friends: I sure have pal

16. Fallen out of love: Can’t fall in love when you don’t let yourself fall in love

17. Laughed until you cried: I’m sure I have

18. Found out someone was talking about you: Lmao yeah

19. Met someone who changed you: I think??

20. Found out who your true friends are: Ew yeah fuck my roommate

21. Kissed someone on your Facebook list: LMAO YEAH. 

22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: Most of them, others are just mutual friends that I’m not sure why I even accepted 

23. Do you have any pets: Un chien 

24. Do you want to change your name: Kind of, it’s a bit boring.

25. What did you do for your last birthday: I... Nothing, lmao. At nearly midnight I went and got dinner and a drink with my friend, but I didn’t get any presents so I went shopping and bought my own earlier that day lmao.

26. What time did you wake up: 10:30

27. What were you doing at midnight last night: Probably sobbing to Melodrama 

28. Name something you cannot wait for: I literally have nothing to look forward to right now

29. When was the last time you saw your mother? An hour ago or so

30. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life: A lot of things, honestly 

31. What are you listening to right now: Supercut - Lorde

32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: I wouldn’t put it passed me

33. Something that is getting on your nerves: My sister omg shut the fuck up please

34. Most visited website: Tumblr owns my ass

35. Elementary: Two different schools, one private the other public. Eh... 

36. High School: Wasn’t bad, I enjoyed it. Except Government and Econ. Hated those classes. We had a couple scandals that made the news though that make me laugh still.

37. College/university: Still deciding what I want to go for, but I think I’m going for an English/Lit. degree. We’ll see.

38. Hair colour: Um... Brown? Like many shades. A little black at the ends still.

39. Long or short hair: Long, but I just got it cut so it feels super short. It was down to my lower back, now it’s at my shoulder blades kind of

40. Do you have a crush on someone: ALWAYS I LOVE PEOPLE

41. What do you like about yourself: My passion.

42. Piercings: My ears are doubled

43. Blood type: I don’t know but I’m anemic so that’s something

44. Nickname: “Skinny bitch” - my grandma

45. Relationship status: Single for probably the rest of forever but that’s okay because I have a pregnancy pillow that I spoon every night 

46. Zodiac sign: Gemini AKA your worst nightmare probably 

47. Pronouns: She/her/skinny bitch

48. Favourite TV show: Skins, Orange is the New Black, uhh... Shameless is good. I don’t really watch TV.

49. Tattoos: Just one, a semi-colon on my right wrist.

50. Right or left hand: Right

FIRST…

51. Surgery: My toe

52. Piercing: My ears

54. Sport: Dance - and if you don’t think that’s a sport try balancing on the tips of your toes for minutes at a time please

55. Vacation: Disneyworld maybe I don’t know I was 4 but I remember a fucking seagull at my damn donut that bastard.

56. Pair of trainers: I see my 90′s baby ass wearing Reebok's.

57. Eating: First eating? Like first food? Breast milk?

58. Drinking: I’m so confused... 

59. I’m about to: Readjust my leg, it’s going numb

60. Listening to: Perfect Places - Lorde. Haven’t we had this question like twice already?

61. Waiting for: Nothing literally I have zero plans

62. Want: My sister to shut the mother loving hell up I’m tired of her high pitched laugh

63. Get married: We’ll see.

64. Career: I need to get better first, but an author is the dream.

YOUR TYPE…

65. Hugs or kisses: I’m not a big affection person, but I like hugs with the right person.

66. Lips or eyes: Oh god... I think I notice eyes first.

67. Shorter or taller: Taller

68. Older or younger: Older

70. Nice arms or nice stomach: I used to be an arms girl but a nice tummy sends me flying

71. Sensitive or loud: Sensitive

72. Hook up or relationship: Relationship

73. Troublemaker or Hesitant: Hesitant

HAVE YOU EVER…

74. Kissed a stranger?: He was kind of a stranger

75. Drank hard liquor?: Regrettably. 

76. Lost glasses contact/lenses: YES AND I FOUND THEM DAD.

77. Turned someone down: Story of my life.

78. Sex on first date: No thanks, pal.

79. Broken someone’s heart: Who knows. No ex of mine seemed to give a shit lmao.

80. Had your heart broken: That’s the source of my inspiration, and why I love Melodrama so much. (Go listen to Melodrama please.)

81. Been arrested: No

82. Cried when someone died: Yeah

83. Fallen for a friend: MY CURRENT PROBLEM RIGHT HERRRR

DO YOU BELIEVE IN…

84. Yourself: Comme ci-comme ca

85. Miracles: It depends. It really depends.

86. Love at first sight: Nope

87. Santa Claus: HE WAS REAL THOUGH HE LIVED IN ICELAND OR SOMETHING but no he didn’t fly a sleigh or that shit

88. Kiss on the first date: Depends if I’m feeling it

89. Angels: No

OTHER…

90. Current best friend’s name: Ari because she got mexican and shared a margarita with me the other night 

91. Eye colour: Brown/Green. Depends.

92. Favourite movie: Dunkirk

I’m tagging @twerkit-hxrry @inwhichitrytowritesomething @adashofniallandasprinkleoflunacy @trulymadlysydney I’ll give you a pass if you’re not feeling it 

[luci-is-a-devil-]

92 Questions Tag!!!

@kpopfan-antics thanks for tagging me!!

1. Drink: Sprite! 2. Phone call: My sister (I was calling to speak to my brother though) 3.Text message: my grandma asking if I was okay 4. Song you listened to: Astro’s Cotton candy! 5.Time you cried: like yesterday 6. Dated someone twice: I haven’t dated anyone :( 7. Been Cheated on: look at 6 8. Kissed someone and regretted it: My first kiss, I don’t remember it but it happened. 9. Lost someone special: In a dying sense, no. In a let go of someone, yes. 10. Been depressed: I would say I’m depressed now, but it was worse when my dad first left 11. Gotten drunk and thrown up: Don’t drink, I’m a minor :) LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS: 1: Pastel pink 2: baby blue 3: turquoise!!!

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU… 15. Made new friends: Yeah, no super close ones though. 16. Fallen out of love: Romantic love isn’t my thing, but paternal and familiarity love yeah. 17. Laughed until you cried: my younger brother is 2, and he recently started picking his nose. At dinner once he did it, and I told him to eat it. My mother told him not too but he laughed and ate it anyway. Then he spat it out, disgusted. And I started laughing until I cried. 18. Found out someone was talking about you: When I was in second grade a boy went around telling everybody that I was stupid and ugly. His best friend told me. 19. Met someone who changed you: my father changed me but not for the better 20. Found out who your true friends are: Not yet, maybe never. 21. Kissed someone on your Facebook list: Nope!

GENERAL… 22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: They’re my aunts and family. But I’ve never talked to anybody, in Facebook. 23. Do you have any pets: Yep! I share two cats with my brother! Toast and loaf. (He named them, and they try to kill me) 24. Do you want to change your name: Nah, my first name is interesting. 25. What did you do for your last birthday: I went to the movie with my friend, and we ate at sonic. That’s it, it was nice. 26. What time did you wake up: today I woke up at 7:30 27. What were you doing at midnight last night: I was on google images looking at my house. 28. Name something you cannot wait for: June! I’m going to kcon!!! 29. When was the last time you saw your mother: an hour ago, she dropped me off at gun venture. 30. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life: I want to be more confident in myself, to be able to make decisions without doubting myself. 31. What are you listening to right now: BTS, spring day. 32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: Just tom? Nope. 33. Something that is getting on your nerves: my mother not taking me seriously. 34. Most visited website: YT, Tumblr, Ao3 35. Elementary: my dear Watson, nah st.Anthonys. 36. High School: I’m a sophomore! 37. College: I’m going while I’m a senior in HS! 38. Hair color: Brown with bleached tips. 39. Long or short hair: my hair is curly so it bunches up at my shoulders, if straight it’s at my mid back. 40. Do you have a crush on someone: I’m not sure if it a friend crush or a romantic one. 41. What do you like about yourself: I like my nose. And my ability to fluctuate in personality 42. Piercings: I have three on my ears. 43. Blood type: O, negative I think. (It might be positive tho) 44. Nickname: gabi 45.Relationship status: single until I figure out my sexuality. 46.Zodiac sign: Pisces! Glub,glub 47.Pronouns: She/Her 48.Favorite tv show: Weekly Idol! It’s so funny! 49.Tattoos: i want a small semi colon on my left wrist. 50.Right or left hand: I can write with both but my go to is right.

FIRST… 51. Surgery: Nope~ 52. Piercing: when I was an infant. Then at 13 then 14 53.???? 54.Sport: karate, and maybe shooting? (Not hunting, at a range) 55.Vacation: I’ve gone to Hershey park a lot. 56. Pair of trainers: like shoes? I’m wearing boots. 57. Eating: I last ate a burger like, 8 hours ago. 58. Drinking: Water!! 59. I’m about to: Go home and sleep! 61. Waiting for: my sister to finish shooting so we can leave. 62. Want: To go home and lay down. 63. Get married: Don’t want to. 64. Career: PHOTOGRAPHY!!!

WHICH IS BETTER… 65. Hugs or kisses: neither, I hate getting touched. 66. Lips or eyes: Eyes!! 67. Shorter or taller: Taller,I want to be a power couple. 68. Older or younger: Older, for my first. 70. Nice arms or nice stomach: Arms are cool, I guess 71. Sensitive or loud: loud, both of us being sensitive might cause problems. 72. Hook-up or relationship: Do what I want, as long as I’m safe no one should care. 73.Troublemaker or hesitant: I’m a troublemaker!

HAVE YOU EVER… 74.Kissed a stranger?: No 75.Drank hard liquor? : I’ve had a sip of vodka 76.Lost glasses contact/lenses?: I did it on purpose. 77.Turned someone down?: Accidentally. 78.Sex on first date?: Nope~ 79.Broken someone’s heart?: i don’t think so? 80.Had your heart broken?: not yet, thank you 81.Been arrested?: Nope 82.Cried when someone died?: On tv and books, and real life, people I don’t know. I’m a crybaby. 83.Fallen for a friend?: Not a real crush.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN… 84.Yourself?: Not at all 85.Miracles?: I like to try! 86.Love at first sight?: I believe attraction is what you feel, love is trouble that happens later. 87.Santa Claus?: It stopped when I was 13 88.Kiss on the first date?: if you really like the person. 89.Angels?: I believe it a greater good, so I think that someone up their wants you to be happy.

OTHER…. 90.Current best friend’s name: Sarah and vrishin 91.Eye color: Brown 92. Favorite movie: MOANA!!!!

@makkeuga I tag you!