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chen-chens · 2 months ago

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Swee-hee-hee-heet! I Transferred to a New School and the Seven Hottest and Most Popular Boys There Fell For Me?!

SUMMARY: in which you find yourself in your own romance en-drama?!

GENRE: Rom-com, reverse harem, high school romance

MAIN CHARACTERS: Reader (Y/N), Lee Heeseung, Jay Park, Jake Shim, Park Sunghoon, Kim Sunoo, Yang Jungwon, Nishimura Riki

ADDITIONAL TAGS: #probably ooc but im doing my best, #hyung line + sunoo + reader are same grade but jungwon + niki are a year under, #SOOO much cringe shit, #love octagon(??), #every romance trope under the mf sun, more to be added

A/N: i started writing this cuz the ending of en-drama was SOOOO unsatisfying that i just had to try and fix it. this is not serious at all but let's all enjoy some delulu together lol! this is also my first time posting anything on tumblr so lowkey i have no idea what i'm doing so pls excuse any awkward formatting and tagging! ty!!

ONE: Fateful Beginnings

Call it cliché, or call it stupid, but you were scrambling off the bus and sprinting down the street in a mad dash with half a frozen waffle in between your teeth, repeating a mantra in your head: Holy shit, I’m gonna be SO late.

You probably looked like an insane person to the common bystander with the frantic look in your eyes, haphazardly donned uniform, and shoes completely undone, and if you weren't freaking out, then maybe you would've had the decency to be a little more embarrassed. Decency was a commodity you had forsaken on this early morning, however, since it was only the evening before that your parents had made you swear up and done that you would do your best to be a most dutiful, attentive, and punctual student at your brand new private school they had busted their asses to get you into. All you had done, though, was nod without really listening, before spending the wee hours of the night reading and giggling about webtoons.

If the school reported that you had missed the first period, if your parents caught wind of what you had done… Well, you shuddered at the consequences that would surely follow. It was better that you run like your life depended on it (which it did), lung integrity be damned.

It took a while, but you finally arrived at Decelis Academy, beet red in the face and huffing and puffing like you were about to die (which you were). It was a thing of beauty, especially in the cool, fall sunshine: soaring, gothic stone walls with ivy trellises adorning the bricks, big windows and stained glass decorating the walls, and a high and elegant tower jutting out from the middle. You grimaced, though, at the sight of a severe-faced, stern-looking man in a suit at the entrance of the school angrily scolding a shivering student with a wagging finger. The scolding seemed to last forever, and eventually, the student entered through the intricate stone gates with a hung head while the teacher returned to scouting the school perimeter with narrowed eyes. You took to jumping behind an electric pole for shelter.

If I get caught by him, I’m screwed! You could imagine the royal beating in your future already once the school called home, and it made you break into a cold sweat. Instead, you started looking around at the fences for some way to scale the walls (if you started to think about what would happen once you got inside the school, your head started to hurt. You’d get to that later). C’mon, think, THINK!

First, you ducked behind various poles, trees, and shrubs to run around the corner to a side where there was no teacher on the lookout for awful, disobedient students such as yourself. Then, you began feeling the stone walls for something, anything to grab onto, but let out a frustrated groan at the realization that a rich-ass school like this kept its walls extremely well-maintained. There was nary a single crack, save for the lines of mortar between the large gray stones. If you had to guess, the wall was at least ten feet tall, and even with a running start, you would barely be able to reach eight feet. Maybe if you could gather some things to step on…

You checked your phone and paled. You were already five minutes late; not enough for a call home yet, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long. There wasn’t enough time to scrabble something together for that plan!

Frantically, you looked to and fro for something to help you vault over the wall; a stick, bouncy shoes, a convenient pile of rocks, anything! However, your eyes locked onto something—or rather, someone— approaching from a distance at a brisk jog. As they came closer, you realized it was a boy about your age in the Decelis Academy’s suited uniform. His brows were furrowed and his cat-like eyes were narrowed, making his round, youthful face look rather stressed out. His messy, fluffy brown hair bounced as he ran.

You stared at him as he approached for probably too long. He was… actually, really, insanely, horribly cute. But that was besides the point. A person would actually make a great step stool in your current predicament and, well, the panic was starting to boil over in your throat. You were willing to sacrifice a cute boy to not meet your death once school was over.

“Hey! Um, excuse me?!” you called out to the boy as he neared. He turned to look at you with adorably widened eyes before coming to a stop at your side, though he seemed to anxiously glance towards the entrance of the school. You squinted to read the nametag pinned to his school coat: “Yang Jungwon.”

“Yeah? Are you okay?” Yang Jungwon asked worriedly, brows knit together. He looked towards the direction of the school gate again. “If it’s nothing too urgent, I’m running a little late for class and—”

“Mhmm, I see you go to Decelis too,” you interrupted with a frantic wave of your hand. You were not about to let this opportunity slip through your fingers! “Listen, I’m late too! It's my first day here. and I am completely and royally fucked if I get caught by that teacher at the gates. Could you please give me a boost up the wall?” You pointed up the walls with wide, pleading eyes.

Jungwon blinked. Then, he said slowly, “You… want me to help you climb over the wall so you don’t get caught by Mr. Kim?”

You frowned. “Uh, yeaaaah? Didn’t I just say that?”

The boy rubbed his nape. Suddenly, he just looked really confused. “Yeah, but this… this is a first for me,” he said awkwardly. “No one’s ever asked me to do this, y’know? I’m not supposed to be helping students break the rules…”

Oh no. He’s a goody-two-shoes. You thought as you paled. Just your luck; you weren’t even a delinquent, but of course the first time you tried something like this in a moment of sheer desperation, you found yourself at the hands of a teacher’s pet, a shining beacon of morality like the boy in front of you (maybe you were exaggerating, but you were stressed out!).

Panicked, you clasped your hands together in prayer, squeezed your eyes shut, and dropped to your bare knees on the hard cement sidewalk, which hurt more than you cared to admit. You ignored Jungwon’s sounds of shock, intense befuddlement, and subsequent pleas for you to get back up as you yelled out, “Please! I know you don’t know me and I don’t know you, but I will owe you for the rest of my life! Just please help me get over the wall!”

“I—” Jungwon stammered. You opened an eye to see Jungwon’s face flustered as he looked around with a worried expression. He looked back at you, face stricken with something between horror, incredible concern, and confusion before he sighed. Quickly, he put down his backpack before asking, “What do you need?”

“Yes, thank you!” You nearly cried in relief, jumping up from the ground like a spring in immense joy. Rolling up the sleeves of your sweater as Jungwon did the same, you beckoned Jungwon closer to the wall. “Here; I’m gonna get a running start. I need you to hold your hands out like this—” you linked your hands together and pressed them downwards, creating a foothold, “—which I’m gonna step on, then boost me up so I can reach the top and pull myself up!” you declared with a fist of determination. There was no way this would go wrong.

Jungwon muttered something along the lines of it’s too early for this under his breath before he squatted down against the wall and positioned his hand just as you demonstrated. In the meantime, you backed up a considerable distance before calling out to him, “You ready?!”

“Yeah—”

“HAAAAAAAAH….!” You let out a roar of pure adrenaline and determination as you charged towards the wall at full speed, allowing the power of anime and manga to fill you. With mighty leaps and bounds, you hopped into Jungwon’s surprisingly sturdy hands and jumped as high as you could up the wall, with a boost from the boy beneath you.

Thankfully, you were able to reach the edge of the stones at the very top, just as you had hoped. Unfortunately, you were not the most athletic person in the world, and you found yourself struggling to pull yourself up and over. The wall suddenly seemed like an insurmountable mountain, and the beating by your parents seemed very real all of a sudden.

You looked down to Jungwon, who was bearing a good amount of your weight with great concentration while determinedly craning his head far, far away from your direction. “Hey! Can you push me up a little higher, please?” you called. After a moment of staring at him, you also added, “So, why is your neck like that?”

“Uh….” he replied as he hiked you upwards a few more inches with a bit of effort. After a few moments of your continued scrabbling, Jungwon boosted you up even higher and grunted out, “Well, I don't want any misunderstandings about what I’m looking at from down here…”

You paused in your mad attempts to heave yourself over the wall to glance back down at the very, insanely cute boy whose hands you had literally placed your life in. His face was bright red, possibly from exertion or from the frankly compromising position you had forced him into, and his neck was painfully turned away from you. “Huh. I hadn’t even thought about that,” you said honestly. You wore athletic shorts under your school-sanctioned plaid skirt anyways, and amidst the utter panic of your current situation, it really had not crossed your mind at all. “I see you doing your best, though, so it’s no worries! Just a little higher—”

“Hey! Who’s over here?!” an irritated voice yelled out from your left. “If you’re late, you’re in big trouble!”

“Shit!” you and Jungwon swore. Maybe your encouraging, awe-inspiring yell had not been your smartest move of the morning. You turned to him and begged, “I’m sorry, just a little more—ACK!”

In your desperate plea, Jungwon suddenly achieved some burst of freaky human strength and launched you upwards hard enough to send your upper body up and over the stone wall finally. You breathed a sigh of relief as you brought your legs over the wall, which you quickly sucked back in as you heard that same voice from before yell, “Hey, you there! Come here!”

You turned to Jungwon, who was heaving heavily, and said in your loudest whisper voice, “Thank you, I owe you my life! I’ll come find you and repay you!”

“Just go! Before he comes!” Jungwon called back in the same tone while frantically shooing you away with his hands. You nodded before hurriedly sliding down the other side of the wall, allowing yourself to drop once you had gotten closer to the bottom.

Your feet had hardly touched the ground before you heard stomping dress shoes approach where Jungwon was, followed by an angry and noisy tirade of biblical proportions.

“Yang Jungwon! How could you be so late?! And what was all that yelling about?!” the teacher, Mr. Kim, ranted.

Faintly, you heard Jungwon say between breaths, “I’m sorry, Ssaem, the bus was late and I had to run here… It’s, uh, been a stressful morning and I read an article about how yelling when you’re stressed releases endorphins so I tried that—”

“Honestly, Jungwon, don’t you think the student body president should be better than this? I’ll let you off with just a warning because this is the first time and you’re normally so diligent, but…”

You let out a silent groan. How could you implicate the student body president of all people? Just your luck. You were sure you totally ruined his probably stellar reputation, so now you owed him even more so. You may be a lazy person at heart, but you would never let a favor go unrewarded!

You looked at your phone and nearly screamed—10 minutes late! With that, you began to sprint towards the main entrance, sending a prayer upwards that you weren’t too late and that you had met someone like Yang Jungwon in your time of need.

next!

taglist: to be added!

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shyjusticewarrior · 5 months ago

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Red Hood Incorrect Quotes Pt 50

Art by @shrub-jay

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mariacallous · 1 month ago

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Jon Dale’s love affair with birds began when he was about 10 and traded his BB gun for a pair of binoculars. Within a year, he’d counted 150 species flitting through the trees that circled his family’s home in Harlingen, Texas. The town sits in the Rio Grande Valley, at the convergence of the Central and Mississippi flyways, and also hosts many native fliers, making it a birder’s paradise. Dale delighted in spotting green jays, merlins, and Altamira orioles. But as he grew older and learned more about the region’s biodiversity, he knew he should be seeing so many more species.

Treks to Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, which spans 2,088 acres near the border with Mexico, revealed an understory alive with even more birdsong, from the wo-woo-ooo of white-tipped doves to the CHA-CHA-LAC-A that gives that tropical chicken its common name. The preserve is one of the last remnants of the Tamaulipan thorn forest, a dense mosaic of at least 1,200 plants, including poky shrubs and trees like mesquite, acacia, hackberry, ebony, and brasil. They once covered more than 1 million acres on both sides of the Rio Grande, where ocelots, jaguars, and jaguarundis prowled amid 519 known varieties of birds and 316 kinds of butterflies. But the rich, alluvial soil that allowed such wonders to thrive drew developers, who arrived with the completion of a railroad in 1904. Before long, they began clearing land, building canals, and selling plots in the “Magic Valley” to farmers, including Dale’s great-great grandfather. His own father drove one of the bulldozers that cleared some of the last coastal tracts in the 1950s.

Today, less than 10 percent of the forest that once blanketed the region still stands. Learning what had been lost inspired Dale to try bringing some of it back. He was just 15 when, in a bid to attract more avians, he began planting several hundred native seedlings beside his house to create a 2-acre thorn forest—a term he prefers over the more common thornscrub, which sounds to him like something “to get rid of.” He collected seeds from around the neighborhood and sought advice from the state wildlife agency, which began replanting thorn forest tracts in the 1950s to create habitat for game birds, as well as the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which joined the cause after it listed ocelots as endangered in 1982. (The agency has since restored 16,000 acres.) The project kept dirt under his nails for the better part of a decade. “I’d go out and turn the lights on and do it in the middle of the night,” he said. “When I’m into something, that’s pretty much it.”

Epiphytes dangle from trees at the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, one of the few surviving tracts of original thorn forest. “It was coming to places like this that got my wheels turning,” said Jon Dale, director at American Forests. The refuge contains a wetland that draws birders from around the country.

Two decades later, he’s still into it. He is a director at American Forests, which has toiled for 150 years to restore ecosystems nationwide. The nonprofit started working in the Rio Grande Valley in 1997 and took over the federal restoration effort last year. It also leads the Thornforest Conservation Partnership, a coalition of agencies and organizations hoping to restore at least 81,444 acres, the amount needed for the ocelot population to rebound. Although conservation remains the core mission, everyone involved understands, and promotes, the thorn forest’s ability to boost community resilience to the ravages of a warming world.

Climate change will only bring more bouts of extreme weather to Texas, and the Valley—one of the state’s poorest regions, but quickly urbanizing—is ill-equipped to deal with it. Dale, now 45, believes urban thorn forests, which can mature in just 10 years, provide climate benefits that will blossom for decades: providing shade, preserving water, reducing erosion, and soaking up stormwater. To prove it, American Forests is launching its first “community forest” in the flood-prone neighborhood of San Carlos, an effort it hopes to soon replicate across the Valley.

“People need more tools in the tool kit to actually mitigate climate change impact,” Dale said. “It’s us saying, ‘This is going to be a tool.’ It’s been in front of us this whole time.”

Despite its name, the Rio Grande Valley is a 43,000-square-mile delta that stretches across four counties in southernmost Texas, and it already grapples with climatic challenges. Each summer brings a growing number of triple-digit days. Sea level rise and beach erosion claim a bit more coastline every year. Chronic drought slowly depletes the river, an essential source of irrigation and drinking water for nearly 1.4 million people. Flooding, long a problem, worsens as stormwater infrastructure lags behind frenzied development. Three bouts of catastrophic rain between 2018 and 2020 caused more than $1.3 billion in damage, with one storm dumping 15 inches in six hours and destroying some 1,200 homes. Floods pose a particular threat to low-income communities, called colonias, that dot unincorporated areas and lack adequate drainage and sewage systems.

San Carlos, in northern Hidalgo County, is home to 3,000 residents, 21 percent of whom live in poverty. Eight years ago, a community center and park opened, providing a much-needed gathering place for locals. While driving by the facility, which sits in front of a drainage basin, Dale had a thought: Why not also plant a small thorn forest—a shady place that would provide respite from the sun and promote environmental literacy while managing storm runoff?

Although the community lies beyond the acreage American Forests has eyed for restoration, Dale mentioned the idea to Ellie Torres, a county commissioner who represents the area. She deemed it “a no-brainer.” Since her election in 2018, Torres has worked to expand stormwater infrastructure. “We have to look for other creative ways [to address flooding] besides digging trenches and extending drainage systems,” she said.

A thorn forest’s flood-fighting power lies in its roots, which loosen the soil so “it acts more like a sponge,” said Bradley Christoffersen, an ecologist at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Urban trees can reduce runoff by as much as 26 percent because their canopies intercept rainfall and their roots help absorb it, saving cities millions annually in stormwater mitigation and environmental impact costs. This effect varies from place to place, so American Forests hopes to enlist researchers to study the community forest’s impact in San Carlos, where Torres joined more than 100 volunteers on a sunny morning in December 2022. By afternoon, they’d nestled 800 ebony, crucillo, and other seedlings into tilled earth. “We need that vegetation,” she said.

That sentiment has grown as cities across the Valley embrace green infrastructure. Although many swales and basins remain verdant with Bermuda grass, which is easier to maintain, there’s a growing push to use native vegetation for runoff control. Brownsville, the region’s largest city, is planting a “pocket prairie” of thorn forest species like brasil, colima, and Tamaulipan fiddlewood inside one drainage area. McAllen, about an hour to the west, has enlisted the help of a local thorn forest refuge to add six miniature woodlands to school playgrounds, libraries, and other urban locations. The biggest challenge to greater adoption of this approach is “a lack of plant distributors that carry the really cool native thornscrub species,” said Brownsville City Forester Hunter Lohse. “We’re trying to get plant suppliers to move away from the high-maintenance tropical plants they’ve been selling for 50 years.”

American Forests doesn’t have that problem. Two dedicated employees roam public lands hauling buckets, stepladders, and telescopic tree pruners to collect seeds, some of which weigh less than a small feather. They typically gather more than 100 pounds of them each year, and stash them in refrigerators or freezers at Marinoff Nursery, a government-owned, 15,000-square-foot facility in Alamo that the nonprofit runs.

That may sound like a lot of seed, but it’s only sufficient to raise about 150,000 seedlings. Another 50,000 plants provided by contract growers allow them to reforest some 200 acres. At that rate, without additional funding and an expansion of its operations, it could take four centuries to achieve its goal of restoring nearly 82,000 acres throughout the Rio Grande Valley. “These fields are probably one generation, maximum, from turning into housing,” Dale said.

Funding is a serious challenge, though. In 2024, American Forests began a $10 million contract with the Fish & Wildlife Service to reforest 800 acres (including 200 the agency’s job solicitation noted was lost to the construction of a section of border wall). That comes to $12,500 an acre, suggesting it could take more than $1 billion to restore just what the ocelots need.

Despite this, Dale says any restoration, no matter how small, is “worth the investment.” The nursery is currently growing 4,000 seedlings for four more community plots, each an acre or two in size. Small, yes, but they could mark the start of something much larger. “We have a vision to expand these efforts in the future,” Torres said.

For now, nursery workers just have to keep the plants alive. During a visit on a sunny afternoon in February, 130,000 seedlings, representing 37 species, peeked out from black milk crates, ready for transplant. All of them are naturally drought-resistant and raised with an eye toward the lives they’ll lead. “We don’t baby them or coddle them,” senior reforestation manager Marisol Kuri said. “We want to make sure they are acclimated enough so when we plant they can withstand the heat and lack of water.”

Despite this, on average, 20 percent of plants die, partly due to drought. It underscores the complexity of American Forest’s undertaking: While thorn forest restoration can help mitigate climate change, it only works if the plants can stand up to the weather. The organization expects that in the future, species that require at least 20 inches of annual rainfall could perish (some, like the Montezuma cypress and cedar elm, are already dying). That doesn’t necessarily doom an ecosystem, but it does create opportunities for guinea grass and other nonnative fauna to push out endemic plants. Removing them is a hassle, so it is best to avoid letting them take root. “If you don’t do this right, it can blow up in your face,” Dale said.

Hoping to evade this fate with its restored thorn forests, American Forests has created a playbook of “climate-informed” planting. The six tips include shielding seedlings inside polycarbonate tubes, which ward against strong winds and hungry critters while mimicking the cooler conditions beneath tree canopies. They look a bit weird—a recent project at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge features about 20,000 white cylinders lined up like tombstones—but seedling survival rates shot up as much as 90 percent once American Forests adopted the technique a decade ago.

Another strategy seems abundantly obvious: Select species that can endure future droughts. “If we’re not [doing that], we’re kind of shooting ourselves in the foot,” Dale said. Christoffersen, the University of Texas ecologist, and his students have surveyed restoration sites dating to the 1980s to see which plants thrived. The winners? Trees like Texas ebony and mesquite that have thorns to protect them from munching animals and long roots to tap moisture deep within the earth. Guayacan and snake eye, two species abundant in surviving patches of the original Tamaulipan thorn forest, didn’t fare nearly as well when planted on degraded agricultural lands and would require careful management, as would wild lime and saffron plum.

Altering the thorn forest’s composition by picking and choosing the heartiest plants would decrease overall diversity, but increase the odds of it reaching maturity and bringing its conservation and climate benefits to the region. A 40-acre planting at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf Coast reveals how quickly this can happen. Five years ago, a tractor wove through the site cultivating sorghum, which gave way to 40,000 seedlings. Today, the biggest trees stand 10 feet tall, with thorns high enough to snag clothing.

Jon Dale peeks inside a plastic tube that shelters a native seedling at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is one of the last places where ocelots breed, and restoration efforts aim to connect isolated thorn forests so the cats can travel between them.

Dale named some of the 40 or so species now thriving in the south Texas sun: eupatorium, yucca, purple sage, colima, vasey’s adelia, load bush, catclaw acacias. The plants feed and shelter a staggering array of orioles, green jays, and other birds, whose whistles, caws, and tweets filled the air. “I’ve already heard 15 species since we walked in,” Dale said. He puckered his lips and, with the expertise born of a life spent birding, made a distinctive pish sound to draw them out. The brush was too thick to see them stir, but Dale seemed pleased as he surveyed it. “It’s gone from being this very homogenous use of land … to life again.”

An hour to the west, visitors to San Carlos’ community forest might struggle to imagine that transformation. The ebony, crucillo, and other species planted two and a half years ago still look scrappy, and a seesaw pattern of droughts and winter freezes helped claim more than 40 percent of the seedlings. Still, the humble thorn forest has garnered a lot of interest from young visitors. “I’ve been in the [community center] working with children and they ask, ‘What is that over there?’” said Mylen Arias, the director of community resilience at American Forests.

This little patch of the past does more than preserve the region’s biological history or defend it from a warming world. It’s an attempt to reverse what naturalist Robert Pyle calls an “extinction of experience.” Most people have never even heard of a thorn forest, let alone witnessed its wild beauty at Santa Ana. Dale and those working alongside him to revive what’s been lost want others to know the value this ecosystem holds beyond saving ocelots or mitigating climate change. His grandfather was a preacher, and that influence is evident as he speaks of the “almost transcendental” feeling he gets simply being in nature. “I’ve talked to people, and it’s like, ‘Do you know how this is going to enrich your life?’”

He often shows people photos of the backyard thorn forest he started 30 years ago, hoping to convey what’s possible with just a bit of effort. Days after planting the first Turk’s cap and scarlet sage, hummingbirds fluttered in to sip their nectar. Within a few years, the canopies of Texas ebony and mesquite trees unfurled, providing shade and nesting locations for birds, including the white-tipped doves and chachalacas he’d hoped to see. It wasn’t easy to let go of it when his mother sold the house last year. “But you created it all,” she told Dale. “Mom,” he said, “I can do this somewhere else. That’s the point.”

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birdstudies · 1 year ago

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February 15, 2024 - Bushy-crested Jay (Cyanocorax melanocyaneus) These jays are found in and around forests and scrub in parts of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. They eat insects, seeds, and fruit, foraging in trees, shrubs, and on the ground and often hunting insects fleeing army ant swarms. Breeding cooperatively, all flock members assist with parenting duties for one or two nests. Females build the flimsy twig nests lined with plant fibers, rootlets, and thin twigs in bushes and vine tangles. Though two females often incubate the eggs and brood the chicks, only one is thought to lay the eggs.

#bushy-crested jay #jay #corvid #cyanocorax melanocyaneus #bird #birds #illustration #art #woodland #birblr art

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hannie-dul-set · 9 months ago

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can you pretty please do sunghoon?

[same face, different feelings]. park sunghoon has always thought you were a piece of shit.

ever since you walked into the frat house with an arrogant stride, an arrogant face, and an unwelcoming demeanor that just pisses him off from the very first inhale of your existence, he knew you’d never get along. he knew you’d eventually do something to piss him off.

and you did. which, in retrospect, was great because the aftermath to the whole…situation was you voluntarily moving out of the house, and that meant sunghoon didn’t have to deal with seeing your face for the next three months. reap what you saw, motherfucker, or however the saying goes. whatever. doesn’t matter because the quality of sunghoon’s life has become exponentially better.

that is until you decided to move back in again.

“i can’t believe you have the guts to come crawling back here after the shit you pulled last summer, you son of a bitch.”

and the words jump out of his throat before he even realizes it.

“hoon, play nice. that’s water under the bridge now,” jake tells him. “hey, dude! it’s glad to have you back!”

it’s one thing how you don’t even look the slightest bit remorseful about what you did. it’s another thing how your response was to look at him as if you didn’t even know what you did wrong.

now that pisses him off tenfold. why the fuck did jungwon even let you back in?

yet park sunghoon’s anger towards you made him fail to notice all the little things that were just the slightest bit off. have you ever been close with sunoo and niki? no, he doesn’t think so, but he never cared enough to give a shit about your relationships. jake and heeseung have been complaining that you don’t game or play soccer with them anymore, but who gives a fuck about that when your tendency of being a fucking whore shows turns a head yet again when he catches you and jang wonyoung stumble out of your bedroom, the latter hazy-eyed and flushed, when this morning he was just texting her to come over.

“they’re saying it’s just a misunderstanding! nothing happened between them, just let it go, man.”

sunghoon feels worse than heartbreak when he sees his best friend defending you, knowing full well you were the cause of his sister’s own heartbreak last summer. what the fuck? jay of all people knows how much he hates you. but turns out, the object of his hatred for the past two months isn’t the same person he’d hated at first glance.

things start making more sense when you gather them all in the living room one day—

“w—wait, what do you mean you’re not him?”

—and drop the big fucking bomb that for the past three months, you’ve been filling in the shoes of your twin brother and receiving the brunt of all his hatred.

all that information was too much for him to handle right now.

so the natural reaction is to run off to wherever his legs took him.

“sunghoon.”

that somewhere just had to be an obvious hiding spot. the rooftop of the shared house, in between the shrubs and the greens now drenched in the night where he’s crouched down and looking up to. but he’s not looking up at the stars in the sky. he’s looking at you—

“why are you wearing a mask?”

—half obscured by a medical cover which makes the guilt and hatred retching in his gut all the more complicated.

“i figured it would be weird for you to look at me when i look like that son of a bitch,” you say lightly. oh, so you also know how trashy that guy is, he thinks, and you crouch down in front of him, as if to tell him. yeah, i do. that’s why i’m in this situation in the first place. “if you can’t get an apology from him, i thought i could at least do it on his behalf.”

how considerate. he should’ve known that you were a different person. but god, every time he saw you, his animosity just jumped the gun before any other feeling could, so now he feels like shit, groaning with his head in his hands. “no, it’s just— i’ve hated your brother for fucking around with my sister, but i’ve been treating you like shit these past few months and that makes me no better than him.”

“no, you are! if i were you, i would’ve kicked my own ass the moment i stepped into the house,” you snap back. “the fact that you can even look at me and listen to me right now tells me that you’re a better person than he could ever be.”

with that, sunghoon lifts his head back up, and is met face to face with the same eyes he’s scorned just up until earlier this evening.

wrongfully so. had he looked a little closer, he would’ve noticed there’s not a single hint of arrogance in the way you’ve ever looked at him in these past three months. god, he’s terrible. the piece of shit is him, not you.

“that mask must be uncomfortable,” he mutters. “you can take it off.”

albeit hesitantly, you do, and once more sunghoon is slapped in the face with just how alike you and your brother look, and he has to swallow down his body’s automatic reaction of inherent hostility, but it doesn’t come.

it’s the same face. the same face, but he’s feeling differently. maybe now that his vision isn’t blurred and addled by anger, he’s able to see more clearly.

send me a kpop boy (txt/enha/zb1/bnd/dream) to toss into reverse harem hell! [jay]

#the crossdressing plot continues.#yes......each of the groups mentioned above have their own mini aus........yes my brain just wont stop churning.#blurb games #sunghoon x reader #park sunghoon x reader #enhypen x reader #enhypen scenarios

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vashwoodficrecs · 19 days ago

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in the woods somewhere

by: halfdemonvash

E, Vashwood, 41k, complete

The harsh cries of the jays faded, the trees crowding in thick and close, until even the rustling of leaves was stifled. Vash’s breaths turned loud in his ears, his heart picking up the unfamiliar tempo of anticipation. Just as he hadn’t expected to find an invasive shrub in this part of the woods, so too had he been unprepared to find a man slumped in the cradle of a wych elm’s roots.

I adore this specific brand of AU, where Vash is some magical being in a little house in the middle of a strangely magical forest that Wolfwood happens upon. Honestly it's so specific I feel like there shouldn't be more than one, but I have been blessed by several. The magic in this one is delightful!! And the pining!!!! And the sex, Jesus Christ.

Immaculate vibes, delicious writing, no notes. Honestly, I devour anything and everything halfdemonvash writes with glee.

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lailoken · 11 months ago

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In a moment when I was struck with doubt about whether I am strong enough to handle a particularly treachorous magical situation, I was met with a simple but powerful omen. In the very moment that I voiced my concerns aloud, a blue Scrub Jay landed on the ground less a couple feet from me and my husband and simply remained there, for at least a minute, looking calmly in my direction the whole time. After it finally flew off, I ended up expressing that it felt like an omen that I have many "friends in small places" who will help to support and uplift me through this process. Immediately after saying this, the Jay re-emerged from a shrub several hundred feet away and landed on a tree limb directly above our heads, where it sang out and remained long enough for my husband to take this picture.

I choose to view this as a meaningful and comforting sign that I must keep going, with faith in my Spirit Kith and my head held high.

#omens #spirit omens #land spirits #land wights #blue jay #faerie physic

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satureja13 · 2 years ago

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Maybe their last barbeque at the farm. (The way Jeb looks at Vlad) :3

After dinner they went over to the firepit to burn the remnants of the shrubs they'd cut all day. Jack, who isn't aware of Vlad's plans to cut the bond (and by doing so making it impossible to give the farm back to Martha): Jack: "Ah Martha will be happy here. Even without horses and goats. We did our best and we can move on with a good conscience, right?" Vlad: "Uhm - right."

And then Ji Ho looked at him with a transfigured gaze... As if he couldn't wait to give the Bond whatever it might demand from them to uncover the farm.

Vlad is feeling seasick... Wait - is the Bond playing tricks on him? It must be aware of what he is about to do! Saiwa: "Vlad! No weakness! We need you in your best shape tomorrow!"

Jack managed to light the fire without causing a havoc. That's suspicious. And another hint that something is terribly wrong here.

Aouwww

They were all tired and didn't last long. And when the fire burnt down, the went to the patio and said good night. Ji Ho had a talk with their Lily and Saiwa gave Jack instructions for his first night sharing a room with Kiyoshi. (Saiwa doesn't know they already shared a room at the Temple and at the Burrow. And of course no one knows about their secret relationship...).

Saiwa: "Don't act weird! I haven't forgotten about your obssession with Kiyoshi. Stay away from him - don't even look is his direction. Don't make him feel uncomfortable - or you'll sleep on your blanket here at the patio - I warn you." Jack: "Yeah yeah - understood. Can I go now? I'm tired. "

But of course Jack stared at Kiyoshi when he came out of the shower. His skin still damp and gleaming. How couldn't he? He's a werewolf after all and Kiyoshi is the most beautiful being he'd ever seen!

Saiwa, from the patio: "JACK! I knew I couldn't trust you!" Jack: ? Ö.Ö'

Saiwa: "This is your last warning."

Saiwa: "Stay behind this line and the divider." A torture room for Jack...

And then Kiyoshi made it even worse: "Don't worry, Saiwa. We will be good - and it won't be for long. I will have to leave soon. You know, my obligations for the Resistance." Saiwa: "Right. Thank you for helping us out, Kiyoshi. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Just endure him for a little longer." Kiyoshi: "I will."

'And I'm never gonna leave ya baby Storms will come it'll rain like crazy We'll find our shelter in each other baby. I will never leave you No I'm never gonna leave ya baby We'll beat the odds and then just maybe Find a little hideaway escape yeah. I will never leave you'

Never Leave - Jay Tighe

From the Beginning ~ Underwater Love ~ Latest

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globalworship · 2 years ago

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The Parable of the Mustard Seed (icon)

“Jesus put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and rest in its branches." -Matthew 13:31-32

Recent icon of this passage by Kelly Latimore:

+++

Commenary by Kelly Latimore:

Jesus' parables are one of the ways Jesus trains his disciples. The parables, like the sermon on the mount, have always been crucial for the church to imagine the kind of community it is called to be. We discover again and again that Jesus' parables significance points to everyday life. The parables are meant to be lived.

The original audience may have been perplexed by this story. They would have known that no-one would intentionally plant a mustard shrub. In fact, the Jewish Mishnah forbade the growing of mustard seeds in the garden because they were 'useless annoying weeds'. In the Hebrew Scriptures the "birds of the air" can be a reference to Gentiles/Non-Jews, the foreigner.

This parable suggests that the kingdom of heaven is available to everyone. Even those who may be considered outsiders or not "Worthy". Jesus is calling us to see the significance in the insignificant. The parables of the kingdom of heaven make clear that the kingdom of heaven is not "up there". Through the parables Jesus is teaching us to "be for the world the material reality of the kingdom of heaven brought down to earth." As Jesus is himself the parable of the father so the church is meant to be the parable of Christ. A people in space and time welcoming the outcast, the foreigner, and the stranger. These kind of communities will look like unwanted weeds to the world, or even to other christians. However, this may be exactly the church Jesus is asking us to embody. Prints, Digital Downloads, and Calendars available All of the birds in this icon are native to the Holy Land. Birds in the icon: Palestine Sunbird, Scrub Warbler, Common Rosefinch, Laughing dove, Barn Swallow, House Sparrow, Fire-Fronted Serin, Red- Rumped Swallow, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, Woodchat Shrike, European Greenfinch, Tree Pipit, Nubian Nightjar, Northern Wheatear, Green Bee Eater, Eurasian Golden Oriole, European Roller, Eurasian Jay, Great Tit, Hooded Crow, Eurasian Blackbird, Common Chiffchaff, Rock Bunting, Crested Lark, and White Spectacled Bulbul. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1006593093924270&set=a.437194030864182 https://www.facebook.com/kellylatimoreicons

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willtheweaver · 1 year ago

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Worldbuilding in five

Thanks for the tag @theeccentricraven always wanted to try this one out.

Rules: Post 3-5 pictures that capture a setting in your world and tell us about it!

All photos and artwork are my own. This location is one that is…not one you can find easily, and it’s hard to find anything good that isn’t AI.

Nightoak Deep

Of all the places in the forest that are within fox territory, Nightoak Deep is one that few would go to willingly. It is a place of the dead, where foxes of Fernstan, Clarke’s Point, and Pinecrown Tor go to perform funerals.

A clearing in the darkest part of the forest, no tree or shrub grows there. All around are the platforms built to hold bodies. Most foxes are given an excarnation (sky burial), with the body being laid out until only bones remain. Thás are given special treatment, as their bodies are laid out on a platform at the center of a wooden henge known as Nightoak Ring. After nature has taken its course, any remaining bones are gathered to be buried in a barrow known as the Mound of Night. The only exception are those who died a warrior’s death. Their bodies are burned on a pyre in the middle of the clearing, their ashes are then scattered so that their spirits will forever after protect the forest.

Youngsters sometimes go here on a dare, but otherwise, the foxes only come here when they absolutely must. Being a place of death, it is believed that Le Dauphin Inconnu (‘The Unknown Prince’) haunts this place, and any who sees Al-Gia’s reaper are said to be cursed to die not soon after.

Tagging @poethill @late-to-the-fandom @kaylinalexanderbooks @winterandwords @smudged-red-ink @winglesswriter @gottestod-writes @elizaellwrites @jay-avian @tildeathiwillwrite @fourwingedwriter @splashinkling @agirlandherquill @illarian-rambling @spitefulbull @mk-writes-stuff and open tag for anyone interested.

#tag game #open tag #writing #creative writing #writer #writers #writers and poets #writing community #writer on tumblr #writeblr #current wip #the crow and foxfolk series

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only-lonely-stars · 1 year ago

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A Shintaran Gala

Oneshot – (FFN) (AO3)

Summary:

In Shintaro, a gala is hosted every year to celebrate the holiday season. Vania looks forward to it every year, and now that she is the one to host it, she's invited Cole, her dearest friend, to join her. However, both of them know they want something more than friendship, if they could only find the words to tell each other.

Cole Brookstone stood in his room, adjusting his suit in front of the mirror, feeling like something was off. He tied his tie, then retied it, finally getting it tidy, but still felt wrong. He finger-combed his hair into place for the millionth time, getting the sweep away from his face perfect, but it still wasn't good enough. He straightened his jacket, making it hang just right, but it didn't fix the problem. Finally, he groaned and left the room, knocking on Jay's door.

"Jay? Can you help me out for a sec?"

"Come on in!" Jay called. Cole opened the door to see him sitting on the floor, mashing buttons on a controller as enemies went flying in Prime Empire. When he heard Cole come in, he paused the game and looked up. "Woah, what's with the suit? You going to dinner with your dad or something?"

Cole shook his head. "Nope. The Shintaran gala is tonight."

Jay whistled. "I forgot about that. It lasts all night, isn't it?"

"Yep. I'm pretty sure it does, anyway."

"You leaving soon?"

"Yeah, but something's not right. Can you help me or get Nya or something?" Discomfort crawled up Cole's spine.

"Why? You look fine. You sure you're not just nervous?" Jay asked, still sitting on the floor.

"Yeah, I'm nervous, but still. Can you just… make sure I didn't forget anything?"

Jay rolled his eyes and got up. "Fine." He scanned Cole briefly. "Seriously, you look just fine Cole. Your nerves are just getting to you."

Cole sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right. It's just weird going back for something so fancy."

"I haven't seen you this nervous in a long time. Just hang out and enjoy getting to catch up. Dance!" Jay grinned. "Maybe you can dance with Vania."

Cole flushed. "If she wants to, maybe."

"As if she wouldn't. Besides, you clearly do."

"Am I that obvious?"

"Oh yeah."

"Ugh, okay." Cole sighed and resisted the urge to mess up his hair. "Just gotta stay cool... I'd better get going."

"Have a good time!" Jay said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Say hi for us."

"Will do. See you tomorrow." Not more than five minutes later, he was on his dragon and flying over to Shintaro.

-----

On the ground in Shintaro, a whirlwind of activity had come to a stunning conclusion. Queen Vania looked over her palace with a satisfied smile, ignoring her exhaustion in favor of enjoying the fruits of her and her staff's labor. The holiday gala had come together with nary a hair out of place, and she could finally relax and enjoy it with possibly her favorite person in the whole world, Cole.

At the thought of him, she smiled even more. Despite her albeit childish hopes, during the Ninja's first visit to Shintaro, nothing had happened between herself and him, so she'd done her best to put away those hopes for the time being and focus on her people's best interests. She hadn't seen him for a long time, anyway. However, that was changing. This gala was a celebration for the people of Shintaro, and it would only make sense for her to invite one of their saviors to celebrate– why not the one who had singlehandedly brought down her father? It was the perfect opportunity to see if there was any potential for something meaningful between them, and more importantly, if he wanted it to. If not, well, it was still good to see him.

As the time of his arrival came nearer and nearer, she eventually went out to the gardens, amongst the beds of flowers and shrubs. In the back of the garden was a particularly large open space, where she had told Cole in a letter that he should land. It was just large enough for Chompy to land when he was large, so she knew it would fit his earth dragon, and it was wonderfully private. In only a few minutes, he would land there before her. Sure enough, while watching the sky and considering that night's upcoming events, she spotted his incoming brown figure, flying in through the beginnings of the sunset.

When Cole landed his dragon on the ground, Vania did her best to slow her heart and breathe deeply, attempting to keep her composure. Nevertheless, she grinned when he dismounted, letting the dragon dissipate into the air. Then he stood before her, wearing a black suit and tie that fit him perfectly, just as tall and strong as she remembered, with not a hair out of place. Not for the first time, she silently thanked whomever had made him the Black Ninja for his or her taste, for it suited him so well. He was smiling as if nothing had ever bothered him in all his life as he came to meet her, and she could barely believe he was even there.

She watched him approach, barely containing her excitement. When he got to her, he waved. "Hey, Vania!"

"Cole! It's so good to see you!" She threw self-control to the wind and put her arms around him in a hug.

"You too!" He laughed and hugged her back. Warmth flooded through her. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." He stepped back after a few moments. "Happy holidays."

"Happy holidays!" As they parted, she kept hold of his hands, but only for a moment. "You look so handsome in a suit."

"Thank you." He grinned, looking the smallest bit awkward, but spoke softly anyway. "You look beautiful, Vania– not that you don't usually, but… really beautiful."

"Thank you." She smiled, touching the fabric of her skirt nervously, the champagne fabric shimmering in the fading light. Silently, she thanked her stylist for suggesting going for a lower neckline, despite her misgivings.

"You're welcome." He smiled, so sincere and genuine that it almost hurt.

Her heart pounded. "I'm so glad you could come tonight."

"Me too. How have you been?" he asked, taking her hand. "It must have been so much work to put this together."

She laughed. "I'm exhausted! There's always something to do or fix." She looked behind her and through a great doorway into the ballroom, where quiet music was playing and a few stray couples were beginning to dance. "At least it turned out well."

"I'll say. Time for your day off." Cole grinned. "Want to join the party?"

"That sounds great." She laced her fingers through his. "Let me show you around a little bit."

"That sounds great, your Highness."

She smacked his arm lightly. "Okay, Sir Cole. Are you gonna be like that all night?"

"If you'll let me, maybe."

-----

The whole time she showed him around the palace, Cole couldn't help but marvel. Every room was bedecked in the loveliest of of decorations, with lights and garlands hanging from every high point. As the sun set, pink and orange light streamed in the windows. Glass and crystal prisms caught the light and reflected a million rainbows across the room, accenting the sparkling decorations of every color and shade. Chandeliers hung low from the ceilings, even more crystal adding to the grandeur of the moment. Every inch of the palace was gorgeous, a testament to Vania's hard work.

Cole would never admit it to himself, but if he wasn't looking at the palace, he couldn't help but look at her. Instead of her normal whites and golds and blues, she wore a dress the color of champagne that shimmered in the light, reaching all the way down to the floor. The sleeves hung just barely off the shoulders, exposing her pale skin to a greater degree than he'd ever seen, and he struggled not to stare. As they walked and talked, he tried to look anywhere but her, but failed every time, only barely paying attention to their conversation.

"...I told the Upply that we needed to make this place classy, but Korgran just didn't understand! The others got it, though," she was saying as she showed him the main ballroom. She pointed up at the very top of the grand ceiling. "Adam was the only one who could get up there to hang those lights."

Cole smiled. "I bet. I think I see webs he left."

She groaned, crossing her arms and peering up intently. "Really? I told him not to leave any! Adam!"

He laughed. "I'm kidding, it looks fine." He grinned at her. "Everything looks amazing, Vania."

"You think so?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah." He looked around one more time. "I think so."

"Good." She smiled and looked away, glancing at the ballroom floor. On the floor, a number of Shintarans, Geckles, and Munce were dancing together, laughing and cheering to their heart's content. However, the music was changing. Idly, Cole noticed that it was in waltz tempo, but he tried to ignore it, like all the things he'd learned about music. Vania looked wistful.

"What's up?" he asked.

She looked back at him. "What?"

"You looked like you were thinking about something."

"Oh." She smiled. "I just was thinking about the dancing. I used to look forward to the gala every year just for it."

At this, Cole had to smile. "Dancing? I didn't know you danced."

"Of course I do! I'm a queen, Cole. What queen doesn't know how to dance?" She nudged him jokingly.

"Good point." He looked at the dance floor, then back at Vania, and a probably foolish idea came to his mind. "Do you want to?"

She blushed a little, pink settling over her cheeks. "I don't have a partner..."

"Sure you do." Cole grabbed her hand, ignoring his rising heart rate. "What do you say?"

After a moment, she grinned. "I'd love to."

Together, the two walked hand-in-hand to the dance floor. Out of the corner of his eye, Cole spotted a few people watching them, but he ignored them in favor of Vania, who still held his hand. They reached the center of the floor without much ado, and he put his free hand on her waist, while she put hers on his shoulder. As they waited for a fitting time to start dancing, their eyes never left each other.

The music dipped suddenly, the tune starting again, and they were off. One, two, three, the music told them where to go, and they spun and twirled around the floor.

In and out she swung, going to and from his arms seemingly every moment. For a moment, she brushed against his arm, close for milliseconds before she flew out again. A point of emphasis came in the music right as she came back to his arms, and he dipped her, causing her to start laughing. As he righted her, the music suddenly slowed, and the two of them began to box step, laughing in glee and unable to look anywhere except at each other.

"Where did you learn to dance?!" Vania asked. "You're amazing!"

Cole grinned and spun her out once more, slower. "My dad taught me when I was a kid. What about you? You're beautiful!"

She stifled more laughter. "Private tutors. You would not believe how much spinning Chompy endured while I practiced in my room."

"Oh, I believe it." The two of them twirled, her skirt flaring out widely. "My dance partner got so dizzy back in the day."

"Your dance partner?" she asked.

"My next-door neighbor." He grinned. "She's wasn't very nice to talk to."

Vania laughed at that, the bright sound like bells as it drowned out the music for a moment. "I'll take your word for it!"

The music picked up, and the two began to dance again, faster and wider. At one point, Cole put his hands both on her waist and lifted her up into the air, swinging her around nearly a full circle before sitting her down. For a moment, she felt like she was flying, and she told him so. Then, she asked another thing, which struck him to the heart.

"Did you mean to call me beautiful?"

His face heated up and his breath caught in his chest. "You heard that?"

"Yeah, I did." She looked away, smiling bashfully.

"Oh." He almost froze, but managed to spin her again, the music slowly climbing to its highest point. "Yeah, I did. You really are beautiful, Vania."

She blushed prettily. "I guess that means I can call you dashing, then. I've never seen you so dressed up."

"Me neither, but I'll take it." As he said it, the music reached its climax, and he dipped her low, such that she could almost reach the floor. She leaned into him, and as he lifted her back up she put her arms around his neck. Their eyes met, and she smiled.

The tune was over now, and those who weren't dancing were applauding the musicians. There was a quiet rustling as sheet music was flipped, and the two were unable to break the moment for a few seconds. When they did, it was reluctant. Vania lingered in his arms, and Cole wondered whether he was imagining it. What if she really wanted something between them? Could he be that lucky?

"That was the most fun I've had in a while," she eventually said, happiness filling her voice.

"Me too." He smiled, fondness taking over his whole body. "You're a lot better than my old partner."

She snickered. "I would hope so! You're more fun than my old teacher."

"Good to know." The first strains of music struggled to be heard over all the sound of speech in the ballroom, but they picked them up anyway. In a fit of drama, Cole took her hand and kissed the back of it, intent on being chivalrous tonight if he couldn't any other time– if he could pretend that she was his for a night, maybe she'd one day want that for them. Slowly, he bowed his head, then looked up at her. "Another dance?"

Vania smiled bashfully, transfixed on him. "I'd love to."

-----

Vania and Cole danced for hours, whispering as they turned and stepped. At the beginning of every tune, he would step back and kiss her hand, before asking to dance again, ever the picture of gentlemanly charm. She would smile and say yes, and they would step out in time, beginning a new dance for each that only ended when the music did. It was like a dream to them, and Vania thought it had to be some perfect version of a romance.

As the evening passed them by, the sun slowly sunk under the horizon. The rainbows cast by the crystals faded, being replaced by soft lighting afforded by the chandeliers. The golden light diffused throughout, making the place feel otherworldy, as if enchanted by fae to be inescapable, such that no one would ever dream of leaving. The whole scene was too captivating to forget.

Idly, Vania thought that she never would leave that night behind, even if she wanted to. That night, as short as it was, would have to be her eternity, because Cole held her close, whispering words of admiration and adoration in her ear as she spun and they twirled together. More than once, she expected him to do something rash– he would stop their dancing, lift her out of a dip and kiss her softly– but it didn't happen. It was hard for her to feel upset about that, though, when they never stopped spinning.

After a couple of hours of bliss, however, they tired a bit. Laughing, they escaped the ballroom hand in hand and found a quiet terrace outside the ballroom. There, in the trailing flowers that threatened to overgrow their beds, they sat on a bench, still laughing over some odd joke as they caught their breath.

When she could finally speak, Vania found herself almost at a loss for words, so she leaned against Cole and smiled to herself. "I haven't had that much fun at one of these events in so long."

He laughed quietly. "You sure were having a good time. I haven't danced that much in years."

"Why not? You're so good at it."

He turned his head to look at her. "Guess I've never had the opportunity. I don't do many events like this, y'know?"

"That makes a lot of sense. They're pretty rare even for me."

"Makes sense, considering all the planning that went into it."

Vania met his eyes, examining how their dark brown variegation. They betrayed only happiness, except for something she couldn't quite name. All night, she'd been unable to figure out what she had been noticing, but it was even more poignant now, and she saw it in him. As quiet settled in, she felt an incredible urge to break the tension and ask him if he knew what it meant.

After a minute of stillness, she spoke, but not about the mystery of that intangible something. "You have such beautiful eyes," she said instead, transfixed. "I don't know why, but they're just… gorgeous."

Cole raised his eyebrows and blinked, looking at her in surprise. "...What?"

"Your eyes. They're beautiful."

He was quiet for a few moments, and she tried to shrug off the feeling of having done something irreparably stupid, but then he smiled, sweet and true. It was a smile that exuded happiness, and she knew it was sincere within an instant. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She beamed at him.

Cole glanced away, then back at her. "...You're beautiful, Vania. Just... in general. Especially tonight."

Heat came to her face. "You really think so?"

"Yeah." He waved his hand, gesticulating widely. "Everything tonight is gorgeous, and it's all because of you. You worked so hard on this gala." His smile turned bashful. "I really missed seeing you."

"I missed you too." Her heart clenched. "It's been so long since you were here."

"Being back is worth it." He grinned. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world; you're one of my closest friends."

"I am?" She tried to ignore how that phrase both excited and devastated her.

"Yeah. I was really happy to get your invitation."

Her stomach flipped, and she decided to be bold. "You were the only person I really wanted to invite. I'd happily just have a gala for two. It would have been just as fun."

It was Cole's turn to blush, his cheeks turning a moderate red, and she wondered if he might be thinking what she hoped– that they might have a chance. "A gala for two sounds really nice. It'd be a nice day off."

She smiled and scooted closer to him on the bench. "It does, doesn't it? Plus, all the dancing we could want." She turned and pretended to put a picture frame around the ballroom. "Food and drinks, too! It would be perfect."

Cole laughed. "Lots of cake. We wouldn't be able to eat it all!"

"Oh, no. Not at all. That's what makes it sound so good!" She grinned at him, and he only laughed more. "Are you laughing at me?"

"No, not at all," he lied.

"You are!" She smacked him lightly on the shoulder.

"The queen's attacked me! I'd better flee the country!"

"Oh no, you're not leaving yet! The gala's not even half over!" She bumped him with her shoulder. "You're staying, you here me? Royal order."

He crossed his arms. "I'm not sure I want to stay somewhere I'll be unsafe."

"Oh come on. I was kidding!"

"I know. So am I!" He chuckled. "Really though, I'm staying. How long is the gala supposed to go?"

"All night– as long as people can stay awake. I stay up all night every year."

"Do people dance that whole time?" he asked, incredulous.

"Some of them." She laughed. "You don't have to. If you need to go to bed, nobody will stop you."

He took a moment to think, but then grinned and nudged her. "I'll stay up with you. I want to remember tonight."

"Remember it?" she asked. "That can be arranged."

"I'm counting on it." He took her hand again and kissed it, just like he had so many times before as they danced. "Everything with you is memorable."

"Likewise." She beamed, and for a moment, it felt like her hopes weren't unfounded. Now was the perfect time to tell him, if she could only find the words. Would he be surprised, or would he expect it? Could he ever reciprocate? She didn't know, but she almost thought it could work. Just as she was building up her courage, however, he spoke instead and dashed her hopes.

"You know, there's a lot of this palace I never got to see last time. Would you show me around again?"

After a moment of silence for mourning her lost nerve, she smiled. "I would love to."

-----

For hours and hours, the unlikely pair danced, a ninja and a queen creating something beautiful out of nothingness. They stepped and spun, and whenever he could, Cole would dip her lower than the last time, so her hair would brush the floor. She'd laugh every time, and every time the music stopped, they'd start another dance, spinning again with only the music to guide them, as if they'd never have to stop.

Every once in a while, however, they would steal away to some new and hidden place to rest for a time, telling stories and jokes and reminiscing. With each passing moment, it seemed like they would tell their most pressing secrets, but they somehow remained unsaid, though many others were. That intangible feeling only grew, but it was so impossible to address it... Nevertheless, they grew closer and closer, until it was nearly impossible for them to part.

"I can't believe you ran away!" Vania exclaimed at one point while they hid in a little alcove off a hall, pressed almost together in the small space. "Your dad must have been furious!"

Cole laughed awkwardly, sweeping his hair back with one hand, knowing it hadn't looked proper in quite a long time. "He was angrier about the fact that I didn't tell him I was a ninja– he found out when I accidentally told him I was going to steal a trophy to stop the Devourer."

"You were going to steal the Blade Cup?" She stared. "Everyone says that you competed for it!"

"We did! Then he didn't mind."

Vania laughed. "There's always some secret side to the stories people tell about you, you know that? It's so much better hearing them from you." She leaned against him, and his heart took off at high speed. He had known that she wanted to hear their stories, but was that the reason why she cared?

"Some of them aren't very interesting," he muttered. "People like to embellish, too."

"It's hard to embellish anything when you ninja are involved!" She poked him.

He rolled his eyes. "You'd be surprised. Some people absolutely swear that huge chunks of Ninjago were just lifted into the air and made into some new continent where sky pirates lived. So far that hasn't happened."

A look of disbelief overtook Vania. "How does that… how do you even make something like that up?"

"Beats me."

She chuckled. "Well, okay. Even so, there are some things you just can't make up– that one not included."

"You sure? It's pretty easy to just lie." Cole examined her, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"Yeah! Like… I can't make up how I didn't know Chompy could grow so huge when he gets angry, and you can't make up how you found your mom's temple!" She smiled, and then gestured between them. "We can't pretend about our friendship."

Cole had to smile back at her, unable to decipher all the emotions he was feeling. The opportunity was coming, if he could only get the words out– if he could just tell her! He could tell her, here and now, about how he felt. Was it the right time, or would it ruin everything?

"I guess you're right about that," he eventually said. "I wouldn't want to, anyway– being friends with you would be impossible to fake. Better just to actually know you. You're too unique to fake."

"Are you saying I'm weird?" she asked, squinting.

"Indescribable," he corrected, watching her reaction as she let her jaw drop in shock, mixed emotions filtering through her dark eyes. As she grappled for words, he explained. "Honestly, you're incredible. You're really strong, and smart, and you can fight. Everyone says you're an amazing queen, and they're not lying! You'd run the world if you could."

She watched him in growing surprise. "You mean all that…?"

"Every word. You're really special to me, Vania." He couldn't say anything else.

She floundered for words, but he didn't press her. When she finally had them, she took his hand. "Cole, I don't know what to say. I should be the one to say you're incredible! You're a hero– you're smart, a leader. You never give up! You've saved the whole world… you saved me. I can't compare to that." She ducked her head.

"You don't have to compare anything. I just want you to know what I think about you." He rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand soothingly.

She smiled and looked down, the fact that she was smitten obvious to everyone but him. "I think a lot of you, too. You're my best friend– I care about you a lot."

Something flip-flopped in his chest. "I care about you, too." He wondered what it meant.

For a few moments, they didn't speak, but then she lifted his hand to her cheek and pressed it softly there. "I don't really know how to handle what I feel for you. I missed you so much when you were gone, Cole. Tonight's been a dream come true... I don't want to forget any part of it."

Cole took his hand from her grasp and cupped her cheek fully, as gently as possible, trying to impress how he felt without having to verbalize it, if only to make it easier to explain the unexplainable. "I don't either. I've never felt this way for anyone– I don't even know what it is. Maybe…"

"...Maybe we feel the same?" she finished.

"Exactly." He smiled, painfully sincere, hoping this was the moment. "Vania, you make me feel so many things I can't even name. I don't know what comes next."

"Me neither." She nestled into his touch. "All I know is that I want to dance with you all night."

"I think that can be arranged." Cole laid his forehead against hers, the little hiding space they inhabited so small he felt he could have heard her heartbeat if his wasn't so loud. "We have all night to talk about this."

"We do." She looked up at him and smiled. "I'm so happy."

"Me too. I'm happy being with you."

-----

The night was no longer young, but it didn't matter. With the moon high in the sky, the gala was less crowded, as even most of the young and fit had left, only the most dedicated revelers remaining. The holiday was passing, and celebration was still in full swing throughout the city, only visible through the great windows to the ballroom. Outside, people cheered and danced in their own spaces, lights and decorations strung all across the ivory flagstone streets.

After the a few hours of the gala, the live musicians had left, but music kept playing through speakers, so the dancing continued. Now the music turned more informal, switching genres frequently. Cole and Vania found themselves doing whatever suited them, whether it was waltz or swing or no choreography at all, just having a good time with the others who celebrated. The unexplainable feeling had somewhat subsided, but it clenched in their chests every time they came together in their dances.

At one point, the music shifted back to a sort of waltz, just a bit faster than the live music had been. Vania cried out in laughter as they spun, twirling in and out of Cole's arms fast enough to make her head spin, the music their only guiding star. The music rose and rose, and Cole couldn't help but laugh as they took up the entire dance floor, others stepping away to give them room. Neither took their eyes off the other, too transfixed to notice the small crowd that had gathered to watch them until near the end of the piece, when a pause came in the music.

When they noticed, they locked eyes. In moments, a silent agreement was made between them, somehow in perfect clarity. With no hesitation, they threw themselves into the dance in impossible synchrony and danced with yet more spirit.

The music crescendoed, and deceptively it seemed to reach its climax, energy building higher and higher. Cole put his hands on Vania's waist, and as the highest note was struck, he lifted her up and spun her. Her skirt flared out as he did, and she laughed. It only lasted a moment, and as she came back down to earth, the music began to swell again.

The final climax was coming, so the two came back to dancing hand-in-hand again, their movements ever more dramatic. The end came incessantly forward, and for a moment the music stopped, the sound of breathing and hearts beating drowning everything out.

Then the end came, and Cole dipped Vania deeply. She leaned against his arm, hands clasped tightly together, breathing hard. He leaned down, holding her safe and steady, for once happy that his father had made him take so many lessons. He held her low for a surprisingly long time, as their audience watched in suspense.

As the suspense slowly lapsed, some of those who watched them began to clap, appreciative of the show. Slowly, Cole lifted her back up to a standing position, gently supporting her. As Vania gained purchase and stood on her own, they slowly came closer together, and the others in the ballroom began to cheer rowdily as they stood only inches apart.

Cole grinned, and Vania grinned back. They looked around at the other people, some of whom were drinking some sort of fizzy drink and cheering without inhibition, and then back to each other. After a moment they bowed and curtsied to the group, and Cole chuckled quietly. "They liked the show," he said under his breath.

"So they did. Want to take another break?"

He grabbed her hand tightly. "Let's find somewhere private."

She grinned, heart racing. "I know the perfect spot. Follow me!"

Before anyone could follow them, they left the ballroom, and Vania led him into a side room and shut the door. Once inside, they paused, staring at each other in partial awe at what had just occurred.

Then they began to laugh. They laughed for a long time, only stopping when their stomachs hurt. As they calmed down, however, a heavy sense of reality descended upon them both.

Their eyes met, an unspoken question passing between them. They had felt that undeniable something during that last dance, but it seemed to have no name. What could it have been? Maybe it was the exhaustion and their emotions playing tricks on them, but maybe it was what they had been hoping for– maybe it was what they longed for– maybe it was a possibility.

It was a long time before either had the strength to speak.

-----

The sun peeked over the horizon once again in its own due time. Its pale light shone into the palace, striking the garden and illuminating the vibrant greenery. Rays passed through the crystal chandeliers, too, creating minute rainbows that slowly scattered across the ballroom, shining onto the faces of sleeping and waking revelers. Not many remained awake, but those who did smiled at the reappearance of the light. The holiday was over.

For the last few hours of the gala, the music did not play at all. Those that remained awake talked, laughed, and joked to pass the time. Some drank that fizzy drink that had lowered their inhibitions. Some drank too much, and there were many foolish moves that had been made, such that the beauty of the ballroom was marred by the chaos they enacted. None of the mess bothered those that did not slumber, however– despite it all, they still remained.

Cole and Vania found themselves sitting together in one of the vacated palace rooms, leaning against one another, with Vania practically in Cole's arms. They had spent the hours telling jokes and stories. At one point, they had each drunk some of the fizzy beverage, leading to a barrage of compliments and jokes, not the least of which could have construed as anything other than veiled romantic attention. However, nothing had come of them, and the drink had worn off. Now that the morning had come, they roused themselves from half-sleep, ignoring how they ached to stay next to each other and spend the day asleep.

As the morning came into its own, the hired palace staff began to tidy up the gala's mess, and it was time for many to go home. Those who had eventually slept were awoken, and all were slowly sent away with holiday well-wishing. Cole, however, stayed close to Vania, nearly hand-in-hand. As her obligations came ever closer, however, it slowly became clear that he would have to leave soon.

When they finally had to part, Vania walked with Cole to the gardens, hand in hand. Among the greenery and flowers, where they were alone, she put her hand to his cheek, stroking gently with her thumb, looking into his dark brown eyes.

"I'll miss you," she murmured. "Come back soon."

Cole put his hands on her shoulders, still bare from her dress, and no less distracting. "I'll miss you too, Vania. Maybe next time you can visit Ninjago."

"I'd love that." She smiled at him, her eyes heavy but her heart full, and his just the same. "Show me everything?"

He chuckled. "That'll take more than one visit, you know."

"I'll just have to come more than once."

"That sounds good to me." He took her hand away from his cheek, and for a final time he kissed it, like he had so many times that night. "Thanks for the dances, Vania. I'm not gonna forget this anytime soon."

"Me neither. Have a safe flight home."

Vania watched as he slowly walked away from her, trying to memorize the moment. When he was at a safe distance, he summoned his earth dragon, its form becoming corporeal just as he jumped on, despite his tiredness. From his vantage point, he waved to her, and she waved back. Moments later, he took off, his dragon launching itself off of the ground.

Vania watched him go. He disappeared slowly, and when he was but a speck in the sky, she put her hand to her lips and kissed it softly where he had, already telling and re-telling herself the moments from that night. The next time she saw him, she'd tell him how she wanted to share something with him. She'd find a way to explain that mysterious feeling, even though she already thought she knew. Then it was his game... then she would wait for him again.

As he disappeared over the horizon, she smiled. "I'll see you soon, Cole… maybe I can tell you then."

-----

When Cole returned to the Monastery, he landed his dragon in the courtyard, the weight shaking the building. He sat on its back for a few moments, gathering his energy, and then dismounted, letting it dissipate back into nothingness as he entered the building, yawning widely.

As he passed the dining room, a voice called out to him. "Cole, you're back!"

Cole ducked his head in to see Zane, decked out in his old pink apron and making breakfast. "Hey, Zane." He yawned again, trying not to let his exhaustion show.

"You look exhausted. Why have you returned so late– or should I say, early?" Zane asked, blunt and to-the-point as ever.

Cole shrugged. "The gala lasted all night. Why are you up so early?"

"It is seven in the morning. Is that not a respectable time?" Zane asked.

"Nah, it's fine. I'm gonna go to bed. See you later."

"Sleep well." Zane smiled graciously, a twinkle in his mechanical eye, and Cole took that as a ticket to go straight to his room, avoiding the others.

After changing quickly into something more comfortable and far less formal, Cole laid down. He stared up at the ceiling, replaying all the moments from that night over and over in his mind. He put his fingers to his lips, trying to remember what it felt like to be with Vania, and smiled at the memories.

Maybe there was a chance for them after all. He knew what he had been feeling, even though he'd never felt it before. One day, he'd tell her– he'd tell her that he'd come back to her every time.

After that, anything could happen. All Cole knew was that he was looking forward to it.

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