#south fork fire

[arsnof]

Ruidoso and the surrounding area are engulfed in flames, including Mescalero Apache tribal land. Mass evacuation are underway and people are losing everything.

I've got a friend with Community Power New Mexico who is taking donations (we're giving a bed) and I'm wondering if any of y'all would be able to help?

I don't have an official donation link yet, but anything donated to me for the next couple of days, or until I can get an official link, will be going to them.

Link in pinned post. If anyone wants to buy some comics, 50% of any sale will also go to them.

[facts-i-just-made-up]

Who was Paracelsus?

Paracelsus was the screen name of Philippus Bombastus Romastus Fantastus Supercalafragalisticexpialadastus von South-Stuttgart-Next-To-The-University-Cafeteria-With-The-Zig-Zag-Roof. His name Paracelsus literally means "Better than Celsus." We do not know who Celsus may have been, but the name is likely a reference to St. Jerome Para-Ezra of Baton Rouge, who was known in his time to have been far better than Ezra.

Paracelsus invented many of the medical techniques used from medieval times to the modern medical revolution, including bleeding, leeching, exsanguination, draining blood from the patient, and ultra-hemorrhagic-cleansing. He also coined the phrase "Only the dose determines the poison," as well as its corollary, "You can eat anything, just some things you can only eat once," and the less impressive but better known, "He who smelt it, dealt it." This was all considered an advancement over the old theory of bodily humors, which is why Paracelsus's friends all said he was a humorless bastard, or so he kept claiming.

Paracelsus was married in a Rosicrucian ceremony based on the Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz, which was of course preceded by Chemical Engagement and a Chemical Romance involving a black parade, the theatrical faking of several deaths, and a great deal of sodium (a mass scientifically abbreviated as Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na). To whom he was married is a matter of much debate, with potential spouses speculated to include Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Elizabeth II, Martin Luther, Galileo, Ivan the Terrible, Thomas Hobbes, John Calvin, Catherine Di Medici, the Popes Alexander V-VIII, or possibly all at once.

Paracelsus died in the 1540s after suffering a minor splinter which he treated with his own experimental technique known as "setting the patient on fire and stabbing him with a fork in his balls until he barfs then laughing at him." He was then cremated with his urn displayed at the University of Hohenheim for several centuries, until he was accidentally misplaced during an American tour and is presumed to have been used as ash in some Humboldt Fog Cheese, which was considered an affront to his Swiss heritage.

Also he apparently invented Zinc. Good job.

[gamerwoman3d]

Please Be Bi-Han 🙏

🔞 An MK1 x Reader 🔞

Part 2b(i): Smoke discovers F! Reader

PART ONE HERE

🔞 Spicy/Explicit after the cut 🔞

You realized how close to the electrical room you were, in this panic room. You chose it because the walls were thinner than the blast shelter panic room, and you wanted better wifi connectivity to watch the security footage. But in the dim, tablet-lit darkness, nothing. Your senses heightened, and you thought you could smell the beginnings of an electrical fire.

Then you felt it. A hand on your stomach, where no hand was visible. You turned the camera flash on the tablet: Nothing. Nothing except the invisible outline of a palm and five fingers pressing into the fabric of your clothes, leaving a handprint shaped indentation.

The smoke smell. It wasn't an electrical fire. Smoke, himself, was in this cramped little panic room with you - invisible. And, he had his hands on your body already, as if claiming his prize.

"OH GOD, TOMÁŠ!" you whimpered.

You felt his breath at your neck as he giggled.

"How did you know my name? You pronounced it so well," he said.

His fingers trailed south, slipped beneath the band of your panties to fondle your wet clit.

You moaned and bucked into his fingers.

"Our timeline has a Smoke, he looks just like you, you're so hot, you're why I came -ah, ah, oh that feels... Tomáš, you're so sexy, don't stay invisible please please please let me see you," you mewled.

There was a smile in his voice.

"Nuh-uh-uh. I'm not sure you deserve to see me," he teased.

"You said I got your name right, doesn't that - ngh - count for something?" you panted out.

"Mm, a little," he said, before changing his tone, "But you also said Bi-Han’s name perfectly too. Are you suuure he isn't why you came to our timeline?"

Your body jumped up and down with excitement on his fingers.

"AH! Don't make me say so! You're nicer than him, you won't make me say so, you'll be nice, please Tomáááš be nice," you begged.

You felt him shuffle around, and saw your panties pull away from your body and down, forced as if by a ghost.

"I'll be very very nice," his voice came from a place hovering near your exposed pussy, "It makes me feel good for you to think I'm nice."

With that, you felt his tongue breech your folds. Looking down, you could see the skin around your clit pressing and opening up rhythmically. It was as mesmerizing as it was blinding.

(Choose a link below to continue the story!)

Part 3b(i): Smoke fucks F! Reader

[zoesblogsposts]

o 625 words to know in your target language o

There is a really interesting blog called "Fluent Forever" that aids foreign language learners in tricks, tips and techniques to guide them to achieving fluency "quickly" and efficiently. One of the tricks is to learn these 625 vocab words in your target language, that way you have a basis to start delving into grammar with ease as you can understand a lot of vocab right off the bat. Plus this list of words are common across the world and will aid you in whatever language you are learning. Here is the list in thematic order

• Animal: dog, cat, fish, bird, cow, pig, mouse, horse, wing, animal

• Transportation: train, plane, car, truck, bicycle, bus, boat, ship, tire, gasoline, engine, (train) ticket, transportation

• Location: city, house, apartment, street/road, airport, train station, bridge hotel, restaurant, farm, court, school, office, room, town, university, club, bar, park, camp, store/shop, theater, library, hospital, church, market, country (USA,

France, etc.), building, ground, space (outer space), bank, location

• Clothing: hat, dress, suit, skirt, shirt, T-shirt, pants, shoes, pocket, coat, stain, clothing

• Color: red, green, blue (light/dark), yellow, brown, pink, orange, black, white, gray, color

• People: son, daughter, mother, father, parent (= mother/father), baby, man, woman, brother, sister, family, grandfather, grandmother, husband, wife, king, queen, president, neighbor, boy, girl, child (= boy/girl), adult (= man/woman), human (# animal), friend (Add a friend's name), victim, player, fan, crowd, person

• Job: Teacher, student, lawyer, doctor, patient, waiter, secretary, priest, police, army, soldier, artist, author, manager, reporter, actor, job

• Society: religion, heaven, hell, death, medicine, money, dollar, bill, marriage, wedding, team, race (ethnicity), sex (the act), sex (gender), murder, prison, technology, energy, war, peace, attack, election, magazine, newspaper, poison, gun, sport, race (sport), exercise, ball, game, price, contract, drug, sign, science, God

• Art. band, song, instrument (musical), music, movie, art

• Beverages: coffee, tea, wine, beer, juice, water, milk, beverage

• Food: egg, cheese, bread, soup, cake, chicken, pork, beef, apple, banana orange, lemon, corn, rice, oil, seed, knife, spoon, fork, plate, cup, breakfast, lunch, dinner, sugar, salt, bottle, food

• Home: table, chair, bed, dream, window, door, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, pencil, pen, photograph, soap, book, page, key, paint, letter, note, wall, paper, floor, ceiling, roof, pool, lock, telephone, garden, yard, needle, bag, box, gift, card, ring, tool

• Electronics: clock, lamp, fan, cell phone, network, computer, program (computer), laptop, screen, camera, television, radio

• Body: head, neck, face, beard, hair, eye, mouth, lip, nose, tooth, ear, tear (drop), tongue, back, toe, finger, foot, hand, leg, arm, shoulder, heart, blood, brain, knee, sweat, disease, bone, voice, skin, body

• Nature: sea, ocean, river, mountain, rain, snow, tree, sun, moon, world, Earth, forest, sky, plant, wind, soil/earth, flower, valley, root, lake, star, grass, leaf, air, sand, beach, wave, fire, ice, island, hill, heat, nature

• Materials: glass, metal, plastic, wood, stone, diamond, clay, dust, gold, copper, silver, material

• Math/Measurements: meter, centimeter, kilogram, inch, foot, pound, half, circle, square, temperature, date, weight, edge, corner

• Misc Nouns: map, dot, consonant, vowel, light, sound, yes, no, piece, pain, injury, hole, image, pattern, noun, verb, adjective

• Directions: top, bottom, side, front, back, outside, inside, up, down, left, right, straight, north, south, east, west, direction

• Seasons: Summer, Spring, Winter, Fall, season

• Numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 21, 22, 30, 31, 32, 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 60, 61, 62, 70, 71, 72, 80, 81, 82, 90, 91, 92, 100, 101, 102, 110, 111, 1000, 1001, 10000, 100000, million, billion, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, number

• Months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

• Days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

• Time: year, month, week, day, hour, minute, second, morning, afternoon, evening, night, time

• Verbs: work, play, walk, run, drive, fly, swim, go, stop, follow, think, speak/say, eat, drink, kill, die, smile, laugh, cry, buy, pay, sell, shoot(a gun), learn, jump, smell, hear (a sound), listen (music), taste, touch, see (a bird), watch (TV), kiss, burn, melt, dig, explode, sit, stand, love, pass by, cut, fight, lie down, dance, sleep, wake up, sing, count, marry, pray, win, lose, mix/stir, bend, wash, cook, open, close, write, call, turn, build, teach, grow, draw, feed, catch, throw, clean, find, fall, push, pull, carry, break, wear, hang, shake, sign, beat, lift

• Adjectives: long, short (long), tall, short (vs tall), wide, narrow, big/large, small/little, slow, fast, hot, cold, warm, cool, new, old (new), young, old (young), weak, dead, alive, heavy, light (heavy), dark, light (dark), nuclear, famous

[wylldebee]

Ye Olde Magick AU

All of you should thank @books-n-guns for this. What once was a silly little AU about the Starks and their fangs and making everyone around them develop a biting kink has now turned into a full-fledged AU with lore and magic and other houses getting characteristics. Basic lore: — Magic exists within the bloodlines of all noble houses, though from different sources. It's strengthened by two things: the existence of a group's homeland and the religion the magic is tied to/originates from. — The First Men got their magic from their adoption of the Old Gods and their Pact with the Children during the Age of Heroes. Since the decline of the Old God religion in the south the northern nobles house don't have as many characteristics as they used to. — The Andels came with their own magic along with The Seven. Since their religion is more widespread the Andel houses have a lot more characteristics than any other house. I'll probably do two more posts: one about the lore, and the others about the gods who are real and are trying to be more active in Westeros because world ending reasons. Because there is now plot, however it may change. Also I might do the other houses. Might. Ideas are welcome.

Without further ado, here are some of houses and their characteristics.

The Starks (now): Sharp fangs (X). Resistant to the cold. In the past the Stark were so cool looking. Bigger and sharper fangs—proper wolf fangs I'm telling you—and pointed ears with ear tufts. Slitted eyes that could see in the dark. Sharp claws and thicker body hair (both men and women), and enhanced senses. Because of Catelyn's river nymph traits, the Stark-Tully kiddos can breathe underwater and talk with the fishes. Might also have a bit of enhanced strength. Resistant to cold. Jonny boy, however, doesn't get anything from his Targaryen bloodline until Dany brings back the dragons. Resistant to cold (Stark blood) and heat (Targaryen blood), and breaths fire (Targaryen blood). The Tullys: River nymph traits. Gils and enhanced strength. Haven't changed much though it has been noted they aren't as nymph-like as they were in the past. Don't fuck with their rivers you will be drowned. Can breathe under water and communicate with the fish, hence the trout. Needs to bathe in a river or any body of fresh water once a month or they'll start looking sickly; any longer and they'll die. The Martells: Snake fangs mostly, though there have been some with forked tongues or snake eyes. Rarely all three. Can make their own saliva poisonous at will. Has been known to coat their weapons in their own poison. Resistant to heat though not flame proof. The Baratheons: Horns/antlers. Basic? Yes—but the Baratheons have long since mastered the art of making their horns look both mighty, dangerous, and handsome. Many an enemy has been impaled upon or had their heads ripped off by the house of Storms End. Some say that the ancestors of the Baratheons used to be able to bring storms and fierce winds thanks to the blood of Elenei Durrandon in their veins. The Lannisters: pays their debts shits gold Lion fangs and sometimes manes. Can actually roar. In the past they were as fierce looking as the Starks; humans with lots of lion characteristics such as sharp claws, toe beans, slitted eyes and even whiskers. Some Lannister women were born with lion manes, and there are one or two theories that Lann the Clever was in fact a woman with a mane. The Tyrells: Dryads-Anthousai mixture. Yes, even the males. It's an AU and ASOIAF, and mom says I can. They have flowers in their hair—roses. mostly, though Olenna has a beautiful and deadly flower and thorned circlet—and can shift their skin to be any type of bark of any type of tree so long as they form a connection to it. Looks healthier in the spring/summer; dead looking in winter (no seriously they look fucking dead, and more than once people thought Olenna had finally kicked the bucket. Boy did Tywin have a nasty surprise). Not at all flame proof. The Targaryns:

At first they were the most Basic And Boring of all noble houses. The only thing cool about them was their dragons, and those died out. With Valyria destroyed in the Doom, the Fourteen Flames no longer being followed and the dragons gone, the Valyrian magic within their veins either died out or went dormant. Now they're just heat resistant and beautiful looking. It was only when they started marrying into other bloodlines/houses did they start getting characteristics—or rather, the characteristics of other houses such as Rhaenys Targaryn/Velaryon having antlers and the Baratheon square jaw can someone please start drawing her with it and Baelor Breakspear having the Martell snake traits. That is, until, Daenerys 'Stormborn' Targaryn brings back the dragons. The Dany that stands admist the ashes of her beloved husband is not the same who walked into the flames. The return of dragons has re-awoken the valyrian magic in her blood and it mixes with the westeros magic. She stands tall and unburnt with her dragons in her arms, patches of shimmering silver-gold scales on her thighs, arms, shoulders, breasts, neck, and they follow the curves of her cheekbones. Violet eyes with slitted pupils blink slowly. And protruding from her head are the beginnings of white horns. Soon they will start to grow. They will be elegant and beautiful, up and out, almost like an ivory crown. The Dragon Queen has been born.

[terresdebrume]

People have expressed interest and my brain is desperate for a reason to procrastinate on the couch so there we go

"So what do I call you?" Crystal asks ot the end of her first day with the men who were hired to kill her.

She doesn't remember a lot from before they exorcised the demon who'd taken over her, and nothing from before that happened. She thinks there was thievery involved, hopefully the non violent kind, but it's all too blurry to tell. Like she'd been possessed by a shy demon, somehow.

"You heard our name," the wizard says.

He sounds as prickly as he did when Crystal first woke up, vaguely grateful to remember at least her name. Irritatingly straight backed, tightly wrapped into greenish-gray wizard robes with a high collar, gloved hands pressed together into fists. Crystal would have an easier time forgiving him all that if he hadn't told his colleague that he wasn't allowed to keep her, like she's a stray dog or something.

"I'm not going to call you 'Mr. Payne' forever," Crystal protests.

"Of course not," Mr. Payne replies, sounding scandalized. "You'll be gone long before then."

"Well, we can't really know that for sure, can we Mr. Payne?" Says Mr. Rowland.

Crystal can't quite tell if he's a soldier or a thief or some combination of the two. He's wearing maroon leather armor over a vivid red shirt that might have cost a little fortune to dye. He's lounging around the campfire, opposite Mr. Pain, and using one of his numerous daggers to whittle what looks like a little bear out of pale wood.

His hands pause in their movement when he turns to look at Crystal, pointing at her with the tip of the dagger:

"You sound nothing like the people for around here, for one," he says. "You clothes are completely wrong for the season, and we haven't heard anything about a girl going missing."

"Where is here, anyway?" Crystal asks, past the knot clawing at her throat. "Because it fucking sucks."

Mr. Payne clicks his tongue and rolls his eyes at the proclamation, but Mr. Rowland only chuckles. Crystal is right, anyway. There's nothing around but grass, grass and more grass, the occasional gaggle of sheep, and a forest on the horizon that's been covered in mist the whole day through.

"This," Mr. Payne says primly, "is the north of Hilarion. The nearest village about three days to the south of where we are, by foot, and if the environment is not to your convenience, you are very welcome to find transportation to wherever you came from by yourself."

"Easy, Mr. Payne. She's just a girl."

Mr. Payne shuts up, visibly irritated.

"Right," he says, brusquely getting to his feet. "I suppose it is time to bring out the agency. If you please."

He extends a hand, and Crystal watches Mr. Rowland hand him a piece of string, a fork, some fleece, and a pinch of lavender which Mr. Payne clicks his tongue at and immediately discards. Then he steps away from the fire, and starts drawing runes in the dirt.

"Don't mind him too much," Mr. Rowland says. "He's a good sort of chap. He's just not so good at showing it."

Crystal stares at him, skeptical, and he smiles. It doesn't last long, though: eventually, his face sobers up and his voice lowers as he adds:

"Besides, your case is turning rather more complicated than we expected it to be. That you aren't from here is one thing, demons rarely stay in place once they possessed someone... But the man who hired us specifically asked for you to be put down. Now we have to figure out how aware he was of your situation. If he knew, then the whole thing goes from a muck up to a potential assassination with us as its instrument, and that changes things."

"How?" Crystal asks, mostly so she doesn't have to think about the fact that someone might genuinely have wanted her dead.

"For one, it might force us to engage with law enforcement," Mr. Payne calls out over his shoulder. "Something we generally avoid."

He stands up again, wiping his hands, and Crystal notices the square wooden door standing behind him, where there was only empty air before.

"Come on," Mr. Rowland says, getting to his feet in one impossibly fluid motion, "let's have this conversation inside."

[camiffeine]

ICYMI: South Park Archives has forked to Wiki.gg

One of the biggest, most organized and useful fan wikis out there, SPA, has taken its biggest quality-of-life decision: leaving Fandom at last. You can read all the details about it here.

The new wiki is now up and running at South Park Archives (wiki.gg), be sure to check it out, and use it moving forward!

With the dumpster fire everyone knows that Fandom is in its current state, it was only a matter of time SPA joined the other wikis that have left that place so far, and went independent from Fandom, once and for all.

They brought the final straw for the decision in the form of imposed and unnegotiable article censorship, following their newest Offensive Terms Policy (this is far from being Fandom's first misstep, you should read the farewell blog for all the context).

Personally, while I'm not a SPA contributor or editor (yet?), I'm very happy to see the wiki on a better place now, it has served me well for the last decade as a fan and an artist, and after this move, I'm 100% sure that's still going to be the case for a long time into the future. I'm hopeful, also, that more and more fan communities keep following suit, or at least, spin-off into better places.

Follow SPA on Twitter/X, use the all-new wiki, and be sure to spread the word for those unaware!

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Let's Talk Collard Greens.

I know it's more of a Southern thing, but Texans outdo the old south a lotta times, as far as cooking goes. That's one of the reasons it's so damned hard to find a really good Mexican restaurant out here. Now, when I'm feeling fairly good, and I'm just looking through the produce to see what they've got, I can get inspired by ingredients. I think that's the best way to put it. Sometimes something will grab my attention and I instantly grab IT and put it in the basket. Thus with these organic collard greens, which you must admit are absolutely gorgeous, even after two days in my crisper:

But first things first. I'll wash these and set them aside, then get busy with choppin' the onions and garlic. CAUTION: COLLARD GREEN PORN AHEAD:

Grab a big yellow onion (not "sweet"), and most of a pod of garlic. Let those sit for a second while I take three slices of that glorious bacon out of the package, all together, and use the kitchen shears and cut them into 1" slices, and put them in my daily driver cast iron. Let them get nice and browned on the edge, getting slightly sticky to the bottom, scrape and throw in the chopped onions. Mix around and let cook until they're about to be clear, then put the garlic in, and turn the heat down and turn your attention to those glorious greens:

I have a specific way I slice and chop them that is FAST, and EFFICIENT, and easy to do. First. lay a leaf flat, with the "front side" of the leaf face down, so that the spine is sticking up. Now make two cuts, one on each side, as shown, and yank the stem out. Then take the next leaf, stack it atop that one and do the same again. Repeat until the whole bunch of greens is de-veined, all the stems gone.

Now, take that stack and ROLL IT, like it's a big fat cigar. Roll the whole stack together. Like so.

Now slice that stack with a santoku or whatever yer knife of choice is. That's it!

Once that roll is sliced, throw 'em in with the onion garlic and bacon.

Get 'em coated, throw in about 2 cups water, deglaze the bacon goodie from the bottom, and throw in about 3 chicken boullion cubes, and a goodly amount of black pepper.

Now let that cook down. Another 20 minutes or so, yank the lid and check, and you should see this:

Since the aim is to make this a "One Bowl Meal", I am gonna add two items of convenience. First, the can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes and Green Chiles (99 cents at GroceOut), and the can of cooked white beans (been in the cabinet for months). Just do it.

Mix things up and put it on medium heat and let it simmer while your rice cooks. It should end up lookin' like this:

Once your buttered white rice is done, use a fork and flake out a nice bed of of it in a wide, shallow bowl. Ladle a couple ladlefulls of that bacony goodness.

Hopefully you will see the method in my madness of adding the canned goodies. Beans are perfect with greens, protein! and the RoTel always adds that Texas kick to whatever it is. Rice gives you your starch, and bingo. Perfect meal in a bowl.

Also, if you require more heat with this, I suggest splashing your bowl of goodness LIBERALLY (lol) with this:

You could also use HAM instead of bacon, but bacon never fails. Sometimes I use both, if I can.

Y'all enjoy! I'll get back to playin' 45s after I eat this bowl o'goodness.

[luc3]

WIND.S (French Folks Traditions)

By observing the wind at certain times, we can know which one will dominate during the year. In this area, the Palm Sunday wind is the most widespread indicator, but it is not the only one.

In Côte d'Or, it is the one that blows during the Elevation of the mass of the first Sunday of Lent, unless it is "corrected" by that of Palm Sunday.

Often, the personified winds also engage in battle.

In the Marne, according to tradition the winds begin to fight on the day of the Conversion of Saint Paul (January 25) and cease their fight on Saint Blaise (February 3). The wind that wins the victory will be the one that blows that day: it will dominate throughout the year.

In the Vosges, it is said that the four winds fight at the Conversion of Saint Paul and that the first to blow at sunrise will be the dominant wind of the year to come.

Each region being exposed to different winds, beliefs often crystallize on those that farmers observe at home. For example, in Puy-de-Dôme, the east wind is only supposed to blow very rarely and not for more than three hours at a time.

A woman from the Gospel of the Cattails (15th century) declares that in Savoy, to ward off a storm, you must make a fire with four oak sticks crossed in the wind and draw a cross on them. (a lot of crosses, definitely.)

Marine winds :

In Finistère it is usual to clean a chapel which will be chosen and to pour the collected dust in the direction of the wind that we want to see blow.

In the 16th century, the sorcerers' wind ropes were mentioned, which had three enchanted knots. The first to be unknot gets a gentle wind. The second a strong wind and the third, a storm.

Often, Saint Anthony is invoked with insults when the sea is calm, or the moss of the boats must whip each other to bring in the winds.

-

Omens :

Still in the Gospel of the Cattail it is also said that when "you hear a strong wind, know that it is a sign of betrayal, or bad news."

In certain regions (Brittany) high winds are signs of misfortune, but in others (Berry) of prolific harvests. "Year of high wind - Year of wheat".

In many places in central France, there is fear of the wind on August 9, which can destroy crops overnight.

In the Vosges, we fear the wind at night from January 11 to 12. If it comes from the East, the animals will die. If he comes from the South, the house will be full of sick people. If he comes from the West, there will be war, and if he comes from the North, the fields will be barren.

Gusts of Wind and Whirlwind :

In many places in France, Whirlwinds are a "bad" omen : either the Devil pursues a soul; either certain People of the Little People pursue several; either it is the souls of the damned who wander and seek to harm men; (etc)

Sometimes, even Sorcerers can find themselves caught in it against their will for not having obeyed the Demon's orders.

In most cases, to free those who are under the influence of such winds, it is necessary to plant a knife with a curved blade in the center of the whirlwind. Sometimes it is a fork; in all cases it must be a metal and sharp object. Often it is necessary to pronounce consecrated formulas and command the “Follet” to go away.

-

[Excerpts arranged by me from Sebillot & M.C Delmas.]

[pics @Pinterest]

[cheerycherrycandy-resurrected]

What You've Done, You Cannot Undo (Medieval AU)

Chapter 17

The ghouls settle in some more, and Rain opens up to Dewdrop about his final big secret.

A bit of fluff, a bit of angst, a lot of "just kiss already!" I hope you enjoy <3

Rating: M Content: flashbacks, mild descriptions of violence Words: 7217

Links to full fic: Tumblr | AO3

Hi tag pals! @everybodyshusband @revengeghoulette

Read below, or on AO3!

Sunshine had pulled out all the stops with the picnic she brought; Dew had to wonder how she managed to fit as much into the basket as she did. They lounged around in the midday sun, chatting about their mornings and listening to the gentle lap of the lake against the feet of the dock. Rain had eventually put a shirt on, to Dew’s relief and disappointment, but he could still picture how he had looked climbing out of the lake; the type of figure the ancient Greeks carved statues of, the type that poems were written about. He spent the first minutes of their meal pretending to be incredibly interested in the sandwich he was nibbling rather than the press of the water ghoul’s knee against his, but he quickly found something more interesting to watch.

Swiss and Mountain were sat incredibly close to each other, so near they were practically in each other’s laps – Dew chose not to think about how him and Rain were sat in equal or greater proximity – with their elbows knocking together each time they raised their arms to eat. Dew wondered again what had transpired that morning that had led to them acting quite so cosy.

Rain was keen to see some more of the Abbey, seeing as he had been in the infirmary whilst the others had been shown around, and so Sunny offered to take him to the greenhouses on the way back to the Abbey. Mountain and Swiss followed too, seeing as their visit had been cut short by the pandemonium of Rain’s recovery the previous day.

“You coming too, Aeth?” Dew asked, turning to the quintessence ghoul. He shuffled his feet.

“I think I’ll go back to the library for a bit, Copia was showing me around before Sunshine fetched me for lunch.”

Mist raised an eyebrow.

“Wow, either the old guy’s got a lot more fun, or you really like the books.” She remarked.

“I’ll see you later, don’t worry,” Aether smiled at Mountain’s concerned expression, “seriously, I’m good. He’s really interesting to talk to.”

Dew made a mental note to check in with him.

Sunny had led the rest of them up to the greenhouse complex, Mist giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading off with Aether back to the Abbey. Rain was mildly intrigued by the strange sheds made of glass panels, and even more interested when Sunshine explained how she had enchanted some of them to grow summer produce all year round. However, what he was most interested in was Dew’s rapturous expression as he followed her around. In a greenhouse that was almost stifling in its humidity, he had spotted a collection of small plants with long, red fruits hanging from them.

“Chilli peppers,” Dew gasped in delight, “they didn’t grow these before! We only had the dried ones.”

“They’re a new crop,” Sunny smiled, “we traded a few seeds from down south, and now we can grow them in here ourselves!”

Dew nipped one from the plant with his sharp claws, happily biting into it. Rain made to follow his lead, but the fire ghoul shot out a panicked arm.

“They’re really hot, Rain. Hotter than anything we ate before, try a tiny nibble of mine first.”

Rain eyed the bright red pepper in Dew’s hand, unsure how a plant could be hot. Before he could reach out a hand to take it, Dew raised it to his mouth, offering to feed him. He sniffed it, and shot out his forked tongue for a delicate lick, trying not to think about Dew’s own lips touching it moments prior.

He didn’t have a chance to worry about his face blushing red: the tiniest touch of it on his tongue left it burning, and he flinched away from it with a hiss.

“It burns! What is that?”

Dew tried not to laugh, sympathetic to the water ghoul’s pain.

“It’s a chilli pepper. They’re spicy, it makes them taste hot.”

“They’re evil.” Rain countered with a pout, drinking from a stream of water he summoned that cascaded from his hand.

Dew failed to keep a straight face and giggled. The sound was infectious, and despite his still-burning tongue Rain found himself doing the same.

While the two youngest ghouls messed around, Mountain had wandered off to investigate a tall plant with waxy yellow and white flowers he didn’t recognise and swiftly got chatting to an elderly earth ghoulette tending to it. Swiss was left looking around, wondering who he was supposed to tag along with, when Sunshine sidled up to him, following his gaze towards Mountain.

“Looks like you’ve caught yourself a nice one there,” she purred, before looking Swiss up and down, “although he’s not done too badly himself, either.”

Swiss stared down at her, too scandalised to speak.

“Relax, I’m just messing with you!” Sunshine cackled.

“We’re not even together.” He huffed back, bemused by the ghoulette’s behaviour.

“What!” Sunny shrieked, clapping her hands to her mouth to stifle the noise when Mountain glanced their way. “What’s in the water where you lot come from? First those two idiots,” she gestured to Rain and Dew, the latter now trying to see how many chillies he could fit in his mouth at once while the former continued scraping at his tongue, red faced, “and now you? How come none of you talk to each other!”

While Swiss spluttered, at a loss for words, she turned back to bark at the two youngest ghouls.

“Stop wasting all my damn harvest, Dewdrop!”

“I’m gonna talk to him,” Swiss huffed, “I just need to find the right moment.”

“When’s that, next century?”

Swiss gave in, chuckling along with her as he let Sunshine lead him along an aisle of plants, away from the rest of the group and out of their earshot. It was nice, he thought, having someone new to talk to, even if she seemed to be having far too much fun laughing at his expense.

“So, you’re a multi too,” Sunshine said as they strolled, the teasing gone from her voice but the cheerful attitude still there, “I haven’t met another one of us in years.”

Swiss nodded. “I haven’t either. Not since I left my birth clan.”

“How’re you settling in here?” Sunshine asked casually, but Swiss could feel the question was loaded.

“I don’t really know,” he sighed, “everyone else seems to be finding their place really quickly, but I don’t know where I’m supposed to fit in here.”

Sunshine pursed her lips in understanding.

“It’s hard. The other ghouls all seem to have their roles laid out for them, don’t they.”

The pair watched Mountain talking animatedly with the earth ghoulette through a gap in the foliage. Of all the ghouls, Swiss would have thought that the introverted earth ghoul would be the least likely to fit in so soon in a busy community like the Abbey. However, Mountain seemed to be doing better than Swiss so far; a strange experience for the ghoul who had always felt like the ‘face’ of the pack before.

“How did you find your niche?” He asked eventually. “I feel like I’m just tagging along with everyone else for lack of anything else to do.”

“It kind of just happened,” Sunshine mused, linking her arm through his and starting walking again, “I overheard a group of fire ghouls complaining that they were struggling to enchant a warm climate greenhouse because everything was just turning crispy, and I offered to help. Things seem to be doing better now I’ve added more light and humidity, so this has become my main task.”

“I worry I’m just a bit useless here,” Swiss sighed “back home I made predictions and stuff for the people in the town, but there’s air ghouls here who can do that so much better.”

“For the humans?” Sunshine stopped again, and swung round to face him. “That’s something that could be useful! Talk to Copia, he has all kinds of plans for something he calls ‘community outreach’, but no ghouls to help him.”

“He does?”

“Uh huh. I came from living with humans too, and he got really excited about some sort of project to ‘spread His message’? I’m surprised he hasn’t mentioned it to you already, knowing your background.”

“Didn’t Dew say there are humans here who could do that? Why does he need ghouls to do that?”

“There’s a few, yes. You probably haven’t seen much of them, they stay in a totally separate wing to us ghouls. They’re the current ambassadors for the Ministry, but they’re not very successful.” Sunshine gave an exaggerated look over her shoulder, as though to check no errant human had snuck up on them in the last few seconds.

“They’re a bit useless if you ask me,” she whispered conspiratorially, “and so boring. They’re scared of their own kind, and they’re so bad at recruiting that they’re outnumbered by ghouls almost five to one.”

Swiss tried to imagine being a human preaching to their own kind about the wonders of the Dark Lord. That sounded like a one-way ticket to the gallows or the stake.

“Copia thinks us ghouls would do a better job,” Sunny continued, “even glamoured, we’re not human enough to fully pass, and he thinks that our slight otherworldly appearance might attract the interest of humans more suited to our cause, while scaring off those who oppose us.”

“I can see where he’s coming from,” agreed Swiss, “before I joined the pack I used to travel around with my guitar, singing in taverns and such. People were wary of me, but I think that added to the allure for some of them.” He flashed a dazzling smile to demonstrate, slightly-too-pointed teeth glistening next to his lone gold fang.

“Oh nice!” Sunny clapped her hands in joy. “I used to do something similar, I’d go round villages singing the humans’ folk songs in exchange for food and shelter.”

“Huh. Maybe Copia should think about spreading His word through music…” Swiss thought out loud.

“If our voices don’t get ‘em, that smile of yours sure will,” Sunny laughed, “it certainly seemed to work on your earth ghoul, look.”

They glanced over to where Mountain, having finished his conversation with the earth ghoulette, had drifted back over to Dew and Rain. He was hovering behind them, his eyes watching Swiss and Sunshine and he looked guilty at having been caught staring. Steering him by the elbow, Sunny led Swiss back over in their direction, beaming angelically.

“So, where next boys?”

The ghouls ended up in the library a while later, where they found Aether and Copia in a pair of armchairs, surrounded by books and deep in conversation. The quintessence ghoul looked up at the commotion caused by their entry and waved them over happily.

“See you nerds later.” Sunny gave them a mock-salute, and vanished back down the corridor.

“How were the greenhouses?” Aether asked as they dragged more chairs over, thoroughly disturbing the peace the two had been sat in.

“We saw Sunny's tropical one,” Mountain enthused, “it was very interesting. I got talking to an earth ghoulette called Delphinia, she's offered to give me a proper induction to working there if we choose to stay!”

“Spicy.” grumbled Rain, so quietly only Dew could hear him. He was still pouting about the betrayal of the pretty red fruit even now, and Dew thought it was simply adorable. His lower lip jutting out, Dew wanted nothing more than to kiss it and wipe the expression from his face. He saw Rain watching him, the slightest twitch in the corner of his eyes giving away that he had noticed Dew's stare, and he forced his eyes away, embarrassed at being caught.

“I've been telling Copia all about our travels before coming here,” Aether continued, “especially our early ones, Mount.”

The earth ghoul chirped in interest.

“They sound fascinating,” Copia gushed, “and not just the environments you saw, but the people too! As you can probably tell, we don't have a large human populous right now, especially not people who have come from any distance away.” He gestured around the library as he spoke, the lone human sat in a corner looking scared for their life as five pairs of ghoulish eyes suddenly landed on them.

“What's so interesting about the people?” Mountain asked, curious.

“For starters, how their attitudes to our cause are changing over time. Are they more accepting? Or are they frightened instead? These are all questions I have wanted to ask!”

“You want to talk to Swiss really,” Mountain said, looking at the multi ghoul who seemed surprised at his involvement, “he's got the most experience interacting with humans out of all of us; Aeth and I tended to steer clear of them when we could.”

“I travelled around with my guitar for many years,” Swiss explained, “playing in taverns and the like. I was just telling Sunshine about it. Most humans acted similarly, but there were always a few who were... more receptive listeners.” He tried diplomatically to describe the humans, men and women alike, who would practically throw themselves at his feet for a few sweet words and a honeyed smile.

“How wonderful,” Copia beamed. The intense focus he was listening with surprised Swiss, “I would be honoured to discuss your experience with us more mortal folk at greater length!”

Swiss shrugged, bashful. After the last few days of seeing his packmates slot into place here, he hadn't expected to feel needed in any way, least of all by their leader.

“I have a goal, you see,” the man explained, his face seeming to regain its youth in his excitement, “to spread His message far beyond these walls, far beyond the distance any missionary could carry it. The problem is, of course, the method.”

Swiss thought back to his conversation with Sunny.

“How about music?” he asked. “At least as a way to lure people in, it always worked for me. Then you'd have a captive audience to preach to.”

Copia nearly leapt to his feet in excitement. Instead, he simply gripped the edges of his chair and pitched himself forward.

“What an idea!” Several others in the library looked round, disturbed by the noise. “You said you played guitar, correct?”

Swiss held his hands out in front of him to defuse his enthusiasm.

“I do, but you must understand we are very wary of humans right now.”

Copia deflated somewhat, but his face was one of understanding.

“Yes, of course. My apologies Rain,” he turned to smile at the water ghoul, half hidden behind Dew, who shrugged at him, “I would never force any one of you do anything against your will.”

As he was looking at Rain, he seemed to remember himself suddenly.

“Why, we haven't been properly introduced! I am Papa Emeritus the Fourth, leader of this Abbey and sanctuary, but you can call me Copia.”

Rain looked uncomfortable as he became the sudden focus of the man's attention, but he held a cautious hand out to shake.

“Rain.” He said, softly. Copia took it and smiled, softer now he had calmed down somewhat.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Rain. I am most thankful our Dewdrop was able to save you, and I hope your recovery is going smoothly.”

“Yes, thank you. Mist has been helping me.”

“Ah, Mist. With her in charge you will have no choice but to get better!” He laughed at his own joke.

Sensing Rain's discomfort, Dew surreptitiously snaked his tail out to twine around Rain's. The water ghoul's tightened back in return, glad of the comfort. Luckily, Copia's attention was soon diverted back to quizzing the more senior ghouls, and Rain could relax again.

Eventually, Copia seemed to run out of questions and the ghouls were able to make their escape. As they left, Dew made a point of walking alongside Aether.

“Hi Dew, have a good day?”

Dew nodded offhandedly; he was here to question Aether, not the other way around.

“Are you alright?” He asked, in his usual blunt fashion. “Swiss and Mount are clearly worried about you too, afraid you felt left out while they went to go flirt in the woods earlier.”

Aether wanted to point out that Dew had also run off for similar purposes, but refrained.

“I thought they were,” he sighed, “they don’t need to be though, I’ve had a really great day. Copia is a fascinating man, and I bumped into Astra from the infirmary earlier who offered me a position there.”

Dew raised an eyebrow: Aether truly did seem happy today.

“I could really see us settling down here.”

That really did shock Dew. He had assumed Aether and Mountain would have the most difficulty figuring out their place here, but they seemed to be finding their feet best of all. He smiled up at the quintessence ghoul.

“I’m glad, Aeth. Really.”

That dinnertime, they decided to brave the main dining hall for the first time. The ghoulettes led them along the maze of corridors, taking them into a large wood-panelled room with a giant fire burning in the grate. Finally they got a glimpse at how large the Abbey’s population actually was. There were about half a dozen humans, all sat together in one corner, with the rest of the long tables occupied by ghouls. A gentle hubbub filled the air, but it was by no means unpleasantly loud. Cumulus led them over to an empty table in the middle of the room, and gestured for them all to take a seat. Dinner would be served buffet style, she informed them, but only once the kitchen staff themselves were ready to eat. Mealtimes were taken seriously here and there would be nobody left hunting for leftovers at the end, especially if they had a hand in preparing it.

Spotting Astra across the room Aether waved hello, happy to see a friendly face amidst the sea of strangers. The meal was as chaotic as ever, maybe even more so with the overall good mood of the pack and ambient noise in the room, but nobody seemed too bothered.

The ghoulettes led them up to the serving hatch to help themselves to food. Dew happily sprinkled more dried chillies all over his, reaching out an urgent hand to stop Rain from automatically copying him.

“It’s chili,” he laughed as they sat back at the table, “the spicy plant, only these have been dried.”

Rain was unimpressed.

“How can you eat that?” He pulled a face, as Dew began shovelling the mountain of red-freckled food into his mouth. “It’s trying to hurt you!”

“I’m a big strong ghoul,” Dew grinned at him, “let it try.”

“Sure you are.” Rain purred, rolling his eyes and bumping Dew gently with his shoulder.

The ghouls made casual conversation the rest of the meal; Cirrus and Cumulus asking about their days, and Sunshine about their conversation with Copia.

“He really liked the music idea,” Swiss told her, “I don't know if it will go anywhere, but it could be fun.”

Sunny seemed vastly more enthusiastic than him, so he let her excitement buoy him along as they chattered with the others about it. While the ghouls were still highly sceptical about interacting with humans, their memories of nights in the tavern or just around their own farm with Swiss and his guitar were full of fondness.

Back in the Den, the ghoulettes diplomatically left the common room to the newcomers for the evening, knowing they had an important discussion to have: whether they wished to stay at the Abbey for any length of time, or move on. As they peeled off, Cirrus pointed out all the empty doors, telling the ghouls that all the remaining rooms were made up ready for them if they wished to separate at last.

The pack spilled into the common room, occupying the colourful collection of chairs. The hubbub of the conversation from the hallway soon died out and they looked at each other, unsure of where to start.

“So,” Mountain began eventually, jumping straight to the point, “are we staying for now?”

Aether broke the silence that followed the earth ghoul's words.

“I'd be in favour, yes.”

Rain nodded exuberantly, clutching onto Dew's arm with hopeful eyes.

“Yeah, same.” He chuckled, making Rain beam.

“Me too.” Mountain cast his own vote.

They all turned to look at Swiss.

“Sure,” he forced a smile and shrugged, before answering truthfully, “it's the best place for us as a pack.” He would find his place eventually, he figured, and he trusted Sunny's optimism. Besides, where else would he go? He didn't dislike it here, and Copia's plans sounded interesting. Really, he just wanted to be wherever his pack were happy, and if that was here, he figured he would be too, in time.

"So, it's settled then: we stay for a while and try to make a go of things here.” Aether looked around at his pack, the mixture that they were, with pride and hope. They had all come a long way; from the antisocial wanderers he and Mountain had been, to the frail and frightened ghouls Rain and Dewdrop had been when they arrived, they had become a real pack, as strong as family.

Like any family though, they still needed time to themselves, and Aether for one was itching to stretch out in a bed, alone. As much as he had loved their piles over the last few nights, the weeks of camping had taken their toll on his back. He stretched his arms above his head, his spine making a flurry of popping noises, and he knew when he stood his hips and knees would do the same.

“Bedtime?” suggested Mountain with a laugh, slapping his knees before staggering to his feet from the impossibly low armchair he had landed in earlier, like a baby deer learning to walk. The antlers really added to the mental image, though Dew with a snicker.

Back in the hallway, the ghouls looked at the doors in front of them, at a slight loss for what to do.

“The one next to mine looks pretty much the same, the ones opposite have bigger windows and a balcony.” Dew summarised, waiting to see which dithering ghoul chose which. Mountain shrugged and opened the door to the room he had showered in previously; the wooden panelling like in Dew's was perfect for protecting an earth ghoul's energy, especially in the winter. Aether did the same opening an opposite door, keen for the view of the sky the tall windows would provide and already imagining evenings sat watching the stars. That only left the rooms next to him for Rain and Swiss. The latter waved goodnight to the pack, and sent an additional smile towards Mountain directly opposite, leaving only the water ghoul who made no move to leave Dew's side.

“You good with the last one?” Dew asked, concerned he'd overlooked some crucial issue. Rain dug his claws into Dew's arm, tugging him towards the fire ghoul's plain door.

“Oh, you don't want your own?” Dew tried to colour his voice with concern, but was secretly delighted to keep the water ghoul close, and all to himself. Rain shook his head vehemently and tightened his grip.

“Ouch! Okay, I get it, roommates it is.” Dew laughed, and let himself be pulled into his own bedroom.

The pair did not stay there for long. Whether due to the nervous energy that buzzed around them at the realisation that they were truly alone for the first time, or just from the lingering excitement of the day, it was barely half an hour before the two ghouls were sneaking back out of the dormitory, giggling like kits. They ran hand in hand towards the lake, pulling each other along as the light of the waning moon gleamed off Dew's champagne hair, making it appear lit from within.

Their footsteps slapped lightly on the dock as they ran along it, heading for the spot where they had sat earlier, right at the end. Rain looked like he was debating leaping straight in, grabbing at the hem of his shirt, but thought better at the last minute and tested the temperature with his tail first.

“Fuck that's freezing!” he hissed. How did it feel so much colder now that it was nighttime? Dew giggled next to him, lying on his front instead to look down into the dark water. Rain joined him, their shoulders bumping together as Dew reached out a hand to swirl the dark liquid around. The moonlight reflected off every little ripple he made, spreading out in hypnotising circles.

Dew's mind drifted. He imagined them swimming alone in the lake, dressed only in darkness with the moon the sole witness to their pile of clothes laying abandoned on the dock. He could probably keep a patch of water around them warm, if they stuck close enough together...

Glancing at Rain, his blue-tinged skin glowing luminescent in the moonlight, he suddenly felt very exposed, and rolled onto his back to stare into the dark abyss of the sky. It wasn't empty though, he realised. The myriad pinpricks of light from stars competed for his attention with the moon that hung there, mocking his inaction with her beautiful kin laid next to him.

“It's almost unbelievable,” Dew mused, distracting himself as Rain rolled over to join him and maintain their closeness, “that the moon caused all of this. It looks so small up there.”

Rain followed his gaze and hummed in acknowledgement.

“I knew it controlled the tides, obviously, but I didn't think about it affecting ghouls too,” he agreed, “it seems almost obvious now Mist's pointed it out.”

“You didn't know at all?” Dew asked, surprised. Rain shook his head.

“I don't know why no one ever told me,” he sighed, “was it really obvious to everyone else, and I'm just stupid? Or was there some super-secret club for powerful water ghouls where they talked about all this, that I was left out of because they thought I was useless?”

“You're not useless,” Dew answered automatically, “I hadn't heard of anything like it either, it seems almost unbelievable.”

Rain hummed again, thinking about Dew being half water but with no knowledge of what that meant at all, not even a connection to the element to hold on to.

“Is it strange, having a part of you that you know nothing about?” he asked finally.

Dew thought for a moment about the half of him laying dormant before answering with a shrug.

“I guess. I don't know how else I'm supposed to feel about it, it's not like I've lost anything, y'know? I'm mostly a normal fire ghoul without it. It's always just been this tainted thing about me.”

It was so sad, thought Rain, that the thing that had drawn him to Dew in the first place – his faint familiarity – was something he saw as a negative, just a stain. He was sure the sorrow was clear on his face, as Dew's began to mirror it when their eyes met again.

“I'm still sorry, for taking my resentment about it out on you,” Dew continued, almost whispering now, “it felt like the universe was taunting me by presenting me with such a perfect water ghoul. Showing me something beautiful, but that only made me feel uglier inside like some sort of cruel joke.”

Rain made sympathetic noises, Dew having already apologised enough for his previous actions, until it suddenly dawned on him that Dew was describing him.

“What do you mean perfect? I'm as far from perfect as you could get, everyone in my clan thought I was a pathetic excuse for a water ghoul, even as a kit!”

Dew snorted; he'd never heard anything so silly.

“Look at you though, look at your pretty fins!” Dew gestured to Rain's arms, the lacy fins on his arms glowing a thousand shades of blue and rolled to point at his tail moving lazily through the water, leaving a bioluminescent trail in its wake.

“We all look like this!” Rain laughed, incredulous.

“Yeah, but I don't,” Dew sounded sad again, “all the water in me did was douse the fire some. The worst of both worlds.” He stared at Rain's tail some more, not wanting to meet his eyes. Sensing the beginnings of the familiar slide into self-pity, and not wanting to put a downer on their otherwise pleasant day, he forced himself to pull the topic back into lighter territory.

“Not to mention, that apparently it makes me smell like fish!” He reached out into the dark lake to splash Rain lightly, making the water ghoul squeal in shock at the cold. In retaliation, Rain fixed Dew with a wicked smile, and pulled a column of water up from the ripples below, making it arc menacingly over him.

“Okay, okay, I take it back!” Dew shrieked, not wanting a drenching in the icy water. “I can tell you your fins are pretty again, just please don't soak me!”

Rain carefully guided every drop back into the lake with a pleased trill. The tension utterly shattered once again; the pair sat giggling uncontrollably to themselves. Dew had to wonder if they were becoming slightly delirious; he couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed so much.

They finally regained their composure enough to continue talking, the atmosphere of openness that the dark night provided still surrounding them in her comforting arms.

“Do you have anything at all that links you to water?” Rain asked, curious. “Anything that links you to the moon?”

Dew thought hard. He definitely didn't have the true elemental magic, that followed what Mist had explained too, but he thought about any of his behaviours that had been seen as odd for a fire ghoul.

“I never noticed much,” he mused, “but I guess I like fish a lot more than the average fire ghoul? My clan never really ate it unless food was tight, and then we barbequed it beyond recognition anyway. They all preferred red meat. I don't know if that's a water ghoul thing though or not.”

“Swiss likes fish too?” Rain thought out loud. “Maybe that's also his water element.”

“Maybe the three of us just have more refined palates.” Dew laughed.

A comfortable silence fell again.

“Can you swim?” Rain asked after a while. He realised he'd never actually seen Dew swim, only bob around with his feet on the ground.

“Not properly,” Dew shook his head, “I never learned as a kit, and I just got by without knowing until now.” He met Rain's gaze with shy eyes. “Could you teach me?”

The water ghoul positively beamed at him.

Eventually, the two ghouls found themselves in their earlier position, lying back on the pier and watching the celestial bodies above. Out here in the stillness of the night, the gentle noises of nature were reassuringly constant. Everything felt just a little bit easier, Rain thought, when the sounds of the world carried on regardless of his actions. Nothing he could say would stop the humming of the insects of the periodic hooting of the owls, no matter how monumental it sounded to his ears. The moon shone down at him, imploring him to tell Dew his final secret under her protective gaze.

“It wasn’t just the moon, that day.” He said finally, eyes fixed on her glowing shape in the heavens, so as to not have to meet those of the fire ghoul beside him. Rain could feel Dew’s stare boring into the side of his face, unsure of both where the conversation was going, and where it had come from. He kept looking up, lest he lose his nerve.

“I told you about the ghoulette from my home clan, remember?” Rain felt, rather than saw, Dew nodding next to him. “I’ve been having nightmares about her, ever since I left. They’re usually pretty similar, just variations of her calling me useless, pathetic, that sort of thing.”

“Was that what the nightmare the other day was about?” Asked Dew sadly, unable to stop himself.

Rain debated how to answer. ‘No more lies’ he reminded himself.

“Sort of. She was in it, but that dream was different,” he continued quickly, before Dew could ask a follow up question, “the important one is the nightmare I had that morning.” Rain took a deep, shuddering breath, determined to get the words out fully. “The morning I killed three people.” His tongue felt like lead as he spoke.

Dew reached out a comforting hand, and Rain gripped it like a lifeline before continuing, his eyes still fixed forward.

“It was the same as most of my nightmares usually went; she called me useless, the fire ghoul next to her laughed, I woke up. Only that morning, I couldn’t shake it off like normal. She was in the back of my mind from the moment I woke up. Then when I got to the farm, it was like I was seeing a ghost.”

Rain tore his eyes away from the moon to look at Dew, and wished he hadn’t when he saw the deeply earnest expression on his face.

“Wait, do you remember the girl I–” Rain tried not to choke on the word this time, “killed?”

Dew shook his head. “Not really. I remember Farmer Wilkens had a daughter, but I couldn’t recall her face.”

Rain laughed wryly, but there was no humour in his tone as he focussed back on the moon above.

“She was the spitting image of her. It was like I’d been transported back in time to when I was an adolescent, like I was looking at the version of her who’d said she loved me, rather than the version in my dream who said no one ever would.”

He felt the squeezing round his hand grow tighter, grounding him.

“Seeing someone who looked so much like her from back then, combined with the nightmare still in my head, I panicked, and then I couldn’t stop the magic flowing through me.”

Rain could feel hot tears running down into his hairline, unbidden. Recounting the event like this, dwelling on how he had felt, how he had hurt. However it also felt cathartic, like by telling Dew, the moon and the whole night sky, he could begin to ask the universe for forgiveness, or at least understanding.

“I just wanted her to stop,” he cried, sobbing now, “I just wanted her to be quiet, to leave me alone and get out of my head. Then I saw that poor girl, and I couldn’t stop it coming out! The water just wouldn’t stop, and it was going straight for her.” Rain’s whole body shuddered in horror at the recollection of how the unstoppable tidal wave of his power had felt; how he’d seen the girl’s painfully familiar face and lashed out, desperate to make his endless night time suffering end.

“I saw her get dragged away by the flood,” he gasped between stuttered breaths, “I couldn’t stop it and I killed her!”

He’d seen her body crumple to the floor as the water released her, finally seeing her as the true innocent stranger she was. As the life left her fragile body, the light behind the eyes of the ghoulette who lurked in his mind and haunted his dreams faded too. Rain let himself be pulled into Dew and comforted as his cries of guilt and grief wracked his body.

Dew had tried as hard as he could to hold his tongue while Rain spoke, seeing how much pain he was putting himself through. He could tell how important it was to Rain that he got the words out however, so he tried to provide all the unspoken comfort he could. When Rain finished, he wasted no time in clutching the water ghoul close and letting him sob for as long as he needed. What he had gone through that morning was even more traumatic than he could have imagined; Dew couldn’t even begin to picture how much guilt he must have been holding on to. No wonder he had appeared to lose his mind in the aftermath, he thought. Rain’s constant and recurring need to blame himself made sense too, given the harrowing circumstances.

When Rain appeared to have run out of tears to cry, simply shaking in his arms, Dew shuffled even closer, nuzzling his way into getting his head onto Rain’s chest. He didn’t know what to say, but it seemed he didn’t need to; Rain’s reaction to his closeness clearly showed it was enough for him to just be there for him. The peace was much-needed, it seemed, and Dew was happy to provide.

They could have stayed that way for minutes or hours, it was anyone’s guess. Long past the time Rain had stopped quivering, past the time Dew’s leg had begun spasming with disuse, until the water ghoul started shivering from the cold instead. Dew heated himself up and happily let Rain hold him closer for warmth, like a sentient hot water bottle. Eventually, it wasn’t enough however.

“Do you want to go back inside?” Dew asked in a whisper, twisting to raise his chin and look at Rain for a response, but not fully lifting his head from his chest.

Rain nodded, and released Dew to scramble to his feet where he held out a hand to help the water ghoul up too. He kept hold of it the whole walk back to the Abbey, needing to feel the closeness after the raw emotion of baring his soul. He only released him once they had tiptoed back into the Den, with the bedroom door closed behind them as they went to change into pyjamas.

The pair both blushed deeply with their backs to each other as they stripped, and stumbled into their sleep clothes. Dew turned around as soon as he was finished to see Rain stood with clearly no intention of putting a shirt on over his sensitive exposed gills. He thanked whatever deity was listening for the dim light of the fireplace as they climbed into his – or he supposed it was now their – bed, grateful that the deep flush on his cheeks was camouflaged by it. Letting Rain manhandle him back into the position they were at down on the dock with Dew halfway on top of the him, the two ghouls slipped very swiftly into sleep. It had been a busier evening than either had anticipated, with far more vulnerability from the water ghoul than Dew had been expecting given their light-hearted joking just before. He supposed it was all things Rain had needed to say, and he could only hope that it would help keep the nightmares from continuing to torment him. For good measure, he wrapped his arms tighter around Rain’s torso: no bad dreams were getting past him if he could help it.

Next door, two of their packmates were in a very similar position.

Swiss had gotten ready for bed in the cold, empty expanse of the unoccupied room that was now supposedly his, every move he made echoing loudly off the bare walls. His footsteps sounded like a giant thudding around, and he couldn’t help but wonder if the whole hallway could hear him. Laying in the nest he had tried so valiantly to build, he felt a bone-chilling cold despite his limited fire power heating the blankets around him, and the fire burning in the hearth. He stared at the high ceiling, and tried to distract himself from the feeling of the stone walls closing in on him. They reminded him of Rain’s jail cell, and left him half-paralysed in fear.

Eventually he could bear it no longer; the wind racing past the tall windows was beginning to sound like screams in his ears, the yells of the bloodthirsty mob from the village, and he bolted from the room. He paused outside Mountain’s door, unsure if he could just burst in on the earth ghoul. What if he was asleep? Calmer now that he was out of the room, he considered his alternatives: going back wasn’t an option, he could barely stand to be in there for another minute, let alone sleep a whole night there. Aether had a similar room to his, and no amount of company would make him feel comfortable in the veritable stone prison. Besides, the quintessence ghoul desperately needed more sleep and he wasn’t going to take that away from him over a mere sleeping arrangement issue. There was no way in Hell he was going to disturb Rain and Dewdrop, and he couldn’t just stay in the hallway in his sleep pants, leaving him with no other option.

Quietly he pushed open the emerald green door. Maybe Mountain would be asleep and he wouldn’t even have to explain himself – he could make that a problem for Morning-Swiss. That plan was immediately foiled however at the sight of the earth ghoul staring straight at him, two green eyes glinting in the darkness and the dim firelight flickering on his unglamoured antlers.

“Hey Mount.” he whispered softly, apologetic.

“Can’t sleep?” rumbled Mountain, a sleepy smile on his face.

“How’d you know I don’t just want a cuddle?” Swiss tried to joke, but his voice rang hollow to both of them.

Mountain, however, very much liked the sound of a cuddle, especially with how haunted Swiss was looking as he spoke now. He hadn’t been able to sleep either yet; against all of his prior experience, he was missing the company of his pack. Especially one packmate.

“C’mon,” Mountain hummed, beckoning Swiss forward, “bedtime.”

He pulled the multi ghoul tight to his chest, resting his chin on Swiss’ piled up hair.

“Is this okay?” Swiss whispered into the dark. The room here was so much more comforting already with it wooden interior, although he suspected his specific company helped.

“Course it is, Snapdragon.”

A short while later, the room was reverberating quietly with the sound of their harmonising purrs as they fell into a sound sleep.

Across the hall, Aether was also just drifting off to sleep. He had sat up for a while, wrapped in a heavy blanket and watching the stars from his balcony. The constellations above were familiar: the same unwavering cast of characters telling the same stories they had told for millennia. It made the multitude of changes that had occurred recently easier, knowing that some things remained totally static in the world.

The quiet in his room was blissful; he felt bad thinking it, but it was nice to have a moment of peace to himself. He loved his pack mates, more than anything, but his brain needed the alone time to decompress sometimes. The calm stillness of the room welcomed him, absorbing the loudest of the thoughts that rattled around inside his head like marbles in a jar.

Back in bed, he let the gentle rushing of the wind around the corners of the building lull him into a deep sleep.

[ass-deep-in-demons]

never the same river

Fandom: A Song of Ice and Fire Pairing: Ned Stark x Catelyn Tully Stark Tropes: developing relationship, arranged marriage, fluff and spice, mutual pining, idiots in love, dirty talk Rating: T+ Words: 2k Summary: Ned learns Catelyn used to be fond of swimming. He has no idea what he's doing.

for @nedcatweek day 6 prompt: "I want you to feel at home" [AO3]

“It is beautiful here,” Catelyn said, looking around. Ned observed her as she dismounted and gave the reins away to one of their host, before they were left alone. The weather had reached this sweet spot on the cusp of high season, when it was warm, but not hot enough to become unbearable. Late though and tentative, summer had indeed come to the North. The ice floe on the river had long melted, the flowers were yet in bloom, but the trees had for some weeks now been clad in the most verdant foliage, making one forget that the Winter was, indeed, coming. (Because Winter was coming. Tomorrow, or in twenty years, it was always coming, Ned knew.)

The idea to come here had arisen in Ned’s mind during the cold months. He had to bear Catelyn’s nostalgic looks on Harvest Day, then her barely visible flinches and chills in response to the cold drafts in the castle during winter. Though she might hide it well, Catelyn did not feel at home.

“What are we to do now, my Lord?” Catelyn asked and looked at him. Would that he could find his words easily. Alas, he’d never been skillful in conveying his meaning. Why had he brought her here? What were they going to do now? He wasn’t sure himself.

He wanted her to feel more at home. The Sept that he’d commissioned for her two winters prior hadn’t been enough, if her wistful sighing and withering glances were anything to judge by. Ned blamed himself. If only he’d made her feel more welcome. He had tried to keep her company whenever he could, but he wasn’t sure if his quiet, brooding presence had been any help, or if it had only made things worse. (Because he’d been brooding, Gods help him. He knew he’d been.)

With the first vestiges of spring, Ser Brynden Tully had come to Winterfell, bearing greetings and letters from Lord Hoster. The Blackfish had stayed in their Castle a fortnight and spent most of those mornings observing little Robb at play, and most of the evenings trying to get Ned to drink with him. Ned had very good reasons to not over indulge (what with the secrets he carried), but he would indulge a little, on occasion. And so he had played the gracious host, indulged a little in the cups with his guest, and had used the opportunity to pry subtly about Catelyn’s life back in Riverrun. One of the memories shared by Brynden had struck him as a particularly happy one. It was that of young Catelyn and Lysa going swimming in the Red Fork River in the summer. So, Catelyn liked river swimming… This seemed to Ned an extravagant passtime, but what did he know? He was from the North; he did not understand southern customs, and therein lay the whole problem.

“I thought we could go swimming in the river,” he said simply. 

“... Swimming, my Lord?” she asked. Had he announced he was going to re-paint the walls of Castle Black bright crimson, her eyes could not have gotten any rounder. Taking her swimming had been his plan, ridiculous though it might now seem. The swift currents of White Knife, sure to be carrying the chill of northern glaciers even now, did not seem particularly enticing, he had to admit.

He regarded his Lady. She looked beautiful when surprised. To be precise, she looked beautiful at all times and all moods, to Ned at least. He would admire her quietly when she would glide through Winterfell, swishing about in her gowns, which she took to tailoring according to Northern fashion, but which retained the elegance and lightness of the worldly South. She would brighten his dour abode with her mere presence, but here, among nature, with the warm sun glinting in her teal eyes and setting her hair aflame? Catelyn Tully took his breath away.

“Perhaps the hot springs near your castle would serve better for that purpose, my Lord?” Catelyn asked, when he prolonged his silence. Her surprise had turned into visible amusement. “You know you can call for me whenever you want for company in the pools…”

Ned felt his ears turn red at the memory of their last time at the hot springs. He had noticed the cold did not serve his Lady well, and proposed they visit the caverns in the Godswoods, where the temperature in the pools was particularly high, so that she could warm herself and forget about the snowstorms that had been plaguing Winterfell. Catelyn had accepted this offer, but, instead of an endeavor towards the betterment of her health, she thought it primarily an effort to introduce some variety to their marital duties. And so their hot spring experience quickly turned… steamy. 

Not that their bedroom needed any more steam. Ned would visit Catelyn’s chambers regularly, although never without her prior invitation. And she would invite him often. Every other night, in fact, whenever she was not through her menses. Ned knew this was what Maester Luwin advised her in order to quicken again, as Catelyn was bent on giving him another son.

Thing was, Catelyn had already given him one perfect son. Whenever Ned even looked at little Robb, he could not help but wonder. He had never thought he would ever get to be this happy. Not after… After… More still, she had given him another child, a sweet little babe, a daughter. Sansa favored her mother, and that made her beautiful to Ned’s eyes. Still, his Lady wanted to bear him another son, and it didn’t seem likely she’d give up before achieving that goal.

He could not help but feel guilty. Was it because of Jon? Was it that because Jon existed, she felt like one legitimate son wasn’t enough? Oh, he did feel guilty, after Jon, unworthy of those constant invitations to her bedchamber of wonders. For all his guilt, he’d never suggested that one heir was enough, though. He wondered if he maybe should, for her peace of mind, but then their nighttime activities would likely cease, and he just couldn't give her up. Wretched as he was, he came to rely completely on the reprieve that her touch offered. He would not show it, but most days he lusted after her, he awaited her signal impatiently like a man starved. It took a lot of effort on his part to not lose himself utterly with her, to not bite her soft, creamy skin, to not yank her lush red hair, not to take her a little too eagerly. She seemed so delicate, so refined. Ladylike.

He had earned the nickname the Quiet Wolf, because in his boyhood he’d been perceived as calm, in contrast to Brandon. Ah, Brandon… How his brother would now mock him, if he could see him so… lovesick. Ned had always been the sensible one. The reserved one. But not with Catelyn, he wasn’t. Not after having tasted her. Sometimes he thought one look of her eyes alone could make the wolfblood in him awaken. The wolfblood that he had used to doubt he had a drop of, but that he could now feel cursing through his veins whenever she lay under him. He restrained himself, fearful of offending her and losing her good graces, losing the privilege of sharing her bed, that he had nearly forfeited when he had brought Jon in. So he tried to remain calm during their couplings. Calm, gentle. Attentive to her whims and needs. He made sure she had her pleasure too, because Gods knew he had his aplenty with her.

“What is the true purpose of this outing, my Lord?” Catelyn asked, snapping him out of his musings. She was getting impatient, Ned knew. No wonder - they had spent the entire morning on horseback to get here, on his urging, and he’d kept her in the dark as to their destination. “Why have you brought me here?”

Ned sighed.

“Ser Brynden has told me you were fond of the river as a child,” he said. He could not bear to look her in the eye, so he instead looked at the murmuring crystalline waters. “I wanted you to feel more at home…”

Catelyn’s expression darkened visibly, at that. This was, apparently, the wrong thing to say, though for the love of the Old Gods, Ned could not figure out why.

“You do not get it, do you?” she grumbled, and he could tell she was bitter. He said nothing, as was his way, and let her speak. “I’ve lived here for four summers already! Winterfell is my home! Would that you saw it. Would that my welcome here was warmer.”

“What do you mean?” Ned was alarmed by her outburst. “Have I not seen to your comforts, my Lady? Has anyone in the Castle mistreated you?” Whoever had wronged her, Ned would not let them get away with it.

Catelyn sighed and shook her head, dejected.

“The truth is, I do find the North so very… cold,” she said quietly. “And not for all the snow and winter winds… I know I am unlike the women around here. Not as… hardy. The glances I sometimes get... I am a foreigner in everyone’s eyes. And, worse still, in your eyes…” She looked so sad that Ned’s very heart clenched painfully. “Sometimes I feel like I shall never belong.”

“No,” Ned rushed to appease her. He took her hand in his, hoping she’d turn around, hoping she’d look at him. “Of course your place is here! You are my Lady. My wife!”

“That I am…” She uttered a mirthless chuckle. “And you are ever so dutiful a husband. So stern, so focused, when you come to my chambers.”

“Have I been amiss with my attentions towards you?” Her comment, offhand as it was, stung deeply. He prided himself on doing his very best whenever they lay together.

“I do not deny that you are.. attentive,” she whispered. “Yet I always wonder if you even want to be there. With me.” The vulnerability in her voice rendered him near speechless. He hated himself for making her feel this way, for letting it come to this. 

“Wherever else would I be?” he asked, genuinely bewildered by the very concept.

“You tell me,” said Catelyn and finally regaled him with a look. Though her words were quiet and her face ablush, thunder and lightning danced in her eyes.

Ned was frustrated. He was well aware of his many social shortcomings, and of how much Jon’s presence had soured things between them, but he had been trying his very best to be a good husband to her. He’d made many attempts at conveying how much she meant to him, but all of his efforts had failed, it seemed. He felt his temper rise, for the first time perhaps where she was involved.

“Then what would you have me do, my Lady?” he asked, not trying overly hard to smooth his speech this time. “Would you want me to grab you by your beautiful, downright sinful hair and take you roughly against the wall? Would that convince you of my commitment?”

This was, shockingly, somehow the right thing to say. Catelyn’s entire face brightened momentarily and it made something in Ned’s stomach stir in anticipation.

“You would want me like that?” she asked, breathless. Contrary to Ned’s every prediction, she did not look appalled nor frightened by the idea of them coupling roughly.

“I have… thought about it,” he admitted carefully. Her expression softened further, so he allowed himself to reveal even more. “In truth, I have been thinking of little else for many months now…”

“And you like my hair?” she asked.

Ned did like her hair, Gods help him, and he liked how her voice vibrated with excitement. He’d suddenly got many more ideas on how to make his wife feel more at home…

This is my contribution to NedCat Week 2024. Thrilled to be part of it and in awe of all the awesome writers making it happen <3

[my fanfiction masterpost]

[quaranmine]

Shoshone National Forest Fire Lookouts (compared to Firewatch game locations)

One of the more interesting things about my story research, and by extension the game of Firewatch itself, is that all of the lookouts in the game are fake. In the game, you have the Two Forks tower and the Thorofare one. You also have a Moss Peak lookout and a Spruce lookout listed at the supply drop. The map lists a Chimmney Peak lookout as well on the adjacent regions section, and it isn't too much of a stretch to assume that some of the other adjacent regions also have lookouts even if the word "lookout" isn't attached to the name. There's an abandoned cabin called Hawks Rest lookout. That's a lot of lookouts!

But none of those exist, or seem to have ever existed, in real life in Shoshone National Forest. Of course, that in itself is not too suprising--most of the other locations on the game map don't exist in real life either. Oh, the names are inspired ("Thunder" canyon, "Waipiti" meadow, "Beartooth" point) but the actual geographic features on the game map do not exist. There is no Jonesy lake, for example. It's a fictional setting created around a real life profession, of course it isn't referencing real locations. But there are tons of details in the game that are true to life.

There is a real Thorofare area. It's also an 85 mile backpacking route. More photos of the Thorofare area here. Gorgeous place, btw.

There is also a real fork in the Yellowstone River, splitting into an South Fork and an North fork. Inspiration for "Two Forks" as a name? Perhaps. It's not listed on the map above because I haven't zoomed in far enough, but the fork happens where the upper left flat area is.

There is a real "Hawk's Rest" location. (Game versus google images)

This cropped part of the game map is low resolution, but the adjacent regions listed to the Two Forks district are: Red Tops, Thorofare, Spruce, Crescent Mountain, Moss Peak, Ramshorn Peak, Chimmney Rock, and Irish Rock. Now looking on the map, what do we find in close proximity? These locations:

Ramshorn, Red Tops, Crescent Mountain, Irish Rock. The others might exist too (I swear I saw Chimmney Rock on another day) but I just didn't find it while making this post. It's hard to show in my screenshots, since these names only pop up when I'm really zoomed in, but all of these are in fairly close to each other on the map.

Most of the above mountains and real place names that correspond to the game Firewatch are located roughly in the red circle area. Some of the places are partially in Bridger-Teton National Forest instead. In road terms, the game seems to take place between HWY 14 out of Cody, WY and HWY 26 out of Dubois, WY.

Okay, so what about fire lookouts? Let's see the real life ones of Shoshone National Forest!

....well, there aren't that many. In fact, you can see a huge 'ol gap in same area as the spot I circled in the above map, which is where the locations in Shoshone match up to locations in the game. What's up with that? I'm not sure. Most of the lookouts on this map are either in Yellowstone, Teton, the Wind River Reservation, or Bridger-Teton National Forest.

In Shoshone National Forest, past or present, there is: Pinnacle Butte Lookout (no info), Warm Spring Mountain Lookout (gone), Blue Ridge Lookout (gone), Hunter Peak Lookout (gone), Windy Mountain Lookout (gone), and the Clay Butte Lookout (STILL STAFFED! but as a visitor information site.) The closest to the game site is Clayton Mountain Lookout, which is not present on the map above but in other former lookout registries I checked. It is gone as well.

None of these match anything in the game. They're either located on the far south finger of the Shoshone NF in the Wind River Range, or in the far north part near the Montana border. Most are gone, and were gone well before the late 80s when the game was set. Most don't even have photos attached. There was a total of 7 lookouts present in Shoshone National Forest total. The game Firewatch suggests 5 minimum lookout locations, and one former location, just in that small area of the national Forest. In the universe of Firewatch, I wonder how many total lookouts existed in other parts of this vast national forest?

I don't know if there's a point to this post, except that I find it quite interesting how the game incorporated real life names and locations into it, while still picking an area with relatively few lookouts ever present. And why is there so few lookouts in this area? Compared to the 900+ that existed in the neighboring Idaho? I'm not sure. That's a research question for another time.

Shoshone National Forest has the sights (beautiful location), the history (first ever national forest established; location of a wildfire that changed the trajectory of wildland firefighting history), and is adjacent to Yellowstone in a way that allowed the Yellowstone fires of 1988 to be incorporated into the storyline. But it is NOT the site of a rich fire lookout history, unfortunately.

[megistusmona-mp4]

random south park x gn!reader incorrect quotes

these are probably ooc (out of character)

gif by ﹫///jenoevil on twt.

Y/N: Favorite horror movie?

Christopher: It

Gregory: Saw

Damien: Annabelle

Pip: High School Musical. after watching it I spent all my middle school years terrified that the entire school would start singing something and I’d be the only one who didn’t know the lyrics

Y/N: Nothing in life is free.

Christopher: Love is free!

Gregory: Adventure is free.

Damien: Knowledge is free.

Pip: Everything is free if you take it without paying.

Y/N: Anyone d-

Craig: Depressed?

Tweek: Drained?

Clyde: Dumb?

Butters: Disliked?

Y/N: -done with their work... what is wrong with you people ...

Y/N: Imagine if someone handed you a box full of all the items you have lost throughout your life

Craig: Self-esteem, haven't seen you in years!

Tweek: Oh wow, my childhood innocence! Thank you for finding this!

Clyde: I knew I lost that potential somewhere!

Butters: My moral code, is that you?

Y/N:

Y/N: I was just gonna show you this cool trunk my mother left me but do you guys need a hug?

Y/N: You really put aside everything and came all this way for me? How did you even get here so fast?

Craig: Several traffic violations.

Tweek: Three counts of resisting arrest.

Clyde: Roughly thirteen cans of energy drinks.

Butters: Also, that’s not our car.

Y/N: Why isn’t the statue smirking at me?

Kenny: It isn’t smirking at anyone, they’re all just imagining it.

Y/N: Three of us saw it, Kenny. How do you explain that?

Kenny: *points at Cartman* Sleep deprivation. *points at Kyle* Paranoia. *points at Stan* Delusional personality disorder.

Y/N: What if the person who named Walkie Talkies named everything?

Kenny: Pregnancy tests are Maybe Babies

Stan: Socks are Feetie Heaties

Kyle: Forks are Stabby Grabbies

Kenny: Defibrillators are Heartie Starties

Stan: Nightmares are Dreamy Screamies

Kyle: Stamps are Lickie Stickies

Cartman, annoyed: You are disappointments

Y/N: You're a loose cannon, Kenny.

Kenny: No, I'm not. I'm a cannon maybe, but a loose cannon? Is that what you think of me?

Cartman: I think you play by your own rules.

Kyle: No way, they think rules were made to be broken.

Y/N: Those are all attributes of a loose cannon.

Kenny: No, I'm just a reckless renegade. Stan is a loose cannon.

Stan: *smashes a chair*

Y/N: Dammit, Wendy!

Wendy: What?! It wasn’t me!

Y/N: Sorry, force of habit. Dammit, Bebe!

Bebe: Not me either.

Y/N: Oh...Then who set the house on fire?

Heidi: *whistles*

Y/N: Hah! 69! You know what that means?

Wendy: What?

Bebe: That you're a child.

Heidi: HOW'D YOU GUESS MY IQ!?

Y/N, to Stan: My life is in the hands of an idiot!

Stan, motioning to themself and Kyle: No no no no no, TWO idiots!

Y/N: Would you stab your best friend in the leg for 10 million gold?

Stan: You stab me, and then when my leg gets better, we buy a big-ass house.

Kyle: You can stab me too, then we'll have 20 million.

Stan: Good thinking.

Y/N: WHY. why did you give Kyle a KNIFE?!

Stan: I’m sorry. They said they felt unsafe.

Y/N: Now I feel unsafe!

Stan: I’m sorry.

Stan: ... would you like a knife?

Y/N: Pip, can I talk to you for a second?

Pip: Yeah, what’s up? Lemme guess. You and Damien are having problems and you want me to teach you how to kiss?

Y/N: What? No, stop that. I know how to kiss. I’ve read books.

Y/N: If I die, my funeral is going to be the biggest party ever and you’re all invited

Damien: If?

Pip: Great, the only party I’ve ever been invited to and they might not even die.

Y/N: I’m kind of crushing on someone, but I’m worried about telling you who it is, because you’re not going to like it

Damien: Just rip the bandage off.

Y/N: It’s Pip.

Damien: Put the bandage back on.

[gamerwoman3d]

Please Be Bi-Han 🙏

🔞 An MK1 x Reader 🔞

Part 2b(ii): Smoke discovers M! Reader

PART ONE HERE

🔞 Spicy/Explicit after the cut 🔞

You realized how close to the electrical room you were, in this panic room. You chose it because the walls were thinner than the blast shelter panic room, and you wanted better wifi connectivity to watch the men overwork their bodies via the security footage. But in the dim, tablet-lit darkness, nothing. Your senses heightened, and you thought you could smell the beginnings of an electrical fire.

Then you felt it. A hand on your stomach, where no hand was visible. You turned the camera flash on the tablet: Nothing. Nothing except the invisible outline of a palm and five fingers pressing into the fabric of your clothes, leaving a handprint shaped indentation.

The smoke smell. It wasn't an electrical fire. Smoke, himself, was in this cramped little panic room with you - invisible. And, he had his hands on your body already, as if claiming his prize.

"OH GOD, TOMÁŠ!" you whimpered.

You felt his breath at your neck as he giggled.

"How did you know my name? You pronounced it so well," he said.

His fingers trailed south, slipped beneath the band of your underwear to fondle your hard cock.

"Our timeline has a Smoke, he looks just like you, you're so hot, you're why I came to this timeline -ah, ah, oh that feels... Tomáš, you're so sexy, don't stay invisible please please please let me see you," you mewled.

There was a smile in his voice.

"Nuh-uh-uh. I'm not sure you deserve to see me," he teased.

"You said I got your name right, doesn't that - ngh - count for something?" you panted out.

"Mm, a little," he said, before changing his tone, "But you also said Bi-Han’s name perfectly too. Are you suuure he isn't why you came to our timeline?"

Your body jumped up and down with excitement as you pumped your cock into his invisible hand.

"AH! Don't make me say so! You're nicer than him, you won't make me say so, you'll be nice, please Tomáááš be nice," you begged.

You felt him shuffle around, and saw your zipper drop, your cock pulled out and away from your body, forced as if by a ghost.

"I'll be very very nice," his voice came from a place hovering near your exposed, now leaking, cockhead. "It makes me feel good for you to think I'm nice."

With that, you felt his tongue gloss over the tip. Looking down, you could see the bead of precum disappear. The skin around the rim of your cockhead pressed toward you and then back, tight then loose, sucked out then pumped back rhythmically by the invisible force of Tomáš' mouth. It was as mesmerizing as it was blinding.

Yknow I'm an idiot i shoulda asked if m! Reader is top or bottom in the poll. Drop comment or anon ask in askbox if u have a strong, STRONGK opinion about Top Smoke or Bottom Smoke.

Spoiler: I'm afab but I'm weird. I'm doing the best I can here.

[desertdollranch]

Last night was the Dusty Mountain Dollies' annual Pride month celebration concert, performed free of charge at the Sagebrush Stories Bookstore and Cafe. The girls have played there numerous times and always give their audience a good show, which is how they've come to be known as the best all-girl bluegrass band in town. But their concert has also become a last-minute charitable fundraiser for victims of the South Fork Fire and the Salt Fire, both burning in southern New Mexico, our home state. These wildfires have displaced a huge number of residents in the town of Ruidoso, and many of them have lost their homes. Not to mention the destruction of wooded wilderness that is home to so many animals, who were already suffering from the loss of habitat and the changing climate. You may remember a similar benefit concert two years ago for people and animals affected by another local wildfire. They three girls are sad that this is happening once again. But they have always had a heart for their community and their homeland, and they're proud to use their musical talents to help others in any way they can.

[foterminals]

Randall Clark's Entry - October 29th 2077

Char, must've said this out loud a thousand times walking here. Maybe writing it will feel more like you heard.

You were right.

I was north of Spanish Fork. Took the 77 along Provo Bay to steer clear of town. Would've been home in an hour. Engine died, truck just stopped. So did a Chryslus in the other lane. Knew right away.

First nuke hit SLC inside a minute. I was looking South - Lucky Man! Flash behind me so bright world looked on fire. Old couple from the Chryslus starts screaming they can't see.

Didn't watch you die, Char. Saved my eyes. Counted 12 more flashes next 7 minutes. Ground shook each time, 18 seconds later.

When nothing hit for half an hour, took a look. Globe of fire where you and Alex died. Didn't kid myself.

Didn't know what to do. Grabbed my pack and rifle.

Saw to the old couple. Sat them up against car, let them hold and comfort each other. Told them I was going to get help, everything be okay. One bullet through both heads. Instant.

Five day hike back to Zion.

You told me. Stop running off to the wild. Man belongs with his family.

You were right. You were right. You were right. You were right. Wasn't there to hold you and my boy. Died without me. Never touch you or him again.

Should shoot myself. What I deserve.

Can't. Maybe soon.