#spreading phlox

[vandaliatraveler]

Blake and I headed up into the mountains yesterday to make the most of a glorious spring day, which was cool and illuminated by a beautful, flooding sunlight. At this time of year, there is still significant variation in the progression of the spring forests from the valleys to the summits, often with a temperature differential of from 5 to 10 degrees. Down on Gandy Creek, the fly fisherman were out in force after a trout stocking, but Blake's fly-fishing gear is out of commission right now, so he could only watch in envy. He's a great salamander hunter, however, and he did catch a gorgeous northern two-lined salamader (Eurycea bislineata), which reaches its southern-most range around these parts.

[poisonhemloc]

I don't have anything either but here

have Phlox

IT'S OUTER WILDS BIRTHDAY AND I HAVE NOTHING PREPARED FOR IT NOOOOO

[vitaminseetarot]

Pick a Flower: What Your Future Partner Wants You To Love About Yourself 🌸💟

UPDATED: So so sorry for posting pile 3's picture with pile 4! If you picked pile 4 I have now uploaded the correct picture for your reading to review. I apologize for the error!

Hey y'all, welcome to my next pick a card reading. I wanted to use this vintage card deck I found featuring native flowers of North America. We're going to look at what qualities your future partner wants you to recognize in yourself. (I meant to post this yesterday but got caught in a surprise Valentine's date and it was lovely!)

Please pick any one of the four cards above:

Pile 1. 5♥ - Spreading Phlox (phlox diffusa) Pile 2. Q♣ - Red Lily (lilium philadelphicum) Pile 3. 6♠ - Wild Rose (rosa acicularis) Pile 4. J♦ - Large-Leaved Lupine (lupinus polyphyllus)

Pile 1 - Spreading Phlox 🌸

King of Talismans (Pentacles), X Fate (Wheel of Fortune), 0 Seeker (Fool); Lenten Rose - Protection, Blessed, Trust, Eyes On Your Own Paper

Pile 1, your future partner wants you to see the side of you that is practical and reliable. This lover wants you to understand that although it may seem like a humble trait, it's nevertheless something they feel they've been missing in their lives. You are conscientious of how you spend and save, you're able to create a budget and set boundaries for yourself, even ones as simple as going to bed at a certain time each night. Your future partner will love how you're able to balance healthy routines with thrill seeking and fun. It may seem at first like they're just looking for an exciting fling or two, but deep down they're thinking in much longer terms though it may be difficult to admit. At least until they meet you and see how you're able to both keep to your necessary tasks in life while still enjoying the occasional adventure. You're definitely going to change how they see themselves and other people as a result. Your open mindedness will expand their perception on everything. Things they didn't think could be possible may suddenly call their attention like a pop-quiz they never studied for. You might actually intimidate them a little, not because you're scary, but because their feelings for you will suddenly drop on them like a timer and put them to the test. What's important is that your future partner will embrace these tests because they trust that you're the one for them. You keep yourself protected and they're gonna learn how to knock nicely instead of barging into your energy.

Your future partner sees you as a trustworthy companion, they value your ability to stay committed for the long haul while still containing the passion and excitement as if it had only just begun. I don't think the "honeymooning" rule applies here. They say we only experience those zesty feelings for someone for a limited time, as it naturally evolves to a more mature and level headed phase. I see here that your partner loves your continuing romantic zeal. Despite seeming down to earth on the outside, you have a spring like energy inside with the spreading phlox, said to be a flower that heralds spring. The King of Talismans is one of the highest court cards for the Pentacles, which represent the spring season. So this is like an energy you carry with you regardless of what's going on. Because of your multifaceted ability to be grounded and focused while also keeping your boundless youthful enthusiasm, they can more easily picture staying with you and ditching flightiness. Your gentle warmth will bring them out of their shell and in touch with their feelings. Being with you will be like a whole new change of season for them. A winter of emotion becomes a spring of empathy for their heart and mind.

Pile 2 - Red Lily 💖

7 of Talismans (Pentacles), VIII Strength, XXIII Magnum Opus; Zinnia - Absence, Mending, Nurture, Celebrate Your Wins

Oh my, pile 2. I think you need to take into account just how attractive it is to have a personality built around the virtues of patience and discipline. When others would quickly throw in the towel, you pick it back up almost like it's a reflex at this point. You're willing to do the long haul and put up with spending extra time when it comes to what matters in your life most. Deferred gratification is not a trait to be taken for granted as it shows a great deal of maturity. Many of the best things in life come after willing to put in the time and effort for it (not to excuse pesky bootstrap economics by any means). When it comes to things like parenthood, being dedicating to writing a book, or simply overcoming challenges, you're still able to push through because temptations have no sway over the ultimate vision. The Zinnia shows that you are able to do without for a period of time when it's necessary to compromise for the sake of your deepest wishes finally coming to fruition. You may be wanting to wait for the perfect partner even if the wait isn't wonderful because you know the outcome will be everything you imagined it to be and then more. I get the sense that the wait will be more than worth it as it will attract the kind of partner who cherishes and respects your dedication and foresight. They appreciate your ability to push through even if certain wins have come in various cycles. They know true progress is mindfully cultivated and doesn't happen overnight.

I about gasped and felt relieved when I saw the Magnum Opus card come out because the reading all made sense after. This is an additional Major Arcana card in this huge tarot deck and it's like the elevated form of the Magician. It is the magic made manifest; it is the final result of blood, sweat, tears, and love. Your partner knows you believe in the beauty of a masterpiece not just in its technical genius, but in the subtext of devotion between the creator and the created. The care and love put into something is part of what makes it beautiful to them. I think your future partner will see you as a good parent, someone who knows that raising a child or tending to a sick tree doesn't happen overnight. You can rescue a skittish animal and nurse it back into health because you see that the importance isn't in the rush, but in the amount of thoughtful care that is given and felt sincerely. They're looking for someone they can lean on in hard times, someone who doesn't shy away from responsibility, maybe as they grew up surrounded by people who did. You're like a safe refuge to them in an unpredictable world.

Pile 3 - Wild Rose 🌹

2 of Candles (Wands), 8 of Talismans (Pentacles), 7 of Candles; White Carnation - Devotion, Peace, Change, 11:11

Ooh, pile 3, am I sensing a potential power couple here? I'm seeing a combination of lover with colleague. Maybe your future partner is also a coworker or someone who runs a business with you? Seeing all these books, this could be a student or someone who is very involved in studies. Your future partner may want to make a lot of travel plans with you because they see your spunk beneath any stoic façade. This person is a go-getter and also sees that in you. It's like you amplify that drive within them, and in turn they bring out that drive in you if you aren't yet aware of it. I'm seeing pairs in both the Rose card you selected, the 2 of Wands, the 11:11 card, and even the 8 of Talismans which appear to make an 11 sign. It may seem like at times you'll be joined at the hip with them, but not in a cloistering or suffocating kind of way. You may find out in time that it feels great to work alongside somebody, to have a partner to help out with life and pursue greater things. Your partner is like a mirror to what you desire, which makes your pairing a formidable couple in the face of regular challenges that come with setting big goals. But they also respect your independence and tenacity, and have no intention on undermining that. It will just feel natural to be next to them when it used to be normal sitting alone.

Your partner loves that you are able to live by your own rules and values and refuse to budge for anyone, with the Wild Rose and White Carnation here. Despite your solitary nature, you can also adapt to circumstances as they arrive with tranquility. You do this through standing your ground and fighting for what you believe in. You fight for not just your lover, but your friends and family. This is giving me, "I'll leave you be if you leave me be, but if you mess with my loved ones then watch out because you're messing with me." And your future partner adores that quality in you of typically being so relaxed and even tempered until push comes to shove. It's finding the balance between being amenable and being assertive. These are traits you will bring out in each other. Your partner wants to be the warrior standing next to you ready to tackle anything that opposes you, all the while admiring your strong will and bravery. and empowering you every step of the way. If you have struggled to accomplish tasks, they will push with you and cheer you on at the same time, as they can both be of help and encourage you to find your own inner power. This partner will be with you through thick and thin as they know that the calm always comes after (not just before) the storm.

Pile 4 - Large-Leaved Lupine 💜

Princess (Page) of Talismans (Pentacles), Queen of Talismans, III Sacred Space (Empress); Pitcher Plant - Insight, Clean It Up, Worth, Sound-Resonance-Frequency

Pile 4, your partner is in loooove with your feminine side. Even if you see yourself as the burliest of brutes, they want you to see how lovely your feminine side is. Everyone will have a different interpretation, but with the Princess, Queen, and Empress, it's like they see all the different facets of femininity in you, so it would be fruitless to only limit yourself to one song. This energy has a healing effect on them, like how nitrogen-extracting lupines have been planted across Iceland to encourage the growth of other plant species. With the Princess of Talismans, I see your partner loves your diva side and wants to spoil you something. If you've ever felt pangs of guilt for expressing the glamorous side of you, I see that your partner will cherish those traits enough to allow you to express it again. Maybe you're not the type to doll up very much, but it doesn't necessarily take a pound of jewelry to impress them. Just putting on your finest clothes will have them turning their head thinking, "wow, pile 4 is just… different somehow." They could go to work or school one day and just see you after dressing up for an event, excited to talk to you.

This isn't just a partner who loves only beauty, mind you. With Pitcher Plant, your partner adores your deeper, more introspective mind. They love the sensuality of seeing you sway to your favorite music and they wonder what kind of world you go to when you peer into a complex painting at the museum. Your partner loves that you take care of your surroundings. Not just in the domestic sphere, but in many areas of life. At work, you tend to the little details so everything runs smoothly. You may petition and protest for the sake of the environment or your local community. You have a deeply caring aspect to you that your partner wants you to notice. Your partner deeply wants you to recognize your inherent worth, and see your caring nature as a superpower and not a burden. Sometimes the Empress is like the mom that tells us to clean up our rooms despite our objections. She's not always sugar sweet. Your partner sees how you're able to create important boundaries with others while still being generous and conscientious with your time and love. They love that you care for yourself as much as you do with any other, and they want you to embrace more indulgence whenever they see you work hard. So very likely they will be the love to take you out to that favorite concert or set up a gorgeous breakfast and bubble bath. Not just to thank you for hard work, but to genuinely take pleasure in seeing you be loved and happy.

This reading has not been evaluated by the FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or infection. Please ask your physician before going online.

2025, @VitaminseeTarot ™

[greenwitchcrafts]

April 2025 Witch Guide

New Moon: April 27th

First Quarter: April 4th

Full moon: April 12th

Last Quarter: April 20th

April Budding Moon

Also known as:  Breaking Ice Moon(Algonquin), Budding Moon of Plants and Shrubs(Tlingit), Budding Moon, Growing Moon, Frog Moon(Cree), Moon When the Geese Lay Eggs(Dakota), Moon of the Red Grass Appearing(Oglala), Moon When the Streams Are Again,  Navigable(Dakota), Moon When the Ducks Come Back(Lakota), Pink Moon, Planters Moon, Sucker Moon(Anishinaabe)

Element: Air

Zodiac:  Aries & Taurus

Nature spirts: Plant Faeries

Deities: Anahita, Bast, Ceres, Cernunnos, Hathor, Herne, Ishtar, Kali, Tawaret & Venus

Animals: Bear & Wolf

Birds: Hawk & Magpie

Colors: Blue, brown, crimson, gold & green

Trees:  Bay, forsythia, hazel, lilac, pine & willow

Herbs: Basil, chives, dill, dogwood, dragon's blood, fennel, milkweed & thistle

Flowers: Daisy, dandelion, lilac, geranium & sweetpea

Scents: Bay, bergamot, patchouli & pine

Stones:  Angelite, beryl, diamond, garnet, malachite, quartz, ruby, sapphire, sard, selenite & zircon

Issues, intentions & powers:  Beginnings, fertility, growth & spirituality

Energy: Authority, balance, beginnings, change, leadership, opportunities, overcoming obstacles, personal skill development, rebirth, self-evaluation, temper control & willpower

April is commonly referred to as The Pink Moon, this name comes from the early spring bloom of a wildflower native to eastern North America: Phlox subulata, commonly known as creeping phlox or moss phlox. This flower, often called “moss pink,” was in full bloom around April’s full Moon.

• The full Moon on April 12, 2025, occurs just before reaching apogee.

Apogee refers to the point when the Moon is farthest from Earth. When the full Moon occurs near this point, it’s classified as a “micromoon”—the opposite of a supermoon. Since this full Moon happens about 22 hours before apogee, it will appear slightly smaller and dimmer than usual.

Other celebrations:

• Walpurgis Night - April 30th

Also known as: May Eve

The origins of the holiday date back to pagan celebrations of fertility rites & the coming of spring. After the Norse were Christianized, the pagan celebration became combined with the legend of St. Walburga, an English-born nun who lived at Heidenheim monastery in Germany & later became the abbess there. Saint Walpurga was hailed by the Christians of Germany for battling “pest, rabies, & whooping cough as well as against witchcraft”. Christians prayed to God through the intercession of Saint Walpurga in order to protect themselves from witchcraft, as Saint Walpurga was successful in converting the local populace to Christianity. Although it is likely that the date of her canonization is purely coincidental to the date of the pagan celebrations of spring, people were able to celebrate both events under church law without fear of reprisal.

Walpurgis Night is still a traditional holiday celebrated on April 30th in northern Europe & Scandinavia. In Sweden typical holiday activities include the singing of traditional spring folk songs & the lighting of bonfires. In Germany the holiday is celebrated by dressing in costumes, playing pranks on people & creating loud noises meant to keep evil at bay. Many people also hang blessed sprigs of foliage from houses & barns to ward off evil spirits, or they leave pieces of bread spread with butter & honey, called ankenschnitt, as offerings for phantom hounds.

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

Wikipedia

Encyclopedia Britannica

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Encyclopedia britannica

Llewellyn 2025 magical almanac Practical magic for everyday living

[e-vay]

The Sonnet of Domino & Phlox - Ch3

[A/N: Click here to read the previous chapter. Click here to start at Chapter 1. This story is also available to read on AO3]

Getting to the townsquare was easier said than done. Running against the flow of escaping townsfolk was like swimming upstream in white-water rapids. But the screams of terror that surrounded her only spurred Domino to push forward. To steel mind, she reminded herself that this was no different than any other time she worked her way through crowds going unnoticed. She tucked her arms in and crouched low, making herself as small as possible before sprinting and weaving through scrambling bodies. Among the foot traffic she spotted a trail of trampled produce and followed its lead to a toppled over cart. She used the desecrated merchant stand as a jumping board and launched herself high into the air, catching onto a light pole and swinging from one to another. Clouds of dust weren’t enough to mask the orange behemoths that had just successfully knocked over the town center statue.

“I knew it!” Domino seethed. As soon as she landed on the cobblestone path, she swung her backpack off her shoulder and pulled out a medium sized pot. It wasn’t much in terms of a weapon, but it was fairly sturdy and she figured she could dislodge the bot’s head if she found a way to strike in the right spot. “Sorry Phlox, looks like I’ve got another date for dinner.” She gripped the pot by the handle and began to charge at the giant mechs with a mighty battle cry.

“WAIT!”

The hedgehog skidded to a halt, turning her head and tilting her ears to find the source of the yell. She looked up to spot a pair of trembling shrew ears poking up from a window in a nearby building. Hesitantly, the mayor looked out to her over the window ledge. “Y-You can’t-”

His command was drowned out by the noxious screeching of metal-on-metal as one of the Botniks pried the recently installed well pump from the ground. The robot’s torso began to spin, gradually gaining speed. Once it was spinning at full velocity, it released the well pump from its grip and the metal tube worked as a missile to plow through one of the storefronts. The ‘torpedo’ wasn’t large enough to bring the entirety of the building down, but the frontmost wall of bricks had been launched into the store like a shotgun blast and destroyed almost everything inside.

Domino’s eyes widened at the destruction the robot was able to achieve in only seconds.

“Spit it out, Mayor,” she encouraged, bouncing on the balls of her feet in preparation to fight, “-before these bumbling bozos knock down your house, next!”

“You can’t break them!”

“I can sure try,” she shouted back, looping the handle of the pot over her finger and twirling it.

“No! I mean you can’t break them; they were too expensive!” 

Her eyes shot up to the shrew in disbelief. “What?!” She scoffed and gestured at the growing pile of debris that cluttered the town square. “You’re tellin’ me these things are worth more to you than the rest of the town?!”

“YES! Literally!” He shrieked. “ I-... We invested our entire budget into these machines. We won’t be able to return them if they’re reduced to scraps!”

The girl groaned, shoving the cookware back into her backpack. There was no time to debate ‘returns’ and ‘lawsuits’ and whatnot, not with the clunky orange beasts making their way towards her. “If I can’t break these things,” she thought to herself, “I’ve gotta figure out a way to turn ‘em off.” These were machines after all, and as far as she knew, all machines had an off-switch. But despite the ‘smiley face’ logo branded on their chassis, these robots didn’t seem friendly enough to let her get a close look.

She thought about the lessons Phlox taught her while they played in the creek that morning: Assess the situation and use her strengths. 

Size.

Speed.

Resourcefulness.

These bots were bigger and stronger than her, but they were far slower and not nearly as nimble. A smile spread across her muzzle.

Domino ran straight towards the Botniks. One of the robots reached out to snatch the teal hedgehog, but she quickly darted in another direction before it could grab her. While its body was still leaned over and its arms stretched at a 45 degree angle towards the ground, Domino sprinted back towards the machine and used its arm as a ramp to scale to the top of its head. “Wheeere are you, ‘Off Swiii~iitch’?” she sang nervously. Her eyes scanned the back of the dome. Except for the crude paint, the surface of the bot’s ‘skull’ was smooth and free of any switches. A blur of orange was visible in her periphery where Botnik #2 was launching a punch right towards her. She scrambled behind #1’s head and she was just small enough to use it for cover. The metallic fist collided into the dome of its peer with an echoing BONG! 

She slipped down the robot’s back, musing as she noticed an access panel. “Oooh hello.” She ran a finger along the seal and traced the singular, straight indent in each of the screw heads. “HA! Some fancy tech you are. These are just your run of the mill-wHuoOAHH!”

Domino wailed as the robot once again began spinning its torso and the centrifugal force pried her off the mech and launched her down an alley and into a stack of barrels. The weight atop her was bad enough, but the contents of her backpack dug into her back as she was pinned down. With effort, she pushed the heavy containers off of her and shrugged off her bag, rubbing the stinging spot in her back. “Maybe pants are better than a backpack,” she joked to herself. Her eyes widened and she gasped. Pants! 

She shoved her hand into the pocket of her trousers and pulled out one of the coins she’d received from the mayor. It was no flat-head screwdriver, but it was just the right size to do the trick. An incredulous laugh escaped her lips and she was actually glad that the politician had been such a cheapskate. She excitedly tossed the coin into the air before snatching it and pocketing it again. Domino returned to her feet and sprinted back to the courtyard, leaving her backpack hidden away within the rubble for later.

Fighting both bots at the same time wasn’t an option. She’d have to make sure that one was occupied while she worked to power down the other. As she quickly approached the town square, she looked up and noticed the stringed pennants that decorated the once lovely neighborhood. Leaping into the air, she curled into a spinning ball and sliced the cord with her quills. With string in hand, she ran towards Robot #1 that was preparing another attack. Using her small size and speed, she darted under the bot’s legs and began weaving in and out around and between them. The bulky robot was too rotund and had no neck in order to look down and see that she was tying loops around the machine’s appendages. As it blindly took a swing, she dodged and instead jumped onto the offending arm, looping the pennant string around the bot’s wrist and leaping up onto its shoulder, swinging around the back of its neck and then jumping back down so the robot had put itself in a chokehold. Domino made one final loop around the robot’s other arm and at last, secured the end of the string to itself with several tight knots. When the angry orange behemoth tried to attack again, it stumbled onto its back and struggled to break free from its ties with a series of whirrs and mechanical groans. She laughed breathlessly, marveling at her own handiwork.

A couple of high-pitched screams snapped her back to reality. She spun on her heel to see two marten children cowering in the looming shadow of Robot #2. The bot raised its fists in the air, poised to bring them down like a hammer on the younglings. The oldest of the two girls was poised in front of the other as if to shield her, but it was clear both were paralyzed by fear.

Domino used a running slide to snatch the children into her arms and all three narrowly escaped just as the robot slammed its fists into the ground. Without much time for pleasantries, she pushed the kids away and shouted, “Run! Hide and stay hidden!” The martens nodded, tears in their eyes, and scrambled away. Just as Domino started to get back up, a mechanical set of fingers wrapped around her ankle and she was quickly pulled out from under her feet, swung over the robot’s head and then slammed into the ground on her back. The hedgehog wheezed, the air having been knocked from her lungs. Running around was one thing, but brawling was a completely new experience. And it hurt like a sonofabitch.

Propping herself up onto her elbows in hopes to calm the dizzy spell that rattled her brain, she noticed a shadow cast over her. The orange robot stood above her, arms once again raised high above its head, and before she could manage to roll away, its fists came crashing down for a fatal blow. She only had enough time to clench her eyes shut in hopes that not being able to see ‘the end’ would somehow make it less painful.

So much for making a difference.

A heavy “thud” was followed by the sound of mechanical groaning and whirring, as if the robot’s gears were grinding in a struggle. Confused as to why she wasn’t a puddle of jelly, Domino opened her eyes to see an indigo angel shielding her view.

Phlox stood between the mechanical beast and the young woman who lay on the cobblestone, having caught the robot’s arms by the wrists and stopping it mid-strike. The interior workings of the machine screeched with effort as it continued its attempt to bring its weight down upon the two hedgehogs, but Phlox held his grip and didn’t let the metal arms budge an inch.

The young man looked over his shoulder at the bewildered lady. “What do you need?” He asked, cutting right to the point.

Domino blinked and shook her head, not allowing herself the time to comment on Phlox’s insane talent of being-at-the-right-place-at-the-right-time or marveling at the tense muscles in his arms and shoulders as he grappled with the robot. “Breaking it is off-limits. I need to get to the access panel on this thing’s back to try and power it down. Do you think you can hold it in place?”

Phlox grinned, eyes half-lidded with confidence. “You got it. Mind moving over just a skosh?”

The teal hedgehog scrambled away from the powerhouses. As soon as she was safely out of harm’s way, Phlox released the robot and quickly darted to the side, using the machine’s momentum against itself so that it fell on its hands and knees. In a series of forceful maneuvers that were too fast for Domino to comprehend, Phlox pressured the bot onto its chest and grappled it into a hammerlock, driving its wrist to its opposite hip behind its back. Despite the robot’s size, Phlox stretched himself as far as he could and hooked one of the bot’s legs with his own, looped his free arm over the robot’s neck and then scraped the machine’s head towards its own knee in a cradle position. The ovoid behemoth screeched and whirred as it tried to break free, but with its limbs secured and Phlox’s weight and strength pinning it in place, it twitched helplessly on the ground with its back exposed.

“Step on up,” the purple hedgehog encouraged proudly, maybe a little too excited at the chance to show off his wrestling skills.

It took all of Domino’s willpower to suppress the whirlwind of butterflies in her stomach and focus on the mission at hand. She hurried over and, using the coin from her pocket, began to unscrew the plate from the access panel. Once open, she could see a seemingly endless network of wires and doohickeys that made up the robot’s interior. There were no signs of any buttons but she hoped there was a switch hidden inside or at least a notable power source. Luckily, the panel opening was just large enough for someone of her small frame to narrowly sneak through. “I’m going in. Keep it steady,” she instructed and Phlox acknowledged with a nod. 

The sharp edges of the metal access panel scraped against her shoulders and arms as she burrowed her way into the mechanical beast’s chassis. The interior was just as confined and difficult to move around in, but Domino thanked the stars that she wasn’t claustrophobic and that being contorted into a ball came naturally to her. With the robot being a custom build, there weren’t any obvious labels present. She opted to simply start unplugging wires in hopes it would stop the bot without permanently damaging it. She disconnected wires by the handfuls and pried open panels in search of a battery to dislodge, but despite her efforts she could still feel the rattling of the bot as it struggled against Phlox. “What the heck is powering this thing?” she muttered to herself.

After determining that it stood no chance breaking free from the male hedgehog’s powerful pin, the robot ceased its jostling and focused on recalculating. Phlox raised an eyebrow at the now still machine.

Without the constant sound of grinding gears, Domino could hear a frantic chattering noise coming from the darkness in front of her. Curious, she squeezed her way further into the ovoid torso to find the source of the sound.

Before Phlox could ask Domino if she had powered the bot down, the mechanical hand that belonged to the posted out arm slowly began to retract into its forearm. Phlox’s pin didn’t allow him to see what was happening, but he could hear and feel mechanical turning and shifting in the robot appendage that rested between his feet.  “Uh… Minnie?”

“Just a minute!” she shouted back. With an outstretched hand, her palm made contact with some kind of container located in the core of the bot and the chatter and squeaks got even louder. Squinting in the dark, she could just barely make out what was inside. “What the hell?”

The robot’s hand was replaced with the same drillbit that was used earlier to bore into the ground. Phlox immediately clocked the sound of the drill beginning to spin and his fur stood on end as the arm gradually hinged at the elbow, the vicious, tapered helix making its way towards one of his ankles at a cruel, menacingly slow pace. “Hey, let’s hussle!” he hollered, inching his stance wider in hopes to avoid the approaching weapon but committing to holding the robot in place while Domino was still inside. “This thing’s got accessories!”

“Don’t worry,” she whispered to the orb. “I’ll get you outta there.” She clenched her hand into a fist and threw as strong of a punch as she could muster.

Phlox lifted onto his toes to just narrowly avoid the drillbit skimming his heel. He took several short, shallow breaths in preparation for the excruciating pain he was about to endure but suddenly the drill slowed and the arm clanged lifelessly against the ground. 

“Did that work?” Domino’s voice echoed faintly from within the ‘corpse’ bot.

“Yeah,” Phlox released his tight hold on the robot and instead let himself collapse and rest against it, exhaling a sigh of relief. “Phew!”

Teal quills breached from the access panel and Phlox made his way over to carefully assist Domino out, hissing through his teeth at the noticeable scrapes on her shoulders and shirt from the sharp metal. Once she was free, his brow furrowed at the curled up, frightened little animal that the woman cradled in her arms. “...Who’s your friend?”

Domino petted the trembling Pocky. The gentle touch made the critter look up from its cowering stance and upon realizing it was outside, it leapt out of the woman’s arms and bounded away. Domino looked to Phlox, a mixture of concern and anger burning behind her blue eyes. “He was the battery.”

Phlox pursed his lips and took hold of Domino’s hand. They turned towards Robot #2 who was still rolling and trying to untangle itself from its binds. “Let’s go help his buddy.” The pair sprinted to the bot and, to let loose a little bit of steam, Domino kicked it to roll over onto its front. She hurriedly unfastened the screws but Phlox stopped her before she could crawl atop the robot.

“Allow me,” He gripped onto the edges of the open panel and used all his strength to begin to pry the access panel open wider.

“We’re not supposed to break it!” Domino laughed with excitement and shock. She held onto Phlox’s shoulders in a feigned attempt to stop him, but mostly to appreciate his strength.

“Bending isn’t breaking,” he teased with a strained voice. With the panel opening now widened and reshaped so the edges wouldn’t cause as much harm, Phlox patted the metal body of the flailing robot. “There ya go.”

Thrilled, Domino hopped up and lowered herself into the robot with ease. Now that she knew what she was looking for, she reached through the web of wires until her hand tapped against the hidden container. With a loud ‘HYAH!’ Domino punched the container and the barrier popped.

Phlox watched in amusement as the thrashing robot’s eyes dimmed and its movements came to a halt. He was about to peek over the access panel to help Domino out once again but was startled by a very angry Flicky that flew out from the bot. The little bird screeched what Phlox could only imagine was a series of curses as it fluttered to the head of the bot and gave the dome a few angry pecks for good measure before flying away. 

Domino stood upright, a bewildered smile on her face. “We did it.” She jumped out of the mechanical shell and purposefully landed in Phlox’s arms. “We did it!”

“We?!” Phlox burst into that fit of laughter that Domino found herself craving the more she heard it. She laughed breathlessly as he spun her around. “You did it! You were fearless! And your quick-thinking by tying one up so you could deal with the other? I’m beyond impressed!”

“Okay but I would’ve been a Hedgehog-Pancake if it wasn’t for you! You were amazing!” She released her arms from around his neck and inspected his bicep with overly aggressive, playful squeezes. “What was that?!”

Phlox chuckled, his muzzle red with blush. “I told you, I’m one of four brothers. In our house, if you didn’t get good at wrestling, you didn’t get to eat.” He held Domino’s face in his hands and gasped as if suddenly remembering something. “Oh oh oh! Can we talk about that poetic justice?! You taking down those things with pocket-change??? Don’t think your commentary on Capitalism was lost on me.”

Domino giggled and before she knew it, she had planted another kiss on Phlox’s lips. Right now, she wasn’t thinking about how much more dangerous letting him into her heart was compared to the robots she just fought. Right now, she was only consumed with how sweet and clever and astounding he was, and how good he tasted.

“Is it finally over?!” came the shrill voice of the mayor, snapping Domino out of her stupor. She immediately put a good amount of space between her and Phlox. She cleared her throat and combed the tufts of fur on the sides of her face, hoping to hide her blush.

“Yeah, s’all good,” she coughed.

The sweating shrew embraced the lifeless shells of the robots, inspecting them with panic. “And you didn’t break them? Right?! I swear if they’re damaged-”

“Relax,” Domino did her best to mask her irritation. “Your precious little Botniks are without power but otherwise unharmed.”

Phlox crossed his arms, more openly expressive of his annoyance with the politician. “Botniks? More like ‘Badniks’...” He scoffed under his breath. He directed his attention to the shrew. “If you notice anything out of place, you can direct me to the nearest fabrication shop and I’ll do my best to patch them up. I’m a certified steel worker. Though after seeing what ‘good’ these things do, I’m not so sure they’re worth it. Before you go contacting the manufacturer about that extended warranty, maybe you want to focus on your people?”

“Right right,” the Mayor slicked back his sweat-matted fur and adjusted his coat before proudly sticking his chest out. “Alright everyone, nothing to fear! Please return about your business,” He waved his arms as he paraded down the street to weary citizens who hesitantly emerged from their hiding spots. 

Domino dusted off her backpack and secured it to her shoulders when she recognized the high pitched screaming of the two little martens from before. Only this time, their cheering was that of the happy kind. The siblings ran full speed into the lady hedgehog and hugged her tight. “OUR HERO!” they shouted in unison.

Phlox smiled warmly as he watched Domino patting the little girls’ heads affectionately. “Oh hey you!” She knelt down to playfully (and oh so gently) make a slugging motion against the older child’s chin, earning a giggle from the little girl. “You were really brave back there, protecting your little sis like that.”

“YOU’RE the brave one!” the smaller one argued. She then used her childlike energy to bounce around and throw her fists about with karate chops, complete with sound effects. “You were like HOO-SHWAHHH-WHOOOSH!”

“Brie?! Mimolette?!” A mature woman rushed towards the group.

“Mommy mommy, this is her! She’s the lady who saved us!” The woman sighed with relief and scooped all three–the two little girls and Domino–into a tight group hug. Domino blinked in surprise, the embrace feeling strange and foreign.

“Thank you! Thank you for saving my babies!” the woman cried. Domino patted her arm and did her best to squirm out of the hold.

“No prob, besides it was a team effort,” she pointed her thumb at Phlox, whose eyes widened. “If it weren’t for him, those things would still be causin’ a ruckus.”

Phlox tittered nervously. “Oh, well I-” The older marten cut him off by hugging him tightly and wailing a series of ‘thank yous’. Phlox muttered a strained “ᴵᵗ ʷᵃˢ ᵐʸ ᵖˡᵉᵃˢᵘʳᵉ.”

Finally the woman released him but took each hedgehog by the hand. “My name’s Fontina. You’ve already met my daughters. Please, come with us to my shop so I can repay you.”

“Oh you don’t have t-” Domino started but was yanked along by the stubborn marten. Mimolette, the youngest, grabbed Domino’s free hand and Brie grabbed Phlox’s and the girls skipped along as the hedgehogs were pulled against their will.

“Honestly ma’am this isn’t necessary,” Phlox chuckled nervously, not used to being doted on by someone other than his own mother.

Domino nodded frantically. “Yeah, we were only doing the right thing. S’no biggie.”

“Yes, biggie!” the woman corrected. “Now then, I don’t have much money–it’s been a slow week for us–but I will let you help yourself to anything in my supply!” The merchant kicked open the door to her shop, a quaint general store equipped with mostly clothing and accessories. As soon as they entered, the little girls darted off and began pulling all manner of garments off their hangers, giggling amongst themselves.

Domino waved her hands dismissively. “Whoa whoa whoa, you seriously don’t need to do that.” She knew what it felt like to work hard and still struggle to make ends meet. She didn’t want to put this family through that. “We don’t wanna take your inventory, especially with you running your own business and all…”

Fontina turned on her heel and placed her hands on her hips, demonstrating a commanding presence that made both young hedgehogs stand up straight and listen obediently. “Without you two stepping in and stopping those dastardly things from destroying the whole marketplace, I’d no longer have a shop at all! Besides, it looks like those baddies did a number on your wardrobe.” The woman plucked at Domino’s tattered top. The teal hedgehog lowered her head and averted her eyes in shame, hoping the merchant remained clueless that the majority of the rips in her clothes came before the battle. “Now, I insist.” The woman held up a blouse to Domino, eyeing her frame and making sure it’d be the right fit, before placing it into the teen’s arms.

The children returned with handfuls of dresses, shirts and shoes, tossing them at Domino faster than she could catch them, while the girls also bombarded her with cheers of “Oh this would look so cute on you!” “Have this one! Have this one!”

Phlox looked on with pride and amusement, his grin stretching across the entirety of his muzzle, rubbing his thumb along his bottom lip in a failed attempt to suppress his smile. As silly as it was to see Domino getting smothered in a mountain of clothes, it made his heart happy to see her luck turning around and finally getting some well-earned recognition. As if she could sense his gaze, Domino looked over at him, peeking out from the pile of garments. She widened her eyes and silently mouthed the words ‘Help me.’

His grin widened but it was now filled to the brim with mischief. Though he was still getting to know Domino, he figured she would be too proud to admit she could really use some of the items she was being given and no way in hell was he going to let her be talked out of it. Plus, Phlox didn’t need anything himself and figured his time could be better spent returning outside and helping clean up some of the rubble. Better to keep the attention on her. He shrugged as he quietly backed away, as if to say ‘Sorry, not rescuing you this time.’ Phlox teased her with a wink before slinking out of her view.

Domino called to him as loudly as one could while still maintaining the volume of a whisper, his name coming out like an oh-so-faint shriek, “Phlox! Phlox!” But it was too late, he was already gone without the merchant or her daughters noticing. Domino grumbled. She was totally going to kick his jean-wearin’ tush later.

On his way out, Phlox happened to spot one item hanging on the wall that did intrigue him. He removed it from its hook to inspect it. Despite Fontina’s instructions, he left some money on the counter to pay for his purchase and exited the shop.

.

Being fussed over was… weird. It wasn’t bad, per say. But it certainly felt unusual.

Domino ruminated over the bizarre day she had, her backpack weighted by a full assortment of foods and her arms carrying large, overstuffed bags as she made her way to the inn. She had probably spent at least two hours at the general store with the marten family who refused to let her leave without several shopping bags full of things she definitely didn’t need. It was exhausting having all that attention on her, dodging all of the shopkeeper’s questions and quickly improvising innocent little fibs on the fly. Still, it was a really sweet gesture and she honestly couldn’t remember the last time an authority figure had been so kind to her. 

When Domino mentioned that she was going to see if there were still any food carts left standing in order to purchase some groceries, the two little girls pulled on her arms and begged to join her. She couldn’t understand why these kids seemed so fixated on her, but something about them tugged on her heartstrings and with their mother’s permission, Domino agreed to let them tag along. She held each child by the hand as they escorted her down the alley, pointing at their favorite stands and making recommendations of which ingredients she should buy. Domino felt a warmth blooming in her heart, a sense of longing and pride that was foreign yet so deeply ingrained in her instincts that it also felt natural. She couldn’t place what this feeling was, but she welcomed it all the same.

Thanks to the marten family supplying her with all the free clothes she could want, Domino had plenty of money that she could spend on food supplies both for tonight’s dinner and for the approaching winter. She even got a huge deal on produce, as many of the items were blemished from the robots’ earlier antics, but of course she didn’t mind. Food was food, after all. Here she thought she’d be down to her last penny, but it looked like she’d have some ‘emergency funds’ to last her over the next season. For the first time, luck seemed to be favoring her. 

All of that, paired with her melee against a couple of crazy robots? This was a strange couple of days indeed! Not to mention being treated to her first ever date, on her way for a second date at that. Domino bit the inside of her cheek to stifle the butterflies that filled her stomach once again. Even if that ‘jerk’ had ditched her at the shop, she was thrilled to get to see him again. Perhaps she’d force him to sit through a ‘fashion show’ of all the superfluous outfits she was given. Yeah, that’d make for excellent payback!

She chuckled at the thought as she entered the lobby of the inn and made her way to the stairs to find Phlox’s room. The innkeeper had been lazily relaxing, his feet propped up on his desk, until the sight of the teal hedgehog startled him and the dog jumped to attention.

“Excuse me,” he approached her and Domino stopped and tilted her head. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Oh, I’m meeting a friend,” she gestured towards the stairs. The innkeeper blocked her path and pointed at the bags in her hands.

“And where did you get all that?” he scowled.

Domino tensed and furrowed her brows. “...From the store…”

“All these goodies, yet you can’t afford a good shirt?” The large dog looped his finger under one of the straps of Domino’s tattered tank top. She jerked her shoulder away in reflex.

“Don’t touch me,” she hissed low, her quills raising on end.

The man tugged on one of the shopping bags to check inside. “You got a receipt for this stuff?”

Domino’s breath quickened, her blood boiling and making her skin feel uncomfortably hot. “These were given to me, as a gift.”

“Ch’yeah, another one of your tall tales,” the dog remarked. The hedgehog girl’s mouth fell agape and his look grew even more smug. “In this town, word spreads. I know how you’ve been lurking around, spinning your web of lies any time anybody asks what brings you here. You think you can go around lying and thieving and then hide out in my establishment?”

Her face was burning hot with rage, but she wasn’t sure if she was more mad at the guy throwing accusations or angry with herself. Yes, she had made up some things, but never at the expense of anyone, never to hurt anybody else or to try to swindle them. Her stories were her means of deflecting and protecting herself from harm, and here they led right to this heated confrontation. “I’m not lying!” Domino insisted. She threw her arms down and let the shopping bags crash to the floor. “Go ahead and take them, I don’t even need any of this stuff!”

“Don’t you try to offload your haul on me, you little street rat!” he raised his voice even louder. “Now beat it before I call the authorities!”

“Hey!” A third voice boomed from the stairway. Phlox made his way towards the two, his shoulders straight and upright so that he commanded attention. He pushed himself between the innkeeper and Domino, shielding her with his arm. “Do you have any idea who you’re talking to?” His tone was far more serious and firm than the gentle, melodic voice he used whenever he spoke with the girl. “This is the woman who just saved this city from those two rogue machines out there. She’s the reason this inn is still standing.” He stared down the annoyed man. Even though the innkeeper was larger and Phlox was normally soft spoken and shy, at this moment he didn’t feel even an inkling of anxiety. Something about Domino’s presence and–more importantly–the compelling need to defend her made him feel more confident than ever before. He pointed his finger into the dog’s chest. “I’ll testify for her, as will Fontina the shop owner, and a dozen other people who will as well. Including your esteemed mayor. So go ahead, make that phone call. Or leave her be.”

The man glared silently for several intense beats but when he realized the indigo hedgehog wasn’t backing down, he scoffed and returned to his desk.

Phlox turned back to Domino, taking her by the hand and using his other to help pick up her bags. “Come on,” he said softly, using the gentle voice she had come to know. But as he led her up the stairs, she couldn’t hear what he was saying. Instead, her mind was racing with a million thoughts that were far louder and more painful.

Stupid. This was so stupid. She was so stupid.

Why did she let herself think these last few days were any different than every other day of her life? How could she think that the people of this town were any different than every other hateful, judgemental stranger she came across? What on earth made her think that for once, just once, she might be able to go about without the world thinking so little of her? But they were right to think these things. She was wild and dirty and stupid, so stupid.

The hedgehogs had made their way to Phlox’s room and he pulled out the chair to the small dining area so that Domino could sit, but her mind was still reeling. Her eyes darted around, taking in the pristine bedding that was more warm and more sterile than anything she’d ever laid on, to the stark white paint on the walls that felt constricting and nauseating, to the state-of-the-art kitchenette with a stovetop full of buttons that she had no idea how to use. She didn’t belong in this world. Her gaze stayed fixated on the stove. Chaos, how was she supposed to cook dinner for a guy using equipment that she knew nothing about? For a perfect guy part of this perfect world, all of which she had no business associating with. For all the far-fetched stories she told throughout her life, the idea of belonging to this perfect world with this perfect guy was the most unbelievable and she was a fool to let herself fall for her own fantasy.

Tears pricked the corner of her eyes. ‘Stop crying,’ she thought to herself, breathing quickly and heavily through her nose. ‘Stop crying. Stop crying.’ Domino repeated the phrase over and over in her mind in an endless loop until the voice inside her head evolved into the angry, aggressive voice from whom she had first learned the phrase. Her stepfather.

‘STOP CRYING!’

Her train of thought was broken as she felt a warmth in her hand and she turned her head to see that Phlox was kneeling before her, her hand in his. His green and amber eyes searched hers, looking deep beyond the surface. He studied her with an intense focus, hoping he could learn what was hurting her so badly but worried that if he spoke, she might completely break. He could sense that this went beyond the little altercation that just happened in the lobby. There was a deep, festering agony from an old, hidden wound that refused to scar over. Phlox gave her a weak, pained smile, for it hurt him to know that someone as resilient as Domino had a heart made of glass and that something from her past was still chipping away at it.

His soft gaze and the colors in his irises brought her back to the grotto, that wondrous moment of serenity where pain and pressure didn’t exist. A calming wave gradually washed over her, soothing her burning skin and easing the agitated twitching in her muscles.

“I’m okay,” she breathed shakily. A fib. Phlox didn’t want to cause any more distress, but he decided to press her ever so gently.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked, his soft voice full of compassion.

Domino shook her head. “No, I don’t.” It wasn’t the answer he was hoping for, but it was the truth, and that mattered to him most. He would respect that. “But-” she started and Phlox leaned in closer to give her his full attention. The woman looked at the kitchenette once more, biting her lip. “Could we… have our dinner date ‘campfire style’?” She gave him an embarrassed smile. “Maybe we can pick a pretty spot to get a fire going and it’ll give you the chance to snap some more pics while I prepare the stew?”

“Sure!” Phlox grinned enthusiastically. He gave her a wink and opted to tease her a bit to help cut some of the previous tension from the air. “You’re the one who asked me on this date, so the details are up to you. I’m at your mercy, Minnie.”

Domino giggled and Phlox sighed with relief to hear her laughter again. When their eyes met once more, hers were free of tears. She tilted her head when she spotted something in her periphery. “Is that what I think it is?”

The teal hedgehog hurried past Phlox and chuckled with wicked delight as she picked up the item that was resting near the foot of the bed. She spun around and sat down on the mattress, proudly holding up an olive-colored bag. “Did I successfully convince you to join Team Backpack?!”

Phlox looked down at his boots, swinging one leg bashfully. “Yeah, well…” He wanted to say the phrase he had been practicing repeatedly in the hours since he grabbed the pack from the shop: ‘I got this because… I’d like to come with you, if you’ll let me.’ But the words wouldn’t come out. He shrugged and gave himself a bit of grace; being bold was still new to him and after all, Spagonia wasn’t built in a day! “...You can be pretty persuasive.” He walked over and sat next to her. “How’d I do? Does it meet your standards?”

“Let’s see…” Domino turned the bag around in her hands, playfully humming. “Water resistant material… Double passed stitching… Well-padded straps for those brawny shoulders of yours!” Phlox chuckled sheepishly. She unzipped the bag and continued her survey. “Oooh, plenty spacious. This is quite the find, Birdy!” 

“Phew, what a relief!” he joked. “Speaking of, are you going to show me your haul?” He thumbed at the bags still resting near the entry. “I noticed the girls picking out some ‘darling’ outfits for you that I’m sure you’re just dying to try on.” He batted his eyelashes in mockery.

“Eh,” Domino grimaced. “The ladies were really sweet and I definitely needed some replacement threads, but I was planning on giving most of that back.”

The smile dropped from Phlox’s face. “Give it back? This isn’t about what that jerk downstairs said, is it?”

“No, no!” The young woman insisted, waving her hands. “I mean, not entirely.” Phlox maintained his serious gaze and sensing he wasn’t going to let it go without an explanation, Domino resigned with a sigh. “I’m grateful for all these gifts, honest! But I can’t-…” she chose her words carefully, an attempt to tell the truth without revealing too much, “...I’ve got a code: Necessities only. I don’t need a lot of this stuff, but that lady wouldn’t let me leave without my hands full!”

Phlox exhaled a laugh through his nose. The irony of this girl who didn’t show a hint of fear when it came to confronting evil giant robots, but was too scared to tell a woman and her daughters ‘No thank you,’ was just too adorable.

“Which is whyyyy~...” Domino grinned, a rascally glint in her blue eyes. “You’re going to help me pull a reverse-heist!”

“Whoa now, why are you roping me into this?” the purple hedgehog laughed. 

She placed her hands on her hips. “You said I’m in charge of this date. What we do and where we go is my choice, and I choose phase one of the night to be a backwards-burglary-mission!”

Phlox raised an eyebrow but his smile was filled with mirth. “You do know breaking-and-entering is against the law, even if you’re giving stuff instead of taking stuff, right?”

“Santa does it all the time and I don’t hear anybody complainin’ about him,” Domino quipped. “I won’t make you go in there with me. I’m just asking you to be my lookout. Will you keep an eye out for me?” She went to tap his snout but he swiftly caught her hand within his own.

“I’d rather keep my eyes on you,” he remarked, his voice low and laced with flirty mischief. 

His tone and the look in his eyes made Domino gasp. Until now she hadn’t noticed how their fingers had interlaced or how they had leaned into one another so closely she could feel the tickle of Phlox’s breath on her muzzle. She was tempted to pull him in for another kiss, but in the privacy of this room and with the warmth in her lower belly growing stronger with the frequency of these interactions she had to wonder: would it only be a kiss?

Phlox noticed the blush creeping along the woman’s cheeks and he suddenly realized their proximity and the intimate implication of the bed they were sitting on. Alarmed by his own urge to close the gap between them, he reluctantly released her hand and nervously scratched his increasingly crimson muzzle, averting his gaze. “Uh y-yeah, yes,” he sputtered, his usual smooth cadence now quick and broken. “Of course I’ll look out for you.” Before Domino could say anything, Phlox had already made his way to the other side of the room with his hands in his pockets. “So, what’s the plan?”

.

Domino chuckled to herself, recalling how Phlox had been stunned speechless while she effortlessly scaled the wall of the shop and pried open an upper window to let herself in. Once inside, she had quietly whistled a bird call to signal him to toss her the bag of clothes. Then, she neatly piled the garments on top of the cashwrap and, using the notepad she borrowed from Phlox, attached a message expressing her gratitude to the marten family. Domino crawled out through the same window and upon closing it, she let herself fall into Phlox’s arms and they ran off into the forest with hushed, nervous giggles.

Now the two hedgehogs settled quietly into an overlook, the small town a twinkling, insignificant patch compared to the wide open forests that seemed to melt into the night sky. As beautiful as it all was, Domino couldn’t help but think about how this weekend was no different: a small blip in an infinite timeline of events. She anxiously fiddled with the sleeve of her jacket, one of the few gifts she kept from the shop owner. She didn’t really need Phlox’s help returning the rest of the garments, not even as a lookout. Stealth was one of her greatest skills and she could have easily gotten in and out of the shop without anyone ever knowing she was there. But she wanted him there. With her. 

With the sun fully set and the stew boiling over the campfire, this brief little adventure was quickly drawing to a close. She would have repaid her debt by supplying Phlox dinner and at first sunlight she’d be gone, never to see him again. Logically, she knew it was for the best, but the thought made her stomach feel more hollow than any amount of starvation had ever done. So she prolonged their time together, even if only for an extra half hour, by having Phlox ‘assist’ her in their silly heist scheme. Despite herself, she was also glad the meal they agreed on would take longer to prepare than others. 

“If there was a movie about our escapades, what would it be called?” Phlox asked, attaching his camera to a tripod.

Domino pondered, stoking the fire. “How ‘bout: ‘Young & Stupid: The Do-Gooder Duo’?”

“Mmnnnhh,” the male skewed his lips in disapproval. “Needs some work.”

“Hey, titles aren’t my strong suit, okay?” She huffed, stepping away from the fire and plopping down next to Phlox who was still making adjustments to his camera. “The meat of the story’s more important anyway.”

“Well, you are great at telling stories.” The indigo male smiled and then sniffed the seasonings in the air, licking his lips. “And cooking as well? That stew smells amazing!”

“We’ll see~” Domino rubbed her hands together enthusiastically. “This recipe is tried and true, but I’ve never made it with chiles before.”

She laid onto her back, looking up at the sea of stars and crescent moon. “It’s so dark tonight,” she furrowed her brows and rolled onto her side, propping herself up on her elbow to look at the photographer. “How are you supposed to take any pictures?”

“It’s doable.” Phlox said simply. “You just have to be thoughtful about it. And you have to be very patient.” The woman scrunched up her nose at the word and Phlox laughed. “Hey, spontaneity is a lot of fun too but trust me, patience can be equally rewarding. If I keep the camera steady–hense the tripod–and use a slow shutter speed to allow the lens to capture as much light as possible, it’s just a matter of time before the beauty of the night reveals itself. I can’t rush it.”

Phlox’s heart fluttered at how similarly this technique compared to how he was hoping to slowly ease Domino out of her shell. He hoped the metaphor was not lost on her. He clicked the shutter release button and turned his attention to Domino, a smug expression on his face. “And I am a master of patience.” 

“Good, ‘cuz it’s gonna be a couple hours until that stew’s ready,” the lady teased. “How do you wanna pass the time?”

He rubbed the scruff of his muzzle in thought. “Would you tell me another story?” 

Domino sat upright, looking out across the vast expanse of the valley below while pondering what tale to weave for him tonight, their last night together… the last story she’d ever tell him. She looked over at him, admiring the care he took to snap the shutter release again and carefully back away from the camera as if his movements might startle it. She adored him, and she hated herself for letting that happen–for tricking him into spending time with a Nobody like her and for believing that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t inevitably hurt her, too.

Perhaps it would be better to avoid an adventurous fable that would leave the curious male to want to know the next chapter. Maybe, she thought, she should tell him the most boring, meaningless story she knew.

Her gaze shifted back to the town. “Far away, there lived The Girl Who Had Nothing. But because she didn’t know what it was like to have anything, being without did not dampen her spirits. One day, Fate approached her and told her she needed to give something up. ‘But I have nothing to give,’ The Girl said. ‘You have a father, don’t you?’ And so Fate took her father away. Later, a Man took his place and told The Girl she needed to give something up, again. ‘But… I have nothing to give,’ she insisted. ‘You have joy, don’t you?’ The Man said, and so he took her smile. Then her mother told The Girl she needed to give something up. ‘Please, I have nothing to give you,’ she pleaded. But the mother argued, ‘I gave you my heart, didn’t I? Return it to me.’ And so the Girl did.”

Domino subconsciously reached up and brushed the scarred over rip in her ear. 

“Without a home, she wandered the streets and with each new stranger she met, they took more and more from her. ‘But I have nothing to give you!’ The Girl cried, but the townspeople found things they could take. Her dignity. Her pride. Her hope. So at last, The Girl hid herself away in the wild where nobody could find her. If nobody could see her, then they couldn’t take the things she didn’t even know she had.”

Phlox listened with a quiet intensity, a tear rolling down his cheek. His heart broke for her, but equally he was so grateful to her for letting him in on this secret. This moment of pure vulnerability was… monumental. It didn’t make her weak, it only proved how strong she was. Phlox wondered how he could prove to Domino that she was more than she believed, to make her see herself through his eyes.

“But Fate seemed to have a sense of humor… For as she became one with the wilderness, she soon discovered a happiness like she had never known before. Unlike the others who took, The Earth provided. It gave her food to eat and shelter for her to rest. The varying terrains gave her an endless playground where she could freely experience joy. With nothing and nobody to hold her back, she got to make every day an adventure. It took years but she learned to stop thinking about all the things she did not have and focus on all the things she did have. And The Girl Who Had Nothing came to realize that that was … Everything…”

She inhaled deeply and released it, surprised at the weightlessness she felt at this moment. She felt free.

The crackling of the fire masked the soft sound of a shutter clicking. After a pause, Phlox broke the silence. “Well,” he said softly, almost as a whisper. Domino returned her attention back to him and saw that he had adjusted the camera and had snapped a photograph of her. “I think… I might as well quit my career now while I’m ahead,” he looked at her, and though another tear ran down his cheek, he smiled genuinely. “Because I’m certain that was the most beautiful photo I’ll ever take in my life.”

They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. 

Without warning, Domino lunged into him and crashed her lips into his. Phlox briefly stumbled back from shock, but it was only a matter of seconds before he confidently cupped her face in his palms and kissed her back. This wasn’t like the kiss back in the creek, tender and full of bashful smiles. This time Domino was more desperate, pressing into him as if her very life depended on it. Her arms snaked around his neck and she threaded her hands into his quills. Phlox let out a startled hum as the woman pulled him closer, but her assertion was a pleasant surprise and he felt encouraged to slip his arms down to her waist and hold her tightly. Secured to his muscular form, Domino was reminded of how effortlessly he overpowered those metal monsters from before, and she sighed as her mind went to wild, forbidden places.

Feeling her breath on his lips caused him to instinctively open his mouth to hers and deepen the kiss. Domino tugged on his quills at the new sensation and kissed him back even more passionately. Warmth raged throughout her entire body, from the center of her core to her very fingertips. The heat was getting overwhelming so without breaking the kiss she shrugged off her jacket and tossed it aside. The winter air was crisp on her exposed arms but offered little help in cooling her, even with her short pelt. She combed her fingers through Phlox’s chest fur, comparing how thick and dense it was compared to hers. She wondered how he could stand to be so warm and yet she equally wanted to feel him against her completely and bask in all his warmth.

Domino laid back onto the grass, pulling Phlox with her. He braced himself up with one forearm against the ground so as not to crush all of his weight into the small woman, but didn’t allow for any space to come between them. Motivated by her passion, Phlox broke free from her lips only to kiss every bit of the girl that enamored him. He kissed along her jaw, her cheeks, breathing roughly into the tufts of teal that framed her muzzle. His lips grazed down her neck and shoulders, delicately kissing the small scratches from the day’s battle in an attempt to heal them as well as praise her bravery. Domino petted his scruffy cheek that was so red with blush that even the darkness of the night could not hide it, and when he felt the affectionate gesture he turned to kiss her palm and stroked his free hand through her long, windswept quills. Upon one of the passes, his thumb brushed against the tear in her ear. He paused his kisses to look up at the old wound, gently tracing the scarred over flesh. If it were anybody else, Domino would have recoiled from the touch, but here she allowed Phlox to explore. He then leaned over her to kiss her damaged ear and the teal hedgehog let out a wistful, trembling moan. If only for this one moment, she was convinced that his kiss was not only able to physically heal the old injury but also erase the very memory associated with it.

Her fingertips skirted along the edge of his waistline and the fluttering sensation it caused made Phlox gasp and shudder. He lifted himself up just enough to hover over her to meet her gaze, his eyes wide.

Domino knew that the question that was lingering on the edge of her tongue was stupid and reckless, but at this moment she didn’t care about that. Her entire methodology was about prioritizing needs, and what was this aching and excruciating hunger in her core if not one of the most natural, most powerful needs? She noted Phlox’s ragged breathing, how his broad chest and shoulders rose and fell as he panted, and how his quills stiffened and his fur stood on end with exhilaration, and she could tell that he felt the need, too. So despite the consequences, she summoned the courage to ask the most wonderful, handsome being she’d ever met for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Do you wanna…?” 

She didn’t finish her sentence, but Phlox understood what she was asking. He knew the wise thing to do would be to say no. Heck, the mere fact she wasn’t willing to say it out loud meant they were probably too naive and inexperienced for this. But maybe he didn’t need to be wise, for once. He was young; still figuring out life, learning what it meant to live in the moment. And now, as if by fate, he found this beautiful young lady, the living embodiment of free-spirit. She represented so much of what he aspired to be, what he was hoping to discover in himself when he first embarked on this journey. Sure he didn’t know her that well yet, but he wanted to know her fully. Maybe she’d let him, with time. But they had right now. 

Besides, this girl may have had a habit of fibbing, but Phlox certainly didn’t. The truth came naturally to him. 

“Yes.”

♥ ♥ ♥

After one last check to make sure all of her supplies were accounted for, Domino quietly zipped up her backpack and swung it onto her shoulder. The early morning sky was just beginning to shift in hues as the rising sun sat just below the horizon. It was time to hit the road in order to outrun the approaching winter and go wherever her feet took her. There was only one last thing to do…

Careful not to make a sound, Domino sat down at the dining table and flipped through Phlox’s notebook to find an empty page. The pencil hovered over the paper in her trembling hand.

What could she possibly write?

She had briefly toyed with the idea of not writing anything at all, but that thought made her even more sick to her stomach. She looked over to the purple hedgehog sleeping soundly under the covers, a gentle, barely-there smile on his muzzle. Even though she believed it was in her heart’s best interest for her to leave now and even though she hoped he would soon forget about her, she also deeply believed she was a better person for having met him. She had to express her gratitude, at least.

After a few scratched out attempts, the page was left with a simple message:

Dear Phlox, I want you to know I hope that you Thank you, for making me better than when you found me. - Domi - Minnie

She pressed her back to the door, allowing herself one last look at Phlox and praying that that gentle smile would never leave his face. Quietly, she slipped out of the room before she could change her mind.

Leave things better than when she found them. 

That was her creed. It was better to leave now. Leave before he discovered the truth behind the boring, insignificant runaway. Instead, leave him happy with perhaps a couple of fleeting, fond memories of a girl he’d forget soon enough. After all…

It was only a couple of days.

[Next: EPILOGUE]

[themurdochmemesteries]

"you're my home." from the prompt list ☺️

I struggled with this one, but managed!

They laid on the narrow bunk, a tangle of limbs so tightly knotted it was hard to tell where one man ended and the other began. Pressed up against each other, their heartrates synced, their breathing evened out.

Malcolm had taken a particularly bad beating earlier today at the hands of some supposedly friendly and definitely-not-paranoid aliens. Phlox had given him some pain meds and prescribed him bed rest, which Malcolm had uncharacteristically agreed to—before adding a condition that Trip be there.

So here they were, on Malcolm’s bed, holding each other. Trip was sure Malcolm had fallen asleep by now. He just started to fall asleep himself, when he heard a soft murmur.

Trip opened his eyes. “What was that?”

“I feel at home.” Malcolm’s tone of voice sounded vaguely awed, like he was marvelling at this fact.

Trip chuckled and rubbed his back. “That a good thing?”

“I’ve never… felt at home anywhere,” Malcolm admitted. He lifted his head and blinked sleepily up at Trip, then a smile spread across his lips. “I think you’re my home.”

“I think Phlox’s concoction is making ya loopy.”

“Maybe so,” Malcolm said. “But what I’m saying is true.” He snuggled closer against Trip again, mindless of his bruises. “You’re my home.”

Trip held him tighter, resting his chin atop Malcolm’s head as he gently stroked his arm. After a moment, he whispered, “And you’re mine, Mal.”

[talshiargirlfriend]

@hjea said we deserved more adorable half-Vulcan baby and that is 100% correct. So here’s what can be considered a missing scene or if you prefer you can say 🖕 to canon and consider it the opening of a fix-it.

Phlox had been notified of their imminent arrival, but nothing could have fully prepared him for the sight that greeted him as the doors to Sickbay parted. A pinched-face Commander T’Pol clutched an infant protectively to her chest as she strode in, flanked by Captain Archer and Commander Tucker. Commander Tucker had a hand on her back and concerned eyes focused on the baby’s profile. A brief look of pain flashed across his face indicating to Phlox that he may soon have two patients. Captain Archer wore his fight face. Behind them trailed a stricken Ensign Mayweather and a stoic Lieutenant Reed. All of them appeared dirty and dishevelled. 

The tiny girl stared at everything around her with wide blue eyes reminiscent of her father’s as she chewed one chubby fist. It brought to mind Sim as a baby, but of course there was no time to dwell on that now. The upswept brows and delicately pointed ears were all her mother, the doctor noted. 

“Well, what have we here?” Phlox greeted T’Pol when she stopped before him. He passed a handheld scanner in front of his young patient. 

“She is gravely ill, Doctor. Her immune system appears to be severely compromised,”  T’Pol informed him as she gently bounced the baby in her arms. It was somewhat less graceful than her usual movements in Phlox’s estimation, but he could nonetheless see the care in her touch. The baby gave a rattling cough as if to confirm her mother’s assessment. 

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask everyone who is not a patient - or the parent of a patient - to leave,” Phlox ordered as the scanner whirred. 

Lieutenant Reed nodded at T’Pol and Phlox, and then whispered something to Commander Tucker before giving him a supportive squeeze on his shoulder as he passed. The resulting grimace on the engineer‘s face confirmed Phlox's earlier suspicions about patient count.  Ensign Mayweather had evidently already had the good sense to slip out unnoticed.

 “You’ll inform me as soon as you know anything,” the captain confirmed as he briefly caught the doctor’s eye. “I’ll check on you all soon.” 

T’Pol gave no acknowledgement as she rubbed the baby’s back rhythmically to soothe her. 

“Take care, Trip,” Jonathan added with an encouraging smile. 

“Aye, Cap’n,” Trip responded with the ghost of a smile as he briefly tore his eyes away from T’Pol and their child. 

Phlox glanced down at the scanner in concern before he addressed the new parents. “She has a respiratory infection. We’ll start with some medication - a mild analgesic, antibiotic, and expectorant. I’d like to see that fever reduced quickly. Depending how she responds over the next hour we may move onto a more aggressive treatment for her lungs including placing her in an oxygen rich environment.” 

As he moved across to the cabinet to prepare the medication Phlox could hear the soft timbre of Commander Tucker’s voice. “She’s heavier than she looks. You want me to take her for a bit?”

“I’m fine,” T’Pol said softly. Trip must have looked ready to argue because she continued quickly, “you are injured, Trip. I will hold her… but perhaps you’d like to touch her or speak to her?” 

When Phlox returned he was loath to interrupt the scene before him. The two parents stood close with their heads canted toward each other. The baby had dropped her head against her mother’s chest and was drooling peacefully as her father stroked her hair and cheek and whispered quiet words of reassurance. In less fraught circumstances Phlox would have taken amusement in the sight of the normally impeccably groomed Vulcan with a patch of spittle spreading on her clothing. 

“I’ve got an injection ready,” he said as he approached the family. “This should ease her discomfort and allow her to sleep more soundly. I’ll also take a blood sample.”  

The child made an irritated squawk when the needle pierced her skin and she shifted her head to give Phlox the most dignified look of pouty-lipped disdain he’d ever seen on a baby. 

Apparently she would take after both her parents in temperament as well as appearance, Phlox thought wryly.

 “Shhh now, you’re all right, little one. I know it’s no fun getting jabbed, but the doc here is gonna help you feel a lot better.”

T’Pol turned pleading eyes toward the doctor as she gently rocked the baby. 

He would certainly do his best. 

“Commanders,” Phlox said gently as he prepared to analyse the blood of Enterprise's newest resident. “This will take some time. I won’t ask you to rest now, but it would be a good idea to refresh yourselves somewhat and get comfortable…” he trailed off as he nodded toward the chairs along the wall. 

Their reluctance to leave was palpable. Phlox could understand it well, but they would be better able to care for their newfound daughter if they first looked after their own needs. 

He glanced back to see the two commanders locked in an apparent staring contest. Before he could make a stronger appeal, Commander Tucker gave a faint sigh. 

“All right. You two go sit in one of Phlox’s comfy chairs.  I’m gonna go wash the moon dust off and grab a cup of coffee. When I get back I’m gonna bring you a change of clothes and a cup of tea, and you’re gonna take a break for ten minutes,” he informed T’Pol rather intensely.  Phlox expected Vulcan indignance, but instead she only nodded in response. That was interesting. 

Satisfied, Trip leaned down to gently stroke his daughter’s cheek. “I’ll be right back. You be good for your mama,” he whispered. T’Pol’s eyes widened slightly, and he gave her a faintly bewildered smile. “I know. It's surreal. But you’re her mom.”

“And you are her father,” she replied seriously. 

A bright grin spread over Trip’s face. “I am,” he said, wonder evident in his tone. His voice dropped back down,”You’re doing great, T’Pol.” He rubbed her arm. 

“Ok, Doc,” he said a bit louder. “Keep an eye on these Vulcan girls for me. I’ll be back in twenty minutes, tops.” He paused to kiss the sleepy infant on her head and the startled mother on her lips. 

Phlox politely averted his eyes and hid his grin as he focused on the screen at his workstation.  “Commander,” he called out as Trip reached the door. “I'm going to take a look at that shoulder when you get back.” At the dark muttering he heard in response, Phlox allowed himself a small smile before frowning at the data loading before him. 

The baby’s eyes were starting to drift closed, and he could hear T’Pol speaking quietly to her as she paced.

“Your father is very physically affectionate.” There was a pause. “We will adapt.”

“You still need a name,” T’Pol murmured to the child. “I have something in mind. We will discuss it with your father when he returns.”

[mountrainiernps]

Many wildflowers are starting to bloom at lower elevations in the park. The eastern half of Stevens Canyon Road (from Stevens Canyon Entrance to about Stevens Creek) already has good displays of paintbrush, penstemon, monkeyflower, and more. The western half of Stevens Canyon Road, climbing up to Reflection Lakes towards Paradise, still has snow though flowers like spreading phlox are starting to show as the snow melts back from the edges of the roadway. This patch of harsh paintbrush (Castilleja hispida) is one of several bringing color to the canyon. Paintbrush “blooms” are actually modified leaves, called bracts, and leaves along the stems can also have color. What wildflowers are you observing in the park?

For updates on what’s blooming where visit https://go.nps.gov/RainierWildflower

Unfamiliar with Mount Rainier’s wildflower species? Check out the wildflower guide at https://go.nps.gov/RainierWildflowerGuide

NPS Photo of paintbrush blooming along Stevens Canyon Road, 6/6/24.

[colesabi]

I’m still working through the epilogue for see|saw but it’s slow going and may be a bit before it’s posted so just wanted to post a little preview here (I’ll put beneath a cut for the few moots that haven’t caught up yet)

He finds Leon in the garden, beat-up paperback in hand and lounging amongst full blooms of astilbes, hydrangea and phlox. The canopy of a tall oak shades him, offering a reprieve from the late summer sun. 

When blue eyes spot his approach, a smile flits across Leon’s features, easy and unburdened. It’s a night and day difference from when he’d found him over a year ago, when Chris thought he’d never see Leon smile again. A warmth spreads within his ribcage as he ducks beneath one of the outstretching branches, Leon dropping the book atop his chest as he halts his sway in the hammock.

“Hey big guy.” 

Chris bobs his head at the greeting, his own smile forming as he asks, “got room in there for one more?”

A laugh is what he gets in response, Leon’s eyes narrowing mischievously as he replies, “the last time you tried to join me, you spun both of us out onto the dirt— not exactly looking to get the wind knocked out of me just yet.”

“What if I’ve learned from my mistakes?”

“Oh, I have no doubt.”

[sshbpodcast]

Character Spotlight: Phlox

By Ames

For many Enterprise fans, Phlox is a highlight. As a Denobulan, he shines through the show as someone with a different perspective than what the early-days astronauts that serve with him on the crew can often comprehend. He has different medical practices than the audience is accustomed to seeing on Star Trek and his menagerie of animals is a lot of fun. But for your A Star to Steer Her By hosts, Phlox might be just a rung above Archer as characters we just don’t have the taste for.

“Offputting” is the sentiment that came up most frequently regarding how we found the dear doctor. When he wasn’t hiding behind his unique culture to justify his obnoxiousness and tactlessness, he could be medically inept, ethically problematic, and downright offensive. This is going to be another of those blogposts that swings wildly between the good and bad moments, perhaps like Rom’s did. So grab someone else’s celery, your tongue scraper, and your own toenail clippings to prepare to read on below and listen to this week’s diatribe on the podcast (shuffle over to timestamp 42:20). It’s time to feed the bat.

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Best moments

Let’s just see where it goes Phlox, for better or for worse, serves as Trek’s most prominent representation of a person in a healthy polyamorous relationship. We learn in “Dear Doctor” that he has three wives, who each have two other husbands, and we have to applaud the eponymous dear doctor when he is fully honest and transparent about his romantic situation with a totally game Crewman Cutler.

Duck Season! Rabbit Season! A few episodes after Phlox condemns an alien race to death (more on that in the Worst Moments list), Phlox evidently changes his mind on interfering with the evolution of sentient species in “Rogue Planet.” And good thing too, because he’s able to create a masking agent that saves the wraiths from being brutally killed by those pesky hunters.

The one with the waggly tail Though there’s a lot to dislike about “A Night in Sickbay,” you’ve got to give some credit to Phlox for going above and beyond in helping to cure Porthos of the disease he picked up on the Kreetassans’ planet. The doctor doesn’t even understand why someone would care enough to invest energy in curing a simple animal, but he still pulls out all the stops in getting the puppy on his four feet.

Doctor-patient confidentiality I’ve got to admit that I totally expected Phlox to blab to the Vulcans onboard in “Stigma” that T’Pol has Pa’nar syndrome and was pleasantly surprised when he didn’t (it was that loose-tongued Yuris who totally spills the beans!). Granted, his attempt to weasel information out of the Vulcans failed laughably, but Phlox respects his patients’ privacy. This time, at least…

Antaran Lives Matter First off, there were better ways to have written an episode like “The Breach,” because Phlox doesn’t develop at all as a character during it. It turns out all his growth was done years ago and he just tells us about it. But hey, at least it’s nice to know that there are anti-racist Denobulans out there who can treat an Antaran like Hudak like a person despite societal racism!

I have no intention of turning into one of those cybernetic creatures Not only does Phlox effectively cure being assimilated into a Borg in “Regeneration” (someone inform Janeway!), but he also treats his infection with the seriousness it deserves. When Hoshi offers to sit with him, he warns her away in case he suddenly turns. He even concocts a neural toxin to kill him in case his cure doesn’t work, all to make sure the Borginess doesn’t spread.

It’s as if it never existed at all I’ve tried to consciously not to include mere instances that were literally Phlox doing his job as a physician, but this one’s worth mentioning. Maybe it’s just because I like the episode “Twilight,” but it’s also commendable to see Phlox dedicate himself so selflessly to curing Archer’s amnesia in such a very clever way, and it ends up resetting the timeline, so everyone wins!

I don’t just remember Trip’s childhood, I remember mine We’ll get to all the horrible things Phlox does in “Similitude” in a second, but for the moment, let’s just appreciate that the doctor’s rapport with Sim as he grew up was very sweet. It was probably aided by the fact that the mimetic simbiot grew up in three days, so parenting couldn’t have been very hard, but we got the impression that Phlox is indeed a proud papa.

Only the lonely (dum-dum-dum-dumdy-doo-wah) I’d give Phlox more credit for surviving the anomaly and getting the ship through safely while the crew was all comatose in “Doctor’s Orders” if it weren’t just a carbon copy of “One” with Phlox swapped for Seven of Nine. But if you forget that all other Star Trek exists and view this in a vacuum, it’s a good episode for Phlox! And he takes great care of Porthos!

This is between you and your doctor One more example of Phlox executing doctor-patient confidentiality, which should be a low bar for a physician to achieve and you’ll see why I’m bringing that up when you get to the Worst Moments list. But he definitely performs in accordance with medical ethics in “Damage” when T’Pol comes to him because of her trellium-d addiction and he helps her without blabbing!

No wonder you erase memories. Your behavior is appalling. Phlox tries his darnedest all through “Observer Effect” to save Trip and Hoshi (without the use of Lyssarrian desert larvae even!) when we all know it’s a fool’s errand. But his best moment here comes when he meets the Organians who are testing humanity and he absolutely cusses them out for the immoral bullshit they are engaging in! You get ‘em, doc!

I’m certain there are easier ways for you to recruit a new lab assistant Probably the best I’ve personally seen Phlox comes way toward the end of the series in “Affliction” and “Divergence.” When captured by Klingons and forced to create augment Klingons, Phlox initially stands his ground and would rather die than perfect augments. But then he works with Dr. Antaak to trick General K’Vagh into curing their admittedly idiotic augment virus instead!

—

Worst moments

Have you smelled Ensign Socorro after she exercises? One of the earliest impressions we get of Phlox gives him a creeper reputation, and that’s in “Fight or Flight” when he’s peeping on Crewmen Bennett and Haynem, assuming that they intend to mate, and pondering if they’d let him watch. So right after the pilot, he’s already on my bad side as some kind of tactless pervert. Oh and he also sniffs the crew. Red flag!

Grand Theft Celery This one’s become a sort of running gag on the podcast, but it’s also another example of Phlox rubbing us the wrong way. This man is a serial celery thief. For some obstreperous reason, he finds it socially acceptable to steal food off of other people’s plates, as we see in “The Andorian Incident.” If you’re thinking he just doesn’t know human customs yet, well, he does it again in “Shadows of P’Jem”!

Would you care to recite the Invocation of Renewal with us? This one’s my bias seeping through, but there’s something squicky about watching Phlox lead someone else’s culture in their invocation in “Cold Front.” It could all have been fixed with a word swap! The pilgrim leader doesn’t ask Phlox to “lead” their prayer; he says “recite with us.” And yet Phlox is presumptuous enough to make it all about him and start narrating on his own.

That’s not how it works... that’s not how any of this works! All these examples have been tenuous at best so far, but here’s undoubtedly the worst thing Phlox ever does. The ethics displayed in “Dear Doctor” are just atrocious, as Phlox refuses to help cure the Valakians of their disease even though he’s already solved it and even though the Prime Directive doesn’t even exist yet. But worse than genocide through inaction and then patting himself on the back for it is how Phlox justifies it to Archer with a definition of evolution that is an affront to science. I could never forgive Phlox after this episode for this wrongheadedness alone.

Eye of newt, wool of bat, and toenails of Phlox While we can still be gracious to Phlox for saving Porthos in “A Night in Sickbay,” for the entire rest of that episode he is utterly insufferable. Is he this obnoxious when he’s got a sapient patient in sickbay? Why can’t he loudly clip his toes or scrape his tongue or chase the bat around in his own quarters when Archer is trying to sleep? And then to suggest to the captain that he’s got a thing for T’Pol, as if she doesn’t get it from every angle already. Shut! Up! Phlox!

Has she offered to give you a rose petal bath? You know how we were giving Phlox credit for a normalized portrayal of polygamy in “Dear Doctor”? Well all that goes out the window in “Stigma” when his wife Feezal sets her sights on Trip. Phlox creepily tries to push Trip into banging his wife, as if being poly were now mandatory, even though it’s obvious that her constant sexual assault is making him uncomfortable.

Let’s all go to the lobby I get it, pally, that you don’t have movies on your home planet, but when you’re watching something for movie night, do you see anyone else talking incessantly through the flick? Read the room, jerkbag. We see in “Horizon” that he just can’t shut his damn mouth while watching a movie with a bunch of crewmates who are trying to enjoy the show and T’Pol has to shush him!

Sue this man for malpractice By season three, we’ve stopped using the decon chamber as a peepshow and need to get our jollies somewhere else, so Phlox decides to totally lie to Tucker, give him a placebo instead of the drugs he prescribed, and then force T’Pol to practice Vulcan neuropressure on Trip (which is NOT her job) in “The Xindi,” all so the fanboys can wank to Jolene Blalock with her top off some more. It’s offensive and juvenile and sexist and I blame Phlox for all of it.

Soylent green is Sim! While we were a little harsh on Janeway for how she treated Tuvix, his existence came about through an accident. But Phlox creating Sim in “Similitude” was on purpose and it’s morally all over the place. Not only does he opt to create sapient life just to harvest his organs, but he specifically omits telling Archer that creating simbiots with Lyssarrian larvae is banned AND that there might be a way to extend Sim’s lifespan, which is still lying, dude!

Her body, Phlox’s choice So we gave Phlox credit above for not outing T’Pol’s Pa’nar syndrome or trellium-d addiction at various points in the series, but here’s an example of him just bypassing doctor-patient confidentiality entirely. In “Chosen Realm,” he treats Indava’s request for an abortion with surprising respect, especially for the time, but then he goes and tattles to Archer right after! Not cool.

A mind is a terrible thing to lose While the whole deception gambit in “Stratagem” made the Archer bad list with much gusto, we’ve got to ream Phlox out a little bit for it too. Not only did he perform the memory wipe (those things are always questionable in their ethics!), but it was all his idea in the first place! These men are supposed to be the heroes of the show and they’re messing with Degra’s brain!

I can’t blame those men for the way they reacted The writers missed a trick in handling Phlox’s attack by racists in “Home.” The yokels who start the bar brawl are just plain xenophobes. And yet after the show’s 9/11 season, Phlox outright states that it’s okay to racially profile people because of the circumstances. Uh, no, it’s not. And what a terrible excuse to justify racism in the early 2000s. Unpuff your stupid face and tell us these people are assholes because they are.

—

What are we missing? So many people claim Phlox is their favorite Enterprise character, but we’re just not seeing it through the selfishness and terrible definition of evolution. But he’s also the last of the more major characters, so come back next week to watch us struggle to come up with things the sidelined main cast even did. You can also keep following along with our rewatch of Discovery over on SoundCloud or wherever you podcast, have a succulent Chinese meal with us over on Facebook or Bluesky, and unhand my celery, you miscreant!

[oomox-oclock]

✮Tonight ✮

(Thy’lek Shran x GN!reader)

——MINORS DNI——

Star Trek Masterlist

Summary: First time alien mating with Shran 🤗

Warnings: SMUTTTT AND ONLY SMUT (very little plot I think), Alien genitalia. I don’t think there is anything too freaky to mention. I fear I am a shit writer

-italics are a bit of plot-

Tonight was the night, the tension had been building for too long over the past few encounters. Currently in your quarters, it’s dark, except the dim light coming out from windows of the ship, the stars and lights outside the ship. Your hand is in his wispy white hair, your bodies on the bed together, rubbing against each other as you have a severely heated make out session. He’s necking you like you’re his only source of life, the air you exhale into him fires his blue blood to new levels of passion. -Both of you have been trying to beat about the bush since forever, he’s an Andorian, you’re a ‘pinkskin’. His pride wouldn’t allow it. But that doesn’t mean it stops him from having a make out session like this one in the closet of the changing rooms after sparring matches, groping and feeling your body in his hands, exploring. Exploring his pinkskin. And it doesn’t stop him from dropping by on the Enterprise every once in a while with some excuse, just to see you again, to taste, to feel, to touch you again. You’re addictive to him.- He sighs into your neck as he catches his breath, his breath is shaky and desperate, like the rest of his body, whereever his hands feel and squeeze your clothed body, they shake with anticipation, needing your skin against his. “Off.” He grunts, his fingers wrapped around the edge of your uniform. Your body is burning as you unzip your uniform but he shoves your hands away as he feels you’re going torturously slow and unzips it for you, his hand going under the jumpsuit and feeling your sides, his hands prying to your warm skin underneath your undershirt. He kisses your neck, his antenna curling down to your temple as he licks and kisses up your skin with fervour. You give out a small sound, your legs closing together as the feeling sends pulses to your core. “I didn’t know pinkskins had such pretty voices…” He says as he continues his ministrations. You had to get back at him, your fingers lightly apply pressure to his antennae, the pads of your finger rubbing across the rings. His head tilts back, eyes shutting, he shudders as he moans. He silently prays to the gods that this never ends, and to have mercy on him because he cannot go on any longer without loving you.

-He had been imagining what you looked like under your uniform for weeks, maybe subconsciously since the first time you met. When he couldn’t sleep at night he pleased himself, stroking off to the thoughts of you, and with much guilt after he finished, he still slept restlessly. It didn’t stop, you plagued his mind, and he needed a release, but his hands didn’t suffice, he needed the real thing. Him in your hole, connected into your body. He even went far enough to feed his imagination with facts by reluctantly and secretly going to Phlox for medical diagrams of the human reproductive system. With Phlox being the little gossip king he is, gave Shran a few tips on courting you, though he didn’t mention you specifically otherwise Shran would have denied, denied, denied. Safe to say the methods worked.-

He took off his own clothes, seeing that blue skin exposed, smooth white chest hair and happy trail, it a delicious sight. Those stern eyes looking down at you with such hunger, your legs squeezing even more tightly together as you feel yourself get more aroused. His hand slips between your knees, spreading you open. “Let’s see how you pinkskins look with just your skin on hm?” He says slightly more playfully. You shrug your uniform off your shoulders, he takes off your undershirt, and helps you out the uniform jumpsuit and finally your underwear. Shran sits back, looking at your now naked body. He’s silent. “Is something wrong-?” You ask and he snaps out of his silent reverie. “No- no, nothing… my, you’re beautiful… different. But beautiful just the same.” He leans down again, kissing your neck and collarbone as your hands feel up his chest to his shoulders and your arms wrap around his neck. He sucks on your skin, he loves the fact that hickeys on your skin turn purple, almost like his blue essence mixes with your ‘pink’ one. He also just loves being territorial with you, it’s in his nature. God every-time he sees a human or worse and Andorian looking at you he feels violent. You’re his alone. He leaves a few hickeys on your neck, your collarbone, your shoulders. He breaks away, needing to actually see what he’s doing while touching you, as it’s new to both of you, and he doesn’t want to do something wrong. His calloused fingers touch where you want him the most, a squeeze at the hip, a tease on the inner thigh, then rubbing on your crotch. You give out a moan, your head tilting back. “Oh yes… Shran…” you moan out. It encourages him to continue his motions, he’s enjoying this very much, especially the noises coming out of you and watching you writhe. You always want to please him, so he lets you take off his pants and underwear, and your mouth falls in shock when you see he doesn’t have one dick, but two. They’re ordered vertically on his crotch, his white pubic hair is a hot backdrop to this alien sight. He realises why you’re shocked and answers your silent question, “Two antennae, two appendages.” He tells you.

Once over that small shock to the system, the real thing goes into motion. He’s reassured you of everything and you reassured him it’ll be fine, now you’re prepped and lubed up, whining like a bitch in heat, wanting at least one of his dicks in you. You’re now in a different position, ass up, facing the edge of the bed, infront of the mirror. He mounts you, leaning down to your ear, smelling you. “You smell so desperate… so fertile…” you forget that Andorians can smell and sense pheromones, your neediness is affecting his. “Between these pink legs… mm…” he moans to himself, his chest is against your back, holding you close to him as he pushes one dick forward into you, making extra sure you’re comfortable, while the other one rubbing against your inner thigh. Your eyes rolls back and a guttural groan comes out as he bottom outs into you. He grunts into your ear as he begins to thrust, and you buck back into him, your mouth hanging open in ecstasy as he continues to move in and out, he looks to the mirror, seeing your star fucked face. “You like that?” He grins to himself, his andorian pride swelling as a human conforms to his body. Making them want more. You nod, recked after only a few thrusts, it’s probably some kind of chemical reaction in your bodies and pheromones but you could care less about the logistics. You yearned for that blue dick. “You want more?” He asks and you nod a bit too eagerly. “You humans… always biting off more than you can chew… but if you’re so sure then…” He says and you choke out a gasp, tears of pure pleasure trickle down your cheeks as he inserts his second dick. You’re stuffed and filled to the brim with his blue cocks. He’s still making sure he doesn’t hurt you, but you just bounce back onto his cocks, the quarters filled with wet slaps and squelches.

Shran moans out your name as you allow him to go rougher, you’re so much tighter than an Andorian woman, but so much more flexible. You explore different positions, missionary with your legs over his shoulders, he loved it. He loved looking down at your flushed face, how your eyes rolled back, the fact he could kiss you and leave more hickeys was exhilarating. He buries his face into your neck, smell your pheromones and fuck you so that the only thing you’re whining in his ear is incoherent garble and his name. The passionate slaps of skin and squelches bounce back off the bulkheads and filter the room. After a few rounds you had to tap out, breathing heavily, legs shaking and your body aching but it still felt like bliss. Shran could have gone a few more rounds with his stamina but stops for you. His hand carefully caresses your side as you cuddle together, “Who knew we would be the first to experiment in Andorian and Human relations…” He says softly. You kiss his cheek with the strength you have. “Well we can’t tell people about our findings, especially the Captain, it would be… unprofessional.” You respond. “Hmm… true, but that doesn’t mean I won’t come back for more, my pink sweet treat.” He nuzzles into your neck, his antennae curling down to your skin once again. He keeps your body close to his in an iron grip. Finally he can get some sleep knowing how your body feels with his, it feels like destiny.

[greenwitchcrafts]

April 2024 witch guide

Full moon: April 23rd

New moon: April 8th

Solar eclipse: April 8th

Sabbats: None

April Pink Moon

Known as: Breaking Ice Moon, Budding Moon of Plants & shrubs, Budding Tree Moon, Eastermonath, Frog Moon, Green Grass Moon, Growing Moon, Hare Moon, Moon of the Red Grass appearing, Moon When Geese Lay Egss, Moon When thd Ducks Come Back, Ostarmanoth, Planters Moon, Seed Moon, Sucker Moon & Wind Moon

Element: Fire

Zodiac: Aries & Taurus

Nature spirits: Plant Faeries

Deities: Anahita, Bast, Ceres, Cernunnos, Hathor, Herne, Ishtar, Kali, Tawaret & Venus

Animals: Bear & wolf

Birds:  Hawk & magpie

Trees: Bay, forsythia, hazel, lilac, pine & willow

Herbs:  Basil, chives, dandelion, dill, dogwood, dragon's blood, fennel, geranium, milkweed & thistle

Flowers: Daisy & sweetpea

Scents: Bay, bergamot, patchouli & pine

Stones: Angelite, beryl, diamond, garnet, malachite, quartz, ruby, sapphire, sard, selenite & zircon

Colors: Blue, brown, crimson, gold & green

Energy: Authority, balance, beginnings, change, fertility, growth, leadership, opportunities, overcoming obstacles, personal skill development, re-birth, self-evaluation, self-reliance, spirituality, temper control & willpower

April’s full Moon often corresponded with the early springtime blooms of a certain wildflower native to eastern North America: Phlox subulata—commonly called creeping phlox or moss phlox—which also went by the name “moss pink.” Thanks to this seasonal association, this full Moon came to be called the “Pink” Moon.

Other celebrations:

• Walpurgis Night - April 30th

Also known as: May Eve

The origins of the holiday date back to pagan celebrations of fertility rites & the coming of spring. After the Norse were Christianized, the pagan celebration became combined with the legend of St. Walburga, an English-born nun who lived at Heidenheim monastery in Germany & later became the abbess there. Saint Walpurga was hailed by the Christians of Germany for battling "pest, rabies, & whooping cough as well as against witchcraft". Christians prayed to God through the intercession of Saint Walpurga in order to protect themselves from witchcraft, as Saint Walpurga was successful in converting the local populace to Christianity. Although it is likely that the date of her canonization is purely coincidental to the date of the pagan celebrations of spring, people were able to celebrate both events under church law without fear of reprisal.

Walpurgis Night is still a traditional holiday celebrated on April 30th in northern Europe & Scandinavia. In Sweden typical holiday activities include the singing of traditional spring folk songs & the lighting of bonfires. In Germany the holiday is celebrated by dressing in costumes, playing pranks on people & creating loud noises meant to keep evil at bay. Many people also hang blessed sprigs of foliage from houses & barns to ward off evil spirits, or they leave pieces of bread spread with butter & honey, called ankenschnitt, as offerings for phantom hounds.

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

Wikipedia

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Encyclopedia britannica

Llewellyn 2024 magical almanac Practical magic for everyday living

[gotham25052]

Dark Waters Part 7

As the social fabric of Gotham begins to fray and the Joker's intrusion into her life escalates, Anna struggles to maintain control. But is she threatened by the Joker or by something within herself?

Contents: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10

Overall fic warnings: Explicit violence and explicit sexual content.

Chapter warnings: 18+, NSFW, violence, explicit sexual content, swearing

Author's note: The complete chapter is posted on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/60435238/chapters/158405293 Please note the warnings/tags on ao3.

I posted a shortened version here where the most explicit portions are removed. (But this version is also NSFW) Brackets [] denote removed portions.

So if you want to avoid the most explicit stuff, stay here, but if you'd like the full chapter, head to ao3. I will also post the link at the first breaking point in the chapter.

TW: 18+, NSFW, violence, sexual content, swearing

When Annie was young, perhaps only six or seven years old, she joined her family in a familiar yearly routine for many in her small rural community. In the early spring, they walked to one of the patches of forest scattered between fields, on a search for edible mushrooms. It was one of the earliest, and most enjoyable, memories of her childhood. The adults took sticks they found on the ground, and broke off the unnecessary twigs, using them to push aside old leaves from fall and the newly sprouted wildflowers and nettles on the forest floor. They wanted to see the ground clearly to spot the brown and tan morels that were so delicious after they were cleaned and fried.

Annie walked slowly in the woods, afraid that she might step on one of the precious mushrooms after she had been cautioned by the adults to be careful where her feet fell. She had an immediate love for the forest in spring - the new buds on the trees made a variegated canopy above her, still letting the blue sky shine through. In many areas, she delighted in the tiny white blooms of wildflowers carpeting the ground, like a fairy wonderland. She imagined it must be what heaven looked like.

The delicate purple of woodland phlox, the luxurious red curves of prairie trillium, the surprising yellow of the wood sorrel, all of them could be found on the forest floor. Beautiful and unique shapes that only appeared in the forest in spring, quick to be overtaken by aggressive weeds in June and July.

But there were also places in the woods she feared. As a little girl, her shorter height made patches of mayapples quite terrifying. Their leaves spread out like small umbrellas on the ground, and their height sometimes came up above her knees. She was always afraid there might be something underneath them, as their spreading canopy created an impenetrable surface she couldn't see through.

And as she followed the adults on their search, the sticks they held pushed back the rotting leaves of fall, sometimes uncovering new flowers or the leaves of small plants, but also sometimes bizarre things - things that looked like they came from another planet. Toadstools, mounds of mica caps, the intricate branching white of coral fungi, the bright red of scarlet cup. She didn't like the strange surfaces and bizarre colors of them and the way they appeared out of nowhere when the leaves were moved aside.

Annie didn't know enough about what was happening in Gotham to have made the comparison, but the city that spring was much like the forest floor of her memories. With their routines changed and the grind of work removed for many people, there were lovely things - newfound pleasures and time together with family. There was young love, like Annie's growing affection for the Joker, which at its root was sweet and pure, like wildflowers. But there were other things growing unseen under the rotten leaves of fall, foul things, ugly things, misshapen souls and violent desires. Especially for the young men of Lower Gotham, the disappearance of any regular occupation and their constant harassment at the checkpoints led to growing gangs, some wearing clown masks, some not; some angry at the injustice of the passport system, some simply angry at anything that got in their way. The contrast of darkness and light couldn't have been more pronounced. It was exceptional, that spring in Gotham.

Annie lived like someone suspended, walking on a thin wire between two realities. Her previous existence in Gotham, full of work, self-denial, and control was now gone. There was no job that kept her up late, no commutes through the city, no juggling of bills to pay. In front of her, there was an uncertain future. She didn't feel ready to commit herself to whatever world she was now in - so much was unknown to her. And she still feared discovery, if somehow the police figured out her real identity.

She hovered on the wire, unable to go back, and unsure about moving forward, with a black abyss stretching out below her.

Annie's situation was unique, of course, but many others around her in Lower Gotham also found themselves suspended in their lives in different ways. Many of them had lost their jobs due to the difficulty of the commute to Upper Gotham, too, and they also didn't know what the future brought. The general atmosphere was one of uncertainty, in a way exciting due to the strange emptiness of the streets and the promise of something new and unexpected in the absence of the everyday drudgery of work. But it was also disconcerting, as people waited to see what this new world would bring.

Thankfully, the past public relations disaster of Dent's comment about the food shipments to Lower Gotham meant that there was an overabundance of food deliveries from Upper Gotham, Annie noticing that at least one drop point was located on the street below her window. She would walk past the boxes every day when she went out for walks. She always went out in the early morning hours when there were few people on the streets. She was beginning to run low on food, but she still had some time before she would have to ask the Joker's men, stationed near her door, for help getting more. She was nervous about approaching them, but she would do it when she had to.

She often stopped in the apartment building's lobby to gather more information about what was happening in Gotham from the small TV there. She was especially interested, of course, in what kind of search they were mounting for her, and how careful she should be. She had been mentioned in the news, a mysterious woman the Joker had deposited at the hospital. But her story was one among many others about Dent's checkpoints, thankfully. And by some stroke of luck, probably because she had not yet been placed under arrest, no one had taken her photo in the hospital. The only images shared on the news were sketches, all of them hopelessly inaccurate. The only feature they seemed to get right was her unusually blue eyes.

As the weeks passed by, Annie's health returned. Her recovery was slow and the changes imperceptible at first, as recovery from a long illness often is, but soon enough her face was filling out again into its usual form, erasing the hollowness of her cheeks. The youthful bloom of color on her face came back, making it hard to tell that she wasn't just a normal young woman who hadn't gone through trauma and illness. Her walks brought back her strength, and though the burden of uncertainty always weighed heavily on her, she did thrive on the freedom to shape her days and roam as she wished.

With her newfound time, her mind wandered back to things she had enjoyed in her childhood. She had loved music, but of course all the music in her small community centered around hymns sung in a religious setting. She could still sing them, all of them, but she could no longer get enjoyment out of them. Everything from her past in the Church was tarnished beyond repair. She gave up on trying to pursue music as a hobby, the sadness of her personal history still hanging over her.

Her thoughts most often found a way to wander to him, to the Joker. In a way, she was more afraid of meeting him again now than she ever had been before. She understood her feelings better now, but she felt completely unsure of what would happen when they met. She often found herself dwelling on the kiss they had shared, hoping just the memory could give her some satisfaction and perhaps allow her a break from her thoughts of him. But the kiss was not just a kiss - whether it was real or just a show by the Joker, she didn't know, but despite its generous sweetness, his kiss had a hunger in it. She could feel that he wanted more. And examining herself, she realized that she had responded to him with a lustful desire too. She was surprised at the strength of her own feelings and reactions. The memories of him had helped get her through her time in the hospital, but now the memories were not enough. Now she could feel a need for him in a way she had never experienced.

Of course she had been with someone before, but it was as far from this as night from day. She was so young, she had barely even thought of the opposite sex, and then a marriage was thrust upon her and consummated as a matter of course, without any consideration for her inexperience. Her body grew accustomed to the way her husband came to her and the shock wore off, but nothing like love or even attraction ever developed for her. When she had escaped to Gotham, one of her chief victories was simply to have power over her own body again. And she left it in peace, not wanting to stir anything that would lead to being involved with anyone again. She had assumed she would keep that pledge with herself for the rest of her life, but now everything was different. She still felt some anger toward the Joker for having woken up all these complexities in her, for pursuing her like this. But even with his seeming dedication to getting her out of the hospital, she also didn't really know anything about him. Would she even see him again? She admitted to herself that she wasn't sure. Maybe he did this kind of thing all the time, with many women…

The Joker opened the door and walked in with barely a glance at her, his long strides cutting across the room to the kitchen. This was the first time she had seen him since he had brought her back from the hospital. She was standing behind the counter, but he ignored her, silently opening each cabinet door and slamming it again, then ending with the refrigerator. He was a flurry of motion, his open purple coat flying out behind him each time he turned. The anger was clear on his painted face.

He whipped past her and left the kitchen, standing in front of her on the other side of the counter. "Every cabinet is empty. What's wrong with you, Annie? I told you to tell my men whenever you needed anything. It's been weeks, and they said they haven't heard a word from you." His loud, accusing voice rang through the cramped apartment.

But Annie barely heard him. She forgave him inwardly for his outburst. She was used to rationing, she'd been doing it her whole life. He didn't understand that. And something about the way his anger animated him today, it highlighted the strange grace in the way he moved. The strength apparent in his body even under the layers of clothing, the way he spun around almost like he was dancing instead of reprimanding her, it all struck her with far more force than his words.

He opened his eyes wide, seeing that she was not reacting with the fear he expected. He thought she must be off in one of her other worlds again, with her faraway look. "You know, I even have the food drops from Upper Gotham set up right here, right under your window. You could ask my men, or you could go down yourself, and just take something." He took a seat in the lone chair in the room, leaning his head down and raising his hand to his forehead to push his hair back in frustration.

She had moved out from behind the counter, walking toward him, not really knowing what she was doing. She came closer, hardly daring to touch this tornado, this force of nature.

She remembered her last thoughts, how they all centered around him, when she was on her journey into the snow. He had destroyed the life she had, but the swath of color he left in his wake dazzled her eyes. She knew she was stepping off the wire now, letting herself fall. With him here in front of her, though, it was easy - so easy.

"What can I do to get you to understand, when you want something, take it?" he muttered, more talking to himself now than to her. With his head down, he hadn't noticed how close she was. A calm came over her and she knelt down in front of him, putting her hands on the sleeves of his coat, the texture scratching her skin as she slid them down the purple fabric and lifted her eyes to meet his. She felt very much like she was playing with fire, and the flames might stretch one way or the other.

He raised his head to meet her gaze. "Just take it" he said slowly. His eyes were softened but still shone intensely, like burning embers before the flames break out. He brought his hands up to either side of her face, guiding her chin upward. He had been so wrapped up in his frustration that he hadn't noticed how the color had returned to her face, but now he could see the youthful glow there again and knew that her health had come back to her.

He had wanted to make her wait, he had wanted to make her suffer like he had suffered, waiting for her. But the look on her face, almost like her feelings gave her pain, melted those plans away. He brought their lips together, the sweetness of the kiss spreading down her neck and warming her body.

He broke away from the kiss, standing up abruptly and bringing her up with him. He could feel the refreshed strength in her body. He pushed her backward, making her stumble, but by now he had his arms around her, supporting her until she found her back against the wall. "I wanted to do this before," he said. He bent down to slowly kiss her neck, his tongue caressing her skin.

"I thought you wanted to kill me." she murmured.

"No, remember, I wanted to save you," he sighed, pressing his hand onto the middle of her chest until she could not draw a breath. But she didn't care. Her eyes were glazed over with desire. His lips met hers and he was quickly inside her mouth, pushing her head back, and he relaxed the pressure on her chest as if he was too distracted to maintain it. She gasped involuntarily and the sound only made him more desperate. His earnestness and focus made him seem almost innocent, wholesome.

He broke away from the kiss and pushed her back against the wall again, looking at her searchingly. He already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it. "Do you want me to take off the paint?" His tone was completely changed from a moment earlier. It was light and inquisitive, as if they were just chatting about the weather. Her eyes dwelled on the exquisite textures and garish colors running across his face.

"No," she shook her head slowly, mesmerized by him. "I like it." He rolled his eyes down to her, giving her a knowing stare.

"The police were right, you do belong in Arkham - you're fucking crazy" he said distractedly, as he brought his body close to hers again.

[] (Explicit portion removed)

Link to ao3 for full version, note the warnings/tags there: https://archiveofourown.org/works/60435238/chapters/158405293

The night stretched out before them. She sometimes felt she was above the sparkling waves and completely free, and at other times like she was deep under the dark currents. But when she reached too high or too low, his voice came back to her and tethered her to reality. He molded her into a thousand forms and then drew her back with a raspy order.

She woke up in the morning to his fingers lightly dragging along her neck from her ear to her collarbone, and back again. His side was propped against the wall, giving her his chest to lean against as her eyes opened and she surveyed the room. She was in her simple box of an apartment, but somehow she now felt unimaginably wealthy. His strong body behind her and the luxurious strokes of his fingers on her neck could have been a queen's throne and the most expensive of necklaces - she felt surrounded by opulence as she turned the soles of her feet back to feel his legs behind her.

"Kitten, go to sleep. I have to get back to my work."

"No," she said, but she already felt her eyelids drooping lazily. The hypnotizing strokes of his fingers hastened her return to sleep, and she was soon dreaming again.

He waited until she was sleeping deeply, then left the bed and took his clothes from the floor, dressing slowly and deliberately. He put his head out the door and asked his men for a cigarette and a light. Because he didn't often smoke, they weren't prepared, but luckily they found one of them had a cigarette leftover from their long night of keeping watch. He drew in a deep drag and went back into the room. He sat in the one wooden chair, looking at her on the bed, as if he was enjoying her unmoving, unconscious state. He starred out of the window at the city, surprisingly bright this morning with rare sun reflecting from the buildings' shiny facades. He found his eyes traveling up and down her legs as he finished the cigarette and looked down at the burning ember left in his hand. He seemed to tear his gaze away with some effort. He stepped into the hallway, dropped the small remains of the cigarette on the floor, and snuffed it out with a few purposeful turns of his foot.

The men stationed at her door called him, interrupting his conversation with one of the GCPD officers he had bankrolled. "It's been almost a day now since you… visited, Boss, and we haven't heard anything from inside the apartment. No water on, no footsteps. We thought you should know."

"I'll be there," he responded, and hastily put away his phone. He left the scene without another word, swiftly walking back to the car. As soon as it was parked on the street outside her building, he was taking the stairs to her apartment two at a time. He felt frustrated - this was the second time he hadn't been able to predict her actions, the second time he was rushing to her apartment - how could she be so uncontrollable? A prickle of fear now began to rise up his spine. He hadn't thought she would take any drastic actions, he thought he had left her happy. He knew a lot of what made Annie tick, but at the same time, she had a certain remoteness that was hard to read. There was a silence to her that he couldn't decipher.

He quickly opened the door without a glance at his men and was immediately relieved to see her sitting up on the far edge of the bed, her back toward him. She was completely naked, as he had left her, and the blankets and items thrown off the bed were still strewn over the floor. He closed the door behind him and walked toward her. He moved more slowly as he came closer, coming around the bed to face her. She sat with her hands to her sides as if to get up, but she was completely motionless. He bent down on his knees to get a clear look at her face. Her eyes were focused far away, her expression blank.

Despite her vacant stare, his eyes lingered on the perfect curve of her lips. He took her face in his hands, kissing her deeply.

She seemed to stir and begin to return from whatever far away journey her mind had been on. He felt the pressure on his lips as she responded to his kiss. She pulled away, focusing her gaze back into the present and studying his face quietly. She reached up and traced her fingers over his scar, from his ear to the corner of his mouth. She kept tracing the imaginary line and found the indentation of the cut in his lower lip. She touched it delicately, taking her time to feel the ripple in his smooth skin. She began to speak, her voice raspy: "My lover is handsome and strong; he is one in ten thousand. His cheeks are a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh… His mouth is most sweet…"

He didn't like for anyone to touch his scars, but the gentle way her fingers glided over them and the strange poetry falling from her lips would not allow him to protest.

Her words hung eerily in the dim room. He brought her toward him, holding the back of her neck and kissing her, this time messily dragging his lips from her mouth to her neck.

[] (Explicit portion removed)

The men outside shrugged. They were never surprised by the Joker's erratic behavior. They returned to their game of cards in the hallway.

"Ok, upsy daisy, kitten." They had woken up together in the morning, and he had decided it would be best to take her outside with him. Maybe the fresh air would snap her back into her usual self. Though, if he was being honest, he liked his kitten being so dedicated to him. He really was a selfish man. She seemed to only breath when he told her to, her body only moving when his hands were on her. But he knew it wasn't sustainable - she needed to take care of herself. He wondered what had happened in that faraway mind of hers.

First, he would have to get them cleaned up. She was a disaster and he assumed he probably looked no better. She smiled at his efforts to pull her out of bed, making it difficult for him to get her up and into the bathroom. But she eventually relented, and once he turned on the water to the shower, she seemed to perk up a bit and reached her hand in to splash him with the water.

It was something beautiful to see her like this, seemingly without any inhibitions and allowing herself to act like a child. Growing up the way she had, so quickly being saddled with the responsibilities of adulthood in a community that trained girls to take on the housework and care of younger siblings so early, she had never really gotten to be a child. The Joker's life was a mystery, but maybe his childhood had been taken away from him too. The way they giggled as they bumped against each other getting into the shower, the way he laughed at the pitiful stream of water streaming from the showerhead in the cheap apartment, it seemed like two people living a late moment of thoughtless fun, like children again for this short time.

The small shower of a compact apartment didn't allow them much room, especially for his tall form. But they made it work, laughing as they grabbed the shampoo. They fought over it first, but then he relented and let her take some. He had to bend down for her to reach him as she washed his hair, slowly working the foam into his scalp with her fingertips. He washed hers next, enjoying the slippery feel of her wet hair.

She set her eyes on his face, seeing that their night together and the shower had taken off a great deal of his makeup. She decided to work on removing the rest, grabbing a cloth and rubbing it over the remaining paint gently, patiently. It was stubborn but finally relented, staining the cloth with its colors.

With the makeup mostly off now, only a trace of the black eyeshadow left and a little embedded red in the creases of his scars, he looked suddenly so young and so simple. As she worked on removing the last traces of the paint, she wondered what he was before he was the Joker. The naked skin of his body and now his face too made him seem suddenly vulnerable, and she knew he could see the question in her eyes. He put an arm around her to draw her closer, saying, "Annie, don't ask me about my past, please." She was taken aback. The way he said please with such a supplicating tone, as if he was afraid of her - as if she could hurt him. She had never heard him speak like that before. She looked up at him with concern. "Ok," she said, reaching her hand up to his face and cradling his cheek there. He took her face in his hands, bringing their lips together and kissing her deeply. The taste of the water was so different from the smooth waxy flavor she was used to. His lips offered more resistance now, giving her a better grip as she drug her mouth over his. It was a desperate kiss, a wonderful kiss.

[] (Explicit portion removed)

"Annie, these clothes are horrible. You only have your work clothes?" He was trying to find something for her to wear. He didn't wait for an answer from her. He went to the door, poking his head out and addressing his men. "Go get the red dress from the van, it's still in the box. And get me that bag under the seat."

He had handed her a hairbrush and told her to use it, and when he checked on her, she seemed to be complying. His men soon returned with the items he had requested. He lifted the red dress out of the box, the same one she had worn to the news station months ago. She looked at it with some hesitation, revealing the Annie the Joker was accustomed to. "I should get some underwear," she said. "No, kitten, this dress doesn't need it," he said, and hastily lifted it over her head. She allowed him to pull it over her obediently. "Now finish with your hair," he said, handing the brush back to her. She struggled with it for a bit and finally gave up, letting some of the tangles remain.

She entered the main room of the apartment, where he was sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed and wearing a brown sweater, the makeup still absent and his hair pulled back again, like it had been in the hospital. She was struck with the rich color of the sweater and how it complemented his eyes. It took some effort to stop looking at him. "Genevieve said you'd like it," he said as a matter of course, as if Genevieve was some old friend of them both. He got up and came closer to Annie, speaking into her ear, "She said you'd want to eat me, if I wore this. I think she was right." Annie knew her deep breaths betrayed her, but she decided not to give him the satisfaction of telling him that his friend had guessed correctly.

"When was the last time you had a meal," he asked her, and she looked up to the ceiling as if she would find the answer there. "I don't know," she responded, seeming to truly not know. "Ok, kitten, that's what I thought. I've got some food on the way."

Soon, a feast was arriving through her door. Fresh fruit, breads, cheese, fragrant soups, more meat than she had ever had in her apartment at one time. Her eyes were wide, just taking it in. She really was very hungry, now that she saw the food there. She began to take bits of it, enjoying the incredible variety he had brought. She was more than unaccustomed to this kind of luxury. She looked over at him. He was eating too, but she could tell from his sly smile, he was watching to see what she'd do. Maybe he was wondering if her long history of poverty and scarcity would show itself, and she would try to save anything that they couldn't eat. He had certainly gotten far more than was needed for two people.

She thwarted his plan, opening the door to her apartment and finding three of his men there, as she expected. She invited them in to eat - "The Joker wanted you to come and eat too," she said, motioning to the food.

The Joker rolled his eyes at her, now eating his fill before his men took it all.

They departed from the steps at the foot of her apartment building, making their way to one of the main thoroughfares of Lower Gotham. "Where are we going?" she said, wondering what the purpose of this outing was.

"Just on a walk, kitten, I thought you liked walks."

"These are strange walking clothes," she said, looking over at him and then down at the ornate embroidery and sequins on the form-fitting red dress.

"Nothing is strange in Gotham now," he said with a smile.

He took her arm in his and they walked onward, mostly ignored by passers by, though some eyes lingered on her overly formal dress. The weather was unusually warm for spring in Gotham, and neither of them required a jacket. He had tossed a light scarf on, presumably to disguise his scars. The weather had lured out many of the residents of Lower Gotham - the streets were busier than she had seen them since the food crisis. She began to feel nervous, knowing from the trajectory of the events she had seen on the news in the hospital that large gatherings in Lower Gotham might not have positive results.

They seemed to be coming upon more and more people as they neared the entrance to one of the bridges, and she soon saw why. Makeshift scaffolding was set up, blocking the roadway, a man on top gesticulating and speaking to the crowd. Chaos surrounded them, some people obviously rushing away from the scene to avoid being drawn up in the mob and others rushing toward it, cheering after each statement he made. He seemed to be voicing complaints about the passport system, pointing out the injustice inherent in it. "Upper Gotham gentlemen and ladies," he said mockingly, "don't need to prove their identity to cross over to our side of the city, but us Lower Gotham 'rats' have to show this special ID and explain why we are crossing to the other side of our own city!" The crowd cheered when he said 'rats,' clearly understanding his reference to Dent's disparaging comment in the leaked audio that came out months ago.

The Joker had grabbed her hand and was leading them closer and closer to the base of the scaffolding, past even the crowd that had gathered in the front row of spectators. "What are you doing?" she asked, concerned. He turned to look back at her and had a wild grin on his face. He had obviously come up with some kind of plan, whether simply mischievous or murderous, she didn't know. "Did you know this was here?" she asked, looking up at the rickety platform as they stepped under it. "No, the people of Gotham did this all by themselves, kitten," he said with excitement in his voice.

The man who had been speaking came down the ladder on the side of the scaffolding, and the Joker strode up to him, somehow hiding the perverse excitement on his face and changing his expression to one of earnestness. She was disconcerted by how quickly he pulled off the transition. Could he always change his personality on command like this?

"That was amazing," he said to the man, as if he was completely taken aback by his eloquence on the platform. "So inspiring. My girlfriend here, her father was killed by the GCPD just two weeks ago. She's been so distraught. She'd really like to say a few words to the crowd." He pulled Annie up beside him, jerking her arm with more than a little strength due to her reticence to come any closer. She simply stood there, wide-eyed.

The man's face was confused but then melted into a generous expression, matching the Joker's feigned earnestness. "Of course. Everyone is welcome here. Go on up."

The Joker turned to her. The light scarf, which wasn't really disguising much anyway, fell down to his chin. "Go on up, sweety. Tell them all about it. I know you have a lot to get off your chest about this." As he ended his words to her, a toothy grin slowly took over the false sincerity of his face. No one could see his expression but her from this angle.

He had seen an opportunity to cause trouble, something irresistible to the Joker, but also, he had been looking for something exactly like this on their walk, some situation he could put her in that would help snap her out of her trance-like state. Being on stage seemed uncomfortable enough to force her to think again, to craft something that would get her out of it.

She stood there, still stunned. "Ok, honey," he said, irritation beginning to edge into his voice. "Up you go!"

He lifted her onto the ladder, placing her hands and feet on the rungs so that she was starting to climb to the to the plywood platform above. She looked back down at him with accusing eyes as she grabbed one rung after the other, the whole structure swaying slightly as she reached the top. It must have been just about one story tall, not a massive height for onlookers, but once she was on top looking down, it seemed quite tall indeed. She had no idea what to say, finding herself standing there on the platform, looking out at the large crowd below. She knew their anger wasn't directed at her, but her ridiculous dress and the seriousness of their faces did not help calm her worries.

The Joker was below chatting with the previous speaker. "Just stage fright, she'll snap out of it."

As she sometimes did in moments of panic, her mind retreated to the words imprinted there since childhood. Her terrified expression turned to one of blank calm, and the murmurs from the crowd began to quiet in expectation. Something about the figure in the red dress seemed like an omen to them. She was a strange vision, like some kind of avenging angel that had appeared there.

Her voice rang out, surprising both for how well it carried and for its femininity in the male-dominated crowd.

"Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places a plain.

"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword…"

The simple words seemed to strike a deep chord with the crowd, and they began to cheer with a volume and intensity that not only alarmed Annie, but also caused the Joker to take action. Someone had a gun and a shot rang out into the sky, the mass of people so riled up that they just cheered more with the sound instead of cowering at it.

His tone completely changed from his mischievous teasing earlier as he yelled up to her, "Stop, kitten, get down, now." She obeyed, crawling on her hands and knees to the edge of the platform and endeavoring to get her grasp on the ladder again. She managed to climb halfway down, even with the difficult dress, and then she felt his arms grabbing her from behind and taking her the rest of the way. He set her feet on the ground and grabbed her hand as they looked for a way out. People were rushing underneath the scaffolding, heading toward the central checkpoint on the other side of the bridge. The plywood platform began to teeter and shake with the rushing bodies.

The Joker took her hand and at first ran with the crowd, because there really was no other option. Once the mass of people spread out on the bridge, there was more room to maneuver, and he was able to weave them in and out of the streams of people. He moved so fast, she had trouble keeping up, but he kept a secure grasp on her hand that she knew wouldn't waver. Finally they were out of the rush of people and could turn back to her apartment. They began to walk at a normal pace again, and he swung their hands back and forth like they were on the most lighthearted of strolls. He wore a sly smile, while she had a fearful expression from what she had just witnessed.

"Well, that was very interesting…" he said. She didn't know how to respond, still processing what had happened. When they passed the next alleyway, he suddenly slid off the main street into it, taking her with him. He pulled her close, his hands finding easy purchase on her waist and her thigh under the high slit of the dress. "You were so beautiful there, looking up at that platform with those scared eyes."

[] (Explicit portion removed)

He smiled and took her hand, straightening her dress over the mess he had made of her, and they both ran back in the direction of her building. A smile spread across her face and he could hear her laugh trying to keep up with him, as they ran together down the street, drunk with each other.

Late into the night, the van arrived near Annie's building to take the Joker on a special patrol he had wanted to complete, checking on key locations in the city. This had been a long day for the driver, and he didn't have a lot of patience for the Joker's antics. He headed inside to see what was going on. He soon found himself in the hallway outside her apartment, and not hearing anything from inside, ignored the warnings from the two men stationed there and took matters into his own hands, opening the door. He walked in and called, "Hey, the van…" He immediately regretted it.

The moonlight was the only illumination in the room, but he could easily see the details of their bodies, intertwined and naked. The paint was nearly gone from the Joker's face and it instead marked their bodies like some kind of jungle camouflage, smudges and splashes of it glowing everywhere on their skin in the half-light. They looked over at the intruder at the same time - the Joker with his eyes alert and fiery like a lion on top of its prey, her eyes dazed and misty and her lips parted with heavy breaths. Fear rooted the driver to the spot.

"I'm. Not. Done," the Joker growled darkly, fixing him in his gaze and slowly enunciating every word. The driver shook off the terror that held him and turned quickly, running from the room and into the hallway, sprinting away without a backward glance. He kept running into the streets of Gotham, abandoning the van. He likely left Gotham that night, knowing that the best way to escape the Joker's wrath would be to leave the city.

[] (Explicit portion removed)

Author's note: [spoilers!] I hope I didn't disturb anyone too much with the speed of their relationship development - I just really felt that once Annie's hesitation was gone, the floodgates would open. It made sense to me. Though the Joker here is pretty chatty lol, I thought they would both express themselves better physically than verbally. I apologize if any of this is rough around the edges - it's a new type of writing for me. I think some portions are special and hope at least those came across well.

This is fanfic, so of course I don't own any characters from The Dark Knight (Joker, Batman, etc.). The main female character is original.

Image attributions:

Forest Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons / “Haltern am See, Hohe Mark -- 2020 -- 6883” / CC BY-SA 4.0

Woodland phlox Jay Sturner from USA, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Prairie trillium USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, Maryland, USA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Wood sorrell 6th Happiness, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

[lostinlovingrevery]

🌷

DAMIIIIII

I give you...

Tall garden phlox!

These flowers are SO popular, they fly off the shelves at my work bc theyre lovely, like you <3

These guys can grow up to 2-4 ft and their spread is neverending! A perennial, so theyll come back to fill your garden every year. Pollinators also love em.

In flower language, phlox means "our souls are united", how cute it that?? Keep that for when you meet your soulmate 😉

[lunadreamsdespondently]

More of my beloved Spreading Phlox

I just love it so much!!

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

My Garden Flowers Part 7

All photos mine, unedited.

In order of appearance:

181. Early Goldenrod (Solidago juncea) She's named for flowering earlier than most goldenrods, which tend to flower in late summer to fall, but not all! I've seen others flower earlier.

182. Canadian Fly Honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis) Wasn't expecting her to flower this year, but there she was in the spring! No berries, though, sadly. Maybe next year!

183. Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet.

184. Burning Bush (Euonymus atropurpureus) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet.

185. Mapleleaf viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet.

186. Veiny Meadow Rue (Thalictrum venulosom) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet.

187. Wild Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) Not blue like the ones that enchanted me the time I visited my aunt in England, but still very nice.

188. Beggar's Lice (Hackelia virginiana) I didn't plant her and don't keep many now that she's popped up. She's a handsome enough plant but her fruits stick to EVERYTHING and leaves can get sickly from time to time.

189. Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet and probably won't this year because my landlord cut that area. (:

190. Squashberry (Viburnum edule) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet.

191. Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet.

192. Virgin's Bower (Clematis ligusticifolia) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet.

193. Largeleaf Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum macrophyllum) In my opinion she should be named for her rhizome rather than her leaf. The leaves aren't that big but the rhizomes are huge.

194. Twinflower (Linnaea borealis) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet, but she is spreading in a nice little mat.

195. Alpine bistort (Bistorta vivipara) Not pictured as I haven't got pictures yet.

196. Rough Cinquefoil (Potentilla norvegica monspeliensis) I didn't plant this, but she is there regardless! Not pictured as I haven't got pictures yet.

197. Sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina) Not a fern. The leaves are just kind of fernlike.

198. Sundial Lupine (Lupinus perennis) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet. New area for her and we'll see if A) she survives and B) if she doesn't turn out to be bigleaf lupine again.

199. Gray Goldernrod (Solidago nemoralis) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet.

200. Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) She gets fairly tall and the flowers come up at the top.

201. Scarlet Runner Bean (Phaseolus coccineus) Another one that's not native to the area and can't survive the winter, but has been grown here in the summers long before colonization.

202. Tall Cinquefoil (Drymocallis arguta) Very strawberry-like flowers that sit atop the plant.

203. Early Saxifrage (Micranthes virginiensis) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet.

204. American Sweetflag (Acorus americana) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet.

205. River Beauty (Chamaenerion latifolium) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet.

206. Large cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) Don't know if she'll flower again this year, but she did make a couple of berries last year!

207. Heart-Leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet.

208. Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet.

209. Little Sweet Betsy (Trillium cuneatum) This was supposed to be a different species, but that's okay. She's still native to the range I accept. Her leaves have a lovely natural variegation to them.

210. Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata) Nice blue flowers that thrive in shady spots.