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astarionslittlejuicebox · 10 months

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The Promise of Eternity (Part 3)

Author: @astarionslittlejuicebox

Imagine: The reader helped Astarion ascend and became his spawn. After saving the world from the Elder brain and it’s destruction, the reader and Astarion set out to take on the world together. While he promised to never forget the gifts the reader has given him, Astarion has seemed to have changed his attitude towards the reader in the last century…. After someone breaks one of Astarion’s rules, how will this affect the reader’s fate?

Pairing: Astarion x F!Reader

Trigger warnings: potential for minor spoilers, suggestive themes, language, mentions of death, mentions of blood, abusive relationship, mention of slavery

Word Count: 1234

Imagine Series List

Side Notes:

This imagine series takes place 200 years after the events of Baldur’s Gate 3. Everything you read in here is a story from my mind outside of the original BG3 character Astarion.

In this imagine series, Astarion is a bit more unemotionally unavailable, and this series will follow the decisions and consequences of that change. This is not canonically accepted and it is just an idea I’ve had in my head! (I do believe Astarion might truly care for the reader after Ascension, but that is open to individual interpretation.)

In this series, TAV is mildly based on my first character I played in BG3; she is a drow and I will make references to her in her background and knowledge as well. I do apologize that it is not 100% your own imagine, but the name for TAV is up to you as well as anything else that I can think of leaving to you, the reader, to decide.

I appreciate everyone who reads the imagines and this series, and I hope you enjoy the story!

TAV POV

As I walked out of the castle I called home, I was greeted by the gardeners tending to the landscape. Each of them received a smile and a small greeting from me as I proceeded on my journey to the one place that could help me uncover who had stolen the blood. A stone path lead away from the pearl white mansion and into a small forested area that separated the city from our sanctuary. I continued to follow that stone path until it turned to dust and then returned to stone as I arrived at the outskirts of the bustling city. Most of the city’s patrons took no notice of me as I waltzed through the city streets. Walking through the city had become a comfort for me in the last century, and it has only grown to be more of a comfort to me in the last few years with the tiefling parading about the castle. With the changing of the season, the scents of the city had changed. In the air, spices like cinnamon and clove hung heavily in the air as bakers in local bakeries baked fresh apple pies for the season. Cinnamon brooms hung in several store fronts that I passed by on my stroll, and I reminisced on the days when Astarion would let me decorate the castle for the upcoming holidays. Nowadays, the only room in the house that remained decorated for all the holidays was my bedchambers.

Some parents nearby laughed as their young child did a cartwheel in the grass off to the side of the pathway. An all-too-familiar feeling pulled at the muscles in the dead organ within my chest at the sight, and I quickly turned my attention back to my task at hand. The library in Baldur’s Gate had some of the best selections of books on all sorts of magic and spells. In my younger years, I had heard about a handful of rituals that could prove useful in shedding some light on who the blood thief was. Worse case scenario, I could use one of the rituals to locate the vial of blood itself.

The familiar ashen gray stone building stood before me with its long flight of cream stairs beckoning me up to the large stone double doors; standing guard on either side of the stairwell was a pair of slate gray gargoyles, whose eyes followed your every move. Giving them a small wave as I passed, I entered one of the few places in Baldur’s Gate that still felt like home. Shelves upon shelves occupied most of the space on the first floor of the enormous building. Books of all shapes and sized filled every shelf your eyes could see. Above the venter of the room, a circular opening gave away to the upper floor of the library, where more shelves stand awaiting the arrival of the next avid reader to pick a book from their shelf and peer between the book’s cover in search of the knowledge hidden within the sheets. Walking to the center of the room, a large circular desk demanded all attention as a golden dragonborn stood behind its daunting wooden structure. Vunxar Drakax was an older male dragonborn who loved the books as if they were his own children, and I had come to be great friends with him over the last few decades.

“Now, why would someone bend the corner of a page in Ascension and the Stars? Does no one have any respect for the pages anymore?” His exotic voice whispered as he worked to unbend a dog-eared page in a book with a sparkling purple cover.

“Most people do not care for the books like children, Vunxar.” I whispered as I stood in front of the desk where the librarian was working.

“That is precisely what is wrong with people nowadays. I remember when books were treated with respect and no one bent the pages.” He sighed heavily as he turned to look at me with cyan eyes. “Ah, (TAV’s name), what can I help you find today?” He gave me a toothy-smile before he continued to examine the returned library book’s condition.

“I am seeking knowledge of rituals that could either help me see a past event that happened in the last couple of days, and I believe there is a book that could help me track something that has been lost as well.” I gave the dragonborn a warm smile as he paused, contemplating my request.

“I do believe that I may have a few books in here that could hold the knowledge you seek. In shelving unit T21, there is a book with an emerald green cover called Ruination of Reality that details the dangers of timetraveling and alternating events of the past. Another book in shelving unit A4, Queen of the Lost and Found, may hold a story or two of the ancient Queen Coshi Talae and her ritual to find a lost relic of her late husband, who died at sea. The only other book I can think of off the top of my cranium is hidden away from the public, but for you I will allow to read. It is Inception of Yesterday, and you will find that book contains valuable information on the Weave’s ability to receive energy from events of the past. In there, I believe you could find some information about observing the past. Here, allow me to go get the book for you while you search for the other two.” Vunxar stepped away from the book in front of him as I started to make my way through the maze of shelves to find the books he had told me about. After searching the library for a couple of hours, I returned to the desk to check out the books Vunxar recommended. A book with a plain midnight blue cover laid on the desk next to his arm.

“I hope you were able to find both of my recommendations.” He said as I placed both of the books on the counter in front of him. “From the looks of it, you were able to. You wouldn’t believe the amount of incompetent people who are not able to locate any book in here, even with me telling them the shelving unit number.” He let out a soft, hardy laugh that quietly echoed in the otherwise silent building. “And I have found the book I promised you as well.” He wrote quickly on the ledger the names of the books, the date, and my name before handing me all three books. “As always, please return to me once you have had your fill of knowledge from the books, or if you find you no longer need the knowledge within the pages.”

“Of course, Vunxar.” I gave him a warm smile before grabbing the books and taking my leave. I kept a brisk pace back to the dungeon of the castle I called home as I eagerly awaiting the knowledge hidden within the pages of the books that were hugged close to my unbeating heart.

Hopefully I can learn what I need to in these pages to catch that damn blood thief. I thought to myself. Perhaps, then, Astarion would at least speak to me cordially again. With a newfound pep in my step, I could not wait to delve into the books.

#astarion imagine #astarion x reader #baldursgate3 #baldursgate3imagine #ascended astarion #the promise of eternity

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marinahavik · 8 months

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Introducing my Oc's today's episode Dione Havik

Havik: This Dutch surname is derived from the word “havik” which means “sea hawk”

Dione

The name Dione is a graphic variant of Dioni, a nickname for Dionysia, which has Greek origins. Some meanings associated with the name Dione are “spirit of the waters” and “the sky and the waters”.

She comes from an influential family in the Coral Sea, they are known mainly for their jewelry making, and because of this they gained a noble title.

The family symbol is pearls, the Havik family became a noble family just over 100 years ago, due to their parents Aerion (This name has Greek origin and means “divine water”) and Aria (This name has Italian origin and means “air” or “melody”. It is often associated with the element of water due to its fluidity).

Aerion is a hawk fae while Aria is an ocean nymph, both species can live for many years.

They started a jewelry business that over time became a great success, so much so that wearing jewelry made by the Havik corporation means that you are someone with a very high status, some of the main customers are the Al-Asim and the kingscholar.

Despite all the wealth, no one in the family tends to waste luxuries and riches, they tend to prefer a quieter life.

To avoid problems, the family's house is located inside a cave, which is guarded by huge sea serpents.

You rarely see anyone from the family at the fancy parties that noble and royal families usually throw, but the few times they appear, all the attention goes to them.

To prevent the children from receiving too much attention, especially Marina and Dione, Aerion and Aria rarely accept invitations to parties, and the times they attend, they are without the children, they do this to protect them, after all, since the beginning of time, the Nymphs are often persecuted for their beauty.

About the nymphs

They are beings linked to nature, they are divided by ecosystems, so there are flower nymphs from forests, the sea, rivers, etc.

They are considered the fastest beings in Twisted Wonderland, every year fleeing from mortals, gods and monsters since ancient times, made them undergo evolutions, making them faster, and with their senses enhanced to the maximum.

In addition to being very fast, they have the ability to transform into plants and animals to escape their pursuers.

They are experts in animal language, being able to communicate with any type of animal, whether magical or not.

As an ocean nymph, she possesses great command over the waters, her unique magic only enhancing these abilities.

About your personality

Unlike her younger sister, Dione is calmer and calmer, and does not have as much energy as Marina.

Dione is someone who doesn't usually talk much, preferring to remain silent analyzing situations, she only speaks when she thinks it is necessary.

Of the two sisters, she is the more responsible, and tries to prevent her sister from doing something stupid, or ending up going overboard when it comes to doing their work.

In the same way that her sister's appearance makes others think she is not dangerous, which means that other people may either let their guard down around them, or try to intimidate them, neither of these decisions is a wise decision.

Like her sister, she really enjoys Yumi's company, and was very angry with Azul and the twins when she found out that they took Ramshackle.

Appearance

Dione is 1.66 tall

She has short black hair that is always loose, has bangs pulled to the right side, and wears a blue bow at the back of her hair, and has very beautiful green eyes.

Her uniform consists of a white button-down blouse, a gray vest, black and gold jacket, black ruffled skirt, dark tights, and black boots with gold details.

Curiosities and more information about her

A first-year student at Octanaville, she is also part of the first-year problem class

And right-handed, she likes to collect old things, and just like her sister likes cute animals

She likes anything that involves music, she is part of the board game club.

She is childhood friends with the Leech and Blue twins, as well as Sebek and Silver, as her father is friends with Lila and Sebek's grandfather.

Despite being half fae, she and the rest of her family prefer to live in the coral sea.

Her maternal family is practically a secret to the rest of her friends, they may even know her mother Aria but the only thing they know about her maternal family is practical.

Sometimes she and her sister, along with her mother, and other female relatives go to an island called Temiscira, where it was magically protected to prevent men from entering, so it's basically a vacation island for women, they ended up taking Yumi on one of these trips. So the girl could get some rest, and on this trip to Yozakura she ends up learning more about her own language and her family's origins.

has a crush on Azul, but never talked about it, tired of seeing their friends having feelings for each other but never talking about them, Marina, the Leachs and Yumi (who ended up in the operation by accident) got together and came up with a plan to that Azul and Dione finally became a couple

How they met (azul and the Leech)

Azul met the Havik family, on an ordinary day for him, he was running away from some classmates, and hid in a cave, the cave in question served as the entrance to the Havik house, the twins were leaving when they found the little one hidden octopus.

He was very scared and it took him a while to trust the girls and consider them friends, but her family accepted him and treated him so well, that Blue was happy to finally have friends.

Some time later the Leech also met the Havik, and they became a much respected and feared group in the Coral Sea, and their fame continues in the Raven night.

how things work in octanaville

She and her sister usually work as secretaries at Azul, they also work as waitresses and on the days they work the Lounge is crowded.

Because many students only go there to see them and make the poor customers spend more than they have, leaving the poor without money and having to work in the salon to pay off the debt.

Octanaville has rules to make the lives of employees and customers comfortable, especially for the girls, breaking the rules means the Leachs will break their bones.

Many end up being afraid to approach the Havik, as there will always be a Leech nearby acting as a bodyguard. In Dione's case it would be Jade, as she is not afraid of the eel and they both get along very well.

Because of her pretty appearance and "naive" appearance, many tried to trick her or intimidate her because they believed she wouldn't react, but it's not like that, all the idiots who underestimated her ended up in the infirmary, but it was her sister Marina who ended up becoming more famous, as it sent 5 Savannah students to the infirmary with serious injuries

Blue and the Leeches rule Octanaville and, as they are childhood friends, the twins have some privileges. Marina, in particular, tends to enter the office without knocking, and she and her sister have permission from Azul to take care of the Leeches (especially Floyd) when they cause trouble. As scary as it is for the Octanaville students, a common scene that happens sometimes would be Marina using her hydrokinesis to make them behave, so seeing Floyd tied up by the water currents and being dragged away became an everyday scene.

In the same way that it ended up becoming common to see Dione dragging jade by his ear, when he tries to feed someone with poisonous mushrooms.

I hope you enjoyed the post, likes and reblogs are appreciated, the next post will be about the Yozakura family

#twisted wonderland #my ocs #night raven college #original character #twisted oc #twst original character #octavinelle #oc x canon #octavinelle oc #A flower stained with blood

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atamascolily · 4 years

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and another thing

There's one other thing that really bugs me about Children of the Jedi, by Barbara Hambly, and that's the inconsistent treatment of Force ghosts.

It starts off really well. First there's the merest hint of a presence, glimpses out of the corner of Luke's eyes, doors opening and closing randomly, with our Jedi wondering if it's the ship’s evil sentient Will or if he's losing his mind because he's exhausted, concussed, and overdosing painkillers. A Jawa hands him a lightsaber, and takes him to the entrance to the computer core, and he starts to put together the pieces of Past Events together - that there was a Jedi saboteur, (female based on the lightsaber's proportions). 100/10 for Gothic atmosphere in this crumbling derelict Imperial nightmare ship and I love it.

Then her ghost starts sending him text messages - or words on a screen, since this is the '90s and nobody has smartphones, but it's all text, except for some ASCII art she does when Luke explains that the Rebellion won the war. (The terminal is not hooked up to the Will at all, and barely functional, which makes this even creepier imo.) She introduces herself as Callista, and they text message back and forth until she reveals that the entire ship is wired, so he can just talk to the screen, like a one-way Zoom call.

Luke has to go, but more doors start opening for him and pertinent messages begin appearing on random surfaces. More one-way Zoom calls follow. He starts having visions of her laughter and her face, as Callista’s ghost becomes interested in the activities of the living again.

Luke gets knocked unconscious and has a dream-vision-hallucination of Callista's last few hours of life while he’s out. He "wakes up" to find he's still dreaming, because she's lying next to him in a physical tangible form he can touch. (It took me several times reading this passage before I figured out that it was still a dream. The tell is that he doesn't feel any pain from his considerable injuries.) She cries in his arms, they talk about the past, and have dream-sex and dream-visits to Tatooine to walk around his memories since he’s been all over hers already. You know, usual first date stuff.

Then Luke wakes up, and... things get weird.

(Yes, I know, things were already weird, but they were at least CONSISTENT. Now things get weird and inconsistent. There's a difference!)

Luke wakes up and... Threepio mentions that "Miss Callista" told him things, which is fine, because Callista's in the computer, and Threepio is a droid, so they can communicate via the computer, right? Except that then this happens:

“It’s fine.” Her voice was in his head, clear and soft—the words might even have been actually audible, because Threepio replied, “But, Miss Callista, diversion or no diversion, Master Luke is scarcely up to taking on Gamorreans—”

How is Callista talking to Threepio so he can hear her if she's a Force ghost? Is she manipulating the computer mic so the computer is reading her words aloud? But then how is she in Luke’s head???

This wouldn't be such a big deal, except a key plot point of CotJ is that droids cannot experience the Force directly or be controlled by it without specialized training, so... *shrug* I got nothing.

Anyway, from this point on, Callista gives up texting and talks to Luke directly in his head, which is fine, and also allows her to be more active and present while Luke is Doing Things. She's actively invested in helping him, and she has the Force, and it's a logical progression of their relationship.

Callista volunteers to stay with a traumatized Cray and watch over her, and I assume they talk to each other because Cray seems to know all about Callista later and I'm not sure when Luke explained the situation to her. Cray will also address Callista directly, when Luke and Callista are arguing. This makes sense, because Cray is Force-sensitive, and I don't have a problem with her being able to see/talk to Callista as well.

(Also, at this point in the novel, Callista mentions she's been recording her memoirs for Luke on "wafers" so her knowledge won't be lost. It's not clear to me what format that is, exactly, but I'm imagining something like a flash drive. Given that CotJ establishes elsewhere that any of the mechanical components of the ship's computer could have the Will on them, I'm so confused why it's okay for Luke to take these recordings away, but not anything that might hold Callista's spirit. But maybe it doesn't matter since we never hear about these files ever again?)

So far, so good, aside from that one moment with Threepio. Then Callista starts talking to Triv Pothman--who is not Force-sensitive, as far as I know--and I just... don't understand how that's possible, given that they appear to directly interact instead of through a computer or other physical interface.

“Funny,” said Pothman, looking around him at the oily black root system of pipes and vents, as Luke hooked the small portable pump into the main mechanism. “I never thought about it while I was a trooper. But now, looking back, I think I never could get used to living in corridors and rooms and ships and installations. I mean, it seemed normal at the time. Only after I was living in the forest on Pzob I realized how much I loved it, how much I’d missed the woods and the trees of Chandrila. You miss the oceans, Miss Callista?”

“Every day.”

WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING HERE? Can non-Jedi see Force ghosts?? Is Triv actually Force-sensitive and nobody ever mentioned it until now?? Is Luke hallucinating the whole business and that’s why it’s so weird?? I'm so confused!

And then it gets EVEN WEIRDER, because Luke is stunned and dumped on the shuttle and Callista and Cray leave a recording so he knows exactly what they did and why:

The voice was tinny, small. Turning his head, he saw the player set next to him on the thin mattress of the bunk. The holo of her face appeared dimly above it, no more substantial than the audio.

She looked exhausted, as she had in his dream-vision of her in the gun room, her brown hair straggling from the loose braid she’d put it in, her gray eyes at peace.

“It was my idea—mine and Cray’s. I was afraid—we were both afraid—that at the last minute you’d try to settle for less than complete destruction of the Eye of Palpatine … that you’d try to play for time, to take me off the ship. I’m sorry that I … made your decision for you.”

Her image faded out, and Cray’s appeared, weary and stretched-looking, but with that same exhausted peace in her eyes.

HOW IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE TO SEE A HOLO OF A FORCE GHOST? If droids and machines can't perceive Force ghosts because they can't touch the Force, how is it possible to get a holo recording of one... let alone a voice recording??

Or is the holo recording empty space, but Luke is able to perceive the message for what it is because he has the Force?? THIS IS NEVER EXPLAINED AND IT BOTHERS ME, IT BOTHERS ME SO MUCH, WHYYYYYYY.

After this, it stops mattering because Callista has a body again, but I hate that the novel is consistent on this subject for two-thirds of its run, only to descend into WTF territory in the last act because it's narratively convenient... unless I'm missing something? But unfortunately, I don't think I am.

Literally, the only in-universe solution I can think of is that Luke hallucinates all or most of his interactions Callista, and I don’t know how I feel about that, because it’s 100% plausible, but then things start to get weird, because who is that person he pulls out of the shuttle if not the woman he’s been talking to this entire time??

The other solution is just to accept that Hambly made some mistakes (we’ve all done it), ignore the ones I don’t like, and move on. But it bugs me because the novel is otherwise so well-written and consistent within itself (if not the rest of Legends!canon).

#star wars #Children of the Jedi #SW meta #force woo #force ghosts

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painandpleasure86 · 4 years

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It’s a Hard Life (Entry for Binky’s DTIYS)

A/N: Hello ppl! Again writing... I had a writer block until today :( But here I am. Writing something for the @binkyisonline ‘s DTIYS! I made a fic with her unicorn John. The ending it’s open, so, if this haves success, I could continue a little more the story. You with your support decides! ;) Was an interesting experience write something with an humanoid.

Summary: A young human-unicorn lives in an enchanted woods and it’s about to meet with a young artist that also loves exploring.

Warnings: none. Some swear words, but a few.

Pairing: Platonic Deacury (for now)

Word count: +1500

Permanent taglist: @warriorteam1924 @toomuchlove-willkillyou @deakysgurl

If you want to be in the tag list, just tell me! ;)

(John’s POV)

Everyone looks at me as something strange, something beautiful. They think that because I'm the way I am, I'm somewhat innocent. I'm not. I know the dangers of the world. I know people's thoughts. Everyone wants to ride me.

I'm an abomination. They didn't make me 100% animal or 100% human. Sometimes I take the form of a human with brown hair, long and wavy, six feet tall, very thin, gray eyes... But with one detail: my horn never goes away. Do you see why I say I am an abomination? I think whoever created me wanted to have fun at my expense. Thank you...

It seems not, but my life it's very difficult . I have no place to go, and no one who really loves me. No ulterior motives. I wander the woods, eating what I can, sleeping where I can. I try to do it in my animal way, because being in my human way, people usually get scared. It's not just the horn, but also the fact that I have nothing to cover me. But why do I usually say? Some maids want to possess me. Also some gentlemen. Don't they think I have feelings? I'm not someone who whores or someone who wants to be intimate with the first person who comes across me. Everyone wants me for convenience. Or at least, everyone I've met. Sometimes I fantasize about meeting someone who cares for me, loves me and respects me as I deserve. But it seems like it's something that will only live in my head...

By the way, where are my manners... My name is John. Or at least that's what I've chosen to call myself. I don't know how old I am, but in my human form I look like someone who's barely 21.

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(Freddie’s POV)

I love walking around these parts. I always find something beautiful, something strange, something worth documenting. It's full of wonders.

Today I wander through an enchanted forest, where a being lives that leaves me speechless. He is a young man who is barely over 20 years old, with long brown hair, tall, thin... Whenever he sees me close enough, he runs away from me. He usually looks at me with a frightened face, even when I ask him if I can come closer. "Get away from me. I don't want you to use me for your pleasures," he told me last time. Like every time. I don't know why he thinks I want to possess him, although I cannot deny his immense beauty and that his lack of clothes makes him even more tempting. I just want to know him better. To ask him why, even though he looks so human, he keeps that horn.

By the way, my name is Frederick. I'm 26 years old. I'm the son of a very important nobleman in my kingdom. My father wants me to get married, I'd rather be like this. I prefer to spend weeks exploring the world around me and making sketches in my notebook of the most curious things I can find. I don't want to deal with any of those serious things. I want to enjoy life. Marrying a maid for family arrangements is a bit of a letdown. It would ruin my life and the life of the poor woman they put next to me. They'd ask me for children. I don't want to. It would take time away from my enjoyment. But then, my father doesn't want to understand my decision. He prefers to say that I'm the disgrace of the family. Being the oldest of four brothers has its drawbacks.

When I'm not exploring, I spend my time painting pictures. I take my sketchbook and make one of them on the canvas. I paint over everything I come across, including that mysterious young man with long hair. Lately it's just that young man with long hair...

I think I've seen it. Or at least I've distinguished his horn. I'll go slowly, so I don't scare him. God, I feel like a stal-...

SHIT. IT HURTS.

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(John’s POV)

I was very quiet walking around, since I didn't see anyone around, when suddenly I heard something. It was a noise of something falling on a pile of leaves. My curiosity is stronger than that. I walk up and see a human being collapsed. He tripped over a protruding tree root. I don't usually get this close to a human in my human form, but I think I'll make an exception today.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yes, I just tr- Oh it's YOU!"

I got a little out of the way. I won't let him down, but don't let him harass me.

"Yes, it's me. I saw you lying there and I wanted to help you up. I may be an abomination, but I have feelings."

"Why abomination? You're unique. You're a wonder."

That sincerity in his words. That feeling... I couldn't help but I blushed.

"You're nice, but you know I can turn into a unicorn, right? And when I become human, I don't lose my horn. No one will ever take me seriously."

"Hey, why do you say that? Love is for everyone." responded him, smiling.

(Are you hitting on me, stranger?)

"Ha, really? Then why do you only want to have sex with me? Everyone sees me with a fucking object. I love walking around like this, with nothing, but they mistake it for seduction or being available for fantasy. That's why I prefer to be here alone, because I can be free."

I don't even know why I took it out on him so hard. Maybe because the others I've met I can't talk to them like that.

"Well... I'll help you to stand up," I said, trying to get back to what had gone before.

I leaned back so that he would rest his left arm on my shoulders, I took it from his waist. Slowly, we stood up.

Looking at his face, I ask him, "Can you walk?"

"I think. At least help me ride my horse. Too much exploring for today."

I rode with him for a mile. We went along the "road." He didn't want to attract attention.

"By the way, I'm John," I said, as we walked.

"I finally know your name... I'm Frederick."

"You seem like a nice guy. I see you have a notebook with you. Are you drawing me? Hahaha."

Blushing a little, he answers me.

"Not just you, John. But anything I see that catches my eye. I'm a painter."

"So I'm your muse," I add.

"Yes, lately you're my only muse. I can only paint you."

He blushes too much.

I don't know, but I feel very good with this young man.

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After several minutes of silence, we found his horse.

"Shall I help you to ride your horse?"

"No, John, I can handle it. Thank you for what you've done for me today." Already on his horse, he adds, "Until the next time, John. I hope you don't walk away from me like you always do."

"I will not. Promise. Take care of yourself."

Little smile on his face.

"I will. You take care too."

I smiled at him.

His horse came out at a full gallop. And I thought to myself... Have I found what I've always been looking for? No, it's too fast to make sure of that. But the truth is that I met the first human who wants to talk to me. And that's an enough reason to smile.

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Freddie’s POV

I went to the nearest inn to get some rest before comeback to home. Eating a little, I can't stop thinking about that young man. John. I don't know why he's so disregarded. He seems to be a very kind, affectionate being; as well as beautiful on the outside. I could enjoy his company forever. It was only a few minutes this time, but it was beautiful. They were like being in paradise. I would love to bring him to my palace, to live with me. But my father would still call me the family disgrace, as well as crazy. And gay. Yes, I am. But my father doesn't understand happiness. He only wants to keep alliances with other lords. Aren't my other brothers and sister enough for you, Father?

Well, at least I have my mother on my side. She knows how I like to live and she understands, even if she doesn't like it. If my father hasn't thrown me out of the house, it's because of her.

Well, stop rambling. I think it's time to go to sleep. I'm tired. I know in my dreams, he will be. That beautiful, divine creature. I don't know what the paths of life will be like, but I hope they'll allow us to continue to cross...

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If you like this, please reblog! It helps me a lot! :3 <3 And if you want more of this au, please tell me! ;)

Cheers, Lily.

#painandpleasure86 writes #painandpleasure86 fics #john deacon #freddie mercury #unicorn boy #silverunicorn #deacury #deaky #queen fandom #queen fic #painandpleasure86 posts

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pcttrailsidereader · 4 years

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Trevor’s Eternal Trail

As a parent and a PCT hiker, I can’t imagine a more difficult but therapeutic testimonial for a father to write. Doug’s son, Trevor, died on March 27th after slipping on ice and falling several hundred feet to his death near Apache Peak not far south of Idyllwild. This poignant reflection that will help Trevor be remembered as a complex, passionate young man and not just a statistic.

In Memory of Trevor Laher by Doug Laher

I am the father of the Pacific Crest Trail Hiker, Trevor “Microsoft” Laher, who perished in the mountains south of Idyllwild, California, this past Friday, March 27, 2020. As you can imagine, we are devastated by the loss of our son. But somehow, my wife and I want to let the world (or at least the hiking community) know who our son was, how much he loved hiking, and why (despite everyone’s best efforts) he chose to stay on trail.

We just don’t want Trevor’s legacy in the hiking world to be that of an anonymous asterisk in PCT lore of someone who died doing what they love. He was a man, a brother, a son, a grandson, a cousin, a friend, and boyfriend to his lovely girlfriend, Elise. He had his whole life in front of him. This is who he was, and this is his story.

One of the greatest days of my life was the day he was born (Feb. 12, 1998, in Cleveland, Ohio). He loved playing sports as a child, but soon realized he didn’t possess the dexterity and speed to compete as an athlete, so he turned his interest and energy to academics, where he excelled. And although we relocated to Texas in 2010 due to the recession, we still cheered on and watched our beloved Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturdays. Some of my fondest memories I have with Trevor are the times we spent watching our team as we proudly donned the school colors of scarlet and gray. The 2010 move of the family to Texas, for a new career opportunity, was tough on 12-year-old Trevor. He threw himself into academics and video games as a mechanism to deal with the sorrow of leaving everything behind in Ohio.

Trevor was introduced to hiking in 2015 when a friend invited him on a trip to Yosemite National Park. They day hiked more than 50 miles in three days. He walked away in love with the hiking and instantly knew that he wanted it to be a mainstay in his life—to climb to mountain peaks and see the soul of our planet. It was as if the world that had existed before had only been visible to him in black and white and now suddenly everything had turned to vibrant colors. He loved the beauty of the trail—the experience and the solitude. He loved the endorphin rush of a physically exhausting climb. He loved hiking by himself. He loved hiking with others. He loved the trail.

Shortly after his trip to Yosemite, he immediately began planning his first overnight backpacking trip with his close friend Alfredo. The flu prevented Alfredo from making the trip with him and thus began my love of hiking with my son. I served as his back-up and went from “Couch to AT” in 12 hours.

We were completely ill-prepared as we set off into the Smoky Mountains on our first backpacking trip. We predictably made all the classic first-time hiker mistakes. We carried too much food, packed for our fears, and off we went with 50-pound packs saddled on our backs. Trevor knew I was not in shape to do this hike when he asked me to join him. I agreed to do it to spend time with my son. He told me, “Dad…I’m getting you to the top of this mountain—you lead the way. We’ll go at your pace. Stop as frequently as you need to. We’ll get through this together.” It took nearly five hours to traverse more than 3,000 feet of elevation gain over five miles to the first shelter. Trevor offered multiple times that we could head back down to the trail head and call it a trip. But we hadn’t driven 12 hours to turn around and head home. We persevered. The trip took a physical toll on my body (chafing, exhaustion, soreness, and two lost toenails). And despite all that, it was an adventure of a lifetime that I will cherish forever.

When it came time to go to college, there was really no decision to be made. Ohio State was the easy choice. While there, he blossomed and turned into an amazing man. He joined the Trekking Club at Ohio State. He hiked the Presidential Traverse in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon (down and back in less than six hours). He also made at least one trip back to the Smoky Mountains every semester with his good friend Chandler. Trevor simply loved hiking.

Trevor and I would try to schedule hiking trips together when we could, mostly while he was on break from school. Our most recent adventures included Eagle Rock Loop in the Ouachita National Forest and the Outer Mountain Loop in Big Bend National Park.

It was during this time at Ohio State that he developed a passion for exercise and fitness. He was obsessed about being physically fit because he knew he would need it for something he had been dreaming about since he was 17 years old.

About 18 months ago, Trevor told me of his intentions to carry extremely heavy course loads over his next three semesters at Ohio State so that he could graduate a semester early to hike the Crown Jewel of all long-distance trails, the Pacific Crest Trail. I objected at first. It was a source of contention with us for several months. Then, approximately a year ago, I started buying in to the concept of him hiking the PCT. And if he was going to make this hike, I was going to serve as his wingman, his trail manager so to speak.

For months on end, I spent hundreds of hours watching PCT vlogs, reading books, and watching gear reviews. I began the long process of purchasing all of the gear he would require for his adventure. Trevor had two main agendas during this time. First, to study hard so he could finish school early. And second, to focus on maintaining, and even increasing, his already high level of fitness. Trevor ran 30 miles a week to keep himself in top physical condition.

We both obsessed over the trail. As the research and days passed, I became more and more emotionally invested in Trevor’s hike. I wanted this adventure for him as much as he did for himself.

Trevor hiked Big Bend a second time right before Christmas 2019 with his best friend Domenic. In grieving with each other this past week, Domenic told me that “Trevor and I had just finished the trail. I was exhausted and I was looking back at the mountains with amazement, bewilderment, and wonder. It’s at that moment Trevor looked at me and said, ‘Now you know why I’m so passionate about hiking the PCT!’ ”

Trevor’s need to put mileage under his feet prior to his trek was one thing, but his training for the PCT was next level. He deprived himself of comforts knowing that he would not have them on the trail. On our last training hike together (a quick 15-miler), he laid down in the creek bed soaking himself through. Trevor knew there would be stretches of the PCT that he would need to hike soaking wet, tired, and exhausted.

Trevor’s cadence might be as slow as 2.6-2.7 miles per hour when doing a leisurely hike with me, but he could instantaneously turn on the jets at a moment’s notice. I was always in awe to see him hike at a 3.5 mile-per-hour cadence up steep climbs. And he could maintain that pace for hours. He was 6’3” and 200 pounds. He had long legs with a huge stride. If God wanted to create his vision for a perfect hiker, it was Trevor.

Unlike most PCT hikers, Trevor knew he was not going to make it to Canada. Trevor was a brilliant computer coder. He was offered a job at Microsoft, starting mid-July. So, when it came time to securing the permit for a PCT start date, he knew he would have to start early. Even with starting early, he would only have around 100 days on the trail. His target was to reach Crater Lake by July 1 and call it an adventure.

We knew starting in mid-March had its risks. We developed a plan accordingly. If there was heavy snowpack in the Sierra, then he would bail at Kennedy Meadows and head immediately to the Southern Terminus of the 800-mile Arizona Trail. We felt our alternate plan wouldn’t be needed as reports of a low snow year in California made an early start on the PCT possible. We were happy his plans were coming together.

So on March 9, roughly a month after turning 22 years old, Trevor, my daughter Olivia, and I headed to Phoenix, Arizona, to spend a week with his grandparents, after which they would drive him to Campo a week later. Everything was in great shape. And then, suddenly, everything started to unravel.

We got to Phoenix on Monday the 9th. There were growing concerns about the coronavirus, but nothing significant—at least that’s the way it was when we boarded the plane. Upon landing in Phoenix, the world was changing in front of our very eyes. The stock market had crashed. Concerns of the virus were growing with each passing day. That week was full of excitement for Trevor and anxiety for me.

The day before we left, I told him that maybe going on the hike was not such a smart thing to do anymore. But he was within spitting distance of the Southern Terminus of the PCT in Campo, so the yearn to start on March 16 was strong. In his mind, he was practically touching the Southern Terminus. Nothing was going to stop him now.

His sister (Olivia) and I flew back to Texas on Friday, March 13. Saying our final goodbyes at the airport, Trevor gave me a longer embrace than usual—much longer in fact. And in that embrace, he whispered to me, “I love you Dad. Thanks for all you’ve done to help make this adventure a reality for me.” To which I replied—“Go hike the shit out of that trail!”

His grandparents dropped him at the terminus on Monday morning. A few quick photos, big smiles, and some hugs. Then he was off on the adventure of a lifetime.

Trevor pushed himself to Lake Morena on day one. He couldn’t have been happier. It was in Lake Morena that he connected with his tramily. The tramily would morph into larger and smaller groups of people over the coming days, but there were three gentlemen whom he consistently stayed with through the entire journey: Leo from Milwaukee, Jannek from Germany, and Cody from Australia—the latter two were with him on the morning of Friday, March 27, when the accident happened.

His group hiked through a snowstorm, pulling into Mount Laguna on Wednesday. They were fortunate enough to hole up in one of the tiny houses to escape the snow. Their game plan was to stay there two nights as heavy snowfall was scheduled through Thursday. But they wanted flexibility in their plans and only booked one night. When they called the next morning to book a second night, they were told the tiny house had already been booked. They had no choice but to head back out into the snow.

I spoke with his hiking partner, Leo, this past Saturday. He told me how miserable that day was. They were cold, soaked to the bone from the heavy wet snow. They were miserable. The group struggled unsuccessfully to find a protected location to set up camp. It was in that moment, during their first real moment of adversity on trail, that Trevor told him, “It’s during these moments of adversity, through trial and tribulation and our actions in dealing with these moments that define who we are as human beings.” Hearing Leo recount this to me brought me to my knees. I had been sobbing all weekend after I learned of his passing, but this shook me to my core.

That same day, the day of the snowstorm, the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) had issued a statement that all thru-hikers not yet on the trail should postpone their hike, and that all hikers already on trail should get off due to COVID-19 concerns. I pleaded with Trevor that it was time to end his dream. To come home. The trail would still be there for him next year. Or five years from now. Or even 10. Trevor said that until it became illegal to stay on the trail, he was going to continue hiking. “This is my dream Dad…I’m living it right now. The views, the vistas, the things I get to see are the most beautiful that I’ve ever seen in my life. If I lose this opportunity now, I’ll lose it forever.”

And so became our daily argument for the next week. I begged him to postpone his trek. I told him he was being selfish. I told him he was putting himself and others at risk. That he wasn’t thinking about Elise, his sister, his mother, or me. I threatened I was going to withdraw financial support and would no longer resupply him (my last option). I think we both knew I would not do that.

I said things I regret. I even lobbied the USFS to terminate all PCT permits to no avail. The most haunting, prophetic thing I said to him was, “Please come home. I don’t want you to get sick on the trail—or worse yet, die. It would devastate me if I had to be the one to call Elise and tell her something happened to you.”

After about 5-6 days of trying to convince him to come home, I realized he was staying put. There was no getting him off the trail, at which point I would focus on supporting his hike. I vowed to myself, if he wouldn’t come home, then I’d at least do what I could to keep him as safe as possible with current information and good resupply boxes.

Trevor and the group trudged on. They were closing in on Warner Springs, having just passed PCT mile 100. I sent Trevor a text and asked him how he was feeling and how his body was holding up. He told me other than a few pesky blisters, he was feeling great and that his body was strong. I remember him saying there were a couple of members in his tramily that were nursing some injuries… sore ankles and knees, but he said could not have felt better.

Trevor’s closest trail friend, Leo, was nursing a bum knee after hiking several days without a break. Leo got a hitch from Warner Springs via the PCT Trail Angels Page on Facebook to a hotel to take of couple zero days to heal up. Leo encouraged Trevor to take those zeros with him but Trevor, Jannek, and Cody were still feeling strong. Trevor had limited time on the trail. They were going to press on without Leo. While sitting in his hotel room for a couple of days watching the news, Leo learned of the severity of COVID-19. He decided to end his hike at this point. I’ve asked myself multiple times, “What would have happened had Trevor stayed back with Leo that day?” His decision to press on will haunt me forever.

Our last communication with Trevor was on Thursday night. They had just pulled their 8th straight day of “twenties” (twenty-mile days) by completing a 3,000-foot climb. Arriving to their camp site at PCT mile 166.5, they hunkered down for the night. Trevor sounded exhausted. He was eager to complete the last 14 miles into Idyllwild where he, Cody, and Jannek were planning to take two zeros. While in town he’d pick up his resupply (which included his ice axe and microspikes) in preparation for Mt. San Jacinto and Fuller Ridge. He never made it to Idyllwild.

A friend called me on Friday to notify me of a tragic accident on the PCT close to Trevor’s last known location at mile 166.5. Of course, at that time, we didn’t know the hiker involved was Trevor. The news report mentioned a hiker had succumbed to their injuries before the rescue team arrived. The report suggested the rescue occurred “near” Mountain Center, of which Trevor was close to the prior day. He was now some 10-15 miles past that point. But when you’re dealing with the wilderness, the word “near” could mean one mile, five miles, 10 miles, or even 25. I was slightly concerned and would remain that way until I heard from Trevor, but I was confident he was well past the search area. I had two thoughts. First, Of all the hikers on the trail, what is the likelihood this deceased hiker was Trevor? Second, He had his driver’s license with him. If it was Trevor, Search and Rescue would have certainly reached out to me by now. I was confident it was not him, but would remain mildly concerned until I heard his voice. That voice never came.

7 p.m. rolled around in Dallas/Fort Worth. I knew Trevor would have been in Idyllwild by now. Every time I tried calling, it went straight to voicemail. He would likely have access to internet in town. Therefore, he would most likely be on his phone. It was also about this time every night that he would check in with us via call, text, or his Garmin InReach. I started to worry. I called the Riverside County Sheriff’s office.

I won’t go into all the details of the next several hours, as some of those details will only remain with my family. Speaking to the Sheriff’s Deputy who orchestrated the Search and Rescue, and then subsequently to the Coroner were some of the most difficult conversations I’ve ever had to have in my life. My life was changed forever when the Coroner told me, “We have Trevor.”

To the best of our knowledge, Trevor slipped on a patch of snow-covered ice near Apache Peak (PCT mile 169.5). Trevor’s accident was first reported by Cody and Jannek via their emergency GPS device at roughly 9:38 a.m. PT. Rescue crews from the Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit and the California Highway Patrol Medic and Air Operations Unit arrived on site at roughly 10:30 a.m. Five fire trucks, two helicopters, and more than 24 rescue personnel fought the elements during the rescue mission. One helicopter focused on rescuing Cody and Jannek while the other attempted to locate Trevor. Dangerous terrain, coupled by severe weather, prevented the helicopter from locating Trevor. They were able to locate a safe landing spot to drop Medic Charles Rhodes of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) onto the trail. Medic Rhodes hiked and eventually bushwhacked a total of five miles to reach Trevor at 1:30 p.m. Sadly, prior to Medic Rhodes’ arrival, Trevor had succumbed to his injuries from sliding several hundred feet into a steep ravine. I am grateful to the men and women who risked their lives to recover my son. I will forever be in their debt.

As you can imagine, Friday, March 27, 2020, was the darkest, most painful, heartbreaking moment of our lives. The grief of losing our son has hit us like a tsunami. The unstoppable waves drown us in grief each time they hit. There’s nothing that can be done to stop them. It’s several days later now, and the waves still come.

I yearn for the day when Trevor’s family and closest friends can talk about him and look at photos without pain or grief, but instead smile and recall the happy times we shared together.

Trevor was not a statistic. He was not a PCT asterisk. He was everything you want in a son. As parents, we were so proud of him. He was our child. Trevor LOVED hiking! He was handsome, responsible, and smart. He was going to make this great world a better place. He was convinced he would someday write a computer program that would change the world. Most importantly, I want people to know that he cared deeply about his family and friends. He was philosophical. He was a deep thinker. He genuinely cared for others, encouraging those closest to him to be “the best version of themselves they can be.”

Just as in life, Trevor made the same impact on others during his brief time on the PCT. As communicated to me by his close trail friend Leo, who said, “While our time together was brief, it was intense. We had several deep conversations on the trail and my viewpoint on the world has in many ways changed because of Trevor.”

My hope and wish is that Trevor’s death can start the healing of a hiker community that has been ravaged and torn apart by COVID-19. What was once a free-spirited group who loved “The Trail,” the community has become name callers who have hurled insults at each other because of one’s position to hike or not to hike. I beg of you, that if there is one way we can honor Trevor, I ask that you put aside your differences and come together as a community. And I ask that you not judge Trevor for his decision to remain on the Trail. COVID-19 did not kill my son. His death could have happened to any one of us, in any year.

In closing, I’d like to leave you with a quote from Trevor shared with me by his girlfriend, Elise. In which Trevor says, “We are not individual souls, but a collection of the souls of the people we love the most—we are one in the universe.”

Be good to each other. Love each other. Come together as one hiking community and heal the pains by which the coronavirus has inflicted upon this community. That’s what Trevor would have wanted.

Hike on, my son. I count the days when we’ll be rejoined again on the highest of all mountain peaks in Heaven… on the Eternal Trail. The trail of eternal life.

#death on the PCT #Apache Peak #Idyllwild

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peanutbutter-and-thumbtacks · 5 years

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Maid Malevolent

This is a screenplay project I’ve been working on for the last couple of months. I don’t have any long term plans with it, but I wanted to let more people read it. The story does get graphic so if you don’t like blood, violence and themes of domestic violence and sex, this is not for you.

Please enjoy and if you have any thoughts on the storyline, feel free to share them.

EPISODE I

EXT. FOREST – NIGHT

A thick fog rolls over the old forest floor. Unknown creatures hiss and chirp in the distance as an unseen specter glides through the the underbrush towards something in the distance. It speeds forward, knocking branches and trees out of its way. The ambience has grown now, louder, more demonic in tone. A small cabin emerges out of the darkness, red light pours out from the windows. The specter is growing faster and faster, the cabin growing closer and closer. The ambience has crescendoed and transformed into the blaring scream of an electric guitar. The specter comes up onto the porch and the door flies open to reveal a small rock concert in progress. A mosh pit surrounds the stage as the band stands centerfold. AMY ROSE, a young poet and singer, stands before the audience with her arms outstretched. LORNE, a tall bearded man, stands to Amy's right on bass. To her left, RUTH MARLOWE, a quiet but troubled soul shredding it on the guitar. NED, the drummer, pounds out a hard steady beat as doom metal pounds on.

AMY

(Singing)

Maid Malevolent, spare my soul, I'm not the one that wronged you. They took your girl and your mortal life. Bring the demons their needed hell! Maid Malevolent, you've traveled far, to the future where the wasteland waits. Time and space can't stop you now, burn the wizards army to the ground! Maid Malevolent, the end is nigh, with the coming of Asmodeus. You may be damned or you might just fly. So cross your heart, and hope to die! Legend! Legend! Legend!

Amy takes a step away from the spotlight as Ruth comes in with a earsplitting riff. She seems to be possessed by something greater than herself as she plays. The trauma of an unspoken past echoes through each chord, and the crowd eats it up.

Cut to

A stream of satanic images speed across the screen suddenly. Pentagrams, ritual sacrifices, nuclear annihilation, all culminating in one final image of a glowing red tesseract hovering in space.

Cut Back

RUTH strums the final chord and the crowd is ecstatic. Their cheers imitate the satisfied roars of wild beasts and dinosaurs. The show has been a success. Ruth and Amy look at each other and exchange smiles of approval.

INT. CABIN – LATER

The audience has departed now, and the band is nearly done packing up all their equipment. MARCUS, the band manager, talks with the OWNER of the cabin as he collects the bands earnings for the night. They seem to be quietly arguing over something. Lorne helps Ned pick up the drum set.

OWNER

I made myself perfectly clear. 100 bucks for an hour, that was the deal we agreed on.

MARCUS

Look I feel like I'm not asking for much here.

OWNER

I'm not renegotiating. If you wanted an extra 25 dollars, you should've played an extra 15 minutes.

MARCUS

Look, this band is black magic incarnate, my friend. Last week I witnessed a skinhead convert to Judaism over this fucking music. We're top notch shit. And we've got a whole day of driving ahead of us; gas money is everything. Now imagine in a couple years when these guys hit it big. Do you wanna be known as the guy who made it so we couldn't reach the next gig?

Amy exits from a nearby bathroom and lights a cigarette.

NED

Hey, Amy, do you have the keys to the van?

AMY

Why would I have them? Ruth's the one driving.

NED

Well I don't know where Ruth is. Can you find her so we can put our shit away?

AMY

Fine. You know it's not that hard to go look for her yourself.

LORNE

How are we supposed to find someone that constantly avoids human contact.

NED

You know she hides from us after every show.

AMY

She's not hiding, jackoffs. She likes her space. She's probably outside having a smoke.

(Heads for the front door before looking over at Marcus)

Don't give him too hard of a time, Marc.

MARCUS

Don't criticize me for being a good manager for you people. How about this, 15 dollars and I'll let you keep some merch?

EXT. CABIN – Night

Amy walks out into the fall air. She takes another pull of her cigarette. Above the main doorway she notices a silhouette perched at the entrance. A ladder is conveniently placed to climb up.

Ruth sits performing some form of meditation. She plays with a red rubber band on her wrist. Amy carefully edges her way up next to Ruth.

AMY

Whatcha thinking about?

RUTH

Nothing really. It's kind of the whole point of meditation.

AMY

(Pulls out a cigarette for Ruth)

You'll have to teach me about it sometime. Damn, have you seen the moon?

RUTH

(Lights cigarette with Amy's)

What about it?

AMY

It's crazy looking.

RUTH

(Looks at moon)

Reminds me of a dream I had.

AMY

(Stare at Ruth)

Tell me about it.

The two stare at a glowing red moon. Cigarette smoke floats across the clear autumn sky as the stars shine down on the two.

RUTH

I'm floating through space on some giant rock. And I can see all the planets in the sky. And then there's this bright light hovering over me, looked like the moon. I can feel everything around me moving. Gravity was pulling everything in every direction except for me. I'm... bleeding, but I'm not in pain. And you were there.

AMY

(Slides closer to Ruth)

Really? What was I doing?

RUTH

You were just staring at me. You looked sad, like I did something wrong.

AMY

Why do think you did something?

RUTH

I don't think I did. It was like I just made a difficult decision, and whatever it was I did it for you.

AMY

(Closing in for a kiss)

What happened next?

RUTH

(Puts out her cigarette and places her hand on Amy's cheek)

I think I was going to kiss you, but I woke up before I saw anything else.

AMY

Well that was a dream. This is real.

Amy and Ruth's lips meet at last, but are unfortunately cut short by the guys.

NED

So... how's finding the keys coming along?

AMY

(Takes her time to stop kissing Ruth)

As a matter of fact–

(Holds out Ruths keys)

I just found them.

LORNE

Can we go now? We've got two hours of driving before we're near the next motel.

MARCUS

Actually, that will not be necessary.

INT. VAN – Night – Moving

The band's van rattles down a dirt path on a lonesome forest road. Ruth and Amy sit in the front while Marcus, Lorne, and Ned sit in the back.

NED

So when were you going to tell us that you rented a house?

MARCUS

Well I was–

LORNE

How much did it cost?

MARCUS

It wasn't–

AMY

How much money do we have now?

MARCUS

If you would all please shut up for a moment. It didn't cost anything. I happen to know a guy who lives out here. He was leaving for a fishing trip, and I told him I'd watch the house for a couple days. I was gonna tell you all after the show, but I got stuck arguing with the owner.

RUTH

You were trying to weasel 15 dollars out of him.

MARCUS

I earned that 15 for you all! Don't judge me for trying to help out. And how the hell do you even know what we were talking about? You were on the fucking roof.

AMY

You know the howl of a weasel can be heard up to 5 miles away.

MARCUS

Glad to know I'm appreciated by you all.

RUTH

Just tell us where we're going, Marcus.

MARCUS

(Points out the window)

Take a left here, and follow the road.

A sign up sticks off the road reading:

RISING MOON ROAD

Ruth drives off the main road and into the fog. The road grows narrower as they continue driving.

AMY

Are you sure we're driving in the right direction?

MARCUS

It should be coming up pretty soon.

RUTH

Are we even on a road anymore? If this is the wrong spot, I don't know how I'm gonna get out of here.

NED

Anyone wanna pull up a map?

LORNE

(Looking at his phone)

No luck, we've got no cell signal up here.

MARCUS

I know what my friend, said. It's the first left past the cabin, and... and then he said...

AMY

Have you even been to this place, Marcus?

Marcus says nothing.

NED

You've got to be kidding me.

LORNE

So we're completely lost, great. We should've just headed for the mot–

AMY

LOOK OUT!

Ruth slams the brakes right before plowing into a man standing in the middle of the road. He stares at them, bug-eyed, mumbling something under his breath.

MARCUS

Get out of the road asshole!

He stumbles out of the way of the van and continues walking. As he walks past her window, Ruth notes the mans strange appearance. Tattoos cover his entire body, and his beard is long and gray. He vanishes into the fog behind them.

LORNE

Where the hell did he come from?

NED

Who gives a shit? I just wanna get the fuck out of here.

AMY

(Points ahead)

Look.

The group makes out the dim porch lights of a cabin.

MARCUS

Told you I knew where we were going. Now come on, before more tweakers show up.

AMY

Ruth, are you alright?

RUTH

What?

Amy is staring down at Ruth's side. Her hand is gripped around a small knife hanging off of her belt. Ruth quickly lets go.

RUTH

Yeah... I'm ok.

AMY

Are you sur–

RUTH

Let's keep moving.

The group drives towards the cabin without another word. The strange man watches from a distance.

INT. FRIENDS CABIN

Marcus unlocks the front door and the band enters with their gear. The house is quaint and generally inviting.

MARCUS

The lights should be around somewhere.

Marcus flips a switch, and the room is illuminated. A number of animal heads are mounted on the wall. Lorne notes the double barreled shotgun hanging over the mantle piece by a large hearth.

NED

(Approaching the heath)

If anyone can find me some matches I can get a fire going.

LORNE

First we get everything out of the van. I'm not leaving anything outside. Not with crazy old men wandering around.

Lorne and Ned head back outside to grab the rest of the gear. Ruth walks over to a couch in the lounge area of the room. It folds out into a bed.

MARCUS

There should be two more bedrooms upstairs. You and Ruth can have the main one, and I'll take the guest bedroom.

AMY

Sounds like a plan. How about you head up there now and make sure.

Marcus is about to protest, but stays quiet after Amy gives him a look. He ascends the staircase and leaves Amy and Ruth alone downstairs. Ruth wraps her arms around Amy and tries to kiss her. Amy doesn't reciprocate the feeling, but instead holds out her hand.

AMY

First things first.

RUTH

What?

AMY

You don't need it. We're safe here.

RUTH

I'm not... I'm fine. I'm in control.

AMY

If you're in control, give it to me.

Hesitant, Ruth slowly pulls out her knife and hands it to Amy.

AMY

You don't always need to be protecting me.

RUTH

I'm sorry.

AMY

It's alright. I feel safe enough just being with you.

RUTH

Thank you.

INT. CABIN – Later

A fire is finally going in the hearth, and the band sits around the dining room table. Lorne opens a bottle of Whiskey and pours and the group revel in the drinking. Lorne starts telling a drunken story.

LORNE

So I'm drunk out of my mind right now and we haven't even gotten to the party yet. But I'm an idiot and I feel like a million bucks. And we walk past this store, with one of those big window displays in it. I walk past, and out of nowhere this guy starts talking shit to me. We get into an argument, and then I'm just start screaming at this dude in the middle of the night downtown. Finally I'm like, fuck this guy, and I punch him in the face. Glass shatters in front of me and my hand is bleeding. I punched the window to the store. I'd been arguing with my reflection the whole time. I needed 10 stiches for that cut on my hand. Still stings when it gets cold outside.

NED

I can safely say I've never been that drunk.

AMY

Oh, and you don't have any horror stories you'd like to share?

NED

None like that. But I will say this–

(Rolls up his sleeves to reveal the tattoos on his arms)

–That used to be a girls name, and that also used to be a girls name. And I don't remember either of them in the slightest.

MARCUS

Well that's all well and good. What I wanna know, Ned, is who's Enrique and why is his name tramp stamped on you?

RUTH

Wait what?

NED

You said you wouldn't tell anybody!

MARCUS

You expect me to remember that in my current state?

NED

Fuck you.

AMY

I think we can all agree that Ned is free to love whoever he chooses to love. And I bet Enrique is a wonderful guy.

LORNE

What about you Ruth?

RUTH

What about me?

LORNE

We're all sharing stories. You gotta contribute something to the discussion.

RUTH

I don't really have any stories like that.

MARCUS

Oh come on darling, we've all made poor decisions. That's a part of being in a rock band. You do stupid shit sometimes. So fess up.

RUTH

Honestly, I don't have any good ones.

NED

Doesn't have to be good. I'm gonna be pissed off if we end this on my stupid decisions.

AMY

Guys, don't pressure her to–

RUTH

I've got one. I don't remember it very well, but here goes.

LORNE

We're all ears.

RUTH

So my dad used to keep all his guns in this tool shed next to our garage. He never let me go in there because he didn't trust me. But one day, I noticed where he hid the key for the shed. Bottom drawer by his bed. So I snuck into his room when he went to bed, got the key, and opened up the shed. And there was a ton of shit in there. Rifles, Shotguns, a fucking chainsaw– He was logger. And I notice this clear bottle lying on the floor. I pick it up and it's vodka. My dad liked to drink while he cleaned his guns. So, being a curious little kid, I took a sip, and then another. And another. Eventually I'm holding a shotgun in my hand. I'm 9 and I'm wasted. Then, I hear this scream come from behind me. I whip around just in time to see a raccoon right before I pulled the trigger.

NED

Holy fuck!

RUTH

And I don't remember looking at the raccoon as I did it. I just remember this red mist in the air when I opened my eyes. I'm also covered in raccoon guts. The whole neighborhood is awake now. Dogs are barking, Nina Parker, the old widow across the street, is wandering out on the lawn. And the icing on the cake was that the fucking cops showed up. It was a shit show.

MARCUS

Now that's a story right there. What the hell did your dad do when he found out?

RUTH

My dad? Um... he came outside, saw me holding the gun and–

Cut to

A young Ruth is seen cowering before the figure of her father. She's screaming but no sound is heard. Her father holds up his belt, lunges at Ruth and–

Cut Back

RUTH

He grounded me for two weeks... and decided to make chili with the racoon.

AMY

That's disgusting.

LORNE

Nah, that's just a Sunday in an RV camp.

RUTH

(Finishes her drink and stands)

Well, I think I'm gonna call it a night.

MARCUS

Oh come on, you can't call it quits now. This was just starting to get get fun.

RUTH

Unless someone else wants to drive tomorrow, which I doubt because you're all gonna be shit faced, I'm gonna need all the sleep I can get.

(Grabs her guitar, heads upstairs)

You know where to find me if you need me.

Ruth heads upstairs without another word. Amy follows close behind. She doesn't say another word to the rest of the group. The three men are left alone to their own devices.

MARCUS

(Pours another round of whiskey for the group)

Well, here's to another successful show.

LORNE

Cheers. So... what are we supposed to now?

Without a word, Ned reaches under the table and pulls up a small carved jewelry box. He smiles to himself for a moment, and then reveals.

LORNE

Whatcha got there, Dope Fiend?

NED

Half a pound of Electric Wizard.

LORNE

Nice.

MARCUS

And that?

NED

And what?

MARCUS

That.

Everyone looks in to see something else in the box. A small vial seems to glow an electric pink.

NED

Oh no, we're not doing that.

MARCUS

Oh come on, don't tease us like that.

LORNE

Is it dangerous?

NED

Potentially.

LORNE

What the hell is it?

NED

It's... a hallucinogen. Little bit of this, little bit of that.

MARCUS

Does it have penicillin in it?

NED

Uh... no.

MARCUS

Good. I'm allergic to penicillin.

NED

That should be the least of your worries with this.

LORNE

Ned, where the hell did you get something like this? Who did you even buy it from?

NED

Where doesn't matter, but they do live under a bridge.

MARCUS

Ned, I'm here to make stupid decisions tonight. So let me make stupid decisions.

NED

Marcus, I’m not joking, this shit will melt your face off.

LORNE

Then why do you even have it?

MARCUS

Yeah, you know what I think? I think you know that this is next level shit, and you want it all for yourself. Well as your manager, I am demanding you let us try this. If I'm gonna get fucked, I want it to be memorable.

The trio falls silent as each tries to read the others mind. The message conveyed, Ned opens the vial and takes out a dropper.

NED

Trust me, no one is gonna want to remember tonight.

INT. BEDROOM – Night

The room is dark except for a couple candles and the moonlight pouring in. Ruth lays on the bed with her guitar, quietly strumming a tune. Amy enters and starts to undress. She crawls into bed with Ruth and snuggles up next to her.

RUTH

I've been working on a new riff for when we get back in a studio.

AMY

Sounds metal. I mean everything you come up with is metal.

RUTH

Thanks.

AMY

I wish I had someone to teach me how to play growing up.

RUTH

It was the closest thing to therapy growing up. Whenever I felt bad, I just picked up the guitar and started playing. Only good my blood did for me.

AMY

You don't really talk about your family.

RUTH

Not much to say. We were all fucked up, and no one wanted to help us.

AMY

Why did you lie to them?

RUTH

(Sigh)

They didn't need to know, I guess.

AMY

You don't have to go easy on anyone. That's why you're here. These are the kind of people you can open up to. I know they feel like a lot, but they're not gonna judge you. I'm not gonna judge you. Everyone can be human here.

RUTH

Sometimes I just don't wanna be human.

(Brushes a scar across Amy's neck)

What good have humans done for you?

Amy takes hold of Ruth's hand. She kisses Ruth's callused and blisters fingers, and then places it against her breast. Ruth sets the guitar down on the floor.

AMY

I'd say this one has done a lot.

Ruth blows out the candles, and embraces her lover.

EXT. FOREST – Night

The wind has begun to pick up, and the trees moan and rock with the breeze. FOGERT, the crazy old man from earlier, is still wandering down the road. Through chattering teeth he mumbles a song to himself.

FOGERT

(Incoherent)

I see a bad moon a-rising. I see trouble on the way.

Fogert stops walking and stairs up into a tree. A single Raven looks down upon him from its perch. It doesn't make a sound. Fogert continues on with a quickened stride.

FOGERT

I hear hurricanes a-blowing, I know the end is coming soon. I fear rivers overflowing.

Fogert trails off as an extra strong gust of wind pushes against him. He shields his face from the cold. Fogert feels a strange sensation rush over him. Not the cold, it's something far more sinister.

FOGERT

I hear... the voice of rage and ruin.

An ambient red glow appears down the road ahead. A low rumble follows with it. Fogerts hands begin to tremble, and he grasps at a necklace around his neck. He mutters a jumble of words that don't make any sense. It sounds Latin. An incantation. The light grows brighter, as does the noise. A single thought runs through Fogert's head, hide.

He ducks into the thicket and behind a tree. His body is overtaken by fear, as a jet black car with red headlights rounds the bend. Fogert doesn't make a sound. His heartbeat pounds inside his head. The car slowly comes to stop in front of the tree. The drivers window lowers a crack. Bright red light pours out along with thick black smoke. Fogert hears a low growl like a tiger from within.

Tears roll down Fogert's face. Death has never been closer to him than it has right now. Suddenly, the window rolls back up, and the car drives off. Fogert doesn't leave his hiding spot until the sound of the engine is gone. As Fogert comes out of hiding, he hears the spreading of wings. The Raven leaps from it's perch and sails over Fogert's head, following after the car.

Fogert breaks into a sprint in the opposite direction. He follows the road until suddenly running off into the woods. He trips and stumbles his way to a small hut hidden away.

INT. FOGERTS HUT

He runs inside, locks the door behind him, and closes all the blinds. One by one he lights all the candles scattered about the hut.

FOGERT

I hope you got your things together, I hope you are quite prepared to die.

Old books, artifacts and empty bottles of booze are scattered about. He clears a space in the middle of the hut and draws a circle with salt.

FOGERT

Looks like we're in for nasty weather. One eye is taken for an eye.

He sits in the middle of the circle and clings to the necklace around his neck. He bows his head to worship a mural etched on one of the walls. A six armed man with a goat for a head meditates, the mark of the beast is etched across his chest.

FOGERT

Don't go round tonight, it's bound to take your life. There's a bad moon on the rise.

INT. CABIN – The Witching Hour

Ruth and Amy lay asleep in bed, naked. Music is faintly heard echoing throughout the house. A record plays downstairs: The End by The Doors. Lorne, Marcus, and Ned lie in a circle on the floor. They stair wide eyed at the ceiling. The fire still burns strong. Marcus takes a drag from a joint and passes it to Ned. He starts to cough, and crawls towards the kitchen sink. He pours himself a glass of water. He stares into the glass. Sparkling light and flickers of color dance through the water. When Ned pulls the glass away, Imps and goblins dance around his feet.

NED

I think I might– I'm about to– Yep... I'm freaking out right now. There's demons in the house.

MARCUS

Calm down. They probably work for the Feds. We should smoke the rest of the weed so there's no evidence.

LORNE

(Takes a hit from the joint)

Way ahead of you man.

Ned wanders back towards the guys, but stops and stairs out the window. A black car with red headlights has parked in front of the cabin.

NED

You guys see what I'm seeing?

MARCUS

See what?

NED

...Nothing.

Ned opens the door and stands in the doorway of the cabin. He stares at the car. The bright red lights are hypnotic.

NED

Damn, this shit is crazier than I thought.

The driver door flies open. More red light radiates from within. Smoke pours out from within the car. It crawls across the ground like a low hanging mist. The driver steps out onto the grass. Ned doesn't move, he's frozen in place as he stairs at the horror before him.

A mesh of leather, latex and metal is illuminated by the blood red light. It's face is concealed beneath a jet black motorcycle helmet decorated with spikes. Immense in stature, and utterly depraved. There is no face to look at, no eyes to humanize it.

And yet, as Ned stares into the black void of it's visor, he can sense... lust. Is it real, or just an illusion? Has his mind merely imagined this avatar of sadomasochism? This Gimp from Hell?

Ned gets an answer, just not the one he wanted. The Gimp pulls out a massive pistol.

NED

Oh...

A gunshot cuts through the night like thunder. Hot shrapnel rips through Ned's stomach–– In and out. He is thrown backwards onto the ground.

Ruth lurches up in bed, awoken by the gunfire.

AMY

What's going on?

RUTH

(Quickly putting on her clothes)

Something's wrong. Something's very wrong.

Lorne and Marcus lurch upright to see Ned, riving in pain.

MARCUS

What the fuck!

Lorne sees the Gimp approach the cabin. He scrambles to his feet and grabs the shot gun off the mantle. Luckily, it's already loaded. The Gimp walks through the door, it's shoulders are so broad that they rip the door frame off the wall. The Gimp aims it's gun at Lorne and Marcus.

LORNE

GET DOWN!

Marcus and Lorne dive behind the couch as a barrage of bullets rip through the furniture. Marcus bolts for the upstairs, and catches a bullet in the ankle. He collapses onto the stairs in agony. The Gimp approaches Marcus with a low primal growl. Another victim to abuse.

RUTH

(Upstairs)

Where's my knife? Amy, what did you do with my knife?

AMY

You're not going down there!

Lorne pops up behind the Gimp and fires into the back of it's head. The buckshot bounces off like rubber and back into Lorne's face. Lorne staggers away unable to see. He trips over a coffee table and falls right in front of the fire.

The Gimp stands over Lorne, and pushes him into the fire with one of it's giant boots. Lorne bursts into flames, screaming and riving in pain. The Gimp doesn't move, he holds Lorne to the fire until it's done.

The Gimp turns it's gaze back to Ned, crawling into the kitchen. The Gimp enters the kitchen and takes a kitchen knife. He grabs Ned's hair and exposes his neck. The Gimp proceeds to cut through his throat and decapitates him. The Gimp admires it's new toy as Lorne's burning corpse sets fire to the carpet and begins to spread.

Marcus has managed to crawl upstairs and Ruth and Amy pull him into their bedroom.

AMY

Oh my god, Marcus! What's going on? Are we being robbed?

RUTH

Where's Ned and Lorne?

MARCUS

T-that... that thing. It... it fucking killed them!

The Gimps heavy footsteps are heard ascending the staircase. The whole house seems to shake. The bedroom door is knocked off it's hinges as The Gimp enters the room. Ned's severed head is pressed into the Gimps crotch.

AMY

Oh my god!

Ruth grabs her knife off the nightstand and gets in front of Amy and Marcus.

RUTH

Get downstairs and start the van.

MARCUS

The whole downstairs is on fire. Don't you see the smoke?

They're trapped. The Gimp inches towards them, growling. There's nowhere to go. Ruth locks eyes with Amy. If this is it, she wants to look at her one last time.

The Gimp presses forward. Ruth charges at it, knife raised. With a swipe from one of it's massive arms, The Gimp sends Ruth flying across the room and smashes into the wall. She lies on the ground motionless. The Gimp goes to finish the job.

AMY

Ruth!

The Gimp suddenly turns its gaze on Amy. It tilts it's head as if to admire her beauty. Marcus steps between them.

MARCUS

Fuck you, you fucking freak!

The Gimp roars at Marcus. He has stepped between an alpha and it's mate. The Gimp picks up Marcus and slams him on the ground. It picks him back up and proceeds to smash his head into the wall over and over and over and over again until there's nothing left.

There's only Amy now. She tries to run but The Gimp pushes her into a corner of the room. It towers over her, the spikes protruding from it's jacket piercing into her skin. The Gimp strokes Amy's cheek with one of it's massive hands, spreading blood and bits of Marcus's brain across her face. Violated doesn't begin to describe what Amy is feeling.

Before the harassment can go on, a knife is driven into The Gimps back, crying out in pain. Ruth has reentered the fight. She's bloody and bruised, but alive.

RUTH

Get the fuck away from her!

The Gimp whirls around, and grabs Ruth by the wrist. Her bones can be heard breaking under the pressure. Then, in one swift motion, The Gimp sends Ruth flying through the window. She rolls off the roof, cutting herself on the glass, bounces off the roof of the van, and unto the cold wet ground.

The Gimp grabs Amy, and drags her towards the stairs. She screams and cries for help, but no one is there to save her. The fire has spread to most of downstairs as The Gimp leaves the way it came. It's work has been done. A monument to agony and suffering. Amy pulls and punches at The Gimps arm, but it's useless.

The Gimp takes Amy to the back of it's car and pops the trunk. It forces her into the boot. Right as it's about to lock Amy inside–

RUTH

Let... her... go.

Ruth, bleeding, crippled, and barely able to stand, limps towards The Gimp. It doesn't matter if she can't win, she's not letting this thing take the one thing she cares about. The Gimp watches Ruth's valiant attempt at walking, seemingly amused. It pulls out it's pistol and unloads the clip into Ruth. The bullets don't stop until Ruth hits the ground.

AMY

NO!

Amy bursts into tears as The Gimp slams the trunk closed, plunging her into darkness. Her muffled cries are heard as The Gimp gets back into his car, and drives away. The house is consumed by fire, and the bodies inside are reduced to ash. Only the corpse of Ruth remains. Lifeless, bloodied, the victim of a force greater than herself. All witnessed by the watchful eye of a lone raven.

#horror #doommetal #screenwriting

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swanderful1 · 6 years

Text

Duplicity: Ch 11/?

Summary: Secrets shroud the homes of the idyllic Willow Lane. Its newest resident, Emma Swan is no exception. In a place where perception is everything, the facade begins to crack. And Emma finds herself staring down the deep, dark secrets that the neighborhood was built on and that nothing is as it seems. Not even the blue eyed gardener.

Notes: WHAT’S UP EVERYONE as promised here is Chapter 11. 6000 words of straight DRAMA. Enjoy :)

Per usual shout out to my beta @resident-of-storybrooke , @shady-swan-jones for the amazing artwork and @onceuponaprincessworld for checking in always and making sure I keep going (even though my writing process is spaced out and extra).

The post is too long to have all of the text on here so read the whole damn thing on AO3 and ffnet

Emma woke up Saturday morning with a pounding headache and an emotional hangover. The night before spent lurking in the shadows of the forest trying to catch Neal’s family in God knows what. Even after crawling around the family business complex all Emma had managed to learn was that Neal was in fact and for sure having an affair with his assistant, that his father had a closer relationship with Cora Mills than she had ever known, and that in Cora’s possession was a briefcase containing some sort of something she needed to get her hands on.

Emma tried to think of the times she saw Gold interact with the Mills family. Her perspective was limited, however she knew that Neal’s father was powerful. He had a lot of pull in the town of Storybrooke, he had built most of it - or rather his company had. And Cora was probably just as powerful, what with her daughter being the mayor who was engaged to the chief of police. Yeah. It was too convenient. All of the major decision makers in one town all in the same social circle.

Neal had surprisingly come home after his date with his assistant. Amanda. Now Emma could hear him typing away downstairs in the office. What time was it? 7 am? The sun had barely come up, but what little was in the sky peaked through the blinds on her bedroom windows. She rolled over and wrapped herself tighter in the down white comforter. Maybe if she closed her eyes and went back to sleep she would wake up in a different life. Some days she wished she could just watch from a birds eye view, gain some clarity on her situation, and move forward. Because there was almost no one she felt like she could confide in.

Almost.

Then there was Killian.

The feel of his lips on hers had barely left her mind since the night before. Being pressed up against his rock hard form in the dark, foggy woods was a memory she wanted to cling to all morning. To stay in a bubble where she knew what it felt like to be desired. As she hadn’t felt anything quite like it in some time.

A truck door slammed outside. And in an instant Emma had left her cocoon. Leaving the safety of her bed, crossing the room to the window and pulling open the drapes. On the street below she saw Killian Jones unloading his truck. From her second story window she took advantage of the view. Her own private one. People passed by in cars. The neighborhood began to come to life. But Emma’s gaze was focused on him.

The muscles in his arms pulling at the tight fabric of his shirt as he lifted his tool box down to the sidewalk. The way he bit his bottom lip when he closed the bed of the truck.

The words Jones Landscaping were painted in bold letters on the side of the trailer. Reminding Emma that despite the fluttering in the base of her belly, despite the lingering puffiness on her lips, despite her imagination wondering what it would feel like to have all of him and not just a taste. And the smile that crept onto her face at the very thought.

Despite all of that, today he was her gardener. He was here to work, to do his job. And Neal, for once, was home.

Emma dressed quickly. Throwing on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. She opted to leave her watch off until later, as she had last night. It was nice to have the break from it. August didn’t need to hear 100% of her life. If he questioned her on it later she could just say she was… showering.

Before running downstairs she didn’t even check the mirror, her usual desire to come across the perfect neighbor outweighed by her curiosity about talking to Killian. Her hair was still probably matted from sleep, but she wasn’t worried about that. Because this morning when she woke up, knowing Neal was in the home office working away at whatever terrible shit his family was covering, the smallest amount of relief came from knowing Killian was right outside. Emma didn’t entirely know if that was as terrifying as it should have been.

“You’re up early,” she heard Neal say as she walked into the kitchen. It startled her. Though she knew he was down here.

“I’m always up early.” You would know that if you were ever around, she thought to add. But decided against it. The less dialogue the better. “I could say the same to you.”

“Some work came up and I didn’t want to go into the office.”

Emma’s head jerked up from the coffee she was pouring. Was it possible something happened with Amanda the night before? He had come back very quickly after leaving with her. And now he was in the last place Emma expected him to be. Their home.

“Anything important?” she prodded. Though she knew he would never tell her anything.

“Not anything you would understand.”

It took everything she had not to chuck the coffee mug at his wormy head. But instead she opted to sip the steaming cup and swallow her words. The stale kitchen could have consumed her whole, its stark white and gray coloring. Hospital level clean as always. A drip of coffee hit the tile floor and she let it be. Let it stain, she thought. The house could use a bit of character. When she shifted her gaze back up, she stared straight ahead of her. Through the big glass windows that lined the back of the house she caught sight of him.

Killian was moving around the yard, which had really begun to come together, carrying bags of mulch on his shoulder. One right after the other and laying them where the rest of his workers would spread them out. For a moment she just watched him.

“Can you go outside and make sure they lay the brick work today and tomorrow?” Neal said, once again without getting up from his post.

Emma didn’t say anything back, not when she knew she was being set up. It was, however, becoming more and more easy to walk right into it.

When Emma walked outside she found Killian in the front yard making some notes on a clipboard. His t-shirt was dark and tight, still clean as the day had just begun. A piece of his black hair had fallen over his eyes as he wrote. When he didn’t notice her approach Emma (not so) subtly cleared her throat.

The instant their eyes met Emma felt a blush crawl up her cheeks. It was only a flicker, a blip of that electricity before they both remembered they were in public. They had to maintain a level of distance. Like she hadn’t been wrapped in his arms the night before.

“Good morning,” she said first.

“Good morning, love,” he said, privately with a smirk. Just for her.

“Maybe we should um, go somewhere more private…” she realized then just how difficult it would be to pretend like nothing was going on with them.

He followed her into the open garage, back where all of the normal household garage things were kept. Shelves of power tools though Neal had never lifted a hammer. A sink. Some old paint cans.

The remainder of the bricks that had never been used were still in the corner. Emma had been so preoccupied with everything she hadn’t had the energy to deal with them. While the front walkway was still a compromise, the back would be the limestone she had wanted. Plopping herself down on top of the pallet she faced Killian.

“Last night was uh…” He scratched behind his ear, the way he always did when he was a bit nervous.

“Interesting.” Emma finished for him. As much as she absolutely loved diving into her feelings (she fucking hated it) there were some very serious matters to discuss. And quickly. “We know that whatever is going on, Cora Mills is most likely involved.”

“Right.” Killian agreed, if he was irked that she didn’t immediately bring up their romantic encounter, he didn’t show it. “We still don’t know how they’re covering up what they’re doing though.”

“There has to be a way they’re bringing in all of those drugs.” Emma thought back to the mountain of cocaine that was stuffed in her car the day she got pulled over all those months ago. Stuff like that doesn’t just appear, it comes from somewhere. Or maybe something?

“What if they’re bringing it in with the construction supplies?” Emma wondered aloud as she sat atop a stack of unused bricks. “How easy would it be to just fill the center of one of these pallets with contraband and fill in the other space with actual materials.”

Killian looked at her as if it dawned on him at the same time. This had to be it. Or at the very least, it was a start. There was no telling all that family was capable of.

“That’s actually quite brilliant, Emma.” She wasn’t sure why it made her heart flutter when he acknowledged her idea. But that was something to unpack at another time. “But how do we prove that?”

“Emma!” she heard called from the front street. A soft female voice that obviously belonged to Mary Margaret.

Killian and Emma both froze. Listening one by one as the footsteps got closer.

“Oh- sorry to interrupt I didn’t realize…” the woman said as she stumbled upon them. Just the two of them, alone in a crowded garage.

“It’s fine, don’t worry. I was just…” Emma tried to come up with an explanation, but from the way they were positioned it honestly didn’t look like anything super innocent was happening.

“We were just going over some of the plans for the pathways in the yard is all,” Killian offered smoothly. “If you ladies will excuse me I have to get back to work.”

Quickly he smiled and dismissed himself, but Emma had so much more to talk about with him. And he, with her. If she was judging the expression on his face correctly, it looked as though he had so much on his lips. A tiny, unfamiliar pang struck her heart as he rounded the bend of the garage and was out of her sight.

When Emma turned to face Mary Margaret her friend’s face was apologetic, guilty even. But she didn’t want anyone else caught in the crossfires of her life. It was hard enough bringing Killian in, the last thing she wanted to do was burden someone as sweet as Mary Margaret. Her earnest face, kind and calm. The pale blue of her t-shirt against her pale skin. She was like a doll, delicate and dainty.

“What’s up?” Emma tried to ask as nonchalantly as possible when she and her gardener had just been walked in on yet again.

“I should have just called or something,” Mary Margaret apologized. “I’m sorry.”

“No worries, it was nothing important.” Which was a total lie but there was no way she could get into that right now.

“I was just coming over to see if you wanted to come to Ruby’s birthday tonight.”

“Where is it?” Emma wondered if Killian would be there. Maybe they could find a second to talk more about last night when Neal wasn’t in the next room.

#cs ff au #captain swan fanfiction #cs ff #cs modern au #cs au #cs fic #cs fanfics #captain swan #emma swan #killian jones

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teael-archive · 6 years

Photo

simself tag

i was tagged by @gunthermunch mwah!

i tag: @dawsim @nightvy @sage-pie @faunakii @peachy-flesh and anyone else who wants to do this yes

traits: lazy, goofball, hot-headed

You have to make a simself and put whatever you wish there, traits, anything about you. After the keep reading thingy are +100 questions I found that you can answer if you want, but you don’t have to.

𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨:

What is your full name? jadelynn

What is your nickname? jade, jadie, jada

Birthday? june 13th

What is your favorite book series? hunger games bc that’s the only book series ive ever read

Do you believe in aliens or ghosts? both tbqh

Who is your favorite author? don’t have one lol

What is your favorite radio station? i mean if podcast count tiny meat gang and mile higher podcast yupyup

What is your favorite flavor of anything? cherry and blue rasberry

What word would you use often to describe something great or wonderful? lit

What is your current favorite song? killer queen cover by 5sos

What is your favorite word? lit

What was the last song you listened to? thug life - bh

What TV show would you recommend for everybody to watch? shameless

What is your favorite movie to watch when you’re feeling down? moana lmaoo

Do you play video games? yessir

What is your biggest fear? getting kidnapped

What is your best quality, in your opinion? my sense of humor

What is your worst quality, in your opinion? my temper

Do you like cats or dogs better? i have a love hate relationship with both but dogs

What is your favorite season? spring or fall

Are you in a relationship? nope single and ready to cry

What is something you miss from your childhood? not caring so much about anything

Who is your best friend? i dont have a best friend bc the last “best firend” i had was super clingy lmao

What is your eye color? brown

What is your hair color? brown

Who is someone you love? me

Who is someone you trust? me

Who is someone you think about often? me

Are you currently excited about/for something? CHRISTMAAASSS

What is your biggest obsession? watching imvu trolling lmaoo

What was your favorite TV show as a child? hannah montana and suit life of zack and cody bc i had a crush on dylan sprouse

Who of the opposite gender can you tell anything to, if anyone? uhhhh

Are you superstitious? not really

Do you have any unusual phobias? i have a fear of dropping my phone in water lool

Do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it? depends

What is your favorite hobby? sleeping

What was the last book you read? catcher in the rye (for school)

What was the last movie you watched? unbreakable

What musical instruments do you play, if any? guitar and piano

What is your favorite animal? otters

What are your top 5 favorite Tumblr blogs that you follow? - well i the ones i check frequently sre @dawsim @gunthermunch @bratsims @ratboysims and @whiisker

What superpower do you wish you had? teleportation

When and where do you feel most at peace? my grandmas house

What makes you smile? me

What sports do you play, if any? hell no im too laaazzyyyyy

What is your favorite drink? coffee or gatorade anything thatll make me hyper

When was the last time you wrote a hand-written letter or note to somebody? uhhh i dont think i ever have lol

Are you afraid of heights? a little

What is your biggest pet peeve? when people think i wanna fuck because i’m “being too nice”

Have you ever been to a concert? yupp

Are you vegan/vegetarian? naahh (srry)

When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? a firefighter for some fucking reason

What fictional world would you like to live in? probably the marvel universe

What is something you worry about? dying alone

Are you scared of the dark? nope

Do you like to sing? yeah but i sound bad soo

Have you ever skipped school? yeah way too much (i stopped now)

What is your favorite place on the planet? tgi fridays

Where would you like to live? japan bro it looks dope out there

Do you have any pets? no sadly :(

Are you more of an early bird or a night owl? early bird tbh

Do you like sunrises or sunsets better? sunrises

Do you know how to drive? no

Do you prefer earbuds or headphones? earbuds

Have you ever had braces? nope

What is your favorite genre of music? hip-hop/rap, pop, alternative, and a little kpop

Who is your hero? uhhhh

Do you read comic books? i read archie comics ig that counts

What makes you the most angry? ignorant people

Do you prefer to read on an electronic device or with a real book? real book

What is your favorite subject in school? statistics

Do you have any siblings? yup

What was the last thing you bought? a hot chocolate from 7/11

How tall are you? 5′2

Can you cook? yee

What are three things that you love? music, naps, food

What are three things that you hate? ignorance, plain disrespect, horny teenage boys

Do you have more female friends or more male friends? males weirdly

What is your sexual orientation? recently i realized that i like girls too soooo girls and boys

Where do you currently live? merica the worst country in the world

Who was the last person you texted? my friend

When was the last time you cried? in july???

Who is your favorite YouTuber? CODY FUCKING KO and pryocinical

Do you like to take selfies? as of lately no

What is your favorite app? this shitshow call tumblr idk if you heard of it

What is your relationship with your parent(s) like? eh me and my dad bump head sometimes and i havent talked to my mom in 5 years

What is your favorite foreign accent? british or australian

What is a place that you’ve never been to, but you want to visit? JAPAN

What is your favorite number? 23

Can you juggle? a little

Are you religious? not really

Do you find outer space or the deep ocean to be more interesting? outer space

Do you consider yourself to be a daredevil? no i dont like getting hurt

Are you allergic to anything? nope

Can you curl your tongue? yup

Can you wiggle your ears? nope

How often do you admit that you were wrong about something? never i need to work on that

Do you prefer the forest or the beach? beach

What is your favorite piece of advice that anyone has ever given you? dont just give up because of on inconvenience

Are you a good liar? yes

What is your Hogwarts House? ravenclaw ( i only know that bc i took a quiz on it lol)

Do you talk to yourself? yes its the best therapy

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? introverted as hell

Do you keep a journal/diary? nah im not 12

Do you believe in second chances? no

If you found a wallet full of money on the ground, what would you do? take it finders keepers

Do you believe that people are capable of change? eh

Are you ticklish? no

Have you ever been on a plane? yuppp

Do you have any piercings? yes 3

What fictional character do you wish was real? finn the human

Do you have any tattoos? nope

What is the best decision that you’ve made in your life so far? to actually make friends and stop being so shy

Do you believe in karma? hell yeah

Do you wear glasses or contacts? nope but i think i need glasses

Do you want children? no i wouldnt want spawns of me running around that would be hell

Who is the smartest person you know? uh

What is your most embarrassing memory? when i was 11 i asked my crush do date me and he laugh in my face

Have you ever pulled an all-nighter? yes

What color are most of you clothes? black or gray

Do you like adventures? ye

Have you ever been on TV? yeah

How old are you? 17

What is your favorite quote? “lifes a bitch and then you die”

Do you prefer sweet or savory foods? savory

#tags

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snowyrosepetals · 6 years

Text

1. What is your full name? Crow Raven Cross

2. What is your nickname? Bird? xD

3. What is your zodiac sign? Aquarius

4. What is your favorite book series? idek, i havent read a book in a while

5. Do you believe in aliens or ghosts? hELL YE

6. Who is your favorite author?J.K. Rowling?

7. What is your favorite radio station? Dont listen to radio

8. What is your favorite flavor of anything? ooo, mint?

9. What word would you use often to describe something great or wonderful? I say neat a lot so probs that

10. What is your current favorite song? The Moon Rises MLP bc Im a nerd

11. What is your favorite word? uh, fantabulous

12. What was the last song you listened to? Everything Black by Unlike Pluto

13. What TV show would you recommend for everybody to watch? supernatural

14. What is your favorite movie to watch when you’re feeling down? Beauty and the Beast

15. Do you play video games? yES

16. What is your biggest fear? Being alone

17. What is your best quality, in your opinion? My eyes

18. What is your worst quality, in your opinion? everything else

19. Do you like cats or dogs better? kittiess

20. What is your favorite season? Winter

21. Are you in a relationship? nOPE

22. What is something you miss from your childhood? never had one xD

23. Who is your best friend? whats that

24. What is your eye color? Blue/green/gray

25. What is your hair color? Magenta/Pink

26. Who is someone you love?

27. Who is someone you trust? A smol loaf

28. Who is someone you think about often? oof

29. Are you currently excited about/for something? yeah excited for sleep

30. What is your biggest obsession? youtube lmao

31. What was your favorite TV show as a child? Icarly ftw

32. Who of the opposite gender can you tell anything to, if anyone? probs a smol loaf I know

33. Are you superstitious? Ive seen some shit so ye

34. Do you have any unusual phobias? somtimes when looking at fire i picture what its like seeing everything burning, so, nah

35. Do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it? behind

36. What is your favorite hobby? eating butterscotch candy and hating myself 10/10

37. What was the last book you read? Alice in wonderland

38. What was the last movie you watched? Black Butler Book of the Antlantic

39. What musical instruments do you play, if any? none but wanna play piano

40. What is your favorite animal? wolf or fox

41. What are your top 5 favorite Tumblr blogs that you follow? no idea, love you all the same~ <3

42. What superpower do you wish you had? shapeshift

43. When and where do you feel most at peace? alone in the woods by a lake

44. What makes you smile? cute drawing/animals/being talked to ffs

45. What sports do you play, if any? Professional sleeper

46. What is your favorite drink? Shirley Temple or Cherry coke

47. When was the last time you wrote a hand-written letter or note to somebody? a few months ago?

48. Are you afraid of heights? depends ig, but not really

49. What is your biggest pet peeve? someone constantly tapping

50. Have you ever been to a concert? yup

51. Are you vegan/vegetarian? nu

52. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? dead, so I succeeded

53. What fictional world would you like to live in? The world in Rwby

54. What is something you worry about? everything

55. Are you scared of the dark? nope

56. Do you like to sing? sometimes

57. Have you ever skipped school? all the time

58. What is your favorite place on the planet? my bed

59. Where would you like to live? anywhere in a forest

60. Do you have any pets? 1 doggo

61. Are you more of an early bird or a night owl? i mean, its 1:45AM so, totally early bird

62. Do you like sunrises or sunsets better? sunset

63. Do you know how to drive? yup

64. Do you prefer earbuds or headphones? split between the two

65. Have you ever had braces? nope

66. What is your favorite genre of music? honestly any

67. Who is your hero? whoever invented hot pockets

68. Do you read comic books? used to

69. What makes you the most angry? people blaming you for their problems :D

70. Do you prefer to read on an electronic device or with a real book? real book

71. What is your favorite subject in school? English or art

72. Do you have any siblings? wish i didnt

73. What was the last thing you bought? a scooby doo shirt

74. How tall are you? 6′0

75. Can you cook? yuppers

76. What are three things that you love? roses, my pc, my bed

77. What are three things that you hate? shit only 3? people, flies, and uh, idek hot weather

78. Do you have more female friends or more male friends? honestly ive always had female friends, idk why i just get along with them better

79. What is your sexual orientation? pansexual

80. Where do you currently live? Arizona in the middle of nowhere, in a cabin in the woods

81. Who was the last person you texted? a bread loaf

82. When was the last time you cried? legit 5 minutes ago

83. Who is your favorite YouTuber? Achievement Hunter

84. Do you like to take selfies? no bc i look ugly, yes bc filters make me cute

85. What is your favorite app? instagram

86. What is your relationship with your parent(s) like? hope i never see them again :D

87. What is your favorite foreign accent? british

88. What is a place that you’ve never been to, but you want to visit? disney world

89. What is your favorite number? 24

90. Can you juggle? nope

91. Are you religious? hail satan

92. Do you find outer space of the deep ocean to be more interesting? i guess??

93. Do you consider yourself to be a daredevil? depends?

94. Are you allergic to anything? grass and coconut

95. Can you curl your tongue? yas

96. Can you wiggle your ears? yup

97. How often do you admit that you were wrong about something? fairly often?

98. Do you prefer the forest or the beach? forest

99. What is your favorite piece of advice that anyone has ever given you? die

100. Are you a good liar? depends ;p

101. What is your Hogwarts House? Ravenclaw

102. Do you talk to yourself? yea

103. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? hARD INTROVERT

104. Do you keep a journal/diary? used to

105. Do you believe in second chances? depends really, i give too many bc im stupid but, no longer

106. If you found a wallet full of money on the ground, what would you do? go buy starbucks

107. Do you believe that people are capable of change? lately, nope

108. Are you ticklish? yup

109. Have you ever been on a plane? yep

110. Do you have any piercings? nu but i want some

111. What fictional character do you wish was real? Ruby Rose

112. Do you have any tattoos? no but wantt

113. What is the best decision that you’ve made in your life so far? going back to a store 20 minutes before they close to buy a hat

114. Do you believe in karma? yep

115. Do you wear glasses or contacts? glasses

116. Do you want children? kinda

117. Who is the smartest person you know? the mouse that keeps avoiding the traps in my house

118. What is your most embarrassing memory? friend walked in on me playing with my butt and just squishing it, laughed at me for 3 days straight

119. Have you ever pulled an all-nighter? 3 days ago, when i slept finally last night

120. What color are most of you clothes? black

121. Do you like adventures? yES

122. Have you ever been on TV? nu

123. How old are you? 17

124. What is your favorite quote? “You are the cause of your own future”

125. Do you prefer sweet or savory foods? sweet

#get to know me #questions #ask me anything #it me

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brucestambaughsblog · 4 years

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Reflections at the alligator pond.

My wife and I were social distancing before we knew there was such a thing.

Before the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S., I made an all-day social distancing trip to Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. It was a mere hour’s drive from our winter hideout on Amelia Island, Florida.

I invited my lovely wife to accompany me. Having already visited there briefly with friends, Neva declined. Her aversion to snakes and reptiles made that an easy decision. However, I wanted to explore the place more thoroughly.

I didn’t mind going solo at all. We each believe that doing our own thing has contributed to the longevity and quality of our marriage. There’s a metaphor in there somewhere.

You might know the refuge by its more colloquial name, Okefenokee Swamp. That is what the locals call it. Take a tour, however, and you will quickly learn that Okefenokee isn’t a swamp at all.

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Native Americans gave the sprawling area the name centuries ago. In English, Okefenokee means “land of the trembling earth.” The moniker fits. In the less disturbed marshy areas, the land beneath reverberates with each step you take.

Okefenokee has been a national wildlife refuge since 1937. It was designated a World Heritage Site in 1974.

Much more than a shallow blackwater swamp, the 403,000 acres that comprise Okefenokee are a beautiful blend of hammock forests, creeks, wetland prairies, and cypress groves. Altogether, they serve as the headwaters for both the Suwannee River and the St. Mary’s River, which marks the Florida/Georgia boundary.

My heart jumped when I saw this woodpecker land on the trunk of this longleaf pine. It was a yellow-bellied sapsucker.

I arrived mid-morning under hazy, smoky skies in early February. My main objective was to find the elusive and rare red-cockaded woodpecker. Okefenokee is one of the last remaining sanctuaries for the endangered bird.

I drove down the eerily lovely Swamp Island Drive in search of the woodpecker. I had never seen one, and after spending the morning trying, I still haven’t. I did see plenty of nest holes high up in the longleaf pine trunks.

I wasn’t disappointed. Just being among all the beauty and the sounds and earthy fragrances of nature was sufficient.

Hundreds of sandhill cranes cackled unseen in the wetlands beyond the pines that surrounded a small pond. An alligator laid like a fallen log on the pond’s far lip. A brown-headed nuthatch foraged on a tree trunk only four feet from me.

Bigger alligators rested roadside along shallow ditches. I found it surprising how much the vegetation changed at the slightest rise or dip in elevation. The scenery was stunning despite the gray overcast sky and smoke from a nearby forest fire.

On the Suwannee Canal.

Red-shouldered Hawk.

The snake.

The tour boat.

The wetland prairie.

Sunning.

Spanish moss.

Hazy sky.

Only a few feet from the boardwalk trail, alligators absorbed whatever warmth the day offered. Neva would not have approved. By the time I reached the observation tower, the sandhill cranes had quieted and were out of sight.

I learned much more about Okefenokee on the afternoon boat tour. Our guide explained that the deepest water was only four feet. The vast geologic basin was filled with peat, which is why it quivered when stepped upon.

Our small flat-bottom boat cruised between stands of cypress graciously draped with Spanish moss, which isn’t a moss at all. Huge alligators lounged along the way, while a highly venomous water moccasin soaked in the filtered sunshine. Red-shouldered hawks screeched from high perches on old snags.

As I headed back to our condo, I savored the day that had buoyed me. For Neva and me, that style of social distancing helps enrich both our individuality and our affinity.

A cypress grove along the Suwannee Canal.

© Bruce Stambaugh 2020 Social distancing before it was required My wife and I were social distancing before we knew there was such a thing. Before the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S., I made an all-day social distancing trip to Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

#marriage longevity #Okefenokee NWR #Okefenokee Swamp #red-cockaded woodpecker #social distancing #St. Mary&039;s River #Suwannee Canal #Suwannee River

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slaymefilia · 7 years

Text

The 100 Year Quest (NaLu Day)

Summary: Two months into their 100 year quest, one question had always clogged Lucy's mind. A question that could only be resolved by one person. Finally having a time left alone with her thoughts, Lucy can't help but allow her heart to take control of her mind. (Happy NaLu Day!)

Pairing: NaLu (Natsu & Lucy)

Word Count: 3002

A/N: Happy NaLu Day everyone! I wanted to write something special to commemorate the day, hope you enjoy! <3

The orange glow of the sun was just beginning to descend over the hilltops as Team Natsu settled down for the evening. It had been around two months since the team ventured out on their one hundred year quest, and they were enjoying every minute of it. In the mornings, Team Natsu would arise just as the sun did, much to the dismay of Natsu and Happy, and set off just after eating. Along the way they'd most likely find their way to a new town where Erza would stock up on supplies and weapons, Gray, Wendy and Carla went to get food, and Lucy would make sure Natsu and Happy stayed out of trouble. As evening struck, the seven of them would either stay at a local inn, or camp out in a forest.

It had been such a painfully long time since Team Natsu had gone on a proper job. Everything was so manic as the war ended. Months were spent rebuilding the guild hall after almost wrecking it even more during their end of war party. Jobs picked up on the request board, but incredibly slowly since most of Fiore were busy rebuilding towns and houses; no one really had time to work or send work out. Once the guild had been rebuilt, Lucy spent a lot of time working on her novel, something she'd been trying to do for years. Natsu and Happy were... fairly helpful. There were times where Lucy would have gladly thrown a brick at them for intruding during her "in the zone" sessions therefore causing her to lose her focus, but even she couldn't deny their crazy antics occasionally gave her ideas for the story.

It was around eight months ago that she actually finished her novel and showed it to Jason. Miraculously, he got in touch with a publishing company without Lucy knowing and they offered to get her novel published! Of course she accepted and the whole guild threw a party that night in her honour. That was the one night Lucy had only positive thoughts, and absolutely nothing concerning the war snaked its way into her mind. Even her nightmares had stopped that night.

Around three months later, Lucy received a letter saying she'd been nominated for the Kemzareon Literature Award. It took her a while to explain to Natsu what that meant, but she was absolutely thrilled she'd even been nominated. The award ceremony was in a few weeks, and the letter claimed she could bring guests. So of course the entire guild tagged along on the terms, set by Lucy, that they were to behave. She should have known better. It was a rowdy night, Natsu didn't even turn up in a suit, Gray and Juvia were stripping, but Lucy won the award! No matter how embarrassed she was, Lucy couldn't be angry at her guild that night.

So now we arrive back to the present. Team Natsu set out on their hundred year quest the day after the awards ceremony, and had travelled to many new places all around Fiore. Granted, most of those places involved going on a train, but Natsu was far too excited about the quest to let his motion sickness bother him.

Natsu had set up the campfire just as the sun was setting, and the team shared dinner together, laughing about the day's antics as the sun descended and was replaced with the bright glowing orb of the moon and millions of twinkling stars dancing in the sky. Everyone was sound asleep, ready for the next day to be as good as the last; all except Lucy.

Lucy's brain was wiring out of control. A million thoughts were spinning through her head each second. The more she thought, the more the cogs in her brain span faster and faster and faster until her head hurt so bad it felt like her brain had been crushed to jelly. She'd been thinking about it ever since they left, but the beginning of the quest was so hectic she hardly had any time alone with just her and her thoughts.

All Lucy could think about, no matter how hard she tried, was the morning they left for the hundred year quest. All she could think about was what Natsu had said to her; "Because we'll be together forever from now on!"

What did that mean? One would have just assumed that he just meant they'd always be with each other because they're going on a one hundred year quest. But Lucy wasn't satisfied with that answer. There was something else. There was something more to the situation that no one but Lucy would be able to understand; because no one knew Natsu like Lucy did. He had been so serious that day, which was very unusual for the dragon slayer, and the way he leaned in, it was almost as if-

"Which one is that?" Lucy's heart sprang out of her chest at the sound of Natsu's voice. She clutched her chest, breathing heavily as Natsu took a seat next to her, crossing his legs.

"Don't do that, Natsu!" Lucy yelled, quiet enough so she wouldn't wake the others. "Which one is what?" she asked, calming her breathing.

Natsu pointed up to the sky. "Which constellation is that?"

Lucy blinked in surprise. "Since when have you been interested in stars and constellations?"

"Since now." Natsu answered simply, his arm still dangling in the air as he turned to face her.

The campfire was starting to go out, so Natsu's features were dimly lit. However Lucy was able to make out his dark onyx eyes as he gave her a questioning look. Lucy followed Natsu's finger, and she instantly recognised what he was pointing at.

"That's Canis Major." Natsu blinked twice, remaining silent as he waited for an explanation. Lucy sighed. "It means the greater dog."

"Isn't Plue the dog spirit?" Natsu lowered his arm.

"Plue's the little dog; Canis Minor."

Natsu's eyes grew wide, earning a concerned look from Lucy. "Wait. Are you trying to tell me that there's a giant Plue in the Celestial World?"

Lucy couldn't help but let a small laugh escape her lips. "Well, not-"

"Because that is amazing!" Natsu exclaimed, eyes glittering like a child on Christmas morning.

Natsu wasn't the brightest of the bunch, bless him, but sometimes Lucy didn't know whether to laugh or be concerned at his dense nature.

In this situation, Lucy decided to humour the dragon slayer and let out a laugh. "Sure, Natsu. There's a giant Plue somewhere in the Celestial World. If I ever find it's key I'll let you know."

"Awesome." Natsu said excitedly.

After that, the pair remained silent for a few minutes, just staring up at the stars. A silence was never awkward for Natsu and Lucy, they were too comfortable around each other for it to ever seem awkward, and that's one of the many things Lucy loved about her friendship with Natsu.

It was a peaceful evening. The sky had been clear during the day, meaning all the stars and constellations were visible, and the moon shone brightly beneath them, not a hint of cloud at risk of making it dimmer. The summer season had passed a while ago, and despite Fiore being known for its warm climate, a small breeze picked up, causing Lucy to emit a shiver.

"You cold?" Natsu immediately noticed.

Lucy shook her head. "Only a little."

Before Lucy could question it, she glanced over to see Natsu unwinding his famous scaly scarf from around his neck. Instead of just handing her the scarf though, Natsu took the liberty of wrapping it around Lucy's neck, though doing a fairly poor job of it and ended up covering half her face.

"What're you-"

"You're shivering, Lucy." Natsu pointed out. "That should warm you up."

"T-Thank you." Lucy held the scarf between both her hands, pulling it down so her mouth was visible.

Lucy took in a breath, inhaling the scent of Natsu's scarf. Of course it smelt just like him; it smelt warm, and that alone made Lucy feel content. Natsu's warmth was always a reassurance to Lucy, and it was almost like a symbol to show he'd always be there to metaphorically or physcially "warm her up". It was a comforting feeling, and therefore a comforting scent to inhale.

As she exhaled, Lucy pondered aloud. "How come you're up this late?" she turned to face Natsu, still holding his scarf.

"I could ask you the same question." Natsu retorted.

Lucy puffed her cheeks out. "I couldn't sleep, I guess."

"You guess?"

"I've just got loads of stuff whirling around in my head."

Natsu pivoted so he was facing Lucy more. "What kind of stuff?"

"Jeez, all these questions," Lucy sighed and hesitated before continuing. "I-I was thinking back to the day we started this quest. I was thinking about when you were at my apartment before we left."

The fire was growing dimmer by the minute, so by the time Lucy turned her head to face Natsu, she could hardly recognise any of his features, although she could have sworn she saw a bead of sweat running down his face. Lucy could hardly believe she was even bringing up the topic with Natsu. It happened two months ago, and she thought she was over it and would just let it be. She couldn't tell whether it was her head or her heart arguing against her. Was it a smart decision to bring this up? How would Natsu react? The deafening silence was her only answer, so Lucy decided to continue.

"I still can't believe I got so emotional about going on a job," Lucy laughed slightly, trying to humour the situation. "But I meant every word of what I said, y'know." Lucy's voice was shaky towards the end. "I am truly grateful for everything you and Happy have done for me."

"We didn't do that much..." Natsu finally spoke, though he sounded unsure of his own claims.

"Are you kidding?" Lucy was stunned. "I would never have lived the life I'd only dreamed of if I never met you guys."

Natsu wasn't too sure how to respond. The idea of Lucy potentially getting emotional like she did that morning did not please the dragon slayer. He hated seeing Lucy upset, especially considering he had no idea how to comfort and be there for her when she needed him. Natsu had been worried enough the day they left. With Lucy crying and hugging him, all he could think of was to take her on the mission. Well, he almost made a completely different decision.

"You really don't need to thank me, Lucy." Natsu said. "You told me all this two months ago."

"I know. But it's all been winding around in my head again and..."

"And..?"

Lucy hesitated. She'd been wanting to ask Natsu the same question for two months, but there was never a good time. The rest of the team were always within ear shot, so the two could never really have a private moment that lasted longer than a few minutes. But now, with everyone asleep and Natsu and Lucy being alone for the first time in two months... Lucy knew she had to ask or she'd never get the chance again, but it scared her. She was scared for an answer, and was scared she wouldn't be satisfied. Neither Natsu nor Lucy were good at dealing with confrontation, so would Natsu deliver a sincere answer or try to pass it off as nothing like he did two months ago?

"What did you mean when you told me we'd be "together forever"?" Lucy finally asked, trying her hardest to keep eye contact.

Natsu waited a moment before answering. "I said we'd always be together because we're on this hundred year mission, Luce. It'd be pretty tough not to be together when we're on the same team."

Lucy had feared that exact answer. "Oh. I-"

"And," Natsu continued, surprising the celestial wizard. "Even after this mission I want us to stay together. You're my best friend, Lucy. Why would I want anything else?"

Lucy's cheeks tinted pink at Natsu's words. He sounded so sincere. She'd heard nothing so serious from him since that morning and it completely threw Lucy off guard. So much so that she'd barely realised what she said until it had all escaped her lips.

"I want us to stay together too."

Realising what she had said, Lucy span her head away, tucking her face away into Natsu's scarf to hide her blushing features.

"What're you hiding your face for?" Natsu pondered, leaning over.

"You're embarrassing me."

"How? We're the only two people here, Lucy."

"It's what you're saying! Everything you say is sending memories back to two months ago in my apartment. From saying we'd always be together, and then leaning in and me thinking that-"

Lucy froze, mentally cursing herself for conjuring those words. Knowing the damage had already been done, whether her dense friend realised it or not, Lucy continued speaking, though her voice was muffled ever so slightly.

"...And me thinking that you were going to kiss me." Lucy buried herself further into the scarf, her face heating up.

Natsu blinked, parting his lips slightly in surprise. Lucy's words were so sudden and full of emotion, once again the dragon slayer was left sitting in shock, not knowing how to handle his best friend.

"You thought I was going to kiss you?" Were the only words Natsu could speak.

Lucy inhaled a deep breath before nodding slowly, refusing to meet Natsu's gaze.

"Did you want me to kiss you?" Natsu asked, even surprising himself. His eyes grew wider, pursing his lips shut before he asked anymore uncontrollable questions.

Lucy's eyes grew wide, although Natsu couldn't see her face properly. She debated what to answer with for a moment; she had to say something. She couldn't simply just leave him waiting, but what would he do and how would he react if she gave him a truthful answer? No matter what answer she gave Lucy could never predict the outcome.

Ultimately, Lucy swallowed her fear and nodded her head slowly.

Now it was Natsu's turn to be shocked. His eyes grew even wider as he sucked in a breath. He'd expected an answer from Lucy, of course, but hadn't actually considered how he would react to said answer. Lucy had wanted Natsu to kiss her. Natsu tried to allow that to process for a moment. For the first time in a long time, Natsu blushed.

"I would have." Natsu spoke, his mouth growing dry.

Lucy looked up unintentionally, her red face and wide eyes now visible.

"I would have kissed you." Natsu repeated.

Brown eyes gazed into onyx intensely. Lucy was too stunned at Natsu's words to look away, and Natsu was searching for some sort of reaction, whether it be good or bad, from Lucy. It soon came to Lucy's attention that there was nothing she could do to make the situation worse, so took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, breaking eye contact for a moment.

"So why didn't you? Why didn't you kiss me?" she spoke in a soft voice, nothing that made the situation sound like an interrogation.

"I didn't want you to feel like you were being pressurised into anything." Natsu's eyes never left Lucy's. "You were so emotional that day, and the last thing I wanted was for you to get more upset because of me. Truth be told, I really like you, Lucy, and back at your apartment, I knew that I liked you. I thought I could finally let you know how I felt, but I still wasn't certain as to whether you returned those feelings. I was going to kiss you, but I didn't want to upset or confuse you more than you already were. Your feelings were all haywire, and letting you know how I felt would have only made you feel worse."

Lucy sat in silence, her lips parted as she refused to leave Natsu's gaze. This was all she had wanted for two months, but now she'd received the closure she so desperately desired, she'd never taken the time to consider how to actually take it all in. Natsu had just confessed he liked her.

"You like me?" Lucy barely whispered.

Natsu nodded. "And whether we're friends or more than friends, I want to be with you forever, Lucy."

Lucy's heart ached at Natsu's words. Never had she heard something so beautiful yet so simple come from Natsu's lips. She'd come to realise a long time ago that her young fantasies that a knight in shining armour would come to her rescue was delusional, but Lucy hadn't even noticed that her knight in shining armour had been standing in front of her all these years, even if he didn't really portray the image of a heroic knight.

The celestial wizard's blush had faded slightly, but her cheeks still tinted a subtle pink as her lips curved upwards into a small smile. Lucy shuffled closer to Natsu, pulling his scarf back down to her neck as her head fell gently onto his shoulder.

"I want to stay with you forever, too." Lucy whispered, staring into the distance.

Natsu looked down at Lucy, smiling to himself contently as his head rested on top of hers. Without realising, Lucy's hand had rested on top of Natsu's when she shuffled over, and Natsu took the liberty to clasp Lucy's hand in his own, intertwining their fingers together.

--------------------

"Wonder what they were doin' last night." Gray stood to the side of Natsu and Lucy, who were fast asleep on the grass. Their hands were still entangled together, and Natsu's scarf still resided around Lucy's neck, covering her mouth.

"Whatever it was," Erza smiled, "they'll have quite a story to tell us later, I'm sure." she nodded towards their entwined hands.

#nalu #nalu day #nalu day 2017 #fairy tail nalu #fairy tail #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #natsu x lucy #fairy tail spoilers

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theamazingimperialemperor · 7 years

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The Life of a Royal Vampire

He shouldn’t have agreed to come here. It was a bad decision and now he was paying for it. He clenched his fists tight enough to draw blood and ground his teeth. Mistakenly, he inhaled, hoping that a deep breathe might calm his instincts down, but that was a bad bad decision. He sat down on a bench and his eyes were shut tightly, holding his breath as focused all his will on not moving at all. But it was so… so… difficult.

The smell of fresh blood and the sound of those hearts beating and pulsing was so tempting. His jaw was aching from trying to control his fangs from extending, because he knew that once those were out he would go on a rampage. As it is his mouth was watering with the intense and delicious coppery and tangy smell.

His stomach lurched violently and more saliva was formed in his mouth. He closed his eyes, but that just incensed his sense of smell and hearing. He was holding on to the bench like it was his lifeline, and perhaps it was. He could hear a heartbeat approach him and he desperately wanted to tell this person off, warn them off the danger. He had already stopped breathing to stop the intake of those delicious smells.

The heartbeat got louder and louder and suddenly there was a warm hand on his shoulder.

Shocked, he opened his eyes and saw those intense gray eyes. And just like that, he was lost.

“I think we should move to a… less crowded place. What do you think?”

It was a soft and warm voice. For some reason, it reminded him for sunny days and warm blankets. The person’s lips quirked into a crooked smirk as they got a hold of his hand and dragged him somewhere.

Like an idiot, he went along.

He should have taken his hand back and ran off to the forest or somewhere out of the reservation. Perhaps, he could have even looked for humans outside the reservation. Hunting outside was not prohibited last he checked. He should have done something, really, anything.

But like a human in thrall he was mesmerized and shocked and he couldn’t do anything but follow this tiny human. A part of his brain that was perhaps still thinking, wondered, if this person was his mate. He had heard stories finding the One True Mate, where an immortal sentient being was enthralled by their mate. Of course, no one had ever heard of a human mate of all things. It didn’t make sense.

But neither did this strange sensation.

He could feel the soft warmth of their hand through the thick gloves. They were covered entirely in thick warm cloak that covered them like a coat. Their head was covered with some warm woolen hat and even their face had been covered, leaving only their beautiful eyes open to elements.

He wondered if humans actually felt that cold. His body temperature was naturally lower and even if it wasn’t he wouldn’t have noticed the cold because he was a three hundred year old True vampire, not a mere mortal or a turned one.

Abruptly, they came to a stop in front of a dark brown door and went inside. Releasing his one hand (and he felt strangely despondent at the loss of warmth), they removed their woolen hat releasing their hair. It was as black as the darkest night sky that he could see from the castle that was his home. Somehow, the night sky in the reservation didn’t just make the cut. It was cut short touching their neck and it looked messed up. It looked so soft and fluffy that he was tempted to run his hands through it and check if it was as soft as it looked. It reminded him of a fluffed up bird.

Another human walked towards his human (and there was no doubt in his mind that they were his) and he growled at them.

The other human, probably a male, flinched but still braved on and looked at his companion or rescuer.

“Can we have a table for two?” His human asked.

Now that he looked around, he realized he was in some kind of a restaurant. This was good, the smells were rather muted and he felt really relieved. Plus, he could get some proper vampire meal over here.

The other human nodded and led them to a secluded table. As the two of them took their seats, the smells and sounds from outside vanished instantly. Apparently, he was unable to keep his surprise from his face, because his companion chuckled.

“They have wards on each table.” They explained.

“Is this your first time in a human reservation?” They asked.

He cleared his throat and answered, “Yes.” His voice felt rather rough from disuse. Among his own kind he never really had to talk. Just a thought was enough for most of the conversations.

“I didn’t expect it to be this overwhelming.” He added.

“Hmm.” they hummed conversationally and once again he glanced at their eyes and was caught by their beauty.

The other human came with two menus, one was red and the other was white in its color.

“Would you like something to drink?” The man directed his question to his companion.

“Bottled water for me and some undiluted blood for my friend here? Perhaps blood of fae if you have that?”

“Of course, ma’am.”

“Why did you help me?” He asked once the other human had left. They seemed startled by his sudden question. Perhaps he should have made some inane conversation, but he was too curious.

“You were this close to going into blood lust.” They said showing a little gap between their thumb and first finger. For that matter, when did they remove their gloves?

“If I hadn’t brought you here immediately, the hunters would have intervened.” they continued, quite casually.

He felt cold all of a sudden. He couldn’t stop gulping in fear.

Hunters. Highly trained humans that are mainly in place for the protection of humans from other sentient creatures. They take whatever chance they can kill an immortal. He had heard stories. Of course, everyone had. Hunters were the boogeymen for immortals. Fast, strong and ruthless, they spared no immortal and usually patrolled the hybrid localities.

Just because he had not seen even one of them, he had forgotten that they existed.

To have been so close to have been captured by them. He shuddered.

“I believe, I owe you a debt.” He said. “If you hadn’t come when you did, I might have been in a lot of trouble.”

And the fact that he was just 300 years old wouldn’t mean a thing to them.

His words had startled a laugh out of his human. Instead of being insulted he was enchanted. Their eyes had crinkled and lightened up while laughing.

“No no, you don’t owe me anything. I am sure that even if I hadn’t turned up, someone else might have helped out. If nothing, the Hunters themselves might have staged an intervention before you had done something.”

His expression of disbelief brought out yet another laughter from them.

“I don’t think I have met an immortal who was not scared of a Hunter. They are just normal humans, and they have their own laws. They would not have done anything unless you had done something. And they understand about instincts. The worst they would have done is assigned a guard to you.” They said.

He was a little embarrassed, but he still believed that Hunters might have killed him. Three hundred years of conditioning does not vanish in an instant, even if the reassurance comes from a particularly enchanting human.

“You are a human, right?” He asked.

He hadn’t expected to blurt it out and the slight widening of those revealed that they hadn’t either. But before he could apologize for his faux pas, they smiled and nodded.

“Yep, 100 percent purebred human.”

“I am a True born vampire as well.” He replied and instantly wished for the ground to swallow him. He was sure that while his powers hadn’t developed staring at the ground might help him out.

Just then another human came in and placed their drinks in front of them. The smell and taste of the fae blood relaxed him instantly. He just hoped that he didn’t embarrass himself further. The other human further asked for their orders. As he did not know about what would be more appropriate he let his companion order for him. They explained about the different vampire cuisines that were popular in the regions.

“Do you have a lot immortal friends?” He asked, wondering if he would, perhaps, have to fight for a place in their heart.

“A few of them, actually. They usually live in Caio.”

As he did not have much idea of where Caio was, he just nodded.

The rest of the night just passed by with him asking questions and letting them explain. He was entranced with the way their eyes would light up when they would explain. When finally it came for them to pay the bill, they insisted to be the one to pay.

“Please, this is your first time in the reservation! Let this be my treat.”

He couldn’t say no to the smile, although he still felt a little bad. It wasn’t like he lacked money. He was one of the Royals!

Soon the time came for them to depart and go their separate ways. His cousins, whom he had lost just as the trio had entered the reservation, had found him.

He sighed as he watched them walk away from him and wondered if he would get a chance to look into those eyes again.

“Who was it?” one of his cousins asked.

It was then he realized that he had never given his name to them. And neither did they give their name to him.

He really wanted to die.

“No one…” He groaned.

#vampire #immortals #immortals romance #immortal sentients #humans and vampires #fic #story #probably original #Legend of the Black Knight #Horsemen of Apocalypse #Legend of the black knight universe #horsemen of the apocalypse universe #chapter 1 #more like a slice of life #strange vampire beahvior #the life of a royal vampire #life of a royal vampire 1

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2gocamp · 5 years

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wildgujarat · 5 years

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2nd & 3rd September 2017

Lovely trip to last home of Asiatic Lion but leopard images made the trip more worth Location: Devalia Safari Park

Trip in Nutshell:

2nd Sept 2017, 2:30 PM

And our self-drive cost sharing trip begins. Late by half hour but as we had no plan of any photography break on way or at Junagadh so there was nothing to worry. But the road was worst this time due to monsoon rain.

8:00 PM, we reached our resort at Sasan where mouthwatering pure kathiyawadi dinner was ready. After having dinner just came to know that mineral water was not available at that time due to off-season and few members can’t manage without them.

So went to Sasan (some 10Kms) and then mother nature welcomes us with first bird of trip checklist, it was spotted owlet sitting on a road direction board. Back to resort & time to go for sleep.

3rd Sept 2017, 5AM

2 Alarms and we got up on time :). But were late as per our plan to be the first to enter from check-post. Left resort and after a short tea brake near safari reception at sasan, we again started for Devalia Park.

As we were a bit late to be the first to enter the check-post, there was no chance of any sort of wildlife on the way.

Started the journey of beautiful Devaliya route (single track) with beautiful morning atmosphere and green forest around. And the first break to car for Indian Peafowl & Wild Boar.

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Indian Peafowl by Mihir Modi

Wild Boar

Reach Devalia Safari Park and the first thing to do is book our seats in bus & now time to wait and enjoy some birds like India Peafowl, myna, jungle crow and few Monkey. While 2 friends joined booking queue, all others were searching for birds.

Soon we heard the noise of few Jungle Babbler at near place, and literally ran over there. Because they in behave that way only when there is some animal or reptiles.

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And witnessed our Lucky Charm “Indian Mongoose” again (Note: it’s said that seeing Mongoose is a good luck). Had missed a good photo of it during the last trip as that was just a moment of sighting and had to satisfy with a bit blurry image due to low light and moving car.

It was already 8:30 AM and we were eager to enter the park. But officials asked to wait few more minutes to get the bus full as there was very less rush and else others would have to wait for next bus to get full.

Knob-billed Duck at Devalia Safari Park

And in few minutes our trip of Asiatic Lion Trip begins. First to see were knob-billed duck, grey francolin, black francolin, scally breasted munia and then comes two queens of Jungle. Time to click-click-click.

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Moving further or can say returning back we saw three Leopards, lots of Jackal, black-buck, spotted deer, blue-bull and our morning session ends.

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Golden Jackal

Golden Jackal Group

Blackbuck

Leopard

It was a satisfactory trip for everyone. But for us, this was second year of such trip and so we were not that much satisfied by morning opportunity.

We felt the quality work what we expected from trip was not achieved. Anyways, it was closing time of park and have to return back to resort.

On-way we planned to have our desi breakfast of gathiya and chai. But then the resort owner called us and told to have breakfast over there. It was 11:30 AM already and lunch was almost ready, so we had few light snacks along with tea. And asked the resort owners wife (who cook herself) that we will have lunch after an hour and started the refreshing session after the morning workout.

Yes, the swimming pool session. (available at mostly all resorts at Sasan-Gir). Though it was more as a big water tank and less as swimming pool, still all enjoyed it.

Got totally refreshed and now it’s time for lunch. Kathiyawadi rotli, lasaniya bateta nu shaak, salad and gur-keri achar, chas, papad; one of the best lunch we had till date.

Monitor lizard by Hemal Jadav

During that time too mother nature kept showing her presence, a pair of Common Iora and a monitor lizard came and gave some good clicks. Though few friend witnessed one more monitor lizard during the return journey to resort.

Now it’s time to check-out and reach Devalia Park again for the last session, but we planned to review our morning images first to check for mistakes and avoid the same during evening session. While review session was going and all were busy reviewing their images and improvements few of us including me got the time for sweet 10 minutes sleep 🙂

After review session, all participants insisted that we want to go back only if there is any chance of seeing male lion, but as discussed with officers at morning there was no chance for their sighting at the park. So it was time to cancel the evening session because all have got satisfactory images at morning itself.

But how can we ignore the nature and our lucky morning charm because still satisfactory work was not done as per me, so finalized to give evening session a test to our luck and went again.

And there was a heavy rush of tourist now, same like we had last year. Got the chance to visit in the last bus, but it was a favoring opportunity for us due to the soft light which we will get.

Entered again and now this time its 3 lioness and a lot better light and location for quality images. So felt it was a fair decision and evening trip made the day worth with beautiful images.

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But it’s all in hands of nature and who knows what opportunity is waiting next.

And the actual best session was yet to come, moving further (on-return) we saw a leopard resting on a tree branch giving us one of the best natural frame of branches.

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Lots of clicks and the journey ends with one of the best images of Lioness and Leopard.

Species we witnessed

Mammals:

Asiatic Lion

Indian Leopard

Golden Jackal

Blackbuck

Wild boar

Spotted deer

Gray langur

Blue-Bull / Nilgai

Indian Grey Mongoose

Small Indian civet

Birds: Scaly-breasted munia, Grey francolin, Painted francolin, Common myna, Bank myna, Common iora, Spotted owlet, Jungle crow, Indian peafowl (Peacock), Knob-billed duck, Red-vented bulbul, Spotted dove, Green bee-eater, Jungle babbler, Oriental magpie-robin, Red-naped Ibis, Little egret, Rufous treepie and many more common birds

Read previous year’s trip article Here ›

Planning to visit Devaliya Park?

Read full details of location reviews, permit charges and more on Devalia Safari Park Page

Trip Report - Asiatic Lion Photography at Devalia Sept' 2017 2nd & 3rd September 2017 Lovely trip to last home of Asiatic Lion but leopard images made the trip more worth…

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adventures-in-everhaven · 5 years

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Cultures of Everhaven

The Dwarfholds

The dwarfholds are spread all over Everhaven, reflecting the scattering of the dwarves after the death of Bhazad Khrar thousands of years ago. The dwarves have fought hard for their homes ever since they escaped slavery under the giants, and their access to metals and minerals both precious and mundane have made them quite wealthy.

Dwarves are solid and enduring like the mountains they love, weathering the passage of centuries with stoic endurance and little change. They respect the traditions of their clans, tracing their ancestry back to the founding of their most ancient strongholds in the youth of the world, and don’t abandon those traditions lightly. Part of those traditions is devotion to the gods of the dwarves, who uphold the dwarven ideals of industrious labor, skill in battle, and devotion to the forge.

Individual dwarves are determined and loyal, true to their word and decisive in action, sometimes to the point of stubbornness. Many dwarves have a strong sense of justice, and they are slow to forget wrongs they have suffered. A wrong done to one dwarf is a wrong done to the dwarf’s entire clan, so what begins as one dwarf’s hunt for vengeance can become a full-blown clan feud.

As part of the education every dwarf goes through, by the time a dwarf reaches 50 years old he or she has trained with battleaxes and war hammers, has learned a trade associated with his or her family, and has learned about various styles of stoneworking from history.

Dwarves tend to frown upon barbarians, as they have a stereotype in their legends of barbarians being criminals and dangerous threats.

The gray dwarves of Clans Balderk, Dankil, Gorunn, Loderr, and Strakeln live in the Underdark. After delving deeper than any other mountain dwarves, they were enslaved by mind flayers for eons. Although they eventually won their freedom, these grim, ashen-skinned dwarves are now isolationist and paranoid of being conquered again by the mind flayers, causing them to reject emotion and magic. They value toil above all else, and their goods are purely utilitarian.

The hill dwarves of Clans Battlehammer (Bolgurim), Fireforge (Hulgran), Holderhek (Khingron), Lutgehr (Keg Darom), and Torunn (Thagheim) have keen senses, deep intuition, and remarkable resilience. Dwelling in the hills, they are known for their piety, tendency for introspection, and a stronger connection to nature than other dwarves espouse. Many humans and halflings take up residence in the upper portions of the hold, which are the only parts open to outsiders; tribes of human barbarians and dragonborn clans also regularly stop in the upper hold to trade.

The dragonmarked dwarves of Clan Kundarak (Bhan Todir) run the Defenders’ Guild of locksmiths and security specialists, but they also build prisons and vaults and are the foremost bankers in Everhaven thanks to the vast ore deposits their dwarfhold sits over. Unlike their cousins, these dwarves are known for their artificing and wizardry.

The mountain dwarves of Clans Brawnanvil (Durn Darom), Frostbeard (Varn Boram), Ironfist (Kur Todur), Rumnaheim (Dal Badur), and Ungart (Dum Tharim) are strong and hardy, accustomed to a difficult life in rugged terrain. Taller and fairer-skinned than other dwarves, they are all forced to become accustomed to wearing light and medium armor. Many humans, halflings, and rock gnomes take up residence in the upper portions of the hold, which are the only parts open to outsiders; tribes of barbarians, goliath herds, and clans of copper and white dragonborn also regularly stop in the upper hold to trade.

The dwarves favor worship of Rontra, Terak, Maal, Korak, and Naryne.

The Four Cities of the High Elves

Ever since they arrived in the world during the Thousand Year War, the high elves have been regarded as the foremost practitioners of wizardry in Everhaven. They founded five cities, now reduced to four after one sank into the sea, and these are considered the centers of wizardry and artificing.

Each of the Four Cities is nominally ruled by its Princess, but by and large the democratically-elected City Council oversees day-to-day operations.

The high elves highly value education, and more specifically wizardry. Before they turn 100, a high elf knows how to fight with sword and bow, can speak three languages, and understands the basics of wizardry. Most continue this education, delving further into the study of wizardry and working it into almost every aspect of their lives.

The high elves are possessed of the standard fine elven features and unearthly grace. They stand a couple inches shorter than humans on average. They have bronze skin, copper, black, or golden hair, and eyes like pools of liquid gold, onyx, or silver. They wear their hair long as a sign of longevity and prosperity, and an elf who is exiled or named an oathbreaker has their hair cut as a sign they are not to be trusted. They favor elegant clothing in bright colors, as well as simple but lovely jewelry.

Many rock gnomes live in the Four Cities. Although they have a natural talent for wizardry, many turn to artificing, combining natural gnomish inventiveness with wizardry. This has had no small role in the advanced nature of the Four Cities, and the high elves have been forced to make concessions to them. The rock gnomes live in extensive networks of warrens under each of the Cities, known as the Incivita.

Each of the Four Cities has a clan of silver dragonborn living in a district all their own within the city. These individuals make up the majority of the city guards and the military (outside of the elite forces, which are almost all elves). The silver dragonborn are largely ignored by the elves, and their votes for the Council are almost always disregarded; the dragonborn don’t care, continuing their care of the Cities’ inhabitants.

The blue-skinned vedalken are welcomed among the high elves for their logical outlook and talent with wizardry, with far less of a grudge than they accept the rock gnomes. Although many are involved in the arcane universities in the Cities, there is a very good chance that any given priest is a vedalken.

The Four Cities favor worship of Urian, Terak, Zheenkeef, Tinel, and Aymara.

Brighcour

Sharing a name with the mountainous island it is built within, Brighcour represents something unique in Everhaven: dark elves actively seeking to make peaceful contact with the surface world. The dark elf rulers of Brighcour rejected both the Court of the Swords their kin follow and the politicking that erupted after the fall of the Dragon Empire, and it has taken years for them to be accepted in the surface world.

The Queen of Brighcour rules with a firm but fair hand. The nobility of the kingdom are old families with sorcerous bloodlines, and they take pride in their ancestry. Don’t be fooled, though: politics in Brighcour can be just as ruthless as in any other dark elf realm.

Many deep gnomes live in Brighcour and are actively welcomed. The dark elves have a distaste for wizardry, seeing sorcerers and warlocks as signs of power, and so the deep gnomes’ affinity for wizardry and artificing are highly sought-after.

A few gray dwarves live in Brighcour. They make up the majority of the guards and soldiers, although there are those who work their trades. The presence of the gray dwarves has caused a hybrid dwarven-elven style of architecture and metalworking that is found nowhere else in the world.

The aarakocra flocks, barbarian tribes, goliath herds, and clans of copper dragonborn that live on the surface of the island rarely interact with the inhabitants of Brighcour the kingdom.

Brighcour favors worship of Rontra, Morwyn, Zheenkeef, Tinel, Aymara, and Korak.

The Wodes

The wodes are ancient forests; some sages believe they were once in the Feywild. The wood of the trees are quite useful for arcane foci, but the inhabitants of the wodes generally have little interest in making a profit off of such things.

The wood elves have keen senses and intuition, and their fleet feet carry them quickly and stealthily through the forests. Known as much for their skill with blade and bow as with their connection to nature and introspection, the wood elves build within trees and could go their whole lives without touching the ground. They stand a couple inches shorter than humans on average. They have copper skin; their hair is brown, black, or occasionally golden or copper-colored; and their eyes are green, brown, or hazel pools.

The green dragonborn clans that live in the wodes often serve as envoys between the various other inhabitants of the wodes. They also patrol the forests regularly, protecting them from those that would bring harm.

The forest gnomes have a natural knack for illusion and inherent quickness and stealth. They gather in hidden communities in the forests or live under the wood elves’ cities, but they use illusions and trickery to conceal these settlements even from their elven allies. They are the primary wielders of wizardry in the wodes, and they use the special woods in the forests for their arcane foci.

The silver dragonborn clans that live in the wood elves’ cities serve as healers and warriors. They keep to themselves, even within the cities, but they are staunch allies of the wodes’ inhabitants.

Firbolgs love nothing more than a peaceful day spent among the trees of an old forest. They see forests as sacred places, representing the heart of the world and monuments to the durability of life. In their role as caretakers, firbolgs live off the land while striving to remain in balance with nature. Their methods reflect common sense and remarkable resourcefulness. During a bountiful summer, they store away excess nuts, fruit, and berries. When winter arrives, they scatter everything they can spare to ensure the animals of the wood survive until springtime. In a firbolg’s eyes, there is no greater fault than greed. The firbolgs believe that the world remains healthiest when each creature takes only what it needs. Material goods, especially precious gems and gold, have little appeal to them. What use are such things when winter lingers and food runs short? Firbolgs have a talent for druidic magic. Their cultural reverence for nature, combined with their strong and insightful minds, makes learning such magic an instinctive part of their development. Almost every firbolg learns to tap into the magic of nature, typically used to mask their presence, and many go on to master nature magic. Firbolgs who become druids serve as stronghold leaders. With every action the tribe takes, the druids weigh not only the group’s needs, but the effect each action will have on the forest and the rest of the natural world. Firbolg tribes would rather go hungry than strain the land during a famine.

The tribes of shifters that live in the wodes largely ignore politics, paying more attention to their own survival. They usually maintain casual alliances with the green dragonborn clans and firbolgs.

The Wyld

“The Wyld” is a general name for any piece of territory as yet unclaimed by a geopolitical power. That doesn’t mean they are full of monsters and devoid of civilization, however; settlements have been built in these regions, and others roam hither and yon.

Some lightfoot halflings live in nomadic bands, traveling in wagons or rafts throughout the Wyld. They’re inclined to be affable and get along well with others, though some of these bands have earned a criminal reputation as coming into town and leaving with stolen goods.

Some stout halflings live in small, peaceful family communities with large farms and well-kept groves. These families preserve their traditional ways of life. When threatened, however, the halflings will defend their homes with violence if necessary.

Red dragonborn clans stalk the Wyld, either preying on its inhabitants or defending them from monsters depending on their alliance with either Tiamat or Bahamut. They tend to keep to the foothills, however.

Gold dragonborn clans live in secluded areas and generally keep to themselves, setting out to combat evil only when something important enough catches their attention.

The shifter tribes originated from unions between lycanthropes and ordinary humans. They are as likely to prey on the other inhabitants of the Wyld as to trade with them.

Humans are as likely to live in settlements as they are to form nomadic tribes. Between Tver and Razmia, the humans are slender, tawny-skinned folk with brown hair that ranges from almost blond to almost black; most are tall and have green or brown eyes. West of the Barsard Mountains, the humans are of medium build and height, with dusky skin that tends to grow fairer the farther north they dwell; their hair and eye color varies widely, but brown hair and blue eyes are the most common.

The centaur herds have an affinity for the natural world. They celebrate life and growth, and the birth of a foal is always cause for festivities. At the same time, they revere the traditions of the past, and they keep alive the legends of ancestral heroes.

The minotaur herds are zealous and love battle. They tend to vent their outrage through violence, but they aren’t generally quick to anger. They are passionate, loving their friends and partners fiercely, and they laugh loud and long at good jokes. Minotaur legends describe a small pantheon of heroes—perhaps they were once thought of as gods—who established the minotaurs’ place in the world. Every minotaur in Everhaven claims descent from one of these heroes.

The orcs were created by Terak and Canelle to serve as the gods’ soldiers in the Thousand Year War, but now they’re abandoned to their own devices. Those living in the Wyld survive through savagery and force of numbers. Theirs is a life that has no place for weakness, and every warrior must be strong enough to take what is needed by force. Orcs aren’t interested in treaties, trade negotiations or diplomacy. They care only for satisfying their insatiable desire for battle, to smash their foes and appease their gods.

The Kingdom of Logres

Logres sits in the northwest. The climate is warm and temperate enough to grow grapes in the southern portion of the kingdom. The presence of the Fernian Wode on the kingdom’s western border has given the realm a reputation for magic and mystery, as well as making fire magic the most popular among evokers in Logres.

Its humans are tall, fair-skinned folk with blue or steely gray eyes. Most have raven-black hair. They dress in clothes similar to the eladrin, for they believe they are superior to men.

Halflings are the largest minority in Logres, as their hard work and loyal outlook offer them abundant rewards. Lightfoot halflings tend to keep to the cities, while stout halflings live in outlying rural villages.

Silver dragonborn clans live in districts within the major cities in Logres. They often care for the peasants and join the city guard or the army.

Bronze dragonborn clans live in villages on the coasts, normally near human or halfling settlements. They may join the army, but they also operate lighthouses and a sort of coast guard or become sailors.

Kenku live in flocks within the cities. They most often operate as messengers, spies, and lookouts for criminals, but some serve as scouts for the army.

With the presence of the Fernian Wode, half-wood elves are not uncommon on the western edge of the kingdom.

Logrians largely follow the Great Church. Their nobles are steeped in the traditions of chivalry, but sorcerers are considered wild and tainted with evil and druids as primitive savages; wizardry is the only truly accepted form of magic, though that doesn’t stop peasants from turning to any mage they can when priests can’t help.

The Kingdom of Oriellon

Oriellon sits on the western edge of Everhaven. The climate is warm and temperate all year round. It is a land of rolling plains once covered by the Fernian Wode. The culture is strictly feudal, and most people aspire to follow the Code of Chivalry, which espouses faith in the Lords of Good, justice, loyalty, defense of the weak, courage, truth, generosity, chastity, humility, and perseverance. Investigators are commissioned by the king to travel the land and ensure the king’s justice is carried out throughout the kingdom, using their intelligence and wisdom to pass judgment and songs to ensure the laws are remembered by the peasants. Oriellon is also the home of the late Good King Omund, who was instrumental in the formation of the Golden League.

Its humans are of moderate height and build, with skin hues ranging from tawny to fair. Their hair is usually brown or black, and their eye color varies widely, though brown is most common. Humans are the dominant species in Oriellon, and they rule.

Silver dragonborn hold a special place in Oriellon, for they formed Good King Omund’s legendary Dragon Knights or Dragon Phalanx. They are honored and treated very well by everyone they meet, hailed as heroes.

Halflings are the largest minority in Oriellon. Lightfoot halflings typically live in the cities, while stout halflings typically live in rural villages.

Kenku live in flocks within the cities. They most often operate as messengers, spies, and lookouts for criminals, but some serve as scouts for the army.

The Great Church is the most prominent religious organization in Oriellon.

The Kingdom of Falion

Falion sits in the northwest of Everhaven. The climate is warm and temperate year-round. The kingdom was founded by a tribal chieftain who made a pact with seven archfey, and every monarch since has continued this practice; many nobles have made similar pacts with archfey, while others are the result of unions between fey and humans that resulted in wild sorcerous bloodlines.

Halflings are the largest minority in Falion. Lightfoot halflings tend to live in the cities, while stout halflings tend to live in rural villages.

Silver dragonborn clans live in districts within the major cities in Logres. They often care for the peasants and join the city guard or the army.

Kenku live in flocks within the cities. They most often operate as messengers, spies, and lookouts for criminals, but some serve as scouts for the army.

The Great Church is the primary religious organization in Falion.

The Grand Duchy of Mairo

Three centuries and one day after the now-defunct Host of Spears razed the original Fort Mairo to the ground, Castle Mairo was raised in its place. For many years, Mairo was part of Falion, but within the past hundred years they have become an independent realm ruled by a duke. All of the inhabitants are free citizens, and knighthood is not restricted to the nobility.

The symbol of Mairo is a battered breastplate, representing the breastplate of Herridek I, who founded the duchy.

The current duke is Herridek II, who is a beneficent monarch.

The demographics of Mairo are essentially the same as the demographics of Falion.

The Kingdom of Vinion

Caught in a seeming war between forest and grassland, Vinion is a hardy land that birthed a hardy and adventurous people. They are slender, tawny-skinned folk with brown hair that ranges from almost blond to almost black; most are tall and have green or brown eyes, but these traits are hardly universal. They dress flamboyantly and value quickness of reflex and of wit, as well as reading and writing. For the Vinian, however, philosophy is useless. Morality, ethics, logic, theology, all exist in the poem, song, and above all, the stage.

The men of Vinion are amongst the most multi-talented in the world, considering it each man's responsibility to master writing, reading, oratory, music, cooking, dancing, duelling, sailing. Lofty goals, and only a few men achieve the ideal. But all Vinians aspire to it.

Sturm, the Greatest City of This or Any Age

Vinion is also home to Sturm, the City of the Great Game. The largest city in the world, Vinion is divided into five distinct districts. Each district has its own Lord, its own army, its own laws. There is trade, commerce, citizens with their papers in good standing can usually expect to move freely between the districts. But anyone caught and accused of being a Spy for a rival Lord can expect to be quickly tried without jury and hung without witnesses. You can buy anything in Sturm, but information is the most valuable product.

The Guilds

In Vinion, the nobility wars against the newly powerful guilds. Each man is expected to join a guild. Those who remain unaligned are suspicious. "Cousin" is now open code for "fellow guildsman.”

There are numerous guilds, perhaps even too many to list here.

The Empire of Tver

Tver is best known as the home of the War Breed, the orcs and half-orcs. After the Thousand Year War, the humans in what would become Tver welcomed the orcs with open arms, harnessing and focusing their martial nature. Ever since, Tver has been ruled by a half-orc, and the army of orcs and humans has been expanding the borders. This is hampered, however, by strange inheritance practices.

The humans of Tver are generally tall, slim, and amber-skinned, with eyes of hazel or brown. Their hair ranges from black to dark brown.

Half-orcs are incredibly common in Tver, but they are also welcomed: they are even seen as an ideal form, a union of the best parts of humans and orcs.

Orcs are most often members of the army, whether as dire wolf-riding cavalry or staunch infantry.

Razmia

Razmia was founded by halflings who fled to coastal lagoons after the collapse of the Caelian Empire. Humans later joined them, and bronze dragonborn clans moved up to join them. Their sailors are the great explorers of the world, bringing trade and culture to all the regions of Everhaven.

Its humans are slender, tawny-skinned folk with brown hair that ranges from almost blond to almost black; most are tall and have green or brown eyes.

Halflings are the largest minority in Razmia. Lightfoot halflings tend to live in the cities, while stout halflings live in rural villages.

Bronze dragonborn live on the coasts and fight pirates and sahuagin. They also operate lighthouses and serve as sailors.

Kenku live in the cities, often working as messengers, lookouts, and spies for criminals. Some, however, work as scribes or as scouts for the army.

Occasionally, sea elves and tritons come to Razmia to trade.

The Great Church is the primary religion in Razmia.

Valumar

Valumar is hailed as the center of divine magic in Everhaven. The headquarters of the Great Church is here, and arcane magic is heavily restricted to the point that it might as well be forbidden. Almost all of the inhabitants are humans.

The humans of Valumar are of two physical appearances, generally. Some are generally tall, slim, and amber-skinned, with eyes of hazel or brown. Their hair ranges from black to dark brown. Others tend to be short, stout, and muscular; they usually have dusky skin, dark eyes, and thick black hair.

Shelan and the Red Wilds

South of Razmia, across the Inner Sea, is a vast desert. In a small region, directly opposite Razmia, is the magically preserved oasis realm of Shelan, said to be ruled by gods on earth. The rest of the land is plagued by undead from even further south, and the people who live out there struggle every day to survive.

Humans have three general appearances. Some, generally west of the Astawa Mountains, are shorter and slighter in build than most other humans and have dusky brown skin, hair, and eyes. Others, particularly south of Valumar, are generally tall, slim, and amber-skinned, with eyes of hazel or brown; their hair ranges from black to dark brown, but it is generally shaved off. The last are generally tall and muscular, with dark mahogany skin, curly black hair, and dark eyes.

Blue dragonborn clans live in Shelan and are often guards or administrators. They also make up much of the army.

Brass dragonborn clans live in the Red Wilds and wander it, aiding travelers and fighting undead as they come across them.

Aarakocra live in Shelan and in the Red Wilds. In Shelan, they are often priests and scouts, while in the Red Wilds they live in distant tribes that rarely touch the ground.

Khenra live in both Shelan and the Red Wilds. In Shelan, they are often warriors, while in the Red Wilds they struggle for whatever they can.

Yuan-ti purebloods live in Shelan. They are believed to be the chosen of one of the gods, and they study wizardry there…though there are rumors of communion with darker powers.

Minotaurs are zealous and love battle. They tend to vent their outrage through violence, but they aren’t generally quick to anger. They are passionate, loving their friends and partners fiercely, and they laugh loud and long at good jokes. Minotaur legends describe a small pantheon of heroes—perhaps they were once thought of as gods—who established the minotaurs’ place in the world. Every minotaur in Everhaven claims descent from one of these heroes.

#everhaven #history of everhaven #cultures of everhaven #d&d 5e

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