#this is why she phases through trees onto branches and not just climb the tree--

[rcseadorned]

hurt sentence starters ➽ @tosaveaforest "you're lucky. you could have gotten seriously hurt." (from San Lang~)

Grit stubbornly clung to her arm, even after multiple attempts to brush it away. The minor injury was more of an annoyance than anything, yet it stung with every movement. But the true sting was more than just physical-- it was the burn of wounded pride. A Guardian, renowned for their agility amongst the trees, reduced to a clumsy spectacle in her attempt to be 'normal'.

Yet here she was, days removed from her former role, now merely a shrine keeper. Shrine keepers didn’t find themselves scrambling up trees, grappling with linen tangled in the high branches, but it was their only table cloth. Her only option had been to test her own ability against gravity. Although she had managed to retrieve the windswept linen, it now lay nearby, fluttering in the breeze as though mocking her failed attempt at graceful retrieval. Once pristine and ready to dry, it was now smeared with dirt, back to its original state.

Xiao Hua remained kneeling on the ground, recovering from her hard landing. The sudden shock had rendered her legs weak and her breath short. And to make matters worse, that boy had arrived-- an unfortunate witness to her predicament. Fantastic.

"The stupid wind took the cloth. It's our only one, I can't lose it," she replied, having gotten to her feet and shaking the dust from the bottom of her clothes.

[binniedeactivated]

Little¡!  || txt 🍼

✎𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈: 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐫!𝐭𝐚𝐞𝐡𝐲𝐮𝐧 𝐱 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐲

✎ 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟, 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞

✎ 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕; 1.3k

𝑾𝑨𝑹𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺; 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔 ��𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆!𝒕𝒙𝒕 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑴𝑫𝑳𝑩, 𝑨𝑩𝑭, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑳𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒔. 𝑰𝒇 𝒔𝒎𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒊 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆. 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒇𝒇 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒕.

𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕; I was thinking of this one request i had for a little!txt request (again, not sure if I sent this in or not ashnn): it’s more of a baby! or toddler!txt x mommy! reader (but you can change it to little! x caregiver! if you like!) so it’s basically where taehyun is scared of thunderstorms but wants to be a big boy and show his older brothers he can sleep on his own. but obviously he can’t 🥺 so he uses his baby brother Kai as an excuse to sneak into his mom’s room for cuddles?

❝ [ @𝒃𝒖𝒈𝒔𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆] 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒇𝒇...

it was that kind of night again.

the nights that taehyun hated. It was storming outside and the rain was beating the glass of his bedroom window. He swallows watching a flash of lightening streak across the darkened sky. With a flash came a loud clap and a roar that was loud enough to make taehyun shrivel underneath his blankets.

it's going to be okay. it's okay. taehyun tried his best to assure himself but his nervousness was raising his body temperature thus making the air underneath the blankets hot and thicker than he expected. He could barely breath under there but it was the closest to the feeling of safety that his mommy gave him.

"tyun you aren't scared are you?". yeonjun teases with his arms folded behind his head. his bed was across from tyun's like how soobin's was across from gyu's. Kai's bed was right beside tyun's but his bed was also vacant, as kai often made it his duty to cuddle with his mommy on nights like this.

something tyun wished he could do.

"Of course he is, look at him. he's hiding!". soobin chimes in. he smirks a little when he sees the small boy peaking from the blankets trying to mask his fear as best as he could. "you know if you're scared you can go in mommy's bed with kai. the hyung's are okay in here". yeonjun adds knowing full well tyun was scared shitless. Yeonjun's comment left a feeling of distress washing over his younger brother's small frame. Thunder rolled across the sky yet again and he trembled at the sound feeling his bladder become weak. "hey! I'm a hyung too. I don't need to be in mommy's bed". he lied. He swallows at the sound of the rain coming down much harder this time around. The splatter of water made him squeeze his legs together tightly, the last thing he wanted was to ruin his bedsheets and pajama shorts over this. "oh because if you need mommy's bed you're not a big boy. that makes you a baby". gyu responds, joining in on the teasing from his own bed. "I am a big boy! I'm in my own bed aren't I?".

"barely. your head isn't even out of your covers all the way". soobin points out. taehyun hesitantly sticks his head out a bit more, not even realizing that himself. His grips his blanket firmly with his clammy fists. "Leave me alone hyung. I can sleep in my own bed. You guys stop messing with me!". they all snicker in laughter at his sudden outburst. Each of them turn over, getting comfortable. "yeah who are we kidding?". yeonjun teases, "taehyun is a big boy like us". watching each of them get comfortable was like a nightmare for taehyun who usually had kai to talk to him throughout his nightly endeavors. Call him a loser all you wanted but he enjoyed conversing with his baby brother. He was precious and he always tried to protect taehyun even if he was younger. But if this is what being a big boy meant, learning to sleep alone then he would have to learn to adjust.

He settled in his blankets watching the silhouettes of his older brothers drift off into their own slumber. Taehyun found the concept insane, being able to sleep comfortably with thunder and lightening flashing through the bedroom windows. It was scary to watch, especially with the weeping willow tree grazing his window. In the daytime, the tree was his friend. he often sat under it to read, climbed up it with kai on sunny days and eat ice cream, and if it's safe to tell you, sometimes he talked to it when he had troubles that he didn't want tell his brothers about. He imagined it was like a grandpa, listening and nodding wisely whenever he expressed his feelings. At night though, and especially during storms he grew scared of the papa willow tree he often found comfort in. It looked angry when it was waving like that in the thunderous breeze, like the branches was reaching out to grab him at any given moment. The thought alone made his heart tank.

you can do this tyunnie. you can sleep. nothing is going to hurt you.

try telling that to the sky, taehyun thought. The thunder rumbled above him and surges of lightening fell across it in his wake. The breeze whirled, so much that the tree actually looked like it was winding back this time. Taehyun felt his heart stop at the sight, each of the branches waiving back long and thin in the light blue void. Taehyun braced himself allowing his conscience to draw a face on the tree bark, one that scared him enough to where his bladder let loose. One by one the branches were coming towards him which led him scurrying out of his bed and into the hallway with a high pitched whine.

tyun couldn't help himself anymore, he was a wimp. Not just that, he just peed himself. The warmth of his fresh tears made his cheeks rosy, his face flushed a cherry red as he cried right in the hallway. Right in the middle of the puddle he was making beneath his feet.

great. just great. he thought.

"tyunnie? what's the matter what happened?". his mommy saw her little boy with his arms over his small face crying, his black shiny strands covering his forehead. he tries his best to look at her with clear eyes but every single time he spoke a knot would form in his throat and he would start crying again. He hated this. He hated feeling like a baby but he was scared. She took her thumbs and dried his tears from his cheeks. she could tell that whatever the problem was, taehyun didn't want to talk about it.

"How about we get you cleaned up okay?".

taehyun was grateful for that, grateful for her. grateful that she gave him a bath that night and told him stories about the things she used to do during thunder storms when she was his age, like read books and play outside. taehyun thought it was crazy that she even left the house during a time like that but that's one thing he loved about her. she was fearless. "you were never afraid of thunderstorms mommy?". taehyun asks while she washes around his ears. "nope, never. I never thought of it as something to be scared of. It was interesting to me". taehyun nodded to himself. "why tyunnie? are you scared of thunderstorms?". he quickly shook his head. "no never! I was just curious that's all". she smiled to herself, finishing up washing his face.

when he was all dry and now in clean clothes she bends to kiss him on his cheeks. the softness of her lips always made him blush. It was obvious whenever taehyun blushed, his dimples waded deep in his cheeks. "I love you tyun. I want you to sleep well okay?". sensing that she was about to leave he clamps his tiny hands around her wrists. "mommy is it okay if I sleep with you tonight? I like talking to kai kai before bed". he lied, well kind of. He liked talking to kai but he was also afraid to sleep alone. She obliged, taking his hand and leading him to her room.

Words couldn't describe how safe he felt within the comfort of his mommy and heuning kai on her huge bed and fluffy blankets. "Hi hyung! are you sleeping with us tonight?". kai smiled brightly in his pink onesie, more than happy to see his brother. Tyun nods with a small smile. His mommy cuddled them both, allowing their heads to sink onto her chest. She had put on a cartoon for them to watch and all of tyun's fear and anxiety left his tiny little heart. He heard thunder and saw all kinds of lightening but it no longer phased him.

If this made him a baby, maybe tyun didn't want to be a big boy after all.

[minghaocouture]

Title: By Moonlight Pairing: Implied Prince!Vernon (Seventeen) x (GN) Mage!Reader Prompt: CWC Valentines Event - “You’re Important too” Genre: Fluff, High Fantasy AU Warnings: Language WC: 2.3K+ Edits by: Me <3 A/N: Happy Valentines Day @elcie-chxn​!! I hope you have a wonderful day, sweetie! Thankfully I wrote this all before the writing half of my brain shut down lol, so i didn’t get to edit this but I’m glad I was at least able to get it done <3 NGL i saw you liked fantasy stuff and just kinda ran with it, so I hope you enjoy!

“His Highness, Prince Vernon, requested your presence.” Those simple words seemed to send your brain into a spiral. You had been working for days on end with practically no breaks, researching and studying so that your work might possibly be seen by the mage’s collective. Sure, being an apprentice to the head mage for King Chwe wasn’t a terrible job, but getting to join the collective would completely change your lot in life. It was all you could focus on, to the point that you had potentially started neglecting your duties to the crown. So you couldn’t imagine that this was a good call.

You tore your eyes away from the documents sprawled out on your workbench, glancing back to face your teacher, Wonwoo, who stood at your door. He looked serious, as usual, but this seemed different and the look seemed to send a wave of anxiety to your gut. 

“Of course, thank you for the message. I’ll make myself more presentable and be right out.” You declared. Wonwoo gave you a firm nod, looking as if there was something on the tip of his tongue that he wanted to say and yet he could not get the words past his lips. So he took his leave, pulling the heavy wooden door shut behind him.

You were lucky, having your own private chambers in the palace. Those that weren’t members of the Royal family usually slept in communal rooms, with 4 or 5 people crowded inside small spaces just so that the King could renovate the former chambers into better ballrooms, or something else that could leave his guests in awe. It was disgusting.

It didn’t take you too long to get prepared to go see the Prince. You hadn’t been sleeping regularly, so you were still in your work attire, the mage robes that had been assigned to you when you first arrived as an apprentice when your magic had first revealed itself.

Pacing down the quiet halls of the palace at night was always an eerie thing. Your footsteps echoing against the stone flooring, while the halls were only lit by moonlight and the small lantern in your grasp. You don’t know how the night guards managed to travel the halls every night without fear. 

As you traveled down the twisting and turning hallways, you finally stood before the door to the library. It was a grand door, one meant to show that it was a room of knowledge, with beautiful etchings carved into the wood and made to resemble the tree branches that the mahogany used to be. While beautiful, you could only imagine it being insulting to the tree that the door had once been.

Pushing these thoughts aside, you eased the door open and cringed slightly at the loud creaking of the hinges. You would need to tell one of the maids about that later, the King would be furious if he heard such a thing. 

Taking a step into the library proper, you called out for the young Prince that had desired your attention.

“Your Highness? You wanted to see me?”

No answer. 

Strange. Taking a few more steps, you paced towards the back of the grand library and up the tall stairs to the second flooring. The second floor housed the more...intricate books, that involved things like magic. It was a place you were quite familiar with. As you crept up the stairs you felt your heart almost leap out of your chest as a rather loud sound ripped through the room. A gasp left your lips in shock, fear coursing through your veins, before it happened again and you, foolishly, realised what it was.

“He fell asleep. Bastard called for me, and then fell asleep.” You snorted, following the now softer sounds that were without a doubt coming from the sleeping Prince. 

You finally stumbled upon his table, his head resting in the pages of an open book with thick wisps of his sandy brown tresses softly falling onto the parchment and exposing the slight point to his ears. Anyone in the Kingdom could tell he was beautiful, as one of the only known instances of a human and an elf having a child.

For a moment, you debated on waking him up. You knew that he had been studying hard as his coronation ceremony would be in a mere 2 months, but this seemed a bit excessive. Falling asleep in the library was dangerous for a Prince. Though you had to admit, you were a bit jealous. The exhaustion from your long hours of studying and magic use had worn you down, and you longed for a good night’s rest. Sadly, if you wanted to impress the Collective, then you would not see a proper night’s sleep in your near future.

“Your Highness,” your voice soft as air as you reached out to gently nudge his shoulder. A grumble replaced his previous snores, the reaction pulling a small chuckle from you. “It’s rather rude to fall asleep after calling for someone.” 

Seeming as if he understood the words despite his exhausted state, he slowly began pushing himself up. An ungloved hand lifted to rub his eyes in an attempt to expedite the process of waking up, though it hardly did him any good. As he adjusted to being awake once more, you took the seat across from him with a small grin etched onto your lips.

“Enjoy your nap, your Highness?” 

“I would have enjoyed it more in my bed, but this will do.” He let out a rather undignified yawn, throwing his arms up to stretch the muscles in his shoulders that had tensed from his uncomfortable position. Most people would never get to see this side of the Prince, and yet, you weren’t most people. 

“And how many times do I have to say it, just call me Vernon.” He grumbled, his piercing eyes fixing yours with a rather unimpressed look lingering in their gaze.

You found yourself struggling to keep a yawn suppressed, he would just worry after all, if he could tell how hard you were pushing yourself. 

“I suppose you’ll just have to keep telling me, your Highness.” 

“Okay, that one was just to piss me off wasn’t it?” 

You grin grew wider which gave him the only response he needed. He let out yet another, al bet, smaller yawn before closing the book before him and muttering something about drool. When that task was finished his gaze returned to you. 

“You didn’t come to dinner tonight.” It wasn’t a question, obviously, he knew you weren’t there. It had been a rule that the head mage and their apprentice would be allowed to dine with the Royal family one night per week. You weren’t sure why the rule was in place and it seemed rather odd, especially with the King’s temperament, to allow simple mages to dine with him. Usually at that dinner you were given much better food than if you were simply going to the kitchens to dine, so you never complained even when the atmosphere in the room was thick enough to be cut with a knife. 

“I wasn’t feeling all that hungry. I was just going to grab a snack from the kitchens before bed,” Not exactly a lie, it was true that you were going to grab something from the kitchens but you weren’t planning on sleeping tonight, not when you were so close to a break through on your latest spell attempt. 

“Or last week.” His eyes narrowed a bit as he watched for your reaction, examining as your eyes flickered away from him. It was as if he could read you like a book. Though that was to be expected with how long he had known you. It seemed just like yesterday you were arriving at the castle, your hands gripping tightly to your mothers skirts. She had been hired as a cook and because of that your little family was allowed shelter in the castle. It was a completely new experience for you, and was much bigger than the shack you had lived in while in the village. The stone walls seemed to climb on forever, so close to the sky that you had to crane your neck to even see the tops of them. 

That was how you had met the young Prince. Your eyes had been glued to the sky, following the lines of the stone walling as you trailed behind your mother as the two of you tended to the castle’s gardens. As you had been walking, your frame rammed into none other than Prince Vernon himself.

Your mother had been beside herself with anger at you, and fear of upsetting the young Prince, but the boy laughed it off and invited you to play with him and the other royal children that had been visiting. You agreed, of course, and never looked back. 

“I was working that night. Wonwoo had asked me to craft a particular potion, and I had messed it up right before dinner...so I stayed to fix it.” 

A scoff left the young Prince’s lips, his eyes rolling at your lie. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his broad chest, as he fixed his gaze onto you. You had always had your suspicions that the Prince was teaching himself magic, but you weren’t too sure until you heard a familiar phase leave his lips.

“Veritas Patere.” His eyes flashed the familiar blue that you were so used to seeing in your own iris’ when performing magic. A cold rush ran through your skin, leaving gooseflesh in its wake as the spells effects began. 

“Why weren’t you at dinner?” His question was spoken confidently, his tone demanding an answer despite the fact that it didn’t need to. The spell was doing the ‘demanding’ for him. 

“I was studying, working on a new spell to send to the Mage’s Collective.” The truth slipped from your lips without any hesitation, a stark contrast from before. You hadn’t expected the Prince’s magic to be this strong, usually beginner mages had a much more difficult time casting truth spells of this level. Yet it seemed to be nothing to him.

“Why aren’t you taking care of yourself?” 

This question caught you off guard, he had gotten the answer he wished for so why didn’t he dispel the magic? Why was this even a question in his mind when he had much more important things to think of, his coronation being one of them. 

“Getting this spell working is the only thing that matters right now. If I don’t get this spell perfected by the time of your coronation, then I failed as a mage and won’t be allowed to take over Master Wonwoo’s position.” Vernon’s face twisted in confusion at this answer, his eyes still holding the faint glow of magic in them. You could tell that the spell wouldn’t last much longer as the light dimmed, he didn’t have enough energy to keep it going. 

“What do you mean? I thought the position would transfer to you once I was crowned?” Of course he wouldn’t know. The collective was a secretive bunch and didn’t give their secrets out to just anyone, not even royalty. There were certain rules in place though, rules you weren’t supposed to share and yet you found the words slipping from your lips at the behest of his spell.

“When a new King or Queen gets crowned, their old head mage will be succeeded by their apprentice and they will be sent on to a different Kingdom. The only exception is if the apprentice has yet to prove themselves to the collective.” You confessed, were it not for the spell keeping your eyes connected to his, you would have looked away in shame. It was like a magnet, keeping your gaze firmly connected with his and you felt your gut sink as you watched his expression change from confusion, into one of mild understanding and frustration. 

“If I don’t do something to prove myself, then you will be assigned a different mage and I will have to follow Wonwoo to his next assignment before I can try again.” As the last words left your lips, you watched the glowing blue finally dissipate from his rich brown eyes. You usually loved his eyes, and could get lost in them as the two of you chatted with one another, but now you found yourself practically shrinking beneath his gaze.

“This is too important for me to mess up, Vernon.” He was too important, and you didn’t want to get taken away from him. Thankfully, with the spell gone, you weren’t forced to reveal such a secret to the young Prince. Despite this, it almost seemed as if he could tell what you were thinking at that moment. 

His hands reached across the table to grasp your own that had been resting against the wood. His calloused thumbs gently rubbed circles on the tops of your hands as he squeezed them, trying to comfort you in anyway he could. It...helped your anxiety a bit, but couldn’t stop the sense of dread you had been feeling since the announcement of his Coronation.

“Well, you’re important too.” He declared, pulling your hands closer to him. His lips ghosting over your knuckles, causing your heart to practically stop in your chest. “What do you think will happen if you get sick because you’re not taking care of yourself? You’re not just some mage to me, you know that right?” 

His tone was soft, and caused a swarm of butterflies to take flight in your belly. You weren’t quite sure he was aware of the effect he had on you, but you were almost certain he could hear the rapid pounding of your heart as he firmly pressed his lips to the top of one of your hands. Pulling away he looked up at you, his gaze hooded as he was practically set aglow by the moonlight pouring from the large windows. 

“So you better start taking care of yourself.” 

You weren’t sure if that was a threat or not, but you would do it. After all, if he thought you were important enough to take care of...then you surely must be.        

[doodle-zombie]

Lamia Bonding Drama

Finished RP with @theriverpersonshadow that turned into an absolute monster once we both sat down and started it. I think we finished this in under a week? The final word count is...25,546 (after some editing by me).

The only warnings that may apply are for language. If anyone has any triggers please let me know.

It's so long that it's under the cut.

Caring Coils was having one of its community events this week. While the shop was always open to the public (within business hours), the weather had been nice lately and they’d managed to rent out some outdoor space in a local park. The Lamia were absolutely loving it, in their own ways: a hoard of miniature pygmies were chasing after an RC car “driven” by a bitty Papython and actually driven by a Honeybo, the trees were draped with various Lamia but especially Chains, one of the larger rocks in the area had become a community nap pile for Cornies, and no small number of Kraits (and Oozy) were enjoying the pond as a few Mambas terrorized/were terrorized by the local goose population, thankfully far from the rest.

Nikolai was a mixture of happy and absolutely harried, trying to keep track of everyone who’d come. Some Lamia had opted to stay inside, like Hux, and some were too young (Piper was allowed to come, barely), but the park was absolutely teeming with various Lamia. It made his soul swell to see them so happy, but also, he probably needed to deal with the goose situation on top of general PR.

Keith was hanging out near the edge of the park, draped in a tree and soaking up some sun rays. Trousle was hanging with him - pun intended - and looking at the humans as they passed into the park, chirping out hellos with his little speaker. Piper, meanwhile, had claimed a bird nest as “his” and was enthusiastically showing it off.

“Oh! Look! That human has one like you!” Trousle said, tugging lightly at Keith.

Keith looked over towards Val, giving a wave. “Yo, nice to meet ya. Name’s Keith.”

“Look! I’mma mom!” Piper chirped loudly as his little lungs(?) could manage. This is clearly a child in a bird nest.

“Hello human!!!”

*

Valerie adored her boys and did whatever she could to make them happy but this was, admittedly, more for her than it was for any of her boys. She had joined tons of different groups geared towards Lamia, including a site that allowed her to see when a center was having any special events, and she stalked those sites when she had a few minutes to herself. It was through her obsessive need to stay on top of all things Lamia related that she heard about a center that was having a community day.

And it was open to the public.

Marmalade watched, so in tune that he picked up on her excitement before any of the other boys, as she prepared for a trip. It wasn't too far but it was enough distance that she was careful to pack a cooler full of snacks and blankets to create a nest in the back of the van. Because it was a given that Currant would be tagging along and Sangria would be the guardian of the property while she was away. His Mamba brother took his duties incredibly serious and he had a prankster Corny to watch over and a recovering Pygmy to take care of. Val left instructions on what to do if she wasn't back within a few days, leaving behind a phone she'd picked up just for them.

None of them liked to be away from her with no means of making sure she was alright, Marmalade didn't blame them.

Despite being the largest in the house, Marmalade had made no secret of his desire to go with Valerie and Currant on their trip. He coiled on the back seat, soaking in the light and enjoying the breeze, while Currant claimed the front seat with a nest carefully crafted. Val filled the trip to this community day with belting along to whatever song played, nudging Currant until he joined in and beaming at Marmalade in the mirror until he went along with their shenanigans.

Stars, he adored his bondmate.

Their arrival was met with little fanfare. Currant wanted to stay in the van, unwilling to risk getting lost or injured by whatever was going on at the park, and the windows were left cracked for his comfort. Val gave his skull a pet and eagerly left the car behind, Marmalade tagging along at her side. It was clear that all the Lamia were enjoying their time outside and he snickered at the sight of a cluster of Mamba trying to assert their dominance over a flock of geese.

Sangria would have been absolutely delighted to show the smaller Mamba how to go about proving their superiority.

Marmalade found his gaze drawn to his fellow Chains, draped across tree branches like, particularly strange vines. Val must have felt his curiosity because her gaze was also drawn towards the trees and she gave a delighted squeak. Her soul pulsed back pure joy at him.

"'sup," he drawled, acknowledging Keith's greeting. "'m marmalade."

"Ohmystars," Val breathed, clutching her chest. "You are just the cutest little thing."

Which Lamia was she talking to? Well, all of them if Marmalade had to guess.

"y'all don' get out often, do ya?"

*

"Not really! It's big out here!" Trousle said. If he was being honest with himself, it was kind of overwhelming. Thankfully, Keith didn't seem to mind hanging around with him, and it was nice having a familiar face as he tried to get used to it. Mostly he worried about how his speaker would work. It was small enough to be portable... for a normal-sized person, but it'd be a pain trying to carry it around at his size. But there was plenty to do just here! People to talk to, things to climb and play around in, it was all so much and it was great!

"They say 'm too lil. But I'm not! Not a hatchling! Nuh-uh!" Piper said. He grinned down at this human and looked at "his" eggs. He couldn't actually keep these, so... He slithers down to Valerie's level, tail wound around a tree branch while he makes grabby hands her way. The little one looks like he's got some scales stuck to his skull and arms, but a closer look reveals that they seem to be growing there (though might be in a shedding phase right now too, based on the flakiness). He chirped for her, little tongue darting out to catch the taste of the air.

Keith just chuckled at the little one. "Nope. What can I say, I've got my dice inside." He yawned and readjusted himself on the branch, muscles rippling as he found another position. "But it's pretty nice out here honestly. At least right now. It gets dang hot sometimes." Which might explain why there didn't seem to be many Firerings. While they probably would've enjoyed the usual summer heat, it'd be uncomfortable or even possibly deadly to those around them. "Heh, where y’all from anyways? I don't know you." The other Chain's scent was unfamiliar to him, and they were kind of the place to get a well-cared-forlamia in the state. Marmalade might've been a little roughed up from hunting in the woods, but he didn't really have the look of a rescue, and the linger scents were new too.

*

"nah," Marmalade teased, sockets narrowing as he smirked. "yer jus' small."

And adorable. Marmalade was so accustomed to being around smaller Lamia that he felt an instant need to protect any smaller Lamia around him. Lapis was the smallest at home and Marmalade often kept him safe from predatory birds and other larger creatures that might make a snack of a Lamia. Keith keeping Trousle close was something Marmalade approved of, it was what made Chains so reliable as companions.

"You certainly don't look like a hatchling," Valerie complimented, putting her hands out so he could slither onto her. Honestly, the spattering of scales upon his bones was beautiful. Val found the scales of Lamia to be incredibly pretty. If they didn't turn to dust when they came off, she would be tempted to collect them. "But your scales are really pretty! Currant would love you, he'd think you were a little gem."

Marmalade found Keith to be a little strange, for a Chain, but he figured that they couldn't go out into the woods from their center. It was the part he loved about his territory, there were so many huge trees he could climb and bask on. Plus, the rock that Sangria often showed off on when Valerie was taking a break from work. In fact, all the Lamia around here were pretty immaculate. He didn't see any signs of scars or any hints of lacking care.

"val drove us here," Marmalade shrugged. "we're a coupla states away, middle a nowhere. my home center was in a big city."

*

Trousle let out a breathy attempt at a "Nyeh", huffing. "That's not my fault! I was born small! I'm a good size for a Papython bitty too!" Though sometimes he did feel a little out of place with most of the DnD group being full-sized, but being small just meant he had more things to look at and slither into! More to explore, and a lot of puzzles just getting around!

Piper enthusiastically wound his way on there, letting out little chittering purrs as he accepted the compliments. "Thank you! You've got pretty too!" He was idly playing with the fabric of her clothing, but his eyes were on her hair. A stray strand caught his eyes and he zoomed up, pouncing for it and squeaking as he overshot, grabbing onto the back of Val's clothes as he fell. "I'm 'kay!" He said, little claws helping him climb up to her neck. With a little purr, he settled in against the warmth. "Smells nice."

Keith was gently stroking Trousle while watching Marmalade, curious about this other Chain. "Really? Huh... you're from far out, ain't ya? I haven't gotten around much myself. What can I say, I'm a bit lazy." That was a lie, partially. Part of him wouldn't mind getting out and about more often, see more of the outside, more of the world. He was old enough that he was pretty sure Nikolai could get some stuff sorted for him if he asked, but leaving would mean not living with Hux anymore, almost certainly. Hux didn't exactly want a human, and he seemed perpetually peeved at Alex...

"How'd you two meet anyways? I mean, like... How do you know?" He'd assumed he'd known, but Alex never said anything, so maybe he was just getting desperate. Could it work that way? Nikolai had assured him it couldn't, but he was too nervous to bring it up. What if she was avoiding it for a reason? "Ya seem pretty happy."

"Keith hasn't found his human yet," Trousle said.

Keith looked to the side, unwilling to dump his anxieties on the little guy. He wasn't leaving. Period. No reason to worry him.

*

"jus' kiddin', kid," Marmalade laughed. It had been a few months since he'd last been around a Papython, his home center had a high turnover rate for them, and those that were old enough to go tended to get adopted faster than he could learn about them. There was nothing wrong with Trousle, if you asked Marmalade, and he would have liked to talk more with the little guy. But Marmalade was a stranger to these Lamia and he didn't want to cause any fights by climbing into a tree with the Lamia here. "yer decent size. bigger than lapis at home."

Heaven. This must have been heaven. Valerie was very used to having a Lamia slithering on her, Lapis did it all the time, so she wasn't phased in the slightest by the little Pygmy darting around. She laughed as he zoomed, looking over her shoulder and putting a hand under where he was dangling. Affection filled her at his little compliments, her fingers gentle when she rubbed his little skull. "Thank you, sweetie."

Marmalade glanced over to Valerie, blinking as she cuddled with the small Pygmy. He could feel the waves of affection that were rolling off her soul in gentle waves. It wouldn't have surprised him if every Chain around could feel how much she adored the little guy. Well, he should have known she wouldn't be able to resist.

"you'd get along well with Currant then," Marmalade said, studying Keith carefully. Huh, a Chain that just... didn't know how to tell who his human was? At least Marmalade was used to offering advice, usually to his housemates. "she came in for a coral bitty, originally. an i jus' knew she was mine. soon as i saw her. she knew i was hers right after i bonded with her. val's more in touch with her soul now."

He looked at Val, the happy smile on her face as she pet the small Pygmy. "she's the best thing that happened to me. A real gentle soul, patient too. she even adopted the mamba from my brother clutch."

*

Trousle grinned, typing away. "Yes! And thank you! You seem good-sized yourself! I guess I'm just not used to being places where things aren't all bitty-sized. Well, other than the DnD table! And the humans. Humans tend to be human-sizedfor lamia, though children of course are smaller." All was forgiven, just like that. "It's good to meet you! Have I introduced myself? I'm Trousle! That little one is Piper, and this is Keith."

"You're welcome!" Piper chirped. He grabbed at one of her fingers, holding it to him to nuzzle against it. A few of his loose scales flaked off which was met with little sighs of relief - those had been itchy! "Like you! You like games? One time I got to be a dragon! I was the boss! Rawr!" He tries to roar, but it's squeaky and he devolves into giggles.

"Oh geez, that was sure an interesting session," Keith said, laughing at the memories. It was an absolute mess and it was amazing. "We let him join a DnD game once, he was my little Co-Dm."

"Mm hmm! I was the Boss!"

"He was also the dragon they fought... And the trickster god that our cleric summoned. Who immediately attacked his own follower."

"Was a mouse!"

"That it was." Alex had been playing a Mousefolk cleric and used a mouse toy as a token, so really that was almost set up that way, and it was hysterical.

Keith turned back to Marmalade, "I run a DnD game afterhours for some of my friends. Alex is a new girl, or was I guess? She's been visiting a while, seems pretty nice. Brought us Peanut butter and chocolate no-bake cookies, and wasn't gonna say no to that!"

"They were delicious!" Trousle said. "Liam tried to say he brought them, but he'd just stolen them! Nyeh! He's so silly!"

"He got caught pretty fast. But yeah," Keith said. "She, uh... seems nice. Like, real nice. But I don't think she thinks I'm anything special. Other than a good DM of course, and hey, what else can a nerd ask for?" He was hesitant to outright say it.

Sure, most of his friends were technically special needs in one way or another, but those were just surface level, right? Having a faulty soul-bond meant something was deeply wrong with him, not to mention he hadn't even tried until then.

Keith was idly clawing at the bark, muscles tensing and untensing as he slowly swung there, filling moments where he wasn't talking by humming the same few bars of a song.

If he was going to tell someone, maybe it ought to be them? Marmalade didn't ask for that though, and that's a lot to put on someone. But who else could get it and not have it get back to Hux? Nikolai had enough to deal with...

Nah, he was being silly. Might as well just enjoy the sunshine, if he could. "I'd offer to show you around, but I don't know the place much better. Plus it looks like part of the park is under attack by geese."

In the distance, Nikolai was trying to get some of the younger Mambas to leave the fucking geese alone while Liam tried to scare the geese into leaving the mamba alone. Oozy was making puns about this "fowl situation" while watching and being generally unhelpful.

*

Well, Trousle certainly made it obvious why Papythons were so popular. His temperament was excellent and things just seemed to roll right off his scales. It was a shame that Marmalade had never really connected with any Papythons when he'd been at the center still because they seemed like he would have gotten along great with them. "nyeh heh, thanks kid."

"Oh stars," Val squeaked, delighted beyond measure. She also took immediate note of his relief when several scales flaked away, revealing pristine blue beneath, and she gave soft scratches to areas that looked like they were ready to come away. "Oh, sweetheart, I love games! I bet you were the biggest, best dragon around!"

She feigned a shocked gasp at his attempt at a roar, grinning down at the little guy. Her heart was gone, he'd stolen it. All of these Lamia were adorable. As much of her attention as Piper had stolen, Val still didn't ignore Keith and Trousle. They were good with Piper, harnessing the chaotic energy of a young Pygmy.

"Every Lamia is special," Val refuted, cuddling Piper closer to her neck. "Maybe you should talk to Alex?"

Marmalade nodded along, giving Keith a curious look. He didn't know what DnD was but he knew about the soul and the bonds that Chains forged with their humans. Keith seemed awfully curious and cautious when it came to those bonds.

"you think you got the wrong human?" was Marmalade's astute observation.

"Oh!" Val perked, wide eyes turning to Keith. "You wanna stay with your friends, don't you? But you want a human too, maybe?"

Inevitably, her gaze was drawn towards the honking of geese. Not a sight that was common at home but nothing she had never seen before, either. It was certainly lively over at that side of the park!

*

Trousle nodded, “No problem!” He paused and typed more, tongue flicking as he did. “What’s it like where you guys are from? Do they have Papython there too?”

Piper was purring, rubbing against her hand both out of affection and in eagerness to shed some of his scales. He had stars in his eyes as he looked up to her. “Yeah! I love games too! I’m a great dragon! Mweheheh!” I dun hurt you though is ‘kay.” He gave her a little pat of reassurance. “Can only hurt the tokens. But I win good!” Piper made happy purrs and chitters, enjoying the warmth and affection. This was so exciting!!! “I special! You too!”

Keith couldn’t stay buried in his thoughts with that happening. A grin split his face. “Heh, hope you were looking to adopt.”

A twinge of jealousy rose up in Trousle’s soul, bitter and venomous, but he took a deep breath and swallowed it with a smile. He’d find someone one day. It wasn’t fair to hold it against Piper. Besides, he wanted to live closer to his friends anyway. “You can talk to Nikolai when he’s done with the geese if you’re thinking of taking him home! He practically owns the place. He’s the King.”

“Don’t let the fangs fool you. He’s basically a mom,” Keith said. “Gotta love him… Heh. You might get along, or else I need to get better at hiding things. Am I that obvious?”

Trousle looked up at him. “Alex is yours then?” He hadn’t known but wasn’t surprised either.

“I don’t know,” Keith said honestly, shrugging. “Thought I felt something, still do, but she hasn’t said anything, so I ain’t gonna force it. Besides, I’d rather keep hanging with y’all.”

“I appreciate it, but don’t stay just for my sake! You’ve been here longer than me! If you think you’d be happy with her…” Then he’d say goodbye.

“Ain’t my call anyways lil dude, but thanks,” Keith said. He turned back to the others. “I might just live here long as they’ll have the gang and me. Made peace with it a good while ago.”

*

This time it was Valerie who answered Trousle, happy to soothe the Papython that there was someone out there who would love him and take him home. "Oh, I see Papythons everywhere when I go into town! Everyone loves a Papython. You guys are super helpful."

She was quickly distracted by Piper once again, enthralled by how adorable he was. The point of coming here hadn't been to adopt but she wasn't going to rule it out, not when faced with a Lamia this adorable. Valerie had always assumed Pygmy were too energetic for her but Piper was just perfect. The right amount of energetic and sweet, with a little bit of snuggle tossed in. "A precious dragon," she beamed, "Oh, Admiral and Sangria would love you!"

Valerie laughed at Keith, keeping Piper close to her. "I'm not opposed! I have plenty of space at home... and toys. And I already have the perfect little bandana that would look just adorable on him."

"course ya do," Marmalade huffed, amused. "ya got a lil' bit o' everythin' at home."

"That I do!" Val agreed, smiling at Keith and Trousle. "I even brought a couple things to give out, if you want something Trousle. I think you'd look really cool in this little red scarf I bought. None of the Papythons at the other center were the right size for it."

"don' let val think she'd get along with a king," was the mumbled warning from Marmalade, his gaze mischievous. "she debated on a king or a mamba once. still don' know if she won' bring home a king some day."

Her answering laugh was completely unapologetic.

"Gotta say, Keith, if you feel like she's yours then she probably is. There's a lot of reasons a human wouldn't react. Maybe she doesn't have the space for you and all your friends but she doesn't wanna separate you?"

"don' count yourself stuck, keith. even if ya don' live with her she's still yours. an you're hers."

*

Trousle beams, puffing out his little chest as much as he can and showing off his scales. He's a bit too busy posing to type right now, but his grin is practically splitting his face. He nods enthusiastically at the idea of a little scarf. Wouldn’t he just look great?! Even greater than now, he wasn’t sure it was even possible!

Keith smiles down at him. "Yer pretty cool, y'know? Can't believe you haven't been scooped up yet. But hey, this way I get to keep ya. Wouldn't be the same without such a cool guy at the gaming table."

Trousle's face was bright orange. He attempted to hide it behind his hands, flustered, but he kept moving his hands to peek out.

Piper purred, too enthralled by Val to pay much attention to Keith and Trousle. "Yeah! 'm the best dragon. They love! And I love! Where they?" He looked over at Marmalade, squinting as he tried to figure out which one he'd be. "Sangria?"

Keith chuckled, "That's Marmalade." With so much happening, he didn't blame Piper for missing a few details.

"No. Sangria."

"That's not how that works...“ Trousle said.

"Sangria," Piper insisted, crossing his arms. Guess Marmalade's been renamed now, sorry dude. "Gonna play toys with Sangria! Mweheheheh! Toys toys toys! Yes yes yes!" He tightened around her neck - not nearly enough to hurt - in enthusiastic cuddles.

"He really likes you!" Trousle said. Feeling a bit bolder, he started winding his way down towards her and Marmalade too. Keith helped by stretching his arm out towards her for him. Dude wants cuddles too it seems like.

Keith's soul ached at the thought of Trousle leaving too, but Val seemed nice, and it sounded like he wouldn't be low on company. It was a bit early to call though. "I hope ya'll're right. I mean, she keeps coming back, so hey, that's a good sign! Just don't wanna come on too strong, y'know?" He turned to look over at the goose situation. Some park administrators had managed to catch and contain most of them, but Liam had the tell-tale sign of a successful hunt around his fangs. Good for him. Nikolai had redirected the younger Mambas towards something less destructive: showing off for humans with posing and play-fights. "If ya wanna keep the kiddo, you can talk to Nikolai or Maia, the old lady. She owns the place, but Nikolai's been keeping it running the last year or two. She's getting too old fer it."

*

Oh. Oh no. Trousle was adorable too and Val felt awful knowing she would gladly take him home too, away from his friends and so far from what he'd known that he might never be able to visit when they had their sessions. But Keith brought up a good point... why hadn't Trousle been snatched up yet? He was a sweet Papython, perfectly sized for apartment living but also the right size that he could help out around if he wanted.

Her attention was taken by Piper once again, cooing at just how sweet he was. Her poor heart couldn't handle all that adorableness. If she combined him with Admiral... Val would probably collapse from the combined cute of two Pygmy, even if they were different sizes. Her face actually hurt from how much she was smiling.

"I only brought Marmalade and Currant with me, Piper," she gently told him, grinning at Marmalade with waggling brows. "Sangria is my big Mamba, he's protecting the territory and making sure Admiral doesn't get lonely. But Sangria is so awesome I'm sure Marmalade doesn't mind."

Marmalade narrowed his eyes at her but it lacked any real heat. Sangria was a Mamba that defied his species, a far more tolerant creature that was essentially the den mother of all Lamia Valerie had at home. It wouldn't surprise any of them if Sangria was cuddled up, beyond exhausted dealing with Admiral and Lapis, when they got home. Val was good for them, he was somewhat surprised she didn't have a whole hoard of Mamba roaming around.

"I really like him too," Valerie told Trousle, offering a hand so he could join Piper on her. Papython cuddles were the best. And she'd only ever cuddled a few full-size ones! As much as she would have loved to take him home too, Valerie didn't feel like Trousle was destined to stay with her. Someone out there would adopt them all together, she could feel it. But she would never deny a Lamia some cuddles. "I should go get Currant, though. Don't want my grumpy boy to laze away in the car. It's about time to exercise, anyway."

"she probably feels somethin'," Marmalade shrugged. "i bonded with val as soon as i saw her. didn' wait a second."

"It's true," she laughed. "I walked in for a grumpy Coral and wham! Soulbonded to a Chain within minutes. I can kinda feel all my boys, now."

Valerie trailed off, not knowing how to ask Keith if he wanted to go to the car with her so she could get Currant and the things she could give to other Lamia. Marmalade saved her from having to ask, aware of her on a level deeper than anything she'd thought to have.

"wanna come with us to the car, keith? val wants to grab some stuff and trousle an piper are safest if she holds 'em. you can meet currant."

*

Piper nodded, "Mamba can be mean, but can be nice! Some go hiss, but others like hugs. Like Cobalt!" Cobalt was hatched around the same time. The little mamba could be protective sometimes, especially when some of the meaner mamba or corals teased him about his weird bone-scales. (The fact that Piper was quick to give affection and fawn over him miiiight've helped). "Can I meat Cur-Currant... Curry! Curry!"

Trousle slithered up Val's arm and draped himself across her in one big cuddle, clicking softly in a muted purr.

Keith smiled down at Val, she had such a way with the kiddos. If she ever needed a job, she could probably work here, provided she didn't try to adopt the entire store. And knowing that Alex might know something, well... Maybe he should have a chat with her. Lost in thought, he stretched himself out wordlessly in answer, winding down and placing himself next to Marmalade, ready to go meet Currant. Hopefully he'd be nice to Trousle, or they'd have a problem.

*

"Sangria is nice," Val assured Piper, knowing it was true. He could bluster and yell insults as much as he wanted but he was the first to investigate any noise, the first to take the others outside without her asking, and she had woke up on a few occasions to already thawing food for her boys. Piper would be adored at her house, she had no doubt. "We're going to meet Currant."

Marmalade was shamelessly snickering over Piper's nickname for the Coral, slithering along as she walked towards the van. It was a dirty thing, big enough to transport her collection of Lamia and the large amount of groceries she got monthly. Some curious Lamia had slithered close, likely to scent the new smells she'd brought around, and Currant could be seen in the front seat. His face was barely visible over the door, just eyes and the dome of his skull. Well, what wasn't covered by the blanket he'd been snuggled in. His deep red eye lights enlarged when he spotted Val.

Before they even got to the van, Currant was bolting out and winding around her legs. Val laughed, petting Trousle and Piper while Currant made himself at home around her ankles and knees. He shamelessly slithered up her legs and wrapped around her torso, clinging in the way he was used to. The fact she had other Lamia didn't bother him in the slightest. His purrs were deep and happy, gloved phalanges kneading in her shirt and sneakily petting Trousle and Piper.

"And this is Currant," she told Keith, completely wrapped in Lamia but loving it. Her current situation was nothing out of the ordinary, after all. "He's still a little anxious but he's such a sweet little gem!"

"spoiled, ya mean."

"jealous?" Currant grinned, both golden fangs on full display. "sup. 'm currant."

*

Safely riding on a human, Trousle looked around, trying to take in all he could of the big, wide world. And it was definitely big! It was hard to imagine that even this much existed! It was all so exciting! His tongue was flicking in and out, trying to catch every taste he could. Instinctively, he hissed when Currant moved so fast, rearing back, but let out little huffs as he laughed it off. His "voice" came from Keith's pocket as he said, "You startled me!"

Keith similarly had tensed up, not expecting the other to dart out like that, but relaxed just as quickly seeing Val react so well. "Aaaaw. Heh, he really likes ya. Man, he's a world different than Hux. Good to meet ya dude, I'm Keith."

"I'm Trousle! Er, I'm the Papython." Trousle said, leaning his head up to let Currant scratch some of his favorite spots.

"Oooooh! Curry! Curry's a Coral!" Piper gasped. He was partly hiding behind Val's neck, hoping that this Coral at least wouldn't make fun of him. Not that every single Coral did, but it was mostly corals. Still, he was getting pets, so maybe this one was a nicer one? His eyes closed as he let out happy little chirps, occasionally play-nipping at Currant's fingers.

Keith was just internally cooing. "Ya'll too dang cute. How dare. Geez..."

One of the local Cornies was trying to slither into Val's car, seeing a nice blanket and a warm, sunny nap spot, and a random Honeybo was trying to see if he could sneak stickers onto Currant's clothes.

*

Confined as she was beneath coils, Val couldn't do anything about the other Lamia clustering around. She made a careful mental note about the Corny but didn't attempt to prevent him from sleeping in the blanket pile, Lapis did just that. Before she left she would do a sweep of the van, to make sure she didn't have any tagalongs. Currant was well adjusted, careful work done to make sure he knew how to articulate and that he could always hide if it became too much for him. He was a far cry from the grumpy boy she'd brought home.

"sorry," Currant muttered, butting his nose against Trousle's back. "oh man, val! lapis woulda loved this."

"He would!" she chirped. "All the bitty Papython from his brother clutch got adopted out so I couldn't get one. He would love to have a Papy that would pester him awake, I just know it."

"maybe we can bring 'im next time," Marmalade shrugged. "make a day o' it. let everyone meet everyone."

"it'd be chaos," Currant deadpanned. "imagine sangria bein' around all these mamba? his tail is a lot nicer."

Well, Valerie didn't want to say that but she hadn't seen another Mamba with the same level of iridescence that Sangria had. Currant was drawn to Piper, the little Pygmy hidden from sight until a nip finally registered. Val mentally counted down, smirking with the knowledge that Piper looked like a true prize. Bright blue, even where his scales needed to shed, and so unique that Currant's eye lights swelled huge. He loved pretty, unique things.

"yer scales are pretty," he wheezed, shimmying closer to Piper. His instincts told him Piper was still young and he needed to shed those itchy, dull scales. So Currant just... gave a little lick. Val likened it to a mother cat bathing her young and it was adorable.

"Aren't they just the prettiest!" Val agreed. "All the others must be so jealous of such a handsome boy like Piper!"

*

Keith was helping that one Honeybo sneak stickers onto Currant. He was gonna be covered in glittery smiley faces and hearts by the time the conversation was over at this rate. Naturally, Keith regrets nothing about this... Okay, maybe he has one regret, but that's that they're stickering Currant like this and not Hux. It'd be hysterical seeing him turn red as he realized what had happened.

Trousle gives him a few little scratches in appreciation. "I might consider it! I'm just not sure about living so far away. Though I'd love to have a person! And it seems like you have quite the troupe!" If it weren't for the distance, he'd be on this faster than Liam was on a bowl of sour candies. "I'd love to meet him!" It was always nice meeting new friends! Or seeing old friends again, in some cases!

Keith chuckled, "I feel that. I wish I could vouch for Liam, but he can get a bit showy around other Mamba. I mean, and in general, but it's worse around his own. Though given that he was the only one to actually beat a goose, he might have a point." Sometimes Mamba and Kings were rented out for pest control... and occasionally Chains, when the pests in question were snakes.

Piper turned yet another gorgeous shade of blue in the face, partly covering his cheekbones as he squealed and chirped, not really sure what to do with all the sheer happy stuffed into his little body. Kid purred like a kitten as some of the scales peeled off, revealing the vibrant, fresh hues underneath. Shedding was always the worst, but also such a relief to get out of his too-small skin.

Keith mentally relaxed. Currant seemed like a pretty cool dude so far. "Dang you're too freaking sweet. Geez. Ya sure you didn't adopt a Papython?"

*

Currant was aware that he was being covered in stickers, this wasn't the first time he'd been on the recieving end of some shenanigans, but he had long since grown used to things like this. Val had taken great care in making sure he was capable of handling whatever could be thrown at him. She wouldn't let anyone tell her that he was too dangerous to go anywhere, his behavior would guarantee he made anyone that called him a menace eat their words. Grooming the young Pygmy was much more his speed, he tended to do the same with Lapis if he caught him in shed.

"Oh, Trousle, I know there's a human out there for all of you," Valerie assured him. She felt a little sad that she couldn't take every Lamia home... but maybe she could volunteer here, sometimes. "I'll bring Lapis next time. Even if I don't take you home you could always message him and be friends that way."

"ooooooh," Marmalade drawled, feeling the need to talk up his brother. "jus' a goose?"

"Marmalade, hush! They don't have a forest around here, not like Liam could hunt foxes like you and Sangria do. But I bet he'd catch one!" She didn't actually know if that was the case because she didn't know which Mamba was Liam but if he was anything like Sangria he would have a high prey drive. She had many hunted stuffed animals that were displayed around her home. "Piper... are you alright with Currant holding you? I'm going to grab some things."

Marmalade huffed, amused at Keith's comments towards Currant. "nah, he's a gremlin. val jus' hates how people talk shit 'bout currant when we go out so she helped him get better adjusted."

Said gremlin was carefully holding Piper, grooming the Pygmy with loud rumbles in his ribcage. Piper had Coral approval. Val opened the back of the van, grabbing a couple of bags that had some gifts she'd brought along. The whole reason she'd come to the park was to give some things to Lamia that didn't have homes. Marmalade took some of the bags while Val plucked a little red scarf out just for Trousle. It was made of a soft material and the shade of red was bright but not eye burning.

"You can have this, Trousle," Val announced, looping it loosely around him. "And you can help me hand out the other stuff! Maybe I have something for each of your friends."

*

Piper nodded, "Mm hmm! Like Curry! Is real nice." He was purring back, mostly letting Currant do his thing and thoroughly enjoying the attention, only squirming to give him better access to some of the scales that needed to come off. "Best Coral!"

Keith also felt the need to defend his own brother's honor, standing up and huffing, "I mean, if he hunted a dog, I think he would've gotten in trouble. People love those things! Also, have ya ever fought a goose? Those things will..." Shit there are children present. "They've got more teeth than we do. Some of which are on their freaking tongues. I have questions for whoever thought up geese, 'cause they're nightmare birds. Dude's pretty dang cool if ya ask me."

"Thank you, I'd love to meet him and see you again! But I'm not sure that anyone would want, well... Us. We're kind of weird, honestly. I mean, I'm mute for starters, and, well... But maybe there's a human that lives here, at least who could take me! Then I could visit a lot, probably! Or I guess I could live with Nikolai, but I think he wants to focus more on Maia right now." Trousle said. His head darted up as he caught a familiar scent. "Oh! Alex is here! Hi!"

Keith's soul skipped a beat as he looked over and saw her. "Howdy. Heh, good to see ya."

"Look! I just got a scarf!" Trousle wound the scarf around himself, arcing himself up to show himself off. The scarf fluttered in the breeze; he had stars in his eyes.

"Oh my gosh! That's so cute!" Alex squealed.

"Right? Heh, this is Val. She's from out of town."

"Oh! Good to meet you! I'm Alex. I'm from in town! Or at least from the suburbs."

Keith got a little closer to Alex, not enough to crowd her, but enough to feel close. "Wasn't sure if ya'd make it honestly."

"I've got Fridays off dude. 'Course I came!"

*

"heh, i like ya too kid," Currant mumbled, taking Piper's directions to heart and moving to a new patch of dull scales. Piper wasn't the first Pygmy that Currant had been around but he was the youngest and he needed to be protected and cared for. He was so invested in his task that he ignored Keith and Marmalade's posturing.

"we've hunted geese before," Marmalade snorted, puffing his chest out. "val don' care what we eat out in the woods. they're bears an stuff out there too."

Not that Sangria or Marmalade had hunted full grown bears but if they had snatched a cub or two from a mother before they ran her off. Well...

"Anyone who judges you for what makes you unique can get punched in the kidney," Val grumbled, momentarily sour over just the thought of anyone thinking ill of Trousle and his friends. "You'll get adopted, I know it. Sweet guy like you? Pfft, you'll find the best human out there."

Valerie was kind of nervous around another person but Alex didn't seem like a very mean person and she had similar taste in what looked adorable on Trousle. Anyone that could enjoy these Lamia as much as Val did wasn't capable of being a bad person. So she gave a little wave, petting Currant's head to soothe her own nerves.

"I'm Valerie," she greeted, tugging on her stretched lobes. "You can call me Val, though. Everyone else does. I was just about to hand out some presents to the Lamia here."

"we're from a few states away," Marmalade supplied. "'m marmalade, the coral is currant.... an it looks like we'll be adopting piper today."

"As soon as I hand out the gifts I'll look for Nikolai."

*

Piper absolutely beamed up at him, making the task of grooming him slightly harder as he insisted on trying to hug and give little nuzzles and licks to Currant's face. He was trilling in joy, already enamored with this big Coral who had decided he was a cute lil guy. Maybe he was going to get adopted! This was so exciting!

"Have ya ever wrestled a burglar? 'Cause I know Liam has. He ain't supposed to kill, so had to hold back on the venom and everything. Dude had a gun." Or, well, a taser, but Liam didn't find that out until after the police had already taken the guy into custody.

Trousle blushes, signing a quick thank you at her and sinking into the warmth.

"Really? That sounds terrifying," Alex said.

"Eh, you know how Liam is. He's a cool dude," Keith said. "Got him before the rest of us even realized we were in danger, he's just that cool."

"Heck yeah," Alex said. She looked at Piper being groomed by Currant and grinned, "Aaaw, they're really getting along, huh? Guess I won't be casting Divine Intervention anymore."

Keith laughed at the memory, "I don't think it ever actually helped."

"It was cute though!" Alex said. "But I'm glad he's getting someone. Little guy seems pretty happy! Trousle too. You thinking of adopting him?" There was a bit of an edge in her voice. She didn't want to admit that maaaaybe she'd been considering the little guy...

Keith swooped in, "Nah. He'd rather stay local."

Relief washed through Alex alongside guilt at being relieved, "Gotcha. Can't say I blame ya. It's nice being near friends, isn't it?"

Trousle nodded. "Maybe we can all get adopted together?"

"I'm sure someone would try!" Alex said. She was keeping a bit of a distance from Currant, which Keith noticed...

"This is Currant. Dude's a sweetheart to lamia and humans alike." He knew that she wasn't oblivious to Hux's opinions, even if she wanted to hang around the rest of them enough to deal with it.

Alex nodded, "Nice. Good to meet ya then!"

*

Currant finally seemed to twig to the fact that there was another person around, turning his large eye lights onto Alex for several moments while Piper nuzzled him. His teeth parted and he could smell her nerves, not an unusual occurence whenever someone happened to be around him. It wasn't even Currant's fault. Coral Lamia were known for their tempers and nobody would look at him and think he was different than his species. He made no move to attack, content to keep hold of Piper like Val wanted him to, but he wasn't instantly friendly either.

He just... stared. Gauging her.

"dude," Marmalade droned, looking incredibly done with the posturing already. "there's a reason Sangria is in charge of watching the house."

Which wasn't a lie. Val didn't often get trespassers on her proprty. Not ones that she was aware of, anyway. But there would always be people up to no good deep in the woods, where they thought nobody would find out what they wanted to do. Sangria and Marmalade had chased off their fair share of would-be burglars and wannabe hermits.

"Yeah, I'm gonna grab this little guy and take him home," Val booped Piper as she said it, enamored with his scales and his squeaks. "I would love to take Trousle, he's a sweetheart don't get me wrong, but I just feel that he's not for me. Ya know? I did wanna bring my Corny, Lapis, to meet him sometime! Maybe Admiral and Sangria too."

"'lo," Currant finally muttered.

"He really is a sweetheart, Alex," Valerie insisted, yanking her phone from her pocket and quickly scanning for pictures. She had plenty of snapshots of Currant and her other boys in various stages of absolute cuteness. Currant sleeping on Sangria's glittering scales, the Coral's blushing face when he got to eat his favorite snack, and the one memorable image she had of him dancing with her. "See? Corals are so sweet. Cute grumpy faces and all!"

"not cute," Currant grumbled.

"Cutest," Val sang, smooching his skull.

*

Keith realized he was going overboard a little and chuckled, “Guess ya got a point. Sorry, just think he’s pretty cool, y’know? Maybe ya’d like to meet him.” His soul twisted in sympathy for Currant. Poor dude… “Corals can be really sweet in general honestly, if ya can get through a layer or two of posturing. Currant seems better about that though.”

Alex grinned at the photos, bouncing a little in place at the cuteness. “Aaaaaw! That’s precious, oh my gosh. My heeeeeart!” She looked over at him, “Mind if I pet you? Sorry. Just not always good with people sometimes…”

Keith gave her a lazy hug from behind her, “Eh, ain’t for everyone.” He’d been around her enough to know that she at least couldn’t get along with Hux. She didn’t mean to, but she tended to rub Hux the wrong way. Though Hux sometimes seemed to be looking for reasons to snap at her. Still, what was he supposed to do? Kick out his soul-bond, or kick out his best friend?

“Yeah, but I just feel bad…”

“Don’t. Hux just ain’t great with humans. Currant is.”

*

Before Marmalade could comment on how it would be cool to meet another Mamba, Val piped up with an affirmative. "We'd love to meet Liam! He sounds super cool."

Currant puffed up at what he took as praise, knowing he was arguably the best Coral around. He still had his days where he tended to want his space but they were few and far between now. The people that wouldn't give him a chance just because he was a Coral were missing out. Alex had calmed down once she'd seen his general cuteness so he offered his head for a pet, making sure to keep Piper safely tucked against his chest.

"Don't feel bad about not getting along with everyone," Valerie tried to soothe. She didn't know Alex very well but she didn't want any awkwardness between their mismatch group. "I worked a lot with Currant. Maybe you won't ever be best friends with Hux but you can learn when he needs his space! It might not seem like a big step but it's something to keep in mind."

Marmalade nodded along, having plenty of experience with all kinds of Corals. Some were sweet and just couldn't communicate what they wanted but there were others that earned their bad reputation. Unfortunately, that bad reputation was more common than the good because they were such a naturally emotionally constipated Lamia.

"here we go..." Marmalade muttered.

"I have some stuff Hux might like," Val confessed. "If he's the type to enjoy a treasure hoard or blankets and stuff. I have a lot of Lamia stuff that none of my boys wanted so it should get put to good use!"

*

Keith grinned, “Oh yeah, he’s cool.” Being a lazy bastard who didn’t want to stop this conversation, he just texted Nikolai to send Liam this way.

Alex stroked Currant’s head, smiling. “You’re really good with these guys, aren’t you? I don’t think I have quite the same knack for it, but I like visiting and stuff! Nikolai lets me in the nursery sometimes and it’s absolutely precious! Baby Lamia are adorable!” She was bouncing on her feet again as she scratched underneath Currant’s chin. Piper was also getting in on the affection, giving Currant little pats and purring.

“He does have a little hoard, I bet he’d enjoy it! He can be kinda prickly though. Don’t take it personally,” Keith said. “He’s just like that.”

A Mamba of about average size came over and cleared his throat to announce his presence, splaying out to show off his scales as he set his head on his hands all sassy-like. “I heard I was called~?” He was keeping his good side towards Val and Currant, not that the hole in his skull was particularly noticeable, he was wearing his fitted mold today. It was a bit hard to make out the tacky substance holding it in place through the layer of bone-colored makeup, but he couldn’t hide that one of his eyes were dark.

Keith slithered over to cover Liam’s bad side out of protective instinct and habit. He was fairly certain there was no sneaking up on the dude anyways - he’d gotten crazy good at feeling vibrations in the ground - but it made them both feel a little better. “This is Liam.”

“Good to meet you~”

*

"I did a lot of research before I decided to adopt," Val admitted, plucking nervously at her sleeves. Currant was basking in the attention he was getting, more tolerant than blatantly loving having someone else patting him. Alex was gentle with her pets so he didn't attempt to pull away. The words coming out of Alex's mouth finally registered and she wished she could have stars in her eyes when she heard about baby Lamia. Her voice was an excited whisper. "Baby Lamia?!"

Marmalade and Currant both rolled their eyes at her glee, knowing that she should never be allowed to see the babies or they would never get her to leave. Valerie already adored bitty sized Lamia but if you added in babies... she would be a goner.

"we got some geodes," Marmalade told Keith. "coupla things that any coral would love to have in their hoard. currant don' collect 'em as much since his hoard got too big to fit 'em all in his nest."

A new arrival pulled Valerie's attention away from talk of babies and she brightened immediately. It might have been biased but she felt like Sangria's scales were a little glossier than Liam's, not that she would tell him that. She didn't react at all to the site of one darkened socket, used to Admiral's darkened socket looking in her direction. Marmalade was careful about how he slithered, not knowing how Liam might react to movement he couldn't see.

"You're a very handsome Mamba, Liam," Val complimented, the words nearly second nature after dealing with Mamba for so long. "The way you hunted was really impressive!"

*

Alex kept scratching, watching her hands instead of looking to Val as she said, “They’re SO CUTE! I’d offer to show you, but Nikolai might try to kill both of us… Keith took me there to meet him and I thought he’d bite my head off, but he apologized afterwards! He’s really protective of them though, like, murderously protective.”

Keith grinned, “Daaaang. He’s gonna love that! And if he’s pissy about it, I’ll gladly take them instead…” Subtle dude. Subtle.

Liam took good care of himself, but he couldn’t stand up to Sangria in size or shine. That said, he would absolutely try to fight Sangria anyways if given the chance.

Liam stood up, hands on his hips and chest puffed out, moving his tail to make his scales glimmer. “Glad to see someone can recognize a hunter around here.” There was still a bit of blood on his teeth where he’d bitten the goose and hadn’t completely managed (or wanted) to lick it away. “Do I smell another mamba on you? You’ve got good taste, but I bet I could take him.”

Keith sighed, “Liam, don’t…”

“I’m just saying!” Liam huffed.

“It’d a sight to see,” Alex said neutrally.

“How big is he anyways? Four foot?” Oh Liam noooooooo… He’s huge sweetheart.

“I maybe should’ve warned ya that he can be competitive with other mambas,” Keith said.

“It’s not my fault they’re all so spoiled.”

“You literally have plush pillows and a heated blanket in your enclosure,” Alex said.

“And I hunted them myself!” Liam said, arms crossed and grinning. “I can take care of myself just fine, unlike those little pipsqueaks. Losing to a goose, hah!”

Keith was realizing he should’ve let Liam cool down more first. He’d just proved superiority over his breed and wasn’t gonna shut up for a while, was he?

*

"Oh, I don't want to make Nikolai angry! I'd ask first, of course." She might not have had any experience with Kings but she knew that anyone who was charged with protecting babies would have their instincts dialed up to max. Add on the fact that some Mamba would gladly eat the babies... she didn't blame Nikolai for getting angry that Alex had been brought around the younger Lamia without him approving it beforehand. Piper was close enough to a baby for her, for now, and that was all she needed if she wanted to be able to leave. "I'd never leave if I saw them now."

"if he don' take 'em he's got awful taste in treasure," Currant grumbled, giving Keith a grumpy look. Yeah, he was onto you buddy.

Now Liam had touched on a weakness of Valerie's. She loved to talk about her boys and Sangria was among the prettiest Lamia she had ever seen. Sure, he had knicks and scars from his tousles in the woods but she still adored how he shined in the light. When Liam mentioned smelling another Mamba on her, well, she lit up. Marmalade chuckled, knowing she was almost as bad as he was for bragging about Sangria. Nevermind the fact that Liam was declaring he could fight a Mamba larger than himself. It would be funny to see them posture at each other.

"Oh, don't worry! Sangria, that's my Mamba, is pretty good around other Lamia so I wouldn't worry." She giggled at the guess at Sangria's size, finding the isea of a Mamba that small to be hilarious. Liam was shorter than Val was tall! "Oh no, Sangria is seven feet long. Or there about!"

"maybe a few inches longer," Marmalade tacked on.

"Maybe," was Valerie's agreement. "Sangria protects the house and the property. I live on a couple of acres of forested land and it would really suck if I had wild animals stalking me when I went outside!"

She may or may not have been teasing Liam, just a little, to see how riled she could get him. Just enough he might show off some more!

*

“Oh definitely,” Alex said. “He probably wouldn’t say yes until he knows you better though.”

“Not gonna lie, that first meeting was me being dumb. Shoulda told him I was bringing her, but still took a few months,” Keith said.

“Oh yeeeeeeah! Nick went HISSSSS!” Piper said. “I was there! Mm hmm!”

“Were you one of the ones curled on him?” Alex asked.

“Mm hmm! Was hiding. Am a sneaky!” Piper said, hands on his hips.

“Ya sure are kiddo,” Liam said, giving the world’s gentlest fistbump to the kid. He moved around a little, getting a look at the car and taking in some of the scents, curious about this new place, aaaaand… “Are these what you were talking about? I might keep them for myself honestly.” Liam had 100% actually stolen the geodes while you were watching him, somehow. He’s the real sneak.

“Liam no,” Keith said, trying to stifle a laugh. “I called them first.”

“Finders keepers~” He held the rocks to his chest, sticking his tongue out at poor Keith. “I bet that Sangria can’t manage that. Maybe he’s bigger, but I could slither circles around him! He wouldn’t even know what hit him! Size isn’t everything, after all.”

Keith couldn’t help himself, “Then why is Nikolai the only one who can tell ya what to do and you listen.”

Even from here, it was plain to see that Nikolai was on the larger end of the spectrum for Kings, a good foot or two larger than even Sangria.

“His bite is worse than his bark, when he chooses. I’m not suicidal,” Liam said. “He’s worse than anything that could possibly be in your woods! Just let me come over one day and I’ll make the whole forest bow to me!”

“Huh, I thought he was playing a Sorcerer, not a Druid,” Alex said.

“… no fireballs irl,” Keith said, secretly a little terrified by sudden mental picture of Liam with fire magic… or a flamethrower.

“Not yet at least!” Liam said, almost certainly unable to actually follow through with that threat. “I just need to trace myself back to a dragon…”

*

"That's fine, I'm probably gonna come back a few more times!" Considering she was looking to take Piper home, she wouldn't deprive him of coming back to visit the place he'd called home for the start of his life. She may have hated interacting with people in large number but being surrounded by Lamia was leagues better than that. It helped that these guys were all hilarious. Valerie had only passing knowledge of DnD so she kept that to herself, lest they assume she was going to be able to come and join their games. Sure, that would have been fun but...she lived too far away and worked too much for it to be consistent.

Currant was slightly wary when Liam got close to Piper, edging back just a hair, but the little Pygmy didn't seem anxious so he kept his hissing to himself. He did end up scooting backwards a little so his tail could coil around Valerie's legs once again. Unlike his first meeting with Sangria, Currant wasn't mesmerized by the sight of Liam's scales.

"Are you sure you want the geodes?" Val asked, biting her cheek to keep from grinning. She wasn't surprised that Liam had managed to grab the geodes, those had been with Marmalade and her Chain was always weak for the wiles of a Mamba. It was a good thing she had kept the Mamba specific treats. "I mean...I was going to give you a bag of candy."

"warheads," Marmalade tittered, knowing her usual bribe when she wanted to convince Sangria to do something. "she woulda got toxic waste but sangria thinks the package is ugly."

"Sorry, Liam, I think Piper is the only dragon here." Val outright laughed, petting Piper along the length of his spine. "Actually confirmed dragon. The best dragon."

All this talk of Kings was making her want one, deep in her mind, but she knew that Sangria wasn't ready for another large and possibly aggressive Lamia.

"But you guys could come over to see the forest, if you want. So long as you had permission to leave."

*

"Bring your Corny next time! He was... Azul?" Trousle said, drawing a blank on the name. He remembered it had to do with blue at least? "I'd love to meet him!"

"And I'll gladly settle it on who'd win," Liam said. "It'll be me, of course, but he can certainly try!" He was internally considering the trade... The geodes were gorgeous, of course, but sour candies. His mouth was already salivating, and catching the scent on his tongue didn't help in the slightest. "I think that'd be a fair trade..." Liam said, keeping his eye trained on the delicious candies while he handed back the geodes. The second they were in his hands, he bolted away a few feet, intent on keeping his prize. Immediately he ripped the bag open, sticking a candy in his black-coated mouth and crunching down on it. He took more time with the next candy, letting it dissolve to savor it, but he kept the pack on his good side, just in case any of the smaller upstarts got any funny ideas...

Piper chirped happily, "Yeah! Yeah yeah! I'm the best dragon! RAAAWR!!!" He pretended to breathe fire, wiggling lightly in place.

"Wouldn't mind getting out a little more. Real trees are way better than fake ones," Keith said.

"I'll decimate it," Liam purred. "I'll ask about it. It'd be nice to get to stretch my tail. Rabbits and geese are nice and all, but I've always wanted to go after a wolf. Or maybe a buck!" They wouldn't just let him loose on the countryside to roam free, or he'd try catching one in the state (plus there were laws and legal issues about it), but if he was temporarily under the jurisdiction of another....

*

"Lapis?" Valerie reminded. It was a point in his favor that Trousle even remmebered that her boys were usually named after colors. Obscure colors were something she took great delight in making into names. "I'll bring him! I would have brought him along this time but he'd have eaten the snacks I brought for the Cornies here."

Although it was looking like Trousle and all his friends were going to be getting everything she'd brought! It was nice to have her presents appreciated. Particularly when Liam made the trade for the candies and she was once more in possession of the geodes. She could see a few Mamba with their tongues flicking, likely already aware of the treats, but Liam seemed intent on keeping them all to himself. Sangria was similar at first, hoarding his sour prize away from anyone else, but now that he was the only one in the house that ate sour candy he was less aggressive about it.

Currant cooed at Piper, nuzzling him. Marmalade made a dramatic attempt at ducking the pretend fire, a hand over his soul and widened eyes. "whoa, kid. watch the fire."

"an then there's the baskin' rock," Currant whispered, giving the coveted rock its due by his hushed tone. "'s right outside val's work window, gets light all the time."

"sangria loves that rock."

"I certainly have a lot of trees," she told Keith. "Caves too, decorated for whenever the boys need some space and wanna sleep outside. And no neighbors so...you could absolutely hunt whatever you wanted, Liam."

Valerie didn't know the particular laws about hunting local wildlife but she'd made sure that her local rangers knew she had Lamia that hunted in her woods. Of course, she also kept plenty of contacts so she could purchase live food if they didn't go hunting.

*

"Yes, him! I'll get it sometime!" Trousle said. "Understandable too! Leave some for Oozy! I think he's in the lake right now."

That Corny who had previously been napping stirred upon hearing that there were snacks for cornies. "Mine?"

Liam was absolutely keeping these all to himself, just as he always did. One of the younger lamia - not quite at their adult height yet - loudly called him out on it... So he sat on him, cackling and putting another candy in his mouth while the smaller one screeched... But there were multiple mamba in one place. There was no stopping the swarm. They'd smelled candies and saw them in the hands of That Jerk, so it was a matter of seconds before they put aside their differences and all decided to tackle and constrict Liam at once. A dozen or so bony hands all scrabbled for the remaining candies as Liam screeched about dishonor, cheating, and betrayal.

Keith was laughing his ass off and being of absolutely no help whatsoever. Alex was trying to hide it, but she was absolutely laughing too.

Piper saw the action happening and tried to wiggle over, not wanting to be left out of this game.

*

"I'll tell him all about you," Valerie promised. She gave a delighted little sound, bringing out the little melonpan she normally reserved for Lapis (and herself, she loved the ones with custard inside). They were a little big for bitty sized Corny Lamia but Lapis had never seemed to care about that and she doubted her little stowaway would. "Here you go, a token of confection that's Corny approved."

Marmalade, Currant, and Valerie all turned to the Mamba shenanigans and none of them attempted to hide their amusement. Looks like the pack had decided to overthrow their ruler when it came to the unfair division of the coveted sour candies. She had expected something like this but Sangria had only been convinced to part with one bag of his favorite, all the other sour things she had were less sour. It didn't make them less sought after among Mamba, or so she'd found, so she set the bag down for perusal.

"careful, kid," Currant said but he didn't hold Piper back for long. A Pygmy that wasn't allowed to zoom could become quite the sassy thing. Despite letting Piper go, Currant stayed close by in case he needed to snatch him away from a bad situation.

"guess we should summon the hoards to get their gifts," Marmalade said. "before we get swarmed like liam."

*

The stowaway very much didn't care! He was a snake, and he'd stuff himself as much as he could! Sometimes. When wanting sweets overcame being lazy at least. Caught up in the treat, he took a minute to notice the pun, but he broke into a grin and started laughing into the treat as he did, falling into a happy, laughing lump. He couldn't even top that! "Like you!"

Liam whined as his rightful treats were stolen from him. He managed to shake some of the mamba off, but it was hard when they were ganging up to beat him! "Not fair!" He could take two, maybe three, but there were at least six!

Piper zoomed over to help tame Liam, making little roars and holding onto his arm, play nipping his clothes. He was being no help whatsoever, but was sure having fun doing it!

Alex nodded, "Oh yeah. I don't wanna get caught in the snake swarm. Or at least not in this way."

*

Honestly, Valerie felt a flood of warmth in her chest at just how happy the Corny was. He made her miss Lapis, knowing her little prankster would have been punning away at her. Lapis was the whole reason she'd gotten so deep into pun hell in the first place. She couldn't resist petting his little head, expression going soft and fond. "Thanks, bud. I like you too."

Currant huffed, sparing a warning glance towards Val so she didn't get any funny ideas. Lapis was already a massive handful when he got into the mood to dish out chaos, they didn't need him to have a partner in crime. Speaking of pranks... Lapis would likely have a lot of chaos to rain upon the inhabitants of this adoption center.

Marmalade took the initiative to wrap the geodes into his coils so they wouldn't be snatched up. The bags had other shiny things that some of the Lamia might enjoy hoarding but the geodes were going to be offered to Hux first. And if Hux didn't want any then Keith would get to take what he wanted, provided Liam didn't get them first. Once they were safely tucked away in his grip, he nodded at Valerie.

"Hey!" she called, hands cupped around her mouth so she could gain the attention of every Lamia around. "I got some presents! Candy, blankets, and anything you might want."

Then...then she braced for the swarm. And oh, what a swarm it was.

*

HOPE YOU WERE PREPARED FOR THE SWARM.

Alex stands a bit away, having fun watching but a little overwhelmed at even the idea of being in the middle of all that... No thanks. Keith cuddles her by the sidelines, content to watch as well. Piper is chirping back at all the lamia, going absolutely nuts trying to catch absolutely everyone. Pygmy or not, he'll definitely need a nap when all this is over. Liam nurses his wounded pride off to the side.

The sheer numbers of the swarm draws over Nikolai, though he hangs back and lets the rest take their picks. He's very well cared for, after all. He just waits until the herd thins to introduce himself. "Good to meet you. I'm Nikolai, vice manager of the company." His eyes dart over to all the happy lamia playing with toys, blankets, snacks, and his soul just absolutely melts. "You've made them quite happy. Thank you. It's good to meet you." He gives a little bow, bringing himself slightly lower than Val's level. Dude's absolutely huge, about twelve and a half foot total, and standing a little over six feet tall.

He'd probably be more intimidating if there weren't a handful of bitty kraits peeking out from his pockets, a mini-corny napping around his neck, a young chain wound around one of his arms, and a full grown honeybo deciding to be a cheeky bastard and flop down right over his tail.

"This would be the local mom-friend," Keith said. "I will say outright, you can't take him home with you. He lives with Maia already."

"That I do. She's having a lovely time really, it's good to see her getting to be out and about like this, and she's having fun seeing everyone else outside too." He spoke warmly of her, body relaxed as he turned to wave at her. She was sitting on a bench with a corny curled up next to her like a scaly house cat.

*

Valerie was completely prepared for the pure chaos. Toys getting snatched up and tossed around, blankets disappearing and reappearing in suspicious lumps, and the steady stream of content sounds that meant the candy and junk food snacks had been well received. She didn't back away when the swarm hit, used to being in the mix of large crowds. Currant was darting after Piper, keeping the Pygmy in his sights, but he lacked the energy to keep up that pace for very long. Marmalade tolerated the small hoard that had decided he made a good perch to get higher.

Nikolai is slightly intimidating by his sheer size but his tone and expression are both incredibly relaxed. It's easy to forget that he could very easily decide to take a bite out of her or drive her off. As much as she would have loved to fawn over him, Valerie kept her interaction with Nikolai friendly and semi profressional. Keith had already mentioned that Nikolai helped Maia so it had been easy to guess that he must already have a home.

"It's nice to meet you, too. I'm Valerie." She can't resist leaning forward to quietly greet the Kraits that she saw peering from Nikolai's pockets. He certainly looked like a mom, with all sorts clamoring over his bulk. "It's my loss but I don't think Sangria is ready for me to bring another large boy home."

Now she found her nerves kicking in, nails lightly scratching at her left wrist until Marmalade grabbed her hand. Their bond pulsed gently with confidence, his soul telling her that she could do this.

"Keith was telling me that I should talk to you about adopting Piper," she finally rushed out. "Sorry. How could I say no to such an adorable guy?"

*

The kraits waved back. Mostly. One got shy and hid his face, he seemed younger than the rest, not used to strangers at all yet.

Nikolai spotted the little one and smiled, “I see you’ve adopted before.” His tongue flicked out, but he couldn’t even hope to pick out what all Val had after that swarm. It was a jumbled mess of tastes that felt so very much like home. “And they look to be getting along well too. It’s always for the best when people bring their Lamia and/or pets, that way we can be sure they’ll get along, but I see we’ll have no issues.”

Piper was trying to keep awake, wanting to be part of the fun, but all the excitement was starting to tire him out. He was wrapped loosely around Currant and yawned, doing that thing kittens do when they try to fight sleep. His head bobbed up and down, eyes fighting to stay open, but sleep was intent to steal him.

Nikolai couldn’t help but coo over it, “Aaaaw. Nyeheheh. I knew Piper wouldn’t be staying too long, but he looks pretty happy, and you seem to know what you’re doing.” He wasn’t willing to completely streamline the process, but honestly? She seemed perfectly ideal, provided… “I will say that he might need a bit of extra care for his scale condition. The scales on his bones might shed more frequently or out of synch with the rest, that’s nothing to be concerned about. Likewise, it’s not unheard of for scale patches to flake off entirely, though the area where it was might be softer and more prone to infection or injury for a day or two. But it’s equally likely he might grow more scales over his bones. The areas where bone and scales meet do get irritated sometimes, especially since dirt likes to get stuck there. Clean it carefully with a q-tip and apply ointment and he’ll be fine.” It was his first priority, after all, yo make sure he was cared for. “We have a spare tube of the cream we’ve been using on him. If you’ll come inside, you can have it for free, my treat.”

He turned to look at the honey-bo half-assedly pretending to be asleep (he had one eye peeked open, looking right at him, and was grinning), rolled his eyes, and gently removed him.

Piper had utterly lost the fight against sleep, completely conked out while snuggled with Currant.

Alex took a picture. How could she not?

*

As adorable as the Kraits were, Val was careful not to overwhelm them with her attention. She didn't want to risk paying one so much attention they got sad if she didn't take them home with her. Besides, Nikolai was talking and it felt more important to hang onto what he was saying.

"Yeah, almost all my boys are adopted from a center but I do have a rescue." Nikolai had a way about him that made her more willing to talk about Admiral than she had before. "My full-size Pygmy, Admiral, was given to me by some kid at a park. His family was using him as a free babysitter and one of the kids cracked his eye open, so his left socket is empty. He's come a long way since then."

Piper's crash came at a perfect time. Currant was also getting tired but far older and capable of resisting passing out after some play. He pet Piper instead, hoping to ease him into sleep easier. Poor guy was likely going to deal with similar crashes for a while once he met Sangria, the Mamba had the most energy out of any Lamia Currant have ever met.

"I figured he would have some special needs," Valerie admitted. She didn't know what the condition was but she had noticed Piper had scales on his bones that seemed itchy but it didn't seem he was in a full shed. The grooming necessary wasn't anything she didn't already do for Sangria, though it would likely take far less time for Piper. "I already have a brush to get dirt from scales, my Mamba insists on being groomed at least twice a week so I have tons of supplies I can use for his scales. I can always message you if I have more questions about how to care for his scales."

Since all the gifts had been handed out she put the bags into the van and closed it up again, grabbing Currant so he could once more settle around her. He was grateful for the reprieve from having to slither after them when he was already tired. If Liam thought Mamba were spoiled he was in for the true spoiled boy of Val's.

Holding onto Currant had the added benefit of allowing her to keep an eye on Piper. "Lead the way."

*

“How many do you have, if I may ask?” Nikolai said. He asked partly out of curiosity, and partly to make sure she wasn’t getting into more than she could handle.

He hissed under his breath heating about Admiral, “Some people… ugh! I won’t say it’s the worst possible idea, I’m technically a service Lamia myself, but I’m certified, an adult, and, well… I’m well aware that I’m bigger than most people. But even then, there’s a difference between that and being a babysitter!” He did his best to keep his anger in check, well aware that he could be terrifying and not wanting to scare Val or anyone currently present. He sighed, trying to let some tension go, “I’m not mad at you of course. I’m mad at those imbeciles! But it sounds like he’s in better hands now. Do you think he’ll be okay having a little one around after that though? I know Piper isn’t exactly a human child, but…” He had to ask these things, of course.

Nikolai let’s her into the shop. It’s mostly empty, but there’s still a person at the cash register. A few Lamia run around the front, bitty and full-sized alike, but the vast majority are outside. A few chirp hellos at Val, some hide, everyone’s got their own thing.

Nikolai motions to let her further in, past a door saying “Full sized area” and then to a supplies closet. He pulls out a tube of cream and a little pamphlet. “Here. I’d had this prepared for whoever might adopt Piper. It gives a basic overview, some good links, and diagrams.” It’s got the name of the condition on it (whatever that is… names are hard) and is smattered with images of Lamia with scales growing over bones. One extreme case, a Krait apparently, had scales covering his full body.

Meanwhile, that Corny was absolutely still napping in the car. He’d moved away from the blankets, finding a shady, safely enclosed spot to sleep off his food-coma: the glove box.

*

"I have five boys, currently," she admitted, knowing it might seem like a lot to the casual asker. "But I work from home so I have plenty of time for all of them and a few more."

She was of a similar mind when it came to what a full-sized should do. One as large as Nikolai could be a service Lamia because he was of a size where he wasn't likely to be taken advantage of my humans. But a Pygmy like Admiral was nowhere near large enough to babysit human children, regardless of how much energy he possessed. She could also understand his concerns of whether or not Admiral would be able to handle having a young Lamia in the house but this was one thing she had tested. "Admiral is fine with all Lamia, even young ones. It's just human children he panics around. Piper already has experience with Liam so seeing Admiral with one blank socket shouldn't startle him."

Currant looked around the center, more at ease since he knew that Valerie wouldn't drop him off here, but wasn't overly concerned with anyone who greeted Val. He rather liked that his human was so coveted by other Lamia but had chosen him instead.

"You take such good care of everyone here," she told Nikolai. "It's no wonder everyone respects you... I'm happy to be good enough for Piper, thank you."

Since she has her arms full, Marmalade takes the tube and pamphlet from Nikolai and puts them carefully into one of his jacket pockets. Valerie will obsess over them later.

"anythin' piper might wanna have when we go?" her Chain asked Nikolai. "he's young so a new place might be scary."

*

Nikolai looked worried at first, but nodded when he heard her situation. “He’ll have company then, that’s good.”

“They live in the woods too, so the bigger, stronger ones have room to hunt,” Keith said.

Nikolai smiled, “Great to hear then. That is one of the downsides of cities, it’s hard to let all of these guys outside as much as they ought to.”

It seemed like she had everything in order then. Admiral would be fine, she had a good track record, Piper seemed to love her and her Lamia already, and even asking for something for him. “I think I know. Give me a minute, I’ve got to go get it.” He slithered off towards the nursery, looking around for one particular toy…

And in the meantime, Hux had caught scent of a human and unfamiliar Lamia. “Heh… Surprised to see you in here. Figured you’d be outside. Like, most of us who ain’t out there are fine staying here y’know.”

Keith bit back a sigh, putting on a lazy smile instead, “And that’d be Hux.”

“Yo,” Hux said. His eyes wandered to Trousle, who was still casually draped on Val, and his soul dropped. He picked up Trousle and stuck Trousle on his own neck instead. “There. Better.”

“I was fine over there too.” Trousle said.

“Yeah, well… Yer with me now.”

*

"Yeah, I have a lot of space." She rushed to assure Nikolai. "Honestly, I think Sangria wants me to have a gaggle of Lamia sometimes. He acts like he hates when I bring someone new around but he's the biggest mom in my house. Piper won't ever be in danger with all my boys, that's a promise."

"she drove kinda far to get us from our center," Marmalade revealed with a shrug. "plenty of stuff to hunt but we got safe havens set up all over the woods. pretty sure at least a couple of wild lamia have taken refuge in our caves too."

The whole situation was exciting. Piper was adorable and he would encourage Currant into being more active without bribery, since it seemed he'd taken an intense liking to the little Pygmy. Currant's coils tightened around Valerie's waist, his sockets narrowing at the arrival of another fucking Coral. He wasn't threatened, Val didn't seem to notice Hux was there yet, but he did make his displeasure known with a single warning hiss.

"Oh!" Val startled, not expecting Trousle to be suddenly taken off her. She smiled at Hux, figuring he was treating her to the grumpiness she'd heard he was known for. "No, I'm not adopting anyone from inside! I was just getting some stuff for Piper, I'll be taking him home."

Currant narrowed his eyes even further, almost closing his sockets, and carefully situated Piper within his jacket so Hux couldn't grab him too. Marmalade rolled his eye lights towards Hux, keeping an eye on the situation in case he neeeded to diffuse any tension.

"Do you like Trousle's new scarf?" Val asked, turning to give Hux more attention while she adjusted her grip on Currant. "I had gifts for everyone. Liam almost took yours."

*

Nikolai couldn’t help grinning when he heard that. It sounded like a perfect environment with enough hunting Lamia to keep little and lazy ones safe.

Hux just laughed at Currant’s hiss. “I promise, I ain’t here to steal your bitch. You can keep her.” He was hesitant to take his eyes off the bunch, not sure how to feel about strange Lamia in his home, so he compromised and brought Trousle up to look at him. “Looks good on ya, Trus. Compliments your scales.”

Trousle beamed, hiking himself up to show off, throwing the scarf behind him like he was in a beauty commercial and it was long, flowing hair.

“Nice.” His pride wanted to not accept gifts… but his desire to hoard things won out. “That sounds like Liam alright. He calls himself a hunter, but pretty sure he’s just a fucking thief. Slick fucking bastard, thinking he’s the shit.” He lowered to a mumble as a dusting of red started to glow from his cheeks, “Just ‘cause he’s strong and could kill me with those fangs - thinks he’s so great. I’ll shove it down his throat sometime, but he’d probably just laugh and push me down. Fuckin…”

Keith was not the least bit oblivious to Hux’s crush, but chose not to comment on it… with other people there. In private, he’d gladly tease him mercilessly.

… okay, maaaaybe Keith couldn’t resist. “Dude fought through a flock of geese. Actually caught one or two. You should’ve seen it.”

“Of course he did!” Pause. “Did he save any?”

“Absolutely not, but maybe you can lick the blood off his fangs.”

Hux turned bright red, eyes going huge at the idea, and Keith laughed uproariously.

Desperately wanting to change the subject, Hux yelled out, “OKAY PRESENTS NOW.” But he couldn’t drown out Keith and glared at the traitor. “I hate you.”

*

Ah, now Alex's wariness made plenty of sense. Hux was one of those Lamia that had high defenses up at all times. Valerie wasn't surprised that he seemed particularly against her, either. She was a stranger and if he already didn't like humans then she was doubly on his shit list. It was a good thing she didn't have a burning need for him to like her, and being insulted wasn't new either.

Currant, on the other hand, never liked to hear her be insulted. He wasn't normally a very confrontational Lamia but he would happily throw his weight around if it meant she wasn't sad. His hidden bastard side came out to play the moment he sensed something that he could pick at, the only reason he didn't let loose on a barrage of verbal hatred was because Piper was there.

"hope ya never have kids with that mouth," Currant hissed, cupping a hand around where Piper's head was. Like that would prevent him from waking and hearing the garbage Hux was spouting.

Marmalade didn't understand the teasing. Of course Hux would want to mate with a Mamba, it just made the most sense. Sure, Liam wasn't as great as Sangria but a Mamba was a great catch as a bondmate. It likely helped that Liam and Hux were closer in size, any larger of a Mamba and Hux would be pining forever. But there was more important things to worry about, other than what some stranger wanted to mate with.

Hux had insulted Valerie.

At any other time, Marmalade might have let it go. He was a gentle Lamia at his core and Val really disliked when they fought but he was more than capable of defending himself and her. Better Marmalade take care of this than Sangria decide that Hux no longer deserved the pleasure of being alive. Should they ever meet, that is.

"dude," Marmalade deadpanned. His tail coiled around Val, a flash of warning in his gaze. "insult whatever human ya fancy but keep yer opinions on our human to yerself, got it?"

The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife... holy shit. "Anyway!" Valerie blurted, pulling one of the geodes out so Hux could see it. Hopefully nipping any fights in the bud. "I have some geodes. Liam seemed to think they were pretty and I'm sure that he would love whatever you didn't want."

Please, she mentally begged. Take them and don't fight.

*

Hux wasn’t so easily dissuaded, at least not from Marmalade. “Wow, geez. Ya don’t have to be so desperate to suck her lady-“

“HUX! CHILD!” Keith knew too well what was probably about to come from Hux’s mouth. “Also that’s just rude!”

Hux huffed. “Right right, whatever. Soul bonds and whatever, who needs that shit! You don’t, right?” He looked up at Keith, grinning in a fakely laid-back way.

Keith stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking away, “Right.” He was lying through his teeth.

“Bros before hoes,” Hux said. “But geez. That weirdo can’t keep her hands off nobody, huh? How do you guys stand that? She tastes like bug spray and dirt.”

Keith sighed, “She works outside.”

“Whatever.”

…

“Do you want the rocks?” Keith said. “No. I know you want the rocks. Are you gonna stop being a butt long enough to take them, or should I keep them forever?” He could take the guy’s vitriol, and he’d rather Hux come at him than the others. That shit could just roll off his scales, and they’d make up when he wasn’t as tense. The others didn’t have that option.

“… yes please,” Hux said, looking aside and blushing. “Oh. And good. I’d be a shit parent, mom or dad. Why have them anyways? Not like they wouldn’t end up being given out… But the rocks will be mine forever!”

*

Valerie usually had no trouble keeping her own vulgarity in check, because she didn't want any of the boys to pick up on her own foul mouth, but Hux was clearly deserving of a brand new title. It was a lot harder to insult her than it was to piss off her boys. Of course he would cause her filter to fly out the window. "Wow. You're a little shit."

Currant huffed, annoyed but amused at the same time. Hux was obviously no threat, likely all talk, so he was easily dismissed. At least by Currant. Marmalade, however, was giving Keith a peculiar look and making no secret of it. It was obvious that nobody else knew about the bond he shared with Alex and he was lying about it. Badly, at that.

Which, fair. Hux clearly didn't like humans for whatever reason and they did live in the same center. But to deny a soulbond... no Chain should ever want to do anything like that. Marmalade cocked his head, staring at Hux now and occasionally shifting his attention to Keith.

"every chain has a soulbond," Currant huffed, not paying attention to Hux but keeping half a mind on the conversation. "even a baby knows that. an unless yer bonded died they're out there."

Probably not the best thing to say but Val hoped to distract Hux with the geodes. Now it was her turn to be a bit of a little shit because he wasn't getting one unless he took it from her. She was likely just as used to hearing nasty comments from someone as Keith was. Hux kind of reminded her of her brothers, thinking that everyone wanted the same things out of life.

"I don't get the craze about having kids either," Val shrugged, waving a geode. "And they're geodes , not rocks. What kind of idiot do you take me for? Rocks can be found anywhere but geodes are rocks with crystals inside."

*

“I ain’t denying it,” he huffed. “Keeps the weirdos away.”

Keith couldn’t meet Marmalade’s eyes. He could guess we’ll enough what the other was thinking. Hiding a soul bond, he must be nuts! But he’s not even sure if it’s legit, not if Alex hasn’t said anything, and she hasn’t made any move to adopt either, so why get Hux all worked up?

“Yeah, well, either the fucker’s dead, or ain’t interested,” Hux said, curling protectively around Keith and hugging him insistently. “We’re lifers, right dude?”

“‘Course we are. Twenty-four years and nothing, why would there be…” Maybe it was just sheer desperation making him drawn to Alex. Maybe the cookies, or the dice. Could you be so wanting that you accidentally faked one with the wrong person just fo have something?

Hux went, “Pffft. A Crystal is a rock. It’s just a good rock. I mean, Great Danes are good dogs, but they’re still dogs. And hey, I ain’t above a rock collection…” He was still coiled around Keith, physically insisting on affection from the other (who, indeed, gave him a hug, stroking his skull) as he kept his eyes on the prize. “What do you say dude? Split ‘em best we can? Look like they come in halves, so I take one half and you the other?” It was like a friendship bracelet, but expensive and actually something they both wanted.

“Ya gotta convince her to give you your half first,” Keith said.

“You said you’d get them otherwise! So just give me half.”

“Eeeeh… I’ll consider it.” He was grinning cheekily, tongue flicking out as he leaned his weight against Hux.

“Rude.”

“I know ya are, I’m just another victim of gravity,” Keith said.

Hux was getting slowly crushed. “Why are you like this.”

“You looooove me.”

“Shut up… but yeah…”

*

Hux wasn't wrong. Being a little shit did keep the weirdos away. That was something Valerie knew from experience. She felt that, had things been different, she might have gotten along with Hux and even liked how blunt he was. The way Hux acted about humans and getting adopted made her wonder why he acted that way. Had something happened or had he just been passed up too many times?

Keith should certainly have been wary of meeting Marmalade's gaze because Marmalade was staring even harder. He doubted that the bond between Keith and Alex was fake, he'd never heard of a Chain that couldn't form that bond, so whatever foolish thoughts Keith was having were likely false. Unless... did Keith just not know anything about soulbonds? Humans didn't always feel it, especially if they were a little more on the dense side.

It would be a miracle if Marmalade kept his mouth shut.... and he just couldn't allow Keith to get away with denying it. "or the human jus' don' know what it feels like. ya can' acknowledge a bond without knowin' it's there."

"A crystal is not a rock," Val denied, already having researched this because Sangria hated rocks being in the house. "Crystals are made up of a highly ordered arrangement of atoms that repeat in a three dimensional pattern, they're closer to minerals."

The dedication Hux had for his friendships was admirable but he was still a little shit and he riled Val's inner sass to maximum levels. She still held the geode aloft, fully prepared to offer them to someone else if Hux continued to resist.

"I mean I guess if you're too chicken to grab one," she hummed, pretending to look around for someone else to give it to. "I can always find another Lamia that might want a geode."

"snrk!"

Trust Currant to recognize her game, she'd played it with him often enough.

*

“I guess?” Keith said. “Some people can have trouble with they stuff I guess…”

Trousle looked at Keith, unamused, “It’s not like it’ll change everything. You’re not a slave to it, you know.”

“Really? ‘Cause, uh… honestly, I don’t know how you guys do it,” Hux said, looking at Marmalade, “Or even why. Someone hijacks your soul and makes you feel shit, so you get closer and make it worse. Why deal with that? Why not just run and hope it goes away? ‘Cause it sounds like some kinda fucked up brainwashing to me.”

Keith kept his mouth shut. In the past he’d agreed with Hux to some extent, but now he wasn’t sure… Was that proof that Hux was wrong though, or that he was right and Keith was just falling victim to it?

While Keith was distracted, Hux tried to slither out from under him to grab the geodes, but Keith still had the presence of mind to flop down even harder, quietly delighting in the noises of rage even through his thoughts.

Nikolai finally walked back in - making Hux stiffen up because he was absolutely caught being a dick again - with a light blue teddy bear that looked like it’d been through its paces. The scent of home was soaked into it, and he’d noticed that Piper especially tended to like it. “Here. He likes curling around it when he’s tired or not feeling the best.” He’d gotten oddly protective of the toy at times, fending off those who’d try to hunt it. Best he could tell, he was trying to mimic Cobalt - the little mamba who defended him from teasing - but with Mr. Bluebeary.

“Now then, what exactly’s happening here?” Nikolai followed up.

“Keith’s crushing meeeeee,” Hux whined, making grabby hands for the geodes while trying to wiggle out. Maybe he could get sympathy?

“Hux is being rude.” Trousle said.

Nikolai was not remotely surprised. “Hux. Don’t be a jerk. Especially not if you’re the one seeking out the people!”

“I didn’t!”

“Why are you in the supplies closet then?”

“…”

Nikolai sighed. “Sorry about him. Are you all alright?”

*

"'s nothin' like brainwashin'," Marmalade said, a slight hiss in his tone. The very idea that he would be forced into a bond was insulting to everything that he was. It clearly showed that none of them understood the bond at all. If Keith did, he wasn't showing it. "the human has nothin' to do with the bond. 's all in the chain. we feel the bond an we decide if we forge it or not. 's a matter of feelin' complete, havin' someone that understands."

Trying to explain how right a completed bond felt was not dissimilar to attempting to explain astrophysics to a toddler. Marmalade's gaze was inevitably drawn to his bonded human, the one who had calmed his doubts and made him feel like he had worth beyond his species. He hadn't thought he would ever get a human either but Marmalade had known as soon as she walked in that she was his and that made her perfect.

"yer bonded fills a void you didn' know you had," he settled on. "but tha's not all they do. 's different for every chain. you jus'... you know tha' the human is fer you and that you would make their world brighter."

It was in no way accurate for what the bond was, any Chain would know that, but the soulbond wasn't so easily defined by one Lamia. What the bond meant to Marmalade would likely not be what it meant to Keith, or any other Lamia.

"Aw," Val cooed, tucking the bear into Currant's jacket so Piper could cuddle it in his sleep. "Thank you, Nikolai."

As much of a shithead as Hux was being, he still didn't deserve to be punished for caring about his friends and not wanting to be alone. So Valerie allowed him to try and hide his blunder, even if it didn't work, and didn't even try to hide her snicker. Hux may have been an asshole but he wasn't a complete lost cause.

"Clearly he wanted the geodes he must have smelled," Val countered. She was giving Hux an out, giving him a way so he didn't have to seem like he'd sought out a human and had just been drawn by presents. She did take pity on his woes and gently laid the geodes into his hands, a collection of them ranging in color and size. "He's quite the character, Nikolai. An absolute little shit."

"snrk!!"

"val," Marmalade laughed.

"I'm fine," she beamed. "Honestly, Hux may be a little shit but Keith seemed to have him well in coils."

*

Piper subconsciously coiled around Mr. Bluebeary in his sleep (apparently just absolutely exhausted since he slept through this), letting out a sleepy purr.

Keith should theoretically know better, and Nikolai and other Chain have told him better, but… Well, after all those years without one, all those years of him and Hux living together, all those years of watching others leave and clinging to those who’d probably stay…

It hurt less to convince himself that it was brainwashing. Hurt less to say he didn’t need one. Hurt less to pretend to pity those who went off happily with their bond mates instead of being jealous…

And then he found one, and she’s actually pretty sweet and fun and just a bit of a weirdo, just like them. Then he started looking forward to her coming. But the old thoughts still haunted his mind, saying he’d been forced into it, that it wasn’t real, but why not?

Keith kept his mouth shut on the matter.

Hux, thankfully, took the bait this time and decided to keep his mouth shut, instead greedily putting as much of himself as he could over the geodes as he inspected them. “Thanks.” His eyes were starting to go wide like Currant’s as he looked inside, peering at the crystals and the way they shimmered, catching the light. “Changed my mind. I ain’t sharing.” He was absolutely keeping these forever.

Nikolai attempted to stifle his laugh, but a chuckle still slipped through, “An apt description of him.”

“I love you, but yes,” Trousle said. Even he wouldn’t deny it.

“Eh… He’s my buddy,” Keith said. “Just a bit prickly.” He captured Hux further in a big hug. Only Hux’s head was sticking out now, the rest trapped under Keith. “Kinda a goober too.”

Hux pressed his face to the floor to hide the rising blush.

*

Currant cooed at Piper, delighted and so enthralled with having a young one to watch over that he didn't care about anything else. Didn't care about anyone else. Marmalade finally allowed the conversation about soulbonds to drop, feeling he had made his point. He peeked closer at Piper, the little guy not having been handed to him, and carefully made sure to take in the Pygmy's scent. Piper would be safer if Marmalade made sure he remembered what he smelled like.

Now Hux was starting to sound like Currant, too. Hoarding the geodes beneath his coils. It was always a little strange to see just how similar different Lamia were within their own species. Yet they were so different too. Hux had finally taken his eyes off her and she didn't feel like he was waiting to take a bite out of her if she moved wrong.

"I've found that the little shits are worth the most," Valerie said, agreeing with Keith. "It's the ones you work with, the friends you make that you have to fight for, that are the best you can have. Hux is one of those lifer friends, isn't he?"

"seems that way," Marmalade muttered, eyeing Hux's position on the ground.

But this was also an experience that Valerie couldn't pass up! She whipped out her phone and snapped a quick picture of Hux, trapped beneath Keith's coils, and sent it off to the boys at home with the caption a little shit being taken in coil with an appropriate amount of giggling. The picture she got in return was.... not a picture at all. Loud laughter spilled from her phone.

"LITTLE SHIT," Sangria wheezed in the video and she saw the grin Lapis directed at the phone camera, along with his typical finger guns.

"Why didn't I think of that?" she whisper-yelled. "A video call with my boys at home... ohmystars I feel like an idiot."

"eh," Marmalade grinned. "val's kinda a goober too."

*

Piper is happily snuggled against his teddy in his new best friend’s pocket with his favorite teddy. That is one blissful bitty bones.

Keith nodded, “Yeah, Hux is a lifer. I ain’t leaving him in to dust for anything or anyone.”

Hux groaned as he realized he was being laughed at, “Just end me now.”

“Nah. You’re trapped in cuddle land,” Keith said lazily, giving him an affectionate squeeze.

“How dare,” Hux said with absolutely no bite, enjoying this but also super embarrassed.

Nikolai chuckled, “These two are quite the pair. Good to hear from you.”

“I’m guessing one of ya is the famed Sangria,” Hux said. “Hey Currant, wanna show ‘em your new lil treasure?” Let the dude show off. It’ll be adorable.

Nikolai had no objections to this. If anything, he was trying to get closer to see Sangria and Lapis’s reactions.

*

Sangria puffed up in the video, gloves hands upon his hips and grin widening at the fact that people knew his name without having to be introduced. Yes, his malevolence was well known to Lamia all over! He didn't quite know how to ask Val how everything was going but things seemed to be going alright. Lapis was giggling, obviously being the one that was holding the phone.

He was hoping that Valerie wasn't bringing any of the full-sized hooligans into his territory, perking at the mention of a treasure.

"Oh, Sangria, he's adorable!" Val was gushing, pointing the camera towards Piper's sleeping face. "Look at him!"

Everyone was treated to the sight of Sangria's eye lights going huge in his sockets, slit pupils expanding into circles that nearly overtook the color. Lapis peeked around the phone so he could see what had caused that reaction. His grin widened.

"IS THAT A CHILD?" Sangria whispered, looking like he wanted to get closer. "ADMIRAL COME LOOK!"

Within seconds there was a cluster of eyes and skulls looking at Piper, a group of cooing Lamia enthused to see him. Well, Valerie hadn't expected this kind of reaction. They had even ignored Nikolai's introduction!

"HI!" Admiral squealed at them, being the first to notice all the others. His darkened socket and scarred cheek momentarily taking up the screen. "Baby?? BABY, BABY, BABY!!"

Aaaand he was off, distantly screeching.

"'pologies," Lapis drawled lazily. Sangria squeaked, demanding he be released so he could speak to everyone. Looks like Admiral was overcome by the zoomies. "mighta gave the kid a lil' too much caffeine."

Caffeine? A caffeinated Pygmy?

That was terrifying!

*

At all the noise, Piper started to stir, eyes peeking open as his mouth opened in a yawn. He started stretching out to wake up, but his coils instead tightened around Mr. Bluebeary. His head bobbed up and down as he fought to wake up, squeaking and chirping, but he lost and drifted back to sleep against his fuzzy little friend.

Nikolai chuckled, giving Piper a little head pat, “He got so excited when he found out about our park week that he didn’t sleep for a few days. Between that and all the excitement of being outside and meeting you, I’m sure he’s exhausted himself.” He then turned to Lapis, “And you. What in the vast reaches of the entire universe possessed you to over caffeinate a Pygmy?”

“Dude. You’re braver than me,” Hux said. “The zoomies would be horrifying.”

“Good luck Sangria,” Keith said, not wishing this fate on any. Well, at least they didn’t over-caffeinate a mamba…

*

The little sounds Piper made as he settled back into sleep were the most adorable thing Valerie had heard in a while and she barely resisted the urge to scoop him up and cuddle him close. He was going to do well with her boys, they'd keep him busy and make sure he was able to sleep through the night. Soon, he would have them all wrapped up in his adorable shenanigans.

"Lapis," she groaned, horrified at the idea of Admiral hyped up on caffeine. "I know you love your pranks but this... I don't see the a peel here."

Lapis beamed, giggling to himself and turning the phone so they could watch Sangria zip around after Admiral. The Pygmy was climbing all over the furniture and babbling too fast at the windows for his words to make any sense. These zoomies were fast-paced and chaotic, Admiral's voice so enthusiastic that Sangria was grinning.

"not brave," Lapis corrected. "jus' need to make sure sangria sleeps tonight. what better way than to have him chase admiral?"

"Its possible Sangria doesn't care," Valerie laughed. "But you had better not caffeinate Piper, Lapis. We don't need two zooming Pygmy."

She had to pause to mentally picture that and it was.... enough to make her nervous. Lapis would absolutely do that to her if he felt like she could handle it and it would be funny.

"thought it'd be funny," the Corny shrugged. "they were both mopin' around."

*

“He’s too young for it right now anyways,” Nikolai said, always the responsible parent. “And keep in mind, at his size, a little caffeine goes a much longer way. I wouldn’t give him anything stronger than white tea and dark chocolate, even as an adult.”

“That sounds like a way to do it though,” Hux said. “And a hilarious way at that! Why deal with mopes when you can watch ‘em zoom?”

“I almost wanna argue against that, but I can’t,” Keith said.

Even Nikolai had to admit, “I suppose that is a strategy…”

*

Valerie turned a mildly horrified look to Hux and Keith, knowing it was already too late to stop the monster they'd created. Lapis was a lazy guy, sure, but when it came to pranks and causing chaos he was the best in the house. And they were fueling his fire by the way he grinned at them.

"jus' make sure nothin' breaks," Currant grumbled with narrowed sockets. "they could go outside."

"a great idea," was Lapis' easygoing reply. "more roomie for the zoomie."

"What have you done?" Val groaned, watching the train wreck happening at her home. Lapis had opened the front door and Admiral was off like a rocket, Sangria hot on his tail. She couldn't help but smile at the way they zipped through the grass and trees, Admiral briefly posing on top of the basking rock with a 'MWEH HEH HEH' that was too cute.

"an when three o' them zoom together..." Marmalade shuddered. "stars..."

*

Nikolai was thinking to himself… partly out loud. “I suppose if Liam gets bored, that’s a way to do it…”

Hux laughed and flashed a devious grin, “I apologize for nothing.”

“I’m guilty as charged,” Keith said. “Agent of chaos, right here. Fear me.”

“Good luck if Piper zooms too,” Hux says. “Kid tried to fight Liam, he might try Sangria too.”

“I am glad they are getting exercise, but there are better ways!” Trousle said, the electronic voice muffled between Hux and Keith. “Like watching Avatar and trying to do the martial arts despite not having legs.”

*

"Oh stars," Val giggled, so horrified by her own imagination that she had ascended beyond groaning. "Imagine if someone caffeinated all the Mamba and Pygmy, though. It'd be an apocalypse!"

Now that she had said it aloud, Valerie felt like she might have just put pure chaos into the center's future. The only benefit she could find was that caffeine didn't last forever and the Lamia would crash pretty quickly.

"eh, sangria likes a challenger on occasion," Marmalade said with a snicker. "an piper 's already a dragon so sangria 'll be impressed. kid has guts."

"but he's jus' bones."

"Oh, Trousle," Val smiled. "Sweet summer child. My boys are basically feral when it comes to having fun and exercising! Even Lapis, the laziest noodle, has chaotic ways he moves when it's time."

"but val," Lapis cackled, "thought ya liked corny zoomies?"

"you jus' do the worm, though."

*

"Oh stars," Nikolai gasped in sheer horror at the thought. "I'm putting locks on all the coffees and tea. Staff only."

"Noooooooo...." Hux groaned, "I wanted to do it."

"I take no responsibility whether it does or does not happen," Keith said. He wasn't gonna bring the apocalypse, but wouldn't stop it either...

Trousle grinned, "Well then! We should hang out sometime! I bet I could "worm" better than you! Lazybones! Heart. Heart. Heart." He stuck his tongue out, wiggling playfully.

*

"That's probably for the best, really." She shuddered a little, cursing her own imagination with every colorful swear she knew. "Better watch the keys too. If you have any Cornies that are even remotely like Lapis, those keys might get stolen. Or the locks picked."

"or you could convince someone on staff tha' you wanted tea an jus' encourage a Mamba an Pygmy hoard to attack the hiding place," Marmalade said with a grin.

"whose side are you even on?" Currant demanded.

"anarchy," was the deadpan response.

"oh," Lapis peered closer to the phone. "hey there, kid. didn't know a papython was around. cool scarf... the worm ain't exactly a papython move, not cool enough, but it'd be fun."

*

"It's okay, I'm the small one! I understand." Trousle said. "Thank you! Val gave it to me! It looks so great!"

"There's no stopping the apocalypse. Just stock up while you can," Nikolai said.

Hux and Keith were laughing.

"I heard that we're not telling Cornies something?" said a Corny. "Also, pass the water bandages, will ya? Rings got cut on a rock."

"Oozy! My man!" Keith chirped.

Nikolai gave Oozy the bandages.

"Give him a pet, yeah? He likes those," Hux said to Val. The layer of ooze on Oozy was thinner and clearer than usual, water having diluted and washed quite a bit away, but there was still a hard-to-see the layer of slime on him.

Oozy was too wrapped up in what he wasn't supposed to be doing to pay attention to the waterproof wrappings (or Hux) though. "Soooooo... what am I absolutely not supposed to know?"

*

"yeah, she loves to give gifts. can't wait to meet you, kid."

There was no doubt that Valerie would be going to the center to see Trousle and all of them again. Next time it would be a big thing where everyone would go.

This new side to Hux was a far cry better than him being a little shit. It felt more like the real Hux had made an appearance and Keith was right, he was a huge goober.

"anarchy now," Marmalade declared. "didn' want a corny to know someone was plannin' on caffeinatin' the mamba an pygmy to bring about the apocalypse."

"don' forget the lockpickin'," Lapis delighted in tacking on.

But Val wasn't really listening to them. She was looking at Oozy and trying to decide if Hux was playing a trick on her or not. It wasn't typical for her to just reach out and pet a Lamia without asking first but even if Oozy did bite her, he wasn't venomous and the worst that could happen is it would hurt. It wouldn't even be the worst pain.

So Val reached out and pet Oozy on the back of the skull. The resulting mucus on her hand was disgusting but also very interesting to pet and she became far more invested in petting it than was normal. She made a noise of intrigue, reminded of patting mud pies as a kid.

"gross," was Currant's hiss.

*

“I look forward to meeting you too!” Trousle said. “Have you ever played DnD? My friends here and I play a few times a week!”

Oozy’s eyes widened, “That sounds like a disaster…” He was totally saving that idea for when he got bored. “Lock Picking Lawyer is pretty cool. I started watching him on one of my YouTube dives. Heh. Learned a lot about locks.”

Oozy’s eyes were on Val’s handy; he was giddy with anticipation, both for the affection and the almost inevitable gross-out. The dude couldn’t help giggling at the face she made, but would never say no to some friendly pets. He shrugged at Currant, used to it, “Eh, it’s life. Slimy, slimy life. Name’s Oozy, good to meet y’all.”

Hux was also laughing at poor Val for falling for it. Keith mentally gave her props for petting him anyways, even if it might’ve been morbid curiosity.

“Mmm… Geez, this has been a good year with girls for me. Might get spoiled at this rate,” Oozy said, longing to capture her in a cuddle, but he got the feeling that would just gross her out. Ah well, someday maybe.

*

"i've helped val make dnd characters before, when she was feeling like drawing chaos. never played any."

"lapis can pick locks, somehow." And Marmalade was still in awe of that random talent. None of them even knew where he'd picked up that skill from. Val couldn't reliably hide anything from him if he became determined enough to get it.

Currant was staring at Val's hand as she petsOozy. This must have been how people felt when they witnessed a horrible accident, horrified but unable to look away. The more she pet the more interested she became and the most enthusiastic about continuing to pet him. It was gross, yeah, but she was fascinated by the fact he was slimy. Like a frog or a salamander.

"Ohmystars," she breathed, using both hands to pet and probably resembling a kid meeting Santa for the first time. "This is so gross but so cool too! You feel like a salamander, ohmygodwhydidtheynameyouOozywhenyoufeellikethis???"

"oh no..."

*

“I could teach you if you want! Keith DMs.”

“I’m Keith,” Keith says, trying to keep Lapis up to speed, “The one I’m sitting on is Hux. Our King is Nikolai.”

Oozy’s eyes went starry and he splayed himself out for maximum petting. “Right? Heh. We can’t quite figure out why? But it’s a thicker ooze when I ain’t wet… or haven’t been in water recently, I’m always kinda wet. And, well, there have been worse Corny names. We seem to attract them.”

“Poor Spoon,” Nikolai said. “I should get naming guidelines…”

“Still better than Radish,” Hux said.

“I think Radish was a honeybo though,” Keith said.

“Still kinda respect the hastily renamed Mamba ‘Little Tucker.’” Oozy said with a grin, bearing his throat for some neck-scratches.

“Princess Garbage Lamp thankfully had that name changed,” Nikolai said.

“Didn’t YOU start that nickname?”

“In my defense, you weren’t born yet to witness that fiasco.”

*

"that'd be great, kid."

The amount of shenanigans that Lapis could inflict upon them is enough to make Currant and Marmalade giggle like schoolgirls. Lapis is still smiling but they can tell he wishes he was the one getting the pets and attention that Oozy is getting. Val was so excited about something different.

"I named my boys after colors," Val's voice was distracted, the feel of Oozy beneath her hands much more interesting. She itched to take pictures so she could draw this later, knowing it would be a huge boon to her visual library. "Color names are the best."

"val's an artist so she likes to name us after stuff she likes an knows." Currant paused, flushing a little. "she also tends to call us gems."

"the truth comes out," Marmalade teased. "nikolai can't name."

"Does it float in the water?" Valerie asked, moving her petting to Oozy's neck and using her nails to scratch lightly at his prompting. "Like, does it come off you and float? Or does your body absorb it, somehow? Does it have a taste? What does it mean for your scales? Do you shed?"

*

Keith smiled, “That’s adorable actually. Like, it’s freaking precious when someone shares part of what’s special to them with you.”

Nikolai agrees with the sentiment, but is also blushing, “I have many talents. Naming isn’t one of them.”

Oozy purrs deep in his chest, eyes shutting in bliss. “Depends on how thick it’s gotten. Fresher ooze might thin out a little bit, but if I’ve been sleeping in it a while, it’ll probably slough off and dissolve after a while. I’m kinda numb to the taste, but apparently, it’s got a salty and tangy vibe, but gets bitter if it stays there too long. I apparently have really uneven shedding, more like parts of the skin just get really soft until a slight bump tears it off. Usually dusts before it fully leaves the slime. I can’t really feel it when it happens though. From what we can tell, this stuff has ups and downs. Have to be careful about fungi, but I out-ick most other grossness. It seals up any cuts, burns, or whatever I might get and keeps them more or less sterile. Not that I get hurt much…”

*

"prolly also helps that none of us had names," Marmalade added. "the center we came from didn' give us names, we knew who was being talked to without that. Jus' easier to let adopters name us."

"don' think piper will get a different name though," Currant said, finally having enough and slithering off Val. "'s a cute name."

Valerie was far more interested in what Oozy had going on. She wasn't inclined towards science but she was curious about everything new that she found out. It must have been a little inconvenient to be covered in goop but it was fascinating that he knew so much about it. She was almost tempted to taste it just to see but Valerie wasn't that adventurous when it cameto trying new things. His word that it was salty-tangy was more than enough.

"Shame you didn't use the pun," she finally grumbled. "Coulda said something about how you can't become too much of a fun gi... But it's really cool. Like a protective layer, right?"

*

“We tried that, but names stick,” Nikolai says. “It’s almost impossible for them NOT to end up called something.”

Oozy’s eyes went wide and he laughed, “Dude. That’s hissterical. You’re really treating me to a good slime here!” He laughed a little more, then went back to explaining, “Maybe? I won’t say I’m entirely unique, but it’s a super rare condition. Ain’t been many chances to study if, so no one’s fully sure what causes it. I’ve had some science dudes and doctors and stuff come look at me. Nothing bad of course. Pretty sure Nikolai would’ve maimed them if they tried to go mad scientist.

“We’ve got a few theories. Some think that my soul is really stubborn in believing that I’m supposed to be an amphibian, or maybe I had an ancestor or two who were part frog or salamander or something. Others think there’s an issue in magic processing, like maybe my body just doesn’t know to slow down, or maybe something in that whole process is just completely borked. Point is, we ain’t sure. We’ve narrowed out a few possibilities, but don’t know why I do this, how to make it stop, or if that’d even be a good idea.

“But eh… whooze worried ‘bout that anyways?”

*

Oh no, he was a typical Corny all right. Puns, something Valerie had only really started to find funny after getting Lapis, spilling forward so easily she was momentarily stunned. He was slightly better than Lapis was and that feat was impressive enough she would have made sparkle eyes at Oozy if she could.

"Or maybe it's just you being such a slick guy that you can't contain it." She wiggled her eyebrows comically, a wheeze from Marmalade accompanying her words, and wasn't she just the smuggest person ever at that? "I guess you could also come from mixed genetics... maybe you had someone aquatic in your history? Aquatic creatures produce a slime too."

She was trying to resist commenting how he might actually be aslug, a lazy slug, but figured that would be rude. And then she had a sudden epiphany that caused her so much glee it almost physically manifested in a subtle glow from her chest.

"Or maybe..." she bit her lip, fighting back a massive grin. "You're a sea slug."

*

Oozy didn't even try to stifle his chuckling as a grin split his face, but he absolutely lost it at sea slug, letting out one of those "Pffffft"s of when you're caught off guard, then throwing his head back in laughter with his hand on his face. "Dude. Omg. That's a newt one. Good thing I'm a sea slug though and not a regular one, 'cause I'm being assalted with puns! Eel give you that, you're pretty good."

Hux was audibly groaning, getting more and more exasperated with every passing pun. Keith was laughing along while Nikolai fondly watched.

*

Valerie lost her battle with laughter, Currant's sockets narrowed in warning while Marmalade nearly collapsed as he wheezed along. She also heard Lapis giggling from the phone, beside himself with the fact he had so thoroughly corrupt her sense of humor with his own shenanigans.

"They just keep coming and I didn't even planet that way. Lapis' humor just seemed to mussel in when I brought him home. I'm not shellfish with the puns, either. Feel free to use 'em anytime."

Marmalade was wheezing so heavily that she was honestly concerned about his health and Lapis had descended into such high pitch giggles that she felt proud of herself. No Corny stood a chance now.

*

Oozy wasn’t sure he could top that. And he DEFINITELY couldn’t while he was too busy laughing his ass off to breathe. Hux was screaming into the floor in exaggerated anguish. Keith was howling. Even Nikolai was laughing along with the rest. This was the best possible result.

And through it all, a confused Krait awkwardly takes the water bandages from where Oozy sat them down, slithering back to the rest and avoiding whatever all this is.

*

It was comical, how she sat back with such a smug look on her face while surrounded by hysterical Lamia in various stages of horror or laughter. They were all lucky they wouldn't pass out from laughing so much or she might have been in trouble. Currant had grown used to the insane amount of shenanigans so he wasn't quite screaming but he certainly wasn't amused by the chaos.

Well, Marmalade had declared that it was anarchy now!

"Don't terrier yourself up about this. I'm pawsitive you can pun back. Though all this laughter is a nice jester from you."

Marmalade was on the ground, almost convulsing with laughter and she didn't even know Lamia could do that.

*

“Hey, hehehe,” Oozy was trying to talk through snorts of laughter, “Oh geez, pffft. Throw me a bone here! You’re doggone good at this, but I’m feline fine!”

“How did we get to cats and dogs? We’re snakes,” Nikolai said with amused befuddlement.

“Eh, she’s petter at some puns than me, but she’s not weaseling her way out of this so easily!”

Hux let out a muffled scream of, “I’M IN HELL.”

Trousle was trying to hide laughter behind an exasperated facepalm.

*

"Oooh, getting into a tearable pun territory now," she teased. "Well, I have a meowtain of puns. Dog puns are a bit ruff but I'm sure I can mange a few. Don't worry, you'll achieve grapeness if you wine a little."

The puns were all over the place and that was what had Marmalade on the ground, flailing around. Lapis never punned with Val like this and now that he knew she could they were all doomed. Just a little taste and Marmalade was unable to control himself. Lapis was sobbing now and showed no signs of stopping.

"look what you did!" Currant announced with a small screech of dismay.

"no grater way to go," Lapis wheezed.

*

“These puns are starting to get cheesy, but I’ll brie fine. Cheddar get ready, I can milk this for all it’s worth if ya let me have my curds ‘n way.” Oozy was NOT one to back down from a pun-off.

This was the most effort Nikolai had seen him put in in a while, so he wasn’t going to stop him…

Oozy kept going, “Cheese and crackers, sometimes I can go against the grain. Wheat’re ya gonna do plow?” He has no regrets. “I’ll keep punnin’ till the cows come home, no need to raise the afarm, but y’know, there’s a reason they call me - (snrk) - Corny.”

*

Oozy was good at this! Val had to pause for just a moment to try and think of a few things she could use. His means of punning was very one track, with a single vein that he went into and kept on, but she tended to like chaotic punnery instead.

A pun battle it would be, then.

"You've goat to wait for gouda puns. Don't pastaway on me now or we'll have a latte problems. Meow you've gone and bun it. Beating you at a pun battle won't be impastable for someone like me. Beclaws I've been practicing."

*

“I’d say it’s your mewve, but I’ll whisker ya away with these, and cat’s not all I have to say.

“Victory’s fleece-ing, but you can sheep well tonight. Cow about ya keep trying, or are ya chicken?

“‘Cause that won’t cut it. Not to hammer in the point, but I’ve nailed it. You saw it, right? I’ve got the tools to win.”

*

Val resisted her laughter for all of five seconds before she snorted. It was loud and hurt a little but it heralded the end of her pun game as she then descended into her hysterics. Keeping up with a Corny was difficult but her mind felt good from having to think up all those puns and her soul felt lighter. He'd been a perfect opponent to flex her punning muscle against.

"I don't think I can top that," she giggled, petting him with barely a twitch. "Probably a good thing too because I think Marmalade is having a fit."

Which was only partially true. Marmalade had exhausted himself and was flopped into a pile on the ground, twitching every time he snickered.

"that was a pawesome pun battle," Lapis declared from the phone. "Cornies win again."

*

Hux was still just screaming into the ground, muffled under a pile of Keith. Keith was coming down from his bout of hysterics (albeit as much from Hux's reaction as the puns themselves), and Oozy grinned. "That was great. Heh, haven't done that in a hot minute. You're dang good at this, y'know? Like, super good."

*

Hopefully, Hux would realize they weren't punning anymore and calm down. It had felt good to be able to sit back and dish out whatever randomness her brain conjured up, pun battle or not. Valerie was just happy to have not made a complete fool of herself. Shame no other Corny had joined in, it would likely have caused permanent mental damage to someone.

"So it's been a cold minute?" She couldn't prevent the question, grin turning smug once more. "Lapis has ruined my sense of humor for all eternity. Puns were one of those things I used to do without realizing but I notice them a lot now. And they're funny!"

*

"I think you mean he improved it, heh," Oozy said. "Man, that was great. Thanks, lil corny. Lil popcorn. Nah, popcorn's too energetic. You're a Kernal. Thanks, Kernal."

"Bet you wish you were that good at nicknames," Keith said to Nikolai.

"It was ONE time! And you know good and well what that Corny did with that lamp."

Hux huffed, finally calming, "What did I do to deserve this?"

"Many things," Trousle said. "You might be prickly, but you still deserve Keith’s cuddles!"

"... You can't pull that surprise sweet shit on me like that," Hux said, red-faced.

"I can. You cannot stop me."

"Nikolai, make him stooooop."

"No," Nikolai said, heading towards the door, "I should be getting back now, who knows what's gone on while I was gone. I don't know when you'll be leaving, Val, but if you can, try to wait until Piper wakes up so he knows what's going on and gets a chance to say goodbye. Thank you."

*

"Depends on who you ask, I guess." Clearly, Hux and Currant thought her sense of humor was ruined, although Currant changed his tune when she was telling him knock, knock jokes. "I'll never hear the end of it. He'll call himself that and Sangria will throw a fit until Lapis says he's waiting to pop into corn."

Which, again, was fair. But Sangria would be equal parts disgusted and horrified. They were lucky he hadn't heard their pun battle or she would never have been able to get away with leaving him out.

"nah, thank you buddy," Lapis said. "clearly I need to come along next time."

"clearly," Currant parroted, a pained look upon his face.

"Puh-lease," Val directed towards Hux. "It was obvious from the start you were secretly a huge softy beneath all the prickles. Just like a cactus."

It was, too. After a while, anyway.

"anarchy," was Marmalade's grave response to what had likely gone on in Nikolai's absence. "pure chaos."

"Oh yes, it was probably a Mamba apocalypse," Valerie agreed. "We'll stick around until Piper wakes up, let him say goodbye, and get numbers so you guys can talk to him until we come back around. I'll be making another donation to the center sometime in the next few weeks."

*

"I apologize for nothing," Oozy said with a shit-eating grin. "I look forward to seeing ya Kernal. We'll have a good slime. Hehehe."

"I'm glad I ain't the only sane one here. Other Coral. Help me!" He managed to wiggle an arm out, reaching for Currant. He was blushing more as he tried to ignore Val's assessment of him.

Nikolai let out a sigh that turned into a chuckle, "I shouldn't expect anything else. Oh well. I guess I'll go save the world." He went for the door, stopping long enough to say, "Thank you. We all appreciate it. I'm sure he'll be really happy with you." Then he left.

*

"as marmalade said, anarchy now," Lapis took great delight in repeating. "we'll have a whale of a good time."

Currant's initial assessment of Hux may not have been very nice but he did have some species pride. He huffed, as if aiding Hux was the greatest weight upon his shoulders, but reached out with his magic nonetheless. The fact that he had magic to spare was a matter of pride, his meals were so carefully planned out just for this reason. A crook of his fingers and he yanked Hux forward.

"Go save the day, Nikolai," Val said with a wave. "I'll try and make sure none of these hooligans get into trouble."

*

Hux whooped and stuck his tongue out at Keith as he managed his great escape… with aid. “Thanks, dude, owe us one.”

Nikolai chuckled, “I appreciate it. And good luck with that.”

Everyone waited for five seconds after he left. Then Oozy immediately said, “Alright, who wants to storm the coffee?”

“NO!” Hux snapped.

“Maaaaybe,” Keith drawled.

“Can I have some?” Trousle had a wide grin, bobbing back and forth in excitement.

“… what have I done,” Oozy said, staring down Trousle.

*

Now Val might have said she would watch the others but she doubted she'd be able to stop any shenanigans that might occur. Currant and Marmalade wouldn't join the chaos, she hoped, so it came down to watching all the others and making sure they didn't cause trouble. But of course Oozy would be the one that would have pranks on the mind, seeing as Cornies were agents of chaos.

"COFFEE?" She heard from the phone, a battle cry that sent her calm expression diving into horror. Sangria had a very distinct tone and he must have out zoomed Admiral to still be awake. The stamina of a Mamba was no joke. He didn't sound like he was as full of energy as usual but not tired either. "DO NOT GIVE COFFEE!"

"no roomie for the zoomie," Lapis announced sadly. "you're all in the city. too much could happen if ya give everyone coffee."

"like that would stop anyone," Currant huffed, cradling Piper against his chest and wondering how the kid could sleep through this.

"anarchy now," Marmalade agreed solemnly.

*

This did not discourage Oozy, "I'm gonna give 'em coffee. Just you wait! I'll do the Boston tea party, but in a krait pond with coffee! JUST TRY ME!"

Hux, trying to stop the apocalypse, pounced on Oozy, nose scrunched as he held the other down. "No. Nope. Nope nope nope nope."

"... ya have to get off eventually," Oozy said, not remotely struggling to get free.

"Bold of you to assume you can out-lazy me," Hux said.

Keith was laughing... and slithering off to grab some coffee.

Piper was stirring some now and then, making noises of displeasure at all the noise, but he'd been on and off zoomies for a few days without sleep. His body finally forced him...

Or tried to. "Coffee!" Piper yelled, demanding.

Oh no.

*

Secretly, or not so secretly, Val doubted Hux could out-lazy a Corny and that the apocalypse wouldn't be happening. She had resolved herself to witnessing the zooms that would be happening, feeling the looks of horror upon her for not stopping this. All she could hope is that it wouldn't be too bad.

And then she heard the little demand and all the terror crashed upon her shoulders. Currant was looking down in shock and Marmalade pressed his face into his coils.

"Oh no," Valerie whispered, scooping Piper up so she could pet him. Even if he wanted coffee she couldn't resist some cuddles from an adorable Pygmy. "I don't know if you'll like coffee, Piper. It's pretty bland."

Please let him be easily convinced by thinking coffee had to be served plain and nothing else.

"UNLESS YOU ADD SUGAR," Sangria muttered from the phone, drawing her stare. "ADMIRAL DRANK THE SWEET STUFF."

"Sangria," She whined but it was too late.

Oh no, indeed.

*

Keith has found a 12 pack of a certain type of cold-brew coffee in the fridge. He shook some of the snacks from the snack machine in trade, sticking a note on there that he regretted nothing.

Calmly, he went out and started distributing the contraband to Mambas and Pygmies.

“Nnnnn!!! But! Need zoom! Get to play outside but ‘m tired and ‘s not fair! Dun Wanna sleep…” He was getting fussy in the way an over-tired child does when they desperately want to keep having fun, little tears budding in his eyes and hiccuping. “Gimme zoom juice! Wanna play!”

*

Piper was hitting her right in the underdeveloped, curdled maternal instincts. He sounded like he was on the verge of a full-on tantrum and she didn't want him to get that upset over some coffee. It had been a while since she'd been around a fussy child that didn't make her want to run in the other direction.

It was an awful idea. She knew it was an awful idea. But Valerie couldn't deny Piper a little bit of fun before they left.

"OK," she took a deep breath. "You can have a small sip of zoom juice. Just a little bit. You can play but we do have to say goodbye. Sangria is waiting at home for you."

"INDEED," her large Mamba huffed. "IF YOU ZOOM NOW YOU'LL SLEEP ON THE DRIVE AND YOU CAN ZOOM AGAIN AT HOME."

*

Piper stared for a moment like he didn’t expect that to work. But once it processed that he had more playtime, he broke into giggles and a grin, trilling happily. “YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY! YA… Yawn AY!”

“Told ya you can’t stop me. I didn’t even have to escape,” Oozy said.

Hux had his jacket hood over his skull and was trying to melt into the ground to escape (ignoring that he could just, like… leave).

Outside, trouble was already brewing as the more energetic Lamia began to ZOOM! One mamba was trying to declare himself king of the entire world, hampered by the Pygmy who had decided to be a superhero all of the sudden and was playfully fighting him. A few bitty mamba were trying to tip over Val’s van (without success, thankfully). Nikolai was holding back swears as he tried to stop one mamba from starting a fire. A Pygmy had somehow trapped himself in a tire swing. It was chaos.

Keith was wondering when he should tell them it was decaf. Placebos are killer sometimes.

*

Some distant part of Val's brain thought she might have been played but she ignored it. Piper had no way of knowing of her soft spot for cute and small creatures, that the sight of tears would break down her walls faster than a wrecking ball. A sip of coffee wouldn't cause him any harm.

"You gonna come out with us, Hux?" She asked, looking at him from the corner of her eye. "Most of the humans should be gone now that the zoom is happening so you don't have to worry about getting adopted. Plus... won't it be funny to see Nikolai handle this?"

Currant huffed at the blatant manipulation but even he doubted Hux would go out to see what had been brought upon the park. He was keen on watching Piper but just keeping up with his excitement from earlier had tired Currant out and he would have preferred going back into the van to sleep.

"let's get the kid some coffee," Marmalade drawled, slithering out before stopping at the chaos.

"Oh my," was Val's faint response, eyes wide as she stared at the sight of the zoomies. It was frightening. She didn't even want to go out there. "I don't know if I'm scared or impressed..."

*

In his defense, Piper wasn’t TRYING to be manipulative, he was upset about it. But usually, when he’d get fussy about needing sleep, people took him to bed and tried harder to have him sleep. But now he’s happy! He gets more zoom!!!

Currant could try to sleep in the van, but there were even MORE bitty mamba trying to push it over, some of them pushing from inside. Even with their combined might, it wasn’t happening.

Nikolai had to hiss some very stern warnings at Liam to keep him from helping, all while holding onto a teenaged, full-sized Pygmy that was trying his best to wiggle free.

Keith was coiled up next to Maia, having told her his trick.

And Hux was willing to watch from afar, if only to see the madness.

This only got better/worse when some random dude decided to make an impromptu donation of three dozen beach balls, including two gigantic ones. No one could escape from the park-wide impromptu game of dodgeball… except the pygmies and mamba that were reenacting the boulder scene from Indiana Jones.

*

Valerie groaned at the hoard gathered around her van, hoping that nothing went missing from inside and holding Currant back from storming it and driving the hoard away. It was just lucky that no larger Mamba or Pygmy were attempting to join in.

"I'll let you go find some coffee to drink but please come back to me when you start getting tired," Valerie fussed, lowering Piper to the ground. "Make sure you tell everyone goodbye too. We'll come back to visit but ask for numbers and bring them to me to save."

She fussed over Piper for a little bit longer before she let him zip off to get himself some zoom juice. The grass was soft enough that she had no shame sitting down, cheek propped on her palm. Currant and Marmalade wrapped around her to keep away the worst of the shenanigans.

"At least everyone is having fun..."

*

Piper nodded and gave Val a little kiss on her hand before going off. Keith was kind/smart enough to give the kid some Mountain Dew: much better tasting, but with actual caffeine, even if not as much as coffee.

Once it hit his system, Piper started to ZOOM, alternating between playing and excitedly talking about his adoption, hugging all his little playmates, and bringing some over to meet Val, Marmalade, and Currant.

He was explaining to some of the mamba - who had given up tilting Val’s car and were now grumbling about it being full of bricks - that he was gonna go home in that car (while chasing a beach ball in circles) when a particularly young bitty mamba shot out and glomped him.

“NO! No you don’t! Mine!” The mamba screeched.

“But I leaving!”

“No! You stay here! I protect.” Cobalt the mamba pouted, holding Piper to his chest and wrapping around him protectively.

“Isssss ‘kay Cobalt! Val’s nice! And Curry loves! They not hurt me.”

“No no no no no! No! You stay! No leave! Is mine!”

“You gonna get a person too!”

“I wan’ YOU!” Cobalt had worked himself into tears, not wanting to let go of Piper…

Piper wasn’t sure how to handle it, “Sssshhh! Shhhh! No cry! No cry! Is ‘kay! You’re real good! They just jealous! ‘Cause pretty scales!” He was just mimicking some of what Cobalt had said to make him feel better.

“I pretty?” Cobalt said, sniffling. “I miss you…” He thought for a little bit, then went over to Val and slithered on her with Piper in tow, “We go now!”

*

Even though there were a lot of Lamia zipping and zooming, Valerie tried to keep her attention on Piper instead. He was a ball of energy, making her tired just watching but filling her chest with joy right along with that. She was introduced to so many Lamia that she had no hope of remembering all the names being tossed at her.

She didn't see what was going on but she heard the screeching, the absolute dismay in someone's little scream. Her soul throbbed with pain and she hoped someone would come along to offer assistance because there was no way Valerie would be able to crush someone's feelings. Marmalade tensed beside her, feeling the feedback of pain within his chest.

It was made even worse when the owner of the screech slithered onto her and she was torn by how small the Mamba was. He was the smallest bitty Lamia she had ever seen and there was the hint of tears upon his face that tore her up inside. The little guy had nothing on Sangria's iridescence, few did, but he was such a pretty color.

Valerie looked around, hoping for someone to offer assistance before she gave in and took him home too. Petting his little head as soon as he seemed to have settled.

"Oh, little dragon," she cooed at the Mamba. "What has you so upset?"

Maybe if she stalled...

*

"You can't have Piper! Is mine! He no go! I keep!" Cobalt hissed. He knew better than to bite, even in the midst of a tantrum, but he was tempted. But then Piper would probably cry...

"But I want go!" Piper said.

"No!" Cobalt said. He clung stubbornly to Piper. "I protect forever! Can't go..."

"You protect good! But I go now."

"Noooooo!" Cobalt sobbed.

Hux couldn't watch any more of this, slithering back inside. It'd been mostly fun watching the others cause chaos, but he knew all too well how Cobalt felt...

Thankfully, the freed Oozy came to the rescue... "Heya kid... why the long face?"

"Piper's LEAVING! But he can't!"

"Sure he can. Yer old enough now. Both of ya."

"But-But..." Cobalt sniffled, nuzzling Piper.

"It ain't like you'll never see him again," Oozy said. "I've had friends get adopted, but they still come back all the time. And I know Val's gonna keep in great touch. He can still call you."

"Not same..." Cobalt said, half holding and half leaning on Piper. "He's friend..."

"I know kiddo... I know. But hey, you'll get someone too one day, y'know?"

"You haven't," Cobalt said with a huff.

"I'm a high-maintenance Corny, you're an awesome little mamba. We're two different things entirely. You'll be loved."

"... I want Piper with me," Cobalt said. "You stay?"

Piper kissed Cobalt's cheek, "Love too! But I go. I come back! And bring toys!"

"Promise?"

"Mm-hmm!"

"And talk! Phone talk!"

"Yeah!"

Cobalt sniffled, holding Piper close. "... 'kay." He then looked at Val, little stare withering. "Take care! Be extra nice and give treats! Tell him he look good! If you be mean, I bite you!"

"She nice!" Piper insisted.

"Better be..."

Meanwhile, in the background, Nikolai let out a loud shout of, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT WAS DECAF?!"

*

She knew there was something wrong with her when she found the tantrum to be more adorable than anything. In typical Mamba fashion, his tantrum came down to someone taking what he viewed as his and a lot of yelling. Nikolai must have told them that biting was a very bad thing to do because he didn't try and take a chunk out of her in the midst of his ranting.

Oozy was a gift. Calming down the tantrum and saving her from giving in to the cuteness of the little Mamba's attitude. If he had been full-size she would have been more intimidated than she was but he was adorable before he was frightening.

"If I didn't have Sangria at home I'd take you too." Valerie couldn't hold the words back if she wanted to. "But I know a little dragon-like you will get a good home. Who wouldn't want such a pretty Mamba?"

Hopefully, the compliments helped because she would rather not get bitten.

"don' worry kid," Currant said, calling attention to his own warning stare. "val 'll take good care of piper. he'll have his own rock to bask on, his favorite candy, an' so many toys he'll be able to share with ya that all the other mamba 'll be jealous."

"not ta mention she might let piper bring ya sour candy jus' for you next time," Marmalade added. He heard Nikolai's shout and had a devious idea. "an' we can bring more coffee next time."

*

Cobalt sniffled again, but wiped his face and smiled up at her, "Yeah... 'M pretty cool! I gonna get good! Mm-hmm!" He giggled and nuzzled Piper. "You get good too. Deserve it. Miss you..."

"Miss you too. But is 'kay! I see again."

"Yes! And bring sour candies! And coffee!"

"Okay! We do!"

"Good!" Cobalt said. That said, he was still reluctant to go just yet... "We go play now."

"Okay!"

And they did! The two zoomed around the park together until Piper once more started losing the fight with sleep. Cobalt had to half-drag him back, and even then almost started crying again, but they said one see-you-later, and Piper curled up to sleep on the ride home...

And that Corny, who ate more sweets and has now conked out in the glove box, is apparently coming too.

*

Disaster averted, Val flopped back against Marmalade and Currant while Piper ran through his caffeine buzz with his friend. It was much better to see a happy Mamba than to see one that was likely contemplating biting. It likely wasn't long enough for the Mamba to come to terms with having to say goodbye but he did. Currant accepted Piper and they all wished everyone a good evening, saying their own see-you-laters.

"Everyone will sleep good tonight," Val mused, helping Currant into the front seat of the van so they could settle into the blankets. She searched around to make sure there weren't any stowaways and Marmalade assured her they'd all left. "We got a long drive ahead of us, I'll stop and get more snacks for the road."

She climbed into the drivers seat, feeling warm and good about how the day had gone. It was one of those perfect days where she made plenty of friends. Once at home she would put numbers into the phones and have Piper call so everyone would know he'd gotten there safe.

Marmalade picked a song for the start of the ride, Val singing along, and they began their journey home. Unaware of the hidden Corny in the glove box.

[codegemini]

Memory Retreats - Part 1

(( @argonas​ / @thefugitivemango​​ for character mention ))

 ~*~*~

Talador - Draenor

The young Draenei stuck her tongue out as she found a hold for her hoof and lifted her weight further up the tree. Steadily, she climbed a bit longer before perching herself up on a branch. Her luminous white eyes fell on another branch from the neighboring tree. She stayed there, crouched down a moment as she evaluated the distance, and then looked down toward the ground with a tilt of her head. Finally, she nodded to herself. Seemed safe enough. 

Slowly, she stood, a grin on her face, arms outstretched to either side and tail swaying carefully behind her for balance. Her brown hair was tied in pigtails, flapping in the wind. Indeed, this was a MUCH better thrill than sitting around and listening to elders speak. 

Sinafay wasn’t very good at listening. Her father, Rhaoth, had hoped that it would be a passing thing, a phase that she would eventually outgrow. Yet, as other younglings grew and became more obedient and attentive, his daughter had become increasingly difficult to control. She was stubborn, rash, impatient, curious, insubordinate, and much too adventurous for her own good. She respected the Light, but did not spend more time in meditation and prayers than was required of her. She had no interest in academics, hunting, or combat training. The girl’s parents had thought that she might take an interest in becoming a provider, like Rhaoth, since she seemed to enjoy nature; yet she would wander off every time her father attempted to teach her anything. By her age, most had an idea of what path they wanted to take, but this girl seemed to have none. No plans, no path, not a care in the world! It was as though she were refusing to grow up. She avoided responsibility at every turn and seemed attracted to trouble.

 Her brother, Rurik, had caught her spying and following the brown skinned residents and Ogres on more than one occasion. While the ones called ‘Orcs’ were peaceful through their few encounters with the Draenei, it was also not seen as wise to interact with them more than necessary. Orcs would most likely bring her no harm, but Ogres… dangerous all around. Observering them the way she did with next to no training was nothing short of idiotic. 

By now, someone had surely noted her absence, but she didn’t care. 

With a leap, she flew through the air, reaching out just in time to catch the branch she had been aiming for. Success! She hung there for a moment, giggling happily. Sinafay could easily waste away the whole day in the forest. 

As she prepared to lift herself up and attempt the feat again, however, her pointed ears picked up loud cracks and heavy shuffling. Quickly, she swung her legs and tail up to wrap around the branch as animals scattered about. The tree she was in actually shook as the creatures approached, and it became clearly obvious to her what they were before she saw them. Ogres. She couldn’t make out their language, but recognized their speech. There were two of them, arguing from the sounds of things. She looked down as they passed just below, holding her breath so as to not make a sound. Ogres usually weren’t seen in these areas. They must have been lost... and hungry by the looks of it. One seemed to be looking about for prey, clutching a club that could have very well been the trunk of a tree. Sinafay couldn’t help but smirk. Luckily for her, the two creatures were too stupid to bother looking up... 

 ...which is when a new cracking sound startled her, and the branch she held onto suddenly shifted. Had she remained still, it would have held her weight long enough for the danger to pass, but the girl panicked and lost her grip. With a yelp, she bounced off the second Ogre’s large shoulder and landed hard on the ground. 

So much for not being noticed...

She shook her head and blinked up, both creatures eyeing her hungrily now, drooling even. They had found their meal! She scrambled up... they raised their weapons...and the chase was on as she took off running.

Sinafay’s head was still spinning from the fall, but she didn’t stop, picking up cuts and bruises from stray branches as she went. The wounds would heal, but if they caught her, she was as good as dead. The girl had speed on her side, but they had size and brute force. A few sharp turns gave her a bit of a lead, and she was almost out of the forest when sharp pain shot through her right ankle and a force held her leg back, tripping her. Again, she fell to the ground, this time with a pained cry.  She tried to get up but that same pain shot through her lower leg once more. Tears filled her eyes and she grit her teeth as she looked back and realized she had run right into a hunter’s trap. 

Desperately, she tried to pry the thing open, but lacked the strength to force it. The earth trembled, branches and trees cracking as her death approached. She fumbled with the trap’s mechanisms... Rhaoth had tried to show her how they worked. Light, why hadn’t she listened?! 

Her heart sank as the ground stopped shaking, and she looked up at the club that was being raised. She whimpered. Out of time. Eyes shut as she braced herself.

 “Sina!”

 … and opened again as the club came down, but a large hammer swung in to deflect it. A group of five Vindicators rushed in, making short work of the two big brutes. Sina looked away from the scene, eyes shut tightly. When the noise died down she felt a large hand fall onto her shoulder. She couldn’t help but flinch, but opened her eyes and turned her head to look into Rurik’s angered gaze. 

 “What did you think you were doing?” Her brother asked her sternly, his voice was low and he controlled himself well, but she knew just how upset he really was. 

Rurik was a few thousand years older in age, with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail and bright piercing blue eyes. He was the pride and joy of the family; a strong, faithful, obedient Vindicator, worthy of all the Light’s graces. He valued the elders and heeded their councils.  Sinafay tended to wonder if he ever fell out of line…

Despite all his successes, however, he was also the first unfortunate soul to be dispatched when his little sister caused trouble. No one would blame him if he saw her as an inconvenience, as a black mark on the family. But no. Somehow, he always appeared to be the most understanding of her rash actions. He would get angry, upset and disappointed, of course. He always did... but it always turned into concerned brotherly love soon enough. No matter the situation and their differences, their bond always remained strong.

For now though, he was angry. He stared at her, waiting for a response as a smaller male freed her ankle from the trap. 

 “I... I was not following them...” she wrapped her hands over the wound, blue blood oozing down over her hoof. 

 “What were you doing in the forest?”

Sinafay sighed as he slapped her hands away and brought his large hand over her ankle. She watched as he quietly invoked the Light to heal the worst of the damage and stop the bleeding. Once done, he scooped her up effortlessly in his arms, silent as he made his way back towards Shattrath, leaving the others to deal with the Ogre remains.

 “You cannot keep doing this! I will not be there every time you attempt to pull these impromptu outings!”

 “Bah, I don’t always need your help…”

 “You were told there were Ogre sightings in the forest near the city. Repeatedly. Or were you not listening, as usual?” 

 “So I am to stay in the city at all times now?” She whined, crossing her arms over her chest and looking off to the side with a huff.

 “While you are supposed to be in class? Yes. Yes, you are. Today was your history lesson, Sina.”

 “A boring subject...”

 “But useful.”

 “For what?”

 “Your future.”

 “We have escaped the Legion and found a world to live on. A peaceful one,” she huffed, “What else is there to know? We began anew here, yes? We should be interacting more with the Orcs. I believe we could learn much from each other. Have you seen how closely they are in harmony with the land? It is truly a sight to see!”

He gave her another stern look, “And when the Legion finds us again?”

 “IF the Legions finds us--”

 “No.” He cut her off, “It is only a matter of time, Sina. They have followed us everywhere we have gone thus far, destroying worlds and civilizations in their wake. They -always- find us eventually. What makes you think it is different this time? You are fortunate to have never encountered them in your lifetime so far, but that does not mean they have given up the hunt. We must live, yes. But remain ever vigilant!”

 “They would have shown themselves by now.” 

 “You think so?”

She nodded her gaze remaining stubbornly averted, “Mhm.”

He sighed, the anger fading to concern. Worry pierced through his gaze as he looked down at his foolish little sister.

 “Then I pray you are not proven wrong too soon.”

Sinafay opened her eyes upon the horrible sight the Tremaculum offered. Spirits, mostly innocent, as far as the eye could see, bound and tortured. The screams and wails were worse than the sight. Retreating into her own memories had been the Shaman’s only escape from this place. Back to a simple time… a simple life. 

A life she’d taken for granted.

The Draenei had been caught not long after Argonas’ brief brush with the Maw. Both the surge of emotion the two lover’s had felt finally seeing each other after so long, as well as the scent of a fresh soul, had caught the hunters’ attention. There had been no time to run, or hide… so she fought. But in the Maw, the more you fought, the bigger a target you became. It was only a matter of time before she was overwhelmed and brought here to be broken all over again. A harder task for her tormentors this time around. Seeing her husband had been a boon to her spirit. Knowing he was doing everything in his power to find her made her will unbreakable. She smirked, looking up from her chained position to a robed figure that glided over to her. 

 “Back for more, yes?” she couldn’t help but taunt, before pain seared through her ethereal form.

 ~*~*~

[dzamie]

I watched the live action Jungle Book! I’d say it was disappointing, but I set appropriate expectations going in. So, imma get into it:

So, the good parts first, in no particular order:

I really like Kaa’s hypnosis effect. The Disney animated movie’s swirling colors always looked really, really goofy to me, but the live-action’s waves of light and dark were very well done and legit alluring.

There are a lot of little jokes here and there that I feel were written in case they wanted to use them in a commercial. “You have never been a more endangered species than you are at this moment” is actually pretty darn funny.

The bodies moved well. King Louie was really the only animal I thought was straining realism too far; the positioning of limbs and torsos and stuff was pretty spot-on. Tails were a bit wonky, but you have to be looking for something like that, as someone with a slight tail fetish might.

This is definitely unintentional, but Mowgli makes an “oof” sound whenever something bowls into him or he leaps roughly against something. It sounds like the Roblox hurt noise. Tone-breaking, but HILARIOUS.

Having Mowgli seem to fear the bonfire was a nice touch.

As was having the final fight seem to take place at the watering hole, this time during wet season. Far from dry, the exact opposite of the Water Truce occurs - everything is in conflict.

Now, the less pleasant bits.

I mentioned the Water Truce callback was neat? Yeah. What a shame they took multiple minutes to repeat over and over that the Water Truce was that there was a truce around the watering hole. I’m glad they used all that time to explain why it was that Shere Khan wouldn’t attack anyone so he could conveniently see the man-cub. Also to set up the schtick where Mowgli has been Inventing Things because he is a Man.

Elephants are now a religion. I don’t like it, especially because it’s used to set up Mowgli rescuing a baby elephant from a hole, so that Baloo and Bagheera can see that Man Is More Powerful Than God.

The wildebeest herd exists only for shakycam purposes. There really isn’t much reason for Mowgli to not go directly into the river and escape Shere Khan on a log that way.

Oh how they ruined Kaa. I do rather like how she has a more cloying, sweet personality (it’s not better or worse than the animation’s rather goofy fellow, just different), but they whole-ass saw a snake character and thought “hey wouldn’t it be cool if she never wove around him or approached him from different angles? Let’s make sure to never show her for more than 8 seconds at a time, too; we MUST cut between her and Mowgli. There’s simply no way to shoot a scene where they’re both in the shot, talking.”

I hope you like snakeless ScarJo voiceover, because that’s literally half of Kaa’s appearance, from first line to last. It’s great that the man who hurt Shere Khan with fire just happened to be Mowgli’s dad, because I guess it’s not enough that Shere Khan wants to kill all humans in the jungle; he must have a Deep Personal Connection with the man-cub.

I can sort of understand coming out of the hypnotic vision to see Mowgli entirely in her coils, from a “this is Mowgli’s perspective” point of view, but wow it’s really unsatisfying. Look, the animated version had Mowgli slide into pre-coiled snek body, but at least we saw them interact. Kaa is pretty much a static prop here. What a waste of a serpentine character.

For someone who is afraid of heights and doesn’t know Mowgli, Baloo sure is eager to climb a big, tall tree and risk his own life against a giant, hypnotic snake.

Minor note: with all the focus on seeing Kaa from Mowgli’s point of view, Disney sure chickens the fuck out when it’s time to be snake chow. C’mon, you stupid mouse, show us what Kaa looks like inside.

It’s kinda weird that Bagheera and Baloo are so familiar with each other, considering that Mowgli has been in close contact with Bagheera all his life and neither met nor heard of the bear.

Shere Khan is almost comically evil to the wolves. Makes it hard to take his “I’m actually justified in my desire to kill you” thing seriously.

I feel like Disney hasn’t grown out of its “haha imagine SONGS in a CHILDREN’S MOVIE. What a stupid fucking idea” phase. Baloo and Mowgli sing off-tempo and off-key, and King Louie does a weird half-speaking thing that lets you know they want to do a song, but haven’t the slightest clue how to transition into one, and they still want to pretend to be a gritty serious realistic movie with no singing because that’s too silly.

King Louie Is Twenty Five Goddamn Feet Tall Because We Watched King Kong The Other Day

They set Louie up to be a mob boss, calm and composed for like a minute or two, and that goes out the window in no time flat. They try to bring back that structured “I help you you help me bada bing bada boom" thing back in the chase scene, but literally nobody cares what the chaser says in the chase scene. If they did, it wouldn’t be a chase scene.

“No, they don’t fear me, they fear you.” Except clearly they fear you because your MO this entire time has been “let’s kill and threaten animals and see if Mowgli comes back faster.”

Baloo, the laziest bear you ever did see who heard the wolf pledge exactly one (1) time and immediately dismissed it as propaganda, can recite it from heart because Shere Khan needs to be directly confronted with The Power Of Friendship

Can’t be a climax without fire. It’s a good thing that Mowgli can always find a safe path through this raging inferno that’s been burning steadily through the forest for the last few minutes or more.

Mowgli’s entire strategy hinges on many things that could go wrong at any moment:

a) the vines don’t catch on fire as he’s running through the burning forest

b) the vines and branch don’t catch on fire after he suspends them in the air in the middle of a huge forest fire

c) the dead tree, notably made of dead wood, which some may know to be extremely flammable, is not on fire nor does it catch on fire as he’s climbing it

d) Shere Khan follows him onto the branch

e) Shere Khan leaps at him on the fragile branch that Shere Khan seems to notice is weak

f) the vines and branch don’t catch on fire while he’s climbing them in the middle of a huge forest fire

g) he finds a way back out of the woods literally filled with fire

h) Shere Khan even follows him all the way in rather than going “nah the little bitch is gonna burn. Let him.”

i) the animals forgive him for setting the trees ablaze

They let ScarJo sing Trust In Me during the credits. Minor suggestion: don’t.

I choose to interpret Mowgli not seeing what happened with Kaa and Baloo to mean Kaa is still alive, and the monkeys trying to dig Louie out of the ruins to mean that he’s dead. This is entirely because of favoritism.

Compared to the animated version, this movie is much more based around Shere Khan, compared to around Mowgli and the jungle. Rather than “Mowgli won’t be safe here; send him to the Man Village so Shere Khan won’t kill him,” it’s “Mowgli won’t be safe here, but Shere Khan is going to threaten and probably kill us until Mowgli returns anyway, which he surely will because Shere Khan said so.”

They tried to do a grey-morality sort of thing by justifying Shere Khan’s fear of fire and hatred towards Men. But it kind of backfires because Shere Khan keeps being incredibly evil for no particular purpose aside from making his death be a good thing for everyone, and the one crime Mowgli commits (big fire) would not have happened if Shere Khan hadn’t announced his plan to kill the man-cub.

I really miss the allegories to different kinds of philosophies towards society from the animated version. The live-action replaces them with examples of different abusive relationships (Baloo is a manipulative fast-talker, Louie is supposed to be a mob boss, Kaa’s comfort is genuine but overshadowed by a desire to do harm), which is... nice, but not really my cup of tea.

Holy shit there is SO MUCH SHAKYCAM. You can barely see some of the scenes from all the shaking around. “Did we inspire adrenaline in you? Don’t you wanna go fast?” Yes, of course, but what am I doing this about? “...SHAKYCAM!! LOUD NOISES!!” It’s overstayed its welcome.

Realistic CGI animals are actually terrible at emoting.

This felt like yet another action film. Every opportunity they had, they threw in another fight scene or chase scene. You could take most of them out, cut off about 15 minutes from the movie, and still not have removed anything important.

All in all, I’m glad I now have 22 seconds of Kaa saying things. They really shouldn’t have given ScarJo so much coverage in the commercials, though. She’s in the movie for about 4 minutes, and she’s a visible snake for much less. I don’t think I’d pay to see this, and really this just gives me more reason to not watch other Disney live-action remakes.

Shakycam should have died eight years ago. Bring back shot composition.

[bellatrixobsessed1]

The Trail (Part 5)

Since it has been a while. https://archiveofourown.org/works/19143391?view_full_work=true

This chapter deals with mothman because I’m going through a phase. 

A warning… the voice echos in her mind.

The stretch of road before them is long and damp from a rain that had fallen before they had made it into the area. Azula cranks the windows down and lets a breeze waft through the car. It is a particularly hot night and it had been an even hotter morning. Zhao and Sokka--Sokka especially-had complained about it all day. Azula herself found it rather nice, especially when thinking back to their more frigid endeavors. She imagines that Zuko is enjoying the weather too. 

He peers into the rearview mirror and she sees a faint little smile. There are so many crickets out tonight that she can hear them even over the wind and the car engine. 

“We need some tunes.” Sokka suggests. 

“I rather like the night noise.” Azula disagrees. 

“We’re on a cryptid hunt, we should get some Johnny Cash and Deadman’s Bones. The Doors?” 

Azula rolls her eyes. 

“Come on. Riders on the storm, into this house we’re born.”

“Please stop yer singin’ laddy.” Zhao grumbles. “I’m with the lass, crickets are fine.” 

“Come on, every good monster hunt needs a good soundtrack.”

“We’re not even on a hunt right now.”  Azula replies. “We’re just driving. Sometimes you just drive on forested roads because that’s where the GPS takes you.” 

Katara stifles a laugh. 

“Where’s our next turn?” Zuko asks. 

Katara peers down at the map. “It’s coming up soon. At the next intersection, turn right.”

Azula watches moths, mosquitoes, and fireflies flit in and out of the headlights. A light mist swirls along the road where the puddles are the thickest. She leans out of the window and snaps a few photographs.

“Azula, what did I tell you about doing that!?”

“Relax Zuzu, you aren’t driving that fast.” 

“What if a bird comes by?”

Azula rolls her eyes. “Brids aren’t nocturnal, dumdum.”

“Fine. What if a bat or an owl comes by?” 

“Then I’ll have a nice photo.” Azula slips fully into the car once again. “Besides, it’s a nice night. If it were up to me, we’d park this car and take a little stroll.”

“Have ye no fear, lass?” 

Azula smirks, “not an ounce. Why? Are you afraid, Zhao?”

“It is night, we are in an unfamiliar forest, and it is misty. Of course I’m scared.” 

Azula rolls her eyes. “Yes well the car is running just fine, the weather is wonderful, and, if you shut your mouth, you can hear crickets and owls and all sorts of night sounds.” He only blinks at her. “It would be so noisy if a predator was around.”

“Turn!” Katara abruptly exclaims. 

Zuko jolts and jerks the wheel. 

“Ah shite!” Zhao shouts as the car fishtails. 

Katara grips the armrest as Sokka lets out a hollar of excitement. “I used to go do doughnuts on the gravel road until dad stopped me.” He declares as though that will help Zuko any. Azula clutches her camera protectively. 

Zuko turns the wheel a few times until he gets the car under control. “Good thing you weren’t leaning out of the window.” He declares. 

“Shut up, Zuzu.” She grumbles and folds her arms and slouches back into the car seat. 

“Are we oot of the forest yet?” Zhao asks. 

Katara looks at the map, “not for a while, Zhao.” 

“My legs are getting tired.” Sokka frowns and folds his arms across his chest. “Like, I’m starting to get that annoying tingly feeling.” 

“We can pull over.” Azula shrugs. “There’s a rest area over there.”  She points to a small recreation area with only a single and dim lamppost. Zuko rolls the car to a stop but doesn’t unlock the door. 

“I don’t know, it’s kind of eerie.” 

Azula unlocks the car door and wanders out. The place looks ancient; there is a single log building that she assumes is a bathroom. This has two smaller and even dimmer lights above each door. Creeping ivy has taken to climbing over the logs and spilling out from between them. The sidewalk leading up to is cracked with age; grasses and dandelions poke up from between the cracks. 

The sound of crickets grows in volume as Azula makes her way over to one of six wooden picnic benches. Out in the open, she can hear the croak of tree frogs and the buzz of other insects. The wood of the bench is damp when she sits upon it. She notices tufts of moss creeping up and down it. There is more graffiti than moss though; mostly just names with years and initials in hearts. Azula traces her finger over a particularly deep etching as she watches a moth ram itself into the streetlight. “Are you guys coming?” She asks. 

Katara and Sokka exchange a look before Sokka emerges from the car. Azula looks to the left at the sound of a creak. The wind has taken to gently tossing a swing back and forth. The thing looks as ancient as the picnic table. The slide next to it is made of rusting metal. Azula wanders over to it and wraps her fingers around the chain of the rocking swing. 

“Can you guys just get back in the car?” Zuko asks. He seems to shudder after his request.

Azula rolls her eyes. She supposes that she can go back to the car, but while she is out and about she photographs the park. She crouches down to tuck her camera back into its case. Something heavy and oppressive befalls her and she halts her fumbling to look at the treeline. It is not like it usually is, the crickets still chirp and the frogs still croak. The fireflies still glimmer on and off as if they aren’t sensing the same energy that she does. She scans the treeline more intensely and a chill vibrates through her soul. She squits and slowly rises to her feet. 

She can’t tell if the creature is perched in a tree or if its head simply reaches that high. Whatever it is, it stands pillar still and observes her with a ruby gaze. She as as transfixed as she is disquieted. 

She knows that she should go back to the car, but she finds herself curiously drawn to this being. She puts less thought into it than she should--really she puts no thought at all into edging closer to the treeline.  

“Azula!” Zuko shouts. His voice cuts through the mesmerized haze in her mind and she jolts. In a flicker, a sense of ominousness replaces the enchantment. She backs away with just as much slowness. If it is one of the weres, then she is in rather deep and running will only draw more attention. But she has never known the weres to be so compelling. 

The creature leaps off of the trees and fans out wings so black that she can’t tell if they are feathered, furred, or leathery. She can tell that they are huge, perhaps ten feet or so. It makes no sound as it descends and Azula’s stomach turns. 

Zuko slams on the horn, a long and loud bleat but the creature is undeterred. It is as focused on her as she had been on it. 

She whips her head around to flash a longing stare at the car, they are all yelling for her. Things that she can’t quite catch under the sound of flapping wings. The being eclipses her view of the car entirely. 

It can take her so easily. 

It towers far above her. She fully acknowledges that, that isn’t saying much. But it would tower of Zhao as well and the man has a good six feet and then some on him. 

And yet, Azula isn’t afraid. 

She doesn’t feel particularly pleasant either. 

She realizes that she doesn’t feel anything at all, save for faintly curious. She wonders if the creature is curious as well. But no. She can see in its deep rose-hued eyes that it knows. It has a wisdom older than perhaps the park itself. 

I want to show you something. Its voice slides into her head. She doesn’t block it out, though instincts tell her to throw up as many mental walls as she can. I will show you something. There is a very brief flash of images. This time she does erect her walls.

It speaks again, this time its communication is external. “No harm.” It is a raspy whisper, a stark contrast to the deep and smooth voice in her had. 

What it instills within her this time is neither a voice nor an image but a feeling of soothing. Something warm. Something akin to brushing her cheek against something fuzzy and gentle. Something like when her mother used to wrap she and Zuko into a blanket and coo them to sleep.

She will give it a chance. 

It wraps its wings around her. 

Distantly she hears a shout and a few pops. 

Very close she hears a shriek of pain. It breaks her stupor once more. She sees the gun poised and ready. “Zhao, no!” She hollers. She hears another pop. This time the creature flees, but not without her. Zuko shouts for her but she doesn’t resist. 

It has knowledge and she has a curiosity.  

Azula isn’t sure how far it takes her. She watches pines roll by green ash and river birch roll by, sees the mist churning and swirling like a grey-washed river. The night air is still pleasantly warm on her cheeks.  The entity comes to a clearing, it sets her down onto the forest floor and perches itself in the branches. 

Now the other forest creatures know.

Now it is dead silent. 

Silent except for that deep, silky voice. Let me show you.

Azula nods, she wants to see. “Trust.” It says out loud. It reaches a clawed hand out and brushes it tentatively over her hair. A sense of deeper soothing ripples over her. Trust, it repeats. And her head seems to split. A deep pounding cracks her skull and she falls to the floor. 

She is in her bedroom--her childhood bedroom--staring at the tinkling mobile. A tiny topez dragon, a citrine phoenix, and a ruby monkey. At the center is a little dream catcher. It sways and bobs in a breeze that isn’t natural. From somewhere she can hear a music box. It should be comforting. It has the atmosphere of something cozy and yet the shadows furl and unfurl in ways that make her feel queasy. 

She notices that she is bleeding, but she can’t tell from where.

Maybe it isn’t actually hers. Maybe she just has blood on her. 

She tries to sit up but her body remains paralyzed as though a weight is being pressed upon her. She can’t scream. Neither can she blink. The shadow unravels further before thickening into something more solid. 

Something more palpable and putrid. 

It is slick and oily and it plops onto the floor with a wet slosh. 

Azula’s shout is locked within her throat. Her world goes black but she still has her eyes wide open. When the blackness clears she can see Zuko, his figure ringed by a halo of silver-blue moonlight. 

But he is wrong, all wrong. His eyes are a such a shade of black, to the likes that she has never seen. He opens his mouth in a silent scream and that oily sludge comes pouring out. Out and out until it pools around the bed. Until it rises to the height of the mattress. 

Zuko’s face flickers between his own and another. Something masklike; smooth and silver but oddly akin to a liquid. It shifts and simmers. Every now and again an eye or a mouth or a nose emerges on the surface. It is a different one with each flicker. 

Finally Azula can cry out. But no one can help her.

The slime has reached her feet.

She finds herself laying on the forest floor, a cold sweat glistens on her face. She is shaking. A figure still looms over her; tall, muscular, winged, and imposing. “A warning.” It speaks. She can’t bring herself to move. 

She opens her mouth to speak. 

Go home. The voice eases into her mind. But she doesn’t know where home is anymore. For the longest time home has been the RV that she and Zuko have parked in a rented lot back in their home city. The one they’d grown up in has long been foreclosed. 

Maybe it hears her thoughts. No, it definitely does. Or perhaps it just knows. Knows in the same way that it foresaw the collapse of the Silver Bridge. It projects another image into her mind. She is sitting in a living room--she knows, somehow, that it is in Scottland, that it is Zhao’s home--watching TV. Zuko is next to her snoring. The atmosphere is inviting. The Scottsman enters the room and declares that they will be going to the loch, that Nessie would like to see her again. Azula swallows, the idea of seeing Nessie again isn’t so bad. You need to go home. It says again. 

And once more her head seems to fracture. She lays in that dark room again. This time it is in a state of disarray and the sludge gathers in inky splotches around the room. She only sees Zuko’s pitch black gaze and his mouth agape in that grotesque silent scream. The last droplets of ooze dribble down his chin.

[blueinsunlight]

Explanation Time, I Guess

I figure that, since I’ve introduced Alina I should explain how she fits into the universe and narrative and everything.

Trigger warnings for the rest of this post

All the general triggers for The Owl House, as well as heavily implied domestic abuse and internalized ableism (Both of these things occurred offscreen and long before the story starts, but are significant parts of her backstory and development and can’t be omitted)

Season 1 Involvement

For the first part of season 1, she appears here and there as a background character, walking around school or shopping. She doesn’t have any lines and is generally pretty insignificant. However, she does seem intrigued by Luz.

S1 Focus Episode: The Pulse of the Wild

This episode takes place some time after Luz enrolls in Hexside, but before Willow’s focus. It starts with Luz and another student engaging in a practice duel at school. Luz is very eager, but gets tripped up and is mildly hurt. The duel ends and the class disperses, leaving Luz on the ground, embarrassed.

A girl in a healing uniform comes up to her and offers to help. She casts a healing spell, much to Luz’s fascination. She tries to ask the girl’s name, but she hurries off without answering. 

Cut to lunch. Luz asks Willow and Gus about it, and Willow says that she knows of her, but has never actually spoken to her. She says she’s pretty reclusive. Luz is excited by the prospect of a mystery. Her friends tell her not to do anything silly or scare her off, but true to form Luz is not sated. 

After school, she tracks down the girl again and greets her cheerfully. The girl is caught off guard and visibly uncomfortable. Luz introduces herself and asks for the girl’s name. She hesitantly introduces herself as Alina. She then makes up some excuse about needing to head home early and darts off.

Luz decides that it’s a great idea to follow her, and walks alongside her pestering her with questions and eventually just rambling when she doesn’t receive any answers. Alina is very discontent with this arrangement, but doesn’t actually say anything in the hopes this strange human girl will get bored or something.

Eventually, they wind up in a dark, ominous looking forest. Luz stops talking and comments on how creepy it is. Alina doesn’t seem phased. She says that she lives here. As they continue walking, Luz gets more and more creeped out and eventually decides she’s had enough of her adventure. She bids Alina goodbye and runs the other direction. Alina tries to stop her, but Luz doesn’t hear.

She continues running back the way they came, but it doesn’t seem like she’s getting anywhere. The foliage only grows more thick. Luz begins to worry. She tries to climb a tree to see over the tops of the trees, but the branches literally move back into the trunk and she falls to the ground, hurt. Vines begin to swarm her. She panics. At this moment, Alina runs up and pulls Luz from the vines. She notices that Luz is injured, and helps her walk-slash-run to her house.

The inside is a stark contrast to the surrounding forest. Strips of colored paper line the windows, casting beautiful shapes onto the floor (though the light that’s shining through them doesn’t seem to be from ant discernable source, and the window doesn’t actually show the outside.) The space is very cozy. One shelf in the living room hosts a very extensive collection of tea ware.

Alina sits Luz on the couch and heals her while explaining that “the forest isn’t known to be kind to intruders” and they can hide out here until it calms down. Luz is entranced. A sentient forest?!

Alina makes her tea, and the two of them talk for a while. She seems more comfortable in private. She opens up a little, and Luz learns that she lives by herself, and that she can’t actually recall why. She forgets a lot of things about herself, apparently. Upon closer inspection, all the papers on the windows are actually reminders about everything from chores she has to do to her own name. Since she’s always forgetting things, she tends to act a bit... erratically, and people think she’s strange. That’s why she prefers to keep to herself.

Luz comforts her, and says that if she wants, she’ll be Alina’s friend. Alina starts to respond when the door bursts open. Apparently, the forest is all sorts of upset today. Plants begin to crawl across the floor towards them, towards Luz. Alina grabs Luz and drags her outside. They run through the forest, batting away the pursuing foliage as they go. Luz is grabbed around the waist and lifted up into the air. Alina shouts her name and begs the forest to stop. Strangely enough they listen and pause, though they don’t release Luz.

She tells them to get away from her friend, and Luz is carefully deposited on the ground. Some of the forest retracts, as if ashamed Luz asks if the forest could possibly be trying to protect her. Alina laughs, and tells the woods not to do that again. The plants return to their normal places, and a path out of the forest reveals itself. 

Alina says Luz should go and apologizes for the trouble. Luz says that’s silly, and that this was super cool. Alina, more hesitantly asks if she really meant it when she said they could be friends. Luz says she did, if Alina wanted. Alina smiles.

Luz heads home, and the episode ends. 

Really Small Problems

Alina appears briefly, having come with Gus and Willow but is overwhelmed by the crowds and leaves after saying hello to Luz. King makes a comment about why the other two won’t just do the same.

Enchanting Grom Fight

She helps provide exposition about Grom and near the end of the episode is seen helping clean up the mess. She praises Luz and Amity for being absolutely awesome.

Wing it Like Witches

Alina is unable to play because her memory and awareness are suffering particularly badly. She is, however, present on the sidelines in case of an emergency. Luz carries Amity over to her to be healed at the end.

(She’s also the one who repairs Gus’s flags, in the healing homeroom. I’m stealing that from Willow because it’s cute.)

Agony of a Witch

She’s the one who points out the Healing Hat to Luz. She also helps her steal it alongside Willow and Gus, and is beat up by Lilith. She’s crying when they have to break the news of Luz’s capture to Eda.

Young Blood, Old Souls

Alina is seen alongside Willow and Gus at the petrification and shares in their worries about Luz. At the end of the episode, Lilith Eda and Luz are sitting in the Owl House’s living room when a disheveled Alina bursts in and hugs Luz. She apologizes for bursting in uninvited, but says that she was just too worried. Luz hugs her back while Eda laughs at her for being clingy. 

Season 2 Involvement

Escaping Expulsion

Alina is overlooked by Odalia and not expelled. She keeps the Hexsquad updated on the goings-on until they can get themselves back into school.

Through The Looking Glass Ruins

Willow and Alina go off on their own side-adventure to find a fabled plant. Willow wants to research them for a class project, and Alina hears their leaves make delicious tea. They spend the episode together trekking through the woods and fight a monster protecting the flower. They run into Gus and Matt and talk about their adventures together.

Hunting Palismen

During Palisman Pairing Day, Alina says her wish is to have the ability to always look after the people she cares about. She’s paired with a little fox named Scraps.

Later at night, Scraps runs off and she chases him back to the school in time to see the Golden Guard make off with the Palismen, Scraps included. She panics and grabs on to the palisman habitat and is listed into the air. Luz sees her and helps her inside. From there the episode proceeds mostly as normal with the inclusion of Alina. She is, at one point drawn to admit that she doesn’t actully know any offensive spells and therefore can’t actually... stop Hunter. 

After the Palismen are safely returned to the school she confesses to Luz that she’s intrigued by Hunter, though Luz shuts that down right away. 

Eclipse Lake

Alina is present at the Owl House. She doesn’t think that Luz’s condition is that serious, but Amity had begged for the presence of a healer just in case. She does end up making tea for everyone.

She accompanies Amity and Eda to Eclipse lake, albeit hesitantly. Gus and Willow insisted they could take care of Luz on their own, and Alina didn’t want to crush their spirits. 

She doesn’t approve of Amity’s whole... tying up Hunter, but she doesn’t say anything. She’s inclined to help him, all the way up until he threatens Luz and steals the key. 

She expresses guilt over being unable to help them fight and Eda offers to teach her some combat spells.

Any Sport in a Storm

Willow mentions that she’s apparently sick, and that’s why she isn’t present at school that day. (She’s not sick though- she’s at home trying to write down everything she remembers from her meeting with Eldrid.)

Labyrinth Runners

She’s seen in the healing homeroom when Hunter winds up there and vouches for him. Scraps makes an appearance too- they get separated at some point. Hunter reunites them after the illusion is dispelled. 

Day of Unity Involvement

As the day unfolds, Alina comes to realize that this is what she saw when she was still an oracle. She hadn’t been able to remember because of her family’s curse, but now that it’s unfolding she’s sure it’s the same event. However, she still can’t remember what she saw until she sees it again, rendering her unable to do anything. This causes her to shut down and she has to be pulled along by the others, unable to help, for most of the day. In that state she’s unable to look after Scraps, who gets injured. This does not help her condition.

In the end she is pulled through the portal holding her injured companion. The cold rain brings her back to awareness, a bit, and she helps heal the worst of everyone’s injuries. 

Thanks to Them

Throughout their time in the human realm, Alina struggles with her dissociation and memory problems even more. Camila researches ways to help her and they all provide her with support. They remind her of things and help her practice grounding methods. 

Camila helps Scraps recover from his injuries. It’s a slow process, but he’s back to top shape by the time they leave the human realm again. 

She learns all about human tea-making methods and is deeply fascinated by them.

She and Hunter grow closer and she cuts her hair alongside him, all the way to her waist. He thinks it’s hilarious.

She and Camila have a long conversation about how she’s coping with all that’s happened (and I will be writing it out later)

She confesses to having seen what was going to happen and apologizes over and over. Everyone assures her that there was nothing she could have done and that it wasn’t her fault. Her ability to be forthcoming with this makes both Luz and Hunter feel worse about their respective secrets. 

She dresses up as a deer for Halloween. 

When she walks through the portal back to the demon realm, she’s holding Scraps and Willow’s hand, in a parallel to when she left.

[fuckyouijustwanttotumbl]

Mistletoe - Namjoon

Alright y’all. This is my first time posting a fic. I hope you like it. If not, well.... sorry....

Just a cute fluffy piece for you Namjoon stans out there

           “I don’t understand how Regan can be so cocky one minute and panic text us the next. I mean, she’s terrible at wrapping present, and she knows this, but she still challenges Kook to a wrap off?” your friend vents. She tosses her hair over her shoulder as you pull up in front of the guys’ house. “But because we love her, we have to go save her. This girl is going to be the death of me.” Brook shakes her head as she turns off the car, turning back to you.

           You smile, agreeing with your friend, climbing out of the car. Regan and Jungkook were both very competitive, though usually the bet wasn’t worth a date. They also were usually in public, so when Regan did need an escape plan, it was easy enough to dip into a coffee shop or bar and whisk her away. This time though, you had to some how rescue her from Jungkook’s apartment with both his roommates there, including Brook’s boyfriend, Jimin, and your crush, Namjoon.

           You had met before Brook and Jimin started dating, while they were still playing the game of ‘do they like me?’ It was at a bar, Brook and Jimin bringing back up to their not-a-date date; you and Regan for Brook and Namjoon and Jungkook for Jimin. The love birds quickly lost themselves in conversation, Regan and Jungkook competing to down the most shots within minutes of meeting, leaving you and Namjoon to stand around awkwardly, both of you being shy around new people.

           You eventually warmed up to one another to have a basic conversation, finding out surface level things about each other, favorite food and color, etc., until you got onto the topic of books. Holy cow was that a fantastic conversation. Never in your life had you met someone who had read such an array of genres and large amount of material from different time periods.

           Too soon was the night over (Regan dared Jungkook to do a backflip off the bar and got everyone kicked out), leaving the two of you with nothing more than memories of two souls touching briefly through a common love of literature.

           Now here you were, months later, sadly having drifted back to the awkward small talk phase and about the implement an emergency evacuation. The butterflies you felt in your stomach were definitely annoyance towards your friend and not anxiety about seeing a guy you were falling for.

           You followed Brook to the front door of the boys’ home, able to hear some loud noises coming from inside, sounding suspiciously like shoes being thrown across a room. Brook barely knocks before the door flies opening, presenting a panicked Jimin.

           “Oh, thank god you both are here, Regan’s about to kill him,” he says, grabbing onto his girlfriend, dragging her inside, and forcing you to follow.

           ‘Maybe he isn’t here and we can just grab Regan and run and it’ll be like I was never here-‘ you thought, just as Namjoon rounded the corner in a pair of track pants and a sweatshirt. He had chunky headphones covering his ears and was looking down at his phone. He hadn’t seen you yet, that is, until he was the unfortunate barrier Jungkook used to block Regan’s projectile.

           “Noona! Stop it! You hit Namjoon hyung!” Jungkook screamed from behind his elder’s back. The shoe Regan had thrown had hit Namjoon in the hip, not injuring him, but causing him to look up and notice you and Brook before struggling to get out of the middle of the battle ground.

           He made his way over to you and the couple just as Regan threw a throw pillow and bolted out of the room, the maknae chasing after her.

           “I’m going to kill them,” Jimin said.

           “Not if I kill them first,” Brook said. “Let’s go break them up.”

           “Or we could lock them in his bedroom and leave them be until they work this out… however they want,” Jimin said smiling, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Brook laughed and headed after the two warriors, her boyfriend following behind her.

           You were blushing hard due to Jimin’s comment and started looking around the room to try to focus on anything other than the burning in your face. That’s when you noticed how destructive the two heathens had been. The Christmas decorations that had once been hung on the walls were knocked down, festive toys knocked off the tables and couches of the living room, and wrapping materials strewn across the floor. There was glitter all over the floor and even a pair of scissors tangled in ribbon hanging from the ceiling light.

           “Wow, they really are in denial about their feelings, aren’t they?” Namjoon said, looking around the room as well. His voice caused you to face the beautiful man, once again having you question how a person could be so attractive.

           You smile at his comment, replying, “I think it’s only Regan that’s in denial.” He laughs and faces you, giving you a full view of his dimpled smile.

           “I bet you’re right. Well, I don’t think either of them will clean this up without another fight, so I better do it.” Namjoon says, walking towards the kitchen.

           “Let me help, I feel bad about letting you do it all. I’ll make sure to give Regan a firm boop when we get home for doing this,” you say following him. He laughs again, muttering something under his breath. “What was that?”

           “Nothing. Sorry. I was just talking to myself,” Namjoon replies, pulling a broom and cleaning spray out of a small closet connected to the kitchen. You grab a roll of paper towels as the two of you head back out to the destruction that is the living room.

           “You know, they say that people who talk to themselves are more intelligent.” You smile at him, happy that this conversation is more than just talking about the weather.

           He seems flustered by your statement, the tips of his ears turning a pink color. “I don’t know about that… I’m not that smart.”

           “Are you kidding, only someone with an incredible brain would be able to appreciate the romance story in the Captive Prince trilogy without getting caught up in all the kinky stuff, you were able to read the true story and enjoy it!” How could he think was average, someone who had shown you the side that you also obtained but could never use to relate to anyone besides him.

           Namjoon’s cheeks are bright red from your compliment as he shuffles further into the room. You think you hear him mutter ‘thanks,’ but you aren’t sure. He’s quiet for a bit before saying, “how about you pick up the toys while I hang everything back up and we’ll both clean up the glitter?”

           “That works for me.”

           The two of you set about cleaning the mess, giving each other small smiles when your eyes meet. You sometimes hear the sound of voices being raised deeper in the house, but you choose to ignore them and focus on finishing your task as quickly as possible.

           Before you know it, the two of you had cleaned everything, not even a piece of glitter left on the floor. “Wow, that actually didn’t take as long as I thought it would. Thank you, Cassie. I really appreciate your help,” Namjoon says, giving you another dimpled smile.

           “It really was no problem. Oh, what’s that?” There was something sitting in the ceiling light fixture bowl, casting a shadow about the size of a tennis ball on the glass. Namjoon reached up, pulling out a small bundle of green and white that makes a tinkling noise when he moves it.

           “I guess Kook was trying really hard to get Regan to go out with him,” a voice said from the doorway. You both turn, Namjoon’s arm still raised above your heads, seeing Brook standing in the doorway. “I guess it’s you, Joon, who lucks out today.” Another bang sounds from the other room, causing Brook to groan and head back to the mayhem that was your friends.

           “Oh, um, sorry, I didn’t realize what it was…” Namjoon says quietly, looking anywhere but at you. You nervously put your hair behind your ear, trying not to feel awkward about the whole situation. Both of you are silent until Namjoon says, “adorable.”

           You’re caught off guard, unsure what he’s referring to. “What?”

           “Earlier, when you asked what I said, I said adorable… I think you’re adorable…”

           Your eyes snap up to his face, his eyes wide as if he can’t believe he just admitted that to you. “I… I think you’re adorable, too…” The smile that lights up his face is brighter than the Christmas tree standing in the corner (which you just realized had shoes hanging in its branches).

           “So… would it be okay if we did the whole mistletoe thing? I heard it’s bad luck if you don’t… And honestly, I don’t want bad luck on top of living with Jungkook.”

           “Yeah, that would be cruel and unusual punishment.”

           You both just stand there until, slowly, Namjoon leans his head down towards yours, you own face angling up to meet him half way. Your lips touch and you feel the magic that you felt the first night you met. The magic of two souls, so perfectly in tune with one another, that time literally stands still and can’t be disrupted except by a super natural force.

           That super natural force being Regan’s desire to flee. At the sound of her scream, the two of you break apart just as she bolts through the living room. “Shoes, I need my shoes. God, why did I throw my own shoes?!”

           “Noona! You lost! We need to figure out the details of our date! I was thinking a dinner at that sushi place you like and then maybe frozen yogurt or maybe we could go see that show at the opera house-“ Regan reaches into the tree, grabbing one the shoes lodged inside.

           Before another battle could ensue, Namjoon whisks you out the front door and on to the porch. You notice small white flakes falling from the sky and settling on face of the angel in front of you. “Magical,” you say.

           Namjoon is looking at you the way you both look at books, in wonder and awe. He leans down to kiss you again, wrapping his arms around your waist. He pulls away and rests his forehead against your own, still close enough for his lips to brush against yours as he says, “magical indeed.”

[bussanbaby]

It all looks like a postcard, Magnus muses as he steps out onto a wide branch, his hands finding purchase on a thinner one above his head to prevent a fall to his not-quite-death as he surveys the neighborhood.

It’s not very fancy, per se; after all, it’s only the suburbs, although there are white picket fences, trampolines and children’s toys scattered between lawn sprinklers, making for quite an idyllic view. Speaking of kids, there are none in sight, as it is only 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning and most of them are probably watching cartoons and eating sugary cereal in their pajamas.

The sun warms spots on Magnus’ skin where it breaks through the thick canopy of leaves, as he makes his way across the tree and jumps down onto the roof just below the branch.  The window is already cracked open, so Magnus pushes it further up, enough to fit himself through it. It’s not that easy, with legs much longer than when he was a kid, but years of practice pay off and he manages to not fall on his face.

Magnus slips a dark tote bag from his shoulder and sets it on Alec’s desk – the only cluttered spot compared to an otherwise tidy room (for a teenage boy, anyway), before making his way to the bed pushed against the opposite wall. Alec hasn’t acknowledged him yet from where he’s lying on top of the sheets, a book propped up against his bare chest, part of the title being the word ‘mockingbird’. Only his best friend is nerdy enough to do the optional reading during the summer, on a Saturday, of all days.

The mattress creaks and protests when Magnus climbs onto it, plops himself down almost right in Alec’s lap, their legs tangled and Magnus’ back pressed against the poster-filled wall. Belatedly, he realizes it might not have been the wisest decision, because Alec’s shirtless and definitely incredibly distracting. Still, this is a foolproof way of getting his attention so Magnus just hopes he doesn’t embarrass himself.   

Alec rests the open book down on his chest and pushes himself up onto his elbows with a soft sigh; the look he shoots Magnus was probably aiming for unamused and maybe even chastising, but it falls short and instead ends up being disgustingly fond.

“You know, you can use the front door like a normal person,” Alec says, a lopsided smile curling onto his face as he flops down again. He looks pretty like that – with hair a bird’s nest, sun-born freckles spilling over the bridge of his nose, and eyes glittering with a sleepy kind of mirth.

Magnus shrugs nonchalantly. “The tree is more fun.”

They lapse into a moment of comfortable silence and Magnus occupies himself by drawing shapes on Alec’s side with his finger, watching the muscles beneath the skin twitch and tense when it tickles.

“Where are your siblings?” Magnus asks, letting his head fall back against the wall to watch Alec from beneath a fringe of lashes; it’s eerily quiet in the Lightwood household, with only the subdued din of Miss Lightwood puttering in the kitchen downstairs.

“Izzy’s at her science club, then she has her self-defense class later in the evening. And Jace is off somewhere, disappointing God probably. Maybe committing minor crimes with Simon, who knows,” Alec answers with a hint of a smirk in the corner of his lips, playing into his and Magnus’ inside joke - Alec’s adopted brother has recently started his rebellious phase, trying to seem all tough and badass, which so far has only gotten him into more trouble and detentions than it’s worth.

“And you’re in your room, just waiting for your best friend to save you from boredom,” Magnus alludes, wiggling his eyebrows playfully. His knee bumps against Alec’s ribs, another point of contact that turns Magnus’ skin hot.

Alec levels him with an analyzing stare, one of his eyes squinted and the tip of his tongue trapped between dry lips.  

“Okay, I’ll bite the bullet. What are you up to?” he asks, feigning suspicion while he tries to fight back a smile.

While people usually assume Magnus is the more reckless one, it’s been proven in the past they both have an audacious streak a mile wide, bouncing ideas off each other until they inevitably end up with amazing memories and maybe a scar or two.

Magnus straightens up, catching Alec’s eyes like he’s gearing up for a confession.

“I want you to shave my head.”

“What?!” Alec yelps, sitting up so violently Magnus worries he’s gonna get whiplash, hazel eyes wide with almost comical horror; his book thumps onto the ground, forgotten.

“Not the whole thing, you idiot! Just the sides, so I can have a mohawk,” Magnus explains, hands lifting to gesture towards his hair.

“You almost gave me a heart attack,” Alec chides, shaking his head. He gives a long sigh, one of his hands resting on Magnus’ knee. “And why me? I’m not a hairdresser.”

“Because my dad won’t let me make an appointment, since it’s ‘unprofessional and I will look like a punk’ as he put it.” While quoting his father, Magnus lowers his voice to make it sound menacing and smooth at the same time, adding air-quotes to the equation just out of sheer pettiness.

His dad has always been strict with Magnus in a different way than Alec’s parents were with him - Asmodeus Bane consistently put forth elegance and good reputation, his influences stretching far over the town as a big business figure. He didn’t want his only son looking anything else other than immaculate and poised all the time; obviously, a mohawk didn’t fit that sort of appearance, but Magnus was tired of answering ‘Yes, papa’ to every request given to him.

“I don’t really wanna be on your dad’s shit list, I feel like he doesn’t like me anyway.” Alec’s voice is quieter, almost unsure. His eyes drift to his lap where he starts picking at a stray thread in his sweats.

His dad has some opinions about Alec that Magnus doesn’t want to voice out loud, but after all the years Alec and Magnus have spent joined at the hip, Asmodeus had no choice but to warm up to the eldest Lightwood son.

With a cut off noise of protest, Magnus wraps his fingers around a warm wrist, squeezes once, making Alec look up at him, his lower lip worried between his teeth.

“He does, he just has a funny way of showing it. So, pretty please, with a cherry on top?”

Alec’s arm twitches in Magnus’ grip and for a split second, he thinks Alec’s gonna do something, either take it back or deepen their touch, but nothing like that happens. After a moment of deliberation, Alec rolls his eyes with such emphasis that something cracks in his neck.  

“Fuck, okay. You know I can’t say no to you.”

The breathy way the swear leaves Alec’s mouth and the words that follow it confuse the blood in Magnus’ body - it can’t choose whether to flow up into his cheeks or go downstairs. Still, his face lights up with a pleased grin as he brings both his palms to cup Alec’s cheeks with theatrical seriousness.

“You’re the best, buddy.”

“Yeah, yeah. Say that again when you look like a cockatoo after a close meeting with a lawnmower,” Alec says defeatedly, but there’s laughter beneath the fake resignation, mixing with Magnus’ snickering. As much as Alec tries to make himself seem indifferent, Magnus sees right through him, notices the smile he tries to hide as he moves off the bed and towards his desk.

Hooking one finger into the edge of the tote bag, Alec glances inside, taking note of the trimmer neatly wrapped in its cord. “I see you came prepared.”

They relocate to the small ensuite bathroom, barely enough space for the two of them to stand face to face, but they make do - Alec subtly kicks a dirty t-shirt closer to the laundry bin and Magnus elbows him in the ribs as they try to switch places.

Magnus can’t count the times he’s been here before, taking quick showers before tucking himself in for sleep on the spare mattress by Alec’s bed, chilling on the closed toilet as Alec brushes his teeth on lazy mornings when they’re too tired to even go eat breakfast.

Magnus plops himself down in the tub to minimize the mess, then tugs off his shirt, throwing it aside. Behind his back, Alec tinkers with the trimmer, trying to get the interchangeable part to stay on, Magnus can see his reflection in the mirror above the sink - brows furrowed in concentration, mouth twisted into a sour line.

The soft light filters in through the small window near the ceiling, accentuating all the lines of Alec’s body and the ropy muscle he’s been building over the last couple of months in the garage gym; it paints all the fuzzy hairs coming in over his sternum and down the middle of his stomach gold as he leans back to plug in the cord.

The trimmer wakes up to life and Alec perches on the edge of the tub, his fingers carding through Magnus’ messy hair. “Only the sides.”

Magnus nods with a quiet chuckle. “Make me look beautiful, Lightwood.”

“I don’t have to do anything, then.” Alec’s answer is immediate, soaked with comfort, like the words have been sitting in the back of his throat for a while. His hand freezes for a split second, buried in dark hair, but then it resumes its work, with the help of a comb marking out all the areas to keep lines straight.

Magnus presses his lips together into a thin line, a smile trying to worm its way onto his face.

They’ve been like this for a while, all lingering touches and flirtatious quips, quick kisses dropped into hair when the other one is supposed to be sleeping. Magnus has been told that best friends don’t behave like this, that they’re weird, but he and Alec have never been anything other than strange.

Magnus doesn’t remember a single year of his life that didn’t have Alec in it - all through kindergarten, elementary school and now middle school, they’ve been by each other’s side; they played pirates and read superhero comics on the floor of Magnus’ living room, walked along the creek behind the town’s edge, casting stones into the water and telling bad jokes.

And they still do all of these things and so much more.

Magnus has never found anyone he felt as safe with as Alec, whose opinion mattered just as much, who could placate his anger and fear just with one touch of his fingertips. Back when he used to have nightmares, Magnus would climb over the tree and into Alec’s room. Even at three in the morning, the half-awake Alec would only pull back the covers and wrap Magnus up in his arms, murmuring something about kicking every monster’s ass out there before drifting back into soft snores.

They lapse into comfortable silence with only the steady buzzing to accompany it. At one point, Magnus closes his eyes, hangs his head slightly, focusing on the sensations around him.

One of his feet feels close to being asleep and Alec’s touch keeps surfacing goosebumps onto his skin, sending shivers skittering down the knobby line of his spine. Magnus breathes deep, focuses on the drag of those fingertips down the curve of his skull, how careful and diligent Alec is, making sure to get everything even.

“What if I shaved a dick onto your head?” Alec hums at one point, drawing Magnus out of his thoughts; surprised, he bursts into a fit of immature giggles and Alec laughs along, his palm fitted into the crook of Magnus’ neck.

“If you were Jace, I’d consider that as a danger. But I trust you.” Magnus turns to look up at Alec - it feels significant somehow, the way they hold each other’s gaze, Alec’s hand on his bare shoulder.

“Alright,” Alec hums and that’s it, another moment to tuck into their pockets like colorful autumn leaves just after they fall. Lately, everything feels charged, a storm waiting to happen between them, first thunder growling in the lingering glances, in the unspoken words left hanging in the air.

It’s some time later, when Alec straightens out with a sigh, stretches with arms high above his head. “Done, I think.”

He brushes off all the loose hairs from Magnus’ back and helps him out of the bathtub, before motioning towards the mirror.

It actually looks better than Magnus expected - the hair atop his head is still sticking up in all directions, but the sides are just the right length; when he runs his fingers across them, it feels funny, scratchy but soft at the same time.

“Thank you, Alexander,” he says, turning around and leaning against the edge of the sink counter.

Alec pushes off the tiled wall, crowds closer to Magnus until there’s little space between them, before reaching out to brush his knuckles against the side of Magnus’ face.

“Stray hair,” he offers for an explanation, but his fingers drift further, over Magnus’ cheekbone and the sharp line of his jaw to stop at his mouth, thumb pushed against the lower lip.

They’re teetering.

Always walking a thin line of something more, of a touch a second too long, of a heartbeat just on the side of too quick. Magnus loves it, hates it, a little bit of both. It makes him lie awake at night, imagining the moment when the tide breaks.

It also scares him, in a way. Because this is Alec, the person that knows Magnus better than he knows himself, his best friend that he loves with his whole heart. Maybe that’s the problem, maybe the love that used to be purely platonic changed directions, left Magnus wanting more.

A couple years back, Magnus realized he and Alec don’t fit the clean-cut best friends stereotype. Watching other boys run across the soccer field behind the school, hearing them swear and push at each other in pent-up anger, laughing about how ‘gay’ hugging another guy is, Magnus was left with a weird feeling sitting low behind his ribs, a realization he subconsciously already understood.

The signs were all there, from comments whispered as they passed through the school corridors, through meaningful glances from Izzy and Jace, to their parents’ reluctant confusion. And Magnus isn’t blind, he knows normally boys don’t watch the stars from the roof underneath one blanket and they don’t teach each other to swim only to end up in a tangle of limbs at the seashore. They don’t hold hands while falling asleep and they don’t wear each other’s t-shirts just because and they don’t pine after their best friends, because they love them.

They were never normal. They were them, Magnus and Alec, two boys against the world.

Magnus swallows, watches Alec’s eyes follow the movement, deer-like eyelashes sweeping slow against the delicate skin underneath. With a staccato tremble stuck beneath his skin, Magnus lifts his palms from where they hang along the line of his body, fits them against Alec’s sides instead.

Alec’s breath hitches, Magnus moves his hands up, up, up, over the plane of his stomach, over the lines of his ribs, to where his rabbiting heart sits in its cage.

Magnus is tired of walking on the tightrope, trying to keep his balance; he wants to jump.

“Can I kiss you?” he whispers into the distance between their lips, feels Alec’s thumb slip to his chin, then around the side of his neck; his other palm settling at his lower back, tugging him just a fraction closer.

“Please,” Alec whispers back, voice trembling.

Magnus jumps.

It’s nice and strange and slightly overwhelming; Alec’s lips are soft and dry, he tastes faintly like tea and something sweet; his hands tighten on Magnus, bring him even closer until they’re chest to chest.

He starts to understand every line about kissing in books and all the movie scenes he has seen, where the world stops and only two people are left at their own mercy. Before, he could hear birds chirping on the branch outside and the buzzing noises of the tv downstairs, but now his ears are filled only with the hum of his own blood rushing through his veins, the marching beat of his heart.

Magnus forgets to breathe, forgets to think as he wraps his arms around Alec’s neck. His nose presses into Alec’s cheek as they shift together, fall into a rhythm that turns from testing waters into a fervent confession of want. They kiss harder, braver, like everything is about to end even when it isn’t.

They break apart to catch their breath, but being far from each other feels like a curse, so they gasp for air with foreheads pressed together, buzzing with a craving to touch. Alec tips forward, presses his warm mouth against Magnus’ neck, scrapes his teeth against the skin there, wrenching a soft moan from Magnus’ chest, heat curling low in his stomach.

He’s been staring at those pink lips for a while now, imagined how they would feel on his, but nothing he ever came up with compares to this - electric and exciting and so oddly familiar Magnus doesn’t know how he survived without them so long.

With a low noise in his throat, Magnus spins them around, surges for Alec’s lips, who kisses him back like his life depends on it; perhaps in that moment, it does. Those hands bury themselves in Magnus’ freshly cut hair, grip it tight in fistfuls and pull, not enough to hurt, but enough to turn Magnus’ knees into jello just for a second.

Alec calls his name in a breathy voice like it’s the only word he knows, makes it sound like so much more than six letters, like a plea and a command at once.

They’ve crossed a line they can never step back behind, but it feels good, it feels like the right thing to do; Magnus doesn’t care, because he’s not falling - he’s flying close to the sun that won’t burn his wings.

Shifting his weight, Magnus pushes a thigh between Alec’s, feels the taut lines of his body, how equally affected he is by what they’re doing. It sends a spike of white-hot adrenaline through Magnus, as he repeats the motion, kissing Alec again, reckless and open-mouthed and just a little bit sloppy.

Their hands roam freely as they kiss, Alec’s palms drifting from caressing Magnus’ cheeks to squeeze at his shoulders, then scratch blunt nails down his back, equally impatient and reverent in each gesture, as if he can’t believe he’s allowed to.

Magnus can’t believe it either, that’s he’s here, in Alec’s tiny bathroom, kissing the boy of his dreams, pressing curious fingers above the waistband of his sweatpants. He needs to feel more, make another memory to keep tucked into the favorite corners of his brain.

Swiftly, Magnus puts his hands under Alec’s thighs, hauls him onto the counter and oh, the new angle is something beautiful. Alec makes a surprised noise, fingers grabbing tight around Magnus’ biceps to steady himself; they break apart again and Alec looks utterly debauched - his lips are red and shiny, his face is flushed and his eyes hazy, focused only on Magnus himself.

“Working out paid off,” Alec teases, but it has no bite, as he’s breathless, smiling giddily at Magnus.

“I’m going to benchpress your ass one day,” Magnus barks back, half-thinking about what he’s even saying, busy with staring up at Alec; his higher brain functions might as well be all switched off.

Alec throws his head back with a laugh and Magnus uses that opportunity to nose along the line of his clavicle, catching hints of Alec’s favorite cologne.

“Is that a threat or a promise?” Alec quips, wrapping his legs around Magnus’ waist to pull him closer; something behind him clatters to the floor, but neither one of them looks.

“You’ll see.”

Magnus slowly moves his palms up Alec’s thighs and over his hips to grope at his ass, but suddenly, there’s the unmistakable sound of footsteps on a creaky staircase.

“Alec, is everything alright?” Miss Lightwood calls out, knocking on the closed doors to her son’s room.

Both of them freeze, wide-eyed; Magnus swears his heart stops beating for a couple of seconds.

Alec’s mouth hangs open as he blinks rapidly to get back some semblance of coherent thought, his brain working on overdrive.   

“Everything’s good, mom! I just dropped something!” Alec yells back and they both pray Maryse doesn’t hear the tremble in Alec’s voice.

There’s a moment of silence, a mother considering whether her teenager is bullshitting her or telling the truth; in the end, she believes him.

“Okay. Come downstairs, help me do the dishes.”

“In a minute!”

The stairs creak again, indicating Maryse’s departure and Magnus lets out a deep breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

Alec’s fingers find his, tangling together, the previous mood simmering down to something more subtle, not forgotten, but put on hold in a silent promise.

“That was close,” Magnus huffs, swallows the cotton stuck in his throat.

“Yeah.”

Maybe it should be weird, awkward, filled with half-aborted confessions; it isn’t. It feels like nothing changed between them, like they’re still them, still Magnus-and-Alec.

Magnus lifts Alec’s palm to his lips, kisses the ridges of his knuckles.

They still love each other, that will never change.

[rudemaidenswrite]

Ice Cold and Mind Games 4

https://rudemaidenswrite.tumblr.com/post/146022615221/ice-cold-and-mind-games?is_related_post=1

https://rudemaidenswrite.tumblr.com/post/146022754441/ice-cold-and-mind-games-part-2

https://rudemaidenswrite.tumblr.com/post/159499388911/ice-cold-mind-games-part-3

The long awaited Part 4! Everyone can blame Sylvanas because she is the one who has had the story edited for literally a year but never posted it.

Warnings: Language. Sexual implications. Injuries. Drugs. 

“It totally clashes with my hair! I’m not gonna wear this!” Stacie yelled at Logan. “I demand a refund.”

“Stacie you didn’t even pay for it.” Logan sighed.

“Well I’m still not gonna wear it.” ‘You only picked purple cause it Jessie’s favorite color.’

“I…did not.” Logan defensively growled as he started to flush. He snuck a look at Jessie who was spinning in circles with Kurt.

“Mmhmmmm sure you didn’t.”

“Just get changed Barcus.”

“For the millionth time I am not wearing purple with purple hair!”

“Stacie Stacie Stacie! Lookie it’s purple!” Jessie sang as she ran up to Stacie and hugged her.

Stacie patted Jessie’s head. “I can see that tiny child, I do have eyeballs.”

“Oh really I would have never guessed. Just let me be happy about it ya big meanie.”

“Alright smart ass.” Stacie threatened getting in Jessie’s face.

“Barcus go change!” Logan said pulling Stacie away.

Stacie pouted at Logan. “Bbbbbuuuuuutttttttttt Mr. Logannnnnn.”

“Stop trying to butter me up.” Logan sighed.

“Hey babe.” Peter zoomed up to the trio. “Why haven’t you changed yet?”

“Because it’s purple.”

“You like purple. I mean your hair is purple.”

“Exactly. I can’t wear a purple onesie with purple hair.”

“Wellllll technically it’s a jumpsuit.”

“Peter shut it.”

“But baaaaabbbbbeeeeeee. I have an idea.”

Stacie pinched her nose. “And just what is your idea?”

The jumpsuit in her hand changed from purple to black. “We’ll trade.”

Stacie held it in disgust. “I know for a fact you weren’t wearing anything under this.”

Alex held back his laughter. “Come on Stacie you sleep with Peter on a constant basis.”

“Oh shut it Summers!” Stacie angrily stormed off towards the locker room with Jessie in tow.

“Do you really need me to be with you when you change?” Jessie asked, sitting on a bench.

“Yesssss I has many things to tell you.”

“Oooooo gossip yay!” Jessie said excitedly. “Who’s it about?”

“Give you three guesses Pam.”

“No…Nooo…Noooo?” Jessie said playing along before they start laughing.

“I’m so glad you get my terrible references.”

“Anyways who’s the person in question that the 411 is about?”

“411? What the fuck is the 411?” Stacie hung her head in shame.

“Google it.” Jessie laughed.

“Google? What’s Google?”

“Google it!”

“You did not do that.”

“Um I think I just did.” Jessie said with a smile.

“Sometimes I just wanna hide your body somewhere. But then I think who would help me hide the body, and so I give up.”

“Well I’m so glad you need me for things like that.” Jessie said as she rolled her eyes.

“Okay getting back on the topic before you derailed it with your 90’s lingo, isn’t it odd that we got purple jumpsuits and the guys got black ones?”

“What are you talking about? It’s awesome that we got purple! I mean I love purple!” Jessie jumped up and down clapping.

“You really are secretly a child aren’t you?”

“Noooooo. It’s just purple. You remember when I found those sheets at Goodwill.”

“Yes. You screamed and got kicked out for disrupting the peace. And I had to buy them for you.”

“Good times.” Jessie smiled.

“Stop derailing!”

“Are you two done in there yet?” Logan hollered from the entrance.

“No! Squeezing these puppies in here is really difficult!”

“Stacie!” Jessie says slapping her on the shoulder.

“Shut it. I gotta procrastinate to talk to you.”

“Oh yeah…duh.” Jessie laughed.

“Well hurry up. We don’t have the danger room forever.” Logan said sounding annoyed.

“Bite me old man.” Stacie said annoyed. Logan groaned and walked away from the door. She turned back to Jessie. “Okay before we get derailed and forcibly get dragged out of here I guess I should put this on.”

“Yes. Yes you should or we may fail this part of school, but while you’re changing what’s the gossip?”

‘The only reason we, well you and Peter, have purple onesies is because Logan picked it for you because he wants to impress you.’ Stacie hissed through their bond.

‘Nooooooo you’re lying it’s just by luck that they’re purple. Logan’s not even in control of ordering the jumpsuits. Wait is he?’

‘Well considering he’s the one in charge of the uniforms for the X-Men, yes. Yes he is. Dumbass.’

‘I thought it was Hank.’

‘Hank is in charge of making sure the suits don’t get destroyed when we use our powers.’

‘Oh. Oh so you mean Logan really picked purple for me?’

‘No I’m telling you the sun is really purple and you’re just colorblind. Of course that’s what I’m telling you idiot.’

‘Well ya don’t have to be mean about it.’ Jessie stuck her tongue out at Stacie before heading out of the locker room.

“Wait I need you to zip me up.” Stacie yells after Jessie.

“Zip your own boobs!”

“Fine be that way.” Stacie followed Jessie out with her jumpsuit unzipped.

“Took you two long enough.” Logan sighed. “Wait why isn’t it zipped?”

“Cause. Boobs.”

“That’s why I gave you the purple one. It was for you specifically and your chest region.”

“I got you babe.” Peter walked up and zipped it.

“Oh god. Can’t breath. Jessie I should have worn the binder today.”

“Suck it up Barcus. You’re the one who traded with Maximoff.”

“Okay so no. Peter decided that we were trading.”

“Ugh just let’s get started with class okay?” Logan said as he signaled to Hank to start the simulation. “Alright so this is just a basic obstacle course, well with fire. But there is no chance of injury, just make it through the course without dying.”

“Oh I am so glad you’re our teacher for this.” Stacie sarcastically rolls her eyes as she walks to the start line with the others.

“Now you need to do this without powers, it is just to test your strength. Understand Peter and Kurt no super speed or teleporting!”

“Really I can freeze things and she can read minds how exactly is that gonna help with this?” Jessie asks.

“No putting the fires out.” Logan says bluntly. “And Stacie no making me think you’ve completed the course when you haven’t.”

“Oh that’s just unfair!” Stacie says.

“Now Alex knows the drill.” Logan says ignoring Stacie’s comment. “You have to climb over some stuff, walk across some stuff, crawl for a bit, and climb over a wall at one point.”

“I can’t climb stuff.” Stacie whines.

“Teamwork. Now get ready and go!” Logan said.

“Wait what?” Jessie looks confused as she looks at Stacie, while the boys have taken off.

“Does he expect us to like run?” Stacie asks.

“GO” Logan yells.

“We only run in embarrassingly short distances.” Jessie stated before she and Stacie are picked up and thrown onto the course by Logan.

They start going through the course climbing, crawling and running in short bursts. The boys already super far ahead of them. The girls reach a part of the course with lots of fire and one of the trees that line the course caught fire and starts to fall towards Jessie.

“Jessie no!” Stacie threw her hand out to stop the branch from falling.

“Huh?” Jessie turned and saw the branch starting to fall in slow motion. She instinctively took a step back and tottered on the edge of the platform.

“Alex catch Jessie!” Stacie shouted as she rushed towards Jessie. She slammed into Jessie pushing her off the platform. Jessie fell into the waiting arms of Alex. Stacie’s foot caught on one of the ropes lining the platform. She fell forward onto the platform. “Oof.”

Logan stood with his arms crossed impressed with the groups teamwork. He took in a deep breath. The distinctive smell of burning wood greeted his nostrils. ‘That’s not a good smell.’ Logan inwardly sighed. Of course something would go wrong.

“Ahhhhhhh” Stacie screamed in pain.

“No Stacie!” Jessie yelled. Ice shot up in razor sharp spikes around her and Alex.

“Cut the simulation Hank!” Logan yelled running over to where Stacie was, climbing up to the platform with ease. Pulling the very real burning branch off Stacie; it took him a moment to realize that the room had not changed back. “Damnit Hank! I said cut it!”

“I did!” Hank said frantically running through the door. “This is out of our control.”

“What the hell is going on?” Jessie yelled.

“Let’s get the wounded to the med bay.” Hank said calmly. He scanned over the group quickly. Peter was frozen in fear.

“Kurt get up here now! Teleport us to the med bay.” Logan commands.

BAMF! “Of course of course.” Kurt appeared beside Logan and Stacie. He wrapped his tail around her arm before Logan placed a hand on him.

“Wait.” Stacie weakly stretched a hand out.

“Barcus stop moving. You’re wounded.”

“I gotta say something first. Asshat.”

Logan sighed. “Make it quick.”

“Peter I told you showers after breakfast are bad luck.”

BAMF! Logan, Kurt and Stacie appeared in the med bay. “What the hell have I told you about teleporting in here Kurt?”

“Stacie’s wounded. I told him too.” Logan growled at Jean.

“I thought you were doing the Danger Room today?”

“We were. Now stop asking questions and stabilize her.” Logan laid her on the table.

Jean glared momentarily at Logan before starting to work on stabilizing Stacie.

“So what exactly happened today Logan?” The Professor said clapping his hands together.

Logan sighed. “They were running the obstacle course. One of the branches started to fall. Normally it would have phased out and everything would be fine.  Stacie threw her hand out and it started to fall in slow motion. She pushed Jessie off the platform into Alex’s arms. Her foot got caught in the ropes and she fell. The branch fell on top of her. Hank cut the simulation but nothing changed.”

Stacie started to move on the table. Hank leaned over and checked her iv fluids level. He turned up the morphine drip another degree. She immediately ceased her movements. “Honestly Professor I’ve never seen anything like it before. Everything was running normally until the incident.”

“It seems our young telepath has more to her powers than previously thought.”

-Le time skip to after Stacie is stabilized-

Stacie started to wake up. She hazily moved her arms around. “Wow I feel great! What is this stuff? It’s amazing! Can I have it to go?”

“You’re staying here for a while so you can just stay on it right now.” Jessie said sighing. Of course now that Stacie was awake, the first thing she wanted was more drugs.

“Oh where am I?” Stacie asked turning her head towards Jessie.

“You’re in the med bay, you got hurt trying to protect me from a falling tree branch.”

“Oh did I protect you?” Stacie slurred out.

“No you didn’t, what do you think?” Jessie said sarcastically.

“What I didn’t?!” Stacie asked almost in tears.

“No no you did I’m fine you did protect me, I’m fine no crying.”

“What is going on? Why is Stacie crying?” Peter asked walking in.

“She’s high. And I tried to joke with her that she didn’t save me and she freaked out.” Jessie bluntly states.

“Oh okay.” He didn’t look convinced.

“No like really high.”

“Ohhhhhh” Peter said. “No no no. You can’t sit up Stacie. You have to stay on your front!” Peter rushed over and gently pushed her back down.

“You’re my best friend why didn’t I save you?!” Stacie balled.

“What is going on in here.” Scott asked walking in.

“She’s high.” Jessie said. “Like really high.”

“Why is she asking why she didn’t save you, and crying hysterically?”

“Um… she’s just really high.” Jessie jumps at the sound of a newspaper rustling.

“Jessie tried to joke with her that she didn’t save her.” Hank stated as he looked over his paper. “It didn’t end well as you can see.”

“Holy crap how long have you been here?” Jessie asked surprised.

“I’ve been here the whole time, you even looked at me when you walked in.”

“Oh really? I did not even notice you.”

“Alright. Visiting hours are over for the night. Everyone out.” Scott said as he started to shoo Jessie and Peter out. They grumbled but complied. “Hank hold on.” Scott grabbed Hank’s arm. “Are the rumors true?”

Hank pulled his glasses off and placed them in his jacket pocket. “It would appear so.”

TAGS: @markusstraya

[twistednuns]

April 2020

Let's get started this month with my list of quarantine activities. You know what is so beautiful about this whole situation? I have relearned how to play. I got my urge to be creative back. I'll follow any urge and interest because why not? It's not unlike how a child would spend their day. I have so many new projects and even though I feel like I don't really accomplish anything these days I actually do so much. My balcony is lush and green, the first seedlings have sprouted and found their way towards the light. Like a little garden. I am cooking and baking almost every day, trying new and exciting recipes. I draw and make collages, I got a new carving knife and I love sitting in the afternoon sun on the balcony, making a mess, working on my little wooden bird. I found happiness. Stillness. I'm good at being on my own. There is no pressure - only freedom. I'm so scared this feeling will go away again as soon as I have to go back to work.

Mushrooms.

An iridescent nail polish called Mermaid Fantasy. The 90s are back.

Cherry-flavoured diet coke (man, I LOVE artificial cherry flavour). Peppermint tea with milk.

Finding out that I have the same sun sign (Taurus), moon sign (Gemini) and ascendant (Virgo) as Sophia!

Losing my feeling for time. Only knowing what day it is when I take my vitamins in the morning (the weekdays are printed on the lids). Daylight saving is a bitch as well.

Eliot kissing Charlton in the very last episode of The Magicians. I'm so hot for Hale Appleman.

The BA test kitchen staff filming videos of themselves working from home.

Gerstaecker (resin!) and Amazon (raised bed planter!) orders getting way out of hand. But hey. I won't be able to spend my money on plane tickets so I gotta have the right supplies for some fun stay-at-home projects.

Sunset hour = rainbow hour because of the crystals I finally hung up over the balcony door.

The forest. I feel so at ease there. The colours, the light, the smell, the quietude. I have one right behind my house, I should really take a walk there more often. Walking on the soft, almost bouncy forest floor makes such a difference. I usually walk on asphalt all day - hard, cold, unforgiving. I cut some twigs with budding green leaves for my kitchen. And I spotted a cat in an alley - I actually turned around on my bike just to watch it more closely.

The word nohow - is that the opposite of somehow?

All those birdies visiting my balcony (now that there are interesting nesting materials and seeds to be stolen). I love how snatchily they keep turning their heads, it looks a little bit like a laggy glitch in a computer game.

Duolingo's story feature! You read and listen to little short stories (or longer ones - yesterday I read The Tell-Tale Heart in Spanish) and answer questions. So much more fun than those boring translations. So far I've only seen this feature in the English-Spanish course.

Smelling of honey after roasting a batch of homemade granola.

Thai curry. I still know how to make it. It's been a while.

"And Ally loved contradictions." Lena Dunham's novel Verified Strangers - she publishes a chapter every weekday on Vogue.com and the readers get to decide how the story goes on. She says a romance novel is the best way to distract people from the horrible reality these days.

Listening to Marienova's community podcast before falling asleep.

Watching Studio Ghibli movies for the first time ever. I LOVE them all so much, believe the hype! Super magical. I think Spirited Away might be my favourite so far but man, Howl's Moving Castle? Princess Mononoke? I really can't decide. I absolutely adore the tiny creatures the keep featuring like the soot sprites (Susuwatari) or the tree spirits (Kodama). Oh, and half way into Spirited Away I realised that Yubaba's German voice is Nina Hagen!!!

A really lovely letter from Lena.

Deciding to go out. Sitting down at the edge of a field, enjoying the late afternoon glow shortly before sunset. I make an effort to leave the house every day now during quarantine and it has been so good for me. The morning walk to Neuried, having breakfast in the sunshine, my visits to the forest. I love reconnecting with nature. It's such a big difference compared to my usual ways around the city - subway, asphalt, traffic.

An Easter walk through the forest with Adrian. Human contact! Gasp!

Wearing make-up for the first time in weeks. I love how it makes me look but perhaps I could start wearing it less when all this is over.

Applying my favourite Garnier sun oil on my arms just because of the smell. It reminds me of summer, the beach, time with friends.

An evening walk: almost stumbling over toads three times on a forest path / meeting a friendly black and white cat in front of one of my favourite houses / seeing the plushy toy penguins lined up on a shelf in the supermarket window. Walking past back gardens. A party, people in a whirlpool. Chalk graffiti on a lamp post. Venus shining bright.

The Virtual Orchestra makes me cry.

Playing a magical online escape game with Frank.

A break from FOMO. This phase we're going through is such a gift for me but I know I'm in a very privileged position.

Easter Monday was extremely cold but I really wanted to go to the forest so I went anyway. I love being alone in there, avoiding people whenever possible, taking the small, unbeaten paths. It was windy. I hugged a few trees and when I put my ear onto the trunk I could hear deep moaning noises because the wind made the crowns sway and the wood had to adjust. Eerie. I had never heard that before or maybe I just didn't pay enough attention.

Regularly thanking past me for being so clever and considerate, for thinking of everything and preparing accordingly. I love my new hands-on approach, it really serves me well.

Learning about Japanese pavement markings (oudanhodou ari) since I had always wondered what those diamond-shaped markings on the road meant.

Using a leaf care spray on my house plants. So shiny!

Talking to my neighbors. Learning that they're calling the big red cat that keeps walking through our backyard Garfield (I have a different name for him). They also saved me when my apartment door fell shut and gave me a ladder so I could break into my own flat by climbing on the balcony. Oh and Franky gave me his power drill because I needed to drill a hole in the balcony ceiling. More plant hangers! A project for next week: Makramee! I both hate drilling (scary, messy, have I mentioned scary?!) and love it (because it makes me feel like a feminist badass).

The smell of sunflower seed bread and sticky walnut cinnamon buns in the whole apartment.

Love in times of Corona. I'm so happy to be alone right now. I've stopped searching. I am enough.

Working with warm yeast dough.

That day I went to the forest with Manu. He arrived in my backyard and simply said Let's Romeo and Juliet this! (Doch still, was schimmert durch das Fenster dort? Es ist der Ost, und Julia die Sonne!) because he didn't want to come inside. We also tried the Rapunzel-method when I let my hair down to make him climb up the balcony but that obviously didn't work. On our way to the forest we found a plant garage sale and I couldn't resist, I took three pots and donated some money. Manu said that it was one of those moments when I get shiny eyes because I'm so happy or joyful. When we sat down in the nest made from branches a lady approached us after a while and asked us to help her friend who had fallen down. Those things only happen when Manu is with me, I swear.

Peeling a melon in one go without breaking the peel.

The mason bee makes its nest from flower petals.

Buttermilk.

Louise Bourgeois getting her fears under control.

[set--suna]

Danger and Dreams

Whoa what’s this?? Something that isn’t Persona 5??? Listen. Fire Emblem Echoes has been messing with my emotions. And I got this au idea for like, a more futuristic Valentia but it’s not super advanced, just kinda. Also I have it more developed than that but I’m not gonna put it all here. And I haven’t finished Echoes yet so it isn’t done either. Anyways, I was like “Shit, this would be sick” so I wrote it. And then it got gay. Everything I write goes gay and I hate it. But whatever. I wanted to put it here so here it is. P.S. it’s long.

–

The forest was dark as ever on this lovely evening. Leaves rustled in the breeze and birds chirped and small animals scurried around through the underbrush. Python could hear a creek bubbling to his left. Some land was still lush and green like this and not taken over by technology, he appreciated that.

His comm crackled to life in his ear with Clive’s calm commander voice, “Alright, Python, those brigands are camped just ahead on the stream. There should be only five of them, according to our reports from the village. They did take a girl hostage, so be careful.” There was silence over the line for a moment. The gurgling of the creek seemed to grow louder. “This is your first solo mission, Python, are you ready?”

“I’ve seen too many battles, of course I’m ready,” Python responded sarcastically, scanning his surroundings for signs of the enemy.

“Then good luck out there. Contact us if things get rough,” Clive signed off.

Python grinned. Ha, things getting rough, unlikely. He crept closer to the stream, all his senses heightened to their best. He could hear the crackle of a fire and see it’s light from his position. He wrapped a hand around his bow and took breath. Yeah, he was ready. He silently made his way towards his target.

–

“Why couldn’t I go with him again, Clive?” Forsyth asked, leaning back in his chair as the man finished his talk with Python.

“It’s only five brutes, Python can handle them with ease,” Clive answered simply and spun to face Forsyth. He leaned against the control panel and shrugged. “He’s a talented archer, despite his work ethic. They shouldn’t be too much of a challenge.”

“But…! Clive!” Forsyth whined, unable to argue with his commander’s valid point. “What if something does go wrong?”

Clive chuckled and moved from his resting place. He placed a hand on Forsyth’s shoulder and squeezed it as he walked past. “Then he’ll make the right decision. Python knows how to handle himself, he’ll be fine. Now if you’ll excuse, I need to discuss our next big mission with Alm.”

Forsyth frowned at Clive as he strolled out. He sighed – or more so groaned – and ran his hands down his face. He rested his cheek on his hand and stared down the control board. Worry stormed in his gut and made itself welcome there. “Only five brutes”, Clive said. But that’s what made Forsyth so worried. How could only five brutes ravage an entire village?

He sighed and stared at the screen in front of him. It tracked Python’s location, represented by a red dot moving along a stream. He had to have faith in Python. He could be worried, too, though.

–

Python could clearly hear the vulgarness of the brigands from where he was now. He could also fully see their uncleanliness. They joked dirtily and sloshed around the wine in their bottles. Even the way they spoke was disgusting. Python could also see the girl they kidnapped. She looked scared out of her damn mind. Knowing nasty brutes like these, they probably planned to sell her off. It left a bad taste in Python’s mouth.

He glanced around in search of the perfect spot. He grunted in approval when he saw it, a nice oak tree towering above the others. That would do. He crept across the tree line, eyeing the thieves the entire way. Once at his destination, he readied his legs, and jumped. He effortlessly latched onto one of the lower branches. He hauled himself high enough to swing one of his legs over the branch in order to straddle it. He checked on the ugly men below him. Yep. They were too drunk or just too dumb to notice anything.

He crouched on his branch, slowly standing to keep his balance. Grabbing onto the branch above him, he continued to climb. He reached his desired height quickly. The brigands were still clueless, possibly drunker than the last time he had bothered to look at them. From his position, he could shoot them with ease and drop from the tree without breaking his ankles.

Python pulled his bow off his shoulder. He took an arrow out of his quiver and notched it. He closed one eye and took aim. The bowstring tightened and stopped stretching right on the edge of his eye. A familiar sensation sparked inside Python. It could simply be called excitement.

“Easy kill,” he muttered as he released the arrow.

He grinned as the arrow slid into a thief’s chest. He planted another just in case before his pals could react. They ran for the weapons, and Python picked off another. Three left. What an easy mission.

“There!” one pointed at Python’s exact position. Ok. Maybe brigands handled their alcohol better than he thought.

Python’s eyes widened as one picked up a vase and chucked it at him. He ducked and slid out of the tree, listening to the vase shatter against the trunk above him. He landed with grace; in a crouch, one hand on the ground, the other holding his bow. The brutes stared at him skeptically. He just flashed them a grin and notched another arrow. They realized the situation and ran at him. He sent an arrow into one of the guys’s shoulder.

One swung his axe in Python’s general direction, he swiftly jumped out of the way. He loaded another arrow and shot the aggressive one in the leg. The other one he had shot pulled the arrow out of his shoulder and jabbed at him with a lance. Python deflected the point with his bow and swung it around to smack the man in the jaw, knocking him out cold.

The leg-shot bandit lunged at him again, reaching far with his axe. It was far enough to scratch Python’s side, to which he responded with shooting an arrow into the guy’s stomach. He pulled it out immediately, to Python’s surprise, and shoved the archer backwards.

Python stumbled and fell on his back. The graze on his side stung. Then the uninjured crook towered above him, swinging down his axe. Python rolled out of the way, the axe managing to cut his arm. This gash was nastier. The man swung again, but this time Python was ready. He caught the axe in his bow and used all his strength to flip the guy over him. He spun up on his knees and shot an iron-tipped arrow into his opponent’s skull.

He was alerted of the other brigand approaching by his ragged breathing. Python jumped to his feet and pulled an arrow out if his quiver. He ducked under the axe he swung and pivoted on his foot, stabbing the arrow through the man’s chest. After catching his breath for a moment, Python pulled the arrow out and let the bandit fall to the ground. Then he walked over to the knocked out guy, and replanted the arrow in his chest. He took in his work of five dead men around his feet. Mission complete.

Then he caught the eyes of the girl they kidnapped. She wasn’t too young, old enough to understand the direness of her situation and what just happened. In fact, she looked pretty impressed as she shook the piece of cloth off of her mouth.

Python slung his bow around his shoulder as he made his way towards her. “You all right?”

“Yeah, peachy keen,” she responded. Python appreciated her sarcasm. He kneeled down to slice off the ropes binding her with a borrowed axe. “Never thought an archer could take five disgusting brutes.”

“Never thought a girl just kidnapped and almost sold on the black market could be so snarky,” Python countered, offering her hand.

She took it with a nod, “Fair enough. But I’ve seen enough near-kidnappings and murders in the city. They don’t phase me much anymore.”

“Understandable,” Python acknowledged. He dropped the axe and looked around. He dug into one of the various sacks scattered around and luckily found some bandage. He took the time to fix himself up a bit then turned to the girl. “Grab a sack or two, we’re heading out.”

She shrugged and complied. They were able to carry all six sacks of stolen things. The girl handled the more fragile things. Python managed to turn on his comm with his shoulder while they walked, “Hey, it’s Python.”

“Python!” Forsyth’s voice answered him. Why wasn’t he surprised? “Clive has a meeting with Alm, what’s your status?”

“Five bandits dead, one girl saved, six bags of stolen shit being returned, and one Python barely injured,” he summed, staring at the village lights ahead of them.

“That’s better than very injured,” Forsyth sighed in relief. “I’ll send a ship to the drop point and update Clive on how things went. The ship’ll pick you up in half an hour. Nice job out there, Python.”

“Did you doubt me, Forsyth?” Python feigned offense.

“N-No! Of course not!” the soldier exclaimed, causing Python to chuckle lightly.

“See you when I get back,” Python bid him farewell and shoved his shoulder in his ear again, successfully turning off his comm.

–

“See you,” Forsyth said quietly, watching their connection shut down.

It was then the doors behind him slid open. He swiveled quickly, only to relax when he saw it was Clive. The man looked slightly more stressed, but still had the signature Clive charm. He walked up to Forsyth and crossed his arms across his chest, “Any new updates?”

“Yep. Python’s fine. He handled it and rescued the hostage. He’s returning the stolen items now,” Forsyth reported happily.

Clive gave him a knowing look, “What are his actual injuries?”

“I do not know,” Forsyth admitted slowly, lacing his hands behind his back. “He only told me he was ‘barely injured’.”

“Make sure he gets proper treatment when he returns, you can handle him better than I can,” Clive sighed. He bid Forsyth goodnight and headed for his quarters.

Forsyth’s shoulders sagged. It was awfully late, but he couldn’t sleep just yet. He didn’t think he could even if he wanted to. He was always worrying about Python when he wasn’t around him. It was almost like his job.

–

An hour later, Python arrived back on base. Forsyth sucked in a breath when he saw two bloody bandages on the archer’s side and arm. Python tilted his head as he approached.

“What’s with the grim look, pal?” Python asks casually.

“How bad are those?” Forsyth questions immediately, pointing at the bandages.

“This one, not so bad,” Python answers, pointing at his side. Then he points to his arm, “This one is definitely worse.”

Forsyth shook his head, “Ok, come on, we’re going to see Silque.”

Python frowned, “Really?”

“Yes.”

Python’s shoulders sagged. He hated being treated correctly, for some reason. It was most likely his lack of care for many things, sadly including himself sometimes. But just like him, he rambled on about his accomplishments all the way to med bay. Forsyth had to admit, he was impressed. When he expressed so, he was graced with Python’s rare and barely seen genuine smile.

Silque was always present in the med bay, ready for any situation. She was organizing all her stores when they arrived. Upon hearing her doors slide open, she instantly turned around. Her expression was barely ever without a kind smile.

“Ah, Python, welcome back. And hello to you, Forsyth,” she greeted warmly.

“Greetings, Silque,” Forsyth responded politely.

“Hey,” Python waved, less politely.

Silque slid around her check up table to analyze Python’s injuries. She carefully unwrapped the bandage around his arm first, and the wound underneath made Forsyth wince. There was a clean cut short ways across his forearm, which was still bleeding. It was also quite deep. Forsyth was really starting to worry about the slice on his side.

The cleric gestured for Python to sit in her patients chair, so he obliged. Forsyth leaned against a wall as they moved onto his side wound. After waiting for Python to remove his shirt, Silque peeled off this bandage. This cut was less grotesque than the one on his arm. It was just a break of the skin, the kind that bled fast but only a small amount of blood. Silque did her job of properly treating each wound with a grace only someone like her could have when treating wounds. The gash on Python’s side was dealt with, so Silque moved on to the nastier arm wound.

“This is going to need a few stitches,” Silque diagnosed calmly, turning slightly to open a drawer and pull out the right materials.

Python winced as she started her work after cleaning his cut. Forsyth’s mouth twitched, as he forced himself to not grimace at the sight. Watching medics fix gashes and broken bones was never an easy thing to witness for him. But soon enough Silque was done and Python’s arm was mostly back to normal.

“You needn’t worry about getting them removed, they’ll dissolve as soon as it’s fully healed,” Silque explained as she went to wash her hands.

“Thanks, doc,” Python replied, putting his shirt back on.

“It is my only way to repay my gratitude to you all and Mila,” Silque insisted, her smile still as warm as ever. “Make sure to see me if you need anything else.”

“Of course, Silque. Farewell,” Forsyth bowed slightly.

Python waved his goodbye and the two exited the med bay. They had no where to go, so they walked aimlessly in a comfortable silence until they reached a cliff overlooking the nearby city. Python sighed and fell back from his sitting position.

“Don’t you hate how the world is now?” Python asked, eyes on the sky.

“Why do you ask that?” Forsyth countered, confused.

“Everything’s just so… shitty,” Python decided on a word. “Valentia wasn’t like this when we were kids, was it?”

Forsyth looked away, focusing on the city instead, “No, it wasn’t. There were no brigands or terrors and nobody was in danger of dying except for of old age. We were advancing in society and here we have stopped.”

“The world was a better place ten years ago,” Python stated like no one could tell him he was wrong. “Dreams could be achieved then. I’ve found that now dreams are nearly possible to achieve.”

Forsyth raised an eyebrow, “And you know this how? I thought you haven’t had a dream a day in your life.”

“… Little ones,” Python answered, his expression turned somber, “but I think I mostly learned that from you. You dreamt of so much as a kid. And now look where we are. Stuck in a war nobody wanted to fight.”

“Python, the Deliverance was my dream. It still is!” Forsyth waved his hands around for emphasis. “I want to help people. The Deliverance is the best way of doing so. We still are helping people, we are saving them from the horrors of this war and letting them live normal lives. This is my dream, and I’m living it to the utmost I can.”

Python sighed through his nose. He twisted to lay on his side and look directly at Forsyth. His expression said he didn’t fully believe the soldier.

“Really, this part may be rough, but it’s still my dream,” Forsyth assured him. “What about yours? You said you had little dreams, what are they?”

Python shrugged and fully sat up, staring down at the city, “I don’t know. Living long enough to enjoy my life. To at least see you do something useful with your life.”

Forsyth felt his face grow warm. Python admitted he cared about his dreams. He also noticed how close their faces were.

“What about your little dreams?” Python asked.

Forsyth was lost for words. He hadn’t thought about those. Did feelings count as dreams? Cause he had a lot of those going on right now.

Python stared directly into Forsyth’s eyes. Forsyth stared back. He looked like he wanted to do something, say something, but he couldn’t. So, Forsyth followed his dreams. He leaned forward and carefully planted his lips on Python’s.

He really didn’t expect Python to kiss him back. He really didn’t, but Python did. Forsyth’s hands grasped at the grass, being his way of expressing his surprise. Python’s hand came up to cup Forsyth’s cheek. They broke apart, neither necessarily needing to breathe, but feeling like then was the time.

“I guess we had the same dream,” Python muttered, a small smile on his face.

Forsyth felt the grin spread on his face before he started laughing. He stopped himself and nodded, hand reaching to place itself on top of Python’s.

“Yeah, it looks like we did.”

[writeyouin]

I'm sorry, I don't really understand how submitting works, but I would really love something where the reader and Newt are really close and Queenie, recognizing a mutal attraction between the two, often teases & eventually gets them together. Thx!

Newt Scamander X Reader – A Little Pressure

A/N – I hope this is along the lines of what you mean, it was a toughie to write but one I was happy to finish.

Warnings – Single mention of dementia.

Rating – T

Queenie flitted absentmindedly around the enclosures within Newt’s case, reminiscing the short time Jacob had spent there. Newt, Tina, and yourself had offered to leave her alone for a while but she’d declined the offer, insisting that she took comfort in your presence; in truth, she disliked the silence of being alone, even when nobody was speaking she took solace in hearing people’s unguarded thoughts.

All three of your voices filled Queenie’s mind now, stronger thoughts taking precedence over the others.

“-have to find that escaped wizard, he’s a danger to himself.” Tina’s voice resounded worriedly as she thought once again about Yusuf Talim. Yusuf was an old wizard suffering from the later stages of dementia. He had recently escaped the American branch of St Mungo’s with a stolen wand and the Auror’s had been assigned the task of locating him. Tina had been concerned with his safety ever since, reviewing the case repeatedly in the hopes of finding something new. Queenie considered reassuring her sister but decided against it, knowing that nothing would help until Yusuf was safe and sound again.

“- I should ask now.” Newt’s much less confident voice broke through. “No… (s)he’d hate that… (s)he’d hate me.”

Queenie couldn’t help the warm smile that lit up her face. Although she didn’t know what Newt was thinking about yet, she’d grown used to his constant inner arguments and conversations; she guessed that so much time spent alone made him converse with himself more than other people did.

“Why? Why would you risk jeopardising your friendship?”

Queenie listened intently, eager to know the topic of his discussion.

“Because… (Y/N)’s always been there for me, (s)he doesn’t think I’m a freak like other people do… (S)he’s like sunshine… I want us to stay together… Forever.”

Queenie looked over to you. You were on the other side of the case, using spellotape to temporarily patch up the tattered wall of the Savannah enclosure until Newt had time to fix it. She focused on you, listening to the thoughts on your mind. As it were, you were just mentally humming along to George Olsen’s “Just a Little Thing Called Rhythm.”

Queenie shook her head dispiritedly, while she was sure you had consumed most of Newt’s thoughts, she wondered if he was ever in yours; up until now, you did seem to be a little dense when it came to romance.

She approached Newt, startling him when she spoke, “You should tell (Y/N) how you feel honey, I’m sure it’d be better than constantly worrying about it.”

“Wha- I-” Newt stumbled, before sighing and slumping despondently against the nearest rock, “(S)he doesn’t like me that way…”

“Have you asked?”

“I don’t need to. We’ve worked together for a year now… I’d know if-” He stopped, unable to finish the sentence.

“What if (Y/N) feels the same way hmm? Maybe (s)he’s too scared to say as well.”

Newt shook his head rapidly, resembling some of the creature’s he spent so much time with.

“We’ll never find out this way.” Queenie tutted impatiently. “(Y/N).” She shouted, gaining both your attention and Tina’s.

Newt shot up, panic stricken, “Q-Queenie what are you doing? Queenie!” He spoke in a hushed, agitated tone.

Queenie ignored him, “(Y/N), Newt wanted to know something. Would you consider-” She paused for effect, “-working with dragons?”

Newt released a strained breath.

You grinned excitedly, “Sure, I’d love to. Think we could, Newt?”

Newt squeaked something along the lines of a ministry ban, puzzling you further.

“Alright.” You huffed. “Why bother asking then?”

Queenie turned to Newt again, “Newton Scamander,” she bubbled, “if it takes me all my best efforts, I will get you to confess your feelings to (Y/N). Excuse me.”

She skipped away, leaving Newt to sweat nervously next to the Bowtruckle tree which Pickett was trying desperately to escape from, “You know Pickett… I’m afraid she really means that.”

Pickett nodded in agreement, making a big swing from a branch onto Newt’s arm as they watched Queenie walk away.

As time passed, Queenie grew bored of waiting for Newt to confess his feelings towards you. As such, she’d resorted using whatever methods necessary to get the two of you together. Sometimes, she wondered whether she was doing the right thing but she’d quickly remind herself that if she left the two of you alone, you would both waste too much time awaiting one-another.

After several weeks and numerous failed attempts, Queenie pondered her next course of action. So far, she’d tried a love potion, a truth potion, spells to trip him on top of you, and the excessive use of mistletoe; none of which went according to plan. That left only one more scheme, one that was so simple, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of it before. Jealousy. However, there was limited time left to act as the ship bound for England was due to be in port in two days. With that in mind Queenie prepared a delectable meal for the three of you which could be described as nothing less than a miniature feast; Tina was staying late at work to finish some paperwork on Mr Talim who’d finally been captured and given a safer room within the St Mungo’s.

“So, (Y/N),” Queenie smiled genially at the dinner table where the three of you had slipped into casual conversation about anything and everything, “are you looking forward to England?”

“Yes.” You beamed, enrapturing Newt who suddenly seemed to forget his surroundings. “I can’t wait to see Newt’s book published, right Newt?”

“Hmm? Oh, r-right.” He blushed sheepishly.

“That’s nice.” Queenie remarked, moving on to the next phase of her plan. “What about romance (Y/N)? Anyone caught your eye?”

Clear images of Newt tending to his ‘children’ filled your mind’s eye, “No.” You lied breezily. “Can’t say anyone has.”

Newt relaxed, thankful that he didn’t have to picture you in the arms of somebody else.

“That’s fantastic.” Queenie pushed on.

“It is?” Your brow creased in confusion.

“Uh-huh. See, I have a pen-pal who used to work for the ACUSA and is now working for the Ministry of Magic and he’s simply dying to meet you, considering you’re not with anybody that is.”

“Oh um- Queenie, that’s really sweet of you but I’m uh, not really interested right now.”

“Are you sure? I mean, he’s exactly who I’d picture you with. He’s tall and handsome with a really great personality-”

Newt zoned out, unable to hear more about a man who was surely better for you than he could ever be. There was so much he wanted to end in that moment, the conversation, the uncomfortable expression in place of your usual smile, and the claustrophobic weight pressing down on him took priority on the growing list.

“Stop.” Newt mumbled, almost silently. When neither you or Queenie heard him, he shouted it, pushing up from the table with the loud scrape of his chair.

You shrunk away from his thunderous roar, a sound you’d never thought capable from the ever-gentle Newt.

“Newt,” You whispered cautiously, “are you feeling okay?”

“N-no (Y/N). I don’t- I can’t-” He couldn’t meet your eyes as he gripped the table for support.

“I don’t understand. What’re you trying to say? What do you want?”

“You.” He finished suddenly.

When you didn’t respond, Newt stalked out of the room with a strangled cry of, “I need to pack.”

“You feelin’ okay honey?” Queenie asked, struggling to make sense of your jumbled thoughts.

“Uh- No. Sorry Queenie, I need to talk to him, excuse me.” You left Queenie, heading to the room you and Newt had been sharing since Jacob left.

When you got there, Newt was nowhere to be found but his case was lying unclasped in the middle of the floor. You climbed in, heading straight for the animals where Newt always went when troubled. Sure enough, Newt was hunched on the floor, against the Occamy nest with his head in his hands, murmuring despondently to himself while various creatures surrounded him.

“I couldn’t have made it worse if I tried. Not only does (s)he know but you should have seen it… I never meant to scare (Y/N) like that.”

“You didn’t scare me.” You whispered quietly.

Newt lifted his head quickly, showing red stains where tears had fallen, “(Y/N)!”

“I was worried about you… I know you sometimes prefer being left alone but I’d like to talk if you’ll let me.”

Newt sat silently, awaiting your judgement.

“We’ve been travelling together for about a year now and you’ve never given any indication that you were interested in me so what’s going on?”

“(Y/N)… I was so afraid to tell you… so afraid that you’d treat me like everyone else did… so afraid that you’d leave. I always p-promised myself that one day I’d work up the c-c-courage to- But, when we were travelling it was all so s-secluded, there was no other wizard who could take you away from me. I don’t- No… I can’t see you with anybody else.”

“Then just say the words Newt. Say the words and I’ll be yours.” Your eyes bore into his, begging for something you were sure you wanted more than anything else at that moment.

“W-what words do you want to hear?”

“Whatever comes to your mind first.”

Newt was sure there were people who, if put in the same situation, could cite sonnets or powerful speeches that would move even the most stone-hearted of people but in that moment, he knew the only words that came to mind and he hoped they were what you longed to hear, “I- I love you.”

You bent down to his level, “I love you too.” You grinned weakly, grazing your lips lightly against his. Various crowing, howling, and squeaks erupted from the surrounding creatures until Newt was forced to quiet them by pulling away from you. The two of you sat in complete elation, content to simply be in one-another’s presence. Meanwhile, Queenie listened to the ecstatic thoughts coming from the confines of the case, proud of the night’s progress and the news she’d have for her sister when she came back.

[yellowrocketship]

Out in the Woods: How Some Old Trees Helped Me Figure Out How to Love Myself

I wrote and performed this story for a Feb. 12, 2017 storytelling event called Stories for Change, a benefit for a sexual violence prevention center at the U of M.

I grew up not far from here, in the last of the Big Woods, surrounded on all sides by towering basswood and red oak and sugar maple. On boiling hot July afternoons, I’d walk down to the woods and wade up to my shins in the ice cold creek. Crisp days in September were spent running up and down hills, tripping over logs, trying to find the brightest fallen leaves. But the most exciting time of year for me was Spring, when all the woodland wildflowers would bloom. I’d collect them by the handfuls and bring them back home, usually broken and half-wilted by the time I finally got through the door. Those woods were an endless source of entertainment, of comfort, of so many fresh-picked raspberries that I’d eat until my arms were scratched from the thorns, my hands were stained red and my belly ached.

I built my own private world there. Even if a friend tagged along on the occasional excursion, I knew they could never see the woods as I did, feel the trees breathing with me. It was a place only I could experience, a place that lived inside my head as much as it lived outside of it, a place of beauty, where no thought or feeling or action was wrong as long as it came from good intentions.

I knew from an early age how I felt about girls. I just didn’t know it was anything different than how others felt. I remember the first time I kissed a girl, sitting in the shade on a hot summer day. She leaned in, pecked me on the mouth, and then we both collapsed into giggles. It felt so natural, I didn’t question it.

It wasn’t until one day in high school that I finally learned just how different I was. Somebody in my friend group had made some dumb offhand comment like “Why isn’t there a straight pride parade?” Being a calm, level-headed 16-year-old, I coolly brushed off his remark.

No I didn’t. I was a teenager. I yelled at him and then went home and cried to my mommy. I always thought of my mom as the most progressive, accepting person in the world. She’d always taught me that everyone was important and deserved love, no matter who they were. Which is why it hurt all the more when she just didn’t understand why I was getting so upset over a stupid thing some boy said, when I told her “He’s insulting my friends, my family, even… me.” I’d never thought of it that way before.

“I don’t know about that, your cousin was a LUG, you know.”

Ouch. L. U. G. spells Lesbian Until Graduation. It’s perfectly normal to experiment with the same gender in college and while often people find they identify as straight afterward, this term is too often used to deny bisexual identities by minimizing someone’s orientation to “just a phase.” I was shocked by how casually she said this, so.. I pushed the issue. I told her outright: “Mom, I like girls.” I left the “and boys” out because, well, she had met my last boyfriend so I figured she knew that part. She didn’t take this well. As she started crying about how she would never get grandchildren, I threw on some rain boots and slipped out the door.

I felt so betrayed. I could always tell my mom everything, but now, when I needed her support the most, I didn’t want to tell her anything. I didn’t know what to do.

So I ran to the woods. It was spring, so the small creek that ran at the bottom of the deep ravine was thawing out and filling with snowmelt. The chickadees and nuthatches were beginning to sing, a sure sign of warmer weather to come. I stepped onto the trail, wiped my feet to prevent the spread of invasive species, and had the distinct feeling of coming home.

When you’re young and queer, it’s hard to find your place in the world. You live in between, more worried about how you pass than who you are. If you pass as straight, you won’t have trouble in school but you will probably have trouble in your lovelife. If you pass as gay, you’ll have a chance at love but your life will likely be made hell by your peers and you could end up on the streets. A 16 year old in the suburbs, I was so concerned with my image. I’d get Juicy brand velour sweatsuits and ugg boots bought off of Ebay after saving up for months so I could look like all the other girls. I wore them like camouflage. They fit terribly. They were always too tight and stretched awkwardly over my chubby adolescent body. I felt forced into this mold that so clearly wasn’t meant for me, but I had no idea who else I could be.

In the woods that afternoon I was angry at the world for not understanding me, and angry at myself for the same reason. Lost in thought, I wandered off the trail and nearly tripped over a branch that I quickly sidestepped to avoid. When I lifted my foot I realized I had stepped on a jack-in-the-pulpit, a rare flower native to these woods and one of my mom’s favorites. I felt too big for my body, like my clumsiness would end up hurting everyone. I made my way carefully down the hill to the ravine, watching every step. At the bottom of the hill I looked up to the opposite side and saw a young deer peering down at me. Watching. We stared at each other for what seemed like forever until finally he seemed satisfied I wasn’t a threat and slowly walked on, his white tail waving like a flag.

I spent the rest of the afternoon following the creek down to the small lake. I could feel the coldness of the water radiating through my rain boots and wool socks, but my feet stayed dry so I kept going. I arrived at the lake and found a huge tree cut down and lying on its side. I counted the rings for a while but got bored as soon as I got up to 70 and realized there were still more to go. I climbed on top. The damp moss that covered it left spots and green stains on my near threadbare velour sweatpants. Looking out at the lake, I realized just how big the woods were. I felt as if I had been walking forever. I tucked my hair back in my hood and laid back on the tree, staring up at the canopy overhead. Most trees had leaves at this point but I could still see the white sky like lace where they parted.

At that moment, I had two thoughts. The first was that I felt so overwhelmingly loved. I couldn’t pin down where or who it was coming from, but the sensation washed over my body, warm like a hug. The second was that I was so small. I was laying on a tree at least 5 times my age, surrounded by others even older. These woods had been around thousands of years and had watched millions of lives: human, deer, insect, bird. I could be myself, exactly where I was and fit in perfectly. When you walk into the woods, the trees don’t care who you are or how you feel or who you love or whether you think you’re a good person or not. They just want you to tread lightly and show care.

I felt my phone vibrate. A text from my mom. “Coming home 4 dinner?” Apparently I was worth feeding, even if I would never give her grandchildren. I weighed my options. I could stay in the woods forever, but the raspberry bushes wouldn’t ripen for another 3 months, and I only had half a granola bar in my pocket. I hopped off the old tree and stepped back on the trail towards home.

We didn’t talk about my identity again until I was almost 21. It hurt at first, not being able to share my experience with her, but soon I forgot it was ever an issue. It seemed like my mom had also forgiven and forgotten. We were driving to Pride and talking about something or another when I mentioned being queer.

“Oh, you are?” She sounded slightly surprised.

“Mom, I’ve been out for years. Don’t you remember? I came out to you when I was 16.”

“Oh. Well, I don’t remember. But ok.”

While it was strange that such a huge moment for me was so easily forgotten for her, I was happy she was finally accepting me for who I was. I learned later that she hadn’t had the same open-minded sexual education that I had, and she understood that she had to make a choice. My mom chose to marry a man and have a family. It wasn’t that she didn’t approve of who I was, it was that she didn’t understand how much the world had changed. Well, most of the world, at least.

After I got back from Pride, I went out to the woods again. It had been almost 3 years since I had last set foot in those woods, but I felt drawn there that evening. I covered myself with bugspray and started out on the trail to find some sort of.. reconciliation, I think. Sometimes you seek forgiveness even when you’ve done nothing wrong. I turned the corner and found myself staring at.. a jack-in-the-pulpit, and then another, and then another, and then a sea of green-and-burgundy striped cones unfurled and dancing in the dappled light.

I am so small, but I am deeply loved.

[strawberry--sunrise]

Honey

Isaiah’s first thought in the morning was not his own. He opened his eyes and reached over to quiet his alarm.

These hands are strange.

He paused at the womanly voice, husky and soft. Was he still asleep?

He sat up and tried a reality check. He pressed his finger to the palm of his other hand. It failed to phase through. Troubling.

They’re so rough, the voice mused. And hairy.

Isaiah made a face. This voice was quite rude. He had a normal amount of hair for a man. He shook off the dream voice, throwing aside the comforter and swinging his legs to the floor. The woman gasped.

Most...peculiar. I’ve never had a dream like this.

“You’re the dream,” Isaiah mumbled. “I just need to wake up. It doesn’t usually take this long.”

I often dream of the shore. The trees. The branches, and the birds between them. I’d love to climb to the top and touch one. I’m too frightened to try. But I have never dreamt of being another.

Isaiah got up and walked to the kitchen, trying to ignore the odd babble. He passed the vase on the mantle with a hurried step. This was one of the stranger dreams he’d had of late. Living in his brother’s house, some of his things still laying around, had produced some weird nights. And this dream didn’t seem ready to end any time soon. 

He ate breakfast, to questions about why he was eating moon liquid and pebbles. The voice mused on the shape of the furniture, and the blare of the TV. Music enchanted the voice, who hummed throaty harmonies.

Isaiah donned a thick parka and walked down the street, through his tiny mountain town, wondering if he was in purgatory.

Are you an alien? he thought.

I’m not familiar with the term. I don’t think so.

Isaiah frowned as he went past the local diner, disturbing a pack of seagulls. He glanced at the forest in the distance, and the voice sighed.

Today the water is so still. It’s depressing. And it only grows colder. I fear this place will be frozen again before long.

“The winter just broke,” Isaiah mumbled. “Where do you live, anyway?”

Outside of this place. I can hear it--my ears are wonderful, I’ve been told--but can’t see it. My home is lovely on its own. The sun comes up over a crown for the earth. When it rests, the sky is a blanket of many lights and colors. Andromeda is most lovely, all reds and stars. I have seen them fall, but I have yet to catch any. I wish to go up and see those things. High, high into the sky.

“You don’t know what aliens are, but you know about the sun, the stars, and the solar system?” Isaiah asked.

No one has told me that story.

What does that mean? Isaiah thought, forgetting she could hear that too.

I have had many visitors who speak to me, the voice insisted, haughty, including the great beasts of the forest. All come to see me, for I have what they all desire.

Isaiah sighed, closing his eyes against a headache. He hadn’t been looking forward to spending his day off with an imaginary friend. “And that is?”

Come see.

The voice went quiet afterward, no matter what Isaiah thought or did. She paid no interest to movies or technology. She didn’t care for loud automobiles, or the local police on horseback. 

One of the patrolmen stopped and tipped his hat to Isaiah. “I’m sorry,” he said simply.

Isaiah nodded, a burn in his throat. After five weeks, that feeling of helplessness hadn’t abated. He wanted to take the officer by the jacket and scream at him for not doing more sooner.

Instead, he turned and went down a side street. Isaiah walked beside giant murals, running his fingers over rough, red, brick, and still nothing. She had nothing to say to the docks, where ships bobbed on the port. The scent of fish and salt did nothing to spark the stranger’s interest.

Isaiah carried on with his day, curious at the sudden departure of the voice he had slowly been getting used to. 

Come see.

He closed his eyes that night and did.

Isaiah saw muted colors through the murk of black and jade green. Pressure wrapped around his body like a cocoon, steady and cold. He reached a hand forward, searching out the lights dancing on the surface.

Surface.

He was in the water. And that hand was not his.

A long, pale, arm stretched out, capped by sharp, thick talons. Scales glimmered in the faint light. The arm snapped back and, with a force from behind, Isaiah shot forward.

His head broke the surface, scalp weighed down by a length of wet hair. He blinked, adjusting his vision. There were so many little things to take in in the world of air.

Waves from the water lapped at the shore, as a stranger sat by the tide. He set his flashlight aside, and brought out a thermos. Isaiah swam closer, feeling less like himself with each second. He became something else; something feminine and curious, with a burning in her throat.

The stranger smiled and waved. “How are you, Honey?” he asked.

Grant.

Isaiah nearly broke free, ready to shout the man’s name. Grab him by the collar, and drag him back into the world. The lines on his face and his uneven shave were so familiar. His scent wafted over the water, his strong hands reaching out to greet him.

But this was not his dream.

And Honey, whoever she was, took back her time.

She clasped Grant’s hands in greeting, then pouted. “You’ve been away.”

“I warned you,” Grant said, bringing something from his bag. He tossed Honey fresh kippers from the market. In the back of Honey’s mind, Isaiah recognized the label on the can. “But I made it back in time for the show.”

Honey swallowed the fish, looking up at the sky. The galaxy stared back, winding and wild with a tapestry of heavenly bodies. In the deep of the forest, the night revealed its beauty each night. 

Crickets sang around them, as foxes bolted through the foliage. Honey sucked on the bones, humming. “This year has been much like my first.”

Grant cocked his head to the side. “Your first?”

Honey turned to look at him, blinking her eyes fresh. Grant’s image had started to blur. “I was brought here when I was small, cupped in the hands of a giant. Like a tadpole!”

“Except tadpoles grow legs,” Grant pointed out.

“Perhaps I might still!” she insisted hotly.

“And how? Do you know a magic spell?”

She dipped low and blew angry bubbles along the surface of the water. Grant laughed.

“If you can’t find a way to grow legs, then when it’s warmer out, I’ll come to you. You can teach me how to swim proper.”

The tips of her ears fanned out, interested. She sat back up. “Shall I? There are many more beautiful things in the silt that I haven’t shown you. I’ve had no one to share them with for an awful long time.”

Grant adjusted his scarf, smiling down her. A ring glinted from his finger. His breath fogged out as he spoke, eyes bright as the stars. “I would be honored.”

His head turned to the sky, and his smiled softened. “Look. They’ve begun to fall.”

Isaiah crumpled out of bed, slamming onto the floor.

He sucked in deep breaths, lung heaving. He had been under too long. He wasn’t ever getting back to the surface. But Grant. He had to find Grant. He was still missing.

Calm yourself, the gentle voice whispered. All is in the past.

Time caught up to Isaiah. His shoulders caved in. He took a breath that turned into a cry, the burning in his throat impossible to quench. The hurt rolled over his back, down his arms. He pressed his head to the floor, wishing he could pray the misery away.

The voice remained silent as he worked through his emotions, morning light filtering through the curtains. Grant’s curtains. Isaiah’s curtains. He’d gone all this way; moved back to town; for a sad ending. She was right. It was over. There was nothing he could do.

But there was one person who had seen Grant before him. The last one.

Guided by murmuring of encouragement, Isaiah stepped into his boots and searched for the edge of the forest. He breathed in the heady scent of the pines and oaks, walking down a well-worn path. Flashes of the same path danced across his eyes, from months prior. Grant’s vision, connecting him and the lake he so loved to visit.

“It’s so beautiful. Peaceful. I want to show you, after the winter.”

“Are there fish?”

Isaiah remembered how Grant had stifled a laugh.

The path took him miles from the town. He turned at a seemingly random sapling, down a deer trail.

All come to see me, for I have what they all desire.

The dawn mist curled off the green-glass lake, thick and smokey. An expanse of sun-capped mountains stretched the horizon beyond, invisible in the night. A crown for the earth.

Isaiah made his way down to the rocky shore, disturbing the drinking of a group of birds. The surface of the lake remained still as he stood beside it, breathing in the same air that Grant had. He took in the awesome view, blown away that Grant had had the luck to find it. There were hundreds of lakes hidden in their state. But only one with a permanent resident.

The water parted a few feet in front of him, soundless. She had been much closer than Isaiah had realized, blending in with the silt and the gentle waves. She reflected all the hues around her, surviving with perfect camouflage. Save for one color.

She opened her closed eyes. The browns, the blues, and the green all disappeared. The pine vanished; the cold of the morning faded; the sound of gravel shifting was an echo. Isaiah kneeled down, transfixed as cool skin pressed against his cheeks. Big yellow eyes blinked at him, and all he saw was sweet, sweet, honey.

“I can see the resemblance,” Honey said, smiling.

“What happened to my brother?” Isaiah’s voice cracked. He already knew. The scene had made it obvious. The coroner had confirmed the cause, from what remained of the remains. Honey’s face shifted, perhaps still able to read his thoughts.

“I have condemned the brown bear for what she has done,” she said quietly. Her brow broke, sorrow leaking into her voice. “I am sorry that could not be the queen of this forest. I am only ruler of this water. And that is too little.” Honey took back her hands. “I had been hoping...he would stay with me. The giant had a cabin for many years, not far from the shore. I can still see it. It is only a little broken. The branches above found a new home, when the giant abandoned it.”

Honey’s melancholy hand skimmed the surface of the lake, sending out ripples. Beneath the water, Isaiah saw the outline of a thick, powerful, tail, not unlike an alligator’s. “The giant sleeps with me now. Where does Grant sleep? I’ve been searching for him while I rest. He said I would always be able to find him in my dreams.”

Isaiah took a deep breath. “A hiker found him two weeks ago. I put him on the mantle in the living room. I’d been staying at his place for a while.”

“You have a room designated for the living?” Honey asked, wrinkling her nose. “Then why have you put Grant there?”

Isaiah nearly laughed. “Grant was slacking, I see.”

“I have missed him,” Honey said. “A whole year. And I was frozen for so long. All alone. I waited for someone to come and sing me songs through the ice. When the freeze thawed, still, there was no one. I tread the warm waters alone.” Honey pursed her lips. “Will you vanish as well? After we were brought together?”

Isaiah didn’t fully understand how Honey had literally gotten into his head. He didn’t even know what Honey technically was. But Grant had looked so peaceful, stargazing with her. He had trekked a path to her nearly every day. He could see a piece of his brother in how Honey folded her hands, or cocked her head toward the mountain.

Grant had cherished Honey. It was the closest he could be to his brother, now, to take care of his dearest friend. Perhaps even convince her that trees weren’t scary.

Isaiah sat down on a flat rock placed beside the shore. He reached into the pocket of his jacket for a smooth, aluminum can.

“Did Grant ever tell you what rings on fingers mean?” he asked. “It was a sneaky thing of you, to give him one.”

“My best gift was a can opener,” Honey chirped. She smiled in anticipation of her treat, teeth sharp. “But he was happy over it.”

Isaiah smiled in return. 

Yes. He had been.