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theartofdreaming1 · 3 years ago

Photo

Here is my attempt at portraying Peeta’s camouflage skills convincingly 😅😅

As usual, my thoughts regarding this week’s prompts and random thoughts on chapters 19-21 are below the cut.

heart

While I love all the banter between Katniss and Peeta, I think my favorite of these three chapters is: “Trust me. Killing things is much easier than this,” I say. “Although for all I know, I am killing you.” “Can you speed it up a little?” he asks. “No. Shut up and eat your pears,” I say. A classic 😄

mind

I always imagined that Cato went after Thresh before coming for Katniss and Peeta because a) Thresh took the backpack for District 2 (which contained the body armor that would make dealing with Katniss’s arrow so much easier) and b) Thresh killed Clove and Cato wanted to avenge her... Although I have no idea how Cato ended up killing Thresh... he was doing pretty well for himself in his grass-y area... Maybe the Gamemakers wanted to punish Thresh for not killing Katniss and generated that thunderstorm and rain to force Thresh out of his refuge, which would give Cato a fair chance to kill him, I guess...

soul

Lol, honestly, since Peeta just generally seems to be motivated by kindness and love/caring, I don’t think it took much for him to keep the star-crossed lovers angle alive (I could easily imagine him actually noticing Katniss in the willow tree early in the Games and offering to take care of the District 8 girl, so the Careers would get the hell out of there, away from Katniss)

Chapter 19:

Peeta, who’s been wounded, is now my ally. [...] I’d loathe any tribute who didn’t immediately ally with their district partner. Besides, it just makes sense to protect each other. - Honestly, this just highlights what a kind person Katniss is, despite her aloof front; her innermost instinct is always to stick together and to protect. Because it doesn’t really make sense for her to team up with Peeta - she knows he’s wounded and won’t be of much help to her, her chances of survival are way better if she stayed on her own, but it’s not something she’d ever consider now that they are allowed to form a team (and only then does she even factor in the whole ‘star-crossed lovers of district 12′ -angle)

Peeta, it turns out, has never been a danger to me. The thought makes me smile. - Aww 😊 (but also, how heart-breaking that the Capitol will do everything in their power to change that, to make Peeta become a danger to Katniss 😢)

He’s very hard to predict, which might be interesting under different circumstances - Okay, but this just makes me think of that exchange in Gilmore Girls when Paris and Rory talk about how you know a guy is right for you: “Someone who’s compatible but not compatible.” “Yeah, kind of. I mean, you respect each other’s opinions and you can laugh at the same jokes, but I don’t know – there’s just something about not quite knowing what the other person’s gonna do at all times that’s just really exciting.” - fits these two to a T 😏

In fact, I’ve just about decided I’m on the wrong track entirely, that a wounded boy would be unable to navigate getting to and from this water source, when I see the bloody streak - Okay, but how flipping tough is Peeta?! He’s severely injured, with multiple tracker jacker stings and he drags himself to this terrain that is almost impossible to navigate for someone in his condition - a sturdy dandelion, indeed!

“You’re here to finish me off, sweetheart?” - What an entrance after having gone AWOL for quite a couple of chapters 👌🏼👏🏼

“Remember, we’re madly in love, so it’s all right to kiss me anytime you feel like it.” I jerk my head back but end up laughing. “Thanks, I’ll keep it in mind.” [...] “Katniss?” Peeta says. I meet his eyes, knowing my face must be some shade of green. He mouths the words “How about that kiss?” I burst out laughing - He’s lying in a river bed, slowly dying, and he can still make her laugh 😊

“You know, you’re kind of squeamish for such a lethal person” - It’s such a small comment, but I can’t help but think that Peeta is just kind of intrigued to discover all these little idiosyncrasies that make up the ever-elusive Katniss Everdeen ;)

Impulsively, I lean forward and kiss him, stopping his words. - Aww, she doesn’t even want to consider him dying, so she spontaneously decides to cut him off with a kiss👀👀 Honestly, at this point Peeta has elicited 2 (!) spontaneous kisses (the kiss after the chariot ride and this one) from Katniss, who generally isn’t that big on touching people

“You’re not going to die. I forbid it. All right?” - Stubborn, protective Katniss... But also reminds me of their rooftop “date” in CF and the “Then you’ll allow it?” “I’ll allow it” - exchange

I kiss him awake, which seems to startle him. Then he smiles as if he’d be happy to lie there gazing at me forever. He’s great at this stuff. - KaTNisSs, gurl... 🙄🤦🏼‍♀️

Chapter 20:

But I knew he was injured. And still I came after him. I’m just going to have to trust whatever instinct sent me to find him was a good one. - The very best of instincts, Katniss, don’t you worry😉

Peeta’s struggling to get up when I reach the cave. “I woke up and you were gone,” he says, “I was worried about you.” - Gah, why are the both of them so good?! They just care for and worry about each other 24/7

“How do you feel?” “Better than yesterday. This is an enormous improvement over the mud,” he says. “Clean clothes and medicine and a sleeping bag... and you.” Oh right, the whole romance thing. - Oh Katniss...😐 I reach out to touch his cheek and he catches my hand and presses it against his lips. I remember my father doing this very thing to my mother and I wonder where Peeta picked it up. - Where did Peeta pick this up? From a time his family was less dysfunctional? Observing couples in the town square? Or is he a fricking disney prince and these things come natural to him? Questions, questions...

“You didn’t sleep,” Peeta says. “I’m all right,” I say. But the truth is, I’m exhausted. “Sleep now. I’ll keep watch.” [...] I test his cheek. Hot as a coal stove. He claims he’s been drinking, but the containers still feel full to me. I give him more fever pills and stand over him while he drinks first one, then a second quart of water. - These two are just too stubborn to take proper care of themselves - good thing that each of them is adamant to force the other to sleep/drink/eat when necessary

“Besides I like watching you sleep. You don’t scowl. Improves your looks a lot.” - When presented with the choice of being flirty vs being a cheeky little shit, Peeta will choose being a flirty cheeky little shit every time 😂

“I’m going to make soup,” I say. “Don’t light a fire,” he says. “It’s not worth it.” - Okay, but what he’s actually saying is “I’m not worth it” 😭😭

Katniss telling that story about buying Prim’s goat😊... A young buck, probably a yearling by his size. His antlers were just growing in, still small and coated in velvet. [...] Beautiful. - We are all very much aware of Peeta’s appreciation for beauty, but the same does apply to Katniss, too (she’s just overall more pragmatic)

“Was it [the goat] still wearing the pink ribbon?″ he asks. “I think so,” I say. “Why?” “I’m just trying to get a picture,” he says thoughtfully. - Peeta is so detail-oriented! I have this theory that this is actually something that enables him to overcome his hijacking; we catch glimpses in MJ of how he inches himself out of his condition by asking/focusing on small details or things most people would dismiss as trivial (Katniss’s favorite color, the color of her dress visiting District 7, her Dad singing the Hanging Tree when Peeta was 6 or 7 years old...) and I feel like it makes a lot of sense - his tormentors in the Capitol either wouldn’t have access to distort these moments or not even consider them to have any significance (since they are all about big, flashy gestures in the Capitol), so these memories would remain untouched. Luckily, Peeta seems to live by Robert Brault’s words: “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. “

“Really? What did you cost me again?” I ask. “A lot of trouble. Don’t worry. You’ll get it all back,” he says. - Well, he’s going to cost her a lot more trouble in the future - but we know he’s going to make up for it and bring her much happiness, too 😊

“You’re not risking your life for me.” “Who said I was?” I say. [...] “Of course I’m not going.” [...] “You’re such a bad liar, Karniss.” [...] Anger flushes my face. “All right, I am going, and you can’t stop me!” “I can follow you. At least partway. I may not make it to the Cornucopia, but if I’m yelling your name I bet someone can find me. And then I’ll be dead for sure,” he says. - Soo.. their love language is offering to sacrifice their life like it’s nothing, huh?! 😳😅

Peeta eats without complaint, even scraping out the pot to show his enthusiasm. He rambles on about how delicious it is, - lol, sounds like a husband trying to get back on his wife’s good side after they had a row 😂

I clamp my hand over his mouth and nose hard, forcing him to swallow instead of spit. He tries to make himself vomit the stuff up, but it’s too late, he’s already losing consciousness. - Ah, the most important indicator of true love: having person A force-feed person B a sedative so they can run off to get them life-saving medicine ;)

Chapter 21:

I lie next to Peeta in the bag, trying to absorb every bit of his fever heat. It’s strange to be so physically close to someone who’s so distant. Peeta might as well be back in the Capitol, - Reminds me how in MJ she’s going to be so close to Peeta (mentally/emotionally) while he will be physically so distant (in the Capitol!)

a tiny orange one [backpack] [...] that must be marked with a 12 - Interesting how that backpack is orange, huh? Why is that? Are smaller backpacks generally orange (like the one Katniss already has) to be more visible or is this simply to connect the backpack to Peeta (though we don’t know his favorite color at this point)? Do the Gamemakers care whether Katniss gets a matching backpack? It just seems like an unnecessary detail to throw in🤔

The table has just clicked into place when a figure darts out of the Cornucopia, snags the green backpack, and speeds off. Foxface! - Honestly, this was a truly brilliant move; kudos! 👏🏼

[Clove] carefully selects an almost dainty-looking number [knife] with a cruel, curved blade. “I promised Cato if he let me have you, I’d give the audience a good show.” [...] “I think...” she almost purrs. “I think we’ll start with your mouth.” [...] she teasingly traces the outline of my lips with the tip of the blade. - Okay, but the idea of Clove cutting off Katniss’s lips is just all kinds of terrifying and disturbing 😨

“No! No, I-” Clove sees the stone, about the size of a small loaf of bread in Thresh’s hand [...] Thresh brings the rock down hard against Clove’s temple. [...] and I know she’s a goner. - Interesting how Katniss describes that rock that basically saves her life (or at least kills her assailant) as bread-sized, huh? “Your district... they sent me bread. [...] Conflicting emotions cross Thresh’s face. He lowers the rock and points at me, almost accusingly. “Just this one time, I let you go. For the little girl.” - Katniss mentions the bread from District 11 as a proof of her alliance with Rue (and the recognition of D11) and Thresh spares her; bread keeps saving her life (while it keeps representing acts of kindness)

Cato kneels beside Clove, spear in hand, begging her to stay with him. - I appreciate this small, humanizing moment with Cato

The last thing I remember is an exquisitely beautiful green and silver moth landing on the curve of my wrist. - I don’t know much about North American insects (not that I know that much about European insects either - just recently came across a relatively rare moth on my walks that I had never seen or heard of before) - is Katniss describing a special/noteworthy species of moth? Or is this a more literary symbolism kind of moth? (Just looked up some symbolism meaning of moths: change/transformation, seeking light; power of regeneration in some Native American mythology, hmm...)

#thgagain #thg #hunger games #katniss everdeen #peeta mellark #thg meta #thresh #my sketches and drawings #everlark

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abloomntime · 3 years ago

Text

A Bloom In Time Ch25 Poppy’s Day Out P2

"WHAT?!" The loud shout from the red head staring at Mr. Grooves didn't even make the penguin flinch as he only smiled calmly at her still. Poppy gestured to herself with wide panicked eyes. "I-I CAN'T BE IN A PICTURE!! I'VE BARELY EVEN SEEN A TELEVISION BACK IN MY DAY!!"

Again DJ Grooves held his flippers up in an attempt to calm the frazzled woman down. "Now, Darling. I DID get you out of a pickle now. Conductor would've most likely made you do some hard chores in the hot sun, but no!" He held out a flipper to her and coralled her a few steps away from the mess of broken glass and metal soaking in foam. "I may have only known you for a mere twenty minutes, Darling, but any diva who can say it how it is to Conductor and have a good taste in movies might I add, is a diva I can get behind! Darling, I could really use your help!"

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO HELP!? I CAN'T ACT?!" She insisted back looking a bit more panicked. "L-Look! I'll work it off. I PROMISE that, but I can NOT act in front of thousands of people!!"

The penguin looked sad for a moment then sighed. "Alright. Alright. Maybe I was a bit too forceful to jump on the chance for the princess?"

".......Princess?," Poppy asked raising a brow and Grooves nodded.

"Yes. Do you by chance know the Starella Children's Book?" ...Poppy slowly nodded to answer his question. The three children and her watched as he reached a flipper into his coat and pulled out a colorful piece of paper, and held it out to Poppy who after a moment, took it with her other hand that wasn't holding a bill. "You see this story right now is insanely popular right now with the masses especially the young ones." He patted Bow on the head as she smiled and Poppy looked back to the paper in her hand. It was a poster. It was EXACTLY like the Starella book cover with the Orange-red silhouette of Starella and the dark blue Prince. Except it had a few words and advertisment like things on it as well. Like the words 'Coming To The Big Screen Near You: Starella LIVE!! Real people. Real action. And all based on the beloved New Bird TImes' Bestselling Hit Children's Book! Come see us live Feburary 11th! Limited supply Book now for reservations!' Poppy rose a brow and looked back to him. "You see? I wanted to try something ....FRESH!! Lately I've been on a terrible, terrible losing streak! So I asked myself DJ Grooves, you are the most well known penguin director? You need something that can wow the masses and topple Conductor! Something he'd never expect! So I thought up with grand idea for this new live action play! People love the drama and suspense seeing it in person! But there was a problem setting me back. Poppy, Darling, I'm limited on actors here."

''But...wouldn't there be actors here already to fill these r-roles?"

He chuckled. "Well yes you would think that, but you see I'm staying true to the source material. Which means I need human actors, and frankly you're the perfect match for the main role!" Her panicked face went back to him but again he tried to be reassuring. "Now I don't mean to force the role onto you. That's not what Im saying at all. But I promise if you help make this a success, the profits from it will be MORE than enough to cover that. If you don't want to, I'm sure we can find you a job in storage or dress design or...Something?"

Poppy only looked at him with a wide eyed look before staring back down at the two papers in her hands. It felt like she was making a choice. A choice between one hundred thirteen thousand seven hundred fifty pons, and being the center of attention for thousands of people in some famous director's play. HOW WAS THIS FAIR?! STUPID FATE!! DID YOU JUST LIKE MESSING WITH HER FOR NO REASON?! Well there was good n bad with both. On one hand she didn't even have HALF of what these birds were saying she owed, and she wasn't sure she wanted to mess with any law makers. But working off this high of a debt could take YEARS!! She was already forced to work as a babysitter for some ghost's help(she wasn't even sure how long that contract stated she'd be staying) and she still had NO idea what he was up to, staying her paying off ANOTHER problem she caused was really not ideal. Poppy wanted to save what pons she had left, and she still had plans on leading out her own life again. Somewhere far from her cursed home and start over. The only good thing about that option was that she wouldn't be in the public eye. Blue eyes shifted over from the bill to the shiny poster. On the other hand, one play doesn't sound like a big deal when you say it outload, but there's still going to be hundreds of people watching and she'd NEVER forgive herself if she messed up in front of all those people and it might even ruin her new reputation before she even made it. WHO'D WANT TO BUY FLOWERS FROM HER THEN?!....But. A few months sounded WAY better than a few years, and she wouldn't have to spend any pons really, which would both save time and money literally but....GAH!! She couldn't decide!

Sucking in a breath through her teeth, Poppy looked down at the ever calm penguin who still politely smiled at him. "What exactly would I have to do in this ...play of yours?"

He seemed to brighten up as he explained. "Well, exactly as it sounds. We're staying clear and true to the source book material, which means I need human actors like yourself to fill in some roles I or my penguins unfortunately cannot. And you're just the spitting image of that Starella beauty! That beautiful red hair, that fiery passion. Darling you are the PERFECT fit for it!"

"POPPY'S GONNA BE STARELLA!! NO WAY!!," Hattie's eyes were suddenly wide with wonder as the other's gawks around at her.

"YOU! No way!" "THAT'S SO COOL!!"

"Now hold on!," Poppy held up her hands to stop the tirade of excitement from the girls as they all smiled up at her. "I never said I was gonna do this crazy thing."

"But you'd be a great princess,Poppy!," Bow beamed brightly up at her with wonder.

"Yeah! I know, but-"

"So you'll do it?," Mu asked crossing her arms, "If you know you'll do a good job, why not?"

She stuttered over her words. "W-Well, I didn't mean-...I-it's not like that-...I-.....*sigh*" Looking back down to the two papers in her hand and all the choices slapping her in the face made her grip the papers tighter...before loosening it with a sigh closing her eyes. ".....Fine. I'll be the princess."

What followed was a chorus of 'YAY!' from the three girls, and Mr. Grooves smiling like he won a million pons. "OH! Thank you, Darling! Thank you! You won't regret it I SWEAR!! Here. Let me just take care of my end of the agreement right now." From her hand he grabbed the large bill and in a swift moment the paper was torn completely in half. "There! Nothing to worry about now!" Well....Seeing she no longer had a large bill on her shoulders made her sigh in half relief but there was still butterflies in her stomach from the dread that was to come as she watched the paper fall to the floor and sighed. Looking back to the glamorous poster she got even more nervous feelings in her stomach.

"Great. W-When do we start?"

"Not until I have the other four remaining roles filled. To be perfectly honest, the hardest part of making a film is finding good people for the job. Not to put down the staff, but my penguins are quite frankly terrible actors."

She found herself breathing a sigh of relief at that, her feelings going somewhat back to normal. "I'm....I-I'm really sorry for all the trouble I caused all ya, Mr. Grooves. I promise to work hard for it."

He waved a hand. "Darling! You don't have to apologize for anything. It was a simple mistake no one saw coming. If fact, I should be thanking you! Thanks to you I have one less thing to worry about!"

She chuckled nervously but inside she was still nervous as if she was already standing on stage. "Well....I guess I should start practicin'."

"The best way you can practice is by memorizing that story, Darlin'. I'll send notice once the other roles are filled."

She was about to ask something else when the door behind them opened and they all turned to FINALLY a relieving sight for sore eyes. The metal door creaked open and at last Cookie returned, a small white purse thrown over one of her shoulders as she smiled and the door closed behind her with another loud creaking noise as she walked in. Smiling as her eyes landed on the kids and two adults. Stepping closer the cat paused seeing the now sweeping owls who at some point in Mr. Grooves's and Poppy's conversation had gotten out brooms to clean up the giant mess she had caused. Blinking Cookie looked back up to them with a raised brow.

"...Did I miss somethin'?," she asked pointing to the mess behind her.

"Only the most hilarious talk back the old geezer's gotten! HAHA!!" Mu looked up to Poppy with a smile. "You know what? I like her now! The old wind bag needed to hear something like that for a long time!"

"Muriel!" Mu froze at the scowl Cookie was giving her, giving the famous 'Mom' pose of one hand on her hip and tapping her foot staring her down. "I HOPE you're not referrin' to Conductor now. I'd hate to be the one who grounds ya."

"He was acting rude...But I guess it's a little bit of my fault too." Poppy turned her gaze over to the mess behind them and Cookie looked at her as she nudged away a piece of metal by her foot. "I accidentally knocked over and destroyed this.....camera did ya'll call it? I'd be pretty angry too if someone ruined somethin' like this of mine....But he was still being quite rude."

Cookie stared at her a bit, then at the mess, seeming to quickly put two and two together in figuring out what must've happened while she was gone and groaned. Reaching a paw up to facepalm herself. ''I leave for JUST a few minutes and ya'll are in trouble. What am I going to do with all of ya?" ....A low rumble from Poppy's stomach answered that as she looked suddenly embarrased. Cookie gave a small chuckle and shook her head. "Well I guess there's mah answer. I still owe you all that lunch I promised huh? Well, now that I have this we can grab a bite from my resturaunt across the studio here." Another chorus of Yay! came from the children at the promise of free food from Cookie and Poppy gave a sigh of relief. At least one thing was looking up for her situation. Cookie turned her gaze to Mr. Grooves. "Would ya care to join us, Mr. Grooves? Of course it'll be on the house."

DJ Grooves held up his flipper. "I would LOVE nothing more than to accompany all you darlings, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline you're little offer. I still have too much to do and so little time with the costumes, and interviews, and over seeing the scenes being built by the production team. Lately there was an accident on set and we have to rebuild two and a half of the scenes and props."

"Oh my. That does sound really busy. Tell ya what, stop by on your break and order ya some fish on the house. Just tell 'em I sent ya."

"Thank you, Darling. Truely you are an angel in the fur!"

Poppy was glad to grab all her heavy tools and bags again off the floor and follow Cookie out, but not before apologizing again to Mr. Grooves for the embarrassing incident and back out into the hot afternoon sun they went. It was farther along in the sky now meaning it must've been later in the afternoon than she thought. Probably 4:00 or 5:00 p.m.. But she didn't care right now. She had worries in her brain, butterflies inside her empty stomach, and not enough water in her whole body. She was hungry, and thirsty. So take care of one easily problem first before thinking thing's over on the other problem she had gotten herself into for now. Most of the owls they originally saw on their way there were probably already home considering how long it had been since they had arrived but it was until 10:00 until they could go back home on the train, and she was NOT really ready for those transporting umbrellas. The building Cookie lead them too was really just across the studios, and from the outside looked like any of the other plain buildings but only bigger as if two of the regular buildings were smooshed together. Cookie explained this was her long time dream resturaunt and she modeled it after her old home so she could visit it without any of the danger that came with Nyakuza City. Bow seemed REALLY excited at it and Poppy soon found out why. The inside of the resturant looked EXACTLY like the metro room except for the flying tvs, pile of money, and weird moving thing. But the city part yes. But honestly she could care less, Poppy's amazement was overtaken by her hunger and thirst, plus the cool air washing over her again was a great relief again from the hot outside. It looked like a typical resturaunt with tables, chairs, (besides the metro theme) decor, and two double doors that lead to the kitchen she assumed since that's where all the mouth watering smells were coming from. Her stomach grumbled again and Cookie chuckled at it making her more embarrassed at it. there was another counter with a register and yet another owl who lit up at the sight of her boss.

"Good afternoon, Ma'am. Wasn't expecting you today! Eating with friends today I see. We'll have a waiter right out to you."

Well she was very polite. And they were the only ones there apparently as the children were free to run in and choose a random large table in the middle. Cookie gave her the alright to leave her things on the bench by the door and THIS time Poppy made sure to lay them in a position that didn't pose any threat unless some numbskull sat on it without looking. The two adults joined the three children at the table and sat down at the round table. Odd they would be literally the only ones there in this part of the day. When voicing this to the cat, Cookie explained since this was modeled after her old home all she sold here was the food from the city, and not a lot of penguins or owls liked the dishes other than the teas, coffes, and fish appitizer. Which in Poppy's eyes was valid since everyone had different tastes, it was totally acceptable different species would too. Not long after they were greeted like a waiter who said 'Hi!' and passed out these things called Menu's which Cookie explained listed the dishes and the catagories they were under. Assuming 'swamp people' didn't get out much since she hadn't seen a TV before coming into Hattie's ship. Poppy took a look at it and it read:

Deserts:

Cake: A sweet baked desert, usually reserved for special occasions like birthdays, weddings, or 2 A.M. Ice Cream Sandwhich: ice cream served between two biscuits or wafers. Sandwich only by name, this desert has mastered the art if disguise. Triple Scoop: Vanilla cream frozen at the right temperature then shaped into a ball, then put in a cone. Many scoops in your cone will impress your scoopless peers and get you that promotion. Meals

Hamburger: Meat, lettace, and buns grilled and served with condaments. While some may prefer meat alternatives and some skip the lettece, all greatly prefer the prescence of the buns.

Katsu Curry: A tasty pork cutlet cut into stripes served with the rich flavorful curry and usually rice. While the pun is irristdable given you're in a cat metro it will not be appreciated.

Shoyu Ramen: A warm chicken and vegistable broth, served with toppings of your choice. The perfect comfort food of the cold night after you miss the last train of the day.

The Metro Special: A big bowl of rice with fried fish, egg, and chips. A meal of everything, proving that little care can have delicious results.

Rice: Rice is one of the most consumed foods on the planet. It's easy to prepare and cheap, and the savior of wet cellphones.

Side Dishes

Meatballs: Grounded meat rolled into a small ball. To reach true enlightenment you must understand as meatballs go in hair balls go out.

French Fries: sliced and deep fried potatoes. An important reminder that when are alone we are all small fry but together we're delicious.

Fish: Battered and fried fish, usually cod or poloc. Most cats love being able to buy it fried since there's no fish tanks in the metro to steal from.

Soup Dumplings: Steamed dough buns filled with meat and soup. You won't know exactly what taste hides beneath the dough until you build up the courage to bite into the unknown.

Spring Roll: A wide variety of rolled appetizers often filled with meat or veggistables. A tasty snack whatever the season.

Drinks

Hot Chocolate: A sweet, hot drink made from shaved or melted chocolate powder. Enjoy with a sprinkling of mini marshmallows and a swirl of cream if you wanted to visit your dentist soon.

Tea: A hot drink made from boiling water and leaves of plants. Great for getting warmed up on a cold day, either when you drink it or when someone bumps into you

Large Soda: A carbonated drink in a large container. The large soda remains the unsung hero of moderation. An acceptable pick in the eyes of your peers, just one size short of gluttony.

Coffee: A warm brewed drink prepared from coffee beans. Consuming this drink on a regular basis transforms a kitten into a cat and a cat to a nervous wreck.

Kitten Meals

Drinks The Juice Box: Pressed from fruit and put into a box. Premium juice often shows chunky pulp showing the hypocracy in mankind's unwillingness to drink spoiled milk.

Mini Soda: Small enough parents can't complain to us about a sugar rush.

Meals Pizza Slice: A round dough base topped with tomato, cheese, and other toppings. Most chefs are reduced to tears by witnessing such triangular beauty. Mini Hamburger an Fries: Like the adult meals but much smaller.

Deserts:

Cookies: Small baked biscuits usually filled with chocolate chips, raisins, or something else. Great for a quick snack or dropping crumbs everywhere.

Wow. So much detail. It was pretty impressive, this must be what it was like to eat rich. She jumped when the waiter owl came back with a smile.

"Are you ladies ready to order?," he asked with a smile and paper 'n pencil in wing.

"PIZZA!," the three children yelled in unison throwing their hands up in a rather cute way.

"And this extra large soda!," Hattie added much to the other two's agreement.

"Soda?....As in Soda pop?" Hattie nodded in agreement and Poppy shook her head. "Oh no ya don't! I don't need another long night of trying to wrestle you two to sleep!....This fruit juice sounds nice."

The girls awed but Cookie agreed with her. "Absolutely. I don't need Mu hyped up either but if you're all good you all can have some cookies and hot coco." The kids quickly agreed and she purred happily with herself before looking back at the waiter. "Well you heard them."

The waiter nodded and wrote something on the notepad. "Alright. Pizza and juices for the chicklings. And you lovely ladies?"

"Some Shoyu would be nice. Haven't had it in a month, and bring me a plate of that fish will you." She glanced at Mu for a moment and sighed. "And some coffee...I'm going to need it."

The waiter nodded again and looked directly at Poppy. ''And you Miss?"

"Oh.....Uh.." Her eyes glazed over the strange items for sale on the paper and went silent for a few seconds. "I- Uh-....D-Don't really know what a lot of this is actually."

"That's alright. Do you want me to order for you?"

She sighed. "That'd actually be great thanks."

So Cookie just told the owl waiter to bring Poppy some Katsu Curry and some tea, what ever the heck Katsu Curry was. The menu did saw it was supposed to have pork and rice with sounded delicious. The waiter nodded and soon disappeared through those double doors on the far side of the room and it would be a couple moments. Until then Cookie asked Poppy to fill her in on what exactly happened while she was gone inside the studios. And quite embarrassed the children jumped in to excitedly tell Cookie all about how Poppy's leaned her tools against the giant camera and Conductor coming in, and how the camera fell and Poppy took the blame like a hero and put Conductor in his place. Cookie actually looked quite surprised at the mention of the exchange between Poppy and Conductor, and Poppy sunk into her seat a bit from the embarrassment she was feeling especially then Hattie excitedly announced that Poppy agreed to play the princess in her favorite book for Mr. Grooves.

"Well......It certainly looks like someone has quite the stubborn attitude."

THANK PECK!! The food came out just as she was starting to get nervous again and her stomach rumbled again at the smell of food as it came over to them. The large tray the waiter was carrying was placed in the middle of the table and the first person to receive their food was Cookie. Placed in front of her was a bowl of long noodles with two pieces of chicken, a sliced egg, and a few spices making the seasoned chicken smell all the more better, and next to it came a small plate of white paper and on it was five pieces of bread covered fish. Which also smelt good. The kids cheered as they were handed their pizza and juice boxes. Poppy never even heard of pizza but by the looks of it it looked like some kind of baked bread with seasoning and toppings. How peculiar. The pink juiceboxes were adorable though, with the cat print holding a fake strawberry. Her's looked and smelt just as delicious! What was placed in front of her was a bowl of rice, chopped fried pork, beans, and what looked like lettace! But either way it smelt delicious! Next to it was a small wrapped burrito like thing that she looked at curiously.

"It's an spring roll," Cookie explained noticing her confused expression, "It's usually served with that dish. Sorta like an eggroll but made slightly differently."

And then there was her tea which was served in the cutest coffee cup she'd ever seen! It was shaped just like a cat with a painted face. While the children dug into their well deserved lunch followed by Cookie, Poppy took a moment to admire the well put together dish and the smell it radiated before slowly grabbing her fork and digging it. Shoving a piece of that pork into her mouth........H O L Y P E C K!!!! IT WAS DELICIOUS!!! It was even better that that cheese omlet thing Cookie had given to her hours ago for breakfast. The seasoning, the juicy pork. The fluffy rice!! It was so GOOD!! In a moment she was eating as eagerly as the kids and Cookie watched with a patient smile as the hungry girls ate. She didn't seem fazed a bit or anything as they did so. Probably used to seeing people with healthy appitites. Fair enough the kids finished before her and understandably begged for more. That's how it went. All for about an hour it was pretty peaceful. The food was good. She had never had such pork or rice before and the tea was quite refreshing from the hot sun and to her dry throat. And Cookie true to her name, decided to let the still hungry children have more food like they begged and out came some cute cat shapes cookies and coco like she promised. Which amazed her because back in her day chocolate was a delicacy that only the rich and wealthy could afford and yet here they were eating it like it was an everyday item. When offered by Cookie if she'd want anything like that too of course she accepted! When was she gonna get a second chance at eating chocolate! The cake she ate was the BEST THING SHE HAD EVER TASTED!! Even better than the wild honey she'd sometimes stumble across in the forest. Her only real slip up was jolting and dropping her fork when something red flashed across the corner of her eyes but relaxed when it was only a red bird sitting outside the window. It tilted it's head looking inside for a moment before flying off again. Something was definately off about her. She could feel it. Poppy just didn't know what. But for the rest of the time she spent out she tried to bury her worries for her own sake. She just felt really drained right now for now real reason.

But all good things must come to an end. Hours passed and soon enough it was time for all of them to go home. Poppy could barely remember the long ride back up to the moon city and then again back to Hattie's ship. All she really did was smile and politely agree and tried to not make anymore embarrasing mistakes. Even as Cookie and Mu bid them all a good night and Poppy thanked her for the wonderful day out and the take out she had let them take back with them before they disappeared back presumably to take the night train back before they missed it. It was still a blur when she just flopped onto the cold floor completely physically and mentally exhausted and falling into the world of dreams and red eyes.

#The Florist #florist #Snatcher #a hat in time florist #a hat in time the florist #A hat in time the florist x snatcher #a hat in time snatcher #A hat in time snatcher x florist #A hat in time florist x snatcher #a hat in time snatcher x the florist #Snatcher x the florist #the florist x snatcher #snatcher x florist #florist x snatcher #a bloom in time

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wonderlandleighleigh · 5 years ago

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A Kitten in the Sarah Rogers Memorial Community Garden

I promised @toenail-stink-hate-echo-chamber a fluffy fic involving Steve Rogers and a Kitten.

Takes place in my Just This Once, Everybody Lives universe (Steve stays, adopts a little girl named Maggie, and nobody dies).

Title: A Kitten in the Sarah Rogers Memorial Community Garden Characters: Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Maggie Rogers Ships: None Genre: Fluff, Kidfic, AU Summary: Steve finds a visitor in the garden.

Fic is under the cut!

It’s May, and beautiful. There’s lemonade, there are new mint plants to find homes for, and nobody is calling his phone.

Today, Steven Grant Rogers is fully enjoying his retirement.

It’s easy to get caught up in the garden, and he does it often. Watering and weeding; soil checks. Making sure animals haven’t swiped the literal fruits and vegetables of his labor. It’s also a great way to keep his mind off of the fact that Maggie is now attending preschool.

‘How the hell did that happen, anyways?’ he thinks as he keeps weeding, and decides it’s time to give up on a particularly unhappy strawberry bush.

There is a rustling sound in the rose bushes, and Steve’s ears perk up immediately. It’s getting late now, and he should be wrapping things up; Maggie will be home soon, and he’s gotta be at the bus stop.

But that rustling.

He stands carefully, moving quietly across the garden, grasping a hand rake tightly. If it’s a raccoon, this could end with a trip to the hospital and a lot of jokes from Sam about Captain America getting rabies.

When he pulls the bushes aside, though, it’s not a raccoon at all.

It’s a kitten.

Small, less than a year old, probably, and orange.

It gives a tiny meow, and then runs off, trotting away quickly in fear.

Steve frowns.

“Aw.”

*****

Sam shakes his head as he watches his friend carefully set down a small bowl of cream. “Okay. This is definitely the softest thing you’ve ever done.”

“You know, you say that, but you’ve never seen me wear onea Maggie’s flower crowns,” Steve tells him as he dusts off his hands.

“Yeah, okay, Mr. You get killed, shake it off.”

Steve grins ruefully and sits down on the bench swing. “Go away before you scare the kitten.”

“There isn’t a kitten.”

“There might be soon.”

Sam shakes his head and laughs. “You better send me a picture of this thing, otherwise it might be time to send grandpa to the funny farm.”

“Bye, Sam.”

After he leaves, Steve sits back and waits. It’s another nice day; a little hotter, but fine.

He waits for about an hour, tapping his booted foot gently in the dirt, before he hears the rustling again, and freezes.

The kitten - the same kitten - stumbles out of the rose bushes again, looking around. It’s tail is a little matted, but it seems okay; happy to sniff the air and follow its nose to the bowl of cream.

Steve lights up when the little thing starts lapping some up, dunking a paw in and licking the cream off.

He watches for a little while as the kitten eats, before he slowly, carefully bends over, and scoops it up.

It yelps and writhes and Steve barely keeps hold, before the little sucker is gnawing on the meat between his forefinger and thumb.

“Gah,” he says, but doesn’t let go.

The cat pees on his jeans and frowns.

“Yeah. Okay. I get it. If a big scary monster grabbed me, I might pee too.”

Which is not at all true. He’s been grabbed by plenty of big, scary things (Thanos. Ultron. That one time with the Hulk...), but he’s trying to relate.

*****

The local vet is nice. An older man whose office walls are covered in photos of dogs and cats and birds and ferrets and hampsters and guinea pigs of all shapes, colors and sizes.

Steve watches calmly as he checks out the kitten.

“Well, he’s definitely a he,” the vet says. “And he seems pretty healthy for a kitten who hasn’t spent much time with his mother.”

Steve nods. “He okay to adopt?”

“Oh, I don’t see why not,” the vet grins. “He’ll need to be neutered and we’ll have to do some blood work. Check him for worms and fleas and diseases. Why don’t you leave him here overnight, and I’ll call you in the next day or two with a status update.”

Steve hesitates.

“I promise I’ll call, Captain.”

He nods. “Yeah. Okay.”

*****

“A kitty?!” Maggie squeaks as they eat dinner that night. “Really?!”

“Yep,” Steve grins. “He was in the garden. He’s hangin’ out with the animal doctor right now, but if he gets a clean bill of health, I can bring him home.”

“We’re gonna have a kitty?!” Maggie cries, so excited that she knocks over her sippy cup, which Steve catches quickly.

“Yep!” Steve grins. “We’re gonna have a kitty.”

“What do we name him?” Maggie asks. “Where will he sleep? Does he get his own room?”

Steve chuckles. “He can sleep on the couch.”

Maggie frowns. “Where will Uncle Bucky sleep when he visits?”

“They’ll just have to share,” Steve grins. “As for a name, we’ll have to think on it.”

“What about Buttercup?” Maggie asks.

Steve chuckles. “Let’s keep thinkin.”

*****

Steve picks up the kitten two days later. Little guy’s got a clean bill of health, and Steve watches him as he explores the apartment, jumping on tables and wiggling his way underneath the couch.

Steve grabs a chair and settles down, just watching. It’s nice to have a pet. He never had one as a kid, but he fed neighborhood strays all the time.

His mother had always liked animals. Sure, she was a nurse for people, but there were plenty of days the neighborhood kids would come to Sarah Rogers with wounded dogs and cats and she’d fix ‘em up, feed ‘em water.

He can almost hear her voice, giving firm but kind instructions on animal care.

“Not so different from people,” Sarah Rogers would muse when Mrs. Grossman next door would chide her on wasting food and resources on injured dogs and sickly cats. “And if God put ‘em on Earth with us, he didn’t do it just for us to ignore their pain.”

Steve smiles sadly, and blinks, looking down to find the kitten sitting at his feet, wagging his tail.

“Hungry, Buddy?” Steve asks, getting up.

The cat’s butt wiggles and he pounces suddenly, gripping onto Steve’s jeans.

He chuckles. “Okay. Let’s to a trip to the kitchen. I gotcha some nice Fancy Feast.”

*****

When Maggie gets home, the kitten suddenly has another playmate, and it’s clear that they’re going to be attached at the hip.

“Still needs a name,” Steve reminds her after dinner that night.

She lays on the floor with the kitten lying on her chest. “What about...Tigger.”

Steve considers. “Maybe. He did pounce on my leg earlier to hitch a ride.”

Maggie giggles. “I hope he does it again, I wanna see.”

Steve grins, and reaches out, petting the kitten’s head. “Hm. What about...Ralph?”

Maggie light up. “Like Wreck-It Ralph? We watched that movie it was funny!”

“Yeah. You like that name?” Steve asks, smiling at her.

Maggie beams at the cat. “Kitty your name is Ralph now. Is that good?”

Ralph gets up, turns in a circle, and then settles back down on Maggie’s chest, tucking his little head into his arms and purring.

“I think he likes it,” Steve grins.

*****

When Maggie goes to bed that night, Ralph follows her and settles down on the bed, curling up again.

Steve grins and snaps a picture with his phone before sending it to Sam.

“Who’s the crazy old grandpa now?” he texts.

“It’s still you,” Sam responds.

Steve smirks, and heads to bed.

#fic #steve rogers #just this once everybody lives #captain america #pro steve rogers

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raendown · 7 years ago

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Pairing: none Word count: 3420 Summary: Travelling through time was a complete accident. So was passing on the idea to someone much more dangerous.

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

Forward And Back (And Leave It There)

Madara squinted his eyes and leaned closed, finger poised at the ready. A quiet voice told him it was a bad idea but there was little that could stop a curious Uchiha and so Madara felt no shame for ignoring the idiot behind him and poking the object which held his fascination. He regretted doing so immediately when he felt the tip of his finger come in to contact with something incredibly hot. Only then did his brain catch up with what he was seeing and rationalize it; whatever advanced jutsu they were using had contained fire itself in to this pale orb so of course it would burn.

“Please stop poking at my lightbulbs,” the same voice asked him tiredly. Madara turned to glare over one shoulder.

“Tell me what jutsu does this,” he demanded.

“It’s not a jutsu, it’s electricity.”

“Brother’s been using that word a lot lately,” Hashirama piped up from where he was excitedly inspecting a funny looking stove across the room. “Is that what it does? And this, does this use elek-i-ticity too?”

Rubbing at the bridge of his nose, their accidental host sighed. “Yes.”

“Madara, do you think elek-i-ticity is why we time traveled?”

“Of course not! Obviously it was your insane brother’s fault! Who knows what kind of madness he’s messed around with this time? If he can raise the dead then I certainly wouldn’t put it past him to have been the one behind all of this kerfuffle.”

Still rubbing his nose, although now more slightly more vigor, their host grit his teeth. “I’ve already told you, the time travel was an accident. I haven’t quite gotten the hang of my Mangekyo–”

“And that’s another thing! How dare you! What member of my clan did you steal that from? Don’t look at me like that, young man, it’s obvious just by looking at you that you aren’t an Uchiha. My clan’s bloodlines run strong.”

“Is he always like this, Shodaime-sama?” When Madara squawked in offense the young man turned back to him with a roll of his one visible eye. “I didn’t steal the eye; it was a gift from a friend. And I’m still trying to get the hang of everything – by myself, since no one in your oh-so-auspicious clan is willing to help me learn.” Despite the youth of his body there was an exhaustion in his voice that spoke of more years of pain than he should have experienced. It made Madara wonder if he’d been born with that gray hair or if stress had drained all the color away as parents the world over claimed.

There was something about that exhaustion which gave him pause. Years ago, when he and Hashirama were just young kids dreaming beside a lazy river, the first concept of their dreams for peace had been in honor of their fallen siblings. Together they had dreamed of a place where children would be safe and the adults would stop asking the younger generations to fight their battles for them.

How old, he wondered, had this child been when he saw his first battlefield? At present he could hardly be more than mid-adolescence and yet already the light in his eye was dim.

Madara crossed his arms and looked away with a stubborn expression on his face.

“I still say Tobirama must have had something to do with this,” he insisted. “This isn’t anything I’ve ever heard of the Sharingan being able to accomplish.”

“Cold! Cold!” Hashirama’s voice drew both of their attentions over to where he’d opened the top door of what looked like an upright storage chest only to find the inside coated in ice. Their host dropped his face in to one palm and shook his head.

Unable to resist, Madara sidled across the room to help his old friend inspect the latest marvel. The future was full of such amazing things. Back in his own time he’d heard of the daimyo’s latest expensive luxury purchase called an icebox and he wondered how similar it was to the small frozen cupboard he was shoving his face in to at the moment. Several frozen fish stared back at him from between brightly colored boxes labelled with food items he’d never heard of before. What on earth was a pudding pop?

When Hashirama shoved him out of the way to make a closer inspection for himself, Madara opened the lower door of this strange cupboard. Although it was larger, the lower portion was noticeably less cold. Nothing inside was frozen but rather kept at a delightfully chill temperature that one might expect to find in the evenings of late autumn. Fascinated, he rummaged around and breathed a sigh of relief that he recognized at least most of the foods inside this area. He knew the fruits and the vegetables, the milk and the butter, and although he definitely recognized the teriyaki chicken cutlets near the bottom, he couldn’t say what that thin clear sheet wrapped around the top was. What was the point of cooking the chicken if it wasn’t going to be eaten?

“This is amazing,” he heard Hashirama mutter from above him. Madara was inclined to agree.

“Can you guys close the fridge please? You’ll let all the food spoil and it wastes power to leave the doors open like that, you know? Well, actually, I guess you don’t know.”

“Power?” Madara frowned in confusion.

“Electricity.”

“Why did you call it power if it is called…that?” He certainly wasn’t going to make a fool of himself as Hashirama kept doing by taking a chance on mispronouncing it.

“It means the same thing. Just a slang word. Could you close the door?”

With a shrug Madara stood up and deigned to do so. Hashirama popped the top door shut on the ice cupboard but as soon as he’d let go of that he was back over at the fancy looking stove, poking at buttons.

“Hey! Hey Madara! Let’s light this! Do you think the fire goes in here?”

“Don’t!” The adolescent came flying across the room and shoved himself in between the stove and his two visitors. “It doesn’t need fire. Just – please go sit down in the living room before I have a heart attack or something.”

“My apologies if we’ve touched something we shouldn’t,” Hashirama told him. Instead of answering, the youth only narrowed his eyes and insistently pointed the way to the living room.

Within five minutes it became obvious that it was just as dangerous for them to be in here as both Madara and Hashirama attempted to figure out how the ‘tiny people’ had gotten trapped inside the wooden box against one wall.

“It’s just my television,” their host moaned in despair. He claimed it would take much too long to explain to them how the device worked but without a satisfactory explanation Madara was still much too curious to back off. He continued to bend left and right in an effort to peer at all sides of the box so he could find the hole where the little people entered through. Maybe a door or some kind? There were a lot of weird ropes – apparently called wires although it didn’t look like any wire he’d ever seen – but he didn’t see anything that could be considered an entrance. How the people got shrunk was more important anyway. What a jutsu that would be! Defeating his enemies would be so much easier if he could make them pocket sized and hold them down with the flat of one palm.

“How are these bound?” Hashirama asked from where he now stood next to a squat wooden bookcase. “I can’t even see the stitching.”

“Please put those down, Shodaime-sama!”

“But they’re so pretty! Such a beautiful orange color and the women on the front look very happy.”

“Gah!”

Flushed red from hairline to the top of his half-mask, the adolescent lunged across the room to extract his seemingly precious tome from Hashirama’s grasp. They must have been worth quite a lot if he was unwilling to let someone as auspicious as the God of Shinobi handle them. With a sheepish expression, Hashirama apologized for touching something of such value, slipping both hands behind his back and wandering away to inspect the pictures hung upon the wall.

Abandoning the ‘television’ for a moment, Madara joined the idiot’s inspection. Whoever painted these photographs was a master artist, able to create incredible detail in their work – it was as though they had simply captured a moment in time and hung it upon the wall somehow! The figures depicted in the painting appeared to be staring straight out of the image in to his own eyes. Most of them were smiling but for the young boy to one side who resembled a younger version of their host; he was scowling and turning his head to glare at another young boy on the other side of the painting.

“My word,” Hashirama murmured under his breath. One of his hands came up to stroke the glass covering which protected the amazing art. Probably it was meant to guard it from people like him who failed to smother their urge to fondle things which didn’t belong to them. Entirely ignoring the fact that he also fell in to that category of person at the moment, Madara returned to his perusal of this ‘television’ object, now looking for any seals which might have been powering it.

From the corner of one eye he could see their host bring his hands together and forming seals. Madara’s body tensed automatically until he recognized the summoning jutsu and he relaxed again when the boy placed his hand on the floor and a small pug appeared in a puff of smoke wearing a cute little vest.

“What’s up boss?”

“Can you just…just watch them for a minute, okay? Make sure they don’t break anything or – or leave, kami forbid.”

“Sure thing.” The puff hopped up on to a the arm of a dilapidated looking couch and sat at attention for all of three seconds before his back leg came up to scratch his ear.

With a shake of his head their host popped back in to the kitchen area, where he could be heard rummaging through doors and cupboards. Quiet grumbling drifted out in to the living room as he muttered to himself under his breath.

Madara had only just given up on locating any seals on the surface of the ‘television’ and plopped down in front of it to attempt communication with the people trapped inside when their host came back. He was holding what looked like a small pellet in his hand, dark and round, but before either of them had a chance to ask about it he popped it in to his mouth and crunched down.

“Is that a good idea, boss?” the pug asked gruffly. “Your chakra levels have been wacky enough lately without you taking boosters every time you get a little tired.”

“Trust me, it’s necessary this time. I promise when it happens next I’ll just sleep it off, alright? But I need to replenish my chakra stores if I’m going to get these two back to where they belong; they can’t stay here!”

“Alright, alright.”

“Oh, we can’t stay?” Hashirama turned away from his perusal of more amazing portraits. “I had hoped to have a look around the village that we built.”

The boy gave him a flat look. “It’s very village-like,” he said shortly. Hashirama wilted.

“Oh. Well, ah, thank you. I suppose that covers that.”

“Right. Were either of you doing anything of note just before you were pulling forward in time?”

“Nothing more out of the ordinary than me showing this oaf his own ass,” Madara replied, a suspicious grimace falling over his features as his mind went back to the battle they had been pulled out of. “But kami only knows what that fool Tobirama was up to. I’ve no doubt that whatever dangerous idiocy he was up to this time could have affected us as far away as the other side of the battlefield.”

Groaning, the host rubbed at the bridge of his nose as he had been doing before. “How many times–? It was my–! Never mind. Whatever. Can you both just stand together in the middle of the room so I can try to replicate what I was doing? Hopefully this should send you back to whenever it is that you came from.”

Like the giant puppy he was, Hashirama hopped to immediately. Madara followed with a heavy dose of reluctance and much less speed. Just because they were friends once didn’t mean he had to be excited to stand next to the man. Once they were both standing together in the center of the room as they’d been asked to their host lifted his slanted headband to reveal a transplanted Sharingan. With a spark of chakra Madara activated his own, memorizing the sight before him and recording the proceedings for later consideration. If one of his own clan members could unlock similar abilities it would be his duty to care for their safety as they learned how to wield them; any information at all would be helpful and a practical demonstration even more so.

The boy’s eye melted in to Mangekyo formation, whereupon its ceased spinning as all did when they reached that stage, and he brought his hands together in an ancient seal designed to gather chakra in preparation for a big release.

“Kamui!”

The world melted. It was the only way Madara could think of to describe it. Or perhaps he might have said that reality itself was reduced to the eye of a hurricane. Either way, the room around them disappeared in a spiral of black and Hashirama’s fingers clutched at the sleeve of Madara’s robes, keeping a good grip on him in case they were somehow separated in this emptiness between worlds. Stupid, really, to worry for someone he should have seen as his enemy. For a moment there was a sensation – almost an instinctual feeling – as though they were somewhere other and Madara had the fleeting thought that the two most powerful men to have ever existed had put their full trust in the hands of a boy whose name they never even bothered to learn.

Yet the moment passed quickly and they traveled seamlessly from one reality to the next, appearing back in a half decimated forest clearing as though they’d never left. The two men looked at each other in silence before turning to watch the fighting going on around them, wondering if anyone had even noticed their little trip. It became obvious that at least some people had when they noticed the relieved looks both of them were receiving. Their clan mates were happy to see them back after disappearing so suddenly, though unwilling to disengage from defending themselves just to come over and say so.

Both of their brothers, on the other hand, had no problem rushing over with matching expressions of suspicion. Madara allowed Izuna to lay a hand on his arm for a moment in greeting before he peeled back his lips and snarled at Tobirama, now standing protectively in front of his own older brother like some rabid guard dog.

“You!”

Tobirama narrowed his eyes cocked his head to one side at Madara’s angry shout.

“Can I help you, Uchiha?” he asked.

“I still say this was all your fault somehow! What have you done? What unholy jutsu were you messing with now that sent us through time itself?”

“Sent you through time?” Put off balance by such an unexpected answer, he turned his head to stare his sibling down with a look of vicious intensity. “What is he talking about? Give me details.”

Madara scowled at him and crossed his arms petulantly. “Oh as if you don’t know! Whatever it was that you did sent us in to the future – which, by the way, is incredibly stupid and confusing. Cupboards full of ice and tiny people trapped in boxes and fire contained in tiny glass orbs. And it’s all your fault!”

“Time travel. Hmm.”

“See? Brother didn’t have anything to do with it,” Hashirama chipped in. “Just as that boy said. It was an accident!

“Indeed, time travel is not something that I had previously considered as an area of experimentation. What a fascinating idea. To know that such a thing is possible – I know just where to begin my research!” He seemed to have already forgotten about the bloody sword still held fast in one hand, the other one already curling as though aching for a pen to fit between his fingers.

“Uh, what?” Although it was Hashirama whom he always met in battle and had gotten to know well when they were friends all those years ago, no familiarity was needed to recognize certain warning signs when it came to Tobirama. Worry settled over Madara as he noticed several of them now.

Tobirama refocused on his enemy just to grace him with a dangerous smile. “I must thank you, Uchiha, though it pains me a little to do so. What a fascinating concept you’ve given me. Time travel. Excellent. And it’s all thanks to you.” With that he turned and marched away, either forgetting they were still technically in the middle of battle or dismissing it as unimportant in the face of something more interesting.

“No! Senju get back here! I said no! Are you listening to me!?”

Once his hair had settled in the wake of a harried looking Madara rushing past him, Izuna following after, Hashirama stared blankly in to space for a while, simply allowing his mind a moment to process everything that had happened in such a short amount of time. Their trip to the future had only lasted a little over an hour yet he felt as though his entire perception of life had been altered. Although they hadn’t been able to explore or ask questions, they had still learned a few invaluable secrets which he knew he would keep close to his heart for the rest of his life.

His village, his precious lifelong dream, would someday become a true reality. Not only that but it would thrive and prosper many years after he was gone. Even long in to the future the village he built would stand as a beacon of safety and community, a place for those of different clans to live together in peace with each other. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, feeling as though he’d been granted a boon by the gods themselves; surely no man but him could have such certainty in their own dreams.

Then he turned and hurried after the other three men, if only to prevent Madara and Izuna from following a distracted Tobirama all the back to the Senju compound.

(Blinking tiredly at the now-empty space in his living room, Kakashi sighed and wondered if he should report what had just happened to the Third Hokage. He wondered if there were any official records which should have warned them that this would even occur someday. Although, he reasoned, if there were then they would probably have encouraged someone more important to be present than a scrawny teenager who was too young to have been in ANBU for this many years already.

Some day when he was older Kakashi would meet a man who would call himself Uchiha Madara and threaten the shinobi system as a whole. When that day came Kakashi would be among those inclined to believe that the man might just be who he claimed to be for he would have a knowledge that others did not.

He had met Uchiha Madara, had pulled the man through time himself. Who was he to say that such a thing had not extended that monster’s life somehow? Time was something no human could control and yet the full abilities of Uchiha Madara had never been recorded. It wasn’t impossible.

For now Kakashi remained blissfully unaware of the future which awaited him. His thoughts were on the present day and how his life existed only as a future for those long gone. Deep thoughts indeed for a boy who only came home to escape a certain loud mouthed friend and would have performed a number of underhanded tasks just to get a quick nap. That was how he preferred to spend his time.)

#rae writes #madara #hashirama #kakashi #tobirama #fanfiction #naruto shippuden

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erraticprojectjunkie · 7 years ago

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Currently: October 18, 2017

Yep. Usually Currently posts are slated for Sundays. But...when have I ever been one to follow the rules (even if they are my own)? I skipped out on topics for Top Ten Tuesday and Top 5 Wednesday this week partially because they just didn't grab me and partially because the Boy and I have both been fairly under the weather for about a week. I have been a serious slug. So...partially because I didn't do this post on Sunday and partially because there is a HUGE readathon event going on this weekend, I'm posting a Currently post in the middle of the week. And because...hey...why not? Weather: We are experiencing fairly nice fall weather this week. Word is that it will be our last one before the snow starts flying. Yeesh. Time goes by too quickly. (Additionally, I would be totally okay if the snow holds off for a bit longer.) Today it was pretty and sunny out. It stayed in the low 60s with a soft little breeze. Not too bad if you're out in jeans and a hoodie. I went out briefly when one of the pigs was threatening to escape. Other than that, I've been holed up in the house with this ridiculous cold. The sun, however, beamed pretty strongly into our southern facing windows, so it was a nice and toasty 78 in here. You'd think it was late August. I had to open a few windows to cool it down a bit. Seems like such an odd thing to do in northern Minnesota in mid-October. Watching: It took us two nights due to a cranky and sick baby and honestly not feeling so chipper ourselves, but we had a relaxing couch viewing of The Age of Adaline on Amazon. I'd been wanting to watch it for quite a while and, though I wasn't originally sure how it would go, turns out we both enjoyed it. It was nice to just unwind for a few minutes while still doing something together. Reading: I have a teensy, tiny bit of The Lauras left to read. I'm mulling over my opinion about it...we'll have to see how it wraps up. Meanwhile, I have about five (!) pages of notes on it. Apparently I'm getting a bit better about keeping a book journal. Once I finish The Lauras, it's time to get (finally) started on Slade House. It took forever for it to show up in the mail and I'm already missing out on group discussion for RIP XII. Gah! Now I have to be careful to avoid spoilers. With any luck, I'll have enough readathon time to wrap it up this weekend and get back into the RIP swing. Listening: I flipped on my Spotify yesterday while I was getting ready. I had the Boy in the bathroom with me and he was feeling a bit off, so I wanted something to soothe him. The playlist of choice? Nothing fancy...really just some Beatles tunes with a bit of solo John Lennon thrown in. It was a nice change to have some music filling the air while we got set for the day. While I won't be doing it every day, it is definitely something that can liven up an otherwise slow or painful morning. Learning: I am devouring the web for ideas on how to finally put together my own bullet journal. I've been contemplating starting one for a long while now, but just haven't gotten my guts up. I have all of the supplies: some great notebooks, some good pens, a pack of twistable colored pencils...I've just let myself get held back by the fear of imperfection. Ha. As if I would ever be fully satisfied with any form of bullet journal I managed to create. I have a feeling that I will still feel the pull towards a notebook that I can add to and remove pages from, we'll see how I do with my first foray. I will admit that I'm a bit put off by the fact that I'm starting it at a super odd time of the year, so it won't be a January - December thing, but honestly...I'm always going to look for an excuse, so it's going to be time to just jump in. Making: I'm super dragging my feet on finishing up my canning. Pathetic. I have a small pile of pumpkins, a butternut squash, and a few acorn squash sitting on the step just waiting to be processed. I also have yet to pull my carrots. It's going to have to happen in the next two days. This stuff needs to be done, dang it! It's not really "making" anything...more like getting rid of something, but I've been working on weeding through my saved Facebook posts and the pile of Pinterest emails that I have accumulated over the last few months. Holy crap, it takes forever! It does feel somewhat accomplishing to hit that unsave or delete option though. Thinking/Feeling: To be blunt, I feel like garbage. This cold is killing me. It's been nearly a week and I just feel drained. My head is pounding and my body is super achy. I have a ridiculous cough and every once in a while my nose decides to start running like a faucet. The Boy isn't his chipper self either. He's been waking up between 6 and 7 times a night because he's honestly just so miserable. Between getting up with him and being stuck awake because of my own incessant coughing, I've been averaging about 2 hours of sleep a night. Not the best when you have a cold. Luckily, his fever has subsided. Mine seems to be making intermittent returns, though of a less intense nature each time. I really hope that we're nearly fully on the mend by this weekend. It would be great if we both felt somewhat normal tomorrow since I have some plans for us, darn it. I'm also feeling some serious anticipation for the weekend. The 10th Anniversary run of Dewey's 24 hour Readathon is this weekend. For my time zone (Central US), it starts at 7am on Saturday and runs through 7am on Sunday. I'm really looking forward to it. It's one of my favorite readathons. I probably won't read through the whole 24 hours, instead treating it a bit more like the 24 in 48 readathon and reading as much as I can for all of Saturday and Sunday. It's just the way the cookie crumbles when Gary has to work all weekend and the Boy and I are running this show together. The good news is that I will have myself a bit of a readathon partner, so there will be some children's books thrown in the mix to break up my own reading. Wanting/Needing: A maid? Can I just put that out there? I really hate having strangers in my house. Even more so, ones that will judge my cleanliness or lack thereof. But after a week of not feeling up to things, I could super use a one day housekeeper to just put things back together. If they could also repair the dishwasher that currently refuses to close, that would be even better. You never realize how ridiculously fantastic it is to have a machine that cleans and dries all of the darned pots and pans and eight thousand cups and spoons until you don't. Loving: My best buddy right now is orange Gatorade. It's my go to when I'm not feeling right. It may be total crap for my teeth, but at least I'm staying hydrated, right? While I'm not thrilled that he feels miserable and is definitely more whiny and less happy than usual, it's nice to know that the Boy still wants to snuggle up. I'm the one he wants to hang out with. The clinginess makes it hard to get things done, but he's so stinking cute. And he tries so hard to be himself. He's a really good boy and I'm super lucky. Planning: All the things. Let's see... I'm hoping to go with my little family to a pumpkin patch tomorrow. We'll see how the weather is and how everyone is feeling. It would be nice to get some more fall pictures of B. I also need to make a Costco run. I have a box of requested goodies for a birthday that can only be purchased in this area of the nation and need to be shipped back to Idaho next week. That is big, important, top priority stuff. Besides...this gives me an excuse to buy Costco candy for this week's readathon. I'm really hoping to get my bullet journal off the ground in the next week or two. Is it sad that I have to plan my planner before I can make my planner? I swear, sometimes I'm a raging disaster. And OF COURSE I'm planning on taking part in Dewey's 24-hour Readathon! I'll post a prep post a bit before start time (probably the night before) that will spell out all of my plans for the weekend. I'm still working out the details on how I'm going to manage my time and what books (and even more importantly, snacks) will be on the agenda. If you're a reader (even if you can only participate for an hour or two), go on over and check it out. Join in on the fun! I promise...this is a good one. What about you? What does your "Currently" look like? This post originally appeared on Erratic Project Junkie and is copyrighted by Elle. Find EPJ on Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

#Currently #Read-a-Thon

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abloomntime · 4 years ago

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A Bloom In Time Ch25