#wow wow wow wow wow i love a grassland

[abirddogmoment]

Prairie landscapes my beloved.

[forlorn-plushie]

One thing I'd love to see Magpie lean into for the FLTTRPG is the opportunity deck. They mostly do PbtA and should continue in that genre, but the idea of having a deck of custom one-shot moves local to each region goes hard.

I do have high hopes for it, FB seems likely to be involved deep in the development compared to the Avatar game so it'll probably be strong.

[talesofesther]

make it taste like love

Loki x Reader

Summary: You felt him before you even met him. And despite the pain he carried around, his soul was one of the most beautiful you'd ever seen.

A/N: A spur-of-the-moment idea that I simply couldn't ignore. I really hope you guys enjoy it, and yes I'm working on part two of my series with Loki as well. <3

Word count: 6k

Masterlist

The battle had left its mark on everyone, both physically and mentally. All the lives that were lost wouldn't be brought back. But everyone took solace in the fact that Thanos and his army were no longer a threat. And now, it was a time for rebuilding.

Wakanda's grassland was a battlefield. Bodies of both friend and foe lay scattered on the ground. The mourning loomed heavy in the air, you could feel it weighing down on your chest, your throat, and lungs. It was suffocating, prickling into your skin like needles. Yet you still walked, your boots crushing the grass underneath while you avoided stepping on stretched arms and legs, you needed to make sure no one else remained left behind.

A few feet away, the mad titan who once threatened the entire universe lay lifeless on the ground, his head disconnected from his body. For him, you felt no pity.

King T'Challa was both happy and sad to see you and the others leave. Happy, because it meant the end of a war; sad, because of having to say farewell to dear friends. But you, Steve, Natasha, and Banner were needed back in town, back at the Avengers compound; to welcome Tony back on earth, and because Thanos' attack had reverberated in many other places. It seemed like the Avengers were back in the game.

─── ·❆· ───

This morning was a gloomy one. Grey skies peeked behind your curtains in the early hours of the day, maybe it would rain soon. It's been two weeks since the battle, and you were glad to see that most people were recovering; each in their own way, but recovering nonetheless.

You were already up when the clock hit 7:30 AM, holding a warm cup of coffee between your hands, and staring out into the compound's driveway and past the treeline through the big windows of the kitchen. Today would be the day that Thor came back, he'd been helping with the settling of his people in New Asgard until now, but you've heard about him not wanting to be king anymore. You were happy for him, you never did think that a ruler's life suited him anyway—and you missed your friend.

"He gets one chance, Rogers. One chance and that's it." Tony's voice suddenly caught your attention as he stepped into the kitchen, you turned your back to the window so you could watch as your resident Iron Man poured himself a cup of coffee without looking at his mug. Steve was right beside him, his hands on his hips as he sighed quietly, already all too used to Tony's moods.

"Yes, one chance, he proved himself enough by helping us fight against Thanos, I suppose we owe him the benefit of the doubt," Steve agreed, still holding his voice calm.

With a smirk on your lips, you approached your teammates. "What's going on, guys?" You leaned on the kitchen island, taking a sip of your coffee.

Tony ran his tongue over his bottom lip, his expression less than pleased as he took a sip of his own coffee before saying; "point break is bringing his beloved brother to our home." He shrugged, and said in a quieter tone, "Says he changed or something."

"Loki will be staying with us?" You raised an eyebrow. The attack on New York happened before you joined the team, but you were familiar enough with it to be wary of Thor's brother, even if Thor did speak more nicely of him recently. Still, you had never actually met Loki to form your own opinion.

"That's… to be decided," Tony grumbled, shooting a glance toward Steve. "But yes, pretty much. And, by the way, Strange wasn't happy about having reindeer games back in the city either."

"Wow, you guys finally agree on something," you snickered.

Tony mouthed a 'don't' to you, before Steve said; "Strange knows we'll handle it if anything happens, but Thor vouches for him, so…"

You gave Steve a soft smile, and as much as you understood Tony's wariness, you agreed with the Captain. Loki didn't have the best of pasts with the City, but his help in the recent battle was one of many game-changers. He deserved a second chance.

Strangely enough, you found yourself excited to meet the God of Mischief. It was in your nature to analyze people, watch them from afar, and learn about the things they'd rather not say out loud. And someone like Loki, who had both once tried to take over your planet and now helped in saving it, was bound to raise some curiosity.

No more than an hour passed before you heard Thor's strong voice all the way from the living room. A small smile instantly came to your lips as you discarded your book, got up from the couch, and put on your slippers, rushing to the main doors to greet him.

Before you could turn the last corner, however, you came to an abrupt halt. Your breath got caught up in your throat and you had to lean back on the wall for support. Clutching the fabric of your shirt right above your heart, you were glad that this particular hallway was currently empty.

You could hear Thor's voice just around the corner, Tony was there too, but their words were faint and far away. Your vision was suddenly a little blurry, and underneath your palm you could feel your heart beating frantically.

See, this was nothing that hadn't happened before, after all, you are an empath. But a feeling this heavy rarely comes unannounced, unwanted. It briefly reminded you of when you first discovered your power, when you had no control and could pick up on pain, anger, joy, and pleasure that were not your own even if you didn't want to. Yet now, after years of living with it, you had learned to dose your perception of the feelings around you; now, when you weren't willingly focusing, other people's emotions felt more like a gentle whisper, a gush of chilly wind on your skin—something you were able to ignore if you wanted to.

But this overwhelming sadness; this emptiness, and loss, and pain; it came to you with such force that you were not able to block out. Seconds felt like hours, until the surprise of the new feeling passed and you took back control. Whispers of it remained, lurking in your stomach and in the back of your throat, but with a bit of extra focus, you were able to handle it.

And once your mind was finally clear again, it hit you. Who did you catch these feelings from?

You took a step around the corner cautiously, hands buried in your pockets as your eyes roamed your surroundings. There was no one around besides Tony, Thor, and Loki.

You knew it right away. You were familiar with the emotions radiating from Tony and Thor; but him, the raven-haired trickster, he was new, and if you didn't feel empathy for him before, you did now.

Loki held himself immaculately, a straight posture and a serene expression on his face. You had no idea how he did it, how he was able to hold all of those feelings in and still look so well put together; because one glance into his soul and you already felt like crying.

There was a light drizzle falling outside, maybe that's why Loki's black blazer seemed to be shining under the bright lights of the entrance hall. His eyes—bright and ocean-green—were settled on you; the realization got you feeling hyperaware of each movement you made. Even his gaze was heavy.

Thor's booming voice calling your name captured your attention then, he had a big smile on his face and before you knew it he already had your feet off the floor as he held you in a hug.

You laughed against his shoulder, hugging him back just as tight and telling him all about how much you missed him. Still, when you let go, your eyes found Loki's again, he hadn't stopped looking at you once.

─── ·❆· ───

The opinions about Loki's presence in the compound were mixed, but most of your teammates seemed fine with it; truth be told, no one paid much attention to him. As you'd expected, Loki's room was on your floor, because that's where Thor stayed too; as well as Tony, Natasha, and Yelena.

It's been a few days since his arrival, yet you haven't had the opportunity to properly speak with him, alone. But you've been feeling him a lot. Whether it was you subconsciously focusing on him more, or something else, it seemed like your body was more in tune and connected with his than you've ever been with anyone else. You picked up on a few of his emotions even if you weren't actively trying to; you felt his bouts of uneasiness when someone would stare at him for too long, you felt his gentle serenity whenever he'd sit near the windows to read a book, you felt his sparks of joy when people greeted him with a good morning or asked if he'd want coffee; but most of all, you still felt that lingering sadness that followed him everywhere he went, a weight he seemed to be all too used to having around.

In some ways, you felt as if you were invading his privacy, and that bothered you. During the day you tried to keep your mind as busy as you could to keep yourself from feeling him; in the late hours of the night though, when you were trying to sleep, there wasn't much you could do.

You have been tossing and turning in bed for probably about two hours now, drifting in and out of sleep. The crescent moon just outside your window seemed to be taunting you, amused with your misfortune. You scoffed as you glared at the natural satellite—great, now you were arguing with the cosmos.

Loki was having a nightmare. You could tell by the rapid beating of his heart and the cold sweat running down his forehead—your abilities went way beyond simply feeling other people's emotions, but sometimes you wished they wouldn't. It's not the first time that you've felt Loki's restless sleep in the short time he's been here. Your heart ached for him; it got you wanting to alleviate his pain.

But you couldn't do that, so you got up from your bed, put on your fluffy slippers, and made a beeline for the kitchen. The air outside was chilly, biting at your warm skin and making you shiver. At this hour of the night, the compound was completely dark and quiet, a big contrast to how it was when the sun was up. You asked Friday to turn on one of the lights in the kitchen, giving the space a dim-lit look as the single light bled into the adjacent living room.

You rubbed the sleep from your eyes, humming the lyrics of the song stuck in your head as you reached for the upper cabinet to grab a mug so you could make yourself some tea. When you turned around again though, a gasp escaped your mouth and you nearly dropped the mug you were holding. You cursed quietly under your breath, placing a hand over your heart; if you weren't fully awake before, you sure were now. "You scared me," you muttered, trying a small smile.

The reason for your lack of sleep stood before you, with dark green slippers that matched his button-up pajama shirt, and his hair the messier you've ever seen it be. "Sorry, it was not my intention," Loki smirked back at you.

It hit you that this was finally the first time you were alone with him, and you'd been caught off guard. You tapped your mug, opening your lips but no words came out. Loki's eyes remained on you, unwavering, yet his gaze was so… soft, gentle even; his eyebrows weren't creased and he patiently waited for you with his hands in the pockets of his checkered pajama pants. He didn't look like the god you usually saw roaming the halls during the day.

"It's alright. I was just making tea," you said finally, gesturing to your mug, "would you like me to make one for you too?"

Loki's surprise at your offer was so great that you felt it in your bones. What was he expecting you to do?

His lips parted only slightly and he straightened his posture before saying; "I would- yes, I would like that."

You couldn't help the full smile that came to your lips and crinkled the side of your eyes, "great, sit down, it'll be ready in just a moment."

The warm mug between your hands warmed up your skin. It felt nice, sitting like this with Loki; in a quiet kitchen with only you and him, and just the lonely light to your left softly highlighting his features in front of you. It was a peaceful silence, and you couldn't help but check if he felt it too.

The rhythm of his heart was calm, his soul felt light and at ease; not completely, but the most you've ever felt from him.

"Why are you here?" His sultry voice snapped you back to reality.

"Uh- I'm sorry?" You frowned.

"Why are you here, if I may ask?" Loki tilted his head amusedly, his fingers tracing the brim of his mug. "Thor mentioned you had… abilities, but he never specified what they are."

Now it was your turn to be surprised by his curiosity for you. "Well, to put it simply, I'm an empath," you told him.

Loki blinked, once, twice, at your response. He looked at you for a moment before inquiring further; "and to put it completely?"

You smirked then, folding your arms over the table. "I can feel people's emotions, if I want to; their anger, happiness, hesitation, fear. But I can also feel their heartbeats, the blood cursing through their bodies. I can tell when they're lying or telling the truth, if they're tired or hurt. And sometimes, I can influence those emotions," you paused, hesitating for a beat, "bring fear, or… take away pain."

Loki grew tense after learning of what you could do. To be fair, most people did at first, you were used to it. Be he felt different, his heartbeat sped up and stayed that way. He'd put his guard up, and it brought a pang of hurt to your chest.

"Are you always feeling everything then?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Gods, no," you breathed, "at first I did, and it was awful. But with time, I learned to control it." You tried smiling at him, but his eyes were downcast, focused on his mug.

You bit your lower lip in nervousness. Looking past Loki and out the window, you could see the first signs of the sunrise peeking over the horizon, dark skies turning a soft lilac and blue; you'd been here longer than you realized.

When Loki glanced up at you again, his bright eyes still held sparks of that same softness from earlier. He pursed his lips in a smile; "thank you for the tea." And with that, he got up and left, leaving you in the company of the first birds who always sang in the mornings.

─── ·❆· ───

You made Loki nervous. It wasn't a bad kind of nervous, it was the kind that sped up his heart and made his cold hands feel clammy.

Out of everyone in the compound, you were the kindest. You'd always shoot him a smile whenever you'd pass by each other in the hallways; you'd always save a seat for him at the table; you always respected his silence whenever you came into the library and caught him reading his book, saying a quiet hello and nothing more, just sitting on one of the armchairs with your own book and allowing him to enjoy his moment, and more recently, your presence too.

When he'd finally learned of your abilities, he got apprehensive, worried even; that you'd pick up on whatever it was that he felt when he was near you, and it would drive you away.

So far, it hasn't happened yet.

The sun was out today, and with it, so was everyone else. In the spacious backyard of the compound, Steve was in charge of the barbecue, and Tony was in charge of the drinks. Natasha had sunglasses covering her eyes while she and Clint bickered over a game of cards; Yelena was sitting beside her sister at the lunch table, however, she seemed to be on Clint's side of the argument. Thor and Banner were laughing together as they made fun of Steve's cooking skills, who tried to defend himself by saying he wasn't actually done yet. Tony looked like he was trying to convince Bucky to drink a dubious-looking beverage, the latter didn't seem too keen on it.

And Loki watched them from afar, from the living room window of his floor. Thor had asked that he join them downstairs, saying something about how he should start trying to fit in and mingle, instead of just existing in the others' presence. Making friends wasn't Loki's forte; as much as he'd fight not to admit it, he was still working up the courage.

With a long sigh, Loki turned around and made his way to the place where he'd been spending most of his free time.

The compound's library was quite huge. One of the few rooms in the whole facility that had warm colors painting the walls and lacked the modern look; tall wooden shelves held thousands of books, a soft beige carpet covered the floor, and there were armchairs and sofas scattered in corners and in-between shelves creating comfortable, isolated nooks for reading. Loki's favorite spot was a worn armchair that stood near one of the big windows, it was surrounded by books that most people didn't read anymore, and the window itself overlooked the treeline in which the sun hid behind at the end of every day; sometimes as he sat there to read, it reminded him of his room back in Asgard.

Loki walked brushing his fingers over the spine of the old books, watching as dust particles danced in the sunlight. But as he rounded the shelf that led to his spot, he abruptly stopped in his tracks, feet glued to the carpet.

You sat cross-legged on the worn armchair, with a thick book lying in your lap that held all of your attention; the sun was shining right behind you, creating a halo above your head and bathing the strands of your hair in golden. You looked like something out of his favorite tale, more enchanting than all of the Midgard poetry books he's ever read.

It seemed like you two were making a habit of bumping into each other unexpectedly.

Loki gulped, squaring his shoulders. A beat passed, and then two, until you finally noticed him from the corner of your eyes. You looked up at him with your eyebrows softly raised in surprise, a gentle smile lifted the sides of your mouth; "Loki, hi."

"Hello," Loki greeted you slowly, his eyes shifting from the book in your lap to your eyes, "shouldn't you be out with the others, enjoying the sun?"

"Should I?" You narrowed your eyes, lazily closing your book and getting up from the armchair. "Shouldn't you?" You asked then, smirking as you raised an eyebrow and took a step towards him.

Loki's heart stumbled inside his chest, he breathed out a laugh. "I'm not big on hangouts."

You hummed, burying your hands in the pockets of your jeans. "Why is that?"

For a moment, Loki dwelled on whether to be honest or come up with an easy lie. But you were looking up at him with such delicacy, such attention, not a trace of hatred or judgment in your warm eyes. It almost looked as if you cared... about him.

Loki breathed in sharply through his nose, the words rolled off his tongue on their own; "I doubt many of your friends would enjoy my presence there."

You blinked up at him, lips parting before you told him quietly; "I would."

There was a distant burning behind Loki's eyes, his mouth felt dry. No one had ever rendered him completely speechless before, yet now, you had done just that. With his silence, you avoided his eyes and ran your tongue over your bottom lip in a motion that he couldn't help but follow.

"And..." You continued, voice sweet as honey, traveling between the bookshelves in the secluded library, "We'll never know if we don't try, right?"

The way you referred to you and him as 'we' got a foreign feeling blossoming inside Loki's chest, all warm and tingly. When you offered him your hand, so you could guide him downstairs to meet the others, he took it.

─── ·❆· ───

After a full week of taking care of the whole city, Saturday nights were a time for having fun and relaxing; aka movie nights with the team. Everyone sat together in the main living room of the compound, Tony had labeled it 'mandatory bonding day'. The room itself was pretty spacious, dimly lit, with two big comfortable couches and a TV that almost covered the whole wall, and a small kitchen right beside it for easy snacks and drinks.

"Right, I'm thinking... Terminator." Tony suggested as he came from the kitchen with an extra large bowl of popcorn in his arms.

"We saw that one already," Steve complained as he fumbled with the remote.

"There are multiple ones," Tony said, smugly, as he plopped himself on the couch and threw popcorn in his mouth.

Thor, who sat beside you, suddenly perked up with a giddy smile on his face; "oh I've always enjoyed that one who has the girl with the long, magic hair." The god gestured to his own hair.

Tony gaped at him, his fingers holding the popcorn were frozen midair. "Tangled?" He exclaimed then, eyebrows raised, "You wanna watch Tangled? in my house?"

You fought to hide a smile. "Technically it's our house," you quipped, after all, you were to blame for Thor's love for the Disney movie.

"Why don't we just watch both? The night is still young," Yelena finally suggested from her spot by the corner of the couch.

As they continued bickering, your eyes finally caught sight of the one you'd been waiting for.

Loki walked into the living room quietly, his socked feet barely making any noise on the expensive flooring. His gaze found yours before he saw anything else in the room, and a gentle, shy smile appeared on his lips.

You'd grown very close, very fast. Loki had started seeking your presence more and more each passing day; during the mornings he'd wait for you with an extra cup of coffee in hand, during the missions it was already routine that you two were a pair, and during the night you never parted ways without him planting a kiss on your forehead first.

Never in your life had you met someone quite like him, who carried such a bruised heart and still managed to be so loving. It made you wonder if anyone had ever bothered to see how beautiful his soul was, for you had fallen in love with it before you even touched his skin.

You gently patted the vacant seat on your left side, lifting the thin blanket covering your legs so Loki could sit down, and once he did you draped part of it over his legs as well.

"What's today's punishment?" Loki smirked, making himself comfortable beside you. His shoulder flush with yours.

"Stop it, movie nights are nice. I know you secretly enjoy them too," you chuckled, bumping his knee with yours. His proximity raised goosebumps all over your skin, and if you weren't so focused on your own feelings, you would've felt how much Loki's heart was racing as well.

"I only come to these because you do too," Loki mumbled, his eyes focused on the TV and a frown appearing on his eyebrows as the first scenes from Tangled played on the screen.

Your breath caught on your throat. He had said it so casually, so easily. You wondered if he had even realized the weight of his own words. "Right," you whispered, a little breathless.

It didn't take long for the only light in the room to be the one coming from the TV. When Tangled hit the 45-minute mark, Tony was already snoring and Thor had finished two bowls of popcorn. You, however, were wide awake and fully aware of Loki's arm resting on the back of the couch. What a cliche move, you thought to yourself, your cheeks burning hot and biting back a smile.

Loki's face as he watched the movie was nothing short of comical, one would think he was watching a period drama; his lips hovering ever so slightly before he'd scoff at a musical scene, his eyes softening as the romance between Rapunzel and Flynn blossomed, the way he mindlessly played with the ends of your hair. You watched him more than you watched the movie, and you didn't miss the way he froze and gulped when you finally rested your head on his shoulder.

─── ·❆· ───

The day had started out fine; a cold yet sunny morning, your fingers brushing Loki's when he handed you your cup of coffee, no eminent trouble in the city, everything was normal and fine; until it took a turn for the worse.

You didn't hear the fight, you didn't know exactly what caused it, but you felt it immediately. Anger, hurt, and pain were suddenly heavy in the air even through the closed door of your bedroom. As soon as a shiver ran up and down your spine you got up and all but ran outside to chase the somber feeling.

The elevator doors of your floor weren't even fully open yet when Loki busted his way through them, Thor hot on his heels.

"I knew it was a mistake coming here," Loki snapped, his steps fast as he put as much distance between himself and Thor as he could, nearly running straight into you in the process.

"You know what, brother," Thor began, he had stopped walking, standing in the middle of the living room, "Maybe it really was a mistake to bring you here, you don't care about anyone but yourself, it's almost as if you enjoy hurting people, you can't help it. It'll always be like this, that's why you're better off on your own." Thor wasn't shouting, but his words rang loudly in the room; his chest heaving when he stopped speaking.

You had held your breath the entire time, gripping the back of a kitchen stool until your knuckles turned white. Thor was angry, you could feel it even without being near him, but he didn't mean what he had said, not entirely. Thor's emotions were a passing wind on your skin though, for who you really felt, stood just a few feet behind you.

Loki had his back turned to his brother when he spoke, and he didn't turn around after. Even without looking at him, you could feel the way he trembled, unsteady hands closed into tight fists to mask his hurt; he gulped back a sob, and kept on walking to his bedroom without a word.

You could choke with the amount of pain radiating off of Loki; heavy, sickening, all-encompassing pain that you felt so vividly in your skin and bones. You only shot Thor an angry glance and muttered; "Damnit Thor," before turning around hastily. You thought you heard Thor calling after you, but you decided to ignore him, your priorities already set.

You ran after Loki, catching up just before his door slammed shut. Taking a deep breath, you walked into his bedroom and softly closed the door behind you with a click.

You'd never actually been in Loki's room before, so you took a single moment to glance around. The room itself was a little bare, with only the necessities such as a double bed, a dresser, a desk, a small bookshelf, and the door that led to his bathroom. You made a mental note to gift him something to liven up his space; maybe a plant.

Loki had his back turned to you still, both his hands resting on his waist as his head hung low. But you knew he knew it was you there with him, by the simple fact that he was allowing you to stay.

The silence was a heavy one, packed with the electricity of two souls tightly holding onto each other. Loki was trying so hard to keep all his pain in control, his shoulders shaking with each breath he took; but you could feel it as if it was your own.

"Loki," you said his name in nothing but breath, testing the waters. You took half a step toward him as you fidgeted with your hands.

He didn't answer. You weren't expecting him to.

You pursed your lips before saying; "he didn't mean it," your voice was choked and took effort to come out, the back of your eyes already burning, "what Thor said. He- he didn't mean it."

A few beats passed, and then; "doesn't matter if he did." Loki's words cracked in the middle, it was the most broken you'd ever heard him sound. "He's right."

"He's not," you told him in the same heartbeat, not a tint of hesitation in your tone.

Loki turned around, his gaze finally finding yours and there were tears pooling at the bottom lid of his bright eyes. "Yes, he is," he took a single big step toward you, nearly closing the distance between you and him. Loki's lips trembled as he struggled to keep talking; "and why is it that you care? What's in it for you?"

He was hurt, and he was frustrated, and he was angry; you knew that. Still, you couldn't help but be taken aback by his question. What could he even mean by that? Did he really believe that all this time that you'd been dancing around each other's feelings, it wasn't real?

"Loki, I-" you stuttered, not knowing how to say it without baring your heart in the process. Your hesitation got Loki avoiding his eyes from yours, and you forced yourself to go on. "There's nothing 'in it for me' I just... care about you."

Still waiting for the other shoe to drop, Loki softly shook his head, scoffing. His tears were a blink away from spilling, he felt as if barbed wire was wrapped around his throat, and his heart threatened to jump from his chest and straight into your hands.

It scared him. How easily you could make his walls crumble like paper in the rain. He flinched slightly when he felt the ghost of your touch on his cheek, blinking multiple times when your thumb brushed away a single tear rolling down his cheek. You touched him as if he were porcelain, and yet it still broke him.

"Is it that hard to believe that you're important to me?" You asked then, voice nothing but a whisper in the short space separating your bodies. With your hand still holding his cheek, you forced his eyes back on yours. "You have a good heart, Loki. I just wish you could see it the way I do. I wish everyone could see it."

The crooked smile he gave you nearly made your own tears fall. "You don't know what you're talking about, you don't know what I've done," he told you quietly, more than anything, he sounded utterly defeated.

"But I do know," your free hand found one of his then, and you tangled your fingers together loosely, "I might not have been with the Avengers when you attacked New York, but I was still in New York. And I still mean it, you could tell me every single bad thing you've ever done and I'd still tell you how good you are, because I see it. Every single day, Loki. I feel you every single day, and I can feel all this-" Your words caught in your throat and you tasted your tears on your lips. "-All this pain that you carry around and you still choose to be good."

Too many emotions swam behind his eyes for you to put a finger in any of them. But tears were running freely down Loki's cheeks now, pooling against your hand resting on his cheek.

"What did you-" he tried, gasping for air as if he was underwater. This was foreign territory. You had a place in his heart no one else could ever have, he realized, and his heart was beating faster than his mind knew what to do with. "You've been prying into my emotions without me knowing?" He sounded more desperate than annoyed.

"I didn't want to," You explained quickly, "I- I never meant to, but for some reason, I can't block you out." Shrugging weakly, you slowly dropped the hand resting on his cheek, missing the way he glanced down in search of your warmth. "I tried. I really tried."

There was a vulnerability in Loki's eyes you'd never seen before. He looked at you as if he'd just realized what love is. You wondered if you mimicked the same gaze—you sure felt it.

Loki shuffled in his stance. His hand, still holding onto yours, tightened its grip. "I'm-" He avoided your eyes, looking somewhere past your shoulder, "I'm sorry you had to feel all that."

You softened at his words, shaking your head and taking another step forward until your sneakers bumped his shoes. "Wasn't your fault," you whispered.

Loki gulped back a sob after you spoke, and that was the last straw for you to let go of his hand and pull his body to yours in an embrace.

He melted into you.

Loki's fingers dug into the fabric of your shirt and he buried his head against your shoulder—you soon felt it becoming damp, yet you only hugged him tighter. With the desperation he was holding you with, you wondered when was the last time someone had held him.

The soft sobs escaping him were muffled against you. And you couldn't help but stroke his back, the tips of your fingers burying into his very soul. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of this alone." You spoke near his ear, feeling the goosebumps that raised on his skin. "You never deserved it," you promised.

You weren't sure how much time passed, you stayed there for as long as Loki needed you to. When he eventually pulled away, he didn't go far, his hands kept holding your body close to him as if he was afraid you'd leave if he let go.

His bright eyes didn't hold a storm anymore, they were more like a calm sea. A soft frown etched itself into his eyebrows, "did you… take away my pain?"

You chuckled quietly, "No, I can't take away people's emotions." You lifted a hand until your fingertips could brush the skin on his forehead, "But I can make them lighter." You traced an invisible line over his eyebrow and until you reached his cheekbone, "Make the weight just a little bit easier to carry."

Loki leaned into your touch, almost closing his eyes. His hands that rested on your back traced your spine and pulled you closer. "Darling, you've been making it easier ever since the first day I met you."

⋆* ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

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[skoulsons]

I love how tainted the Ghost of Tsushima world is

Sure, the scenery is remarkable and when you visit places like Tadayori’s rest, field of the equinox flower, the kishi grasslands, or even the view from atop Jogaku’s pagoda

But the world is tainted. You can ride anywhere and find burned bodies on pikes. Peasants killed by small boats on a coast somewhere. Families killed together. Even places considered sacred, like fox dens, can be not so beautiful—there’s a guy dead on a goza mat at the one in Kashine

Most of the side takes involve death to some degree. The man who ran from his wife and child and basically left them to die. The woman who drowned herself bc she carried so much guilt. Even some mythic tales with people like Yasuhira Koga who used the heavenly strike to kill innocents. Burned farmsteads. Burned homes. People taken hostage in the street and in the comfort of their homes

Even more so on Iki! Mongols hurt the areas of animal sanctuaries and even kill the beautiful animals that find solace in those places. They cage monkeys and cats and make the people there drink poison that torments them unless they cave in to the Mongols

I don’t know. The game is so much more than ‘wow look at that pretty sunset’. Even something as normal as riding your horse around, you see so much violence and death from what the Mongols inflicted on the people of Tsushima. You see the hurt and the pain and the heartbreak as Jin’s journey continues and, as the player, grow to also want to protect the people of the island

[clangenrising]

Month 7 - Leaffall

Prev | First | Next

“They’ll love you,” Smokyrose soothed as she wound her tail with Ghost’s, leading him across the grasslands towards the RisingClan camp. 

“I know, I know,” Ghost sighed, leaning his head on top of hers. “I’m just… nervous.” 

“What for?” asked Smokyrose genuinely. 

“About the kits, I guess?” he shrugged. 

“Oh?” she licked his cheek curiously. She had told him just an hour or so ago and he had taken it well, if a bit surprised. She had rubbed herself all over him, vibrating joyfully, and he had laughed and held her close. She couldn’t have been happier. She had eventually convinced him to come meet her Clanmates, even though he seemed reluctant. She couldn’t help but wonder what his reasons were. 

 “I’m sure things will be fine,” she added, “Sagetooth is a skilled Healer, I’ll be in great paws, if that’s what you’re worried about.” She wondered if the city cats had their own healers or if they just had to hope they never got ill. 

“It’s not that,” he shook his head. “I’m… I’ve never been a father before.” Quickly, he amended, “I mean, I’m sure I’ve had kits, but it’s never been… a responsibility for me before. I’m not sure I’m cut out for it.” 

“I have faith,” she purred. “You’ll make a great dad.” 

“If you say so, Miss Smoke.” He chuckled a little and placed a few licks on her forehead, causing her purr to deepen in her chest. 

Soon, the camp was upon them. Smokyrose squeezed herself against his muscled shoulder in encouragement and they descended into the dip where she had always made her home. Ghost’s mouth was open wide to scent the well worn scents of the cats who lived there. Smokyrose looked around and saw that Pantherhaze and Songdust were sunning on the roof of the warriors’ den. 

Raising her tail she gave a tiny meow to get their attention. “Songdust! Pantherhaze! Look who I brought ‘round.” Songdust sat up, squinting in the sun, but immediately brightened at the sight of them. 

“Hey!” she purred, rolling to her paws. “If it isn’t your fancy new beau! Nice to meet you.” She dropped onto the grass to meet them, tail swishing gently. Ghost dipped his head in her direction. 

“You must be the famous Songdust,” he purred and Smokyrose nearly swooned at how suave he was. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Smokyrose lifted her head proudly, almost hoping that Songdust would be jealous now that she’d met him.

“Wow, you were right,” laughed Songdust, brows lifting. “He is quite the gentleman.”

“Isn’t he just?” Smokyrose hummed fondly. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Pantherhaze said, padding up with wide amber eyes. 

“Pantherhaze,” Smokyrose said, “this is Ghost. Ghost, Pantherhaze.” 

Ghost dipped his head again. “The pleasure is mine.” 

“So, Ghost,” Songdust asked, shifting into a more comfortable stance, “are you coming to stay then?” 

Ghost chuckled reticently, “We’ll have to see, won’t we.” 

“Well, hey!” Goldenstar’s voice called from the other side of camp. “Who’s the handsome stranger?” 

Smokyrose looked over to the Stoneperch where the leader was emerging from her den and grinned. “Goldenstar! Come meet the father of my kits.” Turning to Ghost, she said, “This is Goldenstar, she’s the leader of the Clan.” 

As Goldenstar approached, he bowed his head deeply. “A pleasure to meet you, your excellence.”

Goldenstar laughed, eyes sparkling. “Wow, are all city cats as polite as you two?” she looked over her shoulder and frowned. 

“Pardon?” Ghost glanced at Smokyrose, confused. She tilted her head in kind, not having seen anyone behind the tortie even if she could infer who Goldenstar was looking for.

“Sorry,” Goldenstar said, face falling a bit. “I thought that…” She shook her head a bit and pulled her attention back to the cats in front of her and put a smile back on. “Not important. There’s no need for such formalities. We’re all friends here.” 

“I see,” hummed Ghost. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you regardless. My name is Ghost.” 

“Ghost,” she nodded. “Well, welcome to RisingClan, Ghost. You’re welcome to stay as long as you like, get to know the place.” 

“I’m trying to convince him to stay but he’s being stubborn about it,” Smokyrose purred, pressing against his side again. She smirked up at him and he smiled as his gaze dipped toward the ground. 

“Regrettably, I have obligations in the city, but I’m happy to stay for a bit.” 

“That’s too bad,” said Goldenstar. 

“Come along,” Smokyrose said, pushing his shoulder, “I want to introduce you to Oddstripe.” 

“Ah,” he chuckled, “excuse me, then.” 

Smokyrose purred and pushed him towards the Healer’s den. As they went, she whispered, “You’ll have to excuse Sagetooth, though. She’s a bit of a curmudgeon.”

“Good to know,” he whispered back and Smokyrose’s stomach fluttered. She felt like an apprentice again, full of energy and mischief and excitement. She even dared to hope that somehow she would be able to change Ghost’s mind and he would stay for good. We’ll have to see, won’t we? she thought to herself.

[sandbees]

Siblings AU

Yuki's POV

I should say that yes, Yuki has mentioned Yuu a lot to the brothers, and while their friends have tried to locate Yuu, they have not found a trace

This made Yuki very worried about their younger sibling.

Yuki doesn’t mention Yuno at all, or at least not as often as Yuu. They think Yuno abandoned them once they stopped sending letters for over 2 months.

Anyways, Yuki is just exploring the underground of Diavalo's castle one night for a mandatory sleepover

And then they find this strange painting that is just a simple grasslands.

Naturally, they reach out and-

Yuki's now in the painting. Well, fuck.

They start walking towards a giant rock they spotted in the distance, because what else were they going to do?

They might have to wait until one of their friends finds them, because they sure as hell can’t do anything.

As they walk, Yuki turns their head and

Is

IS THAT YUU?! (And are they holding a cat-?)

Yuki runs towards Yuu screaming their name, and they embrace in a long awaited hug

Yuki: I THOUGHT I LOST YOU! DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS WHEN I GOT TRANSPORTED TO ANOTHER WORLD WITHOUT YOU?!

Yuu: How do you think I felt?! I literally woke up in a coffin!

Yuki: WHAT?!

Yuki is absolutely shocked that Yuu was also transported.

Suddenly, a tall shadow looms over them, and when Yuki looks up, it’s…Yuno?!

Their sibling was alive!

Yuki felt really mad, at first. Yuno had disappeared when Yuu was very young and now they just show up again?! Why did they disappear all those years ago?!

When Yuki finds out that Yuno died of the Red Plague, they feel conflicted. Ok one hand, yeah, dying is a sure reason as to why Yuno stopped sending letters

On the other hand, wow, they should’ve gotten some sort of letter saying that, right? Maybe it got lost at sea…

After listening to what was going on back in their home world, Yuki suddenly felt a sense of nostalgia. They do want to go back to their hometown, but…they also love living in the Devildom.

Is absolutely shook at the mention of Yuno fighting the devil. Like. Damn, Yuno actually fought the Arcana version of the devil. Pretty metal

Yuki wants to throttle Crowley after they hear Yuu’s story. He SERIOUSLY left Yuu to fend for themselves in a school of magic? Diavolo gave them so much more when Yuki went to RAD!

Yuki and Yuno scream when they see Yuu holding Grim. (“Is that a FLAMING CAT??” “I am NOT a cat! I am the Great Grim-!” “IT TALKS?!?”)

Yuki is really curious to see what Yuno and Yuu’s friends are like, since both talk about their friends/found family as sincerely as they do when talking about theirs from the Devildom.

[delta-rex]

Tell me about the horses

OK FINALLY I CAN ANSWER THIS.

so. this is going to be Long cause im boutta copy and paste the entire lore and also the images from my friends discord channel

yeah so the idea started bc my friend and i were like zamn ok. what if we had gay cowboys and then the braincell went BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR and i accidentlly invented an entire planet and ecosystem just to fit in some wacky alien horses. i have problems disease.

aNYWAYS so the planet itself is more or less a pangea-like construction, there's bascially just one continent bc i dont LIKE continental drift its MEAN and RUDE and messes up EVERYTHING.

the planet is farther away from its sun than earth / the sun is weaker, so it's generally much colder (like 30-40F year round bc i forgot how celsius works oops). still 100% livable for humans (so therefore colonized asap), but kinda cold ish so.

this climate is still pretty prime for grasslands- therefore alien HONSE bc i do what i want. btw. the honses are BIG boyes. like avg is a large van/small moving truck. theyre big.

the grasslands are home to a fairly complex ecosystem but we don't care aobut that, just the fact that there are decently sized predators that live in the long grasses (max size, toyota corolla or smaller). however theyre big enough that most cities, instead of bothering to settle down on the ground and have to build substantial defenses against these predator packs, just went 'hmm there's a solution to this, and this solution is GIANT ASS HOVERCRAFTS THE SIZE OF CITIES.' and so they rolled the fuck with it.

the problem with these is that not only to they have to be guarded from the grassland predators... there are also ALPHA predators. basically these are ultra mega insanely large creatures that roam the supercontinent, and they all are pretty much in agreement that a floating hovercraft city makes a nice healthy breakfast, however they HATE eating the honses as they're toxic to the alpha predators. so, the colonizing humans looked at em and went 'WHAT IF WE HAD MORE!!!' so now, every city has a giant herd of at least 30+ horses, and bigger cities can ahve up to 50.

no horses? you die! no hovercraft? you die!

orgot to mention the planet has no seasonal tilt lol, there's also some forest around the eqator where it's warmest, and the day is like 15/20 hours long yeah

yeah so. an entire fucking planet i invented just for some gay cowboys. 'wow rex' you say 'thats kind of excessive' oh just wait i did MORE

SO. despite there not being much precipitaion, everyone wears ponchos because changing outfits is hard and you NEVER get off the horse. ever. so you gotta carry it with you and i sure wouldnt want to carry more than like 2 outfits at a time. ponchos are practical solutions to every outfit problem ever

being a cowboy or the equivalent title is however really really prestigious, as theyre basically the ones keeping you and all the people you know alive so like you kinda want those yknow. you kinda get a free pass with everything in the city in your off season

(year is more or less the same by our reckoning, so most people would spend like 4-6 months escorting around the city, then 6-8 resting and doing stuff up top. some people train new horses full-time, but they don't usually escort full-time)

people who work on the fusion cores and propulsion systems also get similar treatment for bascially the same reason and ofc in the city people have all the usual jobs that you need to keep stuff running but yeah

cowbooys are just normal ass people. like humans. yeah the focus is the honses sorry i do waht i want

honse colors include but are not limited to normal horse colors and patterns, so while buckskin, bay, and grey are all common if your horse blue go tf off we love to see it

there's more lore about the actual gay cowboys and their horses also but the worldbuilding is the fun part in my opinion tbh.

images:

honse portrait

long boy

anatomy struggle

view from hovercraft

school project I did (patterns are part of the project but shapes are correct)

[angelicintention]

you’ve been assigned: Porpolomopsis calyptriformis, commonly known as the pink wax cap, ballerina waxcap or salmon waxy cap,[3] is a species of agaric (gilled mushroom) in the family Hygrophoraceae. The species has a European distribution, occurring mainly in agriculturally unimproved grassland. Threats to its habitat have resulted in the species being assessed as globally "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.[1] A similar but as yet unnamed species occurs in North America.

★

Oh, wow.. that's a very pretty mushroom! It's a pretty shade of pink, too.. I love it, I love it! There's nothing greater than the joys of nature, yes?

I guess.

★

now that's awesome.. it really is pretty, i love it so much..

[thegeminisage]

ok im tentatively trying to squeeze in more zelda...

the boss is NOT my boyfriend but echo ganon is almost as good!!!

its so weird to me still that he talks. im used to thinking of ganondorf as the one who talks and ganon not being capable of it, but i guess he was in alttp

damn he hits HARD. oneshots all my echoes

wait omg i recognize the alttp attack patterns :')

NOOOOO inwas so cloae but he got me :(

GOT HIS ASS!!! it took almost every smoothie i had..........

whew. this means i'm still one dungeon ahead of my brother. not bad for not having any power

WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT????

OMG MY BOYFRIEND...MY REAL BOYFRIEND

NOW IT IS LINK IN THE CRYSTAL

man those definitely looked like dragon talons...what the fucj

aww saved her dad

AWW SAVED MY CAT

and it's impa!!!

new BED ECHO i love to flex

oh wow...hood off now. i hope this means i get to play dressup soon

THREE GODDESS MENTION?!?!??!?!!?! YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

i cannot WAIT to dive into the lore of this gane omg omg

i wonder if prime energy is the triforce or a new thing...

hell yeah. zelda priestess of legend

link moving around in the still world like zelda fighting the enemy all on his own 😭

hell YEAH i have to combine my power with link's

IMPA. PROVIDE THE GARMENTS why is that so funny

omgggg her little adventuring outfit!!! i want my cloak back though

okay okay i can switch okay good

now i get to decide where to go next...i think i'm picking faron because grassland dungeon first lol. ten bucks says when my brother gets here he picks faron too

NEW OVERWORLD INTRO?? ITS HER THEME WAHHHH

ok, i'm just gonna wander for awhile, i don't have time left to start something big

i mer dampe, VERY exciting

i am in awful shape. i simply muat make more smoothies

i need to go to death mountain to finish the automaton quest, but i've already committed to faron. sad!

found acorns 2 fast 2 furious. MUCH harder.

YESSSS i did mango game and got my first little outfit......

doing some desert wandering and did i just get attacked by a fucking molduga???

oh no some kind of worm.............

killed the worm, wandered north, and found the. missing horse!! unfortunately i have to go now so it will have to wait :(

[clovdyhi]

I just discovered your blog and wow your art is fantastic! Your recent works remind me of North dakota with its rolling grasslands, small ponds, space trees and even scarcer settlements. It's tranquil in a way I can't describe otherwise

That makes me so happy to hear, I always love to know what feelings does my art send!

[abirddogmoment]

Foggy morning in the grasslands

[tobytost]

idk if that person in that tags saw your question but 👁👁 i did lol 👁👁 in the 2003 Clone Wars there's like a 3-4 minute sequence where Mace Windu is fighting idk like a bazillion droids out in this wide open grassland, and watching the battle from up on a hill is this little boy who's all :O :O :O because wow! a Jedi! here on my planet! and then when Mace is done wiping the floor with the droids he leaps wayyy up and lands on the hill and the boy gives Mace his water canteen. Mace takes a swig, hands it back, then leaps back into the fray to go blow up some more droids lol. it's a really cute scene with minimal dialogue and just really cool in showing this iconic Jedi interacting with some kid on the world he's saving! :)

AWWWW I LOVE MACE WINDU!!!!! and yes, that person saw it and even showed me sceeencaps :D but thank you on even further elaboration!!

also should I give 2003 clone wars a watch?

[feathered-moths-ablaze]

TB/RW AU - Toast and Mary

Wow it's been a month since I touched this AU.

I've been wanting to talk about their relationship since July, but college and personal life has been needing my attention more, and it has completely drained me.

Now that most of that is ironed out, I can finally get around to these guys, and how others saw them, on paper and hopefully flesh them out a bit, especially Mary: she really didn't get touched on during the videos.

They are young when they first meet - around 16-17 in human years. Their relationship, from friends to death, takes place over approx. 4-5 years. A Cycle does mean a day/night, but it can be cut short if there's a downpour.

Johnny and Mary met by pure chance; they were both on their way home, and Toast remarked on how large the squidcada Mary was carrying. They started talking for hours until Mary had to go.

They kept meeting up at random at first; aftermath of a lizard fight, paying at a scavenger pole, ect. and ended up chatting until one left. It took many of these surprised meetings for Mary to suggest a location to chat

These hangouts were not secret: Toast had already mentioned Mary to Jenny and Ghost a few times, so neither were surprised when they spent more time together.

Jenny thought that Mary was alright, and absolutely teased her little brother when he came home at times ("so, how was your date? ):3" "IT'S NOT A DATE!" D:<)

Ghost and Mary actually got along well, sharing an interest with the sunken Iterator can and how it came to be. Toast was afraid they'd be at each other throats over him, so he was relieved.

Gavin didn't know about Mary until much later. Toast didn't want to tell "The Golden Child" about his friends.

One talking point for them was past the grasslands. Scug tribes were known to take a pitstop at the can for shelter, food and to catch their breaths, so surely there was other places. Mary wanted to find these places.

It was Toast who first caught feelings, and was terrible at hiding it. He was also completely oblivious to it until Ghost asked if he ask who'd he'd been crushing on.

Mary was also unaware of Johnny's crush. She thought he was just being sweet.

Mary started catching feelings not too long after he did. She was more aware of hers, and at first denied it. Sure, they were nearly adults at this point, and Toast is... For void's sake, she's not in love!

But when he brightens her day by cracking his smile, and that feeling of glowy warmth feels so natural between them, it's hard not to see why.

As the cycles went on, they seemed to fall for eachother that bit more, and on one cloudy twilight, Toast finally confessed - and Mary said yes

There is around a year between their confessions and when Mary first voices her old ideas about leaving the can to explore past the grasslands again, and a few cycles more for Toast to agree to come with her.

He tells Ghost that he's leaving with Mary a few cycles before the day. Ghost is a mess: his only friend is leaving, probably never coming back, and he'll be stuck here alone. Toast replies that he'll find someone else, like "the other hunter" (Katrina), but he's going. They have a last embrace, both trying not to cry, before Toast turns and leaves. This is the last time Ghost sees him for a long time.

Jenny is the one who sees them off. She gives them both explosive spears ("for emergencies"), some batflies and Johnny one last hug before they set off.

Even with their advantages, they struggle to keep alive. The orange lizards are more tougher than the ones they're used to, and close calls with vultures are common.

However, they slowly get the hang of it and by the end of the year, they're somewhat capable with the wilds.

Mary seemed to be more adapted than Toast, which did lead to some troubles along the road

They're thriving for until the end of spring since this is when Mary dies

They're caught late outside when the storm hits, and they're rushing back to their shelter. Between the low light and starting of rain, it's getting hard to see or hear.

They don't hear the vulture until one of its mandibles strikes the ground near Johnny and they book it faster.

The vulture gets a lucky shot when it grabs Mary almost at their shelter and starts to fly off. Johnny throws his spear at the head, hoping for it to drop her.

At the last second, it's head turns and the spear pierces both Mary and the vulture's cheek, to Toast's horror.

They both fall, but the downpour is getting worse (it's starting to hurt him), so he has no time to search unless he wants to be pelted to death.

Toast hides in the shelter, shaking like a leaf and with a sinking feeling.

The storm only lasts for the night, to Johnny's luck, and he's out the second the rain slows down enough.

He feverishly searches for Mary, calling her name, but no luck. He tries again the next cycle: still nothing. It takes a third cycle for Toast to find evidence.

The only thing left in the mud and flattened grass is a Karma flower. Mary is dead. Officially

Toast just stares in disbelief, before falling onto his knees and sobbing and going "nononononono I'm sorry. I'm sorry" again and again. It's cut short when a lizard interrupts his crying.

He takes the flower and goes back to the shelter, miserable and guilty

He spends two weeks in the shelter, laying in the emptier nest and holding the flower whilst he feels more and more guilty and remorseful for Mary's death. He only leaves when he can't hunt or handle being alone anymore and makes the long long long trek back to the can since that's the only place with bluefruit and popcorn plants

When he finally sets foot in the ruin a year and a half after he and Mary left, he's starving from not leaving the shelter, so he's just scavenging any fruit and leftovers to eat.

At some point Ghost and Toast do reunite.

Ghost finishes up a lizard hunt for breakfast, when be hears shuffling behind him. Turning around, he's not expecting Toast behind him. He's obviously exited to see him after over a year and rushes to him, but his joy turns to concern when he sees his reddened eyes and asks what's happened. Toast just collapsed into Ghost's shoulder and cries, crying a little harder when Ghost awkwardly hugs him.

He stays with Ghost since his grief is leaving him unable to survive on his own.

Ghost doesn't know what's happened; he only finds out when Toast breaks down one night and spills out everything

It doesn't help that Ghost's Rot Problem manifested during his time away, so some cycles Ghost is just suddenly gone.

There is no alcohol in Rain World and there isn't really any substitute, so Toast doesn't have with drinking problems in this AU.

Ghost does comfort him during the worse of this, saying that it wasn't his fault and getting Toast out of the shelter.

Jenny does also help with Toast's grief, but her own problems means she can only give him a little. Ghost is his main comforter.

It takes a long time, with some setbacks along the way, but by Mid-Early P.I.E/Spooker joining, Toast worked through most of his grief for Mary's death.

There is some hope he can see her again.

Now in Rain World, you don't exactly die: If you want to truly die/"break your cycle" you need to go to the void sea. This does run the risk of becoming an echo though, and if you do become one, you're fucked.

In this AU, this gets tweaked a bit. There's two ways of becoming an echo: either through the Void Worm's rejection or through "Forsed/Self Ascension" Basically if you die too many times in rapidly succession. This is one hell of a massive mess in practice, so there's scugs that die for the first time and that's it, and there's scugs that seem immortal.

Mary got the short end of the stick, and became an echo the first time she died

When Mary realised what had happened, she was torn.

On one hand, she felt searing betrayal by Johnny. They'd spend all this time together, just for him to stab her in the back and leave her body in the rain!

On the other, it was bad luck that got her killed. Did she also want Toast to die by trying to find her? He was sensible to wait!

Her echo stayed where she was as anger and her mind warred on. She figured that she could wait to see Johnny's reaction before judging.

Her anger towards him seemed to smother out when Toast was sobbing out apologies at the sight of her Karma Flower.

She didn't follow him all the way back to the can: as much as she wants to comfort him and say anything, she can't help him now. He'll have to work through his guilt on his own.

As of current day, Mary is still in the wilds, exploring the great unknown.

She might go back and see Toast, but it will mean she will have to say goodbye. She doesn't think she can yet.

Bittersweet ending, but I hope I managed to give Mary some personality and this relationship some development.

[thoughtsaboutmovies]

Lion King 2: Simba's Pride

i think i will have to watch lion king 2 now

we are starting strong with a good song based on previously introduced concept he lives in you

timon is a fool

the art is slightly lower quality than 1, but probably wouldn’t have been noticeable on old tv vs this monster

have you guys seen this? how much context will you require?

wow simba is a super overprotective dad this seems a little hypocritical - oh cool nala calls it out she knows what’s up

pumba and timon are not great babysitters and also have the total opposite reaction to when they found a lion cub in the middle of nowhere (where they were not responsible babysitters but did manage to raise him i guess?) 

they chose an annoying child for this part. not ideal baby lion. 

wow boy baby lion also is an annoying child 

they have found a pit of alligators

kovu has no idea how to play tag whoa parents really overreacted here

“chosen by scar to follow in his paw prints”? is this kid scars son?? IS HE HER UNCLE!???

romeo and juliet with lions and more incest! just what disney ordered

despite previous male-only inheritance, simba gives speech about kiaras future as queen (she’s unimpressed until he sings about it)

is she only bonding on screen with her dad? nala totally got sent off before the family bonding

nice and ominous vibe for evil lion pack

SCAR IS NOT THE FATHER THEY HAD TO SPECIFY HE IS NOT HILARIOUS

no explanation on where he actually came from though

wow his mum is a total psychopath 

good singer though (not quite at the level of scar)

mufasa encouraging romance between two babies right now

hmmm 20mins in no more baby lions with much better voice acting now

kiaras first solo hunt: nala encouraging but simba is a liar with no trust in his daughter

do the outlanders have spies? how do they know what’s going on with the pride?

timon and pumba you are better than this

this is a weird tradition. lions are pack hunters? whoop she’s caught the fools who could have seen this coming 

lighting a fire so kovu can stage a dramatic rescue is a bit of a dick move

they made him really ominous for a second there 

i think this fire is larger than they planned. lighting grasslands on fire? how could that go wrong??

gosh this is not a great second impression both of you are deliberately provoking the other he just saved your life lady a thanks before berating might be in order. of course he’s totally on the same page is this bad flirting? really terrible flirting?

wow these guys are dumb teenagers

no more hunts ever! says simba ; no im not overprotective what gives you that impression says simba when questioned by the press (he is currently locking his daughter in a cave and throwing away the key)

oooh he’s agreed lifesaving kovu may come back with the pride but he’s being a dick about it

its okay his pretty daughter is willing to be challenging and flirtatious 

“impress me” even i can tell that is flirting

nightmare time okay i see what simbas problem is here and kovu is planning to kill him atm i guess

are there therapists in nature? 

did no one actually teach kiara to hunt? or were they leaving this very large and important gap in her education so she could be seduced by an outlander through hunt-teaching-flirtation

aw cute now he’s roaring on command for timon and pumba to impress a pretty lioness

okay he is unsure of the concept of fun

OOP accidental kiss and now stargazing. the romance. oh he is not good at this

confiding dark secrets - seduction back on track

simba SPYING? nala coming in with the good advice and dipping back out of the narrative

kovu doubting his mothers evil plan as seduction backfires and he is seduced instead of seducer

nose boop wow this song is like a fever dream

Simba! growth

now kovu is in love i think it has been maybe … one day? 

oh come on simba he was about to confess! why would you drag out the drama this way

ah its for being a good definitelynotcousins thing life lessons etc

NO BETRAYAL evil mum how could you 

oh no the brother! died as result of an evil plot did evil mum actually like him oh my god he only knew as he was dying devastating emotions

simba come on that wasn’t kovu!!

A SCAR ON HIS EYE the symmetry 

wait why have they brought everyone here like this? maybe the pride is one thing but all the other animals? weird choice

these are some very judgemental zebras. a banger of a song though

some family drama here. but also “i must follow in my fathers pawprints”? come on. mufasa trusted scar until moments before he died? literally that’s how that happened

AND you want her to be queen but have absolutely no faith in her? not her abilities or her judgement 

undermine her belief in herself why dont you ?? “i may not be brave or strong or smart” seems like she might actually be … all those things? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

this is cute actually 

ew “we’ll start a pride all our own” that is not a pickup line kovu

its waa-aaaar

if all these lionesses felt this strongly about scar, why did they not fight for him originally? outside of you know, not planning for a sequel

nala has a lot of hate going for vitani, whose name she actually knows, despite her being like a baby baby when scar was defeated? 

i feel like the pack to pack ratios are off. i cant say how or why but something isn’t right here

kiara is doing amazing here

wow evil mum determined to be evil

ooh gorge parallels

zira is one angry lady oh no that’s actually kind of sad she’s so angry it killed her

WE ARE ONE simba welcoming kovu and outlanders this is nice

okay symmetry for art reasons aside the placement of kovu and simba together at the top of pride rock with kiara and nala outside has some he’s the next king and she’s his queen implications despite simbas previous you'll be queen regnant statements

i may be reading too far into lion royalty dynamics

still. a fun movie. ive got extra affection for 1, but not bad.

[clangenrising]

Month 5 - Greenleaf

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Oddstripe let out a deep breath as she slunk out of the nursery. The dusk air was hot and dry, the scent of grass and dust carrying down on the gentle breeze. It felt good to stretch her legs again, to step away from the kits for a moment. She loved them so desperately, but if she had to help them make dirt one more time that day she was going to become a hollow husk. 

Thankfully, Songdust had offered to take over for her for the night.

Oddstripe slipped over to the prey pile and picked out a mouse to eat, scarfing it down greedily off to the side of camp. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was till the blood touched her tongue. As she was finishing up her meal, she spotted Sagetooth padding in from the grassland, holding a bundle of roots in her jaws. Ears perking, Oddstripe jumped to her feet and disposed of the bones, and quickly headed into the Healers’ den.

Sagetooth looked up as she entered and smiled slightly. “Oddstripe,” she said. “Glad to see you out and about.” 

“Glad to be out and about,” she purred in reply. “I’m sorry I haven’t been more help around here. I had no idea how much work raising kittens would be.” 

Sagetooth flicked her tail dismissively. “Oh, don’t worry about it. I’ve been taking care of the Clan on my own for some time, I’ll manage for a few more weeks.” 

“Oh, that’s good,” Oddstripe sighed gratefully, sitting down nearby. She watched as Sagetooth stripped the roots of little hairs and brushed the dirt off as best she could. 

“Pretty soon,” continued Sagetooth, “The kits will be up on their paws and you can start weaning them off of milk and onto food.” 

“Thank goodness,” chuckled Oddstripe. The two fell silent for a beat as Sagetooth cleaned the last of the roots and tucked them into the stores. It was interesting to watch her work. The cat who had taught her had cleaned roots in exactly the same way. It almost gave Oddstripe a sense of deja vu. 

Sagetooth broke the silence. “So, I’m guessing you’ve got someone watching them for the night?” 

“Oh, yes,” Oddstripe nodded dutifully. “If you need any help, I’d be happy to lend a paw.” 

Sagetooth shook her head and stood up. “No, I think everything is handled here, but I do have something in mind. A lesson, if you will.” 

“Oh, alright!” Oddstripe stood with her. “I’m always happy to learn.” 

“Good,” Sagetooth nodded, “That will serve you well.” She led the way out of the den and up out of the camp as the sun started to set. Oddstripe was content to follow quietly as they headed up the slopes and the sky turned purple above them. Sagetooth finally sat down at the crest of one hill and curled her tail over her paws. Oddstripe sat down, glancing curiously around the grass to see if she could spot the subject of their lesson. 

Sagetooth smiled and asked, “Oddstripe, how much have you heard about StarClan?”

“Oh,” Oddstripe brightened, tilting her head thoughtfully, “not much! I think you’ve mentioned them a few times. I hear cats thank them sometimes? They’re… one of your neighbors?” 

Sagetooth shook her head. “Our ancestors. They speak to us in omens and dreams and guide our pawsteps in this world. When we die, we join them in their hunting grounds among the stars.” She raised a paw and gestured to the flecks of light starting to appear among the clouds. Oddstripe looked up in awe.

“Really?” she asked, “Like, not metaphorically?” 

“Yes,” chuckled Sagetooth, “I’m not using metaphor. I’ve been there, walked across the Silverpelt with my own two paws and spoken to cats long dead.” She met Oddstripe’s gaze evenly. “And you will too. As Clan Healers, we travel every Half Moon to speak with the other Healers and converse with StarClan. If you’re feeling up to it, you’re welcome to come with me to the next one tomorrow night.” 

“Oh, wow!” marveled Oddstripe. “That’s so kind.” 

“Maybe,” shrugged Sagetooth, “but it’s not just a fun excursion. This is a duty. It is our job as Healers to be a spiritual bridge for our Clanmates. StarClan holds the wisdom of ages past and we are their voices in the living world.”

“Oh, my…” Oddstripe felt a bit dizzy. That was quite a lot of responsibility and she still couldn’t seem to fathom the enormity of what this wisened Healer had just revealed to her. Could it be true? The dead walk among the stars and they want to speak to her? 

“It’s a lot, I know,” Sagetooth said, laying her tail against Oddstripe’s side. “But I’ll be there with you every step of the way. If you ever start to worry or doubt, you’re welcome to come to me, alright?” 

Oddstripe nodded and dipped her head shyly. “Thank you, that means a lot to me.”

“Why don’t we start with you asking any questions you may have and we can go from there,” said Sagetooth, and Oddstripe thought good and hard. She wanted to make the most of this generous opportunity.

[logarhythm-bees]

The Carousel Kingdom 🏰 CH11 Snakes Onboarding

Masterlist

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Roman was meant to be a storyteller if they weren’t a king, Virgil thinks.

As Roman reads, their voice lends itself to the tale, spinning worlds of beauty and nature around them. Virgil’s never been so awed before by someone’s natural talent for stories, as Roman weaves images of grassland and wind with their voice, Virgil swears he can see it.

“-but the youngest had love still in her heart for her sibling, even though they had betrayed her.” Roman reads. “The wilderness of the east was her land, and she vowed to do whatever in it would free her siblings from their plight.”

“Wow,” Virgil says, more impressed by Roman by the story. “I-“ he starts, trying to give a compliment that won’t reveal his infatuation with Roman, “Really cool.”

“It is cool, isn’t it!” Roman agrees. “Poor Eura, beholden to the weight put on her shoulders by her own siblings.” Their face shutters. “I suppose I can relate, now.”

“I wanted to talk to you about that, actually.” A voice calls from the stairs. Roman and Virgil whip around to see Thomas standing there, seemingly nervous- he coughs, and looks at Roman- “I think we should talk about Remus, Ro.”

Roman flinches. “I… I suppose we should.” They say. Virgil fidgets in his seat, uncomfortable. 

“You don’t have to stay and listen, Virgil,” Thomas says. “But you do seem to have good advice, and I think Roman likes having you around.”

Roman turns pink, but doesn’t deny it. Virgil pats them on the shoulder, fiddling with their jacket.

“No, it’s okay.” Virgil says. “I’ll try to help if I can.”

Thomas breathes. “Good.” He sits down at the table with them, looking at Roman. “Remus, he- it’s strange, what he’s doing, but it feels like a purposeful show of power. Like a taunt,” Thomas clarifies. “It seems like he wants you to go after him.”

Roman thinks about this. “Why would he do that? I still just- I don’t get why he took over the throne,” Roman says. “He never had any interest in ruling.”

“Maybe he doesn’t care about the ruling part,” Virgil offers. “If he does want you to go after him, he might just be trying to prove something by taking the throne.”

Roman breathes in, lets a huff out. “That does sound like something my brother would do. He’s always been one for dramatic measures, though I’ve never seen them be- quite so criminal. But I still don’t know why he overthrew me.”

“I’m really not sure,” Thomas says, “That’s what I thought we should talk about.”

“...maybe he just doesn’t like me,” Roman says.

The room falls into uncomfortable silence as Virgil nor Thomas really have a way to refute or confirm the claim, but they both offer Roman a squeeze to their shoulder, trying for encouraging.

“He’d be a fool if he didn’t,” Virgil offers at last. “You’re pretty cool, Roman.”

Roman’s cheeks darken, and they make a noise of awe. “Thank you, Virgil,” Roman says to him, “you’re pretty cool.”

Thomas looks between them knowingly. 

“Maybe he doesn’t hate me,” Roman offers. “Maybe this is just some really weird Remus-way of playing a prank on his sibling or something.”

Thomas nods, and Virgil pats Roman’s arm. “Might be, Princey.”

Thomas raises an eyebrow at the nickname, but doesn’t comment. He’s interrupted from his train of thought regardless when footsteps echo up the stairs, Logan and Patton coming into view. “Virgil- oh, hello, Thomas. I was just going to show Virgil, but since we’re all here, I can provide all of you with a demonstration.”

“Of what, exactly?” Virgil says with a squint. Logan presents a piece of paper with a flourish, scribbles of pen all over it, with different sections highlighted or written in different colored ink.

“The disguise spell,” Logan says. “Patton was very helpful,” xe explains as Patton bows, “he helped me realize that we could make the spell impermissible by treating it as a shield, of sorts, one that would exist over your skin without inhibiting you. A costume, if you will, but also a forcefield to keep you out of harm.”

“Ooh,” Roman says. “So like a suit of armor!”

“Precisely, but, less clunky,” Logan explains, xer horn starting to shimmer. “Virgil, if we could, I’d like to try the spell on you. I have already tried it on Patton, so rest assured it is completely safe.”

Virgil looks at Patton, who nods. “It’s safe, Virgil. It just feels like some sprinkled glitter on you! But without the mess.”

Virgil hmms.

“Okay.” He says. “You can cast it. Once.”

“Oh.” Logan says, seemingly surprised that Virgil actually agreed. Xey smile. “Thank you, Virgil. I will not betray your trust.”

“Better not,” Virgil says. “I just stand here?”

“Yes, if you could just keep still.” Logan says. “Patton?” Xe asks.

“Yeah!” Patton says, brandishing his wand and holding xer hand. 

Logan, in xer head, startles, but composes xemselves quickly. Together with Patton and his wand, xe moves their hand in a circle, pointing at Virgil. Sparkles ruse from the runes on their horn and the s

“Hello, handsome,” Roman laughs. Thankfully, the spell doesn’t reflect Virgil’s blush.

“Good job, you two,” Thomas says.

“Thank you,” Patton and Logan say at the same time. “Now let’s get going,” Logan adds. Xe tosses Virgil a cloak, which he catches, fumbling. 

“What? Go where?” Virgil asks.

“To find Janus,” Logan says, blinking xer eyes questioningly, “You said I could cast the spell once.”

“I meant- no, fine, whatever.” Virgil says. “Let’s go.”

So, Virgil finds himself under disguise, sneaking around in the Innova streets. 

The guard isn’t hard to find. They’re in an alleyway a couple streets from the library when Patton spots the group, a familiar rapier in the hilt of the guard in front. 

“I see them,” Patton says. “Janus is at the front. If we want to go for this, we should go for it now.”

Virgil breathes. Showtime.

“Hey, guards!” Virgil shouts, jumping from the alley. “Over here!”

The guard, as expected, turns towards him. “There’s the prince!” One of them shouts. “Get them!”

“What-hey!” Janus says, the guard swarming past them. “Wait for-“

Their voice cuts out, and for just a second, Patton sees them flounder. Breathing deep, he waves the stick, and Janus becomes invisible. Their rapier floats out of the hilt and away, towards Patton, who catches it in their free hand.

The guard disappears around the corner to the sight of a street of bustling carts, citizens looking at the wares on offer, and no prince in sight.

“Where’d they go?” One guard questions. Another shrugs.

A third, with a cough, speaks aloud. “Uh, where is Janus?”

Janus, invisible and speechless, is grabbed and pulled into an alleyway. The invisibility spell falls away as they go out of Patton’s view, but the silence spell holds, being cast by the angry wizard holding them against the wall by their throat.

“Janus,” Logan says, the glow on xer horn fading.

“...Hello.” The knight says smoothly, eyeing xem. “I don’t suppose you’d be amicable to the idea of your hand being parted with my throat?”

“I want answers first.” Logan says. The spell has stopped, but xer horn still crackles angrily.

Janus watches the glow pulsate, considering the statement. “Loosen your grip, and you may ask me any questions you want.”

As soon as the hand slips, a ball of yellow light appears, and a long yellow snake falls to the ground, slithering away enthusiastically. 

“Hey-!” Logan shouts, quicky jumping forward and stepping on their tail at the last moment. The snake straightens as it tries to push forwards, to no avail. It coils up, preparing to strike. Logan grabs it in xer hands, scrutinizing it.

It sticks its tongue out in a distinctly personified manner.

It shouldn’t be possible to change shape so fluidly, but…

“Janus?” Logan asks, keeping xer hands around the snake. Blinking at xem, it seems to sigh, and Logan has to jump back as it becomes, once again, a person.

“Fine.” Janus says, backed into the alleyway. “You caught me. What do you want?”

“Answers, as I said.” Log says. “Turning into a snake and slithering away is not giving me the answers you offered.”

“I offered no such thing,” Janus hisses. “I said you could ask questions. I said nothing about answers.”

“…I suppose you’re right.” Logan says, xer horn flickering to light once more. “But answers are what you will agree to give me if you want to leave this alley.”

Janus looks around, then past xem out into the street. Logan blocks the way, locking onto their view. Janus hisses.

“And what if I choose to sit here and say nothing?” Janus questions, baring their teeth. “I have no issue waiting until you give up.”

Logan meets their eyes with xer own gaze. “Nor do I.”

Janus stares at xem.

They sit, reaching for their rapier. They curse under their breath when they realize it’s not there, held safely by Patton elsewhere.

“Fine.” Janus spits, after testing the silent treatment to no avail.

“Great,” Logan says, horn glowing, and Janus passes out.