#you two say goodbye and you go back to your head. its hard to focus. its hard to grieve when you have hope.

[alpacacare-archive]

If i think about noelle deltarune too hard i just crumple and die a little. I just want to give her her sister back and never replay the game again

[onyourowndaisymae]

don't mind me... just thinking about the demon brothers slowly dropping the rest of their roster for you as they fall head over heels...

lucifer // mammon // levi // satan // asmo // beel (you are here) // belphie -- others coming soon, NSFW warning below, gn!reader

beelzebub, who doesn't have the capacity to get to know you in the way he should. it seems that every season of his life comes with heartbreaking turmoil, and he just has to get used to that feeling of emptiness in his stomach. first, with the celestial war, he lost lilith. now, as the exchange program began, he had to say goodbye to his twin brother for an entire year. he hopes you don't take it personally-- he just can't spare the mental or emotional energy to embrace your arrival like he should.

beelzebub, who can't thank you enough for the way you've repaired his family. he never would have suspected that you had been forming the pacts with his brothers to release belphie from the attic. a small, nervous part of him wonders if you had been nice to him just to get his pact, that you didn't mean all those things you said-- but he knows you. even if you had been lying, you did it for the right reasons. and after all, everything worked out, right? you're here, belphie's back, and the months since his twin's return have been nothing but happy. you have single-handedly stitched his patchwork family back together. beel can't find a way to show how important all you've done for his family really means, but he'll keep trying anyways.

beelzebub, who likes you a lot, actually. he's never been too keen romance. most of his interactions had been spurred on by the other party. he's been attracted to people who are kind yet self-assured, seeking him out first. all of his experiences in crushes, in romance, in bed, have all been a game of follow the leader-- not due to a lack of interest on his part, but because of trauma-ridden aloofness that caused him to focus on the things he still had. romance never topped the priority list... at least, not until it came to you. beel saw you as a member of the family for a long time, longer than he maybe should have. but there's something special about you. something about you that makes him love you differently than he does his brothers. he just wants to have you around, always, sharing meals and movies and glances across the dinner table that make his brothers squirm. he's finally found someone special in his life-- someone he's going to give romance a try for.

beelzebub, who has never been good at controlling his appetite. it hits him at the worst of times, constantly, gnawing at his insides until he can't ignore it. that was why he is stuck in this position. a hunger brews in him, all adrenaline from the latter half of the fangol game and lust, and-- fuck, he needs relief. water beats loudly against the tiles, disguising the deep growl in his throat as he tugs impatiently at his aching cock once, twice, listening hard to make sure no one else was still in the locker room. he listens until he couldn't anymore, until his hand began to move impatiently on its own, another growl rumbling in his chest before he relents and begins pleasuring himself. his mind wanders to you, on the railing of the bleachers, screaming your lungs out in support of his team, feet pounding against the metal steps as you jumped about. you were there for him, cheering for him, watching his every move. he imagines you creeping in to reward him after everyone else left, perched on your knees on the locker room floor, wide eyes watching him with so much love as you swallow his cock, plush lips wrapped around his shaft as you take him as far as you can. just the thought makes his cock throb in his hand. he didn't have long to finish himself off and head out, but his mind couldn't help but linger on the image a bit longer...

beelzebub, whose date night just got a whole lot better. the two of you had spent the evening at hell's kitchen eating your fill (or in beel's case, eating them out of stock) then coming back to the house of lamentation for a movie. but your hand began to wander during the movie-- not towards the snacks, which he offered you several times as your gaze began to wander, but to his upper thigh. your fingers creep in further, until you're brushing against the seam of his pants. he hardens at your touch, your gaze, the steady sound of your breathing next to him. he shoots you a curious look. he quietly warns you that yours fingers are touching him in a particular place-- surely you know that already? you nod. he wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you onto his lap. his view of the screen may be obstructed, but it's obvious that the movie has fallen to the wayside for now. it's him that takes the initiative to guide your hips into a steady grind against his own, little gasps escaping yours lips as he watches you more intently than he ever did the screen. grinding turns to kissing and kissing turns to grabbing, his big hands grabbing at your sides, your ass, your thighs, spreading you open for him. his fingers slip past the waistline of your pants and begin to toy with your sex through your underwear. you begin to tug at his sweatpants, desperately reaching for his cock while rutting into his hand. his cock springs free-- fuck, he's massive-- and you whine for it. you tugged your pants off in a few hurried movements. he tries to warn you about needing more prep, but his words die in his throat as you whimper for it, tell him how much you need him. his eyes and mind both glaze over with lust as gathers your juices and scissors them inside of your entrance, reaching deeper and deeper as you grip his broad shoulders and moan. when you're ready, he lines you up over his cock and lets your sink onto his length. you're so tight and soft and his head is spinning. fuck. the drag of his cock through your insides makes him groan. he doesn't even realize he's pinned your back against the couch until you look up at him with wide eyes and murmur his name. he starts to pull back, but you repeat his name-- your tone is laced with lust, hands reaching for him to come closer, and he does. he hovers close enough to brush his lips against your ear and apologize. you're a strong human, right? you can handle a little roughness? his hips pull back then thrust roughly into you, making your vision blur for just a moment, before he begins a truly sinful pace. a new sort of appetite brews within him-- and you know he's never been good at resisting his gluttonous urges.

taglist for this series: @the-demonus-aunt // @scienceisfornerds // @hostilemakeover // @snow-fall1 // @kachan890 // @rphantom1 // @respitable

[agyraty]

Ohh can you do Javier x reader angst?? Where in the last fight where the reader chose Arthurs side instead of his and they like reunite somewhere in the future where the reader has a kid now but is taken a back when she meets Javier again because they both still really much love each other but never really said anything just one finale goodbye

I love this!! I’m definitely thinking on adding on to this and making a part two because I love the concept.

(Btw I need more requests 😔 I have no ideas on what to write at the moment and need help)

—

Old goodbyes, New beginnings

Wc: 1.6k

—

You never thought that you would see the day the Van Der Linde gang had its fallout. But here you are, pistol in hand, Arthur and a wounded John standing by your side. Dutch, Micah and his friends stood just a few feet away from you, their guns pointed and ready to fire. But your eyes were on Javier.. it hurt seeing him in the opposing side, although you should have known this would happen by how he’s been acting.

You joined the when you were just 19 back in 1994, and you were there when Javier first joined in 1995. you two were practically inseparable from the moment you met. He was a very skilled and charming man, not to mention he was extremely handsome. And over the 4 years of knowing him, you fell in love. And so did he.

A relationship blossomed between the two of you two years ago from now, and at first, it was amazing. He was such a loving man, and he cared deeply for you. Just as you did for him. Each time he’d go on a mission, or vise versa, you’d both be thinking about each other the whole time, and how much you missed one another. He’d even put his life on the line if it meant you were safe. He loved you, and you loved him.

But recently, as everything began to fall apart, Dutch, the gang, everyone began to turn in each other and the pinkertons were close to capturing you all, you had noticed him becoming.. distant, easily irritated. At first you thought maybe he was just stressed or worried about what would happen, but now you are begging to think that he’s choosing Dutch. That he’d rather be on his side than be with you since you disagreed either Dutch. Overall he had completely changed from the man you once knew..

Your glossy eyes scanned his figure as he stood across from you, his pistol pointed upwards at the air, unsure of what to do.

Your lip quivered slightly as you spoke. “C’mon Javier.. don’t be dumb. Please, Just listen to me.” You pleaded, not even bothering to hide the desperation in your voice. You loved him for Christs sake, even if he had changed, you couldn’t just stand around and watch him make a mistake.

His deep brown eyes stared at you, lips parting, not exactly sure on what to say. You could see he was trying to figure it out, to make a decision.

You tuned out Micah and Arthur’s back and forth banter, all your focus directed to the man you loved, standing a few feet in front of you. You could feel your heart splitting. Why was it so hard for him to make a decision? surely he hadn’t lost his way completely..

Surely he still loved you..

He shook his head, the muscles in his jaw tightening as he clenched his teeth. “No.. no you’re the one being stupid.” He gestured at you with his gun that now aimed at you. “Dutch fed us, clothed us, gave us a place to stay and you’re turning on him?”

Your shaky hands tightened around your gun, eyes narrowing. “No Javier.. he betrayed me, betrayed us, when he started listening to that rat.” You gestured to the blonde standing beside Javier.

“Please.. just come with me, don’t do this.” You pleaded desperately, eyes glossy with tears, the pain you felt growing as you saw him look at you with a cold look in his eye. There was no love in his expression. He was betraying you just as Dutch had.. why?

“Javi..”

He looked away as soon as you spoke his name which you called him often. He used to love it when you did.

“Don’t,” he started, but before he could speak another word, a large group came rushing into camp, interrupting the stand off. It was none other than the Pinkertons, lawmen who had been chasing after the gang for months. They found you.

“Damnit, Go!” You, Arthur, and John went one way, while the others went the opposite. You looked behind you, eyes catching Javier’s figure, who was behind the others, firing some shots at the men on their horses.

You didn’t know at the time that it would be the last time you saw Javier, for many years.

—

“Norman, stop Messing around, you’re gonna bump into someone.” You sighed, attention loosely on the young boy that ran around the streets of black water. You shook your head as he continued to chase around the golden dog that yelled and panted, it’s tail wagging vigorously behind him.

“Alright, anything else I could get you, Ma’am?” Asks the store clerk as he steps over to you, placing the peach you had asked for in your hand carefully. You shook your head, a small polite smile gracing your features. “No, this’ll be all.”

You dug into the pocket of your weathered pants, pulling out a few cents and handing it to the man. You turned your attention to your horse, stepping carefully over and dropping the plump peach into the saddle bag. A huff escaped your parted lips, you just wanted to go home and rest. These past few days had been even more eventful then normal, You were exhausted.

Cecil barked, his paws pattering against the dusty stone floor as Norman chased behind him, giggling loudly. But suddenly, you heard the boy let out a grunt, and a loud thud, along with a soft curse, a voice that sounded so familiar.

You quickly turned away from the horse, eyes searching for your son, who was now sitting in the floor covered in dust, along with a man in front of him who you didn’t quite get a good look at. Hurrying over, you reached down, grabbing Norman just below the arms, helping him up to his feet.

“I am so sorry, I told him to watch out—“ you stood up, eyes turning to the man, and paused, breath hitching in your throat upon seeing who stood before you.

“Y/n..?” He uttered quietly, in clear disbelief, just as you were.

You studied his face, noticing the smile lines and soft crows feet he had beside his eyes, along with how his frame filled out more. You couldn’t be seeing things, could you? At first you doubted it was him until you called his name. “Javier?”

If it was him, He sure didn’t age much.

Javier’s wide eyes traced the soft features of your face, the bags beneath your eyes, and the hint of smile lines that began to form. He noticed your hair had grown longer, and grew slightly lighter from days in the sun. Although it’s been 12 years, you were still just as beautiful in his eyes.

“What are you doing here?” You stood up straighter, not seeming to be able to take your eyes off of him. You could feel your heart thudding against your chest, as swirl of emotions happening within you. You missed him, god you missed him so much. Seeing him here.. it brings back old feelings you tried so hard to push down. But you’re still angry, angry at the fact he chose Dutch over you all those Years before.

“I’m looking for a place to stay.. figured I’d look here. I always liked Black water.” His voice still carried the same thick accent, not wavering a bit.

You nodded and hummed a sound of understanding, looking down at the stone road. There was so much you wanted to say, but you couldn’t find the right words. You wanted to jump into his arms, but you also wanted to scream, tell him how badly he hurt you.

“So uh.. is this your boy?” He asked, eyes casting down to Norman, who stood a bit behind you, patting your golden retriever.

“Yeah.. this is Norman, I had him 5 years back.” You glanced behind you, before meeting Javier’s eyes once again. You felt your heart jump, just as it did all those years back.

“Oh, his father must be a lucky man, Having you at home,” He said softly, a hint of something in his voice you couldn’t quiet pin. “And knowing he has such a handsome son.”

You shook your head, fidgeting with the hem of your shirt. “No uh.. his father isn’t here anymore. He left when he was born.” Back then, you had met a guy named victor. He was very handsome, and he was good for you. And you tried to love him like you did with Javier and push your memories behind, but you couldn’t. And then he got you pregnant.

And once he did, he switched completely from a charming man, to a rude asshole. And he left after you gave birth, leaving you alone to take care and sustain for your child, and let’s just say it has not been easy.

“Oh,” Javier didn’t exactly know what to say, a bit shocked at your words. “I uh, I’m sorry.” His dark eyes traced your face, watching as you shook your head.

“No, it’s okay.” You pursed your lips together, taking in a deep breath. “So.. how have you been?”

The Spaniard scratched his chin, shrugging a bit. “I’ve been doing okay. I went to Mexico after what had happened. Let’s just say I got into some trouble. Which is why I’m here. Lookin’ for a new start.”

You nodded and listened to his words intently, humming. “This is a Great place. Maybe I could help you, Y’know, find a place.” A small smile graced you features as your gentle eyes met his once more.

“Yeah, that’d be great.” His lips curved into a smile just as yours did. For a moment you two stood there, looking at each other, your cheeks burning with a soft blush, stomach doing flips. You missed him so much over these past years, you don’t even care how angry you were, you’re just glad to see him again.

“Why don’t you come over? I’m making Peach Cobbler.” The words just fell from your mouth, but you didn’t care. All the exhaustion you felt before disappeared, the only thing fueling you was the hope that he would say yes so you could spend more time with him. Get to know what he’s done in 12 years. And maybe even become friends or, hopefully something more with time.

He nodded, smile growing. “I’d love too.”

—

[ninikrumbs]

Invisible strings part 2

pairing: suguru geto x fem reader. mostly fluff. angst if you squint. A/N: sorry it took awhile for part 2, I procrastinate a lot. I also wrote this sleepy so this might not be worth the wait. This was oirginally a muti jjk men drabble but I thought it would fit suguru best. part 1

The sound of clinking glasses irritates your ears, the lack of sleep finally catching up to you. Its not like you weren’t sleeping, you just weren’t sleeping well. Memories or should you say dreams of kind eyes and strong arms still haunt you every night, making you toss and turn in frustration.

It was strange yearning for a man you’ve never met or quite possibly doesn’t exist. You started researching about dreams, soulmates and red strings. Even your friends have noticed your sometimes vacant eyes, so lost in your daydreams. They assumed it was man, and they weren’t exactly wrong, but you didn’t know how to explain without seeming like a complete delusional lunatic.

So here you were, making polite conversation with strangers in a fancy new museum opening that one of your friends invited you to. They were getting worried that you were hung up about some guy, so you said yes to appease them. And to be honest it was a bit nice to go out, getting all dolled up in a fancy dress, makeup completely flawless. Who knows, maybe this time you’d meet a man that wasn’t a figment of your imagination. Yet you doubt anyone could ever compare to the man that lingers at the back of your head.

You practically zone out of the conversation, only hearing bits and pieces as you nod along, pretending to listen. It wasn’t until Miwa nudges you with her elbow that you everything comes to focus again.

“What is it?” You whisper.

“Are you okay? You’ve been zoning out for the last 10 minutes.”

A blush creeps on your cheeks as you smile sheepishly, “I’m fine, just a bit tired.”

“We can go home.” She offers, but you don’t miss the way her eyes quickly glance to the cute guy with a top knot.

You smile knowingly, squeezing one of her hands, “No, you stay. I can go home first.”

“Are you sure?” Her filled face with worry,

“Positive.” You smile reassuringly. You’ve been here for two hours, you have proven that you were a stable human being capable of going out and socialize. Now your bored and wanna go home to mope about a guy conjured up by your lonely heart.

She stares at your face, trying to discern if you were lying before she sighs, “Let me at least walk you to the entrance.”

You take her up on her offer, linking your arms together as you said your goodbyes to the group.

“I wonder where Shoko is?” Miwa pondered as you walk to the door. The three of you came together and you lost her during the first hour.

You smirked, “Oh probably shame smoking out-”

A hard shoulder bumped into yours making you stumble back, if it wasn’t for your linked arms you would’ve fallen on your butt. Did this person not have eyes? The again you also weren’t looking, but that is beside the point. Also, were they made of stone? It felt like the almost dislocated you shoulder.

Irritated, you whip your head back to give the culprit a piece of your mind.

“Do you not have-

“My apologies, I-

The both of you came to halt, eyes widening as you take in each other. You were rendered speechless, your brain short circuiting at the sight of the man who lived rent free in your head for the past few weeks.

“I-” He opens his mouth to say something before closing it again, his amethyst eyes tracing your face.

He was at loss for words and you wondered why. Did he recognize you too? But that would be impossible. right?

“Your-”

“Hey, man! You made it!” An arm wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him away. In a matter of seconds he was surrounded by a group of people, slowly drowning him in an ocean of fancy gowns and well pressed suits. His distraught eyes catches yours before he disappears from your sight completely.

Oh, my god.

Did that really happen? Were you hallucinating? did you drink to much champagne? or did you think about him too much that you conjured him into existence? You could feel your heart thudding wildly in you chest as you spiraled.

He was right in front of you, in his three piece suit and perfectly styled raven locks. Gazing at you with those somber eyes. Looking so solid and tangible. Real.

A tug on your arm brought you back from your thoughts, Miwa’s confused face mirrored yours,“Did you know that guy?”

Good question. “I-um..”

What were you suppose to say? Yeah, I see him almost every night in my dreams.

You pursed you lips before shaking your head, “Honestly, I’m not sure. I feel like I’ve seen him before.”

“How can you forget someone that hot?,”Miwa asks, genuinely baffled. She looks behind me and grins, " and apparently very popular.”

You look back and surely the crowd had grown. Some were even taking professional photographs. Damn, who was this guy? A sudden realization came over you making you excitement drop.

Sighing, you start walking towards the entrance again, “Its doesn’t matter. Lets just go.”It didn’t matter. He was obviously some well known hot shot in the business world. Maybe you just saw his face somewhere; in a magazine or an online post. You probably forgot but your subconscious brain didn’t and it decided to make him the star of every single dream. That made the most logical sense, rather than some red string of fate binding you two together, making you destined to meet. That was sounding more ridiculous by the second and you felt absolutely stupid.

Stupid, yet your feet were glued to the marble floors the moment you reached the entrance, unable to move. Doubt and uncertainty clawed at your pounding heart. Were you really gonna leave? You felt like the moment you step out to the sidewalk, your were walking away forever. From what? You don’t know, but you do know that there’s some sort of gravitational pull that’s stopping you from taking another step, unless its what you truly want.

You were scared. This could end up with you on the first page news as some psycho stalker trying to hit on some rich dude. And it almost makes you give in, to walk away, to not take the risk and choose to stay in your safe bubble of ignorance and bliss. But could really live your whole life with regrets and what ifs? You were walking around feeling so empty because of this stranger, and maybe this way you’ll get some answers and if your really just delusional then at least you’ll be able to try and move on.

And if you were right, well.. you didn’t wanna get your hopes up just yet.

“Miwa, Ill be right back.” The last things your hear is here calling out to you as you practically sprint away from her, trying to make your way through the crowd to the direction where you saw him last.

The crowd was suffocating and you were feeling a bit over stimulated as you quickly look around, trying to find that familiar head of hair. To your disappointment, all you could see were snobby socialites and art buffs. You let out a heavy sigh, heart falling to your feet. Were you too late?

You took a step to fast and a waiter almost crashes into you with his tray of champagne glasses, you swerve and successfully avoid him but it throws you off balance, your high heel clad feet stumbles over each other.

It probably wasn’t time for you to make a fool of yourself today because before you could fall on your butt again, a big warm hand grips your waist and steadies you. Thank the heavens. You look up and smile to thank your savior. “Gosh, thank you so-”

The words disappear from your tongue, lips parting a fraction as you gaze into soft violet eyes. A small reserved smile curved at the corner of his lips, his voice deep and honeyed as he spoke. “Were you looking for me?”

“What?” You were taken aback, how could he have possibly known that.

Seeing your surprised face, he chuckles. The sound makes your heart stumble like your feet did. After a moment, his hand left your waist, but you didn’t have the time to get disappointed as his fingers trace down your arm, before reaching your fingers. He gently holds your hand up to his lips, leaning down and placing a soft kiss on your knuckles. You feel you neck and cheeks heat up. The gesture was too intimate to come from a stranger.

His amethyst gaze flits to yours, poring over you so intensely that it makes your hold your breath in anticipation. “Because I’ve been looking for you.”

You scoff in disbelief at his words. “You know who I am?”

For a second, he stares at your joint hands almost wistfully, “I couldn’t forget even if I tried.”

You stared at him incredulously, still unbelieving that this was happening. Expecting to wake up in your bedroom at any moment. Yet so much seconds pass and all you feel is his warm hand in yours as he gazes at you with too much fondness and familiarity from someone you just met. His smile was small and hopeful, almost desperate, as if trying to stop you from denying whatever this was.

You thought this was gonna be the end, but it seems like this was just the beginning.

taglist: @vveils @sa4vvyyt

[cupiohearts]

AND NOW IM OFF TO THE RACES ?! - pointing out moles with ace, malleus, and vil

( NOT PROOF READ :3)

ACE is obnoxious. he might be your boyfriend but sometimes you feel like decking him in the face sometimes. "hey dont roll your eyes at me!" he says as you switch out of your jacket for the fifth time. you hear his back hit the bed. (it was a very loud screech since your bed is hard as rocks)

"gah!" he brings his body off the bed and deliver a small punch to it "crowley needs to get you a new bed."

"and a new budget" you chime in. sighing as you go through your closet filled with clothes. not like you bought them yourself. it was from kalim, and vil- and just about every other rich student on campus buying you things.

"oh come on! we're gonna be late to riddle's unbirthday party!" he whines as he stares at your back.

"hes not gonna get angry at me. im his favourite now shut up and tell me which looks better!"

you expected him to reply with a sassy comment like he normally does. but youre met with silence. "ace?" you ask as you pause and stare at the ceiling with a raised eyebrow.

after a moment of silence, his voice can be heard in something just slightly above a whisper. "did you know you have a mole on your back? its right-" he gets off the bed. it makes a slight creak as he moves towards you. "here" he finishes.

his finger touching a spot in the middle of your back just a bit to the right. you turn your body around to attempt to look at it.

"i cant see it obviously! my head doesnt spin 360 dummy" you flick his forehead. "now stop looking at my back and focus on the clothes!"

he mimicks your voice in a more high pitched tone before going back to sitting on the bed. "you should show me more of your moles. its like finding shells on beaches."

you were forced to sit down as VIL does your skincare. "i dont think i wanna do this.. im so tired." you complain to your boyfriend.

"close your potato otherwise youll get a mouthful of foam" he commands you while he starts to lather the foam all over your face. you sigh as you close your eyes, feeling the motion of his hands on your face. rubbing in whatever product he was using.

the feeling of his hands circling your cheeks and then back to your forehead and then your chin almost made you fall asleep if it wasnt for the cold water hitting your face.

you opened one eye as you feel his fingers poke at your face. "hm? what the heck why did you poke me!" you say as you open both your eyes and huff at him.

unfortunately he had placed your hands in a covering because he was also putting hand masks on your hands.

he raised an eyebrow at you. geez he was so hot. "i didnt realize you had a mole there prefect" he says as he looks more closely at it. "well yeah- its tiny" you say as you pull your head a bit away from his face. sweating bullets at the sight of the queen himself looking at the mole you had.

"its cute." he simply states before slapping your face with some cream again.

perhaps he thought you didnt realize how his fingers seemed to pay special attention to your mole everytime. whenever he gives you goodbye kisses when the bell rings, he leaves a ring of lipstick around your mole.

he notices it if you cover it up with some makeup or what not. a frown getting on his face as he immediantly swipes at what covers it.

"why did you cover it? its a lovely place for a mole. you shouldnt cover it up. did you know theres a myth that moles appear when our past lover had kissed up before?" he asks you while his eyes were still focused on the mark.

MALLEUS notices your mark when he looks at your foot while you two relax at the lake. he notices it every single day, discreetly (or not) staring at it whenever you go on your rambles about your day or possibly how annoying ace and deuce can get sometimes.

you know he noticed at first because he paused mid conversation to lower his gaze down your foot. it took him a minute or two to snap out of it and stop blanking out on you but the good deed was done.

after that day you decided that his gaze on your foot started to freak you out a bit more so you suggested less water and more shoes rather than sandals.

you didn't think he would notice but while you two hung out in your spot after a week or two. he would start staring down at the spot where he knows where your mole is. he specificallly remembers it and frown.

"child of man take off your shoes"

"tsunotarou we talked about this you cant steal my shoes i only have one pair"

he shakes his head this time. kneeling down at your feet as he slips your slippers off. slipper because you wore them to feel comfortable at night. his hands holding your foot in his hands while your shoe is in your other one.

you gasp and try to take your shoe back from him. your hands no match for his years of experience from doing bits of swordfighting however.

"tsunotarou i need my shoes back! my foot is cold" you whine to him.

"but the dot. you have a beauty mark on your foot"

darn his sad dragon eyes. you wouldve probably hurled a rock at him if he wasnt so naive and confused. you poor poor soul malleus.

"yes i have beauty mark on my foot i have them everywhere on my body tsunotarou. now give me back my shoe" you say with a furrowed eyebrow and a frown etched onto your face huffing.

he lights up at this. the opposite of what you wanted (what you really wanted were those slippers in his hands).

after that day he did give you your slipper back but he started to inspect your body. not as creepy as it seems but whenever he thinks youre distracted he looks everywhere on your body for a darker spot.

god forbid you allow him to do this with free will. sometimes whenever he thinks he hit jackpot on finding a new one, he pulls on your clothes tugging it down or off to look at it without it being obstructed.

youve had very awkward stares about this that you dont wish to describe.

[fandoms--fluff]

Good morning, can you do a Danielle Rose Russell X reader where they are dating, and the reader go support her during ' I was Feeling Epic....Again in Mystic Falls' , She sees her in the crowd and get all shy and happy

All Shy and Pink

Female reader x Danielle Rose Russell (+ Kaylee & Jenny)

Warnings: none, just cuteness

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You cheer with the crowd as the cast of Legacies goes up on the stage. You're sat in the third row from the stage, eyes tracking Danielle's movements as she sits on her chair. She has no idea you flew to Georgia and arrived last night. It's a surprise you planned for her since you've both been so busy and have been missing each other.

The panel starts with a heap of people all lined up neatly, which is a bit surprising, but nice, to ask the cast questions. There's laughter and amusement radiating from the cast and the audience.

You try not to flush too much and to your own amusement, not bust out laughing, when someone gets to the microphone and asks a question about Danielle's girlfriend, which would be you. They've only seen you in a background of a live and a story of Jenny and Kaylee's on behind the scenes of legacies throwback.

Danielle obviously flushed right away at the question. Meanwhile Kaylee and Jenny chuckled, knowing the younger woman's utterly in love and infatuated with you.

You pulled out your phone and recorded her response, saving it for later. Her response was so sweet and you could see the love in her eyes.

"...And she's the best person to be around no matter my mood." She smiles lovesick.

"If you don't believe her, don't worry, we have proof" Jenny raised her eyebrows in encouragement, pointing to herself and Kaylee. "Ooh yeah" Kaylee smirks back at Danielle's embarrassment of her two best friends.

The cast and crowd chuckles at the teasing circle of the three friends.

As the panel goes on, you have a hard time not staring at Danielle, even if she's not the one talking or answering a question. Though at one point your eyes traveled over to Kaylee beside Dani, and your eyes lock.

Kaylee's mouth shaped into an 'o' shape before she smirked, discrettly looking from you to Danielle and back. She asks you with her eyes about confirmation, and you nod back, a smirk playing on your face, mirroring hers.

While Jenny answers a question about her character's wardrobe change during the seasons, Kaylee leans to the side and nudges Danielle in the side. The younger girl looks over to her friend, her eyebrows furrowed together in question.

Though instead of answering, she nodded into the crowd. Skeptically, Danielle turned her gaze into the crowd and searched around for what Kaylee was getting at.

And then her eyes landed on you.

You, her beautiful girlfriend who she had no idea was here.

Her cheeks immediately flushed, and you mouthed 'I love you', making her eyes widen and smile lovestruck.

"Ooh, what's got your attention Ms. Russell?" Jenny puts the focus onto Danielle, noticing the playful smirk on Kaylee's face and the flush on Dani's face turning more concentrated from her question.

"Um..nothing" the younger woman answers, shyness making its way into her voice. "Uh huh," Jenny says all 'serious'.

Before Jenny could probe more at Danielle, and much to the woman's relief the call for the panel ending is said.

They all said goodbye to the crowd and walked down the stairs to behind the stage. They went onto the huge grass field, occupying some of the other cast members from the vampire diaries and the originals and tents for shade containing tables with water for them to stay hydrated. Except for one.

Kaylee stayed behind and waved you over as everyone started standing from their seats to leave from this panel. You nod your head and sling your purse over your shoulder before discreetly walking over to her, hoping no one in the crowd takes notice.

Once you get there she leads you back stage and pulls you into a hug. "Hey Kaylee" you chuckle. "Hi" she pulls away, "Oh my gosh, I missed you so much. Aaand, I'm pretty sure your wifey missed you as well" Kaylee raises her eyebrow multiple times in a row for teasing.

You steer your direction over to where Jenny is grilling your girlfriend for answers to her question that got cut off from the ending of the panel.

"I should probably go save her, huh?" You cross your arms, leaning against Kaylee, who's arm is around your shoulders.

"That's probably a good idea, yeah" Kaylee chuckles and waves you off 'enchantedly' making you playfully roll your eyes and start you short journey over to Dani and Jenny.

"There's gotta be a good reason why you were as pink as bubblegum up there" you hear Jenny say with a teasing smirk.

Before Dani can answer, you bud in, "I think I may know the answer" you say, making them both turn towards you.

"Y/n/n!" Danielle exclaims and runs into your open arms. She hugs you tightly, head nuzzled into the crevice between your shoulder and neck.

"Hey, baby" you wrap your arms around her back, holding her closes to you. "You miss me?" you smile after ten seconds of her in your tight hold.

"Mhm," she nods into your skin, inhaling your floral perfume.

You start to rub one of your hands in circles on her back before looking up to the taller woman in front of you both. "Hey, Jen" You smile.

"Hey! So you're the reason our sweet friend became all shy and pink" Jenny teases, a big smile playing on her face as well.

That made Danielle slacken her grip on you a bit and turns to look up at Jenny. "Shut up" Dani gets all shy again.

"Oh, I'm sure she didn't mean it" You kiss her forehead, and as soon as she looks away, you wink to Jenny.

[justmystyles]

literally just came up with this so suddenly but imagine plusiszereader being like an old member of the band or something. like she was apart of the love band back in 2021 but left just to do her own stuff BUT her and harry have been in a relationship since then. it’s obvi private but fans like absolutely love and miss her. then, for the final show when harry is doing the 10 minute ballad she comes out as one of the flute players for one last show and people just going nuts.

then at the end just a shit ton of love dovey stuff like them both crying and comforting each other cause its the final show.

OH LORD IM DELULU YALL

Heart Song

read my other work here!

pairing: Harry Styles x plus size reader

*i say it's a plus size reader, but it is not something that i focus on explicitly in my fics, because your size should not define you. it will only come up if it comes into the story organically.*

word count: 1.7k

summary: as a former member of the Love on Tour band, and current girlfriend of Harry, he asks you to reprise your spot for the final show.

a/n: this was such a cute ask, thank you so much for sending it! this is the last final show fic i have planned for the time being. who knows what the future holds? i'm trying to catch up on asks, so if you're waiting on one that you've sent in, keep an eye out!

tags: @allthelovehes @ameerakane20 @ash-craze @bethanysnow @blue-ballad @blueraspberryreader @brightlightsinlife @creativelyeva @cute-as-ducks420 @deannaard @fanficismydrug @gem1712 @golden-hoax @gothmingguk @groovychaosavenue @hillzrry @iceebabies @indierockgirrl @jerseygirlinca @jng4kook @jooniesbabie @kaverichauhan @laurxn-robinson @lexiecamposv @likeapplejuicenpeach @lilfreakjez @mrs-anna-styles211994 @n0vaj3an @potterheadandsherlocked @rach2699 @ravenclawdirectioner @stylesfeverr @superchrystaldrug @tenaciousperfectionunknown @tiaamberxx @thechaoticjoy @theekyliepage @walkingintheheartbreaksatellite @youknowwhaaat

You sit on the piano bench beside your boyfriend, at a complete loss for words at the song he just played for you. He had been so excited to show you what he was working on, he said that it was a song for his fans, that he wanted to play it for them at his last Love on Tour show.  

“Is it… do you like it?” He asked tentatively. 

“Baby, it’s so beautiful. No words?” He shook his head. “It’s perfect.” 

He grins, his dimples making your heart melt. “Well, almost.” You give him a curious look. “It could use some accompaniment, perhaps a flute?” He said with a wink. 

“Who, me?” Harry laughs at your reaction. “But I haven’t been in your band for a year and a half.”

He takes your hand in his. “And I’ve missed you every show. So have the rest of the band, and the fans too.” 

“I don’t know, Harry.” 

“Please, baby?” He pleaded. “This has been such a huge tour for me. For us. We fell in love on this tour, it would mean the world to me if you were by my side when it was ending.” 

Your expression softened at his words, he was right. You had been hired to play in his band, and got so much more than you bargained for when the two of you fell for each other. You fell hard and fast, but before you knew it, you were saying goodbye to Love on Tour. You had only signed on temporarily, leaving to pursue some solo work. Just because you said goodbye to the tour, didn’t mean you were saying goodbye to Harry. The two of you maintained your relationship, keeping it out of the public eye, allowing Harry a modicum of privacy.  

You let out a sarcastic sigh. “Well, I suppose I am going to be there anyway. I was looking forward to just being an audience member, but I guess I could pop onstage for a few minutes.” 

Harry threw his arms around you, pulling you into his embrace. “I love you so much, thank you thank you thank you!” 

After finishing Fine Line, Harry retreated to the backstage area to prepare for the encore. This was your cue to head back there yourself to prepare for his final song. Before you head into the changing area, you rush over to the wings, hoping to catch him before he goes back onstage. 

You finally see him, he’s pacing, clearly trying to compose himself. You pause for a moment, debating whether or not you want to bother him, but when his eyes lock on yours you feel drawn to him like a magnet. 

“How are you holding up?” You ask, brushing a loose curl out of his face. 

He shakes his head, taking a deep breath. “It’s almost over.” 

“I know baby,” you place your hand on his cheek, stroking gently. “You’ve still got a few more songs, go out there and give it everything you’ve got.” 

“You’re still coming on for the finale?” He asks hopefully. 

“It’s why I’m here,” you assure him. “I’m gonna run and go change real quick.” 

“If I send someone to get your jumpsuit for you, do you think you could just throw it on here?” He pleads. “I need you close while I’m out there. You make me stronger.” 

You smile softly, placing your lips against his in a soft kiss. “Whatever you need, Harry, always.” 

He smiles gratefully, kissing you once more before running up to one of the production assistants, and instructing him to get your outfit and flute from his dressing room. He returns to you, taking your hands in his. “It’ll be here in a second. Thank you, my love.”

“Nothing to thank,” you say plainly. “Nowhere I’d rather be. Now get out there and knock ‘em dead.” 

He brought your hands to his lips, kissing the backs of them, and headed back onstage. You followed as far as you could without being seen so that you could watch his final few songs. You looked on proudly as he gave his all. 

You loved this man with all your heart but more than that, as a musician you admired him more than anything. His dedication to his craft, and his fans, was unwavering. Time and time again he would give himself to everyone, first with the heartfelt music he would write; and then dedicating nearly two years of his life to traveling the world in an effort to bring that music to his fans. 

The PA that Harry had sent to retrieve your things promptly returned, handing you your things. You thanked him quickly, not wanting to take your eyes off of Harry. You slip your jumpsuit on over your clothes, and change into the custom Love on Tour adidas sneakers that had been made for the band. 

Kiwi ended, and Harry waved and bowed to the crowd before running offstage and immediately into your arms. 

“You were amazing, Harry. I’m so proud of you.” You whisper to him. You feel him nod against your neck in reply. 

You allow him a few more moments of comfort before you know you need to set yourself on stage. The band had stayed out there, getting position for this final song. “Baby?” You ask softly, getting his attention as you step back from your embrace. “I’ve gotta get out there, you going to be okay?” 

Harry nods, pulling you in for a quick kiss. “You’ll be close, yeah?” 

You smile at him, placing a comforting hand on his cheek. “Right next to the piano.” You give him one last kiss and make your way to the stage. 

You step out, smiling and nodding at your former bandmates, hearing the whispers and questions from the crowd start to pick up.

“Is that Y/N?”

“He must have asked her to come back for the last show.” 

“But why is she only coming out now?” 

The murmurs quickly turn to cheers when they realize that it is in fact you on stage. This meant that whatever was about to happen was definitely going to be something big. As you waited for Harry to re-emerge, you looked out over the crowd. You had been in the thick of it during the show, but seeing it from the stage was an entirely different experience. 

As you were admiring the hordes of people who had come out just to see Harry, you were pulled from your thoughts by an eruption from the crowd. You looked to your left and watched Harry return to stage, quickly wiping away the remnants of the tears he had shed backstage. 

He took a seat at the piano, looking up at you. When you looked back, you saw a storm of emotions, but mostly you saw vulnerability. Harry was never one to shy away from expressing emotions onstage, but this was different. 

He spoke a few quick words in Italian before moving the microphone away and beginning to play. You had heard him play this song so many times since he had initially brought it to you a few weeks ago, but hearing it like this, as he intended it to be, was an unreal, once in a lifetime experience. The crowd of over one hundred thousand people were completely silent, everyone’s attention directed at Harry. 

You felt a nudge, and your attention quickly turned to your right. You saw the rest of the band preparing to come in, and you remembered that you were there to do a job. Your time just being the supportive girlfriend was on pause, you had to be a musician now. You lifted your flute to your lips, and joined in, your eyes never leaving Harry. 

Before long, the last note was played, and Harry stood from the piano. The crowd burst into cheers and applause like you’d never heard before. He bowed to the crowd before turning to face the band, mostly to express his gratitude to them, but you knew it was also a chance for him to compose himself. 

His eyes locked on you, and he immediately started moving in your direction, wrapping you in his arms. You returned the embrace, rubbing soothing circles over the bejeweled fringe on his back. 

“You did amazing, Harry.” You tell him. “This is all for you, go take it in. You deserve it.” 

He pulls back and gives you a tearful smile before taking your hand and walking to the center of the stage, signaling for everyone else to join. The group takes a bow to thunderous applause. As you all stand, Harry steps forward, drinking in every second of the fanfare. He moved to either end of the stage, thanking the fans by waving and blowing kisses. When he returns to center stage, he pauses again this time dropping to his knees, his hands covering his face. Completely overwhelmed by the emotions of the moment. 

Even though the band is sharing their own moment, hugging and congratulating each other, you are frozen in place, eyes locked on Harry. You were so focused on him that you didn’t even notice the tears streaming down your face. 

When he finally stood, he gave the crowd one more smile and wave before turning to exit the stage. As soon as he turned around, he saw you and smiled walking straight for you. You both moved at the same time, cupping each other’s faces in your hands wiping the other’s tears away with your thumbs. Chuckling at the synchronized movements. 

You pulled him into your arms, and his face immediately nuzzled into your neck. You could feel the moisture from the new tears dropping onto your skin. 

“I’m so proud of you, Harry.” You coo. “It couldn’t have gone any better.” 

He pulled back to look at you. “Thank you for being here.” 

“Nowhere I’d rather be.” You state plainly. He smiles and starts leaning in toward your lips. You jerk back quickly. “Baby, we’re still onstage.” 

“Don’t care,” he leans back in, pressing his lips to yours in a slow kiss. 

You pull away with a smile. “Ready?” 

He nodded silently, stepping out of your embrace and turning to the crowd one last time to blow them a final farewell kiss. He then took your hand and led you off the stage and into your new post-tour life. 

[elvhenmage]

for the kisses post: 10 for davrin/elowen! 💗

10. goodbye kisses

looks around nervously idk how to write davrin yet so i hope this is at least decent 🫣 but tysm for the prompt!! i love these two so much and being able to put smth down on paper for them was super fun 💖

“I know you’re awake over there. You gonna lay in bed all day?”

Voice muffled from being sufficiently buried beneath the covers, Elowen says in a heavy sigh, “I have to go to Dock Town today but I don’t want to.”

Davrin can understand that, given that they still blame themselves for the Venatori presence that’s taken hold there. They don’t do well with the gloomy weather either, he’s come to notice. The rain weakens Elowen’s fire. Must be a mage thing.

“Neve’s going too, I take it?”

“Mhm.”

The reluctance in their voice is obvious. Another reason they’re dragging their feet. Their friendship with Neve has found its footing since the dragon attack, but Elowen still has a tendency to treat it like glass, as if saying one wrong thing will shatter their bond beyond repair for good.

“I’ll go with you.”

They let out a disapproving whine, finally rolling - literally - out of bed to pad over to the fireplace, bracing themselves with their elbows on the arm of Davrin’s chair as they bend down to talk. “You were supposed to go see Eldrin today. I don’t want to take that away from you.”

“Eldrin’s not going anywhere, I can go tomorrow.” He motions for them to sit with him by tapping his leg twice. They oblige without hesitation, crawling up into his lap and settling comfortably against him as one arm wraps around their waist, the other resting on the bare skin of their upper thigh. “You’ve got a lot on your plate. If I can do anything to make things easier on you, I want to.”

The sincerity threatens to overwhelm them, so they do what they do best: they joke. “Aww.” They tilt their head up to grin at him. “You really are going soft.”

“Alright.” Davrin rolls his eyes, taking his hands off them. “If you don’t want to hear it-”

Immediately Elowen falls into giggles, taking one of his hands in both of theirs and holding it to their chest. “Nooo, I was just kidding, don’t kick me out!”

“Then be serious,” he says with as much seriousness as he can muster when faced with the way Elowen’s bottom lip is caught between their teeth to keep from further giggling.

“Okay, okay.” They shuffle to straddle his lap and face him directly, looping their arms around his neck. Stifling another laugh, they clear their throat. “Thank you, Davrin. I appreciate it.”

“Attagirl.” He pats their thigh twice, this time motioning for them to get up. “Let’s get moving then. If we finish things in Dock Town early enough, maybe we can still make it to Arlathan before dark.”

“Kiss before I go?”

Amused, he says, “I’m going with you, El. You’ll see me again in less than an hour.”

“Yeah, and? A guy can’t have a kiss for the long and winding road back to her treehouse?”

Davrin chuckles. It’s hard to say no to them when they’re batting those pretty eyes at him. “Come here.”

They melt into him the second their lips meet, the responsibilities of the day falling away for a blissful moment as they focus on the way his calloused hands squeeze their thighs with just the right amount of pressure.

An impatient squawk! separates them like they’ve just caught fire - Davrin groans in annoyance while Elowen laughs, reaching out to ruffle Assan’s feathers.

“Sounds like somebody’s hungry, huh?”

“Like clockwork.”

They climb out of the chair, offering their hands out to pull Davrin to his feet. “You feed the boy. I’ll get ready, grab Neve, and we’ll meet at the Eluvian in an hour.”

Assan curls around Davrin’s legs like a cat, butting his head against Davrin’s hand in a demand for affection. Davrin, of course, obliges. “Sounds like a plan.”

Elowen all but skips out of the room, good mood restored, and Davrin isn’t aware he’s watched them the whole time until Assan squawks at him again, tail swishing in a way that somehow seems taunting.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m the one that feeds you, remember?”

[mystichearrt]

🐞 Chapter 2 - Possessors of the Miraculous

Previous | Master List | AO3 | Next

“That was so not cool,” Nino said sympathetically as he rubbed Marinette’s back.

“It’s a little more than ‘not cool’, Nino. Its vindictive, cruel, and— ooo I have some things to say about the brat.”

“Well how about words for Marinette first,” Nino said, pulling the crying girl into her his chest for comfort, the hood of his zip up and her own— now wet— hair still covering her eyes.

“You know whatever she said wasn’t true right? She was talking all that stuff just to keep you away from her, Adrikins.”

“You don’t even know what she said,” Marinette mumbled into Nino. He held her tighter.

”Doesn’t matter,” Alyá said shifting her weight on the floor so she could cross her arms. “We know how she is, and if this is anything like last year I have plenty of guesses of what she did say. She’s not exactly original.”

They sat in silence for a while. A long while. Marinette didn’t want to talk about last year ever again. 

“Do you want to just cry it out?” Nino asked, gently.

”Or say the word and I’ll match up to Chloé tomorrow and-“

”Alyá,” Nino warned. Not harshly but with a strong look nonetheless.

”I just…” Marinette could feel her voice waiver a bit. “Can you guys just keep talking?”

The other two looked at each other, each with furrowed brows, a bit reluctant to let this conversation go and their friend to keep hurting near them. They started conversation anyway. Talking about the new teachers they had, the electives they changed, the electives they kept, superheroes, the news, their parents, the city, some complaints about Chloé then the new kid, then about food and what they were planning on trying out of Marinette’s parents’ bakery, at which Marinette eventually joined in talking about the family’s new recipes and how well the bakery has been doing despite being reopened only recently. 

Then before they knew it, the sun had set.

“You guys should go, the buses will stop soon.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Nino and Alyá said in sync with yawns to match, to which all three friends laughed about before wishing their farewells.

Marinette sighed, thankful for her friends and glad the day was officially over.

It seemed she always cried on the first day of school, and this year was no different. It’s like she was bound with tears specifically for this day. And now she was dehydrated, on top of starving from her mess up earlier. Her poor lunch.

Just one thing at a time, she thought.

After taking a shower and tying up her hair into a loose bun, she headed downstairs to the family’s kitchen, to grab something.

“Mama?”

“Oh, my little ladybug! I just finished saying goodbye to Nino and Alyá.”

“Just now? They left my room twenty minutes ago.”

“I made them some plates.”

Marinette narrowed her gaze at Sabine.“Mama.”

“I’m not sending your friends home hungry, Marinette,” she said, already moving to make her daughter a plate, “and I haven’t seen them in a while.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, knowing that it was probably best they got a plate as a thank you for staying late and dealing with her. “I wish I had known, I could’ve given Nino back his hoodie,” she commented as she sat down at the kitchen island, where her mother placed the bowl.

“That boy is nice. Very sweet.”

“And a friend, mama.”

“I know,” she drew out, “just saying. It was nice for him to give you his coat, was it not?”

Marinette hummed suspiciously but let it slide as she eyed her phone.

“I’m tired myself. Gotta wake up tomorrow for orders. You can grab a couple things though. Anything that needs to be donated tomorrow.”

“Alright, mama.”

_____

Adrien’s nap after school was well deserved. His father’s lectures about how he should focus more on his individual lifestyle than others were draining as usual. Luckily, Natalie— his father’s far more understanding assistant— understood how hard the first day of school had been for him and allowed him a day off from his usual Chinese and self defense lessons. Not she was in charge of them now that his original teachers disappeared anyway.

Honestly, if he had to go with his usual at home lesson on the level of energy he had after school, he would’ve fallen into some sort of half asleep daze and would’ve retained very little anyway. 

He quickly fixed his bed and stretched  before throwing himself straight into his desk chair to turn on the monitor. The picture of his mom causing him to smile before he moved to open up his browser. The girl from earlier, Alyá, mentioned her blog, but now that he recalled what had happened after school, he wondered if he should look into it at all…

He’ll do it anyway out of curiosity. 

Lady Blog. Ran by Alya Césaire. Discussions from Paris to you and quickly on the way to becoming your top reporter. <3 

Adrien found himself reading almost everything. Alyá did a good job keeping things casual yet informative, and when she did go on emotion driven tangents, she did well tying it all up in the end to consider the fewer. Even though some pops of colour were questionable and some tips had popped into mind about colour picking and organizing the website, it was otherwise appealing. She was open, and honest about what she liked, superheroes. She admitted to that when they had spoken earlier, but it seemed far more evident now.

He hoped he hadn’t ruined anything between them. 

He sighed and leaned back, swiveling his chair in circles a couple times before refacing his bed. There he noticed, first, his bed was messed up again— possibly worse than he’s seen in a while considering he wasn’t that wild of a sleeper— and second, a small black box sitting in the middle of it.

He stood and picked it up. 

Did Natalie come in here? Why would she ruin his bed? How did he not notice? This couldn’t have been her.

He inspected the box. It was certainly decorative. Red Chinese carvings on a black box. Words meaning misfortune and cat were on the front within the carving but on the back were words in English.

On the top: To destroy beyond repair. 

On the bottom: Chat Noir. 

Adrien smiled, he liked the edge and was excited for whatever sort of edgy jewelry Natalie was willing to get him. He quickly opened it. Saying he was disappointed was an understatement. It was nothing but a boring silver ring, something that matched his father’s hereditarily stale style easily.

He sighed, not really knowing what he was expecting from his father’s own secretary, but at least the box was cool.

He took out the ring and inspected it, looking inside the ring itself for anymore carvings— a habit he learned when he discovered his parents’ vows in each of their respective rings— just one word in English:

Destruction.

He put on the ring without hesitation, officially convinced that this was the coolest thing he owned.

And right when he looked to see how well it fit, he was blinded by a flash of bright green light. He fell back into his chair and covered his eyes attempting to gain back his vision, as a new voice entered the space.

“Ahh, finally! That search went on for too long. Well not that I would know, Tikki did most of the searching. But now a new holder and- HAH!” The voice got closer, “you get flashed kid?”

Adrien finally blinked and looked towards the voice. A small, yet big headed, black cat-like thing floated in front of him, and the blonde couldn’t help but look in awe at the creature.

“Still too shocked to speak? I know, I have that effect on people,” The creature said before flying past him. “But hurry up and speak. What’s today’s date? Ugh, we really missed some fun years didn’t we. What’s new? What technology is available? More wars? Less wars? Mass panic maybe even? I sure hope so. Oh, I didn’t mean to say that out loud. Don’t take it to heart, kid. Humans are just fun all freaking out.”

Adrien watched the creature fly all around the room and into things, mouth agape, confusion and shock Adrien’s only emotion. The creature rambled a bit as it flew into things, causing a mess.

“Kinda like that! I prefer more stammering and loud confusion, but that’ll work.”

Adrien stood up and the creature circled him, “What…are you?”

“A genie!”

The other paused, “Really?”

The creature laughed, “No. You humans fall for that so easily!”

Adrien’s face reddened a bit out of embarrassment, and he crossed his arms, “What are you really then?”

“A kwami.”

“A…what?”

“Woah! I’m gonna need something to eat before I go dealing my hand, buddy. All these personal questions,” the kwami said dramatically as if the boy had asked something ridiculous.

“You asked all your questions,” Adrien rebuttal.

“And yet they’re still unanswered.”

…Fair. 

Adrien thought for a moment about what the creature asked, “It’s September. There are new phones and high tech computers and stuff, a lot of upgrades to things that already exist. And eh, yes to both I guess?”

The creature thought for a moment and nodded, “Tells me nothing. Get me food, kid.”

Adrien mentally rolled his eyes and picked up his desk phone to dial the kitchen. It was about time for them to be wrapping up but he could try to get something last minute, “What do you want?”

“Cheese.”

“…What.”

_____

Marinette’s eyes widened as she realized she had run out of things to throw at the strange floaty creature floating towards her.

Out of pure desperation she holds out her foot threateningly, willing to lose it if need be.

“Please would you just listen?” The creature pleaded, only to fall on deaf ears as Marinette tried to work out how she could make it out her skylight in one swift moment without letting the creature free. “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m a gift! The box was meant for you.”

Marinette continued to ignore the creature as she moved to a low squat on her bed, taking her chances as the flying rat stayed stationary in the air once again.

“The earrings you wear are the miraculous of creation and you’ve been given a great power, Marinette.”

Marinette froze upon hearing her name, unable to fathom what was real anymore, “How do you know my name?”

“You were especially chosen to protect Paris and the world from great forces. It is no mistake you found my box.”

“Protect Paris?” Marinette laughed, moving her hands above her head to fiddle with the lock as she spoke, “you clearly have the wrong Marinette. A responsibility like that should go to anyone else. Maybe the police, or at least an adult?”

“I wish that were my choice, but we don’t decide when evil resurfaces, or who’s fated to receive such powers.”

“Evil? Paris is fine. Better than fine in fact. But I can give you a dozen thousand places that need some great power.” 

Unlocked.

The creature shook their head, “And sadly I cannot help those places, my purpose is to help you here. There is a powerful force planning on taking advantage of the absence of heroes.”

“Uh huh,” Marinette was unconvinced, “and you know this how?”

The thing awkwardly chuckles and gestures to itself, “I think it’s pretty established the magic at hand.”

“Oh right of course!” The girl faked enthusiasm as she quickly leaped through her unlocked skylight and onto her roof patio, slamming the skylight behind her before the creature could make it through.

The creature bumped against the glass and frowned, “Marinette, please I have done nothing to try and hurt you, can you at least hear me out!”

Marinette shook her head. Why would she give it the opportunity to even try to hurt her? She reached for her phone, dialing her father.

“Oh please don’t do that!” The bug begged, muffled behind glass. But just as the phone had picked up, her phone whipped out of her hand.

The phone now floated midair, call disconnected, held by the creature that was once trapped inside. Marinette yelped, pressing herself against the back wall of the otherwise open space.

“Please, all I ask is that you let me try to explain. You owe me nothing but understanding that the fate of many lives are at hand here.”

Marinette hesitated, she was clearly cornered and didn’t know what else this high pitched monstrosity was capable of.

“Please,” it pleaded again, antennae falling down the ears of a normal animal.

“Fine,” the girl agreed reluctantly, “but we stay out here, and we keep this same distance.”

“Not an issue.”

“Good.”

There was a moment of silence as the creature relaxed and set down the phone and itself on the bare stone part of the patio.

“I’m Tikki. Kwami of Creation. I’m the holder of good luck and fortune and this gift has befallen you, Marinette.“

“The gift being you?”

“Yes, and the powers I posses.”

“Right...”

“With my borrowed power you will be able to take on a super secret identity and defeat evildoers to protect the greater good.”

Super secret identity? Like a superhero? Yeah, sooo not me, Marinette thought as she began considering if this was all a dream about Alyá’s conversation at lunch. But then again, when would she have fallen asleep?

She pinched herself, regretting it as the pain shot up her arm.

“You aren’t dreaming. The power of creation and luck is a responsibility that shall remain yours and yours alone should you choose this option.”

“Why should I?”

The creature’s large eyes blinked, “The greater good? All of humanity?”

Marinette rolled her eyes and relaxed from the wall, standing up straight once again, “I mean, what makes me the one? Why should I have to be the one to get this ‘great power’ over anyone else?”

“That is…complicated,” Tikki laughed awkwardly, “You were always fated to have this responsibility. It was just a matter of when.”

Marinette recalls the end of her school day and connects it to many other superhero origin stories where a teen was at their lowest before being given various powers and problems along with the power to save the world. It all seemed possible right now, whether that made her more inclined to believe or disbelieve was up for discussion.

The girl sighs rubbing her temples with her hands, “Can this wait until the morning? I mean, this ‘evil’ isn’t present yet, right?”

Tikki thought for a moment flying further and looking out towards the Eiffel Tower, she sighs and floats back down, “I guess there’s no harm at the moment. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

Good.

Marinette hesitantly moved down toward her sky light, “You’re sleeping out here by the way.”

—

“So I’m going to be a hero starting tomorrow,” Adrien exclaimed as he gestured wildly, unable to contain his excitement as he continued pacing in front of his bedroom’s couch. Sleeping didn’t seem possible with the amount of energy he had at the moment.

There was something so unreal about all of this but it made sense. New environment, interesting backstory, mysterious source of power, a new found freedom. He could almost feel the wind rushing through his hair.

“Can we transform right now? Should I start thinking of a hero name? I can finally get out of this house-“

“Woah, kid,” Plagg, the Kwami of Destruction, burped from atop the now empty tray where cheese had once laid, “Chaos and Misfortune remember? You can’t be going out on your first day without your partner.”

“Partner?”

“The holder of the ladybug miraculous of good luck and fortune.”

Adrien furrowed his eyebrows. It made sense that his partner would be his opposite but he wasn’t thrilled hearing it. What if they were too opposite and didn’t get along? Then superheroing would just be another chore.

Adrien crossed his arms in thought, “I’m surprised you’d even care about this other holder, wouldn’t you wanna see how things would end up unsupervised?” He said, laying bait.

The kwami’s ears perked and eyes dilated at the word ‘unsupervised’ clearly imagining the trouble that would be caused just from a night of fooling around. The creature looked the most cat-like he has so far tonight, but quickly it shook the urges away, “We can’t. Tikki would kill me.”

“Tikki?” Adrien asked, retaking his seat on the couch seat beside the creature. 

“The ladybug miraculous’ kwami.  My second half, my one and only, my-” he gulps, “-living nightmare.”

Adrien gulps too when seeing the tiny cat's expression regarding this other kwami. Plagg shakes that look off and smiles. Flying up close to Adrien, he continues, “Only when she’s angry. Breaking promises makes her angry, and I promised her I wouldn’t convince you to transform.”

“But you’re not the one convincing me. You said nothing. She can’t get mad.”

Plagg’s eyes dilated again. “Ohoho. You’re gonna get me in trouble kid.”

“What about tomorrow? I’ll have time after lessons before sundown. Puts a limit on things. Sectioned chaos.”

“Sectioned chaos,” Plagg was clearly convinced but crossed his tiny arms to pretend otherwise, “Sounds interesting.” He floats silently then after a moment speaks again, “Unrelated, we should go to sleep.”

Adrien smiled and agreed, a new sparkle shimmering behind his eyes.

—

“Are you usually late for school?” The bug-like creature asked from her large coin purse shaped pouch attached to her messenger bag, the best she could do to carry the creature in short notice.

“Yes- well, no. School just started okay?” Marinette explained desperately between shallow breaths.

“How unlucky.”

Marinette once again sprinted through the halls and stumbled into homeroom just as the late bell finished ringing, a breath of relief released as she closed the door behind her, once again making it by a hair.

She joined Alyá in the second row behind Nino, greeting the both of them before realizing the tensions.

“Hey- woah, what’s up?”

“Model boy and the brat are late,” Alyá said with crossed arms.

Wouldn’t that be a good thing? “So?”

Nino chuckled, “Alyá still wants to give them a piece of her mind.”

“You make it sound like I still wanna chew them out. Kids like them are probably going to make a big deal of them coming into class and I just want something slightly unfortunate to happen to their faces. Like an unforgiving pimple or something.”

Marinette and Nino laughed, agreeing that for a model and typical mean girl, something like a pimple would be an appropriate punishment.

“It’s still disappointing, he seemed cool when we were talking,” Nino said, almost remorseful.

“I knew he’d be trouble,” Alyá lightly stomped her feet under the table. Chloé’s only after people who are either like her or benefit her.”

“What about him being a ‘poor soul of her fantasy?’” Marinette asked sheepishly as she dug through her bag, avoiding eye contact.

Alyá simply hummed, but gave no answer before the teacher called for the class's attention, “We can get started everyone. I hope everyone has the materials they need because we have a good chunk of notes today.”

Papers. History. Class discussion. The first 25 minutes went off without much of a hitch. Then-

BAM! 

The door swings open and in stomps Chloé with a Sabrina at her heels. 

“Sabrina, you’re sitting with me,” she says aloud as she slid into the front bench, expecting Sabrina to walk around. Adrien was a few paces behind them, clearly unamused as he closed the door behind himself. 

He walked to teacher handing her a note, seeming apologetic. She nodded before pointing to the empty seat beside Nino. The blond seemed unsure but took the seat.

The teacher proceeded with the lesson, clearly unbothered with the display and Chloé mumblings. Not the first time, won’t be the last. Hardly something to make a big deal about at the moment.

Nino leaned over to Adrien, nodding over to Chloé as if asking ‘What’s up with you two?’ Adrien looked over at her before completely turning his face and covering it to speak to Nino more privately. Alyá crossed her arms at the sight and Marinette raised an eyebrow.

After a moment Nino looked at the girls seated behind them and nodded in agreement to the boy. He then clapped a hand on Adrien’s back to shake the nerves off of him, “You’re alright man,” the boy promised. 

Alyá pulled out her phone, typing away. Marinette just left it alone, turning back to the lesson.

~

The bell rings, and before Marinette can even fully get up, Alyá is at Nino’s seat and yanking him close to whisper in his ear. She’s clearly upset but manages to keep her voice just under the volume of people transitioning to their next class.

Marinette grabbed her own bag and stepped out of her seat only to immediately bump into someone. 

Again, Adrien.

She immediately felt uneasy as she looked around for any sign of Chloé lingering.

“Marinette, I’m…” he looked nervous, almost as unsure as Marinette did, “I’m sorry about how yesterday ended. I didn’t meant to seem so unempathetic to you and your friends.” He fidgeted with the ring on his finger for a moment, adjusting it, before shifting, “I’m not absolutely sure what Chloé said, but judging by how you reacted and how she explained it to me I could tell she said something cruel.”

Marinette watched the boy fix his sleeves, adjust his Agreste sponsored crew neck and run his hand through his perfectly combed blond hair as he spoke. He was just…naturally so pretty, yet here he was apologizing to her like any of what happened yesterday mattered.

I mean of course it mattered but not that much. Chloé was just being Chloé. Who cares. I’m okay. She’s a brat. Adrien shouldn’t have to do this.

“Is there any way I can make it up to you?”

Marinette opened her mouth, ready to just forgive everything and promise that she was more than fine— maybe she would’ve lied and said she was feeling sensitive about a completely separate thing, just to make him feel better— but before she could even trick herself into any of that, Alyá threw an arm over the girl’s shoulder putting herself in between Adrien and Marinette.

“Yeah, you actually can do something–“ Both Marinette and Adrien rose an eyebrow, “--get better friends and drop that brat.”

Adrien stepped back slightly, “Drop her? Like…”

“Like stop spending all your time with her. I don’t know your relationship, but as one Parisian to another, if you stay friend friends with Chloe, you can say goodbye to getting close to anyone else.”

“Alyá!” Marinette whispered loudly. To say as one Parisian to another was such a large scale of sentiment. It was also probably true but it wasn’t pretty to hear either way.

“What? I'm just saying some advice, if he doesn’t want it, then whatever. Now come on, we’re gonna be late.” Alyá pulled the girl along by the hand out the door. Marinette looked back at the saddened face of the cute boy that stood inside the classroom. 

She mouthed, ”I'm sorry.”

He mouthed, ”Don’t be.”

She felt her face heat up.

~

“You guys feel like hitting up the park? My classes are already working my last nerve,” Nino asked, taking a cookie from Marinette’s snack baggie.

“Can’t. I have work,” Marinette reminded.

“We don’t mind hanging there with you.”

Alyá nodded, “Yeah the food there is…” she paused, distracted, “…What the...”

“What’s up?” The other two asked lean into her a bit.

Alyá paused again, scrolling on her phone some more before shaking her head, “Nothing. Just some fight or something, I don’t even know. But I was saying the sweets at Marinette’s place are outmatched.”

“Isnt your mom a chef?”

“I said sweets, dummy,” Alyá said playfully as she pulled the boy’s beanie over his thick rimmed glasses.

“Just checking. Your mom’s food is bomb.” 

Marinette agreed. She always thought of herself as only having a sweet tooth, but Creole food was a whole different story. She needed to try it again even if the last time almost killed her with how spicy some of the dishes were.

“But no yeah, let’s hit up Marinette’s place again. That way- oh. There goes Chloé and her lapdogs.”

Marinette and Nino turn. Marinette mentally cursing herself for still  bothering to look. Seeing Chloé, Sabrina, and Adrien walk out to the courtyard together only reminded her of where his loyalties lie. He didn’t owe her anything, but the mayor’s daughter was a different type of hurt.

Marinette turns back and lightly smacks Alyá’s arm, who just looks at her confused, “What?”

“Be nice. He doesn’t know any better,” she says, not knowing if that’s true in the slightest.

Alyá lets out a bewildered noise between a scream and a laugh, “No way you believed that crap apology.”

“He was sincere,” Marinette protested.

Alyá looks at Nino for some backup, but he shrugs unhelpfully. Alyá scoffs, giving up, “It doesn’t matter. It wasn’t his apology to give and we have bigger things to worry about anyway.

Nino grabbed another cookie. Still plenty left but at this rate Marinette might have to start bringing more, “Like, my math class is already ruining my life. I think they’re making up things again.”

Alyá and Mari deadpanned at him. Here we go.

_____

“Psst. Kid.”

Adrien looked around, searching for whoever was calling out and to whom.

“Kid.”

Adrien scanned for a second more before feeling some rustling in his sweater. Confused, and luckily not ticklish, the boy pulled his collar to peek inside, “Plagg?” He whispered.

“Hope you didn’t forget about me already,” the kwami winked.

“You’re supposed to be in my bag.”

“I was getting squashed by books in there, man. I didn’t expect a kid like you to own so many.”

Adrien paused, “What what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Adrien?” Another voice spoke, causing the boys head to shoot up and quickly smooth out his sweater to subtly move Plagg to the back of his sweater to not draw attention. 

Chloé looked him up and down with a raised eyebrow, “What’s wrong with you?”

“I had to sneeze,” he says simply, sitting on one of empty tableless benches beside the courtyard’s steps.

“Oh,” Chloé says, clearly disgusted, “Bless…you. I guess. Anyway, as I was saying-“ she sat a little too closely beside him, and Sabrina beside her, “-I forgive you, Adrikins. I know you don’t know any better about some of the students here.”

“Chloé, I don’t think-“ boom.

What was that?

Chloé opened her mouth to speak, but Adrien raised a finger and turned away before she could get a word out, too focused on listening for the sound again.

______

Nino and Marinette stopped mid bite of their respective meals to turn to Alyá, “What?” Nino asked, standing up to peek over and look at the girl's phone, bumping foreheads with her.

“I think there’s something weird happening on the other side of school-”

boom.

“-like some stunt with a moving statue but it’s like…breaking stuff-“

Boom .

“-but look-“

And before the girl could turn her phone to show the others, a loud BOOM sounded as the tore away causing brick and glass to fly. A towering stone giant had smashed through the wall and now stood in to new path. A few student held themselves with injury from the beast.

Without a second thought, abandoning their lunches, Marinette and Alyá grabbed their bags and ran off and away from the monster. Nino— abandoning his bag but not the cookies— followed close behind.

Other students began to run too. Their screams filling the ears of the running trio as they made their way ahead of the crowd to the other end of the rectangular courtyard to the south hall doors. 

Alyá was first to reach the doors and held it open. Marinette and Nino passed through before skirting to a stop. They realized Alyá had stopped following.

“What are you doing?” Nino yelled, further than the other two, despite once being the last.

“It’s easier for people to escape if the door is already open.”

“This isnt one of your documentaries, this isn’t going to get you powers!”

“It’s going to save lives!”

“And what about the monster?”

Before Alyá could answer, students began pouring in, immediately making their way to an exit, pushing Marinette and Nino out the way. Other students doing the same.

Marinette was knocked into countless times but managed stay on her feet within the chaos. 

They both were right.

Someone had to do something, but the monster would get here before a lot of people could make it down the stairs and leave. Marinette watched the monster, time seemingly slowing down as she considered her options. Whether to escape or help.

The monster was slow, but too big and powerful to overtake. 

People behind the monster were already hurt, but had a chance for help. Maybe to get out the front entrance. As long as the monster wasn’t here.  

But the monster couldn’t leave until the kids in her current hallway were gone. 

Someone had to distract it.

She had to get closer.

“Nino!” Marinette called out to the boy looking frantic as his friends refused to run away with him to safety. He looked at Marinette with worry that tugged at her heart, but she was determined, “Make it to the principal’s office!”

“What?” He exclaimed, “That’s down the hall! Why would I do that?”

“Tell everyone to leave out the North entrance! The South exit isn’t safe!”

“But-“

“Please!”

“Argh!” He groaned before running off, “You two better know what you’re doing!” He said, barely audible at a distance.

Students still fumbled their way down the stairs. The crowd thinned as seconds went on. Marinette ran up to Alyá who was broadcasting the monster, Marinette knew a large part of Alyá’s audience was based in Paris so it made sense for people to know what was happening. Not something she would’ve thought to do though.

“Alyá, stay here”

“Yeah, duh. Wait, what are you-“ and before Alyá could grab her, Marinette had run out in the open. Quickly reaching in her messenger bag to throw anything she could. 

“Hey!” She began to yell, “Over here!!” 

She threw and she threw. When  she had nothing else to throw she tossed her bag only for it to fall just a couple feet in front of her. It’s emptiness not giving it the strength to go very far.

She looked around for anything to grab. Quickly grabbing metal lunch boxes on the ground. She climbed on a table and began to smash them together. 

She smashed. She jumped. She yelled as loud and as hard as she could until the monster finally began to turn.

“Yeah! Idiot! Over here! Got those rock out of your ears? Talk about hard headed! Loser!”

Her taunts were mediocre and elementary but they got the job done as the rock monster— which had been, fittingly, pretty stone-faced up until now— furrowed it’s brow, clearly angered at the commentary.

Marinette stopped jumping, now hesitant why she thought she could be brave towards a 12 foot monster stomping through her school like brick and mortar was some sort of inconvenience at most. “Haha, yeah! Over here…” She heavily overestimated her bravery.

The monster began stepping towards her and Marinette quickly climbed down, grabbing her bag and stuffing the lunchboxes in there to free up her hands for now. “Wow, you’re soooo scary,” she mocked despite undoubtedly realizing the monster was moving quicker. She tried to quicken her pace, adrenaline and fear shooting up her spine and almost freezing her in place as the rock began reaching for one of the bolted metal tables.

Screws and bolts flew through the air as the table came up over the monster's head.

Marinette ran for one of the buildings’ stone pillars but quickly learned she was not quick enough as the table began to fly through the air, quickly gaining on her. And just as the table was about to make contact, she ducked, covering her head and embracing for contact. 

Contact that never came. She looked behind her and saw a man rising to his feet. He was in all black and had…cat ears, and a tail?

He was facing away from her so it was difficult to tell who it was. Not that she thinks she’d even recognize him.

“Hey!” The man called out to the monster, “Have you seen my partner anywhere? Something about creation and all that? Did they create you?”

Marinette furrowed her brows in confusion before gasping. She covered her mouth as she realized how loud she was, causing the man to look back.

Green eyes and sclera looked back at her. His irises thin as slits before widening at the sight of her. “Hey,” he said in almost a whisper, “you should maybe run to safety. Mr. Igneous here is pretty hot headed.”

Marinette laughed lightly, ‘Hot rock. Igneous. Very funny.’

Marinette opened her mouth, but slammed it shut as the monster let out a ground shaking roar scaring off the girl towards the North exit without a second thought. 

On the way, she gave a quick look around and realized that people had gotten away safely. She had almost done the same but then she remembered what the man had said. He was looking for his partner. Was that meant to be her?

Oh no no no.

She ducked into a bathroom and into one of the stalls reaching for her phone and the little circle pouch containing the creature.

She hesitated.

What would it mean if she committed to this right now?

BOOM.

She groaned. Sending a message to Alyá to get to safety. 

She has to worry about that later.

—

Adrien was not holding up as well as he thought. Every punch he threw, the beast threw harder. Every kick he heaved, simply knocked him off balance. One after another. He swung, and hit, and pushed, to no avail. It was a slow moving battle, and he was making no progress.

The boulder seemed to be getting sick of it too because just as Adrien was getting sloppy, it managed to catch the boy's leg with a hand and whipped him up into the air, tossing him.

Adrien braced, feeling shards of glass cut and mark skin before the air knocked out of him as he knocked into a wall.

His head spun, unable to focus as he sat up and held his head.This sucked, he thought, with a frown. The adrenaline wasn’t flowing as much any more and the pain was beginning to reach him. Just the fingertips of pain, luckily, but it reminded him of how human he was despite his new powers and quickness to jump into action.

But before the doubt of his power reached him, he realized someone was watching him.

A girl. He recognized her from a couple of his classes but didn’t have the chance to speak to her. 

Colourful short braids hung above her shoulders and she wore a jean jacket of pins and held a darker leather one of similar style over one of her arms as the other shielded her face.

Adrien stumbled to his feet to get a better look at her, “It’s not safe here, you should-“

“Are you gonna hurt him?” The girl exclaimed, tears suddenly flowing.

The hero stammered, unsure of how to answer. It was his job to defeat the creature, and the only way he could do that is by destroying him, right?

“Do you… know it?” He asked.

“Him,” she corrected. “That’s Ivan. We were just singing- er- uh… more like talking and he got upset and turned into that ,” she paused, trying to keep her voice from breaking, “nothing like this has happened before.”

Adrien looked back at the monster. He hadn’t considered it had been a human before, let alone someone his age. That made things…difficult.

The girl grabbed his hand, surprising him despite his heightened senses. It irked him that she managed to do that. “Please,” she began to plead, “Don’t hurt him. I don’t think he’s meaning to do this. He’s just…upset.”

Adrien opened his mouth before being interrupted by a roar. A fist entering his vision.

He attempted to push the girl away but only crashed into her as the fist made contact with them, launching them further down the hall. 

Adrien groaned. The mental and physical battle he was facing was overwhelming him.

How was he meant to save the person trapped inside this thing?

Another fist came crashing and this time Adrien was able to act. Quickly pulling the girl along to run along side him as they ran through the halls. The halls looped around in a square around the courtyard so eventually they’d reach where they had started but he just needed to buy some time. He had no clue where his partner was, or if they were even coming, and the more he considered his options, the more they dwindled.

He searched his mind for any words that might activate his powers. Then his hand emptied.

He spun around. The girl was on her hands and knees, heavy breathing, and judging by how far Adrien had made it despite just losing her hand, he had realized that speed was obviously another asset of his. “Sorry. But come on we have to-“

And before finishing his sentence he was once again interrupted by and incoming fist. One that, instead of reaching for the cat-like superhero, reached for the girl. She screamed and Adrian attempted to hit it but failed to do anything substantial as the boulder pulled it’s hand it out of the building.

It turned away. Girl in hand as it squatted. The cat stood, staring. Honestly curious on whether or not this attempt would be successful or not.

Then, it did it. The heavy thick headed monstrosity leapt about two and a half stories in the air over the buildings just barely clearing the school and making it outside. And Adrien continued to stare, astonished by the sight he just saw. He even considered that it could’ve been his imagination and this whole thing was a dream…

Someone groaned, breaking his trance. “Oh great.” A flash of red and black swung past his vision and after the rock. 

…Was that his partner?

Previous | Master List | AO3 | Next

[titanicfreija]

A Glorious Death

Caiatl relaxed visibly when she saw Sunny bobbing merrily around Freija's head, and the Guardian smiled to see it. "I'll let you two talk, I'm gonna meditate."

"It is a relief to see you whole," Caiatl said. "It would have been a glorious death, but I am glad it was not."

Sunny swayed nervously and flipped. "It… kinda was."

Caiatl's skin lost its color, the normally rich, warm gray turning pallid and sickly.

Sunny wasn't sure if she messed up or not. "I'm sorry. I…it was a lot. I… I finally got to fight. For real. I channeled… not even our Light, but the Traveler's. It was too much to hold together afterwards, I couldn't hang on. And I died."

Caiatl still didn't say anything, so Sunny continued. "Cayde brought me back. He called me out of the Traveler with memories of my Guardian. I think I was looking for her in there, too. It felt like a dream. I missed her. So when he called me, I heard it. And he said he was glad he could finally do the right thing for once. And he helped me by letting me have… become his Light when he put it into the shell."

Caiatl finally heaved a long breath and said, "I am relieved to see you whole."

"Me, too!" cheered the Ghost. "I feel a little better about letting Freija die, that really was more of a relief than anything. I was so tired, and it hurt so much." Her voice softened and she lowered in the air, tilting down. "Freija said I could rest now, and I knew what she meant. And I… thought about it really hard. But holding on was so hard. So. I relaxed and let go and I fell into the Traveler with everyone else until I heard Cayde calling."

Caiatl grunted. "Once again, I admire your Guardian's dedication to you. I would not expect that from her."

"She knows how it feels to be on the brink of death better than most people."

"I am surprised your Guardian would be so willing to spend time away from you."

"She's only just out of hearing.”

"Ah. And still within sight."

"She… she's been okay. I've been okay. It's… been a lot."

"It has," agreed Caiatl distantly.

"You guys going to focus on Xivu Arath?"

"Indeed. I intend to take back my homeworld."

"You know we've got your back."

"And a formidable support you are indeed."

Sunny bounced happily. Caiatl watched her with a gentle peace in her brow, and she took off her helmet to place on a stump when she sat down. 

"I will take a moment," she declared. 

Only a faint wind moving the leaves of the trees filled the comfortable silence. 

"I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye," Sunny said. "I wish I could have, but I didn't have time."

"You fell in battle. It would be unreasonable to expect anything of the sort. I am sure your Guardian would see to it that I learned of your death. I am also sure I would need to force the tale out of her."

Sunny narrowed at Caiatl, who chortled. "If you believe I would allow your glorious death to go unsung simply to spare your Guardian tears, you are a fool. She will weep regardless and you deserve to be celebrated."

The Ghost couldn't answer. She could imagine Caiatl trying to comfort her Titan through trying to tell what happened. She wondered if Freija would blame herself. "Thank you, I guess."

"You are welcome. As it is, I am glad to hear the story directly from you. Tell me about the battle against the Witness."

[aplaceformythoughts]

today marks some ‘n’ no of months since i last got my heartbroken. I say that because it wasnt the first and certainly wont be the very last - yet it hurt all the same like i had never gotten my heart broken before. Ig healing is ironic like that. Hope always sticks all the cracked pieces back together with glitter instead of glue; shiny, polished & faux new.

i have always written things down when i feel them the strongest but i have never been one to share.

This time though there’s more unsaid than ever said. so much i never could form into words and say when i should have that the words cluttered in the hollows of my throat have now dulled and left a deadweight that sits heavier the longer i ignore it.

I remember it happening like it wasnt months ago. the call, the conversation, the immediate nausea and claustrophobia. I remember feeling like the walls were closing in on me, like i couldnt breathe no matter how hard i inhaled, or focus however hard my nails dug into skin. How could i centre myself when my axis had been so abruptly snatched away?

the pains shattering and relentless and when you are going through it - seemingly endless. people say time blurs when you are depressed and oh i wish i could say the same.

i felt it - every second that turned into minute and another agonising hour. the pain that i kept telling myself would lessen, kept compounding instead as i tried to play friends with the one person i couldn’t imagine being ‘just friends’ with. The crying. No amount of water i shed seemed to douse the flame that burnt my heart and left it scorched, the embers of hurt pulsing for months after.

I remember breaking and falling apart inside and trying to act like all was fine externally on the regular. How hard that was. When inside I felt more fragile than I had ever known myself capable, I desperately craved some release. A chance to fall in his arms and sob and be furious. Plead for it to be me this time and not her.

I didn’t though. I couldn’t. Because not all heartbreaks are the same. Not all make you wonder if the whole thing was just in your head and if its even worth crying over because the other person seems so fine? Like turning and walking away from you was just another thing on their to-do list all those months ago and left not even a pin prick of hurt.

Its shocking when its sudden. You dont expect having to say goodbye when you are still getting used to saying hi. morning. i love you. i cant wait to see you soon.

you have all these lists and plans and wishes and now you are standing there alone with a handful of broken dreams and splintered love and it hurtshurtshurts.

the pictures, the half made plans that will now never be, every tiny nook and corner you saw him in; now haunts. digs into the wounds and twists and leaves you stinging and tired. Day after day after day.

He asks ‘are you okay?’ and you still love him enough to lie because is it really love if you hurt him instead? you think he cares and convince yourself of it and he shows it albeit irregularly and for an hour or two after you think - maybe this is enough. maybe i could live this way.

Then your mother says you dont talk about him anymore and your friends cuss him out and your immediate instinct is to defend because how could they when he’s your love?

except he isn’t. not anymore.

or is he? and does it matter when you know you aren’t his?

you see him around still. the next day and the day after and so on & so forth and every minuscule change, every changed nickname, the side hugs and the immediate distance he refuses to acknowledge he has put in between you two; makes you cry into your pillow every night. sometimes you cry in your sleep and your friend, who stays on calls because you can no longer sleep alone, worries but you fake a smile; shrugging it off come morning.

It’s been months and soon I will have left for longer than I stayed and I wonder if that will finally be enough time to be fully okay again.

In hindsight time doesn’t heal all wounds, but it scabs over the worst of em and then its just one broken heart closer to happily ever after.

[tameblog]

Hi GPODers! While most of us in the Northern Hemisphere are counting down the days until spring finally arrives next month, our neighbors to the south are starting to say goodbye to summer. As many of us look out to snow and ice, we head Down Under to visit Gabrielle Sheppard in Dondingalong, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the eastern coast (about half way between Sydney and Brisbane) Gabrielle’s lush landscape is a beautiful taste of what gardening in the Southern Hemisphere looks like right now. My garden is situated on the mid north coast west of Kempsey, in Dondingalong on 3 acres. I’ve lived here my whole life and started gardening from a young age with my mother as a little girl. I have various plants in my garden and have recently planted over 20 different varieties of trees, shrubs and succulents. I also planted a Japenese maple tree earlier this year as our first daughter’s middle name is Maple and the name of the tree holds a special place in my heart. I thought how beautiful the leaves will look on it when the seasons change. I just  think they are so beautiful, so of course it had to come home with me. I have also planted magnolias, flame trees (Brachychiton acerifolius, Zones 9–11), blue cypress pine (Callitris columellaris, Zones 9–12) and lavender to attract plenty of bees not to mention plenty of others. I have a lot of different coloured pigfaces (Carpobrotus glaucescens, Zones 8–11) that always put a smile on my face when I go out into the garden and they have opened up and show their beautiful vibrant colour inside them. A big statement piece to the garden is the cycad that has been planted for 30 + years. It is massive and simply tells it own story. A few months ago I had an image of making my own arch, so I decided to make the image become a reality and made my own arch in the garden and painted it. I’ve now planted two climbing pandorea plants (Pandorea jasminoides, Zones 9–11) that I hope that one day they climb over the arch. Personally, I get satisfaction from sitting back, looking at the garden and what I have accomplished, and saying “I did that” at the end of the day. Gardening means so much to me—it’s calming, relaxing, and truly enjoyable. When I’m in the garden, I forget my worries and focus on my plants. I hope you get inspiration to go our into your garden more after seeing mine. Regards, Gabrielle It’s easy to see that Gabrielle has been hard at work! While the garden is already lush and green with thick plantings in border beds, many of the new trees that were planted are mulched, staked and ready for years of growth. This open expanse will eventually become way more shady and private (although it doesn’t look like Gabrielle needs to worry about peeping neighbors). Throughout Gabrielle’s landscape are various statues that add elegance, art, and personality to the garden. Some also provide the opportunity for more planting, like this bird bath and its colorful collection of succulents. Around the base of the bird bath a small collection of gaura adds some more color. Another statue becomes a focal point, and even gets a vine for a scarf. I’m assuming this is the cycad that Gabrielle mentioned in her intro is over 30 years old! Often mistaken for palms, cycads are actually more closely related to conifers and have a fascinating history that predates homosapiens. Cycads were once found in abundance across the globe, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. They are now extremely rare in the wild, but in the garden they make a huge statement while reminding us of the evolution of our planet. The reality Gabrielle created from her arch vision! On both sides you can see the young pandorea plants in position to cover the arch. Also known as ‘Bower vine’, pandorea is a woody, evergreen climber with stunning trumpet-shaped flowers. A swinging bench to sit and enjoy the garden will become even lovelier when the new plantings grow in around it! One last statue on an ornate pillar and surrounded by lush greenery. Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful photos of your garden with us, Gabrielle! It always eye-opening to see what grows on the opposite end of the world, from the familiar to the never-been-seen-before.   Have a garden you’d like to share? Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit! To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden. Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening! Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here. Fine Gardening Recommended Products Corona® Multi-Purpose Metal Mini Garden Shovel Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs. Longer Service Life: The blade of this round small shovel is made of carbon steel, which can effectively improve the hardness by high temperature quenching, and the surface has anti-rust coating to avoid rusting. In the process of use when encountering hard objects will not bend and deformation. Sturdy Structure: The small garden shovel with D-handle, ergonomically designed grip can increase the grip of the hand when using, the handle is made of strong fiberglass, will not bend and break under heavy pressure. Quick Digging: Well-made digging shovel has a sharp blade, and the round shovel head is designed to easily penetrate the soil and cut quickly while digging to enhance your work efficiency. Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs. Featuring gorgeous photography and advice for landscapers, Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West is dedicated to the idea of a new nature—a hybrid of both the wild and the cultivated—that can nourish in our cities and suburbs. Niteangel Natural Wooden Insect Hotel, Garden Insect House for Ladybugs, lacewings, Butterfly, Bee, Bug Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs. The insect nest box provide a safe environment where garden creatures can shelter, hibernate and lay their eggs, the insect house can also keep insects from entering your warm room. The insect hotel makes it easy to find and observe fascinating creatures. the butterfly, bees and ladybugs can use this product as habitat. Dry wood and Bamboo can be home to many insects such as ladybirds and lacewings which eat aphids and help keep your plants pest-free. the insect hotel improve the growth of plants in your yard by attracting beneficial insects. The iron design on the top can keep the insect house from rainwater. Let the insect house have a longer useful life and make the insects more comfortable. If you only have a balcony or yard, the hanging garden shelter is ideal as it provides a choice of suitable habitats in a small area. Source link

[ramestoryworld]

Hi GPODers! While most of us in the Northern Hemisphere are counting down the days until spring finally arrives next month, our neighbors to the south are starting to say goodbye to summer. As many of us look out to snow and ice, we head Down Under to visit Gabrielle Sheppard in Dondingalong, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the eastern coast (about half way between Sydney and Brisbane) Gabrielle’s lush landscape is a beautiful taste of what gardening in the Southern Hemisphere looks like right now. My garden is situated on the mid north coast west of Kempsey, in Dondingalong on 3 acres. I’ve lived here my whole life and started gardening from a young age with my mother as a little girl. I have various plants in my garden and have recently planted over 20 different varieties of trees, shrubs and succulents. I also planted a Japenese maple tree earlier this year as our first daughter’s middle name is Maple and the name of the tree holds a special place in my heart. I thought how beautiful the leaves will look on it when the seasons change. I just  think they are so beautiful, so of course it had to come home with me. I have also planted magnolias, flame trees (Brachychiton acerifolius, Zones 9–11), blue cypress pine (Callitris columellaris, Zones 9–12) and lavender to attract plenty of bees not to mention plenty of others. I have a lot of different coloured pigfaces (Carpobrotus glaucescens, Zones 8–11) that always put a smile on my face when I go out into the garden and they have opened up and show their beautiful vibrant colour inside them. A big statement piece to the garden is the cycad that has been planted for 30 + years. It is massive and simply tells it own story. A few months ago I had an image of making my own arch, so I decided to make the image become a reality and made my own arch in the garden and painted it. I’ve now planted two climbing pandorea plants (Pandorea jasminoides, Zones 9–11) that I hope that one day they climb over the arch. Personally, I get satisfaction from sitting back, looking at the garden and what I have accomplished, and saying “I did that” at the end of the day. Gardening means so much to me—it’s calming, relaxing, and truly enjoyable. When I’m in the garden, I forget my worries and focus on my plants. I hope you get inspiration to go our into your garden more after seeing mine. Regards, Gabrielle It’s easy to see that Gabrielle has been hard at work! While the garden is already lush and green with thick plantings in border beds, many of the new trees that were planted are mulched, staked and ready for years of growth. This open expanse will eventually become way more shady and private (although it doesn’t look like Gabrielle needs to worry about peeping neighbors). Throughout Gabrielle’s landscape are various statues that add elegance, art, and personality to the garden. Some also provide the opportunity for more planting, like this bird bath and its colorful collection of succulents. Around the base of the bird bath a small collection of gaura adds some more color. Another statue becomes a focal point, and even gets a vine for a scarf. I’m assuming this is the cycad that Gabrielle mentioned in her intro is over 30 years old! Often mistaken for palms, cycads are actually more closely related to conifers and have a fascinating history that predates homosapiens. Cycads were once found in abundance across the globe, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. They are now extremely rare in the wild, but in the garden they make a huge statement while reminding us of the evolution of our planet. The reality Gabrielle created from her arch vision! On both sides you can see the young pandorea plants in position to cover the arch. Also known as ‘Bower vine’, pandorea is a woody, evergreen climber with stunning trumpet-shaped flowers. A swinging bench to sit and enjoy the garden will become even lovelier when the new plantings grow in around it! One last statue on an ornate pillar and surrounded by lush greenery. Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful photos of your garden with us, Gabrielle! It always eye-opening to see what grows on the opposite end of the world, from the familiar to the never-been-seen-before.   Have a garden you’d like to share? Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit! To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden. Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening! Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here. Fine Gardening Recommended Products Corona® Multi-Purpose Metal Mini Garden Shovel Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs. Longer Service Life: The blade of this round small shovel is made of carbon steel, which can effectively improve the hardness by high temperature quenching, and the surface has anti-rust coating to avoid rusting. In the process of use when encountering hard objects will not bend and deformation. Sturdy Structure: The small garden shovel with D-handle, ergonomically designed grip can increase the grip of the hand when using, the handle is made of strong fiberglass, will not bend and break under heavy pressure. Quick Digging: Well-made digging shovel has a sharp blade, and the round shovel head is designed to easily penetrate the soil and cut quickly while digging to enhance your work efficiency. Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs. Featuring gorgeous photography and advice for landscapers, Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West is dedicated to the idea of a new nature—a hybrid of both the wild and the cultivated—that can nourish in our cities and suburbs. Niteangel Natural Wooden Insect Hotel, Garden Insect House for Ladybugs, lacewings, Butterfly, Bee, Bug Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs. The insect nest box provide a safe environment where garden creatures can shelter, hibernate and lay their eggs, the insect house can also keep insects from entering your warm room. The insect hotel makes it easy to find and observe fascinating creatures. the butterfly, bees and ladybugs can use this product as habitat. Dry wood and Bamboo can be home to many insects such as ladybirds and lacewings which eat aphids and help keep your plants pest-free. the insect hotel improve the growth of plants in your yard by attracting beneficial insects. The iron design on the top can keep the insect house from rainwater. Let the insect house have a longer useful life and make the insects more comfortable. If you only have a balcony or yard, the hanging garden shelter is ideal as it provides a choice of suitable habitats in a small area. Source link

[alexha2210]

Hi GPODers! While most of us in the Northern Hemisphere are counting down the days until spring finally arrives next month, our neighbors to the south are starting to say goodbye to summer. As many of us look out to snow and ice, we head Down Under to visit Gabrielle Sheppard in Dondingalong, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the eastern coast (about half way between Sydney and Brisbane) Gabrielle’s lush landscape is a beautiful taste of what gardening in the Southern Hemisphere looks like right now. My garden is situated on the mid north coast west of Kempsey, in Dondingalong on 3 acres. I’ve lived here my whole life and started gardening from a young age with my mother as a little girl. I have various plants in my garden and have recently planted over 20 different varieties of trees, shrubs and succulents. I also planted a Japenese maple tree earlier this year as our first daughter’s middle name is Maple and the name of the tree holds a special place in my heart. I thought how beautiful the leaves will look on it when the seasons change. I just  think they are so beautiful, so of course it had to come home with me. I have also planted magnolias, flame trees (Brachychiton acerifolius, Zones 9–11), blue cypress pine (Callitris columellaris, Zones 9–12) and lavender to attract plenty of bees not to mention plenty of others. I have a lot of different coloured pigfaces (Carpobrotus glaucescens, Zones 8–11) that always put a smile on my face when I go out into the garden and they have opened up and show their beautiful vibrant colour inside them. A big statement piece to the garden is the cycad that has been planted for 30 + years. It is massive and simply tells it own story. A few months ago I had an image of making my own arch, so I decided to make the image become a reality and made my own arch in the garden and painted it. I’ve now planted two climbing pandorea plants (Pandorea jasminoides, Zones 9–11) that I hope that one day they climb over the arch. Personally, I get satisfaction from sitting back, looking at the garden and what I have accomplished, and saying “I did that” at the end of the day. Gardening means so much to me—it’s calming, relaxing, and truly enjoyable. When I’m in the garden, I forget my worries and focus on my plants. I hope you get inspiration to go our into your garden more after seeing mine. Regards, Gabrielle It’s easy to see that Gabrielle has been hard at work! While the garden is already lush and green with thick plantings in border beds, many of the new trees that were planted are mulched, staked and ready for years of growth. This open expanse will eventually become way more shady and private (although it doesn’t look like Gabrielle needs to worry about peeping neighbors). Throughout Gabrielle’s landscape are various statues that add elegance, art, and personality to the garden. Some also provide the opportunity for more planting, like this bird bath and its colorful collection of succulents. Around the base of the bird bath a small collection of gaura adds some more color. Another statue becomes a focal point, and even gets a vine for a scarf. I’m assuming this is the cycad that Gabrielle mentioned in her intro is over 30 years old! Often mistaken for palms, cycads are actually more closely related to conifers and have a fascinating history that predates homosapiens. Cycads were once found in abundance across the globe, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. They are now extremely rare in the wild, but in the garden they make a huge statement while reminding us of the evolution of our planet. The reality Gabrielle created from her arch vision! On both sides you can see the young pandorea plants in position to cover the arch. Also known as ‘Bower vine’, pandorea is a woody, evergreen climber with stunning trumpet-shaped flowers. A swinging bench to sit and enjoy the garden will become even lovelier when the new plantings grow in around it! One last statue on an ornate pillar and surrounded by lush greenery. Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful photos of your garden with us, Gabrielle! It always eye-opening to see what grows on the opposite end of the world, from the familiar to the never-been-seen-before.   Have a garden you’d like to share? Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit! To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden. Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening! Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here. Fine Gardening Recommended Products Corona® Multi-Purpose Metal Mini Garden Shovel Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs. Longer Service Life: The blade of this round small shovel is made of carbon steel, which can effectively improve the hardness by high temperature quenching, and the surface has anti-rust coating to avoid rusting. In the process of use when encountering hard objects will not bend and deformation. Sturdy Structure: The small garden shovel with D-handle, ergonomically designed grip can increase the grip of the hand when using, the handle is made of strong fiberglass, will not bend and break under heavy pressure. Quick Digging: Well-made digging shovel has a sharp blade, and the round shovel head is designed to easily penetrate the soil and cut quickly while digging to enhance your work efficiency. Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs. Featuring gorgeous photography and advice for landscapers, Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West is dedicated to the idea of a new nature—a hybrid of both the wild and the cultivated—that can nourish in our cities and suburbs. Niteangel Natural Wooden Insect Hotel, Garden Insect House for Ladybugs, lacewings, Butterfly, Bee, Bug Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs. The insect nest box provide a safe environment where garden creatures can shelter, hibernate and lay their eggs, the insect house can also keep insects from entering your warm room. The insect hotel makes it easy to find and observe fascinating creatures. the butterfly, bees and ladybugs can use this product as habitat. Dry wood and Bamboo can be home to many insects such as ladybirds and lacewings which eat aphids and help keep your plants pest-free. the insect hotel improve the growth of plants in your yard by attracting beneficial insects. The iron design on the top can keep the insect house from rainwater. Let the insect house have a longer useful life and make the insects more comfortable. If you only have a balcony or yard, the hanging garden shelter is ideal as it provides a choice of suitable habitats in a small area. Source link

[angusstory]

Hi GPODers! While most of us in the Northern Hemisphere are counting down the days until spring finally arrives next month, our neighbors to the south are starting to say goodbye to summer. As many of us look out to snow and ice, we head Down Under to visit Gabrielle Sheppard in Dondingalong, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the eastern coast (about half way between Sydney and Brisbane) Gabrielle’s lush landscape is a beautiful taste of what gardening in the Southern Hemisphere looks like right now. My garden is situated on the mid north coast west of Kempsey, in Dondingalong on 3 acres. I’ve lived here my whole life and started gardening from a young age with my mother as a little girl. I have various plants in my garden and have recently planted over 20 different varieties of trees, shrubs and succulents. I also planted a Japenese maple tree earlier this year as our first daughter’s middle name is Maple and the name of the tree holds a special place in my heart. I thought how beautiful the leaves will look on it when the seasons change. I just  think they are so beautiful, so of course it had to come home with me. I have also planted magnolias, flame trees (Brachychiton acerifolius, Zones 9–11), blue cypress pine (Callitris columellaris, Zones 9–12) and lavender to attract plenty of bees not to mention plenty of others. I have a lot of different coloured pigfaces (Carpobrotus glaucescens, Zones 8–11) that always put a smile on my face when I go out into the garden and they have opened up and show their beautiful vibrant colour inside them. A big statement piece to the garden is the cycad that has been planted for 30 + years. It is massive and simply tells it own story. A few months ago I had an image of making my own arch, so I decided to make the image become a reality and made my own arch in the garden and painted it. I’ve now planted two climbing pandorea plants (Pandorea jasminoides, Zones 9–11) that I hope that one day they climb over the arch. Personally, I get satisfaction from sitting back, looking at the garden and what I have accomplished, and saying “I did that” at the end of the day. Gardening means so much to me—it’s calming, relaxing, and truly enjoyable. When I’m in the garden, I forget my worries and focus on my plants. I hope you get inspiration to go our into your garden more after seeing mine. Regards, Gabrielle It’s easy to see that Gabrielle has been hard at work! While the garden is already lush and green with thick plantings in border beds, many of the new trees that were planted are mulched, staked and ready for years of growth. This open expanse will eventually become way more shady and private (although it doesn’t look like Gabrielle needs to worry about peeping neighbors). Throughout Gabrielle’s landscape are various statues that add elegance, art, and personality to the garden. Some also provide the opportunity for more planting, like this bird bath and its colorful collection of succulents. Around the base of the bird bath a small collection of gaura adds some more color. Another statue becomes a focal point, and even gets a vine for a scarf. I’m assuming this is the cycad that Gabrielle mentioned in her intro is over 30 years old! Often mistaken for palms, cycads are actually more closely related to conifers and have a fascinating history that predates homosapiens. Cycads were once found in abundance across the globe, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. They are now extremely rare in the wild, but in the garden they make a huge statement while reminding us of the evolution of our planet. The reality Gabrielle created from her arch vision! On both sides you can see the young pandorea plants in position to cover the arch. Also known as ‘Bower vine’, pandorea is a woody, evergreen climber with stunning trumpet-shaped flowers. A swinging bench to sit and enjoy the garden will become even lovelier when the new plantings grow in around it! One last statue on an ornate pillar and surrounded by lush greenery. Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful photos of your garden with us, Gabrielle! It always eye-opening to see what grows on the opposite end of the world, from the familiar to the never-been-seen-before.   Have a garden you’d like to share? Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit! To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden. Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening! Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here. Fine Gardening Recommended Products Corona® Multi-Purpose Metal Mini Garden Shovel Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs. Longer Service Life: The blade of this round small shovel is made of carbon steel, which can effectively improve the hardness by high temperature quenching, and the surface has anti-rust coating to avoid rusting. In the process of use when encountering hard objects will not bend and deformation. Sturdy Structure: The small garden shovel with D-handle, ergonomically designed grip can increase the grip of the hand when using, the handle is made of strong fiberglass, will not bend and break under heavy pressure. Quick Digging: Well-made digging shovel has a sharp blade, and the round shovel head is designed to easily penetrate the soil and cut quickly while digging to enhance your work efficiency. Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs. Featuring gorgeous photography and advice for landscapers, Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West is dedicated to the idea of a new nature—a hybrid of both the wild and the cultivated—that can nourish in our cities and suburbs. Niteangel Natural Wooden Insect Hotel, Garden Insect House for Ladybugs, lacewings, Butterfly, Bee, Bug Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs. The insect nest box provide a safe environment where garden creatures can shelter, hibernate and lay their eggs, the insect house can also keep insects from entering your warm room. The insect hotel makes it easy to find and observe fascinating creatures. the butterfly, bees and ladybugs can use this product as habitat. Dry wood and Bamboo can be home to many insects such as ladybirds and lacewings which eat aphids and help keep your plants pest-free. the insect hotel improve the growth of plants in your yard by attracting beneficial insects. The iron design on the top can keep the insect house from rainwater. Let the insect house have a longer useful life and make the insects more comfortable. If you only have a balcony or yard, the hanging garden shelter is ideal as it provides a choice of suitable habitats in a small area. Source link

[tumibaba]

Hi GPODers! While most of us in the Northern Hemisphere are counting down the days until spring finally arrives next month, our neighbors to the south are starting to say goodbye to summer. As many of us look out to snow and ice, we head Down Under to visit Gabrielle Sheppard in Dondingalong, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the eastern coast (about half way between Sydney and Brisbane) Gabrielle’s lush landscape is a beautiful taste of what gardening in the Southern Hemisphere looks like right now. My garden is situated on the mid north coast west of Kempsey, in Dondingalong on 3 acres. I’ve lived here my whole life and started gardening from a young age with my mother as a little girl. I have various plants in my garden and have recently planted over 20 different varieties of trees, shrubs and succulents. I also planted a Japenese maple tree earlier this year as our first daughter’s middle name is Maple and the name of the tree holds a special place in my heart. I thought how beautiful the leaves will look on it when the seasons change. I just  think they are so beautiful, so of course it had to come home with me. I have also planted magnolias, flame trees (Brachychiton acerifolius, Zones 9–11), blue cypress pine (Callitris columellaris, Zones 9–12) and lavender to attract plenty of bees not to mention plenty of others. I have a lot of different coloured pigfaces (Carpobrotus glaucescens, Zones 8–11) that always put a smile on my face when I go out into the garden and they have opened up and show their beautiful vibrant colour inside them. A big statement piece to the garden is the cycad that has been planted for 30 + years. It is massive and simply tells it own story. A few months ago I had an image of making my own arch, so I decided to make the image become a reality and made my own arch in the garden and painted it. I’ve now planted two climbing pandorea plants (Pandorea jasminoides, Zones 9–11) that I hope that one day they climb over the arch. Personally, I get satisfaction from sitting back, looking at the garden and what I have accomplished, and saying “I did that” at the end of the day. Gardening means so much to me—it’s calming, relaxing, and truly enjoyable. When I’m in the garden, I forget my worries and focus on my plants. I hope you get inspiration to go our into your garden more after seeing mine. Regards, Gabrielle It’s easy to see that Gabrielle has been hard at work! While the garden is already lush and green with thick plantings in border beds, many of the new trees that were planted are mulched, staked and ready for years of growth. This open expanse will eventually become way more shady and private (although it doesn’t look like Gabrielle needs to worry about peeping neighbors). Throughout Gabrielle’s landscape are various statues that add elegance, art, and personality to the garden. Some also provide the opportunity for more planting, like this bird bath and its colorful collection of succulents. Around the base of the bird bath a small collection of gaura adds some more color. Another statue becomes a focal point, and even gets a vine for a scarf. I’m assuming this is the cycad that Gabrielle mentioned in her intro is over 30 years old! Often mistaken for palms, cycads are actually more closely related to conifers and have a fascinating history that predates homosapiens. Cycads were once found in abundance across the globe, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. They are now extremely rare in the wild, but in the garden they make a huge statement while reminding us of the evolution of our planet. The reality Gabrielle created from her arch vision! On both sides you can see the young pandorea plants in position to cover the arch. Also known as ‘Bower vine’, pandorea is a woody, evergreen climber with stunning trumpet-shaped flowers. A swinging bench to sit and enjoy the garden will become even lovelier when the new plantings grow in around it! One last statue on an ornate pillar and surrounded by lush greenery. Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful photos of your garden with us, Gabrielle! It always eye-opening to see what grows on the opposite end of the world, from the familiar to the never-been-seen-before.   Have a garden you’d like to share? Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit! To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden. Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening! Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here. Fine Gardening Recommended Products Corona® Multi-Purpose Metal Mini Garden Shovel Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs. Longer Service Life: The blade of this round small shovel is made of carbon steel, which can effectively improve the hardness by high temperature quenching, and the surface has anti-rust coating to avoid rusting. In the process of use when encountering hard objects will not bend and deformation. Sturdy Structure: The small garden shovel with D-handle, ergonomically designed grip can increase the grip of the hand when using, the handle is made of strong fiberglass, will not bend and break under heavy pressure. Quick Digging: Well-made digging shovel has a sharp blade, and the round shovel head is designed to easily penetrate the soil and cut quickly while digging to enhance your work efficiency. Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs. Featuring gorgeous photography and advice for landscapers, Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West is dedicated to the idea of a new nature—a hybrid of both the wild and the cultivated—that can nourish in our cities and suburbs. Niteangel Natural Wooden Insect Hotel, Garden Insect House for Ladybugs, lacewings, Butterfly, Bee, Bug Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs. The insect nest box provide a safe environment where garden creatures can shelter, hibernate and lay their eggs, the insect house can also keep insects from entering your warm room. The insect hotel makes it easy to find and observe fascinating creatures. the butterfly, bees and ladybugs can use this product as habitat. Dry wood and Bamboo can be home to many insects such as ladybirds and lacewings which eat aphids and help keep your plants pest-free. the insect hotel improve the growth of plants in your yard by attracting beneficial insects. The iron design on the top can keep the insect house from rainwater. Let the insect house have a longer useful life and make the insects more comfortable. If you only have a balcony or yard, the hanging garden shelter is ideal as it provides a choice of suitable habitats in a small area. Source link