#comically large block of ice

[m4rs-ex3]

is it just me or is all the dishware/silverware in the silvergrove comically large

[milykins]

Maybe this is too simple of an ask, so ignore if you wish, but I was just thinking what might Donnie's reaction be to someone (s/o, crush, friend, your choice), making him homemade pop-tarts?

Hey, anon! Thank you for the ask! I apologize for how long it took me to respond to this. I did have some difficulty with writer's block. Definitely not too simple, I did flesh it out a little, so I hope that's okay!

TW: None, aged up characters, Donnie x Reader

Special thanks to @iridescentflamingo for creating the gif! This is for you and the Donnie girls!

Pop-Tarts

It had begun with a game of questions.

“I like… Pop-Tarts.” This was the first bit of information he’d given you when the two of you started getting to know one another. Alright, he had a sweet tooth for pastries; you could get behind that.

A few months later, his brothers spilled the beans. He didn’t just like them; Pop-Tarts were like some kind of oral fixation for him. He licked them. He sat there working in his lab, one hand busily typing or writing while the other hand held a pop-tart.

The one thing you couldn’t understand was their claim that he put them back in the box after licking all the icing off. Why wouldn’t he just toss them if he didn’t want to eat the rest?

Donnie confessed that he hadn’t really been thinking the first time he put one back in, and then it just became a habit. It drove his brothers nuts, and they teased him mercilessly about it. No box was safe; Mikey had to hoard his in his bedroom.

Instead of viewing it as a strange habit, you found it endearing. Donnie had his quirks, yet he was always kind and gentle with you, eagerly showing you his latest projects. You noticed how his face would light up like a solar flare when you entered the lair. He would stop his work and leave his lab to greet you upon hearing your voice.

Your feelings toward him developed slowly. When the two of you first became friends, he explicitly told you that you could call on him anytime, day or night. You liked him a lot. He was a great friend, advice-giver, tech-whiz extraordinaire, and total sweetheart. He’d come to fix your computer a few times and finally built a brand new one with parts he’d salvaged from his old tech.

It was a gesture so sweet that you wanted to do something even sweeter for him. What better idea than to bake him something? Pop tarts, perhaps? The recipe was easy enough: puff pastry, jam filling, and pink icing with sprinkles. Once finished, you’d left them on the counter and gone out to grab a few things for dinner. You hadn’t expected him to drop by and ruin the surprise.

Upon unlocking the door to your apartment, you heard a quiet shuffling in the kitchen. You quickly assumed it was one of the brothers. You had known them long enough by this point that they tended to show up unannounced from time to time. Which brother, though?

Mikey was the prime suspect. He'd been caught a few times stealing snacks, and you worried that your surprise for Donnie had already been ruined. Raph dropped by to borrow DVDs and occasionally watch them, but your living room was empty. Leo, being the most respectful of his brothers, never showed up without calling or texting first, so it couldn't be him. That left... Donnie, and as you turned the corner, you could indeed see it was him.

The scene that greeted you was quite comical indeed. He'd frozen, one of your homemade pop tarts in hand, his large tongue in mid-lick. He turned slowly, looking very much like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"So, it's true what your brothers say." Doing your best to keep your expression neutral, you approached the tall, lanky turtle. "You little thief, those were meant to be a surprise." You deliberately left out the fact that they were a surprise for him; you just wanted to see him squirm a little.

Dropping the treat immediately, Donnie became a stuttering, blushing mess, stumbling over his apology. “I-I-I’m sorry! I saw them and—.”

“You couldn’t help yourself?” you finished for him, slowly making your way over.

He looked so guilty that you almost cracked right then and there. “I’m so sorry, I know I shouldn’t have…”

“No, you shouldn’t have, how dare you?” You were right up to him now, hands on your hips, doing your best to appear annoyed. “I expected this kind of behaviour from Mikey, not you.”

Poor Donnie, deflating even further, had started to back up slightly toward the window. “I’m sorry…” he said for the third and final time. “I’ll compensate you for the ingredients. Maybe it’s best if I just… go.”

No! This isn’t what you wanted. Chastising yourself for taking things too far, you went after him, grabbing his arm before he could leave. “Wait!”

The command was executed in a huff as the turtle in purple turned, his expression confused. “But—.”

“They’re for you!” you rushed out, catching his hazel gaze for a brief moment. “Donnie… I was just teasing… I made them all… for you.” Dropping your hand, you took a deep breath, and the words kept coming. “I wanted to repay you for the computer… and the advice… and the help… just everything.”

He regarded you quietly as your gaze dropped, and you rubbed your bicep awkwardly. “They’re for me?” It seemed as though his mind was struggling to catch up, trying to process all the information you’d just given him.

“Yes,” you replied softly. “You never finish the store-bought kind, so I thought you’d prefer these ones. I’ll understand if you don’t; I just—”

It felt like a switch had been flipped. He wrapped those long arms of his right around you, drawing you close to his chest. “I love them. Thank you.”

You felt a wave of relief as you sank into his embrace, sliding your arms up under his to grasp his shoulders. “You’re welcome.” Now, you were overwhelmed by the urge to finally reveal the feelings you had hidden inside all along. “Donnie… I…”

The moment you looked up at him, his mouth descended on yours in the sweetest of kisses. Warmth pooled in your belly as you responded, giving his shoulders a gentle squeeze until he pulled away. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.” He let out an awkward laugh.

“Me too,” you murmured, the biggest, stupidest grin on your face. “I wanted to tell you.”

“In a way, you did.” He chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling. “No one has ever made something like this for me before.”

It was during this exchange that you had pulled away slightly and taken his hand, guiding him back to the kitchen and handing him the discarded treat from earlier. “Well, Pop-Tarts are your thing, aren’t they?” you giggled. “I still don’t understand how you manage to lick the icing off the store-bought ones. I bet you can’t.”

Donnie took another swipe of icing with his tongue. “Care to test that theory sometime?” He was grinning now too, raising an eyeridge playfully. “For science, of course.”

You had to laugh, but the double meaning behind his words stirred something within you. “For science… I think we might have to test out a few different types of icing.” This playful flirting was new and exciting, and you craved more of it.

By now, Donnie had nearly finished the pop-tart in two large bites. “Mm…” His groan of satisfaction said it all; he loved them. He took the last bite and carefully tugged you close again. “Delicious! Don’t let Mikey find these; I want them all to myself.”

“I can do that,” you whisper as you’re pressed against him once more. “As long as I can have you all to myself, then we have a deal.”

“Deal.” His mouth was on yours again, as if he were starving for your kisses, drinking in the warmth and softness of your body.

Nothing more needed to be said, but Donnie intended to use your counter for something other than baking. That day you discovered he had quite the tongue, indeed.

End.

Taglist:

@danceingfae @thelaundrybitch @iridescentflamingo @redsrooftopprincess @ninnosaurus

@the-cauldron-witch @thepinkpanther83 @avery73 @adebauchedsloth @sophiacloud28

@definitely-canon @scholastic-dragon @truffle-reblogs @fyreball66 @yorshie

[bisexualenbyblueberry]

My Favourite Details This Season

Callum pacing and tossing the cube in episode 1 he's just like me fr

"I heard you were up here losing your mind ;)"

"Lots of books, I like books :D"

"I HAVE AN IDEA" "So,,,, what's your idea-" *runs out of room*

"I HAVE A SECRET PLAN" with the most dramatic stage whisper I've ever heard

SNEEZLES IN CALLUM'S SCARF

Pyrrah stretching like a cat

Literally every interaction Soren and Corvus have. The party conversation. "Maybe it's edible" "NO, and PLEASE don't find out" and then Corvus having to tell him to spit it out. "You’re a man of mystery, Corvus ;)))" and "You clearly didn’t learn anything at camp 🙄🙄🙄" “It’s not great.” “Yeah I tried. “Okay” “It’s the effort”. Soren’s head falling onto Corvus’ chest

Janai being so damn tall. I swear to god this woman grows like a foot every season. What is happening to her. Why is she like that

"Wake up kids!" When they arrive at the frozen sea

"It’s literally frozen in time 😮" "it’s literally frozen in ice, it’s figuratively frozen in time"

"The frozen ship, so sad😔"

Rayla sitting on the table reading a book imagining the characters she’s so silly

“Is Rayla crying?? I’M COMING RAYLA 😡😡😡”

“Rayla! I’m here!” *door slams in his face*

"NO PUNCHING THE BOAT" and Callum's facial expression and pose afterwards 😭

Sneezles and Stella being buddies

“Your breath is warm” “Oh…sorry”

The way they SITTT (Karim in his throne, Janai after trying to burn the tree, Soren against the wall in the first meeting, Miyana on the rocks in the second episode, Ezran on his bed, Janai near the tree, Rayla lying on her bed and on the table)

 RAYLLUM ON THE SIDE OF THE SHIP

“ARE YOU BEGGING FOR MERCY?” “NO” “GOOD, YOU DON'T DESERVE ANY” HOLYYYY SHIT

Terry's glasses making their heavily anticipated return

"And this is Rayla- wait, did you want to do your own intro?"

"Welcome to the starscraper 😌" "WELCOME?! YOU NEARLY KILLED US" "Nearly, but the fates seem to have another path in mind for you" "The FATES?! What does that even... is that even an apology?!"

"Okay, you both seem on the nice side, so not to be rude... as if somehow this is ruder than throwing people out from a great height🙄🙄🙄..."

“Wait, is everyone else wearing blindfolds too?” “That is a joke.” “Yeah it was funny 😡”

Astrid saying Callum has greasy hair

STELLA TRYING TO STEAL THE SKETCHBOOK

“Where’d you get that comically large block of ice”

Callum trying and failing to use Rayla’s blade and almost cutting his fingers off

“How do I insult a star spider? 😆 Ezran would know what to do- ow OW HEY”

Astrid’s little trans speech your honor I love her

"This orb.... is a giant peice of candy 😐"

Jack De Sena's voice acting in Kosmo's hallucination?? Hello?? Poured out his heart and soul all for a hypothetical

"A child will die 😠" I'M SORRY IT'S A FINE LINE BUT IT CATERS TOO MUCH TO MY SENSE OF HUMOUR FOR ME TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY

Wind elk :)))))

The awkward giggles when they're about to kiss that first time

THE VOWS, THE WAY THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER, THE CEREMONIES??? EVERYTHING ABOUT THE WEDDING IS PERFECT I’M CRYING

The entire “fiscal exercices” conversation 

“HER DAD JUST DIED”

Leola. Just everything about Leola she's just like me fr

Feel free to add on because I certainly will. This list is like 50% unfinished

[juyeonszn]

WHAT IS LOVE?

PAIRING ₊˚⊹ lee juyeon x f!reader

GENRES ₊˚⊹ fluff﹒crack﹒angst﹒slice of life

WARNINGS ₊˚⊹ mature language bc even on a different blog i won’t ever change, uni!au, reader is a matchmaker, juyeon plays baseball, lots of kys and kms jokes, sunwoo is an incel, a bunch of lesbian jokes, um one sided pining for a while, like i am absolutely ruthless to reader for a Hot Minute i am so sorry, but it’s okay!!! bc then i’m also ruthless to juyeon, the unrequited love in this series goes crazy, it wouldn’t be a fawn smau without a second lead — so there is a small second lead moment, most of the written parts are full of sheer Angst and i’m not sorry about it, there’s like idol shipping in here ? but it’s for the sake of the plot i swear i don’t condone idol shipping 😭 it’s literally in my carrd, the bullying in this smau goes even crazier, ummm for some reason there are a lot of barbie references towards the end

FEATURING ₊˚⊹ the rest of tbz, soyeon + yuqi from (g)-idle, seonghwa from ateez, lee know from skz, sakura from le sserafim, dahyun + tzuyu from twice, jaehyun from nct and mingyu from seventeen

SUMMARY ₊˚⊹ all is well in the business of matchmaking. except it’s actually not, because lee juyeon, the school’s star baseball player, has just come to you for help in obtaining the girl of his dreams. oh yeah! and he happens to be the guy you’ve had a crush on since your first year of university.

STATUS ₊˚⊹ complete!

BEGINNING ₊˚⊹ august 1st, 2023

ENDING ₊˚⊹ october 19th, 2023

MORE ₊˚⊹ HIIIII hello!!! my first smau on another blog this is crazy ?!!2!!22!!2 fun fact; in case the plot seems familiar, it was an old wip for yeonjunszn that i had for jake from enhypen and decided to scrap for reasons that i do not remember LOL but then it came back to me and i decided to redo it for juyo bc it was so juyo-coded and now we’re here 🤗 send an ask to join the taglist (bc note and dm notifs get swallowed up with the ones from my other blog)!!

PROFILES ₊˚⊹ realize real eyes real lies | ball hitters + the token lesbian | ouran high school host club (+ tzuyu)

ONE ₊˚⊹ i’m the ceo president and chair mama

TWO ₊˚⊹ the hwang yeji incident

THREE ₊˚⊹ i hide and u seek therapy!

FOUR ₊˚⊹ /s or /j

FIVE ₊˚⊹ setting virgins up with other virgins

SIX ₊˚⊹ POSER FAKE FAN

SEVEN ₊˚⊹ #mancrushfriday #mrstealyogirl

EIGHT ₊˚⊹ I HATE WHEN WOMEN ARE RIGHT

NINE ₊˚⊹ the start of a W matchmaking season

TEN ₊˚⊹ ur on THIN ICE JAMAL

ELEVEN ₊˚⊹ Just Like A Doughnut (2.04k)

TWELVE ₊˚⊹ need a comically large piano to fall on top of me

THIRTEEN ₊˚⊹ hit tweet follow me 🙌🙏

FOURTEEN ₊˚⊹ what the bell are u talking about

FIFTEEN ₊˚⊹ THAT WAS A CRY FOR HELP

SIXTEEN ₊˚⊹ chest heavy eyes misty

SEVENTEEN ₊˚⊹ they laugh at me cause i’m emo

EIGHTEEN ₊˚⊹ sangyeon boyfriend material era

NINETEEN ₊˚⊹ Blocked and Reported for threatening language

TWENTY ₊˚⊹ A Hole In The Shape Of You (2.17k)

TWENTY ONE ₊˚⊹ men against song yuqi

TWENTY TWO ₊˚⊹ i thought we were friends.

TWENTY THREE ₊˚⊹ u think i’m pretty??? 🥰

TWENTY FOUR ₊˚⊹ for research purposes

TWENTY FIVE ₊˚⊹ The Middle Of My Heart (1.60k)

TWENTY SIX ₊˚⊹ AND THE CROWD GOES WILD

TWENTY SEVEN ₊˚⊹ to me it was

TWENTY EIGHT ₊˚⊹ clown to clown communication

TWENTY NINE ₊˚⊹ A Space Just For You (2.05k)

THIRTY ₊˚⊹ THE JUYEON THERAPY FUND

THIRTY ONE ₊˚⊹ is this pic AI generated

THIRTY TWO ₊˚⊹ i’m gay…

THIRTY THREE ₊˚⊹ 11:11 make a wish

THIRTY FOUR ₊˚⊹ Our Love Loop (2.62k)

THIRTY FIVE ₊˚⊹ graduated from bitchless university

© juyeonszn. do not steal, claim, or repost.

[ask-the-fire-spirit-cookie]

Oh boy I'm just ganna place my comically large block of ice here, I sure do hope the legendary guardian of fire doesn't show up out of nowhere and evaporate it to nothing, or something.

. . .hm-

[red-riot-unbreakable-heart]

Midoriya: Oh no! Kacchan - Todoroki accidentally froze my hand! *holds up hand in a comically large ice block*

Bakugo: Well go ask him to melt it!!

Midoriya: I was hoping you could help me instead!

Bakugo: And what the hell do you want me to do about it you damn nerd!?

Midoriya: Well I was thinking you could put your palm on my frozen hand and use your quirk to -

Bakugo: Icy Hot! Get over here - why the hell did you freeze this idiot?

Todoroki: He said it was the only way to get you to hold his hand.

Bakugo:

Midoriya:

Midoriya: Todoroki, why would you blow up my spot like this.

[roguelawau]

Welcome to Rogue Law, the Persona AU where adults beat up a false god!

Blog run by @moonknightproductions

Feel free to tag or use #rogue law au if you make any creative works related to this AU! Info under the cut

Set from April 2019-March 2020, canon compliant, Eternal Punishment’s timeline.

Tokyo has been targeted by a vengeful Nyarlathotep and fallen to the rumor curse. Even worse, he’s trapped the Phantom Thieves in a Maruki-esque pocket reality, one that even the Trickster can’t escape barring outside assistance. The Crawling Chaos’ goal? To fuse This World with the Other World and fulfilling the Oracle of Maia (again). Without the Phantom Thieves’ help, how will the city shake off the curse?

Why, with the help of these fine ladies and gents:

Katsuya Suou, 46-47 — Helios, pierce, fire, Justice, detective (hobby patissier)

Akihiko Sanada, 29-30 — Polydeuces, strike, elec, Emperor, Shadow Operative

Ryotaro Dojima, 50-51 — Fukurokuju, slash, psi/support/(de)buffs, Temperance, detective

Naoto Shirogane, 24 — Sukuna-Hikona, pierce, light/dark (bless/curse), Strength, Detective Prince

Chie Satonaka, 24-25 — Tomoe, strike, mainly force and ice, Star, rookie police officer

Sojiro Sakura, n/a — Chiron, strike, healing/earth, Heirophant, former government worker involved with cognitive psience research through a connection to Wakaba Iishiki

Sae Niijima, n/a — Themis, strike, water, Chariot, defense attorney

Toranosuke Yoshida, n/a — Amun-Ra, slash, wind, Sun, Diet member

Zenkichi Hasegawa, 42-43 — Valjean, slash, phys/gun, Hanged Man, pubsec

Toshiro Kasukabe, n/a — Ernesto, pierce, nuke, Lovers, Diet member (also navigator when needed)

Like most spinoffs, the party has one main Persona and sub-Personas. Sub-Personas can only be equipped to certain people who have affinity for those demon races (e.g. Sae has affinity to Fairy, Sojiro to Boss, etc.) mostly to prevent overleveling lol

Locations:

Tokyo, Leblanc is main hub/hideout. Pocket dimensions spring up in various prefectures acting as the dungeons, known as Bubbles.

The goal of the party is to burst the Bubbles and rescue those trapped in them. They can either be large and encompass a huge area, localized to a few blocks, or even over a single person (leading to basically Mementos missions). Even Persona-users aren’t safe if they get trapped in one, so you have a limited number of days to save targets before they completely succumb. For the 7 main dungeons, you have approximately a month from when you discover them.

Supporting cast:

Weapons and armor: Officer Kurosawa Rare weapons and armor: Daidara Medicine: Tae Takemi In-dungeon healing: Trish Rumormongers: Kuzunoha Detective Agency, Tokyo branch; Yukino Mayuzumi, Maya Amano Sidequests: Baofu, Ulala Serizawa (mostly person-saving quests like in 3, some lead to cameos)

Velvet Room:

A police station tucked away inside an abandoned building in Yongen-Jaya. Residents: Igor Nameless and Belladonna Henry (attendant, named after Henry Clerval), dressed in a Velvet Room-ified TMPD sergeant uniform Philemon, who was kicked out of the Sea of Souls by Nyarlathotep (gives you extra scenarios) (also save points like in 4) Fusion accidents are the cards tearing in half and being taped back together wrong

OOC: Moon here! This isn't so much an AU as a what-if scenario. I don't have any plans to make this into a comic series or ask blog or anything, but I do want to put the idea out there so that people who are interested can make creative works based on it, and have this be a sort of hub for works related to the AU. If people have suggestions for how to make the AU even better or fun additions, feel free to tag the blog and I'll reblog them.

[transistor-rhythm-909]

Updated character references for the main cast of Kantai no Ashi, a series of fictional action games developed by my fake game company Nincom. The basic gist; the first game was roughly Nincom's equivalent to Sega's Shinobi but not as polished (and was, in terms of setting and plot, fairly grounded in reality, centred around the clash between a benelovent clan of Ninja and a Yakuza family), though it found some moderate success. This lead to a sequel that introduced overt supernatural elements, and simultaneous two player (alongside a considerably more quirky new playable character alongside the original PC), and a slightly faster pace. This entry was much better received and far more popular/successful, leading to a third game that introduced two even weirder playable characters (one of whom was a returning PC from an older Nincom game), blended sci-fi and surreal elements with the supernatural, and dialled everything- the setting, the gameplay, the visual presentation- up to 11, at which point the series' popularity exploded and became a big moneymaker for Nincom with many more games to follow. Also all the player characters have Sick Kicks™️ because I'm Me.

Here's the bios of everyone in order:

Sayori Tokuzawa: Introduced as the sole playable character in Kantai no Ashi 1. A former member of a clan of Ninja's that kept tabs on Japan's criminal underworld. Comically serious about absolutely everything (Justice and Fairness in particular), and more than a little uptight. Only known to smile when doting on her pet bearded dragon. Hates the taste and smell of tea. Becomes the 'jack of all stats' character from KnA 3 onwards with regard to her ranged weapon, melee, and health stats, but remains the fastest movement wise. Kicks of choice: Converse All Stars.

Infiltration Unit Model E5-3113, codename "Estelle": Introduced in KnA 2 as the second playable character. An android designed for infiltration and assassination by a shady political consortium. Cold, efficient, largely emotionless- but EXTREMELY bloodthirsty and prone to overkill, making her a bit of a loose cannon. Surprisingly good at writing poetry. Surprisingly clumsy outside of combat. From KnA3 onwards, her ranged weapon stats are the strongest, but is balanced out by slow movement speed and the lowest health stat. Kicks of choice: Adidas Superstars.

Petra ("it means 'stone'"): Introduced in KnA3 as the third playable character, though she originally starred in an earlier, much more obscure Nincom game. Found frozen, fully intact in a block of ice, and subsequently revived and put to work for her exceptional strength. She's lazy and kind of dim, but she's also fairly loyal and throws one hell of a party. She's taken a keen interest in videogames. Cannot adjust to any modern food and basically just eats unseasoned, grilled meat. Has the strongest melee attack and health stats, but the lowest ranged attack stat, though her movement speed is average. Kicks of Choice: Nike Air Jordans (though she sported more rustic 'caveman era' 'sneakers' in her debut game).

Za-Ryn (self-identified romanised moniker, as humans like the necessary biology to pronounce her name in its original language): Introduced in KnA3 as the fourth playable character. Formerly part of invading force that came to earth in the 1950s, she defected to the humans' side and fought alongside them. Easily the smartest and kindest member of the team, though she has her limits (and they are frequently tested by her compatriots). Is an avid fan of Gaelic Football. Incapable of perceiving the colour Yellow. Has flat out average stats in every department, but is the only character capable of picking up weapons dropped by enemies. Kicks of Choice: Keds Champions

[zuppizup]

So, the comically large block of ice.

I assumed Callum “Aspiro Friggis-ed” that bad boy.

I just thought he was a weirdo for making it a cube.

[lanitalay]

Before I Say Goodnight Chapter 11

a/n: Things are picking uppppp

Word count: 3.8k

Warnings: Angst! canon typical mentions of violence. some fluff

Other Chapters

You spent an hour showing Azriel all the photos on your phone and telling him the stories behind the really silly ones. He’s fascinated by all of it: your life, your world. It’s all so foreign yet so similar to his own. You turn it off and turn to him “I feel like I talked too much” you smile sheepishly. “Not at all, I love listening to your stories” he looks around and then says “want to do something fun?” 

“I don’t think this was a good idea” you are stiff as a board as Azriel leads you around the frozen Sidra. “Do they not have ice skating in your world?” One foot slides in front of the other and you almost fall flat but he keeps you upright. “Yes we do but where I lived it didn’t snow so I never did it” you shiver. “You need a thicker coat, this one won’t do” he holds your hands and skates in front of you. He spreads his wings to block out most of the wind. “Bend your knees a little” you do as he says and feel a bit more stable. “Az, I don’t mean to be a downer but can we do something else?” He chuckles, “sure” and changes course. 

You’re walking up the path to the River House and linger a few steps behind Azriel, spotting a fire pit. “Let's make smores!” he doesn’t know what they are, you realize as he stares at you with no recognition in his eyes. “Come on” and drag him to the kitchen. 

“Ok so you put the marshmallow on the stick and roast it until it gets melty, then you make a little sandwich with the chocolate and the crackers” you explain as you hand him a marshmallow on a stick. You involuntarily giggle as you watch him methodically twirl the stick so the marshmallow is evenly roasted. “What?” He asks “nothing”, you look back to your own marshmallow and curse when you realize it caught on fire, now it’s him who laughs. 

“Try it” he looks comically large with the tiny smore in his hands “I’m sure I’ll like it”. You insist “try it!” He smiles and bites down and his eyes go wide “it’s good isn’t it?” He nods “it’s really good” you do a little dance, excited that he enjoyed it. You moan when you bite down on yours “I missed these”. 

Your head is on his shoulder and his wing is wrapped around you as you watch the sun come up. “Are you going to go back with Lucien?” You suppose the bubble had to burst at some point. Reality sets in as the first rays of sunlight hit your face. “Yes” he doesn’t say anything for a while “I’ve missed you at the house” you focus on the sunrise “I’ve missed you too, but I’m doing better now” his wings shift. “What was so bad about being here?” The ice on the Sidra is sparkling now. You lift your head from his shoulder “nothing was bad. But I felt isolated and the days in the library were driving me crazy. My life revolved around the portal and getting back. I loved spending time with you and the others… but I felt like I was caged in. And in the Human Lands I’ve been able to move forward. I really like what I’m doing at the Apothecary and can see a future for myself” he nods. “You don’t see a future here? With us?” You shrug “not really. I really appreciate your friendship and all of your help but my life will be much shorter than yours… and I can’t imagine aging and withering away while all of you remain intact” his face hardens. “So what? You’ll build a life in the human lands and forget that we exist?” You knew he wouldn’t be happy with your answer but couldn’t bring yourself to lie. “I’ll never forget you, but I would like to have a regular life, similar to the one I used to have”. You can hear the house start to wake up behind you “if I asked you to stay with me, would that change anything?” You stay quiet for a moment. There was something between you, more than friendship. “No. You wouldn’t have a full life with me”. He grabs your hand “that’s not true”. A breeze ruffled the barren branches  on the trees around you “yes it is, I have sixty years left if I’m lucky. We wouldn’t be able to have kids and soon enough I’d just be a burden” he turns his head to face you and you remain looking ahead. “You’d never be a burden. Not to me” taking a steadying breath you look at him “let’s just enjoy the rest of the holiday, yeah?” He thinks about it, clearly not happy about the outcome of the conversation “alright”. 

“I think this is a bit excessive” you turn away from the mirror and look at Azriel. He is doing a terrible job of concealing his amusement “you need a coat”. You scowl “yes, a coat. This is more of a collection of pillows sewn together. I can barely move my arms in this, how am I supposed to ride a horse?” He can’t contain his laughter as you strain to move your arms. The coat was made for someone much taller and bigger than you but Azriel insisted you try it on. “Oh, I’m glad you are enjoying this. Help me take it off” he lifts the heavy coat from your shoulders and you wipe sweat from your brow. “That thing is like a sauna” he hands you one that looks more wearable “try this one”. It was much better than the last, lilac colored and lined with high quality wool, the outside was a flexible waterproof material “I like it”. He was smiling when you turn to him “that color suits you”. 

“We’re leaving in the morning,” Lucien tells you. You knew your visit would be brief, God knows what Jurian and Vassa have gotten up to while the two of you were away, but it still stung. “Alright” Lucien walks over to where you’re sitting “you can stay if you want”. You shake your head “no, I told Muriel I wouldn’t be gone long”. He nods. “We should probably go have dinner with everyone” you stand and link your arm with his.

When you returned to the Manor you quickly rode down to the Apothecary. Not willing to sit idly as your thoughts spiraled. Muriel was happy to see you. “Hi, darlin’. How was your Solstice?” You take off your coat and go to hug her “it was really nice. How about yours?” She lets out a long breath “It was very hectic, let me tell you. The whole family got together at my little house and my niece’s baby would not stop cryin’. Poor thing had a fever the whole day”. You frown, I’m sorry to hear that '' she shrugs “he’s teethin’, not much can be done about it. That’s a pretty coat” you grin “it was a present”. Her eyebrows raise “is he handsome?” You blush “yes, very”.  Who is he? Is he from the village?” You shake your head, “he lives further North”. Muriel didn’t know about your situation. She knew you lived in one of the big houses in the countryside but she did not know that your roommates were a Mortal Queen, a resurrected male and an heir of Autumn. “That’s a shame, I would’ve loved to tease you” at which you laugh and begin to work “I’m sure you’ll find other things to tease me about”. 

The weather was brutal after the Solstice. Everyday got colder and colder. You had started to leave the Apothecary after lunch because the road to the Manor would become treacherous with afternoon snow and ice, some days you couldn’t go at all.  

You left the shop when it had started to snow, wanting to avoid getting trapped in the small space. You weren’t expecting to be caught in a blizzard.  But twenty minutes after leaving you could not see more than a foot in front of you. Panic. Fear. Cold. You did not know what to do in this situation. The only thing that did not seem completely suicidal was to stay in place and hope the blizzard passes quickly, then you could find your way home. 

You never found out how long the storm lasted. 

Never made your way home. 

A cold blunt object struck the back of your head and the world went black before you hit the ground. 

It felt like an elephant was stomping on you. You take a few breaths before attempting to open your eyes. Each movement sent a wave of pain up your spine and to your head. When you peak through half closed eyes. It was dark. Eyes open fully now and you can barely see your hand in front of your face. You’re lying on your side on cold stone floors. What the fuck. When you lift yourself on all fours the world spins and you empty your stomach immediately. Concussion. The last thing you remember is the sound of metal against something hard. My head. Your heart starts to beat faster. Reality setting in. Crawling around the room, you find that three walls are pure stone and one is a metal grate. You feel for any other injuries and sigh in relief as you realize you are fully clothed and unscathed. Your stomach drops as you hear wood creaking. Light flooding the chamber you were trapped in. Slow steps approach. Low voices murmuring. There’s more than one.  You crawl to one corner and make yourself as small as you can. If you can’t run then you might as well try to hide. 

“You say a new one was captured yesterday?” an authoritative voice echoes. “Yes, sir. Her capture was executed during the blizzard. The men took extra care to leave no traces” no response. “Which cell is she in?” The steps stopped “Number ten, sir”. “Very well, go prepare the horses, I’ll be done here shortly” steps fade away as whoever was there leaves. Heavy steps near the cell. You try to breathe normally but your heart is beating too fast. Even crouched on the floor you’re lightheaded. “What do we have here?” you don’t dare look up, keeping your head tightly between your arms. The voice is laced with the promise of violence. They strike against the grates of your cell. The sound makes you jump, your head lifting as your arms come out in front of you, trying to block the impact. Your eyes are shut and a few seconds pass before you open them. You clam up, recognizing the male on the other side. 

“Y/n?” the male asks, genuinely confused. 

Lucien had winnowed to the Manor after visiting Tamlin. Each visit was worse than the last, this time Tamlin only grunted at him, still in his beast form. It was light out when it started to snow. “Where’s y/n?” He asked Jurian “at the Apothecary”, Lucien frowned. The weather was bound to get worse and the Manor was about an hour on horseback from the shop. “I’m going to get her before she gets stuck in the blizzard” Jurian nodded, and said teasingly “I should go with you, humans are still uneasy around your kind”. It was the truth, there were humans that still feared the fae. Lucien couldn’t blame them. Generations of fearing his kind and the recent war gave them more than enough reason to harbor animosity towards them. 

He waited down the street from the shop while Jurian went to tell y/n they had to leave. “Muriel said she already left” his shoulders sagged in relief, “she must be home by now” and winnowed back to the Manor. 

Lucien suspected that something was off when the horse, his horse, was missing from the stables. He decided to wait half an hour before going out to look for her himself. 

He knew that something went wrong when the horse showed up in the middle of the blizzard. Without a rider. 

Vassa confirmed that something had happened when the sun set. “It was a convoy, they knocked her out before she knew what was happening. I followed them until they reached one of the tunnels”. 

“Why am I here?” Your voice is uneven. Eris’s eyes are wide “my father ordered that you be captured”. 

“Why?” 

“I don’t know, but you won’t be here for long” his voice was gentle now, you had never heard him speak like that. Most of your interactions were sarcastic retorts. The door opens again “Sir?” 

“I’ll be up in a minute” he shouts to the same voice from before then looks at you again “are you hurt?” You nod “I think I have a concussion”. His nostrils flare “anything else?” You shake your head. He looks towards the door again then back at you “come closer”. You manage to get up and walk towards him, leaning on the grates as the world spins. He whispers “I’ll be back later. Do not speak to anyone. Don’t react if someone comes in. You being here must be a mistake, so just lay low and I’ll get you out soon” you nod “where am I?” He sighs “this is the Autumn Court dungeons. I’ll be back soon. Remember what I told you”. He steps away from the cell and walks towards the exit.  You have no choice but to huddle in the corner and wait. 

Eris was utterly terrified when he saw that she was his father’s new project. She is just a human girl, he thought as he walked up the stairs and out of the dungeons. What business could Beron want with her? She won’t survive a week down there, let alone torture at the experienced hands of his father. He did not want to think of what would have happened to her if it had been one of his brothers that had made the round today. Eris cut his routine patrol of the Forest House grounds short and made his way to his fathers study. 

Three firm knocks on the mahogany door “enter”, his father commanded. Closing the door behind him he waited to be addressed. “Sit” Beron was reading over some papers, only after he was finished did he look up. “What is it?” Eris remained still, his posture perfectly straight, his face poised in an unreadable mask. “I saw the human girl in the dungeons” Beron leaned back in his chair, relaxed “and?” Eris continues “she seems irrelevant, why waste the time and resources to retrieve her?” The low chuckle that escapes Beron’s lips makes him nauseous. “She seems to be the Night Court’s newest pet. I thought I’d have some fun”. “How is she involved with the Night Court?” He shrugs “I’ll find out when she and I get the chance to talk” it takes more effort that Eris would like to keep his rage unnoticed. He stands and before he is able to leave his father’s voice stops him “when you see Lucien again tell him his choice of company is utterly disappointing” he nods and takes his leave, winnowing to his private wing on the Forest House.

Once he is alone he runs his hands through his hair and lets out the string of curses he had been holding in. The thought of his father being alone with her for even a second makes him sick. He knows she lives with Lucien and he knows she has ties with Night. How long has he been watching her?  He needs to get her food and water, Beron would let his political hostages starve for less. Being associated with Rhysand would be enough to have her flogged.

It's after midnight and the house is dead quiet. Eris winnows from the kitchen to the dungeons without making a sound. He creates a fireball that hovers in front of him for light. The dungeons are pitch black without it. When he makes it to her cell he is relieved to see that she remains untouched. He needs to get her out soon. “Hi” her soft voice brings him out of his thoughts. “I’m sorry I took so long, but here” he hands her a bowl of warm stew through the grates. “Thank you” she reaches for it and immediately digs in “here is some water as well” he says and places the bottle on the floor. “My father knows about your ties to the Night Court” she stops eating and looks straight at him “he has plans to… question you” she gulps. “I need you to tell me everything. He won't tell me why he’s keeping you here and I need to know what he knows so I can get you out” he can see her thinking about what to say. Weighing her options. 

She takes a breath and tells him everything. 

The next day, Eris winnows to the Manor of Exiles. He knocks on the door and is disappointed to see Lucien on the other side. He knows where y/n is but a part of him hoped it had been a hallucination, some sort of roundabout fever dream. “What is it?” His brother has clearly not slept. “Y/n is in the Autumn Court dungeons awaiting questioning” Lucien pales and Eris goes on “Beron has been spying on her for a while, he is aware of her, and your, ties to the Night Court and is going to use her as leverage”. He follows his brother to the sitting room and is forced to repeat what he said to Jurian. “How do we get her out?” Eris explains the situation: Beron’s special interest in you, the guard outside of the dungeons and the grates that only open if his father wills it. “You have to tell Rhysand” that wasn’t a conversation Lucien wanted to have. He didn’t want to see the Shadosinger’s face when he heard the news, he didn’t want to face his wrath. There was no way around it though, so as soon as Eris left he winnowed to Velaris. 

Knocking on the River House door felt like a waste of time, so he just walked in and b-lined for the adjoined studies. He cursed internally when he saw two sets of wings and a shadowy mist. “Rhysand, something happened” the High Lord scrapes his talons along his mental shields and Lucien lets him in. “Gods above” he mutters and looks to the Shadowsinger “what?”. Rhysand sighs “Az, sit down for this” Azriel does not. “Tell me” Lucien speaks first. “Y/n was kidnapped by Beron”. 

Azriel must’ve blacked out “what?” he repeats. Rhysand shows him what Lucien had shown him. The horse without a rider, Vassa telling what he saw from the skies and Eris informing him that their friend’s disappearance was not an accident. He’s going to be sick. He’s going to kill Beron. Siphons flare, cobalt lights the room. “Eris said that they haven’t touched her, if we act soon we can get her out unharmed” Lucien’s voice brings him back. He has to think clearly and they need to come up with a plan, fast. 

Eris winnowed back to the dungeons. It was mid afternoon. He thought that she would probably be hungry by now so he stuffed an apple and a bread roll in his pockets. It was all he could sneak out of the kitchens without raising suspicions. Everyone in this house had sworn loyalty to the High Lord of Autumn and helping feed one of his prisoners was punishable in many ways. He lit a fireball and walked over to the tenth cell, hopefully hearing that the Night Court would be helping in getting her out would keep her spirits high. He hated the fear that had settled on her face. He was used to seeing her in the sunlight, her eyes glittering and cheeky smile always fighting to be seen. His heart sank when he saw her on the floor, in a fetal position, breath shallow.  “Y/n?” he lets out a breath when she stirs. “Y/n, wake up” his stomach drops when her head lifts to look at him. A bright purple bruise covered her left eye. It was swollen but not shut. She had a gash from where his father’s ring had made contact, just below her brow. “Shit, what did he do to you?” She sits up and winces when she puts pressure on her arm to crawl closer to him “I stayed quiet like you said, but I think that made him angrier” he scanned her face and it looked like it had only been one punch, which was tame for his father. He looked over at the rest of her and scowled when he noticed dried blood on her dress “where did the blood come from?” The gash on her eye was not deep enough to have trailed that much blood. She took her right arm out of her jacket and showed him a thin but deep slice down her forearm. That was new, his father was never careful about the cuts he made. His only goal was to inflict pain. This was a precise incision, it showed intention. “I passed out from the punch and when I woke up my arm hurt like hell”. This was worse than he thought. “Here” he hands her the apple and bread “I’ll bring you more later tonight when the house is empty” she takes the food and immediately bites into the bread. A small moan escapes her. “I spoke with Lucien, he is informing the Night Court right now, you’ll be out soon”. She doesn’t respond, he wouldn't believe himself either. “Hey” he reaches into the cell and lifts her chin “I promise” he feels a tingle down his back and he knows that she’ll have a matching mark on hers “what was that?” She looks worried “It’s just a bargain mark, when I get you out, which I will, the mark will disappear”. He hadn’t noticed how pale she was, how much blood had she lost? “Eris?” he hummed “promise me that I won’t die here” he nods “I promise”. 

“You called for me,” Beron motioned for Eris to sit. “Keir has invited us to his Court for a ball. I accepted his invitation on behalf of all of us. You’ll be escorting the girl” odd. “Why would we bring her?” he asks with an arrogant flare. “In order to the destabilize Night Court we must weaken them and I have a feeling that when the Shadowsinger sees her by your side he will take himself out of my way”.  Eris nodded “when is the ball?” His father picked up the invitation and read “Two weeks from today”.

Shit. 

“Very well”.

taglist: @luvmoo

[buwheal]

What the skibidi, chat?

blocked, email ripped apart, shredded, burned in gasoline, eaten and then redisgested in each of my four stomachs, punted across a field, dissected, slathered in permanent black dye, and then subsequently bleached to hell and back, left to shrivel in the sun, dehydrated, REhydrated to disintegrate, dipped in highly acidic liquid, burned (electric boogaloo), stuck in an urn, urn smashed from a 10 foot drop, ground in a blender with ice, frozen banana, yogurt, and vinegar, seared at 460 degrees F, crushed by every comically large mallet that every single one of the 30 clowns walking out of the incredibly small taxi has in their pocket, burned (william afton style), deleted.

[m4rs-ex3]

"where'd you get that... comically large block of ice?" "huh? oh don't worry about that" is genuinely one of the funniest lines in tdp history and i think we should be discussing it

[astridellejo]

More thoughts on The Dragon Prince Book Six, episodes 4,5,6,7,8,9...

Terry's glasses!

Kosmo and Astrid. (Hey, Astrid is my name!)

"I'm just worried about what the Chosen Two are chosen for." Wordplay. Heh!

"The calming aroma ... of lavender!"

Dads who love their sons but not their daughters are shitty people.

"Where'd you get that ... comically large block of ice?"

I do enjoy it when the girl is the warrior and the boy is the mage.

Oh my glob the little squeak from Rayla!

I must be star-touched, too. Because I'm totally time-blind.

Queen Aanya scooching closer to King Ezran.

JANAYA WEDDING!!!

Callum twirling his staff after landing from flying, just like Aang always does.

Soren, don't. OMG SOREN WHAT?!

Uh oh. Big Bad BIG.

I definitely need to draw Terry. And Rayla and Callum together. And Amaya and Janai, obviously!

[old-mousebow]

Breakfast and Beginnings

Near a bend in a river there was a town. It wasn’t particularly large and the houses were arranged in three concentric, wooded rings. The sun had risen above the tall grass and was pouring through the streets and into windows. One of the houses, with a grey stone roof and walls covered in moss and ivy was alive with bustling activity.

Standing outside the house one could smell that the oven was baking something sweet, and that meant that it was the start of a new week. The kitchen was filled with the smell of flour, baking, and the tell-tale scent of pine. Brass pots glinted in the sunlight and water dripped from drying plates into the basin below, kicking up small drops to arc up and crash back down into the washing water.

The herbs that grew on the windowsill threw shadows across the countertop and onto the table. A pot and matching cup of tea sat in front on a plate, laden with crumbs. The soft glow of the oven warmed the back of the now unoccupied chair.

From the pantry came a small rustle as the owner of the house emerged. While small in stature he filled the room well as his whiskers twitched in sync with his nose, enjoying the scent of a peach pie as it wafted through the house. The wood mouse was proud of what he baked.

His little paws dropped a few lemons on the table and he produced a wooden chopping board and his sharpest knife. The obsidian had been chipped by Albert, the best craftsmouse he knew. Working quickly the mouse cut the lemon into thin, almost transparent slices and laid them out on the board. Next, he brought out a whisk that he had found. Some thought it was comically large but it suited his needs.

With a bit of work, he whipped some cream to soft peaks and put it in his cold room, making a note that he needed to grab another block of ice from Maurice next door. As the pie neared completion, he wiped his paws off on his apron and threw open the window with the wide windowsill. From there he grabbed a large flat cork round and prepared a place for the pie to cool. He had been lucky that Phillip had found the cork bobbing in the river - they had each gotten a thing round slice from it for home projects.

As he slipped on oven mitts and brought the pie to the windowsill, he saw the curious, mousey eyes of his neighbours and some of their friends. They knew exactly what he was making. Now it just needed to be garnished. A crown of whipped cream, a ring of lemon slices. And finally, a thin dusting of powdered sugar would let the slices he handed out earn their name Sunny Delights.

Theodore busied himself with clearing away his breakfast dishes before hanging his apron on a hook next to the door and pulling on a dark green vest and brown jacket. As he bustled into the hallway, he passed shelves that sagged beneath the memorabilia and trinkets he had bought or collected. He grabbed a wicker basket and upon opening the front door was met with the green garden and a white fence toward the path.

A few years ago, he had had the good idea to have a small table made and two benches to match. He placed the basket on the bench and opened it, producing first a heavy table cloth that he spread across the table. Next followed a cake stand and finally a few plates and forks to go along with them. A series of wooden cups followed; he had gotten some fresh black berry juice that he would serve to his visitors today.

Over the next few minutes Theodore arranged a variety of food on the table and set places for eight mice. He knew that they would bring hearty appetites and would make sure to feed them well. Ishild had brought some freshly baked bread that morning and he had kept it warm next to his fireplace. As ten minutes approached Theodore made his way to the gate and opened it. By the time he returned from the kitchen he knew his neighbours and friends would be eagerly awaiting the main attraction.

When Theodore returned the benches and one of the chairs were already filled. He placed the cake on the cake stand and produced two small glass jars from his pockets. It was always best, he believed, to serve fresh bread with jam.

“My friends,” he started as he lifted his cup for a toast, “I hope that this week will be another prosperous one.” The other mice echoed his toast and took a sip. Putting the cup down again Theodore cut the cake into eight even slices, each with a slice of lemon and a whirl of cream.

Sunlight glimmered in the lemon, casting a pattern onto the cake below. He served the pieces first to Maurice, he brought in new ice every week, but something was bothering him. Linta seemed cheerful as ever, her apron was decorated with patterns of small mushrooms around her pockets, and the basket would be filled with mushrooms by the end of the day.

Julian began devouring the cake as it settled on the table, a mouse of prestigious appetite he would be busy fixing roofs and leaks around the village. He was an adept carpenter and had helped make Theodore’s dining table. Peredur carefully divided his slice in half and wrapped one up in a cloth; he would take it up to his watch for a midday snack.

Ishild smiled at the Sunny Delight as she took it from his paws. Her paws had small flecks of flour on them; she had been awake since before sun up making bread for the day. Phillip and Albert were last and the two brothers thanked him with wide smiles before digging in.

“What has your whiskers twitching Maurice?” Maurice looked up, and brushed a stray tuft of white fur to the back.

“It’s the ice. I was waiting at the dock this morning, but nobody came. The raft must have run into trouble up river.” Theodore nodded his head and brought a cake laden fork to his mouth. The lemon drooped slightly over the edge and the brown crust had crumbled cleanly, except for a few stray crumbs that tumbled onto the plate below.

“I can go take a look for you.” It was his job after all. Maurice’s eyes lit up as he let out a small squeak.

“That would be very kind of you, but it might be a few days journey.”

“Nothing I can’t handle.” Theodore smiled, “Remember the journey I took for Ishild? Three days to find that bread tin. It was covered by leaves and near giant tracks.”

“That tin has worked wonders for me,” Ishild interrupted, “I’m still using it in the big oven for feasts and market days.” Her breads were very good. Most of the mice made their own on occasion but none would contend with her skill.

“I suppose I might miss market day if I go travelling,” Theodore said out loud, “But you’d save me some of your salted lye bread?” He would hate to miss out on her excellent bread.

“Of course, I was planning on making a big batch for the weekend. I heard there might be some travellers passing by then and would want to give them some good food.”

“There is a rumour about. It might be Rosalia,” The siblings cut into the conversation.

“Wasn’t she due here two weeks ago?” Albert asked.

“Unless she has a lot of goods to trade, that’d slow her down in every town she visited.”

“She might even bring some giant-made.” That last line sent a hum of excitement through the mice. While they made good things here the giants could make them faster and sometimes sturdier.

Speculation and conversation continued for a while as everyone ate. As the Sunny Delights were finished, they moved on to the bread, cutting pieces off and enjoying them with fresh jams. It took about an hour before Peredur pushed his chair back.

“Thank you for a wonderful meal. I need to get to my post to watch the approaches; and I’ll watch out for you Theo.”

The others watched Peredur go, and finished up their meal. Linta headed off next with a smile and a spring in her step, she whistled tunelessly as she headed towards the forest Ishild looked after her.

“I’m looking forward to market day. She told me that a new batch of mushrooms has nearly matured. Should I save you some? Theodore looked at Ishild and smiled.

“That would be wonderful of you,” they placed their dishes next to the sink, “and thank you for coming. I’m not sure what I’ll make next week; it’ll depend on my garden.”

“I’ll ask Maurice to come and water your plants, and Linta will gladly help picking what is ripe.” They smiled at each other; he enjoyed having good friends and neighbours.

“Thank you,” Theodore walked her to the door and together they collected the others and walked to the gate. Hugging they said their goodbyes and made promises to meet again when Theodore returned.

Now it was time to prepare for the journey ahead. He grabbed an old leather bag, with a sturdy base and sides. From his wardrobe he took a few changes of clothes and an extra pair of sturdy boots. Raiding the pantry he packed bread, fruit, and clean water. On top of that he grabbed his sleeping bag and strapped it to the bottom. A coil of rope and some pitons were hung on the sides. He also took a faded duster and floppy hat from the cloak stand. He walked into his living room and put out the fire he had had burning that still kept some bread rolls warm. Those he stuffed into his pockets. Above the fireplace in a black leather tube hung his sword. Long and thin with a leather loop through the hole beneath the cross-guard, it had served him well on previous expeditions when he needed to cut copes in a hurry.

Grabbing a gnarled walking stick from the umbrella stand he closed the door behind him and made his way down the path, locking the gate and heading toward the river. He would need to see both banks of the river to be able to spot the raft. He wound his way along the worn paths of the village, the stacked stone walls keeping the dust of the road from the well-tended, productive gardens of the town.

As he passed through the outer ring of the town he looked up at the tallest tulip. The yellow petals stood out starkly against the sky and from within he could see Peredur waving a blue cloth at him, a signal for greeting or saying farewell to a traveller. Theodore lifted his hat and waved back. It would take him a short while to reach the river.

He wound his way through the grassy fields. Some boulders had been moved, no doubt the work of giants, and the usual paths were littered with fallen grasses. Giants this close to the town were bad news, but as long as they left them alone everything should be fine.

The wind picked up and blew some grasses and flower petals across the trail he walked. He caught a particularly pretty flower petal and rolled it up; if he managed to get it home and treat it properly it would make a lovely placemat. It was a vibrant blue with a black splodge radiating from the veins. As he carried on, he smiled, finding a treasure this early on was a good sign, and this journey would be worthwhile.

And indeed, it was, Theodore soon found himself by the riverbank, tall walls of reed abutted a leisurely floating river. Large stones broke surface here and there and in a cove just across the river a large rock was the site of a few mice having lunch, their boat tied to a jutting piece of rock, a red sail and hull painted with strange giant markings marked them as Downriver traders. They were a good source of delicious cinnamon, a spice he spent considerable time and effort acquiring.

Their distinctive red zupan and feathered caps made them easy to spot as they toasted with cups of dark coffee. They must be returning home as their boat sat high in the water. That meant that he’d not be able to enlist their help and waiting for a boat wasn’t an option. He would walk along the river, enjoying how the sunlight danced over the ripples and the wind bent the strong reed stalks.

The walk along the riverside was pleasant. He sped along at a good pace, clamouring over stones and under branches and other debris. The riverbank had collected branches, and the occasional giant item. He found a large metal cone that was partially buried by sand. It was intricately made, with a long central strip of gilded iron that resembled the head and mane of a horse that ran to the top of the cone. Some horsehair also trailed off the other end. He could have Albert make a rope or similar from it. The silver metal glinted in the sun and, despite a large dent in its side, Theodore could see himself in its reflection. He would love to dig it up and take it home but, he thought with a smile to himself, he had nowhere to keep it.

A shadow passed above him, and he darted into one of the entrances to the metal cone. Birds of prey circled occasionally looking for prey and he had no intention of being mistaken for a lunch time snack. The inside of the cone was padded with leather. This was the helmet of a giant. That meant that two long metal sheets extended further underground that would protect the sides of a giant’s face.

As he marvelled at the inside of the helmet, he heard something approach from outside, the flapping of wings pushed air into the helmet and he steadied himself. The bird had landed, and he didn’t know what kind it was. The two holes he could see out of were, after a moment, filled with dark feathers.

----

This story was spawned by the beginning originally written here and I am posting the first part of the first adventure as a celebration of me returning to writing and wanting to share a little warmth with the world.

I sincerely hope you enjoy. I will be posting this elsewhere when the mood strikes and am honoured to have been given some of your time.

[branzinos]

things I have experienced so far in the USA in my last 11 days that would kill a Victorian child

1. loaded baked potato omelette the size of my head

2. blue raspberry sour patch kids energy drink. entire aisle of energy drinks for that matter

3. deep dish pizza with what appeared to be two whole blocks of cheese in it

4. burrito also the size of my head

5. ice cream but the bowl was a waffle cone

6. ice cream sundae inside a gigantic conch shell with a gravy boat of hot fudge

7. comically large Starbucks drink the size of my head

8. the indulgences of the Alamo drafthouse and having some guy bring me two mixing bowls filled with buttered popcorn, unlimited soda and a burger to my reclining chair

9. banana chocolate chip waffle the size of my head

10. hot cheetos mozzarella corn dog a terrifying shade of red

[sillytozer]

Sorry everyone, it appears ive been frozen in a comically large ice block... But fear not! the ice melted just enough for me to report my situation