#grasshopper split tree
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In this tutorial, we will learn about 2 Grasshopper components: Partition List and Split Tree minute: 6:30 Partition List will let you take a list and output a list of sub-lists where the count of elements in each of those sub-lists is controlled using a custom pattern. The Split Tree component will let you take a complex list of sub-lists and pick from one or more of those sub-lists one or more elements and even a range of elements based on a certain custom mask we supply
#mcneel grasshopper#rhino grasshopper#grasshopper3d#grasshopper tutorials#parametric 3d#parametric design#parametric modeling#parametric tutorials#grasshopper data tree#grasshopper split tree#grasshopper partition list#learn grasshopper#Youtube
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Late August, and the fields are singing with insects, goldenrod blessing the air. The hillside springs with grasshoppers drunk on the last dregs of sun. Queen Anne's lacework is edging the path where even the grasses are shining silver, lifted, as in common prayer, by the diminishing wind. Out in the fields, the corn stands shock still; the stalks have become the color of air. Their fingers point north, where the snow is waiting. All of the apples have gathered in redness, a thousand sunsets burn in the trees. Soon, they will drop and split, and the whirling wasps will leave only the cores, the spaces that remain.
Diminuendo by Barbara Crooker
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Session 21: Her
In the kitchen, Dad told us that Dandruin was at least two days from the cabin on foot. His finger moved in the air as if he was tracing a trail on a map that only he could see as he described the way. Dad also offered to take us there, but the trip back would be more difficult without having done it the other direction first.
He sighed. "None of you have a way of contacting me, do you?"
Verca and I shook our heads, but Talo started rooting through their pockets, telling us to hold on one second. Focused, they held a cupped hand close to their face as they worked on it with their other; I couldn't see the details.
For a few minutes, we all watched them, curious. Even Dad's head slightly tilted to the side, the waves of his long hair falling to the side of his head.
Finished, Talo held out their hand toward him, offering a rune-carved object in their open palm. "Here." A Sending Stone.
With a line of communication established between us and Dad, we accepted his offer to take us to Dandruin with the plan to call him when we were ready to be picked up at the same tree.
We finished breakfast and afterwards followed Dad into the woods to find a suitably large tree. It was odd watching him move across the uneven ground of the root-filled forest without his staff. Satisfied, he stopped at a tree whose wide trunk rose into the canopy like a pillar. The nearby trees were saplings in comparison.
Like we had seen a few times now, Dad pressed a hand against the bark, which responded by splitting itself into an archway just wide enough for a single person to pass under at time. I told him that I love him. Goodbye for now. That I'll see him again soon. And we all stepped through, leaving him on the other side of the tree as it closed behind us.
We were at the outside of the gates of a massive city. Without the cover of dense leaves that fit together like the patches of a quilt, it was brighter here than in the woods, and without the abundant flowers, the air was not quite as sweet.
A long line of people and merchants and carts led to the gates, where guards talked to each group before allowing entrance into the city. We walked to the end of the line to wait our turn. Whispers and stares followed us--from civilians and guards alike.
Verca tapped the shoulder of the man ahead of us. The person looked over and took a timid step away from our group. "Is this much traffic normal?" Verca asked.
The man wrung his hands and avoided looking at Verca. Instead, his eyes jumped from target to target like a frantic grasshopper. "Something happened at the castle." His voice was small. "So the guards are being more cautious as a result." The man stopped every few words, fighting a stutter.
"What is wro--" I tried to ask, but the man turned and ran away before I could finish. It was his turn to speak with the guard monitoring the gate. I looked back to Verca and Talo. "That was odd."
Talo half shrugged. "Verca can be intimidating."
I frowned, not understanding, but the conversation was cut short when we were ushered forward.
Whereas the people ahead of us had only been met by one or two guards when they approached the city gates, we were nearly surrounded.
"Is there an issue?" I asked the guard in front of us.
He shook his head. "No issue. We just need to check over everyone entering the city."
"They why are there so many more guards around us than other groups?"
"You're an odd-looking bunch," he said. I frowned. There was nothing wrong with us. "And that garners extra attention. Now, do any of you have any bonds or ties to any evil gods."
I raised an eyebrow. "No."
"Good, good. And why are you here?"
"It was my dying father's wish," I said bluntly. This felt ridiculous.
He paused, mouth half open as he processed the unexpected response. "Right. That is a good reason," he said before turning to the side, muttering something to himself about 'fanatics.' When he looked back to us, likely prepared to ask another follow up question, his just starting to relax demeanor hardened. "I'm going to have to ask you to come with me."
"Why? What is going on?" My eyebrows pulled together, confused as I took a half-step back. Cold metal touched the bare skin of my back. The rest of the guards around us had lowered their spears.
The guard we had been speaking with crossed his arms. "I am not asking anymore. I am telling."
I looked to Verca and Talo, genuinely confused about what was happening, as we were led away from the gates. Talo's hands were shoved in their pockets. Had they signed something?
We were taken into an interrogation room. A quiet click from the door as it closed behind us made it clear we were locked inside.
"What is going on?" I again tried to ask the guard.
He pointed to Talo. "Why don't you ask your friend here?"
Apparently, Talo had signed Da's name.
"And just after an assassination attempt on the queen's life, you can see why mentioning the past king would be suspicious," said the guard.
"The king?" I asked, stunned. No one had ever mentioned that about Da before.
Apparently, that only made us more suspicious.
The guard asked more questions about Da until I clarified that he was not my biological father. "He was friends with my Dad and they coparented together."
Upon learning that information, the guard eased back. "That...actually tracks with him."
The guard left the room. This time, the lock did not click into place. A good sign.
When he came back, he said that they had sent a message to Da's wife to verify what I had said. A weight slid from my shoulders. "I'm glad I made a good impression with Sylvaera," I said. "Well, I think I did at least."
While the guard was still there, Talo signed something else that apparently warranted him reaching out to someone else to verify what was said. A few minutes passed, and upon his return, he said that we were free to go. On our way out, he made some kind of comment about the "queen consort's niefling," which abruptly confused Talo--enough that I decided against asking them what he had meant.
As we were released, the guard said he would send word to the other guards in the city that we were not a danger. Yet, he still advised us to be careful near the castle since we were an odd-looking group, according to him. The unspoken insinuation that being odd, which I still did not understand--even after the many times it had been said, going all the way back to Legen--, made us more likely to cause trouble was nonsense. Each time it was implied, it pushed splinters under my skin. There were fair reasons for treating us with caution, but none that could be seen so quickly from a distance; at the very least, a bit of closer inspection was required.
Before we completely parted ways with the guard whom I had decided I didn't like, I asked if he could point us towards the temple district. Instead of offering even simple directions, he said it was impossible to miss and sent us on our way.
While the assistance would have been appreciated, he was right. We quickly found ourselves standing in the center of a wide road lined with tall buildings--similar to each other only in their grand statures. Even the comparatively smaller buildings stood proud. Otherwise, all the temples were unique in appearance. Different architecture and different colors and different symbols and scatterings of people in different dress.
The Raven Queen temple was obvious due to its dark stone and the sentinel raven statues posed on the roof. Purple curtains blocked the windows from the inside. All of it was like Greston but without the imposing aura that had clung to that temple like a permanent fog. This temple rested without looming--perhaps because it was surrounding by temples of similar size, unlike the temple in Greston that stood alone.
Gathered outside, it was impossible to forget the horrors of Greston.
Talo glanced to the side, glaring at one of the distant temples.
This is for Da, I reminded myself and led the way inside.
We stopped a few feet into the entrance hall. The heavy double doors shut behind us, slowly blocking out the burst of light we had let inside as if it was an intruder to be excised. We didn't really have a plan and awkwardly stood there, unsure of what else to do.
At the end of the hall stood a half-circle of whom I assumed were the temple's attendants, based on their shared attire and veils. They all faced a woman standing at the center of the arc with her back to us. She spoke to the rest in a level but firm voice; a superficial warmth barely covered the chill beneath her words.
"My temple has improved so much because of the changes I've implemented." The speaker had black hair so intense it swallowed the little light that survived inside the temple. She wore dark armor that was partially obscured by the feathered cloak that cascade down her back. "Our worship has been so much purer."
The woman presented herself like what she said was positive, but it was difficult to tell if she was trying to scold the attendants or not--especially given the undertone of disapproval. Like she had decided things were being done wrong here.
"I think she's from Greston," Talo said to Verca and me. "What should we do?"
I thought they meant in general, and I said I didn't know. We didn't necessarily come here with a goal. But they clarified that they meant interrupting this speaker's efforts to influence this temple.
I was still at a loss. If things were good at this temple, then I figured they would stand their ground, able keep themselves from turning to zealotry. I couldn't see Da associating himself with a place whose morals were so fragile as to crumble with such ease.
A priestess at the end of the arc moved her head. Her eyes were obscured by the veil, but I could feel her attention land on our group. She stepped away from the rest of the attendants and walked towards us.
"What do you need?" she asked in a feathery voice similar to what we had heard in Greston. Talo apologized for our interrupting, and I explained that we were not particularly sure ourselves.
"I'm here at my Da's request," I said. "He recently passed. I honestly would not have wanted to come here if it weren't for him. I had less than pleasant experiences in other temples, between the magically compelled drowning and the forced ritual participation."
The woman seemed horrified by what I said--especially the drowning. Mostly to herself, she commented, "Of course it didn't work. You have to be willing."
She shook her head, clearing the thought, before moving on to ask me about Da. I remembered what I had learned in the interrogation room and hesitated, unsure of the best way to say who he was. Stumbling over my words, I awkwardly said, "The past king..."
I anticipated surprise or doubt because I felt outlandish simply saying it. But I did not expect the way her body shifted as if it were lighter, nor did I expect the causal familiarity in her voice. Formality slid away, leaving something much more conversational in its place.
"Zel! Yes, he certainly had a habit of that," she said, nodding. People were saying that a lot, lately.
"It's still weird hearing him called that. My Dad has a thing for full names, and it took a long time for him to agree to use Zah." I could still hear the way Da groaned every time Dad had said Zahzel.
"I figured it would be more familiar than what we usually call him."
"What did you call him?" I asked.
"Champion," she said very simply.
"Champion? Did he duel?"
Talo shook their head. "It's not from dueling, Maeve," they said. "Champion references being chosen by a god."
"Ah," I said, not sure of what else to say. I touched my necklace and looked down at the wooden feather he had carved when I was little. I remembered the similar necklace he wore--different only in the material it was made from.
"It is curious that I never heard him mention you," the priestess said. "What did you say your name was again? Maeve?" she asked, making sure she had caught what Talo signed correctly.
At the center of the arc with the rest of the attendants, black wings erupted from the back of the speaker at the center of the arc. "I see you are lost." Venom followed her words as if they alone were enough to condemn those standing before her. No longer draped in false niceties, the sound tickled something in the back of my mind. "You allow monsters in your halls."
The speaker snapped to face us. A blank porcelain mask covered her face.
She rushed forward.
The corners of my vision bled gold, racing toward the center as it pushed me into myself--much like the way you might push down a stack of blankets in a chest too full to close.
I was barely aware of anything as the gold tried to coalesce, but there she was, a wall of feathered furry suspended in the air. Her arm was raised. She held a rapier I hadn't seen her draw.
The Mask shattered. Thousands of pieces froze in the air. Necrosis more intense than anything I had ever felt before shot through me. It started at my head, right between my eyes, and ate through the rest of my body. I could see the rapier pointed at the center of what had once been the Mask--black piercing through gold--but I couldn't move. Couldn't scream.
"I won't let you out again, Monster," she growled.
And it clicked as she pushed her sword deeper.
Mom.
A mass of gold light rose behind her, pulling my focus from all the pain. The shape of a man--always obscured by his own light--and massive wings that made the woman's look like those of a dull fledgling.
"Maybe he was right," the man said. That familiar voice. So often it was weighed down by the sound of regret and sadness. "Maybe we should have done something. I'm sorry she's still able to hurt you."
A part of me instinctually wanted to look back at her, but something else said it was better to not.
My mouth was stuffed with cotton. I searched my thoughts for something to say, but when I tried, everything was foggy. It was hard to focus. "Who are you?" I asked. I'd been wondering that a long time.
The silhouetted man half bowed--really more of a flourish. It was surprisingly effective at easing the mood. "Thanatos, god of death at your service."
Honestly, I hadn't expected an answer. I wasn't sure where to go from there.
"Few people get to meet me twice," he said "so you must be special. Some don't even meet me once."
"Before..." I said, pieces together. The memories Da surfaced.
"Yes. I'll admit I try to take particular care of kids. The wings and light usually block things out." He hesitated. "I was little late the first time." Said like an admission of guilt even though he had not been the one in the wrong that night.
For a few moments, neither of us said anything.
Then, he continued, "Listen to them. It doesn't have to be with her, and if she is there, I'll be there, too, to help."
I imagined he meant whatever meeting the people at this temple will try to convince me into. To be honest, I had expected as much; Da wouldn't have wanted me to come here simply for an agonizing run in with my mother.
The light became harder to focus on. "Looks like we're out of time," he said, and the light was gone, and I was on my back--gasping for breath, looking up at the stone ceiling with Talo leaning over me.
"Careful, careful," they said.
Everywhere hurt. A stinging ache that pulsed under my skin and in my muscles. Inside my head especially.
My face was wet. In my periphery, I saw the pool of dark red that had begun to spread around me like a grotesque halo--stained and deformed.
Hands surrounded me. I sat up quickly--too quickly--, trying to protect myself from them. Each one touched me and retreated. By the end, any trace of pain was gone. Almost as if I hadn't just been murdered again. No one had said it, but I could feel that it was true.
I looked around. The hands had belonged to the temple attendants, who now stood around us in a scattered circle. Beyond them, stood Verca. He wasn't moving.
"Where is she?" I asked, looking for the emotionless porcelain face in the crowd. Trying to find her before she attacked again.
"She left," Talo said.
She wasn't here. I was safe.
"Well, you've met my mother," I said through a single, humorless chuckle. Everything had reached a point of absurdity that I couldn’t help it. The pain was gone, but my throat was dry, and I wanted little more than to curl up in my room at the cabin.
I reached for Kaemon at my shoulder. His feathers had always been a comfort.
He wasn't there.
I scrambled to my feet, looking for him. "Kaemon?" I called, over and over until I was nearly yelling, voice hoarse and gravely and sore. I had always sounded raw and grainy when I raised by voice--I remembered the scar on the side my neck and the final burst of pain from the memory of that night--, but this was beyond that. "Kaemon!" My legs barely kept me standing.
"Maeve," Talo said calmly. "He's not here. I think he's a familiar. Which is good; it means you can resummon him."
I had raised Kaemon. He'd been a baby I found on some city street that had fallen from his nest. I'd known him his entire life. He was Kaemon.
"Normal birds can't communicate the way he does."
"No. That happens when you're close with an animal..." They shook their head.
The priestess we had spoken with earlier stepped forward. "May I?" she asked, but stopped, attention sharply moving onto Talo, who glared back at her. It was clear there was a conversation going on that I was not a part of.
Whatever was said escalated until Talo snapped at her verbally--only to be silenced, hands and mouth, magically by the priestess.
Again, she turned to me and repeated, "May I?"
I watched her outstretched hand like it was a rabid animal. "It depends...With what?"
"To guide you," she said, formal and soft spoken like when she first approached us.
I nodded.
She moved my hand to my necklace. "Think of him, and ask for him to return."
I squeezed the wooden feather. "Kaemon, please."
A familiar weight returned to my shoulder. I nearly cried as the relief washed away the pins and needles in my hands. When I asked Kaemon about what Talo said, he was unable to speak about why he was magical.
The priestess took a step back, giving us space. "You are all welcome here," she said.
It was then I noticed Verca had not moved since I had come back. "Verca?" Talo and I asked together, worried.
He fell to his knees. We rushed over. He pressed his head into the stone floor.
"Verca, Verca it's okay," I said, dropping to my knees beside him. "Everything is okay. I'm okay."
"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry. Not again. I couldn't do anything. I'm sorry. Not again." Again and again, he repeated himself. I tried to reach him, but it didn't feel like he heard any of it. All I wanted to do was show him everything was okay. It hurt to watch him drown like this. It hurt more to know it was something that had happened because of me.
Gingerly, I touched his shoulder, but he instantly recoiled, and I pulled back. "I'm sorry," I said, guilt running down my back as I remembered the impact of people like Sala and Wren--and that I should have known better.
Unable to do anything else, I reached into the Bag of Holding, pulled out Griffon, and set him near Verca's hands for him to hold if he'd like.
With Talo's and the priestess's help, he eventually calmed down. It was a relief to hear his voice say something other than the panic-induced loop. He tried to give Griffon back, but I shook my head. "I pulled him out for you to use."
Verca opened his arms. Already on the floor beside him, I cautiously--for both of our sakes-- leaned over to hug him. I didn't anticipate being pulled forward with his full strength, practically held against his chest. He was even warmer than usual.
Moments later, Talo was pulled into the hug, too.
After we pulled apart, I looked to the priestess. "Do you know what I did?" I dreaded the answer.
Her head dipped in apology. "I wish I did."
Like a staff, I summoned the scythe to help me to my feet and leaned against it to help maintain my balance. Despite the healing, I didn't quite feel like my steady self.
"Interesting," she said, but didn't elaborate when I looked at her curiously. Instead, she continued, "I'd like to ask you to stay."
Thanatos's words echoed in my memory. "I imagined as much. Although, I've never had a good experience in a Raven Queen temple. Between the dying and the drowning and the meeting that another god said we shouldn't be there for..."
"Another god?" asked Talo.
I explained that the masculine voice from that day was the one I kept hearing and that I had learned who he was when I was gone.
"What god was it?" Verca asked.
I looked to the priestess. "I don't really know religion stuff. Is it okay to say another god's name while in one's place of worship?"
"It is mostly fine," she said.
"He said he was Thanatos, god of death."
All of the attendants gasped and muttered between themselves. Apparently, 'most' did not include him.
The matter of taboo names reminded me of the nameless followers we had met previously. "Do you not have names like the brunette we met in Greston?"
"That is complicated," the priestess answered after a tense pause.
"It just would be nice to be able to refer to you in some way other than 'that priestess'. And Dad has a name, so I wasn't sure if that was an everybody thing."
I could feel the odd expression she gave me. "What is your father's name?"
"Feron."
"Oh," she said, voice high and tight like someone had unexpectedly dropped ten pounds of dead fish at her feet. "Yes, he is a particular case. But you may call me Valon."
"Thank you, Valon," I said.
Talo hummed telepathically, signing as they said, "That sounds a lot like Vallah."
Again, the circle of priestesses gasped and talked in hushed comments to one another.
Amusement pulled at Verca's face. It was a welcomed contrast to how he had looked on the floor. "Let's see if we can go three-for-three. Hades?" He smiled as the women gasped for a third time.
Apparently, both of those names referenced other gods, too.
It was a pleasant distraction from whatever meeting we were about to have, as well as the various unfortunate means that could be used.
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Dreams of the hills
This is a story about possible lives. It's funny how hindsight shows you the paths you could have taken. As if you stand on top of a hill, looking back on the trail you have walked up to that apex. You see the hill next to you, basking in sunlight and looking splendorous, and for a moment you feel a slight yearning to be there, perhaps a regret for the road you took. In your mind you transport yourself over there and envision fields full of vibrantly blue cornflowers and the tremolo of summer grasshoppers, holding on tightly to the stem of a wild oat as it dances in a warm breeze. How beautiful it might be to be there right now, soaking up the scene of seasonal evanescence.
But do you also remember the trail you walked? The wonder in your eyes as your attention gets pulled to the silent clap of a butterfly's wing as he bounces through the air as if stepping on invisible blocks of solid air, over your head, behind you, and beyond your sight as it disappears in between the trees like a forest spectre? Do you recall the chatter of the brook, it's cold and oxygenated waters rushing over rocks to get back to the source, conversing with the twittering chicadees and white-breasted nuthatches on it's way? Do you see the crack in the rocks around you, weathered by the cycle of freezing water and melting ice, split by the dance of passing time, and do you notice how the lichens eroded it's epidermis into a miniscule layer of soil, spreading like a flower opening in the first light of dawn?
It is still nice to dream of what could be though.. I could have followed a different path. Loved someone else. Found different people. But I would have missed out on that talk we had, when I cried on the top of the parking garage when I thought I couldn't do it without you. I would have not felt the warmth of that one corner of the tea shop, or the joyful conversations and laughter I felt there. I would have never looked in the reflection of the train window as it crossed the Boston bridge, and seen myself happy, and truly felt it. I would have never.
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Some interesting SpaceX Facts
SpaceX's first rocket, Falcon 1, was launched in 2006. It failed three times before finally succeeding on the fourth attempt in 2008, nearly bankrupting the company.
SpaceX named its Merlin engine after the legendary wizard Merlin from Arthurian mythology.
The Dragon spacecraft's name comes from the song "Puff, the Magic Dragon" because critics initially said SpaceX's goals were impossible, much like a "fantasy."
Droneship Names (Most Interesting): SpaceX's autonomous landing platforms are named after sci-fi ships from Iain M. Banks' novels. The current operational droneships are:
Just Read the Instructions
A Shortfall of Gravitas
Of Course, I Still Love You
"Ms. Tree" and "Ms. Chief" are two of SpaceX's ships designed to catch the payload fairings (nose cones) from Falcon 9 rockets. When a rocket launches, the fairing splits in two to release the payload, and these halves fall back to Earth. Here is a beautiful video of Ms. Tree catching a Fairing.
(Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief were retired in 2021 after several years of catching fairing halves at sea. SpaceX shifted to a new method for fairing recovery: they now let the fairing halves deploy parachutes and gently splash down in the ocean. Afterward, SpaceX retrieves the fairings using recovery ships. The switch to water landings was made because the fairings proved durable enough to be reused even after ocean recovery, simplifying the process and reducing costs associated with deploying the specialized catch ships.)
The Dragon spacecraft is used for cargo and crew missions. The "Crew Dragon" version carries astronauts to the International Space Station.
SpaceX's space suits, designed for Crew Dragon astronauts, were created with a stylish aesthetic in mind. The suits were made by a Hollywood costume designer who worked on superhero movies.
Falcon 9's landing legs are nicknamed "chicken legs" due to their shape and folding mechanism, which allows for efficient storage during flight.
The name "Falcon" pays homage to the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars.
The Dragon spacecraft's name comes from the song "Puff, the Magic Dragon" because critics initially said SpaceX's goals were impossible, much like a "fantasy."
Before Falcon 9's vertical landing success, SpaceX tested a smaller experimental rocket called "Grasshopper" for landing technology, with the vehicle performing several successful low-altitude, vertical takeoffs and landings from 2012 to 2013.
SpaceX launched a Tesla Roadster into space on the maiden flight of the Falcon Heavy in 2018. The car, with a dummy named "Starman" in the driver's seat, is orbiting the Sun. Watch it here.
And what to say about Starship. Read about it here.
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Okay I hope you don't mind but I'm gonna continue this because- uh- yeah ':]
☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆
"Heyyy, so...~" You slide to sit beside Daryl, watching as he started up a fire to cook the salmon you had... caught. The fish was still cold from the water of the river, its body motionless as it sat upon the wooden stump in use as a table.
"This might sound dumb-"
"You always sound dumb."
"Okay, shut up, first of all," you huff amusedly, shifting on the log and lightly bumping the archer's shoulders. "Let me speak. I, uh, don't know how to gut a fish."
Daryl glances back at you with a not-so-subtle skepticism, his lip twitching up a split moment. "So y'know how to grab a fish like a wild bear, but y'don't know what to do with it after?" He scoffs, looking back to the fire kindling.
"..no. Am I supposed to?" You roll your eyes, ignoring the small flush of embarrassment tinting your cheeks darker. "I just never had a reason to learn."
"Where'd'ja even learn to grab a fish like that, then? For fun?" The man hums with a low chuckle, the kindling catching spark and soon building to a proper fire.
You clear your throat, a beat of quiet passing in the air. Your lack of response makes Daryl look back at you a second, before giving a huff of laughter.
"You're *joking*," he teases, a part of him waiting for you to tell him you really were joking.
"Look, growing up was weird. Boredom does some stuff to'ya," you say defensively, but can't help but smile upon seeing the usually closed-off man laugh.
"'Kay, fine. C'mere." Daryl moves closer to you, pulling out his knife as the fire warms the two of you. That, plus the way your blood rushes when his knee lightly hits yours. You brush that off, however, forcing your attention to the archer now explaining how to clean the salmon.
"So first, t'chu oughtta scale the fish- y'take yer knife, n'just go against the flow of the scales. Comes off real easy most times. Then y'cut off the fins-"
You watch with a curiosity alike that of a child, the glint of metal and fish scales catching in the firelight, popping brightly as if also interested to watch the demonstration.
"-'n when'ya gut it, yer gonna cut from the anal fin to a few inches from th'mouth. Y'remove the intestines 'n shit from there."
Your eyes trace the way Daryl's hand moves so easily against the fish, the practiced precision of his movements a subtle sublime you find in him. The cuts are clean and quick, but you can tell he's trying to slow down so you can understand the process. It makes you fluster, shifting in your spot on the log right next to the archer. The world seems to grow hazy and peaceful, quiet overtaking you two as you simply take in what Daryl's teaching you. You can hear the soft, repetitive click of grasshoppers and the occasional pop of the firewood. The river that flows ever-so-strong a distance away, the whisper of leaves brushing against each other in the wind. It takes you a second to come back when Daryl huffs, adjusting himself almost embarrassedly.
"Hell you starin' for?"
You blink before flushing and realizing you've been staring at the man's face for probably a few good minutes, quickly distracting yourself with a nearby tree that was rather interesting now that you really looked at it-
"Wha- n-nothing. Pft."
Quiet wraps the two of you once more like a used wool blanket, awkward but nice in an odd sense. Daryl moves the cleaned fish over the fire to cook, and while the air seems strained, he takes his seat beside you again. The way his knee hits yours could easily be a coincidence, but it feels too deliberate to be so, biting back a small smile in trade for a soft chuckle.
Imagine you're out with Daryl needing some food and you come across a real nice river and you go 'I know how to fish!!' And instead of actual fishing like with a rod or whatever you use you straight up just jump in the river and grab them. It's efficient somehow but he just stares at you like

#i hope i didnt mess that up too bad#i am in no way a fish master#ive never gutted a fish or anything please dont explode me lmao#daryl dixon#daryl dixon x gn!reader#daryl dixon x reader#daryl fanfiction#daryl x reader#fanfiction#fic writing#the walking dead fanfiction
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He Likes Bugs!!
Shinsou Hitoshi x reader, fluff, sfw, word count 885
Pink juice ran down the lines of your palms from the sweet peach in your hand. You sucked on your teeth, picking out the stringy pieces of fruit stuck in between.
It was a quiet morning in the garden. The neighbors' kids were still asleep, and only the best singing birds sung at this time. You sat on a cobblestone stair, peacefully watching the hummingbirds feed from your red zinnias.
A light weight dropped onto your left shoulder, soft tufts of hair brushing your neck. You peered to your side to see Shinsou's purple hair resting on you.
"Good morning," you cooed.
"Morning."
He had just woken up, and was still in his pajamas: a loose, black shirt that exposed his collar bone and baggy sweatpants that matched the color of his hair. Shinsou yawned, covering his mouth with his free hand, his other holding an ivory Hercules beetle.
Curiously, you watched the insect as it slowly crawled along his knuckles. Shinsou noticed you staring and held the beetle closer between the two of you.
You bit off a tiny chunk of your peach and laid it on Shinsou's palm. The beetle turned its body to nibble on the sweet piece of fruit.
"I guess he's still hungry after I fed him this morning," said Shinsou.
"Or maybe he likes peaches a lot," you giggled.
"Can I have a bite?"
You held the peach to Shinsou's lips. He leaned closer to your hand and bit into it, chewing slowly with thought.
"That's from the garden?"
"Yeah, the tree right there." You pointed to the peach tree that mothered the delicious fruit.
"Can't believe you grew this. It's so good."
"Thanks, it only took four years."
A familiar feeling ran through your skin as Shinsou held your fingers in his. Gently fiddling with the base of your index and middle fingers, then intertwining his own with yours.
Even after dating for many months, these small actions never failed to make you blush. It was adorable.
"Do you want to hold Kumo?"
"May I?"
He opened your hand, picking up the beetle from his palm and placing it in your left. You felt its legs explore your hand, traveling across each finger just as Shinsou did.
"Did you know Hercules Beetles can carry up to eight hundred and fifty times their own body weight?" He watched Kumo explore your wrist where the peach juice had dried.
"Eight hundred fifty?" you repeated in awe.
"Yeah. Pretty cool, right?"
"Super cool."
Your gaze filled with both respect and admiration followed Kumo. The insect stopped, finally settling down just over your pulse.
You began to laugh, "He kinda tickles."
"I didn't know you were ticklish."
Your eyes widened upon noticing Shinsou's mischievous smile. "Don't! I know what you're thinking!"
Shinsou's hands ran across your stomach, just lightly touching you along the fabric of your thin shirt. That was enough to make you shake with laughter. Your feeble attempts to stop him only made him tickle you harder.
"Hitoshi! W-wait—I'm gonna drop Kumo!" you managed to communicate between side-splitting laughs. Subconsciously, you were able to hold your left arm up away from harm during Shinsou's attack.
"Fine. I'll take him back if you want."
You hummed and allowed the beetle to crawl back to its owner's grasp. There was a tranquil silence as Shinsou lightly stroked his pet's back with his knuckle.
Since the beginning of your relationship, Shinsou had always been considerably shy: about his emotions, his interests, everything. He never spoke much about himself or what he liked, but rather held onto conversations about you, desperately trying to extend them as long as possible to avoid the subject that was "Shinsou Hitoshi".
Until three months later; and he found himself growing more and more comfortable around you was when he finally opened up. Everything he had bottled up finally came rushing out. The dam was broken.
One of his hidden interests was bugs. He loved bugs: grasshoppers, beetles, bees, cicadas, moths. All except mosquitos.
Hitoshi could not stand mosquitos.
But that was besides the point. His love for insects was one that caught you by surprise. You weren't especially fond of the occasional spiders that appeared on the bathroom ceilings; however, Shinsou helped you learn to tolerate them.
Now, (depending on the insect) you actually enjoyed their company. Beetles, cicadas, bees, and moths especially. In fact, Shinsou's most prized pets were his Luna moths. The adults, as beautiful as they were, only lived for a little longer than a week, so he kept an insect house where he raised them.
The reason he treasured them so much was because you did. They were the first insects that you learned to love.
Though his love for these bugs was so great, he often eluded the topic in the company of others. He often found that he'd over-share: the majority of people weren't too impressed by the fact that Praying Mantises were cannibalistic.
Once again you felt his soft hair tickle your neck as he buried his face into your shoulder. You leaned into him in response.
He breathed deeply, his warm breath cascading over your skin. Bringing his cupped hand closer to your face, he said, "I think Kumo really likes you."
You smiled. "I think he does, too."
#shinsou hitoshi#shinsou hitoshi x reader#shinsou x reader#shinso x reader#shinso hitoshi#mha#my hero academia#mha x reader#bnha#boku no hero academia#bnha x reader#sfw#fluff#comfort#gender neutral reader#self insert#oneshots#writings tingz
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BANOPPER
The first Bugsnak to discuss from Frosted Peak is someone you have all been waiting for! It’s Banopper, and in classic yellow! This is what all of the Hoppers have been leading up to. The ideal. A classic bug and a classic snack combine to form a creature so immediately iconic!
Whereas Red Banopper sort of represents the tropical aspects of bananas, yellow Banopper more brings to mind their use in cold, sweet foods, such as, for example, a banana split! And this banana loves to split, evasively leaping from tree to tree and being quite difficult to catch, really. It is common for a potential capture to slip up as Banopper peels out!
Something especially notable about Banopper is its connections to Octodad, who you likely recognize, though you may not be aware that Octodad was developed by Young Horses as well! Their first retail game was Octodad: Dadliest Catch, and of course I wholeheartedly recommend this goofy and charming and surprisingly heartfelt game! That description feels a bit familiar, doesn’t it...?
Anyway, Floofty describes Banopper as “the natural enemy of any cephalopod”, and you know it’s specific when an actual creature is namedropped in Bugsnax. It may sound like nonsense, but banana peels are the bane of Octodad’s existence, causing this already clumsy fellow to slip in a slapstick fashion. His official render is even in a slipping position!
Also, view the transformations Banopper grants! The entire banana as a nose may seem strange, since the stem of a banana would work well as a nose. But this is another reference! Aside from looking a bit like Octodad’s tentacle “mustache”, it is also a reference to the decoy he builds in the original game, using a banana to represent his mustache in a very similar fashion!
You thought you would learn about a banana grasshopper today, but you have also learned more about an octopus father!
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A fic where Ocarina of Time is a big time loop, instead of splitting the timeline. (post MM) Link meets Sheik in the Lost Woods. (some big OoT Spoilers)
A sequel to Time & Time Again (It isn’t 100% required to read it to understand this tho)
Ao3
--
The woods were unusually quiet. He heard no laughter or song of the Korkiri. It made it harder to travel through the Lost Woods than usual. But he knew his forest. Link traced his fingers along the rough bark of some of the trees. "This way" the forest whispered. It was difficult to understand, like catching the fog. But the forest knew him. The forest was kind to it's children.
He kept his eyes trained on the canopy, hoping for some fresh food to bring back to the village. As long as it wasn't magic, he imagined the forest wouldn't mind. It hadn't actively tried to stop him. It clearly understood his intentions.
He heard a soft rustle in a nearby bush. He pulled out his sword, inching closer. The stranger to the forest heard him in return. Sheik lept out of the bushes, blocking his sword arm and sending him flying backwards with a kick. Link barely managed to shift into a tumble and regain his footing.
He took in a breath, analyzing his opponent. (No, his old friend.) Blood rushed in his ears. A drum of battle he was all too familiar with. He felt like a tightly coiled spring, either about to snap or leap away. He smothered the realization he had started automatically looking for weak points. (It was Sheik, not an enemy. Not a demon or monster.)
The Sheikah meanwhile, had shifted into a ready stance, eyes widening as he actually looked at Link. They stared at each other. Tense. Sheik was looking at him as if just waiting for him to strike.
A familiar feeling crinkled against his chest and into his throat. Uncomfortable and raw. Sheik was scared of him. Sheik was created to fight and hide. Of course he expected Link, a stranger by all accounts, to attack. Link sheathed his sword with a sigh, forcing himself to loosen his posture. The grass swayed against his feet, soothing, reassuring.
It was quiet for a moment too long.
“Lost?” he asked.
Sheik tilted his chin up, as if affronted by the implication, “...No, of course not.”
"Ah, of course not.... I will have to see you in town later sometime then." Link said, beginning to walk away. Careful to be slow enough for Sheik to have plenty of time to make his choice.
"Wait!" Sheik, raced after him, eyes flickering around the trees, “What are you doing out here? These woods aren’t the safest place to be wandering.”
Link glanced backwards at him, shrugging, “Gathering things for the villagers in Kakarikio.” He hitched up his backpack higher on his shoulder. He could feel the blond’s eyes watching him, analyzing him.
“Who are you?”
“A traveler,” Link said.
“Oh, how specific,” he muttered sarcastically. Sheik was suddenly in front of him, walking backwards. Red eyes flickered across his face. “I thought you looked like that to get me to lower my guard but... you-” Sheik poked his nose. Link leaned back, ears flicking involuntarily.
“What was that for?” Link huffed, ignoring the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. “My face is my actual face, yes.”
Sheik grabbed his hand, looking at the glow of the triforce. Link frowned at his hand. That hadn't happened in a long time. He barely registered they had halted. Just the ominous thump in his chest as he stared at the glowing force. Sheik looked up at him, “Link?”
He jolted his head up to look at Sheik. His red eyes were wide, expextant...hopeful. He nodded, “Nice to see you again, Sheik.”
“Are you- ....From the future?” Sheik whispered, eyes tracing the scars on his face with a light frown.
“Er...” Link hummed, “Yes and no? This is my second time around in this particular part of time. Grew up the normal way this time though.”
Sheik gasped, “So you did it? You won?”
Link just smiled and started foraging again. Sheik followed him.
“How? Are you here to help? You know what happens, right?”
“I don’t think learning too much about your future is particularly wise, oh carrier of the Triforce of Wisdom.”
“But if you help can’t we get this over with so much faster?” Sheik grabbed his arm, pulling him to yet another halt. He stared into his eyes, searching, “You can’t tell me you’re just here to gather things.”
“I tried to stop it from happening before, when I was a child. It didn’t do anything. If anything it made things worse...” Link sighed, “Your people need outside aid, your Highness. I can’t...won't help defeat Ganon this time, but I can gather supplies.”
Sheik let go of his arm, and to his surprise, tugged down the face mask. “You know who I am.”
“Yes, Sheik, don’t worry about it. I won’t tell.”
Sheik looked down at the ground. “Thank you,” he whispered.
He shrugged. "Besides. I think I prefer your hair like this. Very adventure-chic. Or should I say adventure-Sheik?”
The blond gasped, blushing. He punched his shoulder. (It bruised a little, admittedly.) “That’s horrible.”
“You’re one to talk. Don’t you have some poetry to recite for Mini Me?”
“Mini?” Sheik giggled, “You both look basically the same.”
“I gotta call him something.” Link shrugged, “The phrase ‘my younger self’ is a bit long.”
“Try harder.” He hummed, “Besides, my poems are brilliant.”
“Never said they weren’t.”
Sheik shook his head with some sense of amusement. That amusement faded as he glanced up at his face again. “...Are those...”
“From Ganon? No.” Link said, “I had a very interesting little adventure all on my own in Termina.” He glanced in the direction of the other country, wind fluttering through the leaves. “Most of the scars from Ganon disappeared when I was sent back in time.”
It was Zelda’s voice, not Sheik’s, that spoke next. “I... I’m sorry. That I roped you into- all of this. You deserved a... kinder childhood.”
Link stared at the ground. He took a moment to find his voice, “...So did you.”
Zelda stared at him, eyes round and wide. Her hands fidgeted, clasped in front of her. Lost for what to do or say, she tugged up the face mask. Sheik bowed gently, “I thank you for everything, Link of the Future."
“Grasshopper.”
“Huh?” Sheik blinked.
“If you needed a name to differentiate me and the kid. That’s the name he knows me by.”
Sheik snorted, “I’m not calling you that."
Link shrugged. His ears flicked as he picked up the light bell like ting of a fairy. The specific tone he'd know anywhere. "...Did you need to find the Forest Temple?"
Sheik glanced around, quiet for a moment, "I can always use magic to get there.... If I was lost. Which I'm not."
"But you want to do that cool entrance, right?"
Sheik shuffled his feet, "You think- thought it was cool?"
Link just chuckled, "Follow me," Link said, walking ahead.
"Seriously did you think it was cool? What did I do?"
"You already have it planned why would I tell you what you're going to do?"
"What if it's different and what I actually did was cooler than what I think I should do?"
"That makes no sense."
"Just tell me and I'll tell you if that's what I originally had in mind. Do you still remember my poem?"
"It was 7 years ago from my perspective. You expect me to remember exactly what you said and did?"
"....But you remember it was cool."
"Never said that."
"You implied it strongly."
Link laughed, and the Forest giggled with him. A chorus of rustling leaves. It remembered him as well as he remembered it, it seemed. He traced a finger along bark as he watched the forest unfold itself for him. "Sorry," he hoped to say through the gentle touch, "Sorry I took so long to come home."
#Legend of Zelda#ocarina of time#loz oot#loz link#loz sheik#loz lost woods#fanart's fanfic#idk what platonic shipname for link & sheik would be#platonic zelink#I guess#genderfluid sheik#genderfluid zelda
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Character Intro: Tithonus (Kingdom of Ichor)








Nicknames- The Bug Whisperer by Hermes
Jitters by Aphrodite
Crawly by Chelone
Age- 19 (immortal)
Location- Hearthwood neighborhood, New Olympus
Personality- He's a shy introverted guy of a few words. He's generally non confrontational and is more open & honest through texts than face to face communication. He's currently single.
He has the standard abilities of a god. As the god of insects, he can summon/shapeshift into/communicate with all species of insects. Other powers/abilities include web generation, wall crawling, web breath, silk generation, pestilence manipulation (locusts), parasite creation, honey generation & manipulation, compound eyes, antenna protrusion, becoming a living hive (transforming his entire physical body into a swarm of insects), and being able to adopt features of any particular insect to his physical form (like being able to produce venom and having four extra legs- like a spider, or generating stingers from his fists- like a bee).
Tithonus lives in a spacious house in the Hearthwood neighborhood of New Olympus. There's a few acres of gardens as well as an apple tree. He has a wide array of different species of insects as pets- including a tarantula named Webster. Inside, the color scheme are shades of cream, blue, green, light brown, & yellow. He's a fan of using humidifiers and there's decorations of golden ornate bugs along the walls. There's lots of bug shaped furniture (including a caterpillar shaped bed in his bedroom).
His favorite color is light green.
He's also a great ukulele player and he can play the mandolin.
Tithonus loves snacking on kiwis, pears, & green grapes!
Tithonus started his life as a young mortal guy living in Troy and working on a small farm. Things changed when he got swept up in a relationship with Eos (Titaness of dawn). Their time together was short, fiery, & passionate. They once spent a month on a private beach on Shimmering Tail Island & he had sex with her for the first time in a nearby cove. Word of the relationship made its way back to Eos' father Hyperion (Titan god of heavenly light). To spare him her father's wrath, she went to Zeus for help & he ended up turning Tithonus into a cicada- where he remained as such for a few hundred years before he was offered the chance at immortality and to become a part of the pantheon. He and Eos ended things not too long after he was officially made into a god.
His go-to drink is a honeydew smoothie. He also likes mineral water, apple juice, cucumber infused sparkling water, beer, the grasshopper (a drink made with heavy cream, creme de cacao, & creme de menthe), lemon-lime soda, coconut water, cucumber martinis, and pineapple-coconut margaritas.
In Olympius, Tithonus has his main business- a few insectariums (live insect zoos). He also has his own merch which includes bug themed T-shirts, sweatshirts, & rubber phone cases as well as a bug spray brand called Ecoshield, which is non toxic to beings and insects.
He usually gets around in his teal VW bug (which is environmentally friendly) or by riding his bike.
His favorite frozen treat is the salted honey ice cream. He buys a few pints of them at the supermarket.
He's a fan of the cleaning products brand Pure Clean Co., started by Hygieia (goddess of hygiene & cleanliness)- which are all natural, plant based, and most importantly, non-toxic to bugs & insects.
His favorite meal is the breakfast burrito (added with sharp cheddar cheese, spinach, potatoes, & guacamole). He also likes the wheat bread veggie sub (made with a chive and onion spread, mashed avocado, spinach, cucumbers, kale, lettuce, sprouts, and tomatoes) along with the split pea soup and mighty greens salad (topped with walnuts & pomegranate seeds) from The Bread Box.
Tithonus has very few friends in the pantheon. He's friendly with Matton (god of meals), Techne (goddess of arts, crafts, & invention), Eurus (god of the east wind), and Chelone (goddess of tortoises)- having become quite close with her, as they share many similarities.
He sometimes finds himself looking up Eos' profile on Fatestagram- being more than surprised when he discovered that she was dating Ares (god of war).
Tithonus used to have huge crushes on Hestia (goddess of the hearth), Aegle (goddess of good health), and Livádi (goddess of meadows).
His official mentor was Gaia (goddess of the earth).
Some of his favorite desserts include hummingbird cake & carrot cake from Hollyhock's Bakery. He can also make peanut butter chocolate chip cookies made from cricket flour.
In his free time Tithonus enjoys bike riding, gardening, surfing, beekeeping, yoga, acupuncture, painting, reading, and doing pottery.
"Bugs are the real individualists of the animal kingdom."
#my oc#my oc character#my character#oc character#oc intro#character intro#oc introduction#character introduction#modern greek gods#modern greek mythology#greek myth retellings#greek gods#tithonus#greek mythology#greek pantheon#greek myths
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Tides of the Dark Crystal liveblog pt 25
Tides of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee because some fire just proclaimed Tavra the true All-Maudra, the Vapra have joined the loosely affiliated resistance, and skekSa has our heroes back against a cliff. Two chapters left, tensions high!
Last times on book: Amri and co are on a quest to unify the Gelfling clans against the Skeksis. They’ve succeeded with the Sifa, the Dousan, and now the Vapra. But they’re cornered by skekSa the Mariner who is feeling a bit sore about the Sifa ditching her and wants to take Naia to use as political capital with the other Skeksis.
Chapter 25
Amri and the others fight to escape the clutches of skekSa, they don’t get out unscathed
skekSa stared, wide-eye, rage saturating her dark eyes and making her look more Skeksis than ever. Amri tried not to let it frighten him. Not now that they’d had their victory lighting the Vapra flame. All that was left was to escape the Mariner’s clutches. Survive, like Tavra had said.
Win condition: get the heck away.
Similar to the first book conclusion, having to escape the Hunter. Different from the second book where they planned to trap the Satirist to keep knowledge of the resistance secret longer.
Beating skekSa in a fight, not even a viable outcome.
For one, her sword is longer than Amri is tall. That’s a bit of a discouraging thing.
skekSa tries being ‘reasonable’ one last time, offering Naia a chance to surrender for the safety of the others but Naia refuses.
[skekSa] charged at Tae, swinging her sword. Even if its edge were not sharp, the sheer power and weight of it would crush a Gelfling if it struck. Tae leaped, wings taking her up so her toes touched the gleaming metal of the blade. She ran along the sword, leaping again and slashing with her dagger.
That’s some more choreography that I’d love to see in puppets.
It’d look silly if not execute well but maybe good silly.
There’s only so many ways you can portray a small individual fighting a much larger one and its not like Yoda’s method of jumping around everywhere like a grasshopper doesn’t look silly if you’re not in the moment.
Naia runs to help Tae hold off the Mariner and Amri runs to take care of Kylan.
Kylan being Kylan, his first concern is to stop skekSa from destroying any more trees after the trees helped send the message but Tavra chides him they have to save themselves first.
Problem being they’re backed up against the cliff, they don’t see Onica’s lantern down in the ocean, and all the fliers are trying to knife fight a behemoth.
skekSa doesn’t give them space to think about it either, she dashes in and tries to split Amri in half. He tries to block with Tavra’s sword but the Skeksis wrenches it from his hand with the hook on her sword.
Not ideal.
Naia and Tae attack her again and do some damage but she just jumps away from Tae and throws Naia off of her. Fighting Skeksis is hard.
Tae tells Tavra to protect the others and keep lighting the fires no matter what happens and then dives against skekSa from the air.
Tae’s dagger bit. skekSa’s sword flipped into the air, and Amri caught his heart in his teeth when he saw that the Skeksis’ severed hand still clutched the hilt as it flew.
skekSa screamed. She grasped the stump where her hand had been.
“How dare you!” she cried, over and over. “HOW DARE YOU!”
Well, uh, plus side is that now she can get a hook hand to add to her piratey aesthetic?
Minus side is the Swimmer just lost a hand too.
Other minus side, Skeksis have four arms. Two usually vestigial but like the Hunter, the Mariner engages in vigorous exercise in the brisk outdoors and hasn’t had arm atrophy.
Amri tries to warn Tae when he sees the movement but is too late.
One of skekSa’s smaller arms slipped out from the Skeksis’ coat. Something flashed, and a BOOM rang through the mountain air. A cloud of smoke exploded from skekSa’s hip, blasting Tae off her feet. She crashed into one of the Waystar trees, leaving a red mark on its glowing white bark where she struck. Then she fell into the snow and did not rise.
The smoke cleared. skekSa coughed and reached into the depths of her coat again, drawing out a leathery, egg-shaped device and holding it in her tiny palm. Her breath rasped in anger and pain, her blood still falling on the white snow. She stumbled to one knee.
“I can’t believe this,” she panted. “Can’t believe it one bit.”
Holy crap! Guns exist? Skeksis have guns??
This is even weirder than the Emperor doing force lightning.
Guns!
And here I was joking about her improving her piratey aesthetic when she had a gun up her sleeve!
A weird, egg-shaped gun.
The tech level of this world sure is unusual.
-rereading- Oh! Its a grenade!
Yeah, that’s more in keeping with what we have/will see. But geez, she hit Tae with a grenade. Poor Tae.
Also, sure she got blown up for it, but props to Tae for taking off an entire hand in one go.
Down below in the bay, Onica’s lantern has finally arrived and Naia says that their best chance is to fly down. Except now they’re down one flier and have two non fliers to convey.
skekSa throws another egg-shaped grenade, which Amri blocks by throwing a branch in its path. The explosion still knocks him on his ass because that’s what explosions DO.
And by the time he recovers, skekSa reaches them.
She had found her sword, held it in the hand that was intact, carelessly bleeding from the other as if it meant nothing.
“I don’t want to do this,” she said slowly, her blade tasting the snow at her feet. Her voice turned hard at the end, wicked as her sword. “I told you we had a deal -- you ungrateful fool.”
Huh.
I can almost believe she means it.
The Mariner takes a swing but she’s blocked by someone with a Vapra sword and then has her sword knocked off the cliff.
skekSa is having a really bad day.
[Amri’s] eyes were still hazy, trying desperately to focus. But even so, he could see how stood between them and skekSa: a Sifa with hair gold as the sun, holding Tavra’s sword. Shining on her neck was a crystal spider, silver and blue as the moon.
The ringing dulled enough that Amri could hear Tavra’s words, stern and commanding in Tae’s voice.
“Get out of here, to the cliff,” she said. “Run! Fly!”
!!
Tavra spidered Tae!
I guess Tae is alive from being exploded? If her body is still capable of being spidered and fighting?
skekSa tries to lunge past TavraTae to get Naia but without weapons and against someone with a sword who knows how to use it, she’s stymied.
The Mariner even grabs a tree branch and tries to use that to swat TavraTae, without success.
Naia follows TavraTae’s advice and grabs Kylan and jumps off the cliff.
And after breaking from the fight with superior mobility, TavraTae grabs Amri and jumps too.
Amri having a lot of trouble reconciling in his mind Tavra and Tae because its Tavra but looks like Tae and plus he might have a concussion.
Naia still is the Drenchen whose wings have only just come in and haven’t been strenuously tested much so she’s having trouble doing more than slowing down her and Kylan’s fall. Its a nice touch that that’s remembered two books later.
But TavraTae glides close so Amri can take Naia’s hand and they can all glide down together.
As soon as they land on the boat, Tae crumples, probably Tavra abandoning controlling her as soon as its not a life or death situation. Because of ethics. And because moving her around when she’s been exploded can’t be good for her explosion wound.
Naia immediately starts trying to heal her, only pausing so they can all move inside the cabin where its warm.
In the end, the glowing eased and Naia put her hand on Tae’s forehead.
“I’ve healed her body,” she said, brow creased with pain. “But she was deeply injured by that explosion. Even though I’ve mended her cuts and broken bones, her mind still sleeps. I cannot even sense her dreams. I don’t know when she will wake... if ever.”
It was hard to imagine. The Sifa merely looked as if she were sleeping.
“I didn’t mean to...,” Tavra began. She rested on Tae’s cheek, glistening like a tiny moon in a cloud of sun-gold hair. Amri sighed and shook his head. The moon had eclipsed the sun during a storm in Ha’rar, after all.
What a weird prophecy.
In the end, it turns out it wasn’t a prophecy of a sweet, sweet romance. But a premonition that Tae would eventually be body-jacked by a spider that was really a cool Vapra.
Goes to show, prophecies aren’t straightforward. Unless they’re incredibly straightforward. Like the one from the movie.
But sometimes they’re poetic because fate doesn’t like you screwing with it.
Amri tells Tavra that this isn’t her fault because she did all the right things and saved the group which is what Tae would have wanted and which she’ll definitely confirm when she wakes up.
Buuuuuut, the plot hasn’t stopped happening just because there’s like four pages left in the book.
You’d think it would and we’d be winding down and figuring out what to do next. But no.
A familiar metallic whistle shrills through the air. A whistle that Amri knows exactly what it foretells.
Amri ran out onto the deck, followed by the others. The ship trembled as the sea shook. He grabbed hold of the rigging on the ship as waves rolled out from the ocean and crashed across the back of an enormous black shell. A deafening moan trembled through the water and echoed against the steep cliff. Terror shot through Amri’s body as a behemoth mouth rose from the depths, water gushing from its enormous hooked-beaked maw.
It gaped, spreading its jaws. The ocean churned, sucked into the black abyss of the creature’s throat. Onica’s ship was caught in a vortex of inescapable currents, and Amri watched the slowly brightening sky disappear as the monster ship closed its jaws, swallowing them into a sea of darkness.
COME ON!
This is where the denouement is supposed to go! And you go and release the kraken on them?
You’re persistent, skekSa! You’re very persistent!
#dark crystal#the dark crystal#Tides of the Dark Crystal#liveblog#Amri#Naia#Kylan#Tavra#Tae#Onica#skekSa#the Mariner#one chapter left
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The Wrath of War
Chapter Twenty One
Whether it was her nerves blended with the anxiety of the upcoming mission; or the butterflies ravaging her from the inside-out, Eden could not sleep that night.
Perhaps, she managed to rest her eyes for three and a half hours or so, spending most of her time curling around in her bed; listening to the piercing songs of the grasshoppers outside her window.
When they began quieting down, the fatigued girl slipped one almond eye open; watching as the dawn sky began growing lighter. It was still dark outside, the air cool and crisp; and Eden wanted to make sure she was up and ready to go before Captain Levi could find a reason to be irritated with her.
Shoving the covers off her body; she hastily got ready, spending a meticulous amount of time swearing under her breath as she fastened her hooks over her body, tightening them a breath away from asphyxiation.
She pulled her hair into her usual tight bun as she made her way down the somber staircase- the eerie silence deafening and thick around her. Eden wondered whether the Captain was awake yet; or if he had even gotten a chance to sleep that night.
Both her and Levi’s horses were still secured inside the stables. Rubbing their muzzles, Eden spoke to them softly, telling them that they’ll need to prepare for yet another assigned expedition. Her horse whinnied at her words; whilst Levi’s ink-colored horse stood solemnly staring back at her.
“Even your horse is moody, gosh,” she muttered under her breath, holding the reins of both creatures as more sunshine began spreading evenly across the terrain.
Her pacing grew slower at the sight of Levi emerging from the front doors of the HQ. The longer strands of coal hair stood pushed behind his ears whilst the shorter ones perfectly framed his face.
His tired eyes settled against her approaching figure as he continued making his way towards Eden; his uniform well-pressed as always, whilst the green cape flowed with the gentle breeze.
“Good morning, Captain,” Eden spoke up first, eyes shifting from his metal ones over to the darkened circles painted underneath them. He looked so strained and tired, it made Eden’s heart falter for a split moment.
“Morning.”
“I brought you your horse. I figured we can start heading to Trost as soon as possible in order to retrieve the report,” the girl chirped, her eyes glinting as she extended the hand holding his horse’s reins.
Levi’s eyes dropped to her hand, slowly craning his own hand towards the harness.
“Sure,” he replied rigidly and as much as Eden was irritated by his cold exterior; she couldn’t help but feel her insides warm up at the tender brush of their fingers once he took the reins out of her grasp. They lingered, even if it was for a split moment and it was enough for Eden to relax and smile at him warmly.
The Captain’s brows furrowed at the younger girl before turning around, softly calling for his horse to follow. Eden chewed the skin on her bottom lip, trailing after the Captain and his beautiful horse.
After they both checked that everything was intact and settled against the saddles, Levi whipped his head in Eden’s directly; his soft lips pursed into a thin line.
“I have faith that you will not disappoint me,” he told her in a clipped tone, pulling the hood over his head.
Eden nodded her head in affirmation; heated hazel eyes never leaving Levi’s jeweled hues. “I hope to never do such a thing,” she replied meekly, earning a nod from him in response. He seemed satisfied with her words, albeit the mask that remained intact against his hardened features.
The girl swore to herself that she would do anything to see his physiognomy tamed, peaceful and soft. She knew deep down, that her heart would simply burst as the image of a gentle-looking Levi.
She took one last glance at the headquarters before it disappeared behind a thick wallpaper of forest trees.
Eden would always be a sentimental creature.
Their horses strode along the pathway in silence; both individuals trying their best to focus their gazes ahead. Eden would always try to sneak a glance at the Captain’s sunken face when he wasn’t looking.
But, unbeknownst to her, Levi was very good at picking up on every little detail happening around him. Regardless, he decided he would let her assume she was being enigmatic; the ghost of a light smile threatening to pull at the corner of his lips.
Eden tried to strike up a conversation before giving up entirely. She was too tired and feared that she’d say something out of line, which would subsequently pull Levi into an even gloomier mood. And, she felt perfectly comfortable basking in the silence, listening to their horses’ hooves clattering against the ground.
Whether it was due to the lack of sleep or the sudden memories of the previous expedition flooding through her mind; Eden could vouch that from the corner of her eye; she caught sight of a titan. She panicked, pulling at her reins rapidly; causing her own horse to sense her fear; rearing its forelegs off the ground.
She fell off the saddle with a thud, wincing at the way her elbow collided with the ground. Her lungs begged for air as she gasped out loud, squeezing her eyes shut at the sudden assault of colors before her eyes. Eden grew very nauseous.
After a split moment; a set of cold hands pressed against her, awkwardly holding her off the floor. She looked up as Levi irritably clicked his tongue; gently urging her to sit up. He crouched beside her, one of his knees brushing against the outside of her thigh as he steadied himself on the terrain.
��Are you hurt?” He asked, almost impatiently as his eyes searched her body, fingers prodding against the bones in her arm.
“I’m okay, I just thought I saw something,” Eden replied grimly, rubbing her elbow as she looked away, fearful that he’d notice the way her cheeks grew pinker at his touch.
Levi sturdily pulled her to her feet, his hands lingering against her arms for a moment longer. “Well, be careful, brat. I understand it could be overwhelming for you after everything that happened; but now is not the time to lose track of your focus.”
She timidly bobbed her head in affirmation, “I’m sorry, Captain. It won’t happen again.” Her fingers grazed over his fist that still gripped her by the elbow. Levi let go off her timidly, pursing her lips as his eyes washed over her; inspecting her one final time.
“Well, unless you’ve got any more surprises hidden in your sleeve, I suggest we continue. We should be there soon.” He marched back towards his horse, turning to glance back at her after settling against his saddle.
With plump lips pressed into a thin line; Eden followed his suit, masking a snort behind a breathy sigh after his words reached her ears.
Sauntering through the Trost District made Eden feel highly uncomfortable. All the stares directed towards their dark emerald-colored capes made her palms grow sweaty as she wordlessly guided her horse to follow Levi’s direction.
The girl continued silently following her superior’s orders when he asked her to tend to the horses before disappearing into a tall, luxurious-looking building. She stroked their muzzles, gently letting them know they would be able to rest in a moment’s time. After securing them in the designated stables; she clasped her hands behind her back, walking in the direction that Levi had disappeared in.
Stepping into the building was overwhelming. People craned their necks to scrutinize the soldier with the ‘Wings of Freedom’ patch against the fabric of her cloak. Clicking her jaw, Eden pushed all the staring out of her mind and headed towards Levi.
His back was facing her and once she reached him; she immediately recognized the utterly disinterested stare that was etched against his features. A short, balding, overweight man shifted his stare from the Captain onto Eden.
One of his brows arched as a vile smile carved itself below his this mustache; framed by the hairs of his beard.
“Dimo Reeves. I didn’t know pretty girls like you enrolled in the military. Especially with the Survey Corps. What a shame, really.” He extended his hand towards Eden, capturing her palm before she could react.
She snatched her hand away as soon as he pressed his lips against her knuckles, her scowl revealing just how repulsed she was by his attitude.
“There’s nothing shameful in devoting your life in order to see change, sir.” Eden sharply retaliated, wiping the back of her hand against her trousers as Reeves continued stared at her through darkened brown eyes.
Levi remained quiet, his chiseled jaw tight and unmoving; his eyes never faltering off of the greedy businessman.
“If you say so, doll. Now if you follow me, we can discuss the matters concerning your visit in a more private setting.” Reeves gestured towards the extravagant hallway behind him; eyes continuously flickering towards Eden.
She felt her teeth grind together in her mouth, palms trembling due to the anger. Her bloodstream had become a cocktail blended with adrenaline and she tried her best to lower her head and avoid his probing eyes as her and Levi followed him down the hallway.
“Allow me to confirm, Dimo, we are not here to waste time on your bargains. You’ve contacted the Scout Regiment regarding undisclosed titan information. Let us know what you want in return and I’ll decide whether it’s worth the risk,” Levi said in a bored voice, his arms crossed against his chest as he stood in front of Dimo Reeves’ cluttered desk; with Eden standing closely behind him.
She could feel the stares of the other two acquaintances as they loomed on either side of Reeves’ chair; narrowed eyes glaring at the soldiers in distaste.
It took all within Eden not to glare back at them, instead, focused on training her face into a blank expression, lacking any emotion. Much like Levi’s everyday physiognomy.
“Ah, yes, of course,” Reeves responded, craning his head downwards as his chubby fingers retrieved a cream-colored folder out of one of his drawers. He threw the folder against the papers scattered against his desk. “It’s a known fact that you soldiers are desperate for any drop of information. I stumbled upon these documents disclosing personal findings on the topic of titans.”
Levi snatched the documents off the table, his nose scrunching in disgust at the mess. His grey eyes rapidly skimmed across the information ebbed in ink on paper. Eden remained silent beside him, her head facing forward whilst her own eyes rested against the papers in Levi’s hands.
“A diary? How are we supposed to know whether this is coming from a reliable source?” Levi growled in irritation, placing the documents back onto the desk nonchalantly. Reeves’ eyebrows shot up as he quickly straightened into his seat.
“It is reliable information. I was going through some of our personal belongings in the family vault and stumbled upon this report. Quite frankly, we Reeves’ men never keep something unless we know we can capitalize on it at one point in life. And since I have absolutely no interest in venturing beyond the walls, I offer you a deal.”
Levi tipped his head to the side; dull, narrowed eyes glaring intensely at the merchant.
Reeves continued hastily. “Captain, you can keep this diary and utilize the information within it for whatever way you desire and in return; I only ask for your assistance with protection if by any chance; another titan attack bestows our district.”
The pause was thick with tension as Levi contemplated his words carefully. The weight of these pages could potentially cost them a fortune; but perhaps it was worth it.
He nodded slowly at the businessman. “Very well. If there is indeed an unexpected attack, the Scouts will ensure your protection. However, that does not mean that in that moment; we will be risking the civilians’ lives in order to save yours. In addition to that, I’ll have you know that if we do take this report with us and we find out that it was all a farce; you better beg we never meet again.”
Reeves let out a nervous chortle, placing his hand over his heart. “Times are tough, you know. Gotta be prepared for everything. And, I would never risk our civilians’ lives for the sake of saving my own.” Levi huffed in response.
“I see we have a deal. You’re welcome to stay for a cup of tea with your little soldier whore. I’d love to get to know her a little better,” Reeves replied, licking his lips as he stared up at Eden.
Her lips parted as she prepared to throw a snarky response back at him; only to have Levi beat her to it. “Refrain from talking to her in such a sleazy way. It doesn’t suit you and it’s inappropriate.” He stepped closer towards the desk, fingers picking up the report as irritated eyes settled onto the businessman’s angered face.
“Captain Ackerman; I never took you for the possessive type of man. I assumed that you’d be willing to share delights like this. You can color me disappointed.”
Albeit the aggravation taking over his mind entirely; Levi chose to turn away towards the door. Levi’s jaw clenched tightly.
“I’ll be more than willing to color you black and blue if you keep this up. I’d rather willingly give myself over to the titans than to sit here and have tea with you. Thank you for the report.” His demeanor was cool and intimidating; voice low and absolute. It sent chills down Eden’s spine as she tailed after him; ignoring the sensation of Reeves’ eyes checking her out from head to toe as she slammed the door of his office shut.
Her stomach flipped in distaste as she continued glaring out into the nighttime. Levi’s eyes flickered off the pages and onto her figure. He was sitting in an armchair in the shared room they were forced to rent for the night due to the worsening weather. He had said it was either that or camping out in the wilderness. Naturally, Eden picked the luxuries with a shared bed through gritted teeth.
“What happened, brat? Why are you being so sulky?”
Her head whipped back to look at him before she let go of an exasperated sigh. Shaking her head, she bit her tongue, pulling the hair tie off her head; massaging her fingers over her skull.
The more she thought about Reeves and his words; the more frustrated she became. And it was unfortunate enough that the only person she could reveal her irritations to is Captain Levi.
“Why are you being so stubborn? I asked you a question,” Levi inquired once more, putting the papers down before resting his forearms against his knees; glaring up at her.
“Do you agree with what Reeves called me?” She barked the question at him a little too viciously; her bottled emotions filled to the brim.
His silver eyes widened slightly, lips parting in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
Eden pushed her body off the wall as she stood in front of him, her slender arms folding in front of her chest as she looked down at his sitting form. “You know what I’m talking about...when he called me a ‘whore’.” She huffed in annoyance when all Levi did was blink up at her in a perplexed manner.
“I’m asking you whether you think of me as a whore?”
A sharp “tch” escaped through his lips as he ran a hand across his tired face; dropping his head to the ground. “Of course I don’t. Why would you say that?”
Eden paused as her messed up mind attempted its best to formulate a valid response. She felt so blinded by anger and other emotions; every single thought seemed to integrate with another.
“Because that’s how you make me feel sometimes. You’re so goddamn hot and cold with me. One moment you kiss me and then you ignore me for days. Then you see me again and you decide you want to punish me for no apparent reason. Why are you doing this to me?”
Levi listened to her intently, his softened grey eyes focused on the hardwood floor. “I don’t know, Eden.”
The silence was deafening. His words bothered her more than if he had just not replied at all. Balling her hands into fists, her knuckles cracked as an angry blush peppered her cheeks. She began pacing back and forth as she spoke again.
“What do you mean you ‘don’t know’? That’s not a good enough answer, Captain. You’re Humanity’s Strongest Soldier; someone people respect because you bring hope back into the walls and you can’t answer a simple question? I don’t think you truly understand how much you’re messing with my head,” her words trailed off, but Levi heard every single bit of it.
He remained silent, fingers interlinked together, brows furrowed and jaw tightly clicking. All of a sudden, his eyes flickered back to hers and he glowered at her.
“Know your place, Eden. Don’t speak to me with that tone.”
She let out a humorless laugh, running a hand through her hair as she finally stood in one place, glaring at him menacingly. “How the hell am I supposed to know my place when you keep bringing me up and down whenever you feel like it? What makes you think you can treat me like that?” Her voice began shaking and the anger displayed itself as a thinly failed peachy mask against the skin of her face.
Levi watched her curiously, his eyes widening even more before shooting up out of the seat and towards her.
She felt a wet, warm liquid trickling down her lips. As soon as the taste hit her tongue; she immediately recognized the coppery taste of her blood. She mentally swore, stepping back away from Levi; fingers fumbling for her nose. “Don’t change the subject, I’m asking you something.”
The Captain’s eyes narrowed in frustration as he whipped a handkerchief out of his pocket. She battled against the grasp he had on her wrist before her back collided with the wall of the room. He pressed her against the wall in place as he gently tipped her head upwards, allowing the handkerchief a chance to soak up all the expelled liquid.
“Stop being so hotheaded. Look what you’re doing to yourself,” he muttered, cleaning her nose so tenderly, Eden could barely feel the fabric against her skin.
She leaned her head against the wall, looking into his eyes as he meticulously focused on the blood, brows scrunched together. “I’m not doing this to myself; you are. All I ask of you is answers; nothing more.”
Levi looked into her eyes with a strained expression on his face. He remained silent as he wiped the last droplets of blood staining her lips and cupid’s bow; his body still pressed against hers.
His eyes were a painting filled with so much turmoil. They were so stormy; Eden felt like she could drown in them. She pulled the bloodied handkerchief out of his grasp before lightly pressing his fingertips against her cheek. Tilting her head into his touch, her heated gaze did not falter as she suffocated under his own stare.
“You don’t need to hide anything from me,” Eden said softly, closing her eyes for a split second as he grazed his thumb against her cheekbones; his other fingers moving over to her jawline.
When Eden opened her eyes again, she watched as he leaned his head in towards her. But there was that strained look of his face; and the way his brows furrowed- making him back up slightly. She blinked at him through her velvet lashes, lips parting as she wordlessly asked him not to move away.
He inclined his head to the side, the inner turmoil growing more visible as he squeezed his eyes shut for a long moment; fingertips continuously brushing against her skin.
Levi let go of a shaky breath before craning his head back to fully face her.
“Tell me not to kiss you, Eden. I’m begging you,” he said in a smooth, low voice; sending a jolt of electricity along the girl’s spine. It caused her to arch her body into his; each gentle brush causing them both to lose control of their breaths.
“I-,” Eden began in a shaky, mellow voice; but Levi didn’t give her the chance to finish her sentence as his lips crashed against hers desperately; swallowing whatever she had planned to say.
The kiss was intoxicating and urgent. Levi’s grasp on her face tightened slightly; as though he felt like she’d disappear if he let go of her suddenly. Her arms flung around his neck as he kissed her hard, soft mewls escaping through her lips. She pulled him impossibly closer; the pressure of his body pressed against hers so intimately sending heat all throughout her body.
His lips were soft and sweet; yet the way he kissed her- leaving her breathless like that- Eden couldn’t deny the rough undertone he graced her with. Levi grunted into her mouth in pleasure when her slender fingers slipped through his soft hair- something she had dreamed of doing for a long time.
She gasped against his lips when he effortlessly picked her up; lips never leaving lips as he carried her towards the bed; his hands pressing against her thighs. Eden gulped a breath of air as he loomed over her; before kissing her heavily once more. Her legs wrapped around Levi's waist and she tried pulling him closer. He thankfully accepted the gesture.
Levi’s tongue dominated her mouth as he explored every single inch of her; appreciating her delicious taste more than he could ever admit to anyone. Eden’s fingers found refuge in his hair once more, tucking at it gently as she sighed against his lips.
The sound of her calling him “Captain” in such a sweet, sinful way made Levi kiss her harder. He finally moved away from her mouth; his lips pressing against the flesh of her jawline and throat in a lazy, sloppy way. Pulling him closer, Eden’s eyes fluttered shut; feeling the way her lips burned pleasantly as she squirmed under his touch.
Goosebumps ghosted over her skin when she heard Levi sigh her name against her throat. Her mind spiraled and she felt like she had melted in his arms.
It was in that moment when Eden confirmed to herself that Levi Ackerman would be the death of her.
Tags: @idiot-juice-enthusiast @hadassackerman
Link to the story in AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28919136/chapters/70952145
#attack on titan#aot#levi#levi ackerman#levi ackerman fanfic#levi ackerman fanfiction#levi x oc#levi ackerman x oc#eren yeager#mikasa ackerman#armin arlert#jean kirschstein#sasha braus#connie springer#hange zoe#erwin smith#fanfiction#fanfic#slow burn#enemies to lovers#ao3#ao3 fanfic#ao3 fanfiction#anime#manga#manga edit#levi ackerman imagine#levi imagine#levi ackerman smut#levi smut
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like the single grain of sand moving skywards in an hourglass just upended
The capital was split by a partition which sliced right through it like a slash to the heart. Along the demarcation line – the frontier – were dilapidated houses riddled with bullet holes, empty courtyards scarred with grenade bursts, boarded stores gone to ruin, ornamented gates hanging at angles from broken hinges, luxury cars from another era rusting away under layers of dust … Roads were blocked by coils of barbed wire, piles of sandbags, barrels full of concrete, anti-tank ditches and watchtowers. Streets ended abruptly, like unfinished thoughts, unresolved feelings... Nicosia, the only divided capital in the world. It sounded almost a positive thing when described that way; something special about it, if not unique, a sense of defying gravity, like the single grain of sand moving skywards in an hourglass just upended.
There are many things that a border – even one as clear-cut and well guarded as this – cannot prevent from crossing. The Etesian wind, for instance, the softly named but surprisingly strong meltemi or meltem. The butterflies, grasshoppers and lizards. The snails, too, painfully slow though they are. Occasionally, a birthday balloon that escapes a child’s grip drifts in the sky, strays into the other side – enemy territory.
Then, the birds. Blue herons, black-headed buntings, honey buzzards, yellow wagtails, willow warblers, masked shrikes and, my favourites, golden orioles. All the way from the northern hemisphere, migrating mostly during the night, darkness gathering at the tips of their wings and etching red circles around their eyes, they stop here midway in their long journey, before continuing to Africa. The island for them is a resting place, a lacuna in the tale, an in-between-ness.
— Elif Shafak, The Island of Missing Trees: A Novel (Bloomsbury Publishing; 1st edition (November 2, 2021)
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Notes from the AHWM Explanation Livestream
This will be long, so fair warning! If you're on computer, you can press the spacebar to skip this post if you want!
There was CG smoke for the bomb
The last shot was running after the bomb goes off, filmed during the day
Many cursed images
(0:56 - Guns Blazing) November 5th = gunpowder treason & plot (a reference)
Ethan is the one yelling during the run
Helicopter/Car was filmed in a place formerly known as Spiderwoods (spiders, snakes, and bugs everywhere)
Mark's patented method to get rid of snakes is to tell them to fuck off
There was big black snake near the library
Chica snore-grumbles
Most of the choices were pretty evenly split in the video data
The guy who owned the field in Helicopter/Car also owned the helicopter
It was hard to get the cameraman to know that the camera is an interacting character
They filmed up to 10 pages a day
Prison was the first 2 days of shooting, as well as the part with the most characters/extras (12 people)
Mick gets typecasted in roles of authority
The Prison location is a functioning mental hospital
John was a Prisoner, first mate, and is a realtor IRL
There is no "why" to recording this to keep a broad audience and have fun after Mark was in a depression and made WKM
The Gregory Brothers / Schmoyoho made 2 renditions of I Don't Wanna Be Free (which is on Apple/iTunes/Spotify)
The musical was a production/recording nightmare on the 2nd day
They had 20 minutes max. to learn each segment; they had a choreographer helping them learn the dances
The original vocals didn't have the accent
Mark had to do the vocals, acting, blocking, etc. in 30 mins
Mick was supposed to cross frame during the top-hats-part, but they had already recorded it; the producers weren't comfortable telling Mark "no" yet, so they had Amy do it
The smashed bricks were styrofoam; Mark was typed to a rope that was pulled
The director of photography was Phillip J Roy; he took a pay cut to work on this project
Yancy's sleeve tattoo is the whole map again
Yancy's tattoos are Tiny Box Tim and Mark/Dark across his knuckles; those were Makeup's ideas
The Musical was only 1/4 of a recording day
There was 3 work weeks of shooting (15 days)
Day By Dave made a remix
Yancy was named "Prison Mark" until the fight scene started to be made in post-production, where he needed a name; Mark liked Yancy and Amy was very against it originally
Yancy killed both of his parents; Mark knew people were gonna fall in love with him anyway
"Yancy stans, go, march on"
Yancy has an emoji bandaid
Heapass (canonically) makes an appearance in Thanks and also Yes Please; he had "Heapass" on a cast, but it was on the wrong side from the camera
Holt Boggs (the cell guard) is an amazing man; he was overqualified ("soft hands")
The cell was in a green-screen soundstage, so there was more improve
Yancy was supposed to be hidden in the ceiling or beside the bed, but under the bed turned out better; he's hidden under the bed the whole scene
The Red Gemini was the camera that they used for this project
Mark just runs off frame in Thanks and also Yes Please
The audio-only part was very convenient for filming and fitting for a 1st-person perspective
Yancy's talk at the gate was Mark real-acting & the late shot of the 1st day of filming, which made all of them realize that the project could actually work
Yancy WANTS to be in prison; he knows all the ways out - he'd leave if he wanted to
The items in the box are more representational achievements
Mark needs our help to promote AHWM, through liking the video(s), commenting good things, and spreading the project; the performance of this dictates the ability to make another similar project
Mark worked for FREE for 5 months, taking no cut of the budget for himself
"Yancy is just Prison Mark with amnesia" "There could be a time-skip there; it could work"
Robert Rex, "a god walking amongst mere morals;" has always wearing the same thing; Mark didn't know that he was going to do different accents
Amy is the hand with the feather-duster
The Warden's desk moves into the hallway after a smash-cut
Mick's line had to be rewritten so it can be ambiguous; you can only tell if you were looking
The Warden embodies "big strong hands," something Mark writes into dialogue a lot (along with "trust you me"); everytime he touches something it cracks (his desk, Yancy's shoulder)
Pulling stuff from behind Mark's back was on-the-spot
The dirt joke was a prop-person and Mark throwing buckets
Mark helped Holt Boggs make a short video
HOLT BOGGS
The truck in Prison was a one-take-wonder; they actually bashed the truck through the wall in a such a cartoony, perfect way
The Bob/Wade skit was a reference to Prop Hunt
Mark comparing the disappointment of people not liking the video to a cup of dirt under the Christmas tree
The lid to the sewer says "a heist with markiplier"
The sewer was in an actual sewer treatment plant, which took about a week of filming; some parts were flooded so they couldn't film there; this place was scheduled to be torn down
Mark forces us to choose the Light Tunnel first
Cranbersher, GrittySugar, and Lixian collaborated for the Light Tunnel; it was originally going to be live action with a green-screen and a pre-made raft; Cranberser offered when he had a 3-month break from other projects
Amy notes that Mark did a lot of "falling"
Mark had to carry a 200 pound man and a heavy camera rig to carry Y/N
There was poison ivy, snakes, spiders, etc. on the island
The Game Grumps voiced the aliens; Erin originally was meant to play the Warden & Danny was meant to play one of the guards
Many roles fluctuated due to scheduling
Getting abducted is a reference to ADWM ("not again!")
Mark loves MatPat's scenes and acting (Build a Shelter)
There were so many mosquitos near the Cave and the actors couldn't put on bug spray because they had to preserve their makeups
There was a giant hole in the Cave from which grasshoppers rained down
They were a mile into the cave; they weren't able to staff them for 3 days, so they recorded for 2 days and had fo cut some shots
The Cave freeze-frame was unscripted; the camera director didn't tell cut and it was too funny
The Hermit was originally supposed to be Jacksepticeye but scheduling errors were in the way
Mick was originally supposed to be Crazy Ed
When the sound-guy didnt have a sound effect, one of them riffed something at the mic and it was modulated to fit as best as possible
Mark's camera loses signal/battery power
Mark has done the hot-wire-while-moving in Car before (van videos)
The blue flash during Car is you from the future/another timeline
Mark was actually driving the car; someone flashed the blue light so it was a bit dangerous
Tyler and Ethan make appearances as Zombies
Tyler actually let Mark hit him with a rock
There was a dead beaver in the shed during the Zombie Apocalypse
The Zombie Apocalypse shots were in VERY hot weather
The barricaded front door but very open back door was intentional humour
Ethan's zombie handshake was thought up on the spot
Moe was the man screaming from the fire and zombie attack, making everyone behind the camera laugh
Rosanna Pansino sings opera & speaks Chinese
The Scientist had to be broken up (the cuts are in the gunshots)
243 is a chemical identification symbol in an actual laboratory, nothing meaningful to the plot
The code leads to the AHWM website
What's truly inside the box is the real timeline, which is the team making the project
The room where the monitor was in (Amy, script manager, etc.) was locked out and no one could see what was going on, only hear it through headsets
Mark threw 2 dummies (main video, Absolutely Not!)
Chica likes to climb through the cords underneath Mark's desk
The true/canon ending is For The Greater Good, which leads to ADWM
SodaPopIn hasn't really done this before, but he went with it because he was told Mark was nice; he continued even during harsh weather, many planes, and a long take/monologue
The sandwiches are a callback to ADWM
The montage endings were inspired by the ones Amy made for ADWM
There was never any time set aside to get photos for the montages, so they had to continuously get pictures
Catherine makes an appearance in the Warfstache bit
Warfstache is just a meta joke > you respond by writing in the comments as a survey, producer Catherine is more powerful than the video-editing, ringing the bell for notifications
They rented the same place for the Warfstache bit that they used to film all the other previous Warfstache bits
Dark inserts himself wherever he feels like being
There is charity (#TeamTrees) merch for each of the egos/Mark characters in this project (including the new ones)
Edge of Sleep's last episode aired yesterday (as of the stream - 6/11/19)
A "reverse" charity livestream is happening soon
The next project(s) are already in the works
SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT HEIST
Amy originally wasn't going to work on this project until they went to Texas; she became Creative Producer once Mark put himself into too many places
Iba originally auditioned for the man in the burning truck, but his voice was so good he became the seer/guide
The project has been "cooking" since May
The next project would be a completely different project, not a continuation
SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT HEIST
Regular uploads start again tomorrow (7/11/19)
#ahwm#a heist with markiplier#a heist with markipler spoilers#markiplier#long post#explanation livestream#ahwm explanation livestream#tw snakes#tw spiders#ahwm yancy#tw prison#tw poison ivy#tw mosquitos#tw grasshoppers#tw zombies#ahwm the box#chica the dog#wilford warfstache#darkiplier#edge of sleep#SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE HEIST#very long post
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this competition asked to write a short story in the dystopian genre and my entry's below - don't rb!
the sweetest fruit
The boy gasped, straining against the padded frame of the jeep just as the vehicle slowly came to a halt. ‘Look!’ he shouted, pointing at a spot about a hundred feet from the group. ‘Look, Mum! That’s so cool!’
Half-instinctively, his mother had already grabbed a fistful of his tank-top, ready to yank him back. She had spent the entirety of the trip sitting as still as possible, facing forward, eyes stubbornly fixed on the self-cooling top of the car in a pointless effort to fight her motion sickness: her patience was already wearing very thin without her eight-year-old personal safety hazard trying to get himself killed.
‘Ethan, for the love of God,’ she snapped. ‘I already told you to stop leaning over the frame! Do you realise how dangerous that is?’
‘No, Mum, you’ve got to look!’
‘Emma, darling,’ her husband whispered, a gentle hand on her shoulder. ‘You should really look at this. It’s magnificent.’
Whatever it was, even her fifteen-year-old daughter - who had spent the last thirty minutes texting her friends back home without so much as a glance at the scenery - was jaw-slacked, so she slowly got up on her wobbly knees and peered over her shoulders.
In the shadow of a tree, protected from the sweltering heat, two lions were feasting on a zebra. Perhaps belatedly, as it’d taken her a second to drink the sight in, she realised that the poor thing was still alive: writhing as blood, red and hot and pulsing, gushed out from where the bigger lion - the male - had bitten into its back.
The smaller one, the female, soundlessly sank its teeth into the dying animal’s neck, and the latter gave one last weak kick, finally falling limp. When the lioness stood again, it was almost impossible, from this distance, to see her eyes amidst the bloodied mess on her face.
‘Oh, my God, Matt,’ Emma said. ‘This is beautiful. Nature truly is beautiful.’
‘You don’t really get to see this kind of show anywhere else today,’ their guide said from the driver’s seat. He sounded proud, as if he’d hunted and fed the zebra to the lions himself.
Alberto wasn’t wrong, Emma reasoned. Given that they were parked in the middle of the privately-owned biggest North American savanna, he - or rather, his employer - was the one effectively feeding the lions. Like feeding mice to cats. She glanced at her children, glad they could have a window on a reality that was long gone. To think it would have taken a trip around the world to watch this spectacle - imagine the motion sickness then! If only, she considered wistfully, there could be a way of replicating glaciers just as accurately.
‘Honestly, it seems a bit unfair that they get to eat real meat,’ Ethan said at the dinner table a few hours later. He was picking at his plate, moving the fried grasshoppers they’d been served for dinner around, but not really eating any. ‘While we are stuck with insects and microprotein or whatever.’
Emma pinched the bridge of her nose. She was tired and sunburnt, her sensitive pale skin suffering under the blistering sun of the region, so different from the temperate weather back home North. She had a splitting headache, too. She was, yet again, at the so-called end of her tether. ‘Ethan…’
‘You should be glad you get to eat at all,’ her daughter said at the same time. ‘There’s a reason it’s illegal to eat meat. These animals are here for show, anyway. They were originally from Africa.’
‘Shut up, Becca,’ Ethan mumbled. ‘Everybody knows there are no animals in Africa. There’s nothing there.’
Becca’s cheeks were tinted pink, eyebrows furrowed. ‘Of course there were animals. There were animals everywhere before the Climate Crunch.’
‘Both of you, stop it,’ Matt interjected. ‘Ethan, your sister is right. You should be grateful that we are here in the first place. That said…’ He leant forward, voice down to a whisper: ‘I have a surprise for you. Or, well, Richard has a surprise for us. When he arrives tomorrow, he’ll bring us real meat. Bovine meat.’
‘But it’s illegal,’ said Becca.
‘It’s technically illegal,’ Matt acknowledged. ‘It’s not if you know how to get some and no one from Animal Conservation finds out. Do you think our president only eats insects? Please, Becca. Use that big brain of yours.’
‘Yes,’ Ethan snickered. ‘Use your brain, Becca.’
‘That is too generous,’ Emma said. ‘Inviting us here in the first place was, when even he hasn’t gotten here yet. Now this. I wouldn’t know how to repay him.’
Truly, all she felt was jealousy. Her guts twisted with the sheer force of it. Yes, she had known that Richard was comfortable. The gated, heavily guarded estate spanned for thousands of acres, comprised the 5000sqt villa they were staying at (five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a cinema, marble floors and solar panels on the rooftop), an indoor swimming pool inspired by vintage photos of Amalfi, two indoor tennis courts, and the savanna they’d explored earlier in the day. ‘The biggest conservation area in North America since they repurposed the Midwest,’ he’d bragged in a video call, two weeks before. ‘You will love it. The holiday you deserve. Make yourselves at home.’
But meat? He could get meat?
Matt’s family had designed DeNuketify, which was basically the only effective way of purifying ocean water from whatever nuclear waste Japan kept spewing so that it could be used and, most importantly, drunk. They had managed to flee the continent with the last handful of greencards about the time her family did, too, taking their precious Queen’s accent with them to found Nova London. She was the governor of Nova London now, for God’s sake. The bloody queen herself was long dead but she was alive, and yet, yet - they had never had meat.
‘We don’t have to, Emma,’ Matt said. ‘We just need to remember how lucky we are to enjoy this meal, this house, this holiday. Look at that,’ and he nodded towards the TV screen again. ‘Actually, Alexa!, volume up!, I think the Italians have finally surrendered.’
The war correspondent’s voice grew louder. She - they, Emma reminded herself: Becca always told her not to assume anyone’s gender - was wearing a dust mask and reading from a bundle of documents. ‘The last military hospital in the island of Palermo was destroyed four days ago by a Canadian airstrike,’ they were saying. ‘The rebels surrendered soon after, followed by the group of extremists in the Nebrodi island. Etna had already surrendered last year.’
‘It’s important to remember that these actions were necessary to finally put a rest on the instability of the region,’ they added. ‘Canada will fund a complete restoration of the Southern archipelago. The remaining civilians will be provided with a shelter and then, when the time comes, a suitable job. Nova Italia will be the sixteenth Canadian state, the fourth offshore. There are also hopes to extract petroleum from the seabed of the sunken city of Gela.’
‘Watch them make it into a holiday hotspot,’ Matt commented. ‘The weather is still nice there.’
‘Ooh, I heard about this.’ Becca picked her phone back up and started furiously typing away. ‘There’s this journal entry soldiers found over there, under the rubble, that’s gone viral. It was translated into English. Wait, I’ll pull it up. Alexa, volume down.’
‘I’m not sure I want to hear it,’ Emma said, uneasy. ‘We’re on holiday. Should we not watch a movie? Something funny?’
Becca waved her away, as if she was an annoying fly. ‘It’ll be good practice for my drama class.’
Matt didn’t help—he simply shrugged, half-apologetic, as if to say: Let her do her thing.
Becca made a show of clearing her throat, too, before she started reading from her phone—her high voice now grave, studied, as if she were speaking to a larger audience: ‘I wonder what peas taste like.’
Right then, the scene on screen changed to footage of what looked like a destroyed village, something out of an apocalyptic movie. Emma found herself unable to look away.
‘Nonna used to say that her own great-grandmother grew them in her garden. Figs, too,’ Becca read. ‘They say they were the sweetest fruit.’
Emma wondered if this journal was actually written by a child or a teenager. It didn’t sound like an adult at all. She couldn’t help but picture a girl, a brunette, not much older than Becca, perhaps a rebel, or a trainee nurse on the sweet cusp of adulthood, holding this journal of hers, or perhaps a gun. It violently reminded her that her own daughter, too, would have to serve her time in the Forces in three years.
On screen, the Canadian soldiers walked among the ruins, zigzagging between torn up clothes and discarded weapons, surely looking for surviving rebels under the rubbles.
‘Isn’t it silly that we can hear the fighters overhead and that all I can do is think about food?’ said Becca. ‘I wish we could also eat figs and be happy.’
On screen, the camera zoomed in on a long-forgotten man's shoe, some crumpled photographs, on a pile of bodies in black bin bags.
‘Grandma - I miss her - left me a poetry book, too, from T.S. Eliot. I hope the book is with me when I die, so I can give it back to her when we meet again, afterwards. So I can tell her that T.S. Eliot was wrong.’
On screen, one of the soldiers approached and showed a little trinket to the camera: a bloody, heart-shaped locket that must’ve once been golden, hiding the miniature pictures of two brunette children that would never have a name.
‘That’s enough,’ Emma said. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. ‘Stop reading.’
‘The world may have not ended with a bang, but it didn’t end with a whimper, either: the world didn’t end at all. Sometimes,’ Becca finished reading, ‘I wish it had.’
‘What a load of rubbish,’ Matt scoffed. ‘Everyone should feel lucky to be alive. I bet this journal is a fake. Alexa, turn the TV off.’
As the screen faded to black, Ethan finally popped a grasshopper in his mouth. ‘I can’t wait to have meat tomorrow.’
#my writing#honestly dystopia is not a genre i'm interested in#lol#this was lazy and i wrote it in one morning while i was hungover on negroni
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DOS: Hunter to Lover (Male Dragon Shifter X Male Elf/Reader)
Chapter summary: You are an elf who must bring back a dragon’s head to be a hunter for your clan. While on your hunt, your team leaves you alone.
pt. 1, Pt. 2, pt. 3 pt. 4, pt.5
“And remember what hangs in the balance; your path in life!” Shouted the elder elf. His luscious silver locks wavered in the snowy air as he paced in front of us, giving us the speech every new hunting elf heard when they went on their first hunt. “Come back with a dragon’s head, you become one of us; fierce hunters who feed our clan! Come back empty-handed, and you will have to make another life for yourself!”
Every firstborn heard this speech on their 800th year of life, when we come of age to be adult elves. And now it was my turn.
I stood with my team of five other elves, we all wielded a weapon; a bow, an ax, a sword or a dagger, along with hunting knives on our belt. I held a bow, a quiver tightly strapped around my torso. I set my face hard, but I wasn’t ready for this.
The elves beside me absolutely were; they were ready to be hunters for our clan.
The elder faced the group, his speech finished. His silver robes wavered in the breeze. He scanned all of us, his ancient gaze pausing on me. I gulped.
“Go forth! And find yourself a beast to kill!”
The surrounding elves raised their fists. “Ho!” They shouted.
“Ho,” I mumbled with them.
The groups dispersed. I followed mine to the north of our village. We already had scouted to the north, and there we found hints that a dragon lived nearby; shed scales, large animal carcasses, large dung piles, all remanents of a dragon.
Our leader Bracken, an elf three months older and taller than me, ran over our plan quickly; I would release some arrows to distract the beast, three others would charge at it and our leader would drive his sword through the dragon’s chest. Straight forward, but hard to time and even harder to find the dragon. We all nodded, to show that we understood the plan. He gave a quick nod back, and we started our way out of the village.
We trekked for a long time until we found the dragon’s main feeding spot; he littered it with carcasses from recently to bones from years ago. I looked away, disgusted; how could any creature eat another creature? It was barbaric.
“Search for tracks,” our leader ordered. We split up.
I made my way over to the freshest carcass and circled it. Large five-clawed talon marks were pressed in the ground. I followed them out of the clearing to the east. I turned around.
“Bracken!” I called. But they were gone, the four of them had just disappeared. “Bracken, Arya, Nima, Flinn?” I called one by one. Nothing.
I thought for a moment. Perhaps they found tracks and wanted to investigate? I’m sure they’ll be back soon.
I went over to one of the wider trees around the clearing and leaped up into it, and sat in the branch's crook, leaning against the trunk. I looked at my bow, plucking the string as I waited for my team to come back. After a while, I stopped and looked up through the leaves at the pale blue sky above. I was getting sore from sitting on the branch.
I sighed and listened to my surroundings, so I could try to hear where my teammates were. I closed my eyes and focused on my ears. I pushed aside the close sounds and focused on the smaller ones. I could hear some grasshoppers nearby, two squirrels scurrying up a tree and a mother moon phoenix calling to her fledglings to come back for dinner. But no adolescent elves.
I sat like that for a long time. When I opened my eyes, the sun was setting and my legs were asleep. I stretched, dangled out of the tree, my hands gripping the branch as I hung there.
“What am I going to do?” I whispered. I walked over to the tracks I had found earlier. I had no team, no way to bring back a dragon’s head, and I had no way to get back safely without my teammates.
I looked at the long line of tracks ahead of me and drew in a breath. I’d have to stay silent and hope that the dragon and I didn’t cross paths.
I stayed to the edge of the tracks, walking beside them as I looked around. The forest was getting dark, but my Elven sight allowed me to see in the growing darkness.
My heart raced as I walked, I was so scared about coming across the dragon; I forgot about the tracks and wandered off course.
I stop in my stride as I came out of my thoughts.
Where am I?
I spun around and looked at the ground; no tracks in sight. I whipped my head around again, my breathing quickening.
I’m lost and alone.
I don’t know where the village is from here.
No one knows where I am. I’m going to die here at the talons of a bloodthirsty beast and no one will ever know where I died.
A picture of my parents and siblings flashed before my eyes.
They’ll never know...
Tears spilled from my eyes, and I heard heavy wings flap above me.
Mama and Papa will never know because I’m a coward and a fool
Something landed behind me rather lightly.
“It’s all right, little elfling,” soothed a male voice. “I won’t hurt you.”
I spun around, tears spilling down. In front of me stood a muscular male with broad shoulders and chest. His skin tone was much darker than my own pale complexion and had dark green scales on his jaw and neck. He had scaled dark green wings on his back and dark horns protruding from his dark shoulder length hair. He wore a pair of brown trousers and nothing more.
A dragon? I questioned. They have more than one form?
He came closer, his expression soft. “You’re lost, aren’t you?” He asked, he sounded like he will bundle me up and take care of me forever. I wanted to trust me.
I nodded my head, my lips quivering.
“Oh, little elfling,” he pouted. He came closer and wrapped his arms and wings around me. “Those elves were wrong to abandon you.” I sobbed into his chest. How was I doing this? I’m supposed to kill him, not sob uncontrollably in his hold.
“I know just what you need,” he said. He opened his wings and looked down at me. His bare chest was getting soaked by my tears. “Come with me, little elfling,” he whispered.
I nodded, even though it wasn’t a suggestion.
He put a wing around me and walked me away from where we were. I slowly gathered myself as we walked.
“What’s your name, little elfling?” He asked.
“(Y/N),” I stuttered.
“A pretty name for a pretty elf boy,” he mused. I smiled, blushing. “I’m Ugauc.”
I smiled at him. “Nice to meet you, Ugauc.”
We stopped in front of a curtain of leafy vines.
“Welcome to my home,” he greeted before moving me through the dew dusted leaves. On the other side was a bed made of animal hides, a few loose bones, a tiny stream of water and glowing crystals in the walls, ceiling and stalactites, illuminating the cave. There were no gold or gems, no Elven warriors strewn on the ground. No blood spattered on the walls and floor. Maybe we had everything wrong about them.
Ugauc walked forward, leaving me by the entrance.
“This... This is beautiful,” I gasped, focusing on the glowing ceiling.
Ugauc shrugged. “I suppose so. I guess I wanted to find a simple home, having figured out my mate is an elf.”
I looked at him. “Who?” I stiffed as my nose cleared up.
Ugauc hesitated and looked at me. “You, (Y/N).”
I looked back at him, frozen. All this comforting was just so he could—
—No, there must be more to it. He said figured out, remember.
“How do you know that we...?” I put my forefingers together.
Ugauc looked down, thinking about how to explain this. “When dragons come of an age to find a mate, an invisible string pulls us towards each other, so we may find each other. My string led me to your village. I was confused at first, but when you went on a scouting trip with those ‘teammates’ of yours, I knew it was one of you. So I observed all of you—I liked you the most—but when you spilt up to follow my tracks, it was easier for me to figure out which one of you is my soulmate,” he explained. He looked at me, golden eyes shining.
I looked down. “So, we’re—?” I pointed from me to him.
He nodded.
“And you’re sure it’s not any of the others?”
“(Y/N), what I feel with you is like nothing I have ever felt with anyone else.” He moved closer and cupped my cheek.
I swallowed saliva. “Do—did you scare off the others to figure this out?”
Ugauc stepped back. “By the howling winds, no,” he said, sounding insulted. “No, I didn’t. As soon as you turned your back, they walked off, little elfling. I promise you.”
I sighed, disappointed. I looked back at the vines behind me. No light passed through them. I looked back to Ugauc.
“I will walk you home,” he made his way towards the vines.
“Could—,” I started. He turned around. “Could I stay the night? I’m not ready to go home and everyone will be asleep.”
Ugauc smiled. “Please do, little elfling.”
“I’m not an elfling, Ugauc.” I crossed my arms.
“I know. But you’re my little elfling.”
I smiled, and he smiled back. I was so happy he had found me.
Let me know if you want a part 2! I enjoyed writing this WAY too much.
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