#honeycomb and heartbreak

[milk-and-wildflowers]

The Milward Story Collection

Not every story is told in words—some are remembered in flavor. This companion collection is a poetic tasting menu of the Milward girls’ lives and loves, where sweetness clings, salt lingers, and bitterness sings softly through the cracks. These are memory slices and flavor notes, tiny aches and secret comforts, whispered through metaphor and steeped in longing. Taste them slowly. Let them stir something you thought you forgot.

[silent-scribbs]

I think about this version of them sometimes

[alessiathepirate]

Squid Game

CURSED WITH NIGHTMARES: Seong Gi-hun x fem!reader

Summary: After the hero succeeds, no one thinks about the future suffering he'd live through. They just congratulate him, they just envy him. Yet not even one hero is happy. Not truly. After the success, the only happiness he has left is 'her'.

Notes: English isn't my first language. I apologize for any mistakes I may have made while I wrote this short story.

Warnings: set in season 2, swearing, referenced PTSD and survivor's guilt, mentioned death and/or murder

●●●

Gi-hun often dreamed about them - the 'what ifs'.

He had been seeing many of them in his sleep for years; and after a while it had began to feel like they would never end.

And they didn't.

Some dreams were worse than the others - although they were always, always, about her; the last person he had, the last person he loved.

In many of them she died while playing a game - she got shot while playing red light, green light; she got shot because she failed to get the damn umbrella out of the the honeycomb... In some of them she died late at night, during the raids, because Gi-hun himself had failed to reach her and protect her in time... The worse he had ever had was watching her get murdered by Sang-woo - he pushed her though the stupid glass bridge; he killed her with the knife right before the last game; or choked her to death during the squid game...

Gi-hun loathed those dreams. He hated how he woke up drenched in sweat, not knowing where he is - where she is -, and he often accidentally kicked her in panic, since she always, always, slept by his side, curled up under his arm.

What if she had died? - The thought always kept him awake afterwards.

She didn't. - The reasonable part of him used to say.

Yet reasonable be damned, he never fell asleep after waking up. He just sat up, pulled her close, made sure a gun was close by and kept watch.

No one would take her, no one would hurt her. He'd make sure of it.

●●●

She woke up late at night - in the hide-out, in the bed she shared with the love of her life; under the covers, clinging onto his arm.

She looked around, making sure they were truly alone, before she looked at Gi-hun.

She sat up quickly, kicking the covers off.

Gi-hun was crying, shaking, mumbling in his sleep - he was begging. Begging for someone to stop, to just let 'her' go...

It was heartbreaking.

The state he could still be in, even after all those years, always broke her heart.

They could never understand it. All those rich assholes, who let all those sad, broken people kill each other for money - they could never understand how they'll never forget, they'll never forgive.

They'll never understand that money can't buy anything; that all that bloody cash will never ever be clean. Four hundred and fifty four people's lifes were in that money. She'd never be able to buy herself nice things from it - Gi-hun wouldn't be able to do it either.

She gently touched her lover's shoulders as she leaned in close, trying to wake him up from the nightmare he was re-living. Her hands travelled upwards, caressing his neck, his jaw, his cheeks; her voice slowly became louder but never harsher... until he finally awoke.

She leaned back, knowing their heads would collide if she didn't; and quickly grabbed Gi-hun's hand, pulling him close.

"It's okay, honey." she said as she brushed the sweaty locks of hair away from his eyes. "Everything's fine. We're out."

Gi-hun turned to look at her, his whole body shaking; then he grabbed her so fast she had close to no time to react.

His fingers were digging into her arms as he looked at her with tears in his eyes.

"Promise me... Promise me you won't leave the motel in the morning!" she felt her heart shutter even further. "Please! Promise me!"

"All right. I promise." she agreed as she took his hands in hers. "I won't leave."

That was when Gi-hun finally pulled her close. He wasn't satisfied until he could feel her breath on his neck and feel her thighs against his.

"Thank you..." his voice was as shaky as his hands. "Thank you."

"Of course, honey." she kissed his neck before leaning back. "Now tell me - do you want to talk about it?"

Gi-hun shook his head. "No. I... I can't."

"Okay." she gently touched his cheek. "Do you want to lay back down? Go back to sleep?"

"No, I'll keep watch. You just go back to sleep, I'm not tired..."

"Seong Gi-hun!" her voice was like a warning, but it was not at all harsh or demanding. "I have said it before, many times. You don't have to keep watch anymore and you need your sleep."

She was sitting in his lap by then, while she held onto his face with both hands, her thumbs caressing his cheeks.

Gi-hun's lips were trembling. "Can you go back to sleep? After the dreams."

She frowned, her fingers shook only for a minute. The thought of them, the dreams - she hated them as much as Gi-hun did.

"No. Not always." she said honestly. "But I have a damn angel of a boyfriend who always helps me, who's always there for me." she smiled when she saw that his tears started to fall again, but this time around for a different reason. "I'm here for you too, Gi-hun."

She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his forehead, then to his lips. She kissed him with all the love and softness she had left to give.

"So let's lay down, okay?"

Gi-hun nodded. He kept on holding her close as he pulled the covers over them - and he made damn sure she was covered up to her neck; he was like a kid making sure they were safe from the monsters who were hiding in the dark.

"I love you, Y/N." he mumbled. "I don't deserve you."

"Don't you fucking say that." she argued. "You deserve the world, you hear me?" he just made his hold around her stronger. "I love you, Gi-hun."

She'd take care of him this time around.

He always made sure she was okay, safe and healthy - yet he didn't want anyone to do the same for him. Well, she wouldn't take no for an answer. Not anymore.

"You know..." she began to whisper, as her hand found his hair. "The only thing I ever truly miss about those damn games are the curls."

Gi-hun raised his head and looked at her with a questioning look. "The curls?"

"Yeah." she chuckled. "Grow your hair out again. Please." she begged. "I wanna play with your curls again."

She looked at him with so much love he had no other choice but to chuckle through the tears too.

"Okay, I'll grow it out again."

She smiled. "Thank you."

They stayed like that for hours - until morning.

She played with as many short, hidden curls as she could until he slowly fell back asleep - and she'd continue to hug him 'til he woke up.

That night she was the one who kept watch - since Gi-hun wasn't the only one who wanted to protect the last, living person he truly loved, with his whole being.

The gun was close by, the door was locked, the windows were closed.

No one would hurt him. She'd make sure of it.

[fairyboygenius]

idea nuggets that have popped into my head and might form into full blown drabbles/fics but i can only really think of titles and plot summaries at the moment

honeycomb - poly 141 x reader rock band au inspired by both daisy jones & the six and @gloomwitchwrites ‘s fic second act

five seconds flat - bartender!gaz x tattoo artist!ghost x barista!reader friends with benefits (aka the trope extravaganza)

midnights- series, sleepless nights with the 141 & friends, smutty

heartbreak girl- farah x reader, punk au

heat lightning- ghost x reader, the beach house/summer vacation au

[somegirlontheinternet135]

Sooooo funny story. . .

I actually made an Witch OC awhile back named First Honey🍯✨

Known as the Witch of Charity, First Honey, as kind as she is charitable, loves nothing more than to give back to our community, throwing lavish but wild parties and feasts, always going out of her way to give cookies in need.

Although she's as generous as they come, she's has an ego; and a big one at that. First Honey almost always thinks she knows what's best for everyone, despite not being correct half the time. Because of that, other people have to be blunt with her & tell her ideas are bad sometimes, which she surprisingly takes well. End of the day, she means no harm, truly just wanting the best for everyone despite her ego.

On top of loving to give to the cookies of Earthbread, First Honey adores the attention she gets. This may sound surprising but she has managed quite the fan base over the centuries; it's no wonder she's considered a queen bee! She hates it when eyes aren't on her however, and will do anything to get the attention back.

First Honey Cookie resides herself on a set of islands, near the mainlands of Crispia known as "The Honeycomb Archipelago" An island paradise, where all the cookie's earthly desires are met, a place where cookies go when they want to break from the rest of the world and want a chance to breathe. The islands are a mix between a charity and a topical resort, providing it guests with utmost care

Something like this obviously sounds like a dream, much too good to be true. . . It's places like these you've usually expect some sort of twist, that something horrible is going on behind the scenes, and that's the ironic part. The supposed dramatic twist is that there is no dramatic twist, the care and love cookies received in the archipelago is genuine and everyone on the island is more than happy to explain to you (take notes Eternal Sugar-) cookies can enter and leave as much as they want, they can even live there permanently if they fill out the right paperwork

For centuries, the archipelago has been but a chill place for all cookies just wanting to break, but as the saying goes "you attract more flies with honey with vinegar." The archipelago has attracted some weird, shady, and overall bad cookies over the years, all wanting a piece of the witch's charity. (Un)Fortunately for them, First Honey isn't one to judge reputation, but she is one to judge character. If there's one thing First Honey hates more than anything it's greed, because it goes against pretty much everything she represents. She gives cookies all they could ever need and all she asks in return is their gratitude, as well as being mindful and respectful of the people around you. Basically as long as you show gratitude and don't be a dick you're fine, if you don't you're made to leave

It's First Honey who governs over the island, but there are four cookies whose job it is to handle certain aspects of the archipelago; the comfort of guests, the security in all the islands, managing the vacation homes on the isles, and handling all the entertainment that comes and goes, named the Keepers. The keeper system had existed for a long time, so many cookies have their chances to be keepers. The current keepers of the archipelago right now are Clematis Cookie(comfort), Red Ludwigia Cookie(security), Moon Milk Cookie(housing), and Blueberry Clafoutis Cookie(entertainment). First Honey has thought fondly of all the keepers, considered them as good friends

As a human witch, First Honey shared her spells and knowledge with the rest of her peers, giving her much praise. This would eventually lead her to find & experiment with unstable magic as to share the spells. This rookie mistake would essentially lead to her downfall, as showing off the spells caused much destruction and chaos, causing her to be kicked out of her coven

After the initial heartbreak and sadness, she continued on, traveling the world to share what she learned, only to be shunned & ignored. She lost the attention she used to have, and now as a cookie, ruling over the archipelago, she's able to get it all back. It was her thirst for attention and love from her that ultimately led to her downfall

And that's all guys!✨

Despite some obvious circumstances, I'm actually super proud of how her character turned out! She's one of my favorite OCS and I adore her!🥺

But First Honey is only a piece in this growing puzzle I'm making at the moment, because you see, I've been crafting a new au called "The Ocaverse!" My own rewrite of the CRK story with many of my ocs sprinkled in(and trust me, there's a lot lol)! I'll share more about the world and story another time, but till then, I'll see you next time! Stay Tuned!😊

[a-ramblinrose]

“When the Nine Worlds were still very young, there were no stories. There was only Dream, the river that runs through all the Worlds, reflecting the hearts and desires of the Folk on its journey towards Pandemonium. But by the side of that river, there grew a flower with no name. It grew only there, on the shore of Dream, between the dusty plains of Death and the dark cliffs of Damnation. Its petals were pale as young love; its leaves were like the starry sky; its roots were drenched with the dreams of the Folk; and its scent was like honey and heartbreak. But no one saw the dreamflower, or caught it scent on the rapturous air. No living creature had ever seen the color of its petals or touched even one of its shining leaves. Until, one day, a swarm of bees found its way into World Below.”

― Joanne M. Harris, Honeycomb

[naturesfirstgreenisgold]

Camila and Billy Dunne Type Love

“…Give me all the platinum albums you want, all the drugs and all the Cuervo and all the fun times and successes and the fame and all of it, I would hand them all back to you, just as the cost of my memories with her….”

505- Artic Monkeys

Afterglow- Taylor Swift

All of Me- John Legend

The Archer- Taylor Swift

Aurora- Daisy Jones & The Six

betty-Taylor Swift

Blackbird- Remastered 2009- The Beatles

By Myself- Daisy Jones

Can’t Help Falling In Love- Elvis Presley

The Chain- 2004 Remastered- Fleetwood Mac

The Chain- Demo - Fleetwood Mac

The Chain- Live 1977 - Fleetwood Mac

champagne problems- Taylor Swift

Changes- Cam

Cornelia Street- Taylor Swift

cowboy like me- Taylor Swift

Daylight- Taylor Swift

Death By A Thousand Cuts- Taylor Swift

Do You Wanna Know?- Arctic Monkeys

Don’t- Ed Sheeran

Don’t Be Cruel- Elvis Presley

Don’t Stop- 2004 Remastered- Fleetwood Mac

Don’t Stop- Live 1977- Fleetwood Mac

Don’t You (Forget About Me)- Simple Minds

Dream- 2004 Remastered- Fleetwood Mac

Dream- Live 1977- Fleetwood Mac

Dreams- Take 2- Fleetwood Mac

False God- Taylor Swift

Flip The Switch- The Dunne Brothers

Forever- Remastered 2009- The Beach Boys

Gold Dust Woman- 2004 Remaster- Fleetwood Mac

Gold Dust Woman-Early Take; 2013 remaster- Fleetwood Mac

Gold Dust Woman- Live 1977; 2013 remaster- Fleetwood Mac

gold rush-Taylor Swift

Good Luck Charm- Elvis Presley

Go Your Own Way- 2004 Remaster- Fleetwood Mac

Go Your Own Way -Early Take- Fleetwood Mac

Go Your Own Way - Live 1977- Fleetwood Mac

Go Your Own Way- Live at Warner Brothers Studio In Burbank, CA 5/23/97- Fleetwood Mac

Graceland Too- Phoebe Bridgers

Have Love Will Travel- The Dunne Brothers

Heartbreak Hotel- Elvis Presley

Heaven- Bryan Adams

Hey! Baby- Bruce Channel

Hey Stephen (Taylor’s Version)-Taylor Swift

I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor- Arctic Monkeys

I Can See You(Taylors Version) (From The Vault)- Taylor Swift

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction- Mono Version- The Rolling Stones

I Don’t Want to Know- 2004 Remaster- Fleetwood Mac

I Don’t Want to Know- Early Take- Fleetwood Mac

I Forgot That You Existed- Taylor Swift

invisible string- Taylor Swift

Iris- The Goo Goo Dolls

I Think He Knows- Taylor Swift

It’s Been a Long, Long Time (with Harry James & His Orchestra)- Harry James, Kitty Kallen

It’s Nice To Have A Friend- Taylor Swift

I Wanna Be Yours- Arctic Monkeys

I Want To Hold Your Hand- Remastered 2009- The Beatles

Keep Me There- Instrumental; 2013 Remaster- Fleetwood Mac

Keep Me There- With Vocal; 2013 Remaster- Fleetwood Mac

Kill You To Try- Daisy Jones & The Six

the lakes-bonus track- Taylor Swift

Leather and Lace (With Don Henley)- Stevie Nicks

Let It Be- Remastered 2009- The Beatles

(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear- Elvis Presley

Let Me Down Easy- Demi Lovato, Daisy Jones & The Six

London Boy- Taylor Swift

Long Live- Taylor Swift

Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)- Daisy Jones & The Six

Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)- Maren Morris, Marcus Mumford, Daisy Jones & The Six

Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)-Single Version- Daisy Jones & The Six

Look Me In The Eye (feat. Daisy Jones)- Live from Diamond Head Festival- 1975- Daisy Jones, The Dunne Brothers

Love Me Tender- Elvis Presley

Lover- Taylor Swift

Lover- Recorded at Air Studios, London- Niall Horan, FLETCHER

Love Story- Taylor Swift

Love Story (Taylor’s Version)- Taylor Swift

The Man- Taylor Swift

Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince- Taylor Swift

Monday Morning- Live 1977- Fleetwood Mac

More Than A Feeling- Boston

More Than Words- Extreme

Mr. Loverman- Ricky Montgomery

Mustang Sally- Wilson Pickett

Never Going Back Again- remaster 2004- Fleetwood Mac

Never Going Back Again- Acoustic Duet- Fleetwood Mac

Never Going Back Again- Live 1977- Fleetwood Mac

New Year’s Day- Taylor Swift

Nights in White Satin- The Moody Blues

November Rain- Guns N’ Roses

Oh Daddy- 2004 Remaster- Fleetwood Mac

Oh Daddy-Early Take- Fleetwood Mac

Paper Rings- Taylor Swift

Rhiannon- Live 1977- Fleetwood Mac

The River (feat. Simone Jackson)- Live from Soldier Field-1977- Daisy Jones & The Six, Simone Jackson

Second Hand News- 2004 Remaster- Fleetwood Mac

Second Hand News- Early Take- Fleetwood Mac

She’s Always a Woman- Billy Joel

Silver Springs- 2004 Remaster- Fleetwood Mac

Slow Dancing- Aly & AJ

Songbird-Remaster 2004- Fleetwood Mac

Songbird-Demo - Fleetwood Mac

Songbird- Instrumental, Take 10- 4- Fleetwood Mac

Songbird-Live 1977- Fleetwood Mac

Star Treatment- Arctic Monkeys

Sweet Caroline- Neil Diamond

Sweet Child O’ Mine- Guns N’ Roses

Sweet Emotion- Aerosmith

Sweet Nothing- Taylor Swift

Time After Time- Cyndi Lauper

Timeless (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)- Taylor Swift

Tiny Dancer- Elton John

What A Time (feat. Niall Horan)- Julia Michaels, Niall Horan

When Emma Falls in Love (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)- Taylor Swift

Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High? - Arctic Monkeys

Wildflowers- Tom Petty

Wildflowers- Recorded at Spotify Studios NYC- Miley Cyrus

World Turning- Live 1977- Fleetwood Mac

You Make Loving Fun- 2004 Remaster- Fleetwood Mac

You Need To Calm Down- Taylor Swift

You’re My Home- Billy Joel

You’re So Vain- Carly Simon

(You’re The) Devil in Disguise- Elvis Presley

Playlist Master list

[kimmiessimmies]

What Went Before: Sadie

The next story update is just about ready. We'll see Sadie start university and be reunited with Daniel. I figured it might be good to do a little recap of what went before for any new readers wondering.

Sadie, like her BFF Rachel, had a crush on Finn when she was about 15 years old. Gossiping about how cute he was, was their main pastime

However, at summer camp in 03, when Sadie was 16, Finn got together with her sister Esme leaving Sadie feeling distraught.

After that, Sadie soon got over her crush and focussed on other things, such as singing. Sadie always loved singing and was over the moon when she was asked to join The Hot Wings, Honeycomb Valley's teen band, as their female lead.

Being in the band brought her more than just music, because she soon got very close to drummer Daniel.

Their relationship became very serious. Unlike Finn's relationship with Esme, which was always casual. After Esme deliberately asked her best friend to kiss Finn just for a joke, they broke up. He didn't want to play her game anymore. Thankfully for Finn, things looked up for him as well, and he met Jada, with whom he immediately hit it off.

Around that same time, things weren't going too great for Sadie and Dan. Dan had started University and being apart was hard on both of them and on Sadie in particular. Eventually this resulted in a heartbreaking break up (I actually cried writing it), of which they both agreed it would be temporary and they'd be back together once Sadie started university. To add insult to injury, the break up with Dan also meant Sadie had to quit the band...

That same spring, Jada rather suddenly decided to move back to Bridgeport, leaving Finn behind with a broken heart as well. Common ground is a great base for friendship, and their shared heartbreak connected Sadie and Finn on a spring night.

Their friendship soon grew very strong. One hot summer day they discussed their past relationships and the things they were missing. They both came to the conclusion that there was really only one thing they both very much missed: sex. Combined with the fact Sadie found out Dan was dating someone at University, this led to the questionable decision to sleep together. No strings attached, just for one night.

It didn't end with one night though and pretty soon they had an agreement. Friends with benefits, but only until they'd start university and it would absolutely stop when one of them developed feelings. Sadie reluctantly told Rachel (who at that point still had a crush on Finn) what was going on, which in the end worked out well, and led to Rachel finally shaking her crush on Finn and building a strong friendship between Sadie, Rachel and Finn.

But the drama didn't end there, because when the three friends camped out in the woods for their final night before their high school graduation, Finn confessed to Rachel he had developed feelings for Sadie but didn't believe anything good could come from telling her.

And now it's October and these three are starting University. Where Dan is, whom Sadie can't wait to see again. Stay tuned!

[dragonflymeow]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I think I found the book version of the love of my life… Daisy Jones & The Six is a book about a band... obviously. But this book just you never get tired of reading it, you just don't want to put it down.

Daisy comes from a family with a rich father and a beautiful mother and she's just alone. Billy and Graham Dunne are brothers from Pittsburg who dream of having one of the biggest, best, and most incredible bands in the world. Daisy writes songs and sings she loves music, she won't let anyone get in her way. She does whatever she wants whenever she wants. The Dunne brothers have created a successful band called The Six:

Billy, Graham, Karen, Eddie, Warren, and Pete.

During their second album Daisy features on one of the songs (Honeycomb). Then it starts... Daisy officially joins the band now they're Daisy Jones & The Six. During the making of their second album (Aurora) drama starts to stir. Aurora becomes one of the most successful albums ever. On their world tour one show in Chicago 1977 and everything comes crumbling down. So much has happened the band is no more. This book is full of Rock & Roll, addiction, love, heartbreak, and it's just the best thing EVER! Taylor Jenkins Reid is a pure genius for creating this wonderful story and making this world. She is one of my fav authors.

[thehoneycombdailydevotional]

•●🍯THE HONEYCOMB🍯●•

Today's Melody🎵

September 22, 2024

It Is Well With My Soul

Symphony of Love Series

👨‍🎤📈📈📈📈📈📈📈📈👩‍🎤

I'm sure you've heard of Job and his afflictions before. It is in those times of pain that he made the statement:

"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:" (Job 19:25).

The story of Job might not seem like much to people and they may not relate to it. To some, it just remains a story. If so, then let me tell you of Horatio Spafford.

He was a very affluent Lawyer that lived in the 1800's. Like Job however, things began to go sour for him. It began with the death of his son of 2 years. He was then ruined financially when a significant amount of his invested wealth went up in flames with the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Two years later, the little left of his wealth also got hit by an economic downturn. He decided to travel to Europe with his family only to be held up at the last minute by problems that arose as a result of the fire.

He soon received a heartbreaking message from his wife after the ship his family was on, had an accident at sea. The message read: "Saved alone …". All four of his daughters, died at sea.

Quite remarkable however, is the fact that it was on his way to meet his grieving wife that He composed the hymn, "It Is Well With My Soul", just as his ship passed near where his daughters had died. Despite all the tumultuous occurrences, he still trusted in the Lord. Despite all his pain, he didn't blame or curse God.

You can learn a thing or two from Horatio. No matter what comes your way or the ups and downs you may go through, forever trust and believe in the Lord. Tell yourself it is well with your soul. All things are working together for your good.

Thought Provoking Verse:

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:

If Jordan above me shall roll,

No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,

Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,

The sky, not the grave, is our goal;

Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!

Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

Listen @;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHe_qmo3gX4

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

THE HONEYCOMB©

Bless a life by sharing

https://web.facebook.com/honeycombdailydevotional/

https://t.me/thehoneycombdailydevotional

[xtruss]

How the World’s Rarest Wine Is Made! It's a Painstaking Process to Create Royal Tokaji's Essencia.

— By Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen | Robb Report | February 6, 2024

Royal Tokaji

One of the biggest heartbreaks of making wine is a lost vintage, which is usually due to weather conditions before grapes have a chance to fully mature. This has been the case in several years since 2009, the last time—until now—that Royal Tokaji was able to produce bottles of its ultra-rare Essencia. The conditions weren’t right for azsú berries in five out of the six vintages between 2009 and 2016 (the current release), but 2013 offered the biggest heartache of all.

“I think most producers in the region would agree that 2013 is one of the greatest vintages in Tokaji, ever. We had perfect conditions for azsú, and we had amazing quantity as well,” Royal Tokaji managing director Charlie Mount tells Robb Report. “We had a lot of Essencia dripping, but after five or six years in our cellar, we couldn’t find anything that we thought was worth bottling. And it was one of the most painful decisions we’ve ever had, having a huge amount of Essencia not meeting our standards and having to decide not to release the 2013.”

Although neither 2014 nor 2015 provided ideal conditions for enough quality azsú berries to produce Essencia, the summer and fall of 2016 offered perfect circumstances to capture the precious free-run juice (more on that later) that goes into making this prized elixir. And prized it should be. Only the eighth vintage of Essencia released in the winery’s 34-year history, sipping Royal Tokaji 2016 Essencia from specially designed crystal spoons that reveals its deep amber hue and aromas of dried apricot, ripe summer peach, and honeycomb. It rolls over the tongue like syrup with nimble viscosity and a sumptuous vein of acidity that keeps its inherent sweetness from overpowering its flavors of apricot nectar, peach pie, candied orange peel, and fresh honey that leaves a trail of tangerine zest in their wake.

The Grapes Falling Prey to “Noble Rot”

Meaning “dry” in Hungarian, azsú berries are grapes that have been afflicted with Botrytis cinerea, the grey mold called Noble Rot that is responsible for the creation of Tokaji Azsú as well as Sauternes and Spätlese and Beerenauslese Riesling. Unlike common household molds, Botrytis requires an optimal setting to do its work; if it is present in a season that is relentlessly wet, it will ruin the grapes it’s growing on, making them useless for winemaking. But a period of humidity, especially one with cool, foggy mornings, that precedes a dry period just before harvest creates an ideal situation. The fungus dehydrates the grapes, which increases the proportion of fruit sugars and acids, offering a sweeter, more intensely flavored berry from which to make wine. Affected grapes shrivel to the point that they look like raisins.

In regular azsú wines, botrytized grapes are collected in large baskets known as puttony and added to 136-liter barrels of base wine. The number of baskets of sweet grapes added to the base wine give the Tokaji Aszu the Puttonyos rating of either five or six Puttonyos. For a Tokaji Aszu wine to be labeled today as five Puttonyos, it must have at least 120 grams per liter of residual sugar and a wine labeled as six Puttonyos must have at least 150 grams per liter of residual sugar. Essencia’s sugars can run between 450 and 600 grams, requiring strong acidity to balance out the sugars; Royal Tokaji’s 2016 weighs in at 534.6 g/l of sugar.

Although Tokaji Azsú has been a favorite of noblemen, poets, and artists for centuries, Tokaji Essencia is in a league of its own. While Louis XIV may have proclaimed that Tokaji is “The King of wines, the wine of Kings,” Hugh Johnson OBE, the esteemed British wine writer who founded Royal Tokaji in 1990, has been known to call its Essencia “medieval Viagra.” Each 375-milliliter bottle of Essencia contains the juice of 88 pounds of dehydrated berries, which comes out to about 50,000 grapes; compare that to an average 750 ml bottle of dry wine, which is made with about two and a half pounds or approximately 200 grapes. The painstaking production process involves picking the finest botrytized grapes from the best plots and then, as Mount says, “It’s a question of waiting.” The term “low-intervention winemaking” is tossed about with abandon in the wine world, but Essencia is truly the epitome of the style.

Royal Tokaji’s Wine Director Zoltán Kovács

After harvesting, shriveled Furmint, Harslevelu, and Muscat Blanc grapes that have lost 80 percent of their water are placed on racks and left to drip. “We don’t press them or apply any pressure so a tiny amount of liquid drips through a grating at the bottom of the collecting vat. We draw it off from time to time, we keep every grape variety and every site separate, and we do an initial selection,” Mount says. The juice absorbs atmospheric liquid from the high humidity wine cellar; naturally occurring yeast from the cellar settles on the surface and a top-down spontaneous fermentation takes place. Up to 70 percent of that free-run juice is poured into appropriately sized glass demi-johns; as grapes from vineyard plots are kept separate, the containers vary in size from 10 to 50 liters. The entire process takes at least five to seven years; Mount continues, “All along we’re waiting and tasting and towards the end we’ll make a final selection of the batches to be blended and bottled as Essencia.”

Although a bottle of wine boxed with a crystal spoon can seem like a bit of a gimmick, the viscosity makes sipping from a spoon rather than a glass a much more efficient means of imbibing with minimal loss. After all, 15 percent of the initial juice has already been lost sticking to the grates, and up to 30 percent more is discarded prior to blending. Only 2,300 bottles of this treasured liquid were made (priced at $1,416 each), and each one holds roughly 25 tablespoon-sized pours; you seriously want to devour every last drop. If you can’t get your hands on a full bottle but are dying to give it a try, a select group of restaurants such as Oiji Mi and Gabriel Kreuther in New York City have bottles and crystal spoons on hand for your sweet sipping pleasure.

— Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, also known as the World Wine Guys, are wine, spirits, food, and travel writers, educators, and hosts. They have been featured guests on the Today Show, The Martha Stewart Show, Better TV, and the CBS, FOX, and NBC networks. They also write Robb Report's weekly newsletter The Oeno Files.

[canarycarnation]

fav song: look at us now (honeycomb)

fav tv show: heartbreak high

fav artist: conan gray

book you like: if we were villains

book you hate: colleen hoover. @svnflowermoon ur so right

character i identify with: darcy olsson and sirius black and quinni gallagher-jones and- *gunshot*

npt: @gu1lty-as-sin @foaming-sea @fresasconsal @bookscorpion73 @in-the-sweet-november-rain @dandelions-fly-in-summer-skies <3

New Tag!!!!

tell me yours... favorite song: Favorite TV show: favorite artist: book you like: book you hate: And a character you identify with: hope you like it :)

@babyqueenfangirl @jinxdragons @ellslvr @living-my-ghibli-dream @effervescent-lesbian @imnotactuallyoklol @touloserrrr @radio-silence-fan @radiosilenced @tori0704 @the-stars-are-ineffable @radio-silence-fan @theshyqueergirl @toulouserradiosilence @arrowace6262 @mybedroomceilingsbored @cavetownismyboi @

[tomorrowisalwaysabetterday]

Oh honey

It's you. It was always you. And I wished it would always be you. You, you, just you. But things changed. Time changed. People changed. Mindests changed. Everything changed, except me and you. And the sad part is, that we drift apart. Farther and farther. But honey, if you'd only know that I'd choose you all over again. But you don't because you can't read my mind and I don't send you messages anymore.

[starlumin]

𝒟𝒾𝑒𝓉 𝒶𝓈 𝓈𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓉 𝒶𝓈 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓁𝒾𝓅𝓈

[thetorturerwrites]

Lamb Ch 15 - Dathomir

***This amazing artwork was gifted to me by @elmidol​​. Please do not re-use or re-post it without permission from them and/or myself. Don’t be a dickbag.

Previous Chapter

A/N: Well hi there. It looks like this beast still lives. I am unendingly grateful for your patience.

C/N: None

---

Fourth man bled to life. At the fracturing of all that was, heartbreak and misery begat a new age. From the ashes of the gods came the greatest of Grandfather Sky Walker’s gifts. Mercy.

The world was red.

The red that is death.

But you did not want to leave him…

From dark déjà vu, you jolted awake. This time, however, it was not to the eternal gloaming of Hosnia but a jagged terrain cast pallid and somber. Pain radiated from the middle of your body, but you forced yourself to sit and then stand. You took stock, just as so many times before. Fingers and toes moved. Your back stretched and arched, though your muscles groaned for it. Whole…

…Mostly.

You looked around, finding only gray-scale badlands, a nothing landscape that boasted no defining features at all save a black cobblestone path stretching in the cardinal directions for as far as your dry eyes could see, though there was none here to walk the road. Panic gurgled. You could hear the bubbles in your throat because the quiet here was absolute, so absolute as to be terrifying. Nothing here lived. Even the air was dead, thick as smog.

Not for the first time since you crossed The Demarcation, you wondered what this meant for you. Devoid of hope was a feeling with which you were intimately familiar, but even the last time you’d felt its clutch, you’d been nestled safe within the rocky honeycomb Kylo made into his home. You winced at the very thought of him, lips trembling as you fought not to fall into all you’d surely lost. Closing your eyes, you let yourself wallow in the days gone by. Somehow, it filled you with something new - a determination to get back there to him.

“Over here, beloved.”

Your head swiveled so quickly you threw yourself into dizziness. You knew that voice, but it was off, just the wrong side of memory. How was that voice - how was she here  ?  Was she here at all? Or had you descended so fast into paranoid madness?

Turning, you found her seated upon a stack of round, flat rocks. Rocks that had not existed a moment ago. Amazed, you fell over yourself getting to her, filled with equal parts relief and dread. The back of your head buzzed that this wasn’t right, but she had been your salvation too many times before for you to forsake the chance to bury your woes in her arms again. You ran as best your bruised body could carry you and collapsed at her feet. The swish of purple fabric she so loved, the smell of flowers that soothed the yearning in your heart. You erupted into great heaving sobs because she was all you'd wanted since the day you dreamed the first dream of your planet's destruction. Her weathered hand cupped your cheek, and she smiled. Great Father, she smiled, and you felt young again, free and untroubled. 

She was everything you remembered. You could face anything - any darkness, any fresh hell - so long as she was here, even if you did not know where here actually was. You pressed kisses into the wrinkled palm, willing your mind to accept this. Don’t break it. Don’t see the cracks. Your stomach, though, lurched. If she was here, and you were here, that made here…

"Nona? It's you, yes?" 

But she was not simply she, and when you took a breath, a pause, you saw it. There was a sheen to her face, an inky ring around the irises that glowed in a way so strikingly similar to eyes you couldn't bear to picture. Those kind eyes you'd known since childhood had a depth to them now that gave you pause. Had it always been there? A vastness of knowing you’d never noted before. Were you only now old enough to see? 

"Yes," she said, "And no." 

Her voice was richer. No, that wasn’t it. Her voice wasn’t… solitary. Its timbre layered one voice upon another - one you remembered, and one that made your very cells pulsate. You knew confusion had taken over your features, changed wholly by anxiousness because the details of your most treasured relative were so, so close to right. But where her back spent a decade crooked, she sat upright without difficulty, and though her hair was as silver as it had ever been, it floated around her shoulders, fuller and star-touched like she'd swum in waters made of light. 

Carefully, committed to the facade, not-Nona unfolded herself from the precarious perch and stood. In your lifetime, her soft body sagged over, keeping her at eye level with you. Now, she stood straight, a full head taller than you. She bent forward to help you up, and finally, the feminine facade fell away. It was his hand that clasped yours and drew you to your feet once more. 

“You…”

A novel mix of horror and wonder churned in your heart. You dropped his hand as though it burned like ice, hissing and taking a step back. You refused to accept this truth, a stubborn line drawn in the sand because this was too far into the territory of gods. You vaulted from one insane explanation to another to explain the predicament - demon, hallucination, death fugue, Solo in disguise. Anything but what you knew to be the answer, but it was futile.

Silently, he waited, allowing you the time to argue with yourself. In response to your scowl, he smiled, but where it should have offered comfort, it made you angry. His stillness made you angry. His face, the way he clasped his hands behind his back patiently, the twitch of his mouth inside of the white goatee - all of it infuriated you because what you wanted - what you deserved - was the face he'd stolen.

That was the truth. The face you deserved to see, the one you’d endured so much to find in whatever version of peace she achieved, did not stare back at you. 

"Did you wear her face for me, Great Grandfather? Or are you cruel like your son?" 

You didn’t recognize your voice when it came. Lower and more indignant than ever before, it frothed in your throat, sizzling like acid. Beyond frustrated, ready to murder at the next contrary word said, you curled your fingers into fists, nails gouging at the tender flesh of your palms. The real Nona would roll over in her grave if she knew you spoke to the Maker of Heaven in such a manner, regardless of how deserving he was.

He, however, said nothing in response to your barb, though his eyes narrowed slightly. He knew which son you meant, which monster you compared him to, and he did not like it, though you doubted you were meant to know it.

“What is this place? Am I finally dead?”

If you asked him questions, maybe you wouldn’t unleash the years of pain you’d squashed into the bottle that was your gullet. Maybe you wouldn’t gouge his eyes out or fashion a weapon of your own tibia just to find out if he had a heart to stab. Somewhere in the middle of that tidal wave of rage, though, it occurred to you that you were doing the exact thing you’d done to Kylo daily since the moment you’d met him. The thought of your twilight god strangled the breath out of you, heartbreak shooting up into your temples and switching on the faucet behind your eyes. Your palm instinctively sought your belly, brow furrowing as fresh grief took root.

Wherever you were, Kylo was not, and you felt untethered from reality without him as your foundation.

Sky Walker cautiously pulled you closer, holding your shoulder to the center of his chest. You were so entrenched in your distress you allowed it. Who knew how long he’d give you this solace before disappearing to do whatever it is supreme beings do to pass the years.

“So many questions.” He chuckled, softly and obviously not meant maliciously. This time, you forced yourself to not flinch away. "I knew it would draw him like a moth to flame." 

Coaxing you to walk, he led you along the eerie road.

“No, you are not dead. This is Dathomir. Many, the nuns for example, think that the demarcation is the line of Balance, but Dathomir is the true convergence of light and dark, life and death.”

He spoke as though this was a lesson and you his pupil. He gestured around as though he showed you the secrets behind the curtain, but you keyed on the only detail that mattered.

"You knew? Knew what?" 

Your thoughts jumped so erratically that it was hard to fix one in the center of your mind long enough to spit it out. He’d known you would draw Kylo out? Had he sent you? Did Nona know? Your eyes must have been round as moons because when he looked back at you, Sky Walker chuckled again and patted your shoulder. But rather than offer you anything of value, he continued his lesson as though it was the only thing that mattered. 

“He brings the dead here, and they decide if they will be born again or return to the chaos some other way to rest.”

Blinking rapidly, you decided that the only way to get the answers you wanted was to play along, play his game.

“Some other way?” 

His face lit up at your sudden participation. His eyes twinkled, and his lips twitched in suppressed delight, an animation you recognized as a trait of Kylo's. You'd often wondered if they were born in Sky Walker's image, and the similarity in expression seemed testament to that fact. But where Kylo and Solo wore haloes of ebony, Sky Walker was adorned by an almost iridescent crown, a glow to his hair that stretched down into his beard as well. The smattering of freckles across his nose winked like stars, and though he was weathered, it was impossible to discern his age or even his general age range. His body was old, his face wizened, but he stood true, and he had no limp as he walked.

“There is no energy that exists that is ever wasted. The galaxy is one, chaos and peace, conscious and not. Everything that dies can live again, though awareness is not a requirement. Flowers are alive, but they are not mindful of it. Those choices are made here.”

You glanced around, seeing not a single soul, and tried to decide if Sky Walker was a liar or a lunatic. Pursing your lips, you tried your luck once more since this particular deity didn't seem to hate questions as much as your own. You pushed the thought of Kylo away because, if you meant to get back to him, you had to figure out where the fuck you actually were.

“Where is Dathomir? Hosnia is a physical place. Chandrila, too. But I’ve never heard of Dathomir nor where it could be located.”

Sky Walker smiled, clearly pleased with your logic. Leaning towards you, he outstretched his aged hand towards what a sable sky, shimmering to produce a picture of a place you knew well. High, vaulted ceilings. Stars trapped to dance inside wall sconces. A magnificent throne made of stone. You knew it all - only it was backwards. The answer clacked in your head like thunder, and you gripped the man’s shoulder probably far harder than you should.

“We’re inside the mirror!”

He laughed, more vigorous than his earlier chortle. The sound drew your full gaze, and you canted your head slightly to one side at the new puzzle he presented. His voice was heartier than before, if such a thing were possible, and he looked younger, too. The patchy goatee from only moments ago was fuller, more perfectly framing his filling-in face. Was it possible that he was de-aging? Is that a thing gods do?

“Mm. You may think of it that way if you wish. The obelisk is a doorway to Dathomir, yes. It lets me…” His face clouded, and he looked away. “It lets me be close to him without interfering.”

It was only one insignificant detail, a kernel of knowledge that should have skipped away like a pebble on smooth water, but it stuck in your craw. Your brow knit, and you paused. Sky Walker did not meet your eye, which only emboldened you to speak freely. You had literally nothing left to lose. What more could he take from you?

“Are you telling me you’ve been here the entire time? In Dathomir, whose doorway is in the fucking throne room?”

Your voice rose to a shout by the end of your inquiry, and Sky Walker’s face gave you all the answer you needed. Maybe it should have produced another emotion - awe, perhaps, at knowing a different world lay on the other side of the smooth obsidian - but the anger you’d momentarily misplaced came screaming back to the surface, and you were fresh out of reasons to be reserved.

“You’ve watched him search for you for generations. You watched him hurt? Watched him grow more and more weary? And you did nothing! You’ve let him stretch death across the galaxy as he hunted you, and you hid here like a coward in the goddamn throne room?!”

You beat your own thigh to keep from outright punching the Allfather. What right did he have to rest so easily while his son suffered? 

“You left him! Alone and lonely, you left him to himself for all this time!”

Where your shrieks should have produced echoes, there was only a muted thud. The vacuum of Dathomir sucked up the emotion, leaving a lingering hollowness you felt in your joints. Doorway or not, your anger battered against the inside of the mirror but could go no further.

“I did.” 

Sky Walker nodded somberly, pulling his shoulders back to stand fully upright. His chest expanded wide as he drew in a great breath, growing into his prime as he seemed to steel himself against your ire. He clasped now muscular hands behind his back and faced you. You felt compelled to shrink before this new version of him, but you forced yourself to keep the ground you’d gained. This was no old man. This was the Leader of Heaven - solid, capable, resolute - but you were a perpetual idiot, as Kylo enjoyed telling you, and you’d be damned to nothing if you let this man skate over his sins.

“Of my sons, Kylo has always been the stronger. Solo is impulsive, prone to hubris. He lacks scope, you see. But Kylo…” The Great Father smiled, clear fondness softening the lines of his face. “Kylo sees all. He saw even what I did not.”

“Impulsive?” You screeched and threw a hand out, motioning to what he’d clearly seen. “Try murderous? Genocidal? He wants to blot out the sun and replace it with himself. That is a bit more than hubris, and you damn well know it.”

Sky Walker sighed and turned towards the skyline mosaic more fully. You followed his line of sight as the picture shifted to show your body slumped against the base of the obelisk and Kylo mid-roar with half of Hosnia blasted into oblivion. You were the epitome of powerless, forced to watch as the picture moved, turning from snapshot to live reel in a blink.

It was pure agony.

Horrified, you watched as Kylo gripped his brother by the collar, barely acknowledging that half of the man’s head was gone. With a haggard face devoid of everything but hate, he gripped a bloody collar with bloodier hands and dragged Solo to The Demarcation and threw him out, purging the land he’d so meticulously curated of Solo’s uninvited pandemonium.

When Kylo returned to stand over you, jaw ticking and hands balled into fists, tears rolled in fat tracks down your dirty cheeks. You lifted a hand as though you could reach for him, but recoiled and turned away. Instinctively, you knew there was no going back. Dathomir offered only one choice - rebirth. Regardless of what form it took, you would re-enter the cycle and be separated from him forever.

“I can’t do this.” 

You doubled over, crumpling to the ground amidst such sorrow you could not even sob. The tears flowed unchecked, but your chest and throat could produce no sound, no heaving. This was shock, absolute loss, and utter, utter failure. You’d only just told him you’d take up his place, but you never got the chance to even try. 

“I’m not like them,” you wheezed, lifting pleading eyes upon the creature you suspected set all of this in motion. “Not like you. This is too much. Please…” Admitting defeat, you bowed your head, a husk of the fiery fighter you’d only just been. “Let me go.”

Sky Walker came to crouch beside you, gently placing his hands on your shoulder. Part of you hated that his nearness was peaceful, but you had no battle left to give this war. 

“Something happened with you, sapling. Something I did not expect, but that offers us the opportunity to reshape the cosmos and, maybe, unbreak his heart.”

Your eyes throbbed - both from crying and trying to not - but you lifted them to his face and gaped in surprise. He positively was growing younger by the moment, for now he looked like a young man in his twenties, robust with full cheeks, red tinting his beard, and clear, calculating eyes.

He tipped his face up again, enticing your gaze to follow his to the new shapes swirling and coalescing. It was Kylo reaping, red vapor trailing after him, and you, curled up alongside a dying boy, whispering your prayer hoping to calm his panic. You remembered that day and the fantastic lack of control you had over your body at that moment. Even knowing the danger, even knowing Kylo might tear you to pieces for disobeying, you were compelled to do everything in your power to soothe fears you understood all too well.

“Look there,” he gestured to another patch of sky and a new chapter to the story.

Beyond that boy stood two men, not much older than the lad on the ground. Spontaneously, you knew they were his brothers, and they whispered the invocation in exactly the right pace with you. Each cried, but they did not try to shake their brother back to life. It was as though they could see you lying next to him, and they feared interrupting. They finished the prayer with you, knelt down beside their now lifeless loved one, and whispered thanks…to you.

Sky Walker smiled at your astonishment.

“They pray to you now, you know. They and their wives. Their mother. Their children. Everyone to whom those brothers shared the tale of Mother Death, who comforts the dying before her consort, The Ren, comes to claim them. Those whom he left untouched; they speak of you."

If your jaw were once attached to the rest of your face, you’d never have known it. Your mind tried to smash these mismatched shards together, but it was too much.

“No. That’s absurd.”

Sky Walker shrugged, dropping to sit next to you, cross-legged and lanky. His clothes sagged around his slender limbs, and his hair hung shaggy around a smiling, carefree face. It occurred to you that you were running out of time to ask him what the hell was happening to him. He was a teenager now, no older than the dying boy on the hill and unbecoming with every second that passed.

“Maybe,” his adolescent voice cracked - half youth, half rich - the blending of boy and man. “But there was a time when nobody prayed to my sons, and then one day, they did. Faith changes.”

He touched your shoulder again, and his boyish features were so earnest you nearly wept.

“And now, faith includes you.”

You blinked. And blinked again. And again. Because none of this made any sense. You searched Sky Walker’s face for answers he didn’t seem rushed to provide and found it curious to be seeking galaxy-sized guidance from a child.

“What does that mean?”

“It means the Second Age of Gods is here,” he grinned as though he’d single handedly caught it in his own hands, like a fish. But when you only stared at him, he shook his head as though you were the daft one and he wasn’t talking foolishness. “It means that if you agree, you will take my place.”

He was practically giddy, and you could do nothing - absofuckinglutely nothing - but stare at this genuinely unhinged almighty. But if you did this, maybe that meant you’d get to go back to Hosnia, to Kylo. The possibility made your palms itch, and even in this temperate atmosphere, your neck sweat.

“Agree? Agree to what?”

“Balance is not so simple as light and dark, is it?” The voice talking to you now was eerily young, a ghost-child who knew untold secrets but died far too early. It was haunting. “It took me too long to learn that, but it is too great of a burden, is it not? We must stretch it throughout space and time.”

The Great Father was now desert brown hair hanging over clear blue eyes, chubby cheeks tinted rose at the high points. He was grabby fingers curled into your sleeve and the echo of forever hidden in his child’s tone. He was almost…almost undone.

“You will bear him many children, sapling, and each one will carry a piece of me - no you! That is the agreement. You will help him with his task, and care for the dying until he can put down the saber. And we will bless the cosmos with a new generation of caretakers.”

What he offered was beyond comprehension. It was massive and complex. You had a million questions, but there was no more time. You understood that as Sky Walker de-aged, that was the clock on your decision. You had this moment - and this moment only to choose. You could choose to re-enter the fray of life, try to find peace as something simpler and let Sky Walker devolve into nothing. Or, you could choose a different chaos - one that was frenetic in the most exciting way and came with intimacy you’d never dreamed possible and kisses that held the very meaning of life, the point of everything.

Your spirit suddenly felt too big for your body, and you thought for sure you’d combust or learn to fly any second because there truly was no choice at all, was there? All he had to do was tell you where to leap.

“What do I do?”

[sorayah2]

Sensory Lovers| Neteyam x oc FF

@Sorayahluvs on Wattpad

✠ ━━━━━━━ Chapter 1

✠ ┏━━━━━━━━

✩°̥࿐୨୧

When is it going to end?

They are forced to leave. Again. Their village, their people, and their way of life to start all over again.

Neteyam is enraged by this to his core. They had already lost their beautiful hometree. The Omatikaya hometree which served as the ancestral home of the Omatikaya clan; it was honeycombed with natural hollows and alcoves in which the Na'vi slept, ate, wove, danced, and celebrated their ties to Eywa. Regrettably, it was obliterated by the RDA's security forces using high-explosive missiles after driving the Na'vi out with tear gas, forcing the remaining inhabitants to relocate. During the attack and collapse of the tree, many of the Omaticaya perished.

His own bow is made from the wood of the fallen hometree. And Neteyam never got the chance to witness it in its prime, when it stood proud and was exalted by the people. He only heard the heartbreaking tales from his grandmother and those who were fortunate enough to survive. The people who are still mourning their lost loved ones, are gradually recovering.

Then it was their second home, destroyed again. Gone with all of his childhood memories.

The thing he is certain of is that the man will stop at nothing to get his hands on Jake's skull. He is capable of and willing to destroy anything in his path to accomplish that ambition.

His parents are under stress without a firm plan. His father only cares about keeping their family safe. He cannot afford to endanger any more lives because of him yet again. Jake suffers from guilt that refuses to go away, not even with time. He can still recall. Everything. He recalls every detail vividly, as though it all happened yesterday.

The screams.

The blood.

The gunfire.

The sorrow.

Everything.

He wants to—no, he needs to change that. And the solution he came up with is to resettle his family far away as possible. So, no more innocent blood will need to be shed. Will that work? He's uncertain of the possibility, but he has hope. He begs for the small miracle.

Jake only asks that they cooperate with him on this and understand. Even though he'd never intended for them to be in this situation, things do happen.

Neteyam is trying to. It's unfair, nonetheless.

He's not just leaving his home; he's also abandoning his special someone. For 4 months and a half, they've been dating. He was in love with her ever since they were little and had been hesitant to ask her out as they grow up. Eventually he grew a pair and confessed to her at her birthday celebration; to his surprise and delight, she accepted and also admitted her secret feelings for him.

Neteyam had a few crushes here and there but none of them compared to his feelings for Yayìu.

She's his first and hopefully last.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't hear the knock on the door until the repeated attempts and the voice of his mother calling out his name. Startled, he cussed under his breath and set the bags down.

"Uh—yes, come in!"

Neytiri entered the room with strays of food, while maintaining a straight facial expression. Her eyes swiftly scanned the space.

"I wonder why it took you that long to answer." She asked suspiciously. He's a teenager, and the very fact that his girlfriend hangs around here didn't go unnoticed. Neytiri is supportive of their relationship, but by no means will she tolerate any sort of inappropriate behavior in her home.

"Nothing! I guess I was zooming out..." He defends himself. "Sorry about that, mom."

"Have you started packing yet?" She placed the strays on his nearby table (crafted by Jake).

He nodded. "I already have, and I packed Tuk's too."

"Aw, that's so sweet of you, thank you, darling!" She gives him a smile and ruffles his hair before squeezing the tall boy into her embrace. Neytiri appreciates that her son assisted with one of the tasks that needed to be done because a lot is taking up much of her time. Truth be told, she can always rely on Neteyam for these things. He's a very helpful child.

Neytiri eventually noticed Neteyam's foul mood when he simply hummed instead of giving her the traditional bear embrace.

In order to gain a better look at his face, she gently drew him back by his shoulders. "What's wrong, Teyam?"

"I don't wanna leave home, mom. This is where we belong. We should fight for it. Do you think whatever clan Dad has in mind will just accept us? We're outsiders with different cultures." He finally voices out the words that had been gnawing at him from the inside after keeping them to himself for days.

"Listen, I feel the same way you do. I don't want to leave our village either—our whole lives here. However, as your father said, we really have no other choice."

"Another war is not what we should bring upon our clan right now. We've lost many, many over the years." She gulped to hold back the tears, as her beloved father crossed her mind. Before he died, he handed Neytiri his bow and told her to protect the clan, leaving her devastated with a purpose she holds dear in her heart.

Neteyam still with his eyes glued to the floor, nodded. "Okay, mom."

Neytiri smile sadly and caress his hair. Her identity is tied to her clan; the daughter of their former leader, she has grown into a leader in her own right.

While Jake Sully found a new world and home in Pandora, Neytiri broke many traditions to be with the man she loves. Along with the loss of her father, her home on sacred Na'vi land, and many of her people in the war with RDA. This has continued with Neytiri and Jake starting their precious family between the events. Happiness didn't last long enough with the return of the humans and RDA, now they must find a new safe haven, which will pull Neytiri even further away from her roots.

This is mainly about their safety; sacrifices will be made.

"We're going to be together, we'll get through it together like we always do because us Sullys?"

"Stick together." Neteyam chuckled dryly.

"Exactly. Now promise me you'll look after your siblings please, especially Lo'ak." Knowing about her youngest son's behavioral issues, she stresses the term to make herself clear; she will need to worry about Lo'ak in a new unfamiliar environment. Great mother eywa.

"I promise. Also, did you made the food or Dad?" Neteyam gave her the gaze, eyes pleading with his mother to rescue him from the dreadful mess that is his dad's cooking.

Jake's recent occupation has been trying out different ingredients that the kids are absolutely not so pleased with. Neteyam and Tuk try to be nice, meanwhile Kiri and Lo'ak go haunt by themselves to make their own food or eat at home when it's Neytiri who cooks. Hell no will they let that man kill them from food poisoning.

Neytiri muffled a laugh. "No, I made it, don't worry. It's all your favorites, go eat." She assured him and started walking away.

"Not yet, I have to go find Yayìu."

"Eat first then do that." His mother said sternly, shutting the door behind her. She needed to prepare Lo'ak and Kiri's meals before they return from wherever they are.

—༚༅༚˳✿˳༚༅༚—

After eating, Neteyam immediately headed to Yayìu's house. Neytiri would've surely strangle him if he wasted the meal, plus he had barely eaten since this morning due to lack of appetite. He manages to eat everything, though. Your stomach has to be fed; it doesn't care about your problems.

He didn't find her there, then again, it's rare for Yayìu to stay home and not go outside to enjoy the forest.

As he was walking, he spotted Nan'ti, his girlfriend's best friend. She was weaving alone while singing one of the folk tones. They only interact in Yayìu's presence to avoid any possible misunderstandings. Nan'ti herself knew better; she knows her friend and the grave consequences of upsetting her.

Regarding Nan'ti's character, he didn't really give it much thought. She has a calm demeanor and seems genuinely uninterested in life. She doesn't speak unless spoken to, and she responds if she feels like it.

"Hey Nan'ti, where's Yayìu? She wasn't at home, I've looked for her."

Nan'ti slightly shrugged. She prepared to reply something like, 'I don't know,' or any other excuse she could master, but she paused to give Neteyam a long look before saying, "She's by the river."

Neteyam thanked her and headed further into the forest, having an idea of which river she was referring to.

He noticed the eclipse has begun. And Neteyam defines it as an entirely new experience each and every time. The beauty of the forest is absolutely breathtaking, especially at 'sun-down' as the scientists and his dad sometimes call it. Transforming the forest into something even more exotic, the bioluminescent plants emerge as animals' rustle through the brush, calling out to one another, and disappear into the darkness.

A world truly ablaze with ethereal light. Everything native to Pandora glows, including trees, seeds, moss, waterways, and even the creatures. The peculiar luminosity is celestial; the lichens become like a carpet of stars. The organisms' function like a neural network, all connected to each other symbiotically. This aesthetics of joy are ultimately what makes their world so alluring, valuable, and desperately worth saving.

Neteyam soon arrived by the river and could hear noises. As Nan'ti said, his girlfriend was there laughing with one of the village boys, Zakum, and her friend, Suki. He rolled his eyes and slowed down his step. For some reason he never got along well with Zakum, so he doesn't like to stick around him.

"That little bastard should learn his lesson now." Zakum said with pride, feeling a sense of victory from the fight he had just won against a much weaker opponent. The youngster, who was in front of a group of other teenagers, kept his ground despite knowing he couldn't defeat a fighter like Zakum.

"Sad thing, he lost miserably after all that talking," Suki snickers.

"Yeah, you kind of went too hard on him." Yayìu said, not that she cared. A fight is a fight.

Zakum smirked. Winning brings him satisfaction, beating up lesser beings is what a guy like him enjoys. His strength was witnessed and applaud.

He stood up, yawning. "I have practice tomorrow, I'm out."

Yayìu and Suki waved him goodbye.

Thank goodness he left, Neteyam waits to see if Suki will do the same then he can be alone with Yayìu.

"So, I heard the Sully family is moving soon?" Suki spoke, twirling a piece of her braid between her fingers while casting a few quick glances Yayìu's way. Of course, that's not news to her, who's dating a Sully, and if she's being honest, Suki's not even sure why she started like that. She had to somehow start this conversation; that's what popped up.

Yayìu chuckles, a soft smile appearing on her lips as she questionably looks back at Suki. "Unless you literally live under a rock, everyone in the village knows that. They're all discussing it."

Suki nodded. "Right, uhm what about you and Neteyam? Have you talk to him?"

Yayìu tenses a little at her question. She cleared her throat, "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I mean."

"Well, we haven't seen each other that much since he told me about his family plans. I understand he has a lot on his plate to worry about. He is needed by his parents and siblings during this time. And I've been busy with stuffs also." She explained.

"That's not what I'm talking about, and you know it, Yayìu. You're only telling yourself those excuses for your own comfort. I think it's best to just tell him what happened." Suki tells her honestly.

"Why are you pressing me? What's your deal?" Yayìu's eyes snap to her face, features hardening because she doesn't want to hear any of this. Suki's interrogations are starting to irritate her. Why is she so engrossed in her business? Nan'ti is far less annoying.

"I'm your friend, Yayìu. I don't want to sound as if I'm judging you...I feel like he deserves the truth. You got what you wanted."

"And I feel like you should mind your own business, stop being comfortable butting in mine. Just shut your mouth, you're—" Before Yayìu could even begin cursing Suki out, she noticed a movement out of the corner of her eyes and turned to see Neteyam approaching them.

She hardly registers the frightened gasp that escapes her lungs, thoughts of him overhearing this stupid convo which was never supposed to happen fills her insides with rising anguish.

Her heart sinks as soon as she meets his gaze; his expression is practically unreadable, but clear enough to tell her he heard them. All thanks to that annoying girl. She should've silenced Suki earlier. Why didn't she simply ignore the pest? This is a whole forest, damn it; anyone could've stumbled upon them here, and the only person she dreads of hearing and finding out this way is standing right in front of her with an empty face.

She panicked, "Neteyam—w-what are you doing here?"

When 'tell me what' makes it out of his mouth, she swallows and tries to move closer to him, but he instantly stops her, keeping a considerable distance between them.

"It's nothing important. W-we were just talking and--" She stutters, struggling to form her words.

Suki quickly left. She earned her ticket to go meet eywa for sure, Yayìu will kill her. But she didn't think she's at fault. This is Yayìu's problem.

As Yayìu takes long, deep breaths, he notices her trembling hands and realizes her state screams nothing but a person who's been caught for their wrongdoings. She's making him very nervous, and he's not even sure what secret she's hiding from him. It must be related to their relationship based on the way she is acting; it can't be a good one. He's so confused.

Their eyes meet, sharing a similar discomfort and he swears, he can't stand the tension any longer.

"Since it's a rude thing, I'd Normally apologize for eavesdropping, but I'm not gonna do that, because I wouldn't have found out you're keeping secrets from me, Yayìu." He sighs, "Whatever you're hiding, get on with it."

The smallest intervals of time seem to last an eternity. Neteyam who's impatiently staring at his girlfriend, is completely unconscious of the internal struggle she's experiencing. This isn't how she imagined the outcomes. Things were going along smoothly, then all of a sudden, they flipped. No doubt she'll lose him, and she must accept the consequences that came back to bite her in the ass.

Yayìu blinks a few times, she has no choice but to tell him since there's no point beating around the bush. "I, uh, after we confessed to each other and broke the news to everyone...someone in particular didn't like it."

Neteyam carefully listens to what she was saying.

Someone. Who could that someone possibly be? Her parents? They barely acknowledged Neteyam and Yayìu's relationship. All they wanted was for him to treat their daughter right and make her happy as he should.

"Please understand that I do care about you. I really do, Neteyam. It was something that happened in the heat of the moment, and I.." Yayìu paused, biting her lip. He frowns at that and casts her a disapproving glare, fighting to maintain his composure.

"You cheated on me," Neteyam doesn't ask, he bitterly uttered it as he lets his anxious sentiments that have been consuming him ever since he overheard her and her friend's conversation flow.

There's a beat of silence.

"He kissed me first..and I kissed him back..." She mumbles, gaining the courage to look at him again with guilty features.

Neteyam felt a ping hit his chest. He's speechless for a minute, staring at her completely dumbfounded with parted lips as his brows furrowed, too shock to speak.

She kissed another man yet always avoided any physical touch during their relationship. Not that he ever pressured her to do things with him that she didn't feel comfortable with. They weren't dating for that long, and he himself wanted to take things slow till they were both ready to go deeper in it. Truthfully, he'd never make a move. Was he not interested in her physical? he didn't have the answer to that. He hugged her once, she quickly retreated, he assumed she was scared, and he apologized.

"Like I said, it was in the heat of the moment. I had feelings for you two, and you confessed to me first. I was okay with that, thinking that I'd be happy with you. A part of me resisted when he made a move out of jealousy over us, but the other part gave in. I guess despite my effort, my feelings for him remained."

"Who is it? Who'd you cheat on me with?" He finally whispers, taking a short and shaky breath.

Yayìu close her eyes and shook her head. "Zakum..."

How fucking hilarious. She betrayed him in favor of a dude who's obsessed with competing against him at any given opportunity. Zakum despises Neteyam for all that he stands for. He has his reasons. Neteyam is the eldest son of well-known heroes who led the clans against the Sky People and successfully defeated the human invaders. Even the entire tribe gathered to celebrate his birth, and he's favored for his strong and confident demeanor. He's a great natural athlete and excels at all things, being nearly unmatched in hunting prowess among the other young members of the Omatikaya clan. He's an expert at archery and the youngest of the clan to make a clean kill on a sturmbeest hunt.

Zakum is undeniably popular with girls for his appearance and his own athletic abilities, but Neteyam still holds the upperhand. He was more irritated by Neteyam's lack of effort to recognize him as a rival.

"Why?" He swallowed.

"If he's who you wanted why did you have to bring me into it? You could've just rejected me. I wouldn't hate you for it. Instead, you fucking used me for such bullshit. What kind of fucked up game is that?!"

"Uhm..." Yayìu slowly trailed.

Because he was necessary to her. The priceless piece of her puzzle. Dating Mr. Perfect skyrocketed Yayìu's popularity, as it would for any girl in the clan. She gained lots of attention from said girls, who dreamed of being in her place. She'd listen to people praising her and telling her how lucky she was. She watched as girls (whom she'd dealt with later on) threw themselves at him, desperate to catch his attention.

Girls gush over him, and other guys aspire to be him. Those qualities are what attracted her to him. Basically, he's a catch and having what many desired made her feel powerful.

They were an attractive couple, she's pretty and he's an eye candy.

As for Zakum, he wasn't any different. She has no actual hope for their fling relationship either. She's using him as well. Afterall, he's a playboy, from whom she holds zero expectations. She had her eyes on them both. Now that Neteyam is practically out of the picture, she luckily fetched herself a rebound in advance. It doesn't matter how long that'll last, as long as she's on top of having to date those two guys.

"I'm sorry." There's no sign of sincerity or falseness in her apology. Two plain words that she simply felt the need to say, to look humane.

Neteyam scoffed, "I bet."

"Oh whatever! We were going to be separated anyways, you're leaving and might not come back. I'd move on someday." Yayìu shouted, swaying her arms in the air.

"Are you serious? You cheated way before that, Yayìu. What the hell is wrong with you!" He exclaims, running his hand through his hair as he tugs on the braids in frustration.

She pursed her lips, staring at him. She can't change anything. What's done is done.

He sighs, "Nevermind, just forgot it. Let's pretend nothing ever happened between us."

Does he honestly want to stay with a girl who has it in her to be so selfish and heartless? Heck no. Then, perhaps this is a blessing in disguise which she shown her true colors and not much later when they are bounded with kids. He'll take this as a learning experience.

"I hope you can have it in your heart to forgive me. You were actually a great boyfriend, so thank you."

Neteyam cringed. What was he supposed to say to that?

"Witch!" Lo'ak suddenly jumped out from atop of a big tree, yelling while throwing fruits directly at Yayìu. Kiri accompanying him.

Yayìu gasped and quickly stretched her arms in attempts to protect herself. "Stop it! Are you crazy, you brats?!"

Poor Neteyam barely reacted to the outburst, he was holding himself back from crying. Not in front her, and his siblings. She's not worth his tears, he tried to convince himself.

"Keep 'em coming-" Kiri was told by Lo'ak. She continued to give him the fruits, grinning.

"Ow! Ow—How dare you, four fingered freaks! You'll pay for this!" Yayìu screams in pain.

"How dare you cheat on my brother, bitch! I always thought he lowered his standards for you, you're not even all that." He yells back.

Yayìu couldn't believe those offensive remarks. If he wasn't hitting her with those fruits, she would've grabbed the brat by his ears and taught him how to speak to a lady. An outcast like him should grasp his place in this world. How dare he!

When Lo'ak purposefully increased the strength of his aims, she had no choice but to hastily flee and shouted that she won't forgive their disrespect.

Laugher erupted from the two siblings as they high fived each other.

"I guess we Sullys have a thing for eavesdropping." Neteyam mumbled to no one in particular.

"A creature was chasing us after we accidentally stepped on its tail; we ended up here, and Lo'ak decided to be nosy when he heard that cheater and her friend. He wanted dirt on her, and honestly, same." Kiri explained in details. She shifted to be by his side, soothingly rubbing his back.

"You alright, bro?" Lo'ak asked his older brother, a tone full of earnest concern.

"It's her loss. You're way better off without her, Teyam. You deserve better."

"Kiri's right, plus you have us."

"I think that's more of a curse than a blessing." Neteyam groaned, rolling his eyes playfully.

"Bro what?? We're awesome and we're here for you! Nothing's stronger than family."

Neteyam would be lying if he said he wasn't affected by this. It hurts. It's a huge blow to the ego. He trusted her. That's why he never questioned her relationships with other guys she called her friends. She took him for granted, his feelings, his heart. No one with real love for a person would betray them like this. She was the girl he saw a loving future with. Maybe they might split up at some point, but that was another day's worry. This is too soon and damn painful.

Well, it all did become clear. It had little to do with him. She preferred another guy. It didn't mean he did anything wrong or wasn't good enough. It was her choice. Instead of being a good and honest person, she lied to save her own face. He knew he had kept his integrity throughout their brief relationship. He knew he was good enough. He knew he had plenty to offer someone else. And he knew he'd rather be by himself than with a she-wolf who would lie and use him.

He shrugged, "Let's go, mom cooked."

"Okay, c'mon." Both Kiri and Lo'ak's arms were securely wrapped around their older brother's slender waist as they swung their bodies to escort him back home. They granted him a moment of peace to himself.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

A/n: Helloo. First chapter, finally~ I'm actually looking forward to a lot of things.

Check it out on Wattpad and vote! Thank youu

Enjoy꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡