#Dandelion has little patience for fishing

[floralstorms]

they’re dads..

@sludgemetalsnufkin

[memorystormsanctuary]

KH Oc Week Day 6

Day 6~ Life’s Perks

Guess what I have never figured out to write because I live to torture my characters. That’s right, I have no idea how to write slice of life things usually. There’s always got to be a little angst, or I am a fish out of water. But I also love a good challenge, so here we go @khoc-week.

Annora loves to go for walks and pull pranks. And while those are some of her favorite past times, her absolute favorite past time is photography. She has a passion for candid shots of other wielders, whether it’s when they’re fighting Heartless or just relaxing in the town. She has so many pictures of her party members that Skuld has declared it stalkerish. But that doesn’t stop her from taking as many pictures as she can. For her it’s a way to hold onto the memories she makes and keep them with her.

Jax shares many of the same past times as Annora, incidentally. But he is much quieter about them than Annora. He enjoys walking through Daybreak Town and just watching all the people there. However when this treads dangerously close to his day job of gathering information for Gula, he secludes himself somewhere with a view and reads. Fun fact about this, Jax didn’t know how to read until just before coming to Daybreak Town. And even though he knows how now, he’s dyslexic so it can actually be really difficult for him. Even so, he still does enjoy all the stories he can find himself lost in when he has the patience to read.

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

Holding the camera at just the right angle was more difficult than she would like to admit. She was standing a few steps back from underneath the windowsill, bending backwards so just barely the edge was in her shot. The occupant of the windowsill was unaware of her, eyes glued to the book resting in his lap. He was curled into a tight ball, only a small bit of space between the book he was holding and his chest. Purple hair fell into his eyes, it looked like he had actually taken out the ponytail he usually wore.

Annora took a few shots before slightly shifting her position. Her feet skidded across the pavement, kicking a few stones back. Any normal subject wouldn’t have moved, but Jax’s head snapped up so quickly Annora hardly had time to register.

For a moment the two just stared at each other. Aqua eyes stared into icy blue ones, neither daring to blink. It was in that moment Annora realized just how strange her position must have looked from Jax’s perspective. She was nearly in a full backbend, trying to get an angle that the sunlight would highlight the features on his face.

“Um, I can explain,” Annora said, after the silence had been filled with Jax’s judging stare for far too long. He only quirked an eyebrow in response. Annora sighed, straightening herself out and brushing her bangs out of her eyes. “Right. Uh, would you believe I was just trying to take a picture of the sky with the roof?”

“Skuld’s right,” Jax said calmly, closing his book. “This is bordering on stalkerish.”

“It’s not stalking!” Annora said, dropping her camera so it hung around her neck. She crossed her arms and looked to the side. “It’s not like I’m looking for you guys. I just happen to find you.”

“Still stalkerish,” Jax said. He leaned over a little, looking at Annora more directly. “How can you even get a picture there?”

“I’m flexible,” Annora answered without hesitation. Jax only shook his head returning to his previous position. “I take it you’re going to tell me to get lost?”

“Yeah,” Jax agreed. Annora sighed but nodded. It was not the first time she had been told to leave her muse alone. Kariya and Zia had only tolerated her for a few moments before Zia had snapped. Skuld was for once nowhere to be found, but since Ven was also missing Annora could only guess it was a Dandelion thing. Takiko hadn’t even let her take one shot. He only glared at her from the moment she had appeared. Annora knew well enough to leave before he somehow managed to make her pay for it.

At the very least, wandering Daybreak Town was never boring. As long as Annora had lived in the town she always managed to find something new around every corner. It was a good way to pass the time on days like this when missions were already done, and the party was all doing their own sort of thing. But there wasn’t enough life to make it worth it. At least not for a photo shoot. Annora hated empty photo’s without people to make them interesting.

Reaching the fountain square, Annora sat at the edge of the fountain a heavy sigh. She held up her camera, looking through the pictures she had taken that day. There were a few good ones of Jax. The Leopardus guy who was always wearing a hat had let her take a few shots of him while he did some sort of science experiment in a Moogle shop. While in the gardens she had managed to find Lauriam tending to some of the flowers before he had another engagement. It had been a fairly successful day, but she still had too much time.

“I could always ask Chirithy, I guess,” Annora said to herself. She sighed leaning her head back to look at the sky. She froze, her eyes landing on a young girl resting on the roof of a nearby house.

It wasn’t the first time Annora had seen this girl. It had just been a few weeks ago she had run into her, quite literally. She had been a shy and stuttering mess at the time. Only really speaking when her brother had come and spoken for her. But even then she never spoke to Annora.

Slowly Annora raised her camera, focusing in on the orange haired girl. Her eyes were pointed to the sky, the seawater green reflecting the light perfectly. It would be hard to capture from such a distance. Fortunately the color of her hair brought out her eyes, and her white clothes kept her image simple. With her knees pulled to her chest she seemed even more like a child than most other wielders, but she had to be close to Annora’s age.

It took a few moments for the orange-haired girl to notice Annora. Her eyes widened as her cheeks dusted with a bright red. Annora chuckled lowering her camera again. Of course not before capturing the expression that had crossed her face. Annora stood brushing herself off and walking towards the building the orange-haired girl was perched on. She stopped as close as she could get before the girl was out of her sightline, which was unfortunately not very close.

“Hey, Strelitzia, what are you up to?” Annora asked. Strelitzia’s cheeks only got redder as she looked away, hiding behind her arm. She muttered some kind of response, but whatever it was Annora didn’t catch. She chuckled again, putting her hands behind her back. “It’s ok, I still swear I don’t bite. Wanna come hangout with me?”

Annora hadn’t thought it would be possible for Strelitzia to go anymore red in the face. But once again the girl’s face seemed to turn an even darker shade of red. It was cute. Annora didn’t move, giving Strelitzia whatever time she would need to weigh over the options in her head. Very slowly Strelitzia got to her feet and walked to the edge of the roof and jumped off, landing neatly in the fountain square. She walked to Annora, eyes down at the ground.

“Great, got anywhere you want to go?” Annora asked. Strelitzia shook her head. “Hm, then why don’t you help me?”

“W-with what?” Strelitzia asked, not daring to look up. It was a shame, up close Annora would have been able to properly appreciate the color of her eyes. All the same, it was the first time Strelitzia had spoken to her directly, and that was a start.

“Today’s my party’s day off, so I’m trying to get some good photo’s taken,” Annora explained, holding up her camera to further demonstrate her point. “The only problem is no one seems to want to tolerate me long enough to get many. Think you could be a model for me?”

“M-me?” Strelitzia asked, finally looking at Annora. Once again her eyes were wide, but it allowed for more of the green color to be seen. Her lips were slightly parted, only enough to allow for the subtle shocked look to fall on her features.

“Yeah,” Annora said. She couldn’t make herself look away. “I mean, I did already kinda take a few of you up on that roof. And you’re really expressive. I think I have a great spot in mind.”

“Um, I guess, that’s ok,” Strelitzia said, her eyes again falling to the side. Her arms went behind her back as a light pink dusted her cheeks again. Annora took a few steps back, quickly raising her camera and taking a picture. Strelitzia looked up in surprise after hearing the click.

“Sorry, that was perfect,” Annora chuckled, lowering her camera. She smiled, watching as the pink darkened. “Anyway, come on!”

Annora took Strelitzia’s arm, practically dragging her through the town. Strelitzia stumbled, trying to keep up. Annora could only chuckle turning to look at her as they made their way through town. There were plenty of places she could think to take Strelitzia. To the river through the town under the foreteller’s tower. To the lighthouse and the beach. To the gardens. To the meadow outside of town filled with flowers. Maybe even the cliffs that looked over the entire town. Wherever they went there was one thing Annora was certain of. The pictures were going to turn out perfect.

[thunderheadfred]

Hiya! I just started playing Stardew Valley and am still trying to figure things out. Do you have any tips for new players? (Lovely mod!)

*cracks knuckles*

Okay, so.

It depends on if you want to play an absolutely vanilla game your first time, or if you don’t mind modding things. There are a number of quality-of-life mods that made the game a lot more enjoyable for me personally because I no longer had to micro-manage every tiny itty bitty little thing, plus… omg… I could walk faster?

That’s a matter of personal opinion, however, and the decision is ultimately yours. You can play Stardew however you want!

In no particular order, here are my own personal tips for vanilla and modded gameplay!

Vanilla tips:

General:

The Wiki is your best friend. Do not fear the Wiki.

Build chests. Organize your chests. Stay sane.

CUT DOWN EVERY TREE YOU SEE

no seriously, Robin demands sacrifices

Focus on the type of farm you want. Animals and Artisan goods tend to make the most money, but you don’t have to do that! There are lots of things to do in this game, and you should focus on whatever activity is the most satisfying for YOU. 

The Community Center has certain requirements and perks you may want to pay attention to, (the Wiki can help!), but don’t feel like you HAVE to get this all done immediately. It’s a good idea to plan for what you can do that season, to get the perks, but don’t like, sacrifice your fun to try and get all the Community Center bundles in year one (it’s not even possible)

It might seem counter-intuitive, but the Forest Map is generally agreed to be a better map than the “default” farm, at least for beginner players. There’s a ton of foraging areas and lots of other perks to having the forest farm, like renewable hardwood and random seed-spawning weeds, especially year one when you are struggling to farm large amounts of anything. Plus, if you ask me…… it’s prettier. And that’s VERY important.

It’s annoying, but get yourself to fishing level 4, even if you hate fishing like me. Once you have the recipe for the recycling machine and crab pots, you can print your own money. (Or, well, your own resources, at least)

Spring, Year 1

Forage. Sell everything you find on the ground, and try to farm only what you can water without eating to restore energy.

Your ideal watering energy budget for this first season is half an energy bar. 

You can’t really afford to eat your foraged items in Spring year 1, you need every scrap of money you can earn, so don’t overexert yourself too often.

More foraging: cut down some trees, learn to make those nasty seed bars that give you energy, then shake the trees until they get scared and give you their lunch money (seeds) so you can make more energy bars. For free.

Still rambling about foraging: You can make and grow wild seeds for free, and then use those foraged items to 

A) boost your energy - hey, free food! B) Make some extra cash to support your “money” crops and C) Be a goddamn hippy like God intended. 

Dandelions are particularly good for free energy in year one, and Daffodils make good gifts for most people.

DON’T SKIP THE SALMONBERRIES. It’s annoying to collect them, and they don’t sell for much, so don’t sell them. Save them and either use them for cheap energy when you go into the mines, or stick them in a preserves jar and make jelly that you can give as a gift or sell at a much better rate than the original berries.

Upgrade your tools ASAP. Especially the watering can, axe, and pickaxe, in that order. 

Give your watering can to Clint when you know it’s going to rain (check the weather report on your TV) so that your crops don’t lose a day of progress.

Save up as much money as you can for the egg festival, and likewise, save space on your farm. Pierre will be selling strawberry seeds, and this is the only time you can buy them. They’re expensive but extremely profitable, and they will produce more than one crop.

If you can swing it, try to complete the Community Center spring crops bundle before you get the strawberries. Completing the bundle will net you some speed grow fertilizer which can get you your strawberries even FASTER, yay!

ORE. You’re gon need a lot of it. Go into the mines and crack open geodes when the fortune teller tells you it’s a lucky day. You’ll find better shit and won’t waste your time.

When it rains, go cut wood or mine. Fishing won’t get you much this first season. But you’re gonna NEED ore and wood.

Other random tips:

Once it opens in Summer year 1, chill out in the spa after watering your crops. It’s free and replenishes your energy. If you think it looks nasty in there, then download the gorgeous Japanese-inspired onsen replacement mod like I did. Now you’ll actually WANT to go there.

The first few museum perks are premium seeds like cauliflower and melons, so bring Gunther lots of stuff. 

Don’t sell wood. Save every scrap. You’re going to need it. 

Get a coop/barn as soon as you can. Them animals poop easy money.

In terms of skill level ups, I personally recommend: Tiller to Artisan, Miner to Blacksmith, Gatherer to Botanist, Fighter to Brute, and whatever with fishing I never level up fishing very far tbh 

Mod tips:

Disclaimer: Stardew Valley is designed to be played slowly, at a leisurely pace. There’s no in-game rush to complete anything. But if you, like me, have no fucking patience whatsoever and don’t CARE what the game creator (or God Himself) intended, these mods may make the experience more fun for you:

AutoSpeed. It lets you walk/run at a more reasonable rate. I don’t know why the game makes you walk so slowly, but it makes my skin crawl. This saved my sanity.

On that same token of getting more shit done each day, if you don’t mind cheating a little more, install TimeSpeed. This lets you vary the time depending on location (by default it is slower indoors, and I always make the mine levels extra slow)

You can even PAUSE the time if you are like, ten minutes from Clint’s closing time and you KNOW you can’t make it but you NEED to give him your watering can cuz it’s going to rain tomorrow AAAHHHHHHHHHHHH.

 If you’re a completionist like me and HAVE TO FINISH THE COMMUNITY CENTER or you’ll DIE, then it helps to have the UI Info Suite and Lookup Anything mods. 

UI Info Suite in particular is a mod I don’t think I could live without at this point. It lets you see at a glance if that fish you just caught needs to go in a community center bundle, your daily luck, whose birthday it is, if there is anything good on TV, and like, so much more. 

That said, Sometimes the amount of info they give you can be cluttered and overwhelming, but you can toggle the hover options off or on at any time.

If you’re a capitalist who HAS TO MAKE AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE, you’re gonna want Automate. This mod is a godsend. This mod is everything. I want to divorce my husband and marry this mod.

I can’t think of anything else.

[alannah-corvaine]

alannah; neverending survey

BASICS.

FULL NAME: Alannah Ailíse Caireann Corvaine Outway

NICKNAME: Little Bird (Faron only) 

AGE:  almost 23

BIRTHDAY:   10/16

ETHNIC GROUP: Midlander Hyur

NATIONALITY: Thanalanian

LANGUAGE/S: Common, a hodgepodge of things she's picked up from books

SEXUAL ORIENTATION : Demisexual

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION : Biromantic

RELATIONSHIP STATUS:  Married (verse dependent)

HOME TOWN / AREA:  Drybone, Eastern Thanalan

CURRENT HOME:  The Grey Fleet, Lower LaNoscea

PROFESSION: Professional White Mage™, Healer, Purifier

PHYSICAL.

HAIR: Rich, dark brown with white streaks extending from her roots (magical scars)

EYES: Sea Green

FACE: Slightly angular, but still has baby fat

LIPS: Full, pouty, usually covered in neutral tone gloss

COMPLEXION: Sickly pale

BLEMISHES:  Birthmark under her left eye, constant red splotchy patches due to allergies

SCARS:  The white in her hair, a mark between her shoulderblades where she was kicked by an aldgoat as a child

TATTOOS: Flowery vines crawling up the left side of her ribcage (permanent), stabilizing arcanima symbols all over her arms (temporary, reapplied daily)

HEIGHT:  5′2″

WEIGHT: 135 ponze

BUILD:  Petite 

FEATURES:  Extremely striking eyes, more girlish than womanly facial structure

ALLERGIES:  Severe pollen and pet allergies, mildly allergic to some foods and perfumes

USUAL HAIR STYLE:  Worn long, down to her hips. Either in a sidebraid, high ponytail with various small braids, or loose

USUAL FACE LOOK :  Lost in thought

USUAL CLOTHING:  Loose, flowing, bohemian style. Lots of white, lots of bangles, delicate necklaces and rings. Sometimes hair ornaments. Barefoot or sandals, doesn't believe in socks. While "working" she prefers trenchcoats open at the waist, shorts, and knee-high boots.

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR/S: Failure, guns, the excited laugh her daughter makes when she's found something "interesting"

ASPIRATION/S:  To be a powerful mage, fix her borked aether, and to be a better mother to her daughter than Christaine was to her

POSITIVE TRAITS: Insatiably curious, focused, dedicated, protective, kind, funny, generous

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Emotionally distant, petty, wrathful, impulsive, reckless, gets lost in her own head and forgets to come back out

TEMPERAMENT:   Melancholic

SOUL TYPE/S:  Artisan

ANIMALS:  --

VICE HABIT/S: Swearing, letting her temper get the best of her, alcohol (very rarely, because it ends badly)

FAITH: Hail Hydra Hydaelyn

GHOSTS?: ...verse dependent (lol)

AFTERLIFE?: Not so much an afterlife as much as being recycled by the Lifestream.

REINCARNATION?:  Yes

POLITICAL ALIGNMENT: I mean...she might be a bit of an ecoterrorist?

EDUCATION LEVEL:  Self taught through an ungodly amount of reading

FAMILY.

FATHER : Aedan Corvaine

MOTHER :  Christaine Harlow Corvaine (deceased)

SIBLINGS : Faron, Ean, Davon, Brennan

EXTENDED FAMILY: Nine Outway (husband), Aislinn Outway (daughter), Moira Corvaine (aunt), Fayre Harlow (maternal grandmother), Fasshon Fuqushon (step-grandfather), Veronique Corvaine (sister-in-law), Isobel Corvaine (niece), Octavia Outway (sister-in-law)

NAME MEANING/S: You know, I spent hours looking up names with fitting means for Alannah’s family members way back when, but I am absolutely too lazy to go find them again

HISTORICAL CONNECTION?: None.

FAVORITES.

BOOK:  Technical studies on the properties and workings of aether, historical volumes, adventure and fantasy stories, and sometimes a romance novel

DEITY: Hail Hydra Hydaelyn

HOLIDAY:  Starlight

MONTH: July

SEASON:  Summer

PLACE: La Noscea

WEATHER: Snow

SOUND / S: The almost electric hum of magic, the sound that Nine makes when she scratches his head

SCENT / S:  White musk, fresh bread baking, old books, lemongrass

TASTE / S:  Wine, dandelion tea, almond cream croissants

FEEL / S:  Being magically powerful, sleeping on fresh sheets, wearing her husband’s shirts, snuggling with her daughter

ANIMAL / S:  Fish, since they’re the only thing that doesn’t maker her sneeze

NUMBER: 9 (lol)

COLORS: White, black, any pastel or sherbet colors

EXTRA.

TALENTS: Retaining large amounts of information. magical aptitude (even if she has to fight her unstable aether for it), large scale destruction, cooking exactly one meal, tripping on flat surfaces, the ability to braid anything

BAD AT:  Wielding any kind of melee weapon, seeing without her glasses, remembering where she put her glasses, keeping up a conversation without getting lost in her thoughts, public speaking, remembering to drink her tea before it gets cold

TURN ONS: Patience, humor, calloused hands, empathy, confidence, kindness

TURN OFFS: Arrogance, cruelty, smarminess, apathy, insensitivity

HOBBIES: Researching, reading, sketching, playing the harp, traveling/seeing new places, teaching her daughter how to human, using her husband as a nap pillow

TROPES: (oh god there are so many, these are just a few) Caged Bird Metaphor, Grass is Greener, Kitsch Collection, Misery Builds Character, Now Let Me Carry You, #1 Dime, Wake-up Call, Grew a Spine, Rage Breaking Point, Big Screwed Up Family, Black Sheep

QUOTES :  “my bitterness was sometimes rest and sometimes ecstacy grace or rage, always the two opposites ready to annihilate each other and to rise from the ruins of the vanquished.”

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1 : If you could write your character your way in their own movie,  what would it be called, what style would it be filmed in, and what would it be about?          

A1 :  Listen, I shamelessly love YA dystopian fiction, so it would be something in that vein, where Alannah is OP as fuck running around and blowing shit up as the young heroine main focus. Also there’s all of the romance tropes (sandwiched between developmental angst, of course), because I like them, and nobody’s allowed to bitch about it.

Q2 :  What would their soundtrack/score sound like?          

A2 :  It would be scored by a collaboration of Two Steps From Hell, Hans Zimmer, Jeremy Soule, and Zack Hemsey, and my ears would orgasm.

Q3 :  Why did you start writing this character?          

A3 : I don’t like doing the whole “my character is just me or an extension of me” thing, it just never feels right. I also can’t just look at the avatar I’m using and see nothing but pixels and just “play the game.” She has to have a personality, a backstory, a reason for what she’s doing. Also it’s a great creative outlet for me because I love coming up with stories in my head as I go. And thus Alannah was born from the soup of inspiration made up of many various characters I’ve loved over the years.

Q4 :   What first attracted you to this character?          

A4 : She was supposed to be something new, a kind of character that I’ve never written before. All of my female characters end up badass, overpowered, and full of personal angst, because that’s just my thing. And yeah, Alannah’s reached that point, but the point is I tried.

Q5 :  Describe the biggest thing you dislike about your muse.

A5 : I feel like I can never get her voice right, she always just ends up sounding like me.

Q6 :  What do you have in common with your muse?          

A6 :   The longer she’s around, the more of my traits she absorbs by osmosis. At this point she shares like 80% of my personality and traits and is completely unrecognizable from my original concept for her.

Q7 :   How does your muse feel about you?          

A7 :   I am a generous god.

Q8 :  What characters does your muse have interesting interactions with ?        

A8 :   My favorite thing to explore, if it isn’t grossly obvious, is her different relationships with each of her siblings, probably because I have none. 

Q9 :  What gives you inspiration to write your muse ?        

A9 : Mostly music and books, sometimes games. I have so many AUs for Alannah. Actually writing things, however, is another matter entirely.

Q10 : How long did this take you to complete ?          

A10 : I had it done by the end of the work day after working on it between things I had to do, but then SOMEBODY tumblr drafts had to blow it up so I had to start over from the halfway point. I am not amused.

tagged by: @resistance-ranger [thankyou♥]

tagging: @keeperprinceling @menphinasbow @keeperofthelilacs @fheythfully @manawalls @khaamara @ahlis-xiv @aethernoise @castthemintotheabyss @alphiinaud @chysgoda @dragons-bones @astrophoros-ffxiv @loslorien @nuclearanomaly @zunshtral @card-and-flame @carmen-ffxiv @arabeka-ffxiv @voidwife @crowsaerie-rp @apassingshadow @violet-warder @hydrangea-fields @areniaagn @autumnslance @keltgeim @holyja @unmend @pulse-oflife

[goodlucktai]

all you gotta do’s knock on my door (2 of 2)

the moomins pairing: the joxter & snufkin word count: 3061 read on ao3

(previous chapter)

x

When he sees Moomin on the bridge, a fluffy white figure already waving frantically, Snufkin crams his harmonica in a pocket, drops his pack, and starts to run. Moomin meets him halfway and catches him in a hug that is well worth traveling hundreds of miles for. They swing around a few times, caught up in giddy momentum, breathless with their own special brand of spring joy, and for a moment Snufkin is as weightless as he is warm.

“You’re back!” Moomintroll says. “You’re here! You must tell me everything I missed over the winter, everything that happened while you were away!”

But of course, the first thing that comes to mind is the awful argument of two days ago, and Snufkin’s happiness trips over the memory of his father’s pained eyes. Moomin, as perceptive as he is kind, notices at once and pulls away, holding Snufkin between his paws at arm’s length.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“The Joxter and I had an argument,” Snufkin explains in a low voice.

It’s not really a secret, and mulling it over by himself has gotten him no closer to figuring things out, so he tells Moomin the whole story. They walk back to recover his pack while he talks, and make their way over the bridge and up the hill to the welcoming blue of Moominhouse.

“I had to help the bird,” Snufkin says at the end. “It came to me and asked, how could I tell it no?”

“I think you’re right,” Moomin declares, a firm frown on his face. “It’s not as though you could just let the little babies fall out of the tree. It’s odd he’d be angry about that!”

Some of the tightness in Snufkin’s heart eases, his best friend’s understanding soothing away a little bit of the sharp uncertainty he’d been carrying around. He’s unlike a lot of people he’s encountered throughout his life, taking issue with things they could care less about, and caring less about things they take issue with. It’s hard to say whether he’s in the right or in the wrong sometimes, but it always helps to know that Moomin is on his side.

“I’m not sure if he was angry, really,” Snufkin says. “It seemed very complicated.”

He wishes he understood the look on the Joxter’s face before they parted. Or the own sour pit in his own stomach that lingered for whole days afterwards, that lingers still. He’s very new to the concept of family you don’t go out and find for yourself-- family that can just show up out of the blue and care about you at the drop of a hat, without even knowing you very well-- so perhaps there’s some vital clue he’s missing. Some integral understanding that only someone with long experience at having such a family would know.

The idea comes to him like lightning.

“You have a dad!” Snufkin says, spinning to include Moomin in his epiphany.

Dear Moomin, always understanding him, gasps aloud. “I do! Let’s go!”

So they break into a run, and thunder up the porch steps, and Snufkin barely remembers to leave his pack on the veranda instead of hauling the dirty thing inside. Both the Moominparents are in the drawing room, looking over a book together, and they break into smiles when they see who their son has hauled inside.

Moomin says, “We have a problem to solve!”

“Oh, my,” Moominmamma says, coming around the table. When she reaches for Snufkin, it’s slow and self-evident, and he doesn’t have any reason to lean away from the hand she rests against his cheek in greeting. “And you’ve only just arrived! That’s very quick work.”

Snufkin smiles, pleased despite himself. “I cheated, actually. I brought the problem here with me. It’s been going ‘round in circles in my head nonstop, and I’ve just about exhausted my thoughts on it.”

“Come sit,” Moominpappa says, gesturing them over to the chairs. “Let’s all put our heads together. We’ve fresh tea and fresh minds, haven’t we, Mama?”

“And fresh tarts,” she adds sagely, nudging the serving plate in the boys’ direction.

And so Snufkin settles in, and tells his story for a second time. It’s a little bit easier to navigate the confusion and the pitfalls this time, having told it once before, and he’s able to linger a bit on how high up the nest was, and how the wind tugged and tore at him even before he fell, and his father’s claws poking little holes into his shirt on the climb down, though they didn’t go far enough to scratch him.

“It was a close call, certainly,” he says into the quiet room. His knees are tucked up against his chest, but no one scolds him for sitting that way. “But it seems silly to get so worked up over something that didn’t even happen, don’t you think? Even if he wasn't angry, which I'm not sure that he was, he was very upset."

Moomin nods, perfunctory, but his parents trade swift glances and don’t answer right away.

“I certainly understand where you’re coming from, dear,” Mama says after thinking for a moment. “So let’s work out where your papa was coming from. It isn’t always easy, trying to understand someone you haven’t known very long, but it’s important that we try.”

Snufkin agrees, leaning forward in his chair. He likes meeting people, sharing a meal or a pipe with them, exchanging stories about faraway places and long-ago adventures. He feels richer for every encounter, no matter how strange they might seem at first.

But sometimes, even when they are perfectly civil, people can seem very cold. Sometimes they’re not easy to talk to at all, their words and their intentions escaping his comprehension like a school of silver fish escaping his net.

Since they met, this is the first time his father has felt like one of those people. It’s an incredibly lonely thought, for all that he’s only had a father for two years.

“I’ll certainly be having words with him for raising his voice at you,” Mama goes on, in a tone of voice she usually only brings out for Little My at her most destructive. “But I certainly agree with you that your father wasn't angry. It sounds to me like you scared him very badly."

Snufkin blinks. That isn't what he expected to hear.

Taking pity on him, Mama says, "That bluebird was certainly distressed when you met her, wasn't she?"

"Well, yes," he say slowly. "Understandably so. Because of her nest. Her babies almost fell."

"And so did the Joxter's," Papa says in a gentle way.

Snufkin couldn't have been more startled if someone dumped a bucket of cold water over his head. He sits up in his chair so suddenly that Moomin jumps and declares, "I'm not a baby."

"You're very grown up," Mama agrees. "But you don't ever outgrow being someone's child."

"I'm hardly his child," Snufkin retorts hotly, his heart beating so hard it hurts. "We only just met a handful of seasons ago."

"You haven't known Moomintroll for very much longer." Papa's tone is reasonable and unhurried, even though Snufkin is bristling at his dinner table like a hostile forest creature. "You wouldn't want to see him get hurt, would you?"

"That's different. I love Moomintroll. He’s my best friend, we understand each other." Beside him, Moomin sits a little taller. Snufkin digs his fingers into the knees of his pants, even though they're already due for a mending and the seams begin to give beneath his grip. "I don't understand the Joxter at all sometimes. I don't understand him now. I don't understand how he could love me without knowing me."

"The first time I held my little Moomin in my arms, I knew I would love him like I'd never loved anything before," Mama says. Her eyes are very gentle, and she looks at Snufkin like she's fond of him even now, when he's arguing and being difficult. "He was barely a few moments old, and I knew."

Snufkin shakes his head. His chest feels like a vice, closing around his lungs and heart. "Don't you see? You kept Moomin. No one kept me. We weren't the same manner of creature even then."

A sharp noise in the kitchen draws their attention, a sound like a dish breaking against the floor. After a moment, Moominmamma stands up.

"I'll go and take care of that, shall I?" she says, but her voice is thick and watery. She pauses next to Snufkin's chair and shows him her hands before she reaches for him. When she touches his hair gently, it reminds Snufkin of the way the Joxter touched him after his near-fall.

It's not fair that one parent could remind him of another when they're not anything alike. It's so frustrating and confusing. Maybe that's why his eyes are itchy and hot with tears.

Mama's touch lingers with a warmth and certainty that the Joxter didn't have, and then she moves away toward the kitchen, closing the door behind her.

"Snuf?" Moomin asks in a near-whisper. He takes one of Snufkin's hands, threading their fingers together as easily as he threads together dandelion chains. Snufkin's own paw is scarred and dirty against Moomin's clean white fur, but neither of them care about something like that, and it's nice to have him to hold onto. "Do you want to leave? We could run down to the river and get muddy and catch fireflies. We don't have to talk about this anymore."

Snufkin shakes his head. Moominpappa is watching them with patience and sadness, sitting across the table like he would sit there for hours if that's what it took to help.

"He would have kept you," Papa says. "You may not know him well, but I'm sure that I do. Trust me when I say he would have been proud to keep you."

"Might-haves don't help," Snufkin insists. This is something he is certain of. "They just make you lonely. It's easier to think about what really happened, and what might happen, than what never did."

And what did happen was that Snufkin was abandoned, and found in a basket by a helpfully misguided fellow who delivered him to the orphanage, and forgot-- for a time-- that people could be kind. He escaped as an invisible child, and the birds sang to him and chatted with him for as long as it took to bring his reflection back, and he found his own way in the world.

It wasn't always easy, and it wasn't always nice, but sometimes it was so wonderful Snufkin forgot how to breathe. The first time he saw the sea, the first time he saw a falling star, the first time he heard an instrument and realized people could make their own music. He discovered these things for himself, wandering from place to place to place, and maybe he never would have had the chance if he'd grown up with a mother and a father and a house that never moved.

"Do you blame your dad?" Moomin asks. He looks as though he's working very stubbornly against tears of his own. Dear Moomintroll, with a heart that's too big. "For leaving you, and for-- all the rest of it?"

"Of course I don't," Snufkin says. "It wasn't his fault. He never even knew I was born. I'm sure it wasn't mother's fault, either, not when she has so many children to keep a watch over. One or two was bound to slip through the cracks."

Moomin's expression says he disagrees with at least part of Snufkin's statement but doesn't want to argue. Moominpappa's expression is almost laughably similar. Cut from the same cloth, Snufkin thinks, and it makes his heart hurt a little less.

He's like his father, too. They both wander and they both make music and they both tell stories. They both wage war against park keepers and make disdainful faces at city signs. They can travel in silence for hours, not needing conversation to prop up their time together, and Snufkin is remarkably comfortable around him most of the time. He likes to be around him.

And yet...

"I don't know that I believe in it," Snufkin says slowly. He wipes his eyes on his sleeve. "A love you don't have to build, that can just come up out of nothing. Loving someone without knowing them seems an awful risk. What if they're awful, or mean, or they swear? You've have thrown away your love on someone you don't even like."

Moominpappa lets out a short sound, the ghost of a laugh. "You're a practical little thing. Sometimes I forget, since you and Moomin get into mischief so often."

Snufkin thinks there's nothing wrong with being both practical and mischievous, but he keeps it to himself.

"Love is something magical, though," Moomin interjects. "It doesn't always have to make sense, does it? Just look at all the fairy tales you've told me, Snuf. Half those princes and princesses hardly knew each other, but their love was enough to break curses and defeat evil. It must have been true love if it defeated evil."

Papa looks bemused, starts to say, "Moomin, that's not..." but he glances at Snufkin and stops short. Snufkin hardly pays him any mind, thinking Moomin's perspective over with a furrowed brow.

"I suppose," he allows reluctantly. "But real life is hardly a fairy tale."

"It was real life to them," Moomin points out reasonably. "Just because it's a fairy tale to us doesn't mean they didn't live it. Maybe you ought to give your dad's love a chance, Snufkin. You're so easy to love, you know, it makes sense to me that he'd love you already. It's been two years since you met! I loved you after two days."

That's enough to make Snufkin smile, hiding behind the floppy brim of his hat. It seems to melt the remaining tension, and Moominpappa eases out of his chair with a careful stretch of his back.

"I had better go rescue your papa while there's still something left of him," Papa says, and Snufkin looks up at him in surprise.

"He's here?" That must have been the noise they heard in the kitchen. Right away, Snufkin's stomach starts to squirm, and he darts an uncertain look at the closed door. "Should I-- leave?"

"No, dear, I think he'd like the chance to talk to you. Only if you're comfortable with that," Papa says, looking at Snufkin sternly. "He's an old friend of mine, which means I'm allowed to throw him out on his ear."

"Don't do that," Snufkin says quickly, not sure if the elder moomin is joking. "If he's not angry, then I want to see him."

But for some reason that means Moomin gets shooed out of the room as well, and he goes so reluctantly Papa ends up propelling him by the shoulders into the kitchen. Snufkin is left by himself at the table. From the next room he hears Papa say, "Just talk to him, Joxaren."

And then his father is slinking through the door. His predator's eyes, the striking blue beneath that dirty mop of dark hair, are full and round. There is something very weary about him, for all that his expression gives very little away. Snufkin thinks of baby birds falling and the desperate way the Joxter held him beneath the tree and Mama saying there was one thing Snufkin would never outgrow, and he hurts from it all. His heart is so full and heavy he thinks he's probably trapped beneath its weight, stuck to the chair, unable to move even an inch.

"I'm sorry," he whispers.

"Don't be," the Joxter replies in an instant. His voice is quiet and soothing, the way it should be. "If anyone is sorry, it's me."

Snufkin looks up at him as he comes closer, and the Joxter shows him his hands, the way all the valley people do. When he reaches for him after that, Snufkin doesn't move away. He leans into the arms that come around him, instead, breathing in the familiar wood-smoke smell of the Joxter. It's comfortable, and it feels very safe, and Snufkin hooks his fingers into the back of his father's patched coat and holds on.

"I should have let you climb," he says, muffled against the larger snufkin's shoulder.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you," the Joxter replies. His words are lurching and uncertain, like the first few steps across an unsteady bridge. "I'm still learning, little bird, but I won't make that mistake again."

He says little bird with as much care as Mama says my dear, and it's silly but it makes Snufkin's heart finally settle. He doesn't think he can believe the love just yet, but he believes the care.

"A story for a story," the Joxter says suddenly. "I'll tell you any one you want to hear. And then perhaps you could tell me about-- being invisible."

Snufkin doesn't often think that far back, but he nods. "That sounds fair," he says, leaning back until the Joxter's arms let go. He holds his tail to keep it from moving about in a way that would betray him and how happy he is. Only Moomintroll gets to see his tail wag without Snufkin feeling self-conscious for it.

"Tell me about when you learned to play the fiddle," he decides, drawing his legs up again and hugging them. "It's the trickiest instrument I've ever touched."

The Joxter pulls a chair around next to his, as scruffy and weathered as Snufkin is in this clean, pleasant house, and it's one more thing that makes them two of a kind.

For all his faults and his mistakes, Snufkin has seen many places, and met many people, and he'll get to see and meet even more. He has this place to come back to, and these friends, and this family he chose who chose him right back. And now he also has a parent who looks at him as though he wants to know him, as though there is no person in the world worth knowing more.

There is no one else as lucky as me, Snufkin thinks, and settles in to listen to his papa's tale.

[wulfiestired]

Get to know the muse          

NAME: Marie Thistledown

NICKNAME: Kitty

AGE:  23?

SPECIES: Definitely a cat! totally not something else!

PERSONAL.

MORALITY: lawful / neutral / chaotic / good / neutral / evil

RELIGIOUS BELIEF: A cleric of Tierbon the Shadow Lady

SINS:  greed / gluttony / sloth / lust / pride / envy / wrath!!

VIRTUES: chastity / charity / diligence / humility / kindness / patience / justice

PRIMARY GOALS IN LIFE: To collect magical items for her clan. She likes her job- its filled with adventure and she sees so many cool relics (and makes soooo much money!)

LANGUAGES KNOWN: Cat, Common, Halfling

SECRETS: shes a pretty open book actually 

SAVVIES: Honestly she has a good eye for magical items, is alarmingly disarming, and isn’t too shabby with her clerical skills.

PHYSICAL

BUILD: scrawny / bony / slender / fit / athletic / curvy / herculean / pudgy / average

HEIGHT: 1″3 

WEIGHT: like? 10 pounds.

SCARS/BIRTHMARKS: Honestly nothing remarkable. She heals pretty decently but she has a few nicks hear in there. 

ABILITIES/POWERS: As a trickster cleric she has a wide arsenal of abilities given to her by the Shadow Lady. She excels at Spirit Warriors, Spiritual Weapons, and her crossbow. She is pretty sneaky and often doesn’t need the help of her magic to hide or escape. 

RESTRICTIONS:  Soooo much! Shes a teeny cat! She can’t lift most things and has an intolerance to most foods and drinks. 

FAVORITES

FAVORITE FOOD: Fish, Meat, Bread, Carrots

FAVORITE DRINK: She loves whiskey but should she be drinking it???

FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING: anchovies!! JK she likes ham 

FAVORITE COLOR: blue!!! 

FAVORITE MUSIC GENRE: In a modern verse she would love Marina & the Diamonds.

FAVORITE BOOK GENRE: Cat eyes aren’t really great for reading it seems!!! 

FAVORITE MOVIE GENRE: She would honestly love shitty romcoms and magical girl anime

FAVORITE SEASON: Summer! She hates the cold.

FAVORITE CURSE WORD: She loves all of her children equally. 

FAVORITE SCENT(S): Really stinky things. She loves dandelions and clover. 

FUN STUFF.

BOTTOM OR TOP: She’s not well experienced but after a little learning she would probably like being in charge. A very bossy bottom/ princess dom. (shes a top, shes a top ) 

SINGS IN THE SHOWER: LMAO IF SHE SHOWERED 

LIKES BAD PUNS: they usually fly over her head, she dumb

Tagged by: @hillrot  👀👀👀👀 Tagging: @thecatwizard @cxnvenit @pastrycleric @valorandheart @batteredoptimist

[romancenerd]

Our Eternal Moment

Summary: Elias and Liz go on a first date that ends in a heart melting confession.

A/N: Congratulations to the winner of my fanfic contest! Mai Tsung! I enjoyed writing this for you so much! I fangirled multiple time while writing this and I hope you enjoy it!

Also listen to these two songs while you read. First half listen to Can’t Help Falling In Love – Haley Rehinhart. Then once you get to the part about where it says Liz cuddled into his side imminently play A Thousand Years- Christina Perri. This will make you cry I promise. It makes the scene more heartwarming than it already is.

So, I hope you all enjoy this! Thank you for your patience!

Elias walked through the busy streets of Boston. He was heading to his favorite bakery to sooth the massive sweet tooth he was having at the moment. But that wasn’t the only reason for his small trip. A certain owner and employee there happened to catch his eye. She had long brunette hair and memorizing pink eyes and a slender figure, and beautiful ivory skin. Her name was Liz she was so cheerful and happy all the time. They had known each other since childhood.

Before long Elias stood outside the bakery. He decided today was the day he would finally find the courage ask her out. He took a deep breath before pulling the door open.

The scent of cake and cookies hit him like a tidal wave. He stepped into the small room. He took notice he was the only one here. Elias heard angelic humming coming from behind the counter. He smiled gently and rested his elbows against the front countertops by the cash register.

Liz had her brunette hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail bound by a single pink silk ribbon. Her sleeves pulled all the way to her elbows as she kneeded the dough skillfully in front of her. She had no idea Elias was behind her and continued to hum to her hearts content.

“Has anyone ever told you what a beautiful voice you have?”

Liz suddenly jumped startled at the sudden voice and turned to face its owner.

“Well if it isn’t my favorite customer?” she smiled and winked at him. Then proceed to clean her hands off. “Your usual I take it?”

He nodded at her. Liz then bent over behind the counter and produced a paper bag in her hand and set it in front of him.

“Thanks.” He smiled and handed her money for the treats his hand brushed hers slightly and set both of their hearts racing. Elias blushed slightly and pulled away.

“Enjoy.” Liz went to turn back to him to finish kneeding her bread when Elias suddenly spook up.

“Um, I-I was um, well I mean if you’re not busy tonight or a-anything, I was just wondering i-if you er wanted to.”

Liz couldn’t help but smile at him. She knew what he was trying to say. But watching him trip over himself was one of the things she loved about his personality.

“I get off at 5.”

“W-what?”

“You were wondering what time I get off and wanted to go out right?” Liz smiled at him gently and Elias blushed a deep shade of crimson.

Liz giggled at the sight. “See you at 5 Elias.”

“S-see you then.” He walked out the door. He didn’t realize he was holding his breath until he got outside. His heart was still rapidly beating. He was going to make tonight perfect for the both of them.

Liz smiled at the door Elias had just walked out of. She couldn’t help but squeal and spin around. Elias had finally asked her out after all of these years of school, graduation and awkward but sweet conversations that always made her smile.

She decided to close the bakery early that day and opened a door behind the counter and proceeded up the stairs where her apartment was. Liz then spent the rest of the day picking out her outfit.

             *Skip ahead to 5 p.m.*

Elias was approaching the bakery with a bouquet of roses. When he got closer he saw Liz waiting outside. She was looking up at a tree watching birds build their nests.

He nervously approached her and when she turned to face him his heart stopped beating in that single moment.

Her hair had been let down and curled into separate strands, her make up was simple and natural. She wore a royal blue airy tank top with a small train that went to her mid thigh, black leggings, black ankle boots and a long golden chain necklace with a white hexagonal cloudy diamond that went to her belly button.

Liz smiled as she saw Elias coming and walked over to him. He was speechless.

“What’s wrong something on my face?” she questioned with an eyebrow cocked.

“N-no.” he remained silent for a moment staring into her eyes until he softly spoke. “You look beautiful.”

Her heart gave the slightest flutter at his compliment.

They remained silent for a moment before Elias spoke up and handed her the roses.

“These are for y-you.”

Her heart squeezed tightly in her chest as she accepted them. Liz brought the bouquet to her nose and let the sweet scent fill her nose. No man in a life time had ever given her flowers not that she would. Several men had asked her out in the past but weren’t good enough. As far as she was concerned the only man good enough for her was Elias.

“I love them Elias, thank you.” She leaned up and kissed his cheek. Elias began blushing a dark red. His heart was racing and thought it could explode at any given moment. “W-WHAT! He staggered back a little and that caused her to giggle.

All he could do was blush. Liz then disappeared inside to put them in water. She soon came back out.

“So where are we going today.” Liz said casually strolling up to him. Like nothing had just happened.

“I-It’s a-a s-s-surprise.” Elias said trying to calm his heart.

“I can tell this is going to be one interesting evening Mr. Goldstein.” She smirked up at him, and they two of them began walking. While Elias blushed along the way.

While Elias guided her along towards their destination they laughed and talked about numerous things. Then they started to head down a path. Liz imminently knew where they were.

They were in the garden park on the edge of the city. Where different varieties of trees and wildlife grew. The path the two walked down was in the center of the beautiful garden. Rose bushed shaped the outlining of the path.

Liz looked up overhead smiling at the birds that flew by. Elias couldn’t help but stare at her smiling face, he was captivated by her.

“Something on my face again.” She then winked at him.

“W-what?” Elias suddenly blinked in surprise and blushed deeply. Liz couldn’t help but laugh at his expression.

“You are so adorable.” Liz then reached up and pinched his cheek making him blush harder than he already was.

“N-no I’m not!”

Liz giggled. “Whatever you say –“

Liz suddenly stopped when they approached the giant pond. She couldn’t believe what her eyes were seeing. “Elias …”

Sitting on the shore line was a white wooden dingy boat covered in rose petals. Liz smiled gently, it wasn’t much but she knew Elias better than anyone and romance wasn’t his best suit.

“Surprised are we.” She suddenly looked at him and cleared her throat. Liz decided to give him the confidence boost he was looking for. But first she had to tease him a little.

“No not at all I was admiring that yellow flower right there.” Liz then pointed the single weed growing.

“You were getting over emotional about a dandelion?”

“Dandelions are still part of the ecosystem and I think they are beautiful so there!” She boasted with triumph

Elias stared at her for a moment before bursting into a fit of laughter. “That is just like you.”

She rolled her eyes but soon started laughing along with him. Liz rarely got to see this side of him and she found it adorable to her eyes.

“Shall we.” Elias said trying to regain his composure.

“Of course.” Elias imminently got into the boat then turned his head away and held his hand out to her. They both blushed and Liz gently placed her hand into his.

He turned to look at her and within seconds were lost in each other’s eyes. Still making eye contact she stepped into the boat until she was directly in front of him. That one moment in time seemed to stand still.

A strong wind suddenly came whipping through and cause the boat to rock a little which brought them out of their trance. Elias was the first to look away. “Y-you should probably sit so you don’t fall in.”

“R-Right.” Liz the took a seat opposite of Elias who started rowing the little dingy. The sun was beginning to set behind him and Liz was stunned at the sight before her very eyes.

Liz leaned over the side and dipped her hand in the water and watched as the little fish swam by. She let out a giggle when one came up and splashed Elias in the face.

“Great just great.” Elias let out a small sigh.

“Aww did we get a little rain on our parade?” Liz teased in a baby voice.

Elias looked at her and frown and a laugh escaped from them both.

He rowed them in the direction toward the tiny island in the center of the pond where a large weeping willow took up majority of the island. The large weeping willow had long vines that extended down from the branches went completely into the water and reflected like a mirror.

She watched as he came up to the tree and brushed the vines out of the way enough for the boat to pass through. The inside of the tree was breath taking. On the far side of the tiny island a small dock was present along with tiny flowers along the base of the tree. The setting sun reflected through the trees bouncing off the water like crystals.

Elias stopped in the middle of the water and took a deep reassuring breath.

“Why did we stop?”

“Because there’s something I’ve always wanted to do and I just never had the courage to do it.”

“What would that be?” Her heart gave a leap at the seriousness of his voice.

“This.” Elias reached behind him and suddenly pulled out his violin and closed his eyes. He then held the instrument up and began to play the most beautiful song she had ever heard. Her heart melted watching him play for her. Her eyes became moist.

She watched him pour his heart out to her through the notes he played. The way he played the song was like the music was protecting the most fragile treasure in the world and here he sat playing for her.

When the song ended Elias opened his eyes to find Liz looking at him with tears in her eyes.

“I’m sorry have I upset you?” Elias suddenly became self-conscious of himself.

“No, it’s just-.” She paused to whip the tears from her eyes. “That’s the most beautiful thing I have ever heard in my life.”

“Y-you liked it then.”

“No Elias I didn’t.” She watched his face fall for a moment and he gently set the instrument back behind him. She reached out towards his face and made him look at her. “I loved it.” She quietly spoke.

“I’m so relieved to hear that you see, … I-I actually composed t-that piece for you.” Elias admitted with flaming cheeks.

“You wrote that for me?” Liz looked at him in awe. Her chest tightened and her feelings for him only deepened than what they already were.

“I-I did.”

“Oh, Elias …” The wind suddenly swept through the trees cause the small boat to float towards the dock. Liz looked at Elias and noticed his hair was a mess.

She gently moved her hand from his cheek to his hair and brushed it to the side. She felt her heart race and his silky golden fringe slide through her fingers. She looked down at Elias and noticed his cheeks were red and he averted his gaze.

“Sorry, … the wind messed your hair up and I thought I’d you … well you know.” She trailed off looking to the side.

“Thanks then.” Liz smiled and nodded to him. Silence soon filled the atmosphere making it uncomfortable. Liz and Elias paced around in their heads to think about something to talk about. She had an idea come to her.

“Wanna get out and walk around for a bit?”

“I would like that.”

Elias tied the boat to the small dock and got out and turned around to help Liz out. He pulled her up and she tripped falling into his arms. “S-Sorry.”

When she looked up she noticed the gentle look in his eyes.

“You’re a little clumsy today, aren’t we?” Elias said spoiling the moment. She then regained balance and punched him in the arm. “Ow! What was that for.”

“That’s for being a total tool.” She said giggling, then with a smirk on her face. “Let’s go before I leave you here by yourself.

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“Watch me!” Liz said and took off running.

He couldn’t help but laugh at her child innocence coming to the surface. He went chasing after her and the two of them ended up starting a game of tag that ended up boiling down to them walking around the shore line.

Liz came closer to him and cuddled into his side. She looped her arm through his and placed her head on his shoulder. Elias smiled down at her and continued talking about the memories from their childhood.

The made their way back to the dock and sat on edge. Liz leaned on him and continued to watch the sunset through the trees and listen to the sound of nature around her before she suddenly spoke up.

“I’ve been waiting for you to ask me out for a long time now. I’m happy you did.” He was surprised by her sudden comment and stared out at the water in-front of him.

“I’ve been trying to find the courage to ask you out for years. I was always worried that if I’d ask and you said no then …”

“I would have said yes to you no matter what, you’re the only man that’s for me as far as I’m concerned.” She then closed her eyes.

“Liz, to me you’re an amazing beautiful woman that I would be proud to call mine.” She suddenly sat up and looked at him.

“Elias …”

Suddenly everything turned pitch dark for a moment before millions of tiny lights flickered slowly.

The two of them were soon lost in each other’s eyes once more. It seemed like an eternity had passed in a single moment. The two of them brought their faces closer together and slowly closed their eyes. Their noses grazing each other lightly. They could feel the heat of their breath mixing together in the slight chill of the night air.

Elias leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers. They both felt a slight jolt of electricity shoot through their bodies. Elias slightly pulled away from her and they kept their eyes closed. “Liz … you have no idea how long I wanted to do that.” He brought his lips back to hers and kissed her deeply. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. The built-up desire from all those years was all rushing to the surface at once.

Liz desired the taste of him on her lips. Their lips reconnected in heated passionate kisses over and over causing their breathing to get ragged and short.

Once their temptation simmered down Elias was the first to pulled away from her. He kept his forehead against hers and sweetly whispered.

“I love you Liz.”

Those were the four words Liz had waited to hear her whole life. Her breathing hitched in her throat and she moved her face away from his and looked him straight in his eyes and put both of her hands on his cheeks and softly spoke with tears in her eyes.

“I love you too Elias.”

The two of them shared yet another sweet kiss that would be treasured for an eternity of a lifetime.

[her-culture]

Essay: To His Granddaughter

     i.        Stage 1

It starts with the little things – nothing special. You tell yourself it’s only natural to become forgetful with age, that you too forget where you place your house keys from time to time. It’s perfectly normal. You tell yourself that. And you repeat it every time.

But it becomes obvious. Too obvious for you to lie to yourself. You begin noticing the way he talks less and less. The way his lips begin to open and pause, frantic at first then slowing to silently open and close like trapped fish gulping for air. His mouth unable provide the means through which his thoughts desperately wish to escape.

When you come home, he takes a while to remember you. He grasps for reminders of you, of your name. But to him the reminders are dandelion seeds scattered by the callous winds of age to expose the stems to vulnerably decompose.

The signs are everywhere as he goes about his day. You find him wandering dark hallways trying to find the washroom, attempting to find rooms in a home that has sheltered him for more than four decades. Even the simple living room becomes an intricate labyrinth in which he must constantly run his fingers along the walls not to lose his grounded feet.

You analyze his movements, zero in on the way he circles around the furniture looking for the remote control he unknowingly grips in his hand.  

You watch Grandmother begin to understand the signs, watch her start unpacking the musky cardboard box, desperate to retrieve even a sliver of what had been, anything at all.

And soon you observe that his eyes are dim lights, flickering with no focused strength. Only fluttering alert when you gently shake his arm to remind him that you are still there – that he is still here.

   ii.        Stage 2

You begin in the dead of night when no one will hear your fingers hesitantly typing against the keyboard to input the dreaded letters.

AL…ZH…E…

Many nights you stop there. Or sometimes you might continue until your heavy eyes demand reprieve from the glaring computer screen. You hurry into bed, placing your forearm over your eyes, ignoring the tightening sensation in your throat that has begun to form. But this will not happen every day because somedays you might not feel anything, your own brain feeling as unfurnished and barren as his has become.

One morning, something will be wrong, very wrong. So, you reach out and grab his hand, only to realize the source of his afflictions has finally revealed itself, rearing its ugly, foul head. It is as if you are watching the very reversal of mitosis occurring inside his decaying brain. Cell death has progressed for the last seven years, eating away at memories of his childhood, of his marriage, of his children, of you. His dying cells like foam dissipating against the surface of water to release the few remaining reminders of his life.

Tell me your name. It becomes a ritual for you to ask the same questions over and over again. Too often, you are scared you’ll break something. Your patience runs thin, your threshold cracking like the thinning ice of a springtime thaw. Tell me your name again. How old are you? Where do you live? No, say the address.  

  iii.        Stage 3

You mutely eye your grandfather as he lies in the master bedroom with eyes searching the ceiling above him for something you cannot see. When you make a noise, he turns toward you. But there is blankness in his eyes when he stares at you, through you.  

He is no longer able to do much on his own; the disease has progressed for far too long. The condition will have thrown him in a lonely place; a place where grandfather has absolutely no control over the parts of his own body, a place where his last moments are like his first.

By winter, there is not much left to be forgotten, and he will cease to forget only when there remains nothing to be forgotten.

You will be scared of visiting. But please remember that he is scared of loneliness. You won’t know how to approach him when the doctor issues the official finding. The final diagnosis. The one nobody – no fortune tellers, no psychics, no Gods – will refute.

  iv.        Final Stage

By winter, you will also come to terms with the real diagnosis of his disarray. Your personal disarray will gradually diminish to round out this trial of error and missteps. By then, you will wish for a miracle as the last snow dusts down to his resting figure under the covered porch, even as you talk to his resting form to become more certain of his fading.

But perhaps, he will listen and grant you an ephemeral moment in which his resting form will glance back to smile lazily and call your name—the way he used to. Not your grandmother’s name, not your mother’s name, but yours – his granddaughter’s.