#Grass-eating experts

[helengie]

Goats: The ultimate multi-taskers 🐐🌿🌾🧀

Looking for a sustainable way to mow your lawn, fertilize your garden, and produce delicious, healthy cheese? Look no further than goats! 🐏 These furry creatures are the perfect multitaskers. They'll happily graze your lawn, leaving it looking neat and tidy. 🏡 They'll also add valuable nutrients to your soil, helping your plants grow strong and healthy. 🌱 And of course, they'll provide you with fresh milk, which you can use to make your own homemade cheese. 🥛 So if you're looking for a fun and efficient way to take care of your property, goats are the way to go! 👐 The T-shirt and other merchandise with this motif are available in the HelenGie store on TeePublic 👕👚:

https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/56376134-goats-the-ultimate-multi-taskers-mowing-the-grass-

[lolo3h]

So I was thinking about the other grass type tierlist I made based on what plant families grass type pokemon were based on and made another list categorizing the uses the plants the pokemon are based on

[saikira999]

headcanons for how Idia and Malleus play Minecraft?

~ Headcanons for twst characters playing Minecraft.

I was a little late, but here are the headcannons! :D

Also, a little friendly reminder that English is not My native language and if you find errors in the text, please write to me about it.

Another parts about :

Azul and Lilia!

Riddle and Leona!

Jade and Floyd!

[Idia]

1) Absolute pro.

2) During the entire game, big bro has already set up His own server with tens of hundreds of buildings, houses and cities, on which all of Ignihyde plays...

But for you, beginners, He will of course make a new one.

3) Lives not in an ordinary house, but in a secret underground complex with hundreds of traps, secrets and secret passages. The entire dungeon is arranged quite professionally and beautifully, in a black and blue palette, using wool, clay, stone and several types of thin blocks and half-blocks, steps and other things. Instead of ordinary torches, he uses blue torches with soul fire.

4) He doesn’t trust his account to anyone except Ortho, but he tries to make sure that his beloved younger brother doesn’t waste any important resources or do anything unnecessary.

5) His favorite and least favorite location is Nether.

6) His base is guarded by three dogs with blue collars.

7) The same walking guide that explains to everyone and everything how to play and answers all kinds of questions.

8) The bro on the server has absolute power... After all, he is the admin here and the main expert in cheat codes.

9) Despite the fact that he feels much more confident in the square world, he still does not like to interact with other players and prefers to play alone. If there are too many players on the server, He either rushes to retire, or barely uses the microphone and hangs around somewhere in the corners.

He is most comfortable playing with Lilia, Ortho, Azul and possibly Yuu.

10) Keeps a joke counter when someone compares His hair to the blue soul fire (137)...

11) Loves block art and other buildings like statues of favorite anime characters.

12) Usually, he plays with a ton of shaders, mods and other additions, but since not all dorms are equipped with powerful hardware, like in Ignihyde, bro have to play with a minimum amount of additional details.

13) Knows all the cool bugs, recipes, theories and locations of Minecraft.

14) In one of the secret rooms he built a cemetery for His pets.

15) Of all the players, he comes to the server most often, and could have reached the dragon in one day, if not for Ortho’s gentle reminder that on a joint server you need to play TOGETHER.

16) His main fear is if His mother somehow logs onto the server.

17) Always swears at updates.

18) Sometimes he seriously thinks about buying the rights to the game...

19) Minecraft is my life!

20) MINECRAAAAAAAAAFT

(Insert audio from that screaming russian schoolboy meme)

[Malleus]

1) He doesn’t know what Minecraft is and when Yuu and Idia invite him to play (Invitation???? He’ll definitely join!), he asks Lilia what “Minecraft” is and what spell can He use to get into this mysterious world?

2) When he sits down at the computer for the first time, he falls into a crisis and looks at the square icon for a long time (3 hours), in sincere bewilderment.

Then he decides to try to figure it out on his own... And accidentally blows up the computer.

(Poor Lilia.)

4) FINALLY having figured out the controls on the phone (Still poor Lilia), he came onto the server and falls into a new crisis and shock from the appearance of the game...

"This is definitely... It will be interesting..."

5) Absolute noob. Bro sometimes even forgets that his character is weak and mortal. Several times, He simply walks into lava, forgets to eat, or swims in the water for a long time and is genuinely perplexed as to why his character is dying.

6) Tsunotaro's house is a simple wooden box made of dark oak logs, vines and flowers. There is no floor - only fragrant green grass. The windows are also missing and replaced with fences. Right at the doorstep is a garden with flowers, and on the roof there will be creepy, crooked figures made of blocks and half-blocks of stone and basalt (Gargoyles were planned).

Perhaps He will try in the future to rebuild the house into something more gothic, but Tsunotaro like architect, is like a Grim like nutritionist... Yuu is His most frequent guest and Draconia, according to all the rules of etiquette, tries to feed the visitor and force him to stay as a guest with Him, like a decent owner.... Oh, Yuu invites Him to visit...?

...He will definitely come and build Yuu a crooked gargoyle as a sign of gratitude... And I hope that a human child will be smart enough not to destroy His building...

.......No, I'm serious. Don't.

7) He doesn’t understand anything and either follows other players 24/7 or gets lost and Idia eventually finds him a couple hundred chunks away from the spawn location, trying to make friends with the bat.

8) Griefers? Who is this? Is there such a crazy person who would try to break down His house...?

9) Oddly enough, his main occupation is taming everyone he can. Cats? Parrots? Dogs? A whole farm with a variety of livestock from small to large? Two little slimes? Strange guy with white eyes behind the tree? Yuu? He will take care of everyone.... Rest assured)

+ Animals in this game do not age and cannot die unless you put them in danger, or play it safe and give them name tags....

10) The same guy whose game constantly crashes for some reason or whose microphone crashes.

11) Belongs to the type of people who can simply take and give another player either a beautiful, freshly picked flower, or incredibly rare and expensive armor or weapons, with several layers of enchantment, which He obtained from an unknown place and in an unknown way.

12) For a reason unknown to anyone, all mobs such as monsters, villagers and pillagers, except animals and children, bypass him.

13) Loves to wander through abandoned villages and mines.

14) In PVP he is not particularly smart and sticks with more neutral and calm players and rarely gets into fights with anyone... If at all anyone wants to fight with Him.

15) He dreams of building a GIANT Gargoyle, but so far, all he gets is another crooked, creepy pile of stones, only of larger sizes.

16) When he learns that the goal of the game is to kill the dragon and take It's egg, his reaction is literally: ....Mother?🤨

17) He doesn’t want to fight with His relative, and when Idia kills the dragon, he bursts into His room with lightning and thunder in order to interrogate the corpse of Gloomurai, which did not survive several heart attacks.

18) Tsunotaro took the egg for Himself and built a kind of temple for It (Surrounded by gargoyles, of course), and sincerely waited for it to hatch, until Lilia, who came to the rescue, said that this was not possible in the game.

19) Conclusion: One was disappointed because He could not atone for the brutally murdered dragon mother and raise Her child, and the second, although He laughed amicably, still grabbed a couple of Vietnamese (Briar Valley) flashbacks.

(Poor Malleus and Lilia)

20) Later, scared to death, Idia will install a mod especially for Tsunotaro that allows him to hatch and tame a dragon from the egg he received in The End 😊

(Poor Idia)

That's it! I am waiting for your new requests :3

Reblog Me, please? <:]

[asukaskerian]

#1 N°1 Eternal War God

Feast your eyes on the most badass cosplay you have ever seen! The font of manliness, the peerless master, the only rival Bing-ge will ever have...!!!

liuqingge_1.png ; liuqingge_2.png ; liuqingge_3.png

#2 N°1 Eternal War God

Perfect replica of Cheng Luan, I pumped iron for six months for the all-natural chest muscles hahaha, and there's even a little sword charm matching little sister Mingyan's for the gege appeal! This cosplay will be debuted in full during the next great Shanghai convention, come and get your photos after the contest! 

#3 Littlest Cutest YingYingYing

Awww the little charm is so adorable!!!! Secret brocon Liu-gege~¤* 

#4 Cang Qiong Mountain Stair-Cleaning Manager

The all natural chest is also cute >:3c

#5 Peerless Cucumber (Expert)

... Is that a repurposed Japanese kimono? Are you honestly saying that covering the sober, dignified, strong-and-silent Liu Qingge's body with fancy belts and embroidery to break up the outline of *the wrong garment entirely* and distracting the viewer via slutting it up is good cosplay?

My apologies, I have unfairly maligned you -- it's a YUKATA. For those who don't know the difference, it is exactly that of silk versus cheap cotton. 

Just like the difference between an actual effort-grown chest and one shaped with badly blended makeup. There are still fingerprints in the hollow by your left lower ribs. Tssk.

#6 grass your mother and fuck your horse

Everyone pack it up, the quality check expert has shown up to close the thread 

#7 Peerless Cucumber (Expert)

#6, I have no issue with the cosplay itself but don't present it as the best and manliest when you can't even be bothered to source a local hanfu. The cosplay contest judges will laugh him out of the lineup. 

By the way, regarding the charm... Tyrian does not mean *green*. You might assume this is Airplane's lackadaisical approach to continuity but out of seven color references to Liu Mingyan's sword charm, six were synonyms for purple and amethyst and other lazy bullshit, and the seventh was a reference to her veil, which is, let's consult the database... lavender!

#8 N°1 Eternal War God

Someone looked at my abs reeeeeal close there... Jealous??

You keep going about quality control like we could actually source authentic materials, you remember we're in real life? Who cares if it's not real so long as it gives the right feel? Spoken as someone who's never gotten off his gamer chair and can only piss on the efforts of others, do better if you can

#9 The People's Daily Salute To The Heavens

/eating popcorn by the bucket

(things are heating up in the war god fandom!!!!!)

#10 Peerless Cucumber (Expert)

You know what, I think I will. See you at the contest.

#11 The People's Daily Salute To The Heavens

:O GASP

#12 Littlest Cutest YingYingYing

#11 ditto, :O GASP

#12 Little Sister Connoisseur

#11 #12 ditto ditto, :O GASPGASP

#13 grass your mother and fuck your horse

Yeah ok i'll also give it a gasp.

[espionn]

LeafWing tribe sheet!

its over, i finally did them all. sorry this one took a while, ive been losing motivation, but at least its done!! honestly i love leafwings, so im glad i could get them out.

Physical Appearence + Traits:

-LeafWings are arboreal dragons, living in and relying on trees to hunt, shelter and sleep. Their talons are perfectly shaped to comfortably climb and hold onto branches, and their narrow wings allow them to swoop and weave through the trees without crashing.

-LeafWings’ colors, physical traits, and even demeanor shift and change with the seasons. During the summer, their frills and wings are rich green, and scales bright and glossy. They have higher energy and sleep less. During the fall, their colors shift to a warmer spectrum, their leafy frills start to flake off, and they start to prepare for winter. Once winter arrives, they lose their frills, tail-leaf and wing membranes, as well as turning duller and darker. They spend the majority of winter asleep, relying on the trees’ bare branches for camouflage, now rendered flightless. Finally, during spring, they wake up, their colors brighten, and their wing membranes return. The buds that grow along their backs open up and form their spine frills before summer begins.

-LeafWings are lithe and agile, and are very quiet fliers, especially when compared to HiveWings and SilkWings.

-During the summer, with their wings at their fullest, they can actually photosynthesize. They still need to eat food, but anytime they sleep during the day with their wings open to the sun, they wake up energized and not needing to eat for a while after. 

-The coloration and shape of LeafWings’ wings varies both by region and individual. Some LeafWings mimic specific types of trees.

-Some LeafWings also have Leafspeak, an ability which allows them to communicate with plants and even control them if powerful enough. 

Life Cycle:

-LeafWings hatch in clutches of one or two. They take around 5 months to hatch, and they are deeply reliant on their parents and their wider community. LeafWings are strongly protective of their dragonets. They also grow up somewhat quickly, reaching physical maturity quickly, but they continue to grow in size their entire lives.

-They partner for life, but often only raise one clutch of eggs (sometimes only a single egg) in their lifetime. The tribe is somewhat small as a result.

-LeafWings don’t have an official education system, instead relying on parents, peers and older, more experienced dragons to teach them what they need to know. LeafWings can then go on to pursue whatever tribe role stands out to them, using a sort of mentoring system.

Society and Culture:

-Before LeafWings were split into two groups, the tribe was quite peaceful and unified. The queen, by tradition, always had a council, and they lived nearby and alongside SilkWings. The tribe was known for being friendly and knowledgeable, and deeply dedicated to caring for the forest. 

-LeafWings are also very resourceful. From various leaves, grasses, bits of wood, flowers, and insects, they could create baskets and rugs, thin slats of wood to write on, dyes, storage objects, and various weapons and food preparing tools. Learning to make and control fire meant they could progress faster. They were also talented woodcarvers, weavers and artists, sometimes trading not only supplies, but also various art pieces to and from the SilkWings. 

-They were expert foragers, and had records of every type of tree, plant and animal in their forest. Many had  small gardens of their own - medicinal herbs, spices, and plants they simply found pretty. 

-Those with leafspeak were beloved and respected in the tribe, not dissimilar to animus dragons. Sometimes they would mould the shape of trees’ growth to create proper homes and nests for dragons to spend the nights, especially in winter.

-They have tribe-wide celebrations to mark spring, when they all wake from torpor, and the summer solstice, when they are at their highest energy and fullest lives. 

-The SapWings, after the tribe was forcibly split, remained very similar culturally, though they lost their ability to trade and had to concentrate on survival in the poison jungle. The PoisonWings, meanwhile, changed dramatically. They became distinctly aggressive and warlike, taking their understanding of plants and animals and weaponizing them. They used the many venoms, poisons and sharp, dangerous objects throughout the jungle to their full advantage. A number of dragons died in the process, but those who survived became stronger.

-LeafWings believe that plants hold some level of consciousness, and some believe that they are animated by fully conscious spirits, each with its own unique consciousness and opinions. Trees are unanimously believed to be extremely wise and benevolent, and as deserving utmost care and respect. They are treated as if they were tribe elders themselves. It was once agreed upon by all leafspeakers that if a tree resisted a request, they were not allowed to make any attempt to force it to do what they wanted. Leafspeakers would also be used to make requests before cutting off any part of the tree to use - if it refused, it would be left alone. (It isn’t hard to imagine the way they felt when the entire forest was cut and burned down by the HiveWings.)

Diet: Omnivorous. LeafWings eat meat (birds, rodents, sometimes large mammals and reptiles), sometimes raw, sometimes cooked, and also a wide variety of plants, fruits and nuts. Because of the versatility of their diet, they have a great number of meals they like to prepare, usually garnished with herbs, spices and sweeteners like honey and certain types of tree sap.

[whencyclopedia]

Manticore

The Manticore, derived from the Early Middle Persian merthykhuwar or martiora, meaning "man-eater" (also known as a mantichora or a martichore), is a fearsome hybrid creature found in classical and medieval literature. It has the body of a lion, the head of a man and a scorpion tail that can shoot poisonous darts.

The manticore is one of the most bizarre and ferocious creatures depicted throughout classical and medieval bestiaries. Its roots can be traced back to India and Persia (modern-day Iran). The myth of the manticore spreads over several centuries and is mentioned most famously by Ctesias (5th century BCE), Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE) and Pausanias (c. 115 to c. 180 CE).

Appearance & Characteristics

The earliest known mention of the manticore comes from the Greek historian and physician Ctesias in his Indica (written in the 5th century BCE). Although the Indica is now lost to time, fragments of Ctesias' work exist in other authors' writings, and we have a clear description of the manticore. According to Pliny the Elder in his Natural History:

Ctesias writes that amongst these same men there is found an animal called the Mantichora which has three rows of teeth like a comb, the face and ears of a human, and bluish eyes. It is red in colour with the body of a lion and a tail with stingers like a scorpion. Its voice is as if the sounds of the pipe were mixed with a trumpet and it is a creature of great speed which avidly goes after human flesh. (8.75)

Pliny's account of the manticore influenced later writers. He seemed to give the monster a basis in reality as he was considered the expert on strange and marvellous creatures for hundreds of years.

The morphology of the manticore was believed to have developed from its environment – the rugged and barren landscape of the Indian and Middle Eastern deserts. It needed to be fierce and to have weapons at its disposal to be able to catch its prey and prevent being caught by predators. Initially preying on animals like pigs and mountain goats, the manticore began to be lured to villages by the livestock it was hunting and inevitably began to attack and feed on humans, establishing the lore of the man-eating manticore.

The manticore would famously leave no trace of its prey behind. It could attack a human up close with its sharp claws or shoot poisonous darts from its scorpion tail from a safe distance. When it unleashes the poisonous darts from its tail, the tail either bends back or stretches out. Roman writer Aelian (175-235 CE) states that "whatever it hits, it kills, with the exception of elephants" (Characteristics of Animals, 4.21). The poisonous stingers are described as being thick as a rope and one foot (30 cm) in length. Once a stinger has been discharged, another one grows in its place.

Manticores did not just satisfy their appetites by killing one human but would chase after multiple people at a time, taking great pleasure in the hunt. Its favourite way to lure and hunt prey was to hide its body in the long grass, so from a distance, all humans would be able to see would be a human head. Deceived by this, humans would get close to the manticore, and before they knew what was happening, they would be attacked and killed. This showed how cunning and clever the manticore was. Although humans were undoubtedly a manticore's preferred prey, they would also regularly hunt the animal kingdom, except for lions which they could never overpower.

In order to stop the manticores' aggressive nature, the Indians would hunt baby manticores and smash their tails with rocks to prevent them from growing and shooting their poisonous darts and thus taking away their ability to harm humans from a great distance. Manticores lived in burrows deep under the ground where they could hide from their prey and avoid being seen by humans.

Continue reading...

[mrshesh]

"a...worm?" - call of duty: ghosts x reader

overview: cod:ghosts men reacting to you asking if they'd still love you if you were a worm

pairing: call of duty: ghosts men x gender neutral reader, romantic

genre: fluff

a/n: this was requested by @simpforhotmaskedmen! thank you for requesting this, babe! and thank you for wanting me to include kick - i love that man a bit too much. i had a blast writing this. i will always love these worm requests.

x keegan russ

His eyes widen immediately. He isn’t confused - he’s merely amused at your ability to keep thinking of stupid scenarios. 

He secretly finds it adorable. It just adds to your charm. 

“Babe… what?” 

“Would you still love me if I was a worm? It’s an easy question.” 

“I mean, yeah.” He quickly says. He doesn’t put much thought into your fantasy life as a worm. All he knows is that he loves you regardless of what you are. 

He would have a hard time in the beginning. He would find it freaky that you, his partner, are in a worm’s body. 

But eventually, he’d adjust. He would keep you in his pocket, checking up on you constantly. “Are you hungry?” “Do you need anything?” “Are you hurt?” are only some of the questions he’d ask you daily. Would he receive an answer? No. Would he keep asking them? Absolutely. 

“You need medication, babe.” 

x kick

Kick’s initial reaction is just: “What? 😀”

“How do you even come up with these questions?” He would mostly just be confused. 

“Would you, though?” “Yes, of course.” 

Despite his bewilderment, he would realistically take superb care of you. 

He would let you slither in his hands like a snake constantly. He would want to keep his eye on you to ensure your safety, but he would encourage you to be independent. 

He would teach you how to survive individually in life-or-death situations - to further ensure your health. (He would research worm’s way of life for you 🙁💗.)

He would even go as far as to keep a leaf with him at all times in case you got hungry. 

“How would I kiss you?” “On the tip of the body?” “I wouldn’t know if that’s your face or ass, though.” 

x logan walker

A blank stare is all you get initially. Logan soon gives you a small smile, though. He thinks your question is cute as hell.

“Yes.” He’s as blunt and honest as always. He would love you a lot, even if you were a worm. 

However, he would not know what to do.

He would not know how to take care of you. Sure, he’s smart, but he’s not a worm expert. 

He would find himself locking you in his room before his missions, only to return to the room with leaves and dirt in hand because he would forget that you need to eat while he���s gone. 

His knowledge would eventually evolve enough for him to keep you in a big dirt-filled container. 

Logan has always been a quiet man. He doesn’t talk unless he needs to. But if you turned into a worm, he would go out of his way more often to remind you that he loves you. 

I can see him petting you gently before he goes to sleep. ☹️

x david "hesh" walker

David has no shame in laughing at your question. A worm? Seriously? 

He, like Keegan, would not give your question much thought. He just instantly knows that he would love you regardless. 

“Yeah, babe! Of course, I would.” He chuckles. You never fail to amuse him.

He would be a little confused, but he’d have the spirit! 

He would let you be outside during the day and bring you inside when it's time to sleep. 

When you aren’t outside doing… worm things, he would keep you on his shoulder. And, my God, he wouldn’t shut up. David would talk to you as if you were a human to make you feel included and seen, in a way. (And because he loves talking to you.)

He would even stay with you outside to keep you company if you’d like! He would sit on the grass next to you, talking to you about anything and everything while you dug yourself into the dirt. 

“Is it legal to get married to worms, or?” 

x elias "scarecrow" walker

He immediately bursts out laughing. He loves how comfortable you are with him, to the point where you can ask him things like this. 

“Yes, hun.” He snorts. “I would still adore you.” 

Elias, unlike everyone else, would think about your life as a worm on a high-detail level. He would consider different possibilities and roadblocks along the way of your worm life. “It would be difficult, but that has never stopped me.” 

He would be a great caretaker! 

He would get a bit frustrated that you can’t verbally communicate, so he would teach you a made-up language between you. The language would consist of different physical moves you can do as a worm, and he would just use his words. (Yeah, he gets the easy part. 🙄)

Elias would keep you fed, clean, healthy, happy, and well-rested - he is a father of two very talented boys, after all! He knows how to take care of people (and worms).

“But, I’d prefer it if you stay like this, honey.” 

x thomas merrick

“No.” “Really?” “...No.” 

Thomas is a bitch. We all know this. But he has a soft spot for you - something he doesn’t have for anyone else. He will always love you, no matter what, but he will never admit that. 

He wouldn’t be horrible at caring for you, but he certainly wouldn’t be good. 

He would protect you with his life, though. 

If you even receive as little as a dirty look from someone, he’s knocking their teeth out. 

He would mostly keep you in his pocket. That way, Thomas can keep an eye on you. 

He, like Keegan, would check up on you regularly because if you’re a worm, you need him to survive (or that’s what he thinks).

“Are you hungry?” He would ask, only to scoff to himself. “Who am I kidding? Of course, you are. But since you’re a fuckin’ worm, you can’t tell me, can you?” He would seem annoyed, but the truth is, he wouldn’t be. 

But obviously, he does not want you to turn into a worm. 

“For the love of God, get a hobby.”

[zorosdimples]

HYPERFIXATION

pairing ༄ yandere!naruto x f!reader

warnings ༄ minors: please do not interact! i will block you. non-consensual voyeurism, masturbation, stalking, religious imagery, a bit of blood, and generally toxic behavior. reader wears a dress and some lacy underwear and has a vagina, but is only referred to as “you.” this gets icky, so please heed these warnings before reading.

word count ༄ 1311

notes ༄ this work is for the lovely @tired-biscuit! manda didn’t ask for this, but she is the reason why dark naru has infected my brain, so she must accept this creepy lil fic as a token of my gratitude <3 it was fun to write the sunshine boy as…well…a freak. please keep in mind that our narrator is unreliable and filters reality through naruto’s skewed worldview. anyway, please enjoy!

his eyes are an unfathomable ocean of blue, wide and limitless as the horizon. his gaze holds a palpable warmth, as if dipped in golden sunlight, glowing with inhuman kindness and charisma.

only a god, or perhaps a fellow monster, could see past the carefully constructed façade of his eyes. the veil of sincerity is mere gossamer, but appears too natural to be false. it’s intended to attract and allure—the ruse of a predator so beautiful his prey doesn’t perceive danger until after poison is thrumming through their bloodstream.

you are just a human. perhaps your mediocrity is what initially drew those moonless eyes. why else would they turn to you? it’s a secret he will never divulge to another soul; not until you are wholly his, anyway.

he will forever remember the first time he stumbled upon you at the market on a sun-drenched saturday. he was out of eggs and on a quick mission to grab a dozen so he could cook and eat breakfast. there weren’t many people out since it was early, dewdrops clinging to shaded blades of grass and shivering leaves, so he easily traversed the market without much of the idle chit chat that comes with being a public figure.

but there you were: sorting through oranges as vibrant as his jacket. the breeze rustled your hair into what looked like a luminous halo in the morning light. his quick pace came to a lurching halt when he saw you, lithe body slightly swaying as his feet rooted in place.

he was fixated on your handling and inspection of the citrus, fingertips delicately dancing along the skin of each fruit. you plucked up one orange at a time, rolling it in your hands to test the firmness, holding it close to your thoughtful face to check for spots, then placing it in your produce bag. you were too immersed in your methodical fruit selection to notice that the hokage was only a few feet from you, slack-jawed in wonder.

from a single glance he could tell you were a civilian. your movements were too fluid, too carefree; you had none of the mechanical sharpness that marked a shinobi. and if you were a shinobi he would have recognized you instantly. he has met every ninja in the village at least a handful of times.

no, you were a rare breed in konoha: one of the ungifted few.

his mind grew dizzy with questions: was anyone in your family a shinobi? were your parents disappointed that you couldn’t use ninjutsu? were you bullied growing up by more talented and popular peers? he certainly understood the pain of an isolated upbringing.

he thought of your plainness, your innocence, your naïveté to the horrors of his world—to the horrors his bloodstained palms have wrought and rent. in a village of expert spies and killers, you were a lone lamb ripe for the picking. it was painfully apparent that you needed protection. who better than the hokage to be your protector?

his dick twitched at the thought.

he followed you home for the first time that day, his empty stomach a forgotten memory. his deep eyes consumed you: the sway of your hips as you strolled down the sidewalk, the hem of your sundress swishing around your plush thighs, the swing of the produce bag draped over your shoulder. he hungrily watched you bend over to marvel at blooms along your route, peek into colorful shop windows, and kneel down to pet a friendly calico cat.

bitter jealousy seized his gut when you waved at a neighbor, offering a bright “hello!” and flashing the man a disarming smile. his jaw ticked and nostrils flared. the caged beast within him growled in disgust at the man’s audacity to leer at you as you bounded up the steps of your apartment building.

he had to shield you from those who would take advantage of your vulnerability.

༄

moonbeams peak through the gaps in your cheap blinds at this hour, illuminating your slumbering form, limbs curled up beneath a mass of soft bedsheets and cozy blankets. the whir of the fan reverberates through your cold bedroom and masks any noise that the stranger in your apartment might make.

naruto has watched you for days, for weeks, for months. in truth, time has been a blur of your tender laugh and saccharine gaze and supple flesh. since he fell for you, his love has been a hazy dream he can’t seem to wake from. all he can think of is you.

this is the first time he has been brazen enough to visit your apartment while you’re home. his heart was aching for an unobstructed view of you; tracking your figure through windows and computer screens doesn’t do your beauty justice, he determines as he looks down at your angelic face. the rush he feels being so close to you is pure ecstasy. he devours the sight of your sleeping silhouette. he knows that you’re nude under the sheets—he knows everything about you, after all.

he knows that you’re on your period, and that your cycle makes you especially needy. he knows that you masturbated this evening right after your hot shower. he knows that you wore a slinky pair of blue panties while you were getting in the mood. he knows that you didn’t touch yourself until your arousal soaked through the gusset and dripped down into the swell of your ass, proceeding to tease your clothed clit until it throbbed. he knows that you peeled off the soiled lace, lazily tossing the garment on the floor before you spread your puffy lips and fucked yourself with three fingers, rubbing tight circles on your clit until you cried out as you climaxed.

he wishes he could trace the curves of your soft skin, your heavenly body untainted by war and violence unlike his own. to see your eyes flutter open as he worships you with gentle kisses and prayerful praises. to adore your most sacred parts as your sole disciple. to bring you divine pleasure with his cursed lips, tongue, hands, and cock.

he picks your underwear up from where you carelessly dropped it. his calloused forefinger and thumb rub the delicate lace—the same color as his lustful irises—with reverence. he unfurls the fabric, the pearly moonlight highlighting an intimate gift: streaks of your essence and dribbled blood staining the gusset. he buries his nose in the garment, inhaling your musky scent with a shudder. he’s addicted.

he’s painfully hard as his tongue darts out to graze the remnants of your desire and ichor, tentative licks yielding to ravenous laps as he decides there is no sweeter taste. he has to stifle a whimper as he fishes his aching cock out of his wet trousers and smears a mess of precum down his shaft. he pumps his length to the sight of your dreamy face and the overwhelming smell and taste of your arousal, panties flat against his tongue. he should be worried about the schlick schlick schlick of his jerking cock rousing you from slumber, but all he can focus on is quelling the animal urge to blow his load all over your face, to officially mark you as his.

it doesn’t take him long to cum. he rips your underwear out of his mouth and shoots creamy white ropes all over the fabric with a rumbling groan, his fluids mixing with your own. naruto shoves the sodden garment into his pocket and takes a final look at you before disappearing into the velvet night.

the next day you search high and low for your missing pair of underwear; it seems to have vanished into thin air. your confusion only mounts when you find it a few days later, freshly laundered and neatly folded in the top drawer of your dresser.

[jogetsobsessed]

Picture Perfect - Edward Cullen

Standing in the kitchen you glanced through the open sliding glass door, a soft smile gracing your face as little giggles filled the air. 

You were so happy, watching as your little girl bounced around the perfectly trimmed garden, your boyfriend watching her every move, laughing as she squealed when a ladybug landed on her forearm. 

You hadn't realized it, but you had stopped preparing lunch for yourself and your daughter, floating over to the open door, leaning against the frame. Gazing out at your seemingly picture-perfect, all-American family. 

Edward could feel your gaze, looking up and meeting your eyes. Even though you had only been together for a few years you had become experts at all things with each other. Even you would always argue that he had an unfair advantage in knowing everything about you. But you did your best, learning everything about him, being able to read his expressionless face and know his feelings, even though he never wanted to share. 

After sharing a smile you turned and went back to finishing up lunch, eventually calling Edward and your daughter in. She reluctantly left the garden, only coming in after Edward did some major convincing. They sat together at the table, your daughter offering Edward some of her dinosaur-shaped cucumbers, which he as always politely declined. 

Luckily she was still at an age where she didn't pick up on certain aspects of her everyday life, like the fact she had never actually shared a meal with her father. And you were grateful for that, not looking forward to the day that you have to have the dreaded conversation with her. Not only were you going to have to explain that the monsters in fairytales were real, but that her father wasn't hers biologically. 

-----------

“Remind me when we go to the grocery store we need more bubble baths, we don't want the princess to freak out next time we promise her a bubble bath”. He laughed from his coveted spot on your shared bed. “We wouldn't want that to happen '', he chimed in, pulling the covers back as you climbed into bed. 

“You know she loves you right”. Your question caught him off guard, the words coming out of your mouth before he could enter your thoughts. 

“Where's this coming from”, Edwards' words were full of concern. 

“I just, I don't know. I guess it's because while we were eating lunch I was thinking about the conversation I'm going to have with her in a few years. About you know, everything. About you and your family and Jeff. 

“Y/N honey, you aren't going to have to go through that alone. I will be there every step of the way with you. Whether you like it or not, I am in your life Y/N”. 

------------

Day had turned to night but you hadn't moved. 

You sat on the damp grass, staring straight ahead. Your body ached from head to toe and your eyes were straining to stay open. The pounding headache causes your ears to ring. 

It had been the worst week of your life. 

You had been woken by someone pounding so hard on your door you thought they were gonna break it down. It was the middle of the night so after grabbing a steak knife from the block in the kitchen you made your way towards the front door. Sleepily you called out, praying that it was just your boyfriend and that he had left his key somewhere. 

“Ma’am we are with the Clallam County Sheriff's Department, we need to speak with you”. It didn't take more convincing as you threw the door open, tears clouding your eyes before they could get a word in. 

The second you heard the infamous, “we regret to inform you” line you collapsed on the ground, your body letting out sobs that could be heard from the next county over. The painted noise drew out the sound of the sheriff's deputies informing you that your boyfriend had been involved in a car accident, and he hadn't made it. 

They had somehow managed to get you up from your spot anchored on the floor and moved you to the couch. One of them sat next to you, offering a comforting hand on your shoulder while the other asked if there was anyone they could call. 

Unfortunately, they were pros at their job, and death notifications came as a part of that package. So they were experts at understanding people through howling sobs. So as you croaked out your best friend's name, the deputy stepped outside, grabbing your phone which lay on the coffee table. 

Rosalie Hale broke just about every traffic law as she made it to your house in record time. She flew up the steps, almost forgetting to act as her human self. Rushing over to where you were still bawling she scooped you in her arms, attempting to comfort you. 

Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme had followed behind the blonde after she sprinted out of their shared residence with no explanation. Then cops approached Carlisle after he stepped out of his vehicle, recognizing him due to their overlapping career paths. 

“I didn't get to tell him”, you croaked out as your sobs turned to hiccups, still clutching onto Rosalie's ice-cold form. 

--------------

You thought about that day often.

The day that started off being one of the best days of your life. 

That was the day you found out you were pregnant. You had immediately called Rosalie and she had sat with you while you waited for the test to finish. And when you saw that the second line had appeared you cried happy tears as she brought you in for a sweet embrace. 

Later on, you realized how hard that must have been for her. But everyone would admit, you having your daughter and Rosalie getting to act as her godmother was good for her. In the years since your daughter's birth Rosalie had softened, she had a new purpose in life and she took her role as the favorite aunt very seriously. 

From that day the Cullen family as a whole brought you in. 

You had been friends with Rosalie since they first moved back to Forks, the two of you instantly forming a lifelong friendship. The bond that the two of you shared led to the family sharing their secret with you. While it took a while to get used to the idea that you were friends with a vampire you were able to get ahold of all your emotions because you weren't going to let anything get in the way of your cherished friendship. 

They supported you through your pregnancy, not letting you feel alone a single step of the way. 

You appreciate all the help and support you did. 

But deep down you knew that no love or support would ever begin to heal the aching in your heart. The aching that your child was going to grow up without a father. That your child was going to have to endure the unfair hardships that came with having a single mother. 

That was until a certain someone began making himself present.

It had started as seemingly convenient situations. 

The both of you coincidentally being the only ones in the living room late at night when you couldn't sleep, or running into each other on morning walks around the sleepy town you called home. 

Slowly you opened up to him. Voicing the fears and concerns that plagued your brain. Allowing him to comfort you through your darkest time. 

Honestly, you don't even remember when the friendship had crossed so many boundaries that it became a relationship. But at some point, Edward became stuck to your side like glue. He was there for every ache and pain, every craving. Caring for you unlike he had ever cared for anyone. 

When your daughter eventually came, something in Edward changed. 

He had been there for her birth, holding your hand as you squeezed it as your life depended on it. Sometime after your baby girl finally made her appearance he had slipped out of the room, becoming so overcome with emotions that he needed to be alone. 

He was in love with you, he had been in love with you since the day Rosalie had invited you over. But you were dating Jeff when he first met you. And now you were his. 

After some time the brain fog started to clear and you registered that he was no longer in the room. Asking Esme to go find him you relaxed once you heard his voice coming up the stairs. 

Everyone had cleared out, wanting to give the two of you a moment alone. 

Slowly he lowered himself next to where you lay, and if you weren't so tired you would have made fun of how stiff he was sitting. “There is someone I want you to meet”. 

You had never seen him so scared as you lifted your bundled sleeping daughter from your chest and held her in front of him. 

Carefully he took hold of her, terrified of hurting her. You almost burst into tears at the sight of the man you were falling in love with holding your newborn. He ran a finger over her soft cheek, in absolute awe of the tiny human. Reached down and admired her tiny hands, imagining what it would be like to be holding one of those tiny hands, walking her into her first day of kindergarten, or walking her down the aisle, her hand clutching his for support. 

He was so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed your daughter's hand slowly open and grip his finger that had lingered against her tiny, once-closed fist. “I think she likes you”, you laughed out, Edward letting out a necessary breath that he had been holding in. “I have a feeling she’s gonna have you wrapped around her little finger”. 

----------- 

Boy were you right. 

From her first day on Earth Edward did everything in his power to make your daughter happy. 

He was one of her favorite people on the planet, and she was one of his. 

Edward had unspokenly assumed the role of “dad”, never having to ask if that was something he was okay with. Most people didn't even question it, you had been so early into your pregnancy when your boyfriend died that most assumed that your daughter was actually Edwards and that you had just moved on quickly. But what they didn't know wasn't going to hurt them. It was no one's business to understand the dynamics of your unique family. 

---------- 

Waking up to your alarm was easy considering you hadn't fallen asleep. 

Today was a big day in the Cullen household. 

Sitting up you saw that you were the only one in the bed, which was abnormal. Quickly getting ready while trying to keep the tears at bay you got dressed and made the bed. 

Walking through the hallways of the Cullen house you listened to see if your daughter was awake. Because for some reason she had been waking up at the crack of dawn for the past six months. 

Which is when having an immortal father who never slept came in handy. Edward would hear her stir and slip out of bed, meeting her in the hallway as she tiptoed out of her bedroom. Always posing the question, “Why don't we let mommy sleep a little bit longer”. 

Sure enough, you found the pair of them in the kitchen, Edward leaning across the island as your daughter shoveled precut bites of pancake into her mouth. 

“Good morning beautiful”, his hands found their way home to your waist and his lips to yours. The sweet moment didn't last long as a chorus of “Ewwws” that came from your daughter and her uncle Emmett broke you out of your sweet moment. Edward rolled his eyes at his brother while you crossed the kitchen to say good morning to your daughter. 

“Baby girl you need to hurry up and finish your breakfast, today is a big day and you gotta get ready”. Edward smiled at your words as he watched your daughter turn her attention away from the living room where the TV was playing the morning news and back to her pancakes. 

After she had declared that she was all done you scooped her up to go and get her ready, the Cullen/Hale women joining you as they watched their precious girl get ready for such a big day. 

--------

“Ok, I think we’re here”, Edward said to no one in particular as he pulled the car to a stop outside of the old worn-down buildings. His family pulled up in spots next to where you had been parked, none of them wanted to miss out on this monumental day. 

You and Edward stepped out of the car, Edward grabbing your daughter out of the back seat, and helping her smooth out the pretty yellow dress that she had insisted on wearing. 

Your boyfriend met you on the sidewalk, a proud smile on his face, he had been looking forward to this day for forever. “Ok baby, can you stand right here, we all wanna get some pictures of you pretty girl”, you cooed as you ushered her to stand in front of the same sign you stood in front of years and years ago. 

Reluctantly she smiled, eventually getting into the pictures, laughing as her uncles made funny faces behind her aunts. 

But after everyone put away their cameras and phones you saw her face drop. It was suddenly getting very real. A day that you and Edward had been preparing her for almost a year was here. She turned and looked at the front doors of the building before shoving the too-big backpack off her shoulders, shooting herself into her father's legs, wrapping her arms around. 

“I'm scared”, she cried out. You moved to crouch down to her level, but Edward stopped you, his face reading that he had it handled. So you took a step back, joining Alice and Rosalie as Edward crouched down to his daughter's level. 

“You have no reason to be scared honey-bee. We talked about this, it's just like pre-school except you're gonna be here a bit longer. But that means more time to make friends and you get to eat a really yummy lunch that Grandma Esme made”. 

“But Daddy, you and Mommy aren't going to be here. I’m scared”. She clung to your boyfriend, gripping onto his jacket like she was trying to make sure he couldn't get away from her hold. 

“My darling girl, I want you to listen. Take it from someone like me. I've been to a lot of schools``, he emphasized the word lot, which made the rest of you giggle, knowing that his version of a lot of schooling was much different than a normal kindergartener's parents' definition of a lot of schooling. “You are going to do perfectly fine. You are going to have so much fun. After school when Mommy and I pick you up you are going to tell us all about your day and then while you're telling us we can go and get ice cream, and eat it for dinner. 

“Can I get extra pink sprinkles Daddy? '' she sniffled, lifting her head to look her father in the eyes. Your kid didn't play when it came to her sprinkles. 

“Daddy will buy you all the pink sprinkles in the world if you ask him to”. 

Slowly she stood up accepting the comforting hug that you were offering and allowing Edward to slip her backpack on her shoulders. 

“Come on you big kindergartener, we don't want you to be late on your first day”, Edward exclaimed as he took your daughter's hand, you taking the other as the three of you marched into the school. Rosalie snapped a quick picture before they all left, whispering to Alice about how the three of you were the picture-perfect little family. 

[kykyonthemoon]

Once upon a time, there was a jasmine garden in Elysium.

Once upon a time in Elysium, there was a garden, two hearts, and one life.

This story sets in an alternative universe.

ಇ. Zayne x MC (Female Reader)

ಇ. Warnings and tags: major character death, angst, hurt, emotional hurt, a little comfort, mental and health issues, childhood friends

ಇ. Word count: 3k

ಇ. Masterlist

ಇ. Request

ಇ. See the end of this post for author's notes.

She was sent to Elysium from a very young age.

It was a special place, for special children like her. She was unwell, and she was aware of it. She was concerned before being brought here, but she later felt fortunate because not every ill child could afford the luxury to stay in such a wonderful place.

There, she received treatment for her heart disease. She made a second home, where medical experts attended to her with great care and tenderness. She made friends, not many, and most were just short and intermittent periods of time before they were taken out of the gate and disappeared forever. Still, she had a vast garden with grass reaching to the horizon and plenty of vibrant blossoms for companionship.

Then, some time after arriving at Elysium, another friend came to stay in room number ten next to hers.

With cautiousness she opened her chamber door a little. Through a tiny crevice, she caught a glimpse of a towering lad who appeared to be a few years older than her. He dressed discreetly and in many layers despite the fact that the weather had gradually turned to summer. His pale face revealed both panic and restraint not to let it overwhelm him. His fists clenched over the handle of his suitcase, and she could see little snow-white particles presenting on those hands.

The man who accompanied him was a familiar doctor. She had seen him come here a few times but had never spoken to him. She heard something unclear in the exchange between him and the chief nurse. Her attention was drawn to the peculiar kid who would become her peer in the next room. At last, as if he sensed her keen interest from a distance, he lifted his head slightly. And then, his eyes found hers.

The friend in room number ten was extremely quiet. He did not sit and eat with the other children, instead sat alone in silence at the corner with the least amount of sunshine and the fewest number of people. He did not participate in daily activities like the rest. Most of the time he locked himself in his room, or perhaps was confined there. He did not converse with anyone other than the special nurses who were solely responsible for his care. Occasionally, the doctor, who was also his father, paid him a visit. But he frequently departed looking incredibly haggard, with little cuts on his hands or face.

Sometimes, the boy's room grew cold so unnaturally.

It was in the middle of the night, while sleeping soundly on her soft bed, surrounded by the warmth of freshly laundered blankets and her beloved plushies, she was suddenly awakened by the noises echoing from the other side of the wall. She was startled awake by noises echoing from the other side of the wall. She heard clanking and yelling, but they appeared to be muffled by something. Then, ice began to coat the wall that separated room number nine and ten.

She got up. Bare feet met the ground, freezing. When she opened the door to step out, a group of night nurses raced into the adjacent room. The door opened. The scene within had frozen her.

That child was encased in a thick sheet of ice that extended from his palm, forming a cocoon around his writhing body on the ground. A nurse had to use her fire Evol to shatter the ice before two others dragged him out. On his chest was an ice blossom that resembled crystal. It damaged him, and she saw only the anguish he was experiencing.

“Go back to your room.” Someone chased her away. Before the door to room number ten closed, she vaguely saw the nurses pinning him down on the hospital bed, with his wrists and ankles bound securely.

He did not show up the following day, or the day after that. Her room was no longer frigid, but every time she lay down on the bed, she wondered how he was doing. Was he still in pain? Was he still cold? Was he lonely?

She got up again. She grabbed the little white and red snowman plushie in her hand, then walked out. It was midnight. She knocked on the door of room number ten.

There was no response. She knocked again. Then again. There was a gentle noise within, letting her know that the boy was still present. But he did not open the door or answer. She placed the snowman in the aisle and murmured:

“I'll give you this plushie. If it hurts too much, just hug it, okay? Warm Snowman will help you overcome the pain and cold.”

After that, she dashed back to her room. She kept the door open, at times peeping out to check if he had accepted the gift. A long time later, when her legs started to get weary and her eyelids heavy, she caught the door to the adjacent room open. A pale arm grabbed Warm Snowman and brought him inside.

She grinned with delight. That night, she had quite a good sleep.

One day, she caught him in a corner of the garden, where a lot of jasmine bloomed. He sat on the grass, gently reaching out to touch a branch. As soon as he saw its green hue covered by a thin layer of ice, he quickly withdrew his fingers.

That was when she decided to come forward and start a conversation.

"Hello there." She spoke a few words to introduce herself. He simply sat and listened, without commenting. The longer he remained silent, the more determined she became to get him to speak. "Do you like jasmine?"

He nodded. For some reason, he always felt attracted to those pure white flowers.

“I planted them.” She said with a look of pride that she could not hide on her face. “Since I first came here, I have helped the gardener cultivate a lot of flowers. I'm the best gardener here, they say.”

She laughed. He merely glanced at her, his face showing a little surprise.

“Hmm… May I ask the reason why you're staying here?” She could not suppress her curiosity any longer.

He glanced down at his hands, then quickly concealed them in the pocket of his thick coat.

“Let me guess…” Even if he did not say it, she had a general idea what was going on with him. “Is your illness related to the ice Evol?”

He nodded slightly.

“Hmmm… Then I don't know how to help you. I have a heart disease..." She pointed to where her heart was beating. “There's something in here… It makes me unwell…”

Both were silent for a long while. There were melodies from the birds in the dew-still morning garden. Finally, he spoke to her for the first time:

“Do you… wish to get better?”

“Hmm?” She tilted her head slightly. “What a strange question! Of course, nobody wants to be sick... It would be great if we could live healthy and happy for the rest of our lives..."

"…Understood." He whispered. The tranquility of the garden was broken by the nurse's call to him. Before departing, he gazed back at her and said:

“My name… is Zayne.”

Since then, she became a friend of Zayne’s. The two often ran out to play in the garden, where they handily assisted the gardener in caring for the plants. Zayne had opened up more, at least to her. Soon, summer came, bringing with it an abundance of wildflowers that blanketed the plains around Elysium's garden. They both sat there enjoying the brisk air.

She made him a wreath from plants and flowers, said:

“Zayne, please lower your head a bit.”

Even when seated, he appeared considerably larger than her. Zayne bended slightly so she could lay a colorful garland on his jet black hair. He stated:

“Flowers each have their own meaning. Do you know?"

Daisies represented friendship, simple delight, and good wishes.

Queen Anne's Laces represented calm and sanctuary.

Jasmine represented pure and devoted love.

Zayne weaved her one out of solely white jasmine. He put it on her hair. The afternoon wind carried the fragrance of flowers and grass. He shared with her his future plan:

“In the future, I will become a doctor.”

“Like your father?”

"No." Zayne halted for some time before continuing. “I will be better than that. I will be able to cure other people's ailments... To cure yours."

“What about you? Zayne is also unwell, right?” She persisted in her naïve inquiry.

Zayne glanced at her, the corners of his lips curled slightly. She realized he was smiling.

"You come first."

At last, Zayne's wish came true. Even if it separated him from her for a considerable amount of time.

Room number ten had been vacant since Zayne's departure. He passed through the grand gate of Elysium, and like every other friend who had left before, she was afraid he too, would not come back.

Ever since she met him, she started to fear staying here all alone. Forever.

Even though he lived so far away, he sent her flowers every week. Every time the gardener came to see her, she always brought a bouquet of fresh flowers and announced so loudly: "Flowers for the young lady in room number nine!" which made the girl giggle a lot. She created new garlands from his gifts. She knew all too well that he was trying his best, to become the best, so he could heal her; yet, she hoped he would first cure himself.

Many years had passed, and when they met again, he was Doctor Zayne from Akso Hospital.

He was considerably taller than she had imagined a boy would be. But she would recognize him immediately no matter where he was or what the circumstances were. She would recognize the brilliant eyes but always glanced down in such a humble manner. She would recognize the scarred hand that she once held dearly like it was a life of her own every time his Evol got out of control. She would realize that his eyes always searched for her the moment he entered the room; and then when he found her, the corners of his lips would expand into a delicate grin.

He accompanied her on another stroll around the Elysium campus, stopping to admire the jasmine bushes and greet the gardener. He sat calmly, listening to her fascinating stories about the other patients here after he had left. She remembered each and every one of them, since after many years of calling this place home, she had learnt how to care for ill children like herself. And she told him, how much she was missing the friend in room number ten!

As the day gradually ended, Zayne held out a bag of jasmine seeds in front of her. He said:

“This is for you. Please help me plant a lot in the garden, okay? When you completely recover from your illness, they will bloom in time to congratulate you."

"Yes. I'll plant— Oh wait..." She came to a quick halt as she realized what Zayne was implying. “You said, when I completely recover?”

Zayne smiled. He looked much fresher than she could remember.

“Yes. You shall be cured. I have found a method for your condition.”

She was so ecstatic that she nearly sprang up and spilled the seeds.

On the day of her operation, Zayne clutched her hand tightly outside the operating room. He reassured her:

“You will be okay. You will recover. Once you're healed, live well like the way you've always wanted, okay?"

She felt no fear at all, since his warm touch had always kept her safe.

“When I get better,” she said. “I want to weave a wreath with Zayne. I want to get out of here and start a new life… Zayne… Do you wish to come with me?”

Zayne did not respond right away, instead staring at her in silence for a while. So long. With tenderness he bent down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

“When you wake up, I will always be here waiting for you.”

She awoke in a modest, familiar room. A tap on the door outside , and a few seconds later, the gardener's face appeared.

“Flowers for the young lady in room nine.”

She smiled and took the bouquet of fresh flowers from her hands. The jasmine flowers welcomed her with a fragrant hug.

“Are they from the seeds I planted?”

"They are." The gardener spoke while sitting in a neighboring chair. “But how are you feeling now?”

“Much better. Tomorrow I can leave Elysium right away! But… have you seen Zayne?”

“Zayne?” The gardener's expression conveyed astonishment and dismay. The girl asked again:

"Yes. Zayne? I haven't seen him since after the surgery."

“They haven't told you anything, have they?”

The gardener's concerned demeanor scared her. “What happened to him?”

The gardener remained silent for a minute, as if she was deciding which words she should say to the girl.

“Zayne… is gone. He is no longer here.”

“No longer in Elysium? Where did he go? If I travel to Akso Hospital, can I see him again?”

The gardener swiftly grasped her hand. Her voice was quiet and tearful:

“They hid it from you, poor girl. But since you're better now, maybe I should tell you the truth, so you can move on with your life..."

Zayne never returned to Elysium.

He was dead.

After finishing his studies and becoming the youngest Chief of the Cardiology Department at Akso Hospital, Zayne threw himself into researching ways to treat special hearts such as the one in her chest. Since her protocore contained too much power, it drained her heart and damaged her health. For a long time, there was no cure for this kind of ailment. Being transferred to Elysium was simply an attempt for her to spend her very last days in peace.

Zayne did everything to save her. He succeeded. But the price was too great, for both the girl and him.

After years of traveling around the world searching for a cure for her,he overlooked his own issue. When he realized the consequences, it was a little too late. Zayne accepted everything and had it all planned out well in advance, before his time came.

One day, they discovered him collapsed over his desk. The body, frozen. Icy. The warmth was drained by the ice flower blooming in the middle of his chest. In his hand still a bag of seeds with her name on.

After many years of research, he had found a way to cure her and it was also his will.

He never returned to Elysium. Yet his heart did. It was pounding in her chest, reminding her of all the good old days spent with him, telling her that he forever stayed. With her.

Nobody knew how she got over this loss, only that she lingered in room ten for several days. Zayne had never come back. She never saw him again. The days leading up to her operation were a dream. An illusion. Had she gone mad? Yet everything seemed so real! His voice, his warm embrace, his steady hand and his tender kiss… Why did everyone tell her it was not real? He was no longer real?

Perhaps; him, this room, the jasmine garden, and Elysium, they all existed only in her head.

“Poor girl, stop wasting your time here. Zayne gave you his heart so you might begin a new life, but you instead chose to slowly let it die here?”

The gardener's words echoed in the empty room, jolting her awake from her unending nightmares. She was hurt, severely, as if someone had carved a large hole in her chest that could not be filled. Yet they also put in that Zayne's strong heart, it helped her regain control of her power, it gave her another reason to live on.

“I'm sorry… I just… I just don't want to leave the place where he once existed…”

Elysium was a place filled with memories of her and Zayne. She wished not to step out of that gate. She wished not to start a new life without him.

She made her own decision. She would fulfill Zayne's wish, as well as hers.

Many physicians concluded that, while her body had recovered, her mind was still not stable. Others saw her as insane. Perhaps so; she would embrace the notion that she was insane, if it meant she could find him in all the things she did day by day in this place.

She saw him in the early morning, when she was the only one awake in Elysium, bare feet gliding across the grass to the jasmine garden and realized how long he had been there. She saw him standing in the middle of a group of children holding hands, forming a bustling circle of laughter. She saw him in every wreath of wildflowers she weaved, every plushie she placed in front of the children's rooms. She saw him sharing a nice cup of afternoon tea with the gardener. She saw him, in every breath she drew.

Room number ten greeted a new patient, a boy quite similar to him from the past. She was no longer in room number nine but had transferred to the staff area. She was then a trainee nurse and gardener. The children treated her with tremendous fondness. She was in charge of both children in rooms nine and ten. One day, she caught the girl in room number nine saying this to the boy in the adjacent room:

“If you're in pain, hold onto this snowman, okay? My nurse gave this plushie to me. She said that if I hugged it, I would feel less pain."

Her eyes stung as she watched the two children holding hands, walking back to their rooms. Perhaps she caught Zayne's familiar figure walking right beside them. Then, with a turn of his head, he sent his warm smile at her.

Author's notes:

The original plot of this story came to me after getting the flower wreath from Zayne's Promise. It was a soft romance between a young master and his little gardener. Somehow, it turned out to be the story you've just read.

Elysium is a place related closely to Akso Hospital. It's where patients with special cases (mostly untreatable) are sent to so that they can leave this world in peace. Elysium sounds a lot like "asylum", which was also my first intention to make the fic darker. But I like the way it turned out to be.

Since Foreseer myths mentions countless of jasmine blooms represents countless lives of Zayne and MC, it would be nice to consider this "Elysium" life to be one of those too.

Was this real, or was this all in MC's head? I shall leave it to my dear readers to decide.

Thank you so much for your support <3

[violetmuses]

The Invite - A. Aretas 😁

Title: The Invite - A. Aretas 😁

Fandom: Bad Boys Film Universe

Character: Armando Aretas

Pairing: Armando Aretas + Female Reader

Main Storyline: When Mike and Marcus bring Armando outside, you cross his path.

Author's Note: Here's another quick drabble request. Enjoy! 💜 @yassbishimvintage

=====

2024

“Dude, c'mon!” Detective Mike Lowrey knocked on this closed bathroom door while his son Armando took up the shower again.

Even his now prized Bluetooth speaker rattled nonsense music.

“Be right out.” Aretas echoed past the closed space this time around.

Lowrey sighed with relief when the shower finally stopped running.

“Yeah?” Shirtless because of time and only covering his waist using this towel, Armando responded to his biological father.

“Don't make me break your speaker.” Mike shook his head. “We've been looking for you.”

“My bad. Everything okay?” Armando stays cordial, not hiding in Mexico alone. Mike and Marcus cleared his name once Aretas came back to Miami.

“Come with us. There's a cookout at the park today.” Mike smiled.

“Are you sure about this?” Armando squinted for a moment, quietly nervous. People could recognize him from the news and call more officers to get him out.

“Look, I know you're worried, but it's alright.” Mike wanted to ease the situation. “I'll be here if you need anything.”

“Cool, I'll go.” Armando nodded and reached his bedroom to get ready.

“Yes!” Mike nearly cheered to himself when Armando's door closed.

_______

“Is your son really coming with us?” Mike's longtime partner Marcus Burnett couldn't believe it when Armando joined this car.

“Don't be stupid, Marcus. I invited him.” Mike lifted his brow and drove to leave.

Sunlight beamed over freshly cut grass when all three men reached the park.

“Our tables are grouped with the AMMO squad and family, but you can still mingle here.” Mike details this layout. "Have fun.”

Thanks.” Armando nodded behind sunglasses this afternoon.

“Don't try leaving without us, either.” Marcus warned.

“Just get some food and chill. I'll keep handling Marcus.” Mike checked on Aretas once more.

“Okay.” Armando laughed for once and walked to get his plate.

_______

Weapons expert Kelly and tech genius Dorn offered to sit with Armando, but he declined.

Opting to eat by himself, Armando glanced around the large outdoor space and took note of his surroundings.

Mike and Marcus somehow fussed near the grill or Reggie held his son while talking to Megan.

Other moments also took place now. Children squealed through joy and dogs barked past echoes.

Just as Armando would text Mike and check on him, your voice reaches his interest.

“Um, hi. Sorry to interrupt, but you actually took my seat.” You hold your heart.

“Oh, damn. I'm sorry.” Armando immediately gets up from the picnic table. “Did you have somebody coming?”

“My parents.” You say.

“Of course. Enjoy your day.” Aretas trashed his plate and walked away from you, heading toward Mike at the grill.

“I saw that. Be careful.” Mike smirked regarding Aretas.

“What?” Armando squinted and turned around to see you indeed chatting with two older adults.

“She's joining our team in the fall.” Mike left and cracked up when realization hit Armando.

Uh-oh. Aretas thought, ending this otherwise beautiful day with his new family.

[nixoon-again]

The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, the full moon taking its place in the new night sky as stars twinkled like a blanket of diamonds overhead. The campfire crackles and pops, its flames enough to both cook dinner to fill their bellies before they call it a night and to keep them warm in the slightly chilly air. The calm of the night is accompanied by crickets singing their song in the distance, hiding somewhere among the greens of the forest.

Sonic takes in a deep breath, the scent of the forest's damp moss and decaying leaves bring a sense of tranquillity to him that no city can. He looks into the pot he has skillfully placed over the campfire in a makeshift holder and takes a wooden spoon to stir the chilli cooking inside, its delectable aroma filling the air as it tickles his nostrils and makes his mouth water.

Little feet patter towards him. Sonic doesn't need to look back to know who it is.

A small hand reaches out and gently touches his shoulder.

“Hm?” Is the only acknowledgement Sonic gives to the little fox cub standing behind him, his eyes still on the pot to make sure he gets the chilli perfectly cooked.

“Sonic…?” Tails calls, there's a strange hint of nervousness in his voice that, Sonic thinks, doesn't really go with the peaceful nature of the night. 

Sensing something wrong, the hedgehog looks over his shoulder. Green meets blue but blue doesn't return the gesture. 

Tails is picking the fur on the tip of his namesakes again. He does this a lot, Sonic has learnt. He's no expert himself but the four year old before him has some habits that he thinks no four year olds are supposed to have. Sonic isn't going to dive deep into that yet, some other day maybe but for now he just softly taps the kit's forehead with his knuckles to bring him back to reality.

Tails looks at him. There are tears forming in the corner of his eyes.

He looks scared.

Sonic immediately gets off the log he's been sitting on, the wooden spoon abandoned in the grass as his quills bristle. He grabs Tails by his upper arm and looks over him, wondering if he's hurt.

Tails is quick to shake his head and tell him he's fine. Sonic looks at him dumbfoundedly, his eyes alone asking, “What is it then?”

Tails kicks a stray pebble, scuffs his shoe on the ground.

Sonic has to tap his forehead again to get an answer out of him.

“It's just that… Um, I was wondering, when you…”

Sonic isn't known for his patience, Tails knows that. So before Sonic taps his forehead again, Tails words his worries.

“When will you throw me out?”

The words don't hit him as much as the sincerely behind them does.

Sonic doesn't know what form of shock appears on his face but whatever it is, it makes Tails fumble over his words as he anxiously flaps his hands and tries to explain what he just said, “I-I mean, it's been three months now and you— you've been very nice a-and, I'm— I'm, I've been eating your food and using your supplies a-and no one has kept me for long without—”

Sonic doesn't like the way fat tears roll down his muzzle, he doesn't like the way Tails cuts himself off mid sentence as if he's scared to say more, he doesn't like the way Tails thinks he needs to be abandoned for some reason. Sonic likes Tails; the little guy is smart and keeps up with him without asking him to slow down. Despite not having had a home and being bullied by other kids, he's still more well-mannered than Sonic is. Not to mention, Sonic likes Tails just for the sake of it. No one wants this kit. Sonic does. 

So naturally, Sonic gently wipes away Tails’ tears. He points towards his own chest and then pokes Tails’ with his index finger before signing, “Together.”

Me and you; together.

Then Sonic holds his index finger up with his gloves palm back and draws a few large circles to sign with a promise, “Always.”

They will always be together and Sonic will never leave the little cub before him alone.

Tails will never have to feel alone again. Not when Sonic is here

_____

Sonic is tired.

It's been a long day.

He heaves a sigh when he takes a step closer to Tails’ Mystic Ruins workshop. The lights are on, he's glad to know Tails is here. He found him purely by chance today, he didn't have to run into multiple labs scattered around the world to find him which is good because he's already late. The night has fallen. The moon isn't visible under all the clouds, Sonic can't see a single star.

He thought he'd visit his own.

He ignores the way his hand shakes when he reaches out for the doorknob. It's rather cold tonight. It won't be long before it starts snowing. 

Tails likes playing in the snow.

Maybe they'll make a snowman.

He opens the door and steps inside. His vision gets a little awry for a second as the interior of the live-in workshop spins but that's okay, Sonic closes his eyes and gives himself a minute. It's okay. He's okay. 

He just wants to see Tails.

He steps inside, a little dizzy. He looks around the place in search of familiar golden fur. He doesn't find it right away so he walks in further. Briefly, he wonders if Tails is working late again and if he will have to drag him to his bed and tuck him in again. 

He's not against the idea.

It might be a bit selfish, but for time's sake, he'd like that.

Tails has grown up on him so fast.

He remembers when the little four year old first asked to be tucked in. He was so shy, so unsure, so terrified of asking to be loved.

Sonic loves Tails.

That's his little brother. He raised Tails. He took him in when no one else would — and quite frankly, whoever refused to give the kit a home missed out because Tails is amazing. He's everything and more. His little star, his sunshine. He loves him more than anything in this world.

He frowns.

Sonic doesn't remember the last time he told Tails that.

He doesn't remember the last, “I love you.”

He knows he doesn't say it often. He never felt like it was something that needed to be worded. Not saying it didn't mean Sonic didn't feel it. That's just been the way they go about their lives. There are many unworded things between them, not any less stronger than the ones that have been voiced.

Yet, Sonic feels a strange pang of guilt.

What if Tails doesn't know?

His little brother's self-esteem is always lingering in the negatives. What if he thinks Sonic doesn't love him because Sonic says it like once every two years during his most vulnerable moments? Sonic doesn't like that, Sonic doesn't want Tails to feel unloved because that's just simply not true.

He should've said it more often.

“Sonic?”

The hedgehog smiles at the voice. Tails has found him.

Emerald eyes slowly shift towards him. The fox is wearing a knitted baby blue cardigan, standing on the staircase. His eyes are on Sonic's left hand that rests just above the hedgehog's hip, stained red.

It's really cold, huh?

“H-Hey, bud…” He greets weakly, his smile ever-present.

Tails looks horrified, he gasps, “Sonic.”

Sonic doesn't reply. Not right away. Not when his voice fails him. He didn't come here to worry his little brother, no. He just came here to see him.

He reaches out his free hand towards Tails, takes a step forward but he ends up unable to maintain his balance. 

He sways.

Tails catches him before he falls.

“Sonic!”

The fox bands his arms around the teen’s torso to support him, his breath hitches as he struggles to grasp what he's seeing. A million questions running through his head. How did this happen? Who was Sonic fighting? Why didn't he call him? Why didn't Tails go with him? Why didn't Tails know? Why didn't the hedgehog's communicator record his vitals and ping Tails? Where is Sonic's communicator? What's he doing here? How much blood has he lost? What should Tails do—

Tails feels Sonic's hand cradle the back of his head, the hedgehog removes his bloody hand from his wound to loop it around Tails’ back and pull him in a hug, staining the cardigan before he rests his face on top of Tails’ head, nuzzling in his soft fur.

Tails is so much warmer.

“S-Sonic,” Tails feels the panic slowly bubbling up in his chest, “Sonic, what happened—”

“Shh…” Sonic hushes, “Don't worry about me.”

“Shut up.” Tails lets out a humourless chuckle, “If you don't want me to worry then don't walk in bleeding out like that.”

“Sorry, lil bro.” Sonic mumbles. Then quieter, “Couldn't really control it this time.”

“Sit down, let me check the wou—”

“No…” Sonic slurs. Tails feels his blood run cold when the hedgehog tightens his grip on him, and doesn't let him go, “No. Just… Just let me…”

He didn't come here to be treated. He didn't come all the way here to worry Tails. He knows coming here light-headed from blood loss is going to worry Tails whether or not he wanted to, if he didn't want to worry his little brother then he shouldn't have come.

But he can't help it.

He doesn't want to leave without seeing him one last time.

“Sonic?” Tails calls but the hedgehog remains quiet, still in his hold. So Tails calls again, “Sonic?” 

And he doesn't know why his voice sounds smaller, why he sounds scared. Is he terrified? What of? They get hurt all the time. It comes with their line of work. Sonic has been hurt before, so has Tails and they both recovered. Now isn't any different, is it?

It shouldn't be.

Sonic promised.

Always; he said always. He promised. They're supposed to be together forever. 

Sonic is supposed to be fine, then why is he scared?

The hand on the back of his head slowly slides down, the weight of Sonic's body increases on him.

They tumble to the floor but Sonic wraps his arms around him tightly as soon as they do, not wanting to let go any time soon.

Sonic pulls Tails closer. The kit's chest undoubtedly tainted red by now. Sonic's still glad, at least it's his own blood in the fox and not Tails’. He buries Tails’ face in his chest, he gently pets him and lays a soft kiss on the top of his head. Tails wraps his namesakes around him in return, hugging Sonic like his life depends on it. The younger doesn't like the implications of it all as Sonic starts brushing his fingers through the fur on Tails’ back but Sonic doesn't seem to care.

He's content.

But with only one regret.

“Tails…?”

“Yes, Sonic?”

Sonic wants to say he loves him, more than he can ever imagine. Sonic wants to make up for every time he didn't say it, he wants Tails to know.

His words fail him and he ends up with, “I'm sorry… I promised to go on that trip to Chun-nan with you. I don't think I can anymore.”

“That's okay… We'll go when you're better, won't we? It can wait.”

Sonic just hugs him tighter, “I-I don't think I can, bud.”

His voice cracks and Tails tries to escape his hold to most likely give him a very painful dumbfounded look. 

Tries, because Sonic doesn't let him.

“Why?” Tails asks. The teen feels his tears on his chest, “Why?”

Sonic smiles even though Tails can't see it.

“Hey, now… Don't be sad, okay?”

“No.” Tails shakes his head, “No, stop talking like that you… You promised. You promised.”

He knows that. He has promised Tails so many things. He's afraid he could only fulfil a few.

At least there's one thing he can do before going.

He doesn't say it often so naturally, it takes him longer to find the words, “You know I love you, right?”

“Sonic, please—”

“It's okay. It's gonna be okay.” He hushes him, scratches the back of his ear to calm him down. 

They sit like that for a while. It can't be more than a few minutes but its feels like year pass until Sonic's starts feeling more and more sluggish, until he can't get his fingers to move enough to pet Tails, to brush his soft fur. His hold on his little brother gradually gets weaker. 

With the last of his strength, Sonic separate himself from Tails.

The kit looks up at him, ocean eyes filled with tears.

Sonic looks into those eyes for a minute before pressing his forehead onto Tails’.

And at last, he says,

“I love you.”

(Tails doesn't move, he doesn't know how long he holds onto his brother till Amy visits — and when she does, he finds himself unable to cry anymore.)

[esamastation]

Part forty-one of Shizuroth, aka, the SOLDIER General's Self Saving Shizun.

Ao3 link.

Previous parts: twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty

-

"... So there's Natural Materia that grows and evolves and eventually spawns an offspring of exactly identical Materia that can then make the exact same journey - and then there's Artificial Materia that… doesn't?"

"You're really asking the wrong person - Genesis is the expert," Angeal sighs, rubbing at his forehead. "But yeah, that's basically it? Artificial Materia can still level up a bit, but it doesn't evolve or make a copy of itself."

Sephiroth nods, fascinated. "So Natural Materia basically does mitosis?"

"I… don't know what that is?" Angeal says, sounding lost.

They're walking through the forest, in between random encounters - following a wide old footpath towards the charcoal burner's house. The path has the signs of wheeled traffic where the dirt has really been compacted, but it was a while ago, and grasses have started taking real estate on the path. Still, it makes for easier walking than the wild, untamed forest.

"It's when something - a cell - splits into two identical copies," Sephiroth explains.

"Ah, then no, that's not exactly it - the offspring Materia is unleveled and undeveloped. It has to be matured anew," Angeal clarifies.

"Still. Eventually the offspring Materia becomes identical to the parent. It's asexual reproduction, at least," Sephiroth muses, fascinated by how organic it all sounds. Like Materia is actually a breed of organism doing what all living things do - eat and reproduce. And artificial versions are basically infertile! "I bet Artificial Materia still needs to be somehow seeded by the natural sort."

Angeal shrugs, helpless. "You'd really have better luck asking Genesis. Maybe you should send him a message, asking about it."

"Maybe I will," Sephiroth says, determined, and then looks up. "Heads up - bugs."

One random encounter later, they're back to walking.

"You know, you could actually just try using your Materia," Angeal comments. "Might give you some insight on how it works. Or do you not remember how?"

Sephiroth waves a hand. "You just push energy through the thing, it's not that hard."

"Then why not do it?"

Because MP is Qi, kinda, and using Materia basically burns it away. Or, well, transforms it. Part of it goes into the Materia being used, aiding its maturation, and the rest of it is transformed into whatever spell the Materia is for. It's very easy to use and very powerful and incredibly energy inefficient. And since Sephiroth still isn't sure whether he wants to take in ambient energy in the way of the locals, he isn't sure his MP actually replenishes? And sure, he could take an Ether, a potion that replenishes MP - but that's basically like drinking raw Qi, and the very idea is a bit alarming.

There's just a scary level of energy transference going on in this place, and his core is unstable enough!

Also Sephiroth would rather figure out how to consume the Materia itself, like you'd consume spirit stones - except he really doesn't need any extra Qi at this point.

"Maybe later," Sephiroth says and looks ahead for a distraction. "Oh, hey, is that the house?"

Angeal gives him a look, amused, but lets it go and looks ahead too.

The charcoal burner's house is built near to the side of a mountain wall, with three enormous charcoal kilns half carved into the stone of the mountain. The house is more of a homestead, with a large area cleared and fenced, with the house itself in the middle, a couple of storage huts, a stall, and a big shelter for wood.

It's a bit rundown, though. One of the storage houses has its rooftop caved in, and there's long grass growing everywhere. The charcoal kilns look not just cold, but like something had been nesting in one of them.

"That's strange," Angeal murmurs warily, looking around. "It… doesn't look like anyone's been living here for a good long while."

"Hmm," Sephiroth hums, crouching down to examine a footprint in the dirt. It's fresh. "Someone has been here very recently, though." Someone in modern footwear - with treaded soles. Not that he knows what kind of footwear the people of Wutai favour, but, still…

Angeal looks at the footprint and hums. "Be on your guard. There's something weird going on in here."

Cautious, they examine the place and find no signs of any monster attacks. What they do find is more footprints, all by the same set of shoes, going strong in the place and by all appearances checking out the buildings.

"Looking for something, maybe?" Angeal murmurs as they consider the footprints.

"Hmm. I don't see any signs of monsters," Sephiroth comments. "Didn't the mission files say the place was already attacked? Maybe we're in the wrong place."

"Maybe…"

While Angeal checks their mission files and coordinates to confirm they're actually in the right house, Sephiroth tries to figure out why it was abandoned in the first place. It wasn't sudden, that he can tell - whoever lived here had the time to pack up. Everything that's left was put away very neatly, too.

"Well, this is the right place," Angeal says, following him inside. "Either they got the coordinates wrong - or the intelligence."

"I guess it could be a trap," Sephiroth muses, poking around the charcoal burner's old office in search of any paperwork. "If this is really where an informant once lived, maybe that informant turned into a double agent and set a trap."

"You really think so?" Angeal asks, sounding more interested than alarmed.

"Not really," Sephiroth shrugs and picks up a crumpled piece of paper, someone's attempt at a letter that had gotten ruined by an ink smear. Gently he spreads it out on the office table to read. "Or else it's a terrible trap…"

The letter is addressed to someone's uncle, informing them of the charcoal burner's good fortune. Apparently their family had been invited by the emperor to live and work in the capital. Lucky guy.

"Maybe we should prepare for an ambush, just in case," Angeal comments thoughtfully, adjusting his gloves. "What do you think?"

"I think they would've revealed themselves already, if it was the case," Sephiroth says. "And this is a terrible place for an ambush anyway. It's far too open."

"Well, good thing it's not an ambush!" a voice calls from the outside before Angeal can answer.

"... Sounds like something an ambusher would say," Angeal mutters, clearly recognizing the voice, and Sephiroth chuckles.

Reno waits for them outside, lazily scratching at a bug bite on his arm. "Congratulations, you have been summarily recruited for a secret Turk mission," he says and motions around them. "Your station."

"Turk mission?" Angeal repeats. "It was you who sent out that mission file?"

"Yep," Reno agrees, shrugging unrepentantly.

Sephiroth watches him warily. He'd not interacted with Reno or Rude much, Angeal had kinda covered for him there. He'd not entirely sure why the Turks followed them to Wutai. Maybe this is it.

Maybe this is as far as he gets, before having to commit, one way or the other.

Sephiroth braces himself. "What's the mission?"

Reno grins and points a finger at him. "Your mission, starting right now, is to stay here," he says, "And get your shit together."

-

Man I've missed ff7 world so much. The whole magic system from Lifestream to Materia to summoning world ending Meteors from the sky is just 😗👌

I'm playing og ff7 while writing and none of the sequelsprequelsremakes come even close to comparing with how delicious Materia in the original game is.

[allsadnshit]

hi! i’m wondering what foods you eat/don’t eat to help with endo? :) i really appreciate the resources u share :) thank you

It's different for everyone so it takes time and I don't really recommend following someone else's diet cause I am of the belief what you stomach well has to do with where your ancestors are from and also physical constitution in Chinese medicine varies more than just like having endo or not! I personally eat a lot of small farm non gmo meat from what's local which is a lot of stuff in PA, local seasonal vegetables (most squash, potato, and leafy greens), bone broth, spices and herbs, drink matcha everyday, and cook strictly in high quality grass fed butter, ghee, or beef tallow! it is expensive and daunting at times but overall I think I save money now that I cook a lot and have a really organized fridge/pantry over just shopping on a whim and trying to make random meals from it. It's a big commitment to make but if you've ever gotten so sick that you lose your mobility and ability to do basic functions, I think it becomes clear it's worth the money in a very health is wealth way.

I personally can't stomach gluten, onion, or garlic (I use scallion instead) but I am not of the opinion any of those things are bad for you! And I'd like to eventually be able to eat them again when my stomach and nervous system has healed. I also do not eat seed oils, which although controversial and really political now - I think comes down to it being a super cheaply made product and has more to do with how its made than what the main ingredients are! That's probably the hardest one to avoid but I do feel different when I am strict about it but it def eliminates most eating out options realistically which I know for most people just doesn't work.

It might be worth it imo to find some quizzes online for what your chinese medicine physical constitution says you need vs looking up "endo diet" and learning more about eating and lifestyle habits that come along with it because I think even if you eat super organic whole foods all the time if you aren't sleeping and resting and working out I think it can only do so much on it's own!

Americanized health sciences do not understand the root cause of endo (and they admit that fully) so I think there's very little information or help to be harvested from people who consider themselves experts on the topic unless they themselves have endo and have found things that have made a huge difference for them - but otherwise I think western perspective on endo and the body is very small and rigid and worth exploring outside of as a good place to start if what's been given as resources to you so far hasn't changed things in a meaningful way for you!

[searsage]

Al-an but in a AU where he had no survival instinct and the network decides he needs to get his ass in gear and hires Robin a survival expert to teach him how to survive in survival bootcamp

It gets even funnier because shes one of those survival extremist and he's all couch potatoe sit in front of a computer ill die if i touch grass energy.

Half the time its just Robin traumatizing the poor guy by hunting bone sharks with spears and catching and eating raw peepers.

Like every other day he's contacting to network requesting a tranq gun because he half convinced she's turning feral. And might come for his life Lmfao

[bunnivez]

Hiya! Since your requests are open, could I please request either a SFW fic or SFW headcanons (whichever one you want to write) about horse girl /equestrian Cinnabar with an equestrian / horse girl Reader who has & rides an affectionate black Friesian horse. If you want to include this, Cinnabar also have a black Friesian horse that she adores and rides.

Both of them go on horseback riding dates, where Female Reader would sometimes share the horse with Cinnabar. Cinnabar would love braiding a Friesian's majestic mane as well. Also, Cinnabar definitely cuddles with the Friesian horse(s) whenever she gets the chance too. That will be so cute to read! Both Fem! Reader & Cinnabar practice & perform Dressage, either by themselves or together.

My apologies for the long ask. Take as much time as you need to write it. Thank you very much! : D

જ⁀➴ Hey nonnie! Pretty excited to write this one, I am not an expert when it comes to horses so I may or may not have done a bit of research and stuff. I decided to do a fic, I hope it turned out cute! Once requests are open you are more than free to request for the hcs version since admittedly it will contain more information than this + more lengthy.

જ⁀➴ Warning ! .. None, just fluff :)

“Sunrises are beautiful don’t you think?” Cinnabar asked. Indeed she was right, the sky was in shades of orange, pink, purple and blue, it was beautiful— just like Cinnabar said.

“It really is.. Is that why you woke me up early?” You asked her, glancing at her as you both continued to ride your horses. She told you the day before to bring your horse with you and meet her at 5:00, she never told you the reason; saying it was a surprise.

She smiled, “Yeah, I thought you’d like it. Also because Apollo enjoys early walks, I figured Blaze probably would too.” Both you and her are horse owners, she actually encouraged you to get one! So just like her, you got a black Friesian and named it Blaze!

You smile as you remembered the time Cinnabar taught you how to ride a horse. Despite wanting one you had no idea how to ride one. Just remembering the way she carefully instructed you and wrapped an arm around your waist at all times makes your heart flutter. She even taught you how you can teach Blaze tricks and manage a stable diet for him! Thats when you also learned your girlfriend’s passion for horses.

“— I hope you aren’t unhappy with waking up early.” You snapped out of your thoughts and shook your head, “Oh no! It’s alright! I’m actually happy you wanted to spend the day together early..”

You both stopped at a lake deciding to let the horses take a break and drink some water. With her help you got off of Blaze and stood there looking at the beautiful sight. A few hours passed by, and you just talked and laughed as she hugged you from behind. You loved the way her arms felt around you, you feel protected, like she was your knight in shining armor— and truthfully; she is.

Cinnabar has previously mentioned about feeling like a knight protecting you, her princess. She is protective of the ones she loves that’s for sure. Honestly, sometimes you wonder what you’ve done to have someone like your girlfriend in your life. She is a sweetheart and never fails to make you feel loved.

Looking down at the green grass you notices the varieties of flowers already bloomed and beautiful. Quickly you got an idea and started picking some flowers up as Cinnabar looked at you curiously.

“What are you doing?” “Picking up some flowers, you can help me if you want! You’ll see what I have in mind later.”

Without asking any questions Cinnabar decided to help you, picking up flowers she thinks you’ll like. When you are sure you picked enough you walked towards Blaze and Apollo who were just eating grass and started braiding Apollo’s hair and adding the flowers you were picking on it. Apollo has gotten pretty comfortable around you once Cinnabar started hanging out with you more. She would constantly bring him with her and let you ride him with her. Later on you learned how affectionate he can be, a sweetheart like his owner.

Your girlfriend smiled and did the same thing with Blaze, braiding their hair and placing flowers on it as well.

“That’s a cute idea. They will both look like horses belonging to a Disney princess or something.” You heard Cinnabar say, “Apollo has long hair, it’s like braiding Rapunzel’s hair .” You joked.

You heard her chuckle until you both finally finished, you looked at each other’s work of art and smiled. Cinnabar looked at Apollo and noticed the flowers you chose, “I wanted to choose flowers that reminded me of you, blue, yellow, some green ones too that I found! I think they are called Viburnum?” You quickly said.

She blushed and smiled, slowly walking towards you and hugging you, placing a sweet kiss on your forehead, cheek, and eventually your lips. “It’s very cute, thank you, love. I hope you like the ones I chose— I used your favorite colors.” She said scratching the back of her neck.

Eyeing at Blaze you smiled at the cute braid Cinnabar gave them, it’s dark hair complimenting the delicate flowers on it.

“Aw! I like it!” You exclaimed and quickly kissed her on the lips before walking up to Blaze to pet them.

More hours passed and you two continued talking. Being around Cinnabar is easy, she was understanding and a careful listener, it was like breathing into fresh air and forgetting about your worries. The sun got brighter, but it wasn’t too harsh, it simply made the scene more clearer.

You looked at her and giggled, “What are you doing?” She was hugging and nuzzling against Blaze’s neck before switching to Apollo who rested his jaw on top of her head.

“Giving them some love, they are so cute and deserve many hugs.” You heard her say.

With a small laugh you teased her, “Oh really? What about me? I deserve some love too from you my lover!”

Quickly she let go of Apollo and wrapped her arms around your waist, kissing your cheek, forehead, nose, lips. “Hmm, you want more?” She smiled and kissed your jaw, slowly going down your neck releasing a few giggles from you, “Alright that’s enough, it tickles!” you smiled and grabbed her face; pulling her into a sweet short kiss before resting your forehead against hers. She looked into your eyes lovingly before you spoke again— “I love you.”

“I love you more.” “No, I do.” “Nope! I definitely do.” “Nah uh! I do!” “No I am pretty sure I love you wayyyyyyyyyyt more—” “Cinnabar!” “Alright fine, we are at the same level.”

You laughed and looked behind her, “You do know Apollo is trying eat your hair right?” “Ah— Apollo!”