#I knew it was gonna be miserable when I saw the weather forecast but I failed to realise that it would be THIS miserable

[jorvikzelda]

30 degrees outside. No AC in hotel room. Dying and also already dead

[mistaeq]

can I request for a josuke x reader oneshot? fluff & angst, it was raining and both of them are in sentimental mode; reminiscing their good times (when they’re both in a relationship) to the end of their break up.. i hope you may blend it with the rain theme (actually inspired by the song “rains again” by solji) thank you🤍☔️

Higashikata Josuke: Rains Again

TW // none

Thank you, thank you and thank you again for this request. I loved writing it, and the song inspired me even more. I suggest y'all read this while listening to the song written in the request, "Rains Again" by EXID's Solji, if you want to get in the right mood to fully appreciate it. Also. It's long. Get ready to cry.

Where Josuke and his s/o meet during a rainy day. Loss of virginity is mentioned, but no worries, there's no nsfw. Fluff and angst, kinda hurt/comfort.

WORD COUNT: 4k

Rain, rain. A rain filled day. I think it'll always be like this for a while. Blankly.

You were all curled up in the bench under the bus stop. You went outside without an umbrella, and all of a sudden, it started raining. The sky started crying again. And again. You knew this feeling. And you hated rain. You hated...

"Shit! This fucking rain... I hate it so much..." a tall figure joined you under that bus stop. He didn't even look at you, he was just focusing on getting the water out of his hair. His precious hair you hated so much. His precious hair you loved so much. "Rain only brought bad stuff into my life... fuck it, fuck it all." he let his bag onto the ground. Then kicked it out of anger.

"It was raining, when I broke up with you." that voice. He'd recognize it between a thousand voices. "Remember, Josuke?" he turned around. His gaze met yours. Your little body all curled up because of the cold wind rain brought with her. He didn't know how to feel about you. Angry? Sad? Maybe sorry? Did he miss you?

"You." he just said. He fetched the bag he had let on the ground, and quietly sat next to you.

"Are you stuck here because the rain, too?" as soon as he approached you that much, you felt nostalgia kicking in. Just stop, you thought. He's been an asshole. Not your fault.

"Yes... well... no, to be precise." he looked like he was about to panic, too. "I just need to wait for my bus back home." was he trying to play it cool or something? His home was pretty close, and it's not that many people in Morioh Cho used the bus. He really hadn't changed, huh. The almighty I-never-make-mistakes Josuke.

Pouring down the rain in my memories of you, maybe i think it also contains good things.

"So... how've you been doing?" you really didn't want to answer that question. You just shrugged, leaning your head against the giant megapixel screen on your right. "Are you gonna ignore me, is that it?" the atmosphere was heart wrenching. You had no guts to face him and meet his gaze twice. You would have cried.

Getting nervous, Josuke accidentally dropped his bag again, this time, his wallet fell off. Right in front of you. You would have stayed still, if you hadn't seen what was in there. You've been fast and picked it up right before he could do that. That receipt. Was he still carrying it around with him?

The day you and Josuke met, the weather forecast said it was meant to be rainy. And it had been. But right before lunchtime, the sun decided to shine over the rain for some minutes. In those minutes, a handsome, kind boy walked in, in your grandma's bakery.

"I'm here because..." he stuttered for a second, when he first saw you, behind the counter. "...b-because my mom ordered some bread... I'm here on her behalf to take it..." you couldn't do or say anything. His gaze had latched onto yours. You stood there, smiling.

"Y/n, what are you... ooh, Josuke! It's you!" hearing you weren't answering to the customer, your grandma came from the back of the bakery, to help. She brought a huge bag of fresh bread, and handed it to him. Josuke, huh?

"Y/n, you know who he is?" despite your grandma talking, your gazes really didn't want to separate. You shook your head. "He's Tomoko Higashikata's son! Josuke!" he had to look somewhere else for a little, he had to pay for the bread. But he smiled, when your grandma introduced him to you. Then finally, he talked again.

"I might want to come here on my mom's behalf some other time..." he then thanked for the bread, took that damned receipt, and winked at you, before leaving.

You breathed. When the sun disappeared after a few minutes and the rain came back, you ran by the bakery's window.

"Grandma..."

"What is it, y/n, dear?"

"Josuke... when he came in, the rain had no power against the sun... maybe... maybe he's my one..."

"Are you in love already, dear?"

"The sky told me..." you believed in the sky.

I think it's raining today, I didn't want to poke you. I'm not really missing you, I just feel a little blue.

"Give it back, what the hell are you thinking about?" he snatched his wallet from your hands. Then took a close look at it and understood. He heard your muffled sniffles, and tried to touch you. "O-Oi, y/n..." you flinched, when he touched your shoulder, and Josuke withdrew his hand.

"You don't have to make me think you care..." you just said. "But if you're still interested in how have I been doing..." you turned right towards him, but your teary eyes still not meeting his. "Bad. I've been doing the worst ever." The look on his face was a mixture of shocked and melancholic. Almost mortified.

You would have never thought the love between you and Josuke could end up to being something like this. Everytime Josuke was with you, the sky was also clear and beautiful. Except when your love was rainy, along with the sky. When you broke up, it was rainy. It was stormy. When you met again, right there on that bench, it was rainy. Because you weren't together.

"Something bad happened?" you just looked at him, at a loss for words. You couldn't understand if he was being an asshole or just too stupid to understand how bad you had felt since your break up. But you knew what he wanted.

He had always acted like this. When he perfectly knew something, but he wanted to hear it from you directly, he'd feign ignorance. That's how you got your first kiss. He was bringing you home, walking right next to you, after a date. You two stopped right in front of your door.

You started swinging a little on your own feet. But you weren't entering that door, standing there smiling like a kid who's just broken something precious and has to soften her parents.

"What is it, y/n?" he smiled back, playing along with you.

"Come on... you know it..." you got closer. "Josuke..."

"I have no clue, what do you mean?" he giggled.

"Are you doing it on purpose? So I have to directly tell you?" you got close enough to get wrapped in his embrace.

"Maybe..." he teased you, moving a stray lock of hair behind your ear. You just needed to take it all off your chest.

"It's been a while since we started dating, and... I feel like I fell in true love with you, Josuke." he was lovingly staring at you, smiling, the same way he did that day at the bakery. "And this was a desperate request for a first kiss."

You stood on tiptoe, when he leaned down, your lips meeting his for a sweet peck. Then two, three, until they turned into a real kiss. His hands cupping your cheeks, and your arms wrapped around his warm torso. You felt so loved and safe. That night the Moon was shining so much you could get blinded by it. Not even a cloud in the sky.

"I love you, Josuke, I love you so much..."

How can I explain this feeling? It's because we were so good back then. That's why I'm feeling a little sad.

"Are you doing it on purpose? So I have to directly tell you?" Josuke looked back, just on the concrete between his feet, as if it became the most interesting thing to watch to avoid your gaze.

"I'm just worrying about how you've been doing."

"No, you're not." your hands were freezing because of the cold wind, so you hid them under your armpits and closed on yourself again. "You're just waiting to hear me cry about how breaking up with you made me feel terribly miserable, just for you to feel a little more relevant."

Josuke couldn't just say anything. Because deep down he knew that maybe he just wanted to hear you say you missed him, that you were lost without him and shit. Because he knew it was true. But he couldn't just accept it. He had to hear it. But also... he really cared about how you had been doing.

He had messed up a lot of stuff with you, and he knew. But it never affected his love. He'd been able to hide it well, but when you left, he was just as desperate as you. He felt miserable and guilty. Terribly guilty.

"Maybe I do want to hear it directly from you." he admitted, swallowing. "But what I've caused doesn't make me feel proud of myself or more relevant someway." he tried to touch you again. You didn't flinch, this time. He was gentle. So gentle. He'd always been. Even when you had bad arguments, even when you broke up, he had never raised or thought to raise a single hand on you.

You got a way to prove his inner and physical tenderness when you felt ready. Yes. You were by your home. You never were by Josuke's house. It was three in the morning, after a date. You were watching a movie, cuddling on the sofa, and then you would have slept together. But that night, you had other plans for him.

"Josuke..." you caught his attention, cupping his cheek with your hand and turning his head towards you.

"I'm here..." he held you closer, and you smiled. He did that for you. He knew you needed him to guarantee you he loved you, every now and then during your date. But it was your turn, to tell him you loved him.

"I feel ready to make love with you."

When I open my eyes with an unpleasant feeling, I know it's gonna be cloudy today, and it'll rain so much.

He gave you the best first time you could ever dream of. You felt pain. Josuke told you it could happen. But it wasn't his fault. He'd been so gentle, you couldn't believe it. Right after that, you had never felt your boyfriend closer than that. He took great care of you, after you finished. Josuke let you sleep on his bare chest, and you could perfectly hear his heartbeat. You loved listening to it.

You couldn't understand why people always talked about sex as something which dirties and ruins you. You felt the complete opposite. As you and Josuke started falling quietly asleep after your first lovemaking, the first ray of sun of the sunrise reminded you how pure your love was. Josuke was the sun that lit up your life. You felt like you did the right thing.

But you should have listened to your grandma, when she told you that nothing could be perfect forever.

In my opened photo album, there's us smiling brightly. It's a little awkward for us.

"Apparently you weren't so proud of being my boyfriend, too..." you commented. Josuke inhaled, to say something, but then he stopped. "Does Tomoko know anything now or did you hide our break up from her too?"

"Come on..." he huffed, but you were irremovable.

"Josuke, does she know?" you saw him pushing his tongue against your right cheek, inside his mouth.

"...No."

"Obviously."

You started doubting of Josuke during a cloudy day. His mom had ordered some fresh bread from the bakery, and you thought he would have appreciated it, if you chose to bring it to him yourself. Morioh Cho wasn't so big, and you quickly found your boyfriend's house thanks to your grandma's directions.

You rang the bell that said "Higashikata", and waited a couple of seconds, before the door opened. Josuke blinked twice. Then went feral.

"What do you think you're doing here?" you got scared, for a second. You did nothing wrong, you just wanted to do him a favor.

"I wanted to see you, so I brought you myself the bread Tomoko ordered..."

"No. Just no." he gently pushed you away from the door. One thing you had to admit. Even when he was angry, he never physically hurt you. "Don't ever do this again. My mom might..."

"Josukeee... who's this cute girl?" A woman's voice caught your attention from inside the house. Tomoko Higashikata was standing right in front of you. You panicked. You felt like you did something wrong, and saw Josuke's forehead wrinkle.

"S-sorry." you managed to say. You gave Josuke the bag full of fresh bread you were holding, and didn't even look Tomoko in her eyes. "I'm just the granddaughter of the bakery's owner. I saw it was about to rain and I thought it would have been kind of me to help the customers with their orders." Josuke was staring at you, taken aback from your words. "Have a good day."

Why would Josuke be ashamed of introducing you to his mom? You tried to think about it in a different way. Maybe he didn't want Tomoko to ask questions about your relationship and wasn't ready yet to introduce you to her? Your boyfriend called you, that night. You asked for forgiveness, and he made you promise you wouldn't have done it again unless you weren't sure his mom wasn't home. The whole day, the sky had been cloudy.

I think it's raining today, I didn't want to poke you. I'm not really missing you, I just feel a little blue.

"Y/n, I would kick myself in my own ass, for what I've done." you giggled a little, for what he said. You sneezed, though. The cold wind the rain brought was about to get you catch a cold. Josuke took off his uniform's big jacket, and wrapped it around your shoulders. "You're gonna catch a cold, y/n."

"Thank you..." you just mumbled. Despite the rain, that jacket still had Josuke's smell on it. You missed it like air. You were about to say something, when your phone rang. It was right next to you leg, on the bench, so Josuke saw it pretty well.

"Okuyasu?" he asked. "Are you friends with my best friend?" you had no intention to answer the phone. Not now, at least. Okuyasu was a sweetheart, and he helped you a lot after your break up. You would have called him back later.

"After that night he got worried and helped me. Or helped us both, I guess... if you cared enough about me to be at least a little sad after our break up." Okuyasu wasn't there, when you two fought and broke up. But you found the courage to confront Josuke thanks to him.

How can I explain this feeling? It's because we were so good back then. That's why I'm feeling a little sad.

You met Okuyasu while you were working in the bakery. You had seen him before, but he had never seen you. Sometimes it seemed to you that Josuke didn't want you two to meet. Or at least he didn't want Okuyasu to see you. But you could totally imagine him being curious about who could Josuke's girlfriend be. And giggled a little with yourself, when you saw him in the bakery.

"What are you up to, Okuyasu?" your grandma seemed to know everyone in Morioh Cho. She was so friendly with every customer. "You don't come here often." The guy smiled.

"I'm going to Josuke's house tonight." you opened your ears. "I'd like to bring something, he's always inviting me by his house and I don't want to seem rude and go there without something for him."

"Also" Okuyasu continued. "Maybe tonight he'll finally tell me who's this special friend of his... you know... he always talks about her, and I'm eager to know more. I hope she's hot, maybe I'll have a chance if she's single." you felt a storm in your chest. Your grandma looked at you, worried. It was happening again. Josuke was hiding your love from other people again.

You soon understood he wasn't afraid his mother would ask questions about you. He was straight up ashamed of you. An awkward silence fell in the bakery.

"Did.... Did I say something wrong?" Okuyasu blushed. You were grateful he was such a chatterbox. He had just told you everything you needed to know about Josuke.

"You won't need to buy anything here, Okuyasu." he looked perplexed. "I'm the friend Josuke talks about. And I've never been so angry in my whole life." he felt his cheeks burn up.

"Is it about what I said about hoping you were hot? S-Sorry, I-..."

"No. It's not about you." you took off the apron you had to wear at work, angrily. "He keeps on telling everyone I'm a good friend of his. Or that I'm just a telemarketer..." you clenched your fists. "As he did when I called him while he was playing dice with Rohan."

"You aren't a friend of his? You hate him?" Okuyasu was so confused.

"I am his girlfriend. And this makes me mad." his jaw fell.

"Woah, is he nuts? If I had a girlfriend like you, I'd tell the whole Morioh Cho in less that five seconds!"

"Please, Okuyasu. Don't show up at Josuke's house today. I will. Tomoko isn't home tonight, is she?" Okuyasu shook his head. "Perfect. And sorry about this."

"No, it's better for you to confront Josuke as soon as possible on this... it's disrespectful of him to behave this way." he gave you his phone number, just in case you needed to talk with someone afterwards, and your grandma let you go home, to get a rest.

Maybe on a rainy day I'll think of you for a long time. The memories of us crying and laughing, really are so beautiful.

Josuke was sitting on the sofa, waiting for Okuyasu. He had already turned the videogames on, and was ready to play with his best friend. Finally, someone knocked at the door. He opened it with a huge smile, but it disappeared as soon as he saw you and your angered expression.

"Y/n? What are you doing here? Okuyasu's gonna be here any minute..." he tried to - gently - push you outside, but you, a little less gently, pushed him aside and entered his house.

"Okuyasu won't show up. I met him in the bakery. Obliviously, he told me everything I needed to know. And I told him not to come here." Josuke closed the door and turned around to face you.

"You're mad."

"I am the mad one? Will you stop telling the people you care about that I'm nobody? All of this is so fucked up..." he sat on the same sofa he was on before, and rested his elbows on his knees, hiding his face on his hands. "Your mom thinks I'm just the girl of the bakery, Okuyasu thought I was a good friend of yours, and even worse, Rohan thinks I'm a telemarketer... are you ashamed of me, Josuke?"

"It's not it..."

"Why else should you be hiding our love from others?" your voice broke, you were about to cry. He felt powerless. Not even Josuke knew what the matter was with himself. He felt coward. But the fact that he was afraid of telling people he had a girlfriend wasn't affecting his love for you. He couldn't find the words to explain it. "Because you do love me... don't you, Josuke..."

It was on his tongue's tip. Yes, I do. Yes, I do, he was thinking. But words won't come out. He did. He did love you. He was truly in love with you. But in that moment, he couldn't connect two neurons and answer.

"Y-Y/n... I..." right in that moment, the loudest thunder you ever heard, was accompanied by a horrible lightning which struck the closest tree to Josuke's house.

You hated rain. You hated storms. Josuke knew. He hadn't been able to clear the sky to you, this time.

"I've seen enough." you let a tear wet your cheek.

Tell her you love her, fucking bastard, just tell her, Josuke was thinking. But it looked like he had lost his voice. You couldn't believe he could let you go without saying anything. His eyes were shocked, his mouth stuck opened, his hands trembling.

"Thank you for the great days you gave me. No one's ever gonna give me such a bright sun again. I love you, Josuke. But I guess I only bring storms into your life." you turned around, and in less than five seconds, Josuke's house's door slammed behind you.

I just feel a little blue, it's not that I want to go back to those times, I'm just feeling out of it and sad the whole day.

"I wish I could have been able to talk to you, that night." Josuke said. "I've been sad, I've been desperate, after you left. I wanted to get over it immediately, because I thought you would have been better, without me... but I found out Crazy Diamond cannot repair a broken heart." the rain began to decrease.

"I still don't know what was up with you..." you answered. "You think you can explain it to me now?"

"The truth is I was just being a coward." he had become a little more talkative. Josuke ran a hand through his hair. They were almost dry. "I was afraid people would have judged me. Or you. And I didn't want this. But the result was the opposite of what I wanted." this was it? He could have just told you everything that night and it would have been okay by now.

You couldn't imagine Josuke had such a mess in his mind. If someone talked shit behind you and him, you wouldn't have cared. But he was afraid this could happen. And you found out after you broke up more than two months ago.

"Josuke..." you were interrupted by a familiar sound. A bus was coming. You felt sad. Did Josuke have to go?

"It looks like my bus is coming." he stood up, then looked at you. "Keep my jacket, or else you'll catch a cold. You'll give it back tomorrow." A sudden ray of sun blinded your left eye, as you widened your eyes.

"Tomorrow...?"

"I'll come to the bakery to take the bread on my mom's behalf. I missed you." you felt your eyes tear up.

"Josuke..." you whispered, again. You approached him, quickly, right before the bus stopped in front of you, and you got wrapped in a tight and warm embrace. You inhaled his sweet smell, enjoyed his strong arms and listened, once again, to his racing heart. "Will I really see you tomorrow?"

"You will. I promise." he gently kissed your forehead, then got on the bus.

I wanna follow this rain and go back to those good days. Once my heart gets there, will you please stay with me?

Once alone, you realized the rain had stopped. A warm, bright sun was shining on you, and you could go back to the bakery. You took off Josuke's jacket from your shoulders, and folded it, walking towards the bakery. You sometimes smelled it, and felt like crying out of happiness.

When you opened the door, your grandma smiled.

"I knew something happened. This sun doesn't come out without a reason." she told you, seeing how desperately happy you looked. "Was it the young Josuke?" you nodded, holding his uniform tighter.

You couldn't see it, because you spent the rest of the afternoon working in the bakery.

But outside, the sky had gifted you the most beautiful rainbow Morioh Cho had ever seen.

[snaccforyou]

G/T Secret Santa Exchange

Story for @gilby-the-geek-girl

Challenge from @secret-shifters

The house was warm, bright, and full of laughter. A few people were exchanging presents, and most had a glass of eggnog or cider in their hands. It wasn't a massive party, only a couple dozen attendees, but it was a little crowded for Celine's tastes.

As a friend-of-a-friend attendee, she didn't know most of the cheerful group, and was a little too shy to try and mingle this late into the party. Instead she sat on one of the host's fluffy couches and watched the merriment with a mix of discomfort and amusement.

"Hey!" A rosy face appeared next to her, and she jumped. Someone she vaguely recognized from one of her classes, Anna maybe, was leaning over the couch next to her.

"Selena, was it?"

"Celine, actually," she corrected, a little startled.

"Oops! Sorry!" Possibly-Anna said, breaking into tipsy giggles. She held out a glass full of cider. "Did you want something to drink?"

"Um, no thank you," Celine declined with an awkward laugh. If she were at her own home, she might be tempted, but Celine was a bit of a lightweight. She was a little wary of drinking any sort of alcoholic beverages with so many strangers around, especially with how she was currently feeling. There was a slight itching, a tingling under her skin that meant losing her self-control could end badly.

"Suit yourself, I guess," laughed Anna. She straightened and joined a large group of chatting friends.

Celine felt a familiar wave of claustrophobia, and took a deep breath. Honestly, the party wouldn't be half bad if she didn't feel like she might shift at any moment.

Celine was a sizeshifter, a being that was able to change her size dramatically. While some size-shifters had complete control over their abilities, others were more unpredictable. Celine had moderate control over her shifts, but the longer she went holding back, the more uncomfortable she felt.

Right now, her body felt far too small, the room far too tiny for her. She subtly scratched her arm, and tried not to imagine stepping outside and shooting up to three times her "regular" height. She let herself grow an inch taller and glanced around the room.

Byron, the friend who had invited her and the only other sizeshifter she knew of in this city, had been mingling with some of his friends, but she'd lost sight of him several minutes ago. She wanted to pull him away and ask if there was any way they could leave early. As a sizeshifter with even less control over his size, he'd understand.

Of course, she'd feel terrible making their ride, a really nice person named Wren, leave early, but she would rather leave when the discomfort was bearable.

Last she'd seen Byron, he'd pulled one of his friends aside to talk. She hadn't seen them in several minutes, but when Byron's friend came back alone, her gaze shot to them. Suddenly, a shifting in their hair caught her attention. She blinked, doing a double take.

Sure enough, nestled in his friend's hair sat Byron. They locked eyes as well as they could from across the room, and Byron gave what looked like an apologetic shrug. He waved his now tiny phone, and Celine checked her texts. There was a new message in the carpool group chat from Byron.

Sry, unexpected small problem. Have 2 ride back w/ someone else.

It was subtle enough that Celine would've understood what happened even without seeing him small. She completely understood, but her desire to stay was even less now. She started to look for Wren, not looking forward to telling them she wanted to leave early.

***

Wren wasn't a huge fan of parties. They weren't a very social person, but Byron and his friend had needed a ride, and he was one of their few friends that actually cared about them. Besides, this party wasn't too bad. They'd had a little eggnog, but not enough to feel more than a slight warmth. The other partygoers mostly left them alone, so they didn't have to socialize too much.

About halfway into the party, they got a text from Byron saying his change in plans. At first they let out a sigh. Typical Byron, having some secret emergency that changed his plans. It was fine, though, Wren was used to his strange habits by now, and as long as he had a different ride they weren't too worried about him.

Wren just hoped the ride home wouldn't be too awkward with just them and Celine. They didn't know her very well, but she seemed nice at least. And she hadn't reacted negatively to hearing they were non-binary, which was usually a pretty good sign. They wondered if she'd be willing to leave the party a little early.

As if summoned by their thoughts, Celine was suddenly standing next to them. Wren jumped slightly, and gave a small wave.

"Uh, hi, Celine," they said. She waved back just as awkwardly, and stood silently for a couple of seconds. At least they were both in good, socially awkward company, Wren mused.

"Hi," she finally said with a little laugh. "I was wondering if you saw Byron's text?"

Wren nodded, waving their phone and almost dropping it.

"Yeah I saw it just a minute ago," they said. "Typical Byron."

"Typical Byron," Celine agreed with an awkward but nice laugh. She seemed like she wanted to say something else so Wren waited.

"So, I know it's still pretty early, and I'm sorry if it's inconvenient, but how do you feel about leaving a little early?" She blurted, words running together slightly in her rush to get them out. Wren felt themself sag slightly with relief.

"Honestly, I am so glad you asked," they said, looking up to meet Celine's eyes. "I don't really like parties."

Celine smiled down at them. Something seemed slightly off to Wren, and they frowned. Maybe it was just the eggnog, but…

"Are you taller now?" They asked, squinting. Celine laughed awkwardly, looking off to one side and Wren slammed their hand over their mouth. "Sorry, that's such a weird question. Obviously you're not."

"It's fine, it's fine," Celine said.

"Do you think Byron's still here?" Wren asked. They didn't want to leave without telling him goodbye, but he might've already left.

"Uh, I haven't seen him for a while," Celine answered. Wren scanned the party for a few seconds, seeing no sign of their friend.

"Well, I guess we can always say we're sorry we missed him later," they said, eventually giving up.

Leaving the party was surprisingly easy. Most people didn't even notice they were leaving. The one guy who did wished them a happy holiday and went back to the party.

As they stepped outside, Wren was a little surprised to see snow falling. Celine, who had visibly relaxed once they stepped outside, tension falling off her frame, looked surprised as well.

"I thought it was supposed to be 'unusually warm' tonight," Wren said, quoting the day's weather forecast.

"I guess the weather really is always wrong," Celine responded with a little laugh. Wren unlocked their car, and they both climbed inside. When Wren turned the key, the car made a horrible spluttering and failed to start.

"Um," they said, and tried again. Five minutes, and several curses later, they gave it up as a lost cause.

"I'm really sorry," they said, feeling mortified. "Should we just go back inside?"

Celine hesitated, looking super uncomfortable. Wren wondered if she had trouble with crowds.

"I have a… place pretty close by that I can probably walk to, but I'd feel bad leaving you alone," she said.

"A 'place'?" Wren repeated incredulously.

"Well, Byron lives kinda close to here, and since I go to his place pretty often I have a little area with this super old car parked there for emergencies," Celine rambled.

"I'm not gonna lie, that's really weird," Wren said, still very confused. There wasn't even a guarantee that car would work, and having a 'place' was a little sketchy. They weren't thrilled about walking in the snow, but they were even less thrilled with the idea of letting Celine walk off by herself. That was a disappearance waiting to happen.

"If… if you don't mind taking me along, I could walk with you to your… 'place' and you could drive me home?" they suggested. After a moment, Celine nodded.

"This is such a bad idea," Wren muttered to themself, then they followed Celine into the snow.

***

After about ten minutes of walking, the snow had soaked through Wren's shoes. They really regretted not just going back inside, but at this point Celine's car was probably closer than the party.

At least Celine seemed to know where she was going even if she'd severely underestimated how long it would take to get there.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't think it would take this long," she apologized, looking just as miserable as they felt. She looked more uncomfortable than cold though, shifting from side to side and fidgeting with her warm looking hoodie.

"It's f-fine," Wren muttered, only lying a little bit. They were really regretting not bringing a warmer jacket. "As long as you don't get lost, then we're screwed."

"No, I know exactly where we're going," she said confidently. "I'm good with directions I just have trouble with distance sometimes."

Celine gave them an apologetic look backwards. She stopped as she noticed them shivering.

"Are you ok? Do you want to use my jacket?" She asked, sounding worried. Wren shook their head vehemently.

"No, no, then you'll be cold. I'll be fine for another couple of minutes, let's just get there quickly."

Celine looked worried, but kept walking. Over the next minute she looked more and more fidgety, until finally she stopped. Wren shot her a questioning look, but she wasn't meeting their eyes.

"I have… an idea," she started hesitantly. "It'll be warmer, and we'll get there quicker, but… it'll be kind of shocking. Do… do you trust me?"

Wren stared at the girl who was basically a stranger, leading them to an unknown location in the snow. At this point, they thought it was a little late to be evaluating their life choices, and they told her as much.

"I mean, if you're a serial killer it's a little late for me to suddenly realize how sketchy this situation is," they joked nervously. "But I think, and I really hope, that I can trust you." Celine smiled, but she took a couple of steps back.

"Thank you, I think," she said. "Just… don't freak out, ok?"

Wren nodded, feeling more freaked out by the second. Celine took a deep breath, then stopped fidgeting, completely relaxing for the first time since Wren had met her. They watched in fascination as she looked somehow freer, less stressed, and taller. Then their heart skipped a beat as they realized that she was actually getting taller, it wasn't just their imagination.

They watched with wide eyes as Celine slowly grew, until she was twice their height, then three times, so tall they had to crane their head to look up at her. A massive shadow fell over them as she blocked out the light from the moon and the distant streetlamps. She knelt, but kept growing, getting so tall that they couldn't see all of her at once.

Wren didn't even realize they were backing up until they ran into something large and warm. They jumped and looked back, shocked at the size of the hand behind them. Celine's hand was now big enough to completely cover them. They stood in stunned shock as Celine gently cupped her hand around them, her fingers almost as long as their body. Wren looked back up in awe.

"Celine?" They asked, voice sounding small, even to their ears.

"It's ok," Celine said. She sounded like she was whispering, but Wren could feel the vibrations from the sound. Far above them, Celine smiled.

Fingers moved around them, and Wren's attention was brought to the impossibly big hand at their back. They stared as another hand the size of a mattress appeared at their side.

Wren suddenly knew exactly what a hamster felt like when being picked up, as hands cupped them from both sides, gently maneuvering them to sit in the palm of Celine's hand. Warmth radiated from her hand, and they could feel her heartbeat pulsing beneath them.

They were torn between being nervous and amazed, and they settled for studying the incredible close-up of hands in front of them. They hesitantly reached out to touch Celine's fingertips, their breath catching as they traced the detailed lines.

Wren felt a slight sense of vertigo as they were lifted higher. Celine had lifted them to her face, and the full force of a giant's attention distracted them.

"Are you feeling warmer now?" Celine asked, and Wren felt the vibrations where they sat. It took a couple seconds for them to process the question, and they nodded, still too shocked to speak. Their heart was beating a little too fast, and they realized they'd been silent for far too long.

"C-celine, what… how?" They stammered, unable to tear their gaze away from her. It would be hard to look away if they wanted to, considering she took up most of their vision.

"I'm a sizeshifter," Celine said, a smile that they would've called small if they were the same size on her face. The phrase rang a bell, and they wracked their memory. They remembered their parents using the phrase years ago but they thought that was a fairytale. Apparently not.

Wren stared for another moment before the amazement finally overtook the shock of suddenly feeling so tiny.

"That's so cool!" They blurted, a smile breaking out onto their face.

***

Celine had been nervous about showing her ability. Wren seemed trustworthy, but it wasn't something she just told people. She'd been planning to shift and walk on her own. The discomfort from not letting herself shift had been growing since they left the party.

However, when Wren insisted on coming with her, and refused to take her jacket, she couldn't bear seeing them so cold. Not when the walk was so much longer at human size than she remembered. Not when she had such an easy solution that would help them both.

They seemed nervous at first, but she thought it was more the shock of seeing someone grow taller than a house than actual fear for their safety. And after less than a minute of sitting in her hand, they stopped shivering, so she counted that as a win.

Once Wren got over their initial shock, they were excited, looking up at her with an awed expression that made her feel embarrassed. They seemed a little too flustered to talk much, so she stood as slowly as she could, trying to keep her hands from shaking too much.

Wren seemed ok, waving up at her with a shy smile, and looking out in fascination. She started walking again, making progress much quicker, and they eventually relaxed against her fingers.

Her heart melted, and she felt flattered at the amount of trust she was being shown. Honestly, she thought Wren would be scared off once she mentioned the hideout she had for if she needed to grow. Of course she hadn't called it that, but the wording had been weird enough to scare anyone off.

But Wren had stayed, and even now was trusting her, sitting calmly in her hands and listening as she chatted about something she read recently.

Eventually, even sitting in her hands couldn't keep the chill away, and they started shivering again. They weren't that far from Celine's hideout, but she asked them anyways.

"Would it be ok if I put you in my pocket? It would be a little bit warmer."

Wren nodded, and she carefully shifted them to one hand. They held onto her fingers for balance, seemingly fascinated by watching her hands move up close. She carefully moved them to the opening of her pocket, tilting her hand and letting them slide off into the hoodie pocket. She stuck her hands inside, careful not to squish them. After a moment, she felt them lean against her hands, getting comfortable in the warm pocket.

She walked cautiously for the next minute, careful not to shake them up too much. When she reached the hideout, she sank to a seated position.

"We're here," she said quietly, not wanting to move Wren without warning. There was no response.

"Wren?" She carefully felt around her pocket. Her tiny passenger was curled up against her hands, breathing deeply. She smiled as she realized they fell asleep.

"I guess I'll let them sleep a bit longer," she whispered to herself as she watched the now tiny snowflakes falling and felt the gentle breathing of her tiny friend.

[autumn-writes-slasherfics]

Woop woop first request is complete I'm so sorry for the long wait but it's here now hope you like it ❤️❤️

The harsh breeze of winter had fallen over camp crystal lake, the ponds frozen looking like delicate snow globes and the trees were stiff with snow. Jason knew that winter was coming Pamela had warned him so. Since his mother had warned him about the torrential snow yet to come Jason had been preparing a small cabin for the both of you beforehand. That brings us to now where you and Jason were cuddled up by the dimly lit fire wrapped up in several layers to keep warm. The undead killer had noticed you were shivering quite a bit so he got up turned to look at you and started using the sign language you taught him.

" I'm sorry you're still cold I thought we had enough blankets but don't worry I'll go get some more and I'll grab some more firewood while I'm at it"

You kinda felt bad for making him feel like he failed to take care of you so you stretched your arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the cheek making him blush in the process. Getting his mask and putting it on Jason blew you a kiss and exited out the front door unknowing of the danger that lurked ahead. You felt no need to tell him to stay safe when he left because he had already cleared the camp of horny teens and pot smokers tho after he left you had an uneasy feeling in your stomach.

-Little time skip-

Once Jason had picked up what he thought was enough blankets (he picked up way to many actually but its ok) he started to head back into the woods to pick up some more firewood. Since he knew about the weather forecast beforehand he stocked up on a lot of wood and stored it in his original cabin so it would be dry all season. Whilst on his way to his cabin he heard the snap of a twig and a horrified gasp. Jason whipped his head around to the direction of where the sound originated and what he saw put pure fear in his undead heart. It was a group of police officers to many for him to handle all at once the officers started to close in on him getting their guns at the ready. That's when Jason knew it was time to run. He threw the blankets at the officers and made a break for it. Multiple thoughts were racing through his head like "what if I get caught... what if they get y/n... I can't let that happen". Sprinting faster, the small cabin you were in was in sight but something had tainted it's fairytale like appearance. Blood. Blood had covered the walls and seeped into the crisp white snow staining it like wine on a rug. Jason's mind was going into overdrive he couldn't see you so his mind assumed the worse. That was until he had heard a blood curdling scream coming from the back of the cabin. Running around to the back, there you stood machete in hand standing over two bodies slowly bleeding out. Jason then put the pieces together.

Flashback to when he left the cabin

You had an uneasy feeling in your stomach and felt dizzy. You never feel like this apart from when something bad is happening. Instantly grabbing the bulky machete Jason had so kindly gifted you you went to go look out the spy hole in the door. You stepped back away from the door in shock at least 3 officers were in front of the cabin. Thinking of what to do you quietly grabbed some pinecones you put in an empty fruit bowl and snuck outside. Throwing one of the pinecones alerted one of the officers and he started walking around to the back. Just as he turned the corner you shoved the weapon into his back and put your hand on his mouth to muffle his screaming. You then went back inside and went up on the roof with a harpoon gun that Jason had left in the attic and shot another officer in the head killing him instantly. Blood splattered onto the wall and the officer fell to the ground with blood trailing into the soft snow. The last officer started to run away from the scene but failed miserably as you slid down of the roof and tackled him to the ground round the back of the cabin. He screamed the most hideous scream ever before you plunged the machete into his chest. You took the weapon back out of him and stood up you had a feeling you were being watched so you look over and see your beautiful boyfriend standing there.

-end of flashback-

You ran up to Jason and gave him a huge hug before breaking down crying. The thing is you didn't like to kill in fact you hated it but being involved with Jason meant that unfortunately you'd have to get used to it. Jason looked down at you and patted you on the head to calm you down before breaking from the hug to sign to you.

"Wanna go inside for a bit and have hot chocolate before we go deal with the other officers?"

You looked up at him and nodded your head before replying

"that sounds like a good plan".

-end of story-

AAAAaaaaaa I finally finished it I really hope you enjoyed this piece and I hope that you're all staying safe and healthy during this pandemic. Hopefully I'll have the other requests done soon but for now I'm gonna go to bed see you all tomorrow bye ❤️❤️❤️

[hazzasmut1]

Jon x reader - The Hike (part 1)

This is gonna be a multiple part/chapter fanfic.   Here’s part 1.  

The rain poured down from the heavens, thick droplets splattering against your jacket and trickling down onto the ground.  You hadn’t anticipated this sort of weather, despite the fact that you had checked the forecast this morning and it had stated that there would be heavy rain. On your back sat a heavy backpack full of provisions and supplies, as obviously you’d need to stop and eat at some point during this hike.  Your friend Jon trailed behind you, his coat done right up to his chin, his chubby face peeking out from underneath the hood.   “We shouldn’t have gone out,” he gasps, shivering a little.  “It’s freezing.” You sigh, stopping and turning to face him. “Don’t be such a drama queen!” you retort, kissing him on the cheek when he finally catches up with you.  He giggles a little, clearly happy with what you had just done, before going back to miserable mode.   You notice a wooded area up ahead and point to it. “We can shelter in there for lunch,” you tell him.  He nods in response. The rain continues to pour down upon the two of you as you make your way towards the woods.  It seems empty in there, which is no surprise given the weather. The smell of the forest, all earthy and woody, enters your nostrils as you step past the first tree.  You look around.  Definitely nobody there, you think to yourself as Jon staggers in behind you.  Throwing your rucksack off onto the ground, you open it up and produce two blankets – one for sitting on, one to cover yourselves with.  You look at Jon, a knowing smile playing on your lips.  Jon looks at the two blankets, then at your face, and smiles too. “We’ll eat here,” you tell him, throwing the first blanket down and placing your damp rucksack on top of it.  Jon sits down on the blanket, pulling his hiking boots off and placing them to one side.  Stretching his legs out, he pats the blanket beside him, gesturing to you to sit beside him.  You oblige, pulling your own boots off and plonking yourself down beside him. “So, what do you want to eat?” you ask Jon, reaching into your backpack to get some food.  “There’s Nutella sandwiches, Doritos and a big bar of chocolate, which technically is for us to share, but if you want to eat the entire thing it’s yours”. Jon chuckles, placing a hand on your thigh. Naturally, you turn scarlet, and look round at him.  He gently kisses your lips, then pulls away smiling. “Oh, I don’t want food,” he smirks. You turn redder as his remark sinks in. Fuck.  He wants to eat you out.  Right here, on this blanket, in this forest, under a fucking tree.  You look around you.  Nobody’s here, you think.  Nobody’s here because it’s raining, and you’re out in the middle of nowhere.  You can be as loud as you fucking want without consequence.  Of course he’s going to enjoy it, and maybe you should just relax and enjoy it yourself.  It isn’t the first time you’ve had sex in a semi-public place after all. Jon looks at you with his big brown eyes and you smile. “I know what you want, darling,” you say with a smile.  “And believe me, you’re going to get it.  Right now, in fact”. Shuffling away from Jon, you undo your jeans before standing up to take them off.  Placing them in a neat heap on top of your rucksack, you sit back down beside Jon, pulling the other blanket you had brought with you over your legs. Gently cupping his face in your hands, you lean forwards and kiss him, his tongue gently entering your mouth and clashing with yours.  His arms carefully wrap around your torso, pulling you close, your breasts pushing up against his chest.  You respond by wrapping your arms around his neck, and reaching a hand up to stroke his hair.  Even though it was damp with rain, his hair still felt nice under your fingertips, and you didn’t quite know why.  You feel a hand snake under the blankets towards your crotch and you let out a moan. Breaking away from the kiss, you rest your head on Jon’s shoulder as he rubs you through your panties. “Jon,” you whine as he slides his hand into your panties, fingers circling your clit, teasing you, making you wetter by the minute. “Yes?” he asks, stroking your hair with his free hand, his other hand working away at your clit. You don’t know what to say now except “fuck me”.  You’re far too aroused to hold a coherent conversation.  All you want is his lips and tongue kissing and licking every inch of your body, or his big, amazing appendage filling you up.  Pulling away from Jon, you unzip your coat and pull up your t-shirt, exposing your bra.  Jon responds by pulling his hand out of your panties and reaching up to squeeze your breasts.  You moan softly as he squeezes your lady lumps, your body writing a little under his touch.  He pinches your nipples and you whine out, desiring more pressure and pleasure.  Jon stops what he is doing then reaches inside your bra to pull your breasts out. “There we go,” he chuckles, kissing down your chest and taking your left nipple in his mouth.  He swirls his tongue around it expertly and you let out a breathy moan. “God damn it Jon,” you whimper as he licks and sucks on your breast.  You arch your back towards him, pushing against him. He takes your boob out of his mouth and begins to kiss down your stomach, all the while squeezing your right tit and digging his nails in a little.  His kisses feel nice against your stomach, his beard tickling your sensitive skin a little.  Although you’re horny as hell right now, you cannot help but laugh at his tickly beard. Unfortunately, this seems to ruin the mood, for he stops what he’s doing and stares up at you. “What?” he quizzes, raising an eyebrow. You shake your head, still giggling a little. “I didn’t say stop!” you shout, pissed off that he even thought he should stop. “Why are you laughing?  It’s a real mood killer, you know.” “Just keep going!” He nods, and continues to kiss your stomach, kissing a trail down towards your vagina.  Stopping at the waistband of your panties, he pulls them off, throwing them on top of your jeans.  Whipping the blanket off from on top of the both of you, he kisses along your waist, his soft tongue flicking out against your skin.  You whine in anticipation as he continues his journey down south, his tongue eventually swiping against your clit, causing you to let out a lusty giggle. “Fuck, that feels so good,” you mumble, clearly turned on and desperate at this point.  You needed him so fucking badly right now.  He was the one that had made you horny, and he was the one that was going to have to finish what he started. He continues to caress your sensitive button with his hot, wet tongue, his big brown eyes gazing up every so often to check if you were ok.  Your eyes were half closed in pleasure, your body relaxed against his grasp.  You clearly trusted him, and he knew that.  He was glad that you trusted him, because you knew it would have hurt him if you didn’t.  Considering you had been sleeping together for a good while now, you saw no reason why you could not trust him.  His tongue feels amazing against you, and you gasp out in surprise as you feel two fingers enter you. “Fuck!” you cry out in shock as he pumps his fingers in and out, ravishing your clitoris all the while.   You thrust against him a little, eyes still slightly shut.  You know you’re going to cum pretty soon at this rate, and you really don’t want it to happen any time soon.  You’re enjoying this moment far too much. Your body suddenly tenses up however as you reach your climax, jerking and shuddering as he withdraws his fingers. Your breathing heavy, you call out his name as you cum, writhing about on the blanket as he plants soft kisses against your lady area, giggling a little as he does so.  You really don’t want him to laugh, it’s not exactly funny, but at this point you know it’s just his way of doing things and that you should really just learn to accept it.  Planting one final kiss against your crotch, he pulls away from your still shaking body and grins up at you, his deliciously dark eyes sparkling with delight at what he had just done. “You enjoyed that?” he asks, smiling. You nod.  Jon sits up beside you, and pulls the blanket over the two of you. “I’m kind of hungry now.  Let’s take a little break and eat lunch, shall we?”

[thegeminisage]

more botw blogging, SUPER spoilery

this is a real long post sorry normally i break these up and this time i didn’t

and finally, off we go to a new province

this time im making its tower my first stop, since i can see it from here

i tried to paraglide across the river but i didn't have enough height so i landed on the cliffside and ITS RAINING!!!!! for fucks sake

i cant believe this game actually got me to hate rain..........

not only that but when i died in the water it didn't reload me back to where i started to glide from but a bit of cliff i stood on lol so #struggles right from the first minute

rain for the next 3 hours.......and i gotta climb it in the rain....jesus

i guess i could fast travel but i'd have to walk all the way back there :/

hmm. maybe the gae's throwing me the rain on purpose. an npc mentioned this river was notoriously difficult to cross :///

yep as soon as i turned away: it cleared. Great

well i see some bridge-like things further downstream i guess i'll check that out

lol jk i managed to glide across a different part and climb

like i saw my forecast change but then it changed back to sun so w/e i'll take it im up here now

aaaaah i can see so many cool things from here!!!!! i cant wait to explore them all!!!! that #new province feel

i hate like, feeling obligated to track down every last bit of stuff in the old ones when you're seeing new exciting stuff

but i love the feel of getting to a new one and not even knowing which cool thing to check out first

ohhh my god lol there's a big-ass bokoblin camp on the way to the tower i think i see a moblin but im not sure

aaaand im dead

at least there werernt any moblins!

tbh it isnt a difficult camp i just wasnt vigilant about healing

me every time i see something new: what the Fuck is that!?

in this case it was an ice wizzrobe which made it snow EVERYWHERE oh my god

That Was Difficult

if i didn't have my fire arrows and lynel bow it would have taken way longer

i died again!!!

those weird pattern bokoblins have SO much attack power ):

come on i have to clear out the camp AGAIN? and kill the wizzrobe?

naw dude i am skipping this nonsense i am going straight up the fucking cliff

HA i sniped them from above >:3

w

there's a zora on top of this tower!!!!!!!

omg poor thing he can't get back down i wish i could carry him on my paraglider

man i love the tower cutscenes and music and the way they unfold it's so cool

BIG SHINY NEW PROVINCE YYYYEAH!!!!

oh hey i found another zora down near these bridges

they all want me to go see their prince haha noooo i have too much to explore!!!

oooh it's so easy to get all turned around on these bridge thingies

man i love this province it's SO pretty

ah i found a goron on a sandbar!! how did you get out here with all this water...

nooo the blood moon again i knew it was coming the music has been funny all night >:(

lol jk the music faked me out its 2am and i warped to the stable for nothing (i was trying to get that one dude's reaction)

i came back and did the shrine and found another zora!! lol they all really want me to go see that dude

there's a thing i need to climb but ugh rain

while i was bored i chopped grass and attached octo balloons to things

now i am in the wetlands which are AWFUL to walk through i can practically feel the mud squishing between my toes and i want to die lmao

there are horses here!! i miss mine ):

ive done enough shrines now to get another upgrade but i dont feel like doing all that backtracking blegh

oh noooo i see a guardian out here, a moving one ;_;

ah it's been awhile since i failed to fight the still ones on the plateau...i wonder what the start screen meant by "the right tools" ive got a lot of damn tools!! did they mean arrows??

lol yet another zora telling me to meet with the prince.........dude

this prince must be either desperate or spoiled

uh

okay maybe its a glitch but i think?? i see?? a flying island in the distance? What The Fuck

wait no it looks kind of like a ship or giant bird??

my pins don't stick to it, it's definitely moving around

jesus fuck

AHAHAH FUCK THE GUARDIAN SAW ME

HAD TO TAKE REFUSE IN THE FUCKING SHRINE

jesus christ i hate those things!!!! you can't kill them!!!!!!!

NO oh my god there's a hinox over here too

why this Why This

lol the hinox fighting music is giving me trauma flashbacks

actually that wasnt so bad with a defense elixir on

maybe it's just me but this province feels kinda small? i feel like i could finish exploring it p quickly, which is nice

not that i'm not having fun but i know i'm going so slowly ):

me every five seconds: i miss my hooorse i want one to ride around to go faaaaster

i guess...i could catch...one of these

and like. not register it bc the stable is 10000 miles away but

a temp ride. let's see if i can. need to use up some of my sneak potions anyways

i caught one and rode it awhile, but my heart's not in training it...i want My Horse

oh my god wait i hear town music!! is this a stable right here!! AAAAAH

so i did catch a pretty black one and named it luna - had to let the first one i caught go lol but it didn't have great stats and i only rode it once so it'll be happier in the wild probably

KASS IS AT THIS STABLE IM SO HAPPY SO IS HESTU

he's playing epona's song i'm gonna CRY

I MISS EPONA IM DYING

oh my god he had a story for me!! the same one that impa told!!!!! man

the music is still so good. fuck.

lmao i was talking to one dude and he was like well might as well head back inside ugh that place is so filthy and the women so free you might as well call it a manfill

UM?? NINTENDO??

i can see hyrule castle super close from where i am and it looks super scary and i super want nothing to do with it rn

i get the feeling you can like, go in there whenever? maybe even do the endgame stuff early? but oh my god i Dont wanna

OMG i just mounted a bear

i read that you could ride things other than horses but holy shit lmao

i mean

it killed me after i got off, but man

sadly i must now board my horse and continue with The Story see i explored the non-story bits of that province SUPER quickly dang

oh no

this shrine is called a minor test of strength

Oh No

Why, God

oh. that was actually like SUPER easy compared to the other two haha phew

this lady at the crossroads said the prince was creepy omg i knew there was something, ahaha, excuse me, "fishy"

whoa i love his music theme!!

lmao i always get so SHOCKED when they talk!!! even still!!!!!

voice acted cutscenes of this game are like fmvs of final fantasy games in generations 5-7 lol

oh my god...the wink/sparkle thing...he's such a HAM

he's flattering me TOO much omg dude what do you want.......

ok, ok, i like him

he doesn't seem very trustworthy but since his people are in trouble i'll cut him some slack on that one

oh nooo i gotta climb this in the rain......

ah, it's sunshowering tho! that's kinda neat

i just got attacked by octoroks and my heart wept a little because traveling up zora's river dodging octoroks to get to and save zora's domain...I've Been Here Before

listen, i could write a book on this

(lol i did write 300k on this but shhh that was a long time ago)

like...if link is actually a reincarnation does he get flashes of memory

oot happened in every timeline but i know wind waker didn't

but do you think assuming this is in the same timeline as wind waker something in him feels at home the first time he sails a raft again

or hears kass play epona's song at the ranch

or ducks an octorok on his way to zora's domain

people treat the incarnation thing as a kind of tragedy - the world will never be free of evil so long as ganon/ganondorf exists

but maybe there's happiness in it too

no matter what happens, no matter how sad the ending - i mean hell, in this very game, link and zelda LOST

no matter what though, it's guaranteed that they'll see each other again

over and over and over without end, link and zelda are gonna meet and be together for awhile while they defend hyrule again

frankly if that's not a soulmate idk what is

and frankly i'm perpetually offended that they don't develop ganondorf the man more like they did in wind waker...that was the Peak tbqh

i would kill for something like that again

anyway

i love how present the current here is, like with the stuff floating down the river, thats a NICE touch

tbh it's actually really nice that he keeps uselessly checking on me on the way up the river

like, i've been so lonely

even now i miss my companion going "what's WITH that guy" like they probably would if i had one

so this is nice. tbh.

i know it was probably a deliberate choice and makes the game stronger but a companion for this game, someone to share it with...that would've been cool

even just zelda as the protag, she could do some internal narration

but the whole thing is just so quiet.

this place is so pretty tho?? in the distance i see these like, pink coral looking plant things, and the blue columns and bridges are gorgeous

OH NO LIGHTNING GOD WHY

i think its an area thing too i cant just wait it out lmao im gonna Die

oh jk it's just rain now

idk why my entire forcecast changes to a particular type of weather and its only like that a few seconds...super weird and annoying

lol sidon all "you're almost halfway there i believe in you!!" and not helping fight and link's little "k" wave

i love link as a silent protag even if i did have him talk in my writing like it's so endearing

i wonder if link is like sgr like "i am 100 years old what is this zora kid even doing. what is he EVEN DOING."

lol just had to dodge some rocks rollin down a hill

you see this is what i mean. there's a weird sense of familiarity and nostalgia if you've played the games a lot. i wonder if the spirit of the hero feels that way with each new adventure, too

like if he's okay doomed to an eternity of fighting and parting with zelda over and over

because in the end he always gets to do this again

like i can see the spirit of the princess/goddess being high key miserable about those circumstances but i wonder if the spirit of the hero is maybe secretly glad

because part of him will always yearn for the next adventure

he never COULD be happy settling because this is what he was born for

WE love doing this again and again and again, maybe it's not such a stretch to think the spirit of the hero does too

or maybe i'm projecting so hard onto him because undertale has so successfully blurred the line between the player and the game for me LMAO

oh man i just noticed all the names on this map

lulu, mikau ;_;

i miss them!!!!

just once i wish zelda games would feature the same side characters in two or three titles

we never got to see saria or darunia or lulu again

we get to come back to the world but every friend we've ever made has been gone

like some narnia shit i swear to god

lol this is why i should never do story all i do is rant about My Zelda Feels, which are literally endless

oh NICE battle with a blue moblin on the bridge!!!!

ah i like the zora history here too please give me all the worldbuilding i wanna know everything about this world that i can bc rn all i know is "we got Fucked"

i guess i also know about the automans but i need More

i say, while procrastinating on getting to the story

in other news i have an ice and lightning rod which i havent bothered trying to use

bc when i tried to use the boomerang i failed utterly lol

but these? holy shit dude these are Powerful when you actually land a magic hit like Dang

i Love them im never avoiding another wizzrobe again (thats where they drop from)

oh wow

i finally made it, and

man. oh man. it's so beautiful

i wish i could see if better

jesus the zoras always had the prettiest parts of the games imo

OH NO THE MUSIC

OH NO!!! im gonna cry omg

it's the same melody from oot i think!! oh my god!!!!!!

omg there's a zora here named rivan who says he knows me?!?!

omg no he's listing some of link's old pals from Before im so sad why can't he remember

OOOH i shouldn't speak to the elderly bc apparently i am "guilty" of something?? i love this development PLEASE tell me more

i love that they all age so slowly #nice

am i walking into a fucking execution lmao sidon don't play me......

omg the little zora kids are adorable!!!

omg there's a statue of the zora champion ;_;

man this is all so cool i wanna know EVERYTHING about what happened back then!!!!

lol the shrine here was SUPER nerve wracking god you had to like, roll the giant ball down a hill and stop time at JUST the right moment skjghf

oh my gosh ANOTHER zora who knows me (lol "linny")

im so ;w; they all know me!!!!!!

i slept on the blissful water bed at the inn and was mystified and alarmed by the sound effects but i got an extra stamina wheel and 3 extra hearts!!! god damn you can't beat that shit

im so amazed at how many people knew link and like, blame him? i wanna know so bad what happened, i wanna know more about mipha

ten bucks says she's still alive and like trapped in the divine beast but corrupted

or a ghost or something like the old man ;_;

aww zoras sleep in the water aw aw :3

i'm loving this theme of link sleeping for so long like at first i thought of sgr but i just realized it's also like oot (and i can't believe i didn't make that connection first...)

like in oot the people who knew him Before are so happy to see him again and are sure he can help them

but in this game it's a bit mixed

and in this game we don't know the details of 100 years ago yet ;_;

zora's domain here is like. so GLOWY. reminds me of waterfall from undertale tbh lol i wanna paint it

so i'm talking to the king and this one elderly zora goes "the hylians abused an ancient society's power to turn hyrule into what it is today" & like...tbh my dude you have a point. if they had never gotten those guardians out then they couldn't have turned on them

oh my GOD

i just got my first look at a divine beast and i can't believe i was calling them jaegers

my jaw dropped irl holy shit

like that thing truly looks both divine and beastly (this one is an elephant)

is mipha still in there as like a ghost ;_;

it's so clear how much everyone misses her

and she seemed so sweet in the one short memory i recovered

every time sidon does his sparkle smile i love him a little more

i didn't trust him at first bc he seemed a little too eager but now i see he's just doing his best!!!!

especially as someone who thinks radically and progressively in a society where elders stay around hundreds of years

YESSSSS I GOT ZORA ARMOR!!!! YES!!!!!!!!

SWIM SPEED UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

omfg and it's an engagement thing just like the sapphire

MADE BY MIPHA?

thats right that other lady said link was supposed to choose between her and mipha

listen mipha seems cool and all but i've been shipping zelink for 19 years, so

oh NO, mipha had feelings for link

oh no poor mipha...oh my god

WAIT AM I ABOUT TO GET ANOTHER MEMORY??? OH MY GOD!!!!!

duuuuuude

"no matter how bad the wound i will ALWAYS" heal you and then link wakes up in water

did she do that!!! did she save him ;_; oh my god im going to cry

"you are quivering like a hatchling" PLEASE protect my poor son

muzu is making me sad dude he misses her so much and he hates this so much

ooooh i have to fight another lynel for shock arrows...good Lord im not looking forward to that

I KNEW IT

"calamity ganon took control of the beasts and trapped the champions inside" yep either she's still alive like link and zelda or her body is in there and so is her fucking ghost

DUDE!! i just swam up my first waterfall and it was AWESOME!!!!!

so im at shatterback point now hwere lynel is just bc i wanted to swim up a waterfall but probably he will kill me quickly lmao

apparently you can mount him too which. sick.

but idk i dont have any good food or elixirs or weapons ready im just up here for science im probably gonna knock off soon i gotta Draw

Oh Fuck There He Is ):

it's super tedious to have top go back and delete every fucking picture i take for my copendium one by one those shouldn't save in my album automatically come on dude im trying to take a picture of this lion centaur thing here

aaah there's a rainbow here too #nice

ah well got him about a quarter pf the way down before i died :/ not bad for being completely unprepared

tbh i only had one defense food?? had i had more i could have whittled him down eventually

anyway thats all for tonight!! i doubt i'll play anymore tonight bc i have drawing to do

lol this is a long post but it's all in one bc i'm typing them in notepad now and don't have to worry about them getting too long

[brinazzle]

7

In San Diego, where I live, I can always identify the neighbors who are fanatical sailors, surfers, or golfers. They’re the ones checking their phones for hourly weather updates. That makes sense. San Diego has some of the most reliable weather on the planet, but sometimes it doesn’t. So my neighbors use all the tools at their disposal to determine if the wind on the Pacific Ocean will be fresh, the surf will be up, and the golf course will be playable. They are not only aware of the environment, they go out of their way to forecast it. Few of us shape our days with the obsessive forecasting that avid sailors, surfers, and golfers take for granted. If we did, we wouldn’t be blindsided by our environment so often. Forecasting is what we must do after acknowledging the environment’s power over us. It comprises three interconnected stages: anticipation, avoidance, and adjustment. 1. Anticipation Successful people are not completely oblivious to their environment. In the major moments of our lives, when the outcome really matters and failure is not an option, we are masters of anticipation. When an ad agency team enters a client’s conference room to pitch an account, they’ve already honed their presentation, researched the client’s biases, and rehearsed sharp answers to deflect any pushback. They imagine the positive emotional temperature in the room when they’re finished—and then design their pitch to create it. It’s the same with trial attorneys who never ask a question to which they don’t know the answer. Their entire line of questioning a witness is based on anticipation. It’s the same with a public official chairing a town meeting on a divisive issue. The official anticipates that some comments will be said in anger, that the exchanges could become inflammatory and personally insulting. In a heated environment, she reminds herself to stay cool and be fair. She may prepare some mollifying remarks. She may even request a police presence. Likewise with a young man before he asks his girlfriend to marry him. If he follows convention, the gesture is an exercise in extreme anticipation—from the selection of the setting to choosing the right moment to pop the question—all in an effort to elicit the anticipated response from the object of his affection. (Brides often reciprocate with an even greater display of anticipation on their wedding day.) When our performance has clear and immediate consequences, we rise to the occasion. We create our environment. We don’t let it re-create us. The problem is that the majority of our day consists of minor moments, when we’re not thinking about the environment or our behavior because we don’t associate the situation with any consequences. These seemingly benign environments, ironically, are when we need to be most vigilant. When we’re not anticipating the environment, anything can happen. *1 I once thought it would be useful to introduce two of my clients to each other over dinner. Edgar was an Ivy League educated president of a liberal think tank in New York City. He had the silky diplomatic skills of a man who spent half his time asking wealthy donors for money. Mike was a gregarious, slightly roguish head of an energy company in Oklahoma. I thought their different backgrounds would make for an interesting evening. They’d broaden their minds and have me to thank for it. Wrong. In my experience, when smart people meeting for the first time run low on conversation, they turn to politics. If they’re of the same political stripe, they have a jolly time agreeing on how bad the other side is. If they’re opposed politically, they try to convince the other that he’s wrong. That’s what happened at dinner. Edgar was a rabid liberal. Mike the oilman was a hardened conservative. Things went well up to the appetizers. But after the friendly talk about jobs, families, vacation plans, and sports had been dispensed with, they defaulted to current events. It was as if they’d been handed a checklist of hot-button issues—border security, energy policy, gun control, legal marijuana, affirmative action, government spending—so each man could futilely try to change the other’s point of view. They spent thirty minutes arguing over secondhand smoke, though neither man was an expert on or even cared about the issue. It was an evening of two strong-minded males expressing their need to win. I was a miserable spectator. The fault was mine, not theirs. As Samuel Johnson said of a widower remarrying soon after the end of an unhappy marriage, I exhibited “the triumph of hope over experience.” I should have known better. I knew their political differences. I’m the one who placed them across the table from each other with no one else to distract them. In hindsight, I’m convinced their behavior would have been different in an office setting. In that workplace environment, they’d display appropriate workplace behavior. They’d be cordial and professional. My big mistake, though, was a failure to anticipate their behavior in the after-hours environment of dinner at a restauran —when both men considered themselves off-duty, free to say anything because it would have no business repercussions. Proper anticipation would have led to... 












2. Avoidance Peter Drucker famously said, “Half the leaders I have met don’t need to learn what to do. They need to learn what to stop.” It’s no different with our environment. Quite often our smartest response to an environment is avoiding it. • If we’re returning home late at night, we don’t take a route through a sketchy high-crime neighborhood. • If we’ve given up drinking, we don’t hang out at a bar. • If we’re fair-skinned and burn easily in the sun, we skip the beach. • If we detest our neighbor Todd, we politely turn down his invitations to visit. We’re generally shrewd about avoiding environments that present a physical or emotional risk or are otherwise unpleasant.On the other hand, we rarely triumph over an environment that is enjoyable. We’d rather continue enjoying it than abandon or avoid it. Part of the reason is inertia. It takes enormous willpower to stop doing something enjoyable.

A bigger part, though, is our fundamental misunderstanding of the relationship between our environment and temptation. Temptation is the mocking sidekick who shows up in any enjoyable environment, urging us to relax, try a little of this or that, stay a little longer. Temptation can corrupt our values, health, relationships, and careers. Because of our delusional belief that we control our environment, we choose to flirt with temptation rather than walk away. We are constantly testing ourselves against it. And dealing with the shock and distress when we fail. Sometimes the temptation is as trivial as having a second slice of cheesecake. Other times it’s a major-league challenge, like agreeing too quickly to an irresistible deal even when we know we can’t deliver on schedule. I see this thinking all the time among my successful clients. They love a challenge. They award themselves merit points for triumphing over temptation. Avoidance to them is not an achievement. It’s the negative option created by passivity. It happens by default. This impulse to always engage rather than selectively avoid is one reason I’m called in to coach executives on their behavior. *2 It’s one of the most common behavioral issues among leaders: succumbing to the temptation to exercise power when they would be better off showing restraint. I had an unusual case with a longtime client named Stan. After years starting and selling companies and running a Fortune 50 corporation, Stan retired at age seventy to serve on a few boards, consult a little, and fulfill his dream of giving away half his fortune via a foundation to support medical research. He installed his wife as the foundation’s head and his two grown daughters as her lieutenants. Stan called me, inviting me to sit in on a family meeting at his home in Connecticut. Minutes into the meeting, I could see the problem. Stan’s family was ignoring him. He would bark out commands to his wife, a formidably accomplished woman, and she would respond, “I am your wife and the head of the foundation. Don’t confuse me with one of your employees.” Stan had this exchange more than once and still didn’t take the hint. He’d turn to his daughters, one a lawyer, the other a doctor, and order them around. They’d say, “We report to Mom.” This was not Stan’s first frustrating meeting with his family. I was there at his invitation to coach him on how to get his wife and kids to listen. “It’s not gonna happen,” I said to Stan. “But I’m the one who paid for everything. They can’t shut me out,” he said. “True.” I nodded. “But irrelevant. You’re making a false equivalency between your career as a CEO and your authority at home. Your family obviously doesn’t see it that way. You put them in charge. The foundation is their responsibility. You can’t undo that. All you can do is accept that you may be in charge at work but not at home.” The problem, I quickly saw, was “environmental.” Holding the meeting in a home environment rather than at the foundation’s office confused the situation: was this a business or family matter? It certainly confused Stan, who behaved like an imperious chief executive when he should have been a more inclusive husband and father. I knew Stan to be a classic “people person,” an expert at reading the temperature in any room. Yet here with his family, triggered by the environment of his home, he was behaving against his best interests—and unaware of it. “What would it cost you psychically to exit the situation?” I asked. “It was my idea,” said Stan, persisting in his belief that he still had “ownership” in the foundation. “Stan, your family is rebelling against your behavior, not you,” I said. “Even if you change your ways, who’s to say they’d accept it, or you wouldn’t revert to the old you? You’d be better off avoiding them.” It took Stan a few minutes to accommodate avoidance as a solution. Worst case, I explained, the fighting with his family would cease immediately. Best case, his wife and daughters might eventually turn to him for advice. But it wouldn’t happenuntil he took himself out of the picture. I don’t usually cite politicians as role models, but they are masters of avoidance. Unlike my high-achieving clients (who can’t foresee error-inducing situations because they’re neither used to erring nor admitting its possibility), politicians are terrorized by the specter of a career-ending gaffe. So they develop perfect pitch for any environment that might tempt them into making a gaffe. When they refuse to answer a no-win question at a press conference, they’re practicing avoidance. When they won’t be seen in the same room with a polarizing public figure, they’re avoiding. When they abstain from a controversial vote, they’re avoiding. Politicians know this instinctively. Why don’t we? It’s a simple equation: To avoid undesirable behavior, avoid the environments where it is most likely to occur. If you don’t want to be lured into a tantrum by a colleague who gets on your nerves, avoid him. If you don’t want to indulge in late night snacking, don’t wander into the kitchen looking for leftovers in the fridge. 














































3. Adjustment Of course, there are many moments in life when avoidance is impossible. We have to engage, even if doing so terrifies us (for example, public speaking), or enrages us (for example, visiting our in-laws), or turns us into jerks (for example, conducting business with people we don’t respect). Adjustment, if we’re lucky, is the end product of forecasting—but only after we anticipate our environment’s impact and eliminate avoidance as an option. Adjustment doesn’t happen that often. Most of us continue our errant ways unchecked. We succeed despite, not because of, falling into the same behavioral traps again and again. Adjustment happens when we’re desperate to change, or have an unexpected insight, or are shown the way by another person (such as a friend or coach). This was the case with a rising tech executive named Sachi, whom I met in Silicon Valley. Sachi was raised in a small village in India without money or advantage. She worked hard and, with great help from her proud parents, was one of the few women to graduate in electrical engineering from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi. After a few years working in Silicon Valley, she received her MBA from Stanford. At thirty she was already at the director level at a top software firm. Sachi told me about her return visit to her village. She was having dinner with seven of her old friends. One friend asked a seemingly innocent question: “What did you do last week?” Sachi shared the details of an exciting week. She had flown to Paris for a conference and met with a few icons in her industry. She was leading the development phase for a new product. Her CEO had just told her that she had been tapped for the company’s high-potential leadership program. She bubbled over with enthusiasm. After dinner, everyone said goodbye except Sachi’s closest childhood friend, Ranjini. Ranjini was not as wildly successful as Sachi but was advancing steadily in a large Indian company. The others at dinner were faring less well. As Sachi talked about how much she enjoyed the reunion, Ranjini interrupted her to say, “Do you think people want to hear you popping off about Paris and new products and CEOs? When did you become such a show-off?” Sachi was crushed at first, then defended herself: “They asked me what I did last week. So I told them.” It took her a few sleepless hours that night to realize that she’d completely misread her situation. She wasn’t dealing with a group of whiz kids in Silicon Valley. She was dealing with poor people who grew up with her but had never gone as far as she had. In her mind, she was sharing her life. In their minds she was rubbing their noses in it. She reproached herself for not anticipating this and for behaving so insensitively. But making mistakes is how we learn. She realized that a simple question can trigger a simple response that’s appropriate in one environment and completely wrong in another. On her next trip back, when she met with a group of villagers and was asked about her job, Sachi said, “Mostly technical stuff. There’s a lot of travel. That part is tough.” And then she turned her considerable charm and attention to ask about their lives. Sachi did what anyone would do with a heightened awareness of the environment. She was adjusting. 

*1 If you’ve ever made a thoughtless but seemingly innocent comment to a loved one or colleague that escalated into a World War III argument or irreparably hurt feelings, you know what I’m talking about. *2 I privately refer to this attitude in my clients as the “dramatic narrative fallacy”—the notion that we have to spice up our day by accepting more, if not all, challenges, as if our life resembled a TV drama where the script says we overcome seemingly insurmountable odds rather than avoid them. That’s okay for recreational pursuits, like training for a triathlon. But life becomes exhaustingly risky if we apply that attitude to everything. Sometimes the better part of valor—and common sense—is saying, “I’ll pass.” Golfers believe a boring round of golf is a great round of golf. You drive the ball into the fairway, hit your next shot onto the green not too far from the pin, then sink your first putt for birdie or your second putt for par. Then you walk to the next tee and do it again. Do this for eighteen holes and you’ll either shoot a personal best or break the course record. Given the choice, golfers will take a dull round of that caliber over a dramatic roller coaster every time.

[weliketheiroldstuff]

Slayer brings Hell to Michigan one last time with Lamb of God, Amon Amarth, and Cannibal Corpse

What could be more appropriate weather for Slayer's last Michigan show than death via tornado and extreme thunderstorms? Hellfire? Acid rain? An over-exaggerated weather forecast, in Michigan? You don't say. It is pissing rain, but there have been complete breaks in weather. My hope that the show will go on (even after other dates on the tour cancelled for less) is going to hold out. Fuck yeah Michigan. 

Everyone who loves metal has an affinity for Slayer. They're the only band in metal that at shows for other bands, their name is yelled instead.

This shit has been going on since the 80s. Hell, the first time I went to Harpos people screamed "Slayer!!!" the entire fucking night. It took me forever to understand this. I was 16, I didn't have a clue. I figured it out after one of the dudes in line said "I get that people always say Slayer at shows, but metalheads say that shit too much sometimes..."

Before heading in I’m spotted by one of my favorite photographers and people I’ve met doing this shit, Mirak. He is a fucking champion at this shit. I’ve loved his work since long before I met him and well before I was at these types of shows. I highly suggest getting to know the dude as he was shooting for the ampitheater that night. We hung out in his car and shot the shit about how we both got denied on the first leg of the tour, and hopefully how the weather would hold up. Cheer Mirak!

This is a full circle moment for me on a massive and inspirational level. Almost 20 years ago at the same venue (different name) I watched Slayer lay waste to Pine Knob at Ozzfest 99. Now I'm sitting in the Arbor at DTE Energy Theater, anxiously awaiting my trek with my shitty fucked up foot down amphitheater steps to photograph Cannibal Corpse opening for the metal gods Slayer.

This is what music is all about.

This feeling I have inside me that is part anxiety part overwhelming emotion about not deserving this part absolute excitement.

Fuck. 

Coming down the steps revealed the largest Cannibal Corpse banner I've ever seen. Kings of Floridian Death Metal deserve such a display. As the group walked out I noticed Corpsegrinder had popcorn set out for him on one of the bass cabs. As baked as I am right now I only could think of one thing... "I wish George would hand me that right now, I could crush some popcorn."

They ripped into "Evisceration Plague" . This crowd is loving the Florida-five-some and I'm finding it as hard as the last time I photographed these dudes to not dance like Ace Ventura Pet Detective.

The song stuck in my head for days was the brutal "Red Before Black". It sounds like getting your innards spread on a Twister mat and played with by laughing cretins. Anyone up for some blood sausage?

By now my janky ass foot feels the worst its felt yet. It seems like its gonna continue to feel like complete shit for a while.

They ripped into "Evisceration Plague" . This crowd is loving the Florida-five-some, and I'm finding it harder than last time I photographed Cannibal Corpse to not dance like Ace Ventura Pet Detective.

The song stuck in my head for days was the brutal "Red Before Black". It sounds like getting your innards spread on a Twister mat and played with by laughing cretins. Anyone up for some blood sausage?

By now my janky ass foot feels the worst its felt yet. It seems like its gonna continue to feel like complete shit for a while. Although the adrenaline is coming in and out and making me forget about it.

Its pretty wild that while shooting I was able to focus on Amon Amarth and the shots I wanted to get. Their stage setup is incredible. Excellent lighting. Silk banners that set the 3d centerpiece viking warship the fuck off. 

The Swedish quintet come out to a massive roar and gave us an aural beating via "The Pursuit of Vikings". The power behind this band is felt in the bottom of my gullet. Improving my DNA and making me stronger as I write this. Foot pain. Ill fucking deal with it. Is it broke? Who cares. Is this going to affect me shooting the rest of this concert? No. Will it affect my walk between the media meet up area and the photo pit? Yes, definitely. But once I'm there. Its not gonna matter. 

Amon Amarth set the next tone by bringing an even bigger crowd than CC. Rowing pits. Driving pounding brutal melodic death metal music echoes throughout the entire DTE Energy Theatre complex. Along with the deafening crowd roars after each song, this band is gaining fans by the second. All of this makes me look at my foot like "you son of a bitch". Even the rips from my cbd vape pen are not helping. Neither is pointing and yelling, ROWWW!!!

Lamb of God. I've waited to shoot them for a long time. They were on my first list of bands that I wanted to work up to shooting. When I made that list, it was a pipe dream. It was so far-fetched to me.

I love how much they give back to punk and hardcore via metal. Their start came from a world drenched in NYHC and the original DC Hardcore. Being from Virginia it only makes fucking sense. 

I can feel that vibe more and more every second we get deeper into their set. Randy is jumping like he is fucking 19. Mark is headbanging like he's back in a VFW hall in the early 2000s. This is the energy I wish more metal bands had.

I understand that some can't move much because their technical prowess limits their movement. Although, my preference is a band that gives all their energy on stage because that sends a vital message to crowd-goers.

YOU BETTER GO HARDER THAN WE ARE ON STAGE. YOU PAID FOR THIS SHIT. GIVE YOURSELF THE RELEASE YOU DESERVE!

Omerta. Omerta. Omerta. Brutal Lamb of God has not lost a step even though the world has tried to trip them up over the years. Even though this is not the full lineup with Art Cruz filling in for Chris Adler on drums. This is so fucking satisfying to my younger self, that I gotta stop and just enjoy a few seconds of it. I've seen them a handful of times over the years, but never this fucking close.

Randy making it up to the drum riser and jumping off swinging his dreads like the next generation of die hard Bad Brains fans. Mark's consistent headbanging through shredding like a virtuoso has my brain needing a fucking repair, possibly a full fucking replacement. Shit's so blown. With sod in the air, mud flying, and mosh pits breaking out all over the hill, the only way to up this shit is with Slayer.

How the fuck am I supposed to shoot Slayer now boys?

The first time I saw the legends that are Slayer, I was a teenager. I was with my Dad and Aunt and Uncle. I headbanged with my Mexi-Fro through their entire set. I watched Deftones, Slayer, Rob Zombie, then Black Sabbath. The day was my 2nd Ozzfest of 5 annual trips to Pine Knob. I didn’t have some prophetic feeling that I would photograph this shit or play on this stage as a drummer. I just knew it felt so unbelievably comfortable there.

A metal festival made me feel at home after a decade and a half of feeling outcast and awkward as fuck. Still to this day, I get that same feeling, I experience this shit every time I go shoot. It’s how I know 20+ years later that I was right in thinking this was my life. Slayer fits in there on so many levels.

As I sit here at a picnic table with 2 very kind Canadian gentlemen photographers, I realize that this has always been waiting for me. Waiting for me to take the dive. Waiting for me to take chances. Waiting for me to take the next step and try for massive gigs. Gigs I’ve only been denied for before. I can’t help but think “Do I belong here? All these other dudes are shooting for newspapers or magazines or the venue itself or the tour. What the fuck am I doing here?”

Then it fucking hits me.

It’s time.

We gotta head down to the stage and await tour securities final approval for photo pit entry. My fucking mind is racing. The whole amphitheater is fucking packed with drunk, stoned, drugged up metalheads and as we make the final trek down to wait, I lose all anxious emotion and say to myself “One of the Big 4, thank them by nailing some photos’’ and unleash one of the loudest crowds I’ve ever been in front of.

So far the most important band I’ve ever photographed. Their influence is felt all over the world. They have a quintuple leg final tour going on for fucks sake. There are so many people screaming elongated “SLAYER!!!!!” and then I see them walk out on stage, from side stage. They drop the first curtain and it gets even louder. Halfway through the double kabuki drop and I’m already shooting.

Slayer logos pop up on the silk screen at the front of the stage. All of a sudden massive pyro blasts go off and I can feel the heat 100 feet away. They start ripping into “Delusions of Saviour” and then more fire blasts and the silk screen drops. A dozen crew members catch the silk screen and bundle it up and run it out of the photo pit. A bad ass looking mother fucker gives us the okay and we are in the pit to Slayer rapidly punching the crowd in the face aurally like the heavyweight champions of metal they are. I make my way through the pit all the way to Kerry King and just start blasting off shots. The fire blasts are so much more intense than when we were standing on the side wall. I'm literally the closest person to Kerry on the face of the planet and I don’t know if I have fucking eyebrows anymore.

I feel like I’m fucking 16 again.

I can’t believe I’m doing this shit.

There is so much fucking headbanging going on that I can finally ignore the stench of 15000 stinky Detroit metalheads. Present company definitely included. Watching this band go off, sans Paul Bostaph as I can’t even see him behind the massive drum kit. I failed fucking miserably even being able to see Paul, let alone get a shot of him. Slayer doesn’t let up. The songs come rapid fire. How the fuck are dudes approaching 60 still commanding a full amphitheater? God damn, I can’t even understand the level this shit is on. Slayer sounds even better than in 99.

How the fuck is this possible? Why the fuck is this the end? Holy shit. As happy as I fucking am shooting this show it’s already starting to hit me that even two songs in and we’re almost done. This is it. No more fucking Slayer here ever again. No more.

I stop just like I did earlier in the day. I just watch for a good 45 seconds. This is absolute insanity. It’s also complete fucking harmony too. Everyone at this show is connected to this shit. Even the puking elder, even the little kids who are there because of their parents, even the security guards. You can feel the energy. I know it’s super fucking hippy to say this shit, but it seriously feels like we’re in a bubble.

Next thing I know, I’m hobbling my way to my car damn near on cloud 9. Slayer had slayed Michigan one last time. The most brutal of the Big 4 gave us one last insane show and sendoff. My drive home was one of the best I’ve ever had in my life. I can’t say if there will be more North American dates in the future or if they will extend the final tour or not. What I can say is this, if you missed this and are upset about it, you should be upset about it.

For one, I’ve never seen greener grass on that hill, and also it get completely destroyed by the end of the night. Two, it was an insane lineup from start to finish. Three, tickets were like 29 bucks for lawn. Four, the Big Four. It was one of the Big Four saying goodbye and you missed it! So, do yourself a favor and check out the photos below. Oh, you were there? See what we saw from our view. If you feel the love, spread it, and share this link with your friends!

Give Slayer, Lamb of God, Amon Amarth, and Cannibal Corpse your follows and your love. These dudes have all influenced modern music in so many ways. This wasn’t just a final Slayer show, this was a fucking homage to metal and it’s different sounds…

You have Original Florida Death Metal, Swedish Melodic Viking Metal, Virginian Metal Core, and the god damn kings of like 7 metal genres. How many genres just don’t fucking exist without Slayer? I doubt Black Metal even comes up. I doubt Thrash really gets its metal edge. Does crossover? What about Speed Metal? Does that even make it out of the 80s?

After Sabbath, the Big Four are there. Slayer can easily be argued for the reigning metal lords. No wavering, just beat the shit out of us for almost 40 years. Slayer isn’t dead yet. The tour continues, and the music will never ever cease to impact, inspire, and give intensity to new generations of music.

Cannibal Corpse and Amon Amarth

LAMB OF GOD

S L A Y E R

SLAYER OFFICIAL SITE LAMB OF GOD OFFICIAL SITE AMON AMARTH OFFICIAL SITE CANNIBAL CORPSE OFFICIAL SITE

ALL PHOTOS AND WORDS BY SHERBURT REYNOLDS FOLLOW ILTOS ON INSTAGRAM