#IVE FINALLY ADDED A VEGETABLE AGAIN!!!!

[dog-girl-zezora]

I know I'm depressed because I cant cook anything more than boiling eggs

[fishy--friend]

GUYS. IVE BEEN FUCKING AROUND WITH POSSIBLE PASSWORDS AND BELOW ARE SOME THAT IVE FOUND THAT WORK.

MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR THISISNOTAWEBSITEDOTCOM.COM BELOW. IF YOU WANT TO TRY AND FIND THESE FOR YOURSELF, DO SO BEFORE READING. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

4 CATEGORIES:

TEXT ON SCREEN

DISPLAYS IMAGES

OPENS TABS

MISCELLANEOUS

ALSO: THIS IS MOST LIKELY UNFINISHED. THIS IS BEING UPDATED AS FREQUENTLY AS I AM DISCOVERING NEW PASSWORDS FOR THE TERMINAL.

1. TEXT ON SCREEN.

T.J. ECKLEBURG: DON'T MENTION THAT NAME AGAIN.

AXOLOTL: YOU ASK ALOTL QUESTIONS

PINES: A GOOD FAMILY TREE

GRAVITY FALLS: NEVER HEARD OF IT.

BOOK OF BILL: HIDE IT UNDER SHIRT DURING PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

PORTAL: PORTAL.EXE HAS BEEN DELETED. BET YOU COULD BUILD ONE

29121239168518: WHO COMES FROM ZIMTREX 5?

JOURNAL 3: THE JOURNAL FOR ME

JOURNAL 2: THE JOURNAL FOR YOU

JOURNAL 1: THE JOURNAL OF FUN

DEER TEETH: FOR YOU KID!

DISNEY: RAT.GIF HAS BEEN CENSORED FOR YOUR PROTECTION

YOURE INSANE: SURE I AM WHATS YOUR POINT?

TRIANGLE: )

GUN: OH YES OH YES THEY BOTH

MOUNTAIN DONT: WHATS A MEDIEVAL HOMONYM?

3466554: WHAT LEAVES A THIN LINE IN THE SNOW?

DUCKTECTIVE: DUCKTECTIVE STARS IN "LOVE, QUACKTUALLY" COMING TO "OI, ITS THE COCKNEY CHANNEL INNIT?" THIS FALL

BLENDIN: TIME AGENT LOST AND PRESUMED INCOMPETENT

HISTORY: "NUMBER 3 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER" - SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK

YES: WHAT'S MCGUCKETS FAVORITE SODA?

NO: YOUR LOSS...

AM I BLANCHIN: GIRL WE BLANCHIN

SEASON 3: SEASON 2

SEASON 2: SEASON 1

SEASON 1: SEASON -1: ANTIGRAVITY FALLS

GIFFANY: INPUT DELETED. AI ANTIVIRAL ACTIVATED.

GIFFANY (2ND TIME): WARNING SECONDARY FIREWALL BREACHED.

GIFFANY (3RD TIME): FINAL WARNING: SYSTEM UNDER ATTACK

GIFFANY (4TH TIME): SOOS!! I STILL LOVE YOU! WE WILL BE TOGETHER

GIFFANY (5TH TIME): NOW DOWNLOADING GIRLFRIEND (THIS ACTION CANNOT BE UNDONE) (SEE CATEGORY 4 FOR 6TH TIME)

SCRIMBLES: LIFEFORM NOT FOUND

ANSWER: QUESTION

QUESTION: ANSWER

BYE GOLD: BYE!

FAMILY MATTERS: DID I DO THAT?

FILBRICK: IM NOT IMPRESSED.

WHO ARE YOU: I COULD ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION

SCIENTOLOGY: SUPPRESSIVE PERSON DETECTED

HOLOGRAM: UNIVERSE

REALITY: IS AN ILLUSION

THE UNIVERSE: HOLOGRAM

2. DISPLAYS IMAGES

THERAPRISM: ELEVATOR INSTRUCTIONS

STANFORD/SIXER/FORD: MEDICAL DOCUMENTS

LOVE: IMAGE OF A BOOK TITLED "THE LOVE TRIANGLE"

PACIFICA: NOTE FROM PACIFICA

DIPPER: BILL TRYING TO GET DIPPER TO LOOK IN THE SUN FOR 13 HOURS STRAIGHT

BLIND EYE: EYESIGHT TEST

MASON: NOTE FROM DIPPER

ROBBIE: ONLINE CHATS

WENDY: NOTE FROM WENDY

SOOS: NOTE FROM SOOS

SPOOKY/SCARY: BOOK

LALALA/BABY BILL: DO NOT ASK.

HORROR: THE "ALWAYS GARDEN"

IRREGULAR: COLORIZED MUGSHOTS

DIVORCE: O SADLEY'S BEER BRANDING

PLATINUM PAZ: ONE OF PACIFICA'S NIGHTMARES.

ABOVE IS A CODE I FOUND.

SORRY: UNRIPPED PICTURE OF STAN AND FIDDS IN COLLEGE

AD ASTRA PER ASPERA: DIARY ENTRIES ABOUT BILL'S STATUE

BAAAA: PASSAGE ABOUT SHEEP. MUSIC CUTS OUT.

BOOBERRY: A QUESTION MARK CALLED "THE MEANING OF LIFE"

SEVEN EYES: IMAGE OF THE ORACLE

GOODNIGHT SALLY: BILL T-SHIRT

DESTRUCTION IS A FORM OF CREATION: FIDDS GOES INSANE: THE NOTES

3. OPENS TABS

BILL/CIPHER/BILL CIPHER: WIKIPEDIA PAGE ON THE EYE OF PROVINCE

STANLEY: EBAY SALES FOR BRASS KNUCKLES

MCGUCKET: YT VID OF COTTON EYE JOE

MEOW: VID OF TIKTOK OF THEME COVERED BY CAT PIANO

BLANCHIN: YT VID ON HOW TO BLANCH VEGETABLES

WADDLES: GOES TO A PIG WEBSITE

ABUELITA: VID ON BEST VACUUMS FOR FLOORS AND CEILINGS

STANLEY (3RD TIME): DOGS PLAYING POKER ON EBAY

STANLEY (4TH): 8 BALL CANE ON EBAY

STANLEY (5TH) MAE GIRDLE ON EBAY

STANLEY (6TH) SHRINER FEZ ON EBAY

STANLEY (7TH) COLONEL SANDERS TIE ON EBAY

MONSTER: GOOGLES "THERES A MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS BOOK"

ALEX HIRSCH: GOOGLES "FLANNEL"

MYSTERY SHACK: GOOGLES "CONFUSION HILL"

4. MISCELLANEOUS

GIDEON: AUDIO CLIP OF HIM SINGING

MABEL: ADDS STICKERS TO THE HOMEPAGE

WEIRD: VIDEO OF WEIRD AL

CRYPTOGRAM CODEX: DOWNLOADS FILES

GOD: VID OF ALEX'S AXOLOTL

VALLIS CINERIS: WEIRD VID OF BABY BILL

HECTORING: SONG FROM ONE OF BILL'S BANDS

CONSPIRACY: VID OF SOMEONE FREAKING OUT OVER THE WEBSITE, BY THEN COUNTING BACKWARDS STILL

DORITO: WIERD ASS VID OF A DORITO

SCREEN: MAKES NOISE, I CANT SEE WHAT IT IS

ONE EYED KING: HYPNOSIS VIDEO

MATPAT: VID OF HIM SAYING "YOURE ON YOUR OWN"

GIFFANY (6TH TIME ENTERING HER NAME): DOWNLOADS "IMNEVERLEAVING.ZIP"

STANLEY (8TH) TAKES YOU TO THE WHEEL OF SHAME! (SECRETS FOR A FUTURE POST)

BABBA/DISCO GIRL: DIPPER SINGS DISCO GIRL (A PERSONAL FAV)

IM STILL ON: A VIDEO OF THE SEA GRUNKS

LIES: THE GAME OF LIE

TANTRUM: RANT BETWEEN BILL AND TIME BABY

IF YOU FIND ANYTHING ELSE, LET ME KNOW.

[wonderlandwalker]

One Day at a Time | Finnick Odair x Reader

Previous Part / THG Masterlist / Inbox

Summary: a short collection of sweet moments shared between you and Finnick as you recover, reminding the both of you of the love you share

(part 4 of the remember series but could also be read on its own I think, you can find the other parts in my masterlist)

Content Warnings / Tags: Fluff, no use of y/n, mentions of punching, I really think that's it.

Word Count: 1.6k

A/N: It's finally here! Sorry it took so long my only excuse is that I am an absolute mess of a human being which is a terrible one but oh well. This will be the final part of the series, hope the fluff makes up for all the heartbreak I've put you through <3

It's been a week now, one week of blissful moments spend with Finnick while recovering from the attack within district 13. After all that had happened you were in need of some peace, and the universe granted it.

On the first day you were still in the hospital wing, an IV dripping steady fluids into your system. You woke up to Finnick sitting next to you, one of his hands holding onto yours while the other was holding up a book. It was one of your favourites, and you had been pestering him about reading it so you could talk about it with him, but he had always brushed you off, saying he'd get around to it eventually. It seems eventually finally came around. You coaxed him into getting in the bed with you, he was hesitant at first, not wanting to hurt you, but he wasn't above your charms either, your eyes pleading with him in a way he couldn't resist. He had settled in behind you, letting you lean against him, ignoring the dirty look the nurse gave you. You had asked him to read to you, and even though you already knew it by heart, his sweet voice added a whole new element to the story so beloved.

The second day was spent trying to convince the nurse to let you leave the hospital room, if only for a few hours, she didn't initially want to agree, but Finnick simply wouldn't drop the subject. So you walked together towards the dinner hall, feeling like little children sneaking out past the curfew.

Supper had already finished, but Finnick was friends with one of the cooks who let him into the kitchens. He told you to sit down on the table in the middle of the room and gave you a quick peck on the lips before moving over to the fridge. It was simple, it wasn't much, but it was perfect. He would let you taste the dish in-between steps, always forgetting one ingredient or another, but you didn't mind reminding him. At some point you could have sworn he was doing it on purpose, but maybe he was just too caught up in having you there with him again. You offered to help with meting the butter, dicing the vegetables, stirring the sauce, but each and every time he would insist you stayed right where you were, accentuated with a quick kiss, his hands on your face smearing flour all over your jaw, not that you minded. He claimed he was the better cook anyway, that you'd only hold him back, now that one you both knew was a lie, but it was a precious one, one that didn't need to be disturbed.

Day three consisted of a slow day back in your room, having been cleared by the doctor and finally being in your own space again. You and Finnick hadn't shared a room in a while now with everything that had gone down, but you had immediately decided to spend your nights together again, not wanting to spend more time apart than necessary. You hadn't fully recovered yet, still needing your rest, but Finnick had set his mind on moving your things back into his room today.

So there you were, sitting crossed legged on his bed absentmindedly sipping on some coffee he had brought you as you watched him bustle about. He was only gone a few minutes at a time, but you never failed to produce a smile when you saw him approaching again, hands full with some of your books, the collection of flowers he had given you over the years that you had dried and pressed in-between the pages were sticking out slightly, but he handled them with care. Even while you weren't together you couldn't find it ins yourself to get rid of them, and you're glad of it now. He goes back and forth for a while, collecting your pillow, your skin care products, your small radio that barely managed to get a reception down here, but you couldn't bare to part with. Each time he'd ask you where you wanted him to put it down, carefully creating a space that consisted of the both of you.

On day four you had finally woken up in his arms again, wondering how you could have ever forgotten this feeling. When he noticed you were awake he had moved to place a delicate kiss on your lips, basking in the simplicity of the fact that he could. He had told you he had a surprise for you today, and you couldn't help how giddy you already got from the mere thought of what it could be. But it was oh so much better than you could have imagined, because today Finnick took you to the surface. How he managed to get you past all the checkpoints was beyond you, and when you asked he had simply said he had friends in all the right places.

It was a bit of a walk to the spot he wanted to take you, but you revelled in the sunlight against your face, needing to squint your eyes to see properly with how bright the sun was but too blissed to care. The high grass rustled against your bare legs as you continued to walk, and the tickling sensation brought back so many fond memories. When you finally made it to the clearing it was a sight from a dream. The tree next to the lake provided a shadow you could both comfortably lay in as the smell of the fresh water blessed your senses once more. The wildflowers adorning the space around you were once you could recall from back home, with a few others you couldn't identify. Finnick had picked a few, placing them behind your ear as he talked about what the flower meant. A myosotis, he had called it, representing true love and dedication. He told you about the myth behind the forget-me-nots, how they had been afraid of being forgotten by the gods, and you had vowed in return to never spend a day without thinking of him again.

During the fifth day you didn't do much of anything special, but you supposed that depends on your definition of the word. Finnick had made dandelion tea from flowers he had collected yesterday, the familiar taste bringing back a sense of nostalgia for a time that you wouldn't be able to return to. You had once told him your mother used to make it when you were sick, and ever since he would go collect them by the cliffs for you. You had insisted it was too much work that he didn't need to worry himself with, he had countered that he enjoyed the view where they grew anyway, and really, he was going for himself as much as for you. Maybe he had simply been trying to get you to stop fussing over the subject, maybe it had really been true.

You spend the day talking to your friends, reminiscing in regained memories and filling in gaps that you couldn't on your own. As you sat next to Johanna she talked on about the days Finnick spent longing after you, claiming he was alright wirh being just friends, but she was convinced that if any of her friends looked at her the way he looked at you she would have suckerpunched them.

On the sixth day you had begged Finnick train with you, saying how you wanted to get your strength back, how you missed the exercise and the content feeling of aching muscles. He had been reluctant, of course he had been, but once you had managed to drag him onto the training mat he revelled in it. He couldn't deny he had missed sparring with you, the action so effortless with you. He had made fun of how you threw your punches, saying you had to extent your arms further to complete the motion, but he was the one not protection his core properly while fixating on you. It had been good to feel your body in motion again, he was still stronger than you, knocking the breath out of your lungs once be stopped holding back, but you were still faster, getting the drop on him in the split seconds he was distracted. The manner in which your muscle memory still held up, the way in which you still used the same techniques without meaning to, it was good to know there are some things people can't take from you.

The seventh day you picked your routine back up. Waking up to an empty bed but not lonely, his side was still warm as you rolled over. Once you opened your eyes you saw the cup of coffee and the note on the bedside table. Finnick knew you never slept for long after he left, somehow he still knew. He had been given some time off during your recovery, but district 13 didn't stand still and they had needed his help. You weren't expected back yet, but the sense of purpose was one that you were always glad to have. You drank the coffee he left you as you got dressed, smiling as he had made it exactly to your liking, even if he used to complain you couldn't even call it coffee anymore with that much sugar in it. And so you went back to work, moving to scribble a quick message on the back of the note if he came back looking for you, not that he needed it, somehow he would always know where you were.

In the past week you had learned that a love as great as the one you shared with Finnick could never be forgotten, not really, because no matter how many memories faded, there would always come new ones. And soon, even though you didn't know it yet, Finnick would give you his mother's ring once more, and this time you would remember everything that led you here, and you would remember saying yes.

[penny-anna]

feel like i saw this recipe in a tumblr post a while ago but don't have it to hand anymore. oh well!! made this soup ^^ today.

i used a mix of chicken & veggie stock since i had some of each to use up. & i used black treacle in place of molasses.

i didn't use any onion bcos im the rare onion hater. i did season it w onion salt tho. the actual recipe says to add tomatoes but the transcript in the blog post left that out - i also really don't like fresh tomatoes so would have skipped those but if i'd noticed probably would have added some tomato paste

the full recipe also says you can add herbs at the end but again the transcript left that out. i added some bay leaves at the beginning + a couple of big sprigs of thyme with the vegetables + some fresh coriander at the very end

all in all i'd recommend looking at the screenshot of the OG recipe as it has quite a lot of useful info that's not in the blog post oops!!

the recipe doesn't actually say how long to simmer for after adding the vegetables so i took it at its word & just left it till dinner time. all in all i simmered it for about 8 hours (10am-6pm)

both the OP of the blog post and one of the commenters mentioned that the liquid boiled away too quickly so I added some extra stock + topped it up periodically with salted water. after the first hour or so however ig the lentils hit Saturation and it stopped needing more liquid & after that it was pretty low maintenance.

i didn't taste it before adding the wine etc at the end so not actually sure how much flavour it added but the final step defo made it a more appealing colour!!

VERDICT: 'gentle lentil' is a very good description!! its very mild and very very creamy. its mild but doesn't just taste like wet lentils (not a pleasant flavour experience IMO). the lentils got boiled to the point that they basically became one with the stock. celery also fully disappeared. if i'd added onions i imagine they'd have been imperceptible by the end. very comforting & easy on the tummy. if you like your soups stronger tasting u could add all kinds of things along the way. if u like your soups milder OR are looking for something extra gentle for the tummy then its the soup for you!

here ends my excessively long soup post. in my defense ive been Souping literally all day. its good!!

[jerseyclown]

Op I would love to check out that pasta recipe if you're still willing to share

yes here it is sorry i do cook like 90% vibes so my measurements are not exact. do as what feels best to you

ingredience are garlic (lots), chicken. arugula. mushrooms (i usually use the standard sliced white but its also great with oyster mushrooms especially if you incorporate lemon juice into the sauce!), chicken broth and heavy cream

spices: tony’s, paprika, garlic salt, regular salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme

first i start with my chicken breasts (i airfry them but you can panfry them the same) i coat them w/ paprika, tony’s, garlic salt, thyme, and rosemary, as well as black pepper and salt. use as much as u want of each its 90% vibes

then cut up ur garlic cloves, i think i started with like 4 (?) or 5-6 depending on the size of the clove. crush + mince and then i put a quarter of it in one pan for the mushrooms and the rest in another for the sauce. once the garlic is fragrant and gets a nice suntan then i add the mushrooms and let those cook for a little bit on low heat so they release water (this keeps them from being slimy.) i cook them with olive oil usually but i also think vegetable or canola is fine, and season them with a similar seasoning as the chicken. you will also add this to the broth for the sauce , season to taste.

and put ur pasta on. we forgot to save a pasta water so my roommate made a cornstarch slurry which thickened it up well, i usually use a little bit even with the water since this is best with a thicker sauce.

add ur chicken broth (once again based on vibe and how liquidy you want the sauce to be.) i would say use minimum 2 cups. i usually cook my mushrooms in the chicken broth and some water for a while as well before adding them to the other pa.

let that simmer and mix so everything combines then add the mushrooms, let it cook for a bit and then add like probably 1/4-1/2 cup of heavy cream (once again, depends on preference, add as much as you think is best!)

i slice my chicken into strips and added that before cheese so that the flavoring mixes well.

then slowly combine in the parmesan (i used a whole smaller size bag for this recipe, at least a cup minimum) and like 1/4-1/2 cup of mozzarella, slowly so they incorporate into the sauce and it gets thick and even. you have to be patient with this because ive made this a couple times and sometimes the cheese doesnt incorporate well if you dont mix it enough Lol

then line the bottom of a glass dish with ur cooked pasta (use whatever u prefer, i usually use penne) and layer the sauce on, then the arugula, with a final topping of the remaining parmesan cheese., then i baked at 400 for like 15-20 minutes? adjust to your oven temperature/how crispy you want everything.

let me know what u think if u do make it!!! sorry im not much of a chef so my recipes are very like on vibe.

[anzu2snow]

It’s been a long day. Today was a scan day for me. The appointment I had to get my IV in, and the checkin for the CT scan stuff were scheduled at the same time. I couldn’t get the infusion people to do it earlier. So, they basically came for me at the same time. The CT scan people just immediately handed me the barium contrast. I chose the mocha one this time. Then they handed me to infusion to get the IV in with an ultrasound. They decided to try my right arm this time. They’ve been using one area on my left arm. They managed to find a vein, but it was painful at first. She added a ton of tape to keep it in place. I have very loose skin. Once it was set, the bone scan person came in and did their injection through it. I was then told I needed to drink most of the contrast, and the CT scan would be at 12:30pm. I waited a while in the waiting room, then they called me back for the CT scan. They checked out my IV first. There was something wrong with it. There wasn’t any blood recall (?), and it was painful every time they flushed it. The lady from infusion was called back to take a look. She unkinked it and it seemed to work. This all took about 20 minutes. They decided to go slower with the IV contrast than usual. So, that took more time during the CT scan. It all took so long that I couldn’t have a break for lunch like usual. One of the CT scan people gave me a snack pack to keep me going if I need it. It was nice. Then I had the full bone scan at 1:30pm. That at least was on time and nothing bad or different happened. By the time I finally finished that, I was really hungry. A little while later (after walking a while), we went to It’s Greek To Me. I got a gyro without vegetables and light on tzatziki sauce. It comes with fries and I got root beer as a drink. It was so nice to have food again. It was really messy, though. The grease/sauce dribbled onto my coat and made a nice long streak down the front. I’m laundering it now, but it surprised me and I’m not used to washing my coat. We finally got home at around 5pm. I’m nervous that my mets have spread to my liver and lungs. It’ll show up on the CT scan if that’s the case. Hopefully, it’s not in my lungs and liver, or anywhere else in there. Hopefully, the full bone scan doesn’t show progression.

[backburnerdio]

CampNaNo Week 2 Update

Week 2 was a crawl, but we made it!

31,240/20,000 Words 12/25 Patches Complete +1 Plot Point Added

As expected this week was much slower when it came to draft progress. Getting an extra idea that helps fill in (but causes more work) matched with struggling with the brain making progress almost feet pyrrhic.

There are a few scenes that came out... a bit horror genre which will need some softening later, but actually digging where they're going. Think I finally have answered the question of how things are going to get tied up. Tentatively want to say I have all the problems solved!

Also getting to actually get my hands into the super SciFi stuff and getting to play around more with ALPHA-1. Trying not to let myself get too distracted with drawing ideas and writing them first 🤭

I hope everyone else is doing well and had/is having a wonderful holiday during this amazing April!

Snippet of the latest where Ives is having some troubles (& I'm having a time trying to format these disembodied voices)

|Tell me or we go again.| I don’t know. Ives answered, feeling vegetative, straining to string the words together. B-Zero…? BEAU. THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT BEAU. THEY WANT TO HURT HIM. A faint sensation from some other part of him, a part that could have been light-years away. But to sense it grounded him, warm and gentle. IT WANTS TO KILL BEAU. No. |The patch from September that overrode his programming. That ruined him. What did you give him?| DON'T TELL IT ANYTHING. YOU HAVE TO PROTECT HIM. HE'S YOUR BROTHER. You can choke. Ives spat.

[timep3tals]

ive been a sucker for dad peter and grandpa tony fics lately, maybe a drabble about that please?

i’m always down for grandpa tony. 100000%

Tony couldn’t believe how time had flown.

Morgan was in high school, which Tony couldn’t begin to explain how terrifying that was. Every day she came home talking about a new technique they’d learned about in art class, splattered from head to toe in paint, but eyes shining with excitement as she talked about her passion. She’d graduate in a year, and head off to Bard College to pursue a degree in painting.

Where she got her artistic talent, Tony would never know, but he’d encourage her to do whatever she most loved. If that was painting, he’d give her every last penny to paint her next masterpiece.

(Of his totally unbiased opinion, every one of her paintings was a masterpiece.)

Peter was graduated thrice over, first from high school, then with a bachelors degree, and now a master’s, too. He was half-way through his Ph.D. in biochemistry, and Tony couldn’t be prouder of his oldest kid. Two years ago, he’d reluctantly handed his baby off to Michelle Parker, nee Jones, and a year and six months later, they gave him his first grandchild.

Benjamin Anthony Parker.

Tony couldn’t begin to describe how hard he cried when Peter (grown-up but still Tony’s baby boy, with a scruffy five o’clock shadow and tired eyes from eighteen hours of labor that he sat with MJ every second through) handed him Ben’s birth certificate and saw his first name in Peter’s looping handwriting scrawled across the page. Pepper had to take him out of the hospital room to calm him down, because his hysterical sobs had upset Ben.

Which only made Tony cry more, and yeah, it was a whole cyclical baby cried, grandpa cried, everyone cried. It’s over, they’ve moved past it.

Even if Peter still won’t let him live it down, six months and three days later.

Today, the little Parker family was driving up to the lake house to visit for the week. Earlier that morning, Tony had left their apartment after spending the weekend with them. On Saturday, MJ had a conference she was speaking at, and Peter had some graduate seminars to attend, so Tony had readily volunteered to watch his grandbaby.

Watching Ben for a day turned into a three-day extravaganza, letting Peter and MJ go on a much needed date night while Tony got to bask in baby snuggles again.

That does not mean he was any less excited to see Ben again as Peter pulled the car to a stop at the end of the drive, next to Morgan’s (Tony still couldn’t believe she was driving, now) Audi. MJ waved as she climbed out of the car before stooping to pull Ben out of his car-seat.

Peter came up the porch steps at a light jog. Tony’s arms were already open before his son reached him, forever ready to keep his precious child bundled up in his arms for just a little longer. It was never enough, but he savored every second he got.

“Hey, dad,” Peter said as he pulled back from the hug. “Been a while.”

The smile on Peter’s face was older than Tony wished it was. This precious kid had seen too much; they both had. Years had weathered them, body and soul, and while Tony wished he could still shield Peter from all the pain and hurt, he knew it was no longer his job to be the wall standing between his son and the darker sides of the world.

Peter Parker had known that darkness long before they ever met.

“Half a day,” Tony mused. “Practically an eternity. Now where’s my grandson?”

“Dying to see his grandpa,” MJ said. She was rising up the steps, Ben laid out across her arm on his belly, her hand right under his chin. “As usual.”

Tony reached out to scoop up Ben when MJ shifted the baby around to pass him over. Ben’s whole face lit up when he spotted Tony, reaching up at him with chubby, flailing arms and letting out Tony’s favorite, high-pitched squeal.

“Hello to you, too, little one,” he crooned. “Did you miss me?”

Ben gurgled and tucked his face into Tony’s chest. Inside his chest, Tony’s heart threatened to burst with the sheer love pounding through his body. There would never be enough words, enough love in the world, to encapsulate how much he felt for his family. How much love he’d given, and had yet to give.

“I swear he likes you more than us,” Peter said fondly. Tony found a familiar look on Peter’s face, one he’s sure he’s worn many a time and had yet to still wear, as Peter watched his son mumble and blow bubbles all over Tony’s clean shirt. 

“Of course he does, I’m wonderful,” Tony said haughtily. “You two hungry? Pepper made lasagna, homemade, so it’s got vegetables from the garden.”

“I could eat,” Peter said.

MJ smiled fondly and looped their fingers together. Peter turned to press a kiss on her forehead, barely standing taller than her since he’d passed his final growth spurt. MJ usually wore heels, simply to spite him, and it never ceased to amuse Tony.

“You could always eat,” she said. “You’d eat us out of our salary, if you could.”

“Thankfully, I won’t let that happen,” Tony said. “Nor will it ever when Peter takes over Stark Industries.”

Peter rolled his eyes. Tony decided to ignore this blatant disrespect and invite them inside. Morgan was helping her mother set the table, but she quickly dropped the task in favor of tackling her brother. Ben laughed hysterically at the two of them, and MJ shook her head, tired of her husband and his sister, and went to help Pepper finish setting the table.

The lasagna tasted better than it ever had before. Tony liked to think it was because he was surrounded by his family again, and he hoped, for that one moment, this joy could last forever.

Tag List:

@keep-a-bucket-full-of-stars @riseuplikeglitterandgold @just-the-daydreamer @roaringgay @serendipity--goddess @tony-wheres-my-supersuit @baloobird @spider-beep @swagfictonreadingnerd @tcny-stcrks @josywbu @zuusiee (Let me know if you want to be added or removed! Also sorry for spamming y’all these past few days lmao.)

[picassho-18]

Art of Fire (IV)

Zuko x Fem!Reader; Part 4; 2k words

Series summary: The recently crowned Fire Lord Zuko meets a new friend of his Uncle’s, a special fire bender that quickly grabs his interest over a cup of tea and the discussion of the arts. 

ALL CURRENTLY POSTED PARTS: Part 1   Part 2   Part 3    Part 4

An air of silent comfort surrounded the two of you as Zuko led you outside the gates of the Fire Nation capitol. Past the wall, a giant forest approached you, as Zuko confidently stepped into the thick groove of trees.

Following just a step behind in, you had to focus on where you were stepping, avoiding all the tripping hazards of tree roots, bushes, and vines. Zuko, however, was walking as if the path he was taking was memorized. Which it was, Zuko has walked this exact path multiple times by himself, but you didn’t know that.

Breaking the silence as you carefully stepped over a fallen branch, you asked him, “What can even be this deep in the forest?”

He turned around, his eyes glinting mischievously, “A few more steps and you’ll see.”

He stopped walking, and as you finally caught up to him, he turned to his right, parting a dense thicket of branches.

What it revealed was amazing.

Beyond the thick wall of vegetation, a sparkling pool of water shined brightly in the middle of a large grassy clearing. The large lake reflected the morning sun’s rays, casting fragments of light around the concealed area. 

A huge smile of pure amazement broke out on your face, quickly turning to Zuko in your shock.

He looked back at you with a softer smile, as he explained how he found the place. “I just stumbled upon the lake when I was taking a walk clearing my head, a few weeks after my coronation.”

“It’s amazing” you breathed, looking back at the complete beauty of pure nature right before your eyes.

Zuko pulled the branches farther apart, opening them wide enough for you to fit through. “After you.”

After you stepped through, you held the branches apart for him but your gaze was still on the shimmering lake. It was the first time you’ve seen a body of water that expansive.

He led you to a patch of sand at the edge of water, in a fluid motion kicking his shoes off before sitting down, rubbing his hands through the soft sand.

Still slightly stunned, your eyes never pulled away from the water while you sat down next to him. In the back of your head, it reminded you of the pond from the courtyard, the pair of you sitting at the edges of the pond there.

Finally, you teared your eyes of the water, and looked at Zuko, to see he was already looking at you. Warmth spread on your cheeks, before you asked quietly, as if you didn’t want to disturb to peacefulness of the land around you. “How many people know about this place?” Your mind couldn’t wrap the idea that no one knew else about this beautiful place yet there wasn’t a single person in sight except for Zuko in front of you.

“Just me.” And Zuko added with a sheepish smile, “and now you.” 

Your eyes widened, “You haven’t told anyone else about his place?” He shook his head before looking down at his lap as you asked your next question, slightly softer. “But why me?”

He cleared his throat, not really meeting your as he began to ramble , “I don’t really know… I know we don’t really know each other and have only met a week ago, and have only had a few conversations since, but…” he paused as if trying to find the words to express what he was feeling, “when I’m around you, a feel at peace.”

Your breath caught in your chest at his words, and when he finally looked back at you, eyes locking together, your heart seemed to stop beating.

At your frozen features, Zuko quickly looked away, a fierce blush blooming across his cheeks, and tried to explain himself.

“I, uh sorry… It’s just so easy to talk to you. And you are really comfortable to be around. And I’m usually not very trusting of others but around you, I couldn't keep my guard up if I even tried…” he trailed off, looking at you again, his eyes searching for any sign of your emotions as a response to his ramble.

Wordlessly, your response was to slowly grab his hands from his lap, cradling them in your own.

Not breaking eye contact with his own, you replied softly yet firmly. “Zuko… thank you so much for sharing this with me. And truly, it is an honor to bring peace and comfort to others. Especially you.”

He stared at your hands holding his own, the pad of your thumb ever so softly rubbing circles on back of his hand. The warmth admitting from his hands was soaking into yours. The corners of his lips cracked up into a soft grin, one of pure contentment and comfort. 

Your heart soured at the sight. Here in this place he appeared weightless, like all his troubles vanished within the clearing. His eyes shined a bit brighter, not dragged down by his past or the daily conflicts and battles he fought within himself or for his Nation. Here it was just him. Just you and him.

Your tone turned jokingly as you spoke, “Are you also saying you haven’t even taken your poor Uncle here to see this beauty yet?” 

Zuko let out a laugh as the air turned lighter around you. “While Uncle is amazing, he isn’t the best with keeping secrets. Once he knew about this place, half the capital would be swimming in that water.” 

You turned wistfully towards the lake, before asking Zuko slightly cheekily, “Do you think the water is warm enough to swim in?”

But before he could respond, you stood up quickly, kicking off your boots. After flashing a quick smile at Zuko, you bounded into the lake, fully clothed, yet splashing around joyfully.

Zuko began to laugh standing up as well. He cocked an eyebrow at you when you began to slow down, and wrapped your arms around yourself, while standing in waist deep water. “It’s cold, isn’t it?” he asked.

Refusing to admit it, you stop hugging yourself, “No… not at all!” You laughed again, before slyly cupping some water in your hands and began to splash water at him. 

In a quick flash of pure power, he created a wall of flames between him and the incoming water, the water quickly vaporizing against the bright orange flames. The fire casted a warm glow over the whole clearing, as the hiss of the water echoed out, along with his playful laughing.

You stood frozen in awe, staring at him as the flames immediately flickered out from his hands, the sudden burst of heat you felt on your face now gone.

“Woah” you said simply, still staring.

The smile fell from his face at your reaction, his eyebrows furrowed, now confused. “What’s wrong?” His voice was slightly worried.

Realizing how you looked, you began to go deeper into the lake, now freely swimming in the water before explaining. “I’ve never seen any fire bending like that.”

Zuko cocked his head to the side, still confused, “Why haven't you? You were born in the Fire Nation right? And you’re a fire bender yourself.”

“Yeah…” you replied slowly while Zuko stepped into the water, the cold temperature obviously not affecting him as he walked in without a shiver. He seemed to run hot even for a fire bender.

While you refused to show signs of being cold, your body betrayed you and was shivering deeply. Yet, you continued to tread water, trying to ignore the cold, “I’ve never learned anything more than small detailed movements of flame. And both my parents are non-benders so I’ve had no one to learn from.”

“Ah” he said, now understanding. At this point, he had now reached you and was swimming right across from you.

“What I want to know” you asked, “is how you aren’t cold in this water?!”

This earned you another laugh. You quickly realized you enjoyed hearing it.

“That I can attribute to my Uncle. With fire bending I use my breath to generate heat for myself, and this allows me to withstand cold temperatures.”

“That’s amazing” you exclaimed. “That really solidifies your Uncle being the wisest man I know!”

“You know…” Zuko said slowly, slightly inching towards you in the water, “I can teach you.”

“Really?!” You asked, your voice getting louder, excitement coursing through you at the prospect of learning fire bending techniques. And also possibly from the idea of spending more time with him.

“Of course” he smiled, happy at how excited you were, but began to frown at your shivering frame. “But umm, how about we get you out of the water before you freeze to death?”

“Yeah…” you said, finally giving in, and swimming to shore, Zuko right next to you.

As soon as you stepped out of the water, however, the breeze seemed to become ten times colder, you’re wet hair sticking to your skin, as goosebumps raised all over your body.

You let out a string of curses, causing Zuko to look at you in alarm, as you let out “Oh my god it’s freezing!” You were long past pretending it wasn’t. 

You glanced at him, he was still unaffected by the temperature, but he looked extremely… worried.

“I'm so sorry” he began, stepping closer to you, both of your clothes completely soaked and dripping on the damp sand. “I should have thought about how cold it was for others.”

While you weren’t really thinking about anything then how cold it was, you still saw the complete guilt written all over his face. He was blaming himself for the situation, and you couldn’t let that happen.

“Oh no it’s not your fault” you chuckled, teeth chattering, but still bringing a grin to your face, trying to alleviate his guilt, “I shouldn’t have been so thoughtless and ran in. Whoops.”

Zuko appeared conflicted, as if he was having an internal debate, before he began to speak slowly, hesitantly, “I could, umm, warm you up?”

“What?”

“I have a really high body temperature and, I could uh, hug you…?”

He said it so unconfidently, so meekly, you couldn’t help but giggle before opening your arms up widely, “Then what are you waiting for!?”

He smiled slightly then met you before wrapping his arms around you tightly.

The relief was immediate.

The warmth of his body soaked through your wet clothes, his arms and hands radiating across your lower back. The heat was so strong it seemed to reach into the depths of your body.

Your arms wrapped around his torso as well, the side of your face resting against his chest. He seemed to relax and even rested his chin on the top of your head.

You hummed in contentment, already the cold long forgotten and mumbled “Yeah this is nice” against his chest.

He chuckled lightly, the laugh vibrating through his chest into your ear.

For several moments, you two stayed like that. His warmth chasing all the shivers and goosebumps away, as your bodies stayed flush against each other, as you clung to him tightly, enjoying the heat immensely.

As you slowly pulled apart, you looked up at him, a grateful smile shining towards him in thanks.

His breath caught as he looked at you, both of you froze as your arms stayed around each other, chest to chest, bodies flush against each other, while your eyes locked on each other.

Slowly, ever so slowly, you slid a hand up to his face. Wordlessly, you cupped his cheek, your fingers close to the scarred flesh.

At your soft caress, Zuko leaned down, his lips inching towards yours.

Your eyes fluttered shut when your lips met, the gentle nature of the kiss melting your soul. His arms tightened around your lower back, arching your body closer to his, the desperation to be closer to you evident in his movements.

The kiss deepened as your fingers began to slide into his loose hair, nails slightly scraping his skin, sending shivers down his spine. Your knuckles weaving this the loose knots scattered around within black hair.

The air warmed even more around you as you clung to him, running your hands over his body, the shirt still damp yet warm. So warm.

His own hand caressed your neck, his fingertips dancing across the flesh, goosebumps now raising at the soft contact, not the cold.

The scent of him flooded your nose, the smell of campfire and peppermint wafting around you.

It ended too soon. Zuko pulled away, his lips slightly swollen and breathlessly looking at you in awe, as if you were his whole galaxy.

Your eyes were wide, heart beating rapidly, as you realized what just took place.

“You are amazing” Zuko said simply, as if that summed up everything. Explained everything.

Your lips curved into a grin, as your eyes trailed down to his lips, your thumb rubbing against his bottom lips gently. “So are you.”

He leaned down again, capturing your lips with his again for a quicker kiss, more of a peck but still enough to send your heart into overdrive.

Once more pulling away, Zuko grabbed hold of your hand, fingers weaving together. He began to lead you out of the clearing back onto the invisible path of the forest, your clothes still wet but only barely slowing you down. 

Zuko looked back at you, his breath catching just a bit at how brightly you were shining, the afterglow of the kiss still in affect. He asked, “I know a really good tea shop where we can get a change of clothes and a good cup of tea. That sound good?”

You smirked back at him, admiring the messy mop of hair from your own doing, “And I’m assuming the owner is a really sweet Uncle we both may know?”

“Why of course!” Zuko responded playfully, tightening his grip on your hand, before continuing to lead the way back.

***

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[themauvesoul]

Ok since ive been asked

@kat-stratfords-ponytail here is how to make my pizza bread. U will need:

5-6 cups of flour

1 packet of yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

2 cups of warm water

Some spices

Ur preferred pizza cheese

Ur favorite pizza toppings

An unspecified amount of corn meal

1 egg’s worth of egg whites

2 bowls

1 baking sheet

A rolling pin

DISCLAIMER: I just made this shit and I’m not making it again. so you don’t get pics. Sorry.

Anyways to start off put 2 cups of flour, the salt, the yeast, and your spices in a decent sized mixing bowl. What spices, u ask? Idk. Pick what seems like it’ll taste good. I grow a lot of herbs so I usually put fresh basil, parsley, and oregano. Maybe some garlic and onion powder. Perhaps some red pepper flakes. There are no quantities with the spices. U feel that shit in ur heart.

add the 2 cups of warm water. U gotta make sure that the water is warm bc that’s what activates the yeast. Too cold, and your bread will not raise. Too hot, and you will kill the yeast. So like. U know the perfect hot shower temp?? That’s roughly how hot ur water should be. Anyways add the water and then mix that shit until it isn’t clumpy. So like. Stir it aggressively for a minute or so.

Add the rest of the flour one cup at a time. Basically for this bit you’re just drying out the dough until it’s workable. So like. Once you’ve added enough flour it’ll be impossible to stir. At that point u gotta get in there with your hands and knead it until the dough sticks together enough that you can pick it up with relative ease. Once you’re at that point, lightly flour your counter and turn the dough out. Knead it until it’s nice and firm (8-10 minutes). Once you’ve gotten the dough to the point where it forms a nice little ball, grease a bowl and stick the dough in there. Put the ugly side down and then flip it over, so the whole dough ball is greased. Then cover it, and let it sit for an hour.

IF YOU DONT KNOW HOW TO GREASE A BOWL: pour some oil in a bowl and spread it around with ur fingers. What oil? Any oil. Olive oil. Vegetable oil. Whatever you’ve got lying around your kitchen. It doesn’t really matter the oil is just to make sure the bread doesn’t stick to the bowl.

IF YOU DONT KNOW HOW TO KNEAD BREAD: I’m not writing out all that. Go look up a YouTube tutorial please.

Ok so you’ve let your bread sit out for an hour and now it’s fucking MASSIVE. punch down that bitch! Put your fist in the middle and press until it deflates. Then u gotta turn ur dough back out onto the counter, which is presumably still messy from when u were kneading it. Let ur bread sit for another ten minutes.

While ur bread is resting, start preparing ur toppings. I typically use pepperoni, banana peppers, and mozzarella cheese. Theoretically you can use anything.

Ok so ur bread is done resting. What ur gonna wanna do is grab your rolling pin, lightly flour it, and roll ur dough out into a 9x15 rectangle. Ish. The dimensions do not have to be exact. Once ur done rolling out the dough, sprinkle your toppings on. Be sure to leave about 2 inches of space on the short ends and an inch of space on the long ends. When you’ve got all your toppings laid out how u want, roll that bad boy up!! Seal off the roll by pinching all along the seam, and then pinch the ends together. If you want the ends of your bread to look pretty, you can fold the very ends over and pinch that to make sure it stays.

Once ur bread roll is all pinched together, grab ur baking sheet and sprinkle some cornmeal where your bread is gonna go. Be generous. We ain’t greasing this shit, so if you don’t use enough your bread WILL stick. Once ur pan is all situated and properly sprinkled, grab ur bread roll and put it in the middle of the cornmeal, seam-side down. Let that bad boy rest for another half hour or so.

Preheat ur oven to 375 degrees. Idk what it is in Celsius because I’m American and too sexy for math. While ur oven is preheating, take a sharp knife and cut four slits in the top of the loaf. Then take ur egg whites, mix them with a tablespoon of water, and brush the top of the loaf with the mixture.

The oven has finally preheated! Pop that bad boy in the oven! After 20 minutes, take it out and brush it again with the egg white mixture. Bake for another fifteen minutes or until the outside is golden brown and it’s hard when you tap it. Remove from the oven and let cool for however long u have the patience.

[checkers-dance]

dude i have so many fun memories of that night. it was my first concert ever. before that i was super hesitant about going to concerts because my anxiety was usually triggered around crowds and loud noises so logically it sounded like something i wouldnt enjoy. but i really wanted to see them so i managed to ask my family if i could go and my sister got us two tickets so she could come with me.

the weeks leading up to it, i was a MESS. i couldnt shut up about them, my family probably remembers my got7 craze more than they will ever remember my monsta x craze lol. but at the same time i was super anxious bc even though i looked forward to it, again, i wasnt sure how concerts were like so there was a big chance i was gonna hate it and i was ANXIOUS. But then the day came and oh wow. I couldnt wait for my sister to come pick me up jbdbsbd and then she came with her boyfriend at the time and we drove to where the concert was gonna be, and once we got there it was a MESS. There were so many girls around us, it was so difficult to move lmfao. But we made it inside, got to our seats and the energy around us was fucking unbelievable. Everyone was so hyped and excited and it was just this collective thrill, it was SICK. The girls next to us were really funny and nice, they kept making silly jokes that got us to laugh and to this day me and my sister quote them. Their impact....

I remember one of them asked me if I was nervous and I was like "fuck yeah lmfao cant believe im here."

But then the guys FINALLY came out and holy shit. My heart fucking DROPPED because HOLY SHIT, ITS THEM, THEYRE HERE, OH GOD, OH FUCK. I remember just fucking screaming my lungs out lmao.

Anyway it was a super fun night. I remember at one point they asked us to yell as loud as we could and JESUS, that was the LOUDEST noise ive ever heard and in any other context my head wouldve hurt but I think I was so excited that it just added to the thrill, yknow? It was such a fun time. I also remember when they were saying goodbye they said something along the lines of "you guys were a lot more energetic than we expected" and my sister lost it because it sounded like we had exhausted them jsbsbsbsbd i found it funny though. not like got7 is unfamiliar with making fun of ahgases lol.

i legit couldnt sleep that night. my heart was just beating so fast and my throat hurt from how loud i screamed but it was lovely. ahhh what a nice memory lmao. i really wonder how i would react to an mx concert because if got7 destroyed me like that i can only imagine the mental breakdown mx would cause on me lmfao. can the pandemic END

:00 that sounds rlly fun! I’ve never gone to a concert before, mostly bc of a combination of factors (I’m also worried that the lights + screaming will just turn me into a human vegetable the days after the concert, not necessarily bc of anxiety like in ur case, but more bc of sensory overload - I don’t rlly have issues w lights that are far away, like fireworks, or lights shown on a screen [this one only causes occasional issues], but irl and up close who knows; there also haven’t rlly been artists that I wanted to see come here to give concerts)

Hmmm so are there ways u prepare for a concert? Like Ik there are fan chants and lightsticks, but do u have to know all the fan chants/have a lightstick?

Also fjajflajfai apparently mx announced tours in winter of 2022, but they’re all p much in the US and during a time when I’ll be preparing for my mock exams (in preparation for my real exams) so I’ll have to wait for future concerts

[ink-fireplace-coffee]

Memories of Neverland.

A/N: warning reaaaaally long post.

---

Chapter 1: Economy.

1. 1 The Economy between races: the Kingdoms of the Council and the Era of Attacks.

Although there aren't as much trades nowadays in Neverland, the Kingdoms of the Council (Sirens, Fairies and Lost Kids), have an economy system based on alliances.

These alliances were forged more or less a century ago, when the Council was born due to the almost constant arrival of human visitors. The leaders of each Kingdom met with a representative of The Lost Kids -known back then as The Little Savages according to the archive of Master Arylac- and pacted an alliance based on a traded economy to stand together against the adults menace.

<<...The Queen agreed to Calisipe's call and reunited with him and a Little Savage outside of the Saltflower Hollow. There they stood until dawn, negotiating for a peace contract that would guarantee us the victory against the Amonix [old Neverland Language for "strangers" or "not magical beings"]. When the sun peaked through the Golden Ocean, the Council was formed.>> -Birth of the Council, by Master Arylac. Third year of the Era of Attacks. Translation by unknown.

There aren't a lot of documents that show us how economy between kingdoms worked before the start of the Era of Attacks, and it is believed that the Amonix brought coins as a way of currency. Still, we can today see that fae traded with multiple berries, leaves and parts of animals (such as fur, claws, teeth...); and sirens used Blis Algae for the same purpose.

After the Era of Attacks, the Council reunited again to settle some rules in between kingdoms so that things as economy, language and laws were the same for everyone.

Thanks to a passage in Arylac's personal journal, we know that it happened on Sudh (which corresponds as June in the Human Calendar), although the day is unclear. The meeting was held in the Fae kingdom, and after it, the new economy, law and language was created and adopted.

Here we show you a translated and adapted version to Amonix language of the basic economy postulates that were agreed on by His Majesty of the Sea Calisipe IV, Her Majesty of the Fae Court Selark X and the Representative of The Little Savages, Mildred Ewing I; and that nowadays are still functioning.

The Pact of the Kingdoms of the Council, by Master Arylac.

1. Introduction.

As it has been previously done with Justice and Language, the Kingdoms of the Council have reunited today to discuss the new Economy System between them, as a way to develop closer ties between us and stand united against the Amonix, who plan to attacks us and invade our Land.

With the arrival of The Little Savages came their own way of trading, their foreign words and personal justice, as well as customs, foods and myths. Because we can't let those differences destroy this union, we must create some new rules.

We left written and forever settled in ink and parchment the agreements between His Majesty of the Sea Calisipe IV, Her Majesty of the Fae Court Selark X and Mildred Ewing the First.

2. Between The Borealis Throne [Fae Kingdom] and The Little Savages.

The Little Savages had no material interest our Kingdom could want or need, that is why Gwenllian discarded negotiating with fruits, fish or weaponry.

Instead, she offered the Queen their skill. Even if it's true that Savages -or, as Gwenllian says, Lost Kids- don't count with wings, magic or any other helpful characteristic, the human assured that her people were resilient, fast and not easy to kill.

Millie also talked about the place where they all came from, a city called Londen¹, where lots of its kind needed a place to go, and how she could easily form an army. Millie only needed one thing from the fairies: the ability to fly.

At the end, Millie and Selark agreed on the following statements:

Millie would give the rest of the Kingdoms an army based on kids from ages 5 to 16.

Her Highness Selark must give Millie part of Borealis's fairy dust stash so that she could fly from London and back.

Millie would have to swear loyalty to the rest of the Kingdoms of the Council, since the possibility of her using the dust to escape Neverland existed.

The human also added that no magical creature would interact with any of the human children unless she permitted it: she knew what we were capable of and advised us to stay way from where they had settled down. 3. Between The Jade Reef Empire [Siren Kingdom] and The Borealis Throne.

Selark and Calisipe took the opportunity to reread between their previous agreement and changed some of the points, such as territory (since the Little Savages needed a place to settle down), festivities and changed the value of the currency: now two pieces of Bliss Algae were worth five Glacier Junipers [a/n: Glacier Junipers were really common flowers you could find atop of the Brisnia Peak, where only Fae have access due to their wings and ability to fly. More about them in the Flora section].

4. Between The Little Savages and The Jade Reef Empire.

The Sirens weren't as open as the Fae to negotiate with The Little Savages. Calisipe assured that the Savages were just tiny versions of the Amonix and that they would turn against them as well if only time didn't affect them.

Fortunately, Selark interjected and finally both races agreed to sign. Their bases weren't as attached as the ones between Borealis and the Savages, but as long as they would maintain the peace, it was enough:

Millie and the rest of her kind would stay away from the Silver Moon Lake. If they trespassed Siren territory, Calisipe adverted that his word would mean nothing, and that the sirens there could do whatever they wanted with the foreigners.

At the same time, Calisipe would ban the sirens to sing to attack the Kids to an inevitable death.

1. 2 The Economy of the Amonix.

How the Amonix traded between each other is almost unknown to us except for the counted times one of the Savages decided to infiltrate in between them in order to discover their way of living.

Thanks to the different journals of Savages like Leslie Cadden, Coreen Ames or Jimmie Lyneas, we know that the different tribes of Amonix exchanged some of the following objects:

Jewels: even if these seemed to be worth a lot of value at the beginning of the Era of Attacks, they slowly were forgotten until they meant nothing.

Coins: such as pounds, shinning or pennies.

Food: fruits (like Okotyas or Sea Oromio [to know more about these and other kinds of fruit, please go to the Flora section and look for Fruits and Vegetables]). Apparently these kind of fruits were exotic for the Amonix and they valued them highly.

Lastly we should clarify that nowadays the Amonix economy has been reduced to nothing: Pirates, the only Amonix yet in Neverland do not trade as there is no reason for them to.

-----

¹: Londen is part of the original writing by Arylac, who at the time misspelled the city since it was yet unknown to most of the Fae.

[whumpywhumper]

Soup

So @0idril0 authorized me to go ahead and post the next section of her Nico series which I wrote :) It is original author approved  

Continued from: here

Tagging: @castielamigos-whump-side-blog @captivity-whump @kungpao-giffy @doityourselfbombs @comfy-whumpee @gonna-feel-that-tomorrow @whumptywhumpdump @whumpitywhumpwhump @walkingchemicalfire @genesissane @imagination1reality0 @voidwhump

*** 

Sorina hummed while she worked, kneading the bread to go with her slowly simmering bone broth. She’d roasted the chicken before carefully separating the meat from the bones, adding them to her already chopped vegetables and water. 

The rest of the pack house was quiet. She’d woken a few hours after her fainting spell-and hadn’t that been embarrassing-to being warm and comfortable. Cocooned in sheets and a quilt she didn’t recognize, surrounded by the scent of soap and safety. It took her a moment  to recall where she was, but, as soon as she had, she crept from the room into the darkened hallway. Open doors revealed no one in the extra rooms, and absolutely no bedding on them. 

On silent feet (and she felt a flutter in her stomach when she realized Evan probably removed her shoes), she stole into the living room and found Kristy and her friends. Moonlight spilled over their sleeping forms, giving its soft illuminescence to the room. She had to smile at them, even in spite of the circumstances that made them do it, because it was just too fuckin’ cute. 

Kristy and Brian were on a pallet on the floor, every spare blanket, pillow, and cushion in the middle of the living room. The sucubi had braided her hair to sleep, taming her normally riotous curls, and the end of the braid was curled in Brian’s fingers, where he’d apparently fallen asleep playing with it. 

They were curled toward each other, his other arm under his head, like he’d been leaning on it to get a better look at her while they talked. Kristy’s face was slack with sleep, arms held crossed over her chest like she had since she was little. Their blanket was bunched around her, barely covering Brian, but it was obvious that she hadn’t just stolen them. 

Sorina shook her head, amused. I wonder how long that’s been going on. 

Clint had stretched himself out on the couch, one of his hands laying across Nico’s forearm like he couldn’t bear to not touch him even in sleep. The corners of her lips turned down, and she huffed the ghost of a sigh. She needed the full story. 

Propped in a chair next to Nico was Evan, his head tipped back and neck stretched at an awkward angle. His mouth was open, and every slight inhale drew out a small snore. In his lap was a clipboard, full of papers with times, medication names, and stats carefully listed. He clutched a damp rag in one hand, the other dangling to the side, a pencil underneath the chair from where it had dropped through sleep numb fingers. 

She smiled, letting her eyes soften and reached toward him, letting her magic soothe the worry lines from inbetween his brows. He needed to sleep. There was a lot of responsibility on him, he couldn’t afford to be so out of it. 

Stepping forward, around her sleeping sister and her unrealized paramour, her hand crept into Evan’s hair. The graying strands were soft under her fingers, but she didn’t linger. Gently, she tipped his head forward so that he wouldn’t wake with a crick in his neck. The exhausted man didn’t stir, only letting out a small snuffle of air as he settled in. 

They were all so tired, absolutely drained of energy, and all due to one poor victim of a crime she didn’t fully understand. Said victim looked like he was finally asleep. Actually resting instead of the delirious half-conscious state he had been in previously. His chest rose and fell rhythmically, the wet wheeze still audible, but he wasn’t panicked, and the rapid eye movement and twitching was gone. 

Leaning over the arm of the couch, she checked on Nico, touching the back of her hand to his forehead. The sweltering heat from before had lessened. Now, it was no longer the heat of a desert dune midday, but it was still warm, like she was holding her hand too close to a candle. 

Checking the clipboard in Evan’s lap, she saw that his last medication was listed about 2:15 a.m. Barely twenty minutes before. Evan must have fallen asleep fast and hard. 

Turning back, she brushed her hand through his hair softly, like her mother used to do when she was sick, and noticed it was cleaner than before. Evaluating him further, she noticed that his bandages were fresh and clean. They’d bathed him, apparently, the speckles and smears of blood that had been present across his skin washed clean. 

A curl of satisfaction unfurled itself in her belly,  hopeful that her work had actually made a difference to saving his life. He certainly looked stronger, and there’s no way he would have tolerated a bath in the state he was when she arrived. 

Settling on the arm of the lounger, she curled her hand against Nico’s fingers, mindful of the broken and misaligned bones. His fingers twitched, but he didn’t stir. 

Looking past the ulcerated wounds on his face and neck, Sorina noted his pale complexion, more than just blood loss and lack of sunlight. His blue eyes as he’d panicked while she worked and examined him called out to her, and she couldn’t help but be reminded of her little brother. That name still rang in her head like the biggest of bells in a church steeple. 

Nico. 

She wiped at a tear that tried to form in her eye, recalling her own brother’s cherubic cheeks and curly black hair. How both of them had looked so much like their mother that her father joked that when they were older people would think they were triplets. 

Viciously, Sorina chased away the image of them both laying still and unmoving on the asphalt, blood pooling across the black surface as she’d tried to get up and get away from the men with guns. Her face throbbing as she pushed her way into running, hands cut to shreds on glass. 

I don’t want to think about that. Stop it.

She took a deep breath, exhaling her pain as she laid Nico’s hand back to his stomach. Her Nico was dead and gone, but this one still needed help. The IV bag that Evan had set up would have fluids to keep him hydrated, but the injured man still needed nutrients. Everything he could get packed into a medium he could keep down. Plus, everyone else would need to eat too. 

So, a few hours later, Sorina found herself in a strange kitchen kneading dough. A red, plaid apron was wrapped around her, protecting her clothes from flour streaks. The kitchen was surprisingly well stocked, and she hadn’t found any difficulty in finding any ingredient she needed. 

Once it was closer to actual morning, she would make some real breakfast food, but the soup she was making had a majority of the nutrients Nico would need while being easy enough on his stomach to keep it down. Plus, she was making enough of it to last for days. 

She’d checked on Nico every fifteen minutes while she worked, making sure that he was still sleeping and stable. She had the feeling that Evan wouldn’t be very happy that he’d fallen asleep, but Nico was safe, and he needed the sleep. 

While she was separating the dough for its last rising, a strangled snort and the quiet thump of something on the carpet made her turn around. Wiping her hands on the apron, she went into the living room to find Evan leaning over Nico. His clipboard was on the floor, probably escaped when he shifted in his sleep, but it was ignored now. The beast master’s fingers were on the boy’s throat, checking his pulse and the tight wind of his shoulders relaxed as he found it.

“He’s alright, Evan,” she said softly, not wanting to wake the others. 

Surprised, he jumped and twirled on her, eyes flashing red for just a split second before he recognized her. He put a hand to his chest, breathing heavily as he leaned over his knees. “God, you scared the shit out of me,” he whispered. 

“Sorry,” a grin stretched her face and made her eyes crinkle. “I’ve been checking on him every fifteen minutes for the last two hours. I haven’t noticed any change.” 

Straightening, Evan signed, rolling his neck and running a hand through his hair. “Thank you, I didn’t mean to fall asleep. Here I was berating Brian for leaving him alone, and I went and did the same thing.” 

Sorina shook her head, coming further into the room to put a hand on his shoulder. “You needed the sleep, don’t beat yourself up. Nothing’s happened.” 

“But it could have.” 

“Anything could happen, but it didn’t,” she said firmly, cutting off that line of thought. It wouldn’t serve any of them. “Why don’t you check him over, soothe some of your worries, and I’ll bring you some tea.” 

He nodded, rubbing at the bags under his eyes and displacing his glasses before leaning back over Nico. 

When she came back, she held a steaming cup of tea in one hand, and a bowl of the chicken bone broth in the other. The broth was carefully strained with no heavy seasonings, but it still smelled wonderful to her. 

Evan was busy administering something to Nico through his IV port, but he tilted his head in question toward the bowl, eyebrow raised. 

“Figured he needs all of the liquids and nutrients he can get, especially if those are pain meds and antibiotics you’re giving him. It’s easy on the stomach, homemade, I think he can handle it just fine.” 

“Yeah, that sounds fine. You said homemade?” 

He sounded surprised, and she felt a wave of dry amusement. “Not all twenty first century women shun the kitchen,” she said, mock sternly. 

“My mistake,” Evan laughed, blushing sweetly. If she wanted, she could probably see the yellow, golden shivers of happiness twisting around the edges of his aura. But she was tired, and she wanted to look at the smile lines around the corners of his mouth more. 

Evan moved out of her way, taking the tea from her with a grateful smile. She settled on the arm of the lounger again, carefully setting the bowl on the side table so that she could spread a towel across Nico’s chest and neck. 

“Would you mind grabbing one of those small pillows, Evan?” She whispered, pointing at one of the ones that had escaped Brian and Kristy’s nest. 

Handing it to her, he settled back in his chair, watching her carefully. Sorina didn’t mind the scrutiny, it was far beyond her first time helping someone sick eat. 

Cradling Nico’s head in one of her small hands, she brought him up slightly, rubbing her thumb across his skin. Eyelids crinkling, Nico stirred, stiffening as he came closer to consciousness. “Hush, Cola,” she murmured, “it’s okay, just need to get some food in you, yeah?” 

Nico didn’t offer any protest when she slipped the pillow behind his head, blue eyes opening slightly to gaze glassily around the room. He didn’t seem to really focus on anything, but she started to feel the waves of fear building. 

Her heart cracked at that, and she shushed him again, rubbing her thumb across the middle of his forehead, “it’s okay, just some broth, nothing to be scared of.” 

No answer was forthcoming, but she saw his lips move slightly with unintelligible words. Steadying herself, she grabbed the bowl, dipping the spoon inside before blowing on the hot liquid. Testing it first, she didn’t want to burn Nico, she finally brought the spoon to his mouth. 

A cut off whimper made her pause, but Nico didn’t pull away, opening his mouth obediently at the feel of metal against his lips. Sorina took a quick breath, feeling her eyes widen slightly. She didn’t know what that meant exactly, but she could guess. 

Shuddering, she pushed her horror away. He needed this, she couldn’t get in his way. It wasn’t time to catalogue everything that had been done to him. 

Pouring droplets of the broth into his mouth, she murmured to him, “Drink, little bear.” 

His chapped and dry mouth worked slightly, letting the liquid slide down his throat. Sorina sighed when he didn’t choke or cough, bringing more liquid to his mouth quickly to take advantage of his limited strength. 

Apparently she was too fast, and he choked on a scared whine, face turning away from her. A low rumble to her side made her jerk, spilling a few hot drops of soup over her thumb. Clint raised his head, hair muzzy and eyelids sleep heavy, but the wolf’s yellow eyes locked on to her in an instant. Lip curling, she saw his incisors elongate, and she bopped him on the nose with the spoon.   

He flinched, startled, crossing his eyes to look at the spoon held threateningly in front of his face. “Knock it off, Rover, don’t make me spill this.” 

Evan snorted, slurping at his tea in an obvious effort not to laugh at his friend. She felt oddly accomplished. 

Clint grumbled, but his teeth returned to normal as he sat himself up, rubbing at his face. “What time is it?” 

“Same time it was yesterday,” she answered, bringing another spoonful to Nico’s mouth and getting him to swallow a few more drops. 

“Hardy har har,” Clint scowled, watching her feed his mate. 

Evan took pity on the barely awake werewolf. “It’s a little after five, we’re just trying to get something on his stomach for the new round of meds.” 

Yawning, Clint nodded, his shoulders slumping as he looked Nico over. He turned to Sorina, and the naked gratitude in his face made part of her anger at him crack. “Thank you, thank you so much for helpin’ him.” 

“My pleasure,” she acknowledged, concentrating on feeding Nico the broth. “Get some more sleep, Clint. The stronger you are, the more the bond can work to help him heal.” 

“Yes ma’am.” He laid back down, hand coming back to brush against Nico as he closed his eyes. 

Cutting her gaze over to Evan, she saw the lingering fatigue in how he slumped over his cup of tea. Gazing into the cooling liquid with a blank face. “You should go lay down, Evan, get a few more hours of sleep. He’s got his meds, and I’m wide awake. Still making bread in the kitchen, and I’ll have breakfast ready before his next dose is due. I’ll wake you up if anything changes.” 

Evan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and taking his glasses off. “You’re right. Thank you, Selene.” Getting to his feet with a heavy slouch, he set his tea aside and grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch. The other end of the sectional couch was empty, and he sprawled out on it easily. It only took a few minutes before she heard the sound of soft snores. 

Sorina helped Nico with a few more mouthfuls of broth, gently wiping his face of the drips that escaped his mouth. His eyelashes, what remained of them, fluttered against his cheeks as he ran out of energy. 

She set the bowl to the side, it was nearly empty anyway, and reached out to brush his hair back from his forehead. Humming, she settled him with soft touches, words starting to fall out of her mouth in a simple melody. One her mother sang to them when they were going to sleep. 

One she’d sung to Nico when he had nightmares, and kept singing as Kristy came into her life. When she got to the refrain, she trailed off, pressing a kiss to her fingers and placing it on Nico’s forehead. 

His eyelids fluttered, and he leaned into her touch. “Th..ks..’Rina,” he murmured, barely audible, barely intelligible, before sighing into sleep. 

She froze. Wide eyed. Breath caught in her throat. 

[42eyeballs]

a continuation of the biblical parallels ive found in tma but it got way too long

Bereshit starts with the beginning; God calls the (added) expanse Sky... and there was...a second day... and God saw that this was good. And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation..." The earth brought forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants of every kind... and God saw that this was good. (1:8-12) An inverse would be a change in sky (look at the sky. It’s looking back) to show the end of the world (the apocalypse), and if fear is to be taken as a type of sustenance surely then the mention of vegetation of every kind would be akin to the ritual of which brought all the Powers through to the new world at once (180), creating a fertile land full of fear to devour. 

It is noted that the world was created before Adam was placed into it (2:8)! Creating a slight shift in timelines for their beginnings, paralleled by Jon staying within the cottage for his chrysalis, staying there until he emerged as an adult insect (?). Insect imagery aside Adam was created and placed into his Eden as a full adult, as so is Jon.  “This place wishes to be our tomb. But the Eye does not wish that. No, the Eye wishes instead that it be my chrysalis.” (162) Which has an implication that it was always meant to be a stage to pass through, similarly there are interpretations that the Garden was always meant to be an intermediary stage humanity was meant to grow out of (along with a few other things). If there is the cottage, there is the Garden; if there is the world outside of Eden, there is the world wracked by the apocalypse. 

The cottage is this false artificial refuge from the other parts of the world. Eden was this prison of everything the couple may have needed. 162 describes the cottage as a place “deep in the heart of fear, where [they] trap [themselves] and claim that it is safety… a rotten sanctuary of lonely companionship” and yet is small enough that “the one [Jon] loves is always near, so close that refuge sometimes feels a prison.” Eden is a sanctuary where the only one to talk to and lean on is a lover; the world will rage on but this small bubble will never change, just wait for when they are ready. 

There’s also an interesting inversion with Eden being given to have this motif of having been created and alive, all of which from the perspective of the setting is very passive, and the Extinction being active in its creation; it will seek to create a lifeless world. Some interpretations suggest it might replace us with something new - that can then fear annihilation in turn, which has a similar flavor to Spinoza’s idea of a substance that desires only it’s existence - said substance only wants to be itself, it wants to be eternal. Such is inscribed into it’s very being, and yet there are different modes of the substance that exist differently. Oliver calls himself a death prophet, and says he has knowledge of death but not an understanding of what to do with it or why (121); Jon who watch[s] and know[s] and understand[s] none…  listen[s] and hear[s] and [does not] comprehend (160) is a fascinating parallel in structure of Spinoza’s idea of prophets that are gifted with knowledge but not understanding - knowledge that is gifted to them via some mode of the substance.

    There is also a period of time before the creation of Adam and the giving of life to him, and if we are to take research Jonathan as being in his insectoid egg, and archivist Jonathan as being a sort of larva that has yet to reach adulthood in his chrysalis, then this is the period of larvae. He is alive but not fully peaked in his awakening as an avatar. He does not yet see and is not yet fully living as such; the shift being when he shifts in his hospital bed and begins to breathe again (121), a parallel to when God blew into Adam the breath of life, and man became a living being (2:7). Jon, about two months after living again, takes out a bone, specifically a rib, specifically specifically something he won’t miss, for an anchor (131), and jumps into the Buried. Why specifically a rib? It is the same bone as the one God took out of Adam to bring him Eve (2:21), though she had not a name until after they had already left the Garden. Adam had all the world’s array of animals and wild beasts to choose from and yet none were a fitting partner; the Hunt has an affinity towards predatory animals, one could say wild beasts. This is where Daisy fits in. Martin had not yet been brought to Jon yet at this point, and slotted between the place between being Alive and Partnered is Daisy who is not his wife and who is not his partner and who is, or was and will be, a wild beast (2:19-20). Martin, who has very aptly been called Jon’s actual anchor to humanity, and Jon’s actual anchor out of the Buried,  placed dozens of tape recorders (132, 134) on top and around of the coffin, waiting for Jon. There is no hard evidence that says that without Martin's actions, Jon could not have found his way out again, but there is the implication because he does lose the presence of his rib while in there, only to be reunited with it after Martin has placed the recorders. This actively associates Martin with being Jon’s anchor instead of the rib, swapping their places. A bone for a person. 

    Jon goes into the lonely for Martin, and is able to find him and, more than that, bring him back (159). They are together despite the Lonely saying that to live is to be alone. They are together, and they link living (as opposed to surviving) to loving (be it in whatever form it may) (159), similarly there is God’s statement of how it is not good for man to be alone (2:18). Martin can be heavily associated with an Eve persona now, and he continues the role in the cottage by giving Jon the statements.

    God said not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and bad (in some translations); Jon, as soon as he knew what the statement was, knew it was bad, knew he did not want it, he knew he should not read it. Statements have been written to become more equivalent to food as the plot goes on, accumulating into this final statement, this final fruit of knowledge, where the world then goes topsy turvy and flips on its head. This is where there begins to be a massive inversion of the parallels, not a diversion but more of an opposite in sides. If Adam were to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge, his “eyes [would] be opened and [he would] be like diving beings,” (3:5), same goes with Jon and his statement, but Adam was also told if he eats the fruit, he would gain the ability to die (2:15-17). Jon  wouldn’t gain the ability to know good and evil, he already had that, however little he may have used it. If anything being so close to such a source of power made it harder for him to determine what is good, and what is evil (171, 174, 166, etc.), along with the added bonus of not really being susceptible to death, but oh does he gain raw knowledge. 

    Eve, of course, is told to eat the fruit by a snake, and Adam eats the fruit that Eve gave him; interesting then that Elias puts his false statement in with real ones to be delivered to the cottage (the fruit in the Garden) for Martin to give to Jon (Eve to give to Adam). This also equates Elias to a snake which is wonderfully appropriate. There’s also this small line where Basira said that she would just send a bunch of statements because she wasn’t sure which ones he has already read, not that big of a line but it does imply that there was likely some statements that he had read, and at least one that he hadn’t (Elias’); there was also likely two trees of which Adam has not eaten from, until the end, the tree of knowledge, but there is also a tree of life. In reading the statement, Jon invokes the line “I am to be a king of a ruined world” (160); Adam was meant to rule over and master what filled the earth, the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, all the living things, but his world was meant to be one of joy and prosperity, and this carries over onto Jon who does see beauty and wonder in the world that is. 

    Adam and Eve aren’t immediately cast out, they first hide themselves from what they have wrought upon them; Jon too, hides from what was wrought upon the world, until he doesn’t and he is filled with hatred and anger. Eve, too, was filled with anger and enmity for the snake, which presumably Adam shared but the text isn’t specific, but Martin was already ready to leave if not angry. So God banishes them from the Garden, to “till the soil from which he was taken,” (3:23) and on one hand this is to make it so that humanity cannot have both the knowledge and immortality, but it also acts as a way to say that humanity has grown enough to leave the house of their childhood, that Jon is ready to leave his chrysalis. The banishment from Eden is also the destruction of Eden, as it no longer has anyone to tend to it, as was Adam's original purpose; Eden, being the only place Adam ever was, his whole world, then being destroyed, even if he was not able to watch it actively happen. Elias, too, forces Jon to destroy the world he has lived in (180), and he passes out, only being able to see the result of him reading the statement. But more so, Adam and Eve were afraid after they knew (3:10).

    They walk through the door of the cottage, and the gates of the Garden, into the world that is now theirs to do with what they will. Adam and Eve have death slowly approaching, but it is not here yet because despite what most translations say, they do not immediately die, death, and the End, is very patient (121). And the biblical couple propagates, and births Cain and Abel. Cain kills Abel, and is cursed to become a ceaseless wanderer on Earth, which interestingly is what Jon is doing, slowly wandering towards the Panopticon, but Cain is also marked, so as to allow for him to wander without fear, without being killed despite what others (what others I don’t know) may want (4:12). Jon, too is cursed with life, and he cannot likely be killed by just anything, but the curse says nothing about hurt, which is where how Daisy could hurt him makes sense (179) despite what he might have intuitively thought. 

    Time goes on, and God regretted what she had made, and her heart saddened (6:6), which is right before the Flood. If we stretch to say that the plot will continue to follow this path, and it may due to it being said that if there were a removal of the Fears the Earth would go back to normal, similarly to the Floor getting rid of all but a few select humans. 

    This leaves the questions: who plays the role of Abel? It may well be Lukas, but I’m not sure as Abel also carries farm animals including sheep and perhaps cows as iconography, but he was also meant to be the second of a pair to Cain; if the Flood is to happen, who will be saved? Who will be left to die? The nephilim already have some kind of divinity, which has been sprinkled around with the Fears and Jon and God, but where do they lie?

    One last thing to mention is the usage of the Torah as a way to store stories, as an archive of the history of a people if you will, and archivist[s]... care about compiling experiences [and] collecting the fears of others (180). Records of fear and records of strength in face of adversity. Jon is an archive of fear, but he may well also be an archive of love and strength. 

[spockfallsinlove]

@sciencebluefeelings prompt: Jim has a kink in his back from sleeping on emergency rations, triggered by Tarsus IV.  in other words: another angsty Tarsus IV with Spock helping Jim fic kirk/spock. 2.4k words. angst, ptsd, jim’s poor back 

Jim can feel when it’s getting bad again.

It’s a snaking feeling up his spine, a tingling under his skin. It manifests in ticks that seem to have nothing to do with the root of the problem: rearranging the papers on his desk into specifically-sized piles, adjusting himself in his chair on the bridge into ten different positions in ten minutes, inability to throw things away, checking and re-checking that he sent comms an unnecessary amount of times.

This time, what triggered it was reports of attempted genocide occuring on planet Varga, with the use of a fungus that would kill most vegetation and cause mass starvation. After reading the report, it took Jim too long to leave his cabin for his shift that morning.

And Jim knows it’s coming, tries to temper it. Since he knows it’s coming, the really bad part of it all, he convinces himself that it’s manageable.

But then it ramps up.

Inability to throw things away graduates to storing those things under his bed, in his drawers, in his closet. He begins to take extra non-perishable food items from the mess hall and stores it in his desk until he can barely shut the drawers. He takes a box of emergency rations from medbay to keep in his room (Bones tries to talk to him about this, but backs off when Jim snaps at him). These rations make it to the same place they always do, when things get this bad: under his covers, where he curls around them in a distorted fetal position, the sharp corners of the ration bars digging into his sides.

It is, in a warped way, comforting, when he wakes up from his vividly real nightmares of crying children and concave stomachs: the sharp corners of the ration bars reminding him that he’s still alive, still grounded in reality.

Things will get back to normal soon. This mania, Jim knows, will only last for a little less than a month.  Bones unsolicitedly gives him caffeine hypos for the exhaustion, and Jim switches to hot water showers instead of sonics in order to ease his aching back.

Spock is, of course, more observant than Jim would like him to be. He can feel Spock’s eyes on him when he’s rolling his shoulders and wincing on the bridge. There’s a tightness in Spock’s lips when Jim trips over his own words when giving an order and punctuating the ends of his sentences with yawns.

But unlike Bones, Spock doesn’t say anything; doesn’t crowd Jim with questions. It’s a method of friendship that Jim can appreciate, he thinks as he settles in bed for a fifth night with the rations rustling around in his sheets. Spock knows where his business lies, and that’s not poking his nose into Jim’s affairs.

Until the away mission.

They’re running from a pack of particularly hostile aliens. Shortly after leaping over a rock, Jim feels something crack in his spine and he’s on the ground, sprawled flat on his stomach.

Spock has to hoist him over his shoulder and carry him the rest of the way back to the beaming-up coordinates.

“Perhaps a visit to sickbay is in order,” Spock suggests after they’ve energized, watching Jim hobble his way off the platform.

“It’s nothing a hot water bottle won’t fix,” Jim says lightly. Spock looks impassive. Jim waves his hand. “Seriously, Spock, it’s nothing. All sickbay will get me is a Bones barking at me to eat more vegetables and exercise more frequently. I just need a night of rest.”

With an eyebrow raised, Spock suggests, “At least allow me to be your replacement for the rest of your shift, Captain. So that your rest can be expedited to the present instead of seven hours from now.”

Jim does his best to straighten his crooked spine and look stately as he nods in agreement. “Yes, perhaps that’d be good. We have that summit meeting at Starbase 24 tomorrow—wouldn’t want to be at half-mast in front of Admiral Komack.”

Spock’s lips twitch, the only indication that he appreciated Jim’s stab at humor. “Indeed, Captain.”

Jim waits until Spock has left the transporter room before slowly making his way to his quarters, praying that Bone won’t materialize around a corner with a hypo in hand.

For the next seven hours, Jim tries his best to be comfortable lying straight-backed over the rations. They crinkle in protest every time he adjusts. He can practically hear his back shrieking at him every time he moves.

It’s hours of agony until someone beeps the intercom for his door.

Jim barks, sitting up against his pillows, “What?”

“Captain, may I enter?” Spock asks from the other side of the door.

Jim curses under his breath. Sweeps his blanket over any visible rations and pulls it higher over his chest. “You may,” he calls back.

The door slides away to reveal Spock, looking nothing like a man whose had a continuous twenty-four hour shift, with the last seven being acting Captain.

Jim feels a warmth in his chest that tugs his face into a smile. “How was the shift, Spock?”

“Uneventful, Captain. Starbase 24 contacted us to see if we were on course for the summit meeting—I affirmed that we were.”

“Excellent.” Jim feels his lower back spasm; he resists the urge to shift. “I should be ready to beam down at 0800 for the meeting.”

“Yes, sir.” Spock visibly hesitates. “I came to inquire—are you feeling satisfactory?”

Jim scoffs. “Careful, Spock, you’re starting to sound like Bones.”

Spock, if possible, raises himself to straighten further. “I am deeply grieved to hear that, Captain.”

That gets a happy laugh out of Jim; he feels his back relax from the movement. “I apologize, Mr. Spock, I didn’t mean to insult you.”

“Negative, Captain.” Spock adjusts his hands behind him. “I merely wanted to inquire after your health and see if I could be of any assistance.”

“Assistance? What, are you going to sternly tell my spine to do its logical job and stop causing me grievances?”

There’s a crinkle around the corners of Spock’s eyes. “Negative. I came to offer my chiropractic expertise.”

Jim asks, “Your what now?”

Spock takes a step forward. “My mother was ailed with scoliosis as a child. As a result, she experienced frequent soreness and misalignment in her spine. My father and I thought it only logical to become well-versed on the subject, so that we could help her when needed.”

“Well, that is logical,” Jim says, “but I don’t want to trouble you if—”

“It’s no trouble,” Spock cuts in, almost too quickly. He ducks his head, adding, “Sir.”

There’s a silence that hangs over them. Jim realizes belatedly how dark it is in the room, with the lights only at forty percent. He tries not to appreciate Spock too much in this dim light, how it softens his features and makes his chocolate eyes all the deeper. Spock, his straight-laced Vulcan first officer who essentially just offered to massage him.

“If you are uncomfortable with my suggestion, please say so,” Spock says, voice pitched lower, with a touch of strain. It makes Jim realize that he’s been making Spock wait for his answer.

And it’s this vulnerability in Spock, Jim’s desire to keep Spock from feeling embarrassed, that makes Jim forget the rations in his bed or the food stuffed in his desk drawers. It makes him say, “Of course I’m not, Spock. I would be honored if you helped me.”

Spock nods, shoulders minutely deflating. “Very good, Captain. In that case, I will ask you to sit on the edge of the bed.”

Jim forgets the rations and the food, that is, until Spock moves forward toward him, and puts a hand on it, making a move to sit down. Both of them freeze when Spock’s movement elicits a very loud, very obnoxious crackle.

Spock stares at Jim, silently demanding an explanation. Jim stares right back, feeling his cheeks literally bursting into flame.

“I, uh…” Jim shifts against his pillow; there’s more crackling as the rations are further shifted around in his sheets. “Maybe now isn’t a good time, Spock, I—well—”

Spock is just looking more increasingly horrified, and Jim can’t blame him, especially can’t blame him for lifting up the sheet at Jim’s feet to examine the cause of what’s causing such a racket. Spock sees the rations, at least fifteen clustered around Jim’s ankles alone, and stares.

“Captain…” Spock begins.

Jim feels his jaw working, but he doesn’t know what to say. He stares at his hands.

“Jim—”

“I don’t want to explain,” Jim snaps. He still can’t meet Spock’s eyes, because he knows what he’ll see in them: pity and judgement and something else he doesn’t want to mention. “Don’t ask me to explain, Spock, because I don’t want to, alright? I can’t. Just leave it alone.”

Jim expects Spock to run. To calmly replace the sheet back over Jim’s legs and then bolt right out of the room and then declare the lunatic captain unfit to run the ship.

Instead, Spock stands. He folds his hands behind his back and stands back at a respectable distance. “Jim,” he says again.

When Jim finally looks up at Spock, there’s nothing what he expected: no pity, no judgement, no shame. Just understanding. “Jim, do you want me to leave, or stay?”

Jim swallows; it gets caught in the closing of his throat. He considers only a moment before saying, “Please stay, Spock.”

Spock nods. He gestures for Jim to move to the edge of the bed.

Jim obliges, his legs dangle over the side as he sits in a hunched position. Spock sits behind him, the ration bars crinkling under his weight. If this bothers him, he gives no indication.

Voice steady, Spock says, “I am going to examine your back now, to see where the ailment is stemming from. This won’t take a moment.”

Jim nods. He feels Spock’s gentle but firm fingers press into his back, wandering up and down his spine. There’s a calming rhythm in his explorations of Jim’s muscles, one that makes Jim’s eyes feel heavier, his shoulders feel lighter.

“I found it,” Spock says after a few long minutes. “It’s the lower part of your spine. What position do you often sleep in?”

“On my side,” Jim says. “Often not straight.”

“It could be causing the problem.” Spock’s fingers press into Jim’s lower back, right on the sore spot, and Jim has to suppress a sigh. “I don’t detect it’s spinal; simply the muscles are overworked and tight in this area. It can be solved through massage.”

“That’s good to hear,” Jim says, trying to keep his voice steady.

“Indeed. Are you comfortable in this position?”

Jim nods. He feels Spock’s fingers press into his muscles again with more firmness, more direction. “Thank you, Spock,” he says.

“Of course, Captain.”

Taking a steadying breath, Jim continues, “For this and… for not prying.”

Spock is silent. His fingers continue to press into Jim’s back. He finally says, “I will not pry. I simply wish to state that I am available to you in a capacity that goes beyond a First Officer’s duties. As a friend.”

Jim closes his eyes and pushes against the tide of feeling rising in his chest. “I appreciate that, Spock.”

“It is no trouble, Jim,” Spock replies, and continues to push at Jim’s back.

It’s been years since Jim’s allowed something like this. For someone to help him, just for the sake of it. Bones constantly pushes Jim to take care of himself, to seek emotional help—and Jim appreciates it, despite the annoyance of it.

But with Spock, it’s different. With Spock, Jim feel as though he can just allow himself to be helped—mainly, because he knows that Spock will only offer help since it’s the logical thing to do. There’s comfort in that. That logically, friends help each other, so that they can continue on in life being happy and healthy.

It’s logic, Jim insists to himself, that makes him say on a quiet breath, “Tarsus IV.”

Spock’s hands still.

“It’s…” Jim clears his throat. “It’s about Tarsus IV.”

He doesn’t explain further. He knows he doesn’t have to, that Spock is brilliant enough to put the rations and the lack of sleep and the events that happened on that planet together in order to create the whole picture. Jim knows he doesn’t have to, based on the sharp intake of breath Spock takes before his fingers begin gently pushing into Jim’s shirt again.

“‘In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.’” Spock says.

“What?” Jim asks. He turns his head to look at Spock over his shoulder, worried Spock might be having a stroke.

“A quote by Albert Camus I read once,” Spock explains. He puts his hands in his lap. “You possess within you an invincible summer, Jim. This period of winter will not falter it.”

“Metaphors, Mr. Spock?” Jim tries to tease, although his chest is bursting with about twenty different kinds of emotion.

“Only for you, Captain,” Spock spars with a twitch of his lips. “Please turn so that I may continue to aid your back.”

“Yes, sir,” Jim says teasingly, moving his head back to neutral position. He feels a smile, a genuine smile that he hasn’t felt in weeks, pull at his lips. He closes his eyes and focuses on Spock’s brilliant fingers pushing into the tight spots Jim didn’t even know he had, drawing out the pain and smoothing it out.

And if Spock leans in further toward Jim’s back, enough so that Jim can feel the warmth emanating from his friend, Jim just smiles and doesn’t say a word.

↳ prompts are open for mowripro, send one to my askbox.

[elisaphoenix13]

(AT) To Bring Them Home

A more in depth version of Remembering The Departed (but with Harley and Cassie added so other fics fit).

"Hey Mama Bear. If you find this recording, don't post it on social media. It's gonna be a real tear jerker." Tony sighs heavily and leans back against the wall of the ship. " It's not like you're ever going to see these anyway. I watched you fade to nothing in front of me after all. You and Peter. I guess I'm recording these for my own sanity. It helps to pretend you're getting these messages. Totally lame right?"

The engineer clears his parched throat. He was desperate for anything to moisten his mouth at this point.

"Today's day twenty-one? No. Twenty-two. You know if it wasn't for the existential terror of staring into the literal void of space, I'd say I'm feeling a little better today. The infection has run its course thanks to the blue meanie back there." He weakly motions to Nebula somewhere in the vicinity behind him. "Oh you'd love her. Very practical. Only a tiny bit sadistic."

Stephen probably would like the cyborg. He may have been cautious of her at first, but if she treated the kids well, the sorcerer would have immediately warmed up  to Nebula. The poor woman just needed a friend.

"So the fuel cells were cracked during battle and we figured out a way to reverse the ion charge by ourselves and bought 48 hours of flight time. But it's now dead in the water a thousand light years from the nearest 7-11. Oxygen will run out tomorrow morning, and that'll be it." Tony rubs his eyes. "It looks like...well you know what it looks like. Don't feel bad about this. I mean actually if you grovel for a couple weeks and then move on with enormous guilt..." He trails off as he fights off the impending lure of sleep.

"I should probably lie down for a minute. Rest my eyes. If by some miracle I make it back home, the first thing I'm going to do is look for Harley and Diana. God I hope they're still at home. If I go home and they're gone too...I don't know what I'm going to do." He would very likely off himself but he didn't need to say that. Tony was sure that if somehow, Stephen was able to see these messages, he would know. "Please know, when I drift off, it'll be like every night lately. I'm fine...totally fine. I dream about you. God it's always you." Tony says with a broken whisper.

He was hungry, dehydrated, and lost in space with a robotic woman and for once he looked forward to sleep. Dreams of Stephen and their family was his only salvation in this terrible situation he found himself in. He was already hallucinating blue butterflies, and he tried to touch one the first time he saw it, but it had disappeared as soon as his fingers went through the illusion. Tony just ignored them after that. He never asked Nebula if she saw them, because he knew the answer would be a 'no', and she would watch him like a hawk.

With a sigh, he shuts off the recording mechanism in his helmet and pulls on a jacket before laying down. This would quite possibly be the last time his eyes would be open, but at least when he went, it would be to pleasant dreams. Dreams, and the part of him that believed that the blue butterfly settling on the arm he was laying on, was Stephen watching over him.

________________________

Carol had miraculously come across them and took them back to Earth, and once an IV was shoved into him, the remaining Avengers held a meeting. Tony really just wanted to keep to his promise and looks for his other two kids, but he also needed to know who else they had lost. Picture after picture popped up on the multiple screens in the meeting room at the compound, and Tony had to hold himself together when Stephen and Peter's picture came up. He almost lost it when Harley's appeared as well, but then the pictures stopped and the screens vanished.

He never saw Diana and that made him jump to his feet and almost fall over from how weak he was. Pepper had to step forward and steady him as he points a shaky finger as the previous location of the screens.

"D-Diana?" He mentally curses when he stumbles over the single word. "Where...is she...is she alive?"

Steve steps over to his other side to help keep him steady, and offers him a small smile. "She's alive. Out of all of the kids, she and Cassie are still here."

Tony nearly sobs with relief. "Clint and Scott?"

Natasha frowns. "Neither of them are responding to any of our calls. We have to assume they were victims too."

"I want to see my daughter." The engineer whispers, and Pepper gently rubs his back.

"You will, but you need rest."

"I'll rest when I..." Tony blinks away the black spots forming in his vision and the room begins to spin. "When I--"

Then he collapsed. The little bit of effort he had put into talking and standing was too much for his body, and it forced him to rest. He slept for two days without waking, but he woke up on third day and Rhodey all but forced him to eat. In any or he scenario he would have fought, but Diana was alive and all he cared about was seeing her. Tony caved when his best friend promised he could see her as soon as he ate, and he did. He ate as much as he could stomach and Rhodey kept to his promise by having Natasha bring Diana to him. Big blue eyes brightened when his six-month-old daughter saw him and she squealed happily as she reached out for him.

"Dada!"

That one simple word was what broke Tony when he finally got to hold his baby girl. She was all he had left if his family. His husband was gone, his two sons were gone, and half of his friends were gone too. He was broken and tired and wanted to get away from it all. All of the memories.

So as soon as he was able again, Tony took Diana and Cassie with him to a lake house he bought. Cassie's mother and stepfather were out of reach since they had been traveling over seas when the snap happened, so they didn't know if they were even alive. Scott was MIA as well, but Tony promised to take care of her. She was surprisingly happy that the engineer told her to get her things and she did without a fuss.

Tony watched Diana and Cassie grow up over the next five years. As Cassie got older, she helped with Diana and eventually took a liking to cooking and baking that she was starting to throw Tony out of his own kitchen. Like now.

"You're kicking me out of my own kitchen?! You have a lot of nerve Miss Sass." Tony moves away from the island counter and accidently knocks a glass cup off of it and watches it fall and shatter on the ground. "Shit."

Cassie giggles. "That is exactly why. How did you manage to feed us before I took over?"

Tony picks up the broken glass with a towel and dumps it all in the trash bin. "I'll have you know I made dinner plenty of times. I make a mean sauce. Even Peter drank--"

He immediately clams up at the mention of his youngest son. Tony locked those memories away tears ago, but every once in a while, one would slip through. What were once pleasant dreams when he was dying in space, now haunted him in the safety of his home. In his dreams and just looking at Diana. She reminded him of Stephen every day and it was hard to ignore. She even inherited the man's cheeky mouth.

Cassie learned how to read him over the five years they lived at the lake house, and she could tell that talk to him about his family wasn't a good idea right now. "Can you see if there are any raspberries left? They would be good in the salad."

Tony scoffs. "If there are any left."

"With the way your alpaca eats them I wouldn't be surprised if they were gone!"

"My alpaca? You and Dia were the ones that wanted a pet!"

"Yeah! Like a cat! But you had to be extra and come home with a freaking alpaca!" Cassie snarks as she points a knife in his direction and Tony holds his hands up.

"He has a name." The engineer says with a smirk.

"Gerald is a terrible name." Cassie throws a walnut at his head, and narrows her eyes when Tony catches it in his mouth. "Check for berries."

"I've adopted a slave-driver."

Cassie sniggers as he walks out the back door and he pats Gerald's head as he passes by the mammal and into the garden. It was Cassie's idea and he had to admit it was nice having fresh vegetables and berries a few feet away, even if he had to beat their pet alpaca to them. The girls wanted a cat, but it only would have reminded him of Tibbs, and even the poor cat had been a victim of the snap. He just wasn't ready for another one. Tibbs was a pretty awesome cat and Tony kind of missed him sometimes.

"Alright Gerald, I hope you left us some raspberries or we'll both be in the dog house." Two more steps and he found a plant full of the berries. "Small miracles." He glances over at the blanket fort a few feet away and smiles. "Princess Diana! Come help me pick berries!"

"I'm coloring Daddy!" Diana shouts from inside her fort and Tony chuckles quietly. She definitely had Stephen's snark, and she even said it in an exasperated tone.

"I guess you don't get Cassie's chocolate chip cookies for dessert!"

A loud groan follows and Tony grins as Diana comes out of her fort and joins her father. "It was important."

"Oh yeah? Well you'll have to finish after dinner."

Diana doesn't argue any further and the two of them pick enough berries to fill a small container that Tony gives the responsibility of holding to his daughter. A couple of raspberries disappear into her mouth and Tony gives her a fond look as he wipes away some of the juice at the corner of her mouth before it stains. Sass aside, he was lucky that Diana was so well behaved. She even stopped asking about her mother and brothers because she didn't like the forlorn look Tony always wore when they were brought up, but he was also pretty sure that Cassie was telling her instead. Tony always kicked himself over that. Diana should be able to ask him without worrying about him getting upset over it, but instead her pseudo-sister was telling her the stories. Sometimes Pepper, Happy, and the other Avengers whenever they had time to stop by.

"Don't fill up Little Miss. You think we have enough?"

Diana nods. "Uh-huh."

"Alright. Let's get these back in to the Alpha Female if we want to have dinner. I can smell it from here." He kisses her on the cheek before standing back up and lifting Diana into his arms, and he stops next to Gerald when the exit the garden. "Give one to our loyal guard alpaca."

The five year old grabs a raspberry from the container in her hands and gives it to Gerald who eats it out of her hand happily and thanks her with a nuzzle. With that done, Tony walks back toward the house until he hears the unmistakable sound of tires crunching over gravel. He and Diana look at each other before Tony makes his way around the house to the driveway, and his eyes widen when Scott all but falls out of the car in his haste to get out. Steve and Natasha followed after him as the ex-criminal approaches the billionaire and Diana pushes Tony's mouth closed.

"Scott?" Tony wonders with surprise.

"Cassie? Is she here? They said she was here." The man rambles, but before Tony could even reply, the front door opened and Cassie stepped out.

"Daddy?"

Scott's head whips around and the fifteen year old girl immediately runs over to him and hugs him tightly. Everyone else watches the small reunion as Scott hold his daughter close, and he eventually moves away to study his grown daughter.

"You're so big!" Scott looks Cassie over for a few more seconds and then sniffs the air. "Is that food? Oh my god, I'm starving."

Both Cassie and Tony laugh. "You have good timing Thumbelina. You guys can stay for dinner and tell us where the hell you've been."

"Good, because according to Nat and the Cap, I literally haven't eaten for five years."

Tony looks over at the other two adults. "Dinner?"

Natasha smiles. "Only if I get the baby."

"You heard her Little Miss. Go to Auntie Nat." The engineer says as he takes the container of berries and Diana happily goes to Natasha before they head inside.

Scott was quiet for the majority of dinner because he was too busy eating, but when he eventually slowed down so he could at least breath and taste his food, he told them where he had been. The Quantum Realm. What felt like an hour to him had been five years, so when he finally escaped, he was confused when he saw all the missing posters and the monuments with the names of the Snap victims. He explained that he went straight to the tower but when he found he empty, he went to the compound where he found Steve and Natasha. He told them the same thing he was telling Tony and they jumped right back into the car and came straight to the lake house when he asked about Cassie.

Steve clears his throat and Tony watches Natasha suspiciously when she mumbles in Russian and herds Diana away from the table after dinner. An adult conversation was coming up and he wasn't sure whether or not he was glad that the assassin took the initiative to distract his daughter. As soon as the two were out of ear shot, Scott opened his mouth again.

"Tony...we think we can reverse what happened. Bring everyone back."

His breath catches in his throat. "What?"

"Like I told you, it only felt like an hour in the Quantum Realm for me when realistically it's been five years. Time works differently there. Maybe if we can manipulate it--"

"You're talking about a time machine." Tony interrupts.

Steve grimaces. "For lack of a better word, yes."

"I can't take that chance." Scott opens his mouth again but Tony cuts him off and points toward the direction Natasha and Diana disappeared to. "She is all I have left. I can't risk that for a chance. Diana is the only reason I'm even still here!" He admits and the other two men wince and Cassie frowns. "I lost my wife, and my two sons. I can't lose her too."

The three stare at each other in silence until Diana and Natasha return, and Tony's heart clenches when he finds a familiar leather book in his daughter's hands.

Peter's photo album.

"Where..." The mechanic starts and Scott sighs.

"I told you I went to the tower. I grabbed that just in case." He says quietly as Diana sets the album on the table in front of Tony.

"Tony...at least look through it." Steve says quietly. "Even if you still don't want to help, you and Diana both deserve those memories."

Cassie places her hand on the album and pushes it closer to Tony. "I think it's a good idea."

Tony sighs. "Even Miss Sass is ganging up on me."

He reluctantly agrees though and they all eat their dessert of cookies before everyone sans Tony retires to bed. He offered for them to stay since it was a long drive back, and they accepted gratefully. Cassie was nice enough to take Diana to bed since she knew the little girl's schedule and Tony had gone into the makeshift lab to look through the photo album. Not until he had FRIDAY working on potential ways to be able to use the Quantum Realm as a time machine though. He highly doubted they would find anything, but he could at least say he tried. Looking through the album was hard but it was necessary if he was going to have to tell Diana the stories behind each picture. His daughter deserved that much if FRIDAY couldn't--

"Test run successful Boss."

Tony's head snaps up to the hologram and he drops the album so he can cover his mouth in disbelief. He did it. He found a way to time travel. Something he never thought possible if he were honest. A Time Stone was one thing, but a machine? Even he had been skeptical.

"Shit."

That one single word about summed everything up.

He could bring his family back.