#and i could literally just walk to hiking paths rather than having to drive way out. and its fucking so beautiful. the clouds r gorgeous

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...

[ofpineapplesanddawns]

I'm on vacations up in the mountains of the state that I put Celestial Harmonies National Park in (which is my home state), and today my sister and I tried to go for a hike, couldn't find the trail, decided to drive around and check out the sites (we saw a badger and found the jawbone of an elk), then ended up high up on a mountain and found huckleberries.

And it gave me an idea for CHNP's au, with Crowley and his eldritch boyfriend going berry picking.

Please note, most parks don't want you to go berry picking because most of those are meant for the animals, especially bears. However, if there is a massive abundance of certain kinds, yeah, sure, but in certain amounts. Or if you go to a national forest or grassland, you're free to pick as much as you want.

Warning: chokecherries and the bad reaction you have when eating them fresh, angelic body horror (Aziraphale is in his true form, which is really, really weird, and he made himself more of Crowley's size rather than his normal, giant size)

On with the fic!

--

"I really shouldn't be showing you this place." Aziraphale started as he moved through the branches, Crowley keeping to the ground along a barely used path. At least, barely used by humans, the dried tracks in the dirt indicated animals.

"And yet you are." Crowley smirked.

Aziraphale huffed, turning his nose up. "It is illegal."

"And, again, you are showing me this berry patch." Crowley looked up at him, wagging around the bucket in his hand. "Because you want me to bake you up all sorts of treats. Oh, and to try my hand at homemade jams."

There was a loud thump as Aziraphale dropped his body down onto the ground, using his many, freaky hands to crawl across the ground alongside Crowley. "Just don't tell anyone where you got them from, alright?"

"Promise." The human said, trying to keep from looking smug.

They walked a bit further ahead until Crowley could see the large patch of bushes scattered about, hidden among the trees. Lots of ripe blue and purple berries were in sight, and Crowley could even spot red ones as well. Clearly they hadn't been picked clean by the local fauna, though he would leave plenty for them, he didn't want to piss off any bears or whatever.

"Man, look at these, I'm gonna be busy for the next few days." Crowley stated, going up to a bush to pick a plump berry, then popped it right into his mouth. Perfectly tart and juicy, yep, these are ready to be picked.

He got to work, careful to not squish any, as Aziraphale watched. "You wanna help? I could use a hand." Crowley said. "Or several pairs."

"Oh, ha-ha." Aziraphale rolled several of his multiple eyes before making his way over, starting to pick a bunch of the huckleberries, dropping them into the bucket.

Although Crowley did notice that not all of them went into the bucket, quite a number of them were going into the large mouth on Aziraphale's stomach.

He didn't say anything though, Aziraphale seemed rather delighted with the berries, and he was still helping anyway.

Until he noticed that Aziraphale started to pluck from the bushes containing the red berries. "Oh- oh, angel, those are-"

Crowley winced when Aziraphale tossed a handful of the red berries right into his mouth and chewed on them for a moment. Then he paused and all his eyes widened before vanishing and Crowley watched in fascinated horror as Aziraphale's mouth literally spiraled into his body, his face doing the exact same thing.

Then the angel started gagging, coughing way too hard as his features returned. Crowley sighed and held out his water bottle, which Aziraphale gladly took and started to chug.

"Angel, you've lived here for decades, did ya forget what a chokecherry was?" Crowley asked.

"I-I don't usually see them in the wild!" Aziraphale sputtered. "They're normally jammed or in a tea...!"

Crowley laughed and plucked a few, throwing them into the bucket. "Oh yeah, that's the best way to eat 'em. Trying to eat them raw is askin' for trouble."

He ignored the many glaring eyes looking at him, and just smiled, putting more berries into the bucket.

--

Chokecherries live up to their name cause they leave your mouth feeling horrible due to how super bitter and sour they are at the exact same time. However, they taste good when baked, jammed, or turned into a tea.

Huckleberries are super tasty though, or at least I think so, but I only like them in syrup, ice cream, and candy form.

[themadauthorshatter]

... I'm in the mood for angst and shenanigans.

And I want Maven to be happy, and see Elara get her just desserts😈

Thomaven Headcanons FT. The Happy Ending AU.

Elara is LIVID that Thomas is alive, because it distracts Maven more than Mare ever did.

She has him thrown in a dungeon in Silent Stone in it. Maven goes to visit a couple hours later to find Thomas breathing lightly and not moving, cold and eyes fluttering shut.

Maven pulls him out if there and gets him to his room, and Thomas is right as rain, though he is a little annoyed.

Thomas asks if Maven's going to snitch to his mother and try decapitation, and Maven gawks at him, asking why Thomas is being so hostile.

Thomas snaps that Maven's not the same, something that breaks the younger Calore prince, and calls him a monster and a spitting image of what Silvers are, cold, ruthless, and crueler than false hope in Hell. When Maven remains silent, save for a whispered, "How?" Thomas spells it out for him: He killed his father. He ruined his brother's life. He ruined Mare's life. He tried to kill them both, even after all the time he'd spent with them. He tortured and branded Mare. He killed innocent people just for Mare, one of them being a helpless infant. And, to top it off, he has the balls to try running back to Thomas after trying and failing with a girl he'd manipulated and lied to; ran to something new and shiny when the old model didn't satisfy, anymore.

Maven remains absolutely silent, fighting back the urges to scream, to slap Thomas, and to just cry because his head hurts, but only manages, "Get out."

Thomas, still pissed, folds his arms and asks, "Should I ask for an escort or should I show myself the way out?"

They remain silent and Thomas goes to leave.

Maven races to the door and closes it, holding it shut, even when Thomas asks him if he's changing his mind, or if his mother's piloting. Maven asks why he's asking, and how he knows that, and Thomas scoffs that Cal's more observant than Maven and Elara give him credit for.

Thomas tries again to leave, but Maven still holds the door shut and then lunges, wrapping his arms around Thomas, shoulders shaking and breathing ragged.

"I'm so sorry."

Even after everything he did, and with everything he's possibly going to do, Thomas still hugs back, glad to have the boy he fell head over heels for back.

The sentinels find them, but Maven orders them to lock Thomasin in a cell closer to the one Mare was in in King's Cage and that Samos guards be put on watch rather than Arvens.

Maven visits him whenever he's got free time, and Thomas only wants time with him if he stops hunting Newbloods and steps everyone in Corros free, Silvers and Newbloods. Maven tells him it's too much of a political risk, and Thomas replies that he'd better look for a new toy, because this one has a higher price than Mare.

The Scarlet Guard causes so much more headaches for Maven, which are relieved by Thomas, who gets more open when there aren't more Newbloods being captured and killed.

Thomas becomes Maven's anchor, and it's funny to Thomas, in an ironic way, to see a Silver king cry; he's never seen a Silver cry.

Elara sees Thomas as a pure hinderence and wants to kill him.

She ordered an Arven to beat the living daylights out of him, which Maven had no idea of until she had him sit next to her and watch on the cameras.

He kept his composure, but when he met up with a slightly bloodied and bruised Thomas later, he took Thomas in the bathroom and the two broke down, Maven apologizing because he didn't know and Thomas just done with the fact he's like this; he should be dead, but he isn't, Maven's on the throne and not his brother or father, Elara's a bitch with a capital B, and they can't even leave because Elara with kill them both, he's sure of it.

It's here Maven comes up with a plan.

Elara plans and tries locking him in Corros, but no one can find him, not even Maven.

She does look around in his head and finds nothing, but Samson, not convinced, decides to rummage around instead while Maven sleeps; he makes him remember, but forces him to stay asleep.

Turns out he was half lying because Samson finds a memory of Maven leading Thomas through a servant passage and let him run free from there.

And it turns out they kissed, as well.

You would not BELIEVE how angry Elara was when Samson told her.

Maven locked himself in a silent stone cell and held the keys on him so no one could let him out, or get inside his mind and make him kill Thomas.

Samson does order guards to drag Maven out, but Elara tells him to take a hike so she can be alone with her son.

She knealt on the ground by the cell door and watches as Maven lies on his side, his hands over his ears, and his back to her as he's curled up as tightly as he can be.

She asks him to talk to her, and Maven asks her why she did it, why she screwed him up so badly. Tiberias loved Cal as much as Elara loved Maven, but he never scrambled Cal's brain to make him who he was, so why did she do it if she loved him so much? Elara reiterates that she does love him, as he's her only son, thank goodness, and wanted to make him the best person he could be.

Maven snaps and turns to face her on his knees so they're at eye level. Is love hating who your child is so much you have to literally change them from the inside out? Is love taking every chance they had at happiness to better suit your desires? Is love making you hate the few people you were close with so they never leave your side? Maven doesn't know a lot about love, but he knows that NONE of that counts as it.

Elara barks that he's being a child, that he's forgetting everything she did for him to get him where he is now; he's the King of Norta, what greater honor is that?

Maven asks what honor that is for Elara, to know that her son, Maven of House Merandus, is the one on the throne. It could have been anyone in House Merandus, but it was her son that had the throne, so that was something to rub in her family's face, and it must've felt even better to know she got the throne even after cheating and murdering her way through Queenstrial and to Tibe's side.

Elara shouts, "SILENCE!" and the two fall silent, Maven resting against the wall, his side to her, as he murmurs brokenly that she made him a murderer. The infant and boy he killed were children, innocents that never deserved to be hunted for existing. He chuckles that in a way, he's just like Elara. He's killed, he lied his way to the throne, and he destroyed anyone and everyone in his path.

Elara is silent, only staring at him, before reachimg a hand through the bars and asking him to come out so they can talk face to face, and then he can have whatever he wants.

Maven only wants one thing and he's not leaving until she gives it to him:

He wants his memories and feelings back. He wants his love for Cal back, he wants his dreams back, even if it results in his nightmares returning as well, he wants his love for Tibe back, whatever sliver there was so he can feel a fraction of what Cal's feeling, he wants to care about Mare without the urge to keep her locked up and chained to his side, because she loves Cal, and he wants his memories of Thomas back, the ones from before the fire that made him think he killed the first person he ever unconditionally loved, the person he helped run so Elara wouldn't take him away, too.

He wants off the throne, too. He wants to disappear without a trace and not strings attached. He wants to leave, and doesn't want his mother to follow him; she's done enough for and to him.

Elara, trying to stifle a chuckle, asks if he thinks disappearing is possible for him. If he tells the truth, they'll both be executed, and it'll be an arm's race for someone to take the throne. Norta needs a King, and Maven can't leave until there's another worthy successor for the throne, which won't happen anytime soon because Cal's gone and Anabel's not coming within a mile radius of Elara. Maven snarks that Volo Samos can have the throne, seeing as he wants it almost as badly as Elara does(now that I think about it, they'd make a great and terrible couple). Elara raises an eyebrow and gives a bitter laugh and smile, asking Maven if he really wants Volo Samos, the one person who was hell bent on getting Evangeline to be Queen, who is so set in his own Silver beliefs that he's planning on abdicating, if Maven doesn't prove to ne worth backing.

When Maven remains silent, Elara's smile drops and she holds her hands and forehead against the cell bars, practically begging him to think about what he'll do next, so she doesn't lose him; regardless of how Maven feels about her, Elara loves her son to Hell and back. She's not exactly close to her family, so Maven's all she really has. If he dies, she has nothing.

This sentiment is left with silence, even as Elara takes the hint and stands, walking away to leave.

At least until Maven stands up and walks up to the bars, which fills Elara's twisted, fucked up cavity where her heart should be with joy.

It goes away when she sees the glare Maven gives her, colder than ice and more pissed off than Ptolemus protecting Evangeline.

"Stay away from all of them, Mother. Cal, Mare, Thomas, and every Newblood from here to Montfort. If you hurt them, any of them, I'll leave this palace, and Norta. I'll disappear and make sure you will never see me again."

Elara, out of pure parental instinct, calls his bluff; he cares about that Newblood rat he cooked extra crispy too much. Maven pulls out a gun he's been hiding in his coat and shoots at the ceiling before holding it against his temple; "Try me."

There are tears in Maven's eyes, and they roll down his cheeks. Elara may be evil and a bitch, but she's still his mother and he will always live her.

She leaves for real and neither see each other for a few days. At all. Maven's ordered the servants to say he's nowhere to be found, when asked and it drives Samson crazy and further breaks Elara's heart(GOOD!).

She 'finds' Maven at the breakfast table about a week later, and he's so reserved he won't even let her hug him or come near him. He won't let her in his mind either because he's wearing a silent stone manacle on his wrist. They eat, making little small talk, until they're both done and sit in silence for a long time, still affected by the last conversation they had.

Maven concedes to staying on the throne, but only until there's another candidate who can take his place, and as long as Elara puts back the pieces she took from him, even what he asked for her to cut out. Elara hates that, but agrees, noting that Maven is hiding a weapon; he's never been such a loose canon, so she'd best be careful.

Hypothetically speaking, the series plays out with Elara 'fixing' Maven before leaving for Corros and never returning(Mare's fault), Thomas realizing Maven's a goner without his psychopath mother to shield him, and the gang at a pure shock and awe loss for what to do when Maven not only revokes his father's measures, but also bans anyone from harming any Newbloods or Ardents, lest they end up dying instead.

Samson does try ruling through Maven, but Mavey wears a silent stone manacle to keep him out.

Time jump to after everything goes crazy and calms down, and Maven and Thomas meet back up and hug, glad the other is alive.

FLUFF TIME!!!!

They find a place Thomas discovered and that becomes their home.

They share a bed, and thank goodness because Maven cannot sleep alone after what's happened.

Thomas has to teach Maven how to cook and clean.

He often calls Maven a child or a baby, both because he doesn't know how to cook and clean and because he's younger than Thomas.

Maven doesn't wear his flamemakers as much, because he doesn't want to burn Thomas again.

Thomas once found Maven napping on the couch and carefully moved so he could sleep next to him.

Roomates? Don't make either of them laugh. Thomas just knew a place and Maven followed.

Thank goodness Thomas isn't allergic to fur, or can't react to it, because Dagger and Violet fall in love with him so fast.

Violet, being the cat brat she is, loves being on Thomas's shoulders.

For all you that need the juicy details, you can usually find Maven on Thomas's lap; it's Maven's guilty pleasure favorite spot and Thomas's best view of Maven, both in and outside of the bed😉

Maven, after getting fixed by his mother(the ONLY good thing she did), can't fall asleep unless he's either holding something or in Thomas's arms.

Cute, friendly, just for fun wrestling matches, either over who has to get up to do chores or who has the remote, that ends with Thomas on top of Maven and the two kissing, because love.

Dagger breaks it up for Violet's sake.

Maven REFUSES to be carried places.

Thomas often pulls a 'Cal' mlve and holds things over Maven's head, just to see angry puppy Maven. It's so adorable.

Things they NEVER joke about: food that's as burnt as Thomas, things that are as broken as Maven(the pieces are put together, but the cracks are still there), who'd be a better ruler, murder, marriage and betrothal, and just all the negative things that they went through.

They DO talk about those negative things, and try to argue as little as possible; neither can stand the sound of yelling, period.

They can stand recovered reruns of Game of Thrones, surprisingly.

Cal's more than happy to have his brother back and see him happy as can be with Thomas at his side.

Maven's so surprised Cal, Evangeline, and Ptolemus abdicate the throne.

After holding Thomas's hand, he has no regrets or fears.

Super private wedding. Only Cal, Mare, and a handful of people are invited, and that's it.

Maven finds his mother's grave and tells her he's happier than he can remember. He thanks her for helping him, and for helping him be with Thomas, who he can't imagine living without.

He apologizes for everything he said to her and hopes her well enough, wherever she is(we ALL know she ain't doing well😈.).

You know that meme with the dog sitting around a bunch of plants and saying, "This is fine?" Imagine that, but with Maven staring out a window as it rains with Thomas behind him, Dagger next to Maven and getting back pets, Violet snuggled up in Thomas's neck, and Thomas and Maven enjoying some tea; this is not fine, this is perfect.

[keiths3dart]

Max in the Black Lodge: A Life is Strange / Twin Peaks Crossover.

Part 2

Chloe headed through a gap in the trees, panning her flashlight to either side rather than in front of her. It was this that led to her literally walking straight into the man she had completely failed to notice. Chloe's heart froze and her blood ran like ice. Who the fuck could she have run into in the middle of the woods at night other than Max?

Regaining some measure of composure, she pushed herself away from the man, and brought her flashlight to bear on him. The sharp weathered features of a well built, grey haired native american in a Sheriff's department uniform were illuminated.

The man winced as the beam from Chloe's flashlight dazzled him. He put his hand on Chloes and gently but inexorably lowered the light beam from his face. His companion approached, a younger man but still with hair peppered with gray. He too wore the uniform of the Twin Peaks Sheriff's department. It was he who spoke first;

"Hey Hawk, have we found them?".

"I think so Bobby, according to the descriptions i got from Margaret i think this is Chloe"

"What about the other one? Max?".

"We got seperated, have you seen her?" Chloe blurted out, her head swimming. What were the cops doing out here? Why were they looking for them in particular? and how had they managed to find each other in an enormous forest which stretched all the way into Canada?

The older man, deputy Hawk looked concerned. "when did you become separated?" he asked.

Chloe had to think, she and Max had stuck together for most of the hike up into the hills but as the darkness set in, they'd taken slightly different paths around obstacles and before they had known it, they were no longer in sight of each other. It had almost been like the forest itself had gently and insidiously prised them apart and set them on divergent paths.

"I don't know" she stammered, and it was true, when it came down to it she had no idea how long she and Max had been wandering the woods separately.

Hawk looked at her kindly, an experienced woodsman as well as having a lifelong experience of Twin Peaks and its surroundings gave him an understanding of how strange things could get out here in the woods, especially for the unprepared or unwary. He was just glad that he and Bobby had found the first of the two girls without any harm coming to them.

"Bobby, get onto base and let them know we've located Chloe and she's ok. We're gonna continue on to find Max. And Bobby, make sure Lucy gives Margaret a call".

"Right away Hawk" Deputy Bobby Briggs answered and thumbed the transmit key on his radio.

"We took a call from Margaret, the woman you met in the Diner earlier".

"The one with the Log?".

"Lucy, it's Bobby, are you receiving? over".

"Yes, she told us she'd relayed a message to you and that you'd run off into the woods".

"We've located one of the girls, Chloe".

"Later, her log felt that there was something seriously amiss so she called us at the Sheriff's department".

"Yes, that's the one".

"So me and Bobby came to find you, there are hidden darknesses to this place".

"Yeah, this forest has been giving me the creeps for hours".

"No Lucy, i don't think she's a natural blue".

Bobby had raised his eyes to the heavens in exasperation.

"Im worried about Max, what have we got ourselves into?".

"Lucy, just put it on the damn form as 'Dyed', Tell Harry we're proceeding onwards, and get poor Margaret on the horn and let her know what's going on".

"A lot of things happened here a few years ago Chloe, We need to press on but i'll explain as we go."

Deputy Hawk motioned for Chloe to follow him and he began to tell Chloe about the strange history of Twin Peaks. Bobby followed silently to the rear. He had been a high school senior through the entire episode and it had been a tumultuous and traumatic time for him which he didn't feel like contributing to. He was lost in his own thoughts, heading he knew for the very place his own father Air Force Major Garland Briggs had disappeared from never to be seen again.

So Chloe learned that night about this strange town, about Laura Palmer's murder by her father Leland, Leland's own death, the investigations by FBI Agent Dale Cooper, Dale Cooper's own disappearance, reappearance, disappearance again. About Wyndam Earle, about The Black Lodge and "Bob".

Christ and she'd thought Arcadia Bay was fucked up. Why had Rachel and Frank come to this place? (Apart from Norma Jennings' heavenly Cherry Pie) and why had Rachel disappeared again? On top of it all, where was Max? Please God let her be safe, Chloe couldn't even bear to picture being alone again.

The room was neither cold nor warm, and the sounds of soft Jazz permeated the air, the hypnotic shuffle beat having an almost soporific effect on Max. She looked around to take in her surroundings. A second ago she'd been in the woods at night freezing her nipples off in the autumnal chill of North Washington State and now she was.... Well now she was sure she was tripping, she was in a room. The tiled floor was an eye bending zigzag pattern of black and white and the entire space was ringed with heavy crimson drapes. There were few furnishings. 4 easy chairs, a statue and a small table with a bowl in it.

If it had just been the surroundings and the circumstances, then Max might have been able to not freak out. But it was the fact that the room was not empty that made her wonder why she felt so fucking calm. Why everything seemed to happen slowly and calmly and in silence. An almost cloying serenity when her very soul should be clawing at the back of her head before making a bolt for the nearest exit.

Sitting in the chair in front of her, in a dapper red velvet suit was the oddest little man Max had ever seen, his head swaying in time to the music. To his right sat Rachel Amber, silent and unreacting to Max's presence. She simply sat, a benignly neutral expression on her face, looking over at the occupant of the chair opposite to her, on the dwarf's left.

Mark Jefferson.

Similarly oblivious to Max's arrival, he sat looking over at Rachel and Max's stomach churned with hatred for that despicable man, what he'd done to her in the dark room, what he'd done to Kate and those other poor girls he'd groomed then drugged. And how he'd manipulated Nathan into trying the same thing with Rachel with (Prior to Max's temporal intervention) fatal consequences for them both. How he'd killed Chloe, and Nathan, and Victoria and driven Kate to take her own life. But still Max felt like a puppet in somebody else's show. she still stood there just taking this bizarre scene in. The little man began rubbing his hands.

And laughed, the sound strangely distorted, almost reversed in sound, like the backing to one of The Beatles' more psychedelic studio explorations.

"S'TEL KCOR" The little man clapped his hands once.

"I EVAH DOOG SWEN! TAHT MUG UOY EKIL SI GNIOG OT EMOC KCAB NI ELYTS". He motioned his head towards Rachel.

"S'EHS YM NISUOC, TUB T'NSEOD EHS KOOL TSOMLA YLTCAXE EKIL LEHCAR REBMA?".

Max spoke for the first time since her arrival.

"But it is Rachel Amber. Are you Rachel Amber?"

"I LEEF EKIL I WONK REH, TUB SEMITEMOS YM SMRA DNEB KCAB". Rachel appeared pained as she said this.

"S'EHS DELLIF HTIW STERCES, EREHW ER'EW MORF EHT SDRIB GNIS A YTTERP GNOS, DNA S'EREHT SYAWLA CISUM NI EHT RIA".

The little man sprang from his chair as the music in the room began to not so much get louder but simply permeate Max's consciousness more and began to dance. Backwards. Max became lost and hypnotised by the scene, losing all track of time or reality.

Chloe's chest felt like it was on fire, the two policemen were setting a brisk pace through the woods, Hawk darting his eyes this way and that before deciding on a course. Like a hunter on the scent. Bobby had taken up station towards the rear.

"Christ, i'm hella unfit, i really should quit smoking".

"Just a little further Chloe, i think we are close. can you feel it in the air? like static electricity".

"Hawk" Bobby called out sharply, "is that a light off to the left?".

"Max!" Chloe called out as Hawk veered off to the left to investigate the light. No answer. Not even the hooting of the owls. Their damned racket had been driving Chloe nuts but now she missed their reassuringly natural presence. The watchful, expectant silence of the woods worked on her anxiety like a violent catalyst causing it to well up inside her like a tsunami choking, smothering, cloying and overwhelming. She staggered, her head reeling with every conceivable fear her subconscious could throw in front of her eyes. The strong arms of Officer Briggs caught her before she could topple over completely and Chloe allowed herself to be gently guided forward into the little sycamore ringed clearing Hawk had led them to.

The little clearing with the smouldering campfire. Max's discarded flashlight, still on. Max's bag.

But no Max.

[hetacakes]

hitchhiking.

miya twins x fem! reader

snow white au, aka me making fanfics about my own fanfic

in which reader leaves her home in the big apple, the busy city, the whatever you'd like to call it, and takes a trip to a forest, the literal opposite of home. in fact, the two places are so different that in order to get there, a plane ride is preferable over a road trip. after a week, it's time to go home, with souvenirs, of course. leaving with a heavier bag is to be expected, but the empty backpack meant for said souvenirs was a bit too heavy, suspiciously heavy

aka reader just wants to relax and ends up bringing two hitchhiker foxes home

the others aren't included in this one, sorry :( one certain bluebird will make a guest appearance but other than that the storyline is in no way connected to snow white (though i made a few ~allusions~ for the Drama) anyway, i hope you love these annoying foxes as much as i do <3

also this is borderline abo but in my defense i wanted to make them seem more animal-like since they're technically wild animals

warning for cussing because life is hard and osamu hates atsumu

word count: 9,505

   You grew up in the suburbs, always just a half hour away from the big, bustling city, where everything is fast paced with streams of people working and struggling to make their dreams come true. So it was no surprise that when you were old enough to move out, you immediately made a home in a rundown, shitty apartment, taking the typical "small apartment, big dreams" approach to life. And it was true, you did have a dream, a big dream. While you could have been anything else: a doctor, a lawyer, a profession that would make your parents happy and keep you reliably comfortable your whole life, you could never picture forcing yourself to work through something that made you unhappy, and so you decided to take the writer path.

   It was as if you were meant to be part of the busy metropolis, meant to be the same as everyone else in the crowd: broke, fresh out of uni, and barely paying the rent for a small, crappy apartment. You soon learned that dreaming to reach your dream job, a job where working hours weren't physically and mentally draining but were rather hours of doing what you loved, would only become more than just a dream at the price of your blood, sweat, and tears, just like it did for everyone else.

   But after working your ass off and putting two books on store shelves, you were able to end your contract with the sketchy landlord in the shady part of town and move into a nicer, actually livable apartment in a better building with a better landlord in a better neighborhood.

   Now when you stepped out of your complex, you were greeted with the refreshing sight of people passing by, the sky a clear blue, with a soft breeze you could feel underneath your windbreaker as it ruffled your hair and rustled your sleeves, the bright red, blue, and yellow fabric almost as bright as the sun overhead. Birds chirped in nearby trees, and if you walked around and looked for a while, you could find a few cats hanging around the sidewalk or hiding behind dumpsters.

   It was all you could have ever asked for and more.

   But sometimes, city life can be a distraction, and sometimes, you really, really need a change of pace and scenery.

   Which brought you to the present, sitting with your legs underneath you on your soft couch, squishing the plush grey throw pillows and balancing your laptop on your thighs. The money you got from your newest releases was in no means enough to call you rich, but it was comfortable enough that costs weren't one of your concerns as you typed a quick Google search. An airline website was open on your screen, and you were browsing through the available tickets, looking for one that would take you to a nice getaway, a small break from the nonstop chaos of your city, which had finally begun to wear you out from the endless stress and sleepless nights.

   "Seven day long camp resort in one of the country's most beautiful and idyllic forests," said the advertisement that popped up on the side of your browser. Clicking on it, it took you to a pretty convincing website about Inari Lodge, a tourist attraction in the middle of a forest you had never heard of before. Lists upon lists of hiking trails, forest tours, and crafted souvenir shops caught your eye, and before you knew it you were booking a week's stay in one of their cabins. Sealing the deal and buying your ticket, you sat back and sighed, ready for a vacation.

   Two weeks later, it was a few hours before your flight, so obviously you had already packed. Not. You called a friend over to help and keep you company while you packed, and ten minutes later, a familiar brunet walked through the door, ruffling his chocolate brown locks.

   "It's nice to see you, Tooru," you greeted, padding closer to him as he opened his arms for a hug. "Your hugs are the best, as always," you smiled up at him, before taking a step back.

   "You would have seen me either way; I was just on my way to bother you," he said. "You're taking a trip without me? How will I survive without you?"

   "Don't be dramatic, Ruru," you chided, pulling your suitcase onto your bed. "I know for a fact that the week I'm gone is the same week the team you're coaching has tournaments."

   "Ugh, don't remind me. They're good kids, but they suck ass," Tooru groaned, flopping next to your suitcase. "Do you have everything you need?"

   "You tell me. Check things off," you answered while looking through your closet.

   "Oooh, do I get to see your clothes?" Tooru asked suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows.

   You rolled your eyes at him. "My shirts and pants, yeah. Everything under that has been packed into this," you said, holding up a medium sized makeup pouch. 

   "Bummer. Oh well, there's always next time."

   "Ruru, stop being dirty."

   He grumbled something underneath his breath, low enough that you missed it. "Well, how long is the stay?"

   "A week."

   "So you need seven sets of clothes?"

   "Yeah, assuming I don't pee my pants," you smiled over your shoulder, watching as Oikawa held back a laugh with his hand, a wide smile spread across his face.

   "Haha, you got the whole squad laughing. How cold is it there?"

   "It's pretty cold, apparently. I'm not surprised, it's farther north than where we live, and it gets pretty chilly here sometimes," you answered, pulling a few sweaters out of your closet, pairing it with random pairs of jeans you grabbed, and passed them to Tooru, who folded and put them in your suitcase.

   "Aww, aren't I such husband material? Wait here wifey, I'm gonna get your stuff from the bath," Oikawa winked, throwing up a peace sign at you before he turned and disappeared behind the white door.

   "Can you get my toothbrush stuff too? Thank you~," you called after him in a sweet singsong voice. 

   You glanced at your bookbag, still on your couch, just where you left it. You looked at the scarf in your hands, a large white scarf too bulky to wear, and decided to throw it in there, along with your laptop and charger. You put an extra pair of comfortable boots in a reusable bag, neatly settling it between your clothes. Tooru handed you another bag, and a peek inside showed you your bath and bathroom essentials. You flashed a grateful smile at him, before turning and grabbing the last few items to throw in your bookbag-turned-carry-on, which included your notebook full of your messy brainstorming, a pack of pens, and your phone charger. Zipping your suitcase closed, you pulled up the handle and hung your bag around it.

   "Okay, I'm ready. I've got everything, except you," you winked mischievously at Tooru.

   "You're flirting! It's not fair," he complained, hand grabbing at his heart, the other draped dramatically over his forehead.

   "Guilty as charged," you winked, throwing up a finger heart. "Drive me to the airport?"

   "Of course, babe."

   You had already checked in your suitcase, got your ticket safely in your hand, and all that was left for you to do was wait an hour or so until boarding. You turned to Tooru, giving him one last hug. "I'm gonna miss you and the others, Ruru," you whispered softly, even though you were only leaving for a week.

   Tooru hugged you back, holding you tightly against his chest. He let you go, before taking a step back and pulling his hoodie over his head, his shirt riding up a bit, showing some skin for a split second. "Here, wear this," he said, handing it over to you.

   You brightened, smiling like a thousand suns before slipping it on. It was huge on you, and you were almost drowning in the soft, teal blue fabric. He gave you a fond look, his eyes shining in such pure, unadulterated love that it took your breath away for a moment.

   "Thank you, Tooru."

   "Keep it warm for me, okay?"

   "I know, I know, I promise you'll see it when I come back."

   He gave you one last hug, short and sweet, before walking away, turning to look back at you one last time. You stood there until the doors slid closed behind his back, a soft smile on your face, before you turned away and walked to your terminal, hoping to kill time either shopping, eating, or sleeping.

  You could finally lean back and relax once you were secured in your seat, miles in the air. Boarding and finding your aisle wasn't much of a hassle, thank the gods, and the glass of the plane window was refreshingly cool against the tip of your nose as you peered down at the clouds passing by. You held your bookbag against your chest, looking inside at the empty space in between the few items you did pack into it. Your laptop was safely zipped up in its designated pouch, along with its charger and your notebook, and the pack of pens that had somehow opened inside the pocket, which you had found out earlier as you tried to fish one out but instead pulled the empty cardboard packaging. Your phone charger was the only thing laying on the scarf you threw in there, a makeshift nest for nothing. Well, nothing yet.

   You were excited to spend a week in a completely different environment, surrounded by lush forestry and the coos and calls of whatever animals lived there, a place where you're never truly alone, but in a good way. It was a stark contrast from the car fumes in the city air, with the only plant life in a park square and the only sounds are the constant chatter and hum of people and cars finding their destinations. There never once was an hour of silence, and while you had been able to enjoy it as your background noise while writing, it wasn't long until you finally got tired of it. You could've sworn that the city had gotten louder on purpose just to exhaust and stress you out every night, so you were more than ready to finally be able to clear your head and maybe even flesh out an idea or two.

   The sound of the intercoms crackling to life made you jolt, holding a hand to the cold imprint on your cheek left from sleeping against the window. The pilot announced that the plane was descending, and you gathered your bag and Tooru's hoodie, bundling them both in your arms.

   Truth be told, you were glad to step off the plane. You felt the chill of the outside while walking off the plane through the passenger boarding bridge and stood for a second to put the hoodie back on, humming slightly at Tooru's smell still on the cloth, a nice, sweet but not too sweet scent that made you smile to yourself.

   You got lost in thought, so your body was on autopilot when you went to pick up your luggage and almost picked up the wrong suitcase, until the actual owner picked it up first, eyeing you weirdly. With guilty, heated cheeks, you grabbed your suitcase, checked it once, then twice, then three times, and finally hopped into an Uber as fast as you could, hoping that you wouldn't be starting your first day on vacation dying of embarrassment.

   You hurriedly thanked the driver for dropping you off, then made your way into a wooden building, the wood a warm oak with a little golden bell that chimed as you walked in. A woman behind the desk smiled at you, and you sighed, happy to have nothing to worry about, now that you were finally there.

   "Hello, welcome to Inari Lodge! Is there something I can help you with?"

   "Yes, please," you said, pulling your luggage close to you. "I reserved a cabin, and I need the keys, right?"

   "Of course," she smiled at you, and for a quick second, you thought that she resembled a cat, with black hair and upturned eyes.

   "Um, I'm sorry if I'm being intrusive, but are you a mom?"

   "Haha, don't worry, you're fine! Yes I am, my name is Kozume Sakura, and I have a son," she answered kindly, and you couldn't help but feel relieved to finally have a good thing to improve your currently-going-badly day.

   "Ah, it's just that you seemed familiar to someone I've seen around campus."

   "Ah, that would most likely be my son," she said, a sweet smile spreading across her face. "Anyway, here are your keys, and I've written the directions to your cabin right here. Don't hesitate to come and ask me for anything, okay?"

   "Yeah, okay," you nodded gratefully, making sure to wave goodbye as you walked out the doors, looking at the map in your hands.

   "I can not believe how hard it was to find you," you said to the cabin as you flopped on the bed, tired of having such a conflicting day. You sat up quickly, slapping your cheeks, "No, I won't let a few fuck ups ruin everything for me."

   Grabbing your phone, you slipped it into your hoodie pocket as you walked out the door, set on exploring the area.

   You decided not to take an official trail, preferring to save them for later, which brought you to an ordinary worn dirt path as you walked aimlessly, taking rights and lefts as you pleased.

   A rustling in the bushes lining the trail caught your attention. Just as you walked closer to separate the branches and peek through, a fox fell out of the leaves, as if something had pushed it out. The fox seemed to scowl at whatever had shoved it, before it turned its attention to you.

   Before you could think better, you crouched on the ground as you cooed, resting your cheek in your palm. "Hello, cutie fox, how are you?"

   The fox stared at you, which was good, because if it started speaking you would've booked it right then and there, but also bad, because you didn't know if it was irritated by your presence. It seemed to look warily at you, not ready to attack, but not fully trusting either.

   "Come here, I want to pet you," you crooned, holding out the end of your sentence as you leaned forward against your better judgement, shifting your legs from against your chest to underneath you. Before it could make a decision, however, another fox jumped out of the bushes and straight into your arms, settling happily in your lap. Caught by surprise, you stared, while the first fox yipped at it, jumping forward and pushing it out of your lap. You watched as they tumbled to the ground, rolling as they fought and wrestled.

   "Um, okay… I think I'll just go now, bye!" You quipped before turning around and walking steadily back to where you came from, not wanting to get caught up in a wild animal fight.

   "Look at what ya did 'Tsumu, why do ya always mess everything up?"

   "Me? Me?! You were the one that jumped me!"

   "'Cause I didn't recall inviting you to our conversation, dumbass!"

   "Yer a fuckin' fox, you can't talk! You're just jealous!"

   "So are you! We're twins, shithead!"

   And they kept arguing, voices carrying throughout the forest, even as they walked along the path the pretty, perfect, kind, and amazing love of their li— , ahem, the completely normal girl from earlier took, leading to the all too familiar lodge situated at the edge of their forest.

   "That was close," you whispered to yourself as you leaned against the door, as if the foxes would be strong enough to bust it open. They hadn't even followed you, as you didn't hear them, and when you glanced behind you, nobody was there.

   "Anyway, I guess I should plan out what I'm gonna do here, I don't want this trip to be a waste," you said, opening your suitcase and putting your clothes in the drawers, setting your bathroom essentials on top of it. You grabbed your bookbag from where you had thrown it on the bed and set it on a glass table. You pulled out your notebook and flipped to a blank page, cringing as you passed by page after page of chicken scratch.

   "The only reason I can read my own handwriting is because I'm there when it's written," you muttered to yourself as you rummaged for a pen, finding one out of the set of five. You wrote down the days of the week you'd be staying there, with your first official day starting tomorrow, on Tuesday. Your flight back was scheduled for a week later, on Monday. You hummed happily, glad that your timetable worked out so neatly as you wrote down the days of the week, leaving enough space for a bullet list underneath.

   On your last day at the lodge, you made sure to make a note to leave at noon at the latest, since your flight was at six in the afternoon, and you wanted to be extra, extra, extra sure that you would not miss it. Ideally, you would be all packed up Sunday night, but knowing you and your procrastinating self, you wrote it down for the day before, even though you knew you would probably be packing the day of, just as you did before.

   You made sure to set Saturday as souvenir hunting day, hoping to bring back something for Tooru, a thank you for the help and hoodie.

   The foxes you met earlier crossed your mind, but the grumbling of your stomach reminded you to get some dinner and wrap up your day. Holding the map out in front of you, you memorized the directions to a cafe not too far from your cabin, and went on your way.

   "Hello, can I get the sandwich of the day with a cinnamon hot chocolate and a slice of pumpkin bread?"

   "Of course! Here's your total."

   The worker you were pleasantly talking to gave you a small smile before glancing to the side, as if something caught his eye. He pulled a face at whatever he was looking at, and you followed his annoyed gaze to the two foxes you met earlier, playing next to one of the bean bag chairs next to the door, near the window wall of the cafe.

   You laughed awkwardly, "Haha, um, is there something wrong?"

   He seemed to snap out of giving them the stink eye, profusely apologizing to you as he provided an explanation, "No, no, it's fine, it's just that those two foxes are some of the forest animals that walk around the lodge, except they're the only ones that are more annoying than cute. Some cats and birds and such come by and usually will just sit next to the register, you know, like nice and normal animals, but these foxes seem hellbent on walking around and biting at people's ankles and fighting and making huge messes that they can't clean up because they're damn foxes."

   You laughed again, though this time it was genuine. "You seem to have very strong feelings about their mischief," you joked, watching as he relaxed.

   "Yeah, but at the end of the day, they're still just foxes, and we make sure all the animals of the forest are safe and sound."

   And if the foxes decided to cause more trouble than usual, that was their business, their decision, and not in any way related to the slight dislike of the barista, which was in turn totally not because you got along well with him.

   After paying, you made your way to a table in the corner of the windows where the glass met the wall, looking absentmindedly at the visitors and workers walking past, occasionally with a rabbit or bird or other critter.

   "I have your hot chocolate and sandwich, and your bread will be in just a moment. Unfortunately, I also brought these two," the barista you were talking to said as he set your food and drink on the table, before glancing at the floor. Just as you were about to lean over and see, two foxes jumped up on the seat across from you, settling themselves on the table, curled up like cats.

   You waved him off with a grin, "Oh it's fine, I have a feeling they'll behave."

   You took a sip out of your hot chocolate, savoring the warmth it gave you after being in the outside chill. You picked up your sandwich and took a bite, before speaking, "Are you done fighting?"

   Both foxes stared at you, and if they were people, you were sure their mouths would be hanging open, dumbfounded and mildly offended as you nonchalantly took another bite, not waiting for them to respond or react.

   You reached a hand out while they were frozen and pet the head of the fox nearest to you. It lowered its head slightly, shyly accepting your affection.

   "Aww, you're so cute. What's your name?"

   Of course, it couldn't speak, but it batted your hand with its left paw. "So cute," you crooned, "Come here?"

   Just like before, when the fox was about to walk towards you, the other one jumped at you, and you hurried to wrap your arms around it. You stared at it in your arms, tummy up like a baby.

   You rubbed its stomach. "What about you? What's your name?"

   He happily raised his right paw, and you held it gently before putting him back on the table, which was good, because the left paw fox was a second away from pouncing on it again. The fox you set down scrambled onto the tabletop, and watched with what you would call betrayed eyes as you carried the other fox into your lap, petting its head lightly.

   "It's not your turn," you quipped, focusing your attention on the fox in your lap. "You're so cute, so cute, please be my baby~."

   The fox you dumped on the table yipped indignantly at you, and you decided to mess with him. "Oh, you're still here? Well, I guess you're okay…" you trailed off, struggling to keep a poker face as he looked at you with puppy eyes, while the other fox barked out high pitched laughs, which made him get up and get ready to jump.

   You pet him between his ears. "I'm just joking. Jeez, you're always at each other's necks," you complained, sitting back and continuing to eat your sandwich.

   As if to prove you wrong, the fox in your lap jumped on the table and curled up with the other fox, both of them leaning against each other like close brothers. Coincidentally, the waiter walked by with your pumpkin bread, watching in amazement.

   "How did you do that?" he asked, and you just shrugged in response, your attention mostly on your sandwich.

   When you finished it, you took another sip of your drink before you tore off two pieces of your bread. You offered it to them as a reward, for finally behaving themselves. They yipped happily in response, content with spending the rest of your time together eating in comfortable silence.

   You pulled yourself out of bed, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes. Embarrassingly, jet lag made you sleep in on Tuesday, your first official day at the lodge, and by the time you woke up, you had nothing to do but eat and jot down some story ideas, none of which stuck to you.

   So you made sure to wake up nice and early the next day, dead set on going on at least one trail. You showered and changed into a new pair of jeans and a knit grey sweater. You stood for a moment, debating if you should wear a jacket or Tooru's hoodie over it, but decided against it and deemed the sweater good enough.

   Thankfully, it was one of the warmer, sunnier days. You looked down at your map, making your way towards the open lodge outlet, taking note of the small clusters of people milling about, a familiar sight, albeit on a smaller, calmer scale. You looked up at the wooden signs pointing towards various shops, restaurants, and forest attractions. You finally found the one you were looking for, pointing to your right with the word "birdwatch" carved across. When you followed its directions, you came to a small gift shop at the start of a wide, dirt path, imprints of boots and footsteps all over the light brown ground. Walking inside, a small wind chime announced your arrival, twinkling like bird chirps, and the person behind the counter looked up.

   "Oh, it's you!" she exclaimed, recognizing your face.

   "Hello again! I thought you worked at the reception desk?"

   "I'm covering for someone's shift right now, they had finals to take. Are you here for a birdwatch?"

   "Spot on," you answered, bringing a hand up to rub the back of your head with a meek smile. Kozume winked at you, before taking out two binoculars from under the desk.

   "Well then, let's go!"

   "You know, some of these birds remind me of the ones that live near my apartment building," you mentioned, picturing the large cherry blossom tree that stretched its branches past your window. "The birds here are so much more interesting though," you lamented. "The city just has crows and small birds, but here there's robins and warblers and so many more species, with great diversity. It's like the bird version of the people back home."

   "I can imagine not many birds want to live near so many humans, but these have all of the forest to themselves. Look, the bird over there, with the blue mohawk, is called an Asian Paradise Flycatcher, and…" she trailed off, continuing your tour of one of the forest trails, before whipping an arm in front of you, exclaiming, "Watch your step!"

   You froze with your foot still in the air, watching as the fox you narrowly missed stepping on darted in front of you.

   "I'm sorry, he's not really supposed to be here, he has his own trail," Kozume frantically apologized while glaring at the fox, before sighing in relief when you responded with a small laugh.

   "It's fine, I've met him before," you reassured while looking around, searching for a certain somebody. "And I learned that he never walks alone…"

   To prove your point, the other fox you were well acquainted with joined his brother, running around in front of you.

   "Well, the next part of our trail is basically a circle back, so hopefully they run off to where they belong, I don't want you to get in trouble for messing with the animals because of them," Kozume said as you made a left, walking back to the start of the trail.

   When you opened the door to the gift shop, two furry animals zipped past your feet, and you already knew who they were before you even saw them.

   "Kozume, is it normal for these guys to always hang around here?" you asked, picking up both foxes in your arms, resting them comfortably in your arms.

   Kozume turned around to look at you, her hands still in midair, putting away your binoculars. "Actually, no, they do come by once or twice but they never hang around, and we just assumed they don't like people very much since they really only hang out with each other. They've never let anyone pet them…" she stopped mid-sentence as she watched you pet their heads and stomachs with no resistance from the two.

   You glanced up. "Huh? Oh, I don't really have a lot of experience with animals, but they're just so cute," you said, before snapping your head up, eyes wide in realization. "Hey, do you have some ribbon or something?"

   "Yes! We use them to identify specific birds we keep tabs on, especially ones we just recently nursed back to health," she explained, pulling out a box of ribbons, offering it to you. You set the foxes on the counter, watching Kozume hesitantly reach a hand out to them from the corner of your eye. They protested, but allowed her to pet them when you eyed them. Looking into the box, you fished out two ribbons, one a golden yellow, and the other a nice warm grey.

   "May I?" you asked, directing the question to Kozume. The foxes, however, decided you were talking to them and excitedly sat in front of you, pulling each ribbon towards them with their paw.

   "I think they said yes," Kozume chuckled, and you took that as your permission to put ribbons on their, er, the forest's foxes. You cooed at them, asking which one would go first. The fox with the yellow ribbon in his mouth nudged your hand with his face, making you smile.

   "Which are you, left or right?"

   The fox raised its right paw and rubbed his face as your answer, and you kept that in mind while you tied the ribbon around his neck, finishing it off with a nice bow. You did the same to the other fox, who voluntarily shook your hand with his left paw, just in case you forgot. By the time you were done, both foxes were playing on the counter, ribboned bows securely on their necks.

   "What if you started working here? The way you can interact with the animals so easily is honestly amazing," Kozume asked, springing the question on you out of the blue.

   You jumped, before you began rubbing the back of your head sheepishly, "Ah, I would love to, honestly, but I work as an author, and it's best if I stay relatively close to my publishing company."

   Kozume smiled understandingly, "Yeah, I figured. Well, just know that me and the foxes will be missing you hundreds of miles away." Then she brightened, pulling out her phone, "Put your number in, so we can stay in touch, and so I can keep an eye on my son," she winked cheekily as you accepted her offer.

   While the two of you were occupied, focused on your conversation, the two foxes stopped playing, standing abruptly and whipping their faces towards you.

   Loud crying made you turn away from Kozume and look for the source of the high-pitched whining, popping the question "who's making those crying puppy sounds?" into the air.

   Your eyes landed on the foxes, both of which were crying and walking towards you, tugging at your sleeve and rubbing their heads against your arms. Your heart melted, and you turned to Kozume, pity written across your face.

   "When I said they would miss you, I didn't think it would be this much…"

   "No, you can't come in here! I'll be kicked out if I let you guys in!"

   The foxes, still with the ribbons tied perfectly and safely around their necks, were looping around your legs, blocking your entrance to the cabin you've rented. They both looked up at you and cried, their whines catching the attention of some workers and visitors nearby.

   "Okay, fine! If I get in trouble, it's your fault," you relented, turning the knob and carefully opening the door, watching as they slipped in, leaving you to shut the smooth oak door quietly behind you as you flipped on the light switch.

   The second you let electric light flood the cabin, you realized the foxes were nowhere to be seen. Only mildly worried, since you knew they were at least somewhere inside, you shrugged it off and walked to the dresser, pulling out Tooru's hoodie and some sweatpants, before making your way to the bathroom.

   Out of nowhere, a fox came zooming at your feet, eager to come inside with you. This time, you were firm as you said, "I'm going to shower, so you can back off and play around while I'm in the bathroom, alone, with no perverts!"

   The grey fox started laughing at the peeping fox, which you realized was the yellow ribboned one. As expected, he launched at his brother, and you took the distraction as an opportunity to step inside the bathroom and shut the door behind you, locking it just to make sure.

   Freshly showered, with your comfortable, warm clothes on, you shuffled out of the bathroom, already expecting the foxes right there, having to step over them to make your way to the bed. They jumped up with you, but once the grey fox came close enough to sniff your hoodie, it barked indignantly, biting at the hoodie.

   "Hey! This isn't mine, it's Tooru's, so I can't let you destroy it!" you chided, pulling your sleeve away. Apparently you had said the wrong thing, because both foxes started pulling your sleeves together, before you yanked your arms out of their grips.

   "Tooru doesn't even smell bad, he smells nice," you said, pulling the hoodie up to smell the familiar scent, the aromas of chocolates and sweets in fresh air, reminding you of the skies back at the city: the smells of bakeries and cafes wafting through the air and birds chirping above you every time you walked down a street. Still, when the foxes continued growling, you reluctantly tugged the sweater off and stayed in just a white t-shirt, an old, stretched out shirt with the print on the front long since faded and gone.

   When you plopped back on the bed, the foxes crowded towards you, close enough that if you didn't know better, you'd think that they were trying to get you to forget about Tooru and focus on them. Subconsciously taking a breath, you caught the smell of a forest clearing or meadow, a smell of fresh grass and fresh air and petrichor, which you would expect from foxes that were supposed to stay and play in the forest, but you also noticed slight variations in the scent, obviously coming from either fox.

   Yellow ribbon had a scent like honey, with a strong undertone of a woodsy musk, which made you picture drinking tea sweetened with the golden syrup right outside your cabin. 

   Grey ribbon had a strong campfire scent, the smell of crackling wood and fire and melting chocolate. A scene under a clear night sky surrounding a fire with the aroma of cinnamon in the air came to mind, and you let yourself get lost in thought, your senses being occupied with new scents, sights, and imagery.

   If the foxes were human, their faces would surely have the widest, shit-eating grins, smug and satisfied at having you distracted from the minor annoyance from earlier and focused on them, just as they wanted.

   You snapped out of it. "You little—, you just want me to give you attention and affection and baby you," you accused, pushing them away from your face. They didn't protest or bark at you, and you figured it was because they knew they were guilty as charged. "Jeez, you're acting like Tooru is a threat or something…"

   You heard two big sighs, and blinked in surprise at the foxes as they settled onto the plush white covers. Maybe it was because they were so human-like and made you honestly contemplate whether they could understand you or not, or maybe it was because the only animal you've heard sigh is your mom's dog back at your family home, but whatever it was, it made you think, for a split second, that the foxes were humans turned animals, kind of like the frog prince. But that was stupid, so you shook your head, got up and turned off the lights, opening the curtains but keeping the blinds closed, and settled back into bed as slats of moonlight came from the spaces between the blinds.

   The foxes climbed into your arms, and you held them close to you as you fell asleep, telling yourself it was only because you had crossed the line earlier, even though deep down you knew that wasn't the real reason.

   You pulled the two fluffy sources of heat closer to you, unwilling to open your eyes and start the day. It's only when the heaters started licking your face that you panicked and freaked out.

   High pitched yips made the events of yesterday evening rush back to you, and you rubbed the sleep out of your eyes tiredly, surprised that you had a good night's sleep with two, technically, wild animals.

   You scooped the drowsy foxes into your arms before making your way to the big wooden door and pushing it open, setting the foxes on the ground.

   "You weren't even supposed to be in there, you know," you said as the foxes tried to get back in, pawing at the door. You shivered, the chill in the air numbing your exposed skin and wrapping around your bare arms, and you hurriedly shooed them away before retreating back inside the warmth of the cabin.

   Safely bundled in a sweater from your university under a hoodie, one of your own this time, you joined a group going for the fox trail, wondering if you'd see yours.

   Pointedly ignoring how you immediately thought of them as "your" foxes, you listened to the tour guide, an employee you hadn't met yet, talk about how the foxes don't always show on the trail.

   "That's a shame, let's just hope for the best," other visitors and families whispered around you, with some of them saying they didn't see that many foxes yesterday, only a few odd ones out here and there. Knowing where they actually were the day before, you stifled a laugh, even as your ears turned red with guilt and embarrassment, before following at the back of the group as they started the trail.

   Luckily, you saw a few grey and brown foxes, who seemed like actual normal foxes and not borderline sentient, but around the middle of the trail it was basically deserted.

   "Let me try to call them," the guide offered, bringing his hands up to cup his mouth and whistle loudly.

   Silence answered, with no signs of anything coming to visit. 

   The tour guide encouraged the group to call out and whistle, and various whistles and voices rose from the group.

   Not wanting to draw attention to yourself, you crouched low, at eye-level with the bushes, and softly called out for two specific foxes, your hello muffled by the rest of the crowd.

   You gave up, feeling stupid and unconvinced that your almost-whisper would carry over the noise of the crowd, and sat on the ground, legs folded under you, deciding to wait until the group either got tired or another fox actually showed up for them. Just then, the bushes in front of you started to rustle, and your lovely grey ribboned fox jumped out, immediately crawling into your lap to nuzzle your face.

   The people closest to you turned at the noise and noticed you cuddling with him on the ground, and word started spreading throughout the group that someone had successfully lured out a fox.

   "Look! There's one running this way!" the ones at the front of the group called, and you looked just in time to see your other fox running towards you, straight past the tour guide and the rest of the group. You smiled fondly at them, before lowering your face to let both of them rub their cheeks against yours.

   "Ma'am, could you please not touch the animals?" the tour guide told you timidly, obviously not wanting to reprimand you for being able to actually call out foxes on the designated fox trail, but you understood it was mostly so others didn't start getting any ideas, thinking they had permission.

   You nodded sheepishly, lightly putting them on the floor before standing up, wiping the dust off your knees. However, the whole group watched as the foxes looped around your feet, even going so far as to jump up and paw at your thighs.

   "Do you work here? You're so good with animals!" a mom in the crowd asked, and you looked at the actual worker, unsure of what to say. He stared back at you with just as much confusion, before shrugging, leaving you to make up a convincing story on the spot.

   "Actually, these foxes used to live near me, but I live in a city, so I brought them here so they'd be safer than on the streets," you fibbed, though you gave yourself a pat on the back for how reliable the story was. If anyone really did have to ask, yes, you did live in a city, and yes, you would one hundred percent bring foxes and other animals to a forest or wildlife lodge. Did that really happen? No, but could it? The answer was yes, and you sighed in relief when the mom turned, accepting your answer. You giggled when the tour guide released a breath he didn't even know he was holding, and he continued the trail, sending a discreet wink your way.

   You didn't notice the way your foxes growled at that, and if someone had asked you why you had two foxes right at your heels, walking next to you protectively like a pair of guard dogs, you'd blink in confusion, oblivious to the reality of their words.

   Before you knew it, it was Saturday, souvenir shopping day. You slung on your bookbag, ready to put some weight in it.

   At the lodge's shopping centre, you saw gift shops, clothing shops, and random trinket shops alike. In the gift shop, you found crystal figurines of animals in and around the lodge, and a cute little bird the color of a clear sky caught your eye. For some reason, it reminded you of Tooru, and you couldn't stop yourself from buying it and watching as the cashier wrapped it in paper before setting it in a white velvet box, cushioned and safe. Huh, crystal bird, blue, bluebird. You may have found another nickname for Ruru. You absentmindedly slipped it into your bag, happy to have found what you were looking for so fast and a new nickname.

   But stores weren't anything if not eye-catching, and the shelf of plush animals distracted you. The fox plushies, specifically, were so similar to actual foxes that they'd be perfect replacement cuddle buddies for when you went back home to your big city.

   But then you felt incredibly embarrassed and childish for that, so you shook your head as you walked out of the shop, ignoring the way that thought stuck in your head like a moth to a lamp.

   Still, you found yourself walking through store after store after store. Once you finally snapped out of it, you had just stepped out of the birdwatching souvenir store, all too aware of the set of postcards themed after the various birds you could spot on the trail. You told yourself that the blue mohawk bird on the front was a great reminder of both the trail and Kozume, and made a mental note to get her to write something before you left, lessening your guilt over having bought something almost useless.

   By the time you came back to the cabin, your wallet felt significantly lighter while your bookbag was very obviously heavier. You had stuffed the velvet box, postcard deck, two maroon sweaters with "Inari Lodge" printed across the front with the forest's logo, and a large and heavy book about spirits and legendary deities that guard and dwell in the forest. According to the summary on the back, the book was basically a collection of the myths and legends surrounding the forest, including one about people that could transform from animal to person and back again. The cover of the book immediately made you think "grimoire", and you were set on buying it, if not for the stories, then for the aesthetic.

   You wondered briefly if it was real as you unclasped the leather string binding the book shut and flipped through yellowed pages with torn edges, looking at all the pictures that looked believable hand drawn and writing in a language you could only understand when you squinted your eyes.

   You had wrapped everything in the two sweaters, and then in the white scarf, making sure they were safe and at no risk of being crushed or damaged, especially the crystalline figure.

   "Are ya sure she isn't coming back?"

   "Yes, 'Tsumu, last I checked she was dropping off her keys to Kozume."

   "But she'll be back soon?"

   "Yeah no shit, genius, that's why you either get in here with me or stay behind."

   "Hey, I'm just makin' sure you're prepared for this y'know, in case you start crying for momma or somethin'."

   "Shut yer face and die."

   "What do we do now?"

   "I don't wanna pay for a ticket, 'Samu."

   "Me neither, but we can't hitch a ride in her carry-on anymore, it's going through TSA."

   They both leaned against the wall, realizing that they were both stupid and their plan was stupid squared.

   Atsumu looked up, the ribbon around his neck moving with him, and he watched you walk into the bathroom, leaving your luggage outside the door. He nudged Osamu, pointing at the bathroom door.

   "Nice," he praised.

   And if people saw two foxes crawling into a bookbag? It's the airport at three in the alternate airport timeline, who cares.

   "My bag is so heavy," you complained, flopping into your assigned seat. It was another window seat, and the view of the land underneath becoming smaller and smaller until it was covered by a sea of clouds made you feel a little better. Still, how did your bag get that heavy? When it was empty, it was literally lightweight, and when you were still shopping, it wasn't that hard to carry it as you went from store to store. You groaned, rolling your shoulder from the pain of carrying the boulder of a bag.

   "That's what I get for buying so much," you berated yourself, opening the flap and looking inside. Surprisingly, two fluffy foxes were curled up in there, resting comfortably on your white scarf. For a moment, you thought your foxes had hitched a ride and were coming home with you, but you'd obviously notice that, right? And besides, you did see the stuffed animals in the gift shop.

   "I can't believe I actually bought the stuffed foxes just because I'll miss the real ones," you huffed, blushing slightly, as if the foxes were there and could hear you. But the foxes were not there, you had left them at the lodge, so you settled for stroking the faux fur of the stuffed foxes, the silky smooth strands so lifelike that if you didn't know better, you'd think it was real.

  ��"Finally," you gasped, face planting into the soft fluffy white of your blanket. You tugged off Tooru's sweater and folded it neatly, walking out and placing it on your counter, ready to return. You rummaged through your bag, that you had dropped to the floor as soon as you opened the door to your room, and tugged out the scarf from underneath your very suspiciously heavy fox plushies. 

   You unwrapped the bundle, pulling all your souvenirs out before bunching up the scarf and throwing it into your laundry basket. You set the book and postcard deck on your bookshelf, next to other various books and collectibles you've found over the years, and grabbed the velvet box, feeling its smooth texture against the palm of your hand. You set it on top of the teal hoodie, before changing out of your jeans and shirt into shorts and an oversized tee, boyfriend style.

   Ugh, a boyfriend. You've been single for way too long.

   "Please let me wake up to a miracle," you prayed, closing your eyes and pulling a serene face, before immediately flopping over and falling asleep.

   Of course, you do not expect to wake up cuddled up to a warm chest while listening to someone messing around in your bathroom, the shutting of cupboards and a phone call drifting from the white door.

   You laid there, relishing the comfort that came from being flush against someone's side, tucked under their arm.

   That's when it hit you that strangers were in your house.

   You bolted up, using your hand to choke back the scream bubbling from your throat, not wanting to let either person know you were awake.

   You looked down, realizing that you had just left the side of a very handsome and very shirtless man, his eyes slowly opening when he felt the absence of your warmth, showing you his beautiful light brown eyes, getting lost in the gold specs like stars.

   You ripped your gaze away from him and moved to swing your legs over the edge of the bed. Unfortunately for you, the mystery man reached up and tugged you back down to him, holding a finger up to his very pink and very kissable and very attract— , wait, no. He held his finger against his lips, shushing you.

   "Wait, he's coming out. Stay beside me."

   Just as you opened your mouth to retaliate, he had already thrown your white covers over the both of you and looped an arm around you, his hand resting at your waist.

   The door to the bathroom opened, and yet another stranger walked out, though it was only him, making the total number of intruders two. He had the same eyes and lips, which were the definition of picture perfect, and he was also lacking in the shirt department. His brows furrowed, and you could already feel the argument starting.

   "What the hell do ya think yer doin'?!"

   "She prefers me."

   "No she doesn't!"

   "It's true, right doll?"

   Both pairs of identical eyes stared at you, and you started panicking under the pressure.

   "I don't even know you! This is literally stranger danger!" you yelled, jumping out of the warmth of both the blanket and the guy in your bed, dodging as his hand reached out to pull you back in.

   You pressed your back against the wall, staying as far away from them as possible. You then realized what you were wearing, and tugged your shirt down even further, mentally slapping yourself for wearing shorts that left almost nothing to imagination with a shirt that reached your thighs, which would put you at a disadvantage if you had to fight or flight.

   The stranger finally got out of your bed and walked next to the other, but it was only once they were next to each other that you realized they were twins, identical twins. Both had dyed hair, but one was blond while the other had grey hair. Their bangs were parted to opposite sides, so they kind of mirrored each other, which made you shiver.

   "Don't ya remember us?"

   "Yeah, you liked me better."

   As they started bickering, as almost all siblings do, you noticed the two sweaters you bought sitting on the edge of the bed. Snatching them and balling them up in either fist, you threw them at them.

   "At least wear these!"

   "Those sweaters would eat me alive, but they fit you so well," you sighed, sitting on your legs on your bed, the two still standing in front of you.

   As they pulled the cloth over their head, you noticed the ribbons tied around their neck as they popped free from the neckline. You felt your heart sink to your stomach when you realized they were grey and yellow ribbons.

   "'s not like we've never slept with you before," yellow ribbon said.

   "You even asked me to be your baby," grey ribbon added, catching his twin's elbow in his hand.

   "I haven't even been in the city for the past week! I was at the lodge forest thing."

   "So were we."

   "Yeah, we came from there."

   "Then how did you end up here?!"

   "We came with ya," yellow ribbon said matter-of-factly while the other shrugged in agreement.

   Your breath got caught in your throat as you flipped the flap of your bookbag over, looking at the empty space in dismay.

   "Where are my foxes?"

   "That's us!" they chorused, identical smirks of pride on their faces, as if being yours was something to show off or brag about. 

   "They were plushies! People cannot be plushies!"

   "No, they were real foxes, and we're real foxes, 'cause they were us."

   "Where the hell would I get real foxes?!"

   They saw the moment you pieced two and two together, your face turning from one of anxious anger to acceptance as you realized what they were trying to say.

   The ribbons. Their colors. The plushies that felt a little too real. That one night in your cabin. The day you fed them in that one cafe.

   They were your foxes.

   "Yup," grey ribbon nodded his head, and you shut your mouth, not wanting to accidentally say what you were thinking again.

   "Why did you come here? You belong in the forest!"

   "No, we're your foxes," they said in unison.

   "No you aren't," you groaned, covering your face with both your hands.

   The two of them had attached themselves to your side, and when you said that, they seemed to get even more annoyed, and so they snuggled even closer to you, an arm slung around your shoulders and around your waist.

   "What are your names?" you finally relented, relaxing in their grip.

   "Miya Osamu," the one with the grey ribbon said, pulling you closer from the waist.

   "Miya Atsumu, the better twin," the one with the yellow ribbon retorted, tugging you back with the arm around your shoulder.

   "Stop pushing me around! We barely know each other!"

   "Can you stop with that already?" Osamu said, though he had no actual anger or malice behind his words.

   "Or do we have to remind you who you belong to?" Atsumu said suggestively, and you braced yourself for whatever mischief he had planned.

   In one moment, you were sitting normally in the middle of your bed. In the next, you were back against your headboard, your head on your pillows. And you became a pillow, as Osamu tucked his face in your neck and Atsumu rested his head on your chest.

   "We're taking a nap together again whether you like it or not," Osamu said decisively, and you could tell that was that, no arguing.

   "At least let me pull those off, it's embarrassing," you complained, your hand drifting up to Atsumu's ribbons.

   "No," he said, catching your hand warningly. Something in his voice made you obey immediately. "That's mine."

   "Well this is mine too!" you replied heatedly, bringing a hand up and cradling Osamu's head against you. But instead of doing anything or acting out like any normal person would, Osamu started purring, a satisfied grin on his face while you had a look of dismay, your cheeks reddening. 

   Atsumu glared at him, moving your hand so your arm was wrapped around him, pulling him closer as well. You got the hint and raised your other hand to run your fingers through his hair, leaving you to deal with two purring fox-shifting idiots.

   "Fine, you're both mine, I guess," you gave up, fighting back a blush and pretending that statement didn't warm your heart as much as it did.

   "And your ours," they chorused happily, and you didn't even try to hide the pink spreading across your cheeks when they rubbed their faces against yours.

   "Okay," you said quietly, accepting the fact that them being yours and you being theirs made you feel something happy and content in your chest, something that was dangerously close to love. If you were like them, you were one hundred percent sure you'd start purring, too.

   I mean, you did say you wanted a boyfriend, and the universe was kind enough to give you more than what you bargained for.

   The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky with yellow and red while the blues and purples of night crept closer. The clouds were fluffy and lined with silver, their normal white reflecting pink hues.

   The last rays of sunlight filtered through a sheer peach curtain, coating everything in gold lighting.

   Three people were sleeping soundly on a bed, the white blanket thrown over their tangled legs, breaths even and in sync. Dyed grey hair peeked out from under a chin, and blond hair tickled a collarbone. Natural hair was sprawled out on the white stuffed pillows.

   Osamu opened an eye, before raising his head and pressing a soft kiss to the sleeping beauty's lips.

   And if he raised a finger to his lips? Well, I can't say what happened next, because my lips are sealed.

oh my GOD did this take forever between writing this and school and the fanart of this (which i’ll post later) i took way longer than i normally would

that being said, i hope you still like it <3

[the-awkward-outlaw]

A New Adventure - Pt. 8

Okay, y’all I know I been super absent on this piece. It’s not for lack of desire or care, I promise! It’s because when I started this, I was planning on using activities I did over this summer to inspire this, but then covid happened and I been stuck in my house all summer. K, excuses over. This one is extra fluffy with a side serving of even more fluff, so enjoy! 

Masterlist

Read on AO3

Silver Lingings

Things have been different between you and Arthur. Since you told him some of your insecurities and he comforted you, things have been better. 

You’ve never been able to easily open up to people but with Arthur, it’s different. Perhaps it’s because he’s the first person who’s told you to your face that he cares. 

Arthur has been warmer towards you. Not that he wasn’t before. But he’s even moreso. 

One day you come home from the store. You’d offered him to come, but he said he wanted to stay home, take a shower maybe. 

You haul in the few sacks of groceries, remembering the one that has the refill on Arthur’s meds. 

You’ve been doing some research on TB lately, as a way to try and help Arthur in his recovery. It’s not pretty to know that even today, well over a million people die a year from the disease, and those who recover are permanently damaged, their lungs scarred. Not only that, they suffer bouts of symptoms even though they no longer have the disease. Along with those is the fact that their immune system is greatly damaged and they’re more prone to other infections. 

The moment you walk in, you hear whistling. Is that Arthur? It makes you smile. 

When you get into the kitchen, he walks over and takes the groceries from you. “Let me help ya, darlin’.” 

You blush at his nickname for you. How can he be so terrifying in the ways you’ve seen and even made him be in the game, and yet so sweet? He’s a complicated man, and unpredictable in the best ways. 

He continues to whistle as he helps you put things away, and then he grabs the boxes of meds. You hear him give a heavy sigh. 

It’s no secret that these medications have kicked his ass nearly as well as the disease itself. 

“You okay?” you ask.

“Yeah. Just… don’t like these things. But I guess they’re better than the alternative.” 

“I know. But hey, you’re halfway through. Only three more months.” 

Arthur turns to look at you and leans his back on the counter. “These medicines have side effects, right?” 

“Course. Pretty much every medication does. Why? You having some?”

He rubs the back of his neck, not looking at you. “Yeah. A few. Kind of… embarrassin’ though.” 

“Arthur, it’s fine. My mother’s a nurse. She’s been a nurse longer than I been alive. Trust me, after hearing the things she saw, none of it really phases me.” 

Arthur grunts and then tells you in vague details some of the things he’s dealing with. Tingling in his hands and feet, occasional joint pain, and then he mentions in an embarrassed way about how his body fluids have been colored more orange. 

“Those are common, Arthur. Unfortunately nothing we can really do for most of them. You haven’t been drinking alcohol, have you?” 

He grunts that he’s had a couple beers a week. 

“Well, no more. That’s one reason why your body fluids have been discolored. It’s your liver doing it. And for your joint pain? That can be fixed with tylenol.” 

After a few seconds, you add “You’ve been coughing less.” 

“Yeah,” he says softly. “Been havin’ less pain in my lungs too.” 

You can tell he’s a little put out by the discussion of his medical problems. 

“Arthur, let’s do something fun this week. Even though covid is still strong, some places are starting to open up. We just have to reserve a spot ahead of time.” 

“How do you do that?” he asks. 

“Easy. Just by tickets on the internet.” 

He grunts again and looks out the window. The internet, well, most electronic technology baffles him. You once caught him trying to literally pop your phone open to see what was inside. He’s been more gentle since you explained phones don’t open up unless you destroy them. 

“Maybe. But… ain’t there places we can go we don’t have to reserve a place?” 

“Sure,” you say. “There’s plenty of lakes and trails we can go on.” 

He immediately perks up when you say that. 

“Can we go to one of them places today?” 

“Sure,” you say. “I know a nice little place.” 

An hour later, you’re driving up one of the many canyons towards a place called Silver Lake near Brighton Ski Resort. 

Arthur’s a bit baffled by your explanation of skiing. Even though you’ve lived in Utah your whole life (which reportedly has the greatest snow on earth) you’ve never been skiing or snowboarding. But you do your best to explain them. 

Arthur’s mood greatly improves the further in the canyon you get. He loves how wild it is, even this close to the city. And the quiet. He loves it all. 

You laugh when he gets particularly excited about seeing a moose cow standing in the marshes of a beaver’s pond, a heron sauntering nearby. 

Because you know how unusual it is to see a moose, you pull over and roll down the windows so he can see. 

The smell coming from the forest is intoxicating. 

The drive to the lake is nearly an hour, and by the time you finally get there, Arthur’s smiling. It’s rather contagious. 

However you have to catch yourself when you see how happy he is. It just makes him all that much more handsome. You’ve been trying to be so careful not to fall for him. 

The air is nice and cool up here, a relieving reprieve from the triple degree heat down in the city. 

Arthur’s donned his leather hat and blue shirt for this walk. It looks great out here and even though there’s some people, no one will think anything of his outfit.

The hike around the lake is very easy and is a good hour walk if you take your time. Perfect for Arthur as it won’t irritate his lungs. 

The path lies right against the shores of the lake, which is not any larger than lake Owanjilla in the game, and also quite shallow. 

As you walk along the boardwalk on the marshy end of the lake, Arthur stops and looks over the railing. There, you can both easily see minnows hiding in the reeds. 

Once you hit the trees, Arthur looks around. There’s no one around. 

He shocks you by taking your hand in his and just holding it as you both walk. You can’t help but smile up at him. 

At the halfway point of the lake, there is a bench on the trail. It has a great lookout on the lake and you can even see Mickey Mouse mountain, a curious mountain with a permanent bald spot that forms the shape of the famous mouse’s head. 

You and Arthur sit on the bench and say nothing. There is nothing that needs to be said here at this moment. It’s so quiet and calm, to say anything would spoil it. 

Arthur unleashes your hand, to which you feel sad about. You’d really been enjoying it. 

Then he surprises you. He feins scratching the back of his neck and then his arm drapes along the back of the bench behind you. 

It’s getting harder and harder to control yourself around him, and you find that you’re really not wanting to anymore. 

With the encouragement of the solitude and Arthur’s arm draped behind you, it’s not long before you’re leaning into his side and resting your head on his shoulder. 

Only seconds after you get into this position, you feel Arthur’s arm winding around you. 

Is this real? Are you cuddling with Arthur Morgan? The Arthur Morgan? 

It feels real, and it feels right. 

Just as you’re beginning to truly appreciate the beauty of the lake and the forest, Arthur speaks up. 

“I was afraid places like this wouldn’t be around anymore.” 

“How do you mean?” 

“Well, in that city. It’s so big and loud and… unnatural. Mostly big though. I was beginning to think man had truly driven any kind of wildness out.” 

“Well, we mostly have. But we also know the value of places like this. If we destroy them, we destroy ourselves.” 

Arthur sighs and falls silent for a moment. When he speaks up again, he takes you off guard. 

“Thank you, darlin’. For bringin’ me here. This is the best kind of medication.” 

You look up at him and are about to say “you’re welcome” when you’re stopped by his smile, the light in his eyes. That’s one thing the game failed to do despite being so detailed and lifelike. It failed to capture how truly beautiful and alive his eyes are. 

Just as you’re about to speak, Arthur closes the few inches between your faces and places his lips on yours. 

To say your heart stops is an understatement. How long have you thought of doing this with him? Much longer than you’ve known him, that’s for sure. 

His lips are better than you could have ever imagined. They’re not chapped (though that might be because you introduced him to chapstick), but warm and alive. Your hand leaves his knee and slides up his chest and to his neck. 

His free hand does the same, gently settling on your back to bring you closer. 

After a few seconds, Arthur pulls away. “Sorry, darlin’. That was… unwarranted.” 

You blush and smile. “Arthur, did it feel like I didn’t want it?” 

He smiles back. “Then… would you mind for a second?” 

You answer him by bringing your lips right back to his. This one is more fervent, more sure. 

It’s during this kiss you really begin to appreciate him, his body. How he feels, how he smells. 

Though a lot of his wild scent has been tamed by your home, he still holds onto some of it. That hint of leather, gun powder, tobacco. It’s like it’s been ingrained into his very skin. 

You don’t know it, but Arthur is appreciating the way you smell and feel too. 

He’s longed to feel you pressed against him like this since not long after he first met you. Oh, how he wished to do something like this with you during that earthquake. 

When he’d held you in his arms that night, oh it had felt so right, so pure. So good that he knew he didn’t deserve it. 

But this. Kissing you, holding you, bathed in the shade and the perfume of the pines. It’s beyond perfect. 

He doesn’t care that he thinks he’s too bad of a man for someone as good and kind as you. He just wants to revel in this moment. 

You’re both still deep in the kiss when you hear voices approaching from down the trail, and some of them belong to children. 

The two of you quickly break apart, but not before the man in the family sees you both smooching. 

He gives you both a hearty wink while the mother looks rather disapproving as they pass. 

You can’t help but smile as you blush, still nestled in Arthur’s arm. 

He rubs your back soothingly while the family passes. 

After a short while, the two of you decide it’s time to head back to the car and go home. 

Arthur holds your hand every second, and even sometimes brings your hand to his lips. 

Towards the end of the walk, the boardwalk allows people to walk out to nearly the center of the lake to either fish or look down into the water. 

You and Arthur head down it, finding yourselves alone on the planks though people can be seen on the trail still. 

Once there, Arthur takes you in his arms and kisses you again. This surprises you as you always took him to be a very private man who was not a fan of pdo. 

However, he doesn’t seem to care in this moment. Neither do you, so you loop your arms around his neck and press yourself into the kiss. 

Arthur chuckles when the kiss ends. “Sorry, had to do that. The sun hit your hair, made it so pretty. Just… had to kiss ya.” 

You smile and kiss the tip of his nose. “You can kiss me any time you want, Mr. Morgan.”

[amorrdemiel]

I am ready for cherry pie.

I was trying to write this in my journal, but sometimes the feelings want to come out faster than my little hand can scribble so I came here to frantically type it all out. 

I asked God to walk deeper into the Garden of Life. Earlier this summer, I knew I had found Heaven, I felt myself forgiven, I felt everyone forgiven, I felt us all to be love. But what I thought was living in Heaven was actually just the entrance, and I comfortably pulled up a chair to gaze lovingly at its doors lol, and I realized I could actually walk within.  But I was afraid. I asked God for the courage and the clarity to walk deeper into the joy of life. And I heard her joy calling me, a song just for me.  I heard her calling me to music, to sit at my piano keys and play. I heard her calling me through day dreams of traveling in a camper van of my own, of watcher her Holy sunrises at different oceans, to gaze at her freckle stars in the night, in deserts I had never crossed before. I heard her call upon the wind of peace, of sleep. I saw her show how gentle life truly was, how it was willing and wanting to caress me, to be caressed.  BUT I still felt fear, and even worse a strange itch overcame me to purposely look for terrible things, things I don’t even want to look at on a regular basis. Wanting to purposely look at murders, at violence, at suffering. And I didn’t understand why. I knew better than to succumb to the itch to seek these things out, I knew it wouldn’t give me wisdom and I felt something strange about the itch. After a really good tarot reading from my sister, she helped me clarify that weird itch to find things horrific.  Joy requires vulnerability, she said. And it is difficult to be vulnerable when you lack trust in life, down to a bone psychological level.  She helped remind me of how when I broke my arm in the summer before third grade, it was a traumatic experience for me that changed the psychology of me forever. I didn’t know this until this week, but apparently because I was a child, they couldn’t give me anesthesia and the two options for my very large break in my arm, was either preform surgery on me while I was very much lucid and awake or rearrange my bones back into place blindly so they wouldn’t have to make a cut on me. Somehow, the best bone doctor in Texas at the time just so happened to be at the hospital in El Paso and he chose to blindly rearrange my bones back into place. and he told my mom and my dad to watch the pain I was about to go through because it would change me forever. My sister stayed too because she is brave and loving and wanted to be there for me, even though she too was just a child. They always tell me about how traumatic it was for them to see me screaming in pain as he was rearranging my broken bones, and I remember just searing pain lmao I just remember it being hours of pain, as they made me twist my arms for X-Rays, and when they kept twisting my arm to put my bones back into place. Truly painful lmao  BUT point of the story is, I used to be a very active child before that, I was always running, playing music, I was always smiling and happily in my garden, I was a straight-A student in GT. And after that I wasn’t, and all the details to me don’t matter any more. (EVEN THO, I felt a little upset that my mom remembered how the doctor told her that I would be changed forever and my parents STILL screamed at me for hours when I stopped getting straight A’s, and couldn’t focus anymore. if the doctor told you I was changed forever, how come you still screamed at me for hours because I got a C? how come you literally told me: When you broke your arm, something got damaged in your brain, you must have hit your head and scrambled something, so try really hard to think what happened and change it, just change it. Go back to how you were. IDK I FEEL LIKE THAT KINDA CONTRIBUTED TO ME CUTTING AND HITTING MYSELF OUT OF FRUSTRATION, WOULDN’T YOU THINK? Like my sister summarized it the best, which was that they were holding me accountable, a child, for understanding the trauma I went through and working through it just so I could get the grades they wanted me to get. -___- BUT WHATEVER I AM LEARNING TO FORGIVE THEM FOR WHAT THEY COULDN”T UNDERSTAND THEN.) The beautiful thing I rather focus on, is after reminding me of this, my mom and my sister both cried and hugged me for a good solid ten minutes and kissed me, and told me that I don’t have to feel afraid anymore, that life isn’t what I feared it to be anymore, and that I am free and can be vulnerable to joy, and that is truly what I rather focus on than the past parents that didn’t know how to cope with what I had gone through.  My sister also reminded me of how I conveniently forgot how earlier this year I went to see a physical therapist finally for my knee which hurt me a lot and made me feel like I couldn't go hiking or any of the adventurous things I wanted to do bc it hurt too much and he straight up told me that it was all PSYCHOLOGICAL. Which was super wild for me to hear, because I think he’s right! lmao.  It reminds me of when I was a child, and I used to run out in my little garden in the sun all the time, and how sometimes I was suddenly forced to stop because I couldn’t move without feeling a lot of pain, and I would look down at my feet and I saw how all those thorned stickers were on my laces, my socks, my shoes and it hurt too much to move so I was just stuck. (Which makes me feel happy about that dream I once had where a large field beckoned me and I began running in its vastness barefoot, and I remember looking down and seeing a bunch of those thorned stickers and somehow missing every single one, and feeling so free.)  Anyhow, I resolved to allow myself to be vulnerable to go into joy, and that even with this psychological, bone deep memory of trauma happening when I move.  The day before yesterday, my sister made it aware to me that our betta Artemis has fin rot (mild) and I felt so in pain because of it. One thing I could never stand was seeing the people (or animals) I love in pain, and I’ve never acted on this impulse, but the first impulse I have when my sister tells me about a traumatic experience she’s had or I see my animals hurt is to say “NO! That’s NOT how you feel, this isn’t real.” BUt it’s so irrational to me, to say this, that I never act on it but I do have to convince myself by becoming more objective to handle the pain of seeing them in pain.  But I guess I have allowed myself to feel more vulnerable and more sensitive to life (I used to allow myself to be sensitive when I was a toddler but I was just so overwhelmed and my parents would yell at you if you cried so I just capped it.) But I’m letting myself be sensitive, so I did feel angry at my sister initially for telling me that Artemis had fin rot, and I felt very upset, but I let it be there and we researched how to heal it and took immediate action the next day and even though my sister was sensitive about it, and I was sensitive about it, we did a great job at getting everything we needed, staying calm and supportive of one another, and it just always surprises me how much me and my sister haven’t adopted the way my mom and dad do things which is screaming, and panicked and violent. (Well, we worked ourselves out of it through love and patience.)  But as we were driving to the pet store for the second time to get something else to help us out with Artemis’s tank, I told my sister about how allowing myself to feel the pain I felt at Artemis being sick, when I got home from the pet store this morning and went to say hello to my pug before getting started with my sister on deep cleaning his tank and getting salt in it to sterilize the wounds, I felt a much deeper and softer joy at hugging Qipsi and holding her in my arms and I realized that joy came from allowing myself to feel the pain of Artemis. That when I let myself feel the pain, it also let me feel the pull, the desire to tend to his tank, his little body and soul, his water much more diligently and the joy that arose in that, and it let me feel the pull and desire to tend to Qipsi more tenderly, and tend to myself more tenderly. And so pain, allowing the suffering allowed joy as well.  My sister told me about how she read or saw that when you allow yourself to feel the pain, you allow yourself to feel the pathway to the healing of it.  And that just shook me because I never looked at it like that. I always thought pain was useless, or was just to burn your ego, or just frustrating, but I see now how it led to more joy, it led to truer joy. How it led to truthful joy, and I never let it show me the healing. I was so afraid of pain, I never let it show me how to heal, I just hated how I was hurt to begin with. But if I could just focus my attention and the pathway to healing, and to feel the healing, the joy of it.  AND SO, here I stand, on the precipice of fate, on the road I am asking to help guide me to the purpose of my life, the highest good of my life, and I feel I understand what joy and pain truly are.  I asked God to lead me deeper into the garden of life, so that I may understand what I am here to provide, what of my highest good can I give back, and I was given clarity and courage. Clarity to understand the truth behind pain, the way it shines a path to the healing of you and me, to the healing of body and soul and courage to face the vulnerability that joy requires, that pain requires to open you to deeper joy, and so it goes.  I want to play and create and enjoy this sandbox of life. 

And I want cherry pie. 

[quarterfromcanon]

Huzzah!

for @imunbreakabledude

Thank you for the wonderful idea generators you listed in your request; every single one served to spark some element of this piece and I had such a great time putting it together. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! <3 Happy Valentine’s Day!

Word count: 3,820

Rating/content warnings: G. Mild swearing. No violence and nothing really sexual. Unless you count #archeryarms. They are quite powerful.

Relationships: Mostly general Gurl Group and co. in nature, but there may or may not be a little Rethaniel kernel planted here somewhere... ;)

Summary: Our beloved residents of West Covina take a trip north to engage in some Renaissance merriment.

Rebecca stood before the wall-length mirror and ran her fingers along the feather tucked above the brim of her hat. She adjusted the small tambourine tied to her waist and planted both hands on her hips. 

"Well, fair ladies... or, should I say, RenFaire ladies, are we ready?"

A row of restroom stall latches slid aside and their doors swung wide to reveal the rest of the Gurl Group, all clad in their carefully selected costumes for the day. Rebecca bounced in place and clasped her hands under her chin.

A net beaded snood held all of Paula's beautiful red hair. An ornamental ruby brooch was fastened to the bodice of her ornate raspberry gown. She smoothed the fabric and held her head high, striking a pose.

Valencia repurposed the faux leather portion of her Bride of the Pirate King costume and fashioned it to be part of her falconer garb, complete with a Velcro wrist attachment featuring a tiny plush merlin fitted with a hood. A simple plait kept her field of vision clear with the added bonus of helping combat overheating. She twisted sideways and nodded approval at her reflection, pleased with the silhouette.

Heather had happily seized the opportunity to go as an archer, a set of garments she'd been assembling piece by piece ever since she started her continuing education class. Her hair was braided and bound together to reduce the risk of distracting strays. Many of her beloved camo greens were present in this ensemble, albeit separated into individual components of her attire. She moved to tuck her hands into her pockets, remembered that there weren't any, and instead hooked both thumbs through the belt.

The bridge of Rebecca's nose scrunched as she grinned. "Crushin' it. Fresno, here we come." 

"Play us out, Cookie," Paula urged.

Rebecca scooped her lute - easily the most expensive item for her look since she had been adamant about carrying a functional instrument rather than a prop - off the countertop and strummed. Her gaze turned skyward as she left the rest stop bathroom attempting to generate lyrics on the spot. 

"The countess doth my song request, I go at her courtly behest, and now I introduce four: there were none quite so resplendent, connected yet independent, trust me I'm the troubadour..."

Scott and Tommy were already waiting outside dressed as an earl and a squire, respectively. Tommy gave them all an appreciative thumbs up and Scott applauded. The latter strode over to Paula when she emerged. Scott bowed and then held out his hand. "My lady?" He gestured in the direction of their waiting minivan in an unspoken offer to escort her.

Paula smiled and accepted his outstretched palm. "Milord."

While they walked, Scott called over his shoulder. "I like the new ditty, Rebecca. Lotta info in a little time. Nice and snappy."

Rebecca waved an 'oh, stop' gesture, but she was unable to hide her delight in receiving positive feedback. "Thank you. I couldn't resist a little Danny Kaye tribute. I think it could work better if I ramp up the speed of my delivery, now that I've worked out the words."

Valencia flanked Paula on her other side and leaned in close to whisper, "What musical was she talking about?"

"No idea. It must've been before my time."

They loaded back into the vehicle, though with considerably greater difficulty given the added layers of their new outfits. Paula now had to sit in the middle with Rebecca to have room for her voluminous skirts. Scott took the driver seat in her stead, and Tommy sat beside him. Valencia detached the falcon from its perch and buckled it into the rear middle seat to keep it from sliding around on the drive. Heather observed this with quiet amusement. She patted the fake bird on the head. "Safety first." 

The wardrobe-swapping pit stop in Tulare was only about forty minutes away from their final destination, a span of time which seemed to fly by after the previous three hours on the road. Eagerness for the festivities ahead reached a renewed high as the park finally came into view. Scott pulled up to the waiting staff member and exchanged pleasantries. He passed the young worker a bag of canned goods they'd brought to contribute to the faire's donation drive and then fished out his wallet to pay the parking and admission fee. 

As soon as they exited the van, all the sights and sounds swept them into the action. There were myriad tents on either side of the path that wove through the trees. Bakers, potters, and weavers sold their wares; blacksmiths hammered hot metal atop anvils, and a cheerful tune drifted from a shelter housing a trio of professional musicians. The food court beckoned with the scent of cakes, pies, meats, and sandwiches. Their first quarter of an hour passed simply drifting from one table of offerings to the next, admiring everything and strategizing how they would spend their money later. 

Once they'd gotten a general sense of the lay of the land, Rebecca began walking backward to face the group at large and clapped her hands together. "Okay, time to get the party started. Where to first? Birthday girls' choice. Heather? Paula?"

Heather pulled a face. "That's not gonna be how you introduce us all day, is it? You're gonna confuse everybody since it's not, like, actually either of our birthdays. Not even close."

"Okay, true," Rebecca conceded, "but 'a November day that happens to fall almost squarely in the middle between the two and on a weekend we could all ask off work' is a mouthful to explain to strangers."

"Or we could just try, y'know, not sharing any details of our personal life with the RenFaire performers?" Heather suggested with a sarcastic shrug.

"But then none of them will sing you a period-appropriate song or raise a celebratory cheer." Rebecca pouted. 

Heather nodded with satisfaction. "Exactly."

"Verily, thou art a most obstinate addle-plot," Rebecca remarked with a sigh.

"Oooh, are we doing the olde timey talk now?" Paula brightened. "I've been practicing for this."

"Aye, good lady," Rebecca confirmed and linked their arms. "I believe the hour is upon us!"

Just like that, all lighthearted squabbling was forgotten. Rebecca and Paula joyfully riffed off one another using every medieval and Renaissance vocab word they could recall. They even dusted off their questionable English accents for an added layer of "authenticity." Tommy and Heather exchanged glances at some of the inventive word choices, having acquired a passing familiarity with the correct terms on their individual visits to similar faires, but they let the giggling duo indulge in their antics.

A short while later, they stumbled upon another tent of interest, which appeared to be dedicated to wood carving. There were wall hangings, placards, canes, birdhouses, and countless other novelty handcrafted objects. One rather simple looking cube with hinges on the corner of a table caught Rebecca's attention. She plucked it up for closer inspection. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips when she saw the lion rampant carved into the surface of the lid. She pried the box open with her thumb and gasped. 

"Aww, there's a little compass inside! I wonder how much this would cost to send to Na--" Rebecca dragged out the first syllable of the name, realizing too late that she'd spoken the thought aloud. "--antucket. I've got a cousin out there who might enjoy it for... scout hikes."

She nodded perhaps a little too emphatically at the end of this improvised statement. Her eyes flicked from one companion's face to the next to see if they bought the cover story. The reactions were unanimously not in her favor. 

"You were about to say Nathaniel." Paula gave Rebecca a reassuring nudge. "Sweetheart, you don't have to hide it from us. We've known for weeks that you two have been writing back and forth to each other. I accidentally used one of his envelopes as a coaster when you invited me over to hear a few works in progress."

"Yeah, and you stowed another letter behind Estrella's tank," Heather added. "Which is literally transparent so..."

"Having a pen pal is actually kind of perfect for you," Valencia said. "You're the only person I've ever known who bought stationery as a souvenir."

"It has been nice, keeping in touch," Rebecca admitted. "We're in different countries, both staying introspective and working on ourselves, but I think we've gotten to a place where we can check in on each other without undoing all the positive growth." She turned the compass over between her fingers and then held it out for the other women to inspect. "Do you think he'd like it?"

Heather's head tilted to the side. "Exclusive product ... a little pretentious but still practical... prominently features an animal you could find in a zoo... Sounds like a match from what I remember about him." 

"Plus, it's kinda symbolic, y'know? Like he can use it because he's surrounded by wilderness but he's also finding his way," Rebecca explained. "This could be a memento to commemorate that."  

She removed the wad of bills from the change purse on her belt and separated the necessary amount listed on the sticker. Once the compass was officially in her possession, Rebecca swung the bag back and forth, considering what a nuisance it would be to have that hanging from her wrist for the rest of the day. She nonchalantly turned a sharp corner as they left the tent. There, she discretely tucked the remaining dollars into her bra and stashed Nathaniel's gift in her former cash pouch.

The others were gathered around the pamphlet guide now open in Paula's hands when she returned.

"Looks like a lot of the big events are in the afternoon," Heather noticed.

"Count me in for the show where the guy swallows fire." Tommy tapped the corresponding spot on the park map.

"And we're getting funnel cake later, right?" Rebecca pointed to Paula and then back at herself. 

"Oh, of course," Paula readily agreed. "It's quintessential fairground food." 

"Don't forget the giant turkey legs!" Scott added, already scanning the large painted menus in the distance so he could make a beeline to that station once they were ready to eat. 

Valencia looked ill at the mention and returned her attention to the accessory booth she'd drifted toward while the others spoke. She held up two pieces she might purchase and frowned thoughtfully. Heather plucked a small standing mirror off the display table and held it for her while she considered each necklace in the sunlight.

A faint buzz sounded from Valencia's satchel. She angled her body so the jewelry could rest against her chest without sliding off and then rummaged for her phone. "Ah, crap." 

"Who is it?" Heather prompted. 

"Darryl with the five thousandth Pinterest idea for his Blended Family Unity Ceremony. I thought the point was to do something simple and sentimental, once they decided they didn't want all the hassle and planning of another wedding in their lifetime. April seemed in favor of that. But Darryl's gone down an Internet-ing rabbit hole and can't be stopped. I thought the ceremony itself might clock in at twenty minutes at most, when they first brought it to me."

"Oh, my sweet summer child." Rebecca shook her head as she tuned in to the conversation.

Valencia’s shoulders sagged and she grimaced. "I know. Joke's on me. At this point, I'd recommend the guests just clear their schedule for the whole day. This latest concept involved a giant canvas and finger painting so... wear something you don't care about."

A collective groan rippled through the group. It was confessed, however, that they all expected at least one genuinely tear-jerking moment, given Darryl's fierce and unwavering attachment to each person who would be in attendance. 

The six of them then followed the map to briefly observe a staged sword fight and a live joust. Paula and Rebecca reminisced over A Knight's Tale and lamented the fact that more stories depicting the era did not include extended dance and/or musical numbers. 

"With the obvious exception of The Court Jester, of course," Rebecca said.

Paula gave a vague nod, smile locked in place but eyes blinking rapidly. "Right. Sure bet it does." 

"You've never seen it, have you?" 

"I'm not even sure if it's a play or a movie." Paula offered an apologetic wince. "You're sorta my primary go-to when I need to understand these kinds of references. I don't have the head space for it."

"I mean, a first watch is definitely something we need to remedy on a weekend soon but, given that I have three decades of passionate devotion to the art form, I get what you mean." Rebecca patted her lute fondly.

They stopped by the wooden ship stationed on the grass where actors dressed as pirates interacted with the crowd and set off small cannons. Then the group advanced toward the last thing on their list of pre-meal activities, which was to watch one of the live shows. The uproarious energy there sparked a sudden idea. Rebecca took extensive notes on her phone, deciding to flesh out her earlier improvised song into a full number to capture the vibe of the faire.

Afterward, they all left the seating in front of the stage and headed toward the food court. The sound of drums diverted their attention along the way and they searched for its source. A small gathering of belly dancers circled on a stretch of open lawn. Rebecca began nodding her head in time with the drum beat, but the motion stilled as she studied the trained and toned muscles undulating beneath the nearest dancer's skin. The woman stood out among her peers as not only being adept at the style but possessing a kind of theatrical charisma. She noticed her new audience and winked. 

Rebecca tugged off her troubadour's hat and fanned herself. "Damn, that level of confidence is sexy."

Eventually, watching half a dozen stomachs reminded them of their rumbling own. With some reluctance, they finally moved along. At last, it was time for their much-anticipated lunch. Scott immediately purchased his coveted turkey leg and ale, both of which he enjoyed while the others mulled over their dining options. As they scanned the stands, the girls spied a large kiln not far away and recognized a familiar dish in the shadows. 

Rebecca pressed a hand to her middle. "Okay, I know it's not the kind of thing you can only get at the faire, but I need that pizza in me."

"Seconded." Tommy joined his honorary sister in staring at the melting cheese.

Once everyone had a plate, they found a place to sit at one of the wooden tables. Paula dusted some of the powdered sugar from the funnel cake off her fingers with a napkin and leaned toward Heather, who was stationed diagonally across from her.

"So, I haven't seen you much since fall break ended. How's grad school going?"

"The marine biology coursework combined with the kind of work that gives me money is kicking my ass but, like, in a good way. Especially since so much of it involves trips to the beach."

"I really admire you for going back, and for finding an area of study that would let you take so many fun field trips," Paula praised. 

Valencia caught Heather's eye and beamed. "Well-played, professor."

While everyone ate, they unfolded the map again atop their table. They scanned the times for where each person wanted to go between noon and dusk when the event would close. A second-half schedule was established and they prepared to seek out the first stop. Before doing so, however, Paula opened her phone's camera for a picture. Rebecca rounded everyone else up for the photo. 

"Prithee, gather ye round the magic picture box. Lady Proctor wouldst appreciate the opportunity to capture our likeness and preserve the memory."

They wrapped their arms around each other and leaned into frame, looking respectably at home before a backdrop of other costumed faire-goers. Paula showed them all the end result before turning it back to herself and grinning at the image. "Perfect."

First on the listed activities was the archery contest. Heather rarely had an occasion to utilize her champion level skills as a bowman, so this chance was too good to skip. The competitors formed a line before their targets.

"Make ye ready!" the announcer cried. "Draw! Aim! Loose!"

Heather's shot found its mark and embedded in the bullseye. Her companions clapped and whooped. 

Rebecca watched her nock the following arrow and line it up for release. "She's got a whole Keira Knightley in Princess of Thieves look going for her today."

The second arrowhead pierced a hair's breadth from the first.

"I think it's kinda doing it for me."

Valencia nodded. Her eyelids crinkled at the corners while she regarded Rebecca with curiosity. "Are you having some sort of Renaissance awakening?" 

"TBD. Check back in with me later. Kinsey scale rating may need an update."

Heather’s final arrow was dead center. The announcer declared her the winner and the visitors from West Covina alarmed everyone nearby with the shouts that erupted from them. They surged forward to embrace and congratulate her. Heather awkwardly allowed herself to be jostled by her circle of friends. She exuded discomfort but, when they all formed a group hug, she did not squirm away. 

After that landslide victory, next up was a demonstration with a trebuchet. The impressively tall apparatus cut through the air and launched pumpkins at a makeshift castle wall. Tommy was ecstatic. He fished out his phone to record a video. "Brendan would love this. I've gotta send it to him."

At the mention of her eldest son, Paula's lower lip protruded sympathetically. "Do you miss your big brother knight, squire?"

Tommy tried to feign indifference, but the shift of his shoulders couldn't hide the expression that flickered across his face. "A little, I guess."

"Aww, pumpkin," Paula cooed. She hooked him toward her with one arm and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Me, too."

"Hey, careful with the mom smooches," Tommy cautioned. "Girls might not talk to me if they see I've already got a lipstick mark on my face."

Paula licked her finger and wiped off the traces. The boy allowed the assistance with resignation. "Okay, yeah, I did sorta set myself up for that one," Tommy muttered. 

Somewhere in the crowd, a recognizable voice caught their attention. 

"Just a minute, Amari. It's Agila's turn. Baba can't hold both of you on his shoulders at the same time. Somebody might fall... most likely me."

Paula stood on tiptoe and waved. "Sunil! Sunil, over here!"

Rebecca heard the name and slumped. "Great. This guy."

Sunil wove his way toward them, holding one of his daughters’ hands on each side. "Why, hello! Fancy meeting you here!"

He drew up short when he spotted Rebecca. "Bunch."

Rebecca arched her eyebrows. "Odhav."

"So, how are you liking the RenFaire so far?" Paula asked, interrupting the showdown.

"We're having a blast. The girls rode the giant unicorn. They said it would've been better if it were a pegasus but, hey, next best thing, right? We've caught three shows already. Really resurrects the old acting bug. And I'm still on a shopper's hunt for a crystal chalice with a palace. As we all know, it 'holds the brew that is true,' and I could really use the pick-me-up after four hours of bickering toddlers." Sunil chuckled at his own humor. Paula weakly attempted to do the same, lost.

Rebecca snapped to attention at the reference. Unable to help herself, she interjected, "Yeah, those can be pretty fragile. You might be better off getting a vessel with a pestle."

Surprised, but pleasantly so, Sunil's expression warmed. "You've seen The Court Jester."

"Oh my gosh, yes!" Rebecca's eyes went comically wide with fervor. "I've been talking about it all day. I must've watched that at least twenty times as a kid."

"How could you not? It's a classic."

Sunil gleefully launched into another quote. "'What are you loo-loo-looing about?’”

Rebecca was ready with the rejoinder. "'Oh, I'm not loo-loo-looing, sire, I'm willow-willow-wailing.'"

Sunil responded with a kingly wave of dismissal. "'All right, all right. Willow away, willow away.'"

They cackled.  

"Dear God," Paula murmured, but she was visibly grateful her usually adversarial friends were getting along.

"There are two of them," Valencia joked affectionately.

Sunil rubbed his hands together. "Listen, we were about to track down that lesson on how to do a courtly dance. Would all of you like to join us?"

This proposal was met with general agreement (although Heather required a little additional convincing to accept the prospect of participation). They reached the designated area just as instructions began. Most of the dance took part in a large group but, for the small section where those involved were expected to break off into pairs, they planned ahead for who would dance with whom. The combinations ultimately turned out to be Paula and Scott, Heather and Valencia, Tommy with both Amari and Agila, and - in a truce that would've been inconceivable prior to that instant - Rebecca and Sunil. 

As all the gathered dancers moved in a great circle, Rebecca took the opportunity to look at each of her loved ones in turn. The chances to enjoy hours with everyone like this sometimes proved rare and difficult to orchestrate, but shared moments of laughter and fun such as these made it infinitely worth the effort.

She turned to Heather on her left and gave the other woman's hand a teasing squeeze. "Having a good time after all?"

"I'll live," Heather answered simply, but Rebecca knew her well enough to detect the truth beneath her nonchalance. "What about you? You've been sending us a pre-trip countdown for, like, a full month leading up to this. Is it holding up to the hype?"

"Hundo P," Rebecca replied. "Ugh, it works when Maya says it but I think there might be too much of a generational divide for me to pull that off. In other news, I might be bi?"

Heather's laugh huffed out on an exhale. "Congrats on figuring that out. Welcome to the club. Darryl will make you a t-shirt."

"Thanks. I'm gonna need your out-and-proud advice later to sift through this brand new information, but it feels like I'm onto something."

"Anytime." 

"So, calendar date notwithstanding, has this been a good birthday?" Rebecca asked hopefully.  

Heather's lips twitched. "I'd let you talk me into it again."

In time with the music, Rebecca twirled in a circle and her friends all blurred together in her vision. A soft smile spread across her face. She thought she could safely declare this day a win.

[ginasneesby]

September - Viv and Andy part 1

2 years late but in enforced lockdown seems the best time to complete these blogs if I am able to remember to any degree what I actually did.

My first visitors were my sister Viv and her husband Andy, they had planned to come to me for 10 days, sandwiched between short trips to see friends in Australia; meaning I didn’t get the jet lag portion or the sad our trip is almost over portion! Viv had also done a lot of research and even booking in advance so most of the activities were sorted and paid for. This made it easier for me having only been nursing since coming back in July and then having taken more trips than I should have done really given how much money I had saved, spreading the cost meant we could all do everything and any extra costs were paid for with those weeks’ wages!

Their flight got in around 4pm on Thursday 6th, the day after I got back from Queenstown and a few weeks after Rarotonga so sort of felt like I was living at the airport; my carbon footprint this year was pretty shocking. They had booked a posh flat in central Auckland just round the corner from the Sky Tower which I drove directly to, luckily arriving late enough to miss parking restrictions so I could come in and see the place too. Having this flat the whole trip meant they could pack small bags for our planned trips and leave all the rest behind, also there was a gym in the complex which apparently is important ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It did however mean their self-catering kitchen was empty, so first job was to head to a supermarket to grab some essentials, the next day we hadn’t planned anything out of town so coffee and milk were a must. We decided however to go out for dinner rather than cook so I took them for a short walk down to the Viaduct and Wynyard Quarter to see the harbour bridge, marina and view across to Devonport. We ate burgers or something similar at a bar and had a couple of cheap cocktails making it to well gone 9 o’clock before all the travelling (and I’m sure some jetlag) kicked in and we all headed home.

The next day I left the pair to figure out Auckland transport and met them at the Devonport ferry terminal, from here we took a gentle hike up Mount Victoria behind my flat (also known as the windiest hill in Auckland) with great views of the harbour, bridge and skyline. There is also an old gun turret type thing that was positioned here because it’s near the opening to the Hauraki Gulf and, I guess, the Pacific Ocean. Obviously we had to take the ‘there’s a giant gun between my legs’ photos but the classic NZ weather of blue sky, crazy wind and blazing sun directly in your eyes led to some interesting facial expressions. We had a late start to the day so after a few hours and a quick stop to see my flat, we were ready to head back over to the city and go for a drink. I took them to an Irish bar which I know seems so wrong but actually there isn’t really what you’d call a typical New Zealand pub (unlike the outdoor bars in Europe) so any pub was good; this one I knew did some classic NZ beers which was good enough for a local feel. We didn’t stay long as we were booked in for a full itinerary of activities on the Saturday but it was nice to end our first full day with a couple of beers, that’s what holidays are all about isn’t it.

Saturday saw an early start to catch the ferry to Waiheke Island, we tried to stay outside on the boat initially but all that wind that’s blow on Mount Victoria, also blows through the Hauraki Gulf and across the bow of the ship, so it was a bit too chilly to remain for the whole journey. There were lots of people on the boat, including a whole host of local primary/middle school football teams who were heading to Waiheke for a tournament; there was a lot of excitement so must have been a big deal! On arrival we were picked up with only about 6 others to head to the Ecozip HQ for the first of our ‘zip, wine and dine’ plans. The sun was blazing as we started out safety briefing for the 3 large zip lines we were about to throw ourselves down, all of which flew over a working vineyard and beautiful patch of NZ bush which we would then walk back through after getting to the bottom. The views from the top were amazing; I love the Auckland skyline anyway but seeing it across the water with the sun shining added an extra splash of magic; always makes a special holiday activity particularly memorable. The zip lines were set up in 2 so Viv and Andy went down together, of course trying to race each other, how else do you zip line, I went down by myself which meant I could 1) take in my surroundings and 2) film the others trying to beat each other. Not sure there’s anything you could actually do to increase your speed but I know they were trying. Each zip faced in a slightly different direction and was positioned high above the bush so each journey down was a new view; I highly recommend doing it as it was great fun. Once we got to the bottom, we were able to loosen our harnesses for the return climb, the guides walked us back up through the bush, pointing out the native plants, trees and animals which the company is helping to preserve and restore.

We were taken back to the ferry port to continue our day which for us meant being picked up by a different coach and taken to the first of 4 wine stops, Stonyridge Vineyard. We had a brief tour of the vines and the cork trees that they grew on site plus a taster of 3 different wines which we were then able to buy a large discounted glass of to have with lunch. Our tables were set up outside on a deck near the cork and olive trees and overlooking rolling green hills, if there’s a better spot to start an afternoon of drinking I haven’t found it. Also a good shout to sell a large glass for cheap at the start, as I found out on a later trip without this option, the tasters as not enough to keep you going for the whole afternoon (and I’m really against paying $15 for a small glass.) The next stop was Rangihoua estate in the centre of the island for some olive oil tasting and some different wine. By this point in typical Auckland fashion the sun had come out in force and wearing jumper, jeggings and boots I was overheating a bit but also determined to catch some sun following a long grey winter. Casita Miro was an amazing vineyard up in the hills towards the north coast of the island, ran by a family with decoration inspired by the Park Guell in Barcelona and Gaudi’s style of mosaic. The vines also grew on a pretty vertical hill, the dad (who was also a Dr) clearly put all his time and effort into the place and it really showed; what free time he could possibly have i don’t know. They gave us a tasting of 5 different wines, red/white and rose, each with a small complimentary snack balanced on a plate on top of the glass; some bruschetta, some cheese and some fruit, classy. Our last spot was Mudbrick Vineyard, with views back towards the city and Rangitoto island across the glittering green water of the Gulf, their vines went up the hill behind the vineyard which must have been near the highest point of the island? The whole place was obviously well established as a venue and even had extra buildings for wedding parties to use a bridal suites etc. We were able to buy more wine and stay longer if we wanted as our return ticket was valid until the last ferry, probably around 9pm. But we decided to head back with the coach and catch the planned ferry, totally in the mood to jump into another bar around the terminal and continue drinking. But in usual fashion the 40 minute ferry journey zapped us of this will and by the time we got back an early start and the best part of a couple of bottles of wine each caught up with us so we decided not to carry on but to crawl into bed probably grabbing something tasty and unhealthy on the way home.

Sunday, after a slow start, we decided to drive up the coast to Muriwai beach where there is a large colony of Gannets living on the rocks, I had been earlier in the year and there were barely any birds there, I guess September being the start of Spring they had all come back to nest. The west shore of Auckland is famous for high winds and crazy waves (they set a whole beach rescue programme at Piha just down the road) so there are some quite dramatic rock formations along the coast. Muriwai has a designated walkway up through the colony and when crowded with birds they literally nest everywhere, right up to the edge of the path so you can get a really close look at them. There was a bit of shagging going up close too which made some of the parents walking around move their brood on swiftly. Down the hill from the birds you can walk along the rock when the tide is out and people come here to fish and look in the rock pools, there’s probably some fresh shellfish being pulled out here and taken straight home for dinner. I had recently discovered a Sunday night market under one of the shopping centres near me which had fresh homemade Asian foods which were all pretty amazing. You could get a pile of dumplings or bao for not many dollars which we did and shared them between us plus some added satay chicken and other deep fried goodies. Not to mention the desserts on offer, ice cream/crepes/waffles all with fruit and chocolate bits and sauces in case the main course wasn’t enough calories. Stomachs filled and plans finalised for our flight the next day, I drove my guests back to their apartment and took myself home to pack for the next adventure down to the south island.

[you-get-to-exhale-now-cyrus]

Hello! You asked for prompts? So For tyrus, maybe some best friends to lovers trope? Like, they're both out to each other and bond over being gay and unrequited crushes. And then.. they catch feelings. Love ya💕

((this is so open ended and i have no idea where it’ll go but YES i need more requests like this or angsty ones. also they’re aged up in this one, like bc tj can drive))

It was a lazy September afternoon, and TJ and Cyrus were, surprisingly enough, not sitting in TJ’s living room watching Marvel movies over and over. TJ drove him and Cyrus to one of the state parks and they were going on a hike. Yes, Cyrus complained about physical activity, but TJ convinced him to come. So before he knew it, he was kicking rocks and sticks out of his way.

“How much longer?” Cyrus panted, struggling to keep up with TJ and his long strides. Curse genetics for giving him the short end of the stick, literally.

TJ chuckled, slowing his steps to try and let the shorter boy catch up. “I’d say another quarter of a mile, so not that long, Underdog,”

“Homophobia,” Cyrus muttered through gritted teeth, the path ahead seeming to only get longer and steeper. At least the leaves were starting to change colors and fall to the ground. That was the only saving grace of this trip.

That and being with TJ.

After what felt like ten miles to Cyrus and far too much sweating, the boys finally reached the peak of their trail. It was a small site with a few picnic tables, remnants of a fire pit, and trees surrounding the place. It was truly beautiful, and it was probably worth the hike, although Cyrus would not admit it.

“What do you think?” TJ asked, taking a seat on one of the picnic tables facing a split in the earth.

“I think that I’m sweating in places that I never have before,” he mumbled, “but it’s breathtaking, really, the whole view.” And he meant it.

“This is where I come when I need to clear my head, or when I’ve had a bad day. So, I’m here most days,” he said with a dry laugh. The boy regretted his words when he met Cyrus’ pout; he was so weak for that.

“Kidding, I’m kidding.” He put his hands up in mock defense and beamed, but Cyrus wasn’t buying it.

“How often do you come out here?”

The only sound that filled the air was the rustling of leaves, as TJ let the question settle on to his shoulders. How often did he come here? It wasn’t every day, not really. But it wasn’t once a month?

“Probably a few times a week,” he shrugged, leaning his elbows back onto the table, “I’m not always here because it’s the end of the world and the only that can cure it is a hike and crushing some leaves. It’s peaceful here. I come here to think too,”

“You know I’m always just a text or a phone call away,” Cyrus assured him, patting his back twice before slinking his arm away. “What kind of things do you think about?”

TJ shrugged in response, distancing himself from the question. “Nothing terribly important.” That was a complete lie. “This is the idea place to think gay thoughts,” he joked, “whenever there’s a rainbow, this is the best place to see it from,”

“Now you’re speaking my language,” Cyrus chuckled, ruffling a hand through his hair, and letting the silence make itself at home for a brief moment. “Did I ever tell you about my first straight boy crush?”

“You mean Jonah?” TJ raised his brows and Cyrus doubled over in laughter, nearly crying.

“Jonah Beck is the most bisexual person I’ve ever met,” he choked out between giggles, “he’s not straight. No, I’m talking about Carter,”

TJ’s jaw dropped. “Carter Mason? Like, captain of the baseball team? That Carter?”

“No, TJ, Carter the plumber. Yes, Carter Mason! It was in middle school and I was only just becoming comfortable with the fact that I was gay,” he explained, his eyes lighting up as he spoke (and TJ was totally not blushing as he watched Cyrus’ lips move).

“Anyways, I thought he was cute, because in all honest, me and every girl in the seventh grade thought he was cute. I had his number from a biology project that we worked on together, and so one day I texted him ‘Hey, do you wanna go to the Halloween Dance with me?’, which honestly, how did Seventh Grade Cyrus have that kind of courage?” he chortled, before clearing his throat, “Then he couldn’t say the he couldn’t go out with me because I was a-” he paused, the word caught in the back of his throat, “something I’d rather not repeat,” he swallowed his words, letting out a shaky breath.

TJ’s frown deepened, slinking his arm around Cyrus shoulders. “That’s awful. Like literally disgusting. But honestly? He does’t deserve you, and you can do so much better,” he sputtered, his cheeks flushing a gentle pink.

Cyrus eyes crinkled when he smiled, and TJ believed he could melt into a puddle right then and there. This boy was too much.

“What about you? Who was your first straight crush?” Cyrus asked, and TJ had to laugh.

“Funny you should ask,” he mumbled, his heart deciding to thump loudly in his chest, “actually my first guy crush was someone I thought would be straight, but turns out that he’s not,”

“Wow, what luck,” Cyrus mused, kicking the crimson leaves underneath his feet, “tell me more, tell me more, was it love at first sight?” he sang, cracking himself up.

“Probably,” he replied quickly, “I mean, I’m not the type of person that really believes in love at first sight, but it was pretty damn close. He’s, like the greatest person ever,” he blushed, noting that Cyrus hadn’t moved from under his arm. The sun had slowly started to go down; you could still see it all, but the sky was bring painted a brilliant mix of orange and pink.

“Aww, TJ has a soft side,” Cyrus joked, poking the taller boy in the side and making him laugh. It all felt so natural that he almost didn’t notice when their hands were touching. Almost.

“Only around you, dork,” he stammered, his words a touch too ‘lovey’ for his taste, “I-I mean, like, you’re one of the only people I can be open with,”

Cyrus felt his lips melt into a smile, and allowed his head to lean onto TJ’s shoulder. He could get used to this, except that he also couldn’t. He couldn’t get used to something that would only cause him pain in the long run. That’s what happened with Carter.

“If you’re so open, why don’t you tell me who this mystery guy is?” Cyrus pressed, his eyes fluttering shut for a moment. He focused on TJ’s heartbeat, steady.

“I-I can’t. I mean, I could, but I also can’t.” TJ fumbled over his words, allowing his head to lean on Cyrus’.

Cyrus turned his head upwards, his chin nearly touching TJ’s. It felt like all those times when they walked, and they hands barely brushed together, but he ached to hold the other boy’s hand. His eyes flitted across the blond boys face, freckles dotting his skin.

“You can tell me,” he whispered, “I cross my gay heart that I won’t judge,” he chuckled, feeling TJ’s breath tickle his skin.

I won’t judge. When did Cyrus ever judge him? Never was the answer, but it didn’t mean that TJ wasn’t scared. He was still terrified, but at least he knew things between them would still be…relatively normal.

“Cyrus I-” he choked, his eyes meeting Cyrus’ and practically being able to count his eyelashes he was so close, “I like you,”

Cyrus broke into a smile and then into a laugh, peeling himself off of TJ and laughing so hard that tears were trickling down his cheeks.

“Whew, you really got me there,” he wheezed, flicking tears off his face with his thumb, “for a second I thought you said you liked me. This mountain air is making me hallucinate.”

TJ’s shoulders slumped, his happy demeanor long gone. “I’m serious, Cyrus,” he whimpered, allowing his fingers to trace the grooves on the picnic seat, “I like you. And I get it if you don’t like me, that’s…fine.” A lie. “But I don’t want things to change between us,”

Cyrus drew his brows up together, and offered a weak smile. “I-I kinda do want things to change between us,” he admitted, linking his hand with TJ’s. Cue the butterflies.

Error. TJ.exe has stopped functioning. “Wait–what?” he sputtered, his reddening cheeks a result of the crisp autumn air and the involuntary blush cause by being around Cyrus.

“Do I need to spell it out for you?” Cyrus balked, bringing his legs up onto the seat and crossing them, “I like you too, TJ. Have for a while, actually. I just..was worried you wouldn’t feel the same so I didn’t say anything. But hey, we’re here now.” His voice got softer as he spoke, and with each word, he inched closer to TJ until he could rest his chin on the blond boy’s shoulder.

“Yeah, we are here now,” he hummed in response, pulling out his phone from his pocket, “Carter Mason has no idea what he missed out on that night, but I don’t want you to have missed out on that, too. Care to dance?” He asked, turning on a slow-song playlist and offering his hand to Cyrus.

The shorter boy happily accepted, taking TJ’s hand and letting him guide them a few feet away from the picnic tables. Cyrus hands found themselves around TJ’s neck, and TJ slinked his hands around Cyrus’ waist. The boys swung softly from side to side, and according to Cyrus, TJ looked like an absolute angel when the golden sunlight hit him. His eyes sparkled like the night sky, and his smile was warmer than ever before.

“Thanks,” Cyrus mumbled, resting his head on TJ’s shoulder and taking in the scent of his cologne. Although it had been a pain in the ass to climb all the way up here, it was now definitely worth it, and he would do it all over again.

The song ended, fading into a new one and Cyrus picked his head up from his resting position, his eyes meeting with TJ’s. “Can I kiss you?” he practically begged, already leaning in towards the other boy’s lips.

“Please,” TJ managed, before he was swept away by the indescribable feeling of Cyrus’ lips on his. It was like the world was frozen and spinning out of control all at the same time. His lips buzzed in an unfamiliar fashion, but when he pulled away, he ached for that feeling again.

“Better than Carter Mason?” he joked, putting his chin on Cyrus’ head and pulling him into a hug.

“So much better,” Cyrus hummed happily. This was so much better than Carter Mason. So much better than sitting at home and watching movies. So much better than not saying anything.

This was perfect.

tag list: @shortstackofpeaches @seanna313 @geekingbeautytx @heavenlybyers @ghostswasp @wlwandimack @giocondasstuff @lemonboytyrus @adorejrizzle

[creepycreepyspacewizard]

“Rains smells so different in the city.” & kylux

Hux had booked this holiday six months ago on a whim, eager to spend an unexpected new years bonus on a treat for his boyfriend. They’d been together for two years now but Hux worked so much overtime that they’d never managed to take a vacation. They deserved a break. Well, he deserved a break and he deserved a chance to have Kylo all to himself away from his band for a week or two. 

When he’d been choosing the destination for their holiday he’d considered all the usual suspects- Mykonos, Ibiza, Grand Canaria- but the price and his own horribly pale skin had put him off. He was far too ginger for the beach, and at the age of 34 he was feeling far too old to be partying all night.

So Hux had settled on a nice walking holiday in the Peak District. It might be July but the English weather was always terrible, so he’d been expecting them to spend the whole two weeks huddled together in the cottage to escape the inevitable rain. 

Of course there’d be a fucking heat wave. Wasn’t that just Hux’ luck all over? 

It hadn’t rained since May; the countryside was alternately scorched yellow or literally on fire; Kylo had suddenly discovered a previously unrealised passion for hiking that had Hux trailing after him everyday for miles further than they intended; and to top it all off Hux had developed an allergy to sunscreen. The holiday was a disaster.

At least the cottage was far enough from the fires that the smoke was vague haze on the horizon rather than an actual threat, and Kylo gave great massages when they eventually made it back to their bed, but at the end of the first week Hux was still tired, sunburnt and sore in places he’d never even thought about before. 

So he sat at the end of their lovely soft bed, glaring at his hiking boots as if he could cause them to combust through hatred alone. Hux couldn’t bear the thought of putting anything on his aching feet, let alone the stiff heavy boots that were almost certainly half a size too small. The footwear however didn’t care about his discomfort and remained frustratingly unburnt.

“Hey, Hux? Are you ready yet?” 

The house was a quaint little two roomed building made of local stone. If Hux leaned a little to his left he could see straight from the bedroom doorway to the front door on the other side of the kitchen. Yet Kylo sounded oddly muffled for someone standing less than fifteen feet away. 

“You should come see this!” Kylo continued with amusement in his voice. “I think you’ll like it!”

Hux couldn’t think of anything he might like right now, unless it was a courier here to delivery a gallon of gin, but he stood up anyway. The cool stone floor was a relief to his blistered toes, and he couldn’t help groaning quietly in pleasure. 

“HUX! Come on!!” 

Maybe Kylo had found a previously hidden hot tub in the garden or something. 

As Hux made his way around the ancient kitchen table he caught a glimpse of Kylo standing on the path outside with his arms outstretched like some idiot in a pop music video. 

It was oddly dark outside. For a moment Hux felt panic rise in his throat. Was that smoke? What if the winds had changed enough to drive the fires towards them? 

He dashed across the room, bare feet slapping painfully on the flagstones until he was standing on the porch and his steps were suddenly arrested by the sensation of water between his toes. 

“Holy shit... It’s raining!” He whispered like speaking too loud would frighten away the clouds.

Kylo turned to him with a wide grin and his long hair plastered ridiculously around his face. “I hadn’t noticed.”

Hux would have snapped something catty back at that bit of sarcasm, but Kylo still had his arms stretched wide and the water was making his shirt cling deliciously to his muscles. They might have spent every night for the last two years together but Hux was never going to object to a free show. 

Without thinking Hux licked his lips at that lovely sight, which only made Kylo laugh and dart forward to pull him out into the downpour. 

Hux gasped as he was instantly drenched to the skin. The ground was still warm from weeks of baking in the sun making the rain more refreshing that freezing but it was still unexpected. 

Kylo took the chance of the unguarded moment to kiss Hux senseless. Chilly fingers sank into his hair and rain slick lips set his whole frame shaking. Hux was ready to drag him back to bed when Kylo turned and tried to lead him away from the house.

“Come on,” he said with a brighter grin than Hux had ever seen on his face before, “there’s a great view of the valley from the end of the road, we can sit on that big rock and watch the storm!”

There were a million and one objections Hux could have made to that, but his mouth choose to start with “but I don’t have any shoes on!”

Of course, that was no obstacle to a man who could bench press twice Hux’s bodyweight. Before Hux could say anything Kylo had lifted him by the back of his thighs and walked them both the huge flat boulder sitting at the end of the dirt path. 

“Wow.” It wasn’t eloquent but it was accurate. 

The Peaks opened up before them, a rocky rolling patchwork of rain and sunshine topped with a rainbow that looked so perfect it almost seemed like CGI. 

“Yeah,” Kylo agreed simply as he lowered Hux onto the rock and climbed up beside him. The gritty sandstone surface instantly made the backside of his shorts horribly uncomfortable, but the view was beautiful enough that Hux hardly noticed. 

“Rain smells so different in the city,” Kylo sighed happily, settling one of his damp but warm arms around Hux’ waist. “I never noticed before, but in the city it has a... chemical edge... all engine fumes and bitumen. Here it’s just... fresh I guess. Renewing. Green.”

Hux couldn’t help but snort at that. “I don’t think anything here has been green in weeks.”

“No, but it will be.” Kylo relaxed a little more, his wet hair resting against Hux’s own and sending little rivulets of tepid rain water running down his neck. “You know I haven’t been outside of a city in a decade? Except in vehicles, going from one gig to the next. It reminded me too much of home... no, not home, you’re my home, I mean it reminds me of being a kid. Deserts make me think of Luke, forests remind me of my uncle, and all those disappointing lakeside holidays that should have been with Leia and Han but always ended up being with nannies. The country was where I got sent when I was too much myself... I never thought I’d enjoy it here as much as I have done. I suppose its the company you keep that makes the difference.”

Kylo tightened his arm and turned his head just enough to press a kiss to Hux’ forehead. “Thank you for this...”

Hux swallowed around the sentimental lump that had developed in his throat when Kylo casually called him ‘his home’, but speech was still a little out of reach. Instead he twisted in Kylo’s arms to hug him in return.

The rain was already starting to slow, a maverick shower that couldn’t stand up for long against the summer sun, but around them everything shone with the promise of new growth. 

The only way this morning could be more perfect was if Hux could persuade Kylo to take him back to bed. With that aim in mind Hux leant up and kissed him.

Rainy Day Starters

[emionadventure-blog]

Ireland Part Two

I’m two weeks out from hopping on a plane to Korea with a one way ticket and hoping for the best. Cue freak-out now. I promise I have two blog posts coming about packing up my apartment and saying goodbye to the good ol’ U.S. of A coming up...but today I want to close my eyes and pretend I’m still on vacation.

So, picking up a little before our magical stay in an actual castle (see previous post), we actually went from Dunluce Castle/Carrick A Rede rope bridge and drove along the coast down into Republic of Ireland. And let me just say...that’s the easiest border crossing I’ve literally ever done. In that Rob just drove across. While I napped. The only indication that you have technically entered another country is that the road signs are all of a sudden in Gaelic and English.

Our next and final stop for the day was Slieve League, which are less famous (but honestly more picturesque) than Moher, but still worth a visit. Except we took a wrong turn and ended up at the trailhead for One Man’s Pass...which is definitely on my bucket list. It was, like most wrong turns and detours we took in Ireland, a very happy accident though. To get to the trailhead, you have to drive through this gate that makes you feel like you’re entering someone’s property and very quickly discover the gate is there to keep someone’s sheep in.

They are literally everywhere, and surrounded by sweeping, epic landscape that Ireland should really copyright at this point because it’s everywhere but never stops being amazing or exciting. We were the only people at the trailhead and spent over an hour just running around and playing with the camera and trying to get the sheep to approach us (they are not tame by any means and pretty shy) before we figured out we weren’t at Slieve League and hopped back in the car.

We got to the actual cliffs right at dusk and the Celtic gods must have been smiling down on us because once again, we were practically alone. Also, there were sheep everywhere here too, (honestly that will be a theme of this trip because I never got tired of seeing them) and they were pretty fearless...walking in the road, climbing onto cliff ledges to get to a particular plant...it was enough to give me vertigo just from watching.

That night we stayed in Donegal, which, after all of the natural beauty we had been seeing the past few days, really gave off a tourist trap vibe and was swarming with tour buses. We stayed at a hostel above a bar with a shared bathroom that had been a little bit falsely advertised and in the middle of the night woke up to a very loud one night stand happening in the room adjacent. Needless to say, it wasn’t a highlight of the trip, and the next day we didn’t bother sticking around very long.

We spent most of the day driving to get to the somewhat remote town that Tullaun castle was in, but took a detour (mostly at my begging) to see the burial site of the poet W. B. Yeats and the church his father was a deacon at. Rob had no idea who Yeats was or that he wrote anything but I am an unapologetic literature nerd and went as far to pick flowers to lay at his gravesite. We also took a second literary detour and stopped at Lough Gill, which is the site of the Lake Isle of Innisfree, about which Yeats wrote his famous poem with the same name.

We stopped at a convenience store and got a huge junk food hall, took the short hike in to where there’s a viewing area of the small island, and had a little picnic with the buzzing sounds of summer bugs and soft water lapping at stones serenaded us. It was so peaceful and beautiful, it erased the unpleasantness of the night before and, after reciting the poem of course, we headed on to the castle. 

The next morning we got a late start because honestly we really didn’t want to leave and ended up at the cliffs of Moher around 12:30-1:00 and, rather unsurprisingly, it was absolutely swarming with tour buses and shoebies. 

Thankfully most of the crowds stayed within the fenced in area and we ventured beyond that which made the trip completely worth it. If you don’t have kids or a fear of heights, I highly recommend taking the extra walk. The further we got along the cliff’s edge, the less crowded it became. It was actually really beautiful, but it we didn’t take a ton of video here, so it doesn’t make it into the YouTube video. 

We spent about an hour here and then drove to the Dingle peninsula. Our plan was to check in to our AirBnB, get dinner somewhere, and then find a cool spot to take pictures of the sunset. It took us a little longer than normal because we stopped a couple times to take pictures of the random graveyards and ruins that are apparently just scattered around Ireland in people’s back yards.

I know it makes us typical tourists but everything in Ireland is so beautiful, you really can’t help yourself. 

We arrived at our AirBnB, which ended up being an in-law apartment attached to someone’s house in the actual middle of nowhere. (not to mention we were still coming down from the high of staying at the castle). So we dropped our bags and checked the map for the fastest path into the actual town of Dingle.

The map highlighted a road that went pretty much straight there and we innocently got into the car and headed to dinner. This road was Conor’s Pass, and the second happy accident we encountered and maybe my favorite part of the entire trip. Conor’s pass is a winding road that takes you up and across an actual mountain to get to the coastal town of Dingle. It was technically a two-lane road, but super narrow, even by Irish standards. There was cliff-face on one side and cliff drop-off on the other, with no guard rail or protection from the edge except for sheep fences and the occasional low rock wall, which meant the views were absolutely the most spectacular thing I saw during the entire time we were in Ireland. 

As we drove, it just kept getting better and better, and the radio was playing this beautiful, lilting Irish music and the air was cool and crisp and hit you in the face and made your lungs expand to accommodate it and everything was so lush it almost looked fake. We were giggling like little kids as we drove through and once we got to Dingle and had dinner, we decided to say screw the sunset and go play around on Conor’s Pass a little bit more. Which is not to say that Dingle wasn’t the quaintest little town ever. If I was planning a trip to Ireland again, I would stay there instead of the beachside AirBnB.

After dinner at a local pub, we drove back through the pass, stopping at the overlook to the pictures. It was so loud up there because of the wind that we literally could not hear what the other person was saying. Someone at the pub had given us a tip to stop at a pull-off about halfway down and climb up to the top. It was around dusk when we got there, and there wasn’t exactly stone steps leading the way up. If you watch the YouTube video, you can see me clambering up these giant boulders in a skirt and sandals. But, guys. When we got to the top what we saw took our breath away. There was a basin of cool mountain water, surrounded on three sided by steep cliff face in the grey-purple stone color that seems to be all over Ireland.

There was a mist hanging low so we couldn’t see the top of the cliff face, making it seem like God himself was hovering above the basin in a mystical cloud. Every whisper echoed back at us from the cliffs inside the cloud.

The pool itself was in a depression of what seemed like solid stone that shifted colors from grey to green to orange and the water was so clear and still it was almost like a mirror. I absolutely took my shoes off and waded in and it was ice-cold, but not in a biting way. It woke me up and made me feel healthy and rejuvenated. If there was ever a place in our entire trip that made me believe that magic was real, it was Conor’s pass.

The next stop on the following day was Dursey Island cable car, which I had just read about online and thought sounded cool. We arrived right as it opened and had the trip over pretty much to ourselves. This is another one of those things that, if you’re afraid of heights, might not be your cup of tea.

The cable car itself is pretty small and rickety, and we could see the ocean through the floorboards and it creaked across the divide. There are actual residents of the island, and you can walk into the tiny little town (we’re talking like, five buildings small), but Rob and I took a path that lead up across the high ridge of the island and chased around some sheep. And by chased I mean we approached slowly and sat still for long periods of time to get pictures. No sheep were harmed in the making of this blog post.

After Dursey, we headed into Cork. And here’s the thing...the natural countryside of Ireland is probably the closest to heaven a person can get without actually dying and ascending themselves. So the cities really don’t have a huge chance when compared to that. What I will say about Cork is that it’s super quirky and seems to have a pretty big music scene and nightlife, so if that’s your cup of tea definitely make a stop. 

Our final destination was Dublin, but we need to detour from our story to talk about Newgrange.

Newgrange monument is a neolithic archeological site that is mostly original and probably the closest experience we can get to experiencing “prehistoric man”. It’s right on the cusp. We were here midday and there were definitely people around, but it was mostly older Irish and British tourists and everyone was speaking in kind of hushed tones for some reason, so it still felt peaceful and special. 

The monument itself is on a giant hill so you have great views of the countryside on all sides. There’s a giant carved stone at the entrance of the mound, which is original and a lot cooler than it sounds.

Just behind that is the entrance to the mound, but you can’t take pictures or film inside. Going inside was actually super cool. The walls have original carvings on them and the tour guides (who you cannot enter without) are really good at briefly explaining how and why the mound was used and pointing out different points of interest that the untrained eye might miss. They also shut the lights off at one point to demonstrate how the entrance was engineered to allow light in. 

The entrance hallway is super low and narrow, as seen in this illegal picture snapped by my husband, the rebel. I’m 5′2 and 125 pounds and I was ducking and turning sideways at parts, so if you’re claustrophobic...just be aware.

Our final stop of the Most Epic Irish Road Trip was Dublin. We spent the most time here out of any city in Ireland and it was only like two full days, so we tried to cram as much in as possible.

We did the tour of the Guinness factory, where I tried my very first Guinness ever and practiced pouring one while I fought panic as a large group of strangers watched my every mistake.

We went to Trinity college where I got to check a huge thing off my literary nerd bucket list and visit the Long Room library and see the Book of Kells (no photos allowed), which was amazing, although if you want a more up-close experience with illuminated texts where you can actually take pictures I HIGHLY recommend the Chester Beatty Library.

We toured St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which was gorgeous and chock full of cool history and anecdotes around every corner (like the fact that Jonathan Swift wrote and preached a sermon there about the evils of napping in church).

We went to the National Museum of Ireland which was way cooler than we expected because the entire thing is devoted to Irish history from the neolithic period onward. They have more examples of the circular stone carvings like the one was saw at Newgrange, jewelry design from that time period, actual clothing preserved from bogs and, of course, bog bodies, which were like a trainwreck you can’t stop watching but also a revered experience combined into one.

And thus ended our journey! Ireland hides a lot of hidden treasures that even I, someone who has always wanted to visit, wasn’t expecting. The people are warm, friendly, and always smiling. The food was WAY better than any food channel gives them credit for, and it’s low-key probably one of the most consistently beautiful places on earth. I feel so lucky to have had the ability and opportunity to go here, and it definitely isn't my last time.

And of course, what would a trip to one of the world’s literature capitals be without a trip to a bookstore!

Ulysses rare and used books is something I could have dreamed up out of my imagination and if you are book-lover and have a LOT of money to drop, a book from here is really the only souvenir you need.

For more footage on all of the amazing places we visited, as well as some I didn’t talk about here make sure to check out my newest YouTube video, and for more pictures of our incredible trip check out my instagram! Links to both in bio.

Until the next adventure...

Emi

[bryonysimcox]

Wetlands, Dunes, Snow and Sun: Week 3, France/Spain

George, Suzi the van and I have had a jam-packed seven days. Now across the Spanish border, I look back at the diverse landscapes we’ve traversed and the things we’ve been up to.

It’s amazing what you can squeeze into a week when you’re in a van. The freedom afforded by having a home on wheels means that you pass through so many different landscapes in what is often a short amount of time, and this last week has really been a testament to that. From natural to man-made, cold to hot, coastal to mountainous, our surroundings have provided endless new things to see and do. That said, we’re still learning to balance working and doing life admin with exploring, and at times it’s hard to resist the temptation just to spend every day out and about, carefree.

We’ve found that splitting days up so that a portion is spent editing videos and doing ‘housework’ still often means we get time to go and do something fun, whether that be wandering a city, chilling at a cafe, going for a hike or even a swim.

Going through the Pyrenees was definitely a highlight for the two of us this week. It was also symbolic because it marked our crossing into another country, our first since leaving England and hopefully one of many.

That experience of driving across the mountains really got me thinking about borders and how different places transition into one another. We think of different countries such as France and Spain as distinct by the very fact that they’re different countries. And yet, what we observed was an incremental change between major cities, to towns, and then villages at the foot of the mountains - which was mirrored over the border. A border which when crossing it, seems so arbitrary. The French and Spanish villages in the Pyrenees have far more in common with one another than they do with the capital cities of their own countries!

(images) Snowy scenes from Col du Portalet in the Pyrenees.

An overland trip like this couldn’t be more different from a traditional holiday where you fly in and out of the same place, for the very reason that overlanding reveals borders and in-between places, and nuances and incremental changes within a country.

I’m really starting to have to consciously keep tabs of what we’ve been up to in order to write these blog posts. Analysis and list-making have always been my thing, but I sort of combine digital discipline with analogue chaos! So I have a Google MyMaps document where I pin each overnight location we stay at; I add pins to our Polarsteps page in each of the interesting places we visit; I upload photos to both my personal account and our shared account Broaden; I keep my own personal handwritten diary; plus I have a notebook scribbled with lists and bullet points too! So these blog posts are my own way of pulling all those inputs together. Writing a blog has also become a cathartic process for me to review the (sometimes overwhelming) influx of things we’ve seen and done, and to dig deeper into how those experiences made us feel.

Reflection enriches experiences.

The week started with a final day in the town of Coutras, as I reflected on in last week’s blog post. Coutras was the ideal place to head into Bordeaux from, as it was less than an hour’s drive away. So we got up nice and early (for once!), with a packed lunch and cameras charged, and drove into Bordeaux. The parking gods smiled down on us that day, as we found a free all-day parking spot in a nice neighbourhood just 30 minutes walk from the city centre. It was also gloriously sunny, which was perfect for what we had planned: filming an introductory video to our documentary channel, Broaden.

Once in Bordeaux, I was really impressed by how much cycling and walking infrastructure there was, and how integrated it seemed to be with public transport. With cars diverted along key routes, streets were generally left feeling spacious and peaceful (at least compared with the UK and Australia), and especially along the waterfront which featured wildflower planting, a wide promenade, and grassy tram track. People sat outside cafes and on benches, other folk walked, jogged and sprinted, others pushed pushchairs, and some rollerbladed and skateboarded too. As Jane Jacobs would call it, the “sidewalk ballet” was on display.

We were really taken by Bordeaux, and happy to have chosen it as the setting for our next video. I’m even getting used to walking around cities with a tripod and big camera bag!

(images, left to right) Grassy tram tracks in Bordeaux, George filming our latest video, and the Glosse Cloche, a 7.75-ton 18th-century bell within Bordeaux’s old city walls.

Filled up with coffee, cake, and cannelés (a local sweet treat), we were happy with the footage we’d shot and said goodbye to Bordeaux. The city’s chilled-out and welcoming vibe did slightly change as we walked back to the van, however. It’s not as though anything explicit happened, but we emerged from the bubble of the central tourist area and were confronted by busier streets with homeless people and rowdy crowds - subtle things which make you scurry along quicker or keep an eye on your belongings. It reminded me that we only ever see a fraction of a place and make our assumptions about it biased by things like the weather and our first experience of it. Perhaps Bordeaux has its darker sides and downsides too…

On the drive out of Bordeaux, we found a service station with free water refills and even free hot showers! We found it via Park4Night, an online community and a resource we literally couldn’t live without. It still feels a bit weird taking free stuff from places, but given that the infrastructure is there, I have to remind myself that attitudes towards campers and caravanners in mainland Europe are different and more welcoming than I’m used to.

Using Park4Night again, we found a spot to stay overnight in La Teich. I didn’t know much about the place, and must admit we didn’t feel completely comfortable as we arrived there in the dark. But our fears were eliminated the next day as the sun rose and we discovered we were basically in the middle of a picturesque nature reserve! We spent the day in Suzi, and I wrote my blog post (I was a bit behind last week) while George edited his mammoth documentary about the Mont Blanc ultramarathon. It was only in the evening when we went for a walk that we realised the scale and beauty of the coastal wetlands that we had parked next to.

(images) Incredible views as we wandered the wetlands of the Réserve Ornithologique Du Teich.

As the sun set over the wetlands, we wandered along sandy paths with grassy embankments, accompanied by the sights and sounds of abundant wildlife - made all the more breathtaking because it was so unexpected.

The next day, after a morning of life admin we visited the Dune du Pilat. I think we both thought that we’d just park up on the side of a road and see a big sand dune next to us, but it was a lot more of a tourist destination than we expected! That said, Europe’s tallest sand dune didn’t disappoint, and at 100m tall and 500m wide, it pretty much came with a free workout just getting up the damn thing. Vast, scaleless, shifting shapes of sand continued as far as the eye could see, stretching up towards the sky and sloping down towards the ocean. Of course, I was desperate for another swim and even convinced George to come in for a sea dip.

(images, left to right) The Dune du Pilat, and an ocean swim in the Bay of Biscay at the bottom of the dune.

Refreshed by an ocean swim and a sandy workout, we drove for two hours southbound, and stayed the night in Pomarez. With free water and electrical hookup, it made for a good spot to do more work, though we were a bit conflicted by the fact we were parked next to the ‘Arena’, basically a bull-fighting ring (shocking that this tradition still continues). That said, the presence of bullfighting in this nondescript French village was a good indication that we were near the Spanish border, and we were pretty excited to be travelling onwards into Spain, a country both George and I are really fond of.

We left Pomarez and got to the Pyrenees that night as the light faded. We were both really keen for doing a big hike and so I’d found a 20km loop track online that started near the village of Gabas. However, once there, the access road was closed off due to risk of avalanches so we continued on to Lac du Fabrèges - a slightly less secluded spot than we’d wanted but still a stunning setting next to a huge man-made lake. What’s more, we were surrounded by snow-capped mountains which got George rather excited, especially as we’d aborted our trip to the Alps a fortnight before.

The next morning I got my third wild swim of the trip in the bag, and possibly my most stunning setting to date: icy turquoise waters framed by craggy mountains and snow off in the distance.

(image) An icy wild swim at Lac du Fabrèges.

We passed through Col du Portalet, a ski village on the French-Spanish border where we’d seen there were some walks online. During the ascent, we realised we’d been somewhat naive about the amount of snow there might be - once we got to the top our entire surroundings were blanketed in snow and everyone else in the carpark was putting on skis or cramp-ons! So instead, we visited the duty-free shop and bagged some cheap, cheap wine, before heading down the Spanish side of the mountain and on the hunt for a hike.

The hike we eventually found was exactly what we were looking for. Starting from the town of Escarillas, the steep ascent took us along a rocky path up the side of a valley, at times through wooded patches and other times opening out to vast vistas of the surrounding peaks. We only saw a handful of other walkers and it felt like such an honour to have this majestic setting all to ourselves. Nearing the top, we saw that beyond the lake there was a considerable amount of snow and the path was no longer distinguishable, and although excited by the thought of charging ahead up a snowy mountain, we decided instead to walk the perimeter of the frozen lake before heading back down the way we came.

(images) Our hike from Escarrilla up to Embalse de Escarra.

All in all, it was a brilliant 13km walk, though we were certainly over-prepared in terms of clothing, and didn’t touch the extra jackets, waterproofs and even headtorches that we carried in our bags! In fact, it was so warm for February that the weather felt rather alarming, and it confirmed what we’d seen and heard: we’d seen plenty of ski lifts closed and ski runs with no snow, and been told that climate change is noticeable in the region through this mild winter.

There’s no doubt we’ll continue to see the effects of climate change on our travels. As we observe unusually high temperatures here in Spain whilst watching flooding in Hebden Bridge back home from afar, it’s hard to come to terms with the idea that freak weather events will only continue. I only hope that we can find people and initiatives looking to tackle them, who we can support and celebrate through videography.

Sunday night saw us leave the Pyrnees and head south. Suzi struggled up the highway towards Huesca, which was undoubtedly the longest continuous incline we’ve taken her up. It reaffirmed the importance of getting her engine looked at, and so finding a garage in Spain is now a key priority.

Once in Huesca, we rounded the week off with a really relaxed day in this charming town. The sun was shining, the doors of the van were flung open, and we even befriended another van-dweller, a lovely Scotsman called Dominic and his affectionate Labrador, Bolacha (that’s ‘biscuit’ in Portuguese!). George got some more editing done, whilst I polished our boots, cleaned the van, and even made a collage.

(image) ‘Double Gaze’, my latest collage for Analogue Bryony and the first created in the van.

With one eye on the mountains to the north, and one eye to the rest of Spain to the south, bursting with adventures yet to be had, I am so very grateful.

[topiom]

Woman Dumped Boyfriend And Quit Job To Travel Across US In Van With Her Dog

Divine On The Road/Instagram

A 24-year-old woman decided to live her best life after breaking up with her boyfriend, so she ditched the 9-5, bought a van and now travels the US with her beloved dog. 

Sydney Ferbrache, from Indianapolis, Indiana, was inspired to start her new life after seeing a picture of another girl travelling in a van.

Rather than living with envy, the young woman decided to do something about it, and asked her boyfriend at the time to join her on an adventure.

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It was honestly one of those places that no matter how many photos you take, it just doesn’t look the same. If you ever have the chance to see the Grand Canyon, I really recommend going and hanging out for a couple days. Free campsites only a few minutes from the park too.

We’ve seen so much on this adventure but 200 miles of this view? Nothing has compared to it. Hiked for hours and my legs will never feel the same

Every day so thankful for this journey. PS: Edgar and I are finally both back in San Diego after weeks of being on opposite sides of the country!

A post shared by Sydney Ferbrache (@divineontheroad) on Apr 10, 2018 at 9:40am PDT

The couple were working ’70 to 80 hours a week’, with Sydney telling INSIDER they were both ‘totally miserable’, so they purchased an $18,000 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and spent thousands of dollars to make it fit for travelling.

She explained:

I saw this picture and it took me down this black tunnel hole of van life. I was scrolling for hours a day on my laptop and in between homework and everything else, just looking at vans.

We bought one, had it shipped to Indianapolis, and that was the start of how I discovered van life.

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If life has taught me anything over the years, it’s that rarely does anything go as you plan or how you hope.. And sometimes it will go completely off course. Living in this beautiful home with the person I shared it with was one of the greatest adventures I could have ever asked for. That said.. This summer I’ll be building out another van alone and learning a completely different kind of adventure. Excited for the process and super nervous for what’s to come. But ready to take on whatever that’s going to look like. PS. The biggest thank you ever to everyone who has reached out. This community always blows me away.

A post shared by Sydney Ferbrache (@divineontheroad) on Jun 16, 2018 at 6:59am PDT

Sydney and her boyfriend hit the road in September 2017, but the 24-year-old soon realised her partner wasn’t ‘the one’. The keen traveller wanted to ‘reach for the stars’, so she decided to go it alone.

The Indiana native decided to start afresh, and let her ex keep the van. Sydney then worked three jobs, as well as a ‘ton of side gigs,’ for two months in order to save up for transport of her very own.

By May 2018, Sydney had saved enough to purchase a $24,000 Ford Transit van. She renovated it, adding a full kitchen, a king-size bed and a toilet, and got ready to hit the road.

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It’s been awhile since I shared an update! Honestly I’m just never sure what to show you because this is what the van looks like 99% of the time during a build… Hectic and kind of a mess. Stuff everywhere and small details taking up so much time that you can’t really tell all the work going into it. But we’re getting there. Things are being done and hitting the road can’t come soon enough. But in the meantime, did you see the best part of it all?!

My little van babe will be joining me next week!

A post shared by Sydney Ferbrache (@divineontheroad) on Aug 30, 2018 at 7:39am PDT

Just before she set off, however, she decided she needed one more thing to make her setup complete – a golden retriever puppy, named Ella.

The 24-year-old began her adventure earlier this year and has since travelled to 20 different states, including Montana, Utah, Arizona, California and Oregon, as well as Quebec in Canada.

She funds her travels through advertising and affiliate marketing on her website, and by helping people design their own blogs. Sydney shares her adventures through a podcast and on her Instagram page, Divine On The Road.

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Spent the last few days with basically no service hanging out at Yellowstone and then Grand Teton. It totally surpassed my expectations and the drive down to Salt Lake City was probably my favorite drive of all time. We only left because I needed to catch up on laundry, showers, and work but I’m already thinking of going back before it gets too cold! I think Grand Teton has got to be my new favorite park. I could’ve stayed there for weeks. I’ve also been amazed at how well this girl does with traveling. She LOVES everyone and is almost always the start to every conversation I’ve had. Anyways, what’s your favorite national park?! I’m curious if I should go to any more before heading west to San Diego.

Oh! Also I’ve been getting some questions about the free campsites I stay at and I always put every single campsite on my website! So you can find any of them there whenever you need em.

A post shared by Sydney Ferbrache (@divineontheroad) on Oct 2, 2018 at 7:44am PDT

Recalling her first few days on the road, Sydney said:

It was the most freeing. I truly felt like such a bad*ss. I made this happen, I cannot believe I actually made this happen.

It was such a cool feeling of ‘I’m driving my home around the country.’

The traveller returns home to in Indiana every few months to see her family and spend some time with her two-year-old nephew, but she has no plans to quit her new-found way of life any time soon.

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This morning we went for a long walk through the neighborhood I grew up in. We walked down the court where I played kick ball with all the other kids, showed Ella the trailhead that leads to my secret hideout, and passed the park where I kissed my first love. My whole life I was so desperate to leave this place. I wanted to escape so badly and would dream of all the places I’d get to explore some day. But it’s funny now that I get to do exactly what I always dreamed of, I drive thousands of miles across the country to get back here. To see the place I deemed mundane and boring. To type this from the kitchen table where I ate breakfast every day before school and had to endure way too many “family talks”. Traveling for me is exciting, intoxicating, and constantly teaches me new things that I would probably never learn otherwise. But being home is familiar, comforting, and re-teaches me all the things I’ve already known but forgot somewhere along the way. – So many of us are desperate to escape. To get out there and leave it all behind. But I wish I would’ve seen this place for what it was all along. Don’t be like me and wait until you return to find the magic where you are now. There’s a kind of beauty in the boring that you won’t find in the excitement.

A post shared by Sydney Ferbrache (@divineontheroad) on Jun 5, 2019 at 7:56am PDT

Sydney hopes to make it to Alaska by spring 2020, and plans to visit Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia along the way.

She expressed her love of being on the road, saying:

I’ve never woken up once in the last year and not felt like this isn’t exactly what I should be doing. I don’t foresee anywhere in the near future where I want to stop, but I also don’t want to hold myself to this idea that I have to be on the road.

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Someone recently messaged me, “less dog, more van” and I’ve actually thought a lot about that lately. Not the comment but the concept. I’m supposed to be all van and van life and van builds. But the truth is that this van is merely my home and transportation. If it went away tomorrow, I’d be devastated but I would be okay. Sometimes I like thinking about if the van and this lifestyle wasn’t here, what would I be doing? But if Ella went away tomorrow… now that’s something I don’t even let cross my mind. My van is my home but my dog is my life. One gets me from point A to point B, but the other quite literally is my other half. I don’t mind sharing more van, but never ever expect less dog. In this photo, I hardly see past her. I watch Ella watching everything else. She’s my favorite view and the vans got nothing on her. _ In other news, the podcast is still in the works and I’m so sorry for the delay! It’s been submitted and I’m simply waiting on approval now from the various platforms. Still so excited to share all things van AND dog in this really fun, new way.

A post shared by Sydney Ferbrache (@divineontheroad) on Jul 18, 2019 at 8:04am PDT

Sydney went on to encourage other women to follow in her footsteps, adding:

I really believe society has instilled in us that we should be fearful of the world and that we should have a man by our side to see things. We are taught to be scared, we don’t feel that way innately.

I like to prove in the way I do things that that’s not how we have to live our lives.

With Ella for company and the whole world ahead of her, Sydney has certainly chosen an amazing path.

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via story@unilad.com

This content was originally published here.

[lerrengwesten]

The Peninsula, Chapter 5

No warnings, just a bunch of chatter.

I may go into detail someday on the Tanonuim’s basises. Because they’re a very intriguing sort of coasters and it’ll clear up why I made them the way they are (may do the same for the Fsemacea as well)

It had been a few days of largely uneventful wandering, followed by quite a few more of seemingly endless climbing, up and down and up again, along seemingly infinite switchbacks of stone stairs as they crossed the mountains into the heart of the Woodlands. At first, Teltra had shrugged off this choice.  He assumed they didn’t know or wanted to play it safe.  But after seeing numerous dark brownish forms race through the patchy woods on the mountainsides, he was growing increasingly agitated from frustration with their choices.  

“Why are you taking the path for the spirits?  You know, we don’t have to do all this back and forth nonsense, we can just climb straight up some of these sections.  It’s how everyone else gets in and out of here, or at least it’s what I did.”

“This is as Kitiru commanded.”

“Kitiru?  Who the hell is Kitiru?”

“Controls where we are headed"

“Heh, clearly doesn’t know much about the Woodlands, does he?”

“This way is most secure.”

“I’ve honestly never heard of anyone getting hurt entering or leaving by climbing.  And it’s far faster, you know.”

“We cannot risk harm.”

“What if someone’s following you two?  Wouldn’t taking a faster route be safer then?”

Velvetsi butted in

“You are becoming irritating.”

Teltra paused a moment, thought to himself, and sighed.  It was such a minor thing, but he still felt so guilty about it because others had been just as demanding and insistent to him and he remembered how much he always resented it.  How they always ducked around his arguments and cut off his ideas.  It felt… belittling to him and he hated being treated as such a fool by everyone.  

“Sorry about that.  I don’t know what’s getting into me.  I’m just… getting frustrated by how we’re taking such a pointlessly long route and not really going anywhere fast.  I’m used to travel being quick and it’s just… so aggravating with the scenery stalling around me and seeing the same things for hours at a time….. and I just can’t stand it!”

It was a lie, though.  Or at least a withholding of the truth.  He was exhausted by his surroundings, but he was also just impatient to see the Woodlands.  A part of him dreaded it, but a larger part egged him on, demanding to satisfy its morbid curiosity.  He feared what he may find, but he wanted to know.  Having gotten this opportunity to learn about his homeland, the desire to see what had become of it had been growing in his mind.

“Still, I’ve never heard of anyone having any trouble climbing rather than taking the stairs.  Maybe you Fsemacea are different, but we Lteiasecl live in much hillier terrain and do a fair amount of climbing around.  We may have a lot of issues, but the only thing that’s honestly happened when we’ve done this is getting stuck at times.  Nobody’s actually fallen for decades, all creatures had to be built to be able to hold on if they did get stuck.  Because of some horrible accident ages ago.  Or at least that’s what Dagnakki claimed an old fellow in the Woodlands said.  Besides, I’m getting tired because the spirits are just fluttering away because we’re slugging along and boring them and walking’s getting harder by the minute.”

Vlevetsi turned to Loreaft, shaking her head slowly in disapproval, but the other Fsemacea just shrugged.  She cautiously touched a paw off the path, took a few steps, and shrugged again at her.  

“Feels secure.”

Vlevetsi followed her, her steps even more unsure, but after a few she tensed up with confidence.  Teltra grinned at the two, said nothing, and led the way.  

——– They moved at a faster pace, but it still took hours to cross the range.  They had stopped for the night in a patch of trees towards the base of one of the mounts, and hiked all the next day as well, finally reaching the valley of the Woodlands at sunset that day.  

Something was… unusual, though.  It had struck him as odd that only a few spirits continued to tag around the three of them somewhere around midday.  Yet there had been far more earlier on the trail.  Had he taken a wrong turn?  This was the path he had vaguely remembered taking when he ran, had his memory failed him?

He had, literally and figuratively, brushed aside the shrubbery growing over the later stretch of the path, but it was becoming harder to ignore.  As night fell, the reassuring glow of passing spirits was entirely gone, the foliage was too much for them to pass through.   The three were only fueled by the fervor of the night and the drive to get to Kitiru, and in Teltra’s case, see what had become of this place.  They were also pushed on by a growing fear of not reaching a more accessible area before midnight and passing out somewhere where they wouldn’t be able to get up in he morning.  

As they went deeper into the woods, visibility became worse and worse.  They felt swallowed.  All the two Fsemacea could do was wearily follow the singular light left flitting around Teltra as quickly as they could along the winding path.  Perhaps the felt the terrain lower a bit.  They really weren’t sure.  Teltra would nervously glance around for a familiar boulder, a stump where he remembered there being an unusual tree once, a unique maneuver of the path, anything remotely recognizable to get him closer to the heart of the Woodlands.

“Are we not misguided?”

“Lost?”

“No, I don’t think so.  I know I’ve been through here before, just not at night like this.  I thought this was the main way into the place, but I guess…. they must have found a new one or something.  I don’t know, it’s been like a decade since I last went in here.  

Vlevetsi was silent and very still.  As would every Fsemacea when not talking.  But Loreaft seemed to detect that something was wrong with her.  She followed her gaze down the dip in the earth ahead of them.  There stood a short, scraggly figure with crooked limbs and three horns.  Loreafts breathing suddenly became heavy, and she turned and ran, Vlevetsi following.  But Teltra was still.  The figure wasn’t facing them, in fact, it seemed unaware that they were even there, as it began to bend down and peer through some bushes.  He snuck up closer to it, and looking to have a little fun, poked it in the shoulder to watch it jump.

“DEAR ARCHER IN THE SKY, DON’T HURT ME,  I SWEAR I’M NOT A BAD GUY-”

They sighed in relief, seeing that Teltra was just giggling at them.  

“Oh man, I though one of the…. Tanonuim had finally caught me.”

“Oh, no, I’m definitely not one of those…I don’t think so at least.  Well, I’ve never even heard the term before at least.”

“BAHAHA, you ask, what’s a Tanonuim?  You really don’t know?  Come on, they’re not that new of a thing.  Six years and it hasn’t come down the grapevine to you yet?  You haven’t noticed any of your muddy buddies vanishing and being replaced by something suspiciously familiar?”

“I haven’t been here in ten, closer to eleven years, mate.”

“Oh boy, you came to just the right guy to fill you in. See, I love watching the big guys in the Woodlands here.  Always bickering and fighting and full of such amusing drama.  It’s morally dubious getting  my amusement from their pain, but they’re certainly entertaining.  So then one day this one big guy looked like he was gonna die, but no, he just sits there for like a year or so and when he wakes up, he’s a totally different thing-”

“Uh, sorry I need to go check on my.. traveling companions.  You’re not… one of those Atochengra blokes are you?”

“What, me?  Hell no.  My Far Spirit’s in the middle of nowhere and I’m about as scared of Fsemacea coming in as I am becoming a Tanonuim myself.  I mean, they creep me out a little with those stone faces, but there’s no point in me hurting them.  As I said before, I might be something of a creep when it comes to the Tanonuim, but I’m not malicious, just along for the ride-

"Oh, good, I’ll go.. retrieve them, hopefully they haven’t shut down yet.”

He rushed back to where he came from, calling out to the two.  They were hiding in a dense thicket and jolted when they heard him approach.

“Hey, that guy’s not a threat.  Says they won’t hurt you.  Maybe they’ll lead us to a busier spot.”

Loreaft cautiously crept out.  Vlevetsi halted and stared, but begrudgingly followed her out.

“I see you found your company, haven’t you?  So, shall I continue?”

“No, no, it’s getting late and we don’t have much time left, is there a place around here that’s.. busier?  We got lost or something and I haven’t seen lights in ages and I’m so tired.”

“Yeah, that’s because this is the old entrance.  Only ones who use it anymore are the guys I like to watch.  I’ll spare the details for now but it’s because they’re not taken kindly by the other fellas in the Woodlands.  But I’ll take you to a spot where there’s usually a bit more of a crowd.  Not many creatures, but lots of confused spirits looking for one that used to frequent that area.”

They followed them a short distance to a sudden large lake.  A nub og land poked out into it, where the lights of several dozen visitors flickered as they gawked at a large dormant form.

“That’s- was, Nsteamarek.  Now recently renamed to Vtegnaselecene.  Don’t mind her, she can’t move a muscle until she reawakens next spring.   I suppose you could call her a Tanonuim, but I suppose she’s also not totally one until she’s fully together and up and moving.”

The four laid down around the figure, a bit puzzled by how the full moon was so high in the sky, but that they weren’t nodding off yet.  

“I’ve heard that name before, Nsteamarek.  Did she ever know a Dagnakki?”

“Mmhm, she was reportedly in correspondence with them.  She was one of the most interesting to watch before she… was changed.  Not one to really start shit herself over little things like others in the Woodlands, but almost like me in that she constantly investigated and wrote things down.  Particularly preoccupied by circles, history, and the the lifespans of various creatures.  Had an old tree stump where she marked out major events, dead creatures’ creation and destruction times and such on a continuous spiral.  Lonely one, she was.  Never got much attention from the passing spirits because she was so.. uninteresting and pretty abrasive, and usually pretty exhausted because she was weak from the lack of their power, but she seemed happy enough recording things on the stump.”

“Ah, yes, Dagna did mention how they admired her organization but got so frustrated by how little information she had since she wanted legitimate information, not just rumors like them.  I think they mentioned sending her destruction rumors when they got wind of them because they thought it was funny to see her get frustrated by always getting that crap from them.  And then proving her wrong afterwards when the occasional one was right.”

“Yes, that’s how other creatures of her kind could be.  They’re aware of the shoddy choices that led to their own mediocre to miserable existences and focus on ensuring that their own actions don’t go down that path.  It’s kept some of them under control at least… but not others.  Though I fear with how the Raven and the Mountain Grub have gone around modifying even the slightly unruly Woodlanders for the Banenhaxers that they’ll start seeing that as a way out and lose that mindset.  

"Oh, say, what is a Tanonuim anyways?  Since you didn’t ge to it earlier.”

“They are…. a wonderful and horrifying thing.  Seeing one certainly gives you chills of terror and amazement.  Some Far Spirit takes their  some old, unpopular, unloved bloke.  Someone nobody would miss and not even their Far Spirit cares for them anymore.  All they really need is to be in decent physical shape.  And that’s when the Grub and the Raven do their worst on them.  Raven plans it out, Grubby actually orchestrates it.  Then they’re ripped apart and reshaped and just… altered until they’re hardly the same creature anymore.  Turned into some uncanny hybrid of a typical Woodlander and one of the outsiders.  Usually they’ll sprout red or otherwise bright markings and go grey in big patches.  Can be pretty, but usually they’re pretty hideous with the muddy brown and grey smashed together.  And then they wake up in that new body, and you can tell they’re the same creature deep within, but they often hardly act like or resemble who they once were.”

“So, what kind of changes are we talking about?”

“The angles grow sharper, horns sprout from their heads, usually they grow a bit, or a solid four feet in Nstea’s case.  And they go from sluggish and tired and cranky all the time to these buckets of nutso joy and endless praise for the spirits that changed them.  Do understand, many of the creatures would have simply been killed if not for those two.  They’ll skip around, behave as the outsiders do, perform gymnastics, but most of all skip around.  It’s something all of them do.  They go from charging or walking to…. prancing everywhere for whatever reason.  Even now that the the spirits behind them have begun making their own creatures from the ground up, they also skip like that.  Technically, all creatures made or all altered by the Raven and the Grub are considered Tanonuim, but the colloquial meaning of that term usually refers to those who were not created as Tanonuim but became them later in life”

Teltra was silent.  He wasn’t entirely sure what to think.The other creature turned and smiled at him.

“You want more stuff on them? Too bad, you’re getting it anyways.  Basically, the reason why I hang around this back entrance is because none of them use the newer entrances.  Mix of their old habits dying hard since they’re all older than they think and feel, and kind of being chased back here by the others.  See, the visitors love them.  Especially the Ehtstunisas.  And I think the Far Spirits do to, there’s certainly enough cropping up that I have to imagine they’re doing well for them.  But the other Woodlanders?  They want them out of here.  Because they’re not 100% Woodlander anymore, they’re more like 70%, maybe less.  And they don’t really act like them either.  And they feel threatened by them like the Atochengra guys do, since they’re absolutely batshit for their beloved Grubby and a good number of them love running around preaching about how great it is to be an Tanonuim and how outdated and dumb all the regular Woodlanders are and they ought to become Tanonuim too, even if they’re practically babies and loved and adored.  They’ll go up to even the more popular guys and whispers seeds of doubt to them.  That their Far Spirit could use a Tanonium to complete their collection and even if they are historical, they’re not the MOST historical and if Sollussco and the River Nyoccel became one of them, so could they.  That they’d be so much lower maintenance and be young again.  And I understand the arguments of both sides, honestly.  I’d hate it if someone kept shitting on me like that and trying to make me do something so drastic, but honestly, they do make good points.  But there’s something to be said about the strange love spirits have for Woodlanders.  They’re antiquated and generally inferior to more modern sorts of creatures, but spirits love their personalities and historical value-”

They were cut off mid-ramble by the sudden advent of sleep, as was Teltra.  

[svubloods]

Imagine a killer date night with Jamie

(A/N: To the Anon and everyone else who wanted the second part to the ‘Criminallly good date night with Jamie imagine’. Hope you enjoy and sorry it took so long for me to post. I’m a crappy a blog runner especially when I’m a combination of tried and busy. I’m sorry if this is terrible) 

Part One: HERE

Imagine a killer date night with Jamie

“This is it, isn't it?” You questioned, getting out the car and surveying your surroundings.

“This is what?” Jamie countered, getting out himself and looking over at you from his side of the car.

“This is where you murder me,” You clarified, “I’ll admit it well thought out. It’s quiet, secluded dense. It’s the evening so there are fewer people that could be possible witnesses to your crime. Take me far enough no one will hear me. And I’m working on the assumption that even though you plan on ending my life that you still care for me a little and that is why you decided to do it here, out of all places. Because you know that I have a deep emotional connection to this park,”

“Are you done?” Jamie sighed, though still amused.

“Doing what?” You inquired.

“Your speech about how you think I’m going to murder you,” He informed.

“You act like I make it often,” You stated.

“You do,” He reaffirmed.

“Well, it is likely,” You commented.

“No, it’s not,” He argued, rather adamantly.

“If I had been dating me for officially thirteen years tomorrow, I would,” You chuckled.

“Well, I guess I like you too much,” He winked.

“Or you're tricking me,” You insinuated, raising your eyebrows at him.

“Can we start the date now?” He sighed, shaking his head you exasperated but yet again still amused.

“Sure,” You shrugged casually, circling the car so you were perching on the hood of the car, “But just know that I have my eyes on you,”

“I’d be upset if you didn’t,” He smiled, moving so he was sitting next to you.

“Alright,” You gave in, “I’m done teasing. Proceed with your date Officer Reagan,”

“Thank you,” He nodded, “Well, what do you think?”

“You know I love it here,” You commented, “I’m just wondering why we are here?”

“Well, I thought that my redemption date I’d take you somewhere I knew you would like,” He explained.

“It’s not a redemption date it was just your turn to organise plus it’s also doubling as our thirteenth anniversary date,” You reminded, leaning on his shoulder as you looked up again.

“Which is why I took you here, your favourite place in the world,” He announced, with a hand gesture.

“That’s where you are wrong,” You smiled, looking up at him, “My favourite place is wherever you are,”

“Look who's being cheesy now,” He smirked, before kissing you briefly.

“But this is a close second,” You confirmed.

You took a deep breath and soaked in the surroundings. You were at your favourite park in the whole city. Well, it was technically a park but it was more like a forest. A popular hiking trail and your favourite place in the city. It might sound strange and most likely pretentious but when you first moved to New York fourteen years ago. You were lost, you parents essentially absentee and your first good memory here was going with your Housekeepers family to the forest for their annual family hike. It was the first time you felt connected to people and it is what you accredit finally allowing yourself to open up to other people. Without it, you may never have let yourself get to know Jamie.

You would have missed out on the best thing that ever had happened to you.

And that’s why you loved this place so much. You loved just sitting and watching everything go by, walking up the trail and taking it all in. Even just exploring, the place was so big that you hadn’t come anywhere near exploring all of it despite your frequent trips, most of them with Jamie.  

“So what do you have planned for our date?” You inquired.

“Well, I thought we could take a hike up to that point that you like and then…” He explained before jumping off the hood and heading to the trunk, opening it up and lifting out, “A picnic under the stars,”

“How romantic,” You chuckled, “Where’d you buy the food?”

“I made it,” He informed.

“Really?” You questioned, sceptically.

“Well, after our disaster couples cooking date. I took cooking classes by myself and have become pretty good at it. And also not so surprised when you weren’t there, there was no crime ring to take down,” He teased.

“I’ll believe it when I taste it,” You mentioned.

“I would expect nothing less,” He chuckled, before prompting, “Now come on. We have a long hike to your picnic spot,”

“It’s going to be dark when we get there,” You commented as you grabbed each other's hand and started walking down the path.

“That was the plan,” He winked, swinging the basket in his other hand.

“What exactly are your intentions with me tonight Reagan?” You flirted.

“I think you know,” He countered before whispering in your ear, “ Mostly because half of them are your ideas,”

“You really are trying to out due my last date aren’t you?” You teased.

“Trying to,” He admitted, “You’ve made it difficult,” “Not up, for the challenge Reagan?” You smirked.

“Oh, I definitely am,” He confirmed.

After the last date Jamie had organised had descended into a crime-solving mess, you had spent the rest of the night at home eating take-out from one of the Reagan families favourite places. He spent the whole night ranting and vowing that when his turn came around again that he would make sure that it went perfectly.

Before he had the chance to redeem himself, even though you continuously told him that he didn't need to because you had had fun fighting crime with him but you understood his wish to have at least one crime and punishment free date with you. But back to the point before he could organise his ‘redemption’ date, you had to organise your date for him as it was your turn to organise a date.

Last month both you and Jamie had some scheduled time off so you decided that for your date you would go on vacation. Jamie loved driving, especially for long distance so you organised a road trip across a couple of states in a rental car, staying a different hotel and doing different things in the little towns you stopped at for a couple of days before flying back. Jamie loved it but was annoyed by the end that your dates or plans for him always seemed to go off without hitch but his for you would attract the craziest of stuff. Regardless, Jamie had to admit that he enjoyed the go-karting, paintballing and even the painting lesson you did, during which he revealed to be quite a talented artist.

“God, I forgot how long that walk is,” You shuddered as you finally arrived at your destination and slightly ahead to the middle of it.

Which was a small hidden clearing that you can only find if you go slightly off the path? It was a perfect circle so when you looked up it was like looking up at the sky through a larger eye. Plus from this high up, every night is a starry night. It was like its own little world. Surrounded by tall trees, it was a very private spot. Probably best for whatever Jamie had in mind.

“But definitely worth it,” He smiled, catching you up and setting the heavy basket on the ground.

“For the sentimental value, it has?” You inquired.

“That and for that view,” He confirmed before gesturing to the sky.

It was sunset at this point. It was still a bit early so the sky descended from blue, white and yellow as the sun began to set. And from your high position it was breathtaking, with only a few clouds in the sky the colours were even brighter than you had ever seen before. It was absolutely perfect and you were surrounded by pure mother earth.

“Wow,” You breathed, not taking your eyes off the sky.

“Pretty good day to be up here,” Jamie commented, as he began.

“It’s perfect,” You nodded, “Thank you,”

“Don’t thank me just yet,” He teased.

“It's getting better?” You questioned intrigued, pulling your eyes away and watching him as he set out a picnic blanket and started unpacking the food.

“Oh yes it does,” He grinned, on his knees in front of you as he started placing food on the blanket before pulling out a box and opening the lid so you could say, “Can you say strawberries covered in white chocolate?”

Around twenty minutes later you and Jamie were lying on the blanket. Your feet at opposite sides so you met up in the middle. You both snacked aimlessly, feeding each other occasionally, as you discussed meaningless to the most important topics in your lives. The cooking lessons Jamie had been attending were definitely paying off. Everything tasted amazing and you could Jamie was very pleased with himself whenever you liked something he had made, which in this case was everything that he made.

“Oh my God,” You sighed dramatically as you finally got to taste one of those chocolate covered strawberries.

You were flat on your back, looking up to the sky while Jamie was at your side, leaning over you and propped up slightly so he could feed you the strawberry.

“Do you like it?” He asked.

“Of course,” You nodded, jumping up to take a moving bite as he was hoovering it absent-mindedly over your face but a few inches too high as he spoke.

“Well, you better! I went all the way to Brooklyn to get your favourite chocolate,” He mentioned.

“You’re amazing you know that?” You commented, looking up at him over the sky.

No sky could beat his face, to you at least.

“All I did was melt some chocolate,” He reminded, chuckling.

“No, I meant just in general,” You clarified, “Everything you do is so great. You’re just so great at everything. It’s one of the best and most annoying things about you,”

“You find it annoying?” He questioned, curious.

“Rarely, I just get jealous that you’re just so good at everything straight away. Like, take cooking for example. Last month the best you could stir up with a cold linguine and now you stirred up a literal stir fry. My favourite thing in the whole world, rivalling the one I get from my favourite place,” You explained.

“You liked it!” He smiled.

“I loved it,” You reassured, reaching up to stroke his cheek, “It was amazing just like you,” 
 “Maybe I pick things up quickly,” He gave in, “But not really good at anything while you are. Sure, I’m good at a lot of stuff but you’re really good at certain things,”

“Like what?” You entertained in disbelief.

“You’re one of the best detectives out of all the detectives of heard of, seen and or worked with,” He offered, “You just have a natural born knack for all the skills you need to be a great cop. Your smart, brave, intuitive, analytical and adaptable,”

“Adaptable?” You questioned.

“I meant adaptable in a way that you change our approach depending on the situation you find yourself in or the people your within said situation,” He clarified.

“Oh,” You nodded, “I guess,”

“I hate that,” Jamie sighed.

“What?” You demanded.

“I hate it that you can never accept any of my compliments,” He informed, “It's like you don’t believe it,” “Well, it would be pretty conceded if I just agreed with you,” You commented.

“Then you deflect with a sarcastic and or generally depreciating comment,” He observed and added.

“Compliments make me feel awkward,” You confessed.

“I know but everything I say is the truth and you need to start believing it,” He said, stroking your cheek with his thumb as he leant over you, blocking any view of the sky behind him.

“Then you need start accepting my compliments when I say them to you,” You insisted.

“I do,” He countered, “I completely agree that I’m intelligent, handsome, daring and great at everything,”

“Now you sound like me,” You giggled.

“Did it sound arrogant?” He teased to which you responded by hitting him playfully, “I’m sorry. I’m just joking,”

“I think we both know that I’m the funny one in this relationship,” You commented, patting his arm sympathetically.

“Funny looking,” He quipped.

“Wow,” You breathed, “It’s like we’ve been transported back into the seventh grade,”

“Seriously though,” Jamie started seriously, “I need you to think that your as incredible as I do,”

“I’ll try,” You reassured.

“That’s all I ask.” He grinned, “So what do think of the date so far?”

“So far?” You questioned, “There's more?”

“Of course there is,” He grinned kissing you before standing up and then helping you up as well.

“Jamie this is too much,” You sighed still holding his hand with one hand and dusting yourself off.

“What do you mean too much? ” He asked, pulling you close, wrapping his arms around your neck and bending his knees slightly so he was at eye level with you, “This time last month you spent the morning playing football and then the whole afternoon watching a football game. It's the least I can do,”

“Buts that's because it was your date,” You argued.

“And today is yours,” He countered as if it was obvious.

“But it's not just my date,” You reminded, “It's our anniversary date too,”

“I know, which is why because I knew you would insist on it. Little perks for myself,” He reassured.

“It's not underwear again is it?” You shuddered.

“Do you think that little of me?” He questioned.

You shrugged teasingly.

“No, it's not underwear,” He chuckled, “It's even better,”

He bent down carefully, so not to drag you down with him, and pulled a portable stereo from out of the basket. Swiftly he plugged his phone in and the speakers crackled slightly to indicate the connection.

“What's going…,” You went to ask only to be interrupted as Jamie put a finger to his lips silently.  

He continued to hold your hand as he places the stereo on a nearby tree stump. He pressed a button and music you began to swell. You recognised it immediately.

“Jamie,” You sighed, shaking your head as he kissed your hand.

It was your song.

“Care to dance?” He asked, pulling you closer.

“You’re insane,” You commented but you moved your hands to correct the position so you could slow dance.

“I know what you want me to say,” He chuckled, “And I’m not falling it for this time,”

“Go on,” You teased before prompting him, “Say it,”

“For you?” He questioned.

“For me,” You grinned cheekily.

“Okay,” He obliged, suddenly spinning you around and dipping you, in time perfectly with the song, “I’m only crazy about you,”

“Aww,” You squealed, as he pulled you back up again and you began to dance again.

“Why do you like that so much?”He inquired, tucking some of your flyaway hairs behind your ear.

“It’s just reassurance that you feel as crazy about me as I do about you,” You confessed.

“You don’t think I’m crazy about you?” He countered.

“Well, I know you like me…” You began to say.

“I love you,” He corrected.

“Hell, you’re crazy about me,” You agreed before continuing as you placed your chin on his shoulder as you began to sway, “But sometimes I fell like I have stronger feelings for you than you do for me,”

“Now, you just sound crazy,” He reassured, “Y/N from the second I met you I’ve been in love with you. Hell, I’ve always been crazy about you and I still am. Alway will be,”

“I know,” You said.

“Then why do you need reassurance?” He pondered.

“Because I don’t always believe it,” You admitted.

“I’m not going to leave you,” He reassured once again.

“I know,” You repeated kissing his cheek before resting on his shoulder again and looking at the forest that surrounded you.

He whispered that he loved you and kissed the side of your head. You returned that favour but you kissed him properly. You both swayed as the music continued the play. Progressing from your song to others that you both loved. You were in blissful silence. It was almost perfect except for the fact that Jamie seemed a little tense like he was nervous or something. Every time you went to go see if he was okay he would kiss you and that was enough. Also though the music was on, you could still hear all the hustle and bustle of the forest. The bugs, the birds, and the leaves rustling in the wind, but there was something else as well. An irregularity, every once in a while you could hear it.

It was coming from behind you so you tactfully got Jamie to turn around so you were facing said direction. Your eyes had been closed and when you opened them you could have sworn that you saw a shadow go by. The shock of it caused you to misstep and step on Jamie’s foot.

“Y/N,” He sputtered, swallowing back the pain.

“Sorry,” You apologised quickly, “I got distracted,”

“Care to explain the reason as to why?” He inquired, as you began dancing again.

“I was just thinking,” You offered, shaking what you had thought you’d seen off.

“About?” He asked.

“You…us,” You offered.

“What about us or me even?” He probed further.

“I was just thinking about our future,” You said, which wasn’t a lie because you had.

“Really?” He grinned.

“Yeah, I was thinking about if we would still dance like this when we’re fifty or something,” You informed.

“You know how much I like dancing, of course, we will,” He insisted.

“You are surprisingly good at it,” You commented.

“What can I say? Dancing class pays off,” He chuckled.

“Still can’t believe your mom sent you to that,” You giggled.

“And I’ll never forget,” He sighed, “Danny and Joe never let me forget,”

You continued to laugh as you both descended into fits of it. Your eyes connected and he started kissing you. It was intense over brief like all the other kisses you had had tonight. You continued to hear the irregular sound but you were caught up. Jamie continued to kiss you and it didn’t seem like he was stopping. His hands were at your waist and yours were around his neck. He was applying much more force than you were. Your back was bending much back as he continued to press himself against you.

“Jamie,” You breathed, pulling away.

“Shh,” He whispered, grabbing hold of your hands and pulling you down gently.

You found yourself lying on the back on the blanket and then Jamie got on top of you. You could feel yourself blushing like it was the first time, even though you had done this so many times before. You still got butterflies when he told you he loved you, or when you made out or even when he called you beautiful.

You probably would have been as into it as Jamie clearly was if you didn’t keep hearing the unusual rustling coming from the bushes. You tried to ignore it, listening to the music instead but it was getting louder and you honestly couldn’t understand how Jamie couldn’t hear it.

“Can you hear that?” You asked, pulling away and leaning up to your elbows.

“No,” He said, catching his breath.

“Seriously?” You questioned, looking around as much you could.

“It’s probably just a squirrel,” He suggested, before leaning in again to make out.

You participated, trying to believe that he was right. But just in case you weren’t. You made the both of you roll over so know you were lying on top of him. Tucking your hair behind your ear, you kissed him this time. You know he liked it when you were on top. Your kisses began trailing down his jawline and his neck in an attempt to focus on what was important.

Jamie.

“I think we need to stop,” Jamie said, breaking away.

“We are alone,” You reminded, with a wink.

“You were always the smart one,” He agreed, sitting up and wrapping his arms around you so you were basically sitting on his lap.

“Says the one that went to Harvard,” You teased.

“Details,” He played off before kissing you for the umpteenth time.

Jamie had a habit of kissing you whenever he was nervous or avoiding or even hiding something from you. His way of keeping you occupied and possibly he found it comforting. But your mind was so pre-occupied with this mysterious rustling you kept hearing that you didn’t even have time to even process it.

The noise was getting louder and you couldn’t ignore it and then it suddenly stopped. Your eyes were closed so you opened them and what you saw was a man watching the two of you from the edge of the clearing. As soon as you spotted him you stopped and as soon as he spotted that you had noticed him, he started taking off in the opposite direction.

From that moment you were out of girlfriend mode and into cop mode. You basically and practically jumped off Jamie and took off running after the mysterious man, just knowing that something was wrong. Your hand flew to your holster and piece. Jamie shouted after you but you knew he was running right behind you. You caught a couple of glimpses of the running man but he went around a bend and you lost him.

You stopped to catch your breath, knowing he was gone and there was no chance of you catching up with him. Jamie skidded up next to you after a couple of seconds.

“Y/N, what the hell?” He panting.

But you didn’t answer.

“Is that…?” You pointed out, gesturing a couple of feet to where you both were.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Jamie commented instinctively without thinking.

“That’s a dead body isn’t it,” You sighed.

“Of course it is,” Jamie sighed exasperatedly. 

From there, things went into high speed. You stayed with the body while Jamie went and got help as there wasn’t any signal. A bunch of park rangers soon came up and you could tell that they had no idea what to do. The park you were at was hardly a crime hotspot, it was more like a Nanny hotspot. You identified yourself as a Detective and suggested calling the nearest police department only to find that their homicide squad had gone to training weekend and their night squad was definitely not qualified to handle this type of investigation. Especially when the Rangers came back to you and told you that one of the cameras on one of the five entrances to get here had caught a man that matched the one you had described bringing in a bag, big enough for a body the previous night.

You contacted the neighbouring police force but roadworks meant it would take them hours to get here, especially at this time with all the weekend traffic. It became slowly evident that you were going to have to handle this until someone within the jurisdiction could assume responsibility. Things got even more pressing once it was discovered that it had been made clear that your man hadn’t left the area was most likely to still be in the park.

Once you received permission to run the operation to smoke your suspect out, you got to work. You called all the uniforms that could run to the park from the local precinct as well as the park rangers. Your own squad back at SVU were attempting to get here to assist. Everyone was designated an area, the park was put on lockdown to prevent escape. Despite the limited numbers you put everyone into pairs as judging from the state your victim was left in, it was clear whoever you were dealing with was violent.

Around an hour after discovering the body, you and Jamie found yourselves armed with flashlights trekking through the forest. You knew this place like the back of your hand so you took the lead, not to mention the fact that you were technically the senior officer out of the two of you.

“I’m sorry J,” You said, breaking the silence.

“Why are you apologising?” He countered, “It’s not like you killed the guy,”

“I meant I’m sorry for ruining your date…again,” You clarified.

“You didn’t ruin it,” He reminded, “All these criminals we always seem to stumble on to do,”

“Well, then I’m sorry for always attracting them to our dates or everything I like attracting them,” You corrected, “Either way I’m sorry,”

“I can’t be angry at you for being a great detective,” He commented, “I’d be pissed all the time if I did that,”

“Then why are you angry?” You inquired, sensing that something was wrong, he had been tense before and now he seemed much more bothered by this whole situation that you would have anticipated him to be, “Why is all this bothering you so much?”

“It's just…just that…” He struggled before offering, “Tonight wasn’t supposed to go like this,”

“I would hope not,” You tried to lighten.

“It’s just that we should be doing something completely different, right now not hunting down a killer in the middle of the night!” He exclaimed, even more, bothered than you had originally thought.

“Like doing it?” You winked.

“I would have hoped so,” He continued, so wound up that he didn’t even process what he was saying.

“Jamie I know this isn’t how you wanted tonight to go…” You began.

“You can say that again,” He muttered, restlessly as he kicked at some twigs on the ground.

“But we can raincheck and resume all of this some other time,” You suggested, continuing.

“And what take down a drug cartel next?” He huffed.

“Jamie,” You scolded, “What’s going on with you?”

“I just want one of my dates to go off without a criminally related hitch,” He sighed.

“The first one did,” You reminded.

“Not really,” He said.

You tossed him a confused look.

“That restaurant we went to totally ripped me off. It was basically theft,” He gave in and played along.

“Think of it this way,” You began to suggest, “At least we’re spending time together,”

“I guess it’s better than nothing,” He agreed, “I just wish it wasn’t so cold, damp and dark,”

“It’s not too bad,” You offered, “It’s sort of romantic,”

“Late night trudging through the mud, what else could be more romantic?” He countered, sarcastically.

“If we were doing it naked,” You nodded, trying to be serious for comedic effect.

“I like the way you think,” Jamie chuckled, finally lightening up a little.

“I know,” You giggled before prompting, “Come on, the quicker we catch this guy the quicker we can go home and sleep,”

“Now that’s romantic,” Jamie joked before a sudden noise up ahead silenced the two of you.

You motioned to switch your flashlights off as not to draw attention to yourselves. You put your finger to your lips and crept forward. You saw in the distance and moonlight, your suspect pacing and crying as he ranted about what seemly to be the crime he just committed. This guy was clearly unstable and taking him down would be a task as he was clearly erratic and you assume armed. You turned around and summed Jamie closer. He quickly obliged and peered over, seeing what just had.

“What do you want to do?” He whispered as you both took a step back.

“You stay here, I’m going to go talk to him,” You replied in a smilier hushed tone as you shifted you let back so your holster was behind it.

“What?” He hissed.

“Shh,” You hushed, before taking a step forward and gesturing for him to get out of sight.

You crept forward and you kept taking quiet steps towards him.

“Hi there,” You said casually, taking steps down towards him.

You didn’t really have a plan going in. You just decided to do what you always did, be bold and overconfident to a point that no one could question your idea. It was going well enough, he was still pointing a sharp bloodied butcher's knife at you but you tried to make him trust you enough to lower it.

You don’t really know what happened but you assume that either one of the park rangers or uniforms had stumbled upon Jamie and had accidentally snapped a twig on the ground because your guy got all jumpy as soon as he heard a noise.

He accused of you tricking him and got jumpy. He came after you with the knife and dodged it quickly but he came after you again with surprising speed.

“Y/N,” You heard Jamie shout as he jumped the little dip towards you both.

Your suspect suddenly grabbed you and held the knife to your throat as Jamie and a park ranger came into view, levelling their guns at your suspects head and coincidentally yours.

“NYPD!” They both shouted at the both of you.

“Back off,” He demanded.

“Drop the knife,” Jamie countered, his eyes violently going from you to the man holding a knife to your throat.

You could feel the blade pressing into your neck. You closed your eyes as the pain started to hit.

“You don’t want to do this,” You whispered, before reasoning, “If you kill me, they’ll kill you. And if you do that they can’t prove that you didn’t kill Emily,”

Jamie gave you a confused look.

“I didn’t kill her,” He insisted yet again.

“And I’ll help you prove that like I promised,” You offered.

“How?” He demanded, holding you even tighter.

“My boyfriend he’s a lawyer, he went to Harvard and everything,” You admitted truthfully.

“He’ll help?” He softens.

“Not if you kill me,” You reminded.

“Right,” He nodded, his grip loosening and the knife.

“Drop the weapon,” The park ranger repeated again, clearly helpless on what to say from besides from keep the gun levelled at the two of you.

“I was about too!” He shouted, “Why do they keep on shouting at me?”

“I don’t know,” You admitted, shooting the ranger a death stare.

“Everyone is always shouting at me,” He ranted, “Emily was always shouting at me!”

“Is that why killed her?” The ranger questioned.

“Will you shut up Officer?” You snapped, fidgeting.

“Detective…” He went to say.

“Detective?” He questioned, “You’re a cop? You lied to me!”

“No, I…” You began only to be interrupted by the sharp pressing of the knife into your neck.

Enough to draw blood.

That’s when two sharp and precise gunshots went off. You and your hostage taker fell to the ground. You clutched your neck and your suspect howled in pain. He was clutching his knees that had been bleeding profusely. Jamie had shot your suspect in both knees to subdue him. It was only a couple of seconds of realisation before Jamie scooped you up into his arms.

“Are you okay?” He asked gently, holding onto you, his hands on your cheeks as he gave you the once over, wincing at the sight of your neck.

You nodded, attempting to look back as other officers started to swarm.

“No, just keep looking at me,” Jamie insisted, pulling you into him.

“Did you shoot him?” You spluttered.

Jamie nodded this time.

“In the knee?” You continued.

“Both knees,” He added.

“That was pretty hot,” You commented jokingly.

He laughed as you both stood up together and he began leading you towards the main entrance, telling you that their would be an ambulance waiting.

Around twenty minutes later, you were sitting in the back of an ambulance, wrapped in an emergency blanket. You were drinking something warm as by this time it was the middle of the night probably early morning so it was awfully cold.

“Happy Anniversary,” Jamie announced, walking up to the ambulance and taking a seat beside you.

“What?” You questioned.

“It’s officially our anniversary. It’s 1:001:00 ame clarified.

“I completely forgot,” You admitted.

“I wouldn’t expect anything else,” He chuckled.

“I’m sorry Jamie,” You whispered.

“Why are you sorry?” He asked, wrapping an arm around you.

“Because I ruin everything,” You insisted.

“No, you just have something about you that attracts crime solving and criminals,” He teased.

“Next time we’re taking down a drug cartel,” You joked, “Be prepared.”

“I always am when I’m with you,” He winked.

“Do you want to raincheck tonight?” You asked.

“If we do we’ll probably end up taking down that drug cartel,” He laughed.

“I’m sorry,” You said again.

“Y/N, if think that I’ve accepted that when I’m with you anything can happen. You’re an incredible cop and the universe probably sends you these things because it knows you can handle them. If that ranger had kept his mouth shut you probably would have talked him down,” He comforted.

“The universe?” You questioned, skeptically, “You sound like me,”

“I intended too,” Jamie revealed, “My logic can’t explain all of this so I used yours,”

“You’re probably going to have to do that a lot,” You commented.

“I know and I hope that I’ll be able to do it for the rest of my life,” He agreed.

“What do you mean?” You asked.

“This isn’t how I wanted it to happen,” He confessed, “I had planned this whole thing. And everything was perfectly suited to you,”

“How so?”

“Well, it was here for one,your favourite place, your favourite song was playing which is also our song, at your favourite time of day, sunset,” He explained, “I know your favourite number is thirteen and that your favourite day out of the whole year is Christmas eve. So I thought what better day to ask you than the eve of our thirteenth anniversary here with all that other stuff,”

“Ask me what?” You inquired.

“To marry me,” He stated, reaching inside his pocket and pulling out a small box.

“What?” You demanded, so utterly shocked that it was probably a good thing that you were wearing a shock blanket.

“Will you do me the honour of marrying me?” He asked, officially, opening the box the presenting to you his mothers ring,

“Of course I will,” You nodded, tears spilling down your cheeks as he shakily slipped the ring onto your finger.

“I love you so much,” He beamed, as he pulled you close for a hug and a kiss.

“I love you too,” You cried, wiping your tears.

“You didn’t mind me asking here or today do you?” He asked to make sure.

“No, it was perfect,” You reassured, “I promise,”