#animal shelter group text

[dailymanners]

Compliment someone on one of their personality traits 

Write a handwritten card to someone to say thanks

Text a friend to share your gratitude for something they did for you

Leave a positive review online of a restaurant you like

Tell a friend what you love about their children

Compliment a photo someone posts on social media

Let someone cut in front of you in line

Introduce two people who you think would get along

Pick up trash on the ground and put it in the garbage

Compliment someone on their clothing or hair

Use old grocery bags to pick up dog poop you see on your neighbor's lawn

Shovel snow off the sidewalk in your neighborhood

Offer to mow the lawn for an elderly neighbor

Give up your seat on the plane to let a couple sit together

Talk to someone at a party that doesn’t seem to know anyone

Invite someone new in your town to a social event and introduce them to everyone

Invite a friend that you haven’t seen in a while out to lunch

Offer to pick up a friend at the airport

Reach out to an old friend to let them know of an experience you had with them that you value

Spend time with the elderly at a local retirement home

Offer to bring someone else's grocery cart back to the store

Keep an extra pen in your purse to give people when they need one

Put a positive note in a library book

Attend events that support your friends’ passions (like an art show, musical performance, etc…)

Donate unused items to charity

Bring snacks to the local fire station

Keep packs of toothpaste or packs of socks in your bag to give to homeless people

Post an uplifting photo on a friend’s social media

Compliment someone on something they’ve done or accomplished

Tell a parent that they’re doing a great job raising their kids

Bring or send your mother flowers

Bring a friend a small gift next time you see them

Buy a warm meal to give to a homeless person

Share an article, event, or other information with someone who might be interested

Help to connect a friend seeking a job to someone who has a job to offer

Help a neighbor bring in their groceries

Make dinner for your friend group

Compliment a neighbor on how nice their yard looks

Bring in the trash bins for your neighbor after trash has been picked up

Send an email to a former teacher to let them know how they impacted your life

Leave a thank you note in your mailbox for your mail carrier

Give a flower to a stranger

Buy a gift card to give to a stranger

Ofter to be there for a friend when they are struggling with something

Give bottles of water to people working outside on a hot day

Buy a sandwich for the next person in the lunch line

Leave a sticky note with a positive note somewhere public, like at a bus stop

Bring brownies to your next neighborhood association meeting

Scrape the ice off the car windshield of the car next to yours

Leave a positive comment on someone else's social media post, #ProsocialPost

Put coins in someone’s parking meter that is about to run out

Slow down to let someone merge in front of you in traffic

Be on time (don’t waste others’ time)

Hold the door open for the person walking behind you

Make a double batch of dinner so that you can give a meal to someone in need

Give directions to someone who is lost

Give an extra big tip when eating out

Practice compassion when someone else is struggling

Be self-compassionate when you’re struggling with something

Share veggies you grow in your garden with friends, neighbors, and family

Become an organ donor

Volunteer at the local animal shelter

Bring dinner to a friend who's just had a baby

Build a “little free library” box in your yard with books for everyone to read

[ayedafuq]

Hamzah imagine I’m sorry god

POV: You got invited up to Toronto by your friend (Y/F) who hangs in the same circle as the Slushy Noobz crew, u n Hamzah meet at a party, get a little too tipsy, and you flirt just a taaaad .

——

(Y/F) : bitch come out the room and DRINK

Currently hiding away in her room (where I’ve been a freeloader for the past 2 days), I see Y/F’s text to come and join the pregame she’s having in her living room. She moved from our hometown to Toronto, a place I haven’t been before this, and I’m visiting her for the week. I came up on Wednesday and after our playful time catching up together for the past two days, she decided it’d be a good idea to go out with some of the friends she made. She currently has about 8 people in her living room playing drinking games, and I’m sitting on the floor staring into her full body mirror, ready to go to the bar, nervous as FUCK about meeting her friends.

After ignoring her text for approximately 30 seconds, she comes into the room. “OOOO GURRRRL YOU LOOKIN GOOOOOD” she says. I know she knows I’m nervous.

“Wait close the door” I say to her, and she does. “Dude, what if they don’t like me.” My anxiety is clearly getting the best of me.

“Fuck do you mean what if they don’t like you? You’re quite literally my twin. If they don’t like you then I’ll KNOW they secretly don’t like me. And they love me, so chill the fuck out. Get up” she picks me up out off the ground and pulls me out into her living room.

“Guess who’s heeeerrrree” she says to the group, and they all start to cheer. “There she is!” One of the girls says. A guy chimes in, “The visitor has arrived!”

Y/f drags me around the party to share names, my nerves subsiding. Everyone here is really nice. Why was I even worried?

“Hey, I’m Mandy. I work at the animal shelter with y/f. I’ve heard so much about you!” The girl says. I reply telling her I’ve heard about her too. “Y/f says the only reason she goes there is to pet animals and hang out with you” I tell her. “Yea sounds about right, I do the same thing.”

Me, Mandy and Y/f chat for a couple minutes sharing some laughs and stories, until the guy who chanted earlier and his friend come up. “Y/n, this is my boyfriend Martin. And this is Hamzah, avoid him.”

I give my hellos and introduce myself to Martin. We banter for a quick second before I turn to Hamzah. “Hellooo, I’m Y/n.” I give him a quick smile he returns. “Hey Y/n, how do you like Toronto so far?”

Before I can even answer, Y/f interrupts. “I’m gonna need you guys to shut up and grab a drink. We’re leaving for the bar in 30, and me and Y/n still need to demolish half the party in flip cup. Grab two seltzers from the fridge” she tells me. “You better lock in, I told everyone you never miss a flip.”

—

Two hours later and we’re at the bar, and it’s safe to say I’m feeling preeeetty nice. Her friends are so sweet, and I can’t help but feel so happy that she found these people.

Mandy, y/f, Hamzah and I are standing by a high top table, and I take the liberty in sharing some stories of me and y/f from parties in high school.

“When I tell you I turned my head for 3 seconds and y/f was gone, I mean it. I’m running through the party like a chicken without a fucking head, looking like a maniac asking everyone where she is. Mind you, I’m like 17 and hammered, so I was probably acting like the hulk.”

“Jesus Christ y/n don’t..” she says.

“After 10 minutes where do I find this bitch? Asleep in this random bitch’s closet with her head, quite literally, in a bucket.”

Hamzah and Mandy are cracking up. “You didn’t even know who threw the party?” Hamzah asks between laughs.

“Not a fucking clue. Y/f felt right at home though” I say, giggling myself.

“Girl I hate you, but yea I did. That bucket was my crib. Need to go to the bathroom?” Y/f asks me.

I tell her I’m alright for now, and Mandy tells her she needs to go so they scurry off together.

“Wow, so you guys have been friends for a while huh?” Hamzah says, still smiling from the story.

“Yea, we’ve been through a lot together. She’ll never get rid of me I fear” I say back.

“Damn, that’s awesome. Y/f is super cool, I’m happy she moved up here. When’s it your turn?” He says, his smile becoming more of a smirk. It hasn’t gone over my head that this kid is fucking adorable, but hes been acting pretty shy all night. The sly comment took me by surprise.

“Man I wish I could. It’s been on my mind a lot since she moved here” I reply.

“What’s stopping you?” He asks.

“I guess I’m just scared. It’s a big move, and she’s got the balls to do it. I’m not sure I do.”

“I felt the same way too, I pretty much hauled ass across the country of Canada at 18. I lived out of my car for a bit actually, it was a nightmare. I’d do it all again though, it was the best decision I’ve made. If I could do it, a pretty girl like you could too.”

Pretty girl?

“Pretty girl?” I say back, a little smug. The drinks are getting to me I fear.

“I’m sorry, was that weird?” He gets a little shy again. I giggle to let him know it wasn’t.

“Not at all. Thank you, pretty boy” I playfully shove his arm. I cringe in my head. I gotta be fucking kidding.

“Pretty boyyy I see I see” he says with a smile. “You think I’m a pretty boy?”

“Only a little bit. Like, this much” I pinch my fingers together the closest I can without having them touch.

“Well, thiiiis pretty boy” he mimics my fingers, “thinks you should move to Toronto thiiiis much” he separates them a little more. “Because he’d like to see you more thiiiiis badly” he separates them as far as he can. Damn, he has nice hands.

“Wow that’s pretty badly” I respond. Thank god I have makeup on because this cheesy shit might be making me blush.

“Yea, it’s alarming. Think about it, pretty girl” he tilts his head towards me playfully as he says pretty girl, getting a little close and then backing his head away swiftly. His smirk is fully activated and the eye contact we’re making is pretty hot. I smile back at him with my tongue touching my canine (do yk what I’m talking about like that lil sexy smile), tilting my head slightly to the side as if to say oh, ur flirting with me, noted. and just as I’m about to respond, y/f and Mandy return from the bathroom.

“Stop harassing her Hamzah she’s never gonna want to come back” Mandy says. “Come on, we’re gonna go back to y/f’s and play drinking games. This bar is boring.”

Hamzah follows after Mandy, glancing back at me quickly with a cheeky smile before turning his head. Y/f gets in my ear.

“Hamzah likes you. Mandy can tell. She told me in the bathroom.”

—-

Okay guys hi this is like so bullshit but I was feeling playful idk I hope you enjoyed if you made it this far

-ayev

[liyaauhr]

Logan & Ashlyn HEADCANONS

— They're both pretty big dog people: Ashlyn loves cats and dogs equally while Logan mainly likes dogs (he prefers how dogs are more affectionate). Because of this, they've both started to volunteer at a local animal shelter together and it's sort of become their thing (the rest of the group drops by sometimes but not nearly as much as these two). Both of them bond over a mutual preference for choosing dogs over humans any day, Ashlyn likes how calm the atmosphere of the shelter is and finds Logan to be good company when she just wants to enjoy the quiet company.

— Logan always brings Ashlyn custom flowers for her dance recitals: After hanging out, the group learns of these events and makes an effort to get involved and show support for each other's hobbies, for most of them it's their first time having genuine connections so naturally, no one likes to skip out on Ashlyn's recitals. Emma and Mike have started coming around often to the plant shop to buy flowers whenever Ashlyn has an important event. Seeing how often the Banners brought flowers for Ashlyn, Logan thought it'd be a great idea to show support by making a separate bouquet on behalf of the group. I imagine he'd have pretty good knowledge of flowers and their meanings so he'd always make a handmade bouquet for every event. So now Ashlyn often gets greeted with two bouquets after her shows: one from her parents, one from her friends. She always keeps them for as long as she can and texts Logan for advice on keeping them from wilting.

— Ashlyn always tries to be attentive to Logan: It's more out of instinct as the group leader, Ashlyn will always feel responsible for looking out for her friends and so unconsciously tries to be a better friend by trying to be observant to notice shifts in behaviours. Interestingly, this happened a lot with Logan early on in the group's friendship. He'd often linger behind the group or sometimes opt out of conversations in favour of staying quiet, valuing the opinions of others over his own. Whenever this happened, Ashlyn would always try to involve Logan by asking for his opinion or corner off with him to initiate a private conversation about Logan's own interests, urging him to speak more.

— Yapper + listener duo

— Aside from Logan I think that Ashlyn is the 2nd best with a gun (I know Taylor is shown to be good and implied to be the second best but logic tells me otherwise): Because of this they often go to shooting ranges together and always compete with each other in shooting arcade games.

— Ashlyn helps out at the flower shop and gets mistaken for being an employee by customers: She's known as the 'grumpy lady with braids,' eventually, she just gets given a nametag from James and Mary to try and help her out but to her dismay, the nickname just stuck. Even worse, Logan accidentally mentioned it in front of the group and now they use it to tease her.

— Ashlyn, Logan, and Taylor are known to be the strategists: While Ashlyn mainly plans the objectives for the night, Taylor and Logan like to chip in and offer their own opinions to keep things running smoothly.

— People think they’re related at school: Due to sharing a few similar features (and the fact that someone once saw Logan getting out of the car with Ashlyn & the Banners) most people assumed Ashlyn and Logan were cousins. Some people had even started theorising that they were secret siblings because no-one had seen Logan’s parents before. Both of them know about these rumours but Ashlyn doesn’t care enough to clarify.

[fuck-customers]

29.06.24

Fuck coworkers/managers.

I work at an animal shelter.

I work at the 'cat department'.

2 weeks ago i asked my cat department manager for 1 day off.

I still have remaining vacation days left for this year, never took 1 day off this year. My department manager already started to plan my vacation days for me (which she isn't even allowed to).

I texted her and told her I have an appointment for my cat and I have to take my cat to a vet clinic.

She never replied.

I asked her again (almost 2 weeks later).

She doesn't reply again. Instead she sends a photo of the work schedule to the group chat and I find out that she ignored my wish for a day off and I have to work that day.

Looks like someones calling out that day.

-Rodney

[aspd-culture]

What’s the difference between remorse and shame?

So remorse is inherent to having had done something wrong. While getting caught/the risk thereof, if someone got hurt emotionally or otherwise, the potential for social consequences, etc can *add* to that remorse, none of that is what causes it. Instead it is a societally built instinct that becomes an uncontrollable part of brain development quite early in life, though as we see in pwASPD it can be removed entirely or diluted by circumstances that make it useless, dangerous, or otherwise cause a child to believe other people don't feel that way. That instinct defines a bad and good and if you do something bad you feel this itch to make it up to anyone involved, to tell people what you did, to try and get forgiveness and atone for whatever it is you did, and even after all of that there will still be that feeling of remorse. It is this thing in the pit of your stomach nagging you about what you did wrong - not because of any effect it may have on you, and it occurs even if there is 0 chance it will affect you in any way - and not letting you forget about it.

Shame is a different social response, and in typical development, comes from perceived risk of social consequences (if people found out they'd hate me, so I must be bad and I shouldn't have done it) and a hit to self-esteem/self-worth on the basis that they did whatever they did. It can also come from PTSD as a trauma response, or OCD. As a trauma response, doing something that may have caused a valued adult or caregiver or even a friend that was taking a somewhat caregiving role for you will cause this shame as you risk falling out of favor with someone who is safe. You don't want them to see you in a negative light because their opinion of you directly affects how you feel about yourself. As an OCD obsession it can come from being either labelled as bad as a child and your brain taking that in and becoming extremely paranoid about good vs evil and which side you stand on, or for someone who is kind and caring and "good" by social standards and values that, as an attack on something you value most - as that is what OCD does by definition. Shame is a part of the anxiety needed to keep humans in packs back when we were surviving in small groups in the "wild" rather than in established towns/cities/civilization of any sort. If a human were to be cut off from the pack due to distaste towards them, it would be the end of them almost certainly. Humans were weaker to the elements, starvation, dehydration, and predators at the time, so you needed the protection that came in numbers both for the ability to keep food/water/shelter around and for the fact that animals were less likely to attack a group of humans than a single one. It was literally life or death if people liked you enough to keep you around, and so there is a very strong response built into humans' brains to keep social favor towards them - that's what we call shame.

So shame has something to do with how you view yourself or how others view you (and the potential consequences thereof), while remorse is an instinct that does not care about consequences, whether anyone knows, your opinion of yourself, etc. Remorse just is because of the fact that you did the thing. It's considered disingenuous to apologize or attempt to make amends exclusively on shame, and remorse is a large part of the social dance expected when someone knows you did something wrong. In fact, perceived remorse is a large part of court proceedings and legal decisions such as parole/probation vs jail time, length of sentence, etc. "You should be ashamed of yourself" is a bit of a misnomer, because really what they want is for you to feel an instinctual suffering as a result of having had done something wrong.

I hope this made sense; as always anyone is welcome to send in another ask for clarification if it didn't.

Plain text below the cut:

So remorse is inherent to having had done something wrong. While getting caught/the risk thereof, if someone got hurt emotionally or otherwise, the potential for social consequences, etc can *add* to that remorse, none of that is what causes it. Instead it is a societally built instinct that becomes an uncontrollable part of brain development quite early in life, though as we see in pwASPD it can be removed entirely or diluted by circumstances that make it useless, dangerous, or otherwise cause a child to believe other people don't feel that way. That instinct defines a bad and good and if you do something bad you feel this itch to make it up to anyone involved, to tell people what you did, to try and get forgiveness and atone for whatever it is you did, and even after all of that there will still be that feeling of remorse. It is this thing in the pit of your stomach nagging you about what you did wrong - not because of any effect it may have on you, and it occurs even if there is 0 chance it will affect you in any way - and not letting you forget about it.

Shame is a different social response, and in typical development, comes from perceived risk of social consequences (if people found out they'd hate me, so I must be bad and I shouldn't have done it) and a hit to self-esteem/self-worth on the basis that they did whatever they did. It can also come from PTSD as a trauma response, or OCD. As a trauma response, doing something that may have caused a valued adult or caregiver or even a friend that was taking a somewhat caregiving role for you will cause this shame as you risk falling out of favor with someone who is safe. You don't want them to see you in a negative light because their opinion of you directly affects how you feel about yourself. As an OCD obsession it can come from being either labelled as bad as a child and your brain taking that in and becoming extremely paranoid about good vs evil and which side you stand on, or for someone who is kind and caring and "good" by social standards and values that, as an attack on something you value most - as that is what OCD does by definition. Shame is a part of the anxiety needed to keep humans in packs back when we were surviving in small groups in the "wild" rather than in established towns/cities/civilization of any sort. If a human were to be cut off from the pack due to distaste towards them, it would be the end of them almost certainly. Humans were weaker to the elements, starvation, dehydration, and predators at the time, so you needed the protection that came in numbers both for the ability to keep food/water/shelter around and for the fact that animals were less likely to attack a group of humans than a single one. It was literally life or death if people liked you enough to keep you around, and so there is a very strong response built into humans' brains to keep social favor towards them - that's what we call shame.

So shame has something to do with how you view yourself or how others view you (and the potential consequences thereof), while remorse is an instinct that does not care about consequences, whether anyone knows, your opinion of yourself, etc. Remorse just is because of the fact that you did the thing. It's considered disingenuous to apologize or attempt to make amends exclusively on shame, and remorse is a large part of the social dance expected when someone knows you did something wrong. In fact, perceived remorse is a large part of court proceedings and legal decisions such as parole/probation vs jail time, length of sentence, etc. "You should be ashamed of yourself" is a bit of a misnomer, because really what they want is for you to feel an instinctual suffering as a result of having had done something wrong.

I hope this made sense; as always anyone is welcome to send in another ask for clarification if it didn't.

[yayswag]

imagining them as roommates + some writing under this cut!!

Stan and Kenny had managed to adopt a cat while in their shared dorm, mostly at Stan’s behest and under the guise of it being an emotional support animal. Stan didn’t realize the validity of this pledge until they actually had the cat, but he suspects Kenny had, because they made some kind of comment at the shelter about Stan needing one (an emotional support animal) now that Kyle was gone. Stan took offense to this, but prioritized reminding them that Kyle was not, in fact, gone and was only four hours away at another college and also was not an animal, he was their best friend.

Unrelatedly, Stan had wanted to name the cat Kyle. But upon this announcement, Kenny had just stared at him, saying nothing, for long enough that he was forced to choke out a ‘just kidding.’

So, Broflovski the cat had become a staple of Stan and Kenny’s college lifestyle. She had lived with them for over a month, Stan was still yet to mention the name to Kyle, unrelatedly.

Broflovski was not very much like Kyle. She was extremely friendly and had a habit of peeing on Stan’s shoes, neither of which were traits he associated with the real Kyle, not that she was named after him, because she wasn’t, and if she was, it was like an ironic joke.

Not that Stan’s college friends would have really gotten it, or the girls Kenny tended to bring over. Kenny insisted that all they did was practice together, but Stan had his doubts. Kenny was heavily absorbed in the apparently cutthroat and at times surprisingly profitable world of competitive Scrabble, and Stan had questions as to how Scrabble practice could involve so much muffled laughter. Still, it seemed to be- as Kyle put it- a “healthy outlet” and could, Stan guessed, sometimes be fun.

He expressed this to Kyle one night over the phone, they were playing the online Scrabble app that Kenny had been quietly pushing onto them both for months. It was called Wordbuddy. Stan was yet to win a match, but he didn’t mind all that much.

Kyle, on the other hand, was merciless both towards Stan and the app’s AI, which he played against frequently and seemingly with no shortage of emotional investment. He was yet to play Kenny. In group texts, Stan was often subject to both Kenny’s pestering Kyle to “scrabble me bro” as well as Kyle’s somewhat unsubtle dodges, the reason for which Stan was still uncertain.

The point was that Broflovski was a good cat, Stan thought, feeling cheerful as he laced up his Pumas which, these days, smelled like normal shoe smell and only a little like urine. The Pumas were maybe a little ugly anyways, he thought. Broflovski was cuter.

“Broflovski, you are so cute. You beat these shoes any day,” he voiced to her.

Kenny overheard from the next room, yelling slightly over the hiss of the running sink and sounding, as usual, slightly delighted, “your ugly shoes?”

“Um. Yeah,” Stan replied, a little embarrassed.

Despite the ensuing mental debate, contemplated at great measure over several glasses of whole milk from the dining hall, Stan ultimately decided not to get rid of his Pumas.

[moronkyne]

Seer Obscura and Morgan;

Together;

1. Moon and Sun? No. Supernova and Cluster—Or. hear me out. Stars and Cloud.

2. “It would be crazy if we liked each other…cause you know…we’re the only Seer Obscura recorded in our, what—century?” 👀

3. Blah blah blah something about dancing in the moonlit rain

4. Cold bodies, warm lights, burning hearts

5. Morgan sends texts with “P.S” at the bottom and little sweet reminders for Seer. It makes them smile so wide.

Morgan Kyne;

1. favorite show is shark tank. I feel like he likes to have it on in the background while he is working, he definitely grew up watching it.

2. Goes non-verbal in groups of people, everyone wonders why he looks sad when he’s not. Just zoning out all of the time.

3. A huge mamas boy… or was. Then again we don’t know much about Morgan’s personal life

4. Half asleep inside of a a neighborhood Walmart

5. Likes sweeter treats. Can’t really do bitter things

6. History and English kid

7. Probably in some sort of therapy through D.U.M.P

8. Comes off as really kind but I feel like the second you close that door he is ROLLING his eyes and judging you

9. Radiates mitski

10. Tattoos—This man has tattoos. You know exactly what fanart I’m talking about. You know.

Seer Obscura;

1. Autistic, Non-Verbal to most people but will get a quiet comfortable with some

2. Covered in dog and or cat hair 24/7 cuz they Volunteers at animals shelters or aquariums strictly because they enjoy the animals

3. Blue raspberry enthusiast

4. Had a huge MCYT phase at one point, you can’t convince me that they didn’t start their own server with a few pen pals

5. Slime rancher and roblox player

6. Black coffee and poptart vibes

7. Math and Science kid

8. Divorced parents vibes—Also Midwest emo band vibes

9. Looks for their initial and Morgan’s on TikTok slideshows and cheeses at it

10. Radiates laufey

[mindutme]

Valya Vednesday #2

Here is a set of tarot-inspired cards used by the speakers of Valya! I’m not sure if there would be more cards besides these, but if so they would be less important, maybe numbered and grouped into suits—basically, these 18 would be like the major arcana. The top right is the symbol on the back of the cards, and the large text at the top is Müzhasi Kitra, “The Playing Cards.”

The cards are used in various ways: for games, for divination, and for making magic. Music is the primary way that the speakers of Valya make magic, and each of these cards actually corresponds to a particular note of their scale—I’ll get more into the music side of things in a future post.

The first card is yet unnamed, but it represents existence itself—all that is and will be.

The second card is fli, meaning “sea.” It represents water in all its forms.

The third card is dzu, meaning “land” or “island”—because the speakers of Valya live on an island and know of no other land, the language makes no distinction. It represents not only the ground but also all the plants that grow from it.

The fourth card is pru, meaning “animal,” though the word originally referred to deer specifically. It represents not just animals but also humans’ bodies.

Ngu means “person,” and represents humans and the things they make.

Mba is the sun, representing life, health, growth, and sustenance. At this point, the symbols begin to get a little less literal, so mba in this context can refer to the continuation or preservation of something without direct influence from the sun itself.

Ghali is the moon, representing dreams, ideas, the future, that which is possible, and magic itself. Some sets of cards have an image of the moon on the back of each card, with this one being identical on both sides.

Mbrizi means “the stars,” seen by the speakers of Valya as spirits that watch over us. This card represents protection, safety, and shelter.

The next card is sfi, meaning “leg.” It represents motion and travel. In the musical scale the corresponding note is the only one that actually has two different pitches, depending on the context.

Next is kngu, meaning “arm” (sometimes seen as likngu, in the plural). It represents connections, relationships, society, and language.

The eleventh card is ngwu, meaning “eye.” It represents knowledge, and is often combined with ghali to symbolize knowledge of the future.

The twelfth card, and the last in the primary set, is vüna, meaning “hand.” It represents creation, beginnings, birth, and transformation.

The next three cards comprise a second set, things which are outside of the domains of the first. The first and primary card in this group is nti, “stone,” representing the past. It is believed that the history of the world is buried beneath the island, and that by digging down one could uncover the past—though one might not understand it.

The next is byu, meaning “bone,” representing endings and death. This encompasses both natural endings (conclusions) and premature or abrupt ones.

The last in this set is mülyi, meaning “ammonite.” This is a very old symbol, predating the card system and even parts of the musical one. The ammonite represents the mysteries of the past—the forgotten, the unknowable, and the world that came before the island that many don’t believe actually existed.

The third set consists of only two cards. First is gva, meaning “storm.” It represents chaos and randomness, believed by the speakers of Valya to exist as a raging storm below the layered stone of the past, and in some tellings surrounding existence entirely. The random fluctuations of this storm can have an influence on the world as experienced by people.

The next card is zhasi, meaning “card.” It depicts the symbol found on the back of each card. It represents luck, chance, and good fortune—essentially that chaos as it filters into the world and (ideally) improves human lives.

The final card is in a set of its own, and is like the first yet unnamed. It represents the void, emptiness, nothingness, nonexistence. There is some overlap in use and meaning with byu, bone, but where that card might be used to end an unwanted event, this one would be used to make sure it never begins—or, if the magic is strong enough, to erase something that has begun from time.

[come-away-with-me87]

Modern Hearts Chapter 25: The End

Chapter 24 here

******

Note: This is it, the final chapter! *single tear drop* This has been my absolute favorite Aizawa story to write thus far, and I am so grateful for all of you who have followed along.  Final chapter based on the song "Hunger" by Ross Chapman.

******

A little over six months had gone by since your first date with Shouta.  You have had many other dates since then; going out to dinner, going to a coffee shop, going to an animal shelter to look at the cats (you ended up adopting one that day), going out with your mutual group of friends, or just going over to each others' dorms to spend time together.  Neither of you had made it "official" but you knew Shouta was the one for you; you didn't need or want anyone else.  Neither of you had also said the big L word yet, either, but you knew from your first date that you were going to fall in love with him.  And you did.  You were in love with Shouta Aizawa, and you couldn't wait to say those words to him.  You couldn't help but smile at the irony of the situation; falling in love with your childhood best friend.

One look and I can't catch my breath Two souls into one flesh When you're not next to me I'm incomplete

It was a Friday afternoon, you had a busy day in the library with students coming in and out all day.  Shouta had even visited you on your break, asking if you'd like to go on a date with him that evening.  Some students were in the library at that time, and all you could hear from them was "oooooooooo."  You just looked at Shouta and giggled, knowing he wouldn't have publicly asked you that had he realized that there was anyone else in the library.  He just looked at you and frowned, which made you giggle even harder.  After the students checked out their books and left, you told him you would love to go on a date with him that evening.  He looked around to make sure no one else was there, and no one was, so he brought your hands up to his lips and left a gentle kiss on them. "I'll text you the details later," he said while leaving the library.

The rest of the school day went by quickly.  You checked your phone for the time, and saw that you had a missed text from Shouta.  He was texting you the details of your date, just like he said he would.  He wanted to go back to the park where you had your first date, and have another picnic.  You thought that was sweet.  This time, he just asked you to bring yourself, and he would take care of the rest.  You packed up your belongings, locked the library behind you, and made your way back to the staff dorms.  You ran into Toshinori on the walk back and you two walked together.  Toshinori looked over at you and said, "you look really happy, young Y/N.  I'm happy for you."  You smiled back at him in return, thanking him for his kind words.  "I am very happy, Toshinori."  You made casual conversation for the remainder of your short walk back to the campus, went your separate ways and said your goodbyes.

You went inside your dorm and started getting ready for your date with Shouta.  It was much cooler outside now than it was the last time you were there, so you opted for a lavender colored sweater, skinny jeans, and a pair of brown knee-high boots.  You freshened up a bit, redid your makeup, curled your hair into some waves, then changed into the outfit you picked out.  Just as you always did, you gave yourself one more lookover in the mirror, decided you looked good, and headed out the door.

Cause I'm on fire like a thousand suns I couldn't put it out even if I wanted to These flames tonight Look into my eyes and say you want me, too Like I want you

You made the short walk over to the park, and you spotted Shouta.  He must have gotten there early, as he had everything already set up.  When you got closer to Shouta, you noticed the way he set everything up; he laid out rose petals all over the blanket.  Instead of wine, he had champagne chilling in a bucket, with two champagne flutes on either side of the bucket.  You couldn't help but smile; this was really nice.  Shouta finally spotted you, ran over to you and gave you a sweet kiss.  "Shouta, what's the occasion?  This is such a romantic setup," you asked him.  "No occasion, I just wanted to make it even better than the first time."  You looked at him and giggled, "I don't think really anything can beat our first date here."  He just looked down at you and smiled, "I suppose you're right."  

Oh, love, let me see inside your heart All the cracks and broken parts The shadows in the light There's no need to hide

He motioned for you to sit down on the blanket.  You did just that, and he sat down next to you.  He pulled the picnic basket over, and instead of sandwiches, he packed two delicious looking salads this time. "Oh Shouta, this looks amazing," you beamed over at him.  While he unpacked the utensils and everything else, you looked around; maybe it was because it was chillier out and many people like that kind of weather, but there were couples everywhere at the park today.  Some were on picnics like you were, and some were just holding hands, taking a leisurely walk around the lake.  You looked back over at Shouta, and looked good himself.  He was in his usual all-black attire, this time also wearing a black jacket.  He wore his hair half down tonight, with some loose tendrils falling around his face.  While he was still unpacking everything, you reached over and gently tucked one of the loose tendrils behind his ear.  He just smiled at you in response.

You two began eating in a comfortable silence, just taking in your surroundings.  The salad was as delicious as it looked, and you completely devoured it.  Once you were finished eating, he pulled the champagne out of the bucket, popped the cork, poured two glasses and handed one to you.  "I also brought dessert; I picked up some cupcakes from the coffee shop you like."  How sweet, you thought.  The cupcakes came in separate boxes, and when he handed you yours, it felt rather light, almost as if there was nothing in there.  Curious, you opened the box, and instead, you found a black velvet box.  At this point, your heart began pounding.  It couldn't be...  You pulled out the velvet box with shaky hands, opened it, and inside found the most stunning vintage diamond ring you've ever seen.

With tears in your eyes, you looked over at Shouta, who was no longer sitting down; he was bent down on one knee.  "Shouta..." was all you could muster, your voice was thick with tears.  "Y/N, will you marry me? I know we've only been dating for six months, but I know you are the only one for me. I love you; I've loved you since we were kids, and I want to spend the rest of our lives together."  You burst into tears, box still in your hand, and you leapt over to Shouta, pushing him to the ground on the blanket.  You kissed him feverishly over and over, saying, "Oh Shouta, I love you with all of my heart.  Of course I'll marry you."  With that, he gently pulled the box out of your grasp, pulled the ring out, and placed it on your left ring finger.  It was a perfect fit.

Cause I'm on fire like a thousand suns I couldn't put it out even if I wanted to These flames tonight Look into my eyes and say you want me, too Like I want you

Some of the couples who were around you started applauding you both; you had completely forgotten that they were there.  Through your tears, you smiled at them and waved.  You looked back at Shouta, who was absolutely beaming.  "I'm so happy you said yes, Y/N."  You just gawked at him, "of course I would say yes; you're the love of my life. And I was wrong...while our first date here was amazing, this time is totally better."  You two just laughed.  You looked down at the ring on your finger; Shouta was yours, and you were his, now and always.

******

The end.

******

Tag list: @jaguarthecat ; @lili-pond ; @big-denki-energy

[wonillaa]

[ ot7 ]

— attempting to prank enha saying you want to break up

— random enha bf thoughts

— working at an animal shelter with enha

— enha bf thoughts part 2

— how enha would comfort you

— enha when you can’t sleep

— texts with enha while they’re on tour

— enha when you’re jealous

— enha texts while you’re busy

— losing each other at the store

— working at an animal shelter with enha 2

— watching christmas movies with enha

— enha accidentally mentioning you while they’re live

[ heeseung ]

— save me [oneshot] summary: the first time you see your boyfriend in weeks is by facetime of him sick and asleep on the floor. his members call you for help.

[ jay ]

— texts with bf jay

[ jake ]

— kiss it better [oneshot] summary: jake wanted to make dinner for you to come home to and accidentally burns his finger; you kiss it better

— experiencing the seasons while dating jake

[ sunghoon ]

— experiencing the seasons while dating sunghoon

— texts with bf sunghoon

[ sunoo ]

[ jungwon ]

— experiencing the seasons while dating jungwon

— boo!! [oneshot] for halloween!!

— texts with bf jungwon

— dumb in love with you [oneshot] summary: for the first time, jungwon struggles to speak and it’s all because of you and the way you smile at him as you take his coffee order.

[ niki ]

— experiencing the seasons while dating niki

— love and doubt [smau] summary: a lost dog was left in front of the animal shelter you worked at, you bring it in and it starts talking back to you. beomgyu, the dog, eventually gives you and your struggling friend group much needed counseling, especially with your crush on one of them.

— texts with bf niki

[veryace-ficrecs]

Prompto/Noctis Fic Recs

This list will include all ratings and tags, so read at your own discretion! :)

all this, and love too by BurningFairytales - Rated G

He’d considered, really, telling Noctis. He had. But Noctis had been so busy lately, and Prompto just couldn’t bring himself to add to that. So he's going to spend his birthday alone. It's fine. He's used to it. Or: The one where Prompto is fully prepared to spend his birthday alone playing King's Knight and Noctis has other plans.

Guys Being Dudes, Dudes Being Bros by musicmillennia - Rated G

Basically, the Lucian media takes one look at Prompto and Noctis and pulls a "gal pal" routine. Prompto tries and fails to ignore it. Noctis is oblivious. But with the help of a sudden ally, there may be some hope for Lucis yet.

Anony-Bro-Chat: the ABC's of cyberstalking by Thwippersnapple - Rated T

Noctis has been online friends with ChocoPrompt87 in Kings Night for over a year. He realizes ChocoPrompt is a classmate and has no idea how to make friends with him in real life because HOW DOES SOCIAL INTERACTION WITH PEOPLE HIS OWN AGE EVEN WORK?!

He messages him but accidentally invites him to the big family group chat instead of a private one. His friends and fam are Trolls of the highest degree. Prom fits right in.

To be Happy, To be Loved by thatoldeblackmagic - Rated T

Twenty minutes ago, Prompto was ready to accept his fate of being locked up for the rest of his life, and now he’s in a group chat with the King and the Prince of Lucis. He’s all but out of breath when he manages to choke out, “This is so fucking surreal.” or, Regis meddles because he just wants Noctis to be happy

Wrong Way Around by artemisgrace - Rated T

Gladio has some assumptions about Noctis's new school friend . . . He's wrong.

Life Imitates by Riona - Rated T

Everyone keeps trying to lecture Prompto on dating Noctis. Which would be fine if he and Noctis were actually dating.

Somebody loves you by anniekinkin (bubblline) - Rated T

Noctis didn’t know how long he could keep doing this. This was beyond ridiculous. It wasn’t even lunch time and Prompto had handed Noctis not one but two love letters very clearly addressed to Prompto. With the words “Hey look, more love letters for you.” He wanted to slam his head against his desk in frustration.

OR: Prompto takes Noctis to an animal shelter to play with the cats and dogs while Noctis tries to work up the nerve to confess to Prompto before he notices that half the student body has a crush on him

Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star by GwiYeoWeo - Rated T

“Watch yourself, kid, or you'll be seeing stars."

“Well, guess what?” Noctis had dropped his knees slightly. And with all the fury of a burning star, he slammed his fist up into the Crownsguard’s jaw in a brutal uppercut before either of them had time to blink. Prompto was pretty sure there was a kungfu movie with a similar title. Fist of the — South? West? — Star or something.

“Twinkle twinkle, motherfucker.”

The Hexatheon were powerful gods, anyone would agree; legends and myths were passed through the generations, some written in dusty old texts or whispered to young ears at bedtime. Others existed out of the circle, obscure as they were considering the fervor given to the big Six, but they still existed. For example, though Bahamut remained their patron god, the Lucians often pay homage to a certain Astral: Noctis, the Stellarian, the Wish Maker. And if the legends were true, Prompto figured it was worth a shot. He just didn't expect the Astral himself to literally drop into his arms like a freakin’ falling star.

im king of the night (wearin’ your shirt) by dreamtowns - Rated G

In Noctis’ defense, it’s not like he meant to keep it a secret that he was married. It’s just that no one bothered to ask. Except for Luna—because unlike his other coworkers, Luna wasn’t an asshole. And Luna wasn’t even a coworker.

[odiesbun]

ateez as boyfriends, please !!

▒♡Ateez as boyfriend's♡▒

There may be errors in the text, as my native language is not English. Thank you for your likes and your request!

WARNINGS: fluff, stupid humor of the author, love, relationships, references to food, and lots of cute snot.

Number of characters in the text: 5879.

Requested: Yes.

♡Hongjoong♡

•He will literally melt if you come to his studio to bring him food or just to be near him. He really appreciates that you care about him so much, so he'll text you every chance he gets, asking if you've eaten, how your mood is, and what you're doing.

•Most of the time you won't be with him, but with a whole group of guys. Sometimes Hongjoong feels guilty about that, but he has no choice. So he gently pushes the guys out of his studio, taking advantage of the leader's rights and being alone with you.

•Of course, we all know Hongjoong's love of minions... So he moves his collection into your shared apartment. He even has slippers and a robe with minions in it, you know? And if you love his passion for minions as much as you do, he'll put you on his adoration list and bless you just the same.

♡Seonghwa♡

•He housekeeping type of guy who will do absolutely any job for you. Wipe the dust off the very top shelf of the closet? Done. Cook family dinner when your parents are on your doorstep? Done. Your house literally shines with it.

•I think Seonghwa isn't very good at showing love with words, so he shows it with actions. Kisses, hugs, expensive (and not-so-expensive) gifts are all yours now. But he doesn't know any other way, so he is unlikely to talk about his feelings openly.

•Seonghwa likes to take walks. Therefore, both of you together will very often disappear in absolutely random beautiful places. That's why sometimes the band members go crazy trying to reach him and you, while you're peacefully walking hand in hand in the park or forest or somewhere else.

♡Yunho♡

•I would say that Yunho is a soft mommy guy. Because if the temperature outside drops even one degree down, Yunho is already running to you, begging you to put on a hat and warmer clothes. He always makes sure you eat well, never miss a meal, and never go on a diet.

•Even when he has a very busy schedule and barely has time to sleep and eat himself, he still comes to you with a bag of food, water, and, of course, a hug. Because Yunho is another guy who loves to cuddle with you very much. Probably, if he were asked what he prefers more, a hug or a kiss, he would choose a hug.

•Since I think Yunho is a gamer boy. Then he'll make you play with him. Even if you're not particularly interested in it, you won't understand anything, he'll still carefully teach you so that you can play with him someday.

♡Yeosang♡

•Since we all know how much Yeosang likes to eat chicken, he will often ask you to go with him to a restaurant that sells his favorite dish. If you're a vegetarian, he'll still drag you to a restaurant, but a different one with more than just a choice of meat on the menu.

-He's a very kind boy, so every weekend he'll go with you to the animal shelter and take care of the animals or make small donations so that the poor dogs, kittens and other animals that are there won't be sad.

-He's the kind of boy who will learn all your relatives and your whole family, the feeling that he got to know them long before you even started dating him. So when the time comes to introduce him to your parents and family, they will already know him. That's a very thoughtful boy.

♡Mingi♡

•Mingi is the type of guy who needs physical(and moral) contact. He absolutely always needs to hold your hand in public, hug you in his sleep and just feel you around. He's literally a koala, you know?

• lMingi never has a problem showing affection. He can do with physical contact, words, and simple(including expensive) gifts. If you ask him to kiss you, he will kiss your whole face. If you ask him to tell you that he loves you, he will say it all the next day without a break.

•Mingi guy is the kind of guy who loves to give you home spa treatments. Like baths with rose petals and candles, interesting face masks, hair styling, that kind of thing. He especially likes to do it to you, because it's another reason to kiss you and understand how much he loves you.

♡San♡

•I think San's type of love is passionate love. I mean, he's literally ready to die for you, when he looks at you he has a sweet, bright glint in his eyes. Oh, and just what those passionate kisses are worth! If San were given the choice of choosing the world, his career, or you, he would probably choose you.

•San, to communicate with you from a distance when he's on tour, prefers video calls. First, he hears your wonderful voice, and second, he sees your face. It makes it a little less about how much he misses you. Speaking of the tour... He will often bring you souvenirs from other countries!

•He really wants to tell his fans about you. Chances are someone might ask him if his heart is in love, to which he'll say yes, he's in love with you with all his heart. Chances are he'll start dropping little hints on live broadcasts, or just casually mention you.

♡Wooyoung♡

•He will very often send you pictures of himself, asking if he looks good. Really, he just likes getting compliments from you and knowing how much you love him. Well, it's also a great excuse to talk to you when he or you are a little busy.

•He LOVES steamy clothes, seriously. So he's constantly trying to dress in a similar style and color scheme as you do, or he'll just buy you paired clothes so he doesn't have to worry too much about it. But there are some pretty cringe-worthy things, like "His👉🏻 and 👈🏻Her" t-shirts, I hope you know what I mean?

•Learn the fact that Wooyoung doesn't like cucumbers and bell peppers and he will literally melt. Wen believes that if a couple knows about each other's tastes in food, clothing, and everything in the world basically, it's true love until old age.

♡Jongho♡

•I think Jongho is the kind of guy that takes a lot of pictures. Well, in huge quantities. His whole gallery is crammed with pictures of you and him. Lock screen? Your picture together. The desktop screen? Your photo. Totally random app icons? Also you.

•I think that during arguments, Jongho is the most gentle and he is very mature. Your relationship arguments are more likely to be like simple misunderstandings about each other rather than heated arguments. He will try to solve the problem before it gets to the point where it has become of universal proportions. Well, it usually doesn't come to that, but that's just a side note.

•Jongho is a physical tough guy, so he'll often grab you and pick you up. Or, when you need to get something from the top shelf of the closet, he might well help you out with his shoulder or hands. But he also needs to be loved and pitied, so he prefers to be a little spooner during hugs...

[ghostradiodylan]

So, it's one year after the night at Hacketts Quarry. And everyone's kind of freaking out because, that's what trauma does to you. So basically what would everyone do that night?

Also, thank you for keeping this fandom alive

Ooh this is a fun ask!

Sorry this took so long! I had to chew on it for a bit and then I forgot it in my drafts!

Okay, so it's August 22nd 2022. The moon is cooperating by not being full (it's a waning crescent, to be precise). It's also a Monday and it could be the first day of college/university for anyone going, but let's imagine they all go back a little later since that seems to be the case in the game itself.

We'll imagine everyone survived because otherwise there are fewer of them to talk about and everyone is way sadder. I think one thing they're definitely not doing is going back to Hackett's Quarry in some kind of misguided Until Dawn style return to the scene of the trauma trip. Even if the werewolves are gone, there's still a ghost out there and that's how horror movie sequels get made!

They might do a quick zoom or hit up the group text just to check in, but I don't think they'd necessarily all get together. It would be a little intense for an anniversary, I think.

Max & Laura are endgame, so obviously they're still together, and I'd like to imagine they'd plan a little getaway for themselves (preferably one where Max doesn't have to drive). They'd want it to be something completely unlike the woodsy setting they spent the night in last year. Maybe they'd book a nice hotel for a long weekend not too far from home, just to have a break. Or maybe they'd do something big like take an Alaskan cruise. (Can they afford that as two grad school aged students whose lives just got turned upside down a year ago? Probably not, but it's a nice idea! Maybe if there was a victim's compensation fund or they sold their story to Netflix...) Water all around means zero werewolves! Max will keep comparing their accommodations with those of the North Kill jail, as he will do on every vacation now. ("Look honey, the toilet's in its own room and not an open concept bathroom like the last place we stayed!")

Emma talks about how she wanted to go to the spa after camp in one variation of her scene in the lodge basement, so maybe she'd have a nice pampering session for herself. Mani/pedi, facial treatment, massage, then chilling at home in a fluffy robe and slippers. Kat @itscomingupaces headcanoned Emma acquiring a tiny dog postcanon, which I love, so she probably has a tiny dog in her lap too. Maybe she'd do a brief vlog to reflect on her progress over the course of the year, assuming her viewers have a general idea that something traumatic happened to her and it wasn't all covered up. She'd throw on a comfort movie like Tangled or Singin' in the Rain and get her beauty sleep.

Nick would probably like to forget this anniversary, but I doubt he'd be so lucky in just a year. He has a lot of guilt about the way he treated Abi, though he wasn't really in control at the time. He'd probably try to do something that made him feel good about himself, like volunteer work. I could see him working on a Habitat for Humanity house or walking dogs at an animal shelter. He's almost certainly apologized profusely already, but if he's living anywhere close to Abi, he might offer to take her to dinner. If not, maybe it would be a good time to send her a card. Or an email.

Abi has definitely channeled some of her trauma into her art, so she might take the day to work on a new piece, maybe something a little less based in realism and a little more based in emotion. Maybe she'd incorporate some mixed media or sculpture into it. I go back and forth about shipping her with Emma or with Nick (or neither, or both) but maybe she'd get a manicure with Emma if she's not getting dinner with Nick (she wouldn't be up for the full spa day, though, that's just too much of strangers touching her and talking to her). Or maybe she'd do both, though that would be a lot of doing for our little introvert!

Jacob & Kaitlyn have hopefully patched up any bad feelings stemming from Jacob sabotaging the van because as childhood friends, I think they'd want to help each other when difficult anniversaries like this one come up. I forget who originally suggested it but I now strongly believe the headcanon that they are longtime karaoke buddies and they probably go get a private karaoke room and scream-sing away their angst while getting really embarrassingly drunk. It's fine, they'll get an Uber back to Kaitlyn's and eat an entire pizza later.

Ryan would want to go pay his respects to Chris, Kaylee, and Caleb Hackett. He has very complicated feelings about the family and their role in everyone's nightmare a year ago, but he still has affection for them and feels a duty to remember them as they were when they weren't transforming into flesh-eating monsters. I think he'd want to go visit their gravesites back in North Kill, take them some flowers, and clean off the headstones if the other Hacketts aren't around to do it. I'd like to imagine that he and Dylan would have figured their shit out by then, but whether they're a couple or not I think they'd definitely be in touch and Dylan would probably offer to drive Ryan out there and keep him company if Ryan would let him (if they still haven't gotten together, they probably have some things to talk about).

Dylan picks up some food on his way home, takes an edible, curls up with his cat, and watches the original 80's version of Cosmos with Carl Sagan. It's got a retro futuristic vibe that's very comforting. Some people get anxiety thinking about the vastness of space, but Dylan finds it oddly soothing to think that his problems are actually very small in the grand scheme of things in an ever-expending universe. Ryan can come too, if he wants (he probably does).

[sniffanimal]

the main pitch for Owain's Home For Wayward Wolves (pending title?) is that werewolves are pretty uncommon, but where you find one you usually find more. Owain runs a support group for werewolves in a small PNW town. He was born a werewolf, like his mother, and the two of them provide a safe shelter for local wolves to turn on the full moon, as well as resources for new wolves, and teaching them about how to be a safe wolf. It's tiring work, but Owain would rather run himself ragged taking care of others than take care of himself. Enter Cassie, a fresh werewolf that was picked up by animal control and taken to a vet, and then the police. The cops turn Cassie over to Owain, who recognizes his old best friend in this wolf. A best friend he lost when he came out as a werewolf to him at 16. A best friend who had called him a monster and ran. Now, a monster himself*. Things get complicated when the wolf that turned Cassie seems to still be on the loose, and Owain has to pick up the pieces of this mess.

* I'm still not 100% on what to do with Cassie's pronouns as she is a trans woman but her egg cracks a decent way into the story and she isn't out til near the end. I abstractly use she/her for her but in-text she's almost always referred to as he/him. For now.

Major themes of transitional periods in life, identity, community, and disability. my werewolves are all gay and trans and disabled because I'm not a coward

[alhilton]

Just curious, where do the lowland curbs go during a volontaro? I assume the highland ones have a nice tall cave somewhere!

Ah, good question. One might also ask where ferryshaft went who were living on the far side of the island before the war. It's implied that there have long been a population of ferryshaft, creasia, and telshees who shared the Great Cave during the volontaro and were committed to a truce during that time. This truce pre-dates the war by many generations and might even pre-date the creasia's ability to speak. It's safe to assume that the creasia have always lived mostly near the Great Cave. Their range is limited by their favored prey (deer) and habitat (dense forests). The Great Cave has always been their preferred refuge. The ferryshaft, however, are much more flexible. For most of ferryshaft history, herds would have been scattered all over the island. The Great Cave can't be the only safe place. I'm talking about this like I don't know the answer, because I don't. If I haven't committed to some world-building detail in the text, it's always up for grabs in future stories. I intentionally leave lots of loose ends, so that I have interesting places to go and things to discover and room to maneuver. So bearing in mind that I could change this later, I'll say that the lowland curbs probably have many different nooks and crannies where they shelter, and these locations have been passed down as carefully guarded secrets within various packs. If the pack is wiped out, the knowledge may be lost. Lowland curbs are tribal and territorial. Packs may cooperate on some large project for a while, but they are prone to bickering and feuding and never quite trust each other. They are much smaller animals than creasia or ferryshaft, and they also live in smaller groups, so a pack of curbs could take refuge some place that would be inadequate for ferryshaft or creasia. Lowland curbs also have a semi-opposable thumb, and they do build things (traps everyone knows about, but also other things). It is not inconceivable that they might build something like a boat or temporary floating structure. It's not impossible to survive in the open during a volonto. The risks would be drowning, getting sucked up by a tornado, or being hit with flying debris. There are also weirder risks, like getting fatally injured by a shark in the middle the plain or stung by a jelly fish. Since it is a magical storm, one might also fall through a randomly opening other way. :)

[chicknstripz]

∘₊✧ [ The Escape ] ✧₊∘

Pairing|| Reader X Fox Word Count || 2115 Tags || Angst, Paranoia, Mild Threat, Mentions of Death, Established relationship Synopsis || You try to escape Coruscant with a frightened charge, only to get caught by the man you love. Prompts || 'You give pieces of yourself to people but never let them see the whole picture. I've seen it. I know who you are' & 'The weight of her gaze was tangible, like the steel he held in his hands.'

A @cloneficgiftexchangegift for @agenteliix.

How did it come to this?

You were crouched like a frightened animal in the middle of a dingy alley, waiting for the world to come crashing down on you as you watched a group of teens pass you by. The child that huddled beside you was similarly affected, the quiver in their fingers so pronounced you could feel it in your heart!

Twenty hours ago they’d been chattering to their creche mates, sharing a colorful story about their idol, but now? There was no telling what their future held, the golden light of a prosperous knighthood shattered by the very people you’d trusted with your lives. Stars, you still can’t believe what you’d seen earlier that night! The terror on the crechling’s face potent beyond belief as they raced toward you, chased like prey by a trooper in guard red.

There had been no time for ‘why’ or ‘what’, no time to wonder why an honorable man had turned into a monster, no, all you’d had time for was an instinctual reaction, your finger pulling the trigger before you even realized you had a blaster in hand.

The offending weapon was still held in your hand, the cold metal accusatory as you listened to far off chatter. Most people were talking about the end of the war, their voices chirpy as they discussed what this would mean for their businesses. Others were talking about the attack on the temple, the amber glow still evident on the horizon some five hours later. But the thing you expected to hear was absent, your guilt festering as you ushered the child in the direction of the space port.

“Where will we go?”

To be honest you didn’t know, the path was checked before you crossed the next intersection. As big as Coruscant was there was no hiding from the eyes of the Guard. You should know! You’d spent too many days being surprised by your gruff partner, his eyes alight with mischief as he appeared from around a corner with a caff in hand. A small part of you hoped to see him waiting for you at the port, his serious lips curled in a rare show of concern as he waved you to a waiting transport whilst the other - it feared it. The memory of his rabid brother making your blood run cold as you used your cowl to hide your face from casual onlookers.

“Anywhere that isn’t here.”

Dantooine perhaps? It had always been welcoming to offworlders, its senator one of many that had fought for clone rights, and you could easily see it turning a blind eye to ‘refugees’ such as yourselves. What about Pantora? It too was represented by a vocal proponent of clone rights, your heart aching as you thought of the sisterly bond you shared with Riyo. She’d been the one who’d encouraged you to pursue Fox, her lips curled in a beatific smile as she shoved a canteen of caff in your hands. She’d also been the one who’d encouraged you to keep trying when he turned you down, her insistence that he was just playing hard to get making you laugh as you watched him inspect his men.

You’d pay anything to hear that laugh round about now, a quick glance at the space port revealing limited options for your escape.

Whatever was going on had been labeled as a terrorist threat, the luminescent glow of red text filling the waiting area below the departures holo. Sentients moved too and fro across the glimmering plaza, but there was nowhere near as many people as you’d see on a normal day - the PA cycling through yet another announcement that all citizens must shelter in place until further notice. Which was a problem. How were you supposed to get off planet if there were no commercial flights running? You frowned as you considered your next move, your panicked heart beating all the faster as you covered your fearful ward with your coat.

“What now?”

“If you were smart you’d turn yourselves in.”

The world comes to a halt as the familiar voice encircles your mind, the smooth accent as charming as ever despite the edge of malice.

“You and I both know we wouldn’t get a fair trial.”

You’ve caught him in an impasse, the silent tilt of his helmet as much a language as the one you spoke every day. Stars! What had he done with his paintwork? The scarlet red that once adorned his plates now swapped for standard guard livery, and you mused that you wouldn’t have known you were speaking to Fox if you weren't so familiar with his body language. He always held himself with the utmost pride, his back ramrod straight and shoulders pulled back whether or not he was at ease, and you could still see that pride in him despite the tension that hardened his voice.

“This isn’t the republic any more. I will make sure the judge shows you leniency if you cooperate and hand over the traitor.”

You tuck the youngster behind you, keeping one hand on their head whilst the other shook uncontrollably by your side. Where was the Fox who’d slam his hands on the table if a nat-born insisted on the arrest of a minor? Where was the Fox who’d bailed them out if he found one in the cells? He was gone. Swept away by the same madness that’d caused his brother to chase the youngling through the streets.

“Traitor? Kark’s sake Fox, they’re just a kid! Where’s your compassion gone all of a sudden?”

Your outburst had gathered quite the crowd, but you didn’t care! This was, perhaps, your only hope of escaping. The brief hope that you could break through this murderous insanity fluttering like a bird in your chest.

“Where was his when his order turned its back on democracy?”

The feeling shatters as you feel a blaster pressed to your back, the weapon that’d once protected you from escaped ‘pets’ now used to herd you like one. You flash Fox a baleful look as you pass him by, the shine of your eyes reflected by the black abyss of his visor. It used to be something that filled you with warmth, the knowledge that he was looking at you with soft eyes making your spirit soar, but now? There was nothing but cold nothingness, the dark abyss swallowing you whole as you tried to make sense of his words. 

 “What?”

“Don’t play dumb, you know exactly what I’m talking about.”

The way he was acting now? It was the way the public saw him on the daily. Cold. Ruthless. A cop who’d stop at nothing to catch the bad guy. Even you had assumed things about him when you first met him, his gruff persona and matter of fact words making you wonder how his brothers could stand him. But with each day that passed you saw more of the real Fox. The Fox that would stay up late so his younger vode wouldn't have to file flimsi. The Fox that brought a caff machine when the GAR refused funding for a new one. The Fox that would do anything and everything to protect his vode from the wrath of idle politicians.

He was so much more than what people assumed him to be, so much more than the monster that told his men he’d deal with you personally, and you grieved for your loss as they bundled you and the kid into the back of a transport.

You can still hear the sounds of coruscant through the hull of the transport, the white and red of Fox’s armor broken up by the thick mesh that separated you. You couldn’t count the number of times you’d seen him bundle a struggling criminal into one of these things, couldn’t count the number of times you’d heard them beg for leniency, and you hated that you’d become another statistic - your palms laid to the mesh as you flushed yourself to the unforgiving metal.

"Please Fox, this isn’t you! You give pieces of yourself to people but never let them see the whole picture. I've seen it. I know who you are"

“No -- you don’t!”

The pause is brief, a slight inhale of air that causes his modulator to crackle in protest.

“Yes I do! I don’t know what offense his order has committed against the republic, but you wouldn’t arrest a minor for it!”

You tilt your head toward your charge, their small form tucked into the furthest corner of the space. It was almost as if they hoped it would swallow them whole, the curve of their shoulders laden with fearful acceptance.

“I have my orders”

“Orders? Force alive! You might be a Commander, but you’ve never cared for orders - especially if they came from that di’kut’la Chancellor.”

His shoulders stiffened, giving you the answer to where this particular order had come from. Maker! If this had come from the chancellor then there was no hope for you. You’d be dead and buried before the end of the week - a footnote in the grand annals of history whilst the Chancellor continued to feed at the trough.

“This order came from him? Didn’t it --”

You trial off as you tip your head backward, the strain causing the muscles at the back of your neck to twitch in protest. You don’t know what to say, what to do, the world as you’d once known it twisted beyond all recognition.

“Fox. We both know he’s as corrupt as they come! Just look at what he did to Fives --”

“Shut up!”

“No! I won’t! Not until you’ve seen sense!”

You hate yourself for digging up this particular ghost, but it’s the only way to get through to him!

“Where is the chip he supposedly presented to the Chancellor? And what about Tup? What about his autopsy report? Surely you find it a bit suspicious that they found nothing wrong with a man who shot his general in the back of the head? And what evidence does he have that the Jedi turned on the Republic? Think Fox, think! The man clearly has some kind of hidden agenda!”

What that might be was beyond you. You were a civilian, not a detective! You exhaled as you dropped your chin to your chest, the tension that sat in your shoulders mirrored in his spotless plastoid. You could always tell when he was at war with himself, could always tell when his Kaminoan training clashed with his Coruscanti heart. He’d go silent and stiff, his whole body vibrating whilst he tried his best to silence the voices. Sometimes he won, sometimes he didn’t, but he’d always be your Fox regardless - the quiver of his voice rekindling lost hope.

“He -- said ---”

The transport shifted beneath you, the change in gravitational pull lifting your stomach to your throat.

“-- Kriff -- we don’t have much time --”

Whatever madness had assaulted him had loosened its grip on his mind, the spectre of it hanging about his shoulders as he cut ties with the outside world. The transponder, the coms! Everything! He turned them all off one by one, the routine so ingrained he could do it with his eyes closed. Maker! He can feel the weight of your gaze on the back of his head. It was a tangible thing that anchored him to reality, like the steel he held in his hands, the yoke held tight as he bundled the voices into the back of his mind. 

Good soldiers might follow orders, but great ones questioned them!

Maker! He still can’t believe he’d pulled a blaster on you and the kid, still can’t believe how close he’d come to repeating the one mistake he’d never forget. Fives’ face swam in and out of his thoughts as he darted into a busy sky lane - doing his best to put distance between himself and his brothers. It wouldn’t be long until they realized he’d gone rogue. Wouldn’t be long until they were pursuing him like the criminals they’d once fought on the streets, and he needed to be off the capitol before that happened! 

But was this not worth it?

Yes, yes it was! The weight of your arms, and the scent of your body lotion filling his nose the moment he freed you from your confines. He’d go to any lengths to save you from the empire, his conviction growing stronger with every moment that passed. And if he had to save you from himself? Well, he’d do that too - the worry that the madness might return haunting his dreams that night and every night after.