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streetlightyeri · 2 months

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oklahoma smokeshow ; t.o

"cause you're a small town smokeshow."

w.c.: 6275

content: lovers to enemies (?) to lovers, angst, fluff, do i have to disclose natural disasters lol, death of a family member, no beta, and as always: FMC is named but has no descriptors

The thunder rumbled around Harlow, the sky turning blue with every flash of lightning. These circumstances aren’t what she pictured coming back to Oklahoma to be; the forecasted unprecedented storm week seemed like it was less of a random once-in-a-generation weather cell and more like a physical amalgamation of her emotions. She spent the entire plane ride pretending to be asleep with her head covered so the flight attendants didn’t see her tears; her seat partner acted like he didn’t hear the occasional sniffle. Harlow was grateful for that.

The rental she chose was the last truck on the lot: a Toyota Tacoma with an Arkansas license plate. She wanted to kick the metal plate and pretend it was her ex’s University of Arkansas alumni plate. Instead, she pretended to be normal, and climbed in, immediately turning on the seat warmers and relaxing against the leather. She pulled the seat up the farthest it could go; whoever rented before her practically had it brushing against the back row.

She felt like she was back in high school, driving her dad’s truck to Dairy Queen with her friends. Now, she couldn’t even remember the last time she saw a truck. She spent most of her time on the metro or in a yellow taxi. After her and Tyler’s blowup breakup, Harlow declined her full ride admission to University of Oklahoma and accepted a spot at Columbia University. She fantasized about him showing up at the airport to wish her luck; he didn’t. Similar to how she just did, she pretended to be asleep while she cried on the plane to JFK.

Tyler Owens got famous - there was no other way to say it. He was a hot-shot storm chaser with seemingly little regard for the dangers. But Harlow knew; he was calculative and a downright mathematical genius when it came to tornadoes. He completed his degree in meteorology a year early with high honors. He walked summa cum laude. Harlow watched the livestream. When she walked across stage in her powder blue cap and gown, she couldn’t help but wonder if he did the same. Or if he did it when she walked again two years later for her Masters. And again when she walked four and a half years later for her PhD.

She didn’t just run from him: she ran from the town of Clearwater, Oklahoma. Harlow was . . . a smokeshow. There was no denying it. But she was more than just attractive and Prom Queen. She was valedictorian, president of the Beta and Spanish Clubs, the organizer of natural disaster relief programs across the county. But everyone in Clearwater saw her as one thing: Tyler Owens’ pretty girlfriend who would soon be nothing more than a passing face on the street with a baby on her hip with another on the way. And Harlow couldn’t deny that maybe . . . just maybe she would’ve enjoyed that. But there were so many things that she couldn’t do in Clearwater, so many opportunities outside of the county lines.

But Tyler didn’t want that. He found out she applied to more than just UO and laughed at her. He asked what she could possibly want to do that wasn’t already in Clearwater, asked if she thought she’d be able to leave her mom. And Harlow couldn’t answer. She had nothing concrete that she wished for; she had nondescript dreams of moving away. She spent so long being what everyone wanted her to be, she had no clue what else there was to wish for - what else there was to be.

Their argument was one of her core memories, and in the Tacoma, even with the radio on and the thunder nearly shaking the road, she could hear everything like she was there again, that night 2 weeks after Prom as she helped him clean up his gear from his first ride of the season.

Tyler threw his rope down against his saddle. “If you hate it here so much, maybe we shouldn’t be together then!”

“Maybe we shouldn’t!”

The empty arena was completely silent. The groan of the tin roof in the gentle breeze was the only thing that interrupted the tense moment.

He swallowed hard, but didn’t move from his spot a few feet away from her. “Is . . . is that what you really want?”

Harlow tried to shrink in on herself, wrapping her arms around her torso, still wearing his sweatshirt. “I don’t - I don’t know, Tyler. The problem is I don’t know what I want, just what everyone else does. It’s just - you can’t understand. You’ll never be able to understand.” She dropped her arms and opted to lean against one of the bull shoots, the cold, rusty metal grounding her.

He just turned around, busying himself with tightening the straps of his gear. He was silent.

“Tyler-”

He shrugged so hard it shut her up, reaching in his pocket and tossing his keys onto the dirt. “Take the truck. I’ll get my keys and my stuff tomorrow. I’ll call for a ride.”

Harlow crossed her arms, “No, I’m not taking your truck.”

“And I’m not having you staying here in the dark waiting for someone to pick you up. So unless you want me to drive you home, take the damn truck.”

Harlow picked the keys up from the dirt. She cried on the way home then in her mom’s lap. After nearly an hour of listening to her daughter cry, Shiloh James brought her daughter to the family laptop and had her sign into her University of Oklahoma admissions portal and deny her spot. Shiloh looked at her diploma from UC Davis hanging on the wall, “Sometimes a fresh start is what you need most.”

Now here she was, back in Clearwater for the first time in years. The few times she visited before were quick, a few days at most before she jetted back across the country; she never came during storm season, too afraid to cross paths with him or hear his name.

This time, Harlow had taken a month off work to spend time with her mother. All it took was one call from her mom's nurse Kelly for Harlow to book her plane ride home.

Shiloh scolded Harlow when she learned she took a month of unpaid leave. “Honey, you’re being dramatic. Your coworkers need you more than I do here! Honest. I haven’t felt better.”

Harlow playfully rolled her eyes at her mother and cuddled against her on the couch, pretending once again that she was here for different reasons. “Nah, I think they’ll be just fine.”

She was learning she was really good at pretending. But, maybe she had been all her life.

Harlow dropped her mom off at her best friend’s house as was customary per Kelly. Shiloh had long since stopped treatment and no longer cared about keeping distance from her loved ones. So Thursdays became nights for her to spend with Ruth to reminisce on their years together. Harlow planned to spend the night getting drunk and pretending her life wasn’t unraveling, like she wasn’t about to spend the weekend deciding between cedar and mahogany and pine.

Instead, she got a call from a college of hers in New York, Kate.

“Hello?” She answered, not sure what could prompt a call like this at 5pm. The two were work friends, the one the other would drift to during conventions - nothing more. Neither liked talking about anything personal. She could count on one hand the amount of real conversations she’d had with the girl. But perhaps weather could get her mind off the storm brewing in her life.

“Hi, this is Dr. James?” Kate sounded unsure, as though her number may have changed.

After receiving confirmation, Kate started into a spiel about how she was in need of a second opinion on the cells that were forming over the next few days in Oklahoma.

“Wait,” Harlow cut her off, “Are you . . . in Oklahoma?”

Kate swallowed, “Yes, as a favor to a friend. He’s testing out new equipment.”

“I mean - I’m in Oklahoma as well. I can meet with you, if that’s easier. That way I can see the models you’re describing.” Harlow wasn’t sure why she was so ecstatic to help. Maybe she just wanted a distraction, a taste of what Tyler did every day, what prompted him to leave Clearwater just a year after she did.

After half an hour of preparing a bag with her laptop and other essentials for the night she was going to spend at the motel, she was headed towards a town a few dozen miles north. The ride was the same as every ride through the Great Plains: filled with wheat, windmills, and cows. When she finally arrived at the address she was given, Harlow sighed and looked at the backseat, wishing she brought extra blankets. The parking lot was full: there was no chance of her getting a room that night. Nevertheless, she unbuckled, pulling her bag from the passenger side floorboard. She didn’t need to search for the StormParr trucks. They were stark white with the brutalist style logo slapped on every inch of the vehicles. She scanned the group for a second, looking for Kate - or any woman in general.

Kate saw her first, gently waving her over to introduce her to the group. After a while of comparing models and data (most of which was written off by the StormParr team and deemed as rudimentary), Kate got the hint that Harlow was about to snap. In an attempt to mediate, she cut off the tall, broad man while he was in the middle of talking about his data collection, “I’m sorry, but I really do have to run to the restroom. Dr. James, would you mind accompanying me?”

Harlow gave her a thankful look. The two set off to Kate’s room on the second floor. “I’m sorry about all of that. I thought what you said was very helpful. The prediction of rain habits in the area can definitely contribute to the-”

She cut Kate off with a raised hand and a laugh as they ascended. “It’s fine, really. I have a PhD in Climatology. I’m used to being talked over by men. It’s not like they’re paying me, so I don’t really care.”

They were about to start up the second set of stairs when a man called up at Kate, “Well if it isn’t Big City! That was a good call today!”

Harlow would’ve thought they were talking to her if she hadn’t known Kate was surrounded by these same groups of storm chasers for the past couple of days.

Kate rolled her eyes and whispered to her, “Tornado Wrangler crew.”

Harlow felt her eyes blow wide and her blood run cold. She could hear the rushing in her ears and her heart pumping in her chest. Through the ringing in her ears, she heard Kate introducing her, “This is Dr. Harlow James.”

She got the nerve to turn to see the group of people. They looked exactly how they did on YouTube - cool, fresh, and close knit. Harlow felt like she was looking into a portal to what her life could’ve been. Harlow swallowed hard, the world spinning around her aside from Tyler. His eyes were locked on hers, his face giving none of his thoughts away. Harlow wasn’t as confident in her own facial features. Of all the things to come out of their mouths, she wasn’t expecting one of his crewmates to know about her.

“Of course we know her!” Boone laughed, “We use her weather mapping patterns to plan our-”

Tyler’s boot connected with his side, making him yelp in pain.

She felt her stomach jolt upwards. Harlow gripped Kate’s arm, whispering one word: “Bathroom.”

The blonde took her up the rest of the stairs. The second the door was unlocked, Harlow made a B-line for the bathroom, falling to her knees and emptying her dinner into the toilet. Kate stood awkwardly at the doorway to her hotel room, acting like she couldn’t hear her colleague vomiting through the door. She walked to Harlow’s duffel bag and rummaged through it until she found her mouthwash.

She mulled over if she should check on her or leave her be and throw the mouthwash bottle into the bathroom like it was a grenade. She was given a few extra moments to decide when a knock interrupted her thoughts. Kate opened the door, expecting Javier coming up to apologize for his crew’s actions towards Harlow but instead was met with Tyler Owens.

She couldn’t hide her surprise, “Oh, um, hello.”

He looked down at her hand and saw the travel sized bottle of Listerine. He tried to peer around her, but Kate pulled the door. He realized how it must’ve looked, “I came to check on her. Is she okay? She looked like she was about to faint.”

It was clear there was a history between the two, but Kate couldn’t tell what exactly it was. She wasn’t sure if she cared either. But she wasn’t about to leave this girl who she brought over. Kate tried to lie, to say that she was fine and just using the restroom, but a particularly violent gag sounded out.

He looked like it took all of his willpower to not push Kate out the way and run to the bathroom. “I just need to make sure she’s okay, alright?”

Kate went to deny him again, but Javier came up the stairs at that moment, talking without looking until he got right to her door, “Hey, Kate, I want to apologize about the way they treated Dr. James. It was entirely unprofession- oh . . .”

Javier sized up Tyler, whose jaw was locked. He turned to Kate instead. “Where’s Dr. James? I want to apologize personally.”

“Bathroom.”

He nodded in understanding when he heard another gag and Kate slightly raised the bottle in her hand.

“Please,” Tyler pleaded. “Let me check on her. She will dry heave until she passes out. She’s done it since we were kids.”

Kate wanted to say no, but the sounds were not letting up; if anything, they were getting worse. And she was not good with comforting someone or with bodily fluids. She glanced between the two, eventually stepping outside and handing Tyler the bottle. “Leave the door open.”

“Of course,” he assured her before bolting to the door. He knocked softly and was answered by a dry heave. He swallowed thickly, his voice soft, “Harlow?”

She made no noise of acknowledgement. He knocked again to nothing. He tried the handle, and it was miraculously unlocked. Once the door swung open, he was met with Harlow on her knees, arms wrapped around the toilet, dry heaving so hard her back arched up and down. He got on one knee next to her, gently running a hand down her back as he said her name. Her body shook with another heave. He pulled the hand towel off the bar on the wall and ran it under the faucet before wringing it out and placing it across her burning neck. That seemed to snap her out of the cyclical vomit-dry heave moment she was having. Her breathing started to deepen and even out as she reached up to flush the toilet twice. The redness in her face started to recede. She braced herself to stand, but didn’t have the strength to do so yet and almost stumbled head first into the counter.

Tyler was quick, “Whoa, whoa, darl- Harlow.” His hands reached out to steady her against the counter. She took deep breaths as she regained her bearings, running her hands under the cool water. She washed her mouth out, taking a swig of the mouthwash he offered. She splashed her face with water. She rubbed away the residual tears that formed during her vomit spell. Her mascara was still smudged underneath her eyes.

“Can you uh, grab my toothbrush and a shirt?” He didn’t need any explanation as to why she couldn’t get it herself. He brought them to her after practically emptying her duffel bag contents onto the bed. He ran a soothing hand up and down her back as she kept her eyes on the running water. She took another swig of mouthwash and swallowed it for good measure. He closed his eyes and turned away as she changed her shirt.

“You good?” He asked. She wanted to throw up again at how soft his voice was.

She nodded. She glanced up and met his eyes for a brief second before wiping her nose with a strangled laugh, her voice raspy, “Great first impression.”

She wiped up the water droplets on the counter with the towel he gave her earlier, doing anything to not look at him or acknowledge how close he was after a decade of nothing.

“Harlow.” His voice was still soft, but firm. “What did those guys say to you?”

She scoffed and wiped her wet hands on her shirt before walking out the bathroom. “Nothing I can’t ignore. I’m used to it.”

“What do you mean?”

She shrugged, putting her things back in her bag that were strewn across the bed, “The usual. No one taking my models seriously because I was the only female graduate in my PhD program and because I’m the only person using them.”

“I use them.”

She pulled the zipper, staring so hard at her bag Tyler thought it might burst into flames, “So I’ve heard.”

There was a beat of silence. “Why’re you working with guys like that?”

That made her look up, eyebrows knitted. “I’m not. I have no clue who they are. I came here as a favor for Kate. We’re professional acquaintances. It was a coincidence we were both here.”

She said too much with that because he immediately asked, “Why are you back in Oklahoma?”

She kept her response short and guarded, “Seeing mom.”

Silence stretched on for an awkward amount of time. Harlow went back to looking at her bag. Tyler’s eyes never left hers.

“Let me take you get food. You just flushed yours down the toilet.”

“No!” Harlow almost jumped back as she heard those words. “No, no, I’m fine.”

He cocked an eyebrow, “When’s the last time you ate?”

“I ate on the way here.”

“And that’s gone. Before that?”

Harlow tried to do the math in her head. She skipped lunch because she was so worried about getting her mother bathed for her night with Ruth. She picked at an egg this morning but couldn’t stomach it, too aware of the texture of it. She wasn’t about to tell him she hadn’t digested a meal since the night before, so she opted for “A while.”

“I’m taking you get food. Come on.”

There was little reason for Harlow to argue - if she said she was going to bed he’d insist on walking her to her room and then she’d have to admit she didn’t have one, or that she was going to get food herself and he’d insist it was pointless to go alone if he was offering to drive.

That’s how the two ended up at a 24/7 diner, cramped into the only booth available next to the front window where everyone walking past could stare at them. It felt very similar to how Harlow felt when the two were a couple in Clearwater: watched, judged, and laughed at.

The two did not talk. Harlow became more comfortable with looking up, so instead of staring at the plate the entire meal, she was able to get as far up as his nose. His eyes were off limits in her mind. If she looked at them this close up, she was sure she’d feel everything she felt that night in the arena come rushing back.

She wasn’t sure how the two ended up in a pasture across from the diner, but she had made the mistake of looking at his eyes when his hand covered hers when the bill came. And she did feel all of those emotions come rushing back. It felt like their argument picked up right where it left off. The tall grass tickled her legs that were now accustomed to fancy lotions.

“I LEFT BECAUSE IT WASN’T FAIR! IT STILL ISN’T!” She shouted at him, hoping no one across the street could hear.

“What are you talking about?” Tyler scoffed.

“I left because the only thing I could ever be in Clearwater was ‘Tyler Owen’s girlfriend.’”

“Would that really have been so bad? A picket fence? A few babies?”

“No! It wouldn’t have! But you got to be Tyler Owens. Hot-shot bullrider extraordinaire. Loved by everyone. I was nothing more than the town smokeshow, and that’s all I would ever be.”

“You chose to go to college!”

“And look where you ended up! Mr. Summa Cum Laude! Why was it okay for you to go and not me?”

Tyler couldn’t hide the shock on his face. “You . . . you kept up with me?”

Harlow nodded. “Yup. Watched the livestream of you graduating. Even though you started a year after me, we still ended up graduating the same year.”

“But why keep up? You left. You went to New York.”

“I was going to UO at first. Wanted to stay close to you. They were gonna pay for everything, can you believe that?” She let out a humorless laugh. “Then we broke up. And my mom told me to go to New York. Get a fresh start. Turns out I fucked up that fresh start, too.”

He knit his brows. “What do you mean?”

Harlow fell onto the tailgate, her feet dangling. She tried to speak but only a sob came out. She hung her head and squeezed her eyes shut, a tear running down her nose and falling onto the dirt. Tyler walked over slowly and apprehensively took a seat next to her. She didn’t move to bite his head off or push him off. After a few seconds, she was able to compose herself to say the words she’d been refusing to say. The ones she refused to repeat to Nurse Kelly. The ones she knew her mom didn’t like. “She’s dying, Tyler. That’s why I came home - to plan her funeral. The doctors gave her until the end of the month. I-I left and never came back, and now I’m never gonna see her again.”

“Oh, baby,” his heart clenched. Of all the people in the world that deserved something like that, Shiloh was the last one. She raised Harlow alone after her father skipped town when she was two. She baked homemade cakes for him on his birthday and included him in Christmas and donated every penny she could to those in Clearwater who needed it. He wrapped his arms around her, and she broke. She held onto his button down and let out the sobs she’d been pretending to not be holding back, the ones she muffled in her pillow at night so she didn’t wake her mom.

She would’ve continued if it hadn’t been for the breeze she felt. It was warm. Like the ones before it, but different. The heat was weighing the breeze down, not being carried by it. She slowly pulled away from Tyler. He tried to say something, but she held her hand out to quiet him. She slowly dismounted from the tailgate, landing on the ground with a thud. Tyler made significantly less noise when he stepped off. Harlow pulled her hair tie out, slipping the band onto her wrist before leaning down and snapping a few blades of grass from the ground.

“Harlow, what are you-” He shut up when she let go, the blades flying away. He understood what spooked her. He suddenly felt the heaviness in the air, the air blowing her hair in the same direction as the grass. Heat lightning flashed in the sky, illuminating a monster cloud. Tyler grabbed her upper arm, “Get in the truck. Now.”

She nodded, racing to the passenger side just as the wind began to pick up. Heading back to the motel was too risky and too far. The best bet was to find shelter in town. Tyler started down the main stretch of road, Harlow screaming out the window for people to find shelter; if it was just her in her rental, she knew that no one would take her seriously. She had no fame and was no household name, but the red truck she was in gave her all the credibility she needed. Pedestrians heeded her warning and turned, fleeing to the nearest buildings. Power began to flicker across the city, darkness rolling in waves as transformers blew. The tornado siren started its song. Tyler had to intervene by rolling the passenger side window up on his control panel once the hail started, Harlow getting pelted as she stuck her head out to yell warnings.

“The hail is enough extra warning for them, sweetheart. Look for a shelter we can go into.”

Her eyes scanned, but the lack of power made it hard to see anything, even with the flashes of lightning. But then she pointed to the right, “Look! A motel! They most likely have one!”

He pulled into the parking lot, not caring how shittily he parked. But to the two’s horror, there were still three people in the lobby and they were soon joined by a mother and daughter. The young woman was laughing at their nervous state.

“Chill, guys, 9 times out of 10 there’s not even a tornado.”

The other two men were arguing about a bad Yelp review. Tyler instructed her to find a shelter, stating he’d round up everyone in the lobby. Harlow never ran so fast in her life. She checked every room, but found no doors that led to a storm shelter. She felt her heart fall to her stomach as she returned to the lobby to tell them they’d have to try and stick it out there. But out the corner of her eyes she saw the empty pool. “Tyler! Over here!”

He guided them all to the door she was at. “We have to run for it.”

The mother, daughter, and shop owner nodded. The other two scoffed, refusing to admit that a tornado was making its way down main street. Tyler nodded to Harlow and she unlatched the door. It swung off its hinges and flew across the parking lot, then she patted the mother and daughter to go, then the clerk.

“This is your last chance! Come with us!”The two others shook their heads, finally starting to understand the severity, but too scared to venture out. Tyler could not wait any longer; he grabbed Harlow’s arm and pushed her out before going last. They caught up quickly, each helping the other three down the ladder.

Her voice was getting sucked away by the howling wind, “Get to the pipes! Hold on! Do not let go!”

She tried to help Tyler down, but he pulled his arm back. “Absolutely not! Harlow, get in and do not wait for me!”

There was no time to argue. She could hash this out with him when they made it out of this. He grabbed onto her torso and helped her descend. She immediately ducked down, making a run for the pipes. Tyler was right behind her, until he wasn’t: the clerk stood up to see the tornado behind them and got sucked to the middle of the pool. He held onto the ladder, but had to let go and duck when a vending machine flew towards him. Tyler fell to his belly, making his way around the machine, reaching his hand out for the man. But the man ignored Tyler’s warning. He got to his knees to reach Tyler’s hand faster. Harlow watched in horror as the man hit the side of the pool with a crunch before getting sucked away.

She was crying just as the mom and daughter were; the screws of the pipes shook with the strength of the tornado that was rapidly gaining on them. Tyler was slowly making his way back over to the group on his belly. She screamed his name, but it was covered by the sound of a train horn. She hooked her arm through the pipe and extended her body as far out as she could, trying to reach him.

He wanted to shout at her, to tell her to get back against the pipes, that he wasn’t letting her mom bury her, that he wasn’t going to bury her. But if she hadn’t done that, he’d be dead right now. Just as he made it back to her and wrapped her body in his, a truck flew into the pool and wedged itself above them. He could feel her heartbeat hammering; he tried to tighten his grip on her, his biceps protecting her head as he ducked his own. He whispered soothing, sweet nothings against her head.

The winds slowed, but her breathing was still hard. He broke first, trying to move to peek around the truck to ensure they were in the clear, but Harlow moved her hands to grip one of his arms. He squeezed one of her hands and placed it back on the pipe. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll be right back.”

She returned to her death grip on the pipe. He was back seconds later to pry her off and bring her above. The mother and daughter thanked them with tears in their eyes. Harlow knew she should be embarrassed at how she was clinging to Tyler the same way the girl was clinging to her mother. But he didn’t seem to mind. He let her cling to him as they waited for the rest of his crew to arrive for relief efforts. Once they did, he sat her in the passenger seat of his truck. He tried to help set up tables with food and water, but Lily shooed him away with two bottles of water.

She nodded in the direction of his truck where Harlow was on the phone, her body shaking from the adrenaline crash. “She needs you more than we do. Get her back safe. We have it from here.”

He glanced between Lily and Harlow. He wanted to ask if she was sure, but he knew Lily wouldn’t let him leave if they truly needed his help, so he thanked her and went to start up the truck just as she was hanging up the phone.

“She okay?” He didn’t have to ask who it was. There was only one person who Harlow went to for comfort.

She wiped at her cheek, “Yeah, yeah. Not even a drop of rain. She’s with Ruth.”

That made Tyler let out a belly laugh. “Are we sure they didn’t cause this?”

Harlow laughed wetly, “I would not bet money against it.”

When they arrived at the motel, Tyler was adamant on walking her to her room and getting her settled. It was nearing 1AM. Harlow looked at her lap and scratched at the nape of her neck. “So, uh, about that . . .”

He cocked an eyebrow, motioning with his hand for her to continue.

“I was gonna sleep in my rental. There’s no vacancy.”

He looked at her incredulously, “You’re joking, right?”

She stayed quiet.

“So you were just planning on getting here and sleeping in your truck?”

She shook her head, “No, I just wasn’t expecting every storm chaser in America to be at this motel. That or I was going to go home. Kate said there was still vacancy when we talked on the phone. She even verified that there were a handful of rooms left.”

“Well you’re not sleeping in your truck, absolutely not.” He turned his truck off, grabbing her duffle bag he threw into the backseat earlier.

She looked at him questioningly, holding her hand out for her bag, “Then I’m going home.”

“No. You are not driving half an hour in the dark right after you just waited out a tornado in a pool, especially not to be home alone. And you’re not sleeping in the backseat of an untinted rental in a parking lot, especially not one where I have confirmation that there are people here who do not respect you. You’re staying in my room.”

“I can’t!”

“Relax, I’ll sleep in the chair.”

Harlow felt her face flush. “That’s - that’s not what I meant. You paid for the room. You need to sleep in a bed without having to worry about your ex-girlfriend who dry heaves as an anxiety response.”

He rounded the truck by the time she finished talking. He reached over and unbuckled her, grabbing her hand to help her down. He shut the door behind her. “I didn’t care before, don’t care now. Come on, we need showers.”

“I’m sleeping on the chair then.”

“Yeah, sure.” He replied sarcastically.

He all but forced her to go first; while she washed all the dirt and mud off herself, he prepared a makeshift bed on the chair with bedding he found in the closet. It smelled of mildew, but there was no way he was giving her those blankets and keeping the ones on the bed for himself.

When she came out in a towel, he nearly tripped over the footstool he was adding padding to. He slammed his eyes shut and turned around. “A heads up would’ve been nice.”

He could hear the embarrassment in her voice, “I said your name like 4 times but you didn’t respond. I thought you were asleep. I have shorts on, I was just coming to get my other shirt from my bag.”

He felt silly talking to the wall with his eyes closed. “Don’t tell me you mean Throw Up shirt.”

“Okay, I won’t tell you.”

He groaned in frustration, reaching blindly for the pile of clothes he set out for himself. He felt for his shirt and tossed it in her direction. The noise of it hitting the wall let him know he missed, but he heard her shuffling to pick it up.

“Thank you.”

Tyler was about to scold her again when he opened the bathroom door, steam wafting out into the room, but found her asleep in the chair. She was curled into herself, legs pulled to her chest and secured by the mildew blanket. He shook his head in disbelief and pulled at the blanket to try and wake her up. She groaned and pulled the blanket back against herself.

“Harlow. Wake up. Take the bed.”

She simply groaned in response, turning to tuck her head farther against the chair.

“Baby, I’m not playing this game. Take the bed.”

Her words were almost incoherent, but he managed to decipher them, “If I’m in th’ bed, then you will be too. M’not takin’ from you.”

“Suit yourself, then.” He said, placing one arm under her back and the other under her knees, lifting her and bringing her to the bed.

He let her get settled and couldn’t ignore her shivers. He reduced the fan speed on the AC before climbing into bed behind her, his back to the door. He kept distance between the two of them, but she was shaking so hard it nearly turned the mattress into a massage bed.

“C’mere.” He hooked his arm around her torso and pulled her into himself. He was still pulsing with warmth from the shower. “You wouldn’t be cold if you had used hot water for your shower.”

He wasn’t aware if she was conscious or if she was acting on instinct, but she curled up into him, fitting like the puzzle piece he’d been missing for a decade.

Two and a half weeks passed. And so did her mother. Kelly announced her.

Her first call was the coroner’s office. Her second was Tyler. It had been radio silence since that night in the motel. He walked her to her car and made her promise to text her when she got home safe; aside from that, Tyler was trying to mentally piece himself back together enough to go back to never seeing Harlow James again.

The phone hadn’t even finished its first ring before he picked up. She was sobbing and incoherent, but he knew. He promised her he’d be there as soon as he could; he beat the police. He held her as she sobbed for her mom on the lawn as they wheeled her out the house. She spent every moment since that night with her mom, even those nights at Ruth’s. She savored every moment with the woman who raised her, but it wasn’t enough. She had too many memories of New York, and not enough of her mother. Her visits were so infrequent that her mother's weight loss was stark instead of gradual. But she knew if she had the chance to do it all again, her mother would be the one telling her to do it, that in order to find herself, she had to start anew.

Tyler was one of the pallbearers. After he did his duty, he found his place right back next to her. He held her while she cried, while she laughed, and while she sat there blankly. Everyone in town talked about how good it was to see the two together again despite the circumstances. And Harlow found herself wondering if maybe her mother knew this was how it was going to end all along. That she could be happy in this town. That the storm he caused would only be tamed by him.

And maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t be pretending anymore.

#imagine #twisters #twisters 2024 #Tyler owens #Tyler owens imagine #glen powell #zach bryan #song fit #Tyler ownens fanfiction #Tyler owens fanfic #Tyler owens one shot #twisters movie

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skipper19 · 1 month

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Imagine this...

Wade Wilson is and always will be a cocky bastard. And ever since the..upgrade, so to speak, he will always be a little crazy as well. He's also a very good observer. Most people think of Wade as more of an idiot than anything, which isn't necessarily wrong, but he's not completely ignorant either. He makes astute observations all the time.

Especially after he met you. A hobby of his includes people watching. He enjoys making guesses and hypothetical observations about people based on how they perform naturally. This became especially true after he met you. It wasn't under the best circumstances, that's for sure, but it's a story for another day. Basically, you killed him (if he could die), and he became obsessed. Simple as that.

No, it's not really because you.. incapacitated him. People are after his head on a platter all the time. It was more because you did it on accident, isn't that fun?

Wade was chasing some poor robber down the streets. Chasing is a bad word for it. He was more like following him. The poor asshole decided to steal some ladies' purse, but Deadpool happened to be nearby. The man gave chase, and Wade began to happily skip after him down the streets of New York.

He was happier than usual because Spider-Man had requested his help in New York, hence why he was there in the first place. This was unfortunate for the robber. Wade happily unsheathed his sword as the robber backed himself into the dead end of an alleyway. "Alright, macho, I've got plenty of time to teach ya some manners. 'Cause honestly, it was so rude of you to take that ladies shit. Like, you didn't even ask. I can't let you walk around with a bad attitude like that!" And his joke would have been perfect, say the line and then cut off one of his legs. But he didn't get to the punchline before a heavy metal bucket fell onto his head.

The robber didn't hesitate to take his chance and run as Wade's neck snapped, and he fell to the ground. He wheezed as he blinked, struggling to move. "Oh.. oh, this isn't fun." His voice sounded as if his lungs were being squeezed. He couldn't move anything but his eyes and mouth, so he couldn't turn his head to see who was running out of the side door to the building.

Quick footsteps approached his folded body, and he could see their feet. Or rather, their shark slippers. "Oh my god.. Oh my god. I just killed a man." The voice panicked. "Ah, don't worry about it -" but he was cut off as your foot came flying in contact with his nose. You screamed and covered your mouth, eyes wide as you eyed the man on the alleyway outside your apartment.

His neck snapped in a way that made your gut queasy, and his, now broken, nose looked funny, pointed so far to the right. Even through his odd mask, you could tell it wasn't a pretty one. You didn't mean to kick him. It just happened! You thought he was dead, and then he talked, and he sounded so casual that a natural fight or flight picked up in your brain and...well yeah.

..now you're dragging him into your apartment elevator. He was heavy, and you couldn't tell if it was because of his suit and armor or because of his own body weight. It was probably both. Luckily, the landlord just recently got the elevators fixed. You might have given up the moment you saw the stairs if they were the only option.

Now you were really doubting your decision as you stared down at this masked man on your couch. Basic respect kept you from pulling up his mask, and anxiety kept you wondering if the couch was too uncomfortable. You then had to remind yourself that you broke his fucking neck before dragging him up here. A deep sigh escaped your lungs, and you moped to the kitchen.

It didn't take long for your cup of coffee to brew, and you hummed in delight as you smelt the beverage. It may have been too late for caffeine, but you really needed a pick me up after the day you were having.

"Oh damn, I love that brand! Can I have some?" Wade's voice startled you, and your glass slipped from your hands. Got coffee poured down the front of your cotton shirt, and you gasped in pain before dropping the my. The noticeable cracking of the mug slipped your mind as you hastily pulled your soaked shirt away from your skin. You did NOT need to be burned on top of everything today.

Wade kissed hissed and held a fist up to his mouth, tilting his head as if he had been the one burnt. "Ah, fuck, really didn't mean to scare ya toots." Ironic, you thought to yourself. It was way past that point after breaking his neck and-

.. wait, he looked fine. No, that's impossible. Surely you just couldn't see him properly because of the dim lights in your kitchen. Or maybe it was because of his suit. Oh! Perhaps you were dreaming, and all of this was a big nightmare.

"Uhm..nope, I'm very real princess." Wade's voice cut through the tense silence. After a few more seconds of staring at him, your eyes rolled back, and you stumbled to the floor. Wade wasn't even slightly fazed by this. He's had worse reactions to a first meeting with a stranger.

"And you haven't even seen my face yet, sweetness." He mumbled as he kneeled down next to you. He debated on what to do for a few seconds before huffing and shrugging his shoulders an 'oh well.' He stood back to his feet and opened your cabinet to find a clean mug. "Ohh~ I haven't had good coffee in ages!" He spoke to your unconscious form in excitement, pouring the hot liquid into the yellow mug. Wade smiled as he downed the coffee in one gulp, the steam coming out his nose. "That's the shit right there.." Wade belched with a nod.

And that's how he met his shy girlfriend..

-------------------------------------------------♤

Months went by, and it wasn't long before Wade Wilson was wrapped around your finger. He would randomly appear in your home and stick around for hours at a time. Most nights, he wouldn't stay all night and would get out of your hair as you went to bed. Eventually, he came around and began sleeping on your couch.

This evolved into the big idiot coming to you after every mission, no matter the shape he was in. You became used to his company, and luckily, you grew used to the sight of blood and gore pretty fast. Even better, you enjoyed his personality. He was surprised with how fast you grew comfortable with his insane rambling and odd comments to "the audience past the screen." He found his feelings for you to start growing out of proportion.

Once he realized just how down bad he had gotten for you, he was very bold about his feelings. He wasn't trying to hide a single thing around you, especially his adoration for you. One thing led to another, and you both began to date.

After he brought you home blood-soaked take out bags and got down on one knee like he was going to propose to you. Outside of your home. Where all your neighbors could see, of course.

Despite the rocky start, it was a hit. The relationship between you both blossomed into a happy routine. But this didn't mean you grew out of your shy personality. Since day one, you have been quiet and reserved. And not in the way that you were keeping secrets. You answered any questions Wade had for you without missing a beat. But you would never initiate things unless he did. You never asked to see his face. You never once stated you wanted to know his career. Hell, Wade had to tell you himself that you should be angry with him for dragging blood into your apartment.

Wade was definitely the opposite. He was cocky, loud, flirtatious, funny, and if he had something to say he would fucking say it. He didn't need someone else to do it first. Perhaps this was mostly because he was an impatient man, but also because he had never been afraid of conflict. Hence why he became a mercenary in the first place. Plus, the money was damn good, too.

On one of the more slow days, Wade had decided to stay in your apartment and just wait for you to return home from work. You hadn't texted or called since your lunch break earlier, but he simply thought it was because you were busy. Surely you would call him on your way home, like you always do, to make sure he didn't need anything at the store. But your call never came.

Instead, Wade heard the front door quietly open and close. He smirked softly at the soft footsteps in the entrance hallway. "Took you long enough short cake! I was getting worried thinking about ya, I didn't want to have to eat dinner without my favorite dessert around." He would often tease you like this, and every time you would respond with a shy smile and a fond eye roll.

It was a beautiful smile.

And Wade felt his heart drop when he looked over his shoulder, peering over the back of the couch, to see you standing there. Your cheek was swollen, a slight cut on your lip, and a distant look in your eyes. There is no trace of the sweet girl he loved so much. You looked so numb at the moment.

Wade didn't hesitate to stand from the couch, but his actions made you blink out of the trance you found yourself in. You glanced at him and looked down at the floor, eyeing the trail of mud you tracked through the house. "I'm sorry.." You mumbled. Wade didn't get to say anything before you kicked off your shoes and started walking to your bedroom.

Wade silently followed you until he was standing in your bedroom doorway, watching you change into something more comfortable. You were moving like a zombie. He hated it. He was so used to your timid and slow movements because that's who you were. But this was..this was heartbreaking.

"I'll, uhm.. I'll clean up the mud after I change." You mumbled, pulling your arm through the hole of the T-Shirt. Wade stepped forward with a sigh. "Honey -" "I can cook dinner after, I meant to stop and get groceries on the way home but..I got sidetracked." You interrupted him, your quiet voice sounding forced. Almost as if you were holding back tears.

"Baby, stop -" But you interrupted him again when you attempted to push past him, probably trying to go to the kitchen. Wade gently gripped your arms to keep you in place as he stood in front of you, blocking your way. Your gaze stayed planted in front of you, as if you were looking through him. Wade leaned down so you would finally look at him. He could see the bruise forming under your eye better now. And something in his gut twisted painfully at the sight.

"What happened?" He said softly. You shrugged, and your eyelids fluttered softly. "It-It doesn't matter now. It's over, and I just want to relax." You sounded like you were trying to make yourself believe it more than Wade. And his eyebrows (or rather, where his eyebrows would be if he had any hair) furrowed, and he held eye contact with you. "What. Happened?" He was more stern this time.

Perhaps it was his serious demeanor that caused your facade to crack and crumble. He was never this way, even when he returned home missing limbs. The concern in his voice tilted your already fragile state. And you began to sob. Wade hadn't expected such a turn in emotions so fast, and he pulled you into his chest. He easily ran his fingers through your hair as he waited for you to calm down. Maybe Wade wasn't a patient man, and he was definitely too cocky for his own good, but when it came to you, he dropped all of this and just became Wade Wilson.

The man before the tests and experiments, before the laboratory and cancer, when he was just himself. And he loved that you did this to him. You put the scrambled pieces of his mind back together by just being with him. By loving and supporting him. And Wade would be damned if he let this situation go. He would stay and put your own broken heart back together. He didn't know what happened, but he could take a guess. And it wasn't pretty.

Especially for whatever asshat decided to lay their hands on you. But Deadpool could worry about that later. Wade Wilson was more worried about his girlfriend at the moment.

He soothed you and rubbed circles on your back, allowing you to cry into him. It was just you two in the whole world right now. And that's how you liked it. Everything else could wait until later.

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just-a-ghost00 · 1 month

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What is the nature of this connection?

I will probably do another PAC reading like this in the future. Decks used for this reading : Threads of fate shadow version, Journey of love oracle, Rumi oracle.

Group 1 - You've been thunderstruck !

Power, Higher perspective, The Creator, 22 Loving all that is, 18 distant shores, 19 Shakti, 34 Layla, 18 A new gown, 23 Star mother Arrakasis

Right from the get go I am getting strong twin flame vibes from this group. The twin flame connection, in my opinion, is one of the most challenging ones spiritually. It completely uproots and changes your perspective and beliefs on relationships, on love. It impacts the way you see yourself and deeply transforms you. Chances are that whenever you interact with this person, you feel both deeply moved and incredibly inspired. They ellicit intense reactions from you, whether it's an energy that pushes you to love and embrace or one that urges you to resist and challenge. In many ways, this connection makes you question yourself and the world. It can trigger a lot of self doubt, depending on where you are in your journey. But it can also feel very empowering. Many people who claim to be in such connections often mention that they were struck by the other person's gaze. That looking at their eyes, they just knew something incredibly special was unfolding. Though they couldn't point out what it was. Looking at their eyes, they instantly felt like this person knew them at their very core and likewise, that they knew this person though they barely met. I guess this type of connection matches the saying "love at first sight" very well. I believe that going through such a deep spiritual awakening, cause that's one of the key features of such bonds, would definitely feel like being struck by lightning. There were a few things that caught my eye when I read through the different booklets for each card. When it comes to Power and The Creator, they both refer to a source of energy, to creativity and one's inner power. These two cards were depicting a wooden object emmitting a source of light, wieled by a hand. So in a way these two energies are mirroring each other and mirroring is also a common theme in twin flame connections. For the Journey of love oracle, the three cards had a common theme of change and shift in someone's energies. They were mentioning how confusing and sometimes painful our spiritual awakening could be. And that also is something I would attribute to twin flames. Such connections can be so triggering that they make you doubt your intuition or your vision. As our wounds are being healed, we sometimes may feel the urge to revert to our primitive ways, to hide again behind the masks we thought we'd gotten rid off because it is so intense a part of us wants to run away from it. Again, I recall a person telling about their journey, saying that this connection was so intense for them they had struggled with depression to the point where at some point they decided that for their own good they would cut ties with the other person.

As for the last three cards, Layla was speaking about the feeling of being left in the dark, not knowing whether you were going in the right direction as the outward circumstances weren't reflecting the subtle changes going on in the 5D. Whereas A new gown refered to the triggering effect one's spiritual awakening could have on other people, who did not know how to react to such transformative changes in people's energy. And the last card mentioned how, though the outside world may not be a reflection of who we are and may not understand us, we have to keep having faith in ourselves and fight for what we believe in. All these descriptions can match the twin flame experience, as it can often times make one feel like no one around them understands what they are going through. It is such a unique experience that not many people can relate to the feeling. And even in the TF community, there are differences in opinions as to what this connection is and is not. Each TF journey is special and unique to the people who experience it.

Group 2 - I believe I can fly ~

Ascension, Versatility, The Warrior, 6 Angel of Jupiter awaken, 47 Soft, 9 Heart of God, 10 Celestial rose of Ma, 21 Sacred phoenix heart, 25 Beyond the threshold of fear

This to me feels like a soulmate connection but I wish to investigate further before jumping to conclusion as their may be more clues in the cards that will help us clearly identify this connection.

First of all, the elements linked to the Threads of fate cards are : Ether, Air and Ether again.So this feels like a very lighthearted, up in the air kind of thing. The kind of connection that would give you the so called "butterflies". Chances are that, in the presence of this person, you would feel very cheerful, like you're floating on a cloud. In the presence of this person, you would tend to take more risks, feel bolder. They give you wings to do things you would never do alone. This is the type of connection that can sometimes make you out of balance and a bit obsessive because of how addicting it may feel. In this type of connection, you're constantly on a spiritual high. You may suddenly feel hyperactive, restless, you may act differently from what you are used to because this person brings out the unfiltered version of you. Whether you're at a high or a low in your life, this person makes you feel unstoppable and encourages you to do better, to be better, to reach new hights. And I guess such feelings can match the energy of a soulmate connection, whether it's a platonic or a romantic one.

Another thing that caught my eye was the number of certain cards. Especially the contrast between the 6 and the 9. For some reason it reminded me of the Yin Yang symbol. And though this symbol isn't particularly specific to soulmates, it reminded me of how often times people referring to their soulmate would say that they were the opposite of them but they perfectly matched them. That they felt like this person could bring out the best in them because they embodied what they were not and thus highlighted what they needed to work on. I myself have been in soulmate connections, both platonic and romantic. And that is definitely something I relate to. These people would enlighten me in how different they were in their lifestyle, in their energy but also in their upbringing. I think I learned the most from these types of connections because it always felt exciting. No matter how harsh the lessons were, I always enjoyed it because I knew it made me better and it strengthened our bonds. This is the type of connection that never makes you second guess yourself. There is little to no doubt left in these types of connections because both are very eager to be in the presence of each other, no matter what it takes. This is also the kind of connection that may be unsettling to others. For instance, your friends or family may be skeptical of this connection because from an outer perspective it looks like two individuals that are so different would never get along. Think of duos like Naruto and Sasuke, Goku and Vegeta, Sanji and Zoro ; for those of you that are anime fans. These characters seem like they are worlds apart from another and yet, somehow, not only do they make the best team ever but they are also insanely close despite appearances.

The Beyond the threshold of fear card was really special to me because at the end of the interpretation, it mentioned wings and that idea of soaring high. Which really matched the vibe I was getting. This connection is one that challenges you in a positive way and helps you reconcile with your fears. It is one that is soothing and exciting. Every moment spent with this person feels like an adventure in itself. The cards number 10 and 21 were mentioning the utility of pain as an indicator of progress and how important it was not to fear it. The card 21 specifically mentioned the feeling of deception we can be faced with when things don't go as we'd hoped. This made me think that maybe some of you were hoping that this connection would be a romantic one or just a completely different type of connection. And to that I have to say that I can understand the feeling, though I encourage you not to underestimate the power of the love of a platonic soulmate. These connections are incredibly precious and must be valued at all costs.

Group 3 - The way you make me feel...

The Sovereign, Withdraw rx, Trust, 18 A new gown, 2 Passion for purpose, 10 Celestial rose of Ma, 33 God speaks, 6 Angel of Jupiter Awaken, 47 Soft

The energy of this group is interesting. Because it feels like a mix of Group 1 and Group 2. And upon first glance, it feels difficult to attribute a label to this connection. And maybe that is the whole purpose of it. This is the type of connection that doesn't need labels. Above anything, what matters in this connection is how you feel about one another and the teachings you receive from each other. I feel like the first meaningful purpose of this person is to be a spiritual guide / teacher. And they would like you to remember them this way. To them, what matters is not whether you are together or not, whether you are viewed as lovers or friends, but whether you can grow together or not. In presence of this person, you are gently pushed to stand in your true power and embody who you're meant to be. This person gently takes your hand and guides you on the way to your purpose. They teach you how to get out of your shell and trust life and people, including yourself. So really, this person could be anything to you. They could be a soulmate or a twin flame, it doesn't matter because in both cases, they are your soul teacher. Chances are that this person awakens new interests in you or reignites passions that you left aside for fear of not being good enough. It could be that this person has a similar background and/or their spiritual journey is similar to yours. In terms of awakening, they are slightly forward. They are maybe a few steps ahead of you because they've done their leap of faith. They took a step aside and risked everything, while you are on the verge of doing that. This person gives you a comforting presence to rely on as you are going through this transformative stage of your life. They are here to reassure you and uplift your spirits in times of struggle. In their words and passionate rants, you may find echoes of your own thoughts or innate desires. In their speech, you may find guidance from your angels and guides. You may idealize this person a lot and view them like a mentor, more than anything else. This connection is one that teaches you how to see your own value and assets, how to nurture yourself and give yourself the opportunity to shine in your own beautiful and unique way. A connection that helps you find your footing and calling in life. You may find that you and this person have common interests, hobbies, life circumstances. You may be amazed at how similar you are. Compared to the image of a mirror evoked by TF or the image of complementary opposites associated with soulmates, it's more like this person is a replica of you. The only difference is that they are in a higher resolution. Meaning, they're maybe wiser or more skilled because of their experience and how far they've come in their journey. This person can be, in your eyes, an ideal version of what you wish to embody as a person and serve as a role model. Signs that this could apply to you might be : there is a significant age difference between you, if you are of similar age they're either more advanced in their career than you are or their life has made them more mature, for some reason height difference seems significant as well. Another sign is that this person makes you feel incredibly safe and supported. You feel a calmness around them that you feel with no other. They ease your mind and make you forget about your worries. They make you want to believe in yourself. They reflect back to you an image of you that is positive. They make you feel nurtured and understood. This may be the kind of person that you have no problem speaking about personal issues with and may think afterwards that you are over sharing information. They are likely to soothe your mind with positive affirmations, to give you compliments unexpectedly. Your inner child feels very at ease with them.

Group 4 - I'm still loving you <3

The Revolutionary, The Weaver, Shadow, 8 Yin Yang lover, 22 Loving all that is, 36 Cosmic butterfly, 30 Whirling goddess, 44 Merciful mother Jamal, 10 Celestial rose of Ma

Okay first of all for some reason I kept thinking of group 1 when asking the question "What's the nature of group 4's connection with the person on their mind?" as I shuffled the cards. Also, cards from group 1 kept wanting to interfere in the reading. So if you hesitated with group 1, this is your sign to check this group's reading as well. I'm getting multiple vibes from this group and this may be because of the small amount of choices to pick from. But to tell you my honest feeling, I picked up on karmic soulbonds the most. I also thought of romantic soulmates and twin flames. One thing is sure, this connection is singular by it's intense passion. The carnal desire for your person is the strongest in this group. This was not as strongly depicted in other groups. The reason I am picking up on karmic ties is because of the intensity of the first three cards combined together. And also the imagery on those cards. Specifically the snake and the bat. To me, these animals evoke Karma. This connection is a very fiery and challenging one. You may often argue with this person or feel the need to compete with them. This person tends to bring out the parts of you that are unhealed, the ones that are the most unperfect or challenging. There is a lot of energy surrounding cleansing, releasing blockages and fears. They may trigger fealings of jealousy or envy within you. You may often feel compelled to compare yourself to them or to the people around them. They also tease you a lot and appeal to your sensuality. Chances are that you feel more attractive, hornier around this person than around others. In some ways, they can make you feel powerful. There seems to be a push and pull, runner/chaser dynamic between you, which can be associated with the Twin Flame journey. But I feel like this can also be applied to very passionate soulmate connections or karmic ties. You would do the most shadow work being with this person compared to other connections because they really push you to your limits and ask of you a lot of patience and resilience. There can be a bit of mind games going on or instances of power play. Of course, a lot of flirting as well. This connection teaches you the importance of self worth and boundaries. It also teaches you that you shouldn't have to fight for what is your right, that what is meant for you will naturally find you through the laws of attraction. Above anything, this person's purpose in your life is to ignite a rebirthing process. They are the spark that will light your fire. If you're feeling depressed or apathetic, chances are you feel the most alive around this person. Also, a lot of times, you may feel like this person is unpredictable. You never know how they're gonna react or what they think or feel. There's a lot of repressed feelings and energy, a lot of second guessing yourself and the other. There's a lot of uncertainty and confusion around what this means to you, where you'd want it to go, what this person's role in your life is. If this is a TF connection, you're likely in a dark night of the soul stage and probably not in contact with this person. If this is a romantic soulmate or a karmic tie, you could be going back and forth with them. Or you're currently in a phase where you have a hard time communicating and understanging each other, handling each other's mood swings. This could be enhanced by other circumstances in your life like issues at work or problems with your family. Ultimately, this connection teaches you the meaning of compassion. It asks of you to stand firmly your ground without using violence or manipulation. If this is something you resonate with, a time of separation might be needed to gain a higher perspective on this connection but also to find a healthier dynamic between the two of you.

#just-a-ghost #pick a card #pac reading #spiritual pac #oracle cards

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acesw · 4 months

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Reverse: 1999 : Disabled Characters

The game doesn't stray too far on the neurodivergent allegory for the arcanists themselves. But at the same time, there are also inclusions of other characters who are very much known to be disabled. So for this post I'll delve into that, just a bit.

Now, there are 10 characters that I want to put in the spotlight. These mostly lean towards being canon, but a part of these are also researched upon and shortened so the post doesn’t become way too long.

Cristallo, Rabies, Erick : Chronic Illness

It's quite self explanatory that Cristallo herself has a chronic illness. She was born prematurely, with an added condition that makes her physically fragile. As seen in the game, she needs a life-support system to maintain her health when she's outside. It's also implied that her condition may be a recurrent cancer, as her arcane abilities are tied to a machine that provides cobalt therapy, a known advancement in radiotherapy in the post-WWII era.

Rabies is an odd case. In his stories, it's noted that Adam cured Alicia through unknown means at the cost of contracting rabies himself. However, instead of the virus being acute and guaranteed to be fatal, it becomes a chronic illness to Rabies due to the abundance and use of arcanum. And since the rabies virus attacks the brain, his cognitive capabilities and ability to recall things before the present had been impaired, making him rather docile and animal-like in nature as a result.

Erick, as revealed in her anecdote, has a hereditary blood condition that came with her arcane skill. With her arcane skill making her physically powerful, overusing it will accelerate the effects of her blood condition to the point that it can become fatal. To prevent this, she also inherited an armband from her grandfather, Harald. The armband suppresses one's ability to use arcane skills, but by extension it also prevents Erick's condition getting worse.

Shamane : Amputee

Shamane's circumstances are also self-explanatory. He lost his arm for unknown reasons, but after having lived without it for 20 years, it doesn't bother him anymore. However as we know, he crafted his prosthetic arm as a means to avoid scaring kids. (which I think is quite cool in itself)

Ms. Radio, Bessmert : Blindness

Ms. Radio and our new friend, Bessmert, are both canonically blind. Ms. Radio has stated that she cannot see, and asks Vertin to left in places where she can feel temperatures to make her feel at peace.

And as we know, Yenisei (or in other words, Yenisei's VA) has stated in the 1.6 livestream that Bessmert is known to be blind, but even with that, she's a great researcher and guide to her.

Mesmer Jr. : OCD [Content Warning: Mentions of Self Harm and Suicide.]

Mesmer Jr.'s character has heavily implied throughout the main story and her own to have OCD as a result of the traumatic experiences she had gone through from her field of work and her family’s history in it. She identifies that she has "incurable" anxiety, which causes her to think differently about arcanists and act a little irrationally from our own perspective. This anxiety results in double checking everything and having a slightly intensive routine.

This routine is created as a means to maintain herself and her own sanity, but an imbalance or interruption can greatly upset her. As a result, she has conflicting ideals, experiences hallucinations and panic attacks, has suicidal thoughts, and actively inflicts self harm as a means to cope with her anxiety. However, she’s calmer and at peace with herself when she's left alone in a quieter and clean space, away from others, and where nature is heard more than constant buzzing. In short, Mesmer Jr.’s mental health is really complex and would be better if it's explored in a separate post.

Baby Blue : Alice in Wonderland syndrome

It's no secret that Baby Blue has Alice in Wonderland syndrome, or in other words dysmetropsia. This affects her perception of reality and her ability to recall, but this in turn makes her arcane abilities all the more powerful. As a result, she doesn't realize that she's growing up, yet it seems she doesn't mind that much. This doesn't seem to affect her physically either; In fact, it has a heavy influence on how she displays her arcane skills.

Poltergeist : Social Anxiety

Poltergeist has been known to be anxious in social settings which conflicts with her people-pleasing tendencies. She's also insecure about herself which adds up to her not wanting to be directly perceived. At the same time, she doesn't like being left alone as a result of having been ignored and forgotten post mortem. Poltergeist is also elaborate (i.e. not wanting to be looked at for too long) yet awkward at the same time when communicating them.

However, I'm not sure how to describe Poltergeist's case quite well, but the idea of her having social anxiety resonates greatly in my mind, so it can be treated as a partial headcanon.

Balloon Party : Autism and Speech Impairment

Balloon Party as a child had contracted an illness that caused her to have a persistent high fever. In the end, she awakened her arcane skill this way, with her being able to cough up balloons that can be harmful or a cure to anything.

However, it might have also affected her speech because of the physical strain that comes from coughing, it results to BP's speech being a bit slow and having abnormal pauses before she speaks again. Though, this also might be a sign of her possibly also having autism, where rigid and uneven language development is a common pattern in how autism affects one's ability in communication. Her speech also has a pattern of echolalia, having a flat tone, and lack of control of it.

However, speech impediment isn't everything about autism, and there's a lot more about BP's character that also connects with it such as her special interests. I can better explore this in a different post, which will be explained below.

Last Notes

These are the characters I’ve written down, most of these are less headcanon and more of observations I’ve found when looking into these characters. Some people from the lore chat have also added their own insights on some of them. (Thank you lupjo for beta-reading through it and helping me out)

Of course, there are a few more characters I want to discuss because of the implications of them having autism / ADHD, but these will be written in another post in the future because I still need to research and gather other information. Additionally, it would be an opportunity to talk about the connections between an arcanist’s and neurodivergent person’s relationships with modern society.

Congrats for reaching the bottom of this post, and feel free to add your own ideas or headcanons about the characters here and/or any other ones.

#reverse 1999 #cristallo reverse 1999 #erick reverse 1999 #rabies reverse 1999 #shamane #mesmer jr #baby blue reverse 1999 #poltergeist reverse 1999 #balloon party reverse 1999 #i still have difficulty explaining these things #time to disappear for months again

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starnightlover · 1 year

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You are consciousness

“Reality exists in human mind... and nowhere else.” - George Orwell

You are not your body, you are not your mind, you are not your thoughts, you are not anything but imagination. You are pure Imagination. You are consciousness/ God/ imagination/awareness. None of those things are attached to any reality or circumstance. Nothing whatsoever is outside of you, so anything you truly can think of is within you. All of the things you experience are within you. Everything you see is within you from your room to the experience you just had with a friend. Manifestation is not a process you go through. Your desires are done the moment that you imagine them, the moment you first conceived them. States, affirmations, the void, or anything can really think of work because you believe they work, you are aware that they work. Your awareness is what keeps all of these things working for you in your favor. Your imagination is natural and enough just to have your desires come to you, all you need is your awareness because you are the I AM! No matter what your awareness will cause your desires to show up because you are imagination, and Imagination is what creates all of reality. 3D and your 4D are both inside of you. The 3D and the 4D are one, there is no separation, no not one. You are awareness experiencing itself. Take a look around you everything you see is you it is all pure Imagination. All things exist within you, all things exist because they are all imagination, and everything is imaginary. You can conceive of anything thus it exists within you which makes it real. Anything and everything is available to you because it is imagination and you are imagination, You are consciousness there is nothing you cannot have.

#law of assumption #manifestation #neville goddard #affirmations #manifesting #consiousness #edward art #non duality #nondualism

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jweekgoji · 2 months

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Yandere!Five/Reader.

wow how long has it been? two years since I wrote something for TUA? I still haven't rewatched it since I'm finally catching up with breaking bad but I hope I'll rewatch TUA next week or so. for some strange reason I feel that weird feeling like I need to come back to my fav fictional family with bread and milk and concentrate on it ughhh. when I rewatch it I will check that requests I had before for TUA and will finish them!

tw: yandere Five, unhealthy obsession, mentions of the reader's death, Five has ZERO moments of peace here, angst, controlling Five, mentions of Five's childhood, sort of happy ending?

I'm probably describing my thoughts sooo bad don't be mad please

Like we know, Reginald wasn't afraid to use his own «children» for every heroic mission. Bank robbery? He'll make a 14 year old kids deal with it. Some villains are trying to cause problems? Well, another time to test Number 1's leadership skills, no time for a happy childhood, kiddos! And that is basically what their life is.

Basically, the only source from which they can get the feeling of being needed, loved by the public, and recognized, if not by their father but by the citizens. Reginald trained them well, as long as there are 6 of them, they can deal with any kind of problem. I mean, come on, they're THE Hargreeves, one of the strongest people in the world who have unique superpowers, it's not like something might go wrong one day.

Five was always the most compatible member of the team, always trying to be the best. Despite only being the fifth in the ranking, it doesn't stop him from showing off every time he taunts another criminal, making them lose their minds in attempts to catch him.

It was another day when he and his siblings would find a criminal to deal with. Everything went smoothly, as Luther would discuss the plan with everyone. Klaus and Ben would be outside waiting for the signal, Allison and Luther would be the ones to distract the criminals from the hostages and Diego should disarm them before causing any serious trouble. Five would be the one who would save the hostages.

I think his abilities help the most in such situations. He can teleport any person away in just seconds and lead them into safety, no one would even notice. And if something happens, Five is capable enough to fight by himself.

You are the last hostage he protects now. He had already saved more than 10 people non-stop before, and for some reason, his powers refused to work. It's not like he is weak or something, no, no, just give him some time to catch his breath, and he will continue in a moment! He can't let someone see him like this, let alone let his father find out about this little problem.

He would huff and puff about it, probably imagining how Diego or Klaus were teasing him, how Five was losing his cool and accidentally forgetting how his own powers were working due to what a pretty little hostage Five talked to! And they're close to his age too, so it would be natural for his age to get shy and awkward in front of someone cute he found~! Well, at least it's exactly what he imagines hearing from Klaus after the mission.

Five wasn't quiet around people, usually. He enjoys talking with his siblings, well, with some of them—and he finds it amusing to toy with criminals.

For some reason, he is quiet around you.

Of course, he would try to reassure you that everything is fine, he is a good guy here, and soon enough, you would be safe. The only thing you have to do is just listen to him and follow his lead.

He didn't suspect everything, of course, and was so full of himself even at such an age, thinking nothing would go wrong. You were around his age, and naturally, despite being an arrogant little brat, he did find you quite cute. Maybe, if he had a different life, he would have approached you in different circumstances.

But Five learned the hard way that he's not the strongest and could never be the number one. He would never be able to save everyone. He just stopped paying attention for a one damn second, and the next thing he heard, was a gunshot. Five could feel your hand slipping away from his own, and he would look back just in time to see you almost stumbling, only to catch you in his own arms. Blood painted his dark blue uniform in red.

After that incident, Five became more obsessed with the idea of time travelling. If at first he wanted to prove to his father that he is capable of much more, to show that he's actually much better than everyone, this idea also feeds off his guilt. His first mistake, the only time he failed to do his task. And he just can't let go of it, no matter how much Viktor tries to tell him that it's really not his fault, that he couldn't predict it.

And then, during dinner, he runs away, despite Viktor silently begging him not to do it. Then he blinks again, again, and again, until it's nothing but ruins surrounding him. Until The Handler decides to pay him a visit, expect that he will probably be much more calculative and controlling. 40 years of being alone did it's horrible job on his mind, every day trying to survive while thinking about a possible way out of this situation. Maybe, if he makes much better calculations, he will actually succeed. But being away from humanity for so long makes him crave human contact, he already had that mannequin, Dolores, he could find, talking every day to her about how he actually missed his family, how he wants at least some kind of sick normalcy he had back in the academy. At least he had a place to live without worrying every day about his own survival.

During these moments, where he actually gives himself some time to be weak, he wonders would he still do this if you were still alive? Would he still risk everything just to make his father proud?

He didn't know much about you before. The police shortly said that day that one of the employees had a child in the building, and they were taken hostages by the villains. You were around his age, a young, probably promising student in your normal school, with caring parents and friends who worried about you. Something he craved deeply, even though he would have never admitted it.

When he couldn't have teleported you away safely, he led you through the second way out. He can tell you were scared. Of course, who wouldn't be? It's not like you were used to it. He isn't the gentlest person, more like focused on the business and how to end it all as fast as possible. But you were shaking mess, asking from time to time if it's safe or is actually everything okay? Five, in his some kind of nonchalant and gruff manner, would only nod, reassuring you that his siblings probably dealt with the villains by that time.

You looked so normal for him. You had no powers, no one made you train every day just to bend you into their high expectations, you didn't have to compete for someone's love and approval. You acted like he's just a normal person too, never bothering him with questions about his brothers or a sister, not trying to peek into some secret life of the Hargreeves family. Do you even know who he is?

Eventually, he can't remember who exactly started the dialogue. Was it you, who just wanted to talk about something so boring like your school life, or like that you probably skipped a few classes and missed a math test? Or was it him, remembering his trainings how he should try to make the worried and scared hostage less afraid by making a small talk with them? He's too old to remember every single detail. But he certainly remembered that he at least listened to what you said to him. That he was actually looking at you, giving you his full attention.

Maybe if he was born into a normal family, he would have had a chance to live that normal life with you. But that would be too kind to wish for, wasn't it? Now, that his hands are covered in blood of so many innocent people he had to kill, asking for a normal life is impossible. Even after taking hundreds of lives, he still can't understand why is the sight of yours in his hands any different? He thought he would be used to it by now. What kind of evil God makes him see it over and over again, in every goddamn timeline?

First, it was a villain killing you right in front of him. Second, it was the Swedes who killed you the next day they saw Five trying to talk to you. He almost lost his mind when he spotted you living near the same hotel where his siblings and he decided to stay. But once again, the more problems just followed, leading to another damn disaster to take you away.

When he lost his powers, he didn't know if he should feel relieved or more concerned about it. Of course, that means that he probably has to find Reginald, to get more answers about what the hell happened in this new universe. But that also meant that he finally has a chance to live like a normal person too. Like you did.

He was unfamiliar with this world. He felt lost, humiliated most of the time now that everyone treat him like he's actually younger than he is. At least people stopped treating him like a child, yet he still has to deal with someone underestimating him. He has to find a job, a place to live, for God's sake, how the hell is he going to live without any documents here?

The fate seemed to be connecting you two once again, as it seemed. You would meet him accidentally, one time you just saw him visiting a café you were working for and the same process would repeat again. This time, he would actually remember every single little detail. He would approach you first, carefully and as politely as he could. He still thinks that if he makes even the smallest mistake, he would experience your loss once again. This time he won't screw up, he would plan everything strictly to his scenario. Your meeting, your first date, your first 'I love you'. You might think he's just the most perfect guy you ever met, which actually... would not be so far from the truth? ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

#yandere x reader #five hargreeves #five hargreeves x reader #tua x reader #yandere five hargreeves x reader #yandere tua #yandere the umbrella academy #yandere five hargreeves #yandere number five #number five x reader #number five #five hargreaves x reader #five hargreeves imagine #yandere imagines #tw yandere #male yandere

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glacierclear · 3 months

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Disorganized rambling lore dump for Eden (sorta for my own reference, for the purpose of categorizing thoughts!)

Exploring the concept of a werewolf who doesn't know they're a werewolf and lives in constant denial, despite all the warning signs.

D&D lore seems to revolve a lot around "rejecting" or "embracing" your lycanthropy and I thought it would be interesting to conceptualize a character that rejects it so thoroughly they don't even know they have it.

Eden Glee was the youngest sibling of a strong and resourceful family. They didn't have a lot. They lived within their means, and relied on one another. Eden was playful. Mischievous. Ventured too far, took miscalculated risks, and frequently caused trouble for their family. Eden was always an unlucky child.

They met the wolf alone one night. In an attempt to free the poor creature's leg from a trap, it attacked them, marring their face and inflicting them with lycanthropy. They managed to run home, crying and telling their family that a strange dog had bit them in the woods, unaware of its true nature.

On the night of their first transformation, their family was killed.

To them, they were the sole survivor of a vicious attack, not realizing they were the true culprit.

Wherever they went, death followed. They fled to towns. Villages. Remote settlements. Every month brought new corpses. Of course, they came to the most obvious conclusion.

With motivations unknown, the beast must have followed them, bonding on the night they had met.

So, Eden chose isolation. They ventured east, building a home for themselves in the deep forests of Cormanthor. They became self-sufficient. The further they were from people, the safer everyone would be.

Time lost structure. In the years spent hiding, months intermingled, and gaps in their cognition blurred. It no longer felt odd to lose days' worth of memories. That's just how the cycle worked when you lived alone. Surely, this is just that "cabin fever" people would talk about.

Every so often, they'd stumble upon new carnage. A desecrated animal corpse. A ripped up tree trunk. The remains of unfortunate wanderers passing through the woods. All reminders that the beast still lurked. It still followed.

And it was easy to take things as they came. To dismiss changes in their body as explainable phenomena.

Staring at the moon made them uncomfortable now. The light almost itched the blood beneath their skin. But they had always preferred the daytime, anyways. The only reason they were in this mess to begin with was because they were out past dark. It made sense to grow wary. Silver burned and stung their flesh. Mama's necklace had to be sealed away in a box. But their big brother once developed a strawberry allergy when they were young. It wasn't outside of the realm of possibility that this was a similar case. They had always preferred the look of bronze, anyways. Their family would grow wolfsbane. It made excellent poisons, and they'd pick the flowers to decorate their hair, even if it numbed their hands and tingled their scalp. But now, just the sight of it horrified them, triggering an almost guttural, vicious reaction. But...grief manifested in strange places. Perhaps the reminder was too painful, even after so long.

But, worse than anything else, they just missed the world. They missed friends and laughter and warm fires shared with those they loved. The weight they shouldered was heavy, but as long as the beast still lived, they would not risk another. God, they could not lose another.

They were beyond seeking answers. The best they could do was manage the circumstance. Ward away as many as they could. Keep people out.

Maybe there was no explanation. No reason for why this happened each and every month. That was just the nature of bad luck.

And throughout the years, that had never changed.

Eden was always an unlucky child.

#oc #eden #oc lore

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ronwestbreeze · 1 year

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you're gonna go far | 3

pairing: jake sully x neytiri x tsu'tey x fem!human! reader summary: a scientist arrives on pandora (unwillingly) a year after the exile of the rda. now she must deal with the likes of a clan leader, a great warrior, and a thanator rider. . . word count: 8.2k warnings: depictions of depression (not too explicit)

read on ao3

The view of Pandora from the sky should’ve been amazing. Your heart should’ve leaped many times over as the Samson ship flew over many beautiful sights of nature. It should’ve finally occurred to you that you were on the planet of your dreams, that you were witnessing the life of Pandora, mask and all.

Instead, you just stared at the world as if you weren’t in your own body. Floating outside of it and looking down at yourself. It hurt that you practically didn’t recognize yourself anymore. And you wished you could blame it on your current circumstance but even before you were brought to Pandora, before your mother’s forest had withered away, you had always had this familiar feeling. This dislike of what you were becoming.

Bitter. Resentful. The child-like wonder, long gone. You hated what you saw. You hated how so easily you believed back then that your own mother would’ve abandoned you—forgotten you simply because she was on a different planet. How selfish could you have gotten?

You had been burying yourself in jealousy while your mother was already six feet below you.

In the corner of your eye, you spotted Jake flying next to the ship, on one of those winged creatures. You hadn’t noticed Norm, who sat across from you, watching your expression with a frown. You hadn’t realized he’d seen the dullness in your eyes, the exhaustion making you way older than you were. You weren’t even that old actually—but the world aged you. In a way, no one should have to experience.

“They’re called ikrans.” You dragged your eyes toward Norm who nodded his head toward the creature Jake was flying on. Both of you watched as he flew by and took to the front, leading the Samson ship. “It’s who the Na’vi bond with for life. And their way to get around. It’s a lot better than walking, I can tell you that.”

He chuckled a little while you nodded absentmindedly, barely taking in the information he was giving you.

“You’ll definitely appreciate the life here a lot more when you’re steering your avatar.” Norm added on after a pause.

Okay, he must’ve noticed your lack of interest at some point, right? Why was he so adamant to have a conversation with you? What exactly was he trying to accomplish?

Your mind spurred slowly as you finally watched him, both warily and with interest. Maybe you could take advantage of his talkative mood and gain some type of understanding here. Maybe it would help your mind focus on anything else at the moment. That always helped. Forcing your brain to hyper-fixate on something else besides your own psyche.

“Tell me about the war.” You finally said to him. Norm raised his brows, startled. “Clearly, I have no idea what exactly happened a year before I arrived. And DeVoe didn’t either, considering she thought she would win against the attack on our ship. Clearly, she forgot that a lot could happen during five years of cryosleep.”

With that, he nodded, “Yes, you’re right.” You watched his thoughtful expression turn to sorrow, as his gaze went back to the view below them.

A view you should’ve been looking at too. But for some reason, you just couldn’t bring yourself to do it. It hurt too much. It would only keep reminding you…

“There used to be this place called the Kelutral.” Norm began, finally, drawing your mind back to him. Refocusing your gaze on his grim features. “It was this big tree that the Omatikaya used to call their home until the RDA destroyed it for a bunch of unobtanium that was buried beneath the tree. Basically, the rich fucks took their home away and that caused the war that led us into exiling the RDA off this planet. Jake, who was considered an outsider before, helped reunite the other clans to defeat them, Toruk Makto. Because of this title, he was accepted into the Omatikaya, despite being a Sky Person as well.”

You watched him with a frown, taking in the brief, summarized story. “So what, should I become some great warrior to impress the natives too?”

“Couldn’t hurt.” Norm shrugged with half a joking smirk but winced right after. “Don’t know if there’s a lot to choose from though.”

You scowled, not really in the mood to match his playful response, “And Sully knows what it’s like to be an outsider yet acts like a total dickhead still? Some guy.”

Norm awkwardly scratched the back of his head, “Your arrival did kind of spook us, and it happening a year after the RDA were gone too—it was just bad timing, really, Doc. I’m sure once this all cools down then Jake will, I don’t know, get his head out of his own ass and finally get it. But right now, he’s just—they’re all scared. And I can’t necessarily blame him for that either.”

Somewhere, behind all this anger, grief, and exhaustion, there was some part of you that did understand it.

But rationality was hard to come by now. Being reasonable was far from your grasp—in fact, you kicked it away out of spite. Every bit of you just wanted to embrace this anger, embrace this frustration.

You did not ask to be put here. To you, at this moment in time, that was all that mattered.

You were wronged. You were kidnapped. You weren’t responsible for what the RDA had done here—nor what your mother had accomplished on this planet. None of it had anything to do with you.

And for a brief moment, this selfishness felt right. There was no self-hatred for what you felt here. Because you were right to be pissed off at your situation. And no one was going to make you feel bad for it.

Norm didn’t. He took to being neutral. Understanding your side and the natives—which was somewhat fair. At least he didn’t completely write you off as some sort of destructive lost cause.

At some point, Jake maneuvered from the front of the ship to the side of it, gesturing for the pilot to land. You braced yourself as the Samson lowered itself to the ground, the trees flying around you from the spinning blades of the ship.

Once the ship was securely on the ground, you followed Norm off the ship just as Jake landed his winged creature—ikran—in a tree a few feet away from you. After adjusting the exopack you wore—again—Jake landed on the ground and flicked his head in the direction straight head.

“This way.”

The forest was vast and big around you. Perhaps even a bit scary if not for the natural lighting of the plants—bioluminescence—surrounding you. If your mind wasn’t so distracted, you would’ve thought it was absolutely beautiful and ethereal. Unlike anything you had seen in your life.

As you walked, many small creatures flew around you. One of them was a flying lizard which glowed along with the forest. A kenten, you remembered them from your mother’s videos. It flew around you for a bit until it moved on. For a moment, you watched it until you couldn’t see it much anymore as it flew further and further away.

You tried to will some type of amazement. Some type of awe. But nothing came to you. Nothing at all. So, you moved forward, forcing yourself to forget the flying lizard and focus on what was ahead of you.

The clan’s new home must’ve been close by since Jake decided to make them walk the rest of the way to it. Norm was still beside you, also in human form which was slightly comforting. At least you wouldn’t be the only puny creature here.

When you began spotting huts in trees, that’s when you realized you must’ve arrived. The first few practically blended in with the nature of Pandora. But as Jake led you deeper, more huts began to appear, more visible as you walked by. Natives were out and about as well. Children, women, and men alike.

Now you really felt small. Almost pathetic. Being among the Na’vi constantly reminded you of this. Even the children sometimes towered over you. The smallest one that you passed had to have reached your shoulder, and she looked young. Seven years old at least.

Jake glanced over his shoulder at the two of you every now and then, making sure that you were keeping up and that he didn’t lose his eyes on you. He wasn’t the only one watching you keenly, some of the natives did as well. Making you feel both self-conscious of yourself and rather irritated. It was like they wanted you to snap at them.

Next to you, Norm whispered. “The Tsahik, Mo’at, is pretty wise. Basically, everyone looks to her as a spiritual leader. A spokesperson. Interpreting the will of their deity, Eywa.”

“So why does she need to see me?” You questioned as Jake led the both of you to a hut, stopping just at the entrance of it.

Jake looked at you—his face still unreadable—“Wait here.” And he ducked inside. Leaving both you and Norm outside.

The scientist shifted next to you, “Probably to determine whether or not Eywa has truly chosen you.”

“Chosen me?” You repeated incredulously.

“Well, Neytiri did say that those woodspirites—atokirina—were around you earlier.”

“So?”

Norm frowned exasperatedly, “To them that means something. Which means your odds might not be looking too bad now.”

At that, you rolled your eyes, trying to ignore the long curious looks sent your way by the natives. “You’re all more worried about my odds than me.”

He didn’t respond despite the question in his frown. You didn’t offer an explanation.

A minute or two later, Neytiri came out of the hut instead of Jake. She still held a thoughtful yet wary expression when looking down at you. “The Tsahik will see you now.”

Norm gave you a pat on your back, “Good luck.”

Again, not offering a response, you followed Neytiri into the hut, not before hearing Norm say behind you, “I’ll be out here if you need me—"

Inside the Tsahik’s hut, it was pretty spacious—probably because everything just looked much larger to you than it actually was. There were a lot of earthy materials—the air smelled of smoke, herbs, and spice of sorts. Unlike anything you’ve ever smelled on Earth.

A part of you expected this from a Na’vi shaman, so you didn’t observe too much of the space you were in.

Instead, you focused on your busy mind. Your walls going up to defend against any accusation attacks or insults that would be sent your way because of your species, because of your unwelcomed arrival here. Observing the unique hut wasn’t much of an option when your eyes settled on the woman at the center of it.

She was sitting on the ground, eyes focused on something in the wooden bowl she held in her four-fingered hand. She had yet to look up at you, but she didn’t tense at your presence. Not like how Jake did in the corner of your eye—whom you just now noticed standing near the entrance of the hut.

How you had missed his tall blue ass, you didn’t know.

Your mind had been too blurred and defensive as soon as you stepped in. Not realizing until then that you were standing in front of the Tsahik of the Omatikaya Clan.

Suddenly, you felt intimidated. Like the type of intimidation, you were sure you were supposed to feel while facing Jake. Only you didn’t with him.

But with her? No, there was something about her that exuded something far more powerful than some scary Marine. She hadn’t even said anything yet and you for some reason stiffened at the sight of her.

Mo’at turned her attention to you. “Come, sawtute. Sit.”

Cautiously, you came forward and sat where Mo’at pointed. Neytiri had come inside shortly after, taking the spot behind Mo’at. Watching you and her keenly. You realized while looking at both Na’vi women, how similar they were.

Jake was still standing near the entrance.

All eyes were on you.

And you truly realized then that you were alone. That, essentially, everyone was against you. The way each Na’vi eyed you carefully, as if watching for any sudden movements, the same as the first time you met both Jake and Neytiri at Hell’s Gate.

You realized that the only person who had been in your corner was gone.

It was you against Pandora.

Something suddenly pricked you, interrupting your bleak thoughts. Mo’at held a needle of sorts which was now red with your blood. You watched as she gave it a sniff and then a lick, something you would’ve cringed at if not for your and everyone else’s silent anticipation. All you could do was sit silently, spine straight and protected by steel.

Ready to fight for yourself because no one else would.

Mo’at then peered down at you, “You know who I am.”

You blinked at the question, “Norm told me, yes.”

She made a sound of content with your reply.

Another beat went by as she stared at you, “Tell me about your dying planet. Tell me why you have no interest in making our home yours like your clan.”

You stopped, staring at her in bleak surprise. That certainly wasn’t something you were prepared to answer. Again, you blinked and Mo’at stared at you expectantly.

Unsurely, you finally replied, “It’s like you said. It’s dying. I don’t know how much simpler that can get for you. Saving our home—it’s a naïve dream. That’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? Humans killed our own planet and now we want to claim another, just to fuck that one up too.”

Neytiri’s tail moved slightly behind her. In the corner of your eye, Jake stiffened—the only former human here who knew what you were talking about. Who understood what you meant, where you came from, and your position.

For some reason, that only made you angrier at him. For some reason, now he wanted to pretend that none of that happened. That you, just like the RDA, were just as bad. Without even trying to understand your side.

Mo’at raised a hand as if silencing your bitter thoughts. “I didn’t ask for ‘we’. I want to know why you aren’t following your clan’s ideas. What makes you different from the rest of those sky demons?”

Still confused and now annoyed, you respond anyway, “Because I have no interest in trying anymore.”

And you paused, remembering your mother’s songcord in the back of your pants pocket. You moved your gaze down to your hands, which were clutching your knees until your knuckles were practically shades lighter than your skin.

“Back on Earth, my mother—she believed in the hope that she could save it by starting small. Never mind the hundreds of years of wasted pollution or deforestation, she believed there was still a way to save it. So, she created the Amazon Project. There was still a small patch of land in Brazil left untouched. She took the opportunity to nurture and protect it. Since I was young, I’ve been working under her. Watching her succeed in her project. Until she passed it down to me. To care for it while she left for the Avatar Program. And I was happy to do it. I wanted to see my mother’s work flourish even if she wasn’t at my side. I did it to make her proud.”

Again, you paused, resisting the urge to reach for the songcord to distract your hands. Despite your trembling, your voice remained steady, “Five years later, RDA agents tell me she died a year into her stay there. Her forest is gone too. By fire. Deforestation. As all the others.”

Mo’at was quiet but thoughtful. Neytiri was staring at you still, her expression less wary, less—almost no severity left there. She was listening, closely. The way her ears twitched every now and then was a sure sign of it.

You couldn’t see Jake’s reaction, your gaze going back down to your hands again.

Until Mo’at finally spoke, “And now you are here. Yet you have no interest in following your clan’s path. Because you have, ‘given up’. Now I am told that we cannot escort you off this planet. So why should my people trust you to stay here—”

“I didn’t want to be here.” You were tired of saying it. Tired of fighting for your innocence here. Fighting for them to see that you too were wronged here. That you were the victim, not the monster in all of this mess.

If anyone was to blame, it was DeVoe.

But DeVoe was dead. And you were left fending for yourself.

And you were angry all over again.

“The RDA wanted me to come here and continue my mother’s work. I refused and they brought me here against my will. They tried to get me to buy into this bullshit lie that my mother wanted this, when really they were just desperate fuckers who wanted to get their hands on her work. I destroyed it. No one, not even me, could use it. And if you’re not happy with that explanation either, then do what you want with me—I don’t know how many times I have to say it. I’m not here to take anything. I’m not here to live among you and I’m not here for the Avatar Program—if killing me is all it takes for this shit to end then just get it over with already—”

You missed the way Neytiri frowned, confused by your words. You missed the way Jake winced and looked away from your smaller hunched figure. You missed the way Mo’at nearly chuckled at your words. Because it was always amusing how many didn’t realize how the Great Mother worked. Even when it happened in front of them.

The flaps of the hut entrance yanked open as two Na’vi figures stepped inside. One of them you recognized as the clan leader, Tsu’tey?—while the other was an older woman with a sling across her chest. And in that sling was a sleeping baby.

His eyes found you and his scowl worsened, “What is this?!”

“Tsu’tey,” Neytiri warned as she stood. She moved around Mo’at while saying something to him in their language.

He ignored her and looked to Mo’at, “Why is the demon here?! I already said it isn’t welcomed on our land!”

“I called her here, Olo’eyktan,” Mo’at responded simply, looking increasingly similar to Neytiri as a sort of warning appeared on her own lithe face.

Even Jake stepped forward, placing a hand on the male’s shoulder in an attempt to calm him down, “Just be calm. Mo’at—”

“We agreed the demon would be gone!” Tsu’tey snapped, now glaring at you again. You stared back impassively and for some reason that only seemed to piss him off. “And now you’ve shown her our home and endangered us all!”

Neytiri then hissed at him in their language. You watched both of them quietly go back and forth, Jake even adding input every now and then. Whatever it was they were saying, Tsu’tey didn’t look too happy about it.

“The atokirina has given us a sign.” Mo’at interrupted the three in English as she gestured to you. “Allow her to explain her intentions to the Olo’eyktan and then we can decide—”

“It is already decided.” Tsu’tey snarled. “She leaves—”

“There’s no ship we have that can send her back,” Jake informed calmly. He glanced toward you for a beat, something settling in his yellow gaze before looking back at the heated male. He continued whatever he said to try to persuade the chief in Na’vi. His use of the language wasn't as natural coming from him—which, you noted, showed he hadn’t been experienced in their language for long now.

Neytiri also grabbed and squeezed at Tsu’tey’s arm as she spoke, this time her words sounded a lot more clear instead of quick with a hiss like before. She too was trying to persuade him—or perhaps you weren’t reading their body language right. After all, you were practically the only one in the hut that didn’t speak the language. Who knew what they could’ve been saying about you—which was slightly irritating.

The nameless woman, whom you had forgotten was there until you spotted the vicious scowl she sent Jake. She was older, around the same age as Mo’at. Had to be. And she was holding that baby in her sling close to her chest, protectively almost. Like there was no way she would let the infant go, not even if someone dared to ask to hold it. Hell, you weren’t even sure if the baby even belonged to her.

But she did look eerily similar to Tsu’tey. Same scowl and all.

And the baby, despite the chaos, was still sound asleep.

There was a certain innocence at the sight. Something so pure about it.

“You claimed to have left the Sky People.” You tore your eyes away from the baby to find a restrained-looking Tsu’tey now peering down at you. “And that you do not want our home. Then what is it that you want, demon?”

Another question you weren’t prepared for. Frankly, you didn’t think they cared for what you personally wanted, even if they got over their fear of you destroying their home like the RDA had done.

Jake and Neytiri now stared at you expectantly. Neytiri’s gaze curious while Jake, as usual, was guarded.

Mo’at also watched you, keenly. Like she knew something you didn’t.

And the nameless woman continued glaring at you with pure and utter hatred.

“Since I can’t go back home. I don’t know.”

Maybe you’ll lay down next to your mother’s grave. Until you turn into a rock, keeping her company.

Tsu’tey scowled, his tail lashing behind him. “That’s not an answer.”

“Well, I don’t know what to fucking tell you. I just lost the one person I ever cared for—so yes, that’s my answer. I don’t know.” You never broke eye contact with him as you said this. Even when he leered at you for your response. There was a certain bite to your words, especially when you said, “God, it’s like you all haven’t fucking lost someone before. Sorry, if my grievance is such an inconvenience to you all.”

Jake winced at this while Neytiri lowered her head. Tsu’tey didn’t appear phased by the comment but his face noticeably grew more hostile, baring his teeth.

Unbeknownst to you, the nameless woman, Artsut, suddenly hissed in offense for her son, “Are you going to let that demon talk to you in such a way, son? You are Olo’eyktan! Put that alien in her place!”

“Be calm,” Jake warned her with a certain look that meant he was not in the mood for her and her unnecessary comments right now.

But of course, Artsut bit back, “You do not get to tell me to calm down, demon! This is your people! You brought her here, it is your fault for this!”

Jake scowled but swallowed his venomous response down his throat.

Because he knew she wasn’t wrong. His presence alone already made some of the natives uneasy. Toruk Makto or not. And he knew that it could draw more Sky People here one day, after pushing the RDA out. The inkling of vengeance they might take on him and the people never left Jake. Not even when he thought he was finally at peace.

“The Tsahik decides what to do next.” Neytiri reminded the woman with a stone look sent her way. “You do not interfere.”

She refrained from screwing her face into a scowl at the sight of Artsut holding Neteyam. But she could not deny her right to hold her grandson. Not even when it made her sick at times.

Instead of bringing attention to it, Neytiri pointed toward the entrance, “Leave. Take our son to bed. You are not needed here.”

Artsut scowled and looked at her son, “Tsu’tey! You let her dismiss me like this? Your own mother?”

Without looking away from you, Tsu’tey muttered, “Take Neteyam, mother. I will find you later.”

With a huff, Artsut raised her chin, sending you another glare as she said, “I hope you kill that demon where she sits. The Great Mother will forgive you if you at least get rid of one stain on our land.”

In the corner of your eye, the woman left finally, and whatever she had said clearly angered Neytiri and made Jake go quiet as he watched her leave with a solemn look.

“What will you do with her then, Olo’eyktan?” Mo’at questioned in English.

You still didn’t look away from Tsu’tey, almost like a silent challenge between the two of you.

Mo’at watched the both of you. All four of you.

Until someone cleared their throat.

At the sudden sound, all of you turned your attention to the hut entrance, finding Norm standing there looking just as puny as you.

“Dr. Reeds can stay at Hell’s Gate with the rest of us—she doesn’t have to be here if you don’t her here. And since she’s a scientist, Dr Patel can take her on. She’ll be out of the way.” Norm offered, carefully when he took in everyone’s different expressions. Including yours.

She’ll be out of the way.

“Thanks, Norm.” You snipped dryly.

He sent you a pointed look. You rolled your eyes but willed yourself to stay quiet. Mostly, because you didn’t care for all of this anymore. You said your peace and now you were done explaining yourself.

All you wanted to do now was sleep.

You almost missed Tsu’tey’s reply as your mind began to drift, “Away with her then. If I see the demon again, I will deal with it my way.”

There was a shudder through your body at the finality of the conversation. But you remained quiet, staring down at your hands, remnants of dirt still left on your fingernails and palms.

The world had gone too quiet, even when you halfheartedly watched everyone’s mouth move. Only for nothing to come out of it but soundless silence.

Eventually, you were allowed to follow Norm out of the hut and back into the village. Getting ready to leave for Hell’s Gate. At some point, you were floating outside of your body again.

Until Norm spoke next to you, “I think that went well. I’ll have to talk to Dr. Patel and arrange everything—but all in all, you’ll get situated just fine. Plus, you still have your avatar—hey are you okay?”

You barely heard his question or anything prior to that. Your knees buckled and your mask began to fog up from the hot tears rolling down your cheeks.

You weren’t wailing. You weren’t shouting. You just cried on the forest floor with quick breaths and a racing heart.

“Dr. Reeds?” Norm knelt down beside you. “Are you—what—”

You just shook your head and continued crying, clutching your shaky hands to your chest. Letting everything you held back in the hut slam into you like a tsunami wave. Overwhelming you. Disarming you and your walls.

“Okay,” Norm mumbled, looking around. Fortunately, you had made it far enough away from prying eyes. He then patted your back, “Okay—Okay, if it helps, I’m here for you. I won’t go anywhere, right? We’ll sit here until you’re ready, yeah?”

You didn’t get out of your bed for the first few days.

Norm showed you your new room after coming back from your visit with Mo’at. Since then, you stayed there.

Fortunately, no one came to get you. Norm only came around to drop off the food you barely ended up touching.

At some point, you realized that there was just no way you could get out of bed. Everything finally came crashing down. The anger still simmered with your situation, but at this point, there was nothing you could do about it. Even if you could go back, there was nothing waiting for you back at home.

Your mother’s songcord lied on the dresser next to the cot you slept on. Sometimes you’d stare at it and other times you’d get so angry at the sight of it that you’d throw it into one of the drawers. Leaving it there until you quietly panicked and took it back out again.

You hadn’t left the room. The world of Pandora was out there and yet you were here. You couldn’t move. Your body was stone.

And you were fine with being stone.

At least the skin would be harder to break this time.

“It is not your fault,” Tsu’tey said, pulling Jake out of his swimming thoughts—nearly drowning if not for a hand always latching onto him, keeping his body dangling above the waters.

When Jake tore his drifting gaze away from sharpening his arrow, his mate was sitting next to him, eyes soft but face set in a determined frown. As if Tsu’tey made a mission for himself. “I will not let you blame yourself for this. I do not care for my mother’s words and neither should you, tiyawn.”

In response, Jake offered a short nod, not entirely trusting himself to speak at the moment.

Guilt wasn’t a stranger to him. He would live with this until his body was buried somewhere on this planet. He would live with this guilt for the rest of his life.

For Grace. For Neytiri’s father. For Tommy.

Suppose all of this started with his twin brother. Suppose it always did.

“I will always be human,” Jake said to both himself and Tsu’tey, clutching the arrow tightly in his grasp. “That’s never going to change. And I gotta live with that.”

Tsu’tey took his hand—the one gripping the arrow—and squeezed it gently. “I know this. Neytiri knows this. Neteyam is half of you. And half of us. You have proven yourself, Jakesully. Long ago. We have not forgotten what you have done for us. What you’ve done for me.”

Jake winced and looked away.

It wasn’t selfless—saving Tsu’tey after the battle with the Sky People. He had only done it because he didn’t deserve the title. He didn’t want the title. If Tsu’tey lived, he would still be Olo’eyktan. And Jake would just be the Toruk Makto. Nothing more and nothing less.

It wasn’t selfless. It wasn’t.

There was one tablet in your room. At some point, you dragged yourself from the cot and grabbed it.

Turning it on, you searched the system for Joan Reeds.

Her video logs came up. The public ones at least. The ones you destroyed were private. Only for you to see in the end.

This video had to have been when she first arrived. Maybe a few days later.

“Log—um, wait, what day is it?” Already your mother looked frazzled as she searched around the public lab she was in. “Oh! Found it! Video log 10. Today, I got to run around in my avatar and gosh, it’s so jarring how small everyone is—or how small you are. I keep tripping over myself so Dr. Augustine has me putting in more work. Says I’m not useful if I’m always falling on my face. Jokes on her, I’m always falling on my face…I probably won’t be allowed outside of the Avatar Compound.”

Joan laughed at herself in the video. Your heart tugged at the twinkle in her eye as she kept going on and on about her week so far. You listened intently, ignoring the plate of food sitting on your dresser.

In another video, Joan steered off updates and instead took out a tablet. Showing the camera a picture of a forest.

Her forest. On Earth.

Joan was smiling brightly here, “This is the Amazon back on Earth. Or what’s left of it, still preserved under my daughter’s watch. I taught her everything she knows. My very own little shadow. You know when she was smaller, she always used to follow me around. And I mean all the time. Hence the nickname I gave her.” She paused, the smiling faltering a bit. “She doesn’t do it anymore—has a doctorate and everything. My baby’s all grown up. And so, so, talented.”

“Reeds, you’re supposed to be logging. Not crying over your baby photos again.” A voice said in the background.

Joan pouted, “I know, I know. Alright, here come the boring parts—”

“Reeds!”

“Kidding, kidding!”

The video stopped. She never did get to the boring parts.

You stared at the screen in silence. And then you replayed the video. A few more times that night.

Tsu’tey felt small whenever he went to see Mo’at.

Most times he was always accompanied by either Jake or Neytiri—sometimes both—or to bring a warrior who needed healing after a bad hunt.

But when it was just him, it was always different. It had been this way ever since he was young. She just always had this air of importance about her—royalty even. Sometimes—all the time—she was often regarded highly over the Olo’eyktan. Tsu’tey even saw her as the true ruler over the Omatikaya, even before he was named their chief.

It had gotten better, visiting her in his young adolescent years. However, that was only because of their shared grief and the loss of Sylwanin years before. It was easier to be around someone who understood. It was the same with Neytiri. The intimidation was lost because of this.

But now things have changed. Too many things.

After the war, after the battle with the Sky People, Tsu’tey didn’t remember the end result. He never saw them win. Not when he was shot down by one of the Sky People. All he remembered was falling from one of their flying ships and falling back into the arms of his home. Readily to embrace his impending death. Ready to greet Eywa.

He remembered Neytiri crying over his body. He remembered trying to make Jake the next Olo’eyktan. And then it was just darkness. Nothingness. For a moment he could’ve sworn he saw Sylwanin.

And then he woke up with Mo’at crouched over him, hard at work at his severe wounds. Wounds he was sure he would’ve died from. Should’ve died from.

Tsu’tey had lived through the war and came back with nightmares and aching scars in his wake. Sometimes wishing he had stayed asleep for good.

Then the pain would be gone. Then the strange tightness in his chest would go away. Then he wouldn’t have to keep experiencing his breath shortening and his heart racing every time the world spun just a little too much or he’d pulled himself—half a man—out of another one of his nightmares.

Then he wouldn’t have to suffer.

Then he would be at peace.

But a gentle hand always pulled him back. Lifting him out of the ocean. Keeping his head just above the waters, just enough that he could breathe.

Neteyam’s eyes held him in place and stopped his world from spinning.

The world got a little brighter because of his little boy. Because of his mates.

So, when Tsu’tey visited Mo’at on the day of one of his healing sessions, there was always something to keep his head floating above water.

Today it was Neytiri who had his hand against her cheek, running fingers down his arms softly as Mo’at massaged the healing wounds on his back and chest. Last night it was Jake, who hugged him tightly after waking up from one of his nightmares. The day before it had been Neteyam. And the day before that, it had been unintentionally you. His rage for the Sky People kept him grounded.

And tomorrow, he didn’t know what it would bring. He would just have to leave it to the Great Mother. And pray that she doesn’t want him to suffer.

Slowly, you began to eat again. And that was a start.

By the third week, you began doing little exercises in your room.

Push-ups. Sit-ups. Planks. Anything to make your mind start moving again.

It wasn’t perfect. You knew this. But you tried.

One day at a time.

Neytiri and grief were friends.

There was nothing difficult about her emotions or how she expressed herself. Neytiri felt everything. And she could not stop feeling. She could not stop understanding.

So she understood Tsu’tey when he changed after Sylwanin’s death. Neytiri had changed too.

She understood Jake when Grace had died in his arms. Her father had died in her arms too.

She did not want to understand Sky People. She did not want to feel sympathy for the people who stole everything from her. She did not wish to feel sympathy from those that stole her sister away and as if they weren’t greedy enough, took her father and her home from her as well.

And she was tired because of it. She just wanted peace. She just wanted to raise her children and be with her mates. She did not want to worry about those demons coming back and destroying her home, and her life again.

Neytiri was just so tired of it. Being stuck in this never-ending cycle of grief.

Was this the path the Great Mother wanted for her?

Was she just never meant to be happy?

“Hey.”

Neytiri perked up and turned to find Jake watching her curiously. She had forgotten where she was for a moment. In the forest with her bow and Jake. Ready to hunt.

“You here with me?” Jake asked, smiling at her.

And she returned the smile, her chest warm. “Yes.” She then gently smacked his arm, “Now focus. We need dinner for tonight.”

She was always standing at the edge of the cliff, the water staring back at her below. There was always a weight that she held onto, with such desperation. She wouldn’t dream of letting it go. She wouldn’t dream of letting them drown.

So she always held tight. She would be the tether.

The following week arrived. You managed to take a shower and finally leave your room.

Today you were just numb. And you would work with that.

Hell’s Gate was a vast place that you wanted to map out and fully explore. If this was the place you would be stationed/forced to stay at, then you needed to understand the layout.

You started at the administrative centers; passing the Operations Center and a few link rooms. Some people nodded to you in acknowledgment as you passed while others ignored your existence, being too focused on their work—which you didn’t mind.

Eventually, you made it to one of the bio labs. There, you found a few more people—which you assumed were scientists. You passed another link room—Norm mentioned these places a few times whenever he stopped by your room to try and pull you into a conversation.

You lingered there for a minute. Watching two people enter the link beds. By the time they were closed in, you moved on.

The Avatar Compound was of course the last place you visited. You ignored your mother’s old lab and sauntered toward the gardens.

There was a lot more browning than you saw before. Most of them were dead, others were on the verge of dying. It looked pathetic, really. How some of them stood limp. Nearly touching the ground.

You frowned at the sight, fingers twitching.

You moved on.

“Do you guys have a library here?”

Norm looked up at you, eyes alight with surprise at the sight of you, “Um, I don’t know anything about a library. What are you looking for exactly?”

You frowned, tucking the tablet from your room under your arm. “You worked with the former head of the Avatar Program, Grace Augustine. She has a book on the plant life here. I was wondering if this place has a copy lying around somewhere.”

“Light reading?” He asked with a raised brow.

You shrugged, “Something like that, yes.”

Norm nodded with a smile, “Well, like I said we don’t really have a library—but I actually have a copy of her book. I'm a big fan myself. I could lend it to you if you want.”

“I’d like that. Might be a while before I give it back though.”

He grinned, “I don’t mind. Knock yourself out! I’m just glad to see you walking around.” Norm sat back down at his computer with a sigh. “They’ve been sending warriors to check up on things but when I’ve been giving them the same updates, they kind of stopped coming around. So, it might be good for you—”

“Thank you, Spellman.” You nodded, as you started for the doorway leading out of the lab. “Send the book to my room whenever you can.”

Right now you were just floating out of your body. It was easier this way, you realized. And you would work with it.

The book was in your room the next day. You took it while holding your mother’s songcord and read through it. Front and back. You grabbed your tablet as you read the book again, taking notes this time around.

You organized the plants, you separated them into categories. Foods humans and Na’vi could eat. Plants that were meant for herbs and medicine. And plants to avoid altogether.

You read it for a third time to make sure you didn’t miss anything.

Finally, you went to the gardens. After examining which plants needed replacement—which was mostly the fruits and vegetables, food sources that they couldn’t afford to run out of. Hell’s Gate was living off rations, which were bound to be gone at some point. A harvesting garden would be useful.

So, you adjusted your exopack and got work.

You didn’t do too much the first day, just tore down the dead plants—which was practically the whole land of the garden. The plants themselves were big so it took most of the day. Those that could be saved were mushrooms. They hadn’t blossomed yet so you took care of it. Adding water, and new soil—you did this until the night came.

The next few days were planned accordingly. You found yourself busy foraging for fruits and vegetables in the forest surrounding the compound. Of course, you didn’t wander too far from the compound, making sure to keep track of every path you took.

It was quite big and overwhelming, the forest. Even some of the fruits you carried back were bigger than your own body. But you managed well enough to plant down some seeds. Which also took quite some time.

It wasn’t until you saw avatars running around your mind suddenly clicked.

“Spellman.” You ran up to him one day, catching him going into the bio lab. He turned as you stopped in front of him, “I have an avatar, right? How long does it take to get used to being in the body?”

Norm, who had been waiting for you to ask this very question, grinned. “Right this way, Doc.”

Frankly, it took a couple of days until you were finally used to being in your avatar body. Which unfortunately slowed your progress with the garden, but you managed in between breaks from training with the avatar body to continue planting more seeds as best as you could.

But once you could manage to stand on your own two feet in this new body, your process with your garden got a whole lot easier.

One of them was the fact that you didn’t have to wear those stupid masks anymore. Not having to worry about losing oxygen after a couple of hours was a huge plus.

Admittedly, it was strange at first. Suddenly being taller than humans, having a tail that sometimes moved without your knowledge, and then there was keeping both bodies healthy. That would be a challenge but you could deal.

After getting used to your new body, you continued tending to the garden which was making great progress. Except for the mushrooms. They just wouldn’t grow.

“Mmm.” You mumbled to yourself while tucking your tablet—a new one large enough for you to hold—under your arm. Maybe the roots were too old and weak. Maybe it was best to cut it down and start over again.

You went into the bush. The forest looked a lot different with brand-new maskless eyes. A lot more vibrant. A lot more real.

Eventually, you found the same mushrooms in the forest that were in your garden. Kneeling down, you grabbed your tablet. Studying and comparing it carefully.

Of course, the roots were a lot more greener than yours. Maybe it needed fresh soil. Or more moisture. These mushrooms were obviously different from the Earth ones, so you were a little out of your depth here. The book didn’t talk too much about mushrooms, unfortunately.

There was a quick shift in the corner of your vision—something you definitely wouldn’t have caught in your human body. Another plus with the avatar, better senses.

You looked up, your eyes locked with another pair of yellow ones.

A familiar face you hadn’t seen in a while.

Neytiri crouched down on the branch she was on, staring at you intensely.

You stood, “Come to spy on me yourself this time?”

A flicker of recognition flashed through her eyes, her head tilting as she analyzed your features. “You are the demon but different now. You are dreamwalker.”

You gave a single nod and took a moment to observe her carefully. Just as she was doing with you.

After a while, you turned away from her to focus back on the mushrooms. You knelt back down to get a better look at the roots again. The grass shifted after as a soft thud sounded next to you. A second later Neytiri’s feet appeared next to you.

“Why are you doing that?” She questioned.

“I am growing some mushrooms.” You replied simply. “Mine aren’t growing like they’re supposed to…” You then looked up at her curiously. Neytiri stared back at you with a small frown. A strange idea struck you then. “Can you look at the mushrooms back in my garden?”

Neytiri huffed, her tail swishing behind her.

You shrugged, “Or not. I’ll figure it out.”

After you secured the tablet under your arm again—you really should get yourself a bag at some point—you started back to the compound.

Surprisingly, Neytiri followed.

There weren’t a lot of avatars out today so it was practically just you and Neytiri. You found your mushrooms and knelt back down to the ground.

Behind you, you felt Neytiri looking at you. “You did all of this?”

You made a sound of confirmation without looking up from the mushrooms, “We can’t survive off just rations. Sure there’s a lot—meant for a lot—but it won’t last. Better start now than later.”

“And you intend to do it our way?”

“For the most part, yes.”

After a while, Neytiri knelt down next to you as you brought out your tablet to take notes. She tapped your arm, drawing your attention to her.

She then lowered your tablet and pointed to the semi-growing mushroom. “The sun is blocked. You need to move it. Or it won’t grow.”

You frowned. Huh, that was simple enough.

With a nod, you placed the tablet aside and dug up the roots. Neytiri watched as you moved the soil into a more sunny spot. And for the next few minutes, you planted it down with your hands. Once it was done, you looked to Neytiri expectantly.

She was studying your other plants. There wasn’t any annoyance on her face, which was a plus at least. You watched quietly as she poked and prodded at the plants until her eyes met yours. Her ears perked, her face became tight, and her tail curled behind her. She now looked both annoyed and—flustered?

You gestured to the mushrooms, “Anything else?”

Neytiri inched toward you and examined your work, “Yes. That is good.”

You nodded and stood, “Thank you for your help.” She blinked and nodded reluctantly. Then she departed.

It was progress. Your new garden. One day at a time.

Neytiri did not want to understand Sky People.

You were sad, she concluded.

While human, you had appeared dangerous, vicious-looking. Defenseless. But then again, she thought that of all humans.

In your false body, you were easier to read. Your words, as you spoke, still never matched your face. Low ears and tail. Dull, almost unfocused eyes.

Neytiri and grief were friends.

There was nothing difficult about her emotions or how she expressed herself. Neytiri felt everything. And she could not stop feeling. She could not stop understanding.

So she understood Tsu’tey when he changed after Sylwanin’s death. Neytiri had changed too.

She understood Jake when Grace had died in his arms. Her father had died in her arms too.

Unwillingly, she somehow began to understand you after the meeting with her mother. Humans were hard to read, so when she listened to your words, she also watched your face. And it was almost solemn and expressionless. Neytiri wondered if you were like Jake, locking your emotions up, not allowing yourself to feel.

Neytiri did not understand why they did that. Sky People and the way they dealt with their emotions were strange.

You were no different.

You were at the bottom of the ocean. Whatever hand tried to grasp for your body, it always slipped. And you just sunk deeper and deeper.

Until you were a forgotten shadow.

so, yes, this one is a little longer than the last two chapters, lol. i got a little carried away but i really wanted to take a look into the minds of both, jake, neytiri, and tsu'tey, just to gain a little sense as to why they act the way they do towards reader.

they are all very much soulmates. grieving in their own ways. i can't wait to write more of them.

let me know your thoughts! i love talking to y'all and reading your very kind comments!

taglist: @doggyteam2028 @slutforsmut4ever @lik0 @bigbootahjudy @innercreationflower @n7cje @celi-xxmoon @readerofallthingss @childofgod-05

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royalarchivist · 6 months

Text

Quackity: This project is not over and I’ll do everything necessary to strengthen it day by day. It is a process. Step by step, and it will take time. But I’m taking care of it. [...] I have a personal conviction with this project and I’ll keep working to improve it.

This video is also available on Quackity's VOD YouTube channel, and will include English translations very soon. Please take a moment to read through the transcript of his stream in the meantime; I think it will help a lot of people feel a little bit better.

Translations provided by @QuackitySubs.

[ Full Transcript ↓ ]

—

Quackity: I turned on stream to give an announcement regarding what’s happening with the QSMP structure. I know there’s people with many doubts about lots of things so I hope this helps you all understand a little bit more. I’ll be saying all of this in Spanish because I find it easier to express myself in it since it’s my first language. I wanted to make that clear.

I want to give, and explain, a little bit of the context of everything, ok? These past three weeks have been very turbulent regarding many aspects. The restructuring process that’s going on for the project has not been easy at all. Before I involved myself, and I said it before, there was people who damaged the project in very harmful ways, administrative and financially wise. I addressed this before. But I haven’t given any updates or anything of that nature because the only updates I’ve had are all inner and of legal matter. Therefore, there are no visible changes, but they’re important ones that need to be done.

I’m telling you: people with ill intent have been removed from the project, and I’m still in the process with people that have caused a lot of this harm since the beginning. That has been one of the main focuses of this restructuring that’s being carried out. Guys, I want to make something very clear: during this process, the actions that are being made have to be done with extreme care.

Recently, I’ve wanted to give many updates both inside and outside, but we’re facing a very critical issue that’s leaked information. I don’t know if the people who leaked information and announcements from the inside knew this was going on. But when I gave inside information and it leaked where it shouldn’t have; that affected the process that was needed to take care of many things. And the people who affected me administratively and financially, which I already talked about in a past stream, found out about matters that they shouldn’t have known about and used this information to twist it and affect the process. This complicated to a great extent many things. This is why I haven’t given any announcements. This is why I’m not able to talk freely as much I’d like to, and I’m not ignoring or evading but a very, very delicate process is being carried out.

Since the beginning it was known, within my involvement, that to achieve a complete change we had to start with the people who affected me, the project, and that were the cause of many issues that have been going on this whole year. With that being said, what happened was we started looking for a financial strategy for the project because the costs are very high. The project was going to shut down, I already talked about this. And as soon as I could define through different strategies, if there was a way to support the project, the next step was going to reestablish the many QSMP parts that did not longer exist. And I want to make something very clear; given the financial circumstances of the server, I did not want to make anybody a promise that not even I knew could be fulfilled. For this reason, this element was still present- the financial element, and I could not give any more inner updates because I was working on a very important part of the financial element of the server.

It is my understanding that the lack of communication has been notorious, and I reiterate, it’s not on purpose. There are many matters behind the scenes that I’ve been meaning to address, but I’ve had to be very, very careful. I understand if there are people who do not agree with the approach of the process, and if you don’t trust the project neither the process that’s being carried out, don’t worry. I don’t have an issue if you stop consuming the project. I understand that completely. I said I had a personal conviction with the project and it will stay that way.

I’ve been working arduously, and I’m going to do everything in my power for the project to continue but with the best conditions possible, and something I want to make very clear is that this process takes time. That is something I want to make very clear. This process takes time.

Guys, there’s people who have parted ways with the project and that will continue leaving on their own will and I understand that fully. I don’t have a problem with whoever took or will take this decision and I wish them the absolute best. In fact, I made an inner announcement where I let them know that a restructure would take time to be implemented. And there’s people that, for reasons, no longer want to be a part of this project, and I completely understand it because it’s not easy to be in adjustment stages, so I understand. Something I announced from the beginning was that my main goal would be that the project would go back to normal, but with the best conditions possible. This can be achieved following the right dynamics and the right setting for every person contributing to the project and this cannot be done within three weeks. This entire process continues.

Having given a little bit of context behind many aspects regarding the project, I ask of everyone that would like to stay, their utmost patient. I don’t want to make any promises and I don’t want to sugarcoat it. I want to make concrete actions. And that’s what I’ve been doing, whether you can see it or not, that’s what I’ve been doing step by step.

Guys, the changes that I’m doing are in the project’s best interest and I’ll say this openly: These changes are in the project’s best interest and for the people who love it, people who have been impacted by it, people who follow and love what this project means. These people are my motivation and the inspiration for which I started the project, for which I’m still doing the project and for which I’ll keep doing the QSMP. I am not doing this, and I want to make it very clear, I am not doing this for the people who, for a very long time, want to see the project torn down through efforts that show the complete opposite of having love for the project. Be it non-constructive comments, malicious actions, ill intentions wishes upon me, the team, and any community that consumes the QSMP, and the project in general. To me, that all of these ill-intentioned people stop consuming the project does not bother me in the slightest. I want that very, very clear.

Guys, let’s not forget about something very important: it is very difficult to build something but it very easy to destroy it. To everyone who would like to join us in this building process, you’re welcome. For those who seek to destroy it maliciously… this project, since the beginning, wasn’t and it is not made for you.

Lastly, I’d like to say that these past days I’ve been getting many calls, emails and messages from people all around the world expressing what QSMP means for them. This is why, and I’m saying it as it is, this project is not over and I’ll do everything necessary to strengthen it day by day. It is a process. Step by step, and it will take time. But I’m taking care of it.

I want to thank everyone for putting their trust in me beforehand, and I reiterate my personal commitment to strengthen this project. I hope this clarified some doubts and gave context that to many people it was necessary. I reiterate, I have a personal conviction with this project and I’ll keep working to improve it.

#QSMP #Quackity #March 21 2024 #Admingate #QSMP Admins #He said a lot of things I kinda already assumed #but still nice to hear it again #I feel bad for him though man :(#Like yeah I'm not super jazzed about some of the things that happened and I feel bad for the admins #but I feel bad for Quackity too.#also he should NOT have to explain why he's speaking Spanish #It's so rude and very privileged (and racist tbh) for people to complain that he's not doing it in English #Anyways back to business #There were a few errors in the transcript which I fixed #one case of a wrong word being used and a few words spelled incorrectly but that's all I changed #the rest is directly from QuackitySubs

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gay-dorito-dust · 1 year

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Hello! Thank you for your work!🔥

How would Bi Han react in the event of his beloved's fatal illness? 💔

Thank you for reading them! (Even if I like to think half of them are shit.) and thank you for the request! 🦦

Bi-Han would be broken, shattered, lost and so full of anguish and all that was locked away behind a stoic facade upon hearing the news of potentially loosing his beloved forever.

He would try to find a way to combat against it to save his beloved, even despite being told by the best medics possible that there was only so much they could do before it inevitably became out of their power.

You; the reason that he dared to smile, the reason he dared to laugh despite attempting to hide it in his scoffs and grunts. You were even the reason he dared to love in the first place, gifting him the safe space to be open and vulnerable. And yet he was meant to reconcile and to accept the fact that he now had to bear the burden of living a long life without his beloved.

Bi-Han would blame the cause for your unfortunate circumstance on everyone else.

He wanted to point his finger at someone so badly as to not sit in his feelings, for he knew that he would only be crushed beneath the weight of his repressed emotions. Bi-Han didn’t want to feel anything during the hardest moment in his life, especially as he tried so hard to act indifferent towards the whole thing on the outside, whilst on the inside he was breaking.

Everything within him was breaking but the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei wasn’t allowed to express his grief other then behind closed doors. Bi-Han would sit by your side for long periods of time, refusing to depart from you for a single second for fear that any moment he wasn’t present would be your last. Bi-Han didn’t want to fathom you being alone in your final moments, it was disrespectful in his eyes for you deserved to pass away know that you were extremely loved.

He would eventually grow irritated and temperamental, snapping at everyone at every minor inconvenience made and is more ruthless then before, so much so that Kuai Liang would have to pull his brother aside and make him see reason in that you wouldn’t condone this sort of attitude. Kuai Liang understood that Bi-Han was in a bad state but wasn’t going to stand aside and allow him to treat others poorly.

Bonus: Kuai Liang was also grieving the fact that he was destined to loose a close friend but he wouldn’t resort to taking his frustrations out on others. It wasn’t fair on those who weren’t aware of the current situation. Tomas was also grieving the fact but did so within the privacy of his own room.

Needless to say that Bi-Han would come out of this a much more colder, unfeeling, vengeful, ruthless and dangerous man then ever before. His beloved was going to be unceremoniously taken from him and he was helpless to stop it and so when you do pass on, he would truly have nothing left to lose -outside of the Lin Kuei of course- and that would only make for Bi-Han to become even more of a threat.

His heart would freeze over into a literal block of ice because his heart would only belong to the one person who managed to melt it in the first place.

Never again would he ever entrust his heart to someone else no matter how hard they tried. To Bi-Han, no one could ever take your place and would even kill those who even dared try.

Bi-Han would even try to forget about you but that was proven to be a difficult task as he found himself unwilling to part from the last remaining things he has of you. So he would lay there at night remembering how he failed you, whilst reaching over to your side of the bed that had long since gone cold, a tear silently sliding down his cheek before his face naturally contorted into anger; the only emotion he felt nowadays.

#mk1 #mk x reader #mk imagine #mortal kombat x reader #mortal kombat x y/n #mortal kombat x you #mortal kombat imagine #mortal kombat imagines #bi han imagine #bi han x you #bi han x y/n #bi han imagines #bi han x reader #sub zero x reader

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blood-starved-beast · 4 months

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Wouldn't say it's the best character design in Hades game franchise (that is subjective) but for me personally Eris Hades game II has to be my favorite design in the whole IP.

From Hades game I the goddess of strife was established to be source of conflict within the narrative - she is a bearer of the Adamant Rail - something that goes against the narrative setting of the story within Ancient Times. They build further on this anachronism by evoking Punk aesthetic - we see her short hair, wild colors, studded corset, torn clothes, wild makeup (which double as evoking her own wings), her band makes her look like she's got tattoos, eating plastic wrapped snacks, her disregard for typical social norms. Her and Exagryph both are anachronistic and therefore punk by the aesthetics of the game. While also not being too off - she wears a chiton still. As well as that braided bra style idk what's it called.

Her design simultaneously works withing the narrative of the story. I've already talked a bit here how she scratches out the Moon Sigil on her gorget and wears it upside down on her face to opposed the Unseen. But that sigil on her face also golden - which we've specifically associate with Chronos, the Unseen's Enemy (who prefer silver). It's also gold like her Iconic Golden Apple, the symbol of her most famous crime. Eris's design also bears the colors of the Three Eriynes - who in the first game, serve as a much more personal antagonist and foil to Zagreus the protagonist there. Here, Eris is Mel's most personal guardian boss outside of Hecate - they've got beef with each other, and that's likely due to their past history.

The colors and the tassels to me also recall the jester archetype. The jester in history was tasked to entertain the king and also dole out information that the royals might not want to hear (and do so without getting killed cause rule of funny). Eris is the most verbally opposed to Mel - challenges her on her motivations especially. Why is she so hell bent on this task when she doesn't even know her family (who she might not fit in with)? What does she plan to do with her life then? Loosen up! Which she tries to get Mel to do - by fighting her to the death. "This is for your own good Trouble" and all. The Jester indeed.

This conflict leads me to another detail - Eris is an excellent enemy foil to Melinoe. Melinoe who is neat and proper compared to crass and messy Eris. Melinoe who is hellbent on restoring an Order she's got no familiarity with. Eris, who lived it and opposes it. Melinoe who's a slave to her task and whose future post-task is a big Question Mark - she's never considered it, never questions it. Eris who also lives in the present but specifically to have freedom and hedonistic-ally strife causing as possible. Melinoe who has an insane level of rizz and is absolutely adored by all around her - but is unaware of the effect she has on others but somehow is fixated on Eris herself. Eris, who is loathed by all and actively is aware of the effect she has on people at all times and intentionally cultivates a negative response from them - with the exception of Melinoe, where her troublemaking serves a dual purpose of exasperating her but also luring her in. Melinoe and Eris both are estranged from their birth families - Melinoe due to circumstances leading to nurture, Eris due to her nature. Melinoe, who Chronos describes as not fitting anywhere despite her clawing for a place in said world, Eris who had no place to begin with, and continues to dig herself out of each subsequent one. I could go on.

It's such a great foil dynamic for a boss. I love Eris.

#Eris (hades)#Melinoe #hades 2 #hades II #hades II spoilers #meta #also if you put your shipping goggles - Eris calls Mel trouble (trouble and strife = wife in Cockney slang) and has an umbrella erected #in their beach fights meant to relax Mel and also the whole thing with the nectar exchange #Eris *is* planning for the future in a way - theoretically it's to bag Mel #planning that we never see Mel do with any of her situationships

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thatgirlwbraids · 1 year

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you are limitless , you can manifest anything

when it comes to LOA you can have whatever you want literally WHATEVER you are completely limitless as everything literally EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE’s existence is because of you , you are the cause you are the creator of this world .

“If you can conceptualize it, it must exist. These are so minute in detail that we will never truly question the nature of our reality. It is best to view this reality almost like a frame by frame video. However, Consciousness does not have to be the watcher of this video, but can stop the frame and redirect the video to where Man sees fit. Since there are infinite Versions of yourself, being Specific on how you want to be is achievable. Take where you are now. Maybe you are 18 years old, maybe 48, it does not matter. Go back one year and realize that one year ago, the Version you are now, existed when you were 17 or 47 years old. Did you not have the freedom to be a different version? If so, do you not have that same freedom now? “ - edward art

Man can bring things into existence through his thoughts and consciousness .

Consciousness has the power to resurrect or bring things into existence . nothing exists without your consciousness or imagination

This truth is common to all men, but the consciousness of it – and much more, the self-consciousness of it – is another matter. The day I realized this great truth – that everything in my world is a manifestation of the mental activity which goes on within me, and that the conditions and circumstances of my life only reflect the state of consciousness with which I am fused – is the most momentous in my life.

you are always going to be greater than anything that is expressed in your reality be it good or bad because ofc ? like you created it and the creator is always greater than it’s creations .

“ The power conceiving and the thing conceived are one but the power to conceive is greater than the conception. Jesus discovered this glorious truth when he declared, "I and my Father are one but my Father is greater than I." The power conceiving itself to be man is greater than its conception. All conceptions are limitations of the conceiver. Consciousness precedes all manifestations and is the prop upon which all manifestation rests. To remove the manifestations all that is required of you, the conceiver, is to take your attention away from the conception. Instead of "Out of sight out of mind," it really is "Out of mind out of sight." The manifestation will remain in sight only as long as it takes the force with which the conceiver — I AM — originally endowed it to spend itself. This applies to all creation from the infinitesimally small electron to the infinitely great universe. Be still and know that I AM God. Yes, this very I AM, your awareness of being, is God, the only God. I AM is the Lord— the God of all Flesh— all manifestation. This presence, your unconditioned awareness, comprehends neither beginning nor ending; limitations exist only in the manifestation. When you realize that this awareness is your eternal self you will know that before Abraham was, I AM.“

“ Only through one door can that which you seek pass into the world of manifestation. I AM the door. Your consciousness is the door, so you must become conscious of being and having that which you desire to be and to have. Any attempt to realize your desires in ways other than through the door of consciousness makes you a thief and a robber unto yourself. Any expression that is not felt is unnatural. Before anything appears, God, I AM, feels itself to be the thing desired; and then the thing felt appears. It is resurrected, lifted out of the nothingness. “

“ I AM wealthy, poor, healthy, sick, free, confined were first of all impressions or conditions felt before they became visible expressions. Your world is your consciousness objectified. Waste no time trying to change the outside; change the within or the impression; and the without or expression will take care of itself. When the truth of this statement dawns upon you, you will know that you have found the lost word or the key to every door. I AM (your consciousness) is the magical lost word which was made flesh in the likeness of that which you are conscious of being “

bibical analogy :

“ Your unconditioned awareness or I AM is the Virgin Mary who knew not a man and yet, unaided by man, conceived and bore a son, Mary, the unconditioned consciousness, desired and then became conscious of being the conditioned state which she desired to express, and in a way unknown to others became it. Go and do likewise; assume the consciousness of that which you desire to be and you, too, will give birth to your savior. When the annunciation is made, when the urge or desire is upon you, believe it to be God's spoken word seeking embodiment through you. Go, tell no man of this holy thing that you have conceived. Lock your secret within you and magnify the Lord, magnify or believe your desire to be your savior coming to be with you. “

"A man can receive nothing (no thing) except it be given him from Heaven." Remember heaven is your consciousness; the Kingdom of Heaven is within you. This is why you are warned against calling any man Father; your consciousness is the Father of all that you are. Again you are told, "Salute no man on the highway." See no man as an authority. Why should you ask man for permission to express when you realize that your world, in its every detail, originated within you and is sustained by you as the only conceptional center? “

- neville , your faith is your fortune

#law of assumption #manifesting #manifestation #edward art #loa blog #neville goddard

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99liv3s · 6 months

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Pregnancy Adventures for Us

(I wrote this story for some friends, putting their characters, as well as mine, in it, and decided to make it public, with their blessing)

The rain poured down heavily outside, the large drops bouncing off the roof of the large wooden cabin that stood alone in the forest, deep in nature and away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It was a beautiful, multiple room structure that rivaled some houses, but was still quite cozy, warm, and inviting. There was only one floor, but this was out of necessity. Stairs were not ideal, for the occupants inside this cabin were all heavily pregnant!

The three girls were best friends, and as all three of them had ended up pregnant due to various circumstances, all at the same time, they had proposed living together in this cabin, where they could take care of each other and enjoy their experiences together. They had pooled all their money together to have this cabin built, which took a surprisingly short time, and now, the three girls lived comfortably inside it, enjoying each other's company in their conditions.

Crystal, the oldest of the three, had had experience with pregnancy before, having been a surrogate carrier three times before this one. As a result, the light skinned, green eyed, somewhat thin girl with brown shoulder length wavy hair, already had lots of experience being pregnant. Her current pregnancy was also a surrogate, and her melon-sized bump was completely at odds with her small size.

In contrast to Crystal, Mazy's size was on the heavier side, though she was still noticeably pregnant. Mazy also had brown hair, but it was shorter, just down to her chin, and her skin tone was only a tiny bit darker than Crystal's. Mazy's eyes were blue, and her breasts were pronounced, especially now that she was pregnant. Mazy was carrying a slime baby, and it was her first foray into pregnancy.

Liv, short for Olivia, was the smallest in stature of the three, even smaller than Crystal. As a result, Liv's pregnant belly looked as though she had swallowed a basketball, and her normally tiny breasts resembled two small apples. The pale, small, short black haired, brown eyed girl was pregnant with a large egg, due to an interesting alien encounter, and like Mazy, this was her first pregnancy.

Crystal was lying comfortably on the couch in the living room, reading a book and listening to the rain outside. Her hand rested on her expanded belly, which peeked out from under the green crop top she was wearing, along with gray loose pajama bottoms. The sound of a toilet flushing and a door opening made her look up, to see Liv waddling out of the bathroom, her pronounced, ball shaped belly somewhat bouncing with each step. Liv was wearing a small light pink maternity dress that the other two girls found very cute, and according to Liv, had been custom made for her. Liv sighed as she made her way over to Crystal. "This thing is sitting right on my bladder," Liv exclaimed, rubbing her bump, and causing Crystal to inadvertently rub hers. "That was my sixth trip to the bathroom!" Crystal rose up and got to her feet, motioning to Liv's belly. "May I?" Crystal asked, and Liv giggled. "One condition... I get to feel yours as well!" Crystal laughed as both girls felt around on each other's bumps. The baby inside Crystal kicked, causing both girls to giggle again, as Crystal continued to feel around carefully on Liv's orb-like belly. "Are you sure you haven't dropped a bit?" Crystal asked, looking at Liv with slight concern. "It feels lower." "But it's hard to tell with you." "I don't think so," Liv responded, as the two of them released each other. "It doesn't feel much different to me, just heavy." As Crystal smiled at her friend, Mazy came bouncing into the room, wearing a yellow shirt and loose jeans, and carrying a tray of sandwiches she had prepared. "Lunch is served," she exclaimed, setting the tray down. Mazy grimaced and rubbed her belly as the fetus inside moved around rapidly. "Hey, calm down in there," she said to it, as the other two girls reached happily for a sandwich.

As the three of them sat, happily eating their sandwiches, Mazy spoke up. "So, what should we do??" "Read??" "Should we play a game??" "There are some cards in the lower shelf over there..." Crystal swallowed her bite, then said, "Actually, I was thinking about all of us telling our stories to each other again." "I love hearing about how you two got pregnant." Liv smiled, beaming. "I mean, yours is good too, Crystal." She said, nibbling a bit more on her sandwich. "Oh, mine is nothing special, not quite as unique as both of yours," Crystal responded. "You're a surrogate, I'd call that pretty special," Liv argued back with a smile. "Why don't you start us off, miss surrogate?" Mazy suggested, leaning back in her chair. Liv giggled as Crystal smiled.

******************

A little over 8 months ago

"Everything seems to be in order," the doctor said, as Crystal lay on the exam table, her legs spread. "You are still very healthy and fit for child-bearing!" Crystal beamed as the doctor made a few notes on her clipboard. "This couple is very excited that you're giving them their first baby, but I have to note... you've already carried three times already." The doctor looked into Crystal's eyes. "Think you've had enough??" Crystal shook her head with an almost silly grin on her face. "Definitely not?" She answered. "You said it yourself how well my hips are shaped for child-bearing, and you were there for my last delivery." The doctor nodded, noting how easy it had seemed for Crystal. "You could say I'm made for this," Crystal continued. "How many carriers, even surrogate ones, can truly say that??" "You do have a point," the doctor replied, smiling. "I just had to ask, one last time, if you wanted to go through it yet again." Crystal nodded vigorously, and the doctor chuckled. "Well, there's no turning back now." "Ok, well... here we go."

******************

"I still can't believe this is your fourth," Liv said a few minutes later. Crystal's recounting of her story had been interrupted by Liv having to, yet again, run to the bathroom to pee. "I can," Mazy said, giving her a mischievous grin. "You definitely can't get enough." Crystal blushed slightly, but smiled. "After that convo, everything happened just like all the other times." "They put the baby in me, I met with the parents again, and that was that." "Huh, you're so close, are the parents not worried about you being out here with us?" Mazy asked, as Liv hung onto their every word, munching on her sandwich again. Crystal shook her head. "They don't care, as long as they get their daughter," she replied. "They told me they didn't even want to be present for the birth, and I didn't ask why..." Crystal looked at the two of them, then settled back into the couch. "Enough about me... you two have the more interesting stories anyway." The two girls looked over at Liv, who swallowed her bite of sandwich. "Me? You want me to go next??" She asked, looking rapidly between her two friends as they grinned at her. Mazy responded by picking up another sandwich. Liv sighed, though she continued to smile.

******************

About 5 months ago

Liv woke up with a start, rising up slowly off the moderately comfortable bed she was laying on, and looked around timidly, taking in her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was driving down the road in her car, lost in her thoughts. It was so late at night, she had been alone on the road. She remembered seeing a bright light all around her, and then waking up here. Now, she seemed to be in a somewhat large room, with metallic walls, though the lighting in this room was quite dim. There was no sign of her car or her... Liv then realized that she was also completely naked, and her clothes were nowhere to be found either. Gingerly, she stepped onto the cold metallic floor of wherever she was, noticing that there seemed to be a pool of water nearby. Liv made her way over to it and looked in with a gasp. She could see, swimming inside the water, a mermaid-like creature with long hair, a mermaid tail, but also human-like legs and arms. The creature suddenly broke the surface of the water, right in front of Liv, who cried out slightly in surprise. "Don't be alarmed," the creature said, in perfect English. She had long green hair, and sapphire colored eyes, and was also naked, as far as Liv could see. Only the creature's upper body was visible, which looked human enough, but Liv could also see where her "human" half connected to both her legs and her scaly tail. "My name is Melastra, and I am not going to hurt you." Something in her voice seemed to calm Liv somewhat, despite the circumstances. "Wh...why have you brought me here??" Liv blurted out. "What are you?" Melastra smiled, which put Liv even more at ease. "I need help." She said, almost sadly. "My people, my species is dying!" Melastra shifted in the water, as Liv gasped, clapping her hand to her mouth. "There's not many of us left, for our kind have lost... the ability to carry children," she continued. "Therefore, what few of us remain decided to go looking for other species that could carry our young for us and would volunteer to do so." "I was given this ship and some resources, with the mission to find someone to breed with, and to carry my eggs." "Humans are compatible with us, but after monitoring your species, I determined that most of you find the process of carrying children very personal, and would therefore likely not help me..." "I'll help you," Liv said immediately, deciding on the spot that she really wanted to do so. She could not even explain to herself why she felt so interested by Melastra's plight, but she felt drawn to help her. "What do I need to do?" Liv asked, as Melastra stared at her, somewhat shocked, perhaps due to how quickly and easily Liv had agreed to her request. "Well, step into the water with me," Melastra said, beckoning Liv forward. Somewhat timidly, Liv stepped into the water, until she was face to face with Melastra. Liv was about to note to herself that Melastra seemed as short as she was, before realizing that she was starting to sink. Melastra grabbed Liv and held her steady, and the alien's large mermaid-like tail wrapped around her. As Liv's and Melastra's bodies entwined, Liv gasped as she felt something enter her vagina suddenly. It was not painful, rather the opposite, but looking down into the murky water, she could not see exactly what was happening. "There, just relax into it," Melastra said soothingly, and as Liv felt wave after wave of euphoria hit her body, she complied gladly, as Melastra cuddled her into the water.

******************

"Why did she choose you, of all people?" Crystal asked, shifting plates around so that the three of them could eat dessert. "I mean, no offence of course, but when it comes to carriers, you're as small as they come." Liv smiled shyly, rubbing her belly, as Mazy piped up, "Well, it's obvious... Liv has a huge heart, and Melastra knew she would not say no." Mazy looked over at her friend with both a smile and an expression of exasperation. "I mean, you accepted immediately, barely listening to what Melastra had to say... she didn't even have to convince you." Liv smiled sheepishly, even wider. "Would you have said no?" Liv asked, and motioned at Mazy's own belly. Looking down, Mazy quipped, "That's different, and you know it!" The three girls laughed, as Crystal served cake. "Well, after fertilizing me, Melastra kept me on her ship for another day, to confirm that I was indeed pregnant, and also had this maternity dress made for me." Mazy and Crystal smiled and seemed to swoon at Liv's use of the phrase "fertilizing me", as she continued, "Then she said she would find me soon after the egg is born, and then sent me on my way." Liv patted her belly lovingly, as the girls finished their cake. "Wow, promise me we'll get to meet Melastra when that happens," Crystal said, making Liv giggle. "So, wait, does that technically mean you are a surrogate too?" Mazy asked, looking at Liv with curiosity. "Am I like, the only one who is pregnant just to be pregnant?" Liv sat her plate down, and thought for a second. "Well, Melastra did say the baby inside the egg was an alien like her, but it does take some genes from me too, so I guess that makes it our baby." she concluded. "I mean, we did mate after all..." "Well, what would you call it?" Liv asked, half chuckling at Mazy's expression at the word "mate". "I mean, you really can't say anything yourself," Crystal said, motioning to Mazy's bump. "I mean, if anyone here mated, it was you!" Mazy grinned mischievously.

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6 months ago

Her thoughts on Crystal and the fact she was pregnant again, Mazy strolled through the forest, enjoying the nice weather and the isolation, as all around her, birds chirped and insects buzzed. She could tell that she was moving into a deeper, denser, and darker part of the forest, but she did not care. She longed to be in Crystal's situation, carrying a child, and experiencing what it was like to be pregnant. So wrapped up in her thoughts, she did not at first hear the rustling sound nearby, dismissing it as just another forest animal. A few seconds later, she heard it again, this time much louder, and the sound it made was very different from the other usual sounds around her. It sounded almost like a slimey sloshing sound. Mazy stopped and looked around, but she did not have to look long. A green mass of some type of slime was moving toward her. Mazy blinked in astonishment, but before she could do anything else, she saw the goo start to rise up, and slowly form into a humanoid shape. Fascinated, Mazy watched, until the slime creature had finished shifting, into a girl, or rather what looked like a girl made out of green jello, though she also had striking green eyes. Mazy looked her over, noting that the slime girl was "naked", her breasts not as pronounced as Mazy's, but still noticeably firm, and her expression was friendly, even a bit shy. "Hello," the slime girl said, and something in her tone made Mazy relax a bit. "You're... a slime girl!" Mazy said, then realized a second later that that probably sounded rude, but the slime girl chuckled and said, "I am, yes." "I decided to come see you, because I could sense your... pheromones you would call it?" "Pheromones??" Mazy repeated, confused. The slime girl moved closer, and said, "Yeah, they are very strong... you are in heat!" "I'm sorry??" Mazy replied, half laughing. She was not an animal, and was not in heat... what was this creature talking about? While walking through this forest, all she had been thinking about was... "Ohhh," Mazy said, realization hitting her, as the slime girl nodded. "Yeah, I could sense your longing to be bred, your desire for reproduction..." "My heat?" Mazy interrupted, and the girl smiled wider. "You want this very badly, don't you?" She asked. Mazy hesitated for only a second, then nodded rapidly. "Well, here is some good news for you... I'm seeking that too!!" Mazy gaped at the slime girl, and slowly a smile crept onto her face. "Should we... breed??" "YES!" Mazy almost shouted, stepping forward so that she and the slime girl were almost touching, and started to take off her clothes. There was some shifting under the slime girl's exposed navel, and Mazy could clearly see a penis form, a large one. "Are you ready?" The slime girl asked, holding it in front of her as if offering it. Mazy, now standing naked, nodded, and then the slime girl touched her face with her hand. The sensation was strange, but pleasant. Her skin felt almost like a soft rubber, but Mazy barely had time to consider this before the large green penis entered her. "Now you will experience pleasure as you never have before." The slime girl said, and moved forward to completely embrace Mazy. However, the girl's body was shifting, and as Mazy closed her eyes, the slime fully engulfed her body, squeezing against her, stimulating every part of Mazy's body simultaneously. Mazy was in so much ecstasy, she did not fully realize that the slime was also shifting to entirely enter through her vagina.

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"She eventually entered my uterus completely," Mazy recounted, as Liv and Crystal listened in amazement, despite having already heard this story from Mazy before. "I felt her moving around in there for a while, then she came back out, the same way she had went in, reformed, and told me that she'd made me pregnant, although somehow I already knew before she had said anything." "It didn't hurt?" Liv inquired, her eyes wide in amazement. "No, it felt really really good actually," Mazy responded, rubbing her belly. "I just felt so much movement and rolling around in here, and that was it." "The "baby" though, it's just as active." Mazy grunted, shifting her belly slightly. "Like, right now!" "Here, come and feel it." Liv waddled over and placed her palm on the side of Mazy's belly, immediately feeling rapid movements inside it. "Oh wow," Liv whispered, feeling the rapid flutters of Mazy's slime baby as it moved around. Crystal then replaced Liv, rubbing her hands all along Mazy's bump. "It's so much more active than my baby," Crystal said. "Is that normal for slime babies?" Mazy shook her head. "I have no idea, honestly." "Did you ever see the girl again?" Liv asked. "What happens when you have the baby??" "I don't know," Mazy responded. "But I get the impression, based on how she was acting, that the slime "fathers" don't really have much more interaction with their children or the "mothers" once they breed." "But, that's kinda sad," Liv replied. "It is what it is... I guess that's normal for them," Mazy said, shrugging. "It just means this little guy is mine to keep, right?" Mazy looked down at her belly, cooing at it happily, as Liv absentmindedly rubbed hers. "You know it's a boy?" Liv asked. "Well, actually," Crystal spoke up, still feeling around on Mazy's belly, "Slimes don't really have genders, so the baby is... a slime." Mazy smirked up at her. "Yeah, I gathered that when the slime girl whipped out a dick," she said, causing all three girls to burst out laughing again.

Crystal grimaced as she felt another hard kick inside her. Taking one hand off Mazy, she rubbed the spot on her own belly softly. "I think she wants to play too," Crystal said, motioning to her belly. Mazy rose up and touched Crystal's bump gently, feeling a few more kicks. "Oh yeah, she's got that energy too," Mazy said. "She'll be an athlete for sure." Liv drew closer to the two of them, then clutched her own belly. "Ooh, I feel mine moving too," she said, rubbing her large ball shaped belly. "You can feel it moving?" Crystal asked. "But I thought it was an egg?" "It is," Liv replied. "But sometimes I can feel movement inside the egg, like the baby is swimming around inside." "That must feel amazing," Mazy said, and placed her hand on Liv's belly. "I don't feel anything." "It's definitely moving," Liv insisted. "Here..." Liv reached down and unfastened the back of her maternity gown, taking it off. Standing naked, other than a bra and panties, Liv invited Mazy to feel again, and Mazy did so. A few seconds later, Mazy squeaked excitedly. "Ooh yeah, I feel it, it's like... doing somersaults in there!" She exclaimed. Liv nodded, grimacing a bit in slight discomfort. "Ooh, the egg is so heavy," she breathed out, as Mazy continued to feel around on her exposed bump. Mazy's hand found it's way to Liv's protruding navel, and she stroked it gently, causing Liv to let out a little moan. "Like that, eh?" Mazy quipped, as Liv closed her eyes, enjoying the sensations. "Always thought that little outie was cute." "Hey, save some for me," Crystal said with a laugh, and put both her hands on Mazy's belly, rubbing it. Crystal climbed onto Mazy's lap and continued to rub her, moving her hands up to touch Mazy's full breasts. "Do slime babies drink the same milk?" Crystal teased, rubbing and squeezing Mazy's boobs. Mazy gasped and moaned, and inadvertantly rubbed Liv's navel and lower belly more, which in turn, caused her to moan as well. "Oh God... bathroom!!" Liv said suddenly, her eyes flying open, and she waddled as fast as she could toward the bathroom. Crystal and Mazy watched her go, then looked back in each other's faces and started laughing softly.

As the two of them continued to stimulate each other, which had effectively devolved into Crystal kissing Mazy's belly gently, and Mazy rubbing around near Crystal's pussy, they could hear a trickle of water and the usual soft moaning from Liv in the bathroom. However, lost in their own horniness, they only vaguely became aware that Liv's moaning continued long after hearing her pee. A few minutes later, it seemed to be getting worse, as well as louder. Her mouth still inches from Mazy's stomach, Crystal called out, "Liv, are you ok??" She was answered by a loud whine, and, looking at each other in alarm, Mazy and Crystal got off each other and began to hurry to the bathroom, as fast as their pregnant selves could waddle. They got halfway to it, before Liv stumbled out, one hand on her belly, the other clutching the door frame for support. "Th... the pressure's... so much worse..." Liv panted out, grimacing in pain. "It hurts!" Crystal reached out and helped Liv forward, feeling on her orb. "Are you in labor, Liv??" She asked, as Liv moaned, gingerly taking step after step. After a few seconds, in which the three of them had made it back over to the couch, Liv nodded. "I... I think I am..." she breathed out.

Liv quickly determined that she could not get comfortable on the couch, as she tried to do breathing exercises. She felt like she really wanted to be held, and so her friends complied. First, she and Crystal swayed together, with Mazy standing behind Liv, rubbing her back. Then, Liv swayed with Mazy, crying in pain on her shoulder. Liv felt the pressure continue to worsen, spreading pain into her back and entire lower body. After the swaying sessions, Liv leaned up against the wall, her legs slightly spread, her head buried in her arms as she moaned and cried loudly. Mazy approached her from behind, reached around her and cupped her belly, rubbing it gently. "You're going to be ok," Crystal encouraged over Liv's noises of pain. "I know it hurts, but you're doing great."

They had made their way to the birthing room, where a large comfortable bed sat in the middle of the room, complete with stirrups. Crystal had asked Liv if she wanted her to put her legs in the stirrups, but Liv begged her not to, as at this point, Liv was constantly moving around, getting on and off the bed, trying anything for some relief and comfort, but finding none. At one point, Liv was lying in the bed, crying out loudly, when Crystal met with Mazy outside the door, and pulled it shut. Listening to Liv moan loudly in pain, Crystal said, "I'm kinda worried." "Liv is so small, I don't know if she can push that egg out." "I think her small body just finally decided it couldn't carry that egg any longer." "She can do it," Mazy said, as they heard Liv whine behind the door. "It's not going to be easy, but I think she can do it." Mazy rubbed her belly, where her slime baby was moving around more aggressively than it ever had, almost as if it sensed another offspring nearby was coming. "I really hope you're right," Crystal said.

A few minutes later, Liv was on the floor, on her hands and knees, now completely naked. It had felt the most comfortable to her, what little she could get. Her belly hanging down, lightly touching the floor, Liv screamed as the other girls tried their best to comfort her. Liv's vagina was hanging in the air for all to see, and the other girls did see it open up suddenly, a bulge visible in it. "OOH GOD GET IT OUT PLEASE!" Liv pleaded loudly, her head thrown back as pain and pressure shot constantly through her body. "You're doing it, Liv," Crystal coached, as Mazy rubbed the laboring girl's back. "We can see it coming, right Mazy??" Liv shouted as her vagina opened even wider, and a blue and white tip poked out. "Oh my God, it's so cute," Mazy said as soon as she saw the crowning egg. "AAAHH IT HURTS AAAAHHHH!!" Liv screeched, involuntarily pushing despite there being no contraction, and the egg crowned even more. It looked like it was the size of a slightly deflated Soccer ball, and Mazy gasped in amazement that an object of that size was coming out of her friend. "IT BURNS AAHHHH HELP OOWW!" Liv yelled hysterically, and Crystal, still rubbing Liv's back, told Mazy to try to spread Liv's folds wider. Mazy did so, rubbing Liv's sore aching pussy as Crystal coached her to push again. After a loud painful scream that pierced the other girls' hearts, the egg was fully born, and slipped out with a small plop. Liv collapsed in relief and exhaustion onto the floor, as Crystal and Mazy laughed in celebration. "You did it," Crystal cried out, as Mazy cheered. Being closest to the large blue and white egg, Mazy picked it up gently, thinking to herself just how cute it was. She could immediately feel the baby swimming around inside, through the shell. "Oh, that is so cool," she thought to herself.

After helping Liv, who was semi-conscious at this point, into the bed so that she could rest, the other two girls made their way back into the living room, where Crystal collapsed into a chair, rubbing her bump furiously. Mazy settled onto the couch, and breathed out a sigh. Liv's labor had been an intense, exhausting situation, but it was done, and the girls felt they deserved a rest. Mazy let out a laugh, she could not help herself. "I can't believe she pushed that thing out," Mazy exclaimed, smiling at Crystal, who breathed heavily. "Well, you said she could do it, and she did," Crystal responded, still rubbing her belly. "I just wonder if it came early because she was small, or if those eggs just grow fast... mmmhhh!" Crystal let out a few pants, as Mazy looked over through the door of the birthing room, where she could see the egg sitting on a table. Looking back over at Crystal, she saw her friend stand back up, a grimace of discomfort on her face. Crystal was still panting and rubbing her belly as she slowly waddled around the room, her other hand clutching her back. "Crystal, what... have you been in labor this entire time and didn't tell us?" Mazy cried out, standing up as well. "I didn't notice anything until around the time Liv got down on all fours," Crystal replied with a small smile. "Besides, I don't even know if this is labor." "It could be false..." She was interrupted by a splash at her feet, as her pajama bottoms became soaked and excess fluid trickled onto the wooden floor. "Well, that answers that question," Mazy quipped loudly.

Having already given birth three times in the past, Crystal was quite familiar with the process now, and therefore, was not too bothered by her labor pains. She sat, naked except for a bra, on the couch doing breathing exercises, and though she was uncomfortable, she seemed to be in very little pain. Mazy cleaned up Crystal's water break as Crystal did her breathing exercises. An hour later, Crystal, panting a bit harder, decided to get up and walk around. After waddling around the room for another half hour, she returned over to the couch and sat down beside Mazy. "How are you feeling?" Mazy asked as Crystal panted. With a grimace through another contraction, she said, "Still not too bad, although they're getting very close together." Mazy rubbed Crystal's belly as Crystal moaned a bit in pain. "Here, let me help!" Mazy offered, and traced her finger down to Crystal's vagina, noticing how dilated it already was. Crystal let out a little cry upon Mazy touching it, as it was very sensitive at the moment. Mazy smiled at Crystal as she rubbed her friend's pussy with one hand, and her belly with the other. Crystal moaned loudly, but more from pleasure than pain.

By the time Liv woke up, Crystal was in the pushing stage, and since Liv had been occupying the birthing bed, Crystal was squatting in the middle of the living room, bearing down with grunts of effort, while Mazy watched between her legs. Liv weakly approached this scene, a shocked expression on her face. "C..Crystal?? You're having your baby right now too??" Crystal nodded, her eyes closed and her face in a grimace as she pushed. Without another word, Liv got behind Crystal and began to massage her back, as Mazy said, "I see the head!" Liv helped hold Crystal steady as she crowned, and Crystal let out a cry of pain as she pushed the head out. Squatting even deeper, Crystal grunted loudly as she gave another push, and Mazy caught the baby as it slid from Crystal. "Yay, you did it," Liv cheered, as a loud cry filled the room. Mazy handed the newborn girl up to Crystal, who took her in her arms and smiled down at it. "Hello, little girl," Crystal said to the baby. "Your parents are very eager to meet you!"

Crystal had passed the newborn girl around so that Mazy and Liv could hold her. Afterward, Crystal placed her in a small bassinet in another room, where she slept peacefully, also clearly exhausted from the process of labor. Liv and Crystal, both sore and tired, sat on the couch as Mazy, now the only one of them still pregnant, came back into the room with a plate of snacks. As the three of them ravenously tore into the snacks, Mazy rubbed her belly absentmindedly. The baby inside her seemed to still be quite active. "Well, I feel so empty now," Liv said, and the other two knew exactly what she was talking about. "I do too," Crystal replied, and the two of them looked over at Mazy. Though happy that they had brought their offspring into the world finally, the two girls were admittedly a bit jealous that Mazy was still carrying. Mazy smiled and motioned for them to get closer. "Here, both of you come over here and play with it," she said, patting her belly. Crystal and Liv did so gladly, rubbing around on Mazy's large bump lovingly, feeling the movement inside. Liv leaned down and hugged Mazy's belly, laying her entire head on it, giggling, as Crystal rubbed Mazy's legs. "Wow, I've heard of after pregnancy depression, but not after pregnancy horniness," Mazy said with a laugh. Liv giggled, still nuzzling Mazy's bump. Crystal's hand found Mazy's pussy and stroked it gently, causing the pregnant girl to moan out contentedly. Crystal then leaned down and kissed Mazy's belly, as Liv began to feel around on it again. "Oh yeah, please more," Mazy begged. Crystal stroked faster and faster as Liv's hands moved up Mazy's bump and found their way to her breasts, which Liv started to play with. Mazy cried out, fully stimulated now, and her belly rolled, as if the slime baby inside was also reacting to it. The three girls giggled, and Mazy grunted a bit as she felt pressure in her pelvis.

Twenty minutes later, Mazy was still panting, long after the girls had gotten off her, and she rubbed her belly rapidly. "I think...I think you both put me in labor," Mazy said, half grinning, half grimacing. Crystal and Liv helped Mazy into the birthing room, where, by her request, they locked her legs into the stirrups. Now spread wide on her back in the birthing position, Mazy felt her belly shift and contract. "How bad are the contractions?" Crystal asked, as Liv watched, ready to help. Mazy rubbed her belly and thought for a second. "There's a lot of pressure, but it really doesn't hurt much," she responded, surprised. "It just feels like I need to use the bathroom... a LOT!"

Another half hour passed, and Mazy seemed to be fully in labor now, but instead of crying and moaning in pain, she was giggling and even crying out in pleasure. The baby that Crystal had given birth to had started crying, and so Crystal had run to the other room to check on her, leaving Mazy in the care of Liv, who watched Mazy labor with an expression of bewilderment. "It doesn't hurt at all?" Liv asked, and Mazy laughed. "No, it feels great actually," she answered, panting. "I... I feel it coming, and there's pressure, but I... want it to come!" "It feels soooo good!" Mazy cried out as another contraction hit her, and she pushed. "How does it feel?" Liv asked, and Mazy immediately said, "Slimey!" The two of them laughed at the involuntary pun. "No it feels solid, but not hard and heavy like a baby, almost like... rubbery??" Mazy continued, trying to explain as best she could. Crystal then came back into the room, clutching the newborn baby girl, which she was breastfeeding. "How are you doing, Mazy?" Crystal asked. Mazy gasped as another contraction brought the baby closer to delivery. "Wonderful," Mazy replied, panting in pleasure. "It's coming!" Mazy screamed in pleasure as something started emerging from her vagina. The other two girls saw that, it was not just liquid, there was a shape, but not really a head exactly. It was more like a pink blob, a gelatinous form that was somewhere between solid and liquid. Mazy moaned out loudly, as if she was in the middle of an orgasm. "OH GOD YES YES YES!!" she screamed as the mass seemed to pulsate out of her opening slowly. The other two girls watched with wide eyes. They wanted to help, but there did not seem to be anything for them to do, as Mazy was clearly doing just fine. With another "push", more of the slime emerged, and then the amount of slime that was currently already out shifted to form a head, which hung out of Mazy, connected to the rest of the form still inside. The head was gelatinous and the girls could see through it, but it was a bright pink instead of the expected green, as the "father" had been. "This is so amazing," Mazy said, reaching down to feel the head with one hand. As the other two girls exclaimed in amazement, Mazy felt her body push again, and panted in ecstasy as more of the slime emerged from her. A minute later, the slime, now fully emerged between her legs, shifted into a pink gelatinous baby. Liv moved forward and picked up the slime baby, handing it to Mazy, who held it lovingly. The slime newborn did not cry, but looked up at its mother with bright pink eyes. "You are so adorable," Mazy said to it.

Mazy was only slightly tired after her labor, and so a few minutes later, all three girls were found in the living room. Crystal sat on the couch, rocking the baby girl she had been carrying to sleep, while Mazy sat beside her, nursing her slime baby, which answered Crystal's earlier question of if it would drink human milk. Liv sat in a nearby chair, hugging her egg to her chest, watching the other girls take care of their daughters. The rain outside had finally stopped, and now the sun shone brightly through the windows of the cabin, as birds sang outside. For a long while, none of the girls said anything, enjoying the contentment of new life they had brought to the world. "I'm sure your egg will hatch very soon," Crystal said eventually, as Liv clutched it tightly, feeling movement through the shell. All three girls were still effectively undressed; they saw no need to redress as they were all three alone with each other in the cabin, recovering from their labors. Liv nodded and nuzzled the egg, as the other newborns fell asleep in their mothers' arms. "So, what happens now?" Mazy asked, smiling as she looked at her friends. "Well, I see no reason why we can't continue to stay here, living together," Crystal responded. "I have to take this little girl to her parents, but after that..." "You'll go get knocked up again," Mazy said, grinning at her. "So, you can help me take care of this little one," Mazy motioned down at her now sleeping slime baby with her head, "While I help you through another surrogacy." Crystal blushed a bit, a small smile on her face, but said nothing else. "That's not a no," Mazy said, and turned to look at Liv. "So, what about you??" "I guess Melastra will come looking for you now that egg's out." Crystal looked at Liv as well, watching her as she thought to herself. "Yeah, probably, but..." Liv began, then looked down at the egg she held in her arms. "I don't think I want to be separated from this." Tears fell from Liv's face as she looked into her friends' eyes. "I don't want to leave you though." Crystal and Mazy came over to her, still holding their babies gently, and they all embraced each other in a loving hug.

Two days later, after which time Crystal had delivered the baby girl to her actual parents, Liv's egg hatched, revealing a baby that resembled the mermaid-like creature that Melastra was. However, it had Liv's dark hair and its eyes were a darker blue. Melastra had come for it a day later, and with teary goodbyes, Liv chose to go with her, wishing to stay with the baby the two of them made together. Five whole months passed, during which time, Crystal and Mazy lived together in the cabin, raising Mazy's slime child together, and wondering what the future held.

One day, as Mazy worked in the kitchen, the adorable pink slime girl crawling around her, Crystal sat in the living room, at a desk covered with papers and pictures. She was looking over all this information, determining who next to surrogate for, when a loud knock on the door broke her from her thoughts. Mazy came hurrying into the room and opened the door, after which both girls screamed in surprise. Melastra stood on their doorstep, smiling at them while holding a young toddler-like version of herself, and standing beside her was Liv, grinning from ear to ear at the sight of her friends, who immediately noticed that she was once again wearing her custom made maternity gown, and had a huge pregnant bump!

End!

#pregnancy #birth #fantasy pregnancy #pregnant

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