#best Cacti Face Scrub

[korbeauty]

Cacti Face Scrub at Kor Beauty

If you need a cacti face scrub, look no further than Kor Beauty. Our scrub gently buffs away dead skin cells, revealing smoother, brighter skin underneath. Indulge in the luxurious experience of our scrub and let your skin bloom with radiance. Say goodbye to dullness and hello to a dewy complexion with every use.

[renoed]

domestic chores

includes: diluc, kaeya, zhongli, childe, thoma, itto a/n: just a quick set of headcanons while I write some other stuff

❥ — DILUC wordlessly helps you clean. If he sees that you’ve got a rag out or a mop, he’ll go to the kitchen to grab some other cleaning supplies and join in without as much as a, “let me help”. You can never stop the childish grin that tugs at your cheeks when you spot him in the corner of your eye, trying your best to stay focused on the matter at hand rather than gushing over your boyfriend. Nine times out of ten you end up abandoning your chores to go and give him a kiss.

❥ — KAEYA isn’t a fan of any chores but he’ll (reluctantly) do them if you ask with your best puppy eyes. This means you typically save the hardest chores for him to join you, such as scrubbing the bathroom from top to bottom. He initially complains or works in silence but eventually one of you will crack a joke and then you’ll break into conversation. He may hate scrubbing dirt out of tiles on the bathroom floor but he loves seeing you laugh at his jokes or helping you reach the highest tiles on shower wall.

❥ — ZHONGLI also doesn’t do many chores but mostly because he’s never had to. He’s literally an Archon.

So when you approach him with a vacuum he sort of just stares in confusion. You patiently show him how to use it and what it does and then he’s just like let me try and goes round your entire house. 

Every time you ask him to help you do chores he does so without a word of complaint and he does a lot on his own accord, too. He thinks that if he can make your life slightly easier by helping out with the tedious, useless things then it means you’ll get to spend more meaningful time together. You tell him that if he’s helping you then none of the chores feel tedious or useless. The little smile on his face after you say that is unforgettable.

❥ — CHILDE likes gardening with you. He thinks it’s cute when you need to ask him to help dig up some soil or when you tell him about why you love your favourite flowers. He always tries to remember to remember the names of plants you say are pretty so he can buy them in a bouquet for you one day.

Often times he finds that the plants you like aren’t exactly bouquet flowers. He’ll never forget the embarrassment he felt when he asked a florist for a schlumbergera and she told him it was a cacti.

❥ — THOMA needs to be forced to accept your help and, even then, he’ll give you a smaller workload then he gives himself. You’ll be hanging out washing together and his pile will tower to his chin while yours will be 4 odd socks and some of his boxers. He would rather spend time with you doing something fun, but your insistence to help him always makes his cheeks redden. He’ll always take you out somewhere to say thank you after.

❥ — ITTO loves cleaning the dishes with you. He’ll wash, you dry, or vice versa. It’s a nice opportunity to hear you talk about your day without any other distractions, or for you to both just work in silence. If all his chores were as nice as spending time washing dishes with you, he wouldn’t mind being a house husband one day. Then again, he probably just likes the idea because he’s totally smitten with you.

[masterlist]

[vldkeith]

keithtober💢🎃🔪 day 18: desert 🏜🌵

🔗read on ao3

content included: introspection, desert, keith's shack, loneliness.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The door Keith opens is creaky, it’s wooden hinges dusty and tired. He looks in cautiously, fairly certain that it’s abandoned, but wanting to make absolutely sure. It seems empty; there’s some dirty furniture scattered around, covered with a film of dust, the fabric on the single couch torn and ashen, the wooden table chipped and stained. A generator is crammed into the corner, plugged in to the only outlet Keith can see; he supposes he should be glad that there’s at least some electricity here.

The walls have cracks and tears in them; Keith spots some mildew forming from one of them. Everything is colored beige, making the place feel older and more depressing than it is as a shack in the middle of the desert.

Keith sets his bag—just one backpack, actually, with some clothes and a toothbrush—down on the floor. Well, it’s his shack in the middle of the desert, now. If it’s as empty as it looks, Keith’s claiming it.

With a sigh, Keith sets to work getting to know his new place—by cleaning, that is. He tidies the couch first, because that’s going to be his bed; scrapes the dust off, scrubs as best as he can at the discoloration he sees, and finds a moldy blanket to throw on until he can get a cleaner one. Then there’s the table, trying to clear the stains (and cover them when he can), brushing off and dusting the floors and shelves. Cleaning as much as he can to make this place feel less abandoned. Less isolated.

He already feels that way in his mind. His new house doesn’t need to reflect it so directly, though.

One or two hours later, when the sun starts to set, Keith finally finishes cleaning. He looks up at the fading sunlight streaming through the single window the shack has, a window that faces east towards the seemingly endless view of the desert sand, broken up only by a smattering of cacti and reddish rock.

It’s really hot in the shack. Keith wipes sweat from his brow, having shed his jacket hours ago and yet still struck with how burnt his skin feels. When he’d arrived at the Garrison complex, he’d thought vaguely that the landscape was familiar, considering he’d spent his life up until now living in Texas, a place which, though not entirely desert in the way Arizona is, still looks very similar in certain parts.

That familiarity is gone, now. Replaced with a vulnerable knowledge of his own isolation, his own weakness. At that time, when he’d arrived, Shiro had been sitting next to him, and had turned to ask sardonically how Arizona compared to Keith’s past. There’s no Shiro standing next to Keith now, nobody to ask him how this lonely little shack compares to the pristine, sterilized tech of the Garrison.

Nobody. Keith will come to associate that word with this desert, with his shack: nobody. Not nothing, because as soon as he arrives, Keith feels that weird energy, something calling to him, something enticing him to put up posters and sticky notes and scrawled paper on his wall to try to understand it, but that isn’t a person. A presence is here, and Keith knows it, even as he stands here, on his first night, covered in the dust and grime of his new shelter, but that presence is strange and unknown to Keith. It’s not a person.

Keith aches for a person.

Abruptly, Keith moves toward the door, grabbing his jacket and pulling it back on despite the heat as he does. Even though the sun is setting, it’s still safer to have as much of his skin covered as he can. Safer from the elements, safer from surveillance that might want to catch him.

(Leaving what amounts to a high-tech government military base is not without consequences and paranoia.)

There’s a gas station near here, with food he can steal, with people he can see. It’s a dingy, broken-down gas station that doesn’t look like it’s been updated since the 1980s, but it’s something that isn’t Keith or that freshly-cleaned shack or the miles and miles of open desert he can see. It will be his only connection to civilization, what will keep him sane. Deep down, Keith knows this, as he treks through the heavy sand, his footsteps leaving marks that make him nervous.

Right now, though, he tells himself he just wants a bag of chips. Not an escape from the desert.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

☕️ko-fi - so i can buy chips and not steal like keith

[lovecolibri]

I wish guerin would've been the one to dump m*aria, not the other way around. And i certainly wish he would've held his tongue with a certain three words 🤨 so i guess now i'm imagining m*aria trying to get guerin back and him rejecting her and telling her he realized that alex truly is the love of his life and that their "relationship" was a mistake he won't repeat because it's alex who he wants back, not her. Because I'm Petty Like That

Well, we all know I'm a salty, salty bench so I feel you there. The whole m*luca thing was poorly conceived, poorly timed, and poorly written. I am eternally bitter the show ruined the snarky, reluctant BFFs we could have had with M&M. I'm sure the show is going to try and bring that dynamic back but it is too little far too late for me after season 2. Doing m*luca the way they did nearly killed many people's love for and belief in Malex which is pretty difficult after the stellar and believable performances by Vlamis and Tyler. They made that love feel real. And cosmic and painful and beautiful. It was an epic love story that was narratively moving forward, with Alex confronting his dad, and Michael pushing to stop keeping secrets. As much as Alex's behavior at the start of 1x09 was OOC as a set up for m*luca to have their one-off bang in the desert (sidebar, don't try that at home kids! It's full of sand, cacti, thorny scrub brush, scorpions, snakes, coyotes etc and is altogether unsafe and unsexy), it did give us that beautiful moment of Alex "what I want doesn't matter" Manes, finally saying what he wanted to say. That scene is one of my absolute favorites and it took the sting out of the m*luca scene a bit. If that would have been the end of it, I could have accepted C*rina's excuse that it was in "honor" of the OG M&M. 

If the show had decided to have them fool around during the lost decade and maybe have Michael think he's catching feelings, I would have been okay with an ILY from Michael then. And when Alex comes back from his deployment and Michael realizes nothing holds a candle to what he feels for Alex, we could have seen him break it off with M*ria. No matter what, not having Michael break it off was also a huge mistake (in a sea of other mistakes), because it puts the shadow of m*luca over all the rest of Malex’s relationship. Alex will always have that "what if" in the back of his mind that he was the second choice. As much as it's nice to see Alex going after what he wants, and being there for Michael and showing up, and not running like he used to, it would also have been nice to see Michael also going after what he wants. He put his wants and needs on the back burner for so long for Isobel (and Max) and I would have loved for him to realize that he is allowed to have needs and have them met. We could have seen that explored with him realizing he was hiding and stagnating in that relationship with M*ria, and been the one to call it off after Alex get’s kidnapped and he realizes what he is willing to do for Alex. Instead, we got him doubling down out of panic, and now we have to spend another season waiting for him to catch up to where Alex is, instead of seeing them grow together. 🙄

As for M*ria trying to get back with him, as much as my petty heart would love to see her actually face some consequences for being The WorstTM, I really hope the show doesn’t have them interact at all. Which I know also won’t happen, but I’m hoping they keep their interactions to a minimum and related to alien business. I know everyone is all “blah, blah people can be friends with their ex’s, blah” but after how manipulative she was with him that relationship was toxic at best and it is way healthier to just let it die. I’m sure the show wants us to forget it happened and so I’m worried they’ll never bring it up again and have the characters act like it never happened but I think it does a disservice to the story to just ignore how anything that happened before will affect the characters moving forward. We saw that with how Caulfield, Michael’s hand, Alex’s reenlistment, etc, etc, etc got forgotten or mentioned in a single line and never spoken of again. And that ruined the storytelling for season 2 and made for inconsistent characterization for many characters. 

[mintchocohip]

sub!bts ＋ their lazy day kinks

↳ How the OT7 play with their domme when it’s a tired morning, or the evening after a long day. [[Of course, what qualifies as “lazy” play varies from member to member...]]

cr▹

⊣ pairing​: member x reader ︱ rating​: explicit ︱ genre​: domestic, smut, a lil’ fluff

⊣ kinks​ and any relevant warnings​ can be found with each member! 

︳ 𝙏𝘼𝙀𝙃𝙔𝙐𝙉𝙂╍  kink: 𝘱𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺

Taehyung doesn’t need accessories to play puppy. All he needs is imagination. You buckle the black pleather collar around his throat, anyways. A pat on the edge of the bed tells Taehyung he can come up. The tags on his collar jingle as the two of you roll around on the bed━you rub Taehyung’s stomach, and stroke his hair. Taehyung’s nose nuzzles your throat and the side of your waist, as his happy whines mix with your giggles. A few “good boy”s and cutesy coos of nonsensical endearment make Taehyung beam. Taehyung is too tired not to give in to his instincts. The fact that his current instincts seem to be nonsexual means you're careful not to push things in that direction. When the puppy’s done playing, you kiss his stomach, and stroke his back. Soon, he’s curling up at your feet contentedly.

︳ 𝙔𝙊𝙊𝙉𝙂𝙄╍  kinks​​: 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨/𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨

Overwhelmed senses sprawl you over the sheets. Yoongi is sprawled out next to you. A soft mattress has trapped the two of you all morning. Neither of you said anything, before you decided not to leave bed. If you did need to communicate, it would be through zombie grunts. Running a hand over your forehead, you take a deep huff of breath, and glance down the bed at the tent in Yoongi’s pajama pants. He’s made a penny-sized wetspot in the pastel blue fabric. You glance up at his face. His eyes are closed, and his chest is rising and falling slowly. You glance at the clock. It’s been a few minutes. He can take a little more. When you roll onto Yoongi’s body and press your thigh down against his stiff cock, your own soaked pajamas find the soft curve of his thigh, and start to ride. Edging him isn’t your intention. The sensitivity of clothed grinding means you both need to take breaks. Closing your eyes, you listen to Yoongi’s quiet, gasping moans, and get off slowly. When a twitch of your hips makes the thigh between Yoongi’s legs press down a little too hard, he gasps louder, but the tiny, tiny movements of his hips just get faster.

︳ 𝙅𝙐𝙉𝙂𝙆𝙊𝙊𝙆╍ kinks​: 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘥𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 ╍ 🇼​🇦​🇷​🇳​🇮​🇳​🇬​🇸: 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴

Jungkook doesn’t fall into subspace. He dives into it. His body is your plaything. And right now, you feel like uncapping a permanent marker, and sketching out random thoughts and feelings regarding the cute little sub pinned facedown in the sheets. A blindfold and gag keep him docile. Flexible cords keep his hands close to the headboard, and sweep his arms out of your way. Sitting on his ass, you lick your lips, and contemplate where to start. ♡∽cute baby∼♡  scrawls out over one shoulder. ♡∽pathetic slut∼♡  marks the other. Little love notes cover him up down to his calves, before you’re rolling him over, and getting started on his chest. After doodles dot down his abs, you slide out measuring tape from the toy toolbox below the bed. Angling it against his stiff cock, you draw out lines and mark measurements, before you wrap the tape around his thick thighs, and fascinate yourself by keeping track of just how thick they are. When the front of his body looks like a graffitied alley wall, you cap the pen, and gaze down at your artwork lovingly.

︳ 𝙃𝙊𝙎𝙀𝙊𝙆╍  kink: 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘺/𝘮𝘥𝘭𝘣

When Hoseok is at his laziest, he’s also at his subbiest. He sits on the floor below the couch and hugs your legs, as a movie flashes over the television. You give him excessive kisses on the top of his hair when he brings you a cup of coffee. The quiet and calm of Hoseok slipping into baby boy mode means he trails after you and does nothing in particular, until he seems to exhaust himself, and disappears. It’s been a few hours. You find Hoseok on the patio. He’s curled up on the chaise longue, fast asleep. Gilt sunlight is spilling over his sleeping form━shadows from the orange trees have shifted, and exposed him to the falling afternoon sun. Sometime between sunscreen sliding down his arms and sunscreen sliding up his ankles, Hoseok wakes up. By the time you’re delicately dabbing sunscreen below his eyes, he’s flushed. Taking care of Hoseok is a quick way to fluster him, and the way he’s scooting up the chair is unmistakable. You agree. The chaise longue is the perfect place for a cuddle.

︳ 𝙅𝙄𝙈𝙄𝙉╍  kinks: 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘣𝘢𝘬𝘶, 𝘵𝘰𝘺𝘴

It requires little effort on your part. Muscle memory ties the knots. Soon, Jimin is bound in navy blue rope, and the egg vibrator shoved up his ass is snapped on with a flick of your finger. Leaving him tied up like that on the floor of the living room, you go about your business. You water the plants, and repot a cactus in the kitchen. The controller flips off and on, whenever you remember it in your pocket. You browse your phone, and take out the recycling. One of your cacti is blooming. You pick the frilly white flower, and set it down in Jimin’s bellybutton on your way over to the yoga mats, weights and resistance bands. Doing your routine while Jimin is tied up a meter away from you is barely distracting. Loud bass thumps through your headphones. The vibe control in your pocket flicked to off, before you started. As you wander towards the bathroom to take a shower, you unzip your pocket, notch the switch up to its highest setting, and smile when you hear Jimin’s exasperated whine rolling from the living room.

︳ 𝙉𝘼𝙈𝙅𝙊𝙊𝙉╍ kinks​: 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱, 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺

A dozen tiny, juicy, bright red wild strawberries pile up in a small ceramic bowl next to the kitchen sink. You know Namjoon is proud of his harvest━you’re proud, too. “Can I try one?” You settle by Namjoon’s side, and slide a hand onto his elbow. He tops off the bowl with a particularly spherical strawberry. “Oh━wait.” Namjoon glances down at the bowl, before swiping his hands off on a towel. Pink juice leaves matte stains his fingertips, from where he was pulling off calyces. “I want to feed them to you,” he concludes. “Feed them to me?” You slide your arm away, and give him a knowing smile. “You know━” as Namjoon suggests it, he matches your smile, though his head nods down almost bashfully━“as an offering.” Fighting a shy smile of your own, you raise your eyebrows, lean forwards, and kiss the side of Namjoon’s throat. Cool light sliding over the fresh strawberries makes them look enticing, but you’re more than happy to take the bowl into the bedroom, and let Namjoon handfeed them to you between kisses and surprisingly delicate fingertips worshiping every centimeter of your body.

︳ 𝙎𝙀𝙊𝙆𝙅𝙄𝙉╍  kinks​: 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 ╍ warnings: 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥

He’s turning into jelly. Seokjin is cradled against you in the tub. His neck leans back over your shoulder, his stomach shakes, and the hand on his cock has slowed as you rub a loofah down the inside of his thigh. “Mistress━” it’s a moan and a whimper. Seokjin arcs his back, and spreads his legs wider. Hearing mistress when you aren’t using Seokjin’s blood to paint a landscape across the backs of his thighs curls a smile onto your lips. Right now, scrubs, aromatherapeutic scents and shimmering water means you’re being as gentle with Seokjin’s soul as you’re being with his body. You can spend hours refilling the tub, petting Seokjin, jerking him off slowly, and speaking quiet compliments and affirmations into the humid air. “You really give the world your best self. Don’t worry about what anyone says. It’s worth it to try, Jinnie.” Afterwards, you’ll wrap him up in a soft towel, and make both of you some tea. When Seokjin wants something soft, the healing power of these sessions brighten him up for days. It also means he won’t really be horny for days━if it’s for Seokjin’s sake, that’s a price you’re willing to pay.

[rayomz]

animal crossing switch

PREDICTIONS:

they will change something drastically about the character design (acww: hair, acnl: taller/pants, ac switch: ???)

you still get to be mayor, or some sort of town planner

may be like happy home designer, where you can design entire facilities like shops, schools, etc, however that works

you will be able to choose where animals move in (like in previous games, houses went on top of signs placed around town. you’d be able to place signs wherever)

more public works projects

you will get to choose your face instead of having The Quiz

more customization options in general

an upgraded version of the pattern maker

a dedicated tool for path creation and not just putting paths down via patterns

MORE pattern space regardless

more complex villagers

at least one new species

one to two new personality types

one new shop type

a small online hub, maybe

an in-game gallery where you can upload custom patterns and download them from other players

if that’s not it, you will have to use your phone using the NSO app. i think animal crossing will have app functionality anyway, maybe something like splatnet where you have shop exclusives, but mainly because of voice chat. but i was thinking this app would let you scan QR codes and send them to your game since the switch doesnt have cameras

a new type of collectible (like how acnl added deep sea creatures)

the town for ac switch will be Large. Big. acnl was too tiny, i want something Large, city folk was nice but it could still be… Bigger.

they might bring back amiibo cards and the campsite

free camera in town i think is a 50/50 possibility. the switch is powerful enough to handle it but at the same time the current view is iconic i think and idk if they’d get rid of that. i will predict better cameras in places like the museum though

graphically, it will look nice. the way the ac track looks in mario kart is the dream but, i can see them doing the exact same thing from acnl. which is Not what i want

they’ll put in all furniture from pocket camp

they’ll put uh.. plants from pocket camp (birch trees please)

monthly free dlc like in new leaf

inevitable japanese-exclusive content

WISH LIST:

bat, raccoon, weasel, otter, or possum villagers

fantasy species like dragons, gryphons

more fantasy villagers at the very least (draco, julien)

biomes/landscape variety: be able to choose different town types such as mountains, forests, deserts, grasslands, tropical, whatever. or start out with the regular forest type town, and have the option to change it into anything (maybe it changes depending on what you plant? like if an area has a lot of cacti, the grass will disappear and turn into scrub)

more options for an urban/modern town

more variety in personalities per species. cats for example, a majority of the male cats are either grumpy or lazy. no smugs, and one (1) jock

more complex villagers. i want a relationship system. i’m not talking about marrying or dating anyone, i just want friendships to mean something. i want to be able to progress through a relationship.

^^ related, i want more complex villagers in terms of their OWN personality. they’re always upbeat and in a good mood in acnl. they have no bite. they lack any personality. they’re so bland. i want a villager to move in and hate me for absolutely no reason. and then maybe i can do errands for him or something, and we can slowly become friends. SOMETHING other than *knows each other for 5 seconds* “hehe we’re best friends :)”. in acnl i made NO friends other than zell and kiki (who is a staple villager for me) because i had no incentive to make any friends. everyone is exactly the same. boring

^^ maybe animals in a town can have relationships with each other? like dotty and felicity are friends, but dotty hates poncho. i dont know what this could do other than more errands to run but it would help the town feel more alive

Big Leafy Trees

fruits and vegetables. maybe leif can sell planters in his shop that allow you to grow things like strawberries or tomatoes that you can sell

cooking? i’ve seen people talk about cooking ~LiKe BrEaTh Of ThE wILd~ (bc thats the only nintendo game that exists i guess) where it effects your stats and energy/stamina and tbh animal crossing does NOT need that. i think you should be able to cook for food as furniture items, or you can give food to villagers as gifts to increase your Friendship Points. Or you could sell it for a a little bit of Money

more furniture, but that’s a given with any ac game

customizable pants! in acnl they gave us the option to customize different types of shirts but i want customizable pants and skirts now

yards. even if they’re small

half-tile placement for furniture like in happy home designer (idk if half-tiles are in pocket camp)

more customization options for houses, like windows and doors (like HHD)

an online marketplace where you can go and trade with people online without having to need to go to their town and swap FCs

nice beaches, the ones in new leaf kinda suck imo

[daedalcs]

Ah, private sector business. Things that paid the big bucks and had those stupid badges you had to clip onto the front of your flack vest. Usually, they were ghost supported by some obscure three letter agency that had their hands elbow deep into some shady shit that they need a middle man to take care of so the name doesn’t get tarnished. 

Dust kicks up behind the scout vehicle and Jean does her best to focus on the dirty screen of the laptop in her lap that had a few readouts of whatever she’s supposed to be going to. A stone-faced Sargent with a name tag that read out ‘Bradner’ doesn’t spare her even a glance as they tear through the sun-baked Arizona desert. They’d passed through a military checkpoint that opened up into a massive staging ground of some kind with no discernable features other than some sparse scrub brush dotted amongst the beige sand. 

There had been a few squat brown buildings they’d passed about a click back but other than that nothing for as far as the eye could see. It even seemed like they had cleared out all the cacti and rocks leaving nothing but flat sand. Eerie. 

“We’ll be there in about three minutes.” It’s the first thing that Bradner has said to her the entire trip and for a moment Jean hadn’t caught it. Thank god too, sweat was starting to make her black t-shirt stick to her back underneath the thick flack vest. Of course, these types of vehicles didn’t have the greatest AC systems. It had coughed out a cloud of dust when she’d first fiddled with the knobs. 

On the horizon and quickly growing was what honestly looked like a tall building used to house missiles. It’s the same color as the desert surrounding it and flanked around it are other smaller buildings and maybe a half a dozen vehicles along with two fire trucks with the same sand color treatment. There are one or two people milling about outside with rifles strapped across their chests, and their attention is pulled to the approaching vehicle as it begins to slow. 

When she hops out of the relative coolness of the scout vehicle and into the absolutely scorching sun the first thing Jean notices is the smell of machinery. Oil and gasoline that hangs heavy in the air making the back of her throat taste metallic. Bradner doesn’t get out of the truck and one of the guards approaches Jean and introduces themselves as Capaldi along with informing her that she’ll be meeting her assignment inside the building.

Finding this a rather odd way to talk about something she’d just be guarding she follows Capaldi inside and is suddenly extremely thankful for modern technology and air conditioning.A short well lit hallway opens up into the main building, which as she guessed is more like a giant hangar, and inside is the biggest damn robot the Jean has ever seen.

@sparkfelt

[maxheadley]

Crystals & Magic Beings

@heart-artist-rp

Nikolai and his family portaled through their realm to the Earth's realm. No-one knew where they would land, who would witness their landing, and what dangers might arise of their unexpected arrival in a new land. Everyone knew enemies lay at every corner, stalking, observing ready to strike anyone who innocently went about not watching their step or surroundings. The fact Legend had been destroyed, made the young ones weepy and Nikolai feel nostalgia. The family landed roughly dead smack in the middle of a forest located in Salem, Oregon.

He landed in deep forest green blades of grass, sprawled on his back, clutching his ribcage, and groaned as he tried to regain his breath. He blinked, adjusting to the dark surroundings. Barely a peek of sunlight filtered through the dense copes of trees overhead. He furrowed his eyebrows wondering where in the hell did they land. He gathered all the strength he could muster and sat up slowly. He let out a shallow breath. He scanned the clearing, seeing his family were also sitting up and glancing side to side taking in their tree filled surroundings.

He heard a whistle from his best friend, Nitto to his left. He whipped his head towards him. "Can you help a brother out?" Coughed, the dark native young male. His black and silver crutches lay yards away from him. Nikolai heaved himself off the weirdly trimmed grass. He inched towards his best friend's crutches and hesitated to pick up them seeing a vibrant house in the distance. Someone else was here. He expected such, but out in forest surrounded by miles of tree sounded rather odd. He grabbed the crutches and jogged to his best friend's side. "There's someone else here in that house. I'm gonna take Millicent and check the place out see if whoever's there an enemy or a foe. I'll shout if anything goes awry." Nitto nodded, giving Nikolai's broad shoulders a squeeze.

He signed to Millicent. She was deaf so he had to sign. Come with me. We're gonna check out the house and if anyone's home.The deaf young girl nodded signing back, Okay, should I tell mumma? Nikolai shook his head and pointed at Nitto, who slowly and leisurely made his way to Nikolai's daughter, Carmella and Millicent's adoptive mom. He indicated Nitto would inform her. Millicent nodded, following Nitto to the house in the distance.

Upon arriving closer, he noticed a tended garden full of succulents, cacti, herbal plants and crystals laying about. He thought the place looked out of place in a vicinity like their setting. He picked up an amethyst gem and smiled, looking over at Millicent. He signed to her. I believe we either have a warlock or something magic bound on our hands. Let's up whoever it is is friendly.

Millicent signed back. If not, we'll show them whose boss. Her smile lit up her tan face. Her dark blue eyes vibrant amidst the disasters they faced and the destruction of their most prized possession, their home. He signed back grinning, insouciantly at her enthusiastic words. She was quite encouraging and a warrior in her own right despite her deafness. He brought her along for exactly that. He scrubbed his hands together and walked up the steps to the porch and deck. He found himself knocking curiously, testing, and calculating. He did not want to accidentally send his family to their deaths if everything went awry.

Millicent had followed closely, observing the place and not waiting for further instruction. The seventeen year old girl had uncrushable curiosity and an adventurous spirit. She did exploring with ease and little sound. Nikolai kept his eyes trained on the girl as he waited and as she examined several crystal pieces lined on the porch railing, similar culture to what his mother's people had. What he had. What his daughter and her children grew up knowing. He prayed to God, whoever owned the beautiful home would be a person of understanding and kindness. It's what his family and his family needed after what they were put through.

[ineffablywriting]

eight / american dream

uni AU co-written with @faux-styles

a story of late nights, unorthodox household plants, and a trip to Vegas that changes everything

“Need me to drop you off anywhere specific?”

“The gardening section is fine,” Savannah mumbled. She’d traded Reyna’s phone in for her own and was currently scrolling through instagram.

“Just promise me one thing,” Reyna sighed, taking a sharp right turn which earned her a glare from Sav. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly.

“Promise what?” Savannah asked warily.

“Don’t buy another cactus, you’ve killed the last three you’ve owned.”

chapter seven / story page

“How was your date?” Reyna asked, barging into the flat that morning, still in her scrubs. “Also, I need a change of clothes,” she said catching Sav’s eye.

“Didn’t you take something to change into when you left for placement last night?” Alexa asked.

“I did, but some twat in the hallway decided they were going to throw up an entire bar on me just as I was leaving,” she grumbled darkly. “So, I had to take a second shower and change back into my scrubs.”

“Gross,” Sav wrinkled her nose as she dug through her closet.

“Thanks,” Reyna said kindly, grabbing the simple pair of jeans and a random t-shirt. “But don’t think you can get out of answering the question that quickly. How was your date?”

Savannah rolled her eyes. “It was a disaster. He took me to a bar that was more grease than actual bar.”

“I know,” Reyna grinned cheekily. “I meant your other date.”

“What?”

“A little birdie told me it involved a big yellow M and a rich boy,” she collapsed onto the sofa, the grin on her face only growing with each word.

“It wasn’t a date,” she rolled her eyes. “And I know that you know that it wasn’t a date so I’m not going to let you make me squirm over it.”

“Well you’re no fun,” she muttered, pulling out her phone as it lit up with a text.

“I’m plenty fun,” Savannah poked her tongue out. “Are you good to stay here on your own?”

“You’re going somewhere?”

“Just down to the markets,” she shrugged.

“I can give you a lift if you’d like.”

“Nah, it’s fine. You look like you need some sleep,” Sav fussed. “I swear the times they give you lot should be illegal.”

“It’s fine,” Reyna waved her off. “We need to get used it for the future anyway. I’m going to be on rotation in the emergency room soon and the hours are ridiculous,” she said with a gleam in her eye.

“Let me guess, you can’t wait?” Savannah shook her head in fond exasperation.

“I like the pressure.”

“I’m sure you do,” Sav offered back. “Which is all the more reason you should stay here and nap. You can take my bed. I’m fine taking the bus, really.”

“Nah, I’m gonna head over to Louis’ in a bit anyway,” Reyna waved her phone in explanation. “I’ll just nap at his place if I need to. His bed is bloody huge.”

“How is he?” Savannah asked. “I haven’t seen him around since Harry’s party - or, well, I guess it was more Louis’ party, but you know.”

“Yeah, same,” Reyna nodded. “He’s had a whole bunch of family things going on the past week and I think he got drunk at every single one, so he’s probably still hungover. I’m going to go over there and yap in his ear until he cries.”

“Why?” she asked, exasperated. “I mean, other than torturing your best friend.”

Reyna started laughing. “He deserves it. I was chatting with that fit bearded bloke at the party when he came over and planted a sloppy kiss right on my cheek and told me how much he loved me. Scared him right off,” she huffed.

At that Savannah burst out laughing. “Wish I’d seen that.”

“You can ask Alexa all about it,” she rolled her eyes. “She witnessed the whole thing. Speaking of,” Reyna changed the subject. “She have a double shift again?”

“Nah, she’s got that next week. I can’t believe she volunteers for them,” Sav shook her head, clicking the button for the lift as they made their way out of the flat. “I don’t care how much you paid me and tipped me, I wouldn’t work more than eight hours.”

“That’s because you work in a cafe and I work in a library,” Reyna joked. “Lex works in an art gallery. Bet she meets lots of posh and proper people and not the usual chavs we deal with. God, you know this one guy actually tried to check out a book without a library card the other day? And then he had the nerve to argue with me about it being a public library.”

“Sounds like something Louis would do,” Savannah teased as they walked over to Reyna’s small Suzuki.

“Oi, Lou’s not an idiot,” she defended without hesitation.

“I know that,” Savannah laughed. “I meant it sounds like something he’d do to piss you off.”

Reyna paused, considering her words. “Yeah, I can’t argue with that,” she agreed, slipping the key into the ignition.

“Does he know you’re going to see him?”

“Should do,” she shrugged. “That was him earlier who texted me. Haven’t checked what it said yet.”

“Want me to read it to you?” Savannah offered, picking Rey’s phone up out of the cup holder as she reversed out of her parking space. She’d decided to drive this time, rather than make Alexa get up at 5am in the morning to go and get her.

“Yeah, sure,” she shrugged and Sav instantly unlocked her phone. “You need my passco…” she trailed off. “Or not,” she raised a brow.

“1234 isn’t really much of a password, Rey,” Savannah laughed lightly. “Lou says, and I quote, I’m at home, why?”

“Alright cool,” Reyna grinned, as she merged into traffic.

“You want me to text him a reply?” she asked, even though she had a feeling Reyna was going to just brush her off. She never replied to texts.

“Nah,” she waved her off. “I’ll see him soon enough.”

“Of course you will,” Savannah sighed, rolling her eyes as she dropped the phone back into the cup holder.

“Need me to drop you off anywhere specific?”

“The gardening section is fine,” Savannah mumbled. She’d traded Reyna’s phone in for her own and was currently scrolling through instagram.

“Just promise me one thing,” Reyna sighed, taking a sharp right turn which earned her a glare from Sav. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly.

“Promise what?” Savannah asked warily.

“Don’t buy another cactus, you’ve killed the last three you’ve owned.”

-

“Another houseplant?” Alexa asked incredulously from her position against the kitchen bench as Savannah awkwardly balanced the flower in one hand and kicked the front door shut with the other, arms laden with bags.

Dumping them, and her keys, onto the kitchen counter, she set the plant down gently and proceeded to stand there and admire the way the purple flowers hung delicately from their branches.

“It’s an orchid and I’m going to name him Oliver,” Savannah breathed out airily, running her hands along the pot.

Alexa quirked an eyebrow. “You’ve lost it,” she deadpanned, watching Savannah gaze almost lovingly at the plant.

“Shut up, I know what I’m doing,” she said, moving the pot towards the kitchen window where it sat, illuminated in the still-rising sun.

“Question,” Alexa began, unloading some of the groceries that Savannah had bought from the markets. “Why an orchid? Given up on cacti, have ya?”

Savannah sighed, shaking her head before climbing onto one of the stools. “Reyna banned me from buying another one. Said I’m going to be the cause of their extinction.”

“Did she really say that?” Alexa asked curiously, placing some vegetables in the fridge and bringing out a huge jug of orange juice. After a few weeks of living with Savannah, along with Reyna breathing down their necks, the girls had decided to learn how to cook homemade meals. And Alexa had to admit, it definitely saved her a lot of money.

“No,” Savannah admitted, “But it was implied.”

Alexa rolled her eyes and brought out two glasses, pouring the orange juice out before sliding one towards Savannah. She paused. “Sav…”

“Yeah?” Savannah asked, momentarily distracted by the presence - or lack thereof - of pulp in her orange juice. “This has no pulp,” she pointed out.

Sighing, Alexa took a swig from her own glass. “It was the only one they had left,” she said, “But listen here.”

Savannah looked at her friend with mild curiosity. “What’s up?”

“I’ve decided what I want for my birthday,” Alexa started off carefully, watching Savannah’s face carefully for her reaction.

“Yeah?” her friend perked up. Savannah absolutely loathed gift shopping, especially for friends who already seemed to have everything they could ever want. So if Lex was willing to give her gift ideas, she wasn’t going to protest. “What is it?"

“How would you feel if we all went on a trip?”

“A trip where?” she frowned a little, her suspicions rising at Alexa’s discomfort. “Up north? Down south?” Sav chatted, downing her glass and rinsing it quickly in the sink.

“I was thinking more… west,” Alexa replied slowly.

“Bristol?”

“Vegas.”

Savannah blinked.

“As in Las Vegas?” she confirmed, leaning back against the counter and clasping her hands behind her back to prevent herself from punching her friend in the arm.

“Yup.”

“You mean like, the City of Sin. The Las Vegas?”

“I don’t understand how I could be more clear. Yes, Vegas as in Las Vegas with the fake Eiffel Tower and the Bellagio Fountains. Las Vegas in America,” Alexa rolled her eyes, starting to get a little prickly.  

“You’re not kidding.”

“I’m not.”

Savannah paused, as if thinking about how to word her next thought. “Look, Lex. I know it’s your birthday and all but-”

“Before you even continue with that, hear me out,” Alexa interrupted. “I know you’re probably freaking about how much it’ll cost, but all you’re going to need is spending money,” she glared at Sav when she looked to interrupt. “Our flights are going to be covered under my parents’ frequent flyer points so that’s not something you have to worry about, and they also agreed to pay for our suite as a birthday gift for me. The only thing you really have to worry about on top of spending money is meals and breakfast is already covered by the hotel. Also,” Lex continued when she still looked unconvinced. “I don’t think we’ll even be there for long enough for it to be too much money.”

“But-”

“I know you want to say no right now. But Sav, it’s my birthday and I really, really want you to be there. You skipped out on my 21st, you have to come to my this one.”

“I was in hospital on your 21st,” Savannah crossed her arms, even as she tried not to smile. Alexa was a lot of things, but she wasn’t very manipulative and every time she tried to be, she and Reyna found it hilarious.

“Just think about it? Please?” Alexa implored, shoulders slumping a little in defeat.  

“Ok,” Savannah sighed, rolling her eyes. She knew she didn’t really need to think it through, with both flights and accommodation taken care of, there was no way she was missing the trip to Vegas. She’d pick up a few extra shifts at the cafe just to be safe, but she was sure that the savings she had in her account would be enough to cover the cost of the trip.

“Wait- ok you’ll think about it or ok you’ll come?”

“Ok, I’ll come,” Savannah grinned, moving forward to hug her friend. “You didn’t really think I’d miss out on Vegas did you?”

“Oh my god, I didn’t think you’d actually say yes so soon. Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Alexa squealed, and Savannah couldn’t help but laugh at her friend’s reaction.

“Anything for you, Lex,” she grinned in reply. “But now I really have to get ready for work before I’m late. I’ll see you this evening and we can discuss the details!”

-

Savannah didn’t know for sure, but she was convinced that someone deep within the inner pits of hell had it out for her today. She had only been working for two out of the six hours that made up her shift, but she was about ready to dig her own grave. For some unusual reason, every single mother in London had decided it was a great day to take their demon spawn to the cafe for lunch. The amount of crying, shrieking, screaming, and overturned porridge bowls had Savannah about ready to call it quits. In fact, she was sure that if it weren’t for the suddenly upcoming Vegas trip and the meagre funds in her bank account, she would’ve jetted out of there as soon as the kids had first started to appear.

Maeve, who was working the coffees for the morning, smiled sympathetically at Savannah as she passed by with a tray stacked high with dirty dishes. It had finally started to calm down, with only five or six occupied tables in the cafe and Savannah took this opportunity to slip behind the counter for a much needed breather.

“Rough morning?” Maeve asked, finishing up a flat white for the customer waiting by the counter and handing it to him with a smile.

“Don’t even start me,” Savannah sighed, leaning her head on the counter and closing her eyes momentarily. “I feel like the world’s against me today.”

“Not to undermine your feelings or whatever, Sav,” Maeve grinned, waving a dishtowel at a pestering fly that had been bothering her all morning, “but you say that every time we have a busy day.”

“Yeah, but this time I mean it,” Savannah insisted. “Did you see how many little monsters were out there? God, remind me to never have one of those.”

“You mean children?” Maeve smirked, used to her friend’s antics.

“Those were not children,” Savannah shook her head dramatically. “Those were mini satans. I swear one of them looked me in the eye as they spilled a perfectly decent plate of porridge!”

“That’s what children do, Sav,” Maeve sighed, leaning back against the counter she was manning.

“Ruin lives?” Savannah asked, making her friend outright laugh at her.

“Make messes.”

“That’s what I just said, innit?” Sav joked.

“Honestly, sometimes I worry about you,” Maeve shook her head, glancing over her shoulder as the cafe door chimed, only to quickly turn back when she saw it was just one of the children messing around. “So anyway,” she changed the subject, “wanna tell me what the real reason is for the sudden stick up your arse?”  

“Vegas,” Sav sighed.

“Vegas? What?” Maeve asked, bewildered. “I feel like it’s my job to point out that Vegas sounds like the complete opposite to having a stick up ya bum.”

“Yeah for people who can afford it.”

“So save up.”

“No, no, it’s not like that...it’s more...it’s hard to explain,” Sav fumbled, trying to formulate a proper sentence. “I have enough money for it. But only because of frequent flyer points and loving parents and-”

“Woah, hold up. Start from the beginning, would ya?”

“Ok so,” Savannah huffed out a breath. “Lex’s birthday is coming up and she wants to go to Vegas and I was all for it - obviously,” at her friend’s pointed look, she corrected herself. “Fine so I was a little reluctant, but I came around. Except now I’m having doubts again because it’s all happening so suddenly and I’m poor to the point where if it wasn’t for Alexa, I’d be bunking with my mum, so while she and Rey can literally go out and buy a house tomorrow -”

“Doubt it, but go on,” Maeve interrupted.

“-I can barely buy a t-shirt without wondering if I could maybe find the same one online for cheaper. And I want to try and explain that to them, but at the same time it’s her birthday and I don’t want to make her feel guilty for me being not as wealthy as them, which is the understatement of the century, by the way. So, I’m stuck working here cleaning up after Satan’s footmen trying to think of a gift I can get her for using up her parents’ frequent flyers, to coattail my way with them to Vegas,” she finished.

“First off, you really have to stop calling kids that. Secondly, there’s no way Lex cares about the gift you get her as long as it has some sentiment to it,” here she smacked Sav on the head, “and thirdly, take that bloody stick out of your bum and let your friends do something nice for you.”

“But -”

“No, shut up and lighten up, Sav. Ever since I’ve met you, you do this thing where you refuse to let anyone help you out - especially if they come from a privileged background.”

“I do not,” Sav said, a little outraged.

“You so do,” Maeve laughed lightly. “I don’t know why, but it’s almost like you’re trying to prove yourself worthy or something. You’re not Thor, Sav. You don’t have the fate of a realm resting on your shoulders - live and let live, I say.”

“I have no clue what you just said,” Savannah pointed out, her animosity deflating a little.

Maeve rolled her eyes. “Just let your friends buy you your way to Vegas. It’s what friends do, love. They help each other out when they can do something for you that you can’t do for yourself. Besides, this way it means you’ll have more money for alcohol.”

“You know,” Savannah chuckled, “you can go from ‘wise and all knowing’ to ‘a booze guzzling chav’ real quick.”

“It’s part of my charm,” Maeve winked, turning to face the counter, as the cafe bell rang - this time with an actual customer.

“I don’t doubt it,” Sav called back as she made her way out to take their order.

-

“I come!” a loud voice spoke up from down the hallway, the front door slamming shut almost immediately after, “bearing gifts!”

Savannah rolled her eyes before picking herself off the floor where she had been sat for a solid half hour after work and heading down towards the living room. “Hey Louis,” she greeted, walking up to him.

Louis grinned, setting the two six-packs of beer down on the counter before engulfing Savannah in a bone-crushing hug. “Hey sweetie,” he smiled. “Long time no see. You smell like bacon.”

“How are you?” she asked, eyes flicking between the alcohol on the table and Oliver sitting innocently just a few centimetres away from it. The second part of his greeting, she decided to completely ignore.

“Oh, I’m just peachy thanks!” another voice spoke up from the entranceway. Savannah glanced up curiously to see Reyna entering the space with five bags of take-out, all balanced precariously in her arms. “Can someone please take this away from me before I ‘accidentally’ drop it all on the floor,” she said through gritted teeth, glaring pointedly at Louis.

“Someone put you two in charge of the food, I see,” Alexa stated, walking in just as Louis walked over to help Reyna with the bags.

“I have a question,” Savannah perked up. “What’s the occasion?” she asked once everyone looked towards her.

“No occasion,” Reyna said. “But since we haven’t seen the boys in almost a week, we thought it would be nice to have a movie night.”

“And it had to be at our flat?”

“I volunteered us, actually,” Lex said sheepishly. “It was only fair,” she defended. “We’re always at Harry’s or Zayn’s, Louis’ place I wouldn’t step foot in unless it’s been bleached out and Reyna’s is too small for all of us to be comfortable,” she shrugged. “I’m going to pop outside for a second,” she said to no one in particular before leaving.  

“Fine I guess,” Savannah muttered, nudging the beers that Louis had brought to glance at the label, blanching slightly as she read the name. “You guys got the cheap beer,” she whined, pouting slightly. “It tastes like shit.”

“Hey!” Louis warned her, pointing a finger in her face. “Any alcohol is good alcohol.”

“What’s the point of having rich friends if they won’t buy the good stuff?” Savannah rolled her eyes, walking over to pull the bottles from the packaging and stacking them in the fridge as she did so.

“So what are you doing?” Reyna asked, grabbing an apple from the fruit basket and finally noticing the plant.

Savannah held her breath.

“What is this?” she asked slowly, as if afraid of the answer. From beside her, Louis guffawed. Having been Reyna’s best friend basically his entire life, he was accustomed to hearing the gruesome tales of the demise of Sav’s household plants.

“Oliver,” Savannah shrugged.

“Of course you’ve already named him,” Reyna sighed, looking at her friend exasperatedly. “I thought I told you no more plants.”

“No,” Savannah was quick to defend herself, “You didn’t. You said cacti in particular. Not orchids. Isn’t he beautiful?” she said, gazing at her plant adoringly.

“She’s lost it,” Louis whisper-shouted in Reyna’s ear, making sure that Savannah heard it.

Savannah glared at him.

“You have a problem,” Reyna concluded after a brief moment of silence. “I should call Dr. Phil. I can see it already. ‘Woman obsessed with killing household plants’. It’ll go viral. We’ll make a meme out of it and everything.”

“Hey!” Savannah exclaimed, “I’m not obsessed with killing them! I just… happen to forget about them after a while.”

Louis raised an eyebrow, hesitating a moment before speaking up. “Please don’t ever have children.”

“I’ll make a great mother,” Savannah said haughtily, carefully picking Oliver up and moving him away from Louis - who was already nursing a beer - and Reyna who was smirking over at her, a knowing glint in her eyes. “Go ahead and make your bets,” Savannah sighed. “But this time is different. Oliver will survive, you’ll see.”

“Bet he won’t make it to the end of next month,” Louis was quick to rise to the bait.

“Nah,” Reyna shook her head. “Reckon he might last a little longer than that.”

“Thank you!” Savannah grinned triumphantly.

“Alexa has quite the green thumb,” she continued.

“Screw you,” Savannah glared while Louis choked on his drink beside Reyna. “I don’t need Lex’s help to raise Oli, you’ll see,” she walked away from the two, taking Oliver with her. She intended to hide him somewhere where none of the others could find him.

She’d just walked back into the kitchen when the front door was pushed open by Alexa who’d gone downstairs to grab the mail.

“I found a couple of strays sitting around outside, thought I’d invite them in,” she smiled, moving aside to reveal Zayn and Harry. “They said no one would buzz them in?” she asked quizzically.

“They didn’t know the password,” Louis shrugged, making Alexa quirk a brow and stare expectantly over at Savannah.

“I thought I told you to keep an eye on the place,” she said.

“I was literally gone for like three seconds showing Oli to my room. I don’t even know how he managed to get to the intercom!” Sav was both impressed and a little scared at how crafty Louis was. “Did you help him?”

“Hey, leave me out of this,” Reyna held her hands up in surrender. “It was all Louis.”

“And you didn’t stop him?”

“It was funny,” Reyna shrugged. “Besides, they’re not frozen to death. Which is a shame, bet an ice sculpture or two would really liven the place up a bit,” she mused, completely disregarding Harry, Zayn and Alexa’s presence.

“I see it,” Zayn declared, turning to Lex. “I finally see it. She’s exactly like Louis, but a girl.”

“Oi!” Reyna glared at him, fighting off a smile. “I’m funnier than him. And better looking,” she added.

“That’s debatable,” Louis snorted, playing with the bottle opener attached to his keys.

“Ok then, before this gets any more underway, I’m just going to take a quick shower considering Louis said I smelled like a pig,” Savannah announced to the room.

“It’s for your own good, sweetie,” was all he said as she disappeared down the hall.

-

“Ok,” Harry started, turning to face Savannah while the others listened on patiently. “Blackjack is really really simple. I don’t understand why you haven’t played it yet, I mean, what rock have you been under your whole life?”

“Calm down, Styles,” she rolled her eyes. “Not everyone here has a gambling problem.”

Harry pretended to clutch his heart in pain. “You wound me, Simba.”

Everyone around the table, almost in unison, arched an eyebrow in amusement. Savannah felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she rolled her eyes at Reyna and Alexa who were grinning widely. Harry had been absolutely outraged upon learning that none of the girls at the table knew how to play proper blackjack and so had run to the closest open shop to find a deck of playing cards. Twenty minutes later, he was back with a mission in mind.

“Ok enough with the banter, you two. Explain the game so we can get on with it!” Niall urged, taking a swig of his beer.

Harry cleared his throat. “Ok. Basically, you get dealt two cards right, one facing down and the other facing up. Same with the dealer. And then you flip your card. And then you add up the two card values - if it’s a picture card, then it’s value is 10. If it’s a number card, then it’s value is whatever it is. And finally, if you get dealt an Ace, you can either choose for it to be either an 11 or a one. When you add up the two numbers, you can either choose to hit or stand. The whole idea of this is to reach as close to 21 as possible. So you can either hit and get dealt another card or you can keep the value of your two cards the same. If you go over 21, you’ve automatically lost,” he looked up at Savannah, then to Alexa and Reyna. “You following?”

“Yeah,” they said in unison. Harry talked at a pace befit for toddlers to understand, which ended up being a positive in this type of situation.

“Great, good. Say you’ve reached 19 with your cards and you choose to stand. The dealer then flips over his card. If it’s 16 or under, he automatically has to flip another. If he reaches 21, he’s won. If he’s gone over, everyone who got under 21 wins. However, when he flips and it’s 17 or over, he has to stand. So if he flips and gets 18, and you’ve got 19, then you’ve won the hand.”

“Okay,” Savannah nodded, trying to wrap her head around the whole concept of the game. Everyone else had seemingly started to lose interest and had now started up a conversation between themselves. “Okay wait, so,” Savannah said a concentrated furrow between her brows as she tried to make proper sense of what Harry was saying. “If you stand, do you just stay that way until everyone else also stands?”

“Yep,” Harry answered. “You’re all playing against the dealer so he has to wait until everyone stands before he can flip his card. So no cheating.”

“Oh, ok. So basically, you have to get your cards to 21 and every time you hit you get another card and you have to try and get as close to 21 without going over. If you stand you just sit there until everyone else stands as well and then the dealer does his thing and ta-da,” she waved her hands around as she finished.

“In layman’s terms, yeah.”

“Sweet, I think I’ve got it,” she grinned.

“Finally,” Louis said, turning back around to face the group and switching the TV off. “May the odds be ever in your favour,” he said mockingly.

-

“Ok, so the odds are definitely not in your favour tonight,” Louis deadpanned as Savannah lost another round.

“Fuck off, Louis. Harry’s obviously cheating,” Savannah glared down at her drink.

“You’re lucky we’re not playing for actual money,” Reyna shook her head sadly. “You’d be so broke you’d be living off ramen noodles for the next few months.”

“I’m already living off ramen noodles for the next few months because of this stupid bloody trip to Vegas,” Savannah cursed, frustration rolling off of her in waves.

“Oi,” Alexa cut in. “Don’t diss Vegas.”

“Yeah,” Niall added. “It’s not Vegas’ fault yer shit.”

Savannah lifted her gaze to shoot him a withering glare dangerous enough that Niall’s eyes widened and he shifted away from her slightly. “Think I’m going to get another drink,” he said to no one in particular before disappearing from sight.

“What trip to Vegas are we talking about here?” Louis perked up.

“You know I may be bad at blackjack, but I would annihilate you all in a game of poker,” Savannah defended, ignoring Louis while gathering up the cards on the table and handing them over to Harry to shuffle.

“Okay then,” he smirked, twisting the deck in his abnormally large hands. “I’ll take you up on that challenge. Texas hold’em or five-card?”

“Five-card.”  

“In that case, I’m out,” Reyna said quickly, not liking the fact that she was the weakest link when it came to poker.

“Me too,” Alexa agreed, getting up and following Reyna into the kitchen.

“Ok, in that case, I’m out too.  Now can someone answer my question?” Louis could be heard asking as he also disappeared from view. “What Vegas trip is this?”

Harry and Savannah exchanged a look as Zayn also left the circle wordlessly, not even bothering to come up with an excuse. Shrugging, Harry carefully shuffled the deck, dealing out five cards to Savannah and the same to him. When done, he placed the rest of the deck on the side and glanced up at her, his elbows on his knees and his fingers placed strategically under his chin.

“So, Vegas, huh?” he tried to distract Sav from her game.

“It’s for Lex’s birthday,” she shrugged. “And don’t think you can play me into giving something away,” she narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re in my domain now,” she smirked at him.

“I’m just being social,” Harry blinked at her innocently. “Who’s going on the trip?” he asked.

“Dunno,” she shrugged, “we haven’t really discussed the details yet. We’ll probably do that tonight in the groupchat.”

“You have a groupchat?”

“You don’t?” Sav asked astonished when Harry just shook his head. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Louis will fix that soon enough. He’s always starting new groups. I’m surprise he hasn’t started one with all of us already.”

Harry snorted. “If I know Louis, and I do, unfortunately, chances are he’s going to start one tonight demanding we all go to Vegas.”

“I have the perfect name if he does,” she lit up with excitement.

“I’m scared to ask…”

“The Rat Pack,” she announced proudly. “Now can we please play?”

“Fine fine,” Harry sighed, taking a good, long look at his cards. “Prepare to be annihilated.”

[sebaby-l]

Thank you so much @baekhyuns-diamond for tagging me!! ♡♡ I feel loved

What’s your favourite song(s) to sing/hum? Ooh well~ I like singing everything! But my favs are Fly Me To The Moon, Angel Baby, and Dream a Little Dream of Me. Sometimes just random songs I’ve heard before I’ll hum when I remember them suddenly.

What’s your favourite flower/tree/plant (all 3 or whatever you have the answer to)? My favorite flowers are orchids, carnations, and veronica flowers (named after me of course.) Trees… 🤔, probably apple ones because they make apples which are the best. I unironically like cacti(?) plants, they have a lot of. Character.

Favourite colours? Very light or deep purples, light pinks, light blues, and dirty or light yellows.

What do you always doodle (if you ever do)? I’m always doodling ahah, normally I’ll be sketching animals (mostly pandas, bunnies, and dogs), random designs/ shapes, or objects lmao like the cup on the table next to mine.

How do you take your coffee/tea? I take my tea with no sugar at all or lots and LOTS of sugar just depends on my mood. Sometimes I’ll add honey to my tea or even some vanilla extract. My coffee? I don’t take it at all sksks

Favourite candle scent? Those ones that claim to smell like the ocean and just smell like clean bathrooms and the ones that smell like sweets i.e: sugar cookie, french vanilla, strawberry macaroon.

Sunrise or sunset? Even though I’m super sleepy during sunrises, I like the sunrise because it smells fresh out and everything is dewy. It also gives me nostalgic feelings.

What perfume do you wear, if any? My current perfume bottles consist of: French vanilla, lavender, daytime rose, and some ones with random names like midnight path. I like natural smells, but sometimes I go for colognes lmao they smell nice. Ya know kinda like baby powder.

What’s your go to dance move when you’re alone? Oh gosh I usually twirl around (><) or some random hip-hop moves I remember from music videos I like sksksksksks ( I’m really the biggest dork)

Favourite quote? Well, I’ll just put my life motto here instead 👌👌 “It could always be worse.” Tryna live while looking at “the bright side.”

Favourite self-care thing(s)/routine(s)? Oh man, I wash my face every night and day sksk I love using masks and scrubs but cleansing milk is my favorite! I also take long baths to relax and think/reflect on things. But I end up staying in until the water gets cold and I have to put hotter water in (so like 2 hr long baths ksks). Also, lotion. I use lots of lotion ^^.

Fuzzy socks or house slippers? Lmao I’m wearing fuzzy socks as I type this out.

What colour are your eyes? Dark brown 🐻

What’s your favourite eye color in others? I like that orange-ish brown color. It reminds me of autumn.

Favourite season? Why? Autumn! The weather is nice, Halloween, and my little sister (mine as well) birthdays are in Autumn.

Cheek, neck, or nose kisses? nose and neck.. *-*

What does your happy place look like? Warm, with my favorite colors, blankets, tea and lots of stuff animals. Somewhere with my best friend where I know that my family is waiting for me back ‘home,’ in my happy place you can hear the rain and light laughter.

Favourite breed of dog? I love all dogs but pit bulls (or huskies, or bulldogs, or pugs, or Boston terriers, or border collies.)

Do you ever want to be married? If so, what colours would you pick for your wedding theme? Me.. married.. I never really think of it a lot. maybe I will maybe I won’t ya know. My wedding would probably be whites, yellows, and light purples. The theme would be like flowers or smthn yeah..

Cursive or print? I use print lol but in drawings I put words with cursive.

Silk or lace? o0f both.

Favourite weather? Cloudy and rainy~~

I am tagging my buds and those who I admire: @peachjunny, @soft-smoll, @thetinyjunghoseokstan, @sehurn ,@rudeboiparkchanyeol , @glitzcake, and @milky-waee!

[nationalparkposters]

Best Things To Do at Joshua Tree National Park

Best Things To Do at Joshua Tree National Park: Joshua Tree National Park boasts a fascinating variety of plants and animals that live where two distinct ecosystems of the Colorado Desert and the Mojave Desert meet. Sculpted by strong winds and occasional torrents of rain, the surreal geologic features of twisted rock add to the wonder of this vast wilderness in Southern California. Joshua Tree also protects a rich cultural history: the area has been inhabited by humans for over 5,000 years. But it wasn't until 1984 that it was established as a national park. Located just a few hours outside of Los Angeles, this desert wilderness is an ideal location for many outdoor activities such as rock climbing, hiking, bird watching, and the dark night skies make for excellent stargazing. The national park spans about 800,000 acres, and sees more than 2.8 million visitors each year. My name is Rob Decker and I'm a photographer and graphic artist with a single great passion for America's National Parks! I've been to 51 of our 62 National Parks — and Joshua Tree is a unique park — given its geographical and geological significance. I have explored most areas of the park — so I'm ready to help! So if this is your first time to the park, or you're returning after many years, here are some of the best things to do in Joshua Tree National Park! Rock Climbing Joshua Tree National Park is one of the world's most popular climbing destinations. Thousands of cracks, slabs, and boulders, all piled across a vast desert landscape that attracts climbers from around the globe. The climbing opportunities in Joshua Tree consist of varying levels of difficulty, making it an ideal location for both new and experienced climbers. At Climber's Coffee, visitors can meet Joshua Tree's climbing ranger and socialize with other visiting climbers. Located at the Hidden Valley Campground from 8:00-10:00 am on Saturdays and Sundays from mid-October through April, visitors can bring their own mug and enjoy a free cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa.  Looking to learn how to climb or just want to improve your climbing skills? You may want to consider a guided day or class. Be sure that your guide is permitted to work in Joshua Tree, as there are various certifications and requirements guides must possess in order to work within the park. A guide can also take you to the most suitable spots for your climbing level, as well as provide another level of safety for new climbers or those new to Joshua Tree. If you are unfamiliar with the park, you can purchase a climbing guide or hiking map at the park visitor centers and at various outdoor shops in the nearby communities. For beginners, some of the best climbing spots include Intersection Rock, Quail Springs Rock, Atlantis Wall, and Thin Wall. More experienced climbers can find overhanging face climbing like Big Moe, steep crack climbing such as Clean and Jerk and Wangerbanger, vertical face climbing on thin edges such as Loose Lady or Possessed By Elvis, and multi-pitch climbing up on Lost Horse Wall and Saddle Rock. Climbing in Joshua Tree is great all year round, but the best time is October-November and March-April. During the winter, the conditions in the middle of the day are quite comfortable, while in the summer, climbers can avoid the extreme heat by climbing in the early-mid morning and late afternoon-evening. Hiking Joshua Tree National Park has a wide range hiking opportunities with over 300 miles of trails. There is an assortment of trails ranging from mild (10 minute loops) to challenging (6 hour backcountry) and everything in between. It is important to note that pets are not permitted on any trails in the park, except for the paved Oasis of Mara Trail. It is also recommended that hikers bring plenty of water, as natural water sources are scarce. Barker Dam Loop Trail One of my favorite hikes is this easy, 1.1 mile loop with minimal elevation gain. The presence of standing water brings a unique set of freshwater species to this trail, which you see in and around Barker Dam. The trail winds through bouldery outcrops with pinyon-oak woodlands, desert willow riparian corridors, and loamy basins dominated by Joshua tree woodlands or creosote bush scrub. Hidden Valley Trail Hidden Valley is just one of the many trails suited to a shorter but scenic hike. This low-impact, 1 mile loop provides a unique opportunity for those interested in seeing the vast vegetation found in the park. On this scenic trail, you can find Joshua Tree, pinyon, juniper and oak trees, as well as mesquite, yucca, nolina, and various cacti. This trail also winds among massive boulders making it a popular spot for rock climbing. Cholla Cactus Garden This quarter-mile loop is ideal for viewing thousands of densely concentrated, naturally growing cactus. Be sure to stay on the trail, wear closed-toe shoes, and be aware of surrounding prickly cactus. Lost Horse Mine The Lost Horse Mine trail is a popular destination for Joshua Tree visitors looking for a moderate hike. The 4 mile loop follows the road developed by gold miners used to haul ore and supplies before the Gold Rush. Although the site has been stabilized, the mine shafts are still considered dangerous and the historic structures are easily damaged, so be sure to stay on the trail in order to help protect this historic site. Boy Scout Hiking Trail One of the most challenging hikes in Joshua Tree, this one way 8 mile trail takes hikers deep into the Wonderland of Rocks. It is encouraged that visitors stay on trail to avoid getting lost among the boulders. Vehicle shuttle is strongly recommended for visitors planning on hiking the full length of the trail. Bird Watching Joshua Tree is home to various southwestern bird species that are sure to excite any visiting bird watchers. Throughout the year, visitors may see any of the 250 different species that visit the park, such as the greater roadrunner, phainopepla, mockingbird, verdin, cactus wren, rock wren, mourning dove, Le Conte's thrasher, and Gambel's quail. Local birds of prey include the red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, Cooper's hawk, and prairie falcon. During winter and into March, the white-crowned sparrow, dark-eyed junco, sage sparrow, cedar waxwing, American robin, and hermit thrush can be seen in the park. Summer species include the Bendire's thrasher, ash-throated flycatcher, western kingbird, Scott's oriole, northern oriole, and western bluebird. Some popular birding spots include Barker Dam, the Oasis of Mara, Cottonwood Spring, and the Smith Water Canyon. Stargazing For those wishing to escape from artificial light and witness the beautiful night sky, Joshua Tree National Park offers some of the darkest nights for stargazing in Southern California and the chance for visitors to admire the Milky Way for the first time in their lives. There is also an annual Night Sky Festival consisting of over 20 telescopes, music, Constellation Tours, and Sky Stories. The festival typically takes place in the fall and tickets go on sale in early summer. Camping & Lodging Joshua Tree visitors have many options for camping both in and out of the national park. There are over 500 campsites located inside of Joshua Tree. From May-September, many of the campsites are first-come, first-served, but there are also group campsites available for larger parties that allow for reservations. Campgrounds usually fill up quickly so it is recommended that you have an alternate overnight plan or visit during September-May when many of the campsites are available for reservation only. If you choose to stay somewhere outside of the national park or if you can't find a campsite, there are also private campgrounds outside of the park and you can find lodging in 29 Palms and the town of Joshua Tree. Scenery & Photography Joshua Tree National Park is home to some of the most stunning views for sightseers and photographers alike. Arch Rock Found slightly off of trail at the White Tank Campground, Arch Rock is a large 30-foot granite rock situated within a large boulder field. The Arch Rock trail is a short 0.5 mile loop and you can reach the arch by veering slightly off trail. At the base of the arch, one can find stunning views framed by the magnificent natural arch, perfect for anyone seeking a phenomenal view within the park. Rock Keys View Keys View is one of the most popular viewpoints within Joshua Tree - and for a good reason. From this viewpoint, visitors can get a bird's eye view of the national park as well as slights of the Coachella Valley, the San Andreas Fault, the Santa Rosa Mountains, and San Gorgonio Mountain. This drive-up and wheelchair accessible viewpoint makes it a perfect opportunity for any visitor to enjoy the beauty of Joshua Tree. Skull Rock A notable favorite within the park, Skull Rock is located along the main east-west park road and is accessible from within Jumbo Rocks Campground. This 1.7 mile loop is an easy hike for those wishing to stretch their legs and capture an amazing photo of this unique rock formation. Parking is located just across the road from the rock making it a bit more accessible for those who wish to travel by car rather than on foot. Some Important Things To Know Before Your Visit There is no cell phone service throughout the park, so it is recommended that visitors bring an ample supply of water (at least one gallon per person) as well as provide adequate sun protection (sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses). The summer heat can make outdoor activities more strenuous, so the ideal time to visit Joshua Tree National Park is October-May. Click here to see the Joshua Tree National Park poster. Rob Decker is a photographer and graphic artist who had the rare privilege of studying under Ansel Adams in Yosemite National Park when he was just 19 years old. Now, Rob is on a journey to explore and photograph all of America's National Parks. He's creating WPA-style posters to help people celebrate their own national park adventures — as well as encourage others to get out and explore! https://national-park-posters.com/blogs/national-park-posters/best-things-to-do-at-joshua-tree-national-park?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=Sendible&utm_campaign=RSS

[hayjeon]

Present Lane (ft. Taehyung)

Drabble game prompt 32. “This is, by far, the dumbest thing you’ve ever done.”

→ drunk boyfriend!tae aka crack&fluff, slight mentions of sex → 1.9k words

A/N: Highly recommended to read the yoongi drabble first to understand the au! More member’s installments of this au are cominggg! :) Enjoyyy

“Taehyung you’ve done some pretty stupid shit in your life, but this one takes the cake. This is, by far, the dumbest thing you’ve ever done.” 

“Shut up Jimin,” Taehyung grits out, clutching his back. “Namjoon did worse.” 

His bitch of a friend rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. “Well, I don’t think Namjoon hyung thought it was a good idea to climb up on the bar and strip without a stripper pole during Yoongi hyung’s bachelor party. So, yeah. I’m right.” 

Taehyung rolls his eyes and flips off the smirking male and tries to get comfortable on the gurney, which, actually was a pretty difficult thing to do given that his ass was currently caved in halfway up to his lungs. Okay, an exaggeration, but it was probably bruised pretty badly. He wasn’t trying to get hurt, he was just imitating a video of a guy on a pole with a saxophone he saw on youtube the other day. It wasn’t his fault no one told him there was some spilled alcohol on the bar, because if they did, he wouldn’t have fucking gone up there in the first place. 

The rest of his members had just watched him pitifully, mocking him as an extra-grumpy Yoongi dragged him into the car and angrily drove him to the nearest emergency room. But Taehyung wasn’t too worried, he saw the glimmer of joy in Yoongi’s eyes when he realized the horrible bachelor party was over. The older hyung was never a guy for loud bars with sweaty drunk crowds. 

Jimin’s voice brings him out of his own angry thoughts. 

“Uh, yes! Um, so this idiot over here slipped off a bar and landed on his ass pretty hard. And we need to be up and okay for a wedding the day after tomorrow, so could you take a look and let us know what to expect? Like, if we need to replace the guy or not?”

Taehyung’s currently facedown on the gurney, in the only comfortable position he can manage right now, and so he rolls his eyes and cranes his neck to see who Jimin is talking to. And he almost rolls off the gurney right there. 

You’re dressed in the cutest little nurse’s outfit ever, scrubs with little fluffy animals for the top and darker slacks on the bottom. And you’re literally the prettiest girl he’s ever seen in his life, despite his drunk-off-the-charts state right now. But the expression on your face is completely different from the cute little sheep on your scrubs. 

“You came to the emergency room for this? And labeled it a spinal emergency?” You quirk your eyebrow at Jimin and Taehyung bites his lip because he’s delighted to see his friend get chewed out and shrivel up in front of someone other than his wife for once. Jimin sputters and is muttering something and pushing an equally sputtering Jeongguk up to you. And you’re not taking any of it, watching as the two boys argue over who it was who filed the incident as a spinal injury and Jeongguk is sneakily trying to leave and Taehyung yells out, catching everyone’s attention. 

“Yeah! It’s fine! You can leave, we can leave!” Taehyung tries to get up but his ass isn’t having it and the muscles there are screaming at him to stop moving, so he groans and slumps against the gurney as the busan motherfuckers watch and snicker. He’s desperate to get the fuck out of here cause there’s no way in hell that he’s letting a cute girl look at his bruised up ass before he even gets a chance to take her out on a date, but then you’re rolling your eyes and snapping on some gloves and grumbling “let’s get this overwith” while yanking his pants down, ignoring his protests and shooing away the two spectating menaces. 

Taehyung gasps and clenches his fists on the gurney. He squeezes his eyes shut and tries to clench his butt muscles a little so he can look a little more endowed, but then you’re glaring at him and telling him to relax and so he gives up. 

You sigh, letting him gather up his pants and his dignity when you’re done, and he manages a position where he’s lying sideways on the gurney to try and keep off the weight on his behind. 

Putting your hands on your hips, you quirk an eyebrow. “Did you land on the corner?” 

He’s confused, and he lets out a loud, “Huh?” 

You roll your eyes, peeling off the gloves and scribbling on his charts. “When you slipped off the bar, did you land on the corner?” 

He thinks for a bit, and then nods sheepishly. “Y-yeah… how did you know?” 

You look at him boredly. “There’s literally a v-shaped indent on your ass.” 

His eyes narrow. “Hey, how old are you? Shouldn’t nurses be like a little more nice or something?” 

You narrow your eyes back. “Well, according to your charts, I’m old enough to tell you that coming to an emergency room drunk and labeling a bruise on your ass as a spinal injury is highly inappropriate.” 

He lets out a smirk, because he’s never got so turned on by an angry woman in his life before. “Well, you can say inappropriate again. I knew you lingered a little too much on the peach. Liked it that much huh?” He bites his lip and does the eyebrow wiggle that usually had fans screaming back in the day. 

You huff, and cross your arms. “Ugh, I’m not dealing with this.” You turn to Jimin and Jeongguk and rattle off instructions. “He’s fine, so don’t worry about the wedding. If he wants to be able to walk properly though, you might wanna help him out with some ointment and numbing cream. And next time, if you punks ever show up here again drunk and trying to get faster help by mislabeling your injuries, I will personally make sure you never come back to this hospital again.” 

Jimin and Jeongguk agree with hands clasped politely in front of them and heads bowed low as you glare at them and walk away to your next patient. Those punks were lucky that tonight wasn’t a busy time because if it were and you ran across their antics, you would’ve beaten them up and made sure they had more than ass injuries, HR problems or not. This was a professional, highly emergent area, and you weren’t going to let some dudes waltz in thinking they were entitled to faster treatment, no matter how good-looking they were or how cute their butts might be. 

You shake your thoughts off as you tend sweetly to a small kid who’s running a higher fever, and you glance at the doorway to see the limping lanky boy walking off, clutching his ass. 

The next morning, is just the same, as you greet your coworkers on the way to the nurse’s locker room. But as you pass the reception desk, your friend calls out to you. 

“Y/N! You’re here! Look at what’s here for you!” 

You pause at the outburst and hesitantly approach the desk. And there, on the counter, is a small ceramic pot filled with succulents. You scrunch your nose at the small cacti, “Moonbyul, why did someone send me succulents that look like butts?”

She claps excitedly. “I love succulents! Oh, Y/N, aren’t they adorable? They’re gibbaeum heathii and they’re absolutely wonderful to add to any succulent collection! Look at how smooth they are, Y/N!” 

You frown. “Who sent this?” 

She straightens up, “Oh! Right! He’s waiting outside in the park, he says he can wait until you’re free.” 

And then it occurs to you, who the sender is. So you thank her and carry the succulents and as you expected, he’s standing out in front of the hospital gardens, awkwardly sitting down and trying to cross his legs. 

He’s still distracted when you approach him. But you march right up to him and he looks down at the white shoes on your feets and trails his eyes up your jeans and your regular outfit up to your unamused face and tries his best to flash you a smile. 

“Really? Butt succulents?” you quirk. 

He stands, and stills, wincing at the feeling on his behind. “I-I just wanted to apologize for last night, I-I was drunk off my mind and I don’t really remember what I said to you or did to you. But Jimin and Jeongguk told me to give you these and apologize and I’m not really sure what to say cause I have absolutely no idea what happened and I–” 

“Okay, okay relax.” You don’t mention you’re a little distracted by how cute he is when he’s sober. The cocky punk from last night is gone and in place, is a little cute boy with messed up hair and a big boxy smile that’s rubbing his neck awkwardly as he tries to muster up an apology. 

“I-I’m so so sorry.” He looks like his eyes are gonna pop out of his head, wide open as they plead with you, “I’m sorry you had to look at my butt and I’m sorry that I got drunk and–” 

“Woah, woah, Taehyung-shi, that’s enough. It’s okay.” 

“–and Hoseok hyung kept telling me to take more shots and then showed me this video of santa claus doing the saxaphone on a strip pole and–wait, what did you say?” 

You frown, “Uh, we’ll revisit the santa claus thing. But I said, it’s okay.” 

He lets out a huge sigh and his shoulders droop and he lets out this big gummy boxy smile that makes your heart skip a beat and he’s smiling because the only thing he remembers is how pretty he thought you were last night and he’s so happy that you’re exactly how he remembered. 

So as you two settle into a comfortable silence as you smile at eachother, he glances down at the succulents and winces. 

“The succulents were a bad idea huh?” 

You smile down at the little green plants and shrug. “They’re not so bad. But I hate to say this but I’m literally the worst at keeping plants alive.” 

He shrugs, “Uh, maybe, I can help you with that? Maybe I could like take you out to watch a documentary on gardening or something, maybe, if you want to. Like, this weekend, or something.” 

You smile amusedly at the tall boy in front of you. “Excuse me? Are you asking me out Kim Taehyung?”

He rubs his neck, shyly meeting your eyes. “Yes?” 

You laugh. “I think that’s what I’m supposed to say.” 

He pauses before he gets it. And then he’s smiling even bigger and whooping and then all of a sudden he’s keeling over because he clenched too hard when he jumped and now he’s in pain all over again. 

“Oh my god, Taehyung are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine, I’m fine. By the way, what are you doing tomorrow?” He straightens up with a wince and you hesitantly let him go. 

“Uh, I’m off of work at noon. Why?” 

He smiles, “Would you like to go to a wedding with me?” 

pic of succulent!!!! :’) thanks for reading! feel free to request moreeeeee

[jarienn972]

Only a Little Superstitious - Chapter Eight

Finally getting my Tumblr posts caught up to the most current chapters of both of my WIPs so that they’re in line with what’s showing on both FF.net and AO3.  

The big word for this chapter is going to be TRUST as Emma gets faced with a big decision to make here and her choice might be surprising... Lots of angst building here for @killian-whump and much more to come as our heroes try to stay below the radar now that they know what their pursuer is up to.

Earlier chapters here: One  Two  Three  Four  Five  Six  Seven

Emma sat alone in the waiting room for a few minutes, not really sure what she should do. How long would it take to remove a broken piece of dagger and repair all the damage the miserable thing had caused? A couple of hours? She thought about calling home – it'd be about lunchtime there, but while she felt so alone right now, it didn't exactly mean that she was the only person present in the waiting room. There were at least a dozen others here in the room with her, all waiting for updates on their loved ones – far too many people to have within earshot of the conversation she needed to have.

So, she started wandering the hallways, not wanting to venture too far away that they wouldn't be able to locate her when there was news to share, but seeking a bit of privacy that wouldn't be found in any of the rooms she'd visited so far. She stopped briefly in the cafeteria to grab some coffee hoping the caffeine would help keep her alert during what promised to be a long wait, asking the cashier if there were any quiet areas on the hospital campus that would allow her to make a private phone call. The young man told her about an outdoor lounge area off of the main lobby that had one time been the smoker's retreat before that vice was banned from the campus. It was now more of a little xeriscape garden area with some native plants and cacti on display but he said it was normally fairly secluded.

Thanking the cashier, she sought out the rock garden refuge that was hidden away between the hospital's two wings. There wasn't a lot of shade to escape the Arizona heat, but she found a bench that had a little bit of shelter under the shadow of a huge yucca plant. There was one other person out here with her, but there was sufficient distance between them that if she kept her voice down, her side of the conversation wasn't likely to be overheard. She had a lot of questions that needed answering and definitely needed a distraction from worrying about her husband…

She sat the Styrofoam coffee cup onto the bench beside her before retrieving her phone from the outer pocket of the backpack Carlos had brought her earlier, thankful that she'd had the presence of mind to grab it since neither the tee shirt or leggings she was wearing had pockets. She tapped her father's number from her contact list and waited for the call to connect.

"Emma, I'm so glad you called," David answered. "We've had a few breakthroughs today and I was getting ready to call you. Do you have a few minutes?"

"I was hoping you'd say that and yeah, I've got probably a few hours while I'm sitting here waiting, so what have you found out?"

"Waiting for what?" he wondered, becoming concerned upon hearing his daughters long, distraught sigh before answering his question.

"Killian took a turn for the worse this morning so our new Park Ranger friend had to call an ambulance. He's in surgery right now to try to fix all of the damage that dagger caused – oh, yeah, and to remove the broken tip of it that's sitting next to his spine…"

"What?!" David exclaimed, momentarily dumbfounded at the revelation his daughter had just dropped. He'd seen the dagger was missing its point when he'd picked it up from the street yesterday, but he'd simply assumed that the ancient looking blade broke when it was dropped. The thought had never crossed his mind that…

"Why didn't you tell me that the dagger's tip was broken off?"

"At the time it didn't seem at all important…," he sighed. "I would never have thought it broke like that…" He fell silent for a moment but she realized that he was actually whispering something to someone else nearby – someone she quickly realized was her mother when she heard a startled gasp in the background. "Emma, I'm so sorry…" he told her as he returned to the line. "The rest of this can wait if you want…"

"No, Dad. I'd rather try to keep my mind occupied right now and if you've got information on the two strangers who started this – spill."

"Well, we don't have a lot from her yet, but Regina managed to get a couple of names. The witch's name is Yzma and it seems like she was brought over from the Land of Untold Stories with Hyde and she has apparently been waiting months to open that portal. Regina said she keeps going on about the blood moon and how you're stealing her golden city…"

"Yzma? Really? Let me guess, her partner's name is Kronk?" she deadpanned, no longer surprised by any fairytale characters who popped up.

"How'd you know that?" David asked. "Yeah – his name is Nehemiah Kronk and from what we've found out about him, he's basically a soldier for hire. Loyalty pledged to whoever's paying him that day."

"I've seen the movie," she replied in the same unimpressed tone at yet another story book connection, but with a disturbing twist to the story she knew. "Although this Kronk doesn't sound like the loveable idiot from that story…"

"From what Belle turned up, there's absolutely nothing loveable about this guy. He's a nasty piece of work - wanted in several realms for crimes ranging from thievery to murder so it's not too surprising that he ran for the Land of Untold Stories to escape. Not sure if that's where he and Yzma met or if they knew each other before that. I really hope you and Hook are able to stay clear of him out there where you don't have magic."

"My thoughts exactly," she replied. "I just don't get why this Yzma person keeps saying we stole her gold. There's nothing gold here except the sun and the sand. It's not exactly El Dorado…"

"El Dorado?"

"The legendary city of gold? Guess they don't have that legend in your realm…?" She wasn't really interested in discussing fictional places right now though. She just wanted to know who she was dealing with and find a way to get home. "It doesn't really matter… Has Regina figured out how Yzma managed to open that portal anyway? Maybe there's a way to reverse it to get us home quicker?"

"Regina said she tried to get the scepter to work after we took it from Yzma, but so far, she hasn't had any luck. She's trying to figure out what she's doing wrong, but it might take a while."

"I don't know… Maybe it has to be at a certain time of day or could it have something to do with that blood moon you mentioned? A lot of magic spells require specific lunar timing. I can't imagine that Yzma would be the only one able to make it work…"

"Anything is possible, but I know Regina is still trying. We'll let you know if we can get it to work. In the meantime, you have to keep us updated on Hook. And how are you explaining all of this to the local authorities?"

"We've pieced together a semi-believable story – enough to keep the wolves at bay, but I'll have to work on some of the finer details. Oh, and I'll also need Regina to magically update a medical insurance file."

"So, no one has asked about why your husband has a hook instead of a left hand?"

"No one would know to ask. I had him remove it and I hid it before we left the cabin. They know he's missing a hand, but that's as far as it goes."

"Okay – that was a good idea. No use drawing any extra attention." David's thought was exactly what had gone through Emma's mind before they'd climbed into Carlos Littlecreek's SUV.

"I'm just hoping that we didn't wait too long…," her voice audibly cracking as her façade began to break. "Maybe we should have gone straight to a hospital anyway…"

"Emma – you made the decision you thought was best at the time based on your assessment of the situation. I'm quite sure your husband would have made his opinion known if he'd disagreed."

"It wasn't like I gave him much choice in the matter."

"Don't beat yourself up over it. He's made it this far. Second guessing yourself won't change anything that's already been done."

"I know, Dad," she sighed. "Doesn't make it any easier…"

"Promise you'll let us know as soon as you have an update?"

"I will – as long as you promise me that you'll let me know as soon as Regina figures out how to activate that scepter."

"That's a promise," he assured her.

Collecting the backpack and slinging it over her shoulder, she wandered back to the crowded waiting area, at least able to enjoy the air conditioning although she never even had a moment to sit down before the woman in lavender scrubs was standing before her once more.

"Mrs. Jones?" the woman asked tentatively. "I've been trying to find you…"

"Find me?" Emma said, allowing a little gasp to escape her lips as her mind reeled with unimaginable thoughts. "Is everything alright? My husband – is he okay?" She knew she sounded like a blubbering idiot, but she couldn't stop herself.

"Your husband is still in surgery. I don't have anything to report yet, but there's a man looking for you – a Ranger Littlecreek? He was just here asking about you a few minutes ago, but this waiting area is for immediate family only so I sent him back to the main lobby."

"He's the Park Ranger who rescued us this morning," Emma explained, sighing in relief that it wasn't anything to do with Killian. For now, no news had to be good news. "Was he going to wait for me?"

"It sounded like it," the woman replied. "I'm sorry – I didn't realize there was a connection."

"It's fine. I just came from that way so I must have just missed him. Thank you. I'm going to go see if I can locate him but if there's any news regarding my husband, please page me or something. I'll be back in a few minutes…"

She found Carlos Littlecreek seated on a leather sofa in the hospital's spacious main lobby, merely steps away from the desert hideaway garden where she'd been earlier. He saw her approaching, but the expression on his face wasn't exactly the welcoming one she'd expected but rather a mix of confusion and anger.

"Ranger Littlecreek," Emma greeted him with his professional title, smiling politely as she walked up to him, feeling slightly ill at ease by his conflicted visage. "You were looking for me?"

"Sheriff," he returned the businesslike greeting, his brown eyes darkened with distrust. "We need to talk and I didn't have a phone number to call you."

"Okay…," she responded, not understanding this change in attitude. Less than two hours ago, he was eagerly proposing a cover story and doing all he could to help them and now – now, it was as though he'd been betrayed and she had no inkling why. "You can ask me anything… What's wrong? Is someone questioning our story?" Had he gotten into some kind of trouble for aiding them?

"No – the story is holding for now, but something is really bothering me…"

"Bothering you? How so?" This was getting more confusing by the second.

"After you left in the ambulance, I went back to the bedroom to help Grandmother clean things up a bit – the broken pottery and all – and obviously, you didn't have time to gather up all of your things so she started to pick up your jackets from the floor…" Now it clicked. They'd found the one item that she'd wanted to keep hidden. "Imagine our surprise when something tumbled out of a red leather jacket - something that had us completely stumped…" Carlos pulled back a corner of his cargo vest to reveal just a glint of shiny steel and Emma's gaze immediately dropped to the floor. "Why the hell are you carrying this around and why does it look like it fits into that leather contraption your husband was wearing where his left hand used to be?"

"I'm not sure you'd understand my explanation," she sighed, still unable to look back up at him as her brain raced for something to say – anything to make him less suspicious as to why a sharpened metal hook was secreted away inside her jacket. "I honestly don't know what I could say that would make much sense…"

"How about the truth?" he demanded. "I want to help you, I really do, but can you just be honest with me?"

"Not here," she relented. "Can we go somewhere not so public? I'd really rather keep this confidential."

"How about my truck? It's out in the parking lot and will probably be the most privacy you're going to get around here."

"Works for me," she replied, trying not to let him see the anxiety brewing beneath her calm exterior. She had no idea what she was going to say – what she could say that wouldn't make her sound insane? So, she just remained quiet and pensive as they walked together out to the parking garage and took the elevator up to the 3rd level. Once they reached the SUV, they both climbed inside and he started the engine – partially so the noise would help prevent eavesdroppers and partially so the air conditioning would operate.

"Okay – it's just the two of us here, Sheriff," he began. "Law enforcer to law enforcer…"

"This isn't going to be easy to grasp," she stammered, "and up until a few years ago, I would have thought this story was just as crazy as it's going to sound to you…"

"As long as it includes a logical reason that you'd be carrying around a huge steel hook…"

"It belongs to my husband," she stated flatly. "And how did you manage to get it inside the building anyway? Didn't it set off the metal detectors?"

"Like I told you before, I know the head of Security here. I came in with him. But let's get back to your little tale – this thing belongs to your husband?"

"Yes. He's been wearing it as a prosthetic in place of his left hand since it was severed a very long time ago…"

"He wears a hook for a prosthetic hand?" Carlos asked skeptically.

"He does – and for a good portion of his life, it was part of the image he used to define himself – well, define who he thought he was back when all he could think of was getting vengeance against the man who'd cut off his hand. Back then, he used it to strike fear in those around him, but now it's just a part of who he is. It doesn't speak for him any longer…"

"You never said how your husband lost his hand."

"You never asked," she replied defensively. "He got into a skirmish with a jealous ex-husband while serving as Captain of a ship a long time ago."

"Ship Captain? He was Navy?"

"He did serve in the Royal Navy for a while, but this occurred while he was Captain of a very different type of ship…"

"Come on…," he scoffed. "You sound like you're describing Captain Hook…" He chuckled a little, but his humor was tempered when he saw the dead-serious look on Emma's face and she responded with just two words:

"I am."

"Oh, come on… You expect me to believe that?"

"Ranger, Killian is – er, was Captain Hook. He's put those pirating days behind him and while there are still people who refer to him by the name Hook, he's trying hard to just be Killian Jones now."

"Your husband is Captain Hook?" The Ranger wasn't about to be easily convinced . "I've read Peter Pan… I've seen the movies… How the hell can he be Captain Hook?"

"It's really a very long story, but it's who he is. You wanted the truth and you're getting it." She wasn't really certain this was the best path to take, but she'd unloaded part of her secret life already, so there was no going back now. "Your grandmother sensed something was different about Killian after she treated him. She told me she sensed he had an old soul and she was right…"

"An old soul?" he chuckled. "Exactly how old?"

"Honestly, I don't know the exact number for sure. A lot of curses and cursed places had an effect on how his body aged, but it's somewhere around three hundred."

"Three hundred years old? You've got to be kidding me…"

"Why am I bothering to tell you this then? You're not going to believe a word I say…"

"So, who does that make you? Tinkerbell?"

"No. Tinkerbell is a fairy, I'm not – although in the right setting, I have magic powers just like her." She didn't care anymore if Carlos was believing this or not. He could think she just escaped from an insane asylum for all she cared. "I'm actually the daughter of Snow White and Prince David – Prince Charming…"

The Ranger choked back another chortle, fully believing that this woman sitting beside him – a woman he'd known for barely a day – had lost her mind.

"Snow White and Prince Charming, huh?"

"I knew you'd never believe us, that's why I didn't tell you any of this yesterday," Emma spat, throwing open the passenger door of the SUV intending to exit before he had her committed. "I shouldn't have bothered."

"Wait!" Carlos reached across the front seat to grab ahold of her bicep before she could climb out of the vehicle, stopping her from leaving. "Are you really serious about all of this?" Grandmother had sent him to find this couple yesterday and while he had reacted strongly to the discovery of the hook, she had simply set it aside and continued about her business as if she'd already known it would be there. He'd been the one who'd found it awkward and disturbing.

"Of course, I'm serious about it," she stated angrily. "Do you honestly think I could make up a story like this? As story as bizarre as being the daughter of Snow While and being married to Captain Hook? Would it help if I told you that we were married by Jiminy Cricket and our wedding guest list included a whole lot of dwarves, the Evil Queen and the Wicked Witch of the West?"

The Ranger's head was spinning by now. Her story was so incredibly unbelievable that it almost made sense and now he couldn't stop wondering how much Grandmother might have known about them. Her premonition had directed him right to this couple – right to the exact trail and seldom utilized way station at the summit. Would she believe this tale? She'd opened her home to these strangers – welcomed them in with few questions asked so, had she known that there was something different about these out-of-town visitors?

"How exactly did you end up on the mountain? I know you didn't hike up there…" He momentarily changed the subject, but secretly hoped her answer would help clarify what he was beginning to believe.

"A magical portal," Emma answered straightforwardly knowing he likely already considered her a nutcase. Why back away now? "Basically - a swirling vortex that opened up on Main Street yesterday morning, right after Killian was stabbed by the man we're trying to avoid. He stumbled and fell in so I had to jump in after him. I knew he was wounded so I couldn't let him go alone and while typically these things are designed to take you wherever – or whenever – you're thinking of, this one was different. It brought us straight to a mountainside that I promise you, neither of us would ever had thought of!"

"Are these portals a regular occurrence where you're from?"

"They've definitely become an increasing problem for my family. This wasn't our first…" She paused a moment to gauge the Ranger's expression trying to determine exactly how skeptical he was of all of this, but in truth, the look in his eyes was more one of confusion than anything. "Okay – admit it… You think I'm insane, don't you?"

"I've got to admit, Sheriff, yours is one of the strangest tales I've ever heard," he replied while massaging his temples with his thumb and middle finger, an exasperated snicker escaping his mouth. "But I've spent a lifetime growing up hearing Navajo and Yavapai history – tales of magical places and creations, of gods and men who would be gods so I really can't say if your story is any more or less fantastical than my own. I tell tales to tourists about sacred places in these mountains and of the Native people who have long believed these mountains hold secrets like gateways to other worlds - including one to the underworld of the dead if you believe in things like that…"

"That's one I'd rather avoid. Not a place I really want to visit again," Emma said without realizing how absurd it sounded.

"Wait – did you say again?"

"That's a story for another day," she replied, cringing that she'd even brought it up.

"I think that's one I'd like to hear," he laughed.

"Probably not, but the question is now – do you believe me?"

"I'm not sure what I believe, but if you could come up with a whopper of a fairytale like that on a whim, I'm duly impressed. There's just one thing I have to know…"

"What's that?" she wondered, not sure how much else she could tell him if he wasn't yet convinced.

"Did your husband actually wear a big floppy feathered hat and a waxed moustache?" Carlos asked with a playful grin.

"Thankfully – no," she chuckled, finally breathing a sigh of relief that the tone of their conversation had reversed. "He was much more partial to long, dramatic black leather dusters and meticulously groomed scruff – along with a generous application of black kohl lining his eyes."

"Black leather and eyeliner? That's quite a drastic deviation from the storybook character…"

"You'd better believe it!" she giggled, remembering the first time she'd shown Killian an image of how this world had depicted Captain Hook. He'd been horrified and absolutely livid at the inaccuracies saying that no self-respecting pirate would ever create such an embarrassing persona, referring to his literary counterpart as the prissy pompadour. "Now, if you don't mind, I really should be getting back to my husband…"

"Before you go back, there's something you need to know," he began, his demeanor instantly morphing into a frighteningly serious one. "The man who came through the portal with you, he showed up at a hospital in Scottsdale this morning, pretending to be a US Marshal. He told the clerk at the Admissions desk that his name was Llamas and he was looking for a couple with your descriptions. I've already checked with the Marshal Service and there's no one with that name working in this area. Who the hell is this guy?"

"According to what my family has turned up back home, he's really a mercenary by the name of Nehemiah Kronk. They're working to dig up more information on him and his partner, but this is an interesting development. He's impersonating a US Marshal? That's an odd choice…"

"Most people don't know much about the Marshal Service and how they operate. They probably wouldn't even know what their badges looked like, so it's a pretty good choice for a cover if you want to pretend to be law enforcement."

"Oh, that I know, but he's from my world. They don't have US Marshals in the fairytale world which has me wondering how he came up with that ruse? Makes me think he's been in this realm before. I just don't know how…"

"Our world isn't easy for fairytales to get to – even with these portal things?"

"This world isn't difficult to get to, but it's not easy to return from. They call your world The Land Without Magic where we're from. Finding a way back to the fairytale realms from here would require a little more creativity."

"Land Without Magic? You believe that?"

"I know mine doesn't work here or my husband wouldn't be laying on an operating room table right now," Emma sighed. "If we were still in Storybrooke, I could have instantly healed his wound."

"You have healing powers?" he asked incredulously.

"Amongst others," she grinned through the painful reminder that her powers were useless here. "None that I can show you here though."

"If you believe Grandmother, this land wasn't always without magic. She's one of many among our people who believe that magic might still be out there – we've just forgotten how to recognize it – how to feel it. I guess I've always been a skeptic, but your convoluted tale almost makes me want to believe."

"Supposedly, there's magic everywhere we look, but not all of it can be harnessed. I was told a long time ago that magic is a feeling. You can't wield it if you can't feel it and mine is definitely tied to my emotions. I just wish I could feel it right now…"

"I'm sure…," he replied empathetically, understanding how awful it had to be for her to not be able to heal her husband if she indeed had that capability. "I had better let you get back in there now…"

"So, we're good?"

"Yes – we're good. Do you want the hook back now?"

"Why don't you keep it safe for us for a while? I'd rather not have a nurse find it and have to go through all of this again."

"I'll be happy to keep it safe for you. Oh, and Sheriff – how about you give me your phone number so I don't have to send a nurse to track you down again?"

"Gladly. Right now, having nurses hunting me down is a little nerve-wracking…"

"Sorry. I'll try not to do that again."

"Appreciate it," she replied as he handed her his phone so she could enter her number into the contacts. "And please – keep our secret safe too. It's bad enough that Killian's attacker is out there, but if our real identities were to get out, it'd put us in even more danger because I doubt others would likely believe us. People will just think we're crazy and we already have enough to deal with…"

"The only person I need to tell is Grandmother, but I have my suspicions that she already knows that you aren't from around here – and I don't mean Arizona… She probably already thinks you dropped out of the sky from Maine or whatever…"

"Not exactly from the sky, but I know what you mean."

"I've got to head back to work now, but I'll drop by after my shift. I'm going to pull in a few favors with the Sheriff's department here to see if we can track down this Mr. Kronk. I'll keep you posted. Now – get out of here and go be with your husband."

Emma smiled as she climbed down from the SUV, both surprised and relieved that her revelation had gone as well as it had. Confiding the truth in the Ranger had been a risky decision, but it was better than piling on more lies. Even here, far from Storybrooke, she at least had one superpower that still worked and it was telling her that she could trust Carlos Littlecreek and his family and they certainly needed allies right now.

[rogueghost]

Legacy: Rogue Knights

I’m just going all out now.

42-year-old Tasarla Martin is a battlefield medic for the Navians, a relatively new organization of vigilante mercenaries trying to help bring peace and order to the country of Diom. While the navians are not necessarily accepted by the governments of the country, they are loved by the people and therefore allowed to continue their work. While small in number they are a force to be reckoned with.

When Tasarla barely escapes an apparent assassination attempt during a routine mission, she returns home to find that the entirety of the navian's senior rank have been murdered. With a target on her back and only a team of young navians, two of them her own children, to back her up, she must track down her would-be-killer before they can kill anyone else.

One

There's nothing quite like the stench of burning flesh. The small caravan had long stopped actively burning, cinders and ashes of the wooden wagons incapable of hiding the small handful of bodies maring the dirt trail. Tasarla put her hand over her mouth as she picked her way through the carnage, stomach roiling. The desert sun threw large shadows over the area as a vulture and other scavengers circled above. They had fled when Tasarla and her son Leo had arrived but a few brave ones had landed again and resumed picking at anything outside her reach. Tasarla paused next to a charred lump. It was too small to be an adult. At the base of Tasarla’s throat on a sturdy chain, a shard of pink coral glowed dimly. Her sentient partner was reaching out with their magic, a unique blend of her conjuration Talent and its own strange powers, searching for any signs of life. All it found was her son on the other end of the wreckage. Her shard informed her that he was nauseous. No shit, she thought at it pushing the shard’s presence out of her mind. She was a battlefield medic who'd fought in countless battles and she was nauseous. She wasn't surprised Leo was. If the shard couldn’t be more helpful than that she didn’t want to deal with it right now. She moved away from the tiny body. “Mom.” Leonardo’s voice was strained as she neared him and she automatically reached up to rub his shoulder. He smiled faintly at the old comfort and covered her hand with his own. “I always hate being too late,” he said, shaking his head. “I mean, logically I knew we would be but I had hoped…you know?” Tasarla hummed in quiet agreement. She and Leo had been in the area, working on chasing down a clan of raiders for a bounty, when they had seen the pillar of dark smoke on the horizon. They had moved over the desert as fast as the terrain and heat had allowed, assuming something had caused a fire in the dry brush. Technically they had been right. That's dark, Tasarla berated herself. Even for you. Even from a distance it had been obviously too late for the caravan. Tasarla had wanted to push on. There was nothing to be done. But they were navians, soldiers of the people. It was their duty, Leo had said, to at least try and help. Their duty was to the living, Tasarla had pressed. The longer the raiders went unchecked the more people they could hurt. Leo had agreed, reluctant and passively petulant in a way only he could manage to pull off. They ended up here anyway. “Should we bury them?” Leo asked, starting to move down the line. Tasarla shook her head. “No, Yassarians have sky burials. They would want to be left for the scavengers. The best we can do is find out what happened and where they came from.” Leo nodded and started hunting for clues in the carts. Leaving him to it, Tasarla decided to follow the path south. They were in a tricky part of Yassin for tracking purposes, pretty much smack in the middle of four cities; Murk to the north, Scythe to the west, the Yassarian capital Nemesis to the east and The Hub, Yassin’s massive market city to the south. She and Leo had come from Nemesis. A caravan this size? Tasarla was willing to bet it came from the Hub. Tasarla followed the path back along a small line of boulders, faded and infrequent hoof-prints guiding her. It was starting to get a little greener the further she went, signaling how close the Infernal River was. She climbed the rocks for a better view, cursing under her breath the entire short distance. Forty-two wasn't old, she would and could fight anyone who said otherwise, but climbing had never been her forte. She wasn't more than fifteen feet up but the view was a nice distraction. The molted browns of the desert turned into the green and yellow of clumps of flowering palo verde trees. The Infernal River ran through a steep gorge covered in cacti and scrub brush, although at this point in it's length the term 'river’ was overly generous. The smallest mountains Tasarla had ever seen sat in the distance as a red-brown backdrop. It wasn't the prettiest area but Tasarla appreciated the spunk of desert life all the same. She stopped climbing and carefully started to head back down. She shouldn't stray too far from Leo and the steepness of the gorge would've been impossible for the carriages and horses to maneuver safely anyway. It was far more likely that they had crossed at the bridges to the north or south. It really was an impossible distance to accurately cover, they would have to let this tragedy go. Tasarla sighed, already imagining her son's disappointment and sorrow. He was too idealistic. There was just nothing they could do. The second she turned her back on the river someone screamed.

Tasarla was off the rocks, across the desert and sliding into the gorge before she really thought about it, following the sound of panicked sobbing. Her shard flared brightly, pressing against her mind and urging caution. It seemed confused. She pushed it back. That was unmistakably a child's scream and she'd rather be damned to the Void than ignore it.

She rounded a bend in the gorge walls and spotted the child. The little girl, no more than twelve, was trying desperately to burrow into a small cluster of thickly packed bushes at the edge of the water. A pair of large coyotes circled curiously. The girl threw a rock at one and it didn't even flinch. “Hey!” Tasarla snarled. “Get away from her!” The coyotes bolted before Tasarla could do anything else. The kid yelped loudly, the sound broken and terrified. She scrambled, finally breaking into the bushes. "Shhhh," Tasarla soothed, wading across the shallows to get to the child. The little girl pulled back further into branches, sobbing. "It's okay,” she said softly, repeating herself in several of the local languages until the girl glanced up at one. “They're gone. You're safe." She knelt down next to the bush tree, humming softly. The kid's crying faded into hiccuping breaths. She was shivering.

“You're safe.” Tasarla said. “Did you come from the caravan?”

The girl stared at her, grey eyes red from crying and lips chapped from the heat. Her clothes were singed and her hands were covered in soot, burns peeking through. She nodded, sniffling.

“Was that your family back there?” Tasarla asked. The girl choked, instantly tearing up again. Tasarla's shard glowed reproachfully.

“Are you hurt?” Her shard warmed but didn't give her any information about the girl’s health like it normally would. She brushed it back. “I can see you have burns on your hands. I can make them better. Look, see?”

Tasarla held out her left hand. Across her palm was a small series of scuffs and a bruise from when she had launched herself off her rocky perch. She narrowed her eyes, concentrating for a second.

As a Crear, Tasarla's inborn Talent was conjuration. She could create pretty much anything. All she needed was an extensive and in-depth knowledge of what she was making. Most Crear specialized their Talent on a specific building material, giving themselves a myriad of options of things to create with their specialty. Tasarla had chosen to specialize in the human body.

The scrapes and bruise on her palm were nothing but she patched them up anyway. The little girl watched from her shelter, wide-eyed. Once the bruise faded and the last of the new skin appeared and settled into place, Tasarla rubbed her hands together and waved them.

“Tah-dah!”

The kid giggled and crept forward, inching out of the bush. Tasarla smiled. “Let's see those hands okay? I promise I'll make them all better.”

The kid sniffled and smiled, holding out her hands. Years of practice aided Tasarla in not reacting to the damage. Her hands were spotted with patches of red and blistering skin and if Tasarla was correct, it looked like the kid had tried to pick up and move something that was already burning.

Tasarla reached out, intending to hold them gently to help speed along the process of healing. Instead, her hands passed right through her, the girl's form rippling like a reflection in a puddle. Tasarla blinked and the kid was gone with mocking giggle. "What the-" Snap!

A sharp movement to the right- Tasarla moved immediately. She launched herself sideways, tucking and rolling before bounding to her feet. Feeling the aftershocks of something heavy slamming into the ground where she had just been, she spun and came face to face with a massive bear made of green stone.

Rallor! She launched herself backwards as a stone paw the size of her head missed her nose by inches. Her shard warmed at her neck, activating its ability to form her energy into a shield. The shapeshifter followed immediately, rearing up to its full height before jumping forward. It slammed into her shield with enough force to make the normally invisible energy spark into sight, cracking pink. She backed up into the gorge wall.

Tasarla braced herself as the Rallor smashed into her shield again. Her shard warmed again as well, this time focusing her energy into a bright pink sparking ball in her hand. She prepared to throw it before realizing the Rallor’s stone skin was chrysoprase. She couldn’t break through that. She cancelled the attack, closing her fist around the energy and refocusing it into the besieged shield.

Wait. A chrysoprase bear….Diaga?

Diaga was supposed to be long dead.

The bear reared back for another attack, coming down hard on her shield. Tasarla dove to the side as the normally invisible barrier turned bright pink and shattered. She scrambled to her feet, knees trying to buckle from the amount of energy the broken shield had pulled from her in an attempt to remain up. The stone man-beast crashed into the gorge wall, leaving a solid crack and ripping up some of the shrubs. It got stuck and she ran.

She had to get away, had to find a way to break the rock so that she could get to the vulnerable person inside. Maybe Leonardo-

No. She was not leading a hostile to her son.

Tasarla shot through the gorge, the Rallor at her heels barreling through every obstacle she dodged. Tasarla launched herself up a series of boulders and out of the gorge. In the half second she had gained, she spun looking for the hills that hid the burning caravan. Behind her there was a loud crash as the Rallor burst out of the gorge and slammed into another of her shields, dropping hard on its tail.

Tasarla hoped the crack she heard was it breaking off. It wouldn’t hurt, but it would be funny. She ran and smacked full tilt into an invisible force that was definitely not hers.

Reeling, she stumbled and fell to the floor. The world rocked unsteadily but her sight was clear enough to see the rough features of her former teammate and the lime green glow of his own coral shard as they disappeared back under his protective stone skin. So it was him. He was alive. Tasarla huffed in pained amusement as the shape shifter stood over her. Void, she hated fighting Rallor.

“Diaga Baskov. Dead twelve years and this is your hello?”

The man wearing the stone skin didn't say a thing. Couldn't. His vocal chords were buried. He shifted his weight side to side in a movement that was awkward and lopsided to most non-Rallor. Tasarla knew he was sharpening his edges. So much for a happy reunion. Tasarla rolled as his fist came down towards her head, rolling back and clinging to his arm in the second it was stuck in the soft earth. Diaga yanked back in surprise, easily pulling Tasarla up with it. She regained her footing and, with a quick pink blast of energy directly to his chest, she was running again.

She had only gone maybe five steps before something solid slammed into her back and took her back down, breath leaving her lungs with a whoosh.

“Ah, shit,” she gasped, rolling to her side. A large lump of chrysoprase laid next to her. It looked suspiciously like an ear.

“Did you-” she choked, “seriously-” her feet refused to cooperate without her lungs, “throw your ear-” Diaga was strolling up to her, “at me?” She fell to her back and could've sworn the rough shoulders of the shapeshifter lifted in silent laughter because sure enough, his right ear had been ripped off. She watched as the stone ear grew back slowly.

Tasarla gasped as Diaga dropped a heavy paw on her chest, pinning her. There was an audible snap as her ribs cracked under the weight. She gathered energy in her hands only to have it dissipate as Diaga ripped the shard off her neck and threw it farther than the bond between her and the tool could span. The blow scattered her still reeling senses, the warm touch of blood running down her neck from the torn chain. Diaga smacked his paw on the ground, breaking off half of the stone and leaving a sharp, ragged edge. He drew back.

I’m so dead.

“MOM!”

The makeshift spear stopped inches from her throat as Diaga’s head snapped up to the voice. A bright red flash of light removed him from her ribcage. The sudden availability of a breath of air brought everything back into focus.

Her son stood over her, his dark red energy sparking wildly in his hands. Diaga reared up to his full height, towering over them both and Leonardo didn’t flinch. Tasarla scrambled to her feet and went after her shard. Diaga made a move to follow and Leo’s harsh energy blast cut him off, tearing apart the ground in front of him.

“You alright Mom?” Leo asked. Tasarla nodded, wrapping her shard’s broken chain around her hand. With her other hand she felt along her chest, finding the two breaks in her ribs and rebuilding them with a brief period of concentration. Leo saw the movements and growled, energy sparking violently around his fists. Unlike his mother Leo had more than enough brute strength to break the chrysoprase.

“I hate fighting Rallor.” Leo echoed before launching himself forward to intercept Diaga as the man went for Tasarla again. Chunks of green and brown stone fell to the floor as Leo’s lightning touched red energy shredded Diaga's natural armor, flooring the man. He stood easily, eyeing Leonardo, chrysoprase regrowing in seconds. Diaga pawed experimentally at Leo’s shield and was shocked for his trouble. The bear paced a bit, shaking off the blow with an unsteady stagger.

Tasarla grinned, she might be Crear but Leo was his father's child and was born Sironi, a lightning elemental. His inborn Talent was the ability to manipulate lightning. With his shard's help he could also create it, something regular Sironi couldn't do. All of Leo's magic had quite the punch.

Diaga paced back and forth, clearly frustrated. She was pretty sure he was glaring daggers at her son, unprepared for the fact that Leo could hurt him. Diaga had always relied a little too heavily on his stone form, and if Leo could break through that he would destroy Diaga’s shields. Leo didn’t attack, instead focused on keeping himself between Diaga and her.

Abruptly, Diaga reared up on his hind legs. Rallor couldn’t roar but the grinding shriek of him clashing his forelegs together harshly got his point across just the same. Tasarla braced herself and choked back a fond laugh as Leo roared right back, lightning sparking all the way up to his elbows. Diaga turned and fled back the way they'd come, disappearing back into the gorge. Neither navian moved for a long time, waiting in case he returned.

“Bastard,” Tasarla finally growled.

“Who was that?”

“An old teammate,” Tasarla answered, turning in the direction of the hills. Leonardo followed reluctantly, still looking over his shoulder. “Diaga Baskov. I thought he died a while back. When you were eleven maybe.”

“What is going on?” he growled, energy still sparking.

“Void if I know,” Tasarla answered. They had never been close but Diaga had never been her enemy. She had mourned when a flood had claimed him and his family, the stone skins of the Rallor dragging them down. Tasarla put a hand on Leo’s arm and he relaxed, letting the energy in his hands fizzle out.

“The caravan is gone.” Leo said. “It vanished right in front of me. It's like it never existed.” Tasarla frowned and Leo caught it. “You're supposed to call me crazy,” he joked feebly,  “not look not surprised.”

“I wouldn't ever call you crazy,” Tasarla growled, offended. “You are the sanest person I've ever met. You're so sane and collected it's annoying sometimes. You're twenty-four and just saved my dumb ass from a teammate who was not quite as dead as I thought and-”

Leo put his hand over her mouth, periwinkle eyes narrowed in concern. “Are you okay?”

Tasarla brushed his hand away impatiently, taking a steadying breath. “Yeah. I'm good.”

Get it together. Just because it's been awhile since you've gotten that close to getting killed doesn't mean you get to fall apart. You have a job to do.

“There was a little girl,” she said. “About Jamie's age. I heard her crying and went looking for her. Her hands were burned and when I went to heal them she vanished. That's when Diaga attacked.” Leo frowned, shifting from foot to foot.

“This was a trap.”

“Possibly. Something is going on for sure. But right now we have a raider clan to track down. This can- has to- wait. Come on.”

Leo sputtered. “That guy just tried to kill you and you want to let him get away?”

“Thanks to you he failed.” Tasarla called back. “If he's really after me then he’ll be back. If not he won't get far. I know his face and how he works.” She glanced over her shoulder to see Leo scrambling to catch up. “One way or another, we’ll see him again.”

Bad move not finishing me off, Baskov. You better have a good reason when I catch up to you. You and whatever illusion making ally you've found.

She wasn’t going to be caught off guard again. She was going to remind Diaga why she was one of the most respected navians ever to come from Coral Island.

“Come on, Leo. Break time’s over. Back to work.”

[jarienn972]

Only a Little Superstitious - Chapter One

I’d been a little hesitant to post the start of this story while I have another WIP out there, but I decided to go ahead and put this one out there too.  I have this one all plotted out but because it is taking more research time to get many of the details and character traits ironed out, I don’t have as much completed as I do with The Right Place.  I have two chapters completed and posted on both AO3 and FF.net and I’ll upload the second chapter here on Tumblr as soon as I have a chance.  

This story basically developed out of the same premise as The Right Place in that I wanted to take Emma out of the magical realm and put her in a position where she had to fall back on her wits along with her newfound ability to trust others to get out of their predicament.  Expect this to be a bit of a bumpy ride with a new twist on some infamous legends.  I’m also going to go ahead and tag @killian-whump because I know this tale will definitely be pertinent to her interests.  

There really wasn't any way to know where or really even how she was going to land. If this portal worked like the others she'd had the occasion to jump or fall into, they'd end up wherever Killian had been thinking of when he lost his footing and fell. She'd just kept repeating the mantra in her head – Bring me to Killian – and when her body finally collided with the ground, it was every bit as unpleasant as she'd expected it to be. The earth here was strewn with rocks – a fact she'd learned the hard way as she'd landed face first, scraping her cheek and shoulder on a boulder that the rest of her head narrowly missed, although she wished she could say the same for the bush she'd landed on top of, colliding with several of its thorn laden branches which tore several small holes in her blouse and jeans. Thankfully, the leather of her jacket spared her from the worst leaving a deep scrape in the fabric that would have laid open the skin on her right side had she not been wearing the outer garment.

The sudden hard landing knocked the wind out of her and she realized later that she must have blacked out for a few moments when she suddenly awoke with a start and a single thought: Where was Killian? As she extricated herself from the jagged bush, she scanned the surrounding area looking for signs of her missing husband. She didn't immediately see him nearby, but thankfully, he must have spotted her first as she heard his voice calling out to her.

"Swan?" His voice sounded so distant, but with her ears still ringing with disorientation from the portal, she couldn't exactly be certain. "Are you alright?"

Alright? He was asking if she was alright? Only moments before the portal opened up in the middle of Main Street, she'd watched him take a dagger to the gut and he wanted to know if she was alright?

"I'm fine," she replied, pushing her protesting body up from the dirt as she wiped at her bloodied face with her sleeve.

"You don't look fine," he continued, his voice closer now as she realized he was walking slowly toward her, partially obscured by clumps of chaparral and some dangerous looking pointy leaved plants, some of which neared five feet tall. She could see that he was clutching tightly to his chest, his fingers already slick with blood from the stab wound she knew lay beneath. "You're bleeding."

"So are you," she reminded him, dumbfounded how he could still be so concerned that she had a few cuts and scratches when he was obviously in greater distress. "I've just got a few scratches and a little bump on the head. You're not that lucky," she stated as he reached her.

"I'll be fine," he insisted as she slid her arm around his waist, moving him toward a slab of nearby sandstone where she could get him to sit down. The slight waiver in his voice told her he was anything but fine.

"I don't think so. Sit down here and let me take a look at you," He didn't put up much fight, his body nearly collapsing onto the boulder which was an even better indicator that he was in a great deal of pain and doing a lousy job of concealing it.

"Is your magic working in this land?" he asked. It was an honest question, but she instantly doubted that she could give him the answer they both wanted to hear. She couldn't feel her magic – couldn't will it to surface. Whatever realm they'd landed in, it was one without magic and that meant she couldn't heal his wound.

"I don't think so," she responded, recognizing the flicker of fear that flashed in his eyes. "I can't feel it, but we'll manage… Do you have your flask on you?" He nodded, producing it from the inside pocket of his leather coat and proceeding to remove the stopper with his teeth and take a quick swig before she snatched it out of his hand. "Hey! I didn't mean drink it!" she scolded him. "We're going to need it to disinfect that wound."

"Just attempting to dull the discomfort somewhat," he confessed as he begrudgingly yanked his shirt from the waistband of his trousers and began to unfasten the buttons of his vest. Emma pushed his hand away knowing she could complete the task faster with two hands. "You do realize that I'm perfectly capable of unbuttoning my own garments…"

"Will you just relax a moment?" she glared, scowling at him as he attempted to reach for the flask she'd placed on the flat surface of the rock beside him to free up her hands. "Leave that alone…" He groaned with displeasure, but withdrew his hand, wincing as she peeled back the blood soaked fabric of his shirt to reveal the wound. "Sorry," she apologized, not wishing to cause him additional pain. The wound itself didn't look like much – just a narrow slit in his skin right below his rib cage, but it was bleeding profusely and there was no way to tell how deep it went or the exact path of the blade. "You don't happen to have a handkerchief or a scarf hiding in there anywhere by chance, do you?"

"Sorry, Love. 'Fraid not," he replied. "Didn't leave the house this morning expecting to be run through with a bloody dagger." Well, at least his sense of humor was still intact despite the injury.

"We've got to find something to help stop the bleeding. Need to keep pressure on it…"

"I've been trying to," he assured her, "but it's a tad difficult with only one hand…" She understood knowing that he'd likely landed as hard as she had so she was worried that there might be other injuries she couldn't even see, but right now, she had to think of something.

Since it was already tattered and torn from her entanglement with the barbed brush, Emma pulled the hem of her blouse free of the waistband of her own jeans and tore off the bottom section of the pale peach fabric leaving a strip of skin exposed at her midsection. Had he not been in so much discomfort, the sight of that glimpse of flesh would have been quite the turn on, but he could barely manage a pained smirk as he focused on how to put an end to the ache in his chest. He already suspected the severity of the injury having been run though enough times in his many years to have a decent grasp on his situation. It was a survivable wound, if they could find help rapidly, but the thought that they didn't even yet know what realm they'd landed in wasn't helping.

While he lamented the seriousness of their dilemma, she folded the strip of fabric into a makeshift pad and after retrieving the flask, soaked it with a generous dosing of rum then pressed it into his wound. She tried to ignore her own stabbing of guilt as he hissed and writhed from the sting of the alcohol on the tender, open wound.

"Sorry… Sorry…," she stammered, fearful of pressing too hard as she really didn't want to inflict more pain.

"I'm fine, Love… Just stings a bit…," he lied as the initial shock wore off leaving him with just a lingering burning sensation. "I'll be fine."

"Fine? You're a lousy liar… Keep holding this against the wound," she instructed. "I need to find us some shelter and try to figure out where we are. Those skies aren't looking too promising…"

"Aye," he replied in a hushed tone as his eyes drifted upward to the clouds. There was still blue sky directly above them but out toward the horizon, ominous dark grey clouds loomed. "There's definitely a storm brewing."

"That was my thought too," she concurred, digging into her pockets to retrieve two items – her cell phone and her department-issue handgun. "I'm going to go scout around a bit," she stated, placing the weapon next to him on the rock's surface. "I'll try not to be gone long, but if anything comes near you that's bigger than a jackrabbit, shoot it."

"And what about you?" he asked, still more concerned for her welfare than his own safety. "You don't have magic here…"

"I can manage. Remember, you're the one with the hole in his stomach. You need the protection more than I do. Besides, I can still run. You can't."

"Point taken. Just please be careful, Swan."

"I will," she promised, not really keen on leaving him here in alone but well aware that she could move faster without him. There had to be something in the near vicinity that could provide some shelter from the approaching storm and if they were lucky, provide them with some clues as to their present location. The landscape here was rugged and arid, evidenced by the sparse vegetation consisting mostly of dry scrub brush and plant life that was likely some form of cacti or maybe yucca? The panoramas were vaguely familiar, yet she couldn't quite place why. Had she been here before?

She tried to scope out a perimeter within a few hundred yards of where she'd left Killian, making sure to identify and remember landmarks so she would be able to find her way back. Her knee high heeled boots weren't the best footwear to be navigating the uneven, gravely terrain. What she wouldn't give for a decent pair of hiking boots and a huge bottle of water right now! The sun's position in the sky and her shadow on the ground had to be her guide as she had little else to use for direction. Without a compass, she could only assume that she was traveling southwest from Killian's location and if she was correct – slightly downhill.

She'd begun to circle back when she noticed that on the far side of a row of bushes similar to the one she'd landed in earlier there was a patch of well-worn dirt which stood out in stark contrast to the rocky earth on this side of the brush. She squeezed herself between the brambles to spy what appeared to be an intentionally cleared path and if she didn't know better, she would have sworn it was a hiking path worn through the wilderness. Perhaps this was some sort of roadway between villages in this realm she thought – until an unexpected object gave her the first clue to their whereabouts.

Approximately twenty feet from her was rectangular wooden post about 18 inches tall that had been driven into the ground and bore an engraved number on it – an 8. Emma scrambled over to the post hoping there might be more information on it besides the number and as she got closer, she realized that the number emblazoned on it was actually a decimal - .8 and below it were four almost imperceptible letters – USDF. Why was a wooden post in the middle of nowhere marked with a decimal – a decimal and a bunch of letters? She stared quizzically at it for a moment then it dawned on her – she had been correct in her theory that she'd been looking at a hiking trail and the post before her was a trail marker! Now – which direction?

She followed the trodden path a short distance, until she came to the next marker which was labeled .6. Counting down meant she was going in the direction of the trail head which held the promise of providing more information and perhaps a picnic area or something with a little cover. She wanted to push ahead and see where the trail led, but she'd already been away from her husband longer than she'd wanted to be. She'd go back for him and they'd head down to the trail head together – hopefully getting themselves one step closer to civilization.

"Killian?" she called out to him as she neared the clearing where she'd left him earlier, fairly certain that she'd returned to the correct spot, but still harboring a few doubts when she couldn't see him. "Killian? Can you hear me?" She'd been away for twenty, maybe thirty minutes – longer than she'd intended, but she should have known that he wouldn't stay put. She'd apparently mistakenly assumed that he would follow her instructions and stay in one place, but it was looking more and more like he'd wandered off in search of her – at least until she heard his faint reply.

"Emma?" His voice was noticeably weaker which instantly renewed her concern that she couldn't see him as her eyes scanned the clearing, recognizing the boulder he'd been seated on when she'd gone in search of shelter.

"Yeah – it's me. I'm back and I have a bit of an idea where we might be. I found a marked hiking trail nearby. If we can follow it back to the trailhead, it might have signage to tell us exactly where we are and maybe a few clues as to how we can get help," she nervously kept rambling on hoping her voice would draw him back to her, but her anxious mind was getting the best of her… "It's not far to the trail. I think we can make it, but I have to find where you've wandered off to first. I told you to stay put…"

"Over here…," he said a little louder this time and his voice seemed to be coming from the direction of the boulder where he'd been sitting earlier, but he wasn't atop it any longer. She could see smears of blood and his hopefully not empty flask, but not him. "And I didn't 'wander off' anywhere… Down here, Love…" he added as he heard her footsteps draw closer.

"Down where?" She started to ask then stopped as she saw his black denim clad leg poking out from behind the stained sandstone slab. Hurrying over, she found him seated on the dusty earth, leaning against the sturdy sandstone for support. In his hand, he still clutched the crimson soaked cloth she'd torn from her blouse, but it was no longer held against the wound as his arm lay across his thigh. Her pistol rested beside his right hip, the safety still in place. He no longer had the strength to hold his arm up and Emma knew there was no time to waste if they were going to make it down to the trail head. "Think you can walk?" she asked him rather bluntly as she stooped to retrieve her weapon and return it to its holster at the small of her back. With time of the essence, she needed to know, determined to carry him if she needed to. She wasn't leaving him behind this time.

"I think so," he replied, pushing his back into the boulder, using it for leverage to push himself to his feet while she took ahold of his left arm at the bend of his elbow, then wrapped his hooked arm around her own waist before slipping her right arm around his midsection. He wasn't steady on his feet, but he was standing.

"Lean on me," she insisted. "It's going to be about a mile over some uneven terrain." He nodded in understanding, reaching back for the glass flask which he tucked back into his jacket pocket.

"We may need this later," he grinned, getting an icy glare of skepticism from his wife in return. "Don't worry. I didn't partake of a single drop while you were gone."

"Come on. The clouds are getting thicker and the wind is picking up. We probably have less than an hour to find the trailhead and if we're lucky, someplace to hide from this storm…"

[rayomz]

repost of my ac predictions/wishlist so i can cross out the things that were confirmed or disproven more easily

🌟 they will change something drastically about the character design (acww: hair, acnl: taller/pants, ac switch: ???) ANIMALS WEAR MORE THAN TANK TOPS!!!!!

🌟 you still get to be mayor, or some sort of town planner

may be like happy home designer, where you can design entire facilities like shops, schools, etc, however that works

you will be able to choose where animals move in (like in previous games, houses went on top of signs placed around town. you’d be able to place signs wherever)

more public works projects

you will get to choose your face instead of having The Quiz

🌟 more customization options in general (skintone)

an upgraded version of the pattern maker

🌟 a dedicated tool for path creation and not just putting paths down via patterns (shovels for dirth paths, more TBA maybe?)

MORE pattern space regardless

more complex villagers

at least one new species

one to two new personality types

one new shop type

a small online hub, maybe

an in-game gallery where you can upload custom patterns and download them from other players

if that’s not it, you will have to use your phone using the NSO app. i think animal crossing will have app functionality anyway, maybe something like splatnet where you have shop exclusives, but mainly because of voice chat. but i was thinking this app would let you scan QR codes and send them to your game since the switch doesnt have cameras

a new type of collectible (like how acnl added deep sea creatures)

the town for ac switch will be Large. Big. acnl was too tiny, i want something Large, city folk was nice but it could still be… Bigger.

they might bring back amiibo cards and the campsite

❌ free camera in town i think is a 50/50 possibility. the switch is powerful enough to handle it but at the same time the current view is iconic i think and idk if they’d get rid of that. i will predict better cameras in places like the museum though

🌟 graphically, it will look nice. the way the ac track looks in mario kart is the dream but, i can see them doing the exact same thing from acnl. which is Not what i want

they’ll put in all furniture from pocket camp

they’ll put uh.. plants from pocket camp (birch trees please)

monthly free dlc like in new leaf

inevitable japanese-exclusive content

WISH LIST:

bat, raccoon, weasel, otter, or possum villagers

fantasy species like dragons, gryphons

more fantasy villagers at the very least (draco, julien)

biomes/landscape variety: be able to choose different town types such as mountains, forests, deserts, grasslands, tropical, whatever. or start out with the regular forest type town, and have the option to change it into anything (maybe it changes depending on what you plant? like if an area has a lot of cacti, the grass will disappear and turn into scrub)

more options for an urban/modern town

more variety in personalities per species. cats for example, a majority of the male cats are either grumpy or lazy. no smugs, and one (1) jock

more complex villagers. i want a relationship system. i’m not talking about marrying or dating anyone, i just want friendships to mean something. i want to be able to progress through a relationship.

^^ related, i want more complex villagers in terms of their OWN personality. they’re always upbeat and in a good mood in acnl. they have no bite. they lack any personality. they’re so bland. i want a villager to move in and hate me for absolutely no reason. and then maybe i can do errands for him or something, and we can slowly become friends. SOMETHING other than *knows each other for 5 seconds* “hehe we’re best friends :)”. in acnl i made NO friends other than zell and kiki (who is a staple villager for me) because i had no incentive to make any friends. everyone is exactly the same. boring

^^ maybe animals in a town can have relationships with each other? like dotty and felicity are friends, but dotty hates poncho. i dont know what this could do other than more errands to run but it would help the town feel more alive

Big Leafy Trees

fruits and vegetables. maybe leif can sell planters in his shop that allow you to grow things like strawberries or tomatoes that you can sell

cooking? i’ve seen people talk about cooking ~LiKe BrEaTh Of ThE wILd~ (bc thats the only nintendo game that exists i guess) where it effects your stats and energy/stamina and tbh animal crossing does NOT need that. i think you should be able to cook for food as furniture items, or you can give food to villagers as gifts to increase your Friendship Points. Or you could sell it for a a little bit of Money

more furniture, but that’s a given with any ac game

customizable pants! in acnl they gave us the option to customize different types of shirts but i want customizable pants and skirts now

🌟 yards. even if they’re small

🌟 half-tile placement for furniture like in happy home designer (idk if half-tiles are in pocket camp)

more customization options for houses, like windows and doors (like HHD)

an online marketplace where you can go and trade with people online without having to need to go to their town and swap FCs

nice beaches, the ones in new leaf kinda suck imo

being able to rename yourself/your town

more villagers that use slightly different models/wear hats/etc, like o’hare, zucker, drago, muffy etc

more holidays/events would be cool i guess

can we change neighbours’ houses easily like in acww you could send them a wallpaper/floor and they’d change it to that lol