#i have some experience with forest too but beach is my love

[bluelolblue]

Beach and forest headcanon for Santino and John

When Santino prefers chilling and walking on the beach and John maybe has a slight preference for the forest walks.

Santino would complain about all the bugs in the forest, tho. If he sees a spider, he's turning around and leaving without John, but John leaded the way, and Santino wasn't paying attention, so he doesn't know how to return, he needs John for that. "If you pick up that spider, you're never touching me again. Ever." I'm having way too much fun with Santino being scared of spiders. He'd describe them as "disgusting creatures with too many legs."

The mosquitoes. Santino's cursing in Italian and English at them. He hates mosquitoes. John is literally so patient with him and kills mosquitoes he sees that are near him. And he's overall patient with his complaints because "he will calm down eventually." It's the way Santino is, and John accepted him like that. In fact, he finds it cute.

A way to distract Santino is to point out a deer or any other animal. Since it's not every day they go to the forest, it's nice to see a deer, squirrel, fox... like it actually makes Santino happy. He's taking photos of them, too. He loves animals but no bugs.

Meanwhile on the beach, Santino is calm and chilling. John can finally relax and not have to worry about a spider getting near Santino. The wasps, tho. But Santino is mostly quiet, inhaling that sea smell of salt and it's a nice fresh air. They both enjoy this a lot. Going swimming together, walking on the beach, just chilling on the towel as they snack, drink and talk. Getting ice cream together and making sexy jokes when the ice cream gets on their sides of their mouths or anywhere. And Santino always makes that joke first because it's him.

I almost forgot! Santino helps him put on the sun cream since John kinda burns easily while Santino gets a nice tan. Ofc he's Italian, it's no problem to him. Getting that vitamin D (and another vitamin D 🌚). No, I'm keeping this wholesome.

Anyways, I thought of this few days ago but now I got really inspired to write it down. So have this silly headcanon :3

[lunajay33]

Waiting🖤

Summary: After decades of being alone without a love of his own he finally finds her in a gloomy town of forks, his brother Edward isn’t the only lucky one

Pairing: Emmett Cullen x f! Swan reader

Warning: angsty, fluffy sunshine Emmett

•Masterlist•

I never thought much about the future until suddenly the friends I adored most started relationships and left me in the past as if our friendship never even mattered, like their boyfriend was the most important thing

My sister and I use to be close as kids but when she moved away with our mom and rarely visited me and dad, who she regularly called Charlie, we grew apart leaving me feeling like I lost all my friends and my sister, after a while I grew depressed and I never wanted to leave the house, dad grew concerned and after many absent calls from school he allowed me to start home schooling myself and my grades have never been better

Most nights it was just me and Charlie some days I’d get the courage to go down to the reserve hang out on the beach with Leah, Seth and Jake, sometimes I’d go for hikes in the forest behind the house just to clear my head, but other than that I’d stay in my room listening to music, reading the books dad would bring home for me, and doing school work

That’s how life was for so many years, it was routine and it never bothered me and dad loved having me around, after Bella and mom left he was so broken and with my help, even as a little girl, I pulled him out of that deep dark hole and he became that Charlie that joked around and made me smile

But then dad got the call that Bella was moving back for the rest of highschool since mom would be traveling with Phil for baseball, hopeful that I could reconnect with my sister again

Dad and I picked out a new bed spread for her hoping she’d love it, and he even let me pick out a new book as a thank you for helping him out with getting everything ready for her arrival, after a few days it was time for dad to go pick Bella up from the airport in port angeles, I was a nervous wreck which was crazy I mean she’s my sister why should I be nervous

Finally the familiar sheriff cruiser pulled up in the drive way, I walked out the door with an umbrella quickly shuffling over to Bella to cover her from the rain knowing how she favoured the warm dry weather, complete opposite of me

“Welcome home Bella!” I smiled as we walked back inside as dad got her bags following closely behind

She shook off her coat and placed her little cactus down on the counter

“You’ve grown so much you’re a year younger but you’re already taller than me” she said as she hugged me

“Come on bells we’ll show you your room!” Dad said as he walked up the stairs with her bags

She settled in for the rest of the day until it was supper time, I set out the table and dished up our meal, dads game playing in the background as we ate

“So are you excited for school on Monday?” I asked

“Not really but atleast I’ll have you there”

“What? No im homeschooled remember”

“Well…..” dad drawled out

“Dad what did you do?” My heart was racing now at the implication

“I thought since Bella’s back now it would be good for you to get out there again, you need some experiences honey”

“But you know I have no one there, no one wants to be friends with me we’ve been over this”

“You might make new friends honey, give give it a chance for your old man” I sighed slumping back in my chair trying to wrap my head around having to socialize again

“Atleast you’ll be with me, dad said since your grades are so good you got bumped up a grade and can have some certain classes together, depending on our courses” that settled my anxiety a little

Bella and dad cleaned up from dinner as I sat out on the porch, in desperate need for fresh air to do its magic, only 2 more days and I’ll be back in a school again, who knows maybe some new kids have arrived and aren’t too set in their groups yet

Monday came quickly and I was a ball of nerves, I glanced in the mirror as made sure my hair was just the way I wanted, wearing a casual outfit, simple flared black leggings, a dark rich blue longsleeve with my old worn out dark brown carhartt jacket, quickly spraying my vanilla perfume

I walked down stairs to meet Bella in the kitchen, she grabbed an apple as she picked up her backpack from the table

“Are you ready to go?” She asked

“Almost can I make a tea quickly?” She nodded and I quickly wiped together a chai tea latte, grabbing my lunch from the fridge and meeting her in the truck dad had gotten for us but since I didn’t have my license, seeing as I never needed one before now, she would be driving us

The drive to school was calming, hearing the steady rain fall against the windshield, pulling into the parking lot everyone stared until we got out, I kept my eyes down as Bella led me to the schools main office

“Okay here’s your schedule, we have math together at the end of the day, the bells about to ring so I gotta head to world history are you good to find your way to chemistry?”

“Oh ummm yeah I’ll be fine”

“Okay see you at lunch” she smiled gently before she left down the hall

Looking at my schedule I memorized the room number hoping it wouldn’t be too hard to find, turning the corner I rammed into what felt like a brick wall, dropping my books I look infront of me to see the most beautiful guy I’ve ever seen, his eyes a golden amber, hair as dark as night and his skin as pale as snow

“Sorry about that, I haven’t seen you around before” he said soothingly as he handed me the books that had momentarily scattered the floor, not even realizing he had picked them up, too busy oogling him I suppose

“Oh yeah I’m just re-enrolling here again, just trying to find my class” he looked down at my schedule a striking smile adorning his face

“Come this way gorgeous, got the same class” walking along the mostly bare hallways I noticed his gentle glide, I’ve never seen such a…..well such a perfect human, obviously I was way out of my league if I could think he’d ever be interested in me, I mean I’m plain and simple what would he ever see in me, best I stay in my lane, but dad did want me to make friends so that couldn’t hurt….right?

We got to the classroom and the teacher assigned us to sit together, the class went by pretty boring, every now and then I’d take glances at Emmett and I swear he did the same but he was probably just looking at someone else, moments like this made me wish I was a beautiful as my sister, she never had a problem with guys wanting her, they basically drooled over her, even if she never acted on any offers she was still wanted

It felt like I was a living ghost most days, no one noticed me anywhere I’d go, a big reason I wanted to be homeschooled, now I’m thrown back into this miserable place, I’ll bet by lunch time Bella with have a table full of new friends while I sit alone, not even a second glance from anyone

Lunch time rolled around and as I entered the cafeteria I searched for Bella and just as I guessed she was surrounded with bright smiles, excited to get to know her, she glanced my way and I waved hoping she’d wave me over to sit but she just gave a half assed smile and got back to talking with her new friends, I felt my heart rip at that, thinking things would be different this time with her here but I guess I was wrong

I found an empty table near the windows and made myself comfortable for another lonely lunch, I pulled out my bag from my backpack but my appetite was lost and I had no desire to eat so I just pushed my lunch to the side and looked out the window just wanting to go home

{Emmett’s POV}

I couldn’t get her out of my head, she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen and her blood sings to me, when she bumped into me in the hallway I felt my whole world shift, she didn’t talk much but just being near her felt right

Lunch came, my least favourite part of the day, having to pretend for an hour, I glanced around the cafeteria hoping to catch a glimpse of my mate again, my eyes landed on her sat alone looking glum a few tables down, the others followed my gaze and smiled knowingly

“Who’s she?” Rosalie asked

“I think she’s my mate”

“Her thoughts are overwhelming loud” Edward stated

“What do you mean?” I asked nervously

“She’s not the happiest girl, I can hear how depressed she is, how unwanted she feels”

“I can feel how broken her heart is” Jasper added

This has to be the worst feeling knowing the one I’m suppose to love unconditionally and she is quite perfect in my eyes, has been broken and feels unloved

I got up from the table and made my way to her sliding in the seat across from her, her eyes were so glazed over with sadness she didn’t even realize I sat down

{Normal pov}

“So how’s your first day?” I jumped snapping out of my thoughts noticing Emmett is sat across from me

“Oh sorry I didn’t see you, ummm today has been fine I guess, thanks again for helping me earlier”

“It’s not problem, umm I was wondering maybe if you’re not too busy this weekend if you’d wanna hang out?” My heart raced at this

“Really? You wanna hang out with me?”

“Yeah of course, who would wanna spend time with the most beautiful girl in the school” his smile warmed my heart but quickly faded at a realization

“Is this a prank, because if it is it’s cruel” I said as my bottom lip wobbled

“No what? I would never do something like that I really wanna get to know you, so how about after school on Friday I’ll meet you in the parking lot and we can go do something?”

“Okay……sure id really like that” his face beamed with excitement

“Perfect it’s a date then gorgeous”

This felt surreal there’s no way there wasn’t a catch here, how could someone wanna spend their free time with me, but like Charlie said it doesn’t hurt to try, I just hope this doesn’t break my heart more

Part 2

[rea-grimm]

Werewolf Crocodile

You lived your whole life in solitude near the forest. There was a forest on one side and a lake with a sandy beach on the other. Your own oasis of calm, as even the rear tourists didn't venture here.

After all, everyone had heard that there was a giant werewolf with an insatiable hunger in this forest. Allegedly, people were also disappearing, but that was just a legend.

Although a werewolf did show up from time to time. A terrifying nightmare for others, something much different for you. Even though you had a full fistful of him at the moment.

Crocodile, one of the most powerful men in this country has taken a liking to your remote location. He could change here at will without anyone disturbing him. Plus, as you later found out, he loved to roll in the sand.

"Forget about it. I won't let you in until you wash up!” you said sternly blocking the door to your house.

Opposite you stood a giant werewolf with black fur that was completely covered in sand that fell off him with every step. Crocodile snarled at you, demanding his way inside.

“This doesn't work for me. You know very well where the hose is. I don't want a sandbox from my home. You have no idea how long it took me to get rid of that sand from the last time. "You replied sternly, crossing your arms over your chest. 

When you first found out the truth about him, you were scared of him. Now that you knew what he was like and what your relationship was like, you knew what you could afford. 

It wasn't just a job anymore when you rented him your land. You were something more. The crocodile snapped after you but didn't bite. He taunted you.

“Try this on people in your casino, not here! "You didn't give in. But even Crocodile wasn't going to just back down and kept growling at you.

“I'll make you a hot bath for that,” you added. But even that didn't talk him out of it. You finally got mad and slammed the door in his face, saying you were going to fill his bath. His fault if it cools off by then.

As you said, you also went to the bathroom. Before you met him, you had a classic small bathtub where you mostly showered. It was enough for your needs.

However, it was too small for Crocodile and he couldn't even sit comfortably there. Moreover, he was used to a completely different luxury. You were sure that if he could, he would turn your small house into a giant luxury villa.

But it was still your house and you weren't going to give it up without a fight. In the end, you gave way to a few changes. One of them was a new bathroom with a giant bathtub that could compete with the indoor pool in how big it was.

Your new bathtub would rather belong in a castle or a luxury hotel. You definitely wouldn't look for something like that in a small house in the middle of nowhere.

In addition, he had so many products that you could only guess what they were for. All of course first-class quality. Among all this, you also found several products for dogs. But when you knew what he was, it didn't seem so strange to you.

You turned on the hot water, and poured some products into the bath for a better experience, and also because Crocodile put up with it. The room was filled with the pleasant smell of oils in the water along with the others.

As the tub slowly filled, you dipped your hand lightly into the water. Or rather just fingers for now. As the water rose, your hand was submerged more and more. Before the tub was filled, you prepared his favourite bath robe.

As if Crocodile had a sixth sense, the door opened just as you turned off the water. The werewolf walked in, still dripping with water even though he had a towel wrapped around his waist.

He still hadn't been completely turned into a human. He still had wolf ears, and a long bushy tail that was slick from the water was flapping behind him. Long sharp claws on one hand and his classic golden hook was missing from the other.

You were actually glad he listened to you and a little surprised. He never took orders from anyone. He listened to you here and there, but it was more the other way around. Just by looking at him, you could see that he didn't like the water from the hose.

“I made you a bath as promised,” you smiled at him and tapped the edge of the bath.

"Next time you'll go under the ice water with me," he growled, still irritated by the hose. However, he did not refuse a hot bath. He took off his towel and got into the water.

“Try to understand me,” you said softly and started massaging his shoulders. You knew how stiff his muscles were after the transformation.

You felt him relax under your touch. He closed his eyes and you could see the previous rage leaving him.

"I'll get you a heated shower outside. And I don't want to hear any objections," he said after a while when he opened his eyes again. You just smiled at that. If it wasn't something huge it didn't matter.

You slowly began massaging his head as Crocodile let out a contented sigh and leaned his head more into your touch.

"Mmm, now all it needs is a cigar," he said happily.

“Not in the bath,” you answered automatically. Crocodile just chuckled at that. This time he did without it. A hot bath and your hands were enough for him.

After some time, Crocodile grabbed your hand, pulled you to him lightly and kissed you. However, it was just a small kiss. He didn't like how you bent over.

Before you knew it, he pulled you into the tub with him. You yelped in shock as you fell into the water. You felt him wrap his arms around you and pull you close.

He cupped your face and gently caressed your cheek, his claw lightly grazing your skin. 

"It's better this way," chuckled Crocodile. He leaned in slightly before kissing you. This time, however, much hungrier and more demanding than before.

Then when you pulled away, he still held you close. Intoxicated from the kiss, you felt your clothes sticking uncomfortably to you. You wanted to climb out, but Crocodile wouldn't let you. You had the impression that it was his little revenge for that hose.

"Where's the rush? He asked you with a smug smile.

“I don't like to bathe in clothes,” you replied.

“I'll get you a new one,” he said casually, capturing your lips in a kiss again. You had no right to object to this.

Crocodile Masterlist

[gatorbites-imagines]

So since your request are open could you write Ruby, Alejandro, and price who's a high school biology teacher that the students love? Thank you 😊 and remember to take breaks and drink water

Rodolfo “Rudy” Parra, Alejandro Vargas, John Price

Headcanon

I wasn’t sure if you wanted them to be the teacher or the reader to be, so I just went with them being the teacher.

I almost failed my classes in biology so no mentions of the content of biology will be mentioned, because I cannot remember any of it.

Rodolfo “Rudy” Parra

-          Rudy would be the type of teacher who takes his time to walk his students through that’s happening, explaining things in different ways if his students didn’t understand one way.

-          He would give out worksheets that help in figuring out where things are in the specific subject, for example if it’s the heart it would be a sheet that the students could fill out with the different names of things.

-          The students would love him because he’s patient and takes his time, he’s never annoyed with students, but he also isn’t scared of telling students to leave if they’re disrupting the class.

-          Rudy does experiments in the labs to show what he means every now and then, so everyone can get some hand on experience so it would be easier to understand.

-          Rudy also gives the vibe of the type of teacher where he invites you to eat in his classroom during lunch if you aren’t doing so well.

 Alejandro Vargas

-          Alejandro is a little more enthusiastic than Rudy, he is a little all over the place but it somehow all makes sense. He’s got a lot of PowerPoints and a lot of slides with drawings and explanations for what he’s showing.

-          He’s more than happy to help during breaks between classes if there’s something you are struggling to do, and he goes home to research different ways to explain the thing students struggle with so he can help them in different ways.

-          Hed use physical examples for some of his subjects, like let’s say he was working on the lungs, hed tell a couple of students to go run up and down the hallway a few times and then hed use how they were out of breath as a way to explain the subject.

-          Alejandro doesn’t put up with any kind of bullying or disrespect in his class too, and he looks out for the little guy. So, he’s a favorite amongst the students for standing behind his students and getting bullies punished.

-          He keeps snacks in his class for those who don’t have any lunch of their own or are feeling under the weather, as a little pick-me-up.

 John Price

-          Price is a more down to earth teacher. He writes a lot on the blackboards and draws pictures. He takes it at a comfortable pace and makes sure everyone understands before moving on to the next thing.

-          He’s the kind of biology teacher to bring the students out on trips like to the forest or the beach to go over things that happen in nature and have conversations about what is out there and what they are working with.

-          Price is a favorite teacher because he allows no bullying whatsoever, and because he’s the kinda teacher you can cry too, and he will comfort you. Feeling stressed about exams or an assignment? He will sit with you and hear what you are going through and do his best to give you some useful advice.

-          He’s the kind of teacher that wont force you to do your work, but he also won’t pull you out of the hole you’ve dug yourself at the end of the year when you don’t understand any of the exam prep, because it was on you to do your assignments.

-          Now if you are actually struggling of course he helps, but if you are the kind to just not do work and not pay attention, he wont force you.

[corvarrow]

NE Vacation lets gooo

So I'm still really worn out but less than I ended up being yesterday so HERE is a post about the trip I just went on! It's gonna get real big and have a couple photos so I'll just go ahead and cut it here lol

-We went to visit family in Rhode Island...I have been to NYC a couple times but not any further north than that so anything in New England was a brand new experience. I was not a fan of the humidity (pretty arid here at home lol) but I like ocean and forest so I thought it was super pretty! I could not believe all the flowers and blue/purple hydrangeas EVERYWHERE

-We did fly in and out of Providence airport...but since it is super tiny we had to do connecting flights both ways. Wednesday last week we had to get up at 3 AM (after I had a full work day the day before) to get to the first plane, and on this Tuesday the layover between flights was REAL tight so both travel days were kind of brutal.

-ANYway, we ended up going to the Brimfield Antique Show in Massachussetts for two days. I don't think we covered a quarter of the show, we didn't expect it to be as enormous as it was. I ended up getting an antique inkwell shaped like a shell (it rotates on its stand), a metal dog, some vintage postcards (I love old landscape photos and interesting buildings), an old fan with a beautiful mountain painting on the front and a funeral home ad on the back (wtf lol), and a vintage travel guide to Rome with a lot of pictures but everything in Italian.

-Some other family from New York ended up coming with us to the antique show, as my aunt had rented a Vrbo (first time I've been in one) and there was plenty of room. One of those days we got takeout from a local restaurant and there was a machine in there dispensing pokemon cards for 50 cents...I thought "Sure why not" and got one - it ended up being a Dark Energy card instead of actually anything so I thought that was extremely funny

-We also went to Boston for a day - very pretty as well! I liked it way more than NYC to be honest. I had NO IDEA there were so many tunnels! Rained on us a ton though it cleared up by the time we did a bus tour. I am a big fan of brutalist architecture so I thought the one government building (the bus tour guide called it the Hurley building, I think) was REALLY cool. Wish I had gotten a picture of it but I was on the wrong side of the bus. Also: Bostonians, I am very sorry but your green line subway train makes possibly one of the worst sounds I've ever heard.

I thought the top of this building, whatever it was, looked very neat. Very art deco.

And this one with the dark windows forming triangle shapes. Not super exciting but I like this kind of thing

Can't forget about the gothic cathedral

Also spotted this cool unicorn at one point

-Uhh, what else did we do....after that we did actually do stuff in RI. Went to Ft Adams, went to Blithewold Manor, did a scenic ocean drive...I love how none of those Beachfront Home buying shows actually show the wild amount of traffic caused by people trying to get to the beach - parking whereever and blocking lanes constantly. I'd never live that close to the water to begin with as I'd be too afraid of flooding or my house falling in, but I had no idea how bad the traffic situation actually was. 8'D

-We did get a milkshake from Newport Creamery! I'm not normally a milkshake person but we tried them anyway and it was soooo good. Really enjoyed all the local chains in general.

-On the last day we did a lighthouse tour on a large catamaran and that was super awesome, I think it was one of my favorite parts of the trip. There was a Karen on our boat throwing multiple tantrums as the tour did not start fast enough for her liking but that just ended up being also extremely funny. The guy actually doing the tour was great and I'm actually quite curious about the history of the area, as I had no idea there were so many pirates o_o

This one boat moored near Ft Adams was rad af

[actualbird]

so playing thru vyn's CCG route after playing marius' CCG route reminded me how much i hate the beach. i'd almost forgotten since i havent had to go to the beach in a while, but the contrast between going from lovely plains and mountains and forests to BEACH made me remember. im still having fun w vyn's route and he and mc are So Cute but also this is why im not mc cuz

me in marius' ccg route: OH HELL YEAH A WHOLE BIT WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT BIRDS AND TALKING ABOUT BIRDS, THIS ROCKS!!!!!

me in vyn's ccg route: a floating market.. on the Ocean. i would die. i hope you know i'd die, vyn. the water is a death trap monster and no matter how glitteringly beautiful it looks, it hungers, it kills kills kills

this is wholly just a personal preference thing because im land lover and it makes me so thankful that luke's ccg route in ccg part 2 is gonna be in the forest (I WANNA HARVEST MUSHROOMS WITH HIM SO BAD) because i LOVE the forest. meanwhile beaches are just...

i'll (respectfully) never understand ppl who find beaches relaxing, it's always the most stressful location for me. like, first off theres just so much going on. theres too much heat, too much wet, and very often too much people, that is Too Many Things going on and i have the brain of a very frightened animal.

second off, it's contradictory. like it's HOT and the only way to get COOL is to submerge into the GAPING MAW OF THE OCEAN THAT WANTS YOU TO DIE???

.....okay lemme rescind all the bits where i say the ocean hungers and the ocean is hunting you down. actually, the scariest thing about the ocean is that it doesnt desire your demise. it's simply built like that.

water as the cradle of life is such a fascinating and ironic metaphor for me because i see it as the opposite, it is a force of quiet horrid DESTRUCTION but thats most probably because i have a horrid phobia for bodies of water due many instances of me drowning and also a fear of the sheer destructive force of water because ive lived through some catastrophic floods, BUT EVEN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ASIDE, WATER KILLS US ALL. the progenitor of life, but we, as humans, have walked too far for too long away from the water to come back to it fully and survive the experience. "from ashes to ashes, dust to dust" no no, from water to water and to water we will return, submerging one's self in water is always something so momentary because we cannot breathe it anymore, it will get inside you in all the crevices of your body and internals where it no longer belongs because we no longer belong with it either. beaches and bodies of water do no evoke relaxation to me, it evokes respect but the kind of respect implicit in the trait of "god-fearing" like i respect that water! because it can KILL ME. it doesnt want to kill me. it's not like a fire that needs to devour to keep itself alive and burning. water will keep on going no matter what happens, whether you die or not. it does not want or need to kill anything, but it can and it will because it's in its nature to rush into anything that doesnt already have something there. it's just built like that! and thats worse!

//shakes head from the vague water-horror-induced daze i just went in.

anyway. true peace is found up in the mountains when it is night and you cannot hear or see a single thing but then you look around and theres fireflies and the chittering of animals you'll never know the look of. take me back to the mountains

which, i came to a realization this morning that the summary of my experience is basically

beach: sensory overload (bad)

forested mountains: sensory gentleness (good)

here are some pictures from the last time i went up to the mountains. i miss it SO MUCH //CLAWS AT THE WALLS OF MY HOME

[atwowbrainrot-sorrynotsorry]

Hold Me While you Wait Chapter 3 [Spider/gender neutral Reader] +Spider/Kiri

Secrets are revealed as Spider has some heavy thoughts to get off his conscience.

TW: Mega angst, Implied suicide ideation, Ardmore's mind-reading torture machine. Hugging. A lot of swearing. Probably an "M" rating for this chapter.

Spider led you out of the human's area and to the yawning mouth of the cave which split the camp in two. It was quiet at this time of night and the moss on the cave walls glowed like a galaxy of stars. Ikrans slept in clusters in the crags and ledges of the cave walls.

"C'mon, keep up." Spider called.

"There are sharp rocks. My feet hurt." You'd rarely gone without shoes in the outdoors before you'd lost your shoes on a beach thousands of km away.

Spider sat on the very edge of the chasm, his legs dangling towards the ground hundreds of metres down. You sat beside him.

"Colonel Quaritch is still alive."He said solemnly. "I saved him from drowning. I saved the man who wants to kill my everyone I love." He looked over for your reaction.

"But why? That makes no sense."

"Maybe so, but you didn't know him like I did. He didn't just possess the memories of my dad. Miles Quaritch was...give me a second. It's complicated. He cared about me. He *saw* me. He made me laugh. And I... I'm not a killer. You should have seen how desperate he looked in that water. In the past year I've seen more cruelty from the hands of the sky people than in the previous 15 years combined. I refuse to be like that. I won't let Neytiri be right about me. I'm not a traitor, but I can't watch someone dying preventably and not help."

You wondered what Neytiri had to do with this, but spider continued with the flood of his confession.

"Of course, She'll kill me anyway if she ever finds out it was me who saved him. I wonder where Quaritch is now, if he's hiding in the forest, plotting and biding his time? Is he killing Jake right now and we won't learn until tomorrow? Have I damned us all?" Spider was panting, his voice breaking in grief. He stared over the edge of the cave. He stared into that midnight abyss a little too hard. "It's okay to cry." You said. "I'm honoured you trusted me with that information first, but you need to tell Norm. You don't have to say it was you who saved him." You gripped Spider's shoulders. "Let's get you a little further from this ledge, you're making me nervous." Spider scooted back a bit and put his knees to his chest and sobbed. "All I do is get in the way and mess things up."

"Buddy, I'm in no fucking shape to be your therapist, but I get why you did what you did. And since we can't do anything about Quaritch from all the way over here, maybe it'll help to theorize what he is planning. All that time with the recoms, you must have some idea what he was planning. And I spent a year on boats in the reef where you lost him. Where was the last place you saw him?" You asked.

Spider took a deep breath. "I don't know. It was rocky. The shore was rocky. It was fairly close to where the boat sank."

You thought back on your shipwreck experience. "Ok, that does not narrow it down a bunch, but when I was floating in the ocean, I didn't see any survivors. Granted, It was dark. But when I got to shore it wasn't rocky, there were trees, so let's assume he went in the opposite direction from me. How well does Quaritch traverse the terrain?"

"Fairly well, for a sky person." Spider gave a half hearted smile. "He has an Ikran."

"Really? That changes things. Do you remember the marine biologist, Dr. Ian Garvin? Well he had a house boat of sorts, a portable lab. I'd imagine it would be quite easy to find from the air. And it'd have a radio, and rations, and probably spear guns or something. If Quaritch found that, he could contact the RDA and get reinforcements." You theorized.

"You're not helping me feel much better about the situation." Spider groaned.

"Or perhaps, an airlift back to Bridgehead?"

"No" Spider theorized. "The Colonel wouldn't give up quite that fast. I'd bet General Ardmore would have his ass if she knew he let Jake Sully get that close and slip through his fingers again. I think Quaritch would rather not let them know he failed again."

"You're pretty smart you know that?" You told him.

"Think so?"

The two of you settled that it was likely a stalemate and that Jake could handle his own. You sat in silence for a bit, enjoying the glowing night.

"Is that all you want to tell me." You finally asked.

"Sure, I could go on, but if I don't stop now, I'll never stop talking, I'll just keep finding other memories to be upset about." Spider moved to stand up but you grabbed his hand to pull him back down.

"It sounds like you've been holding a lot inside. Am I right to think there's been too much shit going on, nonstop, for you to process your emotions?" You asked resigning yourself to playing therapist.

"Yeah."

"Well, there's nobody else here right now, and nothing else to get done. Tell me one more thing that weighs on your mind. How exactly were you separated from the Sully's and taken by the RDA anyway?"

Spider recounted the story of how the Sully kids had seen some military strangers with Na'vi bodies scoping out an abandoned lab trailer, how they were caught, but saved by Jake and Neytiri just in time, but they did not save Spider. "I don't blame Neytiri for that." Spider added.

He told you how Colonel Quaritch recognized him, and how He recognized Quaritch despite his new, blue appearance. "It's really messed up, demonic technology to bottle a soul and bring it back in a new body. He didn't even get peace in death."

They'd hauled Spider off to Bridgehead where he'd been uncooperative and refused to give them any information. "This bitch of a General strapped me into a machine and it had these panels that spin around my whole body. It was unholy bright and then it felt like my brain was being pulled in two by magnets. Worst headache of my life. Memories were being drawn forth that I did not think to think about. The General was still yelling at me, but I couldn't really understand her over the pain and the whirl of the machine."

"I realized they could see my memories and were searching for clues to where Jake had gone. It was so violating. I couldn't allow them to get anything out of me. If they could see my thoughts, then I couldn't allow myself to think anything useful. I used all my strength to think about Kiri's hands. I pictured every line, curve and freckle, mapping them out in my mind, and when Ardmore tried to steer my thoughts away, I doubled down. I moved on to Kiri's hair. I couldn't even let Ardmore see her face unless recognizing her was somehow useful. So I pictured myself rebraiding her queue. My imagination went tunnel vision on the back of her head. My head still hurt, but Kiri was the only image both powerful enough to think about forever, and neutral enough to be useless to the RDA. I don't know how long the mind-rape went on for but it stopped abruptly. Then I was taken to room with just a table, so Quaritch could try to "good cop" the information out of me."

Spider finished talking and looked your way with distant, unfocused eyes like he was still seeing that machine at Bridgehead, and not you or anything else at High Camp.

"Damn buddy, I'm sorry. Do you need a hug?" You asked, spreading your arms. Spider reached for you, with equal amounts eagerness and caution. You hauled the larger boy into your lap. He rested his head on your shoulder, still crying. You could feel the warm brush of his breath on your neck, his hair tickling your cheek. The two of you sat like that in silence until his breathing evened out.

"C'mon man. Let's go back to the sleeping area. My legs are falling asleep." You said, patting his back. Through the cave entrance dawn shown its pink light.

"Okay, and thanks." he said.

"Anytime."

Back in the oasis of Earth atmosphere, you took off your exopack with a yawn, and you and Spider crept silently through the maze of hammocks and bunk beds. You climbed in your hammock and adjusted your life vest under your head. It had found new purpose as a pillow.

Once again, just as you were drifting to dreamland, you were awakened. "Get up, Kiddos!" Avatar Norm yelled, slapping both you and Spider on the shoulder. It was meant fondly, probably, but his hand was bigger than your face. "Y/N, I have a few people from the engineering and mechanics team for you to meet."

Oh, right. You thought once again about how you'd decided you'd actually like to learn Na'vi weapons making, but now didn't seem like the time to mention it, as Norm stood expectantly.

Thanks for waiting all week for the update, this chapter was difficult to write, due to the heavy subject matter. At one point, I felt dread at the thought of writing. I'll have a more light hearted chapter up next.

Here's the link to the entire work on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45911749/chapters/115558099

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/27/2022: MATANGO

Ishiro Honda's relentlessly grim, genre-bending thriller about mutant mushroom people issued me a challenge that I may have failed: Once the dangerously addictive mushrooms and their hybrid-human progeny arrived in the film, I rapidly lost my ability to think about anything else going on in the story. Much of MATANGO is a grimy, downbeat survival horror narrative about a group of people stranded on a desert island, a circumstance that causes their humanity to fall away, as does the malignant fungus that is their only source of food…and like, I don't mean to cast aspersions on the compelling script or any of the fine performances in this film, but I very much relate to the compulsive desires of the hungry cast of characters: More mushrooms! MORE MUSHROOM PEOPLE!

I'd put a spoiler alert on this review (if you're reading it on Letterboxd then I actually did), but when a movie starts out with someone reflecting on their experience from a mental institution, you already know it's going to get dark. Sensitive university professor Kenji Murai (Akira Kubo) reflects on the events that left him in such a place, beginning with an ill-fated outing on a yacht belonging to arrogant celebrity Masafumi Kasai (Yoshio Tsuchiya). The passengers are a mix of spoiled intellectuals and entertainers who stand in stark contrast to the sneering, fed-up crew of the ship, and the obvious tensions between them all boil over quickly when a storm strands them on a remote island where food is scarce. They take up residence in a beached spy ship that holds evidence of an experimental fungus which, it soon becomes clear, is slowly taking over the island, causing madness and mutation in anyone who dares to take a bite. This gang would have had no trouble turning on each other in any case, but the mushroom madness certainly doesn't help.

Make no mistake, there's a lot going on in MATANGO subtextually: The hapless survivors are ultimately the victims of international espionage efforts that spawned the killer fungus, which identifies war as the ultimate culprit, much as it is in Ishiro Honda's masterpiece GODZILLA. In fact, it's worth mentioning that the film was nearly banned in its homeland due to the resemblance of some of the mid-mutation makeup to the disfiguring injuries of atomic bomb survivors; even if this was coincidental, it's pretty affecting. There is also a lot to say about class tensions in MATANGO, as hostilities mount between the yacht's passengers, who get to think and play for a living, and the sailors who enable their pleasure cruise. Honda has further noted that the 1963 movie reflected on the rise of a drug-fueled counterculture, using the all-consuming mushrooms as a general-purpose metaphor for the ravages of addiction. But all that said…you gotta love the mushrooms. They're so great.

Production designer Shigekagi Ikuno (also responsible for the beautiful LAKE OF DRACULA) does a handy job of entrapping the viewer in the claustrophobic, mold-caked world of MATANGO, and he's at his best in the psychedelic mushroom forest at the heart of the island. Conceptual artist Shigeru Komatsuzaki completes the picture with his fabulous mutant designs, perhaps a little too well, as once I laid eyes on them shambling across the set, they took up all of my attention. They're just so cool-looking, plus who wouldn't want to live in their funky little forest with the fairy lights all around it? Actually, the one thing that's missing from MATANGO is an explanation of the disadvantages of turning into a mushroom. When we eventually return to the mental institution where the sole survivor resides, he ruminates on whether he shouldn't have just given in and stayed on the island. (He also makes some salient remarks about his own moral failings that may be reflective of Ishiro Honda's dim view of human nature, but I won't spoil them here) Everybody there seemed to be having a good time; sure, they were high on shrooms, but maybe permanently tripping and leaving humanity behind isn't such a bad thing. The vampy Kumi Mizuno looks like she really enjoyed her psychotropic snacks, which were made from rice pastry for the production by a local shop who added fun flavors just because they liked the actress so much. The attractive colors and the look on her face when she ate them really made me want one. Hell, I want one right now!

[nessietessie]

RULES: answer all questions, add one question of your own and tag as many people as there are questions.

thanks for the tag, @menkhu!

coke or pepsi: i don't like soda lol

disney or dreamworks: disney i GUESS but like specifically pixar just because as a kid i watched both toy stories and also the incredibles over and over again

coffee or tea: i don't like either. i'll take milk though

books or movies: i guess movies, though i should read more.

windows or mac: unfortunately i'm a mac guy. it's what my family used when i was growing up and it's what i know how to use.

dc or marvel: neither lol. though i guess gun to my head i'd choose dc. i liked shazam.

x-box or playstation: playstation of the two of these, but i'm more of a nintendo guy

dragon age or mass effect: i haven't played either of them, nor do i have any desire to

night owl or early riser: kinda neither? i'm at peak power midday. but i do like to stay up kinda late sometimes. if 11:30 counts as late lol

cards or chess: cards. i'm not smart enough for chess, but i LOVE me some solitaire

chocolate or vanilla: tough choice. kinda depends on how i'm feeling but i do tend to lean vanilla more often

vans or converse: chacos. i love sandals

Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash, or Adaar: idk what this is lol

fluff or angst: i don't really have a strong opinion on this one

beach or forest: maybe beach, if only for the novelty of it. landlocked gang rise up!

dogs or cats: dogs! i haven't had many good experiences with cats

clear skies or rain: clear skies these days

cooking or eating out: depends on the mood. oftentimes i'm too lazy to cook lol

spicy food or mild food: i'm kind of a weenie when it comes to spice, so mild. but i'm getting better!

halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/christmas: christmas, just because i have the opportunity to hang out with my fam and not be at work for a little while

would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot: a little too hot

if you could have a superpower, what would it be: like. shapeshifting. or teleportation.

animation or live action: animation for the most part, HOWEVER the live action one piece slaps so. points for that i think.

paragon or renegade: assuming this is one of those games i didn't play. so idk

baths or showers: showers

team cap or team ironman: don't care. i don't like marvel

fantasy or sci-fi: fantasy

do you have three or four favourite quotes, if so what are they: i have no idea at the moment. trying to think of what i frequently quote. a lot of opla these days. one of my faves is luffy's little "mutiny..." in the beginning of episode one lol.

youtube or netflix: well. i'm pretty selective either way. so both and neither i guess.

harry potter or percy jackson: percy jackson, though i only read like. the original five books and half of the first book in heroes of olympus

when do you feel accomplished: uuuuh don't ask me that lol. felt pretty good about getting 100 notes on a drawing i posted a few days back lol

star wars or star trek: don't care really

paperback books or hardcover books: prob hardcover because of my careless ass. harder to ruin a hardcover

to live in a world without literature or without music?: writing and reading are neat and all, but i think i would literally lose my mind if i had to drive the 5 hours to my parents house without music.

who was the last person to make you laugh? probably kat

city or countryside? small city? does that count?

favorite chips? sour cream and onion lays

pants or dresses? shorts, but also pants.

libraries or museums? libraries, because i respect what they do but also museums are really neato

character driven stories or plot driven stories? character driven

bookmarks or folding pages? bookmarks

Dream job? voice actor. i would also love to get paid to play video games, which i guess can happen if you're a letsplayer or a twitch streamer or something

What gives you comfort? recently, watching one piece lmao. also sorry i guess for all the one piece on this blog but it's my house.

what are some of your favorite song lyrics? i don't often listen to songs with lyrics so this is kind of a hard question lol. but how about all of the lyrics in "We Can" which is team Sonic's theme in Sonic Heroes. Love that. lol

favorite video game?

Tagging: lol. uh. anyone who wants to do this? i don't actually interact with people much on here, but if you see this on your dash and would like to take part, i say go for it!

[fleurcareil]

West Quebec: Papinau-Labelle, Lac Simon and Mont-Tremblant

On the last morning in Ottawa I met my friend Claire (namesake of my sister!) for breakfast during which we caught up on our respective lives, including her recommendation to continue writing the blog foremost to record my experiences for my own benefit as the risk of prolonged traveling is that memories become a bit of a blur... I also use it as a motivation to take pictures & then redact them to the few I want to post, so that I don't end up with hundreds of pics never looked at again. Before leaving Burlington, I went through two boxes of photos that I had carried with me for the last 20 years of which I got ~300 digitized, and also triaged the many Facebook and WhatsApp pictures, so that I now finally have a collection of photos that I really like and can put on a digital photo-frame once I move to Chile. 

The sun was gone in Ottawa and when I drove north I was getting concerned about whether I was driving straight into the forest fires and poor air quality, however luckily it didn't get worse and the sun broke through eventually. I spent the afternoon driving through the Réserve faunique de Papineau-Labelle, which is a wilderness area mostly used for hunting deer and moose. The roads are unpaved and sometimes get quite small, however I did cross 7 other cars which is not a lot but still reassuring I was not completely alone 😊. The beach of Lac Echo was very attractive in its stillness with only some robins taking a bath, but I didn't feel like paddling so instead went up an observation tower and saw... moose!! I love it when it's advertised that you might see something and that it then actually happens! The two moose (a large one and the other smaller = younger/female?) were munching in the water on the other side of the marsh however I could see them clearly in my binoculars and the distance allowed me to move around freely and eat my own lunch while watching them. I've seen moose a few times before but their sheer size keeps impressing me. On the drive out, I suddenly saw what seemed to be two ostriches running ahead of me until I realized they were turkeys on their high legs jumping up & down for higher speed, funny to see!

At the Lac Simon campsite, I sat on the beach with a beer to watch the sun go down, however it disappeared behind the smog early on. I've become BFFs with my newest garment: the buff as it's really effective in preventing mosquitos getting to my neck... I must confess I never thought buffs to be cool (apologies to Debbie who's a big fan) but I'm starting to see their value now. I promise not to complain about mosquitos for the next 4 months however I'm still adjusting to my new reality of having hundreds of "friends" wherever I go, who like a stray dog keep following me without being able to shake them off 😜. In the morning, I got bitten twice in my right eyelid while in the washroom so there's no refuge anywhere!

Back at Papineau the next day, I went on a 9k return hike to Mont Devlin which has undoubtedly a beautiful viewpoint had it not been masked by the smoke. Just when I got there, I heard the first thunder rumbling so it ended up a mini-stay at the top and then record speed back down... The rain started before I got to the end, but protected by the forest I arrived mostly dry at the car. Rolling thunder continued for a bit and then suddenly stopped whilst the sun came back out! My campsite did seem to have received quite a downpour but luckily everything in my tent stayed dry and most of the "living room" stuff too. Phew! Reading a Canadian Geographic magazine for a few hours over a cup of tea was a welcome rest. Early bed tonight :)

Waking up with slight rain, I packed everything before taking a shower, and thought that I had covered my face sufficiently with buff/hat/scarf/sunglasses to avoid being bitten without needing to spray... BIG mistake! Turned out that midgets had gone under my glasses & bitten the hell out of me. Started ok, but the eyelid ended up swelling so much for the next two days that it was really impacting me (you'll see my droopy eyes in the pics), but it's luckily getting better now after some medications. Could not have been a better timing though as I spent two days at ALICE, which consists of the lovely Ivan-Cynthia family with their three daughters and grandparents. Their house in Mont-Tremblant is so comfortable that apart from little errands, including a visit to the new Canadian Tire store 😊, I just hung around the kitchen table with a cup of tea which allowed me to recharge again. It made me realize that I should break up my camping more frequently with hotel stays to allow some recuperation from the constant work at a site to make a cup of tea, set up/pack the tent, do dishes etc. Queue: my next 2 nights at the national park of La Mauricie got cancelled because of the fire risk, so am going to Quebec City instead.

Although I didn't go on any hikes, Ivan showed me around the Mont-Tremblant village and resort area which are stunning in summer (I had only been twice to ski), and also explained how it is to live there with amazing municipal programs for the kids, constant outdoor activities and a lively community, which make it a great place to live. No wonder that they're staying, I would too if I were not on my own way already! 😎

This concludes my first week of the road trip; been great so far although also got to re-evaluate my accommodations strategy to ensure that I keep my energy levels high!

Wildlife: 2 moose (Papinau), 2 turkeys (Papineau), 2 deer (Tremblant)

SUPs: none, too cold

Hikes: two at Papinau

Driven this week: 824 km

[ladydragonkiller]

I love the temperate deciduous forest as well, courtesy of spending my whole life in it. I think it will always be my favorite, even if I move somewhere else.

I love swimming. I've always lived near a lake, and when I was little we used to go spend days out on the beach or out on my parents' friends' boat. Unfortunately the water isn't always safe for swimming anymore. I was on a swim team in middle school too! I'd like to go swimming sometime soon.

What's your favorite flavor?

Just a short message today, sorry. I'm not feeling my best (though I don't think you are either! Hope you feel better soon!) but I wanted to get something to you so you don't think I've disappeared!

With love,

M. Cowboy

Trees are just sooo <3333

I hope I get to experience other climates someday, if only for a short time, but my heart is with the forest.

I hope you get the chance to go swimming sometime soon!! I also love swimming, though haven't had the opportunity to go in a while. Having such easy access sounds lovely, and I'm sorry that it hasn't lasted to the present.

My favorite flavor? but there are so many. . .

In general, I think I tend to like flavors in combination. For savory things especially, only being able to taste one flavor is a quick way to get me to not like something. For example, pureed soups. I have to have some way to break up the taste or I'll go insane. However, stir-frys or salsas or salads where there's a sauce or dressing bringing everything together, but the components still shine through, are amazing.

That said, some of my favorite flavors are a cilantro/lime combo, caramelized onions (especially when used as a component), mustard, strawberries, roasted tomatoes, and sourdough toast with butter and honey.

For sweet items, I like many combinations of chocolate and fruit (strawberries, raspberries, cherries, and oranges especially), as well as those fruits (and others) on their own. Caramel is nice, particularly when salted and paired with chocolate, and peanut butter is good but can be overpowering. Butter is an underrated flavor component, and is what makes things like croissants/shortbreads/some cakes so delicious.

for your question: what made you decide to come on tumblr originally?

[coyotesinew]

5, 9, 15-17, 24, 33, 36, 38, 44 for the ask thing!

(sorry if this is too much I got excited)

It’s totally not too much! just took me a bit of time to get through em all as I’ve been busy, but I had some time to answer all these tonight :3

5. What do you like most about your own kintype(s)?

Karst shepherd: l’d say I really value our obedience and devotion to working and helping.

Coyote: I love how resilient and adaptive coyotes are!

Coastal wolf: I think it’s so super cool how important wolves are to ecosystems in general ! specifically in regard to my subspecies I really love our unique relationship with the habitat we live in

9. Do you have any phantom limbs? What are they?

I do! Most of the time I experience phantom ear and muzzle shifts, but it can range from just that to full body phantom shifts sometimes

15. What kind of weather do/does your kintype(s) enjoy?

Mostly milder heat paired with cold winters, rain and snow !

16. What types of places do/does your kintype(s) enjoy?

Karst shepherd: Fields, valleys, mountains etc!

Coyote: I am an urban coyote, so I live in the city, urban coyotes usually inhabit small wooded areas in and around the city

Coastal wolf: pacific beaches and forests, more specifically temperate rainforests !

17. What kinds of food do/does your kintype(s) like?

Fish, seal, small mammals like rabbits, rodents, garden fruits and veggies, doggie kibble ^_^

24. Do any certain music types appeal to your kin(s)? If so, what kind(s)?

Already answered this one here!

33. Do/does your kintype(s) look drastically different from your human form?

Well yeah they’re all canines haha, but there are definitely ways that I look similar to my kintypes! I definitely dress in colors similar to my coat colors

36 Do you have any fictionkin type(s)? If so, what are they?

I don’t! I did identify as Mabel pines for a short while in like 2017 but quickly realized that I wasn’t her. I also identify as ame from wolf children before I figured out my theriotypes. I don’t identify as him anymore but I still feel a very strong connection to him.

38 Do/does your kintype(s) prefer light or darkness more?

I’d say darkness for the most part !

44 Do you dress differently based on your kintype(s)?

Kind of! I’ve always had a sense of style that incorporates brown, grey, and black which already aligns with my kintypes colors. There are definitely times when I’m in a specific shift and I feel the need to dress more like the part of my I am experiencing most atm. Since awakening I’ve definitely veered more into incorporating canine/animal motifs into my wardrobe too.

Thx for asking all these questions! I rlly enjoyed answering them and learned a few new things about my kintypes ^_^

[ofgentleresolve]

( and then a little more. )

a/n: just a hyurick themed birthday present for the one and only alex ( @jeoseungsaja )! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX!!! i hope this year ( and the ones that come afterwards too )will be a wonderful one 🥰🥰🥰 this is just a little something i wanted to give you!!

( lyrics of ‘love letter from the sea to the shore’ belong to delaney bailey and lee hyuk belongs to alex!! )

I think I loved you in another life Where I was the sea And you were the shore

After everything, in a time where Patrick doesn’t bring his pocket watch everywhere, Hyuk asks him a question.

“Do you believe in soulmates?”

Moments from drifting to sleep, Patrick lifts his head from his pillow, bleary-eyed. A droplet drips onto the pillowcase much to his chagrin. Wet pillowcases. His pet peeve. But then again he should have figured that would happen, taking a shower just earlier.

Not that Patrick normally does. But Hyuk always showers at least twice a day and he needs to take his second shower at night. That and well, it’s not exactly a pleasant experience, falling asleep in one’s own sweat. And body fluids, no matter how pleasant the moments leading up to such a scenario might be.

Hyuk, Patrick’s dear friend- well, that’s bit of an understatement these days, considering that they’ve been dating for quite some time now…alas, old habits die hard- frowns. “Forget it, it was a dumb question-“

“No, no,” He turns to his side and scoots closer to Hyuk. Hyuk mirrors him, flipping from his back to this side- how strange it is, truly. How they parallel without even trying. “I  was just surprised. I didn’t know you were someone who believed in this kind of…occultery.”

“I’m don’t,” Hyuk says, insistent, as he closes the space between them, limbs brushing against one another. Loose strands fall over his eyes and Patrick brushes them over his ear. His fingers tangle themselves in the strands afterward and he feels Hyuk melt beneath the pads of his fingertips. “I was just wondering, you know- your project. They…soulmates are talked about there, right?“

“I suppose it would be in the same field.” Although Patrick knows for a fact the idea of reincarnation according to Korean mythology mentioned nothing of soulmates.

Hyuk looks up at him and gnaws on his lip. A move Patrick thinks Hyuk should stop unless he wants to go for round two. “…So do you? Believe in soulmates?”

***

Like the tourist comes back to the beach I come back to you for more and more and more

He doesn’t think about them. Soulmates.

No, that’s a lie.

Because although his entire time, there have been times where he’ll have queer…flashbacks of sorts. Flashback of times he doesn’t remember. Memories of a life he’s never lived. Glimpses of a face and voice he knows he’s known all his life. The most vivid of them came recently when Hyuk slid a chrysanthemum knot bracelet into his hands for Valentine’s Day.

The green thread- verdant like the leaves of the forest- shimmered brightly against the plush velvet of the box.

( “Hand up,” his king asks him ( Ahn Hak ). Commands him. It’s a familiar one, one that is both distant and familiar…it’s Hyuk’s voice, but not quite. No, the voice is the same, but the cadence is different. Whereas Lee Hyuk speaks roughly, one of a survivor, one who clings to what little gifts he is granted, this voice speaks like a king. One who knows his own importance and therefore, the weight of a kingdom that has been rested on his shoulders.

Fabric rustles amongst the cacophony of conversation, footsteps, horses, and bells before his king, Wang Yeo, drops a norigae into his palm. The green, verdant of the forest, again shimmers in his hand.

His king is smiling cheekily, like the boy Hak had grown up with his entire life. Hak promises to treasure it for the rest of his life.

He wants his king to smile like that too, for as long as he lives. )

***

'Cause you hold in my tide I would die a thousand times Just to see you in another life

Between the two of them, they have a lot of bad ideas. And they make a lot more bad decisions too.

( Kim Sun and General Kim Shin’s execution. The massacre of their entire clan. Several more choices made in the depths of despair and under the influence of advisor Park Joong-heon. )

Hak thinks he’s topped all of them this time.

Or at least this is what he assumes, as he lays dying in the court yard of the palace, where a queen once stood and was executed too. He coughs, bleed running from his mouth.

His king is yelling at him. Pleading for him to “keep your eyes open, why did you act so stupidly again-“

Ironic considering that Yeo was the one to send him to the gallows. But then again, Hak knows he would take the same steps all over again, from picking execution over an eternal banishment, to seeing the stray arrow, to stepping in between it before it could pierce his king’s heart.

Yeo. He asks. He’s being selfish, calling his king by his personal name outside of his king’s personal chambers. Are you okay?

His king, Yeo, is crying. Sobbing, even. But he nods. Yes, he is.

Hak sighs in relief. Good. His vision is getting blurrier and Yeo’s voice grows farther and farther away. He closes his eyes.

He can’t help but hope that in another life, maybe they’ll have another chance to get it right, this time.

( A green thread untangles itself from a knot and ties one end to his finger and he watches it go round and round and round, hoping it’ll reach the other side before it’s too late- )

***

I wish you'd come with me Move with thе swells, my love I love you too much to drift completely

Park Jisoo is born colorblind. A commonality found more among men than women, his optometrist tells him,  as a teenager, but it’s nothing to be too concerned over in his case. Jisoo just can’t see red or green.

Not that Jisoo thinks he’s missing out although he supposes he would like to know why people are so mesmerized with sunsets and sunrises. Or even leaves in general. But the closest he’ll get to knowing what the warmth of sunset looks like is probably when he’s around Yuri.

Yuri, his fiancée and later, his wife. A biologist to his librarian. In this life, there is a yearning, longing that Jisoo is never quite able to shake off. It’s been there for just about as long as Jisoo can remember, even longer than when he realized unlike the other kids in his class, he didn’t have parents, let alone any known living relatives. Those kids laugh at him, in this life, for not being able to differentiate between red and green, for not having parents, for bursting inexplicably into tears whenever they take a class trip to the beach, when of all the chrysanthemum knot bracelets he could have, he picks the green one. The one that he can’t even see.

Yuri, the pHD student he runs into more than once while he works as a librarian, for all the times her temper pops a lid, calms his heart, soothes that ache in a way that no one else can ( and somewhere deep down, he senses it- there’s another thread, a red one, being tied between them ).

And yet.

And yet, the yearning never quite leaves. He can’t help but think there’s someone missing. Someone very important…

( The feeling, even in death, remains. When it is time for him to go, the grim reaper- apparently they do exist, if not in a more bureaucratic structure- in charge of leading him to the afterlife, takes him to what looks like a teahouse. While Jisoo expects to be speaking with the same grim reaper, it is to his surprise when another grim reaper takes their place.

A tall man dressed in a suit prepares tea at the counter before setting a porcelain cup in front of Jisoo. The man’s eyes are sad, if not heavy with regret. One might say he walks as if he carries the weight of a fallen kingdom on his shoulders-

Why does Jisoo’s heart clench at that thought?

The man takes a seat across from Jisoo and tells him to drink. He’ll forget about the memories of this life when he moves on to the next one. Jisoo bites the inside of his tongue- should he ask if it erases emotions too?

But instead, Jisoo glances up at this grim reaper and asks: “I’ve always…felt like there was someone missing from my life. Would you happen to know something of this?”

A flicker of surprise, if only to be followed by a mixture of remorse and hope that passes through the Grim Reaper’s face. He apologizes. Tells Jisoo that he doesn’t and that he’s sorry.  That he’s wanted to apologize all this time too and that he hopes this life was a happy one for Jisoo.

Jisoo, who does not know how to react, let alone say, merely nods because even if he does not know why the Grim Reaper has wanted to apologize, it is important to the Grim Reaper that he does so.

Who is Jisoo to deny that? Or at least he thinks he doesn’t not understand why, until he glances at his wrist. The chrysanthemum knot bracelet, no longer worn as it had been in death, is tied around his wrist- he could never bring himself to take it off. For a moment, some flashes, a color he’s never seen before.

Verdant. Green.

Jisoo looks back up at the Grim Reaper. The man with a familiar face and haunting eyes smiles back at him. He tells Jisoo he should go now and urges him to drink the tea.

As Jisoo stands from the table, he studies the Grim Reaper for what might be the last time in a long time.

“Could I ask for your name?”

The Grim Reaper points to himself in surprise before he sobers.

“Wang Yeo. My name is Wang Yeo.”

Jisoo repeats the name to himself, burning the syllables onto his tongue. “That sounds like a name fit for a king, Wang Yeo.” He gather his coat and opens the door. “I hope we’ll be able to meet again soon, Wang Yeo.” )

***

Wait for me, I'll be back because

Anxiety, anxiety, anxiety. For as long as Patrick Grace could remember ( or at least as far back as Patrick can remember ), there’s always been a gnawing sense of unease, restlessness. His mother thinks it’s a result of chronic nightmares when he was younger. That they’ve only changed forms, but thankfully into something more manageable.

Patrick thinks it might be something a bit more than that.

For one thing, what his mother has defined as anxiety, it’s also a sense of…yearning? No, this is something a little more hopeful. Anticipation is the better word.

Anticipation for what is to come.

( And then in his first year of university, there is a seatmate who is rather…sour-faced. Like an unripe lemon, yet to reach maturity. Even if his English is clumsy, it doesn’t stop him from volunteering in class, even when the topic isn’t about the English language itself.

Patrick can’t stop watching him, even if he’s guarded and prefers to be alone than with their peers and perhaps in his most far-fetched dreams, maybe they could be friends-

Or at least he thinks it’s far-fetched until his seatmate, Lee Hyuk, hands him his lunch box ( bento box Patrick later learns it’s called ). An offering? A gesture of friendship.

His heart, the anxiety, spikes. And the anticipation quells. )

***

You hold in my tide I would die a thousand times

“…So do you? Believe in soulmates?”

Anchored back into the present, Patrick stares for a long moment at his dear friend. A dear, beloved face that somehow feels more familiar to him than the span of twenty years.

He slides his hands down to his dear friend’s cheeks, green threads mixing with warm skin- is this what a leaf feels like in the presence of the sunset? Verdant and alive?

Hyuk melts once again into his palms as Patrick feels his arms wrap around his back. Oh, how Patrick wants Hyuk to be this way around him forever and ever, even if fate says he can’t-

“For as long as you’ll have me. And then a little more.”

Just to see you in another life Ooh, in another life

.

.

.

fin.

[le-souriant]

#MusicMonday Review - June 2024

Five cities, five genres, five themes, five feelings. Give them a listen, with a word from the artists themselves. 🎧

Flesh Machine – F Is For Failing

Can't you see? It's reality Close friends lie, people die so do I

An empty head can't keep up with all that's being said So why do I strive? And what is this no good life?

Let's begin our long journey in Reykjavík, Iceland with an Alternative Synth Rock with a retro vibe that would instantly fit in a John Hughes teenage movie soundtrack about life's coming of age struggles:

"The track originally was a very chill organ instrumental, almost like a church song, then I got inspired by more 80s anthemic songs that inspired it to be more happy/sad sort of track. Feeling like everything is against you but also almost making fun of yourself for thinking that."

Painted Places – Too Idle To See

Procrastination takes its toll Communication heals your soul Exaggeration will be your friend If you're wanting to pretend

No matter where I roam I never want to go home and in the middle of my arc I find it hard to sleep in the dark

We fly now to Stockton-on-Tees, UK, for a Garage Rock track that warns about being too close to comfort... sometimes what you need it's right there for the taking, but you may end up not seeing it:

"It came out of pure boredom on a rainy day. I had nothing to do and was in the mood for recording something but didn't have anything written to record. I downloaded a drum sample, looped it then looped some bass lines over the top and then some guitar riffs. Kept at it all day until it grew into this song. Then we used that demo track as a basis for the band to record this track over the top."

S/J – Never Win (feat. Liv Wallace)

Take me by the hand for a walk on the beach

I whisper through the air how dare you

If only outside would you see me maybe I can be that man

Next stop, Panama City, FL. for an acoustic Alt Country song with a two side love story that's perfect for a duet. Sometimes, you keep waiting for those magic words that may never come... baby you've been my man:

"It is definitely an experience with a certain girl. A love song and story about how it feels to struggle in relationships and never being good enough in your mind for that special person in your life."

Hasse Co – Beautiful Man

the car came drifting picked me up in the cold your star is fading but you're still the most beautiful man i know

and you show up like a dog again easy living you've got everything

From an acoustic sunny beach setting, we now go to Stockholm, Sweden for some Drum & Bass speedy breakbeats that mask the sorrowful sadness of inevitable change:

"The first instrumental version is actually pretty old, from 2017 I think. The lyrics is about dealing with loss, seeing someone again after a long time, knowing things have changed and trying to accept that.

It's a both sad and happy song I guess. And i just like the phrase you're still the most beautiful man i know sounded. :)"

Electric Fence – Black Soul

And now I can feel it through all my flesh and bones Controlling me and trying to enslave me

And I fight against it but I know I cannot win That's why you can't play with forces you can't understand

Last stop... Madrid, Spain, for a track with 100% Rock attitude. The story of a man possessed by an evil spirit in the forest. Yes, he's become a black soul:

"Well we came up with the music first and then built the lyrics around it, so one could say that the music itself inspired the lyrics. It has this mysterious vibe that led to some dark storytelling in the lyrics."

Listen to them and much more on the complete Playlist:

[thebananniediariesbyannie]

happiness is not only an inside job...so where's your happy place?

happiness is an inside job, right? we've all heard it before—true happiness comes from within. but let's be honest, certain places just have that magic touch, like a cherry on top of our inner happiness. these spots, whether near or far, simple or extravagant, can brighten our smiles and make us feel more alive. so, where's your happy place?

the great outdoors

for many, nothing beats the feeling of the wind in your hair, the sun on your face, and the earth beneath your feet. whether it's the tranquility of a secluded forest, the majesty of a mountain peak, or the soothing rhythm of waves on a beach, nature has a way of recharging our souls.

vibrant cities

for those who thrive on energy and excitement, bustling cities can be the ultimate happy places. the endless possibilities, diverse cultures, and vibrant nightlife (or maybe even a really good drink from starbucks but in the big city) can make your heart race with excitement.

memory-laden destinations

sometimes, our happy places are steeped in nostalgia. returning to a childhood vacation spot, visiting a grandparent's house, or walking through a city where you made unforgettable memories can bring an overwhelming sense of joy and comfort. the photo i included below is from las vegas. it has been a place full of memories for me and i always look forward to making more there!

exotic escapes

dreaming of white sandy beaches, turquoise waters, and palm trees swaying in the breeze? exotic destinations can transport us to a different world, offering a break from the routine and a chance to experience new cultures and landscapes. (here’s a stock photo to give you all the vibes of an exotic trip; i don’t have my own photo yet but a trip to an exotic beach is on the bucket list!)

while it's crucial to cultivate happiness from within, these happy places are like the icing on the cake. they enhance our well-being, providing us with moments of pure, unadulterated joy. they remind us that while happiness starts inside, the world is full of places that can bring out the best in us.

so, where's your happy place? whether it's a secluded beach (THAT’S DEFINITELY MINE), a bustling city, or your own backyard, embrace it and let it fill you with happiness. after all, life is too short not to find joy in the places that make us feel most alive.

follow along for a daily dose of style, beauty, and wellness wisdom served with a side of humor and a sprinkle of self-love – because life's too short not to be fabulous, and i've got some of the secrets to help bring out your best self

[kalospiaalmana]

Introduction

Welcome, strangers over the Internet. This is the Sāwol Quietus podcast that is designed to help you all today get better and make the world stronger every day. It's your host, Orphic Dern, the 14-year-old writer. Remember strangers over the Internet? It's never too late to help. Today's date is 2/16/2024. Every day is a new day to make the world a better place. That makes today's topic about introduction and confidence. 

Have you ever met someone new and you don’t know anything about them, but you still want to introduce yourself without making yourself look like a deer in headlights? This podcast is perfect for you without wasting your time by getting straight to the point. So, let’s begin, shall we? 

To make the perfect introduction, you must fit the setting you are in. You want to make sure your clothing is appropriate for the setting. For example, you are at a party, and the theme is Halloween. You can’t be too basic or too extreme. The best way to fix this problem is to wear clothes you are most comfortable in and that reflect your personality the best. Clothing has the biggest impact on the people you see every day. 

The color of clothing affects people's emotions. Red is seen as sexy and angry. While green is known as peace and greed, Let’s say that this random stranger is wearing a red shirt, and their expression is brighter than the sun outside. People can assume many things about this person based on the color of their clothing. They can assume that they are prideful. While others think that they are too loud, disturbing the peace of the public outside, Colors like red, orange, and yellow are bright and represent a large amount of energy. While blues, greens, and purples are soothing and calming for relaxation, If you like the color pink, you might actually be a very excited person ready to have some fun at parties or just want to have fun in general.

You want to match with everyone and don’t want to look like a clown. In the party, instead of being that one person that everyone wants to be, But they can’t because no one beats the original. Let’s say you are going somewhere. This place has the biggest impact on your life, and you look like a failed lab experiment from 1887 created by a 1-year-old child walking around like a stray animal in the tropical rainforest. Your clothes look like those of a 2nd grade child in art class. People will talk the worst of you, and they always start with your outfit. Society will always adore those who wear expensive jackets like leather, denim, trenches, puffers, etc.; hoodies like sleeveless, cropped, oversized, etc.; shirts like crop tops, V-necks, tank tops, sleeveless, turtlenecks, long sleeves, short sleeves, etc. Pants like jeans, leather pants, shorts, leggings, skinny, etc. Shoes like boots, heels, sneakers, etc. Jewelry like necklaces, rings, earrings, pearls, chains, etc. Society falls in love with those who love to spend money and spoils them hard.

But, back on topic on colors of outfits. I got a couple of good color combinations. You got to believe me on this and let the colors do their thing. Jamming with creamy honey peanut butter with a side of dill pickles. What do you think? Oh. Oh! Isn’t that a weird snack combo that I enjoy? Does anyone find eating eggplant with waffles covered in maple syrup wonderful? It’s just me, right? Y-yeah, it’s just me. Permit's pass decreases once more to the difficulty all yet again.

Back to where we last left off before I begin rambling about my interesting choice of food. One, two, three. Red talks with the green, sitting on a grassy hill while the sun rises. Red-Orange goes on a date with Blue-Green every day at a fancy restaurant. Orange relaxes with blue on a sunny day at the beach. Yellow Orange goes donating and does community service with Blue Violet. Violet dances with yellow in the forest while the stars above them shine brightly.  Red violet parties with yellow-green, with the loud music blasting and spreading positivity about the world. 

Any color is good with each other if they work together as a team. The designs of the clothing have to give each other compliments. The outfit has to be clean and free of winkles. If someone spots a stain on your attire, they will take note of that stain, bark about it, use it as blackmail, or, the most common of them all, talk behind your back to others. There are people out in the wild that are barking at those who don't fit their standards; they pick on those who are not beautiful in their eyes. Society favotize those who are beautiful in their eyes. They don’t care if that person's IQ is low. All they care about is those who are willing to obey their demands. 

Don’t let those mirror-obsessed pick me—pick one, pick two—but pick me instead and bring you down. Never ever let society bring you down and force you to be someone you are not because they don’t see you as beautiful in their eyes. All bodies are beautiful, and that is not what society understands. Everyone's bodies are beautiful, and no one is perfect. No man or woman is born perfect. No one is raised perfectly. No one lives perfectly. No one is perfect.

Everyone has to face the truth about the world. How are we, as a world, expected to adapt and live peacefully? If there are people out there who can’t accept the fact that there are people with different body shapes, hair styles, hair colors, eye shapes, nose shapes, lip shapes, ear shapes, face shapes, skin colors, beliefs, opinions, personality traits, raison d'être, IQ levels that are low or high, nationality, tone of voice, how they speak, age, etc. They will find a way to hate on someone for the smallest things alive. The world will be a better place if all criminals get executed with hard-core proof of why they deserve to be executed. It's giving those who the criminal did wrong solace that Mumpsimus will never hurt another soul and suffer death. Violence is what causes the world to face our backs to one another. All of us are blinded by red and let anger control us like puppets, controlling our actions and making us think, “If I beat up this person, they will like me. I’ll be respected, and people will love me.”. 

No, just no. Respect is earned because of hard work, not because of your status.Everybody is a human being. Why are we fighting against our own kind? What will it take for you people if you guys can’t live with each other? All of you are blinded by red, anger, orange, superficiality, yellow, betrayal, green, envy, blue, sadness, purple,pomposity, and pink, nativity.

I, Orphic Dern, will speak the truth and learn the truth of the world, no matter how badly it hurts me. I can’t accept something that’s not true. My raison d'être is to make the world a paradise for those who want to change.