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masterwords · 1 year

Text

all the wrong things on fire

Summary: An attempt at clubbing post break-up leaves Haley wanting somewhere safe to land and she winds up drunk and horny on Hotch's doorstep. He's confused, still battered pretty good after the bomb in NYC, and does a piss poor job of telling her no. (Post Lo-Fi/Mayhem)

-or-

A really awkward way that Haley finds out about Hotch & Morgan's relationship.

Words: 6.7k

Warnings: sexual harassment, dubious consent (touching/kissing, no sex), borderline infidelity, awkward sexual situation, alcohol & bad decisions, depression, grief...

Pairings: Hotch/Morgan (with a little Haley action thrown in)

Read on AO3: all the wrong things on fire

Notes: This is written for @tobias-hankel's Pre-Whumptober challenge. I got the prompts I wanted, but the use of them is about as dubious as the consent in this fic. It's supposed to be "sexual harassment" but it's...more than that. And different than that. I don't know what you'd call it. Borderline assault? Dubious consent? All or none of the above? And I was supposed to go with a boss as the person doing the damage, and I did write 4 other versions of this going that direction that I may very well turn into full-fledged stories someday but they were getting so complicated and I am not up for taking on another multi-chapter experience right now. I can barely be trusted with the ones I have. Anwyay. On with the show!

*****

He shouldn’t have opened the door. The moment he saw her standing there, looked at her through the peephole, he knew it was going to be trouble.

Haley didn’t just pop by his apartment. Not ever.

But he did open the door, because she looked pointedly up at the peephole like she knew he was right there. She looked at him (he knew it was silly paranoia, that wasn’t possible but he felt that shock of electricity that accompanies eye contact and he couldn’t shake it. Just a flick of the deadbolt and he was pulling the door open.

The smell of tequila on her breath startled him, she didn’t drink often and whens he did it certainly wasn’t tequila. That drink was saved for girls nights, or he supposed now nights on the town, prowling for a spot of fun. Her smile was wide and bright, made easier by the tequila sunrise. Sour and sweet, mixed with a perfume that reminds him of his senior year of high school. Hours spent deep in the woods, their backs up against a tree, hardly able to keep their hands to themselves. His hands on her thighs, roaming up under her cheerleader skirt, her tearing at his raggedy old sweater. Wild, insatiable teenage lust. She hasn’t worn this perfume in a long time, this soft vanilla and cherry blossom scent that made him crazy once upon a time and now just makes him feel hollow.

“Haley,” he said quietly, his fingers twitching at his side. His movements were stiff and slow, a far cry from his usual fluid grace. A bomb going off in your face, an explosion sending you flying through a downtown New York street will do that to a body. He leaned against the door frame automatically for support. She didn’t seem to register the movement, she was staring intently up at him with a look that he would describe as hungry. It made him feel uneasy.

“Hi Aaron,” she purred. He could barely hear it over the ringing in his ears but she smiled to punctuate the statement and his face remained carefully neutral. “May I come in?”

She lifted her arm and waved a bottle of wine in front of his face like it was the ticket to her entry, like he’d jump at the chance to get drunk with her. That prospect was far from his mind, though. All he could think about was whether or not she drove (probably not) and what she was doing there.

“Where is Jack?” he asked, his voice a little louder than necessary like it was going to help. She’s not the one who can’t hear, anyway. His body still blocked the door, blocked her entry. His ears were buzzing with all the rage of a mad hornet’s nest, it’s been a long painful week and he’s really not in the mood for her inquisitions. What he wanted to do with his night was lay on the couch in his silent apartment and wait for his date to arrive, wait for dinner and a movie. This surprise didn’t sit well.

“He’s with my sis-ter,” she enunciated it awkwardly and he felt a pang of guilt for making her stand out here so long so he decided to let her in. Her entry was a bumbling attempt at a glide in heels she was not used to wearing. Heels that she hadn’t worn since before Jack was born but Jess told her they made her legs look incredible so she gave it a shot. Jess was right, judging by the sheer number of men who bought her drinks at the club...the club that made her feel old and like a fraud. Everyone was so young, no one else was a middle aged divorced single mom...they were all hot twenty-somethings with mistakes still left to make. After a few tequilas, a cab ride to someone who had already made enough mistakes to make her comfortable seemed like a good decision. As she entered, she tried to play it cool. Like she’d been here a million times. Like she belonged here. Like this wasn’t the first time she’d dropped by his apartment for what amounted to a social visit since he moved in – occasionally she would step into the main hallway, meet him near the mailboxes to exchange Jack. Rarely had she ever stepped inside his domain. What she jokingly referred to as his bachelor pad, even though she knew him well enough to understand it was more of an artificial dwelling. Like someone in deep cover. He lived in his office.

Something about it was too sad even for her, that he should have gone from their beautiful colorful house to this...tiny apartment with its beige and brown and sad. Without asking for permission, she began poking around in his life. Sauntering through the place with the neck of the wine bottle firmly gripped in her hand, she searched the bookshelves for familiar boring titles – same old Aaron. She peeked into the laundry hamper sitting on the machine, opened and closed cabinets and drawers, inspecting the way he lived. His kitchen cabinets were empty save for a few boxes of Kraft mac n’ cheese and cereal, quick and easy food he kept on hand for having Jack over but nothing for himself.

“Where’s the oatmeal?” she asked, shutting the cupboard. “The Aaron Hotchner special.”

“I ate the last of it this morning,” he replied quickly. It was the truth. They’d been out on a case, his kitchen needed restocking but he hadn’t felt up to grocery shopping yet. He hadn’t felt up to much of anything the last couple of days. Not activity and certainly not sleep. He was a wreck. “Are you looking for something in particular?”

“Nope,” she said with a cheeky wink as she headed down the hall toward the bathroom to have a peek inside his medicine cabinet. At this point he knew it was some kind of a game and he was much too tired to play it. He couldn’t even pretend to care what she found. Instead he just stood with his back to the door, a stern look on his face, willing the latest dizzy spell to pass so he could walk to the kitchen. The vertigo was almost as bad as the pain.

Her trip back down the hallway was slower, almost seductive. She’d taken the opportunity in the bathroom to freshen up – let her hair down so it cascaded around her shoulders, she was letting it grow out. Her skirt was shorter, hiked up just enough to reveal the gentle curve of her thighs. He noticed these things not without interest and what this sudden change implied made him uneasy.

“What’s going on Haley?” he asked, finally steady enough on his legs to move toward the kitchen. He was going to make coffee, sober her up. Maybe ask if she wanted to talk, because that made more sense than anything else. She was seeking comfort from him in some misguided way. It was the only reason he could imagine for her to be in his apartment this late on a Friday night, reeking of tequila and perfume she knew would get him worked up. Would spark some memories both painful and sweet.

“I miss you. Can’t I miss you? Is that not allowed, Aaron?” She shot him a look that made his head spin. Dismissing it, he turned back to measuring the coffee. His shoulders moved painfully stiff and slow in their sockets, and another wave of dizziness overtook him while he poured the water into the machine. “Aaron?”

The far away sound of her voice made his chest feel tight. Sounds had an echo chamber quality that made him feel sick, surround sound for the lost at sea. The ground bucked beneath his feet and he gripped the counter in front of him, leaning forward, closing his eyes. Damn the vertigo.

The pain of her voice, of her telling him she missed him, somehow surpassed the deep ache of broken ribs and burst eardrums. That was the worst part. It got in deeper, twisted around inside of him. She was going to slice him wide open with that smile.

“Do you miss me?” She was picking at the cork, still nestled tight in the neck of the bottle, with one manicured fingernail. Knowing now that the bottle would likely remain unopened, she’d resorted to using it as a distraction. Something to take her nervous energy – some part of her was having regrets, but she’d made the decision and intended to stick with it. She was here, and horny, and dammit...Aaron probably hadn’t had sex in a year by her best guess, he’d be ready and willing. The thought of his hands on her hips gave her strength to carry on.

“Excuse me?” he asked in a raspy, quiet voice. He could barely hear her. She was being coy and he could assume plenty by her behavior but it was so at odds with how she’d been treating him since she left that he couldn’t make sense of it. And he couldn’t hear her when she dropped her voice into that range where she thinks she’s being some kind of Marilyn Monroe sexy but she’s just really being too damn quiet for his damaged ears to get hold of. The mixed feelings, the anxiety, was starting to make him frustrated.

“I said do you miss me?” She said it louder, enunciating it with a little air of annoyance. “Pay attention.”

Huffing indignantly, he turned around to face her. Of course he missed her. Every single day, every cell in his miserable body missed her. But he’s worked hard and made his peace with it, too, and he couldn’t indulge this without dealing that peace irreparable damage. He’s moved on, he’s seeing someone new, he’s patching his heart up. She gave him no choice. When he begged her to reconsider, to try counseling, she told him to move on. She already had. It was over, he wouldn’t ever change and she wasn’t going to sit around and waste her life waiting for something that would never happen. And so, he was forced to do the same – stop wasting his life waiting around for her to come back, to love him again.

But he was never meant to be armored against something like this. He never had been and suspected he never would be. She would always have the key to everything inside of him.

“I heard that you were...that your car blew up in New York? Ka-boom.” She made a funny hand motion on that last bit, a strange drunk way of easing tension. He didn’t think it was very funny though. He was still in far too much pain to find anything about that night, or the days after, amusing. .

“How did you hear about that?”

The coffee pot began sputtering to life, startling her. After bringing up the bomb, she began wandering again and found herself near a bookshelf where she lost a full minute staring at a photo of the two of them. His senior prom, tucked away in the corner of a shelf with yearbooks she’d insisted he keep. She didn’t want them, they made her feel old. He was the sentimental one. She stepped out of her heels and down into the carpet, walking closer to the photo to get a better look. He was so scrawny in his tuxedo, and her dress was enormous, took up half of the photo with tulle and lace. A sign of the times. When she lifted the picture and examined it, her gaudy makeup and fried hair, she felt her own heart thump a little too hard. That was regret, she recognized it. She shouldn’t be here doing what she was doing. It was cruel. But these sorts of things had their own momentum, and she couldn’t imagine a way for her to step backward and out of it. “When were we ever so young?” She whispered it to herself before clearing her throat and putting the photo back on the shelf. Done with that. He was the sentimental one, not her. He didn’t hear it, he was still watching her while he stood stiff in the kitchen, guarding the coffee pot. Turning around, she squared her shoulders and remembered his question. How did she hear about the explosion. She felt guilty now about bringing it up, about making light of it. His face was all torn up, covered in mottled purple bruises and bright red scabs. There was obvious swelling in his jaw and a wad of what looked to her like cotton stuck in one of his ears. He looked like he was hurt. Really hurt. She wished she could take back the ka-boom.

“I heard it from Jessica. She heard it from Sean who saw it on the news…”

Aaron hummed and nodded. Sean did send him the obligatory ‘what the fuck?’ text after it happened but by the time he saw it, he was already halfway home and not about to ask Derek to turn them around just to go say hello to his worried little brother. And besides, Sean probably didn’t actually want him to stop by, he just wanted to have the upper hand. The last person to reach out always had the upper hand, fleeting though it were. And furthermore, when he didn’t hear from Aaron right away he called Derek and got the whole story – a good thing, too, because a week later Aaron could still barely hear out of one ear and he wasn’t much in the mood for telling stories. It did hurt though that Jessica knew and didn’t call him. That stung.

“I wasn’t in the car,” he pointed out, as if it really made any difference.

“Well, I can see that...but you still look like shit. And Jess said that Kate died. I always liked her.”

“No you didn’t.”

Haley smiled and it looked to him like the smile of a wolf. A hungry wolf, and she’s hunting for something he was probably weak enough to give her if she kept at it. He wouldn’t fool himself. Between the pain he was in and his grief over Kate and the way that he and Derek have been trying to patch up the cracks in their own foundation, he’s an easy target and she knows all of the places where his armor wears thin.

“Are you hurt?”

“I’m alright.”

She gave him a look that said she knew better, that she doubted his truthfulness, and he offered her a defeated little shrug in response.

“I’ll be okay,” he corrected. “Just sore.” She would allow the lies to a certain degree, she always had let him have his dignity with little fuss, hoping that he would be honest when it really mattered. She didn’t care much anyway, it wasn’t her problem to deal with anymore. He was upright, he was walking and talking, and he didn’t have Jack. There was nothing to worry about so far as she was concerned.

She touched the bottle of wine on the counter as she passed, a sort of wilting caress knowing that he didn’t plan to open it. She was welcome to, she could find the corkscrew and he wouldn’t stop her but she had already realized she didn’t need it. No, it might make things worse. Sloppy. She didn’t want sloppy.

Before he knew what was happening, she was sliding up behind him, her hands gliding up the knotted muscles of his back and up over the mound of his shoulders where she began kneading. He winced, it didn’t feel good in the slightest as she pressed and pulled at deep bruises and swollen joints, tearing at barely healed road rash she had no idea was there. He wanted to tell her to stop but it’s been almost a year since she last touched him and it felt electric, he was powerless. He couldn’t bring himself to ask her to stop. It was all wrong and it was going to end badly but he let her knead at his neck, her thumb pressing into a particularly painful place behind his ear that makes him bite into the meat of his cheek just to keep quiet. The pressure lit up his head, igniting a pain in his head that felt like fire.

“You’re so tense.”

“Haley what are you doing?”

She pouted and stepped back, looking offended. The relief he felt when her hands were off of him was instant and powerful. “You don’t like it?”

“I don’t understand what’s going on.”

Except he did. He’s had just as many mouths whispering in his ear about her as she did him. Word spreads fast when small town heroes make waves, even in big cities far from home. They couldn’t escape each other. Everyone was talking about how she’d broken up with her...whatever he was. The phone call, he’ll never forget the way his veins ran cold when her phone rang in her purse as she gritted out the final ultimatum. Her little piece of side action that couldn’t hack it when he became the main attraction, Aaron guessed. And now what? Was she having second thoughts or just lonely and bored? He knew very well what this was, well aware of how these sorts of things played out...he would be a distraction from her sadness and he could easily make her just as much a distraction from his grief over Kate or the fear he feels that his hearing might never return to normal.

“I miss you,” she said again, this time approaching him, stopping with just barely a breath between them. The room around him spun as he breathed in the scent of her perfume and something else now, something heated and musky. “I thought maybe we could...you know...for old time’s sake?”

The coffee pot spit out the last of its nectar into the waiting pot and he bit into his lip. He doesn’t have to hear every word she says to know what she means by it. “How about some coffee? We can talk. You’re not…”

There was no warning, so soft kisses or tentative foreplay before she decided to charge ahead with her plan.

Her hand slipped easily into the front of his track pants, fingers wiggling their way down into the space between boxers and skin. He felt the warmth spread, it was involuntary and subtle at first but even this felt normal. At the coffee pot in the mornings, she might slip up behind him and give him little choice where their morning was headed...except he was a willing participant in those memories and this time it was different. Everything about this was wrong, dirty, made him flush with shame. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, to make her feel bad or stupid but god he just wanted her to stop touching him. Against every bit of willpower he thought he had, every last shred of dignity he tried to muster, he could feel himself getting hard in her hand. He grunted and shifted and pulled away. It was weak at best but it stopped her briefly. She still had her hand wrapped around his dick but she wasn’t moving, she was just looking up at him with those huge pleading bedroom eyes and he couldn’t remember a time in his life he’d ever told her no. “Haley please.”

He could beg too. Just not for the same thing.

“You don’t want me anymore?” She was pouting. “If you’re worried about feelings...don’t be. This doesn’t have to mean anything...just one night...to kill the loneliness. People do it all the time…” she was purring against his pulse, her lips tickling warm skin. He shivered. “Two people who know each other so well...”

“People might, but we don’t. You’re better than this. We can’t do this.”

She let out a barking laugh and rocked her hips against his before reaching up, hooking his neck, and pulling him down into a bruising kiss. It hurt his neck, made his ear pop painfully and he whined until he was locked in. When their lips met he felt himself giving in. Kissing her back.

“I don’t want to be better than this. I want you. Now.” That made him stop, it made him pull away – he could feel the lie in it like a dagger through his heart. A sugar coated lie hurt worse than sharp truth. That brief feeling of lust he felt for her was replaced with the burn of tears in his eyes.

“What about Jack?” he pleaded, desperate and breathless, overcome with a self-loathing that nearly devoured him whole. He should have brought up Derek, it would have stopped her, but he had so desperately been protecting that. Coveting it, keeping it private. Bringing it up now would cheapen it.

“He won’t know. One night isn’t going to matter…” she wrapped her fist in the collar of his shirt, holding his lips beside hers. “I know you want it too.” She stroked him and smiled as his body curved toward hers involuntarily, his eyes wild and desperately seeking an argument or some willpower but his body had already become hers to do what she wanted with. She’d won. “We can be quick...”

The lock clicked and the door knob turned, a strangely ominous sound that shattered whatever trance she’d let herself fall into. Who would be walking into his apartment? Who had a key to the place? She remembered him locking the door behind him. Slowly, confused, she turned to look and Aaron frowned following her attention as it focused on the door. He hadn’t heard the door. The realization of what was happening came in slow motion and he felt a burning in his chest. He was going to be sick. Coughing and turning his head to the other side as the taste of bile rose in his throat, he was powerless to the pull of his body. Mortified, filled with shame, the vertigo was coming back full force. There was no way he could look at the door, and he couldn’t look at Haley either. He couldn’t look anywhere so he closed his eyes, disgusted with himself.

“Haley,” he whispered, his palms against her shoulders trying to leverage her away from him without losing his cool. He was almost crying at the painful burning in his chest, the way his stomach twisted angrily. He needed to get away, get to the sink and quick.

“Aaron?” came a voice from the doorway. Haley unhooked herself and stared, mouth agape, at Derek Morgan standing in the doorway with a plastic bag filled with takeout and a bouquet of flowers held under his arm like a football. Aaron took her moment of distraction to stumble away from her toward the sink, hands gripping the edge until his knuckles went white, until he was dry heaving into the dirty dishes. Derek watched, confused. “What’s going on?”

Aaron could barely hear him, but he knew what the question would be anyway. He would ask it too, if he’d walked in right then. There was only one thing he could possibly have questions about. “I don’t know,” Aaron gasped around wet, ragged breaths because it was the most honest answer he could muster. He turned away from the sink, pressing one palm flat against his sternum, all the color drained from his features. There was one precarious moment when bright white began creeping in at the edge of his vision and he thought of fucking course, I’m about to pass out. But he didn’t, he remained with them and steeled himself as he looked at Derek. He had to see Derek, he had to look at him. Hiding was only going to make it worse. There was hurt on Derek’s face like he’d never known, hurt that was magnified by the still fresh wounds of New York...but Derek didn’t turn to leave and that had to be something. More than Aaron figured he deserved. “I don’t know.” He repeated himself like it helped anything.

“Derek,” Haley said, finally finding her voice. Clearly Aaron wasn’t going to say a damn thing, he wasn’t going to get them out of this or make it seem okay. Maybe that was fine. She didn’t think she had anything she needed to explain, she had every right to be here in his apartment. She was invited in after all. They were grown adults. “What are you…?”

It dawned on her suddenly, when she took stock of the flowers and the food and the way he was dressed so casually. Not work casual, real casual. Track pants and a t-shirt, shoes he kicked off in the doorway...like this place belonged to him too. Like he wasn’t coming over he was coming home. There was a toothbrush in a cup beside the kitchen sink, and the laundry basket beside the washer had a lot of clothes in it she knew Aaron would never pick out. In fact, what he was wearing now suddenly struck her as odd – a worn brown t shirt and soft navy sweatpants that hung a little too low on his hips, sweatpants that were emblazoned with a Northwestern University logo that was cracked and worn. She’d seen it all when she walked through his place snooping out loud, but she hadn’t really given it much weight. Now it all made sense and she felt like Aaron had the right idea. Maybe he’d move over and let her be sick at the sink too. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

But how could she have known? He didn’t say anything, dammit. He never said anything. He knew all about her post-divorce love life and she didn’t know a damn thing about his.

Derek set the food and flowers down on the kitchen counter, still staring at the two of them. “About what?” he asked, unwilling to do the work for them. He’d be damned if he was going to fill in the fucking blanks, they were going to say it out loud to his face. This was always a fear, something that tickled in the back of his mind, the possibility that this wasn’t over...wouldn’t ever be over. He lived with the possibility, but fuck. Why did it have to come so hot on the tail of Kate Joyner? The universe was really fucking pushing his buttons.

The counter was digging into the small of Aaron’s back but he didn’t trust his legs to try and move so he stayed put. Haley was there, right next to Derek, standing like she was frozen in place.

“I didn’t know,” she said quietly, wiping at her mouth with the back of her hand. The hand that had been in her ex-husband’s pants a minute before, she realizes that part a moment too late and feels the bile in her throat again. “I’m sorry.”

Without another word, because at this point what can she possibly say that won’t just make this worse? She grabbed her purse and rushed out the door. Her shoes were in her hands and she’d worry about that outside when she called a cab to take her away from here, away from this moment of shameful loss of control. She’d already started doubting herself before Derek showed up, as the tequila wore off and the reality began to set in. What a fucking tragic mistake. “I’m never drinking again,” she whispered to herself as she stormed down the hallway.

Derek didn’t bother to watch her leave. He didn’t care. He just stared at Aaron for a long, silent minute. Sixty seconds that felt like a lifetime.

“You gonna tell me what’s going on or do I have to guess? Because my guess is gonna make you look like a real fucking asshole.”

Aaron didn’t want to throw Haley to the wolves, some part of him felt an urge to protect her. She was suffering, she was just looking for connection. Misguided and predatory as it were, he couldn’t fault her for it. Not really.

“She just showed up a couple of minutes ago. Said she missed me…” There were big tears in his eyes now, and Derek could see that he was in real pain. He didn’t even seem upset that Derek walked in on them, that didn’t seem to register as the problem. Derek knew that he hadn’t walked in on anything that he needed to worry about, that much was clear in the way Aaron didn’t try to shy away from him. He wasn’t hiding anything, he was just ashamed at his weakness.

Without a word, Derek poured a mug of coffee and left the apartment knowing Haley can’t have gotten far. He figured he needed to give Aaron a minute to himself, to collect his thoughts, and Derek needed to talk to Haley a lot more than he needed to badger Aaron right then. She was the one who owed him an explanation. He found her sitting on a bench across the street waiting for her cab, slipping her feet wearily back into her ghastly heels. Glancing at the lack of traffic, he jogged across as quickly as he could without spilling the coffee and handed her the mug as he sat down beside her. Preparing himself to have a very awkward conversation with his boyfriend’s ex-wife when all he wanted was a quiet night with calzones and a stupid movie. A reprieve from the insanity, not doubling down on it.

“I’m glad you walked in when you did,” she whispered, her voice ragged and thick with emotion. She swiped at the black mascara tears that streaked down her cheeks. “I don’t know what I was thinking but I’m glad you stopped me before I made a really big mistake.”

“You’re lonely and he’s safe, that’s what you were thinking.” He said it like it was obvious, and it dawned on her that he was right. That was exactly it. The men at the club hitting on her had made her feel old and worn, but more than that they made her feel frightened and vulnerable. Aaron never made her feel that way, and the tequila made her horny and stupid.

She smiled sadly and sipped the hot coffee. “I’m such an idiot.”

He didn’t argue with her, it wasn’t his job to make her feel less like a fool for what she’d decided to do. He was certainly not going to make her feel better about it. What she did was stupid and was cruel, but he could see that she was hurting and what he said was true – Aaron is safe and she clearly needed safe. It was cruel in a sense, deciding that in her loneliness she could play it safe and use him for her immediate needs...Derek wasn’t about to make her feel better about that, but he was going to extend an olive branch. He had to. For Aaron, maybe, or for Jack. For the fucked up little family that he was still trying to be part of.

“I’m willing to forget about this,” he said finally. “As long as it never happens again.”

“Do you love him?” she asked, ignoring his statement. He sighed and considered not answering her at first, but it wouldn’t do any good. Maybe she needed to hear it, to sever whatever tie she had to this back up plan in her mind. Aaron can’t be her safety net, not like this.

“Yeah. I do. Sometimes I really hate him, too, but yeah. I love him and I’d really like this to work out.”

“He’s always had a thing for you,” she said, finishing the coffee. “Did you know that?”

It’s her own attempt at an olive branch, maybe. He didn’t want it but he did take it. “Yeah. It was mutual.”

She smiled as the cab pulled up in front of them, brakes squealing and tires grinding in gravel. There wasn’t anything else for her to say – she wasn’t going to congratulate Derek on landing her ex. She didn’t feel happy about any of it. But she didn’t destroy their relationship with her sad night of desperation and that had to count for at least one pathetic little smile. “Nothing happened,” she said finally. “I mean, I tried to make it happen but...he did try to push me away. He did try to get me to stop.”

Derek nodded, but he had nothing to say to it. It wasn’t like he couldn’t have played the whole thing out in his head, he knew Aaron well enough to write the script verbatim...but that didn’t stop the hurt. It didn’t make him feel better.

“Would you tell Aaron I’m sorry? I don’t think I should talk to him for a while.”

“Yeah. I’ll tell him.”

Derek sat on the bench for a while as the cab drove away, watching the lights fade into the distance. He turned the still warm mug around in his hands and stilled the thunder of his own angry heart. He had a choice to make – he could just get on his bike and leave. Aaron would expect it, he might even already think it had happened. He could shoot him a text saying that he needed some time – wasn’t that what people did? How this sort of thing played out?

But they’d been through hell already and this wasn’t a storm they could deal with better on their own than together, and that thought alone made him stand and walk toward the apartment instead of away. The door was open, waiting for him, and he walked through it just as sure as he did the first time, this time clicking the lock behind him. The lights inside had been dimmed and Aaron was sitting slumped over on the couch, his head cradled in his hands. The place was silent except for the sound of his crying and the gentle steamy hiss of the coffee pot keeping things warm. Haley’s scent had been replaced by coffee and calzones.

“I’m sorry,” Aaron whispered in a voice so soaked with tears that Derek could hardly hear it. He sat down beside Aaron on the couch and folded his hands in his lap. There were only a few inches between them but it felt like a canyon.

“I know. She said she is too, by the way.” He paused, licking his lips, searching for the most diplomatic voice he could muster. One of them had to stay emotionally neutral or things were going to get ugly. Really fucking ugly, and they’ve had too much of that lately. Usually he was up for it...not now. Not like this. “Aaron…” He didn’t know how to ask what he needed to ask. How to make this not seem like breaking up. He knew what Haley said, and he believed it...but he needed to hear it from Aaron. “If I hadn’t shown up, would you have stopped her?”

Aaron stared miserably at the floor, barely breathing. Not blinking. He watched a thick tear plop against the carpet and pool there beside his foot. “I tried.”

“You’re twice her size. You could have walked away pretty damn easily. Would you have?”

Aaron’s shoulders began shuddering and he buried his face in his hands again, fingertips digging into his eyes. He’d already been crying but this was different, it was a panic cry, shame and guilt tearing him up from the inside. Derek squeezed his hands together to keep himself from closing that gap and taking Aaron into his arms. Not yet. Everything in the entire world hinged on Aaron’s answer.

“Would you have stopped her?” he asked again, quieter this time. More serious. Even through the pounding in his head and the screaming in his ears, Aaron heard it loud and clear.

“I don’t know.”

Derek nodded solemnly and stood, walking over to the counter where he’d set his belongings. Slowly, methodically, he pulled out cardboard boxes and began popping the lids open to see whose food was inside. He busied himself with gathering plates and utensils, lovingly putting the flowers in water and arranging them. His favorite vase was on the top shelf and he had reached for it automatically, wondering if Haley would have asked him about love if she knew he brought over flowers often enough to have a favorite vase. It didn’t matter, the thought only served to make him angry when he was working in the opposite direction. He was satisfied with Aaron’s answer – not because he liked it, he hated it. The way it made his stomach grind and ache, made his blood turn to lava flow. He wanted to put a hole in the wall and cry out for mercy, he wanted to shake Aaron and ask if he wasn’t enough, but he wouldn’t. He was satisfied with the answer he hated because it was honest and he can work through anything in the whole miserable fucking world world...except a lie.

They could work through this. Not tonight, there was nothing to be gained by discussing it now. Tomorrow, maybe, when heads were clear and hearts were guarded, when tongues weren't so keen on spitting fire. Tonight was date night, dammit, and he was going to protect the sanctity of that with his last shred of sanity.

“What movie are we watching tonight?”

The question startled Aaron. He dragged his hands slowly down his sticky cheeks and glanced up, half half-expecting to have seen Derek grabbing his food and heading for the door. Instead, he was approaching with steaming calzones on plates and the flowers he brought were on display on the dining room table. A beautiful spray of deep garnet colored tulips. Derek liked to bring him red flowers, bright crimson or deep garnet, he said it made the apartment look less like a cave.

“I’m not sure,” Aaron rasped, unable to contain the surprise in his voice. He rubbed at the stubborn tears clinging to his lashes and accepted his plate from Derek with both hands – he could smell the mushrooms and jalapenos and olives inside. His mouth watered. Derek groaned at his response to the question, as if it were the biggest inconvenience of the entire night.

“Aw come on. You had one job, man.”

Aaron smiled a little shy and that was when Derek realized he was bluffing. Letting out an irritated little huff, he sat down and rested his plate atop his knees.

“I asked Penelope for recommendations. She gave me two. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and Killer Klowns From Outer Space.”

They both sounded equally terrible to Derek, about the last things in the entire world he’d ever choose to watch if it were up to him but he was secretly glad that neither of them sounded emotional or heavy, not romantic or dramatic. Nothing to make him feel anything. Just a goofy good time with a few jump scares thrown in for good measure. They felt safe. They felt like the type of movies that would make Aaron curl into his side and fall asleep, the kind of movies he could lose himself in, the kind of movies he could turn his whole brain off for. They sounded awful but perfect.

“They both sound like big steaming piles of dogshit.”

Aaron nodded in staunch agreement. He’d already harassed Penelope about them, but she assured him they were perfect. “They do. But unless you brought any movies over, these are your options.”

“Don’t look so smug,” Derek spit with a smile, wavering back and forth between bad and worse. Killer tomatoes or killer aliens that looked like clowns. It was bound to be a shit show no matter how he broke it down. “Well,” he said finally, glancing at his calzone oozing hot tomato sauce all over his plate with unease. He knew the movie was going to be lame, wasn’t going to scare him in the least, but the night already had its fair share of discomfort and all he wanted was some distraction. Their dinner made the choice for him. “Bring on the clowns.”

#aaron hotchner #haley hotchner #derek morgan #hotchgan #criminal minds #fanfiction #hotch x morgan #mind the warnings!

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allyourprettywords · 3 months

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"One Train May Hide Another," Kenneth Koch

(sign at a railroad crossing in Kenya)

In a poem, one line may hide another line, As at a crossing, one train may hide another train. That is, if you are waiting to cross The tracks, wait to do it for one moment at Least after the first train is gone. And so when you read Wait until you have read the next line— Then it is safe to go on reading. In a family one sister may conceal another, So, when you are courting, it's best to have them all in view Otherwise in coming to find one you may love another. One father or one brother may hide the man, If you are a woman, whom you have been waiting to love. So always standing in front of something the other As words stand in front of objects, feelings, and ideas. One wish may hide another. And one person's reputation may hide The reputation of another. One dog may conceal another On a lawn, so if you escape the first one you're not necessarily safe; One lilac may hide another and then a lot of lilacs and on the Appia Antica one tomb May hide a number of other tombs. In love, one reproach may hide another, One small complaint may hide a great one. One injustice may hide another—one colonial may hide another, One blaring red uniform another, and another, a whole column. One bath may hide another bath As when, after bathing, one walks out into the rain. One idea may hide another: Life is simple Hide Life is incredibly complex, as in the prose of Gertrude Stein One sentence hides another and is another as well. And in the laboratory One invention may hide another invention, One evening may hide another, one shadow, a nest of shadows. One dark red, or one blue, or one purple—this is a painting By someone after Matisse. One waits at the tracks until they pass, These hidden doubles or, sometimes, likenesses. One identical twin May hide the other. And there may be even more in there! The obstetrician Gazes at the Valley of the Var. We used to live there, my wife and I, but One life hid another life. And now she is gone and I am here. A vivacious mother hides a gawky daughter. The daughter hides Her own vivacious daughter in turn. They are in A railway station and the daughter is holding a bag Bigger than her mother's bag and successfully hides it. In offering to pick up the daughter's bag one finds oneself confronted by the mother's And has to carry that one, too. So one hitchhiker May deliberately hide another and one cup of coffee Another, too, until one is over-excited. One love may hide another love or the same love As when "I love you" suddenly rings false and one discovers The better love lingering behind, as when "I'm full of doubts" Hides "I'm certain about something and it is that" And one dream may hide another as is well known, always, too. In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve may hide the real Adam and Eve. Jerusalem may hide another Jerusalem. When you come to something, stop to let it pass So you can see what else is there. At home, no matter where, Internal tracks pose dangers, too: one memory Certainly hides another, that being what memory is all about, The eternal reverse succession of contemplated entities. Reading A Sentimental Journey look around When you have finished, for Tristram Shandy, to see If it is standing there, it should be, stronger And more profound and theretofore hidden as Santa Maria Maggiore May be hidden by similar churches inside Rome. One sidewalk May hide another, as when you're asleep there, and One song hide another song; a pounding upstairs Hide the beating of drums. One friend may hide another, you sit at the foot of a tree With one and when you get up to leave there is another Whom you'd have preferred to talk to all along. One teacher, One doctor, one ecstasy, one illness, one woman, one man May hide another. Pause to let the first one pass. You think, Now it is safe to cross and you are hit by the next one. It can be important To have waited at least a moment to see what was already there.

#kenneth koch #poem #poetry #looking

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chimeclan-tales · 1 year

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Moon 3 - Newleaf

After the Ambush

After the rogue attack, Beaverspots has a chat with the stranger who saved him. Bluff is now recovering in ChimeClan.

Beaverspots and Brushnibble are unable to patrol for the next moon.

==========================

As Beaverspots’ consciousness stirred, the scent of herbs and cold night air finally hit him. He slowly opened his eyes— well, one good eye. The other was wrapped in cobwebs and poultice.

In the patients’ nests nearby, two other cats were curled up. Brushnibble was asleep, while a gray tabby, the same one who helped fight off the rogues, was staring at the den’s exit.

“Ey, sleepyhead,” The stranger meowed when he realized the warrior was awake. “Feelin’ better?”

“Well,” Beaverspots glanced at his back leg. It was also covered in herbs. “Not dead, thanks to you. What are you doing here?”

“Eh, got badly hurt too.” He raised his front leg. “Yer leader and Wanstreaks got me patched up.”

“You mean Streak - swan.”

“Er, yeah. Streakswan,” He dipped his head in apology. “Sorry, what’s a swan?”

“You don’t know?” Beaverspots tipped his head curiously. “Well, what about ducks? Swans are like them, but white and have long necks. They’re from our old territory.”

“…Have ye got a weird animal name too?”

“They’re not weird,” The warrior sighed. “But my name is Beaverspots.”

The stranger looked at him expectantly.

“…They’re brown, like my pelt, and they eat trees to build dams over rivers.”

“Now, how do I know you aren’t pulling my leg?” The stranger paused, looking at his front paw. “Or what’s left of it anyway.”

“I can’t exactly show you,” He meowed with a tinge of regret.

While he didn’t mind explaining, it was still strange to meet someone who may never even knew an ounce of their old home. Someone who didn’t know of the strange birds, or the soft rocks by the river. Someone who’d never meet his precious clanmates, now gone.

But they’re all still here somehow. He fondly remembered his visit to the Moon Falls. The lecture from his first mentor for being a handful. The pride and love behind the licks his mothers gave. The attempts of his littermates to tackle him (they never got past 4 moons). All those moments… Until the moon could no longer light the crystal.

“Er, right. I forgot to tell ye my name,” The stranger, finally sensing the awkward silence, meowed. “Sorry ‘bout that. It’s Bluff.”

Bluff? Like a lie? Beaverspots tipped his head. So much for saying my name’s weird.

But he’d say that for another time— he had a more important question.

“Well, Bluff,” Beaverspots meowed. “Did you know those cats?”

“The rogues who ambushed ye?” Bluff meowed. “Nay, but I’ve seen ‘em around the area for a while now. I jumped in because...”

“Because?” Beaverspots prompted him.

Bluff paused, then the young tom’s voice grew serious. “Ye remember that whole speech before the skirmish?”

The warrior furrowed his brow as he recalled the exchange. The rogues accused them of taking their territory.

“What about it?”

“Those cats claim territory for fun,” Bluff’s blue eyes narrowed. “They never eat prey, only take trinkets.”

“Now, I’m a wanderer— never had a territory of my own,” He continued. “But to disrespect the cats who need it to survive? Never liked it.”

“So you’ve been following them— wait.” Beaverspots frowned. “How long have you been on our territory!?”

“Er…” Bluff smiled sheepishly. “Like I said, I’m a wanderer. I go wherever, even if ye clan cats have borders. Of course, I try not to take much, unlike those rogues.”

“Still,” The warrior sighed. “If prey wasn’t so plentiful, that’d be a problem.”

“Ey, don’t get yer fur in a tangle. I did save yer life, eh?”

“I guess.”

“Don’t worry,” Bluff dipped his head. “Once my leg works, I’ll be out of yer clan’s fur.”

Beaverspots nodded, and his mind slipped into thinking again. How many trespassing cats have they missed?

Our clan’s still small, so of course we can’t cover ever bit of territory…

He glanced at Bluff. He noted the muscles within his pelt and the scar along his eye.

“So why are you a wanderer? Isn’t it hard?”

“Eh?” Bluff blinked in surprise. “Er, it isn’t too hard. Sure, I’ve got no place to call home but… I like it that way.”

Bluff looked around the den. Crystals dotted the walls, and herbs were neatly stored along stone shelves. Meanwhile, Brushnibble and Streakswan were still fast asleep.

“There’s many things to see in this world. All sorts of cats to meet. Ye see, I’ve been to a cave like this once, but the rocks don’t glow. The fish and worms do. Though I wouldn’t recommend eating ‘em. Taste too funny.”

“But, er, it does get lonely sometimes,” He admitted. “Maybe that’s why I talk too much.”

“Well, I thought that was interesting.” Beaverspots meowed. “We never had any glowing fish in our old home, or found any here.”

“Heh,” Bluff seemed to enjoy the attention.

“Still, I’m surprised you’ve never seen a swan!”

“Ey, give me a break,” Bluff laughed. “Maybe I did, but I don’t bring a tour guide along.”

They stopped as a cat stirred in a nest. It was Brushnibble.

She yawned. At her spot near the den’s exit, the first rays of dawn were starting to show. She looked at them in surprise. “Hold on, have you two even slept?”

“Eh?”

“It’s already morning?”

“Great StarClan.”

“Well, in our defense,” Beaverspots meowed. “I was asleep for most of the day.”

“Aye, me too.”

“No, I found you awake already!”

“Nay. A lie.”

Brushnibble sighed and curled deeper into her nest. In her sleep, her dreams were already filled with their voices. If she had to listen more, she’d go insane!

Previous Moon Event - Sunbathing

Next Moon Event - COMING SOON

#clangen #clan generator #clan gen #art #warrior cats #warriors oc #chimeclan #clan gen oc #my art #beaverspots #brushnibble #bluff

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the-world-is-treating-me-bad · 1 year

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tag nine (9) people you'd like to get to know better

ty for the tag @veidelon! (I know you tagged my main, but I'm gonna do it on this blog)

Last Song: Space Suit by They Might Be Giants. When I just need some background music I'll shuffle my playlist of their entire discography.

Currently Watching: I'm currently re-watching Bee and Puppycat! Also slowly making my way through Santa Clarita Diet with one of my roommates. Just started watching Zoe Bee's video essay Why We Secretly Want the World to End, which I paused a couple minutes in so I could make this post. I'll be going back to it once this is done.

Currently Reading: I am kind of actual total garbage at reading books if I'm being entirely honest? I think the last thing I properly read was Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. It's real good.

Current Obsession: Gardening!!! Nature!!! Outside!!! One of my roommates and I have been spending a lot of time in the front and back yards planting stuff, weeding, and watching life happen! My big achievement currently is that I rescued a baby maple from a crevice next to the path back at the beginning of May, and it's growing so well now! Also like, two days ago my roommate and I rescued a bird's nest that had fallen out of one of the trees in the backyard, and we put it in a nice secure spot back in a tree. Also yesterday discovered a beehive in the front yard which is so cool and great and really shows how pollinator friendly our yard is!!!

I'm gonna be honest I have no clue who has or hasn't been tagged in stuff yet so I'm gonna do some wild guesses, and if you've already been tagged feel free to ignore this all.

@bambi-kinos, @backbenttulips, @pacingo, @eppysboys, @sword-swallower-pin, @dovetailjoints, @hands-across-the-sky, @talking-perfectly-loud, aaaaaand @peaceloveandstarrs!

Okay have fun!!!

#miseryposting #miserymade #I'm sorry if you've already been tagged

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geniequestria · 2 years

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Dr. Fauna arrives on the outskirts of Fluttershy’s cottage for a routine visit she’s scheduled with Fluttershy to help out with her numerous animals she keeps close, as well as the usual friendly chatter between the two animal experts over a delicious cup of Fluttershy’s tea. Though as she looks inside the cottage. She sees no sign of the yellow pegasus anywhere, and even more oddly, not a single one of her animals. Not even a single mouse!

She does come across something she’s never seen before, which is some kind of ornately designed bottle that bore Fluttershy’s cutie mark on it with a butterfly-shaped topper. Though Fauna thinks nothing of it, presuming it simply to be a customized gift from one of her other friends.

After Fauna has assured herself she’s looked through every room in the cottage, she goes back outside.

"Fluttershy?" Calls out the confused doctor. Looking around the outside, much like the interior of Fluttershy's home, it too seemed strangely empty. "Well this is flummoxing… Where in Ponyville is everycreature? It's not like Fluttershy to not be around for a check up… she didn't even leave a note..." It was unusually quiet, no birds chirping, no animals making noise of any kind. It was as if everything was abandoned yet, the area still looked tended to. Nothing seemed out of place with the exception of there being no signs of life anywhere in the cottage's vicinity.

Dr. Fauna looked everywhere in the immediate area, the stream in front yielded nothing, the chicken coop out back was also empty. Even the open fields were barren. All prior nests, burrows and dens were devoid of any animal or Fluttershy. Dr. Fauna gulps nervously. "Could something have happened to her and her animals? No… the house doesn't look damaged. M-maybe they're just having a picnic. I know Fluttershy likes to do that with her animals." She tries to listen out for any sign of Fluttershy or her animals, thinking they may still be in the area

Dr. Fauna double checks plenty of areas from both outside the house and even looks again inside from the cottage’s windows for any sign, calling Fluttershy’s name or some of her beloved pet’s names. Remaining stumped, she keeps a keen eye out for any clues for what may have happened. Now that she’s looking more keenly, she finally finds a very significant lead: Hoofprints, recently made ones too. Dr. Fauna can see a whole line of them heading right into… the Everfree Forest…

"Oh no… why would she be in there?" A bead of sweat drips down the back of Dr. Fauna's neck. The Everfree Forest may not have been as dangerous as it once was but it's still not some place that Dr. Fauna liked to wander. She hesitated, biting her lip "I-I should get help… but if Fluttershy and her animals are in there and are in danger, help may not get there in time… and if an animal is hurt, I do already have the tools here to take care of it…"

Dr. Fauna takes a deep breath, before following the hoofprints into the forest. Despite it being daytime the light dimmed quickly as she went further in. "F-fluttershy? Hello? Please tell me you're there!" She called out shakily. Dr. Fauna was now listening out not only for Fluttershy, but the forest's inhabitants as well. The last thing she needed was to run into a pack of timberwolves or a manticore. She continued to follow the hoofprints before finding herself in the middle of a clearing "How far did she go in? Could she have flown from here?" She looks around the treetops, everything seems to blur together. "Everything looks the same! Calm down Fauna… you can't help if you're the one panicking"

The vet’s teeth chatters in nervousness as she continues looking around, she takes on more look at the trail of footprints. Though they seem to have suddenly stopped just a little ways from a large tree. Dr. Fauna didn’t think that would be too unusual, as Fluttershy is a pegasus. She might have switched to flying at this point in the trek. If that was all that was there, this is what she would have guessed had happened: a pet wandered in and Fluttershy walked in after it, found them, and then carried them back to safety flying back.

But that didn’t answer why no one at all was around in or around the cottage. And there was another detail that leaves Fauna stumped. At or quite near where Fluttershy’s hooves have stopped. Is an abnormally large trail that curves in a neatly stream of s shaped lines on the forest’s ground. They resembled something quite familiar to the veterinarian: Snake tracks. The moment she realized a snake went through here, she felt conflicted as she feared this may have something to do with what happened to Fluttershy, but at the same time she felt… curious. The snake prints are the largest she’s ever seen, the largest anaconda barely left prints half this size. She fears for the fate of her dear friend should she have come across some monster snake that lived in this cursed forest, but at the same time the inner-biologist has her curiosity at its peak. A potentially new species of Snake not yet discovered by Ponykind.

She shakes her head however, she can’t be focused on scientific (or perhaps personal) curiosities now. Especially if her dear friend’s life is in danger. She continues looking, though with some lingering thoughts of imagining how astounding, albeit terrifying, this new snake could be that she can't help but blush about.

Dr. Fauna picks herself up, along with any of the supplies that can still be used. She takes another few deep breaths and thinks about the situation. "Ok... ok… on one hoof, Fluttershy could be in danger… If these are truly snake tracks, I need to be careful. For it to be this big… it's unheard of! And I don't want to be a meal for some monster. But on the other hoof, she could be just fine, maybe she’s taking care of this… massive snake… with all of her animal friends… yeah... " She didn't sound too convinced of her own words but kept trying to be positive

"And if that's the case, I can definitely help, new species or not, I'd be easily able to analyze what's wrong with it. I can analyze a snake like nopony's business... but I don't want to startle her or the snake by rushing in… and the potential of it being a new species too! That's big! Who knows what it looks like, what it's capable of! As a vet, I also couldn't turn away from a potentially hurt creature, no matter what! And it's important for anypony who comes through here to know about it too!"

With this newfound determination, Dr. Fauna presses on, following the massive snake tracks deeper into the forest. This time of course trying to keep her head up so she doesn't trip again. The cool air from the forest almost sounds like hissing echoing around her. "It's just the wind, it's just the wind… I'm doing this for Fluttershy… she's going to be fine, we're going to discover it's some new snake species. A-and it'll be just friendly, I'm s-sure of it."

The hissing sounds continue to haunt the veterinarian, though as Dr. Fauna’s words trail off from her last sentence… there’s the subtle hint of what sounds like giggling that could be heard. The sound catching the veterinarian by surprise, who could be laughing out in the middle of the Everfree Forest? There was even some feeling that the giggling she heard sounded a little… familiar.

Dr. Fauna shakes her head once more before taking a few more steps. She gasps as something catches her eye, from a distance it looked like a strangely colored branch that fell onto the floor. But as the good doctor walked up and looked closely, she could see scales. Her face goes pale, and primitive instincts kicked in as she hopped off to the side. This must be the very tail end of the snake Fluttershy may have found.

All Fauna needs to do now is follow the long trail of the snake itself (From a safe distance, that is!), until she can see its head, and hopefully Fluttershy tending to it… and not in the snake’s stomach…

A small gasp escapes Dr. Fauna as she spots what looks like the snake's tail. It's even bigger than she thought but the giggling she thought she heard was a good sign. "Fluttershy? Could that be her?" From this vantage point, she can't tell how far away the head is. "Take it slow, Fauna… this snake doesn't seem to have noticed you" She thinks to herself as she follows the sounds of the giggling. The snake itself doesn't seem to be moving so she can at least study from a distance. "If Fluttershy really is trying to help this snake, it's no wonder that she'd need all her animals to do it! There doesn't seem to be any injuries on its scales either… maybe further up?"

Unbeknownst to the veterinarian, as she followed the trail of this very long snake. The “snake” was curling the end of its tail, the tail gradually pursuing and encircling the approaching pony, but done slowly enough as not to raise any red flags. More hisses and giggles are heard, they get increasingly louder as Fauna follows the tail’s entire length.

Dr. Fauna hopes that her rustling isn't too loud to alert the massive creature. If she were spotted, there wouldn't be much to keep her hidden. The yellow fur and powder blue mane stick out like a sore thumb within the everfree. As she makes her way through the brush, she accidentally steps on a branch that lets out a loud 'CRUNCH' underneath her hooves. Dr. Fauna freezes at the sound "Oh… dear..."

Once the vet had carelessly stepped on a branch, time seemed to speed up. As suddenly the tail that was following the pony LUNGES forward, Fauna barely has time to react before she’s forcefully grabbed, the long tail quickly coiling around her, the muscles too much for Fauna to struggle free from. The poor veterinarian seems to have stepped right into the predator’s trap…

"AHHH!!!" Dr. Fauna's scream echoes through the forest, any attempts to squirm out of this snake's grip are met with tighter constrictions. All of her belongings fall to the ground as she's picked up. "I DON'T WANNA BE SNAKE FOOD!!" She starts to hyperventilate within the grasp of the tail. While Dr. Fauna has dealt with many snakes in her life, none of them were ever big enough to do this to her. She thinks to what she knows about constrictors "Tensing up will only make it worse.... I… have to… urk… relax… I need to help Fluttershy! But… some help I turned out to be… I knew I should've gotten somepony to assist. If only I could get out of this..."

The giggling reaches its full volume as Dr. Fauna suddenly hears an all too familiar voice, if perhaps under some strange kind of filter. “Yesssssss, that’sssss right… jusssssssst relax yoursssssself~”. The front of the snake remains hidden, but the voice bewilders the veterinarian. Did the snake just TALK?! And if so… why did it suspiciously sound so much… so much like…

"The… the giggling must be just some kind of predatory bait… lure a pony in with something… hrk... that sounds like laughter and..." The sudden voice took Dr. Fauna off guard completely."W-what the?! It… you can talk?! And you… you sound so much like… like… Fluttershy?"

After saying it out loud, it sounded ridiculous, that couldn't be the case could it? Why would a snake have Fluttershy's voice? Animals can do many things in the everfree forest, but a talking one is a wholly new discovery. It would be fascinating if she weren't trapped in its coils. "Wh-why do you want me to relax? So it makes me easier to eat, is that it!? You used my friend's voice to lure me in? Eat me like you did her and her sweet animal friends?!" This too sounded ridiculous, but of course Dr. Fauna wasn't quite sure if this was actually happening, or if she was hallucinating at this point

More giggling is heard, before the front end of the snake finally shows itself before the vet. Only it’s not anything the veterinarian was expecting.

She gasped as she saw Fluttershy was right there, her eyes looked a little different, and she noticed what seemed to be fangs in her mouth. Those of a different kind from the fangs she had as a bat pony. Nonetheless, Dr. Fauna was less frightened and a lot more relieved that her dear friend was ok after all. Even if a few things didn’t seem quite right to her still…

“Sssssso glad you could make it here, Doctor~” Fluttershy tilting her head slightly with a gentle smile. “Do not worry, no harm will come to you. I’d never do that to a pony that lovesssss animalsssss as much as I~”

Fluttershy’s gentle voice does sooth some of Fauna’s remaining worries, but something still bothered her. Did Fluttershy say I, as if… she’s the snake?! That couldn’t be, could it? And that’s when Dr. Fauna looks at where should have been hindlegs and a pony tail… but definitely wasn’t.

"Fluttershy?" Dr. Fauna blinks a few times in disbelief, she needed to be sure she was actually seeing who was in front of her "It is you! Oh thank Celestia you weren't made into snake food. But..." She takes a good look at Fluttershy, the top half looks normal, save for the slit like irises and fangs. Not to mention a rather peculiar set of jewelry and transparent clothing on her face and forehooves, but the fact that Fluttershy's lower half doesn't end in hindlegs, rather an incredibly large, elongated body instead, still fills her with concern. She does find it hard to look away from Fluttershy's piercing eyes, but her fear allows her to, for the moment.

"What happened to you, Fluttershy? And to your animals! Your home was completely barren! As if there were never any animals there in the first place! I thought you went missing or somepony had kidnapped you. I tried to rescue you but then I got pulled up by… a giant snake, or… you? And now you're here and you're looking like this and sounding like… like a snake..." It's at this point that things start to click, the 'snake' was Fluttershy! But if that's the case, why play such a prank on the poor doctor? She never knew Fluttershy to be a prankster, she was quite the opposite! All these questions running through her head, it was making her dizzy "Why did you… do all this?"

Fluttershy giggles a little more before booping the vet's snoot "Every sssssingle one of my beloved animalsssss are sssssafe and sssssound back at home. In a little while, I can ssssshow you where they all went. But for now, I sssssset up all thisssss for ssssome quality time together. I won't bore you with all the detailsssss, for it'sssss a ssssssstory that'ssss longer than my tail currently isssss, hehe. But I will at leasssssst tell you that I have gone through sssssome... changessssss recently. And I thought it'd be a fun way of ssssshowing you jussssst one of near infinite thingssss I can do now~"

While Dr. Fauna is relieved to hear that the animals are all safe, their location doesn't make any sense to her. "At your home? But… there wasn't any sign of them? This whole situation is beyond flummoxing, Fluttershy! To say these are just 'some' changes is an understatement!" She gestures to Fluttershy's massive body as she says this, noticeably finding it even harder to look away from her eyes now. It was as if she were using her stare but that only worked on animals… right?"

"W-what exactly do you mean by it being one of the… near infinite things? You… you're not sounding like your usual self, Fluttershy."There was a heavy amount of concern in her voice, this was Fluttershy... but the speech patterns, the new form, the more dominant tone, it was still making Dr. Fauna unsure of the whole situation*

"Oh!" Fluttershy puts a hoof on her cheek while giggling again "Did I not quite ssssspecify? Ssssssilly me! They're in a... home within a home ssssshall we sssssay~. It'll be eassssy to explain once we're back in the cottage. For now however..." Fluttershy intensifies her stare, using her long tail to make sure Dr. Fauna can't even turn her head away.

"It'ssss time for me to grant you one of your longessssst held desssssiresssssss~. In all our yearsssss of friendsssssship, I’ve picked up on what particularly interesssssstssss you about different animalssss. Though when I assssked you in our firssssst year as friendsssss, if you had a favorite animal. You anssssswered that it wassss the sssssnake. Though you never ssssspecified why that wasssss.

That alwaysssss felt ssssstrange to me, whenever I assssssked ssssssomepony’s favorite animal. They’d explain why, even if it’ssss as ssssimple as ‘They’re sssssso cute!’. But you yourssssself never elaborated…

Nonethelesssssss, I have noticed you alwayssss ssssseem to sssssee the reptilessss firsssst as if there wasssss a particular reasssson for it. Either you musssst jusssst really like my ssssnake Antoine, or… you weren’t sssssure if I would find your reassssson for liking sssssnakes ssssso much as too weird or even embarassssssing…

In other wordsssss… you have a thing for sssssnakes… don’t you?~” Fluttershy smirked with a toothy grin.

"Wh-wh-whaaaat!?" Dr. Fauna blurts out. Her face turns a deep shade of pink as Fluttershy accurately points out what she was into. She wanted to refuse, make some kind of excuse to explain her fascination "It's um… it's just that… I… I uh..." Nothing could come to mind however, it's as if her mouth became dry as she tried to force out a lie. The stare Fluttershy was giving felt as if it compelled her to tell the truth. It was almost terrifying, but she couldn't deny that some part of her liked it. The grip of the snake tail, the piercing gaze, Fluttershy called her out and she was right. Dr. Fauna gulps nervously "...s-so ...so maybe I am ...uh, into snakes… they're just… so alluring, you know?"

"I thought ssssso~. I'm aware of all kindssss of reassssons one would find interessssst in animalsssss. And for thossssse who have a particular fassssscination with ssssssnakes, they have a sssssurprisssssing variety of reassssonsssss for their interesssst.

Maybe they'd like to know how losssssing their limbssss came about in their evolution, maybe the tight embrace of their coilsssss ssssounds more inviting rather than ssssscary, maybe it'sssss the eyesssss that feel like they can sssstare you down to your very sssssoul and make you do their bidding, or maybe it'ssss the feeling of the longer they are... the more of them there isssss to love...

Or maybe it'ssss all of the above and plenty more~. I perfectly underssssstand how one could find sssssnakes fasssssscinating in multiple wayssss. And you sssshouldn't be ssssshy about what you love, which isssss why I chossssse to make all your dreamsssss come true... and sssssoon, you'll forever be able to continue indulging in your wildessssst dreamssss yourssssself~

Now... why don't you let yourssssself relax in my coilsssss and tell me the most ideal ssssssnake encounter you've ever dreamed about, and I'll do everything in my power to fulfill your desssssiresssss~" Fluttershy smugly smiles, waiting for Fauna to tell her everything she'd be comfortable with being done to her by a giant snake

Dr. Fauna can feel a tighter squeeze from Fluttershy when she emphasizes her points. She can't help but let out a small pleased gasp when it happens. If she could cover her face up, she would but Fluttershy's tight coils have her locked in place. She felt as if she were lost in a fog, Fluttershy's eyes being the only 'lights' to guide her. Everything felt hot, her breathing became heavier, never did she think Fluttershy would be the one to make her feel this way. She'd known her for so long, and yet has never seen this... dominance from Fluttershy before. Dr. Fauna did start to relax as Fluttershy asked, though it felt more like a command. The coils around her feel less like a heavy pressure and more like a tight blanket.

"You… want to make my dreams come true? What do you mean by that? It's not like... I want you to squeeze me a little tighter or pull me in closer just within range of your fangs or ....eeep! Did I say that out loud?" She can no longer pull herself away, even if she tried "I… I've never seen this side of you, Fluttershy… but you're right! My fascination and admiration isn't wrong! I just… I wish others could see it that way..."

She sort of grants her latter desire by baring her teeth within her after a quick lunge but doesn't open up her mouth too large. She knows Fauna has interest in snakes, but assumes making it seem like she's going to eat her, given what she said earlier... may be a step too far even for Fauna's interest. She does certainly at least give a few more tight squeezes, though she's careful not to make it so it hurts. Her ears do perk up at the wish, and knows she could use it. Though she's thought of a little bit more of a fun way to perform it.

"Don't you worry, when I'm done with you. Other poniesssss will sssssee how your perssssonal dessssires are an important part of who you are... though pardon me if I'm going on a ssssslight tangent... how do you feel about... hypnosssssissssss by chance?~"

Fluttershy readies her eyes as if to intensely stare further, though makes sure she hears the doctor's consent first before going all in.

"Yaaah~!!" Dr. Fauna screams at the tighter squeeze and sudden lunge from Fluttershy, but it doesn't sound like one of fear, more like a scream you'd hear at a concert. Her heartbeat quickened, the excitement she felt was unlike anything she'd experienced before. And the talk about others understanding the importance of personal desires, it was all sounding too good to be true!

She tensed up at the mention of hypnosis, biting her lip. "I um… I'm into the idea of it. It does kind of go along in a similar vein to my f-fascination for snakes. But..." she stares deep into Fluttershy's eyes, feeling she may have an idea of what's coming next. "What exactly did you have in mind?" She asked in a more excited tone, anticipating any other surprises Fluttershy had up her sleeves

“Gooooood, then no time like the presssssent~” Fluttershy’s eyes stare more intensely than before, and spirals begin to fill in the white of her eyes.

“Now, my dear friend… I’m going to loossssen up my coilsssss a little bit jussssst enough to allow you to move yoursssself… but what I want you to do… issss to dance as ssssoon as you hear the musssssic, I want you to rhythmically sssssway sssside to sssside as you hear the insssstrument'ssss ssssong, jusssst as a ssssnake would…” Fluttershy then poofs up a pungi flute from thin air and places it in her hooves, she then poofs up a well-woven basket of sorts that stands just below where Dr. Fauna is being lifted from by her snake tail.

Fluttershy starts playing the flute, and an exotic tune begins to flow through the veterinarian’s ears.

"Right now? But how are you... you… ooooh." Before Dr. Fauna can even finish her thought, she's completely enraptured by Fluttershy's hypnotic gaze. A dopey smile comes across her face as she sways from side to side. Similar spirals appear in her own eyes, her world is nothing more than a swirl of colors, with Fluttershy's piercing gaze being the focal point in the center. Fluttershy's words echo in Fauna's head and she slowly nods. "Sure... whatever you say...."

As soon as the music reaches her ears, she can't help but dance just as Fluttershy had asked. She dances as best as she can considering she's still somewhat coiled up, not even noticing the woven basket that Fluttershy had pulled out of nowhere. She was lost within the music, her hips swaying from side to side, but she never broke eye contact with Fluttershy. "I… I didn't know you could play that so well. It's so soooooothing...."

Fluttershy while still playing with the flute silently uses magic to lift the top off the basket, soon Fauna’s pony tail begins to wave, to Fauna it seemed like it was dancing on its own accord as it stretched closer and closer to the basket.

While still dancing, the vet feels a strange sensation as her hindlegs start to stretch as well, spiraling around each other until they start to feel like they’ve merged into one. With whatever remaining full consciousness she had in her brain under Fluttershy’s hypnotism. She half-wondered if she was being transformed into a snake form similar to Fluttershy’s own. Though her merged limbs were much less solid than a snake tail, as she felt more and more weightless.

At first, Fauna couldn't tell whether she was moving her tail or if it had been moving on its own. As her lower half begins to stretch and merge into one, she continues to sway and dance, not realizing that her elongated form had a destination, the basket. "This… this is so… wonderful...I feel so light... Is this what being a snake is like?" The stretching sensation sends a tingle through her as she's pulled closer and closer to the basket. Once it finally starts to connect, she's given a moment of clarity. She notices the basket that her body was drifting towards. "What is that fo.... ooooooor~" A loud gasp escapes her, the tingling sensation surges through her body.

Much more powerful than it was when it was simply stretching out. Her thoughts still lost within that fog, she can barely form a sentence as she's pulled in. "...more …I want more..." Her hind hooves, and tail were fully in the basket, her upper half having slipped from Fluttershy's coils. But she had no desire to try to break away from what was happening to her. Even if she wasn't in a trance, it felt too good to stop now.

With Fauna free from her coils, Fluttershy lays the parts of her tail that were holding on to Fauna back down on the ground. Smiling as she watched Fauna gradually get shaped down so that all of her would go into the basket before continuing on with her flute playing. She take a brief moment to lift the vet's uniform from her torso and lays it softly on a nearby tree branch.

The feelings that the veterinarian mare was feeling getting all the more intense as more of her is pulled into the basket. Her hooves were on her side the whole time during her dance, as to truly dance like a snake, you have to get as close as you can to having no limbs. her forelegs have thus stretched alongside her body. Soon all that’s above the basket, is her chest, her shoulders, and her head. Hearts fill her eyes, as the sheer pleasure gets closer to its crescendo…

"Ah.... this… this feels so wonderful… it's… it's..." The intense sensations build up even more as the last parts of her are sucked in, any hesitation she had, any concerns, they were long gone by now. She happily swayed much like a snake would, she even playfully stuck her tongue out and gave a little hiss. Once her shoulders had been taken in, the final burst of energy swelled into her and she let out a moan that echoed through the Everfree Forest "OOOOH IT'S SSSSSSSS AMAZING~!"

This was the last thing she had said right as her head had sunken down into the basket along with a loud 'SCHOOOOOMP'! The cover of the basket had gently floated on top, sealing Dr. Fauna within.

“Now wasssssn’t that ssssspecial~. I hope you were watching the ssssstream Ssssstarlight…” Fluttershy looks to a hidden camera placed in the trees where she had been live streaming this genification to Starlight via DisChaos.

Starlight’s is far away from where Fluttershy is and currently inside her lamp. But she got to watch every detail of what Fluttershy did. She's got a blush and a tiny bit of a nosebleed as she watched that unfold, safe to say she was at the very least… impressed.

(“I’ll have to remember this the next time I spend a night with Trixie…”) She thought to herself, though other thoughts came to her mind. On how despite luring Dr. Fauna to a trap and using hypnosis, Fluttershy made sure her “victim” was comfortable, and consented to what she was doing. And knowing full well that Fauna had a secret thing for snakes even before all this. Fluttershy masterfully using her kindness to the best of her ability to perform this genification to perfection.

It for a brief moment gives Starlight some pause, wondering if she should be more considerate of the next pony she transforms. Though she knows for most ponies she can’t easily tell what secret fantasies and/or desires they have she could take advantage of. If everypony is to be genified there are unfortunately going to be instances where she’s not taking into account their feelings on the matter, nor what they are open to. But she does concede that if she knew every pony’s little secret as Fluttershy knew Fauna’s. This would be a heck of a lot easier.

She shrugs it off for now, as mentioned in their personal talk with eachother. She doesn’t feel it’s necessary to take the time to find out each and every single pony’s individual likes. Though Starlight certainly can’t deny that what Fluttershy did for Dr. Fauna wasn’t real special because of it. Starlight can’t expect to ever know a pony like Fluttershy knew her friend though, so there’s not much she feels can be done about it.

Back in the forest, Fluttershy stops her camera’s stream. “Thisssss will be a fun one to ssssshow to Rarity too~”. Saving the recording for when Rarity can see it in private the next time they talk on Discord’s magical program.

Fluttershy then magically envelops her entire long self as well as the basket currently containing Dr. Fauna, and teleports them all back inside her cottage. She sets the basket vessel on the living room table, and lifts open the top. Releasing her now fellow animal-loving genie back out, for a glorious re-entrance.

Dr. Fauna had no idea she had been recorded, her thoughts while within the basket were focused on the bliss she felt. On the outside, the basket displayed her cutie mark, what was once a dog, cat, and bird have shifted to what she embraced inside, a snake coming out of a vessel. The power now surging through her made things clear in her mind. She no longer felt shackled by her fears, instead now feeling more free than ever before.

Once Fluttershy had opened up the lid, she came out in a similar way that she had entered, by dancing. She even had her own musical accompaniment, sounding similar to Fluttershy's flute playing earlier. Like all the other genies that have gone through the transformation, she was adorned with a veil in a similar shade of blue to her mane and jewelry.

"Aaaaaah~! I feel like I've just woken up from the best dream of my whole life! It'sssssss magical!" She giggled, still feeling like a playful snake rather than a genie.

Fluttershy lifts herself and reaches level with her snake body so that she’s even leveled with the floating veterinarian “Welcome back, Doctor~. Now that you’ve been transssssformed, I’m sssssure you musssst be curioussss what I’ve done to you. I recall that you asssked if feeling much lighter issss how it’s like to be a sssssnake, but it’ssss not. Naturally, a long ssssnake tail actually sssshould make you feel heavier, albeit alssssso sssstronger with all that mussssscle. Perhapssss you ssssimply thought it wassss decorative accesssssssoriessss to my ssssnake form, but the veil on our facessss, the vessssssel you entered, and the bracerssss on our forehoovessss meanssss sssso much more…

You now have the power to do anything, BE anything, and both ssssshow or sssshare your greatesssst dessssiresss while fulfilling othersss. You are now a wisssssh-granting genie jusssst like me. When you wisssshed that othersssss could sssssee your interesssstsssss as I do, I interpreted it in ssssuch a way that you’d gain the confidence to sssshare your dreamssss with no fear of anypony’ssss judgement, as my genification hasssss cleared all of my own insssssecuritiessss and fearsssss. I’m very much aware you were ssssurprisssssed at how drasssstically I’ve changed ssssince your lassssst visit, but I promisssssse you that it’sssss a change that I love… as you must underssssstand yourssssself now…”

Dr. Fauna tilted her head and looked at her new accessories as Fluttershy explained what she'd done to her "So… this isn't just some costume change? I'm a… genie?" She looked shocked yet at the same time part of her already had an idea that she had changed. "Does this mean I could become a snake pony… like you?"

There were many more questions that popped into her mind but they didn't seem as important or stressful. This did however give some explanation to why Fluttershy was acting the way she was, and why now she felt much more free to express her desires. "I think I get it, and you're right! I… I feel free… more free than I've ever been! I've been flummoxed by a lot of things, but this is something I'm sure of!" She looks back with a smile "And it wouldn't have been possible without you! Though you really did give me a scare, Fluttershy! I feared the worst had happened to you, and your animals! Oh! That's right, your animals! The reason I came in the first place was to give them their checkup! Where exactly are they?"

Fluttershy pointed a fore hoof towards the bottle that Fauna had presumed was just an ordinary custom gift for her “They’re all in here… jusssst as you have your basssssket. I too, have my own genie vesssssssel. Inssssside, I’ve created the animal sssssanctuary of my dreamssss… I’m sssssure you’re aware that having one wassss alwayssss my greatesssssst wisssssh. And we will go in together to sssssssee it sssssoon...

But firsssst, let’sssss take care of one of your other questionsssss… I knew that among many of your fantassssssiessssss about ssssnakes, BEING the ssssnake must certainly be one that issss on the top of your lissssst. As I wassss being transssssformed into a genie, one of the many thoughtssss in my head was the sssssshapesssssshifting I could perform to become any animal or part of nature I wanted to be at will. I’m ssssure you’ll have your own fun with thissss power, trying all sssssorts of animal formssss, but of courssssse you will have your favoritessss. So yessss, you can now transssssform into a ssssnake pony any time you desssssire it…

If you want to experience the full sssssize tail, you’ll have to come back down and briefly gain all four hoovessss’ again. Don’t worry. It’s actually quite easy to become a full pony again. Jussssst tug at your sssssmoky tail a bit and disssssconnect it from your bassssket, then float yoursssself down and envissssion your genie tail reforming into your hindlegssss and pony tail once more…"

Fauna's eyes sparkled "You're telling me that you've made your animal sanctuary!? Oh Fluttershy, that's wonderful!" She takes a look at the bottle and scratches her head "Forgive me though, it's all in there? Huh I guess even with being a genie now, magic still flummoxes me." She said with a giggle. Fauna was taking this change rather well, she was concerned on how to harness this power but the promise of what she could do took priority in her mind.

"Ok… so just tug and… focus.... nngh" It takes her a moment to picture reforming her legs like Fluttershy had told her. It did work! ...however she also face planted right out of her basket upon breaking free. "Ahahah… I'm alright! Ooh… this takes some getting used to." She says as she picks herself up, she can now see that her cutie mark changed along with her hindlegs having the same veiled attire as her face and forelegs "Woah! What happened to my cutie mark? It's… it's a snake now...?"

Fluttershy nods “Mmhmm, don’t worry. That’sssss completely normal, if you take a closssser look at my bottle, my cutie mark is now sssslightly different than it ussssed to be too. Insssstead of it jusssst being the 3 butterfliessss. The butterfliessss are either being brought into or emerging out of a vesssssssel. It sssstill generally means the ssssame thing as your old mark, but there’ssss a nice genie twisssssst involved now.

And now that you’re in full form again, you may now try to change yoursssself. Just as you focussssed to get yoursssself dissssconnected from your bassssket, now you need to envissssion your back half merging together, lengthening, sssstrengthening your lower half with all new musclessss allowing you to ssssslither acrosssss the ground, and however many other featuressss you want to have. Do you want to have the exact ssssame featuressss I do? Or do you want to go a little different, like a rattle at the end of your tail, maybe you’d like a cobra hood, not to mention the patternssss you could go with. The choice issss completely yourssss, if you’ve ever deeply thought of what you’d look like if you were a ssssnake. You can bring to life every. little. detail~.”

"I suppose that makes sense. My cutie mark is still animal themed, I guess it's just now matching which animal I love the most." She says with a soft smile. "It's still going to take some getting used to though! Same with going in and out of the basket… I hope it feels as good as it did the first time"

Listening to all of these options for potential snake parts almost makes Fauna's head spin. A whole new world had just opened up to her. It was a bit terrifying, yet exciting all at the same time. She takes a deep breath and concentrates "Ok… ok give me a moment to think '' Her body begins to levitate and stretch, she thinks hard about the snake anatomy that she's most fond of. Her body continues to grow until it matches Fluttershy's in length and size. Her tail takes on a striped appearance, a mix of dark and light versions of her fur. A cobra-like hood flaps out from the side of her head, taking on the same brown color as her eyes with an orange pattern on the hood. She lets out a sigh as the transformation finishes, her teeth now sporting long fangs and when her eyes opened, the irises were more like thin slits. She looked down and marveled at herself

"I… I did it. I look… ssssssspectacular! Thisssss sssssserpentine body thesssssse fangsssss! Oh Fluttersssssshy! Thissssss isssss incredible! Pleassssse tell me thisssss issssn't a dream!"

Fluttershy giggles “Well, you can bite yourssssself to make ssssure if you want~. Though you sssshouldn’t need to.”

Fluttershy then approaches to hug Fauna with her forehooves, both as a friendly act, and to prepare them for her next act. “Are you ready to ssssee the ssssanctuary, Dr. Faunbra?~” Fluttershy chuckles and smiles a bit after mentioning something of an affectionate nickname for the doctor’s new form.

Dr. Fauna was indeed going to give herself a test bite to confirm what was happening was real before Fluttershy stopped her. Seems she's taken on a bit of a more silly persona after having transformed. "Ahahaha, you got me..." She's surprised by the sudden new nickname, but she gives a smile. "Dr. Faunbra… huh… I like it!" She returns the hug "I'm more than ready Flutterssssssnake~!"

Fluttershy makes sure her entire tail is coiled around Fauna’s own, for the both of them it was like they were being comfortably hugged tight in multiple areas of their body at once “Then let’sssss goooooooo!” Fluttershy gently bends herself and Dr. Fauna backwards while spinning them around as the butterfly shaped topper lifts off her vessel and both her and Dr. Fauna go in head first.

Their pony halves quickly are brought into the vessel only leaving the swirling snake tails. Despite there being so much mass between the two tails, the bottle has no problem absorbing the two together. For the vessel, they were just two big noodles being slurped up together. The length at least promised it took a little longer than the average entrance into a vessel, but gradually the tails are brought ever so slowly in.

Some muffled murmurs of moans from the two mares could be heard as their tails were sucked in. It’s not long before the two intertwined tails are vertically above the bottle as they swirl together like a candy mixer from Sugarcube Corner into the vessel until even the very tips of their tails are brought in. With the topper of the vessel sealing in the two snake pony genies together...

Fauna's head was spinning as she entered the bottle. It felt even BETTER going in with somepony else! When she finally opened her eyes, what met them was a vast landscape, filled with perfect environments for each of Fluttershy's animals. It was unlike anything Fauna had seen in the natural world. She wasn't even sure how far it expanded but it was already clear that the bottle's interior was not limited to the size on the outside "Incredible… abssssolutely incredible! All of your animalssssss are here ssssafe and ssssssound! And their homessssss are perfectly attuned to their needsssssss!" She marveled at the beautiful sanctuary Fluttershy had created, there were pristine waterfalls, open air, a light source similar to natural sunlight. It was a perfect oasis in Dr. Fauna's eyes, it nearly brought her to tears. "They all look ssssso happy and healthy. But they're not geniesssss too right? How did they get in?"

Fluttershy shakes her head “Our vesssssels are fully capable of bringing in other living beingssss without genifying them. It doessss require a bit of a different method then us geniessss, but it workssss just fine. I ssssimply sssshrunk them until they could be gently placed into the vessssssel. Only ssssmaller animals such as insssectsss, mice, and ssssome amphibianssss don’t necessssssarily need to be sssshrunken to fit in. If you ever want to invite another pony into your vessssssel though, I recommend genifying them beforehand”

As Fluttershy and Fauna look over at the sanctuary together, a green snake slithers towards the two ponies. It’s none other than Fluttershy’s pet snake Antoine, who rubs a little against the end of Fauna’s tail before slithering up the vet’s long tail. It tickles the veterinarian as he travels across her extended body, he coils his tail around Fauna’s chest, until he comes at a rest on Fauna’s shoulders. Antoine flicked his tail affectionately for the doctor.

Fluttershy giggles “It sssseemssss Antoine has found hissss queen!”

"Oooh good to know it's ssssssafe. I wouldn't want to caussssse undue ssssstressss. I could make my vesssssel into a second office! Or....a paradisssse for my ssssssnake form~" Fauna chuckles.

She gives a smile to Antoine and affectionately nuzzles him "Sssssso good to sssssee you healthy, Antoine! Resssst as much as you like there." Something Fluttershy says about turning ponies into genies resonates with her. "I… I can change otherssssss like you changed me?" She thinks on it for a moment. The question of "Why do I need to change them?" pops into her head, yet at the same time, she feels an urge to spread the feeling she got to others, negating that question "Yessss, yessss! Why ssssshould we be the only onesssss to enjoy thisssss?"

“Now that’s the sssspirit! You musssst be eager to be the one on the other sssside from our fun earlier. Sssshow off your ssssnake form for everypony to ssssee, and those who are as into ssssnakes as you are will be sssssure to follow~. Though if you do need a little persssssuassssion from time to time…” Fluttershy’s eyes briefly turn into spirals again though only visually. “You can alwaysssss do thisssss~”

"Of coursssssse! I've got a few friendsssss who I know that would love thissssss just as much as we do~!" She gives a wide grin. Fauna looks deep into Fluttershy's gaze, unlike before though, she's not in a trance. Rather, she is more confident than ever, her own eyes swirling in a way similar to Fluttershy's "Heheheh yesssss, nothing wrong with a little persssssuasssion~! I'm ssssssure you'll love the resssssultsssss!" She leans in to give Fluttershy another hug

"But before all that, I sssssstill need to check up on your animalsssssss and explore more of your beautiful ssssssanctuary!"

Fluttershy returns the hug from her fellow snake pony, her fellow animal lover, and now her fellow genie. As they slither their tails together, exploring her brand new sanctuary. It was everything that both Fluttershy and Dr. Fauna had ever dreamed about, and so much more…

#Geniequestria #side stories #fluttershy #dr. fauna #doctor fauna #genie #genification #Dr. Fauna's Genification #lamia #transformation #bottle #basket #hypnosis #coils #snake #my little pony friendship is magic #my little pony #starlight glimmer

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seemslegitflapjacks · 2 years

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Cold Blooded Murder.

This is just a short story. I’m currently deciding wether or not I actually like this concept enough to give it a follow up. Hope you guys enjoy it regardless!

Also for reference I changed the setting to Northern California where in borders Oregon.

Also this is not proofread I’ll probably get around to doing that in the future but right now I’m just getting over the flu lmao.

WARNING! This work contains depictions of murder, descriptions of death, and other disturbing things. This may not be the work for you. Watch yourself, I’m not your babysitter.

Jeff coughed, wailing as he laid one the cold ground. His face felt numb and swollen, he couldn’t breathe through his nose. The snow rapidly fell on his dying body as the night stretched on. He wasn’t sure how far off from the house he was. He rolled, listening closely to make sure they’d gone. He was terrified, maybe they’d come back to try and bury him. He regretted trying to play hero and stomping outside to try and protect his home. Thanks to his idiotic bravery he was dying.

Earlier that night he’d been tucked in the safety of his family’s home. It was December and Christmas had passed by then. His parents and brother were out until the following morning due to some party at an aunt’s home that Jeff had no interest in attending. He wasn’t a Christmas person, and had quite enough of turkey thanks to the surplus left after both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.

It was nice having the house to himself for once. Especially on a peaceful winter night. The ambient noise of the fireplace and the gentle snowfall outside set that comfy cozy winter atmosphere. Jeff was by no means a winter person, he actually hated the cold. But if it meant he could have the whole house to himself for the night he was perfectly fine with it.

The blonde lounged on the couch accompanied by the family cat, who nested himself into a little sour-dough looking ball on his stomach. He had the TV playing, but wasn’t necessarily watching it since the snow caused the signal to wig out. Jeff was more so thinking on the events that had occurred the month prior on thanksgiving break with someone who he used to consider a buddy of his, a best friend even.

Randy Warren. That douche left a bad taste in his mouth after a little stunt he pulled at a tailgate party Jeff had hosted. The ginger had walked up all confident looking for a fight with Jeff for no reason. Jeff had remembered Randy having the balls to shove him into the side of his brand new Silverado to provoke him. The blonde’s instinct led him to breaking a beer bottle and threatening the crooked faced frat boy to get the fuck out of his tailgate before he turned his eyes into a bloody kaleidoscope. Thankfully that gad been enough to send Randy back to wherever he came from.

Now thinking about it, Jeff had no clue how he didn’t just resort to violence first thing. He figured it was the amount of beers he’d had beforehand, he was always said to be a very calm drunk. That also surprised him, Jeff had managed to chase Randy off with a broken beer bottle of all things, not even a good weapon. Part of him wanted to take pride in it, but the other was also disappointed in that stunt. On the bright side, police never came to question, so at least nobody snitched or was too drunk to remember.

Everything seemed fine, until he heard a loud thunk from the front door.

Jeff sat up, whipping his head around to the noise he heard. Then it happened again. It sounded like some dick was throwing rocks at his front door.

Well that jerk had another thing coming to him, and that was a metal bat.

The blonde stood up, marching to his room where he snatched the weapon, storming outside. All he could see was pitch black, the porch lights only allowing him to see maybe fifteen or so feet from where he was at the door.

“Who the fuck is that?!” He hollered loudly, but the only thing that came back was the echo of his voice bouncing off the trees.

Jeff glanced at the ground, catching footprints in the snow. Like a hound he followed them, confident with a bat alone he could stick it to whoever thought it was a funny idea to mess with him.

After a few minutes of following the footprints he came to the tree line, squinting to see. Nothing.

Just as he turned around to go back inside, he felt something sharp sink into his back.

Jeff screamed and attempted to swing his bat, successful in hitting one of the perps. However he failed to notice the accomplice on his blindside who snatched him by his hair and threw him down into the snow.

Jeff could feel weight on top of him, and looked to see the faces of people he would only expect in a sick dream.

Randy and Troy.

“Bitch.” Was the only thing Randy said before he began to stab him.

Screams erupted from him as the pair stabbed him, Troy even going as far as to hit Jeff a couple times with the bat.

Jeff tried to fight back, he really did. It was like his hands just couldn’t coordinate properly with what his brain was desperately telling them to do.

After a heated two minutes of half a struggle and a ton of screaming, Randy and Troy deemed it done. Jeff wasn’t going to live long enough for an ambulance to come. The two jogged off, leaving their former friend turned victim to bleed out in the snow.

All of that led to Jeff where he laid now. Cold, dying, and laying in snow colored by his own blood. He waited until he couldn’t hear them, desperately praying they wouldn’t come back to bury him or hack him up or to do whatever sick things killers did to the bodies. Once he was sure that they’d gone, Jeff adjusted himself to be able to crawl.

He first tried his best to wash off his bloody hands in the snow, he didn’t want to make his mom upset that he got blood on eveything. After that he began his crawl away from the tree line. His head felt so fuzzy, his body was numb and throbbing at the same time.

Jeff had only managed to crawl about twenty feet from the driveway before succumbing to blood loss and dying in the snow.

On the morning of his family’s return, Liu had found him.

#creepypasta #jtk #jeff the killer #creepypasta jtk #jeff woods #randy warren #randy jtk #troy green #troy jtk #homicidal liu #liu woods #alternate universe #alt universe #creepypasta homicidal liu

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morelka · 9 months

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YAY IM SO GLAD YOU LIKED THE BIRD FACTS also today i literally saw a kereru And a harrier hawk lmao what a good time for bird facts!! good time to mention you’re more likely to see some specific birds in different regions depending on where your staying but i guess you’d be travelling during an exchange right?

anyways, penguins!! there’s more penguins than this but off the top of my head: hoiho/yellow eyed penguin which are funky little creatures that somehow look mad at you but that’s part of what makes them so endearing to me they’re so silly haha. idk if it’s the hoiho specifically but sometimes there will be colonies of penguins on some beach that’ll come out at night if you’re lucky :)

WHIO how did i literally not mention whio yet. also called a blue duck i think doc (department of conservation) used to have a video game where you could play as a whio i don’t remember i was a kid but it was very cool. i’m gonna try find it after this list

harrier hawk since i saw one today, flies with wings in like a v shape, very quiet usually and looks very cool. you can also see them on the sides of the road eating roadkill. this can make driving difficult cause sometimes they’ll fly out in front of you and you can try to swerve which could be dangerous or hit it :(

ruru/morepork, our only owl!!! they look very funny but i love them, you can sometimes hear them when ur camping. big yellow eyes very silly goofy bird

possums! also not a bird but you will probably see one of these. they are Very Bad for our ecosystem (same goes with dogs and cats that are allowed to roam the bush, ferrets, stoats, rats and most land mammals tbh, since most of our birds aren’t adapted to deal with these.) australia likes their possums but we don’t. their fur can be brown or grey, the babies are kinda cute but the adults scare me a little haha. if you’re camping and you shine a torch into the trees sometimes you’ll see eyes shining back at you, that’s possums! not to be confused with american possums which are white and i think are kinda cute also

fairy terns, also called tara-iti, i did a school report on them in year 9. found in coastal areas, looks kinda like a mini seagull. possibly our most endangered indigenous breeding bird since they nest on the sand they’re vulnerable to a lot of stuff. i love them

huia, extinct. they looked very cool, had long curved beaks, black with orange cheeks. their feathers were a symbol of leadership. love them

moa, also extinct. BIG birds. i mean giant. i love them so so much i want to bring them back jurassic park style. wanna bring back the huia as well but MOAS. you can probably see a skeleton of one if you go to a museum. go and marvel at the magnificent-ness of the moa

seagulls, since you mentioned them. our seagulls are BASTARDS !!!! you’ll be on the beach eating fish n chips and oh look a seagull. oh look haha five seagulls. oh haha look twelve seagul- my cHIPS

love seagulls

weta - again not a bird but your probably gonna get freaked out by one if you don’t know what they are. basically they’re giant flightless crickets. big antenna, they look scary but they’re mostly harmless (just googled it apparently they bite? oops. never been bit though) if u leave them alone they will leave you alone

that is all the birds (and non birds) i can think of for now. it’s funny the thing you said about not having albatrosses since i’ve always been jealous of europe since you guys have a bunch of cool corvids like crows and ravens whereas i think our only corvid is magpies? and you have squirrels :( but i guess i never though of it from the other side lol

let me know if you have any questions also btw!! there are more birds than this so i may return again with more and perhaps non birds like the tuatara since those are pretty cool

omg omg omg thank you so much! so sorry for my late reply life has been messy messy

i can’t believe im receiving such an amazing list of animals to look out for!!

also i checked out the game it’s so cute omg i love it

wow i didn’t even think of the fact that you don’t have crows! they’re such a stable here i feel like something would be missing without them haha (also yeah love watching squirrels climb they’re super cute)

also thanks for the warning of the crickets haha i love insects but i’m used to very small ones :)

also also thank you sm for the tip with the penguins <3

i’m also very excited that i might maybe see some seals/sea lions since i’ve also never encountered them.

omg i also read that apparently snakes are banned in nz?? that’s crazy to me (i have seen one (1) snake in my life so who am i to talk) - wait do you guys even have any reptiles? and what’s the amphibian situation?

I hope you’ve had a good start into the new year!! So jealous of the summer haha i’m gonna have three autumns consecutively

#nz

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eabwriting2023 · 11 months

Text

The Treasure - Day Six

Gold plated watches, rings that shine in the sunlight, keys that jingle when being dangled. It’s what I’m known for, I enjoy luxurious items to sparkle in my home.

Trees are often such dull things with their dark bark, their spindly legs reaching out. Not much colour apart from the leaves that grow but even they only sprout a greenish brown hue. I need more excitement in my life.

Even my feathers are black and white. No sparkle or shine within my wings, I blend in with my muted environment, I should be a bird to stand out among the crowd!

Alas, I am stuck with what I am, so as with all my species we scavenge for shiny trinkets nestled inside the ordinary.

On this uneventful day, staring at the treasures I have acclaimed over my life I hear commotion from outside the tree nest. Annoyed and fearful that eyes could be watching my stash I trend carefully. One eye firmly upon my jewels the other on what was happening.

One large barn owl nesting itself above me. It stares down with large yellow saucer eyes, its feathers unkempt and scatty.

“What are you doing awake?” I ask. The sun was still high in the clouds, the sky blue like the ocean. “Don’t you only rise in the middle of the night?”

“To hunt, yes.” The owl replies wisely, his beak pointed and sharp.

I feel nervous standing below him not knowing if you will take a chomp out of me.

“We owls are awake in daylight you know. Although, while you are here, I have a proposal for you.”

I am intrigued but I remember to take caution, even birds the same as you may have an ulterior motive…

“What is this proposal?”

“I cannot help but notice your beautiful nest full of glorious shining items..”

“You cannot steal them if that’s what you’re thinking!” I cry backing away towards my treasure.

The Barn Owl shook its head 360 degrees.

“Certainly not! In fact I wish to help you! I know of a mound of treasure nearby, hidden inside these woods. The most beautiful treasure anyone could ever own!”

“How can this be?” I question sounding suspicious. How is it I have not heard or come across such a luxury, I had been flying around these woods since I was a hatchling, I doubted what this owl was telling me.

“It is no ruse. It is the truth! I have been myself and have witnessed its wonder!”

I’m very dubious when strangers want to offer me things too good to be true, but apart of me feels I need to gamble. What if it is true and I miss the chance in a million?

I nod my head with certainty. “Show me this treasure!”

“Excellent!” The Barn Owl shouts for joy. “Follow my lead!”

We both take off from the tree branches our feet plunging forward in flight. Our wings outstretched we swoop among the branches and pass the birds and tiny mammals resting in their homes.

I follow the Barn Owl closely, our tail feathers touching riding with the breezy air dodging low branches swooping everywhere when I start to feel my little body weary from the long flight. I push on however knowing that whatever is wanting for me is extra special.

“The tree is right in front of us now.” The owl called turning its head completely to face me.

We land with a large thud entering a hole double my size. It’s dark and gloomy inside, only the light from outside is seen.

“Where is this treasure then?” I impatiently say my voice echoing in the black. I cannot see The Barn Owl but I can feel its ruffled feathers against me.

“We are here.” It said in the shadows.

“I cannot see a single thing!” I call out feeling the edge of the tree walls.

“Oh! How silly of me! I forget that other birds do not have night vision like we do, here..”

In the pitch black, a feather hands me something squishy of some sort wriggling around.

“What is this? Feels, strange…”

“Just shake it violently and you shall be about to see the treasure!”

As I was told, I shake this strange object violently hoping that some kind of light will appear. Just as the Barn Owl has described, light filled this actual small hole with a yellow glow.

Right in front of me, The Owl sits upon the floor glaring at me with saucer eyes as I look back at the light source I find it’s in fact a glow worm..

“Oh!” I say realising. “Where is this treasure you keep talking about? I still can’t see it!”

The Owl simply looks down at the floor we stand upon but no jewels or shiny rings and silver are here, no jingling keys or forks of silver but bones, bones and carcasses from animals dead.

“This isn’t treasure! This is just a heap of bones and rotting animals!” I shout. I can feel the anger rising inside of me, irritated with myself knowing I have fallen for a scam. “You scammer!”

“This is no scam!” The Barn Owl weeped. “You wanted treasure, this is my idea of the best treasure in the world!”

#creative writing #writing #nanowrimo

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narniancrownshield · 2 years

Text

Chapter 4 | The Lone Islands

» Land ho! « The look-out calls from the crow’s nest in the early afternoon of the next day. Luna lifts her eyes to the mast’s top. The sailor there leans over the balustrade and repeats his announcement. Within a few moments the deck is swarmed by the crew who were not up already. Everyone wishes to catch a glimpse of the land. Drinian holds a hand over his eyes and stares larboard – that is the left side of the ship if one looks from the ship’s stern to its bow. He holds out his portable telescope for Caspian to take who stands next to the captain on the quarterdeck. The king takes a look in the distance, then he hands the telescope over to Edmund.

» So, these are the Lone Islands? « Lucy asks excitedly,

» It’s been so long since I last saw them. « Indeed, it must be a very long time since the Kings and Queens of Old have been here, the Golden Age of Narnia lays about thousand-three-hundred years in the past.

» Finally! « Eustace exclaims, gripping the railing,

» I didn’t think this nutshell would escape the storm and see dry land ever again. « Luna casts him a sideway glance but doesn’t retort anything. There is nothing she may say that can possibly change his opinions. They climb the stairs to join the kings and captain as they decide what to do.

» What we see here ’s Felimath, « Drinian explains,

» The other two, Avra and Doorn, lay beyond. «

» Are we heading for Narrowhaven? « Lucy asks. She squints to see more of the land on the horizon. Her brother kindly hands her the telescope. She takes it and lifts it in front of her right eye, shutting the other,

» Aw, good old Felimath, it’s as green as I remember it to be! « The two kings smile at her excitement.

» Yes, « Edmund says fondly,

» We used to take long walks there. « Eustace stays surprisingly quiet. He eyes the land with interest which Reepicheep seems to note, too. The mouse sends Luna a glance to see if she did as well. She gets the impression that he is up to something.

» The capital’s a good day’s sail away, half with strong wind, « the captain receives his telescope back. Lucy gazes longingly at the green island in the distance. Caspian looks at her and turns his eyes to Edmund and Luna.

» I’d really appreciate to stretch my legs, « Caspian smirks and explains his idea. They may go ashore on Felimath and cross the hills to its other side where the Dawn Treader will take them aboard again. Then, they will set course on Doorn, the largest of the three islands and location of their capital Narrowhaven. The king’s idea is met with approval from all sides – except Eustace’s who would prefer to reach civilisation, yesterday at best. However, as soon as they are close enough to the shore, one of the longboats is manned to take them there.

Caspian, Edmund, Lucy, Eustace, Reepicheep and Luna take some time to walk along the beach to get used to real land beneath their feet again. Felimath is not called ‘the green island’ for nothing. The soft hills are lush as is the forest they pass along the way across the island. It’s the second largest of the three Lone Islands – Avra being the smallest – but its shape is more extended in length than in width.

As the sun starts to make towards the horizon, the companions reach a soft valley between the hills. Just behind the low hill on the other side they spot the ocean again – or better, the strait between Felimath and Doorn which is only a few miles wide. Though, they stop short in their tracks as they recognize a faint column of smoke rising from the bottom of said valley. A group of trees obstructs a clear view but there must be people here.

» I thought Felimath was uninhabited, « it sounds more than a question than a statement as Caspian eyes the smoke.

» It is, « Edmund reconsiders his quick response before adding,

» At least, it was in our time. « He shrugs and smirks at the panting Eustace next to him. This rather short walk seems to have already exhausted the boy. Reepicheep – who entertained them with stories – stopped. He took to ride on Luna’s shoulder some time ago and now balances there, watching the smoke as well.

» Well, « he exclaims,

» Shall we find out then? « Of course, he wants to investigate what- or whoever lurks there in the trees. He sounds ready for an adventure – may it just be the acquaintance of some Islanders – but Luna knows him well enough to notice his slightly crinkled nose. He is suspicious. She glances at Caspian as they wait for his decision.

» Yes, let’s see, « he nods but rests a hand on her arm before she can take more than a step forward. Luna turns her head to the side as Reep arranges himself more comfortably on her shoulder.

» We don’t tell them who we are just yet, « Caspian reminds her and casts everyone a look. She nods in understanding. Probably, it is wiser to not let every stranger know they are in the presence of two kings and a queen.

Only minutes later, they six friends reach the bottom of the hills and make towards the small group of trees. There, a few men sit around a bonfire, more smouldering than actually burning. The ashes are glowing with the rest of the heat, that is why more smoke forms than usual for such a small fire. The men – Luna doesn’t spot any women among them – notice the group as they draw closer. They mumble among each other before one of them rises to meet the arriving. Caspian leads the group, Edmund, and Luna with Reepicheep still perched on her shoulder follow right behind the king. Lucy and Eustace put the taillight.

» Good day to you, « the man greets them with open arms and a warm smile, showing yellow teeth. He isn’t very tall and plump around the hips. However, the tunic he wears makes him seem taller than he is. There is no sword at his belt but a long, crooked dagger. His hair is dark and reaches his shoulders, on his head sits a hat with two pheasant feathers.

» You’re welcome to join us for a drink, « he invites them and beckons them closer. Interesting that he doesn’t even ask for a name first. Maybe that is considered rude in the Lone Island’s culture?

» Good afternoon, gentlemen, « Caspian greets as he steps in the circle around the fire. The others follow suit.

» We’re not seriously joining those… persons, right? « Eustace whispers behind Luna in the complaining manner of his. However, he has a point. Those men don’t look groomed and neat. Quite the opposite, it’s no exaggeration to say that they look ragged, filthy even. This contrasts strongly with their host’s rather noble garments. Instinctively, Luna’s hand wanders to the hilt of her sword while she watches their new acquaintances attentively. She does definitely not think it wise to join them by the fire. Edmund seems to have the same thought; he leans closer to Caspian to whisper something in his ear.

» Come on, friends, sit with us, « the man who invited them says and plops down on a log,

» My name’s Pug, by the way. « After introducing himself, Pug sends the six friends a smile again. Something seems off, though. His voice, his smile… they give Luna a smeary impression.

» He has a golden tooth, « Eustace remarks quietly, and Lucy shushes him. She obviously feels uneasy. Luna can relate. Neither does she like this sudden invitation without proper introductions, nor the looks that are sent their way.

» Thank you for your kindness, « Caspian speaks now,

» But we should continue our way. « As he declines the offer, Luna sighs in relief. This is no comfortable situation. A strange tension lies in the air.

» There, there, « Pug replies in an attempt to smooth the waves,

» You’re a little shy, aren’t ya? «

» Tacks, help our new friends to a drink, « he demands, nodding to a man across from him. This Tacks fellow rises obediently. He is tall with broad shoulders and visible muscles under his shirt. He looks less filthy than the rest of these lot.

» We really should go, « Edmund turns to his companions. Eustace already backed away a few steps, Lucy stands unwavering. Her hand grips her dagger tightly, she left the healing cordial on the ship. Caspian nods, he visibly doesn’t like to run but they would be outnumbered, should it come to a fight. Even Reep who neverbacks down from a fight doesn’t argue.

As this Pug person realizes that they won’t stay and sit with them, he lifts his hat slightly. One might think that a gesture of farewell. Not in this case. As if on cue, the men jump up from where they are sitting and draw their weapons. Silver flashes everywhere and at a whistle from Pug, they charge.

As the howling men draw closer, Luna swiftly draws her sword. So do Caspian and Edmund while Lucy unsheathes her dagger. Reep draws his rapier, readying himself to jump on the first man who comes near them. Luna’s heartbeat speeds up and she bends her knees to take a fighting stance. Then, the lines meet. The clanging sound of steel against steel fills the little valley between the green hills. Two men come at her with their scimitars. One is taken by Reepicheep while Luna blocks the other’s first blow with her blade and pushes him back with it. But he doesn’t give up this easily. He attempts to swipe her feet out from under her. She sidesteps with seeming ease. This is a fight with no rules, so much is clear. As the man struggles to get up fast enough, Luna sees her opportunity and takes it. She has learnt that chivalry is only for tournaments, not for the wild reality. With a powerful stroke her sword meets his throat. His weapon slips from his fingers, his hands cover the wound. To no avail, the cut is deep. The man gasps for air, sputtering blood in every direction. His wide eyes stare at the warrior as he drops to his knees and topples over, dead. There is no time to dwell on the fact that she just took a life, her own and those of her friends are at stake.

Luna braces herself as the next opponent comes running. He glances at his fallen companion and rushes at her with an angry battle cry. However, this anger is his doom. It leaves his blows inaccurate, not even once striking her. As he goes down, she leaves him to search for Caspian instead.

» Don’t harm them! « Pug yells from his position at the edge of the fight. His words are irritating but Luna cannot stop to think about it. He doesn’t lift a finger; he just watches his men get injured or killed. Now, anger bubbles inside of her and she wants to go after him, but her duty is to protect the king. There, she spots Caspian. He defeated his first opponent. Lucy and Reep handle themselves well and Edmund is with Eustace.

At a cry from behind her she whips around, and barley manages to dodge the incoming blow. The opponent from before recovered fast and got up to charge again. A quick exchange of hits follows – none doing any real harm. Then, the man delivers some strong blows and Luna needs to take a few steps back, losing ground in the process. However, she finds herself back-to-back with Caspian. He fights off this Tacks person. Suddenly, a yell sounds over the fight. A frightened sound of a young voice. Everyone freezes to take a look at what is happening. Pug has grabbed Eustace by the neck and presses a dagger to his throat. The boy is petrified, terror written in his eyes.

» If you don’t want this laddie to call out like a li’l girl again… « Pug grins smoothly,

» Lay down your weapons at once! « For a moment, Eustace attempts to argue but closes his mouth again, thinking better of it. Lucy is the first to give in. She throws down her dagger with a huff. Immediately, a man rushes to tie her hands together in front of her.

» Get your hands off me! « Lucy exclaims and tries to shrug him off. Edmund glances at his cousin.

» Eustace! « He hisses and exchanges a look with the others. He is furious and it costs him every ounce of willpower to let go of his sword, following his sister’s example. Two men roughly pull his hands behind his back to tie them with rope. Tacks and Luna’s last opponent point their blades at them.

» What are you? « Caspian asks stoically, not lowering his sword. Pug smirks as if to say that they should have figured that out by now. Luna did and Caspian surely did too. With a dramatic sigh, Pug pushes Eustace forward, keeping the threatening blade at the boy’s throat. A thin, red line appears, and a few droplets trickle down to the collar of his shirt. Luna grips her sword tighter; knuckles turning white.

» We’re merchants, lad, « replies Pug and cocks his head to the side, seizing him with cold eyes,

» Well? How much do you care about your friend ‘ere? « Caspian tenses even more than before, hesitating. Then, he slowly lowers his sword. But he doesn’t just throw it to the ground, he holds it out for Tacks to take it. To an unpractised eye his posture doesn’t change, remaining proud and straight like a king. However, as Tacks takes the sword form him, his Crown Shield notes Caspian’s hands clasping to fists and unclasping in short intervals. Even though he is disarmed, none of the men move to bind Caspian as Luna still stands with her sword raised and Reepicheep next to her. But the men don’t pay much attention to the mouse. Now, Pug turns to the warrior. His eyes narrow and she holds her ground, not shifting under his piercing stare.

» Now, my wildflower, yield or this lad will suffer, « Pug threatens. Eustace looks at her with wide eyes, silently pleading for help. He must feel every movement of the dagger at his throat. It is not crooked, she notes, more S-shaped. Luna is conflicted, though. Of course, she doesn’t want Eustace to get harmed. But what will happen to the kings and queen? Her gaze meets Caspian’s and she silently ask him for permission to lay down her sword. He nods once, sending Pug a dark look,

» Stand down. « Slowly, Luna lowers her blade simultaneously with Reep. Tacks reaches for her sword, hesitantly, as the tip is still high enough to fatally injure him.

» What are you waiting for? « Pug bellows,

» Take the damn thing! « Tacks gulps and finally takes the weapon from her. As her fingers let go of the hilt, a feeling of forlornness washer over the warrior. Not that she is entirely helpless without a blade, but she never did give up her sword once… not until now.

After the weapons are taken away by Tacks, Luna’s opponent rushes to tie her hands. Pug releases Eustace from immediate danger and pushes him in the direction of one of his men. He is bound as well, so is Reepicheep. However, the Talking Mouse puts up a fight, biting every hand that comes too close and demanding an honourable duel. The man who tries to tie him up just laughs.

Meanwhile, Pug dares to get closer. So close that he can take Luna’s face in his hands, turning it left and right, looking her over. He smells strange, like incense mixed with sweat. A shiver runs down her back, but she grits her teeth and keeps her militarily straight posture. She could just kill him now, but it would be no use as his men have the rest of the friends at sword’s point.

» You’ll bring a high price, my dear, « Pug says with a smeary grin, one of his teeth is missing and was really replaced with a golden one. There, his words are prove enough now: These men are no mere “merchants”, they are slave traders.

» I’m very tempted to keep you for myself, « the man in front of her continues. Again, a shiver runs down her back, ice-cold. The Crown Shield has to turn her gaze away from this wicked man and meet Caspian’s. His eyes spray with rage which he must hold in for the moment. His jaw is clenched, as are his fists. He doesn’t seem to care about the bonds around his wrists that rub his skin raw.

» Keep your hands off her! « He spits at Pug. The slave trader’s chief lets go of Luna and turns to Caspian. He eyes him, the smirk staying on his lips.

» Or what, boy? « He taunts him. Caspian’s gaze is blazing, and Luna is very tempted to kick Pug or break his neck. She gets just one small step forward as Caspian does the same.

» Take those bonds off me and let’s handle this man to man! « He suggests but Pug laughs in his face. However, she did note the slight change in the older man’s stance. He isn’t so sure of himself anymore, for a moment, at least.

At the same time Caspian and Luna moved, Tacks did as well, and now holds her own sword to her throat. The warrior hates this and struggles to keep her composure – supress the bubbling anger and remain calm, at least outwardly.

» Alright, let’s take ‘em to the ship, « Pug exclaims, turning to his men,

» Be careful to not harm them, we want good money for this lot. « He casts the females a glance,

» Our guests need to look their best tomorrow. « Edmund and Caspian are pulled away first, then Eustace and the now bound Reepicheep – still nagging at the slave trader who carries him upside down by his feet.

» What is tomorrow? « Lucy speaks up, starting to move as one of the men pushes her forward. Pug rubs his hands, smirking again.

» The market, child, « he answers, his voice drips with mockery.

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