#like a sparrow stunned with falling

[miniy00ng1]

Not Yours pt.3

Five Hargreeves x Female!Reader

wc: 1896

warnings: swearing, fighting, death, lmk if i missed anything

part one, part two, and masterlist!

hii lovelies! i really loved writing auntie y/n and stanley in this chapter! im 95% sure next chapter will be the last, but i also thought part 2 would be before i started writing it lol. also at this point i think this is a semi slow burn??? but anyways i hope you enjoy, please give me feedback, and pls ignore any grammar errors! thank you <3

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It turns out babysitting your new “nephew”, who was also babysitting you, was a lot more fun than you thought it would be. Stanley told you that he needed to practice his karate skills and you decided to help him. Using your powers you change your appearance to mimic the boys, “Watch and learn Stanley.” You do a series of attacks as well as blocks. The boy looks at you in amusement, “This is so sick Auntie Y/N! I looked badass.” You switch back to your previous look, “No Stanley, I looked badass. You still look like a fool, keep practicing and you’ll get there eventually kid.”

“Oh shit, they’re here.” You hear Luther mutter from a table nearby. You look towards the door and see your siblings, minus Marcus, walk through the doors of the hotel in their matching outfits. “Have we always looked that stupid wearing those outfits?” You question aloud. “Nah, they look stupid but I bet you looked sick wearing that Auntie.” Stanley replies, standing next to you. “Stanley, I need you to stay out of the way okay? They said it was going to be peaceful but knowing them, I highly doubt that. So go hide or something and no matter what, don’t come out.” You usher the boy to the side of the lobby while he complains the whole time, saying that he could help. 

Once the boy is out of the way you join the two groups of siblings. “Give us the briefcase.” Allison spits out, glaring at the Sparrows in front of her. “Not until you give us Marcus and Y/N.” Ben replies with just as much venom. Allison grips your arm tightly, dragging you over to your siblings, “There’s one of them. Show the briefcase and you’ll get the other.” Ben grabs your arm and passes you off to Sloane who examines you quickly for any signs of injury. “That wasn’t the deal. But since you can’t seem to produce Marcus, I guess the deal’s off.” Your eyes widen in realization of what’s about to happen and you shout, “Run!”

A yell from behind the Umbrellas distracts everyone, in comes Stanley with a molotov cocktail, “Molotov this, bitches!” Diego whips around at the sound of his son’s voice, “Stanley! Not now.” The boy stops his tracks and drops the molotov cocktail causing it to shatter and ignite a nearby sign. You watch as your siblings begin to power up while the Umbrellas are distracted. Diego is fast on his feet and tosses Stanley behind the bar out of harms way before Christopher uses his powers to stun the Umbrellas bringing them to the ground. Ben waves his hand, signalling to finish the Umbrellas off. You fall to your knees and squeeze your eyes shut, not being able to watch the family be killed.

You then hear screams of agony but they’re not coming from the Umbrella Academy. You look up to see an elderly man release a vibrant gold pulse from his body, knocking Ben and Fei to the ground and killing Jayme and Alphonso instantaneously. “Fall back!” Ben yells in pain, rushing out the door with Fei and Christopher. You look in horror at the mutilated bodies of your siblings who have been left behind and crawl over to them. You let out a scream of anguish as you grab ahold of their hands, bringing them to your chest and letting sobs rack your body. Sloane wraps her arms around you from behind, crying into your back. You gently unwrap Sloane’s hands from your body and move out of the way, letting her hold your dead siblings. You rise from the ground slowly before turning and running full speed at the man who murdered Jayme and Alphonso. Viktor manages to grab ahold of you before you can attack the guy, “Let me at the bastard! Let me go Viktor! I’m going to kill this monster!” You struggle against Viktor’s grasp before Diego takes over leading you out of the lobby and into an empty room.

Sloane joins you minutes later with Luther. “Get the hell out of here Luther.” You hiss teeth clenched together. The man nods and leaves you two alone. The two of you are sitting on the couch holding each other, you stroke Sloane’s hair while she sobs into your arms. “I’m so grateful you’re alive Sloane.” You whisper in her ear. Sloane nods her head and proceeds to cry harder. The girl pulls away from you, “Do you think I could have a moment alone please?” You nod getting up to leave, you glance at the crying girl once more before leaving.

You decide to roam the halls to empty your head. You’ve cleared four floors before running into someone. Stanley rushes out of a room clearly panicked, “Oh hey Auntie Y/N. What’re you doing on this floor? We should go to level five, I heard it’s got a great view!” The boy grabs your hand trying to lead you away from the room he just exited. You pull your hand out of his grip and make a tutting noise, “Absolutely not kid. You’re being suspicious. What the hell did you do?” Stanley looks at you as if he’s about to cry, “I swear I didn’t mean to! It was an accident, it just went off.” Stanley opens the door to the suite and there lies Klaus Hargreeves with a hole in his chest and no signs of life. “Please don’t be mad at me Auntie. Oh my god, what am I going to do. I’m going to go to jail.” The boy cries. You hush him, “Don’t worry kid, I’m not mad. We’re going to fix this. First, I need you to find acid, we’ve got to dissolve the body and get cleaning supplies too–there’s a lot of blood. In the meantime, I’ll wrap the body in the carpet. Do you think I can pretend to be Klaus and myself for the rest of our lives?” You send Stanley on his way and get to work.

After half an hour, Stanley returns with Diego, “Holy shit, what did you do?” “It was an accident! Auntie Y/N and I were going to take care of it! You said you wouldn’t be mad at me.” Stanley whines. Diego’s eyes dart between you and Stanley then at the bottle of acid in Stanley’s arms. “You were going to dissolve the body?” Diego exclaims in realization. “It was her idea!” Stanley exclaims, pointing his finger with accusation. “What the hell kid? You kill someone and I try to be the good guy and help get rid of the body and you snitch on me!” You throw your hands up in exasperation. “It doesn’t matter whose idea it was, we’ve got to move him before someone finds out.” Diego states with a sense of urgency. The three of you manage to get Klaus’ body into the elevator. It’s quiet and awkward in the enclosed space but not for long. Klaus jerks awake taking in a deep breath of air. You all scream at his sudden movement. “I thought you said he was dead puta!” Stanley yells in distress. Diego grips his heart, “He was! And now you know Spanish? Klaus we thought you were dead.” Klaus nods his head looking down at his chest. “Oh thank goodness, I thought I was going to have to be you for the rest of my life.” You let out a sigh of relief and help Klaus out of the carpet when the doors open. You all walk out as if none of the past hour had occurred and beeline towards the bar where the rest of that Hargreeves sit.

“Fuck Five, pour me a shot.” You say exhausted. Lila and Five explain their findings at the Commission and how the world will be ending in a couple of days. “Make it a double, would you Five?” You tune the siblings arguing out as they follow Viktor to question him more about Harlan. You happily stay at the bar downing a few more shots before grabbing the full bottle. Five and Klaus join you back at the bar taking your bottle and pouring shots for themselves. You pay no mind to the conversation between the brothers until Five gets up and tells you that you’re going on an adventure.

The two of you end up at a sketchy bar where Five tells you to wait for him outside.It’s not long before he rushes out and forces you onto motorcycle. You snake your arms around his middle as he speeds off. You guys finally arrive at a trailer getting off of the stolen bike to speak with whoever Five was following. Five approaches the lady sitting on a couch outside of the trailer, she seems to be giving him a hard time so you take it upon yourself and go invisible. Once invisible, you waltz right inside the trailer only to see a very familiar face. “Pogo! I’ve missed you so much!” You say with excitement, wrapping your arms around the chimp. “It’s been a long time indeed, even longer as I still can’t see you.” The chimp replies, reminding you that you are still invisible. You show yourself, a big smile on your face. “Five come inside. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me we were chasing Pogo the whole time.” You call out to Five, motioning from the door to come in. The woman from earlier looks at you confused, wondering how you managed to sneak into the trailer. 

You sit down on a small couch at the front of the trailer so Five and Pogo can talk. Five shows the tattooed skin to Pogo, explaining everything that’s been going on. In return, Pogo gives Five information on Reginald and his schemes. “I guess we should get a move on and get that thing inked on me.” Five says sighing and moving to sit next to you on the couch. “Are you sure about that?” Pogo questions. “I don’t think destiny really cares if I’m sure or not.” Five states blatantly. Five has already taken off his blazer and it loosening his tie. “Um…Five…Where is that tattoo going?” You ask blushing as he now starts to work on the buttons of his shirt. Five leans close to you and whispers so only you can hear, “Aren’t you eager to find out Darling?” 

Five blinks you back to Hotel Obsidian where you are immediately bombarded by a freaked out Diego and Lila. They drag you to the room where Klaus died and talked about an alternative hotel with monster samurais. In their whole explanation, they also mention that Stanley was kugelblitzed right it front of them. “My poor, poor sweet nephew. Curse the damn thing that took him. Five you have to figure out how to fix this, the thing ate my nephew.” You cry, clearly upset that the kugelblitz got Stanley. Five looks at you strangely, trying to figure out when you became so close with the boy. Luther and Sloane enter the suite asking the four of you to meet at the Sparrow Academy in an hour as Ben has called for a family meeting. You agree on behalf of everyone in the room, hoping to figure a way to get Stanley back.

taglist:

@ohmyitsfaith @clairoscharm @mel-vaz

[film-in-my-soul]

The Best Handjob Of Bucky Barnes's Damn Life | 1,141 | this_wayward_life

Summary: The reason Steve Rogers is the bane of Bucky's existence is because he's very tall, very muscular, and a total sweetheart. He's got this great smile and floppy blonde hair and bright blue eyes, and his all-American Himbo vibe is more than enough to turn Bucky, resident Disaster Homosexual, into a puddle at Steve's feet. Natasha knew this, which is probably why she'd disappeared as soon as Steve had turned that 1000 megawatt smile in Bucky's direction.

Sleepy | 1,969 | Dira Sudis (dsudis) / @dsudis

Summary: Right now, in the middle of the night, in their bed, Bucky was his alone, and Steve could have him if he wanted.

like a sparrow stunned with falling | 2,017 | radialarch / @radialarch

Summary: Steve tries to take a calming breath and ends up with another lungful of the gas. He’s starting to feel a little warm now, his collar too tight around his neck. “What does it do,” he says. Bucky’s lips curl, a little. “Sex,” he says.

Dining In | 2,017 | ipoiledi / @ipoiledi

Summary: “Mornin’,” Steve says. “Get over here,” Bucky replies.

(see below for more recommendations!)

Home is a Feeling | 2,513 | cleo4u2 / @cleo4u2

Summary: Jesus, they'd bonded. He had bonded with a complete stranger over three days of incredible, mind blowing sex, and he'd never even gotten the Alpha’s name. Admittedly, he'd been a little distracted by the overwhelming urge to mate, but he still could have at least asked the guy’s name, right? Wrong.

ride in tandem | 2,530 | mcwho

Summary: “You love acting like you don't love it," Steve says, tugging Bucky’s jacket off his shoulders.

April, 1939 | 2,683 | what_alchemy / @what-alchemy

Summary: Bucky knows what Steve wants when he comes in like that, hair wet, robe slipping off his shoulder.

Adoring | 2,878 | Dira Sudis (dsudis) / @dsudis

Summary: "You don't, Buck, adoring's for saints. I ain't a saint." "Sure you are." Bucky got back to kissing his way down, licking along the slightly sweaty line of Steve's sharp collarbone, and then remembered he'd been in the middle of saying something. "Patron saint of Barnes. Barneses. Me."

seasons may change | 2,998 | hoosierbitch / @hoosierbitch

Summary: They have never truly been equals.

you'll find something waiting | 3,222 | Nonymos

Summary: These times are odd times. Steve’s forgotten what it meant to have a circadian cycle; he’s overtaken the sun around the globe more than once in less than a week. He sleeps when he’s tired, and eats when he’s hungry. There are no more movies he needs to watch, no more books he needs to read, no more small talk, no more silent apartments, nothing beyond the endless string of missions and how he can fit his immediate needs in there. It’s like being back in the European theater, this mixture of constant strain and exhilarating freedom.

should auld acquaintance be forgot (will you kiss me in the morning light?) | 3,819 | VenusMonstrosa / @venusmonstrosa

Summary: The man quirks an eyebrow and delicately removes the cigarette from his mouth, turning to blow the smoke downwind. “I’ll leave you to it. Let me just finish up and get out of your way.” “You can-- I mean-- Well, I don’t live here,” Steve states rather obviously. “You can stay. It’s your roof, I guess.” “How generous,” he says, amused. After a beat, he takes two steps closer and holds his hand out to shake. “Bucky.” “Steve.” Bucky’s hand is calloused, but warm and sturdy. The rest of him appears to be the same way. The supple leather of his jacket looks almost as soft as his hair, and Steve wrestles the physical urge to find out.

Strung Out, Wrung Out | 3,881 | sassbandit / @sassbandit3000

Summary: Steve went running into an evil science lab without backup and now he's been sex pollened. Bucky has to babysit him and he's cranky about it. That's it, that's the fic.

If I didn’t care | 4,221 | danielosbourne

Summary: Steve Rogers is a son-of-a-bitch. It’s not news to any one who’s ever poked their nose down one of Red Hook’s less savory alleyways, and sure as hell isn’t news to Bucky, but Christ, the punk is really driving the point home lately.

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow | 4,509 | cjmarlowe / @cjmarlowe

Summary: Bucky turned it over and over in his head that Steve had never been with a girl. It had honestly just never occurred to him, because it was Steve and Bucky thought Steve was just about the greatest guy in town. Everyone else should have thought that too.

you like making me wait for it | 4,714 | Mellaithwen / @mellaithwen

Summary: I’m too old for this shit, Bucky thinks when the idiotic Hydra splinter group decide to attack him. On his birthday no less. Rude.

In the Sunlight | 4,775 | JudeAraya

Summary: “You were so beautiful, in the sunlight Steve,” Bucky whispers. “I had to.”

Complete and Radiant, Sealed by Fire | 4,945 | Carelica

Summary: The dream begins the night after Steve’s first treatment. It’s an asthma attack, he’s fighting to breathe, but the cold is new. It sinks into him at a bone level, merciless. His coughing turns to drowning in cold, pale clouds, and he’s locked behind … ice? Glass? He doesn’t know, he’s gasping ... and then he wakes.

Felt Cute, Might Delete Later | 5,102 | MurphyAT / @magpiemurph

Summary: Steve meets Bucky while canvassing for racial justice. Later that night, he sends him a dick pic (on accident! He swears!). He is the worst volunteer ever and he is totally getting fired for this.

No Place Like Home | 5,136 | asocialconstruct / @a-social-construct

Summary: Bucky's in his undershirt and suspenders with a frayed paperback in his hand, just stood up from the armchair by the bedroom door, the other one in the tub with his hair tied up in a bun like a gal and little pearl earrings besides. Besides, well. The metal arm and all.

A Reason | 5,215 | sirsable

Summary: :I have been overridden by Agent Romanoff to alert you as to the whereabouts of your mate. Captain Rogers is currently in voluntary residence of Isolation Ward Three.: ‘Isolation ward’ echoes through Bucky’s head for a few long seconds before the rest of the sentence catches up to him. “Voluntary? What’s wrong?” He’s already switching his gun out for a knife and shoving on his boots.   :It appears that Captain Rogers’ fertility cycle has reached its peak, and he wished to experience this in private.:  “What the—Steve’s in heat?”

Memorabilia | 5,452 | ipoiledi / @ipoiledi

Summary: “You know,” says Buck, considering, “When I first shipped out, I realized pretty quick that all the guys had something from their girls back home. Letters, handkerchiefs, pictures . . . you gonna give me something to look at?”

if you're into that | 5,652 | Nonymos

Summary: A short sequel from Steve's point of view. What's it like being Bucky's boyfriend? And what's it like being his Dom? Suffice to say, Steve isn't exactly unhappy with his life.

Just Close Your Eyes and I'll Be There | 5,724 | SweetPages (NovelNormandy)

Summary: “Wish I was there right now, could see how you look. Hey, what do you got on Rogers?” He huffs a laugh, flustered but amused. “Bucky…” “See, that’s impossible. Much as I’d love to be on you-“ He laughs harder.

Auld Acquaintance | 5,810 | triedunture

Summary: Due to magic or whatever, Steve is transformed back into his small self while pursuing the Winter Soldier on New Year's Eve. Bucky, seemingly acting on instinct, chooses to protect him despite his mistrust. Also, Steve is a bit of a tiny powerbottom.

What He Needs | 5,937 | toolongtooclose

Summary: Bucky is a moody mess, in need of a certain something. Sex worker Steve Rogers to the rescue.

Roots that clutch | 6,111 | sphagnum

Summary: “What am I?” the Asset rasps. It shouldn’t have said that. It shouldn’t have spoken at all, but it’s never met anyone who could tell it what it is. “Hmmm.” The light touch is back in the Asset’s mind, and the man’s eyes grow angry. The Asset flinches, but there’s nowhere to go, no way to run. The vines hold it too securely. The Asset doesn’t try to fight, it knows better than that, especially when a handler is already angry-- “Oh, sweetheart.” The man’s eyes soften. “You’re a prisoner. An attack dog. They trapped you and stole you and tore you apart to make you obey. They hurt you,” he says, angry again, but his hand is still gentle on the Asset’s throat. “They dared. But you don’t have to be scared any longer. I won’t let them do it again.”

Coming and Going | 6,137 | Speranza / @cesperanza

Summary: Steve covered the key with his hand and drew it toward himself. "I don't want to talk," he said.

utility | 6,201 | yasgorl

Summary: “Oh please let me touch you,” Bucky whispers, “I’ll be as dumb or as smart as you want me to be.”

Illegal, Chantelle | 6,456 | Cristinuke / @cristinuke

Summary: Bucky didn't know if Steve had sex with him because he liked him, or if he just liked to get off on dangerous situations.

Breaking the Ice | 6,693 | Dira Sudis (dsudis) / @dsudis

Summary: It always hurt like this when he came out of the ice. Freezing to death was peaceful at the end, but waking up was fire and pain and this horrible helpless shaking every time. This was the first time he'd had someone to hold on to, though.

Minimal Property Damage | 6,704 | Nejinee

Summary: Everyone assumes Bucky's super soldier body will process the gas that's gone and driven others mad with sexual hysteria. Everyone assumes the evil scientists messed up and Bucky's okay. Everyone assumes wrong because no one ever thinks about Steven Grant Rogers.

Tinder Is the Night | 6,802 | rohkeutta / @rohkeutta

Summary: It’s the quality that gets him first. The profile photo looks like it's been taken with a semi-professional camera: it's sharp and remarkably unposed compared to most people on Tinder. The guy in the photo is the size of a fucking fridge but with Marilyn Monroe’s waistline, accentuated by the way he’s standing half-twisted towards the camera. He’s also in the process of getting arrested. Steve, 28, it says under the photo. New York City. Some say I have an arresting personality. This photo is from my good side. The other has a shiner.

Something Pure Can Last | 6,875 | Dira Sudis (dsudis) / @dsudis

Summary: He was big and Bucky was small now, in this one way; maybe Bucky wouldn't mind too much if Steve wanted to take good care of him. Bucky had always taken such good care of Steve before. It was only fair to take turns.

Only Forever, That’s Puttin’ It Mild | 6,916 | accol / @accol-fics

Summary: Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades... and with cosmic cubes. A mission to take down Advanced Idea Mechanics gives him Bucky back, but it also gives Steve his 1942 body. There's only one thing to do now: Go on secret dates to Coney Island.

Working Out the Kinks | 7,133 | A_Diamond / @adiamond

Summary: The thing was, Steve wasn’t ever all the way healthy. His guts didn’t work right and his lungs didn’t work right and his heart didn’t work right; it made a cruel kind of sense that his dick didn’t work right, either. “I wanna hurt you,” he repeated. “I think about it all the damn time. Every time you come and you’re all blissed out and sweet, kissing me and talkin’ sweet like I’m something special, I wonder how much better you’d look if you were crying. Wanna hold you down, even though I know I couldn’t. Punch you up, make you bleed, black your eye—” “Do it.”

Sweet Sugar | 8,015 | this_wayward_life

Summary: This is not Bucky's scene. Truthfully, most social situations aren't his scene, but particularly this one. He's closer to forty than thirty-five these days, and spending time in an overcrowded bar whose population tends to fall towards the early twenties side of the age scale is not something he particularly enjoys. If it was up to Bucky, he'd be spending his Friday night either in his office catching up on the Martinelli case or half-asleep on the couch, re-watching Criminal Minds and snuggling with his cat. But, since Bucky sold his soul over to the Devil in sophomore year of law school when he made friends with one Natasha Romanoff, he's here, stuffed into a shirt that is a bit too tight around his midsection and jeans that he can barely sit down in.

Sibylla ex Ampulla | 8,411 | Dira Sudis (dsudis) / @dsudis

Summary: Bucky Barnes walked into the apartment he shared with Steve on his own two feet (bought and paid for--he kept the receipts for all of his prosthetics in their own folder in the fireproof filing cabinet). His very long day was over, and the night could begin any time now.

Modern Prometheus | 8,558 | BewareTheIdes15

Summary: Human memory is unreliable. Fallible. Easily diverted given the appropriate application of force.

Unusual Weather | 8,689 | novembersmith

Summary: Bucky’s been at the Avengers Tower for three weeks before he finally gives in to Steve’s gentle coaxing and Stark’s cheerful waving of fistfuls of circuits, and lets them scan the arm. It doesn’t go well.

2024 Reclists · INBOX · Blog Updates

[sparrow-the-tired-lesbian]

Bio!!!

Save a Palestinian family!!!

My name is Sparrow!

official nickname giver (send me an ask for one)

My pronouns are she/her and they/them!

I am AFAB and femme presenting, but generally genderless Gender is boring and useless to me.

I am a lesbian, so I like girls and enbies! I love the label “sapphic” so much

I’m autistic so please be patient with me, I misunderstand a lot. I have ADHD and RSD as well.

Taken by the stunning @fulltimesapphic 💞💞💞

My fandoms are:

Loki

Good Omens!

DND (that counts, right?)

Marvel in general

Gravity Falls!!!!

Hazbin Hotel

Wicked 🩷💚

Sonic the Hedgehog

I lied its mostly Stobotnik 🪨🥚

I support Palestine

My alts are

@sparrows-witchy-blog

@mobius-m-mobius-speaks

@ouroboros-or-ob

@lokiusincorrectquotes

@amora-the-enchantress

@trivya-speaks

@jynx-talks-sometimes DNI if you are

A porn blogger

Homophobic

Transphobic

Racist

Zionist

Xenophobic

Misogynistic

Under 13 years of age

[rose-of-oz]

Plot Bunny: Young Justice, Zatanna ship?

Thanks so much for this!! Also gonna tag @xoteajays and @ginnystilinski-reblogs!! <3

NAME: Gideon Finchley.

LOVE INTEREST: Zatanna Zatarra.

SUMMARY: For Gideon, the superhero business had always been a family one. The son of Sara Finchley, formerly Lance, whose sister was the famous Justice League member Black Canary, he’d been stunned to discover at the age of thirteen that his meta gene had activated, revealing that he possessed the same sonic scream that had helped his beloved aunt Dinah to become a hero. From there, it was an obvious progression from his aunt just helping him to control his gift to becoming Black Sparrow, her loyal sidekick who often worked with Dinah’s paramour Green Arrow and his own teen helper Speedy. And though he does love following behind his aunt as she kicked ass, Gideon has been wanting to become a full-fledged Justice League member since his first official mission as Black Sparrow, so when he realizes that the opportunity he thought he’d had along with Roy, Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash is just a dud, he’s understandably hurt. So when they discover something might be going wrong in a secret lab and the Boy Wonder suggests going to check it out on their own, who is he to say no to following his dreams?

OTHER INFO:

In addition to sharing his aunt’s canary cry - though it’s a sparrow cry in his case - Gideon’s also excellent in hand-to-hand combat and uses a bar of batons as his primary weapon.

He practically falls in love with Zatanna at first sight, and is kind of upset when she and Dick wind up getting together, but he does resign himself to being a good friend and letting them be - however, Zatanna finally catches on to his feelings for her during the second season, and their slow burn story goes on just a little longer before they finally become a couple.

He becomes absolute besties with Kaldur very quickly, even though he’s more like Wally in terms of personality, charming and friendly and playful, but they balance each other out really well.

Obviously he knows right off the bat that Artemis isn’t Oliver’s niece, having spent plenty of time with him over the years, but he’s more than willing to sit back and go along because he knows Ollie would have had a good reason for lying - and he’s really glad he did eventually, because he would never dream of not giving someone a second chance just because of where they come from.

He eventually rises to lead The Team alongside Dick, though he’s more the fun parent kind of leader - he’ll let the younger members get away with more chaotic stuff on missions, as long as they don’t endanger themselves, their teammates, or any civilians.

send me a fandom and a faceclaim/love interest and i’ll make an oc!!

[teal-sword]

♡Love Letters♡

Zenitsu Agatsuma x GN reader

✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧

Loud. If you were ever asked to describe the world this is the one world in it that you feel you never change since your family was slaughtered, when you killed your first demon, to when you ended up in the Butterfly Estate injured you always heard noise.

The slight blow of the wind, the breeze making the tree leaves make a bit of a rustle, foot steps.. wait. Footsteps? You open your eyes and look around... No one? Then you hear a voice and teeth chattering "A-a demon but how did they get h-here? God god I'm going to die, and I didn't even get to marry anyone!" A young man who looks about the same age as you "Please calm down," you say in a calm quiet voice " I just wanted some fresh air I'm not a demon" 'his fear is so much I can basically feel it from here'. You think dropping the cold act you pat a spot next to you "if you like to sit down" the young boy walks up slowly and sits down gently next to you "I'm sorry it was rude of me to assume... I'm Zenitsu Agatsuma" he holds his hand out for you to shake and you gladly grab it "Call me Y/n, it's alright you honestly don't seem like the type to apologize" you let go of his hand " Well I apologize to pretty people and people who deserve it. " " So which one am I? " You ask with a small smirk he blushes and looks away and to that you hum and look at the moon " So.. tell me Agatsuma why are you up ?" You turn your head to see the yellow and orange haired man look at you " I- to be honest don't know... " "Yeah, I get that " " I think I'm going to head back inside now. " You tilt your head in confusion " you just got here and you're already leaving? " You ask him " Yeah, do you want to come with me? " You shrug at his question "sure why not?" You stand up and follow him to drop him off at whatever room he's staying at.

Over the time you've had a better relationship with Zenitsu you called him by his first name and he called you by a nickname, sadly you left the mansion before he could recover but you send letters now! He writes.. a lot you feel bad for his poor sparrow so you always use your crow as the delivery of mail.

Now you sit at a bench with your crow resting in your hair as if it was a nest opening the letter excited.

Dear N/n

I don't really know what to say but there's been a lot of things on my mind I would like to tell you but I never had the courage to say out loud to you but, I like you I love you I met you on that night my heart was beating so loud and I thought my face was redder than blood you were just so... Pretty and kind I thought you were just pitying a guy like me I was so scared but your calm and kind demeanor calmed me down so even if you don't like me even with letters I'll make you fall in love with me!

-Zenitsu

You were stunned... Agatsuma the guy you thought was only into pretty girls liked... You, your face was so pink it probably looked like you turned into a strawberry dango but you didn't care your eyes were teary he liked you.. you smile a bit "He doesn't know he already stole my heart.." you smile and giggle a bit to yourself " Well Agatsuma if your going to steal my heart I'll capture yours! " You yell quietly to yourself even with just love letters as long as you know he was the one writing them you don't care.

✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧☆✧

I started off very strong but ultimately ran out of ideas 😔

[darkpurpledawn]

my favorite Batman fics from 2023, part one

I read a metric ton or so of batman fanfic this year--this is part one of my faves from January-November. We’ve got harlivy, batfam/gen, batcat, and Bruce-centric stuff in this list, next one will be rogues ships, batjokes, and riddlebat. I’ve only included fics that were completed this year, might make a separate post for faves that are ongoing

Harlivy

Client Services by Anon_and on_and on

Lawyer Pamela defends Harley from a malpractice suit...just in time to fall in love with her client. Totally fun and well-realized no capes AU

The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Barbley Quinn by iamawilderness

This is one of the wildest fics I’ve ever read--a lovely crossover that doesn’t seem it like should work but does beautifully. The writing really sparkles!

Retail Therapy: Gotham Edition by paprikaflakes (@paprikaspice)

now that’s some grade-A Harley Quinn dialogue

Batfam-ish (aka Dick and Alfred)

the quiet noise by orphan_account

Batman's in surgery and Jim Gordon and Superman sit with a distraught but stoic Robin in the hospital waiting room. Really lovely outside pov on baby Dick Grayson

They Also Serve by Ginevra_Benci

Really lovely look at Alfred’s POV on the morning after a young Dick Grayson comes to stay in Wayne Manor

Happy Endings: a John and Mary story by @lordwisteria

Based on a Margaret Atwood short story, this metafictional piece about Dick Grayson’s parents is stunning

Umbra by TheResurrectionist (@frownyalfred)

A hilarious and poignant look at the batcape’s debut through the eyes of Alfred Pennyworth

Batcat

Catch and Release by winterkill

A super hot 2022 batcat fic to warm you in the winter chill

I'll Bring You Sparrows by AnonymousMink

Bruce makes Selina a new costume, things get E rated from there

Bruce-centric

Oh Man Oh My Oh Me by whaleofatime (@cetaceans-pls)

Two Bruce Waynes show up at the same party, and Batman is thrown for a loop. Shenanigans ensue!

Damsel by @gement

um so this is possibly the most insanely hot fic I’ve ever read. Bruce has Issues and deals with them by hiring a guy to pretend to be Batman and have sex with him. yeah. it’s really good.

link to part two

[wisteriasymphony]

tweos feligami actually kind of hits. just because adrien finds them both insufferable doesn't mean i won't let them be happy. this is right after Emotion/Bal des Diamants btw

-----------------------------

"I don't get it!" she cried. "I thought- I thought it was all meant to work out! But he's nothing like how he used to be, and— and it seems like this is who he thinks he is, but-"

Felix understood himself to be suddenly and thalassically out of his depth in such a situation as this. Kagami Tsurugi was quite inconsolable regarding her betrothal, it seemed. If he hadn't been awash with sympathy, he would've gone back to gloat to that simpering cousin of his about how horribly he had played out of turn. That moronic pile of cow dung.

"It truly is a shame," he said, sitting next to her on a bench out behind the Palais Garnier. "A shame when the pieces fall apart in our hands. Without our knowledge to remedy, nor our consent."

Kagami ceased her sniffling for a moment, looking back up at Felix and saying, "...Yeah. It's.. exactly like that."

Good lord, she was absolutely stunning— Again, how had Adrien mucked it up this bad?

"I just... one time I conversed with him, and he seemed to imply that I'm only following my mother's orders like some tin soldier. But my mother knows what I want, doesn't she?"

"Indeed."

"And- And if I don't want this, if I don't want what my mother has spent years giving me, then what do I want?! What else am I supposed to want?"

"Perhaps to be understood," he suggested, after a silence. "I wholeheartedly doubt he ever gave you any of that."

"I mean... My mother understands me, right?"

"Is it really your desire to only have one individual ever understand you for the person you are, Kagami Tsurugi?"

Kagami pondered for a moment. If he should ever call himself insane, Felix would say he was within the very moment that he noticed Kagami's smallest finger stretch out to nearly touch his hand, before it fell back as if regretting such a thought at all. And, again, should it he made any clearer—This was Kagami Tsurugi that his cousin had so belligerently left to the wayside. Fencing prodigy and chess hobbyist, an Oriental English Rose, and a proper knockout too...

"Perhaps a sparrow would never know its song should it marry into a family of magpies," she finally stated.

"Until another sparrow beckons at her window," Like he'd planned on, Felix took her hand in his: Unlike his plan, he had taken it with much greater sincerity. "So that she may finally understand what it is to sing."

"Sparrows don't even have houses!" Kagami Tsurugi laughed, still blinking back tears. "How would they have windows?"

"Birdhouses, perhaps?"

Kagami chuckled to hersef again, before resigning to a sigh. "You're right. Perhaps my mother does not have to be the only person who understand me."

[89rooms]

Say surrender. Say alabaster. Switchblade. Honeysuckle. Goldenrod. Say autumn. Say autumn despite the green in your eyes. Beauty despite daylight. Say you’d kill for it. Unbreakable dawn mounting in your throat. My thrashing beneath you like a sparrow stunned with falling.

Ocean Vuong - 'On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous'

[artmakerproductions]

I’ll just go ahead and leave all this here and see what y’all think of it. “KID KONG, The BOY WONDER of the WORLD” 

ACT ONE Our story begins, like many Kong stories before, in New York. A failing director, Earl Dunham, has travelled here as he’s been given one final chance to make a profit and pay back the studio he works for on all the money lost from his last three motion pictures: “Jungle Love”, “Going Ape��� and “Deadly Seas”. As he struggles to find an actress willing to participate in the film for cheap, he meets a little girl, Lily, who gets caught stealing an apple. He pays for it. She’s thankful. Later the girl’s mother, Diane Sparrow shows up and thanks him for his kindness. He offers them dinner and asks her if she’d be interested in starring in his film. Seeing an opportunity to become wealthy, she agrees. Through Lily’s internal thoughts, we learn this hasn’t been the first time she and her mother have pulled this stunt. It being something Lily is highly against, but must obey her mother regardless and if they want to not starve or freeze. At the docks we meet a boy named Shawn. Him working as a roustabout as he is the oldest and his mother is unable to get a job as she needs to care for her two other youngest children. On their way to the filming location, Diane continually tries to woo an oblivious Dunham. She is unsuccessful everytime much to her annoyance. Her daughter however is more successful in this regard as she and Shawn start to fall for each other. Puppy love if you will. The crew begin to stir with uneasiness as to where they’re going and demand an answer. Dunham gives in and tells them that the filming location is set on an island dubbed “Happy Island”. It was named so for it resembling a smiling clown when looking at the island from a high altitude. However, the name is meant to be ironic as Dunham doesn’t tell the crew that the island is said to be infested with the most dangerous and terrifying creatures on earth. They eventually do arrive on the island. Once they start getting ready to shoot, Lily is neatly kidnaped by the island natives to be used as an offering to their god: Kid Kong. She is swiftly rescued and they retreat to the ship. Dunham disappointed that he once again is left empty handed. Before they can leave the island, Lily is taken and is given to their god. Kid Kong takes her into the jungle. Dunham, Ms. Sparrow, Shawn and the rest of the crew set out to save her. ACT TWO - Lily makes an attempt to escape but is caught by Kid Kong - A multi-horned rhino attacks the crew - Kid Kong fights a Woolly Mammoth - A family of sauropods stampede after getting spooked by a sneeze - They encounter a Spinosaurus in a swamp, along w/ a Plesiosaur and other various monster fish - Lily tries to escape once more, but keeps running into dangerous situations: leading to Kid Kong fighting a large carnivorous theropod - A giant pelican-like bird attacks the rescuer’s camp - Lily and Kid Kong start getting to know one another and build a bond (Lily does most of the talking, but through Kong’s gestures we get a sense of what his past was like) - Kid Kong (w/ Lily) runs into the rescue team and they open fire on him. Believing them to be also a danger to Lily he flees. Running across a log bridge, causing it to dislodge as he does. By the time the crew make it halfway it starts to slip and only Shawn makes it across to the other side. The rest make it back to the side they started on as the log bridge falls into the deep pit below - Lily is rescued by Shawn and they flee - Kid Kong is lured down to the beach and gets knocked out with a boulder that was dislodged by a gas bomb Kid Kong had ducked under when it was tossed at him - In an effort to salvage the mess, Dunham takes Kid Kong to New York ACT THREE In a few months, Kid Kong is finally shown off to the public who are both amazed and stunned by the sight of the gargantuan human. Kid, now dressed up in oversized modern clothing (a suit) to appear more civilized, feels indifferent as long as Lily is okay. More of a background detail, but in the public's eye, Dunham, Diane and Lily are a sort of family (something Diane is heavily pushing for which Dunham is rather oblivious to). As the show goes on, several photographers start taking pictures. Diane is soaking all the attention up like a sponge and as she tries to pull Lily in closer to pose for the photos, in the struggle this starts to upset Kid Kong as he believes her to be attacking Lily. Lily tries to tell her mother this but is ignored. He breaks his chains holding him much to everyone’s horror. Diane, Dunham and (much to her objection) Lily, split the scene w/ Kong close behind. Outside, Dunham flags down a cab to get out of there. They make an escape just as Kid makes it outside and goes the opposite direction. Shawn meanwhile as he leaves for the night to return to the docks sees the army moving in. Realizing what’s happening, he goes to find Lily and Kong. Kid Kong starts looking through New York for Lily causing hundreds of dollars worth of collateral damage in the process on accident in his confusion of the new environment. At this time Lily has managed to wriggle out from her mother’s grip and goes off to find Kid before any more bad things happen. Soon enough they find each other and go on a search for safety. Shawn is close behind on their tail. Lily suggests he go up the Empire State Building; a spot she hopes the army/military won’t be able to reach him and they’ll be left alone. As Kid Kong reaches the top to enjoy some peace and quiet with Lily, several biplanes show up and start firing at him. Shawn makes it to the building and begins to head up to the top himself. Kid Kong does his best to fight the planes only managing to take out three (one being w/ his shoe he threw). Eventually he finds himself on the verge of death’s grasp as his wounds begin to take their toll on him. In one last attempt to take out one of the planes, he loses his strength midway and falls to his death. As people start crowding his lifeless body, Lily is heartbroken by the tragic death of her friend. She is comforted by Shawn. Diane and Dunham soon arrive at the scene having gone after Lily once she ran off. Dunham overhears talk of how the airplanes got him and in response, Dunham says: “No, it wasn’t the airplanes. It was beauty’s friendship that killed the beast...” Dunham leaves both Diane and the scene as it draws to a close... THE END Other illustrations of the story I’ve made over the last few years: https://www.deviantart.com/artmakerprod ... -794090860 https://www.deviantart.com/artmakerprod ... -794490741 https://www.deviantart.com/artmakerprod ... -794339273 https://www.deviantart.com/artmakerprod ... -796983529 https://www.deviantart.com/artmakerprod ... -790065846 https://www.deviantart.com/artmakerprod ... -789939706 https://www.deviantart.com/artmakerprod ... -878132519 https://www.deviantart.com/artmakerprod ... -795482902 https://www.deviantart.com/artmakerprod ... -848061140 https://www.deviantart.com/artmakerprod ... -805828855 https://www.deviantart.com/artmakerprod ... -871829971 https://www.deviantart.com/artmakerprod ... -870184922

Will probably refine the story beats more in the future.

[lesbianbriars]

I legit had to write this out in my drafts because if I tried writing it all out in an ask it'd be like 10x more incoherent

I also read your sparchess fic recently and man. MAN. it absolutely gutted me like a fish, I could go off on a whole tangent but I think Tea did a good job at saying what I wanted to say so I’m just gonna focus on your version of Sparrow because HOOOHHH BOYYYYYY

(DISCLAIMER: I love the way you wrote him)

He is an asshole. I Love To Hate Him because like. he tells Duchess that she deserves better and after he fucking ruined her chance at getting a destiny that’s significantly better than her own, and what does he say when Duchess is rightfully pissed and calls him out on the fact he manipulated and betrayed her?

“You can’t just wait for things to fall into your lap, Duchess,” he snapped, and she was stunned — this was the first time he’d really used her name. “If you don’t want your destiny, you have to fucking make a new one. You can’t let Grimm drag you around on a string.”

My initial reaction to that: DUDE?? SHUT THE FUCK UP??? YOU DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT TO DICTATE THAT FOR HER???????

Here’s the thing about his claim that she can just “make a new one [destiny]”. The Rebels are already doing struggling to do that. Like. Milton and all the other outside forces are making that really fucking hard, so for him to just be like “she doesn’t need to settle for being the Evil Queen, she can make herself her own destiny”, is just… frustratingly naive.

And also! He does not have the right to dictate what’s best for her!! Cool motive, still a dick fucking move!!

I hope that if you ever right a sequel, Duchess does make him pay. Like, yeah, we don’t know if Milton would’ve actually given her Raven’s destiny, but to quote Duchess herself- he knew what the stakes were for her. And he threw it away.

TLDR; RAAAAGHHHHHH 10/10 fic will read again

lmao thank you so much!!! i myself absolutely adore sparrow and found myself extremely confused by his motivations in the original book, so i decided to give him this sort of messed up morally gray motivation where he thinks he’s trying to help her but is like. completely off base and only ends up isolating her further. i thought it would be an interesting deviation from his relatively shallow motivations in canon to have a twist where he did genuinely care about her — he just fucked it up. i’m really glad you enjoyed what i did with him.

i do not at all plan to write a sequel — the open ending is part of what was fun to me about writing this fic, kind of leaving it with strings untied and feelings unresolved — but if i did i’m afraid i’d likely be much more sympathetic to sparrow than you’d prefer haha. i think it’s more complicated than him just being a bad guy, and i would want to kind of expand upon that.

regardless, thank you so much for sending me your thoughts 💓 any time someone reaches out to me like this it truly makes my day; it shows me that my art really does affect people, and that is really really special.

i appreciate you so much!!

[pacifymebby]

t r o u b l e / chapter sixteen

Sonya

I followed Bonnie away from the camp quietly, keeping my head down to hide my selfconcious blush. I wondered how many of his family knew who I was, beyond my being Tommys little sister. I wondered what they thought of me, whether they were laughing at me now. The prima ballerina, spoilt rotten all her life, reduced to this, held captive by her brother, having to go back to the roots she'd tried so desperately to escape, hiding in a vardo for a little peace and quiet.

I didn't want anyone to see my red eyes, the tear stains on my cheeks or the sorry look I couldn't wipe off my face. I knew what they'd think if they saw me. They'd think I was getting everything I deserved, that it served me right for thinking I was better than them, for thinking I could social climb above my station, join the royal ballet instead of learning how to skin a rabbit.

But as we walked further away from the little settlement I began to relax a little knowing there were no longer prying eyes trained on my every move.

I slowed down, let my arms fall down to my sides so that the long grass could brush my hands and tickle my arms. I didn't noticed Bonnie turning to check on me every now and then because I had my head to the sky and the trees above us. There were clouds in the sky but it wasn't gloomy, a muted afternoon with just enough of a breeze to shiver the trees, the pale sun shimmering through the gentle sway of the branches.

There were little birds taking turns to fly back and forth between a hedgerow and the trees and I watched them curiously.

"They're wrens," said Bonnie turning around to face me with his hands in his pockets, nodding to the tree when I looked at him a little surprised. He hadn't spoken to me since we'd left the camp and I'd grown used to the thick quiet between us. "Well actually," he said coming to stand by my side, stooping a little so that his gaze lined up with mine as he squinted up at the tree which had caught my eye. It wasn't really a tree see, it was a climber kind of ivy which had grown so tall against the side of the old barn, grown so thick and green that it looked like a tree until you really concentrated. "Those are wrens," he said pointing to the dry stone wall which was crumbling by the barn doors, "those," he said returning his attention to the climber, "will be house sparrows... Noisy bastards," he grinned.

"They always sing like this?" I asked a little stunned, it was a cacophony really, it sounded less like a song and more like laughter and when Bonnie saw my wide eyes he joined them with a childish chuckle of his own.

"More like chattering really, me mam always used to say House Sparrows are gossips, never trust em with a secret..." he said beginning to walk backwards down the path, still smiling at me.

"Who, who can you trust with a secret?" I asked my cheeks prickling with embarrassment because it felt like a stupid question. The kind a little girl would ask, not the kind I should ask. Bonnie just shrugged his shoulders and nodded for me to follow him.

"I don't know," he smirked, his fingers dancing over the collar of his shirt, resting over a st christopher which hung around his neck, "god a s'pose..." he said only serious for a second before he cracked a grin and shot you a wink, "C'mon lass i fancy a swim.."

"What if they're looking for me, that's the first place Tommy will look for me..." i said a twist of discomfort in my stomach.

"Then he'll have already looked there won't he," he said still smiling as he reached for sleeve and gently tugged me along, "the water might do you good to eh, wash away that frown," he said with a teasing glint in his eyes which left me smiling shyly at my feet, letting him lead me along the path which followed the perimeter of the manor grounds and would apparently, eventually lead us back to the lake.

It was midafternoon when we reached the wilding grass at the edge of the estate. The sun was warm enough that I didn't feel the cold even when I slipped out of my pale pink ballet sweater and placed it down on the roots of a particularly old and gnarled tree.

I watched Bonnie shrug his tshirt over his head, his lean torso rippling, showing only for a second the strength he concealed in his lithe frame. I didn't realise I was starring until I felt his eyes on me. He was starring too but it didn't stop the blush staining my cheeks crimson.

"Whatre you starrin at now lass, no house sparrows nesting here..." he grinned, his voice quieter, a knowing, smirking tone to it which got under my skin and left my mouth opening and closing, flustered, desperate to think of something clever to say. All I could do however was to blurt out his hypocrisy, my shrill tone only furthering my humiliation.

"You're starring at me too!"

"Oh," he chuckled, "so it is me you're lookin at, I thought for a second maybe Ryan Gosling was stood behind me..." he said his fingers dancing over his belt buckle as he shimmied out of his black jeans and left them in a heap beside his top.

I didn't know what to say then, I could only laugh nervously as I undid the tie on my little wrap skirt and let the flimsy material fall with a flutter to the grass.

Bonnie was still watching me, his eyes following the silky material as it shimmered and drifted ethereal to my feet, but when I hesitated with the waistband of my tights he turned away sharply, diving into the lake without another word. The water splashed me as it split for him and swallowed him whole, the cool droplets stunning me and snapping me out of my own daze.

It took him a moment to surface, an erruption of bubbles preceding the ripples of his reappearance.

"Hurry up lass the waters lovely," he called holding his hand to his eyes to shield them from the sun. He was looking straight at me but I wasn't really sure how much of me he could see with the sun directly behind me, gleaming bright. I could only hope that I was, for the most part in shadow. That he wouldn't be able to see the bruises on my legs from taking one too many tumbles at rehearsals. That he wouldn't be able to see the wretched state of me feet after weeks of endless point exercises.

I'd lost both nails on my big toes and my left foot was bruised all along the arch. Usually people who saw them were horrified and I tried my best to keep my injuries hidden at all costs. It ruined the "fae" like enchantment I was supposed to cast on all who saw me with my delicate grace. It reminded them the sacrifices that were made for perfection.

So as I stood there on the edge of the lake I felt hesitant again. I paused, arms wrapping around my waist protectively. My ribs were scattered with bruises too and I had an old greeny grey ink spill of a bruise spread across my shoulder too.

Now that I was stood before him in only my underwear I was concious he might see me. Might be disgusted at the sight of me...

"Close your eyes Mr Gold, my brother will kill you if he catches you looking at me..." I said trying to laugh, trying to pretend I was only joking. Scared he wouldn't take me seriously.

"Aye alright alright," he grinned covering his eyes with his hands and beginning to count down from ten, "but if you ain't in this water when I hit 0 I'm gonna get out an push ye..."

And when I hesitated he carried on counting, listening for my movement on the bank, his countdown getting quicker when still I didn't move.

"Six... Five..."

"Wait... Is it cold?"

"Four Three, I ain't kiddin on with ye Sonya!"

I felt a flurry of nerves errupt inside of me, escaping as a laugh as I squeezed my eyes shut, hands over my eyes, feeling suddenly as a little girl again, fearful of my big brothers threatening to "get me."

"Two..." he said, his cheeky smile flexing, dimple popping in his cheek.

And just as he hit one and sprang to snatch at my ankles, had I jumped in, flying over his head far less gracefully than I'd have liked, landing with a splash behind him. Water sprayed through the air and the sound ricocheted off the trees, the squeal which had escaped me when I'd jumped disturbing the birds in the trees sending them flying and chattering, cawcawing through the once peaceful afternoon.

I resurfaced to Bonnie laughing, rubbing lake water from his eyes, his skin beaded with the droplets from my splash.

"That was one hell of a jump lass," he grinned, "whats the matter did ye get yourself all in a panic eh?"

"It was your fault," I giggled rubbing the water from my own eyes, pushing my blonde fringe from out of my eyes, "you an all your threats!"

"So I scared you did I?" he grinned swimming closer to me, "thought I was gonna snatch ye up did ye?" he was smiling one of those mischievous teenage kind of smiles, the ones lads never really grow out of, ones they still wear when theyre 50 and thinking up old tricks they can play on their kids and their wife... The kind of smile which promises trouble.

"Stay back Bonnie Gold... Don't you dare..."

"What?" he asked, cheeky grin, playing at innocence with a little frown, "what I'm not gonna do anything?"

"I know what you're thinkin, don't you dare..." I said kicking my legs to push myself back through the water away from him, eyes locked with his all the while. I couldn't tear my gaze from his, even if I'd wanted to I couldn't. I couldn't wipe the smile off my lips either.

"Nah," he said shaking his head, his smile softening then, "nah don't worry lass I ain't gonna do anything I promise..." he said pushing his wet curls from out of his eyes, averting his gaze down to the water then over his shoulder to the bank where our clothes remained. "Honestly Sonya, I ain't gonna do anythin," he said again, his voice lower and more serious then so that as I eyea him suspiciously studying him carefully, i could discern that he was in fact telling me the truth. "Here you swim for a bit," he said kicking and pushing himself back to the side of the lake where he leant on the grassy verge, head resting in his arms before he tensed himself and pushing himself out.

I watched the water fall from him, trickling fast like a river flowing down his back to reveal the musles in his arms and shoulders. I was still starring when he lay back on the grass, propping himself up on his elbows. Watching me quietly.

"Wait..." I frowned, "you're the one who said you wanted to swim," I said confusion flooding my crinkled features. His eyes flickered over me, took in the sight of me starring at him like that, and when his lips twitched with a smirk he shrugged his shoulders in response.

"I guess I changed my mind," he said leaning back against the tree trunk and closing his eyes.

"Aren't you supposed to be my bodyguard... How are you gonna keep me safe napping under a tree like frodo fuckin baggins?" I asked with a cheeky grin, one which Bonnie didn't even open his eyes to see.

"Am not sleepin lass, I'm listenin... Go on enjoy your swim," he said gesturing vaguely with his hand in the direction of me and the water I was floating in.

So I did as he said, glancing back at him every now and then to see what he was doing. Trying to work out what he meant by "listening." Whatever he meant he didn't keep it up for very long because the next time I looked back he was sitting on the bank with his jeans rolled up to his knees, his shins in the water, legs kicking idly, leaning on one hand in the grass behind his back, the other holding a handful of berries he was eating slowly.

When I swam over to see what he was eating he seemed ever so tranquil, his shirtless chest rising and falling slowly, his eyes dark but warm and calm as he looked down at me.

"Want a blackberry?" he asked opening his palm.

"Um.."

"They're good ones I promise, just about ripe not bitter like some of em are if you get em too early..."

"Thank you," I said leaning on the bank, pinching one between my finger and thumb carefully, hesitating to pop it into my mouth.

It was just a blackberry. I frowned as I repeated the thought a few more times, growing concious of Bonnies eyes on me, knowing he'd be waiting for me to try it. Knowing it didn't usually take people so long to make such a trivial decision.

He was right, it was a good berry, sweet and juicy, when it burst between my teeth the tang was tart on my tongue and I smiled a blackberry juice smile up at him.

"That was actually really good," I said, "really good."

"Aye well Ive got an eye for tellin the ripe ones I guess," he said offering me another, frowning when I shook my head. "Can't be that good then can it lass..." he said the wounded look only a joke which didn't linger in his eyes long before it was replaced with a smile.

I licked my lips and ran my tongue over my teeth behind my closed mouth, watching him for a second, wondering if he was waiting for me to come up with an excuse. When he stopped looking down at me and started looking up at the sky instead I changed my mind and returned to the water to swim around the lake once more.

I swam until I felt tired, that hungry kind of lethargy seeping into my muscles from somewhere behind my eyes. When I returned to the bank Bonnie had gone and I felt my stomach drop, a little fear prickling my skin as I pushed myself out of the water quietly.

The afternoon had tired too and the sunlight through the trees was a dappled sunset shade of orange. Still just about warm but not really warm enough. I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself, looking for my clothes but they were gone too.

I stood there for a second, confused before I got scared.

I didn't get scared until I heard a twig snap in the long grass. Until I heard movement I couldn't decipher.

I tried to reason with my anxiety, tried to tell myself it was most likely just Bonnie, but something in my heart said otherwise. Something told me I needed to be careful. That I ought to lower myself quietly to the ground and attempt to remain concealed from view.

My ears burnt as I strained to hear through the ambient sound, tried to listen past the breeze shivering the leaves to hear if I could hear anymore signs of movement. There was a shuffling sound, feet crunching dry grass. I caught my breath, bit down on the tip of my tongue to focus myself, it was the same same technique i used in school, create a sensation to draw my attention to to distract myself from the stressors I was trying to ignore.

I reached the gnarled hornbeam and backed up against the bark, pressing my body between the protruding roots, shutting my eyes fearfully, trying to do as Bonnie had done earlier and "listen."

But when the footsteps stopped I recognised the voice which accompanied them and when I opened my eyes it was with a wince of self conciousness that I looked up at Bonnie who was crouching down in front of me with a little frown pinching his brow.

"Are y' alright lass you look a bit pale..." he said touching the back of his hand to my forehead, smirking when I blinked back at him speechless. "You cold or somet you've got the shivers..." he said standing up and stretching one arm up above his head. For a second I was confused about what he was doing, how he tilted his head up, bent his back over just slightly. But then he snatched up above him and pulled his polo shirt down, handing it to me. When I looked up I realised he'd hung all of our clothes up in the branches, they must have gotten wet when I'd splashed.

"Where were you? I got out the lake and you weren't here..."

"Didn't go anywhere," he shrugged, "was only behind this tree lass, built us a fire so y'wouldnt catch cold when you got out..."

"Oh..." I said with a nervous laugh, trying to hide my relief. Not wanting him to realise how scared Id been.

"You really thought I'd just left yas out here alone?" he frowned then, his knitted brow caught between amusement and dissapointment so that I felt guilty when I shook my head and tried to convince us both that no, I hadn't really thought that at all.

"I don't know I thought something might have happened to you... You weren't here.."

"Aye well, nothin happened to me so get that worried look off your face eh miss," he said his cheeky smile returning as he disappeared behind the tree calling out to me a moment later when I didn't follow. "C'mon lass you'll be warmer by the fire, the Opera house won't want you back if you've got a rotten cold..."

"The Opera house won't want me back now anyway..." I said with a sad smirk as I sat down in the grass playing nervously with my fingers. I could feel Bonnie's eyes on me and I tugged the hem of his polo top down over my thighs gathering the excess material in my lap to hide my underwear. Going for a swim had felt like a good idea at the time but now I was sitting so close to him with only his borrowed shirt to keep my modesty in tact I was beginning to feel a little selfconcious again.

"Tommy said he was gonna sort that," he said gently as if he knew I wouldn't believe him either.

"Tommy forgets there are some people he doesn't own..." I said chewing my cheek, "he thinks just cause he's blackmailed a few politicans and oligarchs he's going to be able to do the same to the director? It ain't happening trust me,"

"Aren't you supposed to be the most promising starlet in Europe?" he asked leaning back against the Hornbeam trunk with both hands behind his head, smiling cheeky and pleased with himself when I blushed and shook my head. He was quoting the last article published about me, letting me know just how much he knew about me. It piqued my defenses, got just enough under my skin that I felt my jaw tense, a stinging feeling in my mouth as my body threatened me with more tears.

This time I was determined to hold them back, determined he wasn't going to watch me fall apart over something that had started as a teasing joke about staying warm.

"I was," I said curtly, surprising myself with the harshness of my tone, "last week... Things have a way of changing too quickly for me to catch up with..." i trailed off, a lumo in my throat. My heart beginning to race as my emotions got the better of me and I began to grow stiff with upset.

"Nah," he shook his head, "sorry lass I don't believe y" he obviously didn't realise the delicste line he was treading, obviously didn't realise that he was pushing all of my buttons and none of them good.

"Doesn't really matter if you do or not does it," I shrugged, "you're not the ballet director... You're just a bodyguard."

I stood up, in a hurry to take his tshirt off and retrieve my own things from the higher branches of the tree. I must have looked ridiculous, I felt humiliatingly so as I stretched my arm out above my head and did a little jump to snatch at my skirt.

Bonnie stood too, his own face the picture of confusion as he came up beside me and took my sweater down from the tree.

"Whatre you doin lass these are still soaked..."

"I'm going to my room," I said sharply, my cold streak shocking him, making him flinch away slightly. He almost looked wounded himself.

"Aye but you don't wanna be putting y'wet clothes back on you'll make y'self ill!"

"Thats an old wives tale Bonnie," I sighed impatiently, "even you should know that..." I said snatched my tights from his hand, scrunching them up in my fist and storming away.

I was hoping the door to the passage would be open because if it wasn't Tommys estste was very big and I was very lost. I could hear Bonnie scrambling behind me, throwing water on the fire, pulling his top over his head as he jogged to catch up with me. I knew that if the door was locked I'd have no choice but to turn back to him.

"Sonya," he called after me, "whats the matter, whatre you doin?"

"I told you already Bonnie, I'm going to my room... Thanks for trying to help but it didn't work... I don't want to see anyone right now..." I carried on skirting around the real reason even when he was diligently shadowing me through the passage which lead back to the manor. Even when I'd tried to close the door on him and he'd stopped it with his foot.

"Sorry lass, I might be "just a bodyguard," but I'd like to do a half decent job if y'dont mind... Don't really want to find out what happens if I fuck it up y'know..." He'd said still with that cheeky smile, one which had bought me so much confort earlier but was completely infuriating now... One which was naive and bissfully unaware that when we got back to the house we would both see how Tommy was taking exactly that...

Someone fucking up.

[touhoulostword-journal]

Flight Through Silence | Artist: kaputii

Story 1 The night was veiled in silence. A perfect silence without light or sound to break it. Through the silence, they flew. Bright colors filled the sky, and their song of beauty rang out. I know this to be true. On this night, I shall recount the tale of a flight through silence for you. Welcome to Gensokyo at night.

Story 2 Night is the dominion of magic and the unknown. The world becomes opposite to how it appears during the day. During the day, the world fills with life as the sun rises higher. The buzz of the crowd shakes the earth, and rays of sun sail on the breeze. All is bright and fun. But as the sun goes down and darkness sets in, silence grows. Humans make their way home, and even the wind seems to fall hushed and still. As I said, night is the dominion of magic and the unknown. It's a terrifying time when youkai roam freely. But the youkai give rise to a strange sight. It's like a flight through silence that begins when the night is at its darkest.

Story 3 Moonlight shone down on the depths of night. But in the shadows it cast, another light shone. 'Twas the light of fireflies, illuminating the silence. As the fireflies danced their ephemeral dance, a sound―no, a song echoed out, and the darkness burst into color. Only at night can you see light and sound swirl in pristine silence. It's nothing like the buzz of the day. It's a mysterious and fleeting sight, but vibrant and bright nonetheless. In the center of it all, flew two youkai, painting the dark skies with colored light. I know because I saw them. On that night too, I watched on, swaying gently in the wind.

Story 4 Bathed in moonlight, the firefly youkai and her firefly kin flew, carried by the gentle breeze and the night sparrow's song. They danced through the darkness with glee, illuminating the world around them. 'Twas a parade of light and sound. I've heard some parades in the outside world take a similar form… but you'd have to ask a human or a sage, for perhaps they've seen them with their own eyes. I can't move from this spot so I cannot know what goes on elsewhere, but perhaps you could call this a Parade of Silence. The mesmerizing lights and sounds marched on gently, and I swayed in their wake.

Story 5 The night could not continue on forever like it did during a certain incident. This time, it was the moon's turn to fall, and as it did, the sun rose to hail in the morning. As night receded, so too did the fireflies' light and the night sparrow's song. The start of a new day is brought about by the successful shift between silent darkness and vibrant light. This, in turn, gives rise to the cycle of the seasons and of life. When winter comes, roadside flowers like me bid farewell to this world. But until then, we gaze upon that stunning parade each night. And how happy we are to do so! And with that, my tale is done. Until we meet again at tonight's parade. May we enjoy the colorful silence together.

[carolinemillerbooks]

New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller

New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/a-fly-buzzed-when/

A Fly Buzzed When...

The fly sitting in the staircase window of my retirement center has been dead for several months.  Unlike me, most folks don’t use the back exit to reach ground level.  They prefer the elevator.  I may be the only person in the building to bear witness to the insect’s slow decay.  I could remove it with a tissue, of course.  But I’m curious to know how long the corpse will remain unnoticed in its sunny location. At peace now, I can imagine an earlier, frenzied time when, without success, the fly buzzed against the glass as it struggled to reach the green world outside.   Flies have a symbolic role in my upcoming memoir, Getting Lost to Find Home. Like the character in one of Emily Dickinson’s poems, I, too, heard a fly buzz at the moment I imagined I was about to die. The sound jarred an awakening within me, the way a glacier dropping snow into an icy bay might stun the ears.  The insect I realized at that moment was my superior. Had I its translucent wings, I could have hoped to escape my fate. Many years have passed but the memory of that fly has never faded. It allowed me to feel empathy for the one that had buzzed itself to death on the windowsill.  This time its wings were of no use. What it required was the ability to reason. “Each to each,” I think every time I pass its still form on the ledge.  Once a defiant point of light against the dark, it has succumbed to it, as must all living things. The reminder earns my respect.  And so, I pause a moment in tribute to the fly each time I make my turn on the landing.  A study on fruitflies confirms that insects are conscious of death. Most creatures are.  Elephants grieve for their lost ones. Crows hold funerals. Alternatively, bees, ants, and terminates designate a specific class among them to clear away corpses from the hive.  When fruitflies encounter death, they have two responses. They die earlier than their peers and the females produce a larger number of eggs under the stress.   Stress, we’ve learned,  leaves a marker in the human brain. Some think the scar may predict a tendency for suicide.  Others insist they require more evidence to confirm the link. Even so, physicians are aware of the debilitating effects of stress and counsel their patients to avoid it.  We already know that what we see, feel, and do alters our relationship with the world.  Think of it as the butterfly effect where a small change in one location alters a larger one. A man dumps used tires into a pristine river.  Others follow his example.  Eventually, the river’s water is too polluted for either human or animal consumption. Flora and fauna die. The green world morphs into a desert. We know our brains generate myriads of impulses. Some are self-destructive. Others work to our benefit. The good or ill in our lives arises from those impulses. It’s doubtful a lily can grow from a dung heap. Those who see justice and vengeance as hospitable companions are the most likely to give way to hate.  House Representatives Marjorie Taylor Green and Lauren Boebart are examples.  They see corruption in the fall of a sparrow.  Without trust, how is society to endure? Without trust, hate gives way to insanity–the kind that prompted an individual to salt a garden ripe with vegetables that were intended to feed the poor.   Wanting to do good is a force equal to hate but with positive benefits. Good thoughts increase trust and promote good health.  Both are necessary for a thriving democracy. Because consciousness must succumb to death, each of us faces an overwhelming question. How shall we live? Decisions we make, whether large or small, have outcomes.  They affect our well-being.  They affect our society and our planet. A fly dies on a windowsill, its eyes facing a green world.  Too ignorant to understand the nature of the invisible barrier that stands between it and freedom, it dies in frustration. Humans, too, live in silos of ignorance.  They can respond by being angry, judgmental, and prizing freedom for themselves but not for others. If so, then like the fly, they will never know peace. Or, being human, they can exercise a second option. They can see themselves mirrored in all living things and exercise compassion. ————————————————————————————————————————————————————–   Listen to 1 hour radio interview with Caroline Miller on “Between the Covers.”  

[webbmountainpark]

Webb Mountain Park

Webb Mountain Park: A Hidden Gem in Monroe, CT for Outdoor Enthusiasts

Nestled in the scenic town of Monroe, Connecticut, Webb Mountain Park is an unspoiled natural oasis that offers a perfect escape for outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you’re looking for hiking, wildlife observation, or simply a peaceful retreat in nature, Webb Mountain Park is the place to be. With its diverse terrain, rich flora and fauna, and family-friendly atmosphere, this park is one of Monroe's top attractions. Let’s dive deeper into what makes Webb Mountain Park such a special destination.

A Brief Overview of Webb Mountain Park

Webb Mountain Park is a 135-acre municipal park that spans over the rugged hills of Monroe. This park is part of the town's extensive commitment to preserving green spaces and providing outdoor recreation opportunities for locals and visitors. It is easily accessible and features a variety of trails that cater to different levels of hikers, from beginners to seasoned adventurers. In addition to hiking, Webb Mountain Park also offers activities like birdwatching, picnicking, and seasonal events.

The park is most notably known for its stunning panoramic views, rugged hiking trails, and unique rock formations. Whether you’re there for a quick walk or a day-long adventure, Webb Mountain Park provides an unforgettable outdoor experience.

What to Expect When Visiting Webb Mountain Park

Hiking Trails for All Skill Levels

Webb Mountain Park is a hiker’s paradise, boasting several miles of well-maintained trails. The trails in the park vary in difficulty, making it accessible to everyone—from casual walkers to experienced hikers. Some of the most popular trails include:

The Webb Mountain Trail: This moderate-level trail takes hikers through some of the park’s most beautiful areas, offering scenic views of the surrounding landscape. The trail weaves through forested areas, with varying terrain that will challenge your legs and keep you engaged.

The Rock Climbing Trail: For those who enjoy a bit of adventure, the Rock Climbing Trail is an excellent option. This trail, although short, offers visitors a chance to climb up natural rock formations, providing a thrilling experience. Make sure to wear sturdy shoes if you plan to tackle this trail!

The Easy Loop: This beginner-friendly trail is perfect for families with young children or anyone looking for a light walk. It offers a relaxing stroll through the park's serene environment without much elevation gain.

Scenic Views and Photography Opportunities

One of the main highlights of Webb Mountain Park is its breathtaking vistas. As you hike through the park, you’ll come across several lookout points that offer stunning views of the surrounding hills, forests, and valleys. On clear days, you can even catch glimpses of the distant Long Island Sound. These scenic overlooks make Webb Mountain Park a photographer's dream, especially during the golden hours of sunrise or sunset. The vibrant fall foliage is another reason why many visitors return year after year to capture the beauty of the park.

Wildlife Watching at Webb Mountain Park

Wildlife enthusiasts will be delighted by the variety of animals that call Webb Mountain Park home. The park’s diverse ecosystems, ranging from dense woodlands to meadows, provide habitats for many species of birds, mammals, and insects.

Birdwatchers will find Webb Mountain Park to be an excellent spot for spotting local and migratory birds. The park is home to a variety of bird species, including warblers, sparrows, and woodpeckers. Keep your eyes peeled for the elusive Eastern Bluebird, a colorful species often spotted in the meadows and open fields.

In addition to birds, the park is home to a range of other animals, including squirrels, deer, foxes, and rabbits. For those interested in a deeper connection with nature, Webb Mountain Park offers several opportunities to spot these creatures, especially during early mornings or late evenings when wildlife is more active.

Family-Friendly Picnic Areas

Webb Mountain Park is an ideal destination for family outings. After a morning of hiking and exploring, families can enjoy a leisurely picnic in the park’s designated picnic areas. These spots are equipped with picnic tables and benches, making them perfect for a relaxing break. The surrounding natural beauty adds to the charm of these areas, providing a peaceful atmosphere for picnics and outdoor meals. If you’re planning a family day trip, bring along a picnic basket, enjoy the outdoors, and make lasting memories with loved ones.

The Webb Mountain Discovery Zone

Adjacent to Webb Mountain Park is the Webb Mountain Discovery Zone, a 170-acre outdoor learning center. This unique environmental education area features interpretive trails and interactive programs focused on ecology, biodiversity, and sustainable living. The Discovery Zone allows visitors to learn more about the natural world while exploring the park’s fascinating landscapes. The educational programs are especially beneficial for children, offering hands-on experiences that teach them about the environment in an engaging and fun way.

Seasonal Events and Activities

Webb Mountain Park isn’t just a destination for hiking and wildlife watching—it also hosts seasonal events that bring the community together. Throughout the year, the park organizes events like guided nature walks, environmental education programs, and community clean-up days. These events are a great way to engage with the park in a more meaningful way while learning from naturalists and park rangers. If you’re visiting during the fall, you might catch the park’s annual “Fall Foliage Walk,” where visitors are led on a guided tour to explore the changing colors of the trees.

Planning Your Visit to Webb Mountain Park

Webb Mountain Park is open year-round and is free to visit. The park is typically less crowded than some of Connecticut’s more popular nature spots, making it an excellent choice for those seeking tranquility. To ensure a safe and enjoyable visit, here are a few tips:

Wear Proper Footwear: The trails in Webb Mountain Park can be rocky and uneven, so it’s essential to wear sturdy, comfortable footwear.

Bring Plenty of Water: While hiking, especially in the warmer months, it’s important to stay hydrated. Be sure to bring enough water for your adventure.

Respect Wildlife: If you encounter wildlife, make sure to observe from a safe distance and avoid feeding animals.

Check the Weather: Before heading out, check the weather forecast. Some trails can be slippery after rain, and conditions may vary depending on the season.

Conclusion: A Must-Visit Destination in Monroe, CT

Webb Mountain Park is a true gem in Monroe, Connecticut, offering a diverse range of activities that make it an ideal destination for nature lovers of all kinds. Whether you’re hiking to a scenic viewpoint, exploring the Discovery Zone, or simply enjoying a peaceful picnic with your family, Webb Mountain Park promises an experience that will leave you refreshed and inspired. Its accessibility, natural beauty, and family-friendly atmosphere make it a must-visit destination for anyone in the area. So, pack your hiking boots, grab your camera, and head to Webb Mountain Park for an unforgettable outdoor adventure!

Help a local partner thrive by supporting their business.

Old Fish House Rd, Monroe, CT 06468, United States

Don't miss this next place.

[gracewritesmanythings]

port of lions 1

The thing which Alisha realized, very distantly, as her ears buzzed and her mind rewound to that fateful day, was that she’d never actually told Nedir, Sparrow, and Devon what had happened.

Torren knew, of course, but that was because he’d been there - he’d ground Aurelia’s hand beneath his boot as he’d strode across the darkened room toward Alisha, lilac eyes fairly glowing with single-minded wrathful determination. He’d held her as she’d wept for the friendship she’d once treasured, and had sat with her as she’d waited for the school board’s determination - whether they would choose to expel her or not.

But Nedir, Sparrow, and Devon didn’t know…anything, really. And maybe it didn’t matter so much to Devon, who’d always ever known Alisha, and not the Alisha-and-Aurelia hybrid which had so dominated the school their first few years. Nedir and Sparrow, however - they’d known Aurelia personally, had even liked her.

They don’t know, Alisha thought numbly, as Nedir’s gaze fell on that unmistakable mane of bright gold, falling in curls over broad shoulders. They don’t know, she thought, as Nedir’s expression brightened, and she waved and shouted, “Oi, Aurelia! God’s breath, I didn’t expect to see her here. Aurelia!”

They don’t know, Alisha reminded herself, over and over again. At the request of Aurelia’s family (generous donors of the school, of course) the school had swept the whole incident under the rug so neatly and efficiently that it never spread beyond the few people it involved, and the board. The only way anyone could’ve found out was if Alisha or Torren talked, and Alisha certainly had never and would never bring it up. Torren had wanted to, but his position at the school had been too precarious to risk the backlash that could’ve resulted.

Still, it felt like the most profound sort of betrayal - that Nedir, whom she had grown so close to through hardship and tragedy, whom she had an as-yet unnameable…something with, would call out so casually to the person who’d once almost ruined Alisha’s life. Worse still, at Nedir’s shout, Sparrow’s face lit up, and they turned and sought out Aurelia with their gaze as well.

Alisha could feel Torren’s eyes on her, burning like hot coals on her skin. She didn’t know if she could bear to look and see the horrible knowing there. Or, she didn’t know if she could look away from Aurelia, who swiftly straightened and turned around, still the vigilant fighter even after all this time. Eyes so light brown they were almost gold fell on Nedir, on Sparrow behind her, and then…

Alisha hated herself for the immediate, pathetic rush of need to march up to Aurelia and demand answers for years-old questions. She hated herself even more for the small spark of hope which had been burning in her gut all this time, wondering if this had all been some terrible misunderstanding, and that surely Aurelia had meant to take Alisha with her, to -

For a moment Aurelia simply stared, as though stunned into blank silence. Then, slowly, a grin began to spread across her lips, transforming her into that brilliant golden person which Alisha had once adored, and she began to walk toward them.

“Torren,” she whispered, and clamped a hand around his wrist.

Her voice seemed to spur him into motion. He gently shook her off and strode forward, intercepting Aurelia’s path. And then, before that golden girl could get a word in edgewise, he wound up and punched her square in the jaw.

[hrgportfolio]

Jomei’s Tour

The grainy feed on the camera shook as Jomei turned the handheld around to face him. All that could be seen on the screen was his soft nose and a bright, toothy grin. He had a missing front tooth.

“Hi mom! Hi Dad! I miss you all lots. But I’m having so much fun here with Jiji. Did you know they have– uh, alli…alligators here?!”

In a blur the camera shifted until it focused on a small enclosure. In the enclosure, sat two small alligators. One was resting on a rock with a hot lamp aimed directly on it. The other was wading through a small pond. There were sounds of parrots chirping in the background.

“Jiji said I should send you a video, so I’m gonna show you all around the club! I wish you were here to see it with me. Look! This is a parrot. Her name is Sasquatch, and she can talk!”

The camera panned over to a bright, colorful parrot in a tall, black metal cage. The bird was sitting on a hanging wooden perch. Its head was still. As Jomei bounced over to the cage, one could make out more enclosures spread throughout the room.

“Hi, Sasquatch!”

The parrot cocks its head, stares straight into the camera, and lets out a loud, ear-piercing squawk. Jomei giggles and holds the camera steady for a second, his laughter contagious.

“Say ‘hi’ to my parents, Sassy!”

When the parrot opens its beak once more, it calls out.

“HI.”

Jomei laughs again. 

“Jomei, my boy, it’s time to go eat!”

The sound of an older man’s voice echoed throughout the room.

“Coming Jiji!”

The camera snaps closed.

–

The screen cuts to a new scene where Jomei has the camera facing himself. He is setting it on what seems to be a wooden table. Behind him is a yacht harbour. The sun is bright, causing lens flares across the screen. There are palm trees lined across the edges of the harbour, swaying slowly in the breeze. The boy takes a few steps back so that his full upper body is shown in the frame.

“Now to decide if we are going to the pool or the golf course.”

He sticks out his fist that has a small coin resting on the top of his thumb. With a flick, the coin sails into the air. Jomei watches it fly with the tip of his tongue sticking out between his lips and one eye locked in on the coin, the other closed. As it falls back down, he snatches it with one hand and smacks his palm into the other with coin now lying flat between his palms. He brings his hands level to his eyes and takes a peek inside.

“It’s up! We are going to the pool! The pool has a slide and a splash pad and Jiji taught me how to swim in the deep end without my floaties so I can swim anywhere I want.”

Jomei reaches out so that all one can see on the screen is his palm grabbing the lens. The screen is red with the light of the sun shining through his hand. There is a bit of rustling before the screen goes black.

–

“They call this place Buccaneer Island! Jiji told me a buccaneer is a pirate. So, I like to pretend that I’m Captain Jack Sparrow on the hunt for Dead Man’s Chest. Arghhhh!”

The young boy’s voice sung out from behind the camera. In front of him was a stunning beach front view. There was a large lagoon in the middle of the man-made beach. On the edge of shore, between the sand and the ocean was a wide rocky edge, with no access to the salty water. In the back, to the right edge of the screen, were rows of umbrellas and pool chairs. 

“That’s the lagoon. I don’t like the lagoon, its dark and spooky, but some people like to kayak there. Over there is the where the pools are! That’s where I like to play. They have so much fun stuff to do, like water games and treasure hunts and sometimes we do arts and crafts like painting with our toes!”

As Jomei walks towards the umbrellas, the screen bounces around. In small clear moments, between the blurs, appears a tall mushroom spout, with water pouring out from the top over onto small children giggling underneath. Around it are more spouts coming up from cartoonish alligator heads on the ground, creating short arcs of water across the splash pad. The screen becomes clear as the camera settles on a pool chair. In front of it is a child-size play structure of ship-wreckage. At the top of the structure is a pole with two water buckets designed to look like tied up sails.

“This is where I like to play pirates! My friend, Taylor, and me put on eye-patches and have sword fights to win over the princess, her name is Abby, and she is so fun to play with. But, sometimes, when Abbey isn’t here, we go hunting for gold!”

After a few seconds the buckets tip to drop a load of water onto the children joyfully screaming below. Jomei’s face pops into the frame. 

“Look, don’t I look like a real pirate?!”

He called out before he ran to stand on the bow of the ship. When he reached the tip of the corner, he put one leg up and one hand on his hip. The other, he placed on the line of his eyebrow as he pretended to look around the open waters of the seven seas. The sun shined brightly above his head. Jomei turned back to face the camera and waved before scrambling back down the wreckage. As he came running back to the camera, the background of the footage was filled with the sound of gleeful children running around, the splashing of the water spouts hitting the concrete floor, waitstaff checking in on people lounging under the umbrellas, and the breeze whistling through the leaves of the palm trees.

“Isn’t that so cool?!”

He said as he grabbed the camera.

“Now, you have to see the pool. I’m gonna show you how big I can splash with my cannonball!”

In a dizzying bounce, Jomei starts skipping away. In between bounces, the edge of the pool comes closer into view. The clear, chlorinated water reflected brightly in the sun. One member was floating gently on the rippling water. Another was doing laps from end to end. And a few stood on the edges of the shallow end, nursing their colorful drinks. The camera once again landed on the edge of a lounge chair, facing a corner of the pool where a white 6FT sign was embedded into the inside wall of the pool. He peeked around the left side of the screen. Only his eyes and his forehead were showing. His long hair fell to the side.

“Watch! I’m gonna jump so high!”

He laughed. Then he disappeared from view. Just a few moments later, he came back running into frame, this time on the other side of the pool. In a leap, right above the 6FT sign, he launched himself into the air. As he approached the peak of his jump, his legs curled in tight to his chest. He wrapped his arms around the tops of his shins as he closed his eyes. When his small frame broke the surface of the water, a large splash arched over the pool and waves rippled across the top of the water. Clapping could be heard from outside the frame. With a gasp for air, Jomei’s head pops back up from under the water. He turned his body to face the camera and give it a big thumbs up. For the next couple of minutes, the image sits still as Jomei removes himself from the water and makes his way back to the camera. His hand covered the lens bfore he turned it towards himself. This time, his hair was stuck to his face, dripping with water. His cheeks were red, and he was breathing heavily. A wide grin covered his face and excitement gleamed in his eyes.

“How was that?! Did I do good? I hope so. I have been working on my splash all summer! Jiji says next summer he might sign me up for diving. But that doesn’t sound as fun, because he said I have to try to make no splash at all!”

His face had an incredulous look.

“I don’t know, though, Jiji said that it would be fun. Especially if Taylor joins me! He said we can be the best diving duo in the WORLD! Maybe even make it to the Olympics! That would be like so cool!”

Jomei let out a quick cough, as if to catch his breath. His eyes focused on something beyond the camera.

“Jiji is waving at me to go back. We are getting icecream! So, I will talk to you guys later, okay? I love you!”

He gives the lens a sweet kiss and snaps the recorder closed.

-

This piece is a short tour of a private live-in golf club given through the eyes of a young boy who is staying with his grandfather.

Project: A Pocket Tour (EN 200)