#like the. like the centipedes ad. like th

[incorrect-hs-quotes]

ROXY: killed a spider n now i feel bad :/

DAVE: give birth to a spider to make up for it

DAVE: why did i say that

ROXY: why DID u say that

DIRK: Okay, so it takes 9 months to make a baby human; that's about 3 kg.

DIRK: A baby spider, by contrast, weighs about 1 mg; roughly 3 million times lighter.

DIRK: So you could give birth to a healthy baby spider in about 8 seconds.

DIRK: It's not a big inconvenience.

DAVE: roxys on the other side of the cave just churning out spiders as fast as georg can shovel them into his mouth

[tr3xinfinite]

Sorry for the wait but here is it

JIM & KANEKI

(The Ultimate Hunter & the Human centipede)

Part 2

The last time I analyzed and compared Jim with Kuroneki, this time should be TrollJim with Shironeki

Jim/Troll!Jim

Ken/Shironeki/Centipede

After an epic yet underwhelming transformation, to protect their loved ones and put aside their weakness, they must say goodbye to their humanity in order to gain a bigger power that could crush everything that get in their way

Things that they have in common: Kaneki was chained on a chair while talking to Rize before accepting his Ghoul side, Jim was chained in a chair while talking to Merlin before turning into a Troll, on this form Jim cannot eat human food just as how Ken cannot do too, as Jim and Kuroneki they often use a blue jacket (Ken only does it in the anime) as TrollJim and Shironeki they always have a more darker aura and clothes (TrollJim's case was justified because he cannot get rid of the amulet and armor until he was calmed down), despite gaining a more savage change in their personality they still have their kindness and part of his original self still, since they are not born with those powers exactly they are practically Artificial hybrids, after Jim gets stabbed by the onyx his eyes tends to turn to red (in some oficial arts Ken's eyes also are red), after Ken's torture and Jim's transformation their nails turn black and their hair change his shape and color, both versions where born to defeat a big psycho and powerful monster (Gunmar and Yamori), after defeating the big bad Jim and Ken separate from their friends to go with their own group (Kaneki in the manga formed his own group while in the anime he joined Aogiri) with the promise of coming back (they kinda didn't), since Jim is now half troll part of his alimentation consist kinda for trash, metal things (probably gross things too like sockets) and in the best/worst case human flesh, in one of the concept arts TrollJim's original design shows him with red eyes, Doctor Kano is to Ken is what Merlin is for Jim (they both turned them into monsters and practically ruined their life but at the same time saved them), one of the requirements to make the elixir that turned Jim into a Troll consisted in a changeling femur just like how to make a Ghoul hybrid it's important a Ghoul's organ (the Kakuhou), they both where defeated and almost killed by a powerful enemy (Green Knight and the CCG Reaper Kisho Arima) also just as Ken ended with his eyes stabbed by Arima, Jim got his chest (and later his heart by himself) stabbed by Green Knight, on this forms they have their own alias (Jim = TrollJim, Kaneki = Centipede), they have a scene where someone calls him no human neither ghoul/troll

Difference between them: After the transformation, Jim's human personality remained, but gained a more savage, wild, and hostile attitude (especially with his enemies). Meanwhile, Kaneki turned more psycho, cruel, merciless, and tended to torture their enemies (or, in the worst case, eat them) despite turning into a creature who eats humans too Jim never shows the desire of human flesh, as the story goes on Kaneki's mental state decays more and more this isn't the case for Jim, at the end of Wizards Jim turned back into a human while Ken remained a Ghoul forever, TrollJim debuted on TH's finale season while Shironeki debuted in season 1 final, Kaneki was for about 1 season trying to get used to his new life as a ghoul while Jim just got 1 episode to do it.

I was planning on adding Beast!Jim and Haise, but I think I can left that as a part 3

[legend-collection]

Japanese Dragon

Japanese dragons are diverse legendary creatures in Japanese mythology and folklore. Japanese dragon myths amalgamate native legends with imported stories about dragons from China, Korea and the Indian subcontinent. The style of the dragon was heavily influenced by the Chinese dragon. Like these other East Asian dragons, most Japanese ones are water deities associated with rainfall and bodies of water, and are typically depicted as large, wingless, serpentine creatures with clawed feet. The modern Japanese language has numerous "dragon" words, including indigenous Tatsu from Old Japanese ta-tu, Sino-Japanese ryū or ryō from Chinese lóng, nāga from Sanskrit, and doragon from English "dragon" (the latter being used almost exclusively to refer to the European dragon and derived fictional creatures).

The c. 680 AD Kojiki and the c. 720 AD Nihongi mytho-histories have the first Japanese textual references to dragons. "In the oldest annals the dragons are mentioned in various ways," explains de Visser, "but mostly as water-gods, serpent- or dragon-shaped."  The Kojiki and Nihongi mention several ancient dragons:

Yamata no Orochi "8-branched giant snake" was an 8-headed and 8-tailed dragon slain by the god of wind and sea Susanoo, who discovered the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (legendary sword of the Imperial Regalia of Japan) in one of its tails.

Watatsumi "sea god" or Ryūjin "dragon god" was the ruler of seas and oceans, and described as a dragon capable of changing into human form. He lived in the undersea Ryūgū-jō "dragon palace castle", where he kept the magical tide jewels.

Toyotama-hime "Luminous Pearl Princess" was Ryūjin's daughter. She purportedly was an ancestress of Emperor Jimmu, Japan's legendary first emperor.

Wani was a sea monster that is translated as both "shark" and "crocodile". Kuma-wani "bear (i.e., giant or strong) shark/crocodile" are mentioned in two ancient legends. One says the sea god Kotoshiro-nushi-no-kami transformed into an "8-fathom kuma-wani" and fathered Toyotama-hime, the other says a kuma-wani piloted the ships of Emperor Chūai and his Empress Jingū.

Mizuchi or was a river dragon and water deity. The Nihongi records legendary Emperor Nintoku offering human sacrifices to mizuchi angered by his river engineering projects.

Raiju is Raijin's animal companion and messenger that commonly take form of a dragon.

Kiyohime "Purity Princess" was a teahouse waitress who fell in love with a young Buddhist priest. After he spurned her, she studied magic, transformed into a dragon, and killed him.

Nure-onna "Wet Woman" was a dragon with a woman's head and a snake's body. She was typically seen while washing her hair on a riverbank and would sometimes kill humans when angered.

Zennyo Ryūō "goodness-like dragon king" was a rain-god depicted either as a dragon with a snake on its head or as a human with a snake's tail.

In the fairy tale "My Lord Bag of Rice", the Ryūō "dragon king" of Lake Biwa asks the hero Tawara Tōda to kill a giant centipede.

Urashima Tarō rescued a turtle which took him to Ryūgū-jō and turned into the attractive daughter of the ocean god Ryūjin.

Known for its great longevity, this reptile mainly lives in aquatic environments, which explains why it is often portrayed in water through Japanese artworks.

According to the Japanese mythology, this creature has the supreme power to metamorphose, to lengthen its body or even to become invisible. It may also take on human appearance.

Although this creature can fly, this is not its main power as it is more of a snake than a bird. We are thus quite far from the stereotype of the European dragon, hovering in the air, with its gigantic wings, and spitting fire.

The Japanese dragon takes its origin in the legends of the genesis of universe. Shortly after the creation of heaven and earth, 7 generations of kami (Japanese gods) were born. The dragons would have appeared together with other creatures in order to protect them as the guardians of the celestial gods.

In Japanese mythology, it is said that they reign over the oceans and fight to defend the gods.

There are 5 types of dragons:

The celestial dragon, guardian of the kamis

The spiritual dragon, god of wind and rain

The land dragon, guardian of rivers and oceans

The treasure-defending dragon that guards over precious stones

The imperial dragon, symbol of the Chinese dynasty

Just like nature, of which it embodies the strength, power and unpredictability, this reptile may prove to be dangerous to the common man.

However, the dragon is, above all, a sign of good fortune and generally shows itself to be benevolent. In addition, it brings happiness, wealth  and success and symbolizes wisdom, perseverance and immortality in the Japanese people's mind.

In Japan, the dragon is implored to attract rain, which nourishes the land.

Ancient Legend of Yamata no Orochi:

Yamata no Orochi also nicknamed Orochi was an evil creature of eight tails and eight heads which roamed near the Hi River in the Izumo City. Each one of his heads represented natural elements such as water, earth, wind, fire, lightning, light, darkness and venom. This creature and its red eyes the color of blood, its long body that stretched over 8 hills and 8 mountains.  Cypresses and moss grew upon its back and rivers of blood flowed on its belly. According to the legend, this dragon used to devour a young girl once a year.

"One day, when the king of Izumo was about to offer his eighth and last daughter as a sacrifice, to calm the beast, Susanoo, god of storms, proposed a covenant: fight the dragon in exchange for the girl's hand.

In order to vanquish Orochi, Susanoo had to offer 8 barrels of sake. Yamata no Orochi drank until the very last drop before falling asleep.

At that moment, Susanoo threw himself on the monster to kill it by cutting one by one its 8 heads. While slaughtering his rival, Susanoo found a sacred sword called Kusanagi no Tsurugi inside the monster, a sword he later offered to his sister Amaterasu, goddess of the sun.”

The story of Watatsumi, Dragon king and God of the sea:

Watatsumi, also called Ryujin, is the dragon king and great god of the sea and oceans. This dragon is recognizable by his gigantic size and long moustache. As the master of the tides, Watatsumi governs all aquatic species. The generous king welcomes shipwrecked people in his magnificent underwater palace.

"One day, one of his beautiful daughters named Otohime met Hoori, a human being who was roaming the sea looking for his brother’s fishhook. After falling in love with each other, they decided to live together in Watatsumi Palace.

After several years, Hoori, who suffered from boredom, wanted to return to the land, but was afraid of his brother's reaction once he discovered that he hadn't found his fishhook. Caring, the king decided to summon the servants of his kingdom and ask them if they had seen the object he was looking for. By chance, a fish had just swallowed it.

Hoori then returned to his beloved land accompanied by his wife the dragon goddess."

According to the legend, their grandson became the first emperor of Japan. For this reason it is said that emperors are descendants of kamis.

The myth of Ryujin and the jellyfish:

There is another legend involving Ryujin, the god of the sea.

"While his daughter was suffering from an incurable disease, Ryujin asked the jellyfish to bring him a monkey liver. At that time the jellyfish still had bones and legs.

The jellyfish complied and went in search of the mammal. Once found the monkey, the monkey told the jellyfish that its liver had been stolen. The jellyfish returned empty-handed to its king.

Ryujin promptly realized that the monkey had been making fun of them and, in a state of anger, he flattened the jellyfish with his full weight."

Pic by Ogata Gekko

[itsthe-neo-zone]

Wands and Potions: NCT dream & WayV 

Please read the Masterlist before continuing ahead with the chapter, thank you.  

Chapter 18:

[02:16PM]

[20th of October]

“Do you even know what he was using the tentacle juice for?” 

The huffs became frequent and the more Lyra questioned the more Selene became tired. Was this really necessary? And why was she being so unbelievably nosy?

“No, and frankly I don’t need to know.” the walking stopped halting the trail the two created in the thick fluffy snow that covered the earth. “because I don’t care.”

“You should, Liu could be plo-” a snicker stopped Lyra’s chapped lips from blurting her thoughts. “Plotting? Is that what you were going to say? He’s plotting against me. Or maybe its against you? Or even Jinsoul.” The words spat back at Lyra.

The brunette took her lips between her teeth, her fingers took the red and golden threads of the scarf wrapped across her chest, fiddling with the bare edges. Selene was already on edge and the change of demeanour pushed her off.

“Hey, I’m not going to feel sorry for you, so don’t give me that pathetic look.” Her fingers ran through her golden roots, her hair had turned a shade darker with the coming of winter making it lose the fiery glimmer in it.

“You all need to stop telling me how to act or feel.” She rolled her eyes leaving the brunette standing there stiff and alone, the only speck of colour on a blank sheet of white for miles.

 The creaking door slid open letting a gust of cold biting chill mix in with the heated warmth of the shop. The three broomsticks was a place where the youngsters could chill and relax. The ancient and rustic feel made it close to home for some.

It wasn’t the same for Selene.

“You need to start talking to her again, Scorpius you can’t just igno-” “Oh but he can,” she shuddered, the witch dropped the scarf and slid the robes off her shoulders setting them next to her. Sparing a glance at Albus, Selene sympathised with the blonde boy before her.

“And why is that?”

“She’s being awfully nosy, quite bitchy too.”

“Just because you aren’t on good terms it doesn’t mean he has to ignore his own sister.” Albus shuffles closer his tone drops to a minimal whisper. Selene rubbed her hands trying to heat up the ice cold blue tinted flesh.  

“Also, what happened to innocent sweet Selene?”

“Oh her?” her arm lifted to signal the server, “she’s usually what most see if they don’t know me too well. Ask Scorpius.”

The glance left Selene and moved towards the empty blonde boy next to him. No response came. His head lulled above his fist pushing the skin upwards, hair covering his glacier orbs.

“You ok?” the ginger placed her hand upon his, she felt his fingers twitch, there was no warmth in his touch. Inside her chest, the breathing became a little harder, an exasperated sigh left her.  

“It’s hard, I know. but you have to believe your father did this for a good reason. And now you can let her move in, you’ve always said you wanted a sister.”

“Move in? After my mother’s death?” his voice dripped with poison. It was a little loud gaining attention from the tables nearby. Jisung sent the most blood curdling nape shivering stare at Selene from across the bar.  His eyes were hard-rimmed and fixed, so much so that it was as if he was not able to move his eyeballs.

If looks could kill. The ginger would have disintegrated instantly.

So would Albus have with what Scorpius was sending him.

“Keep it down a little.”

“I am not going to replace my mother any time soon.” He spat back.

“You need her, Scorpius think about it, she will help you and your father get through this. Lyr-” the death glares the two sent made him rethink his choice of words. “Ehem… I- mean she is a girl after all.”

Selene sipped the jug of glowering orange liquid letting it sting the back of her throat slightly. She needed it. Secretly, it was the only thing she was feeling nowadays.

“Rose Weasley can take her in. After all, the two are half-sisters.” His voice was stiff and cut at the end, it was like his throat was clogged. Scorpius hated this topic. He didn’t want to talk about it.  

The others sensed that.

“And you, cut the long night walks with that German Durmstrang boy.”

“Whys that? Am I bothering you in any way?”

“No actually, its not me you’re bothering but-” A hand slapped the two lips that were moving of their own accord. Selene didn’t think nothing of it, but she missed the alarmed state that Albus was in.

“You shouldn’t be walking around he grounds late at night. Its dangerous.”

“Did little miss snitch tell you I was sneaking out late? I knew it!” she turned to the deflated boy. “This is why you shouldn’t talk to her just yet.” She finished her words with another gulp taking in the tingling sensation.

“Selene, I’m being serious, it shouldn’t matter who told me, this is for your own safety.”

“Why does everyone hate him so much?” the witch continued taking larger gulps the farther she got towards the bottom of the cup.

“Can you calm down; you must be really thirsty.”

Selene chuckled but before a word could be uttered, she lifted the closest free hand towards her head, she felt dizzy and her eyes were going blurry.

“Why’s everything spinning?” a murmur left her lips. It was mumbled aloud. A chair dragging across the wooden polished floor was heard in the distance and someone’s figure made their presence known next to her.

“Did she drink from this?” snatching the cup from the table Chenle grabbed it sniffing the few sips left in the cup.

“Yeah, why?”

Selene didn’t see the glare sent towards the table chenle was situated at before he came over, she also didn’t see the way he dropped the few paper bills on the table.

She did feel his strong hand grasp tightly onto her arm and shoulder helping her out of her chair. The daze she was in was getting stronger. Her knees felt week from the sudden force of standing but she pushed through on his command.

“Whats going on?” the question was left unanswered as she was dragged out tumbling next to him as they ventured into the freezing cold.

She had left her robe and scarf at the bar, shivering and dizzy Selene moved to lean onto his arm. Sliding the other across her waist he pulled her to a nearby stable.

“Why did you drink it knowing its full of poison?” he strained. She wasn’t on good terms with him. Actually, she despised the blonde mixed boy.

“Answer me!” his voice rose. Selene couldn’t really see that well her head was pounding, and it was starting to get even worse.

“I-I can’t see clearly. My eyes…” “What… whats going on?” she lifted her fingers to eyes level but all she saw was a messy blur of what used to be HD clear vision. Thin strips of cream-brown against white.

“You took a morbus potion. From your symptoms only a few drops, too much could have killed you.” A silent pause registered between the two, she was confused and the last few words he had said really hit clear. I could have died; I never finished the glass. I could have…

“I’ve taken no such thing.”

“It was in the drink,” his voice was hard, it was like he had a rock lodged in his mouth. “Someone must have slipped it in.”

“I feel like I-” holding her lips shut with her hands she felt something sinister crawl up her throat it blocked her breathing and restricted her normal body flow. Defying gravity and her disaccord of its appearance. Please no, not here…

“Get it out of your system.” His tone lightened slightly, or maybe it was her hearing things. Why would his tone change anyway Selene was over listening into things that didn’t matter right now.

“Take this.” He handed her a bottle it contained a liquid of some sort that didn’t look too familiar, she stared at it cautiously as if it would transfigure into a centipede.

“I don’t want to.”

She was able to push down the thick trickling of crimson blood

“It’s already gone this far, how do I know this isn’t going to kill me?” Selene didn’t move her head she just lifted her eyes staring him up, the trust was gone. It was hidden, locked away until he took the key out. But she didn’t expect the answer he gave her…

He sighed dropping his hand before looking away his eyes glanced anywhere but her face. The breath that left his dry, chapped lips evaporated into smoke coalescing itself into the air.

“Good point,” he pressed his lips into a thin line. “Why would I stop you from drinking the rest of the jug back then?”

Selene glanced down, his face had no show of remorse and it had a blank expression plastered onto it. She couldn’t maintain eye contact at all. It felt pointless.

His words made sense though…

“Drink it all.”

Listening to him, she took the first sip hesitantly, not minding the bitter taste. It felt heavy on her tongue but she too it in accepting it was good for her.

“You’ll be alright.” he muttered the words, in the wintery cold that surrounded them Selene felt her heart warm up slightly. She would never admit it now but it felt nice having someone look out. Even if it was with a frown and a dry response.

 [09:15PM]

Selene felt drained. Absolutely exhausted and while she did love nothing but a good rest she still had to do her night duties before she finally could rest this included the lengthy check and route of the whole 2nd floor and near the library.

It would have been 10 times easier- not to mention faster- if it wasn’t for the bratty 3rd year that refused to help her out. The job was specifically made for two yet she never showed up. But the ginger couldn’t bring it in her debilitated self to spend any longer than necessary looking for the young student.

“For fuck sake…” selenes face fell completely. She was aggravated to the max now, which can be added to the list of emotions she was feeling. The last thing she’d expect to see was the young student supposed to be helping her helping her own needs.

The sound of lips against lips filled the air and half of her internally cringed, the lewd sounds filling the air too fast to comprehend. God did she wish to wash out her ears with soap. But as she left a figment of her imagination removed the figure of the male student much older than the girl and placed a charming and devilish German student that had been taking up to much of her mind lately.

For a short second, it was barely comprehensible. his light caress and soft touch was all she yearned for. She shook her head continuing all the rounds she needed to finish. The guilt inside her built up daily but she pressed it down.

During the cold and wintery days. The gloom that was slowly being foreshadowed around the castle, Yangyang was the only source of happiness and joy she found. He filled her with something so intangible and sensual it was so difficult to describe.

And Selene felt herself change bit by bit, she tried to subconsciously hold back. Avoiding him on certain days and cancelling scheduled meet ups but it was inevitable, Yangyang was slowly yet voraciously devouring every inch of her being. She could feel it in the way she looked at him. The way her thoughts where changing. Her desires were developing.

Something once so innocent – a touch from him – a simple sensory fondle. Turned into a carnal and instinctual hunger that he had awoken in her. What was I turning into?…

[Selene Pov]

I felt that relief I craved for when I entered the dorms. Red or green it never mattered when I was weak in the knees. I looked at my bed like a man who was stranded in the dessert looked at fresh water.

“Look who’s here...”

“Please don’t start.” I knew this was going to be rough getting past the two crow-like girls at their beds but I didn’t expect their beady eyes glaring in the pitch dark the cool toned shadow casting harsh shapes across their faces.

“What?”

“We know what you borrowed.” A sigh left her lips as Jinny finished speaking, but the sly raven next to her muttered “She really stole it…” “Ravelle!”

“I didn’t do anything.” A frustrated exhale left my own lips. They wouldn’t know a thing because I never let them know about anything. It wasn’t their business.

“Does this ring a bell to you?” Ravelle stood up waving a slither of tentacula its sticky residue dripping from its end.

“Yeah.” I simply muttered, shrugging and to Ravelle’s shock. She probably thought I was going to deny everything.  

“It’s what you mix every morning to slap” I lightly tapped my fingers onto her cheeks “onto your face, what was it for again- oh right. Your beautiful visuals… right?” I rolled my eyes after feigning thought.

The sniggers didn’t go unnoticed from Jinny who had rolled back onto her bed fully. The glimmer in her beading eyes was picked up by the light rays of moonlight sheathed inside.

“Don’t you dare make fun of my natural face masks and answer me truthfully.” Her voice picked up in volume.

“You’re pathetic.” Ravelle spat back after no response from me.

“You’d really love to know what was in that wrap I held before, don’t you?” I edged coyly. I loved having her on edge like this. But it wouldn’t last too long…

“Sit down.”

I motioned to sit down pointing for her to do as I say.

“There’s no point in getting mad now since it’s already over. There is nothing you could do about it.” I couldn’t help but stop myself from giggling slightly. It was too good.

“I gave the wrap of tentacula away. It wasn’t for me anyways.” I smiled

Ravelle started feeling uncomfortable, she shifted from her position awkwardly. Blinking multiple times.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean Gryffindor or any house for a matter of fact is going nowhere. This year belongs to Durmstrang and I just made sure they got a head start.”

“WHAT THE FUCK?” Ravelle’s eyes went as wide as saucers, “What have you done? Selene!” Jinny’s voice piped up for the first time, the shriek in her voice prominent.

“You’ll find out soon.” I sniggered, a smirk coming up to form at my lips.

 “Shit shi- Guys! You won’t believe this!” the doors to the main dormitories slam open and in came a breathless and beyond petrified Irene, the young girl held her posture against her shaking knees.

The worry evident in her chewed dry lips and pale yellow face. A few more moments and it looked like she was about to throw up.

“They, the- oh god.” It’s like realisation flushed her face, Irene was gobsmacked she frowned glancing at the two girls that were accusing me. Jinny flipped over to see the ghastly expression Irene adorned.

“What is it, spit it out already!”

“James. And uh- Well James potter and his friends they got severely injured.”

“WHAT?” the screech was pitched so high I was surprised it didn’t shatter the clouded glass of the window. All three of us flinched.

“Calm down Ravelle,” Jinny pushed past, fixing her hair. She smiled gently towards the terrified girl. “How did they get injured, tell me what happened clearly” after a few seconds of sharp breaths, Irene spoke shuddering the words I had wanted to hear since I gave the plant to him.

“Well, they got injured last night in the pre battle for the lead in the tournament. Someone had put a certain strange plant in their soup.”

“It was- uh… it’s almost fatal for some.” The last few words were muttered but I heard everything as clearly as I could.

At some point I doubted myself, my ears had to be making up sounds for me to hear and feel accomplished. It couldn’t have worked that well.

“It wasn’t just them. The other houses reported similar symptoms to them earlier.” Another young Gryffindor peeped through the wooden door squeaking quietly.

“Get lost pipsqueak!” Ravelle threw the remains of tentacula at the doorway, “I’ll deal with you later. You’ve done something!”

Her eyes screamed anger she was Enraged, Ravelle hit boiling point. Her body buzzing with a fury that could only be calmed with the sight of her secret lover safe.  

“Yeah yeah,” I waved my hand swatting her as she stormed off. She couldn't do a thing.

 This was only the beginning of things…

@ajuniceuajuniceu​ @kkuljungwoo​ @sensiblebutch​ @kangkinoa​ @nctzen2020​ @mystic-jungkook​ @merryandhappylele​ @bcbymingi​ @mochischeeks  @rilakunma​ @jaehyunspaghetti​ @commentgirl​ @99jjh​ @johnnys-wifeu​ @misaraem @apricottulips​ @h2ogamergirl@angelsnowflake​

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[theshatteredrose]

Relic Keepers: Awakening of the Red Lily (Chapter 14) - Original Fiction

AN: Ok, so we’re approaching the meat of this novel quickly. The following chapters should be fun to write :3c This is going to be a long series. So, hope my readers are enjoying themselves, too~

Ao3 | Wattpad | Inkitt | FictionPress

~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 14:

The tunnels deep underground wasn’t as dark the second time around. That was entirely due to the fact that they had powerful high-beam torches with them. But even with a team of Elites acting as escort, Eishirou was still nervous about their surroundings. It wasn’t that much of a surprise. He just didn’t want to encounter one of those large, reckless centipede ShadowDwellers again.

Battling against it in the middle of a large field was bad enough. How difficult would be in these small, cramped, confined tunnels?

He honestly didn’t want to imagine it.

The halls they moved through were that of the ancient tunnelling. The path unilinear. Often curling from left to right, the ground beneath their feet would dip up and down at random intervals. Old, disused torches lined the walls.

And they weren’t the only things. Ancient cave paintings and carvings were etched in other side of the tunnels. The deeper they moved through the passageways, the more prevalent the paintings on the walls became.

There was one in particular that caught Eishirou’s attention. Enough to pull him to a stop to stare. It was similar to the one he came across before. However, the figures painted purposely as dark and black as possible were in the form of large, hulking humanoids. Yet, they appeared to move on all fours. They towered over the dark brown human figures who held spears and torches of fire as they battled the creatures.

Those creatures…they looked like the ones he saw from his recordings.

Both of them. But it was the one attached to the Elite team that had him the most concerned. Could a ShadowDweller they’ve yet to encounter have followed them?

“Eishirou?” Zayne asked him, worry in his tone.

Eishirou decided not to divulge his concerns with Zayne in the bleakness of the tunnels. “Sorry, got distracted. Just examining a painting. I’ll muse more on it later,” he said as he used his tablet to take a photo.

He couldn’t help but stay close to Zayne as they continued on their way, though. The more he thought about that recording with that humanoid shadowy figure scurrying after the Elite team, the more unnerved he became. There was something undeniably creepy about a humanoid figure with long spindly legs walking on all fours.

No, scurrying on all fours.

A low glow of light in the distance caught everyone’s attention. And they all tensed and fell silent in preparation for a possible confrontation. They couldn’t hear anything, though. Eishirou was fairly confident that a ShadowDweller wasn’t the origin of the light. ShadowDwellers were darker than shadows, so they were incapable of producing light.

He had to remind himself that his preconceptions were from their current research. And as a researcher, he was taught to never say never.

Zayne instinctively grabbed Eishirou by the elbow and pulled him toward him as they moved as a group toward the distant glow.

Eishirou was incredibly surprised to find a small side room through a crack in the wall. And it was filled with low, glowing lights. And those lights originated from patches of mushrooms and fungi. They glowed with neon green and blue lights. Shimmering, but steady. So bright that they didn’t need torches to look around the small room like area.

“Glowing mushrooms?” Eishirou was surprised, but excited by the find nevertheless. After all, he had only read about such things!

“They look pretty,” Rinka admitted with genuine but restrained awe in her voice.

“They also look toxic,” Zayne added, undeniably cautious.

Eishirou couldn’t deny either observation. “They certainly do.”

He slipped out of Zayne’s grip to take a step forward. Toward the closest grouping of mushrooms on the ground. Blue and green mingled together. The lights were gentle, reminding him of fairy lights that would be hung during Christmas or other celebrations.

He crouched down, making sure that he didn’t touch the mysterious discovery. “Luminescent fungi. I’ve never seen one in person before.”

He obviously needed to take a photo and check it against the database. Jacob would be interested to see pictures of them, too. So, he took a couple of pictures. And took another of the whole room.

“Hm,” he murmured as he tapped at the screen of his tablet. “No matches. I’ll need to take a sample.”

“Is that really necessary?”

Eishirou stifled a sigh at the bored, yet exasperated voice of none other than Tatsu.

“We are on a research investigation, Tatsu,” Ernesta chided quickly.

Eishirou didn’t hear a response, but he could feel a pair of eyes on the back of his head. He could also feel some of the tension that was in the air. He couldn’t help but wonder if Tatsu was simply agitated that he was on such a lowly mission. Or if he was actually worried about that other Elite team. He was the one to discover that badge, after all. And he appeared to be a lot more irritated than usual.

But he may just be looking too deep into it.

“This will only take a second,” Eishirou promised as he pulled his bag to his side and rifled through it. Luckily, he had picked up a couple of specimen jars with him. Not to mention some gloves. He couldn’t be too careful. Fungi was notorious toxic in general.

Picking out two of the largest mushrooms that could fit in the specimen jars, Eishirou carefully dug at the ground near the roots and pulled out the entire plant system. With both mushrooms chosen, he carefully set the two into their separate jars. He then set them in a separate pocket in his bag.

“There, done.”

Eishirou pulled out his tablet and instinctively moved toward Zayne as they all moved as a group out of the small room. He concentrated on jotting notes down on his tablet as Zayne guided him through the tunnels with a hand on his elbow. He also took a moment to check their map and quickly noted that they had already moved at least a kilometre. Not in a straight line, but they had travelled some distance and the paths of the tunnel spiral outwards.

He hoped that they would reach an exit soon. They had been fortunate not to encounter a ShadowDweller so far. He could only hope that their luck held out until they at least found a way outside.

As they rounded a slight bend in the path, they were greeted with a dim light in the distance. It was different from the lucent glow of the mushrooms. It was the low light one would associate with the sun. The air felt fresher, too.

“There’s a light ahead. Be ready,” Ernesta commanded.

They fell into silence once more as they walked toward the light. The path began on an incline as they moved, giving the sense that they were indeed heading toward an exit of some kind. Whether or not it they would be able to use the exit was still up in the air.

It took them a moment or two to allow their eyes to adjust to the bright light as they stepped out onto a rocky landing.

After the glare had faded from his eyes, Eishirou scanned their new environment. They appeared to be in a natural bowl, surrounding in steep mountain cliffs. The foliage was as green and lush as the forest Flutterlight Forest. But there was a slight difference; there was a tall white building in the distance. He didn’t recognise it, but it did feel familiar.

“Ah, it’s the lighthouse! I saw that in a recording.”

Of course, it looked slightly different to the one he saw in a recording. It was a mosaic in his vision. But it was still a lighthouse. And he was certain that it was important. It was sure to led to an interesting discovery.

The members of Elite Team 3, however, obviously didn’t feel the same.

“I can’t see the other Elite team,” Tatsu stated, his tone as brisk and terse as ever.

“No, neither can I,” Ernesta replied.

It was extremely obvious where their thoughts were centred on. Not that he could blame them. Elite teams all knew each other. Just like researchers did. If a researcher was lost somewhere, Eishirou would be worried, too.

“You guys should go search for that other Elite Team,” Eishirou suggested firmly.

Ernesta turned to him with a surprised expression on her face. That soon dissipated into a placid expression, though it was obviously a forced one. “…We have our own assignment.”

Yes, he understood that. But it didn’t sit right with him forcing them to do something they weren’t entirely focused on.

Eishirou sighed at gave the Elite leader a pointed gaze. “Look. I’m going to be busy inspecting the lighthouse and surrounding area. If you want to search for your fellow Elites, it’s fine. I know you’re worried.”

Zayne took a step forward and clasped his hand on Eishirou’s shoulder. “I’ll stay with him while the rest of you look.”

Eishirou turned to look at Zayne and nodded his head in acceptance. Yeah, he found that perfectly fine with him. Zayne actually seemed interested in his research, so he was likely interested in learning more about the lighthouse, too. Especially after Eishirou had told him about the recording he had witnessed.

Ernesta didn’t appear all that convinced, though. Torn, maybe, but certainly not wholly convinced. She had been given the task of escorting Eishirou through the Flutterlight Forest at the request from Jacob himself. She was dedicated to her role.

But as an Elite, it was understandable that she was worried about her fellow Elite Teams.

It wasn’t like she was going to abandon him. They lighthouse stood out like a sore thumb. And unlike their previous dealings with the lush forest, this particular area had an open canopy. Allowing for Elites to use their mana wings at will.

“Jacob would understand,” Eishirou added. “In fact, I’m sure he would be far more insistent that I am right now.”

That seemed to helped Ernesta to make her decision. And maybe even put her mind at ease. “We’ll escort you to the lighthouse and secure the area first. After that, we’ll conduct a surveillance of the area further.”

Ok, that sounded reasonable.

Eishirou turned his attention back to the view before them, this time intent on searching for the best possible route to the lighthouse. The foliage of the woods was as dense as ever, but there was a natural trail along the steep cliffs. And it led straight to the tall white structure.

Ernesta took the lead once more as they moved in single file along the path. And they walked in silence, waiting for a noise or disturbance in the environment. Be it ShadowDweller or the other Elite Team.

Thankfully, their trek to reach the base of the lighthouse was an uneventful one.

The lighthouse itself was in a small peak that overlook the basin. With stone steps spiralling toward it. The steps were covered in moss, and broken in some instances. But appeared sturdy enough to be scaled.

Ernesta turned to regard both Eishirou and Zayne with a pointed look. “Do not wander from this area without alerting me.”

“Easy, I’ll be sure to keep him safe,” Zayne replied, both dismissive and reassurance. “I’ve done it before.”

He had. And, honestly, Eishirou couldn’t imagine trusting anyone else to keep him safe.

A placid smile finally appeared on Ernesta’s lips. “Yes, that is true. Very well. We will return, soon.”

The four Elites called out their mana wings and took into the air in order to get a higher perspective of the area. Eishirou saw them off, hoping that they would find some kind of evidence that the other Elite Team had somehow made their way to this area, too.

If not, they were still somewhere in those tunnels.

And he certainly hoped they weren’t trapped or lost somewhere in there.

“Right, let’s see what this lighthouse has for us,” Zayne said as he turned toward Eishirou.

Eishirou nodded. “Right.”

They both turned to face the lighthouse. It was a relatively simple structure. A tall building. It appeared about five stories tall. And made from white stone. Not paint as there was no obvious peeling. Though, it was most certainly had patches of moss dotted across the outer façade.

Oddly, though, there was no windows. He couldn’t see the very top of the structure, but as they walked along the stone pathway that spiral along the peak toward the white structure, he couldn’t see a port or window anywhere.

“It’s the one from the runestone recording?” Zayne asked

“Well, the recording I saw was that of a mosaic, but I’m certain that the mosaic was actually pointing to this structure,” Eishirou replied. “Besides, it’s in the middle of a forest. It’s suspicious, right?”

Zayne stifled a snort. “No kidding.”

After a few more minutes, they finally reached the top of the stairs. They led to a small grassy landing that, in turn, led to the entrance of the lighthouse. However, the door to the structure was not what he had been expecting; the door was large, set within an archway made from old grey stone. The door itself appeared to be made from old stone, too.

“That’s quite the door,” Zayne commented sarcastically.

It most certainly was.

Eishirou quickly approached the door while Zayne moved at a more cautious pace behind him.

There was nothing to be seen on the door. Just a small hole within the very centre. It was likely they keyhole. Though, it wasn’t shaped as normal key, it was quite obvious that something indeed fitted in that slot.

So, since that slot was there…

“It’s likely locked,” Eishirou mused aloud.

“Not jammed?” Zayne questioned as he stepped forward. “Let me try opening it anyway.”

Zayne placed his hands upon the door and steadied himself. He tried pushing it in first before attempting to shift it to the left. There was suddenly the distinct sound of rock grounding against rock.

Had he managed to open it after all?

Unfortunately, the door moved no further.

And Zayne pulled back. “It moved a little. But something is preventing me from moving it further,” he explained.

“I’m going to assume there’s a locking mechanism here,” Eishirou continued to muse aloud. He walked closer to the door and laid his hands upon it and closed his eyes. He soon furrowed his brow. “There’s…also a bit of mana, yet…I can’t access it.”

“Can’t access it?”

“Y-yeah,” Eishirou stuttered, both unnerved and puzzled as he pulled his hands back and opened his eyes. “There’s…something blocking me from accessing it.”

He could feel the mana. It was there. So close. And yet…there was something stopping him from reaching out to it.

“That happened before?” Zayne asked.

Eishirou shook his head, still obviously unnerved. “No…”

It was just…really unnerving to be able to feel something, but unable to reach out to it. Though, it could be because the door itself wasn’t complete. The key or item that fitted into that slot might be the very thing needed for him to reach that mana.

Yeah, that made sense.

Well, he supposed there was little he could do about it. Getting unnerved wasn’t helping anyone. The door might not allow him to access the mana stored within at the moment, but maybe something else would?

“Hm,” Eishirou murmured as he held his chin in thought. “If there is a locking mechanism, then there’s got to be a hint of how to open it around here somewhere. If I can find a runestone or mosaic, then maybe I can pull another recording.”

“You’re reading ability is quite useful,” Zayne unexpectedly commented, causing Eishirou to turn toward him with a subtle expression of surprise. “Can you do that with any object?”

Eishirou shook his head. “No, just objects with mana of intent. Basically, someone infusing mana into an object with the sole purpose to document something.” He paused and rubbed the back of his neck. “W-well, that used to be the way. But I was able to get a recording from that badge. From the badge’s point of view.”

He couldn’t really imagine the owner of said badge purposely infusing mana into their badge just to show something from the object’s point of view. Maybe it was completely unintentional. But that would mean…the owner of said badge had a spike of powerful emotion.

…Like fear.

“From the badge’s point of view?” Zayne questioned with a curious tilt of his head.

“Yeah. Just like that.” Eishirou shifted on his feet as he took a moment to find a way to explain further. “From the point of view of the badge as it laid on the floor. That was honestly a first for me. As is that blockage. I wonder if that has something to do with me or…”

“It might just need a key,” Zayne interrupted.

Eishirou turned his face toward Zayne and gave a small smile. “I think so, too.”

A loud explosion in the distance suddenly erupted and echoed around the basin. It was so loud and sudden that it caused Eishirou to jump. And for Zayne to immediately pull out his mana holsters, move to stand in front of Eishirou in a defensive stance, and attempt to search for the source of the sound.

He soon narrowed in on an area within the forest where birds fluttered into the air in a giant flock. And right behind them was a plume of smoke.

“That sounded like Tatsu,” Zayne murmured. “They must have encountered a ShadowDweller.”

“Wh-what should we do?” Eishirou asked as another explosion was heard.

Before Zayne could answer, Eishirou himself witnessed four figures dart into the sky. Their mana wings and weapons fully materialised. They were quite a distance away, but Eishirou knew that they were the other members of Team 3.

And they were rapidly heading in their direction!

[darkestwolfx]

Forest

Thought I would re-post this here, because why not? I might start posting more of my work on tumblr too.

It’s part 2 of my March prompt series but can be read as a stand alone. Relevant links are the at the bottom. I’ll be uploading parts 3 & 4 tonight!

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“The central part of Tracy Island is a lush tropical forest, home to a variety of plants and animals unique to the island.”

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Summary: ‘There’s a reason no one goes into that forest alone.’ Alan just hadn’t expected what it really was.

Words: 2481

Spoilers: None

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Usually Alan would pull Gordon in on his trouble making plans, but not this one. This one he wanted the glory all to himself. Apparently, the forest on the island – which Gordon had always liked to characterise as a jungle – was impenetrable, with crossing from one side to the other impossible. Alan had every plan to film his journey across the great green landscape and prove his brother’s wrong.

Knowing the oldest three, they’d probably never even tried to venture in there, just listened to Dad’s every word and warning against it like good sons.

But Alan wanted to know. He wanted to know what was in there. Gordon always described it like the jungle out of The Jungle Book, which John always claimed was due to the blonde knowing of no other jungle to compare it too. Virgil had painted it, but only ever from the outside, never anything else and Scott did nothing but tow the line that it was impassible.

Well, youngest and bravest had every plan to change that, so he had decided. He’d packed his rucksack with drinks and snacks just in case he was stuck out there for a while, and he’d made sure his camera had enough charge to film the whole journey. Yes, this was going to be good. He couldn’t wait to see his family’s faces when he proved them all wrong.

He prepared himself with a deep breath, before sneaking out of his room, and into the quiet, dimly lit hallway. He didn’t switch any lights on so as to lessen his chances of waking anyone and he moved with a much speed and silence as he could. It was hard, because he was so excited to finally be doing this, but he wouldn’t be doing it if he got caught, so he continued on course, quiet and determined, though excited.

He made it out of the house easily enough and then quickly dashed off into the lifting cover of night. It would be light enough by the time he made it to the forest, and there was no reason why he shouldn’t be able to make it back before darkness fell again. He was hoping to make it back for lunch.

Alan felt apprehension creeping in the closer he come to the green forestry, but he pushed on still. He was determined to be the first to cross that land, to prove to everyone that there was nothing to fear in there, that it was possible to go in and come back out. That was his reason for being here, and he was prepared, he wasn’t turning back.

Deep breath in, and off he went-

“Where are you going?”

Oh no… That was Gordon. He sighed as he turned around to see the smiling, smirking form of the brother closest to him in age, just as he’d predicted.

“I thought I didn’t wake anyone.”

“You didn’t.” Gordon smiled, wide and bright like usual when he was planning trouble, and for once Alan worried he too was in the impact zone for said mayhem, even though he was usually excluded due to being part of the trouble causing.

“Good.”

“Because we were already awake.”

And that was Scott. Unless Gordon had suddenly become some kind of expert in ventriloquism, which Alan couldn’t rule out of the realm of possibility. But, no, Scott appeared behind the swimmer and Alan felt his heart sink. His escapade was clearly flawed and there was likely little chance of him getting in the forest now.

Great. All that planning for nothing.

And it really was for nothing, because soon John and Virgil appeared to stand at the eldest’s side and Alan knew luck couldn’t have been rooting for him.

“Don’t tell me you all just happened to be awake?”

That was an odd thing to happen at… six in the morning. Well, odd for Virgil and Gordon at least: Scott was military trained, and John was an astronaut, so for them it was perfectly plausible.

But Virgil laughed.

“I woke them.” Gordon explained and Alan felt somewhat betrayed. “I knew you were planning something, and you left me out. Cheek of that.”

“And this is to teach me not to?”

“Hey, little brother, what can I say? If you’d let me in on the plan… This wouldn’t have happened.”

Yeah, he felt very betrayed.

“Anyway,” Scott began, arms folded, brows raised, “What are you doing heading for the forest?”

“I’m going in.”

This time, they all laughed. All four of them.

“What? What is so funny?”

“You’re not going in there.”

“Yes, I am, Scott. I’m going to prove you all wrong.”

“What are you trying to prove wrong?” Virgil inquired, brows frowning incredibly akin to Scott’s.

“That there’s no reason why we can’t go into this forest.”

“Other than the fact that it’s nearly impossible to navigate?”

“And covers most of the island, and is mostly impenetrable?”

“And it’s darker in there than it ever is out here, even in daylight?”

“And it’s massive.” Gordon finished off, only for three older sets of eyes to turn to him. Alan found that rather comical. “What? You three took all the good points.”

John shook his head. Virgil chuckled.

“So, Alan, knowing all that, you’re still planning to go in?” Scott began, “Because you know, despite all that, there’s a reason no one goes into that forest alone.”

“I know, it’s because Dad said- Wait, did you say alone?”

“Yeah.”

“Alone, but not, not at all?”

“Correct.”

“At least we know he can still hear ok- ow!”

Virgil had whacked Gordon’s chest in response to that.

“But I thought no one had ever been in there? It’s not allowed.”

“With good reason.” John muttered, although Alan could expect that from his second brother.

“They’ve been in there.” Gordon began, something in his tone sounding remorseful. “I would have loved to have a wonder through.”

“Feel free, but I’m never going in there again.” John stated and Gordon smiled. Alan had a feeling his trouble making partner knew the story he didn’t here.

“Me neither.” Virgil agreed. “The art wasn’t worth it.”

“Art?” He was well and truly confused. “But you never paint the inside of the forest.”

“I did intend to, but I never really got a look at anything different from the outside. I was too busy trying to find a way out.”

“You’ve been in the forest? Why wasn’t I told this sooner? Ok, you have to tell me this story now!”

“Ok,” The eldest relented. “You see, Virgil here thought it would be a great artistic opportunity to see the inside of the forest.” Scott began. “So, he ‘wisely’ ignored Dad and went in there.”

“And got lost.” John concluded.

“I prefer to say I misplaced my sense of direction.”

“Whatever you like.”

“So, John and I – good brothers we are - went in after him, and we were pretty lucky in being able to find him, but-”

“We also ended up getting lost.” John added, “For all Scott had promised me he’d be able to get us out with his amazing sense of direction.”

“I did get us out, thank you very much.”

Gordon suddenly started chuckling again, and Alan knew there was more that he was missing. This wasn’t a simple lost and found.

“Yes, after we ran into half of the unique wildlife out there.” John contributed.

Virgil groaned. “Don’t remind me! I’m still haunted.”

“I looked it up on the internet, I don’t think it’s that scary.” Gordon added and Alan really wanted to know what he was still missing. Virgil didn’t scare easily either, but his middle brother was cringing and moving away from Gordon as he spoke. “Lots of legs, quick moving and slimy.”

“And bites.” The astronaut added almost bitterly.

“What does?” He was sure his brothers could be talking about any number of things, especially if there was wildlife in that forest he’d never seen before.

“Centipedes.” Gordon answered, clearly still on a mission to tease Virgil.

“But they’re tiny.” He’d seen some which had made into the house. They were always nothing scary, just little fast-moving bugs that usually got themselves stuck in the bath before they met their end.

“No, eight inches long-”

“The size of a golf tee, give or take.” Virgil helped with his visual imagining of the now big issue which dwelt inside the scary forest.

“-And with a dangerous bite.” Scott explained.

“Poisonous bite.” John corrected, with venom of his own.

“Woah, really?”

“You should expect there to be something poisonous on this island, little bro.”

“I know, Gordon, but a centipede?”

“Yeah. Definitely a centipede.” Virgil agreed with shivers going down his spine anew.

“But – hang, I don’t get… how that’s relevant to you getting lost?” Alan asked, it being his turn to frown now, and Scott sighed as John and Virgil’s eyes turned to him. Gordon was smiling like a clown.

“Ok, so John and I rushed after Virgil, forgetting that neither of us had shoes on. I had socks on, but John had bare feet. After we’d managed to find Virgil, we were trying to find our way back and found the centipede’s instead.”

“Right…”

“It has to be this way.”

“How do you know that, Scott?”

“I don’t, John, but I’m pretty sure we came this way… See look, there’s a tree.”

“It’s a forest, Scott!”

“There are trees everywhere!”

“Virgil, I don’t need you stating the obvious too.”

“You’re the one stating the obvious, not me. I just pointed out what you clearly didn’t see!”

“I did too see the trees, hence why I said it.”

“Not at all helpfully.”

“Well it wasn’t helpful of you to just run off here.”

“I didn’t think it was going to be this…”

“What? Everything Dad said it was?”

“I just thought I could use the scenery.”

“Great, did you hear that John? We’ve got ourselves lost for the sake of scenery.”

“I really couldn’t care why. Let’s just get out of here.”

“Great idea, John. Pity Scott’s getting prematurely old!”

“Hey! You try remembering anything round here-”

“Stop arguing.”

“-it all looks exactly the same, there’s nothing to remember!”

“Well maybe you should have thought more about rushing in after me!”

“Maybe you should have thought more about not rushing in-”

“Ow!”

“John? What now?”

“I’ve got bare feet-”

“Should have put some shoes on then.”

“-And I think something just bit me.”

“Probably because you’ve got no shoes on.”

“Virgil…”

“Here, hold onto me before you fall over.”

“Can we jus- eww! What are all those things!”

“They’ve got loads of legs.”

“They’re centipedes.”

“They’re disgusting!”

“I think that’s what bit me.”

“They don’t bite… do they?”

“Why are you looking at me, Virgil? John’s the genius.”

“Genius or not, I don’t know. I don’t have x-ray vision to see through my feet!”

“Great… just great.”

“Well, you obviously made it back.” Alan summarised once his elder brothers finished recounting their encounter, Gordon having enjoyed the whole thing despite the youngest being able to tell he’d heard it all before. Honestly, having lived long enough on the island, he was used to the bugs, though he wasn’t very keen on the thought of centipedes anymore either. And the things had been known to make their way towards the house… little tiny ones, but still. “You found a way out?”

“Eventually.” Virgil groaned. “It took ages.”

“Yeah, and I even had to carry John.”

“Considering you were the one who pulled me out the house without leaving me any time to get my shoes, Scott, I don’t think that piggyback was unfair.”

“Me neither.”

“Hey, we were only in there because of you, so you don’t get a vote!”

“Besides, I couldn’t have walked back anyway, considering the fact I’d been poisoned.”

“Yeah ok, but Brains said it wouldn’t have been fatal.”

“We didn’t know that!” John and Virgil chorused, and even Gordon wasn’t smiling now.

“Nor did Dad. He all but blew up when you returned, and I had a front row seat! Heck, you all say I’m loud; I say that’s where I got it from.”

“Hang on- So, let me get this straight.” His brothers turned their focus to him. “Virgil went into the forest even though we’re not meant to. You two went in after him and got just as lost. John got bitten by a poisonous-”

“Venomous.” Scott interjected.

“-Centipede and somehow you found your way home. Did I miss anything?”

“Well, you skimmed it down a lot.” Virgil corrected.

“But I don’t think you missed anything.” Gordon interjected.

“Right. So that’s why I shouldn’t go into the forest alone?”

“Yeah, and why you shouldn’t go in there at all, little brother.”

“You do not want to get bitten by a centipede.”

“No?” Gordon asked, clearly trying to find some humour, but John refused to oblige the swimmer.

“No. I don’t care that it’s not fatal, it still hurts like level four on Schmidt index*.”

“Well, I think we should head home before anyone else wakes up.” Scott decided, making his opinion and it was met with three more sets of agreement before those blue eyes turned on him. “Alan? You coming with, or are you still going through the forest?”

He gave the forest one last glance. He still could if he wanted to, but his opinion on braving the forest had changed drastically since he left the house.

“Maybe I won’t bother.”

“Good call.”

“Oh no, don’t you all go getting the wrong idea. My decision has nothing to do with any of you.” Alan assured. He wasn’t certain that his brothers believed him from the skeptical glances, but he was definitely going to run with his story. “I just wanted to be the first. There’s no point bothering if I’ve already been beaten to it.”

Pushing past, Alan tried to further his argument by being the first to walk back up the hill. There really was no value in It for him if he wasn’t the first, and his brother’s cautionary tale had made it seem… well, it confirmed everything he’d always been warned of when it came to the forest.

They all headed back up to the house, with no one else any the wiser that the forest had ever been on the exploration list, but at the same time, Alan had a feeling he was going to be sharing Virgil’s bug based shivers for quite some time now. Whilst he would have believed Gordon to pull such a prank, John wouldn’t lie about being bitten by a centipede, which meant the things really were as horrible as he thought they were ugly.

No, there was a reason why not one went into that forest alone, and it was the same reason that no one should go in at all.

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*Schmidt string pain index – list the pain sale of different large order insect bites. It ranges from 1-4, with four being described as ‘blinding’ levels of pain.

So, when I travelled to the rain forest, I was warned to look out for “the eight-inch centipedes” with a sting “worse than a hive of bees”. So for anyone unsure, 8 inches is the equivalent size of a golf tee, or a little bit more than a brand new, sharpened pencil with an eraser on top. Basically, the locals don’t like them, they’ve just become used to them.

If you do want to look it up (which I wouldn’t personally having already done so), the species of centipede to likely inhabit Tracy Island would be the Amazonian giant Centipede (Scolopendra gigantea) which grow to 8 inches minimum, with a maximum length of 12 inches (so the size equivalent of a full ruler). It is reported to have a venom which isn’t fatal, however one four-year-old child has reportedly died from it. Its classification has remained venomous, not poisonous however, and it is thought anyone in good health and not of an extremely young or old age would be able to survive. Many people have been reported to fall ill after being bitten by a giant centipede. With recent discoveries of the first amphibious centipede, and reports of two more poisonous Scolopendrra Subspinipes (Thailand and Mexico), it is likely that the main genus of the Scolopendra family will soon be reclassified.

Before anyone asks why I’ve said it’s nonfatal in this story, that is because I have referred to it as matches its current classification, although if that is ever redefined (which I think it should be), I will edit this to match.

So, personally, I think I am very lucky to not have encountered one whilst I was in the rainforest! I felt very much like Virgil as I walked around, constantly on the lookout with goosebumps going up my arms. I had some excellent guides though, and attribute my survival and learning to them. If I sent this their way, they would probably laugh at what I’m using all that knowledge they gave me for!

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Whole series of works avaliable here:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23120479

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13520092/2/Marching-On

[agl03]

Just some random shower thoughts.

How Robin’s visions worked hae been a bit of a mystery to me.  She would see deaths abut she would also see a way out of those deaths.  Her drawings never really showing the solution but either the death itself, something that lead to the death, happening, or the aftermath once the correction was made.   This also shows that the writers did in deed have this season mapped out from pretty much day one.

In the opening montage we had a number of significant pictures and most of them didn’t come to pass until th eend of the season and represented one of the ways her visions worked.

An event that happened before a death(s):

This picture shortly before Hale killed them.

Something that showed the cause of the death.

In previous loops Graviton destroyed the world and at hte very least likely killed Daisy.  In the broken loop he was mostly responsible for the series of events that lead to Loop Fitz’s death.

The Aftermath once the correction was made.

Coulson and May only made it to Tahiti after the loop was broken,this is after the way out, Coulson giving Daisy the Centipede, was used.

The Death itself.

Here Robin drew her own death, though at the time she might now have ralized it was her own.

It was also when this drawing was presented that she told Fitz he was left behind becuase “you have to save them,” and Fitz saving the team happned over and over as the season progressed.

May from death in the arena by gettin Kasius to send her to the surface.

Daisy and Jemma from being sold off.

The “time capsule” saved Mack and the other humans during their uprising.

The Zephyr saved the True Belivers who had been sent to the surface, May when she was sent there, and allowed for the tools to be in place for the loop to even happen.

Closed the fear rift before it hurt more on the base and the town above.

Mack and Polly who died in the previous loops.

Another infamous line was “You gave them everything you could.”  Which is most certainly true for Fitz with the list above and eventually his life.  However the other two people who were in the rrom also gave up their everything.   Jemma and May.   Both lost the men they love and their future daughters.

While Coulson did survive the finale his time is short.  They will make the most of it but in Coulson not taking the cure May will lose him.  And while it is most certainly better that Robin now has Polly to raise her again May lost her daughter of the previous loops.

Jemma is the same way.  She lost her daughter, husband, and it currently looks like she lost her Grandson as well.   Yes, she is going to get Fitz back but she still lost her everything to save the world.

Something I find so interesting about Robin and her drawings is that none of the drawings hinted at Fitz’s fate with the way out of the loop.   This mostly likely a choice by the writers to hide what they were up too.

So while they hid what was coming with Fitz via Robin’s drawings they still dropped the hint , as they did with Coulson and May in Tahitit and Graviton, right in the premiere.

Jemma’s “Somewhere out there, he’s still fighing.  But from our reference point, he’s lived his life. Or not.”  Is truer now than it was then.  Then Enoch had already awoken or was about to wake Cryo Fitz and he was on his way to the Lighthouse.  Now, it still holds true as Maurader Fitz has lived his life while Cryo Fitz is out there sleeping...still fighting in order to save his friends.  Not knowing its now the other way around.  That he did save them, helped saved the world, ad now they are coming to save him.