#man-made bee nest

[huariqueje]

Spring Hive - Brett Scheifflee , 2020.

American , b. 1986 -

Oil on panel , 5 x 5 in.

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Wool-Carder Bees: these solitary bees harvest the soft, downy hairs that grow on certain plants, rolling them into bundles and then using the material to line their nests

Wool-carder bees build their nests in existing cavities, usually finding a hole/crevice in a tree, a plant stem, a piece of rotting wood, or a man-made structure, and then lining the cavity with woolly plant fibers, which are used to form a series of brood cells.

The fibers (known as trichomes) are collected from the leaves and stems of various plants, including lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina), mulleins, globe thistle, rose campion, and other fuzzy plants.

From the University of Florida's Department of Entomology & Nematology:

The female uses her toothed mandibles to scrape trichomes off fuzzy plants and collects a ball of the material under her abdomen. She transports these soft plant fibers to her selected nest site and uses them to line a brood cell. Next, she collects and deposits a provision of pollen and nectar into the cell, enough pollen to feed a larva until it is ready to pupate. Lastly, she lays a single egg on top of the pollen and nectar supply before sealing the cell. ... She will repeat this process with adjoining cells until the cavity is full.

These are solitary bees, meaning that they do not form colonies or live together in hives. Each female builds her own nest, and the males do not have nests at all.

Female wool-carder bees will sometimes sting if their nest is threatened, but they are generally docile. The males are notoriously aggressive, however; they will often chase, head-butt, and/or wrestle any other insect that invades their territory, and they may defend their territory from intruders up to 70 times per hour. The males do not have stingers, but there are five tiny spikes located on the last segment of their abdomen, and they often use those spikes when fighting. They also have strong, sharp mandibles that can crush other bees.

There are many different types of wool-carder bee, but the most prolific is the European wool-carder (Anthidium manicatum), which is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, but has also become established as an invasive species throughout much of North America, most of South America, and New Zealand. It is the most widely distributed unmanaged bee in the world.

A few different species of wool-carder bee: the top row depicts the European wool-carder, A. manicatum (left) and the spotted wool-carder, Anthidium maculosum (right), while the bottom row depicts the reticulated small-woolcarder, Pseudoanthidium reticulatum, and Porter's wool-carder, Anthidium porterae

Sources & More Info:

University of Florida: The Woolcarder Bee

Oregon State University: European Woolcarder Bees

Bohart Museum of Entomology: Facts about the Wool Carder Bee (PDF)

Bumblebee Conservation Trust: A. manicatum

World's Best Gardening Blog: European Wool Carder Bees - Likeable Bullies

Biological Invasions: Global Invasion by Anthidium manicatum

[sleep-drunk-kitten]

pairing: Sunghoon x fem!reader

genre: angst with a happy ending, fluff, established relationship

content warnings: emotional neglect, some swearing, hoon is kinda a workaholic ig?, I don't think there's anything that really needs warnings other than this is sad but lmk if I miss anything!

summary: your boyfriend comes home late after promising to be home on time for once, only to find that you're nowhere in sight...

notes: this is another one that I'm not sure how to feel about ;-; but I hope you guys enjoy it TwT fun fact, the whole thing was inspired by an rp that I did with an ai where the robot somehow managed to call me by another person's name while cuddling XD

I'm making a general taglist for my fics so if anyone would like to be added please either send an ask or a DM ^w^

Everything below the cut is NOT proofread

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  The white noise of your favorite movie buzzes through your living room, conversation and dialogue that you’d learned by heart filling the cold space with a false sense of familiarity. You sit cross-legged with your back pressed into the arm of the L-shaped couch in front of the tv, resting your chin on a plushie held close to your chest, looking not at the flickering screen to your right, but at the clock hanging in your kitchen–the only room in the house with the lights on. 

  9:17 pm, it reads. Roughly three hours and seventeen minutes since your boyfriend would typically get home from work. 

  Three hours and seventeen minutes since you’d been waiting on a barstool by the kitchen island where you both usually took your meals. 

  A tiramisu cake and a bouquet of flowers laid out in front of you. 

  Waiting.

  Waiting.

  So much waiting. 

  After an hour or so, you’d gently slid the cake back into its box, distracting yourself with the task of putting the flowers into a vase before they could wilt. 

  ‘He’s late again,’ you think sleepily, eyes struggling to stay focused on the clock, ’he promised he wouldn’t be tonight.’

  Your vision blurs as the long hand hits 12, eyelids too heavy to keep open, mind wandering to the conversation you’d shared with Sunghoon that morning. 

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  “What time will you be home from work today?” you asked sleepily, sitting up in your nest of blankets, having woken up to find that he was already in the process of pulling his socks on, careful not to wake you. 

  “I don’t know, Love, you know how crazy things have been with this update, I might be late again,” he said absently, looking around for his glasses. “Where the fuck did I put them?”

  He runs a hand through his hair frustratedly, leg bouncing in agitation. It made your heart ache slightly in your chest, disappointment, guilt, and worry mixing confusedly in your stomach. 

  You loved Sunghoon, more than almost anything else in your life, he was the man you’d chosen as your partner, who you’d decided to stand by through thick and thin. But ever since the game company he worked for had started work on a new update, you’d been seeing less and less of him. Always coming home late, tired and stressed, mind wandering and absent even when he was sitting right in front of you. You understood, you really did. Between the two of you he was the one with the bigger income, the burden of taking care of you, of making sure that the two of you could build a future together, was on his shoulders. And it was a responsibility that he did not take lightly. 

  But still. 

  In moments like that, where you slid off your bed to fetch his glasses off the nightstand–blanket wrapped securely round your shoulders to fend off the cold that permeated your apartment since the heating had started to malfunction–moving round the bed to stand in front of him… you couldn’t help but feel like he was breaking your heart. Just a little. 

  It was in the way he only met your eyes briefly when he took them from you before standing and gathering the rest of his things, sighing in what could’ve been frustration or relief, it was hard to tell. 

  It was the way he didn’t stop the flow of movement steadily taking him away from you and towards the office till you called his name twice, stopping in his tracks and fixing you with a look that, though probably unintentional, made you want to bury yourself under your mountain of plushies and hide. 

  “I’m going to be late, (y/n), what is it?”

  You winced. You couldn’t help it. Unaccustomed to hearing him say your name with so little emotion. “Just… could you come back on time tonight?” your voice is barely more than a whisper, tapering off into silence the longer you force your eyes to meet his. “Unless you can’t of course! I’m not saying you have to do anything, I understand that you’re busy and you can’t really dictate when or how things get done but just that it would be nice if you could be home on time tonight since-”

  “Okay.”

  “Huh?” 

  “I’ll make it home on time tonight.” 

  His voice was softer than it had been a moment ago, giving you the courage you needed to meet his eyes. They were still heavy with worry, brows drawn together to dig a permanent crease into the middle of his forehead, but they weren’t quite as cold or distant. He was looking at you, really looking at you for the first time in what felt like forever. 

  It wasn’t much, you knew that. But it was still enough to ease the knot building in your throat. Enough to bring a small smile to your face as you nodded. “Mnm! Okay, I’ll see you tonight then.”

   “Mnm, alright,” he said, a small, slightly strained smile coming to rest on his own lips.

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  The apartment was almost completely dark when the lock to the front door chimed, alerting the darkness that someone had arrived. The figure that stepped through was slumped over, backpack sliding off one shoulder with his jacket, shoes abandoned haphazardly. 

  It took a moment for Sunghoon’s mind to catch up to his body, for it to fully sink into his bones that he was home. That he was home and it was nearly 11 pm. Home and the tv and kitchen light were both on, white letters onscreen asking the room if anyone was still watching Netflix. 

  Something in the kitchen caught his eye, a handmade vase his sister had given you for your birthday set out on the kitchen island, filled to the brim with pink, white, and purple flowers he did not recognise. 

  ’Oh’

  It was his birthday. 

  That’s why you’d asked him to come home on time. 

  Sunghoon groaned, face twisting with what could only be described as pain as he quickly set his bag down by the front door and made his way to your shared bedroom. You were usually asleep by this time, unable to pull all-nighters the way you used to back when you were in high school, always out like a light by no later than 10:30 every night. 

  ’But she still stays up every night waiting for you,’ a voice in his head hisses.

  ’I know… fuck I know she does,’ his own voice replies, panic setting in when he finds your room empty, the bed neatly made, not even a dent to show that you’d been laying in it while working on your laptop during the day. 

  ’She’s not here… are you surprised? How long did you expect her to wait?’ the voice whispers, a chill cascading down his spine.

  The panic sets in with more vigor, wrapping round his throat and sending his tired mind into overdrive as he checks the bathroom, your home office, and finally the dark living room. Fear telling him that this was it. 

  He’d really gone and done it now. 

  He wasn’t a complete fool. He knew the moment you stood in the middle of your bedroom floor instead of closing the distance between you and wrapping your arms around his waist, choosing instead to clutch your favorite duvet like a lifeline, wincing when you heard his voice, all because you wanted to ask him to come home… he knew right then that he’d been an absolute idiot. 

  He’d meant to come home early, to be there to make it up to you, to apologise properly, tell you that he’d take some time off as soon as the update was done and dusted. 

  But he didn’t. He let work sweep him up again. Drowning in error messages and buggy code till the sky outside his office windows was filled with the flickering lights of the city at night. 

  And now… now you weren’t there. 

  He’d left you alone. 

  He’d left you alone too long and you were gone. 

  You were gone. 

  You were gone and-

  ’Oh.’

  There you were. 

  The relief when Sunghoon sees you–curled up on the couch, partially hidden by a small pile of blankets and stuffed animals–is immediate.

  He doesn’t really register the way he sighs your name, shoulders relaxing, body melting into the floor the moment he’s in front of you, hand brushing a few messy strands of hair out of your face. The need to feel the warmth of your skin, to confirm that you really are there in front of him more an instinct than a conscious decision. 

  You mumble something in your sleep, tilting your face away from his cold fingertips, eyes fluttering open. “Hoon… hi baby… welcome home,” you say tiredly, shifting under your blankets in an attempt to pull yourself up. 

  Sunghoon feels his heart crack in his chest. Why were you smiling at him? You should've been angry. You should've pushed him away, demanded to know why he was back so late, why he'd been neglecting you in the first place. 

  “Baby? My love… why are you crying?” you ask, reaching for him through the haze of sleep still clinging to your limbs. 

  Choking back a sob, he leans closer, tucking his head under your chin and doing his best to wrap an arm around you from his place on the carpeted floor. “Nothing,” he says, shaking his head, though the tears soaking into your sternum say otherwise, “just missed you…”

  Your vision blurs at his words, a thread of steadily building tension and worry that had been constricting your heart for the past few weeks snapping. “Oh…” your voice shakes slightly, lungs shuddering as your breaths begin to feel lighter, “I’m right here you goose, what’re you crying for?” 

  “Who says I’m crying,” he says, hoarse with tears. 

  “Right right,” you laugh despite the dampness now soaking through your own cheeks, “because my baby never cries, huh?” 

  “Never,” he sniffles, nuzzling closer.

  You stay like that for a while, eventually urging him to sit more comfortably on the couch, allowing you to settle yourself on his lap, his arms still wrapped firmly round your waist, hands occasionally kneading whatever part of you he was in contact with as if he needed to assure himself that you were there, solid and real. 

  He waits until he feels your heartbeat slow to a steady rhythm, trying his best to calm down so his own can match yours, beat for beat. The way it–in his opinion–should. 

  But it wouldn’t, there were words lodged in his throat, and every time he tried to get them out he felt that same panic wash over him, sending his heart into a frenzy. 

  You could feel like beating against your cheek, could sense that there was something he wasn’t saying from the way his grip on you would tighten almost imperceptibly, stiffening as if he was bracing himself for something. A part of you wanted to push him, prompt him and ask what was going through his head, why you’d woken up to the sight of him crying in the dim light of your living room. And you would’ve if he hadn’t beat you to it. 

  “I’m sorry, (y/n).”

  “What do you mean? For being late? I know you can’t help it, Hoon, it’s not some-”

  “No! I mean yes, I’m sorry for being late tonight but… I mean… I mean for everything… for not being… here, with you, like this… as often as I should be, I’m sorry,” he says, the hands at your sides nervously fidgeting with the fabric at your hips, nervously looking between your face and the static tv screen behind you. 

  Sunghoon had never been good with words. You’d learned early on in your relationship that he preferred to show how he felt through his actions. Yet here he was, fumbling through an apology because… because… 

  “My love… did you think I’d left?” you ask, gently cupping his face with one hand, urging him to look at you. 

  Puffy red eyes still wet with tears, messy unkempt hair from running his hands through it all day, tired and probably as emotionally spent as you’d ever seen him and still… still he was the most beautiful person in the world to you. He nodded, hiding his face in your chest again, hands stilling. 

  “Well,” you sigh, resting your chin on top of his head and running a hand through the hair at the back of his head, combing through it in a way he swears only you can, “at least you know you’ve got things you need to make up for…”

  “I know… I forgot for a while… but I know…”

  “That’s okay then,” you breathe, leaning back to kiss his forehead. “But Sunghoon… baby… darling… the love of my life… my little pookie bear… �� you both giggle a little at the pet names, “You know I’d never leave you over something like this right? I was sad, and hurt, and I still expect you to make it up to me by never doing this again but… I still love you, it only hurts because I love you… I’m not going anywhere.”

  Sunghoon pauses for a moment, letting your words sink in. You think that when he looks up, lips slightly parted, it’s to say something in response, but you really should’ve known better. 

  Slowly, giving you enough time to pull away should you choose to, his breath mingling with yours before he steals it away with a soft, lingering kiss. Neither of you is in any rush to take things further. 

  It feels like a small eternity before he pulls away, like time stills for you both, but then he’s pressing his lips to your jaw, butterfly kisses tickling you down to your pulse point, making you giggle so you almost miss it when he says, “I love you too… so much…” 

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  It isn’t until the next day when you’re shuffling into your home office dressed in one of his oversized jerseys, complaining about a meeting that he remembers the flowers he’d seen on the kitchen island.

  Pulling out his phone, he makes good use of his detective skills (and google lens), remembering all the times you’d spoken to him about the language of flowers, and the meanings behind certain blooms. 

  He wasn’t quite sure whether to laugh or cry once he’d figured it out, opting to dig through the cabinets for a pack of waffle mix to fix you some breakfast instead. He had a lot of apologies to make…

Baby’s Breath: pure everlasting love

Pink Camellias: longing for you

Forget-me-nots: true love memories, do not forget me

[sinofthesloth]

so how do you think Epel, Vil, Malleus, Azul and Jack Howl would deal with a crush who actually starts running at them and hugging them as a greeting after a couple months of knowing the boys? (The hugs only seem to be reserved for the boys. Crush clearly has a favourite. Probably horrifies people when they first do this to Malleus). Like their senses tingle and they bee line for the boys and suddenly the boys are being hugged by this human with golden retriever energy from behind or somehow this person had teleported in front of them and hugged?

Hey Sin here, not sure if you want all the boys together since you wrote, "Crush clearly has a favourite." but I am going to separate so each boy has his own part. Sorry if this is not how you wanted them. Also this is my first time doing an ask, so thank you for sending one in!

Content/Warnings: Jack's part is more of a general day of school, Epel's part is centered around the Song and Dance Competition (Epel's part has slight angst and talks about Vil's overblot) Azul's part talks about his overblot, Vil's part talks about his fangirls, and Malleus part talks about Sebek a good bit. (I love him) Requested: Yes by @nesting-dreams Word Count: At least 400 per boy. Written: December 1st. Characters: Jack, Epel, Azul, Vil, and Malleus

Jack

At first the hugs didn't confuse Jack. He took in stride and squeezed back. He had younger siblings and knows that sometimes a hug is just what a person needs to get by. He had known you for quite some time.

He was there for Leona's as well as Azul's overblots. He knows the kind of stress that has been put on you, and he wants you to know he will always be there for you.

Jack started to notice his crush on you when he would make eye contact with you across the courtyard and you started to make a dash to him. At first he thought it was cute, but day after day, he started waiting for you. It was a slow realization, but after Deuce called his tail wagging out at the track field, man was embarrassed.

He also noticed you didn't hug the others like you'd hug him. If he was looking away, you'd softly wrap your arms around him. If he was in a group, you'd make sure he saw you coming first. But every time you'd hug any of the other boys it was always a side hug. You would also press him into yourself as much as you could when you hugged him.

He just hoped you wouldn't notice his tail wagging each time you held him close.

Epel

You've seen each other in classes before, but you didn't speak more than a few short sentences with each other. Just enough to know his name and a few facts about him. You two finally got much closer during the Song and Dance competition.

During the first night they all stayed at the Ramshackle dorm, you made your rounds making sure everyone was comfortable. You didn't need Kalim's family to come after you nor did you need Vil's fangirls finding out you didn't bend to the man's every whim. Epel was the last one you checked on before heading into your own dorm room. It was clear he was upset.

That night you sat with Epel into the late hours. He talked about how worried he was. How he felt that he was always underestimated thanks to his feminine looks, and how he knew he would never live up to Vil's standards of him. Of the standards he put upon himself. He talked about how he always put his best foot forward in fear others will never give him a chance if he didn't. He works this hard only to prove he is capable.

That was the first time you hugged him. Since then, every morning you gave him a quick squeeze before serving everyone breakfast within Vil's restrictions. You'd hug him before practice, after practice, during breaks, during lunch, after classes. Anytime you could spare to hug him, you did. You wanted to show him you cared.

At first he'd give you a light tap on the back, but as time passed he fell in love with holding you against him. He was enjoying these hugs these past two weeks. He enjoyed the encouragement and praise you'd give him and it was clear to Rook and Vil how Epel was changing. He was trying harder, he was more attentive, he was doing anything to prove himself to both you and his dorm leaders.

After Vil's overblot, you beelined it for Epel. Grabbing him with one hand in his hair and the other pressing his chest into yours. He wasn't letting you go anytime soon. He could take the whispering comments of the first years and the mumbles of his dorm leaders later.

Azul

Azul wasn't nice to you before his overblot. He used you, used your friends, used his friends and did many other horrendous actions. No matter what he said during his moment of weakness was an excuse to do what he did, but that didn't stop you from taking his words to heart. He was a scared, hurt child. Still was in some sense. He was coming down from his overblot when you hugged him. He held onto you as he cried. All you could do was help him hide his face in your chest as whisper sweet nothing as he latched onto you sobbing.

As time passed, you grew closer to him. He wouldn't talk about the overblot and you wouldn't bring it up. No one knew why you started to randomly walk up to him and hug him. Half the time you wouldn't even give Ace or Deuce a front hug like you did him. Azul refused to drop the boss-man attitude but if anyone looked as close as the twins did, they'd see the way he would twist the back of your shirt with how tight his grip on you was.

Sometimes, when you were behind him, you'd run up and squeeze him from behind, taking him by surprise. That was the only time his face would be covered in apple-red blush. He'd clear his throat and scold you, before opening his arms for you to give him a proper hug.

He couldn't hide his crush from the twins. They'd talk about how you wouldn't give anyone a front hug, much less one from behind. Just recalling it made his face explode.

He grew addicted to see you. Especially from afar. If you thought he'd make it out of a room before you could reach him, you'd run up and tackle him into a hug.

Vil

Vil was never a hard man to find. Just follow the trail of glitter or the clicking of phone cameras. You don't really remember how the two of you got close. It definitely might have been when you were running from Rook and leeched onto Vil to hide behind. From there, the three of you bloomed an odd friendship.

Vil catches on immediately, and in the beginning of it, he does try to get you to stop. Not just for his image, but yours as well. There have been videos of you running up and jumping on him for a hug. A few of you hold him for just a moment to long and pictures upon pictures of the two of you.

There are multiple theories about the two of you online. Rook loves reading these out loud to Vil while he is getting ready for the day. Seeing his face tint with a cherry red color always puts a smile on Rook's face.

It gets to the point that you'll stop hugging him and instead wave or jokingly bow toward him instead. Which just ignites a fire on the internet. His fangirls want to know if y'all broke up? If y'all were ever together? What happened? Why aren't you hugging anymore? Vil didn't know what to do. He seemingly was going through a mode. Rook called them withdrawals. Epel was just annoyed both for you and because of you.

By the end of a week and the swarm of questions on all his posts, he talks to you about it. Asks what you believed would be best. "No matter what you do, you are in the public's eye. Do what makes you happy." You wouldn't hug him until he made a decision himself. You didn't want to push him one way or another. Another week passed, and he noticed how you didn't hug others the way you hugged him. Ace would get side hugs, and Deuce would get hugs where you wouldn't fully wrap your arms around him. He seemed to be the only one you'd throw your arms around the neck of.

He was glad he was the only one you'd hold like this. His decision wasn't any easier, but he knew he missed your hugs. "Maybe behind close doors."

"You can always just start dating them." Epel commented.

Malleus

(- He is extremely ooc and I hate it, so I'll be fixing it soon. Hopefully after class)

As soon as you attempted to sneak up on Malleus, Sebek is there to call you out. He would be snatching you off the ground before you made it twelve feet in range of Malleus.

The hugs started the night of Vil's overblot. He visited to check up on you, and you didn't know how to thank him. He talked about it for days afterward. Lilia was the one to bring up sneaking up on him for a hug. You've hugged him at least once a day since. Sebek is distraught any, and every time he sees you hugging. Marching over to promptly remove you from Malleus.

If you can make it to him when running up to him, he will laugh before lifting you up as you jump into his arms. It also takes him an embarrassingly long time to realize that you don't hug others like you hug him. He doesn't fully understand the deeply rooted pride his has over this. He also doesn't notice how much he looks forward to your hugs until you're sick one day.

Lilia has to drag this man out of your dorm because he was trying to cuddle up into your bed with you. He just wanted a hug. You promised to give him two tomorrow and with that he left. Leave you some soup and medicine after Silver explains that since you're magicless, there is no way of telling how your body would handle it.

Sebek was mortified. The prince of fae was crawling into the bed of a human. Lilia was dying of laughter as the prince sulkingly walked back to the hall of mirrors. It was clear to those who were close to him that he had fallen in love with a human, those that weren't feared the upset dragon-fae.

No worries. As soon as you hugged him the next day, everyone was wiping out their phones to capture photos. It was spreading like wildfire, and when he returned to his grandmother for the holidays, she asked where you were.

Hope you enjoy trying new foods and being surrounded by multiple suits of armor.

[fairvstairs]

KEVIN AND WYMACK!

Whatever you do don't think about Kevin meeting Wymack for the first time and having to pretend that he's just another coach and not the man that may just give him enough strength to keep going.

Don't think about Kevin finding himself in front of his father years later, a broken hand and a desperate expression on his face, so many things to say but only being able to let out a quiet "please help me" before crashing in his arms.

Don't think about Kevin looking at how Wymack treats his foxes and knowing that he would have been just fine if he had just been with his father.

Whatever you do don't think about Wymack starting to hate Kayleigh a bit more every time he hears about something that happened in the nest.

Don't think about Wymack watching Kevin drink himself to oblivion just because he wants to let go for a while, watching him scream at people during practice or scowling when he's disappointed and think "yeah, that's my son alright".

Whatever you do don't think about Kevin and Wymack being father and son without knowing how to actually be them.

Don't think about them standing awkwardly one next to the other but prefer that than being separated again.

Don't think about Kevin finally telling his father the truth and feeling like he has finally lost the only person that actually believed in him because why isn't he saying something??? Why is his father just standing there, not even looking at him??

Don't think about Wymack hearing the truth for the first time and feeling his whole world collapse. She lied to him. Kevin is his son. His son. He had abandoned his son. He should have pushed harder, he should have known that she wouldn't cheat on him, he should have been there, he should have saved him.

Don't think about Kevin and Wymack being ghosts around each other and not knowing how to be anything else.

BUT

If you do want to think about them then think about Abby making dinner plans for the three of them, just so they can all get to know each other in a different light.

Think about them going camping together because Matt said that it's something he used to do with his father.

Think about Kevin, waking up from another nightmare, one that seemed more like a memory than something made up by his mind, and asking Wymack if he can stay with him for a couple of nights, just until he feels better.

Think about Wymack waking up in the middle of the night because of a screaming Kevin and saying "Come here, son", embracing him in his arms until he calms down.

Think about Wymack teaching Kevin how to fish, how to make a proper steak, how to ride a motorcycle, because he wants to experience every first that the universe has left him.

Think about Wymack taking care of a sick Kevin and hearing him call him 'Dad' for the first time.

Think about "and my father comes to all of my games. That is enough."

Because sure, being father and son is not easy, especially after spending so much time apart, but they make an effort. Abby helps, Bee helps, the foxes help, even Jean unintentionally helps. It's not easy but they try, that is enough.

-

This is just my take on how things went, English is not my first language so please be kind!

[microwaveplate]

studying this crossroads from the original trilogy:

after riko breaks kevin's hand it is enough to get him to leave the nest, but he sort of plateaus. yes he talks to bee (because wymack makes him) but he also hides behind andrew, ever submissive. he is terrified of neil antagonizing riko but doesn't stop him. HE GOES TO THE MOUNTAINS FOR A WEEK RATHER THAN BE AT COURT BUT ALONE!

then he makes another step. he doesn't remove his tattoo but he does cover it up. he claims his place on court. he goes to riko's funeral. he still hears his voice. but HE CAN BE GOTTEN TO. he can! he is sooo close to wanting something, but he is a cleaved half of a broken whole. he is full of guilt. he has earned his arrogance but imo he doesn't truly have a sense of self-worth because kevin is a scooped out shell of a person, all this empty room left behind after riko is gone. there are hints, have been all this time, a little room he built inside and tried to hide from riko, but it’s not enough (yet).

and then there's jean. we know that jean would have never left the nest of his own free will, but once he has freedom we see him slowly learning how to fight for something (not quite himself, not yet, but he chooses jeremy and cat and laila and the trojans)!!!! and how can that not be another example for kevin, a man he knows better than anyone made almost recognizable to him in a few months…

neil and kevin and jean are locked in the same golden cage and somehow they keep buying each other enough time to find something worth fighting for

[fatkish]

Monster Gyomei x Depressed Reader

Part 1 of 2

(I got the idea for this from raysrays Fatal Attraction series. They got the idea from @PammyJammy117)

It was a beautiful spring day. The birds were chirping, butterflies and bees were fluttering about, small animals were starting to come out of their burrows. The flowers were blooming in all kinds of pretty colors, too bad, it’d be the last time you’d see such a pretty season.

You see, you had been deeply depressed lately due to business being slow among other things and had come out into the forest to end things. You left your village that morning and walked out deep into the mountain’s forest. Deep and far from the village. You carried a rope with you, you were going to tie it to a branch and hang yourself.

You knew that people had said that there were stories of a beast that lived in these woods. You knew people feared coming into these woods. They feared meeting or possibly encoring the wrath of such a being. You had heard old tales of the being that lived in these woods all your life.

You had heard stories of the being’s great strength but also tales of his supposed good nature. Long ago, your village prayed to and left offerings at a shrine they built deep in the mountain. They prayed to the supernatural being, the supposed ‘god’ of the mountain. There were stories of his great kindness and how he protected the village. He was supposedly fond of children as there were stories of him taking in orphans and caring for them.

You decided that if this being truly existed, and deemed your life of any worth, then they would stop you, and you would choose to live on if they saved you.

You had found a tall tree and decided to climb up the branches, unaware of the being that had already sensed your approach and was silently listening to you. You climbed up the tree and sat on a thick branch, to which you tied the rope tightly around the branch and then fastened a slip knot.

You picked up the rope and put it around your neck, you took a deep breath, and jumped from the branch. You struggled for a bit as your airways were constricted. As you slowly lost your vision, you must have imagined seeing the large man like being that seemingly appeared in front of you. You closed your eyes as you lost consciousness.

When you awoke, you were nestled in warmth. You heard slight sobs. You figured it was your imagination and that you were in heaven. You snuggled closer to whatever this warmth was. You felt a large hand caress your head and a soft yet deep voice tell you you were going to be okay.

You opened your eyes to see a large man like entity. He had white pupil-less eyes, a large scar going across his forehead, large deer like horns coming from his head, short dark hair and pointy ears. He must’ve been well over 8 feet tall, possibly 9 feet tall.

He was carrying you bridal style in a single large arm. He wore what seemed to be a toga like clothing made of a natural fiber woven cloth. He had a long tail that resembled a bull’s.

After looking up at him he looked down at you. He had tears in his eyes. You couldn’t help but feel compelled to wipe away the tears he shed for some reason. He brought you to a shrine like structure. He brought you over to a nest of animal skins and set you down in them.

“You’re the one who saved me?” You asked.

The large being smiled gently at you and pet your head. “Why yes little one, I did”

“Why” you couldn’t help but ask the man, beast, whatever he was.

“Because I believe all life is precious, and it would sadden me greatly to have left you there” he replied as he held his hands together as if he was praying. You noticed he had some ceramic beads that he constantly rubbed between his palms.

“You think my life is precious?” You asked as you curled up and wrapped your arms around yourself. He smiled gently at you and proceeded to rub your head. “Yes, yes I do.”

“Thank you. Thank you for saving me Mr?”

“Gyomei, and you are most welcome little one”

“My name is Y/n L/n, it’s nice to meet you Gyomei”

“May I ask why you felt it necessary to end your life little Y/n?” Gyomei asked as he sat down in front of you.

You crawled over and sat next to him and began to tell him about how you’ve been feeling, how your craftsman business had been practically nonexistent and how you’ve started to become hopeless that things would ever change. During the entire time you talked, Gyomei listen intently.

You talked about things that you had never told anyone, in fear you would be seen as ungrateful or a wimp. You feared the other villagers would judge you for how you’ve been feeling, but Gyomei merely sat there and wept for you.

You felt so much better after telling Gyomei how you felt. You thanked him profusely to which he just smiled and pet your head.

You realized how late it must be and told Gyomei that you should probably return to the village. Seeing as it was late and you’d surely arrive at the village by nightfall, Gyomei smiled and got up, walking with you to the edge of the forest. He helped you down the mountain, down an old path that led straight to your village.

Before you left to enter the village, you turned and ran back to Gyomei.

“Can I please come and see you again. I don’t really want to say goodbye yet” you confessed.

Gyomei smiled down at you and rubbed your head with his large hand, ruffling your hair a bit. “Nothing would make me happier Y/n”

You smiled and returned to the village, you looked back towards the forest and saw that Gyomei had seemingly disappeared. That night you got home and slept in your bed, remembering the warmth that you felt when you were in Gyomei’s arms. That night you had the most restful and peaceful nights sleep you’ve had in awhile.

The next day you prepared some tea leaves in a small ceramic container and packed it into a bag along with a teapot and cups. You also made some onigiri and packed that as well before you set out and climbed the mountain trail leading to the shrine.

When you got there you saw Gyomei and greeted him. You took off your bag and brought out the tea container and other things.

Gyomei walked over to you and asked. “What’s all this?”

“My offerings to you.. or well… I just wanted to repay you for your kindness towards me.” You sheepishly replied as you twiddled your hands. You heard a sob and looked up to see Gyomei crying.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you” you panicked and got up to wipe away Gyomei’s tears.

“Nonsense little one, you did not upset me, quite the contrary in fact. I’m actually happy but you need not repay me” the gentle giant replied as you tried to wipe away his tears.

“So, you’re not sad?” You questioned.

“No I’m not sad” Gyomei replied.

“Oh okay, we’ll would you like to have tea and Onigiri with me?”

“I’d be delighted to”

Gyomei sat down next to you as you got a small fire going in the wood stove inside the shrine. You got the water hot and got the Onigiri out before serving it with the tea. You and Gyomei sat in comfortable silence together as you both enjoyed your meal.

As time went on, you continued to bring him food and would constantly hang out with him. You’d started a garden near his shrine since you saw how fertile the dirt was. You would visit and tend to the garden whilst Gyomei did his things.

Eventually early spring turned to late spring and late spring to early summer. You would visit when you could and helped fix up the shrine. You’d bring new clothes for Gyomei that you had made for him, to which he cried in appreciation.

Your craftsman business seemed to have picked up. Being one of the few craftsmen in the small village, people would bring things to you for you to fix such as ceramics or metal objects and you would fix them. Some of the older people would ask for you to fix up some things around their houses such as doors, roofs etc.

You had made some ceramic pots that you brought and gave to Gyomei for him to store food in for the winter. You continued to care for the garden you started near his shrine and Gyomei would help you occasionally.

Life had been good with Gyomei and you started to develop feelings for the man/creature/whatever he was.

As the garden grew, you helped Gyomei prep and made sure that he would have plenty of food during the winter to which he constantly told you was unnecessary. You would just smile at him as he cried at your kindness.

You eventually brought him a handkerchief for him to wipe his eyes with since he cries so often. As the days got hotter, Gyomei showed you a small waterfall where he meditates and you would occasionally join him underneath the waterfall. He would teach you things like how to forage and hunt to which you greatly appreciated.

What you didn’t know, was that your life would change immensely that coming fall.

[locketsvault]

「 QI RONG RELATIONSHIP HEADCANON 」

pairing: qi rong x gender neutral reader

tags: gender neutral reader, first person (you), no pronouns or agab used, relationship headcanons, angst

warnings: abusive relationship, qi rong is a little shit, toxic behavior, canonical cannibalism (listen I’m not the one who made him as such), spoilers for show only fans, physical and emotional abused mentioned throughout the post, canonical qi rong shenanigans, possibly ooc, not proof read

request: Hiii! Can I ask for headcanons for Qi Rong in a relationship with gn!reader? How long will it take for him to admit he fell in love, how will he react when he understands that there's now a person loving him for who he is, etc… You have full control! (original request found here.)

word count: 751

a/n: I won’t lie, I actually cannot stand qi rong, to romance or otherwise. so it was a bit harder getting in that headspace, but he is in my masterlist for a reason. I do want to stress that relationships like this are abusive and toxic, if your partner behaves like this, or a crush, please get out safely. this stuff is not okay.

⮑ You must’ve done something to really impress him or intrigue him for him to yk, not kill you… and eat you… because this man is brutal, he thinks peoples lives are a game. We saw that during the banquet arc for example. And once you do manage to get into his his group, he will definitely keep you at arms length for a while. And I really do mean a while.

⮑ He’s also a big bully. He will bully you, he will call you all kinds of horrendous names (even more if you refuse to commit cannibalism with him…). He will laugh at you when you get hurt, or do something stupid, and he will not do anything to help you. Really, it’s hard to get close to him. Except despite this… you stick around for him. Trust me, he notices.

⮑ Except he’s waiting for you to play a trick on him, to expose that your seemingly caring acts are really to hurt him. Like literally everyone else in his life. You do not actually care about him. You do not actually like him. Because of that strong feeling, it takes him a while to even develop feelings for you. He will not allow it. Quite frankly, you remind him of all the people who said they loved him and failed him, hurt him.

⮑ There will be times where he tries to get you to “admit it”, to prove that he’s right, and those involve hurting you tbh. Physically and emotionally. Hes poking the bees nest trying to get the bees to attack to prove they’re dangerous. Except it doesn’t work. Why do you still smile at him?

⮑ It honestly takes him a really long time to realize that he might just like you. He never really had a romantic partner before, he’s not really sure what those feelings mean. And the idea of liking you in any way shape or form scares tf out of him. I mean, look at Guzi. He can’t even admit that he does genuinely care about the boy, even if it’s very twisted.

⮑ Speaking of Guzi, that’s partly why he likes you. You’re a second parent to the poor boy, you take care of him and love him. And Guzi absolutely loves you, even referring to you as a second parent after some time.

⮑ I think that he will absolutely refuse to tell you that he likes you. He won’t even fully admit it to himself, but to you? Definitely not. Nope. He’s not giving you leverage. He’s not going to let you finally laugh at him and abandon him. In fact, that little bit of getting to know him you were able to do? Yeah you’re shut out again. Tbh… he’s a scared child with this. He doesn’t know what to do. He hates the feeling.

⮑You would have to be the one to confess first. And when you do, he plays it off in a nasty way. He laughs at you, makes fun of you, belittles you, all behind a shaky tone and strained twisted smile. But his words still come out just as harsh. It would take you crying or backing away nervously for him to finally stop, realize what he’s doing, and immediately back track and try to comfort you (in his own twisted way).

⮑ Honestly to me, Qi Rong isn’t just absolutely insane, he’s masking. He’s absolutely terrified. His behavior to you is a mix of his true personality, and how he’s learned to protect himself for so long. Truth be told, he has no clue how to not be abusive. But he realizes soon after he doesn’t look the pained look on your face once he does something hurtful.

⮑ He reassures you, but never addresses his feelings head on. It would take you nearly dying, or Guzi flipping out on him for nearly losing you, for him to finally give in. Little bits at a time, letting you in, letting you do things, giving you the chance to run. Which you don’t. Which shocks him.

⮑ He will eventually tell you he likes you as well, telling you he’d like to try to have a relationship (all while mocking his cousin ofc). He’d take it slow, trying to figure out how a relationship works. But he adores you, and he doesn’t hide it. He flaunts you, and if anyone dares disrespect you, they’re dead before they can finish their sentence.

main hub ✦ masterlist ✦ to do list

[justpoliteconversations]

Glory Bound [Chain + Mercenary!Reader]

They'd tried to hire you as a guide. That's not what you're paid to do.

Another round of nonsense for the trash heap.

Masterlist

TW: Choosing not to disclose. Be warned.

Disclaimer: Don't own The Legend of Zelda franchise. Linked Universe is the fan creation of jojo56830.

---

Perhaps the majority of your brethren would have been content to play guide for a few days. Travel around the (admittedly more dangerous) parts of the map, point out a few potential monster nests, sit back while your employers did their hunting (their duty, they'd said) and then go spend the rupees that had been all but handed to you.

Easy. The easiest job you've ever been offered. Except it was a goddess-damned joke because that was not what you had trained until your damned eyes bled to do. You were a warrior, a mercenary, a born and raised killer, not a guide to a bunch of ignorant castle knights seeking a good time in the countryside (because you weren't damned stupid, you recognized the symbol of arms on the posh one).

The scarred and tattooed ones seemed promising at least, though the pink haired one had a look in his eyes that made you reluctant to turn you back to him. It's the brows, perhaps. Suspicious looking motherfucker. Lobster kid was cute though, if a little young to be slugging it out with monsters. But who are you to judge. A babe could put an arrow between your eyes if it ever got the mind to (and if you were stupid, but that was besides the point).

When the eldest (big fucker, dressed down in armor heavy enough to make a man's bones creak) had approached you with a job you'd expected there'd be fighting and you'd been more then willing to take that challenge. You hadn't expected to be told to stay out of the way (man had more tack than that, but you called it for what it was) and just point them in the right direction.

You'd flat refused to his face, and took a certain measure of glee from his shocked expression. Because who the fuck did they think you were? This damned expensive armor you'd scraped and saved for was not for show. It was your badge of honor and how dare anyone take that from you.

The boss had talked you into it though, even cut a deal with the knights in your place since you weren't always good with words. You'd guide them on their merry way across the goddess forsaken places of this land you call home, and in exchange, they'd stay behind you.

"Your duty is to get rid of these unusual monsters, correct?" Boss man had said, so damned personable but you knew the old bastard could put a dozen men in the ground if he wanted. "Then so long as you witness their demise, it doesn't matter who swings the sword." Reluctantly, they had to agree the point. The fact that you were the only mercenary who knew the area outside of the trade routes well meant they didn't have much of a choice regardless. And so, you took the job, gave them the rundown on how they would stay behind you unless death came for your sorry hide and then off you went.

And thus you were here now, staring down a monster nest with mounting anticipation. Beside and behind you, you could feel their anticipation too, buzzing off their skin like an agitated bee's nest. The scarred one looked especially ready to bolt forward, stopped only by the pelted one's firm grip.

You cast a glance at the leader, and with an amused glance he called back his boys. Most gave unhappy frowns at the order, but a few looked interested in what you'd do. The smallest one (not a child) was the most open with his interest and a curly haired man in green was not far behind. The white caped one just looked concerned, but you paid him no mind.

The kid though? You couldn't decide if you trusted him not to run out into the battlefield (in your way) the moment things got exciting. He had that aura about him that spoke of bullheaded brashness. Though not as much as the scarred one, but as before pelt man seemed to have a good arm on him.

Whatever. It didn't really matter. You had a job to do, and so you got to it.

Walked right into the monster camp with your sword drawn. You could hear the disbelieving sounds behind you, but you paid them no mind. If they wanted a bowman they should have gotten a hunter. You intended to put this damned expensive armor to use.

The monsters were tougher than usual, you'll admit. Faster and stronger and a great deal smarter than you were used to around these parts. But, at the end of the day they were still just juiced up monsters. Same weaknesses, same strengths, same ugly mugs twisted in pain and death.

A few new faces, but not much different from anything else you've ever fought. And you'd fought a lot. So much you'd forgotten where you began and your sword ended. You'd forgotten what it felt like to feel the breeze of a chill night's wind on your skin. You'd forgotten what it meant to be human, what it meant to be mortal when it was just you and the thrill and an enemy in your face.

It was exhilarating to taste the sting of adrenaline on your tongue again, the strain of muscles against the force of such powerful blows.

No. Not just that. It was the first time in a damned long while you could say you were enjoying yourself. Not since the day you looked back and realized none of your peers had followed you up that damned mountain called Glory. The moment you realized you were alone in this pursuit. The moment you realized, standing above a vast, empty graveyard of black mist, that you had finally reached the top. And that you were alone.

You had reached the end of your journey, and yet you had hungered for more, more, more. Bigger. Stronger. Faster. Smarter. Better.

And now. After so long of nothing. After so damned long of soul draining stagnation.

Rapturous, wonderful glory.

It was a bloodbath. And you had bled. But they had bled more.

They'd been on you the moment you'd stepped foot into their camp. Three lizalfos-like creatures, a dozen or so bokoblines and a tall armored creature you hadn't encountered before. You welcomed them all.

The first to reach you were the lizalfos lookalikes, running full speed at you while the bokoblines played support as archers. The armored one stayed back at first, and you hoped it was as powerful as it thought itself to be.

The first lizard reached you, spear at the ready with a thrust. But you simply sidestepped, ramming your sword into it's throat as it glanced by. The spray of warm blood hit your face but you paid it no mind, swirling on your heel and ripping the spear from the now slack claws with the added momentum.

Another had come from your other side, but you rounded on it with the spear in hand, and using the momentum from the previous lizard's speed threw it with deadly force into the creature's chest. There was no time to stop and admire it's final pained snarls though, dodging down at the last moment just as another spear made for your head.

Still swirling, you lashed out your sword and got its legs, sending it down to its knees. Or it would have, if you hadn't grabbed it's tail last moment and used it as a counterweight to fling yourself out of range of an arrow. Unbalanced and reeling from the blow, it was helpless as you finally finished the twist to use it as a living shield against the other two arrows that had followed the first.

It died with a final jab to the jugular, disappearing into a fine mist of black. All in all, it had taken ten, maybe fifteen seconds. But that's just the nature of battles. They never lasted long.

And neither did the bokoblins. You had slashed them down before the big one had even made it to your location, one of them hadn't even the time to draw its sword before meeting yours.

And then, the armored one was on you. And you knew nothing then but the cold and hot and tingling pain of rapture.

It was big, it was strong, it was powerful in a way nothing you'd ever fought before had even come close. It was glorious.

Blows rained down on you with enough force to crush a man, swipes of its sword so quick and precise they were nearly impossible to counter. It beared down on you with the ferocity of a creature that knew no fear nor pain nor equal. A creature just like you.

You had one thing it didn't though. And that was a goddess-damned itch that needed scratching after too many damned years to recall with adrenaline flowing freely through your blood. Something to prove a monster like this could never understand.

You refused to yield a single, fucking inch.

You kept close, refusing it the leisure of range advantage. You stayed quick on your feet, faster than it even weighed down by armor. You let it bump and hit and attempt to bully you into proper fighting range, and you let it because you were going to get some use from this expensive damned armor even if it cost you an arm.

One direct strike, and you'd be dead. One glancing blow to an unguarded limb and you'd be maimed in an instant. But none of that mattered, because despite it all you still knew what this was.

This was an endurance battle, and knew the score. And you were going to drag this feast out for as long as you damn well could because you had a goddess-damned itch that needed scratching and this monster was doing it for you.

One minute. Two. Five. Ten. And then-

An arrow was suddenly in the slit of its helm, and it was disintigrating before your very eyes, and it was just fucking dead and you weren't the one who did it.

Slowly, you turned.

And there he was, the pink fucker with the fucking brows. Bow in hand and looking just as pissed as you felt.

"Oh, my fucking bad! You just looked like you were enjoying yourself so fucking much, I just thought I'd join the fun." He snarked, and you felt your anger manifest in a snarl.

You knew there was a reason you didn't like the look of him. Suspicious fucker.

But before you could open your mouth. "It's night, you overzealous fucker. Camp's already set up and we lost a whole day of travel because of you!" He snapped, and you held you tongue. You looked around.

Yup. Night. And a fire was glowing a little ways off, eight pairs of eyes watching from around the pit with open interest at the little drama unfolding before them. The youngest looked about salivating at the mouth as he pinned you with puppy eager eyes, and you knew sleep would not be granted easily this night. The scarfed, posh one too looked about ready to crack open your head and rummage around the insides for whatever secrets he thought you might be storing.

Ah. "Opps. My bad, man."

"Motherfucker! That's it?" Pinky harped with a truly thunderous frown, but you could hear outright laughter from the others not far off. The white caped one even seemed to be carving some sort of wooden figurine, so they mustn't be too upset, right?

"Yeah. Guess I got a little too excited about having a decent fight after so long." You admitted, because yeah, that was on you.

Pinky began cursing under his breath, stomping back to the camp with you not far behind. When you stepped into the firelight, the eldest one waved you over with an amused, but serious expression.

You went easily because this was your employer, you were in the wrong and because lobster boy look about ready to jump you the moment you got to his height. And, without an enemy to take your mind off the discomfort, you could tell you had definitely pushed yourself too far this time. You ached everywhere.

Worth it though.

You sat and the man put a companionable hand on your shoulder (you were about to be chastised, you could just feel it. fuck). "Next time we encounter enemies, you have ten minutes. If you're not finished by then, we join to clean up the rest." He smiled with his one eye, and you just bowed your head. Because yeah, your bad.

"Got it. Sorry Boss." You accepted easily, shame-faced.

He patted where his hand had been resting. "Good. Now, I'm sure the boys are eager to talk to you, Mr. Hero." He was being an asshole somehow, you could tell (there was an inside joke in there too, but you weren't privy to it). Sacrificing you to the wolves (you side-eyed lobster boy), and looking so damned harmless while doing it.

Damned ruthless, this one. You wanted to meet him on the battlefield, if things like that absolute unit of a beast are what these bastards fought for a living. They must be a whole new breed of monster and you were just rearing to meet them. Properly, with swords in hand and blood rushing wildly through your veins.

Suddenly, the top didn't look so lonely anymore. The clouds had finally parted and the world lay before you in all its splendor. So much bigger than it had ever been before.

And you were so ready to conquer it all.

For Glory. And the goddess-damned thrill.

---

Back to the shadows to rest.

[minnnoru]

Totally forgot about this one. I wrote this after seeing a post about Jean babysitting Neil. Part (1/3)

---

Jean Moreau, aged fifteen, was not emotionally equipped to deal with a child.

Especially not this child.

“His name’s Nathaniel,” the chirpy social worker had said, placing a human-sized hurricane into Jean’s arms. “He’s quiet, but curious. Should be easy!”

Jean’s first mistake was believing that.

His second mistake was assuming “quiet” meant “well-behaved” and not “actively plotting your doom using crayons and plausible deniability.”

---

4:02 PM — Minute One

Jean sat stiffly on the couch, watching the child. Nathaniel stared back with the intense, wide-eyed suspicion of someone who had read exactly one spy novel and thought it was a biography.

“What are you doing?” Jean asked, voice flat.

“I’m testing if the couch has bugs,” Nathaniel whispered.

“…Pardon?”

“Like microphones. The government’s always listening.”

Jean blinked. “You are seven.”

“You’re not denying it.”

Jean considered the possibility that this child was either a genius, an alien, or possibly a very small, paranoid man in a child suit.

---

4:27 PM — Operation: “Feed the Goblin”

Jean tried to offer the boy carrots.

Nathaniel recoiled like Jean had offered him live bees.

“I’m not eating rabbit food,” he declared.

“It is literally food,” Jean replied, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Nathaniel crossed his arms. “Where are the snacks? The good snacks. I know you have them. You look like someone who hoards chocolate in your sock drawer.”

Jean looked genuinely offended. “I— that is an unfair assumption.”

“So you do hoard snacks.”

“…That’s beside the point.”

---

4:45 PM — Hide and Seek (aka Nathaniel's Prison Break)

Jean blinked, and the child vanished.

Like—gone.

No pitter-patter of feet. No giggles. Just… gone.

Jean panicked for five full minutes, mentally composing apologies to the foster system, to the police, to the entire government of France.

He found Nathaniel ten minutes later in the linen closet, dressed in a makeshift cape made of a pillowcase, whispering into a calculator like it was a walkie-talkie.

Jean opened the door slowly. “What are you doing?”

“Communicating with base,” Nathaniel whispered. “The babysitter is compromised. Repeat: the babysitter is French.”

Jean sighed so hard his soul left his body.

---

5:30 PM — The Talk

Jean finally got Nathaniel to sit still with the promise of apple juice and a bribe of exactly one fun-sized candy bar.

They sat together in awkward silence.

Nathaniel looked at him with the deadly seriousness only small children and cult leaders possess. “Do you have trauma?”

Jean blinked. “Pardon?”

“People with trauma like corners. You sit in corners a lot.”

Jean stared. “…Do you analyze everyone this way?”

“Only the suspicious ones.”

“…I am literally a child myself.”

“You’re tall and seem emotionally unavailable. That’s adult-coded.”

Jean decided that if this child made it to adulthood, it would be on pure spite and caffeine.

He kind of respected that.

---

6:00 PM — Freedom

The social worker returned to find Nathaniel passed out on the floor in a nest of blankets and juice boxes, and Jean staring into the middle distance like he’d just served two tours in a war zone.

“Did you two get along?” she asked, smiling brightly.

Jean stood slowly, like his knees were made of regret. “…He waterboarded his teddy bear to get secrets.”

“Funny, right? He does that a lot. Means he feels safe around you.”

Jean gave her a haunted look.

Then he turned to Nathaniel, who was snoring softly.

He tucked the pillowcase-cape around the kid. Quietly. Like it was a secret.

Maybe this little chaos gremlin wasn’t so bad.

As long as he never had to babysit again.

[skullytotheark]

Mournful meadow AU post

As mentioned in last post Mournful meadows is my personal creepypasta AU, Made from; personals headcanons, Personal reimaginings / rewrites, ocs inspired by pre-existing characters & bits of canon

The AU is still a work in progress with more characters coming soon

Upcoming/planned characters

•nina hopkins

•Jane the killer

•liu Woods

•Stripes

Designs stuff in mournful meadows

More soon!! 👽

Jeffrey Charlie Woods / "The Pale Butcher" in the news / Jeff the killer online

Benjamin Lawman / "The Drowned Ghost"

Note: wanted him to look like a bedsheet ghost

Eric Robinson / the woodland maniac [Ticci toby inspired oc]

Jack Elliot Nicholas / "Chernabog"

Timothy Wright / "The Masked Man" / "Dollface"

Slenderman / The Watchman

Note: the giant slender is a 'hivemind' source, a smaller "regular" size slender goes out to collect food for the hivemind. Kinda like a bee with it's nest

Brian Thomas & The Vessel "Skully"

Note: Brian is bonded to skully & rarely has control

Kate Milens Hayes / The Chaser

For those who haven't seen the post yet here is the link to the au's lorebible

Feel free to ask any questions 😼

[roseazura]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧'𝐬 𝐋𝐮𝐥𝐥

𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – 𝗥𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗮 𝗭𝗼𝗿𝗼

Summary: Although the goal of a guardian is to ensure the safety of his protégés, which he did wonderfully, sometimes he, deep down, wanted a break.

Genre: Fluff, Romance, Comfort.

Pairing: Roronoa Zoro x Reader.

Warnings: Pure fluff, maybe a little overthinking, established relationship, no mention of (Y/N).

Words count: 3.7k

Spanish version

A/N: Hello there! This is the first mini-story published so I hope you enjoy it. I did my best to portray the beloved Zoro in the best possible way, there is also a good chance that there will be more content about him here. It should also be noted that English is not my native language, so please forgive any errors. Have a good read!

A guardian, in its essence, is a person in charge of protecting, watching over or taking care of something or someone. For Zoro, it was something that went far beyond simple protection or surveillance, for him a guardian was someone who defended with skill and honor, a figure who stood firm, sword in hand, ready to face any threat that approached. A guardian represented an insurmountable barrier between danger and those who depended on his protection.

For that reason, when the veil of midnight was approaching and the sea swallowed every trace of light that did not belong to that of the moon, accompanied by the symphony of the whistling of the wind passing between the sails and the waves crashing against the ship, causing it to emit some creaks and squeaks, at that moment, Zoro took the position of night lookout to make sure that, while the others rested, the Merry was safe.

After years of training and a lot of experience, his vision had become as sharp as his swords, allowing him to have a better view when the light was practically low, like now. Credit was also given to his Observation Haki, of course, but his physical capabilities were also notable.

In the silent night, standing behind the railing of the Crow's Nest and with one of his hands resting on the handle of one of his swords, his state of wakefulness served to distract him, there was not much to do when you were the only one awake in the middle of the night and with the sole objective of being alert in case something bad happened. He did not want to call a bad omen, much less put the crew at risk, but on many occasions, he sometimes had the slight desire for something to happen, something that would make him fill himself with adrenaline and give meaning to his sleepless nights. Something that would give meaning to his role as guardian.

However, in another corner of his mind and perhaps his heart, he also wished he could take the place of any of the crew, whether it was Luffy to just sneak into the kitchen in the middle of the night to try his luck that the Stupid Cook hadn't locked the fridge with padlocks, or even Nami to sleep in peace without worrying about the scandalous companions she shared the ship with. Any of them, except the Cook, he wasn't that desperate either, but he would be any of them for just one night so he could rest.

Resting was not a concept he was used to, since he was a child he had been in constant movement, either training or traveling from one place to the other in his old job as a Pirate Hunter, so danger and adrenaline had always been part of his daily life. Now, as a young man, the idea of taking a break was almost like a joke, an impossibility, as much as he wanted to do it, something in himself wouldn't allow it, as if he were failing his code as a swordsman and guardian.

Like he was failing himself.

Zoro sighed, what was he doing thinking about that kind of thing? Without a doubt, being alone at night took its toll on the mind; too much time in silence made thoughts stir like bees in a honeycomb. Although soon his solitude was interrupted by the creaking of the mast that supported the Crow's Nest, as if something, or rather, someone, was climbing up it. He didn't have to think as hard to assume who it was, and he couldn't help the slight upward curl at the corner of his lips.

"Nothing interesting tonight?" your voice came before your figure until your head peeked out of the trapdoor of the Crow's Nest, flashing a smile at the swordsman.

"You say it as if there had been something interesting the previous nights," Zoro snorted, which made you giggle as you finished climbing the Crow's Nest, walking towards him, “Can't you sleep?”

You shook your head once you reached his side, leaning your torso forward to rest your weight on your forearms on the railing, "I took a nap in the afternoon, I guess that gave me enough rest to have energy now.”

Zoro hummed in response and a comfortable silence continued, now not only could he hear the soft salt breeze and the waves but also your calm breathing, which made him feel calmer, accompanied.

He didn't know when he had become so accustomed to your presence, he was only aware of it when he was able to relax his guard being with you, when his mind was completely calm and his body was relieved from just having you close. At first he believed that you had some special gift with the ability to calm those around you, but over time he learned that it was just your effect on him.

"The night is beautiful, don't you think? The advantage of being in the open sea is that it gives us more visibility of the stars," you broke the silence but your voice was not abrupt, tranquility flowed from it with the same fluidity of your words, "You're lucky, you can see this every night, although surely for you it must already be something vain.”

Zoro clicked his tongue with a sly smile, shaking his head and then looked up at the stars. Indeed, that night the stars shone brighter due to the lack of nearby lighting, but if it had not been mentioned before, he would not have given it any importance.

"Something like that, I just don't pay much attention to it, I must be focused on other things beyond the sky." With that said, he lowered his gaze towards the horizon again, continuing with his task.

Unaware of it, you looked at him, Zoro always looking like the formidable warrior he was, ready for battle and prepared to defend the crew if necessary. Strength, bravery and loyalty, that was what he constantly demonstrated. However, you saw and noticed beyond that face, beyond what he exhibited to the world.

Even the strongest person deserved to rest, no matter how unwavering they might appear, tranquility was always necessary to strengthen themselves and continue with their daily tasks. In the face of exhaustion, a break to revitalize those energies, to continue living.

In addition to being extremely strong and capable, Zoro was extremely stubborn and proud. For him, he would go first into battle even though he was seriously injured, rather than wait to heal while the others fought for him, while putting themselves in danger. He was admirable, of course, and it was one of the qualities that had fascinated you the most from the first moment you met him, but in many cases you wanted to be able to intercept all that warrior spirit and make him see that rest was also part of the greatness of the strenght.

There he was, dignified and rigid in the middle of the night, watching while everyone else slept with the goal of keeping them safe, even though it sacrificed his necessary hours of sleep. He was incredible, that was more than a fact, and although his face remained serene and handsome as always, you noticed those details that betrayed his fatigue, such as the subtle darkened rings under his eyes, his lowered eyelids and glassy eyes, as well as his slower and heavier blinks, and the way he moved his shoulders every so often in an attempt to change his position to stay alert. Without a doubt, Zoro needed to rest.

"Did you learn to sleep with your eyes open or are you not even trying to hide the fact that you're staring at me anymore?”

His raspy voice brought you out of your thoughts, more like a daydream, which caused you to quickly change the direction of your gaze, thereby preventing him from noticing the blush on your cheeks at first glance, although from the chuckles you managed to hear from him you knew that he had noticed it anyway. No matter how long you had been together, it was still hard not to be embarrassed by your infatuation with him.

"I think I stopped giving importance to hiding since we were clear about what we felt, I don't see any more sense in doing it, don't you think?" Despite the shame because he caught you, the situation was comical in itself, so why not respond with the same grace.

He hummed in response and his lips curved into a smile, "You're right, I don't mind you staring at me either, I can find it flattering even, as long as you don't do it in the middle of a fight or you'll be in trouble for being distracted." He continued, earning more laughter from you.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll save my moments of admiring your face for when we're alone, and anyway, even if I'm distracted by your blinding beauty, I know you'll have my back covered." With a playful smile, you gently nudged his arm, which spread his smile.

Moments like this were treasured by both of you, due to your lifestyle, tranquility was something that was in short supply in those days, so being able to enjoy some time alone, without much to worry about other than responding to the other's teasing comments with something equally intelligent and playful, was truly sacred.

But as much as you enjoyed being by his side, under the cover of night and on a calm sea, there was something that flooded your heart since you could notice it, a feeling that was the main motivation for you to stay awake that night.

Cautiously you stood up and put your hands on his shoulders, applying a little pressure to notice how tense his muscles were, a symbol of tiredness and, at the same time, a way to stay awake. He shuddered at the touch, but he let you be, to which you continued to massage his muscles with delicacy and precision, which brought sighs of relief from him.

"You need to rest, you know that?" You whispered as your hands moved almost expertly over his shoulders. Zoro sighed and called your name tiredly, knowing what you were going for, but you interrupted him, "Yes, I know it's your duty to keep an eye out during the night in case something happens, I really appreciate your effort because it's how you protect us, but don't you think it's time for you to take a break?”

Of course he thought about it, more than once since the weight of his sleepless nights and few hours of sleep during the day became more intense, especially when with each hour the night drew closer and, with that, his job as a watchman. But he would never admit his needs, nor would he complain about his role, he should not show that weakness, who would they trust if he weakened with something as simple as guarding?

"It's not that easy, love," his voice, even when raspy and lower with exhaustion, remained soft towards you, without a hint of reprimand.

"I know it’s not, big guy, after all you're the one in charge of protecting us, which is a pretty tough job considering we're trouble magnets sometimes," that comment made him laugh softly, which made you smile wider, he was more relaxed, "but thinking about yourself and your needs from time to time doesn't make you selfish, rather it helps you stay strong, both for yourself and for us, and that's a good thing, right?”

When Zoro did not respond instantly it was because he was meditating on your words, a skill that you could proudly boast of which consisted of making that huge and stubborn man pay attention to you, or at least listen to you, even if your thoughts did not coincide with his at that moment. Maybe it could also be due to the analgesic effect that your massages were having on his body and mind.

"You are always looking out for us, Zo, you are the first to jump into the fight when one of us is in danger and the last to abandon it until you see us all safe. That is admirable, very honorable such a swordsman." Your massages continued at the same time that your words flowed with affection and warmth, wanting to make your intentions clear, "I trust you blindly, if you are in the equation, I know that I will be fine, and for that reason, I want you to be well too and with your needs taken care of.”

Zoro listened to your words, he really listened to them, he let them flood his mind and hug his heart so that the feeling reached his soul. He knew that you cared about him, more than he would have thought anyone could care about him, so it felt comforting and good to have that kind of unconditional love and support. After all, he felt the same way about you, he would give anything to see you safe, happy and at peace.

However, although he wished that he could let himself be carried away by your sweet words, that he could give himself the rest that his body and mind had been crying out for for a long time, within him there was still that sense of honor and savior complex that required him to stay awake and alert, far beyond any shred of basic need that his body demanded of him. If he gave in to his tiredness and something bad happened, if he put the crew at risk, if he put you at risk, he would never be able to forgive himself.

Sensing his hesitation, you stopped massaging his shoulders and instead turned him around so he could look at you. Face to face, you smiled fondly at him and brought your hands to his cheeks, caressing them with your thumbs.

"Nothing will happen if you take this night to rest, you can't lie to me, you know very well that you need it," your voice was like a balm for his insecurities, something that had always managed to calm him, "You are human, my love, an extraordinarily strong and skilled one, but you feel and need like anyone else, and you deserve to rest.”

Zoro watched you in silence, letting your words walk him from head to toe, and he only dedicated himself to admiring you. You were so gentle with him, with so much dedication to giving him that much-needed break, with so much concern for his well-being that you made his heart go crazy and hurt at the same time. What had he done to be in the care of an angel? He had spent much of his existence on the rustic side of life, dedicating himself every day to getting stronger, alone, and now he had someone by his side who would give anything to see him healthy, stable, happy.

He loved your eyes, of course he had rarely said it out loud, but they had a charm that left him breathless, they seemed to shine every time they saw him and that caused a warm feeling in his chest. He used to get lost often, but your eyes were like two lighthouses that guided him to you, every time he looked at them only you and him existed and mattered, and he could never have been more grateful to have that pair of stars in his life.

"Plus, I bet Mihawk takes his breaks from time to time too," your gaze took on a mischievous glint, making him chuckle, "To have gotten to that position, he definitely had to take a break… And drink a lot of wine, but we can skip that last part for now.”

Zoro continued to chuckle as he shook his head, amused by the way you were trying to convince him to go to sleep. Honestly, he admired your persuasion and perseverance, although deep down he also reproached the ease you had in reaching his heart. After a defeated sigh, he closed his eyes and leaned towards you, pressing his forehead to yours as his hands found your waist, which he caressed with his thumbs. You smiled and enjoyed the moment, raising your hands to his hair to caress it.

"You are very persistent, you know that?" He smiled still without opening his eyes, to which you giggled, finding his comment funny.

"I know, if I weren't we wouldn't be here, don't you think? And considering you're as stubborn as a century-old oak, I'd better be.”

Laughing in unison, he pulled you close to him with gentle firmness and brought your lips together, savoring the sensation that washed over him every time he kissed you. If your voice was a balm, your lips were an elixir, more delicious and addictive than any Sake he had ever had in his life, and of which he would never tire of trying. Of course you followed the kiss with all the enthusiasm there was, losing yourself in the moment shared with the man you loved most in the world.

As you separated, Zoro left another short and chaste kiss, somewhat reluctant to having to move away from your lips, which made you smile, and soon you opened your eyes, taking a little more distance between both faces to look at each other better.

"We can't leave the Merry without a watchman and I doubt any of the others will be awake or willing to wake up." He reasoned, although more resigned to the idea of going after his break, which was a good sign.

"I'll stay, and before you protest! You know perfectly well that I'm capable of taking care of myself, the Merry, and you guys, it won't be a problem for me." You assured with a smile, now noticing the indecision in your lover's eyes, worried. Your smile turned into a tenderly one and you leaned towards him to place a kiss on the tip of his nose, "I'll be fine, my dear Zoro, just as you would do anything to keep us safe, I would do anything to make you okay, completely okay.”

And there you were, with that ability to make him fall at your feet with just one look and to feel like a teenager in love just by hearing your voice, by just hearing you call him “my dear.” What had you done to him? It seemed even comical at some point, but love was as mysterious as many of the waters they still had to explore.

With another resigned sigh, which seemed more like a defeated snort, he nodded slowly, finally convinced, "Very well, I will listen to you, but only if you promise that if something happens or you suspect something is off, anything, you will wake me up.”

You nodded, with an inner pride that he easily identified in your eyes by the way that shone. Adorable, he thought, only you could be happy about something as basic as him prioritizing himself over the crew.

"I promise, love, although you'll see that you will have a long, restful sleep until morning." You assured confidently and placed your pinky at the level of his eyes, to which he, after raising one of his eyebrows in surprise and letting out an incredulous chuckle, intertwined his own pinky with yours.

You decided to accompany Zoro to the cabin you shared, both to make sure that he was, in fact, resting, and to keep him company until he fell into the world of dreams that he had not had the luxury of enjoying for a long time. When Zoro was ready and under the covers, you sat next to him on the edge of the bed, gently caressing his strands in a way to make him succumb to sleep more easily.

"It's not fair that you have so much power over me, it's dangerous." He whispered, sleepy and with his eyes closed, which made you smile softly and you leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"I consider it more than fair, big guy, especially since you have the same power over me." With that answer, he grinded, satisfied.

When minutes passed in silence and Zoro's breathing became slower, you assumed that he had finally fallen asleep, and you devoted yourself to watching him, admiring how good he looked. His features and muscles relaxed, his chest rising and falling calmly, his hands extended without being gripped on the handle of a sword. He looked at peace, calm, resting, like he so deserved to be, and like you were always going to want to see him after so much having been together.

About to leave his side to let him sleep and take his position guarding, a whisper of your name made you stop, returning your attention to him.

"Thank you for this, for everything, you don't know how much good you do me." He recited sleepily but sincerely, and when you thought your heart would explode from so much love, he finished: "I love you, baby."

In that moment, your heart accelerated at the same time that your chest warmed, as did your cheeks, trying to process the happiness, tenderness and love that invaded you thanks to such words full of feelings. Oh, you undoubtedly loved that man with every breath that left your lungs and with every beat of your heart, and that would continue to be so as long as life allowed you to.

With one last kiss on his cheek, you whispered, "My pleasure, my love, thank you for staying strong and being here. I love you with all my heart, my guardian."

With your mission accomplished and your heart satisfied, you went to complete your new goal, the smile never leaving your face for what you had just achieved.

A guardian is known for their strength and dedication, able to give their life for those they have sworn to protect, but at the same time now allowing themselves to be guarded. The guardian, in their turn to be cared for, is like an ancient oak that rests among younger trees to recover and renew itself. Without losing their essence as a protector, they accept the support of those around them, trusting that their rest and recovery strengthen their ability to protect in the future.

Because in the end, everyone deserves to be protected as much as they protect, everyone deserves to have someone who cares about their well-being and ensures their safety and stability. Being a guardian does not inhibit you from feeling, from needing, from being vulnerable. They, as well as their protégés, deserve to be valued, remembered and deserving of affection and rest, and that does not take away the weight of their role as protector, much less the greatness of their strength.

[flowerishness]

Bombus ternarius (orange-belted bumblebee), Bombus vosnesenskii, (yellow-faced bumblebee) and Bombus impatiens (common eastern bumblebee)

The bumblebee crisis

Bumblebees are under threat all over the world. Some European countries are reporting a 90% reduction in bumblebee populations in just the last few decades. Explanations include the usual list of suspects (pesticides, habitat loss and climate change) but here in Vancouver they also are experiencing pressure from a non-native bumblebee (Bombus impatiens). This species was brought in by agrobusiness to fertilize greenhouse crops such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

Before this problem began, greenhouse operators assured us that these imported bumblebees would not escape and compete with native bumblebees for nesting sites and resources (read: flowers). However, a recent report from UBC indicates that up to 40% of Vancouver area bumblebees are now Bombus impatiens (see photo number three).

Greenhouse operators have proposed 'queen bee excluder barriers' to prevent further escapees but I think it's a bit too late for that. I'm afraid "the horse has already left the barn" and poor, old Mother Nature will just have to cope with yet another man-made crisis.

[dianesdiaries]

scorched earth| Homelander x Y/N

Synopsis/AU;Homelander becomes a madman after Vought decides they have the better facilities of taking care of Ryan, realizing the pain and abandonment he went through Ryan would believe his dad left him to face. In a fitted rage, he destroys the Vought building one by one, taking a life every minute it takes to return his boy. Y/N is assigned to the special forces team responsible for 'cleaning up his mess', and ensuring that nobody gets hurt. By the time special units have reached the building, Homeland's already taken a liking to toppling down dominoes.

TW: lots of violence in this one! I didn't really know what to write but I thought it would be a cool idea to see homelander go cray cray again lol

NOTE: this is short but I feel like would make a rlly good part 2 lmk!

I searched the premises top to bottom, looking for any signs of imperfections left behind in his massacre. God knows what he had in store for the rest of the world, and not one person has a single clue what could've led to this trajectory. I watched as bright stars peaked in the sky, cameras and vans swarming the building like bees to a nest. My gun slinged along my arm as I slowly watched the stars get closer, and closer..

It was bodies.

The sound of bones mushing into pavement made my stomach hurl. But when it rains, it pours. Dozens of civilians began falling from the sky, bouncing off the concrete in sync to the sounds of blood curling screams arising amongst viewers. I know, I was assigned to special forces for a reason. But he's lost his damn mind.

"All units, Move in! NOW! RIGHT FUCKING NOW! I SEE ONE MORE BODY DROPS ITS GONNA BE YOU!" The chief demanded, his coffee splattered across his long tattered coat in a fuel of rage. Hoisting into gear, I took one last look at the pain behind me. News vans scampered back and forth across the roads looking for a way out, avoiding the bloody trouble Homelander had flung into their direction. But something was wrong. I began to sweat, and it didn't stop. Drops of water began covering into my helmet vision, tactical gear cooking my body as the temperature increased. Metal scraping against brick made my ears squeal, quickly retreating into the building for safety. Red lasers danced across the city scape, quickly sawing whatever came into its way.

The building couldn't be any more worst than outside. Scarlet red painted the walls like an artists' touch, the main floor wiped of human life. I was assigned no other job but to simply talk to him, my guys in route watching closely as we made our way to the elevator. Quickly, I swiped my feet at the feeling of someone's touch, backing away in terror. There lay A-Train, who once was the world's fastest man quickly turned to nothing but broken bones. He crawled gently towards my ankle, pleading with his eyes as he winced in pain. "Send a paramedic team in, now. He's still got time" I demanded, the group of SWAT enforced men looked at me puzzled. "You're going up there, alone?..." one brave suit asked, I couldn't see his face but his tone ensured everyone was equally as terrified. I could see right through the supes facade, Homelander didn't scare me not one bit. I nodded my head in approval, the boys quickly sweeping to A-Train's rescue as they steadily carried the poor runner out of the building. I stared at the hopeless elevator entrance ding open, inhaling deeply as the doors closed behind me. Soft elevator music hummed in my ear, steadying my heart beat to a soft thump. I had to be prepared for the worst of it all, he could cut me into two pieces by the time the door opened and nobody would know until it was too late.

39,40...41.....42..........42.....

The elevator came to a holt, its bright led numbers flickering as the music came to a stop. My feet jolted below me, holding steadily to the railing as I waited in silence. He knew I was here. He knew someone was coming. My heart roared through my chest as I struggled to catch my breath, what the fuck was I thinking taking this job?

distress fled into my body, watching the doors pry open to the grip of ruby-red gloves. I fled to the ground, covering my head with my heads, watching the door opening wider. And wider. His cold distilled blue eyes emerged from the peak, analyzing me through the small crack. Homelander demanded, "Take off the helmet and let me see your face", watching my hands unravel from fetal position as my breath quivered. Slowly emerging from my helmet, I took the might of speaking up. "Homelander, I know your stressed... I'm not sure what happened, but.. we can work through this-". In the blink of an eye, the metal doors tore as gracefully as paper, falling into the ever abyss of the metropolitan below. My pupils constricted at the sight of him, his face was dim in expression and yet said so many things. His once "all American dream" blue suit covered in the blood of his coworker's, his hair a frilled mess, mania scampered in his eyes to the sound of his laughs. The dazed man grabbed my neck in a grip, and pulled me towards the gravel of the roof. I could feel my heart drop into my stomach, watching him edge closer and closer to the end of the building. "Homelander, wait.. Homelander please d-don't do this! Listen, okay? I'm Y/N, now you know me. Just tell me what happened, I'll listen!", pleading for my life as my gear scraped across the floor. The crazed supe held my head against the edge, a thousand feet of death kissing my eyes in return.

"They took my son. Away from me. My son is gone. you're going to tell me where he is. Or you can go say hi to your friends for me" he said, my hands pushed in denial as I screamed at the force of his body swinging me back and forth. "Where is Ryan! Goddamnit-where is he!" Homelander roared, his eyes holding threat in a bright neon red, I could feel my life draining from me in the moment. I had to think quick. I could keep my job, and do as I'm told. Or, I could save my life. I could do what I was good at. What Butcher taught me best. Rationalizing.

"Listen- look, okay? I can help you find Ryan, but you got to let me go! Without me, not a single fucking person at Vought would tell you his whereabouts. Besides, what they did to you.. Could be happening to him as we speak. Y-You want that?", my words could be playing with fire. But I had to give it a shot. Homelander laughed in mockery of my bravery, hastily letting go of me as he clapped and laughed in rejoice. The man's madness made me sick to my core. I could feel fresh acid forming like a lump in my throat, but I had to keep composure. I couldn't show I was scared. He would kill me without hesitation. He paced back and forth in thought of my offer, hands on his hips as I tried to catch my breath and pushed up against a corner of the roof. The screams from below echoed like the gates of hell, I could tell it was riling him up. "I have an idea, but.. We need to do it my way. You understand? No diverting, no nothing" I exclaimed, he looked across at me as blood dripped off his icy blonde tips stained a muck brown. "We leave. Now. Before they find out you were responsible for this, we can pinpoint it on another supe and you get Ryan back. Homelander- if this gets on the news...", I carefully stared back into his cold gaze, gulping at the words stuck in my throat. "You might not ever see Ryan again if Vought finds out you did this" I said.

The supe almost took that as a challenge, raising his eyebrow at my comment. "Really? And what makes you think I'll listen to you?" he chuckled, approaching slowly as I backed my heels into the ground. He towered carelessly over me, crouching low to meet my gaze. The smell of death reeked off his clothes, his teeth blinked brighter than the sky filled with mourning souls. Without thinking, the man lifted me carefully and began to back away from the building, I could feel our bodies lift off the ground and up towards the clouds. It calmed me, to know that I was able to do something perfectly for once. The one moment that could've possibly ruined my entire life, I saved myself. But I couldn't save the others

"Before we go.. You want to see something cool? I've been meaning to do this for a while" he chuckled, stopping in position as we levitated above the downtown metropolitan. The feeling of course hot beams almost burned through my suit, as I watched the Vought building explode into an array of flames. The building's base was untouched, Homelander squealed in laughter watching people rush onto the streets like ants. "They had what was fucking coming for them. And they knew it. Nobody to blame but themselves, right Y/N? I mean, you have to agree. We're friends now. And you!-You Are going to get me my boy back", his head shook vigorously as if he agreed with his own sentence, looking at me for the approval of his message. I understood that he was setting me up, but two can play that game. "We need to see Butcher. Now. He'll know what to do" I explained, my eyes refused to watch the city below. I had nowhere to look but right into his eyes. And I prayed that he could feel the hatred feeling through my body. Effortlessly, the dazed supe began to track throughout the clouds, elevating so the bare naked eye could barely see us through the cotton-field of clouds.

[zmpl]

hey man i know im a stranger on the internet using anon rn but im sorry you've been struggling recently. as in earlier this month. ive been there. i found it helps to go to the aquarium and just. watch the animals for a bit. or to just go outside and watch the animals. it may not work for you or for anyone else but looking at the world and finding a sense of peace in it made me feel at least somewhat calm

the shrimp that live in my fish tank say hello. i may be able to see the clump of neurons that governs them through their small transparent bodies but they're beautiful. im certain they love in their own foreign and unknown way

no joke anon but i actually did that earlier today. i went outside and watched all the animals. there was a rabbit nursing her babies in my front yard, a group of teenage birds being fed bird seed by their mama, a bee searching for pollen on flowers, and a wasp chewing on a wooden garden box collecting supplies to build their nest. so much love and life all around me if i go outside :’) tell your shrimp i said hi back

[mncxbe]

NO STOP NOW I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT WOULD BE READER'S REACTION TO FINDING OUT HE WAS TURNED INTO A VAMPIRE 😭😭😭

OH trooma. Ok so I made this kind of a part 2 for the 9:59♡ cuz why not. Didn't wanna make it overly dramatic but I hope you like it♡♡. also the way I wrote this the second I woke up I cannot

9:59♡ p2

𝑨𝒌𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒘𝒂 𝒙 𝒇𝒆𝒎!𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: angst?/ idk what this is

𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: blood/ reader getting turned into a vampire/ implied death

°☆○

Four days have passed since Akutagawa died and you finally decided to leave your apartment. It wasn't like you were purposefully isolating yourself, but considering the ongoing epidemic of vampirism it was the wisest choice.

You stepped out of your apartmemt building into the hot late-summer air. There was still around an hour and a half of light left and the golden sunbeams drizzled down upon the city, making it glow in a honeyed colour; like the inside of a bees nest. You reached out a hand to catch the flakes of light but they slipped right through your fingers.

With languid steps, you made your way down the crowded boulevard. It was strange to notice how utterly unchanged the city was: men and women of all ages were walking or driving home from work, loud teenagers with wild haircuts were probably going to a club, elderly women carried heavy bags of groceries and then were you; who suffered the greatest loss of your life.

But were you really that changed? Maybe your partner's death didn't affect you that much since you knew it was going to come sooner or later, either because of his lung illness or a mission. After all, you seemingly skipped the first four stages of grief and went straight to the last: acceptance. You cried a little, yes. But you didn't suffer as much as when your mom passed away a couple of years ago. Akutagawa's death felt natural and it somehow came as a relief because you knew that he was in pain. And maybe it was better this way.

Still, the unshakeable feeling of guilt dug its claws into your stomach and heart, twisting them and twisting them until you couldn't breathe. How could you be even remotely relieved that he was gone? Why weren't you sadder? Why didn't you feel like the world was crumbling down? Why couldn't you save him? Why why why...

Lost in your spiraling throughts, you took the right and walked past the coffee shop you and Akutagawa used to go to on his free days. It was vacant, so you kept strolling further down the dark alley. As you passed a badly done Hatsune Miku graffiti, you caught a shadow at the corner of your eye.

For a moment you froze. A faint rustling sounded from somewhere behind you; taking a sharp breath you briskly turned on your heels to face the person behind you.

First you noticed the black hair which fell just past the man's jawline, ending with streaks of white. Then your gaze followed the line of his neck which disappeared under a black cloth. And then it returned to the blood stained lips and finally, drifted to his eyes.

"Ryu?" you spoke in a hushed voice. "Ryu is that you?"

You wanted to run towards your partner and pull him in a tight hug but your feet seemed to be glued to the ground. Although his body looked the same as before; Akutagawa's gaze was feral, his black orbs bathed in bloodlust. This surely couldn't be the man you knew and loved.

The man hissed, flashing you a pair of pearly canines. He had been turned into a vampire; your lost lover was now a bloodthirsty creature, which was worse than being dead.

Akutagawa suddenly lunged forward, closing the little distance left between you. Your body reacted on its own and your legs finally moved. Letting out a shriek, you managed to get to the end of the alley when a black tendril seized your ankels, causing you to topple forward. Blood rushed through your entire body as you struggled to get up.

"Ryu love what are you doing please stop." you pleaded in a tembling voice.

Akutagawa kneeled before you, eyes narrowing as he let out a ragged growl. A faint shadow of recognition passed his charcoal eyes and his teeth retreated.

"Darling?" you asked gently, your fingertips reaching to caress his cheek. Could it be that he recognized you, even in this state?

The second your digits brushed against his pale skin he snapped out of his trance and sank his teeth in your wrist. A burning sensation spread through your arm as you yanked it; still, your attempt to escape was futile. Akutagawa's grip was fierce, nails and teeth digging into your skin.

It was ironic to think that only four nights ago the same person was holding onto you and now...

Now he was turning you into a vampire too. A strange feeling washed over you: happiness? relief? gratitude? To you, living as a mindless creature would be better than having to return to your empty apartment, to a cold bed that still carried your lover's citrusy scent.

So you simply stopped struggling and allowed Akutagawa to bite you. Rashomon's black cloth wrapped around your body, enveloping you in darkness; you felt like a silk moth in a cocoon.

Your free arm snaked around your boyfriend's neck, earning a hiss from him. You felt oddly comforted in his cold embrace, ready to accept your fate.

And then, your gaze met his again. Akutagawa's eyes were glossy, tears streaming down his cheeks. They cascaded down your bleeding arm, mixing with your dripping blood.

Before the world faded to black you managed to place a string of ghostly kisses along the side of his face.

"It's okay Ryu, it's ok. I don't mind it love it's alright." Your digits tangled themselves in his tousled hair as you nuzzled closer to his chest. "I love you I always will." you chanted quietly.

A few minutes later the alley was silent again. The only sound that disturbed the tranquil atmosphere was a faint drip, almost imperceptible, and the soft sobs of a broken man. The setting sun cast long shadows across the city's streets.