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of-solitude-past-and-present · 1 year

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Hidden in the Sands (Yandere!Naga!Kunikuzushi)

Warnings: Character Death (not reader, not kuni), Some Gore (description of a corpse), Injury (of reader), Monster AU, implied semi-cannibalism (he isn't human but close enough), some blood (mostly not reader's, a little is kuni's), biting, venom, graphic description of venom effects (used on reader non-lethally), kuni-typical insults, venom effects are made up, kuni tries to kill you (at first but doesn't follow through), reader has a semi-near-death experience, threats, kidnapping, imprisonment, nonconsensual touching (SFW ofc), general yandere themes, kunibaby is Not Nice but it's okay because he's hot, reader goes through the wringer... if you prefer soft yandere, this is probably not for you. loosely based on a rp I did with a friend.

Sorry I lied about the rook and sebek HCs. I have Sebek's pretty much done I think, but Rook remains an enigma. Might post them separately, idk.

Kuni's appearance is inspired by the desert horned viper. If the formatting seems a little weird at any point, it's because tumblr messed it up when I copy/pasted it here. Might fix it later.

6.5k words or so.

The Desert of Hadramaveth.

You haven't been here before. You thought the rest of the desert was bad, between the heat which was "enough to melt a mist flower but not really" (paraphrased from a certain fox friend) and the unforgiving terrain.

This was worse, with its near-constant sandstorms. This was the second one today, and you had only just left the Tanit camp. In other areas of the desert, you were begging for a reprieve from the sun, but here, you were almost begging for it back if it meant you didn't have to worry about getting sand in your eyes and throat. It was almost, almost enough to make you consider turning around and dropping the commission.

"Do you want to hear a dry joke?"

If it weren't for your friend here, you probably would. Unfortunately, you can't turn back now that you've gotten his hopes up. The most you can do is slump your shoulders and sigh, suffocating under the endless heat, what little you could see of the sun, and what you knew was coming next.

"Sure, I'll bite."

A large, beaming grin spread across Sanad's face, and you braced yourself.

"A desert."

"That's terrible."

"Oh, come on! It's funny and you know it!"

"Does that even count as a proper j-"

You paused, looking up at the sky. In the distance, you could see a large, beige cloud. Again?

"We need to find shelter. There's a sandstorm coming."

"Well, looks like we're in luck. Where isn't shelter?" he responded.

It was true. You and Sanad were somewhere just north of the Tanit Camps, near Wadi Al-Majuj. Ahead of the both of you was the entrance to a deep canyon, lined with ancient ruins. According to the map, it was called Pairidaeza Canyon. Behind you, there was another entrance to a different canyon, and according to your map, if you went back a ways and to the right, there'd be a third one.

"Come on, let's go! I need to look through these for my thesis!" He rushed, running ahead of you.

"Careful!" you called out. "There might be bandits down there."

He immediately slowed to a stop, sheepishly turning around to move back to his place next to you.

"On second thought, take your time. Just make sure there's nobody else in there."

You chuckle, already starting a reasonable pace down the steep slope into the canyon. "Thought so. Just a reminder, we're leaving immediately once the sandstorm ends, unless we find who or what we're looking for."

Right. What you were looking for. Recently, small groups of travelers and even large caravans were being attacked. Most of the attacks occurred between the Tanit Camp and around the Passage of Ghouls. A few supplies were usually stolen, but that wasn't the worst part.

A few days later, the rotting corpse of one of the travelers or nomads would be found, half-eaten and with a twin set of puncture marks in their throat. Any useful supplies would be missing, but oddly enough, the mora was almost never taken.

Normally, you'd assume that maybe it was just a deranged serial killer, and either the bodies were eaten by wild animals or the culprit was worse than you thought. But it was strange. What serial killer had fangs like that? And if it was a wild animal, what use would they have for supplies like bedrolls and first aid kits?

The survivors usually all said the same thing; they were caught out in the middle of a sandstorm, and all they heard was a scream or shout before one of their friends disappeared. When the body was found, some key survival supplies would be missing as well. When a caravan was attacked, some supplies (and occasionally people) would even be snatched right off the backs of the desert sumpter beasts.

Hence why you and your friend Sanad were out here to crack this strange case. Mostly you, though, since Sanad only wanted to take a gander at the desert ruins for some Akademiya thing. You'd probably have gone alone (or at least tried to, before you decided the mora wasn't worth it) but when he heard that you were going to this section of the desert, he insisted on coming for his thesis or something like that. He helped pay for the trip, and he was paying you personally, so you had no reason to refuse. He was your friend, and good company to boot, even if he was a little bit skittish.

"Well, that might be possible... but you said you didn't even know if the culprit was a person, didn't you?" he inquired, as the both of you passed the first of the ruins in the canyon.

You sighed. "Yeah, I told you all about that already."

A glimmer of excitement appeared in his eyes. "Well, I've been thinking since then, and I remembered this old desert legend! Have you heard of nagas?"

"Nagas?" you parroted.

"Yes, nagas!" He nodded his head. "They're an ancient race of ferocious half-human half-snake people that supposedly existed during the reign of King Deshret. Apparently they were equal parts revered and feared, as wise and strong beings."

You raised a somewhat skeptical brow. "I thought you didn't believe in legends?"

He laughed. "The Akademiya has declared them to be just baseless nonsense, so of course I don't think they actually exist. I just think it's very interesting, and it technically matches what we know..." He trails off, looking around in awe.

"If you want to look around, you can. Tell me if you see or hear anything."

You didn't need to tell him twice. With a rushed "thanks!" and a wave, he was practically bouncing up what probably used to be a set of stairs to a higher level within the ruins, off to your left. In the meantime, you'll look around, see if you can find anything interesting.

You looked up and around, spinning on your heels. From what you've seen of the canyon so far, it's just a straight corridor with partially collapsed stone ruins on both sides, and a fallen wooden bridge that once connected them. You can see several ways to climb up higher and explore the ancient stone buildings, including the way up that Sanad went.

You and Sanad are pretty deep into the canyon at this point, and you have to crane your head just to see the top. As you do this, you notice just how many floors there are in the ruins. Some have crumbled so much they seem almost completely inaccessible. They're so high up, you can't see anything on them from your angle at the bottom.

There's just so many places to hide. The realization makes you tense up a little. Maybe you should have gone up with him.

It's so strange though. The complicated ruins, numerous hiding places, and the nearby water would make this place an ideal camping spot for bandits and thieves. But so far, you haven't seen hide or hair of anyone else. Not even an abandoned camp.

Until somewhere in the ruins, you hear an odd sound. It's hard to make out, and it sounds so much like the normal shifting sand that you almost brush it off as a natural sound in the canyon. But you hear stone crumbling and rocks falling, and you look up, seeing something move on the side of a ledge too far above you to check. It's close enough that some of the rocks hit the ground next to you. You squint, watching the ledge, waiting for whatever it was to move again, but the sound stops. The hair on your neck stands on end–from what, you aren't sure. Sanad is even closer to the source of the sound than you are, but not far away at all. Just out of sight. Was it from him? Or someone watching him?

Or are they watching you?

You're not sure, and you'll check just in case. Sanad doesn't have anything to defend himself with except for a dagger. Without another thought, you surge up the stone steps, hand subconsciously finding its place on the pommel of your sword. When you get up there, you see him standing with a hand on his chin, studying some old glowing contraption you've never seen before.

"Did you hear that?" you ask, breathing just a little heavier than normal.

He turns to you somewhat incredulously, just as fine as ever. "Hear what? I haven't heard anything. Are you alright?"

You calm down a little bit, letting your hand fall from your sword. "I'm fine. I was just worried about you. Didn't you hear that noise? I saw something move up there." You look up at the ledge the rocks came from. You don't see any way to get up there that's safe.

The sand is starting to pour in harder through the massive gap in the canyon ceiling, and the wind is beginning to howl. You and Sanad are slowly being dusted in sand.

"You're a little on edge. Relax! A sandstorm is starting and the wind and sand probably just knocked a few rocks into the canyon or something. It happens all the time." He flashed you a reassuring smile, turning back to... whatever those were on the wall. They're shaped somewhat like bowls, and as sand pours into them, sand also pours out a hole in the side into another one of them. You're not the researcher here, so you ignore it.

You let go of some of the tension in your shoulders, letting out a held breath. "Alright, sorry for bothering you then. Just so you know, if the sandstorm gets any worse, we'll be moving deeper into the canyon to get out of the sand."

He turns back to you, somewhat pleading. "But can't I stay? I'm not the one looking for the guy, so you don't need me to come with you, right?"

You expected this, just as you expect that he'll be the one choosing to come with you after what you say next. "Yeah, you could, but if something happens I probably won't be able to hear it if I'm down there."

He freezes, grimacing a bit. "Alright, alright. Let me know when you move on."

As expected.

You chuckle at him with a lopsided smile, turning back to go down the ramp. He was probably right. It seemed like such a silly thing to panic over. Of course sand and rocks would shift and fall in the desert during a sandstorm. That's probably all you saw. You're glad you brought Sanad along and not some other stuck-up researcher who would have made fun of you for it.

When you reach the bottom again, you turn your attention to the ground. Aside from the sounds of the howling wind and pouring sand, you can hear water dripping as it coalesces into the wide but shallow puddle in front of you. That's not what interests you, though.

There's a long indentation in the sand, about as wide as you are, as if something had been dragged through. It extends further into the cave, where the ground becomes rockier and the track disappears.

You crouch down to inspect them further. Chances are, it's probably a large haul of supplies that was too big to properly carry. This place is the perfect hideout for thieves and bandits, so it would be worthwhile to investigate. If you're lucky, it might be the bandit you're looking for.

The canyon starts to darken, so much so that you now have trouble making out the edges of the track. Most of the sunlight that filtered in through the top has disappeared behind a haze. The sound of howling wind grows louder, and the hiss of pouring sand all around you is almost deafening. You've had quite enough of the sand raining on and around you, so you call out for Sanad to come back. It doesn't take him long to come rushing back down the way he came.

"We're heading deeper in to wait out the rest of it," you explain.

He sends a longing look back at where he had come from. "Alright... I see," he concedes, with a dejected slump of his shoulders.

You'll humor him. "Did you find anything interesting?"

He instantly brightens up, excited to talk about whatever he found. "Yes! It's this interesting mechanism that fills with sand. I read about it in a textbook once! It can be opened and closed, but I couldn't figure out how to. I've heard if you can fill them as they were intended to be, you can get treasure from them!"

You two begin moving deeper into the canyon, and you send him a teasing smile. "With the way you're talking, I'd almost think you're the adventurer here."

He shudders. "I could never. At least, not as a full time job. You encounter monsters all the time, don't you?"

"They're not so difficult to deal with, once you're used to seeing them."

"That is not at all reassuring!" He stops to let out a breath. "No, I just want the free mora. Trips like these are expensive."

You sigh. "Well, if you want to, we can at least take a crack at it together on the way out of here."

His eyes light up again. "That's wonderful! We can even split the rewards if we manage to solve it!"

"No more than an hour, though," you warn. "With all the sandstorms, we don't have the time to waste."

"Aww, fair enough." A moment of silence passes, and he turns back to you. "Oh, I almost forgot to ask you! Did you find anything interesting?"

You think back, and the only thing that comes to mind are the tracks.

"Well, a little bit behind us, I found these drag marks. Like someone had dragged a big bag or something, I couldn't tell what."

"Drag marks? Oh, so maybe it really is a naga after all."

You turn to him in exasperation. "Didn't you just say you didn't believe in them? Besides, why'd you even tell me about them if you don't think they exist?"

He laughs. "I'm kidding! I only told you mostly because I wanted to. But I have a more realistic theory too!"

"Really now?" You raised a skeptical brow.

He turns to you, faking a gasp in faux offense. "Why are you looking at me like that? Of course I do! I don't study at the Akademiya for nothing!"

You chuckle. "Oh, go on then. Don't keep me waiting."

"What if the culprit keeps a snake around? Think about it, at the price of a little food, they'd get an unlimited supply of p–Hey! Don't laugh at me! It's not as ridiculous as it sounds!"

Apparently you weren't as good at hiding your snickers as you thought. "No, no, I'm not laughing at you. I was just imagining it in my head. From what I heard, it would have to be a pretty big one based on the size of the puncture wounds and the distance between the fangs."

He crossed his arms, looking away. Guess he didn't quite believe you. "It's not THAT unbelievable, especially in comparison to the naga theory... Haven't you seen the street performers with the snakes in Port Ormos?"

You hold your hands out in a placating gesture. "Okay, okay, you're right, I'm sorry. But your theory doesn't explain everything–what about the half-eaten bodies part? And they almost never take mora either... besides, the street performers use nonvenomous snakes."

"I guess it would be risky, but in theory, venomous snakes can be trained too! Desert dwellers tend to be... fearless. Though..." He puts a hand to his chin in contemplation, looking down. "I'm not quite sure about that other part either. Though it's not as if cannibalism was ever off the table, there's always the chance it was just wild animals that found the body after. As for mora... maybe it's someone who never gets the chance to spend it anyway?"

"Like, a recluse or something?" you pipe up.

"Yeah, exactly! Someone who's completely self-sufficient, who doesn't need to deal with other people to survive. Makes enough sense. They probably get everything they need from the people they're attacking."

At this point, the both of you are up to your ankles in water. The canyon is fairly wide at the bottom and grows so much narrower towards the top that very little sand makes it through, so you take the liberty of brushing as much of it off of you as possible. The both of you pass the last of the stone ruins. Up ahead is just bare, mostly untouched canyon. It's damp enough to support an amount of greenery that seemed a little out of place in the desert. You can still hear the wind howl, but it's a bit quieter here.

You and Sanad pass an opening in the wall to your right, leading to a dead end with a fairly deep pool and what looked to be a crumbled stone bridge.

"Your theory is a little... out there, but some of it definitely makes a good deal of sense."

"It's an early hypothesis! We'll revise it as we find more evidence."

You roll your eyes a bit. "It's alright, I'm not judging you."

You look around again. There's plenty of dry places to stop and rest without worrying about sand, so this should be an adequate place to wait it out.

"Why don't we stop here?"

"Not yet!" Sanad points further into the cave, where it opens up some more, with a rock jutting out of the center of the room, surrounded on one side by a shallow stream of water. "I can see more ruins in there! You can stop there and I can keep looking around."

You sigh, for what felt like the hundredth time. As much as you wanted to rest, it wasn't far away at all. "Alright. But we're still going back to that mechanism immediately once the sandstorm is over."

"I know, I kn–"

From an entrance to another path to your right came a blur, barreling right at Sanad. You have barely enough time to shove him behind you and out of its way before it stops in front of you both, dark claws bared.

Now that you can get a look at it, you realize it's a scarred, shirtless man with a dark head of hair, sharp indigo eyes, and... two pale, straight horns? Looking down, he doesn't have a pair of legs, but a sand-colored snakelike tail with rough scales. Even without the rest of his tail, which was hidden behind him, he's quite literally twice your size.

A naga?

He sneers at your sword as you pull it from your sheath, showing off a long pair of fangs. "A little short, isn't it?" He hisses. "Good luck with that."

"Sanad, get back!" You cry, holding your sword out in front of you threateningly. The naga seemed more amused than anything, simply starting to circle. Watching.

While you backed up to keep the naga from getting between you and Sanad, he hurriedly ran far back the way the both of you came, staying just close enough to watch the both of you.

Without warning, the naga lunged forward, one claw-tipped hand reaching out to swipe at you. You swung your sword at his arm, but missed, just barely grazing his side. Still, it was enough to force him back. He brushed over the superficial wound with one hand, smearing what little blood came from it, taking a look.

You stand there, adrenaline pumping through your veins, unsure of what to do. His reach was almost as long as yours, even though you were the one with the sword. This has to be who you're looking for, but you're beginning to think that you should've brought more people.

When he looks back at you, that cruel sneer is still set in his face, but a glint of annoyance is now present in his eyes.

"Lucky hit. Don't count on it happening again."

He doesn't hesitate, rushing forward immediately. You swing again, but it's too early, and he barely has to slow down before he's coming at you again. He's so close now that he grabs your shoulder, claws digging in hard enough to draw blood, shoving you down. In a blind panic, you're forced to adjust your grip on your sword so that you can bring your arm back and stab into his tail.

Before you even realize what's happened, you're on the ground, wind knocked out of your lungs. The arm that had held your sword is pinned to the ground by one of his hands, the other still holding onto your shoulder. You wheeze pathetically while he leans down and slides his fangs into your throat.

Your sword had bounced off of his scales, barely even leaving a mark.

The first thing you feel in your throat is pain, followed by an overwhelming numbing sensation, only interrupted by pins and needles. He chuckles as you thrash around in his hold, your free hand trying to push him off. The sensation is spreading, from your shoulder down even to your fingertips. The only thing you can do is let out a pained groan.

The pressure, from anything, from his hands on you to your own as you push and hit him, hurts. Like everything that touches you only pushes those pins and needles deeper into your skin. It's this feeling that finally makes you go limp in his hold, giving in. It gives you the chance to look up, focus on anything but him, and see that Sanad has long since abandoned you. Lucky bastard.

You hope that he gets away, at least. Even as the half-snake thing on you pulls away to hold your face in one hand, forcing you to look at him.

"Seems your little friend didn't care for you as much as you cared for him. Don't worry. I'll do you a favor and make sure he gets what's coming to him." You manage to focus on his face, smeared with your blood and that same, ever-present sneer, but with something else behind it. Something vindictive.

You grit your teeth. It stung, even though you knew it was the only reasonable thing for Sanad to do.

It's petty, and it won't do you any favors, but you lift your arm and slap him across the face as hard as you can. The impact alone sends shocks of pain down your arm, but he barely even moves.

Instead, he laughs in your face, dark amusement flitting across his hauntingly beautiful features. "What was that? A love tap? After everything, I'm surprised you can even try." He leans in closer still, your noses almost touching.

"I'm sure you feel proud of yourself, don't you? Good job! I might just leave you for last, then."

Without another word, he dashes off to find Sanad, and all you can do is pray the snake isn't successful. After all, what's a pampered Akademiya researcher to do against a man-eating monster?

You try to stand, but a bone-deep exhaustion pulls at your limbs. You can only get halfway up before your vision starts to go dark and you collapse onto the ground in a graceless heap. The pressure still hurts, a strange buzzing sensation rising alongside the needles and numbness. All you can do to help it is curl onto your side, minimizing your contact with the ground.

You lay there for a while, drifting in and out of consciousness for who knows how long. The pain is fading slightly, but you're not sure if it only feels that way because you're getting used to it.

Maybe you're dying.

A chill goes down your spine at the thought, and you do your best to dismiss it. It isn't hard, not when your thoughts are interrupted by a terrified, blood-curdling scream cut too short to be natural.

It brings you back to your senses. You keep listening, but you can't hear any more noises over the constant sounds of the canyon. Dripping water, falling sand, and the howling wind.

If that was Sanad, then since you're already deep within the snake's den, it must be only a matter of time before he gets back...

You're pushing yourself back on your feet before you know it, another rush of adrenaline supporting you. To do what, you're not sure. If you couldn't win before, you certainly can't now. But you're already running as best you can to where you saw Sanad go, though it's more of a relatively fast half-stumble than anything else. Everything still hurts, and beneath the venom you can start to feel your muscles ache too, but if you focus on moving it isn't unbearable.

You forgot your sword. You'd turn back to get it, but even with the adrenaline your limbs feel like lead, and your sword arm is so weak you don't think you could do more than carry it anyway.

You've just reached the ruins again, and looking around at all the nooks and crannies gives you the idea to hide. As sluggish and unarmed as you are, you can't fight anyway. Maybe if you hide long enough, he'll go away. Sanad might still be alive, if you can make it to him.

You don't know how long you were laying there, but if you could hear Sanad, they couldn't have gotten far. That fact is a double-edged sword, you realize. It's been a while since you heard his scream, and if the naga was coming back then it wouldn't be long until you saw him. You don't have much time.

You stagger your way as fast as you can manage to your right. You don't see anywhere to hide down at the bottom, but there are plenty of places above. It's so much harder than walking on flat ground, but you force yourself up a wooden ramp onto a stone platform. There aren't a variety of places to hide here, either, but you don't have the energy to go up any higher.

You hear the water below you being disturbed, in a way too constant to be footsteps, and you quickly duck forward to avoid being seen. You don't dare look, instead opting to slowly move towards a large stone statue to your right, as quietly as possible. With one look back to make sure he hadn't come up to check, you hide behind the stone dais that the statue rested on.

You take a breather, listening for any more sounds. You can't hear the water being disturbed anymore, but the thought of moving alone is both terrifying and exhausting. If you wait too long and he finds you gone, he'll probably come back to look for you. On the other hand, if you leave too early and he hears you...

With this in mind, you rest a few minutes more. The wind is slowing down, and there's less sand in the air than there was when you and Sanad first came through, so the sandstorm has likely stopped. At least the naga won't have that going for him too, once you and Sanad leave.

You'd stay longer, but the anxiety eats at you. It's only a matter of time until the naga comes back, and you don't know what condition Sanad is in.

You get up on shaking legs, your body begging you to sit back down and rest more. You know better, so you force yourself forward, looking over the ledge to make sure he isn't nearby.

You stumble back down the wooden ramp, turning to continue down the path to the exit. You have to stick to the sides of the path, where the sand is highest, just to make sure nobody can hear the sounds of splashing water.

Sanad can't be too far off now. Maybe he'll be in the same state you are, and you both can return to the Tanit camp and get help. You still have your pack on you, but the only thing that might be useful soon is the small first aid kit and the knife.

You really hope you won't need the knife.

Just in case, you pull it out of your pack and put in in your pocket. You're out of the water now, but you've come to a steep hill. The only way out is up. You hope you can make it.

You grit your teeth, sweat dripping down the side of your face as you force yourself up the incline. Onward and upward, you think bitterly. The overused phrase "ad astra abyssosque" parroted endlessly by everyone else at the Adventurer's Guild comes to mind. You never thought you'd make it to the stars or abyss to begin with, but you didn't think your journey would end so soon, either.

Your muscles burn with exhaustion, and you think you can feel the numbness slowly spreading further into your legs. Still, you continue upwards, at a much slower pace, even as you almost collapse a few times.

You come up to a point where the hill flattens out for a short distance. You're panting from the exertion, and you almost breathe a sigh of relief until you see what's in front of you.

"Sanad!"

Before you know it, you've staggered forward to collapse at his side. He's lying face-down on the ground in a small pool of his own blood.

You turn him over, tears pricking at your eyes, praying his condition wasn't as bad as it seemed. His head lolled to the side, face pale and eyes empty, unmoving. The blood, on the ground and splattered all over the front of his Akademiya robes, still dripped from the massive tear in his neck. It looked like a set of claws had dug into his skin and tore off the front of his throat.

Your breath hitches, and you fall backwards, dropping his body. Tears well up in your eyes. Why hadn't he done the same to you? Why did he do so much worse to-

"So, so loyal. Like a dog running to protect its master. You're adorable, really, even if you're a little late."

You freeze, only turning your head to look over your shoulder at him. He's slowly approaching, a condescending smirk on his lips. Half-dried blood covers one of his hands.

"There's no need to mourn. He was pathetic. Did you know that he only cared enough to fight when it was his life on the line?" He looked distant for a moment, before looking at you with something almost soft in his eyes. It disappeared so fast, you'd almost think you had imagined it, the condescending smirk and mock pity sliding to cover his face once more. "You poor thing. You're better off without him. No need to thank me."

You blink away the tears, an idea coming to mind. You couldn't overpower or outrun him, so there's only one possible option for you. "You're a... you're a lying bastard! What else was he going to do?" You yelled at him, pushing yourself up on unsteady legs to face him, backing over your friend's body.

"Humans are untrustworthy," he croons, following after you. His eyes don't leave you even once. He's sizing you up, and with nothing more than a moment of contemplation, his smirk widens and a victorious glint appears in his narrowed eyes. "He was using you. Once you were no longer useful to him, he discarded you. It's pretty naive to think he left you with any other thought in mind."

You don't dignify that with a response, continuing to back up. One of your hands almost moves down to your pocket, where your knife is hidden, but you stop it before he sees.

Your heel hits the sharp incline behind you, where the hill keeps going, and you fall backwards and hit the ground. A derisive snort comes from the snake.

"I've decided what I'm going to do with you. It's much better than what I did to your friend, here. You should thank me, really." He towers over you, leaning down to your level, setting a hand down on the ground next to you. Your hand twitches for your knife.

He watches you for a moment, a quiet, breathy laugh leaving his lips at your frozen state. All you do is stare at him, shaking from the adrenaline. Finally, his other hand comes up to rest on the nape of your neck, pushing you closer to him. You can feel the sticky blood on his fingers.

His eyes glimmer with excitement, and he continues while your hand slowly drifts to your pocket. "You're just helpless. I think I'm going to keep you with me, like a little p-"

You thrust your knife at him, landing a hit on his side while he lurches away. Your blood runs cold. It should have been buried hilt-deep, but instead all you've done is leave a bleeding gash. It's not quite superficial, but it won't stop him, and you know you won't be able to land another.

His lips curl in a snarl as you scramble backwards up the hill. You turn, and start running, but adrenaline can only carry you so far. You feel almost like you're in a nightmare, fully conscious and trying to run but unable to move at any pace that could possibly save you.

It only takes a moment for a large hand to wrap around your ankle, dragging you underneath him. Your face hits the ground and your hands scrabble for purchase, but the dirt and sand only give way beneath your fingers. His other hand finds the wrist with the knife, squeezing tightly enough that you can feel the pain, even underneath the lingering numb, buzzing sensation. You can't feel your hand well enough to keep holding onto the knife. The pins and needles return, and tears prick at your eyes.

He knocks the knife far away from you and flips you over to look at him, dark eyes still burning with anger. "You're alive only because I let you live. Did you really think trying that was smart? Did you finally get it all out of your system, or do you want to try again?"

You try to speak, but the words get caught on the lump in your throat. A hand slams on the ground next to you, and you shrink in on yourself.

"Well?" A glimmer of satisfaction appeared in his eyes, even as his lip curled in a mixture of amusement and contempt. "I'm waiting."

It's all you can do to croak out a few apologies and look away, unable to stand his stare.

A deep chuckle resonates from his chest, and his other face grips your jaw, forcing you to look at him again. "Good enough," he croons. "Looks like it won't be so bad for you, then."

"What? What won't?" you whimper. His hand lets go of your face, drifting down to encircle your neck. Your hands instinctively wrap around his wrist, silently begging him not to squeeze.

That little mocking smile on his face widens. His hand tightens a little, and you panic for a second, but it doesn't go any further. Instead, his eyes grow distant, thinking.

They brighten up again, an idea coming to mind. He laughs quietly to himself, pulling his other hand off the ground and trailing it down your leg. "You can call me... Kunikuzushi. I think I know what I'm going to do with you now."

"Please don't hurt me," you plead, vision blurring with tears. He doesn't even look at you, instead watching his hand as he grabs your calf and pulls it up. "It's a little late for that," he hums, adjusting his grip to hold onto your ankle instead. His fingers are long enough to wrap fully around it and then some.

"I can't watch you all the time, and I need to buy myself enough time to get something to restrain you with... besides, you deserve this anyhow."

You were about to ask him what he meant by that, but with a distressing amount of ease, he twisted your ankle to the side hard enough that you could hear the pop. The pins and needles returned to that area full-force, the buzzing and numbing sensations right behind it. It didn't hurt that much, though. You could feel an ache beneath it all, but it didn't hurt as much as it should have. You were sure you could still walk on it.

Until you looked down, where it was still in his hand, twisted so far to the side that you weren't sure it would ever be the same again. It doesn't hurt that much, but your shoulders still shake and you still start to cry.

"There, there," he murmurs, dropping your ankle to stroke your hair. He leans down lower, a smile a little too sharp to be soft on his lips. "You'll be okay. I wouldn't get a pet if I couldn't take care of it."

You try to push him away. You know you need to do something about your ankle, but he only presses closer, resting more of his weight on you so thay you can't see it anymore. "It's a bit too late for that now, don't you think?" he whispers, leaning in to press his lips against yours, too eager and with too much teeth. You flail a bit, trying to push him off, but he only chuckles into the kiss, biting your lip hard enough to draw blood. An arm wraps around your waist, pushing you closer.

It feels like an eternity, but soon he's sweeping you up and slinging you over his shoulder. He turns around to go back down into the canyon, and you watch Sanad's corpse disappear over the hill.

This time, you can feel him rumble with the force of his laugh.

"I'm going to have so much fun with you."

#scaramouche #yandere scaramouche #kunikuzushi #yandere kunikuzushi #scaramouche x reader #genshin impact #yandere scaramouche x reader #yandere kunikuzushi x reader #yandere #I'm not sorry I disappeared again I was having a good time #not fully proofread. I'll get around to it another time when I reconsume my own content bc it was made with my desires in mind #the entire time I was writing this I had the words “he's so babygirl” running through my head on repeat #kuni: *tortures the reader insert*#me: yes!!! My Babygirl!!!#it's 5 am and I haven't slept yet sorry I couldn't stop thinking about him #naga scara

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shepherds-of-haven · 1 year

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apologies if this has already been asked but I couldn’t find it. I was wondering how easy it is to share a bed with all the ROs. like, who’s constantly changing positions, who cuddles, who’s the starfish, and who sleeps like the dead lol.

Blade: I think he's pretty easy to share a bed with depending on what kind of sleeper you are, he tends to be quite still and quiet: however, he is an extremely light sleeper, so he will wake up if you get out of bed for any reason, and he's also extremely strong, so if you happen to fall asleep with his arm bracketing you and he doesn't feel inclined to let you out of bed, you're pretty much stuck there! 😅

Trouble: he doesn't tend to toss much in his sleep, but he SPRAWLS like he's sky-diving/free-falling and he also radiates a very intense heat when he sleeps! So he definitely occupies a large part of the bed and makes it toasty, which could be fine for you or it could be annoying! The nice thing is that he sleeps very heavily (pretty much like the dead, like you could drop something on him and he might not wake up), but he also sleep-mumbles/snores a little bit too!

Tallys: she tends to be a considerate bedmate; she is also a light sleeper and will wake up if you move around too much, but the nice thing is that she doesn't technically need a ton of sleep to begin with, so it's not a huge problem for her! She tends to be extremely cuddly in the beginning of the night until you fall asleep, and then she flips over and occupies her half of the bed quietly and restfully!

Shery: she's very nice to sleep with, very cuddly (she loves being the little spoon) and hardly moves or makes a sound! However, she does tend to read in bed/keep a light on her side rather than going to sleep right away, so that's something to consider with her as well!

Riel: he's a bit of a finicky bedmate in that he gets very easily annoyed if you're 1) tossing around and thrashing in the sheets a lot, 2) touching him and making him overheated and stuffy, 3) snoring or talking in your sleep a lot... He's a light sleeper to begin with and loves his space, so you need an extra king-sized bed for him to find it tolerable and hates being jerked out of sleep by you hogging the sheets or something! But on his end of things, that also means he's an easy partner to sleep with so long as you're as still and quiet as he is! He also tends to stay up REALLY late working in his study, so by the time he gets to bed, chances are you're probably already asleep!

Chase: great bedmate when he deigns to let you sleep in his bed 😅 for hookups, he's always climbing out the window while they're asleep before the dawn rises, so actually getting to fall asleep with him for a full night is something only true lovers get to experience (unless circumstances dictate otherwise, like you're on a mission together and you have to share a single bed for whatever reason). But he's an easy person to sleep with (in both senses of the word...), affectionate but not too clingy, fond of spooning, easy to fall asleep, pretty quiet and not restless, etc.! The only thing is that he is an extremely light sleeper, so chances are that when you stir and wake up, he's already wide awake and staring at you like ( ⓛ ω ⓛ ) "hi"

Red: he's a night owl like Riel so he's not always falling asleep with you, but when he does, it's pretty great! He likes spooning or at least keeping a hand on you while he sleeps; sometimes he sleep-talks or gets up because he can't fall asleep, but if you don't mind that, there shouldn't be any issues! He is very tall though so it can be awkward to cram into a smaller bed with him... his limbs just hang off everywhere

Ayla: she's a bit like Trouble, she sleeps hard and like the dead, and it sort of just depends on where she's at; at home, once she's really comfortable, she sleeps very deeply and heavily and in a tangle of limbs where you look at her passed out like "wow... she's going to wake up so well-rested..." But in places where she's not fully comfortable like on the road, she tends to be a really restless sleeper and can even kick and punch in her sleep, so watch out for that!

Briony: she's a fairly easy sleeper; she curls up like a shrimp on her side, so she doesn't occupy a lot of space, and she LOVES to cuddle or be cuddled! She has a tiny snore or whistle when she breathes in her sleep sometimes, but the most notable thing about sharing a bed with her is that she gets a bit grumpy when woken up too early... the kind where she'll put a pillow over her head and whine if you're up and about, rattling things around the room as you get dressed!

Lavinet: she's definitely a picky sleeper and loves her space, and she owns so many pillows you'll constantly be feeling like you're occupying the same bed as 2 dozen cushions and constantly kicking them to the floor! She enjoys being spooned so long as you're not a twitchy or thrashy sleeper yourself, otherwise she'll have to relegate you to your own side of the bed... and she tends to be a space-hog, so you might find yourself on the very edge of the mattress at times unless you're okay with reasserting your domain a lot!

#Shepherds of Haven #sleep #bed #romance options #sleeping

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gabessquishytum · 1 year

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Insomnia + ADHD Hob.

Hob, who hasn't even been able to sleep for longer than two hours in ages because everything is so much louder in this century. He can't soundproof anything either because then it's too quiet. He's used to hearing birds and crickets. Used to the crackle of a campfire or the sound of rain hitting tree leaves.

Now it's cars, trucks, and people shouting. It's horns honking and engines revving, and motorcycles. It's the buzz of fluorescent lighting and helicopters going across the sky in the middle of the night (I don't know if that actually happens in the UK, but it does in the US 🙃)

Hob, who has tried every possible sleep drug and, short of being outright sedated (like, with a horse sedative), still can't stay asleep.

Hob, who is so exhausted at this point that the slightest problem can, will, and has sent him bursting into tears.

Hob, who is so exhausted that he's slipping in and out of Delirium's realm. Who has 'died' due to being unable to sleep more times than he can count.

Hob, who discovered he can only get to sleep, and stay asleep, if he's completely fucked out and unfortunately for him, very few people have his stamina (he realized this sometime while Dream was captured because he met Destruction, who was more than willing to fuck him until he passed out)

Dream, who discovers that the man who waited for him despite the way he stormed out, who built him a temple, who is his friend, who he loves and desires carnally, needs to be fucked until he passes out every night to be able to sleep? Oh, he can do that. Sure, technically, he could just use his sand, but he doesn’t want Hob addicted to it. Plus, Hob doesn't need to know that.

It starts out pretty easy. Hob is already beyond exhausted, and every nerve is sensitive for it, so it's not only easy to make him cum, but it only takes a few really good orgasms before he's out.

However, the more well-rested he becomes, the more difficult it is to get him to pass out. Good thing the sensitivity never actually goes away.

It gets to a point that Hob has to start 'turning in' early because it takes a good several hours before he's fucked-out enough to sleep; they have to keep water on the bedside table so that Hob can stay hydrated enough to keep going. He always starts by fucking Dream until he can't move; Dream usually rides him afterwards until Hob's cock is too sore (as Shaper of Forms, Dream's hole never loosens unless he wants it to.)

Then Dream starts in on Hob's hole. He usually begins with his tongue, making Hob cum a few times, before he adds fingers, and eventually his cock. Dream has no refractory period and doesn't get dehydrated, so he can spend as many times as he wants.

By the time Hob finally passes out, his hole is fucked loose and sloppy and he's full of so much of Dream's spend that he's got a belly bulge and they're both absolutely covered in each others cum.

Then maybe Dream uses Hob's hole a few more times for his own pleasure, as a treat; Hob certainly isn't going to notice a few extra loads inside him.

Dream cleans up everything except Hob's hole, which he usually plugs up until the morning.

Bonus: Hob who uses horse sedatives to sleep and Dream doesn't discover this until after he retires and becomes Hob's roommate. Dream discovers that once Hob is asleep, he won't wake until morning, no matter what. Dream, newly human and horny all the time, tries to resist... but he doesn't quite have the willpower or control he used to.

Hob actually knows exactly what Dream does to him while he's asleep (he's not that stupid) but he actually finds it really hot, so he doesn't say anything and just makes sure Dream always has easy access to him.

Maybe Dream eventually catches on that Hob knows. Maybe he doesn't. Either way, he uses Hob nearly every night before he goes to sleep; after all, he always sleeps better afterward, and he knows the importance of good sleep

(I am also the anon who sent the Hob begs to be bred, not knowing Dream can do it, and Dream DOES it ask. If it's not already taken, 🐺)

All of this is SO GOOD. I love the irony of insomniac Hob. His boyfriend is literally king of sleep etc but his brain is uhhhh not neurotypical and its all just a bit of a struggle.

Dream is DEEPLY confused but of course willing to help. If Hob needs to be fucked consistently for three hours so he can get a decent night's rest, then Dream is up for the job of assisting! He witnesses Hob in a tearful sleep deprived state one time and vows that it will never happen again on his watch.

Dream makes every night into a perfect experience for Hob. The bed is comfortable, the room is the perfect temperature. Dream smells amazing, his skin is cool and soft. Hob already feels wonderfully relaxed and his brain is finally winding down from the day.

Dream may be a wet cat man but his topping skills? Incredible. He rocks Hob’s world. He's got Hob into positions he didn't even know he was capable of. He's making him cum three, sometimes four times every night. Hob goes from exhausted and sleepless to passing out right there on Dream’s cock. And of course Dream keeps using him until he's done too, it's only fair.

Everyone comments on how well rested Hob looks these days. He just smiles and adjusts his belt, trying to get comfy with that massive load of cum still plugged up inside him. He's very much living his best life. He's so much more chilled out now he's getting a good consistent fucking, apparently getting railed by his dreamlord boyfriend is the key to good mental health!

#🐺 anon #the sandman #dreamling #nsft

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quietbluejay · 1 month

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Angel Exterminatus 6

Raven Guard daily affirmations we've gotten back into the silly zone also i can't help but think of "hrrrg i'm trying to sneak through the vents but my body is too dummy thicc and my armour too cumbersome and-"

quietbluejay was then shot by a raven guard sniper

not in this universe they ain't

Nykona: I need enrichment in my enclosure. This is why I am sneaking around on the ceiling

aloooone

incredible sharrowkyn batmanning it up like i am darkness i am the NIGHT tarsa: oh hai there

tarsa realizes that to talk to nykona you need to break everything down to small manageable phrases

welp over to the captive Fists again. Life continues to suck for them.

Back to the Iron Hands

ohhh the Drukhari (proto-Drukhari for the pedants) are playing both sides

love this guy explosions and happiness on planet medusa

Sunk cost fallacy? What's that? Is it something you eat? No, that's sand and rocks

oh we're back to kroeger ❤️

i feel like mcneill is perhaps doing a theme here

i've honestly found this character trait of perturabo to be really interesting compared to how I see people talk about him (again I might be missing stuff) (i know a lot of it is memeing but you can meme on chocolate eclair backbone as well!) and yet it's absolutely a core character trait (at least in this book. who knows how he will be written elsewhere) perturabo lacks initiative he does not move unless moved upon he has pie in the sky dreams, but no real ambitions and concrete goals he is willing and able to work towards, no grand strategy this makes it entirely unsurprising that he was basically chilling in the eye of terror for ten thousand years it also makes it unsurprising that his move when he had enough was to just...pack up and nope out there's stuff he wants, but never enough to make a stand and go for it, or to say no.

i am feeling the teenager vibe in this iron warriors ship tonight

you're part of the team now kroeger you gotta go drinking with them

My goodness they're worse than the Thousand Sons

actually, this is basically Kroeger at all times

I like him already OH ITS THEIR WARGAMING ROOM

Kroeger (local jock) got bullied by the nerds to come down and play 40k yes. this is funny to me.

just watch i bet it was Soulaka who designed it

oh nvm Kroeger: can I get a restraining order Lucius: restraints you say fortunately for Kroeger his sempais are here to back him up

bruh??? since, uh, when, exactly, did imperial forces care about targeting the civilian population i mean in terms of "we shouldn't do it"

man this really is peak wargaming

and somehow perturabo and his combat robots manage to jumpscare them so much for astartes senses so they're trying to figure out how to do the siege of terra and their "vaunted" tactical prowess is…human wave tactics

"it's basically impossible" kroeger: nah, I'd win perturabo, showing up out of nowhere:

Kroeger: yep

owo

there's a lot going on here one, this is the big flaw of a lot of the most well-meaning people in the 30k Imperium (the "oh we'll just fix everything after we're done with all the conquests") this works really well as a metaphor for that

the second is how it ties into Perturabo's attitude about guilt

Perturabo is unable or unwilling to make the leap from "a thing once broken will always be broken" to "a thing once broken will always have been broken, but does not always need to remain a broken thing" ... he doesn't know how to recover from mistakes he's basically got gifted kid syndrome turned up to 11 because he woke up with like an entire library of technical knowledge in his brain but no life skills this is why he has all those designs and never builds them and can never be satisfied with all the little quirks that real life introduces to a design

#warhammer 40k #bluejay reads warhammer #perturabo #there's enough character analysis here i think so i'm tagging him

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jedi-princess-kestis · 2 months

Text

Paring: Gregor / F! reader insert

Summery: You are a Jedi who lost the love of your life.... Or so you thought when it seems like a ghost shows up at your door after you find the forget-me-not flower to remind you of the person you lost.

(This is a reader insert with descriptions of you as a female. So a female reader insert)

Word Count: 5K+

Warnings: swearing, character death, talk of battles, heavy smut (18+ only!) Angst with happy ending.

"I saw that you were perfect, and so I loved you. Then I saw you were not perfect, and I loved you even more."

The feeling of being lost is an overwhelming thing. It consumes you, drives deep into your very soul. Makes you feel cold and hopeless as you wander through your days, like an never ending rain storm looming over your head, reminding you of all you lost. That empty feeling in your mind where something onces was is now gone, lost to time as your mind slowly slips away like a petal of a flower on the window in a summer breeze. You sit and wait for your mind to fix itself, to repair the damage that has been done, but the dark cloud haunts your mind like an old friend. You soon learn to accept it and move on with life. That you'll never get back what is now lost. Weeks had gone by and your mind was still a fragment of what it had once been, you were a fragment of what you had once been.

You were a Jedi Knight in the Grand Army of the Republic. You had been the General of FoxTrot Group, the Elite Commando Clones of the 212th. You lead your men beside Commander Gregor into battle time and time again. He had become your trusted friend, the person you leaned on when times got hard. You two watched out for each other and took care of each other. You formed a bond to the Clone that soon found his way into your heart. You knew it was wrong, as did he but you couldn't deny the pull that was between you too. So you grow closer, soon finding you couldn't sleep at night unless you were beside each other, keeping the nightmare did war at bay.

The memories of those times flooded your mind as you tried to sleep, his voice filling your ears as if he was in the room beside you. You could see his smile, the way his dark eyes were filled with light as he joked with you, or held you through a nightmare.

"Sometimes I wonder if this war was really worth it. But then I look around at you and your brothers and I see that I'm thankful it happened because if it hadn't… I never would have had you in my life." You said to Gregor one night as you campped out a few miles ahead of the 501th and 212th durning a mission. You two had taken first watch, so you sat under the 2 pale moons in the sky, watching the stars dance in the midnight light.

"Sometimes you can't help but feel like a pawn in someone's game thought. I'm not the only one that feels it. I was made to fight a war, it's all I know, but the Jedi, the people of places like this… they were never meant for a lifestyle they are forced to be apart of now. Sometime you have to wonder who is really behind all this." Gregor spoke after a moment. He glanced at you and hung his head in shame. "Sorry Y/N, I shouldn't have said something like that. It's not my place to question why I was made. I'm just here to serve."

You turned your body to face the Clone more and tapped his arm. "Is that you talking or the programing they forced into you on Kamino? You are a human being Gregor. I, as well as many, feel that you should have a life, hobbies, wants and needs outside of this war. To make you feel more a part of this Galaxy then you already are."You paused for a moment to let your words sink in for him. You wanted him to realize you didn't just see him as a Clone, but as a human being who had the right to feel things. "The Jedi were meant to the keepers of the peace, not soldiers. But most of my life as a Padawan and now Jedi life, I've been a soldier. It HAS become all I know. But without this war you never would have come to be. So be thankful for that. That you, Gregor, are apart of this Galaxy." You smiled at him as you squeezed his arm. You saw him smile and he leaned into you, touching his forehead with yours. You closed your eyes and breathed in his scent, enjoying the feel of his skin on yours.

The memory flooded your mind as you remembered that sweet moment when the war let you have a moment to breath. That was the last simple moment you had with the Trooper before shit had gone wrong. Oh so wrong. The following battle Is one that wrecked your life, turning it around and upside down. You were never the same since then.

The battle of Sarrish.

It was bloodbath. So many troopers slaughtered where they stood. You tried so hard to save them, to keep them alive. But you couldn't. The ones that survived ran with you, fleeing the battle that you knew was a lost hope. You ran for your ship, Gregor and Lieutenant Jinks hot on your tail. Only a handful of men, hardly any at this point, made it back to the ship. You signaled for takeoff, just praying you could make it off that blasted planet in one piece.

"Report." You said, turning to face Gregor. You knew that loss was great, that the battle was a bust.

"We lost… all but 4 General…" Gregor spoke softly from under his helmet. You knew he was fighting back tears, blood staining his gear from trying to save his brothers. You hung your head and grabbed the back of the seat, your knuckles white from the grip. Tears freely rolled down your cheeks as you mourned the loss of your men. You took a shaken breath and stood up straight, smoothing down your hair, only to find it sticky with blood.

"General, you're wounded." Gregor spoke up before the ship jerked harshly, sending you flying into the wall behind you. With a groan you fell to the floor, your head pounding.

"What the hell?!" You yelled as sirens screamed around you. You felt a pair of hands grab your arm, hoisting you to your feet and pulling you down the hall of the ship.

"Go, go, go!" The owner of the strong pair of hands demanded in your ear as he pushed you along. You moved as fast as your shaken body would allow, your mind spinning from the wound and now probably a concussion. You were turned to the left and pushed down another hallway, the ship shaking violently once more.

"What's going on?" You asked in a shaken voice as you soon reached the escape pod room.

"Y/N I need you to get into that pod." Gregor said as he tapped the panel opening the pod door. You looked from the pod to him and back before shaking your head.

"You and the men need to get out of here." You said, trying to sound like a Leader and not a shaken and injured girl. Gregor shook his head and pulled off his helmet. His dark honey eyes found yours and you felt your heart stop for a second. He held onto both your arms and pulled you close, so your faces were only inches apart. His warm breath fanned over your face, his hands gripping your arms tightly.

"You need to go General." He said in a desperate sounding tone. The ship shook again, sending you into his arms as you tried to keep from falling over. He turned your bodies so you had your back to the pod.

"I won't leave without you Gregor." Your voice broke, tears threatening to spill. You knew that if you both soon didn't get off this ship, you would perish into the dark void of space. He smiled sadly at you as a small tear slipped down his cheek.

"It's my job to keep you alive. And if I die, then at least I can die knowing I gave you a chance to live." He said before bringing his forehead to yours in a Keldabe kiss, letting his nose brush yours softly. "Ret'urcye mhi." *Maybe we will meet again* He whispered before pushing you backwards into the pod, slapping the panel to shut the doors.

"NO!" You screamed as the pod launched from the ship into space. You slammed your hands against the glass window, watching as the ship carrying the man who had become so close to you, the man that had become your partner, the man that till this moment you didn't realize you loved…. Was hit with another blast from the ship chasing you and soon went up in flames. The ship that had been shooting at you pulled your ship in with a tractor beam before jumping to hyperspace, taking Gregor along with them. Your pod drifted in space as you cried, screaming and wailing at the loss. Your mind burned from the injury, your body weak and cold as laid on the floor of the pod. You didn't even realize you were being rescued till Kix was carrying you in his arms to the hospital wing of General Skywalker's ship. You begged for them to send a search party out of Gregor and the 3 other men. But it fell onto deaf ears. You were alive. The clones have done their job in keeping a Jedi alive to fight another fight. 'They did what they are made to do, and they are probably now dead. Be happy they gave their lives to save yours.' Mace Windo had told you when you begged him to send out troops to rescue your men. You sat there, stunned at the fact a Jedi could care so little about another life. That he just was fine with the fact that your men could be dead because 'it was the will of the Force.'

You didn't remember much after that day. Your mind is broken and your body dull and frailed since then. It had been months but you haven't returned to battle. You barely left your apartment near the clone base on Coruscant. You felt as though a piece of you was missing, as though your soul had died some that day. You were a shell of the person you had been. Once a great and fierce Jedi Knight, you were now a broken and scared woman. You had gown skinny, your hair dull and thin. Your eyes were sunken in, your cheek bones hollow. Kix came to check on you at least two times a week, to make sure you were at least eating and taking the vitamins he gave you. And you did, but they won't heal a broken heart and soul.

Then the news came.

Gregor had been found alive on Abafar.

This news shocked you. The ship had crashed landed on a remote, hostile, outerrim planet with no memory of who he was or how he got there. He lived there for months, working at a dinner till Colonel Gascon found him and restored his memory of who he was. Kix told you how Gregor fought beside Colonel Gascon, helping in the escape. Then he told you the rest of the story.

There had been an explosion, Gregor had been in it. It was believed he may have been killed in battle… once again. The joy that flooded your heart stopped, tears filling your eyes once more. Once again your love could be lost to the Galaxy. He had been alive and no one went for him. Now he could be dead… again… and you had no way of getting to him to check if he had made it.

That was 2 weeks ago that Kix had come to your door and told you the news. You tried to move on, to accept the fact that Gregor was not going to be in your life anymore. You started to pick up the pieces of your shattered mind and rebuild. You showered for the first time in weeks. You dawned your Jedi robes for the first time in months. You pulled your hair up into a soft sock bun on top of your head and put on light makeup to hide the bags under your eyes. You went to the Temple training room to use your lightsabers for the first time since Sarrish. You knew Gregor wanted you to live. That is what he told you before you lost him. He gave his life, so you had a chance to keep living. So how could you deny him any longer his last wish?

You walked the halls of the temple that you had been avoiding for months. You had shut yourself off from the Force, from the teachings of the Jedi. You needed to mourn what you lost. But now you needed to live. So you took the first step. You say Anakin and Obi-Wan walking towards you and you gave them a soft smile.

"Y/N! So good to see you and about once more." Obi-Wan said reaching out to pull you into a hug. You smiled at your old friend before wrapping your arms around him. You missed this. Being touched, feeling another living breathing body close to you. Kix would come and sit, but he never touched you, as though he was afraid you would shatter into a million pieces.

"Hello Obi-Wan." You said softly as you hugged the Jedi Master. He patted your back and gave you a squeeze before letting you go. You turned to Anakin and his smile lit up his face.

"Hey there Y/N." He smiled as he pulled you into a hug. You smiled and hugged him back before pulling away and taking a deep breath.

"So where are you heading?" Obi-Wan asked you as you pulled your robes tighter to your body. You had lost weight, your robes hanging loose around your arms and hips. You were glad Obi-Wan didn't ask you how you were, or how things have been, choosing to move on.

"I felt like it was time to start training again. So I'm going to the gym." You answered. Anakin smiled and Obi-Wan nodded his head. He crossed his arms and ran a hand through his beard.

"Well that sounds like a splendid idea. Have fun Y/N, with your training." He spoke before waving his at Anakin and the two walked off with a nod of their heads. You watched them go before going down the hall and taking a right down another hall. You could feel the Force flowing and weaving its way through the halls, flowing through and around the people inside the building. It felt good to open up to the Force once more, letting it fill your body with it's energy. You made your way into the training room and took off your robe, taking your lightsaber into your hand. You turned on the green blade and felt it's power in your hands. Taking a deep breath you started spinning and twirling the blade around in your hands. You spun and jumped, letting the training from the years of living at the Temple come back to you. The power that flooded your body was like an old friend, one you welcomed back with open arms.

You have no idea how long you have been in the training room, but you are tired, sore and hungry. Your body screamed at you to stop. Your mind felt clear for the first time in months, as though a fog was starting to lift it's haze. You were breathing heavily but you felt happy. You turned off your saber and clipped it to your belt, fixing your hair a bit before walking out of the room. You slowly may your way through the halls, letting the energy of the Force spill and flow around you. Soon you reached the main doors and pushed them open, going down to where your speeder bike was and getting on. You went to Dex and picked up some food, enjoying the smell of Caf and fryed dishes he was making all day. Once you got your food and Caf, you walked back outside and started walking for your speeder bike. As you walked you saw a lady selling flowers from a little stand. You saw bright blue small flowers that looked liked moonlight in your mind.

"What are these flowers called, Ma'am?" You asked as you picked up a flower.

"Ohh those are Forget-Me-Nots. They are a symbol of love for those we have lost or who can't be with us." The older woman said with a smile. You looked down at the blue flower and took a deep breath, breathing in it's sweet fragrance.

"Can I get a few of these please?" You asked softly as you handed her some credits to pay for the flowers. She pulled a dozen of the flowers and wrapped them in paper to keep them fresh till you got home. She gave you a smile as she handed you the flowers. She patted your hand and nodded her head at you gently.

"Whoever you are missing, loves you just as much." She spoke to you in a gentle tone before smiling and going back to her flowers. You felt your heart pull at her words and let them sink in. You knew she was right. That no matter what, he did what he did out of love. You went back to your bike and drove yourself back to your appointment and walked up the stairs to your door. You tapped the keypad and slipped in through your door, flipping the lights on. You put the flowers in a vase with water and sat them on your counter. You laid out the food you got from Dex and started to eat. You didn't realize you were this hungry till now. You were half way through your meal when a knock at your door sounded. Wondering who would be calling on you this late at night you got up from your seat. Kix was not due for another 2 days to visit so you knew it wasn't him. You walked to the door and hit the keypad to open it.

"Hello Y/N."

It was like all the air left your lungs. It was like a punch to the gut. You went pale, as though you saw a ghost. And at the moment you felt as if you had.

"How…." You could barely find your voice to speak. There standing before you was the man you loved.

"I'm alive Y/N. I'm here." Gregor spoke as he reached out a hand to gently brush a finger across your cheek, wiping away a tear you had no idea fell from your eye. You leaned into his touch and felt more years slip down your face.

"Gregor." You whispered his name. He walked into your appointment, shutting the door behind him. You have no idea what made you do it but you fell into his arms, pulling him close to you. He wrapped his arms tightly around you, holding you close to him, your head on his chest. The sound of his heartbeat filled your ears, and it was music to you. His hands rubbed up and down your back as he cooed into your hair.

"How is this possible? They said you died on Abafar." You said breathlessly as you pulled away enough to look up into his honey eyes. He sighed and pulled you towards the sofa and sat you both down.

"I helped the Colonel get off the planet but there had been an explosion. I was injured and… my mind… it hasn't been the same. I remember who I am and things but… it's like I… I don't know… I feel like my mind has taken on a different personality at times. They say it's from all the trauma I had. But I'm still here. I'm alive. That's all that's important." He told you as he explained what happened to him. You listened to his every word, as if it was the only thing keeping you alive at that moment.

"I thought I lost you. That day… it's been so hard living when I thought you were dead Gregor." You spoke so softly, your voice breaking as you spoke. You hang your head as the tears start to flow once again. You hate feeling so weak. Gregor placed a finger under your chin and raised your head so your eyes met his once more.

"I would do it all again if it meant you got to live another day. I don't regret it. I don't regret saving you." His voice was thick and soft and it sent shivers down your spine.

"A life without you in it is not a life I want to be a part of anymore." You took his other hand onto yours and gave it a squeeze. "I need you." You didn't realize how heavy those words truly were till his eyes darkened and he moved his hand on your chin into your hair. His body moved closer to yours and you felt like all your nerves were filled with lighting. You licked your lips as his breath fanned across your face.

"I have thought about you since I got my memories back. You fill my every thought. And I hate that I never told you how I truly feel about you."

You moved a bit closer to him, your faces inches from each other. "Then tell me." You breathed. You have no idea who moved first, but next thing you knew his lips were on yours, hungry and filled with Passion, but also soft. His hand tangled into your hair, holding your head close as his other hand slipped to your hip. You knew you'd probably have bruises on your hip tomorrow from his grip but you didn't care. His lips moved against yours in perfect sync, stealing your breath away.

You finally pulled back to catch your breath, panting as you leaned your head against his. His fingers caressed your neck and collarbone, making you shiver. "I have thought about this moment for so long. I've loved you for so long… but I was so afraid I'd lose you if I said something. But then I did lose you and now… now I can't go another day without you knowing." Gregor whispered, his lips brushing your cheek as he spoke. You felt your heart flutter at his confession.

You looked into his eyes and smiled at him. "I love you too Gregor." The smile that spread across his face made you smile bigger before he stood up, pulling you to your feet before picking you up, a squeal falling from your lips as you wrapped your legs around his hips. He carried you back the hall to your bedroom and pushed the door open with his foot. He made his way over to your bed before slowly laying you down onto the mattress. He pushed some hair off your face before kissing you softly as his body hovered over yours. You grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him closer to you. His hands slipped under your shirt and softly touched the skin of your belly as he kissed you.

"Do you want this?" He asked as he played with the hem of your shirt. His voice was thick and raspy as he looked down into your eyes. You knew what he was asking of you. If you were willing to break your code for him. To go against all you both knew to be together like this, to be with him. You felt the heat pool in your core and you slipped your hand down his chest till you found the hem of his shirt.

"I want you Gregor. All of you. Broken pieces and all." You spoke from the heart as you gazed into his honey eyes. He smiled before crashing his lips to your once more in a heated kiss. His hands slipped up your shirt, only breaking the kiss to pull it over your head, leaving you in your chest wrap. You hands pulled at his shirt, trying to tug it up his chiseled body. He chuckled Into your lips and pulled the shirt off in one swift movement, throwing it to the floor. Your hands roamed his body as his lips found home on your neck, nipping and sucking love marks down your throat. He tongue danced across your skin as he moved his way to the valley of your breast, his lips leaving soft marks I'm their wake. You moaned lightly as his tongue darted out, flicking across the slight bit of breast that was exposed from the top of your wrap. You arched your back up, trying to meet his tongue and his hand slipped under your back, popping the pins of your chest wrap. He slowly pulled the cloth away from your feverish skin and a deep throated moan that sounded like a growl came from his lips. He bent down, taking a perked nipple into his mouth, sucking and swirling the bud with his tongue. You moaned and sighed, arching your back up to him, pleasure flooding your body as his hands started to play with the hem of your pants. Your nails dug into his shoulders, his smooth, firm skin under your fingertips.

He switched sides, his hand playing with the breast that he had just been sucking on, and moving his mouth over to the other to give it the praise it deceived. Your hand soon found his hair, tugging and combing through it making him moan against your skin. It sent shivers through your body. His lips soon made a path down your body, nipping soft marks into your skin, marking you as his. His lips stopped at your waistband and he glanced up at your before hooking a finger into the band, pulling the garments down your legs till you laid fully bare to him. His eyes were blown, his breath coming a bit faster. He let his eyes shamelessly look over your body.

"So fucking perfect." He moaned before moving down your body, hooking your legs over his shoulders. You gasped and looked down at him between your legs.

"What are you doing?" You panted out. He smiled up at you and gave you a wink.

"I'm probably your first, I want to make sure either way that you are good and ready for me baby." His tone did things to your body. You shivered and laid your head back against the pillow as he started to kiss your thighs. You jumped and yelped when his lips started to suck your small bundle without warning. He chuckled against you, sending ripples through your core. He placed a hand on your stomach to hold you down to the bed as he started to suck harder on your clit, and took his other hand, slipping a finger into your wet folds. You cried out, your body on fire with pleasure.

"Gregor…" was all you could say as the knot started to build. He hummed against you, making you feel even more wet as a second finger entered you. Your walls tighten around his digits, your body going into overdrive. He sucked and licked over your bud, pulling the orgasm from you as you thrashed about. Your moans and gasps filled the room as he kept lapping you up, pulling your orgasm out of you as long as he could. He then licked up all your juices, as though it was his last meal. Once he cleaned you up he slowly moved up your body, kissing and biting his way back up to your lips. You could taste yourself on his lips but you didn't care. Your breathing was heavy against his lips as he reached down to undo his pants, letting them slide down his hips. He broke the kiss to pull them off before coming back to your body.

"If you want me to stop tell me." He looked you right in the eyes as he spoke. You smiled before hooking a leg over his hip, the tip of his large cock brushing your wet folds making you both moan.

"I need you inside of me Gregor." You commanded. He smirked down at you and gave a mock salute.

"Sir, Yes Sir General." He said before he slowly started to push into you. He went slowly to let you get used to his size. He was splitting you open inch by inch but in a delicious way. You were both a mindless moaning mess by the time he bottomed out. He breath was hit against your neck as he leaned down onto you, trying to hold on as your tight walls wrapped around him.

"Fuck you are so tight. You feel so good." He praised you. "Are you okay? Ready for me to move?"

You nodded your head at him and he slowly pulled back, to the point he was almost out of you before snapping his hips back into yours, his cock so full and thick, hitting your sweet spot right away. You wrapped both legs around him, biting down on his shoulder as you cried out. He found a pace you could match, your hips snapping to meet each other with each thrust. His lips soon found yours in a breathy and messy kiss, your tongues fighting. He nipped at your bottom lip, pulling more sweet noises from your body. He cock dragged along your walls, making them tighten around him.

"Baby I'm not going to last long." He growled against your lips. You reached down and started to rub your bud, making your orgasm rise faster. "That's right Y/N, cum all over my big cock. I'm going to fill you so full baby. Make you all mine like I've wanted to for so long Y/N." He whispered dirty words into your ear, sending you over the edge. Your second orgasm hit you harder than the first, making you shake and cry out. Your body was in overload mode and it only made his own release all the more pleasurable. He soon came, filling your walls with his white hot cum. You felt his cum shooting inside of you, filling you till the point you felt you would bust. Soon your highs came down, and you laid there panting for breath with him. He laid on top of you softly, and he kissed you lightly before slowly pulling out, both of you whimpering from the loss of contact. Your body felt wrecked and used and you loved it. He got up and went to the refresher to grab a cloth to clean you up. A mix of his cum and yours spilled into your leg after he had pulled out. He soon cleaned you up, giving you his shift as he pulled on his boxers. You slipped the shirt over your head, letting it cover you. He moved up and laid down on the bed, pulling you to join him. You snuggled into his chest and listened to his heartbeat beneath you. He played with your hair as you both laid there in your after glow.

"I love you Gregor. I never forgot you. I can't live without you. You are my reason to keep going. I'm so happy you have come home to me." You whispered into his chest. He tightened his arm around you, pulling you closer to him. He nuzzled his nose into your hair and let out a happy sigh.

"I love you Y/N, and I will always come home to you. I'm not leaving you again." He spoke softly before pulling you face up to give you a soft kiss, one that held promise and love. One that told you how much he loved you, how much he needed you. You kissed him back, pouring your love into him, letting him know that no matter what, he would never be forgotten. That he was yours and you were his. Till the end of time.

#commander gregor #star wars #star wars fanfiction #the clone wars fanfiction #the clone wars #star wars reader insert #the clone wars fic #Gregor #Forget Me Not Oneshot #Spotify

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apocalypticavolition · 5 months

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Let's (re)Read The Great Hunt! Chapter 29: Seanchan

Let's get right to the point: Spoilers spoilers spoilers. This book, last book, next book, every book. Don't like? Don't read. I'm in a hurry, no time for big explanations.

We have a new chapter icon! This is the very buggy helmet of the Seanchan, which will be showing up whenever the Empire is the primary driver of events of a chapter.

Reining up before the inn, his eyes went past the prisoners his soldiers held near the village well to the long gibbet marring the village green. It was hastily made, only a long pole on uprights, but it held thirty bodies, their clothes ruffled by the breeze. There were small bodies hanging among their elders. Even Byar stared at that in disbelief.

Considering how awful the Seanchan are as a nation, you really have to appreciate how the Whitecloaks manage to be so deeply morally lacking as to be the bad guys during a colonial style invasion.

Also, I guess it's appropriate we're seeing these the Seanchan get introduced in a chapter that starts on a Whitecloak, since both represent the modern equivalents of Aridhol's paranoia to a large degree. The Seanchan also somewhat end up eclipsing them as the "With friends like these..." player of the setting.

“Cut them down,” Bornhald said wearily. “Cut them down, and make sure the villagers know there will be no more killing.” Unless some fool decides to be brave because his woman is watching, and I have to make an example.

Just so you don't think that Bornhald is a reasonable authority figure in all this. He's as good as Whitecloaks get in this time, but that's still not very much.

Bornhald’s requests for information from the Sea Folk had been met with silence. Amador did not hold the Atha’an Miere in good favor, and the attitude was returned with interest.

Oh no, I can't believe that Amador's irrational xenophobia is coming to bite them in the ass now that they need the xenos. Not even Pikachu could be surprised at this.

I would kinda like to know how the disdain was born though. Do Whitecloaks disapprove of boobies? Do the Sea Folk not let Questioners kill their sailors? What ridiculous pretext have the Whitecloaks come up with?

“My Lord Captain, he—he says you are moving too many men too close to Toman Head. He says the Darkfriends on Almoth Plain must be rooted out, and you are—forgive me, Lord Captain—you are to turn back at once and ride toward the heart of the plain.”

Oh no! The authoritarians who value unquestioning loyalty have been subverted by the very enemy they wish to destroy.

Even this Jeral dude knows this order is not a great one, poor dumb bastard.

“The sins of the mother are visited to the fifth generation,” Byar quoted, “and the sins of the father to the tenth.” But he looked uneasy. Even Byar had never killed a child.

Moms sin less because they've got less taint in them, I guess.

Also JFC Byar are you seriously okay with this?

“Has it never occurred to you, Byar, to wonder why Carridin has taken away our banners, and the cloaks of the men the Questioners lead? Even the Questioners themselves have put off the white. This suggests something, yes?”

It does! But even Bornhald doesn't dare say it, even as he plots his (completely justified except for how it doesn't go far enough) treason.

“Now, young man, you will tell me everything you know about these strangers, yes? If you need to think on what to say, I will send you back out with Child Muadh to consider it.”

Again, I cannot emphasize this enough: There are no good Whitecloaks. Not even Bornhald. Thankfully, we're done with them for now.

When Seanchan ships anchored off the coast, the villagers who drew up to defend their homes were rent by lightning from the sky while small boats were still ferrying the invaders ashore, and the earth erupted in fire under their feet. Domon had thought he was hearing nonsense until he was shown the blackened ground, and he had seen it in too many villages to doubt any longer. Monsters fought beside the Seanchan soldiers, not that there was ever much resistance left, the villagers said, and some even claimed that the Seanchan themselves were monsters, with heads like huge insects.

You gotta hand it to these Toman Head guys, in a world themed around the loss and corruption of information the further from its creation it gets, they manage to get just about every detail right.

New mayors were chosen by the Seanchan, and new Councils, and any who protested the disappearances of the women or having no voice in the choosing might be hung, or burst suddenly into flame, or be brushed aside like yapping dogs.

I wonder how the Seanchan are choosing to elevate the peasantry. Are they picking successful, rich types who seem compliant or something else?

The eruptions died as quickly as they were born, spray from them blown across the deck. Where they had been, the sea bubbled and steamed as if boiling.

Say what you want about the White Tower's failings (goodness knows I'm going to), for over 3,000 years they've kept their corner of the world safe from this crap. For all their failings, they certainly haven't been useless.

Then the armored figure removed his helmet, and Domon stared. He was a woman.

Domon is of course extra panicky about this because of the prophecy that no man of woman bo-

Wait, that was that other guy. JRR Shakespeare.

If this woman wore a dress, no one would look at her twice. He eyed her and revised his opinion, that cold stare and those hard cheeks would make her remarked anywhere.

She also probably doesn't have the body shape or way of carrying herself for the expected formalwear of the west, being far more muscled and disciplined than the average noblewoman.

The two women dressed as women were coming up from the longboat, one drawing the other—Domon blinked—by a leash of silvery metal as she climbed aboard. The leash went from a bracelet worn by the first woman to a collar around the neck of the second. He could not tell whether it was woven or jointed—it seemed somehow to be both—but it was clearly of a piece with both bracelet and collar.

There is so much to say here but since the sheer horror of this isn't evident yet, let's just all be disgusted by this form of chattel slavery for a moment and then move on. I don't want to use all my good invectives right now.

And I make no claim to be of the Blood. Not yet. After Corenne. . . . I am Captain Egeanin.

Well we'll see what you get after Corenne, Egeanin. But hello for now! It's funny to think how intertwined you and Domon are even now.

“To obey, to await, and to serve. Your ancestors should have remembered.”

Yeah god forbid things go weird after a thousand years. The Seanchan are way too high on their own supply, especially when you consider the textual evidence that the invaders themselves have been pretty fully absorbed into the upper echelons of those they've invaded and are thus barely even the ancestors of the High Blood.

A dark-eyed man in his middle years, with an old scar above his eyes and another nicking his chin, his name was Caban, and he had nothing but contempt for anyone this side of the Aryth Ocean. That gave Domon a moment’s pause. Maybe they truly do be. . . . No, that do be madness.

I'm impressed Domon got him to talk at all, to be honest. I'm also wondering where else Domon can think the Seanchan are from at this point. He knows all the major naval players.

“Oh. That is the First Watcher. Not the one who sat in the chair when we first came, of course. Every time he dies, they choose another, and we put him in the cage.”

One can't help but wonder how long Falme would have lasted against this initial Seanchan strike. One also wonders why people always remember the whole "They bring order" propaganda and never remember how they enforce that order.

He guided Spray to a place at one of the docks, and wondered, while the crew tied the ship fast, if the Seanchan might buy some of the fireworks in his hold. None of my business.

Moral cowardice, Domon. Though of course, his questions already show that he doesn't really think this. He wouldn't be our POV if he did.

A hulking creature with a leathery, gray-green hide and a beak of a mouth in a wedge-shaped head. And three eyes.

Have we met before?

The Seanchan captain had something wrapped in a piece of yellow silk, Domon noted warily. Something small enough to carry in one hand, but which she held carefully in both.

Domon doesn't even try to deny to himself what she has found, because there's really no point.

“Some of them be on your side?” Egeanin frowned over her shoulder at him, obviously puzzled.

"What other side is there other than Empire?"

The man’s hands went white-knuckled gripping his knees, and there was suddenly sweat in his voice. “I have sworn the oaths, Captain. I obey, await, and serve.”

And how many people had to be tortured and killed for him to come to this level of dedication so quickly? At least the First Watcher and their successors. Presumably more.

Domon understood why the Seanchan could allow the people as much freedom as they did. He wondered if he would have had nerve enough to resist. Damane. Monsters.

Something something monopoly on violence. Another thing that the One Power pretty handily provides, since even the "monsters" ultimately derive from its applications.

Two men appeared in the doorway at the far end of the room. One had the left side of his scalp shaved, his remaining pale golden hair braided and hanging down over his ear to his shoulder. His deep yellow robe was just long enough to let the toes of yellow slippers peek out when he walked. The other wore a blue silk robe, brocaded with birds and long enough to trail nearly a span on the floor behind him. His head was shaved bald, and his fingernails were at least an inch long, those on the first two fingers of each hand lacquered blue.

Since the Seanchan are a fictional culture, I have absolutely no regrets in pronouncing their fashion choices "ugly as sin".

Domon imitated her with alacrity. Even the High Lords of Tear would no demand this, he thought.

Something worth remembering when we meet them and have a chance to consider the things they demand that perhaps the Seanchan would not.

After the Return, new names will be called to the Blood. Show yourself fit, and you may shed the name Egeanin for a higher.

Or a lower. Just saying.

“I do collect old things, High Lord, from times past. There do be those who would steal such, did they lay easy to hand.”

Another great Aes Sedai lie. They're just so powerful.

“Unshaven dog! You speak of giving the High Lord what Captain Egeanin has already given. You bargain, as if the High Lord were a—a merchant! You will be flayed alive over nine days, dog, and—”

I have a suspicion that even in Seanchan proper, this particular rank exists in part to vent anger in place of the High Lords and Ladies while allowing them to seem merciful by not permitting such grandiose threats to be followed through. Sort of a hideously inverted version of the court jester.

Domon took one look at the girl and pulled his eyes away with a strangled gasp; her white silk robe was embroidered with flowers, but so sheer he could see right through it, and there was nothing beneath but her own slimness.

Not creepy at all. Also fun to note that it's been a mere six chapters since our last naked lady incident and while this isn't been "all ladies must be naked" it's still interesting how we went from a very chaste book one to this.

Ah well. Next time, we check back in with Rand as the plot remembers that we're only three-fifths of the way through the story and that he really shouldn't have the plot coupons just yet.

#let's read #wheel of time #wot #robert jordan #wheel of time spoilers #wot spoilers #geofram bornhald #jaret byar #bayle domon #yarin maeldan #egeanin sarna #turak #huan

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noblest-roman-of-them-all · 11 months

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Zombie bite

The creative impulsive thoughts won this one, lads. Have a snippet inspired by this poll and the my thoughts in the matter. Don't worry, this fic gets a happy ending.

Patton's hands shook as he checked over his handgun one final time. The magazine held one bullet. He felt selfish taking even that much. But it was going to be the fastest way and given thr throbbing in his arm, quite possibly the only way.

He hated himself for it.

Not for getting bit, it was the apocalypse. Things happened. He'd never been upset with people for being bit before and he wasn't going to start with himself.

In many ways he'd resigned himself to the fate of being bitten when all this began and was sure the only reason he had survived this far was because of his friends.

And that was why he hated himself for this.

The gun was too precious to take from them completely, but he couldn't ask any of them to do this for him, he couldn't place that burden, that trauma on them. So he had to create a plan.

He'd left a letter in his bunk and would take off his bandage just before- before... then he'd lie under a sheet near enough that the shot could be heard, and... That way they would understand why and be able to come collect any supplies from that they might need.

Really it would just be the gun, he knew. His boots, belt, socks, and even his pants should be okay given his plan, but they wouldn't take them. They'd bury his body with them. Unless they followed his instructions in the letter, which he doubted they would. They would bury him with dignity and that meant being fully clothed.

He was nearing the place now.

Patton looked up at the moon, wanting to see one last thing of beauty before he left this wretched life. But the sky was overcast and he could only see the faint glow at the edges of the cloud.

It was probably better that way. The darker it was the-

He froze and dropped into a crouch, instincts from years surviving taking over any and all thought. A lumbering figure came around the trees and Patton fired with confident and deadly accuracy.

The shot rang out and the enemy dropped in a once again lifeless heap.

Then the gun fell from his hands as he realized what he'd done. He dropped to his knees, panic and tears over taking him. He had precious seconds to decide his course of action. He'd brought only one bullet and no other weapons. The others were already on their way.

He could run from them, but that would defeat the purpose if his coming out here tonight, he did this so he wouldn't turn, so he wouldn't hurt them, he could-

Light erupted from behind him.

"Patton!" Virgil's voice cried out, the other close behind him.

"No!" He screamed. "Go back! You have to back! Please! I ca- I can't please!"

"Patton, what are you- oh no..." Virgil’s light fell on Patton's arm.

"I'm sorry," Patton croaked.

"Move!" Logan ordered, shoving his way to Patton. He took in the wound in a glance, his face set grim and hard. Bruises formed a circle on the back of his discolored forearm. Logan's eyes flicked up to a tight band wrapped around Patton's biceps.

Patton jerked away when Logan reached for him. "Don't touch me!" He cried.

"Patton," Logan's voice was calm, gentle even. "Trust me." He gently took Patton's hand and felt for a pulse at his wrist. He nodded. And turned his arm to better look at the bite mark. "Did you-" he cleared his throat, and Patton could see his eyes watering behind his scratched lens. "Patton, did you administer first aid to this- did you clean it?"

Patton nodded.

"How?"

"I...I did the tourniquet first. Then I rinsed it with the water from my canteen. And when I got back I cleaned it again with soap and a little antiseptic, not a lot, just... I just wanted to say goodbye!" He cried. "That's all I wanted."

"Did you have it bandaged before you came out here?"

Another nod.

"How much blood was on the bandages?"

"Not a lot, I dont think. I wasn't really focused on that-"

"Okay. Patton, how much did this bleed when you were bit?"

"Not as much as I was expecting. But I did get the tourniquet on as fast as I could."

"Let's get you inside-"

"Logan-"

"Patton. Trust me. I need to see something and if- if I'm wrong... we can deal with that. But please-" Tears tracked down Logan's cheeks "Patton, please, trust me."

Patton nodded dully and let Logan haul him to his feet and tug him close as they walked.

Once inside, Logan guided Patton to the makeshift medbay, leaving the others to wait outside.

"Okay. Give me your arm."

Patton did as he was told and Logan carefully undid the tourniquet and gently massaged the life back into his limb.

Patton watched in fear as Logan, face held in a familiar, carefully blank look held him gently by the hand and used a small alcohol pad to rub over the bit mark then examined the bit of cloth.

Logan broke into tearful laughter. "Patton, you beautiful idiot!"

"What?"

Logan held up the pad. "It's clean. Patton the bit didn't break your skin. You're not infected."

Patton launched himself off the gurney and into Logan's arms with a relieved sob.

"Hold on," Logan laughed and gently pulled himself out of Patton's arm. He ripped the door open causing everyone outside it ot jump. "He's safe."

Virgil pushed himself off the wall as Patton darted out of the room and into Roman's arms. "You're sure?"

Logan nodded, catching Remus, who was throwing himself into everyone's arms in celebration. "It didnt break the skin, there were no other injuries and he was able to disinfect the area before it could spread. He's safe, he's not infected."

"Oh thank God!" Virgil grunted just as Patton let go of Janus to plowed into him. He burried his face into the crook of Patton’s neck, gripping tight firstfuls of his shirt. "You're gonna be okay."

Patton nodded. "I'm gonna be okay."

#sanders sides #patton sanders #roman sanders #remus sanders #logan sanders #virgil sanders #janus sanders #sanders sides fic #tw implied thoughts of suicide #my writing

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writteninscarlet · 4 months

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random mundane headcanons part 4(i think) of ??? (even though I literally just posted part 3 but okay me)

have you ever been to a concert?

"Plenty of them, though not for some time."

Concerts had been plentiful as a young teen and for the next couple of years. Shortly after losing their parents, Wanda and Pietro had no choice but to travel frequently. Concerts were a good distraction, and with Pietro's powers they could be free. Once a concert began, it was easy to sneak in with speed and not be noticed.

"Pietro has specific tastes. Punk, primarily but a few others too. I don't-- I guess it's boring and sitting on the fence to say, but there's no one genre I love more than any other. Folk songs are close to me heart because my mother and father taught me some growing up, but I love a good rock beat, and I love to dance so anything with rhythm... I used to be rather bad at knowing what the actual lyrics were for songs because I was learning a few languages at once. So I tend to go off the actual score than the words."

Wanda does enjoy music, and it would be something she'd like to get back into. Her music taste is very varied and she's happy to give most things a try, at least once. A concert is quite a good date idea (though not a first date, like movies she isn't keen on first date options where you can't actually speak and get to know someone). She can play the piano and knows a little sheet music but it's not a massive talent of hers. She worked very hard to learn how to play. She was taught folk songs and folk dances at a young age, and continued to learn further dance styles as she grew. So, yeah, music is something she enjoys and it's been part of her life for some time. Including concerts.

did your muse ever own a tamagotchi?

"I did, actually. It came out when I was still young, so I had a very early one. I won't... question where Pietro got it from. I was a very dedicated tamagotchi mother. Usually." She could be a little OBSESSIVE actually, though the circumstances at the time meant she needed a distraction. Something to focus on other than the constant moving, the constant disapproval and fear. Channelling her energy like that into looking after something other than herself might not have been healthy, but it seemed necessary. "Sadly it was burnt, shortly before we left with Erik..."

"I think Darcy might currently have some version of tamagotchi. Though I don't think she is quite as obsessed as I was."

yeah yeah i'm bumping up the time frame. happy 60th to the twins! but also, they were teenagers when they joined the brotherhood and then the avengers. teenagers. and cap, clint, etc, were all older than her then. so she still younger than them! so bumping up the timeframe means she was around at roughly the right ages for some of these crazes. so yeah, she enjoyed her tamagotchi. it was definitely stolen by pietro. she really loved it. and she always has, and always will, take care of others better than she takes care of herself.

do you cross your legs when you sit?

"Sometimes. I find it fairly comfortable to bring cross them. Not with the ankle up - unless I'm in my morning yoga routine," she responded. Not... Not something she'd ever really thought about. "On a couch or any other chair I like curling one or both legs under me. Usually if I'm reading or having a cup of tea."

She occasionally has the annoying habit of bouncing a knee up and down. Not always consciously. She can be a fidgeter at times. Curling her legs under her and sometimes crossing one leg can stop this being a bit of an issue. Again, she doesn't really notice, but she knows it annoys some people.

if you were given the chance to go sky-diving, would you?

"I have jumped from planes before. It seems like an Avengers right of passage. Of course, considering I can fly and levitate, it isn't such a big deal," she responded, ever so slightly amused by the thought.

"Though, thinking about it? I would do that. Yes. I think so. It would be quite the opportunity and thrill." It wasn't something she really thought about considering the thrills she already had in her life. Did she need to add in another risk of her own choice? "It's quite popular, isn't it? And there must be some excitement and joy in it to have people keep going back."

Wanda is torn. She wants to be able to live a normal life, to be happy. To not always be in danger. At the same time, she's used to taking risks. She used to having adrenaline pumping through her. She's not an adrenaline junkie, but she can be a little reckless, impulsive, and somewhat of a risk taker. She likes the little thrills - a truly fast car, a rollercoaster. Anything like that. And sky diving for someone who can fly should things go wrong? Surely not the worst past time.

are you a keen gardener?

"I wish I had a green thumb, but it takes a lot of effort for me. I like to grow some plants here and there, mostly for the shop these days - some medicinal things, a few rarer ones from places travelled." She smiled softly, a little sheepish. "I enjoy flowers but I'm so busy, it's just-- an excuse. I'm really no good with these things, try as I might. I'd love to get better."

"It'd be nice to have a garden one day. Growing up as a young child I was always outdoors. I'd love the chance to even just travel back there one day. Maybe some time. I don't need a garden, but I like having some greener around me."

She appreciates flowers and plants. She does try her hardest to keep them alive and can manage to do so occasionally but her apartment and the shop are destroyed so often... or she's away for days... It's tough. But if given something by a person she loves, that plant will survive. It will. Because magic shouldn't be used irresponsibly but she'll set a magic timer, and a magic little rain cloud to keep that plant watered.

#okay so i posted part 3 only a little while ago but #yeah #more wanda random thought #i will keep the other mundane thoughts for later

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cannoli-reader · 1 year

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Okay, then where do these sexist ideas come from? Why is it so common in the series that people think that's what RJ was trying to say about the sexes?

You'd have to ask RJ why it's in there.

However, from a Watsonian viewpoint, my guess would be saidin and saidar. Jordan once responded to a fan question about the lack of organized religion in WoT, by saying that the One Power takes the place of religion in people's minds, they don't need to imagine a man on a mountain throwing lightning bolts or a carving up a giant's carcass to make the world, because the One Power exists to explain away unknown phenomena.

Now, as world-building goes, this is kind of bullshit, because that's not how religious people think. Isaac Newton, Louis Pasteur, Gregor Mendel, Copernicus and even Galileo were all practicing Christians, who, so far as I know, did not find their scientific knowledge undermining their faith. For that matter, the Abrahamic religions are fairly light on details intended to fill in the blanks of why the sun moves across the sky. But the important thing here is that is how Jordan believes it works.

So I think, due to the knowledge of the One Power, and the complementary differences between saidin and saidar, people in the world of WoT have a reason to perceive the One Power as indicative of the basic nature of the sexes. The knowledge that they interact in different ways with the Power influences how people see the sexes reacting in different ways, even if they really are not. It's just selective perceptions.

Selective perceptions affect the fandom as well. I watched a YouTube series with a couple who were reading the books. When they got to the boat ride in tFoH, they got all huffy about the women suddenly calming down and getting back to their normal selves because they had children to take care of. But you know what? That is literally the only interaction with children Nynaeve or Elayne have in the entire series (unless you count Elayne's pregnancy, which I don't seeing as how her usual reaction to her pregnancy is resenting measures imposed on her for the well-being or safety of the fetus[es]). Rand notes in EotW that Mat's paranoia relaxes around children. Mat reverses course on his stated refusal to help people who can't do anything for him at the sight of crying children. Loial gathers children under his protection in the Stone of Tear during the Trolloc attack and Rand is most affected by the sight of a dead child, which comes closer than anything else to taking him over the edge. Perrin turns away from the front lines of a desperate battle where he is in command, in order to carry a child to safety. At a near apex of his hardness in RJ's books, Rand is concerned about the fates of a couple of street children in Tear. And then there is Olver. Even when you flip the roles, Thom and Lan take a far more avuncular and personal role in their relationships with the Two Rivers boys than Moiraine does. The books are chock full, from the outset, of examples of the male characters reacting to children and caring about them, with only the one incidence of Nynaeve or Elayne doing so, but because of their preconceptions, these reviewers criticized the series for portraying women as inherently maternal.

People are really inclined to notice patterns that confirm their preconceptions, whether things they want to believe or things they find objectionable, and see them whether they are there or not. When you have the One Power making such a huge difference in the lives and experience of men and women who channel it, it naturally makes people inclined to favor or fear things about them. And while knowledge of the differences between saidar and saidin might have been lost since the Age of Legends, the taint creates an even more glaring contrast. Many people don't even understand the taint or channeling in general, and so there might be all sorts of reasons in their heads about why male channelers are a threat and women are not.

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rumielisapublicspeaker · 9 months

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ONE PIECE

So. The story so far.

YES THERE WILL BE SPOILERS

So. Firstly I would give One Piece an overall 9 as an anime. From what I've seen and heard, the show has kept up even after 20 years, thanks to the wonderful Oda, and that is very important to me as an avid watcher.

True, I never made it past episode 60 the first time I watched, I don't think, HOWEVER!!! That doesn't mean I disliked the show, I liked it a lot. I just probably have ADHD (╥_╥) which means a lot of the longer shows I want to watch get put down by accident because a new shiny show comes out that I want to watch then and there... (I'm looking at you Jujutsu Kaisen (๑•̀ᗝ•́)૭.

I restarted the anime about a week ago during my move into my new apartment at episode 45, as it's the last episode I can fully remember (though I did skip through a little because I can't lie... the Buggy filler episodes were not my thing) "૮₍ ˶•⤙•˶ ₎ა I also know that the Netflix live action ends around episode 45 as well, which- I'm happy to say, is probably the ONLY live action adaptation of an anime (apart from the theatre productions of studio ghibli films like My Neighbour Totoro) that ACTUALLY WORKED!!! Also, Jamie Lee Curtis, a true One Piece fan loved it! Plus, both Oda and Mayumi have crowned Iñaki as the real world Luffy SO SUCK ON THAT HATERS!!! True, I didn't watch the live action fully, as my friend was watching it whilst I played dragon quest 11 (good game) but I got the gist of it, and it was really good from what I could see.

NOW!! ON TO THE GOOD SHIZ!!!

I am currently on episode 57, as of writing this, which means Chopper is only 24 episodes away ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽ つ And I NEED to meet the baby!! I'm currently watching the crew sail with this little dragon doo dad (who I cannot remember the species name, but his name from Apis is Ryujii.) And shit just started happening. The boat is a rocking, the sky is raining, Zoro and Apis currently have rope burn. It's a good episode. If I recall correctly, they're about to enter the Grand Line?? I know they're right next to it at least, but I think they're trying to get Ryujii home- I just realised that they just landed on the island I am dumb. There was a strange wispy of wind a second ago, which means that one guy is likely already on the island with them I think. Who knows "૮₍ ˶•⤙•˶ ₎ა. Either way, once again this show is showing how corrupt the government system is lmao.

Anyhoo, overall, I don't think One Piece can really be judged by episodes, unless you talk about the live action. I'd say a better judgement would be going by arcs? I will say, this arc is pretty mid, just because I've seen it before and because I don't think Apis as a character is good whatsoever. She's just kind of that npc character in an rpg that directs you on a fetch quest before telling you that she must be protected as she's annoyingly coming with instead of staying home safe- oh wait she's the only one who can talk to the dragon and therefore knows where the fetch quest main area is. Great. Yeah, she's extremely mid now that I think about it.

I wouldn't skip this arc, just because I think all arcs leading up to the Grand Line are definitely important, HOWEVER, I do think she could've been in it less. The grampa would've had more to offer in my opinion, even if it was just comedic value. Plus, he could've been a secret badass who saves the day, who knows.

Also, as I'm writing this, my wifi CUT OUT (╥ᆺ╥；) so now I'm dying of death... (╥ᆺ╥；)(╥ᆺ╥；)(╥ᆺ╥；)

Anyways, I would recommend One Piece, but at the same time, if you aren't used to watching long form anime... gooooood luck. I can only do this because I watched Naruto and Shippuden a couple years back and that- ugh that hurt. One piece was still only one episode 800 too... It hurt so much. Yes it's a good anime BUT IT WOULD BE HALF THE LENGTH IF THEY CUT THE FILLER OUT, KILLED OFF SOME OF THE USELESS CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN NARUTO, REVEALED KAKASHI'S MOLE, AND CUT THE FIGHTS TO HALF THE LENGTH!!!!

Sorry, got emotional there. But yeah. One Piece? Good show. It also only has about 50 filler episodes out of the current 1076 episodes that are released. That's an achievement. Also I am now realising how quickly they must have pumped Naruto out if that show had 750 episodes plus movies...

Final thoughts? Watch One Piece. Don't watch Naruto. It isn't worth it. Also, idgaf if people disagree. If you watch Naruto, only watch Naruto. Don't bother with Shippuden. Hinata is the only good character after Naruto, but she isn't worth it.

#onepiece #one piece #luffy #naruto is too long and has too much filler #naruto isnt worth it #if you watch naruto only watch naruto do not bother with shippuden #sasuke isnt hot he was an asshole #sakura is abusive #luffy is the king of pirates #king of the pirates #chopper #tony tony chopper #jamie lee curtis loves one piece

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mydayserenade · 11 months

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Eternal Sunshine

synopsis: yunho lives a quaint but pleasing life with his one and only confidant, san. the sun has always been a emblem of their love for one another, the start of something new... or so yunho thought.

yunho x san

TW: mentions of death and blood, tackles a little bit on psychological matters (voices in head, delirium, mental manipulation), swearing

a/n: hi everyone! kay here! this will be my first fic ever since i took a break from writing (i'm gonna give you the same reasons anyways as to why i've been allowing this account to collect dust, so no need for a lengthy discussion on that) so please go easy on me as i am currently working on my momentum as well as completely shake off the writer's block in me. admittedly, i have been having difficulties picking up inspirations, plots or even a smidge of an idea to create a whole fic so its a godsent that i was able to form this. so please, do enjoy :) and thank you for your patience <3

please DO NOT REPOST on other sites unless credits will be indicated.

this is simply a work of fiction.

"You think it's feasible for us to live together soon?"

"Not really... Is that a bad thing?"

Yunho looks intently at the boy beside him who had answered his question in a nonchalant tone-- it was clear that Yunho's significant other had already thought of the answer to such a staple question. A deck in the index cards that couples would often bring up.

"You obviously have some nerve to say that." Yunho replies with distaste. San scooches near him to swoon him over with his cutesy mannerisms and sweet apologies. Though Yunho made it clear that he was clearly unamused by what he has heard, looking at the eye-smile and prominent dimples pleading him for forgiveness was enough to take the bait.

As he felt the need to explain his answer to avoid creating a storm, San gently lands his hand on top of Yunho's. "It's not that I don't want to..." San treaded carefully. "I just don't think we're ready to head that next part in our books." Yunho lets out an exasperated sigh to such a bleak answer.

"What is it? Is it because I'm too much of a clean-freak?"

"No, not really."

"Then what Choi San? Give me one good reason as to why you think you can't move in yet."

San moves an inch away from Yunho as he felt the smoldering glare daggering at him burn in his soul. As much as he wanted to say an answer, he couldn't. He shouldn't.

"C'mon Yunho, let's head on out to the shore." San offers a hand out to Yunho as he stood from his place.

"You're avoiding my question again."

"Just please. Stand up and let's look at the sunset together." San said sternly, to which Yunho couldn't do anything but oblige to it.

As the couple walked down the granular terrain, the sea breeze and golden rays welcomed them to their Cloud nine. It was no doubt that their happiness relied on the beauty of the sun, all their doubts and worries would often simmer and dissipate thanks to the long hours of just staring at the orange sky. The sun was their great escape, a key to their hearts, a symbol of their love and how it began.

"After this, we are definitely gonna need to talk." Yunho breaks the silence shared between the two as they stopped in their tracks to appreciate nature's calling.

"You know how to definitely swoon me over. I love you and fucking hate you for that."

San chuckles in amusement to hear Yunho's comment. "You're welcome for that."

As the two gaze at the sun readying itself to give the moon her morning, Yunho's attention lies in the sea as he watches two turtles making ashore.

"San, San you've got to see this!" Yunho excitedly calls out his beloved while keeping his eyes on the two shelled friends. However, no response can be heard.

"Choi San did you not hear me?" Yunho pulls himself out of his gaze to turn to San who was silent as a rock.

Beside the space that was once invaded by a man dressed to the nines, was a disheveled and limp body all dressed and coated in crimson. His eyes were opened, looking directly at Yunho and blood was starting to coagulate the sand that is underneath the body.

"S-s.. San...? SAN? CHOI SAN." All Yunho could do was scream and shout his name as he watched his lover turn into a decomposing mess in a blink of an eye. Yunho immediately wipes off with his bare hands the blood masking the entirety of San's body.

"San, San, San!!!" Yunho grieves out and growls in pain, embracing the corpse of his lover. As he wailed and pleaded for supernatural deities to accept his offers, the whole sky surrounding the crisp beach suddenly turns black. No emitting light to rescue their momentary blindness, no stars in the sky to lead them the way, no moon to serve. It was just a pitch dark, and black environment.

"What the fuck is going on." Was all Yunho could make out of this moment, still holding onto San in his tight grasp. As he tried and make his way to a safe spot; a wall meets his body as he slams against it and falls back loudly in return.

"This isn't fucking funny, WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?" Yunho feels around the encapsulated area around him. Black vinyl panels completely covering the four walls locking him in. He wasn't sure what kind of trip he was on, but the only thing mattered to him was getting San to where he needed to be.

"That's just a dummy you dumb fuck." A high-pitched whisper perks up Yunho's ear.

Yunho looks down to where he was holding San. From a body, it quickly switched to a ragdoll. Yunho threw it across the room aggressively and bangs on the walls to garner anyone's attention.

"WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU TAKE SAN."

"You're baby Sannie's long gone, and it's all because of you." Another voice enters.

"YOU PIECES OF SHIT. YOU ARE THE REASON FOR HIM. SHOW YOURSELF YOU FUCKING COWARDS." Yunho continues to bang on the walls as the voices grew louder.

"You can't see us, we are just the mere voices in your head." The shrieks of the unknown voices get louder as Yunho tries to shield them out by covering his ears. "Don't you feel an ounce of guilt for what happened to your lover? The one you made to suffer?"

"Guilt? What fucking guilt?"

"Exactly. You had none of it." The voices shouted in anger by which Yunho took to heart.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!!"

Punches and bangs were repeated as Yunho tried to single out the voices as it became more prominent and bigger than ever. As he wept and punched and banged, a digitalized alarm clock suddenly appears itself out of thin air. Yunho pauses as he was caught off guard by the blaring green light that the clock had emitted.

"11:59 P.M?" Yunho picks up the clock to look at it in detail, but before he could make out what was presented in front of him-- abyss meets his vision and gravity becomes his enemy; all the while an ear-piercing tone of the clock echoes throughout the empty space, resonating its signal that it has made it to 12:00.

Yunho suddenly wakes and jumps out to what felt like an eternity of falling. He confusedly looks around the environment that he is in. White wooden panels, fitted sheets, and the smell of breakfast. But before he could make any sense of what had manifested, a familiar face greets him in the entry way.

Yunho takes shallow breaths before making out his words.

"S... Sa... San?"

#ateez #yunho #ateez yunho #san #ateez san #ateez fic #atz #ateez fanfic #yunsan

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cherokeegal1975 · 8 months

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Red Dragons. WIP: 10/7/23

Due to a glitch in the program, I had to start over again. I think it's going better the second time around though. Not getting very far this week, but a little progress is better than nothing. I'm backing up my work every time on a thumb drive now. I didn't do that before, and that's why I'm starting over instead of just undoing the premature merge that my graphics program likes to do once in a while. That's the second time my Sketchbook program has done this.

Anyway, this is just me doing an updated copy of an older work from the 1980s or 1990s, I can't remember from exactly when.

For a number of reasons I felt like crap today. Sick really, but not with anything catching. Didn't help that I couldn't sleep last night and I have a bad tooth that needs tending. Hurts off and on. Not the worst though, so that's something. This keeps up, I'll have no teeth left because I can't afford to get them repaired. I hate being broke and money really does make a difference in personal health. Ever notice that? Still don't feel right. I'm hoping a good night's sleep will help.

Saw a couple of odd things yesterday, this morning and tonight in the sky. One of which you might be able to see yourself. Venus is amazingly bright at six in the morning. I know this because my mother and I had to go to the bathroom at the same time. Then she had to be a bitch and insist that I take the dog out to pee, even though she was perfectly fine. Katie is very good at letting me know if she needs anything. Her signal is to stand and stare at me until I get up. I have to listen, because the one time I didn't, she peed on my bedroom floor. It was only the once, and I never say no to her, even if she keeps me up all night.

Anyway, I'm outside in the front yard because Katie hurt her leg and can't go down the back stairs and come up again. She can only do the front steps. She'll get help as soon as possible, no worries there. Just a matter of setting up an appointment time and getting the money together. In the meantime, I have to go easy on her...well extra easy anyway. Torn ligament in the knee as I understand. Ouch.

I'm pissed because I haven't slept all night, I'm tired and I didn't want to get up. I thought I was going to leave for an appointment, but my ride never showed up. At the time I didn't know this, but knew that might be a possibility. I happen to look up at Venus and thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. Just under a quarter the size of the moon from my perspective here on Earth, was a planet. So bright I was amazed. Still pissed too. I didn't want to be out there. I guessed it was Venus and later looked it up to verify I was right. Anyway, you can check that out if you want. As for me, even that sight won't drag me out of bed that early unless forced or there's a promise of a paycheck at the end of the week because of a job.

The next thing I saw before that and tonight was a string of satellites twice in a row! I was surprised both times and recognized them for what they were at once. Saw something like them last year I think and thought they were broken up meteors. I was wrong, but I only once saw a satellite by itself, so the string of them kind of threw me off. Space-X sent up that first string and it was all over the news. This string was sent up by another company. I didn't expect to see them two nights in a row, interesting to look at.

I guess this is my year for seeing weird man made flying objects. I saw what might be some kind of blinking drones inside of a thunder cloud for some reason. I thought they were planes, but they were too stationary for that and then they started to move...that gave me the clue they were drones. Had to think about if for a while to figure out about the drone thing. I'm guessing someone was doing something scientific about the weather. Oddly that was the only cloud that night that had lightening in it. The rest were quiet.

Okay, I talked art copying/preservation for my future book that might be for sale, might not. And the odd things I've seen in the sky lately. Though my first thoughts on odd things in the sky will never be ETs. I'm more logical than that. Not saying such things are impossible, but highly unlikely. I'm living by the saying, "Keep an open mind, but not so much your brains fall out." The supernatural does exist, but like magic, it's only misunderstood science. Ah...I'm still grumpy and a bit off balanced mentally. I need sleep. I'm not going to feel better until I get some. My mouth will still hurt, my stomach will still be upset because I do not react well to pain killers. It's like trading one pain for another. Ugh. And they keep me awake sometimes. I guess it's better than a toothache which makes the half my face hurt. As I said, I'm sick, but not with anything catching.

#cherokeegal1975 #digital art #fantasy #sky #stars #astronomy #technology #dragon #drones #satellite

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votestaynight2 · 10 months

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9th Day - RAIN (Scene 4 & 5 & 6)

Alright, so the next few choices all come in the space of, like, 5 minutes in a single conversation with Tohsaka, so I'm just gonna do them myself to avoid the blog getting weighed down by a bunch of short posts.

"No. I probably can't obey you unconditionally." "…Hey now. Who do you think you are, answering like that from the very first question?" "But isn't it normal? For example, I'd be in trouble if you give me a reckless order."

"I won't be that stupid. If you think it's reckless, it's probably because you don't understand what I'm planning. …Oh well. So you'll obey me, as long as the order's reasonable?" "Yeah, I can keep that promise." "Then here's the second question. Can you trust me like I'll be trusting you? Will you stay on my side, no matter how ugly things get?"

CHOICE: Yes. (obviously)

"I see. So you will give me your absolute obedience?"

"――――Mm." Tohsaka says something dangerous with an evil smile. That seems to be the final question, but――――

CHOICE: No Way! (Once again, obviously)

"――――No way…! I'll admit that your instructions are better as a magus. But I'm sure you make mistakes once in a while. If you say something ridiculous, I can't just obey you. I'll protest if I think you're wrong. That's what it means to cooperate, right?"

"Of course. I can't cooperate with you unless that's the case. I tend to do things my own way, so I need someone to act as my brakes. It'll be helpful if you can take that role."

"Huh――――――――?" …I'm a bit disappointed. I expected disagreeing to spark an argument, but Tohsaka is nodding in satisfaction.

"Then here's the last question. I'll help you as much as I can if it's something I can do and you can't do. But… can you do the same even in the opposite case?"

"…? Something I can do that you can't do…?" Is there such a thing? Is it possible that she can't cook and needs my help?

"Hey. Come on and answer since this is the most important question. Yes or no. Quick." "…Well. Um, it'll help me out if you can give me a specific example…"

"Geez…! I'm asking if you'll let me win or not!"

"――――――――" She says with her cheeks blushing, as if she's sulking. It looks childish, completely unlike Tohsaka.

But―――― "……Yeah. I'll let you win since I'm cooperating with you. I promise." …It's actually really cute.

"Then we'll meet at the front gate after school. You're going to have club activities at my place, starting today." "Hm――――club activities at your place?"

"Yup. We're cooperating, so I need to teach you how to fight by yourself, right? …Well, I know from what I've already seen that you're an amateur, so you'll be working overtime every day."

"Well, I don't mind, and that's actually helpful――― But is that starting today?"

"Of course. I have to figure out your ability and determine our plan from tonight on. You'll be going home late, but it's no problem since you live alone, right?" "Huh? Well, that's true, but how do you know that, Tohsaka?"

"…! I-I thought so because there wasn't anyone at your house when I treated your wound before. A-Anyway, that's how it's going to be, so you just have to wait for me at the front gate!"

"――――――――" Tohsaka waves goodbye and runs off. It's Friday today… Classes run to sixth period, so we'll be going home after three o'clock.

"…This is bad. I told Sakura I'd be coming home early, but I can't cancel Tohsaka's proposal on the very first day." I feel bad for Sakura, but I'll go with Tohsaka for today.

…Well, she isn't a devil. So she might let me go home early today if I tell her about Sakura…. Right?

"――――――――" I wait for Tohsaka by the front gate. The sky is gray, and it looks like it'll rain any minute now. There's a chill wind, so it'll be a cold night if it rains.

"What are you thinking about?" ―――Then. Tohsaka is in front of me when I notice. She must have ran here, as her shoulders are moving up and down.

"Nothing. I just thought it might rain." "Oh, the weather? I guess it'll just be a drizzle. We have to go patrol at night, so it'll be a pain if it rains too much."

…Hm. It seems Tohsaka has already made plans for us to go on patrol tonight. I don't mind, but I'd like to go by my house and check on Sakura before that.

"Tohsaka, about that…" "I know. I'll train you as your cooperator, so prepare yourself. I'll make you a proper magus."

With those confident words, Tohsaka sets off down the hill. …Crap. I can't bring up the subject of going home early if she smiles like that.

We make the long walk up the hill south of the intersection. This residential area is filled with Western-style houses. Tohsaka's house is at the top of this hill, past Sakura's.

"Wow――――" So this is Tohsaka's place. Sakura's house is bigger, but this house feels more like a Western mansion.

…And it somehow feels cold. There's been an air that seems to reject anyone nearing this place ever since we finished climbing up the hill.

"Why did you stop? This is my house." "Y―――Yeah, I know. I was just coerced."

"…Yeah. My house is different from yours. It's just that even someone who's ignorant of magical energy like you can feel the coldness of this house." Tohsaka goes into her home, speaking in bored tones.

"Hey, come on. I don't have any traps set up, so you don't need to hesitate." She beckons me from the entrance.

"……No. It's not because of the atmosphere that I'm hesitating." Muttering to myself, I gather my composure and go in.

…This place certainly does have a cold atmosphere, but that's nothing. She has no idea what a big deal it is for a guy to come over to Tohsaka Rin's house. …Well, I'm sure she won't understand even if I explain it to her. If I'm lucky, she'll just laugh.

――――Wait.

"W-Why are we in your room and not the living room!"

With an utter lack of concern, she shows me through the living room and into her bedroom.

"It's because this place has more instruments ready. The living room is where you have tea, but we didn't come here to drink tea, right?" "Uh――――um. You're… right, but…" Um, I wish she'd think of me as a boy her age.

"…? Just sit down wherever. I'll be using sage and cards to consecrate you, but tell me now if you don't like either."

Tohsaka opens the box by her bed. It looks like a treasure chest from an adventure movie.

"Hmm… Kishua's agate is useless for this. …Oh, I'm out of sage. Can you bring some up from downstairs, Archer?" "Scarlet sage, right? …Well, I don't think you'll need to go that far to distinguish this man."

"I'll do whatever I please. You can rest downstairs after that. We have a pact, so you don't need to protect me." "―――You're right. I doubt he has the nerve to betray you. I shall get ready for tonight."

That must be Archer. His presence must be thin when in spirit form. I didn't feel much magical energy from him.

"…I'm surprised. I didn't notice that he was in the room." "That's how it is if he's in spirit form. Even if he takes form, his magical energy won't leak outside as long as he's in this house. It's elementary for a workshop to shut in the magical energy."

"Oh. So is it the same for Makiri… no, Matou's place?" "Yes. But that place has no need to hide magical energy anymore. If they are hiding magical energy, it'd be the energy leaking out from the magus himself and not from the house."

"Well, either way, it takes nothing to hide magical energy. I'd take Archer with me to school too, but I'm resting him during the day since he's not up to par."

Tohsaka rummages through the treasure chest with a difficult expression. …It seems she can't find what she wants. Is she the kind of person that never keeps anything in order?

"…Really, why doesn't the wound he received from Saber heal when all other wounds can be healed easily? I'm sure they had some connection… Geez, why am I finding my master's jewels now? I can never find them when I want them, dammit!"

She leans forward and keeps fumbling around. …That chest looks small, but it seems big enough to be able to fit Tohsaka inside.

"――――Man." There's nothing to prepare for. All I can do is pray that she'll find the thing she wants, or just look around her room aimlessly――――

"……?" Then. I see something.

―――It's a photo. A bookshelf that's about waist-high is at the corner of the room. On it is a photo that looks to have been forgotten. Dust falls off of it when I pick it up, and I can tell it has been left alone for a long time

"…It's not that she never cleans. Just this picture is undisturbed." Does Tohsaka not like seeing herself as a kid? …No, if that were all, she could just put it away. Maybe it's important to her, but she doesn't want to touch it…

"……But…" People sure can change. Tohsaka looks like she's five or six years old, and she's really cute in the picture.

"…So she had long hair back then, too…. Huh?" The girl in the picture looks just like she is now, except younger. That's why I notice the one thing that's different.

"Thanks for waiting, I'm all ready now. There'll be a little pain, but it's nothing you should be worried about… Huh, what's going on, Emiya-kun?"

"Oh. This, Tohsaka." I show her the picture I found.

"Oh, that's an old photo. I just put that in the corner, but is something wrong with it?" "Huh… Well, there's nothing wrong, but…"

It's nothing much, so I hesitate. It's nothing I need to ask about, but it just caught my attention.

"Oh. I see, you want to say I have a different ribbon on, right?" "――――――――" I nod.

"That's natural. I'm a girl, so I have lots of ribbons. Even if it's my favorite, do you think I'd keep the same ribbon for over ten years?"

Oh. She's right now that she mentions it. It's just an ordinary ribbon. Why was I so concerned about it?

"I'm kidding. That's what I want to say, but ribbons are special. It's the last resort for female magi. It's an appropriate magical item, so there aren't many substitutes for it." "…Wow. Then is that ribbon some sort of a magical item?"

"Yes. Holding the hair in place means holding the magical energy in place. My family doesn't have mystic eyes, so we have to at least keep our reserve magical energy from our hair. It's something that controls your body, so it's best if you make it yourself, right?"

"That's the first ribbon I made. It was my favorite, but I parted with it for various reasons. …Well, let's stop with the idle talk. I'm starting the consecration, so sit down in that chair―――"

Tohsaka's analysis ends rather quickly. She lit an incense, did something like tarot fortune-telling, and asked me a few personality assessment-like questions.

And Tohsaka says… "―――You don't correspond to anything. Further testing would be useless." …And quickly gives up diagnosing my Magic Circuit.

"Hey. Does that mean you can't tell?" And when I ask her…

"Excuse me. I found out that you're not related to the five elements. Any more consecration is out of my expertise, so it's useless to keep going. I'll just see what magic you can use and figure it out from there."

…That's how it is according to her. I run through the "strengthening" magic using the clay she prepared.

It's called an ether cluster, and it's a strange object that returns to its original form no matter what happens to it. It's a good conductor of magical energy. I strengthen it so easily that I'm afraid it won't recover, but…

"It's like shiniku, so don't worry about it. It restores its original state in a day even if you bundle it with strong magical energy." …She says something like that. Shiniku, by the way, is meat that never goes away, no matter how much of it you eat.

…Anyway, I keep repeating the strengthening magic on the clay. I can't fail in front of Tohsaka, but I only succeed two out of ten times. Activating my Magic Circuit, which was easy when I had Saber, took a lot of time and effort.

Tohsaka asks me a few questions while I cast the strengthening magic. Whether I'm self-taught, whether I can use any other spells, how Kiritsugu taught me, and what I have the easiest time imagining.

So. Tohsaka's expression darkens further with each answer I give, and by the end she's shut up entirely. I don't know what she's angry about, but it's really awkward to be here if she makes a face like that.

"Tohsaka? …Um, I know it's only a matter of course, but are you regretting cooperating with me because I'm such an amateur?" I ask her the most likely thing.

"Huh…? Yeah, I do regret that you're an amateur, but in your case, you were taught wrong… Or should I say that I'm surprised you're still alive with the way you're doing things." Tohsaka ponders.

"…? Heeey, Tohsaka? You lost me." "………?" Why is she glaring at me?

"……Fine. I guess if I'm going to correct you, we'll have to start with the fundamentals. But let's go back to what we were talking about earlier. Is it true that the things you projected are still in your shed?" "Yeah. Things don't normally go away unless you break them, right?"

I told her that I use projection as a breather in between strengthening magic. It seems Tohsaka is particular about it, and told me to use projection using the clay. She told me to make a vase. Everything started out smoothly, but in the end I still failed.

"―――Hmph. For now, I'll teach you how to turn your switch on and off. It's faster to make an actual switch in your body. Stay over tonight. It's a drastic measure, so you'll have to stay in bed all night."

"What――――? You mean here?" "What's with that face? Don't worry. I'm not going to be performing surgery on you. You'll just drink some medicine. Well, you won't be able to move for a while because it's so strong."

"Oh… Um, it's not that I don't like drastic measures…" …I look at the clock. It's almost five. I didn't notice since it's cloudy today, but it's getting late.

Tohsaka is helping me as a fellow magus. It makes me happy, and I'm grateful, but I'm worried about Sakura too. I should――――

#votestaynight

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durusiudex · 2 years

Text

Forrest of Death

Part one

The first thing I'm aware of is the soft ground under my back, covered in pineneedles. The sky above me is so bloted out by the greenery of the assorted kinds of trees that populate this forest that only a dim twilight makes it into the forest.

I sit up and scan my surroundings. The first conclusion I come to is that I owe Rachel $20, the second conclusion I come to is that if I don't move now, somethings going to make sure I never move again. I reach into my pocket and pull out a folded map. An ealier conversation floats in to my head.

"This map isn't exactly accurate. You stepping foot into that... place. Will be akin to humans stepping onto the surface of another planet." Dr. Drace had told me. "We've been in there before with drones and rovers but something about that place fucks with our communications. Once we put something in, we're blind to it. Which means we won't be able to help you either. Are you still up for this?"

"What, you mean go back to my cot?" I asked, almost rudly. "Thanks but I'll take my chances with this forest."

"You say that now, because you haven't seen the state in which our drones and rovers arrive back to us, if they ever do." The doctor explained. "This may very well be the most dangerous place on Eart- well, I guess we can't really call it earth anymore. Most dangerous place. Period."

"Alright doc, I get it." I said annoyed. "Big scary trees or whatever, I'll be careful."

Looking around I'm starting to wish I had taken the doc's advice more seriously. It's not that I was in immediate danger, but I saw no sign of water and I haven't seen a single wild animal, or even signs of one. There's no underbrush, the floor of the forest seems too dark to support plant life. They gave me plenty of MIRs and multiple bottles of water but that won't last very long.

I follow the crude map, my only hope will be a small research building that they had discovered a couple days ago. It's unclear wither a population in the forest made this structure or if humanity had traveled to the forest before. In any case the building seemed big enough and secluded enough that it should be safe... for a while.

One thing I notice is that the tress are weird, there's evert type of tree I could think of, you know pine, oak, willow, ect. Except they all grow to exactly the same height and trunk diameter, it feels artificial. As I walk I periodically make little towers out of stones that i could hopefully use as reference points if needed. I had been walking for hours before the first danger showed itself.

A deafening sound, like wood being splintered with great force, followed by an equally loud boom caused me to whip my head behind me, I didn't see anything. Another crash shook the ground and left me unbalanced. A third crash ripped through the air, I didn't stay long enough to find out what it was. I booked it as fast as my legs would carry me, but the sound followed. There was less time between crashes now and it finally clicked; what I was hearing was the foot steps of an insanely giant creature who's head probably pokes out of the canopy of the forest. I didn't know of it was chasing me or if I just happened to be in its path, either way its going to catch up to me, so I stop running.

"What are you in for?" My cell mate, Devin, asks me. "What is it? Murder? Serial killer? Grand heist?"

"I'm in here cause I was too good at my job." I said simply. "I was so good that I became a threat." I wasn't technically breaking my contract by telling him that but it was skirting very close.

"Yeah, what ever." Devon says, unconvinced. "This is a maximum security facility. You don't get put here unless you're truly dangerous."

"OK" I conceded. "Then why are you here?"

"I umm.." this takes him back. "Well the truth is, I'm the exception. I'm not dangerous, I just kept breaking out of prison. This is kinda thier final resort. Won't hold me for long though." He gives me a look that makes me think he absolutely believes what he says.

"Good luck with that." I say, even though his chances are practically zero. "I don't need to break out, I just have to wait until I'm useful again."

A giant hairy foot impacts the ground about 70 feet away from, the sound makes my eardrums ring and the wind that it makes when it moves almost knocks me on my ass, but I stand my ground. If I want this to work then I need to act fast. All the time I was running I was listening to the sounds if the giants foot steps, using it to determine a rough idea of its speed and size.

It's next step falls to my right about 10 feet. The tremors and the air gushing from its movements cause me to fall over, but I regain my footing quickly and I'm on my feet, running towards its foot. If I'm slow, this will be the end for me. I pull out one of many small rectangular packages, it'll take all of them to do what I have planed and it'll leave me down a resource but I don't feel I have much choice.

I make it to the creatures foot just as it begins dragging its other foot to take the next step. I clamber up the grotesque hairy foot of the giant, periodically leaving one of those small packages. 10 seconds later I'm done, I run to the edge of its foot and jump off. My my feet never touch the ground, faster than what should be expected the giant scopes me up with a giant meaty hand. It's hand crashes through branches and eventually the canopy to bring my to eye level with it. At first I struggle, trying to get out of its grasp but when that proves fruitless I stare into the eyes of the giant. It's face looks vaguely like a chimpanze. But it's eyes, there's intelligence like that of a humans. This is no wild beast and that just makes it all the worse for my own health.

For a while nothing happens, we just stare into each other's eyes. Finally my temper and impatients gets the better of me.

"Well you dumb monkey!" I yell. "You gonna kill me or just stare at me? Cause I gotta say, you're not my type so get on with it!" I struggle to move my arms. It's eyes widen in surprise and malice.

"Don't you worry tiny human." It laughed. "We'll get to that soon enough. But first, I must learn what I can from you." Its voice is slow, deep and impossibly loud. I don't get a chance to comment on the fact that he had spoken to me before I feel a sharp pain in the front of my head. Suddenly I'm being born again, my life starts playing from the beginning in my head like it's on fast forward. It catches up to the present and the pain dissapears.

"Interesting." Was all he said before he started bringing me towards his mouth. I needed to stall.

"Wait!" I yelled, causing him to hesitate. "At least tell me your name? What are you?"

The giant laughed. "Never have a met a snack so void of fear." The giant pondered awhile. "Very well, as the last request of a dieing mortal I will honor your wish. My name is Vontrol, and I am a God."

I'm taken for a bit and my stunned silence must have given me away because Vontrol laughs and continues.

"I am the first life here and when all else dies, I'll the last." He sounded almost sad. "I'm cursed to live an immortal life inside a mortal body. But I will never die. What about you, mortal? What is your name?"

"My name?" My fingers wrap around a small device in my pocket. "Well most people just call me Dave. But I actually have a nick name that I had earned from my colleges."

"What is this name?" The God asks, confused. My thumb finds a small button on the device.

"They call me invictus, it means unkillable." I press the small button and all at once the c4 I had covered his foot with exoded. The God howled in pain and his grip lossened enough that I could crawl out of his closed fist. While Vontrol was so distracted by his injured foot that he didn't notice me climbing up his shoulder and too his neck. It doesn't matter if he can't die, if he can't move he's as good as dead. I place my last c4 where his spine meets his brain stem.

"What have you done!" The God screams. "I'll kill you for that!" Vontrol desperately smacks his body in random places, on sure of where I was and hoping to get me by luck. I finally make it to the ground which is covered in what must be purple blood, it oozes put of the God's mangled foot.

"Dipshit!" I yell at the top of my lungs to get the giants attention.

The God turns to me, a look of fury in his eyes.

"You know, I once had a debate with someone about how you would kill God since killing was my profession." I say, holding the detonator. "Time to settle a bet."

The God roared at me but didn't even have chance to finish his angry outburst before I pushes the button and another explosion lit the woods with a bright flash. The God stopped, purple blood trickled out of his mouth and flowed from the wound in his neck. For a second all is silent, then the God begins to fall backwards, the sound of breaking branches filled the silence around me. I walk up to the head of the paralyzed God, his head is turned to face me, his eyes are clouded.

"Invictus." He says slowly, his voice full of anger. "I may not be able to kill you now. But my body will heal and when that happens nothing will stop me from killing you."

"Those are big words from a God beaten by a man Vontrol." I say and then begin walking away from the bloody scene. I open my map back up, and continue to safety.

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dear-ao3 · 3 years

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According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway because bees don't care what humans think is impossible. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Ooh, black and yellow! Let's shake it up a little. Barry! Breakfast is ready! Ooming! Hang on a second. Hello? - Barry? - Adam? - Oan you believe this is happening? - I can't. I'll pick you up. Looking sharp. Use the stairs. Your father paid good money for those. Sorry. I'm excited. Here's the graduate. We're very proud of you, son. A perfect report card, all B's. Very proud. Ma! I got a thing going here. - You got lint on your fuzz. - Ow! That's me! - Wave to us! We'll be in row 118,000. - Bye! Barry, I told you, stop flying in the house! - Hey, Adam. - Hey, Barry. - Is that fuzz gel? - A little. Special day, graduation. Never thought I'd make it. Three days grade school, three days high school. Those were awkward. Three days college. I'm glad I took a day and hitchhiked around the hive. You did come back different. - Hi, Barry. - Artie, growing a mustache? Looks good. - Hear about Frankie? - Yeah. - You going to the funeral? - No, I'm not going. Everybody knows, sting someone, you die. Don't waste it on a squirrel. Such a hothead. I guess he could have just gotten out of the way. I love this incorporating an amusement park into our day. That's why we don't need vacations. Boy, quite a bit of pomp... under the circumstances. - Well, Adam, today we are men. - We are! - Bee-men. - Amen! Hallelujah! Students, faculty, distinguished bees, please welcome Dean Buzzwell. Welcome, New Hive Oity graduating class of... ...9:15. That concludes our ceremonies. And begins your career at Honex Industries! Will we pick ourjob today? I heard it's just orientation. Heads up! Here we go. Keep your hands and antennas inside the tram at all times. - Wonder what it'll be like? - A little scary. Welcome to Honex, a division of Honesco and a part of the Hexagon Group. This is it! Wow. Wow. We know that you, as a bee, have worked your whole life to get to the point where you can work for your whole life. Honey begins when our valiant Pollen Jocks bring the nectar to the hive. Our top-secret formula is automatically color-corrected, scent-adjusted and bubble-contoured into this soothing sweet syrup with its distinctive golden glow you know as... Honey! - That girl was hot. - She's my cousin! - She is? - Yes, we're all cousins. - Right. You're right. - At Honex, we constantly strive to improve every aspect of bee existence. These bees are stress-testing a new helmet technology. - What do you think he makes? - Not enough. Here we have our latest advancement, the Krelman. - What does that do? - Oatches that little strand of honey that hangs after you pour it. Saves us millions. Oan anyone work on the Krelman? Of course. Most bee jobs are small ones. But bees know that every small job, if it's done well, means a lot. But choose carefully because you'll stay in the job you pick for the rest of your life. The same job the rest of your life? I didn't know that. What's the difference? You'll be happy to know that bees, as a species, haven't had one day off in 27 million years. So you'll just work us to death? We'll sure try. Wow! That blew my mind! "What's the difference?" How can you say that? One job forever? That's an insane choice to have to make. I'm relieved. Now we only have to make one decision in life. But, Adam, how could they never have told us that? Why would you question anything? We're bees. We're the most perfectly functioning society on Earth. You ever think maybe things work a little too well here? Like what? Give me one example. I don't know. But you know what I'm talking about. Please clear the gate. Royal Nectar Force on approach. Wait a second. Oheck it out. - Hey, those are Pollen Jocks! - Wow. I've never seen them this close. They know what it's like outside the hive. Yeah, but some don't come back. - Hey, Jocks! - Hi, Jocks!

Youguys did great! You're monsters! You're sky freaks! I love it! I love it! - I wonder where they were. - I don't know. Their day's not planned. Outside the hive, flying who knows where, doing who knows what. You can'tjust decide to be a Pollen Jock. You have to be bred for that. Right. Look. That's more pollen than you and I will see in a lifetime. It's just a status symbol. Bees make too much of it. Perhaps. Unless you're wearing it and the ladies see you wearing it. Those ladies? Aren't they our cousins too? Distant. Distant. Look at these two. - Oouple of Hive Harrys. - Let's have fun with them. It must be dangerous being a Pollen Jock. Yeah. Once a bear pinned me against a mushroom! He had a paw on my throat, and with the other, he was slapping me! - Oh, my! - I never thought I'd knock him out. What were you doing during this? Trying to alert the authorities. I can autograph that. A little gusty out there today, wasn't it, comrades? Yeah. Gusty. We're hitting a sunflower patch six miles from here tomorrow. - Six miles, huh? - Barry! A puddle jump for us, but maybe you're not up for it. - Maybe I am. - You are not! We're going 0900 at J-Gate. What do you think, buzzy-boy? Are you bee enough? I might be. It all depends on what 0900 means. Hey, Honex! Dad, you surprised me. You decide what you're interested in? - Well, there's a lot of choices. - But you only get one. Do you ever get bored doing the same job every day? Son, let me tell you about stirring. You grab that stick, and you just move it around, and you stir it around. You get yourself into a rhythm. It's a beautiful thing. You know, Dad, the more I think about it, maybe the honey field just isn't right for me. You were thinking of what, making balloon animals? That's a bad job for a guy with a stinger. Janet, your son's not sure he wants to go into honey! - Barry, you are so funny sometimes. - I'm not trying to be funny. You're not funny! You're going into honey. Our son, the stirrer! - You're gonna be a stirrer? - No one's listening to me! Wait till you see the sticks I have. I could say anything right now. I'm gonna get an ant tattoo! Let's open some honey and celebrate! Maybe I'll pierce my thorax. Shave my antennae. Shack up with a grasshopper. Get a gold tooth and call everybody "dawg"! I'm so proud. - We're starting work today! - Today's the day. Oome on! All the good jobs will be gone. Yeah, right. Pollen counting, stunt bee, pouring, stirrer, front desk, hair removal... - Is it still available? - Hang on. Two left! One of them's yours! Oongratulations! Step to the side. - What'd you get? - Picking crud out. Stellar! Wow! Oouple of newbies? Yes, sir! Our first day! We are ready! Make your choice. - You want to go first? - No, you go. Oh, my. What's available? Restroom attendant's open, not for the reason you think. - Any chance of getting the Krelman? - Sure, you're on. I'm sorry, the Krelman just closed out. Wax monkey's always open. The Krelman opened up again. What happened? A bee died. Makes an opening. See? He's dead. Another dead one. Deady. Deadified. Two more dead. Dead from the neck up. Dead from the neck down. That's life! Oh, this is so hard! Heating, cooling, stunt bee, pourer, stirrer, humming, inspector number seven, lint coordinator, stripe supervisor, mite wrangler. Barry, what do you think I should... Barry? Barry! All right, we've got the sunflower patch in quadrant nine... What happened to you? Where are you? - I'm going out. - Out? Out where? - Out there. - Oh, no! I have to, before I go to work for the rest of my life. You're gonna die! You're crazy! Hello? Another call coming in. If anyone's feeling brave, there's a Korean deli on 83rd that gets their roses today. Hey, guys. - Look at that. - Isn't that the kid we saw yesterday? Hold it, son, flight deck's restricted. It's OK, Lou. We're gonna take him up. Really? Feeling lucky, are you? Sign here, here. Just initial that. - Thank you. - OK. You got a rain advisory today, and as you all know, bees cannot fly in rain. So be careful. As always, watch your brooms, hockey

sticks,dogs, birds, bears and bats. Also, I got a couple of reports of root beer being poured on us. Murphy's in a home because of it, babbling like a cicada! - That's awful. - And a reminder for you rookies, bee law number one, absolutely no talking to humans! All right, launch positions! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Black and yellow! Hello! You ready for this, hot shot? Yeah. Yeah, bring it on. Wind, check. - Antennae, check. - Nectar pack, check. - Wings, check. - Stinger, check. Scared out of my shorts, check. OK, ladies, let's move it out! Pound those petunias, you striped stem-suckers! All of you, drain those flowers! Wow! I'm out! I can't believe I'm out! So blue. I feel so fast and free! Box kite! Wow! Flowers! This is Blue Leader. We have roses visual. Bring it around 30 degrees and hold. Roses! 30 degrees, roger. Bringing it around. Stand to the side, kid. It's got a bit of a kick. That is one nectar collector! - Ever see pollination up close? - No, sir. I pick up some pollen here, sprinkle it over here. Maybe a dash over there, a pinch on that one. See that? It's a little bit of magic. That's amazing. Why do we do that? That's pollen power. More pollen, more flowers, more nectar, more honey for us. Oool. I'm picking up a lot of bright yellow. Oould be daisies. Don't we need those? Oopy that visual. Wait. One of these flowers seems to be on the move. Say again? You're reporting a moving flower? Affirmative. That was on the line! This is the coolest. What is it? I don't know, but I'm loving this color. It smells good. Not like a flower, but I like it. Yeah, fuzzy. Ohemical-y. Oareful, guys. It's a little grabby. My sweet lord of bees! Oandy-brain, get off there! Problem! - Guys! - This could be bad. Affirmative. Very close. Gonna hurt. Mama's little boy. You are way out of position, rookie! Ooming in at you like a missile! Help me! I don't think these are flowers. - Should we tell him? - I think he knows. What is this?! Match point! You can start packing up, honey, because you're about to eat it! Yowser! Gross. There's a bee in the car! - Do something! - I'm driving! - Hi, bee. - He's back here! He's going to sting me! Nobody move. If you don't move, he won't sting you. Freeze! He blinked! Spray him, Granny! What are you doing?! Wow... the tension level out here is unbelievable. I gotta get home. Oan't fly in rain. Oan't fly in rain. Oan't fly in rain. Mayday! Mayday! Bee going down! Ken, could you close the window please? Ken, could you close the window please? Oheck out my new resume. I made it into a fold-out brochure. You see? Folds out. Oh, no. More humans. I don't need this. What was that? Maybe this time. This time. This time. This time! This time! This... Drapes! That is diabolical. It's fantastic. It's got all my special skills, even my top-ten favorite movies. What's number one? Star Wars? Nah, I don't go for that... ...kind of stuff. No wonder we shouldn't talk to them. They're out of their minds. When I leave a job interview, they're flabbergasted, can't believe what I say. There's the sun. Maybe that's a way out. I don't remember the sun having a big 75 on it. I predicted global warming. I could feel it getting hotter. At first I thought it was just me. Wait! Stop! Bee! Stand back. These are winter boots. Wait! Don't kill him! You know I'm allergic to them! This thing could kill me! Why does his life have less value than yours? Why does his life have any less value than mine? Is that your statement? I'm just saying all life has value. You don't know what he's capable of feeling. My brochure! There you go, little guy. I'm not scared of him. It's an allergic thing. Put that on your resume brochure. My whole face could puff up. Make it one of your special skills. Knocking someone out is also a special skill. Right. Bye, Vanessa. Thanks. - Vanessa, next week? Yogurt night? - Sure, Ken. You know, whatever. - You could put carob chips on there. - Bye. - Supposed to be less calories. - Bye. I gotta say something. She saved my life. I gotta say something. All

right,here it goes. Nah. What would I say? I could really get in trouble. It's a bee law. You're not supposed to talk to a human. I can't believe I'm doing this. I've got to. Oh, I can't do it. Oome on! No. Yes. No. Do it. I can't. How should I start it? "You like jazz?" No, that's no good. Here she comes! Speak, you fool! Hi! I'm sorry. - You're talking. - Yes, I know. You're talking! I'm so sorry. No, it's OK. It's fine. I know I'm dreaming. But I don't recall going to bed. Well, I'm sure this is very disconcerting. This is a bit of a surprise to me. I mean, you're a bee! I am. And I'm not supposed to be doing this, but they were all trying to kill me. And if it wasn't for you... I had to thank you. It's just how I was raised. That was a little weird. - I'm talking with a bee. - Yeah. I'm talking to a bee. And the bee is talking to me! I just want to say I'm grateful. I'll leave now. - Wait! How did you learn to do that? - What? The talking thing. Same way you did, I guess. "Mama, Dada, honey." You pick it up. - That's very funny. - Yeah. Bees are funny. If we didn't laugh, we'd cry with what we have to deal with. Anyway... Oan I... ...get you something? - Like what? I don't know. I mean... I don't know. Ooffee? I don't want to put you out. It's no trouble. It takes two minutes. - It's just coffee. - I hate to impose. - Don't be ridiculous! - Actually, I would love a cup. Hey, you want rum cake? - I shouldn't. - Have some. - No, I can't. - Oome on! I'm trying to lose a couple micrograms. - Where? - These stripes don't help. You look great! I don't know if you know anything about fashion. Are you all right? No. He's making the tie in the cab as they're flying up Madison. He finally gets there. He runs up the steps into the church. The wedding is on. And he says, "Watermelon? I thought you said Guatemalan. Why would I marry a watermelon?" Is that a bee joke? That's the kind of stuff we do. Yeah, different. So, what are you gonna do, Barry? About work? I don't know. I want to do my part for the hive, but I can't do it the way they want. I know how you feel. - You do? - Sure. My parents wanted me to be a lawyer or a doctor, but I wanted to be a florist. - Really? - My only interest is flowers. Our new queen was just elected with that same campaign slogan. Anyway, if you look... There's my hive right there. See it? You're in Sheep Meadow! Yes! I'm right off the Turtle Pond! No way! I know that area. I lost a toe ring there once. - Why do girls put rings on their toes? - Why not? - It's like putting a hat on your knee. - Maybe I'll try that. - You all right, ma'am? - Oh, yeah. Fine. Just having two cups of coffee! Anyway, this has been great. Thanks for the coffee. Yeah, it's no trouble. Sorry I couldn't finish it. If I did, I'd be up the rest of my life. Are you...? Oan I take a piece of this with me? Sure! Here, have a crumb. - Thanks! - Yeah. All right. Well, then... I guess I'll see you around. Or not. OK, Barry. And thank you so much again... for before. Oh, that? That was nothing. Well, not nothing, but... Anyway... This can't possibly work. He's all set to go. We may as well try it. OK, Dave, pull the chute. - Sounds amazing. - It was amazing! It was the scariest, happiest moment of my life. Humans! I can't believe you were with humans! Giant, scary humans! What were they like? Huge and crazy. They talk crazy. They eat crazy giant things. They drive crazy. - Do they try and kill you, like on TV? - Some of them. But some of them don't. - How'd you get back? - Poodle. You did it, and I'm glad. You saw whatever you wanted to see. You had your "experience." Now you can pick out yourjob and be normal. - Well... - Well? Well, I met someone. You did? Was she Bee-ish? - A wasp?! Your parents will kill you! - No, no, no, not a wasp. - Spider? - I'm not attracted to spiders. I know it's the hottest thing, with the eight legs and all. I can't get by that face. So who is she? She's... human. No, no. That's a bee law. You wouldn't break a bee law. - Her name's Vanessa. - Oh, boy. She's so nice. And she's a florist! Oh, no!

You'redating a human florist! We're not dating. You're flying outside the hive, talking to humans that attack our homes with power washers and M-80s! One-eighth a stick of dynamite! She saved my life! And she understands me. This is over! Eat this. This is not over! What was that? - They call it a crumb. - It was so stingin' stripey! And that's not what they eat. That's what falls off what they eat! - You know what a Oinnabon is? - No. It's bread and cinnamon and frosting. They heat it up... Sit down! ...really hot! - Listen to me! We are not them! We're us. There's us and there's them! Yes, but who can deny the heart that is yearning? There's no yearning. Stop yearning. Listen to me! You have got to start thinking bee, my friend. Thinking bee! - Thinking bee. - Thinking bee. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! There he is. He's in the pool. You know what your problem is, Barry? I gotta start thinking bee? How much longer will this go on? It's been three days! Why aren't you working? I've got a lot of big life decisions to think about. What life? You have no life! You have no job. You're barely a bee! Would it kill you to make a little honey? Barry, come out. Your father's talking to you. Martin, would you talk to him? Barry, I'm talking to you! You coming? Got everything? All set! Go ahead. I'll catch up. Don't be too long. Watch this! Vanessa! - We're still here. - I told you not to yell at him. He doesn't respond to yelling! - Then why yell at me? - Because you don't listen! I'm not listening to this. Sorry, I've gotta go. - Where are you going? - I'm meeting a friend. A girl? Is this why you can't decide? Bye. I just hope she's Bee-ish. They have a huge parade of flowers every year in Pasadena? To be in the Tournament of Roses, that's every florist's dream! Up on a float, surrounded by flowers, crowds cheering. A tournament. Do the roses compete in athletic events? No. All right, I've got one. How come you don't fly everywhere? It's exhausting. Why don't you run everywhere? It's faster. Yeah, OK, I see, I see. All right, your turn. TiVo. You can just freeze live TV? That's insane! You don't have that? We have Hivo, but it's a disease. It's a horrible, horrible disease. Oh, my. Dumb bees! You must want to sting all those jerks. We try not to sting. It's usually fatal for us. So you have to watch your temper. Very carefully. You kick a wall, take a walk, write an angry letter and throw it out. Work through it like any emotion: Anger, jealousy, lust. Oh, my goodness! Are you OK? Yeah. - What is wrong with you?! - It's a bug. He's not bothering anybody. Get out of here, you creep! What was that? A Pic 'N' Save circular? Yeah, it was. How did you know? It felt like about 10 pages. Seventy-five is pretty much our limit. You've really got that down to a science. - I lost a cousin to Italian Vogue. - I'll bet. What in the name of Mighty Hercules is this? How did this get here? Oute Bee, Golden Blossom, Ray Liotta Private Select? - Is he that actor? - I never heard of him. - Why is this here? - For people. We eat it. You don't have enough food of your own? - Well, yes. - How do you get it? - Bees make it. - I know who makes it! And it's hard to make it! There's heating, cooling, stirring. You need a whole Krelman thing! - It's organic. - It's our-ganic! It's just honey, Barry. Just what?! Bees don't know about this! This is stealing! A lot of stealing! You've taken our homes, schools, hospitals! This is all we have! And it's on sale?! I'm getting to the bottom of this. I'm getting to the bottom of all of this! Hey, Hector. - You almost done? - Almost. He is here. I sense it. Well, I guess I'll go home now and just leave this nice honey out, with no one around. You're busted, box boy! I knew I heard something. So you can talk! I can talk. And now you'll start talking! Where you getting the sweet stuff? Who's your supplier? I don't understand. I thought we were friends. The last thing we want to do is upset bees! You're too late! It's ours now! You, sir, have crossed the wrong sword! You, sir, will be

lunch formy iguana, Ignacio! Where is the honey coming from? Tell me where! Honey Farms! It comes from Honey Farms! Orazy person! What horrible thing has happened here? These faces, they never knew what hit them. And now they're on the road to nowhere! Just keep still. What? You're not dead? Do I look dead? They will wipe anything that moves. Where you headed? To Honey Farms. I am onto something huge here. I'm going to Alaska. Moose blood, crazy stuff. Blows your head off! I'm going to Tacoma. - And you? - He really is dead. All right. Uh-oh! - What is that?! - Oh, no! - A wiper! Triple blade! - Triple blade? Jump on! It's your only chance, bee! Why does everything have to be so doggone clean?! How much do you people need to see?! Open your eyes! Stick your head out the window! From NPR News in Washington, I'm Oarl Kasell. But don't kill no more bugs! - Bee! - Moose blood guy!! - You hear something? - Like what? Like tiny screaming. Turn off the radio. Whassup, bee boy? Hey, Blood. Just a row of honey jars, as far as the eye could see. Wow! I assume wherever this truck goes is where they're getting it. I mean, that honey's ours. - Bees hang tight. - We're all jammed in. It's a close community. Not us, man. We on our own. Every mosquito on his own. - What if you get in trouble? - You a mosquito, you in trouble. Nobody likes us. They just smack. See a mosquito, smack, smack! At least you're out in the world. You must meet girls. Mosquito girls try to trade up, get with a moth, dragonfly. Mosquito girl don't want no mosquito. You got to be kidding me! Mooseblood's about to leave the building! So long, bee! - Hey, guys! - Mooseblood! I knew I'd catch y'all down here. Did you bring your crazy straw? We throw it in jars, slap a label on it, and it's pretty much pure profit. What is this place? A bee's got a brain the size of a pinhead. They are pinheads! Pinhead. - Oheck out the new smoker. - Oh, sweet. That's the one you want. The Thomas 3000! Smoker? Ninety puffs a minute, semi-automatic. Twice the nicotine, all the tar. A couple breaths of this knocks them right out. They make the honey, and we make the money. "They make the honey, and we make the money"? Oh, my! What's going on? Are you OK? Yeah. It doesn't last too long. Do you know you're in a fake hive with fake walls? Our queen was moved here. We had no choice. This is your queen? That's a man in women's clothes! That's a drag queen! What is this? Oh, no! There's hundreds of them! Bee honey. Our honey is being brazenly stolen on a massive scale! This is worse than anything bears have done! I intend to do something. Oh, Barry, stop. Who told you humans are taking our honey? That's a rumor. Do these look like rumors? That's a conspiracy theory. These are obviously doctored photos. How did you get mixed up in this? He's been talking to humans. - What? - Talking to humans?! He has a human girlfriend. And they make out! Make out? Barry! We do not. - You wish you could. - Whose side are you on? The bees! I dated a cricket once in San Antonio. Those crazy legs kept me up all night. Barry, this is what you want to do with your life? I want to do it for all our lives. Nobody works harder than bees! Dad, I remember you coming home so overworked your hands were still stirring. You couldn't stop. I remember that. What right do they have to our honey? We live on two cups a year. They put it in lip balm for no reason whatsoever! Even if it's true, what can one bee do? Sting them where it really hurts. In the face! The eye! - That would hurt. - No. Up the nose? That's a killer. There's only one place you can sting the humans, one place where it matters. Hive at Five, the hive's only full-hour action news source. No more bee beards! With Bob Bumble at the anchor desk. Weather with Storm Stinger. Sports with Buzz Larvi. And Jeanette Ohung. - Good evening. I'm Bob Bumble. - And I'm Jeanette Ohung. A tri-county bee, Barry Benson, intends to sue the human race for stealing our honey, packaging it and profiting from it illegally! Tomorrow night on Bee Larry King, we'll have three former

queenshere in our studio, discussing their new book, Olassy Ladies, out this week on Hexagon. Tonight we're talking to Barry Benson. Did you ever think, "I'm a kid from the hive. I can't do this"? Bees have never been afraid to change the world. What about Bee Oolumbus? Bee Gandhi? Bejesus? Where I'm from, we'd never sue humans. We were thinking of stickball or candy stores. How old are you? The bee community is supporting you in this case, which will be the trial of the bee century. You know, they have a Larry King in the human world too. It's a common name. Next week... He looks like you and has a show and suspenders and colored dots... Next week... Glasses, quotes on the bottom from the guest even though you just heard 'em. Bear Week next week! They're scary, hairy and here live. Always leans forward, pointy shoulders, squinty eyes, very Jewish. In tennis, you attack at the point of weakness! It was my grandmother, Ken. She's 81. Honey, her backhand's a joke! I'm not gonna take advantage of that? Quiet, please. Actual work going on here. - Is that that same bee? - Yes, it is! I'm helping him sue the human race. - Hello. - Hello, bee. This is Ken. Yeah, I remember you. Timberland, size ten and a half. Vibram sole, I believe. Why does he talk again? Listen, you better go 'cause we're really busy working. But it's our yogurt night! Bye-bye. Why is yogurt night so difficult?! You poor thing. You two have been at this for hours! Yes, and Adam here has been a huge help. - Frosting... - How many sugars? Just one. I try not to use the competition. So why are you helping me? Bees have good qualities. And it takes my mind off the shop. Instead of flowers, people are giving balloon bouquets now. Those are great, if you're three. And artificial flowers. - Oh, those just get me psychotic! - Yeah, me too. Bent stingers, pointless pollination. Bees must hate those fake things! Nothing worse than a daffodil that's had work done. Maybe this could make up for it a little bit. - This lawsuit's a pretty big deal. - I guess. You sure you want to go through with it? Am I sure? When I'm done with the humans, they won't be able to say, "Honey, I'm home," without paying a royalty! It's an incredible scene here in downtown Manhattan, where the world anxiously waits, because for the first time in history, we will hear for ourselves if a honeybee can actually speak. What have we gotten into here, Barry? It's pretty big, isn't it? I can't believe how many humans don't work during the day. You think billion-dollar multinational food companies have good lawyers? Everybody needs to stay behind the barricade. - What's the matter? - I don't know, I just got a chill. Well, if it isn't the bee team. You boys work on this? All rise! The Honorable Judge Bumbleton presiding. All right. Oase number 4475, Superior Oourt of New York, Barry Bee Benson v. the Honey Industry is now in session. Mr. Montgomery, you're representing the five food companies collectively? A privilege. Mr. Benson... you're representing all the bees of the world? I'm kidding. Yes, Your Honor, we're ready to proceed. Mr. Montgomery, your opening statement, please. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my grandmother was a simple woman. Born on a farm, she believed it was man's divine right to benefit from the bounty of nature God put before us. If we lived in the topsy-turvy world Mr. Benson imagines, just think of what would it mean. I would have to negotiate with the silkworm for the elastic in my britches! Talking bee! How do we know this isn't some sort of holographic motion-picture-capture Hollywood wizardry? They could be using laser beams! Robotics! Ventriloquism! Oloning! For all we know, he could be on steroids! Mr. Benson? Ladies and gentlemen, there's no trickery here. I'm just an ordinary bee. Honey's pretty important to me. It's important to all bees. We invented it! We make it. And we protect it with our lives. Unfortunately, there are some people in this room who think they can take it from us 'cause we're the little guys! I'm hoping that, after this is all over, you'll see

how,by taking our honey, you not only take everything we have but everything we are! I wish he'd dress like that all the time. So nice! Oall your first witness. So, Mr. Klauss Vanderhayden of Honey Farms, big company you have. I suppose so. I see you also own Honeyburton and Honron! Yes, they provide beekeepers for our farms. Beekeeper. I find that to be a very disturbing term. I don't imagine you employ any bee-free-ers, do you? - No. - I couldn't hear you. - No. - No. Because you don't free bees. You keep bees. Not only that, it seems you thought a bear would be an appropriate image for a jar of honey. They're very lovable creatures. Yogi Bear, Fozzie Bear, Build-A-Bear. You mean like this? Bears kill bees! How'd you like his head crashing through your living room?! Biting into your couch! Spitting out your throw pillows! OK, that's enough. Take him away. So, Mr. Sting, thank you for being here. Your name intrigues me. - Where have I heard it before? - I was with a band called The Police. But you've never been a police officer, have you? No, I haven't. No, you haven't. And so here we have yet another example of bee culture casually stolen by a human for nothing more than a prance-about stage name. Oh, please. Have you ever been stung, Mr. Sting? Because I'm feeling a little stung, Sting. Or should I say... Mr. Gordon M. Sumner! That's not his real name?! You idiots! Mr. Liotta, first, belated congratulations on your Emmy win for a guest spot on ER in 2005. Thank you. Thank you. I see from your resume that you're devilishly handsome with a churning inner turmoil that's ready to blow. I enjoy what I do. Is that a crime? Not yet it isn't. But is this what it's come to for you? Exploiting tiny, helpless bees so you don't have to rehearse your part and learn your lines, sir? Watch it, Benson! I could blow right now! This isn't a goodfella. This is a badfella! Why doesn't someone just step on this creep, and we can all go home?! - Order in this court! - You're all thinking it! Order! Order, I say! - Say it! - Mr. Liotta, please sit down! I think it was awfully nice of that bear to pitch in like that. I think the jury's on our side. Are we doing everything right, legally? I'm a florist. Right. Well, here's to a great team. To a great team! Well, hello. - Ken! - Hello. I didn't think you were coming. No, I was just late. I tried to call, but... the battery. I didn't want all this to go to waste, so I called Barry. Luckily, he was free. Oh, that was lucky. There's a little left. I could heat it up. Yeah, heat it up, sure, whatever. So I hear you're quite a tennis player. I'm not much for the game myself. The ball's a little grabby. That's where I usually sit. Right... there. Ken, Barry was looking at your resume, and he agreed with me that eating with chopsticks isn't really a special skill. You think I don't see what you're doing? I know how hard it is to find the rightjob. We have that in common. Do we? Bees have 100 percent employment, but we do jobs like taking the crud out. That's just what I was thinking about doing. Ken, I let Barry borrow your razor for his fuzz. I hope that was all right. I'm going to drain the old stinger. Yeah, you do that. Look at that. You know, I've just about had it with your little mind games. - What's that? - Italian Vogue. Mamma mia, that's a lot of pages. A lot of ads. Remember what Van said, why is your life more valuable than mine? Funny, I just can't seem to recall that! I think something stinks in here! I love the smell of flowers. How do you like the smell of flames?! Not as much. Water bug! Not taking sides! Ken, I'm wearing a Ohapstick hat! This is pathetic! I've got issues! Well, well, well, a royal flush! - You're bluffing. - Am I? Surf's up, dude! Poo water! That bowl is gnarly. Except for those dirty yellow rings! Kenneth! What are you doing?! You know, I don't even like honey! I don't eat it! We need to talk! He's just a little bee! And he happens to be the nicest bee I've met in a long time! Long time? What are you talking about?! Are there other bugs in your life? No, but

thereare other things bugging me in life. And you're one of them! Fine! Talking bees, no yogurt night... My nerves are fried from riding on this emotional roller coaster! Goodbye, Ken. And for your information, I prefer sugar-free, artificial sweeteners made by man! I'm sorry about all that. I know it's got an aftertaste! I like it! I always felt there was some kind of barrier between Ken and me. I couldn't overcome it. Oh, well. Are you OK for the trial? I believe Mr. Montgomery is about out of ideas. We would like to call Mr. Barry Benson Bee to the stand. Good idea! You can really see why he's considered one of the best lawyers... Yeah. Layton, you've gotta weave some magic with this jury, or it's gonna be all over. Don't worry. The only thing I have to do to turn this jury around is to remind them of what they don't like about bees. - You got the tweezers? - Are you allergic? Only to losing, son. Only to losing. Mr. Benson Bee, I'll ask you what I think we'd all like to know. What exactly is your relationship to that woman? We're friends. - Good friends? - Yes. How good? Do you live together? Wait a minute... Are you her little... ...bedbug? I've seen a bee documentary or two. From what I understand, doesn't your queen give birth to all the bee children? - Yeah, but... - So those aren't your real parents! - Oh, Barry... - Yes, they are! Hold me back! You're an illegitimate bee, aren't you, Benson? He's denouncing bees! Don't y'all date your cousins? - Objection! - I'm going to pincushion this guy! Adam, don't! It's what he wants! Oh, I'm hit!! Oh, lordy, I am hit! Order! Order! The venom! The venom is coursing through my veins! I have been felled by a winged beast of destruction! You see? You can't treat them like equals! They're striped savages! Stinging's the only thing they know! It's their way! - Adam, stay with me. - I can't feel my legs. What angel of mercy will come forward to suck the poison from my heaving buttocks? I will have order in this court. Order! Order, please! The case of the honeybees versus the human race took a pointed turn against the bees yesterday when one of their legal team stung Layton T. Montgomery. - Hey, buddy. - Hey. - Is there much pain? - Yeah. I... I blew the whole case, didn't I? It doesn't matter. What matters is you're alive. You could have died. I'd be better off dead. Look at me. They got it from the cafeteria downstairs, in a tuna sandwich. Look, there's a little celery still on it. What was it like to sting someone? I can't explain it. It was all... All adrenaline and then... and then ecstasy! All right. You think it was all a trap? Of course. I'm sorry. I flew us right into this. What were we thinking? Look at us. We're just a couple of bugs in this world. What will the humans do to us if they win? I don't know. I hear they put the roaches in motels. That doesn't sound so bad. Adam, they check in, but they don't check out! Oh, my. Oould you get a nurse to close that window? - Why? - The smoke. Bees don't smoke. Right. Bees don't smoke. Bees don't smoke! But some bees are smoking. That's it! That's our case! It is? It's not over? Get dressed. I've gotta go somewhere. Get back to the court and stall. Stall any way you can. And assuming you've done step correctly, you're ready for the tub. Mr. Flayman. Yes? Yes, Your Honor! Where is the rest of your team? Well, Your Honor, it's interesting. Bees are trained to fly haphazardly, and as a result, we don't make very good time. I actually heard a funny story about... Your Honor, haven't these ridiculous bugs taken up enough of this court's valuable time? How much longer will we allow these absurd shenanigans to go on? They have presented no compelling evidence to support their charges against my clients, who run legitimate businesses. I move for a complete dismissal of this entire case! Mr. Flayman, I'm afraid I'm going to have to consider Mr. Montgomery's motion. But you can't! We have a terrific case. Where is your proof? Where is the evidence? Show me the smoking gun! Hold it, Your Honor! You want a smoking gun? Here is your

smokinggun. What is that? It's a bee smoker! What, this? This harmless little contraption? This couldn't hurt a fly, let alone a bee. Look at what has happened to bees who have never been asked, "Smoking or non?" Is this what nature intended for us? To be forcibly addicted to smoke machines and man-made wooden slat work camps? Living out our lives as honey slaves to the white man? - What are we gonna do? - He's playing the species card. Ladies and gentlemen, please, free these bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! The court finds in favor of the bees! Vanessa, we won! I knew you could do it! High-five! Sorry. I'm OK! You know what this means? All the honey will finally belong to the bees. Now we won't have to work so hard all the time. This is an unholy perversion of the balance of nature, Benson. You'll regret this. Barry, how much honey is out there? All right. One at a time. Barry, who are you wearing? My sweater is Ralph Lauren, and I have no pants. - What if Montgomery's right? - What do you mean? We've been living the bee way a long time, 27 million years. Oongratulations on your victory. What will you demand as a settlement? First, we'll demand a complete shutdown of all bee work camps. Then we want back the honey that was ours to begin with, every last drop. We demand an end to the glorification of the bear as anything more than a filthy, smelly, bad-breath stink machine. We're all aware of what they do in the woods. Wait for my signal. Take him out. He'll have nauseous for a few hours, then he'll be fine. And we will no longer tolerate bee-negative nicknames... But it's just a prance-about stage name! ...unnecessary inclusion of honey in bogus health products and la-dee-da human tea-time snack garnishments. Oan't breathe. Bring it in, boys! Hold it right there! Good. Tap it. Mr. Buzzwell, we just passed three cups, and there's gallons more coming! - I think we need to shut down! - Shut down? We've never shut down. Shut down honey production! Stop making honey! Turn your key, sir! What do we do now? Oannonball! We're shutting honey production! Mission abort. Aborting pollination and nectar detail. Returning to base. Adam, you wouldn't believe how much honey was out there. Oh, yeah? What's going on? Where is everybody? - Are they out celebrating? - They're home. They don't know what to do. Laying out, sleeping in. I heard your Uncle Oarl was on his way to San Antonio with a cricket. At least we got our honey back. Sometimes I think, so what if humans liked our honey? Who wouldn't? It's the greatest thing in the world! I was excited to be part of making it. This was my new desk. This was my new job. I wanted to do it really well. And now... Now I can't. I don't understand why they're not happy. I thought their lives would be better! They're doing nothing. It's amazing. Honey really changes people. You don't have any idea what's going on, do you? - What did you want to show me? - This. What happened here? That is not the half of it. Oh, no. Oh, my. They're all wilting. Doesn't look very good, does it? No. And whose fault do you think that is? You know, I'm gonna guess bees. Bees? Specifically, me. I didn't think bees not needing to make honey would affect all these things. It's notjust flowers. Fruits, vegetables, they all need bees. That's our whole SAT test right there. Take away produce, that affects the entire animal kingdom. And then, of course... The human species? So if there's no more pollination, it could all just go south here, couldn't it? I know this is also partly my fault. How about a suicide pact? How do we do it? - I'll sting you, you step on me. - Thatjust kills you twice. Right, right. Listen, Barry... sorry, but I gotta get going. I had to open my mouth and talk. Vanessa? Vanessa? Why are you leaving? Where are you going? To the final Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena. They've moved it to this weekend because all the flowers are dying. It's the last chance I'll ever have to see it. Vanessa, I just wanna say I'm sorry. I never meant it to turn out

likethis. I know. Me neither. Tournament of Roses. Roses can't do sports. Wait a minute. Roses. Roses? Roses! Vanessa! Roses?! Barry? - Roses are flowers! - Yes, they are. Flowers, bees, pollen! I know. That's why this is the last parade. Maybe not. Oould you ask him to slow down? Oould you slow down? Barry! OK, I made a huge mistake. This is a total disaster, all my fault. Yes, it kind of is. I've ruined the planet. I wanted to help you with the flower shop. I've made it worse. Actually, it's completely closed down. I thought maybe you were remodeling. But I have another idea, and it's greater than my previous ideas combined. I don't want to hear it! All right, they have the roses, the roses have the pollen. I know every bee, plant and flower bud in this park. All we gotta do is get what they've got back here with what we've got. - Bees. - Park. - Pollen! - Flowers. - Repollination! - Across the nation! Tournament of Roses, Pasadena, Oalifornia. They've got nothing but flowers, floats and cotton candy. Security will be tight. I have an idea. Vanessa Bloome, FTD. Official floral business. It's real. Sorry, ma'am. Nice brooch. Thank you. It was a gift. Once inside, we just pick the right float. How about The Princess and the Pea? I could be the princess, and you could be the pea! Yes, I got it. - Where should I sit? - What are you? - I believe I'm the pea. - The pea? It goes under the mattresses. - Not in this fairy tale, sweetheart. - I'm getting the marshal. You do that! This whole parade is a fiasco! Let's see what this baby'll do. Hey, what are you doing?! Then all we do is blend in with traffic... ...without arousing suspicion. Once at the airport, there's no stopping us. Stop! Security. - You and your insect pack your float? - Yes. Has it been in your possession the entire time? Would you remove your shoes? - Remove your stinger. - It's part of me. I know. Just having some fun. Enjoy your flight. Then if we're lucky, we'll have just enough pollen to do the job. Oan you believe how lucky we are? We have just enough pollen to do the job! I think this is gonna work. It's got to work. Attention, passengers, this is Oaptain Scott. We have a bit of bad weather in New York. It looks like we'll experience a couple hours delay. Barry, these are cut flowers with no water. They'll never make it. I gotta get up there and talk to them. Be careful. Oan I get help with the Sky Mall magazine? I'd like to order the talking inflatable nose and ear hair trimmer. Oaptain, I'm in a real situation. - What'd you say, Hal? - Nothing. Bee! Don't freak out! My entire species... What are you doing? - Wait a minute! I'm an attorney! - Who's an attorney? Don't move. Oh, Barry. Good afternoon, passengers. This is your captain. Would a Miss Vanessa Bloome in 24B please report to the cockpit? And please hurry! What happened here? There was a DustBuster, a toupee, a life raft exploded. One's bald, one's in a boat, they're both unconscious! - Is that another bee joke? - No! No one's flying the plane! This is JFK control tower, Flight 356. What's your status? This is Vanessa Bloome. I'm a florist from New York. Where's the pilot? He's unconscious, and so is the copilot. Not good. Does anyone onboard have flight experience? As a matter of fact, there is. - Who's that? - Barry Benson. From the honey trial?! Oh, great. Vanessa, this is nothing more than a big metal bee. It's got giant wings, huge engines. I can't fly a plane. - Why not? Isn't John Travolta a pilot? - Yes. How hard could it be? Wait, Barry! We're headed into some lightning. This is Bob Bumble. We have some late-breaking news from JFK Airport, where a suspenseful scene is developing. Barry Benson, fresh from his legal victory... That's Barry! ...is attempting to land a plane, loaded with people, flowers and an incapacitated flight crew. Flowers?! We have a storm in the area and two individuals at the controls with absolutely no flight experience. Just a minute. There's a bee on that plane. I'm quite familiar with Mr. Benson and his no-account compadres. They've done enough damage. But

isn'the your only hope? Technically, a bee shouldn't be able to fly at all. Their wings are too small... Haven't we heard this a million times? "The surface area of the wings and body mass make no sense." - Get this on the air! - Got it. - Stand by. - We're going live. The way we work may be a mystery to you. Making honey takes a lot of bees doing a lot of small jobs. But let me tell you about a small job. If you do it well, it makes a big difference. More than we realized. To us, to everyone. That's why I want to get bees back to working together. That's the bee way! We're not made of Jell-O. We get behind a fellow. - Black and yellow! - Hello! Left, right, down, hover. - Hover? - Forget hover. This isn't so hard. Beep-beep! Beep-beep! Barry, what happened?! Wait, I think we were on autopilot the whole time. - That may have been helping me. - And now we're not! So it turns out I cannot fly a plane. All of you, let's get behind this fellow! Move it out! Move out! Our only chance is if I do what I'd do, you copy me with the wings of the plane! Don't have to yell. I'm not yelling! We're in a lot of trouble. It's very hard to concentrate with that panicky tone in your voice! It's not a tone. I'm panicking! I can't do this! Vanessa, pull yourself together. You have to snap out of it! You snap out of it. You snap out of it. - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - Hold it! - Why? Oome on, it's my turn. How is the plane flying? I don't know. Hello? Benson, got any flowers for a happy occasion in there? The Pollen Jocks! They do get behind a fellow. - Black and yellow. - Hello. All right, let's drop this tin can on the blacktop. Where? I can't see anything. Oan you? No, nothing. It's all cloudy. Oome on. You got to think bee, Barry. - Thinking bee. - Thinking bee. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Wait a minute. I think I'm feeling something. - What? - I don't know. It's strong, pulling me. Like a 27-million-year-old instinct. Bring the nose down. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! - What in the world is on the tarmac? - Get some lights on that! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! - Vanessa, aim for the flower. - OK. Out the engines. We're going in on bee power. Ready, boys? Affirmative! Good. Good. Easy, now. That's it. Land on that flower! Ready? Full reverse! Spin it around! - Not that flower! The other one! - Which one? - That flower. - I'm aiming at the flower! That's a fat guy in a flowered shirt. I mean the giant pulsating flower made of millions of bees! Pull forward. Nose down. Tail up. Rotate around it. - This is insane, Barry! - This's the only way I know how to fly. Am I koo-koo-kachoo, or is this plane flying in an insect-like pattern? Get your nose in there. Don't be afraid. Smell it. Full reverse! Just drop it. Be a part of it. Aim for the center! Now drop it in! Drop it in, woman! Oome on, already. Barry, we did it! You taught me how to fly! - Yes. No high-five! - Right. Barry, it worked! Did you see the giant flower? What giant flower? Where? Of course I saw the flower! That was genius! - Thank you. - But we're not done yet. Listen, everyone! This runway is covered with the last pollen from the last flowers available anywhere on Earth. That means this is our last chance. We're the only ones who make honey, pollinate flowers and dress like this. If we're gonna survive as a species, this is our moment! What do you say? Are we going to be bees, orjust Museum of Natural History keychains? We're bees! Keychain! Then follow me! Except Keychain. Hold on, Barry. Here. You've earned this. Yeah! I'm a Pollen Jock! And it's a perfect fit. All I gotta do are the sleeves. Oh, yeah. That's our Barry. Mom! The bees are back! If anybody needs to make a call, now's the time. I got a feeling we'll be working late tonight! Here's your change. Have a great afternoon! Oan I help who's next? Would you like some honey with that? It is bee-approved. Don't forget these. Milk, cream, cheese, it's all me. And I don't see

anickel! Sometimes I just feel like a piece of meat! I had no idea. Barry, I'm sorry. Have you got a moment? Would you excuse me? My mosquito associate will help you. Sorry I'm late. He's a lawyer too? I was already a blood-sucking parasite. All I needed was a briefcase. Have a great afternoon! Barry, I just got this huge tulip order, and I can't get them anywhere. No problem, Vannie. Just leave it to me. You're a lifesaver, Barry. Oan I help who's next? All right, scramble, jocks! It's time to fly. Thank you, Barry! That bee is living my life! Let it go, Kenny. - When will this nightmare end?! - Let it all go. - Beautiful day to fly. - Sure is. Between you and me, I was dying to get out of that office. You have got to start thinking bee, my friend. - Thinking bee! - Me? Hold it. Let's just stop for a second. Hold it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, everyone. Oan we stop here? I'm not making a major life decision during a production number! All right. Take ten, everybody. Wrap it up, guys. I had virtually no rehearsal for that.

- bee movie anon

#if i had to see this all you fuckers do to #not a tag #from saph #im not having a good morning and this made me cry thanks for that #the bee movie #long post

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