#rain water is not naturally safe to consume

[itsagrimm]

"and then he drank the water from the river / sink in the abandoned house / rain water ..."

listen, i know it's just fanfics. but I keep reading this in fan works and worry that some might actually think it's safe to drink water from questionable sources.

Should you ever be in an outdoor situation where you don't have your usual water access - don't drink water from whatever-seems-fine-source. It can make you really sick. Please rely on locally approved sources of water or filter / test yourself before slurping down liquid cholera.

[kaidabakugou]

PAIRING: FOREST GOD VIDAR! BAKUGOU X ELF! READER

WARNINGS: some graphic descriptions | mentions of death | cunnilingus | pubes | hint of body worship | nipple play | marking | biting | blood | blood drinking | spit | breeding kink | hint of dumbification | some hair pulling | overstimulation

WORD COUNT: 7.4K

A/N: proud to finally be able to share with you guys my submission for Touch of Divine Rush Collab by @dark-mnjiro, i love Norse Mythology and had lots of fun writing this one so i hope you enjoy my little knowledge dump plus my interpretation of what Vidar’s journey would look like after Ragnarök

i also made a GLOSSARY to help you understand some of the terms and old Nordic language used without the need of researching it yourselves, please enjoy and tysm for reading!

The air felt thick as ash rained down upon the battle grounds, the remnants of the wrath from the towering flames of the fire giant evident all around as the silent god took in his surroundings. His foot still perched atop Fenrir’s fiery jaw as he looked down at the mangled wolf, a sharp pain making itself known on his palm when adrenaline started to subside from his body. Noticing one of Fenrir’s fangs pierced into his right hand where he held the beast’s jaw open seizing it before bracing his lower foot, adorned with his magical leather shoe, against its lower jaw and tearing it apart as the prophecy intended. Successfully avenging his father, Odin, after his journey ended being devoured by the foul monster.

Bakugou could barely see a few feet around him, the sky burned black as the flames reached all the way up to the stars, consuming them as not even the cosmos could evade their fate of being swallowed by the sea. Ragnarök, the final battle, had finally progressed to its final phase. And as the world burns in flames, Bakugou couldn't help but to inhale the stinging smoke around him, feeling it stain his lungs as he closed his eyes towards the black sky.

Clearing his head from the chaos that surrounds him, beginning to feel the icy touch of Helheim against his scorching skin as he calls upon the forces of nature whom he trusted the most to guide him through this new journey.

Silence. 

A small smile adorned the god’s features as he accepted his fate, although destined to survive the destruction, he found it hard to believe in prophecies when the rumbling of the ocean’s hunger was making the ground beneath his feet tremble as it started to sink into the depths of the unknown. But the silence in his ears reassured him that he will once again rule over a regenerated earth.

Silence had been Bakugou’s strongest companion, known as the silent god for he desired nothing more than to be left alone to rule the forests who were bound by close ties to him where nothing but solitude and deep silence reigned. And his desires would soon be answered as droplets of water began to slowly quench his stained skin, the god’s deep vermilion irises fluttering open as the skies poured down on him. The flames around him began to die down as the sea rumbled again and Bakugou mentally kicked himself for doubting the Norn’s prophecy as their words echoed in his head. 

“Early begun.” 

“Further spun.” 

“One day done.” 

“With joy once more won.”

Ragnarök wasn't the complete end of the world. Out of the sea, the earth started to rise again, new and filled with all shades of green where fields of grains soon began to grow without the hand of any god, human or elf to aid it. A new sun shined down upon the fresh world, and soon a new moon would follow suit as they both traveled the same path as their ancestors and returned to their old lawful regularity to keep earth from seeing the darkness of Ragnarök ever again. 

The surviving gods met at Ithavoll, once again a safe place for the gods to regather themselves as they built a new city and joined forces to bring earth back to its original splendor. But after a while, once the tasks at hand were complete and life on earth was once again restored, Bakugou left Ithavoll to take his throne in Landvidi, the wide lands. 

Where his glorious palace eagerly waits for his return, decorated with large green boughs and only the most delicate of flowers in the midst of an impenetrable primeval forest where he could peacefully reign among the silence of the trees. Where anyone who dared disturb his silence, will receive no mercy and awaken the same mighty god that tore Fenrir’s devilish jaws with his bare hands. Soon, everyone across the realm knew better than to enter the forests uninvited, for all who entered were never to be seen again.

All except one. 

Ever since you were a child, your mother would warn you to never go near the woods just off the threshold of Alfheim, the land of the elves. Hearing stories and tales of how those who had crossed were turned into corpses and left to rot by the border as a warning or were never to be heard from again.

Tales of giant man-eating beasts that would starve themselves and wait patiently for whatever ignorant soul dared set foot into their territory. Some would even say that the surviving dragons resided deep within the monstrous shadows of the tall trees, that reached so far up into the sky that no daylight could seep through. Blood-thirsty bees and spiders that would drain their victims of their blood to the very last drop, leaving them nothing but a mess of bones and dried flesh for the forest soil to consume. 

And those who managed to avoid such terrible fate and considered themselves lucky enough to reach deep within the forest to find the triumphant god’s palace in search of hidden treasures that only the remaining son of Odin could possess, would only be left wishing they would have died at the claws of the forests beasts, for they imagine their death would've been quicker compared to the merciless torture the retired god would greet them with before watering his rare carnivorous plants with their blood and feeding them their remains to keep them hungry for more. 

But you would argue the opposite.

The forest has always been kind to you, ever since you first stepped foot inside of it, back when you were just a small elf beginning to learn the elven ways of magic and strayed a little too far off the border in search of kalonji, a white-petaled flower that only grew near the thresholds of the forest and was a necessary component for brewing medicine due to the healing properties of its seeds. 

But by the time you finished collecting the rare flowers, you had already entered the forest and had no idea on how to return home. The warnings of your mother started to echo inside your head as panic began to settle in the more you looked around and the vast forest seemed to appear the same no matter which direction you faced. Sinking to your knees as tears started to cascade down your cheeks, dropping the basket of flowers beside you as you buried your face in your hands waiting for whatever horrid fate that would end your sorrows. 

Your choked sobs and sniffles were certain to attract one of the many beasts your mother had told you about, but when you started to hear the ruffling of leaves in steady steps getting closer, you never imagined coming face to face with one of the most beautiful creatures you had ever laid eyes on.

A white stag with the most piercing red eyes stared down at you warily. Large, majestic antlers adorned the sides of his head, resembling the leafless branches of the winter trees, as he cautiously smelled around you, taking in your scent while your cries died down in your throat as you stared up in awe at the towering giant. His large hooves were the size of your head, and his long legs were taller than you as you took in their size while he circled around you before settling on your opposite side.

Taking one last whiff of you before turning his snout towards your basket, inhaling the rich aroma of the kalonji before gently stealing one. Raising his head to stand tall in all his glory as he looks around whilst he eats it. You reached over and grabbed a flower as well, bringing it up to your nose to take in its bitter notes within its subtle floral fragrance before presenting it to the stag. To which he happily accepted as he lowered his neck towards you once again, taking your offering before beginning to walk past you and into the trees, stopping momentarily to look back at you only to find you already at his side as you two made your way through the extensive forest. 

You were unsure of where the stag was leading you, but you figured that sticking by his side would be better than waiting alone for the icy souls of Hel to take you. Taking in the vibrant colors of the forest as you found it hard to believe that so much beauty could hold such terrors, but you weren't going to remain present long enough to see it for yourself.

Along the way you encountered small white wood aster and yellow trout lilies that also possessed many medicinal benefits, taking some and putting them inside your basket for later while your started to carefully weave their small branches together, although your inexperienced hands were still clumsy, you still managed to keep all the flowers secure until finally closing it into a circlet. You've been so distracted with the flower crown in your hand that you hadn't noticed the stag had led you back to the threshold of the forest, being aware of your location once he stopped a few feet away from the treeline where you could see the busy city of Alfheim just past the bushes. 

Excited that you were going to be able to return home safely, you thank the stag as he looks down at you, giving you what felt like a nod before turning his body to leave. But stopping in his tracks when you ask him to wait as he gives you a confused look, watching as you walk up to him and offer him the crown you'd been building the whole path back. Those piercing vermilion eyes softening as he stares back down into your eager ones before lowering himself to your height, presenting you the top of his head while being careful not to hurt you with his antlers as you gently place the flower crown between them.

The different shades of yellow and green contrasting from his unique white fur beautifully as you feel his cold nose poke the side of your cheek before leaving a long wet lick on it, making you giggle before waving him off as you make your way down the hill and back to the city whilst he disappears back into the deep forest.

And ever since, each time you've gone to collect more kalonji, you'd find small and rather odd gifts near the flowers. Sometimes it would be random objects like polished stones and crystals, pretty feathers of all colors and sizes, and even sharp teeth that you could only imagine belonged to a creature far larger than those of these lands.

But mostly, you'd find only the rarest of flowers placed neatly upon the grass, looking so out of scenery as they wait for your arrival against the green fields. Flowers that you couldn't even begin to name since you'd never seen any others quite like them. Some would possess the most vibrant colors your eyes had ever seen, and others would have the most fragrant aromas to carry them despite their subdued appearance. Whatever the case, you'd always look forward to the little presents that awaited you on each journey to the border, and back then you were always so curious as to who could be leaving them for you to find at such opportune times. 

But now, nearly a vicennial of winters later, you still look forward to the same little surprises, only now you are well aware of who is responsible for leaving such treasures.

Making your way past the same threshold, you walk through the dense trees you've grown so accustomed to. Ever since that eventful day, the forest has always been kind and welcoming to you. Presenting you with an abundance of the same exotic flowers you would find when you were little, showing you paths filled with the same rare and delicate crystals you'd receive on occasions, and even the few animals you've had the fortune of meeting on your different journeys have grown a liking to you. 

But your reason to return to this forest always remained the same. 

Landvidi possessed only the most beautiful of landscapes, filled with the highest trees and tallest branches in the realm, lush vegetation and fresh flowers. Past the high grasslands, in the heart of the forest known as The Hall of Landvidi, is where the silent god’s palace is located. Surrounded by an even greater portion of earth’s natural beauty that paints a picture of solitude, for no being other than the retired warrior god could reach.

And as the protector of these lands, filled with ambition and strength, he is determined to ensure it remains that way. He has seen what destruction is like, lived it himself during the great battle of the destruction of the cosmos and all that lived within them, and will stop at nothing to keep the peace. 

Bakugou is the strongest of the gods, following Thor, and after fulfilling his fate as an avenger and brave warrior, his rebirth after Ragnarök symbolizes sustainability and regrowth. Being the only god known to be tied with nature, as most gods were connected to the sea through Heimdall, the watchman of the gods, Bakugou had always felt his soul to be more at peace within the wide lands. And even though he swore to never allow any trespassers into his territory, ever since he heard your cries all those winters ago, something within him told him you'd be the exception.

As you descend down the stoned path towards the small tunnel under the large oak trees, you take in a deep breath when the soft breeze hits your skin, the tunnel is formed by the widened crowns of the trees that spread and reached the branches of the oak trees on the opposite side, creating a beautiful passage towards the hidden waterfall ahead. 

From the oak branches, bellflowers of all colors hanged down decorating the path with a mesmerizing view. You reached up and collected some of the violet-blue flowers, making sure to grab several of their leaves as well. Although their petals had a mild taste, the leaves can be quite refreshing, and you knew the one you seeked would enjoy them. 

Securing them inside your basket next to the fresh apples you'd collected from your orchard, you resumed your way down the oak passage as the sound of the waterfall filled your ears. The Querencia Waterfall is the most beautiful of all the waterfalls in Landvidi, located just at the entrance of The Hall a few miles from the palace. It's the only waterfall in the land that’s so high, when the sun is at its peak some of its rays seep through the tall crowns of the oak trees, forming rainbows that look like they're cascading down along with the stream when they capture the water.

Surrounded by ancient willow trees, the lake where it pools contains powerful waters filled with passion and love from the root of the weeping willows that are believed to provide a nourishing embrace of fertility and healing. These were the only willow trees in all of Landvidi, after Ragnarök they became quite rare to find throughout the realms, so you were astonished when the white stag brought you here on one of your visits. Welcoming you into the water to bathe while he feasted on some of the exotic flowers that floated around different areas of the lake. 

You smiled to yourself as you think back on that day, remembering how nurturing the water felt around your body for the first time as its magic began to absorb into your skin. Your heart swelling when you recall feeling something being placed atop your head, only to find the stag adorning your hair with the water hyacinths he collected, rounding them on your head by tangling them with strands of your hair to the best of his abilities until it formed a circlet as his own way of thanking you for the crown you gave him on your first encounter.

You've been coming to Querencia ever since to meet with the stag, bringing him only the freshest fruits from your orchard and collecting flowers from the forest on your journeys to make more crowns for him as a thank you for all the treasures he leaves on the threshold for you. Sometimes he'd wait for your arrival near the berry bushes just off the edge of the forest and escort you through the wide lands filled with birch trees where many wildflowers favor growing near their roots so you can collect them. Other times, you venture into the forest at first daylight and wait for him in the water.

Today was one of those days as you reach the willow trees closest to the waterfall, settling your basket down near its roots as you begin to strip your garbs, folding them by the basket before entering the water. 

Submerging yourself deeper as the warm water sinks into your skin, the soft current wraps you in a state of tranquility whilst you absorb its properties before soon enough you spot the majestic antlers of the white stag. Smiling when you meet his gaze, noticing how his doe eyes seem to light up when he meets yours before entering the water with you, gracefully making his way towards you as water splashes around him from the force of his hooves. Giggling when he presses his wet nose against yours before lowering his soft furred forehead to your damped one. Something that had become a habit when greeting each other.

“God morgon, you came rather quickly today!”, you whisper against him as you greet him in the old language.

Although the old tongue was not commonly used anymore after the great destruction, you noticed you get a reaction from the stag when using some of the old words, almost as if he understood them better than the modern tongue. 

“I brought you something!”, you eagerly tell him, causing his ears to perk up at your announcement as you lift yourself from the water and start walking back towards the willow roots where you left your basket, the stag sauntering alongside you. 

Watching as you open your basket to reveal the shiniest of apples, his tongue dragging against his snout at the sight as he leans forward to eat one when you offer it to him, knowing your orchard produced some of the juiciest and most delicious ones in the realm after you watered them with the water you'd collected from the Querencia river. Offering him the bellflower leaves next as he accepted them and eating one yourself before diving back into the water. 

Fully submerging yourself as the stag followed suit, his smooth white fur now a light gray as it clung to him, droplets of water dripping from his antlers and falling against your skin when he circled closer for you to hold on to him as you swam together.

This was your usual routine on the days you'd meet on the waterfall, bathing together and feeding each other different fruit and flowers you'd bring to one another until the sun would start to disappear behind the mountains, indicating it was time to return home before nightfall. Currently seated on his back while he paraded you around the lake while eating some of the fruits on the bushes near the waterfall, sighing as you wished the stag could communicate with you further, even though you already communicated in your own unique way, exchanging gazes and gifts, and sharing intimate moments such as these that many would thought impossible to be as close to a rare white stag as you are with this one, you still wished he could speak sometimes and be able to tell you stories from the forest he knew so well.

“I wished you could speak to me”, you express as you rest your head against his neck, feeling the patches of hair beginning to fluff up from the breeze hitting his back where you laid. Ceasing his chewing at the sound of your voice as his ears flick at your words, turning his head to the side to look at you before softly snorting while rattling his antlers to signal you to alight and join him in the water again, to which you comply as you sink back in and circle him until you're facing him again. 

Smiling when he presses his cold wet nose against your stomach, snuffling up the center of your chest while leaving gentle licks on your skin before reaching your neck to nuzzle his jaw there as your hands pet along his broad shoulders and trailing them up his slender neck. He gives your side another lick before stepping back a few steps further from you as you stare back at him confused. Unsure of his behavior since he has never done this before when bathing together. 

But just as you begin to approach him again, you stop when the water around him changes its movements, once a steady stream now rapidly swirling with such force you could feel it pull you in closer. Trying your best to steady yourself in the water to swim away but as quickly as it came it dissipated, the water returned to its peaceful flow as if nothing had changed. Except now the white stag was no longer there, and in his place stood a man you'd never seen before.

A tall blonde with a strong physique of that of a warrior, adorned with battle scars and tattoos of old nordic runes on his chest traveling all the way down his abdomen and disappearing below his waist submerged in the water that you couldn't quite make out from your position. Rows of different stone necklaces, identical to the ones you gifted the stag a few winters back embellished his neck and a circlet of flowers sat atop his ash locks, the same crown of flowers you had placed on the stag not so long ago when you were riding him. 

You stood there frozen in place, still confused as to what had happened to the stag that was just standing before your eyes mere moments ago. Snapping out of your daze when the man started to come closer to you, water rippling around him with each step, similar to when the stag enters the water and it splashes from the might of his hooves. The man stopped in front of you as you peered up at him, the sun seeping through the trees hitting his chiseled face to reveal his piercing vermilion eyes.

The same pools of red that you'd recognize anywhere, the eyes staring back at you were the ones of the stag, eyes you'd look forward to seeing everyday when you woke up, a deep crimson you'd come to find in all things that reminded you of the stag, in the ripe apples of your orchard that he loved so much, in the rare red lilies that only bloomed during the early times of spring in the valley near the waterfall, in the polished pyropes stones he’d bring you every late winter and now in the body of a man whose presence felt familiar the more you took in the energy around him. 

He smiled when he noticed everything beginning to make sense to you when your widened eyes began to soften. 

“Elskan mín”, his voice low but eager as he wraps his arms around your waist and hoists you up to spin you around in the air, causing you to secure your arms around his neck while laughing before holding you close to him. Wet skin pressed against each other while strong arms keep you close as your legs instinctively wrap around his center.

Lowering your face towards him to nudge your nose against his before pressing your foreheads together, just like you would with the stag only now his nose is warm and the dampness of his forehead matches yours. 

“How come you hadn’t done this earlier?”, your eyes searching his as you notice him peering at your lips while you speak before meeting your curious gaze again. 

“Didn’t want to scare you away”, he answers simply whilst pressing kisses along your jaw sporadically. 

“Why now then?”, you push while allowing your digits to travel up and down his nape, tangling with his hair. 

“It just felt right”, he whispers while fondling one of your braids with the charms of your mother, she had removed them from her locks and secured them in yours before passing so you could have a piece of her with you when she could no longer be present in body but carry on in soul and spirit.

His hand traveled down to your shoulder where old nordic runes adorned your skin as well, only yours possessed sacred sigils of the old elven folklore, while his runes were of a time before Ragnarök. Which made you wonder if this was the retired god of vengeance everyone was so wary of, he evidently possessed the powers of one and if anyone was to allow the welcoming treatment the forest has presented you with all these years, it was him. 

You reach for the hand still tracing the runes on your skin to cradle it in yours as you turn it so his palm could be facing you, whilst he watched as you inspected his hand. Smiling again when you pulled your bottom lip between your teeth, almost able to see the ripples of electricity in your head as you put all the details together, a habit of yours that he loved to observe throughout the years since meeting each other.

To Bakugou, out of all the creatures that had stepped foot inside his forest seeking his aid, you were the most beautiful he had ever seen, no flower from his garden could compare to you, and since the day he met you he swore that one day you would become his goddess, and he has remained by your side since, waiting for this exact moment that he'd be able to finally show himself to you and solidify your love. 

He watched as you traced the scar on his palm, a reminder of the path he once walked guided by the burdens of fate. Your eyes meet his again when you finally put all the clues together, noticing how he looked at you like you were the only thing that mattered, and to him you were, for you had become his purpose after no longer having interest in matters of war and retiring to spend eternity within the silence of the wide lands. 

“You're him… the silent one”, only receiving a nod in return as more answers arise in your head, but settling on the one that dominated your thoughts the most.

“Why me?” 

“It's always been you, elskan mín… and now we are able to seal our love for one another.” 

All your questions are melted away when he pulls you towards him and captures your lips in a kiss so fervent that causes your insides to stir with emotion. Only pulling away when the need for air becomes inescapable as you pant against each other's lips. 

“I’ve waited so long to do that”, he exhales while making his way towards the shore with you still secured in his arms. 

The fresh spring breeze hitting your skin when you leave the comfort of the water makes you shiver, a small hint of winter still present in the air as the forest was still transitioning from the stabbing cold into the warm energetic glow that this season brought along with it.

Your nipples pebbling at the loss of heat from the god’s body when he sets you down on the soft clearing of moss and wildflowers under the tallest willow tree. Something that doesn't go unnoticed by him as he peers down at you, now able to openly devour you with his eyes whilst you lay under him, strong tatted arms caging you between them as he lowers himself to capture your lips once again.

All the tales of the remaining son of the once All-Father were of his brash and merciless demeanour, ones that were bound to inflict fear upon anyone that heard them, but all those stories drifted into distant whispers of the wind the more you got lost in him. His touch was firm yet delicate, something that would seem impossible for his physique with such imposing structure, but it was possible. His touch was filled with love and spoke the words his voice failed to express. And only now that his lips trailed open-mouthed kisses along your skin, is that it becomes evident to you the extent of said love as you look back on all the years you've spent together. 

Courting the other in the shape of flowers, stones and apples, in a dance of mighty passion that led to this exact moment as he settled himself between your legs, positioning your thighs above his broad shoulders whilst his fingers traced informal shapes on them. His eyes fixated on the tuft of hair above your cunt as he sinks down to bury his nose in it, inhaling your scent as you watch his eyes darken from finally being able to delve in the thing he craved the most after so long.

Maroon eyes meeting yours while his lips follow the trail of hair down towards your sensitive lips, the feel of his hot breath alone making you clench around nothing as you watch him hover above your cunt, puckering his lips so a long strip of spit falls from them and lands on your clit. Watching as it slides through your folds before pressing his tongue flat on your entrance and licking all the way up to your clit, repeating the action as he falls into rhythm. Feeling yourself get increasingly wetter with each swipe of his tongue while your chest starts to rise and fall unevenly. 

Getting lost in the pleasure as your hips begin to buck when his tongue focuses on your clit, circling it before rapidly flicking against it causing something to ripple inside of you. He wraps his lips around the sensitive bud while his eyes look up in awe at the way you arch into him, your cries unleashing the might in him that had been forgotten for centuries as he sucks on your clit with more vehemence, needing to hear you sing for him louder. 

Increasing his movements as he begins to suck on your folds, the feeling of his lips messily fondling with yours sends chills across your skin as you slowly rock your hips along with him. Your hands reach for his where they rest on your hip bones as he easily opens them for you to tangle your fingers with his whilst he continues to increasingly devour your cunt. The wet smacking sounds of his lips clashing with the ones of the waterfall as you feel yourself get closer and closer to your release.

The sweet taste of your fluids on his tongue drove Bakugou into a frenzy, lapping and eating your cunt while whined grunts resonated from deep in his chest, the vibrations pushing you over the edge. Arching deeper into his touch as wanton moans escape your lips, white spots clouding your vision when he buries his face further into your cunt, nose rubbing on your clit while he drinks every last drop of your release, not stopping until he gets his fill. 

Parting from your cunt once your whines die down into heavy breaths, face stained with your fluids that he pays no mind to as he dives back in to place a tender kiss against your clit before trailing up to the tuft of hair, savoring your scent as he buries his nose in them again and runs his lips against them. Pulling your hairs between them, the slight tug making you peer down at him as you meet his eyes, filled with love and adoration mixed with something else, something more sinister and hungrier that hasn't been sated completely.

Watching as he presses a kiss to your hairs as well before continuing to trail them up your abdomen, never breaking eye contact as he reaches the valley of your breast. His hands untangle from yours as they glide against your sides to cup your boobs, shaking them in his grasp before capturing one of your pert nipples in his mouth. Swirling his tongue around it while he sucks them harder and slowly pulls back until it flicks out of his mouth with a wet slurp, to then switch and give the other nipple the same treatment. Alternating between both breasts as your whines encouraged him on, not stopping his ministrations until your chest was swollen and overstimulated, almost making you reach your climax once again but pulling away to edge you on as he continued to lay kisses against your chest before moving towards your neck. 

Shifting from tender to ravenous when he starts to mark your skin with his teeth, nipping across your throat until settling where your neck meets your shoulder. Feeling his tongue drag against your skin followed by a sloppy kiss before his teeth scrape your delicate skin, your cunt clenching in anticipation as you wait for him to finally give in to his desires. 

Bakugou could hear his heart beat loudly inside his ears as he began to sink his teeth in you, pressing down until the skin gave away against his force, the rush of blood drowning his taste buds making the loud beating cease into silence as his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

The mighty god had left the path of war behind a long time ago, but one's nature can’t be so easily avoided as the craving for disaster and vengeance haunted him at times from a period where the blood of his enemies would quench his skin, finding its way to his lips, reminding him what victory tastes like.

So as the savory metallic taste pours down his throat, he can't contain the groan that escapes him as a chill runs down his spine making him grind against you whilst your sweet cries pull him from his silence. Withdrawing from your skin to lap up the remaining rush of blood before cradling your face in his hand, holding your jaw firmly as he presses his lips to yours. Kissing you with such might you feel he could almost devour you through the kiss as the taste of your own blood mixing with each other's spit sends you both in a trance as you continue savoring it.

Bucking your hips to grind against his cock as his hips follow suit, beads of precum mixing with your arousal as he rubs his length between your folds whilst his tongue tangles with yours. Too engrossed in the kiss to pull away, you sneak your hand between your bodies and guide his cock to align with you as he slowly begins to sink into your cunt. The stretch of his cock sends a hot wave of pleasure down your back as your cunt sucks him in further, inch by inch as your fingers curl around ash blonde strands. 

Your breaths become labored as you part from each other, lips swollen and red as he fully sinks into your warmth. The grip from your silken walls forces him to brace himself as he places his arms next to your head to keep himself from collapsing when he feels his thighs twitch. Pressing his forehead to yours when his hips start to rock into you, slow and steady at first before gradually increasing his thrusts into a brutal pace that drives both of you into a babbling mess. 

Your wetness gushing messily, soaking the untamed strands of ash hair on his pelvis as they bounce against your own, before dribbling onto your skin causing it to spread in sticky strands every time his hips part from yours to snap against them again. Strangled moans mixing with the sloppy sounds of your bodies as the sensations become overwhelmingly good.

Tears threatening to spill from your eyes as you look up at him, trying your best to answer him when he asks you to tell him how good it feels between the curses in old tongue and heavy grunts that escape him. Responding to what feels like incoherent babbles as your mind melts away the more he pounds into your sloppy pussy. 

Bakugou could feel his balls twitch as he neared his release, but he needed you to come undone with him and make an even greater mess on his cock for him. Shifting his weight on one arm while the other gives your breast a quick tug before reaching between your bodies as he starts drawing quick circles against your clit with his thumb. Sending an electric shock of pleasure through your body as your breath gets stuck in your throat before you start coming apart. 

Squeezing around him hard as a flow of arousal gushes between your bodies as it stains both of you and leaks down into the soil beneath you. Your walls clenching around him mixed with the obscene sounds coming from your pussy sending him over the edge as well as he buries his cock to the hilt, filling you up as the hand on the side of your head tangles with your hair when yours tug harder at the one on his nape.

The tears finally spilling from your eyes as hot - impossibly hot - globs of creamy cum spill against your sultry cunt, searing your insides as you find yourself never wanting this moment to end, wishing to always be plugged full of the vengeful gods mighty cum. Feeling the final pulses of his cock inside you as his head falls down against your shoulder, smiling to yourself between heavy breaths at the wet feel of his ecstasy filled tears smearing against your skin but choosing not to say anything as he fully allows his weight on top of your whilst your arms wrap around him. 

Giggling at the soft lips pressing feather-light kisses on the side of your neck as they slowly trail up towards your lips, capturing them in a gentle kiss while his fingers caress your scalp where he previously had a grip on your hair.  

A cold breeze pulls you both from your trance as the rustling of the willow tree above you fills your ears, once again reminding of the remnants from the harsh winter as goosebumps erupt from your skin. You notice how the waterfall no longer has a rainbow flowing through it, indicating that the sun has already begun to set, and you need to return home quickly.

You've never stayed in the forest long enough to see nightfall, and the stag would always make sure to escort you back to the treeline safely before sunset, but today time had slipped from your hands and you began to worry. Bakugou is quick to notice your concern as he wraps his arms around your center to hold you close, burying his head in the crook of your neck again and taking a deep breath as he inhales your warm scent. 

“I have to leave”, you remind him but still reciprocate his actions by wrapping your arms around him again as you also hated the idea of having to depart from this moment. 

“Stay”, he whispers against your skin followed by a swipe of his tongue against the dried blood around the punctures on your neck. 

“There is nowhere for us to st-”, you began to dissent, but the forest god silenced you by quickly pulling you into a kiss once more. Grin on his features that you couldn't help but smile in return despite your disapproving eyes.

“I want to show you something”, he guides your legs to wrap around his waist before rising from the ground with you secured in his arms as he carries you through a path of the forest you hadn't explored before. The sun was already halfway past the mountains, making it hard to see, but just as you were about to express your concerns to him, a light in the corner of your eye caught your attention. A small blinking light followed by another until an entire cloud of dancing lights was illuminating your path.

After Ragnarök, it was rare to catch a glimpse of certain insects, fireflies being one of them, so seeing so many in one place had your jaw slack as you watched how they gracefully danced under the upcoming moonlight whilst they guided you through the forest. 

Bakugou kept walking through the field of thinning willow trees that started to morph into magnificent maple trees that even with only the dim light of the fireflies, you could vividly see their vibrant colors. These acer trees had also become a rarity after the great destruction, and the analgesic in their bark was of high command to aid as a remedy for some illnesses, which made you wonder why he hadn't shown you this part of the forest before. The stag had always granted you access to all the rare medicinal flora found in these lands so you found it odd that he kept this area hidden from you. 

Your confusion only grew more as you made your way deeper into the darker trails of the maples, where the path seemed to end by a sealed corridor blocked off with an impenetrable wall of large roots and maple leaves.

“Blómi”, you hear Bakugou whisper as the sound of creaking wood follows, watching as the roots begin to untangle from each other and the leaves falls to the ground revealing a path of lit stones descending into a large garden with a great abundance of flowers, leading towards a large structure. 

Your jaw fell slack again, as you wouldn't have imagined  that this is where the silent god kept his palace, nor that such a vibrant area filled with such sublime greatness of nature could be hidden amid the sacred gloom of the maples. Bakugou couldn't help but smile as he carried you through his garden whilst you stared in complete enchantment, filled with joy that he could finally share his greatest treasures with you. 

The inside of the palace was equally as marvelous as the outside and had a beautiful golden fountain at the very center with small creeks that led to other corridors of the palace, ones you couldn't wait to explore once daylight came again. As for now, the mighty god was still carrying you towards what you could only imagine were his chambers as he ascended the grand staircase near the main entryway. Revealing an archway adorned with flowy white curtains that led inside his bedchamber where he set you down on the spacious bed at the center of the room. The bedding was soft and cozy as you sink deeper into the comfort of them, noticing how the moon sat perfectly above the palace where you had a clear view through the sunroof above the bed.

“Hí, elska”, you heard Bakugou whisper next to you, offering you a coconut shell filled with water. 

“Takk!”, you smile while grabbing the shell and drinking from it, finishing its contents before settling back down on the bed as a yawn escapes you, sleep finally catching up to you after such a fulfilling day. Settling against his chest whilst Bakugou worked his fingers through some of the tangles bathing earlier might have caused.

“God natt, ásynja mín”, he boasts, a grin spreading at your widened eyes looking up at him. 

“Ásynja?”, you ask, unsure if you heard him correctly to which he only nods in return as you match his smile. 

“Yes, ásynja mín, for everything I own is now yours as well”, he adds while nodding towards the room, confirming that he meant the palace and everything within his forest was now yours to rule alongside him for eternity. 

And you couldn't be happier as you drift off to sleep against the god’s chest, neither could him as he placed a gentle kiss against your forehead before peering up at the moon. Asking his father if he was watching as he finally found the one with whom his soul delights in after many years of hard battles, he has completed the prophecy he set for himself all those winters ago when he met you, now with a content smile as he buried his nose in your head, excited for what the future awaits as the rulers of Landvidi.

[milliesfishes]

please please please Millie can we have someting where Billy is watching reader being so good with children (and people in general, like, she's so sweet) and he's like "that's it. i'm leaving everything behind and making that woman my WIFE and the MOTHER OF MY CHILDREN" pls he'd be so enamoured with herrr ♥

ps: it's okay if you don't want to do it ♥ i love everything you do!

this is so cute plzz thank you anon <3 ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝓫𝓲𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓲𝓼 𝓮𝓷𝓪𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝔂𝓸𝓾⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 𝓯𝓮𝓶 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝔁 𝓫𝓲𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓴𝓲𝓭

Your presence was sunshine and rain, creating a wonder of nature's rarity. Everything about you shone so brightly that Billy wondered how the angels hadn't swept down long ago to claim you back as one of their own. Like ivy, you crawled over the walls of the hearts of everyone, enchanting them and planting your flower in the thorniest of gardens.

He was privileged beyond the wiles of men to be allowed to fall in love with you so completely. You consumed him, crept into every waking thought and every resting dream. Billy fancied himself a changeling around you, willing to morph into whatever you needed. Fortunately for him, you only wanted to be one thing: himself.

Proving he was the luckiest soul in existence, you sook his arms often, sheathing yourself in them. Gentle kisses and mountains of cuddles often ensued, as he requested you tell him about your day.

Wrinkling your nose adorably, you always said, "I haven't done anything terribly interesting today."

"Tell me anyways," he smiled, taking you by the waist and setting you atop his hips. You giggled, hands bracing on his knees behind you as you leaned back. His big hands found a place in the crease between your thigh and calf, thumbs rubbing your knees.

Of course you would give in, face lighting up in the way he always hoped it would. Truthfully, it wasn't the content of your day he was eager to hear, but the way you told it. You could breathe life into the most mundane of topics, his beautiful girl.

You were the silver lining to the storm cloud of his roughened life, worth beyond your weight in gold. The kind of face men went to war for and wrote poetry of love in wax sealed letters back to. And you were somehow his.

The ring looped on a ribbon and wrapped in a handkerchief stowed away in a place of safety had been yours from the first moment your lips touched his. It had been his beloved mother's, a token of her undying love that she'd passed on to him, telling him to keep it safe for a girl who kept his heart safe. You fit this description and exceeded it.

Though the life of an outlaw was hardly appropriate for such a beauty from the inside out, he found that he could hardly unglue himself from you. Forget water and air- he needed you. You were love in physical form, a skyful of stars bound beneath the skin of a woman. The earth in bloom, all that was good in this world. You were entrancing in every possible way, tied with a ribbon and edged in lace like an embroidered gift tailored to him.

Your utter sweetness never failed to swath him in joy. As of now, he had been packing his recent purchases in his saddlebags when you caught his eye as you always did, acting as his north star.

Surrounded by people as always, you were chattering excitedly, making big gestures with your hands. The eyes of those listening were alight with wonder, and he couldn't help but smile at the sight. Your very existence was captivating.

Then a little girl approached you, tugging on your skirt. You got to your knees so you were at her level, ignoring the dust that settled on your skirt. Shyly, the girl held out a handful of wild daisies to you.

Gasping, a hand flew to your heart as you accepted the gift, and you said something to her with a darling smile brightening your face. Plucking a daisy from your bunch, you tucked it behind the little girl's ear, much to her delight. She giggled and retreated back into the crowd.

Mesmerized, Billy leaned against his horse in a daze. Your pure natural sweet nature and love for the world and everything in it was inspiring. You were a rare patch of sunlight in life's darkness indeed, one that he'd been most fortunate to stumble upon.

Heralded by your divine presence, Billy's sense of time slowed. His surroundings blurred as his vision centered on you as the light at the end of the tunnel. He knew. He knew you were everything good in this life, that the very stars spelled your name in the heavens. He knew that after the tumultuous years on the run, you were the very best life would gift him. You were the very best anyone could be gifted.

He saw a vision right then of you, belly swelling with his child, hand adorned with his mother's ring and standing on the porch of a house he built for you. His wife. The mother of his child. Oh, the words tasted sweeter in his mouth the more he tried them out.

The crowd dispersed, and when Billy looked up, you were alone, twirling your gift of flowers between your fingers. The roseate picture you struck was like lightning in his heart. The organ had roamed near and far in search of a place to settle and call home, edging the Fate's will of survival. You were the answer.

His heartbeat pulsed as his feet moved, emotion guiding his movements. Nearly stumbling, his hands found your waist, arms engulfing you as he lifted you off your feet and brought his lips to yours.

"Mmph!" Your surprised noise was cut off by him again, mouth hungry and fervent for you. All of you. Your arms twined around his neck, and you smiled into the kiss. The brim of his hat bumped your head and he tilted his head back briefly, letting it fall behind him before he returned to you, pressing kiss after kiss to your delighted, awaiting mouth. Maybe it was a bit much for a public setting, but he hardly cared.

He lavished tiny pecks on your puckered lips, bringing you down from the high of it. When Billy pulled back, he didn't put you down, instead gazing into your eyes and watching you in the afterglow of the kiss.

You nudged your nose against his, one of your feet popping up as he held fast to you, slightly swaying back and forth. "What's this all about?"

"Can't I kiss the woman I love for no reason?" Billy grinned, securing one arm under your bottom to hold you better. The other remained at your waist.

A content smile overtook you, and your fingers tangled lightly in the curls at the nape of his neck. "My love...I would believe you if you hadn't swooped across the square with that look in your eyes."

"Hmm," he hummed, nuzzling his nose to your neck and burying a kiss there. "I should tell you what I'm thinkin' shouldn't I?"

"I'd like that," you lifted your chin merrily, leaning your forehead against his briefly. Your touch was his nectar of his life, and if it pleased you, he would drink long past overindulgence.

"Well," he began, the hand at your waist rising to cup your cheek, shifting the one at your bottom to support you. "I think I'm gonna marry you."

"Really?" you giggled, kissing his nose. "You want to marry me?"

"Wanna marry you 'n have a baby." He pressed a smattering of kisses across your cheeks. "And spend the whole rest of my damn life with you cause you're my girl and I ain't ever lettin' you go."

"Oh!" Your lips found his again, and he eyed you tenderly afterwards. Unable to quell your joyful smile, you asked with a starlike twinkle in both eyes, "You really want that with me?"

"More 'n anythin' darlin'," he promised, lips finding your forehead. "Sweetest girl...I love you so much."

Billy set you back on your feet, straightening your dress and pulling a flower from the bunch you still held in your hand and tucking it behind your ear just as you'd done with the little girl. "You'll make our little ones daisy chains, won'tcha?"

Nodding eagerly, your eyes seemed unable to leave his. Billy took your free hand in his and knelt to pick up his hat and hit it against his side to knock the dust off. Once it was satisfactory, he dropped it on your head, pulling it playfully over your eyes for a moment before knocking the brim back up.

"I've got somethin' to give ya when we get home," he promised, kissing your temple and thinking of the ring hidden beneath the floorboards. "Somethin' special."

"Can't wait." You kissed his cheek and he guided you over to the horse hand in hand.

He'd never been more excited to get down on one knee before.

[revrover]

The Stranger - Pt. 3

Part One  |  Part Two

Pairing: Namor x Reader

Word Count: 5.5k

Warnings: Language, Violence, Depictions of drowning, Fluff

Summary: Delivered to safety following the battle on the beach, you are left reeling as you grapple with nightmares and questions about an uncertain future. But as you come to know more about the Talokanil people and grow closer to their king, Namor is faced with a question of his own -- what does he do with this stranger from the surface?

A/N: It’s heeeeeere!! As always, thank you so much for your patience, for being here, and for reading! And a BIG thank you just for taking the time to engage with and be a part of this story. You all have been so encouraging to me as new writer, and I love being able to create something around characters that so many hold so dear. Comments and reblogs make my heart happy, so please show some love, share the joy, and be kind!

***I do not give permission to copy, plagiarize, or repost my work as your own in any form!

Bullets fly as bodies hit the ground in front of you. There on the open beach, spears soar high above your head. Your gaze is drawn to the heavens as a chopper falls from the night sky. It crashes onto the shore below, an intense heat flashing against you as you shield your face from the explosion.

Suddenly, the sounds of dying men and burning metal fade as you lower your hand. You look down to find yourself waist-deep in a raging sea, the battle on the sand becoming a distant memory as waves beat harshly against you, unrelenting and unforgiving. A deafening melody accompanies each swell of the tide. It consumes your mind with pain and serenity as you are pulled further out into the ocean’s depths, following its call. The chorus grows louder as the water rises to your chest, building with intensity. Then, suddenly, all is quiet.

And there he is.

Hovering just above the water’s surface, his winged ankles carry him effortlessly. His reflection glistens perfectly against the water, now calm and smooth as glass. Illuminated by the full moon behind him, his body is covered in beautiful armor made of gold, jade, and other metals. A finely crafted serpent headpiece with bright feathers crowns his head, resting just above his brow.

Namor.

Wordlessly, Namor stretches out his hand, beckoning you to come to him. You reach out as if your very being is at his command. But, before you can grasp hold of him, the chorus of voices returns with a vengeance. A violent tide drags you under, swallowing you beneath the waves. Further and further down you are pulled as darkness surrounds you. Looking up toward the fading light, Namor’s silhouette above the surface dissolves from view. Your lungs burn as you begin to drown.

You jolt awake, your body shooting up in a cold sweat.

Chest heaving, your mind desperately claws its way back to reality. You quickly scan your surroundings, clinging to any detail that will anchor your consciousness and keep you from slipping back into that nightmare.

Gripping the stone surface beneath you, you take in every porous curve your fingertips graze over. Looking upward at the high rocky ceiling, you study the patterns of limestone stalactites that hang like icicles. Droplets of water run down a few of them, their melodious drips echoing in small pools below, falling like a gentle, rhythmic rain.

This is the place Namor had spoken of the last time you saw him. The one where he promised you would be safe. And for good reason — here in this cavern, you were well below the ocean’s surface and out of range of any agents who might come searching for you.

By your best guess, you figure you have been down here about two days. It’s hard to be sure without the reference to natural light. The cavern itself is beautiful, though. Illuminated by pockets of glow worms that drape down from the ceiling, their soft luminescence casts gorgeous green and blue hues across each surface their light touches.

As your heart rate begins to even out, you continue to survey the cave. You look over at your belongings, bag laying on the ground, clothes hanging on a line to dry. Your heart drops a bit when you see your little leather-bound book, its pages separated and spread out across the rocks. Ink bleeding. Pages ruined. You had made your best attempt to salvage what you could. Perhaps if you had asked Namora how the two of you would be traveling to this safe haven, you wouldn’t have brought a damn book with you.

The dissonance of the Talokan melody still rings in the back of your mind. You cradle your head between your knees, rubbing your temples with your thumbs when you hear light footsteps approach.

Looking up, you find a familiar face entering the cavern. No longer geared up for battle, Namora dawns a lovely dress that gathers over one shoulder and flows down to the floor. It moves like waves with each step she takes toward you. Instead of a spear in her hand, she now carries a small tray with a medley of food.

“Eat," Namora says, placing the tray on a small end table beside you. She then moves gracefully over to your draped belongings, removing them one by one from the line and folding them into a neat pile.

“Can I ask you a question?” You inquire as you begin to nibble on a piece of food.

Namora shoots a skeptical look over her shoulder but says nothing, so you ask anyway.

“Have you always been a warrior?”

Unresponsive, she keeps her attention on one of your shirts which she has just pulled from the line, tucking it into itself and placing it with the others.

“It's just, I mean the way you fought those agents on the beach, you are — you are very good at, you know—” you should have given more thought to what you were going to say before opening your mouth because as you reach the end of your sentence all that comes out is, “—killing people."

Nice.

You cringe at your comment. It hangs in the air, practically mocking you.

“I’m just saying," you add, trying to recover, "you obviously know what you’re doing. It was impressive. Me on the other hand…” Your voice trails as you raise your bandaged hand, recalling how your first instinct in a fight was to block a fucking knife with your open palm. Next to Namora, your combat skills pale by comparison.

Halting her task, Namora finally turns to face you in one calculated motion. She stares for a moment then her eyes quickly dart toward the side entrance of the cavern where she had come through only minutes ago. The entryway is empty. When her eyes settle back on you, there is resolve in them.

“Up.” She says, walking toward you with purpose.

“What?” You reply in a tone that matches the confused look on your face.

“Up.”

You do as you are told, hastily pushing yourself to your feet. Namora steps in close and then taps your elbows.

“Up.” She orders a third time, only now she seems to be referring specifically to your arms. You follow her instruction, raising them awkwardly out in front of your body. You can almost hear the sigh of hopelessness when Namora, her brow furrowed, grabs your arms and positions each one in a fighting stance. Slipping a hand up to your left wrist, she grips it firmly while tapping your exposed forearm with the palm of her other hand.

“Shield.” She says with emphasis. Her eyebrows raise, looking for any indication that you comprehend what she is trying to explain. When you nod, Namora moves her hand from your wrist up to your fingers, balling them into a fist and tucking your thumb on the outside.

“Weapon.”

Namora then steps back from you, putting her own arms up to mirror your stance.

“Shield, weapon,” she repeats, patting her forearm and waving her closed fist.

“Shield, weapon,” you echo back to her, nodding your head again as you begin to understand more fully.

Just as she begins to step back toward you, a deep voice calls from behind.

“Namora.”

You both look up to see the large man who wears the hammerhead skull standing in the entry of the cavern. Attuma is his name, as you have come to learn. Namora straightens her posture as she turns to face him, her hands behind her back as she squares her shoulders in a commanding stance.

Attuma saunters a few more feet into the cavern, then speaks to her in their native tongue, a language still unfamiliar to you. The two of them converse back and forth for a few moments. You may not know what they are saying, but you can tell they disagree about something — whether with each other or someone else, you are not sure.

Namora swiftly turns back to you, her face serious again and her brows pinched together.

Fighting lessons must be over.

“Come,” she says.

Without any further instruction, she pivots back toward Attuma, who also turns to leave. You quickly grab your belongings which Namora had folded for you, stuffing them into your bag. You sling it around your shoulder as you exit the cavern.

Following the two generals into a tunneled hallway, you find yourself moving through a network of caves, each tunnel connecting to a series of other openings and pools. Soon, Attuma splits off into one of these open caverns, nodding to Namora as he does so. Your eyes trail him as he joins with more Talokan warriors, and just as you stare at them, they stare at you.

You continue walking behind Namora past them, their whispers reverberating through the tunnels.

“When was the last time someone… not Talokanil came here?” You ask. In typical Namora fashion, she remains silent and unresponsive to your question.

“Sorry,” you say apologetically, “back there it just seemed like they hadn’t seen someone new in a while.”

The two of you walk, furthering yourself from the turnoff where Attuma parted ways. Cautiously, you step around the uneven surfaces of the rocky ground. You can feel yourself being led deeper into the maze of caverns. If Namora decided to up and ditch you right now, you are certain you would be lost in this labyrinth forever.

“You are the first,” Namora says rather abruptly, catching you off guard. Not only does her response come well after your question was asked, but it is also the most she has ever said to you at one given time.

“The first?” You ask, perplexed. “What do you mean?”

“To come here,” Namora answers. “The first surface dweller to receive Talokan’s aid. The first the king has ever…” she pauses a moment, searching for the right word, “tolerated.”

The influx of her voice is not lost on you.

“And you don’t approve?”

“It is not my place to approve, " Namora clarifies as she leads you around a bend and past several open pools of water. "I am… concerned. When it comes to you, I fear he is blind.”

Silence befalls you both again as you enter another cavern, this one much larger and more spacious than any others you have seen. Within it are several large pools, glistening with light reflected from more glow worms above. Their tendrils hang from the high vaulted ceiling like sparkling chandeliers.

In the center of it all stands a large hut enclosed by beautifully woven fabrics. You follow Namora shoulder to shoulder up the stone-carved steps to it until you nearly reach the side.

“We’re here,” Namora says, coming to a dead stop. She then takes a step back from you.

Still unsure of where “here” is exactly, you glance over your shoulder, looking to her for further instruction or explanation. But Namora gives you nothing. The moment you begin to take a step backward as well, her hand shoots out, holding the back of your shoulder in position with a firm grip.

Ah. Don't move. Got it.

Subconsciously you begin to hold your breath, bracing yourself for the unknown.

Then, there he is.

From around the corner of the hut comes Namor. Immediately you are taken aback by his appearance. Up to this point, you have only seen him suited for battle. Now he stands before you dawning a beautifully woven cape plated with gold and draped across his broad shoulders. His hair is slicked back and his arms are adorned with various metal cuffs. Truly a wardrobe fit for a king.

A single nod of his head and Namora is dismissed. You hear her small footsteps fade as she leaves the two of you alone.

“How is your hand?”

Namor’s question snaps you out of your daze.

“Oh,” you raise your hand, glancing at the worn bandage. "It’s fine, thank you.”

Staring at the gauze, you can almost hear the lullaby Namor hummed as he gently tended to your wounded palm the night of the battle. Something flutters inside you as you touch the corner of the fabric. Realizing your mind has drifted again, you bring yourself back to reality by following up with your own question.

"Are we in..." you stop to rephrase, shifting your weight from side to side as you look around the cavern, “Is this… Talokan?"

If it is, it's very different from what you pictured.

Your question brings a smile to Namor’s face.

"No," he answers with a breathy chuckle, shaking his head. "Talokan is far beyond this place. I assure you, your body would not survive the journey to its depths. But these caverns are safe, I promise you.”

Namor then shifts the topic of conversation.

“I am told some of your belongings were ruined on your traveling here, including your book. I apologize. I had hoped to make up for it.”

With one arm, Namor ushers you around the corner to the entrance of his quarters, inviting you inside.

Intrigued and eager to see what awaits, you accept his invitation. As you enter, you find yourself in a study of sorts. Lit by several lanterns, the room is warm and bright. Within it sits a small table, a prominent desk full of scrolls and artifacts, and a cozy hammock hung in the corner. But what catches your eye most of all are the walls.

All around you hang gorgeous tapestry walls with breathtaking murals that stretch from floor to ceiling.

“Did you do all of these?” You ask in disbelief as you move to one at the far end of the room. Your eyes widen as you gaze in admiration at the beautiful artistry.

“Yes,” Namor answers humbly, following behind you. “I think you will find a more accurate depiction of my history here.”

“I don’t know,” you say with playful skepticism in your voice as you inspect the artwork closer, “always be weary of your authors, right?” You smirk as you shift your glance sideways to Namor, echoing his words back to him in jest. His face is serious at first but quickly turns to amusement.

“You remembered,” he says nodding his head, an impressed grin now stretching at the corners of his mouth, “that is good.”

You return your attention to the paintings. What a gift it is to be standing here in front of them. Full of stories, full of history. And to be accompanied by the man who created them himself — who lived them himself. It is all a far cry from the vague glyphs you tried so hard to decipher in your book.

"They're amazing." You say in awe, following along the panels as you trace the line work delicately with your fingertip.

Immersed in the murals, you are too busy to notice Namor's softening gaze as he watches you study his work so intently. Here you are, an outsider who he has welcomed into his space. It is not like him to be so open, especially not with a stranger from the surface — never someone from the surface — yet, something about you causes a stirring inside of him. Perhaps it is your enthusiasm and wonders for his culture or your refreshing dose of humanity towards his people that compels his desire to be close to you.

As you follow the artwork from panel to panel across the walls, you arrive at a scene that suddenly makes you freeze. Your wrist snaps your finger back as if repelled by the paint itself. In front of you is a large image of Namor dawning a serpent headpiece as he hovers above the water. You are immediately back in your nightmare, your mind flashing to Namor’s outstretched hand then the darkness that closes in around you as you start to drown. You can almost feel the fire in your lungs as they grow desperate for air.

“What troubles you?” Namor asks with genuine traces of concern in his voice. Your sudden silence has not gone unnoticed. He moves to stand shoulder to shoulder with you now, looking up to analyze the same part of the mural.

"Nothing," you lie, shaking your head while your hand drops to your side. You withdraw from the painting, taking a few steps back from it and Namor.

“Your people," you say to change the subject, pointing your thumb to the rest of the artwork in the room, "they honor you. It's admirable, what you've done for them. To keep them safe all this time."

“But?” He senses there is more on your mind.

You stare at him, then turn your focus back to the tapestries surrounding you. Scanning them from wall to wall, you notice a pattern in the stories shown.

“It’s just,” you begin with uncertainty in your voice “for someone who has spent his whole life bringing peace to his people, I wonder how much of it you have experienced for yourself?”

Namor is quiet for a moment.

"And why do you wonder this?" He finally replies, turning to face you fully.

“I guess I look at these and I’m curious… how? How can you do that without completely breaking under the weight of it all? Even with—” you begin gesturing to his body and suddenly become desperate to come up with the right words in time, “superhuman strength.” Thank god.

“Hmmm,” Namor exhales, thoughtfully nodding as his gaze drops to the floor. He folds his arms over his chest, the golden band around his exposed bicep reflecting the light that softly glows from a nearby lantern. Taking a few steps toward you, he lifts his eyes to yours.

“It is true,” he says, “the burden I carry for the sake of my people does not always permit me the personal luxury of peace. It… can be difficult.” His tone shifts from diplomatic to vulnerable. “And who is to say I have not broken under it? It is that brokenness that has made me the leader I am.”

Turning his head toward the mural, he looks at it carefully before speaking again. His chiseled jawline accentuates the exposed veins protruding from his neck.

"To your question,” he continues, “I believe how is never as important as why. Why would someone fight to bring others peace when they themselves cannot have it?” Namor takes another step closer and lifts his hand to your chin, delicately angling your face upward toward his own. "Because we sacrifice to protect what we love.”

His eyes search yours earnestly. After a moment, Namor quickly drops his hand from your chin and you watch as he moves towards his desk, shuffling a few scrolls around before looking back up at you again.  

“I love my people,” he says, planting his hand firmly on the desk, “and I have seen evil, what it is capable of. I watch as the rest of the world grows desperate in their greed and ambition, their desire for power. They are becoming more dangerous by the day."

"You mean — surface dwellers?" You ask.

Namor raises his brow at you knowingly.

"Yes,” he answers cooly.

"I'm a surface dweller. Am I...dangerous?"

Namor sighs with a small smile.

“Yes. Though not in the way you may think.”

He moves from out behind his desk and back over in your direction.

“Now I have a question for you,” he says in a low voice, approaching you with a dark look looming over his face. “Please consider your answer carefully.”

The silence is intense. Your heart feels like it is going to jump out of your throat as you anticipate what damning question the king of Talokan has in store for you.

Namor’s expression changes on a dime, and he suddenly asks in a lighthearted tone,

“Are you up for a swim?”

—

You follow Namor out of his quarters and into the large open cavern. As you pass by several beautiful pools of water, you are enchanted by how the light dances across the rich tones of Namor's skin. The same light casts dazzling hues of aquamarine and cerulean across the surface of the pools, reflected onto the rocks surrounding them.

Namor approaches one of the bigger pools and removes the cape from his shoulder, exposing his bare chest underneath. Here is the Namor you recognize - prominent necklace, bare chest,  emerald green shorts. Before dropping his cape to the ground, however, he pulls out a Talokan mask from the fabric like the ones Namora and the other warriors wear.

“Take a deep breath,” Namor says as he turns to you. He pushes your hair back from your cheek delicately as he applies the apparatus to your face. Doing as you are told, you inhale deeply as the mask fastens over your nose and mouth.

“Stay close,” he instructs. You nod, and Namor steps to the edge of the closest pool. He looks back at you with a hint of a smile on his face. Then, with all the strength and grace of a god, he dives perfectly into the water and disappears under the surface.

You step closer to the pool. The faint rhythm of droplets falling from the ceiling rings throughout the cavern. You glance behind you toward the entrance, but there isn't a soul in sight. Namora’s words echo through your mind.

When it comes to you, he is blind.

You dive in, following Namor.

Once in the water, you quickly orient yourself. Looking around, you see the outline of Namor, his silhouette waiting for you in the distance. As you swim closer, he gestures for you to follow him. You kick your feet to propel yourself further downward, ears popping as you equalize to the increasing pressure.

You swim until you are clear of the caves. Though your muscles ache, there is something serene about being beneath the water; the quiet, the weightlessness, everything drifting harmoniously in rhythm with the current. For the first time since you can remember, your mind feels still. Free from the chaos. Somehow, the vast open sea does not frighten you with its deep blue void as it did in your dream. Not even a little. Instead, you feel a calmness in your soul as you lose track of time entirely, trailing Namor as you move through the ocean’s depths.

Quite literally in his element, you watch in awe as Namor swims so effortlessly. To him, it must be as easy as breathing. He looks more relaxed than you have seen him. Perhaps even enjoying himself?

You continue to swim, the water getting lighter as the visibility becomes clearer. A school of fish rushes past, their scales glimmering with each flick of a fin or contour of their bodies. Countless numbers weave around you in sync as if part of the same carefully choreographed ballet. You can’t help but smile as you watch them move so freely, and Namor can't help but smile as he watches you.

Suddenly the fish rapidly disperse and within seconds a huge mass flashes past you with incredible speed and agility. Your eyes widen and adrenaline rushes through you as you witness a killer whale chase the school, its size completely dwarfing your mere human frame. Involuntarily, you begin hyperventilating as you watch the giant creature swim off into the distance. When you feel a touch against your arm, you turn to find Namor next to you. His hand rises and falls in front of his torso, gesturing for you to take deep breaths. In, out. In, out.

The two of you remain suspended in the endless ocean blue as you your breath slows and your muscles recover. Namor looks upward, and as you savor the moment of rest you follow his gaze. You can tell by the light above that you are getting close to the surface, which must mean you are nearing your destination. When he nods, you know it is time to move. Slowly the two of you start your ascent and the ocean becomes warmer as you gradually near the top.

When you arise from the water, the sound of the rushing wind, the rolling waves, and birds flying overhead rush into your ears. Less than a hundred meters from you stretches a beautiful coastline covered in soft white sand and lined by rich green foliage.

You make your way towards it. Soon you are walking knee-deep in the waves, the tide splashing against the back of your legs as you near the shore. Removing the mask from your face, the sweet breeze of the island races by, rustling your wet hair and filling your nostrils with the earthy aroma of some nearby palm trees.

Namor has already reached the sand. He stands tall, water still running down his body. Staring out at the horizon, he runs his hand over his face and pushes his hair back, inadvertently flexing his bicep as he does so. The sun slowly begins its descent toward the Earth, its warm rays casting brilliant tones of red and orange across Namor’s exposed skin. It contrasts the deep blues and greens that illuminated him in the caverns, and at this point, you are confident he looks devastatingly beautiful in any light.

As you reach the shore, you take your place next to him and stare out at the skyline.

“Hard to beat a view like that,” you say breathlessly.

“My mother would always describe to me the beauty of the setting sun,” Namor responds. “I have no love for the surface world, but from time to time I visit this island. See what she saw.”

“Is this—?” You begin to ask.

“Where she is buried.” Namor answers before you finish your question. His eyes drop as he reflects, “I am not sure what I expected to see the day I came to lay her body to rest. I suppose the beauty of an island she spoke of so fondly. Instead, I found my brothers and sisters enslaved by men who took life without a second thought.” His jaw clenches as he recalls the bitter memory. “But I saw to it the favor was returned.”

His meaning is clear. You are not sure which makes you more nervous — the calm and cool way he says it, or the menacing smile that accompanies his statement. Either way, his smile disappears as quickly as it comes. You have seen Namor’s ferocity firsthand and know what he is capable of, especially when it comes to protecting his people. A nervous feeling grows in the pit of your stomach as you begin questioning his purpose in bringing you here.

You consider the facts:

You are a surface dweller.

He did call you dangerous.

Oh shit.

Anxiously you glance at him, then redirect your gaze back to the horizon to maintain your composure. The soft waves break along the shore, racing up to your ankles. As the sand beneath your feet gets pulled out by the tide, you wish with all your might you could be pulled away with it. Instead, you sink deeper into the ground, more immovable than before.

“Are you going to kill me?” The words come out blunter than you intend, but you stand by them despite the quiver in your voice.

The question pulls Namor out of his thoughts as he turns to you, eyebrows raised. He studies your face carefully before answering.

“I probably should," he says. There is no malice in his words, only honesty. “The knowledge you have of me and my people... it puts me in a difficult position.” His eyes are solemn. "But I have lived a long time, and in that time I have witnessed many in their final moments before death when one truly reveals themself. That night on the beach, in what you believed were your final moments, you kept your word to me and my people. You said nothing to those men, even with your life on the line. There is no truer test of loyalty.”

Without a word, he reaches his hand out for the mask you still carry. You cautiously hand it over.

"There is a village eastward,” Namor continues, “you will find everything you need there, and the means to leave this place."

You feel his palm slip under your fingers to receive the mask. He takes a deep breath, then purses his lips in the direction behind you.

“Or, just up the way beyond those trees is a house. It is not much, but comfortable. It is yours to use... if you wish. You would be safe here.”

The offer catches you off guard.

“I… I don't understand." You mutter in slight confusion.

With a deep inhale, Namor squints back at the setting sun to collect his thoughts. Then, taking another step closer, he eliminates virtually any remaining space between you. His eyes are deep and mesmerizing as ever. Your heart races from his sudden proximity and you find yourself holding your breath as you wait for him to speak again. He peers down at you, so impossibly close that you can sense the rise and fall of his chest as he breathes.

"You are no enemy of mine," he says with authority, "and no prisoner of Talokan. You have my trust. And because of that trust, I will not order you to stay." Namor then drops the mask into the sand like it is worthless and gently slides his hands underneath your jawline, cradling your face in both of his palms. “But I am asking you to.”

You are speechless. The way he is holding your gaze, the tenderness of his thumb brushing against the apple of your cheek, the fluttering of his lashes as his eyes flick down to your mouth.

"Stay," Namor says fervently in one final clarifying word. It is not a command, but an invitation. Perhaps even a plea. But most importantly, it is a choice. Your choice.

His eyes quickly dart back up to yours as he awaits an answer, but even Namor is not strong enough to keep his attention from dropping back down to your lips. He is clearly focused on more than just the words he hopes to hear come out of them.

In an overwhelming wave of boldness, you allow instinct to take over. No lives at stake, no siren’s song  — it is only the burning desire within your very soul for him that compels you. You close your eyes and melt into Namor’s touch, pressing your lips to his.

The moment you do so, it is as if a surge of energy courses through your veins, electrifying your entire body. Namor immediately welcomes your advance, molding his lips to your own. The smooth piece of jade that pierces his septum presses cooly above your lip, contrasting the heat of his skin to ignite your senses. As he slides a hand around to the back of your neck, his fingers curl into your hair to bring you in even closer.

A small moan escapes you as the tip of his tongue traces along your bottom lip. You can feel his smile against your mouth, then a tug at the same lip with his teeth. Another invitation, to which you gladly accept. You part your mouth open to let Namor inside. Both of your tongues dance together as your kisses become deeper and more indulgent.

Consumed by his taste and his touch, you slide your hands up his bare chest, desperate for more of him. Without missing a beat, Namor responds by running his arms down your body and hoisting you up off the sand with ease. You wrap your legs around him tightly and take full advantage of this new, higher angle. Moving your mouth in tandem with his, you savor the richness of his lips and entangling your fingers in his dark locks of hair. 

The two of you ebb and flow just like the rolling ocean waves, losing yourselves in each other. It’s not until you feel a faint burning in your lungs that you face the harsh reality of having to break away for air. Everything inside you fights it. If Namor were the sea, you would gladly let yourself drown in this moment.

But Namor, also sensing your need for oxygen, begins to slow down. He lowers you gently to the ground, though he is careful not to let you slip too far away from him. The two of you breathe heavily as the sun begins to dip below the horizon. Namor gives you another passionate kiss, this one slow and deep. His lips then move to the corner of your mouth and trail up to your ear, the heat of his breath spreading like wildfire across your skin. You can feel your heart beating out of your chest. Holding you close, Namor leans his forehead against your temple and presses his lips against your ear.

“Please," he whispers. "Stay with me.”

--------

Tag List! (I think I got everyone who requested to be included!) @looneylikesbooks @omgsuperstarg @chixkencxrry @vainillasmil157 @demoiseller @sodonuthideout @shoutaaizawas @stany0url0calwh0res111 @hjjks @duckwithsunglasses @jamesbarnesbestgirl @nellycanwrite @namorlover @queenofthekill @uhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmm @cosmic-lavender @fckwritersblock @doimakeyounervous-blog @viktoryn @bontensbabygirl @lokidbadguy @sammi-doll483 @violet-19999 @artaxerxesthegreat @zeeader @star-dusst @hawkins-2000 @madsothree @takeheartyall @slytherheign @agustdboyoongie @nightingal3-tales @psamathegoesrawr @myotakureprieve @spideyworldsposts @ginger-swag-rapunzel  @jurneesjourney @kpopgirlbtssvt @commondazy @vicky-8426 @05-redacted @boredoutofmydamnmind @h34rtsformilli @adoiescents @ari-fay @daddyslittlevillain @namorswhore @loversjoy

[whiskeyswifty]

Honestly, freedom felt like summer then, on the coast has gotta be of the most quintessential Taylor lines ever, I’m telling you. It’s a lesser used motif in Taylor’s songs but I’m so fascinated by her use of “the coast” and “the beach” as and how it has only really surfaced (lol) in her mid to late periods (so far). Both in the safe haven it represents to her on its own but also how it’s often a foil to “the ocean”, and how a commonly used metaphor really works beautifully in her hands and fleshes out her worldview. 

That line really cements this to me where she starts with a broad and abstract simile of “summer” but then zeroes in on what she meant by that by adding specifically “the coast.” Just flat out saying beaches make her feel free, which yes it’s an obvious but great choice to represent freedom. Beaches are seemingly endless when you’re on them, most of the time removed from the markers of modern society, and empty save sand and sky, unencumbered by even nature. And you can see that through line in a lot of her previous work more subtly as well. “Drinking on the beach with you all over me” on an album and song famously depicting her absconding with her lover to places where they’re safe from wandering eyes and free from having to perform what ever fronts they feel they have to put up. Snow on the Beach is an entire song that depicts the beach as this dreamy place of vulnerability, even if the song isn’t specifically set on a literal beach. It’s frequently invoked in the chorus, painting a vast sandy landscape blanketed in snow, as tranquil as the songs production and how peaceful she felt falling for someone at that time. In Gold Rush she does again set the scene on the coast, where “the coastal town we wandered round had never seen a love as pure as this” provides a quiet safe haven to once again feel free to love and express love. Depicting even towns along the coast as less traveled and free of pressure or expectations; places to aimlessly wander, endlessly if you wish. Even in TLGAD she uses it to portray freedom for characters outside of herself, with “The salt box house on the coast took her mind off St. Louis.” The beach provides a freedom and reprieve for Rebekah from the assumed suffocation of a city and all the social expectations that come with it. The beach is so clearly a source of unencumbered happiness for her because it's a place of physical remove, but it’s even better exemplified by how it specifically acts as a foil to the ocean in her work. 

She’s always depicting the ocean as a metaphorical place of helpless tumult and dark unknowns. How she is “out on waves being tossed” in evermore with the ocean as a place without mercy or “if your cascade ocean wave blues come” where it’s an unstoppable force of sadness and unrest. In both of those, people are also physically taken over by the will of the ocean, a depiction of life’s painful inevitabilities that she recognizes as such but feels helpless against. Even how she visually depicts her gripping to her piano in the Cardigan video as the ocean tosses her around with no land in sight. Sometimes she herself is the ocean, with “I’m like the water when your ship rolled in that night. Rough on the surface…” where she is as untamable and damaging as the ocean. She uses the ocean to recognize danger and uncertainty in others, like with “ocean blue eyes looking in mine. I feel like I might sink and drown and die” which is hyperbolic yes, but still. The ocean she sees in their eyes is not beautiful but all consuming and potentially emotionally fatal for her in how it will consume her. Or to recognize the fearlessness in someone like how her boy in Midnight Rain was “jumping off things in the ocean” which is a terrifying place for her, but here he comes off a steady and solid in his ability to jump into it for fun and it doesn’t take him. The ocean is always bigger than her, standing in for the power of letting go with “the battleships will sink beneath the waves” and also standing in for the great unknown of committing yourself to someone with “we were stupid to jump in the ocean separating us.” 

But most exciting to me is when these two metaphorical ideas of ocean and beach meet. “High tide came and brought you in” is a great one because here, she is safe on the shore, no longer putting herself at risk. But then, this great beast of the unknown brings her something; presumably something she wanted and potentially something good. But then “currents swept you out again” as the blue beast took it back. Unable to endure the thrashing ocean herself, she perches on the beach instead and waits. The beach in contrast to the active and churning ocean is a still place, a passive place. Freedom isn’t just an ability to hide from the world or a reprieve from the expectations of the world, but it can also be a reprieve from the expectations you put on yourself. Allowing yourself to rest and let come what may. The beach is also that for her, where she’s free from her own crushing thoughts and worries. Even when she herself is the ocean, thrashing about in her own mind, with “my waves meet your shore” she seeks the quiet and the serenity of the beach to soothe her and calm her. The soft expanse of sand to break her waves on and sink her foamy tide waters into. Control is one of the main things she seems to seek in all aspects of her life, in the way of control of her own story, her own personal space, her own agency, and the people around her in ensuring they won’t abandon her. In many ways, the ocean is outside herself in her use of it, but it’s always an extension of her, be it her fears of that loss of control or just fear of any unknown in life. It’s always a stand in for those parts of her in that way, her dark shadow swelling and swallowing everything whole if she lets it. The beach as her foil that becomes freedom from the grips and weight of the ocean, but also that first gasp of air knowing you are on land again, can find your footing again, solid ground. You can say she’s searching for that beach, that tranquil coast within herself to evade the trappings of the bottomless ocean within herself, but you could also say that in some cases, she is the ocean. Tired of her own restlessness and endless tumult, she’s forever searching for people in her life to be her shore, so she can finally rest on their warm sand, even for just a moment. I feel like that’s something everyone can relate to and is why it’s one of my favorite motifs in her work. 

[ilguna]

|expired medicine!|

peeta mellark, 89. 💚

☼ castaway (Peeta Mellark) ☼

warnings; swearing.

wc; 2.8k

prompt; 89. castaway au

—

The weather this past week has been nothing short of hot and miserable. No matter where you go, or how many layers you take off, you can’t escape the heat, much less the humidity. After being out here so long, you think you would’ve learned that, but you can’t help hoping this year’s going to be different.

It’s summer again.

You used to like the summertime, and spring too. You liked the way the world around you would slowly come back to life after a particularly harsh winter. The barren trees sudden were full and green, the flowers opening up to blossom, and warm rain on cool nights.

Every summer, you would go somewhere new between school years. You’d take programs to learn during the months you had off from college. They were great opportunities, you could furthen your research, while also learning a new culture and exploring a country you wouldn’t have imagined going to otherwise.

It was hard to like it the first time you did it, but by the time you got back home in Panem, you couldn’t help wanting to go across the ocean again. You missed it, the life you left. So, the following year you reapplied with friends, and you kept doing it until the accident happened.

Well, it’s safe to say you won’t be traveling ever again.

You adjust the handmade bag on your shoulder, swinging it further back to slip through a shortcut you’ve started to imprint off of this path. The original path is nice if you’re trying to go to the other side of the island, but you’re looking for the beach nearby.

It would probably be easier if you ripped up the plants. You don’t have the energy to do that, though. You’d rather they learned naturally after being trampled on a couple hundred times. You have been walking down this area more often, and it’s because there’s been a sudden influx of driftwood, which you’ve been in need of.

You could always try to take down trees, the issue is that it’s time consuming without a useful weapon. You have large rocks that have taken you weeks, if not months, to sharpen to use to descale fish efficiently. You’ll be damned if you dull it—or worse, break it—from swinging it into tree bark.

With the beach in sight, you begin to pull your bag off to set in the shade to keep your water from becoming warm. The second you step foot into the treeline, you stop to stare at what’s on the beach, laying between sand and water.

It’s a person, a man, actually. He’s got blonde hair that’s sticking to the top of his head and his neck. A shredded white shirt, torn black slacks, he’s miraculously still got both his shoes on. He’s pale, his lips are a gentle shade of blue, you watch as his chest rises and falls.

He’s alive.

You move forward, brushing the hair out of your face to get a better look at the boy that’s washed up on the beach. In all your years of being here, you’ve never come across another person, or had one show up at your doorstep.

Just by looking at him, you can see that he’s begun to get sunburnt. There’s no telling how long he could’ve been out here for. The redness on his skin is a pretty telling sign that it’s been a good few hours, as early as this afternoon. Despite this, he’s cold from being in the ocean water.

You reach for his wrists, which are slippery and difficult to get a good hand on, but you squeeze tightly anyway. You try to use the sand as leverage to pull him, because he’s certainly twice your body weight, judging by how tall he is.

It takes several tries to get him through the sand, with it being so resistant against you dragging him. Once he’s in the shade, you don’t care nearly as much. You lay his arms back at his sides, standing over him to get a better look, as if you’ll be able to recognize him.

He could be anyone, from anywhere. There’s a good possibility, he won’t even speak your language, and that’s assuming he’s going to wake up after inhaling that much water. Still, you’re not going to leave his side, not until you’re sure he’s going to be okay.

Besides, he could be someone important for all you know. He’s dressed well, leading you to believe he could have money, or people that care about him. Really, it doesn’t matter to you, as long as he has a chance of getting you out of here. You’ll do anything to leave this island.

You take the bag off your shoulder, setting it down next to a rock. You climb on top of said rock, reaching to grab the fork of a tree, pulling yourself between. You climb a few feet up, until you’re able to reach one of the branches that hold the large leaves.

You fold it in half, placing it between your lips, and carefully make your way back down to solid ground. You’ve gotten fairly good at climbing trees. If you can’t take one down, you’ll sure as hell climb up to snap off a branch you’ve been eyeing. There’s been a few times where you’ve hung from a stubborn branch and almost broke your ankle from the height you’ve fallen from.

When you’ve gotten back to the rock, you sit down and fold the leaf to make a fan, which you use on you for the first couple of minutes, before turning it to the man on the ground. The color has already begun to return to his lips, by the time he wakes, he might even be dry and sweating. It’s funny how boiling heat works like that.

You sit there for easily an hour, watching the waves roll onto the beach, retreating, and coming back a couple seconds later. You periodically check on the boy, making sure that he’s still breathing. There’s a few cuts that you’ve noticed, between his chest and his legs, there’s about six. They’re fairly shallow, should be an easy heal. You don’t think any of them need to be stitched, which you’re thankful for, because you definitely don’t have the supplies for that.

You look down to check on him again, and find a wide pair of eyes watching you. You pull the fan back, offering a smile, which vanishes quickly because that’s not exactly the right move. He’s got to be confused and scared, a random girl fanning him with a tree leaf isn’t exactly what you’d like to see after waking up damp and covered in sand.

“Hi,” You murmur, moving back on the rock. “Sorry, I was trying to keep you cool. That sunburn’s going to be a pain.”

His face twists, he moves to sit up. He doesn’t speak to you, reaching to touch his chest, wincing when he sticks his finger in a cut. He eyes the holes in the shirt, glancing at you briefly.

“I didn’t do that, if that’s what you’re thinking.” You tell him. “You showed up like that. All I did was pull you out of the water.”

He ignores you, looking at the trees, then at the beach, and then out to the water, which he doesn’t tear his eyes from for a long minute. “Where—“ his voice is hoarse, he clears his throat. “Where am I?”

“You’re on an island.” You reach for your bag, getting to your feet.

“What time is it?”

You make a face, “I can’t answer that. I don’t know what day, month, or year it even is. It’s been a while since I had access to that type of information.” You open the bag, pulling out your canister of clean drinking water. “Here, drink, you’re probably dehydrated. There’s no telling how long you’ve been out there.”

“No,” his face twists, shaking his head. “No, I don’t know who you are.”

“It’s the only drinkable water on the island.” You tell him, tucking it back into your bag. “But suit yourself, you’ll become thirsty soon enough.”

He doesn’t make any move to get up, you press your lips together. You don’t want to stand here all day, and he’s being resistant. You’ve got other plans, which include checking the traps on the west side of the island before the sun goes down.

You click your tongue, which is partially by accident, as you turn around to head into the trees to go back to base.

“Where are you going?” He calls behind you.

“Home, I came out here for driftwood, and you’re afraid of strangers.” You look at him through the trees. “You can follow, if you want. I don’t bite. Just watch where you step, there’s traps around for the animals.”

This inspires him enough to get up. You lead the way through the narrow path, that you’ll force to grow wider in time. Or maybe the boy behind you will, considering the fact that he’s trampling through the area without a care about noise.

You glance at him over your shoulder, curious to see if he’s purposely stepping on everything that he can, and find that it’s the way he walks. He looks like he doesn’t have a single clue that he’s the loudest living thing in here.

“What’s your name?” He asks, not being able to handle the silence.

“(Y/n).” You murmur, not bothering to tell him your last name.

It has no significance anymore. Hell, your name now doesn’t even mean anything to you. The only time you use it is when you’re talking to yourself condescendingly when you’ve done something stupid that could’ve gotten you killed.

It’s quiet for a couple of minutes. “Aren’t you going to ask who I am?”

Oh, you didn’t think about that. “Sure.”

He sighs, “Peeta Mellark.”

Huh, interesting name. You think you knew someone back at the university that had the same name. It’s unique, you didn’t think you’d run across someone with the same name again.

“Are you someone important, Peeta?” You ask.

“Well—I wouldn’t say that.”

“Do you have people that care about you and happen to be rich that could afford pouring money into finding you?”

He doesn’t answer right away. “No, not really.”

You grind your teeth. The first person you’ve seen in years, and he’s not even someone important. You’re never going to get off of this stupid island, are you? You’re going to be stuck here till the day you die, and now you have someone else to take care of.

This could’ve been it. He could’ve been the one thing that got you out of here and back to normal life. You could see your family again, be able to celebrate the holidays. You’d reunite with your boyfriend, even if he did move on from you. You could be with your friends again!

You could really scream right now.

“Why?”

“What?” You snap back, impatient.

“Why were you asking?” He asks, not paying any mind to your tone.

“You’re stuck here with me.”

“What?” He asks.

“You’re never getting off of this island. The sooner you accept that, the better. I can’t believe I just got my own hopes up. I should know better.” You mutter, shaking your head.

When you don’t hear him walking behind you, you stop to turn around. Peeta’s face is screwed, the corners of his mouth turned downward. “That’s not true.”

“I’m not going to lie to you, Peeta.”

“We can light a fire on the beach, they’ll see the smoke. They’ll come looking for us.”

“You don’t think I haven’t tried that?” You ask him. “I’ve done all of it. I didn’t get rescued, why should I think that it’ll be any different for you?”

His lips part, “How long have you been out here?”

You shrug, “Three years, possibly more. I’m not sure. I don’t have a calendar or a cellphone. I go by the seasons.”

Peeta takes a breath. “(Y/n), it’s July, in the year twenty twenty-three.”

Your face smooths over, eyes drifting away from his face while you think back. Your lips are moving, but there are no words coming out, counting silently. When did you get here? What year was it?

“Four years.” You murmur to yourself, turning around to keep walking to your home. “Has it really been that long?”

“What’d you say?” Peeta asks.

“April… no, it was March. It was the end of March going into April, we had an early summer that year because the school year started the beginning of July. They wanted to do construction on the academic buildings before we started getting rain.” You let out a breath. “Four years.”

Peeta’s caught up to your side. “(Y/n), where are you from?”

“I was a university student at Sacred Heart in Capitol City. I was going abroad for a spring program to study in Spain with…” You trail off, pouting.

With your boyfriend and your friends. The ones you told that they had nothing to worry about when they expressed how much they hate flying over open water like this each time you go in the summer. You promised them that dramatic crashes like that only happen in movies or once in a blue moon. It’s not common for planes to malfunction.

You remember being with your boyfriend when one of your friends got stuck in her seat. He told you to get off the plane and he’s find you outside. When you got out there, the current was too strong, the flight attendant couldn’t bring you inside of the boat.

If it weren’t for your life jacket, you would’ve drowned. You’d be dead, there wouldn’t be any life on this island. You still have it, you’ve kept it safe, using it when you fantasize about building a boat and drifting into the ocean, where someone finds you and rescues you.

“You were part of flight 147, weren’t you?” Peeta asks, his enthusiasm showing through. “(Y/n) (L/n).” You blink in surprise at the mention of your full name. When you jerk your head to look at him, he realizes how odd that was of him. “Sorry, I just did a report on you to the company I work for. We went to Sacred Heart together. I knew Gloss.”

“That’s nice.” You swallow. You try not to think about your boyfriends name if you can help it. Peeta does look to be about your age, it’s crazy how you went to school at the same place and now you’ve ended up here together.

“I’m an aeronautical engineer. The plane you were on is still a mystery—“

“Thank you, Peeta.” Your tone is harsh. “I think that’s enough.”

“I’m sorry.” He says. “Really, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—I reached out to your family while I was doing my research. If it helps any, they’ve still got hope that you’re alive. They just don’t know where to look.”

“And Gloss?” You ask.

“I have no idea.”

You hum, not saying anything else to him for the rest of the walk, which isn’t that far. You can see the shack that’s taken you months to build properly, through the trees. You have a fire pit, but it’s several feet away to keep from accidentally lighting it on fire. It’s happened to you before, and it was devastating.

Needless to say, in the winter it’s brutal. This is why you like the summer,

“This is it.” You tell him, “I have clothes, the luggage showed up before you did. I didn’t think anything of it, it happens once in a while.” You enter the shack, brushing the dried hanging vines out of the way to hang up on a hook by the door. “And I can clean those wounds. If you want to wash yourself of the saltwater first, I understand. I can bring you to the stream. I don’t have soap, of course.”

You turn around, expecting for Peeta to be right behind you, but he’s standing outside of the doorway. Your eyebrows twitch, “What are you, a vampire? You can come inside.”

He lets out a laugh, stepping inside, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Your generosity. You don’t know me and yet—“

You wave your hand. “Don’t think about it too much. It’s taken me a long time to get to this point. These are the things I wish I had when I got here.”

Peeta’s quiet for a moment. “Do you really think we’re stuck here?”

“I’d like to hope not.” You tell him. “Even if we are, we can make it work. I’ve gotten fairly good at this.”

He smiles.

--

this is part of my 3k celebration!!

[mamashenanigans]

AFO’s last words to Yoichi are great inspiration for what I’m already doing with his character in my fanfic ‘Urges’.

I went ahead and got this out of my head and felt I would share it with you all. This is the beginning of AFO’s POV in the 2nd chapter. The only difficult thing is that I decided to not give AFO a name in this fic, so I have to be careful to make sure readers understand who is talking and acting. Of course, I may introduce a name he gave himself for other people to call him, but I think it’s extra weird that he only wants Yoichi to call him Big Brother/Brother.

To read the first chapter, click here.

—————

Late.

He hated when Yoichi was late.

The world outside their nice apartment may be rebuilding, but it still was nowhere near safe enough for his precious Yoichi. Small and frail as a result of the syndrome they experienced in the womb, his little brother was a prime target for those unbothered by the reconstruction efforts of the populace.

Yoichi has always been a positive boon to their lives. Even when they were barely making it on the streets of a derelict society. Somehow, his little twin always found beauty in the dank corners of alleyways, and held an innocent, ignorant belief in the good inside the pathetic people around them. The individuals that scurried around like the rats the brothers had begrudgingly accepted as housemates.

As obnoxious as it could be, he cherished those memories of Yoichi’s optimism.

One such recollection always brought a nostalgic smile to his face.

It had been a particularly bad winter for the region. Luckily, he had come upon a most needed meta ability involving fire. It was nothing spectacular, only good enough for a small flicker, barely able to light a insignificant pile of trash. There was plenty of litter in the large, overturned dumpster he had found hidden down a long alleyway. Holes in its rusted exterior allowed venting of the smoke and the brothers had enjoyed cooked vermin as sustenance.

It was a delicious upgrade compared to their usual consumption of the rodents raw. His earliest memories involved catching them. As a baby already capable of crawling, it had been up to him to use the spike meta power he had always had to skewer the rats. He would then use the same power as teeth to mush up their bodies and bring the food to his frail, underdeveloped twin. Spitting up the pile in front of Yoichi, he would guide his mouth to the chewed up meat and pat his twin’s head as he eagerly consumed the slop.

The larger twin had fallen asleep late the night prior, but awoke with a start at the dinging sound of rain upon the decaying metal of their humble home, his arms empty of the person he normally awoke next to.

Yoichi was gone.

In a frenzy, he irrationally dug through trash in the dumpster to find him. With no luck, he had scurried out into the alley, whipping his head to and fro, scanning the lane for a mop of white hair. The atmosphere was muggy, even the young boy could feel the start of spring herald by a thread of warmth amongst the fall of water.

Then he finally found him.

Yoichi stood in the middle of the open street beyond their alleyway home. The older one’s building anger was extinguished as the melodic giggles of his small twin reached his ears. As he moved closer, he could clearly see Yoichi’s hands outstretched towards the overcast sky, his gleeful laughter starting and stopping as he filled his mouth with the naturally filtered water.

“Little! What?” Their vocabulary was small and raw like the meat he used to dine on, but enough for the tiny twin to be momentarily startled out of his merriment. His visage quickly changed back to one of pure joy.

“Brother! Wet! Good!” Yoichi clapped his hands then signaled for his older brother to come closer.

Unlike his twin, the eldest was on constant alert. Once one foot stepped out from the safety of their side street, he immediately scanned the open area for potential threats, eyes wide like a prey animal.

Yoichi grabbed his hand and pulled him out with him, pointing at the sky and smiling at his large brother. That smile. Wide and toothy. Filled with such wonder and naivety. One of the few things in this terrible existence that warmed him regardless of the season or the chill in the air.

“Brother! It pretty! Pretty! Watch!” Yoichi raised one hand to the sky now, his other clasped in his brother’s hand.

But he didn’t watch the sky nor the rain. His eyes were trained only on his precious twin.

“Yes. Pretty,” he whispered as he continued to gaze upon him though the other’s eyes were entranced by the shimmering drops. He allowed his twin to look at something other than himself. Maybe just this once.

Yes. His precious Yoichi is so pretty.

[ouroborosorder]

okay fuck it i posted about hypothetical arknights fighting game and immediately got massive brainworms about it so without further ado:

My Pitch For An Arknights Fighting Game Roster

Amiya - Obligatory standard Shoto with her sword and Arts. She has relatively mediocre projectiles, but her metered projectiles are extremely strong to reflect that her Arts take a lot out of her to use. Honest, but with a lot of mastery required to truly excel. 

Ch’en - Rushdown Shoto with some close-range projectiles with Chi Xiao - Unsheathe and maybe the inkbrush Arts she uses in her skin because let’s face it, they’ll never give her the water cannon. The Sol to Amiya's Ky, the Ken to her Ryu.

Kal’tsit - Puppet character with Mon3tr. Her close range buttons are competent, but flawed, but they’re just enough to give her absurd combo synergy with Mon3tr. Can trade her own meter to heal Mon3tr’s Obligatory Pet Balance Meter.

Talulah - Midrange projectile-focused character who uses powerful multihit projectiles to confirm into brutal melee combos. Can enter an Install state where she does self-damage as she catches on fire, but hits like a goddamned truck. She stays back, destroying you from afar, then closing in to make you regret being born when she has to.

Frostnova - Full on zoner, keep the opponent away, dominate the stage, and freeze them in place before they can ever think of approaching you. Has a kit made of long-ranged, disjointed full-screen normals like Hilda (UNIST), but in exchange, they’re all highly situational with massive blindspots, forcing you to play smart, predict your opponent, or they’ll close in and overpower you.

Patriot - Bigbody Grappler. Hits like a truck, but advances slowly. Changes the entire pace of the match simply by existing, and feels like an unstoppable force who you are never safe from until you’re sure he’s dead.

Skadi - Midrange melee-focused character. Simple and honest, she doesn’t need a lot of frills to absolutely kick your ass. Has very little mechanics, but is nonetheless intimidating partially because of that. Has an Install providing herself with a buff that looks like the Corrupting Heart buffs. Honestly only here because she consistently tops popularity charts by a huge margin.

Texas the Omertosa - Extremely fast rushdown, Chipp Zanuff-style. Is able to extend combos that would otherwise drop with her Sword Rain that works similar to Seth (UNIST)’s Orbs. Either she ends the fight before you have a chance to even start it, or she dies quickly as a result.

Nearl the Radiant Knight - Mixup heavy aggressive character, pushes against the opponent with unrelenting force until they break, feeling like an unstoppable force that rushes in, full speed ahead. Has tools to punish basically any sort of behavior, but all her options are extremely reactable. But when you’re up against someone who is capable of so much, it may not matter that much. I-No (Strive) and what little I remember of Roa (MBTL) is a bit of a touchstone here.

Ling - Trap-heavy setplay character with powerful full-screen combo potential. Extremely powerful, but has to get her summons set up first, and if she is able to get the opponent playing her game, she is almost unstoppable with her summons’ projectiles and powerful combo-extending sword swings.

The Endspeaker - A technical, setplay and stage-control heavy midrange zoner. Can spread Nethersea Brand by summoning Sea Terror minion that, when killed, drops a patch of Brand. You can then fire projectiles that leave Shells on the Brand. You can dive into the Brand to pop out of the ground with a bite, consuming the shell to grow stronger. After consuming two shells, you cap out, and your teleport changes to a low that teleports you to your opponent, acting as a starter to do brutal melee combos on counterhit. Focuses on feeling like they control the very environment, like an unstoppable force of nature that only grows stronger as you desperately try to stop it. Yes, this is only here because I had a strong-ass pitch for it.

Emperor feat. Penguin Logistics - Joke character, kinda. Emperor’s kit involves summoning the other PL members for his specials, which are all really solid to cover for the fact that his normals are shit on account of his stubby little penguin body. Exusiai focuses on ranged attacks, allowing some sort of zoning in specific directions. Croissant gives approach tools by shielding him as he walks or by golfing him with a hammer. Texas gives combo extenders with Sword rain or with long flurries of blows that keep the opponent locked there for a short time. Sora is entirely in your taunts because she's not much of a fighter like the others.

But what would a fighting game be without DLC that's planned from launch?

DLC Lineup 1

Gavial the Invincible - A relatively mobile grappler, focusing on long combos and hitgrabs similar to Bullet (Blazblue), Beowulf (Skullgirls) or Grappler (DNF Duel). Has the ability to heal herself with a special that requires her to stand still, encouraging an opponent to approach her when they otherwise would play defensive, because Gavial is the kind of person who you have to face head-on, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Specter the Unchained - Stance change, switching between Laurentina and Specter. Laurentina is a shield pressure monster, a mixup-heavy character with strong multihit overheads and lows like Bedman? (Strive) or Anji (Strive) (but good). Meanwhile Specter is a defensive neutral-heavy character with strong space control with her Arts, with high meter gain on her moves that Laurentina can easily capitalize on. Plays with the opponent like she is dancing, forcing them to keep up with her rhythm, confusing them with steps they can never understand, then asserting her own tempo if they try to take it back.

Mlynar - A highly defensive character who completely relies on counterhits for combo starters. But those combos, hoooly shit. Has parries and counters to play defensive, read the opponent’s options, and then strike when he is sure he can land a blow. He only draws his sword when he’s sure it will land.

Chongyue - A technical, rekka and cancel-focused close-range fighter similar to Jam (Xrd) and Enkidu (UNIST). Has a hard time getting in, but has massive reward when he does. Has the ability to use mid-range sandstorm-based strikes and Orbs like Aoko (MBTL), but has to focus to gain charges on his sandstorm specials like Jam (Xrd). Takes mastery, but when you learn his complicated kit, he’s an unstoppable force. Takes off his jacket in round 5, and yes, this is important.

Redblade - Install-focused character. Gains new Contracts as the match progresses similar to Susanoo (Blazblue), growing stronger with each Contract, until he gains 8 stacks, where he becomes the strongest character in the game. Maybe he straight up hijacks the music to play Operation Basepoint when he gets max Contract.

[bluravenite]

What are your favorite things about fire rain? Also I’m devouring your fire rain design I love it so much it’s so pretty and creative I love it and ily 💚💚

Fire ghoul rain timeline headcanons I think because it just means I can develop his backstory?

CW: ghoul backstory shenanigans, general angst I stuff, murder/violence/self-hate vocab may be present, not aiming for triggering but I want everyone to be able to feel safe reading it so just watch out! Happy ending tho :3

Fire ghoul Rain would be violent and agile, I think.

When rain gets summoned as water ghoul he and dew get along easily, dew would be supposed to pass down his position to him, they are both aware of their situation and dew pleads to rain to let him bite the bullet.

"I'm older, I've been here longer, I can take it-" cries dew.

"if I don't turn into fire myself they'll burn me to ashes, lilypad"

"there has to be a way.. Rain, fuck!... please??" Cries dew again...

Rain would betray dew I think, put him to bed, swear nothing will happen ever, that they'll never separate them, or hurt them, until dew hears the screams in the middle of the night. The heat emanating from the stone and wood feels dry and hot... almost debilitating, but still everyone makes it down to him, and there in the middle the still small, long frame of the once water ghoul, writhing in pain, his fins and gills actively burning out, suturing at the core, engraving the scars into his skin. He cries and screams. There is a blue glow surrounding him, and then an orange red hue, which at this hour, the ghouls cannot tell if it's coming from the early rising sun, or from the hellfire itself, burning inside their packmate.

The recovery period is spent with dew... who refuses to let go of his mate, as much as rain pushes him away at times and struggles to communicate with the little water ghoul.

And Dew is angry. Rising like a riptide, he flicks his hair and gives him the pout™ and rain feels the guilt consume inside him. Dew rants away, condescendingly, disapproving. It's the only way he knows to show his worry.. his own guilt... the disappointment. And rain takes it because he knows deep down he deserves every minute of it. It was a calculated risk and he took it on purpose, and he forgives and forgets, and he holds dew right in his arms placing his forehead just behind dewdrop's jawline... and for a minute, he cannot stop the tears.

And Dew sees him... understands him. just like dew will forever be his lilypad, rain, will always be his rain. Dew is that last bit of water he can cling onto in a desert of fire and pain.

At first the powers are terrible... he burns himself constantly, he lives on the infirmary for the most part, between aether, mountain and dew, making sure his skin doesn't fall off. Ifrit tries to help... teaching him, guiding him and it sometimes works... then there's alpha... alpha who will not take his eyes off dewdrop, who will not shut his mouth about the pretty little water thing he is... and it boils everyone's blood, and rain knows the way mist scolds alpha for running his mouth, the way he tires every time she steps in front of him to stop his bullshit, and he knows... as a water Ghoul he could only do so much as mist did. But as a fire ghoul?

As a fire ghoul alpha would also make stupid condescending comments about his lack of control, his weakness, the way his body rejected itself... it's elements... how pathetic it was of him to not even naturally have fire. As a fire ghoul, Rain could prove alpha wrong, as a fire ghoul rain could step in and let alpha pick on someone his own element... and thought smaller in size... stronger in fire.

Rain is violent, and quick. Anyone who dares look at Dew in the wrong way gets a hiss directly to the face from Rain. The quick protective motion, bait and switch. Pushing the smaller ghoul behind him, lighting himself up like a wall of flame between the danger and its target. And it burns, just the cold dead stare of the turned fire ghoul through the hissing. The threat is not that rain will attack, he is small and lanky still. The real threat is that he cannot hurt anymore than his body already hurts itself the fire burns so hot that even rain cannot feel it... that he no longer has warmth to lose with death, he does not fear. And he is willing to put everything on the line for dew, so a hiss is usually all it takes for any ghoul to know their place near dew and with rain.

He is ruthless and cold, despite his element.

And still every day, hour, minute, and second is a struggle. His body hates itself, his mind fights him, his past haunts him, his future quivers before him. And his pack all has thoughts and feelings they'll never end or speak up. And it will always be uncertain how things would've gone for him if they had found other ways, other outs... but why dwell in the past, when the only certainty is that his one promise to dew, that they'll never be apart again, remains kept.

Have mercy I proofread once and it's 4 am as I'm writing this... on the queue we go...

[a-life-lived-outdoors]

Not sure what should go with you into the woods? Don't want to pack too much stuff and tire yourself out? An easy way to figure out what you do, and don't need is to think about how difficult it is to create that item in the bush.

Besides the fact you should always carry a first aid kit, alot of things can be crafted in the bush from the natural materials instead of brought with you. However, this can be incredibly time consuming, and the results are sometimes only marginal.

-Making a container is the biggest pain, so a metal water container should always go along.

-Making your own cordage is time consuming, the good stuff weighs almost nothing and packs easy.

-Making a cutting tool can be a difficult skill to aquire, and sometimes there just isn't a good rock present to break for a flint blade. I wouldn't travel in the woods without a good fixed blade. A saw is optional but it makes everything easier.

-A small tarp or poncho is great to have along for the trip. Rain, snow, bad weather, and a scorching sun can all be kept off you with one. There are light and heavy options, but they all will work. Just pick what makes the most sense for your area.

-Having ways to start a fire is a must. A ferro rod and a lighter are as easy as it gets. If your knife is made from a carbon steel, a sharp rock can be struck on the spine of it to throw sparks. You can make or collect tinder from the landscape. The more you do it, the easier it gets. Commercial tinder will work, but the vast majority of them can be made at home for much less.

The best tool is knowledge. Get out and use what you got. The more seat time with your gear, the more comfortable you'll be with carrying less. Learn what's edible in your area, learn what you can use for tinder, and learn the terrain. All those things can help you find food, fire, and water. A picture in a book telling you how to carve a figure 4 trap won't do you a lick of good when you've never carved one before and need to make one right there. Practice is the only way to make sure you'll be able to replicate something in the field.

Safe travels.

[wiltingg4rden]

૮꒰ ˶Ó ˕ Ò˶ ꒱ა I should rest and sleep soon but i can’t stop thinking about you babyy

I’m so sorry you’re feeling that way love :(( I truly wish I could hold and comfort you, fondle your hair and listen to your breathing, just watching over you while you sleep <33 I’m a insomniac so I could be your guardian angel every night, keeping you safe from nightmares and any harm <3

I would truly love to watch any shows or movies with you my dear, we can do that once we started texting..like in dm’s 🥺 for real tho, that’s my favourite quality time activity <33 I always prepare a ton of snacks and some fancy drinks before getting cozy and watching something, just to end up pausing it constantly and yap about a related topic or a scene for at least 5mins hehe

baby reindeer has a great trans fem and male sa victim rep !! Also the stalking aspect is very authentic / medically accurate, thrilling and complex! Most likely bc it’s based on a true story :3 it’s a comedy but I didn’t perceive it like that tbh >< also watched it in one go while my best friend napped hehe <33

I will go into this more detailed tomorrow but I’m actually mostly vegetarian / partially vegan and a total hippie / spiritual person so I agree with everything you said ☮︎ what’s your fav part of nature tho? mine is def the forest!! I love all the different colors and textures :3 I also love love love moving water, like lakes, rivers or rain tho and I would give anything to have a moss bed :Oo oh oh and what’s your fav animal? 🐾

Btw I bet you’re extremely handsome but it doesn’t matter what you look like to me because once I see you shine, nothing can change the way I perceive you <33

ahh I wanna reply to everything you mentioned bc I know you put thought into your words, and I always wanna make sure I appreciate and cherish all of you but I can’t remember everything rn, I will get to the rest tomorrow! I promiseeee ><

-💌

I'm already invading your mind? I'm honored. You have great timing, I was about to close tunglr when your ask came through!

I would love that. I crave the physical intimacy so bad, but I really just love love! If that makes sense,,

I always love consuming new media... I've been trying to get out of my little funk of watching the same five things over and over. It's silly but I need broader horizons.. I look forward to getting to yap to you, lovely <3

I'm also mostly vegetarian, funny enough!! I don't like most meats for texture reasons, but I feel bad eating animals.. I love all parts of nature, I loveee the sea though! Bodies of waters are so enchanting to me. I love moss though.. and bugs, I love bugs. Don't get me started on weevils hehe. My favorite animal is such a hard topic too because it's always a toss up! I love all marine life, especially manta rays. And birds.. and seals, and deer- the list just goes on.

You're such a sweetheart, I hope that you think so highly of me when you see me! But please get some rest, darling. I don't want you to also get sick <3

[angelsxwords]

your nightmare.

(1) of dreams and nightmares.

summary: while going about his duties, corinthian meets someone he cannot frighten. it annoys and intrigues him.

corinthian x f!reader. supposed to be set in 1890. warnings: maybe corinthian himself but nothing more than that. a/n: maaaaaaaybe I'll turn this into a mini-series. i got some ideas cooking in my brain. and re-upload because tumblr tags didn't work. disclaimer: i haven't read the comics so i took this post from the man himself and did a tiny thing.

He met her in a dream.

Following the purpose his creator had bestowed upon him, as one does, Corinthian entered a tiny world with a sky so bright and beautiful it could sicken him. He, a nightmare, is used to the cold claws of darkness, tearing at humanity, and revealing whatever they might wish to hide.

Whenever he steps into a dream, the darkness follows him and changes the atmosphere to something more nightmare-ish. In that case, blue hues became drenched in red and the nature beneath his feet, with its flowers, bushes, and trees, withered and died.

Corinthian strolled across the way he caved himself, hands tucked into the pockets of his sleek, creme-coloured dress pants. The eyes he doesn’t truly have wandered across the dreamer‘s world and watched it decay, watched the shadows of fears and uncertainties rise like skeletons from their graves. It wasn’t as satisfying as it used to be, really; when he was younger, this was enough. But now he seeks more of humanity. A sin, perhaps.

Whilst the thought of living a greater life plagued Corinthian‘s mind, he stumbled across a familiar face. The dreamer.

He stood still, between burning trees and crying skies, his eyebrows knitted together. With the marvellous work he was doing, he expected a terrified face and a terrified voice, yet Corinthian found her staring back at him with fascination but worry in her eyes.

Hasty steps approached him quickly, skipping through the ash and the smoke and the rain. She must have noticed he wasn’t affected – nothing touched his being, as if he were shielded by an invisible force. However, she neither cared nor wanted to discover what caused the sudden change.

"You shouldn’t be here," she called, breathless. "We need to hide somewhere. It’s not safe here, not anymore."

"I can see that much," Corinthian retorted, looking up at the sky. His hand reached up to take off his hat, holding it to his chest and bidding her farewell. 

"I will be taking my leave. Good luck."

The little world of hers had been infected — the poison would spread until she found the cure or awoke. Whichever happened first, Corinthian did not know. And frankly, he hadn’t cared, either. 

But rather than letting him go, the dreamer wrapped her hands around his arm and pleaded for him to accompany her, for him to stay.  Ironic, really, if one considered he was the cause of that nightmare.

"I just want to make sure you’re safe. Please."

Corinthian visits her every night, afterwards.

At first, it is to see when or if he can genuinely upset her. None of his creations seem to do the trick, no matter how deeply he picks and pries at her unconscious, her fears. It annoys him, to some extent.

"You again," she greets him during the seventh dream. The darkness in Corinthian’s wake does not consume her world, this time. 

"I’ve been seeing you every night. Lurking around corners, off in the distance. Seconds before a disaster occurs."

She always wears a beautiful white dress that falls naturally over her hips, with puffy leg-of-mutton sleeves. She rivals an angel‘s image; it flows and sways as calmly as the water in a river with every movement she makes. 

Corinthian smirks.

"Is it your doing, then? Are you my nightmare? Or the personification of my nightmares?"

"’Suppose you could say that, yeah," he answers truthfully, staring off into the distance. He isn’t supposed to be hers and he certainly isn’t supposed to be visiting her every night, either. But Dream of the Endless, busy as he is, will hardly notice.

Behind them, there is a castle, a grand garden with a pond and one of the newer cars. In her dreams, she lives a life of royalty and adventure, whilst poverty and cruelty plague her waking hours.

"I don’t think I understand," she continues and takes a step closer to him. Corinthian silently observes the creases on her young face, the evident confusion in her eyes. 

"If you are my nightmare, why do you appear to me in such beauty? And why haven’t you ruined this dream yet?"

"Not really feeling like it today." 

Today, Corinthian feels like talking. Like getting under her skin, understanding what she is all about. Above all, he feels like popping her pretty eyes out of her little skull, if only to better study her.

"Beauty, you said," he repeats her words, but it feels awkward and unfamiliar on his tongue, "referring to my appearance, or…?"

"I always imagined a nightmare to resemble a monster. An abomination. Neither of which you are."

"Consider myself flattered."

Corinthian hasn’t interacted properly with a dreamer before. Until then, he always showed up for a short fraction of time to cause havoc, before moving on to the next dreamer. In the Waking World, where he had escaped to a scarce number of times thus far, he had often met men and women alike, who were all enticed by his looks and charms. Attention he certainly likes to receive.

"Would you mind going for a stroll around the castle with me?"

He offers his elbow for her to take, lips curled up in a smile that usually gets him whatever he desires. The dreamer does not seem immune to this and loops her arm around his with a shy smile. She is unsure but does seem to have developed a sense of trust in him. Which, considering he haunts her dreams and drenches them in despair, did not make the most sense.  Not that Corinthian minds — with such circumstances, it will be easier to discover more about her.

And discover more he certainly does. She talks of her life, of the challenges she faces, and he listens. Most are mundane matters; the everyday family dispute, a man who threw a rude comment her way, the bills that need to be paid. She seems perfectly ordinary, really.

"What about you, my nightmare?"

At a crossroads marked by a glorious fountain, they come to a halt. She looks at him as if waiting for a great fairytale to be told, but Corinthian chuckles and shakes his head.

"Trying to get my job done, nothing more than that." 

“Your job – turning dreams into nightmares?” He merely hums in affirmation; thus, she continues. “Who is your employer, then? You must have one, if this is but a job of yours.”

“Well, more than what you consider a job. My life, my purpose. What I was made to be.”

Although, there is doubt in his mind. Corinthian is unsure in his craft, sometimes. In quiet moments, he wonders if this is truly all there is, all he can grasp. He wonders why he can’t be more, when the Waking World can offer him so much more. 

The dreamer’s face falters at his words. Rather than beaming with curiosity, as she has before, a frown decorates her features.

“This is all you do?”

“For all of eternity.” A hint of bitterness, perhaps even anger, drips from his lips like a venom. She seems to pick up on his change rather quickly and squeezes his arm gently to offer comfort. Corinthian tilts his head to the side to look at her, an eyebrow raised. 

“We must both live awfully dull lives, then.”

He huffs in amusement. “Dull is one way to describe it.”

Their attention finally shifts to the fountain once more. There are two paths for them to choose: One, covered with cobblestone, leads further to the castle. The other path, which is created by trees, patches of grass and branches, leads into the forest.

“How much time do I have left with you? Will your … creator not question why you choose to remain in one dream for such a significantly longer time?”

She is amusing, that little human of his. A smile tugs on his lips with the concern seeping into her words. It is odd to hear, even feel someone care. Nevertheless, after knowing him for barely a week. Morpheus hasn’t managed to show even an ounce of such a feeling towards his creation in – what, three centuries?

Who knows what was before that. Before him. Corinthian refuses to believe his creator was ever different, despite not being alive for too long. Or rather not as long as other dreams and nightmares.

“Dream won’t care, I’m sure. Or notice.”

A wave of confusion gently washes over her. “Dream?”

“Morpheus. Oneiros. The Sandman, think that nickname recently became popular in literature.”

Corinthian guides her to the left path of the crossroads, slowly and gently as she connects the new pieces to her puzzle. The dreamer follows him without hesitance, leaning against his side whilst the gears in her head turn and turn. 

After a long moment of silence passed them, Corinthian asks: “Haven’t heard of him? The king of dreams and nightmares?”

It does not surprise him; she lives in a rather secluded village, further away from the busy streets and bustling atmosphere of the city. Word needs longer to spread to the far corners. A couple more years, perhaps, before they too know of the stories written by silly men.

Once Corinthian received the confirmation that she has, in fact, not heard of it yet, he grasps the opportunity to tell her. He talks more than he initially intended to; talks of the things his master has created, including his very self, and all that he does day and night. Corinthian sugar-coats it all, really, rather than allowing his own humble opinions to diminish the fascination such stories cause to arise in humans.

After all, the way her eyes sparkle and shine as he talks of the great castle, the bridge, fields, and creatures, is a sight he could relish in for hours on end.

[liqsouls]

Some thoughts (mostly reaching) about Snow on the beach (ft. Midnight rain).

Ig some of those takes were discussed before but I need to get those thoughts out of my mind so yeah.

When my dear Spotify decided to play SOTB after Midnight rain my attention *finally* was caught by the fact that Taylor used "midnight rain" to describe herself but her feeling for her lover(or their feelings/love in general) she described as a "snow at the beach". I found it interesting cause basically, we can describe snow as frozen rain. So here I'd assume that Taylor is also part of this "snow", she transformed into it. In this context firstly I want to point out a super obvious thing. Midnight rain or even rain on the beach is a more common natural phenomenon than snow on the beach. So ig it can mean that this love from SOTB is something even more unique cause it seems extraordinary (maybe even greater) compared to any other experience Tay had. Or it made her feel greater and unique. Next point is that transformation from one physical state to another aka water(rain) to crystals (snow) may be a metaphor of a personal transformation. The question is what does it mean? Which difference between snow and water? I thought abt it and for me, one thing stands out: snow reflects light much better than rain does (that's why snow is white and raindrops - transparent). This can mean that in this relationship Taylor (and probably her partner) reflects love, and feelings better. I like to think that "reflect" here means that they are not just consuming(receiving) love from each other but also giving it back. Also in terms of having color(snow) and being transparent (rain), this metaphor can mean that she is feeling more seen in this relationship. Here my take based on the possibility of a connection between SOTB and midnight rain ends and it's time for SOTB solo.

Firstly, I heard a lot of interpretations of "snow at the beach" as a way to say that this love was destinated to "melt" aka to end. And I can see where it's coming from but now I wanna talk about the full process of circulation of water. We all heard abt it, so long story short, in the end snow will evaporate, form clouds in the sky, and snow/or rain again. So it also can mean this love is destinated to come back no matter what. Like it's how the world works. Yeah kinda forevermore vibes and I like it.

One more thing that keeps me awake at night is that Tay mentioned snow and aurora borealis in one song and it obviously screams Antarctica. Actually, for me Antarctica is something that can be associated with Kaylor's relationship especially with all this "blackout" period. Antarctica is smth almost uninhabited (if we talk abt humans), far from other continents (I can say hidden in some way?), some counties claim parts of the lands, but other countries (including the US) don't recognize those claims, so ig it's safe to say that Antarctica doesn't belong to any country. Also, it's something unknown and unexplored for most of the ppl and that makes it kinda magical and mysterious, fits the isolation "take me to the lakes" vibe and technically snow at the beach is a very common thing in Antarctica. At the same time, it's in constant danger cause of global warming and stuff. Yeah, I can find some similarities between the description( or rather vibes) of Antarctica and Taylor's and Karlie's relationship.

Fun fact abt Antarctica is that time kinda works differently there (change of day-night specifically). We have such terms as Polar day and Polar night. It's when the sun doesn't set(day) or rise (night) for more than 24 hours (usually it lasts for a few months). So basically Antarctica is about constant daylight for days (months) but at the same time, it's about dark nights for days as well. Also at the South Pole itself days and nights last for almost 6 months each, so in this context "One night a few moons ago" can mean a few years ago. Btw, there is another popular term for "Polar Day" - "Midnight Sun" and in Antarctica day time occurs December which is fun ig.

[wastewatermanagementsystem]

How Does an Effective Wastewater Management System Work?

Some things are crucial for our as well as our environment's well-being; efficient wastewater management is indeed one such thing. Simply put, an efficient wastewater system prevents water from getting contaminated, which is so crucial in this ever-growing world in terms of urbanization and industrialization growth. This blog discusses the workings of an efficient wastewater management system and highlights the importance of integrating rainwater and stormwater management systems.

A wastewater system collects, treats, and safely disposes of water from domestic, industrial, and commercial sources.

This system typically involves several stages:

Collection: Wastewater is collected through an extensive network of pipes and drains. These pipes transport the water to a treatment plant, where the purification process begins. Advanced rain pipe machine manufacturers provide the technology needed to ensure proper infrastructure for water collection.

Primary Treatment: During this stage, large solid materials such as plastics, leaves, and sediments are removed from the water. The wastewater is passed through screens and sedimentation tanks to settle and filter out heavy particles.

Secondary Treatment: This step involves biological processes that break down organic matter in the water. Aeration tanks introduce oxygen to the wastewater, which promotes the growth of bacteria that consume harmful substances.

Tertiary Treatment: The final stage involves chemical treatment to remove any remaining contaminants, including pathogens and nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. The treated water is then either discharged into natural water bodies or reused for non-potable purposes.

Incorporation with Stormwater and Rainwater Management Systems

One of the critical aspects of modern wastewater management is its integration with rainwater management system. Rainwater harvesting helps reduce the pressure on wastewater systems by collecting and utilizing rainwater for non-drinking purposes. This sustainable approach ensures that rainwater that would otherwise flow into the drains is used efficiently.

Stormwater management systems also play a key role in preventing floods and waterlogging during heavy rains. These systems channel excess water into drainage networks and prevent it from overwhelming the wastewater system. Companies like Wavin have developed innovative solutions to manage stormwater effectively, including permeable pavements and underground tanks that store excess rainwater.

The Role of Rain Pipe Machine Manufacturers

To implement efficient wastewater and rainwater management systems, robust infrastructure is essential. Rain pipe machine manufacturers provide the technology and equipment needed to install pipes that collect, distribute, and treat water. High-quality machines ensure durability, reliability, and performance in the long run, minimizing maintenance costs.

Summary

An effective wastewater management system is more than just a method to treat used water. It integrates rainwater management systems and stormwater management systems to provide a holistic approach to water conservation and flood prevention. With industry leaders like Wavin offering cutting-edge solutions and rain pipe machine manufacturers ensuring efficient infrastructure, modern wastewater systems contribute significantly to environmental sustainability.

[skuaspestcontrol123]

Mosquito Control Services in Delhi-NCR: A Necessity for Healthy Living

Mosquitoes are more than simply annoying insects that annoy people and make it difficult to sleep. They are also well-known for being carriers of the Zika virus, dengue, malaria, and chikungunya, among other serious illnesses. The issue of mosquitoes is made worse in an urban area as densely inhabited and rapidly expanding as Delhi-NCR by a number of factors, such as increased building activity, standing water, and inadequate drainage systems. To protect the health and welfare of the locals, this circumstance necessitates the provision of efficient mosquito control services. Prominent businesses like Skuas Pest Control offer specialist mosquito control solutions to assist in managing and getting rid of these dangerous pests.

 Why Mosquito Control is Crucial in Delhi-NCR

The vast urban terrain of Delhi-NCR makes it a prime location for mosquito breeding grounds. The perfect environment for mosquito larvae to flourish is found in waterlogged places, open sewage systems, and stagnant water in drains. The situation gets worse when monsoon arrives because more rain means more places for mosquitoes to grow, which increases the number of diseases spread by mosquitoes. Given the health risks that mosquitoes pose, prompt action through mosquito control services is essential.

 Targeting the larvae and eggs of mosquitoes is an essential part of effective mosquito management, in addition to getting rid of the adult insects. Entire mosquito control services guarantee that the cycle of reproduction is disrupted, lowering the danger of disease transmission. In order to eradicate mosquitoes at every stage of their life cycle, expert services like Skuas Pest Control are useful in this situation. They provide a variety of focused treatments.

 Services Offered by Mosquito Control Experts in Delhi-NCR

 The majority of Delhi-NCR's Mosquito Control Services involve a mix of interventions aimed at both controlling mosquito populations and keeping them from returning. Among the well-known companies in the area is Skuas Pest Control, which provides a range of customized solutions for homes and businesses.

 Fogging: One of the best ways to manage adult mosquitoes is to fog them. Insecticides are sprayed into the air by a specialized fogging equipment, killing mosquitoes upon contact. Skuas Pest Control significantly lowers mosquito populations while ensuring resident safety by using non-toxic, eco-friendly fogging agents.

Larvicide Treatment: Treatments with larvacide are essential for preventing mosquitoes from maturing into adults. This medication aids in interrupting the mosquito breeding cycle by specifically targeting larvae in locations with standing water or moisture. Skuas Pest Control targets mosquito breeding areas around homes and buildings with long-lasting, safe larvicides.

 Biological Control: This approach targets mosquitoes directly using agents or natural predators without endangering the ecosystem. Biological solutions are provided by Skuas Pest Control, such as the use of products based on bacteria to kill larvae or the introduction of fish that consume mosquitoes in bodies of water.

Preventive Measures and Consultation: Controlling mosquito infestations primarily involves prevention. Skuas Pest Control offers thorough consultations and recommendations on how to stop mosquitoes from reproducing, like cleaning gutters, installing screens to keep mosquitoes out of the house, and eliminating standing water sources. Additionally, their professionals provide advice on barriers and treatments for outdoor areas that can help to further lower mosquito activity.

Why Choose Professional Mosquito Control?

Expert mosquito control services extend beyond common do-it-yourself remedies, such as insect repellents and mists. Although home remedies could offer short-term respite, they seldom tackle the underlying source of the issue. Skuas Pest Control uses cutting-edge treatments that provide long-lasting results while focusing on mosquito breeding areas to provide long-term protection against mosquitoes.

 The health component is also another important advantage of hiring a professional mosquito control company. With the number of dengue and malaria cases rising, especially in the monsoon, professional services lessen the chance of outbreaks in homes and workplaces. In addition, certified pest control experts only utilize safe, government-approved pesticides, guaranteeing that their techniques are efficient without endangering people or pets.

Conclusion

Considering the health hazards that mosquitoes in Delhi-NCR pose, it is not only necessary but also a convenience to engage in professional mosquito control services. Skuas Pest Control provides a range of mosquito control options that are customized to meet your unique requirements, guaranteeing that your house or place of business stays a safe haven free from illnesses spread by mosquitoes. Their eco-friendly, efficient treatments improve the general health and comfort of Delhi-NCR people by reducing mosquito populations.

 Making the first step toward a healthier, happier life for anyone seeking to protect their health and enjoy a mosquito-free living space is to get in touch with a reputable service provider like Skuas Pest Control.

Comments

[makmore]

Leading WPC Decking Manufacturers in Bangalore for Sustainable Flooring

Wood Plastic Composite (WPC) decking is the best option for modern homes and commercial spaces seeking environmentally friendly solutions to floor coverings that will last long. A city such as Bangalore, which has an interesting combination of tradition and modernity, is experiencing an incredible rise in demand for sustainable building materials. Among these materials, WPC decking stands out because of its aesthetic qualities, long-lasting ability and environmental friendliness. Makmore is a renowned manufacturer of WPC decking in Bangalore that supplies a variety of high-quality decking products to satisfy the increasing need for eco-friendly, creative solutions in this urban area.

Why Choose WPC Decking?

WPC decking comprises of a composite of plastic and wood fibers giving it a look similar to that of timber but with better endurance characteristics of plastics. These qualities enable it not to be destroyed by sun rays or rain, making it suitable for use in gardens or near swimming pools among other places outdoors. Bangalore has a climate that alternates between severe monsoons and burning summers, requiring material that can endure these variations without degrading. Due to its robustness, WPC decking is embraced by many homeowners and commercial builders.

Sustainable Flooring for Eco-Conscious Consumers

With changing times, people are becoming more interested in buying products that do not harm the planet. For builders and homeowners who care about conserving the environment, WPC decking is one of their best choices. The use of reused inputs in WPC decking helps to slow down the rate at which new timbers are obtained and the forests are protected. Moreover, since WPC has a longer lifespan than conventional wood, its replacement is needed less often thereby reducing its impact on nature.

Makmore: Leading the WPC Decking Industry in Bangalore

In Bangalore, we among the top WPC decking makers has a good reputation for producing high-quality products that conform to international standards. With an emphasis on sustainability, we have a wide range of deck styles that are attractive, long-lasting and can withstand any climatic condition.

Apart from the flooring, we are leading WPC suppliers in Bangalore and offers related items such as WPC exterior wall louvers and WPC wall panels for outdoor use which match well with WPC deckings creating a stylish and cohesive solution for homes and businesses.

Advantages of WPC Decking

Durability: The WPC deck is incredibly durable, even to weather, insects and rot; it is suitable for any outdoor uses within the variable climate of Bangalore.

Low Maintenance: WPC decking doesn’t need frequent staining or sealing, unlike traditional wood products. An occasional washdown of soap and water will keep it looking new.

Eco-Friendly: WPC flooring material is a sustainable alternative to solid timber as they are made from recycled sources. WPC is used for the rate of deforestation and environmental conservation.

Versatility: The different finishes available for WPC decking materials enable individual customization depending on their design preferences like colours or patterns. There are several places where such material may be used including patios balconies or poolsides.

Safety: The WPC deck has anti-slip surfaces and does not splinter which makes this household accessory very safe for families with kids and older members of society.

Expanding Beyond Decking: Other WPC Solutions

Even though WPC flooring is more commonly used, we also produce WPC exterior wall cladding and WPC louvers for aesthetic appeal and functionality. These contain all the advantages of WPC decking including durability and sustainability and can be used in a genuine design.

For added protection and style, the selection of our HPL cladding sheets in Bangalore will suit those who want more than simply deckings. HPL sheets are an alternative sustainable solution that will not only look good but are also weather resistant both indoors and outdoors.

Conclusion

In Bangalore, Makmore is one of the leading WPC decking manufacturers due to its commitment to quality and sustainability. By making durable and eco-friendly flooring solutions, we ensure that our customers enjoy both worlds; the splendidness of natural wood combined with the strength and endurance of contemporary materials. Our WPC decking is therefore a perfect selection for sustainable lasting stylish floors whether you want to enhance your backyard or begin with a massive commercial project.