#slow interactions have made it so i can go ride my horse which is nice

[nyf-archive]

i feel like i got nothing accomplished today and i'm totally okay with that.

[one-boring-person]

You forced this upon yourself😂 you forced this rambo simp.(and i dont mind)

Okay this may not be as good! But! Im giving you the liberty to take it where you want!(because i love your little details and how you express the feeling in your writing i- AH! Its great. I cant say it enough, it’s great. I mean it.)

How about Rambo finally getting enough courage to show The rancher around the tunnels, in a date sort of way!(they don’t know thats actually where he lives. Aka that photo i showed you before.) i really saw how the rancher was so happy to have him at their house, I’d love to see rambos side of scheduling a house tour and date type deal!! Maybe him even sitting and showing the rancher through all his old photos, and them just in awe because wow. He’s so much cooler than they even thought! He just so nervous and surprised seeing them so interested in him after all this time alone, and them just- in awe of him.

( i also really think it would be funny seeing rambo go through his friends house and seeing-“why the hell you have so many plants???” And just. Adorable assassin living with a wholesome and loving hardworking s/o)

Ah! Im sorry if that’s not as good!! But hey, you feel free to describe their antics and relationship as you will!!

I think I may have run a bit with this, but I hope you like it regardless!😊💛

I've Got Your Back, You've Got Mine.

John Rambo (Rambo IV/V) x reader

Warnings: mention of death, mention of war, mention of injury, mention of PTSD, mention of violence, (possible flash warning for gif?)

Masterlist

The heavy knock on the door surprises me where I'm sitting, the sharp sound snapping me from my thoughts. Looking over at it from my position at the table, I frown and set down my spoon, standing to go answer, unsure of who it is: I'm not expecting anyone today. Colt looks up from his place on the floor, the dog just as curious as I am as to whom it may be, though he doesn't bark, so it must be someone we know. He watches me as I cross the room, going straight to the door.

Opening it, I'm somewhat surprised to see my neighbour, John, standing there, a tentative smile on his face as he looks me over appreciatively, his gaze drawing a blush to my face. 

"Mornin' (Y/n)." He greets, rough voice friendly as he waits for me to let him in.

"Morning John." I smile back, delighted to see him, "What can I do for you?"

I step back, waiting for him to enter, which he does so with a nod of thanks.

"Since when have I needed a reason to see you?" The veteran chuckles, the sound reverberating within me, my brain subconsciously storing the action away for later recall. Gently, John moves into my space, one hand coming to lightly rest on my hips as the other cups my face, drawing me in for a slow kiss. 

Kissing back, I feel a glow of happiness flare up in me at this contact: he's never really one to initiate touch like this, so it's a whole lot more intimate when he does. Relaxed, I loosely wrap my arms around his neck, languidly caressing his dark hair as our lips move together. 

Being the killjoy he often loves to be, Colt pushes in between us, nosing at John's leg, tail wagging enthusiastically as he recognises the familiar man, the dog as fond of his company as I am. Chuckling, John and I pull apart, looking down at the large canine between us, the dark eyes staring up at us imploring us to pay attention to him. Still smiling, John lowers a hand to scratch Colt's head, ruffling his floppy ears a little as the dog instantly allows his mouth to hang open, tongue lolling in content.

"Hey, Colt." The veteran greets, biting back a laugh as the dog pushes me out of the way, nudging at John's stomach.

"He never gets that excited to see me." I complain jokingly, standing back to watch the two interact, a smile playing at my lips.

"Sure he does." John replies, eyes fixing on mine with an expression of fondness, one that had me weak at the knees.

"He really doesn't, he just sits in the corner and whines at me until I feed him. Isn't that right?" I address the dog himself, giving him a light slap on the rear, his ridiculous height meaning I can quite easily reach it, "Anyhow, did you need something? Or did you just come here to kiss me? I can't say I'll complain if that's the case."

Cheekily, I wink at the veteran, leaning back against a nearby counter.

"As nice as that sounds, it's not the reason I came by." He chuckles, blushing lightly, "Though that does sound good."

Grinning, I nod my agreement, only now taking in his body language: he's nervous. His hands fidget, rubbing his fingers over scars and lines on his palms, and he shifts from foot to foot every now and then, small tells he's never quite managed to hide from me.

"Is something up?" I ask him, slightly more serious this time, unnerved by his discomfort.

"No, no, not at all. I, err, well, I just wanted to ask you something." He rubs the back of his neck, head tilted to the side as he regards me, dark eyes fixed on mine.

"Ok, go for it." I prompt him, curiosity sparking my interest.

"Well, do you wanna come to mine? I mean properly, like in the house." John cocks his head to the side, lowering his arm again.

Blinking, I feel shock flood my system, before it turns to unbelievable happiness that he's trusting me enough to come into his private space. Initially, I can't find the right words, somehow struggling to respond, until I find my tongue again.

"I would love to, John." I agree, features lighting up as my mood brightens, "There's nothing I've really got to do today except train up one of the younger horses, so I've got as long as you want after that."

"Great. Is four o'clock alright?" The veteran smiles broadly, though he still looks somewhat nervous.

"Yeah, should be. I'll be there." I promise him, taking up my Stetson from the table as I briefly turn away to put away the plate I was using, having lost my appetite in my sudden excitement.

"I'll get it tidy." He says, looking around the room again, "I'll never understand why you have so many plants in your house. It's like a damn jungle."

At his comment, I laugh loudly, glancing around at the variety of different houseplants I have placed on various shelves, the greenery practically covering every available surface. 

"Because it's way too dry to grow anything like this outside all the time. Anyway, they look nice." I shrug, calling Colt to my side as I follow John from the house, grabbing my jacket from the hook as I pass.

"But why so many?" 

Once again, I shrug, following him over to a nearby post, where he's hitched Bandit, the horse I gave him a few months ago. The buckskin stallion paws at the ground, his pale coat looking as clean as ever even as he noses at the dust, the dark colouring around his eyes (the reason for his name) and legs standing out much more in the bright sun. As we approach, he looks up, snorting in greeting.

"He's looking good." I acknowledge, admiring the strong stallion appreciatively - I had reared Bandit from a foal, before I had given him to the veteran as a gift four months ago, hoping it will help him to grow his own ranch. My plan had worked, and John now has four horses, including Bandit, as well as a couple of other animals, such as a cow, a pig and five chickens. I'd sold him a couple of goats as well, but we soon found out that John and goats just didn't get along. At all.

"Yeah, he's doing well, too. Takes the training very well, too." John runs a hand through the stallion's dark mane, untying the reins.

"That's good. Reckon he'll be ready for a competition soon?" 

"Should be." 

Snorting again, Bandit pulls at the reins, clearly eager to get going, especially as Colt moves up to sniff at the horse's back legs. I quickly whistle him over, knowing Bandit has always been shifty around the dog.

"I'll see you at four then." I finally say, unwilling to say goodbye, even if it is only for a few hours.

"Yeah, see you then." John smiles, leaning in to kiss me again, keeping it brief this time, leaving me wishing for more, as he always does.

"See ya." I grin, watching him climb into the saddle, still somehow fluid in doing so despite his age. 

Gathering the reins in hand, John adjusts himself in the saddle, before he smiles down at me again as he gently urges Bandit into motion. Obediently, the stallion moves into a swift trot, which turns into a faster canter as the two move off down the driveway, heading towards the split in the fence separating our land. I watch as they go, still finding myself enraptured by the sight of the muscular man sat astride the horse, Colt eventually snapping me from my mind as he barks at me. Shaking my head, I follow him towards the stable.

Hours later, having showered and cleaned up, I feel a sense of relief go through me as I hoist myself into the saddle secured into place on Leo's back. It's relaxing, the stallion beneath me more relaxed than the youngster I've been trying to train all day: she never gave me a break. Seemingly sensing this, as he always does, Leo flicks his ears back and nickers softly, very lightly pawing the ground as I give him a pat on the neck, glad to have a more reliable horse taking me where I need to be.

Tilting back my Stetson, I take the reins in hand and ease the stallion into a trot, intending to let him pick up his own pace, my trust in this horse far greater than in the mare from before. Obediently, Leo moves into the correct gait, the two of us moving as if as one, years of riding together having made it easy for us to become in tune with each other. Together, we start off down the road towards John's ranch, the new path we've created beaten and well-used, allowing for relatively easy riding. Leo's hooves pound the dry ground rhythmically, my hips moving in time with his every stride, the relaxing movement helping to calm the nerves that have sprung up inside me.

A part of me is still unconvinced about going into John's home. Yes, I had helped him rebuild it and had seen very little of the inside rooms, but it still feels as if I'm intruding upon the veteran's safe space, his reprieve from the cruelty of the world he lives in. Something about that doesn't sit right with me, but I tell myself it's John's decision to make, not mine, so I should trust him, which I do, wholeheartedly. 

I'm still torn by the time I reach the main house, where John is already sat waiting for me in his rocking chair, dark eyes fixed on me as I approach. Lifting a hand to him, I smile and slow Leo to a halt, praising the horse as I climb down, the gray stallion nosing affectionately at me. Swiftly, I tie him to a nearby post, only to stop when John calls out to me.

"Put him in the stable for the night." He instructs me, gesturing for me to follow him as I try to fight back the sudden onslaught of racing thoughts at his implications: he wants me to stay the night?

"Sure, thanks." I smile back at him, walking after him with Leo in tow.

"Don't worry about it. It's not fair on him if he has to stay out all night." John waves me off with a short grin, "How'd training go?"

I groan.

"Not great. That horse has it in for me, I swear." I complain, rubbing at my arm, remembering the moment I got the new bruise forming there.

"Oh yeah?" He muses, looking amused.

"Yeah. She threw me off eight times!"

"Eight times? Wow, must be a new record." The veteran jokes, something that stirs up the familiar fondness inside me at his more personable behaviour.

"I reckon so. Painful one to set, though, I'll tell you." I remark, smiling broadly as we enter the stable, where I quickly house Leo next to Bandit, removing his tack and other gear.

"Must be." John watches me work, leaning against the door to the large building, muscular arms crossed over an equally muscular chest. Turning back to him, I have to stop and admire the bulging of his biceps as his hands grip his forearms, the veins I've come to love laying out a pattern on the tanned limbs. Everytime I see them, I imagine his strong arms wrapped around me, holding me safe and secure against his solid body, wishing I could feel his hands splayed against me more often.

"Like what you see?" John interrupts my thoughts, voice teasing as he lifts an eyebrow at me, almost smirking at me.

Blushing furiously, I avert my gaze, lifting a hand to gently tap the brim of my Stetson out of my vision.

"You know I do." I laugh nervously, before I look back up at him, "Anyway, since when do you use pickup lines?"

"Since I figured out they get you all flustered." His playful tone is new to me, though it's gone almost as soon as I see it, his guarded expression falling back into place as he returns within himself, probably thinking he overstepped some invisible boundary.

I still can't help stammering for a response, his gruff tone awakening something within me.

"Heh, I guess you're right." I stutter, going over to him.

Nodding, he keeps his expression straight, leading me out back to the house, where he quickly welcomes me inside.

"I tried to tidy it as much as possible, but it's still a bit messy." The veteran apologises, observing the interior of his home critically, even as I do so in awe.

The rooms, from what I can see, are mostly filled with sparse furniture, a few chairs here and there, an old sofa, a couple of vanities and dressers, with a mantlepiece in most, if not all, of them. He hasn't used much colour, but what he has used is tasteful and works well with the overall appearance. The walls, however, are what really draw me into the place.

They are littered with photographs and memorabilia, frames and objects cleaned and polished so they shine brightly in the afternoon sun, many smiling faces visible in them. Curious, I go over to one wall, looking over the array of pictures, which I now recognise to be images of John and his friends from the years he spent here. Amongst them is a creased black and white photo of a young John sat astride a horse not unlike Bandit, a broad grin on the boy's face as he stares at the camera from under a mop of thick black hair. I can feel a small smile creep onto my face at the sight of the veteran looking so happy and carefree, something I've not seen very much of at all in my time around him.

"That was my first horse, Hector. I had him until I left for the army." John says from behind me, sounding somewhat quiet, eyes softened from nostalgia as he stares at the picture along with me, "I loved him a lot, but my father always said he wasn't good enough."

His words hang in the air as I stay speechless, listening intently to what he's saying to me: it's the first I'm hearing about his life before he came here again.

"What happened to him? Hector, I mean." I ask him quietly, tearing my eyes away to look up at John.

The veteran shrugs, appearing somewhat remorseful.

"I'll never know, but I reckon my father sold him as soon as I was gone."

"Oh." I frown, glancing back at the photograph.

"The horse was getting old by that time, though. He probably wasn't much use." John chuckles wryly, moving away towards the stairs nearby, "Do you want to see upstairs?"

"Yeah, sure." I nod, following him as he ascends to the second floor, which I now see consists of three different rooms.

He takes me to the farthest, opening the door to reveal an old study, which looks as if it hasn't been used in a good few years.

"This was my father's study, where he did all his business. I was never allowed in here as a kid." John sweeps his arm around the room, staying by the threshold, as if abiding by a rule that no longer exists, "Not that I go in here that much as an adult."

I look around, finding the neat area interesting: images of a young John hovering by the door, waiting for his father to finish business entering my head.

"It's nice, I like it." I remark, turning to find him smiling very slightly at me.

"It's the only room in the house that's exactly as it used to be. I haven't had time to do up the others properly." John says, leaving the study and going back down the hall, where he opens the other two doors to reveal a bathroom and an empty room.

A dull curiosity flares up within me as I realise one thing about the top floor, but I easily find a solution to it, following John back down the stairs. As we go, however, I realise that my assumption is wrong, as the only other rooms down here are missing the one thing I'd expect in any house.

"Where do you sleep? I haven't seen a bed or anything anywhere." I ask him, cocking my head to the side as he takes me to one final door.

"I'm gonna show you." He smiles at me, before he opens the door.

I blink as I see the dark steps descending into the ground, unease biting at my throat as I flash John a hesitant look. A cool draft wafts up from the black depth, but John only chuckles and moves down into the space below, gesturing for me to follow.

"It's perfectly safe, don't worry." He calls to me, a light flickering on as he reaches the bottom of the steps, illuminating the path to me.

Swallowing, I gingerly step down the stairs, emerging into a tunnel of sorts, my curiosity piqued as I take in the chiselled walls around me, the rock cast in an odd light from the naked bulbs positioned along the length of the cavern. Struts of wood hold the ceiling steady, wiring hanging off of them in places where he's had to hastily put it all together. John watches as I take in the passage, a thoughtful look in place on his face.

"What is this place?" I wonder aloud, still taken aback by the oddity of having a tunnel beneath the house that stretches off in both directions.

"This is my safe space." The veteran informs me, urging me along with him as we go further into the tunnel, walking together for a minute before we emerge out into a larger room of sorts, which is well lit. 

My eyes widen as I realise exactly what he means.

The room acts as his bedroom and bathroom, and also has space to sit and relax, the whole area having a homely feel to it. What was missing in the rooms in the house can be found down here, including more photographs, though these ones seem different to the others. They adorn the walls, all except one, which is decorated with a variety of weapons, both guns and knives. Going over to it, I look over the rifles and shotguns hooked onto the wall, struck speechless as I then turn my attention to a machete, the blade honed but chipped from use, seemingly out of place as it hangs beside another, smaller hunting knife. 

Moving on, I regard the photographs, only now realising that they're military pictures, many of them containing images of a youthful John in fatigues and uniform. A smile creeps back onto my lips as I feel my eyes land on a particular image of a group of men, where I can see John standing amongst them, a triumphant grin on his face, long locks of dark hair held back by a strip of fabric around his head. The others also smile, though there's something bittersweet about the inscription at the corner of the photo: Baker Team, Vietnam. As I look past the other pictures, I notice that the team slowly dwindles, beaming faces becoming drawn and solemn, eventually just leaving two people behind. Beneath this image is another inscription: Baker Team Survivors.

"That was my team in 'Nam." John says suddenly, voice husky as he remembers the friends he had, "None of them made it back. Not really."

Eyes wide, I look back at him, taking in the distant look in his own eyes, the barely concealed grief still raw in his expression as he stares at the photographs. Noticing my gaze, John gestures for me to come sit on the edge of his bed with him, the veteran pulling another photograph from it's place on his bedside table. Doing so, I make sure I'm not touching him, but am close enough to reassure him, waiting patiently for him to start talking of his own accord, knowing that this is a sensitive subject for him.

After a moment, he starts, his voice low as he pulls me into his stories, taking me through suffocating jungles and blistering heats, through recon and rescue missions, through bloody gunfights and hellfire,  through hours spent in torturous situations. He puts me in his shoes as he loses every single member of his team to the gruesome fight he should never have fought, the harrowing grief and pain of letting go of a comrade, someone who's supposed to be by your side for as long as the two of you can stay alive, laid bare for me to see and experience. And even as he moves on, back to familiar territory in the States, the fight never leaves him.

Facing harassment in what should be his safety and security, I can feel every bit of betrayal, of anger and grief that he felt as he is let down by his own country time after time, used again and again by the authorities to do their dirty work, only to be cast aside when it doesn't go their way, the old catchphrase he once lived by, "I've got your back, you've got mine" completely meaningless in this hollow life. His disgust in humanity is plain to me as he outlines his most recent forays into warfare, where the rage he felt is once again transferred to me, and I experience the violent need to take out the parasites in the world that destroy anything good that he did. It's as if I'm there with him, through everything, his description and memories so vivid they chill me to the core, keeping me hooked on his every word.

After a long while, he eventually trails off, and I realise there's a tear rolling down his cheek, his body shaking a little as he holds himself back. My heart breaking, I have to fight the urge to reach out and pull him into an embrace, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. I place my hand on his shoulder instead, rubbing the tight muscles soothingly until he looks up at me with the most heart-rending gaze I've ever seen in my life. At that point, my resolve breaks.

Carefully, I lean in and wrap my arms around his shoulders, pulling the veteran towards me. He goes willingly, sobs wracking his body as he wraps his own hands around me, burying his face into my neck, tears flowing freely now as he lets himself go, each pained sound agonising to hear. Tightening my grip, I lay back onto the bed, allowing him to press his body around me, holding me against his muscular form as I rub his back, whispering soothing things to him as his breathing starts to calm a little. It takes time, but eventually he starts to relax, body going limp as he lays in my arms, his larger form awkwardly wrapped around mine as he depresses his face into the crook of my neck.

I barely hear his broken voice as he whispers to me.

"Thank you." 

Breathing in his familiar scent, I just mould myself closer, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead as he does the same to my neck.

"I'm here for you, John. I'm here, and I'll never leave. Not as long as I live, I promise."

[izloveshorses]

country boy i love u

modern au, 1.7k, not to be dramatic but all of my training has prepared me for city boy dmitry and weird horse girl anya so buckle up

Dmitry wasn’t good with animals.

Or dirt. Though, dirt was something he was more familiar with, living in the city streets and all. But animals? Especially big animals? Terrifying. Unpredictable. Not recommended. 

You could imagine his delight when, after another arrest, he was placed at a horse farm out in the middle of nowhere to fulfill his community service hours. 

He couldn’t figure out why they needed his help. The breeding farm seemed to be pretty efficient, considering how nice and clean the barn was with its crisp white fences, loads of stablehands running around, the lawn an unnaturally bright shade of green. The manager hardly seemed to know what to do with him either when he showed up bright and early every day, too busy to really show him how to do whatever he was told to do. She just handed him a rake and a shovel and tossed him into a smelly stall and left. Or stuck him in front of a wheel-barrow and point him in a vague direction. Sometimes he was tasked with mechanical repairs of some of the equipment, which he was more comfortable with, but usually… he was thrown right into the path of some scary animals. And people. 

The family who owned the place were pretty wealthy, clearly. The kids were obviously spoiled rotten, expecting their horses to be saddled and ready before their rides, not taking the responsibility for grooming afterwards, leaving a mess of tack in the aisle for him to clean up. He hadn’t really interacted with them much but could feel their judgemental stares burning a hole in the back of his head. Here he was, the exotic, dangerous, explosive disaster, who would never amount to anything more than a screw-up. Come look.

He wished he was in jail instead.

Today he was neck deep in mucking stalls, eyes watering as he shoveled through a particularly nasty one, hating every second and hating his father for dying and leaving him on this bottomless path and hating everyone who put him here, when he felt a tickle at the top of his head. When he looked up he jumped out of his skin— a horse in the next stall had reached its head over and started sniffing him. But, more particularly, there was a giggle.

“She likes you,” the voice said. 

He spun towards the door to see a girl leaning against the railing. The youngest daughter, he’d gathered. She was the only one he’d ever really interacted with and it didn’t go well— she’d snapped at him not to light a cigarette in a barn and maybe he was a tad annoyed that his one reprieve of this god-forsaken place was literally snuffed out. He’d been so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t heard her approach. “I don’t think I even knew it was here.”

“Clearly.” She slid the door open. “You were talking to yourself and she was curious.”

He frowned. “Or she wanted to bite my head off.”

Another laugh. “No! Luna’s a big softy. Come here.”

“Oh, I’m good.” He waved the handle of his shovel. “I’m serving my community.”

She rolled her eyes. “You can take a break for one second. Or are you too scared?”

“I’m not—” she quirked a brow and he swallowed. “... scared.”

“Come on,” she grabbed his wrist and tugged him out of the stall and he was immediately relieved by the lack of smell. “I’ll show you.” Two steps over to the left and she was opening the occupied stall door and stepping inside. He slowly came closer to the railing, watching. Despite her small size the girl approached this half-ton animal like it was a bumble bee, cooing all the way, hands moving over the gray coat with confidence and familiarity. Now that he could see the horse in its entirety he noticed the belly was… swollen? Was it supposed to be that round?

“She’s gonna drop her foal any day now,” the girl said, answering his unspoken question. “That’s why she’s in here in the middle of the afternoon instead of the pasture.”

He nodded, still watching the animal with caution. 

“You can come in if you want,” the girl said casually. “You’ve been here for weeks now, surely you’ve gained some confidence by this point.”

“Actually, this is the closest I’ve been to one.”

“Really?” She stepped closer to him, the wall of the stall separating them, and she pointed at the animal’s head. “Okay, see her ears? They’re facing the side, which means she’s relaxed. If she was as grumpy as you,” she stepped back to the horse and pinned the ears flat against its neck with her hands, “they’d look like this.”

She released the ears and the horse shook its head indignantly. He allowed himself a small smile. 

“And her head is hanging low, and her back leg is resting. That means she’s totally chill and the chances of her wanting to bite your head off are slim.”

He met her eyes again, startlingly blue. Why was she so intent on getting him near her? But she did make a point, when he thought about it. “Okay.”

She grinned and pulled the stall door open a little wider. He stepped through, straw crunching under his ruined sneakers, and closed the door behind him, still keeping his distance. The large eyes were curious but sleepy, so maybe it wasn’t so bad. 

“Wanna touch her?”

He glanced down at his hands. His knuckles were still bruised from his last fight, a white scrape scarring his palm, and he saw nothing but danger. Tools of mistakes.

But a smaller hand circled his wrist and pulled him nearer, laying his palm gently onto the soft hair on the base of its neck. He blinked down and met her gaze before glancing away again. When nothing bad happened he stroked lightly for a few minutes over the hair and strong muscles. 

“Wanna see something cool?” The girl asked. He nodded and she took his hand again, letting it glide all the way over the animal’s rib cage and to the swollen part of its stomach. “You feel it?” He frowned, unsure of what she was asking, when he felt it and gasped. A small tap against his palm. The baby had kicked. He met her eyes and grinned, the first genuine smile of his in months. 

“Okay,” he admitted, “that was cool.”

“Isn’t it!”

The horse sneezed and he yanked himself back. When he was sure there were no signs of danger he returned to his spot, a little embarrassed by his own reflexes.

“You’re kinda jumpy.”

“You get jumpy when you live the way I’ve lived,” he snapped before he could think about it. 

The next minute was too quiet for his taste. Maybe he’d already ruined it. She stepped away and he almost panicked when she walked out of the stall. “Wait, where are you—”

“Relax, I’m just getting something.” She pulled a couple of brushes out of a basket and held them up for emphasis. “Since we’re in here.” He dropped his shoulders. When she came back inside she shoved his hand into a brush. “Serve your community.” He snorted and nodded, but he still must’ve looked confused because she placed her hand over his again, guiding it, and he could only focus on the coolness from the hard brush under his palm contrasting with the warmth from where she met his skin. “Brush in the direction her hair is growing.” 

When he made a few strokes on his own she nodded, passing a test, and left him while she worked on the other side. He tried to imitate her long and confident strokes, watching the hair and dirt float in the air. He cleared his throat. “I don’t see you in here very often.”

“I’m in the barn a lot more than you think.”

“Really?”

She pointed to the hayloft above the stalls across from them. “Up there, usually. It’s a good reading spot.” Like he’d know a good reading spot from a bad one. “Or outside in the sun. Or riding. Or in here. It’s just… a good place to think.”

“Hmm.” He wanted to scoff and ask what a girl like her had to think about that required this kind of quiet, but her voice sounded genuine, and she’d been so kind to him. Nothing like their first meeting, he thought. They certainly hadn’t started off on the right foot, and she must’ve wanted to make amends. He wondered what changed. “Why are you helping me?”

For a moment it was just the sound of bristles. And then, “Everyone deserves a chance.”

Well, that was a loaded answer. At least she didn’t say she pitied him. “The only thing I seem to be good at lately is messing up every chance I get, so,” he laughed bitterly. “Steer clear.”

“Well,” she circled around to his side of the horse holding out her hand for him to place his brush, “you haven’t messed this up yet.”

He ducked his head. Her eyes were too bright, too curious, too understanding for him to look at. “We’ll see how long that lasts.”

“Learning is a good start. See?” He hadn’t realized his hand was resting on the horse’s shoulder until she pointed it out. “It’s already making a difference. Maybe I can show you the ropes around here.”

His back straightened, smelling a challenge. It wasn’t like he had anything to prove— he’d lived enough years on his own now to know he was tough enough— but maybe he’d met his match when it came to having a competitive streak. What did he have to lose? The car he slept in? His fabulously decorated permanent record? “I’d probably just slow you down.”

She stepped even closer. “Or you could learn to keep up.”

He raised a brow, finally letting a grin spread over his face. When he nodded once she mirrored his expression. Then she backed away, leaving him in the stall. “See you around, city boy.”

He watched her until she was out of sight, a smile lingering on his lips. Okay, maybe jail was overrated. 

[what-is-your-plan-today]

Riding High Ch 3: Chicken Wings and Confessions

Chapter Summary: Fliss heads to Franks and Mary’s for a cookout, and they both learn a little bit more about the other’s troubled past.

Chapter Warnings: Bad Language words.

Chapter Pairings:  Frank Adler x OFC Fliss Gallagher

A/N: Again, as you will all know I’m a Brit so apologies if too much British horsey lingo slips into this…ASK away if you don’t understand. Tagging all my SSB/CSI readers…if you want in or off the list PLEASE just tell me. This chapter is a bit of a filler, things start getting a bit more interesting in the next one, and then we’ll be diving into the Gifted story line in Chapter 4. 

As always I’m a ho for a REBLOG and COMMENT!

Chapter Song: Fighter by Christina Aguilera

Series Masterlist Main Masterlist

“Frank goes out most Fridays, but Saturday we hang out.”” Mary said, explaining about her weekends to Fliss as she sat on the chair with her juice box. Mary had finished her riding lesson roughly 15 minutes ago and they were now sat in Fliss’ office waiting for Frank to finish working on the tractor. Fliss had noticed instantly that Mary’s demeanour around the 2 other girls on her lesson had changed, she had become a lot more introvert. Almost like the children bored her so to speak. It had surprised Fliss a little, as normally it was the other way round, kids happy to be outgoing with people their own age and more reserved with grown-ups. But she had ignored it and introduced the 3 girls to one another, simply carrying on as normal. Mary had simply focussed on her riding, not really speaking to the other kids. Fliss was starting to understand now why Frank thought she needed to socially interact a little more with children. “That’s cool.” Fliss smiled “So what are you doing tonight then?” “He said he was gonna do a BBQ.” Mary said, “Roberta’s coming over. She’s our neighbour. She turns up uninvited all the time so Frank said we might as well ask her if she wanted to come as she’d just rock up anyway.”

Fliss grinned “Is Frank any good with BBQs?”

“He BBQs better than he cooks.” Mary answered and Fliss chuckled. “But that’s because it’s not really cooking is it? It’s just heating meat to a temperature so that all the bacteria is killed.”

“Talking about me again?” Frank leaned in the doorway of the office, wiping his hands on an old rag.

“She was just telling me about your cooking.” Frank snorted “Yeah it’s not much to write home about.” “It’s bad.” Mary shrugged “Unless you get it out of a jar.” At that Fliss tipped her head back in a loud laugh. “Oh God…”

Frank shook his head smiling to himself before he changed the subject. “Tractor’s all done.” “You, Sailor are a God send.” she smiled “What do I owe you?” “Nothing” Frank shook his head “I had the parts lying around so…” Fliss frowned, before she smirked at him “ok then, today’s lesson is on me again.” Frank looked away shaking his head before he turned back, smiling “That’s how it is?” “That’s how it is.” she nodded.

“Alright, quid-pro-quo.” he said, tucking the rag he had been using into his back pocket.

“What are you doing tonight?” Mary asked and Fliss smiled.

“Well my Mum and Dad are away so I have the house to myself. So I’ll probably grab a beer, lay by the pool for a bit and then…” “You have a pool?” Mary’s eyes widened, cutting her off.

“My mum and dad do.” Fliss said.

“That’s so cool.” she looked at Frank “Why can’t we have a pool?” “We do…” “A communal one.” Mary rolled her eyes “ A private one is way cooler.” “Yeah, well, sorry life is such a disappointment to you.” Frank looked at her, Mary rolled her eyes and Fliss smiled at the easy to-and-froing that was going on between the two. “And here’s another disappointment, time to go.”

“Why?”

“Because you’ve taken up enough of Miss Gallagher’s…” “Fliss…” “Fliss’ time, and I need to get to the store if you wanna eat anything tonight.”

Mary grumbled but stood up and trudged slowly towards the door.

“Before you go do you wanna book in for next week?” Fliss asked. 

“You gonna let me pay for that one?” Frank looked at her.

“Depends if I find anything else for you to fix.” she shot back, Frank snorted and shook his head. “Same time?” He nodded “That’s great, thanks.” “No problem.”

She bid them both goodbye and Frank and Mary made their way to the truck.

“Do you not think Miss Gallagher might be lonely tonight?” Mary asked Frank suddenly.

“Lonely?”  Frank looked at her, “Why do you think she might be lonely?”

“Because she’s on her own, at home.” Mary shrugged “her parents have been away since yesterday. And she told me that she doesn’t have a lot of friends round here.”

“Neither do you.” Frank looked at Mary. 

Mary scoffed “I have you and Roberta, and Fred…” “Well then Fliss has her family, her horses…” “But why not us?” “I’m not following?” Frank shook his head. “I mean why can’t we be her friends?” “Well, we are.” he said, “Sorta, anyway.” “So why doesn’t she come round tonight as well?”

“Well, I…” Frank  he paused and looked up. He’d only know the woman a week but he couldn’t deny he liked her company. They chatted a little over text each night and again when in person but he didn’t know her in any detail… well, not yet anyway. He was hoping he would in time because he found her a breath of fresh air to be around. She was someone who didn’t know anything about him, his life. She took him for who he was and he liked that. He looked back down at Mary “you think she’d wanna come?”

Mary shrugged before she hopped round to the other side of the truck.  Frank patted the roof and leaned through the open window of the driver’s side. “Wait here a minute…” he said, before he turned and walked back onto the yard.

“Fliss?” he called and she turned to face him.

“Forget something?” she asked, smiling.

“No, well kinda, erm, look. If you want, only if you want, you’re welcome to join us tonight. It won’t be much, but…” “I wasn’t angling for an invite.” she said shaking her head.

“No, I know…” he assured her “But the offer’s there if you fancy it. Although my limits are burgers, sausages and steak.”

“No chicken wings?” she frowned “What kind of BBQ is that?” “You want chicken wings, you can bring them.” he laughed.

She looked at him for a second before she smiled “Alright, deal.”

“Say about half 5? Will you be done here or…”

“I can get one of the girls to close up.” she smiled. “Half 5 is fine.” “Ok, well I’ll text you the address.” he said with a nod “It’s not hard to find, we live in the prefabs near the dock so…”

He trailed off, waiting for the usual judgmental look that came with that but it never arrived. Fliss smiled and nodded.

“Near the dock huh.” she grinned “That’s pretty cool.”

“Well it means the commute to work is acceptable” he said and Fliss laughed. “Ok, right, so I guess I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah, you will.” she smiled.

***** “Hi guys!” Fliss waved at the screen of her phone. 

“Hey Titch!” her Dad grinned back “How’s it going? Burnt the house down yet?”

“Yeah, fire brigade are dealing with it now” she smiled “How’s Seattle?”

“Hot, like muggy hot, and full of people.” her dad grimaced and she heard her mum tssk in the background before she too appeared on the screen.

“Ignore him!”  Verity rolled her eyes, smiling “It’s wonderful!”

“Hmmmm” Bill rolled his eyes “I tell you what won’t be wonderful, my bank statement when I get it. You’ve hit every shop going.” Fliss laughed as her parents began to bicker affectionately.

“So what are you up to tonight?” Verity turned to her daughter “Making the most of the peace and quiet?” “Erm…actually I’m going out. Well, to a BBQ…” she said, trying not to roll her eyes at the surprised look her parents exchanged.

“A BBQ?” Bill asked.

“Yeah, Frank and Mary invited me so…” she shrugged “I thought it beat sitting at home alone.” Another significant look was exchanged between the parents.

“Oh and he fixed the tractor” Fliss said, in a hope that would divert her Dad’s attention. Luckily for her, Bill was a tactful man and could recognise when she was trying to change the subject so to avoid her mother digging further he took the initiative and began to ask her a few questions about it, which she answered as best she could. The call lasted for another 10 minutes or so before the oven sounded, telling her the marinated chicken wings she had cooked to take with her were ready so she bid them both goodbye, promising to be at the airport to pick them up the following evening, and headed into the kitchen.

Once the wings were out cooling, she headed for a shower then set about trying to decide what to wear. Her stomach was churning a little, why she was so nervous she had no idea. This was just Frank, and Mary. In the end she settled on a pair of cut off jeans which grazed her ankles, a pair of brown sandles and a light green checked sleeveless button down. She kept her make up light, and pulled her long hair back into a loose bun. Once she had made sure the dogs were ok she grabbed the chicken wings and the beer she had also bought to take with her and then once she had double checked the directions she set off.

It wasn’t a long drive to the park Frank and Mary lived on. Fliss slowed down carefully, looking for the number she had been given and soon spotted Frank’s truck parked outside. She pulled her Jeep up behind it and clambered out, only to be almost bowled over by a flurry of blonde hair.

“Hi!” Mary said, giving her a hug. Fliss chuckled and bent down to hug her back.

“Mary you saw me like a few hours ago.” she laughed.

“I know but, I’m glad you came.” she said, letting go. She reached down to pick up a ginger one-eyed cat which was following her. “This is Fred.” “Nice to meet you Fred.” Fliss said, giving the cat a scratch behind his ear.

“Mary for Gods sake give it a moment before you start bugging her half to death.” Frank’s voice sounded and Fliss looked up, smiling at him as he appeared from the side of the house. Fliss gave him the once over from behind her sunglasses. He was dressed in a pair of light blue jeans, a dark blue T-shirt, a pair of grubby white sneakers and his ever present aviators were perched on his head. He made his way down to her and frowned as she opened the passenger side of the car and pulled out a ceramic dish.

“You told me to bring chicken wings.” she said as she handed him the dish “I also brought beer.” He laughed and shook his head “I wasn’t being serious…” “Well, I did them anyway. And they’re already cooked so you just need to char them. No chance of food poisoning.”

“Good to know.” Frank nodded, before he gestured with his head “Come on…”

Fliss followed him round to the back of the house and up a set of steps into a small kitchen.

“Come on I’ll show you round!” Mary said, grabbing her hand. Fliss let the girl lead her into the main room of the house. It was small, packed with personal touches. She looked around smiling softly. There was a small bookcase in the corner by the window near the front door in front of which sat a small table and a tool box. In the other corner was a small desk which was loaded with books and school supplies. Along another window sat a small leather couch, and the walls were adorned with the same, slightly shabby light coloured wooden panelling which gave the place the feel of a beach hut. It was bright, homely and Fliss instantly felt herself relax, there was just something about it that made her feel at ease.

“Probably not what you’re used to huh?” Frank said, watching her as she looked around, suddenly a little conscious that she was more than likely coming from a fairly opulent background with the job she did and her family and sporting heritage.

“No, but…” she smiled at him “I love it, feels like a home.” “It’s not much but it does us.” Frank smiled at her comment as he moved back to the fridge. “Beer or…” “Yeah, beer’s good…” she said, standing in the doorway and nodding to the carrier bag of bottles she had put on the table.

“You know you didn’t need to bring any more.” he said, as he glanced inside it “I got plenty” “I’m sure you do but my Mum always told me it was polite to take something with me when I go to someone’s for dinner so…”

Frank smiled and began to place the bottles in the fridge before he pulled out two already chilled bottles of Bud Light and flipped the tops off with the opener he had stuffed in the pocket of his jeans.

“Thanks” she smiled.

Mary walked past the pair of them, Fred shooting ahead of her as she tossed a ping pong ball into the grass of the yard and Frank gestured with his head, questioningly. Fliss nodded and they stepped back outside onto the lawn area, where a BBQ and a small table and a few chairs sat were set up.

Fliss took a seat as Mary flopped onto a beanbag to their left on the grass.

“Frank bought the special burgers” she stated “Said if we had company that wasn’t just Roberta we should wheel out the good stuff.” Frank groaned at his niece “Mary…”

“What?” she asked, and Fliss laughed.

“I’m glad you think I’m worthy of good burgers” she teased, and Frank noticed the corners of her eyes that weren’t hidden by her glasses crinkling up as she smiled.

“And I’m offended to know I’m not…” A voice said, and Frank jumped slightly. Fliss turned to see a kindly faced black woman with chin lengthy curly dark hair rounding the side of the house. Mary jumped up to give her a hug and the woman greeted her before she smiled at Fliss who had stood up.

“You must be Fliss.” “Roberta, yeah?” Fliss asked nodding as she shook the ladies hand “I’ve heard a lot about you.” “Same here.” The woman nodded before she turned to Frank. “You going to get me a beer?” “Get one yourself.” Frank shot back “Make yourself at home. You usually do.” Fliss grinned as Roberta aimed a slap to his head and he dodged the hit as if he knew it was coming. Which he probably did, Fliss realised. There was a comfortable familiarity between the two of them, even if Frank was trying to be all gruff about it.

Roberta came back and dropped into a chair and they all settled info a comfortable chat. Roberta asked Fliss questions about her Yard, Mary interjecting comments here and there as Frank stood by the grill observing their food. Any tension that Fliss had been feeling quickly evaporated as she became even more comfortable in her surroundings, and she happily chatted away. She told them about her brother, Steve and his 2 twin boys Charlie and Joel who were both Mary’s age, where she was from in England, and her parents, revealing to Frank’s surprise that Bill wasn’t actually her biological father.

“I didn’t know that.” Frank looked at her.

“Why would you?” Fliss shrugged “It’s not important really. My actual dad left my mum before she had me and then he died when I was 4 months old. I never met him. Bill brought me up from the age of 2 and adopted me when he married mum, so he is my dad, in everything but blood.”

“So you said they were out of town?” Roberta asked. “Anywhere nice?”

“Seattle.” Fliss said “Mum’s always wanted to go and, well last year they didn’t get much chance to travel what with everything that was going on so they’re just starting to get round to it. Kinda strange them not being around, first time since I’ve been in Florida that they haven’t.”

She pondered that for a moment, her nails lightly tapping on her beer bottle before she gave a grin and looked up at Frank. “I face timed them before. Their reaction when I told them I wasn’t simply sitting at home tonight like a total loser was priceless. I thought Mum was going to tell me to give her a ring when I got back safely…”

Frank gave a little laugh as he recalled their conversation earlier. He was about to reply when Mary cut in.

“Why’s that? You’re a grown up.”

Frank rolled his eyes at Mary’s nosey demeanour but Fliss didn’t seem to mind.

“Well like I told you sweetie, I don’t really have many friends here so I don’t go out a lot.” Fliss shrugged “I only really know the guys from the yard and a few people through my parents. My friends are all in the UK really… even the people I knew in Boston were more…” she trailed off before she took a breath and smiled “Well, I left them all behind when I moved.” “Well now you got us, right Frank?” Mary said simply as she sat on the large bean bag as she tossed a ping pong ball for Fred who obligingly chased it across the lawn. “Sure does.” Frank smiled “And we’re kinda hard to shake off. ” “Like a dose of the clap…” Roberta dropped her voice so only Fliss and Frank could hear. Fliss choked on her beer, sputtering a laugh as Frank flipped the woman off. “Fuck you” Fliss wiped the beer she had slopped onto the front of her shirt. She took little longer, than she needed as her eyes had watered up at the sudden sentiment of the moment. She had only known Frank and Mary a week, yet here she was in their home. Friendship was something she had been aching to feel again for months and now she found herself suddenly surrounded by it and she was a little overwhelmed if truth be told. When she finally looked up Frank was surprised to see there was a shine in her eyes as they had watered over. He shot her a wink, tactful enough not to mention it and then asked her if she would mind grabbing him a beer from the fridge whilst he kept an eye on the steaks, giving her chance to escape and compose herself. She shot him a grateful nod and headed inside, taking a deep breath.

“She alright?” Robert asked, watching.

Frank shrugged “Yeah, I think so, why?” “No reason.” Roberta said, standing up and moving to the grill “She just looked a little upset.” Frank shrugged again, focussing on the grill before he looked at Roberta “Think I should go after her?”

Roberta shot him a look as if he had just asked the most stupid question in the world. “Dur.”

“Watch that…” he instructed, handing Roberta the tongs before he headed inside.

“You alright?” he asked, as Fliss turned to look at him, gesturing to the beer on the side.

“Was just about to try and find the bottle opener…” Reaching into his pocket Frank handed it to her and smiled. “You ok?”

“Yeah…honestly, I guess, well, I’ve just…not done anything like this in a while…other than with my family so…” “Overwhelming?”

“A little, maybe. It’s just…nice.” she shrugged.

“You might not be saying that when you taste my cooking.” he shrugged and she laughed, following him back outside.

******

To Frank’s delight the food was actually pretty damned good. Roberta had brought a potato salad with her and everything got eaten, there wasn’t a scrap left which was why he and Fliss were now sat on the chairs in the garden, Fliss groaning about being in a food coma. Roberta had left half an hour ago and Mary was now flat out on the bean bag, covered by a fleece blanket. Frank had moved the grill away and lit the small portable fire pit before he had retrieved another blanket for Fliss and himself from the stash down the side of the sofa.

Their conversation had turned to Frank’s work and he was telling Fliss about some of the people he had met, the pair of them giggling as he spoke about a real stuck up couple he had fixed a boat for, who had then only gone and crashed it into the side of another boat on the first day of them taking it back out.

“What a waste.” Fliss laughed, “All your hard work gone up in smoke.”

“Well I got paid so…” Frank shrugged “And it was a nice boat to drive…”

“Sail.” Fliss corrected him and he rolled his eyes.

“I’m as much of a sailor as you are a cowgirl…”

Fliss grinned as she took another swig from her beer bottle before she turned to him, the reflection of the fire pit flashing in her eyes “well, if the boots fit”

Frank laughed “Do you actually have a pair of cowboy boots?”

“I used to.” She said, taking a deep breath “I spent a week in Texas one summer on a ranch, just to try my hand at Western riding you know. They gave me a pair of boots and a hat when I left. And then my husband burned them one night after I was late home. You know once he broke 3 of my pandora bracelets that I spent years collecting charms for because I bought the wrong coffee…”

Frank bowed his head. 

“Sorry.” She smiled, “that kinda killed the conversation didn’t it?”

Frank shook his head and shook his head softly “In all honesty I was just thinking about what a prick he is. Something I’ll never understand, a man laying hands on a woman.”

“I tried to understand it for years.” Fliss said “even after he was sent down I still wondered what I did to make him behave like that but now, well now I know it’s him with the problem not me.” she paused and shook her head again “I have no idea why I’m telling you all this, sorry…”

“Don’t apologise.” he shook his head “like I said the other night, I’m a good listener.” “Yeah, you are…you don’t talk much though.” she looked at him. 

“What do you think I’m doing now?” “That’s not what I mean.” she looked at him. “Just a pity I can’t google you like you did to me.”

Frank took a deep breath and grimaced as he looked at her “My dad told me” “Yeah, sorry about that, Mary…

“Its fine.” she sighed “It was a public case and a lot of interest amongst the circuit. The main reason I left boston was to get away from all of it…seems it just follows me all over.” Frank had a sudden flashback to the moment she had asked him what he was running from and took a deep breath. “Well, no matter how much you try and leave the past behind it always has a habit of catching up on you.” he said, glancing at Mary to make sure she was still asleep. He reached for his phone, tapped something into the search bar and hesitated for a second. Was he really sure he wanted to do this? 

He supposed it was only fair. He gently handed it to Fliss. “And you can’t google me but…” Fliss took the phone from him with a questioning look before she glanced down at the article on display. It was from the Boston Herald.com and her eyes were immediately drawn to the black and white picture of a pretty woman with short, blonde hair. She was the double of Mary. Across the top the headline read “A Mind for math: Is Diane Adler the missing female variable that finally solves the Navier-Stokes Equation?”

“This is your sister?” Fliss said softly, “Mary’s mom?”

Frank nodded “She was a genius. The The Navier–Stokes equation they’re talking about, they’re of huge interest in a purely mathematical sense. It hasn’t yet been proven whether solutions always exist in three dimensions and, if they do exist, whether they are smooth or…”

“You’ve lost me.” Fliss chuckled “I was an English major, numbers and maths…” Frank chuckled “Sorry, force of habit.” he said as Fliss handed him the phone back.

“So, what happened to her?” Fliss asked softly. “I mean, I figure something must have for you to end up with Mary but…”

“She killed herself.” he said softly

“Shit.” Fliss said, “I’m sorry Frank…” He took a deep breath. “She was only 27. I was running late for a date of all things. She just showed up, on my doorstep. And she never did that unannounced, and more to the point she never showed up with Mary either…”

Frank swallowed and Fliss waited patiently for him to continue.

“She said she needed to talk. I told her I would talk to her when I got back and I left. I mean, couldn’t be late for a date could I…god forbid it damage my chances of getting’ laid.” Fliss noticed the bitter edge in his voice as he continued “Came home that night. Mary was on the couch…and I found Diane on the bathroom floor.” Fliss gently touched his arm “Frank, there’s no way you could have known.” “But I should have.” Frank said, softly “She was my little sister…you know, I was 2 years older than her. I was only 8 when Dad died but I promised then I’d always look after her but…”

He shook his head. “Anyway, here we are. A few months later we moved here. Fast forward 6 and a half years and…we’re still here.”

“I take it Mary’s father isn’t about?”

Frank snorted “Diane was, well, just like Mary really. Socially awkward. She didn’t date enough really to be able to tell the good guys from the bad guys. Mary’s father didn’t even last a month.” “And your mom?”

“She turned her back on Diane when she got pregnant. Didn’t fit with her plan. That’s part of the reason I moved Mary and me here. She’s a very exacting woman, uncompromising, very British.” At that Fliss raised an eyebrow and Frank looked at her, suddenly realising what he had said. 

“She’s from England.” he added, and Fliss smiled. “She hated the fact I gave up my job and…well we don’t speak.”

“What did you do before becoming a Sailor?” Fliss smiled and Frank chuckled slightly.

“I was a Philosophy professor at Boston University” he said.

“Wow.” Fliss smiled “That’s pretty smart.” “You sound surprised?” he looked at her

“No, not at all.” Fliss protested.

He smiled again, “You know, sometimes I see so much of Diane in Mary, and she’s just a child. She comes out with stuff that’s way beyond her years. I mean earlier this year she asked me what I thought Executive Order 13769 was going to mean for all those refugees being refused entry…what 7 year old talks about stuff like that?”

“A very smart one.” Fliss replied.

“Exactly.” Frank nodded “I don’t want that life for her, the pressure associated with being a childhood genius like Diane was. Which is why she’s going to School in September, where she’ll hopefully learn how to be a kid.”

Fliss looked at him.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t notice it before when she was with the other kids on the lesson.” Frank eyed her and Fliss looked down a little “See, she doesn’t know how to a normal 7 year old…well, very rarely anyway. In fact the only time I’ve seen it recently is when she’s at the yard with you.

“She’s just a little awkward…but that’s nothing to worry about.” Fliss looked at her.

“But I do worry.” Frank sighed,

“Because you care.” Fliss said gently, her hand falling to his arm. “I think you’re being a little hard on yourself and her. She’s a good kid.” “Yeah, considering I brought her up.” Frank chuckled.

“Well I think you’ve done a good job so far.” Fliss shrugged “It can’t have been easy.”

“Still isn’t” Frank sighed. “It’s not how I envisaged my life panning out that’s for sure.” “Neither’s mine.” Fliss snorted “If you’d have told me 10 years ago that by the time I was here, aged 33 I’d have had my dreams cut short at the age of 28, then divorced after being hospitalised by a man I moved thousands of miles to be with I’d probably have laughed but here we are.” “He hospitalised you?” Frank frowned, suddenly feeling an inexplicable surge of anger towards this fucker, one which he really shouldn’t feel so strongly considering he had known Fliss for all of a week.

“Did you not read that bit?”

Frank shook his head “No I stopped reading after it mentioned domestic abuse. Was none of our business.”

“He wanted us to have a baby and frankly the thought of bringing a kid up, with him, in that environment…so when I found out I was pregnant in January last year I got rid of it. He found out and he beat me so hard he broke 3 of my ribs, ruptured my spleen and fractured my eye socket. I was in hospital for over a week.”

“Shit, Fliss, I had no idea…”

She wave his apology away “In a sick, twisted way I’m almost glad it happened. It was the final push to leave him for good. Wasn’t easy mind, I was low. Very low for a while and when the trial was going on…” she stopped again and shook her head “You know he plea bargained? Pleaded guilty to a lesser level of assault and got 4 years last summer. He’ll be out next summer I expect if he applies for parole, which he will because, well, that’s John all over.”

“Fucker.” Frank bit out between gritted teeth.

“Yeah, well it’s behind me now.” she said “I’m in a good place. I’m happy, my business is taking off and it’s a job I love. I have my family and, well, some friends.”

Frank smiled and nodded “What Roberta said before is true you know. We’re harder to get rid of than an STD.” Fliss laughed loudly and drained her beer bottle “Well I’m glad to hear it, because I kinda like you Sailor.” “Back at you Cowgirl.” They changed the subject then, Fliss talking about her horses, in particular her chestnut mare that was her pride and joy, and then when Mary stirred Frank glanced at his watch and realised it was past midnight. He didn’t want to kick Fliss out but when he stood saying he should get the little girl in bed, Fliss nodded and agreed she should be going as it was late.

Frank told her to wait whilst he swept Mary up and carried her into the house before he came back out to walk her down to her car.

“We should do this again.” Fliss said, “Only this time you can come to me. Although I’m a better cook than BBQ chef.” “You’re on.” Frank said, “Although don’t mention it to Mary. It’s all I’ll hear about.” Fliss grinned and then leaned up on her toes to press a soft kiss to his cheek. “Thanks Frank.”

He smiled as she climbed into her car and as she set off he tossed a hand at the tailgate as she rounded the corner. He headed back inside, contemplating the evening. The chat had been hard going in some places, he hadn’t told anyone about Diane in a long time. Hell, Mary didn’t know a lot about her mother, he tried to keep her sheltered but he knew that as she grew older that was going to get harder. He also knew how much it must have taken Fliss to open up the way she did. It left him with a puzzlingly warm feeling in his chest that she trusted him enough to do so, one he couldn’t really explain. And he had a feeling it was to do with the fact that he actually wanted to spend time with the woman and get to know her, instead of simply getting her into bed.

Yup, that was it.  For the first time in forever Frank realised he’d extended an offer of no strings attached friendship to a woman.

And he couldn’t deny, it was nice.

@the-omni-princess​​  @momobaby227​​ @geekofmanythings16​​ @angelofhell-666​​ @thewackywriter​​ @marvelfansworld​​​  @cobalt-gear​​  @asgardlover75​​ @jennmurawski13​​​​  @jtargaryen18​​​ @saiyanprincessswanie​​​  @navispalace​​​ @patzammit​​​  @joannaliceevans-fanficblog​​​ ​​ @djeniiscorner​​​  @ayamenimthiriel​​​  @coldmuffinbanditshoe​​​  @disneylovingal​​​ @madzmilllz​​  @sgtjaamesbaarnes​​ @sweater-daddiesdumbdork​​ @southerngracela​ @goldenfightergir​ @kellymat​ @official-and-unstable-satan​ @icanfeelastormbrewing​

[sihtric]

Caged Birds Flying Free

A/N: This was almost too late so that's why it's so short, but it's for @tlkfanficfest . Also, I kinda want to write a part 2?

Prompt: Aldhelm has a nice day for once

Words: 1511

Warnings: none

Aldhelm found himself in the stables preparing for a midday adventure after a long morning of rain, reflection, and prayers. He was light on his feet as he circled his gelding, adjusting the mount and reins. His rides were an escape from Saltwic and everything associated with it — every political concern and every bit of feelings he had for the Lady Aethelflaed.

The stables were typically empty on Sunday afternoons, so Aldhelm was able to enjoy moments of peace with his horse before setting off. However, today there were two individuals in the stall beside his, voices raised argumentatively. He tried not to listen in on their conversation as he tightened his gelding’s reins, but his curiosity got the better of him. After all, what kind of scoundrels would disturb the peace on the Lord’s day? One, a female, raised her silvery voice in indignation.

“Lord Eowahl, I have done all that was asked of me! I have prayed in the chapel with the Lady Aethelflaed, I have read scripture, and I have delivered alms to the poor. All I am asking for now is the opportunity to go out on a ride and explore the land.”

Aldhelm’s brows raised. He recognized the voice as that of Lady Enid, a visiting Breton noblewoman. She had not been in Saltwic long, having arrived only a fortnight ago on her father’s orders. He wished to have her serve under the Queen of Mercia, where she would surely learn a thing or two about politics and Saxon civility. Aethelflaed was delighted to accept Enid into her household and here she was now — arguing with a Saxon guard in the stables while Aldhelm eavesdropped.

“Lady, this is no time for a jaunt outside the gates. You need to be protected, and much of the guard is busy,” Eowahl countered.

“Oh, just let me go alone. I know how to ride and use a dirk. I think I can manage.”

Aldhelm couldn’t help the small smile in amusement at her words. A noblewoman, using a dirk? He supposed the Waelisc did things differently. He didn’t mind, however, having become accustomed to the sight of Aethelflaed in the midst of battle, wetting her own blade with the blood of another.

Eowahl cleared his throat and responded, voice decidedly harsher this time, “M’lady, you know I cannot do that. The captain of the guard would have my head if I allowed the fairer sex to roam the land alone. You’d go feral, Lady.”

Here was Aldhelm’s opportunity to make his presence known. He let go of his gelding’s reins and gave him a quick stroke. It was only a few paces before he rounded the corner and came face to face with the raven-haired guard and the Lady Enid.

“Lord Aldhelm! I did not know you would be here. I- I was just telling Lady Enid she could not leave the gates,” Eowahl explained hurriedly, his face flushing slightly in surprise.

Aldhelm’s inquisitive gaze flitted from Eowahl to Enid, whose grey-green eyes lit up with something close to hope. “And why not, pray tell?” He questioned.

“You- I- well, Lord, it is not proper for a lady to go out unaccompanied,” Eowahl announced, as if it were the most scandalous concept he had ever heard. Beside him, Enid wrung her hands, visibly restless, and rolled her eyes.

He was at a crossroads. He could leave the lady here and go out for his midday ride on his own, or he could set her free. She was like a caged bird, singing a sweet, melancholic song. His heart softened as he met her pleading gaze once more. He would set her free, he decided.

“She is not unaccompanied.”

The corners of Enid’s lips curled up instantly and her eyes were alight with excitement. “Thank you, Lord!” She squealed. Eowahl gave her a judgemental side eye but kept silent, instead choosing to huff in resignation and march out of the stall.

When they were alone, Lady Enid bowed her head. “I appreciate the gesture, Lord. I have been waiting ages to leave these walls and get some fresh air.”

Aldhelm offered her a small smile in reply, folding his hands. “Well- I suppose we should go?”

It took them only a matter of minutes to leave the stable, as Enid had already prepared her own gelding. Once they cleared the gate, Aldhelm threw a glance over his shoulder at her. “I’d like to take you somewhere.”

“Oh?”

During the fortnight she had been at Saltwic, Aldhelm had interacted minimally with Enid but had seen her plenty. He had seen the way her shoulders were rigid as she took her place beside Aethelflaed in the main hall. He had noticed how she was always restless and fidgety during mealtimes. It hadn’t been lost on him how out of place she seemed amidst a crowd of Saxons. She was a stranger in a strange land. The least Aldhelm could do was show her the spot he liked to go when he needed his space.

With a click of his tongue, he was off with Enid close behind. The warm rays of the sun bathed them as they traversed the idyllic countryside, headed for the treeline in the distance. Aldhelm felt like he was flying as the soft breeze rippled his tunic. With each stride, he felt a piece of himself take flight. As much as he loved Mercia and his duties, he understood what Enid was feeling. The difference was, he’d felt that way for years.

As they rode, they exchanged looks. Enid looked at peace, the sun’s golden rays complimenting her loose chestnut locks. She wore a wide smile for most of the ride which cut into her flushed cheeks.

After some time galloping along a dirt path in the forest, Aldhelm signaled his gelding to slow and made a sharp turn to the left. They picked their way through the thick undergrowth covering the footpath. Aldhelm had to duck under a swath of low hanging branches which had not been there last time. It wasn’t long before he could hear the soothing trickle of a stream, which turned into the burble of a waterfall. Between the thick greenery, the waterfall could now be seen.

Enid associated the sound of the waterfall with release. The soft splash of water meeting water welcomed her. Her heart fluttered with excitement. A stream meant swimming, even if it was seen as improper to a man like Lord Aldhelm. To hell with what Saxon men found ladylike had been her mantra since arriving in Mercia. When their horses broke through the trees and into the open clearing, Enid flew off hers and bounded for the water.

“Lady!” Aldhelm called after her, amused at the flash of chestnut and pale blue that passed him. He grabbed both horses’ reins and led them to the water’s edge for a much needed drink. In that time, Enid had rid herself of most of her clothing and waded into the cool water. She let it envelop her, wading deeper until the small waves lapped at her waist.

When the horses had drunk their fill, Aldhelm tied their leads to a tree nearby and fetched a manuscript from his saddlebag. He seated himself against the trunk of a tree and peeled it open, studying the page he had marked. He loved the look of the dark ink and the light colors which danced on the parchment pages. The history of the land had been documented well in this manuscript, one of Aldhelm’s favorites. The stories of kings and queens were being told in long, flowing verses.

Aldhelm traced a finger over the image of the cross etched on the page. He couldn’t help but let his mind wander as he studied the dated manuscript before him. He wondered what his place would be in history, if his life would even be a story worth telling. It was inevitable , having a greater concern for the future than for the present. After all he’d been through with Aethelred, and now Aethelflaed, he wondered where he’d fit into everything, where he’d make a contribution worth noting. Lord Aldhelm, a skilled soldier and advisor to two Mercian rulers — one of whom he was in love with.

Suddenly he was dragged from his reverie by the sound of Enid’s voice, light and feathery, almost singsong, “Lord Aldhelm, would you care to join me?”

His eyes moved from the pages to the noblewoman, almost completely submerged now. Most of her hair was wet and clung to her bosom. Aldhelm couldn’t stop the momentary blush on his cheeks and forced himself to meet her eyes. After all, she was a lady.

Ah, but she was not like most other ladies, barring the Lady Aethelflaed herself. Before he could raise any more objections to himself, he set the book aside, rose to his feet, and headed for the shore.

They were caged birds no longer, and Aldhelm would truly enjoy his freedom this time.

...

TAGGING: @othermoony @lauwrite1225 @ucancallmechlo @cocchamscrew @n0rthumbria @hislivinglegacy @softestark @volvaaslaug

[aion-rsa]

Ghost of Tsushima Review: A Beautiful Homage to Akira Kurosawa

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Ghost of Tsushima is a daring departure for Sucker Punch, who since 2009 has worked solely on the Playstation-exclusive Infamous series. While those games were steeped in modernity, offering sprawling cityscapes players could explore from top to bottom via superpowered “conduits” Cole MacGrath and Delsin Rowe, Ghost of Tsushima’s open world is set in feudal Japan. It’s here that we meet young samurai Jin Sakai, who must defend his homeland, the titular island of Tsushima, from an invading Mongol army.

Right off the bat, the shift in time period and milieu to 13th century Japan is notable because Sucker Punch handles it so brilliantly, especially for the team’s first foray into the samurai genre. Japanese history and culture are woven into every single facet of the game so elegantly and organically that you’d think the team had been developing games set in feudal Japan for the past decade, not sci-fi superhero romps. More than anything, Ghost of Tsushima is a moving homage to Japan, its history, and its people.

The story opens with a massacre. A massive Mongol army, led by the cunning Khotun Khan, storms the beaches of Tsushima and is met by the island’s woefully outnumbered samurai contingent. When the leader of the samurai challenges Khotun to a one-on-one, fair fight, the Khan renounces the honorable gesture in gruesome fashion, literally setting the courageous samurai on fire in front of both armies. The rest of the samurai are obliterated on the beach, while Jin’s uncle, Lord Shimura, is taken prisoner by the Khan. Jin is also fatally wounded but is miraculously nursed back to health by a new ally, a thief named Yuna who needs his help in return.

These opening moments set the tone for the rest of the game. The philosophical conflict between honor and deception is the beating heart of the story and permeates the gameplay in riveting ways. As you fight to take back Tsushima from the Mongols, you can approach enemy encounters in two ways. You can choose to fight honorably, like a true samurai, and challenge enemies to a “standoff,” a quick-reflex mini-game of sorts in which you and one of the baddies face off one-on-one and see who flinches first before one of you slashes his blade through the other. You’ll then have to take on the rest of the enemies all at once, which is no easy task.

The other option is to fight like a “Ghost,” sneaking into enemy camps, killing the bad guys in their sleep, poisoning them, using intimidation tactics to scare them into fleeing battle. It’s an effective way of evening the odds between you and your foes, but it rails against everything the samurai stand for.

Countless games offer the player the option to approach combat either stealthily or head-on. This is far from a novel concept, and in this respect, the combat in Ghost of Tsushima offers little innovation. But what is innovative here is how Sucker Punch has taken the classic device of stealth vs. frontal assault and given it new life by expertly integrating it with the themes of the story.

Jin meets a handful of allies on his journey, each with their own multi-chapter story arcs that delve into their respective backstories. There’s sensei Ishikawa, a master archer whose protege has gone rogue and joined the Mongols. Lady Masako is a warrior and grandmother whose entire family was murdered by the Mongols, though she suspects they may have died after someone close to the family conspired with the enemy.

Each of the characters explores the honor vs. dishonor theme in unique and surprising ways. The dichotomy is most starkly represented in the clash of ideals between Lord Shimura, who is unshakably honorable and would rather die than gain an unfair advantage in battle, and Yuna, who understands that, to beat an enemy who fights dirty, you may have to put honor to the side for the sake of saving your people. Of course, Jin is caught in the middle and struggles to decide what kind of man he wants to be.

Aside from the ties to the story, the gameplay is fun and engaging. The swordplay combines parries and dodging with a more strategic approach to melee, as you try to find ways to build up your enemy’s stagger gauge. You can also use “ghost weapons” to give you an edge in battle, like kunai (throwing knives), smoke bombs, arrows, and more. There are also four stances to master, with each being effective against a different enemy type. Switching between stances is integral to combat and becomes second nature over time. There’s also an insanely cool fifth stance that I won’t spoil here, but it’s spectacularly badass.

Stealthing is strikingly similar to what you’d see in an Assassin’s Creed title (this is a compliment), and the game gives you myriad ways to kill enemies without raising alarms, like throwable wind chimes and firecrackers that allow you to manipulate their positioning or hallucinogenic darts that turn them against each other. Again, this is all stuff we’ve seen before, but it’s pulled off well here.

Release Date: July 17, 2020 Platform: PS4 Developer: Sucker Punch Productions Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment Genre: Action-adventure

Unfortunately, there are little gameplay flaws that needled at me, especially in the later hours of my playthrough (it took me around 45 hours to finish the game). The swordplay requires quick reflexes, and mastering parries and dodging is absolutely pivotal to your survival. The problem with the swordplay is subtle, and a little difficult to explain, but I’ll say it like this: in most games that are particularly challenging, when I die, I feel like it was my fault because I made a mistake, I just wasn’t fast enough, I hadn’t mastered certain skills. But on many occasions in Ghost of Tsushima, I felt like I died because the game didn’t give me a fair shot, like it was the game’s fault that I failed, not mine. It’s possible that I just wasn’t very good at the game, but it felt at times like I wasn’t given a choice in the matter. Your mileage will vary with the game’s difficulty level.

There are other things that bugged me, too, like the unreliable climbing mechanics (I swear, sometimes hopping onto a rope or branch that’s literally right in front of you is way, WAY too difficult). But overall, I had a great time playing the game and felt super powerful by the time I’d filled out my skill trees, which is no surprise considering the game was made by the same folks who made Infamous.

On a nuts and bolts gameplay level, Ghost of Tsushima doesn’t feel all that unique — there is some very familiar open-world stuff here. But on a presentation and storytelling level, the game is out-of-this-world amazing. Visually, the game looks stunning. The late-stage PlayStation 4 graphics really deliver, and coupled with the strength of the art design, Ghost of Tsushima is a true head-turner. The character models look fantastic and can emote on a level that supports the drama of the story. And while the different suits of armor that Jin acquires offer unique gameplay perks, I honestly just collected and upgraded them almost exclusively as an aesthetic indulgence. They look so freaking cool.

But the real stars of the show are the environments, which look picturesque from every conceivable angle. The wind-swept, verdant hills of Tsushima are intoxicatingly pretty, to the point where I’d get caught up ogling for minutes on end at the smallest of details, like the way the moonlight bounces off blades of grass or the way Jin kicks up crimson-red leaves that have blanketed the ground over time. I could go on forever about the dynamic day/night cycle, the beautiful rendering of different fabrics and materials, the horse animations. But instead, I’ll just say that this is the most breathtaking game, visually, that I’ve seen in recent memory.

A lot of love also went into infusing the game with Japanese cultural references, particularly in how the developers pay homage to the samurai genre. Each mission, for example, is bookended by cinematic intertitles that evoke old samurai cinema, Japanese characters, and all. But without a doubt, the most obvious/most amazing homage is “Kurosawa Mode,” which presents the game in black and white, with one of the best film grain filters I’ve ever seen in a game, resulting in an experience that looks almost exactly like a film from the iconic Japanese auteur’s oeuvre, right next to Sanjuro and Seven Samurai. If you’re a long-time fan of Kurosawa, turning the mode on may even elicit an “I’m not crying…you’re crying!” response — it’s that pretty.

I initially intended on playing the entire game in Kurosawa mode but quickly realized that it would be problematic to do so for a few reasons. Some missions require you to “follow the (insert color) flowers,” which is obviously impossible in black and white. And in combat, blockable enemy heavy attacks are signaled by a blue glint, while unblockable ones have a red glint. Combat is tough enough as it is, so…yeah. I only turned the mode on when I was riding on my horse through the countryside and I felt like treating myself to some eye candy.

Taking time to smell the cherry blossoms and have a respite from the game’s many missions and side missions is crucial because Ghost of Tsushima is a long, long game. The missions aren’t overly repetitive — most of them feel really special actually, like when you climb a mountain in freezing cold weather and must race from campfire to campfire on your ascent, or one armor quest comprised of several one-on-one duels with straw hat swordsmen scattered about the map, each with a distinct personality. But 40-plus hours is 40-plus hours, and while the main tasks of infiltrating enemy camps, liberating farms, and searching for special gear can lead to questing fatigue at the tail end of the game, the nice thing is is that you can always slow things down and just enjoy the scenery to break things up. There’s even a nifty photo mode to play with, and if any game warrants a photo mode, it’s this one.

Jin’s story isn’t just a means to an end, or a lazy excuse to drag the player from gameplay scenario to gameplay scenario. The story is incredibly well written and profound in its messaging and imagery, so much so that I believe it’s one of the best modern entries in the samurai genre, regardless of medium. All of the characters you meet and the little tales that unfold across Tsushima are filtered through Jin’s inner struggle with what honor really means and whether or not it’s worth dying for, which gives the story an incredibly strong narrative backbone. Despite the game’s epic scope, Jin’s journey actually feels quite intimate and personal. The same could be said of Kurosawa’s best work, and that’s just about the highest compliment I can give.

The post Ghost of Tsushima Review: A Beautiful Homage to Akira Kurosawa appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2OotV4C

[purplesurveys]

801

1. Candyland: What is your favorite type of candy? Gummies. I’m not really into chocolate or caramel candies. 2. Chutes & Ladders: Do you have a fear of going up on ladders? Does your house have a laundry chute somewhere? I’ve never had to climb up a ladder but I do think I could just as well have a fear of it since as a kindergartener I was always afraid of going up the jungle gyms. I don’t know what a laundry chute is. 3. Operation: How many surgeries have you had in your lifetime? Zero, thank goodness. The idea of having to be put under and then being sliced open makes me feel faint lmao. 4. Sorry!: Do you sometimes apologize, even when it’s not your fault? Yes, abusive people can make you pick it up as a habit. 5. Game of Life: What is your greatest accomplishment thus far? What do you hope to do with the rest of your life? I count getting into my university as my biggest accomplishment so far, but I know I can still do so much more. I don’t really have a specific career goal, but I do want to ultimately be the best at whatever job I end up in and to be the happy with whoever I end up becoming.

6. Cootie: Did you really used to think that boys/girls had cooties? No...I never heard of those until I was ten watching American cartoons. 7. Trouble: What is something big that you got into a lot of trouble for? My algebra grades in high school. I almost flunked freshman algeb and nearly had to go to summer school. Math was never my strong suit in those days, heh. 8. Puzzles: When was the last time you felt puzzled/confused? How often do you feel like you don’t fit in? The other day while making Gab’s surprise birthday video. I had never made a video before, so the program itself was very foreign to me and at first I doubted I could ever come up with anything. Luckily my sister, who is in film school, was such a big help in helping me get acquainted with the different features and buttons haha. As for feeling like I don’t fit in, I haven’t really felt that a lot in the last couple of years. Other than my experience with AIESEC, I’ve been a lot better in dealing with different groups of people and adjusting to their interests and personalities.  9. Hungry Hungry Hippos: What’s your favorite meal to eat? A nice juicy burger usually works for me. 10. Uno: Can you count to ten in another language? If so, which language? Filipino, Spanish, and Korean. 11. Go Fish!: Have you ever been fishing before? No. I've always lived in the city so I’ve never been exposed to fishing. It’s very common for those living in the province, though. 12. Old Maid: Did you ever have a maid in your house, growing up? We had house help for a short time when we first moved into our house. But because my mom is super organized and very particular about it, we went through like 15 house help in total before she realized she’d rather do everything herself. There were three who stayed longer than a few months because my mom found them very good, but they all wanted to go back to the province eventually so we had to give them up. Most stayed for like a day or two, a week at most. 13. Simon Says: Did you always do everything you were told as a child? I think so, yeah. 14. Red Light, Green Light: When you approach a yellow light, are you more likely to slow down or speed up? Depends if I’m in a hurry or not. 15. Are you any good at jump rope, hopscotch, or hula hooping? Have you ever used a pogo stick before? I can do the first three. I’ve never used a pogo stick and have only seen it in cartoons. Looks fun but I also know I’d break my bones using them lol. 16. Do you prefer chalk or bubbles? Two very different things, but I remember loving bubbles as a kid. My only encounter with chalk was when we’d draw a hopscotch court on the ground, so yeah not a lot of interaction with it. 17. Did you used to go on a lot of bike rides as a child? Not really. My lola always told us we couldn’t go too far away from home, so I followed her. 18. Capture the Flag: What is your country’s flag? What about your state’s flag, if you have one? The Philippine flag has a white triangle at the left side with three stars symbolizing our three main islands, and a sun with its eight rays symbolizing the eight provinces that had big contributions in the 1896 revolution against Spain. On the right, the flag is divided into blue on top symbolizing peace, and red symbolizing patriotism. The two colors can be switched depending if the country’s at war. 19. Tic Tac Toe: When you played, were you the “hugs” or the “kisses”? I dunno, I picked whatever symbol I felt like picking if someone would ask me to play. 20. Have you ever won a game of Marco Polo in the pool without cheating? I’ve never played Marco Polo because I don’t know how the game works. Not very common here. 21. Scrabble: Are you any good at spelling? Yes. I was That student who aced all the spelling quizzes in English class lol. 22. While playing rock, paper, scissors, which do you usually throw down first? I always mix it up. 23. Were you always stuck being the pickle in the middle? I don’t know what this means. 24. Limbo: How low can you go? We never really played this. 25. When playing, did you usually pick “Truth” or “Dare”? Truth, because I have no problem telling it and people usually pick pretty shitty dares for you to do. 26. Have you been involved in any innocent games of Spin the Bottle or 7 Minutes in Heaven? No. Not common games here. I didn’t even know about 7 Minutes in Heaven until I watched 13 Going on 30 when I was like, 14 lolol. 27. Twister: Are you a flexible person (figuratively or literally)? I’m not very physically flexible. I can adjust for a lot of situations, though. 28. Did you used to pretend that the floor was lava? Kinda? In my old school there was a line pattern on the school grounds, and when I would walk I’d try not to hit any of the lines. 29. Guess Who: Are you any good at guessing games? Sure. 30. Clue: Do you think that you would be able to successfully solve a murder case? No, I don’t really like brainteasers like those. 31. Mouse Trap: Have you ever felt trapped before, in some way? Of course, in various ways. I’ve felt trapped at home, in my course, in my own head, etc. 32. Labyrinth: Have you ever gotten lost in a maze? No, that sounds terrifying and just reminds me of The Shining, eugh. 33. Jenga: Are you careful about what choices you make in life? I try to not be reckless, at least. 34. Bop it or Skip-it? Neither. 35. Tag: Are you in shape? Do you enjoy running? I wouldn’t say I am, but my body is also not in an unhealthy shape. I hate running. 36. Kickball: Did you kick the ball over the fence a lot as a kid? No. Houses here don’t really have fences. 37. Are you any good at mini-golf? No, never played. 38. Telephone: What do you do with a rumor once it’s been told to you? I didn’t really get a lot of rumors about me. The one time I did, it was so stupid I told our head teacher about it to put it to rest immediately. 39. Hide and Seek: Have you ever hid so well that it felt like it took somebody forever to find you? What was your best hiding spot? No. I don’t like making people nervous for too long. I didn’t have a hiding spot. 40. What Time Is It, Mr. Fox?: When were you old enough to tell time on an analog clock as opposed to a digital one? Hahahaha I don’t actually remember. I wanna say 8 years old? 41. Mother May I: Did you always ask your parents for permission? Yes. Always better for them to know what I’m up to than sneaking out and being caught. 42. Follow the Leader: Can you be bossy at times? I can be bossy all the time. 43. Monopoly: Are you good with your money/finances? If I absolutely have to save, like if Christmas is coming up, I’ll surprise myself at how good I can be. Most of the time though I like treating myself :/ Lmao. 44. Chess: Have you ever wanted to be king/queen? Only when I was younger. I’d wear a blanket around and pretend it was a cape. 45. Play-doh or Slime? Ooh that’s a toughie, those are my favorite kinds of toys. I did grow up with Play-Doh though and even had a Play-Doh Factory, so I’d go with that. [a-zebra-is-a-striped-horse] 

[ohgoddard]

Hollyhead Heroes : The Road most Traveled.

Alongside the mountain tops rests a town known as Hollyhead. A quaint town soon thrown into chaos from a myriad of factors , the least of them being a set of foreigners arriving to it. No, the issues of Hollyhead came long ago. When the town was young, it had a simple winter festival on the winter solstice in which such fun games were held. However, the festival awry one fateful solstice. A father and his two daughters took to the festival in such grace and happiness. Their father steps to a game of strength, one where you bring a hammer to a lever to see how high you can launch a weight. He was a heavy set man, so such an act was simple for him. He raises his hammer in the air, drops it upon the lever with such a force that the weight effortless flew into the air, until it was out of sight. Until it suddenly was. Upon the father's head.

And with their Father's death the daughters curse the festival that took his life, and ever since the town has experienced terror on that day and days following it.

But it all changed once more.

Enter... the Foreigners.

"All I'm saying Flint is that i'd make an excellent bodyguard!"

" And all I've said is no you oaf, I travel and do business alone."

The exchange was held between a tall and rather skinny man, shirtless with long flowing hair and covered in scars, perched atop a carriage to a shorter, red skinned demon-man with a temper. This shorter man, known as Flint, was atop his own cart. A more open ended cart, filled to the brim with weapons, glittering in the cold air. Adorned in a heavy jacket, he grumpily rides aside the Oaf and his carriage, adjusting his hat as to hide his horns.

"I won't even want payment!" shouted the shirtless, almost giant of a man, "I just want to go to Winthrop with a job! I can find other ways of making money, I can-"

"Fine! Fine , ill think about it. Just, a bit of quiet please."

The tall man smiled, and settled back into his Carriage seat, hands grasped onto the reigns of his horse, Butterscotch. It was in this moment he remembered his passengers.

Reaching behind him to open the small window to the outside he used to talk to the passengers he was met with a very strong stench, a smell he cannot describe. His eyes began to water the longer he faced his small communication window.

"What in the divines is that foul odor?!" he announced in a great bellowing voice.

What he saw in the carriage was a short dwarf , with what appeared to be a large clay golem in the carry-on storage above him digging in a pouch , a scaly dragonborn with a lute looking like the devil himself, a cloaked figure in a corner, and an elf who's very presence was emanating a sense of dirtiness. As if she were visibly staining the seat she sat on. Which she was.

"Why, I uh adont smell anything !" the elf said. The carriage driver stared her down with a look of extreme disbelief it could have disproven anything.

"Whats the look a fore Mr...uhhh... I never learned ya name. Strange being out here this cart fer so looong and not knowing your name its kinda weird hahaha man I need to be better in my mann-" "Its Great Strength." he said cutting her off.

"Great Strength? What kinda name is that?" said the dwarf , finally looking up from his bags. " Seems almost like a joke, given your heh shape." The dwarf was the stereotypical type, except for a pair of goggles atop his head. " Like you can talk, Mr. I-cannot-say-my-name-without-saying-who-my-dad-is." " How dare you call out me, Aludin son of Sphere!" he chuckled . "Ahh I see your point! Quite funny!"

Great Strength rolled his eyes. He looked over his shoulder to make sure hes not falling off the mountain before returning to the window. " You, elf, stop with the foul smell."

"Why ah do NOT smell Mr.Strength!" the elf replied rather snappily. "And do not call me elf! As uh customer ah expect to be treated nicely and by name thankyouverymuch!" An audible facepalm can be heard emanating from the driver's seat as the carriage is filled with laughing from its other passengers. "It is Odette, should ya wish to uhpologize to me!" " I am deeply ashamed of my dishonor upon your name, Miss Odette" Great Strength said with a roll of his eyes. "Thats better!" Odette said as she settled back into the stain she had made upon the seat.

"Well, Miss Odetee, please stop whatever it is that is creating that oder. I just had the cleaned!"

A gasp is heard from the corner of the cloaked figure. "Lies! There was garbage everywhere when I got in here!" "Well it was cleaner than when she got in here!"

And during this interaction, the cart running alongside the carriage of Great Strength hears all of this, and looks on rather curious, as this has been the most interesting thing this trip.

All the while a soft song plays from the dragonborn, not bothering to enter the conversation, creating a tempo to his song by snapping his fingers and playing one handed, showing remarkable skill.

But in his head he was laughing and he cast a spell of stench over and over again, soiling the air and sheets of the carriage.

Great Strength removed his head from the window to view the road ahead, entering a forest.

"Friend Flint! I do see a clearing up ahead!" Great Strength announced joyfully. "Perhaps a time and place to rest?"

"No, why would we stop? There is a town not to far. And I dont really wanna stop with you guys. I've got a competition I have to-" and in that moment Flint stopped speaking and started falling off his cart. Along with the rest of the gear he had and the poor Donkey pulling it.

"Friend Flint! Your back axle has snapped!"

A short groan came from the ground.

Great Strength slowed his horse and carriage to a stop in the clearing, where his traveling companions cart had been broken, and hopped off the help him. When he grabbed his arms to help him up, his skin burned but he cared not. He was helping others.

"Do be careful! You do not know what lies in these woods!"

"Yeah yeah," Flint said as he yanked his arm away," its not like i plan to crash my cart."

The door to the Carriage opened up and out stepped the party that inhabited it, however Odette the elf stumbled out rather clumsily.

"Why we stop?" the dwarf Aludiun asked.

"Why, our Friend needs help!"

"Why do uhhh he need help?" replied Odette, scratching her head.

"I have schedule to keep with the city and the destruction of my liver" annoyingly said the cloaked figure.

"Who are ya again?" "Its Midias, thank you for finally asking."

The lute playing finally stopped as the dragonborn stepped from the carriage. He surveyed the surroundings and said nothing, sniffing at the air.

"Well aint this just dandy. Mr.Strength why do we hafta stop for this ...thing?!" "Because Odette, it is the right thing to do, also it is my carriage and I will do what I damn well please with it."

Aludiun approached the back of the crashed cart to observe whats going on, he being a craftsman and all.

"Ah I do see what your problem is!"

Flint, still saddened of the company he finds himself in, asks with a sigh. "What could it possibly be?"

"A creature. It ate your axle."

The air seemed to still. And the party became increasingly aware of where they stood. And what was watching them.

"We are not alone ,Friends! We do have company!", Great Strength exclaimed as he rolled his shoulders.

And as if on cue , two monstrous ice white wolves exited the brush, snarling with spittle dropping from their snouts.

As they stood, everyone could be seen reaching for something. Some for a sword, some for daggers. Others outwards, others inwards. One not at all, for all he did was eye up the beasts.

Great Strength turns his head to Flint, looking over his shoulder down at him.

"Consider this a taste of my services."

Before the eyes of the party, the already 6 foot 9 man grew another foot and about 200 pounds stronger, muscles forming out of every crevice. Laughing the entire time.

And in the blink of an eye was across the clearing and delivering four punches into a wolf's jaw before it could even comprehend .

Breathless, Flint smiled.

"Hired."

[magistralucis]

Russian Sweets Review [Part 1]

😍☕️ IT’S A HAPPY TEATIME ☕️😍

Today is my birthday, This year I received a most generous gift from @absolut--kurant in the mail: a package full of Russian confectionery! Me being all the way over in the UK, so many of these sweets I’ve only ever seen in images and didn’t think I’d see for a long time, if ever. To express my joy and gratitude, and because I love talking about food (news to no one, ahaha), I’ll be writing reviews of the contents as I work my way through this wonderful present. This is just part one of several, dealing with the small collection pictured above: four types of конфеты (chocolate sweets) and some very crunchy сушки (sushki).

The tea is Red Label (Fairtrade) with a spoonful of honey. Let’s begin.

(Note: I intended to take pictures of the actual sweets but I was so lost in savouring them that I forgot ffffffff and I really want to save them and eat them slow. So I’m going to do this scrapbook style, with the wrappers folded out to show what they look like. I collect exotic sweet wrappers so this serves me well, but I think I’ll include pictures of конфеты proper in the next installment of this review as a supplement.)

Сушки (Sushki)

This was on the top layer of the parcel you sent, @absolut--kurant! It’s the first thing I took out when I unwrapped the box, and accordingly the thing I surveyed for the longest as I sorted all the other delicacies.

From what I understand, the relationship of these мини-сушки to full size is that of mini pretzels to actual pretzels. Mini pretzels usually have so much rock salt tossed on them I don’t enjoy them half as much as soft pretzels - but these, I loved. These sushki are smooth and glazed with a faint yeasted aftertaste. Provided that they aren’t too heavily salted or spiced, I actually love dry flour-and-water-based foods like these. I get through packages of cream crackers, water crackers, and hardtack faster than I do any kind of cookie. I don’t even need to put cheese on them or anything, they’re moreish on their own.

Sushki taste of savory and nutrition. I just took one more out to sample while I was writing this section and then ended up grabbing five more. God save me. Also this is one of the very few things in the parcel with English labeling on the back, so I was perfectly informed of what this contained 😂

“Красная Шапочка” - Красный Октябрь (Red Riding Hood - Red October)

This sounds strange, but here goes: part of the unreality of Russian sweets for me was the way they are folded. That triangular-tipped fold is something I have literally never seen anywhere else. That’s probably why I picked up this one first - I saw there are other конфеты available with that fold, which I will sample in the next review - and examined it.

The fold was simpler than I thought it was. I’d always assumed it was some kind of tucked-in origami.

As for the chocolate itself: I expected solid chocolate, but was surprised by the wafer inside the chocolate shell. Russian chocolate is noticeably of different quality than British. Much smoother, I think, with a darker edge and a deeper flavour. The wafers were laid with some kind of nutty praline and it was a gorgeous thing to nibble. Are there конфеты that are especially good to take with tea, perchance? This was a good one for a quick dip.

“Халва в шоколаде” - Рот Фронт (Halva in Chocolate - Rot Front)

hello russian language reading skills please interact

I spent several minutes trying to read this wrapper and didn’t get far. I should learn cursive; this exercise showed me that I really am functionally illiterate in this language outside of print, because I can’t puzzle out the very frequent instances of cursive. At least it was obvious what was inside this chocolate. Халва couldn’t mean much else.

I love my halva, but I’m not versed in the different types. It took me ages to find a place that even sells them here, and it’s just the sesame variant. The halva inside this chocolate was very crumbly - but in a thicker, more tender way, not in thin layers like sesame halva tend to be. Brown, very sweet, extremely hearty. It’s one of the bigger конфеты in this package so I was satisfied.

I don’t know what type of halva it is, though. Some kind of nut?

Батончик - Рот Фронт (Batonchik - Rot Front)

WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT THE CHRIST ARE THESE THINGS???? WHY ARE THEY SO DELICIOUS?? WHERE CAN I BUY FIFTEEN HUNDRED KILOGRAMS OF THIS STUFF AAAA?aAa?aa??

This. This made me bolt upstairs and search for 1) what this was, and 2) where I could buy it in the UK. It’s like 2.29GBP for 250g and I’m honestly considering stocking up on these because these absolutely hit the spot.

I think I like pralines. I think I like pralines a lot.

According to my research these are peanut-cocoa praline rolls. They’re not covered in chocolate themselves, but the mouthfeel is so incredible I was enchanted from the first bite. Elegant and soft. It also has one of the few Russian sweet wrappers I recognized (only in terms of visuals - I am unversed as to what’s actually in them), red and gold. I might have actually read the ‘red and gold’ descriptor in a book, too, some months ago. I only can imagine this ascertains their popularity among Russians.

There’s a Russia Beyond recipe for those. I might follow it.

“Маска” - Красный Октябрь (Mask - Red October)

I think I like Russian pralines a lot.

Batonchiki-like filling covered with a thin layer of luxurious chocolate. I think maska must be a different kind of praline, though, it feels lighter somehow; batonchiki feel denser to me. I return again to the comment on the quality of Russian chocolate again for this one, because this is the конфета that helped define what feels so different between Russian and British chocolate. To me, it feels that the standard quality of British chocolate has fallen in recent times, and Russian chocolate reminds me of the time when it was good.

Don’t get me wrong. Fine brand name chocolates have always been available here, and they were always of excellent quality. Nobody’s complaining about the posh M&S truffles or the Rococos or the Artisan du Chocolat. The UK is not lacking in excellent chocolates or chocolatiers with flourishing personal businesses. But the quality of everyday chocolates, the sort from Cadbury and the like, that has fallen ever since Kraft took over a lot of chocolate makers here. I remember when Dairy Milk was sold in vibrant royal purple wrappers with thick, mouth-watering squares weighing easily 500g per bar. Now it’s dozens of flavours but with very thin, mediocre chocolate. The perils of selling out.

I think Russian chocolate hasn’t done that. I’d have had to experience the Soviet life to follow the full continuity of these конфеты, of course, but they taste more legitimate to me. These are some fine chocolates. Though now I’m thinking of that ‘Russian chocolate with a horse magnet inside’ post and wondering what that one’s all about

Guest of Honour: Зефир (Zefir)

It is her ; w ; I see that when your product consists of what is essentially jelly meringue, 250g holds quite a lot of zefir, given the size of this pack. This honorary mention is mostly to prove that these got to me fully intact.

I did not open the zefir at this time because I was concerned about how I would keep them. They seem to me the most perishable food, once opened, out of everything else in the parcel - and the weather here alternates rapidly between hot, cold rain, and humid-sticky at the moment. I have put the zefir away to rest in a nice cool dry place for now. They expire in August, so I will pick a cold afternoon in the next week or two to enjoy them for real. I will write a review about them, too.

Closing Words of Part 1

Overall, this made for an excellent tea break and an excellent treat for the tastebuds. I can’t wait to arrange the second teatime. I feel like I learnt quite a lot, too - I first encountered the word конфет(ы) in Duolingo, where they’re translated simply as ‘candy’ (e.g. ‘Купи конфеты, пожалуйста’ is translated as ‘buy candies, please’). I thought very little of this. Like... you know, candy.

These things.

Surely you mean these things.

these things??????

But turns out, no, конфеты did not mean these things. I don’t know what a fitting English translation would be for them now. ‘Buy candies, please’ is one level of abstraction, but ‘buy this very particular subset of Russian confectionery, often chocolate-coated and in bar form, that are sold individually wrapped in paper or foil, please’ is quite another. Some retailers seem to content themselves with ‘chocolate sweets’ (but batonchik doesn’t fall cleanly into that category) or just ‘sweets’, but none of these translations carry the nuance of конфеты proper. Something for me to think about.

Thank you so much, @absolut--kurant. You gave me a fantastic birthday, as well as several more teatimes to look forward to. Tune in soon for further reviews ;)

[xeford2020]

Hallowe’en in Greenfield Village: 40 Years of History

"Ghost of Abraham Lincoln" in Logan County Courthouse for Halloween in Greenfield Village, 1982 / THF146345 Our beloved Hallowe’en in Greenfield Village program is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. It’s been a fascinating journey to have been involved from nearly the beginning, eventually leading the team that plans and produces this very complicated and detailed guest experience. Throughout the entire history of the event, the true star of the show has been Greenfield Village after dark. I know of no better palette for our amazing creative team to have at its disposal to work magic year after year. The year 2020 and its COVID-19 pandemic will be looked back on as a turning point for not only the Hallowe’en in Greenfield Village program, but for all of The Henry Ford. The need for a safe environment and the resources available have forced the team to take a fresh look at the event and view things from a very different perspective. We are excited and invigorated by the plan we have brought forth and we hope our guests are too. The Beginnings of Halloween in Greenfield Village The Greenfield Village Halloween program began as an experience shared through our Education Department’s catalogue of classes and courses. This new concept of a family-based, Halloween-themed experience was first developed as a scary wagon ride experience, with stops and treats at various buildings in Greenfield Village. There were other fun seasonal activities, including dunking for apples, a costume parade and contest, and refreshments in Lovett Hall. The wagon ride was carefully planned out and tapped into Village stories, going as far as having as having a staff member’s child on board as a designated kidnap victim--a sign of the different times that were the early 1980s.

"Trick or Treat" at Wright Home in Greenfield Village, October 1982 / THF146356 This program was presented on an ambitious scale. It was offered one night only and served a remarkably large audience. It was wildly popular and showed what future possibilities and demand lay ahead for the Halloween season. (You can read more about this very first Greenfield Village Halloween program here.) A series of events led to the next phase of the Greenfield Village Halloween program. The Tylenol poisoning scare in the fall of 1982 changed people’s view of the safety of trick-or-treating. This, combined with new staff and reorganized Village Programs and Special Events departments, brought forth the novel idea of opening Greenfield Village at night as a safe place for trick-or-treating. Thus, the foundation for Hallowe’en in Greenfield Village was born: the basic format of the program we have used until now. This first Village trick-or-treat Halloween program drew an unexpectedly huge crowd of over 5,000 people. No control measures for timed or paced entry times were put in place and the event was open to the public. As expected, the supply of treats ran out quickly and drastic measures had to be put in place to try and keep pace. I remember working at the first treat stop, the Loranger Gristmill. We gave out handfuls of loose candy corn (a nice thematic connection to the gristmill). I remember it being a very chaotic experience and the porch of the gristmill being coated in smashed candy corn, which could not be seen—only felt—under my feet. In the light of the following day, I was amazed to see single pieces of candy corn that had been pressed out to the size of my hand, still retaining their original shape and color!

"Trick or Treat" at Heinz House in Greenfield Village, October 1982 / THF146374 Many lessons were learned that opening weekend. Moving forward, Halloween in Greenfield Village became a members-only event and entry times were established to slow and control the flow. Developing the Program in the 1980s and 1990s Halloween would remain a members-only event for the next 20 years. The first few years, Halloween only took place for one weekend in October. This would continue through the 1980s. By the early 1990s, the still members-only program would expand to two weekends and eventually three. During this time, staff were allotted a certain amount of free tickets, but were required to show up on a set day and time and stand in a very long line to get their tickets. Member tickets for the limited number of program days typically sold out very quickly. In the first era of the program, there was a lot of emphasis put on the treats and their thematic connection to the Greenfield Village sites from which they would be given out. Different treats were picked out each year.

The inside of the brochure for 1983’s “Family Halloween in Greenfield Village” lists the thematic connections for each building treat stop. / THF146311 Connecting the trick-or-treat path were a variety of Halloween-themed vignettes or interactions, associated with historical events and characters with a nod to scary stories of the past. The effects were low-tech and, in some cases, took inspiration from the emerging haunted house industry. First seen in the 1970s, these haunted houses were grassroots amateur efforts, often sponsored and produced by local Jaycees, Elks, and other fraternal organizations as fund raisers. They relied on cheap scare tactics that involved being jumped out at, grabbed, and sometimes gory scenes. For years, we used some of these very same techniques. The Ackley Covered Bridge was notorious for this.

"Gorilla" on Ackley Covered Bridge during Halloween in Greenfield Village, October 1982 / THF146372 When it came to infrastructure, the Greenfield Village of the 1980s and 1990s basically resembled the Greenfield Village of 1929. There were very few, if any, streetlights and limited access to power to add additional lighting. Until the restoration of 2003, Halloween in Greenfield Village was very dark. Because of this, the jack-o’-lantern pumpkin path played an important role in lighting the way through the experience. A continuous thread to today’s program is the large number of hand-carved and candlelit jack-o’-lanterns that line the path—though now, they serve more to create ambience and atmosphere. Over 1,000 pumpkins are now hand-carved each week to achieve the continuous path.

Volunteers Carving Pumpkins for Family Halloween Jamboree in Greenfield Village, October 1981 / THF146327 Throughout the 1990s, the Family Halloween program, still a members-only event, continued to grow in popularity and had become a yearly tradition for many. Creative collaborations between the Special Events, Village Programs, and AV teams continued to improve the experience, and serious work and experimentations began with lighting and visual effects. A huge breakthrough was the discovery that Tim and Tom, the Firestone Farm black Percheron horses were decent riding horses. It was not long before the Headless Horseman made his debut in the front fields of Firestone Farm. He was soon joined by Ichabod Crane and a Halloween in Greenfield Village favorite was born. By 2001, though the sophistication and fit and finish of Halloween in Greenfield Village had evolved dramatically from its early years, there was still great potential for growth. Previously, costuming had mainly been reworked or cast-off bits and pieces from the period clothing inventory, décor was minimal, and aside from the hundreds of pumpkins on the jack-o’-lantern path, the main emphasis remained on treats. The New Millennium Brings a Turning Point to the Program

Workers Laying Conduit in Greenfield Village during Infrastructure Restoration, January 2003 / THF133585 In 2002, the big news around Greenfield Village was the impending massive infrastructure restoration that would begin to take place in the fall. The Village would close at the end of September and not reopen until the following June. Halloween would take a hiatus that year as the huge project gained steam. This would be a turning point and a newly imagined program soon emerged, keeping in step with the newly imagined Greenfield Village. By the summer of 2003, a cross-functional team began planning the work. The team very quickly established a back story that would guide what the new Halloween would and would not be. The shock and gore, now so prevalent in haunted houses, was removed from the mix. Instead, there was a move toward a family-friendly experience that would rely on the power of Greenfield Village after dark and scary and adventure-based stories that fuel the imagination and Halloween spirit. Another important inspiration was Halloween party guides, published from the early 1900s through the 1950s, in the collections of The Henry Ford. These handbooks gave endless advice on how to decorate, what games to play, what food to prepare and serve, and a whole host of other miscellaneous tips on how to throw the best Halloween party. Among the most useful and inspirational were the series of yearly Bogie Books, published by the Dennison paper and party goods company from 1912 through 1935. These pamphlets were filled with illustrations, some in color, that featured the huge array of crepe paper and other party products produced by the Dennison Manufacturing Company. Elaborate costumes and party décor were shown—along with the list of Dennison products one would need to replicate the awe-inspiring ideas featured. The colors, textures, and techniques guided our teams in both costuming and decorating throughout the Village.

Dennison's Bogie Book: Suggestions for Halloween & Thanksgiving, circa 1925 / THF96746 Trick-or-treating would remain the main vehicle for moving guests through the experience on a set path, but the look and feel of the treat stations would begin to change dramatically. The Period Clothing Studio became very involved and began to design a spectacular series of costumes to bring the gothic, fairytale, and adventure storybook characters to life—with a nod to costumes of the 1910s and 1920s. By 2005, these characters would become the treat station hosts, with their own stages and stage lighting. Other favorite characters, like the Woman in White, the Dancing Skeletons, the live scarecrow, and, of course, the Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane, made triumphant returns with new costumes.

Costume Studio Preparing for Halloween in Greenfield Village, October 2005 / THF12490 Another significant change at this point was the shift from Hallowe’en being a members-only event to a public event. Members still had first-pick when ticket sales opened, as they do now, but after a certain date, the public was invited to purchase tickets. As the popularity of the event continued to grow, so did attendance capacities. The creative work to improve costumes, set designs, and theatrical lighting continued. Through the 2010s, staged theatrical performances of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” and other fun, but dark fairytales, such as “Hansel and Gretel” and “Little Red Riding Hood,” were added to the mix. To set up the live Headless Horseman experience, Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” was also performed. Along with the dramatic presentations, live Halloween-themed musical performances featuring a vampire trio, the Potion Sisters, and a musical pirate review rounded out the offerings. To top it off, the Top Hat Side Show became a fixture on Washington Boulevard, anchoring the 1920s carnival theme in that area.

The Top Hat Side Show performing at Hallowe’en in Greenfield Village for the first time in 2015. (Photo by KMS Photography) By 2019, the Hallowe’en in Greenfield Village experience had hit its full stride and welcomed a record number of guests. There were now several different ways to experience the program with the addition of evening dining opportunities, including the children-themed “Fairytale Feast” and the 1850s Eagle Tavern Harvest Supper. Rethinking Hallowe’en in Greenfield Village in 2020

Signage outside the main entrance of Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in March 2020, announcing the closure of our venues due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo courtesy Ellice Engdahl) Planning for the 2020 Hallowe’en program was well underway when the world as we knew it came to a screeching halt—and along with it, the entire summer calendar of Greenfield Village special events. As we cautiously reopened the Village and Museum over the Fourth of July weekend, The Henry Ford continued to learn and understand how safety measures should work, what the scale of program offerings needed to be, and what the future might bring. By the end of the summer, it was clear that we could consider a Halloween program in October. We knew it would need to be reimagined and presented in a very different way in order to comply with safety measures while at the same time allowing our guests to have a fun and enjoyable experience. Based on decades of experience in planning and producing large scale public events, the Hallowe’en planning team took a fresh look at the program. It was immediately apparent that the entire concept of lining up for treats would have to be eliminated. Without the need for a set prescribed route, new possibilities opened, and the Holiday Nights model of enjoying the evening at one’s own pace and experiencing program elements in any order became the logical approach. Greatly reduced attendance capacities and timed entry would ensure a safe experience. Unfortunately, we were not able to offer our evening dining experiences this year, but happily, many familiar and favorite characters and experiences made a return.

A witch and the Hallowe’en Express welcome guests to Hallowe’en in Greenfield Village in 2020. (Photo courtesy Jim Johnson) A very exciting addition for 2020 is the Hallowe’en Express, a brand-new Halloween-themed train ride that makes a round trip excursion from the “Brimstone” Station at the front of the Village. Guests encounter all sorts of sights and sounds along the way. The presence of a live steam locomotive in the Village, with an eerie whistle created just for this occasion, adds an entirely new dimension to the overall experience for our guests. Over the past 40 years, Hallowe’en in Greenfield Village has steadily grown and evolved. There have been many turning points in its long history, and 2020 will rank among the most significant. New beginnings can often be viewed as painful endings, but the Hallowe’en in Greenfield Village planning team is fully embracing this new beginning and is very excited to share the path we have taken. Jim Johnson is Director of Greenfield Village and Curator of Historic Structures & Landscapes at The Henry Ford.

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[buckybabybaby]

Everything Backwards (Chapter 6/12)

Summary: When you make-out with a ‘James’ on a night out, you don’t expect to see him again, so imagine your surprise the next day when it turns out he’ll be your new sort-off-flat-mate. As Nanny for Peggy & Steve’s three children, you’ve lucked out, but now the guy across the corridor is threatening to ruin it. 

This is the story of how it all works out.

Chapter 6 summary: Bucky goes to his meeting, and meets Sam! Followed by cuteness in the park.

A/n: Crisps = 'chips’/'potato chips’, for American-English readers ;)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes/Reader (gender neutral) Slow Burn.

Word count: 1918

Warnings: A couple of swear words, nervous Bucky :( not much else.

Previous: Chapter 5

Everything Backwards Masterlist | Masterlist

Compared to some of the children you have nannied, these are absolute angels. Minor tantrums are quickly resolved, there has only been a couple of times food has been refused at dinner and the way toys are put away after playtime is remarkable. Basically, you’ve struck gold with this family. 

So when they’re all dressed, coats and shoes done up, waiting by the front door ready to take Bucky to his meeting, and you have to go searching for him in order to leave, it all feels the wrong way round. Calling out his name into the quiet house, you get no reply. Looking at your watch you notice that if you don’t leave soon you’ll be late so when you find him thirty seconds later you’re relieved. 

He’s sat on his bed, fully dressed, and you cringe at his shoes on the duvet, but the look on his face stops you from commenting.

“Are you, er, ready?”

His breathing is slightly laboured and he half shrugs, licking his lips and letting his head fall back against the pillows.

“I’m not sure I want to go.” Your heart breaks at his voice, small and childlike.

“Oh. Okay.” You wish you knew what to tell him.

“I got dressed up and everything.” He had. Very nicely. His hair is neatly brushed, and you didn’t even realise he had glasses until just now, eyes wide behind the frames as he takes shallow breaths. “I was all up for it an hour ago but now… Fuck, I’m being pathetic.”

“You’re not being pathetic. Don’t ever think that.” You duck down to meet his gaze when he glances at the floor. “How about this? We go, and if when we arrive you still don’t feel like going in we just go to the park and try again next week.”

He considers your compromise for a couple of seconds. “That sounds, er,” he sits up, wiping his palms against his trousers, “That sounds alright. I’ll probably be fine when I get there.”

“I’m sure you will. Come on.” You hold your hand out to lead him, and almost immediately drop it when you realise what you’ve done, leaving the room too quickly to see if he noticed. But the teasing smile on his face when he slides into the passenger seat suggests he did.

Finding a parking space outside the VA is thankfully easy and you’re switching off the engine with ten minutes to spare. Along the way you could sense Bucky growing quieter, his answers to the children’s questions getting shorter and his body shrinking further into the seat. Once again the urge to hug him strikes you. 

You’re trying to think of something encouraging to say when a movement on the other side of the street catches your attention.

“Is that..?” You turn to Bucky and ask him to watch the kids for a second before jumping out of the car.

“Sam!” You really hope it is him as you shout across the road. He turns and you laugh in relief when he replies.

“Y/N? Is that you?”

“Long time no see right?” He’s crossed to stand in front of you and you wrap your arms round him like you had so many times in high school. The two of you had shared quite a few classes during the last years and had become very close, even attending prom together as friends, but when he joined the air force and was hardly ever in the country it was harder to keep in touch.

“This is crazy, I didn’t know you lived in the city? Last time we talked you were working down by the coast.”

“I got a new position, looking after these cherubs.” You gesture to the three children in the back seats, who are watching the interaction inquisitively. Sam smiles at them and the two oldest look unsure how to respond. Joe, however, waves back sweetly.

“What are you up to these days?”

He points to the building opposite. “I work here now. Mentoring other veterans has made dealing with my own issues a lot easier.”

You had heard about Sam’s wingman being lost in combat a while ago. Riley was also in your year, and, even though you didn’t really mix with him much you knew his death was a loss to the world.

“I’m so sorry, Sam.” He shrugs and thanks you, before you remember what you were there for.

“Oh! If you work at the VA, you must know about Bucky, or James, maybe. It’s his first time today.” You walk to the other side of the car and open the door. Bucky is sat with his eyes closed, muttering to himself, and he clearly didn’t notice you approach judging by the way he jumps violently when you call his name.

“Sorry! It’s okay, just me. This is Sam.”

“Hello, James.” Sam waits for him to step out of the car before shaking his hand. “Glad you finally felt you could come.”

“Yeah, well,” he straightens his jacket awkwardly, “I still feel nervous. Is that normal?”

“Completely. Come on, I’ll give you the grand tour.” Bucky seems a little less tense as he follows Sam over to the steps up to the door. Just as he’s about to ascend, Bucky turns back to you but you anticipate his words.

“Give me a call when you’re done, I’ll be nearby.”

With a nod and a small smile he disappears from sight.

A shadow falls over the picnic table you’re sat at, and you look up to find the guy you were just about to message standing in front of you.

“I thought I told you I’d pick you up?” Bucky gracefully folds himself into the seat next to you.

“I didn’t what to trouble you, you and the children. The weathers so nice I guessed they’re wouldn’t appreciate being disturbed.”

He places a paper bag on the bench and starts pulling sandwiches and crisps out of it.

“Er..?” You must look as confused as you feel.

“Lunch,” he explains. “It’s the least I could do after you all got up early during the holidays just for me.”

“I’m sure they don’t mind.” You motion towards the play park where Sarah’s yellow top makes her easy to spot. You both watch her rush down the slide, too close behind her brothers and causing a pile up at the bottom, but no one appears bothered.

“It’s to thank you, too. After the things I’ve said, you’d have been completely within your rights to refuse to help me.”

“I hope you don’t think I’d be that petty?”

“The way I’ve acted, it wouldn’t be petty at all.” He’s finished taking items out of the bag and turns fully towards you. His eyes look incredibly blue in the sunshine and you can’t look away.

“I feel like I have to apologise for a lot. I was going through some shit when we first met, in the club, I mean.” 

You will yourself not to flush. 

“I still am. But that was obviously just before I moved in, and, I don’t know, it was sort of a 'last night of freedom’, or maybe it was a goodbye to the life I had before? Who knows. The people I lived with weren’t exactly the best influence, I definitely 'partied’ too much during that time. Anyway, that’s not who I normally am, and I don’t know why I was so rude the next day. I thought, well,” he runs a hand through his hair as he thinks. 

“I have no idea what I thought would come of that. And not letting Steve and Peggy know we had already met was only me being selfish because I told them I stayed home that night. It was wrong of me to suggest it was unprofessional of you. I don’t know what the fuck I meant by that. If I could do it over again, please know I wouldn’t be such a dick. Sorry.”

You gape at him when he finishes. No one’s ever given you an apology quite like that and you’re totally overwhelmed. Before you can think of an appropriate reply you’re interrupted by the arrival of three small children who’ve sensed food. Helping Joe with the straw for his drink, and stopping Michael from starting on the cookies first, you wait until they are all happily distracted before facing Bucky again.

“I’ve been pretty awful to you too, horrible really, so if you’re willing, start over?”

“Yeah? I’d like that.”

You hold out your hand and he shakes it. Under the summer sky in the most beautiful park the city has to offer, it feels like a new beginning and you’re excited for the future.

“You’ve only just eaten, I’m not sure funfair rides are the best idea,” you try to reason, however the teacups and Ferris Wheel spinning in the corner of the field are too appealing. 

Bucky doesn’t help. “You’ve not lived 'til you’ve made yourself sick on the carousel, though, right?”

You shake your head with a laugh, watching as the children cheer and race over to choose which horse they want to ride on. You have to call them back to attach the wrist bands you’ve just bought to them, and then take a seat by the candy floss machine, content to let them spin themselves silly. 

Bucky sits next to you and you accept the doughnut he offers you.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, naturally, but, how was your meeting?” 

You’ve been dying to know all day but aren’t going to force this new-found friendship if it makes him uncomfortable. He chews on his own sugary treat as he considers your question.

“A lot easier than I thought it would be.” He doesn’t elaborate and you don’t push it.

“I’m very glad. So, same time next week?”

“Yeah, I guess. Sam’s cool.”

You giggle. “Sam’s the coolest, I’m sure you’ll get along well.”

He nods, the slightly distorted music from the dodgem ride the only noise between you before he speaks again.

“You don’t have to take me next time.”

Frowning you ask, “Why wouldn’t I?”

“It’s quite early, it’ll be too-”

“Don’t worry about that. You know what children are like, up before the sun most days so it’s not going to be a problem at all.”

He looks half convinced. “Only if you’re sure.”

“Absolutely. Now, who do you think will regret the swing boats first? Sarah, Michael, or Joe?”

After walking round the park in the fresh air for half an hour to make sure no one’s feeling ill any more, you finally get back in the car and start the journey home. It’s been a much longer day than you planned, what with the gift of lunch, and the two youngest looked like they were about to fall asleep when you buckled them in. A glance in the rear view mirror confirms your suspicions. 

You go to nudge Bucky because they look so cute cuddled up together, and have to hold in a snort of laughter when you see he’s also unconscious, leaning back against his head rest. His hair, which has been blown around by the wind all day, is falling softly around his slightly flushed face, and he looks more peaceful than you’ve ever seen him. 

If you spend a good half minute staring before starting the car, well, you’re sure Sarah didn’t notice.

Chapter 7

A/n: Sarah absolutely noticed.

Also, I think the reason Bucky was so tired he fell asleep in the car is cause he’s been up half the night worrying :( suffer in the thought of that with me!

Tagging: @tieddown-withbattleshipchains @i-had-a-life-once

 @attorneyl @superwholockian5ever

@scamandaaaamn

@bohemianrhapsodaisychains

@the-renaissance

@davros2004

@sergeant-james-bbarnes

@sebastianst-n

@marvel-trash07

@wantingtobekorra

@summerbummer2001

If I’ve forgotten you, or you want to be tagged/untagged, please just ask! Tumblr tagging sucks, so if anyone wants me to send it as a private message, I’d be more than happy to do that! <3

[junker-town]

‘The Bachelor’ recap: Bruce Pearl gets a better hometown visit than Victoria F.

ABC

And Victoria proves she has nine lives.

We at SB Nation realize that The Bachelor is very much sports. Therefore, each week we’ll recap all the heartbreak, drama, and excitement.

I missed you all last week. Thanks to some West Coast travel, I wasn’t able to watch or recap the last episode. What we know is Victoria, Hannah Ann, Kelsey and Madison made it to hometown dates, meaning Peter rolled up to meet their respective families ... well, most of their families.

Hannah Ann’s hometown (Knoxville, Tennessee)

Hannah Ann says one way to impress her father, who is in the lumber industry, is to be a “tough guy,” so they go on a date to throw axes. Before he meets her parents. Where they won’t see him being the said tough guy who chops wood.

This is how excited Hannah Ann’s dad is to be a part of this whole experience:

Rick: It was a big day because we hadn’t seen Hannah for quite awhile, and we were excited, obviously, to see her, spend some time with her. And of course she brought Peter with her, which is [deep breath] new and exciting, I guess.

ABC

Rick is ... skeptical of this process to say the least. Peter tells Rick that he’s thinking about telling Hannah Ann that he’s “falling in love with her,” which is about as noncommittal as you can get while telling a woman kind of what she wants to hear. Peter isn’t IN love with Hannah Ann, but he is thinking about telling her he is falling in love with her.

Whoa, Peter. Slow down, bud.

As her father, Rick isn’t thrilled about Peter sharing his wishy-washy emotions with his daughter. Peter eventually goes against Rick’s advice, telling Hannah Ann he’s potentially thinking about maybe falling in love with her, depending on the weather. She’s obviously stoked.

Kelsey’s hometown date (Des Moines, Iowa)

From the Champagne Crisis to a Des Moines vineyard — oh, how far Kelsey has come.

Kelsey takes Peter to make their own wine, starting with a grape stomping sequence that reminded me of this:

Best video on the internet.

Anyway, back to the date. It’s a lovely date! They make their own wine — which they so creatively name “Wine” — and have a nice dinner with Kelsey’s parents. Honestly, the most exciting thing that happens is Peter tries crab rangoon for the first time. Not the best review of a date, honestly.

You: How did the date go?

Me: Well, I tried crab rangoon!

You: Oh, sounds amazing.

What I really want to talk about, however, is the refusal of anyone to eat anything. Kelsey and her family sat down to this beautiful, crab rangoon-y dinner, said a nice toast to the pretending-to-be-happy-and-totally-not-dating-three-other-women couple, and then Kelsey’s sister ASKED TO SPEAK TO HER IN THE OTHER ROOM!

ABC

Those are full-ass plates of food! Why are you getting up? Why does this have to happen IMMEDIATELY? Did you come back to eat later?

This gives me rage.

Kelsey tells Peter she’s in love with him, a fact he seems kind of interested in.

Bruce Pearl’s Madison’s hometown date (Auburn, Alabama)

Madison takes Peter to the Auburn basketball arena after teaching him the “War Eagle” and taking a quick tour of the campus. There, the couple is met with video boards reading “Peter <3 Madison” and a message from Charles Barkley. I’m 99 percent sure Peter didn’t know it was Barkley until Madison said it was Barkley.

That face you make when you TOTALLY know it’s Charles Barkley:

ABC

Auburn men’s basketball head coach Bruce Pearl joins the party, giving the two some advice and congratulating Madison on making TWO Final Fours this year. Pearl coached the Tigers to their first Final Four appearance, where they fell in the national semis to eventual champion Virginia.

ABC

Nothing says “sexy date” like matching outfits and Bruce Pearl, IMO.

Madison proceeds to embarrass her amour with some dribbling and skill drills, then crushes him in one-on-one basketball. Pearl, coach of the No. 13 ranked Tigers, found Peter’s attempt at being athletic very funny:

ABC

Victoria’s hometown date (Virginia Beach, Virginia)

Peter and Victoria. Cool, fine, whatever. LET’S TALK ABOUT HER DOG. A VERY, VERY GOOD BOY.

Buxton played fetch, chased birds, ran into the ocean and got an old-timey picture taken. I don’t care, that dog had the best damn date of the season.

ABC

Buxton, the king of taking advantage of the jump-embrace.

Buxton for Bachelor, IMO.

Victoria set up another solo performance from a country artist, which feels like a bold move seeing as she hooked up with the last one. There was no indication she has any sort of history with Hunter Hayes. This rosé mosh pit around the couple’s awkward dancing, however, is my personal definition of hell.

ABC

After the date, Peter runs into an ex: Merissa. She goes on to warn Peter about Victoria, saying that as a great guy, he deserves better than “what he’s on a date with right now.” Marissa tells Peter that many relationships have been ended because of Victoria, which ... WOOF.

If a longtime friend surprised me then dropped that knowledge, I’d probably ask for a little more info, but that wouldn’t really fit with what the show’s producers want, so here we are.

Peter told Victoria what Merissa said, looking for some clarification. Here’s how that went:

If you look up gaslighting in the dictionary pretty sure you would find this clip #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/KlDXDLxc3p

— Brett S. Vergara (@BrettSVergara) February 18, 2020

Peter left, never having met Victoria’s family. The date was a complete and utter disaster, and honestly didn’t need to be, which has become a trend with any interaction he has with her.

Let’s recap Victoria’s dates:

Private concert from an ex

Grumpy horse riding

Yells at Peter and he doesn’t meet her family

SEEMS GREAT!

Rose Ceremony

Let’s see. Peter has three roses to give. Three of his hometown dates went really well. One went so badly that he didn’t even meet the family, and she both yelled at him and cried. Seems like an easy decision, right? Well, not when you’re Peter.

Our sweet, naive prince decided to send Kelsey home and keep the manipulative train wreck that is Victoria, ensuring drama carries over into next week’s Fantasy Suite dates.

Oh, speaking of Fantasy Suites, we found out via a discussion between Madison and her mom that Madison is saving herself for marriage. At the end of this week’s episode, she asks to speak to Peter privately.

In the preview for next week’s episode, we get a lot of snarky Victoria (THAT’S RICH) and a clip that shows Madison directly telling Peter that if his other Peter takes advantage of these Fantasy Suites, he shouldn’t bother talking to her anymore.

This situation is setting up a lot like having a two-point lead in the Final Four and then fouling the three-point shooter with 0.6 seconds left on the clock, if you ask me.

[heartslogos]

newfragile yellows [657]

Dorian is a skeptic, but he is also a scientist and a man of religion. This may seem paradoxical to some. Namely those who have not met Dorian, and to those who believe that science and religion and skepticism cannot hold hands and play nicely. Dorian, in fact, would argue that healthy skepticism leads to a thorough passion for science, which ultimately lends credence to the fact that there, surely, must be some sort of higher power in existence looking down upon them all with complete and utter bafflement at how their experiment of carbon and oxygen turned out to be complete dunderheads with a fondness for the truly dangerous.

For Dorian, science proves that there is a Maker. The Maker may not be very nice or generous or even nosy given how they seem to have let their great experiment run itself into ruin — unless that is the Maker’s grand plan, to create a thing and watch it self destruct, in which case the Maker is a much more familiar type of existence than Dorian could have ever realized.

So when Morrigan tells Leliana that she might have a lead, though the lead will be unpleasant in that the lead is her mother, and that the lead is capable of contacting the great beyond Dorian is skeptical.

But no one has concrete proof that there isn’t a great…something beyond this plane of awareness, and Dorian has always been taught that after death one enters the eternal light of the Maker. And Dorian is also quite bored, so he agrees to go along. If anything, it will be something to talk about over dinner, or during a long car ride.

Bull is a skeptic and scientist. He is not a religious man. Or even a spiritual one. Bull is here just to fill a body count implemented by the Inquisition’s security officers that states that Evelyn must have at least three trust worthy people around her whenever she leaves Skyhold.

Mahanon is a skeptic and a devout man. Granted, Mahanon’s hitched his figurative horse to a different post, but he is still a spiritual and religious man. Dorian has come to understand this after these past few months of tentatively getting to know him, and then slowly starting to feel — to feel about him. Mahanon’s skepticism lies more in a distrust and fundamental suspicion of others rather than in the world around them. His doubt and his devotion coexist in two separate spheres of dominion.

Cole is here because if there’s anything to be said regarding the supernatural Cole might as well come along because…he’s Cole.

That’s three people plus Morrigan and Maxwell, for a nice party of seven. Lucky.

That also means they’re split down the middle on people who think this is a worthwhile endeavor. Ignoring Evelyn, who’s the one they have to convince here.

“Boss, let’s just split,” Bull says, voice low as he catalogues the dim living room they’re clustered about in. “Did you see the way she was eyeing Morrigan? She wants something.”

“I know she wants something,” Evelyn says, “But that doesn’t mean we have to give it to her, and we might as well try to get something out of it.”

“My mother definitely wants something, but she wouldn’t offer something she doesn’t have to get it,” Morrigan says. Morrigan looks like she’s been forced to lick a frog and then swallow it. If Dorian were made to sit down in his father’s living room to ask for help with some of his closest friends he imagines he’d look much the same. “The spirits must have given her something. Some sort of edge.”

Bull glances at Dorian, and the two of them share a doubtful look. Mahanon clicks his tongue, rolling his eyes.

Maxwell lets out a barely audible sigh.

“She could be lying, Morrigan’s said that her mother lies like breathing,” Bull continues. “And generally, when people want something they don’t think they’re going to get, they lie.”

“What sort of proof would you need to know that I am not lying to you, the Iron Bull?” Flemmeth says, returning with a tray laden down with mismatched glass jars of iced water. Her silvery eyebrow raises. Her voice curls like paper on fire. It makes Dorian’s skin prickle. “Should I tell you something only you would know?”

She sets the tray down in the middle of the coffee table, taking a seat in a wicker rocking chair behind a small round table by the window. The light from outside makes her eyes strange.

“Mother,” Morrigan says, something sharp in her voice but Flemmeth cuts her off.

“Then I shall tell you something to make you understand that I am not lying, and I am not so forgiving of people who come to me with questions and favors and accuse me of falsehood. Shall I tell you a falsehood? The two of you were married for two years. But you were together for five.”

Dorian’s eyes snap to Bull who sits there, like a crackling glacier. Cold, thunderous, and lethal.

“At least,” Flemmeth’s voice softens just a bit, and then crumples like tissue paper into a near whisper, “That’s what everyone around you would say. But really, you were only together for three. You both were exceptionally slow at realizing how you each felt for each other. She’s sorry that this is how you had to meet again. She’s sorry that — “

Bull is halfway to standing, and Dorian is well and truly afraid and alarmed by the pure, uncontrolled outrage on his face. He doesn’t think he’s ever seen the man lose control like that and Dorian would know because Dorian’s said some pretty awful things to him back when they first met.

But a hand stops him.

Mahanon’s.

And Dorian —

Mahanon’s face is blank, but his hand is on Bull’s and there is a familiarity there that is unfamiliar to Dorian, too. The two of them aren’t friends — at least, he doesn’t think they are. He’s never seen them interact beyond their duties in the Inquisition as fixers and spies.

“Wait,” Mahanon says, voice low and soft in the way that is familiar to him. It’s the same voice Mahanon uses when he’s thinking between a risky decision and a terrible decision. Bull’s arm flexes underneath Mahanon’s touch, but he holds still.

Flemmeth’s eyes turn to Mahanon.

“She wishes you hadn’t cut your hair. Why did you cut your hair? It was so beautiful. She loved your hair.”

Dorian turns back to Mahanon, the question on the tip of his tongue, and he wishes he didn’t turn to look.

Mahanon looks gutted. And the man that Dorian has grown familiar with, the unshakeable, flat, quick witted, wry man with his cool temper and his cutting tongue, looks ruined. He sags, hand clinging to Bull even as, inexplicably, Bull puts his arm around him and pulls him close.

The words cracked, quaked, trembled, rattled, croaked, and crumbled would apply to Mahanon’s voice, if only they didn’t carry some kind of violent or destructive connotation. Mahanon’s voice wavers, “Is she here? Can she — can she hear us? Ellana?”

Bull’s face has morphed into stone. Empty, unyielding, and unreadable.

“Stop that,” Bull says, voice low and steady. Like the tremble before the quake.

“Mother, that’s enough,” Morrigan says, standing, raising an arm between them.

Evelyn, on Mahanon’s other side, puts her hand on her friend’s knee as he tries to rise.

“She says,” Flemmeth continues, looking at Bull now, “She says — “ She pauses, chuckling. “She says you were always a complete bone-head even w hen proof was right in front of you. But she loved that about you. Loves it about you. As long as you believed, the sun would rise and the world would turn, world without end.”

Bull stands, and Mahanon lets him go, crumpling down onto himself. Bull stands, looks at Evelyn and says evenly, “I’m going to wait outside.”

He gestures at Mahanon. “Don’t let him do something stupid.”

And leaves.

Cole stands up and follows after him, a pale shadow.

Dorian rises and takes Bull’s vacated place next to Mahanon, unsure of his place here.

“Well, that was bracing,” Maxwell says, “Now that you’re done unnerving our friends — or at least, I hope you’re done?”

Flemmeth nods.

“Then lets’…let’s just get down the business then, shall we?” Maxwell pauses, “Actually. You five can get down to business, I’m going to go outside with Bull and Cole and make sure they’re okay. Dorian?”

“Yes?”

“I’m going to trust you to be the skeptical voice of reason on this one, since our two rational friends have…abruptly been rendered…well. You know.” Maxwell stands and makes a hasty retreat. Leaving them behind with Mahanon’s ragged breathing and Flemmeth’s ember eyes.

“Well,” Flemmeth says in the not-quite silence. “Shall we?”

[beneathtreemomo]

*Tackle hugs* WHAT UP, Im here for the marine life asks-Orca, Narwhal, Seahorse! (the names are so cute hdbdj SEAHORSES ARE CUTE)

YAY HIAs there is no attached OC I’m gonna guess these are for me ;) and right!? Ocean Creature names are the cutest-- THERE’S A CREATURE CALLED A CUDDLEFISH AND IT’S SO CUTE

ORCA: Are you an easy-to-scare person? what scares you the most?          I am, in fact, incredibly easy to scare, depending on how you define scare. My dad and my best friend have both full on made me jump five feet in the air with a real, guttural scream but only twice total, my dad startles me constantly because even though he’s a heavy dude you can’t hear his footsteps, and I have been creeped out by my Halloween decorations on more than one occasion due to when I’d have to wake up for school (we have some creepy decorations, ok? I’ll show pics some time xD)          What scares me the most? Mmm probably the feeling of eyes on my back and whatever lurks in the dark. I love the dark and whatever’s inside it a lot but I need to have as many lights on as possible if I’m by myself and hate being outside at 3am when CiCi decides “yeah, this is the optimal time to pee” because it just doesn’t feel safe, y’know? It’s creepy. Ironically even when I was literally scared of the dark as a kid and needed a nightlight, I could handle passing dark rooms. Now I have to run past the openings as quick as possible, but don’t mind sleeping in the dark xD

Narwhal: what is your favorite literary genre? why?          Fantasy, hands down!          I just adore the worlds that get created and supernatural, not-horror-related, stories are my absolute bread and butter! It just makes stories fun and interesting-- especially detective stories because you don’t know if it was a vampire’s doing or some serial killer trying to frame vampires and it’s just. It’s nice. Plus, sometimes you get free reign over a lot more than you would a real life/modern setting.          There’s probably a lot more I could say, but it’s actually really hard for me to find the words? There’s just something about a fantasy story, be it magic, soulmates, supernatural, or a completely new world entirely that I really enjoy seeing in my head and reading along with.           Funnily enough, I am not that huge a fan of the “classics” (I say classics because they seem to be the top fantasy authors people think of nowadays) like Tolkien and JKR’s works. Movies? Sure, I’ll watch ‘em. Books? Tried them, didn’t like them. Rick Riordan on the other hand? LOVE THE BOOKS SO MUCH and I’m sad I don’t have more of them.

(this last bit is pretty long, so it’s going under “keep reading”)

Seahorse: which is your favorite memory ever?           Aw man, this one’s hard. I have a lot of good memories, and my favorite memory tends to switch depending on which memories come to mind at the time. And I know there’s a really special one hidden somewhere in my brain that trumps all of them, because I remember thinking at the time that it was the best moment of my life, but I’m almost constantly unable to recall what it was.          So instead, off the top of my head, my favorite memory might be when my dad, our dog CoCo, and I went on one of our first summer road trips. I was either 8 or 9 at the time (actually, probably a bit older because my dad finally decided to take my door off the jeep as well, so I was probably closer to 11/12), and we were on the way to Yellowstone. We stopped at plenty of cool places along the way; Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial (at the time it was practically just his head), that one place with all the Red Rocks in Utah, this little shop run by native americans who had GORGEOUS wares-- I got some hair clippies and a bookmark, and we talked with them for about an hour, at least! I think dad got something too but I can’t remember what.          Anyway, while most of the places we went to allowed pets, there were some places that didn’t-- like restaurants. What we’d do in these scenarios is park as close as we could to the place, and then ask for a window seat where Dad could keep an eye on the car and CoCo.          Something you should know about CoCo: She was a pretty laid back dachshund who adored car rides and sun bathing about 3000x more than she enjoyed food. She didn’t mind us leaving the car, didn’t try to follow us (though she did always try to keep us in sight for as long as possible), and the second we left she’d claim one of our seats for herself and just relax.           BUT she’d also protect the car, which, in the summer, was basically just the skeleton (or in its swimsuit, I suppose): no doors and no roof except a bikini top.            So we’re sitting in the restaurant, right? Waiting for our food, the car directly across from us next to the sidewalk (we’re also pretty close to the door). CoCo’s lazing in my seat, the picture of perfect, sunbathing bliss with a huge grin on her face. And she’s a small dog, so you wouldn’t really expect her to be scary in anyway-- maybe she’d even look old to you at the time, because Dapples were rare at the time, some of her light brown was already turning grey, and she had mange that refused to go away so she had some bald spots.           And there’s this teen boy and either his parents or a friend (I don’t remember which) walking by; and for whatever reason, this kid had either forgotten or never been taught the number one rule: Do Not Touch the dog unless the owner says it’s ok.          We can see it in his eyes/body language as they’re getting closer to the car. Dad and I are both quietly betting on what’s going to happen (I swear we were like Golf Commentators/Announcers) and also getting ready to run out if needed. Even CoCo can see what this dude is thinking, which is “I want to pet the dog”          He slows down as he gets to the car, doesn’t even look around to see if the owners are nearby, and CoCo’s followed him with her eyes since these guys got close enough, but hasn’t actually moved. She’s still lounging on the seat, panting and content, looking for all the world like she’s totally okay with all of this.          He reaches out to pet her when BAM! CoCo leaps to her feet, barking up a storm and startling the guy so much he almost trips; Dad and I burst into laughter. The dude’s friend/parents say something to him I think, maybe an “I told you so”, idk, and he’s walking away trying to act all casual. CoCo finishes barking once they’re a slab of sidewalk or two away from the jeep, wags her tail happily, and then just flops back down like none of the interaction happened.          Looking back on it I kinda feel a little bad for the dude (i think he was pretty embarrassed) but it was one of the most hilarious things to ever happen to me, so it’s definitely a fav.           A very close second is when we woke up freezing in our tent because CoCo literally stole all the blankets/sheets and made herself the eye of a blanket hurricane, and another situation tied for very close second happened a few months after this trip: CoCo apparently didn’t think we were coming to the door fast enough so she howled to get our attention even though I was right there. Literally howled. The Yellowstone wolves must’ve taught her that! The entire house froze when she did it, too xD (Mom and dad, from different places in the house after a minute of pure silence: “What the heck was that?!”)           CoCo had never looked more proud.

[texanredrose]

Celebrity Matchmaker (Part 2)

Meet the next contestant. Until someone clues me in to the ‘official’ name for the ship, I’m going to just start tagging it with the random ones I come up with. I can’t find any fics on FFN and AO3 and I really don’t believe I’m the first one to write this, so someone help me out here.

Part 1 / Part 2 (here) / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8  

Weiss watched as the Faunus took her assigned spot, the faintest twitch to her ears conveying her nervousness while she offered a composed front to the cameras. In those stolen moments spent by the horses, she'd learned exactly what sort of relationship she could expect from pursuing a romance with Blake: quiet, reserved, and with only a fraction of the passion visible to the naked eye, the true depths kept for behind closed doors. In truth, she wouldn't mind that, and she could probably coax the Faunus out of her shell a little bit with time. They’d probably never reach the point of making out on the red carpet of a movie release, but a little public affection wouldn’t hurt, and it was at least feasible. Not because she personally preferred putting her life on display for all Remnant to see but... well, she certainly had become well adjusted to the idea of public displays of affection over the past sixteen weeks, and the prospect of losing that little bit of open emotional connection dismayed her more than she was willing to admit.

If she had one regret from her time spent with the Faunus thus far, it was not telling Blake that the stolen kiss out beneath the stars was actually the first one she'd had that wasn't for the benefit of a camera or an audience- the very first kiss she'd ever exchanged purely for its personal meaning. At one point, she might've been a little embarrassed to admit such, but now she wished she could tell the Faunus how much it meant to her. Her personal thoughts, however, did nothing to slow the progression of the show as the host turned her attention to the first of Weiss’ final choices.

"Good to see you, Blake, though it's a bit bittersweet," Coco said, moving closer to the author so the shot could be framed just right. "This is probably your last time standing here at the manor. Do you have any thoughts you'd like to share?"

"Plenty, but I'll keep it short." Amber eyes flicked her way before looking towards the camera. "Spending the past sixteen weeks here, with Weiss and everyone else, has given me some of the greatest moments of my life. Regardless of the outcome, I'll truly cherish my time here."

The audience gave a round of applause, a few members vocally shouting encouragement; well, it was nice to see others saw the romantic potential between them, too. Idly, she wondered how many fans they had rooting for Blake to be her choice at the end of the night, how many were watching and hoping- she knew they had to exist, based on previous seasons, but everyone at the manor had turned over all their devices that could access the CCT at the onset of filming. So her opinion wouldn’t be ‘swayed’, according to the producers.

"Alright, let's call out our next finalist." Coco stepped back towards the movie star, tugging slightly on the formal jacket she wore. "Please, give a warm welcome to the woman of a thousand talents, the Invincible Woman herself, Pyrrha Nikos of Mistral!"

The introduction pulled her attention away from admiring the Faunus, blue eyes falling on the tall, redheaded woman now striding towards the center of their temporary stage out on the lawn of the manor. She wore a shimmering red dress with matching heels only an inch high, golden bracelets and a necklace matching the traditional Mistrali circlet she wore, emerald earrings swaying in time with her step. The sleeveless designed allowed the hard won muscles of her arms and shoulders to be on display, which she'd always admired for a multitude of reasons, and she had to admire the modern take on Mistral’s traditional formal wear. Pyrrha offered a wave and a charming smile, more than accustomed to greeting crowds that cheered her on, but this was a different woman from the one Weiss had gotten to know over the past sixteen weeks.

Champion Pyrrha, tournament winner Pyrrha, Olympic gold medalist Pyrrha- that was the woman all of Remnant knew and adored.

And she was one of the very, very few people to meet and enjoy the company of dork Pyrrha, unsure Pyrrha, fan Pyrrha- the Pyrrha the rest of the world didn't get to see, who became even more endearing when the camera crews were out of earshot.

The Pyrrha who would rather cheer others on than be cheered on herself.

The downside to starting the show's run at the tail end of summer became apparent by week ten, with late fall turning the wind cold and the sky dreary. Their excursion on horseback marked the last time they had genuinely pleasant weather for all parties; now, it erred too cold for some while remaining bearable for others. Being born in Atlas and raised among the white peaks of the northern mountains, Weiss had an affinity for the cooler weather that baffled some, not even bothering to wear a heavy jacket as the shooting moved into a nearby ice rink. It wasn't cold enough for them to use the nearby pond but she always liked the charm of a well maintained complex like this, where so many people from warmer climates regarded it as either a fool's notion or a whimsical curiosity. She'd spent well over three hours skating, either with one of the contestants or solo while the others got warmed up or cooled off. They weren't doing anything exceptionally difficult, just skating around and talking one-on-one, but she'd always enjoyed the feel of moving along the ice, the brisk wind in her face when she moved quickly or the subtler sting of cold air in her lungs when she slowed down. It just felt... liberating.

"Hello!" With a twist of her hips, Weiss turned her feet and stopped on a dime, looking over to see Pyrrha skating towards her with a warm smile, bundled up with a scarf around her neck and a beanie over her head. Being from Mistral, which had markedly warmer weather, the movie star honestly found it a little surprising that the woman had returned to the ice.

"Hello, Pyrrha. Is everything okay?" In the back of her mind, she dreaded an extension of about half the scenes- honestly, they'd spent more time teaching people to ride horseback than maintain their balance on skates, and she felt both presented equal opportunity for personal injury- purely because she'd entirely lost interest in half the remaining prospects. Trying to maintain the facade through the remaining weeks until she could eliminate them proved troublesome, especially when they were back at the manor, seeing as she could almost never let her guard down. Here, between the one-on-one segments, she could steal a few moments to herself.

"Everything's fine." The redhead smiled, coasting to a stop beside her. "It's just... the crew is taking a break before shooting the final segment and I volunteered to come tell you."

The movie star narrowed her eyes. Truth to tell, out of all the candidates, Pyrrha Nikos was the only one she immediately recognized; an accomplished practitioner in the old Huntress ways and a stunningly gifted athlete, the woman was known all over Remnant as a beloved sports icon. And while every commentator from Mistral to Menagerie would laud her ability to retain a cool head under pressure and never telegraph her moves, Weiss had come to find out that the redhead absolutely couldn't lie to save her life. She possessed far too many tells- like the subtle bunching of her shoulders and the way her gaze darted away- to fool anyone, and while that normally would spark more than a modicum of mistrust in her, Weiss couldn't help but find it a bit... comforting. Despite how obvious Pyrrha was when she told a lie, the behavior never cropped up when they were talking. Immediately before or after, when the redhead needed an excuse to have the movie star's attention or quickly depart? That was when all those little signs appeared.

It was almost like she was nervous when talking to Weiss, and wasn’t that just a funny little thought?

"Oh, is that it?" She smiled a little, pushing off to continue her lap around the rink. "Just a little delay for no reason?"

"Something like that." The taller, much strong woman followed, though those differences weren't nearly as apparent here on the ice as they normally were. Normally, the athlete's gait would be obviously adjusted so she didn't leave Weiss in the dust when the two walked side-by-side, but between them, the movie star had far more experience turning every little bit of effort put into her skates into forward motion and an innate sense of balance. Now, she was the one adjusting her strides so she didn’t leave the other woman behind. "Are you enjoying this week's event?"

"Was it not obvious?" She flashed a small smile at the redhead, clasping her hands behind her back and quickly shifting her weight around, allowing her to transition into a backwards glide. She wasn’t showing off... too much. "This was something of a pastime of mine for a number of years."

"I can tell; you're very good at it," Pyrrha replied, swinging her arms slightly to try and match the smaller woman's speed.

They shared a much different dynamic than Weiss had with any of the other contestants. Knowing about the athlete beforehand, having been a fan for a number of years, all that extra baggage made their first few interactions awkward and a tad forced, something that still made her cringe a little when she reflected on those early segments. It wasn't until one morning in the third week, when someone had turned on the television in the den, that Weiss got over that rockiness, amending the mental image she had of Pyrrha to include the starry eyed redhead sitting on the couch, completely enamored with the newest episode of some silly cartoon show that she absolutely adored.

"Thank you. You've taken to it remarkably well yourself." Without looking, she leaned to the side, guiding herself through the bend in the rink as the redhead followed. "Have you ice skated before?"

"Once, when I was very small." The athlete pushed off exceptionally hard with one skate, momentarily overtaking Weiss. It didn't last long, however; even skating backwards, her years of experience and technique beat brute strength. "Have you ever considered competing?"

"Once, many years ago," she replied, coasting to a stop while looking towards the center of the rink. After seeing that peek of who waited just beneath the athlete's calm exterior, Weiss found it easier to approach the redhead, and they bonded over that unique sensation of constantly playing a role they weren't even sure they wanted anymore, forced into a mold early and thriving despite personal misgivings. "I remember watching the Olympics one year and thinking: I could be a professional figure skater. I could be that graceful, that dedicated, that agile- I wasn't at the time, but I could be." Pyrrha slid to a halt beside her, the both of them watching an imaginary routine play out along the mostly untouched center. Normally, the camera crew would be there, using a platform to keep from slipping while they recorded the necessary video and audio. However, whatever prompted them to take their 'break' had taken the platform with it, though the markers on the ice remained. "It was a flight of fancy."

"I think you would've been good at it." Pyrrha offered, offering a genuine smile that reached all the way to emerald eyes. "Would you show me?"

"Show you?" She looked at the taller woman, confused.

"Come on, Weiss. You can do more than skate backwards." The redhead gestured to the rest of the rink. "Just... have fun."

That was another thing that had taken her by surprise; despite being serious and determined during competitions, Pyrrha was one of the first to advocate for having fun and relaxing whenever the opportunity presented itself.

With only a moment more of hesitation, she pushed off, lazily cutting large arcs towards the center of the rink while mulling over what tricks she could do. While she hadn't attempted any in quite some time, she trusted her sense of balance and muscle memory to carry her through some basics- well, perhaps 'basic' wasn't the proper word, but the movements had become old hat to her years ago. As she came to a stop in the center, an old song came to mind, one she'd known through and through since she was a little girl, from some opera or other. The words were lost to her now but she remembered the melody, and she let the music in her head accompany her motions.

She started simple, arms raised and moving around her as much to keep her balance as to direct unseen string instruments through each measure as she streaked from one side of the rink to the other, switching between skating forwards and backwards effortlessly. She spun a few times and jumped at others, following a routine she designed with every breath, tilting her head back and losing herself to the motions. Were this a professional endeavor, there would be a million critiques- her form, her footwork, being too cautious at times and too risky at others- but she could put all those aside here, with Pyrrha as her audience, because the woman understood perhaps better than most that not every undertaking had to be perfect to be meaningful, that passion could supplement skill, and that some of the most enjoyable things in life weren't for the spectacle of others.

When she finished, coming to an abrupt halt with her arms raised high, awaiting the verdict of an imaginary crowd, Weiss returned to her senses while listening to the singular, echoing applause bouncing off the rink's walls. She couldn't help but smile, noting her racing heart and heavy breathing from the exertion, and turned to see the tall redhead standing by the wall near the rink's entrance.

"I trust that was satisfactory," she said, skating towards the woman.

Pyrrha's smiled widened, reaching out to steady her as she came to a stop. "That depends entirely on if you enjoyed yourself."

"Well, when you put it that way." A breathless chuckle passed her lips, the sweat gathered on her brow calling attention to just how much effort she'd put into the display. In the moment, she hadn't registered it, too busy being lost to the sensation of the cold air all around her, gliding along to a muted melody, but now she could feel the heat in her limbs from being pushed so hard after being mostly idle the past few hours. "I did, immensely."

"Then from where I was standing, it was absolutely marvelous." She paused, emerald eyes scanning Weiss' form before she came to a decision, unzipping her jacket and reaching inside. "I'm glad you got to enjoy yourself while we're here."

"I rather liked skating with you, too, for the record," she replied, opting to omit the few others she'd liked as well. It was difficult, at times, to keep everything separate, but only the crew asked her opinion of the other contestants during her interviews, so she tried to maintain that division and maintain the illusion that only one relationship was naturally developing at a time. She’d played hundreds of roles with utter dedication- why not this one, too?

"I'm sure you did, but I also know you were holding back." Pyrrha pulled out another scarf, this one white with a little blue stripe, and quickly unfolded it, looping it around the movie star's neck. "I'm not sure if I could ever skate like that."

"I'd be willing to teach you. I've never skated like that with a partner." She left out the observation that the athlete could easily learn; she had the athleticism and work ethic for it, and she'd shown a great deal of grace and agility through her many events. Yet, pointing all that out would be the exact sort of response the redhead would receive from countless others, affirming her natural and hard won talents instead of just allowing the woman to show a bit of vulnerability every now and again. They still called her Invincible, but Weiss had learned that hearts were fragile things even in the strongest warriors. And she respected that. "But... what's this for?"

"You should know so much exertion in this sort of cool climate can get you sick, silly." Pyrrha chuckled, looping the scarf around her neck one more time before tying it in a loose knot just beneath her chin. "You've still got one more segment to film."

"That's very considerate of you." She raised a brow. "Have you been holding onto it this whole time hoping for an excuse to let me borrow it?"

"'Let you have it' would be more accurate, but, yes." A small flush crept into the taller woman's cheeks. "I noticed you packed rather light when we left the manor this morning, so I went to the gift shop when we got here."

Weiss blinked. "Let me have it?"

"Of course." Despite her blush, the athlete smiled even wider. "Now, you have a memento of your excellent routine."

For a moment, she couldn't really process it- like a gear had gotten stuck in her head- but then Pyrrha leaned down and brushed a soft kiss against her forehead, and it didn't even matter. How could anyone not fall in love with someone so endearing? She found herself shifting her weight just enough to drift forward, arms wrapping around the other woman's waist as the embrace was returned. Already, she could hear the clatter and clamor of the film crew returning, which meant the redhead would be slipping away to avoid being chided for sharing a moment when they weren't rolling, but they could simply enjoy the presence of the other for a few moments more.

So, she did.

[fearofaherobrine]

Roleplay Server Log #231

"Making Ponies, Firebird vs DN, Cn's Room, Mammoth Haircut”

[Doc] Types with one hand while xe walks- Deerheart? Just a heads up if you don't know, Pinwheel is out wandering, so keep a close eye on Yaunfen. Going swimming would probably be the safest activity right now.

[Deer] - Oh we know, Splender screamed it over chat.  TLOT had to go and reassure the villages they would be okay-

[Doc] Any sightings yet?

[Deer] - Not as far as I know

- /DN was killed by Pinwheel/ -

[Doc] Well she's getting better in her taste of who to bite-

[Deer] Hysterically laughing from the castle-

[Alexsezia] Guys, she's at my house.

[Doc] I'll come over. Just stay where you are.

[Splender] Over chat- PINWHEEEEEEEEEEEL!

[Doc] Reaches Alexsezia's house-

[Alexsezia] Is sitting cross-legged on top of a wood block. Her cats are all locked in the house and mewing. She's holding a long stick that's actually two sticks bound with spider thread to increase the length, and using a tuft of feathers on the end to play with Pinwheel like a cat.

[Pinwheel] Watches the feather and lunges at it-

[Alexsezia] Shakes the little tuft and lets her get a taste of it before twitching it away.

[Doc] Very smart.

[Pinwheel] Chases after the feather-

[Alexsezia] From everything I've seen their behavior when they're small is cat-like. She just seemed bored and probably wandered over here just because this is the closest house apart from yours.

[Pinwheel] Lashes at the feather with her tail, cutting a bit of it off-

[Alexsezia] Whoah. Sharp and accurate! - twitches the toy around some more.

[doc] Smiles- Looks like she's having fun.

[Splender] Arrives, a bit frantic- PINWHEEL!

[Doc] Splender! It's okay. She's fine.

[Pinwheel] Rolls around as she grabs at the feather-

[Splender] - But she killed someone again!

[Doc] Yeah, it was my NOTCH, and he's a grade A asshole.

[Splender] - But... But...

[Doc] No butts. He's the reason I was sick, and he's been driving me nuts. There is zero reason for you to feel bad about that. For all we know he kicked her or something.

[Splender] Whimpers- Okay...

[Doc] Pats him - We were just gone for a little longer then expected and she probably got bored-

[Pinwheel] Bites at the stick-

[Alexsezia] Aww. you cracked it. Give me a min, I'll fix it.  - pulls the stick straight up to repair it-

[Pinwheel] Lunges at it-

[Alexsezia] Pulls back half a stick and the part with the feather falls to the ground-

[Pinwheel] Attacks the feather-

[Doc] Laughs good-naturedly- I guess you really need one of these around the house Splender.

[Alexsezia] Gets down from the block to get more feathers from the house- I'll be right back.

[Pinwheel] Hunkers down low and butt twitches in Alex's direction-

[Splender] - Pinwheel no!

[Pinwheel] - NO!

[Doc] Kicks the block Alex was sitting on into Pinwheel's path.

[Alexsezia] Jumps at the loud noises - What the nether?

[Pinwheel] Is a bit stunned after running into the block-

[Alexsezia] Honestly...

[Doc] She just gets too excited. We're working on teaching her not to randomly bite people.

[Splender] - I'm sorry!

[Doc] It's not your fault. She just has a lot of energy.

[Pinwheel] Starts climbing on top of the block-

[Doc] Gets behind her and starts scratching her ruff-

[Pinwheel] Flops-

[Doc] See? There you go. You're happy.

[Alexsezia] Nice trick.

[Doc] at Pinwheel- Did someone have a fun day exploring?-

[Pinwheel] - No

[Alexsezia] Is suprised- No?

[Doc] That's just the only word she knows so far.

[Pinwheel] - No no no

[Doc] See?

[Alexsezia] Chuckles-

[Splender] - I'm sorry if she's caused you any trouble Alex...

[Alexsezia] Not at all. I'm used to dealing with small fickle animals. Cat's that aren't well-socialized can be bitey and scratch at the smallest provocation too. You just have to be gentle and patient.

[Splender] Sits down-

[Doc] Is just rubbing and scritching Pinwheel with abandon, trying to get her to purr.

[Pinwheel] Teeny tiny purr-

[Alexsezia] Goes into the house and comes back with a tuft of feathers. She leans against the wall and starts making a new cat toy, this time with the feathers on a little string.

[Pinwheel] Is watching the feathers-

[Alexsezia] Finishes the toy and gives it to Splender - You just drag it along like this and twitch it away. Kinda like fishing.

[Splender] Tries-

[Pinwheel] Pulls away from Doc to chase the feathers-

[Doc] There we go. Happy Pinwheel. This is a good way to exercise her if you want her to sleep too.

[Splender] - Okay

[Alexsezia] Why are you dressed like that Doc?

[Doc] Oh, I went out for a bit. Hg is done transforming. He can go out irl now.

[Splender] Is trying to get Pinwheel to jump-

[Alexsezia] Swing it up so it goes in an arc over her head. It makes cats do backflips.

[Splender] Tries it-

[Pinwheel] Her neck and head just flop backwards to follow-

[Alexsezia] Okay granted a cat does strike with their whole body, not just the head...

[Splender] Giggles-

[Doc] Oh! I still have the void bottle! I wonder if she went wandering out of hunger? - Xe puts down a shulker box and spins it open to get the little bottle of black mush

[Pinwheel] Attention is on the bottle rather quickly-

[Doc] cautiously holds it near her and tips it gently

[Pinwheel] Laps up the contents eagerly, standing on her hind legs trying to get closer-

[Doc] Keeps tipping until it's empty- Do you want more?

[Pinwheel] Baps the bottle-

[Doc] okay, I have more. I made myself a dragon kit box - indicates the white shulker box- I've got medicine and dragon wort in there too- Xe pulls out another bottle and tips it for Pinwheel as well

[Pinwheel] Stretches neck as much as she can to try and get as much energy as she can-

[Alexsezia] I'm glad I'm not the only one around here who likes to be prepared for anything

[Splender] - She's so cute

[Doc] She is lovely, and hungry! Is it gonna be time to get bigger again already?

[Pinwheel] - No

[Lie] Arrives at the castle around mid day the next day, CN is following her-

[Dn] Materializing behind them- Your most probable quarry is hiding.

[Lie] - Yelps- WHAT THE FUCK!?

[CN] - DN!  Look!  Look!  I got another feather!

[Dn] Examines it and gives a snort of appreciation. - Did the giver die swiftly?

[CN] - No, the pretty bird just gave it to me!  It's another NOTCH like us!

[Dn] Interesting....

[Lie] Having recovered- If your speaking about Doc, that's not who I'm looking for today

[Dn] Then who is in this ridiculous house are you seeking?

[Lie] - The brine which is the reason the two of you even exist

[Dn] Makes a sour face. - Gone riding in the desert.

[Lie] - I see, guess I should have brought Beau...

[CN] - That's the armored one, right?

[Lie] - Yes CN

[Dn] Just stares at her rather coldly - Why do you want to see the brine Cn?

[CN] - I'm just following my brine to make sure she's safe!

[Dn] Pats his head-

[CN] Laughs a little-

[Lie] Is debating what to do-

[Dn] Turns with an annoyed sigh and walks out across the water, leaving a path of ice as he heads for the shrine.

[Lapras] Surfaces to investigate the ice-

[Dn] clucks his tongue at the pokemon, and grumbles- More annoying intrusions.

[Lie] Decide not to trust DN's ice and walks the long way around to the edge of the desert and calls out mentally for TLOT-

[TLOT] Mentally- Lie? We're at the gym.

[Lie] - I don't wanna walk that far...

[TLOT] Then tp to me, duh.

[Lie] - How do I do that again?  And I've got CN with me...

[TLOT] Groans- I'll do it. Honestly, you need to learn this stuff.

- /tp player Lilinthia and ChildNOTCH to HerobrinetheLordofTears /-

[TLOT] Is standing beside his zombie horse Hellion

[Steve] Is doing some small tricks on China as he runs the skeletal horse in a circle around the large open floor.

[Lie] - Thank you TLOT, hey Steve

[Steve] Waves- Hi Lie!

[CN] Frowns at the undead horses-

[TLOT] Is keeping a sharp eye on the child- What's the matter now?

[CN] - Those could hurt her

[Lie] Sighs- They won't hurt me CN

[Steve] Hey Lie, watch me! - He stands up on China's back and crouches to stay put as China goes at a full gallop-

[TLOT] Nonsense. They're perfectly tame.

[Lie] - So you're learning some vaulting and trick riding?

[Steve] As he goes by-  Is that what it's called?

[TLOT] It's just a minor error that's letting him crouch on China. It may have something to do with the update. But it's neat and we'll play with it while it lasts. Really it's fortunate that China is perfectly obedient. Xe can't really feel, so xe can't be motivated with treats or a smack on the rear. Hellion can still sense if I give them a tap.

[Lie] - Yeah, that's what it's called.  And the horses used for this in the real world are trained for years for it.  Anyways TLOT, I think I have a project you might like.  It's for all the kids

[TLOT] I'm listening.

[Hellion] Wanders off a little bit and decides to keep pace with China-

[Lie] - So while we were out this last time we were able to pet and interact with some animals that are not on the server, like ponies.  Ponies are essentially smaller horses which are a perfect size for kids.  Do you think we could alter some spawn eggs to create some ponies?

[TLOT] Most likely, show me in your mind, so I can get it right. -

[Lie] Shows him images of ponies and kids riding them so he can get a better idea of the ratio-

[TLOT] Can't I just.. smush some big ones?

[Lie] - You are not touching my horses

[TLOT] Oh for.. I mean spawn some new ones and use them.

[Steve] Sits back down and is fussing around with China's reins.

[Lie] - Oh alright...

[TLOT] Do you really need a lot of them?

[Lie] - Just a few for now, so I can work with them and make sure they'll be okay with kids

[TLOT] Four sound good?

[Lie] - Yeah, that should do

[CN] Is running up and down the stairs-

[TLOT] Makes a slightly wicked face - Then I can show you something... unsettling. - He opens the creative and pulls out the spawn eggs.

[Lie] Gives TLOT an unsure look-

[Steve] Slows down and to watch and brings China over-

[TLOT] Taps the egg four times to get four horses and takes a few steps back from the small cluster- I don't think anyone but my lamb really realizes how much having the Testificates here on the sub-seed has increased my powers...

[TLOT] He braces his feet and spreads his fingers on each hand like a director framing a shot. The horses are clustered inside the cage of his fingers with no sign of effort he draws his hands closer together and compacts the horses into ponies inside the clear cube of space around them.

[Horses] Look thoughly weirded out but not in any discomfort.

[Steve] Applauds-

[Lie] - Okay that is a bit unsettling...  Please don't ever accidentally do that

[TLOT] I would never. But it's amazing how easy it is now. I used to have to touch things to do that. And doing more then one at a time...? No way.

[Lie] - I'm glad for you TLOT, really.  Did you hear that Splender went to Kore recently?

[TLOT] I heard it second-hand, but yes. I gather that he had a brief but happy visit, and that the children are greatly enjoying their toys.

[Lie] Smiles and nods-

[CN] Was racing down the steps to get between Lie and TLOT to defend her when he trips and falls-

[Hellion] Ducks hir head and lets Cn fall against the flat of hir face. The flesh is rubbery and just the tinest bit cold. The green horse gives a hollow whinny.

[CN] - Ewwwww...

[TLOT] Eww nothing, that was nice. Good Hellion.

[Lie] - Yes, very good Hellion.  Are you okay CN?

[CN] Scrambles away and gets between Lie and TLOT- Stay away!

[TLOT] What's the issue now? You're a NOTCH, surely you had some idea of the extent of my powers already?

[CN] - You'll use them on her!

[Lie] Mutters- Oh for fucks sake

[TLOT] It wouldn't be the first time. I'm the reason she can turn into a cat. I'm the one that made her a Herobrine.

[CN] Growls a little-

[Lie] - TLOT, so far he hasn't shown any powers...

[TLOT] So far...

[Steve] Cn, we've all been friends for a long time. We're not going to hurt Lie.

[CN] - But...  But...  When she first came into being she was scared!

-mix does the arrive  with a firebird on her head, his tail trailing behind her-

[Hellion] Trots over to Mix, sniffing both them and the bird interestedly-

[TLOT] Hello Mix, Firebird, what do you think of our new ponies?

[Steve] Pulls on China's reins so xe does an artful little trot to show off

[Lie] - Now your doing dressage

[Steve] Aw, China just high steps when Xe's happy.

[Mix] *gently pats Hellion's snoot

[Mix] Ponies? Teeny horses? *Peeks over to look

[Mix] Awwww

[Hellion] Gives a happy snort and a little dust comes out of  their nostrils.

[Firebird] -stares at Hellion judgementally before hopping off Mix's head and gliding over to TLOT to try and perch on him-

[CN] - Pretty bird!

[TLOT] Sticks up his arm to catch Firebird like a falcon

[Firebird] -Lands on arm and chirps contently-

[Mix] Who's a good horse... you are! *pet the zombie horse with lots of love, forgetting her intentions for coming here

[Hellion] Super happy and nuzzling-

[TLOT] Aww Xe likes you.

[Mix] They're a good horse! *happy beam as she pets Hellion

[TLOT] Touches Firebirds mind- what do you think about our plethora of NOTCHES?

[Firebird] -No thought about it for a moment as bird shuffles before just, a noncommittal "Decent, I guess? Tiny one got a feather from me."- Chorp

[Mix] -contently petting Hellion- Good horse...

[Steve] Gives the smallest of signals and China trots directly up to Lie and gives her a little bow with their head down and front legs bent-

[Hellion] Lips around her hands to see if Mix has anything-

[Lie] Gives China a pat- You know, I could teach you some other manuevers

[Steve] Me or China? Haha

[TLOT] I don't know Lie, he does like the crop...-

[Lie] - Both of you silly

[Mix] TLOT, what can I feed Hellion?

[TLOT] Honestly? Meat. Xe is a zombie after all.

[Lie] - A crop if used properly shouldn't aggravate a horse.  It's a tool for correcting yes, but not used in a cruel way.  However, some things can be taught without a crop

[TLOT] Just stares at her for a moment and decides to let it go.

[Mix] -pops a raw beef out and offers it to Hellion-

[Steve] Lie? You can't hit China, that's not what he meant... Xe can't feel that much.

[Hellion] Noms messily-

[Firebird] -chirp chirp bitch-

[Lie] - OH!  Alright then, hmmm, most of the maneuvers I know then won't work well because they require the horse to pick up on leg pressure...

[Steve] But I can just tell them what to do.... Well I can ask.

[Lie] - What I learned to do with horses out in the real world was a very difficult sport, it was meant to look like no commands were being given between horse and rider.  They actually used to be old war manuevers

[CN] Gets closer to Firebird- Hi pretty birdy!

[Firebird] -squints at CN before scuttling a bit higher up TLOT's arm-

[Steve] Leans way down and China moves hir head close to bump his  lovingly - Well it won't work like that. You have to ask.

[Lie] - Have you tried lateral movements?

[Steve] Points at the horse- Just demonstrate.

[China] Gives Lie a really curious and intense stare for something with no eyes.

[Lie] - Side stepping, moving sideways

[Mix] Oh! That's right, TLOT, Steve, I had some stuff to give you. *gives Hellion a final pat before walking over to TLOT and patting Firebird's head

-Mix does the search in her bag-

[China] Makes an attempt to go sideways but their legs aren't really made for it, they end up just scooting sideways without moving their legs at all. Gently glitching along.

[TLOT] Watches curiously-

[Lie] - Hmmmm, that's not really going to work, is it...

[Steve] Well.. they're trying. Gotta give em that. - Pats the horses spine affectionatly-

[Lie] - It's a good maneuver to know if your ever in battle against archers

[Steve] Good to know. Thankfully the archers are usually on our side.

[Mix] -Pulls out a Shard and squints at it before presenting it to TLOT. It looks faintly like a teardrop and glints brightly. It.. might have been an iron once?- It reminded me of you. It was the only one that ended up in this shape, too.

[Lie] - There's also some moves for close combat battle, like if you end up surrounded by zombies

[TLOT] Cradles it in his hands- It's lovely, thank you Mix. Is this one of the ones you grew?

[Steve] Oh we have a good one for that! Watch me! - He's all excited now-

[Mix] Yeah! I got a few I want to pass around because they reminded me of people. I got a funky lava one that reminds me of CP. Oh, While Lie's here... If I can find it-- *dig in bag

[Steve] Moves China around so they're a safe distance away and makes hir jump a little, throwing out hir front hooves powerfully and dashing at the air-

[Lie] - Yeah that's one of them, but I can show you one that allows you to attack not only forwards, but backwards at the same time

[TLOT] Is turning the shard over and over so the sun catches it- I can't believe you can grow such pretty jewels

[Steve] What? Like a donkey kick?

[Mix] I didn't know either! I got bored and the villagers nearby were nice and helped me gather stuff to try this out. The iron ones are super strong, but the Bedrock ones are stronger.

[Lie] - Now don't be surprised if you fall off the first few times you do this, China, I need you to rear up, and once at the height of your rear, you're going to jump and kick back with your hind lags

[TLOT] You made bedrock crystals?!

[Mix] Yeah, it was nether doing it, too. But after the initial one, they're easier to do. You can just put the new one in normal dirt.

[Steve] Umm... I'm gonna let hir do hir thing. - He hops down- Go nuts.

[China] Does a happy little prance and tries a couple of different stunts, leaping and kicking around. Xe manages to do one jump like Lie describes and the clatter of hooves against the stone floor is loud.

[Lie] - Good!  That's the right way!  I know it's hard, but it's a good trick to know in battle if something is right in front of you and behind you

[Steve] That was a good jump! - He reaches out for China and the horse happily butts up against him with a rather eerie wail, like wind in a seashell

[Lie] Smiles- Just keep up the practice and you'll have it down in no time

[TLOT] Man Mix... I would be happy to help you terraform part of the desert just so you could grow some of this stuff out in the open. Let it spread.

[Mix] Hey Lie! *She's found the shard that has a flower perfectly captured in it's center and is holding it up

[Mix] I mean, I kinda like the desert TLOT, It's nice seein' all the sand. Reminds me of home. Maybe a small part?

[Lie] - Hm?  Yeah?

[Mix] This one's for you.

[TLOT] We could make a floating island. That would be fun.

[Lie] Approaches and takes the shard- It's so pretty!

[Mix] Like you! *cheesy smile

[Lie] Blushes- Ah, thank you

[TLOT] So what do you think Mix? Are you up for some building?

[Mix] -cheesy smile remains as she digs through her bag for the last shard. A few roll out and she gives lamenting looks at them since she's too busy to grab them. Bye Shards, have a nice life-

[Mix] Maybe? Still kinda tired. Just slept since I got back..

[CN] Yawns and rubs his eyes-

[Lie] - I think somebody stayed up to late "on guard"

[TLOT] So did you have a nice trip out at least?

[Steve] Thumbs at a small door- There's beds in the locker room. He can conk out if you want to do more horse stuff.

[Lie] - No, I should be getting home anyways.  Might as well take him with me

[Steve] Aww....

[Mix] I did! I got to check on these, and practice a bit. Was nice...

[Lie] - Feel free to stop by my place if you want any more training with China

[TLOT] I heard about the gauntlets. If you ever want to show me, I'd love to see.

[Steve] Oookay....

[Lie] Gathers CN- See you guys later!  Thank you for the shard Mix!

[Mix] Well- Other practice, beside those. Hmm... *pulls out a bedrock Shard, it mostly looks like pockmarked rock with a slightly glowing center. Weird.

[Mix] No problem Lie!

[Mix] Is this the one...

[Lie] Leaves with CN-

[Firebird] -chirp-

[TLOT] Is it part glowstone? Why is it lit up?

[Mix] Fuck if I know. They just, do. -sets it down and pulls another out- It's got magic in it's core like the rest, I'm pretty sure. That's why the others glow so... Magic?

[Steve] Holds out his hands, expecting the shard to be very heavy.

[China] Leans over his shoulder curiously and makes a little whistling sound.

[Mix] -squint a bit before smiling and handing it over. It's heavy, but not overly so. This one's pockmarks all seem to be heart shaped. Every last one.- Strong, but loving! Like you, Steve! *smile

[Steve] Aww! It's so neat! Thank you Mix!

[Mix] -cheesy smile increases- I'm glad you like it! If you want something made out of it you could probably talk to NK, that's what he did a lot. Was neat to watch... *faint fond expression

[TLOT] What could you make? Do you mean like jewelry? Or are they for channeling energy somehow-

[Mix] Yes. Yes to both those questions. He could do pretty much anything with them, given time, enough shards, and patience.

[Mix] I was better at learning languages compared to both of my brothers, though.

[TLOT] What kind of languges? I mean, I guess you speak Testificate and some of the mob talk right?

[Mix] I can speak uh... Dinospeak, I think was the common term for it. There are a few different subtypes but they used one general version across the seed. *gather up scattered shards and toss in bag

[Steve] So you can... talk to the Lightfoots?

[Mix] Yep!

[Mix] Why?

[Steve] Doc kinda pissed them off.

[Mix] Is that why shit's piling up in the library under the tree? Was wondering about it...

[TLOT] Fuuuuck. I guess it's my turn to piss them off. Show me.

[Mix] Sure, Firebird, here. -firebird flaps onto her shoulder and she trots out before turning to head toward her home. As they pass the two new Skeleton horse pens a few Lightfoot lazing about in the sun with the horses look over and judge them-

[TLOT] Strides a bit angrily-

[Steve] is leading the horses.

[TLOT] Tell them I want everything back that they've taken from the castle... or else.

[Mix] That it?

[TLOT] It better be or they won't like what happens next.

[Mix]- clears throat to get attention-... Kxo weet teskeh'j jkivv aj ke ro hokihdot den. Uffhosaukot....?

*she has a face that shows she's  worried she didn't Pronounce the words right

*the lightfoot judge the request before  a few get up to get stuff from the library

[TLOT] Pulls some saddlebags and trunks from the creative and gathers up all their stolen stuff.

[Steve] Helps him and piles the bags on their horses-

[TLOT] Thank you. I would prefer to avoid fighting, but stealing is not tolerated here.

[Mix] yeah, no problem. You two have fun returning it all, TLOT.

[Lie] Is heading back towards the gym because she forgot the ponies, this time she's on Beau and has leads-

[TLOT and Steve] Are headed back with a full load of stuff.

[Lie] Dismounts and heads down to grab the ponies-

[Steve] Hey, isn't that Beau?

[TLOT] I think so. Lie?

[Lie] Calls from inside- Yeah?

[TLOT] Opens the door to check on her. - Just making sure. I know you don't leave a horse alone lightly.

[Lie] - Yeah, I forgot to grab the ponies though- She's just tossing the last couple of leads over their necks

[TLOT] Do you need any help?

[Lie] - Nah, just hold the doors open please

[TLOT] Easy enough- He motions Steve back-

[Lie] Leads the ponies up and through the door- Thanks

[Stevie] Knocks on Steffans door-

[Enderbro] Answers the door holding Gordon- HIDEO-HO!

[Stevie] - NETHER!- Jumps back a little

[Enderbro] HI OTHER STEVE.

[Steffan] Appears behind Bro- Which other Steve is it bro?

[Enderbro] Uuuuuhhhhhhhhhh.....LITTLE STEVE.

[Stevie] - Er...  Hey

[Steffan] Bro... Hey Stevie. - He gives Enderbro a gentle shove to the side - You wanna come in? It's a bit hot out.

[Stevie] - Sure, besides, I have something I wanna talk about with you

[Steffan] Motions for him to sit at the table. Steffan's laptop is already there and humming away.

[Enderbro] Tps to the floor with a 'bamph' and sits with Gordon on his lap, watching them-

[Stevie] Sits and gives the laptop a curious glance before returning his attention to Steffan- So I wanna surprise Alexis with something but I'm going to need some help

[Steffan] Why me? I can't craft off the table.

[Enderbro] How about a whole box of cookies!

[Stevie] - No no no, I wanna build her something, maybe a gazebo overlooking the water, but I'll need help building it so it will be done quickly and somebody else to distract her for the day

[Steffan] Absolutely.... as for a distraction... - he turns to Enderbro who's suddenly smiling. - Hey bro, want to go bug Alexis?

[Enderbro] Makes a show of thinking about it - What do I get?

[Steffan] Ummm?

[Stevie] - I'll get Lie to make you a special flower?

[Enderbro] Thinking - I want purple! And it should smell like chocolate!

[Stevie] - Ooooookaaaay....

[Steffan] Do you want him to go now?

[Stevie] - I dunno, do you think we should have somebody else there to help keep him focused?

[Steffan] Shakes his head - No, man. You don't have to talk around him either. Hey bro, you get to play with Alexis's kitten.

[Enderbro] KITTEN?!

[Stevie] - Yup, but it might be a couple of days, gotta make sure we have all of our supplies ready

[Enderbro] I WANNA PLAY WITH THE KITTEN-

[Steffan] Groans.... - You should have waited until you were ready to ask me then...

[Stevie] - We're Steve's it won't take us that long

[Steffan] Fair enough. Then you can get his part ready too-

[Enderbro] Shakes his head eagarly, and thrusts the dirt block at him - Gordon has a joke for you! He says; I'd tell you a joke about the end, but it will just dragon!

[Stevie] Gives a polite laugh- That's a good one

[Steffan] Is just rolling his eyes.

[Stevie] Once finished talking with Steffan, he decided to just bite the bullet and go see Lie. As he approaches, he notices her laying out blocks in her jungle tree- Lie?

[Lie] - Hm? Oh, hey Stevie, what brings you by?

[Stevie] - I need a favor...

[Lie] - What is it?

[Stevie] - I'm getting some help from Steffan and Enderbro for something I'm building and Bro requested a flower in return

[Lie] - What kind of flower?

[Stevie] - He wants a purple one that smells like chocolate...

[Lie] - Excuse me?

[Stevie] - Yeah... I know you don't like the smell but they're helping me with something important and I would really appreciate it if you'd do this for me...

[Lie] Sighs- Alright, just let me see if I can find some cocoa beans- She heads into her house and begins searching

[Stevie] Waits outside and notices CN- Oh, um, hello...

[CN] - You're okay- He then ducks back inside

[Lie] Comes outside with the beans and sits down on her steps, concentrating on the beans and attempting to change them. After several moments the beans begin to twist and writhe before sprouting upwards into a velvety purple flower- See if this is okay

[Stevie] Takes the flower and smells it. A rich chocolaty aroma wafts out and Stevie skills- Perfect, thank you Lie [Lie] - Yeah, just be sure to keep it away from me

[Stevie] Looks up at the tree Lie was in- So what are you doing? [Lie] - You mean you haven't heard? Doc and I have found our NOTCH's, mines a child so he's staying here. [Stevie] - Is that who I saw peeking out earlier? [Lie] - Probably, anyways, I'm building him a room so he doesn't have to sleep in my storage room [Stevie] - Well that's good, I'll see you around Lie [Lie] - Don't be a stranger, I know you're still wary of your brother, but currently his thoughts are preoccupied over my NOTCH

[Doc] Is fast walking with Yaunfen through Lie's yard. Xe's carrying a pair of shears and Dn is walking a few steps behind hir-

[Lie] - Oh, hey Doc

[Doc] Looks harried- Hi Lie...

[CN] - Spots DN and bursts out the front door- DN!

[Stevie] - Hey, what are the sheers for?

[Doc] I had an idea... but basically I just need some special wool.

[Dn] Watches the child-NOTCH run toward him with a placid expression.

[Lie] - Special wool?  Doc...  Are you sheering the mammoths?

[CN] Runs around DN a little before pointing at Stevie- He's okay

[Dn] I would hope so. He's just a human.

[Doc] Just looks angry and didn't actually hear Lie.

[Lie] Subtly spawns a few calming flowers behind Doc-

[Stevie] Twidles the flower in his fingers-

[Doc] I was trying to calm down but someone won't stop following me!

[Yaunfen] Angrily- Burp

[Dn] You will not deny me my purpose Herobrine.

[Doc] I have my own name thank you!

[Lie] - Have you figured out your purpose yet DN?  Because to me you just look lost

[Yaunfen] Catches a whiff of the flower in Stevie's hand-

[Dn] My purpose is to check my brines behavior and correct any errors they make. I am not lost.

[Doc] ERRORS?!

[Stevie] Looks at Yaunfen- Um...  Hello?

[Yaunfen] - Burp?- Tries to get closer to the flower

[CN] - DN, let's go hunt some birds!

[Doc] Has flared nostrils and suddenly makes a weird face. - Why do I smell chocolate?! Dn you make me so pissed off my senses are glitching!

[Lie] - Your senses aren't glitching Doc...

[Yaunfen] Jumps at Stevie-

[Stevie] Yelps-

[Dn] I wouldn't be suprised. You are a rather... unconventional Herobrine. Much less efficent then the red-haired one, or even the armored brine.

[Doc] Spits a bunch of angry numbers at him, it's a nasty swear in binary.

[Dn] Tempermental too...

[Lie] - You obviously haven't spent much time around my mate

[Dn] He fights efficently. That is enough to know.

[Yaunfen] Knocks Stevie over-

[Stevie] - Ack!  Help!

[Doc] Good grief! Yaunfen!

[Dn] Snorts derisively.

[Stevie] - Please don't eat the flower...  Enderbro requested it...

[Lie] - So Doc, this wool you're collecting...

-Firebird does the circle above in the sky because nosey-

[Doc] Why would you want to eat a flower anyway? I doubt it's sweet

[Lie] - It smells like chocolate, no idea what it tastes like

[Doc] That's what I'm smelling? Geeze... it's really accurate.

[Dn] Stares up at the bird-

[CN] - DN!  That's the other NOTCH!

[Dn] Gives Cn a rather skeptical eyebrow-

-Firebird slowly circles lower-

[Doc] Is edging slightly away-

[Dn] Cn, I thought you said you wanted to hunt birds? Do you have a bow?

[Doc] OH FUCK NO!

[CN] - I already have a feather from that one though

-Firebird swooshes and dive bombs at DN, only to pull up and glide at CN when he's close enough.-

[Doc] Yells at Dn and then ducks- You leave Firebird alone. He's twice the NOTCH you are!

-chirp-

[CN] - Hi pretty bird!

[Dn] Fades out and then back in again as he's swooped at.

[Firebird] Chorp! -Hovers infront of CN before landing ontop of his head carefully-

[CN] Stumbles and then falls down from the weight-

[Doc] Facepalm-

[Dn] Twice? More like half. I think not.

[Firebird] Chirp. -slight grin as he hops off CN-

[CN] Bounces back up and dusts himself off, giggling-

[Firebird] -Stretches wings and sits on the ground, scrutinizing DN in thought-

[Lie] Goes through her inventory, looking at what she has-

[Doc] Notices the calming blossoms and grabs several before sticking them in hir pockets.

[Firebird] -thoughtful look increases, weighing options carefully as he folds his wings to his sides-

[Yaunfen] Is gumming at Steve's arm, as close to the flower as possible-

[Stevie] - Seriously, a bit of help?

[Doc] Lie? Is it safe for Yaunfen to eat?

[Lie] - It was made from a cocoa bean so...  Probably?

[Doc] Clicks on the one in Stevies hand and eats a petal off the copy. - Meh, it tastes okay. Clean code- Xe holds the copy out for Yaunfen to get them off Stevie.-

[Yaunfen] Jumps at it- Burp!

-Firebird pops up and transforms, giving a slight grunt-

[Firebird] *stretch the arms because wow haven't been humanoid in a while. nice

[Dn] Such a crude way of checking code.... Hmm?!!!

[Firebird] -Finishes the stretch and swings forward fast, clearly trying to fuckin' deck DN-

[Dn] Goes sideways and tries to do the same to Firebird's chest.

[Firebird] -A noise faintly similar to a bird screech followed by him trying to swing talon feet up to scratch DN as he does the punch of his chest-

-Toasty temperature of firebird-

[Dn] Is startled by the NOTCH's nonhuman feet and noise and gets hit in his center-

[Lie] Glances at Notch's house, making sure he's safe in there-

[Dn] Finds his footing with a grunt and throws bolts of ice at the bird-

[Doc] Is trying to get everyone out of the way-

[Firebird] -Just, Melts it, heat increasing. He's bobbing back and forth on his feet now, looking a bit delighted and wild.- Is that all you've got??

[Stevie] Instinct kicks in and he nimbly dodges out of the way-

-Firebird bounces a golden ball in his hand-

[Dn] Scatters into black and vanishes. He reappears behind Firebird and tries to hit him with a hammerfist covered in ice-

[Yaunfen] Darts behind Lie's jungle trees-

[Doc] Just grabs Lie and runs in the same direction as the baby dragon-

[Lie] Yelps a little-

-Firebird spins, and while he does get punched, the ice is slushy from the heat he's exuding. He slams his hand forward, trying to sear DN's face off with the very, very hot golden ball-

[Dn] Is burned and growls in pain as his head tases sideways, his coding flickers as his repair protocals kick in-

[CN] Is just watching, a bit unnerved by the display of power-

[Dn] Forms an ice spike and drives it upward toward's Firebird's chest-

[Firebird] Been a while.. -Voice cuts off as the spike punctures his chest. It doesn't make it through, but it does cause a good bit of damage.- Hhh... -Kicks legs out, hoping to get DN in the shins or the lower stomach with his sharp talons. He just keeps getting hotter. Way too hot-

[Lie] - CN!  Come here!

[CN] - I'm fine, DN won't hurt me

[Dn] Is hooked on the birds claws and torn, he freezes the ground as he falls, trying to trap his adversary.

-Firebird's hair and tail fringe are getting soft blue hues to them as he kicks his legs, snarling at DN-

[Dn] Is slicing at the other NOTCH's legs with an icy blade-

[Firebird] -Particularly loud screech as warmth rises, before both of them are engulfed in searing flames.-

-...When they pass, Firebird's sitting on the ground tentatively touching his injuries. DN is fuckin' wasted.-

-/ DarkNOTCH was killed by FirebirdNOTCH /-

[Doc] Races back over - Firebird!

-As Doc gets close Doc feels the air around Firebird is practically blisteringly hot still. It's, not pleasant.-

[Firebird]...Hmmm...?

[Doc] Whoah! Time to cool down! - Xe starts spawning packed ice and builds a circle of it around them-

[Stevie] - Need me for anything?

-Firebird looks at the ice and takes a moment before starting to cool down. The temperature is soon enough tolerable, if a bit on the hot side.-

[Doc] Yeah! Dig a small hole we can fill with water.

[Stevie] - On it- He gets to work

[Lie] - I can provide the water

[Doc] Please! - Xe getting out hir needle and thread and some cloths to clean Firebrid's wounds-

[Firebird] .... -Squints at Doc for a second, heat increasing before going down again.-

[Stevie] Quickly finishes the hole and Lie fills it with water-

[Yaunfen] Investigates the water-

[Doc] Is using the water to clean the cuts- That was very bold. Thank you.

[Firebird] He was a dick, deserved it.

[Firebird] You're welcome, Doctor.

[Doc] sighs- I know... I try to discourage fighting, but he's making me so upset harassing me and everyone else. So then I feel bad AND like I'm being a bad example.  - Xe takes the little needle and closes his wounds near seamlessly-

[Lie] - It's okay Doc, we understand

[CN] - But DN is just doing his job

[Firebird] So was I, kid. It got me in bad places.

[CN] - But it's what we're supposed to do...

[Doc] Cn... just don't. You don't get how it feels for someone to hound you day and night making biting commentary on your choices when you're already questioning them yourself.

[Lie] Sighs- Well, I'm going to get back to work

[Firebird] -Idly plucking feathers from his tail as Doc fixes him up. It's mostly the feathers that have the most blue added to them.-

[CN] Is immediately interested in the plucked feathers-

[Doc] Why are you pulling those out?

[Firebird] You can have them, if you want CN.

[CN] Happily nods and gathers them up-

[Firebird] ... Don't like when I'm like this. Makes me anxious.

[Firebird] It wasn't a full turnover so I'm still mostly orange but..

[Doc] Here, have this- Xe pulls out one of the calming blossoms and offers it to him- Oh, do your colors change when you use your powers?

[Firebird] -Takes it hesitantly and twirls it between his fingers-

[Firebird] I was really, really bad back when I came to be. *nod a bit

[Firebird] I was blue then. Don't like being blue anymore, now that I'm different.

[CN] - What do you mean you were bad?

[Doc] Is fully focused on Firebird now - How bad?

[Firebird] ... Really bad?

[Doc] ...what changed?

[Firebird] Honestly? I got too cocky. Flowey managed to tear one of my eyes out and it scared the fuck out of me. Made me realize I was being really, really shitty to not just him, but the whole seed. Hell, even a few other seeds. *scrunches nose

[CN] - But we NOTCH's are made to keep balance...

[Firebird] ...More like he stabbed my eye but...

[Doc] That may be so, but you're not all created equally. And some brines are much weaker then their NOTCH's

[Firebird] Usually we are, CN. Usually. Sometimes, one side of the equation tips off. It goes bad from there.

[CN] Looks down, unsure about what he's heard-

[Doc] Checks Firebird over again and closes up some little rips in his clothes too. - I should really talk to Flowey... he's been rather elusive...

[Firebird] .... Do it when I'm not around, preferably. I don't need him trying to kill me again. *snort a bit

[Stevie] - Well, I'm going to go on my way to get this flower to Bro...

[Doc] Heh... I'm not confident about stepping into a fight between two NOTCHs'. But I think I can handle one brine.

[Firebird] True, true. If you need me to knock out your NOTCH again, feel free to yell for me over chat. That was... fun.

[Lie] - You might have to fight CP for the opportunity

[Firebird] That's no problem for me.

[Doc] Be my guest. Anything that gets me a moment of peace. I got so aggravated last night I started a fucking tunnel so I'll have another exit out of the castle.

[Firebird] You could hang with Mix. She and Flowey would shoo him away cause he'd freeze the flowers or something. *snort

[Firebird] I good to go now, Doctor?

[Doc] You are. Thank you- Xe impulsively gives him a little hug- You should be humanoid more often, just for the sake of conversation. -little wink-

[Firebird] -snort- I'll see about it, being a bird is easier on me. -hugs back before transforming. Looks himself over before flying off with a chirp-

[Doc] Cleans up the ice - Lie.... do you want to walk with me? I was going to check on BEN and Aven anyway.

[Lie] - Well, I'm kinda building CN a room...

[Doc] I could help? Yaunfen could provide moral support.

[Lie] - Sure, come on up

[Doc] Follows Lie into the house and across the little bridge. Xe notes that she made the entrance to the room a narrow hall beside the door to her own bedroom. Xe looks up at the partially finished treehouse- This is really neat Lie! Perfect for a kids room.

[Lie] - Yeah, I'm going to make it two layers for him, so he has a reason to climb the vines

[Yaunfen] Sniffs at the vines, a bit saddened that they aren't candy-

[Doc] I've been roughing out a room for Yaunfen actually, you're giving me some good ideas... Where can I help?

[Lie] - If you wanna state working on the second floor that would be great

[Doc] Scrambles up the vines and looks back to see if Yaunfen follows before laying down some carpeting

[Yaunfen] Stays below, sniffing around for treats-

[Doc] Calls down to them- you're gonna have your own space too, soon, just like a big kid

[Yaunfen] - Burp!

[Lie] Laughs a little at the dragons enthusiasm-

[Doc] I think I'll make you a little loft too

[Doc] is making a seating spot near the bookcases

[Lie] Rockets up past Doc on acacia logs-

[Doc] Time to hang more vines? - assuming it's a nerd pole

[Lie] - Nope, this is the end of the wall- Uses the vines to climb back down so she can start on the next corner

[Doc] Lie... I've been doing some thinking and I've notice d something... Yaunfen seems much heavier then they should be when they don't want to be moved.

[Lie] - Sooo, they're doing like a cat would?  Maybe glitching a little?

[Doc] No, Yaunfen has clean codes. And it's more severe then it is with a cat. It's not just dead weight. It's like trying to shift bedrock sometimes.

[Lie] - Yikes

[Yaunfen] Peeks over an unfinished edge-

[Doc] Is keeping an eye on them, - I know you like to jump, but that's a little high. Stay up here, okay?

[Yaunfen] - Burp!

[Doc] Bustles around a bit, putting up paintings and decorating the little space

[Lie] Starts filling in the ceiling with glass- Do you mind fencing off the balcony?

[Doc] Sure! - Xe passes by Yaunfen and gives them a candy cane cat tail to play with before putting up the posts.

[Yaunfen] Rolls around with the treat, trilling-

[Doc] Comes back over to give them a kiss- You make the cutest noises.

[Lie] - That they do

[Doc] What's next?

[Lie] Looks around- I think just a couple of carpets and we'll be done

[Doc] Great. - Xe starts working on covering the floor. -

[Lie] Does the same upstairs-

[Doc] Where's Cn anyway?

[Lie] Is quiet a moment- I'm not sure...  Shit

[Doc] Should I be worried that we haven't seen Cp in a bit either?

[Lie] - No, he's hiding out in his private chambers.  He's already thoroughly threatened CN from going down there

[Doc] Hiding from what? Is he just stressed out again?

[Lie] - I think just annoyed with CN

[Doc] Well we could always sneak away...

[Lie] - Sneak off to where?

[Doc] I told you. I need to go out to the savannah. I was going to check on Gem's household.

[Lie] - Ah, alright, let's go.  Do I need to take a horse?

[Doc] Nah, let's just walk. I'll be your ride back if it gets too late.

[Lie] - Okay, we're pretty much done here anyways

[Yaunfen] - Burp?

[Doc] Yeah, we're going visiting. - pats Yaunfen -

[Lie] Motions for Doc to lead on-

[Doc] ushers Yaunfen gently and leads them outside. - How's the Vinehorse doing? Have you had a chance to teach it anything?

[Lie] - A little, but I'm a bit preoccupied with a new project at the moment

[Doc] Really? Do tell! what are you working on?

[Lie] - Ponies, for the kids in the village

[Doc] That sounds adorable!

[Lie] - And a bit unsettling to watch TLOT make the ponies.  He basically crushed a few normal sized horses...

[Doc] Blanches a little - I'm so glad he's on our side....

[Lie] - Very much so

[Doc] Plucks a carrot as they pass Lie's garden and chews on it quietly. - I wonder how much time I have before DN finds me again...

[Lie] - Maybe a short while?

[Doc] Here's to hoping. - They pass under the tree and avoid a pair of creepers lurking at the far end in the shadows.

[Lie] Looks up at the tree- It still baffles me the amount of power I used to make this

[Doc] Heh, you scared the dickens out of Cp.

[Lie] - I really don't remember much from that day

[Doc] Is this like that Vegas thing I've heard about? You go partying and pass out and wake up married? -Grins-

[Lie] - Oh ha ha, very funny

[Doc] I'm just playing. But it is a little harsh to not remember much about your wedding.

[Lie] - I kinda remember that, but mostly because I was half naked for it

[Doc] Well yeah. It's kinda hard to do heart surgery on someone still wearing a shirt. Well... unless it's just a terminal removal...

[Lie] Spots the mammoths- So how much does DN hate the mammoths?

[Doc] I don't think he knows about them yet, thankfully. -is getting within sight of Gem's house-

[Lie] - I wonder how Hyrule is doing...

[Doc] We'll find out if they're home. We should check on Aqua too.

[Doc] At Yaunfen - You'll be one of the few dragons able to play with poor Aqua. I hope you get along.

-the guardians, the Pokémon, eddy, and Edward are all playing in the yard. the giggle of them playing only gets louder as they get closer-

[Doc] Looks like everyone is out enjoying the day. - waves-

[Lie] Waves as well- Well it is a pretty day

[Doc] Hey guys! Wanna see something funny?

[Noah] -sees doc and lie and waves which's gets the others to notice and wave as well.-

[Yaunfen] - Burp?

[Daniel] sure we would but I also want to tell you some gossip

[Doc] Okay, just a sec,  -Looks around for the nearest mammoth and starts sneaking up on it.

[Lie] Gives Doc a curious look-

[Doc] Waves the clippers at the mammoth as one would a sheep, but the hair is so thick on such a large body that six blocks of brown hair cubes fall off and the resulting haircut resembles a french poodle.

[Lie] Facepalms- Oh for fucks sake

[Guardians] -are all laughing there heads off-

[Doc] Is laughing as well and scoops up the hair before the mammoth has a chance to kick at hir. Xe's wiping tears out of hir eyes as xe runs back.

[noah] -still giggling- so about that gossip do you hear it?

[Doc] Fire away. I'm all ears.

[noah] gem has fallen hard for someone

[Lie] - Oh really?

[Doc] That's great! Who is it?

[Daniel] the enderwomen steph

[Doc] I love it. I hope they're super happy. I know she's been lonely.

[noah] oh and gem managed to get over her fear of firebird

[Doc] Even better. I'm feeling rather well-disposed to him today myself. I presume you saw the death message?

[Daniel] yea we did

[Doc] Shakes hir head. - He's such a fucker. Even Yaunfen hates him.

[Yaunfen] Decisively- Burp

[noah] gem has been freaked out by those two NOTCHs arrival

[Doc] She's not the only one...

[Daniel] yea but it was super bad she started using up so much energy we couldn't form

[Lie] - At least mine has been relatively harmless so far...

[noah] that should help keep gem's mind at easy or at least a little calmer to know that