#tees plant trees

[proteusolm]

My house has no business looking like this in late May 🤬

[riaki]

santa claus and his treats | satoru gojo x f!reader pt.1 of christmas event! wc: 3.4k oops i went overboard | cw: petnames, literally j pure fluff ur both STUPID in love, he’s the cutest! happy birthday pretty boy 🧸

"'toru?" you called, voice filling the dimly lit room as you peeked your head in through the door. the curtains were drawn, the iridescent green tinsel dotted with soft yellow lights framing the doorway of your bedroom scratching your neck as you spotted the white-haired boy sitting on your shared bed, picking at something on his lower lip.

you took a moment to drink in the sight— his soft white hair that fell over dazzling sky-blue eyes, the color of the lake dotted with fragile crystalline snowflakes that melted into fresh spring streams that fed nature with new growth and fresh flower buds, a tangible warmth when his gaze fell on you and an easy smile stretched across his pink lips. a little too easy, you think. easy enough for you to miss the way he swipes a coffee brown crumb from his cheek; the smile has too much sugar and cream for you to buy it.

your eyes slowly drift from his charming grin to the rest of the room. there's a forest green tuft of leaves hanging from the ceiling on a thin golden string; you recognize the crimson red berries and waxed leaves with spots of pearl dotting as a bunch of mistletoe, hanging right over the mattress. clearly, he thought ahead.

you snuff the flush from your cheeks as he perks up at the sight of you, straightening his back. "hey, baby! you must be my present from santa this year," he laughs, holding his arms out, an invitation for you to crawl into his arms and curl up on his lap like two warm cats by the fireplace. you almost gave in— until you remembered why you were looking for him.

"you're getting coal this time, satoru." you said, huffing as you walked over to the mattress and put your hands on your hips, attempting to come off as intimidating in front of your boyfriend as you leaned over and stared down at him. he just giggled that sweet, boyish laughter of his, scooting closer and capturing you between two strong arms to tug you onto the bed with him. the sheets were soft, and they smelled like him as he pulled you onto his lap and cuddled you like a life-sized plushie, all warmth and soft comfort that he craved so much.

"aww, really? but it's my birthday today," he sighed loudly, shaking his head as he firmly planted his hands on either side of your head to prevent you from worming away and planting a loud smooch on the top of your hair, before laughing as you pulled away from his grasp and gave him a glare. “besides, you’re anything but a bad gift.” he smiles.

“don’t sweet talk me, ‘toru. you’ve been naughty this year.” he wiggles his eyebrows at that, and you shoot him a sharp glare which just earns you a light scoff, but there’s a smile mirrored on both of your lips.

(maybe they’ve met so many times in the past that they know how to copy the other flawlessly.)

"but you're already here, my love. lookin' all pretty like the angel on top of our tree." he hums, crossing his legs and holding his ankles as he rocks back and forth; the teddy bear he won you from the arcade on your first date is face planted into the pillows by his side, donning a festive red santa hat. the white fluffy pom pom looks like satoru's hair, and you stifle a laugh at the thought.

"how kind of you, satoru." and you mean it— he looks like his own christmas angel; snowy hair and pretty blue eyes clad in a loose black tee with cheap printed red and green christmas lights over his chest. he looks unfairly attractive with those gray sweatpants on, too. you wouldn't mind wrapping him up in yellow ribbon and presenting him to your parents this year as your holiday present from santa, and then having your own fun with him later. you suppose you must've been perfectly good to land him; so pretty and fun, bubbling laughter that speaks of his care in volumes. and he’s their soon-to-be son-in-law, after all. and he’s a golden catch.

but it’s time for this white betta to be put in his place; he’s gone snooping where he shouldn’t have— or rather, scavenging would be the more appropriate choice. and he’s about to be skinned for entering the lion(fish)'s den. your matching red-green plaid pajama pants won't save him this time.

"sorry, baby, but you can't talk yourself out of this one." you said firmly, scooting closer to him as you sat back on your knees and gave him a look as pointed and narrow as the icicles melting on the frosted awnings. to anyone else, you might look like a wet, angry cat— but to satoru, it was enough to strike fear straight into the center of his heart. his fight-or-flight response kicked in (it only ever did with you)— and it was as if you could see the change in his demeanor. his eyes voluntarily softened, lids drooping as a lazy smile drifted over his lips like fluffy white clouds over a pale sun on a winter's morning.

"aww, don't be like that. my princess looks so much prettier when she's happy," he coos, all milk and honey as he reaches out and catches your wrist, rubbing his thumb over your pulse beating beneath your soft skin as he brings it to his lips and kisses your knuckles. so he chooses to fight, and you almost fold— almost.

you twist your arm in his grasp, eliciting a whiny yelp of pain; getting him to let go of you as you quickly flick his forehead. even so, he lets you-- he never turns infinity on around you, even at the price of his own sanctity.

you sighed when he gave you a dramatic pout, sticking out his bottom lip as he hung his head low in defeat like a golden retriever being scolded by his owner, soft hair falling over his pretty blues. his hands come up to cradle his head, rubbing the spot where you'd knicked him. "don't play around, satoru. where are the cookies i baked last night?" you asked, reflecting his frown with a pointed glare. if looks could cut, he'd be a red christmas on the cloudlike sheets. you were tired of beating around the bush, especially when satoru had a knack for making it utterly exhausting. nevertheless, it went on.

"maybe santa came early," he quipped, giggling at his own joke. "you never know, huh? he's an unpredictable old geezer. likes his milk and cookies, or so i heard."

"didn't know santa claus had the six eyes." you deadpanned, crossing your arms over your chest and looking him square in the eyes. "and he shaved his beard off, apparently." he feigns hurt, holding a hand over his heart in mock anguish.

"i'm no thief! it hurts me to know you think of me so low, sweetheart." he sighs dramatically, shaking his head. outside, the snowy wind howls in agreement. "besides, it's my birthday. you're suffocating the spirit, honey." he drawls.

you just roll your eyes at that, crossing your arms and shifting to sit closer to him. you will your irritated expression to soften, and it's reflected in the way satoru immediately relaxes, shoulders sagging as the anxious look in his eyes vanishes like the wilting ghost of fall on a christmas eve, leaving behind the scent of bluebells and frost on the wind. he thinks you've forgiven him.

that's just what you need. for him to let his guard down so you can spring the trap on him. santa may be able to get away with his yearly trespassing, but satoru's entered the property of more than your heart this time, and it's time for his holiday retribution.

"give me your hand, satoru." you said softly, voice barely a breath above a whisper. he obliges almost immediately, scooting closer on the bed so that his knees graze against yours, and you hear him suck in a little breath at the contact as your hand finds his.

you take his palm in your own; his hands are considerably bigger than yours, but you still manage to run a thumb over the ridges of his knuckles, gently massaging the soft skin over weary bones. a sweet little noise leaves his breathless lips; it's almost like a purr, and when you glance up at him he's almost as red as the glittering velvet bulbs dangling from the primmed branches of your christmas tree. he looks away, a subtle pout weighing down on his lips as he coughs loudly, as if the amber sap of a pine tree has caught in his throat, scratchy like tree bark.

"what are you doing?" he whispers, voice rough and hoarse, like someone took a fireplace stoker and poked his throat. almost a protest.

but you can feel him melting into you, and soon enough, he’s sandwiched you between his warmth and the fluffy blankets, the scent of apples and cinnamon weaved between the strands of his soft white hair as they tickle your flushed skin. his lips are soft and pliant and warm against your own; he's all over you, hands finding your wrists to trace tender, wobbly circles over your thrumming pulse with his thumb. he's robbing your lungs of air, needy in the way he cages you between his lanky limbs, lock and key with his free hand threading through your hair. he can never get enough of you, and he throws his inhibitions to the frostbitten wind if they mean learning to resist you.

it's spread around you like ripples on the surface of a misty lake, and when he draws away to stare down at you, eyes blown wide with a certain shine in his eye that reminds you of glowing embers, jumping from the lively blossom of fire on the grated dark metal of a hearth, there's a cheeky lopsided grin on his glossy lips. his fingers are slender, pale and callused, a gentle flushed at the tips.

"there was a mistletoe," he says breathlessly, as if that'll excuse him. as if he needs an excuse to kiss you. you just laugh, reaching up to trace his jaw with a finger, and he shudders despite the heater inside your room. the bunch of green leaves and red berries hanging above you sways in agreement.

but you can't focus on the dreamy look on his face; that lazy smile that dances over his lips and illuminates his features like twinkling christmas lights catching on each edge of a carefully cut snowflake, the sky's jewels. every time he looks at you as if you've crafted each intricacy of his world; patched the colors together and taught the light to reflect, you feel as though there are bubbles in your throat, and you have to cough them away when they're accompanied by a familiar rush of heat to your face.

it's all overpowered. strongly, by the rich taste of cinnamon. rich, sweet, distinctly festive, mixed with brown sugar and cookie batter; flour on the matching aprons satoru bought for the two of you, except the 'he' on 'he cooks' has been messily crossed out and replaced with a scribble that says 'she', and vice versa. it's on his tongue, his lips, the little dips on the corner of his mouth that makes him look like a kitten every time he grins. it tastes like wearing matching christmas sweaters, sampling sweet treats fresh out of the oven and laughing cheerily in your little cozy kitchen of warmth when he burns his tongue, a sour look on his face that wrinkles his nosebridge.

but, most importantly, it tastes like condemnation.

you sit up, briefly (and painfully) knocking foreheads with him when he's too slow to mirror your actions, but the complaint that's ready to stain the air like chimney soot dies on his tongue when he sees the look on your face. you look the same as you did the first time you found out he'd forgotten to pick up megumi and tsumiki from school. in other words, pissed.

"hey, pretty girl. you should smile; you look less like an ogre when you do—" he hastily starts, laughing nervously as he runs his hands through his messy hair. you've noticed that whenever you neglect to toy with the silky soft strands when you're tangled with him, whether it be kissing, cuddling, or... something else, he'll do it afterward as if to emulate the feeling of your fingers in his hair, even if it 'screws it up'. apparently, his skyscraper ego is too fragile to ask for headscratches.

"just a minute, satoru." you cut him off through gritted teeth, lips that should be stretched in a wide smile pressed together in frustration. your eyes narrow as you straighten up, sitting back on your ankles. "you ate them, didn't you?" your fingers dig into his skin, pinching his cheek. if his skin wasn't already stained crimson with boyish excitement, it would be an angry red now. you give killer pinches; he knows firsthand.

which is why he should've thought ahead and listened to the angel on his shoulder when you were knocked out earlier, curled up in a fluffy blanket on the couch, snoozing away. what was he to do? the cookies you'd made were calling his name. and it was for his birthday, and they were made for him. so why couldn't he indulge?

this was why.

and you know you've pinned him with your accusation like a throwing dart on a cork board; the way his gaze bounces around the room and his smile turns a hint sheepish and a handful guilty speaks volumes enough before he can even protest. but he can feel your wrath like an entire mine's worth of coal in his stockings, so he quickly throws his hands up, shimmying away from your angry pinch. the sheets bunch beneath him.

"listen, sweets, i just thought that— well, i'm sorry, baby, they just looked so good. and i only ate a few! i swear." satoru says solemnly, getting on his knees and throwing himself before you. he knows you're unamused— sitting there, crosslegged, looking down at him as if he's some chewed up gum you found on the bottom of your shoe. he might as well be. blueberry flavored, maybe? or mint, he's fine with that too—

"so you did." you just sigh, flicking his hunched shoulders, before you go soft again, and he sees pink. you reach forward, fingers creeping beneath his chin to tilt his face up. his skin is soft and warm beneath your skin, thrumming with a life and heat the poor overworked radiator in your room could never measure up to. and when he does look up, his starstruck gaze meets your own; you look ethereal in the warm light, and he wonders why he hasn't put a ring on your finger or started a family with you yet. maybe that can be the last gift to top off the cake of your overflowing knitted stocking, hanging from the kitchen counter; a mahogany box with golden hinges who's shine pales in comparison to the diamond ring in the center of the velvet.

he tucks the idea into his mental notes and grins, a cheeky flash of teeth. "so you forgive me, right?"

wrong. he should know better than to push his luck. especially when it comes to you.

the hand beneath his chin creeps up his face to squeeze his cheeks together, forcing his lips to pucker like a fish out of water as he tries to escape to no avail. you glare down at him, all needles. not at all in the holiday spirit, if you ask him. his face is squishy as a pillow beneath your fingers, and a smile resurfaces on your lips after a long struggle to keep it submerged.

he opens his mouth, no doubt to wail like a newborn, and you quickly withdraw, knowing better than to continue your assault. "geez! okay, fine. sorry. i ate them, you grinch." he grumbles, rubbing his squished cheek as he pouts and looks away, shrinking in on himself. his shirt is bundled beneath his arms, slipping off one of his shoulders to expose a pleasant flush on his neck. "seriously! you're such a killjoy. there's no fun in waiting," he smiles mischievously, wiggling his toes and nudging you with his foot. the fabric of his fuzzy reindeer socks bumps against your thigh, and you make another face at the red pom poms on the crudely-knit rudolph face.

"apologize." you emphasize each syllable, letting them fall off your tongue. they jut into his side like blows to his ribs; he falls back onto the bed for extra dramatics, letting it squeak beneath his weight.

"oh, the horror! to think that i'd be reduced to such a state—"

"satoru."

"—that i, head of the gojo clan, the honored one—”

"satoru gojo."

"should be forced to bow to such pious customs at the foot of scrooge—"

"gojo!"

you reach over to threateningly pinch him again, and he rolls away, tossing a fuzzy pillow into the air and kicking it at you like he's playing some cursed form of tennis. you scowl, catching the cushion and tossing it back at him. it lands square on his face, and he whines, crying about how you've ruined his beautiful, youthfully full, gorgeous face; how is he ever going to pretend to be santa and let pretty girls sit on his lap now? —and that one earns him another pinch to his arm.

"okay, okay! i'm sorry, my love. you're not the grinch, or scrooge, and i shouldn'tve eaten the cookies." he sighs, excruciatingly slow as he inches towards you again, wary of but wanting your warmth all the same. it's too cold to be alone this morning, anyway.

"without me." you corrected, unable to wipe the light grin from your face, and you watch as his face lights up, like a kid seeing his dream christmas present in the window display of a bright shop, hidden behind frosted glass and cold air.

he sits up again, scooting close and opening his arms once more. this time, you oblige, throwing yourself onto him and wrapping your arms around his neck. now he’s the one with his back flush against the mattress, soft as a cloud of cotton candy. he laughs, and it rumbles through his chest when his hands find the back of your head and he tucks your head beneath his chin, cradling your neck.

"without—" punctuated with a kiss to the top of your head, "you." satoru finishes, and you can hear the grin in his voice, cheery as a christmas carole. his arms snake around your waist, squeezing lightly as one hand slips beneath the hem of your shirt to gently rub your back. his fingers against your skin feels like the touch of a butterfly, wings like stained glass.

"how about this, pretty? we can make more together." he suggests, resting his chin on top of your head. you're smushed into his chest, the printed material of his christmas light t-shirt scratching your face, and the only thing you can manage to breathe is the cheap cologne you bought him (you don't understand why he uses it when he could afford the best of his own), but suddenly you can't bring yourself to mind. so you nod, and he chuckles.

"d'ya still wanna do cinnamon?" he asks softly, slipping his free hand into your hair to play with the strands, holding you close and cozy in his embrace. the burning heat of friction between your numb hands or a roaring fireplace don't compare to the warmth he brings you, soft and sweet and painfully human. and you can't really make yourself feel upset at the pretty boy with snow-white hair holding you anymore.

"nah. let's do peanut butter chocolate chip." you hum, muffled, and he laughs, hearty and full, the kind that makes his entire body tremble a little. and you can feel it, so you tilt your head up to peer up at him. there's a stray pine needle in his hair; must've been from your hazardously decorated christmas tree. he looks down at you and smiles, brushing your hair from your eyes and leaning in to kiss your forehead. it’s like a crimson wax stamp sealing his love letter to you.

he cuddles you close, tufts of his soft hair tickling your face like a tacky christmas sweater. "sounds unhealthy. but whatever you want, baby. santa's gonna give you all you ask this year." and this time, he doesn't use the mistletoe as an excuse to brush his lips against yours when you move to pick the pine needle from his hair. he smells like vanilla, swirled like espresso with a hint of cinnamon.

he may have enjoyed his cookies and milk without you, but there's nowhere else he’d rather be— no one else he'd rather share the rest of his time with, be it baking, decorating, or lazy naps in each other’s arms. after all, half the jolliness of the holiday season comes from being with you.

fish analogies went crazy… happy bday gojo !!! my (riaki) stuff. don't repost and/or plagiarize !

[joeybsversion]

Comfortable

Joe Burrow x reader

You travel with the team for a relaxing weekend

You tightened your pony tail, trying to find something to do with your hands as Joe slipped his Cartier shades over his eyes. Your hand founds it’s way back to his and he laced your fingers together. You could see a crowd of fans and people taking pictures up ahead. Joe tightened his grip on your hand and put his head down as you fought your way through the crowded airport.

“Cars are out front. Follow this hallway and go out the doors on your next left.” Ja’Marr instructed, following close behind.

With another Super Bowl win behind them, the team had decided to take a relaxing trip to the mountains of Montana with girlfriends and wives in tow. You all needed a break from the city and the craziness that comes with being in the NFL.

“After you.” Joe smiled and opened the back door of the black SUV for you before following you in.

“Next stop, Camp Champs.” Sam Joked as he climbed in and took a seat next to Joe, his new girlfriend close behind.

A pack of SUV’s navigated the winding Montana roads through fields of wild flowers and forests of trees. “It’s so beautiful.” You admired the landscape.

“Just wait until we get to the cabin. Views are supposedly breath taking.” Joe looked out the window.

“Damn this place is huge!” Tee swung the door open, dropping his bags.

“Wow.” You gasped.

Joe smiled, taking your bags and leading you through the house, trying to find a room to claim. “How’s this one?” He asked. The room had floor to ceiling windows along the wall and a private balcony on the opposite side.

“It looks like a post card out there!”

He laughed at you before planting a kiss on your forehead. “It really does.. hopefully there’s no bears out there!” Joe teased.

“That’s not funny, Joey!” You backed away from the windows.

“I’m serious! This area is know for its big bad grizzly bears! You packed bear spray, right?” He asked, a look of concern on his face. You turned to look at him. “What is that!!” He pointed out the window.

You screamed and buried your face in his chest.

He laughed uncontrollably. “Baby, I’m kidding!” He fell backwards on the bed, trying to catch his breath.

“You’re so mean!” You playfully smacked his arm and flopped down on the bed beside him.

After a long day of travel, everyone was looking forward to a night spent around the campfire.

You slipped on some leggings and one of Joes flannels and followed him out into the big back yard where the rest of the team was gathered around watching Ja’Marr start the fire.

The crackle of the fire was relaxing, to the point where you might fall asleep outside. It doesn’t help that your cuddled up in Joes lap under a blanket, his hand tracing up and down your back. He’s laughing away with the team, already talking about next season, and sipping on a beer. He keeps name dropping sports people you’ve never heard of, which is helping you stay zoned out. Every so often he looks down and kisses you on the forehead, checking that you’re comfortable enough and warm enough. He notices goose bumps on the back of your neck and wraps the blanket around you tighter.

There’s a warm, full feeling in your heart when you’re with Joe. A feeling so familiar and specific. A feeling you didn’t know until you met Joe.

[jaladdin]

Thinking quite terribly hard about Nick's costume design. More aptly about how completely plain it is next to everybody else's and how, in turn, that makes it unique. I think it also tends to add to the "Nick is just plain/boring/etc" agenda that a lot of the fandom has when - at least in my eyes - it's anything but.

Under a cut, because I doth yap.

Because Nick seems to pick out his clothes the way he does his actions — based entirely on how best to fit in the situation at any given moment and blend in. Hiding any real shred of who he is as a person.

In school hallways it's a letterman jacket; a jersey or a letterman is something you see before you even really see who's wearing it. it lumps him in with The Team, and there's no need for personal expression. The jacket does the talking Nick needs it to.

In the music classroom, it's a Keith Haring hoodie — the right kind of artsy that'll be quietly approved of, but still basic enough to blend him in, whereas something like a band tee would say something about him as a person and his interests. Things we know he is either trying to actively hide, or things he hasn't even really figured out for himself yet.

(You can also go the 'Keith Haring is a queer icon' route, in which case it's interesting that that's the only thing Nick wears that's really able to be identified as maybe-possibily being related to any of his interests. And that he hides it under his letterman in the hallway.)

We definitely see glimpses of that Real Person - the way he dances when nobody's watching, the jokes he texts Julie - but for the most part when there are eyes on him, he's pretty firmly locked away.

I have Other Thoughts on Nick's dance costume, but that's an entirely different ramble for another time. For now: everything about it blends in! The black of the hat against the wall, the blue denim bathed in blue light. Nick is, yet again, just part of the scenery. Which brings me to the main point I'm trying to make. That being Nick is what he is surrounded by.

In dance class, it's a repeat of the letterman: a jersey that lumps him in with the team, and even though Nick is absolutely at the center, there's nothing that makes him stand out from the others. Just the way he likes it!

He's not even in the front. He's sometimes not even in focus. He's not even in the blue which at least draws the eye.

And then in episode 9, when he's already surrounded by the green of the trees and the plants and bushes, the green of his shirt blends right in. The sun hits the gold-ish of his hair. He's holding flowers to fit right in among the plants! Somehow, even though Nick is the only character in the shot, he might as well still be part of the background.

There is one singular exception to the rule, which is that Nick stands out in I Got The Music. Pretty drastically, actually! While everybody else is wearing vibrant color, Nick is in a black and white suit. He's not in the background, he's leading the charge with Julie.

Not only that, but the suit doesn't really fit/suit him well. At all. It doesn't look good, and the costume designing on JatP pretty much always looks good. So what the hell?

The thing to remember here is that this is Julie's fantasy. Nick stands out in this dream sequence because he stands out among the rest to her. But even in a fantasy, Julie can't put Nick in something well-tailored and flattering, because...

What does she know about him? Julie doesn't really know him at all. Flynn gets clothing in IGTM that suits her. One look at her wearing her outfit and you know exactly who she is. Because Julie knows who she is, and in her mind's eye it's easy for her to pick out a costume that works.

Nick? He's a blank slate for her to project on. And he's done a great job at locking away the fact he's a real person from view.

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Zert

Debut: Kid Icarus: Uprising

Zoinks! Zounds! This zany zesty zapper is Zert. What a thing Zert is! If you just read its name, you can probably tell you are in for something good, but would you expect something THIS good? I think I would, honestly, because the Uprising enemy designs go harder than diamonds.

Zert is immediately a very striking (tee hee!) design! The silhouette of a general cartoon tree, but with storm clouds in place of bushy leaves. And of course, those two yellow eyes that stare right through you! Its face reminds me of a robber fly, with those bulging eyes on either side of its head, and the pointy roots underneath like the fly's bristly mustache. Maybe those roots stick out every which way because of the electricity, like hair. Aieee! That's what you might say if you get zapped a minor degree.

Zert gained its electric abilities after being struck by lightning, but I'm not sure it was a NORMAL tree before this. Like, maybe it still had those wonderful freak eyes, but was otherwise a pretty standard tree. Maybe it used to scuttle on its roots like a crab instead of flying. Anyway, for its big attacks, Zert will split open to reveal some kind of magical crystal staff! What's the deal with that! That's not Plant. Is Zert a plant capable of tool use? So smart! Or maybe the crystal is made of Zert's own hardened sap? Wow... the power was inside all along!

I would also like to point out Pew Pew, a member of the Forces of Nature alongside Zert, for its rather similar appearance! I must assume these are closely related creatures, and maybe Zert had a similar style of mobile root before its Electrical Ascension.

Hey remember AR cards? This game loved AR cards. This means there is official Zert Merchandise! Hooray! I don't have it. Whimper. But that's ok! I am just happy it exists, and I am happy to think about funny Zert.

[yoitsjay]

cardigan by taylor swift

imperial crosshair x f medic reader

reader was with bad batch for a year (crosshair was lowkey in love with reader) or so but went mia a couple months before plan 99. crosshair goes empire blah blah. crosshair is on a mission (s2 so his chip is like gone but hes still good soldiers follow orders) and finds reader on a remote planet helping injured people. and when he pops out she almost shoots him cause she doesnt recognize the armor but ima just leave it there and let you decide the rest of the angsty fluff or wherever you wanna go smut or not

I love you

My Cardigan.

Pairings: Imperial! Crosshair x Fem medic! Reader

Summary: Crosshair finds you after almost a year of you being MIA, and you made him realize how big of a mistake he had made, and what he could do to fix it.

Warnings: hurt n comfort, non explicit smut, p in v smut

Word count: 1,827

A/n: I loved writing this and listening to cardigan by Taylor swift on repeat. I will NEVER listen to this song again. lol.

Vintage tee, brand new phone. High heels on cobblestones.

On the harsh unforgiving landscapes of the remote planet of Yalara, where settlements and outposts scatter the vast and always changing terrain, there lies a medium sized hut, two floors tall hums with the sounds of medical and diagnostic equipment. It's a peaceful humming, background noise to fill the silence and make it comforting as patients get treated.

When you are young, they assume you know nothing.

Your hut had become a form of sanctuary for the people born on Yalara, travelers and refugees from all kinds of planets. You give them free healthcare, though they always find some way to repay you, and you help them find places to settle, or set them up with people who can help more than you can.

Sequin smile, black lipstick. Sensual politics.

You had always had an affinity for medicine, and caring for others was a hobby that you could never get tired of. Seeing their smiles every day, reassuring them that they were safe, and would be okay now… it was all worth the supplies you went through on a daily basis. Though you always had a way to get more.

When you are young, they assume you know nothing.

You had been working out in the back area of your hut, the sun just beginning to rise over the foggy mountain range, light reflecting off the dew drops that rested on tree and plant leaves. Your garden had been booming, with all kinds of plants, large and small, growing with relentless fervor.

But I knew you, dancing in your levi’s, drunk under a streetlight. i, i knew you.

But then you heard voices, far away at first, though they were nearing the front of your sanctuary. You made your way back inside, and rushed the less injured people into a safe room you had hidden below the main floor, having opened up a hidden panel in the floor.

Hand under my sweatshirt. baby kiss it better, right.

Once the voice reaches the door, you close the panel and cover it with a carpet, moving in front of the more injured patients in your clinic. The door opens and you raise your blaster, spotting a familiar feeling man in unfamiliar armor.

And when u felt like i was an old used cardigan, under someone's bed…You put me on and said i was your favorite.

You fire, and the blue bolt wizzes past the man's head, he is about to reply with a shot of his own, only to let out what you can assume is a gasp as he hesitates, and nearly drops his sniper rifle.

A friend to all is a friend to none. Chase two girls, lose the one.

When you are young, they assume you know nothing.

You stare at the helmet of the man, watching as he slowly sets down his sniper rifle, then begins to remove his helmet.

But I knew you. Playin’ hide-and-seek and givin’ me your weekends.

I, I knew you.

The blaster in your hand falls to the ground as you see none other than Crosshair, the man you had loved, and left almost a year ago… Your eyes were wide, and you just stared at him, and he did the same.

Your heartbeat on the high line, Once in twenty lifetimes, I.

You both almost didn’t want to believe that you were standing in front of each other, but here he was, in imperial armor… and there you were, tending to the sick and injured like you always had…

And when I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone's bed. You put me on and said I was your favorite.

“Y/n…” Crosshair breathed out your name in a whisper, like saying it any louder would break him. Though it broke you as tears started brinking your eyes, and you let out a choked sob.

To kiss in cars and downtown bars, was all we needed.

“Crosshair-” You choked out, glancing back at your patients before you tentatively took a step towards the man. You saw the tears in his eyes, the way he looked at you with so much regret and guilt…

You drew stars around my scars, but now im bleedin’

“What are you doing here?” You asked him softly, leading him into another room. He was more than happy to follow you. “I- i’m here on a mission… s’ told there were rebel insurgents on this planet… coordinates sent me here.” He answered you honestly, and almost cried more when he saw your frown.

‘Cause i knew you, steppin’ on the last train, marked me like a bloodstain I,

“There are no rebel insurgents here, just innocent civilians, trying to escape an Empire that shuns them and abuses them.” You told him, crossing your arms over your chest… over his old cardigan. Crosshair looked away from you, ashamed…

I knew you.

“What are you doing Crosshair?” You asked, and he looked back over at you. “What do you mean?” He asked, voice cracking slightly as he spoke. “What are you doing with the Empire Cross? you were never one to follow orders, let alone from people like them” You pointed out, seeing the confliction spread across his face.

Tried to change the ending, Peter losin’ Wendy

“I-.” He didn't have an answer for you… though the realization hit him hard, especially coming from you… He betrayed his brothers… his family for an ideal that would discard him the first chance it got…

I, i knew you

“Why did you leave?” Crosshair then asked, looking over at you as your arms fell to your sides and you tensed slightly. But you wouldn’t lie to him…

Leavin’ like a father, runnin’ like water, I.

“I was scared… I felt something evil approaching, and on top of that i- I was falling in love with you… I knew I couldn't live with the looming fear of whatever was coming, and allow myself to love you so… I ran away.” You whispered, looking down at the ground, your hair falling forward and slightly framing your face.

And when you are young, they assume you know nothing.

Crosshair frowned, and he took a tentative step forward, and when you made no move to turn away, or reject his advances, he took another step forward, removing his glove from his hand as he gently cupped your cheek, tilting your head up so you were looking at him. “You were right… danger did come… the Jedi were convicted of treason… my inhibitor chip- i- i tried to kill a young padawan… and when i got my chip removed i…”

But i knew you’d linger like a tattoo kiss,

“You stayed with the empire…”You finished, and Crosshair nodded. A soft sigh left your lips, and you stared into his eyes before surging forward, pulling the man into your arms. Crosshair tensed but only for a moment, practically falling to his knees in front of you as he finally broke, tears streaming down his face as he held you tightly.

I knew you’d haunt all of my what if’s

“I made a mistake, Y/n.” He whispered, feeling your soft fingers trailing the burn scar on the side of his head, though he didn’t even flinch, wanting to soak up as much of your touch as he possibly could. “It’s not too late.” She whispered, pulling back slightly so she could look into his eyes.

The smell of smoke would hang around this long.

“What do you mean?” He asked, staring into your eyes as you smiled a bit. “Leave the Empire Crosshair, i can help you find your brothers again, you can make it up to them, have your family back.” She spoke softly, cupping his face in your hands. “I can love you again… and I won't be running away this time.” She whispered.

‘Cause I knew everything when I was young.

And Crosshair felt hope, for the first time in a long time he was actually hopeful for his future… slowly but surely he nodded his head, and hugged you tightly in his arms.

I knew I'd curse you for the longest time.

The minute you weren’t helping patients, crosshair had his hands all over you, he couldn’t tear himself away, not that he had you so close to him again. He took you up to your bedroom, backing you up until the back of your knees hit the edge of your bed. His lips were on yours, a clash of tongue and teeth.

Chasin’ shadows in the grocery line.

Clothes were shed, and you laid in the nude with Crosshair placing kisses across every inch of your skin, for every day he had missed you, for every mistake he had made. So many silent apologies that were all forgiven as soon as you asked for him. And he could never make you wait.

I knew you’d miss me once the thrill expired.

Within moments he had slid himself inside of you with no resistance. He was being so soft, and so sweet with you, both yours and his moans bouncing off the walls in your bedroom.

And you’d be standin’ in my front porch light.

By the night's end he had made you see stars, and then saw his own as he came inside of you, bringing you closer together than you had ever been before.

And I knew you’d come back to me

You and Crosshair showered, did what you needed to clean up and were back within your bed. He refused to let you go, his arms firmly wrapped around your waist with your head on his chest.

And you’d come back.

“I'm sorry.” He whispered softly, resting his chin on the top of your head which was resting on his chest. “I know Crosshair… but I forgive you.” You whispered, smiling against his warm skin. “I've done so many vile things…” he trailed off, and you sighed.

And when I felt like I was an old cardigan…

“and yet here you are, having realized those mistakes… and now you'll atone for it.” You breathed out, pulling your head back so you could look into his eyes. “they will forgive you too, though it may take a little bit.” You added, and he nodded his head.

Under someone's bed…

“We have to find them first.” He muttered, hearing you chuckle. “that will be easy… I have their contact codes, so we can meet them somewhere safe to just talk.” You stated, and he hummed. “Alright… maybe in a couple days… I just want to be here with you…” Crosshair trailed off

You put me on and said I was your favorite.

“Don't worry Cross… I won't leave you again.” You whispered softly, pulling the blankets up and over the both of you, closing your eyes as you rested against him, feeling him squeeze you lightly.

“I know.”

➺

Crosshair tag:

@nyctophobiart

Tbb:

@only-my-unexistent-fiances

All:

@moomoog017

[libraryofmoths]

Moth of the Week

African Wild Silk Moth

Gonometa postica

The African wild silk moth is a part of the family Lasiocampidae. It was first described in 1855 by Francis Walker. It is also known as the Brandwurm in its larval stage in Afrikaans, Kweena in its pupal stage in Tshwana, and Molopo moth/mot in English and Afrikaans.

Description The female of this moth is much longer and larger than the male due to having to carry eggs. The male is about half the size of the female and much thinner.

The female has a light brown abdomen with a dark brown thorax and head. The female’s forewings are striped light brown, dark brown, and gray. The hindwings are a yellow-brown with a dark brown edge.

The male has a dark body and wings with a transparent portion of the hindwing.

Female Forewing Range: 35–42 mm (

Male Forewing Range: 21–25 mm (

Diet and Habitat Larva of this species eat Acacia erioloba, A. tortilis, A. melifera, Burkea africana, Brachystegia spp., and Prosopis glandulosa. The larva will feed from the same tree it’s entire life unless there are two many other caterpillars. When there is a large number of caterpillars, they may defoliate the whole tree and the larva must move in order to not starve.

This moth mainly inhabits savannas with many Acacia trees, especially in drier areas. These moths contribute to the Acacia environment by providing food to predators and nutrients to plants through feces. Cocoons are usually found on Acacia tees.

Mating Males detect females’ mating pheromones with their antennae. Males fly to the females because the females are weighed down by the eggs. The female contains about 200 eggs which are laid on the food plant after fertilization. Eggs hatch in about two weeks. Eggs are laid in clumps and the newly hatched caterpillars grow as a group and become more solitary with time.

Predators This moth is preyed on by parasitic wasps and flies. These insects lay their eggs on the caterpillar and feed off of its resources until the moth larva cocoons. The parasites live off the cocoon and grow to adulthood while killing the pupa. Specifically, these larva are subject to parasitism by Diptera and Hymenoptera, the most common parasitoids being Palexorista species from the Tachinidae and Goryphus species from the Ichneumonidae.[6]

To combat external predators and weather, the caterpillars build a tough cocoon. Caterpillars and their cocoons are also covered in stinging hairs to deter predators from touching them. Female cocoons are larger than male cocoons.

Fun Fact In Madagascar, wild silk has been harvested for centuries, and this knowledge has been introduced to southern Africa. The cocoons are harvested commercially in Namibia, Botswana, Kenya and South Africa, and the species also occurs in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. They are difficult to harvest due to the cocoons being covered in calcium oxalate. Oxford University discovered and patented a method known as demineralizing using a warm solution of EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) that soften the cocoons by dissolving the sericin. This lets the silk unravel without weakening it.

- Wild African silk moth cocoons are also used as ankle rattles in southern Africa by San and Bantu tribes. They are filled with materials such as fine gravel, seeds, glass beads, broken sea shells, or pieces of ostrich eggshell.

- Furthermore, the cocoons have long been known to cause the death of cattle, antelope and other ruminants in the Kalahari. During drought periods, the cocoons are eaten, probably because they resemble acacia pods. The silk is indigestible and blocks the rumen of multiple-stomach animals, causing starvation.

- Finally, the protein found in this species’s slik contains many basic amino acids making it a potentially useful biomaterial in cell and tissue culture.

(Source: Wikipedia, SANBI)

[talonabraxas]

Huehueteotl-Xiuhtecuhtli, Aztec God of Fire Talon Abraxas

Among the Aztec/Mexica, the fire god was associated with another ancient deity, the old god. For this reason, these figures are often considered different aspects of the same deity: Huehuetéotl-Xiuhtecuhtli (Pronounced: Way-ue-TEE-ottle, and Shee-u-teh-COO-tleh). As with many polytheist cultures, ancient Mesoamerican people worshiped many gods who represented the different forces and manifestations of nature. Among these elements, fire was one of the first to be deified.

The names under which we know these gods are Nahuatl terms, which is the language spoken by the Aztec/Mexica, so we don’t know how earlier cultures knew these deities. Huehuetéotl is the “Old God”, from huehue, old, and teotl, god, whereas Xiuhtecuhtli means “The lord of Turquoise,” from the suffix xiuh, turquoise, or precious, and tecuhtli, lord, and he was considered the progenitor of all gods, as well as the patron of fire and the year.

Origins

Huehueteotl-Xiuhtecuhtli was an extremely important god beginning in very early times in Central Mexico. In the Formative (Preclassic) site of Cuicuilco, south of Mexico City, statues portraying an old man sitting and holding a brazier on his head or his back, have been interpreted as images of the old god and the fire god.

At Teotihuacan, the most important metropolis of the Classic period, Huehuetéotl-Xiuhtecuhtli is one of the most often represented deities. Again, his images portray an old man, with wrinkles on his face and no teeth, sitting with his legs crossed, holding a brazier on his head. The brazier is often decorated with rhomboid figures and cross-like signs symbolizing the four world directions with the god sitting in the middle.

The period for which we have more information about this god is the Postclassic period, thanks to the importance that this god had among the Aztec/Mexica.

Attributes

According to the Aztec religion, Huehuetéotl-Xiuhtecuhtli was associated with ideas of purification, transformation, and regeneration of the world through fire. As the god of the year, he was associated with the cycle of the seasons and nature which regenerate the earth. He was also considered one of the founding deities of the world since he was responsible for the creation of the sun.

According to colonial sources, the fire god had his temple in the sacred precinct of Tenochtitlan, in a place called Tzonmolco.

Huehuetéotl-Xiuhtecuhtli is also related to the ceremony of the New Fire, one of the most important Aztec ceremonies, which took place at the end of each cycle of 52 years and represented the regeneration of the cosmos through the lighting of a new fire.

Festivities

Two major festivities were dedicated to Huehuetéotl-Xiuhtecuhtli: the Xocotl Huetzi ceremony, in August, associated to the underworld, the night, and the dead, and a second one which took place in the month of Izcalli, at the beginning of February, related to light, warmness and the dry season.

Xocotl Huetzi: This ceremony was related to the collection of the fruits of the earth and the ritual death of plants. It involved cutting a tree and placing an image of the god on the top. Copal and food were then offered to the tree. Young men were encouraged to climb the tree to get the image and gain a reward. Four captured people were sacrificed by being thrown into a fire and by having their hearts extracted.

Izcalli: This second festival was dedicated to regrowth and regeneration, and the beginning of the new year. All lights were shut down at night, except for one light placed in front of the god's image, including a turquoise mask. People brought game such as birds, lizards, and snakes to cook and eat. Every four years, the ceremony included the sacrifice of four enslaved people, who were dressed like the god and whose bodies were painted in white, yellow, red, and green, the colors associated with the world's directions.

Since early times, Huehuetéotl-Hiuhtecuhtli was portrayed, mainly in statues, as an old man, with his legs crossed, his arms resting on his legs, and holding a lit brazier on his head or back. His face shows the signs of age, quite wrinkled and without teeth. This type of sculpture is the most widespread and recognizable image of the god and has been found in many offerings in sites such as Cuicuilco, ​Capilco, Teotihuacan, Cerro de las Mesas, and the Templo Mayor of Mexico City.

However, as Xiuhtecuhtli, the god is often represented in pre-Hispanic as well as Colonial codices without these characteristics. In these cases, his body is yellow, and his face has black stripes, a red circle surrounds his mouth, and he has blue earplugs hanging from his ears. He often has arrows emerging from his headdress and holds sticks used to light fire.

[kybercrystals94]

Exploration

Read here on Ao3!

Febuwhump 2024 | Day 13 | Prompt 13: “You weren’t supposed to get hurt.”

Rated: G | Words: 1781 | Summary: An afternoon of exploring takes a slight turn. [Character Focus: Omega, Wrecker, Tech, Echo, Hunter]

“Please, Hunter!” Omega wheedles, trailing behind Hunter as he walks down the narrow corridor of the Marauder. He practically trips over her when he turns to search another shelf for his stash of migraine medication.

Hunter bites back the irritable tone that wants to coil around the words, “It isn’t really a good day to go exploring, Omega.”

“It’s never a good day,” Omega grumbles, crossing her arms and scowling holes into the durasteel floor. It’s times like this that she inadvertently gives her best imitation of Crosshair.

A deafening crash rattles the ship. Hunter winces against his sound sensitivity.

“Wrecker! I told you to be careful with that!”

“No, you just said to pull it out. That’s what I did!”

“I said to pull it out carefully.”

“You should speak up if it’s that important!”

Hunter sighs, looking down at the still pouting child at his side. “You know what,” he says, “I think it is the perfect day for you and the boys to go exploring.”

Omega’s head snaps up with a glowing smile. “Really?”

“Only if you promise to take Tech and Wrecker with you,” Hunter says.

“What about Echo?” Omega asks.

“Sure, if he wants to go along.”

“Don’t you want to go?”

The headache gnaws on his brain matter. “I’ll stay with the ship. Just in case.”

Omega gives him a playful salute before bounding away to inform her brothers of their impending exploration. Hunter watches her go fondly before resuming his search for his pain meds.

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

“What is this flower called, Tech?” Omega asks, kneeling in front of a flower with curling, orange petals dotted in black speckles.

Tech kneels down next to her, scanning the plant. “This is an auratium flos,” he says. “It is known for its bitter aroma.”

Omega leans forward and sniffs. She makes a face. “Eww. I thought flowers were supposed to smell nice.”

“That is dependent on the purpose of the flower,” Tech says, standing up.

“Can I pick one?” Omega asks.

“I don’t know why you’d want to, but I suppose it is alright.”

Omega looks over at Wrecker, who is distracted by the large walking stick he found. “Wrecker, you should smell this flower. It’s called an auratium flos! It smells really good!”

Tech opens his mouth to contradict the obvious falsehood, but Echo elbows him.

Wrecker ambles over and allows Omega to hold the flower up to his nose. He takes a deep inhale before reeling back in disgust. “Ugh! You think that smells good?”

Omega squeals with laughter, delighted by her prank.

“You did that on purpose? Why you little…” Wrecker drops his stick to scoop Omega up and tickle her, sending her into gleeful hysterics.

Tech grins. “Ah, that was cleverly done,” he says to Echo.

“And to think you almost ruined it,” Echo chuckles.

Omega wiggles out of Wrecker’s grasp, climbing up onto his shoulder and perching there, an arm wrapped around his head. “Go that way,” she says, kicking out her foot to point.

“Yes, ma’am,” Wrecker says with a rumbling laugh. He retrieves his walking stick and they begin again down the trail they’d found through the jungle. Tech said it was a path regularly traversed by a species of deer, likely leading to a water source. They’d decided it was their mission to find the end of the trail.

As they walk, Omega points out everything that catches her interest, prompting Tech to offer his research or expertise on the subject. Wrecker uses his walking stick to whack at branches and vines that hinder their path, while Echo hangs back a few paces from his enthusiastic siblings, watching their backs and enjoying the sound of their endless chattering.

An hour into their trek and they hear the babbling sound of water tripping over stone.

“The water source!” Omega cries, pushing herself up to peer through the trees. She teeters dangerously on Wrecker’s shoulder, but before Echo can warn her to be careful, Wrecker reaches up to steady her.

“See anything, little captain?” the giant asks.

“No,” Omega says, “but it sounds close. We should be careful.”

Tech hums an affirmative sound. “As this planet is largely unoccupied, there are not any maps that give information on smaller geographical formations, such as streams.” The splicer edges his way to the front of the line. “I should lead until we determine its location.”

“Like a little stream could hurt me,” Wrecker grumbles, but doesn’t argue the point further.

They walk a few minutes more before Tech holds up his hand to sign them to stop. “Something is wrong,” he says.

“What do you mean?” Echo asks.

Tech turns. “Wrecker, if I may borrow your branch?”

“It’s a walking stick,” Wrecker says.

Tech rolls his eyes and holds out his hand. “Fine. Your walking stick.”

Wrecker relinquishes his treasure, and Tech holds it in both hands. He pokes around the ground in front of him. “Does the ground feel strange to you, Wrecker?”

“Like what?” Wrecker asks, bouncing a little to test the ground beneath his feet.

Suddenly, he and Omega drop from sight with a muffled, tangled scream.

Echo steps forward in alarm, but Tech holds out his hand for him to stop. “Don’t move!”

“What the kriff just happened? Where are they?” Echo demands, trying not to sound as panicked as he feels.

Tech lowers himself to the ground, lays flat on his stomach, and stretches out to look down the hole Wrecker and Omega disappeared into. “We are not on solid ground. We are on a tree canopy.”

“What?”

“It seems we inadvertently, and quite literally, walked off a cliff. The jungle is so dense, we didn’t notice that it was not solid ground beneath us, but the top of a tree. I noticed that the sound of the stream went from in front of us, to below us.”

“Where are Wrecker and Omega? Can you see them?”

Tech nods. “They appear unharmed.”

“Thank the maker,” Echo breathes.

“Indeed,” Tech agrees. He carefully pushes himself up. “Now we need to figure out a way to get down to the others.”

“Down? Shouldn’t we try to get them back up?”

“Inadvisable. The best course of action will be to join Wrecker and Omega on the forest floor and navigate a way back up the cliff.”

Echo sighs. “Fantastic.”

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

“Are you okay, ‘Mega?” Wrecker asks.

Omega opens her eyes. She hadn’t even realized she’d squeezed them shut. “Um, my wrist hurts, but I’m okay.”

Wrecker scoots closer to her. “Let me see,” he says.

She sits up and holds out her throbbing wrist for his inspection. He takes it carefully in his large hands, prodding gently. She winces.

“Just a sprain,” Wrecker decides. He reaches into his pack and pulls out a strip of bandage. “We’ll make you a nice sling to rest it in.” He ties the ends together and slips it over Omega’s head, helping her cradle her injured limb in its fold.

“Wrecker, Omega, status report,” Tech’s voice says through Omega’s comm.

Omega unclips it from her belt with her good hand. “We’re here. I sprained my wrist, but we’re okay.”

“That is a better outcome than we could have hoped for under the circumstances. A fall such as that could have resulted in much worse,” Tech says.

Wrecker stands up slowly, as if expecting the ground to drop from under him again. Omega thinks it is a fair assumption. He prods at the ground experimentally with his boot. “The ground is really soft down here…that’s why it didn’t hurt when we landed on it, but at least it’s real this time.”

”Yes, it seems that you and Omega have found the jungle floor.”

“‘Found’ is a generous way of putting it,” Echo mutters in the background.

“Echo and I are formulating a plan to get down to you. From there, we will seek out a way to get back up to higher ground.”

“Roger that,” Omega says.

Wrecker helps Omega to her feet. She turns in a circle, taking in the dim surroundings. It isn’t exactly dark; however, the light only pierces through the awning of trees in thin shafts, illuminating little bits of the world around them in a golden glow. It’s almost magical.

“It’s beautiful down here,” Omega says.

“Look!” Wrecker points. “There’s the stream we were looking for!”

Omega grins. “I guess we finished our mission after all.”

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

“I don’t like this plan,” Echo says.

Tech sighs. “So you’ve mentioned. Several times.”

”Why can’t we call Hunter? He could bring the Marauder and pull us all out of here.”

“You are suggesting we admit to Hunter that we quite literally walked off a cliff with a child in our care.”

“I’d rather he hear it from us than the two storytellers down there later,” Echo grouses.

A pause. “That is actually a very valid point.”

“I always make valid points.”

“Tech? Echo?” Omega’s voice pipes through their comms. “What’s taking so long?”

”We are considering our options,” Tech replies promptly.

“I think they’re just scared,” Wrecker’s voice taunts.

“Incorrect. We simply don’t have the appropriate gear for a direct plan. We have to work with the resources at our disposal.”

“Scaredy tookas,” Wrecker cackles.

“I’ll have you know that I actually have a plan, but it is Echo who is resistant,” Tech declares.

”Hey! I’m just trying to keep us from breaking our necks.”

“Well, can we hurry it up? Omega and I are starting to get hungry.”

“Let’s just call Hunter,” Echo pleads, eyeing the less than reliable contraption Tech had constructed.

“Fine,” Tech relents with a long sigh. “We’ll call Hunter.”

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

“Do you want to explain to me again how you let Omega fall off a cliff?” Hunter asks.

Tech corrects him. “She did not technically fall off a cliff. She fell out of a tree.”

“That you didn’t know you had walked onto. And then let her fall through.”

“Correct. But in our defense, the tree’s canopy was mostly sturdy enough to withstand the weight of a normal sized clone. It was Wrecker and Omega’s combined weight that caused them to break through an otherwise admirable barrier.”

“I barely got hurt!” Omega adds helpfully.

“You weren’t supposed to get hurt at all,” Hunter sighs.

Omega pats Hunter on the arm. “We will be more careful on our next exploration.”

”That isn’t to say we weren’t being careful this time,” Tech puts in quickly.

Hunter swears that he and his siblings are magnets for trouble and danger, it seems to follow them at every turn. They always get lucky in the end.

But what will happen when that luck runs out?

END

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[gh0stsp1d3r]

ℳ𝒶𝓎𝒷𝒶𝓃𝓀𝓈 𝓈𝒾𝓈𝓉ℯ𝓇

Chapter 6- bitter

Series masterlist

warnings: mentions of wounds, alcohol, guns.

Big John looked at you, thinking about your words for a moment before turning back to Singh, his mouth still shut.

You scoffed, shaking your head, a million thoughts ran through your head. How the hell did you end up here? You screwed your eyes shut, mind automatically going to JJ, and maybe a few memories with Rafe.

Oh my god, you thought, the sudden realization you might never get to tell him how you feel or how much you really fucking love him. Or you’d never have a life with him. Or what if-

Sarah knew she had to act. She reached for the man who held the gun to John B. Your eyes snapped open at the commotion, thoughts being interrupted. Sarah’s hand went out to the man who held you, before falling to the ground with a yelp.

“Sarah!” You and John b spoke simultaneously, the men turning their guns to Sarah now. She whimpered, crawling away. “No, no.” She panted, backing up against a plant.

A gun fired towards her, she screamed and ducked down. But the shot didn’t come from Singhs men, it came from another figure in the bush. The two of Singh’s men fell down, and you turned back to realize that the man holding the gun was Ward.

“John B grab the gun!” Big John shouted, both you and John b knocking the others of singhs men off of you, you kicking yours in the balls before leaving him on the ground.

“Go!” You motioned for them to go in front of you, you following after them.

Ward and Singh started shooting at each other, Big John joining in. You, Sarah and John B hid behind bushes and trees.

“Sarah! Come this way! Come with me!” Ward shouted.

“No! I’m not coming with you!” She shouted back, looking at her dad.

“I’m your father, I saved your life, Sarah, now come with me before you get killed!” He shouted while ducking and avoiding a bullet. “Damn it, Sarah, we don’t have time for this! Now come on!”

“John B give me your gun.” Sarah spoke quickly.

“What?” He asked, shocked at her request.

“Give me your gun.” She demanded, he handed it to her reluctantly.

“You’re coming with me.” Ward spoke, coming towards you all, before Sarah raised her arm, and the gun.

“Back up.” She spoke firmly.

“What are you doing? Sarah?” John B muttered to her.

“Oh shit, revolution.” You shrugged.

“I said back up.”

Ward stopped in his tracks, looking at his daughter.

“Put it down, Sarah, you’re not gonna shoot your own-“ he was cut off by a bullet shot over his head onto the tree. He looked back at the tee and at her

He nodded, looking at her still, slowly backing up.

“Here.” You murmured, putting your hand on the gun and lowering it for the girl, gently taking it from her.

Ward walked away, through the forage. Sarah looked at him, watching him leave.

Big John turned to look at the girl. “You’re one of us now, kid. Go.” He nodded. “I’ll cover you.”

“Yeah.” John b murmured, you following the couple back into the forest and through the pouring rain.

“Dad, come on!” John b shouted,glancing back over his shoulder.

“Run! Run!” Was all he shouted back, coming over to you both.

“Oh shit. That’s one of Singh’s guys. What are we gonna do?” JJ asked them, looking at the men stationed on the dock. “We gotta get past them somehow.”

Their plan? A fishing line and a note.

JJ threw the firework, Kiara watching the men panic and yell at each other at the dock.

“Is he buying it?” Jj murmured, him and pipe throwing two fireworks at the same time, the men diving and yelling.

They looked out, and Singh’s men started to fire at the water, JJ and pope ducking down.

“Pope, return fire! Return fire!” Jj told him quickly, Pope already lighting one and throwing it next to the man hidden in the boat.

“There’s too many of them!”

“Let’s get out of here! Go!” The man shouted, both hopping in the boat and beginning to drive away.

“Come on, get them,” JJ threw one more firework, it popping right next to them in the water. JJ had a triumphant smile as he turned to back to Pope.

“Bye-bye.” Pope murmured.

“Think we’re getting better at this.” JJ nodded.

“Oh yeah.” They did a handshake, both of them being interrupted when Cleo came out.

“Hey, hey, ain’t no time for celebrating. We didn’t do nothing yet.” She said, walking past both boys.

“That’s fair.” Kiara said, following her.

JJ and pope turned back to each other. “I thought we did something.”

“We did.” Pope nodded and smiled, both finishing their handshake.

“Well done, solider.”

“Keep on that heading, northwest. That’s the way the hand pointed.” Big John spoke, walking as quickly as he could behind the three of you.

You panted, the pain relievers from earlier were not helping too much with your leg pain. But you persevered.

“Yo, pick it up, old man. Let’s go.” John B spoke when Big John sat down with a grunt, you all still moving.

“I- I just- just need a minute.” He sighed, looking away from his son.

“You need a minute? Wasn’t you the one who told us to pick our asses up earlier?” You quirked an eyebrow, standing behind John B. You were still bitter about the whole solana thing. You wondered if he truly would have let you and John b get shot for the treasure.

“Yeah, come on let’s pick it up, let’s go-“

“Go on, I’ll catch up.” He grunted out. “I just need a minute to catch my breath.”

“Sarah, one sec, we got a straggler.” John B spoke, watching the girl go ahead of them.

“Alright.”

“Dude, what’s going on, man? We gotta go.” John B walked over to his dad.

“It’s just my legs ain’t what they used to be. I’ll be fine in just a second.”

John b glanced over to Sarah and you. You sat down on a rock as well, pulling your legs up and making sure that the bandage was still on and okay. His eyes stayed on you for a moment before turning back to his dad.

“Dad, what the hell was that at Solana? You were really gonna let them shoot us back there?”

Big John looked at his son, shaking his head, he groaned. “Come on, give me some credit, kid. Sarah just… beat me to the punch.”

John B held back a scoff. “Always about the treasure, right?” He paused, big John looking at him. “Come on, we gotta go.” He walked closer, Big John tried to stop him but John B noticed the blood. “Wait, wait, wait. Jesus… dad, are you okay?”

“What? Yeah. I just got grazed. I’ll be fine. Just beat up a little bit. That’s okay.” Big John told him, standing up.

“A-a- are you sure?”

“I’ll be fine.” He pat his shoulder. “Come on. We gotta go.”

John B didn’t move, but his dad just motioned for him too. “We gotta go. Go. Go. Come on.” He told you too, looking down at you. You glared at him, getting up and following John B.

Sarah heard an eerie sound when she stopped, her movements paused and she stood up, furrowing her eyebrows.

You got up there with her, about to say something before she opened her mouth.

“Shhh. Listen. Listen, listen.”

You all were now standing, quietly and listening to an odd whooshing sound.

“What is that?”

“Do you hear that?”

The sound happened again, and Sarah turned to Big John. “Do you remember when you said no tongue but always speaking?”

“How do you know that?” He asked her.

“I heard you and you were talking to yourself.”

“Yeah, you do do that.”

“You do it in your sleep too.” You said with a snort.

Big John ignored your comments, and thought back to the glyphs. “I am nothing but hold everything. No tongue… but always…” he paused, looking around. “Speaking.”

Sarah murmured an “oh my god.” To herself and hopped down, everyone quick to follow her towards the sound.

“Let’s go.” John B spoke.

“What the hell is that?” Big John chuckled.

“It’s this way.”

You all came to a cave, a dark, large, probably bat filled cave, stopping in front of it.

“No tongue but always speaking. I am nothing but hold everything.”

“It’s a… cave.” You shrugged, hearing insects inside it that made your skin crawl and make a face.

“That’s it… maybe el dorado is…” big John trailed off, shining his flashlight into the cave.

“In a cave.” John B sighed.

“Let’s do it. Come on.”

“Eugh.” You muttered, following them and accidentally stepped on a bug, but just looking back up, running over. “Damn, y’all can’t wait up?” You murmured to yourself, going beside them all now.

“Okay, so this doesn’t really look like of gold.” You pointed out.

“It’s a big cave. Let’s split up, look around. There’s gotta be a… passage or something.”

You sighed, shining your flashlight around the cave, all of you walking around, John groaning and leaning against the wall.

“I don’t know, dad. It kinda looks like a dead end. It’s just a hole in the ground. It doesn’t go anywhere.” John B told him.

“Keep looking.” He replied, panting as he sat down.

You furrowed an eyebrow, confused as to what was his deal. You turned around to look at him.

“You alright there, dawg?” You asked him, shining a flashlight in his face.

He held his hand over his face, looking away from the light. “I’m fine.” He grunted out.

“You don’t look fine.” You retorted. “But alright.” You shrugged, turning back around.

“I don’t see any other way to go.” John B told you guys, squatting down. “This is it.”

Sarah shined her flashlight onto the water, seeing the fish swim around in a circle. She stood up, shining her flashlight further down.

“John B. I think this goes deeper.” Sarah told him, both of them shining their flashlights at the fish. You went over to them, also taking notice of what she was thinking.

“Where’d the fish come from?” You asked with a furrowed brow, looking at the two of them.

“Exactly.” Sarah told you.

“Only one way to find out.” John B murmured, taking the bag off his shoulder, beginning to walk in the water. “They look like they’re coming from over here.” He said, shining his flashlight in the water when he noticed something.

“Hey, what is that?” He asked.

“What do you see?” Sarah asked him.

“Dad! Hey, dad. Come check this out. Sarah found something.”

He waddled over there, and that’s when you noticed his blood stained hand. Your eyes widened.

“Jesus… yeah, fine my ass.” You murmured, he ignored your comment and looked over to his son.

“There’s an opening.” John B said, pointing to it.

“All right. That’s something. Wait, what’s that above it?” Big John asked him.

“It’s a hand.” You told them.

“If someone went through this much trouble, there’s gotta be something down there.” You spoke, moving another rock into the pile.

“Looks like we’re good, you guys ready?”

“Wait, shit.” You came to a realization, John B and Sarah looking at you.

“I don’t know if I can… I don’t have another bandage and it can’t get wet. If it falls off it gets infected, and I don’t wanna chop off my fucking leg and-“ you rambled.

“And I’ll never fit through that wormhole. You two go.” Big John told them.

“What are you guys talking about?” John b laughed, looking at you both in disbelief. “Dad, we finally found what we think is el dorado and you’re just gonna sit this one out? And- y/n, you’re just gonna give up?” He scoffed.

“I’m not giving up, first of all.” You pointed out. “I do not give up.” You scoffed.

“I gotta take the training wheels off sometime, kid.” Big John told him. “It’s time. We’ll hold down the fort out here, but before you go, listen. There was one last part of the message I didn’t tell you.”

John B shook his head, looking down. “Always keeping secrets, huh, pop? Shocker.”

“I’m sorry. I’m telling you now. The last part, the true and patient seeker needs not light to see.” He turned to Sarah. “You got it?” He repeated the saying again.

“Okay. Okay.” John B nodded.

“I got three flares. They’re waterproof. I doubt those flashlights will survive the swim. They’re 20 minutes each, and you don’t wanna get stuck down there without them. You’ll never find your way out, all right?”

Big John paused, turning to his son. “You got this, boy. I’ll be okay. I’ll see you when you get back.”

“Good luck soldiers.” You saluted them as they turned. John B recalled this joke back to when he was a kid and you all had this game, where you gave them missions and tasks, pretending they were soldiers. They really just did your chores but they didn’t need to know that. He smiled back.

“You sure you’ll be good?” John B asked.

“I’ll fix him up for you.” You told the boy, nodding. “Don’t worry ‘bout us.”

“Now go, find that city of gold, boy.”

“We’re going.” He smiled , Sarah turning to him.

“Ready?”

“Yeah.” She exhaled, nodding. The two counted down, ducking down under the water and disappearing.

“Alright,” you sighed out after a while, getting out the water, you went to your bag, grabbing out the gun you had stolen and you rummaged through it for your phone.

You pressed, although knowing you’d get no service, you saw two texts on your home screen that had probably gone through before you lost your service.

CUNTtry club

text me when you can. please.

just so i know ur safe

You smiled at the text, snapping out of your thoughts when Big John stepped out the water slowly, and went over to you.

“Aight big boy, what seems to be the matter?” You sighed, putting your phone back in your bag, pulling out the medical supplies you got from the Cameron’s Jet.

He sat next to you, letting out groans and grunts, his breathing heavy as you cleaned the wound.

“You know, you should have really become a doctor.” He wheezed out. “I thought you would have been.”

“I would have. If it wasn’t for me looking after a 40 somethin’ year old man my whole life.” You grumbled out.

He stayed silent, and you stayed silent as you cleaned and bandaged up the wound.

“Thank you.” He told you quietly, a small smile on his face as he looked at you. You murmured out a “no problem” under your breath, putting the supplies back in your bag, and fishing out a bottle, taking two sips with a sigh, sitting back down next to the man.

He stared at you, watching you down the alcohol bottle. You turned to him, holding it out for him, shrugging your shoulders when he shook his head.

“You’re a… a good kid, you know?” He told you after a while. “You really should become a doctor or something.”

You scoffed. “Life ain’t that easy, unfortunately. I’d have to get my GED and shit, and I can’t pay for that shit. I don’t even..” you paused, taking another sip from the bottle. “I don’t even have a house. I don’t got anything to my name. And now I gotta watch over JJ until he’s 18. Which I don’t mind… but… definitely can’t afford it.” You shrugged.

He nodded along. “I know. I get it.”

“Do you? Because to me, it seemed like you were ready for me and your own son to be murdered back there.” You scoffed, he sighed loudly, shaking his head.

“I wasn’t gonna- I wasn’t gonna let them, y/n. I was gonna stop ‘em, why would I do that? You gotta understand, I’ve been looking my whole life for this damn treasure. I didn’t wanna give it away just like that.”

“Whatever.” You scoffed.

“You don’t gotta forgive me,” he paused. “But you can understand.”

“I can’t, really.”

He scoffed, knowing you were just gonna keep arguing he kept his mouth shut.

You both were stuck in silence until you heard a familiar voice yell.

“I know you’re bleeding, Mr. Routledge!” Singh shouted from the other side of the cave, you and Big John turning to each other, eyes going wide.

“What the fuck?” You mouthed to him.

You reached for your gun quickly, grabbing your bag and quietly slinging it over your shoulder.

“I know I hit you! And I’m gonna find you, you know. Cause you couldn’t have gotten far, John!”

You stood up, grabbing John’s hand and sped walking over to hide, both of you going as far as you possibly could from Singh.

taglist

@cassie0sstuff @rafesgiirl @fals3-g0d @tiaamberxx @callsignwidow @saintnourah @calmoistorm @ethanthequeefqueen @theoraekenslover @just-levyy

blue means I couldn’t tag u

a/n: can you guys tell how much I hate big John

[sincerealev]

i NEED to hear your general headcannons about evan. i love ur interpretation of him smmm <3

Seeing this a bit late sorry about that WAHOO

okay okay uhmmm

He's very obviously bisexual. We all know this. Honestly, everyone knew he was bi before he even knew himself (by everyone I mean Jared, Alana, and Heidi. Connor was oblivious to it at first), they were just waiting for him to figure it out

He has a golden retriever dog, called Aspen (after the tree, ofc)

→ Like, he had always wanted a dog since childhood. He had definitely begged Heidi for one for years, but stopped when he reached his early teenage years since it was no use. However, he was able to finally adopt a puppy in college

His favorite band is Radiohead (I might be projecting a little, but it makes sense to me, hear me out)

→ However, Connor has introduced him to other artists or bands, like The Smiths

(more down below)

He doesn’t only wear striped shirts, but likes wearing flannels, or just basic average tees

He presses flowers in books, which he collects during hikes or nature walks

→ He also collects stuff like acorns, pinecones, or interesting looking leaves

His love for nature started when he was still a little kid, starting by collecting pinecones and such

He becomes great friends with Alana, hear me out

And also Zoe. Let them be bi besties together

He likes gardening; He's planted flowers, tiny trees, and even vegetables in his backyard

→ He also has a tiny plant in his room. Maybe a tiny bonsai tree

He didn't really have any idea what he wanted to study in college, so he just went with English and literature, and graduated as an English major

After college, he decided to put his degree to use and become a middle school or high school English teacher. He quit after a year

He became an author or essayist though. However, he also at one point ended up getting another job at a reserve park, which he enjoys more than anything

Okay I think that's enough headcanons for now lol. Thanks for listening 😌

More art coming soon btw 👍

[mysicklove-main]

𝐆𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌 𝐀 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐓

With: Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, Inosuke Hashibira, Kyojuro Rengoku, Tengen Uzui, and Giyuu Tomioka

A/N: I love gifting ppl plants. I love when they tell me it's doing good, and I love it when they tell me they accidentally killed it. I love how it shows so much and so little about a person.

𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐉𝐈𝐑𝐎 𝐊𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐎

-When he sees the small pot in your hand he bows low in thanks, a small content smile on his face.

-He begins to admire it, gently stroking the leaves gently and asking you an abundance of questions on how to take care of it correctly.

-Follows your instructions to the tee, and carefully measures out the exact amount of water, squinting his eye so it lines up perfectly on the cup.

-Panics when one of the leaves falls offs off and immediately runs up to you with a distressed look on his face. Only calms down when he realizes it happens naturally.

-Prioritizes it because he believes its health represents your relationship with him.

-Overall: 9/10

𝐙𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐔 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐀

-Freaks out, a massive blush on his face. Almost drops the pot immediately the second you place it into his hands. 

-Names it, Y/N Jr. 

-Pretends its his and your child.

-Brings it everywhere with him and fantasizes about you, Y/N Jr, and him, all skipping through the woods.

-One day he was running over to you, plant in hand, and trips and falls, dropping the plant. The two of you stare at the broken, damaged plant, in shock, before he starts screaming and panicking about how he “killed his child.”

-Holds a dramatic ass funeral.

-You secretly replanted the small plant, that was NOT dead, in the woods because you knew he was too obsessed and this was the only way.

-Overall: 7/10

𝐈𝐍𝐎𝐒𝐔𝐊𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐀

-Throws the pot in the air immediately after it lands in his hand. He thought you were making fun of him for buying something so small and fragile.

-You caught it and had to explain to him that you were NOT teasing him, but giving him a gift.

-Calls it useless and ignores you when you explain how to take care of it.

-He’s not a dumbass he is the king of the mountains for crying out loud he has seen and knows how plants work.

-Decides to make to turn it into the biggest plant ever just to show you.

-Has to replace the pot multiple times in little time, and you swore he was carrying a straight tree

-He was determined to keep it for a while, placing the massive pot on his back, and having to hunch forward just to move. He had to plant it in the woods when he couldn’t grab his swords quickly enough in battle.

-He pretends that it didn’t make him upset.

-Overall: 10/10

𝐊𝐘𝐎𝐉𝐔𝐑𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐎𝐊𝐔

-Picks you up and twirls you around when he saw the plant, yelling out “THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT.” Causing the poor plant to shake from the sound

-Takes careful notes on what to do

-Doesn’t listen.

-Reasons with himself, that more water, means more love, means a bigger plant!

-Overwaters it and kills it. He avoids you for a couple of days, upset with himself.

-Presents you with an empty pot and apologizes, frown on his usually smiling face.

-You buy him another and monitor how much he waters it. He absolutely adores it.

-Overall: 4/10

𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐍 𝐔𝐙𝐔𝐈

-Pats your head with a grin and takes it, a little confused as to why it’s not as flashy as your usual gifts, but still loves it non the less.

-Your three wives grab it immediately and take it upon themselves to take care of it, cooing over how pretty it is.

-They do a good job of taking care of it, but Tengen feels bad for not doing any of the work.

-So, he buys you multiple rose bushes in every single color you could think of. They now decorate your backyard, and you and the other girls love it. He tilts his head high and huffs to himself, knowing that it was the perfect mix of flashy and realistic.

-Overall: 6/10

𝐆𝐈𝐘𝐔𝐔 𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐎𝐊𝐀

-No emotion when you handed it to him. He stared at it and then at you for some time without saying anything.

-Immediately takes it out, digs a hole, and places it in the hole. Mother Earth will take care of it now. 

-Nods to himself and leads you, and your completely shocked face, away from the plant.

-Overall: 1/10

[cookies-over-yonder]

i just want you for my own

Taylor and Link share a moment under the mistletoe while preparing for a Close-Foster-Swift family Christmas party, and things get a little fiery.

christmas gift for @happi-tree <3

[title from All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey]

ao3

Every year Taylor and his mom have spent Christmas together, just the two of them curled up on the couch watching Frosty the Snowman: The Anime and eating the gingerbread houses they built hours before.

This year is different.

Taylor has always had an affinity for Christmas, but this year he has a whole new side of the family that shares that sentiment. And they are throwing a gigantic party. Link and his dads came early to help set up, Taylor’s dad will be here soon, the others will arrive after, and Glenn will surely be “fashionably” late. It’s going to be great.

Right now, Taylor is barely balancing on a stepstool trying to string lights at the top of his door frame. If only his tiny wings emerging from his back could actually help him fly.

“Need help?”

Taylor nearly stumbles off the stool when strong arms wrap around his waist to steady him.

Link.

“Careful.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Here,” Link says, holding Taylor’s hand and helping him down. Then, Link spins him around by his shoulders and lifts him up with both hands on his tummy.

Taylor can feel Link’s hands under his loose tee shirt and his hands are quite cold in contrast to his naturally high body temperature. He fights back a shiver at the sudden contrast, and sticks the lights to the door frame with tape. Link sets him back down, and he hopes he can’t see how red his face is, or hear the breathlessness in his voice when he says, “Thanks.”

“No problem. It looks cute.”

You look cute , Taylor wants to say.

Taylor isn’t the type to get crushes. Well, not ones like this . Sure, he’s found people cute—he can recognize attractiveness when he sees it—but man …

Link’s always been cute, and dreamy, and charming, and…

Taylor doesn’t know when it got so intense, but at this point it seems that everyone knows but the boy himself. Scary won’t let up on the teasing, but Taylor just retaliates by teasing her about a certain mascot.

It’s true though, Lincoln Li-Wilson has got Taylor down bad.

The doorbell rings.

“Dad!” Taylor shouts, nearly tripping down the front step in his excitement.

“Hey, kiddo!” Nicky’s already ruffling his hair as soon as he reaches the bottom of the steps.

“Hi!” Taylor says, burying his face in Nicky’s torso and wrapping his arms around him. “We’re still decorating.”

“Ooh, well I brought something for you.”

Taylor pulls away. “What is it?”

Nicky pulls a flaming plant out of his pocket and holds it out in the palm of his hand.

“A mistletoe?” Taylor asks.

“I thought it might come in handy,” Nicky whispers, glancing off to the side.

Taylor follows his gaze to see Link, wrapping a shimmering garland around the railing.

“Dad!” Taylor whisper-shouts back, feeling his face flush.

“Come on, I see the way you look at him,” Nicky says, pinching Taylor’s cheek and ruffling his hair again. “It’s a special mistletoe from Hell. I kissed your mom under it way back then.”

“Oh my god, Dad!” Taylor shouts, taking it from him. It’s hot, but a little fire never hurt a tiefling like Taylor.

“Go hang it up,” Nicky pats Taylor on the shoulder.

Taylor can barely contain his own sheepish grin as he runs back up the steps to the entrance of his room.

The mistletoe is connected to a small hook, one he could hang on the lights fairly easily if he weren’t too short.

But then there’s an arm around his shoulders and a hand over his, picking up the mistletoe and hanging it over the lights like he had planned.

“What is that?” Link asks, moving his hand to the small of Taylor’s back in a way that almost makes him feel faint.

“It’s a—a mistletoe,” Taylor says, shifting to lean his back against the doorframe to take some of the weight off his feet. “From Hell. My—uh, my dad gave it to me.”

Taylor could not be more thankful that Link’s more focused on this flaming, flickering mistletoe than how red his cheeks must be with the way he can feel them burning up.

Link’s wearing a red sweater with white snowflakes patterned across it and Garfield on his stomach wearing a little santa hat. He’s got a white collared shirt underneath the sweater, though the top few buttons are undone…

He’s smiling, and the glow of the fire is lighting his gorgeous brown eyes. “It’s pretty.”

“You’re pretty,” Taylor breathes out despite himself.

“What?” Link asks.

“What? Sorry, wha—uh, what did you say?” Taylor stutters, biting his lip.

“The mistletoe, it’s pretty.”

“Yeah… I… uh… my family likes these traditions a lot. On my dad’s side, mostly.”

“It looks like we’re standing under it,” Link says, looking back down at Taylor with a mesmerizing gaze.

God.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s—it’s a uh, it’s a silly tradition, we don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Taylor barely squeaks out, surprised he hasn’t caught fire himself yet.

“Well, It is your family’s party, so I might as well honour your traditions,” Link says, leaning forward a little and brushing a strand of hair out of Taylor’s face and tucking it behind his ear.

Taylor’s hands take purchase on Link’s shoulders and snake their way up his neck. He sucks in a shuddering breath and shuts his eyes as Link cups his cheeks and leans the rest of the way in.

As timid as Link can be, he kisses like he’s in charge. He slides his hands to hold Taylor by the waist and dip him ever so slightly, and Taylor can feel the heat from the mistletoe as if it’s consuming him whole.

“Mm,” Taylor hums into the kiss, and he feels heat rushing past his lips.

“Taylor,” Link whispers, pulling away a little.

“Mhm..?”

“Taylor, you’re burning up.”

“What?” Taylor opens his eyes to see flickers of light at the ends of his hair. “Oh my god, I’m on fire,” he breathes out, and ah, smoke. Smoke leaves his lips. “Oh god, oh my god, oh my god—” Taylor stumbles away from Link and hits his back against the doorframe, wincing.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Nicky comes running up the stairs. “It’s okay, it’s normal, I promise. Just breathe, kiddo,” he says, putting a hand on his too-hot shoulder.

He hadn’t even realized how unsteady his breathing had gotten. Closing his eyes, he slows it to the best of his abilities, though when he opens them, the ends of his hair are still very clearly flaming.

“Look, now you’ve got aesthetic demon flames to add to your look,” Nicky winks.

“Dad!” Taylor shouts, pressing his hands against his cheeks. “I—I’m gonna go to the bathroom. Bye!” Taylor squeaks, before running through the doorway in his room to the bathroom connected to it.

And looking in the mirror he sees it: flaming hair and flaming horns, and a glow in his eyes he’s seen before but only in the dark.

“My first kiss, and I immediately catch fire,” Taylor grumbles to himself, “Just another day in the life of Taylor Swift.”

“I’d say it’s not the worst of days.”

Taylor whips around to find Link with his a firm grip on the doorframe, gazing at him like he’s something special and not just a ball of uncontrollable fire.

“Link!” Taylor presses his palms against his cheeks once more. Burning and bright red. “Uh—hi. Hi. Sorry.”

“It’s okay, Taylor. I—I like the hair… flames.”

Link steps a little closer and reaches for Taylor’s hands, but he pulls them away. “I—I don’t want to burn you. Sorry, sorry—”

Taylor feels the tears start to form, but then they evaporate with the heat of his cheeks.

“It’s okay, I can handle a little heat, I promise. And your dad told me it’s not enough to leave any real damage. Not when it happens from, uh… excitement, I guess.”

“Oh my god, this is so embarrassing, I’m sorry, we should continue preparing for the party,” Taylor brushes past Link, unable to look him in the eyes.

“Wait,” Link says, taking hold of Taylor’s hand. It’s coolness is refreshing in comparison to his boiling temperature. Taylor turns back around to gaze at those beautiful brown eyes once more.

“Wha—”

“Can I kiss you again?” he asks, shy and timid.

“Ye—yeah, you can,” Taylor nods, perhaps too eager, but as Link pulls him in again, he doesn’t seem to mind.

This time, Link dips him all the way, and the flames get stronger, but Link doesn’t seem to mind.

“Mm,” Taylor hums into the kiss, and breaks away for air before going back in for more, His arms draped over Link’s shoulders.

Taylor starts to trail kisses across Link’s collarbone, briefly forgetting that his lip gloss will make his skin all shiny, but with the little giggles he makes at it, it’s all worth it.

When Taylor reaches Link’s neck, he briefly wonders if he could leave something resembling a vampire mark with his newly sharp fangs, and as he’s about to figure that out, there’s a knock.

“Door’s still open, kiddo!”

Taylor clamps a hand over his mouth and turns to see the wide open bedroom door.

“Either close it or help decorate!” Nicky shouts, already down the hall.

Taylor turns back to Link, whose eyes are just as wide as his own.

“You wanna decorate?” he asks, letting go of Taylor, much to Taylor’s dismay, but alas, there are duties that need tending to.

“Yeah. We should—yeah.”

And as they walk out the door, Link says, “Hey, now you match the mistletoe!”

Taylor giggles at that, and leads him by the hand down the hall.

꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖⋆❅♡❆(◕દ◕)

[techtechonmymind]

Chris Lee released today a 30-minute video where he explains what happened with LSM - why they are pushing him out, etc. and he did so in this NCT 127 long-sleeve tee which I think is kind of an amazing choice lmao

Greatest hits include (thank you Reddit’s u/Odd_Ad5840 for the translation):

- LSM signed separate contracts for WayV, SuperM, and aespa, where he would directly get 6% of profits

- He also apparently sabotaged groups he wasn’t involved in to have lower quarter 1 sales? Idk why lol

- Chris sent him a text being like hey cut it out and he said step aside sonny I’m the CEO now and Chris was like hey that’s my job

- A TRULY INCREDIBLE AND VERY LONG SEGMENT ABOUT TREE-PLANTING where Chris is like he randomly wants to incorporate tree-planting into everything to bolster his real estate ventures!!! KPop festivals overseas with tree-planting! aespa lyrics about tree-planting!!! (the girls were so stressed!) incorporating lyrics about climate change!!! Why!!! aespa’s comeback was delayed because of this tree-planting thing!!!!

Here’s the whole tree-planting segment because it made me laugh lol:

[watcher-with-burned-wings]

Wake Me Up, Let This Be A Dream

(A twist on session 7 of Secret Life)

Years have passed since the beginning of the end. It had all started with mythical creatures appearing out of thin air.  Manticores and griffins appeared in the forests. Selkies, sirens, and sea monsters ruled the seas. Unicorns appeared along with other mythical animals, but these myths were not the downfall of humanity.  Among these creatures, giants resided, ruling above every other creature.

The monstrous humanoids started decimating the human population. At first, few people were killed, as not many giants existed. As giants multiplied, whole communities seemed to disappear after a few giants had passed through the area. Anyone's guess was whether they were eaten, crushed, or disappeared. Countries were falling quickly as the populations were decimated. Granted, giants were still few compared to humans by the time the human population was nearly extinct.

The governments of the world had tried to destroy them with military power, but the most powerful creatures were immune to the bullets and bombs. Any attempt failed, only making the mythical beasts more aggressive. Soon all the remaining governments fell into the hands of giants. They were the rulers of the world now.

When the world first ended, many giants were feral, consuming whole cities of people and destroying everything in their path. But this was short-lived, many gained sense and started communicating and talking with humans. Only a few retained the feral mindset. Some even tried to compromise with the world's governments before resorting to destroying them after the attacks. Many giants decided to settle in small groups and built large houses to live with one another. Many of these groups were secluded to only their members but used trained griffins to send messages to other groups. Soon small societies popped up as giants began bartering and trading for essentials with other groups.

With the new species appearing, the natural world changed around as well. All trees now stood as tall as the great redwoods and continued to grow taller. Besides trees, plants became larger as well. Cites were quickly being overgrown by these new exotic plants. New magical rocks also appear to spring up in canyons and bluffs. Fresh water became scarce and hard to come by with the new creatures. Weather patterns have changed as well. Summer has heated up to exceptional levels. Winter temperatures have plummeted deep into the negatives. Fall and Spring can change instantly from warm sunny days to bone-chilling, frostbiting days. With all the odds stacked against them, nearly all humans have gone extinct, with a few exceptions…

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              A blue-haired human male dashed through the large colorful leaves and bushes, hopping over log-sized twigs that fell from the large tree around him. His blue jacket wrapped tightly around his waist, leaving him in a once-white tee shirt with a blue heart. His jeans were dirty and ripped in several places. In his arms, he carried large bird feathers. An aggravated screech sounded from behind closed him. A creature with an eagle’s head and a lion's body bound through the foliage. Large, feathered wings propelled the creature forward, but the monster was missing several feathers, making it hard to fly.  The guy didn’t even look back as he bolted towards his goal.

Anger chirps and caws continued to chase down the human. The human continued dodging and ducking swipes the massive paws of the exotic beast delivered.  Leading the creature down towards a seemingly dead end, trapped between a couple of saplings and a large, towering boulder. The human spun around to face the angered lionbird. Slowly, it prowled forward, claws flexing as it backed the blue-haired guy into the rock. Just as the creature pounced, the human dived into a small hole dug between the roots of one of the saplings. The guy shouted as he dove, “Now Grian!”

A red sweater-wearing sandy-blond haired man sprang from the top of the rock, holding a crossbow loaded with purple stone-tipped arrows. Firing the arrow, he hit the beast mid-air in the back leg. The fabled icon cried out in fury and pain as electric poison sunk into its body, causing it to bite at the arrow and favor its back leg.

The new human called out, “Cleo it’s poisoned! You can go for the kill!” He shouted.

A red-haired, green-skinned woman with a black stone sword dropped out of the branches of one of the trees, landing square on the creature's back. She used the momentum of the fall to stab the sword deep into the neck of the griffin. The creature screamed as she pulled the sword through its neck and she slid off the side, pulling the blade down with her. She pulled the sword out of the griffin as the wound bubbled and spread. The griffin fell dead a few seconds later due to the poison and wither coursing through its body and the neck wound.

Cleo sheathed her blade and called out, “Scott! You good?”

Said person pulled himself from the hole, brushing himself off, grumbling, “Next time I’m shooting the shot with my bow and Grian is baiting.” He shoved his feathers he grabbed into his backpack and then pulled out a knife. He started removing the feathers of the griffin’s wing.  

Having just slid down from the boulder, Grian squawked in offense. “Hey! I hit it, didn’t I? You should have said something sooner!” He put his hands on his hips. “And you need to be bait Scott, you’re the only one fast enough to outrun those things.” Scott rolled his eyes and grumpily plucked the griffin.

Cleo chimed in as she knelt to assist Scott. “I kinda agree with Scott, Grian.” A smirk played on her lips. “He is a better quick shot than you.” Grian made an offended noise. “But you are right, you are the only one who can outrun them, Scott.” Cleo pointed out.

Scott sighed, “I know but I’m tired of fighting to survive every day.” He gathers up the feathers and turns to his friends' worried expressions. He quickly amends. “I want to live, not just survive. For the last few years, it has been a struggle to stay warm during winter and find food. We were lucky to discover that the new stones made killing these things easy.” He gestures to the dead griffin. He slips on his hoodie and picks up his full pack. Then he began walking towards their home.

Cleo mimicked his actions, throwing on her pack filled with feathers and falling in step with him. “I know we aren’t living a glamorous life like you are used to, but we are alive.” The women comforted him. “After those berries that turned me green, we were glad to be alive. So, let’s be grateful for what we have.” She suggested.

Scott sighed defeated, “You’re right Cleo. Thank you.” He said with a smile.

“Hey! You guys left me!” Grian squawked as he ran up to them, carrying a bunch of fur. The duo looked over at their short friend and giggled a bit.

“Sorry, G. Didn’t mean to, it just got in my head.” Scott apologized as they headed towards their current base.

Together, they walked in relative silence. Occasionally, they will discuss what other preparations they need to get or set up before winter sets in. Taking care to avoid predators, they arrived at their setup at sunset. Even though it would have been an hour’s walk, Scott and Cleo were not taking any chances to be caught by surprise. Whenever they saw something out of place, they hid beneath roots, behind rocks, or under large leaves.  

Their camp was built beneath the roots of one of the many large trees. The roots were tightly woven together making a great defense to keep out predators. There were gaps between the roots allowing entrance from all angles. This was perfect whenever they were chased down by something that could kill them. The gaps allowed sunlight to seep in during the days which was a bonus.

Scott slipped into the knitted roots, followed closely by Grian and Cleo. Inside, a fire pit was dug out in the center, and embers glowed faintly from an early morning fire. A cooking pot rested beside them; remains of breakfast were evident in the pot. Encircling the fire pit were their three sleeping bags and a miscellaneous survival bag. Preserved food, water bottles, and first aid supplies filled the bag in case of an emergency.  A pile of twigs, the size of logs to them, were gathered in the corner of the heaven. Overall, a safe place to live. But life in an apocalyptical world is never that simple.  

After he set his pack down, Scott walked over to the embers, stoking them with a stick, and blew on them to reignite the flames. Mimicking Scott, Cleo sets her bag down and grabs two branches. She brought them over to the fire pit as Scott got a small flame going. While the other two were working with the fire, Grian gathered the material they collected from the griffin and got to work on crafting gear to withstand the winter chill.

The blond started by using the fur he collected. He had enough fur to craft mittens and boots. He used fabled spider thread to stitch it together, and as treads, he used exotic mushroom bits that were comfortable and similar to rubber, so it was waterproof. Next, he moved to creating cloaks. He retrieved the feathers out of Cleo’s and Scott’s bag and laid them out into three groups. Each group is going to be turned into a cloak. He grabbed more spider strings and began stitching them together. Griffin feathers were perfect for cloaks because they were insulating and waterproof.

Once the fire was going, Scott grabbed some ingredients from their food rations and began cooking dinner. He decided to grab some dried boar meat, strange purple peas, green carrots, and light blue leaves that felt frosty to the touch. He grabbed a water bottle after a last-minute thought. He grabbed the pot and poured some of the water in, rubbing the remains of their breakfast into the water to clean it somewhat, and then poured it out. He set the, now clean, pot in the fire, then placed the rest of the water in the pot and tossed in the other ingredients.

While Scott cooked dinner and Grian made the winter gear, Cleo brought up some important topics while taking inventory of their weapons and sharpening them.

She was wiping off her sword with a leaf when she inquired, “We all agree we can’t stay here for the winter, correct?”

Scott hummed as he stirred the stew he was making. “Agreed. The ground will soon freeze here, leaving us vulnerable to hypothermia even with our sleeping bags and gear. It would be better if we could find a tree hole like last year.” Grian piped in.

“Nah, I nearly slipped off the icy bark multiple times.” Pulling his makeshift wooden needle through another stitch, he added, “Though I agree we need to leave. We’re gonna get snowed in here. Plus, there isn’t water for a good two hours from here. We can’t be making that trip constantly.”

Cleo nodded, now sharpening the clean sword. “So what direction are we heading? We can’t go North again. It’s much too dangerous with all the yeti that come from hibernation.” She remembered, causing a shiver to go down the two guys' spines. Both will never forget the near-death encounter with one of their first year.

Grian frowned as he looked up. “We can’t head west either.” The blue-haired male and redhead looked at the blond confused. He explains, “On the news, I remember them saying tar pits have appeared in that direction. I know it’s been ages, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

Scott nodded in agreement. “So southeast it is.” He stated the others agreed with him. “We’ll head out in the morning. We don’t have much time before winter.” He took the soup off the fire, filled three bowls, and passed them out.

They ate in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company. They were quite a rag-tag group of people. An architect, rockstar, and teacher. All very different, but all survivors. After dinner, Scott cleaned up and packed while Cleo prepared their weapons. Grian added the finishing touches to the cloaks. Then all of them settled into their sleeping bags to sleep.

The trio headed southeast early the next morning as the sun rose above the horizon. Scott shouldered his pack, the pot tied onto it as well. His new cloak was tightly wrapped around his shoulders, the morning chill nipping at the bare skin of his face.  Grian trailed beside him, heaving along his pack and the emergency bag. His face was half hidden in the collar of his sweater, holding his cloak tightly to his chest to keep it closed. Cleo took charge, leading the way. On her person, she carried her pack along with extra weapons.

They traveled for nearly two days before they found something interesting. As they headed in their chosen direction, the large forestry began to thin out. What was even odder was that more hostile creatures seemed to thin out as well. Realizing this, the group exchanged glances before continuing onwards. With every step they took, everything began to paint a picture. A large imprint in the dirt, crushed bushes, and tree stumps without a tree present. Flattened bushes and grass seemed to become normal the farther south they when.

Scott was getting bad vibes from the area. He admitted his reluctance to continue going forward with the group. Both Grian and Cleo agreed, but Grian pointed out they didn’t have much of a choice. Winter was coming too fast, and they couldn’t backtrack. They were running low on water and food. Going back would only spell trouble for them. Scott agreed with Grian’s assessment of the issue, so they all continued, but with caution.

The feeling didn’t leave Scott if only increased as they traveled.

It was one of the coldest days of the year when the trio stumbled upon a large wooden wall. They all cautiously advanced towards the structure, not sure what to make of it. On closer inspection, the wall was made of large planks, identical to the wooden fence humans had in their backyards. There was a human-sized hole in one of the nearby planks.

Cleo turned to them, “I’m going in.” Grian quickly grabbed her arm.

“Like you are! We don’t even know what's behind there!” He viciously argued. “It blocked off for a reason.” Cleo spit back.

“But what choice do we have? We can’t go back! If only one of us goes in, the other two can escape.” While Cleo and Grian had a heated discussion, Scott snuck over to the hole.

Crouching down, Scott peeked into the crack, not prepared for what he saw. A house. A ginormous house stood looming over him. He stumbled back in awe and shock, falling onto his butt. Finally, Cleo and Grian took notice and rushed over to him.

“Scott! Are you okay!? What happened? What did you see?” Cleo fretted over him, double-checking him for injuries, as he was the youngest of the group. The red sweater-wearing mischief maker nodded in agreement.

“I-I-” Scott stuttered for a moment as he collected himself, “It was a house. A…a very large house…” Cleo raised an eyebrow with confusion.

“A house? What do you mean Scott? Explain.” She demanded him, picking him up from the floor. Grian stood back, giving the younger boy a stern look.

Swallowing hard, Scott tried to explain. “I think could be a giant den, but it looks just like a normal human house!” Scott grabbed both of his companions’ hands and dragged him over to the niche in the fence. “It’s easier to show than explain.”

They all crouched, the blue-haired boy doing it first, his friends mimicking him quickly. Grian gasped and laughed in disbelief. Cleo muttered a quiet, “No way…”

The house itself was more of a cottage. It was quite small, and the siding was wooden but had some technological advances. The roof was constructed out of stone and wood with a chimney coming out of it. The whole house was painted dark, almost black, purple, and grey, giving a sharp contrast to the bright pink and red of the garden that sat nestled in the space between the fence and the house.

 A bright pink brick path cut through the garden, with red bricks outlining it. Garden beds were sectioned out, the path acting as a barrier. Many plants had blackened and withered; colored leaves scattered around their bases, branches barren. There were a few exemptions,  a still-green pine-like bush, and a few stubborn flowers.   

Standing up, Scott crawled through the gap, tossing his bag through first. Cleo and Grian grabbed him by the ankles. “What do you think you're doing!? Are you nuts!?” Cleo shrieked.

“You can’t possibly be thinking of us going in there, do you?” Grian added, a bit frantic.

Scott kicked away their hands and asked, “What choice do we have? We either go through here to continue our journey,” Scott looks back over his shoulder with a grin, “Or we are set for winter, living off the giants.” Cleo and Grian shared a nervous look before letting the younger boy go.

Scott finished climbing through a brushed himself off, glancing back to see Cleo making the trip next. Grian commented, “I hope you are sure about this Scott.” He quickly army crawled through once Cleo got out.

Scott nodded. “I am sure. We can check it out, if we think it's too dangerous, we can grab some food and water then leave.” He explained his logic.

Cleo slowly nodded, “I see. That makes sense. Giants need mountains of food to survive so it’s only inevitable for them to have food lying around.”

Grian added, “And gallons of water somewhere. Which we need desperately.”

Scott grinned, “Plus, think of how warm it will be?” He pulled his cloak tighter around his body. “The giants will have fires or something to keep their house warm, in turn, we will be warm.”

Cleo sighs, defeated. “Fine. We’ll check it out,” She stressed, “But! If there is any sign of danger, we are leaving.”

Both guys silently celebrated, then picked up their packs, heading into the looming shriveled-up dead plants of the flower bed. Cleo sighed and shook her head, following the two numbskulls to prevent them from causing any trouble.

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              Traveling through the garden was uneventful except for a close call with a sphinx. The trio hid underneath a few loose leaves and waited for it to pass before continuing onto the house. When they reached the side of the house, they quickly discovered a hole in the siding, leading underneath the house. From there, they managed to shimmy up a pipe, cross a support beam, and avoid live red stone wires using some skilled parkour and teamwork to get into the wall of the house.

Cleo and Scott gave one last tug, helping Grian up through the clean-cut hole where the wires lead into and spread throughout the house. The three of them glance around, pausing momentarily to get their bearings. Before they could leave, the vibration of giant footsteps shook the wall they inhabited. Cleo instinctually crouched down, seeming to be getting ready to spring into action at the drop of a hat. Grian froze like a deer in headlights, looking like he was about to leap back down the hole they just arrived through.  Scott felt his heart beating rapidly in his chest, trying to leap out of his chest. He held his breath, stiff as a board till the footsteps faded away. The group collectively breathed a sigh of relief. They quickly gathered their stuff and scurried in the opposite direction of the footsteps.

After traversing the walls, they finally settled into a corridor that seemed to have a lesser giant presence. Grian heavily flopped onto the floor next to his pack, going limp against the board acting as the floor, grumbling, “I hope this was worth it. I’m exhausted and sore.”

Scott looked up at him from digging around in his pack and tried to reassure him. “It’ll get better from here on out. It was just a pain to get in here.” He pulled out his sleeping bag and laid it out on the floor. “We won’t have to move anymore so we can make a proper bed at some point. And once we get a layout of the house, we can find a better space to call home.”

Cleo viciously shushed them, whisper-shouting. “Keep your voice down you two, we don’t want to alert the giants to our position.” She warily eyed the walls around them, like a giant would burst through any second. Scott rolled his eyes but lowered his voice.

“Tomorrow we will explore deeper into the interior of the house, find a water source, and get more food rations. Those are our top priorities.” He pulled out the meager food rations they had left and passed them around to the two. Grian sat up from his sprawled-out position, accepting the food and plan without any comments.

Cleo took the food before hesitantly questioning, “What if one of us gets caught by a giant? Then what?”

The question honestly catches Scott off guard. He always knew it was a possibility in the back of his mind, but he never planned for it to happen to any of them. The blue-haired male pressed his lips together as he contemplated the answer.  Logically, it would be best for the others to escape while they had the chance. But Scott knew deep down neither of them would abandon each other.

He sighs heavily, “Look Cleo, we both know the logical answer, but we also know that we won’t follow through with it.” He gives her a tired smile, feeling Grian observing the conversation silently. “It’s been a long day. Let’s sleep on it and we can discuss it in the morning.”

The redhead huffed but gave an equally tired smile. “Fine, okay yeah. We’ll figure this out when were aren’t dead on our feet and our brains are mush.” The rest of the night they spent in heavy silence.

The small red-sweater fiend fell asleep first, snuggled deep into his sleeping bag, snoring softly. Cleo was quick to follow, her arms tucked under her chin as she lay on her stomach, passed out cold, drool dripping down her chin. The only one still awake was Scott. He tossed and turned for hours, Cleo’s question echoing through his mind. With a frustrated sigh, he got up from his sleeping bag.

The ex-rockstar went to his pack, changing his shirt and slipping on his favorite jean jacket. Then he grabbed his bow and quiver, glancing over to the other two frequently in case they get woken up. As he was about to stand up, he decided to grab his knife as a precaution. He stood up, making a silent promise that he was just going to go on a quick walk and then be right back.

              With a light bounce in his step, Scott set off down the corridor toward where most of the noise seemed to be coming from. Going on walks or runs always cleared his head if he had trouble sleeping. This would be no different.

              The beginning of the corridor was normal, dark, empty, and chilly. He still was alert in case, but it didn’t seem like anything was there.  As he went deeper, he noticed there was a soft glow emitting from farther down the hallway, as well as warmth coming from the source. He bit the inside of his cheek, debating if he should check it out or not. Knowing it was stupid, he continued onward.

              As he approached the light, the wall warmed up, making Scott melt slightly. The heat felt good against his icy skin. Along with the heat, he could hear faint murmurs getting louder, causing him to slow his pace down and be more careful. The murmurs soon turned into voices, that turned into loud booming voices. Soon he recognized that he was heading toward where the inhabitants of the house were. The closer he got, the lighter his footsteps got.  He turned the corner to where the heat and light were the brightest. He was relieved that the way was empty, but he did find a crack in the wall.

Now that he was close enough, he could understand what the giants were saying. Mindful not to make a sound, the blue-haired boy crept closer to the hole in the wall. He crouched down, kneeling beside the opening, preparing himself. He peered out and made an audible gasp at what he saw.

From his position, Scott could tell it was a living room area. A large yellow couch sat in the center of the room in front of the cobblestone fireplace, which had a nice large blazing fire in it, heating the surroundings. The walls were decorated with shelves of pants and paintings. On each end of the couch, lamps powered by red stone sat. A bookshelf filled with books was pressed into one corner of the room. But none of those things caught Scott’s attention.

It was the giants themselves. Two giants sat on the couch, chatting to one another. One seemed to be female and the other male.

The female sat facing towards the wall where Scott was hiding. She had reddish-orange braided hair, with mismatching-colored eyes. One a dark green, the other a bright red. A pair of deer ears and antlers sprung from her head as well. He was wearing a red T-shirt and black overalls. The man sitting beside her laughed at something she said, allowing Scott to see his face.

The guy had a yellow mark, like a scar around one of his reddish-brown eyes. In his brown hair, two yellow demon horns poked out as he moved his head. Glancing at him more, the small human notices a demon tail lazily swaying near the floor. Black spiked bracelets were on both his wrists, as well as a black sleeveless leather jacket resting on him, and a shirt with a yellow “i” underneath it.

Scrambling back, Scott couldn’t believe his eyes. His back hit the other wall harshly, but he couldn’t care less as he tried to get his breathing under control. Tears threatened his eyes as he closed his eyes, his heartbeat deafening in his ears. He grabbed his pants to ground himself. ‘No, no.’ He thinks to himself. ‘Those can’t be them. Gem and Impulse died the day the outbreak happened.’

Covering his mouth, Scott opened his eyes, trying to muffle his sobs, eyes locked to the grainy wooden broad. His body trembled as he remembered it. He wished he could have been there for his bandmates. Movement out of the corner of his eye catches his attention. His eyes widened in terror as he noticed Gem look-alike moved slightly to the left…and was certainly looking directly at him.

The teal-haired human scrambled backward, away from the hole, away from the imposters. He clambered to his legs and booked it down the dark corridor. Hot fat tears dripped down his chin as ran, calling himself a coward for not protecting his old friends, practically family. The survivor bumped into several walls; his vision blurred from the water in his eyes. He hardly noticed the chill growing as he ran.  

              He finally slowed down when the tears slowed down, and his cheeks were icy from the cold in the air. Wiping his eyes and then closing them, he took a very deep breath, to calm his racing heart. Once his heart was beating normally, Scott opened his eyes and headed back to Cleo and Grian, convincing himself that he was just tired and imagining his friends.

              When he reached the small camp they had, Scott put his bow gear away then his knife. After putting his gear away, he climbed into his sleeping bag. He glanced at his current friends. Both Grian and Cleo were knocked out cold. Grian was still snoring away, and Cleo had rolled onto her side. He watched his friends sleeping peacefully before relaxing, deciding that he should just focus on the present instead of the past.

With that, Scott got comfortable and drifted off into a deep sleep.

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              During a temporary intermission, Scott stepped out from backstage onto the street for a quick breather. Brushing his hand through his hair, stressing over the night’s events. Gem collapsed suddenly during their last song. Impulse had caught her before her head could hit the floor. They called an intermission even though Gem had woken up a few moments after she passed out, claiming she was fine.

Due to Impulse’s and Scott’s insistence, they got a venue nurse to check her out. Impulse noticed Scott was stressing out by pacing around, so he told the guitar player to go take a breather to calm down. Reluctantly, he listened to the drummer but had him promise to tell him what the doctor said. Said drummer grinned, nodded then shoved him out the door, telling him that everything would be alright.

So here he was now, standing outside a backstage door on the unusually warm September night. Sighing, he headed down the street, pulling up the hood of his blue zip-up hoodie to avoid attention. Drunk concertgoers stumbled out of the bar, laughing, and giggling around him as headed down the street. His original plan was to walk around the block and return backstage to check on Gem.

His walk was doing its job as he slowly started to calm down after turning the first corner. He started to think more rationally now that he was calmer and could face the diagnosis. Turning the corner to the street that would lead him back to the concert, he was met by a gaggle of girls, who recognized him. Resigning himself to his fate, he pulled out a pen and started signing autographs.

Once the girls were taken care of, he made his way back to the alleyway. As he was about to enter backstage, the guitar player was startled by the sounds cracking around him. He spotted cracks growing up the side of the monstrous building. He couldn’t get a clear view from where he stood, but a noticeable dent in the domed roof had started to bugle out. He backpedaled away, knowing he was in a dangerous position, Scott ran for the alley exit.

With a loud crash, debris came raining down from the once-pristine concert hall. The cyanette made it out of the alley just in time as the concert hall's walls collapsed. Dust and screams filled the surrounding area. He spun around, trying to see what was happening, shielding his eyes from the cloud of debris threatening to blind him.  

Coughing harshly, Scott stumbled out of the dust cloud, using his shirt as a mask as he guided other blinded spectators. Once on a clear street, he glanced back towards the concert hall. A sudden terror stuck through him as he spotted something out of a fairy tale. A monstrous giant was standing in the middle of the venue where he and his friends were just playing minutes ago.

The back was facing Scott, a wave of messy hair trailed down the back and it had something growing from its head.  He couldn’t get a good look at the giant before more chaos broke out. The survivors of the building collapse sprinted out of the rubble, covered in dust and dirt.   

Realization struck Scott like a lightning bolt. Gem and Impulse. They were still in there. They could be trapped under the rubble. The first instinct he had was to run back to get Gem and Impulse. He started running towards the venue as people ran away from the giant. Before he had a chance to go farther, a female police officer snagged his shoulder dragging him away as he kicked and fought.

Just as Scott was getting desperate, another giant grew from the rubble. This one grew into a sitting position. Taking advantage of the rock star’s momentary shock, the officer dragged him farther away, pulling him toward the subway tunnels. From there, she ushered him towards a group large group of people who were all survivors of the incident.

She then explained that they would be evacuated when the next train came, this being the fastest and safest way to get them all out without issues. The guitar player tuned her out, staring at the stairs, hoping that any minute his friends would be carried or come walking down them. Many people whispered and murmured, clearly anxious about the situation.

Suddenly the whole station shook, and the fluorescent lights swayed from where they were hung. The officer quickly grabbed her radio, pressing it up to her mouth. The station shook again, some dust falling from the ceiling, making the crowd cry out in fear. The cyanette flinched as a thunderous thump came from above them. She informed the crowd that the giants were on the move.

She looked grim and panicked as she shouted over another footstep that the two were heading towards the station. The cries of the terrified people echoed off the walls of the subway station. Scott’s blood felt like ice in his veins as he felt the ground shake harder, all the oxygen was stuck out of his lungs as panic consumed him.

A cheer and the screeching of wheels knocked him out of the all-consuming panic that overcame him. The subway train pulled into the station, opening all its doors. The crowd quickly swarmed into the small tram. The officer tried to do crowd control, but everyone was in a panic. Scott kept looking over to the stairs, and then to the train. Biting the bullet and praying to Aeor, the teal-haired boy slipped up the stairwell, ignoring the call of the officer, leading to the ground level. The ground around him shook with the weight of the giant as it came closer.

As he reached the top of the stairs, he was met with a startling sight. Buildings were toppled and cars were wrecked. In front of him, the giants were walking together, taking off building tops, seeming looking for something. One of the giants spotted him, making him step backward. His foot slipped on a step, making him fall down the stairs partly.

He groaned, pain echoing through his body. Thunderous hurried footsteps pounded toward him, causing him to force himself up. A loud creaking sound caught Scott’s attention as he glanced up. A part of the office building above him broke off and hurled towards him. He covered his head with his arms and then blacked out. But before, he swore he heard Gem call out his name…

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Scott jolted up in his sleeping bag with a gasp, looking around frantically before realizing where he was. He grabbed his chest, doing quiet breathing exercises before he relaxed fully. Once calmed down, he noted that Cleo and Grian were already up. They both were looking at him with concern from where they stood.

Cleo was the first to speak, “Scott bud, you good?” Her voice echoed the worry in her body language. All he could do was nod as he stood up stiffly. He moved around robotically. She paused in stuffing her pack.

Grian huffed, “Scott, we all know you are not okay. So what’s wrong?” Scott scowled, hating that Grian could see through him. He packed in silence for a few more minutes while his friends patiently waited for him to respond.

He finally sighed, “It was just a memory.” he said softly. “The day the apocalypse started; my bandmates were in the concert hall when it started.” He viewed Cleo’s and Grian's reactions. Cleo looked sympathetic told him and murmured, “Oh Scott…”

Grian had a similar expression. The ex-rockstar simply shook his head. “It’s in the past, no need for sympathy. We all lost someone so it's water under the bridge.” He hefted the pack onto his shoulder. Grian and Cleo shared a concerned look before looking back at him.

Cleo spoke up, “We are here if you ever need to talk Scott, death isn’t something that can be taken lightly.” She walked over and gently patted his shoulder. “We got your back bud.”

Grian came up onto his other side and nodded. “Yeah, if you wanna talk, we're here to listen.” Scott scoffed at them but smiled slightly at their comfort.

“Thank guys, I appreciate it.” He gives each of them a quick hug before stepping back. “Now let's get going, we need to find water and food.” He turns around before they can respond, heading down the path from the night before.

The others quickly caught up to him. The three of them chatted quietly as they walked through the wooden corridors. The farther they traveled, the quieter they became till they were silent. The sound of creatures moving became clearer as they headed towards the giant's living quarters. As Scott examined the walls around them, he realized that they were closing in on where he was spotted last night.

A pit of dread grew in the cyanette’s stomach as the hole from last night seemed bigger last night. Grian slowly approached and grimaced as he stepped in something sticky. He pulled his foot out easily, making Scott breathe a sigh of relief. The dirty blond walked across the sticky spot without trouble. Cloe followed next, then Scott. He glanced out of the hole but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

Traveling deeper into the house, they soon smelled something delicious. They all perked up as they knew they were getting closer to the kitchen. Grian blushed as his stomach rumbled loudly, making Scott and Cleo silently chuckle. With a pep in their step, they sped up, knowing they were close to their goal.

The voices of the giants became clear and loud, letting them know they were in the right place. The trio slowed their pace. Grian looked nervous and anxious. Cleo looked determined, pressing her lips into a thin line. Scott’s blood rushed through his ears, but he felt an odd calm flood his system. He pressed his ear against the wall, curious what the giants were talking about.

“Are you even sure this is gonna work?” A feminine voice asked, skepticism in her voice. A masculine voice replied, “Of course! I made it, didn’t I?” A smug voice answered. “You say that now.” The female voice countered as she seemingly left the room as her voice got farther away.

Scott felt the tension leave his shoulders as the male voice gets farther away as well. He turns to his found family and whispers, “They left, we’re in the clear.” Cloe nodded but said, “Still we need to find a way in and out quickly because we don’t know how long.” Scott nodded in agreement. Grian frowned a bit but nodded as well.

They explored more of the wall, getting increasingly nervous when they thought they found a loose board, but it was glued over or something was blocking the entrance. It was later in the day when they finally found a perfectly round hole in the wall, looking like it was drilled. Cleo was hesitant to use it, but when Scott’s and Grian’s stomachs groaned, along with her own, she relented.

 Grian peeked out first, not seeing anything unusual, he ushered for Cleo and Scott. When Scott stepped out, the breath was knocked out of him. The kitchen around them was so large but beautiful. Flowers were painted along the cabinets; pink trim gave life to the bland wooden counters. A black and white checker floor covered the area below them. But what caught his attention was the paintings hung on the walls. They were landscape paintings, of a beach, a meadow, and a forest. He shook his head, to stop getting distracted.

Looking over, Cleo and Grian seemed to be in awe as well, except they were looking at something else. The guitar player’s jaw dropped as they spotted what they were staring at. On the counter, a large cake sat. Drool pooled in Scott’s mouth as it was decorated with berries and white and pink frosting. Swallowing, Scott also noticed a fruit bowl next to the cake.

Grian took a step towards the cake before Cleo grabbed his shoulder. She whispered to him furiously, “We can’t. It’ll be too noticeable.” Grian whispered back, “Come on, one berry.” He begged. Cleo brazenly shook her head. “No. Too dangerous.” Scott couldn’t help but agree with Cloe’s sentiment.

“The fruit bowl could be good.” He points it out. Cleo looked over to Scott and nodded. “Yeah, that seems more reasonable.” Grian crossed his arms but reluctantly agreed. Scott headed towards the fruit bowl, having to walk around the edge of the cake. Cleo and Grian followed behind him.

They all froze as a quiet click was heard. Scott glanced around trying to find the sort of noise. It was only when he looked down, he realized he had stepped on a mechanical button. He felt the blood drain from his face as he hopped off in a panic, turning to his friends.

“Run! It’s a-“He doesn’t get to finish his sentence as his feet are suddenly pulled out from under him, making him yelp. Two more cries follow as well. He felt himself get pulled unwillingly to a metal circle, his friends joining him shortly after. He looked down at his shoes, his eyes widening in panic. They were coated in metal flakes, making them magnetized.

Realization hit Scott, the sticky stuff. It was glue. And they walked through it. And it was filled with these metal flakes. Cloe was trying to pull herself off the magnet, while Grian struggled violently.  Scott began trying to get his shoes off to escape but giant footsteps made his blood go cold.

Scott’s breathing picked up as the Impulse-looking one entered the kitchen and cheered loudly, making all the humans flinch harshly. “Gem! I caught him! And two others.” Scott covered his ears with the loud voice, tears threatening to escape his eyes. It’s not them. It can’t be.

His breathing picked up as the giant came closer to them. His struggles got more desperate to get his shoes off. A scream rang through his ears, and it took him a moment to realize that it came from him as Impulse-look alike reached for him. The horned giant seemed taken aback by his sudden cry, pausing in his advances. His friends were shouting and yelling at the giant to leave him alone.

The Gem-look-alike came into the room. She walked over and frowned then scolded the horned giant. “You idiot, you’re scaring him. Don’t just try to grab him.” She crouched down and in a very soft voice, “Hey there Scott, can you count to five for me?” The ex-guitarist couldn’t help but close his eyes and picture Gem holding his hand, rubbing circles on his back as he calmed down from a panic attack. He quietly counted to five, taking deep breaths as he did.

Opening his eyes again, he was considerably calmer, but his heart rate spiked as he saw the giant smiling down at him. “There you go. It’s okay, we’re not going to hurt you.” She reassured them. Cleo spit. “Yeah right! And how do you know Scott? Let him alone!” Cloe struggled hard.

Scott croaked, “You can’t be them. They died the day of the outbreak.” Tears rolled down his cheeks as he lay on his back, trapped. Both his friends and giants looked at him. The deer giant frowned, “Oh Scott, no. I am Gem and that still is Impulse. We just look a little different and bigger.”  Gem tried soothing Scott by touching him.

He flinched away from the large hand, sobbing, “Let us go then, please.” He begged, adrenaline and fear blocking out the hunger and thirst he felt. “Please Gem.” Both Gem and Impulse shared an uneasy look before Gem sadly shook her head.

“I’m sorry, but we can’t in good conscious.” She said softly, making Scott’s throat close with terror. “You three look like you are about to drop dead in a day. You are all so skinny and it’s scary.”  She explained, as Impulse carried in a fish tank-looking thing but built for a human.

Scott didn’t have it in him to shout or yell as she gently pried him off the magnet and placed him into the tank. She did this with Grian and Cleo as well. Grian shrieked and tried to bite her as she picked him up. Cleo glared but didn’t do much, not wanting to cause them to get angry.

Gem looked at them sadly. “This will be only temporary.” She comforted. “We just need to humanify the house and get you guys healthy.” Scott glared at her through tear-filled eyes, through gritted teeth he mutters, “I hate you. I hate both of you. You are not them.” Shock then hurt filled Gem’s eye but she replied, “You know you don’t, you just need to get used to us like this.”

Impulse looked hurt as well as he added, “I’m sorry for scaring you all. But it’s true, this is only temporary. I hope you’ll trust us soon as well.” He carried the enclosure over to a table and placed it down gently. The walking made the humans flinch harshly. Impulse apologized softly then turned away. Impulse and Gem left the room after that, saying that they were giving them space to adjust.

Scott bushed his hand through the plush carpet bottom of the tank, glaring at it like it had wronged him. He immediately took off his shoes and chucked them at the glass around them with a frustrated cry. He watched them bounce off the glass onto the floor. He wiped his eyes and examined their temporary home.

There was a little kitchen area in one corner, it had a fridge, sink, and oven. Another was a walled-off room with a door labeled ‘bathroom’. The room the three of them seemed to be in was a living room of some sort, it had a couch, coffee table, and loveseat. Looking over to the last side of the tank, it was also walled off but with two doors. Both were labeled ‘Bedrooms’ in fancy bold letters.

Grian shrieked, “How did they know that we were here!? We were so careful.” He threw up his arms in frustration as he flopped onto the loveseat. Scott’s stomach churned with guilt because he caused this. Cloe scowled at him. “Get off there, we are not entertaining them with thinking we’re comfortable.” Grian huffed, “What’s the point? We might as well take advantage of this situation.”

Scott walked to the miniature kitchen and looked through the cupboards, to get away from the arguing of the other two and through curiosity. He was pleasantly surprised to find that they were filled with grains and dried fruit. He looked in another and found plates, cups, and silverware. He took three cups hesitantly and walked over to the faucet, filling them will water.

Once all three cups were filled, he walked back to the other two, who had stopped arguing when he turned on the water. He handed each of them a cup and said, “Here, we need it. I don’t care if it’s dosed or poisoned, we will die of dehydration if we don’t.” Grian eagerly down his cup, while Cleo cautiously sniffed it before sipping it. Scott slowly drained his cup. The water felt nice on his dry throat.

Cleo finished her cup and sighed. “That helped clear my head.” She looked at Grian. “I’m sorry, I suppose you’re right. We can rest up and regain our energy for a while then we can escape in due time.” She walked to the kitchen, placed her cup in the sink, and grabbed dried fruit for each of them, passing them to Scott and Grian.

Scott nodded and whispered, “I’m sorry, it’s my fault we’re in this mess.” He took a small bite of his fruit. Grian shook his head, swallowing as he did. “Don’t blame yourself, it was bound to happen eventually. We’re just lucky it was your old friends.” Grian happily munched on his dried fruit. Cloe gently hugged him.

“Don’t blame yourself kiddo, we all agreed to go into the house,” Cleo reassured. “So don’t blame this completely on yourself.” Scott sighed and replied, “Okay…” He still felt guilty for not telling them he was seen last night but decided to change the conversation.

Scott walked to one of the rooms and looked back at them. “I’m gonna take a nap. I’m exhausted. Wake me up if they come back.” He said before opening the door and closing the door behind him. The bedroom was simple, a bed and a wardrobe were the only two thing decorating the room.

The cyan-haired boy climbed into the bed and curled up in the sheets. Tears pooled in his eyes as he buried his face into the pillows, hiccupping softly as he thought of how Gem and Impulse could do this to him. Sobs escaped him as he dragged Cleo and Grian into this mess as well. It was all his fault. He soon cried himself to exhaustion, his unconscious consuming him. His last thoughts before he fell unconscious were “I’m sorry everyone.”

[positivexcellence]

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