#thankfully there was not a repeat incident in the run that succeeded

[flecks-of-stardust]

[image description: two pages of a comic about my Hunter mode experience. It shows Hunter's experience when hibernating in one of the shelters in the Leg. The full image description will be under the cut.]

[The comic is not split into any discrete panels, but is intended to be read left to right, top to bottom. The top left corner of the first page notes that this is me trying to beat Hunter mode.

The comic begins with Hunter walking into a room with a shelter. They're holding a spear and a grapple worm, and have an explosive spear on their back. They're in one of the rooms in the leg, approximately two-thirds of the way down; the shelter is between two mounds with poles sticking out of them. Hunter is thinking: "Phew... that's good progress." On the platform above the shelter is a spitter spider.

Hunter then slides into the shelter, which is a small box. They're thinking: "I'll hibernate here and then go to Memory Crypts."

The next cycle, Hunter slowly wakes up, blearily opening their eyes. There are a few cysts growing on them, and their two spears are resting on their back and their tail respectively. The grapple worm is puttering about in the foreground, covering a dark object. Through their groggy eyes, they make out a dark, spiky thing.

They abruptly realize the thing is a spitter spider that somehow entered their shelter at the last moment, and they start screaming; the bottom left panel shows them with an extremely terrified and horrified expression, with their outline streaking upwards in alarm. They grab their normal spear and throw it, but it misses, embedding itself into the wall above the spitter spider with a loud thunk. They resume screaming, flattening their ears. Above these four panels, the screaming is explicitly transcribed as, in all caps: "aaaaaaaaaaaaaashitshitshit".

They then grab their explosive spear, throwing it; it flies true and embeds itself into the spitter spider. While doing this, they're still yelling (in all caps): "shitshitshit". They then back themself up against the wall as the explosive spear begins to hiss, thinking: "... I'm so dead".

The explosive spear explodes with a loud boom, throwing Hunter up into the ceiling. They then fall back down onto the ground, stunned but still alive, next to the smoking husk of the spitter spider. They get up, confused, wondering: "Wait..." They then glance off to their left, frowning as they wonder: "How am I alive." In smaller text below that is their follow up thought: "Also where's my grapple worm..." end image description]

so uh... hunter mode, huh.

i very nearly shrieked out loud when this happened. i'm pretty sure this experience rewired my brain tbh

[often-obsessed]

Vampire!yandere!cyrus x gn!reader

First of all I am not a writer, this is for @yandere-scenarios. They made a lot of cyrus content that I liked, this fic is based off one of them. Perfect for Halloween. Mod omen it's me vc anon. Also I was working on and off on this fic on my phone so it's choppy. Enjoy I guess.

You walked across the mountainous terrain, stumbling ever so slightly over loose rocks. You had already lost your balance a few times thanks to the wild pokemon. The designated road route 210 was a few ways away, would it have been easier to take it? Of course, but that would mean running into other people. You really didn't want a repeat of the alleyway incident.

You shuddered.

It was moonless out, the only source of light for miles was a few illuminating pokemon. Any normal person would have been stumbling in the dark, but not you.

Not anymore.

Everything was fine before he showed up and turned you into...this. You scratched at your skin as if you could rip away the monster that had wrapped itself around you. Only succeeding in drawing red lines on your skin. A few beads of blood managed to come to surface. You gulped quickly casting a glance at the road to your right, no one, still empty. You breathed a sigh of relief you didn't know you were holding. Wiping your arm on your clothes you sped up as best you could without the threat of falling.

If only you could return home, you missed selling your berries. Tending your small garden with the few wild pokemon you managed to befriend. Your favorite murkrow landing on the brim of your hat, waiting for his daily treat. You rarely left your little paradise.

The kind neighbors that would sometimes invite you for dinner. As a thank you for the berries you'd gift them. They'd end up dinner if you returned.

You clenched your fists, doing your best to distract yourself from the morbid thoughts ringing in your head.

No you'd control yourself this time.

You just needed to find the champion first.

If you could control yourself long enough to talk to the champion you'd be ok. She'll know what to do right? Of course she would she's the champion! She had strong pokemon, even if you did lose control she could easily overtake you.

She could easily overtake Cyrus.

A flutter of hope bloomed in your chest, yes she could beat him. Then you could find a cure for yourself and go back to your normal life.

Months before.

Rapid knocking startled you out of your sleep. Who would be at your door at this hour, in the rain? Begrudgingly you dragged yourself out of bed. Thankfully you had PJs on, no need to worry about flashing the person at the door. The knocking continued.

"Just a minute!" You called stumbling through the dark before flipping a light switch. Opening the door you were greeted by a strange sight.

It was a man, water pelted his person, blue hair stuck to the sides of his face. His clothes were just as soaked, creating a small puddle at your door.

Your door.

He was still standing at your door.

"Oh I'm sorry, I spaced out for a bit. Please come in."  Opening the door wider for your guest.

The man hesitated as if scared you would yell sike and slam the door in his face. Cautiously he took a step in your house, then another finally moving in enough for you to properly shut the door.

"Not exactly the best time for a stroll." You chuckled, turning you full attention to him. He didn't acknowledge you, seeming to savor the fact he was out of the rain. The fogginess of sleep was starting to dissipate. The reality that you just let a random man into your house hitting you.

He looked pretty harmless, you could probably take him on in a fight if you had to. Unless he had pokemon on him then you were doomed. You didn't have any pokemon of your own, well unless you counted the mismagius in your attic.

"I apologize for the intrusion, I wasn't expecting it to rain this morning."

Morning? You slouched a bit at the comment. There was no way you were falling back asleep now.

"It's fine no harm done" Except to my sleeping schedule. "What are you doing out in the rain anyway?"

The man opened his mouth to reply before you realized he was still soaked. What kind of a host were you?

"Wait! Hold that thought you're probably freezing! I'll be right back with some towels!" Zooming down the hall to the linen closet. Stupid! Letting your curiosity get the better of you. The man could catch a cold if you didn't warm him up fast enough! Grabbing a few towels you rushed back to the front door.

He was still standing in the same spot you left him. With an ever growing puddle beneath him.

"I'm sorry about that, here come into the kitchen. I'll make you something to drink."

That was how your new strange friendship was made. Talking for an hour at your house before he left for work. Surprisingly it was your guest who was the talkative one, philosophy seemed to be a favorite talking point for him. You'd sit and listen petting whatever pokemon he let out that day.

It was amazing how fast you two were able to make a routine.

He would always show up a few hours before dawn, he told you he preferred to start his work early.

After a few visits Cyrus confessed to you that coming over relaxed him. You could never turn him away after that tidbit, as you didn't want to come off as rude. Not to mention it felt nice to be needed, even if you did have to wake up earlier than usual.

The mornings when he didn't visit you, were filled with paranoia. You could have sworn someone was watching you. Even closing your curtains didn't help.

Soon you were feeling watched during the day as well. Taking care of your garden didn't bring you joy anymore. You saw it more as a chore than a passion. Your neighbors had begun to slowly distance themselves from you. Even the local pokemon seemed to be affected by your demeanor, as they didn't visit often.

As time passed Cyrus seemed more like a godsend, he became the new reliable thing in your life.With every visit you lowered your guard down around him. You could call him a friend at this point, you started to look forward to his visits.

"I really have appreciated our talks these past few months, surprisingly my performance at work has doubled."

Cyrus leaned back into the couch with his hands clasped in front of him. The program on TV soon forgotten. You tilted you head.

"You know, of all the times you've dropped by, you have never told me what you do for a living. Is it embarrassing or something? I won't judge." You had an inkling it was a lot more stressful than the average job if Cyrus' appearance was anything to go by. The man looked like he was at deaths door, for goodness sake he was only 27!

Cyrus paused " No, not embarrassing, I work at the Space Energy development corps."

"Oh yeah, I've seen commercials of that place. You actually work there?"

"..."

"Uh...Cyrus? You ok there?"

The man in question faced you.

"Would you like to visit? I could show you the facility."

You frowned, where had this come from? He wanted you to visit the job that was causing him so much stress? The whole reason he stopped by almost every morning? Then again curiosity had started gnawing on you. How bad was a job at Galactic? Would he lose his job for bringing you over?

"You won't get in trouble will you? I'm obviously not an employee, I don't want  to get you fired."

An amused glint shone off Cyrus' eyes. "As long as I'm with you that won't be a problem."

A week later you headed out to Veilstone city, it had been a while since you visited the place. The hustle and bustle was hard for you to handle, but for your friend you'd pull through.

It seemed it wasn't a busy day today. People and pokemon seemed to slow down and enjoy the atmosphere the sunset had brought. You had as well, watching the last rays disappear before continuing your walk. You made a mental note to visit the cities of Sinnoh more often.

You bumped into something soft and firm. Preparing an apology before snapping your mouth shut. The luxray you bumped into sent a warning growl, before its trainer excused his pokemon's behavior.

Scratch that, you'd visit the towns first, gotta start small.

Street lights began to flicker to life reminding you of your deadline. You picked up the pace, it wouldn't look good to arrive late. You glanced at the paper Cyrus gave you, the building he described was no where in sight.

A slow feeling of anxiety crawled on you. Had you really gotten lost that easily? No of course not, you probably hadn't walked far enough. You nearly jumped when you felt a tapping sensation on your back.

You whirled around to find a strangely dressed woman staring at you.

A light blue bob cut sat a top of her head, while the rest of her looked like she stepped out of a space movie. She eyed you up and down as if you had bumped into her.

Your face burned, feeling a bit small in this woman's gaze.

"The Galactic building is this way, follow me."

The woman began a brisk walk in a random direction. Your mouth gapped open like a magikarp. Was this woman psychic, could she read your mind? Was she doing it now, oh no quick think positive thoughts. You scrambled after her.

"How did yo-."

"Had your description, been waiting for you to show up for ages."

She waved her hand in the air, not even sparing you a glance. She didn't seem very liked, if the stares and side-eyes from locals were anything to go by.

The awkward silence (at least on your part) was hard to bare. You had tried to stir up some small talk to relieve some of the tension, but your guide had shut you down each time.

You were beginning to regret coming here.

The Galactic energy building was huge, well bigger that what you thought a electric company would be. Then again it was near a city. You really did need to go out more.

More strangely dressed people were inside, in what you now assumed to be company uniforms.

"Hey we're going this way, try and keep up." Your guide nudged you, leading you toward some doors. "The portals are all down due to maintenance, so we'll have to walk."

Walking through the maze of the building was mostly in silence, muffled footsteps the only real noise around. The occasional grunt stopping to chat before being shooed away by your guide. She seemed more relaxed now.

"So, how long have you been friends with Cyrus?"

Your companion who had been so nonchalant since you met her, nearly tripped over herself in shock. Which in turn nearly gave you a heart attack. Her eyebrows rose as she stared in disbelief at you.

Was your question that incredulous? D-did Cyrus not have many friends? You knew he was socially awkward, but you didn't think he was THAT socially awkward. Then again you weren't one to judge.

She recollected herself before answering.

"I'm not...friends with Master Cyrus, but I'm flattered you thought I was. I'm just a grunt."

Master Cyrus?

"Oh, I assumed you were considering you were out looking for me. Um, thanks for that by the way."

The woman huffed. "It's not a big deal, plus everyone was on lookout."

Everyone? Your brows furrowed, just what was Cyrus' position here?

"I don't see what's so special about you, not that it matters what I think.Well here we are the fourth floor." she gestured toward an elevator at the end of the hallway. "I'm not allowed pass this point, but I'm sure you can handle walking to the doors without my help?"

"Y-yeah I think I can manage." What a jerk. You walked toward where you hoped Cyrus would be. You could feel the woman's eyes on your back, you barely resisting the urge to look back at her.

The elevator ride felt like an eternity, you felt nervous, you shouldn't be right? This was Cyrus, you had known him for a few months. Surely if something was really wrong you would have noticed.

What about what that lady had said earlier how she and others had been keeping an eye out for you. You highly doubted Cyrus was friends with the entire company, so he must be some sort of authority figure. But just how high did it go? The elevator soon jolted to a stop, the small ding notifying you of your reached destination.

It felt like an eternity waiting for the doors to open.

Calm down it's just Cyrus, he'll explain everything.

The room was a bit dim, the main source of light came from the moon, giving off a ethereal feel. It should have been calming and it was, to a certain extent. You cautiously stepped out of the elevator, it was just nerves, you rationalized. You were in a new environment, this was natural.

Your thoughts were soon interrupted by movement in the corner of your eye.

Cyrus was standing right next to you.

You felt as if you leaped right out of your skin. How did you not notice him there?

"Cyrus, you almost gave me a heart attack, how long have you been standing there?!"

Cyrus clasped his hands behind his back.His usual impassive stare rested on you.

"A few minutes, you seemed lost in thought, is something wrong?"

He was watching you zone out? Heat crept up your face. Any fear you had before was gone in an instant. You didn't know whether to chide him about watching you, or cover your face in embarrassment.

"Nothing, don't worry about it. So, what are you gonna show me first?"

Cyrus gestured for you to follow, which you did, to a door on the opposite side of the room. The man opened the door, to a much brighter room.

The cozy atmosphere felt loads better than the dark room before. Papers neatly stacked on a desk in the corner of the room. A large bookshelf filled with, of course books. A small fridge next to two chairs and a table. Another door connected to the room as well, you assumed it was a bathroom. A queen sized bed, with a few stuffed pokemon mixed in among the pillows. Huh, you didn't see Cyrus as the  type to have plushies.

"Those were gifts from an associate."

"That's cute," questions still nagged at your head. This was the best time to ask, but you still felt nervous to do so. No, you could do this, just rip it off like a band aid.  "so Cyrus what exactly do you do here?"

Cyrus pulled out some snacks out of the fridge, placing them on the table. You almost thought he hadn't heard you.

"Here sit I'll explain everything."

And he did, it was a bit jarring to hear Cyrus was a CEO of a company. It made you feel out of place, what exactly did Cyrus want with a farmer in the middle of the woods? You couldn't offer anything but berries. Cyrus reassured you he just enjoyed your company and appreciated the small breaks.

You nibbled on your food as you listened to him. There was still one more question that really bothered you.

"So, Master Cyrus huh? Care to explain that?"

You stared at your plate, following the intricate designs with your finger. You imagined a tiny you banging its head against the wall, inwardly cringing at what you just said. Glancing up at Cyrus, who was still neutral as ever.

Explain it better you idiot!

"It's just that one of your grunts called you that and well, it's a weird thing to call your boss..."

"The title was something my subordinates came up with. If it bothers you that much I will tell them to stop."

"No, no it's fine. Listen I can't stay long, I still have work to do at home and I don't want to be out too late."

Cyrus nodded.

"Hmm...how about a few more minutes before we start the tour. How was the trip here?"

You woke up to find yourself under a warm blanket.

Thoughts jumbled as you slowly pieced together what happened.

You had passed out, but from what?

Your brain still felt too sluggish to remember.

Maybe if you just rested a little bit longer.

...

Wait.

You were visiting Cyrus.

How did you... get home?

You didn't go home.

Then where were you sleeping?

You shifted a bit, a fluffy plushie fell against your face. You didn't have plushies in your bed.

Heh heh, Cyrus had plushies in his bed.

Your eyes snapped open, your face flaming hot. Oh my gosh! You were in his bed! You practicality launched you upper half off the bed, legs sprawled out. What on earth were you still doing here?! Where was Cyrus? Your head spun, black spots started to enter your vision. Seems like you got up to fast.

"Good you're awake, I admit I was afraid I had given you too much..."  Cyrus trailed off. He sat at his desk, papers scattered across the wooden furniture. He stared at you, it felt a bit more intense than usual.

Wait too much? Too much of what?

Something didn't feel right. Your stomach began to grow butterfrees. You needed to go home.

"Well, its probably really late, I'm just gonna head home Cyrus." You shuffled off the bed, doing your best to ignore the eyes boring into you. "I'll uh, see you tomorrow?"

"No."

"Huh?"

Your stomach curled, the creeping feeling of fear slowly made itself known. He didn't want you to leave?

Or he's not letting you leave!

No you didn't want to make assumptions. Maybe he didn't want you to leave because it was so late. He was worried for you that's it!

"You're not allowed to leave."

Cyrus stood up slowly making his way over to you, as if you were a wounded pokemon.

"Ah right, because the portals are down right? It's fine I can just take the elevator."

Your legs began to feel like jelly, you weren't even sure you could make it to the door. You quickly glanced at the door.

Cyrus clearly seeing your poorly hidden intentions spoke up. "Don't bother trying, the door is locked." Quickly blocking it from your view.

He gently grabbed your arms, making soothing motions, in a poor attempt to calm you down. When had he gotten so close? Too close. You needed air.

"Cyrus what's going on? I can take care of myself. I'll be fine, just let me go."

He was just being an overprotective friend that's all, nothing to worry about.

He looked at you for a few seconds, which felt like an eternity.

"I can't, not with my goal so close. Listen, very soon this world will be gone,"

You stared dumbly at the man you befriended months ago. His eyes went off in a far away stare. "in its place a new one, a perfect one. If all goes according to plan, a few months from now." The gaunt man's eyes sharpened, pinning you in place.

"I can't allow you to leave until it's over."

"I- you're not making any sense. Cyrus are you ok, do you feel sick?"

You quickly moved your hand to his forehead. Still cold as ever.

You watched Cyrus' eyes soften once more, he gently moved your hand from his face, deciding to hold it instead.

"Do you remember the first time you met me? You let me in from the pouring rain, a complete stranger. As welcoming as it was, your nativity worried me." His hand started to tighten. "Would you have let any stranger enter your home without caution? Even I admit my intentions weren't innocent... I intended to kill you that night."

Your breath hitched, everything seemed to slow down. Who had you let into your home, a serial killer? This had to be a sick joke, but Cyrus wasn't the joking type...

You limply tried to take your hand back, still in shock at his confession. Cyrus refused to let go, tightening his grip instead. The blunette continued.

"I have spent most of my adult life trying to rid myself of emotions. To the point where I changed my own dna to do it. I thought if I became a vampire my emotions would disappear. I was clearly wrong."

You legs eventually lost the battle of keeping you upright. Cyrus quickly gripped you around the waist, moving you towards the edge of the bed. He was a vampire now too?! You weren't sure how many more bombshells you could take.

"I... had been watching you with the intent of using you as a meal. But the more I watched the more I realized I didn't want to. I had caught feelings for you.

It went against everything I stood for. That emotions were a plague on humanity. I had decided right then and there I would end this fixation, for the sake of my plans. So I picked a day it would rain, less evidence to worry about.

But then you opened the door and I just couldn't go through with it."

Cyrus shifted closer to you.

"I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent together. I thought to myself ' I could afford to be a bit selfish, what's one extra person?' So I decided to bring you here."

You felt dizzy but not enough to pass out. You cradled your head in your hands, wishing you could disappear. This was too much, you needed, you needed, gosh you could barely think straight!

"Cyrus, this isn't right I need to leave. I don't know what you have going on here but I don't want any part of it. We can still hang out at my place just please, let me go."

You could feel Cyrus shift on the bed once more. Maybe it was best to keep your eye on him, but you couldn't bring yourself to.

"I've made up my mind and to insure you can't leave there's one more thing to get out of the way..."

He turned you that night, you still shudder at the memory. The next month was filled with sobbing. No matter how Cyrus tried to frame it. Drinking another humans blood horrified you. You threw up the first few times you tried. Curling up in a ball and wishing you were anywhere else but this hell. It was impossible to escape during the night when Cyrus was most active. It seemed no matter what you did he'd find out. But you did notice hid senses ( and yours to a degree) were dulled during the day. You desperately tried to escape, once while the sun was still up, but a quick demonstration from Cyrus put a stop to that.

The memory of that poor newly turned girl burning in the sunlight was permanently stitched in your brain.

Cyrus tried to accommodate your cell (as you now refused to call it your room) to your liking, but it only served to make you resent the man more. How dare he try to act like this was okay!

Sometimes a grunt would come and check on you, though as time went on you were beginning to suspect they were supposed to be your food source. Some grunts would come in with cuts on their hands, the smell of their blood poorly covered by bandages.

You grit your teeth at the thought, carefully avoiding your new canines. You wouldn't give in to cyrus' game, you'd prove that you were still human on the inside.

But... it was getting harder to control. It didn't matter how much water you drank you still couldn't get rid of that thirst. If you could just control it a little longer, long enough to get out of here you would be okay.

You'd almost bitten the last grunt that came in, completely ashamed at yourself for almost killing them.

Since you couldn't leave during the day or night, you concluded that the best option was during dusk. That should give you enough time to escape with less chance of Cyrus catching you while still being able to avoid the suns rays.

And after 2 weeks of careful planning, you made your move.

Back to the present.

You didn't know how long you had been walking, but with the new threat of the sun, it was better to lay low early than get caught unaware.

You had almost missed it at first glance

.

A small cave in the side of the mountain, it was more of a crack than anything. It would most likely be a 30 minute climb (for humans), it was a perfect place to hide until night came again.

A perfect place to stay and wait.

You gripped the cold stone, letting out a small sigh.

Well here goes nothing.

The butterfree in your stomach started to flutter again. No, it wasn't time to get nervous now you had to do this, for the sake of Sinnoh. Gritting your teeth you grabbed at a stable rock and hoisted yourself up.

Okay you're doing great, just one hand at a time and keep your eyes on the prize.

You were halfway up now, you looked around for another place to put your hand, there that rock looks sturdy. You swung yourself over to the next ledge.

And woke up an angry graveler. The two of stared at each other for a second, faces inches away. It would have been comical in a tv show. The pokemon realizing what happened roared at you for the rude awakening. To which you let go of it in pure shock.

You felt weightless until it registered that you were falling. You barely had time to brace for impact as you hit the ground hard. If you still needed to breathe you were sure the wind would have been knocked out of you. Pain split throughout your back as you writhed on the grass.

The sound of crushed rocks filled your ears, you caught a glimpse of a blur headed towards you. Your stomach nearly leapt out of your throat. A strangled noise made it way out. You quickly dove out of the way, back protesting at the sudden movement.

You felt the air whoosh past you, you took a chance and glanced back, looking at the trail of destruction left behind by the irate pokemon. You watched it disappear into the brush. You slumped to the ground hissing at the pain in your spine. You hoped nothing was broken. Maybe your new abilities could fix your back, it'd be the only good thing to come out of this mess.

But you relief was short lived as it seemed the graveler wasn't finished with you yet, the sound of snapping sticks steadily got closer.

Could you not catch a break? You hobbled to the nearest tree, the sound of sticks snapping urged you on. Grabbing a tree branch you tried to hoist yourself up, but the pain in your back was too much. It felt as if lightning shot up your nerves with every movement. Maybe you could hide behind the tree instead?

"Houndoom use dark pulse."

Oh. Oh no.

You watched as the graveler that had been tormenting you got bashed into the mountain side. The pokemon quickly realizing this was a losing battle, rolled away. Leaving you with with the last person you wanted to see.

The sound of a pokemon being returned filled your ears. Soft slow footsteps seemed to echo throughout the forest. Your stomach felt as if it was in knots. If you weren't in such pain you would have hunched in on yourself, at least to feel some sort of security.

He stood in front of you now, silent as usual. You stubbornly refused to look at him, balling your fists. You felt shame, shame for being caught so easily, it hadn't even been a full night! You must've looked so pathetic from his perspective.

Cyrus sighed, as if you running a away was a minor inconvenience. You almost wished you could punch him right now. Instead you pushed yourself against the tree more.

"I assume with the position you are in you've injured your legs?"

You bit the inside of your cheek, glaring at him in response. His impassive face stared back.

"... I hurt my back." You ground out, feeling as if every word was a declaration of defeat. Cyrus hummed, bending down to examine you. To which you weakly hit him, desperately wishing for distance.

He ignored you in favor of checking your injuries. You finally slumped in defeat, letting Cyrus do what he wanted.

"Can you walk?" The bluenette asked.

You bit back some choice words. Turning your head in the opposite direction, ignoring the pain in your neck.

"I'm fine leave me alone."

"I'll have to carry you then."

What? You were soon hoisted up, you blinked at the sudden height change.

How dare he!

"Put me down I don't need your help!"

You tried squirming out of his grasp, but the pain in your back flared. You gave up once more. There wasn't anything you could do. You blinked back tears, would you have to watch everyone die in front of you? How pathetic you couldn't even handle a bit of back pain when the world was at stake. He continued his walk in a random direction.

"The sun will rise soon, so we're staying in a nearby cave."

"I'd rather burn in the sun."

The signs of morning approaching soon shown, thankfully (or not) Cyrus had found a cave. He slowly set you down, even that had your sensitive back spike in pain. You hissed in displeasure.

"If you had stayed where you were supposed to, you wouldn't be in pain."

Cyrus mocked, at least you think he was mocking you. Him and his stupid face.

"If you hadn't held me against my will I wouldn't have run away."

Cyrus sat beside you, putting himself between you and the mouth of the cave. As if you had the strength to run. You stared forlorn at the day you used to walk in. Now look at you, hiding in the dark like some zubat.

"Cyrus, you don't have to do this, there are still good people in the world. Don't take away their happiness."

Cyrus held your hand, snapping you out of your thoughts. Aware of his burning stare,

you still kept your sights on the sunny day you were missing.

"It doesn't matter, their happiness is fleeting. As long as their incomplete spirit exists strife will find a way in. This is for the best, you'll see, I'll make the world the way it's supposed to be."

You frowned was there really no way to change his mind? You looked away from the beautiful scenery and instead stared at the dark abyss of the cave.

No.

No you wouldn't live like this.

You'd get your sunny day back, this wasn't over. You'd find a way out of this, tell the Champion and have her save the world.

Even if it meant losing your only friend.

Cyrus squeezed your hand.

You would come out of this victorious.

[ask-venom-and-eddie]

The Microwave Incident™

Fandom: Venom Movie (2018) Relationships: Eddie Brock/Venom Symbiote/Anne Weying/Dan Lewis Characters: Eddie Brock, Venom, Anne Weying, Dan Lewis AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17297084 Additional Note: This primarily focuses on Dan and Eddie bonding*

Summary: In all of Dan’s years of life, he’d never quite expected to one day be cohabiting with both his girlfriend, his girlfriend’s partner and the symbiote that lived within said partner.

In all of Dan’s years of life, he’d never quite expected to one day be cohabiting with both his girlfriend, his girlfriend’s partner and the symbiote??? that lived within said partner. But as much of Life goes, nothing will ever be quite as planned and if there’s anything he’s learned to be good at by this point, it would be to go with natural progression. Things are much easier when one learns to acknowledge it and deal with whatever happens when it happens.

Besides, it’s not so bad. The total amount of time it takes to complete chores is effectively shortened down with proper delegation. There’s always someone present to take care of the cat, trips to retrieve groceries are shortened, household fees are equally split, and the amount of troublemakers around the area have mysteriously vanished....All things considered, Eddie is a pretty decent housemate. That is if one can get used to occasionally waking up to a black humanoid mass shoveling the contents of their fridge into their gaping maw, all the while making eye contact with them.

Okay so maybe Venom is a little bit as intimidating as they are fascinating to Dan.

But can anyone really blame him for that? Considering how their first meeting had resulted in Dan very nearly getting choked out by them...him?? How does the whole...symbiote thing work? Truth be told, he’s still not all too caught up with the details entirely. Of course, Anne had briefly explained Eddie’s situation after the whole... ‘Hospital thing’. The last he’s heard about Venom had been that the symbiote was presumed dead. And now, they’re alive again?

He still remembers the exact moment Anne had found out Venom was still very much alive and very much a part of Eddie. Boy, had that been quite the fiasco. Thankfully, things have more or less settled into a peaceful routine now. It’s clear that Anne and Eddie still have things to work out between the both of them and that is not up to Dan to fix. But the doctor is optimistic all the same that they’ll get there in their own time too.

For now, he’s content with the arrangement. Laughing together as they watch bad reruns on tv, dining out together at least once a week, watching Mr Belvedere and Venom get accustomed to one another, having fun and respectful debates with Eddie...it’s fun. It’s nice. Dan would even venture to call it comfortable.

With the occasional exceptions.

Namely now. Noticing the distinct smell of char and smoke wafting out of their shared apartment isn’t exactly something one looks forward to when returning home. Alarm converting into adrenaline, Dan breaks into a run, heart hammering under his chest. By the time he’s shouldered the door open and dropped his bags in favor of rushing inside, he finds a panic-stricken Eddie attempting to fan out the interior of the microwave that had erupted in flames with his hoodie.

“Eddie d-” He’s barely able to get a word of warning out before the ends of Eddie’s hoodie catches on fire too, leading to more panicked gasps from the other and a rushed attempt to stomp out the flames. Eddie probably would have succeeded if it weren’t for the fact that his frenzied attempts ensured that he got a little too close to the microwave that was still on fire and Dan could only watch in horror when he makes contact with it by the tip of his elbow and practically howls.

A little part of it might have been Venom’s doing too because Dan sees tendrils of black inky rope-like substance emerge, rapidly roping up Eddie’s elbow. Stray tendrils extended, attaching themselves beneath the kitchen table floor. Eddie is then bodily dragged underneath in an attempt to take cover. They’re protecting him. Dan dimly registers. But now isn't really the time to be making sense of things. He has a fire to put out.

Galvanised by determination, the doctor scrambles to put gloves on just in case. He takes a moment to ease his nerves before he slams the microwave oven door shut. Careful to keep a wide berth as he turns it off, Dan unplugs the power cord just in case. There’s very little one can do except to suffocate the flames, which is exactly what he attempts to do.

Eddie is still in the same location by the time Dan could safely declare that he has the situation contained. He’s hunched over in a futile attempt to fold himself in half, breathing erratically, the back of his hoodie sweat-drenched. An inky black substance, almost oily in sheen, oozes from his chest. Almost as if reflecting Eddie’s current state, the tendrils jitter, a seething mass twitching with agitation.

Whatever it was doing, if anything at all, captures Eddie’s attention enough and he’s just barely able to focus a wide-eyed gaze at Venom in a struggle not to hyperventilate. Shaky fingers grasped at the symbiote, tugging on them in an effort to pull him closer even as Eddie fought for air.

As Dan hurries his way forward, it’s becoming more and more apparent that the other is having trouble calming himself down. In retrospect, perhaps he shouldn’t have moved as quickly as he did because the sudden movement has Venom’s hackles raising and Dan is greeted with a furious bellow, fangs bared, claws extended. Oh boy oh boy.

“It’s okay, it’s okay!” His own heartbeat hammers in his ears when Dan raises his hands. Much like one would approach a skittish animal, the doctor slows his approach. Inch by gradual inch, Dan makes his way closer in what he hopes to be a non threatening manner.

“It’s okay, buddy. I’m-I’m not going to hurt him or you. I’m here to help. Let me help, Venom. Please.”

Pearlescent eyes narrowed into slits at his words and Dan resists the urge to gulp. Against his own wishes, he finds himself holding his breath when Venom appears to consider his offer. There’s something about finding yourself the sole focus of something so..otherworldly. Something powerful enough to snap your spine in one solid move if it thought to do so. It settles beneath his skin, all pins and needles.

It takes a while- Eddie may be the one looking worse for wear but Venom. Venom is a constantly shifting mass, shape inconsistent, as if it was compelled to stay close yet pull away at the same time. Dan might not understand the symbiote as much as Eddie or even Anne does, but it’s apparent even to him that Venom isn’t feeling all too good either.

There’s really no other way to describe the symbiote’s movements. But Dan would compare it to a drop of water against speakers playing at an unbearably loud volume. Nevertheless, a decision is finally made. With their last shudder, Venom oozes back. Whatever visible parts of it slithers back in quicker than Dan could blink. All that remains is a disembodied hand, fingers carefully interlaced with Eddie’s in a singular gesture that conveyed both a need for comfort and an effort to reassure.

Choosing to interpret that as assent, Dan wastes little time in shuffling underneath the table as well so that he would be seated next to Eddie’s hunched figure. “Eddie. Eddie, can you hear me?” It takes him a few tries before he’s able to get a response from his panicky companion. Eddie’s hands clenched into fists in a repeated pattern: squeeze, release, squeeze, release. Combating threats Dan can’t see, wisps of nightmares he doesn’t have access to. Not in the same way he does.

Eddie’s face is ruddy with exertion and emotional toil, breathing shaky and stilted. Dan watches as his companion thumps at the front of his chest in a manner that suggested he was attempting to dislodge something even though he knows nothing is there.

“Sorry.” Eddie’s voice cracks when he chokes out a coherent reply, pitched high and teetering on the edge of exhaustion. He scrubs at his face, still hunched up against himself. “I don’t-I don’t know what- What’s happening to me.”

And Dan could feel his heart break just a little.

“Experiencing emotional distress of sorts in highly stressful situations is a valid response, Eddie. Don’t apologise for that.” Though his reflex and instincts willed him to initiate contact as a means of comfort, the doctor hesitates and lifts away the hand that had been hovering near Eddie’s shoulder. Touch is grounding for some but it may not for others. The last thing Dan wants is for Eddie to feel even worse.

A little part of him wonders if it had been the fire or the fact that he’d failed to prevent it from catching fire that evoked such an intense response. Whichever it is, it’s not a question to be asking now. There’s always time to figure it out in the future. For now, what Eddie needs is the means to regulate his breathing and even out his physical reactions. Maybe get something for burns. That’s right-

“Eddie, may I?” By way of finishing his sentence, Dan gestured at his companion’s elbow only for Eddie to shake his head after comprehension dawns on him.

“No need.” Eddie manages to wheeze out with a measure of effort. “.Big guy’s...got it covered.”

“Oh.” A beat later. “He can do that?”

His surprise must have shown because the corners of Eddie’s mouth twitched upwards for the briefest of moments when he casts gaze on him. The edges of red-rimmed eyes may have crinkled just the tiniest bit with fondness.

“Yeah. He can-” An abortive gesture is made, aimless before Eddie sets his hand again the front of his chest, kneading. Probably uncomfortable from the amount of effort it took to keep breathing regularly. “He can do a lot.”

“Huh. Fascinating. What else can he do?” Maybe if they talked about Venom, it’d be enough of a distraction to ease his discomfort. “Uh. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, no pressure.” There’s virtually nothing Dan could, or would do, with that information anyways. Assuming the symbiote may be suspicious about that.

He’s met with yet another abortive gesture but Venom must not have minded much since Eddie answers him in halting sentences, pausing frequently to breathe deeper. They talk and Dan shares stories of his own when Eddie trails off: Teenage escapades, past pets, unfortunate haircuts, late night hospital antics with the staff, his ongoing struggles with the parking meter, stories that have Eddie looking less haunted. Eddie tells him about his investigative work, speaks jargon that goes over Dan’s head about motorbikes, captures his attention with descriptive details about the wild adventures he’d gotten into, reasons his opinions on current mysteries.

They don’t talk about the microwave and Eddie doesn’t come out from underneath the table when Dan excuses himself to answer a call.

But he makes space for him when Dan comes back with two cups of hot cocoa. Mr Belvedere slinks in to join them, shameless in the way they curled up in Eddie’s lap, purring louder than he’s ever heard. And Dan decides that Eddie’s a little bit like a cat himself when he slumps against his side, cheek warm against Dan’s shoulder, breathing finally even as he dozes.

They’re still there when Anne returns home. The question in her eyes were apparent when she finally catches sight of them. But she only nods when he mouths ‘I’ll tell you later’, eyes honey soft. Her lips are warm when she presses a kiss to his cheek and runs her fingers through Eddie’s hair, angling awkwardly just so she could press one against his temple.

Things are okay. They’re all okay.

Something in Dan relinquishes it’s hold with a soft sigh and he revels in it’s absence. He feels light, whole, good.

Yeah, they’ll be okay.

[frozenartscapes]

10, pairing your choice!

*Shows up several months late with Starbucks* 

This prompt came to me a while ago and apologies for taking so long! It’s been rather busy for me, lately, and my creative drive is chugging along worse than a car with only three wheels, but I got this one finished, dammit.

For those wondering, the promt was: “I think I twisted my ankle.” And I chose to have this delightful back and forth between Kristoff and Elsa. Enjoy!

Climbing post-ice storm, in retrospect, wasn’t a very good idea. But Kristoff had wanted to check in on a secret pond he knew produced some of the purest natural ice. Spring was fast approaching, and this particular pond was just on the line in which mountain ponds and lakes thawed out during the warmer months. He hoped to get one last harvest in before the season ended.

That was before his foot slipped, then his hand slipped, and his other foot got stuck, and before he knew it he was hanging upside down by one foot just a little above Sven’s head.

Sven grunted in worry, sniffing his friend’s face to be sure he was ok.

“I’m fine, Sven,” Kristoff assured him, making an attempt to free his foot and not succeeding, “I’m just…ugh…a little…”

“Stuck?”

Kristoff looked at Sven. That voice most definitely didn’t belong to the reindeer. He turned as much as his head could, only to spot a dark grey fjord horse and its dignified rider.

“Elsa!” Kristoff sighed in relief, “It’s you! Wait… What are you doing up here?”

Elsa dismounted with more grace than he’d ever seen in someone getting off a horse. “I just wanted to check on everyone. The storm last night caused quite a bit of damage and I wanted to make sure trails were clear and roofs weren’t threatening to collapse under all that ice,” she explained, “I was on my way to Oaken’s when I heard you yell.”

“Well, you’ve caught me at a bad time, I have to admit,” he said sheepishly.

“Do you need any help?”

“Oh, no. I’m fine. This happens from time to time.” Kristoff then tried again, feeling the rocks around his foot loosening. “Just…need…the right…lev- Ahh!”

Thankfully, a pile of snow that hadn’t been there moments ago caught his fall. He shook some of the flakes off his head, and chuckled, “Heh. Thanks. Guess I did need some help.”

Elsa smiled warmly. “Glad I could provide it, then,” she replied, beginning to make her leave.

Kristoff went to get up, but the moment he put weight on his previously trapped foot a sharp pain shot through his leg. Involuntarily, he hissed in response, adding a few colourful words under his breath.

Elsa stopped walking toward her horse.

“S…sorry, about that,” he said quickly, remembering that she was, well, the Queen.

“Are you ok?” Elsa asked with concern, dropping down to his level on the ground.

Kristoff reached for his ankle and sucked in a sharp breath the moment his fingers brushed the skin. “Y…yeah. Fine. Totally fine,” he said through gritted teeth. He looked up to meet Elsa levelling him a disbelieving look. Knowing he’d never be able to convince her otherwise, he sighed and admitted, “Ok, no. Not fine. I think I twisted my ankle.”

With a small flourish of her hands, glittering snowflakes encompassed his injured foot, forming a delicate but delightfully cool wrap to ease the swelling. “Did you want me to bring you back to town?” Elsa asked. 

Kristoff could see the look on her face - regardless of his answer she was going to take him somewhere safe. She wasn’t leaving him now. “No, the Valley is better,” he said reluctantly, feeling bad that he had distracted her like this. She was the Queen after all.

Elsa frowned, her brow furrowed a little more than it had been, as she thought about his statement. “The…Valley,” she repeated, a tinge of skepticism in her voice.

“I know, I know. They don’t have the fancy doctors you have back in Arendelle but they’ve dealt with this kind of stuff before,” Kristoff assured her.

“Oh, so you’ve twisted your ankle before, have you?” she questioned, playfulness appearing in her tone and expression.

“Once or twice,” he replied with a shrug, “Ice harvesting isn’t exactly known for being safe, now is it?”

Elsa laughed a little in response. “No, I can’t say that it is. I of all people should know about those kinds of dangers,” she said lightly, “Well, Valley it is then.”

With that, she rose to her feet and turned toward Kristoff’s sled, which was loaded with over a dozen large ice blocks. With a mere wave of her hand, the ice was gone.

“Hey!” Kristoff protested.

“I’ll reimburse you,” she told him calmly, “With a much better product, at that.”

“I feel like I should be insulted but I can’t really argue with that deal,” he remarked dryly.

Her smile grew as she rolled her eyes. With another wave of her hand, her magic swirled around and under Kristoff, surprising him only slightly when he suddenly found himself being carried over to the bed of the sled. As he processed what just happened, Elsa pulled out a spare blanket and gently draped it over him. She then tied her horse’s reins to one of the bars along the side of the sled, before climbing up to the seat.

“You know you really don’t have to do all this,” Kristoff told her, “Sven can find the Valley on his own.”

“True, but Anna would kill me if I just left you out here, injured and alone,” Elsa replied as she snapped the reins, urging Sven forward, “I just want to see you home.”

“Ugh, Anna’s not going to let me live this down,” Kristoff groaned as he remembered all the times he had teased the princess about potentially hurting herself while doing something foolish.

“Well, she doesn’t have much of a leg to stand on,” Elsa said over her shoulder, “You sure you don’t want to try the royal physician? I’m almost certain his specialty is injuries like yours simply because of how many times he’s had to deal with her injuries.”

Kristoff chuckled at the thought. “No, that’s ok. The Valley’s closer anyway.”

“Alright then,” Elsa said with a shrug.

There was a pause, then. The pair had always been comfortable in each other’s company, and neither one was what you’d call an expert when it came to holding a conversation for long. They were both fine with the silence, broken only by the sound of the sled moving through the forest.

But then Kristoff asked: “And…what about you?”

“…What about me?”

“Any big injury, or minor? You never pulled a pinky while sipping tea, or hurt your neck balancing a book on your head?”

“Now where did you get those ideas from?” she asked teasingly.

“Anna, mostly. A little farfetched?”

“I can say with certainty that I’ve never balanced a book on my head,” Elsa told him proudly. Then, a little off to the side, she added, “I never had to.”

“So nothing you had to see the doctor for?”

“No.” Her voice had changed slightly, not a lot but enough to notice. It had taken on a sad edge, as it would in someone mourning what might have been. “I never… I never did anything that could have caused an injury like that.”

“Oh.” Kristoff swallowed hard, afraid he had hit a nerve. But then:

“Actually, that’s a lie. There was one time, before the separation.”

“Oh?” Now he was interested. Anna had mentioned her sister used to be just as energetic as her, at times even more so, and given what he had seen of her he didn’t doubt that. Yet Elsa also seemed like the kind of person who knew where to call it before things got too dangerous.

“We were riding our bike together,” Elsa explained, “Anna was up front but she hadn’t quite gotten the steering part right, and she steered us directly down the staircase in the east wing.”

“Wait… That’s not the spiral one, right?”

“Nope. That’s the one with a landing and a sharp ninety-degree turn no four year old guiding a tandem bike ever would have been able to make.”

Kristoff winced, just imagining the carnage that likely followed. “So?”

“Anna was more or less ok,” Elsa said with a sigh, “Snow makes a good cushion, but landing on a bike that was resting on the snow wasn’t quite as comfy.” She gently reached for her right hand and rubbed the phantom pain in her wrist. “I, on the other hand, broke my wrist.”

“Ooh, broke, huh?”

“Yep. It…uh, it hurt,” she said with a small laugh, “But I didn’t actually register anything until I had made sure Anna was ok and no longer crying.”

Kristoff couldn’t help but laugh softly at that. Figures: even with a broken wrist Elsa would still put someone else before her own pain.

“Thankfully, it was minor, and I’m naturally left-handed,” Elsa continued, creating a small burst of snow from her dominant hand for emphasis, “Much to my tutor’s ire, of course. Funnily enough, because of the incident, I got away with being able to use my left hand to write. And I didn’t hear anything about my awful handwriting that whole time.”

“I never understood that,” Kristoff commented, “If you naturally write better with one hand, then why can’t you use it?”

“Oh, something about the left hand being the hand of evil,” Elsa said with an exasperated sigh, “You know: superstitious religious stuff. If you ask me it’s an archaic tradition that really should just die off already but as a small child who had magic I certainly didn’t want to push my luck with my old tutor.”

“Well, you’re the Queen now. Nothing stopping you from changing it.”

“Well, maybe. I’ll talk with my education minister about adding it to the school charters.”

“And what about Anna? How did she react to your injury?” Kristoff wondered.

At this, Elsa chuckled. “You know what? In a very familiar way,” she said fondly, “She saw it as her fault I got hurt and at first acted pretty distant, as she was afraid I was mad at her.”

“So I guess that runs in the family?” Kristoff said with a laugh.

“It is very unhealthy. When you have children make sure they don’t inherit that.”

“Children?!” Kristoff sputtered, completely caught off-guard by her casual remark regarding a significantly not casual subject, “We… Let’s not go crazy, here. Anna and I are…”

Elsa laughed for real, this time - it was her rare kind of laughter when she was at complete ease with the people she was with, and no longer trying to hide anything. “Relax, Kristoff. I’m teasing,” she told him, “I’m honestly amazed at how sensitive that subject is between you two.”

“That’s right,” Kristoff commented with a relieved sigh, “Anna told me about the other day at breakfast.”

“You mean when I mentioned how empty the nursery looked and she spat out her tea? The way you two are acting about that sort of thing makes me think something’s up.”

“Oh, no, nothing is…up. I can assure you, your Majesty, Queen Elsa of Very Cold Ice and Snow, that nothing is… And you’re laughing again.”

“Oh, I don’t normally get to have this much fun. My royal council is far too old and stiff to rile up,” Elsa said through her laughter. After a moment, she sighed, and her calm demeanour returned. “Thanks, Kristoff. I needed that.”

“Happy to help?” he said lightly in reply, “And for the record: Anna and I aren’t looking to have kids anytime soon.”

“Good. Not that I’d care too much…Ok, I’d care a little… But I know plenty of people wouldn’t be too happy about a royal baby announcement before a royal wedding announcement. It’s just fun to watch you both turn beet red at the mention.”

“Anna’s right: you really are a stinker,” Kristoff told her with a chuckle.

“I spent thirteen years repressing it, forgive me if I want to have a little fun,” Elsa shot back with a grin. She then looked up ahead of them on the trail, and stated, “Well, we’re getting close. The path is starting to look unnaturally green for this time of year.”

“I can’t thank you enough, Elsa,” Kristoff said with a sigh, “You didn’t have to go out of your way like this.”

“Oh, it’s nothing, Kristoff,” she said, shrugging nonchalantly, “I needed the distraction, to be honest. Thankfully this ice storm gave me an excuse to leave my office - I was practically going stir crazy in there.”

Kristoff smiled at the thought. “Anna always says you love doing paperwork, though,” he mentioned teasingly.

Elsa rolled her eyes playfully. “Well, I don’t mind it. But lately it’s been piles of documents and laws to review, and new agreements, and events to plan and finalize, budgets, settlements, complaints, charters, bills, infrastructure plans, lists of new things to draft up…” She paused mid-rant and frowned as she glanced around at the ice-encrusted trees. “…I really hope I didn’t do that subconsciously…”

“Relax,” Kristoff told her calmly, “It’s not your ice. There’s no…flair.”

“Flair?” Elsa asked with an arched eyebrow.

“Yeah, you know…” Kristoff replied, moving his hands in a similar way Elsa normally did when casting her magic, “Flair. Your ice is pristine, even when it forms naturally. It’s smooth and clear, and almost always has a slight tint to it. It also sounds like glass.” As if on cue, a large chunk of ice broke free from the branches of a nearby tree, crashing through to the ground rather ungracefully. “See: didn’t sound like glass.”

Elsa smiled softly, turning back to face the road ahead. “Thanks, Kristoff,” she said earnestly.

“Hey, that’s what friends are for,” he said confidently, “They cheer each other up when one of them is afraid she might have coated her kingdom in an inch of ice to get out of work.”

“And drag them home after they twist their ankles doing something foolish,” Elsa replied. Kristoff could hear her smug grin in her tone.

“Seriously, please don’t tell Anna,” he begged somewhat desperately, “If you’re going to be like this…”

“Anna doesn’t have to know if you don’t want me to tell her,” Elsa promised him, “However, you’re going to have to come up with some kind of reason for why you’ll be returning to Arendelle with a limp.”

“Ugh, I didn’t think of that,” Kristoff groaned in dismay.

Just then, the sled came to a stop. Kristoff sat up a bit and craned his neck to see that they had arrived in the clearing of the Valley. “Wait, how did we…” he muttered to himself, wondering how Elsa had managed to bring the sled so close without changing out the runners. A quick look behind them revealed a path of snow just thick enough and wide enough for the sled to slide over the heated ground. The snow was already beginning to melt.

“Your Majesty!” An overly excited cry echoed through the clearing, followed by the sound of a rock troll clambering up onto the seat of the sled. “It’s such a pleasure to see you here, my dear!” Bulda said happily, “But, what are you doing with Kristoff’s sled?”

Elsa merely smiled and nodded toward the back of the sled. Bulda took one look at Kristoff before frowning, and placing both hands on her hips. “What did you do this time?” she demanded.

“This time?” Elsa asked in amusement, hiding her laughter behind her hand.

Kristoff sighed heavily in defeat. “It’s just a sprain,” he told Bulda, “Nothing to worry about.”

“Oh sure, just a sprain,” Bulda grumbled as she hopped into the bed of the sled to further inspect Kristoff’s ankle, “I swear you humans are far too delicate to be doing the kind of jobs you do…”

“Well, I should be off,” Elsa said as she climbed down from the sled, “Oh, and before I forget…” With a wave of her hand, several blocks of crystal clear ice formed at the edge of the clearing, to completely replace Kristoff’s earlier loss. “And don’t worry: they won’t melt until you need them to,” she informed him.

“Thanks, again,” he said with a grateful smile, “I owe you.”

She held up a hand. “No, no, don’t worry about it. Like I said, it was a good excuse to keep me from my desk.”

“Are you sure?” Bulda asked, “You can always stay for lunch! We just made up a big pot of toadstool and lichen stew!”

Kristoff could barely contain his laughter when he spotted Elsa’s face, an expression that looked very similar to the one she made about the Flemy statue back around the holidays. “Yeah, come on! It’s delicious,” he teased.

Elsa blinked and her composure mostly came back. “Oh, you know, I’d love to, but I really should get going,” she said quickly, moving to untie her horse from the sled, “We’ll have to come back some other time. I’ll bring Anna, too. I’m sure she wouldn’t want to miss…that kind of lunch.”

“Alright, but you don’t know what you’re missing,” Kristoff relented with a large grin. 

Elsa merely nodded in acknowledgement and gracefully mounted her horse. “You sure you’ll be ok?” she asked, concern showing through past her smile, “I can always send for a doctor, or provide some additional ice if you need it.”

“A human doctor?” Bulda scoffed as she continued to examine Kristoff’s foot, “Like they’d know anything useful…”

“I think we’re good,” he replied, “But thanks. And I don’t think I need to tell you this, but be careful out there. It’s a bit slippery.”

Elsa laughed again, although it was her much more composed laugh - her queen laugh. “I’ll keep that in mind. Wouldn’t want Anna poking fun at me, too.”

As Elsa rode off away from the clearing, Kristoff turned to Sven and sighed, “I’m never going to hear the end of this, am I, buddy?”

[greatposthottub]

Headphones For Mac Pro

Simplify Bluetooth connection

Headphones For Macbook Pro 16

Mac Pro Wikipedia

Mac Pro Cosmetics

Service coverage is available only for AirPods, Beats earphones, or Beats headphones and their original included accessories for protection against (i) defects in materials or workmanship, (ii) batteries that retain less than 80 percent of their original capacity, and (iii) up to two incidents of accidental damage from handling every 12 months, each incident being subject to a. Also, the headset is now built to last with an IP54 rating meaning it's dust and water resistant. Lastly, the headset software is updateable meaning you can plug it directly to a computer or pair it with smartphone running the BlueParrott updater program and you will be able to update the firmware on the headset. ' Easy connection to my iPhone, iPad or Mac.the weight isnt annoying, and the bulkiness isnt noticeable for the wearer, only for the visual of the larger coverage of over ear headphones, that is the main cause as the noise cancellation, the weight isnt bad, it isnt easy to lose a pair as a sport bluetooth pair of surrljnding earbuds could be.

Headphones for macbook pro Best Buy customers often prefer the following products when searching for Headphones For Macbook Pro. Browse the top-ranked list of Headphones For Macbook Pro below along with associated reviews and opinions. Determining If the Headphones are Compatible. When you plug a headphone that has a 3.5 mini-phono jack pin into the headphone port, the MacBook Pro can tell you whether the system is actually detecting your headphones when you plug them in. After plugging the headphones into the headphone port, open 'System Preferences' from the Apple menu.

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From the dawn of time to just about a few years ago, all of us sported a pair of wired headphones and were convinced that this is simply how it will be done forever. After all, they are the easiest technology around: just plug them in, put them on, and go. But with proliferation of Bluetooth headphone options and disappearance of headphone jacks from nearly all the latest smartphones, wired headphones seem to progress on the path of disappearance more and more each day.

Thankfully, wireless devices are great. They are lightweight. They are versatile. They can be easily connected to your iPhone, your Mac, or your car. Charge them overnight just the same way as your phone and they last all day too.

Sadly, without proper configuration, connecting Bluetooth headphones to Mac might get a bit tricky, with frequent disconnections and music interruptions. Here, we’ll help you find out how to pair AirPods and other sound devices with Mac properly and control them masterfully at the same time.

Why Bluetooth Headphones Won't Connect To Mac

There are a few common problems we need to explore:

Bluetooth headphones won't connect to Mac right out of the box — some configuring is needed

Pairing Bluetooth headphones with Mac is different from pairing them with iPhone or your car’s audio system

Special settings that answer questions like how to connect two Bluetooth headphones to one Mac and how to use multiple audio outputs

Throughout the article, AirPods would be used as an example, but any other model of Bluetooth headphones can be connected in a similar fashion.

Get a tool to pair with a Mac

Connect Bluetooth devices to your Mac in one click. Setapp has an easy tool for that.

How to pair wireless headphones to Mac

Connecting Bluetooth headphones to Mac for the first time is done by following a few easy steps:

On your Mac, click on the Apple menu and launch System Preferences

Navigate to the Bluetooth menu and Turn Bluetooth On. You should now see all available Bluetooth devices around you.

Make sure your headphones are charged and currently in discoverable mode. Click Connect to establish a new connection

Your Bluetooth headphones should now appear in the list. Click Connect to establish a new connection.

If you’re trying to reconnect your existing device, right-click on it and choose Connect

After you’ve managed to successfully connect Bluetooth headphones to Mac for the first time, they should stay connected or reconnect automatically when you leave the Bluetooth range (around 33 feet or 10 meters) and come back.

You can also calibrate headphones to your liking through the Sound menu in System Preferences. For example, in the Output tab you can choose to “Show volume in menu bar” and set a stereo balance between right and left.

Described above is the ideal scenario for connecting AirPods to Mac. But oftentimes things don’t go as planned, so let’s work through some widespread issues regarding Bluetooth headphones as well.

How to connect AirPods to Mac

There’s good news for those interested specifically in how to pair AirPods with MacBook. It’s really handy to set up connections if you use multiple Apple devices with your AirPods. Plus, you can get third-party software to automate the flow.

Here’s how you connect new AirPods to Mac:

Open System Preferences on your Mac and select Bluetooth.

Ensure Bluetooth is turned on.

On AirPods, press and hold the round button (it’s at the bottom center of the case) until the white light starts blinking.

Your Bluetooth headphones should now appear in the list.

In case you’ve already paired AirPods with your iPhone that’s tied to the same iCloud account and Apple ID, your earbuds will be automatically recognized by Mac.

To simplify it even more, install ToothFairy, an app that pairs Bluetooth devices with Mac in one click. It works particularly well with connecting AirPods to Mac – instead of taking AirPods out of their case and putting them back in, you click on one single icon in ToothFairy. You can read more about how to use the app below.

How to fix Bluetooth headphone issues

Sometimes going through the setup steps doesn’t result in your headphones connecting successfully, or connecting and then abruptly disconnecting. This is profoundly annoying but can be solved by either resetting the headphones or purging preference settings on your Mac. Here's how to fix all known issues:

Restart your Bluetooth headphones

In case you can’t connect your Bluetooth headphones not only to your Mac but also any other device you own (iPhone or car audio), it might be a glitch in its settings, so a simple reset should remedy the situation.

For reset instructions, check your device’s manual. Here’s how to reset AirPods:

Put the earpieces into the case and keep the lid open

Press and hold the setup button until the light switches from amber to white (around 10 seconds)

Now all settings on your earphones should be reset and you should be able to connect them again using the standard workflow above. If the problem persists, it could be something to do with the preferences on your Mac.

Reset sounds preferences on Mac

First, make sure that your Mac is running macOS Sierra or newer (macOS High Sierra or Mojave). If not, upgrade to the latest version by going to System Preferences > Software Update or using the App Store if you’re upgrading from a few versions back.

Next, if nothing was of any benefit so far, try resetting your Mac’s sound preferences. To do that:

Headphones For Macbook Pro 16

From the menu bar select Go > Go to Folder… and type ~/Library/Preferences

In the long list of preference files, find and delete the following: com.apple.preferences.plist and com.apple.soundpref.plist

Deleting preferences out of the library forces your Mac to recreate them brand new, thus avoiding any bugs or improper algorithms that could have interfered with your Bluetooth headphones setup. If that didn’t work, you can also try relaunching the audio process:

Launch Activity Monitor from the Applications folder

In the CPU tab, find the process called coreaudiod

Quit the process and close Activity Monitor

The above would force not only the preferences for your audio to reset but also the audio process for your whole Mac to relaunch.

No audio from a paired and connected Bluetooth headset

Occasionally, when you succeeded in connecting Bluetooth headphones to Mac, you might hear no sound going through. There are a few things you can do to solve this.

Ensure that your headphones are the selected audio output for your Mac:

Go System Preferences > Sound

In the Output tab, find your headphones in the list and double-click to make them active

If that didn’t change anything:

Reset your headphones as per the directions above

Go System Preferences > Bluetooth

Right-click on your headphones, choose Remove, and confirm

Now you need to connect Bluetooth headphones to Mac all over again, and the problem should disappear.

Can’t connect two Bluetooth headphones Mac recognizes

The beauty of Mac’s Bluetooth menu is that it lets you add any number of Bluetooth-enabled devices, from keyboards to headphones. Sometimes, however, it might malfunction and not allow you to add two wireless headphones at the same time.

To fix this issue, essentially repeat the steps from the previous section:

Reset each pair of headphones

Remove them from Mac’s Bluetooth menu

Reconnect your headphones once more

If, however, you’re looking for how to use multiple audio outputs, such as headphones, at the same time — here some magic tricks are required.

How to use multiple audio outputs simultaneously

Most Mac users believe that they can only play their audio output through one device at a time, be it internal speakers, Bluetooth headphones, or some other amplifier. But in reality it’s possible to play audio on multiple devices at the same time through a handy built-in utility called Audio MIDI Setup. Here’s what you need to do:

Mac Pro Wikipedia

Launch Audio MIDI Setup through Applications

Click the plus icon at the bottom left and choose Create Multi-Output Device

In the new option that appears, check all the Bluetooth devices you need to play simultaneously

Navigate to the Sound menu in System Preferences and choose the Multi-Output Device in the Output tab. Now all sounds will play through both devices at the same time.

Playing audio through multiple devices is a nifty trick for when you need more sound power for your party or when trying to create a true surround sound for a movie screening.

Use master audio software for all needs

Most of the time, audio on Mac is not an issue. What’s frustrating is the way current settings are sprinkled all over macOS. Lots of fixes described here might seem confusing and unintuitive at first sight. You might wish there was an app that would make it easy to control all your audio needs from a single place. And there is.

Meet ToothFairy — the most simple and magical Bluetooth device assistant for Mac. In a true one-click fashion, ToothFairy allows you to set up any number of Bluetooth-enabled devices, configure hotkeys, and switch easily between them.

To set up a new device in ToothFairy, all you need to do is:

Open the app

Click the plus icon

Locate your device in the list and click Connect

Similarly, it’s just as easy to assign custom icons to all your frequently used devices and get them displayed in the menu bar, so you instantly know which devices are connected, what’s their battery life, and can quickly turn them on and off with one click.

Additionally, ToothFairy offers a unique option of improving the sound quality of your Bluetooth headphones by funneling the sound through a higher level audio codec.

In the end, it seems like wireless headphones are here to stay. So finding a master program to control them with ease is going to save your hours of time in the long run. Use the tips above to configure your headphones, easily connect AirPods to MacBook, and take advantage of ToothFairy to just the way you want and take advantage of ToothFairy to tell you what exactly is going on with all your Bluetooth devices.

Best of all, ToothFairy is available for a free trial through Setapp, a platform of over 150 useful utilities and apps for people who love finding the best shortcuts for using their Macs. Now enjoy the sound!

Setapp lives on Mac and iOS. Please come back from another device.

Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.

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Mac Pro Cosmetics

[neither-rat-nor-human]

@thxvoidwalker​ liked the post and thus twisted my arm. 

Used the heart’s quotes for Sam a lot as inspiration. the first bit is literally when he’s pretty young, 19-20 something or other. I wanted to kinda chronicle his life a little? IDK but yeah.

Things to remember: 

"Samuel Beechworth went to sea to forget a hopeless love. He succeeded."

Samuel talking about his wife, whose moods were akin to that of the temperament of the Wrenhaven River

Here you go:

Earth 1, 1791

          The Fugue Feast finally ended, it's about damn time too. The people running around naked, some people spilling guts on the cobblestones more than normal--I'm just glad that that Abbey finally called it off. Never did like the Abbey much but they're better than just chaos. Anyways it's the start of a new year I suppose and Ma got me this book to write in for when I go out to sea or out on the river. "Bring back good stories" she tells me, but there's hardly anything to tell about. Not really.           Cassie came around this morning after the Abbey was done with its prayers and songs and the like. Asked me to dinner, which I of course accepted. Family and folks I work with are expecting us to wed, which I honestly wouldn't mind one bit. Cassie is a sweet woman, only a little younger than myself. Don't mind that, hate the idea of marrying a 16 year old girl anyways like what's sometimes expected. The only complaint I have is that Cassie is like the sea; sometimes she tossing and wailing and having a temper that would make a storm shy away. Most days she's sweet as honey, so I can't complain.

          Speaking of women, my brother Vernon found a woman while he was running around with the other Feasters or whatever you can call them. I've seen her in the market a few times while bringing in a haul for Old Man Jones. She's a sallow looking creature with a dark look in her eye. Like she knows too much about something. Sells charms and spells and the like. She might be a wicked thing but I can swear by what she sells. One of the other men, he's got one of her charms. Says he bought it last Clans and I'll be damned if he hasn't brought in some of the best haul in the last few months.

          Maybe I'll look into one?

Earth 4, 1791

          Ma says I need to write every day, keep myself well-read if I've ever going to get anywhere. Well at least she's not disappointed that I wasn't chosen to be an Overseer. Pa wanted me to be one so damn bad and I know it shamed him that I ain't one. But being a fisherman ain't half-bad either. It's good honest work, get to spend time to myself a lot and thing. Mind the river and such. Old Man Jones is thinking about putting me on a charter soon, go out on a big ol' boat and bring in a massive haul. Him and a few other market folk are talking about going in together. The further out the bigger the fish they say. Stars know how big.

          The dinner with Cassie went without incident. She made a pheasant, which is out of season so who knows how much that set her back. But it was damn good. A stick-to-your-ribs sort of good. I'm proud of myself I guess, not being boastful or anything, but to have a lady like Cassie wanting me for her husband? Well I guess I'm a better man than I thought I was.

          Dinner's nearly finished. A Hagfish Casserole. Most folk would turn their noses at the thought, but Ma always did know how to make 'em. 

          Maybe I'll tease Vern about his crazy lady-love later.

Earth 5, 1791

          Jotting this down--teased Vern about "Mag" last night after dinner. Nothing bad, No names. Nothing like that.

          He called Cass a crazy, two-bit cunt. We both got black-eyes but only he ended up in the river.

Earth 6, 1791

          Was too tired and too pissed to elaborate yesterday after fishing for Jones but all I know is that for now I'm sleeping in my damn boat and ain't no one can stop me from it neither. I only said she was a funny, wild bird that was all. And that I hoped she wouldn't get caught with all that occult business. I earnestly meant it too. Jackass caught me right in the eye. Called Cassie what he did and now I'm so pissed I could spit all the bile out of my damn belly. I don't want to look at his sorry ass when I get up to head out to bring in fish for Jones. I'd probably wring his blasted throat.

          Good riddance

          Cassie came to the docks today, to talk before I shipped off. Not used to that but I should be, we're talking about maybe Month of Seeds, haven't talked to anyone yet about it, just her folks but we told them to keep it hush. For the best honestly until we really get to it and start trying to get things prepared. I wish I could say Pa or Vern could be the best man but neither is looking like too good of a chance.

          Maybe Bernie or maybe Old Man Jones, he's always done right by me, even in the lean times. Gave me work when other places said they didn't need none. "I knows a sailor when I sees one" he told me. Always did have a thing for boats and the sea and learning about it. I'm getting ahead of myself now, just getting lost in thought. Anyways should dim the lantern and get some shut eye. 

          Thankfully it's still warm out.

Earth 7, 1791

          It fucking rained.

Earth 10, 1791

          Cassidy found me huddled under my boat in a makeshift hut, writing from her house still trying to shake the chill from my bones, might catch ill considering it's been a cold rain that last few days. She asked "why is my husband sleeping outside like some homeless fuddy when I know damn well he's got himself a Ma, a Pa, a Brother, and a good warm cot to sleep on every night?". Told her what happened with Vernon, but left the words out. Said it came to blows and that was that. She understood, but from the look in her eye she knew I was holding something back from her. I don't want to repeat those words that Vernon spoke to her. I love her too much to put her into one of her dark, melancholies.

          I really do love her don't I?

Earth 14, 1791

          Been sicker than I thought I would be. Cass first went to Jones, told him the news but thankfully he says that I still got a job once I'm back on my feet. Then she got Ma. And Ma came today, didn't question why I wasn't home, I guess anymore I'm the good son but she wants me to come home as soon as I'm well again. That's fine. I want an apology from Vernon first, don't care if I have to get him sticking drunk to do it either, I'll beat it out of him if I have to. 

          Cassidy is a good woman, not some wanton thing who hunts in the bars for something to take home with her.

          Told Ma what Vernon did when I don't think Cass was in ear shot, after telling her my side of it, still remember to a T what I said and I hid none of it. She turned red as a Morley Apple. Pretty sure she'll rip his ears off dragging him here to share his apologies.

----

          Evening now. Ma dragged Vernon here and he apologized to not only me but to Cassie as well. Not surprised that when I explained to her what he said it put her in a right foul mood. Thankfully she couldn't stay too mad for long, least I don't think she did at any rate. I'm still weak from hacking so much, was worried I would bring up blood but none came. Just a horrible cold that will go away eventually. I'll be better in a few days’ time with all the care that Cassie is giving me. The Sea-Woman is a gentle tide these past few weeks.

Earth 16, 1791

          Was finally able to return to work today, though Jones had me working at the market. "You just got well!" he says to me, "best to let yourself recover out of the Wrenhaven's air!" I don't think he understands that the river is my blood. It's always been good to me. But I won't go and step on toes. I don't like working with people too much, not in this kind of business. But I'll do as Old Man Jones asks and do the bargaining side of things for a while. It didn't go too bad today. The Day before the Abbey Sermons is always quiet. Seems as if people tend to fast on these days, heard a passing Overseer say once that it was to "hunger all the more for the words of truth the abbey can provide". Bunch of piss if you ask me, not that I would ever say it out loud.

          Cassie asked last night when I was gonna get a ring for that lovely hand. I told her it was a surprise, a bride ought not know when she'll be getting her promise ring just like a groom ought not see his bride's gown. Bad luck and all that. Really it's more of the fact I want to save up for a pretty thing for her. Something she'll be proud to look at and wear. She would probably marvel at a plain iron band but I want Sweet Cassidy to wear something silver or gold. She deserves that, my dear storm of a woman.

Earth 17, 1791

          No work today on account of it being a Sermon Day. Pa dragged me to it this time since I missed the last few ("on yer boat or with yer head in the clouds! They could see it in your eyes that you were just a fool from birth!" then ain't he a fool too for putting me in Ma's belly?). I'm glad that it's over and I'm out on the dock now at the pier. It's a good day and the water of the Wrenhaven is warm to the skin. It's like the water itself missed me as much as I missed it. Will go to see Cassie tonight, see if she might want to come to dinner next Sermon Day. Ma always tries her best to make a good meal and she'll appreciate Cassie's help in the kitchen to I'm sure of it.

-----

          Cassie wouldn't see me, her mood's gone sour. Mrs. Bould told me she had been fine this morning and then around lunch she turned on a coin, threw a fit, and took to bed. My poor girl, I know she'll give me grief eventually but I'll deal with it best I know how.