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pinepickled-om · 3 years

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Tree Fucking

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Arbor/Ayano, implied Michael/Arbor

Tags: Penis in vagina sex, anal sex, butt plugs, multiple orgasms, tree fucking, pegging.

Read it on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29370810

Ayano giggles as she runs through the hallway, her goal similar to that she had had around a month ago. She was going to sneak into Arbor's room. A part of her knew this was a bad idea- she'd gotten off easy last time, and she had no clue when the man's patience would run thin- but she couldn't resist. There was so much about him she didn't know, and a certain event had gotten her so painfully curious.

It was no secret that Arbor had a holy bond with an angel- no, the angel. Ayano didn't quite know when it had happened, but one day Arbor had intricate roses in the shape of hands that touched upside-down cross tattoos going up his arm and around his shoulder, curling around his chest, where a mural of four hands gently cradled his heart. It was a stunning piece of work, and one that Arbor had no qualms about showing off- not that he'd ever had such a thing as qualms.

But that in itself is not what had her curious

Michael made periodic visits to the Devildom to visit his human, and during that time Arbor acted... strangely. For one thing, he actually woke up early and put effort into his clothes. Ayano, who was responsible for waking the man up every morning so they wouldn't be late, knew that Arbor was no fan of waking up. Unlike any normal person, who would be half awake and moan and groan until finally getting up, Arbor would stay asleep completely. She knew, from asking Lucifer and Solomon, that Arbor would need to be conscious on some level to be able to keep his protection spells from going off on her- an explanation as to why the tree incident had happened when it did and not any other morning Ayano went to wake him- so she also knew that the man just ignored her when she came to wake him.

That was incredibly frustrating.

So lately, Ayano had taken to trying to get a reaction out of him in different ways- some that would likely have people calling her a creep or whatever- but that she did anyway. In the past three weeks, she would slowly climb over him in his bed, lifting her skirt so she could sit right on his crotch with only the fabric of his pants and her thin panties keeping their skin separate. Ayano would then grind down on it, trying to slowly wake his cock up if the rest of the man wouldn't. She had heard about men and boys having morning wood, and was counting on that to aid her quest- but of course, even in his sleep(?) Arbor made her work for it.

Her cunt would be soaking through her panties and leaving a wet stain on his pants by the time she felt that telltale twitch- but by then, there was no point. She had been on the verge of cumming, the stimulation from her own movements and the amount of time- close to half an hour- that it took to get that small reaction doing her no favors. She was about to pull off and recuperate herself before trying again, intent on working Arbor with her hand until she felt less sensitive- but the man had, of course, been awake.

Broad hands firmly grasped her hips and began grinding her relentlessly on his half hard cock, Arbor grinning lazily up at her as she moaned and yelped at the sudden onslaught. Arbor was moving faster than she had, moving her wet, sensitive folds over his cock at a steady and quick pace until she was cumming around the half-an-inch he was grinding her on. He then proceeded to drag her down onto the bed, back to his chest, and humped her ass until he came. Then went right back to sleep.

So there she would lay, covered in her own cum and some of Arbor's, marinating in Arbor's iron grip as he cuddled close to her neck. The man was insufferable with just how unphased he always was. She was sure that nothing in the three realms could make him move against his whim- but then the day came when Michael visited. Ayano had walked into Arbor's room to find him braiding his hair in deft movements, red locks in contrast to his usual green that went down to his knees being braided into a tight four-plait. He was wearing something other than scruffy sweatpants and the open uniform jacket (without the shirt, of course) for the first time since Ayano had met him.

Instead, he wore a pink and white corset-vest, over his bare skin it seemed, a good amount of cleavage on top, and as her eyes naturally strayed down- was that lace? Arbor had a natural habit of wearing his pants low on the hips, and just above the waistline of- baby pink pants???- could be seen white lace. Usually, Ayano would expect to see the black band of his underwear there, but lace? She was very confused and very turned on- but she had a feeling that the lace wasn't for her. The pants were also tighter than what he usually wore, outlining his toned legs and leading down perfectly to his black heeled boots- wait, since when did Arbor own those- with rose detailing on the back.

He was stunning.

Arbor had, of course, noticed her.

"I'm truly sorry, little bird. I can't have some morning fun with you today." He said, sounding tired. Arbor looked tired too, now that Ayano was able to tear her eyes away from his ass and look at his face. He had deep eyebags, and an air of exhaustion around him that Ayano hadn't seen before. Arbor was usually a sleepy guy, but this.... Ayano didn't know how to describe it. Nevertheless, Arbor finished his braid, bent down to give Ayano a peck on the cheek, and left with a few parting words.

"Don't be too sad while I'm gone. Willow here can keep you company, just remember the safe word and you can stop it at any time. It’s marshmello."

And Ayano was left alone for the day. She couldn't stop thinking about Arbor's deep green eyes, pools of expensive gold in their depths, lined with eyeliner. Ayano didn't know she had a thing for Arbor in normally feminine clothing, but it did things to her like never before. The delicate pink of his pants and corset, the deep red of his heeled boots, the vibrancy of his golden eyeliner that made him so much more intense than he usually was. Ayano wished that she had been able to get down and at least suck his cock before he'd left.

She considered using the tree to get off for a little while, but shoved the thought out of her mind. Ayano still needed to go to class, after all- just because Arbor got a free pass and could defend himself against Lucifer's wrath doesn't mean Ayano could. Though even still, she does take a break during lunch to visit a certain professor who was always willing to entertain her.

But she couldn't stand it. In her mind's eye, Arbor's impeccable fashion and sharp eyeliner still burned underneath her lids, and she needed to see it. If he had this much, then there must be more. And she also had the dire need to confirm that Arbor owned lace. It was a primal need, almost. She also knew that she would see Arbor in that lace, no matter how that needed to happen.

Thus she found herself barefoot in Arbor's forest room once more, wandering around his bed looking for anything like a wardrobe.

It occurred to her, as she finally sat down on the petals that made up his bed- blue, this time- that she had no chance of finding it. Ayano remembered the first time she'd snuck into Arbor's room, how he'd opened the tree to reveal little alcoves. Who's to say he didn't do that with his clothing as well? The spellbook he'd given her had no information on how to open trees, so using magic of her own was out of the question.

She sighed, looking at the orange light of sunset as they illuminated the blue petals of the willow. It was getting late, and Ayano would need to go to dinner first. She flopped down on Arbor's mattress, intent to wait until someone went looking for her, and then fell asleep…

She awoke to nearly full darkness, only silver light filtering through the petals reminding her of where she was. Ayano blinked blearily for a few seconds, and then turned. The reason she'd been awoken was right there.

At some point, she'd been shifted to the furthest end of the bed, and the mattress of petals had dipped... due to Arbor being carefully laid down as Michael kissed him. Ayano withheld a gasp, not hard since she was still half conscious, and could only watch mesmerized as Arbor easily opened for the angel, submissive in a way Ayano had never seen him.

Michael was gently undressing the human as Arbor only smiled happily up at the angel, toned legs still clad in that baby pink lazily draped over the angel's shoulders. Michael was equally as tender, vibrant blue eyes raking over Arbor's form as more and more of his skin was revealed, until finally Arbor was naked under him. Ayano was slowly starting to wake up more, but kept her breathing even and slow as to not alert the two men.

She didn't know why they were just doing it right here in her presence- maybe a deliberate move on Michael's part to say that Arbor is taken, maybe they just didn't care. Either way, seeing how Arbor's hole was already stretched open so Michael could immediately fit his cock- he had to have prepared beforehand. Maybe even that morning, before Ayano had come... maybe he'd had a plug in his ass that for all of her staring she hadn't been able to see.

The thought was already sending zings of pleasure straight to her cunt.

Ayano fell asleep halfway through, and awoke just as they were finishing. Arbor's head was thrown back, hands gripping the sheets as he came, and Ayano could almost feel every shudder that went through his body. Michael caught the cum from Arbor's cock, lapping it up as Arbor watched with a fucked out face. Ayano had never seen him like that- nothing she'd done had made him look that way.

As Michael thrust a few more times and came inside Arbor, Ayano had a perfect view- that is, to watch Michael's cock pump semen into her fuck buddy and track the little bit that dripped out and down the cleft of Arbor's ass. Michael stilled, and gently stroked Arbor's face as he cooed sweet nothings in the humans ear, until the man fell asleep. Michael gently laid down on top of the man, careful not to crush the human under his weight, still firmly seated in Arbor's ass. Just as Ayano began to drift back to sleep, those blue eyes that were so vibrant it hurt to look at them snapped to her small form, and before Ayano knew it, it was morning and she was waking up in her bed.

Ayano was so incredibly horny as she made her daily trip to Arbor's room, intent on waking him up for real this time so they could fuck properly. Arbor was sleeping on his side when she walked in, clothed as he usually was when he slept- no Michael in sight. She breathed a sigh of relief and gently pushed Arbor into his back, noting in relief that trees didn't immediately grab her and fuck her cunt silly. At least she knew Arbor was awake now.

She carefully sat down on Arbor's crotch, jerking a little. Ayano had foregone panties today, wanting to feel Arbor's cock for real- and so she slowly slid Arbor's pants off as well, and ground her cunt over the underside of his cock.

It didn't give her an immediate reaction, but Ayano couldn't bring herself to care. She'd been tortured with dreams of being fucked ruthlessly all night, yet hadn't been able to cum once. Even when she'd woken up and tried to get st least one out, she hadn't been able to. With that memory in mind, Ayano lined up Arbor's cock to her hole, slamming down all the way with a lewd slap, whimpering loudly at the feeling.

Arbor's cock was perfect, really. Thicker at the base, as though made to rub against her sweet spot with every thrust. Wonderfully curved, a good length, and the feeling it was like nothing she'd felt before.

Ayano found herself perched over Arbor as though a dog, hands groping his chest as she fucked herself on his cock, moaning loudly and obscenely as it rubbed against her sweet spot so right that she felt she was going crazy for how much she needed to cum right then and there.

Ayano flopped down onto his chest, lining up her own ample breasts with Arbor's and began pinching their nipples together, moaning loudly and wiggling her but at the overwhelming pleasure, piercing her hole on Arbor's cock faster and faster. She needed to cum, needed to feel that sweet release only Arbor could give- and at this point she was begging for it.

And of course Arbor heard.

Before she knew it, Ayano was flipped nearly upside down as Arbor's cock drove deeper into her, nearly rearranging her insides and driving her mad with the pleasure as he grinned sadistically down at her. Ayano's legs were spread wide, on perfect display for Arbor- and the man didn't hesitate.

He slapped Ayano's clit, picking up the pace of his cock fucking her sloppy cunt and laughing as she cried out, tongue peaking through her lips lewdly and eyes rolling back in her head. Arbor slapped her sensitive nub again and again, teasing her all the while as she neared her orgasm.

"Does the little bird like watching private moments? I'm sure you enjoyed the little show last night, since your sloppy cunt is so needy for me. I was almost insulted, you know. No foreplay? Almost crass. But then again, I suppose I've been ignoring my little cockslut now have I?"

"Poor thing..." he whispered, bringing his hands down to cruelly twist her nipples. Ayano cried out, a mix of pain and pleasure that was driving her insane. With the final twist to her nipples she came around Arbor's cock, cunt spasming wildly around his girth. He didn't stop for one moment, no he thrust even faster into her wet cunt like a depraved animal. Or maybe Ayano was projecting- she was desperately moving her hips to meet his thrusts, after all.

"Look at you, so desperate. I can't believe I neglected this needy cunt for so long. There there, I've got you." Arbor cooed, harshly slapping Ayano's clit as the words left his lips. Ayano could only pant and moan lewdly each time the hand came down on her sensitive nub, feeling another orgasm mount quickly.

As one hand mercilessly slapped her cunt and another came down to roughly grope at her breast and pinch her nipples, Ayano came once more, squirting all over Arbor's chest and herself. She cried out and screamed in pleasured pain when Arbor didn't slow down or stop for a second, fucking her through until Ayano sobbed a moan as she felt his hot cum fill her up.

"There. Now since you were so naughty, you get a five minute break before I fuck you again. Hold your cunt open in the meanwhile, if you close it i make you cum until you pass out and then give you to the tree."

Ayano sobbed from the oversensitivity, nevertheless spreading her legs and holding the folds of her cunt open, moaning when Arbor's cum gushed out of her hole. She panted lewdly, trying to catch her breath while still in an exposed pose. She knew Arbor could just stuff his fat cock in her cunt at any time and she'd need to take it- she'd been a naughty little bird after all.

Ayano was so tired from the fucking that she didn't notice Arbor walk away- but she noticed when he came back.

Arbor was wearing a lace bralette, pure white in color, and it matched the lace panties he wore- that had a hole for his cock to go through. Ayano drooled at the sight, eyes going up to Arbor's face- and gasped as she saw those striking eyes lined with black markings. She was so shocked and turned on that she moved one hand from where it held her cunt open to rub at her clit- and Arbor pounced.

Ayano's legs were immediately bound by tree branches, lifting her almost completely off the bed save for her shoulders and head, her oversensitive cunt filled with that terribly familiar branch and it immediately began thrusting, no rhyme or reason to it, only using her for it's pleasure. Meanwhile, Arbor came around, and put his lace clad butt right over Ayano's face, cock prodding her lips. She had just taken it in her mouth, lips shaking with every animalistic thrust the branch did, and then screamed when Arbor's warm, wet mouth wrapped around her clit.

Arbor left her no time to recuperate, thrusting his cock deep into her throat as he lapped at her clit. Ayano could only watch, nearly going cross eyed as she hyperfocused on Arbor's firm ass bouncing right in front of her face as his fat cock used her throat for his pleasure. His hole was filled with a large buttplug, the jewel on it's tip lewdly bouncing around. Ayano came yet another time, screaming around Arbor's relentless cock and cunt clenching around the branch that was fucking her stupid. Arbor was also now sucking her clit, only taking her orgasm to new heights as she trashed.

Ayano could only lay there as her cunt was abused by the tree, throat filled to the brim with Arbor's cock, clit being sucked and licked, and eyes full of Arbor's pert, lace covered ass.

Ayano couldn't take it anymore. Her cunt had almost permanently stretched to the size of the branch, and her hips were involuntarily twitching to shove further into Arbor's mouth. Her own mouth was occupied with his cock, the taste of it all the way in the back of her throat, and she nearly choked when she moaned. Lewd sounds wouldn't stop falling from her lips, and her eyes were trained on the bejeweled butt plug, partially obscured by lace, buried deep in Arbor's ass and bouncing around as he shoved his cock into her mouth. Arbor stilled momentarily as he came down her throat, his balls pressing down on her face as he buried himself deep in her hot mouth. She acted quickly.

Luckily her hands were still free and the branch had stilled while Arbor ground his cock into her mouth, seemingly intent on filling her up with his cum from both ends. With a burst of strength she didn't know she had, she shoved Arbor's hips upward and before the other man could react, she tore the butt plug from his ass and forced her tongue in- deep satisfaction flowed through her when she hear Arbor give a surprised moan. It was short lived, however, as Ayano then came with a new force, seeing stars and moaning, all the while desperately lapping and licking into Arbor's hole. She could taste the residue of cum in his ass- Michael's, she presumed- and it only served to turn her on more.

Arbor grunted at the sudden intrusion, peering over his shoulder to watch Ayano. He had a closed off expression, and she worried he didn't like it, or worse. Just as she was about to tear herself from his hole- fuck she wanted to eat him out for days- Arbor's expression smoothed out and he grinned mischievously down at her.

"Does the little bird think she's entitled to such a thing when she's been so naughty? Shame on her..." He cooed, pulling his lace-clad ass away from her face. Ayano let out a desperate whine, reaching her hands up to keep him seated on her face, but a branch came around to wrap around her wrists and pinned them above her head, another winding around her neck. Ayano stilled immediately, and a sense of emptiness overcame her as the branch in her cunt pulled out. She whined again, looking up at Arbor with pleading eyes, but the man ignored her. He reached around to pick up the butt plug, and (unfortunately) pushed it back into his waiting hole- and that thing was practically sucked in. Ayano couldn't help but drool a bit, and she made a promise to herself to fuck this mans ass silly.

Arbor had other ideas.

Ayano was flipped completely upright off the bed by the branches Arbor sat on the bed facing her, green-gold eyes raking over her naked form. Ayano felt her own cum drip uncomfortably drip down her thighs, faster than usual since the branches were holding her spread eagle. Arbor tilted his head, and then turned around, getting on his hands and knees. Ayano's breath hitched, involuntarily bucking against the branches- to no avail, of course. She watched with growing anticipation as a branch lowered from the tree- and this one was different than the others. It was a deep pink, fleshy, and dripping with some sort of liquid. As it neared Arbor's lace-covered ass, the man pulled the butt plug out of his ass- and in one hard thrust, the branch went in 6 inches.

Ayano moaned along with Arbor, fucked out cunt twitching and clenching in interest as she watched Arbor's arms tremble, before completely giving way under him. His ass remained in the air, pierced on the fleshy branch, and his head was buried in the petals, hands gripping fistfuls as he groaned in pleasure. Ayano's heart was pounding a mile in a minute. She wanted to hear more of those deep, needy moans- but she couldn't watch the beautiful sight for long. Three identical branches were approaching her.

One thrust 7 inches into her stretched pussy, and Ayano felt like she'd been set on fire. She came immediately, sobbing as her cunt gave harsh spasms around the thick, tingly feeling of the branch. The second one came up to her mouth and shoved in so deep Ayano was sure it could release it's sap directly into her stomach. It wriggled around in her throat, the branch in her cunt doing the same, and Ayano nearly screamed from the intense pleasure. Her nipples were hard and aching, breasts craving attention. The final branch had disappeared from her view- and it was now prodding at her tight ass.

Ayano whined in a panic around the branch in her throat, but she could only stay still as it breached the tight rim. Just as it began pushing it’s impressive girth inside, more of the tree’s sap was released into her stomach- and she noticed a certain effect immediately. Colors became sharper, her senses went into overdrive, and more importantly, it seemed that all of her pain receptors had been turned off- and her pleasure receptors had been turned up to the max. With each inch of the branch that penetrated her ass, her cunt squeezed, wringing pleasured moan after pleasured moan from the exhausted woman. All three of her holes were being used by the tree, and she was being rocked back and forth in time to the limb thrusting into Arbor’s ass. She cried out as the branch ‘bottomed out’, cumming hard and fast. She had lost count of how many times it had been now, only that the pleasure seemed to intensify with each round, turning her into a desperate, needy cockslut.

All at once, another branch wound around her hips and began forming a mound just above her clit - and then a dildo began growing out of it. Sensing what was to come, Ayano whined and moaned desperately, jerking her hips against the branches hold in an attempt to speed along the process. Finally, finally, she was lined up to Arbor’s hole and the branch that had been occupying it slithered out, and Ayano was thrust in. She cried out along with Arbor, and the two branches in her sopping wet pussy and ass began a brutal pace, using the force and speed of their thrusts alone to force Ayano into Arbor’s ass again and again. His pleasured moans were like music to her ears, and she found herself cumming again and again, nearly screaming as her tits were played with by more branches, driving her insane. She could only babble mindless pleading and praise around the thick limb in her mouth, quieting immediately when more sap was released into her by all three limbs, nearly distending her stomach with how much there was.

Ayano’s cunt gave one more valiant squirt and Arbor came along with her, their moans filling the otherwise quiet air of his room. Ayano whimpered when the branches finally pulled out, leaving her achingly empty and clenching weakly around air. Arbor sighed in contentment and flicked his wrist, causing Ayano to be slowly lowered next to him on the bed.

“Rest. Then aftercare.” He mumbled, and Ayano couldn’t agree more, even if she was leaking all over his bed. She used the last of the strength that hadn’t been duly fucked out of her to reach around and grab Arbor’s ass, squeezing it like a stress ball. The sorcerer only chuckled, and it was that sound that lulled Ayano to sleep.

#obey me oc #obey me mc #thirsts 💥#ayano/arbor #het smut #tree smut #my writing #pine's writing #fic

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talltales · 4 years

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—OPEN CHARMS ARE LOST ON VELVET; M'AIDEZ THIS MY M'AIDEZ, M'AIDEZ THE HIGHER WE CLIMB THE SMALLER WE SEEM, MAD WITH POSSIBILITY request by @jjpmoans!!

la faim, la soif et la chaleur vont de pair.

despite the unspoken prayer she hears on the tongues of friends and strangers alike; uttered into the unrelentingly humid and overly bright september days, summer lingers. the asphalt burns beneath the soles of her flip-flops; housing heat that wraps around her ankles and clings with heavy tendrils she can feel as she walks.

“maybe we’ll see rain.” the elderly man sitting in front of an abandoned playground says as she passes, his eyes never leave his paper. he flips to the next page, unperturbed by the sunlight bearing upon his hands. the band of his broken watch gleams in the light as he moves.

sweat drips down her back, beneath her shirt and she thinks, maybe.

maybe.

she, like everyone else making their way home, moves quickly and keeps a healthy distance between herself and the nearest warm body. the occasional blast of air conditioning coming from the odd doorway provides welcome relief, if only for the second it takes to pass the threshold.

it’s a luxury that most can’t afford; many of the residents have resigned themselves to languishing under the heat, aided only by bottles of lukewarm water and half-price ice cream cones offered every other block.

the slums are named so for a reason.

the air carries the scent of the odd perfume—vanilla and berries—and something unmistakably human. however hellish it is, there is something beautiful about the cracked city streets and the aged buildings flanking them; tinted in hues of gold-peach and stretching into the clear sky.

they, like the people themselves, stand in open defiance of time and the inherent neglect that comes with existing in such a wretched place.

she finds the thought is strangely satisfying—a boon that holds the faintest smile on her lips as she ducks into the next set of open doors with a passing glance at the fire escape climbing the side of the building. faintly, she spots a wisp of gray-white smoke curling out from a window; a peek of faded denim.

her smile grows into a grin.

the foyer is long disused, an enduring artifact of times past. silently, she ghosts her hand over the notched desk where a door-keeper might have made his living and slips into the old, caged lift. the fractured button beneath her fingertip flickers to life when she pushes it—shining dimly in the shade of the elevator shaft towering above her head. her ride to the fifth floor is quiet, punctuated only by the mechanical clank and groan of the structure as it rises.

as the pen slides open—none too quickly—she tugs her keys from her pocket and finds the right one with the tips of her fingers. the rest jangle uselessly outside of her grip, swinging against the back of her hand. her only guide to the door is memory and the cool, hazy light filtering in through the dust-covered window at the end of the long hallway.

his door—last on the left, beside a strangely thriving pot of lilies—stands out like a beacon; painted in shades of red with a chipped number 9 hanging perilously from a loose nail. she slots the key in and turns it, breathes a sigh as the—barely—cooler air fans outward in a pleasant mimicry of a spring breeze.

“i could almost fool myself into thinking you had air conditioning,” she calls out, because she knows that he’s there; can smell him in the air—amber and smoke—and hear the sound of him shifting beneath the tinny acoustics playing on his radio.

“that illusion will fade with time,” jinyoung retorts, from his perch on the windowsill. he rests against the frame, half on the fire escape with a cigarette held loosely between his fingers. she watches as he takes a drag and sends another column of smoke spiraling into the air, “trust me on that.”

she kicks her sandals off and steps into the space proper, with interlaced fingers resting atop her head, “i believe you, but it’s hell out there.”

her path to him is a winding one. she skirts around the coffee table where his half-dissembled vhs player sits abandoned—another unfinished project taken up in his spare time—and picks up the glass of ice water sitting on the edge. the condensation trails over her fingertips, providing some relief from the thick heat rolling through the open window.

the air is fresh, at least.

“have you been there all morning?” her eyes slide down, taking in the picture he makes with interest. jinyoung has never been overly fond of clothes; many of his afternoons are spent wandering his apartment shirtless, and that much hasn’t changed. he looks comfortable in loose jeans but little else, the single button undone for reasons she doesn’t bother to understand.

for all of his effort to stay cool, however, beads of sweat trail down his jaw and pool in his collarbones. he glistens in the sun, a modern myth come to life, pushing back the dark strands clinging to his forehead.

if there is one good thing to come out of this, it is the sight before her.

“yeah,” his answer comes with a note of exasperation, and she notes the way the hand not holding his cigarette lays on his thigh, tap tapping against the fabric. jinyoung is bored and that never bodes well for his mood.

she takes a sip of his forgotten water and nearly sighs at the sensation of something cool on her tongue.

“pity, you could’ve been on the corners making a little money off this.” she lifts the glass when he turns in her direction, brow raised. the comprehension that crosses his face is tinged with amusement.

“i’m no entrepreneur,” the smoldering light of his cigarette is extinguished in the tray beside him, before he crosses his arms over his chest. she tries not to examine the way his muscles shift beneath his skin.

“there’s a demand. even the balloon seller down the street is raking in a profit.”

jinyoung’s head tilts as a disbelieving laugh—low, a little untamed—slips into the air between them, “how?”

her shoulders lift, though even the effort of shrugging feels like it’s too much. she takes another long sip of his water, then another step closer, “who knows? but you’re missing out, either way.”

“are you going to drink it all?” he sidesteps, watching her swirl the glass thoughtfully. silently, she plucks the few remaining cubes floating in the glass before setting it on the nearest surface—a worn end table that’s certainly seen better days.

it’s a miracle that they don’t melt in her grasp. she carries them like precious cargo, only sparing him a humored look, “i’ll share.”

“there’s nothing in the glass.” he speaks slowly, as if addressing a small child. she merely raises a brow in response. boredom does terrible things to someone like him. jinyoung enjoys keeping his hands busy, because it keeps the darker thoughts at bay—

not everyone thrives in these godforsaken places, but she’s long accepted that he will always be a little angry.

a little bitter.

when he lifts a hand to wipe away the dew clinging to his upper lip, she grasps his wrist with her free hand and holds it, “i’ll share.”

and if he’s a little late in recognizing her intent, she doesn’t blame him. the heat has made her mind sluggish too; she moves mostly on instinct—driven by a base sort of delight with the way he looks, silhouetted in a gold hazy light that makes him look like he’s been touched by divinity.

jinyoung says nothing, merely watching her as she shifts to hold one cube between her thumb and index finger. soon, it follows the curve of his jaw and he jolts, lashes fluttering before he fixes his attention on her face. her focus moves with the melting ice clasped in her hand and the journey it makes down to his chin, before circling up to trace the edges of his mouth.

with little prompting, he parts his lips and she tips the cube onto his tongue and mirrors the movement with the remaining cube —before it melts on her tongue, she leans in and presses her lips to his; smiling against them when he catches the clue swiftly and opens his mouth to her.

she relishes in the coolness his kiss offers; remnants of ice quickly dissolving as he presses closer with an appreciative hum, tilting his head to draw the softest of moans from the back of her throat.

and even when the heat creeps back in—heady and narcotized—she doesn’t dare move away.

la faim, la soif et la chaleur vont de pair.

#request #member + prompt #jinyoung fanfic #got7 fanfic

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battlestory · 4 years

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BATTLE ROYALE: MANGA

Newsarama’s article on Battle Royale manga and an interview with editor Mark Paniccia and adapter Keith Giffen. Originally published on Newsarama’s website in 2003.

The five stages of becoming a warrior on The Program.

In May (2003), Tokyopop will shrug off the image of a company that mainly publishes shojo manga with the debut of Battle Royale, the manga based on the highly controversial novel and movie. Newsarama spoke with editor Mark Paniccia and adapter Keith Giffen for more.

First things first, make no mistake. Tokyopop is publishing Battle Royale with its 'Mature Ages 18+' advisory on it. It is not for anyone under 18, and even some readers over that age will find it a tough read.

Combining themes from Lord of the Flies and The Running Man, creator Koushun Takami wrote the novel Battle Royale in 1999. The novel was then adapted into a movie by the late director Kinji Fukasaku and has spawned legions of fans. Takami went on to write the manga of the same name, collaborating with artist Masayuki Taguchi. The series is still being published in Japan.

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The novel, movie, and now manga have polarized readers in Japan, due to the manga's content. In a nutshell, the "Battle Royale" itself is "The Program," a television show in a morally and sociologically bankrupt, Stalinistic future that picks random classes of 9th grade students and puts them on an abandoned island for a televised fight to the death.

The future depicted by Takami resonates with a 1984 (or current-day America, depending on your viewpoint) feel - the students who are enlisted into the game are doing their patriotic duty, and the state is very proud of them and their "willing" sacrifice.

Mr. Kamon - administrator of The Program

The island is divided into grids, and the students are all given kits, which include one weapon, as well as the basic necessities, such as first aid, a compass, a map, field rations, and water; and explosive collars which detonate if a student tries to escape or goes into a forbidden grid. The beaches of the island are guarded by soldiers, and from time to time, random grid squares are declared danger zones, and after a given time, the explosive collars of any students in the square will detonate. If the students band together, after a period of 24 hours with no kill, all the explosive collars will detonate. Forty-two students begin the game, last student alive at the end of three days wins.

Battle Royale's editor knows what you're thinking. "You're right, that's pretty depressing," Paniccia said. "But the themes that play throughout it - friendship, trust, loyalty, faith - keep you glued to the page because you can truly relate to some of the stuff the teens are experiencing.

"We can all remember having a crush on someone, or wanting to be like the cool guy, or having a friend who stood up for you. Now you're thrown into a situation where you have to kill the girl you like, or the guy who stuck up for you or the kid you admire and that's where you really get drawn into the series."

In the first installment, students who stand up against authority of The Program are killed, alliances are formed, and despite the hopelessness and virtual nilhism of the story, a sense of optimism sneaks in - maybe the story's two protagonists will beat the odds and will both come out the other end alive.

It's a unique story, and that was one of the things that made Tokyopop want to bring it to American audiences. "I can honestly say I've never seen anything like it before," Paniccia said. "It's a really strong story with strong messages and it's not afraid to use really, really strong images. Tokyopop wanted to publish something that would strike a nerve. My nerves are struck."

Choices, choices...

Tokyopop isn't pushing the project out for its salacious value alone - not by any means. While, as with all product they carry, retailers will be responsible for the location and clientele allowed to purchase Battle Royale, Tokyopop is sensitive to concerns over the content. "My jaw dropped when I flipped through the pages of the first volume," Paniccia said. "I'd have to say I was more than a bit concerned about the extremity of the content. But thanks to Keith's experience and his compulsively creative mind, the adaptation of this book is in good hands."

That's not saying it's cleaned up or sanitized for American audiences by any means, though. If anything, Giffen delighted in aiming the disturbing nature of the story directly between the eyes of an American audience. But more on that in a minute - according to Paniccia, Giffen was a needed ingredient in the Tokyopop version of Battle Royale from the beginning, something that will hopefully allow the publisher to make a strong presence in comic book shops.

"Who else could this? In the beginning, one of the things we thought we needed was a recognizable comic book writer on the series," Paniccia said. "I figured the content would turn off the book retailers and the comic shops would be our best outlet. When I found out from Keith's Dominion partner, Ross Richie, that he was a big fan of the Battle Royale movie, I called him and we talked about it for a while. Keith's reputation for controversy and his enthusiasm for the property were the perfect ingredients. And thus, soon, people will hold in their hands the most infamous manga in history."

For adapting the work, Giffen was given a tight Japanese-to-English translation of the story, but his assignment was by no means just to tweak a translation. "I told him to do what he felt he had to do," Paniccia said. "I told him to Giffenize it."

It was a charge Giffen was more than happy to accept. "It's a good story that Takami is telling," Giffen said. "What I do is go in and make bad scenes that much worse. I loved Battle Royale the movie, and also love the manga. I just wanted to do it right. I wanted to do justice to it, and I knew I couldn't get away with doing a straight translation, because it would be horrifyingly bad.

"A lot of times when you work on Japanese books, you realize that they have a different pacing from us, and they also have different visual and narrative shorthand," Giffen continued. "For example, somebody may be looking at someone else with gossamer eyes and thinking good thoughts about them, and the word balloons will just say the person's name - over and over, or spend two pages trying to get the name out. That wouldn't play with American readers.

Deceiving a Friend.

"Battle Royale had stuff like, "I have to kill you first, because you would have killed me otherwise." The translation is right on the nose. You can't give that to an American audience. Specifically, in the scene where the wicked girl almost slices her friend's head off with a sickle - in the translation, she said, 'I had to kill you before you killed me.' No way - I changed it to 'Fashion tip, red's not your color,' as the dead girl lies on the floor in a growing pool of blood.

"There was another line, during the orientation where the students want to know what Mr. Kamon did to the lady at the orphanage. The scene of what he did is pretty graphic, and the original translation had him saying, 'Oh, I sexually assaulted her.'

"I wanted to make it worse. I changed it to, 'With the right persuasion, she was more than willing to share it around.' Not quite as literal as the translation, but it clearly, clearly expresses just how sleazy and reprehensible Kamon is. That's the way it is with all the graphic content in the book - it's there, and some of it is even of a sexual nature, but it's not like you're going to enjoy it for its own sake. It's my job to make sure you don't."

It's a tightrope, Giffen explained, that he has to walk in adapting the work for American readers. Go too far, and you can end up writing your own story. Don't go far enough, and you end up with a jumbled mess that halts the story.

WARNING! VERY GRAPHIC IMAGE - the price of being deceived

"To do this right, you've got to keep the basic flavor of the original work - this is a guy who wrote the original novel who's doing this, so you can't go in and completely rework it and change it around, but you've got to filter it for American audiences," Giffen said. "You've got to massage it a little bit and see if you can move it just to a place where an American audience will appreciate it.

"Being able to go in there and while keeping the tone, tweaking it a little bit, I'm able to put my voice in. Rather than making it 'mine' though I'm doing a lovely two-part harmony with Takami. It's not my story, so I try to remain true to the spirit of the work. Sometimes that means dropping a colloquialism or adding blocks of copy that will allow the American audience to understand it the same way a Japanese audience would. The key rule that I always keep in mind though is: don't violate the story, don't violate the work."

But even for the creator of Lobo, Battle Royale can occasionally offer Giffen some material that is a challenge to take from simply bad to worse. "There are scenes coming up that poleaxed me," Giffen said. "This is intense shit. Brutally intense, and it does freeze me in my tracks sometimes. I'm no stranger to the gutter, but there are two scenes coming up where I had to call Mark and ask if he was sure we wanted to reprint them."

At the same time though, Giffen echoed Panaccia's sentiments on the work and how, while the violence can be frankly, distasteful at points, the emotional connection Takami creates between the readers and characters keeps you hooked.

"It's not just kids slaughtering one another," Giffen said. "It's fascinating because there's all this background there of who these kids are, and why they react the way they do to this horrific situation. For example, when Akamatsu climbs on the roof with the crossbow and becomes the game's first killer, Takami takes the time to show you why the gentlest, nicest kid in the class has become this cold-blooded killer.

"The most reprehensible acts are not by any means excused, and they're not always explained, but you see incidents in the person's past where, because of particular life experiences, characters act in certain ways when confronted with this horrific situation. It's really well thought out."

While he's able to admire the approach Takami took with the characters, Giffen also reiterates Paniccia's admonition about the series. "This is in no way, shape or form for kids," Giffen said. "This really, really is an adult comic, just due to the intensity of the content, from the ideas behind it, to the graphic depictions of the actions. There's more than just the violence, there's more than just the controversy. There's a lot of stuff going on here. It's not for kids. It's a multi-layered story. It sure as hell ain't your daddy's comics, I'll give you that much.

"But maybe it will open a few doors. My son and his friends are in the 18-19 year old group, and they're dying to see it. There's a real hunger for manga out there, and so far Tokyopop has managed to corner the female market, as well as the manga enthusiast market. Battle Royale can kick open that door even farther - it's much, much more accessible a book to the straight, standard comic book fan than a lot of other manga product out there. It's very linear, very straightforward. The art is obviously manga, but no so far out there that the American sensibility falls apart. It's going to be an interesting project. Even if it's not the most popular book they publish, it's certainly going to be the most infamous. That said though, kudos to Tokyopop for publishing the manga series of a property that the American film companies were terrified to release the movie of. It puts Warners and Sony and Fox to shame."

With the first volume due in May, Paniccia said that Tokyopop has the rights to reprint the first eight volumes of the manga, and he's planning in his adapter sticking around for the run.

"Keith seems to be having the time of his life so I hope he sticks with it for the grand finale," Paniccia said. "It wouldn't be the same without him."

And that sounds fine by Giffen. "It's a kick when you get to contribute in some way to something that you originally came upon as a fan, and just love, as I do with Battle Royale," Giffen said. "I was happy to contribute however little I could to Battle Royale, and wouldn't mind give some other manga series a try. I just wish I could get my hands on Love Hina…"

#battle royale #batoru rowaiaru #バトル・ロワイアル #manga #horror manga #gore manga #mangacap #keith giffen #takami koushun #Masayuki Taguchi #tokyopop #interview #text

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yurtletheturtlehenderson · 4 years

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S.T. REWRITE - S2:E7; Chapter Seven, The Lost Sister - [Pt. 5]

A Will Byers x Reader Series

In their search for answers, psychic visions draw Eleven and Y/n to a band of violent outcasts and an angry girl with a shadowy past.

||3rd Person POV||

Jane is lead throughout the warehouse once her strength has returned, herself, Kali and the rest find themselves in a newer room that Jane has not yet seen. She and her sister come face to face with a wall decorated with photographs and documents of various people.

"These are the bad men, as you call them. The ones we believe are still alive. Do you know any?"

Jane's brown eyes sweep the wall, she is careful to take in every face studiously as she scans. Not a single photograph or document, no individual piece of parchment has gone unmarked. The words filter to the back of her brain as she soaks up the images, the only useful information to her. She finds no familiar faces, that is, until her eyes land on a folder news clipping of a bald man caucasian man. But she knew him as the four-fifty man.

The man in charge of hurting her mother. He did it. He hurt her mother, turned her into what she was today. Stuck.

"Him." Says Jane, taking the paper from the wall. "He hurt Mama."

"His name is Ray Caroll," Kali informs. "And he did more than hurt your mother."

[FLASHBACK]

The men step forward, the electrified weapon crackles as he whips it forward towards the cowering young girl. She knows what's coming, she knows the pain all too well.

[END OF FLASHBACK]

"The bad men like Ray, they about us. It's made hard to track. But maybe not anymore."

The anger returns once more and Jane crushes the paper in her hands in a fit of rage. The paper rolled tight in her hands, she now sits in the warehouse her new companions surrounding her as she searches. They watch studiously as she sits almost statuesque, and some begin to grow irritated by the white noise of the static but then she moves. Her face scrunches up into a tight scowl behind her blindfold and she rips the paper in half. She discards the cloth from her eyes and looks to Kali, nodding.

"Gramercy Apartments. Washington and Bethel." Dottie reads, the phonebook hanging lazily in her hands. "That's gotta be it. Right?"

Kali is seated above her at the table and reaches out, taking the phonebook from her waiting hands as sits criss-cross on the floor.

"'Linburn.' Where is that?" Kali asks, leaning back.

"About an hour east." Funshine answers.

"We don't even have a new ride," Mick argues worriedly.

Kali leans forward, a smirk on her features.

"So we swap plates. We have plates, right?"

Axel looks to her incredulously but nods anyway from where he is seated beside Jane. "Yeah..."

"It's risky," Mick adds, beginning to pace.

The sly smirk returns to Kali's lips as she looks to her friend. "Where's the fun if there's no risk?"

"We want to give my sister a memorable first day, right?" She asks, a gleaming look in her eye as she looks to Jane.

"I'm in," Funshine quips, a kind smile directed at the girl. "For Miss Jane."

Jane smiles, and Axel sighs exasperatedly as he waves his beer can in the air exaggeratingly.

"Yeah, sure. Why not? Mick?"

Every eye falls to the woman and she sighs at the sky, shaking her head despite the ends of her lips curling into a smile. She looks to her friends and throws her arms in the air.

"Screw it!"

The group disperses into an organized flurry and Jane finds herself stranded in the middle, unsure of what to do. Though she finds relief when Kali sneaks behind her and gives her a smile and a reassuring squeeze of her shoulders. All around her, the gang prepares. Mick and Dottie wait as Funshine and Axel empty the safe, cocking their guns and checking ammo.

Kali drags Jane back upstairs to the room, for the final touch. Jane sits in the desk chair, albeit a bit confused as Dottie stands over her gauging her color as Kali plucks a dark blazer and shirt from the masses. Jane waits patiently as prods around her head, floating her hair back and adding a strange powder to her eyes and lips.

Finally, the rest of the gang is called up to the room once she is changed and ready, Dottie spins the desk chair and she revealed to as the newest member of their group. They gaze at her awe and there are several gaps and nods of approval.

Dottie folds her arm in as she leans against the wall, observing her work and she nods with a confident smile.

"Bitchin'."

"Bitchin'." Jane agrees.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

The gang steps out into the sun with great stride, their newest member decorated proudly, her head held high. Like her friend before her, she wears cuffed jeans and black tee. A wool blazer hangs on her body, the sleeves pushed to her elbows but she is comfortable. Happy. Bitchin. Unsheathing the van from the tarp, they waste no time in piling into their "new ride". The can takes off, weaving through the twisted corners and alleyways and even blow past a bust, drawing a wandering eye from a suspicious officer.

The van hits the open road, Mick in the front seat and the others piled into the back. She takes a puff from her cigarette, one hand on the wheel and spares a glance to Axel in the passenger seat and blows a puff of smoke in his face. The music sounds in their ears and he sits bouncing in his seat, banging his head to the music.

In the back, Dottie plays a rhythm in the table as she hangs her head, Funshine nodding along next to her with a smile. Kali digs through the pile of masks, holding out different options for Jane before eventually losing herself in the music. Her head begins to move with the rhythm of the music, her purple hair flying all around her and Jane watches. She smiles in awe, a warmth spreading in her chest, finally feeling a sense of belonging and she allows her own head to sway to the music losing herself in the moment.

Times passes and much to Jane's disappointment the moment ends. The van pulls off the road at George's Gas n' Go and the gang piles out of the van. Jane lingers in the van door at Kali's side as she stares at the gas station uneasily.

"What are we doing?"

"Stocking up."

The duo joins their friends in the convenience store to find them already dispersed as planned. Jane sticks to Kali's side as she stops lingers by the store clerk.

"Hey, your bathroom is leaking."

The man frowns in response, hiking himself over the counter to see a pool of brown water flood out from under the door.

"Oh shit."

"Yes," Kali agrees. "Shit."

The pair watched in amusement as the man scurries over to the bathroom door, tiptoeing over the dry ground in disgust and heads inside closing the door behind him.

Axel stalks around the corner with a cocky smile and mischief in his eyes. He looks around at his mates and gestures eagerly around the store.

"Okay, contestants, you have a minute and a half, let's begin your supermarket sweep!" He cheers gleefully, sliding across the floor arms outstretched.

They sweep the area, Jane wanders down an aisle and picks up an apple. Her eyes venture further down the aisle to find the freezer of frozen treats and she discards the apple without a second thought. Making a beeline for the freezer door, she rips it open and grabs as many boxes of Eggos as she can carry. On the other end of the store, Axel jumps the counter and grabs a plastic bag fluffing out before pulling it with cash from the register. Funshine raids the other freezer for beer and Dottie - having already snatched some useful supplies for her and the other ladies - takes a gander at the selection of sunglasses.

"Hey! Put that back, or I'll blow your head off."

All heads turn to the counter where the clerk has returned and is now aiming a gun at Axel who raids the register. Axel slowly raises his hands, and the clerk steps forward.

"You hear me, freak?"

"Put the gun down," Kali orders slowly, stalking forward carefully her arms in a small surrender.

"Stay back." He warns. "Stay back."

"Darrel," she eases. "Your money is insured. We are only stealing from the war criminal billionaires who own this place. You won't even lose a dime."

As the words calmly leave her mouth, the others stalk forward to her aid in slow cautious steps.

"You won't even lose a dime."

"I said stay back." He spits, stepping forward in view of Jane.

Kali raises her hand further, her stature showing nothing but ease.

"We're on the same side. I promise."

Jane steps closer down the aisle. She has gone unnoticed so far and so she remains. The clerk is in her sights now as she reaches the end of the aisle.

"Stay back." He says once more, gun pointed in Kali's face.

With a forceful scream, Jane steps forward throwing her arm up the man. He is sent flying through the air and he crashes into a stockpile of goods that now surround him as he lays on the ground unconscious. The group gathers as they admire her work.

"Damn, Shirley," Axel marvels.

The sound of sirens quickly grabs their attention and it only takes them a matter of moments before they are safe in the van, loot in hand. Mick is quick behind the driver's seat, having taken watch over the van during the raid thanks to her quick thinking and driving skills, they lose the sirens in a matter of minutes leaving nothing behind but a cloud of dust.

||Reader's POV||

My stomach rumbles and I can feel the sharp edges as it growls. My hand comes to rest on my stomach and I fight a groan. Either I was slowing, or I didn't take into account how quickly it would grow dark. Most likely, it was a combination of both. I haven't eaten since Becky's and it's already getting duller out. I have to squint a bit to see but thankfully my eyes adjusted as the sun slowly began to fade away.

I've been taking breaks every hour and a half or so, and I've quickly come to enjoy them. I've already made a habit of checking my watch and I have to stop myself from checking it every other minute. I debate it carefully in my head and I decide that thirty seconds has been long enough. I turn over my wrist and examine the watch, and it is not a surprise at all to find that second hand has only moved thirty notches.

But eyes to linger on the watch itself and I smile as the memory of receiving the watch come back to me slowly. Dustin gave it to me for my last birthday. He had known I had been eyeing it for a while and he saved up money to pay for it. Well, technically he went splitzies with mom since it was a bit expensive, but I didn't care. I love it.

My smile fades and my stomach turns. I miss Dustin. And Mom, although I know I'm going to get an earful when I get home. Knowing Dustin, when he confronts me about going out on a solo adventure and lying to him not only as a sister but as a party member, he's going to give the silent treatment for a while. And that's just Dustin, I have no idea the extremity of what I'm in for when I return.

||3rd Person POV||

Mick draws the van to a slow as it creeps through the parking lot Gramercy Apartments. The sun has set over the horizon and the headlights sweep over glistening cement and the vehicle pulls to a stop. Mick and Axel turn to face the others, and Mick begins giving orders.

"We should case the place, stick to the routine. We have time."

"We also have her," Adds Kali. "Can you look?"

Jane nods and closes her eyes, the others watch her carefully with more patience than the last. A speck of blood peels from her nostril and her eyelids flutter open.

"He's watching television."

"Is he alone?" Mick asks.

"I saw him. No one else."

"Good enough for me." Kali shrugs.

The others nod in agreement, and Jane fiddles with the plastic doll mask in her hands. Mumbles of agreement percolate from the group and Funshine speaks up, adorning his namesake mask, a pink carebear.

"Let's do this."

The others follow his lead, and soon each face if covered, and one by one they pile out onto the street.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

"Punky, what's the matter?"

Ray looks at his drink uncertainly, and readjusts in his Lay-Z-Boy as the man on television storms in the room, flipping on the switch and coming to the child's aid with great worry.

The small girl named Punky pets her dog comfortingly but looked desperately to the man her eyes wide and frightened.

"A nightmare. I dreamt I was in the doctor's office. All of a sudden, he's started to give me a shot in my arm."

Unbeknownst to Ray, the chain lock on his door silently unlocks itself in the other room as the frightened child on the television set continues to describe her nightmare. As he listens, he realizes it is not his drink that has left the bitter taste on his tongue.

"Then the needle got bigger and bigger and bigger..."

The chain comes undone and dangles tauntingly against the wooden door, scratching it lightly and the TV pops, the screen going dark. With a grunt, he rises from his seat and reaches the set, fiddling with the knobs to get it to work. Out of sight, Kali is the first to enter the apartment, followed closely by Jane and Dottie and the rest.

"Hello, Ray."

The man whirls around, his heart pounding in his chest to find four masked figures standing in his living room.

"Jesus Christ!" He pants, running for the door.

He comes to halt to find a masked Funshine blocking the exit. Funshine stalks forward, getting in his face.

"Sit down. Please."

Ray continues to back up, the larger masked man never ceasing his advances and he is backed into his spot in the living room. He grabbed by the shoulders suddenly and thrown into the chair.

"I said sit." He spits.

He holds out a trembling hand, too afraid to meet their eye.

"Just, please... just take whatever you want."

Axel, leans forward mockingly, his hands on his knees. All the man sees is the tallest of the bunch with a spikey mohawk - which added to his already intimidating height - and contextually unsettling mummy mask over his face.

"Oh, we will." He growls.

Dottie imitates his moves, leaning forward behind her clown mask and tilts her head. "Where's your wallet?"

"Bedroom. My bedroom. My jeans." Ray stutters, gesturing around the corner and Dottie disappears pulling Axel with her.

Funshine stands guard at the only exit at attention, arms crossed his large frame blocking anyone from moving. Axel and Dottie raid his bedroom, stealing not only the money from his wallet but pills from his drawer and anything else of cash value. Meanwhile, El and Kali stand over the cowering man who looks between them swallowing thickly.

He expects the worse, but much to his surprise the taller girl - the one he knew was in charge - took off her mask revealing a familiar face. She glared at him, before giving the ok to her companion. She complies, peeling back the doll mask to reveal a young face. The leader raises a brow.

"Do you remember us?"

Not daring to speak a word, he shakes his head no. The girls do not move but every light, every bulb in the apartment flickers violently. The entire room flashes like a funhouse with a sharp hiss furthering the illusion. The lights darken completely for a brief moment and when they return he is shown two small girls, all too familiar.

"What about us?" The braided girl asks. "Do you remember us, Ray?"

He gapes in fear and the lights flicker once more, the older girls return and he met with a strong right hook to the face. He falls to the ground, hissing in pain where he know rests on his hands and knees. Pleasingly, he looks to their angered and vengeful faces and begins to weep as they did all those years ago.

"Please. Please."

"You hurt Mama." The younger girl spits, disgust and hatred dripping from her voice.

Yet another forceful scream erupts from her throat and she whips her arm out, Ray is sent flying with it. Like the clerk, he is sent into the wall where he lays now cowering in pain and fear. The pale girl with dark eyes marches forward, disgust and rage in her eyes at a mere glance. Her shoulders move rapidly, her breathing increases as she tries to control her hated but it too strong.

Blood drips from his scalp, and his whole body is shaking. He cowers as far as he can into the broken wall, though he can't escape. Kali watches in a trance as she finds the man who haunted her memories and cowered as she did under his wrath. She did nothing to stop Jane as she advances.

"Wait..." he croaks, his voice barely audible. "Wait, please... I just did what he told me to do."

Jane tilts her head, hot angry tears flood her vision but she does not let this break her focus or her goal.

"He said she was sick." He wept.

"You had a choice, Ray," Kali says, her voice stern. "And you chose to follow a man you knew was evil."

Jane throws her hand up and he flinches violently.

"No, wait! No, wait! Wait!"

Jane falters, though her anger does not.

"I can help. I can help you find him."

Kali's jaw clenched and she speaks through gritted teeth. "Find who?"

"Brenner! I can take you to him."

This is enough to shake Jane's confidence. She can feel herself breaking at the mention but it only fuels the emotion. Her eyes cloud and she tries desperately not to allow her voice to break.

"Papa is gone."

Ray shakes his head, a mixture of regret, pity, and guilt cross his face.

"No, he is alive."

"Don't lie to us, Ray."

The man's shoulder begins to shake and he is crying once more, tears streaming freely from his cheeks.

"I'm not lying!" He croaks, his voice falling into pitiful whimpers. "I swear... he trusts me."

Jane watches in horror, her stomach flipping and her heart clenching into impossible knots she fears it will stop beating. She refuses to believe it, she does not want to. She can't.

"I'll take you to him." Ray eases.

"If he is alive, Jane will find him. Just as she found you. Do it, Jane."

But Jane is frozen, she battles the fear of the horrid possibility and yet the image of him replays in her mind on a torturous loop. Four-fifty.

"Do it."

Four fifty.

"Wait."

The man is pulled slightly from the ground, his hands clawing desperately at the invisible hold around his neck. He chokes and gasps for air as Jane scowls at the man, her hand outstretched and clenched. He topples to the floor completely, and his eyes begin to roll back in his head as he slowly moves across the floor from her forceful hold. Jane only looks at him as nothing more than something brought in on someone's shoe.

She follows him, her grip still firm and Kali trails behind her proudly, whispering in her ear.

"Not too quickly." She suggests. "He wasn't so generous with your mother."

Jane watches with satisfaction as he slides across the tile floor, his face turning purple and his going bloodshot. Veins pop from his head and she feels strength in his pain. But her eyes drift to the broken frame near his head. It was him, smiling, his arms wrapped around two young girls.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Axel and Dottie reach the final door in the hallway and swing it open. Their stomachs drop when their eyes land on the sight of two young girls hiding in the corner, clinging to one another and a working phone, 911 on the other line.

"Oh, shit."

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Jane releases her grip, her strain lifting and she begins to paint. The man coughs and gasps for breath, but he is relieved. Kali looks to Jane frantically.

"What's wrong?" When she receives no answer, she asks again louder and harsher. "What's wrong?"

Axel appears in the hallway, gesturing to the open door behind him where Dottie appears.

"We got a problem."

"Kids in the apartment." Dottie pants.

"Please..." Ray whimpers.

Kali desperately returns her attention to the task at hand, urgency creeping up.

"Did he show your mother mercy? No."

Ray's cries go ignored as Kali continues to whisper to Jane, her motives and wounds pushing her and Jane stands to stare at the pleading man. Torn.

"He took her from you, without hesitation."

"Please don't. Please."

"We got to go, K!" Axel shouts. "They called the cops."

"We finish this first." She snaps, returning to the girl. "Jane, now!"

"Please don't... Please. Please."

Unable to waste any more time, Kali whips out her gun, pointing it at the man who shrieks in fear. Jane's attention snaps to her hand and with one swift flick of her head, the gun flies across the room and crashes through the window, shattering the glass. Kali looks disbelieving at Jane, fire in her eyes seething and for the first time, Jane falters. Her eyes flicker to the ground and once again she feels like a scolded pet, nothing more than she was in the lab.

"Kali, we gotta go!" Axel shouts, running down the hallway Dottie on his tail.

Sirens were approaching and only then did they snap out of their trances. They fled down the apartment and out of the back door and down the stairs. They fumble across the grass out back, the police already swarming the apartment from the parking lot. Just in time and as promised, Mick pulls the van to a halting stop at the curb where it waits for them

The van is in motion before the door closed and when they find themselves ok the open road, Kali begins to speak. She turns to Jane, who sits beside her, her arms folded in and she closed off. Tears streak down her cheeks but this does not lessen Kali's venom.

"If you wanted to show mercy, that is your choice. But don't you ever take away mine. Ever. Do you understand?" Her voice raises as she gets in Jane's face. "Do you understand?"

Jane flinches, her breathing still heavy and spotty but all she can do is look away swallowing the bitter taste.

+++

Tag List: @dickkwad @aimee-lucass @iblesstherainsdown-in-africa @miscellaneoustoasts @happyandlonely-blog @missmulti @youpi-chan @peeperparkour @ba-responds @bibliophilesquared @blogforhoes @witch-of-all-things-soft @shawni-h @whothefuckstolemykeds @mirdall @fandom-imagines-xxx @daughter-of-pan12 @stranger-things4

DM me if you want to be added!

#stranger things #stranger things 2 #cosmic #cosmic 2 #y/n henderson #jane ives #jane hopper #el hopper #stranger things x reader #will byers x reader #kali prasad

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dk-thrive · 4 years

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The chill of the deep. The warmth of the shallow.

I have begun swimming. It helps me work off excess nerves. Like an edge has been taken off. I am calmer, more open afterwards. I swim at the local community pool. I try to avoid the snarls of hair on the benches, like filthy lures. There is hardly a moment of exercise when I am not keeping time, anticipating when I can get out of the pool, when my twenty minutes is up. In the filter at the shallow side I always stop to regard some object washed up. A soaked-through cigarette butt. A wad of chewing gum. A filthy Band-Aid. A spider...

Sometimes, rarely, I forget the choke of the chlorine in the bright blue pool, forget the bored guard watching me from the deep end, forget the hair clogged and my environment entirely. The chill of the deep. The warmth of the shallow.

When swimming I sometimes think through this essay. The body essays. It attempts.

— Kate Zambreno, Screen Tests: Stories and Other Writing (Harper Perennial, July 23, 2019)

#Kate Zambreno #swim #swimming #write #writer #writing #essay #exercise

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mgnifiqueyoo · 4 years

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“Run Away” - THEORY

"YEONJUN : RESIDENT OF A DIFFERENT WORLD"

TXT Storyline - Part 2 of ???

(a/n: I rewatched the Run Away mv and im confused. I will literally sacrifice my brain for TXT fhkdjcdk. This is the second part of my theory series for TXT's mvs and im pretty sure it will not end early since there are more mvs to come and more migraines to attack me.)

(another a/n: I will clarify things in here better than my theory before because I theorized that thirty minutes after I woke up lmao help.)

0:08 - 0:22 - In the first scene, we see Beomgyu looking all troubled. His facial expression showed a mixture of being confused, lost, and frustrated. As I stated in the previous summary, Beomgyu is a sociopath but he also has the real side of him that rarely ever showed up. In this scene, he shows that side (lonely, regretful, lost, etc.).

0:22 - 0:28 - In this scene, Yeonjun is cutting up a square-shaped hole in his notebook. It also shows that he has a cut on his thumb and he also owns a small stuffed toy that was lying beside his notebook.

This particular scene honestly made me confused but in my understanding, I think the toy was like a symbol of his youth.

Or for some reason, it made me think that the toy was representing either him or Beomgyu.

0:29 - 0:37 - Hueningkai is vandalizing the school road with a yellow and blue chalk = representation of his youth. The sketch somewhat represents a lightning.

My dumb ass knows that yellow and blue are like TXT's colors for that album but I JUST HAD TO RESEARCH WHAT DOES THE TWO COLORS MEAN? (I'm an overthinker, I know)

Yellow = mind, intellect, optimism, and cheerfulness. But it also meant impatience, criticism, and cowardice.

Blue = trust, peace, loyalty, and integrity. But also means conservatism and frigidity.

The meaning of the colors reflects to Hueningkai's character in the "Can't You See Me?" MV perfectly.

0:37 - 0:44 - Soobin (like in the CYSM MV) is alone in the classroom (probably with Yeonjun). I took a long ass glance at the whiteboard Soobin was drawing on.

We see the stuffed toy = Yeonjun (or Beomgyu dhcbjcb) Cats = reference to previous song "Cat and Dog" A shark = ??? A door = the concept lmao Fire = The thing that will happen later on (or BTS jvfhj)

So UM- hELLO??? THERE'S THE WORD FIRE ON THE WHITEBOARD???

Something tells me that Soobin knows what's about to happen...

0:45 - 0:55 - We see Taehyun flexing his airpods bc tXt rIch aND priVilEGED- I MEAN jkdfnj

lmao back to the topic, Taehyun takes off his airpods and stands in the middle of the school halls. He closes his eyes as if he was vibing to music or he sees a vision...

Could it be a vision from the future?

0:56 - 0:59 - Soobin takes a look at his drawing and puts on red filtered glasses. He, then, sees symbols that move around his sketch of the "door".

It's either Soobin knows the other world or Soobin knows what the future beholds.

1:15 - 1:21 - We see Beomgyu putting a band-aid over Yeonjun's cut.

mHm- This was Beomgyu's pretentious act of kindness towards Yeonjun since this clearly connects with the idea of Beomgyu's sociopathic intentions.

It is said that when a person is manipulative, they most likely don't physically appear scary.

They appear as the nicest and softest people.

Very much alike with Beomgyu's character. (ARE WE SURE HE SOCIOPATH THO???)

1:25 - 1:29 - In this scene, Taehyun stares at the camera all the way up until Yeonjun and the others came.

If you took this the "mETapHOriCal" way, Taehyun is staring into the eyes of something that cannot be seen by others.

1:32 - 1:37 - Yeonjun's glasses caused the fire in the room. The other boys noticed but they did nothing until Beomgyu came with a fire extinguisher. How did Beomgyu know about the fire when he was floors away from their classroom? Yeonjun looked worried and hopeless like it was all his fault.

Why does he looked so panicked? Why does it feel like he knows what's about to happen and what he was doing?

1:52 - 1:53 - In this scene, Beomgyu failed to stop the fire from burning Yeonjun's notebook EVEN with the fire extinguisher. Beomgyu gives that same look he gave Taehyun in the "CYSM" MV (Time stamp: 2:14 - 2:16//CYSM MV) and also from the start of the this MV (Time stamp: 0:08 - 0:22)

2:09 - 2:17 - In this shot we see the boys hanging out in the school's balcony, the symbols outside the school, and a magical fire extinguisher.

Symbols outside the school = also the symbols Soobin saw with his red filtered glasses.

The fire extinguisher Beomgyu brought was the reason why the fire was never prevented. The fire extinguisher had something to do with the world Soobin saw with his glasses, the world Taehyun saw in his vision, or the future that Beomgyu wanted to prevent from happening.

2:21 - 2:28 - Here we see Taehyun reading a book titled "Put Out The Fire" while Soobin and Hueningkai were trying to help Taehyun. In this scene, the lighting changed to red again as we see Beomgyu resting his head on a sleeping Yeonjun.

This scene showed that Beomgyu was trying to distract Yeonjun from helping the three find a solution to stop the fire from spreading throughout the school.

This is a sign of manipulation as he is forming a deep connection with Yeonjun throughout this MV.

2:38 - 2:59 - Yeonjun finally wakes up from his sleep as the fire started spreading more quickly. The five of them ran outside of the library, clearly failing to put out the fire.

They arrived at the school's gym pool and if you look closely...

there's an art of a shark deep down in one of the pools.

I think this is proof that either Beomgyu or Soobin knows about the future events or the other world.

3:06 - 3:13 - The five boys are playing together again, clearly distracted from the fire that's spreading through campus. Then, we see a shot of Taehyun and Soobin doing a handshake together.

Taehyun = seeing the future (???) Soobin = seeing a different dimension (???)

3:27 - 3:35 - Soobin watches the other members play together lovingly as he finds out there is a door in the pool. He wondered who in the world could've put a door in the pool?

Then, he realizes that he is near it.

3:37 - 4:16 - The five of them went underwater, discovering a new world and the door Soobin has been sketching.

I forgot to mention earlier that the sketch that Yeonjun was cutting up on his notebook was the exact same door Soobin drew on the whiteboard.

Does this mean all of them know that there's a new world/dimension?

Yeonjun pulls out the same glasses that caused the fire earlier and guess what? The door was on fire again.

4:18 - 4:20 - They started to have fun while Beomgyu gives the look of victory, knowing that he won and that he distracted them from the fire that was occuring outside the world/dimension they were in.

4:20 - 4:27 - It showed Taehyun and Soobin staring at the camera during different times = they have visions.

It also showed a glimpse of Yeonjun's keychain/stuffed toy as it transitions to them running from the fire.

Lastly, it shows that Hueningkai is still in the water. Hueningkai's face expressed both confusion and worry.

There is definitely something off.

4:31 - 4:35 - This scene showed glimpses of the past events

~Yeonjun causing a fire ~Taehyun reading the "Put Out The Fire" book ~Them arriving at the gymnasium pool ~Yeonjun cutting the sketch of the door in the notebook ~Them seeing the fire spread as the notebook Yeonjun drew on continued to burn

4:39 - 4:51 - The five of them looked at the burning door in amazement since they discovered a whole new world underwater. Yeonjun looked at it like he's seen this door before and HE WASN'T EVEN SURPRISED. Then, he removed the band-aid and the cut he had earlier was completely gone.

How?

4:54 - 5:16 - The five of them decided to leave. Weird thing? It was like they were just casually leaving a place and not A WHOLE NEW WORLD. The MV ends with Taehyun being left with Yeonjun's stuffed toy.

Summary/What I found out through listing every scene with details:

Soobin and Taehyun were the only members who were seeing visions about the different world. However, Soobin sees visions of future events while Taehyun only sees visions about the other world.

Beomgyu, on the other hand, turns into a NEUTRAL CHARACTER. A different creature? Could be. A good person? Could be. For me, his character is very hard to read and understand due to MY LACK OF SOURCE. He is either protecting Yeonjun from the different world or he is trying to blind Yeonjun from seeing the truth. Also, Beomgyu clearly knows what goes on in the future so we don't really know who's the bad guy here.

Yeonjun is a resident of the other world. HOW DID I CONCLUDE THIS? The last part really got me, okay? The four other members were amazed but he was just keeping up this blank face... like he has already seen it before. He was also the one who lead the members to the gymnasium pool like he knows what's there.

If you think Hueningkai is the only one who doesn't know anything, you're wrong. (Time stamp 4:20 - 4:27) In my guess, I think Hueningkai either has telepathic abilities...

or he sees visions, too.

The symbolism in this MV is too much for my brain to handle so I might do that next time. There might be a part two of this Runaway MV Theory and Analysis.

IN CONCLUSION: - BEOMGYU IS NOT A VILLAIN (???) BUT A NEUTRAL CHARACTER - YEONJUN IS THE RESIDENT OF THE OTHER WORLD - TAEHYUN AND SOOBIN ARE SEEING VISIONS - HUENINGKAI HAS MINIMAL SUPERNATURAL ABILITIES BUT IT IS STILL LEFT UNKNOWN

The question: how does this story line piece up with "Cat and Dog"? Does it also piece up with "Crown"? How does this even piece uP wITH THE NEW COMEBACK???

//the end//

stream “Can’t You See Me?” folks :D and y’all are free to message me when I forget something to take note of- :’)

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ventivante · 5 years

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Tag Game!

i was tagged by @broccoli-channie-soup for this, thank you so much dollface!

1. Nickname: Ray

2. Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

3. Height: 5′3/160cm

4. Hogwarts House: Slytherin

5. Last Thing Googled: The Creation of Adam (because I was arguing with someone about which side God was on in the painting)

6. Favourite artists: KPOP - ATEEZ, GOT7, Monsta X, NCT, Red Velvet, ITZY, Weki Meki, ASTRO, SEVENTEEN, BTS, Sunmi, HyunA, EXO, Chungha, DEAN, Dreamcatcher, EVERGLOW, LOONA, SHINee, SuperM, probably lots more i’m forgetting....

Non KPOP - Beyonce, Lana Del Rey, Megan Thee Stallion, Yung Baby Tate, Gallant, Khalid, Billie Eilish, Paramore, Rihanna, LP, Lizzo, Kehlani, Snow Tha Product, Doja Cat, Travis Scott, TONS more.....

7. Song stuck in my head: “These Nights” by Rich Brian and Chungha, “HIGHEST IN THE ROOM” by Travis Scott, “Norman Fucking Rockwell” by Lana Del Rey

8. Favourite time of day: late evening or late night

9. Favourite color: orange and pink!!

10. Following: lots

11. Followers: not lots

12. Do I get asks: very rarely

13. Amount of sleep: i only get about six hours average

14. Favourite number: 8

15. Any hobbies: listening to music, writing, learning languages, baking, reading, traveling

16. Dream job: i honestly have no idea, probably something that involves travel

17. Instruments?: ukulele (kinda poorly) and kazoo (fantastically, in my opinion)

18. Languages: English and pretty passable Spanish if i put my mind to it; in the process of learning French and Korean with some German and American sign language on the side

19. Favourite songs: right now it would have to be “Howlin 404″ by DEAN, “BOOM” by NCT Dream, “Super Car” by SuperM, and “Truth Hurts” by Lizzo

20. Random facts:

i have been to over half of the 50 united states (27 to be exact)

i really REALLY love cats (yet tragically do not have one)

i don’t like coffee unless it is super sweet

i have never broken a bone

i once won second place in a statewide poetry competition during high school and my poem was published in a collection with all the other winners’ poems

i keep a lot of “just in case” items in my purse and am prepared for almost anything (band aids, tampons, tide pen, medicine/pain relievers, condoms, sewing kit, tissues, flashlight, even a fire starting kit, etc.)

i am unable to open my eyes immediately after my head has been underwater without wiping them (you know those movie scenes where someone resurfaces from a pool and doesnt wipe their eyes before opening them? yeah i cant do that, gotta wipe my eyes otherwise they hurt)

i don’t really like horror movies

21. Aesthetic:

toes digging into sand, rose colored glasses, denim jackets, the popping of a can being opened, iced tea, wind chimes, rainbows appearing in mist, bubbles, red lipstick, the sound of a sprinkler, freshly cut grass, rocking chairs, music filtering out of a building, sleek dresses, body glitter, peaches, warm sunshine on your skin, birds chirping, lip gloss, butterflies, fresh fruit, floppy hats, worn sneakers, flower crowns, whispered secrets, piles of pillows, bustling city life, and so many more things

i will be tagging @omayasehun, @kihyunsbabe, @chwcult, @one-hunnit, @joohoneybunch and anyone else who would like to participate! (no pressure if i tagged you and you don’t want to!)

#tag game #tag meme #ray rambles #broccoli-channie-soup #omayasehun #chwcult #one-hunnit #joohoneybunch

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writtenwordsfromtheheart · 5 years

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Purpose in Misfortune

Blood spattered across her features as the Tiefling dealt a mighty blow to her opponent. There was no other sensation like this, the rage running through her veins growing hotter by the seconds and then suddenly washed away as the glory set in. Vengeance finally for all he had done, his torment no more. With ease, she kicked his body into the pit and took her place nearby against a wall as she came to the realization that she too suffered greatly from this assault. Goops of crimson blood had pooled around her and yet, she was willing to keep going. It was the exhaustion that had taken its toll on her body, it forced her to submit to its demands and rest. In those most vulnerable moments, Shaylis closed her eyes and let her guard down as simply waited for those faithful footsteps running to aid her.

How many days had it been since she first joined these ranks? How many nights had she spent under the stars listening to them speaking freely? There were more of these memories than she could account for. Although she could not grasp their intricate language, she still listened. Absorbing the ever-changing moods and tones of the adventuring party and wondering if she too could find a place among them. More importantly, a voice to be heard reassuring them that she would find a way to keep them safe from harm.

Then there was him. An outcast and oddity to this world, much like herself. Their paths crossed long before this band of misfits joined forces. He was a strange one. She was certain he could have been food to her at one point. A roasted bird glazing over an open fire pit, but that was not his calling. He seemed to take an interest in her, finding the peculiar mannerisms somewhat endearing as he sought to understand more. She wasn’t sure why he had a fixation on those tiny golden disks he often gave to traders or why they had to stop at every few rooms so he could examine the pitiful details of buildings lost to time, but she was glad to do so.

It was a habit that soon transferred to her. Upon their arrival, she had abandoned the squabbling party to seek her own adventure. She knew it would not last for long and so, she made the most of it. Her memories reminding her of the statue that bore its stare onto her. Its eyes carefully following the pink fleshling as she treaded with cautious. As she made it to the statue, her eyes looked up in marvel as if she had never seen such glory before. The statue’s presence unknowingly awakens a part of her spirit she had not known. All she could feel in the immediate moment as the silence wrapped around her body was this overwhelming need to be as it was, a protector of her people. A lifelong guardian to him. Taking what little she carried, Shaylis neatly arranged coins at the foot of the statue, a tribute to its wisdom and strength. Though the others snickered and sneered in the background as they saw their eccentric Tiefling behave so abnormally, Shaylis knew with assured certainty they too would see one day that her loyalty to them had no limitations, no laws to follow, no strings attached. It was her will, her freedom to give, and so she did to them.

The thoughts of knowing her first duty had been served brought a warmth to her spirit. They could now see that she too could be right for something, that her mistrust in Sigurd had not been for nothing. He was gone, it was over, and she awaited to be embraced by her friends as they showered her with treats. As her eyes opened to the world as she knew it again, the warmth she had felt turned into an inferno dancing on her flesh. The flames licking away at the edges of her body as she watched on in horror as bold mage took aim to return the favor for Shaylis’ reckoning against Sigurd. Scorched and withering in agony, the Tiefling howled loudly. She did not know how she could get this pain to cease as it dragged on for what she felt was an eternity, but when she regained herself, she searched for her friends first as she feared the worst for them.

Gathered a mere few feet away from her, she watched as her beloved feathered companion and another pulled their enemy from the pit. They struggled to bring the dead weight to the surface and when they did so, Shaylis wasn’t sure how to handle this betrayal. Every fiber of her being longing for the rage to course through her body and spirit so that she may unleash another round of suffering, yet the specks of humility gnawing at her spirit to simply walk away. Losing had never been an option, it could not be when they faced a new danger at every turn, and yet it stared her in the face in the form of betrayal.

Was it not what they wanted? They had been lured and tricked! The endless hoard of undead they faced all for nothing, was this not enough to payback and claim victory? She could not understand it, she almost did not want to, and in a rare show of defeat, Shaylis managed to find her footing as she stumbled away from the scene; away from it all.

The rest was a blur to her. One moment she was sitting on a bench deep within the dungeon and the next, she had emerged to a place of solitude with the group. Her mind frazzled beyond belief as she desperately tried to understand why was it that everyone seemed to abandon their mission, forsake this loose bond their shared, and then rejoin as if it never happened. The confusion ran deep as she tried her best to make sense of it all, until a feathered limb extended its hand to her. A quiet offering to join him that she did not refuse.

Led to the water’s edge, he walked in first and welcomed her wordlessly to wandered with him. Taking timid steps at the beginning, she abandoned her ambitions and plunged into the water’s depth. Washing away the blood, sweat, and grim from an emotional adventure, she emerged soon after and stared at Uri, offering him a faint smile as if she had to win back his favor since she must have done something wrong for him to betray her kill. Whether it was possible or not, he didn’t say. They were creatures of very few words, but there was no need for such exchange as he offered and opened his arms out to her. Without missing the opportunity, she quickly dove into his embrace and hugged him until they could no longer stand to do so in the pool of water.

One by one, each member of their party filtered away to their own slice of peace to take a much needed rest. Uri, her feathered partner had tucked himself into the tent to patiently wait for the Tiefling to join. He knew she was fine left alone, these were the quietest hours they had known.

Sitting on the shoreline, Shaylis wrapped herself in thoughts of how to be better, to do better. Pressing a finger into the moist sands, she asked herself how could she prove to be more? Did it begin with a dash of patience? To exercise talking as an option? She could not be more uncertain now than ever before, but she was assured in what was meant to be her place. Stamping her hand on the sands, she pulled it back to reveal a crudely drawn shield with the letter ‘S’ engraved on the face of it.

Shaylis promised herself to not look to the morning sun as start of a day, but as a new one to rewrite the meaningless history she had already left in this world. She would learn, train, and practice to become more than their headbutting barbarian. She would evolve to be with their unbreakable shield, their sharpest blade, and most valiant defender.

This was her new dawn, the reason she had searched for so long.

#shaylis #dnd #dungeons and dragons #post rp stuff #venita pretends to write #tiefling #barbarian

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topfygad · 5 years

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45 Things to Pack for the Rainforest

Packing in general is tricky, double that when you are packing for an adventure in the South American rainforest that will have you doing everything from piranha fishing the rivers to camping in hammocks deep in the Amazon jungle to a Jaguar safari. Not to mention the constant battle with humidity, strong sunshine and pesky critters!

I spent 10 memorable days in the country of Guyana’s jungle and here’s the packing list based on my trip.

What to Wear: Jungle Clothing & Accessories

Hiking Boots

A pair of comfortable, hiking boots with ankle support and have good tread are a necessity. The trails can be muddy and uneven causing you to slip easily (a couple people in our group slipped while on a jungle mountain climb!), so make sure they are a good quality boot. Also, get something with breathable material, so your feet won’t get too hot.

My hiking boots were the Bearpaw brand, but are unfortunately discontinued. These Columbia Newton Ridge boots are very similar and highly rated.

Trail Shoes

For milder hikes, exploring the villages or to hang out in in the evenings bring a low ankle hiking shoe. The KEEN Terradora hiking shoe offers both style and comfort.

Waterproof Sandals

After a long day hiking the first thing you’ll want to do is give your feet some room to breath, but you also want to be protected from the mosquitoes, so bring a pair of waterproof sandals that you can easily wear with a pair of socks (I know that sounds very fashionable, but you will thank me later!). These are also great in the outdoor showers where you may feel uncomfortable in bare feet.

Sun Hat

A full brim hat will help keep the sun off of you and keep you cooler. Make sure that you get one with a tie around your neck so it doesn’t fly off when you’re riding in the boats. I brought the Bodvera Outdoor Hat and it worked out great especially because of the crisscrossed fabric around the middle of it so that I could hook a carabiner through it and hang it from my backpack when not in use.

Swimsuit

Though you probably won’t want to swim in the rivers (piranhas! Need I say more?), there may be a pool at one of the lodges and it’ll be a big relief from the humidity to be able to jump in!

Pants

Bring quick dry full-length pants with lots of pockets and in neutral colors (bright or flowered fabrics can attract bugs). It’s practical if one pair can be either rolled up to make capris or unzipped to turn into shorts, though most of the time you will want to be wearing pants that cover your legs to protect you from insects. A pair of long comfy leggings are also great for hanging out around the lodge.

I brought one pair of prAna Halle pants, two pairs of North Face Aphrodite 2.0 Pants (so comfy!!!) and one pair of Black Diamond Credo pants.

Shirts

Long-Sleeved Shirts

The best shirts for the rainforest are long-sleeved button-ups with a collar that can be flipped up to keep the sun off your neck. Though breathable quick dry ones are said to be the best (like this one from Colombia), I wore simple lightweight button-ups from a discount store like Marshall’s and it was fine. Also bring a couple of comfy long-sleeved shirts to change into when your hanging around the lodge or sleeping in the jungle.

Tank Top

You will be in some areas with less bugs and you’ll want to remove your long sleeved shirt to relieve you from the rainforest heat. Slip a tank (or tee) underneath your outfit and you’re all set. Tanks are also perfect for sleeping in since most lodges will not have air conditioning, but will proved mosquito nets. I bring a variety of simple ribbed Zenana tanks on EVERY trip!

T-Shirts

A couple t-shirts are nice to have for the lodges or for under your long sleeved shirts. I brought the cute Not All Who Wander Are Lost t-shirt pictured below.

You’ll want to make sure that ALL your shirts are long enough to tuck securely into your bottoms to prevent bugs from finding their way up your back. One night while we were camping my shirt was accidentally untucked for an hour and I woke up with little bites on my butt. No fun!

Undergarments

Bring comfortable and quick drying underwear and sports bras to wear underneath your clothing. You don’t need to bring a pair for everyday since these are easy to wash by hand in the sinks at the lodges.

Socks

You should have comfortable hiking style socks that are mid to long length (no ankle/bootie socks!) They need to be long enough to be able to tuck your pants into them when hiking through the rainforest so no critters can crawl up your legs. I brought five pairs of SEOULSTORY7 hiking socks.

Sarong/Scarf

A sarong or large scarf has many uses, so it’s always wise to travel with one. In the Amazon jungle it can be used as a makeshift towel, to cover your shoulders at the lodge (when your tired of wearing long sleeves!) or to wrap around your bathing suit if you are going for a swim.

Rain Jacket/Poncho

The rainforest is true to its name! Sometimes you will be hiking and with no warning there will be a torrential downpour. Carry a lightweight, compact rain jacket with you that can be added to any outfit. No need to bring a heavier jacket, you will not use it! I brought the Cheering Waterproof Windbreaker Jacket which didn’t offer complete rain protection, but it was very lightweight.

Neckwrap/Headband

A neckwrap is practical because it can be used in so many ways: around your neck to shade from the sun, to keep your hair off of your face and to put around your mouth so no bugs will get through. These VANCROWN Wraps did the trick and they come in variety packs!

Hair Ties

It is so hot and humid that, if you are anything like me, your go-to hair style will be “bun and done”. Bring plenty of strong hair ties in case you lose a couple along the way.

Sunglasses

There is more to traveling through Guyana’s rainforest than just shaded pathways, you will also be out in the middle of the sun a lot! Protect your eyes with a pair of polarized lens sunglasses. Make sure they are not too expensive, as they can easily be dropped in the mud or lost in the mucky waters.

Cooling Towel

A cooling towel was a last minute addition to my luggage…thank God! There will be nothing better than soaking a cooling towel in water and then wrapping it around your neck. ChillPal makes the ultimate chilling towel that can keep you cool for hours!

Most lodges offer a laundry service that is fairly cheap, so there’s no need to pack a different outfit for every day.

Safety & Medical

First Aid kit

Your jungle tour guides will typically carry a medical kit for your group, but you should have a little one of your own for things like small cuts and blisters. You can buy yourself a travel-sized kit that’s got a little of everything in it (like this one!). But, if you need to buy items individually here’s a general list of things you need:

Zinc Oxide Tape

Antiseptic Wipes

Assorted Band-Aids

Gloves

Wound Dressing x2

Hydration Powder x 12

Blister Dressing

Tweezers

Scissors

Anti-fungal Cream

Hydrocortisone Cream

Foot powder

Aspirin

Vaseline

Anti diarrheal medicine

Antibacterial Wipes

Mosquito/Insect Repellent

Remember, you’ll be in the humid rainforest and that means BUGS! Though many of the lodges will supply a bottle of insect repellent, some do not and you will definitely want to bring your own to be protected.

I used a healthy spray of Off! Deep Woods on my exposed areas and carried Repel Mosquito Wipes, plus used mosquito repellent patches on my wrists and ankles. In hindsight, I would have also added the Sawyer Permethrin insect repellent that you spray directly on your clothing and lasts six washings.

Anti-Itch Cream

Unfortunately, even with being overly protected (unless you plan on wearing a hasmat suit!) the likelihood of getting a couple bug bites is pretty high, so bring along an anti-itch cream to keep you from scratching your bumps and making them worse! A good cortisone cream will do just fine.

Sunscreen

The sun is almost always out in Guyana and all over the Amazon jungle, even though you’ll be hiking through the rainforest’s canopy of trees there are long stretches of open patches and uncovered boat rides. It’s best to get a UVA & UVB, non scented sunscreen, so you won’t attract insects. I only brought a small tube of Neutrogena Beach Defense SPF 70.

Toiletries

Shampoo & Body Wash

You may need both shampoo and body wash when camping in the jungle or staying at the lodges, as some do not provide these basics. A 3-ounce tube should suffice, I always use the Humangear GoTubes because the containers are flexible (so I can get the very last bit of product out of them!) and I’ve never had them leak.

Face Wipes

The humidity will cause you to sweat…A LOT! That will make your face feel and look very greasy. It will be very refreshing to use a hydrating wet wipe to remove the grub.

Tissue Packs

Pocket-sized tissue packs will come in real handy when there are bathrooms without a supply (happens more often than you’d think) and when the forest is your restroom.

Toothbrush/Toothpaste

Some tiny bugs may be attracted to your minty fresh toothpaste, so get tubes with a twist cap that can be securely fastened.

Deodorant

Keep in mind that because of the excessive rainforest sweat you may be using more deodorant than normal.

You can bring makeup, but frankly it will just melt off your face, so it’s better (and easier!) to not wear any.

Equipment

Headlamp

A headlamp is perfect for wildlife night-spotting, sitting around campfire or reading in your hammock. The ones with the red filter option are best because it can help to keep the bugs from pestering you. All headlamps are not the same! Make sure that your headlamps light is strong enough (like the Black Diamond Headlamp I used). Also, don’t forget to load up on AAA batteries!

Cameras

There are thousands of photo opportunities in Guyana, as well as anywhere in the Amazon jungle, so don’t forget to bring your camera equipment! I carried a waterproof GoPro, an Iphone (the camera is actually amazing in the right light!) and my Canon 6D DSLR camera with a standard lens. What was missing? There are so many beautiful birds and wildlife in the Amazon rainforest, but many times they are hard to capture without a zoom lens. Next time, I’d definitely add a 300mm zoom lens for my camera.

Binoculars

Wildlife is unpredictable and mostly likely isn’t going to just happen to be a couple feet away so you can get the perfect view (especially the birds). You will get a lot of use out of a good pair of binoculars. For a more economical pair (under $30!) choose the Bushnell Flacon binoculars. If you plan on being a birder or want something more heavy duty try the Nikon 7577 MONARCH 7.

Adapter

When you research outlet adapters for Guyana there will be a few different suggestions: type A, D and type F. I brought all three, but all outlets encountered during my entire trip were a standard American 3-prong. Just to be safe, you may want to bring a universal adapter. I’ve used the Tenachi Universal Adapter all over the world with no problems, though this upgraded adapter has USB ports whereas the Tenachi does not.

Surge Protector

Electricity is available in most lodges, but many places have very limited outlets—sometimes only one per room. So bring along a compact surge protector with a few extra outlets on it. This was you can charge multiple items at once!

Waterproof Watch

With the age of cell phones, a watch is not a total necessity unless you don’t want to be always grabbing for your phone or want to protect it from a random downpour. My Armitron jelly strap watch worked nicely.

Battery Backups

Some lodges electricity is run by generator and they will turn it off at night, so you can’t be guaranteed that your electronics will be charging overnight. Plus, there are excursions deep in the forest that will keep you away from a power source for a day or two. You won’t have WiFi or cell service most of the time, but if you like to use your phone for photos and/or entertainment bring backup power. I used a battery backup Iphone case and the Rav external backup battery. Between the two, I always had power.

Backpack

Take a look at your itinerary to see what size backpack you may need, keeping in mind that if you are flying to remote areas in small planes there will be a 40lb TOTAL luggage limit. You may want to solely bring a backpack or do what I did and bring a small piece of carryon luggage and the 44 Teton backpack. This worked perfectly for me since we were mostly staying at lodges with one night of camping.

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Dry Bags

Dry bags can be used to protect your valuables during river crossings or when the rain unexpectedly strikes, and also to hold wet clothing.

Carabiners

I did not bring enough carabiners! These practical clips can be used to attach things to the exterior of your backpack and bags. I used the only one I brought to clip my hat to the back of my backpack, but I wish I’d had extra in order to be able to to attach the water bottle, hair ties and so much more.

Hydration Bag

Staying hydrated is essential in the rainforest and a small 2-3 liter hydration backpack will help you do it. You can get a small one that slips into your larger backpack, so it can double as a daypack or make sure your larger backpack has a section for the water pouch.

Daypack

Sometimes you are not going to want to lug around a large pack, so it’s really nice to have a small daypack that you can use when needed. My Waterfly sling daypack fit snug inside my larger backpack and was fantastic for short tours from the lodge.

Miscellaneous

Currency

You may be able to use your credit cards at a few random places in Georgetown, but any further out and it’s cash only. Most places will take USD, sometimes giving you change in Guyanese currency, so there’s no need to do a currency exchange.

Not including lodging and tours, I spent an average of $25 per day on tipping, snacks and souvenirs.

Photocopies

Have copies of your passport, vaccination card, tickets, etc in a separate bag from the original. You can also take photos of them to store on your phone.

Yellow Fever Vaccination Card

Technically, the country of Guyana only recommends the yellow fever vaccination, but if you fly Copa Airlines it is a mandatory requirement and you will be turned away from your flight without one. Double check with your airline and the country requirements before deciding to forgo the vaccination.

Entertainment

There are some quiet nights in the jungle, so bring a deck of cards, pocket game or a book (it’d be a good time to read mine: Bucket List Adventures!!—shameless plug)

Goodies to Eat

After a few days of chicken, cassava and okra you may be craving some treats from home. Bring a couple of your favorite bars, tea or snacks. I brought an assortment of Kind Bars and ate them all!

Sewing Kit

Just in case your clothing gets snagged on a branch in the jungle, bring a small sewing kit, like the ones you find in a hotel room (or this one) for some quick repairs.

Remember, that if you are taking small planes, all of your gear and luggage should weigh no more than 40lbs total!!! For me this was one small carryon suitcase and a 44L backpack.

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