#there’s some areas in my yard that I think want to be a swamp

[trashpanda66]

"Communicate"

(Pickle x gender neutral Reader) (SFW)

[So this is my first Baki fic and my first fic on Tumblr. I'm still really new to both of these so if anything is weird or messed up, please just explain how I can fix it. THERE WILL BE A PART TWO! Love y'all. @rottmntrulesall

Life is a very interesting thing, isn't it? You can think that you have everything all figured out, that there's nothing left in life or in this world that can surprise you or knock you off your game. But life always has a curveball hidden just behind the corner, waiting patiently for the day that you don't have your bat ready to swing. Unfortunately for you, you didn't have your eye on the ball today.

You had a lot of experience with animals of all kinds. You grew up in a forest in the countryside your whole life with your family, so encounters with animals happened quite often. From gators in your back yard that you'd give a good bath/scrub to before guiding them back into the swamps, to paying attention to the number of coyotes howling in the woods so you could know when the panthers came back through and cut the canines' numbers down. The herds of deer would just walk around with you when they were in the area, snakes would cuddle up to you for your warmth, and you had a few wild hawks that would come to you for food and comfort all the time. All of these things together made others think that you were some sort of animal tamer, that you could control all of nature's beasts with a wave of your hand and a command from your mouth. It was a cute idea, but it was entirely wrong. In your years growing up in the forest, you had learned how to communicate with the animals. "Look at the ground when you're around deer so they'll think you're a grazer like them, direct eye contact and/or bared teeth are a challenge to fight, a turned back is a prime opportunity to attack, and show any opponent your side to express that you can fight but would prefer not to." These were just some of the lessons you learned as you grew up, but it was the language of the animal world, and you were determined to learn it. Over time, you mastered this unspoken language and earned the respect of the wildlife around you. You didn't control the animals, you simply spoke to them in their language.

You were in Japan for a vacation, rather than work for once. You were enjoying your time there, going to different sites and experiencing the wonders of the land when you suddenly got a phone call. It was an unknown number, but your instincts told you to answer the phone rather than ignore it. With a sigh, you answered the phone call. You were called to Mitsunari Tokugawa's fighting ring to, in his words, "help take care of a wild animal". The man on the other end of the line refused to explain any further than that, instead just repeating "I promise to pay you plenty for your help if you come as soon as possible".

And that's how you ended up here, in an illegal fighting ring, staring directly at a fight between an 8 foot tall caveman and some new upcoming fighter who wanted to test his mettle against the dinosaur killer. You felt a tug on the side of your jacket, causing you to look to the elderly man who called you here in the first place. Tokugawa had a solemn look on his face as he finally elaborated on why you were here.

"His name is Pickle. The main problem is that he keeps eating the fighters who lose to him." His eyes shine with hesitation and fear, as if he's concerned that you'll run off without helping once he finishes explaining everything. His tired old eyes drift back to the arena, catching sight of Pickle as he gives an open palm slap to his opponent and sends the young fighter flying out of the arena. He swallowed down a lump in his throat before continuing.

"I need you to go down there and stop Pickle from eating that fighter in there. I've watched him tear apart some of the world's best fighters, all of them being men that I admired greatly! It's because of him that some of my favorite fighters can no longer return to this ring and others had to give up fighting completely. For now, all I need is that you make sure that fighter in there goes back home mostly intact." The small old man shakes as he talks, seemingly convinced that you're going to escape the moment you get a chance. I mean, who wouldn't? He was sending you into a situation where you could lose parts of your body at best, and your life at worst. But you didn't respond. You stared into the arena, your eyes following every move made by the gigantic ancient human. You could see it in the way his muscles flexed and relaxed, the way his eyes opened and closed lazily, and in the way his facial muscles were mostly lax. You could see it clearly where no one else could.

Pickle wasn't taking this fight seriously. While the young fighter was pouring every ounce of his strength into this match, the caveman had yet to even go halfway. Like a wolf playing with a pup, Pickle was handicapping himself just to give his opponent confidence. The caveman didn't want the game to end anytime soon, but the young fighter was growing more and more weary with each passing second. You were in no rush to get to the bottom of the pit because as far as you could see, Pickle was more than happy to play with and not hurt the smaller fighter. As you neared the entrance of the arena, you caught sight of something that sent you straight into action.

In a foolish attempt to gain victory, the young fighter took aim for Pickle's family jewels. The hit landed, causing Pickle to scream and hiss in pain before backing away from the fighter. Said fighter was staggering around on his own feet, exhaustion and fatigue taking over his entire body as he struggled to simply stay awake. And then you both heard it.

A growl. Then you saw it.

Pickle was on all fours, his entire body lifted up and tense, ready to pounce. Pickle wasn't playing anymore.

You sprinted into the arena, throwing caution to the wind as you jumped in front of the caveman. You turned your back to the massive fighter, baring your teeth and shrieking at the smaller fighter. You lifted your arms and opened your stance, making yourself appear bigger to both men. While the young fighter was confused and dazed by your display, Pickle understood.

You, despite being even smaller and weaker than either of the fighters in the pit, were siding with Pickle against his opponent. Even better, you trusted the prehistoric man to not attack you while you were distracted, a trust which is not lightly given in nature. You were protecting the warrior, you were fighting for the fighter, and your actions did not go unnoticed. Suddenly you leapt forward towards the weary fighter, wrapping your small hands around his head before knocking him to the ground. You didn't give him a chance to speak before you ordered him to go limp and close his eyes. It wasn't difficult for the exhausted brawler to obey your words, passing out at just the right time. Hurriedly you rolled the both of you over on the ground, making it appear as if the younger fighter had gained the upper hand in his "altercation" with you. It was entirely accidental on your part, you had just meant to get the unconscious fighter into a better position where you could sling him closer to the exit of the arena, but you didn't get a chance. Suddenly Pickle was standing over the both of you, his hand outstretched behind himself as his whole body twisted into delivering a bone shattering slap to the exposed fighter. You started struggling underneath the younger fighter who was much heavier than he looked to get the caveman's attention and stop him from delivering his final blow, but Pickle saw your struggle as the last efforts of a warrior who will lose the fight against their opponent, furthering him into putting as much force as he could behind his strike.

If there is communication, then there must be miscommunication as well.

The caveman's hand connected with the ribs of the knocked out fighter, sending his unconscious body rag dolling across the arena and into the stands. Welp. At least the young fighter is no longer in the ring. You start to calm down, your eyes fluttering shut slowly as the adrenaline starts to wear off. It was somewhat peaceful, the bright lights were almost good enough to mimic the warmth of the sun as your own fatigue started to catch up to you. It was almost perfect napping conditions. And then you felt a slightly leathery hand cup your cheek softly, which was then followed by a mildly damp nose pressing gently against your forehead, blowing out soft puffs of hot air against your hairline. Your eyes fly back open, expecting to witness horrid fangs the moment before they're buried in your flesh, but instead you're met with a curious sight.

Bright meukow cognac colored eyes peer down at you from behind long, greasy black hair. The giant man is peering down at you, his head blocking the intense lights and giving him a shimmering halo. The caveman's massive hand was gently cradling your face, angling your head towards his and allowing him to check you over for injuries. As far as he knew, you had just taken on a challenger who was strong enough to actually hurt him, and had he not interfered when he did, you would have become the young fighter's next meal. Pickle's eyes filled with tears, his admiration of you flowing from his brandy eyes and dripping onto your face. You knew you couldn't win against the caveman's opponent, yet you still protected him. But there was another reason for Pickle's tears, one that you recognized almost too well.

Pickle doesn't respect anything that can't fight. Pickle doesn't befriend anything that can't fight. But if his opponent can actually put up a good fight, Pickle will bond with them. He'll see them as a companion, an equal, someone worth being in a pack with. But there's one problem; the nature of his time demanded that he eat anything he defeated. Even if he befriended his opponent, even if he loved them with his whole heart, he had to defeat them, and he had to eat them. Because if he didn't, then he'd be the one being consumed. It was eat or be eaten, kill or be killed, and Pickle was determined to survive. No matter how much he loved his enemy, he'd only have that one battle with them, that one bonding moment with them before he had to kill them.

Until you strolled into the arena. You proved your strength by taking on the fighter who managed to injure Pickle, earning the caveman's respect without having to fight him yourself. Pickle didn't have to eat you, because you didn't lose to him! You could be his first companion! The first member of his pack! Finally. Finally Pickle wouldn't have to be alone anymore!

But Pickle could be happy about his new potential pack member later. For now, he needed to finish checking you over for injuries.

You couldn't help the nervous giggle that escaped your lips as the giant caveman skirted his massive hands over your entire body, pressing his nose to anything extra sensitive and sniffing. You let him pick you up and move your joints carefully, testing the ranges of your body just in case anything got hurt in the scuffle. So far, it seemed everything was alright! No injuries accounted for, no discomfort from you, so everything was going great! Pretty soon, the caveman would let you go and you'd probably be free to return to your vacation. Once Pickle was certain that you hadn't been injured in your supposed "fight", he set you down gently on the ground in front of him, gauging your reaction to his presence. You sat in front of him cross legged, your eyes half open as you leaned back and exposed your torso to him. You were telling him you trust him. Pickle immediately began to reciprocate your trust, exposing his neck to you as he used his hands to scuttle closer. Once he's deemed himself close enough to you, he begins to lean forward. You could sense that you were safe with him, that if he wanted you gone, he would have handled that himself long ago. As such, you began to lean forward as well.

Pickle placed his forehead against yours, closing his eyes and taking in a shuddering breath. You had to physically stop yourself from gagging at the stench emanating from the giant man, but you closed your eyes and bit your tongue, letting the prehistoric man continue his little bonding ritual. You felt that same massive leathery hand rest against the side of your face once more, though this time he wasn't attempting to move your head. He was just holding you gently, seemingly waiting for you to do something. With an internal sigh, you begin to lift your hand to hold the side of his massive face. The only thought that went through your mind before your small hand touched his dirty skin was 'I hope this isn't some kind of mating ritual'. The moment your hand made contact with his face, Pickle's eyes flew open. Upon seeing that your eyes were still closed, he gently tapped your face. Your eyes opened and met with his once more, the two of you sitting in a position that makes you almost look like lovers. Slowly, his massive hand drifted down from your face, causing you to mirror him and sink your hand lower than his face. Once his hand stopped on your shoulder, you placed yours on his big shoulder, never once breaking eye contact. Pickle smiled to you, showing his fangs before hiding them slowly, so you reciprocated. Finally Pickle pulled his head away from yours, sitting up a bit straighter in front of you. He closed his eyes happily before making a little chuffing noise at you, to which you giggled and finally spoke to the caveman. Though your sentence was in the language of the modern humans, Pickle understood your words.

"Hello there, Pickle. I'm glad we're friends now."

[skyward-floored]

How's Swamp Link's ecology doing? I know you previously weren't sure if he was really in a swamp or maybe a bog or fen. Did you settle on an environment, or think up more about his adoptive Zora family? I have one of these growing in my back yard and their leaves always remind me of what I think the swamp of the Zora King in LttP would look like.

I hope your stomach feels better!

Yeah, so I think I’ve sort of settled on a bit of a mix? Like it’s mostly a swamp, but it has some areas that have less vegetation and more just grasses and water more like a marsh. I’m thinking maybe there’s a big river or lake or something where the marshland starts, and then the deeper in you go it gets swampy or something like that. I need to do more swamp research and figure out if that’s possible or not XD

His environment overall I’m sort of cheating with, since I’d like for there to be lots of colorful plants interspersed with the green of everything. I want there to be orchids and water lilies and Venus flytraps and mosses and duckweed and pickerel rush and all kinds of things, most of which don’t live in the same conditions/zones. But I want them anyway so I’m putting them in together. I also saw a picture of some cypress trees in a swamp that change color in the fall and they were SO pretty, I’d love to incorporate something like that somehow too.

*ahem* that was a lot about plants XD Anyway I don’t have much more about Link’s Zora family yet, but I have a few options I’ve thought of. I’m thinking they look more like River Zora than anything else, but maybe also there’s some “normal” Zora too? Maybe the swamp Zora are a mix of the two, and they can handle more varieties of water acidity? Maybe.

[starrystrawb]

Our next Mother Nature is Swamp! Also known as Wetlands. While she is closely related to Water, they're very different. Water ebbs, flows, and changes as her environment needs her to. Wetlands however, is unforgiving and unyielding to the outside perspective.

Recent events have made Wetlands wild, chaotic, and feral. She is over run with invasive species, illegal hunting, and pollution. While her waters used to glow turquoise, they now seem brown. But she's ready for the fight!

Our eco-tips!

There are things called Eco-Bricks, or Plastic Bricks. They're plastic bottled stuffed with other plastic waste. You pack the inside as tightly and densely as you can, and then send the "brick" to one of several companies using those bricks to build! It's fun, relatively easy, and free! Don't feel bad that you have waste, we all do! Just use it for good!

It's time to stock up on that vitamin D! Not to sound like a 2008 "Nicks Day of Outside Play" commercial but go outside! Vitamin D has been proven many times in many studies to improve mental health! And while you're out there, soaking up the sun and getting all those good brain chemicals, think about picking up some trash! Yeah, yeah. I know, you've heard it all before. But seriously. Just go to your back yard or your front yard or in front of your building or behind your building or to a park or wherever! Go to a parking lot! And pick up the trash you see on the ground. One piece, four bags, an entire dumpster full! It all helps.

I know the time has long since passed, but if you are considering putting lights or decorations on the outside of your home, be sure to secure them so they are wild-life safe! Deer, elk, and moose can get their horns tangled in string lights. Birds and bats can confuse blinking lights with prey. Secure your outside decor properly! Keep yourself, and your wild friends safe!

Speaking of securing things! If you live in an area that has bears, mountain lions, or any dumpster-enjoying predators, bear-proof your trash cans! You can use attachable mechanisms, locking trash cans, ratchet straps, or even try securing the trashcan to a tree or a post of some kind! Do your best to make sure the little critters cant get into the garbage. Not only are these animals not built for human food, prolonged exposure to human interaction can cause massive problems. Animals that attack or harm people run the risk of being put down. Keep everyone safe and secure your trash! At home and in the wilderness.

Shop carefully! I know we all try our best to buy cruelty free, reed labels, and do our research. In my personal opinion, I don't think I should have to google for 45 minutes to find out if a brand is greenwashing or if they're really cruelty free. So here are some things I've found! If a company imports to china, they are not cruelty free. China has animal testing laws in place for all imported cosmetics. If you want to buy things like Grove, those reusable spray bottles and soap bottles, but find the glass containers a little expensive, just buy the refill packs. Pop those bad boys into a bottle you already have, like a reused windex bottle, and it's the same. Just remember to label it properly! I love buying from companies like Sand Cloud, 4Ocean, Pela, and similar brands that are certified B-Corp and have clear and PROVABLE missions.

Base

[redshiftsinger]

There was a post about leaf litter and dealing with it in eco-friendly ways rather than removing it completely (which is important for soil health and insect populations), and someone who follows me who I won't name in case the reason I can't find the post is that they deleted it, was asking how to deal with that while having a tiny yard that gets swamped by leaves from a large walnut tree. I see your dilemma and I wrote up a response that might be helpful, and then tumblr glitched or something, I couldn't post it and had to reload my dash, and now I can't find the original post I was responding to. BUT the good news is I copied the text I'd written before reloading, so I'll paste it here and hope you see this:

It's likely that part of your problem is that the soil is already pretty dead from long-term "lawn maintenance" mistreatment (going back well before it became your problem, I'd be willing to bet -- I'm also dealing with a long-abused lawn and trying to restore something resembling vaguely healthy soil and biodiversity where it's definitely been grass-monoculture lawn since before I was born, I know how that can be), so there are few detritivores and other decomposer organisms present to make a start on the leaf decomposition. Restoring a healthy soil ecosystem is more complex than *just* leaving the leaves alone, if you want it to happen quickly.

A few things you could try to speed up the process and/or compromise between maintaining a decent-looking space in the interim and also starting to improve the soil quality rather than letting it continue to degrade:

Rake the leaves into designated Leaf Areas in the yard, such as under shrubs or around the base of the tree, rather than leaving them entirely where they fall. This will produce enough of a layer in one year for the lower-level decomposition to work, while leaving them present to provide insect habitat, but not all over the lawn blocking other things from growing. Think compost pile or a thick mulch layer around plantings (personally, I move a lot of the leaves that fall in my yard into planting beds to suppress weeds *there*, for example I rake up around the ash tree and move a lot of the leaves to the raspberry patch. New raspberry canes will push through a leaf layer, but it reduces bindweed pretty effectively).

Mulch the leaves by running them through a lawnmower or some kind of shredder, to chop them into smaller pieces. This sort of jump-starts decomposition and makes it easier for some of the leaf material to be spread around the whole yard area sparsely without blocking other plants from growing (because they're smaller pieces). The downside of this is that it does have a tendency to kill any insects that get caught up in the shredding process, but it's still better than bagging up all the leaves and getting rid of them completely. This also makes a mulch layer or compost pile immediately less bulky by letting the smaller pieces settle together more quickly.

Introduce native or naturalized/non-invasive detritivores, by transporting them from another location with a strong population. This will happen naturally if you provide more appealing habitat for them, but you can also give the process a kick-start by finding some pillbugs and putting them near your designated Leaf Areas, for example.

You can do any/all of these separately or in combination, even with some of the leaves if all of them is just way too much to deal with, and it will be better for your soil and for insect populations than fully stripping the yard of leaf detritus every year. Half-measures ARE better than nothing, and "let nature take its course without any interference" isn't always the most effective way of restoring damaged land.

[acidcrab]

The Stone - A short story by Acid Crab

As I continue scraping the dirt away on this dark island bayou night, I can’t help but to think about what brought me here. Though I’ve done worse and will do worse again if need be. You see, I have a problem, and that problem requires money if I want to continue having it. And I definitely want to keep having it.

Work hasn't been going well for me. I knew I would soon be unemployed, but continued showing up until I was told otherwise, not out of some sort of loyalty or gratitude, but for the coin it paid.

I gave up on the spot I was at and moved forward another 5 yards or so deeper into the woods. I grabbed my shovel and stabbed at the earth. The satisfying Crunch it made relieved a small part of my frustration, but I’ve been searching for hours.

I pulled out my pipe and took a puff from it. I barely get a hit, which is upsetting to me. I had already smoked almost a 5th of what this job will pay, and at this point I’m not even convinced I’ll find the bloody thing. I return to digging.

CRANG!

No! It can’t be! I don’t believe it to be true. I drop the shovel and pull my pipe back out. My hands tremble as I pack my pipe frantically and hit it. I hope it will calm me. I reach back for the shovel and hit the spot again, still shaking.

CRANG!

As I scrape more dirt away I can see, beneath the grass and dirt, a stone structure revealing itself . I continue digging around, scraping dirt away from it and looking for the borders of the stone. I notice the chill in the air, and it feels almost otherworldly.

I hear a noise behind me from the wooded swamp. A twig snaps, an owl in the darkness lets out a call. I glance in the direction. The swamp is chilly and wet in the air. I’m in a wooded area of the island, and the trees cast shadows across my entire view, as if muting my lantern to irrelevance. The ground here is dry, though you’re always within a short walk from the waters of the swamp.

I move the last of the dirt off the door. It is huge, maybe 4 feet by 7 feet, with the door lying parallel to the ground, like a set of cellar steps. The frame of the doorway is stone, and the door itself has carvings and illegible text carved into it. I was told it was a warning, perhaps a curse, but I don’t believe in such things. I have too many real concerns to waste thought on such rubbish.

The man who hired me for this job had promised a lot of money to me. Far more than I typically make. I also didn’t have to pay the fee for the fisherman and his boat that brought me to the island. They will be waiting for me soon, I don’t have much time. I need to finish this job.

A loud crack rings out as I pry the door open with the shovel. No creak, just the sounds of bits of stone, dirt, and leaves hitting the floor below. I could see steps beginning to form below me. The door slides to the dirt, and I grab my lantern and attempt to peer inside. The darkness steals the light from my lantern, and I can’t see anything until I take a couple steps down the stairs.

When I do, I see it’s mostly stone inside, though one wall appears to have been made with pieces of the ship. Much has rotten and fallen to the floor at this point. I ignore most of the room as I look forward towards the ship wall. Moss is growing, connecting both the wood and the stone that makes up the ceiling.

“He’ll be wearing it.” the man had told me. “It’ll be there, and anything else you find is yours.” His words echoed in my mind, but all I could see with the gold that glittered my lanterns light back at me with a sharp hue.

I ran down the rest of the steps, smashing the shovel through the boards again and again, splinters raining down like hail until I could gain access to the gold. I scooped handfuls of gold coins into every pocket I had and, once pleased with my supply, I set out to finish what I came here for. I set my backpack down by the broken boards and walked towards the middle of the room. There lies a great stone sarcophagus. Engravings adorned it with pictures of boats, swords, and an unmistakable symbol of a skull and crossbones. This was him alright, now to find the watch.

With great effort, and some strength from another hit from my pipe, I was able to slide the lid of the stone coffin to the floor. It revealed a skeleton, though with rotting chunks of flesh, maggots feasting, and a lone rat who seemed to be playing the part of his brain, sitting inside the skull the way he was. His left eye was missing, and it appeared that was the entrance the rat had originally used. The other eye dangled from the socket like the head of a morning star.

I became stricken with the watch immediately upon seeing it. A lovely gold watch with silver inlays, and emerald hands. A true work of art, and I could understand how my accomplice could be so enamored by the piece as to fund this entire project. The craftsmanship is astounding, and I’m sure it keeps time better than any watch I’ve ever owned.

I undo the strap and slide the watch into my pocket. My uneasiness continues to worsen as I walk back towards the former wooden wall to get my bag. A gust of wind enters the chamber from outside, extinguishing my lantern and soaking me in darkness. I run back to the lantern and frantically try to light it. The roaring wind is pouring into the chamber, and just as I think my lantern has failed it finally ignited, revealing the room again. There is a strange air in the room, as I realize something is different. Something is missing from the sarcophagus.

The sound of the stone door being replaced on top of the stairs stabs at my ears. I can’t tell what’s happening, and my lantern, though lit, keeps flickering wildly. I turn towards the place where the entrance was mere moments ago. It holds a sickening darkness now, and as I walk forward to face my attacker I hear the sound of a sword being pulled from its scabbard.

As the figure comes down the stairs, the light comes closer and closer to revealing them, until they fully enter the chamber and my lantern stops flickering long enough for me to see who it is. What I see I can’t even begin to believe.

It is the corpse of Captain Moonscar, and I’m going to die here I realize. I pack the last of my incense into my pipe, spilling it all over the stone floor as I tremble with understanding and fear. I smoke it as quickly as I can and take a massive hit, as the figure grows closer, sword in hand and revenge in its heart. I see the rat poking its face and head through the left eye, his own eyes glowing red as if to burn my soul as it leaves my body. I finish the bowl of incense and allow the pipe to fall to the cold floor, the glass shattering on the cold stone below.

“I’ve lived a pretty good life.” I said to myself, tears running down my face as acceptance hits.

Then silence and total eternal darkness envelope me.

[rhondarossano]

Flora and Fauna

Since the daily temperatures have cooled a little bit -highs have been in the low to mid 70's- and the school has already begun Christmas break, I have been planting and transplanting trees and flowers around our property. I was excited to get my delivery of black dirt last Sunday so I cold get started.

Bromeliads- These were in the tree that fell. They are an air plant and are attached to a branch from the tree. They will produce a flower, but we will have to wait to see what color the flower will be. It most likely is a jumbie-pineapple or a pink quill.

Golden Showers Tree. A neighbor gave us this sapling. The first one she gave us died-the temperatures were just too hot and stressed the sapling out. Planting now will give the tree time to establish before the dry season starts. It will have hanging yellow flowers.

Pride of Barbados Tropical Milkweed

Pride of Barbados. These are quite plentiful in Belize. They, along with the Tropical Milkweed, attract butterflies, so I planted one on each side of the front of the house. I found a tropical milkweed near the river and moved it up to the back of the house. It spreads very quickly and is always full of flutterbies.

I had been looking for a small flowering bush to plant in front of the landing of our front staircase, and found this Bermuda thistle in the yard. Once it grows, I think it will look quite nice. I am told it will spread. It also has medicinal properties.

We have found several lilies growing in the yard, too. I can't wait to see what specific types they are. Once they flower, the mystery will be solved. More than likely they are beach spider lilies or swamp lilies. I have moved some of them to the bottom of our outdoor staircases.

Additionally, we have a few Stickpea trees on the property. We just have to decide where we want them to be located; they are too close to the house right now. They will be quite nice when they flower.

I was able to get a few Mother-of-thousands and Aloe vera pups from the succulents growing at the community center. They grow rather quickly, so I am hoping they will fill in this area. The pups sprout around the edges of the leaves and fall to the ground. They remind me how our children are nurtured by their parents, and then, hopefully, put down their own roots and thrive.

I planted some Moses-in-the-cradle plants by our front stairs. These also grow rather easily here. I got a few small ones from the community center grounds.

I am very excited about the fruit trees that have just grown from seeds discarded by the workers who built our house and those given to us by other residents. We have 5 avocado, 2 mango, and 1 guave trees growing. I also have seeds for papaya.

Guave Mango Avocado

We have been growing pineapples from the crowns since we got here. I finally got them in the ground. Each plant will produce several small fruit. All but one will need to be removed to have an edible fruit for harvesting.

We have a very small date palm sapling that is in a pot right now. I hope it gets a large enough to plant in the ground within the month, so it has time to establish its roots before the dry season hits, but we may have to just grow it in a big pot for the next year.

Finally, our Rain Tree is looking lovely. It will grow and be a very nice shade tree in the front yard. It should flower in a few months.

There are so many colorful trees and flowering plants here. I wish I had room for at least one of each in the yard. We are hoping to plant some apple bananas when we create our terrace to the river. We should be in good shape to harvest our own fruits in a few years.

What gifts we have been given!

[fatehbaz]

Found this snapping turtle in my front yard yesterday. I live on a river and whenever it rains really hard theres always turtles and snakes that leave the water and just chill in ppls yards until it stops raining, do you know why they do that?

Nice. I know that you probably know that I love snapping turtles for their attitude, uniqueness, serrated shell, elongated tail, love of mud, dinosaur-like qualities, etc.

I want to preface this by saying that I don’t know anything about turtles (compared to snakes and salamanders; though, the two turtles I’ve interacted with most are snappers and softshells); I don’t know much about actual/technical ecology and behavior (compared to geography/distribution and habitat); and I really don’t know much about herps east of the Great Plains.

We must be on the same wave-length or whatever. Fun coincidence and not an exaggeration for clout: Just a couple of days ago, I was discussing turtles in the Great Lakes region with a co-worker. She was telling me about driving between South Bend and Toledo in the 1980s, and the ridiculous number of times that traffic was halted to allow a huge amount of migrating turtles to cross the roadway.

I used the term “ghost path” to describe how some local populations of turtles (and, say, salamanders or toads) still migrate over old or “ancient” corridors between hibernation sites and breeding/summer habitats in landscapes that have been mostly destroyed, drained, or industrialized. Remaining isolated populations of wetland-dwelling reptiles and amphibians may still move over those old pathways to reach fragments of now-gone marshes. Like a ghostly memory.

In this context, the region between South Bend and Toledo was once the site of the Great Black Swamp, one of the largest and most prominent wetlands in temperate North America.

The lower Great Lakes, and the South Bend area specifically, also used to be the site of Grand Kankakee Marsh. Even larger than the Great Black Swamp, Kankakee was about 1 million acres in size. It is occasionally referred to as “the Everglades of the North”; the largest inland wetland in temperate North America, located between South Bend and Chicago.

Pymatuning Swamp -- which remains as a reservoir and some fragmented flooded habitat, though mostly in name only -- is/was located on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border just south of Lake Erie’s shore.

Surely, these marshes would’ve been home to vast amounts of amphibians, turtles, and semi-aquatic snakes.

For as cold and overwhelming as winters might be in the area, the Great Lakes region actually has a surprising number of species of -- specifically -- turtles and snakes closely associated with water, which are either endemic to the region or endemic to a slightly wider area of the Great Lakes/Northwest, including: wood turtle, Blanding’s turtle, the Great Lakes population of spotted turtle, Kirtland’s snake, Butler’s gartersnake, Lake Erie watersnake, and the eastern massasauga rattlesnake.

The Butler's gartersnake, endemic to a small/local area of the Great Lakes:

To me, the snapping turtle has a funny relationship with water, because they’re simultaneously so aquatic (in the way that water allows them to scavenge/sit in muddy bottoms and allows them mobility to compensate for their unusually large size/mass), yet snappers are well-known over-land travelers, too.

I do know that snapping turtles have some fame among ecologists for two behaviors which have been well-established:

-- When searching for a nesting site, snapping turtles travel great distances out of water and/or away from their home range; snappers might regularly travel a kilometer or two to find nesting sites, with documentation of some snappers traveling 5 to 8 kilometers away to find a suitable sites (meaning that snappers might travel a round-trip distance of 15 kilometers to reach a nesting site and then return home).

-- When they do find a suitable nesting site, whether it’s near their home range or several kilometers away, snapping turtles are known to prefer building their nests several hundred meters away from water.

Regarding rain and the time of year that this turtle is moving around:

Reptile behavior associated with rain would be different depending on general ecoregion where the behavior is taking place (at a really general scale of, like, “shortgrass prairie of the Great Plains” or “Intermountain West” or “Appalachia”).

I’ve gleaned the region where you live (though I won’t inadvertently doxx you by announcing it here), and I know that at the northern edges of their distribution range, snappers tend to find nesting sites from late May to late June (when your snapper visitor appeared).

As for snakes and their increased activity away from watercourses during rainy periods in summer:

I think that reptiles, in some parts of North America, might have this association in popular consciousness with warm/hot, sunny days and dry habitat. But it’s really species- and region-dependent, and excessive heat/sun is actually a deterrent to a lot of snakes. For example, let’s say that rattlesnakes are a group of snakes whomst are generally considered to be associated with sunny, dry, hot conditions. In the Intermountain West, Great Plains, and “desert Southwest,” though, rattlesnakes are better known for avoiding direct sunlight, most commonly encountered absorbing heat from roadways after sunset and during the night. (I encounter the most rattlesnakes active during daylight only in, like, late April, May, and early June.)

During periods of rain in an otherwise intensely hot/dry summer, snakes that otherwise might be fried/over-heated by daytime temperatures and direct sunlight can move around if their body temperature can be regulated by wet habitat (flooded lawns, etc.).

Gartersnakes are semi-aquatic, of course. Gartersnakes are also famous for hunting mostly fish and/or amphibians. During periods of rain in an otherwise hot/dry summer, frogs and toads can be summoned up from their hideouts. Since frogs can then be unusually active in wet/flooded habitats, even away from permanent water, this allows gartersnakes to follow and hunt them.

In the Great Lakes region, many snake species have close association with either water or moist microhabitat. Rainy periods in an otherwise hot summer would be favorable. In Michigan, for example, this would include like 12-ish of the 17-ish snake species: The multiple species of gartersnakes, ribbonsnakes, and watersnakes are obviously associated with water. Then, the red-bellied snake, brown snake, queen snake, green snake, and ring-necked snake are associated with shaded/moist microhabitat.

Two superlative semi-aquatic snakes (present in southern Michigan and the former areas of Grand Kankakee, Great Black, and Pymatuning) are actually kinda endemic to the Great Lakes region.

The Kirtland's snake is a strange/unique reptile that lives in wetlands, bogs, etc., and has an extremely close relationship with and dependency on crayfish. They not only consume crayfish, but the snake also lives in crayfish burrows. Thus, this Great Lakes-endemic species of snake can't really live without wetlands.

Graphics from this good paper from 2019, "Into the Crayfish Burrow":

Distribution of Kirtland's snake:

You may as well call the eastern massasauga a “swamp rattlesnake” or “wetland rattlesnake.” The small rattlesnake inhabits flooded prairie, marshes, bogs, etc.

It’s cool that the Great Lakes region is home to more than one endemic snake whomst participates in a reptile-crustacean relationship, since the massasauga also inhabits and hibernates in crayfish burrows. Aside from being a water-loving bog-dwelling rattlesnake, I also love that the massasauga is one of the only reptiles which tolerates living on the fringe of boreal forest. There are populations of massasauga living on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan; along the shores of Georgian Bay near Sudbury; and on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron. A miniature swamp rattlesnake living in boreal forest.

[rein-ette]

Top 5 AUs that you would like to see in the fandom?

If anyone sees this and writes one, @ ME.

1. A. B. O. Pls.

I wanna read good a/b/o again! I used to be super into the kpop scene on ao3 (shhh don't tell) and there was sooo much a/b/o, i didn't know what I was enjoying until it was taken from me!

I really want engport a/b/o (hint hint nudge nudge). I mean I would also like fruk a/b/o very much as well, but the engport corner of the fandom is sorely lacking some good old pwp or absolute, tooth-rotting "cuddling my evil-tempered omega until he melts" fluff.

2. More vampires + werewolves!

Somehow this au never gets old for me (if it's well-written). I will be waiting until my bones turn into dust for Shacha to update the engport one, but until then hopefully others turn up with some more vamp/werewolf aus.

3. Faerie + Magic

This is more my area of expertise, having read 1394852 faerie YA novels when I was 11, so perhaps one day I will be able to provide the fandom with this au. But I really want an au where many nations (not just england) get to interact with and explore the fae world. Cut throat courts! Pretty wood spirits! Everything will eat you! I find it would be especially fun if the nations are actually nations and have to somehow cross over into the faerie world guided by those in the know like Arthur and Norway, so every step of the way Arthur can give the looks like i fucking told you and no you may not have sex with that "hot dude" it's a swamp spirit tf.

4. Greek Myth/Rick Riordan AU

I have found one (1) fic with demigod fruk and I have been obsessed with it for the longest time. I'm not sure if it's "cool" yet to like Rick Riordan as an adult the way Harry Potter is but who cares? I love it. I wanna see son of aphrodite Francis with badass sword skills and charmspeak, son of Poseidon Arthur who masterminds every plan and loves talking to the pegasi, son of Athena Port who everyone's lowkey terrified of because him? Athena? What's he hiding? And why does he look so much like that Demeter boy who always growing his little basil plants in the yard and chattin up the naiads?

5. Zombie Apocalypse Action AU

It doesn't have to be zombies. I just want to see the gang in dire straits and cooperating for once. No screw that, I just wanna see them fight and kill things and not have to think about the historical and geopolitical repercussions of making them kill those things. How else can we appreciate the insane reload speed Prussia has? The fact that Spain literally will not die and will fight until you cut his head off and chop him into sashimi bits? The fact that Mattie is actually really wild when you give him a machine gun and free reign? The fact that even in the field Francis is a little snarky bitch -- until he snaps? Please, just let them shoot things, stab things, impale things, I beg you.

[rjalker]

Making this its own post because the post I originally added onto had the OP say, in another reblog that I wasn’t aware of, that if you don’t do these things you’re a horrible person, even if the reason you’re not doing these is because you could get kicked out of your house.

They were literally telling people that if they don’t risk being homeless they’re bad people.

OP was Lunefrog so you can block them. That kind of behavior is not acceptable.

If you can do these things? Good for you.

But if you can’t it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person, you have nothing to feel guilty about, and anyone who says otherwise is a jerk.

Do not use this post to shame anyone who can’t do these things. You will be blocked.

________________________

Some things that can help the environment (please feel free to add on more):

Find out what flowers and other plants grow native in your area, and grow those! 

Not only is it good for the environment, they’re also perfectly suited to your area, which means you’ll have to spend less time taking care of them!

I’ve got a massive common milkweed plant in my yard and I didn’t have to water it or fertilize it once! Native plants take care of themselves! They don’t need our help the way non-native ornamentals do!

_____________________

Don’t throw away your leaves in the fall! 

Many species of insects, including butterflies and moths, depend on leaf litter for shelter over the winter! Sweep them into a pile somewhere they won’t be in the way, and leave them be! They’ll provide shelter for bugs and small animals, and when they break down they’ll compost your plants for free!

Seriously. Native plants. Find out what plants are native to your area and get your hands on either the plants, or seeds.

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Google host plants native to your area! 

Host plants are plants that specific insect species rely on for their life cycle, for instance, monarch butterflies rely on milkweed plants for their life-cycle, and part of the reason they’re endangered is because milkweed is being destroyed! They are losing their habitat!

But the good news is that even a single plant can make a difference! If monarchs are native to your area, find out what species of milkweed are also native, and start growing them!

_____________________

Here’s a list of host plants for Pennsylvania:

Monarch Butterflies, Large Milkweed Bug, Milkweed Tussock Moth, Red Milkweed Beetle:

Common milkweed (asclepias syriaca)

Butterfly milkweed (asclepias tuberosa)

Whorled Milkweed, (asclepias verticillata)

Swamp Milkweed (asclepias incarnata)

Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly:

Pawpaw tree (asimina triloba)

Black Swallowtail Butterfly:

Domestic Carrots

Dill (Anethum graveolens)

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)

Fennel (foeniculum vulgare)

Common Rue (ruta graveolens)

Queen Anne’s Lace / Wild carrots  (daucus carota)

Common Buckeye Butterfly:

Narrowleaf plantain  (plantago lanceolata)

Common Greater Plantain (plantago major)

Blue Toadflax (nuttallanthus canadensis)

Squash Vine Borer Moth:

uh I don’t think it’s picky. Any kind of pumpkins or squash.

It’s always as soon as I try to write them down that I forget them all. I know I’m forgetting something obvious.

Please feel free to add more to the list, as long as you tell people where they’re native to! 

For example, despite also being a host plant for monarch butterflies, you should absolutely not plant tropical milkweed in Pennsylvania!

And in reverse, you wouldn’t want to plant common milkweed in Florida!

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Seed Bombs:

Seed bombs are usually used for guerilla gardening, which is growing plants on property you don’t own, like abandoned lots, along sidewalks, grafting fruiting branches onto flowering trees, and sometimes putting plants in potholes, but that part’s mostly to get the city to fix the pot hole than anything else.

I use them to seed bomb wildflowers where I’ve already seen them growing, so that I know they’ll survive, and to increase the genetic diversity. Hillsides where plants are allowed to grow freely, the edges of woods, unused railroad tracks, ect. 

You can make seed bombs with either clay or paper. For clay ones, you just mix air dry clay with some soil or compost, and seeds, roll into balls or other shapes, and allow to dry.

To make them with paper, you need a blender. You shred the paper up, stick it in a blender with some water, and blend it until it’s mush. Then dump it into a cloth to wring out the extra water, mix in the seeds, and form into shapes. Paper doesn’t roll into a ball very easily, but you can squish it into stars and other shapes. 

You might also be able to use a cookie cutter if you roll it out, but I haven’t tried that yet. That would probably also work for clay!

Seed bombs are mainly used for guerilla gardening, but they can also be used just to save time in the garden! I always forget to plant sunflowers, but now that I’ve made sunflower seed bombs, I just have to drop them where I want them to grow, and then wait! 

You can check my seed bombs tag at Rjalker.tumblr.com/tagged/seed-bombs to see the ones I’ve made! There are also tons of tutorials on youtube! 

I don’t have any videos on how to make them yet because I don’t have anything to hold my phone with.

Guerilla gardening can also involve actually planting plants, instead of throwing seed bombs, but I haven’t done that yet. I’m probably going to this year (2021) though since I found an invasive winberry bush in the woods that I want to replace with an actual native raspberry.

Seed bombing is a lot more subtle and less likely to get you in trouble than physically digging into the ground and planting flowers. All you gotta do is toss a little ball of clay and walk away. 

_____________________

Spreading information:

This can be done lots of ways. Making social media posts, making tutorials on youtube, ect. I’m (obviously) making tumblr posts, and when it’s warm outside I’m going to give away free seedlings, and I’m also making tons of signs that I’m putting all over the front garden showing people what Monarch butterfly caterpillars look like, and what a host plant is, so that they know!

Because not a lot of people know how monarch butterflies actually work or why they’re endangered. They just know they’re endangered. The don’t know what the caterpillars look like or even know what common milkweed is.

So I’m making sure people know what common milkweed is, what it looks like, what the caterpillars look like, and how to keep them safe and make sure they survive to adulthood!

_____________________

Starting a community garden...or at least getting close!

If you can’t grow things yourself, but you can make seed bombs or save seeds? You can make seed bombs or seed packets with native plant seeds in them and either give them away for free, or sell them! (everyone needs money!)

I found biodegradable seed bags where you bury the whole thing (like those cardboard seed pots you always see, except these actually work), so I’m going to be giving away tons of free food and native plant seedlings in the spring and summer, where all people have to do is bury the whole thing either in a bigger pot, or straight in the ground! 

If you can garden, and don’t have to deal with an obnoxious landlord of HOA, you can go even further and have an actual community garden, where you grow food and vegetables specifically so that people can walk in and take them!

I can’t do that, since I live in an apartment (it used to be two houses that were converted into appartments, so we do have a yard that we garden in, but we don’t own it, so we can’t just let people wander through), but if I manage to grow anything, I will be giving away the produce on the sidewalk out front! 

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Being a responsible pet owner. 

Unlike the above which are all optional, these things are mandatory.

Cats:

Keep your cats inside! They are literally an invasive species no matter where you live on this planet!

They actively destroy any ecosystem they are introduced to and have driven over sixty species extinct!

Native bird and small animal species are literally going extinct because of domestic cats! The Scottish Wildcat is going extinct because of domestic cats! There is nowhere on this planet domestic cats are native to, and if you think there is, you literally just do not understand what domestication is or what an invasive species is!

Keep your cats inside! Not only are you abusing those animals by forcing them to fend for themselves, not only are you allowing them to destroy other people’s property, you are actively destroying your local ecosystem!

Dogs:

When you take your dog for a walk, or take your dog out on a hike, clean up after them!

Long explanation short: What comes out of an environment is okay to go back into it! It’s the circle of life!

But your dog is eating dog food made nowhere near those woods you’re hiking through, made with things that are not found in those woods, so leaving their waste is, technically fertilizer, but not the right kind!

Your dog is not part of that environment, so its waste is going to do much more harm than good, and if you think it’s not a big deal because “it’s just one dog” well, that’s what every other person who does the same thing thinks! And guess what! It’s doing a whole lot of harm! 

Clean up after your dog! Make sure their waste goes where it belongs--the trash!

Fish:

Do not release pet fish into rivers or lakes or ponds. You might think this is obvious but no, it is unfortunately not. Domestic fish are invasive species and can and will wreak havoc into whatever environment they’re released into. Don’t do it. Google “invasive goldfish” if you don’t believe me.

_____________________

And that’s the stuff I can think of off the top of my head! Please feel free to add on more info if you can think of it!

Please tag as “long post” when you reblog!

[mirkwoodshewolf]

You’ll always be my brother mine; Queen x reader

*Author's note*

Okay get the tissues out my fellow readers because this one WILL make you cry. For this is the LAST chapter with John Deacon in the Rock Angel's life.  After this, Deacy will only be lovingly mentioned but will not have another physical appearance. I also want ALL of you to listen to the music choices down below as well as watch the music video above (cause it will REALLY pull your heartstrings and set the mood for this chapter). Up next we're gonna make quite a huge time leap cause next chapter were gonna get into some current events that has happened with Queen/Rock Angel. So be prepared for the next chapter(s).

MUSIC VIDEO HERE

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things

@waddles03

@psychosupernatural

@simonedk

@ixchel-9275

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels

@queensdivas

@queen-paladin

@queendeakyy

@wormzteef

@bohemiansweede

@labessieisallama

@naturalswifty89

@starswin

@isabella-bby

@5sos-wdw

@geek-and-proud

@onebigfangirlworld

@ssa-sadboi

_________________________________________________________

*Nov. 28th, 1997. Deacy's POV*

I had only agreed to come here to do this one last thing. My last music video that I would ever do with Queen, I had already completed my last live performance with Brian and Roger along with Elton back in Paris but without Freddie it just wasn't the same. Now we were making the music video for a song that Brian had written years ago just shortly after Freddie died.

I was sitting by myself along Roger's bar area (we had assembled at his place to do a mock rehearsal of the song before recording tomorrow) with my bass guitar resting on my lap when Roger came in and said.

"You doing okay?"

"Define okay." I told him.

"You're right. Dumb question. But—in all seriousness John, it really means a lot to us that you agreed to do this video."

"All I keep hearing is Freddie telling me 'darling if you don't get in front of that camera, I'll kick your arse from here to Glasgow'." The two of us chuckled softly.

"Well the team's already to go for tomorrow guys, we'll start filming at 9am sharp. We feel good about this?" Brian came up to us and asked.

"Actually, we can't do this video just yet." I told them.

"Why not?" asked Brian. "It's not much like any of our previous videos have been. We're in the perfect location and we're willing to perform this live instead of going through playback."

"It's not about missing something Brian, it's—someone."

"Look Deacy. We all miss him, but he'd still want—"

"I'm not talking about Freddie, Brian." I snapped before taking a deep breath and calming myself down.

"John I don't even know if she'd be interested in wanting to return to work. After the trail she's been—" Roger said softly before exhaling deeply. "But I can give Jack a call and see."

"No need. I booked a flight to Montreux, if I can convince her, we should be back tonight. Late." The two of them looked at each other and Brian said.

"Alright Deacy, we'll let you go get her. But don't get your hopes too high if she says no."

"Believe me, I know what she's going through. I almost didn't want to do this either. It feels wrong even continuing without Freddie, but—with this being the very last time I'll ever perform for Queen. I need at least one more performance with the Rock Angel. You guys need to give me this."

"We are. Bring our angel home." Roger said as he clasped his hand on my shoulder. I nodded before packing my bass up and headed off for the airport.

After a 2 hour flight, I arrived in Montreux airport and got a cab to take me to the Kline vacation home. It was another hour, hour and a half drive but finally the driver pulled up along the driveway. It was completely silence in the front yard, almost like a graveyard.

I got out of the car and walked up the gravel road, up onto the sidewalk and finally up the few stairs before finally standing before the door. Taking a deep breath I knocked on the door and waited for a couple of minutes. Soon enough a young girl opened the door, she had long (h/c) and familiar (e/c) that she inherited from her mother.

"Uncle Deacy?"

"Hello Kelly." I greeted with a warm smile. She smiled at me and hugged me.

God she had gotten so big since I last saw her. She was really starting to look more and more like her mother each and every day.

"My dear Kelly, look at you." she looked up at me and said.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was wondering if I could speak to your mum?"

"Yeah, of course. She's down in the basement with the boys." Kelly allowed me to enter inside and the first thing I see as I walk through the door was old Sammy, the Kline family's golden retriever. Already he was showing signs of aging around his nose and eyes. But when he saw me, he raised his head up and I saw his tail wag.

"Hello Sammy. Long time ehh boy?" he stood up and walked towards me and nuzzled against my hand. I stroked down his head when Kelly said.

"That's the first time I've seen him move so much since Bucky died." I turned to her in shock. "Brain tumor. We had to put him down last month and it was hard for all of us, Sammy especially." I looked down at Sammy and he looked up at me with those sad brown eyes of his as he let out a sad, soft whimper.

I scratched through his head as I walked over toward the basement stairs. I opened the door and walked down the U-shaped half-pace staircase. All the while I could hear some orchestra music playing and the sound of some creature bellowing before finally hearing someone say.

"How fast are they?"

"Well we clocked the T-Rex at 32 mph." As I came down to the bottom of the stairs, there at a desk surrounded by books and wearing prescription glasses was my sister dear while on the leather couch playing on the big TV was a movie that I wasn't quite too familiar with.

"T-T-Rex? You said you got a T-Rex?" Georgie quoted alone with the woman on screen while the old man nodded.

"Say again?" Jackson quoted along with the actor on screen.

"We have a T-Rex." The old man repeated. The actor on screen then started acting faint while the woman tried to get him steady and that's when the old man said.

"Dr. Grant, my dear Dr. Sattler."

"Welcome—to Jurassic Park." The twins quoted along with the old man on screen. Then soon enough dinosaurs were shown on the screen and I'll admit it was quite a sight to behold.

Never have I seen practical effects like that when it came to dinosaur films. Whatever film this is, I'll have to check it out for myself.

When I turned towards (y/n) I noticed that she turned her head away from her books and paper just to watch the television. I shook my head at her. Some things never change. I even saw her mouth out the next quote that was spoken on screen.

"Some things never change with you sister dear." She turned around to face me, as did the boys and they raced towards me exclaiming.

"Uncle John! Uncle John!" soon I was tackled down to the ground by these big boys. I smiled down at them as the two of them talked over each other trying to speak to me.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat threw up. And I see you finally cut that raggedy mullet of yours." My sister teased.

"Haha, very funny." I mocked up at her.

"What brings you around here?" she asked me.

"A brother figure can't see his surrogate sister anymore?" I asked as I stood back up with the twins still clinging onto my sides.

"Not that I'm complaining but, you haven't really came around since......" she looked away before grabbing the remote and turning the movie off.

"Awww mum! We wanted to keep watching the film!" the twins whined.

"Georgie, Jackson you both have seen the film over a million times. Besides you two got chores to do that you both forgot to do yesterday."

"But, but, but....."

"Now boys. You mind your mother and don't argue back with her." I lectured them giving them my father eye.

"Yes Uncle John." They both said glumly before they walked up the stairs.

"I swear they both got their father's handsome looks but their uncle Jensen's laziness." (y/n) complained which made me softly chuckle.

"They're little boys. And believe me it'll get worse, cause they're what seven now?" she nodded. "So yeah get ready. Ten is probably the age they'll really push your buttons."

"Well thanks for the heads up."

*My POV*

Now don't get me wrong, I love Deacy and I'm always happy to see him (on the rare occasions that he does come around) but this visit has something else written all over it.

"What film was that exactly?" he asked me.

"A Steven Spielberg masterpiece, Jurassic Park. Since it gets scary at around the middle part I don't allow the boys to watch this film alone without either me or Jack in the room."

"And what's with all the books? I haven't seen you this swamped since your first days as Miami's intern."

"Well—believe it or not. I'm finishing college."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh. You see since I left college once I became the Rock Angel, and with me taking a step back from the spotlight for a while. I enrolled at a University here about to graduate with an English degree."

"I'm proud of you (y/n). Really I am. And—I know he would be too if he heard that." See there it was. The reason behind his sadness. Sometimes Deacy couldn't even say his name without feeling such agonizing heartache. His eyes that were once filled with light had diminished and rarely sparked up anymore.

"What about you? How are you and the other two aging Queens getting along?" I asked as I took off my reading glasses.

"We're getting by. Day by day. We're—actually about to do a video for a song Brian's made." Okay, I think I know where this is going.

"Deacy—I appreciate the offer but I just.....don't think I'm ready to get back into the limelight just yet. Plus I got school to finish up. And then there are the kids and Jack. The press made my life hell throughout the trial and I refuse to go through that again. So you can tell Roger that I'm not interested."

"Actually it wasn't Roger's idea for me to come down here and have you work with us again. Nor was it Brian's." I looked at him in shock.

"You mean you want me to be a part of this video you're doing?"

"Yes. They told me you might not want to but please, sister dear, for old time's sake. You wouldn't want to break an old man's heart now would you?" he proceeded with the puppy dog eyes and with that greying hair on his head it just made him look like a sad old puppy dog.

"Why must you always get your way?"

"Because I'm your brother and you fall for it every time." I sighed heavily and said.

"Let me get a hold of Jack at the hospital and see what he says." I stood up as Deacy came behind me and said in an alarmed tone.

"Wait? What happened to Jack? Is he alright? He didn't do anything stupid did he?"

"Deacy, Deacy relax. Jack's fine he's with our son."

"Wait you're....." it was then he finally noticed my body shape. The post-pregnant belly and weight gain.

"Was. Yeah. Just 2 weeks ago we had our new baby boy."

"Oh (y/n). Congratulations. But—then why is he......"

"The thing is, he wasn't supposed to come till next January. I gave birth to him prematurely by 2 months." I said sadly as I finally arrived at the phone and touched it.

"I'm so sorry poppet. Had I known I would've never—"

"No need for apologizes or sympathy Deacy. Like I told you once a long time ago about my parents. I didn't tell you so you have no reason to feel sorry for me. Besides our boy's strong. He's shown great improvement. Doctor says we could possibly bring him home come this weekend."

"That's good. But knowing Roger and Brian, they'll be wanting pictures of him shortly."

"And what about you? Don't you want to see a picture of your new nephew?"

"Of course I do." There was a bit of hesitation to the way he responded but I set it aside for now as he asked me, "What's the lad's name?" After he said that, it was my turn to hesitate cause I didn't want Deacy to grow sad again.

"You promise me you won't get too heartbroken when I tell you?"

"So long as you didn't name him Adam, Paul or Steve I think we'll be good." I turned to face my brother and I said.

"It was no difficult decision, Jack and I agreed that this name just suited him perfectly and we—we knew he would've loved it too. Our last and newborn baby's name is Freddie Mercury Kline." I immediately picked up the phone and rang the hospital for Jack.

After awhile of Jack and I talking back and forth between one another, he agreed that he could handle the kids for a couple of days, man down the house, and even look over my final paper that I have to turn in in a couple of weeks for a class.

"Thanks babe. How's our boy doing?"

'Ahh (y/n) you should see him, he's glowing like the sun right now. Maybe when we do get to take him home, we can even get the rest of the Queen family to see him.'

"We don't want to overwhelm him so much." I lectured.

'I know. But I think it's time we told the rest of Queen didn't we? Especially after who we named him after.'

"Well half the job is done. Only Brian and Roger need to know."

'Yeah. Hey can you give me regards to Deacy?'

"Sure thing love. We'll stay here till you get home."

'Baby you know Kelly's old enough to keep the boys under control till I come back.'

"I don't know Jack, I mean yeah she's a pre-teen but I don't....."

'Trust me (y/n). She's clever just like her mom. She knows right from wrong. The kids will be fine. But if it makes you feel any better, I'll head home right now so that way she won't have to be responsible for too long.' I rolled my eyes and said.

"Thank you Jack. I'll be back on Monday, I promise."

'Take as much time as you need. Besides, you need to catch up with the guys.'

"You're right love. I love you Jack, give my baby a kiss for me before you leave."

'Will do mama lion. Give the guys my love for me when you see them.'

"I will." We then said bye to each other before I hung up the phone. "Alright, Jack's on his way from the hospital, he said Kelly can watch the twins until he comes back."

"She's responsible that girl of yours. Reminds me of you when we first met. You made sure everything got organized and planned out accordingly. Hell you managed to keep the four of us in line." I smiled and gathered up my school stuff to take into the study room.

After turning the TV, off and putting my books away I called the kids into the master bedroom while I packed a weekend night bag.

"Okay now listen you three, mum's going away for the weekend with your uncle Deacy to see your other uncle as well as your godfather to do some work. Your father is on his way home from seeing your brother, and until he gets back you're in charge Kelly."

"What!?" the twins proclaimed.

"You heard her." Kelly sassed down at her younger brothers.

"Now you all know the rules, stay inside, no trashing the house, no answering the phone for any reason at all unless the caller ID says its your father or another family member. And absolutely; No one. Sets. Foot. In my study or studio or else." I firmly stated to them, especially the last part.

"We promise mum." They all choired out.

"Good. Now stay safe, and listen to your sister boys. I'll be back on Monday. Now come on kisses and cuddles." I knelt down and got a hug from my three big kids.

I even told them to give their uncle Deacy cuddles and kisses, which he happily accepted, before the two of us headed out back for the taxi car to take us back to the airport.

After a few hours in the air, Deacy and I arrived into London by about 7pm and this time I paid a cabbie to take us over to Roger's place. God all this traveling is really making me jet lagged right now. I only hope I have enough energy to record tomorrow.

The next day we were all in the recording studio to film the music video of Brian's song. I was sitting at the piano with Brian who was giving me the rundown on how to play the tune when it came for my appearance in the video.

"So—how have things been for you lately?" asked Brian. I looked up at him, "I mean it's just—you went underground after the trail and we—got worried."

"I'm sorry I worried you guys. I just......needed some time to myself and my family, that's all."

"No, no we understand. God what—what happened that day was extremely traumatic for you and—"

"Brian. Can.....can we not discuss anything regarding him. Please?"

"Sure, sure, absolutely." God sometimes I hate it when Brian wakes eggshells around me.

"I'm finishing up school."

"Really?" I nodded.

"I'm studying Creative writing. By next spring I'll graduate from college and finally get my diploma."

"That's wonderful news (y/n). I'm so proud of you." he wrapped an arm around me and gave me a one armed hug and kissed the top of my head.

"Also—there's.....a new Kline in the household." He looked down at me surprised.

"You mean—"

"Had him two weeks ago. Prematurely though." His brows knitted in that familiar sympathetic way.

"Oh (y/n), I'm so sorry. Are they....."

"He is doing just fine. Even for being born 2 months early, he's already got the Kline lion strength."

"I'm sure he does. What's the lads name?" I took out my wallet from my inner coat pocket and took out a picture of him from his incubator.

"Jack and I both agreed on the name together. Bri, meet your newest nephew. Freddie Mercury Kline." His eyes looked right at mine, with awe but also a hint of sadness. But a wide smile spread across his face as he softly laughed out.

"God what he would've said knowing that he got one of us to finally name our next kid after him."

"Probably something like 'about fucking time darling. I was beginning to think I'd been neglected.'" We both chuckled softly.

"That is something he would say. Oh and I bet he would've doted on this little chap, just as he had with all of your other kids." I nodded solemnly.

"God I wish he were still here." He placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and lay his head down on top of mine, his curls gingerly stroking my forehead and nose.

"We all do poppet. We all do." I sniffled softly but pushed back the tears.

"Alright, enough of this chatter. Now for this part of the song it goes like this right?" I said shrugging him off before playing the chords he had taught me at the butt-crack of dawn before we even came to the studio.

Finally we were ready to film the video. First Brian, Rog and Deacy got into position with Bri at the piano, Deacy on a stool with a bass guitar, and Roger in the back with his drumkit.

I couldn't help but be touched at the reminder of cups full of beer and a champagne glass sitting right along the piano's edge. It was—a nice little touch that Freddie would've appreciated.

This music video......I'll admit that this is probably my favorite out of all the Queen music videos. Because now people will get to see what it was like on a daily basis with us. Almost like they are a familiar face stepping into the recording studio.

The director called for quiet on the set and I stayed back for awhile until it would be my time to go up there and soon the director called out action! The camera's rolled and I watched as a camera crane came down from the ceiling at a slow pace.

I then saw at men on the mobile camera slowly moved closer across the studio to really give that first person POV as Brian sang the first verse and played the piano. Already hearing him sing this song made my heart .

*Brian*

A hand above the water An angel reaching for the sky Is it raining in heaven Do you want us to cry?

And everywhere the broken-hearted On every lonely avenue No one could reach them No one but you

One by one Only the good die young They're only flyin' too close to the sun And life goes on Without you

Next up was Roger. The cameras slowly came towards him as he played the simple drumbeat and he took over the vocals of the second verse. By that time, Brian had switched over to his Red Special and stood a few feet away from Deacy while I took over at the piano.

But to surprise the fans; I had a hoodie to cover my entire face as I now took over playing the piano.

*Roger*

Another tricky situation I get to drownin' in the blues And I find myself thinkin' Well, what would you do?

Yes, it was such an operation Forever paying every due Hell, you made a sensation (sensation) You found a way through (found a way through)

*All*

One by one Only the good die young They're only flyin' too close to the sun *Roger*

We'll remember Forever

When it was finally my turn, I took the hoodie off and proceeded to play the piano as I sung the third voice. My heart was heavy and my throat felt like clenching up but I kept my sorrow at bay in order to get this done in one take.

Cause I knew if I didn't, then there's probably no way I could keep my composure after three takes of singing this verse. Because all that came through my mind were the good memories of Freddie, and how I couldn't even believe that he was really gone. Even though almost 6 years have passed.

*Me*

And now the party must be over I guess we'll never understand The sense of your leaving Was it the way it was planned?

And so we grace another table And raise our glasses one more time There's a face at the window And I ain't never, never sayin' goodbye

By the end of it all, the video would show Queen and the Rock Angel singing the song with such sorrow but passion as we sung it in honor of our beloved Freddie.

Soon all four of us were gathered around the piano, Deacy still sitting on his stool, but Brian, Roger and I were gathered close together with music sheets in our hands. I stood by Roger and would sing the first line before finding myself unconsciously leaning against him for support.

Thankfully he didn't see anything wrong with it as he wrapped an arm around me and took the next part before Brian would be the one to finish it since he was the one to start it.

*All*

One by one Only the good die young They're only flyin' too close to the sun *Me*

Cryin' for nothing *Roger*

Cryin' for no one *Brian*

No one but you

The video would then close off as the camera would rise up over the four of us gathered around the piano. The lights shutting off and us acting like we were now leaving the studio after a hard day's work.

"Cut! Okay Brian, come and see what you like and what we need to reshoot." The director called out and both he and Brian began speaking to each other as Bri reviewed the footage.

As I watched Bri talk to the director, I felt a slight nudge at my shoulder and I looked up to see Deacy. His eyes were sad but the smile across his face held some warmth to it. I leaned my head against his chest and I felt his hand rest on top of my head, gently scratching my scalp.

"You still got it poppet."

"Singing to the kids still keeps my pipes in check." I felt him gently kiss the top of my head when the director called out.

"Alright Mrs. Kline. We're gonna runback from your verse, your hair got in the way of your face too much." I nodded and soon someone from the hair department came and brushed my hair back out of my face. As well as take a couple of hairpins to make sure the strands didn't get in my face again.

Deacy walked back towards his stool and Brian went to grab his guitar once again while Rog twirled his sticks.

"Okay playback from the third verse." The music picked back up and the cameras rolled and I sung the third verse once again, this time I could feel myself choking up as I sang the verse again.

This continued to go on with reshoots, trying to make this video even better. By the fifth time singing it, I needed to step out and take a breather because at this point I was just about to breakdown crying. Luckily for me, Deacy was right there for me the whole time till I calmed down and was ready to go back to recording.

Four hours later, the video was complete. Once the director as well as the boys were satisfied with the results, it was time to head home. Roger insisted that I stay with him the next couple of days (because he wanted to know more about his new godson) as well as catch up with one another. As I placed my coat back on over me, I heard Deacy's voice say my name softly.

"What is it Deacy?"

"Can I—can I talk to you for a moment? Privately." The look in his eyes were full of regret, almost like he didn't even want to tell me whatever it was he wanted to say.

"Sure Deacy, let me just tell dad to wait up for me." He nodded while I raced off towards Roger and told him that I needed to talk with Deacy.

From behind his new circular prescription shades (kinda similar to what ole Ozzy has), I could see that he must've known what Deacy wanted to tell me.

I walked back towards Deacy who took my hand and led me out of the studio and out into the abandoned hallways. No one was there but us two.

"Alright John Deacon, what's really going on?" he refused to look me in the eye.

"I—the reason why I wanted you to be a part of this music video was because I......I wanted to work with you. One last time." My heart slowly sunk. "Freddie he—he was what made Queen the way it was from the beginning. Without him there......th-there just isn't any need for Queen to continue on."

I remained silent as John confessed his heartbreaking news. I could see the redness of tears at the corner of his eyes.

"I just can't continue with all this. Not without him. This—was my last contribution to Queen. And—I wanted it to also be the last time I worked alongside the Rock Angel as well." He went silent again. "I'm sorry love." He sniffled.

I reached out and softly took his hands in mine. When he felt my touch, his eyes finally looked right at me. I looked at him with pure empathy before walking closer to him till I finally embraced him.

Play video

Oh my poor brother, I felt him tense up underneath my touch. It was almost like he was expecting me to go full on hysterical about him retiring from music forever.

"I was a fan before I met you guys. I've read every interview you guys ever did, seen all the concerts. And never have I seen a band be so involved with each other as Queen has. Like me, Freddie took you under his wing and allowed you to soar. You never just became the 'bass player', or the 'quiet guy in the corner'. No you, John Richard Deacon, are the most vital and important piece that was needed for Queen to finally rise to the top. And Fred saw that in you."

I cupped his face in my hands as I continued,

"If this is what will bring you peace, I'll understand."

"You knew my reason all along, didn't you?" he said. I only gave him a soft smile before I embraced him.

"You will always be my brother mine." He slowly raised his arms and wrapped them around my back and he whispered his last words to me.

"And you'll forever be my sister dear." We remained there in each other's arms. Embracing each other as tightly as we could, inhaling each other's scents, remembering each other's touch.

Because I knew that once we let go, this would be the last time we would ever see each other again.

Finally I forced myself to release him from my embrace. I looked down sadly trying not to cry in front of him. I felt his hand cup the side of my face and his forehead press up against mine.

Our noses softly grazing one another's until I finally felt him give me one final kiss on the cheek.

When I opened my eyes, I only saw his back and heard as his shoes clicked along the hallway. That image would forever be imprinted into my brain for as long as I live.

"Goodbye......my sweet, sweet John Deacon." I whispered softly. The tears then softly fell down my face as he finally turned left and disappeared from my sights, leaving me all alone in the hallway.

After a while I finally left the studio and met Roger at his car. The hidden tearstains still glistening on my face and the occasional sniffle coming out. He didn't say a word as he looked at me knowingly, I looked up at him and ran into his chest and softly wept into his shoulder.

His father instincts toward me immediately kicked in as he wrapped his arms around me and tried his best to comfort me. God I tried so badly to not let this affect me. I knew where Deacy was coming from and I do respect his decision, I truly do, but—I just can't believe that even after this I'll never get to see my brother mine again.

It was like losing my parents all over again, except this was much, much worse. This time he'll be so close yet so far away.

*FF to May 14th, 1998*

I had done it. I was a college graduate at last. Earlier today I had finally done the famed college graduation walk that all my previous friends in college got to do all those years ago, and I was an official college graduate.

(Y/n) Kline, Bachelor's degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing.

It was late afternoon and I was sitting up along the balcony of the vacation home with a glass of wine in hand. We all had just gotten back from a family dinner in celebration of my graduation, now I wanted to be at peace and watch the sunset.

Because starting tomorrow, I decided that it was time to head back to our home in London and I wanted to get back to work.

"Thought I'd find you up here." I heard Jack's voice say. I smiled as I turned towards him.

"I was wondering if you'd be joining me."

"Well you know as well as I do that if those twins of ours are left unattended during their bath, they'll drown the entire bathroom in soap again."

"God that was such a nightmare to clean up." I laughed as he came up and sat down close beside me on my lawn chair. I noticed in his hands he held some mail. "What all did we get?"

"Well some bills, junk mail, some congratulation cards from the family back home in America, as well as from Brian and Roger, and.....that's it." I extended my hand out and he handed me the mail and I began sorting out the business mail from the personal one.

It was then I came across an interesting letter. One I never though I'd expect to see.

"What's this?" I turned the letter towards him and that's when Jack's face went pale. For you see the letter was addressed to Jack but the place it was from is what had me curious. The letter was from the London Police Academy.

"Oh shit." He muttered.

"C'mon Jack spill it, what is this?"

"I really didn't want to make a big deal out of this, especially since these past few months were all about you."

"Jack." I warned him since he was getting off the subject. He sighed heavily before he took the letter from my hands and said.

"Okay. Do you remember when I had gone up to London, and I told you that I was just going up there to check on the house?" I nodded. "Well, I lied. The truth is—I went to apply for the London Police Academy because—I want to become a police officer, and eventually a criminal detective."

"Jack."

"I know I must sound crazy but, this was my decision. After what happened to us with—you know. For the past year and a half and then....dealing with the trail. It put all of us through hell. And I—I don't want us or for anyone else to go through the pain that we went through. That bastard nearly tore this family apart, and it was because of the law that he got away with it every time. Creeps like him shouldn't get off scot-free."

I hugged my husband as tightly as I could and I said with a wide smile.

"I'm so proud of you."

"Really?" I separated from him and continued.

"You're my husband and you've been so supportive of me for years. It's about time I was supportive of you in your dream career."

"Well I don't even know if I even got in, that's probably what this letter is."

"Then what are you waiting for? Open it!" I chuckled and opened up the envelope and soon took out the folded letter and read it to himself.

"I—I got in."

"Oh my darling that's fantastic! Congrats!" I hugged and kissed him.

"Well hold on, this just means that I'm a potential candidate for a chance at working for the London Police force. There's still like a six month process when it comes to actually getting in. Right now I'm just joining the academy for some training."

"Still, that's something to be proud of. Oh Jack, you're gonna be a fantastic officer. And soon a world-class detective. A regular Sherlock Holmes if you will." I teased the last part as I bopped his nose.

"I don't think I can be that good. But—I'll try my best. For you, for our kids, and for every other stalking victims out there. The law may have failed us, but I won't let it fail for those in the future." I smiled at my loving husband and cupped his face and kissed him. "Oh and there's something for you inside."

"Really? Another surprise?"

"Well it's more like a small package. And sadly it's not from me." I looked at him confused.

"Then who is it from?" he shrugged but led me inside back into our bedroom where the small package lay at the foot of our bed. I opened it up and inside there was a single videotape. It had no marking or writing on it to indicate what it was.

The two of us looked at each other perplexed before I went towards our VHS player and insert the tape into it. I turned the TV on and the screen was blue as the tape finally began to play.

Coming up on the screen sitting right on a couch was none other than John.

"Hello (y/n), Jack. And the young Kline cubs, if they are there." He softly chuckled with a slight smile. Jack sat down beside me on the foot of our bed as we continued to watch Deacy's tape. "(Y/n), my darling sister dear. I know that—my leaving from Queen may seem like another abandonment but I swear to you it's not."

"Seems like this is just for you both, I'll just—"

"And Jack you stay right there with her because this is for you too." Jack looked at the telly surprised.

"Holy shit that was creepy."

"Our Deacy knows all." I wrapped my arms around my husband's arm as Deacy continued.

"Now—I have known you both for a long time. And both of you have equally been such an important part of my life. So it breaks my heart to know that this—might be the last time we meet face to face. But there is no doubt in my mind that you both are going to change the world. (Y/n), my lovely Rock Angel, you continue to spread your wings and fly. I know that you're going to continue to be the brightest and biggest solo female rockstar this world will ever know. And Jack, my pupil, my dearest American friend. You continue to protect your family, because if there's one final piece of advice that I can give you, it's that family is forever. Friends may come and go, but family is forever. And I know that whatever you choose to do with your life, your wife is gonna be there to support you. You both were meant for each other. I love you both so much. Continue to love, to give, to inspire, and......be happy. Bye."

The screen went black for a moment before he came back on screen and he began to say.

"Kelly, Jackson, Georgie and—little baby Freddie." At that point I stopped the tape and I turned to face Jack. I could already see the faint tears in his eyes.

Play video

"So this is really it huh?" Jack asked. I nodded. "I—can't believe we'll never get to actually talk to Deacy again." I rested my head on his shoulder and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"This is just his way of grieving. Deacy's very fragile right now. You know how his childhood was, and losing Freddie at three years his father's age. It's like—losing two father figures to him."

"I know. It's just that....." Jack looked at me with tears in his eyes.

Jack really did look up to Deacy for everything. After all they've been through for over 10 years together, to Jack it was like he was losing a very good friend.

"I know my love, I know. But this is what Deacy needs. To be with just his family now, and not be reminded of the pain of losing Freddie. And who knows—maybe, and this is a slight maybe, we might see him again. But until then we need to respect his wishes." Jack nodded and the two of us cuddled close together as we were both thinking the same thing.

We hope that you're happy at home John Richard Deacon.

[venusandromedadjarin]

Little Gremlin

Ch. 8, A Glint of Beskar

18+ eventual smut, 1.5k words

You look up from playing with the child in the swamp outside the Razor Crest when Mando’s boots thud on the ramp. “Do you know what used to sit above this planet?” The helmet looks down towards you as he approaches and scoops up the kid who currently has frog legs sticking out of his mouth. His big green ears twitch as his dad sits down with him in his arms, then he suddenly slurps the legs into his mouth, swallowing hard. You laugh before looking up towards the sky.

“The Death Star, if I remember right.” Mando nods, urging you to go on, “I don’t know much about it though, other than that it was destroyed.”

“It was. I don’t know much either, but I know before that happened, the Death Star was moved.” He looks down at the dirt, a few sprigs of green popping up here and there. “The planet was sterilized. It’s desolate.”

“Then why is there a quarry here?”

“My guess is that they aren’t a fighter. They probably got a hold of a starship and made it to the first place they could live alone. The bond isn’t much. I-” He pauses and puts down the kid, who immediately waddles off to find some unlucky specimen to eat. “I want you to come on this hunt.” He stares at you for a few moments, waiting on your response, his helmet tipping to the side at your silence.

“I-okay. What do I need to do?” You’ll probably just be watching the kid, but you don’t understand why you can’t do that from the ship. Plus, there’s a bunch of projects you noticed need to be done: rewiring, cleaning, polishing. You’re a bit taken aback by his proposition, but if it means getting him to talk, there’s no reason not to go.

“Do you know how to shoot a blaster?” He asks as he stands up and offers you a hand, his palm linger in yours longer than it should after pulling you to your feet. He huffs a little from behind the helmet, but you brush it off.

“It’s been a long time, but Teckla taught me,” he hands you one and you run through the basics of safety before looking at it further. Your shoulder bumps his arm while you walk side by side to a clearing where random targets have been set up: old junk from the ship and tree stumps mostly.

“Teckla is the woman who raised you?” His voice has a hint of curiousness that’s carried through the modulator, and you realize you’ve only spoken about her once to him. Even then, you didn’t give him any information.

Taking a stance and lifting the blaster to aim, you start telling him while practicing. He’s silent until you finish:

“When I was a kid on Nevarro, my village was attacked.”

Crack, the first stump splinters in half, sizzling.

“She was an Ardennian who found me in a cellar afterwards.”

Thud, another stump is hit but the thick wood stays solid, only a scorch mark visible.

“Teckla raised me as her own for… 24 years? Taught me everything I know.”

Clink, one of the pieces of scrap metal flys up and then falls back into the dirt.

“Welding, mechanics, languages, all of it.”

Ding, another piece of metal gets scorched.

“I was thirty when I was kidnapped, the only reason I know that is because she was adamant about celebrating. I hate birthdays.”

CRACK, CRACK, the last trunk splits into three pieces after two back to back shots. When you turn around, Mando has his hands on his hips and is staring at you. You’d like to think he’s impressed, but it doesn’t matter because you’re proud of yourself for hitting all the shots after years of no practice.

“She found you in a cellar?”

“Does that mean something to you?” It comes out harder than you meant it, but you stare back at him, waiting for him to admit he knows something. Waiting for him to admit he might know you.

He doesn’t, instead he’s quiet, almost like he’s treading lightly in the conversation. Then, “No. Did she teach you Mando’a?”

Just to be an ass, you answer him in the tongue, “Nayc, ner aliit.” The language was odd, and deepened with context, but you knew he got the gist when his shoulders stiffened.

“Were your family Mandalorians?” You’re oddly aware that he’s moved closer to you during his line of questioning, and now he’s within an arm’s reach. You could reach out and touch him if you wanted to, but you bit your lip and crossed your arms.

“I don’t know. I never saw armor, but I don’t know much about them. My mother was going to tell me some big secret right before the attack,” you look up at him, craning your neck because of how close he is. Above you, the sun was positioned at mid-morning and a few of the moons were still dotting the sky. “There was one other family that stuck to the outskirts of the village, I played with the little boy a lot.”

Mando nods slowly, his silence tripling in length as you stare at him, expecting him to say something. Instead, he turns towards the sound of giggles, heading out to find the child. You take it as your cue to head back to the hull and grab anything you might need.

After hours of walking in the heat, the kid’s ears peeking out of the capsule as he floats behind you both, Mando stops near some logs and puts his big down. A red light blinks steadily, but slowly from inside. The silence hasn’t been awkward, in fact it’s been comfortable, with both of you knowing what the other will do before doing it. He turns away and heads a few yards away where you can see him start picking up firewood.

Even from here, you can see the small change in his movements that imply he’s in pain. By this time, you’d have thought that the Bacta would have healed him fully, but then you remember it might have been too small a dose. As you watch him, you reach into the bag to pull out food. The kid reaches up and tries to grab some from you, so you hand him some jerky that he immediately shoves in his mouth. “Little gremlin!”

Mando drops the fire wood next to you, grunting slightly, before leaning down to make a neat pile, “Step back.” You don’t hesitate to follow directions, and he aims his arm towards the pile, a spurt of fire shooting out. At first the heat is overbearing, but within minutes of the sun dipping below the horizon, you’re grateful. He sits down across from you as you hand him some of the food, curious for a moment as to why he doesn’t start eating right away.

“Oh,” remembering the issue at hand, “do you want me to turn around?”

“No,” he lifts up his helmet just enough to eat and drink, and you try not to stare, but Maker you can’t help it. His lips are so smooth and you can’t help but to imagine what they’d feel like on your skin, on your lips, below your waist. You watch as he chews, oddly turned on by this forbidden skin you’re seeing, even though you’ve seen him pretty much naked. His facial hair is dark brown, almost black and if you squint you can see the smallest amount of curls peeking out of the back of his helmet. His hair shocks you, you thought he would have been clean shaven.

You don’t realize how long you’ve been staring until you notice he isn’t chewing anymore, a glance down tells you he’s done with the food you gave him, but he’s kept helmet pushed up… for your sake? That’s ridiculous.

You flush and quickly turn back to your food. “Sorry,” you say around a full mouth. He chuckles, and without the modulator, the sound is so smooth. It’s still a deep sound, and the thought of hearing his voice without the Beskar wall makes your knees tremble. But you hear the hiss as he pulls it back down over his chin and his breath pushes through the helmet.

You wake up a few hours later, surprised you aren’t shivering now that the fire is out. As your eyes adjust, you feel a heavy piece of fabric over you. The strong scent - Maker, how does it smell so good even though he’s constantly getting it disgustingly dirty? - makes you recognize it as Mando’s cape.

A scuffle from the side of the makeshift camping pit draws your eyes over to it, just as blaster fire lights up the area.

Mando stands with his blaster pointed at someone - a guy with blue skin, from the looks of it - who seems to be suspended in mid air, one hand grabbing at his throat and the other frantically waving a blaster. You immediately grab for the green hand that’s peeking out of the capsule to your left, and the guy drops from the air. Mando steps over him as he tries to lift his blaster, but a heavy boot kicks it and sends it flying into the dirt.

“I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold.”

[cool-plant-locations]

Okay, first post!

Main blog is @rjalker

PSA I’m autistic and I have ADHD. So I ramble.

This blog is going to be a place where I’ll post the locations and pictures of milkweed (and other cool native plants) that I’ve found that are on public land, as well as the dates of pictures taken and any other relevant information, so that anyone else in the area who wants to can come and collect seeds or cuttings for growing in their own area or yard.

I live in Hanover, Pennsylvania, so that’s where most of the locations are going to be relevant to, but I probably won’t live here forever, and other people in Pennsylvania can also submit locations, so that’s why it’s called Pennsylvania milkweed locations.

If enough people are interested I can (or anyone else who wants to can, I don’t own the idea) make another blog for locations anywhere that milkweed grows, but for now I’m going to stick to Pennsylvania.

This blog will mainly be for locating common milkweed, since that’s the most common, but it will also include locations for other types of milkweed, as well as other native plants, like aster, goldenrod, black walnut trees, hickory trees, pawpaw trees, and anything else I find that I think is noteworthy, and that’s somewhere anyone can walk up and collect seeds or cuttings from.

I will try to include image descriptions for any pictures I post, but that will be harder when I’m posting from my phone, because I can’t type very well on it, and usually use speech to text.

I’ll try to include pictures of the plants themselves, as well as the address where they can be found, and a picture of the location on Google Maps or Google Earth so it’s easier to find, and any other relevant information.

If you submit a location, make sure it’s on public land, include pictures if possible, and include the date the pictures were taken, and any other information you think might be relevant.

Uh here’s a bullet point list of examples and the kinds of plants to submit locations for, but this is just off the top of my head. As long as it’s a native plant that you’re interested in growing, that you want other people to be able to get seeds for, feel free to submit it!

Milkweed native to Pennsylvania (Common Milkweed Asclepias Syriaca, Butterfly weed Asclepias Tuberosa, Swamp Milkweed Asclepias Incarnata, Whorled Milkweed Asclepias Verticillata, ect.)

Black Walnut trees (Juglans Nigra)

Butternut trees (Juglans Cinerea)

Oak trees native to Pennsylvania (Quercus _____)

Hickory trees native to Pennsylvania (Carya _____)

Red Mulberry trees (Morus Rubra)

Pawpaw trees (Asimina Triloba)

Goldenrod (Solidago _____)

Crabapple trees native to Pennsylvania (Malus _____)

Native asters like New England Aster, Frost Aster, ect (Symphyotrichum _____)

Blackberries, Raspberries, Black Raspberries, ect.

Blueberries

Ect

In the spring and summer from here on out, I also plan on giving away free seeds and seedlings of many plants including common milkweed (currently the only milkweed species I have a reliable source of seeds for), so I’ll let you know when that’s happening, and if you’re in the area you can come and get some. They’ll be on the sidewalk out front, so all you have to do is walk past and take some. 

(I have a common milkweed plant growing out front by the sidewalk, but please do not take pods or cuttings from her, I’m keeping track of her growth and pod production, and her seeds are in the packets I’m giving away for free anyways)

At some point I’ll learn how to mail things, and then I’ll set up an etsy or ebay shop (whichever one is easier) and sell them, but I don’t know how to do that yet so that’s a job for future me. If anyone has any Mail Things/Sell Things Online For Dummies tips let me know.

I also make and plan to give away seed bombs with native plants in them, so that’s also a thing if you’re in the area in the spring and summer.

Please remember to harvest seeds/fruits respectfully and responsibly. Do not take all available seed pods or fruit. Do not try to dig up the entire plant. Do not purposefully injure the plant. Do not leave trash behind. Taking stem cuttings from common milkweed is not recommended, please try to get seeds before attempting root cuttings unless you really 100% sure know what you’re doing. 

My cashapp is $Rjalker if you would like to leave a tip. (Not that I’ve posted anything yet, lol).

TERFs, Pro-life/anti-choice, anti-maskers, Covid deniers, Trump supporters, anti-BLM, pro-shippers/anti-antis, MAPS, transphobes, aphobes, panphobes, exlusionists including mspec lesbian exclusionists, queerphobes, anti-MOGAI, anti-neopronouns or xenogenders, ect, do not interact. 

[katehuntington]

Title: In Bad Waters - part fourteen Word count: ±4360 words Episode summary: Still in possession of the Winchesters’ belongings, Zoë meets up with the hunters on her next case. When it turns out to be a little more complicated than anticipated, she accepts their help in order to make an important deadline. Part fourteen summary: Laura needs to come to the surface in order to move on, but come hell or high water, she will fight the hunters. Episode warnings: Dark! NSFW, 18+ only! Descriptions of domestic violence/child abuse. Drug use/addiction. Angst, gore, violence, character death. Description of blood, injury and medical procedures/resuscitation. Swearing, alcoholism. Supernatural creatures/entities, mentions of demon possession. Descriptions of torture and murder, drowning. Illegal/criminal practices. Mentions of nightmares and flashbacks. Author’s note: Beta’d by @winchest09 and @deanwanddamons. Also a deep bow to @fangirl-and-medstudent-help​ who was very patient with me when I asked about a hundred medical questions. Thanks, girls! 

Supernatural: The Sullivan Series Masterlist

S1E02 “In Bad Waters” Masterlist

     The moon is full and shines a mystical light upon the lake. Rippling water reflects the shimmer, playfully and silent. Silhouettes of trees mark the slightly hilly horizon under a clear sky. The only thing to break the sound of silence in this calm area just out of town are some geese, bobbing on the surface, their heads under their wings. But those who observe closely, will spot movement on one of the docks. Three figures do what they do best in the still of the night.

     “I could be hunting wolf in Texas right now,” Dean complains, as he drops a bag on the end of the dock, staring up at the moon.      “Could you stop whining? If we hurry it up a bit, you can still make it in time for your heart-removing-beasty.”      Zoë gets down on one knee next to the duffle and starts rummaging through their gear. She feels the wooden planks of the dock vibrate and looks up; Sam is walking towards them.      “The Shire family locked themselves in the house. All the windows and doors are salted and the water has been shut off. There’s no way Laura will be able to enter,” he informs them.      “Good, enough have died over this.” Without further consultation Zoë takes out a pair of goggles and a snorkel in order to fit them.

     “Whoa, what do you think you’re doing?” Sam questions, disapproving.      “That body isn’t gonna come floating up to the surface by itself, is it?” she returns smartly, while adjusting the rubber headband.      “You’re not going down there,” Dean states as he grabs the goggles from her.      “Yes, I am.” Zoë yanks them from his grip again.      “You’re hurt,” Sam argues.      “Oh, would you two fucking stop that already? I’m fine!” Zoë cries out as she shrugs off her leather jacket, not wanting to ruin it when she takes a swim.      “Shhh!” Sam hushes, annoyed, not wanting to wake the entire neighborhood.      “Don’t you ‘shhh’ me. I have to go down there, don’t you see? And so do you,” she says, nodding at the older one of the brothers.      “Me?” he returns, surprised, pointing a finger at himself with a puzzled expression on his face.

     “Sam said it himself; you and I have to stick together, or we’re dead meat. One in the water, two on the dock sounds like a certain death to me, with a vengeful spirit watching our every move. So unless either of you knuckleheads has thought of a plan B...”

     Awaiting a reaction from the boys, her focus bounces from one to the other, her hands placed on her waist. They both keep quiet; there simply isn’t a second option.      “That’s what I thought,” she responds somewhat victoriously, and glances at Dean. “Get into your Hawaii shorts.”      “Wouldn’t you like to see that,” Dean smirks, shedding his leather coat as well. “But, sweetheart, I don’t do shorts.”      Zoë tilts her head and eyes him, but cannot help but to imagine it for a brief moment and suppresses a grin. Then she turns to Sam, addressing the job again.      “Make sure that you’re ready to torch whatever we bring to the surface. Laura might have changed tactics now that we’re closing in on her.” She looks deep into his eyes to make sure he gets her point.      “Fuel, salt and fire standing by. Got it.” He holds up the jerry can, the bag of seasoning and his lighter, which he just got out of his backpack.

     She tosses Dean another pair of goggles and a snorkel. “Good, now let’s get this over with.”      “Ah, come on. Do I have to?” he sighs, dangling the equipment in front of his face.      “If you don’t use them, you’ll be up at the surface more than you are down searching the bottom,” she counters while putting hers on.      “Charming,” Dean grins and hints at the goggles.      “Are you gonna get in the water, or are you afraid to get wet?” Her eyebrow perks up, challenging, before she walks over to the edge and jumps in, coming up again a second later.      The hunter smirks widely, mischief reaching his ears. “Oh no, I’m not afraid. Getting something wet is kinda my specialty.”      Zoë rolls her eyes skyward. “Grow up already and get a move on.”      Grinning, Dean puts his equipment on and glances over his shoulder at his brother for a moment, who can’t help to chortle as soon as he does. Immediately, the older one’s initially gentle gaze turns into an annoyed glare.      “Dude, not funny,” he makes clear.      Sam thinks otherwise. “It’s kind of funny.”      “Let’s see if you still have that smile on your face when you have to burn the smelly swamp kid,” Dean brings to mind.

     With those words he plunges into the water and surfaces next to Zoë. The water feels cold, causing their movements to be slow and heavy. Dean doesn’t like it, never did; he’s out of his element. Zoë on the other hand, seems to feel like a fish in the water. She floats around, the weightlessness more comfortable for her battered body.      “Here, you’ll need this,” Sam tosses them two waterproof flashlights.      Skillfully, they both catch the torches before they sink to the bottom, and Zoë puts her snorkel on her mouth. Sam looks down on them from the dock. He seems worried.      “Be careful, okay? Stay together--”      “Yeah yeah yeah, and be home before five,” Dean intervenes, both dismissing his brother’s concern and reassuring him that it’s going to be fine.      “I’m serious.” He takes a rope out of the duffel as well and throws it in. “Tie yourself together so that you don’t lose each other, this water is turbid.”

     With a sigh, Dean wraps the rope around his waist as Zoë does the same.      Then she glares up at the youngest brother on the wharf again, not amused with the precautions. “Satisfied?”      “I feel bonded already,” Dean comments sarcastically. “Let’s bring her up.”      He bites down on the mouthpiece, takes a deep breath and disappears in the dark waters, followed by the huntress.      Apprehensive, Sam slowly paces up and down the dock while keeping a sharp eye on his surroundings. Everything seems quiet. Lights are on in the several houses which surround the lake, but no one notices them during these dark hours. It feels like ages before his brother and Zoë surface again, but when they do, they’re further away from where they started out. After getting some air they almost instantly go under again, continuing the search. This routine repeats several times, as they comb out the bottom of the lake. Sometimes they are so far off that Sam doesn’t even see them, he just hears the swell of the water in the distance. 

     Impatiently, he tests his lighter as he scans the surface. Then both come up again, but this time they don’t dive under. The sound of splashes carries over the flawless water and soon he sees the two figures swimming towards the dock, dragging something behind them.      “One smelly swamp kid coming right up,” Dean comments, after he removes the snorkel from his mouth.

     Sam is relieved to see that Laura’s remains are still packed in the black body bag. Gracefully, Zoë lifts herself out of the water and sits on the edge of the dock, facing Dean, who’s still in the water. With a sigh she removes her goggles and snorkels as the water runs down her face. Long lashes cling together, her brown hair stuck to her skin as droplets down from her nose and lips. A little out of breath, her chest heaves, the black tank top airtight against her slender body. Even though her cheek is blue, now that her make-up has washed off, she still looks smoking hot and Dean can’t help to notice that.      “What?” she comments when she picks up on the ogling.      “Nothin’,” he recovers quickly. “Let’s fire it up, I thought you were in a hurry.”      “Pass me the bag.” She reaches out, beckoning him to hand over Laura.

     Dean swims to the wharf and grabs the edge while he holds up the heavy body bag, which Zoë pulls ashore. Even through the fabric, they can smell death. She gets up as Sam helps her drag Laura’s body further on the dock, as Dean hoists himself on the dry surface. He slowly approaches them, walking like a bow legged cat who just got home after a heavy rainstorm, while the look on his face can be compared to one of a baby who just ate a slice of lemon.      “You’re so dramatic, know that?” Zoë scoffs.      “What can I say. I adjust to my company,” he bites back.

     Sam shakes his head and doesn’t bother to comment; those two won’t ever stop. He unscrews the cap of the jerry can when suddenly the geese, who were fast asleep on their nests a minute ago, fly up as they honk a warning. The warm night turns cold in a matter of seconds, noticeably dropping several degrees. Dean is confound when he notices his humid breath lingering in the air visibly; Laura is here.

     Alert, he scans the area and then turns to Sam. “Step to it.”      Just as Sam is about to pour the gasoline over the body bag, the jerry can flings from his hand. It flies through the air and lands in the water, several yards from the dock and drifts there, the fluid spreading oil rings on the surface.      “What the hell?” he stammers.      Quickly, Zoë looks over at Dean, but it’s something in the water behind him that catches her attention. Two hauntingly dark eyes stare straight into hers, just over the edge of the dock, right behind where the hunter is standing.

     “Dean, WATCH OUT!” she shouts.

     But it’s too late. As soon as Zoë lets out those words, a pale child’s hand grabs Dean’s ankle and pulls with a strength that wouldn’t be possible even if she was still human. With a loud bang he slams on the dock face first. Staggered by the ambush, he does his best to get a grip on the planks.      “Son of a bitch!” he curses, fighting the strong pull.      “Dean!” Sam hollers.

     Instinctively, Sam rushes towards his brother as Zoë tightens the rope that still connects her to Dean. Deep down she realizes she can’t outdo the spirit’s powers, but she has to try. As fast as she can she tries to reinforce herself by wrapping the rope around an iron bollard, which is normally used to tie boats to.

     In the meantime, Sam reaches the end of the dock and skids across the slippery wood towards his brother. Desperately, the youngest Winchester grabs both his arms, locking his big hand around them. The oldest peers into Sam's eyes as he grinds his teeth, using every bit of strength he possesses to hold on.      “Don’t let go,” Sam presses as he tries to pull his brother out of the water.          “Outstanding advice, Sammy!” Dean comments, frustrated.      The incredible force that’s trying to haul him under the surface seems to build, and it feels like it’s about to dislocate every joint in his leg. Sam’s grip slips from Dean’s lower arm to his wrist and it only takes seconds before all that the hunter is hanging from is Sam’s fingertips. Unlike others in this situation, Dean doesn’t seem scared whatsoever. His piercing green eyes focus on his brother, before he lets go.

     “Burn her,” he tells him bravely.      It’s the last thing Dean can say before he slips from Sam’s hold completely and is dragged into the depths of Reynolds Park Lake.      “Dean!!!” Sam exclaims, struck by terror.

     The rope still connected to Zoë unwinds rapidly, one end shoots down after Dean. For a very short second of time Zoë stares at the bundle, and realizes that he’s going to drag her right down with him.      “Fuck,” she curses.

     Then the rope tightens and with one single blow the bollard is ripped from the dock. Both the bollard and Zoë slide across the wooden planks, pulled towards the edge at tremendous speed. Zoë has to act fast to save herself and draws a knife from her belt. In one quick streak she cuts herself loose and comes to a stop right before the end of the dock. There’s not much time to be relieved, though, because Sam is about to dive in after his brother.      “Sam, don’t!” she warns.      “Burn Laura!” he orders.

     Staggered, she watches him disappear into the dark abyss, then snaps her head to the side to the jerry can, floating on the surface. She needs to find gas, right now. As fast as she can she gets up and makes a run for land, adrenaline pushing down the pain that her broken ribs would have normally sent through her body. Her footsteps bounce off the water under the landing until she reaches solid ground, making a break for the Impala. Frustrated, she tries to open the trunk, but the man who is currently drowning locked it. Stupid son of a bitch! She glances back at the wharf, spotting Dean’s leather jacket, assuming the keys to the Impala are in his pocket. But running back would cost her a valuable minute, a minute she doesn’t have.      “Fuck, fuck, FUCK!” she curses, looking around her for something to open the trunk with.

     Then she spots a shovel, leaning against the boathouse. She bolts to the tool, grabs it, and heads back to the Impala. Forcefully, she jams the shovel right between the small opening where the lock is positioned. With one skillful twist she turns the iron plate and the lid breaks open. Dead or alive, he’s gonna haunt me for this, Zoë realizes as she searches the trunk.

     It contains an entire arsenal of weaponry, enough for a small army, but she has to dig deep until she finally finds a jerrycan. As fast as her legs can carry her, she heads back for Laura’s remains on the dock and pours the gasoline and salt over the body bag. As a last ingredient to the ritual she hurriedly picks up her leather jacket, takes out her zippo, flips it and throws it on the remains. Within moments the canvas catches fire, and so does the body inside.

     Out of breath, she watches the rustling flames for a second, then turns around in time to watch a pulse coming from the depths of the lake to ripple the surface, pressure hitting her eardrums. The temperature noticeably rises again, the bad vibes passing; she knows Laura has moved on now. The silence remains eerie, however. All she hears is her own respiration, the thumping of her heart, and the water dripping onto the wood.

     Anxiously, she scans the calm surface, waiting for a sign of life from either one of the boys. Splashing of water has her snap her head in the direction of the sound, but it’s only Sam who surfaces, taking a deep breath before he submerges again. For the first time in quite a while a deep fear comes to her; is it too late?

     Not wasting another second, she takes two determined steps towards the edge of the dock, launches herself off and dives into the treacherous waters. The cool reservoir swallows her whole, darkness engulfing the huntress. With steady strokes she navigates to the bottom, unable to see, but trying to find Dean by touch. After a minute and a half she comes up for air, frantically looking around over the mirror of the sky. She’s about to go under again, when Sam breaks through the surface, and thankfully, he’s not alone. But when Zoë notices the lifeless body in his brother’s hold, her own breath is stolen away from her. Sam gasps for air, but Dean doesn’t.      “Zo!” The younger Winchester desperately calls out, very much aware that his brother is unconscious, and quite possibly even worse.

     She swims back to the dock, hastily climbing the ladder, and reaching for Dean when Sam brings him to the landing. After hooking her arms under Dean’s, she tries to pull him out of the lake with all the strength that she has, but water has added to the weight of the brawny hunter’s clothing, and Sam still needs to assist.      “Is he breathing?” he asks, petrified for the answer, while he hoists himself out of the water.      Zoë has laid Dean down on his back, her hand on his chest, waiting for it to rise while hovering over him, listening for a breath. Then she shakes her head. “He’s not.”

     Every second counts now, and the instincts of the former med student kick into gear. She tilts his head back, opening his airway, pinches Dean’s nose shut and seals her mouth over his, giving him four breaths. When he doesn’t breathe on his own, Zoë then places the heel of her left hand over the center of his chest and covers it with her other, lacing her fingers together, before she positions herself above him. With her arms straight and shoulders directly over her hands, she starts chest compressions.

     “Oh my God…” Sam stammers helplessly, unnoticeable tears brimming in his eyes and joining the drops of water that come down from his brown hair.      “Sam, listen to me,” Zoë says, strictly, not stopping the CPR. “Get my phone, it’s in my jacket. Call 9-1-1 and go to the boy scouts,” she nods at the camping facility across the lake. “They will probably have an AED there. Go!”      The younger Winchester springs into action, pulling the Nokia from the pocket of the Harley Davidson jacket left on the docks next to the burning remains, before he dashes to land.

     Zoë returns her focus to his brother, who remains unresponsive, despite the first aid. Her knees are painfully bruising against the hard wooden surface as she uses her entire body weight, her ribs and abdomen aching every time she pushes his chest hard and fast. Keeping a steady hundred beats a minute pace, she counts, making sure to allow his chest to rise completely before she follows through with another one. Wishing she hadn’t, Zoë glances at the young man’s handsome face, his expression slack, skin pale, and green eyes hooded.      “C’mon, Dean. Not on my fucking case,” she mumbles, more to herself than to him.

     After thirty compressions, Zoë pauses her actions and gives him air again, two breaths this time. She knows that even though time is limited, as long as she keeps the blood flow going, he might still have a chance. The huntress continues to give him CPR, but when she has pressed down on his chest again, something happens. He stirs only slightly, water spilling from his mouth. For a second Zoë thinks he’s gasping, a spasm reaction of the body in its final fight to live, but when she quickly turns Dean on his side, more liquid begins to flow out of his lungs, followed by a weak gurgle. After putting him in recovery position, she takes his wrist and feels for a pulse. A thready thump beats against her fingertips and she exhales relieved; he’s alive.

     Water runs down his cheek, and with every amount he throws up, he has more room to breathe. Her grip leaves his wrist and slides into his palm.      “Squeeze my hand if you can hear me,” she says, her request answered by him with a slight increase of strength on their hold.      Somewhat at ease now that Dean is conscious, she rights herself, spotting the younger Winchester running up the street towards the boy scout cabins, phone to his ear.      “Sam!” she calls out, catching his attention.

     The younger Winchester stops dead in his tracks, listening to the steady tone coming from Zoë’s Nokia, telling him he’s being put through to the dispatch emergency center. When he detects movement on the dock, his brother now rolled over on his side, he dares to hope that Dean came to, but it’s only when their hunting partner confirms it, that he lets out a shuddering breath and lowers the phone.      “I got him back,” she states, beckoning Sam to return. “He’s okay.”

     Meanwhile, Dean begins to cough, fighting to get the water out and air back in.      “That’s it, clear your lungs,” Zoë encourages, rubbing his back comfortingly. “Spit it out. You’re alright.”      Motivating him helps, because he hacks violently now that he regains his strength, throwing up more water than one could ever imagine. Thankfully, this isn’t the first drowning the former med student has experienced. She spent most of her life by the beach back home in California, where swimmers and surfers would get in trouble all the time.

     After Dean settles, she reaches for her jacket and folds it into a ball, carefully lifting his head and placing the clothing under his head to serve as a pillow.      “Show off,” Zoë jokes, lightening the mood. “You just had to hold your breath longer than I did, didn’t you?”      “Shut up,” he returns, his voice raspy and barely audible, a hint of a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.      She rubs his shoulder, monitoring him while giving the hunter who was inches from death the time to catch his breath. Her hand slips to his neck, checking his pulse again; it’s a lot stronger now.

     “Dean?” Sam runs up the landing, his last steps slowing before he reaches them. “You okay, man?”      Zoë’s patient nods, giving him a thumbs up. “Aces.”      His brother crouches down, a concerned frown knitted between his eyebrows. “Dude, you scared the shit out of me.”      “What took you guys so long?” Dean replies hoarse, the words triggering another coughing fit.

     The huntress scoffs. Typical, he was well on his way to the afterlife only moments ago, and he’s already smart-talking them. “Hey, I went through a lot of trouble to get fuel to fire up that little brat. Next time, don’t lock up your car, moron.”        He grins with his eyes closed, but then tries to sit up.      “Whoa whoa, stay down, Dean. For fuck’s sake, take a minute,” Zoë orders sternly, gently pushing him back into recovery position.

     Reluctantly, Dean listens, laying his head back on the makeshift pillow. His breathing is still fast and shallow, his body quivering, fighting off the cold. Zoë knows his core temperature has dropped during his near death experience. It’s unethical, but Zoë is glad that Laura’s remains are still burning, offering him some warmth at least.  Dean might be breathing again, but he’s not out of the woods just yet.

     “Give me his coat,” Zoë tells Sam, nodding at the heap of leather that lays on the dock a few feet away from them.      Without question, the younger brother rises to his feet and picks up what used to be his father’s jacket, and hands it to the huntress. She lays it over the man who it belongs to now.      “Do I still need to call that ambulance?” Sam wonders, worriedly glancing down at the two.      “Wouldn’t be a luxury,” Zoë admits.      “No,” Dean objects, his eyes a lot less hazy than they were a minute ago. “C’mon, guys. I’m fine.”      “You need to get yourself looked after, dumbshit,” she bounces back, not impressed with the tough guy attitude.      Sam agrees with their female colleague. “You almost died, Dean.”      “I’m gonna correct you here.” She turns from the younger sibling to the older one. “You didn’t almost die. You were clinically dead for a good minute.”      “I’m not going. If you wanna give me a check up, fine. But we have a case in Texas and I can’t afford to be admitted in a hospital,” the hunter decides, hard-headed, carefully sitting up again.

     His brother sighs, while Zoë sits back on her heels and shakes her head, gazing into the distance. Stubborn asshole, she thinks to herself, but agrees to his terms nonetheless. She has a couple of hours left on the clock anyway, and although she doesn’t have the equipment or the knowledge of an actual doctor, it’s better than sending him off without any form of evaluation.      “Fine. But we need to get you back to the hotel. Staying here in those wet clothes is only gonna bring down your temperature further,” the huntress compromises. “Sam? Can you start the car and crank up the heat?”

     The youngest Winchester nods, but reaches out and helps Dean on his feet first. A little unsteady, Dean steps forward, testing his legs. He puts on his leather jacket and hands his brother the keys that he digs up from his pocket. Not even asking if he needs a hand, Zoë wraps her arm around his back and pulls his over her shoulder, letting him lean on her might he need to.      “You good?” she checks.      “Yeah.” He nods, even though the drowsiness in his speech and his movements give him away.

     Before they make their way down the wharf, they halt by the fire. Flames flicker in their eyes and shimmer an orange glow on their features.      “Rest in peace, Laura Shire,” Zoë comments with a soft voice.

     Although the little girl tried to kill them, the huntress never felt that the ten year old was truly evil. All she became, was an angry and frustrated spirit, fighting for the truth to come out, longing for rest and redemption. It’s strange how this case wasn’t just about the good and the bad. It wasn’t black and white, it was one grey mess. What Ronald Shire did was wrong, what everyone involved didn’t do was wrong, but did they deserve to die for it? Some may think that they got what they deserved, others might think differently. Zoë's certain about one thing though; Laura was just a victim of her own environment. The child was right when she spoke to her this afternoon; she knows what that feels like. And unlike the poltergeist they put down today, those memories will haunt Zoë for the rest of her life.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate every single one of you, but if you do want to give me some extra love, you are free to like or reblog my work, shoot me a message or buy me coffee (Link to Kofi in bio at the top of the page). 

Read chapter fifteen here

[zachsgamejournal]

COMPLETED: Resident Evil 7

This is the most I've enjoyed a Resident Evil since RE2 on PS1. May actually like it more than Code Veronica...

I kinda hated the freight ship section. By this point, I felt the game was done. But the designers were like: Nope, we're gonna have an environment as large as all previous sections combined, more enemies to face, start your gear at zero, and halfway through, make you replay areas via a flashback that's length to story ratio is 100:1.

The remote bombs were...a weird addition. I could place them on the floor, but not...you know...toss them. For like, when you're being assaulted by slimy monsters with shark teeth...And still, the game gives you a ton of them!

Turns out, I wasn't far from the end of the freight ship. So that was good. Then we end up at the salt mine. Turns out Lucas was just playing along...weird. So he got his arm cut off and everything on purpose? Like, he's a legit psycho?

I'm really confused about where the fetuses with curing abilities are coming from...ah well.

So we get some background info: Eveline was a fetus that was mutated to have super powers. She could infect folks, and cause hallucinations: presenting herself has a young girl. She, having never had a childhood, wants a family--so takes over a family and has them kidnap folks to add to their "family", but she's a psychotic child raised by other psychos, so everyone under her influence ends up violent and cruel.

And she vomits up monsters, or something...

Into the salt mine. I thought this was gonna be another section of exploring and puzzle solving, but it's actually quite linear. Seems they designed it to be the action section since they constantly send you up against molded, and drop healing items and ammo EVERYWHERE! I didn't need that because I had amassed so many healing items and weapons by playing frugally.

It's just like when I replayed Resident Evil 1--early on every zombie is life or death, and every bullet and herb is precious. But by the end, you become Terminator, can't die and tons of ammo.

There's a spiral climb at one point, and I just ran from everything. If you move quick enough, it's pretty clear of enemies. First molded was an easy side step. The second was a crawler and he trapped me on a catwalk. I was getting hit from behind, so had to kill that one. The third guy was just a walker, so I shot him once to get him to stumble, making the walk around easy.

And that was it. Salt Mine done. Which I was thankful, cause that damn tanker section!!

So we end up at the beginning, in the old house, reliving some Mia interactions via hallucinations. Not worried, cause I'm more well armed than an American Police force with more medicine than a...uh, pharmacy...I guess.

The phase one fight with Eveline was...unimpressive. But it was more about the story...I guess? I'm torn between being done with the game, and expecting a boss-fight on par with previous ones. But alas, we simply stab old-lady Eveline (nice twist) in the neck with a cure. She asks, "Why does everyone hate me" -- heart breaking, then talks about how it hurts. Almost as emotionally confusing as the end of Alien Resurrection.

But then...phase 2.

Instead of dying, Eveline turns into a giant tentacle monster. I guess it's inevitable that Resident Evil end on a ridiculous note. As grounded as much of the game is, they had to go big. But it's a pretty lame fight. You just shoot at mega-Eveline until a helicopter drops you special gun (Kind of like Brad dropping a rocket launcher at the end of Resident Evil 1 - wink, wink).

So she dies...for realz this time. And Chris Redfield appears in an Umbrella Helicopter. I'm glad he's not mega-Chris from Resident Evil 5, but he also doesn't look "his age". I don't know, seemed like unnecessary name dropping, but also no harm, no foul. Ethan hops in the chopper, finding Mia alive. Aw, so it is a love story!

But then the game gives this cheesy epilogue, blaming Eveline for being horrible--even calling her an "it". And then talks about how Mia just wants to put everything behind her. Everything being that Mia worked for a shady organization making horrible bio-weapons, and as part of her duties, helped hold a traumatized child captive and then attempted to kill her when the girl inevitably escaped??

Eveline was the real victim in this story. She did horrible things because she was child that wasn't properly loved and raised. No shit she wants to build a family. Her saying, "Why does everyone hate me", heartbreaking. I have kids. They're selfish, violent, impulsive bastards sometimes--but they're really sweet and just need people to love them.

Eveline wasn't given love. She was given orders, and restrictions. No surprise that she lashed out, and she did so in the ways she could: vomiting up molded zombies and possessing people.

So bosses...talk about unbalanced.

Boss 1: I had a single clip of ammo, maybe two healing items, and a pocket knife. All got used really quickly. I think you're not supposed to shoot him, just get the car keys. But it was confusing and intense, because I didn't know what to do. CHALLENGE: 3/5.

Boss 2: Jack again, but now it gets real. Moving around is awkward, and the second half involves a chainsaw duel. I used up at least 10 rounds of shotgun shells, all my healing items, and died at least 10 times trying to beat this boss. I almost switched to easy. CHALLENGE: 5/5.

Boss 3: Marguerite as a crazy bug lady. This was kind of the scariest battle, as she drops in out of nowhere and from behind. And if you don't constantly attack her, she sends bugs after you. This one drove me a bit nuts, but eventually I found the winning strategy. CHALLENGE: 4/5.

Boss 4: Super molded. I basically hid around the corner of the elevator and used all my shotgun shells on it. A few shots from the pistol and the thing was down. Not sure I even took damage. CHALLENGE: 1/5.

Boss 5: Mutant Jack. He was so big that he couldn't move around and hide like previous bosses. I maybe was hit once or twice, but it was nothing. The eyes were obvious weak points. CHALLENGE: 2/5.

Boss 6ish: Two Super-Moldeds. Kind of reminds of the big infected guys from The Last of Us. While they killed me the first time (very quickly), on my second attempt, I kept the elevator between us and used all my grenade launcher ammo against them (which I had been saving). They didn't touch me. CHALLENGE: 2/5.

Eveline Phase 1: Walk towards her, block when she shock waves. Timing was semi awkward. I died once. CHALLENGE: 1/5.

Eveline Phase 2: Shoot at a giant target that doesn't appear to do any actual damage. Could have been a cutscene. CHALLENGE: 1/5.

It's so weird that the hardest bosses were at the beginning. I guess this is where you have consider experience vs challenge. But for survival horror, challenge is part of the experience. You're supposed to be scared of bosses.

I think the final Eveline battle should have the player running through the swamp. Eveline's tentacles swimming after you, and in front of you, giving birth to molded with familiar faces (Like Mia) to freak you out. And that keeps happening until the player is out of ammo and healing supplies. Once you've used your last heal and bullet, Chris Redfield snipes the molded. You watch as the Eveline Mass rises to attack the helicopter. Chris takes aim with the Wesker gun, fires a shot at a tentacle arm--it calcifies and shatters! Eveline freaks out and smacks the chopper, sending the gun flying to the ground. You see it 10 yards away. You run to it, grab it, turn--Mia appears before you. "I'm one with her now. If you kill her, we'll never be together." If you hesitate too long, Mia kills you. If shoot, she shatters--Eveline attacks, final few shots: END.

Ah well. It was a good game and I'll probably play it again. I could see this being a semi-regular replay for me, right there with RE1 and RE2.

[thesvenqueen]

Jurassic Park

Rating: T (may change, who knows) Pairing: Kristanna Also on AO3

Previous Chapters ( One   Two )

Note(s): a brachiosaurus are the long neck dinosaurs, or long necks, that everyone knows and loves. But our couple are scientists and they're not gonna call em long necks, they're gonna be specific because SCIENCE lolalso, seeing as Anna would get her doctorate before she married Kristoff (only by a few months), I had her be referred to as Dr. Arendelle. Plus, it's out of respect on her & Kristoff too by letting them both have the honor of doctor behind their name that they both worked real hard for; their family name. And for my sake, two Dr. Bjorgman's would be so damn confusing lets be honest lol

{Chapter 3}

Anna smiled to herself, tapping her fingers on the outside of the Jeep door as they drove along the dirt path.

She had known from the moment she walked up, arm looped with Sven’s that Kristoff was incredibly jealous. He was never good at hiding his emotions, and Anna had seen the jealousy written on his face, had felt it radiating off of him from the moment she had introduced Sven. It was laughable really, Sven was completely harmless.

Sven was a big flirt sure, thinking of himself as some smooth operator when Anna knew from experience he was not near as good as he thought. Had played witness to a few incidents that proved it too. It didn’t matter to Kristoff though, apparently, only taking the ‘angel’ comment to immediately despise Sven.

Which, in hindsight, wasn’t really fair to Sven as he did deserve a chance. Then again, he wasn’t helping his case with all the casual flirty comments and snarky remarks either.

Anna couldn’t recall if she’d ever mentioned her friendship with Sven, not really thinking of a time it could’ve come about.

There was the wedding, but that had been a small affair. Seeing as she really hadn’t spoken to Sven in years, he hadn’t crossed her mind. She had seen his name come up in the news, had heard Kristoff mentioning one of the stories too. A fight if Anna remembered correctly which was so like Sven.

Even then, she hadn’t said a word about their friendship and Anna felt bad.

Well, only a little.

It was quiet now, thankfully, she knew Kristoff could only handle so much right now. The tension in his jaw during the helicopter flight to the island said so. She glanced back at him, smiling sweetly, to see the tension still sitting strongly.

Kristoff smirked at her, gripping the handle tighter as they hit another bump.

“Jesus Christ.” Sven muttered, “Did they not think about paved roads?”

Even behind his sunglasses, Anna could tell Kristoff was rolling his eyes as he looked back out the window.

Anna giggled then, not able to hold it in any longer and turned back to look out her own window.

It was always so much fun to make Kristoff squirm, and this was no exception.

She leaned her head slightly, closing her eyes and letting the breeze from the car ride cool her off from the intense heat and humidity. She never was one for an island life but she couldn’t lie when she found it rather appealing.

Driving on an island, shorts all year round, in an open topped jeep, Kristoff grinning from ear to ear as he drove, his skin tan enough to bring out the freckles on his face. They’d explore every bit of the island they could, all the beaches and mountain areas. Maybe they’d have a little place on the beach, far enough away from everyone that they could see the stars at night. Then their kids could....

Instinctively she bit her lip.

From the beginning, from the few conversations they had had, Anna knew Kristoff wasn’t big on the idea of kids. His past was to blame, she knew that but it still hurt nonetheless to think he was so against the whole aspect. It hadn’t been in her plans either, she never dreamed she’d one day want that kinda life. Now, more than anything she wanted it, to be Mom to kids, their kids.

Kristoff hadn’t exactly said no yesterday and she knew him well enough to know he had more to say on the issue. If not for Dr. Hammond’s arrival, there was a good chance they could’ve come to a decision right there on the site.

Either way, there was more to be said but for now, as she opened her eyes to watch the trees go by, she was going to enjoy this while she could.

As they drove, Anna saw something that caught her eye. For a moment, she thought she had just been mistaken but no, there it was again.

How was that possible?

Confused, she saw another low lying branch up ahead. Taking her chance, Anna stood just enough to stretch her arm high above the car and rip a leaf from the branch.

“What are you doing?” Kristoff asked but Anna ignored him.

She sat down and stared at the leaf in her hand, not noticing the Jeep slowing and coming to a stop.

The leaf was massive, bigger than her head but that’s not what caught her attention.

She’d seen this plant, knew it like the back of her hand as she had studied the fossil of it for years.

One that was supposed to be completely extinct.

Had been for millions of years.

There was no way in hell she was holding it right now, alive and thriving, in her hands.

But the more she studied it, the more she realized it to be true.

“This doesn’t make any sense.” Anna murmured, hearing someone shift in the back of the jeep as she flipped the leaf in her hand, “This plant shouldn’t even be here. Kristoff, this species has been extinct for hundreds of millions of years. I don’t--”

A hand grabbed her head and forced it to turn left.

“Hey, what are you--” She said, ready to retort but the words died on her lips.

Anna blinked.

Then blinked again.

With a start, she jumped to stand in her seat, ripping her sunglasses off as her mouth gaped in absolute shock.

There, not even a couple yards away, strolling through the trees was a brachiosaurus. A large, grey, long necked brachiosaur.

For a moment, Anna couldn’t think, she couldn’t breathe. All she could do was just stare at what was before her.

A dinosaur.

A real life, breathing, living, dinosaur.

How? How the hell was this even possible?

She watched as it slowly made its way through the trees, grabbing leaves here and there as it passed through. It was so close, just up the hill now and without hesitation, Anna jumped from the jeep.

She didn’t take her eyes off of it, staring as she came around the car slowly, leaning her head back as far as she could to see as much of it as possible.

There was a sound next to her, and she didn’t have to look to know that Kristoff had joined her outside the jeep, both now walking towards the massive creature.

“Anna.”

“I know.”

“That’s--” he said, pointing, looking at Anna, “that’s a dinosaur.”

Anna huffed a laugh, tears in her eyes, “It is.”

His face broke into the biggest smile Anna had ever seen. She laughed again, giggling in excitement as she came up to Kristoff and grabbed his hand.

There stood one of the many creatures Anna had been obsessed with since she was a child; one her and Kristoff had only dreamed about. Instead of a drawing, a fossil or even a digital rendering however, it was alive and breathing.

Alive, breathing and eating the leaves from the tops of the trees.

They were beside it now, still a few paces away but close enough that Anna had to lean her head back completely to see it.

She watched, speechless as the creature continued to eat completely unaware.

“The movement,” Kristoff murmured, standing in front of her.

“The agility, you were right.” Anna said, smiling so big her cheeks hurt as she grabbed his bicep with her free hand.

“They can get rid of the rule books, they were...they were totally wrong. It’s not a cold-blooded creature, it’s completely warm blooded.”

“And it doesn’t live in a swamp.”

“The neck, it’s what? Twenty-five, thirty feet long?” Kristoff said, looking down to Anna.

“Thirty.” Dr. Hammond answered as he came up behind them.

Kristoff gaped at him, then looked at Anna and she could see the tears in his eyes.

It was a dream, there was no way it was real.

Sudden movement caught their attention, and Anna looked to see the brachiosaur stand up on its hind legs, reaching ever higher to get one branch that had been just out of reach.

It stood there for a moment, ripping the leaves off of the branch then came back down to all fours with a solid thud; one that shook Anna to her bones.

Anna felt Kristoff squeeze her hand, and looked back to him. He was still looking up at the dinosaur, eyes wide like a little kid on Christmas morning.

“How fast are they?” Anna asked, and she saw Kristoff huff a laugh.

"Always the curious one." He murmured and Anna nudged him with her hip.

“Well,” Dr. Hammond began, “We clocked the T-rex at thirty-two miles per hour.”

“Wait, what?!" Anna whipped around then, her own eyes wide now. “A T-rex. You….you have a T-rex?” She asked, astonished.

“Uh huh.” Dr. Hammond said, a proud smile on his face.

“Oh my god. Kristoff, they have a T-rex.” She said, turning back to Kristoff who looked at her with confusion and shock, “An actual T-rex!” She couldn’t hold back the tears anymore, letting them fall freely.

“Holy shit.” Kristoff said, and his legs gave out. He hit the ground, hard. His face was ghostly white, his eyes so wide in shock.

“Kristoff.” Anna said, kneeling beside him. “Honey, just breathe, ok? Head between your knees.” She placed a hand on his cheek, brushing his hair back from his face with the other.

“Is this a dream?” He whispered to her, placing his hand over hers.

Anna smiled, huffing a laugh as more tears fell, and shook her head.

“Oh no, it’s real. They’re all real.” Dr. Hammond said, catching their attention, a large grin on his face, “Dr. Bjorgman, my dear Dr. Arendelle, welcome to Jurassic Park.” He turned then, facing away from them. They followed his gaze and Anna gasped.

There, just below the hill was a valley and within it were several more dinosaurs. One herd sat along a watering hole while another, a herd of brachiosaurus, were wading through the watering hole itself.

It was a site to behold, one that brought more tears to Anna’s eyes.

Somehow someway, the creatures, the dinosaurs, ones that Anna had cherished her whole life were alive. They were real and here right in front of her.

Who knew what other species were here on the island, what others that Anna had looked over countless times in books that were now breathing once again. The possibilities were endless, but she still wondered

“How?” Kristoff asked, beating Anna to the punch.

She looked up to Dr. Hammond as he turned back to them, a sparkle in his eyes, “I’ll show you.”

[aswithasunbeam]

A Miraculous Return

[Read on AO3]

Rated: Teen Audiences and Up (Depictions of Violence)

Summary: Hamilton is charged with destroying a flour mill as the British close in on Philadelphia in the wake of the disastrous battle at Brandywine. The mission doesn't exactly go smoothly. (AKA the infamous Schuylkill River incident)

__

“Is that more damn rain?” Captain Lee groused beside Hamilton, adjusting his hat to more fully cover his head after wiping a hand over his nose.

“I don’t think so. Just drops from the trees,” Hamilton answered in a whisper. His horse pawed at the damp earth restlessly beneath him, sensing the anxiety of her rider. He struggled to relax his shoulders as he soothed a hand over her neck, muttering, “Easy there, old girl.”  

“If you say so,” Lee said. “We’ll have a hell of a time getting the mill to burn if you’re wrong.”

Dusk was fast stealing the light of the already overcast day, leaving long shadows and an eerie quiet over the wooded area. The crack of a stick caught Hamilton’s attention, and his head wiped around as he squinted towards the source of the noise. An animal, perhaps, or one of the two sentries that Lee posted at the top of the hill before he, Hamilton, and their four men descended towards the banks of the Schuylkill, where the flour mill stood.

“Sir?”

With a last lingering look, Hamilton turned back in the saddle to see one of the men approaching.

“All clear,” the sergeant reported.

“Torch it, Higgins,” Lee ordered. “And let’s be gone before the devils realize we’re about.”

Higgins saluted and hurried back towards the mill. Lieutenant Rice on Hamilton’s other side leaned forward in his saddle eagerly as they lit their torches. Despite Lee’s concern, the flame caught easily, and the mill went up with a roar of flame. Rice let out a whoop of victory.

“Hush,” Hamilton commanded in a harsh whisper.

He could feel the heat from the burning building behind him as he tugged on the reigns, straining to hear. More sounds were coming from the top of the hill, scuffling, then voices. A shout quickly followed by a round of gunfire confirmed that they weren’t alone any longer.

“Get to the boat!” he commanded, swinging his horse around and galloping towards the ferry. He could feel Rice close on his heels, and a glance back confirmed the three other men were following rapidly by foot. Lee had started for the mill-bridge instead, though, beckoning the two sentries to follow.

“Lee!” Hamilton called.

“Go!” Lee urged, hardly giving him half a glance as he fired at the enemy with his saddle pistol.

Enemy cavalry poured over the hill towards them. Most still seemed intent on capturing the two sentries, but some had taken notice of their small party and broke off to pursue them towards the ferry. Bullets whistled by his ears, and he closed his eyes instinctively when one hit the tree beside him, causing wood to splinter out towards his face. He ducked low and dug his heels into his horse’s sides, spurring her onward.

The river was swollen with the recent rain, the current bubbling and rushing. The flat bottom boat he’d secured to the ferry dock for just this purpose yanked at its moorings. Higgins was already working on the knot as Hamilton gestured for the two other men on foot to board.

“Lieutenant—” He stopped when he saw the horse beside him no longer had a rider. Rice lay a few yards back, sprawled upon the ground, a red strain blossoming over his waistcoat and his eyes open and fixed upon the sky, unblinking.

Hamilton closed his eyes, exhaled, then clicked his tongue to urge the horse to jump the small distance into the waiting boat. She shied back for a moment, dancing in place, then did as he urged. He dismounted and went straight for an oar as the sergeant jumped in behind him.

The unrelenting enemy fire continued as they fought the rushing current. He squinted as he fought with all his might to keep them moving away from the bank. No sign of Lee or the two sentries. Another bullet whizzed by his ear.

“Don’t let the current pull us back,” Higgins urged.  

Another volley of bullets rushed towards them, and his horse let out an awful scream as she fell to the side and caused a wave of water to swamp the boat. The corporal who’d fled with them fell next to him, dead before he’d hit the water. Higgins had dropped his oar to grip at his shoulder, blood oozing through the cracks in his fingers.

Fear gripped at him.

The young private with them, still uninjured, looked to Hamilton with wide eyes. “What do we do, sir?”

His heart was beating fast in his ears, the scent of gunpowder and blood overwhelming his nostrils as he hunted for a solution. They would die if they stayed on the boat, that much was certain. Much as he didn’t want to hand the boat to the enemy by abandoning it, their dead bodies wouldn’t keep it from floating back towards the bank any better.

“Into the river,” he said, taking care not to let his voice quaver.

“Sir?” Higgins asked askance.

“It’s our only chance. Swim for the opposite bank.”

The private jumped into the rushing current immediately. His head dipped below the water and didn’t resurface. Hamilton let out another controlled breath as he looked at Higgins.

“Can you swim with your arm hurt?”

“We’ll soon find out, sir,” Higgins replied with a queasy smile. Another round of bullets robbed them of any choice. Hamilton jumped into the water half a second after Higgins.

The cold stabbed at him like needle-pricks all over his body, stealing his breath.

The current was wickedly fast, dragging him downstream. Water muted the sounds of the gunfire above, but he could hear it still as the British fired into the river indiscriminately. He kicked in the direction he thought was the opposite bank, trying to keep his head under the water in hopes of convincing the enemy he’d drowned. A few more bullets spit overhead, then finally stopped. He had to fight to breach the surface, sucking air in desperately when he did.

No signs of Higgins or the private, he noted with dismay as he struggled towards the distant shoreline. The river had dragged him far enough downstream that the British were no longer in sight either. He swam hard, pushing towards the trees of the opposite bank.

When he finally climbed out of the water, he collapsed onto his side, panting hard. His muscles burned from the effort, and the skin around his right eye stung where some of the wood from the exploding tree had evidently scratched him. The eerie quiet surrounded him again.

**

“The wounded will need to be evacuated,” Washington told Doctor Cochran in a soft voice, his eyes settling on Lafayette. The hospital was teeming with men wounded at Brandywine, making such an undertaking all the more complicated. There was no avoiding it now, though. “I cannot say how much more time we’ll hold the city.”

Doctor Cochran didn’t look surprised by the news. “I found a suitable place in Bethlehem, a little north from here. We’ll start preparing the move immediately.”

“Where is Hammy?” Washington heard Lafayette asking Laurens as he approached the bed.

“Torching the flour mill near Daviser’s Ferry,” Laurens answered. “It’s right in the path of the enemy advance now.”

“You didn’t go with him?” Lafayette asked, concern and surprise in his voice.

Laurens grunted and bumped a fist against the leg that had taken a musket-ball to the ankle during the battle.

“I can fight, mon Général,” Lafayette said when he saw Washington standing by his bed. “My leg, it is not so bad.”

Given that a bullet had sliced through the boy’s calf a mere seven days earlier, Washington had a hard time believing him. “You’ll be evacuated with the other wounded, my boy. There’s no room for arguing.”

“Laurens is up and about,” Lafayette charged, pointing towards the crutches leaning against the wall beside the aide.

“Don’t drag me into this,” Laurens said, sitting back and crossing his arms over his chest.

Washington shook his head at the two. “Laurens’ wound was not so bad as yours.”

“Not for his lack of trying,” Lafayette grumbled.

Laurens pulled a face at Lafayette in answer.

Washington couldn’t help but silently agree with Lafayette’s assessment, though it did nothing to bolster his case for being freed from his hospital bed. Laurens’ conduct at Brandywine had been brave to the point of reckless, and that a ricocheting musket-ball to the ankle was his worst injury was nothing short of miraculous. Much as Washington would have liked to order Laurens to rest as well, he was worryingly short-staffed in the wake of battle. And as it was, Laurens was now hobbling around headquarters on crutches, grumbling about being held back from reconnaissance missions all the while.

A breathless private came rushing through the door of the hospital, skidding to halt under Doctor Cochran’s hard stare. Moving at a more appropriate speed, the private handed over a letter, his eyes averted as he muttered, “General. From Captain Lee.”

“Thank you,” Washington said, quickly unfolding the message.

All the blood drained from his face as his eyes ran over the account from Lee.

“Did they get to the mill?” Laurens asked.  

“They did,” he answered distantly.

Laurens let out a satisfied sound as he grabbed Lafayette’s shoulder. “That’s our boy.”

“They were attacked,” Washington continued, and the smiles bled away from Lafayette and Laurens’s faces. “Lee took to the bridge with the two sentries, and Hamilton retreated towards a boat with the rest of the men. They took fire as they set out on the water, and Hamilton went overboard with the others. Lee doesn’t expect he survived.”

“Non,” Lafayette whispered.

A wave of grief threatened Washington as he watched the two young men before him absorb the news. The mill had been a middling target, but Hamilton had been one of his only officers hale and healthy enough to oversee the task. His loss was a dear price indeed for such a small victory. He squeezed his eyes closed as the boy’s sunny smile appeared in his memory.

Laurens stood abruptly, his crutches clattering to the ground as he fumbled for them. He swore, stooped over, and shoved them under his arms before hobbling around the bed.

“Son,” Washington said, reaching out to catch him by the arm. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to find him,” Laurens said, trying to wriggle free of his grip.

“You can’t,” Washington said.

“You’re wounded, and that is enemy territory,” Lafayette added.

“I don’t care. I’m going to find him. I can’t just…he could be hurt. He could be… He’s not….” Laurens swallowed hard, jaw tight. “He can’t be….”

Washington took a deep breath to bury the emotion stirred by the note. Mourning was a luxury none of them had time to indulge. “We’ll send a reconnaissance team to that area in the morning. They’ll find him, if he’s there to be found. There’s nothing more we can do.”

“I can’t just leave him there,” Laurens argued. “I can’t.”

“Where’s the General?” Washington heard a voice demanding just beyond the doors to the hospital. “It’s urgent.”

He bit down a swear at the interruption and turned to demand whoever it was wait another moment. The form that appeared in the doorway stole his thought, however, making him blink heavily with shock.

Hamilton.

Waterlogged, muddy, and breathless, but undeniably Hamilton.

“Sir, we were attacked at the mill. I’m not sure Lee made it out, and two more of our men were killed. I found two of the others on my way back to camp, and I was able to dispatch word to Congress through one of them. I advised Congress to leave the city immediately without fail. The British now have the means to launch an attack party into the city this very night. We should make haste in evacuating our supplies and the wounded.”

“Hamilton?” Washington asked, still not quite sure the figure was even real.

“Is it really you, mon ami?” Lafayette’s voice was choked with tears.

“Yes,” Hamilton replied slowly, brow furrowing. “Why are you all just staring at me?”

Laurens pulled out of Washington’s grip and surged forward, his crutches falling to the side as he reached out to pull Hamilton into an embrace. Hamilton let out a surprised huff but returned the affectionate embrace easily. When Laurens pulled back, he held Hamilton by the shoulders and shook him lightly. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“Do what?”

Washington stepped closer and clapped Hamilton on the back, relishing in the feel of his form under his palm, solid and uninjured.

“Sir, what is going on?”

“Lee is uninjured. He sent word not five minutes ago that you’d been drowned in the Schuylkill trying to escape from enemy fire.”

Understanding washed over Hamilton’s pale, muddy face. “Well, I didn’t die.”

“Yes, thank you for clarifying,” Washington said, a smile twitching at his lips.

Hamilton laughed as Laurens attacked him with another embrace.