#tree and bush removal near me

[noahmialar]

How does one find affordable tree and brush removal services near them?

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[thatdisasterauthor]

New disaster education graphic! Had to split it in half so tumblr wouldn't TOTALLY eat the quality. I'm going to put the full, unsplit version beneath a cut so if you want to share this graphic you can grab the whole one or the two halves, whichever works for you. As always, my disaster graphics can be shared anywhere on the internet that isn't making a profit, as long as my credit remains intact at the bottom! If you would like to license a physical or paid use of them, reach out to me on my website.

I've seen a lot of graphics about defensible space over the years, but I've never really seen one that does a good job of also explaining WHY the recommendations are what they are, so I've been wanting to make a graphic that dug into the why.

Alt text is also below the cut!

Alt text: Two halves of a single infographic. The background is dark gray. The top text reads "Why Does Defensible Space Matter?" in large yellow text. Below that is the text "When it comes to protecting your home from a wildfire, having defensible space around your home is one of the best things you can do. But why?" in black. Below that is the text "Wildfires move in three main ways:" in white.

Next there are three rectangles in a lighter gray, stacked one on top of the other. Each has a diagram of a small house on the edge of a forest. There are decorations on the porch, firewood on the porch, leaf litter on the roof, overgrown grass, trees growing right up next to the house, bushes, and the forest is crowded and overgrown.

In the top box, there is a fire moving along the ground, and the box is labeled as "Along the ground." In the second box the fire is moving through the tops of the trees, and the box is labeled, "through the crowns of trees." The third box shows a distance fire with lots of little embers being blown through the air, labeled as "Through the air via embers."

After that is the text, "The goal of defensible space is to make changes that impede each of these types of movement" in white.

Below that are the same three boxes as above, but each one shows changes you can make to impede one of these types of movement. The changes are listed under the box in a numbered list, with the numbers also in the diagram where those changes are reflected in the art.

The first box is labeled as "Impede ground movement" and has the following items listed:

Create a five foot zone around your home with no burnables using gravel, pavers, or other hardscaping.

Keep grass trimmed and well maintained in a thirty foot radius around your home.

Keep ground plants other than grass to a minimum and well spaced out.

Trim low hanging branches to prevent a ground fire from accessing higher portions of the tree.

The second box is labeled as "Impede Crown Movement" and has the following items listed:

Remove trees hanging over the roof and close to the home.

Thin trees within One-Hundred Feet of the home to reduce movement of flames between them.

The third box is labeled as "Remove Anything that can trap embers" and has the following items listed:

Clean debris such as leaves from off the roof of and around your home.

Do not store firewood or lumber near your home.

Keep combustible decorations That can trap embers close to your home to a minimum.

After that is a larger version of the house, but redecorated in a more fire safe manner. The door has been painted purple, there are plants visible inside through the window, and the outdoor decorations are made of non-combustible materials. After the house is the text "There are still plenty of ways to make your home your own while being fire safe!" in white.

Below that in a rectangle is the text "For more information on defensible space and how to create it around your home, visit: https://www.fire.ca.gov/dspace for a more in depth breakdown of how to protect each zone around your home."

The last text on the poster reads "If you are in the U.S.A. and experiencing disaster related anxiety, call the Disaster Distress Hotline at 1-800-985-5990 for support and resources. Poster created by Katy L. Wood ● www.Katy-L-Wood.com"

[formylovetodaryldixon]

“What it means to me.” Daryl Dixon Imagine.

After Daryl separates from you, Sasha and Abraham, he tries to find his way back to the person he considers his home. And in the midst of his fight to survive, the ring he’s been hiding for a while is taken away, but that ring is more than just a ring: It's the only promise he can make to you, that he will love only you.

A/N: I love doing these cheesy imagines, thinking that Daryl is the person who would hold on to just one person for the rest of his life (To you, me, and the rest of this beautiful community hehe). I wrote this years ago when I had my old page, which I deleted, so sorry if this isn't exactly the same as the episode. Hope you like it! And THANK U SO MUCH FOR THE LOVE MY LAST IMAGINE RECEIVED, it's crazy to think people like what I write. (Sorry if there are mistakes, it's 4:30am so I'll correct them in the morning hehe)

Daryl keeps pushing his motorcycle through the burned forest where everything in sight is black, between the charred bodies of the walkers, with some of them still growling, a low sound the wind takes away. His leather jacket is torn and the blood from his wounds gushes through them, his body hurting and aching, his energy draining out as he breathes deeply through his mouth, but when he can no longer push, giving in to the pain in his cramped muscles, Daryl drops the motorcycle to a side.

Everything happened in a blink.

Minutes earlier Abraham drove the RV with you and Sasha as he made a joke about how amazing it was to see a parade of walkers behind you all. The path had nothing but trees on both sides and a big horde coming down the hill, following the roar of the engine. Still riding his motorcycle, Daryl had turned in the turnoff to his right toward a street of abandoned houses, but the silence broke when bullets whistled in the air: it was there that he separated from you and your friends.

“(Y/N)?” He says through the walkie–talkie. “Sasha? Abraham? Ya there?”

But only the static returns the greeting from the other side, so he turns it off. Daryl removes the leather glove from his bloody left hand, his leather jacket next to wipe his own wounds. But it’s you what fills his mind, his heart beating frantically with the thought of you been away from him, but Daryl knows he has to trust you are going to be fine on your own, you, who had always been so feisty. However, now, his only purpose in that unpredictable life is to find a way back to you.

Daryl Dixon never thought much about the future, always living one day at a time in that uncertain world, but the ring he's been hiding in his shirt pocket weighs now with the regret of living a life half–heartedly, always cautious, never brave when it comes to love. Because, yeah, Daryl had never been lucky when it came to love someone, always kept away from that suffocating feeling when it was never reciprocated by his parents. But with you it had been different, liberating, like a reminder that that feeling makes you feel lighter than a feather, and not as if you were weighing lead while drowning deep into the sea.

And although it’s scary to lose you, terrifying, it’s worse for him not to live by your side, a full life this time, like never before. Daryl never thought about being someone’s something, but now, he just wants to be able to ask you if he can be your husband.

But when a branch breaks near him, bringing him back to the present, Daryl watches the place and its surroundings before hiding his motorcycle under some bushes; he then picks up his crossbow and walks toward that noise, with the light steps of a hunter. However, before being ambushed, Daryl circles a tree and points at two women who turn around, raising their hands in the air to show they are harmless.

“Hey. You found us. Okay?” The woman with the long hair says, moving slowly in front of the other, her body blocking any possible attack. “Here we are. We owned what we took.”

Almost imperceptibly, her gaze moves to a side, but when Daryl follows it, a man knocks him down.

It takes Daryl a few hours to emerge from that thick fog of confusion, a blurry vision from the pain that blends with the blackness all around. Now, Dwight, who points at Daryl from behind with his gun, pushes him out of the last bushes of the forest, but the sight in front of them is not what his captors are hoping to see, so they walk past him, looking in frustration towards the other side of the fence that holds up the walkers that haunts the place, with endless grunts, hands and mouths always open.

They talk about following the plan they already had, but in the middle of the exchange of ideas, Tina, the short–haired blonde girl faints over her sister, exhausted after a long walk. The sudden commotion appears as an opportunity in front of Daryl’s eyes, and he takes their duffel bag from the ground with his tied hands before running between the tall and black trees, successfully evading the man’s shots whistling in the air.

“We need that, please!”

Daryl hears the woman’s screams and the plea in her voice, but he keeps going until he is at an appropriate distance to stop. Breathing through parted lips, he jumps over a fallen log and hides behind it, biting the rope that holds his hands prisoners, while the air doesn’t seem to be enough at that moment.

Daryl gasps, exhausted, but he takes the walkie–talkie from the bag with his now free hands.

“(Y/N)? Hey… ya there, peach?”

Nothing welcomes him, not your voice, not even a sound. But then, a walker growls in Daryl’s direction, stumbling through the unstable path. It has no skin, pure bones with leaves and branches around its ribs like a cruel and sick joke. Daryl kneels in front of the duffel bag and tries to pull his crossbow out, but it doesn’t work on the first try. It is stuck between the straps, shortening Daryl’s breath as the walker keeps getting closer and closer until finally, Daryl pulls it out and falls on his back, but the arrow flies directly into the walker’s head, knocking it down forever this time.

Under the momentary relief, the air around him seems to be running low, and Daryl stands up, tired and irritated.

He thinks life doesn’t give him a fucking break, but when he looks down to the cooler inside the bag, Daryl can read the word insulin. He exhales, cursing under his breath while trying to silence his selfless mind that screams at him to go back, but the object those people lost pushes another thought to the front of his head, cold and distant as his hand feels the pocket of his shirt.

The ring is gone.

With you sitting in that uncomfortable chair behind the desk in that forgotten office, Sasha and you stay quiet and still for a moment, in silence and waiting for something: a divine intervention, a smoke signal, something to mitigate that cruel thought that Daryl is lost. After a while, Abraham walks down the hallway with his gaze lost too, until his large body shakes with surprise as the walker behind the glass, trapped in the conference room adjacent, slams itself against the crystal, grunting savagely.

“How is this gallant still standing?” He asks.

“He can’t get out.” Sasha answers with a tired voice, sitting in front of that crystal, watching how Abraham tries to open the door. “It’s locked. We’re fine. Stand watch or sleep? Your choice.”

Abraham looks at the walker, and then at Sasha.

“I take the former. Do a little shopping maybe?”

He moves close to the desk you are sitting, takes the paper bin and pulls out the black plastic bag before pacing around the place. Sasha watches you resting your elbows on the wood, rubbing your face to try to erase your worried expression.

“Daryl will be fine, (Y/N). We just have to wait, okay?” She smiles softly at you to give you confident, and you believe that because he is probably the strongest person in that world, but you can’t help but worry about him.

You nod, knowing that the fear of losing someone is part of the repercussions of daring to love.

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Drop the gun.” Daryl aims at them with his crossbow, forcing the small group to stand up from that fallen log where they are sitting. “Drop it!” The man tries to raise his own gun, but the tension disappears when he finally lowers it. “Give it to me.” Daryl takes the gun to put it in his jeans’ pocket. “I want ma ring back. Now.”

Dwight reaches into his jean’s back pocket and hands it to him. This time, angry, Daryl snatches the ring from his hand.

“I should shoot ya for takin’ it.” Daryl holds his crossbow, meaning every word. “Came all this way. What ya got for the duffel? Ya put me through too much shit jus’ to give it back. What ya got besides that gun?”

“Nothing.” Sherry says, looking at him with a tired expression: not fear, just tiredness, as if she can sense that Daryl won't hurt them.

Daryl stares at Dwight, remembering part of their conversation through the blurred memories, after that blow and the pain that still throbs against his head.

“What’s that thing ya were carvin’?”

The man looks in his front pocket and pulls out a nice figure carved in wood.

“My grandfather taught me—”

“Don’ care.” Daryl cuts him off and takes the figure, dropping their bag to the ground close to them. “Take it. S’ all there. Good luck. Y'all gotta need it.”

But as he starts walking away, a noise not so far away makes Daryl hide behind a tree, counting the seconds until he watches the arrival of a truck that knocks down the branches in its path. Three men get out of the vehicle, talking to Dwight and his people that they should end it. Daryl listens carefully, realizing that his past captors don’t want to leave with that new group, and notice the distinctive sound of more cars approaching, more people coming. Those new men walk away for a moment, but Daryl sees that Dwight and the girls are about to leave in the wrong direction in their own attempt to escape.

“No. That way.” He says getting close again, pointing in a different one. “Go. Go.”

Daryl holds the girl with short hair, helping her walk through the forest, with the constant sound of burning branches and leaves cracking under their boots, until they find a safe place to hide. They duck behind the bushes, but Daryl knows he can’t handle those people alone if they attacked, so he pulls the gun out of his pocket.

“Hey. Take it.” He says, and Dwight does it with a confused look.

A few steps away, there is a walker trapped against a rock and the tree, and Daryl shakes the bush that covers it to attract one of the men’s attention, who oblivious, walks towards it, dangerously close until the death reaches him, biting off his arm. He screams calling for help and another man approaches running, finding his friend on the ground, holding the empty space where part of his flesh used to be. The last man makes a tourniquet around the other one’s elbow, joking that he should cut off his friend’s arm with a machete before walking away.

“We thought you were with them.” Dwight says from the ground, looking at Daryl. “We knocked you over the head. We tied you up. We threatened to kill you. Why the hell did you come back?”

Daryl looks at them on the floor, vulnerable and weak, listening the women speak to each other, affectionately, saying everything is going to be okay.

“Maybe m’ stupid too.” Daryl says after a while, his voice low and hoarse, referring to what Dwight said earlier, about how stupid they were to trust a community, thinking that they fought together for the same cause: to survive.

Sasha continues to stare through the window, present but absent at the same time, with nothing but an empty street and a pair of walkers grunting in the air. On the other side of the place, your heart keeps beating fast, without giving you a break as the hours pass and pass. The tingle in your stomach is the worst companion in that long wait, and it feels like it’s playing with you, making you believe you are going to puke from the nerves.

Sasha watches you, noticing you are losing color.

“Are you okay, (Y/N)?”

You look back at her, your body falling on the back of the chair.

“Yes, thanks. It’s just that my stomach is tight from the nerves.”

She can see the worry in your face, which got deeper as the hours passed.

“Maybe you’re pregnant.”

You blink at her, almost innocently, until your hand flies into the air to ward off that thought.

“Of course not!” Your voice comes out sharply, making her chuckle.

“I’m just kidding with you.”

Your surprise disappears fast and it becomes a soft laugh, something thoughtful as you look at her.

“You really scared me.”

Sasha smiles, and she walks to the desk to sit on the chair on the other side.

"But let me ask you something: did the topic ever come up between you and Daryl… about having a kid?" She leans back, a little bit tired of that life. "I mean, I don't know if it would be selfish to bring a baby into this world, but at the same time, I want to believe that a new life would bring a little hope and color, too."

You weigh her words, analyzing your entire life in just a few seconds of silence.

“Well… I dated twice in the old world but believe me, that idea never came up with those people after I knew who they really were.”

Her eyebrows furrow in sadness, hating that you had to suffer like that.

“They were assholes, uh?”

"To say the least..." You chuckle, humorless. "Daryl and I… we never talked about it actually, and I know he’s completely different but, it scares me to death not being able to protect my kid if she or he ever happens, you know? Daryl is a protector, that’s in his nature, but sometimes things just... slip out of our hands."

Sasha nods.

“Maybe Daryl is waiting to marry you first.”

You chuckle, shyly.

“That idea never came up with those people either.”

“But if he proposed, would you say yes?" Your friend smiles softly, feeling tenderness for you at how alienated you are from something that everyone in the family is aware of, but she loves the sweet way you shyly nod. “Daryl is fine, (Y/N). I’m sure he is. That man is just so stubborn, and not even the whole world will stop him from coming back to you. Okay?”

Her kind words make you feel calm, and you nod again, trying to swallow the lump in your throat that prevents you from speaking at that moment. Trusting that he’s strong and stubborn is the only thing that makes that situation less worrying, just a little less.

Daryl and the group keep walking through the forest, talking about the safety that people are looking for desperately in that world, that they would give it all for believing they are safe, and Dwight keep saying that those people would give everything until they had nothing, until they would only exist.

“Nobody’s safe anymore.” Daryl shakes his head. “Can’t promise people that.”

“You can promise it to those people who want to hear it.” Dwight says back, confident in his own words.

They talk, debating about the remote possibility of finding balance in a quiet life, far from the danger of other humans when they are still the most harmful. A little bit behind them, Tina walks to a burnt and melted greenhouse close, in the middle of nowhere. She stops, recognizing the two dead people encased in melted glass inside. Dwight and Sherry blame themselves because they burned the entire forest without knowing that those girls were there, while, between nothing but rubble, Tina gets close again, kneeling to leave some flowers for them, lamenting the loss of two innocent lives.

But then, the corpses wake up to the sound of her crying and attack her, breaking through the glass. Their arms hold her and she falls between them, screaming in pain as they bite her soft skin. Daryl runs to her and kills the walkers, while Sherry pulls Tina towards her, crying.

“I’m so sorry, baby.” She says between tears, because she knows there is nothing else do now.

“Why did you come back for the ring?”

As the men keep digging a grave for Tina and the other bodies, Daryl stops to look at Sherry, who’s looking at an empty spot beyond all that pain. She doesn’t look back at him, just waiting for an answer.

"S’ jus’ a ring for ya but it means somethin’ important to me.”

A second later, Sherry finally looks at him.

“What is that?”

Daryl knows a promise can be broken, not by him, but by that dangerous world and how a life can end in a second, so the ring is, or will be a symbol of a truth, if he gets the opportunity to give it to you.

“It means I’ll love ma wife for the rest of ma life. S’ the only promise I can make to her.”

The feeling she sees in Daryl’s eyes is too deep, as transparent as crystal, a bond with you, just as important as the one she had with her sister.

"But you haven't proposed to her yet."

Daryl shakes his head.

"Not yet."

"And what are you waiting for?" She keeps asking, but the way Daryl looks at the ground for a second is her own answer. I'm waiting to stop being so scared, he thinks. “Why do you want to marry her?”

Sharing his deepest thoughts had always been a weak point for Daryl, but at this moment, he shrugs it off as he goes back to digging, the words passing through his lips, because talking about you was always something easy.

“She always felt like home, like, if home is a person an' not a place, an' since I met her I realized I didn't wanna get away from that feeling. (Y/N) always speaks with a soft voice, but at the same time she can be firm with the things she believes in, she jus’… knows who she is an' what she wants, an' she showed me that this world ain’t a bad place to live in despite the pain.”

The moment he looks at her, she nods, smiling while looking away, ending that conversation.

“How many walkers have ya killed?” Daryl asks, turning his attention to Dwight.

“A lot. A couple of dozen at least.”

“How many people have ya killed?”

“None.” He says, still throwing the dirt from his shovel.

“Why?”

Dwight doesn’t stop digging.

“Why haven’t I killed anybody?” He doesn’t answer immediately, thinking about how his life was before all that. “Because if I did, there would be no going back, no going back to how things were.”

Daryl looks back at him, with a little of hope in his blue eyes.

“M’ from a place where people are still what they were.”

Dwight stops and breathes through his parted lips, tired, weak, and vulnerable, but for a second, life seems less dark.

As Daryl uncovers his motorcycle, he really thought he could take those two people back to Alexandria, for them to have a new opportunity, a new beginning. However, they, after sharing a look, decide in silence that they would find their own way, and behind him, Daryl hears Dwight clicking off the safety of the gun.

“Damn it.” He grunts and tries to take his crossbow out of his body, but as he turns around, Daryl knows it is too late.

“Give her the crossbow.” Dwight say, holding the gun.

“Yer gonna go back? Will ya be safe?”

“Shut up!” Dwight's hand shakes with the weight of the question if he is making a mistake, but Daryl doesn’t look away, still breathing heavily.

“It ain’t no safe place no more.”

“Give her the crossbow.”

“Ya’ll kneel?”

Dwight doesn’t lose his composure, but he shoots close to Daryl’s head just to prove he won’t hesitate to kill him, so Daryl takes the crossbow out of his body and gives it to Sherry. They get on the motorcycle, with her holding the gun now, while keeping an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry.” She says after throwing some medical packs on the ground.

“Yer gonna be.” Daryl answers back, holding a menacing look.

Sherry's gaze falters with the severity with which she is looked at, but her next words hold not a trace of fear.

“Give your lover the ring, make her your wife and live a full life. Don't waste another day.”

After that, they leave.

But as the sound of the engine is drowned out by the relentless wind, Daryl lets out a small laugh while he pulls out the ring, coming to a revelation. The idea that you can find someone better (even in that world) and start something with someone else is just devastating for him, a wrong but perennial thought in his mind, but now Daryl knows that he would do everything in his power to become that better someone (even when in your eyes, and in everyone else's, he is probably the best human being possible)

Maybe, just maybe, that time apart hadn't been that bad after all.

And after a long and almost endless trip, the sound of an engine attracts everyone’s attention, and Sasha, Abraham and you walk to the window to see the truck that stops in front of that building. The air returns to your body when you see Daryl getting off the vehicle, finding his last name written on the door of the place where you all hid. Sasha and Abraham smile among them, relieved as you walk out of there, your legs trembling slightly all the way down the stairs, but you make it.

The sunlight shine on your face as you push open the door, as a sign that the cycle always repeats itself, but breaking the night with a new bright day as patience is rewarded. You feel weak and strong at the same time, as if you can breathe again. Daryl walks over to you, meeting you halfway, and finally, in what seems like a life apart, he wraps his arms around your waist to pull you even closer, but that doesn’t seem to be close enough.

Your arms around his shoulders hold him against you, while he breathes deeply against your neck.

“I knew you’d come back.”

He exhales, at peace now that he had found his way back home.

“Nothin’ or no one could have stopped me from doin’ it, peach.” Daryl pulls away just to take your face in his hands, his fingers caressing your skin and part of your hair, his gaze softening with the view of you, because he now knows for sure and without fear that love doesn't bring you down, not when it feels so good to be by your side again. “But I missed ya so fuckin’ much, woman.”

And then, Daryl presses his lips against you, still holding your face, without caring for anything else in the world. At that moment, it is just you and him again, while, at the entrance of the building, Abraham chuckles next to Sasha.

“This is way better than a parade of walkers.”

@fluffy-dixon

[abbyfmc]

Yanderetober 10/10:

Yandere Dark King Ghost! X Urban Explorer! Reader:

TW:

In the 19th century, there was a king named Dorian, who was quite frivolous, classist and sometimes cruel to the people of his village. He was raised by his father to be that way.

He had murdered anyone who tried to remove him from the throne, or worse, separate him from his beloved wife, Queen Adela. A woman who was the complete opposite of her husband. She was gentle and kind to people of all social classes, which made her subjects, servants, guards, the court and even neighboring kingdoms adore her.

He grew up in an environment where he was not only pressured and despised by his parents, but also looked down upon by his siblings, against whom he competed daily. The only one who ever treated him well (or at least decently) was Adela, with whom he became obsessed.

The Yandere King never let Adela go again once he married her.

The Yandere King pressured Adela and her family to marry him, even unfairly imprisoning Adela's father to force her to agree.

David married her when he was still a prince, which temporarily made her a princess.

Adela tried everything to overcome him; From imploring her let her go to try to escape, failing in each attempt. Adela could not bear the confinement, manipulation, pressure of her position, as well as the punishments at the hands of David; which led Adela to take her life with a dagger.

David could not believe what his beloved did. From that moment he did not be the same again, but he became a vile and cruel king who took many lives during his reign (with the excuse that everyone is guilty of Adela's suicide, except him), until he was killed to His 35 years for the younger brother, who took the throne and calmed down a little.

What nobody knew at first was that David was a witchcraft practitioner who after Adela's death tried to revive her without any success, sacrificing criminals. In the end he ended up conjuring a spell that would make him able to meet his beloved in the next life.

This is where we travel to today.

You were a fan of urban history and exploration. It was super interesting and entertaining to investigate the history of abandoned places, as well as its passage through history without human maintenance. You have explored houses, neighborhoods, mansions, establishments, hospitals, mansions, hotels, resorts and even abandoned parks to see their passage and abandonment over time.

You've encountered it all; insects, stagnant water or aerated water, mold of every color possible, rust, decay (obviously) and even squatters and intruders. You have scary and funny memories in the form of photos and videos; however, you never took anything from those places.

You recently stumbled upon King David's abandoned castle and read a bit about its history, which you found very interesting, so you went to visit the castle with your lifelong best friend, Axel.

As you entered, you saw how big it was with its impressive architecture and interior design. The trees, bushes and undergrowth dominated the place, making it no less beautiful or interesting.

You walked around, admiring the place while taking photos and videos, until you came to a hidden room where all of David and Adela's belongings were. From paintings and robes, to jewelry and a pair of royal crowns.

What caught Axel's attention the most was the king's crown, and it didn't take you long to notice it.

-Axel? What's wrong?- You asked him as you watched the wine stick to his crown. Suddenly, you felt a strange aura near it.

-The crown is...calling me- He replied during his trance, walking up to the object.

-Axel, don't mess around. Let's explore the other rooms instead.- You stood up and walked uncomfortably to the entrance, hoping he would follow you, but you only saw a bright flash of light and turned around, seeing your friend kneeling on the ground in a daze with his crown on.

-Are you okay?! Holy jesus, what did you do?- You wanted to help him up and then you heard a strange voice.

The ghost of the yandere king had awakened after a long time in limbo.

-What am I doing here?- "Axel" asked himself, in a voice that was not his own, but a slightly more mature one. You were surprised, not knowing what was happening.

The ghost of the Yandere King felt strange in his new body. After so many years in limbo, he was now alive in some form.

-Axel, what nonsense are you talking about? We're exploring. Are you okay?- You approached him, who looked at you and revealed that he no longer had those characteristic brown eyes, but a pair of emerald eyes like David's. Before you could say anything out of surprise, his eyes lit up and he smiled from ear to ear.

-My Adela, you've returned!- He exclaimed happily, which confused you even more.

-What are you talking about? Have you gone crazy? Are you drunk?- He shook his head while still smiling. -Then stop playing this! You're scaring me!- You complained, starting to feel anxious and angry. He slowly walked towards you.

The yandere king began to tell you the story of his relationship with witchcraft, and how he used a spell to reunite with his beloved queen in the afterlife or in his next life, but was punished by remaining in limbo due to the murders committed.

The Yandere Ghost King remained alone all this time, tortured again and again for his crimes, but in the end his efforts bore double fruit.

The yandere king saw that you remained silent while looking at him a little surprised and disgusted, but you finally approached him.

-What's up, honey?- David asked doubtfully. -Do you believe me?- You didn't answer; however, he saw that you were willing to take the crown (his power) from him and he stopped you by throwing you to the ground and putting his hands on your neck. He strangled and choked you for a long time, while you kicked and struggled desperately, only to end up dying in his hands.

By the time you stopped breathing, he let go of you and, after checking that you had no pulse, he looked at your corpse with a smile on his face.

-One part is already done, the other is missing.- The Yandere King then searched around the room for something specific; a sharp object to be more specific. He walked around and looked carefully around the room, coming to see a small, old dagger that was among your things.

He took her in his hands and stabbed her in the neck, falling beside you as he died, getting rid of your friend Axel in the process.

In the end, he got what he wanted after two centuries and by a few seconds, but he was with you in your end.

-The End.

Hi, I know this isn't very well-written and it's VERY late, but this week I had body and head aches that kept me away from my cell phone and PC for about four days, but today I feel much better.

[oreolemur]

JJK Men Reacting To You Running Away

❤Satoru Gojo❤

“Honey! I’m home”. Satoru walked into his apartment looking for you. “Baby?”. He searched the house, wondering where you could be hiding. “A game of hide and seek, huh? You’re so funny, darling”. He would continue searching, but once he realized you weren’t in the house, he started to suspect that you might’ve run away. Gojo walked over to his patio, noticing that he left it unlocked by mistake. His backyard was filled with trees, making it easy for you to escape. The man went out, beginning his hunt. By now you were halfway through the forest. Ahead of you, you saw a path leading to the road. “Yes”, you exclaimed, running faster. But before you could reach it, Satoru appeared in front of you. “That was a good game”, he approached you, grabbing hold of your arm. “Let’s go home”, he said, teleporting back to his house. “Don’t you feel bad?”, he asked, tying you to his bed. He removed the duct tape from your mouth, allowing you to speak. “I hate you!”, you shouted. Satoru smiled, putting the tape back over your mouth. “Aww, I love you too”.

❤Yuji Itadori❤

The moment he notices you weren’t home, he would freak out. “Darling!?”, he called out, but there was no answer. He thinks something bad might’ve happened to you. Yuji would tear his whole apartment apart, desperate to find you. “Come on, don't do this to me, please”. Tears would rush down his face. Where could his lover have gone? He went into the bathroom, seeing that the window had been broken. That only made his anxiety worse. Once he peeked out, he saw something move in the bushes. “That has to be her”. Yuji quickly ran out. He looked through the bushes, finding a piece that was torn from your shirt. “Is this blood?”. His heart was beating fast. He had to find you. The man searched throughout the forest, soon finding you hiding in a cave. “There you are”, he was relieved. He tried to wrap his arms around you, but you moved away. “D-don’t touch me”, you said. Yuji looked at you with sad eyes. Your clothes were a mess and you had cuts on your arm from jumping out of the window. “Darling don’t be like that”, he said, inching closer to you. You moved away some more, your back hitting the cave’s wall. You tried to get up and run away, but Yuji tackled you, pinning your body to the ground. The two of you fought for dominance, but once he pulled out his taser, it was over for you. You passed out, leaving yourself at his mercy. “I’ll make sure you never leave me again”. 

❤Megumi Fushiguro❤

He wasn’t surprised that you had run away. He expected it. Megumi pulled out his phone, looking at the tracker’s directions. “This is why I put a tracking device in your necklace”. He saw that you were near a police station. “Shit!”. He left his house, hopping into his car. He drove 5 blocks down, parking his car a few feet away from the station. Once he saw you, he got out, following behind you. You were just a few steps away to getting help. “I can finally put that bastard behind bars”, you said. Little did you know, Megumi was right behind you. He pulled out his gun, pressing it into your back. “Get in the car”, he whispered into your ear. You were shocked. “H-How did you find me?”.  You heard the gun click. “Don’t worry about it. Now get in the car”. Megumi guided you to his vehicle. You got in, feeling a sense of doom. “I was so close”. He took you back to his house, forcefully pulling you out of the car. “Let me go!”. You tried to get away, but Megumi was too strong. He dragged you down the hallway, shoving you into that one you always hated. “N-no, I don’t want to be in here”, you whined. He ignored you, locking you inside. You frantically banged on the door, pleading for him to listen. “You’ll stay there until you learn how to accept your new life!”. 

❤Kento Nanami❤

You picked the worst time to run away. Nanami was just getting off from work. He had to do overtime. He hated that. Once, he saw that you weren’t sitting at the dinner table eating, he knew that you had run away. The man had trained you to stay on schedule, so he wasn’t too happy that you decided to mess everything up. “Seems like the only thing I’m doing today is work”. He sat in the living room, opening his laptop to check the cameras he placed around his house. “She left at 7”, he muttered. Nanami usually got home around 7:20, so he knew you weren’t too far away from the premises. He sighed, getting up from the couch as he made his way to the front door. The man followed some apparent footsteps you left behind. It only took about 10 minutes to search. He found you lying in a nearby pond. You had tripped and hit your head on a rock. “At least you’re not bleeding”. Nanami picked you up, taking you back to where you belong. “I have a special punishment for you when you wake up”. 

❤Geto Suguru❤

He would be in the kitchen cooking for the both of you. “Y/n! Come downstairs bunny dinner is almost ready”. Fixing yours and his plate, he set the table. “Why hasn’t she come yet?”. On his way upstairs, he heard glass breaking. “Fuck!”. He ran towards his bedroom, seeing you trying to get out the window. “Y/n!”, he shouted. You were halfway out, before Geto grabbed onto your waist, pulling you back inside. The glass cut through your dress, slicing your thigh. You screamed, “Let me go”. He threw you on the bed, pinning your arms above your head. “Stop fighting. Your dinner is going to get cold”. He looked at the blood on your clothes, sighing. “You ruined your new dress. You know how much I spend to make you look pretty?”. He got off you, grabbing your arms as he dragged you into the bathroom. “Let’s get you cleaned up”. He wiped the blood clean off you, stitching up your wound. Once he was finished, he brought you downstairs, forcing you to sit at the table. “You’re lucky the food is still warm. Now eat”. He walked away, hearing you spit on the food. Geto turned around, smiling. “What did you just do?”, he asked. You threw the plate on the floor, breaking it. “I’m not eating this shit!”, you yelled. In a fit of rage, the man slapped you. He grabbed your face, forcing you to look at him. “Don’t make me have to punish you”.

❤Sukuna Ryomen❤

Sukuna wouldn’t care about searching for you. He would simply sit in his living room, waiting for you to come back. “She knows better than to leave me”, he chuckled. And he was right, you were only gone for a few hours. He heard a knock at his door, knowing it was you. Once he opened the door, he was met with tears. “I-I’m sorry for leaving I-”. He cut you off by hitting you in the face. “Don’t you know how worried I was about you!”, he said. Sukuna always manipulated you into thinking he actually cared about you. He grabbed your arm, dragging you inside. He forced you to bend over his lap. He squeezes your ass hard, before lifting up your skirt, exposing your bare cheeks. The curse never allowed you to wear panties. “Start counting!”, he demanded. Sukuna slapped your ass hard, causing you to whimper. “Count!”. Through painful sobs, you began to count. “1-1”. He hit you again, leaving a handprint. “2”. Your ass was starting to sting. “3”. Sukuna kept spanking you over and over again until you started shaking. Once he was done, he lifted you up, making you sit on his lap. “You’re so stupid for thinking you could actually get away from me”, he grabbed hold of your neck, tilting it to expose your sweet skin. “I-I’m sorry”, you sobbed. He chuckled into your ear. “You will be soon”.

[witchezandwonderz]

Sihtric's Secret

Pairing: Sihtric x Reader

Request: Sihtric with 3, 11 and 21 ❤️

Tag list: @leftoverp1zza @somebody6468 @cheesesandwichsanto @diorpar @tessakate @miksmom-blog

I am sorry this has taken so long- I have been so busy lol, got a week off next week so will be catching up on all of my lovely mutuals fics and messages:)

"You are weak!" She shrieked playfully, her laughter echoing throughout the trees, birds flocking as she carelessly fell into the bush besides her.

Sihtric laughed, jumping straight back up from the damp ground and lunging towards her once again, this time with a plan to take her down the only way he knew successful; tickling.

As soon as he got hold of her she shrivelled to the ground, giggling and screaming as he straddled her.

"Fine, you are not weak! She shouted, her words escaping her mouth much more panicked and rushed than she had intended. She hated being tickled.

Sihtric grinned and stopped tickling her, removing his fingers from her sides and carefully climbed off of her, before leaning back down to help her get up from the floor.

She stood up straight, smoothing down her braids and clothes, before suddenly flinging her arm out and hitting Sihtric in the stomach, causing him to grunt and hurl over.

Sihtric and Y/N had a strange relationship; they had known each other since they were more or less children, and despite not labelling themselves as together, if any man dared go near her, Sihtric would have his head.

At a young age, Y/N’s entire family had been murdered in a surprise attack and betrayal from an Earl who was supposed to be a great friend of her fathers. From that day on, she was alone and had to grow up extremely quickly in order to look after herself. She was not alone for very long though, because she soon met Sihtric. She had escaped when they attacked, and knew to run as far as she could- the earl did not intend to leave any of them alive.

From the moment that she met Sihtric, she shared her deepest and darkest secrets with him. He became her partner in every sense of the word. She felt extremely deeply about him- the word love did not seem to come close to how much she adored him. Sihtric felt the same, for in his eyes, no one existed other than her.

After getting her breath back, Y/N walked over to a tray of water, and used both of her hands to splash the cold liquid onto her face. She yelped happily as she felt her face cool immediately, and then ran to the opening of the river, where Sihtric sat.

She plopped herself down next to him, and rested her head on his shoulder with a deep sigh.

“Do you think we will ever see more of this world?” She asked quietly, her eyes locked in front of her as she stared into the horizon.

Sihtric let out a light laugh, “we have seen more of this world with Uhtred.”

Y/N tutted at his words, and then lifted her head from his shoulder, adjusting her body so that she could look at him properly.

“Every place that we have been to is to fight.” She sighed, “I want to properly see this world, in happiness and calmness, with you.”

Sihtric’s heart fluttered at her words- he wanted to give her everything that she wanted and more.

“One day, my love.” He replied, before kissing her lightly on her forehead.

“One day, after you have done this job that you will tell me nothing about?” Y/N said teasingly, although half of her meant it- it was true, he would not tell her a single thing about this new job, and he made her promise not to mention a word of it to the other boys.

Y/N did not believe that there was a job, and thought that he was saying it to give her something to look forward too- naively.

But she was wrong. Sihtric was in fact planning to get a large payment for carrying out a job for someone, but if Y/N knew any details of it, she would be far from happy.

Sihtric chuckled nervously at her words, and then began to get up, before muttering “I am thirsty.”

Y/N stayed sat firmly in her position, racking her brains to come up with any reason as to why Sihtric would be so secretive. She knew that he was keeping something from her, and she was determined to find out what. They were supposed to have no secrets.

Sihtric stopped walking after realising that she was not following him, and so he spun on his heel and held out a hand. “Are you coming?”

Y/N flashed him a bright, reassuring smile, and unpeeled herself from the mud, accepting his outreached hand and following him inside.

The hall was full of people chatting, and after dinner Sihtric had gone over to join his friends. Y/N did not follow though, instead, she decided to stay at the table and continue to try and figure out Sihtrics secret.

She did not mean to stare at him, but her thoughts were so clouded that she did not realise what her physical body was doing.

“Penny for your thoughts?” A thick Irish accent spoke from behind her. Y/N looked up to see her good friend, Finan.

Finan pulled out a chair next to her with a loud screech, and sat beside her.

“He’s hiding something, and I’m going to find out what.” Y/N stated simply, before setting her sights back on Sihtric.

“Well if you want my advice-“ Finan began, but before he could continue, Y/N held out a hand.

“If I wanted advice from a fool, I’d ask the first beggar I meet.”

Finan jokingly held his heart at her words, “ouch!” He shouted in a dramatic tone.

Y/N looked at him again, “Finan, the last time I took your advice, I nearly got killed.” She laughed. In turn, Finan laughed too.

“Yeah that was bad. Ok, fine, fine- but if he is hiding something from you, which he may not be, then are you sure you want to know what it is?”

Y/N pondered Finan’s words- he was right, did she really want to find out what was happening even if it hurt her?

That night, she lay awake under the warmth of the furs that surrounded her, and in the arms of the man who loved her. Usually, she would not have had a problem with falling asleep, but for some reason, she could not.

She finally began to drift off when she felt Sihtric move beside her, delicately untangling his hands from her waist. In the darkness, Y/N furrowed her brows. She heard him get up from the bed, pull his clothes on, lace his boots, creep across the room and out of the door.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Y/N shot out of bed and hurried to get her clothes on. She wrapped her cloak around her tightly and quietly opened the door, popping her head out to ensure that no one saw her. Up the corridor, she saw Sihtric disappear around a corner.

Her brows furrowed in confusion once again, where on earth would he be going at this hour?

Many other women would think the worst; another woman. But Y/N just knew that this would not be the case- it couldn’t be, no way.

She awkwardly tiptoed down the corridor, praying to all of the gods that she would not be seen. Once turning down the corridor that Sihtric crept down, she checked that he would not be there. He in fact was not, but the door to the large room that no one used was open just ajar.

"Strange" She whispered to herself, checking her surroundings once more before creeping towards the room. The closer that she got, the louder the voices within the room became.

She came to an abrupt stop when she heard Sihtric's hushed voice. He never was good at being quiet.

"You told me that you would have my payment this evening, where is it?" Sihtric's voice carried an anger that she did not recognise. The voice that replied did not match this emotion, and in fact carried a tone of amusement.

"I just have one more job for you, and then you and your precious lady can have the money."

Y/N's brows furrowed as she focused on the strangely familiar voice, almost as if by focusing, she would magically gain knowledge on the entire situation. She racked her brain as she listened to the two men squabble in an attempt to remember why the second voice was so recognisable.

Then it hit her, like a tonne of bricks.

She hadn't heard the voice since she was a little girl, because the voice was of the man who killed and betrayed her entire family.

With the realisation came a loud gasp, one that caused her hands to immediately spring to her mouth, clasping it tightly to stop herself from being heard. Y/N's eyes began to well up as she wondered how long Sihtric, the only human being she had ever trusted, had been working with the man that traumatised her and broke all of her trust in the first place.

She ran back to her room, caring less about the noise, and focusing on getting back there and away from him.

She waited for him to return, and did not need to wait for very long.

She perched on the end of the bed, and lit a few candles so that the room was visible. Sihtric quietly opened the door, though, it did not stop it from creaking.

"Love? Why are you awake?" He asked, in an another bad attempt at a hushed voice.

"Why am I awake? Why are you working with a man that wants me dead?" She spat, her eyes locked into his with full confidence.

Sihtric stuttered, though his mind raced with a thousand words that he could say- none that would make the situation any better.

“I trusted you, but now I know: loyalty is a coin, and you spent yours without a second thought." She spat through gritted teeth, tears falling from her eyes rapidly.

Sihtric sighed, he couldn’t stand seeing her this way. Her cheeks were a deep shade of crimson from how much she had shouted, and stray strands of hair clung to parts of her damp, tear stained face. His brain screamed at him to react, to say something. But he couldn’t, he couldn’t muster any words that would begin to excuse what he had done.

“Say something!” She shouted once more, her voice echoing throughout the trees. He shuddered when she shouted, he wanted to fix it, but he knew that nothing he could say or do would make her feel any better, or hate him any less.

So, he continued his silence, looking at her with an unreadable expression, his hands balled into fists at his sides.

Her chest ached, her heart burned- he was the only person in this world that she had ever trusted, and just like that it had been shattered into a million pieces.

Once she had realised that he was not going to respond, she began to laugh- almost mechanically, out of sheer disbelief.

“You know what?” She asked, sniffing her nose and using her hands to wipe her eyes. “You, are a fucking coward.” She pointed a finger at him, while nodding her head, almost as if to convince herself of her own words. Turning on her heel, she began to walk towards the door. Sihtrics sudden voice caused her to stop.

"I was trying to be strong, I just wanted the money so that we could finally start a life of our own!" His words seemed desperate, the pace that he spoke was so fast it was barely audible.

"It’s not your strength that defeats me, it’s your betrayal that shatters me." She replied, calmly- calmer than she had been a mere five seconds ago.

"I love you." Sihtric pleaded, his face and body language were the definition of sadness and his eyes welled up, though he refrained from allowing any tears to fall.

Y/N looked back at him, trying not to falter at his expression and run into his arms.

"I love you more than anything," She breathed, and then slowly shook her head, "If you truly loved me, you would never have done this."

[run-its-moon]

A Song Once Forgotten - Chapter Two

Pairing: BTS (OT7) X Reader

Word Count: 4038

Genre/Themes: Dragon!AU, Shifter!AU, Pioneer themes, Powers, War, possible/Eventual smut

Warning's: 18+ for gore, minor swearing, possible smut, Character Death (not OT7), Animal death, Religion/history being rewritten, topics that relate to climate change, Eventual War, humanity is kind of Oppressed,

I didn't have anyone proof read or edit this so i apologize for this chapter.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

My hands Stiff and freezing from the cold, I let go of the reins, putting them under my thighs. A poor attempt to warm them, even my gloves struggled to retain the heat. Taking a moment to watch the snow fall from the sky, to pinpoint where the sun is now.  The clouds moved faster than they did yesterday, the wind probably felt like needles above the trees. “The seasons are playing with my head, I swear I've never seen anything this bad before Adonis.” But my parents always told me to never trust the weather, especially closer to the mountains.

Slotting the reins between my hands again I push Adonis back into a trot. Picking up more pace while we travel northward towards a pond I visited a few times in my youth. The forest was near deadly quiet while we paced through the snow. Only the crunch of horse hoofs in the snow and the odd bird call from the branches. We’d been at it most of the day now, the sun even with it being difficult to see was starting to go below the mountains. 

“One more Attempt couldn't hurt right?” Nodding to myself while I lead Adonis in the correct direction, taking a right beside the boulder I always passed, signalling only a little longer till we reach. The pond was just a little spot my father used to take me during the summer time for a short swimming trip. Mere moments later the trees parted and the pond in all its glory laid. Stretching out not very far, a single willow tree beside the pond. 

Riding Adonis close to the pond, leaving a few feet between us and the pond then dismounting. ‘I know he's ground tied.. As long as I leave his reins around his neck he should stay close to here.’ I take the bridle off him, making sure I'm gentle as I remove the bit from his mouth. 

Leaving the browband and crown of the bridle on the horn of the saddle. I give him a quick scratch under the chin, while I kick some snow away from the ground where we stood. “That's odd..” I duck down close to the ground. Taking a better look at the grass, it was still a light green, nothing like the brown it should be. 

Shrugging my shoulders while I stood up, removing the bow from my shoulder while I made my way towards the tree line. “Stay there for a moment Adonis, I'll be right back.” I shout over my shoulder. I make sure to stray clear of the branches from the bushes. Some of the trees had ice coating the branches. The weather was acting severely off, we weren't even that close to the mountain range yet. 

Further into the forest I went looking for a small opening around some bushes, once I found one with a look over a tiny valley to wait for some prey to hop through. 

—

It felt like everything but a deer went through the small clearing, from birds, rabbits, even a particularly large rabbit went through the clearing. No sign’s of a deer. 

Sighing while I stood to make my way back towards the pond, the snowy ground was a little easier to navigate through compared to the warm stretch. Taking almost no time at all to pad through the snow that was over my ankles. This morning when I left, the snow around the settlement wasn't this deep, only just covering the ground. 

Up ahead Adonis was pawing at the ground, kicking up a bit of snow with his left hoof. His head lowered, eating some of the grass from the spot he just uncovered. Stepping out into the clearing, he must've heard me. Adonis looked up at me for a split second then continued to eat.

My cloak burst forward around my body, the wind propelling me forward into a stumble. Cloak caught in the wind, flying around to my right side, choking me in the process. Stumbling more while I attempted to walk towards Adonis. Pulling down on the front of the cloak, ignoring how the hood fell backwards. The branches above creak and shake with the wind. Bursting forward towards Adonis when he rears upwards, I Immediately run to grab hold of the reins around his neck. Cursing to myself subtle while I hold onto the reins the best I can.

Wingbeats so loud they cover the beating of my heart in my ears when I see it. I could feel the pounding of my heart, but the wingbeats above us cause the wind to only become more aggressive while I hold onto Adonis for dear life. Watching a black dragon pass above us, gracefully missing the tips of the tree’s while it cruises through the air. The entire clearing falls dark while it passes over us, blocking out the sun like an eclipse.

If I could compare this dragon to the sun. I could almost say they were the same size.

I hold onto the reins the best I can. The wind whips my cloak around trying to unroot me from my spot, holding onto the reins to ground both me and my horse. I watch as the beast of a dragon flies over us, its black scales finally releasing the sun. Taking the wind with it, my cloak slows down to a stop. Passing the bridle over Adonis' face as quickly as I can, barely sparing time in my panic to get it on properly.

I Mount the Buckskin in a rush, barely pulling myself fully over the saddle before we rush off. Adonis hardly paces himself at a gallop, obviously spooked from what was above us moments before. The cold laps at my face, my hands and my legs. Barely feeling anything at all as we gallop through the forest, narrowly missing tree roots, and rocks as we run. 

‘We need to slow down, he's going to tire himself out. It's not safe out here.’ Leaning back in the saddle as I push my feet forward barely pulling on the reins. I shout out a quick woah, before we stop moving forward. I slam forward in the saddle leaning over his neck. ‘Fuck that was close.’ Sitting back properly in the saddle while he moves around under me, unsteady and scared. I lean forward slightly to pet his right shoulder. Keeping the reins firm in my left hand, gently reminding Adonis that we’re okay now.

We stand still for a few moments, allowing Adonis to steady his breath back to normal. I set him back off into a slow walk, the panic slowly ceasing to exist between us.

Barely able to see the sky through the trees yet I can tell the clouds are starting to dissipate. The snow slowed down as we walked, the near blizzard that was earlier, transforming into a light flurry.

‘The mountains can't be much farther from here, we’ve been going north this entire time.’ By the time the sun was starting to set behind one of the mountain’s, I spot a small cave entrance. ‘Perfect.’ Bear’s shouldn't be hibernating just yet because of how sudden the cold stretch came. But there was always a chance. 

Stopping well before the entrance, dismounting slowly while I keep quiet in case a bear decided the cave was a good home. The snow reaches just below my knees, leaving me to pull my feet up a little higher than normal. ‘Thank the world I tucked my pant legs into my shoes.’ 

I make my way to the entrance of the cave, the faint sunlight only doing so much to show me what was inside. Nothing. Only the faint sound of the wind howling, no snoring or breathing came from within. “With the sunlight so dim I have no choice but to sleep here for the night.” It's better to risk the cave instead of the cold. Trudging through the snow back to Adonis to lead him close to the cave entrance. He can decide for himself if he wants to come with.

I hold onto his reins until we were just at the entrance of the cave, dropping the reins while I move around to unbridled him. Allowing him to do as he pleased, taking a deep breath before going into the cave. The clunk of his hooves confirming he follows behind me into the cave. Once my eyes adjust I look around more. The cave was a good size, similar to that of my own room. With no sign of a bear or anything else within the cave. I start pulling the saddle bags down. Setting them aside. Adonis chooses to stand near the entrance blocking the wind and light with his body. 

I took the time to unsaddle him completely, setting the saddle on its back so it stood straight up without disrupting the build. The bags were left near the left side of the cave. After a while of shuffling through each of the bags I find a flint and steel petunia must have packed. Along with a blanket and bits of food. 

I spend a few minutes looking for larger rocks to make a small circle away from Adonis. Along the way picking up some dried leaves and smaller branches for kindling. Setting the branches in a tent-like shape with the dried leaves in the middle. Taking the flint and steel together to create a few sparks. Chipping off small pieces of the flint as I go. ‘Maybe i'm not really that good at this sort of thing.’ Sighing to myself while I struggle with the fire. 

Suddenly a small spark lights up the leaves. A smile graces my lips when I cover the right side of the pit with my cloak as the fire builds in strength. Staring down at the fire as I chew on the inside of my mouth. ‘I cant fucking believe Ty with that shit he pulled yesterday.’ Shooting a quick glance at Adonis then the bags of stuff near him. ‘He has no right to spew such nonsense at me. He's not my father.’ I bow my head back down behind the side of my cloak, I felt like eating up the warmth in front of me.

Maybe it was too cold to be doing this.

Shrugging my thoughts away, I crawl away from the fire to pull out some food and a blanket to sleep with. Sitting down beside the fire again once I gather what I want. I chew on some older deer jerky, peeling off the pieces that looked a little off. Pulling the blanket up to my chin while I ate, sleepy yawns lulled me to sleep along with the sound of the cracking from the fire.

Awaking with a jolt, gripping the ground under me, I sat up right. Alert and watch my surroundings of the cave. The fire was out, cold was sweeping into the cavern. Bursts of the wind steadily move Adonis' tail. I move around slowly to keep quiet, there's no telling what the darkness brings in the forest. Exposed and vulnerable to the elements.

Relaxing once I realize there was no immediate danger, stirring from my spot but then my ears barely pick up a noise. A tune so heavenly, barely audible over the blaring of the wind and snow. The melody felt like a tug at my soul, pressing my hand to the side of the cave as I teetered towards where I felt it was coming from. My hand glides across the rock as I move towards the back. A tunnel that wasn't there earlier loomed, the melody obviously coming from within. 

Moving closer to the source like a trance as I stumbled towards the back of the cave, the tune so faint barely audible until I step into the tunnel. The humming became louder as I venture forth, the slight slope of the tunnel causing me to slow my steps to ensure I won't slip. My ears strain to pick up the melody.

The humming was comparable to a lyre I heard my mother play once, a tune that called me back to my childhood. Unable to stop my feet from treading down into the tunnel, unable to pause as I follow the noise. 

Following the path downwards in what felt like an endless dark decline. The tune becomes louder the longer I continue. 

A subtle light emerged with what I could only assume was the end. The tune was so loud now it was like someone was signing directly into my ears. Pausing for a brief moment, breathing in deeply before stepping around the corner. 

A scream let loose from my throat. 

In Front of me suspended high into the air strung like a doll across the cavern, wings stretch so far they touch one end of the cavern to the other. A dragon so strikingly beautiful to look at, the colouring was that of sun bleached stone. The humming stopped, a high pitched yelp nearly bursts my ear drums. I fell backwards, looking up at a dragon.

Its body was suspended in the air by chains high above a murky pool of water, hooks piercing through the wings, chains rounded the body, bruises covered it. It moves its neck downwards curving similar to that of a snake while I moved backwards, twisting like a deer ready to bolt. It leaned forward the best it could watching me through its eyes? The dragon had no pupils, the eyes just a dim white colour. 

“A human? Why are you here.” Its jaw didn’t move while it spoke, the voice filled my head with the question. Somehow this beast was communicating with me. ‘Curse my elders for never telling me more.’ I felt frozen in my spot, my throat squeezing along with my head. “Little human, who are you?” The voice of the beast spoke with a tinge of aggression, although the overwhelming feeling of nerves made me truly unable to escape.

The fear released me from its hold when the beast moved its head backwards.  “I mean no harm! I swear to the world that I'm by myself, no ill intent.” Gasping out, while I move backwards a few feet. “I heard singing, and- I just recognized the tune from somewhere, I don't know where.” Nearly mumbling out the last part.

The dragon let out an airy laugh, wheezing during some parts. It lifted its head upward and chortled. “My singing led you here? Your human ears lie to you, human." The dragon cocked its head to the side. Its pure white eyes felt like they stared into my soul for moments. Neither of us spoke, fear gripped at me again. I took a longer look at it at that moment. Hooks pierced the membrane in its wings. The feathers on its neck had a wilted look to them.

Upon a closer look its claws looked nearly brittle. But its eyes were a near shining white colour that showed a barely illuminated area around its face. Two horns poked up above the feather’s, also white. Down its thin face on the tip of its nose was a small third horn.

This dragon was not like the ones they tell stories about, in a colour I've never known them to be. Infront of me fucking talk to me while laughing about something I don’t understand. But it was a being, in pain from the look of dried blood and old cuts on its under belly.

Unsure of how to truly proceed with the situation thrown at me. “How long have you been here?” 

The dragon snorted at me, a small puff of smoke coming up from its nose. “Longer than you have existed.” my limbs felt frozen again. ‘How long do dragons live?’ But there is no time for questions. 

“I won’t harm you human,” Pulling myself together, I make eye contact with the dragon. I have no weapons on me, I have no way to defend myself if this beast decides I am to be its prey.

“How can I trust you?” I gesture around the room, to the chains holding it up. “You could change your mind in an instant, decide to eat me.” the dragon chortles, its body shakes making the chains rattle. 

“Oh are you ever amusing? I cannot reach you from here. But you do have my word, I will not harm you, ever.” A shutter runs through the room after it finishes talking. Like the room was charged with something anew.

“Why are you here? Why chained up! And those chains are black!” the dragon huffed, loud and filling the room. 

“If you help me, I’ll answer your questions. But only after I am freed.” Turning slowly around the expanse of the cave, lever’s were periodically placed around the sides of the cave. Each lever was placed where it aligned with a chain that was holding up the dragon.

“The lever’s? I just pull them down.. and you'll be free?” I take a quick glance at the dragon behind me. ‘Maybe I shouldn't turn my back to it?’ 

“Yes, from what I remember.”

Nodding at the dragon before I turn on my heels, making my way towards the closest lever. Taking a deep breath while glancing back at the grey dragon hanging there.

Shuffling in my spot while I turned back around. I wipe non existent sweat off my hands before gripping onto the lever and pulling downwards. Nothing. ‘Okay.. that's weird.’ Again, nothing. This time I pulled the lever upwards a little, hearing a small click before pulling it down. Chains moved, spinning around quickly to see the chains around its right front arm release. 

“So.. Do you mind telling me why you're here?” My subtle attempt at small talk was met with a huff. 

“I was trapped here. I might tell you more after you get me out of these chains.” its voice had become lighter, less broken. Another small glance at it while I moved towards the next lever.

“Okay.. what about your name.” I ask just before pulling the next lever up then down. I watch as one of the hooks locked into its right wing releases his wing from the position it was in.

“I suppose..” The dragon turns its head, making direct eye contact with me. A small puff of smoke comes up from its nostrils, its eyes squint a little while it lowers its head. “My name is Seokjin. That's all you're getting.” so it, was a he. 

Just as I was about to pull down the next lever, I paused. “Nice to meet you Seokjin, my name’s y/n.” I said while making direct eye contact with him before pulling the lever downwards. Releasing his body. Two levers left.

After I pulled the last lever Seokjin had immediately dropped to the ground. No longer strong enough to hold himself upwards. He fell into the pond that was underneath him, his body creating a splash so large it soaks my clothes. I wait with a baited breath for him to crawl out. For the dragon to burst through the now calming water and eat me where I stand. Yet there is nothing. Nothing in those few moments while I wait. 

I shot forward, reaching the pond in seconds. I look down, barely visible in the water is not a dragon, but the barely visible figure of a man falling deeper into the water. My body works before my mind processes. Taking off a layer of my clothes, I dive into the water head first. Swimming until I reach the man and yank him upwards by his shoulders. 

Struggling to lift his heavy body, my lungs feel as though they are being crushed from the depth. I link my elbows under his shoulders, lifting him closer to me as I kick, and struggle. Nearly letting out a gasp, the lights from the top of the water feel so far away. 

Suddenly I’m pushing his body onto the side of the pond without thinking. Shaking the man awake as I gasp feeling the burn of air hitting my lungs. My ear’s subtly ring as I stare down at the man. Worry begins to strike me, before I know what's happening Seokjin is sitting up coughing water out of his nose and mouth. Slowly I remove my hands from his form and bring them down to my lap. 

“You can shape shift?” a small whisper escapes my lips, a quick glance at the white haired man beside me nearly has me gasping. I scoot away from him, feet still in the water cause a slight ripple. He was drop dead Gorgeous, Plush lips, a knife like jawline. Stark white hair glisten under the low light’s of the cave. ‘I wonder what he looks like under sunlight..’ My thoughts trail off. Not noticing him staring right back at me.

He hisses in pain, Shooting my gaze to where he's hovering a hand near his ribcage. He's bruised, large purple and blue peppling the surface of his skin. He moves to sit upwards. His eyebrows furrow when I touch his back lightly. “Yes some of us can shapeshift but it’s not very common any more.” I furrow my brows at his statement. More questions come to mind but I stay quiet. Moving out and away from the water to see his back. 

I gasp, his back has straight cuts going from the top of his shoulders to his lower back. “I need to bandage this.” He nods lightly, I hold onto his shoulder as he leans forward. Hand cupping his left side, bent over in pain. I can't see his face but I could almost feel his pain, from simply looking at him. “I'll bring you with me, It'll be best if we leave soon. You need to be bandaged, and preferably a healer.” Seokjin whips around quickly grabbing my wrist. Our eyes lock onto each other. His pupils shake slightly while we stare at each other.

“No, they'll go away soon. No healer.” He shakes his head again, breaking our eye contact. “I’ll come with you, I still need to answer your questions.” I nearly jump away when Seokjin pulls himself up, hisses of pain come from him until I help him fully stand.

Seokjin Leans some of his weight against me when he stands fully. Luckily he had a pair of slacks on, Glancing quickly towards my cloak. ‘I should give him that.’ Ducking down to grab the cloak Seokjin trailing his hand near my side. I gesture with the cloak to wear it. A simple nod is all I need before I’m wrapping his body with it. 

“We need to get going.” His voice seemed to drop an octave, I spared him a look to see a near dark shadow on his face. “What locked me up there will be back. Even sooner when they realize I'm gone.” shifting between my feet while I nod. My throat nursed a lump when I look towards the hanging chains above us. “I cannot defend us yet when they come looking.” my mouth clamped up. ‘What did I just get myself into..’ 

I move away from Seokjin for a moment to put on the clothes I was wearing prior to diving into the water. He teeters in his spot, balance unstable as he stands. “I was riding a horse, he should be able to carry us both. I don't know if he can go past a trot though.” He nods again before we meet eyes again. 

“I shall do my best to ensure we get there sooner then y/n.” He states almost like a promise with a smile on his face.

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[a-court-of-lust-and-stardust]

Love on Ice Chapter 25: The Meeting

Elain meets a very special someone in this chapter :)

7 Days until Competition

“No peeking, baby.” 

“I can’t peek even if I wanted to. Your hands are suctioned to my eyes.” 

Azriel’s laughter was loud and boisterous as he shook his head and craned his neck to peck Elain’s cheek. They needed to be at the Snowspell rink in a little over an hour for one of their last practices before the competition, but this surprise simply couldn’t wait. Azriel silently hoped it wouldn’t freak Elain out too much. 

“I’m going to remove my hands, but don’t open your eyes yet. Okay, here we go. One…two…three.” 

Elain’s eyes fluttered open, letting them adjust to the brightness, and inhaled sharply. She was on a cobblestone pathway that led up to a quaint cottage, surrounded by dozens of rose bushes in various colors. She caught a glimpse of the vast lawn in the back of the property, large trees, even more flowers, and metal archways placed strategically along the grass. It was something out of every gardener's dream. 

Elain blinked. “What… is this place?” 

Sheepishly, Azriel clasped Elain’s hands in his, holding them to his chest. His heart thumped rapidly beneath his sternum, cheeks as pink as the rose bush near their feet. In a timid voice, he answered, “This is Rosehall. It’s where my mother lives.” 

Elain’s heart fell into her stomach, eyes wide and round. She sputtered, “Your mother? Az, we’re–I–we haven’t even been together that long.” 

“I know,” He said simply, dusting a kiss along her knuckles. “I just wanted the two most important women in my life to meet. Forgive me for jumping the gun a bit, but I’ve dreamed of this moment far longer than I’m ready to admit.” 

There was nothing to forgive. Would a hint have eased her nerves? Probably. But Azriel’s eyes were filled with so much love, so much hope, that she couldn’t find it in her heart to be mad at him. 

“I don’t know if she’ll like me,” Elain whispered, voice watery as she blinked back tears, confessing a fear she didn’t even know she had until now. Her lip wobbled. “I–I haven’t had the best luck with mothers.”

A featherlight kiss silenced her. Strong arms wrapped around her body, and Elain melted into him. Melted into her safe space where nothing could harm or hurt her. Where she was cherished and protected and loved.

“My mother is nothing like yours, sweetheart. Nothing . I promise. She is very excited to meet you Elain, and she does have a surprise of her own for you. But if you would rather go home, we’ll leave right now and come back another time. The last thing I want is for you to feel uncomfortable.” 

Elain blew out a breath. 

She could do this. 

She could do this. 

Gripping Azriel’s hand, Elain allowed him to lead her inside the cozy cottage. The interior was decorated in various shades of green and brown, the white accents tying everything together for a welcoming, serene feeling. Plants lined windowsills and hung from ceilings, and a small fire crackled in the hearth. As they stepped further into the house, she was met with a plethora of different smells: a roast, something citrus, freshly baked bread, and lavender and waterlily. Probably a scented oil or spray.  

“Mother?” Azriel called out, head swiveling around the living space in search of her.  “We’re here.” 

A tiny woman who looked almost identical to Azriel, save for the scar that slashed through the corner of her mouth, rounded the corner of the kitchen. Her hazel eyes sparkled when she spotted Azriel, and Elain could feel the love she had for her gentle giant of a son. 

“Darling,” His mother greeted, pulling Azriel into a hug before patting his cheeks. Large and masculine as he was, he appeared quite charming and boyish before the older woman. They stared at each other, such fondness evident on their expressions. “It’s good to see you again, my boy.”   

Azriel dipped his chin. “My apologies for not calling as frequently, Mother. Life has been quite busy, to say the least.” 

Naomia’s lips twitched in amusement, gaze now focusing on Elain who stiffened imperceptibly, heart thundering. “Has it now?” 

The color on Azriel’s cheeks deepened as he glanced between the two women, a hand on Elain’s lower back as he guided her a tiny step forward. “Mother, this Elain Archeron. Elain, this is my mother Naomia.” 

Elain swallowed before offering a shy smile, hand outstretched. “It’s so nice to meet you, Naomia. Your home is lovely. I’m a big fan of the rose bushes.”

Something in Naomia’s face softened as she reached for Elain, ignoring her palm and opting to pull Elain in for a gentle squeeze. The weight lifted from Elain’s shoulders as she graciously accepted and returned the embrace. “You’re even more beautiful than my son described, and he waxed poetic about you, darling. It’s so good to meet you. Can I offer you something to drink? Water? Tea? Something stronger?” 

“Tea would be perfect, thank you.” 

Naomia took Elain’s hand then, showing her the way to the kitchen. Azriel followed silently, a calmness settling over him as he watched the two women who held his heart take their seats at the circular dining table. 

Azriel observed from the doorway, a hint of a smile gracing his lips as Elain visibly relaxed when Naomia served the roast. They chatted amicably, conversation flowing seamlessly between new recipes, flower arrangements, Naomia’s job as a seamstress, Elain’s ice dancing journey, and happier childhood memories. 

After lunch, Naomia led Elain through a tour of her garden, the older woman linking their arms together and she prattled on about the numerous florals. Elain’s doe eyes were big with wonder as she fiddled with flower petals, ran her fingers over tree bark. She shared the story of how she came to love gardening and Naomia listened intently, a trait Azriel most definitely acquired from his mother. He leaned against a tree as the two women took a seat on a wooden bench underneath one of the various archways. 

Visions of the future flitted behind his eyes. As much as Azriel loved hockey and was thrilled to be ice dancing again, he’d always longed for a quiet, simple life. A safe, loving home. A wife. Children if they chose to have them. Smiles and laughter that sounded better than any song. 

With Elain, he thought it may be possible after all. 

Azriel watched Naomia place her hand on top of Elain’s. She cleared her throat, face donning the same pink shade that had previously darkened his own cheeks. “Darling, I’d like to ask you something.” 

Elain encouraged her with a nod. 

His mother’s shyness was endearing. “I know the ice dance competition is coming up. And I’d like to do something kind for you, not just because you’ve made my son the happiest I’ve ever seen him, but because you deserve to know how infinite a mother’s love truly is.” 

Elain’s eyes watered. Naomia had been everything Elain wished her own Mama could have been. Kind. Tender. Selfless. Unconditional in her love. 

Naomia offered her hands a squeeze, mustering up the courage to say, “It would be an honor for me to create your competition attire, if you permit me to do so.” 

Elain gawked, hand flying to her mouth at the unexpected request. “Naomia, I could never ask you to do that.” 

The older woman simply smiled. “You didn’t ask, Elain. I offered. In fact, I insist .” 

Elain’s head swiveled to Azriel. No doubt this was the surprise he had mentioned in passing earlier before lunch. He folded his arms across his chest, throwing a wink in her direction. 

She turned back to Naomia, chewing her lip. “If it’s not too much trouble, I would love that very much,” Elain said, brushing the tears from her cheeks. Her heart felt like it could burst from her chest. “This means more to me than you’ll ever know. Thank you.” 

Naomia pulled Elain in for another embrace, this one more solid, more secure. When they untangled themselves, his mother kissed both of Elain’s cheeks. “You are family, Elain. My sweet daughter. I hope I can be the kind of mother you should have had growing up.” 

Azriel swallowed thickly, watching as Elain kissed his mother’s cheeks as she had done to her. He rubbed the spot on his chest where his heartbeat thrummed rapidly. 

“You’re already that and so much more,” Elain replied quietly, gently squeezing Naomia’s hands. 

As they prepared to leave for their practice, Elain promised the older woman that she’d stop by as often as possible, either for lunch or to sit peacefully in the garden together. Azriel stood back as the two women smiled and clasped each other tightly, the image forever tattooed in his mind.

Azriel kissed his mother goodbye, not missing the very un-subtle way Naomia pointed to her ring finger and mouthed, Marry her.  

He blushed profusely, snaking an arm around Elain’s waist as they made their way to his car. Azriel reached to open the passenger side door, but a hand paused him. Fresh tears welled up in Elain’s eyes. 

“Sweetheart?” 

Elain’s mouth found his, kissing him fiercely and without restraint. She pulled back, resting her forehead against his, a hand clasping the back of his neck. “Thank you.” 

He understood. 

Those two simple words were enough to show him just how grateful she was for today. Naomia had been everything Elain needed. And it warmed his heart to know just how much Elain already treasured his wonderful mother. 

Azriel cupped her cheeks, pecking the tip of her nose. “Always.”

ART FOR THE CHAPTER BY @chachachai17: Here

DIVIDER BY: @saradika-graphics

[sagethegaywitch]

Dimensions: Pomefiore

Male reader

TW: yandere behavior, memory erasing, poisoning, implied Grim death

Genre: yandere

Here's the link for my other Dimensions: Twisted Wonderland Overblots works.

The story will take place in Germany, the one from the original “Snow White And Seven Dwarfs” that the Pomefiore dorm is based on.  As the overblot eats away at the characters, they start to resemble and act more like the Disney characters they are based on.  The reader will be called Y/N and Snow White.

I'm sorry if this seems a bit rushed, I was really struggling with this one for some reason. I had to delete the original post cause it had some formatting errors, but everything is fixed now.

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When you wake up, you feel stiff and uncomfortable, your muscles aching a bit as you try to sit up and stretch.  You let out a yawn and stretch your arms over your head before you gaze around the bedroom.  You don’t remember falling asleep here, but the room is very small and the ceiling is unusually low to the point you can barely sit up without your head grazing the roof.  You move to stand up, but find it near impossible due to the size of the room, so you decide to leave from the equally short door frame.  Once outside the room, you head down the stairs to a much larger and spacious living room.  The ceiling is still a bit low, but you can fully stand up and stretch properly.  You let out a relieved groan as you stretch all the sleepiness from your body and you have to pull your shirt down to avoid it from exposing your stomach.  You look down at your outfit to find a off-white colored poet blouse and dark brown pants.  Both are covered with sewn on patches to cover holes and stains.  You don’t remember going to sleep wearing this outfit, but you actually remember going to sleep at all.

“How curious,” you think to yourself as you try your hardest to recall your last memory.

You come up with nothing, almost getting a headache in the process.  You shake off the curiosity that eats away at you and just decide to figure out where you are now.  You don’t recognize your surroundings, the small cabin seeming odd and unfamiliar.  Maybe going outside to see the exterior would help.  You open the front door and step outside to be greeted with soft light filtering through the tall trees that surround the cabin.  There are birds chirping in the distance and many woodland creatures greet you as you wander around a bit.  The atmosphere is so serene and peaceful that you don’t really notice that the birds have stopped singing until you hear a twig snap behind you.  You whip around to see a black feather plume disappear behind a bush.

“Hello?” you call out hesitantly.

The bush rustles a bit before a blonde-haired man bursts free from the foliage.  You let out a startled yelp as he wraps his arms around you in a tight hug and lifts you a bit off the ground as he rambles in French.

“What!?  Who are you?” you exclaim as you struggle to free yourself from the stranger’s embrace.

“Little Trickster, do not be silly,” he tells you as he settles you back onto the ground, his hands still resting on your shoulders.  “I cannot believe you managed to wander all the way out here.  Were you perhaps looking for me?”

Although he says it playfully, you don’t miss how his eyes shift uneasily around the area, as if expecting you to make a run for it.

“What?  No.  Who are you?” you demand as you carefully hold his wrists and remove them from your shoulders.

The man’s smile drops, turning into a concerned frown, “Has the Trickster forgot who he is?  My, what a funny prank.  But come along, Vil is waiting for you.”

He’s about to take your arm and start leading you somewhere, but you rip your hand out of his and take steps away from him.  His expression looks hurt, but his eyes are like hawks and glare at you.

“I will not ask again, but who are you?  I woke up here without any of my memories.  Do you know me?” you ask more forcibly, putting more distance between yourself and the blonde man.

“So this is not one of your pranks?” he questions, a look of confusion on his face as he tries to decide if you’re lying or not.

“No…at least I don't think so?” you add as he continues to scrutinize you.

“Alright, I believe you,” he tells you after a quick pause before bowing and giving an introduction.  “I am Rook Hunt, the Queen’s favored hunter.  You are Snow White, the Queen’s favorite prince.”

“Snow White?” you mutter to yourself, the name sounding familiar but not your own.

“Yes, and if we do not hurry back to the castle, the Queen will throw a fit,” Rook explains as he tentatively hooks his arm with yours and starts slowly walking through the woods.

The soft lighting guides you through the forested area, some woodland creatures looking over at you curiously but instantly running away when they notice Rook walking beside you.  The woods soon part and you can see a cliff over a lake in the distance.  Nestled at the edge of the cliff is a medieval castle that is white in color with a brick red roof, the stacked spires looked neat and organized.  Rook leads you to a tan horse with a black mane and tail tied to a nearby tree.  Rook unties the rope and stands behind you and before you get a chance to protest, he’s lifting you up and placing you on the saddle.  Rook easily mounts the stallion behind you and lightly kicks the horse’s sides.  The horse starts walking, Rook steering it through the trees and up the hill toward the castle that looms over you.

Once you’ve arrived at the top of the hill and the castle gates opened up, Rook dismounts before helping you down.  The horse gets passed on to a stablehand while Rook ushers you toward the main doors.  The doors are opened by decorated guards and reveal a lavish hallway covered with a deep purple carpet and gold ornaments.  You’re in awe as you walk down, looking all around, trying to absorb all the details.  Rook seems uninterested, probably having seen this hallway a thousand times as he urges you to hurry.  Down the long hallway is another pair of golden doors, with guards standing in the corners.  Rook nods at them before they open the doors, the shiny interior blinding you for a moment.  Once you blink the light out of your eyes, you can see ceiling to floor windows letting the afternoon sunlight in.  The windows are draped with curtains of the same deep purple color as the carpet and are covered in golden tassels and prints.  Once you manage to pull your eyes away from the pretty curtains, you see a prettier man sitting atop a golden and spiky-looking throne in the center of the room.  He’s dressed in a dark purple and black dress with a tight golden corset around his waist and a golden crown that resembles a peacock tail (Vil is in his overblot outfit).  The throne is elevated by a few steps, so he looks down at you both as Rook pulls you closer, his right eye glowing a dark purple.

“Your Highness, you won’t believe where I found our Little Trickster,” Rook sounds cheerful, not seeming to grasp the cold atmosphere.

“Snow White, what did you think you were doing?” the Queen speaks, his voice sounding both dainty and stern.

“Ummm, I don’t know?” you say, sounding more like a question.

“It’s horrible, Vil.  He doesn’t remember anything!” Rook wails, dramatically grabbing you and pouting.

Vil doesn’t let surprise register on his face, but his eyes seem to light up in joy, “That’s peculiar.  Hmmm…come up.”

You take a few hesitant steps closer to Vil, standing at the foot of the steps that led up to his elevated platform.  He gestures you closer until you're standing right in front of him, letting out a startled noise as he pulls you onto his lap.  He grabs your chin, turning your head to the right and to the left, scrutinizing your entire face.  He mutters to himself as he pokes certain spots on your face, his sharp manicured nails scraping along your skin.

“You seem relatively unharmed.  Where did Rook find you, darling?” Vil questions as he drops his hand from your face to hold your hand.

“I-I don’t know,” you tell him truthfully.  “I just woke up in this small cabin and Rook found me wandering around in the surrounding forest.”

Vil’s eyes narrow and he has a silent conversation with Rook with just their shifty eyes.  Rook bows to Vil before leaving the throne room, filling you with worry and dread to be left alone with the Queen.

“Well, you’re absolutely filthy, so we’ll have to get you bathed and dressed,” Vil tells you as he rings a small bell that rests on the table beside his throne.

You watch as another person comes through the main doors, but this time it's a petite boy with light purple hair.  He seems a bit pissed to be disturbed from wherever he came from, but he gives Vil a small bow before looking at you, his bad mood seeming to evaporate.

“Epel, would you be a dear and take Snow White to his room and help him freshen up,” Vil orders, looking at the boy expectantly.

“Of course, Your Highness,” Epel bows again before motioning for you to follow him.

You look back at Vil and he gives you an encouraging smile, something telling you that the fondness behind it is not his normal behavior.  You stand up from Vil’s lap and you walk down the stairs to stand next to Epel, the boy grabbing your hand and leading you out of the throne room.

“Where have you been?!  You know better than to run off like that!” the boy scolds you as he drags you father into the castles, walking down a hall with large windows looking into a courtyard garden.  “What were you thinking?!”

“I’m sorry, I don’t quite remember,” you sheepishly respond, almost knocking into him when he stops walking.

“What are you, daft?  How could you not remember?” Epel huffs, letting go of your arm to cross his arms across his chest with a disappointed glare.

You nervously rub the nape of your neck as the smaller boy continues to scowl, “Well, I’ve lost my memories.  I don’t remember anything from my past.  My earliest memory is waking up in a cabin in the woods and Rook finding me.”

Epel’s rough attitude seems to melt as you tell your story before just sighing and taking your hand again, “Geez, you need to stop getting yourself in trouble.  It’s dangerous out there, but I’ll help you try and recover your memories.”

“Thank you,” you smile at Epel as you two finish climbing up a flight of stairs and he stops in front of a door.

He uses the golden handles to push the door open to reveal a luxurious bedroom with a king sized bed.  The decorations are in that same dark purple color with golden accents.  The windows have the drapes pulled back and you can see off into the forest that seems to go on forever.  Epel has to snap you out of your awe by taking your hand and leading you over to another pair of doors that open into the bathroom.  The bathroom is more bright, with white tiles and a small staircase that has a tub nestled in the middle of it (I don’t know how to describe it, the tub is like the ones you’d see in fantasy movies or like the ones in The Arcana).  As Epel runs the water, you awkwardly wait for him.  Will he stay here while you bathe?  Can you close the curtains so nobody can watch you even though you're on the second story?

“I’ll let you get washed up.  The shampoo and conditioner are there and the body wash is over here.  You can use this towel to dry off later.  I’ll just wait outside, knock if you need me,” Epel tells you before swiftly exiting.

Well, that answered some of your questions.  Now in privacy, you take off the outfit you were wearing and gently lay them aside before slipping into the tub.  Vil said you were filthy, but luckily for you the water didn’t go brown as you washed your hair and scrubbed your body.  You drained the water before exiting the tub and dried off with a fluffy and warm towel before coming to the realization that you don’t have any fresh clothing.  You contemplated putting on the clothing you just took off, but they somehow disappeared while you were bathing.  You find a soft robe next to the sink and quickly put it on before cracking the door open a bit to call to Epel.

“Hey, Epel?  Do you have any clothing I could borrow?” you call out.

“Darling, come on out if you’re done.  We’ll get you dressed out here,” Vil’s voice responds instead.

You peek your whole head out to see all three males waiting for you.  Rook had pulled out the vanity chair and Vil stood with a hairbrush in his hand.  Epel was standing near the wardrobe, looking through the different outfits inside before taking a few out and resting them on a chair.

“Come on, I’ll brush your hair and apply your makeup,” Vil says, gesturing for you to come sit in the chair.

Thankful that the robe went down to your knees, you shyly walk over and sit down, sinking in the soft cushion.  Vil combs through your hair, making sure to gently work through knots and not pull your hair too much.  He arranges your hair in your usual hairstyle, but he makes sure it looks flawless and perfect.  Satisfied, he pulls open the different vanity drawers to reveal enough makeup to fill a store.  He pulls out the basics and applies a little on your face with brushes and sponges.

“You’re perfect already, but I’m just going to accentuate your beauty,” Vil tells you as he applies some lip gloss to your lips before using the tube on his own lips.

After a few more touches he nods before stepping back and helping you to your feet.  He brings you over to Epel who has your outfit prepared and helps you put it on.  By the end of it, your face is red and you're flustered from all the close attention you’re getting from the boys.  You look over in the mirror to find yourself wearing a dark blue shirt that has puff sleeves at the wrists with a white collar along with a short red cape attached to the collar of the shirt and a pair of pastel yellow pants.

“You look marvelous, Little Trickster!” Rook exclaims, giving you a round of applause.

“Indeed you do, but one final detail is missing," Vil comments before gently taking your hand and slipping one of his many rings onto your finger.

You look down at the golden piece of metal and take in the symbol that is placed where the gem usually is : a shield depicting an apple being stabbed by a knife with a crown on top of the shield. It's beautiful, the evening light causing it to shine and sparkle.

Vil smiles as you adore his ring and you look up at him, eyes shining at you say thank you.

"Anytime, darling," Vil pats your head before looking out the window at the setting sun. "And just on time, it’s dinner time."

You loop your arm through his and he leads the group out of the room and down a hallway.  Eventually you find yourself in a large dining room, the long table in the middle set for four people.  Vil guides you to the right side of the head chair and Rook sits in the seat across from you while Epel sits next to you.  Vil settles himself into the head chair before clapping his hands.  The doors behind him open as servants start to bring out the plates.  Once they set the plate in front of you, you’re a bit disappointed to see a small piece of meat and a tiny side of vegetables drizzled with sauce.  Vil and Rook start to eat, but Epel looks absolutely horrified that this is all there is for dinner.  He sends you a disgusted look and you just shrug before digging in, savoring the flavorful and tender meat.  The vegetables taste fresh and are lightly seasoned to perfection.  Although the portion was a bit small, you feel satisfied with the meal and sigh constantly.

“Compliments to the chef,” Rook states before clapping his hands and the dishes get swept away by the servants.

“It’s getting late, and you all need your beauty sleep,” Vil says as he stands up.  “Snow White, we can do some skincare in my room before you go to sleep.  I need to remind you of the strict schedule we uphold here.”

You look outside the windows just to see the sun barely starting to set.  Maybe time moves differently here if 7:00 PM is considered late.  Vil walks over to your chair and helps you stand up before starting to lead you away from the dining room.  You walk back to the area where your room is, but he walks into the one next to yours.  The golden door has an engraving with Vil’s name on it, and he even has a special key to open his bedroom door.  Just as you’re about to enter, Rook runs up behind you with Epel in tow.

“Wait Roi de Poison!  I need to talk to you about something,” Rook calls out.

Rook stops in front of you two, and gives Vil a meaningful look, “Privately.”

“Snow, wait inside for me, this shouldn’t take too long,” Vil tells you as he gently pushes you toward his door before turning around and walking away with Rook.

“I hope everything is okay,” you murmur.

“I heard that there was an intruder in the castle.  But it should be nothing to worry about, Rook is the best shot in all of Germany,” Epel reassures before pulling something out of his pocket.  “Here, in case you get hungry later.”

Epel passes you a small container that smells strongly of apples.

“Thank you,” you tell him before quickly hiding it in your clothing.  “I should get inside before Vil gets back.”

“Yeah, just let me know if you need anything.  My room is just down the hall,” Epel tells you before disappearing down the hallway.

You smile as you enter the room, finding the inside excessively decorated.  It’s pretty similar to your room, but it’s just larger.  You take a seat on the plush sofa, patiently waiting for Vil to return.  You let your eyes wander over to his neatly organized vanity table and his folded bed.  Everything in the room is perfectly placed, just like the man who lives in it.  Now having some time to yourself, you can fully comprehend your situation.  You don’t really know who you are, but these people have willingly taken you into their family.  It fills you with a warm feeling knowing that you have such caring friends who will help you in your time of need.  You jump when Vil barges into the room, but he quickly apologizes when he sees that he startled you.

“Sorry, darling, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he composes himself as he glides over to you.

“It’s okay,” you tell him as you stand and join him at his vanity.

He sits down on the seat before pulling you to sit on his lap.  He starts explaining the skincare routine he wants you to maintain while pulling bottles and containers out of the vanity drawers.  He pats, smears, and dabs different serums and lotions onto your face before doing the same to himself.  To finish it off, he layers a face mask onto your face and forces you to lay on the bed with him to wait for your skin to soak in the mask’s benefits.  You can feel your eyes grow heavy, but you don’t even get a chance to tell Vil before you pass out, mentally and physically exhausted from the day.

~

The soft sunlight filtering from the gauzy curtains awakens you in the morning.  You don’t feel the face mask on your face anymore so Vil must have taken it off for you last night.  Speaking about Vil, you find the male cuddled up to your side, holding onto your waist.  He looks beautiful even in his slumber even though he has hair curlers tangled in his blonde locks and an eye cover on.  He still looks asleep, but it doesn’t take him long to stir as you attempt to escape his embrace.  He groans as he reaches for you and grumpily gropes at the empty space you left behind.  When he can’t find you, he lifts up his eye mask to see you trying to creep out of his room.

“Darling, where are you going?  It’s too early for this, my alarm hasn’t even gone off yet,” Vil complains.

As if on cue, the alarm by his bed starts ringing.  Vil sighs before turning it off and getting out of bed.  He approaches you and leads you to his bathroom, which is almost as big as his room.

“Shouldn’t I go back to my room?” you ask as he grabs a spare toothbrush from a drawer for you to use.

“No, it’s fine.  We used to have sleepovers all the time,” he tells you as he hands you the prepared toothbrush with a dab of toothpaste on top of it.

You both take your time in brushing your teeths and Vil even helps you wash your face and apply some skincare.  Once the whole ordeal of getting ready is over, Vil gives you an outfit similar to what you wore yesterday and guides you out of his room.  You jump as you run right into Rook, the man appearing to have been waiting in front of the door for quite a bit of time.

“Good morning, Little Trickster!” Rook exclaims before addressing Vil a small bow and a “Your Highness”.  “I have so much planned for us today!”

“Will Epel and Vil be joining us?” you ask as Rook grasps your hands and starts to walk away from Vil’s room.

“Unfortunately it will just be you and Epel with Rook today, I have work I need to do.  I am a Queen afterall,” Vil tells you before kissing your forehead and walking the opposite direction.

You wave goodbye to the Queen as you head down another hallway, finding Epel waiting at the bottom of the staircase.  He offers you a good morning and joins you on your other side.  The three of you engage in pleasant conversation that easily transitions from topic to topic as you exit the palace and start to wander around the garden.  You find yourself laughing and chatting among these boys who were mere strangers yesterday.  Your little trio pauses at a wooden gate in a stone wall, which is covered in a thin layer of green vines.  Rook produces a key from his pockets and sends you a mysterious wink before unlocking the door for you all to pass through.  Inside the wall are rows and rows of apple trees all bearing ripe fruits, all being an assortment of colors, ranging from reds to greens to yellows.

“Aren’t they beautiful?” Epel asks you.  “This is my favorite part of the castle.”

You can only nod in awe before you’re brought back to the present when Epel passes you a wooden bucket.  He gives you a quick rundown on how to pick the best apples and Rook proposes a friendly competition on who can fill their basket the fastest.

“You two are going down,” you claim before running down a row of trees, laughing as Epel and Rook taunt you.

You grab at the fresh fruit hanging on the low branches and in record time, your basket is filled.  As you start to race back, you hear some muttering nearby.  Thinking it’s Rook or Epel, you decide to sneak up on him.

“Blah, that one’s sour,” the voice exclaims as a green apple rolls out from behind a tree.

“Boo!” you yell as you jump from behind the tree.

Instead of the blonde archer or the petite boy, you’re shocked to find a small gray cat startled by your little prank.  The blue flames in his ears flare up a bit as he jumps like a scared cat.  He’s about to scold you, but when he gets a good look at your shocked face, recognition washes over his expression.

“Human!  It’s you!” the cat cheers as he quickly climbs up your leg and sits on your shoulder.  “Now we can finally escape.  Do you know how hard it is to dodge Rook’s arrows?”

“What!?  Who are you?” you question as you struggle to shake the feline off.

“Human, what is the meaning of this?  Did you hit your head or something?” Grim asks as his claws dig into your shoulder.  “Y/N, snap out of it!  We have work to do!”

You pause, the name triggering something within you.  Suddenly, you remember it all: the overblots, your school, and the friends you have to save.  You accidentally fell through the Pomfiore mirror during the mass overblot event.  You aren’t Snow White, you’re Y/N and you need to get out of here.

“Y/N?” Grim calls out of you, bringing you back to reality.

“Grim?” you respond.  “I-I have my memories back.  That was weird.”

“Yeah, it was.  I thought you were going to leave me all alone to save the world by myself,” he huffs.

“Like I would let you have all the fun,” you remark, smiling at your familiar.

“So what’s the plan?” he asks, getting comfortable on your shoulder.

“I need to meet up with Rook and Epel and get out of this orchid first.  Maybe we can escape in the dead of night?  I’m pretty familiar with the layout of the castle now,” you offer.

“That should work.  So I’ll meet you at the palace door around midnight, human?” Grim smirks.

“Of course,” you grin before dropping Grim off your shoulder and grabbing your apple basket.

You carefully weave your way back to the entrance of the orchid while Grim goes off to lay low for a while.

“What took you so long, slowpoke?” Epel laughs as you enter the small clearing.

Both of Epel’s and Rook’s baskets are filled to the brim with apples, but a few of Rook’s have arrows sticking out of them.

“Sorry, I got lost,” you quickly lie as you place your basket by their piles.

“It’s okay, these orchids go on for miles,” Epel reassures.  “But since I got back first, I won!”

“It’s not fair, you were raised on a farm,” Rook laments as he sighs dramatically.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter cause now we have a bunch of nice apples to enjoy,” you tell them both before picking one up and wiping it on your clothing to clean it.

You’re about to bite into it before it’s quickly snatched from your grasp by Epel.

“Bad apple,” he explains as he shows you the other side to find a large bruise damaging the skin.

As an apology, Epel grabs one from his own basket and tosses you the plump fruit.  You grin as you clean it and bite into the fruit.  The juice instantly floods your mouth and starts to dribble out of the sides.  The flesh is crunchy and crisp, making that deliciously crunching noise.  Epel takes a seat on the grass, pulling out a small pocket knife before starting to carve into the bruised apple.  Rook takes a seat next to Epel, fiddling with some of his arrows, straightening the feathers and sharpening the tips.  Rook gestures for you to join them so you take a seat and rest your head on Rook’s lap, carefully finishing your apple.  You spend the rest of the morning gazing at the sky, pointing out shapes in the clouds while Rook’s fingers raked through your hair.  Just when you’re able to fall asleep, Epel shows you what he’s been working on.  Sitting up, you gently take the carved apple he had been working so hard on.

“Is that me?” you smile as you examine the intricate details in the apple.

Epel’s face erupts in a red blush and he averts his gaze as he nods.

“It looks just like you,” Rook comments as he looks over your shoulder.

“I love it,” you reassure Epel.  “I’ll keep it for as long as I can.”

Epel smiles at your comment before standing up and offering you his hand.

“I think it's nearly lunchtime, we should start heading back inside,” Epel tells you as he grabs his basket of apples.

You nod and lean down to grab yours as well.  Rook moves to do the same but he seems to perk up and looks over to the orchid.

“I’ll catch up with you guys later,” Rook says, distracted with something in the distance.

Epel just shrugs as he grabs at your hands.  You can’t help but feel worried that Grim might be in danger, but he’s a smart cat and you can’t blow your cover.  You spare one more glance over your shoulder as the wooden door closes behind you.  You follow Epel back into the palace and hand over the baskets to some servants before entering the dining room.  You find Vil sitting at the head of the table again and you take the same seat you did last night.

“Did you have fun today, Snow White?” Vil asks as he flips through some documents he has laid out in front of him.

“I really enjoyed myself.  We got a bunch of apples and maybe I can make some dessert later with it.  What do you think about an apple pie?” you tell Vil, trying to mislead him.

Vil hums in agreement before signing the papers and having some servants take them away just as lunch arrives.  The lunch consists of tea sandwiches and pastries coupled with different flavors of hot tea.  Vil points out a few of his favorite flavors for you to try and even helps you mix in an “appropriate” amount of sugar and cream to make it “healthy”.  Lunch is nearly over when a servant speed walks into the dining room and whispers something into Vil’s ear.  Vil has no visible reaction, but his eyes hold a dangerous glint.

“I’ve just received wonderful news,” Vil says before taking a sip of his tea, his lips pulled into a polite smile.  “Rook has taken care of a little pest of ours who has been running a muck around my castle.”

Your heart clenches, this can’t be about Grim.  You barely register the servants taking the lunch dishes away until the doors of the dining room slam open again.  Rook walks into the room, a large smile on his face and a little skip in his step.  He doesn’t have his bow and arrow, but if you squint there does seem to be some dark smudges on his outfit.

“Snow White, you should be grateful that we have such a good hunter here to protect us all,” Vil tells you as Rook hands him an apple and Epel passes over his carving knife.  “What should we say to Rook?”

You watch as Vil starts to cut the red fruit into even slices as Rook looks at you expectantly.

“Thank you Rook for protecting us,” you murmur, fear and dread washing over you.

“Aw, it was nothing.  Anything to keep you safe, Little Trickster,” Rook grins as he takes his seat.

“Here,” Vil stabs a slice of the apple and holds the knife in your direction.

You carefully take the fruit off the sharp blade before biting into it.  It’s still juicy, but it seems sweeter than the one you ate earlier and has a weird aftertaste.

“Rook, would you like to tell Snow White what you caught today,” Vil sets down the knife and rests his chin on his hands as he looks over at you.

“Of course, You Highness,” Rook seems too excited.  “I found this little cat running around the palace.  He was very difficult to track, but nothing escapes me.”

“What did you do to him?” you have to tread carefully, maybe they don’t know that you were trying to escape.

“I disposed of him as I saw fit,” Rook’s smile took on a creepy energy.  “But he did tell me all about your little plan.”

“What plan?” you ask, thinking maybe you can play dumb.

“Don’t do that.  You planned on escaping and leaving us behind,” Vil states.

So far Epel had been quiet during the entire conversation as he soaked in all the new information, but at the mention of you trying to leave he stands up.

“You were trying to leave us?  After everything we’ve done for you?” he glares at you.

“You haven’t done anything for me!  You’ve imprisoned me here and wiped my memories!” you retort, standing up as well.

Suddenly you feel dizzy, but you brush it off as you standing up too quickly.  But the feeling persists until you have to hold onto the table for support.

“That’s where you’re wrong.  We didn’t take your memory away the first time, but we won’t allow you to remember a second time,” Vil gives you a soft smile.

You don’t even get a chance to ask what the hell he’s talking about as the world spins and you collapse onto the floor.

~

“I think he’s waking up,” a soft voice exclaims, rousing you from your sleep.

You groan, your body feeling icky and a dull ache in all of your muscles.

“Don’t push yourself too much, you were very sick,” Epel’s face comes into view as he helps you sit up.

Epel props you up against another warm body and you lean your head back to see Vil smiling down at you.

“What happened?” you ask, your voice raspy and your throat dry.

Rook, who had been sitting at the end of the bed, holds a glass of water to your mouth and helps you take slow sips of the refreshing liquid.

“I’m afraid that someone had tried to poison you, darling,” Vil sighs, disappointment on his face.  “Luckily for you I was able to make the antidote and Rook was able to catch the criminal.”

“Do not fear Little Trickster, I took care of them.  They shouldn’t be a problem any more,” the hunter says with glee.

“Thank you.  I’m sorry I gave you all a scare,” you tell them, your throat feeling much better.

You get this deep feeling that this is all wrong, that something isn’t quite right, but how could these men be suspicious when they nursed you back to health.  You should be grateful, not afraid.  You just sigh contently as you lean back into Vil’s warm embrace.

“Don’t be, we’re just glad you’re alright,” Vil smiles.  “After all, you’re the apple of our eyes.”

[wearethekat]

February Book Reviews: Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler

I received a free copy of the book from Farrar, Straus, and Giroux in exchange for a fair review. Publish date April 1st.

I requested this book since I enjoyed Nayler's previous novel, The Mountain in the Sea. In Where the Axe Is Buried, the world is split between a Federation ruled by an immortal series of cloned presidents, and nations governed by AI. Programmer Lilia's new invention sets in motion a series of events, from an assassination attempt on the President to the recruitment of an elderly revolutionary living in the taiga, which will change the world irrevocably.

Where the Axe Is Buried is a much more explicitly political book than The Mountsin in the Sea. It's structured in much the same way, with multiple interlinked but separate POV characters interspersed by excerpts from a fictional book, revolutionary Zoya's banned text. Here, the central metaphor is the creosote bush rather than the octopus. The creosote bush forms a system of genetically identical cloned plants, following the root systems of long dead Ice Age trees. Like a flawed governing system, removing the piece of the creosote will not change the shape of the overall plant, dictated by patterns laid down centuries ago. We get the anecdote as a piece of Zoya's book on the very first page, and it recurs as different metaphors--a fungal system, a steppe tsar--throughout the book.

It's always a bit tricky to write a book about revolution. Nayler's a very good writer, and he easily dodges the trap that so many books about war and revolution fall into (ie, mouthing empty platitudes about change as the authors demonstrate that they haven't thought deeply about a complex and loaded subject). Nayler's elegantly constructed near future dystopia is split between an authoritarian future Russian regime and countries ruled by supposedly infallible AIs in a very post LLM way. On the one hand, the Federation has developed refinements that the Soviets or even Orwell never dreamed of, in a panopticon where a tiny mistake could collapse your social score and send you plummeting into a shrinking circle of restricted parole, and then to a forced labor camp and death. Or, alternatively, in the rationalized states ruled by AI, you can work in an horrifically optimized Amazon-style warehouse while your every movement is scrutinized by companies trying to sell you things, to the degree that looking at a soda half a world away for a moment with your face covered can identify you.

Whether Nayler threads the other needle and manage to not say something about revolution which the reader has a strong personal disagreement with is, inevitably, more individual. It held together well enough to be a five star read for me, even if I'd quibble with a few points. Although I do think the open ended conclusion carries a lot of the rhetorical weight here. Nayler gracefully presents you with a possibility for change, rather than attempting to answer the unanswerable question.

An ambitious and sophisticated dystopia about revolution with a compulsively readable pacing. Highly recommended, especially if you liked Nayler's The Mountain in the Sea.

[ijwrite]

Female Orc x Female Reader Part 3

It only took a day for you to be healthy again, which was not just a relief to Hakla, but to yourself and your bees. You would probably never tell her, but the rivalry she had with the bees was one of the most entertaining things you had seen in a long time.

And little Qarak was growing so fast too. He was constantly trying to walk, and getting frustrated when his little feet couldn't balance his body. He was still a little menace though, you couldn't take your eyes off him for a second before he was gone. He was currently sitting beside you in the garden, snacking on a carrot as you removed weeds. Hakla was slightly off in the distance, throwing weeds in the compost pile. You smiled to yourself. Life had been good lately. Your animals were healthy, your garden was flourishing and most importantly, Hakla and Qarak seemed happy. You felt a little hand smack your side, and looked down at Qarak. He folded his hand repeatedly in the way you taught him.

"You want some water little man? Okay let's go" You lifted him up and brushed the dirt from his pants. You had the idea to teach him some basic signs to communicate before he learned to speak.

"I'm just getting him some water, be right back" you said to Hakla, who hummed in acknowledgement. She had started to trust you more, and seemed much more at ease. She no longer slept with the axe near her, especially after you had made a bed for her. You had felt bad about the way she slept in a cot on the floor, and despite her protests about a proper bed, she slept much more soundly now.

After Qarak had gotten his water, he started fussing. You knew it was time for his midday nap, so you put him in the little crib. He fell asleep surprisingly quickly and you left the hut to continue your work.

Hakla was still outside, looking intently at one of your berry bushes. She reached out for it, but quickly retracted her hand once she heard you approach.

"There should be some of them that are mature" You plucked a bright red berry and held it out to her.

"They taste really good. Especially in pies"

She took it slowly. You plucked another and ate it. She ate hers too.

"You can eat when you want something, you know? That's why it's here" You went back to weeding. In the corner of your eye, you saw her pluck some more berries.

"You sure? Won't we need them for the winter?"

"Nah, I planted the berries purely as treats. You just eat till you can't"

You smiled again. She sighed heavily.

"It is not often I have had sweet things. They mostly gave us bread and meat"

She put the whole handful of berries in her mouth. You straightened up.

"They?" You asked. She tensed. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I won't pressure you" it would be a lie to say you weren't curious, but Haklas comfort meant more than that.

"They were the ones I got away from. They were to sell Qarak" She grumbled. You nodded silently. "They made us fight each other. For fun. I got free" She looked down at you.

"I am glad you did. I am happy that you are here" You tried. "My life has been significantly better since you and Qarak entered it" This time, she slightly smiled back.

She truly had a beautiful smile, even when unsure, it seemed to lighten your soul just a bit.

More months went by, and soon it was little Qaraks first birthday. He was getting better at both communicating and balance. He could not talk or walk yet, but he was already much bigger than when you first saw him. As his birthday gift, you decided to make him a swing in one of the large trees at the outskirt of the farm. You actually didn't know the exact day that he was born, since Hakla only had a rough estimate of the time. But that didn't matter, a birthday he would get. So you woke up Hakla and Qarak with the smell of fresh baked fruit pie (which you guessed they both enjoyed, seeing as they both got their entire faces covered with sweet filling).

After you had cleaned the mush of Qaraks (and Haklas) face, you told them to follow you out behind the cottage. A little aways, you had hung your homemade swing yourself during the night (you thought the hardest part would be to crawl up the tree in darkness with the rope, but the real challenge was getting out the house without Hakla waking up. She would be awake at the slightest noise, and you didn't want to ruin the surprise) and happily told Hakla;

"I tied it to a strong branch, so you can swing with him!" proudly gesturing to your work. Hakla just looked at it for a minute and you wondered briefly if you had overstepped.

"You made this for... him and me?" She asked with the thinnest voice you had ever heard from her.

"Well, yes. I hope it okay. I think I made some squirrels angry when I hung it up, and I-" you were interrupted as she hugged your close to her with the arm she didn't use to carry Qarak.

"Thank you" she whispered.

"Of course" you answered.

[pagan-stitches]

Larks, Larks, Give us Summer

“Even before the leaves bud out, as the snow begins to thaw, one must invite–indeed coax–the spring to arrive. If one simply waited, Spring (being willful) might not choose to come, and then, with last year’s food bins already almost empty, one could not survive.

To bring the spring proactively, Russian mothers baked bird-shaped pastries in early March and their children clambered about setting these little larks and snipes out like duck decoys on the rooftops, fence posts, and snowless patches of ground, hanging them from trees and bushes or even tossing them into the air, meanwhile singing such songs as:


Larks, Larks, Give us Summer,

We’ll give you Winter–

There’s no food left for us”

–“The Dancing Goddesses” by Elizabeth Wayland Barber

Nowadays, these pastry birds are associated with Easter in various parts of Central and Eastern Europe. I was delighted to find a picture of them in a book on the traditions of the Znojmo region of Moravia (where my great-grandparents are from) a couple years ago when I realize that the birds that I’ve been making were likely made by my babičky (grandmothers) as well.

Bird pastries baked in the Zjnomo region of Moravia

I started releasing the birds into the wild with my friend @msgraveyarddirt in 2021 on or around the spring equinox.

This year, however, I’ve been wanting to use what’s happening around me in nature, rather than boxes on a calendar, for my rituals to coax spring—and I’ve decided to release the birds on the old date (February 24) of St. Matthew’s feast day.

In folk tradition, Saint Matthew was associated with the arrival of early spring. In the Chod region and South Moravia, it was said that sparrows had a wedding on this day.

“On St. Matthew's Day, the human heart will warm, the sun will devour the snowdrifts, and the lark will sing over the field.”

Also, while February 23rd is my legal birthday, I was born at midnight and consider the 24th to be my spiritual birthday. What better time to begin my devotional new year rituals?

The recipe in @msgraveyarddirt ‘s Ukrainian cookbook

Check out one of @msgraveyarddirt ‘s doves

I AM NOT a great baker. I’m currently blaming this on my recent diagnosis of ADHD. I love the creative process of cooking, but baking requires a patience I haven’t always been capable of.

However, I stumbled on a fantastic Czech American recipe on St. Blaise’s Day, when I made buchty from My Czech Heritage Cookbook by LaVina Vanorny-Barcus. This was the most perfect, fluffy bread that I’ve ever managed to make without using a bread machine! The author’s grandmother used this recipe to make buchty, cinnamon rolls and kolache. So I thought, why not the bird pastries?

👏

Perfection!!

After letting the dough rise for half an hour, I divided it into 12 balls. I then rolled each of the balls into a 9-10 inch strand.

I then knotted the strand.

I used a fork to press the back of the knot into a tail.

I then used a slivered almond to form the beak and 2 cloves to form the eyes (when I release the birds into the wild I remove the cloves —after I take pictures 😜— to protect any wildlife that may eat them).

I then placed them on a tray near a space heater to rise for thirty minutes, and baked them for about 10 minutes at 375°F.

I plan on freezing these guys and thawing them out on the 23rd, before I release them on the 24th.

[drowning-in-cacophony]

bleached out

Written for @flashfictionfridayofficial Prompt 308: The Price of Peace

[Summary: a man finds a woman he knows, but she doesn't know him]

“I hoped,” he says, “that I’d find you here.”

She looks up from the bush her fingers have been carefully carding through. A bow slung over her arm, a couple rabbits in a brace from her hips, tell the story of what she’d been doing before his horse had come cantering on in, relief bursting from his face like spring rain to fresh new leaves. His knees had shaken in a way they’d never known to do during all the horrid wars, blood splatter against his mouth and her valiant shouts ringing his ears. All that horror, and it’d been seeing her – finding her again – that’d threatened to make him kneel.

All that horror, and yet he’s never known anything worse than the way her brow gently crinkles as she says:

“Because you knew me, I guess?”

I guess. It’s the sword to his shield, puncturing through with a failed block. It’s the Witch’s hand about his throat, stars in his eyes, and her magic trembling the plinth they’d stood on until the whole place had begun to fall. There'd be a price for that, they’d told her long ago. To challenge such as the Witch who would not go down without a fight, who had gifts and devices beyond reckoning. To remove such a stain would take bleach of the highest power – he’d just never thought it’d be this powerful.

To catch on her hands. To eat away her.

The lands are at peace. His wife doesn’t know who he is.

He swallows, hard and heavy, in a throat that’s not crushed because she stopped it. It’s her old bow she’s still got, the sentimentality lost to her. It’s her old eyes still, velvet smooth even as they pass over him without recognition.

“Have others found you then?”

She twitches her head, the smallest shake before her eyes start to wander. Towards another clump of bushes, or maybe the tree by it, but either way her feet are starting to lead her there. He follows, keeps pace. Can’t bear to take his eyes off her as if that’ll lose her again. It’d been that before. One moment he’d collapsed from it all. The next she’d been gone.

“I just know,” she says after a moment – a few moments. Her fingers find another strand of bush to examine, drift past. He has no idea what she’s doing, considering she’s not picking the berries, not pruning loose twigs. It seems illogical. Maybe it is. Maybe it’s just that way to him. He’d listen, learn everything about it if she’d tell him. It’s what he hopes he’ll do; why he’s packed up everything important to come here, when people had spoken of a strange woman up in the mountains near where she’d been raised. If she’ll have him, he’s going to be here. The rest of the world has its peace, but he can only find his in knowing her, however that might look.

“But you don’t know who I am.”

She looks at him, some sort of amused pity in her eyes. “I’m guessing you’re important?”

He swallows. Gods, but she’d looked at him like that the first time they’d met.

“I’m… I was,” he settles on. It’s not his intention to bulldoze. To forcibly shape her back into what she was – no matter how much he wants who she was, it wouldn’t be right to impose such will. If she remembers, that’s that. He just wants to be here. “I hope I could perhaps become important again.”

Her eyebrow raises; her hand combs through the bush. “You mean to stay.”

“If you’ll have me.” He finds himself shifting, straightening all awkward. “I’m sure I could have some sort of use for you.”

“What if I don’t want anyone else around? I’m quite enjoying the solitude.” Her fingers toy, then lift to rest on her arm, tapping away.

“Then… I suppose I’d leave.” Even if it’d be tantamount to ripping out his own heart. To leave, to move on – because he’d have to, if she’d made that decision. He’d have to do other things even if he’d always have that hope, but he couldn’t just sit on the border of her world and interfere that way. It’d mean this chapter would be closed; he’d not have the excuse of searching for her to halt the requests.

“Polite,” she comments. He just nods. Waits for her judgement.

This, too, is familiar. Her eyes, her look, and he’d been waiting for her judgement back then. She’d been the striding dawn, he the hill to hold the shadows. He’d waited and felt this strange flutter among his ribs; little did he know he’d be feeling that and more for the rest of his life, waiting for and looking on her.

He wants to keep looking at her and feeling it. Not just feeling it alone.

“You can stop for dinner, at least,” she decides, tone painfully mild. Like he’s just a stranger walking past her camp, not the love of her life – the love of her former life, really. Like a splinter dug into his heart’s flesh, he can’t forget that. The life she has now isn’t the one she’d had, the one she’d wanted to share with him. He is a stranger.

But maybe he can try and find some common ground to change that.

“Thank you.” His head bobs another nod. “I promise, I don’t mean to intrude any longer than you permit.”

She looks at him. Something long, something still mild despite the intensity.

“Oh,” she says. “I think I can trust that.”

[jienem]

His Human

Y/N's parents often vacation with her in a cabin near the woods every spring. The young girl, no less than twelve years old, shares a little excitement about going into the cabin every year. While she worries about dangers in the forest, her parents don't seem to worry; in fact, they even encourage her to explore, much to her dismay. Despite their nonchalance, she wasn't keen on going outside, preferring to stay indoors and read in the library all day. After much convincing from her parents and promising to buy her gifts, she finally agreed begrudgingly. Her parents showed happiness and praised her, hugging her tightly. While she wondered why they were enthusiastic about her leaving. If they wanted her to leave, they could have just said so.

Y/N sighed and left the house with a basket and book in hand. The trees swayed slowly while the forest was empty. When she walked in, she expected to see many small animals in the area, such as rabbits, birds, squirrels, and more. But she was alone. Her footsteps were the only noise. She didn't pay much attention and only hummed while searching for a place to lay down. To her luck, she found a lake leading to a spot nearby perfect for laying; the sun wouldn't be a problem, but the most perfect one is.

She laid down her basket and sat beside it. The view. One thing she notices is that the view here of the castle of the fairies is magnificent. Admiring the scenery, she reluctantly turned to her book before delving into the pages until the sun was setting.

The next day, she came back with a blanket, papers, and a quill. She was taking this time to write for her grandmother and a friend who was living in the village of Harvest. When she went back home yesterday, her parents were overjoyed once more, to the point of making her snacks more than usual. She couldn't help but puzzle at their reactions but nonetheless shook her head in response. Her hand took out a piece of bun from the basket while she was writing and began eating when she suddenly heard voices in her left side. Her eyes moved in that direction as she watched the bushes shake violently while the voice grew louder.

"I swear I smelled delicious food around here; just let me prove it to you, oh!" Their eyes met. Her eyes widened as she stared at his yellow-green slit eyes. Both look so shocked at each other, to the point of freezing from where they stand. They stood there for a good few minutes before he, the boy around her age, looked down at what she was holding and furrowed his eyebrows.

"What are you going to do with that?" the boy questioned. Y/N looked down at where he was pointing, and embarrassment started to creep on her. Unbeknownst to her, she uses the half-eaten bun as a weapon in his direction. A laughable choice indeed.

"Nothing. " was all she could reply before quickly removing the bun. They stayed silent until another figure emerged behind the boy, who was inches taller than him. She noticed the strange color of his hair and unique eyes but didn't comment.

"Sebek, if you wanted—oh hi." The other boy paused as he noticed her. Y/N waved shyly in his direction. He returned the gesture before apologizing that they may have bothered her. To which she disagreed and smiled politely.The person who was called Sebek furrowed his eyebrows more and crossed his arms while he assessed her. She, who didn't like being assessed, carefully watched him before making her move.

"If you would excuse me, I have business to attend to." She spoke, drained by this ordeal, and used this time to pack her belongings while thinking of moving to another place for a spot. Her little secret place wasn't so secret anymore. How sad that she likes this place, but oh well. The two boys looked at each other before a bicker started to take place.

"You really should apologize, you know."

"I didn't even do anything; I just stumbled into this place, okay?"

"I don't suppose my father would agree; walking into someone else's place was a boundary."

Y/N noted he was smart. And she bows to him mentally. Sebek made a hmp sound before mumbling something incoherently while she watched in disdain.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Nothing of your concern, human; move along," he said loudly at that one. This irked her a little; who was he to order her around?

"Hmm, is that so? Well, I guess I have to put away these delicious foods I have here. Oh, what a shame." y/n knows no bounds. She tested his emotions by putting her hand in her cheek and sighed theatrically.

"I guessed if I don't eat them all, I might as well put them somewhere else."

"You!" he accused, but a grumbled sound echoed around them. The unique-eyed boy and y/n look in Sebek's direction with amusement dancing in their eyes. Sebek tensed, a blush emerging from his cheeks, and he screamed.

"Tch, what are you all looking at?!"

~~~

Sebek started to eat quickly while the other boy only sat by their side. The three of them sat down after the event, not uttering another word, when she noticed she still hadn't known their names. Sebek could be a nickname, for all she knows.

"Sorry for interrupting, but my name is y/n L/n. And you two are?" y/n introduced slowly. She watches their interaction by simply glancing at each other before Sebek gulps down his food while proudly exclaiming.

"I'm Sebek Zigvolt, and this is Silver, a knight in training to serve his great highness Malleus Sama." Y/N flinched at the volume of his voice but couldn't hide her excitement.

"Really?! As in the prince himself?!"

"Of course, human!"

"Not to you, you crocodile!"

"you!-"

Silver watches as they bicker with a smile on his face. It was a peaceful day.

~~~

"Ah, my, I apologize for staying here; do you two live nearby?" y/n asked after minutes of arguing with Sebek, finally switching to a sleepy silver who was surrounded by animals at his side. Y/N watches dumbfoundedly, amazed at how many animals are at his side at once, before petting a rabbit who launches at her.

"Not far from here, there is a cabin where I live with my father. Sebek, on the other hand, was merely visiting for training. And you?" he managed to reply despite the drowsiness enveloping him. Y/N merely chuckled and replied that she was also nearby with her parents.

"So what are you doing in this forest?" Sebek, despite their earlier debates leaving him in a sour mood, asked while cleaning the messes he made. Y/N paused for a short period of time, debating whether to tell him she was forced to explore the forest or bribed by gifts. She picked the latter.

"Oh well, my parents wanted me to explore the woods and simply chose this spot for my resting." straight to the point, or so she thought. Sebek nodded in response before noticing an inked piece of paper at the side.

"Hey, what is this?" he questioned before taking the paper into his hands. He didn't even look at the paper; he just stared at her before holding it out to her. Y/N appreciated his gesture and quickly folded the papers, placing the quill inside her pockets.

"Just a letter," she said, not indulgent him more, and soon looked up at the sky and was surprised to see how much time had passed. When she left, the sun was only at its peak, but now the sunset was at its highest.

"Well, I should head back now; it's getting late. I really enjoyed our conversation." She truly did; she smiled and waved at the two who waved her goodbye with a smile on their faces. Y/N turned to Sebek with a small smirk on her face.

"I would bring tomorrow a special meal just for you."

"Please do not ever return!"

She did return with a basket full of handmade foods her mother and she had made. Watching Sebek's expression when she truly came amused her. What an eventful day!

Hi everyone! Thank you for taking your time to read this story, this is my first time posting thus I hope you all enjoyed this little entry so I was kinda nervious about this one but I was planning for a continuation to this story what do you think? Leave your comments below!

[wonder-through-the-yarrow]

Chapter 2

It would take one and a half days to get to Sprototstan. As the children hiked the trail through the forest, they did their best to entertain themselves. Kingsley would run and jump, chase butterflies, and catch crickets. Perrine was in charge of the map and navigation, they also enjoyed drawing the landscapes. Clementine would pick flowers and make flower crowns for the group, while Cole strummed their guitalele.

It wasn’t long till Kingsley saw something in the distance and ran full speed towards it.

“Kingsley!” the others shouted and ran after him. Perrine, followed by Clementine and Cole, ran off the trail, through the trees, jumping over logs and large rocks, after Kingsley.

When they finally caught up to Kingsley, they were standing still, looking out into the distance in awe. Clemmie walked to where he stood and saw what had them in a trance.

A beautiful scene lay before them. A waterfall clashed with a lovely stream, its water as clear as glass. Connected was a shore with large rocks scattered around the edge. Birds flew through the sky and landed in the trees, singing a sweet melody. If you looked closely, you would notice shimmering -

“Fish!” Kingsley ran towards them, throwing off their cloak in the process, and jumped into the water.

“Oh, heavens! Kingsley!” Perrine ran after them.

Clementine had never seen such a beautiful sight. No, not the stream, but Cole, standing in the sunlight, looking into the brook with such happiness in their eyes. Every day their feelings grew stronger for the shy bard. Every time he sent a small smile their way, played with their hair, held their hand for comfort, or glanced their way while performing, their heart could barely take the overwhelming warmth it brought them.

“Cole?” Clementine reached out their hand. “Would you like to go for a swim?”

Cole looked at them with doe eyes and hesitated to respond. “W-what if there’s s-something in there? Like a river monster?”

“Oh, Cole. You’re just paranoid.” Clementine took their hand in hers. “Nothing can hurt you when you’re with us. We’re your family, we protect each other. There’s no need for fear.” Clementine gave them a gentle smile and they followed her to the stream.

They all decided that a quick swim would be nice, but only if Kingsley would stop trying to catch the fish. After removing some of their clothing, they each got in the water. Clementine helped Cole get comfortable, Kingsley jumped and splashed, and Perrine floated around on their back.

Perrine grabbed what little soap they had left from their bag and snuck up behind Kingsley. They quickly grabbed the child and started scrubbing its skin.

Kingsley screamed and kicked, but Perrine’s grip was strong. “Hey, Stop it! Let me go!”

“No! You are getting a bath, whether you like it or not!” Perrine insisted.

Kingsley struggled but soon accepted their fate. They each had a turn with the soap, washing, scrubbing, and playing until the sun started to set.

“Let's camp for the night,” Clementine suggested. “The wolves come out when the sun goes down. That wouldn’t be a very joyful situation.”

They laid their wet clothes on tree branches to dry and started a fire. Then, they sat near and ate dinner, which consisted of dry meat and berries. They were running low on many things and needed to get to the market no later than tomorrow.

“I saw another berry bush down the stream. We can eat those for breakfast if they're ripe.” Perrine always thought two steps ahead. Always the mature one, always looking out for everyone else.

“Sounds wonderful!” Clemmie said in a soft, cheery tone. Clementine was an easily excited person. You could tell them one small good thing and they’d turn to smiles, but they always kept a soft tone, especially around Cole.

The lark pulled out their blankets and lay on the hard ground. Settling, they looked up at the night sky, watching the stars twinkle. Kingsley, of course, was the first to fall asleep, Perrine following after them. Clementine always stayed up a bit longer to keep Cole company.

Clemmie turned on their side and laid their head on Cole’s shoulder. “Cole?”

“Yes, Clemmie.” Cole softly whispered.

“I’m happy. I wasn’t before I met you all, but now I am. Thank you.” With that, Clementine drifted off to sleep, a small smile played on their face.

Cole was stunned. He’d known a bit about Clementine’s upbringing, but not all of it. They all had their own untold stories.

Cole reached over and ran their thumb over Clemmie’s cheek. “I’m happy,too . . . you make me happy.” they whispered, glad that Clemmie was asleep so as not to hear it. They held Clementine’s hand and looked up to the heaven, silently thanking anyone who would listen for their small family.

[lord-aldhelm]

WIP Wednesday

Another week, another tag game! Please share your last sentence; or, if you don’t have one, share a plot bunny or idea! (OR sketch for your artwork!)

Thank you for the tag @thelettersfromnoone! I am SUPER LATE today!! Eeeek!

Here is a bit from Chapter 15 of Darkest Before the Dawn:

He casually strolled around the courtyard, enjoying the pleasant Drimilce-monath weather. Winchester, being further south and closer to the ocean, enjoyed a slightly warmer, more humid climate than the midlands. He marveled at the abundant foliage in the courtyard; he had visited Winchester a number of times but never really paid much attention to it, his mind preoccupied with more pressing matters. Now, he had the chance to really enjoy it. There were trees and bushes and flowers everywhere, in stark contrast to the bland stone and hard packed dirt ground of Aegelesburg’s courtyard. The greenery was a refreshing sight, and it reminded him of the forests near Tamworth where he spent much of his youth. And, the forests surrounding Saltwic…

In other WIP news, I am making progress on my King Aldhelm painting... I have nothing much new to show for it, but I hope it will be finished within the next 2 weeks. I am working on his face right now, then will move onto the hair and crown, and lastly I need to add a border to the cloak and add some light rays in the background.

I am starting on gifs for Season 5. My gifs for Season 4 are scheduled in my queue into July. At this rate I think I will have gifs posting at least to the end of the year, maybe into next year. Then I will make some real gif edits! Fancy gifs... if I can learn how.

I don't know if I will have the time/energy but I do still have a few more one-shots I want to write, so I will get those done when I can.

I also want to edit Springtime once this fic is done, and maybe publish the what's left of the original fic, before I move onto the OC one.

No pressure tags:

@gemini-mama @thenameswinter99

@bagheerita @solinarimoon @errruvande @paula-in-dreamland @aneurins-barnard

@waterfallsilverberrywrites @holy3cake @whitedarkmoonflower @bilbotargaryen @lady-wyrd

@grinningkatz @ladyinred2248 @hikaruchen @st-eve-barnes @alexagirlie

Please let me know if you wish to be added/removed from my tags list.