#and in the summer bugs find themselves in here

[carolmunson]

you get me closer to god | kas!eddie (dark)

entry for my fall frenzy requests. this request comes in from @edsforehead: 'something with kas!eddie in a graveyard.'

a/n: y'all, i don't know. i kind of snapped with this one. sort of canon compliant. inspired by a post that i saw that said that after vampires feed they have an insatiable desire to breed afterwards. steve also makes an appearance cause i love him.

tw: 18+ MDNI, dub-con, dub-con, dub-con (reader does get into it). use of hypnosis, coercion. blood play, blood drinking, biting. very obvious power dynamics at play here. death of minor character mentioned. p in v smut, rough and sensual. oral (f-recieving), monster-type-fucking. mild chasing trope. some religious elements if you squint??? anyway i listened to closer by nine inch nails on a loop for this if you wanna know the general vibe. let me know if there is anything i missed and need to put on here!

October 31st, 1998

Your niece had a better haul than you ever did at this age, it seemed like every house on the fancy side of Hawkins was giving out full size candy bars. No one ever gave you full size candy bars. The Harrington's had outdone themselves this year, hoards of kids picking out wrapped caramel apples and passing out spiked cider to the parents. Humming and smiling while the adults hugged their parkas to their chests, kids running up and down the stairs of the cul de sac of Hawkins Mansions. Decorated to the nines -- you were happy that most of the street would tire her and all of her friends out. "Auntie!" she calls out, hurrying over to you while her pink and purple puffer coat swishes with her. Alycia glitters against the lights of the houses in the dark of the night, the red sequins on her leotard making her easy to find. Your sister-in-law made her a headband fitted with red horns with a pointed tail sewn into the back of the red tu-tu from her Spring recital to match. A Dancing Devil she called it -- for newly six, she was a pretty creative little bug.

"Auntie look," she yells, running into your legs. The spiked cider sloshes in your cup that you hold high over her head so it doesn't spill onto her. She holds up a decorated caramel apple covered in eyeballs made out of sugar.

"Gross, Leesh," you giggle, "It's got eyeballs all over it!"

"They're fake eyeballs, Auntie," she explains like you're stupid, "They're not real eyeballs."

"Oh, thank you for telling me. I didn't know," you giggle, catching Steve watching the two of you chat. Your cheeks burn, that crush from when you were fourteen and he spent the summer working at the mall never fully fading. He's married with four kids now so you should probably get over it. "How're things?" he asks from the curb, coming over to sneak Alycia a couple of Reese's cups. "They're good," you shake your head with a shrug, "They're fine. Out here with the rugrat while her mom's at work." "How's the family, your mom?" he presses, arms crossing over his broad chest that stretch the sleeves of his tan workwear jacket.

"She's doin' okay," you smile tightly, "Always a little hard for her this time of year."

"Five years now, isn't it?"

"To the day," you say with a lilt, "Gonna go visit him after I drop her with her grandparents. My dad'll be so thrilled to steal half her stash."

Your laugh is a little hollow when he squeezes your shoulder comfortingly, he slips a candy bar into your hand, too before saying his goodbyes -- set of twins running around his ankles.

Hawkin's bravest fireman somehow off duty on a night like this turns before you take your niece's hand to leave, "Be careful out there at night. You know it's not always safe."

"You don't believe in all those rumors, do you Harrington?" you laugh.

"Don't have to believe them or not," he says seriously, pushing his wire rims up his nose, "I know they're not rumors."

"Happy Halloween, Steve," you say dully, "Goodnight." You both wave, Alycia's little hand in yours while she rattles off a million words a minute about the skeloton outside of the Sinclair house. The moon glows down over the street, dark clouds slicing it like a broken plate.

You rarely visit your brother on the day of, especially since there's always idiot teenagers running around the place. Not exactly easy to mourn when some loser in a Scream mask keeps trying to scare you.

It was quiet, your Docs crunching on mid-fall frosty grass -- some of it already half dead with the season. Commotion from the town in the distance had dulled into mostly nothing now that the kids had turned in for the night. Families turning their porch lights out, settling in for scary movies and sugar highs.

You squeeze the bouquet of baby's breath and eucalyptus a little hard in your hands when you walk through the tombstones. The low lamps along the walk way casting the grass and asphalt in a looming orangey glow -- not offering much light beyond their posts. The moon does the work, still looking shattered amongst the thin gray clouds sliding through the sky.

You hear some giggling, the rustle of leaves, the snap of twigs. Always an outlier of kids doing spells or a Ouija board out here this time of year -- old Chief Hopper coming down to make them scatter and take their weed. You walk off the path when you get a decent way in, crossing away from where the cemetary mostly turns to forest. Four 'Happy Birthday To Yous' into the brush and then a left, two head stones, then a right -- it's the third headstone on the fourth row. No light to shine down on you this time, just whatever's left in the sky. You take your big yellow scarf off from around your neck to lay over the grave, giving yourself a place to sit so your spandex covered thighs didn't have to touch the grass. Your mom would kill you if you got grass stains on the red trench she let you borrow -- a makeshift Carmen Sandiego costume if anyone asked.

You sit, laying the bouquet right at the granite edge, tracing his name before letting your hand drop. You don't say anything for a while, letting the cool wet air run over you in waves. You wonder if the wind blowing is him saying hey.

A few cemetery patrons come by, pay their respects to their loved ones and leave. Some superstitious, some religious. They fade out after a while. The loneliness is comforting, just you and your brother hanging out together like before. Despite being six years apart, it felt like you both always had some weird wonder twin telepathy. He was never really one for a lot of words.

"Didn't that guy tell you not to come around here so late?"

You jump at the sound of an unfamiliar voice, turning around to see an even more unfamiliar person. Wild curly waves messy around his face, cut in 80s shag perfection. His face chiseled, jawline pronounced with soft stubble, soaked in fake blood. It trails down his neck and stains the white of the baseball tee underneath a leather jacket; fitted over top with a battle vest that rivaled the metal heads of the 70s.

"Who're you, huh? You following me?" you ask. You swallow nervously, finding solace in seeing a few other cemetary visitors mosying around. The faint giggle of more mischeif causing teenagers in the distance.

"Sorry," he laughs, a warm laugh that meets his eyes, "Didn't mean to scare you. I um, I saw you over by the cul de sac, overheard him say somethin' to you. I was with my little cousin -- dressed like a mermaid, I don't know if you remember."

You think back to Leesh's pal of trick-or-treaters, scanning them in your head to recall a little girl with big brown eyes and a makeshit Ariel costume on under her jean jacket -- covered in patches much like his.

"Yeah," you smile, "I remember. But that didn't answer my question -- are you following me?"

"Nah," he grins, shaking his head, "I'm visiting someone -- this was just a happy accident."

"Oh," you respond quietly, "Who're you visiting if you don't mind me asking."

"My mom," he shrugs, scrunching his nose, "Halloween was her favorite holiday so I always try to come say hi."

"Oh, I'm sorry," you offer in condolences, "Did you um -- did you grow up here? I feel like I'd remember you."

"Nope," he sighs, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans while his wallet chain jingles next to his thigh, "Grew up with my uncle."

"Oh, nice," you nod, "Well um --"

"Who're you visiting?" he interrupts, sitting on the gravestone next to your brother's; hardware tinkling prettily as he does.

"Pete," you say, hand out to gesture towards the shiny granite in front of you, "My brother."

"Nice to meet you, Pete," he turns his head, curly hair flouncing over his shoulder, "Pleasure."

You laugh, he laughs with you -- you have to laugh about it or else you'd have to deal with the alternative. You're pretty sure you're all cried out about your brother now.

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

"He worked construction," you shrug, "Took an overnight shift five years ago by the quarry, an' it was Halloween so he was workin' by himself -- no one to spot his safety gear. Must've fallen off the rigs or something and since it rained a lot that year the quarry was basically a lake at that point, hit his head and drowned. His body was completely banged up and waterlogged, they could only ID him from his pass in his pocket."

"Shit," he nods, "That's -- that's fuckin' awful. I'm sorry."

You shrug, "Bitch of living, I guess."

"Hm," he nods, "I wouldn't know."

"What do you mean?" you ask with a cocked head, eyes lingering on him while his linger on you. "Don't worry about it," he smirks, the kind that makes your heart flutter; cheeks getting hot at the sound of his voice. "You know something," you start, "With this whole get up -- and you're not from here so you might not know -- you look just like --"

"Eddie Munson?" he asks, with raised brows, "Yeah, my aunt's been telling me that forever. That's why I sorta dressed up like him for Halloween."

"That's dangerous around Hawkins, especially this time of year," you warn him, standing up from your spot and picking up your scarf. You shake it out to get some of the grass of the underside. You hardly notice the way his eyes trail from your shoes over your calves to your thighs.

"Some people say that he went right to hell after that earthquake since he killed that girl," you explain, shrugging the trench off some to fit the scarf on under it, "And now he's a demon that haunts Hawkins and terrorizes the town."

You both laugh, though his drops to a low and guttural hum. Nearly a growl. You lift your head to see him just a foot in front of you now, and you can really look. You can really see him. The paleness in his skin, tendrilled navy veins raising through it as he leans close to you.

At this distance it's clear that the hollowness in his eyes isn't makeup, but the sparkling brown is sunken into his skull. His brows darkened and determined while he looks at you.

At this distance, it's clear that the blood on his jaw is real.

"They're close," he says with a sly smile, "Really should've listened to Harrington, sweetheart."

You swallow hard, icy sweat in a film on your body while he takes a step forward.

"Those rumors are true."

The icy air shreds your throat as you run, heaving it in and out in gasps. Your calves scream, thighs aching while you sprint through the brush of the forest; trench and scarf long forgotton somehwere amongst the trees. You try to ignore the way twigs and branches swipe at your face, slicing you and scratching you with unforgiving whips. You let out a cry while you speed, leaping over roots and piles of leaves all while trying to listen with peak percision. Is he close? Is he getting closer? Can he see you?

You stop behind a log near a dip in the earth, rocks above it. Climbing in you heave, trying to catch your breath -- you aren't really made for this. You don't know how girls in the movies can run that long without needing a break.

With a deep inhale in, you hold, using the quiet to try and hear him but there is nothing to be heard. No rustling, no creaks in the wood or in the wind.

You catch your breath, slowly creeping out of your hiding space while the darkness hones -- trees blocking out some of the moonlight. You take a step and then another, trying to make as little noise as possible.

Your efforts are of no use though -- you stomach turns at the sound. The flap of wings, leathery wings -- big. A shaky breath in gives you the courage to turn your eyes up. On one of the taller branches above you he sits, pale and domineering, "Hi, sweetheart."

You bolt again, depserate and sobbing while the cold air is no longer a hello from your brother but mother nature's cruel bite on your wet cheeks. You can barely take in breaths without pain in your throat and chest, turning left and right and left again to lose him but from above he can predict your every move.

When you hear silence again you take another turn, a mausoleum broken down a short distance away. You crawl your way in, wet earth and cement hitting your nose while you gasp and heave for the second time. You listen for the wings for moment, a few moments -- a calm washing over your back when you're sure he's gone.

You take a step back further into the darkness to be sure you're unseen. Deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. One, twice, three times.

Another step back and you bump into a pillar making you jump, a screech wrenching from you.

Not a pillar no, not by the way a set of claw bites into your shoulder.

"Would've been a good hiding spot if it wasn't for me finding it first, right?" he quips, "Bummer." "Y-you can't d-do this," you cry, "The r-rumors are true they'll -- they'll look for me! Steve knows about you!"

"Oh, babe, that's so cute," he muses with a giggle, "Why do you think I'm still here, huh? Steve's just like me, he's bitten too."

"B-but--"

"Why do you think he believes in all those rumors, huh baby?" he asks with a lilt, "Cause he's one of 'em. Well -- not all the way, I guess. Not like me."

"He blows my cover he blows his whole operation," he grins, sharp teeth bearing themselves at you, "Why d'you think he only works night shifts?"

"I -- don't -- I don't," you sputter, "Pl-please d-don't bite me, d-don't eat me I -- I'll do whatever."

"You're too funny," he says in your ear, deep and grizzly while you're rooted to the spot under his clutch, "I already ate, sweet girl. But you'll make a fine dessert."

You don't know how you get there but it's not like home -- it is but it isn't -- dark and deadly; covered in slithering vines. You're too petrified to ask; but whatever this place was, despite the spores in the air and the rubble from the walls -- it was much nicer than the trailer he grew up in.

"Shh, shh, shh," he coos, claws deep in your shoulder while he wrenches you to a bed covered in plush linens -- satin and full. In the blur around you it could almost be a movie set; the booms of red lightening, dripping pillar candles in heaps around the room.

You whimper at first when his claws release, hot blood oozing against your sweater. The pain pulses like a dull thud, spit flooding your mouth while you move to your side to wretch but he catches you by the root of your hair. You wail in fear, smelling the decay in his breath, the sweet subtle rot of your surroundings.

"It's not polite to cause a scene in a stranger's home, right princess?" he asks with a soft lilt. He holds your gaze, warmth spreading over you when he smirks again -- and despite your fear, you can't look away. You aren't even sure if you want to look away.

Your body goes slack on the comforter, melting into itself like a dropped marionnette. "Very good," he purrs. Hazy, you feel his hands on you -- losing their warmth while they sneak under the hem of your sweater. The pads of his fingers are soft in comparison to the tips of his nails, grazing your stomach and sternum before reaching up to cup your breasts. He lets out a shallow breath, squeezing the delicate flesh softly in his palms -- so gentle despite his rough demeanor.

His thumbs graze your nipples in slow circles earning him a mewl from your dry throat.

"So easy," he giggles in a whisper. You nearly pout when his hands slide down and away from you; beginning the unhurried removal of your clothing. He moves glacially, eyes remaining on yours, wraiths of whispers in a lanuage you don't understand fluttering in the air around you -- in one ear and out the other. Part of you wants to scream and thrash while he slides off your spandex, rips the seams of your panties, destroys your socks.

His clawed hands shred your sweater, snap your bra at the straps until all your clothes are left in a heap on the dusty floorboards by a forgotten desk. He crawls over you like a predator, undressed himself now: some how bigger, more hulking than before. His shoulders are broad, muscles flexing while skin so white it's nearly blue stretches over it. Whatever is down here has completely infected him, you can see it in the color of the veins beneath his skin, the slight red in his pupils, the dark blue hues under his eyes.

His wings lift high around him in an arched half circle, tips appearing behind him like a hybrid of horns and halo at once.

"Could smell you from here," he leers, "since last night. Christ, fucking drooling over you like a kid."

You whimper again, body jolting in pain when his nails pierce your thighs when he parts them. Fresh ichor spilling from the wounds in deep sanguine and he doesn't seem to care about the mess he's making while it drips onto the sheets. His cavalier manuevering comes off as though he likes to play with his food before he eats it.

"And I don't know what it is, angel, how my senses find the right ones," he rasps while he leans forward to your blood soaked shoulder; serpent tongue slipping out to lave over it, "But you really called to me this year; think you might be the one."

"The o-one wh-what?" you sniffle. His tongue slides over the lacerations on your shoulder again, sucking slightly from the new wounds. He lets out a groan, using free hand to rest on the side of your rib cage for support.

He deatches from the well he drinks from, tip of his nose running over your decollatage and up your neck. In inhales over your jugular, pressing a wet kiss under your jaw before getting to your ear.

"The one I mate with, sweetheart," he breathes, "The one I breed."

Breed? You heart sinks like a stone into your belly, body tensing in a freeze while you think of what to do. How to get out of here.

"Wait," you gasp, arms coming up to push at his chest and push him away, "No, please, wait -- you can't."

You push and push but he's a stone pillar, he barely moves, his muscles barely push inward at your assault. He tuts, the click of his tongue between his teeth almost a chitter. He noses your cheek before looming over you, tips of your noses brushing. He catches your gaze again, the whispers start while the air blows in through the broken window. Obedire domino tuo, obedire domino tuo, obedire domino tuo. His lips aren't moving but you can hear his low voice in your ears, barely there, swirling around in your subconcious while the wind whispers with it. Another flash of red lightning illuminates him in a streak, the rumble of thunder vibrating your belly and chest. His hand floats up from your rib cage while you settle, cupping your cheek to slide down to your jaw and over your neck. The touch is nearly comforting, dipping you back into a haze like before.

"You were saying?" he asks.

"Hm?" your brows pinch, his voice muffled and far away.

"That's what I thought," he says smugly, head dipping back down to your neck where his lips drag over your delicate skin. His breath leaves a patch of wet heat that lingers when he moves down over your chest, fangs peeking out behind his full lips when he drags them over the swell of your left breast.

A gentle gasp escapes you, eyes fluttering closed when the tip of his tongue teases your pert nipple, blowing cool air against it once soaked with his spit. He flicks against it again, alternating sides, presses kisses over them in clear ownership. The more he tasted of you, the more it belonged to him.

With each touch and tease of your tits the more you gasp and whine beneath him, he chuckles from his belly, moving down to your sternum.

"And I died a virgin, can you believe it?" he asks with a cocky lift to one of his brows, "Now all I gotta do is smile and girls like you 'll just fall into bed with me."

There's cotton in your ears, all you can do is nod slowly while blood still leaks from your shoulder and thighs. All you can feel is his mouth and hands travel further and further down. The wind howls and the low chant in the back of your head changes tune but in the same cadence; over and over again: vis, sentis, obedis. Vis, sentis, obedis. Vis, sentis, obedis.

He licks a stripe up the back of your thigh to catch a bead of blood before it reaches the mattress, savoring you. He feeds from the gouges he left behind for a moment before inching forward to the apex of your thighs. Eddie inhales your scent deeply, the earthly musk of you making his mouth water in a mix of metal and spit. His nose brushes against the untrimmed hair of your mound, ghosting himself over it drunk with attraction.

Your body heats up with mild embarrassment, flexing while your hips writhe slightly underhim. Almost as if he can hear your thoughts he kisses the crease of your thigh, "Nothing to be embarrassed about, baby. Girls don't let it grow like this anymore n' it's such a shame."

You want to speak up and explain it's just 'cause you haven't had the time but your tongue doesn't know how to move anymore. Too tired to speak, too caught up in how he feels, how he touches, how he takes what he wants. You relent again, body relaxing; pliant while he spreads you apart for him a desperate moan pulling from you when his tongue -- still soaked in your blood -- glides from the pool of slick at your opening all the way up to your clit.

You almost gag at the way your body betrays you, sending a spread of electricity over your nerves from your core to your finger tips. "More," you whisper, not even believing you're begging for him, "Please, more."

Eddie's smug in his response, smiling with his eyes while he looks up at you from between your legs, "And good manners? You spoil me, princess."

Your back arches in a soft curve when your hips push back into the mattress, pressing yourself into his waiting mouth. He groans again when your body drips for him, leaving a damp sheen on his cheeks and chin. It's not about your pleasure despite how much of it he's bringing you, but about your consumption. He's devouring you. Licking his plate clean from the outside in.

The moans he takes from you spur him on, getting you further and further away from the fight you put up before. Spilling over for him like a puddle while you writhe, a hand reaching out to rake through his hair. His own reaches up from aroud your thigh to hold you by the wrist tight to your side.

"Hands to yourself," he murmrs, soft lips wrapping around your swollen clit to suck expertly on the bud. You whimper, tugging at his hold but it only makes his grip more intense, pinning you there without much a fight. Not even enough to distract him from the task at hand.

When his tongue sinks back down into your soaking core you feel it, the heat pulsing through your belly while he lets the muscle dip and swirl in your wetness. Your thighs twitch and shake when his nose bumps your sensitive clit, his free hand coming up to gingerly rub circles over it in tandem.

"Oh my god," you whine, "Oh my god -- K-kas don' -- oh my god, ohmygod." He snickers, contining his movements, murmuring a quiet, "God's not here, baby."

Another roll over your hips sends you reeling, his tongue gliding in long strokes when finally the coil in your belly snaps. You fall apart beneath him, loud moans and high pitched squeals while he consumes you through it. Your body vibrates, thighs clamping down over his ears, blood from the slices in your flesh staining his hair and jaw.

He hums low when you settle, gasping for breath on your already dry and scratchy throat while you come down. 

Eddie rises slowly, shoulder blades and wings moving with him while he crawls up your body. Smooth and languid like a snake, his torso hovers above yours while he settles his hips between your thighs. You look up at him, his shape, the way his eyes have blown black, the newfound sharpness in his features. A creature, a monster in your wake — not the same person you saw at the cemetery. 

“Oh,” he coos when he sees your eyes glassy and rounded upon him, “So precious.” 

You're much weaker now, mind and body, the stings across your skin from the broken branches and his sharpened nails a pain you've become better accquainted with. You take another breath of calm, arms resting by your head with your palms up towards the ceiling. He takes the moment of surrender to hold them down against the bed. The pressure of his hips against yours keeps you pinned, but you barely fight -- maybe squirm, maybe whine. No thrashing, no screaming, the whispers echo through the wind again:

Vis, sentis, obedis. Vis, sentis, obedis.

"So, so, precious," he whispers while he leans forward, kisses pressed to one cheek and then the other slow and controlled. He inhales again when he dips down to your neck, piercing fangs dragging over the vein there. You feel the push and then the pain, the unbearable blinding pain of his teeth ripping through you. Through your skin, through the muscle, the pulse of his mouth while he holds himself there.

You cry out, nearly a scream while he holds himself there -- just enough to infect you, just enough to get the poison in. The pain reaches a blinding peak, bile growing up your throat, eyes filling with a white hot surge of anguish and then -- Nothing. Euphoria. An unknown lightness you hadn't felt before.

He releases, still holding tight to your wrists above your head when he raises up over you again.

"Open," he instructs, and in your hazy gaze you obey. Your tongue flattens against your chin without command.

"Very good, sweetheart," he praises, collecting the blood left on his lips and in his cheeks to spit it directly into your waiting mouth.

"You can close now," he grins, "And swallow."

He grunts, hips sliding against you so that you can feel his length between your legs; the girth alone sends a chill to the part of you that is screaming inside your head. How is it supposed to fit? How is he supposed to get this inside you? "Don't worry," he laughs, "It'll fit."

When your vision snaps up at him he laughs again, "I can hear you in there, princess. I can always hear you."

He dips down again, tip of his nose sliding over your cheek to your ear, "So be very careful what you think about."

He doesn't need his hands to guide the head of himself into your already needy center. It's a stretch, delicious but nearing painful. It's not something you've ever even dreamed of taking before; thick, large, inhuman.

Your legs lift on their own accord while he pushes in further, getting half way while you let out a choked sob.

"Aw, shh, shh, shh," he mocks, easing in more, "C'mon you can take it."

"You can --" his hips snap in hard for the rest of him, letting out a ragged grunt when the rest of him disappears inside you, "--take it."

You mouth hangs open in a desperate oval, face crumpling when you become so full of him -- all encompassing. A part of you now, buried deep within. He moves, dangerously slow and controlled; methodic in how he thrusts himself deeper and deeper inside. "Mmm, that's it," he growls, chest to chest with him while his hip grind at a deliberate pace. You feel his hot breath fan out over your lips, forehead pressed against yours. He's not hot, he's not cold, just skin against yours while it flashes with heat. You go from shaking to sweating with minutes in between.

When your hips roll to meet his thrusts you moan, the tip hitting you so deep in your core that stars burst behind your eyes. "There we go," he grins mischeviously, "S'at feel good, pet?"

"Ooh, yes," you hiss through gritted teeth, actively trying to bounce yourself againsth him now that your body has started accommodating his sheer size. He raises himself up on his hands like a cobra, snake like peering down at you while he meets the roll of your hips with an unforgiving thrust.

"Good," he oozes the word out like smoke, deliciosly deep seated in his belly when he thrusts hard again. He mumbles a quiet musing to himself that you can't hear -- too gone in the lightness in your body, in the way nothing hurts, in the way you're so full.

Can finally fuck you how I wanna.

He gets up, sitting back on his haunches while still inside you, pushing your legs up so your knees end up by your ears. With this leverage he sinks in deep. You don't even know how far in he is, just that he's in and he's there, he's everywehre, he's outside and in.

Eddie locks eyes with you, that same smirk from the cemetary that made your stomach flip dancing across his devilish features, "Tell me you like it."

Your mouth moves before your brain can hesitate, "I like it." "Tell me you need it," he demands, tone measured and sure.

"I need it," you say back, your voice coming out broken and weak, "Please, I need it."

He pulls back and punches forward, hard enough that you gasp at the impact. He grips you hard by the backs of your legs, thrusts starting slow and building at an unrelenting pace. His eyes are wild; boring down at you through from under furrowed and determined brows. If you had any mind left, you'd think that he hates you by the way he stares.

"Fuck," he snarls, leaning forward over you, one hand pressing down on the mattress next to your head, "Shit -- fuck, that's it. That's fuckin' -- shit, you're fuckin' mine." "Say you need me."

"I need you," you choke back without thinking, barely able to breathe at his speed. The coil tightens deep inside of you again, tears pouring down your cheeks in waves -- not even crying, just recieving. Absorbing him. Your body rocks like a boat on unsteady waves pinned beneath him, the only sounds are the whispers in your subconcious, his growls and sputters like an animal above you. The lewd slaps of skin against skin, the squelches of him pushing you to your limits.

He steadies himself over you, nose to nose again while he fucks you. Really fucks you. Impressed with himself, he lets out a breathy chuckle when you throw your head back -- eyes shutting tight with a pornographic scream.

"Oh GOD!" you cry out, "Oh my god."

His fingers and claws catch your chin with a firm shake, eyes snapping open to meet the knowing glare of his ruddy brown ones.

"Your god," he starts, panting into your mouth, "is right here in front of you."

You swallow, mouth falling agape again when you feel the bite of his nails on the fat of your cheeks. "Right here," you repeat, dazed and overwhelmed, "N'..n'fronname."

"Right here in front of you," he nods, leaning down to brush his nose against yours while his thrusts slow to a steady pace. It's then that his lips meet yours, the kiss searing with desire and claim when his tongue slides into your mouth. You can taste the metallic twang of your blood in his mouth, sighing into it while he guides the kiss. Breaking away and coming back in; rushed and heated each time while he feels himself get closer to his peak.

His forehead presses against yours, one hand finally releasing your wrist to hold your head in place over your hair. You keep eye contact with him, not even sure if you're blinking, if you even need to blink. You rasp breaths, mouth and throat dry and aching while you breathe into him. You're close, teetering on the edge while he pushes you up with his hips to rest your lower body on his knees and thighs.

"Come undone," he murmurs, "Let go for me."

The command ripples through you, bursting through your belly with a warm heat. You welcome it, eyes rolling, cries pouring from you in words you don't think you understand. He encourages you, offering you rough sweet nothings while you pray to him, beg for him, ache for him.

That's enough to send him over; seeing you completely at his mercy now. Obedient, trained, devoured.

He snares and snarls, growling while he comes deep inside of you. The hand on your head wraps painfully in your hair like it did before you started -- uncaring, brutal. The heat of his seed pools deep within you like the heart of your orgasm. Glazed over you groan, hips rolling up in one final cant to receive him fully. Your vision vingettes while he unsheathes from you; fluids leaking onto the sheets. You're empty and the room spins with a new blackness, you're fading. Fainting? Dying?

The fuzziness continues to darken arouns you, around him, until he's all that's left in the tunnel of your vision. "That's a good girl," he soothes smugly, "Very well done."

Your gaze and mind fade fully to a staticky black.

You wake, you’re not sure how much later. 

Still on the bed and still undressed but your arms feel tight – a tug reveals your current state. Bound to a post on the headboard by a triple handcuff knot, dense hemp rope keeping your arms above your head. 

You whine and struggle, coming to your senses now – no one knows where you are, you barely know where you are. An underworld – hell. Somewhere. 

“Don’t look so terrified, sweetheart,” his smooth honey voice is heard before he appears in the candle light again, “I’m right here.” 

“Wh-why am I –” you swallow thickly, coughing and sputtering with how dry your mouth and throat are now, “Why am I tied up?” 

He looks at you with faux concern, brows raising, “Oh honey, are you okay?” 

He reaches out, pushing your hair away from your face, “Don’t be stressed. Y’know something – I just realized, I never offered you anything to drink.” 

“My uncle always told me you should take a girl out to dinner before makin’ the van rock and look at me,” he gestures at his chest, tutting at himself, “Where are my manners, huh?” 

Your lip wobbles while he looms over you, “Are you thirsty?” 

You nod, he grins – cheshire like, fangs glinting in the light, “I thought you would be.” He gets up, lazy and confident in his walk across the room. His body looks like marble, chiseled with the running and hunting you realize he’s been doing for over a decade. Stronger than ever; ethereal in his post orgasm glow. 

He pulls his hair back while he walks, holding it up away from his neck while your eyes travel down his back where his wings have tucked in under the skin. You gag when you see them move above his blades, rippling beneath the tattoos he has there. He’s dressed in only shorts; silk – likely stolen to really own the whole vampire thing he has going on. 

You take in a shaky breath when he gets what he needs, dropping his hair back to his shoulders when he makes his way back to you. 

He holds the dagger coolly in his hand before gliding the tip down the center of his wrist. Blood blooms from the wound; he doesn’t even flinch. 

“Open, princess,” he murmurs. Your lips clamp shut, shaking your head no while fear takes over – rot in your chest. He catches your chin again, forcing you to look at him like before. 

“Open,” he repeats, slower. His voice reverberates like a gong between your ears. 

Your mouth opens on its own accord and the smell of his blood becomes the most alluring scent you’ve had pass your nose in years. You latch on to the laceration, swallowing and sucking deeply on the wound while his blood and body quench and feed you better than any meal you think you’ve ever had. You feel revived as you devour him, eyes fluttering closed while the fill feels never enough. 

“That’s it, keep goin’,” he encourages under his breath, “Won’t have to keep asking you to do things twice once this is all over with.” 

You break away to breathe, gasping like you’re coming up for air, drowning in him. 

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean you’ll be just like me, sweetheart,” he says, chuckling when you eagerly lean forward to drink him again, “After a night of some deeply insurmountable pain; and then nothing. Just mine. Undead and mine.” 

“But y–you said you were – I’m –” your brows knit in confusion, “You didn’t h-have to d-do this; whatever you um – whatever you bred me with will die if you do this.” 

“Oh, no, no,” he laughs evilly, “I didn’t breed you quite yet.” 

He pulls his arm away, wiping the blood from your chin with his thumb roughly. 

“Consider what we did a, uh…hmm,” he takes a second to think about it with a hum, shrugging cheekily, “A soul bonding experience.” 

“You’re disgusting,” you spit. 

“I’m delicious,” he corrects, smearing his blood from your chin to your cheek, “If you do say so yourself.” 

He gets up again, pulling the covers out from under you to tuck you in. The chill getting to you in a way it never gets to him; you might as well be warm while you turn into actualized death. 

“I can hear you, remember?” he asks, tapping your head, “You won’t be totally alone with me. There’s…shit there are plenty just like us.” 

“Like Steve,” you pipe up groggily. 

“More than just goodie two-shoes Harrington,” he groans, “God, do you ever shut up about him?”

You sniffle in response.

“I mean this place, this – dimension,” he says, “It’s more than just Hawkins, and there are so many more like us; even up there.” 

He points upwards with a sharp nailed finger, “All around.” 

“And now that you’ll be just like me,” he smiles, sitting on the edge of the bed next to you in the crook of you waist, “There’ll be all the time in the world to breed you.” 

Your vision blurs, either from tears or from another fade, you aren’t sure. You can feel a slow burn through your veins, a rush of blood. You whimper. 

“So it begins,” he smirks, running the tip of his finger over your nose bridge. 

“Oh!” he says, eyes bulging, “Before I forget, and before I lose you – because you’ll be such a pretty blank slate when you come to – I felt like I should be honest.” 

He gestures dramatically, a maniacal grin pushing his cheeks up to his eyes while they spark, “Again with my manners, it was so rude of me to introduce myself to Pete’s grave at the cemetery. We’ve met before! Can’t believe I had almost forgotten.” 

Ice in your body fights the burning in your veins, you gag, bile coming up to singe your throat. 

“And y’know, I didn’t mean to drop him in the quarry when I was done with him,” he says with a scrunch of his nose, like he accidentally wrote the wrong tip on a restaurant check, “Really, my mistake, but Christ did he hit every piece of limestone on the way down.” 

He lets out a hearty laugh while he remembers it, your brother's body bouncing off rocks and metal before slipping under the water. You swallow your sick only or it to rise back up with a vengeance, staining your skin red while it seeps out of the corner of your mouth. You tug on the ropes in retaliation, hot angry tears stinging your eyes. 

“All that fallin’ did a number on him – which is good because it really took the heat of anyone knowing it was me. I just wasn't as clean about it back then. Much better now though,” he nods, finishing with a superior and charming look like he just told a bedtime story. 

He leans forward close to your face while your vision pulses in fuzzy black, browning out while he looks down at you. 

“And I’ll tell you something, babe…” 

Fading, fading, fading.

“He tasted divine.”

masterlist | fall frenzy | ko-fi

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson #eddie munson x you #kas!eddie #kas!eddie munson #vampire!eddie munson #vampire!eddie #eddie munson smut #eddie munson angst #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson fan fiction #tw: dubcon #tw: dub-con #dark!eddie #dark!eddie munson

[dark-and-kawaii]

༺ 𝒯𝒾𝑒𝒻𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 & 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝒾𝓇 𝒟𝓇𝓊𝒾𝒹 𝒞𝒽𝒾𝓁𝒹𝓇𝑒𝓃 ༻

A cute idea I came up with right after writing the first part. I love the thought of these men having cute little Druid babies that turn themselves into kittens. Enjoy ♡

PRT 1 (Click Here) - Zevlor - Rolan - Dammon -

- 𝒵𝑒𝓋𝓁𝑜𝓇 -

In the quiet darkness of your bedroom, Zevlor and you lay curled up together, finding solace in each other's warmth. Zevlor, with a gentle smile on his face as he slept, had his tail gently resting against your hip as he held you close. Your shared bed a place where the two of you could find peace after a long day.

As the night wore on, a muffled cry broke the silence, piercing through your sons room. Your son, a young tiefling druid, had been plagued by a troubling nightmare that caused him to shift into a small kitten in his sleep. Unable to shake off the remnants of his nightmare, and now stuck in his wildshape form he wandered towards his parents' room. His tiny paws padded silently through the moonlit corridors, seeking the loving presence of his parents. He soon reached your bedroom door, filled with a sense of urgency. In his feline form, he struggled to leap onto the high bed, his little paws desperately pawing at the loose sheets hanging down instead, an attempt to stir his parents' slumber.

Faint squeaks of distress escaped his tiny, furry throat, tugging on Zevlor's slumbering consciousness. Stirring awake, he blinked away the remnants of sleep, realizing the source of the commotion. As Zevlor turns his gaze towards his son he notices his struggles and the worry etched on his feline face. Understanding the turmoil his son was in, and with his own concern he swiftly acted, “There there, I have you little one.”

With a graceful twist of his tail, Zevlor coiled it around the frightened kitten known as his precious son, wrapping him in its comforting embrace. Lifting him with delicate care, Zevlor brought his son into the warm cocoon of his shared bed, drawing him towards his chest and into the sanctuary of his embrace.

You, roused by the commotion, opened your eyes to observe the scene with tender eyes. Understanding the depth of your son’s distress, you shifted yourself closer to both your son and Zevlor, your arms wrapping around his to help create a castle of love around your son. His feline form slowly dissipating as he felt the love and reassurance from both you and his father.

- 𝑅𝑜𝓁𝒶𝓃 -

The past week you’ve been bugging Rolan to have another child, claiming he makes the best father… which he does, but in actuality you wanted a child to carry out your Druid bloodline. Rolan on the other hand was content with the two he already had, in all truth he’s not even sure how he ended up with two, he barely wanted one and now you’re asking for another. So, Rolan did what he knew best and tried to keep you distracted by showing off some magic up in his tower as he worked.

The air around them crackled with auras of magic, Rolan’s audience was none other than his dearest family. You, with a smile warm as a summer's eve, his daughter, on your lap, beaming with sparkling joy, and his son, sprawled on a desk while Lia and Cal watch next to you.

"Daddy is so cool!" Your daughter tittered, clapping her hands wildly in appreciation and childish glee. “Usually he has performance issues,” Cal snorted back to his niece, “but I guess he’s past those days since he had yo-“ Lia elbowed Cal in the ribs while shooting him a look of disagreement, “Let Rolan have his moment! Besides, she has no idea what you’re talking about anyway!”

Rolan only sighs, “Don’t listen to them sweetheart.”

You looked on fondly at the scene; your daughter's overjoyed excitement and Rolan's faint smirk of pride making her smile. But of course, you couldn't let him off so easily, poking at him was just always too easy.

"Oh Rolan, it's always the same trick. I was hoping for something new today," You wink at your tiefling husband, pulling your daughter extra close. His son piped up in agreement, "Yeah dad, do something else."

Rolan turned around, responding to his son with a wry smile. "Patience! I’m working up to it-" As he spun, his careless movements knocked over a potion bottle conveniently close to where his son sat. And in that moment, the area was shrouded in a haze of green smoke.

When the smoke dissipated, sitting there was an infernal kitten where their son had been. “ROLAN!” You let out a gasp, quickly covering your mouth with your hand. The little tiefling girl, by contrast, erupted in laughter, shouting, "kitty!" The son turned kitten meowed in response, looking quizzically at his surprised family.

“Gooood job, Rolan. That’s definitely a new one for the books.” Cal clapped slowly at his brother. Lia just held her head, shaking it tired of Cal’s remarks.

Rolan pointed at their now feline son. “Brilliant! See, no need to try for another child, you have your Druid bloodline right here!" He was swiftly met with a death glare from you, his wife, yet the quip in his smirk did not falter. "I’m only teasing, love…partially."

- 𝒟𝒶𝓂𝓂𝑜𝓃 -

Dammon and you found yourselves enveloped in a rare moment of silence. Your three children, seemingly lost in slumber. With a sense of anticipation and romance, Dammon took it upon himself to prepare an exquisite dinner for the two of you. The enticing aroma of your favorite dishes wafted through the air, setting the mood for an lovely evening. Soft candlelight bathed the table, casting dancing shadows that added a nice touch to your surroundings.

“It’s been a while since we’ve been able to do something like this, let’s not waste the rest of the night, shall we?” Dammon rose from his seat, a warm smile illuminating his face. He extended a hand towards you, his eyes shimmering with affection. "May I have the this dance, my love?" he asked, his voice filled with tenderness and a slight blush across his cheeks.

Stepping outside and into your small garden, the moonlight bathed you both in a gentle glow. Your bodies moved in perfect harmony, your feet gliding across the ground as if guided by unseen forces. Dammon's tail swayed gracefully in time with the rhythm.

Your children on the other hand were indeed not sleeping and instead joined the two of you outside, hidden by the magic of their druidic lineage, had transformed into three adorable kittens. Their tiny paws treaded silently across the grass as they approached their dancing parents, their eyes wide with wonder.

As Dammon and you twirled and spun, your laughter and joyous whispers filled the air. The kittens, their tiny tails swaying in unison, watched their parents in awe.

Just as their father wrapped his tail around your leg before pressing his forehead against yours, your eldest son of the three, couldn't help but wiggle his tail, imitating his father's playful gesture and wrapping his tail around his brothers’. Your youngest daughter, the mischievous one, attempted to spin in circles, her tiny body mirroring the dizziness she felt from watching the dance. The middle son, the most observant of the trio, took in every delicate movement while his brother messed with his tail.

With an accidental stumble, your youngest daughter or rather kitten, tumbled out of her hiding place, landing with a soft thud into the opening. The sudden noise caught Dammon and yours attention, your dance interrupted by the unexpected sound.

Dammon's lips curled into a playful smile, his arms crossed over his chest as he raised a single eyebrow.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" he said, his voice filled with a mix of amusement and affection.

You, unable to hide your own smile, stepped towards the kittens, your eyes filled with love as you extended a gentle hand, beckoning them closer to join the two if you.

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 zevlor #zevlor x reader #tav x zevlor #rolan #bg3 rolan #rolan x tav #rolan bg3 #Dammon #dammon bg3 #dammon x tav #zevlor x tav #tiefling #rolan x reader

[libraryofloveletters]

My Sunshine

Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x Fem!Reader 

Warnings: break ups, soft!Jake, alcohol and the consumption of, a few tears, drunk!birthdayboy!Bob and reader are besties, mentions of throwing up. 

Word Count: 3.4k

Author’s Note: I said I was gonna be normal after I saw the movie and yet, here we are // not gonna lie, hangman >> rooster (I said what I said bye.) 

---- 

“Love me a woman in yellow,” the man calls, leaning on the counter. You glance over your shoulder to see who it is, ignoring his comment. “C’mon sweetheart, you’ve got my attention, do something with it before I die over here.” He says, a hand over his chest to emphasize his impending death.  

“If I look up arrogant in the dictionary, will I find a photo of you, Jake ?” You turn to face him, wiping down the spot next to him. He smiles at you. 

Hangman’s favourite pastime was bugging you. 

You’d been in San Diego since the end of April, your parents sending you down to spend the summer with your grandparents. Instead of relying on them for everything and to avoid spending the whole summer with grandfather and his war facts or your grandmother and her garden, you opted to find a job. 

Penny was more than happy to have the help, especially during the evening rush. You worked most afternoons, the occasional weekend in between. That’s where you met Hangman, or Jake as you call him. 

“If you're not gonna love on me, can a guy at least get a beer, sunshine ?” he calls, the new nickname catching your attention. 

“Sunshine?” you repeat, head cocked to the side. Jake nods, gesturing to your yellow tank top. 

“Sunshine.” he flashes you a smile. 

You hum, internally smiling at the new nickname. Your heart fluttered at the thought of something with Jake, the way he looked at you was enough to make a woman swoon and yet, you brushed off all of his advances. 

Then again, you felt guilty for even thinking about it. You had a boyfriend waiting for you at home, someone who you love dearly. 

Plus everyone knows Jake has a reputation; he’s tall, tan and handsome. Not to mention the charm that oozed from that man, his looks alone are enough to make someone trip over themselves and land straight into his bed. 

Jake watched as you leaned into the fridge under the counter to grab the beer and all you hear is him groan when you turn. 

Phoenix now beside him, Jake rubbing his arm where you can only assume she smacked him. You glance between the two aviators, choosing to ignore what happened when your back was turned. 

You hand the beer over to Jake, he tips the bottle in your direction between taking a sip. 

Phoenix drummed her fingers on the counter, pulling your attention from Jake. “Can I get a beer, y/n?” “Yeah, of course.” You lean down to get another on, popping the top off against the counter. 

Jake’s eyes widened at the sight. “Where’d a girl like you learn to do something like that?” 

Your brows pull together as you hand the beer over to Phoenix, “a girl like.. what ? I work in a bar, Jake. You pick up things.” you laugh, taking the $5 bill she was handing you. 

“Don't listen to him. He wants attention because he's feeling a little lonely without Rooster.” The woman squeezed his shoulders making him roll his eyes.

Phoenix walks off, back to the back corner where the rest of the guys were playing pool. You were re-stacking the glasses when Jake stood, “thanks for the beer, sunshine.” 

“Anytime, Hangman.” you smile at him and he laughs, pointing a finger at you with a rather amused look on his face. He walked backwards about halfway back to the pool table before turning. You watched him, smiling to yourself when you start to feel your phone buzzing like crazy in your back pocket. 

“Penny, I'm gonna take my break now.” You call to the older woman who shouts back an okay as you squeeze through the crowd and slip out the front door. 

The neon lights from the sign reflect onto you and your feet sink into the sand as you take a few steps away from the noise of the bar. There’s a million notifications from mutual friends and as you go through them, one by one, the urge to throw up builds. 

A photo of your boyfriend, his lips on another girl with his arms wrapped around her. 

You felt sick. 

You weren’t sure what to do. You stood outside of the bar in shock. You were disgusted. 

The disgust turns onto anger as you scroll through the messages. 

Buried between the notifications was text from your boyfriend- soon to be ex boyfriend. 

I’m sorry. 

You hit the message, click the little phone icon at the top. You hold it to your ear, listening to the line ring a few times and you think to yourself, why the hell am doing this. 

Just as you go to hang up, he answers. “Y/n? Y/n.. please.. say something.” 

“Is it true?” you whisper into the silence after a minute. 

“Yeah. Y/n.. I’m so sor-” you end the call. You didn’t want an apology or an explanation. 

You wanted to be alone. 

The sand floods into your shoes with each stride, your feet not carrying you fast enough away from the bar. You were out of breath by the time you got to the waterfront, dropping to your knees on the sand as you took a deep breath. 

Inside, Bob nudged Coyote. “What’s going on?” he pointed to you on the beach, Coyote looked out the window and shrugged. 

“Who knows.” he turns his attention back to the pool game. Bob was still looking out the window, his eyes fixed on you.

Hangman tapped his leg with the cue stick. “What’re you looking at?”  

Bob scoots to one side of the window sill, letting Jake peek out of the window. The blonde watched as you shifted to sit on the sand, your hand coming to your face. The breeze blew your hair all over the place and yet you didn’t fix it. It struck him as odd, you were always one to fix something when it was off, even if it was in the slightest of ways.

Hangman dropped the cue stick next to Bob, assuming he’d catch it, which he didn’t but the pilot was already out the door. He walks down the sandy pathway and finds you by the water.

He rests a hand on your shoulder, startling you. “Sorry.” He whispers into the silence.

You hated that word. Fed up of everyone apologizing.

Your words are quiet, so much so that he almost missed them. “Jake, leave me alone.”

He says nothing, instead the man sits next to you. The moon reflected off the water and onto your skin. You had tears on your face that you were trying to wipe away now that he was next to you but they kept falling.

Jake doesn’t say anything, he sits next to you and listens to the waves roll onto the sand. At some point, he shrugs off the button up he had on and draped it over your shoulders. You glance at the man, a white t-shirt clung to his body and in that moment, you can’t help but smile.

Jake smiles too; “there it is.” 

“I’m sorry.” You’re the one apologizing now.

“What for ?” He asks you, shifting so he’s facing you.

Okay calm down, in and out. Just breathe, you’re fine.

“I think I just broke up with my boyfriend.” You manage to get out without tears.

Jake hums, his lips pressed together. “You uh- you had a boyfriend ?” Maybe this is the wrong time to ask that but he didn’t know.

“I did but I just found out he cheated on me.” You show the picture to Jake. His face went from confusion to anger to sympathy in 30 seconds.

Jake wasn’t sure what he could say to make you feel better. No words could fix the way you must have been feeling in that moment so instead, he just opens his arms, letting you fall against him and you did just that.

Jake was the last person you intended to pour your heart out too but he was there and you couldn’t help it.

You pull yourself away from him, “okay leave me alone now.” You breathe, wiping the tears from your face and Jake sits up straight.  

“I won’t leave you alone, but I'll shut up. How about that?” he nudges you with his shoulder. 

You give him a tight lipped smile before laying back on the sand. Jake looks back at you, “sunshine, you’ll get sand in your hair.” He tells you, furrowed brows on his stupidly handsome face. 

“Shut up.” you mutter, staring at the stars above you. 

Jake sighs, lifting his arms above his head before laying back, propping his head on his arms to avoid getting the sand in his hair. He looks over at you, admiring the way the San Diego sun had tanned your skin since you arrived and even in the moonlight, he can see the beauty in you. 

You always had a smile on your face, a kind word to share and no matter how tired you were, you stood at the bar and listened to the same guy tell you his heart break story every night. 

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t thinking about walking into the Hard Deck after a hard day to see you with a smile on your face. 

He could spend forever admiring you; you were the centre of his universe, the air that he breathed, the sun in the sky and didn’t have a single clue about it. 

“Stop staring.” you glance at the blonde. 

“Stop being beautiful.” he quips. 

“Can’t, it's genetics.” you hum, earning you a laugh. 

You shift, resting your head on Jake’s chest and you drape an arm around his torso. “If you tell a single soul about this, I'll tell them about the time you threw up outside because you couldn’t out drink Bob.” you look up at him, a finger pointed in his face. 

Jake smiles, leaning forward to kiss your finger. “Lips are sealed, sunshine.”

----

A few weeks past and you’re still feeling pretty shitty about the breakup. You weren't expecting it and it sort of shook you. The window was opened and you could hear a knock on the door, your grandmother opening it and you hear her voice. You were upstairs getting ready for work and a few moments later, she stood at your bedroom door. 

“Those are pretty,” you say, glancing at the sunflowers she rests on your night table. 

“They’re for you.” 

“For your garden? Grandma, thank you-” “no, no.” The older woman smiled at you. “From a gentleman; rather tall one actually.” She tweaked the flowers in the vase, straightening the arrangement. 

“From who?” you ask her, heading to the window to look outside. The street was empty other than a few kids running around and riding their bikes. 

“Didn’t leave a name.” She tells you, giving your shoulder a squeeze as she passes by. 

There was a piece of paper sticking out of the vase, the words scribbled down on the blank page. 

to my sunshine, 

no one is worthy of those tears. 

xo, Jake.

Did your heart skip a beat like a teenager when you read the note? Yeah it did but you couldn't help it. His words play in your head as you get ready. 

My sunshine. 

His sunshine.  

A yellow sundress sitting in your closest was pulled off the hanger for the first time since your trip to San Diego. It had been sitting in there until you found the right time to wear it and tonight seemed perfect. You were only working half a shift because Penny was letting you off early to join in on the celebration they were having for Bob's birthday.

You got into work around 5:30 and most of the guys were already there setting up their usual corner by the pool table with a banner and a few streamers. 

“Y/n!” Rooster shouts for you as you walk in, “is the banner straight ?” he asks you, he’s holding one side and Coyote is holding the other. Everyone was there except for Phoenix, Bob and Jake. 

“Yup! You’re good.” you smile at him, making your way to put your stuff away and clock in. 

The hours went by and it's a little past 8 when Phoenix comes in with Bob, everyone yelling surprise, starling the poor man half to death. Bob’s grinning ear to ear, thanking everyone but your heart sinks a little when you don’t see Jake. 

Rooster was the first one at the bar, eyeing you in your yellow dress. “You look pretty,” the man smiles at you - his father’s charm, Penny’s words ring in your head. 

“Thank you, Rooster.” You hum, “another round ?” you ask him and he nods. While you were grabbing the beers, you turned to face Rooster for a moment. 

“Where's your other half ?” 

“He’s on his way.” Rooster tells you and your brows pull together. “I didn’t give you a name, Rooster.” you tease him, his face red as he rolls his eyes. 

“We both know that Hangman is the only one you notice anyways.” The pilot says and it’s your turn to blush. Rooster thanks you for the beers and heads back over. 

An excruciating four hours go by and you're finally off shift but while you're behind the counter, you'd be lying if you said you didn't look up every time the bell chimed and someone walked in.

You were sitting on the window sill with Bob, watching some of the pilots play pool. “Having a good birthday?” you ask the guy, smiling to yourself as he swayed side to side to the music playing. 

“The best,” he grins at you, you smile back at him. “I’m glad, you deserve it.” You lean and press a kiss to his cheek, Bob smiles but his cheeks are flushed redder than they were seconds ago. 

“SHOTS!!” Fanboy shouts, coming over with a tray, passing out the gold-ish liquid in the tiny glasses to everyone. “Shots require a toast, captain” Fanboy tells everyone, looking in the direction of their captain. 

Maverick gets up, the glass raised in the air. “Bob, you are an asset to this team,” he nods at the birthday boy who you’ve got your arms wrapped around. “We’re truly lucky to have you and we wish you nothing but happiness and whatever your heart desires for this year.” 

“And to get laid!” Fanboy shouts over the music, making everyone laugh and Bob’s red in the face again. 

“To Bob, Happy birthday!” Maverick raised the glass once more, everyone copying the captain, a chorus of happy birthday Bob! following before everyone downs their shot. 

Fanboy makes it his job to get everyone as drunk as possible; handing out shots after shots. 

Bob was well on his way to be knocked out until tomorrow morning so you helped him sit on the stool and you too had a little stumble in your step but nowhere as bad as the birthday boy. 

“I’ll get you some water honey, stay here.” 

“Is the room spinning y/n? It feels like it’s spinning.” Bob’s hand is on your arm, holding you to stabilize himself.  

“Bob?” You pat his cheek, “Bob, look at me.” The man blinks a few times. “Yeah?” He grins goofily at you. 

“Try not to fall over,” you give his hand a squeeze before you navigate yourself through the crowd to the bar to get Bob some water. 

You find Fanboy getting another round of shots, you nudge him. “No more for Bob, he looks like he’s gonna pass out.” You tell him, you both glance back at the birthday boy, sharing a laugh before he nods. 

The glass of water was full to the brim, you stop in the middle of the crowd to take a small sip of it so it doesn't spill when you bump into someone; a wall of a  man from the feel of things. Half of the water spills onto the floor and you look at the person who was in front of you; Jake.

“Where have you been all night?” you look up at the man, there’s an amused look on his face. “Out.” he says plainly. 

You can't help but roll your eyes, pushing past him. “It’s Bob’s birthday and you didn’t think to show up ?” Jake is following behind you, his hand on your arm to stop you but you keep walking, making your way back to Bob. 

“Here, honey.” you hand him the glass, helping him take small sips from the glass. 

Jake watches how gentle you are with the pilot, wiping away the water that misses his mouth and pushing his hair from his face. His heart swells at the idea of it being him you were taking care of instead of Bob. Jake’s shifted to stand behind you now, leaning on the ledge of the wall and you're leaning on his legs with Bob leaning on you; it really was a sight to see. 

Bob was dozing in and out of sleep at this point, someone needed to take this poor boy home. 

It’s like Maverick read your mind, coming over and offering to take Bob off your hands like he was a baby. He and Payback are heading back to the dorms and they’d take him with them. You let them, making sure to tell them to have someone stay with him and put him to sleep on his side in case he needs to throw up. 

Jake took it as his chance to talk to you without you walking away. The pilot wraps an arm around your torso, pulling you between his legs now. 

“You look beautiful.” The blonde whispers to you, eyeing the yellow dress on your figure; fitting your body like it was sewn onto you.

“Rooster thought so too.” The words slipped past your lips before you could stop yourself. You look back at Jake, panic across your face and he can’t help but laugh. 

Jake hums, leaning forward so his lips are by your ear. “You think I'm jealous of Rooster ? I know he can’t make you feel the way I do.” 

He was right. Rooster and you were just friends but so were you and Jake and yet, Jake made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. He gave you butterflies like you were 15 again. No matter how crowded the bar was, you were always looking at him. Your heart skips a beat when he flashes a smile or throws a wink your way, hoping that your hand touches his when you had him a beer. 

Jake had your heart and he knew it; he knew it from the moment he saw the smile on your face for the first time. 

“Do you know why I call you sunshine?” He whispers to you, arms wrapped around you as you two swayed to the beat of At Last by Etta James. 

“Because you ‘love a woman in yellow’?” you quote him from the other night, making him smile. 

“When I leave for a mission and when I return, I’m thinking of you. You're the first person I want to tell when something happens, the last person I think of before I go to sleep and the first person on my mind when I wake up. Y/n, you’re the centre of my world and you don't have a single clue,” he laughs, his grip on you loosening when you turn to face him. 

You look at the man, your hands cupping his face. Jake smiles at you, admiring your beauty; even under the dull lighting of the bar, he could see the happiness on your face. 

Jake pulls you a little closer, his lips barely brushing against yours. “You are sunshine; my sunshine.” 

“No one else?” you hum, a smile playing on your lips. 

Jake closes the gap between the two of you, “all mine.” 

-----

this one's for @halsteadssneakylink​ and @hurricanejjareau​ <3333

#jake seresin #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin x y/n #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin x you #jake seresin imagine #jake seresin fic #jake seresin fluff #jake seresin fanfiction #hangman #hangman x you #hangman x y/n #hangman x reader #hangman fanfiction #hangman fic #top gun: maverick #top gun maverick #top gun fic #top gun fanfiction

[brucebocchi]

Ranking every new anime I watched in 2023, Pt. 4: #5-1

hey, i just started a ko-fi for my writing and possible other creative outlets. this post will also be available there, so please check it out and consider tipping/donating as i'm currently between jobs. the tumblr version of part 1 can be found here, part 2 here, and part 3 here.

The list is complete! This took a lot of work but I'm over the moon to get this out there. Please consider leaving a tip if you've enjoyed reading.

Here goes, my top five anime of 2023:

5. Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

Zom 100’s debut hit like a freight train, especially coming from a brand new studio. It had everything: Visceral satire of Japanese work culture, incredible animation, vibrant colors in unexpected places, clever cinematography, wish fulfillment for everyone who’s ever wanted to Stone Cold their boss, and most importantly: Zombie titties.

The premise is magnetic: When your job makes you feel like a zombie, an actual zombie apocalypse means certain freedom from the grind. Akira Tendo realizes that he can finally use the vacation time he amassed while being exploited and overworked at a legally dodgy black company, so he writes a bucket list of everything he’s ever wanted to do, with all intention of checking off every single line item before succumbing to a zombie bite. He manages to rescue his hunky fuckboy bestie from college, and they embark on a road trip across Japan to finish out the list, along with a beautiful, risk-averse tsundere and a big-tiddy German weeb. 

It's a perfectly fine elevator pitch, and a welcome break from the guns-and-grit quagmire the zombie genre has been stuck in for the past two decades, but what makes any good zombie-flecked media resonate is the human element, which Zom 100 delivers expertly. You’re quickly given reason to care for all the characters, their motivations are clear and relatable, and you want to see them survive and live out their dreams. But more importantly, you just want to hang out with them through their hijinks. It even delves into more serious matters, like what we owe our parents as adults, the ways isolation and bitterness can drive people to act out in their worst moments, and even the factors that push abuse victims to stay with and even return to their abusers. 

Above all, though, it’s a powerful (if extreme) story of finding joy in the direst circumstances. Akira, Kencho, and Shizuka are all kindhearted, well-meaning people whose situations kept them from what they truly wanted to do with their lives, and there’s something kinda beautiful to be found in them finding a new opportunity during the possible end of the world (Beatrix is a sweetie too, but aside from the whole zombie thing, she’s already exactly where she wants to be). The final arc of the season, in particular, looks you dead in the eye and asks you: If you were suddenly faced with the ultimate freedom, would you use the opportunity to better yourself, improve the lives of others, or do whatever the fuck you want at everyone else’s expense? You may not like the answer at first if you’re honest with yourself, and that’s okay. The world isn’t over, and there’s still time for you to be your best self.

Zom 100, unfortunately, fell prey to a cruel irony in the form of production issues. Bug Films is a new studio made up of a former team from OLM that was responsible for similarly gorgeous projects such as Komi Can’t Communicate and Summer Time Rendering. They clearly saw so much of themselves in Akira's workplace exploitation that they had to swing for the fences here. The firm he works for is named “ZLM” in this adaptation, for fuck’s sake, and he fully destroys his zombie boss in the first episode. But new studio or old, the anime industry is a grind, and Bug had trouble keeping up; animation quality did take a bit of a dip after the stunning first episode, and episodes were frequently delayed as the summer broadcast season wore on and ended without the entire seasonal run making airwaves. Hell, it was impossible to watch the final three episodes until just a few days before I could write this sentence.

For what Bug were able to pull off, though, Zom 100 is outstanding. The paintball-colored blood splatters everywhere are an instantly-iconic look that strike the balance between horror and spectacle. Everything and everyone looks gorgeously faithful to Kotaro Takata’s art, and delivers an appropriately cinematic look that the manga always deserved. I almost don’t know what else to tell you but that this show is a fucking blast.

There’s also a zombie shark. What more could you want?

4. Oshi no Ko

I spent a good chunk of 2023 just assuming Oshi no Ko was going to be a layup for anime of the year. Shortly after moving on from Kaguya-sama, I rushed to binge Aka Akasaka's subsequent manga in time for the anime's feature-length debut. I was taken in by OnK's bonkers premise and sudden dark turn and quickly fell in love with the characters, and my anticipation only grew. I had high expectations for the screen adaptation, but nothing could have prepared me for just how lovingly it all came together. This is as close to a perfect adaptation as you can find, and the same can be said about both the preceding and following entries on this list.

Oshi no Ko is an audiovisual feast. Doga Kobo cleaned up Mengo Yokoyari’s character designs just a smidge, but put just the right flourishes on them to make every single cast member instantly iconic. One look at Kana Arima’s eyes will tell you everything you need to know about the level of care put into the visual design of this anime. The performances are on point as well; though many of the main cast members are relative newcomers to the world of seiyuu, you can tell they truly came to understand the characters before they even recorded one line. I’ve already gushed about Rie Takahashi in earlier entries, but her turn as Ai Hoshino is easily one of the best voice performances all year. Takahashi makes a meal out of every single second Ai spends on screen and gives you every reason to care about her as a character.

Showbiz manga in general is obviously missing an audio element, and when an adaptation can expand on that aspect well, it can help turn even middling source material into something transcendent (see also: Rock!, Bocchi the). Music is central to Oshi no Ko, and the OP/ED combination is already iconic; YOASOBI’s “Idol” has had the best worldwide chart performance of any Japanese song ever, and the prolonged intro to Queen Bee’s “Mephisto” became a meme in Japan in the same vein as JJBA’s iconic use of “Roundabout.” Rather than taking manga characters’ word for it that someone is a terrible actor, we actually get to cringe along to an amateur actor’s hammy emoting. We get to see and hear what turned a fictional idol group into a national phenomenon rather than just see cute girls posing on the page. All of this is to say that while Oshi no Ko is an excellent manga, it needed a screen adaptation, and especially one of this quality.

Oshi no Ko deserves every shred of its success. I've never seen an anime make a splash this enormous with just its debut episode, even if it’s kind of cheating to say so because the first episode is almost literally a movie, and if I were to give an award for the best single episode of anime this year, it would be that one, hands down. Adapting the entire first volume into a feature-length debut was the correct move (mostly because it’s a tonal rollercoaster, and the Big Event that defines the entire story wouldn’t have happened until the fourth episode otherwise), and the investment paid dividends. The hype naturally died down a bit as the season wore on and settled into a more consistent tone and rhythm, but it remains an essential anime to 2023.

You may have noticed that I have said very little of what this show is actually about, and that’s by design: If you still don’t know the plot of Oshi no Ko’s first episode by now, I refuse to tell you: you need to go in blind. All I will say is that it is an idol anime that glorifies nothing. If you've read this far and still trust what I have to say about anime, I beg you to just take my word for it. It's an incredibly rewarding experience.

3. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

There's just something so wonderful about taking in an adaptation of a work you’re already familiar with and knowing, almost instantaneously, that every single person working on it genuinely loved the source material and relished the opportunity to bring it to life. Nearly every single member of the original cast is in the dub (including the ones who went on to be MCU mainstays), Edgar Wright is back on as executive producer, Anamanaguchi reprise their soundtracking duties from the video game, and even Bryan Lee O’Malley himself helped co-write everything.

That last detail is probably the most important thing about this entire production: It’s not exactly a secret that the original Scott Pilgrim comics are very imperfect portrayals of a very imperfect young man. I knew reading them at the time that the comic did not have a great grasp on relationships and the dynamics between men and women, and that was at a time in my life when I myself was pretty terrible with and to women. O'Malley has said that he would only revisit Scott Pilgrim if it was “the right thing” and that he was leery of a straight retelling of a work he has since outgrown.

So instead, we have the Rebuild of Scott Pilgrim, to put it simply. Takes Off is a completely new story that reexamines the Scott Pilgrim comics, movie, and even game without undermining what came before it. This series is not a repudiation of Scott Pilgrim (the character or the franchise)’s flaws, nor is it purely fanservice; it splits the difference perfectly. It’s both more mature and completely self-indulgent. This show so easily could’ve marched to the familiar discourse drumbeat of “Scott isn’t the hero here” or “he’s actually not a good dude,” but it instead focuses on what should always be the second half of that sentence: “But Ramona still sees something in him.”

Yes, Ramona Flowers is effectively the protagonist of a new work that doesn’t even have her name on it, and it tackles some surprisingly necessary questions: What was her responsibility in creating seven evil exes in the first place? What made them evil? Are they even that evil? This series opens up entire worlds of possibilities within the extended cast and gleefully dives into them. Though Takes Off may not flesh out every single character, it does take its time with several of the ones who really did need a little more meat on their narrative bones, and even gives some characters new roles just because it would be fun to see them in new situations.

I still cannot believe they got Science Saru to make this show. “They made a Scott Pilgrim anime” and “They brought back the movie cast” are already good enough fodder for that Vince McMahon meme, but “It’s produced by the motherfuckers who made Devilman Crybaby” had me falling out of my chair. The animation maintains O'Malley's chunky, cartoony character designs and works wonders with line weights and simulated camera effects to give everything a tactile, weighty feel, like it’s somehow (and very appropriately) splitting the difference between a comic, a film, and even a video game. There’s a wide array of visual effects that helps to place all of Scott Pilgrim’s influences further on its sleeve: Dynamic action scenes, camera depth and chromatic aberration, and our beloved pixel art inserts. It looks like every Scott Pilgrim, everywhere, all at once.

The live action film’s cast did a (mostly) great job reprising their roles for animation, and there are some wildly unexpected cameos in there. Voice acting is not quite the same as stage or film acting, but everyone pulls their weight, and dialogue feels far more naturalistic than your average anime dub. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ellen Wong and, surprisingly, Chris Evans are outstanding in their respective roles. I’m gonna have to watch this again in Japanese, though. Fairouz Ai as Ramona, Aoi Koga as Knives, and Yuichi Nakamura as Lucas Lee? Sign me the fuck up.

This is not an apology or revision of Scott Pilgrim the character or work, it is a celebration that still acknowledges and improves on the flaws. If you’re a Scott Pilgrim fan who’d been clamoring for a proper cartoon adaptation, Takes Off may not exactly be what you’ve wanted, but it may be what you needed.  Chances are pretty good that you’ve grown since the first time since you read, watched, or even played something with Scott Pilgrim’s name on it, and it’s a blessing to say that while the character may not have grown, Scott Pilgrim the franchise finally has. 

2. Jujutsu Kaisen, season 2

I’m so glad I picked up JJK this year, if only because I would’ve otherwise been caught in a mudslide of memes I didn’t understand.

Season 2 follows in lockstep with the manga from where season 1 left off, beginning in extended flashback with the Hidden Inventory/Premature Death arc, covering Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto’s high school life and the events that would eventually create the rift between them that came to shape Jujutsu Kaisen’s story. We see very different versions of Gojo and Geto here, much younger and more naive, but only marginally less powerful as they’re sent on an escort mission with the future of the jujutsu world in the balance. Because this is Jujutsu Kaisen, and because Jujutsu Kaisen is for masochists, nothing happens as planned.

We unfortunately do not get the precious slice-of-life hijinks the OP suggests, but if you watched season 1, you should know better by now than to trust an OP. While the initial arc does have its quieter and goofier moments (and some delicious homoerotic subtext), it wastes little time in declaring that this is a new version of the Jujutsu Kaisen anime: Lines are thinner, character models are looser, and action is buckwild. Two of the best fakeouts in the series happen in the span of five minutes. Those unfamiliar with the source material may have wondered for a bit why there needed to be a five-episode prequel arc to start the season, but the pieces would soon fall into place.

And then came Shibuya.

The Shibuya Incident arc was what made Jujutsu Kaisen a must-read in every new issue of Shonen Jump. It reset the status quo for the story and shaped it into something far beyond another “teenagers with special powers go to a school for teenagers with special powers” battle shonen. Needless to say, the hype for its anime adaptation was astronomical.

The Shibuya arc sets the stakes early: Nobody is safe and there may be no happy ending. Triumph is short-lived, and every threat is existential. Everyone who has been in the series up to this point plays a role, and you’re not going to like a lot of what’s needed of them. This arc punches you in the gut, repeatedly, and in between each blow is some of the most intense and innovative action you’ve ever seen. It will hurt, and you will beg for more.

I liked this arc a good amount in the manga, but by the end I was ready for it to be over. I didn’t get the hype around Toji, thought the deaths were cheap, and was so. FUCKING. sick of Mahito. Seeing it in fluid motion onscreen, though, everything just clicked for me and I couldn’t get enough. I fully get now why the girlies have been wetting themselves over Toji; the character modelers were HORNY horny this season. I see now how even the most unceremonious deaths fit into the narrative, or at least one will make perfect sense to me once Gege Akutami and I have a little chat :). And holy hell do I understand now that Mahito is one of the best shonen villains in the history of the medium, that sick bastard. Season 2 was my Rosetta stone for Jujutsu Kaisen; I see it all now. My sixth eye has been opened. Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the literate one.

JJK’s second season has a markedly different feel from the first from a presentation standpoint, and I feel it’s for the better. Every aspect of the presentation is on point, and I want to call attention to the audio element: The production music, with a heavy focus on jazz piano, is wonderfully unique for the genre, and the voice acting remains top notch. These are banner performances from the likes of Yuichi Nakamura, Kenjiro Tsuda, Takahiro Sakurai, Asami Seto, and Nobunaga Shimazaki, but the performance that defines the Shibuya arc (and by extension the entire season) is Junya Enoki as Yuji Itadori. 

Enoki’s been great this year in lead roles in goofy works like KamiKatsu and Girlfriend Girlfriend (not to mention minor roles in Skip and Loafer and the vending machine isekai), so it’s no surprise that he continues to crush it as JJK’s protagonist; Yuji Itadori is a goofy dude. But the Shibuya arc, for as much ground and as many characters as it covers, is ultimately Yuji’s story as he is forced, time and again, to endure the cycle of the “suffering builds character” meme. His peers and mentors in the first season told him repeatedly that the life of a jujutsu sorcerer is a short and unhappy one, and he now has to shoulder that burden for everyone. Enoki nails every single part of a wide spectrum of emotions Yuji is forced to endure over the course of the Shibuya arc, be it determination, naive confusion, or just pure unbridled trauma. If this isn’t the best voice performance of the year, it’s top five at worst.

Like every major battle shonen release in the age of social media, this season has had its detractors. Reviewers at Anime News Network kinda hated the story, but that’s something you take up with Gege Akutami (and get in line behind the manga readers). I've seen people complain about the animation. Which, like. If you don’t like the new visual style, sure, fine, that’s up to personal taste. But if you think this season isn’t well-animated, you just plain don’t know ball. It may not have a cohesive look, but that was the draw for me: Season 1 was good, but at times I felt like it looked a little too rigid, a little too shiny, a little too samey. Season 2, especially the Shibuya arc, looks like everything. Sometimes it looks like an action film, sometimes it looks like Mob Psycho 100, and at points it looks, most crucially, like Akutami’s most iconic panels brought to life, stroke for stroke.

The varying styles weren’t an accident: Nearly each episode had its own director, and those resumes cover top-tier animations like Mob Psycho, Devilman Crybaby, Kill la Kill, Heavenly Delusion, Oshi no Ko, FLCL, even Akira and goddamn Golden Boy. While the episodes don’t look entirely consistent from one to the next, the variance is less jarring and more “holy fuck, what am I going to see next?”. The looser style of animation is what Jujutsu Kaisen always needed; Akutami’s art is very loose and dynamic, and his action panels are borderline inscrutable at times. Season 2 nails the feel of JJK to a degree that its adaptation always needed and lets its directors, storyboarders, and animators run wild. At times, characters will look like they leapt right off the page; others, they will look like something you have never seen before in your life.

It is unfortunately impossible to talk about this season without also bringing up MAPPA’s working conditions, and how animators were frequently overworked against nigh-impossible deadlines. It was an open secret last year as Chainsaw Man aired that MAPPA’s animation schedule was a meat grinder, but that came bubbling to the surface quickly as JJK’s second season aired. Word got out midseason that MAPPA had its animators sign NDAs about their work conditions, but complaints still broke containment and several staffers took to social media to apologize for their work looking incomplete, and some even publicly announced that they are leaving the studio. It is stunning that the finished product looks the way it does under such conditions, and I respect the animators for putting in such incredible work, but something has to give. Several major series suffered from major delays this year, some of which I gave significant praise, but MAPPA is lucky that all of JJK came out on time. I wish I knew what could push them to treat their workers with the dignity and respect (and pay) they deserve, but that’s a conversation that covers much wider ground than just anime.

MAPPA has already announced that the series will continue through the next major arc. While there is quite a bit of it that I would love to see on screen, I can only hope that the animators get to rest. For now, though, we can be proud of what they made under duress, even if some will forever wonder what it would look like if the staff were treated like something a notch above cattle.

1. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Fucking hell. This is why I watch anime.

I was curious about this one because a couple major anitubers I watch had reviewed the manga and were effusive in their praise. I knew the anime adaptation was on the way, so I decided to hold off on reading and see what the anime would be like, and with Keiichiro Saito (director of Bocchi the Rock! and key animator for Oshi no Ko’s instantly-iconic OP) at the helm, my excitement was piqued. That guy turned a B-minus 4-koma into an innovative hit comedy, so what can he do with a beloved source material and the backing of a legacy studio like Madhouse?

I've had so much to say about Frieren since the premiere, and I still have so much to say now, but to talk about what I love about this show is to talk about everything about this show. When the first four episodes dropped, I described it as “Mushoku Tensei without the baggage,” and I stand by that. There were multiple points throughout Frieren’s first cour where I'd nearly forgotten that I wasn't watching Mushoku Tensei. Every single element is on point: The animation is fluid and expressive, backdrops are consistently gorgeous, voice performances are quickly memorable, and the music is evocative and instantly iconic. This is, plainly, one of the most beautiful pieces of television I have ever seen on nearly every level, be it visually, sonically, or thematically.

The initial four-episode debut was a masterclass in establishing the setting, building emotional investment into the characters, and slowly but deliberately laying out the premise of the season to come. The titular Frieren is an elf mage who, for a very brief decade of her millennium-long life, lent her skills to an adventuring party to slay the Demon King. Though she helped save the world, she was never one for stuff like adulation or socializing, so she breaks away from the group to continue her hobby of collecting various spells and arcana. She regroups with them after 50 years, having kept in contact with none of them, only to find them older and frailer. The party’s leader, the hero Himmel, passes away shortly thereafter, and Frieren breaks down at his funeral, having realized exactly too late how important he was to her and that she’d never really bothered to get to know him as a person.

Some time later, she’s called by the surviving human member of the party, Heiter, under the guise of translating an old text, but soon realizes that he duped her into helping train the young orphan girl he adopted, Fern, as a mage. Upon Heiter’s death, Frieren and Fern head out together, carrying out odd jobs and retracing Frieren’s steps from the journey that changed her more than she realized. They soon learn from the other surviving member of the party, Eisen, that (ooh) heaven is, in fact, a place on earth, and that Frieren may be able to properly pay Himmel his final respects in person. In order to do so, they must make a trip to the north, past the Demon King’s castle. The story of Beyond Journey’s End is, quite literally, a nostalgia trip.

Frieren's story is one of grief and regret, but also how we can use those emotions as a way of moving forward rather than looking backward. Her history is a long one and her memories seemingly everlasting, but she uses them to pave the road ahead of her rather than let them shackle her to the past. This is best exemplified by Fern herself, as well as the other companion they pick up the way in Eisen’s former trainee, Stark. Frieren can carry on the legacies of Heiter and Eisen by helping their young wards grow into the capable young adults they’re meant to be, while Himmel’s legacy lives on in the memories of the towns and villages he helped save along Frieren’s new path, and most importantly, in Frieren herself.

The degree to which Himmel truly mattered to Frieren becomes more apparent to her as the story goes on, and it becomes more evident in her actions. Himmel was a gentle, selfless (if self-aggrandizing) man who was every last bit the hero the modern world believes him to be. With every statue of him she cleans, every flower she plants in his name, every core memory that returns to her, we are watching Frieren become more and more like him in real time. You would expect a thousand-year-old woman to be pretty set in her ways, but we see her holding off on old, bad behaviors because of how Himmel would react to them back then. As Fern and Stark grow into young adults, we see her beginning to treat them the same way Himmel treated her. Frieren doesn’t realize it until later in the season, but it’s apparent to us early on that Himmel well and truly loved her, and I feel that it’s dawning on her that she loved him too and didn’t recognize it. That is tragic in and of itself (this show absolutely is a tearjerker at times and I will cop to getting misty-eyed as I write this), but there is something beautiful, well beyond my grasp, in being able to honor the memory and carry out the legacy of a loved one in how you treat those around you. I don’t think anything could have made Himmel prouder.

Frieren herself is a really goddamn good character too (and expertly voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki, best known for voicing Anya Forger in Spy x Family). Though she is portrayed as quiet and uncaring for the early part of the story, it’s been really delightful to watch her open up, and above all, inadvertently reveal that she’s actually just Really Fucking Weird. For as self-assured and put together as she always seems on the surface, it was great to learn that she’s just an enormous slob (she just like me fr), and any outward expressions of smugness or her offbeat sense of humor are always a joy. “Deeply weird person trying to act normal” is always fun, and there’s just something so consistently delightful about seeing someone so typically calm and intelligent get caught in a mimic chest every single time.

I still can’t get over how fucking good this show looks. Beyond Journey’s End features some of the most intricate, loving animation I’ve seen for stuff as simple as someone putting on a jacket. Action scenes are few and far between, but not a single frame is wasted when shit pops off. Not everyone is as detailed as possible at all times, and they don’t need to be, but everyone looks incredible when they need to be. It’s well above my pay grade to accurately say so, but this show could be a lesson in proper animation budgeting. I could go on and on and on, but I’ve written nearly eighteen thousand words about anime, so I’ll wrap it up. 

The debut season of Frieren will continue into 2024, and if the quality remains a constant, it could very well be one of the best anime of next year too. It has remained as MyAnimeList’s top-rated anime ever for its entire run, warding off the legion of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood fans. Frieren deserves it. I say with no hyperbole that this is one of the most perfectly realized things I’ve ever seen on television. This is an essential watch for anyone who likes fantasy anime, anime in general, or fantasy in general.

#anime reviews

[tamed-kratts]

★ Stargazer ★

Chris Kratt x Reader

Warnings: very tiny angst, miscommunication, putting pollen in the warnings cuz of allergies 😡

Summary: Chris, your current crush, has been ignoring you for a month. You’re about to find out why.

A/N: Never explicitly says reader is female and no pronouns are used but I write my readers to act kinda feminine so beware. Although, this one is pretty neutral. Also Chris would totally just dip the second he has a crush on someone LMAO. One more thing, i low-key diss cats at one point in this fic but don’t be mistaken. I love them.

It had been another warm summer day in North America, a humid breeze flew into the Tourtuga and in your nose as you lay in your reclining chair while staring at your phone screen. There wasn't much going on, the rest of your crew had been looking at some bug they found, you weren’t all that interested, you didn't think anyone would even notice your disappearance. But someone did.

Chris walked into the Tortuga timidly, avoiding eye contact with you as he hurriedly went to his own room, his steps were quick and he made a beeline down a hallway in the large turtle ship. Normally, you wouldn’t fret over one of the kratt brothers acting suspicious, since they were always up to something, but lately you felt as though Chris had been acting especially strange. Around one month ago, he started avoiding you. If you walked in the same room as him, he would make some lame excuse like “I have to go organize the gear.” before running out the room to the garage, leaving you and whoever he was previously talking to. It was pathetic, you had actually grown a small crush on him and it was tearing you apart to have him just pretend you didn’t exist.

He was a big factor to why you didn’t bother trying to hang out with the crew today, you didn’t really feel up to hanging out with your crush who obviously hated your guts.

A new pair of foot steps walked in, they were heavier and louder, it was Martin. “Hey, Y/n, ‘sup?” Martin, unlike his brother, did enjoy your company. He often went out of his way to ask how you were and about your well being. He reminded you of a dog, curious of its owner's whereabouts after a long day of work. You guess that made Chris a cat, one that hissed and bit you if you pet it for a second too long and hated you for the rest of its life. "Nothing, how are you?" You said.

“I’m good, me and Chris came inside to get changed. We’re covered in pollen and Koki said if we don’t get into some clean clothes she’ll leave us here, heh.” He laughed, but knowing Koki, she was probably serious. Looking at him, you realized his usually white shirt was now stained yellow and his blue blazer had spots green on them. "But I'm sure Chris told you all about it and probably more."

You sighed, "No, he didn’t. Chris probably wouldn’t even stay in the same room as me if he was suffocating and my skin produced oxygen." You rolled your eyes, annoyed by Chris’ childish behavior.

"What are you talking about?" Martin said, turning his head curiously.

"Chris hasn't spoken a word to me in almost a month, and when I walk into a room, he bolts out before I can even look at him." You said this a lot less confident than the last time you talked, mostly out of fear of how Martin would react. Martin just stared at you as a smile slowly grew on his lips, as if he was plotting something.

"Huh, well, I have NO idea AT ALL why that would be happening, heh…" He scratched the back of his neck before backing up to the main exit of the Tortuga. "If I were you, I'd ask him about flowers."

"Flowers?" You tilted your head as if you were confused if you heard him correctly. Chris had never shown an interest in flowers unless they had something to do with an animal. But just flowers by themselves?

"Yup, flowers. Specifically a Stargazer Lily.” He smirked and ran back outside.

“Martin, wait!” You yelled. “You didn’t change your shirt…” Sighing, you went back on your phone for a few minutes before Chris left his room.

“Chris?” He sped up. “Chris!” You jumped out of your seat and ran towards him, barely catching his arm. Standing next to him with your arm wrapped around his, you realized he didn’t have on his green fleece jacket like usual. It was slung on his shoulder lazily, probably to get out of the Tortuga as quickly as possible.

"Can we talk?" His posture stiffened up and he looked away from you, it kinda put you at ease knowing you weren't lying under his judgmental gaze. But it made you wonder what excuse he was plotting.

You squeezed his arm tighter. "Please." He had looked down, embarrassed and shamefully, before nodding his head. "Yeah. Sure."

Slowly, you let go of his arm; to your own dismay. You both walked over to your desk, he pulled up a chair across from you. Just like he did before he stopped talking to you, you felt bittersweet.

"So…what bug are you checking out?"

Still, he avoided eye contact. "Honey Bees, nothing special."

"What have you learned from them?" You asked; partially curious, mostly to just talk.

"Well, they communicate through scent and dance. They also are a matriarchal led society, so there's only a handful of male bees in a hive."

"That's cool." An awkward pause was held between you both, it was probably the most uncomfortable silence you had ever sat in.

He stood up, his hand supporting himself on the chair as he got back on his feet. "If that's all, you wanted to talk about, the-"

"Why are you ignoring me? Did I offend you or something? If I did, why didn't you tell me?"

He stared at you like you were crazy. “What?”

“You aren’t talking to me and every time I walk in a room you leave, you don’t look at me and you just tried to run outside!” He got tense, but you didn’t notice and continued ranting. “I really miss you, I thought we were friends. That’s why I thought you’d come to me if I did something wrong but you never did and I- ugh! Do you know how much I miss you? I really like you!” Covering your mouth to stop the flow of word vomit, you gasped. Chris wore a shocked expression too and his cheeks began to flush. “I-I mean like, I like your company…”

You were going to try and explain yourself further, but Chris had already begun speaking. “I don’t hate you or anything I just-“ he sighed heavily “…Do you remember a few weeks back, when we snuck out of the tortuga?” You recalled the event, it was the last time you two spoke before Chris went on his silence strike.

You heard of a few constellations being incredibly visible in the sky at the time. So you and him had planned to meet at the top of the tortuga that night to stargaze. You both agreed to not invite anyone else, just you two and your shared interests. You stayed up there for hours, talking about nothing in particular.

“I used to wanna be an astronaut when I was a kid, y’know? My childhood room is covered in space stuff. I even used to have my own telescope.” You reminisced about going out on summer nights and looking at the moon.

He chuckled. “I'm not surprised, you knew a lot about the moon when me and Martin got stuck on it that one time.” He remembered how you couldn’t stop ranting about moon folklore. “You also have a lot of space stickers in that binder you let me borrow. Plus you had a minor in astronomy in college.”

You stared at him, amazed. “You remember all that?” You said, surprised anyone would pay that much attention to you. His cheeks grew a light shade of red.

“Uh yeah, we spend a lot of time together. How could I not.”

“Oh. Yeah…” you said, staring back up at the sky, the Sagitta constellation, amazed at its beauty. Meanwhile, Chris stared at you.

“It's so beautiful.”

“Yeah…stunning…”

The next day, Chris was talking to Martin about the conversation you both had last night. He said he felt strange at the end. And in Martin fashion, he yelled “You’re in love!” Chris brushed it off at first, but everytime he looked at your face that word echoed in his skull.

“Love, love, love…” He couldn’t even look at you without feeling like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. And looking at you now was hard. Your face was flushed and your eyes were awestruck.

“Is that…really why? You aren’t just messing with me, right?” He choked on his own words.

“I- No! I know it's stupid! I just-…you’re really nice and pretty and you always listen when I talk. I couldn’t help but fall for you.” His chocolate brown eyes were completely honest. You leaned forward and cupped one side of his face with your hand.

“I am…so happy you said that.” The kiss was soft and kind, you both melted into each other's grasp as you enjoyed the warmth of one another’s skin. When you pulled away, he smiled kindly and leaned in for another kiss.

“Hold on, lover boy,” You said, covering his mouth with your hand. “I asked Martin about this and he said to mention some flowers called stargazer lilies, what’s that about?” He cringed for a second and held his face in one hand.

“Please don’t make me say it…”

“You haven’t talked to me in a month, you owe me this.” He sighed in defeat.

“I was going to get you these flowers I found because they reminded me of you. I was going to give them to you but I got…nervous and I…”

“…you?”

“I stuffed them into this vent. Martin saw and told on me to Aviva. Then, she asked what I was doing with flowers and Martin told her that I liked you. After that, they’ve been trying to matchmake me with you. I'm pretty sure Jimmy and Koki know also…”

“We do!” Said a voice from outside. Looking in the doorway, you saw your fellow crew members peeking inside to invade you both.

“Smooth, bro!” Martin said, giving his steaming brother a thumbs up before running off while being chased by him. The rest of the crew crowded around you to ask you about your relationship with Chris.

“What can I say? I like looking at stars.”

#wild kratts #martin kratt #chris kratt #aviva corcovado #christopher my beloved #chris kratt x reader #wild kratts x reader #martin fic next perhaps

[lexical-lushes]

Eyes

I go out into the town and I am so suddenly reminded of what I’ve chosen to become.

The sky is a wonderful tapestry of radiant hues, oranges and yellows and pinks and blues and purples fading from one end to the other, playing across the clouds and casting everything in a comfortable fading light. The sun is already below the trees, and I’ll not see it until tomorrow.

I enjoy the walk. I enjoy the songs of the birds readying themselves for sleep, the cacophony of crows finding one another and soaring in great flocks to their evening roosts. The air is warm but the approaching night brings with it a cool breeze that ruffles through my dress, blows my silver hair, and tugs at the empty bag slung over my shoulder.

I knew these sensations before, but always through a flawed vessel. A vessel that ached at walking, that grew hot and sticky in the humid summer air, that flinched at the buzz of little insects.

Now there is none of that. I feel my flawless vessel’s every step as light and airy, feel the air brush over my cool porcelain, know the bugs have no interest in me.

But one flaw remains to haunt me.

I hear the sound of revelry and I force myself not to quicken my step, let my Stillness carry me with grace and indifference. A small crowd of people enjoys themselves in the last of the evening light, the smell of food and wood-smoke wafting over me.

I’d find it pleasant, if I couldn’t feel their eyes on me, sense the confusion as they watch me.

It’s like this with everyone here.

Dolls aren’t a common sight, I suppose. Nobody knows what to make of me.

Some of them don’t even seem to notice, the odd details slipping by them in the rush of their own lives. The joints that split the fingers passing them money don’t even register. I wonder how they can fail to see it, fail to realize I’m so unlike them.

Most of them do notice, but pretend not to. I can tell the difference. There’s a hesitancy, a tone. They treat me like I’m still human, but there’s the slightest sense of how forced it is. They’re the ones I can feel watching me as I pass them on the street, the ones whose gaze lingers on me just a touch too long as I try to ignore them.

I suppose at least they’re being polite.

I’m past the food and laughter and prying eyes now, turning down a quieter side street. This is the last chance to get things from the market today, and I’ll not let myself be stalled or deterred. My owner has need of things. She’s trusted me with her money and a list of things to purchase before the market closes. I’ll return to her home soon, to her warmth and praise, and that will be reward enough for suffering the confusion of strangers.

I allow myself a sigh.

I wonder if it’ll ever get easier.

#lushposting #empty spaces

[bonefall]

I translated some of my Warrior OCs a bit ago! Four of them are part of one family, and the other is my tabaxi ranger with a warrior's name! I don't know if they're correct, but I wanted to give it a shot!

Clovershine - Glemshem (Her name ended up super cute to say! She's the Mi of Cricket and Fawn!)

Alderpelt - Reykossaborrl (There wasn't a word specifically for Alder, so I combined red and tree! This guy is Clover's mate and the very involved Ba of Cricket and Fawn!)

Fawnfrost - Myaachiki (Myaa sounded cuter than Mween, so I used that instead! Fawny is my main girl I rped and invested a lot of trauma in! :D)

Cricketcall - ???ayeo (Sadly no word for cricket, and I couldn't find words to combine for it. Maybe bell and bug? Idk, I just think this guy is neat! He and his dad and Fawn's mentor all die in a terrible sickness, hence her trauma! :DD)

Emberstrike - Kipkubo (A bit of a stim of a name, tbh. She's the ranger, I love her so much and I wish her campaign didn't fall through...)

CRICKET TIME.

So the first thing to know here is that the Clan cat idea of crickets may be somewhat different to your own.

If you're American, you may have a distinction in your mind that a cricket is usually a singing, hopping bug with a more rounded head, where grasshoppers are longer and more locust-shaped. That isn't the case in this part of Britan/Albion. In fact, grasshoppers are the ones better known for their singing abilities.

See this?

This is a house cricket. They're very rare in this region, and mostly live in human houses, as the name implies. Clan cats do not have a word for these.

THIS is what they're imagining when they hear the word cricket;

This green, stout, long-legged insect is called a Speckled Bush-Cricket. They have three species of bush-cricket and five species of hopper.

Generic terms;

Bush-cricket (generic) = Pwoi Named for the sound they make while jumping, as opposed to how hoppers are named for the song. Sometimes gets applied to other rounded, hopping insects, like fleas.

Hopper (generic) = Chrriga Long, powerful insects with loud chirping wails that they make by rubbing their legs against themselves. Found on the ground and in grass, unlike bush-crickets which are usually arboreal.

Popper (a hopping insect suitable for eating) = Arroi Subjective, WindClan tends to use this as a generic for both hoppers and bush-crickets, ShadowClan applies it to all big ones, RiverClan and ThunderClan don't use it at all (except Sorreltail who uses it for any hoppers she's caught and plans to eat).

Hopper Poppers = Pwoi k'sirArroi A WindClan dish. Mashed, breaded-and-egged, deep fried cricket balls. Related to grubcakes, but these INCLUDE breadcrumbs for a crunch. Kind of unhealthy, but a good source of fat which is otherwise lacking in the WindClan diet.

Specific species;

For funsies I'm going to give them a culinary rating, maximum of four stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐. I'm being possessed by the spirit of BB!Sorreltail lmao.

Roesel's bush-cricket (Roeseliana roeselii) = I'ri'r THE undeniable sound of summer, buzzing long and loud when it gets hot. This animal is the most uncanny mix between a hopper and a bushcricket and has a distinctive sound, so it's rarely referred to with a generic title. ⭐⭐⭐ It is also large and meaty. Best of both worlds, right here. Most palatable bush-cricket.

Speckled bush-cricket (Leptophyes punctatissima) = Rr'ik Though its cry is delicate and high-pitched like a bat, it's noteworthy for being the only one in this family that sings mutually. Female crickets return a song to a male they like. ⭐⭐ They're small, but gooey. WindClan sometimes skips mashing them because they're SO leggy, they prefer to just pull the bits off and eat the body. Like a gusher. But that's so much effort, you know?

Drumming Katydid (Meconema thalassinum) = Kugr Has a low, almost threatening grinding noise, which is fitting because it is an active predator. The only one in this list. It kills and eats caterpillars and other invertebrates, but that's not all. It's also a host for a horrible parasite that forces it to run towards water at the end of its life, drowning the animal before bursting out of its body. ⭐ Tastes awful. Possessed by worms. All legs and no meat. Only ShadowClan would eat something like this.

Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus) = Gyig WindClan's bread-and-butter, one of the most common insects they need to eat to keep their coats healthy. Has a chirping song instead of a drawn-out one. HATES wetness and is best found where the gorse is dead and dry. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A favorite for a reason. It's abundant, it's meaty, it's large. It can even be purple.

Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus) = F'fir Green with thick black bars on its abdomen, with a harsh, fluttering song. Tends to find a high pedestal before playing its song, as if it's trying to get in front of an audience. ⭐⭐⭐ Has more crunch than meat, with big wings that can get in the way, but still a hopper which is pretty delicious.

Slender grouse locust (Tetrix subulata) = Sswoi Dull brown thing that doesn't even sing. Has a dumb little wiggle-dance instead. Loves streams and lidos and is the hopper that RiverClan cats see most often. ⭐ No wonder RiverClan doesn't eat bugs.

Meadow Grasshopper (Pseudochorthippus parallelus) = Shriga Some of them can look deceptively like a f'fir with the green bodies and barring, but listen. Listen. Its song is TOTALLY different, more of a shakey-shake kind of rattle. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ And Sorreltail will GO TO BAT for how delicious they are. Don't be fooled. This is grasshopper ambrosia. Tiny wings, lots of crunch, a nice flavor. ABSOLUTE delicacy.

Groundhopper (Tetrix undulata) = Wariga A plump, brown grasshopper that eats moss and algae, preferring wet environments with drier areas to retreat to. ⭐⭐⭐??? Data needed. ShadowClan cats kept SWEARING to Sorreltail that these are actually the best, most delicious poppers out there. But she's never had one so she can't attest to it... yet. It's hard to imagine anything can taste better than a honey-roasted shriga. She doubts it tbh.

#crickets #bush-crickets #grasshoppers #Clanmew #Insects #insect pictures #bug pictures #cw bugs #cw insects

[kyskaisen]

reflections; maki x reader

:smoke

:master list

The humid climate of summer stuck to your skin like tape; moving around in the coat of sweat was uncomfortable beyond imagine. Gojo had this miraculous idea to send everyone- you, Maki, Toge and Panda- on a mission in this excruciating heat. Maki was the only one who didn't complain, the rest of you put in the useless effort to make someone else do it. Gojo said only you four could do it, since the third years got themselves suspended and the first years were going through something. (Panda heard somewhere that one of them died)

The fight against the curse was unbelievable. The June summer heat sucked all the sweat out of your body and practically turned all four of you into raisins by the time you were done- thank god you're a special grade, the fight would've taken so much more effort without your abilities.

"Well...that fight could've gone worse," Panda commented as he scratched the back of his head with his paw. "Without Y/n we probably would've failed miserably."

"Which reminds me, why am I the one who's stuck carrying every mission the four of us go on?! Why am I forced to do all the work?!" Since the others (minus Yuta) were almost getting nowhere, they started making you do everything for them, to raise their progress. Panda is the one who comes up with things for you to do, Maki's simply the messenger. You always oblige, since it's her who's asking- anyone else and you would royally refuse. And she always rewards you with a private kiss afterwards, which makes the effort worthwhile.

"Because you're the strongest out of us four! It's nice having a chaperone with us!" Panda exclaimed with a grin as he looked at you. You scoffed, rolling your eyes as you wiped your forehead off with your arm and looking back down to find sweat on your sleeve.

"Jeez...unbelievable, you're all making me slave around in this incinerating heat," you click your tongue, frowning as you shove your hands into your pockets. Maki nudges your arm slightly, "The hard work is worth it though."

"My ass," you retort, glaring at her as your cheeks heat up at the suggestion. 9 times out of 10 the singular private kiss turns heated before Panda and Toge are questioning what you two are doing that's taking so long.

The rest of the walk back to the main entrance was silent, with the exception of one of you clearing your throats and then more silence. Birds were chirping, bugs were buzzing and the sun was shining cruelly down on the four of you, unreasonably punishing you with blasting heat that was uncomfortable enough to make you melt if the trees weren't helping a little bit.

Eventually you four reached the main entrance, and saw two kids sitting on the steps looking like they saw a ghost.

"What's this?" Maki asks as she steps foot in front of them, looking down at the two of them with a lifted brow. "You look more depressed then usual, Megumi. You and that other girl look like shit. This a wake or something?"

"Zen'in-senpai, Hatake-senpai, what're you doing here?" A boy with spiky dark hair asked as he looked up, seeing Maki standing there with you next to her. His eyes glanced between you and Maki before looking at Panda and Toge in the background.

"Don't call me by my last name!"

"Maki, Maaaaakii!" Panda yelled from hiding behind a statue to get away from get away from the heat. Maki whipped around to look at him with a stern frown on her face. "I'm talking here!"

"You seriously don't know why they're so down?!" Panda questioned with a confused frown. Maki lifted a brow, not sparing a glance at the two first years muttering to each other behind her.

"Someone really did die yesterday! One of the first years!"

"Okaka."

"Good going," you nudged her shoulder, teasing her with a smirk. She returned your tease with a hard punch to your shoulder, earning a grunt from you. "You didn't have to hit that hard!"

"YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD ME THAT SOONER! NOW I LOOK LIKE SOME COLD BLOODED DEMON ASSHOLE!"

"That's exactly how you came off!"

"Tuna mayo."

"You're supposed to make me feel better!"

You were still rubbing your shoulder, wincing at the pain; she probably left a mark, but you wouldn't dare check how bad it is in front of everyone else. You looked back at the first years sitting on the footsteps before looking back at Maki. "You're giving us a bad impression!"

"Y/n's right, you're kinda making us look like idiots," Panda shrugged, coming out from behind the statue with Toge.

The other first year, a girl with ginger hair, looked at Megumi. "Who are those guys?" she pointed a finger at the four of you, eyeballing each and every one of you with a weird stare. You glanced at them before nudging Maki's shoulder again for her to shut up, and she slowly turned back around and placed a hand on the strapping of her red case. You sighed, pressing a hand to your forehead in embarrassment.

"Those two girls are Zen'in-senpai and Hatake-senpai. Zen'in-senpai is the best at handling cursed tools out of all of us, and Hatake-senpai is a special grade," Megumi points his finger at you and Maki, earning an admiring glance from the ginger. Her eyes glimmer with admiration as she eyes you up and down.

"Special grade..."

"That's Inumaki-senpai. He only speaks in onigri ingredients, so good luck talking to him." Megumi pointed at Toge.

"Shake."

"That's Panda-senpai."

"I'm Panda! Nice to meet ya!"

"There's...there's no elaboration on the panda named Panda?!"

"There's one more. Okkotsu-senpai, but he's overseas right now. He's the only one, along with Hatake-senpai, who I can openly respect."

"The panda named Panda?!"

"Zen'in-senpai, what are you guys doing here?" Megumi ignored the girl next to him, facing away from her antics and choosing to talk to Maki instead.

"We're here to ask you guys if you wanted to join the Tokyo-Kyoto sister school exchange event this year!" Panda chirped, earning an irk from Maki for speaking for her.

"I can talk for myself!"

"It's a question, Maki!"

"Huh? Tokyo-Kyoto sister school exchange event?" The ginger questioned, finally giving up on the Panda questions as she looked at Megumi with a lifted brow.

Choosing to finally switch to the other topic, Megumi looked at her. "It's a get together with the other tech school in Kyoto."

I wonder if Mai's participating, you think to yourself as you cross your arms, tapping your arm with your finger. You chew on your bottom lip, frowning to yourself as you anxiously tap your foot against the ground. You haven't seen Mai in a while, so you figured it would be a bit of a surprise if and when she sees you at the exchange event.

You sigh, stepping away from the crowd to walk off in another direction with your hands in your pockets, trudging off into the woods as a shortcut. Maki immediately whips her head around to find you walking away after not feeling your presence, something she paid attention to.

"Where ya goin? We're explaining the exchange event and it might help when you're here with us, dipshit!"

You roll your eyes at her comment, ignoring her as you keep trudging through the woods. Maki narrows her eyes behind her glasses, frowning to herself before turning to face others with a grumpy look on her face.

Maki's eyes drift back to you, watching you slowly disappear into the woods with your hands stuffed in your pockets. She pops her thumb, clenching her jaw at you for leaving right in the middle of a conversation going on between a handful of people, then turns to face the others.

You stroll through the woods, trudging through the greenery as you sigh to yourself. Your mood was already dampening for some reason-- you didn't feel like being around the others at the moment, their chaos was a little too much for you.

You took a walk on the long way down to Shoko's office- going the initial way would've almost guaranteed that you'd run into Gojo or any loud person you didn't want to deal with. The stroll was quiet, the only sounds in the hallway being your echoing footsteps and the low sound of the air unit humming in the building.

You haven't seen Naoya in a while; not since all those months ago when he snuck onto campus just to tell you to hurry up. You wondered if he actually didn't snitch- no, if he did, people from the Zenin clan would've already been after you for a while. That only shows that he wasn't lying; maybe you were wrong about him, maybe not. You wouldn't want to dig into the past you've already given up just to find out information that wouldn't be of use.

When you walk into Shoko's office, she looks up from her computer screen just like she did last year the first time you walked in. Her eyebrows lifted and her forehead creased a little as she picked her head up, showing more of her face than just her eyes and forehead.

"Hey, Y/n," she grins quietly as she rolls her office chair out from behind her desk, stopping when she reaches the side and watches you sit down in the chair in front of it. Before you made frequent visits that chair wasn't there, she'd put it there for whenever you'd randomly pop in to talk to her.

"Hey," you answer, sitting down in the chair and crossing both your legs and your arms. Shoko lifts one brow, a suspicious one this time as she watches you sit in her chair with a sharp, suspecting gaze. "Is something wrong?"

"Kinda," you shrug. "Anxiety."

She nods briefly as a show of comfort, staying in her black office chair and crossing her own legs. "Something you wanna tell me?"

"In a minute," you leaned back against the cold chair and looked at the mortuary gurney some feet behind her desk, along with the rows of cabinets that paralleled each other on opposite sides of the room and the white tile floor. Your lidded eyes examined the mortuary gurney especially, looking at the wrinkles on it and the undone straps on the side. "Did you inspect someone recently?"

"I did," she responds, taking a moment to glance back at the gurney. "It was quick, though. There was nothing special about it."

"What was the cause of death?" You asked, your eyes averting back to Shoko. "Obviously it was a curse, but what happened?"

"Stabbed through the heart," she looked back at you, her sharp gaze unwavering as her eyes narrowed. "Now when are you gonna tell me what's up?"

You sighed, uncrossing your legs as you slouched in the chair and looked up at the ceiling tiles.

"And no slouching, that's bad for your spine."

"What's the worry if there's a reverse cursed technique user here?"

"I don't want you overdoing it. Not the point, now what's on your mind?"

You huffed, looking at one of the cabinets and clenching your jaw, feeling your heart begin to sink as your mind ponders on if you really should tell her or not.

"Can...can I trust you with this? Not to tell anyone?"

"I don't exactly go telling everybody's secrets."

"Good," you huffed as you sat up straight in the chair and looked at her with a clearly stressed out face. Her expression remained unfazed by the look of stress written all over your fine features; your eyebrows used to be relaxed as a natural state, now they've taken over a furrow as their new norm, your lips used to be neutral, like they've never had a reason to open unless the time calls for it, now they're constantly pursed as if you're holding in a secret you're dying to share.

"It's about why I started going here," you started, already feeling yourself begin to lose your confidence you'd spent the last few minutes putting up. Shoko sighs, reaching behind her desk and pulling out her pack of cigarettes (she knows it's highly unethical to let a 16 year old smoke, but she was doing it at her age, so it's not like anyone can reprimand you if they didn't reprimand her), pulling one out and reaching for her lighter, lighting it up then handing it to you.

"I don't normally do this, so take this as a comfort present."

"Thanks," you gratefully took the cigarette between your fingers; your eyes narrowed, looking at it like you're about to make the biggest mistake of your life before lifting it to your lips. You inhale sharply, the embers at the end slightly glowing a bright orange amidst the brown and black imbedded in the white and orange wrapping. Your eyes squint as you hold back a cough, quickly taking it from the edges of your flesh and exhaling quickly.

"It's tough to ingest the first few times, but it gets better."

You huff, puffing your cheeks as you take another quick inhale, the suction almost piercing the atmosphere as you squint your eyes once again. You exhale slowly, letting the smoke leave your lips as a funnel.

"Alright, I...I wasn't actually sent here on my own will," you start, finally feeling yourself relax as the smoke settles in your lungs. Shoko lifts a brow once again, "I figured- it's the Zenin clan, after all."

"So if anyone's to blame, it's the Head," you squint as you inhale again, this time a little more smoothly than the first two times as your body buzzes. "My, uh...acquaintance...sent me here last year upon his request...for Maki."

"For Maki?"

"Yeah...as in, doing something."

"What was that something?"

This is it, this is the moment you finally tell someone about the situation you're in. About why you're here. About why you have to kill Maki.

"I...I have to kill her."

Shoko looked at you with an unfazed expression, though the look in her eyes told you that she wasn't expecting this. Nobody would expect it if someone were to tell them they have to kill someone else. Her face stayed the same, and her eyes didn't change from their unsure state as she shifted in her chair, crossing her legs again and shuffling a little.

"You...have to kill her?" Her voice was thick (as you'd expect) with hesitance, her eyes showing no sign of judgment but the atmosphere was almost infested with it. The air surrounding the two of you in your combined bubbles almost made it hard to breathe as you sat there in silence, not finding the words to answer and only nodding instead.

"And you couldn't tell Gojo?" you shake your head. "Why?"

"Naoya-- he'd find out eventually," you slump your shoulders, the words finally water falling out from your mouth as you look at anything else but her. "He snuck onto campus back in December before Geto's attack, and he told me I had to hurry up, but I said that I couldn't, because I didn't want to. And...and he told me he wouldn't snitch. It was my sweet sixteen, he said he wasn't going to snitch because of that."

"And you believed him?" She lifted a brow, her lips pursed into a thin line. You nodded, "It's been months since then. If he did, there would've been people coming after me for a while."

"What makes you think they aren't waiting until you leave? Until you go on your next mission? Until you're no longer in the safety of this campus?"

"I just know, Shoko," your lips stay parted when you finish, your hand unknowingly balling up into a fist as it grips the arm of the chair. The look in your eyes tells her that you aren't in the mood to go into detail, just getting it off your chest.

She nods in silence, not bothering to pressure as she rolls back to being behind her desk. "I have to tell Gojo at some point, Y/n. I can't keep that a secret for long."

"Let me tell him," you sigh. "I don't want him finding out through someone else and getting randomly yelled at."

"Alright," she huffs, going back to her computer and popping her thumb. "Throw that cigarette away on your way out. You obviously can't smoke in the hallways," she pulls out a mini fan and holds her thumb down on the button, slowly blowing away the smell of smoke in the air. You nod, getting up from your chair and shuffling to the door. You throw the cigarette in the trash can before twisting the doorknob, stepping out of her office.

Outside on the training field, Panda and Toge were busy playing catch with Nobara, the other first year.

Maki stood at the end of the stone pathway, watching with her polearm over her shoulder and an unamused expression on her face as she waited for Megumi to come back. Soon enough she heard the door open, her head turning to find Megumi walking out with a blue tracksuit.

"Where's Hatake-senpai? Have they still not come back?" Megumi asks as he zips up his jacket, stepping closer towards Maki. She sighs, shaking her head, "They didn't even say anything when they walked off. They just wandered off and didn't say where they're going."

Megumi shrugs, finally reaching next to her and standing still. She looks at him with a glare, "Where were you, anyways?"

"I was busy. What's with you?" He looked back at her with narrowed eyes. Maki doesn't say anything. Instead, she looks away and sighs, "Nothing, I'm perfectly fine. We gotta start training for the exchange event anyways."

"Is it because Hatake-senpai isn't here?"

"Stop prodding, damnit."

"Sorry," he rolled his eyes. "But is it true?"

"No," she lied. "I don't care if they're somewhere around this campus," she grumbles, frowning as her cheeks turn pink. Megumi looks at her with a knowing face, still not believing her.

"Hatake-senpai's absence makes you irritable," Megumi comments, earning a glare from Maki. She looks at him with narrow eyes, almost as if to threaten him to shut up.

"Zenin-senpai...what kind of people do you hope to save?" He finally changes the subject, looking back at Maki with a blank expression. She sure was going to punch him if he kept prodding on about your absence. Maki looks at him again with a lifted brow.

"Huh? It's not like I care if my actions save people or not."

"You will when you watch someone die."

Megumi and Maki turn to find you walking out from the door, fixing your tank top and your training katana (Gojo gave you an extra katana for training purposes last year). Maki frowned despite her mood brightening, and suddenly she wasn't as irritable.

"Watching someone die changes your perspective of the Jujutsu world," you huff as you walk past them, ignoring Maki's longing stare as she watches you walk away, focused on your posture and your shoulder blades, and your biceps that are slowly but surely coming in. Her throat goes dry before Megumi speaks again.

"Now do you feel like answering?" He looked back at her, just barely catching her stare as she looks at him.

"The answer is the same. Y/n is Y/n, and I'm me. They care, I don't."

"I shouldn't have asked."

"Huh?!"

"Hatake-senpai! Please! Switch with me! Set me free so I can go shopping, let me go so I can find a cute tracksuit!"

You lifted a brow at Nobara's pleas and begging for you to take her place, watching her practically get down at your feet and beg over and over. You tilt your chin up, turning your nose the other way as you ignore her, walking away towards the bale of hay someone miraculously left out and took out your training katana. Nobara let out a whine as Panda dragged her away for more fall practice.

You swing harshly against the bale of hay, a sharp thwack coming with each hit. A few yellow pieces fall from the stack as you assault the hay, your eyes narrowed and your eyebrows knit as your forehead creased a little. Your lips were pursed into a thin line, almost a frown, as you continued your abuse on the thatch.

After a few minutes of thwacking every few seconds, everyone stopped and looked at you like you have two heads. Of course, you didn't notice and kept with your swinging.

"Is something wrong with Hatake-senpai?" Megumi questioned, looking back at Maki. She simply shrugged, "They've been acting weird all day. Quiet and moody- normally they're talking with Panda."

"Are you gonna talk to them?"

"Why am I the one that has to?"

"Because you two are close friends...almost too close," Megumi narrows his eyes suspiciously. "Maybe you could get an answer out of them."

"Why's it matter so much to you? It's not like they're important to you. They're just your upperclassman."

"Then that would make you just a classmate," he crosses his arms and taps his foot. "And that's not what you are, now is it?"

Maki side eyes him, glaring as the unforgiving sun reflects off the lenses of her glasses. "Just leave it alone, ok? I'll talk to Y/n later."

Megumi sighs, clearly not satisfied but doesn't say anything else about it to further annoy her.

---

"Idiot, why've you been acting weird all day?"

Maki opens your door, walking in to find you curled up on your bed, not even under the sheets as your ceiling fan blows, spinning in an endless circle. She lifts a brow, taking note of your silence.

"Something's up. Tell me," she sits down on the edge of your bed, her hazel eyes staring you down as they examine your body language. She knows you're not asleep- you can't be, not after all that training earlier which should've given you an adrenaline rush.

"I can't tell you," you mumble, curling yourself further onto your bed, your fingers gripping your shirt tighter as you squeeze your eyes shut. "Go away."

"I think I'll stay here," she gets down, laying flat on her back next to you on your bed. Her bed lands on your soft pillow, the one she always sleeps on whenever she came in your room because she felt lonely, and when you did the same. She kept her other pillow always fluffed in case you did randomly decide to walk in and sleep in her room, just for you, she did.

"I'll stay here until you tell me what's wrong."

"Don't hold your breath, because nothing's wrong, now go away."

"You expect me to believe that nothing's wrong when you're curled up into a ball on your bed in your dark room?"

"...I don't want to talk about it," you huff as you dig your face into your pillow, sighing as you lay there. Maki sighs after you, rubbing her temple with her middle and index fingers. She knows when to not cross a boundary like that, and when your voice sounded like you were on the verge of yelling, she knew to back down.

"Fine, fine," she sighs again, more sharply this time as she gets up from your bed. "I'll leave you alone for now. But you gotta tell me at some point."

She walks out, shaking her head as she closes the door. Your head makes a quarter turn, not fully facing the door, but instead, grabbing the blanket Maki got you for Christmas and wrapping it around yourself like a burrito, snuggling it tightly as you let out a long sigh.

#jujutsu kaisen #maki zenin x reader #nobara kugisaki #fushiguro megumi #gojo satoru #maki x reader #itadori yuuji #maki zenin #jjk #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk manga #jjk manga spoilers #maki jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen manga #naoya zenin #mahito #jjk angst

[kaseyskat]

happy wip weds from the same au as last week <3 aka the one where sparrow dies pre-canon s1. the lark terry bug has bitten me very badly so i thought i'd give some insight to their relationship here in this au and safe to say it is Not exactly pleasant

plain text below the cut:

Mrs. Stampler hasn't always been the one to pick him up and drop him off, but Lark had told his parents in no uncertain terms that if they brought him themselves he would unlock the car and run away, and the solution had been to simply bring in an outsider. Lark loathes them even more for it. 

Terry looks just as remorseful as Lark would expect, sitting in the car as Lark shoves his way in. "Buckle," he reminds Lark so patiently, and Lark resists the urge to cast a well-deserved fireball at him for the polite tone of his voice. 

Before the soccer tournament, before Faerun, Terry was just another stranger. Sure, they were on the same soccer team, but they were never friends. Lark never questioned why Terry was in grief counseling, just as Terry had never approached Lark. 

But that was before. Now, they know each other, and the last time they had spoken more than a handful of words to each other had been when Lark had thrown his dad's death in his face back in Ravenloft. The car is full of unspoken tension. 

"I'll be back to pick you boys up later," Mrs. Stampler says as they pull into the office she works at– she's not their grief counselor, but she does work adjacent to them, and Lark suspects that she was the one to recommend Mx. Rivers to his parents last summer. The thought makes his stomach turn. "And then we can go out for ice cream. There's a lovely vegan place nearby." 

"Thanks mom," Terry says quietly, and he takes the lead when they step out of the car, barely looking back in Lark's direction. Lark contemplates running away, but… no, his parents would find him eventually, and things would be worse. 

#dndads #kasey writes stuff #lark oak garcia #terry jr stampler #them being in grief counseling together was one of the first ideas i had for this au fun fact #sparrow haunting the narrative au #<- placeholder name but it is what my doc is called LMAO

[the73rdpostscript]

After his prayers, Joe settles in the blue armchair they moved to face the window. From here he can soak in this feeling of peace for a time.

The light in the room changes slowly as the morning goes on, bathing him in warmer and warmer rays as the window lets the sun's trajectory continue uninterrupted. The old panes are clear after a thorough wash the weekend before. Outside, a bug is darting around the pot of tomato plants that Nicky put out.

Joe could work on the sketch he began last night. He could go wake Nicky and they could walk to buy fruit from the new stall their neighbor built.

He could make breakfast for himself and his beloved with the food they've bought.

Or he could sit here, embracing the ease of a morning where there is nothing to do but allow himself to be.

In front of him, the morning light continues its path across the room, and memories trickle in with every change in exposure.

There. The light creeps over the arm of the sofa, and it is the same light that rippled over the bedsheets during one of the many summers they were stuck inside - hiding from a heatwave so intense that they could not even make love to distract themselves from the misery.

There. The sun is glowing on the distant hills, and it is the morning sun slowly illuminating the side of a young girl – sobbing in front of him as he tries to keep her patient and happy while Nicky brought her mother from across the way. He had been so tired and she had been so desperate. He had sat with her as she continued working herself up more and more, until she opened her eyes enough to spot Nicky walking over the ridge with her mother. The sun had finally breached the hill to their left and hilghlighted her in a bright almost-white glow as her face broke into relief and joy – following her as she sprinted off for the comfort of her mother’s arms. Nicky had met his eyes, squinting into the sun and smiling with almost as much as relief as the child. An imperfect happiness in the glow of the new day.

There. The light is making shapes on their carpet and it is the light shining in mosque at Konye, where he said his morning prayers for the first time in years. The room had been as familiar as all these places become – allowing him the space of silence and reflection he had not realized he needed so badly. That community was nothing particularly special in the span of his life, but the feeling of the moment – the utter contentment and the immediate notion of such peace after so long spent in tangles: that is something he can draw up without issues, etched in his memory through the distinct light exposure.

There. The light is spreading over the couch cushion. It is the same light that flooded their room in Naples, where he drew Nicolo for an entire day – letting the light traverse their space as it willed. It was an activity they had done many times before and one they would do many times again.

There. The light is flooding through the square glass window panes. It is the morning light shining through the window of their kitchen at the safehouse in Valencia. Andy was usually up with him, letting him try new recipes as he strove to show his blossoming love for Nicolo with new and invigorating breakfasts. Nicolo would come in from errands to find them debating a dish or a pastry with too much focus to notice his entrance. And so Joe's exercise in love for Nicolo became an exercise in building his relationship with Andromache – something which he holds closely in the new age where his sister never allows herself to linger or savor things the same ways she used to.

There. That is the light shining down on Quynh in morning practice, giving her a temporary disadvantage in her competition with Nicolo. Andromache had laughed in the background, and nudged Yusuf with her shoulder, “Shall we bet on it?”

There is the light as the sun continuously refused to disappear the morning after they lost Quynh. The sun shining on the cursed fucking island as it rarely did before – illuminating Andy’s wretched expression as they tried to coax her into letting them wash her.

“Yusuf,” the voice of his beloved drags Joe into the present with such immediacy that he feels something twist in his stomach. So much time. So much life and death and loss.

He turns his head to face Nicky, who is slumped in the doorway with a sleepy expression.

Joe tries to smile.

With the slightest frown, Nicky walks over and bends to kiss him before crouching down beside the chair. There, Nicky folds his arms on the top of Joe’s legs and rests his chin on them with a sleepy smile. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” Joe says – running his hand through Nicky’s hair with wonder. (There is their bedroom in Malta – the sun kissing Nicky’s face as he sleeps. There is the morning they discussed the future together, confessing their mutual bafflement at the idea of eternity – their anxieties. There is the morning Nicky told him he would forgive himself for the atrocities he had repented and worked to correct if only Joe would forgive himself for the loss of an innocent life under their care. There is the morning they laid in bed and did nothing for several hours – touching and feeling at their leisure.)

“Where are you?” Nicky asks, turning his head to kiss Joe’s wrist.

With a small and genuine smile, Joe assures him, “I have remembered some very lovely mornings with you.”

Nicky returns his smile and raises his eyebrows – waiting patiently for the memories to be shared.

“Let’s walk to the stall and I’ll tell you.”

#yusuf al kaysani #the old guard #fic #mine #just pouring some love into this tag

[tomatoteddy]

Thoughts while watching Hirogaru Sky! Pretty Cure Episode 18:

Cure Butterfly debut let's gooo!!!!! Spoilers ahead, but thought I would chronicle my thoughts here as I'm watching it on my tablet!!

btw I just finished my exams this is the best way to celebrate it perhaps

NEW SUMMER OUTFITS!? I LOVE THEIR OUTFITS SO MUCH MAN MASHIRO AND AGEHA LOOK SO CUTE!!!!

Seeing how small these kids are reminds me of what small I used to be oh my god

"I'm not a Precure" *stares at the episode title skeptically*

Tsubasa enforcing the fact that things could get dangerous if their identities are revealed meanwhile Sky and Prism reveal themselves to an old lady to help her get to the airport (no shade tho love that episode)

Also him trying to be serious while in bird form <3

Also his little orange v-neck sweater is so cute need me one of those for the trans vibes

Also also love Ageha's bouncy and excited animation hope they hold that up for her transformation

Love that Ageha gets to stay over with them! Pretty Cure sleepover!!

Love that little dance Ageha does with the girls.

Takeru, punching your classmates for cutting in line isn't the same thing as punching sentient robot magic beings that can kill and might destroy the universe

Ageha I love you I love you I love you so much allfhkrbekhskfbn (⁠●⁠♡⁠∀⁠♡⁠)

Tsubasa I know you want Elle to see what's happening but it's gonna be pretty obvious if you're holding a purple-nette baby above your head

BATTAMONDA NOT THE ELEPHANT WATERING CANS NOOOOOOO

Also just saying Butterfly joining the team means we'll have a new eyecatch and opening!! So excited!!

Battamonda is such a pathetic loser (/both affectionate and hostile)

Also also I can't wait for them to add her to the pose screen of the transformation

YOU LEFT THE BABY BEHIND!?!? YOU LEFT THE INTERGALATIC SKY PRINCESS WHO'S CURRENTLY BEING CHASED BY MONSTERS BEHIND!?!?!?!?!?!!

"I don't like picking on weaklings, but I will" Me when I tease my little sister

NOT THE DARK BLAST OF ENERY NOOOOOOOO

"Now you're birds in a cage-" Shut up you fucking grasshopper I could literally kill you with a shoe

He is such a sore loser you're a full grown adult (assumedly) beating up teenagers for a living

I miss Kabaton btw

I love you Ageha 🦋🩷💖

Go run girl!!!!!

Battamonda's shocked face when his Ranborg faints from a girl running around it <3

Also also I really love her ponytail (it must be annoying for me to point out every little detail but this is what happens when I hyperfixate on stuff)

True true- nursery school teachers really do have guts, especially if they willingly agree to just be around children all the time. Can't imagine it's easy, I was a bit of a rascal as a kid I would know

Takeru finding connections between Wing and Ageha just strengthens my "Tsubasa and Ageha are siblings" heart

Tsubasa enforcing the fact that things could get dangerous if their identities are revealed meanwhile Ageha transforms in front of a child

IT'S ALMOST TIME LET'S GET EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also the lesbian colours on that Sky Tone do not go unnoticed

CURE BUTTERFLY TRANSFORMATION LETS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My thoughts on her transformation it's like- it's so different but in a good way from the others?? It's not as fluid as Sky's or Wing's or as strangely stiff as Prism's. It's like jittery and energetic in her own unique way? Like obviously her hop step jump screens don't like pan out like Sky and Wing's, they're more like Prism's. But I feel like the absolute energeticness of the transformation makes up for it?????? Also can I just say I love all the butterfly shapes in her transformation, gives me early 2000's Barbie movies vibes.

ngl kinda dissappointed the sky in her pose scene isn't pink or purple like how wing's is orange and prism's has a rainbow, but I'll give it a pass since I'm a simple fan who just really wants Ageha content

I'm really here for Battamonda and Cure Butterfly bug rivalry 🦋🦗 fight fight fight fight

We really doing the Coral X-Shield now but with the butterfly let's gooooo!!

SHE JUST EXPLODED AN ELEPHANT WITH A KISS AKFHDOBSNHAGAKNAVOAGDNRBGIDH

Her stealing an entire building blanket (is that what they're called) while Battamonda is standing on it

SHE STRAIGHT UP NAPPY WRAPS THE ELEPHANT DKSHDKFHKDIJEN

Love that literally she gets to crush the enemy to purification 💖💖 Closest thing we'll get to her hitting someone with a bat me-thinks

My feet are going staticky right now wtf I don't wanna get up though

Yesss giiirllll go threaten the twink stick-ass bugman 💖💖

Takeru being a Cure Wing and Cure Butterfly fan just strengthens my "Tsubasa and Ageha are siblings" heart

throwback to her debut ep where she jumps onto Sora at the door + Sora somehow carrying an entire eighteen year old woman carrying a suitcase on her back (what sort of training do they do in Skyland???? I'm older than Sora by a year and I'm weak as hell!!)

YAYYYYY PRETTY CURE SLEEPOVER!!!!!!!

Also can I just say her hair looks so tasty?????? Like the yellow looks so appealing???

AGEHA AND TSUBASA GET THEIR OWN DUO ATTACK NEXT EPISODE I'M SO FUCKING EZCITED DKSJKABDOSGWBBWOZHXB

Overall, I really loved this episode!! I'm usually not one for making reviews as my thoughts usually add up to "omg magical girls!! Skehoeishaohjeidohagjajh" but they really did my girl Butterfly justice!!

#pretty cure #precure #hirogaru sky pretty cure #hirogaru sky precure #hirogaru sky #hirogaru sky spoilers #hijiri ageha #cure butterfly

[chicgeekgirl89]

Happy Campers

Fandom: 911 Lone Star

Characters: Carlos Reyes, T.K. Strand, Paul Strickland, Judd Ryder, Mateo Chavez

Rating: T

Summary: When the boys of the 126 decide to spend a weekend camping in the wilderness they're sure they are well prepared for any challenges they might face. Three firefighters, a paramedic, and a cop. What could possibly go wrong?

For the @badthingshappenbingo​ prompt: Poison/Venom

Read on AO3

“Hey! Mateo! D’you put the blue cooler in here?” Judd yelled, eyeing the back of the SUV.

“Yeah, that’s what you said to do,” Mateo said, popping his head up from the bag of fishing gear he was arranging. 

“Yeah, I know what I said, but you gotta put a towel down or something first in case it leaks,” Judd said, pulling it back out again and reaching for a spare beach towel. “See? Keeps it from ruining the floor mats.”

“I thought the point of floor mats was to keep the floor clean,” Mateo said. “What’s the point of covering up the covering?”

“Dude’s got a point,” Paul said, bringing his duffle and fishing rod over. “Where does it end?”

“Look, all I’m sayin’ is, Grace very graciously offered up her car for the weekend so we could all drive together and we need to be respectful,” Judd said, carefully placing Pauls’ duffle alongside the cooler.

“So she doesn’t murder you?” Mateo asked.

Judd nodded. “Exactly.”

“Seems like a good choice then,” Carlos said, handing Judd one of the tent kits so he could continue his game of car packing Jenga. 

This camping trip had been an offhand idea at the bar one night and steadily gained steam as they all managed to find time off to get them an extended weekend out in the wilderness. They had prepped and planed for weeks and they were all excited to hike and fish and sleep out under the stars. 

“Whoa, whoa whoa,” Judd said, holding out a hand as T.K. started to climb in. “You ain’t bringing coffee in this car.”

T.K. looked down at the travel mug in his hand. “It’s herbal tea.”

“Water only. No snacks,” Judd warned them all.

“No snacks?!” Mateo cried “What’s the point of even going if we can’t have road snacks?”

“Listen, unless you’re going to pay for the detailing, nobody is eatin’ or drinkin’ anything other than clear liquids in this car,” Judd said firmly.

“Judd, let the man have his tea,” Grace said as she came out the front door, work bag in hand. “Lord knows he’s gonna need some sustenance for this weekend.”

“I keep telling you we’re gonna be fine,” Judd insisted.

“Mhmm,” Grace said. “So, no ladies this trip?”

“We asked,” Mateo said with a shrug. “They all said ‘hell no.’ I think has to do with the bugs and the dirt.”

“Yeah judging by the character of your ladies, I’m gonna guess it was less about that and more about them not wanting to be around you fools in the wilderness,” Grace said knowingly. “Carlos, you’re going to keep these boys in check the next couple of days, right?”

“Yes ma’am,” Carlos said. “I’ll make sure they get home safe.”

“We don’t need a babysitter,” Paul said closing the trunk of the SUV. “We know exactly what we’re doing.”

“Uh huh,” Grace said skeptically. “Forgive me if don’t think a bunch of city boys can handle themselves in the wilderness.”

“Hey,” T.K. said, “I spent six summers at camp.”

“And some of us ain’t city boys,” Judd said.

“Oh, baby, I know you think you are Bear Grylls, but you grew up in a suburban neighborhood with a white picket fence just like the rest of us. Just cuz you’ve lived in Texas your whole life doesn’t make you a country boy,” Grace said, patting his chest and giving him a peck on the lips. “Ya’ll be safe now, I’m serious.”

“We’ll be just fine,” Paul assured her. “It’s a state park, there will be plenty of other people around. Safe as can be.”

“It better be,” Grace said as she gave them a wave and hopped into Judd’s truck to head to work.

“All right, let’s load up,” Judd ordered. “If we’re gonna make camp before nightfall we need to get a move on.”

“Shotgun!” Mateo yelled, barreling through them all to get to the front seat.

Even with the extra space of the SUV they were a little cramped. Carlos had volunteered for the middle seat and T.K. and Paul were squished in on either side of him, their knees all knocking around as they tried to find a comfortable position.

Carlos ended up pressing his thigh firmly against T.K.’s in an effort to give Paul a little more personal space, but from the look on his boyfriend’s face, he didn’t seem to mind. 

“Should we be offended that your wife thinks we’re not going to survive?” Paul asked as they pulled out of the driveway.

“Nah,” Judd said. “She just underestimates our wilderness skills.”

Personally Carlos was also dubious about their collective wilderness skills. He and Judd had both spent time on family ranches growing up, but the rest of the group were full blown city boys. None of them were truly outdoorsmen in any sense of the word. But the park was well known and they weren’t planning to camp in a particularly remote area. They had a first aid kit and nearly thirty years of first responder training if you added them all together. Nevertheless, Carlos couldn’t help but feel like they might end up calling it quits early.

Despite his trepidation he was looking forward to the weekend. He and T.K. hadn’t seen much of each other lately, work had been crazy for both of them, and his dad had sprained an ankle, so he’d been spending extra time helping out at his parents’ house. It would be nice to have some time together, even if their friends were around too.

“Anybody want jerky?” Mateo pulled a bag out of his backpack, wiggling it back and forth. 

Judd glared at him. “What did I say about snacks in the car?”

“Jerky’s not a snack, it’s sustenance,” Mateo told him calmly, offering the bag to the backseat. 

Paul eyed it warily. “I’m good.”

“T.K.?” 

“Not sure it goes with my tea,” T.K. told him, holding up his mug.

Mateo looked expectantly at Carlos who dutifully reached in and took a piece. He took a bite and immediately regretted it. The thing tasted like dog food, and he had an immediate urges to spit it out, but he forced himself to chew instead. “What do you think?” Mateo asked. “Made it myself. Learned how on TikTok.”

Carlos swallowed. “It’s uh, an interesting flavor.”

Mateo smiled and took a big bite of his own piece. “It’s my proprietary spice blend.”

“Well it smells like ass, so close it back up,” Judd told him as he pulled onto the highway.

“Our friends are fun, aren’t they?” T.K. asked with a smile.

“Pretty sure they were your friends first,” Carlos teased, stealing a sip of T.K.’s tea to try and rid his mouth of the jerky flavor.

“And now we’re family, so you’re stuck with us,” Paul told him with a grin.

Lots of teasing, a few arguments about music choices, and one bathroom stop later they arrived at Bastrop State Park. Judd insisted on parking as far away from everyone else as possible to try and spare Grace any dings or scratches, which resulted in an extra long hike to their campsite with all their gear.

“Nuh uh,” Paul said as Carlos began setting up the tent he’d brought himself and T.K. “You put that tent on the far side of this clearing. We don’t want to hear any shenanigans ya’ll get up to tonight.”

Carlos felt his face flame but tried to laugh it off. “Paul, we’re out in the wilderness and we just spent an hour dragging all this gear in here. I don’t think anybody is going to be up for anything tonight except going to sleep.”

Paul paused putting up his own tent and put his hands on his hips. “I’ve only known T.K. for about five minutes longer than you’ve known him, but the dude is definitely always ‘up’ for you.”

Carlos had thought his face was red already but now it felt like the surface of the sun. “I—“

“Hey babe.” T.K. appeared, his hand immediately going Carlos’ shoulder. “Did we bring sunscreen?”

“Yeah it’s in my backpack,” Carlos told him. 

“Oh, great,” T.K. said, leaning in and capturing his lips in something that was far more than a polite peck and definitely not quite appropriate for the company they were in. T.K.’s smirk was at a ten when he pulled back. “Thanks.”

“Yeah,” Carlos said, his head a little fuzzy as T.K. went in search of the backpack. His eyes found Paul, who sent him an I-told-you-so look. Carlos swallowed and reached for the tent poles. “I’ll just…”

“Mmhmm,” Paul smiled and pointed. “All the way over there.”

The got the tents up and the campsite settled as darkness began to fall. Mateo had started a fire; it turned out the two years of boy scouts he’d participated in during middle school were handy for something after all. 

Dinner was courtesy of Grace, packets of meat and cheese and vegetables wrapped in tin foil and cooked in the fire. Paul and Judd were busy wrangling some sticks to roast marshmallows and T.K. was cuddled into Carlos’ side, a blanket wrapped around them both to ward off the chill of the night air. 

“I am not singin’ Kumbaya with you,” Judd said as Mateo mentioned it for the third or fourth time, clearly trying to get a rise out of him.

“Just one round,” Mateo said. “It’ll be a bonding activity.”

“I’m about as bonded to you as i want to be,” Judd told him. “Now take this stick and start on some marshmallows.” 

Before long s’mores were in production and they were swapping tales of their most ridiculous calls, each more wild than the last. 

“Bees?” Paul asked incredulously as Carlos finished up a story he would never have believed if he hadn’t seen it himself.

“Bees,” Carlos confirmed. “It was terrible.”

“I once had a teenager who tried to deep fry his hand,” T.K. told them.

“His hand?” Mateo asked in horror. “I mean I did some stupid stuff back in the day, but nothing that stupid.”

“It was very stupid,” T.K. said. “Kind of put me off corn dogs permanently.”

“Yeah I can see that,” Judd said, pulling another gooey marshmallow off his stick.

“I had to save an alligator from a four story walk up,” Paul told them.

That got everyone’s attention. “An alligator? In Chicago?” Mateo asked incredulously.

“Illegal pets are big business,” Carlos said knowledgeably. “Is that what happened?”

“Yep,” Paul said. “Building was on fire and the dude refused to leave unless we took the ‘gator with us. Called her ‘Cookie.’”

Judd shook his head as they all laughed. “Some people are just plumb crazy. Ain’t a thing you can do about it.” He checked his watch and got to his feet. “All right boys, time to turn in,” he said. “Fish are gonna be up early. And I would like to take this time to remind everyone that these tents are thin and nobody should do anything that’s going to cause anyone to feel uncomfortable in the morning.”

Carlos was completely mortified, but T.K. grinned. “They make headphones for a reason Judd,” he said cheekily.

“Mhmm,” Judd rolled his eyes and zipped himself into his tent, Mateo and Paul following suit.

“What do you tell them about our sex life?” Carlos asked, infusing his tone with some heat.

“Nothing,” T.K. said as he zipped up their tent. “Well, nothing explicit. What they make up in their own minds is totally on them.”

“Right, the fact that you’re King of Innuendo has nothing to do with it,” Carlos said with a roll of his eyes as he stripped off his pants.

He was busy unzipping his sleeping bag when T.K. tackled him, lips tasting like campfire smoke and marshmallow. It was sweet and warm and Carlos let himself get lost in it. It had been so long since they’d had time together where one of them wasn’t completely exhausted or trying to catch up on things around the condo. He hadn’t even realized how much he missed his boyfriend until this moment.

When T.K.’s hands began to wander Carlos reluctantly broke it off. “Babe we can’t,” he said, trying to keep his voice low. 

“Why not?” T.K. asked, a pout on his face. “It’s been so long, we’re finally alone…” He smirked as his fingers found a very particular spot and Carlos’ breath caught. “And you clearly want to.”

“Everyone will hear,” Carlos managed. “You can’t be quiet.”

“I can’t,” T.K. grinned wickedly. “But you can.”

It turned out Paul had been right. T.K. was always up for Carlos.

XXX

Despite his late night Carlos was the first one up in the morning. The sun hadn’t even risen yet as he crept out of the tent and got the fire started for coffee. It seemed like kind of a waste since they’d have to put it out again before they left, but he knew his night owl of a boyfriend wasn’t going anywhere without it. And he didn’t think anyone else would mind either.

Judd appeared after a few minutes, giving Carlos an appreciative nod as he poured him a cup. He could hear Mateo and Paul stirring as he filled a mug with creamer and just a little bit of sweetener and let himself back into his own tent. 

T.K. was still completely sacked out, an arm thrown over his face, mouth open, ever a chaotic sleeper.

“Hey,” Carlos said softly, giving him a little nudge as he carefully sat down next to him, somehow managing not to spill coffee from either cup. “Time to wake up.”

T.K. let out a groan. “S’too early.”

“Yeah, this is when the fish are out. Come on, everybody else is already getting ready.”

T.K. managed to open an eye and looked up at him. “Let’s just stay here. We’ll be all alone, we can finish what we started last night.”

Carlos shook his head, an amused smile on his lips. “We could. And I would love to. But Judd is really looking forward to showing us all how to fish. It would hurt his feelings.”

“What about my feelings?”

“Your feelings will still be there when we’re actually alone,” Carlos told him. “Come on. Coffee. You’ll feel better.”

It took a lot of cajoling, some promises of things for later, and more coffee, but eventually Carlos got a rumpled, grumpy T.K. up and dressed and ready to head off for a morning of fishing.

Judd turned out to be a good teacher and they managed to catch a half a dozen fish, Paul being the most successful with three decent sized bass. Carlos, Mateo, and Judd caught one apiece and, predictably, T.K. caught nothing but a cat nap against Carlos’ shoulder. 

They grilled their catch for lunch and spent the afternoon in an intense game of corn hole that had to be abandoned for cards when T.K. began to spout accusations of cheating and needed to be physically removed for a half hour to cool off like a toddler.

He was still grumbling about it hours later when they tucked into their tent for the night. “I still say Mateo was cheating.”

Carlos sighed. “T.K. let it go.”

“But—“

“I don’t know how you think someone can cheat at corn hole anyway.”

“His feet weren’t behind the line!”

“It’s a game T.K. Just a friendly game among friends.”

T.K. mumbled something unintelligible from where he’d grumpily wrapped himself up in his sleeping bag. 

“What was that?” Carlos asked.

“Nothing,” T.K. said and Carlos had to bite back a laugh. T.K. was generally such a cheery person that it was funny to see him worked up and in a mood. 

Carlos turned down the lantern and shuffled around until he was lying down on his side next to his boyfriend. “Hey,” he said quietly.

T.K. exhaled through his nose and then turned his head to look at him. “Hey.”

“This trip was a good idea,” he said.

T.K.’s face softened. “You’re having fun?”

Carlos nodded. “We needed this.” He reached over and ran his fingers through T.K.’s hair. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too,” T.K. said, leaning forward, seeking his lips.

It was slow and soft, and they let it linger to the point that Carlos was pretty sure T.K. was half asleep when he finally pulled back. “Feel better about corn hole now?” he whispered.

“Mhmm,” T.K. said, eyes closed, burrowing as close into Carlos’ chest as the sleeping bags would allow.

Carlos let his own eyes drift shut, feeling T.K. breathe against him. “Good.”

XXX

Their second day wake up wasn’t nearly as early as the first. The sun was peeking out through the trees by the time they made coffee and munched on granola bars and trail mix. Their plan was to hike before the heat of the day and make it back by noon to go kayaking.

Carlos squeezed T.K.’s hand as they began to walk the trail, elated as always by the smile he got in return. Before T.K. he hadn’t known love was stitched together by little moments like this. Holding hands, walking side by side with their friends like it was the most normal thing in the world, this type of moment had become sacred to him. 

The trail was quiet at this hour of the morning and they laughed and joked as they wound their way through the trees. What had started as good natured ribbing about Paul’s dating life had snowballed into talking about Mateo’s lack thereof. Much advice was being shouted back and forth, some of it good, most of it bad.

They rounded a turn, the sun bursting forth, setting the area around them on fire with gold. Carlos let go of T.K.’s hand for a second. “I’m just going to take a picture,” he said, pulling his phone from his pocket.

T.K. nodded and kept walking, yelling something about pick up lines and how they definitely worked if you used them right.

Carlos rolled his eyes, mostly at himself, because he’d love to tell them T.K. was wrong, but his boyfriend had definitely used a few on him, and clearly they’d been effective.

He snapped a couple photos, playing with the angle a little. “Gettin’ a good shot for Instagram?” Judd asked, startling him.

He hadn’t realized Judd hadn’t moved on with the rest of the group and he startled, his phone slipping out of his hand and landing in the brush next to the trail. “Whoa, sorry about that,” Judd apologized. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay,” Carlos said. “I was just lost in my own head I guess.”

He bent to pick up his phone, hoping he hadn’t accidentally shattered the screen or the camera.  His fingers closed around it and then there was a sharp pain in his wrist. He jerked his hand back, letting out a surprised shout.

“You all right?” Judd asked.

That was when they both heard the tell tale rattle and saw something slither off through the bushes. Carlos looked at Judd in wide eyed surprise. “Was that—“ 

Judd immediately swung into action. “Here let’s sit you down, all right?” he said, gently taking Carlos’ elbow and guiding him onto a large rock before turning and bellowing down the trail after the rest of the group. “T.K.!”

Carlos looked down at the two bloody puncture marks on the back of his wrist and felt his heart begin to race inside his chest. This couldn’t be happening. This was not happening.

There was crashing nearby and T.K., Paul, and Mateo all appeared in a rush. “What happened?” T.K. asked, slightly out of breath. 

“Carlos got bit by a rattler,” Judd said, his voice much calmer than seemed appropriate for the situation.

“What?” Paul asked in shock.

“I dropped my phone,” Carlos said, still stunned. “I bent over to pick it up, it was so stupid, I never even checked—“

“It’s not your fault,” Judd told him. “Coulda happened to anybody.”

T.K. dropped to his knees and examined the wound. “It might have been a dry bite,” he said, looking up into Carlos’ eyes. “What are you feeling?”

“Um, my heart is racing,” Carlos said. “My chest is kind of tight.”

“Okay, that could just be the adrenaline,” T.K. told him. “We’re going to clean and bandage the wound and then we’re going to get you out of here.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Carlos said, feeling shaky, but trying hold onto his boyfriend’s calm. A dry bite would mean no venom in his system, which would mean no reason for concern. This might not be anything more than a scare.

“Mateo, I have bandages in my backpack. Paul get me a new water bottle.” T.K. doled out orders, speaking very fast, belying his concern. “Judd, keep an eye on him, okay?”

The team found what he needed in seconds and T.K. began to clean the wound, drawing a circle around it with a pen to mark the area of redness so they could see if it spread. 

The tingling started slowly, Carlos barely noticed it at first with the way his heart and mind were already racing. “You all right there Carlos?” Judd asked.

“Um,” Carlos swallowed hard. “My arm is kind of tingling and my mouth is dry.”

Judd and T.K. exchanged looks. “Mateo, get the radio and call dispatch. Ask them to meet us in the parking lot with an ambulance,” T.K. said. 

“On it.” Mateo was up in a flash, pulling the radio from his pack. “Dispatch this is off duty Firefighter Mateo Chavez of the Austin 126, do you read me?”

“Babe, I want you to tell me the second anything changes, okay?” T.K. told Carlos. 

“T.K.” Carlos couldn’t keep the shake out of his voice, panic running through him like a river. This was bad. Really bad. You started learning about rattlers in Texas as soon as you could talk; how to recognize them, how to avoid them, what to do if someone got bit. Right now all of that knowledge seemed to have fled Carlos’ mind, replaced by pure panic and he thought he might be sick. 

“Hey.” T.K. paused his ministrations to cup Carlos’ face firmly in his hands. “You’re okay. I’ve got you. I’m not going to let anything happen to you, all right? Do you trust me?”

Carlos managed a nod. “Good. I need to immobilize your arm, so I’m going to bandage it against your chest. That should help slow the spread of the venom. Judd,” he looked up and Judd immediately moved to action, helping pull the bandages up and around Carlos’ shoulder. 

They made quick work of strapping the arm into place. By the time they were done Carlos’ heart was pounding in his ears and his entire body had begun to feel shaky, his chest getting tighter with each passing minute.

“How you doing babe?” T.K. asked as he finished securing the bandages in place.

“I’m uh, I’m a little tired,” Carlos told him, his eyelids feeling heavy

“That’s normal,” T.K. told him. “But I need you to try and stay awake, all right?”

“Ambulance is on its way,” Mateo said, rejoining the group. 

“Yeah we still gotta get him off this trail though,” Paul said.

“I can walk,” Carlos said, although his knees felt like they were turning into liquid.

“No, no,” T.K. said quickly. “You need to stay as still as possible.”

“Paul and I’ll carry him out,” Judd said immediately. “It’s only half a mile or so, we got this.”

T.K. hesitated, his mind clearly still running through scenarios and options. “If we wait for a rescue team it’s going to cost us extra time,” Mateo pointed out. “If you want him outta here fast, we should go now.”

T.K. nodded. “Okay, yeah, let’s do it.”

“Don’t try to help,” Paul said as Carlos shifted around. “You let us do all the work, all right?”

They made it down the trail in twenty minutes, Judd and Paul moving astonishingly fast even while carrying Carlos’ substantial frame. They could hear the sirens before they reached the parking lot, and paramedics met them at the base of the trail with a gurney.

They immediately put Carlos on oxygen and fluids, T.K. watching their every move like a hawk, tense, and clearly wishing he could be the one doing it. In five minutes flat they were ready to pull out. “We’re gonna meet ya’ll at the hospital, all right?” Judd said. 

Carlos shook his head from where it was pillowed against the gurney. “You all should stay,” he said, his voice muffled by the oxygen mask.

“Are you crazy?” Paul asked incredulously. “We’ll break down camp and be there in an hour.”

“You just relax and let them take care of you,” Judd directed. “T.K, get in touch when you can.”

“Yeah, we’ll see you soon,” T.K. told him as he pulled the ambulance doors shut.

The heart rate monitor was beeping fast, Carlos’ heart working overtime as the poison slowly spread. His entire body was tingling, mouth numb and dry like he’d spent too long at the dentist, everything hot and feverish. Funny how the thing that was bothering him least was the bite itself; it seemed inconsequential compared to everything else that was happening. 

“We’re almost there,” T.K. told him. “They’ll get you started on anti-venin, probably some antibiotics, something for the pain if you want it. It’ll be fast, probably another hour or so and you’re going to feel a lot better.”

Carlos sucked in a painful breath and tried to speak through the oxygen mask. “I hate…that voice.”

“Which voice?”

“Your…,” he swallowed thickly, “patient voice. It’s…detached. I hate…when you use it on me.”

T.K. smiled and gently carded his fingers through Carlos’ hair. “Don’t get hurt and I won’t have to.”

“You’ll call my parents?” he managed. 

T.K. nodded. “As soon as you’re stable.”

For as anxiety inducing and worrisome as the situation was, their arrival at the hospital was fairly calm. Certainly everyone moved quickly, Carlos wasn’t sure he’d ever been admitted for treatment so fast, but it was all with relatively little fanfare. An exam, some blood work, a lot of questions, and several intense looking bags of IV fluid, and that was it.

Carlos did freak out a little bit when they unwrapped his arm and found the redness and swelling had moved far beyond the pen line T.K. had drawn. The heart monitor spiked and he got extremely dizzy as panic joined the venom in his bloodstream, creating a heady cocktail that made him nauseous.

His good hand found its way into T.K.’s and stayed there, squeezing more tightly than was probably comfortable, but T.K. didn’t complain once. He just leaned closer to explain what the doctors were talking about in that calm, quiet, paramedic boyfriend voice, occasionally speaking up to ask the medical staff about dosages and timing. 

It took a couple hours, but the medication began to do its work and Carlos’ symptoms slowly eased. The nurses checked in pretty frequently and eventually Carlos let go of T.K.’s hand long enough for him to go outside and call their parents.

“What did they say?” Carlos asked as soon as he came back.

“My dad said he hopes you feel better soon and to call if we need anything. Your parents are worried. I told them that you’re fine and they don’t need to drive all the way out here, but I’m not sure your mom is going to listen,” T.K. said.

“Yeah probably not,” Carlos sighed and sank back against his pillows, his good hand coming up to rub his eyes.

“Do you need anything?” T.K. asked. “I can go down to the hospital gift shop, pick up a book or something.”

“No, no I’m okay. I just want you here with me,” Carlos said.

T.K. smiled and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. “You got it.”

Carlos studied him for a moment and T.K. raised his eyebrows. “What?”

“I don’t know how you can be so calm,” Carlos said. “When you’re hurt I am an absolute basket case.”

“I went in the bathroom and cried after I called your parents,” T.K. said bluntly. 

Carlos felt an immediate squeeze of concern, now searching his face even more thoroughly for puffy or reddened eyes. “You did?”

T.K. released his hand, giving it a gentle pat before leaning back in his chair. “And this is why I don’t tell you these things. Because now you’re all worried about me instead of yourself.”

“I don’t want you to be upset.”

“I know. But when you get bitten by a rattlesnake miles away from civilization, I’m not sure what other feeling I’m supposed to have.”

“I’m so—“

T.K. cut him off. “No. Do not apologize. You don’t apologize for things outside of your control.”

Carlos mulled that over for a minute, things still not sitting quite right. “Can I say thank you then?”

T.K. rolled his eyes. “Yes, you can say thank you.”

Carlos lifted his good hand a crooked a finger so that T.K. leaned toward him, their lips meeting in a soft kiss. “Then thank you.”

There was a knock on the door and Judd, Paul, and Mateo poked their heads in. “Hey, do we get thank you kisses too?” Paul asked cheekily.

Carlos laughed. “You guys carried me half a mile. I will thank you in whatever way you want.”

“Cookies,” Mateo said immediately. “Those ones you brought to the 126 a couple weeks ago.”

“Okay, maybe we let the man recover before demanding baked goods from him. You up for some visitors?” Judd asked.

T.K. looked at Carlos, as if he were judging whether or not Carlos could handle it. “Yes, come on in,” Carlos said, ignoring his concern. 

“Looking pretty good there, buddy,” Paul said as they gathered at the foot of his bed. “Feeling any better?”

“Yes,” Carlos said. “Much. Thank you guys again for all your help out there. I’m so sorry this is how our trip ended.”

“Aw, don’t worry about it,” Judd said, then he chuckled. “Just nice to see someone other than T.K. in a bed like that.”

It made them all laugh and T.K. took the ribbing good naturedly. “Seriously though you had us a little worried there. Glad you’re doing okay,” Paul said.

“I wasn’t worried,” Mateo said.

Paul rolled his eyes. “You cried back at the campsite probie.”

“I did not cry!” Mateo exclaimed. “It’s my allergies. They’re bad yo.”

“Well there’s certainly no need for tears,” Carlos told them confidently. “The doctors said it’s something like what, five people a year die from rattlesnake bites?” He looked at T.K. who nodded an affirmative. “And I do not feel the need to defy the odds and be one of them.”

The guys stuck around for a bit, chatting and keeping them company. Carlos started to flag, but tried not to show it. He’d already ruined the end of their trip, he didn’t need to kick them out so he could take a nap. 

“We’d better be gettin’ back,” Judd finally said, clearly reading the room and the drooping of Carlos’ eyelids. “Although if you don’t hear from me again, it’s cuz Grace has buried me in the backyard for not gettin’ you home safe.”

“You did get me home safe,” Carlos said sincerely. “Tell Grace to give me a call. I’ll vouch for you.”

“You take it easy,” Paul said, giving his leg a pat through the blankets. “T.K., keep us posted.”

“Will do,” T.K. told him.

“Aw, come on, one group hug before we go,” Mateo said, holding out his arms and advancing on Carlos.

There was a lot of grumbling, and it was kind of awkward with all of the IV lines Carlos was hooked up to, but they managed something close to a group hug in the end and then Judd, Paul, and Mateo headed out.

“You should try and get some rest,” T.K. said, fussing with Carlos’ blankets and checking his IV’s yet again.

“They’re still in there T.K., I promise,” Carlos told him, his words slow and slippery as they came out of his mouth. He was fading fast, two nights of sleeping on the ground probably not helping much.

“Sorry,” T.K. said, sitting back down in his chair. “I feel like I should be doing something. I’m not used to being on this side of things.”

“I don’t need you to do anything,” Carlos told him, trying to force his eyelids to stay open, “except maybe hold my hand.”

T.K. smiled softly and reached out, intertwining his fingers with Carlos’. “That I can do.”

“How long do you think until my mom shows up?” Carlos mumbled, losing the battle as his eyes drifted shut.

“I give it about another two hours.”

“She’s going to be worse than the rattlesnake bite.”

“I’ll head her off. Don’t worry.”

“M’kay.”

#911 Lone Star #Tarlos #Tarlos Fic #911lsfic #Carlos Reyes Whump #126 firefam

[befenvs3000f23]

Week 9 Blog Post

Interpret (through this blog) the most amazing thing you know about nature – get us excited. This is your blog – your audience isn’t out in the field with you so bring the field to your armchair reader.

Oh boy, what a prompt this week! It’s hard to narrow down just one incredible thing about nature to share since there’s so many amazing things that I could talk about but for the sake of the blog I want to focus on the ways in which species have changed and adapted over time to their environments. I know it doesn’t exactly have a strong pull in to read more but just stick with me and I’m sure your mind will be blown by the end of this topic.

The sheer scale and variety of ways that organisms have adapted to their environments blows my mind every single day. Some of these adaptations are physical - think camouflage or horns to help an individual survive. Some adaptations might also be behaviours - like how beavers learn to create dams in order to make suitable environments to live in. Some adaptations even change the very chemistry and physiology of organisms, changing ways in which glands within their bodies are used to give them an edge over the competition.

Image credit: https://www.nps.gov/articles/buildabeaverdam.htm#:~:text=Why%20do%20beavers%20build%20dams,%2C%20coyotes%2C%20or%20mountain%20lions.

Let’s start with the example of beavers since this is one that blows my mind on a regular basis. Imagine you’re a small, semi aquatic rodent swimming around and living your life. One day you decide “I’ve had enough of this lake, time to find somewhere new to live!” Without a second thought you could travel many miles in search of a new habitat. Once you arrive, well, there’s plenty of work to be done! With no communication you get to work and start chewing down trees, placing mud to stop gaps in the dam and continue this until you’ve altered a stream and turned it into a lake! This level of work is simply incredible, and beaver dams can be MASSIVE. The largest beaver dam that I could find a record for was 850 metres long. Almost an entire kilometre of beaver dam. To put that into perspective, the CN tower is about 550 metres tall, so one and a half CN towers laying down in order to create this dam. Here’s an image taken from a satellite that puts into perspective the size of the dam.

Image credit: https://www.mountainviewtoday.ca/hot-summer-guide/the-worlds-largest-beaver-dam-is-in-alberta-you-can-literally-see-it-from-space-7090170#:~:text=The%20beaver%20dam%20in%20Wood,largest%20beaver%20dam%20ever%20recorded.

Now, I’ve talked a lot about beavers here, (can you blame me?), but I also wanted to talk about some more incredible adaptations creatures have made in order to survive. As I mentioned, camouflage is one of them, but I’m sure most of us have seen a well hidden animal take off in front of us, or seen pictures of how well stick bugs can hide. What’s even more fascinating for me is things like octopus that can actively change their skin as needed. The way their entire bodies look to cloak themselves in the exact colour they need is endlessly amazing to me and hopefully this gif can bring some of that fascination to you as well. I could talk endlessly about these kinds of topics but it seems I’ve reached my word limit so hopefully this was enough to get you excited for some of the things that excite me.

Image credit: https://totheark.tumblr.com/post/645844076361662464/octopus-changes-color-and-texture

#nature #beavers #octopus

[rhysintherain]

Wait, there's actually people weighing their gear for backpacking? I always thought it was a joke or something. I used to do a lot more backpacking myself, and the average weight for everyone in my troop was 55 pounds. It's really no issue

I mean... I'm mostly doing it because I have cabin fever and am trying to avoid seasonally appropriate work lol.

But maybe I should clarify why my gear weighs so freaking much.

I don't leave the house without a -10 sleeping bag. I live in the north, there's no guarantee you won't hit freezing in July, and I hate being cold.

Lightweight silnylon just doesn't work around here. Even the day hike trails will snag your gear on black spruce or devil's club and rip holes in it. The few truly lightweight items I have are as much gear tape as original material.

I'm also not going out overnight without my Whisperlight stove, fuel, and Spot beacon. Just no.

Ditto a proper tent. The bugs out here will suck you dry without screens, and the summer storms will find their way under, around, or through any kind of tarp and don't announce themselves more than 10 minutes in advance.

I have a pathological aversion to synthetic hiking clothes. I'll bring some in case I get rained out and need them, but my everyday clothes will mostly be natural fibers tough enough to stand up to the brush that don't feel like crap (do not tell me I'm wrong, I already know every expert says not to do this. Too bad. If I can't hike comfortable, why hike at all?)

My solar panel, backup battery, and book may be labelled luxuries on published packing lists, but they're non-negotiable. Again, what's the point backpacking if I'm bored?

Water bottles. A hydration insert has too much potential to get punctured, and is too limited in what you can use the water for without great difficulty. At least 2 full Contigo bottles go everywhere I go. Plus a filter as backup.

This bag has everything I need except a toothbrush, clothes, and food. It weighs 31 pounds.

Most recommendations for someone my size say don't go over 35 pounds, but this doesn't actually feel too bad. Depending on terrain, weather, and trip length, I could easily add another 10 pounds without worrying. There's still lots of room in the bag if I needed it.

And I don't usually head out for multiple days on my own. If I was hiking with T one of us would take the tent and the other would take the kitchen stuff to break up weight a bit.

So the numbers are a lot better than I'd hoped when I started this morning. Not that it's going to matter for the next 6 months.

#thanks for indulging my shenanigans guys #nothing like a perfectly good Sunday when things could get done to daydream about trips i can't do in this weather #it helps that the day pack i take everywhere with me is already almost 20 pounds #with flares bear spray plb gps compass tarp emergency blankets first aid kit a couple jackets water bottles water filter headlamp #spare batteries a couple knives 300 feet of cord dog stuff and whatever rocks i forgot to take out between hikes #also most of my gear was used or thrifted #thats the case for my big pack some of my pots my solar panels and both jackets #i justified buying the tent and bag as school supplies for my outdoor rec classes #and the stove was non-negotiable #it runs on bike gas and kerosene as well as naphtha and might be the nicest piece of gear i own

[abihastastybeans]

JILY CHALLENGE | JULY 2022 | @jilychallenge

Theme: Summer🌤️

Title: Summer sun, something's begun.

A Muggle AU, Camping fic. Lily (and others) have the best summer of their lifetime at Camp Hogs. 2.7K words.

Note:

1. This is my first ever fic. I had SO MUCH FUN writing this chapter and would very much love to continue the story!

2. My ao3 account's not been approved. I'll upload the fic once it's done :p

3. I haven't used my prompt yet. It'll come up in further chapters. (Oops)

4. Sweet thanks to @annabtg for beta reading! :D

~Chapter 1~

"That's it?"

"That's it"

"But Lily, that's only one bag!"

"Mum, I'm not lugging along entire suitcases for a few days' stay."

"But what if you need extra things?"

"I'll manage, Mum, you know me; don't be like Dad"

Lily definitely didn't want her mum to be like her dad. And that's because if it weren't for her mum's persuasion, her dad wouldn't have agreed to send her to Camp Hogs. And she really wanted to go.

Bob Evans was of the opinion that no self-respecting man would send his dear daughter away for two weeks to a summer camp that was named 'Camp Hogs'.

But it was one of the only ways through which Lily could form some semblance of a friendship before her results came and she had to work or search for colleges. It wasn't that she didn't have friends or didn't try. When she was little, she had a best friend and they were very close until they had a huge fight and she never saw him again. She then tried to be friends with her sister (pathetic, yes) but eventually they grew apart.

When Petunia finished schooling, she made it very clear that she didn't want to go to any camps ("Camp Hogs, pfffft - they probably have people clean farm animals") so it was understandable that Mr. Evans was quite shocked to know that Lily wanted to go.

Lily also knew that her dad was wary about possible boyfriends but he didn't say anything out loud.

So it was with much coaxing from Mary Evans and many more puppy dog looks from Lily that Bob eventually agreed.

Mary hugged her daughter. "Take care and eat well. If you get hurt, call us and we will come pick you up."

"I will, Mum," Lily responded and kissed her cheek. "Buh bye."

Lily hoisted her backpack onto her shoulder and went out their front door to find her dad sitting inside the car in front of the wheel, hands under his chin. Lily waved to her mum and settled on the shotgun seat.

"You know," Bob said without lifting his head, "you could still say no and not go."

"No, Dad," Lily sighed.

He heaved a big sigh and looked at her bag. "Is that it?" he asked.

"Yup," Lily popped her lips.

"Alright then." He started the engine.

The ride to the Gryfftow bridge was quite pleasant. Lily thought that her dad would be grumpy and she'd be forced to sit silent, but he put on the 80's hits playlist that Lily helped him make and they sang happily all the way along. They were grinning when they got off at the start of the bridge, where the campers were supposed to be dropped off to take a small walk to the main site by themselves.

"Come here." Bob opened his arms and Lily went in for the hug. "Be safe, will you? Don't go anywhere alone. Don't try any of that Ouija board madness that you did in middle school."

Lily laughed. "Alright, dad. No ghosts." With a thoughtful look she added, "Though it was excellent to see Tuney's face. Tell her I said bye, though she won't care..."

Her dad tsked. "Hmm, don't think about that. Have fun. That's why you wanted to come, yeah?" He kissed her forehead.

"Yeah," she smiled.

"And remember - boys have cooties."

Ooh he said it.

"Dad!" she giggled. "Come on, I'm a big girl, ain't I? I'll take care of myself."

"I know." His eyes twinkled. "Bye bug." He got in his car and started to go back the way they had come.

"Bye Dad," Lily whispered, ignoring the sudden tears springing up in her eyes.

Why was she tearing up? It wasn't as if she didn't want to be here. In fact, she really wanted to be here.

She looked around and saw a handful of people about her age. A few were saying goodbyes to their parents and some more were walking across the bridge towards the woods on the other side. A few girls were cherishing the last few moments they'd be allowed to have with their mobiles and were taking pictures of each other.

Lily smiled to herself and started to walk along the bridge.

The site was simply beautiful. Muddy water was creeping under the bridge. Surrounding branches swayed slightly in the summer breeze. Lily reached the end of the bridge and continued into a path made through the forest. About a hundred steps later, she entered an opening where around fifty people were gathered.

She found a patch of land away from the bigger groups and stood, bouncing on her feet.

This was it. She was at Camp Hogs. She was here and she was going to make new friends and she was going to have a great time.

She glanced at her watch. It was 10.50 am. The Camp would officially open in just ten minutes!

She lifted her head and let her eyes dart around – and she saw it.

A wild mop of black hair.

And right at the moment she saw it, the head turned. It had a face.

Her breath left her lungs and she was vaguely aware of her jaw dropping open.

Then he looked. Right at her. And his eyes grew comically wide.

He slowly turned and a more comical grin bloomed across his face. He made his way towards her, his steps slow, looking at her as if she was a miracle.

"Lily?"

She couldn't believe her own freaking eyes. She was beaming. "...James?"

And then she was hit by a whole tone scale and a string of memories came flashing in her mind.

--------------------

Lily Evans felt really proud of herself. Her sister kept taunting her, and telling her horrible stories but Lily knew that they were all lies. She was going to prove that Tuney was wrong and Lily would have a great first day at grade school!

She stood beside her desk and puffed out her cheeks repeatedly, thinking about all the exciting things she was going to do that day, when a black haired boy walked over and spoke to her.

"Hello!"

"Hello," Lily responded, "my name is Lily!"

The boy stuck out his hand and shook hers. "I'm James! Nice to meet you, Lily," he smiled. "Hello James." She gestured behind her. "You can sit with me if you want. We can be friends."

The boy beamed wide and Lily saw that a few teeth were missing. "Thanks!"

~~~~~

Their teacher asked all of them to introduce themselves and James bravely spoke for a few minutes, but was ushered to his seat before he finished speaking. He sat down, disappointed that he didn't get to say everything about himself when he felt a tug on his shirt.

"Hey James, you can tell me about yourself afterwards. Don't be sad," Lily whispered.

James smiled and that was what they did in their lunch break. They finished their lunch quickly and talked and talked and talked and by the end of the day, James got to know many things about Lily too.

"Whoaa you have a sister?" James asked, surprised.

"Yes! But she's always lying to me or trying to scare me. But it doesn't work at all," Lily replied.

James nodded. "Lying is bad. My mum doesn't like it when people lie. But you know what? Everyone in my home is a grown up except me! And they are very boring sometimes…"

Lily laughed.

When their day was over and everybody came out to find their parents, James, spotting his mum, grabbed Lily's hand and started running. "Lily come on, come on! I'll show you to my mum!"

~~~~~

As the days went by, Lily and James became best friends. They read together, drew together and did everything together.

One morning, Lily went to the bathroom at break and came back with wide eyes.

"James, look! I slipped and fell on the floor and my tooth broke!"

James had told Lily all about teeth. He knew what happened when your tooth fell and knew how to get them to grow back. He took one look at her hand and dragged her out to the grounds. "Lily come on, we need to bury it! Quick!"

But then Miss Parker caught them and Lily had to explain to her that if they didn't bury the tooth and let it grow as a tree, Lily would always have a gap tooth. Miss Parker laughed and promised them that she'd take care of everything. She then took the tooth from them and sent them to their class.

"I don't trust her, I think she is going to get extra teeth for herself." James mumbled on their way back.

~~~~~

"Lily, look, I got glasses!"

"Why do you need glasses?"

"So I can see everything clearly."

"Oh. Well, they don't look that nice on you…"

"What? My dad said that I looked very handsome!"

"I think he lied."

~~~~~

James had not seen many people with red hair before. The first person with red hair he ever became friends with was Lily. And he loved how it looked.

"Hey Lily?"

"Hmmhmm?"

"I really like your hair. It looks so pretty."

"Thanks, James!"

James loved the red hair so much that he wanted everybody to look as pretty as Lily. So he asked his mother to change her black hair to red.

But she started laughing.

"But Muuumm, you will look even more pretty! Have you seen how pretty Lily is? You'll look so pretty like her too."

"Oh but Jamie," his mum ruffled his hair, "I'm old! I don't want to dye my hair now. Do I not look pretty like this?"

"No, no, you already look so pretty," James replied hurriedly.

The next day at school, James told Lily about it.

"My mum says she can't dye her hair red because she is old," he grumbled.

"Oh."

"Hmm…"

"Hey James?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not old…"

The Potters and Evans were called to come up to their school to talk with Miss Parker because Lily and James had tried to paint James' hair with poster colours.

James was not the least bit bothered because his mum just couldn't stop laughing, even for a moment. He knew he wasn't in trouble. Mrs Evans was apologising on behalf of Lily and his mum kept saying that everything was fine.

All he could think about was that Lily's dad had red hair just like her.

"Hey Mr. Evans," James approached him where he stood holding Lily's sticky hands (the paint didn't come off fully. James still had red patches on his hair.). "Your hair is so pretty."

Lily's dad blinked. Then he crouched down to his level and patted him on the shoulders. "Why, thank you James! I heard you are a really good friend to Lily!"

James swelled with pride. "Thank you! Lily is my best friend too." He grinned at Lily and Lily returned his smile.

~~~~~

The fateful day came right after the Christmas holidays. Lily came to school to find that Miss Parker had assigned seats for them. She found that she had to sit beside Luke, and that James was supposed to sit a few seats in front of her.

When James came and found that the seating arrangements had been changed, he worriedly went and asked Lily to move so he could sit beside her.

"James no, Miss Parker will get mad," Lily stated.

"But Lily, then I have to sit four seats away from you!"

"I know James, just go sit there. We will get in trouble on the first day back…"

"Lily come on, move over a little bit, three of us can comfortably sit at this desk."

"No James, we can't." Lily insisted.

"Lilyyyyy!!" James whined.

Lily's voice dropped to a whisper. "Hey everybody's looking, just go."

As soon as she said that, James' eyes started tearing up and he scowled at her.

"Why did you do this?! Am I not your friend anymore?"

"Of course you are, why are you crying now?"

"Because you don't want to sit with me anymore!" James yelled and started to cry. "I hate you!"

At that very moment Miss Parker entered the class and made James sit in his new seat. Lily could see throughout the whole day that James didn't stop crying, but she couldn't do anything because Miss Parker didn't agree to change seats again. Before lunchtime, James became sick from crying and Miss Parker took him away to send him home. That was the last time she saw him.

It's not that he didn't come to school; it's that he never came back again. After three long days of his absence passed, her mum called her to the living room. She gently explained that James' dad got a job outside the city and that they'd moved away as a family.

Lily was so sad. She didn't even get to see James one last time.

--------------------

Until today.

She saw him again today.

She saw James at Camp Hogs of all places.

"Oh my god it's really you!" James exclaimed and caught her in a bear hug. Lily, not able to control her happiness, hugged him just as tight and caught a wisp of fresh roses.

He released her, and Lily got a clear look at him.

He was a good head taller than her but had the same messy black hair he did when he was a kid. He wore a red T-shirt and jeans and carried a camping bag on his back. Lily found that she just couldn't help but laugh and after a brief moment James joined in too.

"Oi, idiot, you dropped this!"

They stopped laughing briefly and Lily looked over James' shoulder to see three boys walking towards them. The guy who spoke had shoulder length silky black hair which made Lily raise her eyebrows. He noticed her staring and asked, "What?" Lily shrugged and looked back at James; she realised that they were still holding hands. She dropped them quickly and rubbed her neck out of discomfort.

James cleared his throat and looked at the boys, "This is Lily Evans, guys. She was my best friend in first grade." He looked back at her and frowned, though his eyes were smiling, as if he still couldn't believe it himself. It was such an adorable look that it took Lily a moment to realise that she had been staring. She shook herself and waved to the three boys. "Hey guys."

"Hey," Long-hair repeated with a grin. "I'm Sirius." "Hello Sirius," Lily said with a smile.

The second guy, who had sandy brown hair, raised his hand in a high five and Lily returned the gesture with a laugh. "I'm Remus Lupin."

The other guy was shorter than Lily and he shook her hand. "Peter."

"Hello Peter. It's nice to meet you guys," Lily said and turned to look at James again. "It's nice to meet you again."

James inhaled quickly. His hand flew up to ruffle his hair. "Likewise. Lily. Did you come here to attend Camp Hogs as well?"

"No, she's here to hunt rabbits. Why the hell else would she be here?" Sirius countered and James shot an annoyed look at him.

"Yes I came to attend the Camp." Lily interjected. "But why are you here? I thought you'd left the city long ago?" With a frown, her mind returned to one of the worst days of her childhood. James seemed to be thinking the same and winced slightly. "We did. We came back here just a month ago. Because we wanted to come to Camp Hogs." He gestured at his friends.

Sirius took the chance to throw a plastic bag to James. "You dropped this," he said and turned to Lily. "Are you here with anyone?"

"Uh no, actually." Lily rubbed her neck again. "I'm here alone. Y'know, just to have a good time, make new friends."

"Well, you could hang out with us if you want!" Remus offered.

"Yeah absolutely! You'll definitely have a great time," James added while securing the plastic bag under his arm.

"That's very nice of you guys! Thanks!"

Lily beamed at all of them. A great summer was awaiting her.

#yessss #july jilychallenge #jilychallenge #jily #Summer sun something's begun

[elminx]

As of the end of August 2023, I am caring for 42* houseplants (including propagations since they require separate care).

Of these 38 are in what I would call my permanent collection.

My oldest plant (the plant that I've had the longest) is my spider plant. My newest plant is a Dragonfruit Cactus. My oldest plant (age since propagation) is my Hoya publcalyx which is rumored to be 20 years old. My plant that is still in water is a NOID cane begonia. I'm feeling fairly lucky at the moment because I have very few "problem" plants. I have a Peperomia caperata that hasn't ever thrived in my care (it's in the three-leaf club) and my Cyclamen has been battling aphids off and on all summer. This is better than when I last recorded a planty update in December and I was having problems with the peperomia plus by aloe and jade props. The succulents have spent the last five months outside in my shaded backyard and they will likely remain there for another month or two more. I think that the higher light and harsher conditions helped to harden off my babies and I'm hoping has made them much more resilient. I intend to pick one of my three jade babies to keep and see if anybody wants the other two. Grow light space is going to be at a premium.

The only thing in water at the moment is the NOID cane begonia that I picked up right before I went on vacation. The prop was on more than a foot of cane and I wanted a more compact plant so I chopped the plants at the tops and am now rooting 12 top cuts and the canes by themselves. In other words, some people are getting begonias for Christmas this year.

I'm working on figuring out what types of plants I want to care for. There are a few plants that my partner is attached to that I'm keeping, but otherwise, I'm being very intentional and trying to find and keep plants that my house and I get along well with.

So far my favorite genius is Hoya though Scindapsus and Bogonia are in the running. My favorite plant during the month of August is my Begonia Flamingo Queen who has been producing an amazing display of salmony blooms all month long. The runner-up is my newest African violet who also bloomed for the first time (she's bright pink and has ruffly flowers!). You might sense a theme there.

My favorite non-flowering plant this month is my Hoya carnosa Krimson Queen because I love watching its leaves emerge with gorgeous variegation.

The growing season has treated my plants very well this year.

Without accounting for the two mature Golden Pothos in my care, the plants with the most growth were my Begonia Flamingo Queen, my Cebu Blue, and my NOID Hoya whose new growth started turning red this month (it wasn't red earlier in the summer?).

The height of the summer has past us now and it is already starting to cool down some at night. My plants get better light in the spring and in the fall so we're going into ideal sun positions but the plants will lose the high temps that they've been enjoying. The humidity tends to stay high through most of Autumn here, so hopefully they will get that for a bit longer, too.

Winter is coming. It's being predicted to be a cold and wet one for us here in the Northeast. I know that I need to acquire at least one more set of grow lights as my taller plants can't fit on the plant stand anymore. I think that I know what I am going to do and I can share more details once I've completed the project if people are interested.

I also need to plan to bring the houseplants that have been living outside all summer back in. I'm very paranoid about bugs so each plant is going to keep a thorough pest treatment and I have a quarantine zone, so that SHOULD be worked out.

The snakes have their own zone of the house anyway, so I'm not concerned so much about them but all my other succulents need to go back onto the top shelf of the plant altar. I think that there's enough space on my plant stand plus the northeast corner of my living room to get grow lights on all of my plants but...we will see.

This winter's other experiment will be to see whether I can grow golden pothos in my Northern windows. (I live pretty far north so in the dark times they get very little light) I'm also training of the two to grow up my walls so we'll see how that goes.

My easiest plants are the snakes and the dragons (Sansaveria and Dracaena). My highest maintenance plant is my Flaming Queen because she's been thirsty and dropping flowers constantly. My cheekiest plant is my NOID Hoya which grew a tendril away from the grow light and onto the shelf above where I keep my witch supplies. The best variegated leaf goes to my Hoya australis Lisa. The best green leaf goes to my NOID Hoya.

I have spent $110 on houseplants this year. The most expensive houseplant I bought was a Philodendron painted lady that I bought at a reasonably mature size for $25. The least expensive plant I bought was the Dragonfruit cactus which I got for $4 by using a coupon.

I bought seven houseplants and traded for or otherwise acquired another 14 cuttings on top of that.

I'm feeling pretty full on houseplants just for space reasons. Eventually, all of my Epiprenum and my Scindapsus should be mature enough to hang in my windows but until then, some of them need to vie for table space. A woman to whom I just gave a Rosa rugosa bush said she might drop me off a cutting from her Hoya, but, otherwise, I might be done for this growing season.

My goals for the year were: vines for days, harden off the jades, rehab the aloe, Grandfather cactus, growth on the Krimson Queen, to propagate the Monstera and the Peperomia, and to get more comfortable with watering. I'm feeling pretty good about all of these things.

*I am not counting either of the two avocado pits that I am trying to root since neither has any progress yet

#houseplants #words #mine #personal #houseplant journal