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spacecowboyhotch · 10 months

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summary: sometimes the meddling of old men pays off.

pairing: f!reader x jake lockley

contents: pinning, internal angst, an old man meddling, fluff

wc: 1.8k

AN: before i even finished this, i felt like it deserved a part two so…be on the lookout! & thank you @juneknight for helping me figure this outtttt <333

part 2 | moonknight masterlist | requests are open

There’s a lot that Jake hates— frogs, black olives, the Chicago Cubs. But most of all, he hates having habitual customers. Familiarity with others is nothing he craves. There’s this false sense of intimacy that comes with making small talk and knowing another’s routine. It’s uncomfortable, it makes his skin crawl. He’s content with going unseen beyond his ability to taxi someone from point A to point B. At least, he doesn’t allow himself to think so.

Until he met old man Fletcher.

More accurately until he met her. If he’s being technical, he hasn’t met her yet, hasn’t even spoken a word to her. He doesn’t even know her name. She’s the woman at the farmer’s market that Jake takes Fletcher to every Saturday morning. He’s never been more grateful for a smug old man and his routine.

“Fancy meeting you here again. And you’re on time,” The old man quips, looking down at his watch in feigned disbelief.

Jake gives Fletcher an exasperated look as he opens the passenger door, “I’m never late.”

Every Saturday Jake arrives at the old man’s apartment at 8 a.m. on the dot, not a moment sooner, nor a moment later. He helps the frail man into the back of his cab, and plays the oldies station that ensures neither of them will talk– instead they’ll hum along. It's something Jake doesn’t like to admit he enjoys— if anyone were to ask it is just Saturday. There is no fluttering heartbeat, no rehearsal of things to say if she dares speak to him, no fondness growing for the old man. He’s doing his job. That’s all.

The first time he ever saw her, his heart seemed to stop and then pick up, going so fast he thought it’d give out.

Dressed in overalls, her hair up and out of her face, her skin looking so soft even from a distance. She sets up her stall with ease, telling him that this is something she does often. This is her livelihood, he thought to himself. How solitary that must be, tending and keeping bees and flowers. Unless she has someone to help— a partner perhaps. Jake didn’t let himself think much further about that, he let himself get lost in the small probability of possibility.

Jake could see her kindness. It seemed as if everyone at the market stopped at her stall, even after she sold out of things. With bright eyes and animated hands, she spoke to everyone as if they were the most important person in the world. He couldn’t help but wonder if she would extend him the same courtesy.

The following Saturday, Jake woke early, staring at his work phone hoping that it would ring. That hope took root in him, blooming bigger each and every Saturday. Old man Fletcher called him like clockwork, until one morning he suggested he and Jake plan on this visit every Saturday. No, Jake didn’t like habitual customers but at that suggestion, he simply nodded, his mouth quirking up in one corner.

—

Today, like any other Saturday, he’s parked at Fletcher’s house. He takes the shortest route— a left onto Wicker, a right onto Olive and after the annoyingly long wait at a red light on Slater he’s pulling into the park’s lot.

When they arrive at the park, he parks his cab in the same spot under the largest oak tree in the park with the perfect view; her. He removes his jacket and cap before coming to sit on the hood of his car, trying to look busy and unnoticeable. In reality, for the first time in a long time, Jake just wants to be seen.

He wants to be seen by her.

Time stretches and squeezes in the most cruel way; the weekdays creep by slowly and when Saturday comes it flies, as if her presence is like some twisted time warp.

He knows that she must smell sweet— she sells candles and honey and flowers, she must always be bathed in their nectar. He has some idea since Fletcher has started to buy things from her— a jar of honey, beeswax candles, a bouquet or two. Whenever he helps the old man with his bags, he can’t help but inhale the soft scent of the things he’s bought.

Like most days, it’s a bouquet of daisies. Jake wonders if they’re her favorite flowers and that’s why she almost always has them.

As he helps Fletcher load his bags into the truck of the cab when the old man says, “You have to talk to her, y’know.”

He raises a brow at the older man, “What?”

Fletcher nods his head towards the stands, “The honey girl. If you wanna take her out you have to talk to her.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Really? She’s asked about you.”

“About me,” He repeats, turning the idea over and over in his head. “What did she say?”

“I thought you didn’t wanna take her out?” Fletcher asks, and Jake narrows his eyes at him, waiting for him to answer the question. “Alright, alright, settle down. She just asked your name, if you were my grandson or something.”

“What’d you tell her?”

“That you’re a nice young man that’s kind enough to bring me here every week. You’re welcome.”

“I didn’t ask for you to do me any favors.”

“You didn’t have to.”

On the drive home, all he can think about is how she knows his name. How he doesn’t know hers. How if he sticks to his plan he’ll never know it. That is something he’ll live with. Or so he thought.

She has other plans.

It’s the next Saturday and he’s sat on his cab as always when she starts to make her way through the crowd and across the field. Jake can’t help but look around, wondering if she’s walking to her car to fetch something or someone she knows has just arrived. But then she stops in front of him, fidgeting with the frilly strap of her sundress.

He watches with confusion— and amusement— as she squares her shoulders, taking a deep breath in before leading with a simple, “Hi.”

“Hi?” He says, mouth set into his habitual frown.

“You’re Jake.”

“I am?”

Her eyes widen with worry, almost comically so, and he can’t help but think about how precious she looks.

“Did Fletcher give me a fake name?” She asks worriedly, her eyes narrowing as she glances back towards the crowd to look for him.

“No, no. I’m Jake,” His face softens just a fraction, arms crossing against his chest.

She tells him her name and it fits, another piece of her falling into place. He isn’t sure why he hadn’t guessed it— it’s in her smile, the brightness of her eyes. He repeats it quietly, likes the way it sits on his tongue.

“Fletcher says you don’t like leaving your cab unattended or you’d walk around.”

His cab is his most important possession, not only his livelihood but also an object he holds near and dear— something that will never be able to judge him no matter what he does. The thought of something happening to his cab makes his blood boil and his heart sink into his stomach. But there’s more to it; walking around means more socialization than he already endures.

“I’m not…good with people.”

“So you decided to be a cab driver?”

He opens his mouth for some rebuttal but instead he chuckles at her teasing. When was the last time he laughed?

“Being good with people is difficult— tiring,” She admits softly.

His brow knits together, “You seem to do it just fine.”

“I sell things for my livelihood, there’s not much of a choice in it. But, I do enjoy people, they’re…fascinating. So unique. May I?” She points to the spot beside him.

Jake nods, and she comes to lean against his cab beside him. Though she keeps a respectful amount of distance, her delicate scent envelopes him and it’s sweeter than he could ever imagine.

“So you like driving?” She asks, glancing over at him.

Jake does like driving, it helps with that restless feeling inside of him. Being on the go, moving here and there, new scenery, new distractions, it quiets some of the noise. It gives him some control.

“Yes, it’s…relaxing.”

“Relaxing? It drives me insane. Everyone here drives like they’re in a high-speed chase after robbing a bank, there’s no regard for human life,” She huffs, her hands gesturing haphazardly as she vents.

His eyebrows raise in surprise at her strong feelings about driving, and her wild hand gestures pull a chuckle from his throat. “You can’t beat them, you have to join them.”

“I would rather avoid them altogether,” She grumbles, huffing again and he presses his lips together to keep himself from laughing again. “But, I didn’t come over here to complain about the driving culture of our city.”

“No?”

“No,” She says, laughing softly. “I know you’re very fond of your cab here, but usually after we close up, I go for a walk through this park.”

“A walk?”

“Yes, and I was wondering if you’d like to join me?”

“You want me to…go with you? On your walk?”

“Yes. You ask a lot of questions.”

“I— well I have to drive Mr. Fletcher home.”

“I can wait.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I’ll be just over there at my car,” She points to an old blue truck, it’s rusty and clearly on its last leg.

He’ll have to go on this walk with her now, even if it’s just to convince her to get rid of that goddamn death trap. The thought of her behind the wheel of that truck makes him shudder. He’ll offer to drive her anywhere she needs to go if it means she won't ever have to drive it again.

“Alright,” He says nervously, but the tightness in his chest dissipates slightly at the sight of her triumphant smile.

She leans over, bumping his elbow with her own, “Cool, I’ll see you then.”

“See you then,” He murmurs too softly for her to hear as he watches her stroll back to her stand.

When Fletcher makes it back to Jake’s cab, he wastes no time.

“I told you all you had to do was talk to her,” He says knowingly, slipping into the backseat.

Jake doesn't respond to the old man as he continues to load his bags into the truck with haste, but his mouth twitches, eyes drifting over to where she's back up her stand. She waves, and Jake waves back, head buzzing with the sweetness of her.

Yes, he supposes the old man was right.

moonknight taglist: @angelfxllcm, @honeybrowne, @ninebluehearts, @rmoonstoner, @hotchs-bitch, @later-gators12, @foreverinwanderlustt-blog, @aleeb, @julydaydream, @eyelessfaces, @marc-spectorr, @missdictatorme, @toracainz, @mccn-bcys , @campingwiththecharmings, @whatthefishh

#jake lockley x reader #jake lockley x fem!reader #moonknight x reader #jake lockley #moonknight fanfiction #arson writes

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chaobunnyarts · 1 year

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Froggy fall! (part 3/3)

17. Witch's home / Cranwell's horned frog (Ceratophrys cranwelli) 18. Frog’s familiar / Dotted humming frog (Chiasmocleis ventrimaculata) 19. Poison / Mimic poison frog (Ranitomeya imitator) 20. Wand / Australian green tree frog (Ranoidea caerulea) 21. Gold leaf / Black rain frog (Breviceps fuscus) 22. Witch's hat / Strawberry poison frog (Oophaga pumilio) 23. Apple / Red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas)

#froggyfall #froggy #frog #frog art #cute frogs #frogcore

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bunjywunjy · 3 months

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hello! i'm a writer and wrote a short story somewhat inspired by your post about the colombian lesserblack tarantula and the dotted humming frog. it's going to be published next month and i was wondering if you wanted to get a "special thanks" and if so by what name?

oh congrats!! if you can just throw in a quick acknowledgment with my tumblr username, that's totally fine, best of luck with your story!

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aroaceleovaldez · 1 month

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Do you have an OCs who would have pet frogs?

I have so many pjo ocs that I have one for just about anything at this point. Out of my primary ones though, absolutely. My immediate thought is Archie -

Her entire theme is spiders, of course, as a daughter of Arachne, and that includes being able to talk to spiders. The spiders aren't so much her "pets" but more companions of sorts. She has a lot of tarantula theming in particular - in terms of design, name (her middle name is "Tara" - i was phoning it in when I first named her I will admit), and some powers (yknow how the primary tarantula defense mechanism is flicking irritating hairs off their abdomens at stuff? yeah she can do that, but like, it's her leg hair or whatever). Anyways, some species of tarantulas keep dotted humming frogs as pets to guard their burrows from ants so I think Archie would be a fan of frogs. That is the long-winded explanation.

I'm sure I have other ocs who would have pet frogs but I'd have to sift through my very long list, and most of the others would probably be just be based on vibes rather than anything particularly interesting.

#ask #Anonymous #pjo ocs #my art #archie nidds #oc #ocs

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pahtoosh · 11 months

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lap, please

[image ID: the center is a picture of lee bodecker on a dark blue background with white dots representing stars above his head. on the left is an image of a barn and on the right is a photo taken from the inside of a car pointing at a field of grass. /.end ID]

masterlist

summer celebration masterlist

18+

wc: ~550 words

warnings: i keep trying to write a southern accent and i will not stop

a/n: i don't really like road trips !! don't tell daddy lee though, i will happily go on one with him

pairing: lee bodecker x gn!little!reader

summary: you get pouty on a ride home with lee.

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾

You squirmed in your seat, pouting and staring at Lee. This was the longest road trip you had ever been on.

Your daddy planned the perfect day today. He woke you up early and surprised you with the news of a day trip for just the two of you. He took you to the apple orchard where you picked some fruit and ate apple turnovers for breakfast. Then, it was to the farm where you petted goats and baby chicks. By late afternoon he had taken you to the tulip farm and asked a nice couple to take photos of you on Lee’s film camera.

Everything was perfect. Until the ride home when some unexpected traffic added another two hours to your commute. You’d had such a wonderful day and you didn’t want to seem ungrateful or make your daddy upset by being bratty. But it was way past your bedtime and all you wanted was to rest your head in Lee’s plush lap and fall asleep with your face against his soft belly.

You let out another whine.

“I know, baby. Daddy’s sorry but I can’t drive with ya on my lap. It’s not safe, sweetheart.” He offered you his right hand to hold.

You accepted it gladly, kissing the back of Lee’s hand.

“How ‘bout we get your mind off a’ this mess, huh? What’d ya like seen’ today?”

“Mmm. I like the goats and the duckies.”

“Yeah? That was pretty funny when of ‘em got distracted by a frog an’ broke the line.”

You giggled. “Yeah, and den all the duckies keep walking and he almost got lost! He have to walked so fast he almost fell down.”

Lee spared a look at you then returned his eyes to the road. “Did ya like them apple pastries from the orchard?”

You nodded. “They was so yummy! The bestest breakfast ever! Can we make them at home, Daddy?”

“Your daddy’s not much of a baker, baby.” He sensed your disappointment and recovered quickly. “Well, I might have a coupla’ my ma’s old recipe cards in a cabinet. There’s gotta be an apple turnover recipe in there somewhere. And we already got the best apples in the state, so just tell Daddy what else ya need from him o’ the store.”

“Yay! Yay! Thank you, Daddy.”

“Anything’ for you, sweetheart.” Lee was grinning now. He couldn’t see your face because he was focused on the road, but he could feel your happiness radiating from you.

“You help me make the tarts?”

He squeezed your hand. “Sure will. There’s lots a’ steps I can help ya with. Like cuttin’ up the apples. Little babies like you have no business around sharp tools.”

You hummed in agreement and daydreamed about the pastries you and Lee would make. Now feeling less sad, you looked out the window and yawned.

“Gettin’ tired over there?”

You shook your head but you were already starting to nod off.

Lee chuckled when he got a glimpse of you fighting off sleep. “Go on and rest your head on the winda’ baby. I’ll wake ya when we get home.”

You grunted but did as he said. You fell asleep still holding your daddy’s hand with the rumble of the car and his gentle squeezes lulling you to sleep.

#lee bodecker x little!reader #daddy!lee bodecker x little!reader #drabble #fluff #sfw regression #agere fic #littlespace focs #whiny!reader #pouty!reader #lap please #lap-please #lap #please #toosh writes

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krislin · 2 months

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Monster Sides

A Sanders Sides Monster AU fic

Summary:

In a dark forest, some distance away from the capital, but right outside a small village, lived six individuals.

These six were seen as cursed, as monsters.

But those in the forest saw them as a part of nature, maybe even guardians.

These six were a close family, living together and helping each other.

Word Count: 4590

The land of the large kingdom was extraordinary. The meadows were a beautiful green, the skies a bright blue, and the weather was usually at its best. Gentle winds blew over. The grass and leaves dancing softly alongside it. The forests around in the kingdom were a significant source of materials for the city, towns, and villages. All from herbs, to food, and to wood could be gathered in these gatherings of flora.

But there was one forest in the kingdom that none dared to even approach.

Next to a small village, a fair distance away from the capital of the kingdom, was a large, gloomy forest. Objectively, one would say it looked no different from any other forests in the territory of the kingdom, but for the people, it was a cursed and dangerous place.

After centuries of living next to that forest, people had come to learn to never step inside, or even close to it. It didn't even take long after the village was first established that they found out something dangerous resided in the darkness between the large, old trees.

Or not just something.

Deep in the forest stood a large and old, almost run-down, mansion. But no human lived inside.

Or preferably said, no full human.

All the creatures belonging to the forest knew who they were, and what they were. But they all lived in harmony.

Because in the mansion lived six men. All hybrids that made them only half human.

Many would see them as monsters, but the fauna saw them as much of a part of nature as themselves. Maybe even more. The nature of the forest would sometimes even call them the guardians of their home.

Outside the mansion laid a small lake. Next to the lake was one of the six. The man had bright brown hair and round gray glasses on his face. As a silhouette, he would have the appearance of a normal human, but in the light, one would immediately take their words back. His skin was a slight shade of green, and clearly looking moist. The man smiled brightly as he skipped alongside the lake side. His leaps were longer and higher than possible for the normal human.

Because this is Patton. The frog hybrid of the mansion.

Patton continued to hum and skip his way back towards the mansion. His beams were as bright as he was known for every time he saw an animal or a pretty plant close by. Even if he knew their domain well, it always made his day to see the forest in such a pretty state.

The sound of a hysterical cackle came from the trees next to him, but it didn't alert the man. Patton only smiled widely as he stopped to turn in the direction. "Remus! Back already?" he beamed as he waved towards the rustling bushes closing in.

Through the bushes stretched a dark green tentacles, placing itself on the ground to drag its core forwards. "Heya, Croakie!" the man, Remus, grinned when through the plants. The man had the upper body of a human with dark brown hair with a silver highlight on his bangs. But his lower body was of just dark green tentacles with black dots on the top.

This is Remus. The octopus hybrid of the mansion.

"You should have seen those brats!" Remus told, laughing hysterically as he dragged his tentacles to approach the other. "They had the audacity to make a dare to approach our territory! But that just made the day so much better!" he laughed, as he held his right arm to the side. He held his hand open, and suddenly green sparkles sparkled over his palm, and his morning star fell into his hold. "It's been far too long since I got to play with the humans!"

"Now, now, kiddo. I know they're humans, but don't be too harsh on them. Especially if they were kids," Patton softly scolded the other. But even with his hands on his hips, there was still a slight amused smile on his face. Patton may ever be the optimist, friendly, and peaceful one, but even he had the disliking to the human species.

Snickers filled the air around them as Remus explained the humorous scene to Patton. They had never hurt any humans, unless necessary. They only wanted the selfish species to stay away from their territory and those residing in it; them, the animals, and all the plants.

The sound of wing beats reached them through the silent air, making the two turn to see the third of the six flying in for a landing. Patton beamed seeing the man, jumping high in joy as he landed. "Logan!" he beamed, leaping to immediately stand next to him. "Everyone's back early! This is great!"

This one is Logan. The owl hybrid of the mansion.

"Indeed," Logan answered, a tiny smile of joy visible. He tucked his dark brown feathered wings into his back, then turned to the octopus hybrid. "It would seem your scare has given us the boost for a peaceful day today."

"Of course!" Remus beamed at the praise hidden behind the sentence. A hand was proudly placed to his chest, his weapon disappearing with a green light. "But as much as I wished to play with them more, Hoarder and I have something to finish."

Logan's black hair blew to the passing wind as he narrowed his eyes at the other. "If this is that creation competition you are talking about, I do hope you tend to mend what you break and make sure he doesn't hoard more than he already has."

"Hey!" an offended yell came from the mansion. They all turned, and they all saw a man with red hair and red dragon wings and tail come flying over. "I am only keeping the necessary things in life in our home. Thank you very much!" The man landed down by the group, but he was mostly throwing Remus a glare, which earned a grin back.

This man is Roman. The dragon hybrid of the mansion.

A deep sigh left Logan, and Roman turned to the owl hybrid to see the man shaking his head. "The pile of unnecessary equipment and object in your hoarding room says otherwise, I believe." Logan turned his eyes to look at the dragon hybrid through his black glasses. The talons of his hand were raised to adjust the glasses properly back on his nose again. "But as long as it doesn't pile up outside that room, do as you please."

"Great!" Roman beamed, but shook his head and coughed into his fist of clawed hand. "I mean-. Like it will ever overfill. There's so much room left inside! I can still fly inside, you know!"

"Now, now, do not lie," another man's voice came from behind, a slight hiss in his speech. Everyone turned around to see a man with a bright yellow snake lower body slithering towards them from the mansion. The man's snake tongue flicked out, but looking rather amused as he slithered closer. The left side of his face had greenish-yellow scales which almost gleamed in the light, and on top of his brown hair laid a black fedora with a yellow ribbon around the base. "You know lying to us won't do."

This is Janus. The snake hybrid of the mansion.

Roman rolled his eyes at the fifth man of the group as he stopped by them. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, Slithering Scales," the man scoffed out, but gave out a small smile as he nudged the yellow snake hybrid with his elbow. But a small scoff them came from him, and his red eyes glanced between Janus and Patton. "But you two alright to be out? Winter's approaching, you know."

"Ever the overprotective hoarder you are," Janus commented as he rolled his eyes, but gave a small smile as he shook his head. "We are fine. The season is yet to properly begin. We cold-bloods have survived multiple winter already, you know."

"Yeah!" Patton beamed, leaping around them all. "Your fire and my strange, dark son's clothes and blankets really help!"

Roman gave out a pleased smile at the response, but he did give out a pout at Janus's comment. As part dragon, of course he would be protective of his hoard. And his main, and most precious, treasure he had in said hoard was his family. "Great to hear, Padre," he smiled at Patton, but turned to glance back at the mansion. "Speaking of him, where is he?"

"He was resting in his web the last time I saw him," Janus shrugged as he answered the other. "I had him rest after creating a bit too much silk for his crocheting and knitting later. He doesn't eat enough for the silk production he's doing."

"My poor kiddo!" Patton immediately spoke out in horror and concern. The man made a giant leap towards the mansion, but the sound of skittering had him stop.

Everyone glanced up the walls of the mansion. And out one of the top windows, something came out. "Hey, Snake Face, I have control of my own health, you know," the last of those calling the mansion their home said. The man had black hair and a black hoodie on, but his lower body was of a large spider body. Though his upper body wasn't fully human. The man had eight eyes, six fully purple and the last two human brown, and on each side of his mouth he had the fangs of a spider, which moved slightly as he spoke. And his lower body, his spider body, was large enough for someone to actually sit on his back, but mostly having to curl into themselves to not get hit by the eight legs as the man crawled around.

This is Virgil. The spider hybrid of the mansion.

Virgil crawled down the wall of the mansion, his spider legs letting him walk on any surface without troubles. He crawled down to step down on the grass, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he glared at the snake hybrid. "And for your information, I had just stopped when you slithered in. I was just about to start crocheting, but you just had to barge in."

"Whatever you say, Spiderling," Janus responded, rolling his eyes, but throwing him a smile. "Just make sure to rest. You work too much when winter approaches. You're cold-blooded as well, so you need your rest, especially with the stress of the season."

A scoff left the spider hybrid, but he shook his head and let his arms fall down, his black clawed fingers having a few short silk threads dangling down and dancing to the breeze. "I'm the one making clothes and blankets, you know. So for now, I'm the warmest cold-blooded here."

The chirp of birds came as two magpies came flying down, landing on the back of the spider hybrid. The birds chirped happily up at them all, and they all smiled and greeted back with a nod. Virgil gave the two a smile, and he moved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. Getting something out of the pocket, Virgil got out a small crochet blanket of his silk, handing it over to the two small birds.

"Here you go," Virgil spoke, smiling as he handed the birds the small blanket. "Stay safe and warm in your nest now. The cold's approaching soon." The magpies gave him joyful and thankful chirps, and the two grabbed the silk blanket and flew off into the forest. Virgil smiled as he watched them fly off, but turned to glance at the others again, also taking notice of the skies above turning dark. "Well, evening's coming, so I better get to my route while handing out what I got."

"Alright, stay safe, kiddo!" Patton beamed at the other, beaming brightly as Virgil went to crawl past them. "Let us know if you need anything, alright?"

"Of course, Popstar," Virgil responded, giving a salute over his shoulder as he headed for the trees behind. Suddenly the man stopped and turned around to face them again. "Oh, and I repaired all the stuff with holes in them," he informed them all, earning beams of delight in return. "That includes the plushies. They're all on my web, so get them whenever."

Cheers erupted from Patton, Remus, and Roman, while Janus and Logan smiled with a nod of appreciation. "You're awesome, Virge!" Roman beamed, eyes visibly sparkling with joy before he spun around to bolt into the mansion to fetch what Virgil had repaired for him.

Patton was not far behind the flying dragon, Remus quick to follow as well. Janus and Logan was left, chuckling alongside Virgil as they watched the others charge in with such energy. "Thank you, Virgil. It is much appreciated," Logan said with a smile at the spider. "But stay safe out. Remus most definitely has scared the humans away for today, but one never know when it comes to that species."

"Yes, yes, I know," Virgil answered, rolling his eyes. "No need to say that every time. I can take care of myself. My poison is paralyzing for a reason."

"Yes, Remus had you show so too many times," Janus agreed, snorting at the memories of the octopus hybrid constantly having Virgil paralyze some of his detached tentacles after regenerating new ones for fun. "Just make sure you don't freeze. The colder you get, the slower you get. And that means the longer in the cold you will be."

Virgil huffed in response, but gave no other answer as he turned to leave the place. Janus and Logan watched as the spider left into the forest, and the two turned to head into the mansion themselves.

*************

Virgil silently hummed to himself as he crawled between trees and bushes. Each step his eight legs took made a tiny sound in the grass and leaves, and with the speed of his steps, his crawling always sounded like skittering. And many in the forest recognized that skittering.

Birds, squirrels, deer, and all the animals of the forest would glance up and approach him during his routes through their home. Virgil greeted them all with a small smile, and many animals came either leaping, running, or flying over. The day was turning dark, a time where most would go to lie down for the day, but seeing the hybrid being close, they'd always come over to greet him.

"Hey, guys," Virgil softly greeted. All the animals joyfully greeted back, and a soft chuckle left the hybrid as bunnies, squirrels, and birds came to rest on his spider back. "Hope you're all doing well. But since winter is approaching, I came to give you all new blankets."

The spider put his hands into his pocket, and out came a roll of blankets of his silk. All of the animals grew visibly joyful, and Virgil smiled, pleased to see them like it. He handed out blankets, one by one to the animals around him. All the deer got the larger blankets over them, the birds got the smallest to carry to their nests, and the squirrels and bunnies got the perfect size for them, or larger ones if Virgil knew they had a family. All the other animals with them got their blankets as well, and Virgil was happy as to how tight he rolled the blankets, seeing that it was good that he brought as many as he could.

Virgil lifted the last blanket in his hold to hand to another pair of birds, but the sudden harsh gust of a wind had it fly out of their hold. The birds chirped in dismay as the silk was blown away from them, and they watched it quickly disappear into the darkness with a distressed look.

"Oh, crap..." the spider muttered, seeing the blanket fly between all the trees and much farther away through his night vision. "That was my last one too..." The birds' chirps was low and short, both lowering down to the ground in sadness. "Hey, hey, it's alright," Virgil assured them, gently holding down his hands to them. Both birds glanced up at him, but jumped onto his palms for him to lift them up. Virgil held them up and guided them to his left front leg, letting them jump on to rest right by him. "Don't worry, I can quickly make a new one. It's all fine."

Questioning chirps came from the two, and Virgil gave a soft chuckle as he shook his head. He quickly reassured them once again, and he raised a clawed finger to his mouth and stretched out multiple silk threads, enough to make a thick enough thread to use.

"Won't take long. Don't worry," Virgil mumbled as he moved the thread to his left pointy finger, using his right one to drag out more silk from his mouth. Unlike normal spiders, Virgil created silk from his mouth, usually using his fangs to hold the thread still as he used his clawed fingers to crochet, knitt, or sew with. And his clawed fingers were able to make a small hook at the tip, which was what made him able to crochet, but for knitting and sewing, and outside all that, he usually kept his claws straight and pointy.

Virgil laid on the ground as he started. His legs, except the one the birds sat on, halfway tucked under his body to lie comfortably. Most of the animals had left to sleep for the approaching night, but some continued to stay around the spider, curled in their blanket as they peacefully watched the hybrid crochet another of his blankets.

The birds happily chirped as they watched him masterfully create their blanket, and Virgil smiled as he glanced to the side at them.

Unusual gusts of winds came to their hearing, and they glanced up at the dark night sky to see something red come flying over them. "Ah, there you are, Spider Nightful!" Roman was to speak as he beamed seeing them under him. The dragon flapped his wings to slowly lower down to the ground, careful of the trees' branches. But as he landed his feet down on the ground, he raised an eyebrow at the glare Virgil was throwing at him. "What?"

"Mind your wings, Flame Head. I'm crocheting here, and your gusts are not helping," Virgil scoffed, but returned to his crocheting, being close to finishing the small silk blanket for the two waiting birds.

"And why are you out here, working more in the middle of the cold night after not having had your meal after your last production?" Roman challenged the other, a protective glare thrown at him through narrowed eyes. "I am certain you have not eaten anything protein filled since you left. You know you'll grow weak if you're lacking that, Virgil! You can't go producing more silk without refilling yourself!"

Another scoff left the spider, and he finished off his blanket as he sent the other a glare. "Geez, never took you to be one to sound like Logan," he commented, but averted his gaze to give the blanket to the thankful birds. The birds gave thankful chirps and took off with their new blanket, and Virgil gave them a small smile before turning it into a sigh as he turned back to the dragon. "Why are you here anyway? Aren't you supposed to stay in the mansion to keep up the fire for the others?"

"Logan can hold the fire up long enough until I return," Roman answered with a shrug, but stepped forwards to give Virgil a push in the direction of their home. "You're much later than normal, and you need my fire just as much as them! So off we go now, Night Crawl!"

"Alright, alright, Ro! Geez!" Virgil yelled, but sighed as he shook his head. "I know you're a hoarder, but keep it down, could you? You know I can defend myself if something would suddenly come."

"Whatever you say, V," was all Roman responded before grabbing the spider's wrist to drag him along with him. Virgil groaned as he was dragged by Roman, who power-walked through the forest. The dragon hybrid was dedicated on bringing the spider with him back home before the air grew too cold for the cold-blooded. Roman threw the other a glare after hearing the annoyed groan. "You have no right to do that, Emo Nightmare. Only one hoodie isn't good enough! You don't even have any of your blankets on you! What you have on isn't enough to keep you warm, and you know that!" Roman scolded, only receiving an annoyed deadpan in return, which he ignored as he faced forward again, all out on getting home. "This is why you need my fire!"

A snort came from the other, but he didn't speak out. He knew Roman was in his protective hoarder mode because of his longer than usual absence. And because of that, he knew it was futile to fight against it. He never fought against it, only showing his annoyance or teasing the other, whichever fit the situation best.

It wasn't long until they came to the treeline ending by their mansion. Stepping through the last bushes, they appeared in the back garden of their home. Faint light danced on the grass during the darkness of the night, so Roman strode towards the back door, still dragging the spider with him.

Roman swung the old wooden door open, stepping into the indoor light with Virgil right behind. The moment they stepped inside, Virgil felt the change in temperature, and a silent sigh of relief left him. The spider's shoulders slumped down at the warmth, not having to force an appearance anymore.

"Come," Roman spoke with a stern voice, but stepping through the room and towards the living room right by. Another sigh left Virgil, but the spider crawled after to follow into the warmer room.

Huddled together in some type of pile were the others. Janus and Patton laid in the middle, Remus using his tentacles to keep the large blanket over them in place, and Logan standing by the fire in the fireplace. Hearing the two return home, Patton beamed brightly, almost jumping out of his spot as he waved them over.

Roman smiled at the frog hybrid, but turned to give Virgil a brief nod to then take Logan's place by the fire. Logan gave the dragon a nod, and he stepped to join the pile of hybrids to help keep the warmth for the cold-blooded ones.

Virgil soon came to crawl over, and Remus lifted some of his tentacles, a part of the blanket while at it, so the spider could join in the middle, the spot for the cold ones. When tucking in his legs and lying down, Janus wrapped his long tail around him, but placing an arm on his back as support. With Virgil's body being a lot different, his back basically going ninety degree up from his spider body, he always only laid with his spider body, his human top having to hang or lean into something for support.

Remus stretched the blanket out to lie over the spider's back, but stretched a different tentacle to fetch another blanket to their side. With the new blanket, he wrapped it around Virgil's shoulder, having the spider now fully covered. Finished with his job, he continued to have his tentacles spread to keep the blanket over the three firmly in place, even if they were to move slightly.

But having nothing much but an arm to support his back, Virgil raised a finger to his mouth for his silk. He needed something to lean on, or his back would turn stiff again, and a single thread hanging from the ceiling would be enough for him. But as he went to do so, a growl from Roman had him stop to turn and raise an eyebrow.

"What did I just tell you earlier?" Roman questioned, eyes obviously narrowed with a warning look.

A huff left the spider, but he let his hand fall back down. A demanding look was shot back, and the dragon immediately went to drag over a cushioned stool for him.

When the furniture was in arm reach, Virgil immediately dragged it over and leaned onto it with crossed arms.

Seeing as everything was finally settled, a sigh of pleasure came from Patton, and he melted into the pile. With everyone back home, and Roman keeping a bright fire burning for them, everything was perfect. The group had always lived together and had this routine for the colder times. The more warm-blooded would always make sure the cold-blooded were all well in health, not growing cold or sick.

Remus, as an octopus hybrid, should also be a cold-blooded, but for some miracle, he was actually not. Maybe it was from his creation magic, like Roman's, or if it was his relation to the dragon hybrid, no one knew. They were just glad he wasn't cold-blooded as well. Knowing he would have been a difficult one to keep healthy as so. That man was always all around. All from being underwater in the lake, to climbing in the trees, to doing his job to scare off all the humans daring to step close to their territory. Keeping him constantly warm enough would be a pain for them all, so they were thankful for that miracle.

Logan got up from his place, his wings tucked behind his back, but Virgil could see the others had helped him groom by the time he had gotten back, or more like Roman dragged him back. "I will go and start on something for us all to eat," Logan stated, heading to the kitchen, leaving the group to continue to huddle together for warmth. "I will be right back."

"Alright! But call if you need help!" Patton called after the other, but cuddled closed to Janus as he hugged the silk blanket closer to them.

"He'll be fine like usual, Padre," Roman chuckled as he stepped over to take Logan's place by the frog. "He does fine in the kitchen. Though I do still prefer your meals, but the priority is to keep you warm."

A small chuckle left Patton, and the man croaked as he reached an arm up at the dragon. Roman smiled as he took it, and Patton dragged him down to lie with them. An amused laugh came from Roman, but he got himself comfortable by the pile, but making sure he had good view of the fire, being ready to strengthen it if it was to weaken for even a moment.

Everything was nice, cozy, and peaceful for them as another normal day passed by. The six men were as close as one could be without being blood-related, with the exception of Remus and Roman that is. And they would continue to be a close family of unique specimen, who stood out from everything else in the world.

The moon of the night sky shone beautifully down over the mansion as they all feasted and cuddled together for warmth and rest. This was all they ever needed, and it was all they ever wanted.

This is the hybrids' mansion. Their home.

#sanders sides #sanders sides fic #patton sanders #logan sanders #roman sanders #remus sanders #janus sanders #virgil sanders #spider virgil #snake janus #octopus remus #dragon roman #owl logan #frog patton #fanfic #sanders sides au #platonic drlamp

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once-in-a-blood-moon · 10 months

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Lux Astrorum

Solomon x GN! reader

Summary: You and Solomon sit on the roof stargazing, and some interesting curiosities arise.

AN: Guess who's back? It has been way too long since I've written anything, but I'm still in the middle of a writer's block and college courses, so this is like a one time thing...for now. Ooh, I hope y'all like this! :)

Warnings: None

Shadows painted across your face as you and Solomon sat on the roof of Cocytus Hall. He had suggested the two of you climb up and stargaze for a little while as a way to unwind after another stressful day. The inky black sky hung above your heads as the soft chirping of frogs filled the silence that surrounded you. Small dots of light shimmered against the dark backdrop, and mentally, Solomon was connecting the stars together and forming the constellations he was familiar with.

If this was the human realm, his eyes wouldn’t hesitate to flicker to every constellation, to every lone star and recount to himself the stories and legends behind them. And while he’s familiar enough with the Devildom folktales, nothing can compare to the sky back home.

“Solomon?”

The sorcerer’s eyes shift slowly over to your figure, whose head is still lifted up towards the sky. His voice stays soft so as to not disturb the tranquil peace between the two of you. “Hm? Something on your mind?”

He watches you take a steadying breath before you speak again. “Have you ever held a star in the palm of your hands?”

Solomon’s eyes spark with interest at your question before he chuckles to himself. “I have, yes. Is there any reason you’re asking?”

“No.” You shake your head, never taking your eyes off the stars. “I was just curious.”

Solomon nods as he glances back up as well. And for a few moments, it’s silent between the two of you once more. He thinks about saying something…anything, after missing your presence all day. He takes a breath to speak but pauses as you begin again; your voice so quiet he wonders if you even mean to say these things out loud.

“Have you ever walked on the dark side of the moon before? Or maybe visited a celestial entity just because you could? Seen galaxies that exist far, far away…or watched a supernova up close?” You finally break your gaze from the sky, blinking at him with a childlike curiosity. “Have you ever done anything like that before?”

He’s taken aback by all your sudden questions, each one more interesting than the last. A soft smile is directed your way as he answers you. “I’ve done all those things and more. But those stories would be too long and complicated to explain.” He sighs as he fondly reminisces those experiences only he could witness firsthand. “I can still feel the light on my skin from the stars I’ve held. Every time I look up at the sky at night, I’m reminded of their radiance and warmth. I may have lived a long life and I may not remember everything that I’ve done…but it’s something you never forget.”

Solomon chuckles at your reaction after having made it out from the darkness; your mouth agape slightly and your eyes wide and intent. “There must be some interest in these subjects if you’re asking so much. If you’d like, I’ll teach you how to summon a star into your hand.”

You gasp softly. “Woah, really?”

Solomon nods with a grin. “Yes, really. And until then…” He waves his hand around with a graceful flourish and a small stone appears in the palm of his hand. He eyes it for a moment, feeling the energy humming from it through his veins. “You can have this.”

It’s a crystal that holds an endless galaxy within it, though its contents are merely a replica that he’s conjured up with his magic. He holds his hand out for you to take it. Your eyes flick down to his extended hand, tentatively taking the object and closely inspecting it in awe.

“This is beautiful, but why do you want me to have it?”

“Why not?” Solomon shrugs, grinning at you. “It’s mine to give to whoever I choose, and that person is you.” He leans in and places a featherlight kiss to your cheek but he doesn’t lean back. He stays close to your face, gently caressing your cheek with his hand and guiding you to lock eyes with him.

“It’s my promise to you. It’s my promise to protect you and to help you cultivate your knowledge for all things magic. It’s my promise that you will hold a star in your hand. And I’ll be there with you every step of the way.”

#obey me #obey me nightbringer #obey me fluff #obey me scenarios #obey me imagines #obey me solomon #obey me solomon x reader #jo writes

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saturnthesilliest · 4 months

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Day 6 YAYAYAYA I was waiting for this one!!! I have something cooked up. When I think pepper I think gumbo and I’m thinking princess and the frog setting AND GRRRRGSYETSTTSTEYSGSHRHR

(Go check out my friend @omgitslin >:3)

ENJOY!!

It was a warm evening, the sun was just below the horizon and the blues of the sky’s begin to turn black. The lights of the tiny homes surrounding the neighborhood lit up the place and gave you room to see. It was a small neighborhood, in a small town. Far off into grass plains and farmers land. It was a very close knit community.

You sat on the porch of your tiny, wooden home, watching as kids from around the houses played in a small grass area, squealing as they fought for custody of a simple leather ball. You saw parents, watching from their own porches, smiling softly at their children. You smiled as well, just for how loving the community is, and the time off you get.

You worked in a bigger, busier town. As a waitress in a small restaurant, and came back home to your small, warm community full of humans and monsters alike.

Speaking of warm, a smell lifts into the air, from a small house nearby. Ah, you knew who that was. Horror, the big guy. He always cooked for everyone. He made stews, sandwiches and more for every person in this little neighborhood. Sometimes money was tight, and people didn’t have it for meals, but horror? He was a lifesaver.

Always volunteering, always wanting to help out with livestock, harvesting, and most importantly, food.

You smirk, getting up from your porch and making your way over to his house. As you walk your way up his porch with your boots clicking on the old wood, the door was open and you could hear the sound of wood and pot hitting against each other and a thoughtful hum from the big guy.

You lean onto the railing of his porch and call out,

“Heyya big guy, whatcha cookin up in there?” The sounds of the kitchen stop for a bit. You could hear a particular laugh of a kid who probably was running and being chased around.

Heavy steps make their way over before you could see his head, looking over the door frame that leads into the kitchen. His big red eye light was fixated on you, black dot in the middle going here to there slightly.

“..Gumbo.” He finally huffs out, “but… need.. help.” He was slow but careful with his words, seemingly shrinking into himself.

You hum, and walk all the way up the porch, going up to the doorframe and peaking inside.

“What do ya need help with?” You ask. He nods his head towards the kitchen and you take that as your invitation inside. You walk inside, looking around. It was relatively cozy! With a nice big couch and a shelf full of who knows what. When you make your way inside the kitchen you saw how.. neat it was. Pristine and organized.

Knives hung up against the wall, the stove clean and not rusty, cabinets polished, a light hung from above. On the stove you could see a giant pot with a wooden spoon. Then you could see Horror himself. He had an apron on that said ‘kiss the cook’ that you held in a laugh once you saw it. He wore a short sleeved white shirt that showed off his arm bones, and regular black pants.

You lean against the door frame and watch as he gets a spoonful of Gumbo in the wooden spoon and hold it out to.. you?

You take the invitation gladly, letting him feed you. Once you tasted it, you knew what was off. There wasn’t enough flavor. He brings the spoon back, watching your reaction. You hum and nod, looking off to the side befor starting back up, moving around him and grabbing the ingredient it needed most. Pepper.

You grab it and dash it into the pot, looking inside at the delicious gumbo, before gently grabbing the spoon from Horrors hand,grabbing a spoonful and giving it a taste before holding it out for horror to taste.

He does, and the black dot in the sea of red dilates happily. He hums and nods.

“Perfect. Thanks.. lamb chop.” He ruffles your hair and you stagger back, giggling.

“Aye! Hehe- your welcome big guy.” You pat his shoulder, moving around him and grabbing bowls, “can I help ya serve everyone?”

“Sure.”

And so that night you helped serve out bowls to everyone, giving them their fair share of Gumbo. You got yours, horror handing it to you once everyone was served. You took it, appreciating horror and his kindness and willingness to help. You sat on your porch, eating it happily as you stared up at the northern star, bright and beautiful.

Eventually Horror came up and sat next to you. The two of you talked to each other, finishing your bowls.

#bad sansuary #day 6 #horror x reader #horror sans #farm #princess and the frog #gumbo #undertale #farmland #idk man #yeah #i’m gonna cry #i’m going insane #yay

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eldritch-muppetshow · 6 months

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spiderverse oc! he’s based on the columbian lesser black tarantula, which has a symbiotic relationship w the dotted humming frog.

as he’s had to constantly explain, he is not a frog himself, does not have frog powers, and was not bitten by a radioactive frog instead of a spider. the “spider-frog” moniker is meant to symbolize that his + froggi’s career as a superhero is a collaborative effort (ie. haagen-daaz, warner bros, hanna-barbera).

despite being a spider-person, he’s terrified of heights (i imagine he grew up in a place without a lot of tall buildings). if he has to climb something, he’ll just slowly crawl up while freaking out the entire time.

he and froggi can hear each other’s thoughts!

froggi also has spider powers, and i’m trying to decide if she’d have web-shooting powers or if she’d just use her tongue like a web instead lol

#across the spiderverse #spiderverse oc #spiderman #art tag

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monsterfloofs · 1 year

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Hi there! This is for the Emoji Monster Challenge: 🎻🐊🎀. Hope you have fun x)

Crocodile Monster (Jonas) x Anonymous Reader (Sfw)

(Yay!! Thank you! I had a lot of fun, I normally don’t try to draw crocodiles, so this was a challenge for me! I love Jonas already, he is a cute beanie who likes to play music and wants to make friends but is a shy outcast! :’O Also! I drew my little stand in human with the silly phone dating app picture, because that was the first image that came to mind with the emoji’s you sent me xDD So I thought that would be fun to include it! But, in all truthfullness, trying to help Jonas find a partner is ultimately going to backfire. . . because there is someone he already likes A LOT and gets super shy around. ;’)))))) Hope you like the short! )

The air was hot and muggy, as fireflies danced and jittered between tall thin trees. The humming of frogs and crickets buzzed in the air around you. Punctuated by the splash of something moving in the water. Lily pads speckled along its dark surface, dotted in clusters. Almost nightfall, the last twinkle of sunlight glittered across the still and silent pool.

You walk along the boarded walkway, head up and alert as you make your way across the largest and darkest of the vast lake. The wooden walkway was constructed like veins that were inlaid overtop of the swamp below your feet. But despite the trek, you knew the path well, and took it many, many times to visit a friend that lived at the very edge of town.

You heard him, before you saw him. A ramshackle house in the very heart of the dark water. The sound of music joining the hush of sound from the unseen critters that surrounded you. The sound of a deep reverberating sound of a cello washing over the thickets of tall whispering grass.

From the glow of yellow you can see a hulking figure, with a large instrument hugged to their chest. His head was down in concentration. Your steps slowed and grew careful, as you crossed the threshold over the land that marked his home.

You kept silent as you pulled up an empty seat to listen. The sound was inexplicably sad and melancholic, it made you wonder, if not for the umpteenth time, how the rest of your village would be weary of such a creature that could pour their whole soul into the music they played.

And as the song came to a close, a bright yellow eye opened, then as if an invisible wire was connected from his eye to his nose, his snout lifting to look at you taken aback.

You wave your hands in a silent hello, before they fall back onto your lap to patiently wait for Jonas to continue. A roll of a growl sounded at the back of his throat, a sound you had distinguished long ago to be made from his nerves. The growl jars into an awkward sneeze. He shakes his head, reptilian eye focusing on your uneasiness.

“What are you doing here?” The sound is grating and deep, coming from someone who normally doesn’t make it a habit to talk to others.

You point at yourself with a smile, “Me? I just came to say hello, I didn’t mean to intrude! I can go if you want.”

Jonas blinks, and growls again, before he lifts the bow back to the Cello, glancing back at you multiple times before he continues. You lace your fingers together and close your eyes. You hope that one day he could be comfortable around you, but for now, having tolerance for your presence was good enough for you.

The last liquid drops of sunlight disappear into the water, as a sky fades to deep pink, oranges to purples and deep navy.

#monster x reader #monster x human #sfw #exophilia #crocodile monster x reader #crocodile monster x human

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themarginalthinker · 8 months

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Local Small Business

(Grandpa's taxidermy business isn't usually open past 7 in the evening. Tonight, he gets something of a special order. Minor headcanon note to explain his name - Lucy kept her maiden name when she married, and Sam and Michael have hyphenated last names.)

It was a warm night. Perfect for a cold soda and watching the sun pass away into the sea beyond the bluffs.

Johnathan Emerson hummed to himself in the growing darkness of the evening. In his hands, bundles of herbs being lashed together to hang and dry by clever, weathered fingers. The porch light above him was on, now attracting a fair amount of moths and other little winged creatures, flitting about trying to immolate themselves on the bulb. The woods and fields rang with crickets and summer frogs.

Most wouldn't notice the faint mist that rolled in from out in the darkness.

Most people weren't Johnathan Emerson.

At first, it's just the smallest tendrils, creeping in off the sides of the house. In the change of temperatures from day to night, especially on the coast, it happened. Weather changed fast. But soon, the fog had almost swamped the small dip at the bottom of the hill at the back of the cabin, rising higher. Blanketing the sides of the wraparound veranda.

Grandpa just kept rocking in his chair, hands finishing off one bundle of plants and moving to the next. A special bunch.

He sniffed, sighing, clearing his throat. Working twine to sinch around cut stems, but not so tightly as to break them. He lifts a hand to rub under his nose. There's the taste of iron and salt in the air.

"You know," he says conversationally, "most people knock on the door when they want somethin'. But I don't suppose you're in the habit of bein' polite like that these days."

All at once, the air around him goes still. Like the mist itself had frozen.

Grandpa clicks his tongue. "You've got as long as it takes me to find a lighter and I decide to burn these garlic blossoms, so make a decision."

It's a long moment. The air remains still, the mist not having moved. The woods just beyond the near horse paddock having gone silent. In his pocket, Grandpa's fingers curl around the cold metal of his zippo, pulling it out.

Then, only then, the mist draws back. Pulled, like dust being blown away under an errant breath, a tidal wave pulling back the sea to reveal tantalizing but deadly tidepools. The fog swirls in eddies and...coalesces. Thickening, to form a shadow. Then a shape. Then, like he walked out of nothingness itself, a body.

It was the tall one, Grandpa notes. Gangly limbs, long, wild hair. Hmph. Kids, their fashions, and the beings emulating them.

It smiles at him. The expression doesn't reach the dark, blue eyes.

In it's eyes, however, a question.

Grandpa twists his mouth a little. "Fog doesn't smell like blood."

A single twitch of the brow is all the rapport he gets. He wasn't expecting much, to be fair.

Still, his mouth thins, and he taps the bottom of the lighter in his hand on the armrest of of his rocker.

"I assume this ain't a courtesy call."

The vampire blinks, tilting its head. Most people wouldn't notice it, especially not in the dark, in the wan illumination of a porch light it stayed just outside the real circle of brightness of, and not under such odd circumstances. But. The utter stillness it held itself with. Relaxed to all other eyes...but the trained could see the weight held on toes, the fixed movements of the head and gaze.

They played human well enough when they wanted to. There was not need now.

With measured movements, the vampire reaches into the slightly-battered tuxedo jacket, eyes never leaving Grandpa's.

It produces a dead pigeon.

The little thing hangs in its dichotomously gentle grasp, head swinging between fingers, wings limp. A few white and brown downy feathers drift to the grass. There is a single dot of dried blood speckling the tiny thing's breast.

The vampire holds it up, and purposefully flicks its eyes to the cabin behind the old man.

Grandpa stops tapping his lighter, stops rocking his chair, and for a moment, the two stare at each other.

Then, with a grunt, he stands up.

"I ain't gonna ask why, and I don't suppose you'd tell me if I asked. But I assume you know it costs?"

The vampire nods twice. A jerking motion standing starkly against the stillness of the rest of it.

Grandpa doesn't leave the porch. He just holds out his hand for the bird.

Three days later, a brown and white pigeon mounted on a twig with its wings spread in an eternal flight is left on the back veranda of the little cabin just outside of the town-proper of Santa Carla.

Two days after that, old Johnathan Emerson's beat-to-hell jeep disappears.

A week after that, it reappears with a new engine, a full tank of gas, and a jar of human teeth (some glinting gold and silver) on the passenger seat.

When asked about it, the man simply shrugs and says "you attract odd folk when you're in the business."

Granted, he keeps the jar of teeth.

#the lost boys #the lost boys 1987 #grandpa emerson #drabbles #taxidermy

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tiny-minecraft-rabbit · 7 months

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Day 4: Shrink Ray

Using my own prompt list: here. You can also read this and every prompt as they come on AO3.

Summary:

Zed has a super fun and awesome new challenge for Tango. It does require some.. size adjustments!

"Tango! Tango! Tango!"

"Zed! Zed! Zed!" Tango repeated, chuckling as he let the shulker box closed, standing for his friend. "What can I do for you buddy?"

Zed had a grin that meant something very silly and very fun was about to happen, which was the usual expression Zed had. It was pretty fantastic having a friend like him.

"You're going to love this one," he insisted, hands flapping at his side, "Wanna follow me?"

Tango glanced down at his shulker box and the project of redstone behind him. He really should get this finished… but a few hours working with Zed was worth it. "Yeah, hold on," he broke away the shulker box and set it back into an enderchest. Once everything was just tidy enough that it wouldn't be overwhelming to return to he took Zedaph's hand.

Surprisingly Zed didn't lead him back to his base, instead leading him underground. The facility was made of concrete and quartz, purposefully looking sterile and like a mad scientist lab, though it only seemed to be a long hallway that led to a small room with a gray stained glass window that looked into a large room. Inside the large room was a giant thing with a big red X painted on the floor where it was pointed, and to the side was a small maze, made for something about the size of a frog or even an endermite, with a cake sat in the middle.

Tango couldn't help the giggles, "Well this isn't ominous at all!"

"I know right! Very comforting. There's even cake!" Zed replied with a grin, flipping a lever and the bright overhead lights turned on, "Now, Tango, I think you know where I want you."

"I can take a guess. Do I- Do I get to know what you're going to be blasting me with?"

"You'll know very soon. Right this way," Zed said in lieu of explaining, opening an iron door and standing aside to let Tango through first.

Anybody but Zed Tango would be turning the other direction and running for the hills, but there was always something so fun with Zed's tasks or experiments. Even if he ended up dead he would die laughing and cheering. He stepped through the iron door, barely containing a yelp as it slammed shut behind him, and walked down the few stairs (there was a bed at the bottom and he set his spawn) and into the big room.

He waved to Zed through the window and stood a few steps to the left of the red X, "Here?"

He could see Zed's exasperated sighing and giggled. "To the right, Tango! On the X! Come on, you got the easy part. For now, that is."

Tango raised an eyebrow as that but swiftly moved over on top of the X, "Okay. Okay. Here then?"

"Perfect! Now I need you to stand very still. I'be only tested this on sheep so far, and if they wriggled too much they died," Zed explained as he pressed a button in front of him.

His laughter got slightly more nervous, "Noted! Staying still."

The machine started lighting up, flashing a spiral of blues and purple, and humming lowly as it powered up. He hadn’t the faintest idea what was going to occur, but the pure yellow beam of light completely washed over him. He looked down, observing his arms and legs, trying to see what it was doing to him; if it was giving him polka dots or turing his outfit into a bright pink leotard. On the surface it didn’t look like it was doing anything. He looked up at Zedaph through the observation window to see him grinning, so it must of been working. He looked back at the machine– and then he had to look up at the machine, cause it was significantly larger than it was a moment ago. Another glance at Zed, and then the rest of the room, proved just what he thought, everything else had gotten proportionally bigger as well.

Or, well, he had gotten a lot smaller.

He burst into excited laughter as the machine turned off, “Zed! What? How!?”

“The power of science, my friend!” he answered through the intercom. He pointed towards the maze at the side of the room, “Please enter, would you? There should be a ladder on the back.”

“You’ve turned me into a lab rat!” Tango accused as he made his way over to the maze. He climbed the ladder quickly. The walls of the maze that he could have easily seen over just moments ago towered over him, and he wished he had thought to memorize it’s layout (but to be fair there was no way he could have known he was going to be in the maze).

“You have one minute to get through! After one minute I’ll be adding a endermite for every thirty seconds you take, understand?”

“Endermites? Wait- Wait- What’s the point of this challenge? Why am I doing this?”

“Your timer starts-” Zed grinned, completely ignoring Tango, “Now!”

“Oh geez,” Tango sighed before racing through the maze. He had a somewhat good idea where to go, but it was a lot bigger and trickier than he thought it was going to be.

The minute passed before he was even halfway through, a note block chiming above him. There was the sound something like a gate opening and the chitters of a endermite echoed through the walls. He ran faster. Then another thirty seconds, still no end to the maze, and another endermite entered. Then another.

It was two minutes and seven seconds in when he ran into an endermite, the bug that usually only ticked one heart of damage grabbed a hold of his leg and suddenly he was half health. He barely got a chance to scream before the second grab

He sat upright in the bed, laughing as he did. He was back to his usual size, which was expected, Zed didn’t have admin abilities. He couldn’t change his code so casually, this was more akin to a potion or beacon effect. He quickly made his way back into the middle of the room.

“That was amazing!” He shouted up at Zed before yelping as an endermite bit him on the ankle. He crushed it under his foot on impulse. (He did not think about how it was possible that was the endermite that killed him and how easy it was to smash something so small.)

“Glad you enjoyed! Ready for round two?” Zed asked, hand already on the lever.

Tango nodded, taking a step back onto the red X. “Let’s do this!”

#tangotek #zedaph #hermitcraft #hermitcraft g/t #mcyt g/t #october prompts #smalltober #rabbit writes #tiny tangotek #giant zedaph

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