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lu-undy · 3 years

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Valentine’s day 5 - Alternate Universe

My choice went to have Lucien be a baker in Paris while Mundy is visiting the city with his parents!

Here it is on AO3!

"Micky, please tell your mum I'm starvin'."

"Mum, Dad's starvin'." Mundy's head swung from left to right.

"Micky, tell your Dad that I'm done with this cathedral now and we can get some lunch."

Both father and son cheered as they exited the impressive Cathédrale Montmartre.

It had been a few days now that the Turner family had travelled from their native Australia to Paris, France. After years of saving, the farmers and the hunter managed to gather the amount they needed to take some very well earned holidays and see a part of the world that Caroline, the mother, had always dreamt of visiting.

And it was Mundy, the son, now close to forty years old, who had suggested the idea of the trip. In his line of work, travelling was usual and he had seen a few places, and a lot of species already. He knew that his mother had always dreamt of seeing the City of Lights and so, he pushed for the idea to become a reality.

At first his parents thought it was way out of what they could afford not only financially, but physically. They were getting close to their seventies! But Mundy insisted and told the tale of a lot of his patrons who were that age and older, yet still roaming the world.

Caroline and Mike, mother and father, eventually accepted the idea, and Mundy worked extra shifts in pubs, playing the saxophone in some bands here and there, to add a few notes in the piggy bank.

There they were now, the three of them, in the capital of romance. The cathedral they had just visited was on the top of a hill from which they could see the entire city of Paris splayed out and spread in le Bassin Parisien, the valley in which the capital was planted. It was easy to distinguish the business district with its towers of black and blue-ish glass, from the more residential or commercial areas. The Eiffel tower obviously pointed to the sky further away.

Mundy had turned out to be the official photographer for the trip. He just enjoyed seeing the delight on his parents' faces and took pictures of them doing absolutely anything. They had never travelled much and he wanted them to have physical memories of it. On some pictures, they were pointing at a monument, on these ones, they were trying to decipher the names of the streets with a map wide open under their eyes, or just sitting on a bench and enjoying a cone of ice cream. Yes, it was July and peak summer in France, which was quite a surprise for the Aussies, but a welcome one. They all preferred hot and sunny weather, and were used to it.

"Let's try this bakery maybe?"

Caroline pointed at a reasonably small shop. The front of it was Burgundy red with the name shining in golden letters.

"Chez Lucien".

[Lucien's.]

Mundy pushed the door and let his parents through. The jingle of a bell rang and immediately after, a wave of delicious smells washed their lungs and made their mouths water even more.

"Bonjour." The baker greeted them. "Que puis-je faire pour vous?"

[What can I do for you?]

"Bonjour." Mundy tried his best accent. "Do you speak English?"

"Oui, I do." The Turner family sighed in relief. They were now used to communicating in sign language but finding someone who could understand even a bit of English was just their luck. "How may I help you?" The baker answered with more than a hint of a French accent.

"Just give us a second, son. I mean look at all these good things, the smell's amazin'!" Mike said, his eyes running through the sandwiches, the quiches and pastries.

"Merci. Will it be to eat here?”

“Yeah, think so.” Mike answered.

“In that case, you may make yourselves comfortable at a table.” The baker suggested.

Mundy noticed there were only two tables inside and one on the pavement. They relieved themselves of their backpacks and came back in front of the glass.

“Do take your time and don't hesitate to ask me if you need me to explain anything."

"Thanks, mate." Mundy answered.

Caroline held Mike's arm dearly as they chatted and pointed at sandwiches here and there behind the glass. Mundy gave them a bit of space and had a look at the desserts.

The colours beckoned his eyes. Red strawberries, all the shades of brown chocolate, white sugar, green pistachio, orange apricot tarts, yellow lemon ones. And the textures looked very different too. Mundy wished he could try a few.

And what a powerful yet pleasant mix of smells. The smell of hot flour was drowning Mundy entirely. As he raised his eyes and looked behind the baker, bread of different shapes, sizes and colours were neatly arranged in wicker baskets. It was impressive.

"What's this one, son?" Mike asked, pointing at a sandwich.

"This has goat cheese, salad, and a drop of mustard with honey." The man in the white apron answered, and Mike and Caroline nodded. "Do you have any dietary requirements maybe? That might help you make the choice easier."

"Mike here has to watch out for sugar and cholesterol." Caroline said.

"Bah, I'm fine." Mike answered.

"Mike, the doctor said to watch out…! Micky, tell your Dad…!"

"Dad…" Mundy started.

"C'mon son, don't side with your mum! Men's solidarity!"

The baker smiled.

"I can recommend a classic French one, if you want a full French experience." He suggested.

"Sure!" Mike answered. "We haven't come all the way from home to stop at sugar and cholesterol!"

"In that case, I would suggest the classic jambon-beurre."

"John what?" Mike repeated.

"Jambon-beurre." The baker said. "Ham and butter. Now, I can make one with a light butter and lean ham for you."

"That sounds great, what d'you say Caroline?" Mike looked at his wife. "Can I get that?"

"My father himself used to have those when his diet became more strict." The baker explained.

"Oh that's very kind of you." Caroline said. "Sure, go for that. I will have the goat cheese and honey one, I never tried that combination of flavours."

"Very well."

Mundy had been watching the whole scene unravel before his eyes and was grinning. He was over the moon to see his parents so relaxed and enjoying their time. They had worked hard all their lives to provide for their only son and had rarely taken a holiday as significant as this.

"And you, Micky?"

"Huh?"

Caroline's voice had broken her son's daydream.

"Oh, uh, I'll get the ham and butter, the normal kind is fine for me."

"Very well, give me an instant." The baker gathered his ingredients and a bread knife. He prepared the sandwich in front of his hungry clients as they watched him.

Mundy found himself staring. The baker was a bit shorter than him by half a foot or so. He looked a bit older too. His temples were grey and his front tuft, which swung between his eyes as he cut the bread, was greying too. However, his eyes shone with a kind of vivacity, of life, that Mundy found made him younger than himself maybe. He had very light blue eyes with dark eyelashes - beautiful - a slightly hooked nose and thin lips. His hands were trained and used to his work as his efficiency showed, but Mundy guessed that he hadn't been a baker all his life. His fingers were too slim to have done manual work all their lives like his parents'.

"I guess you are visiting France for the first time?"

"Yeah, first time out of home since a long time, son." Mike answered.

"Where are you from, if I may?"

"Australia."

"Ooh, that is indeed a long way from home." The baker chuckled and Mundy saw a flash of his pearly white teeth.

"Yeah, the wife's always wanted to come and see it here, y'know, with it bein' the city of romance and all…" Mike explained and he held his wife's hand dearly.

"But of course." The baker placed the sandwiches on a tray. "Will that be all for you today?"

"Micky, ask your mum if we can get desserts."

"You could ask me directly." Caroline answered.

"Yeah but you'd say no to me, honey."

Caroline rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Fine, let us have a look at what you have, uh…?" Caroline adjusted her glasses, looking for a badge or anything to address the shop owner. His name was sewn on his apron, in black, cursive letters. "Lu…?"

"Lucien."

"Ooh, original name. Sounds very French, beautiful!" Caroline said.

"Thank you, Madame." Lucien bowed his head politely. "May I suggest the strawberry tart for Monsieur? It is mostly fruity and the dough has very little sugar. My most faithful customers do like it particularly."

"Yeah, looks very good." Mike said enthusiastically.

"I'll have one of these, uh…" Caroline pointed at the glass.

"Oh, éclair au chocolat. Do you know what éclair means in French?" Lucien asked.

"No?"

"It is a lightning bolt. As a child, my mother used to make me believe that they were called that way because of how fast I devoured them."

"Ooh, that is sweet…!"

Lucien put the mini tart and the éclair on the tray.

"And for you, Monsieur?" He turned to Mundy, who blushed under the piercing gaze.

"Oh, uh, I mean… Maybe one of these…?"

"Cannelé, they are called, because of their shape. They are typical from the South-West of France, where I come from. Have you ever tried them?"

"No, why?"

Lucien smiled.

"They are rarely a tourist's choice." He simply answered. "Here for you. I recommend enjoying those desserts with some coffee. Pray take a seat, I shall bring you your tray."

"Oh, thank you, dear." Caroline said and the Turner family sat around the table. Lucien closely followed. He added a jug of fresh water and glasses.

"Enjoy your meal, or as we say here, bon appétit." Lucien bowed his head and left his customers to enjoy their meal.

"Mum? Dad?" Mundy was holding the camera and took a picture when they both bit in their sandwiches. "There we go."

The Turners enjoyed their sandwiches and the fresh water. After all, it was summer and it was hot. Caroline reminded Mike to take his pills as usual and Mundy was sitting next to them. He loved his parents more than anything or anyone else and in truth, they were all he had. He had a few friends back in Oz, not a lot, but good ones.

"Son?" Mike's whisper pulled Mundy out of his daydream.

"Hm?"

"Can you please tell your mum to stop starin' at the baker like that."

"If I was a few decades younger…" Caroline whispered.

"Yeah, well, if you were a few decades younger, you'd remember that ring on your finger maybe, eh?" Mike teased.

"Mum, please… You're makin' it obvious…" Mundy nudged his mother's elbow gently.

Lucien was behind the counter, leaning on the wall on his side and reading a newspaper.

"C'mon, Micky, tell your Dad that he's handsome!" Caroline nudged her son back.

"Mum…!" He blushed.

"Yeah well, go and have sandwiches with him, then!" Mike answered.

"Oh I would!"

"Caroline!"

"Mike!"

"Mum, Dad, please…!"

"Nah, son, I've seen her stare at enough guys here. Since the moment we landed here and now, her eyes jumped from bloke to bloke like a bee from flower to flower!"

"Not my fault that they all look so charming! And I didn't say anything when you stared at that young sheila in the short skirt in the cathedral…!"

"Well…" Mike blushed, ashamed. "I'm a simple man…!"

"Besides, I'm not the only one who's starin', Mike."

"Hm?"

Caroline nodded in direction of Mundy, for whom the whispers of his parents had dissolved in the air. He had eyes and ears only for that baker. God, his mother was right, he was handsome!

Caroline was right on that people there in France were quite good looking and it made the journey all the more pleasant to the eye.

"Micky?" Mike's voice pulled Mundy out of his staring.

"Huh?"

"Well, I can't tell you to stop cause you got a ring on your finger but uh… make it a bit more, y'know, discreet…?"

Mundy blushed beyond his ears and lowered his head.

And that was the first encounter with Lucien, the baker. From that day on, the Turners would try to have their lunch there everyday. Caroline was the one to push for it. Not only did Lucien turn out to be an incredible guide for them, recommending good and inexpensive restaurants as well as little corners of paradise within Paris, but she could see the blush on Mundy's cheeks whenever Lucien talked to him.

In the evenings, Mundy would take a stroll outside, to give his parents some space. He would walk in the streets of the city, under the lamp posts, letting his feet decide where he should go. More often than once, he found himself not far from the bakery. On one occasion, Lucien was smoking outside of his bakery, as the sky was still bright. Mundy was paralysed with fear. He wasn't supposed to be standing there! He was supposed to be in his shop, and then Mundy could casually look through the window as he passed it, maybe even wave if he made eye contact with him. Yeah, that all made sense, but not Lucien being outside and-!

"Bonsoir, Mundy, wasn't it?"

[Good evening]

Mundy's blood froze. As he was panicking internally, his feet had continued walking until he was within a few feet from the baker.

"Y-yeah, hi."

"Do you smoke?" Lucien asked.

"Yeah, I mean, sometimes."

"Here." Lucien offered one of his cigarettes and Mundy accepted it.

"Thanks, mate."

"Come closer."

Mundy blushed when Lucien closed the gap between them and lit his cigarette up. He closed his eyes and all he could feel was the smell of the Frenchman's cologne, mixed with pastries and fresh bread.

Gosh… He thought as he felt his insides melt.

"Voilà." Lucien chimed as he put his lighter away. Mundy opened his eyes and he felt as if he had emerged from a dream to another one. Now, the ice blue eyes of the elegant man were on him.

"Y-yeah, thanks, heh."

"You like to walk at night?" Lucien asked as they both exhaled the bitter smoke.

"Yeah, it's nice and calm."

"And I guess it is your break from your photography duties?" The Frenchman chuckled.

"What?"

"You are the one carrying the camera all the time, and taking pictures of your parents. Do you have any of you?"

"Uh, yeah, we do have a few of all three of us together."

"I would be delighted to take more in my shop next time you have lunch here."

"Ah, thanks."

They stayed in front of the shop and smoked in silence, watching the few people in the streets come and go.

"Mundy?"

"Yeah?"

"I will soon close the shop. Would you like anything?"

"Oh, uh, no, I'm fine, thanks."

"Very well." Lucien put the cigarette between his lips and entered the bakery. Mundy wasn't sure he could or should follow him so he stayed on the threshold. He watched as Lucien disappeared through a door behind the counter. Soon after, the lights switched off in the shop and Lucien emerged. Mundy couldn't see him clearly in the dark but his silhouette stood out.

"Very well. This is it for today." He said as he came out and locked the shop. "I could do with some good coffee, would you like to join me, perhaps? I know a quiet café." Lucien turned to Mundy who was staring at him. "Mundy?".

He had never seen the baker outside of his natural habitat and a bit like a schoolboy who couldn't imagine his teacher living outside of school, Mundy was taken aback. It turned out that underneath the apron was a white polo shirt and now a beige linen jacket, with a matching hat and trousers.

"U-uh? Yeah? Sorry, you said somethin'?"

"You daydream a lot, hm?" Lucien chuckled.

"Sorry…" Mundy looked away and felt the heat of the embarrassment on his cheeks.

"It is alright, I do like to daydream too." He smiled as Mundy raised his eyes to him and the Aussie immediately averted his eyes. Oof, that grin…! "But you haven't answered my invitation."

"Y-your invitation?"

"Oui, coffee, with me?"

"You sure? I mean, I guess you're tired after work and maybe you want to go back home to your family or see your mates…?"

"I don't have one or the other." Mundy's eyebrows jumped. "You and your parents are the closest I have got to having friends for a long time. So, what do you say? Un café avec moi?"

[A coffee with me?]

"Oh, uh, alright. I mean uh, oui?"

Lucien smiled.

"Très bien, follow me."

[Very well]

The Frenchman led the way through the streets.

"So you left Maman and Papa at the hotel?"

"Uh, yeah. I try to give them some space. Mum's always dreamt to come here with Dad."

"Not with you?" Lucien asked.

"No, I didn't want it to sound so bad… I mean that she'd wanted to come here even before they found me."

"They… found you?" Lucien repeated as they took a turn.

"Oh Gosh, I can't keep my mouth shut…" Mundy mumbled to himself. "Sorry, mate, I-I meant… Ugh… Nevermind."

Lucien didn't insist.

"Here is the café." He pulled the front door and held it open for his tourist friend.

"Oh, thanks."

And it lasted for a couple of weeks, the nights out, sometimes in a café, sometimes just a tour of a neighbourhood with an incredibly patient and passionate guide.

"You like Paris quite a bit, eh?" Mundy asked under the dark blue sky lit by the Eiffel Tower. Lucien had taken him to the Champs de Mars, an open park just in front of the beautifully lit, iconic tower. They were both sitting on the grass.

"Believe it or not, I do not like it much."

"Really?"

"Oui."

"You know it well though, historical stuff and all."

There was a slight smile on the Frenchman's lips.

"Oui, unfortunately so, for some part of it. Non, what I have come to appreciate about this city recently is how you like it."

"What?" Mundy asked, embarrassed and confused. Lucien chuckled.

"You enjoy visiting Paris."

"Well, there's a lot of monuments to see, lots of history behind it, and it's a proper city. The Outback's very different."

"Tell me about it."

They exchanged a glance and Mundy's throat tightened. He could see all the lights on the Eiffel Tower shimmer on the Frenchman's eyes, like stars in a clear blue sky.

"Well… Uh…" Mundy looked left and right. "See everythin' around us?"

"Oui?"

"Imagine there's nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yeah, and imagine there's no grass but just orange dust."

"Hm…" Lucien looked keenly around him.

"Now add a few cacti, not too many, eh? And boulders. Just big rocks, basically."

"What shapes are they?"

"Any weird shape you can imagine. They're a bit like clouds, if you stare at them, you start seeing that they look like stuff but they don't really…"

"Oh… And what shapes have you seen?"

Mundy looked at Lucien sitting next to him. He had removed his hat and jacket. His polo shirt was white with dark blue stripes and he wore matching dark blue chinos trousers with beige loafers. Elegant, he was just so elegant…! What's more, he was lying on his side on the grass, resting part of his weight on his forearm, with one leg folded. Gosh…

"Uh… I usually see animals."

"What kind?"

"Sometimes, it's a gigantic wallaby, or a koala. But sometimes, it's stuff that doesn't even exist."

"Hm, like what?"

Like you, Mundy thought. No one had taken the time to go out with him, take the time to know him, go to cafés and odd little bistrots with him. No one had ever listened to his life in the Outback, no one had ever asked. And certainly, no one had done all that and looked half as gorgeous as Lucien. It was to the point where Mundy struggled to maintain eye contact with him for long. He would sometimes cross Lucien's eyes and avert his gaze the split second after. His feline, light blue irises were too much to take, especially because each time Lucien graced him with a gaze, Mundy could feel a punch to his guts and the blood rush to his cheeks.

"I-I don't know, it's a bit silly…" He answered, blushing and looking down between his crossed legs.

"Mundy…"

He froze when he felt a finger under his chin, pulling it up.

"Huh?"

"Please, tell me."

Gosh, not those eyes…! Oh and fuck it… Mundy couldn't refuse or ignore anything to those ice blue irises.

"Sometimes it's a mix of animals… Like something with the head of an owl, the body of a falcon, but legs like a wild cat. I know, it's ridiculous, ahem…"

"Non, not at all." Lucien answered and maybe it was all in Mundy's head, but he felt the Frenchman's index linger on his chin a bit before parting. The Aussie's jaw was electrified. "I find it poetic."

"D-do you?" Mundy's surprise was so obvious, so naive that it made Lucien grin sweetly. The Aussie uncrossed his legs and let them flow in front of him.

"Oui." Lucien laid down and rested his head on Mundy's thigh.

"Huh-?" Mundy gasped.

"Oh, am I weighing too much on you?"

"N-no, it's fine. I'm just-I'm just surprised, is all." The truth was that Mundy felt the heat in him surge as unexpectedly as Lucien lay on him. Was he just tired of holding his head on his palm? Was it friendly? Was it more? Was it a French thing?

"Hm. Look around you." Lucien said and Mundy did as he was told. It was the dead of night and not many people were out. "The city is almost empty. The Paris of the night is waking up and claiming the streets now."

"The Paris of the night?" Mundy repeated.

"Oui, people who shun the naked light of day because society shunned them first. Those are people whom morality and customs do not understand yet, people who are too free."

"What d'you mean?"

"Look at the pavement there." Lucien pointed and Mundy saw a few women wearing short skirts.

"Yeah?"

"Do you see these women?"

"Yeah."

"They are not women."

"What?"

"They are not women in what is most commonly accepted as the definition for it. They need the cover of the night to exist as they want to. I find it tragic yet strongly inspiring." Lucien went on. "They need the blanket of the dark night sky to wear the dresses, skirts and make-up that they want. We are not too different from them, you and me."

"How? You wanna wear a dress now?" Mundy joked and Lucien chuckled, his head still using the Aussie's thigh as a pillow.

"Non, we too are taking advantage of the night to be what the light of day prevents us from being."

Mundy's heart pounded in his chest. He was afraid he was understanding what Lucien meant, or maybe he wasn't at all and he was just hearing what the thin voice at the back of his head was whispering.

"Huh?"

"May I?"

Mundy sweated. Lucien had taken his fingers in his.

"Y-yeah, I think."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to force you - oh?" Lucien's eyebrows jumped and he then relaxed when Mundy pushed his trembling fingers shyly between his. Lucien held on to his hand dearly. "Mundy?"

"Mh?" The Aussie was screwing his eyes shut hard and was trying to calm his pounding heart and the rush of blood through his body.

"Merci."

[Thank you.]

His eyes snapped wide.

"What?"

"I said thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything."

And that night, they stayed on the Champs de Mars all the way up until the sun showed its first rays of light. At that point, they were both lying on their backs. The wide lawn was their mattress and the early hours of the new day captured the murmurs of what no one else but them should know.

It lasted for weeks, enough to make a habit out of it and to make Mundy think that it could last forever. Unfortunately enough, the holidays were coming to an end and Australia was calling the Turners back.

"You're not going out tonight? You should take a walk, Micky."

In their hotel room, Caroline and Mike were talking to Mundy.

"Your Mum's right, son. You could do with some fresh air."

"We spent our day outside. I'm tired."

Mike and Caroline exchanged a glance and went to the bathroom.

"I'm tellin' you, Mike, we have to push him out." She whispered to her husband. "He's as sad he could be."

"Yeah, I know, I know… But you're absolutely sure it will do him good?"

"Mike, I'm a sheila. We feel those things. Look at him…"

Caroline held the bathroom door ajar and Mike peeked through the slim opening.

"Doesn't he remind you of someone?" She asked.

"Hm. Yeah, course he does. Look at him lyin' on his bed, starin' at the ceiling. His body is here, his heart is elsewhere. He's exactly like me when I first met you, honey." Mike sighed. "Right, I'll get him out of this room. But you gotta help me."

"Ok, what's the plan?" Caroline asked excitedly.

"Follow me."

Mike took his wife by the hand and they exited the bathroom.

"Uh, Caroline, darl', d'you mind waitin' in the bathroom. This is guys' only talk."

"Fine."

Mike went to sit on Mundy's bed, next to him.

"Look, son. Uh… Your mum and I… Uh… We could do with a couple of hours alone if you… uh… If that's ok with you…?"

Mundy's eyes snapped wide and he sat up, looking his father in the eye and blushing. Mike was averting his gaze from his son, a bit ashamed.

"Oh…" Mundy answered. "Right, fine, I'll uh… I'll go have a walk. I'll be back in a couple hours then. Sorry."

"Good boy, no, no, don't apologise, it's fine." Mike said as Mundy put on his shoes and hat. "Take a bit of money with you and stay safe, eh?"

"Will do. Thanks, Dad."

"No, thank you, son."

Mundy exited the hotel and soon found himself in the streets. The sun was gently setting and the sky was orange with a few streaks of pink. The next day would again be very sunny.

Mundy didn't see it. His eyes were riveted on his shoes, his hands in his pockets, and his back hunched. He was in his own bubble and wanted to stay there, have some time alone to think.

About what? The obvious, of course. He was about to leave Paris, to leave France, to leave Europe, the Northern Hemisphere. He was about to leave Lucien and hadn't told him the dreadful news yet. Why? Because he didn't know how to tell him, especially now…!

Mundy sighed as he recalled the events of the previous night. They were on the quays of the Seine, the river that slithers through Paris.

"You can see almost everything from this river, eh?" Mundy realised.

"Oui, most monuments and important buildings you can see from here."

"Impressive… Oh…"

Lucien had slid his arm around Mundy's and his hand glided down until his fingers laced between the Aussie's. Mundy clenched his hand. He liked it way too much. Oh, hold on, maybe it was too much? He could feel his hand sweating…!

"S-sorry…" He pulled his hand off and wiped it nervously on his trousers.

"There is no problem." Lucien took Mundy's hand again. He pulled it up to his lips and kissed it.

"W-woah… Uhm…"

Lucien chuckled.

"You are such a delightful hint of the exotism I used to love…"

"What's that mean?"

They stopped walking along the river banks. Lucien went to the edge and looked at the streamflow for an instant. He removed his loafers elegantly and rolled his trousers' ends up along his calves. Mundy blushed. Contrary to him, Lucien didn't have a tan and being lighter in skin tone than him, he appeared almost snow white compared to Mundy. The Aussie watched as Lucien sat at the edge and let his feet dangle down. They were in the water up to his ankles. Mundy copied him and they were soon sitting side by side, their feet in the river.

Lucien leaned on Mundy's side and took his hand again. He held it dearly between both of his own.

"Mundy?"

"Yeah?"

"You are leaving a strong impression on me."

Mundy's eyebrows jumped.

"Y-you too." He removed his hat and leaned his head on Lucien's.

Silence fell for a while. It was soothing, hearing just the lapping sounds of the cool water licking their feet and their breaths.

"Lucien?"

"Oui?"

"Can I ask you somethin'?"

"You just did, and yes you may."

"How come you uh… I mean I don't want it to sound bad but… How come you spend all your nights with me? I mean, don't you have anyone waitin' at home? Family, friends? Even the weekends you spend with me. Y'know, it's ok if you wanted to not see me for a few days, I'd understand."

"I have very few friends. To be truly honest, I have none. The only person waiting for me back home is Perle."

"Oh, who's that? Family?"

"Better than that, she is my cat."

"Oh, you have a kitty?"

"The best in the world."

"What does she look like?" Mundy asked.

"Look here, I have a photograph of her." Lucien took his wallet off of his inner pocket and retrieved a small rectangular picture. It wasn't much bigger than a stamp. He handed it to Mundy.

"Oh, woah… Expensive she must be, eh. Gorgeous, long, snow white fur and light eyes, like you almost - huh, I mean…"

"Oui, she has blue eyes." Lucien simply answered. "You wouldn't know on the black and white picture. And I had no idea she was expensive, even though she is priceless to me."

"You didn't buy her off a shop or someone?"

"Non, I rescued her when she was a kitten, cold, shivering and skinny. Poor baby, she barely had the strength to mewl."

"Oh, woah…" Mundy handed back the picture and as Lucien stored it safely in his wallet again, the Aussie was devouring him with his eyes.

"I raised her as best as I could and we understand each other pretty well. She is my little baby, or as I like to call her, mon petit bébé."

"Uh… I… I mean…" Gosh, words jangled and mixed in his head. He had found a man gorgeous as a God, patient with him, who respected his shyness, didn't take advantage of it, didn't force him to do anything and loved his cat?

"Oui?" Lucien raised his fair eyes to Mundy and that didn't help the Aussie at all. His thoughts were broken, everything broke under those eyes.

"Uh?"

Lucien chuckled.

"It is fine. You don't have to say anything." He leaned his head on Mundy's shoulder and held his hand. "What about you? Do you have any relatives besides your parents?"

"Uh, no. It's just them and me. I got a few uncles and aunts. See them for Christmas with my cousins and their kids. And for the pets, we got a few dogs to keep the beasts away from the hens and geese. Mum has a cat too, Percy, he's black and white, with green eyes."

"What kinds of dogs?"

"An Aussie shepherd and a border collie. Good girls they are. We had a few through the years but dogs don't live as long as we want them to, eh?"

"Indeed."

"How old is your cat? What's her name again?"

"Perle, or for you, Pearl. She is now seven years old."

"Oh, a big girl."

"A wise lady indeed. My only companion since… A long time."

"Fair enough. Haven't had anyone to talk to for years too. I mean, apart from my parents."

"You don't have friends in Australia?"

"I do, yeah, but… Uh… Not like you."

"Well I don't imagine you have bakers who have become part time tourist guides there, hm?" Lucien teased.

"Nah, that's true. But uh, yeah, I mean… We've talked about anythin' for the past few weeks, right?"

"Oh oui, from cacti, to desert, to wild animals, Australian beers, dishes, weather, slang…."

"Yeah, and now I feel like I know Paris almost better than where I come from!" Mundy chuckled.

They looked in each other's eyes.

"We indeed have had conversations about anything with baffling ease."

"Yeah…" Mundy confirmed.

"Merci. It had been ages since I last felt such a pleasant connection with someone."

"Same for me."

Lucien had looked up at Mundy and stared. The Aussie hadn't noticed that the Frenchman's pupils dilated as they sank from his lagoon blue eyes, down his long, straight nose, to his rough, thin lips. Mundy was lost in the ice blue irises and time had stopped. Lucien did half of the work and pulled his neck up. Mundy could smell his perfume and his cigarettes, maybe a lingering faint aroma of hot flour too. But the Aussie had been oblivious and didn't meet the Frenchman half-way.

It had been roughly twenty-fours hours after these events now, and Mundy couldn't have got any of it out of his head. He was stuck there and then, his hand between Lucien's, his head leaning on the Frenchman.

And he found it ridiculous! Dinners in little, hidden bistrots, holding hands on the banks of the river Seine, pulling an all-nighter on the grass under the Eiffel Tower… What the hell had he become?

If his parents knew of it, if his friends knew of it, what would they all think? A holiday romance, nothing much? Pfff…

What hurt Mundy wasn't any of that. It was the fact that he had grown attached to Lucien. For him, it wasn't just a holiday matter, he wanted it to be more. Why? Because where on Earth would he find someone that would treat him so well and with whom he felt that he could share his everything? He felt safe with Lucien. He felt safe in a way that the hunter never thought he would one day experience because what that meant is that he was much more insecure about himself than what he let on…

Most people he knew would describe him as a nice bloke if not very talkative. They assumed he was just like that. But now, Mundy realised that he was just… shy. Part of him even thought that he was afraid. Of what? Of people, constantly watching and judging him.

He didn't like people and preferred animals in that respect. Animals didn't care that you were still mostly living with your parents, driving your father's van around the desert. Animals didn't ask about his job only to fantasise about it, use him for the night and throw him away. Animals didn't think they couldn't build anything with him because of his almost nomad way of life. No, animals cared for him because he cared for them, end of story.

"Bonsoir, Mundy. You took your time tonight, I thought you wouldn't come."

[Good evening, Mundy.]

The voice with the French accent broke Mundy's train of thought abruptly and he winced. He looked down at his feet and gave them an angry glance.

Well thanks for that… He was thinking. While he had been pulling on the thread of his thoughts like a cat on a ball of yarn, his feet had guided Mundy to the bakery.

"Oh, uh, y-yeah, sorry…"

"Are you alright?" Lucien asked, as Mundy still hadn't made eye contact with him.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

The Frenchman could have smelt that it was a lie from a mile away. He nonetheless ignored it and they both walked together along the street.

"What would you like to do tonight?" He asked.

"Don't know. You choose."

"In that case, there is somewhere that we could try." Lucien took Mundy's hand and led the way. He had an idea to cheer up his more-than-friend.

The walk was silent as Lucien decided against insisting. Mundy seemed the type to like silence and solitude well, which the Frenchman respected. He too had his moments where he would rather be alone.

Soon enough, they entered a café. Lucien quickly found a table and they both sat down, opposite each other. A waiter soon came. The Frenchman placed their order while Mundy was still brooding, somewhere between his own mind and nowhere… The waiter placed two mugs on the table and disappeared again.

"Here." Lucien took Mundy's hand and pushed it to the mug gently.

"Huh?" When his fingers registered the heat from both Lucien's hand and the mug, Mundy's eyes snapped wide and he landed back on Earth.

"Drink this."

"What is it?"

"Can't you tell?"

Mundy's sense of smell woke up as he raised the mug closer to his lips.

"Hot chocolate?"

"Oui, but not any kind. Try it."

Mundy did as he was told and took a sip.

"Hm… Very soft but not too sweet."

"As my mother used to do to me whenever I felt low, as a child. I kept the habit of coming here and having one whenever I felt like nothing else could help."

"Mh."

"Are you sure you don't want to talk to me about it, whatever it is?" Lucien asked after Mundy took another sip.

"I… I don't know…"

"Is it your parents? They seemed fine for lunch today."

"No, it's not them. It's me."

Lucien tilted his head on the side and his hand slid on the table until he cupped Mundy's, against the mug.

"Tell me, please."

Mundy sighed.

"I'll be goin' back to Oz. I-I'm gonna leave and… I… I kind of… I don't wanna." He mumbled, his eyes riveted on the hot chocolate. Lucien looked at him distraught.

"I see." He answered. "Do you really wish to stay here?"

"Y-yeah."

"You like Paris that much?"

Obviously, Mundy couldn't care less about the city. What counted was Lucien, and Lucien was staying there.

"Mundy…? Talk to me, please. I hate to see you distraught." Now, both of Lucien's hands were on Mundy's, wrapped around the warm mug.

"I don't wanna go, is all. It's childish and just plain ridiculous. But I wish I could stay and have… Have more tours of Paris.. With you."

Lucien's thumbs brushed Mundy's hands.

"I wish you could stay too, Mundy." Finally, the Aussie raised his head and met Lucien's sad eyes. "I have rarely felt the peace that I do with you. Your company is soothing for my now fragile nerves."

Mundy raised an eyebrow.

"What d'you mean?"

"There was a time where I was able to withstand a lot of pressure on my shoulders; the pressure of an entire country even. The moment it was gone, my body and mind collapsed. I didn't know anything anymore, even my own identity, what I was, who I was, was hard to grasp. It took years to come back from there. Years that I wouldn't have survived if not for Perle. I focused my time and energy on her. I devoted my attention to her and it distracted me from thinking too much about myself." He paused to catch his breath.

"Y-you got ill?" Lucien raised his eyes to Mundy.

"Oui, a kind of illness that no doctor knows exactly how to cure. A lot of soldiers go through it. They come back from the battlefields and they find it very hard to adjust back to civil life."

"You were a soldier?"

"Worse, but oui, I belonged to the army."

"How did you become a baker then? You were already one before you went to the army?" Mundy asked.

"Non, I was not. I had no skills besides those that I learnt in the army, or so few. You will mock me, but the idea came from Perle."

"Your kitty?"

Lucien nodded.

"One day I took her out to buy some bread with me. She was lying on my shoulders and when I was queueing to get my bread, she jumped out and into the back of the bakery." Lucien smiled as he remembered the events. "The baker let me through and we looked for her together. When we found her, she was asleep on a tray of still warm brioches."

"Aw, was that a long time ago?"

"She was somewhere between a kitten and an adult cat; a teenager, if you will."

"Ah, right. But how did you become a baker?"

"I apologised profusely to the baker and told him I would pay for all the damage and the pawprints… He told me he'd rather have someone to help him make all that again rather than take my money. So I offered my help. He taught me most of what I know now."

"Wow… Talk about finding work randomly, eh…"

"Oui, indeed. Since then, I have felt much better. Working put my attention and energy into something that brought smiles to the customers and apparently, to me too."

"So you got your own bakery goin'?"

"The previous owner of my bakery happens to be that man from the story. He was very old and decided to retire a few years later. He offered to let me buy the shop from him, which I did. I then changed the name to mine and redid some parts inside, the decoration mainly."

"Oh, I see… Wow… Great story you have."

"Merci." Lucien took a sip of his hot chocolate. "What about you? You said you were a hunter?"

"Yeah, but work is more and more rare now when you mainly do pest control and poacher scarin'."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't hunt beasts for trophies, fur or fun. I hunt and tranquilise whatever happens to be a bit too far from its natural habitat, load it on my van, and drive it back where it should be or in a reserve. As for the poachers, I scare them off of endangered species."

"So you don't kill animals?"

"Very rarely. Only for food when I'm out for days and far from home."

"Oh…" Lucien's eyebrows jumped. "I did not expect that. In fact, I didn't even know that this job existed."

"As far as I know, I'm the only one who doesn't actually kill the beasts. I get contracts that get me travellin' through the world quite a bit."

"Very exciting."

"Seein' the sights is nice, yeah. But uh, I miss my family quite fast and uh… It's not so much my family but… I feel a bit… Uh…"

"Lonely?"

Mundy nodded.

"Yeah…"

"I would recommend getting a cat," Lucien said. "But I am afraid that it doesn't completely fill the emptiness that you feel inside."

"I'd imagine so, yeah…"

Silence fell for a while as they both drank more of their hot chocolates.

"I would love you to stay, but your life, your family and your job are in Australia." Lucien said and his eyes met Mundy. They were both distraught and could hardly hide it.

"Yeah… And I don't know anythin' else but shooting a rifle." Mundy looked through the window. It was now properly dark outside and only the yellow lamps inside the old café provided them with some light.

"I am immensely grateful to you however."

"For what?"

"I wouldn't be able to put a name on it but you brought me some peace and you made me wake up in the morning with a new feeling; the eagerness of welcoming a new day that will for sure contain some spark of joy, namely, your presence, your… Hm, you."

Mundy blushed and turned as red as a brick.

"Y-you do the same. I mean, for me. I uh… I'm not just happy to visit the city with my parents. I'm uh… I'm happy in the evenings, with you."

They hadn't realised until then but they were holding hands on the table, the mugs had been pushed aside.

"I wish I could stay, I really do. But uh… Yeah, without a job or anythin', I can't."

"I understand and, for what it is worth, I would love for you to stay too." Lucien hesitated but thought that it might be his last evening with Mundy. He looked around and could see the few customers in the café were far from them. "And not just to help you visit the city."

Mundy's eyebrows jumped as Lucien had spoken quite low. The Frenchman was staring at him with a particular shine in his eyes. He slightly bent forward and Mundy mirrored him. Their faces were a few inches apart.

"L-Lucien, I'd uh… I'd better get back. We still gotta pack a few things before leavin' tomorrow."

Lucien's chest burnt. Hot lava was being poured on his heart.

"Before you go, may I tell you something?"

They were both whispering. Mundy nodded and Lucien gestured to him to get closer, which he did. The Frenchman wrapped a hand behind Mundy's neck and the Aussie froze rigid when he felt Lucien's breath on his ear.

"Je t'aime." He simply whispered and Mundy's entire being burst and melted when he felt Lucien's lips on his rough cheek.

[I love you.]

"U-uh…" The air was scarce in the room but it happened too fast and Mundy was left alone at the table. Lucien had dashed out faster than a shadow. "Fuck me…"

Soon, the surge of love was replaced by boiling rage and Mundy stormed out of the café, almost running back to the hotel. That night, he cried himself to sleep as silently as he could. He didn't want his parents to hear it.

The next morning, Mundy was woken up by his mother.

"Micky, sweetie? You've been sleepin' a long time, it's lunchtime now."

"Don't wanna eat." He rolled himself under the blanket and his parents exchanged a concerned look. "You can go if you want."

"Micky, you can't travel on an empty stomach, son." Mike's voice took the decision for everyone and Mundy sighed before getting out of bed and dressed up.

They arranged for their luggage to be transferred to the airport while they went to have lunch. Obviously, they ended up in Lucien's bakery.

"Bonjour, Lucien!" Mike tried his best.

"Bonjour, Mike. What will it be today?"

"Hold your horses, son, I've gotta see with the wife if I can get dessert first…!"

"Mike, you know the answer to that…"

"Lucien," Mike turned to the baker. "You married, by any chance?"

Lucien shook his head.

"Non, I nearly did but it did not happen."

"Well, before you get married, ask them if you can get dessert for the rest of your life."

"Mike…! You know why you have to be careful, the doctor said so, now be reasonable, dear." Caroline tried.

"And only get a ring on your finger if they say that yes, you can get dessert until your very last breath!"

Lucien smiled, albeit sadly. After that, the Turner family placed their order and soon enough, their sandwiches and salads appeared on the table.

"Lucien, excuse me, dear?" Caroline called and Lucien came to her.

"Oui, Madame?"

"I saw the poster on your front door. You're looking to hire?"

"Oui, indeed. I think this is the end of a chapter for me. Time maybe to do something else."

"Oh, that's a shame. You're very good at what you do!"

"Yeah, your sandwiches are amazin'." Mike added.

"Thank you very much."

"Did you receive applications?" Caroline asked.

"I am afraid not, but I have only put that poster up this morning."

"What kind of people're you lookin' for?" Mike asked.

"Anyone, from inexperienced to confirmed bakers. In fact, I learnt this trade as a beginner and I would like to pass on my knowledge and techniques to someone else. But don't let me bother you. Enjoy your lunch."

He bowed and returned behind his counter. Mundy hadn't listened to any of it. He couldn't even raise his eyes off of his shoes, especially not to see Lucien. It hurt too much.

"Micky?"

"Mh."

"Micky, you want to eat before we go, dear." Caroline said and her son sighed before taking a bite. He chewed slowly and looked away from anyone else.

"Don't like your sandwich, son?"

Mundy didn't answer and didn't see Caroline and Mike exchanging a glance.

"You can try another one, eh."

Still no answer from the heartbroken Aussie. It was a torture. Eating a sandwich made by the hand of a man he had cried for, hands that he had spent the past few weeks holding fondly even if he had never initiated it. Gosh, now he regretted it, he should have done something, anything…! But he wasn't ready, he never was, he had never been prepared for it! In more than three decades of existence, who the hell would come to him and teach him?

"Mike, Madame Caroline?" Lucien had come to the table.

"Yeah?"

"I have a… an unusual request, if I may."

"Go ahead, son." Mike wiped his mouth and frowned to listen better.

"It is actually for Mundy." Lucien said and Mundy frowned too but his eyes were still low. "If you would rather make your own sandwich, you may help yourself to the fridge and the breads that I have."

Mundy didn't flinch.

"If you want… You can… Make not only your sandwich, but… other sandwiches."

"Oh, you mean to take away? Ouch!" Mike asked and received an elbow to his ribs from Caroline who glared at him.

"That is lovely of you, Lucien. Yes, I think he would love doing that, if that is ok with you?"

"It is the least I can offer, Madame."

"Oh, you really don't have to…!"

"Allow me to insist. You have been lovely customers throughout all these weeks."

"And you have been a lovely guide! So, Micky, what do you say?" Caroline asked her son and he sighed.

"Don't know." He mumbled.

"C'mon sweetie, go and make your own sandwich. And make a couple of extra ones for your Dad and I, for the road."

"Mum…" Mundy hid his face in his hands.

"Micky, you don't want to be impolite to Lucien." She insisted.

"Hm…" He grumbled and pushed his chair back before standing up, not seeing his mother whispering something to his father.

"Here, wear this. It would be a shame to have flour on your polo shirt." Lucien handed him an apron. Mundy took it and put it on without looking at it. This whole show hurt and was preposterous… "Now let me show you around the house, pray follow me."

Mundy dragged his feet on the floor and followed Lucien behind the counter.

"What sandwiches would you and Mike like, Madame Caroline?" Lucien asked.

"If you have that ham and butter, what d'you call it again, Lucien?" She answered.

"Jambon-beurre, Madame." He answered. "Mundy, please take one of those in front of you? Thank you, now, follow me to the fridge. Here is the light butter and the lean ham. I keep them on this side to not get them confused with their regular counterparts. Now, you will do your father's sandwich. Here, chopping board, a fresh baguette and a knife. Go ahead."

"L-Lucien…" Mundy sighed in front of the ingredients. "I can't."

Caroline stood up and went to the counter with Mike, customer side, while Mundy and Lucien were on the other side.

"C'mon, son, your first sandwich here, Micky! Caroline, get the camera!" Mike encouraged him.

"And we get to see you make it!" Caroline added enthusiastically and readied herself to take a picture.

"Wh-what?" Mundy asked, confused that his parents were that thrilled for… him making a couple of sandwiches.

"C'mon, cut the bread, Micky, chop, chop!" Mike said and Mundy got to work, missing the point entirely. He made the sandwich for his father and added his mother's to the plastic bag.

"I won't take one for myself." Mundy said and started undoing the apron.

"Of course not, son!" Mike answered with a chuckle and Mundy's confusion just jumped a notch.

"And what are you doing, Micky? Keep the apron!" Caroline laughed.

"What? I'm not gonna travel with that!" Mundy answered.

"Of course not!" She answered.

"What the hell's been going on? Look, this is just - it's just…!" Mundy covered his face with his hands to hide his shame. At that point he thought it was a nightmare and he would wake up.

"Ooh, we're sorry, sweetie…" Caroline hugged him. "We didn't want to upset you."

"But why…?"

"Micky, look at your apron, son." Mike said.

"Dad, look, I'm just tired. Let's go back home." Beyond the distress of leaving Lucien, Mundy felt embarrassed, ashamed to have been put on the spot with the apron, the sandwich making… What was that all about…?

"S'il te plaît, Mundy."

[Please, Mundy.]

Caroline and Mike stepped back to let Lucien get closer to Mundy. The Aussie turned his face away. He couldn't take any of it anymore.

"Mundy…?"

"Take it back and leave me alone." Mundy removed the apron completely and pushed it against Lucien's chest.

"On one condition, you look here."

Mundy sighed but obeyed. Lucien held the apron between his hands.

"What do you read here?"

The apron was white with something sewn on it. Mundy squinted. His shoulders and jaw dropped when he read the word.

Mundy

It was sewn in cursive letters. Mundy looked at Lucien's apron. His name was sewn in the same style.

"What? What's that mean?"

"It means, and forgive me for repeating myself, that I am offering you a job here." Lucien answered.

"What?! I know nothing of bread!"

"I will teach you, you will see, it isn't hard at all."

"But why? I gotta go back home…" Mundy turned to his parents.

"Micky, you can stay longer if you want." Mike said.

"Yeah, it's fine, you're a big boy and you've stayed with us long enough. Maybe this is your chance?" Caroline added and Mundy's eyes lit up with joy and excitement.

"Really?" His voice broke under the emotion he was trying to prudely contain.

"Of course!" Caroline answered. She went to the tip of her toes to put a hand on Mundy’s rough, slender cheek. "Look, for the past few weeks, we realised with your Dad that we hadn't seen you that happy in years. Each night, when you come back from your walks, you smile and even when you sleep, the smile stays on…!"

"Your Mum's right, son. If you're happy here with Lucien, then stay, at least a bit more. And it's not like you were exactly earnin' a decent wage out of a few hunting contracts, eh? Folks will find other people to deal with their beasts. You deal with you, ok?"

"Oh my God…" Mundy's tears came to his eyes faster than he could control. "Gosh…!" He hid his face and his shame with his hands.

"Aw, baby Micky…!" Caroline went to the tip of her toes to hug him and Mike tapped him on the back.

"It's alright, son, it's alright."

"But, you sure, though?" Mundy withdrew from the hug and looked his parents in the eye.

"Of course! We'll make it back home and give you a call when we get there." Caroline said, pinching his cheek gently.

"Yeah, of course!" Mike added. "Now, c'mere son." Father and son exchanged a long hug. "You make your parents proud, yeah?"

"Yeah, Dad, don't worry."

"And you be a good boy, eh?" Caroline added.

"Yes, Mum, I will."

"You look out for each other, alright boys?" Mike looked at Lucien.

"We will, Mike." The Frenchman answered. "But Mundy…?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you accept my offer?" Lucien held the apron up.

Mundy looked at his parents who nodded, then back at Lucien.

"Yeah… Please."

"Fine." Lucien got closer and put the apron on Mundy. He then tied it for him as the Aussie's eyes were riveted on his parents. Caroline was leaning on her husband's side and both wore a proud smile. Mundy hadn't seen his parents smile like that for a long, long time. "There, you are ready."

"Thanks, Lucien." They exchanged a tender gaze and didn't see Caroline's eyes light up.

"Right, boys, I think we should be on our way." Mike said.

"But of course." Lucien answered. "Here, your sandwiches for the road."

"Mum, you call me as soon as you can, ok?" Mundy said, as they all went to the front door.

"Yes, dear, don't worry."

They were now standing outside of the bakery under the beautiful and powerful summer sun.

"You call us sometimes, Micky, eh?" Mike said.

"Sure, I will."

Hugs and kisses were exchanged.

"And you, you take care of our son, alright?" Mike was shaking Lucien's hand and patted his shoulder. After that, he waved for a taxi to stop.

"I will think of him before I think of myself." Lucien answered while giving a nod.

"And Micky, you take care of Lucien too, eh?" Caroline said as she winked, making her son blush beyond his ears.

"Y-yeah Mum, will do…"

"Bye, son."

"Bye guys, careful on your way back, eh?" Mundy answered.

"We will, don't worry."

And on that, they all waved at each other as Mike and Caroline slipped in the taxi and they went their way. Lucien and Mundy stayed for a while, even after the taxi disappeared. The Aussie was out of breath, everything had happened quite fast.

“I’ll miss them.” He said.

“I will miss them too. You are lucky to have very supportive parents, Mundy.”

“Yeah… But I’m glad to stay here.”

"So…" Lucien said as both him and Mundy entered the shop again.

"Yeah?"

"Ready to learn the fine art of bread and pastry making?"

"I guess… I mean, I didn't really think it through, eh." Mundy chuckled and looked at Lucien. "But with you, anythin'."

The Frenchman smiled.

"First lesson: follow me."

They went back behind the counter and Lucien even invited Mundy in the hidden workshop, behind a wooden door. There were tables lined up in the room, fridges on one wall and ovens in the other.

"Woah… It smells incredible in here…!" Mundy said as he was hit by a wave of hot flour.

"Indeed. You will see, you will never get tired of that incomparable smell. Hot flour and sometimes, hints of sugar."

"Yeah…” Mundy inhaled deeply and when he exhaled, his eyes were half closed. That place was heaven... “Right, so what's first?"

Lucien shut the door and looked up at Mundy.

"First, I have to ask you, are you sure you want to stay with me? We can still call a taxi for you and you can join your parents."

Lucien's light blue eyes raised up to Mundy were a sight to behold for the shy Aussie.

"Y-yeah."

"Yes, what? Shall we call a taxi or…?"

"No. I wanna… Try, with you."

Lucien's smile made all his face beam up poetically. He closed the gap between Mundy and himself and hugged the taller man.

"Thank you so much." Both closed their eyes and held dearly to each other. “Thank you so much for trusting me and for believing that this is all worthwhile. I do appreciate that you are leaving everything behind just for me and… I am beyond grateful.”

Mundy bent down to put his lips next to Lucien's ear.

"Lucien?" He whispered.

"Oui?"

"I think I… I love you too." Mundy screwed his eyes shut and buried his head deep in the crook of Lucien's neck, holding Lucien not like a friend, but like the salvation he felt God sent to him through that man.

"Mundy…?"

"Yeah?"

"Look at me."

Mundy did as he was told and Lucien wrapped his arms around the Aussie's neck.

"O-oh… Right… Y-yeah?"

Lucien smiled before his eyelashes bowed down as he slowly closed his eyes. He pushed himself to the tip of his toes and did what he had dreamt of doing.

Mundy's eyes rolled up in bliss and if he froze for a second, the kiss made him soon melt such that he bent down and pulled Lucien from his back and his hip, to feel more of him against himself. He yielded to the passion of the moment, he let everything explode in him, the yearning, the longing...

It lasted for a few seconds that they both wanted to extend, but the call for air was stronger. When they broke the kiss, they stayed with their foreheads against each other.

Neither knew what to say first, to exit that moment.

"Hold on…" Mundy eventually said.

"Oui? Something is the matter?" Lucien asked.

"No but… You had an apron with my name all along?"

"Non," Lucien chuckled. "When I came back yesterday night, I spent some time thinking and smoking. I couldn't help but repeat the discussion we had in the café on loop in my head. And then I remembered what you said, that you wouldn't be able to stay without a job. That was when I got the idea to hire you."

"Oh, woah…"

"So I woke up this morning, my mind set as hard as stone. I thought that I would ask in front of your parents."

"How did you know they'd accept?"

"I think your mother felt it, for a long time."

"She felt what?"

"Mundy, she is a woman, and your mother, she feels those things. Besides, each time you have lunch here you stare at me with such insistence…!"

"What?! No, I don't!" Mundy protested and his cheeks turned red.

"Yes, you do, mon amour, and don't blush so much…" Lucien chuckled and tapped the tip of Mundy's nose.

"Did you just call me-?"

"My love, oui. Now, let us go to work - oh?!" Lucien's sentence was interrupted by an intense - if slightly awkward - kiss. Mundy held him dearly, almost clawed in his sides and Lucien smiled.

"That is quite unprofessional, hm?" The Frenchman teased.

"Well, you started it, eh?"

"Non, I did not kiss my employer."

"You kissed your employee, that's worse."

"Non, you are not my employee yet."

"What?"

"You are my apprentice…"

"Right, fair enough. What's that make you then?" Mundy asked.

"... And my lover."

"Oh, right, ok, uhm… I-I mean…"

"And very shy."

"Well…"

They spent the beginning of that afternoon in the workshop dealing with bread and pastries as they teased each other. When the time came to close the shop and go back home, Mundy's eyebrows jumped.

"H-hold on." He said on the pavement with Lucien.

"Oui?"

"I… I don't have a home here… I could probably be able to pay a couple more nights at the hotel but…"

Lucien's chuckle cut Mundy's sentence.

"Why're you laughin'? I'm telling you I'm homeless…!"

"Don't be silly, Mundy. Come." Lucien took his hand and led the way.

"Right… I s'ppose you can walk me back to the hotel…"

"Non, I will not and I am not."

"Where are we goin' then?"

"Home."

Mundy frowned in confusion but decided to wait and see. Meanwhile, he held Lucien's hand dearly in his own. A few minutes later, Lucien stopped and got some keys out of his pocket. He unlocked the door and flipped a switch.

"Meow…!"

A white cloud brushed the floor and jumped in Lucien's arms.

"Oui, mon bébé, bonsoir, Papa est rentré…"

[Yes, my baby, good evening to you too, Papa has come home…]

He kissed her countless times and carried her in his arms indeed like a baby.

"Mundy, this is Perle. Perle, this is Mundy."

"Oh, yeah, your kitty…! Hello there, pretty lady…" Mundy scratched her cheeks and jaw, and soon both Lucien and him heard her pur.

"She likes you already." Lucien said.

"I'm good with animals usually, yeah… Hold on, what d'you mean 'already'?"

"Perle," Lucien said to his cat. "Mundy here is more than just a man who knows how to scratch you perfectly."

"Meow?"

"Oui, he is Papa's very good friend."

"Meow…?"

"Fine, oui, he is Papa's… Second half."

"Meow!"

"Don't worry, you are still my baby, but now, you are our baby, because Mundy here" Lucien raised his eyes to his lover. "Mundy here will live with us."

"Wh-...? Wait, are you serious?" Mundy asked in shock at the door's threshold. Lucien pulled him in and closed the door after him.

"I am. Now, make yourself at home, and give me an instant, someone has to feed this snow white baby."

"Meow!"

Lucien went to the kitchen as Mundy opened wide eyes and observed every little thing in the room. The paintings, most of them abstract, the furniture, the brown leather sofa, the persian style carpet in front of it, on which was the coffee table. There was a fireplace too and on the mantelpiece, pictures. They were all about Perle, the white kitten who grew to a majestic, fluffy creature with mesmerising blue eyes, a bit like her master.

"One last thing Mundy…!" Lucien said from the kitchen.

"Yeah?"

"I have only one double bed!"

Mundy blushed and smiled.

#tf2 sniper #tf2 spy #sniperspy #dontneedavalentine2021

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2k30-blog · 5 years

Text

40 Small Things You Can Start Doing to Save Our Planet

You don’t have to pack up and live in a van or a tiny house and start a zero waste life (although you totally can if that’s your jam!) to reduce your CO2 emissions. There are plenty of things you can start doing right now that will help.

1. Turn off your water while shaving or brushing your teeth. Seriously, you should already be doing this.

2. Carpool, take the bus, take the train, bike, or walk where possible. Yes, I know walking home from work in the summer sucks, but it will suck a whole lot more when the earth is 2 degrees hotter. If your school or work is too far away to do this regularly, try finding parking further away from your destination and park there for the day. Not only will this help cut down on your fuel usage, but you get in some exercise as a bonus.

3. Shop locally sourced products. Did you know that the majority of resources involved in making a product go to the production and distribution of it, and not the final product itself? Buying locally sourced products not only helps boost the local economy, but also cuts down on the energy and resources needed to transport the product to its destination.

4. Speaking of shopping, bring reusable bags! According to the Center for Biological Diversity, it only takes approximately 14 bags for the equivalent of gas to drive 1 mile, and only 1% of plastic bags are returned for recycling. Not only do single use bags use fossil fuels for production, but they also end up as toxic waste and landfill. Reusable bags can be bought for as little as 99c each, and can be used hundreds of times. Many are even biodegradable to ensure they don’t end up as long term landfill.

5. Use the 4 R’s. Many people believe in the 3 R’s, but did you know there’s a fourth? Refuse. Refuse to use unnecessary products that create single use waste, such as single use grocery bags. Reduce the amount of products you buy and waste you use, when it’s impractical or impossible to eliminate them entirely. Reuse whatever you can, such as jars and cans. I’ll have an article soon about 50 household items that can be easily reused. And finally, recycle whatever you can’t reuse any further.

6. Read up on the recycling rules for your municipality. Chances are, that pizza box might not be recyclable after all. Many areas have rules regarding items that were used to store food, such as chip packets and pizza boxes, as the oil may be in the cardboard. Read up on the rules so you know what you can actually recycle, and whether you should be washing and taking apart bottles before you toss them.

7. Replace leaky taps and pipes. If you have a single leaky faucet that drips once every 6 seconds, that’s 347 gallons (almost 1,314 litres) a year dripping out your tap. Replace or seal them where possible.

8. Turn off appliances at the wall when they aren’t in use, and turn off lights when you aren’t in the room.

9. Cut down your meat intake. Don’t get me wrong, I love meat. However, meat agriculture takes up a gross amount of land, water, and resources. The emissions from the meat industry outweigh the emissions of all cars, trains, boats, and planes combined. You don’t have to go cold-turkey (pun fully intended), but cutting down your meat consumption to only a couple meals a week can greatly help. According to earthday.org, if the entire U.S. did not eat meat or cheese for just one day a week, it would be the equivalent of taking 7.6 million cars off the road. Try going meat free for one or more days per week.

10. Use a reusable water bottle. Stainless steel and aluminium water bottles (such as Hydroflask or Kathmandu, not sponsored, I just like the brands) are great as they have a long life cycle, can be recycled, and you don’t risk BPA and other chemicals leeching into your water from plastic. If you don’t live somewhere with good water, buy an under sink filter or even a Brita. I prefer under sink filters as they’re easy to install and in the long run they’re cheaper and produce less waste, but both options are better than buying cases of water bottles.

11. Put a bucket or old ice cream container in your sink to catch runoff. My grandma, who was raised during the depression, has always done this. Use it to collect any water that doesn’t have contaminants or soap, so you can pour it on houseplants or in your garden.

12. Use non-toxic biodegradable laundry and dishwashing products so that you aren’t washing toxic chemicals down the drain.

13. Bring a reusable thermos or coffee cup to get your coffee. If you don’t make coffee at home, try bringing your own thermos or coffee cup to your local coffee joint. Most stores will be happy to make your drink in there, and some stores even offer discounts for you doing so!

14. Wash your hair less. Not only is this good for your hair, but it also means less toxic waste getting into the sewer. Many people (including me) are ditching shampoo altogether and just using conditioner, but if you can’t go without your shampoo, try to reduce your hair washing to once a week.

15. If it’s yellow, let it mellow! If you’re just doing a Number One, you really don’t need to flush every time. An average toilet uses 1.4 gallons of water for a flush (but if you have a toilet dating before 1995, you may be using up to 7 gallons per flush!), if you pee 10 times a day, that’s 14 gallons of water. If you flush every second pee, you’ll save 7 gallons of water per day, or 2,555 gallons per year.

16. Air dry clothes instead of using the dryer. My dryer is strictly reserved for emergencies. Even in the smallest apartment, you can find a foldable clothesline that suits your needs. Place it next to a vent or radiator for maximum drying abilities.

17. Have a baby? Use reusable cloth diapers. One child can use anywhere between five to eight thousand diapers. That’s a lot of landfill.

18. Plant a tree. Did you know that the average person would need to plant almost 9 trees per month for their life to offset their carbon emissions? The good news is that even planting just one tree will help. Read up on what trees and native plants are goo for your area.

19. Use cruise control when in level areas. Cruise control can seriously help reduce your fuel consumption, but it works best in level areas. If you’re driving in a hilly terrain, it’s best to use your old fashioned gas pedal.

20. Getting a new car? Consider an electric, or at least a hybrid. The electric and hybrid car markets are expanding, and now you can even get hybrid 4WD’s. Obviously not practical if you’re happy with your current car, but if you’re in the market, check it out. Compare gas mileage and make an informed decision.

21. Buy secondhand and thrift. It’s cheap and you can find some great deals and gorgeous things. Need I say more?

22. On the same note, regularly donate anything you don’t need instead of throwing it away.

23. Try reusable menstrual management. Reusable cloth pads and period cups are a lot better than they sound. I was a skeptic, but after switching to a cup, I’ll never look back. Not only am I saving money, but I’m also saving an estimated 437 tampons per year.

24. Recycle clothing hangers. Many clothing hangers aren’t actually recyclable, but as it turns out, some dry cleaners will gladly take your old hangers to use.

25. Reduce your junk mail. Get bank statements emailed to you instead of mailed, and contact any junk mail services to tell them you no longer want their mail. Unsubscribe from mailing lists.

26. Get rechargeable batteries. While we’re at it, did you know there are battery rechargers that can recharge non-rechargeables? Life. Changing.

27. Don’t run the dryer, washing machine, or dishwasher unless it’s full.

28. Replace all your bulbs with energy efficient LEDs.

29. Maintain your car. If, like me, you do have to regularly drive a non-electric car, you could be wasting a considerable amount of fuel due to your car not being maintained.

30. Reduce the weight of your car. I know it sounds stupid, but added weight really does change your fuel efficiency. I’m not suggesting you rip out your spare tire and back seats, but you should remove roof racks or storage pods when you’re not using them.

31. Use both sides of a piece of paper when printing or taking notes.

32. Wash your laundry in cold water when possible. Unless your garment tag specifically advises against it, your fancy blouse can probably be washed cold.

33. Use matches instead of lighters. The wood of a match will degrade long before that plastic BIC.

34. Dim your screen and turn off data when it’s not needed. You’ll save on your phone or laptop’s battery usage, and in turn, need to charge them less.

35. Put less on your plate and go back for seconds when needed. No, this isn’t a diet tip. Approximately a third of what Americans put on their plate will go in the garbage. Put less on your plate, and only go back for more if you’re still hungry. Put leftovers in an airtight container and eat them the next day.

36. Ease off on your heating and AC. There’s no shame in wearing jackets around the house, but even if you’re not that extreme, you could save a lot of energy by changing the temperature by just 1 degree.

37. Buy paper stick cotton tips (Q-tips) instead of ones with plastic sticks.

38. Eat more raw foods. This will either reduce your propane or electricity usage, depending on your oven or stove.

39. See some trash on the sidewalk? Pick it up.

40. Check your home for drafts and air leaks. It will make your heating and cooling system more efficient.

I know these all sound like small or useless things, but if we all take a few seconds and try out a few of these methods, it will make a difference. Every bit helps.

#climate change #climate crisis #ecofriendly #sustainability #environmetalists #environment #environmentally friendly #global warming #warming #paris climate accord #climate #earth #nature

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gohealthproblems-blog · 6 years

Text

How do I use Male Extra?

What Is Male Extra?

It’s a good libido and penis boosting supplement, which generally increases blood circulation to the penis(allows you to progress erection and stamina on the bed). It's been selling on line since 2009.

Produced and sold by a provider named Wolfson Berg Limited it’s a global contract company with over 30 years of experience in the ongoing health industry. A number of the claims created by the ongoing provider include greater and harder erections, increased sexual performance, greater ejaculations and strong orgasms.

It does increase sexual drive

Improves erection quality

Helps you stay static in power

Increase penis size

A good nonprescription alternative

Effective for male potency problem and erection dysfunction

Made from all 100 % natural ingredients

Manufactured simply by the Advanced Overall health; a high US and UK dietary supplement manufacturer

No known complication, 3 pills can do wonders daily

Clinical studies conducted showed this to be the most potent enhancers for males

Sold with 60 days money back guarantee

The Science behind Man Extra

THE INITIAL Male Extra Formulation

Niacin and pomegranate are the primary ingredients of male extra. Male extra carries a substantial 500mg of natural Pomegranate 40% ellagic each day serving. Niacin helps repair of usual mucous membranes and will help in the reduced amount of fatigue and tiredness, which means more stamina!

Two effective premium ingredients

Studies and testing on Pomegranate and Niacin have got proven that it:

Increases erection hardness

Supports erection difficulties

Boosts men’s libido

Increased stamina

Ingredients FOUND IN Male Extra

Male extra has 100% healthy ingredient that may raise the blood circulation to the male organ with the blend of the supplements and the workout program is what may increase your life.

A few key great things about male extra will be that it has 100% 100 % natural ingredients with no unwanted effects and in addition, tells of a 60-day money-back guarantee.

The new man extra contains some powerful erection boosting ingredients. A few of the ingredients include:

Pomegranate Extracts This is known for its plethora of benefits. In fact, many men use this to prevent prostate cancer and other types of cancer. It is also effective in decreasing cholesterol level and blood pressure boosts immunity and slows down Alzheimer’s disease.

It also aids weight management, control diabetes and hastens workout recovery. But why would Advanced Health add this to their male enhancing product?. Well, simply because this fruit showed to relieve symptoms of erectile dysfunction. Its direct effect on nitric acid explains everything.

Studies showed that Pomegranate does not only elevate nitric oxide level in the body but augment its functions as well. Nitric oxide is important to retain erection, which is why you need to have an abundant amount of it to increase your bed performance.

L-Arginine is an essential amino acid that is known to aid weakened cells in the body. This amino acid is usually responsible for generating nitric oxide as it breaks down inside the body near the male organ.

Nitric oxide is usually responsible for providing the body with top-notch blood flow to the three chambers, therefore, we can have a great erection. Its effect is maximized when paired with pomegranate extract. L-arginine is a type of amino acid that serves as nitric oxide production precursor.

Muira Puama is included for the properties that it gives on the male sexual drive. It is a natural herb that is very effective and makes a perfect addition to the formula.

Methyl Sulfonyl Methane really assists the various other ingredients in the entire overall health of the penile. It works together with the various other cells to generate more blood circulation to the penis.

Epimedium Sagitatum is a good occurring herb which also functions somewhat just like the powerful Viagra naturally. It could be that you have come to know this herbal better as horny goat weed.

Tongkat Ali is a native plant that is looked at as an Asian Viagra often. Its uses date back again being utilized for erection dysfunction way, sexual performance also to enhance the libido.

Flazseed is a good fatty acid which has both omega 6’s and 3’s. Some of its perks will be the real ways that can certainly help your body with inflammation. It really is so ideal that people all have the correct ratio of the omegas inside our bodies for proper overall health.

Maca is a good native plant found in Peru where it had been first to discover found in the Peruvian mountains there. It's been more popular for the effects that it areas on the sex and libido drive. Men also have learned that research has revealed a man has the capacity to boost his sperm when eating this herbal plant.

L-Methionine can be an amino acid that delivers the physical body with an increase of energy. When we take part in sex, we consume a complete large amount of energy.

Cordyceps are an adaptogen that gives the complete anatomy a real benefit.

Omega 3 fatty acids are crucial for the human health and our individual parts within. We cannot make this within the Skelton, so we must supplement it.

Zinc - They have also taken the necessary steps of adding zinc into the capsule. Men lose normally 5mg of zinc within their program per ejaculation. It is unquestionably a benefit to be sure that it gets added back to that type of loss. This mineral is quite good for a man’s sperm health insurance and quality.

Does Male Extra Job Really?

Male Extra Functions by increasing the nitric oxide amounts in your bloodstream. This increases blood circulation and circulation to your male organ. The L-Arginine and Pomegranate, another ingredient in male extra escalate the degree of nitric oxide within your body which expands the arteries in the corpora cavernosa place of your penis. This total brings about a larger penis, better erections and considerably more control over your erections. The tablet contains about 12 things that all donate to your sexual functionality in several ways.

How to Take

It is suggested to take Man Extra as a good daily supplement highly. This entails that you ought to administer 3 capsules or pills each full day. A container of Man Extra encloses 30 supplements, which implies a container previous for 10 days. Make sure that consider it together with your normal foods, starting with breakfast preferably. Missing a dosage is negligible.

Male Extra unwanted effects

There are no well-known unwanted effects

Pros

Bigger harder and considerably more powerful erections

Improved performance and libido

Last in bed longer

Drug-free

60-day guarantee

Natural (herb based)

Not too expensive

No side effects, non-e of the types you associate with viagra such as for example cardiac arrest, heart palpitations.

Cons

Can take a couple of days to take effect or perhaps noticed the improvement

Claims of the enlarged male organ but results devote some time (like anything) up to 3-6 months

Take products 3x daily.

How Long till I See Results?

By using both male extra and the penis health DVD you could see long lasting results in the first 3 months of using the program.

What Guarantee Do I Get?

Male extra comes backed with a 60-day guarantee. You have to buy from the official website to be covered under the scheme.

Possible Side Effects to Watch Out for

This product is safe enough that you can purchase it over the counter since no prescription is required. After all, its ingredients are all natural so there’s no reason so that you can abuse or be overdosed by it.

However, as with herbal supplements, there are rare reports of the following symptoms:

GIT Problems

This includes nausea and stomach cramping which is often attributed to one’s sensitivity to creatinine. However, these are mild symptoms and do not cause fatal problems.

Priapism

This is an erection that does not go away, even after one’s orgasm. No, you can’t consider this a plus since it will, in the end, eliminate up taking you to the ER to get epinephrine injection on your penis and this is a scenario you obviously do not want to be into. How does this happen? Well, it is when you take Male Extra with another ED meds. Just remember that too much of anything is not good, even penile erection!

Also, stay informed about genuine reviews of the trendy products of male enhancement

http://supplementdigestdog.com/male-extra-review/

#all natural male enhancement #all natural male enhancement herbs #best all natural male enhancement #best dick pills #Male Extra

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the-mf-bread-babies · 4 years

Text

28/7/2020

— TRUE VOLUME ONE —

VOL 4, ACTUALLY, BUT WHATEVER.

R. W. NORTH

i dedicate this volume to no one except for me bc i was the only one who wrote this. self love ok

_________________________________

CHAPTER ONE

“Halle Berry Did Two Movies Like This”

Damon was kidnapped. This is bad. Oh, there should probably be some explanation behind this. Sorry.

_________________________________

CHAPTER 0.5

“Short × Backstory × Summaries”

After four years of the most iconic event the universe had ever experienced, The Sixth Augmentation, also known among the locals as The Fusion, Doomsday, and several other names, one particular group of people had formed a good family amongst themselves. This family had three human members and several other non-human members, including, but not limited to, cats, banshees, ghosts in general, reptiles, and beings our planet couldn't invent through biology and even through thought.

This family's main members were Dennis and Aaron, and Damon and Sawblade. Their whole lives were completely changed after having to stick together in a ghost town and raise chickens and cows and plant crops for food. That sounded like a description for a rom-com or something. This is not a rom-com. Well… yet.

The family had settled down in the 74th district of the third Earth that joined the Amalgamation. The district had possessed a variety of… everything, really. The Eiffel Tower was a few blocks away, there was an upsidedown barn there, half of a condominium building, a quarter of a Tesco, and god knows what else. This diverse array of resources had been responsible for new buildings in the area that combined specialties from around the world, and while they were mostly fusion restaurants, there still existed things like Tesco cosplaying events and such. Apocalypses bring odd things to the world, and some are worth trying… for example, otherworldly foods.

This subject was a difficult topic to tackle among the residents there. Mainly, the dangers and morality of doing such a thing– you'd have to consider the effects it would bring to your health, if you're harming their ecosystem, if you're harming the people who lived with the beings before it was introduced to you– it really had to be quite challenging to negotiate a good compromise.

Well, except for Aaron. Meet Aaron… again, this time, since he's changed a lot after what happened. Aaron Russell is a simple man; most of the things he does in life are things a normal person does– eat, sleep, have companions– everyone does that, but not the way he does.

Even before he entered the amalgamation, he was always trying new things, mainly foods, but also things like video games and hobbies. Yes, the sight of the contents of his fridge could bring a stroke to someone from a hundred years ago, because goddamn, is he dangerously experimental.

The reason Aaron doesn't enter discourse on things as insignificant as what one eats is because while he does acknowledge the fact that the opinions of the natives on who should consume their resources should be very much respected, he also knows that it's human nature to hunt, to explore, and to be curious, as long as it isn't endangering oneself. He would eat risky foods, but anything that sets off his fight-or-flight instincts if he saw it live is definitely a no-no. Even though he's an adventurer at heart, he follows the rules and does what's right. But goddamn it, if he gets disappointed at a failed experiment, he's never touching anything resembling that. So, in his opinion, the safest route to an entertaining journey is…

Video games.

His library of games range from first-person shooters to slime rancher, from dating simulators to… well, a majority of video games nowadays have dating in them. But yeah, Assassin's Creed, Metal Gear, Borderlands, Spider-Man, Life is Strange, Smash Bros, and Luigi's Mansion are just some of the many franchises he's into. And then the companions, God, I mean, the man lives in a haunted house with his co-worker, some random kid and, like, thirty cats. He's friends with mythical beings, now. If anything, the amalgamation changed his life for the way better.

Dennis, on the other hand… is sort of the opposite. While escaping from certain clearly bad conditions is something he absolutely loves, he doesn't really know where to go after that, since he didn't really think it was possible. His family was bad, he joined Aaron's. Then? What was he supposed to do, cut them off after decades of living with them? Thankfully, the augmentation came along. Dennis is a man who daydreams about living a life he couldn't possibly achieve, but when he does, he didn't plan ahead. To get to this amount of joy in his life was unfathomable for him; back before he moved out of his hometown, he was essentially living a lie.

His life was planned out for him– move out at 20, get a stable job at 22, marry his old high school girlfriend his parents keep bothering him about at 25, and forever dread his life starting at age 27. Then, kids at 30. Even though this life seemed to be nice, and even to him had its benefits, he still hated it. Sure, he would be open for a very short-term relationship with Chloe from French 2, but jeez, is she super republican.

Dennis's views on life differed significantly from his family's, and even though he disliked seeing anything that reminded him of them, he still moved around in the Midwest, and stopped when…

he saw a certain someone at Krispy Kreme.

Now, everything is history. He and Aaron renovated the old family workshop into a pet store, and thankfully, business was way better. Not only did Gabriel start up a traveling psychic service and Lan, a plant store, but even Dennis sold a lot of art. All thanks to the Krispy Kreme store at the end of the street that was…

… crushed by a condominium building. See, this is where it all gets messed up. The Russell family surely had enough members for now, Gabriel and Lan didn't want any grandchildren in the near future, and so did Aaron and Dennis, but, well, something, or rather someone, came along.

Here's Damon Eddmil Ameakfen, or “Nomad Middle Fakename,” after unscrambling the anagram. He, like Dennis, also couldn't really care less if he, or his family, suddenly disappeared out of nowhere. Outside of having a number of inconveniences, the thought of it doesn't bring any emotional distress to him.

Instead, Damon finds joy in finding out practically everyone he's ever known could've died as soon as he arrived on Eris-6, knowing those unlucky dumbasses don't deserve… well, not exactly ‘they don't deserve to live,’ but really, it's what they all believed, except directed towards Damon and others like him.

If Damon stayed on Earth-3 forever, and in that same, depressing place, he'd be dead by now, really. He's not exaggerating or whatever, he'd probably either kill himself or get killed. Whatcha gonna do.

But, obviously, he's still living, and it's all thanks to Aaron and Dennis for their acknowledgement and appliance of common sense when it comes to living. That sounds like he came from a family of very dangerous carpenters, but really, if anyone important in his old life had even a speck of common sense in analysing people and knowing what's right and wrong about someone, he probably wouldn't have been so suicidal.

So thanks, Aaron and Dennis.

CHAPTER 0.75

“What's Going On Now, Though?”

Moving on to the present, the Russell family now are the only living inhabitants of [town name.] The others were tragically moved into NULL by their forceful officers. Now, they live in stealth, their identities changed. After years of searching, NULL had classified them as deceased and had closed down inspections within the town. However, they still had to be very cautious about their actions– they never went outside the city, and they always preferred to travel in tunnels and alleys, always moving around in the shadows.

For months, they believed NULL was no longer their biggest concern in living there, but unfortunately they were proven wrong.

Apparently, surprise inspections are a thing.

This story's true beginning takes place in March of 2025. Even though it was supposed to be spring, winter still ruled the other seasons because of the location of the district. After years of only experiencing the same season, the family got used to it– except for Damon…

Damon hailed from Malaysia, which, by the way, doesn't have the luxury of experiencing four seasons. Although he did visit Cameron Highlands once as a kid, living somewhere where the temperature was constantly below zero had proved to be a very difficult struggle to him. The unforgiving climate constantly cursed him with fevers and frostbite. Despite that, he absolutely loves the gloomy, cold weather, and wishes he could spend his entire life there, cozily wrapped up in three blankets.

This problem had a butterfly effect on him being kidnapped, though. Snow was one of Damon's favourite things about the climate, and that meant he went outside a lot. He usually made it home safely, except for one unlucky day.

CHAPTER 0.875

“The Abduction”

It was a normal day for the Russell family. They followed their daily routines, but unfortunately, NULL intervened.

“Hoodie, other hoodie, three scarves, watch, bracelets, mittens, metal bat, pepper spray, water, keys, backpack, hockey mask…” Damon muttered to himself, “I think that's all.” He walked over to the dining hall, meeting Dennis and Aaron. “Hey, I'm heading out,” “want anything?” He asked, his face almost covered to protect him from the cold. “Uh, not really. We're outta cereal, though,” Dennis replied, petting Sawblade, who was laying on the dining table. “Moisturizer, if there's any.” Aaron requested, eyes unmoving from his year-old newspaper, annoying Damon slightly. “What brand… what kind… which outlet… how much… just moisturiser, or a whole set?” Aaron pondered for a while, “Two,” “from Wal-Mart.” he teasingly replied. Damon rolled his eyes and stomped out the door. “Heh…” Aaron smirked.

Damon walked outside and immediately jumped facedown into the snow, making a snow angel. “hheheheheheeeheheh” “snoww” he giggled, rolling around. “Okay, enough of that. You're 19, dude,” the man muttered to himself disappointedly, dusting off the snow from his clothes and readjusting them. “Moisturiser… cereal… um…” he thought. “Yeah, that's all.”

Damon continued walking before realising something he forgot. “Camo! Shit!” He yelled, completely disguising as a snowman, carrot and all. He bounced along the street, as it was the least sketchiest way to go to the shops there. As soon as he reached the grocery store, he dropped his empty backpack onto the ground and faced the other way, ignoring the store.

Damon noticed the usual sound of rustling leaves, followed by the backpack being swiftly dragged across the pavement. Chittering, and after that, the bag was thrown back at him. It was packed with the groceries he wanted, and a bottle of shampoo. “Hey, my hair's not that bad.” Damon commented sadly, facing the store again. A small, teasing chitter shot back, making him narrow his eyes. “Sure, yeah, whatever, man,”

Damon hopped back home, questioning what the being, or beings, running the grocery store were, but eventually accepting that he'll never know that. Suddenly, loud squeaks grabbed his attention. It sounded like it came from the store, but why? Did he get the wrong order? Did he steal something on accident? What's going on? Damon anxiously thought of all the horrifying possibilities until he saw what he never thought would terrorise that city again.

NULL agents.

Despite his efforts to escape and hide as fast as possible, an agent caught him and chased him. Damon, seeing this, scuttled underneath a passageway they never used. It lead to a tunnel that they tried to develop for the past year, but ultimately failed to do so. Luckily, it was the perfect opportunity to block himself in with the remaining dirt pile next to it, thanks to Dennis's unwillingness to throw it out.

Except it wasn't.

Frogs hopped everywhere in panic, scaring Damon enough for him to stumble over. Ah, he remembered this. Aaron turned the dirt pile into a froggy apartment. Whoops.

Swatting the amphibians away, Damon was trying his best to cover the hole leading to the tunnel, but…

A NULL agent grabbed his arm and used a stun gun on it, leaving him helpless and screaming in pain. Suddenly, an idea sprang to mind.

Damon sprayed the living hell out of the agent with pepper spray, but sadly, their helmets had proved that idea to be useless.

Then, he was left with no choice but to whack his arm to death with a metal bat. So long, watch he had from 2014. You could've taken the UPSR exam next year…

Well, except he couldn't chop it off, there were frogs on the bat, and he just put on hand cream this morning. That means they could die at his touch, and that would be more tragic than his death. Damon was now running out of ideas, begging for some ghost to hear him and come kill the bastard, but no one came.

Oh, nevermind.

D: “I'LL F**KING KILL YOUR ASS, MOTHERF**KER!!”

A: “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”

Dennis and Aaron came rushing in, with Aaron unsheathing a katana and Dennis loading a rock salt rifle. How they got those weapons, Damon really doesn't know, but thank God they're here.

“DAMON, ARE YOU OKAY?!” Dennis yelled loudly, his voice cracking and tears streaming down his face. “DO I LOOK–” “ARM!!!” Damon shouted back, “OTHER THAN THAT, VERY, BUT I HAVE FROGS!!!” Aaron signalled to Dennis to split up, with both of them on either side of Damon. “TRY NOT TO DIE!!” Aaron wisely advised, grabbing Damon's arm and getting into a fighting stance. “HOLY SHI–”

[squelching sounds]

[gunshot]

[heavy breathing]

[gunshot]

[loud yelling]

[gunshot]

[splattering sounds]

[gunshot yet again]

“Okay, don't freak out, I sterilise this baby every day,” Aaron softly assured amidst Damon's screams of pain. Dennis aimed the rifle through the dirt, shooting it again. “HOW MANY FUCKING BULLETS DO YOU HAVE??!!” Damon shouted angrily, continuing his screaming shortly afterwards. “Okay, we're just gonna carry you,” Aaron said reassuringly, although Damon felt like he was in walking distance from the grim reaper.

“Herhehsjjdnfbdjs” Damon cried. “YudhrhuYduYdudh” Aaron looked at him sadly. “Okay, there ya go.” Damon thought he was engulfed in the flames of hell by then, but thankfully, it was just the operating table from the old pet shop.

“Hey, this is okay. You can be like Junkrat now.” Aaron said softly, somehow successfully calming Damon down. “Yeah… Junkrat…” “Or like… Iron Man… or something…” Damon responded slowly. Dennis watched them worryingly before realizing something. “Shit!” he muttered before running back to retrieve the arm. Sadly, it was gone and probably under NULL's hands now, so there was no getting it back.

Aaron looked at Dennis while he was treating the wound, hoping for him to retrieve the limb. Alas, the man shook his head, sweating in fear. “Oh, that's okay, I can, like, staple a stick here or something…” Damon assured. “If anything, having a gnarly scar and a fake arm is way cooler than just the scar, guys.” he said calmly as his arm stopped bleeding.

“Is that bad?” Damon asked confusedly at Aaron. “What? No! That's a really good sign!” he said happily. “That makes it sound even worse…” Damon confessed sadly, sending Aaron into mega-reassuring mode. “NO!!! NO!!! IT'S GOOD, DAMON!!! YOU'RE ALIVE NOW!!! ALIVE!!! PLEASE DON'T DIE!!!” Damon just stared at him in further confusion.

“If it helps, you'll see Brendon Urie in hell later.” Dennis said softly. “I'd rather die infinite deaths.” Damon shot back, disgusted in the offer. “What's wrong with Brendon…” the redhead asked. “He's racist, Dennis,” Aaron replied, examining Damon for any other wounds. “Jesus, that's a lot of bacne.” “Brendon Urie's racist? I thought he was g*y.” “G///ay people can be racist.” Damon replied. “I thought you liked the guy?” Dennis asked in confusion, looking at Damon. “Dennis, that's Gerard Way,” “What the hell!”

“Sorry,” Aaron apologized. “just some bandages so it doesn't get infected or anything.” He explained, gently wrapping Damon's… well, what used to be his arm, in bandages. “I'm Rick Sanchez… no wait… Deckard…” Damon mumbled happily, forgetting Rick Grimes' surname. “Yeah,” (Rick Grimes has his arm cut off in the comics, they didn't do this in the show due to budgeting concerns)

A short while later, the three joined Dennis in boarding up the windows and doors to keep NULL out. However, due to Damon's injury, he instead helped carry around tools and other equipment with his healthy right arm.

The house was now the most secure it had ever been, with no direct contact to the outside world. Gabriel had organized shifts for the house ghosts to surround the house and guard it. Dennis and Lan moved the farms into spare rooms, and Aaron distributed weaponry to the whole family. Note to self: Gabriel and Lan are still alive and you should put them in at the beginning.

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ralphsspiritualstuff · 7 years

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But I’m a Taurus! Why am I not Rich?

Ah, the Sun in Taurus. Sensual. Earthy. Eating the highest quality chocolates all day. Well, at least that’s the stereotype going around the internet. While it is true that Sun in Taurus people often have wealth-related qualities because of Taurus’ natural ability to plant a seed and watch it grow into a harvest, wealth is a trait that has more to do with Venus, the ruling planet of Taurus, and the second house, the ruling house of Taurus.

The Sun is one of two astrological “lights” and unlike the other inner bodies (Mercury, Mars, Venus, Ceres*) the Sun is something we do passively, not actively. In fact, many people don’t identify with their Sun sign because the Sun has become a stereotype machine so mutated from its original form that nobody would recognize it. The Sun in Taurus is about staking out a claim and working to reap its harvest. As a Sun in Taurus, you are going to feel the most energized when you’re “farming”, whether that be literal farming or metaphorical farming. This can translate to being wealthy, but the Taurus Sun energy will only come out when the house it’s in is activated or a planet it’s aspected by is activated.

For example, somebody’s down to earth Taurus Sun energy may not manifest with their friends (like an 11th house Sun) because it manifests when they’re at home (4th House Sun). As a Sun in Taurus, you WILL be able to feel it’s energy in one of the twelve houses below, but it may not be like the stereotype. It is also very possible, and this is covered below the house list, that your sun has a harsh aspect to it.

1st House Taurus Sun: This placement identifies very strongly with its body and things it can touch. For first house Taurus Suns, what is around them tells them and what they have shows them who they are. They are not necessarily materialistic, but they often see themselves as breadwinners and are often feel most themselves when they are watching something they’ve planted grow. In a way, they see themselves in everything they plant.

2nd House Taurus Sun: Ok, in this case you’ve probably got some money or if you don’t, you’re certainly wanting it more than just about anyone else. In Taurus’ ruling house, the Sun in Taurus feels most at home. This Sun placement tends to earn money by doing what Taurus does: planting seeds, often times in a very physical way. There may be a tendency for this placement to collect things unnecessarily and could create somebody who keeps things in the off chance they may need them, regardless of how small that chance is. But hey, they’re prepared when others aren’t.

3rd House Taurus Sun: It’s not about what you know, it’s who you know, right? Sun in Taurus in the Third house collects connections like no other. While they often don’t farm people intentionally, they end up doing so by consistently maintaining networks and keeping open lines of communication. This in turn tends to open up paths for the 3rd House Taurus Sun because they often have a connection or “in”.

4th House Taurus Sun: This placement tends to be very strongly connected to its roots and is likely to never leave where it’s from. In the chance they move, this placement is incredible at building a new home from scratch (with all the homey love that rivals even Cancer) and is likely to collect property wherever they are. After all, isn’t owning farmable property true wealth?

5th House Taurus Sun: Inclined to build and create, this placement is great for any type of physical art such as sculpting. Natives with this placement may also be drawn to construction work and take immense pride in what they build. Generally, these people are quite crafty, ranging from small handmade items to large works of construction. They don’t just make art, they make art with practical value.

6th House Taurus Sun: While these people may have very specific diets because they are very affected by what they eat even more so than other Taureans, they do so because they intuitively know what is good for their body and what is not. Arts and sciences dealing with creating a healthy environment or way of life such as dietician work, yoga, feng shui, and practical architecture are all great lines of work for this placement. Even if not done a professional setting, these are likely daily tasks for this placement. They’re also nearly impossible to get off course when they’re on a schedule, for better or for worse.

7th House Taurus Sun: This placement thrives on peace and harmony like many 7th house placements, but in Taurus, this is likely a more physical harmony than a mental or emotional one. Natives with a 7th House Taurus Sun are able to take real world objects and find the balance in them, which often manifests as them being great with art or other activities that involve objects being where they need to be. This placement also thrives in stable environments and can be counted on to be there when others need them, sometimes resulting in them giving too much of what they have to someone they care about.

8th House Taurus Sun: This placement often feels like they “own” everyone else’s problems. With the 8th house strongly related to what others have, having a Sun in Taurus, which is so much about owning what is one’s own, can be a bit of a tricky predicament. This can be an advantage when dealing with business prospects, as this placement is likely to be able to seize something that someone else is no longer using and make it into something workable, but it can also lead to identity issues where the native is unable to tell when something belongs to them and when it belongs to someone else. Really, though, once it’s exchanged, does it matter where it came from?

9th House Aries Sun: The 9th house is a funny place for a Taurus Sun, a house in which adventure and leaving behind what you previously knew doesn’t make much sense with a Sun so focused on seeing something through, but when these two energies get combined, you get an interesting mix of luck and follow through. Mainly, this manifests through the “luck” component of the 9th house, where Taurus Suns just happen to build the right idea or plant in the right spot. They typically stick to one ideology throughout their lifetime, but that one path is what takes them everywhere they go whether it be a goal or other commitment.

10th House Taurus Sun: This native is likely the classic “gonna build myself from the ground up” type and when they’ve committed to a path, they’re stuck to it. With the Taurus Sun’s good sense, these people, although perhaps unaware of how most of the business world works, are determined to make something they can be respected for. In the 10th house, Taurus’ stubbornness pays off because they can see something they want to accomplish and continue to want it even after the initial allure wears off.

11th House Taurus Sun: With 11th House objectivity and Taurean possessiveness, this placement may treat people like objects to a certain degree and “collect” friends. This doesn’t mean that they don’t care about them by any means, it’s just that is placement is so afraid of losing people and is so determined to keep a group together that they will try very hard to hold on to the group. Because of this, they may be driven to find ways to keep their friendships intact that aren’t the most conventional with 11th House inventiveness, but it works for them.

12th House Taurus Sun: This placement instinctively knows what the universe is made of. They don’t have to be told how to build something, and often times they build by default. This ability may be hidden from them but obviously apparent to everyone else, and they may not realize how stubbornly they stick to something once they’ve started. This placement is almost never in anybody’s way and they prefer to peacefully build in peace.

Ok, so maybe that nailed your Sun and maybe it didn’t, the house a Sun is in isn’t the only factor to how it manifests. Those interpretations are true for people who have an easy time manifesting their Sun with easy blue (trines, sextiles, conjunctions) or a neutral time with neutral green aspects (semi-sextiles, quincuxes) but people who have harder time with hard red aspects (squares, semi-squares, oppositions) might feel a little left out. If you have a hard aspect to your Sun, it might feel a little more like these descriptions below:

Leo Planet Square Sun in Taurus: With Leo’s equally stubborn but much less practical energy, Leo planets can put a damper on Taurean sensibility with their need to express themselves. The downside of this aspect is that Leo planets may make it to where Taurus planets are able to have less and do less (because they give it away for free in some way to feel grand or noticed) but the upside is that when these two are successfully combined, Taurus is able to build something bigger than it ever thought possible.

Scorpio Oppose Sun in Taurus: With Scorpio’s equally fixated but destruction oriented rather than construction oriented energy, planets in Scorpio can really drag a Taurus Sun down. As a result, Taurus is likely to experience setbacks from their constructions (of any kind, in any house) being constantly destroyed. There is, however, an upside to this; Taurus can never build something that is faulty. With the Scorpio planet constantly chipping away at weaker constructions, when Taurus is able to complete something, it is rock solid.

Aquarius Planet Square Sun in Taurus: Aquarius isn’t the most down to earth sign, often being associated with aliens and other far-off-in-space happenings, so the Sun in Taurus may feel like it’s being invaded by this outsider. While Aquarius planets may want to remove the Taurus Sun from its home (whatever house it’s in to be literal) and be frustrated by Taurus’ inability to fly, when the two are combined it can result in Taurus being taken further into innovation than it previously thought possible and Aquarius’ ideas finally being able to manifest, if only partially due to physical constraints.

So far we’ve been focusing on the Sun in Taurus how it really is, but why did the stereotypes develop the way they did? That has mostly to do with borrowing characteristics from Venus, the ruling planet of Taurus. The placement of our Venus shows us how we possess things and how we decide what is valuable and what is not. While the Sun does have to do to a degree with value, the stereotype of the wealthy/generous Taurus is more common for people who have very earthy Venus placements (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), very active Venus placements (2nd house, easy aspect to the Sun and or Jupiter), very receptive Venus placements (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) and/or very hard working Venus aspects (10th house, easy aspect to Ceres and or Saturn).

If you have any questions about your Taurus Sun or a friend’s, feel free to leave a comment below or inbox me. Be sure to subscribe for more astrology content!

-Ralph

#Taurus #taurussun #taurus sun #taurus zodiac #taurus x scorpio #taurus x aquarius #taurus x leo #sun aspects #sun signs #taurusseason #i'm a taurus #scorpio #leo #aquarius #astrology #astrology side of tumblr #astrology signs #venus #2nd house

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doodlegoodness · 6 years

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I love being part of something so I’m also filling out the character questionnaire

Full name

Aderyn Tyto

Preferred name/nickname

Ryn

Generally referred to as

Ryn

Appearance.

FACECLAIM: Those pictures of happy barn owls on the internet. All of them. SEX: A lady bird. HEIGHT: Ryn is a whopping 4′8″. WEIGHT: 80 lb. BUILD: Ryn has hollow bones, being a bird and all, but she’s fairly muscular for her kind. The equivalent build of a runner! HAIR: She is covered in Beautiful and Soft feathers, mostly a lighter cream color with dustings of darker brown around her wings and eyes. SKIN: Ryn is SOFT. Ryn is FLUFFY. Ryn has a VERY INTENSIVE FEATHER CARE ROUTINE EYES: Ryn’s eyes are a very gentle deep brown. MOUTH: Ryn’s got a lil’ beak. Good for eating bugs. NOSE: BEAK. HANDS: Ryn’s hands resemble her taloned feet anatomy-wise. Long, thin fingers with well maintained talons at the ends. The insides of her hands are rather soft (squishiness similar to that of a cat’s toe beans), but still show callouses from a life of working, as well as small nicks and scratches closer towards the backs of her hands. FEET: Good ol’ sturdy talons. Heavily textured and calloused on the bottom due to never wearing a show in her life. SCARS: Other than the various small ones on her hands and feet, Ryn has been thankful for healing magic to prevent any other scarring. CLOTHES: A collection of airy layering, so to speak. Other than Ryn’s leather armor (a breastplate and bracers), she has a red cowl, a loose muted green tunic with a long back, a belt around her waist as well as a (dark red/maroon) sash, fitting under her armor, that crosses from her right shoulder down her front, ending at around her knees. And, since skirts/robes are not recommended for flying folk, Ryn also wears very lightweight, brown harem-style pants (it looks like a skirt/robe to anyone not looking too close). OTHER FEATURES: Ryn has very large, very lovely wings. OTHER NOTEABLE FEATURES: Ryn has a necklace with Syranita’s symbol that she visibly wears around her neck- An opal with a lovingly cared for feather pendant dangling just under it.

Speech.

VOICECLAIM: She is a BIRD. ACCENT: Not exaaactly an accent, per say, but Ryn’s voice has just a hint of hollowness to it, similar to that of a woodwind instrument, including the sort of sing-song quality bits depending on the words. VERBAL TICKS: “Whos” can become hoots at times. And every now and then beginnings and ends of words have a sort of chirring sound attached to them. LANGUAGE: Ryn speaks Common and Aarokocra, Aarokocra sounding like a collection of birds chittering away in a tree. ARTICULATION: Ryn is used to the efficiency of being able to say a lot of words in a short amount of time with the way her native tongue works, but she’s a bit clumsier with Common, and at times finds herself using a lot more words to explain something than is actually necessary. EDUCATION: Learning that Common had conjugations was absolutely delighting for Ryn, who prefers to use shorter words as they feel more natural to her than the much longer ones. LAUGHTER: Ryn’s chittering laughter is similar in rhythm to that of wind chimes, but much more airy and prone to long birdy wheezes/hoots. GRUMP: Grumbling manifests in Ryn the longer she goes without a proper rest (usually in Aarakocra), but if she is much more alert she may mumble small comments to herself (in Common) if she is feeling Extra Opinionated about something someone said. BREATHING: Ryn is very prone to sighing, a long, rather whistly sort of sound.

Mannerisms.

FACE: Due to a different facial structure than that of humans, most of Ryn’s expressions are in her eyes. She’s also very easy with smiling, and her resting expression is rather peaceful. HANDS: Ryn will wave her arms around when talking if she’s particularly enthused about the topic. She’ll also use whatever she’s holding at the time to gesticulate with (usually bugs). LEGS/FEET: Ryn will tap a talon or three if she’s feeling rather fidgety. EMOTIONAL OUTBURSTS: If Ryn gets stressed, the chance that she’ll have an emotional outburst rises sharply. As part of her training, Ryn works to maintain a steady but bright sort of energy about her, but abrupt situations and the like can make maintaining that rather difficult for her. HABITS: Ryn is constantly on the lookout for Tasty Snacks, and in open/non crowded areas she’ll twitch and waggle her wings around. POSTURE: Ryn walks rather upright, shoulders back and wings folded and posed just so, but she does this in a way that looks very natural to her, like she’s stood like this all her life. WALKING POSTURE: Ryn is very light on her feet, so she almost looks bouncy when she walks, especially if she’s walking with PURPOSE. SITTING POSTURE: Ryn sits in a format very Proper for an aarakocra. On the ground she’ll sit with her legs folded under her to give her wings some space from the ground. Chairs are a little tricky- backless ones are preferred so she can sit upright with her wings resting behind, but backed chairs means she needs space to pull her wings out closer to her sides without bumping into anyone in close proximity. PERSONAL SPACE: It depends on the physical space available for Ryn. If there is a wide open sky above her, her sense of personal space is much smaller, and she’d happily lean against a friend and such, but in caves and other small spaces she needs as MUCH space for herself as POSSIBLE and will push others away if need be. SPACIAL AWARENESS: Being a bird constantly looking for the next Tasty Snack, Ryn is pretty aware of all things around her. Whether or not she chooses to pay attention to all of these things, however, is another matter. OTHER: Ryn is a rather graceful flier, carrying herself with ease as if the sky is her natural place to be in instead of on the ground.

Health:

DIET: Food is Very Important to Ryn, and she is definitely not a picky eater. She will eat bugs (except for ticks, mosquitos, any bloodsucking thing tbh), seeds, plants, vegetables/fruits, meats, etc.. Basically, if you offer any kind of food to her, she WILL eat it, often with great gusto and many words of thanks. SLEEP: To Ryn, an exhausted bird is often a dead one, so she takes her rest very seriously. She knows that putting non-life-threatening work before rest will only hurt later. EXERCISE: The life of an adventurer is a rather physically active one. ACTIVITY: Ryn is fairly good at maintaining an active lifestyle without pushing herself too hard (unless someone needs her help, that is). CLEANLINESS: Ryn has a VERY INTENSIVE FEATHER CARE ROUTINE. ODOUR: Faint traces of incense from Syranita’s temples, and a hint of dust. MEDICINAL DRUGS: N/A NARCOTICS: Ryn enjoys the occasional alcoholic beverage. ADDICTIONS: N/A ILLNESS: Ryn is a very healthy gal. INJURIES: See above. PARASITES: As a child, Ryn came in contact with some mites, but that has since been treated. OTHER: N/A

Personal.

INTROVERT/EXTROVERT?: Ryn is somewhat extroverted, as she is accustomed to the constant socialization with members of her flock. OPTIMIST/PESSIMIST: Ryn thinks of herself as an optimist, as pessimists “have a hard time making and keeping friends.” GENDER: Lady bird. SEXUALITY: Ryn has had several engagements with several male aarakocra when she still lived with the flock, but she hasn’t given much thought to other species, as she accepted that she probably wouldn’t have time for any pleasantries after she left the flock. ROMANTIC: When she was younger, Ryn considered raising a few owlets of her own one day, but the more she’s learning about the world outside her flock, the more she’s not sure she’ll be ready to introduce a young one to it just yet. MEMORY: Ryn loves to learn, however retaining that knowledge isn’t exactly one of her strong points. Birds, after all, are scatterbrained. PLANNING: Ryn takes a long time to plan, so she often only tries to plan out the Really Important Things to save on time. PENSIVE: Ryn constantly thinks about the world she’s learning about compared to the world she knew growing up with. Also bugs. INTUITION: Ryn tends to have good hunches, but only it’s usually a hit or miss kind of thing. PROBLEM SOLVING: Ryn is GREAT at puzzle boxes and the like, but real world problems take a lot more effort and struggling on her end. GOALS: Ryn wants to help as many as she can while learning about how the non-aarakocra world works as much as she can. INSECURITIES: Even with the go-ahead from Syranita, Ryn still worries that leaving her flock was the wrong choice, and that her not being there will doom them as a whole. ACHIEVEMENTS: Ryn is very proud to have made the decision to leave the flock. ANXIETY: Ryn is simultaneously VERY WORRIED TO HAVE MADE THE DECISION TO LEAVE HER FLOCK OVERWHELMED: Sometimes when trying to find an answer, Ryn will think “hey I can just ask [family member] before being reminded by herself how Far Away she is from them all, and can be stricken with an intense wave of homesickness. SELF-HELP: A few prayers to Syranita can go a long way to soothe Ryn’s nerves. And sharing stories about her home life with others can help ease the pain of being homesick. COMFORTS: Flying, performing Cleric-ey duties, anything she’s grown up doing tbh. BAD HABITS: Ryn is a bird who’s thoughts wander along with her focus, so she’s rather prone to not fully paying attention during some conversations, and can miss certain important details. PHILOSOPHY: Ryn is a devout follower of Syranita and practices her beliefs to the best of her abilities, but will not try to force those beliefs on others (there are So Many gods, so obviously not everyone’s going to fit with just one of them) TRIGGERS: Any time abrupt unified disapproval is presented to her at the mention of something she wants to do rings little panic alarms in her head.

The Past.

PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Ryn’s childhood was very bright, her gentle father and strong mother raised her with love and care. SCHOOL: Ryn did very well in her teachings during any hands-on activity, and she loved learning but retaining information that wasn’t some type of thing she could do was difficult. ADOLESCENCE: Ryn followed in her parents’ footsteps with pride and received lots of support from the whole flock for it. LEAVING HOME: Leaving home is where things got tricky for Ryn. She grew up knowing that she could rely on those of her flock and that they could rely on her, but making that choice to leave shattered that bond she grew up with. Leaving was very difficult, but knowing that they don’t want her back has kept her from trying to return. FURTHER EDUCATION: After completing cleric training and working as one for the flock for a few years, the desire to learn brought Ryn to leave. It’s like a self-driven permanent study abroad kind of thing. FIRST JOB: Before Ryn got to do the “fun” part of cleric work of healing others and aiding anyone and everyone, Ryn cleaned Syranita’s temple. It wasn’t exciting work, but the atmosphere of the place was very soothing to be in, even if you were just sweeping the dust out of the corners. LIFE EVENTS: The first couple of trips to Thundercliff opened Ryn’s eyes up to what lay beyond the flock. She wanted more. WORST DAY OF THEIR LIFE: The flock meeting when she had to declare that she would be leaving Storm Crest. Having to watch the warmth and acceptance from every set of eyes on her vanish is a memory she will carry with her for a long time. BEST DAY OF THEIR LIFE: Her first day as a full-fledged cleric where she got to Really Help everyone around her with Real Problems rests as a bright spot within her memories. LESSONS: Ryn has learned since her first few days away from the flock that kindness and politeness can go a long way, especially if you have absolutely no idea what you’re doing. LOOKING BACK: Ryn would have tried to spend more time with her family in the last days she was home. Maybe that would have convinced them that leaving wasn’t an act of hatred or betrayal on her part.

Relationships.

FAMILY: Ryn’s five siblings and her two parents are all her family. While she was close to the rest of the flock as well, it was seen as a team rather than More Family. FRIENDSHIPS: Ryn DID have a lot of friends back home, but now she considers her traveling companions her current friends. FRIENDS IN NEED: Ryn will leap to help a friend in need at the drop of a hat. She might not always know what to do (as she prefers to do actual things rather than offer words of advice), but gosh darn it she’ll try everything under the sun if it has a chance of helping. NEEDING A FRIEND: Ryn will gladly ask friends for help with completing tasks, but she was so used to turning to her family for advice help that now she prefers to voice her concerns in prayer to Syranita. ANNOYANCES: Ryn will talk things out if the tensions are relatively low. If not, she’ll wait for either her or the other party to calm down before attempting diplomacy again. ROMANCE: Ryn prefers hawk aarakocra with Piercing Eyes. She’ll mostly just chat them up excessively because how else are you supposed to know one another? MARITAL PROBLEMS: Ryn’s go-to strategy is talking something out. Or doing any type of task depending on the problem. ADVERSARIES: Ryn does Not Like a Rude Bird. ENEMIES: Any who would blatantly disregard the precious life of others would quickly find an enemy in a Very Small Bird. STRANGERS: Ryn tries to be respectful and civil to anyone she meets, but due to not knowing about non-aarakocras she may ignorantly break a few social or cultural rules. FUN STUFF: Ryn loves looking for bugs, listening to music performances, and getting food together. DATING: FLYING DATES. BEST FRIEND: Ryn believes in multiple best friends- she can’t pick just one. LOVE: N/A WORST ENEMY: N/A RESPECT: If she can see their point of view (even if she doesn’t agree with it), Ryn can still be respectful.

Interactions.

MINGLING: Ryn’s politeness and open nature allowed her to befriend just about the entirety of Storm Crest, but her naivety with the cultural norms of the other races can cause a few wrinkles in the tapestry of friendship. COMFORT LEVELS: Ryn is very open to talking with others, but if someone responds to her attempts at politeness with being Rude then she will no longer wish to talk to them. PHYSICAL: Ryn is very much not opposed to shoulder-patting friends and allies, as that has proved to be a rather socially acceptable thing. Anything else depends on how long she’s known someone so she can figure out what’s okay and not okay to do. GROUPS: Growing up in a large family has made Ryn very much at ease in larger groups. She loves the liveliness that they bring, as well as the relaxing nature that just one or two other people provide. OPENNESS: Ryn will talk about her family until she’s blue in the face if you let her, but she’s not going to share more than the bare basics of the interworking bits of her flock unless she can trust you 100%. GENEROSITY: Ryn collects so many Tasty Snacks not only for herself but to share with those who need them. Food is energy, so she sees it as a very useful gift that everyone needs. JEALOUSY: Ryn is very accustomed to working as part of a team, so jealousy is not something that would come easily to her. However, on her trips to Thundercliff when she got to talk to a lot of travelers, their stories did tend to leave her wanting. TEMPER: Ryn is an incredibly patient thing as long as she’s not suffering from sleep deprivation. EMPATHY: Ryn is rather empathetic, she may not always know what to do about it when faced with certain situations, but she does her best. AFFECTION: Hunting down one’s favorite food, higher frequency of casual physical contact (hugs, leaning on a shoulder, etc.). DISTASTE: All side mumblings switch to aarakocran (if the distate is with someone not familiar with the language), disinterest in any communication, or straight up verbal confrontation depending on the intensity of the distaste. ETIQUETTE: Ryn strives to be as polite as a bird can be, but lack of knowledge in different social circles can result in a few toes getting stepped on. RESPONSIBILITY: Ryn will absolutely take the blame for something if she knows she’s the one who messed up, especially if it means she’ll learn how to do better next time. SELF ESTEEM: Ryn is very confident in who she is as a person, but mild pushing around doesn’t bother her unless it’s something going against her Moral Code. CONFIDENCE: Ryn IS very confident, but if anyone who knows about The Way that Storm Crest aarakocra are learns that she’s from their, she’ll be very concerned that they’ll think she shares the same views as them. HONESTY: Ryn prefers to be very open and honest with most everyone, but if she’s with someone she trusts that says a small lie/witholds certain information, she’ll play along with it. LEADER OR FOLLOWER: Ryn is comfortable with leading herself and maybe one or two other people, but in a larger group she’d rather follow if she can help it. PARTY TRICKS: Ryn would Most Definitely cast Light on a slew of various objects in a party (after all, who WOULDN’T think drinking out of a glowing goblet wasn’t the coolest thing ever?) PRAISE: Ryn would never turn down a compliment offered with sincerity. FAILURES: Sometimes hunting for bugs might not be AS important as participating in Important Conversations, and also MAYBE in more crowded spaces one shouldn’t waggle their wings around as much. Not many enjoy an eyeball full of feathers (even if they ARE soft). CRITICISM: Ryn views criticism as an opportunity to learn (unless someone is Being Mean about it). INSULTS: Ryn will get rather huffy when being insulted (even puffing up some), but she’ll will allow the person to speak their mind if it means they’ll calm down right afterward. Sometimes you just gotta vent. EMBARRASSMENT: When faced with embarrassment, Ryn gets incredibly fidgety and is usually at a loss for words. If the situation allows for it, she may take to the air for a bit to calm down. FLIRTING: They didn’t teach flirting in Ryn’s cleric teachings, so she doesn’t know a single thing about it (though she may try if she’s feeling Extra Confident or is rather relaxed). ATTENTION SPAN: It’s all a matter of situation on whether or not Ryn can hold her focus. She could either stay tuned in at 100% for the entire day or struggle to pay attention for 10 minutes before her mind starts to drift. SITUATIONS: Ryn grew up learning how to be an excellent listener, but because of that she can have a hard time participating in the conversation after being so used to them being sort of one-sided things.

Life.

CAREER: Serving Syranita and adventuring to help keep ends meet. Sometimes she thinks about settling down somewhere as a simple healer, but she’s happy with what she’s currently doing. PROMOTION: Maybe something with a few less Death Crowns. BOSS: Ryn certainly doesn’t have a bad relationship with her boss, but after the information leak it might be up in the air. DUTY: Making sure everyone doesn’t die is pretty high on Ryn’s responsibility list. TECH: N/A POLITICS: Ryn thinks that the elders of Storm Crest are more than a little stuffy, but she never attempted to make a move to change that. COMBAT SKILLS: Ryn has her trusted quarterstaff, but she prefers non-lethal combat if she can help it. HOME: Ryn THINKS she’s rather tidy, but if she lived in one place for a while it couldn’t be described as anything other than a nest. DAILY LIFE: For the most part Ryn is comfortable with the day-to-day routine, but Big Things can make her a little uncertain. INDEPENDENCE: Ryn CAN handle things by herself just fine, but she enjoys the company. COOKING: Ryn is a fairly adept cook (although non-aarakocra may think differently). BUILDING: Ryn can assemble simple things and is good at following directions. CLEANING: Ryn cleans things to Ryn’s level of cleanliness, which is not enough for a lot of people (but her personal hygiene is Impeccable). SHOPPING: Ryn loves to browse, and she will buy something in a heartbeat if it is small and on the shiny side. DRIVING: N/A FINANCES: Ryn doesn’t spend a lot of her money (just think of all the free food in the ground), so she’s never really felt strapped for coin. Also, because she doesn’t spend much on herself, she’s more than fine with giving money to others if they need it for any reason. MARRIAGE: Ryn has decided she won’t even consider marriage until she retires from her current lifestyle (who has the time for that anyway?) KIDS: Ryn would love to bring up a few owlets if she could (but the world has proven to be scary and she’s not sure that’s the best idea) PETS: A giant lizard has DEFINITELY been on this bird’s mind. DEPENDANTS: Ryn was forced to cut all ties with her family upon leaving, so no. LAW: Leaving the flock has been the only time she acted out against the law of Storm Crest. COURT: No. PRISON: No. TRAVELLING: Ryn wants to see as much of everything that she can. MEDICAL: Most wounds Ryn can handle herself, but she is not opposed to finding a more skilled healer if she needs to. ILLNESS: N/A (unless you count her claustrophobia) WORRIES: The homesickness is a little worse when you’re trying to sleep without the soft murmurs of others, or the peaceful whistling breathing of her sister. PEACE: Ryn loves the liveliness that comes with groups of people, but when it comes to Syranita Time she prefers peace. PARTYING: Ryn will gladly go to a celebration if invited, but she is also more than content with staying in. HOBBIES: Ryn loves to fly around and explore, as well as read and socialize with her friends.

#Breaking Light #Breaking Light Campaign #Hooo boy this took a while #But! It made me think about Ryn from a bunch of different angles so it was worth it

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hawaiifiveelement-blog · 7 years

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Diet myths

I find it so interesting the amount of people here who have diabetes. Unfortunately there are many factors with this, part of this having to do with Hawaii’s food is only 10% from on-island.

But as I learn more about the cycles in nature, and in our bodies, I realize more that it is not just what you eat, although obviously it is a big factor, but when, and how. Native cultures understood the cycles in nature inherently in their cultures. Plantings and harvesting was all done according to the cycles of the moon, and certain transitions within nature. Even certain times of day were understood to be better for digestion. People also ate what was in season, and mostly fresh, until later times when preserving and storage got figured out.

It is no wonder, with how far from this simple way of eating we have gotten, there is more dis-ease than ever before. Patients complain more of digestive trouble than almost anything else. AND this is a complaint that could come further down the list, than many other symptoms. So much so that it is almost an uncomfortable daily afterthought, comparatively.

I, as much as anyone, have always been a foodie. This to me, includes the range of McDonalds french fries, to meals from Michelin star chefs. My old way of eating out would be to search the menu for the most saucey, meaty, fried, indulgence and choose that. Then wonder why I had chronic weight issues, nausea, vomiting, migraines, and other symptoms. Even though we grew up as vegetarians, as treats we would head to McDonalds after long days riding at the barn. Fast food came in handy- and still does- for those times of desperation and hunger, to hangry and frantic to cook.

I have found though, that I am never satisfied from fast food. I often feel sick or hungry in an hour or two. Which for the amount of bad fats and high calorie counts, seems pretty empty and leaves me wondering if it should really even be called, food.

Now I have implemented a number of loose principles or ideas to strive toward. These ideas put into practice actually help my energy from the high-low drops I used to experience. Contributing to often moody and irritable behavior around meal times. As a person who shies quickly from any type of diet, or extreme rigid behavior to stick to as the concept of will power has always been effusive to me. I find I can mostly adhere to these concepts putting them into practice with gentleness, patience, and self acceptance. Meaning that, rigidity does not appeal to me, patience to see my body slowly shifting over time, and that it can take up to 2 years or more for the process of losing weight sustainably to happen, and self acceptance because I acknowledge that when I am tired or have no energy I fall back into old patterns and make bad choices, which I can see does prolong the whole weight loss process, but is a necessary evil sometimes. AND I know I can tip the scales the other way by then making healthier choices for the rest of that day, even if it means just doubling up on some vitamins.

So here are some suggestions, mostly based on Ayurvedic medicine and my own experience through the years of diet being my number one “struggle.”

When I am tired or have low energy: I make bad eating choices. Some people say stress eating, but I feel that is way to ambiguous. To me it is about having enough energy.

Vitamins play a super important role in cravings, hormones, mood, and general health. I really have been an irregular pill person my whole life. Despite going through periods of taking this herb or that. What I have found is if I am on a regimen of the right vitamins (ones that I can digest and feel effects from) I have more energy, and a slew of other benefits, including losing weight because I am feeling NOURISHED. With how little nutrient are in food/soil these days, I feel even if I am eating organic, extra vitamins are essential for everything from hormones, cravings to mood stability.

Another super awesome shift is my taking liquid probiotics regularly. I already was trying to take pill form probiotics for years until I really never felt much from them. When I started making my own probiotic coconut water I actually feel the effects and benefits from this much more. I love Amanda Chantal Bacon’s recipe in her Moon Juice cookbook the best. I have shared this recipe and have had clients be cured of 3 week or longer sicknesses.

Green juice. I know this sounds cliche. But how else are you going to get those action packed nutrient enzymes? Most salad we get is pre-made and who knows how old. When we cook those greens they might taste better but lose so much power or prana or life force. We as a culture need to start alkalizing our bodies BEFORE we get sick. I know so many people who finally start thinking about this when they get cancer, but if we start earlier, who knows what illnesses we can avoid. I don’t need to go into the studies right now about the environments that cancer and other inflammatory diseases grow in. An easy substitute I have been using is dumping 1/4 teaspoon of Hawaiian Spirulina into 1 quart of water and drinking that every day.

Intermittent fasting is a concept that has been around for centuries, literally. This is not at all about starving yourself, however it simply is giving your digestive system a break. This is important for gut health, tissue repair, and other functions of digestion. I love to do the pink salt flush up to four times a month, or more if you are experiencing a chronic digestive issue. This is known as the10 cent colonic. It is a mineralizing flush in which you drink warm salt water and get a total clean out. The most important part of this being what you put back in after the flush. I like to do this as a recovery method, especially when I have eaten to late the night before, or my digestion just feels off and needs to be reset. It is really good to do this after a day of eating only soup, watermelon, greens, or juice to get a total clean out. Food following the flush consists of other easy to digest foods. Meaning no dairy, wheat, meat or anything fried. One day a week particularly powerful on the 1st, 4th, 11th and new moon, will not only mean you are eating less calories over all, but it will give your digestion a nice rest to repair itself.

Time of day is the key to all we do in life, as the ancients saw it. It is a concept most of us know literally nothing about. One of the ways the people in ancient cultures would be in tune with nature was to understand that there is a time of day, and a season, to do any activity, including sleep. They understood the importance of working with nature, not against it. This created a simple flow to life, and in turn, a lot of support. I will go into the laws of midday and midnight in another space, but for now, I will introduce eating between the hours of 12-4pm. Women’s health is so crucial for their strength, and ultimately we have up to 16 times more strength than men. Digestion is such a huge part in this strength. Basically if we eat anything after 4, 5 or at the latest 6 we do not digest it. It sits in our stomach all night, and the next morning we still have food left over, leading to weight gain, and throwing off so many other functions. When the sun is the highest in the sky, it is said our digestive fire is also the strongest. And this is the time period we are most likely to digest pretty much anything. So of course you want to make healthy choices, but I have found that as long as I eat between 12-4pm, I can pretty much digest anything (finally).

So the last thing I want to discuss related to eating and diet is about mind fullness. This is a term in the wellness industry that is thrown around A LOT and is probably best not even used. However I will use it here because I like the play on words when talking about food and eating. Eating has so much to do with emotion, and emotion has so much to do with thinking. Studies have come out now about not only the direct correlation of emotion and thought, but also of body and brain chemistry and thought. So this makes discussing emotion and thought or the mind, very important in our discussion about eating.

Remember how I said earlier my eye always goes to the most UNheatlhy option on the menu? The ice cream with the most possible toppings, or the heaviest fried sandwich? Well now I have trained my eye to gravitate towards the healthiest option first. I see what the option is, and then I go on to what I would have actually wanted to eat, based not on hunger but on my senses. From this place I am then able to narrow down a choice. Healthy or unhealthy?

This works about 90% of the time now for me. And of course I am eating way healthier. However there are still those moments of pure hanger, that I cruise through a drive through, convinced this is the only possible way for me to be satiated. But when I get home, I double up on vitamins, take another swig of probiotics, or do a pink salt flush and stick to easy to digest foods the next day, and feel way more in balance.

I am not going to go into exercise in this segment. Not only do I feel this is another misunderstood concept in the west, and one that is important for discussion. However I believe exercise is not as related to dieting as we are trained to think it is, and I would prefer to separate the two functions. Dieting in general is also a misnomer. In the past, people thought calories in and calories out. People would say, just eat a healthy diet and exercise and you will lose weight. I have tried both of these things, together and separately, and without having my hormones and digestion balanced, it wouldn’t matter what I ate, or how much I exercised, and my weight would barely budge. I also tried watching what my skinnier friends would eat, or in many cases, not eat. I have never been someone who is capable of skipping meals because I just “forgot to eat” or go days without eating anything. The message I want to convey here is about balance, and moderation. In Ayurveda there is a concept having to do with addiction. For success, a person never ever is advised to go cold turkey from the thing they are addicted to. Instead, the recommendation has to do with moderation. So start by substituting 25% of the unwanted behavior or substance, and ADD something healthier. If you want to quit smoking 4 cigs a day, take one out, and put a tea tree toothpick in your mouth instead, or whatever substitution seems doable. Do this for a few months, and really get into the new behavior, enjoy it before going to 50% of the unwanted, and add something else healthy. Keep going until the behavior or substance has been changed. Keep in mind it usually it takes 40 days for the synapses in the brain to switch over from an old habit to a new one.

#diet wellness myths eating Ayurveda Acupuncture

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pseudinymous · 7 years

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Respite

Even after ten years, Danny and the Ghostwriter are still not exactly getting along...

Big thanks to @thehobblefootalchemist, who gave me the prompt for this piece.

The Ghostwriter was just sitting down to continue writing the second book in a series of novels when an unholy crash shuddered the very foundations of his house.

He ignored it and put a few more pen strokes down. After all, this was Amity Park.

Unfortunately the crashing seemed to continue. The pen was placed carefully upon the table after one of the windows nearly shattered, only to be bumped off by yet another earth-shaking thump. It felt like living in the pits of a battlefield — usually ghost fights didn’t get this bad, did they? Not that he ever participated in them enough to know. He understood exactly how weak he was and pushing that wasn’t a rabbit hole he wanted to fall into.

He opened the front door to find one Daniel Fenton wasted on the concrete outside. The ghost he’d tangled with was already flying off into the mid-morning sky, its need for violence apparently satiated by beating Amity Park’s ghost boy senseless.

Writer crept out of his house. They weren’t on the best of terms, yet. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m lying spread-eagle on the ground after a ghost mauled me. I’m fantastic.”

… Well, one thing was for sure. This Daniel Fenton certainly wasn’t an imposter.

He also didn’t seem particularly able to move — the man was staring up at the sky as if still quite dazed even though his speech didn’t slur, and Writer, in spite of himself, felt a mollusc of pity well up within his chest. “Do you want some help?”

Danny snorted his laughter and looked away. “As if I want help from you.”

The Ghostwriter looked around — there was no one else here. After a commotion like that most Amity Parkers would be hiding in their closets and trying their best not to be seen. At the very least, probably no one saw Danny get beaten into a pulp and then presumably lose grip on his ghost form. It might be better for everyone if his human form wasn’t found lying out to dry on the sidewalk sometime later.

“What are you doing?” Danny asked. Writer ignored the question and kept his pace up the driveway until he was standing over him, holding out a hand. “I said I don’t want your help.”

“Actually, you said ‘as if I want help from you’, which if you studied English a little harder in your school years, you would understand doesn’t quite literally mean as much as it implies. And in any case, I think we both realise your sister would have my head if I didn’t help you, and your head if you chose not to accept.”

Amity Park’s resident ghost boy glared at his equally miffed helper, but finally, with the air of someone expending great effort, reached up an arm. The Ghostwriter wasn’t sure, though, how much was actually great effort and how much was simple reluctance to be helped.

Danny was pulled to a standing position, but wobbled to the side just before Writer caught him.

“You might not want my help, but it’s fairly obvious you need it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Danny. He stumbled along as Writer guided him back down the driveway, up the stairs of the decking, and through the front door of the house. The front door of course was never opened — it was easier for the Ghostwriter to just haul the man in there intangibly, and considering Danny knew who he was and was himself quite used to intangible hijinks, it was the preferable method. “Thanks, I’ll be fine from here.”

The Ghostwriter let him go, and he collapsed in a heap on the lounge room floor.

“Mm. Yes. Fine, as you say.”

Danny glared, and had to be helped back up off the floor and hauled into the Spare Room.

There is a reason that the author, here, chose to use capital letters for the Spare Room. It wasn’t that the room itself was anything spectacular, no, but what was in the room was a different story entirely. Sure, it had a nice relaxing bed and a decent reading lamp, but one hardly needed any extra light with all of the strange glowing books, native Ghost Zone plants that were suspiciously potted and domesticated, and the downright off-putting ghostly fragments, smaller than the size of the tip of your nail, that seemed to go along with this. Danny got the most suspicious feeling that they were all somehow watching over the plants.

“Glad to see you drag Jazz into all of your creepy Ghost Zone shit,” Danny shot, even as the Ghostwriter carefully laid him down.

“I’m glad to see you’re willing to drag Jasmine into all of your dangerous ghost fights,” Writer shot back, glaring. “Mind explaining why you ended up on this side of town?”

“I don’t choose where the ghosts show up!” His voice was full of indignant rage from just having lost. “Anyway, that ghost wasted me! I tried to draw it away from here but it kept hooking me from behind!”

The Ghostwriter decided to leave that information where it was. “I assume you’d like some water?” he asked, skipping ahead.

Danny made a grunt that was taken as a vague form of acceptance. When the Ghostwriter returned with the glass, Danny took it without thanking him and almost threw three quarters of the liquid down his throat. The rest he splashed over his face. It was supposed to be a warm day today, Writer recalled.

“Where’s Jazz?”

“Shopping, I believe.”

“Good,” said Danny. Writer arched a brow. “Hey, you know what she’s like when she fusses.”

For the first time in their exchange the ghost cracked a genuinely amused smile. “Oh, I do. Now, mind if I leave you there and get back to my work?”

“I dunno, are these plants gonna eat me if you leave me alone in here?”

Writer shrugged. “No one’s died yet.”

“I feel so much safer,” said Danny, apparently unable to restrain his sarcastic tongue. The Ghostwriter ignored him, and left the room.

***

Writing this book was very much like attempting to restrain a lion. Difficult, messy, and if you were very unlucky it was dangerous — if only in terms of sanity. It also meant that breaks were frequent and frustration always imminent on the edge of the swimming pool that was his mind. The Ghostwriter sighed, put the pen down (this time it did not rattle its way onto the floor), closed his eyes, and tried to think.

“Those books are weirder than the plants.”

Writer’s head shot up — it seemed Danny’s exceedingly quick natural healing cycle had reinvigorated him enough to peel himself off that bed, and he seemed to be balancing rather well too for someone who’d just been so knocked around.

“They do tend to have minds of their own,” Writer agreed, quickly flipping closed his notebook, but trying to leave out just enough urgency that the other wouldn’t get curious enough to read it. “You seem to have recovered quite well.”

Danny just seemed to shrug oddly. “Yeah, I guess.”

“No ‘thank-you’?”

Silence. Obviously that was too much to ask. The Ghostwriter let out a heavy sigh and began tying all of his nice pens together with a rubber band. Danny had been more than just irritated when he found out just who Jazz was getting so friendly with, and when they’d eventually decided to go out with each other and live together, Danny had nearly exploded.

It had been a quiet explosion, of course. Precious few others knew Writer was a ghost, and anyone who didn’t know was under the keyboard’s spell; they simply didn’t notice the grey, glowing skin, the luminescent green eyes, the teeth. They could look at it all day and they would never be the wiser, for that was how his keyboard worked — he typed in a command, and reality changed to suit.

“I see you’re still upset with me.”

The direct query seemed to catch Danny off-guard. “I— but— you…” he stumbled, before collecting himself. “Dude, you’re a ghost. And you’re going out with my perfectly normal, perfectly human sister. It’s weird.”

“I’ll admit to it being unorthodox.” Writer found his arms crossing, and his muscles getting tight. Being questioned on his life — or perhaps post-life choices was one of his least favourite activities, and he’d already had enough teasing from Randy to last into the next century. “But that’s between Jasmine and I.”

“Sure it wasn’t just you?”

The words came out with just as much accusation as they implied. Danny had found himself taking a step forward, falling — out of habit — into an almost aggressive stance. Like a challenge. The Ghostwriter decided to play his game, and stared him right in the eyes.

“I never intended for any of this to happen the way it did, but I assure you the feeling was mutual. And with all of that amateur surveillance you did—“ Danny’s face twisted to abject horror. “—Yes, I do know about that, you should know by now that I hold the utmost respect for your sister. Is this how you would treat me if I were human?”

Danny grunted some noncommittal answer or another. The Ghostwriter’s frown grew as he stood from his chair, book and tied-up pens in hand.

“Mm. I see how it is, ghost boy.”

“Don’t call me that!”

Writer shrugged. “Well, I’ll admit to you not being a boy anymore, but you most certainly are — at least in part — a ghost. Perhaps you should use that knowledge to enhance your perspective.”

Oh yes. And there was the huff, the turn away — for an adult he certainly remained well within the throes of teenager-hood. The Ghostwriter found that the best strategy was simply to ignore him and continue going about his business. In this case, that involved carefully putting away his writing equipment in a draw and wandering over to the kitchen to make lunch. Jazz would be home soon. Danny ‘settled’ into a chair, face sour, arms crossed, and generally looking rather miserable.

“Since when do ghosts eat?” Danny shot, as Writer pulled some ingredients out of the cupboard.

“They don’t. Your sister however does, and since I don’t have any sort of job the least I can do is make some meals for her.”

“Mm. Okay.”

The Ghostwriter didn’t argue, because “Mm. Okay.” was probably the most positive response he’d gotten out of the half ghost all morning. He continued on with what he was doing: Sandwiches. Sandwiches were easy, and easy was important when your cooking skills were subpar at best and unable to be supplemented with a sense of taste.

“It’s weird watching a ghost look so domestic.”

Writer kept cutting up the carrot as he spoke. “No more strange than watching a human turn into a ghost and vice-versa, I assure you.”

“…Eh. I guess not.”

The sandwiches came together into little sets of four. There was chicken, lettuce, tomato, salad onion, and cucumber in there, with a bit of salt and pepper for good measure. Hard to mess that up, right? You just put equal amounts of each ingredient in except for the onion, which you went easy on. He could do Rules. He just couldn’t do anything that required taste testing to get right. At the end he had four sets; two went on one plate, two went on another.

“Eat.”

Danny looked up to the sandwiches as if they were about to attack him. Just… really? The Ghostwriter thought? This reaction still, even when he was obviously trying to be civil? He was willing to give having a neutral relationship with Jazz’s brother a go, but his stubborn demeanour made it all the more difficult. A slight of anger whipped around in his stomach, and he quelled it.

“It’s lunchtime and you’ve been mauled. Take it, or I’ll type on my keyboard that you did so whether you wanted to or not,” said the Ghostwriter, frown increasing with the seriousness of his expression.

Danny was still suspicious. “Is this forced care?”

“I understand what you’re like. And I also understand what Jasmine would be like if she found out I didn’t look after you properly after a ghost fight. So I suppose the answer to your question is yes.”

There was a ginger way he took the plate, before finally he cracked one of the first smiles Writer had ever seen on him. There was even a genuine laugh. Writer found one of his eyebrows cocked, unable not to show the scepticism he was feeling.

“No, just—“ Danny stuttered. “I mean, I guess Jazz would lecture you endlessly about needing to nurse me back to health, or something.” He took a bite, screwing up his brow as he did, though not telling the Ghostwriter why. “As if I need nursing when I can heal like this.

“Nursing present or not, you still need energy from something,” said Writer, turning on his heel and returning to the kitchen counter. “Human bodies are unforgiving, that way.”

Danny paused halfway through a mouthful, thought about this, and swallowed. “How do ghosts get more energy, anyway? I mean, it’s gotta come from somewhere, right? Or doesn’t anyone know?”

The Ghostwriter had picked up the knife to go and wash it, but slowly put it back down as his curiosity about this question piqued. “We absorb ambient ectoplasm from the air. Obviously it’s not so plentiful in the Real World, but that’s one of the reasons I revisit the Ghost Zone every so often. Doesn’t your ghost half require some similar type of nutrition?”

A shrug. “… Not really, I just eat and sleep, then I’m fine.”

Writer found himself frowning. “Isn’t that curious?”

“Is it really?”

“Mm. It’s just another impossibility about you, really.”

In the absence of any further comment he went back to dealing with the dishes — much as he disliked them he didn’t really want to leave them all to Jazz, not when she’d had such a busy week and this was her only day off.

“I gotta get out of here before Jazz gets back,” said Danny, suddenly, having finished the sandwich. In a surprising gesture of politeness he brought the empty plate to the kitchen and placed it neatly by the sink. “She’ll start, y’know… fussing.”

The ghost gave a sagely nod in reply. “If being coddled after injury isn’t your thing, then I can’t imagine this will be a fun place for you very soon.”

The Ghostwriter washed the plate as Danny gathered his things together. And if Writer hadn’t been listening for them, the words would have been so quiet that he’d have missed them: “Hey… thanks,” said Danny, as he slipped out the door.

After a few seconds of it sinking into his mind, the Ghostwriter laughed. It was in a way that was perhaps a little self-satisfied. And then he drained the water and sat in wait for The Great Fusser of Things to arrive home.

#Danny Phantom #Danny Fenton #Ghostwriter #Ghost Writer #fanfiction #Sudo writes!

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