#just a flock hanging out in a bush or a tree

[waywardstation]

Snatched

Phione Akari AU

A flock of persistent Murkrow go after Akari when both herself and Ingo's guards are down.

I wrote this based off two requests I got from anons; one to see Ingo dealing with the problematic murkrow that go after Akari, and one asking about Akari trying to figure out Pokémon moves.

OR read here on AO3!

AND check out the Phione Akari AU masterpost!

Enjoy!

————

“No, I will not.”

“Phi!”

“Miss Akari.”

Ingo continued scrubbing his tunic in the waters of the coastlands’ stream while Akari tapped the pokedex page again with her writing tool, where a shaky doodle of scrambled eggs on a plate had been scribbled.

“I can’t. It would be noon by the time I’ve found and prepared all the ingredients. Then it would be lunch, not breakfast, and we would be several hours behind schedule.” Ingo held up the soaked tunic and looked it over as it dripped river water. Hmm, most of the dirt had washed out, it looked like… sliding down that cliffside to escape that alpha purugly had not been one of his proudest split-second decisions.

“Phiii phi!” More tapping on the page. 

“I’d love to prepare some, honestly. But it’s just not a viable option right now.” Relatively satisfied with his work, Ingo stood up and held his soaked tunic out in front, taking it to hang it up and dry near the camp’s fire. “We need to be packed, refueled, and ready to leave as soon as this is dry enough to wear. It’s just going to be what we have on hand right now, alright?”

“Pphf,” Akari slumped as Ingo returned to pick both her and her pokedex up from the stream’s edge, and set them down beside the camp’s storage box. There, she resigned herself to watching Ingo poke the sluggish fire back to life with a stick, pull his coat back on over his underlayer to protect himself from the cold morning air, and start going through their provisions.

It was probably just going to be roasted beans and berries again. Boring.

“I think today, we should try searching over by Hideaway Bay.” Ingo turned to open the storage box’s lid, digging around inside. “I know that alpha ambipom is rather temperamental, but I believe we’ve put off a much-needed examination of the area for too long.”

“Phi,” Akari sighed as she watched a horrendously greasy cooking pan emerge from the container, to Ingo’s disgust.

“Eugh,” He grimaced at the crusted-over texture along the edges. “Clearly, our previous traveler was not much of a maintainer when it came to equipment. But no matter-”

Getting back to his feet, Ingo moved to return to the riverbank, ruined pan in hand. He stopped only a moment to glance over his shoulder at her.

“This will only take a moment. You’re, um, alright there?”

Akari nodded her head fervently, shoo-ing him with her flippers. She could see he was hesitant, but she was fine! He did not have to keep her stuck to him every waking moment of the day, despite what he often insisted.

And Akari both understood and appreciated Ingo’s intent. It was reasonable to want to shelter her when she had no means to protect herself, either physically or through the use of moves, which were currently still a heavily-locked mystery to her. But as someone who was not used to such constant dependency, and quite sure they’d never like it to that degree, Akari found it suffocating sometimes.

So she really appreciated that Ingo had been trying to relax on that a little lately and give her options when she had finally expressed as much.

Ingo gave one last look around, then continued on. “Alright, but please keep an eye out. I’ll be right over here.”

As Ingo got to work scrubbing the pan in the river, Akari slumped against the box and stared up at the surrounding foliage. 

Bushes that seemed comparable to small houses in size. Massive evergreen trees jutting up for what seemed like a mile, the sluggish sunrise peeking its numerous fingers through the flaring canopy of branches. Hills framing their entire camp at a scale more comparable to mountains.

It was all nauseatingly staggering in this tiny body.

A rustle, somewhere overhead. Akari glanced up into the branches of a tree near the camp’s tent, sitting halfway between herself and the stream. Ingo, who had begun humming something, stopped both his tune and his scrubbing to turn back at it.

A long, heavy stretch of uncomfortable silence. 

“…Miss Akari, stay right where you are, please.” A whisper carried across the camp to her. Ingo was setting the pan down carefully on the riverbank, and getting back to his feet slowly. He could see something she couldn’t. She noticed him looking back and forth. Was he… gauging the distance between herself, himself, and the tree? 

Whatever was in that tree was much closer to her than he was.

Oh.

That was not good.

Akari supposed she had taken herself out of the danger for a moment, as she was slammed with the full realization of what kind of a position she was in. 

Something wanted her, and she was in quite an open space. Her safe bucket was over by the riverbank near Ingo, and Ingo’s pokeballs were still set down by the tent, along with all his other belongings.

This didn’t happen. This wasn’t happening. This wasn’t supposed to happen!

“Look at me,” Ingo whispered again, pulling her attention back to him. Halfway across the camp now, he was almost past the tree with his hands positioned like he was getting ready to grab her. “Don’t move. I’m almost there.”

The tree's branches rustled again, but Akari did not look back over at it. 

Perhaps it was the horror of this unique situation that she’d never find herself in while in her own body. Or maybe it was the anxiety driven by uncertainty and new, prominent fragility telling her something was already diving for her. It could have even been the fact that protection was so close. But at the sound, Akari reflexively bounded forward towards Ingo’s open hands using her flippers.

The sudden and dramatic action had been a poor choice. At her movement, the tree released a mess of croaky squawking, and shades of black burst from the cover of the branches.

Murkrow. The greedy pests never lingered long in daylight, but the sun was still not entirely up yet; perhaps Ingo and herself had gotten up too early.

These had to be the same flock of murkrow that had been stalking them these past few days, waiting so patiently for a chance to snatch her. After so many previous attempts having ended in Ingo or his Pokémon smacking them away, it may have been personal at this point. And revenge was a very strong motivator.

Sharp red eyes locked gnarled sets of claws on target as they dove for her. But Ingo was quicker. A set of hands protectively clasped around her, and Akari was jostled harshly as darkness sheltered her — Ingo had reached the rest of the way and slid across the dirt to grab her first.

Surely she was safe now, right?

While she could not see, Akari could hear everything just fine. Flapping wings, incensed squawking, and Ingo’s own shouts. But worst of all, incessant pecking. They were pecking at his hands, trying to open them! How many were out there? It sounded like fifty!

“Krow! Krrow!”

“No! No! Stop it!”

Another hard jostle in the darkness, and more shouting. Akari tumbled upside down; he must have curled on himself to try and better protect her. But it was for naught; a sliver of light broke through — terror gaping through the cracks rather than comfort reassuring her that it was over. A gnarled talon had burrowed itself in between Ingo’s hands, and was trying to forcefully wrench them open.

“Get- get off!”

“Krraw!”

Through the weakening bars of Ingo’s fingers, Akari could see sharp beaks nagging at his wrists. A hard jab, a subsequent shout, and his hands reflexively jolted open another crack. More talons curled through to make sure they stayed open. Then a gnarled beak barged in and clamped down on the long, thin ribbon atop her head. Suddenly with a disorientating, painful yank, the safe darkness disappeared entirely against the harsh light of the morning sun.

Up in the air. Rising up above the storage box, then the firepit, then the camp’s tent, Akari felt herself being tossed up with extra momentum before reversing into a downward fall. And looking below, she found herself staring straight down into the darkness of a murkrow’s throat, waiting for her to fall into it. It had gotten too greedy, and had decided to try and eat her up right there before any other members of its flock could.

Oh, this was it. This was the end!

“Krawwk!” A pained screech and a flurry of feathers, and Akari’s view of an open beak was knocked aside, replaced with a weathered gear station emblem and black fabric against a sideways skyline.

Ingo’s hat. He had smacked the murkrow aside at the last moment by managing to throw it, pretty much the only thing he had on him at the moment, and saved her from being swallowed up at the last second.

“Akari! I’ve got you!” Falling back downwards, Akari could see Ingo shouting and reaching up for her amongst the cloud of pests still harassing him, and for a moment she believed she would be saved. But unseen talons from above closed around her before his hands could secure her from below. 

Ingo’s hat returned to him, but she was off again with another murkrow. And this time, it made it past the camp’s tent. Surroundings scrambled together, and Akari found herself now staring down at a sight that would have flip-flopped her stomach if her current body had one.

The base camp, way down below and only getting smaller. The underside of a murkrow and its furiously flapping wings. A flock of its kin (about twelve, not the fifty she imagined) trailing hastily after them into the sky. And Ingo, still being harassed by a small group that had not yet noticed their coveted prize had been stolen away from him.

She had been snatched. A Pokémon had finally snatched her up and away from safety. And now it was surely going to eat her-

Before the sickening reality could fully set in, the murkrow carrying her squawked and dove downwards. The sky was replaced with a blurred scenery of green and brown whizzing by, and Akari realized her kidnapper was trying to lose its allies-turned-pursuers so it could have her to itself.

It was quickly carrying her far away from base camp.

“Phi! Phiii!” Crying out felt involuntary at this point; Akari couldn’t help it. This was a nightmare scenario and she couldn’t even do anything about it. Useless flippers. Weak body. Inaccessible, mystery moveset. Why had she willingly left herself out in the open like that?

A hard impact knocked Akari out of her thoughts, and a series of screeches broke out right above her. The pressure on her ribbon-like appendage loosened, and free-fall gravity weighed heavy on her for a moment before a new snap came down on one of her flippers, dragging her along once again.

Another murkrow had caught up, collided with them, and snatched her away. But its success would be short-lived; from where she dangled by her flipper, Akari could now look back and see the maneuver had given the rest of the flock time to catch up. At least seven more were right behind them.

“Krow!” Akari’s current captor squawked around her flipper in its mouth as it thoroughly examined her, bright eyes shaded dark under its feathery crest. “Krawwk!”

Still unintelligible dialect that meant nothing to her, despite being a Pokémon. And Akari knew her sounds would be just as garbled to them, but she sternly shook her head anyways, using her other flipper to smack its beak . “Phi-phi!”

Let go!!

Another impact. Feathers flew in a burst, and Akari was ripped right out of the murkrow’s beak by the greedy grip of a claw. An immediate dive bomb followed, disorienting her.

They were all fighting over her.

Trying to focus on the ground down below, the small part of Akari’s mind that wasn’t either uncontrollably racing in a panic or freezing up entirely was trying to come up with something. Anything.

Should she try to free herself from this Murkrow’s grasp? She’d fall a long way down, surely. This was a massive height for her. But she had no bones to break. No muscles to bruise. No organs to damage. She’d be fine like this, right? She was built like a water balloon, after all. 

But water balloons bust open on impact. What if she did too-?

And what would she even do if she did survive the fall? Drag herself all the way back to base camp — wherever that even was now — and just hope no wild Pokémon spotted her and snatched her up along the way? And of course, all of that was generously assuming all these murkrow wouldn’t immediately go after her again in a frenzy.

This was hopeless.

She wanted Ingo.

But Ingo was not here. And he probably had no idea where she was. She certainly didn’t.

“Kroww!” Two murkrow had caught up at once and clamped down on her at the same time, one pulling on her flipper, the other yanking on her ribbon while she was still tight in the grip of a claw. With her squishy, malleable body, it didn’t hurt like expected, but it still squeezed a surprised squeak out of her.

This was pathetic. What was she doing? She did not get into situations like this, and she certainly did not give into them so easily! She did not falter to anything! Raging alphas and frenzied nobles haven’t stopped her yet, why should a pesky flock of cowardly murkrow get that honor? And Lord Braviary carried her through the skies all the time! This was the same!

…no, it was not the same at all.

Another moment of freefall as the three-way tug-of-war yanked Akari out of any secure grip, but with more screeching and flapping wings to follow, another sharp beak predictably clamped back down on her ribbon and pulled her along again.

She couldn’t keep doing this. They were going to tear her apart before any of them even got the chance to eat her! But again — no known moveset. No outside help. No helpful physical capabilities-

-Wait. There was that one weird thing she could do, where she could sort of dissolve into water. Or melt into it? Just plain liquify? It was still very confusing, as it sort of just… happened sometimes. 

Could she do it out of water? No idea. Could she do it on command? Again, no idea. But it was the only way out of this that she could think of, so she had to try. They couldn’t keep her in their beaks and claws if she wasn’t solid.

The horrific squabbling continued all around her, but Akari scrunched up and pulled her flippers close. Drown it out. Just drown it out, like water. Water is loose. Be loose. LOOSE! Just let your mind drift! Let go, let GO-

Perhaps she had concentrated too hard on loosening up instead of actually loosening up, as the cold whistling of wind was abruptly a very prominent sensation all around her. Had she been let go?

She was falling! And neither a claw or a beak had snatched her up yet? Had it worked? She didn’t feel like water. Garbled squawking was still heard somewhere around her, but when Akari tried to glance upwards, she couldn’t get a good look at the flock.

In fact, she couldn’t get a good look at anything. 

She had fallen long enough to slip into a mid-air tumble. Rolling too fast, it was all a hopeless blur. Sky. Ground. Trees. Clouds. Sky. Ground. Trees? Sky? No matter what, Akari could not slow down to make sense of anything around her. 

Squawking was still heard, spiraling somewhere. It was going to be one or the other — if a murkrow didn’t swoop to catch her, the ground eventually would. Then she’d find out exactly how similar she was to a water balloon.

To her dread, something clamped down hard all around her, tight and desperate as she was now enveloped in warm darkness.

Akari cried out instinctively with the abrupt impact. Surely, she had fallen into the open maw of a murkrow that had finally dove to catch her. And this time, Ingo wasn’t there to knock it away and save her, and she was now hopelessly crammed into its gullet. 

She instinctively thrashed as if she wanted to keep fighting, but it was half-hearted; what could she do anymore? Truly now, this was it. This was really it- 

The paralyzing horror and the deep darkness retracted its hold, giving way to light. Akari opened her eyes hesitantly; she had not realized she had shut them so tightly.

There was Ingo. Quite disheveled and hunched forward over her, he was staring down at her in his fingers. His chest was heaving with excess adrenaline and exertion like he had just run a mile. His hands were trembling (and bleeding?) and warm with the same nervous sweat that slicked his forehead. His eyes were wide with a certain disbelief, yet relieving all the same as they settled on her. 

“Oh, oh- you’re alright Akari! You’re alright-!” Ingo’s hands, shakey as they were, closed around her again as he held her close, reassuring her all the while that she was ok. It was as if the murkrow would snatch her up again if he didn’t. “You’re ok, you’re alright! I’m- I’m so sorry-”

He had run after her and caught her. 

“Phiii! Phii!” A burst of emotion swelled her little chest with gratitude. Springing out of her stunned state to try consoling the frazzled man back, Akari’s squeaks were lost amongst Ingo’s stumbling words. Flippers extended out to him without much direct intent as he frantically looked her over, but she didn’t know what else to do. 

Ingo! You!! You caught me!!

“I followed- I wouldn’t allow them to just- I wouldn’t ever let such a thing just happen-“ Quickly-spilling reassurances were choppy and unfinished as Ingo still tried to catch his breath. “I’m- I should not have gotten lax with safety procedures and left you there like that. Forgive me, I won’t neglect your safety like that ever again. I won’t- I promise!”

“Phii!” Akari reached out to bap at him with a flipper, because again, it was all she could do. Of course he’d ask for forgiveness. If he was asking for forgiveness, she of course would as well.

Ingo leaned forward, finally allowing himself to get a few deep breaths in. “You’re… alright? Aren’t you?”

Akari nodded fervently yes, but to her half-surprise, she was hurting. Areas where beaks and talons had clamped and yanked now stung like fresh bruises, but the slippery blue membrane of her body didn’t hint at any damage at all. It just… hurt, even though it appeared fine. 

The same couldn’t be said for Ingo’s hands, though. Fresh marks and scrapes littered his skin and disappeared down under his tattered sleeves. They had really torn him up. Akari frowned at him as she wiped at some of the residual blood with a flipper, and threw her head up in sudden search of the murkrow.

“They were very set on reaching you,” Ingo cleared his throat. “But I am alright; I was worse off than this after my first attempt at carving a pokeball. Though, speaking of those murkrow…”

Ingo lifted his head up to look over his shoulder, and Akari’s gaze followed, eager to see where they were.

High up in the sky, a screeching, umbrella-shaped silhouette of stretched leather wings was trailing after a disorganized disaster of murkrow, rapidly escaping into the distance.

“I’m hoping Gliscor has discouraged their group enough to keep them from bothering us again. But I may have to request that Miss Zisu allows her honchkrow to accompany us next time, just in case. They’d keep their distance for certain.”

“Phi!” Akari watched on with admiration. So Gliscor had saved her! Ingo must have retrieved his pokeballs, and Gliscord must have went after the flock and gotten them to drop her-

“Oh! And ah, not to downplay the situation by changing tracks so quickly Miss Akari, and I apologize that it had to fall under these conditions, but I would like to congratulate you on your, well… first successful use of a move?”

The sentence was said just as awkwardly as it was received. That was not something one person would normally say to another person to begin with, but even given the unique circumstances, Akari cocked her head to the side, giving Ingo a confused look. A move? What move?

“I believe you utilized the move Confusion?” Ingo framed it as another question, like he needed her confirmation to be sure. “It was rather high up so it was difficult to know for sure, but all I saw was a bright flash, then the murkrow suddenly derailed every which way, and then I caught you. Remarkably similar to Alakazam’s use of the move, if I could compare.”

Akari gave a second look at the murkrow in the distance. Their flight patterns looked horribly uncoordinated like they couldn’t even see straight, now that she knew what she was looking for. And that would explain why none of them were able to swoop down and catch her…

Perhaps concentrating so hard on thoughts of a loose body and drifting mind had accidentally directed them way more outward than inward. 

“Phii!” Akari squealed, throwing her flippers up in celebration. While it wasn’t what she had intended, she supposed she had used a move! It had been an accident, yes, but she used an actual move! She wasn’t entirely defenseless anymore!

“Yes, yes, congratulations once again,” Akari’s excitement was infectious, as Ingo couldn’t help but huff a laugh through his nose. But the amusement was short-lived as his tone flattened somewhat. “Though, I hope you understand that regardless of your newfound capability, you are absolutely not uncoupling from me again for the remainder of our trip. Can you work with me on this?”

Ingo tugged back the flap of his coat collar and placed Akari in the crook of his shoulder, secure along his clavicle. Setting the coat collar back, she could see why he wanted her there — the folded fabric layer hid her well, and it would be even more effective when he got his tunic back on with its spacious hood. “My coat collar, one of my pockets, a sleeve, my hat… anywhere, please, as long as it is on my person. I do not think my heart could take a repeat occurrence of this incident.”

It felt like Ingo was sort of trying to play off the severity for her sake, but Akari didn’t have to look very deep to see that things were taking their toll on him. This entire mess of a situation had crammed a year’s worth of stress and grief into a few short weeks, and Ingo was not carrying it as well as he probably thought he was. He didn’t need any more stressful things like this. Fragility of both mind and body were pitifully clear right now.

She couldn’t let something like this happen again. And if that meant staying attached to him like a stubborn tumor for the rest of the trip, she’d have no problem doing that. 

“Phi-phi!” Akari latched onto his neck in a hug and used her flipper to pat against him, trying to clearly express her outspoken agreement. She was going to stay right there for the rest of the trip, and nothing would make her move.

“Thank you.” Ingo breathed out, ridding himself of any residual anxiety. His hands moved to rub at his face, but that was the last display of self-soothing Ingo allowed himself before he stood back up, groaning quietly.

“Now. New topic — Breakfast.” Ingo began making his way back up the hill towards the base camp. “Or… lack of it. It appears you will be getting your plate of scrambled eggs after all.”

“Phi?” What did that even mean?

“I had to throw what we were going to have to the murkrow, in order to get them off of me long enough to go after you.” Ingo admitted, shaking his head. “So it appears our schedule will have to accommodate for some time to scavenge. I am well aware that you will harass me relentlessly if I attempt to skip a refuel.” 

“Phi-phi!” Akari leaned over Ingo’s shoulder and spit a cold, yet harmless stream of water down the back of his tunic. Darn right she would!

“Hey-!” Ingo scrunched his shoulder suddenly, something of a laugh slipping out. He pointed a finger at her in mock admonishment. “No, do not abuse the proximity!”

Akari leaned back and did it again.

#phione Akari AU #submas #ingo #warden ingo #akari #pokemon akari #phione #pokemon legends arceus #pokemon legends #pokemon #pla #pokemon fanfic #pokemon fanfiction #waywardstationfanfic #those murkrow did go after them a few more times probably #but it would not have ever gotten this bad again #Akari knows not to let herself get isolated like that again even if both herself and Ingo think things are safe

[purplefangirl42]

Clonetober- Day 16

Prompt: “I don’t know what that thing is, but I wouldn’t qualify it as a little guy.”/cryptids/Tremors AU

Prompt list by @ladysongmaster Divider by djarrex

Crosshair grumbled to himself as he leaned back against the trunk of the tree he sat in. This had been the closest thing to a good look out spot he had been able to find, and it was still terrible. There were too many vines in his way and the branch he currently occupied was not entirely steady. 

“If you’re gonna whine, turn off your comm,” Hunter’s voice said in his ear. “None of us are happy about this situation. Get over it.”

“I don’t see what good I’m doing over here,” Crosshair replied. “I could have just stayed on the ship.”

“Just keep a lookout for anything suspicious. Or take a nap. I don’t care.”

The transmission cut off and Crosshair was left to his silent, annoying solitude once again. Well, not exactly quiet. There were lots of noises around him, the creatures of the jungle all having their say. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his head back with a sigh.

Just as he started to doze off, there was a loud boom nearby. Crosshair was startled out of his sleepy state by an entire flock of birds taking off from the trees around him. He stood up carefully and flipped his magnifier down to get a better look at the area around him. A plume of smoke drifted up from a patch of trees a few klicks east of him, Wrecker’s handiwork he guessed. 

“Cross, be careful!” came his brother’s voice in his ear. “The explosion scared some animals and they’re heading your way!”

There was a loud rumbling beneath him and when Crosshair looked down, he noticed the animals Wrecker had been talking about. An entire heard of…somethings…was barreling past the tree he was in, causing the whole thing to shake. His already unsteady footing on the branch failed him and Crosshair found himself falling.

Luckily for him, he didn’t have far to fall. Unluckily for him, he got caught in the thick grove of vines hanging from the tree. Crosshair was left hanging upside down, tangled up in the vines in a twisted and uncomfortable manner. He swore loudly as he tried to shift himself in various directions to get free, none of which met with success.

Crosshair gave up on his attempts to free himself and hung silently in his green prison, contemplating his next move. He couldn’t reach his helmet to push the button to activate his comm to call his brothers for help. Not that he wanted their help, as he knew they would mock him to no end about this.

After some time had passed, he could feel numbness creeping into one of his legs, the vines wrapped around his thigh pulling too tightly and cutting off the circulation. He once again tried to shift a small amount to relieve the pressure and restore feeling to his leg, again to no success. He swore again as he gave up his fight for freedom.

Some crashing in the underbrush below him grabbed his attention and he focused on the ground to see what was causing the ruckus. Part of him hoped it was his brothers coming to save him. His hopes were dashed however, when a giant creature emerged from the foliage at the base of the trees. It didn’t look too friendly, so he didn’t want to draw its attention. 

Unfortunately for Crosshair, the creature noticed him anyway. He was sure that he probably looked like a tasty treat, just waiting to be devoured. He began to flail wildly, trying to discourage the creature from coming any closer, which only tangled him in the vines further. The creature lifted its head in his direction, grabbing onto one of the vines near him and pulling it from the cluster to eat.

Another loud noise sounded from the other side of the tree Crosshair had fallen out of and when he saw three helmets appear from the bushes, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. He saw Tech hold out his hand to stop Hunter and Wrecker, his goggled eyes focused on the large creature feasting below Crosshair.

Not heeding his brother’s warning, Wrecker charged forward making loud noises at the creature. It made a startled grunting noise before shuffling off away from the group, disappearing into the bushes. Crosshair was glad to see it go, relieved that it hadn’t decided to eat him. Tech and Hunter walked over to join Wrecker below where Crosshair hung, all three looking up at him.

“Some help would be nice,” Crosshair said. “Not that I didn’t appreciate you preventing me from being that thing’s lunch.”

After several minutes of discussion on the best way to extract Crosshair from the vines, the rest of his squad managed to free him. Once his feet were back on solid ground, Crosshair could see the footprints left by the creature. They were even bigger than he imagined, having only seen the animal from a high up, upside down vantage point.

“I don’t think he could have done much damage,” Wrecker said. “He was just a little guy!”

“I don’t know what that thing is, but I wouldn’t qualify it as a little guy,” Crosshair sneered. “It wanted to eat me.”

“We’ve seen bigger things on other planets,” Tech said, “like that Rancor that tried to swipe at the Marauder on Felucia.”

“Well, unlike that time on Felucia, I was trapped and couldn’t get away.”

“At least you got your excitement for the day,” Hunter said with a chuckle. “So it wasn’t a complete bust.”

“Next time we’re on a jungle planet, I’m staying on the ship,” Crosshair said as he regathered his things and headed back in the direction of the Marauder.

“I’ll make sure to do enough research in advance so nothing tries to eat you,” Tech said, following after him. 

“I think if anything ate him, it would get an upset stomach,” Hunter said. 

Crosshair threw a rude hand gesture over his shoulder at his brothers, which got a booming laugh from Wrecker. He picked up the pace, putting some distance between himself and the rest of the group. He wanted to get off this planet as soon as possible, before anything else tried to eat him.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this! Please reblog, like, and comment! I'm a few posts behind, but I'm working on getting caught up! This is once again a reference to something from "Plant Yourself in My Heart". Crosshair's fateful date with the vines and falling out of trees.

#clonetober2023 #star wars #star wars: the clone wars #star wars fanfiction #star wars:the bad batch #the bad batch #crosshair #tbb crosshair

[ranger-rai]

Do any pokemon like to interact with you specifically?

Bugs and Flying Types.

When you're pruning branches on trees, you end to shake off a lot of berries and fruits that attract both of these types.

So when they see me walking by it's not uncommon to see a flock of Starly or Pidgey hanging around, it's an especially nice treat if it's a Flock of Murkrow.

Bug types will just kinda pop out, from bushes and trees, usually happy because I can reach the fruit they can't get.

#ranger rai #pokemon ranger #the ranger base #pokemon #ask me anything #ask me a question #sinnoh #pokemon behaviors #bug type pokemon #flying types #its mostly because of the food but some seem pretty comfortable with people

[petirrojo57]

It was a mob scene, a feeding frenzy at my 3 bird feeders yesterday (and now I know how 3 feeders can go from Full to Empty in a day) at least until an uninvited guest showed up!

I went to look at the status of the feeders and could not believe how many birds were gorging themselves at not 1, not 2, but 3 feeders — the crowd clustered under each one separately would be a normal heavy crowd, but more than triple the usual count was going crazy for it all. I had my phone at hand (not my better camera) and took a few snaps to show my husband later what a mad house it was and was just about to step away when a BIG bird flew in making an attempt at a sparrow in the bushes along the sidewalk. His aim was off this time (and I had one fly in and snag a bird right behind my back during the summer as I walked that sidewalk) and the red-shouldered hawk flew to the small feeder to regain its dignity (hah). I managed to grab a quick shot and another as it flew off (no doubt to menace another bird feeder nearby).

Will I refill the feeders? Yes, I will. It’s a survival of the fittest, bird-eat-bird kind of world out there, so if any of the flocks hanging out aren’t sharp-witted enough to evade a predator hawk, oh well 🤷

*** correction - some sharp eyes have suggested it is more likely to be a Cooper’s Hawk (which we’ve had dining at the all bird buffet as passing-thru visitors) as opposed to a Red-Shouldered Hawk (which we had a pair nesting in a neighbor’s tree, raising 2 chicks this summer)

#Birdwatching #backyard birding

[shatteredvioletnuzlocke]

Chapter 2: When the Future Comes Crashing Down (Patch)

The morning sun had shifted into a clear midday. Patch, Nemona and their respective Pokemon headed down the dirt road of Poco Path on top of a ravine. It wasn’t too far from the Torrez residence, just a walk away. The grass seemed just as green as it was in the mansion yard. 

Beforehand, Patch was given a set of ten common Pokeballs. They held an empty one in their hand and felt that it looked rather plain; just a red and gray pokeball. Nothing a fresh coat of paint couldn’t fix, and they intended to do just that once they made it to the Uva campus. 

Along the path, bushes of long grass grew. Hoppips fluttered down from the small trees, and flocks of Fletchling sat on the ground flapping their wings. Patch looked around thinking, I wonder what other Pokémon live here?

“Okay so, the Pokémon down here are super weak so they’re perfect to catch!” Nemona instructed. 

Patch’s mind spun with possibilities, “Do you guys have Blitzle in this region? I always wanted one, they're so cute! Ooh, what about Gligar or Venipede? Or how bout”

“Woah Patch,” the Champion cut in, “I’m glad to see you excited, but you have to understand you can’t aim yourself on catching a particular Pokemon.”

They couldn’t tell what Nemona was saying.

Nemona explained, “It's recommended you can only catch one Pokemon per area. You can decide which Pokemon you can run into, but if one runs into you first, that's the one you’re stuck catching.”

“Oh,” Patch bashfully frowned, “sorry I forgot.”

“No sweat, I was excited when I started too.”

Even though Patch just just begun as a trainer they didn’t want to make themselves inexperienced. They had been told they tended to act like a child back at home, and now that they were in Paldea they wanted to reinvent themselves completely. 

“In terms of Pokemon, there’s nothing really exciting to brag about…,” Nemona went on, “but I’ll let you know which is the right one…” 

While Nemona was scanning the area for “the right one”, Patch’s eyes were focused on her red arm brace. Although the champion trainer was able-bodied, she was weak in her right hand. According to Nemona, she developed a carpal tunnel from years' worth of throwing Pokeballs. Though it wasn’t a big deal, she had had difficulty holding things and had to spend a good time training herself to become ambidextrous. Patch had something similar, tendonitis from drawing so much, but it was a hiccup compared to Nemona. 

Nemona spoke up, “Ah, speak of the Impidimp!” 

She pointed towards the grass, where a small, black hog with a pink nose padded out. Patch identified them as a Lechonk, a common normal type in Paldea. The hog perked his ears at the two humans and ran towards them.

“Looks like we have a taker for you!” the black-haired trainer cheered.

Patch furrowed their brow, “Are you sure Nemona?”

They noticed a nearby Scatterbug, hanging by a tree branch. I hear Vivillion is very pretty. 

“Of course, I’m sure!” Nemona exclaimed, “Lechonks are huge tankers! They’re perfect for you!”

“Nemona, we’ve talked about this, I haven’t decided if I want to battle other trainers yet,” Patch’s voice became softer. 

There were many professions a trainer could take with their Pokemon, battling was the most universally shared. While it made for a profitable career, it was a hazardous risk. If trainers weren’t careful enough when battling, their Pokémon could end up dead. 

“Woink, woink!” The Lechonk impatiently squealed.

“Yet! If you make up your mind you’ll want an ace member!” Nemona politely nudged. 

Patch, a little pressured, felt like they had no choice, “Well if you insist- GAH!”

Nemona practically pushed Patch into the fray, Tamarind followed suit. Lechonk stamped his hoofs against the ground and began to charge, he threw his body against Tamarind. While Patch could tell it wasn’t doing much damage to their new Pokémon, they weren’t going to risk taking more.

“Tamarind!” Patch shouted anxiously, “Use, your ember!”

Tamarind pushed the wild Lechonk back with his arms, once it was farther away the fire croc spurted out a small flame from its mouth. Come on Tamarind! As the spit of flame burnt the hog's side, it began to stumble backward. Now’s my chance! 

At that moment Patch threw a Pokeball that struck the Lechonk on its head, blue light released from the sphere seemly, absorbing the hog into particles of light. Once there was nothing left of the wild Pokemon, the Pokeball shut and continuously shook as it hit the ground. As soon as the ball stopped shaking, Patch knew it was a successful capture. 

“I-I did it, I did it!” they stuttered in amazement.

“Fue-co!” Tamarind cheered.

“Fuck yeah you did!” Nemona hollared.

A sense of confidence filled Patch’s beating heart, now that they’d caught their first Pokemon all of Paldea was their Cloyster. They walked over to claim their prize, and as they picked up the Pokeball they noticed that it carried a slight stench. It carried the smell of spoiled vegetables, I think I’ll call you, Kombucha. 

“Welcome to Team Patch!” The new trainer announced shoving the Pokeball into their backpack.

Nemona headed towards them, “Seriously that’s what you’re calling your trainer team?” 

“What do you call yours?” 

“Nemona Sweep!”

Perhaps Nemona was on the same level of maturity Patch would fall into at times. Despite their accomplishments, Patch wondered how composed the champion was as a battle strategies professor.

Pierce stood by her trainer’s side carrying the Sprigatito in her arms. Nemona chose to call him Fuerte, and Patch could only imagine the beast that he could evolve into under a champion’s care. The wolf handed Fuerte to Nemona, who held him by his backside. 

“Anyway, now that you’ve caught something, I’m gonna take Fuerte out for some grinding,” Nemona explained, “are you alright to be by yourself for a while?”

“Yeah I think so,” they nodded. 

With Tamarind in tow, Patch strolled along the path, admiring nature. Even though they could tell Nemona was destroying whatever was in front of her, the novice trainer preferred not to act hastily. Unless they were in danger, Patch was often taught to mind the wild back in Unova. 

Hiding in the grass, more Lechonks scattered about. Unlike Kombucha, they seemed more in line with what was known about the hog Pokemon, that being they were skittish in the presence of a human. The trees began to tower the further Patch went along, the sun's rays feeling more faint. But the serenity then came to a halt.

“Fue, fuey!” Tamarind suddenly warbled.

“What are you on a- AHHH!” Patch drew themselves back as they were met with something that bounced right in front of them.

It had turned out to be a tarontula hanging from the treetops.

“Tara tara!” The little spider hissed as it produced string shots at the human.

Threads of silk were flung at them, one managed to get a hold of Patch's hand. Pulling against it proved to be useless as the Pokémon’s thread was as strong as wire. As they tried to shake off the webbing, another taronula crawled onto the the string like a tightrope. Why won’t it come off?! 

“Co!” Tamarind spat an ember by the center of the silk.

Upon being exposed to fire, the thread instantly incinerated into smaller fibers. While Patch wasn’t entirely free of the silk, they got up to command the situation.

“Ember at them both!” Patch yelled.

In the presence of a fire type’s power, the two little spiders burnt to a crisp and all that was left was ash. Though a little horrified, the trainer was surprised with how easily the wild pokemon were taken out.

Tamarind bit off the leftover seams that were still stuck to his trainer’s hand, as it fully peeled off Patch felt the pain of having ten bandages ripped off their skin. With their other hand they reached into their backpack and pulled out a potion then spritzed the irritation. Is it a bad sign that I need to heal myself after an encounter?

Their hand stung for a bit but the redness eventually faded away; the wonders a potion could too. The new trainer hoped that Nemona didn’t notice what just happened, it would only make themselves out to be helpless against two weak tarontulas. 

Although they fell deep within their mind, the whistling of the Paldean winds caught their ear. Only the breeze didn’t sound natural, it was more shrill and sharp. Then it became louder as if something was falling from the sky, and as Patch peered out from the trees’ shade, indeed something was. 

What is that?! That can’t be something normal! Patch couldn’t tell what was falling, it was obscured by a veil of bluish-violet light that was hurdling closer towards the ground. Shit! They instantly pulled Tamarind’s Pokeball out but to their surprise the croc was at the edge of the ravine. 

“Tamarind come on!” Patch called out to him.

Tamarind didn’t respond, he was too mesmerized by the falling light. With the comet moments away from hitting the earth, Patch threw the pokeball at the crocodile to recall him. But it only fell and stayed shut. Fuck! 

“Tamarind!” Patch ran to him with lugging their bag on their shoulder.

Then Nemona called them from behind, “Patch, stop, you'll both fall!” 

Well aware of the danger, Patch wasn’t going to risk two lives but they weren’t going to lose the new friend they just met either. The closer they neared towards the edge, the more steady their steps became. They grabbed their pokeball as it nearly fell, and pointed it at their crocodile. But it was too late that they became blinded by the impending purplish flash falling before them. As the light turned faint, a strong rupture of the land followed. 

Before they knew it Patch was thrown into the air, and fell off the ravine. So much was happening so fast, Patch could barely keep up and could only struggle as gravity brought them down. Various items from the trainer’s bag flew out They could see Nemona looking down on them.

“Nemona!” The falling trainer called out. 

Nemona yelled from the edge, “Patch! Take out your phone quick!”

Inches away from hitting the ground and vulnerable enough to live, Patch grabbed their Roto-phone out of their pocket. They felt it vibrate in their hands as they braced for impact. Suddenly gravity came to a halt, What happened? Am I dead yet? The trainer opened their eyes and saw their feet dangling just a few inches away from touching the ground. I am I alive? They felt something strong in their hands. 

“Patch! You good?!” Nemona’s voice boomed from afar. 

Patch turned their head up to see that their phone was hovering in the air. They could see Nemona along with Tamarind, Pierce, and Fuerte high above them from the edge of the ravine. Tamarind! You're safe! 

“I’m okay, Nemona!” They responded.

“Thank Arceus!” The champion sighed, “okay so your phone is in fall detection mode, right now it's gonna ask you if you want to “restart from vantage point”. Just tap yes and it will bring you back up.”

Patch pulled the lavender phone closer to their face, which deactivated its levitation. They abruptly fell but were cushioned by the sand. The phone was set on a white screen with red text: Fall Detected! But nothing about a restart from vantage point popped up. Patch tried to unlock their home screen to see if it would open up then, still nothing came up. Fuck I forgot to update! 

“Hey Nemona?” Patch shamefully exclaimed, “I don’t think I can get it to work!” 

“Okay, hang tight!” Nemona shouted, “I’ll see if I can get a flying type out of my boxes!”

For the time being Patch gathered their things that were scattered about in the sand. Their sketchbook, their pencil case, their hat, their charger, extra potions, unused pokeballs, Kombucha’s Pokeball. Now all they needed was Tamarind’s Pokeball but it wasn’t around with the other items.

Once they took a closer look around, their heart went back to racing. Standing before them was a giant trail of smoke bending towards the sky. Patch held their bag close to their chest, That’s what fell! It’s humongous! 

While fumes blocked whatever had fallen, the trainer’s mind came up with various scenarios. Could it be a star?! It couldn’t be, it would’ve come up in the news by now. 

Patch placed their hand on the embroidered Elgyem on their hat, One of those Pokemon from space?! I’m not sure they're native here. Although they were tempted to browse their Pokédex for answers, they saw a spot of red poking out of the cream-colored sand. Tamarind’s Pokeball, it was right near the fumes! 

Carefully the trainer lopped their backpack on one shoulder and tiptoed towards the Pokeball. Patch knew that if the fallen object was a Pokemon they would need to approach it stealthily. When they got close enough to the crater of smoke, they nudged the Pokeball toward them with their foot and then picked it up with their hands. They also noticed that their sandwich was lying a few inches away as well, but it wasn’t as important to retrieve. 

 As the smoke cleared, a figure began to emerge in the crater. It looked to be a Pokémon, albeit a large one that Patch did not recognize. Some kind of purple draconic Pokemon, with skin that shone like metal. 

<- Chapter 1 - Chapter 3 ->

#pokemon #nuzlocke #fanfic #pokemon violet #fuecoco #pokemon fanfiction #nemona pokemon #lycanroc #lechonk #sprigatito #tarontula #miradon

[ira-hydrangea]

Henlo! It’s me again [sorry if I’m disturbing you in anyway ;-;]

Imagine, Yuu hanging out with the twst boys but “coincidentally” the younger food souls (Eggett, Double scoops, Matcha, Lion’s head) snatch their attention either accidentally getting hurt or innocently wanting to show something but ends up hogging Yuu’s attention while Yuu is focused on the young food soul, meanwhile the young food souls are either glaring, Sticking there tongue out, or giving a thumbs down

Hello 👋! Don't worry you not disturbing me. I like it when many people spare their time to send me an ask. Even though I take forever to respond to it if I'm busy...

Young food souls? This gonna be fun 😂. Oh and I think Matcha is not a child. He only has this short feature similar to Riddle.

The Young Food Souls vs 1st Year group.

The group of Young Food souls spying at this nasty group that flock around their master attendant.

"*pout* Mou! Master Attendant never plays with us again after that group takes over! It's not fair!" Pout Lion Heads.

"YES! This is not fair! Master attendant is our first before they come in!" Said Eggnete.

"Maybe..." Vanilla smile sinisterly before signaling the group to gather closer.

Meanwhile, the first-year group is having fun together with Y/n. They having a picnic under the tree and laughing around.

"Yeah... Yeah... Laugh all you want." Said Epel while stabbing his apple.

"To think that Dorm Leader Vil will do something like that just to make sure you stay in shape." Laugh Ace making Epel get angrier.

"WHAT DID YOU-" A scream pierced through the forest alerting the whole group.

"What is that?" Y/n asks warily. Soon from the bush emerged Y/n food souls.

"Vanilla? Strawberry? Lion? Eggnete? What happens?" You ask worriedly while the boys hug your waist tightly.

"There's a monster!!" Vanilla said hiccuping. The bush soon moved again and there emerged.... The squirrel.

"AHAHAHA! ARE YOU GUYS AFRAID OF SQUIRRELS?!" Ace laughs loudly and this makes the boys cried more loudly. You throw Ace a glare.

"There... There... Here, let's go back to the dorm and I make you some desserts, okay?" You said while walking away from the 1st year group.

"But Y/n... What about our picnic?" Ask Deuce.

"I'm sorry guys. Maybe we can pick another day? I need to tend to my food souls first. Let's meet again later." Y/n turn around so they didn't see how the Young Food souls look at the 1st year with a smug smile.

After, they gone from the 1st year view. A scream can be heard.

"THAT LITTLE RASCAL!!!"

---------------------------------------------------

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x food fantasy #food fantasy x reader #twisted wonderland headcanons

[yandere-romanticaa]

Imagine...

... the sound of the grandfather clock ticking away as you sit in a lavishly furnished room, the giant vanity filled with make up and jewelry glimmering in the soft candlelit room, the gentle tapping of the rain against the ancient stone windows guarding you from the dangers of the outside world. Reaching out towards a barely lit candle, its glimmering orange flames just shy out of reach, you couldn't help but to yearn for the warmth of the flame. You knew better however than to touch the flame, God knows just how bad her reaction would be. She barely let you lit your own candles and the frustrating thought caused you to sigh. Turning your head to the left side of the vanity mirror, you were met with a big, snow white vase, a few dozen blood red roses inside of it, all neatly tied up with a pretty little bow. Said flowers were all trimmed of course, there was not a single thorn in sight that could hurt your precious little fingers.

They were a generous gift from the lady of the house herself.

Closing your eyes the world was suddenly engulfed in darkness as you did your best to block out all of the sounds and noises around you. No, you were not in a giant castle, wearing perfect white clothing. No, you were not surrounded by monsters that were out for blood of others, ready to kill at any second. You were home, surrounded by your friends and family. Or maybe... Yes, it's getting clearer now. You are actually in a forest, far away from civilization. Bushes and an endless sea of trees could only be seen in the horizon ahead as flocks of birds flew freely in the sky, the sounds of raw mother nature smothering your senses. The smell of the dew grass, the feeling of the crisp air brushing against your skin, the singing song of the cicadas, you could picture it all so clearly in your head. Such imagery always managed to calm your beating heart and would always being your mind to ease. What you failed to realize however was, no matter how beautiful a place may be, there is always a predator lurking around in every dark corner.

The dancing claw on your neck made you realize that the hard way.

Your eyes shot open, tears threatening to spill from your terror struck eyes, a cold sweat forming on your forehead. You felt a presence behind you, what did they want?! Oh God, why were you so cold?! No, why is it so hot all of a sudden?! An inaudible scream left your lips as you finally looked at the mirror in front of you and saw the grinning face of Alcina, her fangs glowing like shining pearls in the darkness. You felt her lips being pressed against your cheek, an amused, deep chuckle ringing at the back of her throat as she traced various patterns at the small of your back, her crimson lipstick leaving a mark on your cheek.

"My my, daydreaming yet again dear (y/n)? Little angel, that's becoming quite a habit of yours..." she hummed against you, not breaking eye contact with you. You stood frozen in place, unsure of what to do and what to say. The Lady had often paid you random visits throughout the day but it was never usually this late. She liked it when you had your "beauty sleep" and liked to keep you on a tight little schedule of her own. Letting out a soft hum, she straightened herself and stood high above you, one hand on her hip while the other one held your chin, forcing you to look at her. You couldn't help but to wince a little, your neck ached from being forced to look up so high. Her gloved thumb toyed with your lip as she let her earlier statement sort of hang in the air, causing a comfortable, well, in her mind at least, atmosphere in the room. Wordlessly, she lowered your chin and took your hands into her own. Leading you towards the king sized bed she placed you on the soft, silk sheets as her hands wandered all over the place. Soon enough your head hit the feathery light pillow and her hands were on the sheets, securely tucking you in. Leaning in, she pressed a sweet kiss against your forehead, humming a little in the process. Tucking in a stray piece of hair behind your ear, she allowed herself to be soft as her eyes glowed with love and adoration.

"Sweet dreams, my little dove. I hope you sleep well tonight."

She stood up and walked quietly towards the door, her footsteps lightly echoing throughout the room. Your eyes were glued to her form, and before she left, she turned to you one final time. With a mischievous, almost predatory grin, she said something that sent an icy chill down your spine.

"Oh, and and one more thing..." she trailed off. Still smiling, she continued: "... Do not stay up so late from this point onward. These late hours aren't meant for dainty little creatures like you, yes? You should know by now that all sorts of things run a mock, ready to tear any unsuspecting human to bits and pieces lest they get in their way. You wouldn't want that to happen to you now, do you?"

Gulping, you shook your head furiously. Seemingly pleased by your answer she laughed, finding you terrified reaction to be nothing short of adorable.

"Well, now with that out of the way, I shall bid you farewell." Lowering herself she exited the room, but before closing the door shut you could still make out her curious eyes staring straight at you, even at such a late hour. Before you even realized it, you subconsciously started to close your eyes and sleep overcame you in a matter of minutes.

Locking the door behind her, Alcina made her way towards her own chambers, a content smile on her lips.

What a good little pet she has, she thought to herself.

#yandere resident evil #resident evil8 #resident evil village #resident evil 8 #resident evil #yandere lady dimitrescu #yandere lady alcina #lady alcina x reader #lady alcina #yanderecore #yandere #yancore #yandere aesthetic #yandere x reader #yandere imagines #yandere x you #yandere scenarios #aesthetic #yandere female

[biggest-stupidhead]

Bad Timing (Levi x reader) Part 6

Summary: How do you tell your friends that you’re falling for your big brother’s best friend? 

Word Count: 5.8K 

Warnings: none? (let me know if I missed something pls) 

November had seamlessly slipped into December, your small town was now decorated with wreathes of evergreen boughs instead of dried corn husks. A large Christmas tree had been set up in the small park off of main street, a crowd of enthusiastic citizens milling about to decorate the large evergreen. You turned your attention back to the hardware store where your older brother was purchasing a roll of wrapping paper and an armful of Christmas lights. Erwin thanked the cashier and pushed out of the store with his arms full of paper bags. You wordlessly relieved him of two of the bags, a smile on your face.

You had to admit, the town was doused in an ethereal winter glow, it was a Saturday afternoon and main street was bustling. The small coffee shop was decked out in Christmas decorations and people were flocking to get a cup of their holiday specials. The small boutiques were advertising the latest fashions, the hardware store was busier than usual, and the small breakfast joint was packed with families enjoying a quiet breakfast. The sidewalks were damp with melted snow, chunks of sidewalk salt crunching underfoot as you made your way to Erwin's minivan that was parked down the street.

"So movie night tonight..." Erwin cleared his throat and glanced down at you.

"Yeah, nothing too special just the usual crew." you shrugged indifferently.

"I figured as much." the blonde sighed as he fumbled for his keys in his pocket.

"Is there a problem?" you asked, a bit nervous that Erwin would change his mind and tell you that you couldn't host the movie night that you had planned.

"No, no of course not, I was just wondering if you were planning on seeing Levi off with Mom and I tomorrow morning." he hummed thoughtfully as you loaded the bags into the trunk of the van.

"I'll be there." you grunted as you settled into the front seat. Erwin nodded, pleased with your response and started the car.

-

When you arrived at your house you were surprised to see that Levi and Hange were both present. A glance at your brother told you that he also was not expecting them to be there either. You both made quick work of bringing in the groceries, you smiled softly at the sight of your mother and Hange fussing over some garland that you draped over the kitchen cabinets as decoration. Levi was hunched over the sink with his sleeves of his chunky knit sweater rolled up as he scrubbed relentlessly at a pan. Erwin bushed past you and into the living room to light the fireplace, you bit your lip to conceal a giggle as Hange got tangled in the itchy garland. Your mom immediately set to work on untangling her and you turned to put away the goods that you and Erwin had acquired.

Erwin waltzed back into the kitchen and set to work on drying the dishes that Levi had already washed, the two of them falling into an easy rhythm. You took the dried dishes and began to put them away, reveling in the domestic environment. You knew that this wouldn't last much longer, they were going to school, starting their lives. Instead of dwelling on the thought you decided to just enjoy the little time that you had left with them.

"Aw that looks amazing! Good work Hange!" your mom praised the brunette as she finished tacking up the garland over the cabinets.

"Thanks Angie!" Hange beamed, your mom chuckled and took the hammer and remaining nails from her to return to their rightful places. Hange turned to see the three of you finishing up the last of the dishes.

"Look at you guys getting along." she cooed, clutching her hands over the sleek black turtleneck that she wore tucked into her bright yellow checkered pants.

"Shut up and go grab me a fresh rag." Levi grunted as he shoved the dirty rag into Hange's hands. She turned and obediently made her way down the hall to the laundry room to fetch a fresh rag for Levi to wipe down the counters.

"What's Kenny planning on doing this year without you home?" Erwin prodded, as he watched Levi scrape a skeptical finger over the countertop.

"Gamble, drink himself to death, hell if I know." Levi scoffed as he wiped his hand off on a hand towel and stooped down to pull out the all purpose cleaner from under the sink.

"Is that what he usually does?" you asked carefully, Levi paused a thoughtful look passing over his usually stoic mien.

"I guess." Levi shrugged, his face falling back into one of indifference. You hummed thoughtfully, nobody deserved to spend Christmas alone, not even Levi's bum of an uncle. Hange jogged back into the kitchen sliding on the clean floors due to her thick cabin socks. She held the clean rag out proudly for Levi who then doused it with cleaner and began scrubbing the counters. Your mom returned from the garage, her cheeks flushed from the cold.

"Levi sweetie what have I told you about cleaning? You really don't have to do that." she scolded, Levi frowned but continued to wipe down the counters while Erwin busied himself with inspecting the new LED lights that he had purchased. Your mother reached up and ruffled Erwins hair affectionately as she passed and made her way towards the stairs. Hange chuckled and settled into one of the stools at the island.

"When will your buddies be arriving?" she hummed, a smirk curling onto her lips as she perched her chin on her intertwined fingers. You pursed your lips and glanced at the clock over the stove, it was only three o'clock, they shouldn't arrive until six.

"Sometime around six." you reported, pulling a holiday magazine out of the stack in the middle of the island. You idly flipped through the pages, ignoring the way Hange's glasses glinted in the light as she studied you thoughtfully. She inhaled, as if she were about to speak, but you quickly shut the tabloid and threw it back onto the pile and stood.

"Welp better go set things up." you stretched dramatically and before Hange or anyone else could get in another word you fled down stairs. Thankfully you had taken the time the night prior to clean out the basement and pull out decorations. You stacked piles of seasonal quilts and other knit blankets about on the couch and some on the floor as well. You lit some seasonal candles in the basement restroom and one on the T.V stand.

You had already set up a tangle of white LED lights at the base of the TV and some other small snowmen figurines as well as a small Christmas tree in the back corner for the group to decorate and place white elephant gifts beneath. The tree was already bundled up with rainbow lights and strands of shimmery tinsel. You deemed the basement as satisfactory and turned to begin preparing snacks and other treats.

You weren't surprised to find Hange and Levi at each others throats, Hange had a fistful of Levi's sweater, and he had her by the ponytail. Erwin was still engrossed by the lights as he attempted to untangle them, seemingly unbothered by his friends. You carefully stepped over the mess of lights and began by preheating the oven, you planned on making frozen pizzas and some of those cheap Pillsbury dough boy sugar cookies that you bought during the holidays.

"Admit it!" Hange snarled as she jostled Levi.

"You're being overdramatic four eyes." Levi hissed as she shook him relentlessly.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

You rolled your eyes and did your best to ignore them. Their relationship never ceased to confuse you, the pair seemed to constantly be in a state of turmoil. One day they were perfectly content with each other, but the next they would be at each others throats as they were now. It gave you whiplash, especially on days when they flipped between these two states every few minutes. Realistically you knew that it was Hange who added the turmoil to their relationship, she was very chaotic by nature. You originally figured that Levi tolerated Hange's presence because Erwin and her were dating, but now that you had gotten to see the two of them interact you knew better. Somewhere deep down you knew Levi cared about the manic young scientist, and Hange openly voiced her affections for Levi.

You smiled at the sound of the two of them tussling, their staggering steps receding into the living room where they would have more room to rough one another up. You heard a body slam to the ground, which is when you turned to see Levi glaring down at Hange who was now sprawled out on the hardwood floor. Erwin frowned at his friends disapproval evident on his features. When he had first introduced the pair all they ever did was fight, but that was when they were younger, now he expected better from them. Also he was surprised that Hange still even attempted to best Levi in a fight, the raven haired male was surprisingly strong and had experience under his belt.

Hange hauled herself onto her feet as Levi stalked back towards the kitchen, his sweater now stretched out around the neck where Hange had tugged on the material. Just as he was about the sit down, Hange snagged him around the neck and locked him into a choke hold, a victorious bout of laughter leaving her lips as she dragged him back into the living room. Levi's socked feet attempted in vain to slow down the persistent brunette as she drug him backwards. You slid the pizza in the oven and turned to pull out the popcorn so that it would be ready for when the others arrived. Erwin scoffed and gathered the lights, which were now free of tangles and hauled them outside into the waning light.

You frowned after him, hoping that he didn't plan to put them up in the dark. Turning your attention back to the brawl in the living room you were impressed to see that Hange still had the upper hand. Levi had a hand placed on her jaw as he tried to push her face away from his, the two of them were on the ground, Hange underneath Levi who was trapped in a choke hold with Hange's legs wrapped around his waist. Levi snarled as he thrashed in Hange's hold, his sweater riding up as he struggled. Hange was laughing her head off, finally releasing Levi in favor of clutching her stomach as her laughter grew more intense. Levi seethed as he took a few healthy steps away from Hange and ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to straighten it. Hange stood up and wiped a tear from her eye before turning to face Levi.

"But seriously, you should do it." Hange's tone turned serious as she addressed Levi. He scoffed and curled his lip in disgust.

"Probably more trouble than it's worth." he retorted.

"Just give it a shot." Hange begged, her hands clasped together over her chest.

"I'll think about it." Levi snorted, he stalked out of the living room and back into the kitchen, his eyes sweeping over the room, clearly searching for Erwin.

"Outside." you jabbed a thumb in the direction of the front door, he said nothing as he trudged past. You knew better than to ask what they had been arguing about, they always just brushed you off. So instead you returned your focus on preparing for your movie marathon. You could already see a bruise forming on Hange's jaw from here Levi's fingers hand attempted to pry her off of him. You flinched, recalling his iron grip, you knew how it felt to be manhandled by him.

"So...what are you guys doing tonight?"  you questioned casually as you pulled the cookies from the oven. Your voice derailed Hange's train of thought, she whipper her head around and pursed her lips as she considered your question.

"Hm, I guess whatever Levi wants since it is his last night in the states for a whole month." she mused, rubbing her hand along her tender jaw. You nodded, this probably meant nothing, Levi wasn't much of an extrovert so it made sense that he wouldn't want many people present except for those he considered dearest to him to see him off.

"Well if you guys want you could join us, they won't be staying late." you were quick to tack on the last part, knowing that Levi probably wasn't ecstatic to spend his last night with underclassmen.

"I'll see what I can do." Hange winked before retreating towards the stairs and jogging up them, presumably to change into comfier clothes. You leaned against the counter and sighed heavily, things were changing and you hated it. You knew that at sooner or later your brother would go off and begin his life, but you did not expect it to come so quickly. You also didn't expect to grow so fond of his friends. Before you could totally bum yourself out your phone vibrated, startling you.

"Hello?" you asked, not bothering to check the caller id.

"(Y/n)?" Connie's familiar upbeat voice brought you back to earth.

"Yeah what's up?" you chuckled as you wedged your phone between your ear and shoulder to slide the pizza into the oven.

"I just wanted to let ya know that Sasha and I are on our way and we are bringing some snacks just like you asked!" he boasted, you could practically see the swell of his chest and the smug smirk on his lips as he spoke.

"Great! How far away are you?" you asked as you shut the oven.

"About five minutes." he affirmed.

"I'll see you soon." you hummed as you set the timer on the oven.

"Yep!" he beamed, after a moment you heard the familiar beep signaling that the call had been ended. You dropped your phone back onto the counter and glanced out the window behind the sink. The sun had began to sink below the trees, and still Erwin and Levi were outside, you hoped that they were not trying to tack up the lights. With a heavy sigh you trudged through the front of the house and slipped on a pair of Erwin's moccasins and pushed through the front door. You wrapped your arms around your chest and frowned when you didn't see the pair anywhere on the front yard. You cupped your hands over your mouth and inhaled sharply.

"Erwin!" you yelled, your voice echoing off the barren trees and the serene snowy scene. No response. Just as you were about to call again, a huge glob of snow fell off the roof right on to your head. You shrieked and turned to see Levi standing on the roof, the toes of his boot sticking over the newly uncovered patch of your roof. You glared up at him as you brushed the snow off of your shirt and shivered.

"Quit shouting." was all he said before turning and stalking back out of your line of sight.

"Are you guys almost finished? It's getting dark and I don't want to spend the night in the hospital." you whined as you took a few steps back to get a better view of the roof. You heard the distant sound of a hammer, but no response to your question. You rolled your eyes and took yet another step back. This time you could see Erwin hunched over the edge of the roof, Levi had returned to his side to hold him by his belt as he stood on the slippery surface. Not the smartest or safest way to hang up lights but hey if it works it works. After a few more swings Erwin leaned back on his haunches to admire his work, with a satisfied nod the two grabbed the remaining nails and began their descent.

"Hold that ladder for us would ya (Y/n)?" Erwin hollered down and pointed a finger to the old metal ladder that was perched against the side of the house. You nodded and waded through the snow to stabilize the ladder for the two of them to climb down. You only relaxed when both of them were safely on the ground, the three of you quickly gathered all of the tools that they used and folded the ladder back up before trudging through the snow to the side door that led into the garage. You stored all of the items and filed into the door that led into the kitchen, only to find Sasha and Connie milling about with Hange and your mother.

The kitchen was warm due to the heat of the oven and all of the people in the room. You tugged at the neck of your crewneck sweat shirt, your eyes drifted to where Connie was struggling to open a candy cane. Sasha was ripping open a bag of popcorn to place int the microwave. A short knock on the door alerted you that someone else had arrived, just as you rounded the corner to let in your guests, the door opened and Jean poked his head in.

"Hey!" he exclaimed as he pushed the rest of the way in, a paper bag cradled in the crook of his elbow.

"Hey, come on in!" you waved him in, a smile gracing your lips at the sight of Marco close behind him, a stack of old CDs in his grasp.

"Marco! I'm so glad you could make it." you gushed as you went to relieve Jean of the bag in his arms. Marco smiled a bit bashfully and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah me too." he blushed, the red tint obscuring his freckled cheeks.

"Well you can go ahead and take those to the basement, Jean can you show him?" you asked as the three of you entered the chaotic kitchen. Jean nodded and grabbed Marco's bicep to steer him towards the basement, before you knew it the pair had disappeared down the stairs.

Your mom had given Connie a hand and opened his candy for him, and now he was sucking on the peppermint candy, the end of it gradually forming a point. Sasha was listening to Hange as she gestured wildly, something about the amount of chemicals and various pesticides used to grow corn. Levi was surprisingly still in the crowded kitchen, although it seemed he was purely there to supervise, Erwin was inspecting Hange and your mother's handy-work with the garland. Just as you managed to wedge yourself between Hange and Sasha to reach the oven, the sound of the doorbell made Sasha jump and push you back.

"I'll get it!" she cried out before making a break for the foyer and escaping Hange's rant. You rolled your eyes and pulled the pizza out of the oven. Hange bounced around the kitchen, stopping in front of Erwin, he pulled her into his embrace by her hips, Levi rolled his eyes before stalking away from the pair. He padded through the kitchen and into the living room where he dropped onto the sofa. You pursed your lips, the thought of joining him crossed your mind but before you could act on it Jean had you by your shoulders and was steering you towards the basement to follow the crowd downstairs.

You allowed him to guide you downstairs along with the others, Connie and Sasha were already in the basement, running circles around the couch chasing one another. Connie had Sasha on the run, periodically jabbing his sharpened candy cane at her whenever he got close enough. You cracked a smile at the pair as the others moved to sit on the couch, you took a moment to appreciate Mikasa's outfit, she had favored a festive red sweater that had a raindeer sewn onto the front instead of her usual goth get up. Eren had also worn a forrest green sweater with a Christmas tree, Armin wore a sky blue sweater with a cheeky snowman on the front. You beamed at their choices, all of them very fitting, Jean and Marco wore a matching set with two elves on the front of their green sweaters. Connie and Sasha also wore sweaters, Connie's had Rudolf with a nose that actually lit up while Sasha wore a white sweater with a turkey on the front.

Connie finally managed to catch Sasha, holding her in a chokehold and dragging her over to the sofa. Marco dropped down next to Armin and the two began to sift through the options, Mikasa watched the two converse while keeping an eye on Eren who was poking fun at Jean's sweater. You decided to let the pair work it out on their own for once and dropped down next to Mikasa. Marco had managed to bring quite the variety of movies, he had classics like Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, A Christmas Story, Santa Clause, Home Alone, and more. You unanimously decided that A Christmas Story would be the perfect start, so you popped the disk in and all settled into your seats. Sasha and Connie had to sit on the ground, you had learned the hard way that they were messy eaters and it was much easier to clean the floor than the crevices in the couch. The movies went by quickly, and before long it was already 12 am, you finished the last few minutes before everyone began to fold blankets and pick up the dishes that they had used. You all climbed the stairs and dropped the dishes in the sink and the trash in the bin, you thanked them for coming and wished them safe travels as they all filed out the door. Jean lingered for a moment, a hand on your hip as the two of you stood on the threshold. The others had long since climbed into their cars, it was only Marco who was waiting for Jean.

"Thanks again for hosting tonight." Jean smirked as he pulled you flush against his chest, the scratchy sweater tickled your nose as you rested your head against him.

"It's really not that big of a deal, I like having all you guys over." you whispered against his chest as he rubbed a hand up and down the curve of your back. You were surprised when a flurry of butterflies fluttered in your stomach at his ministrations. His hand slid up your back and came to rest splayed between your shoulder blades for a moment before continuing to slide up and into your hair. Your heart pounded in your ears as he kept his steady gaze on your face, with a gentle tug he pulled your head back to look up at him. You blinked rapidly, as he slowly leaned in until his breath fanned across your lips.

"May I kiss you?" he murmured, his tongue flicking our over his bottom lip as he awaited your answer.

"Y-You may." you stuttered, that was all he needed. He closed the small gap and pressed his lips against your own, taking your bottom lip into his mouth and sucking. You kissed him back timidly, not quite sure how you felt about this interaction. It seemed as if the kiss lasted for hours, when in reality it was probably only about two minutes. Marco laid on the horn of Jean's car, startling the two of you. Jean smiled sheepishly at you before turning and jogging down the steps and over to his car. He turned and waved at you, even going as far as winking before climbing into his car and starting the engine. You couldn't stop your wandering fingers from tracing your wet lower lip as he drove off, he wasn't a half bad kisser. You stepped back into the foyer and closed the door and locked up. The house was quite, but you could hear Hange laughing upstairs, and your mom's TV in her room playing Grey's Anatomy. Since the others had been kind enough to aid you in cleaning up most of the mess, you decided to go get changed into pajamas. You tiptoed up the stairs and past Erwin's room, you could hear Hange, Levi, and Erwin behind the door, they seemed to be bickering as per usual.

You quickly threw on a sweatshirt and a pair of running shorts before wandering back to Erwin's door and rapping on the wood with the back of your knuckles. The voices fell quiet before Erwin pulled the door open just enough to peek through the crack, you frowned at him skeptically. He relaxed when he realized that it was only you and pulled the door open to allow you inside. Erwin's room was like most athletic teen males, messy. His desk was cluttered with papers and pens and the odd textbook. His bed was messed up, Hange was splayed across the comforter watching Levi scroll through his phone. The LED lights in Erwin's room were rotating through multiple colors, the floor was surprisingly clean, probably because Levi was in the room. Your eyes fell on his large beanbag that rested in its usual corner and you moved to fall onto the familiar seat but before you could collapse Hange called out to you.

"(Y/n)! come lay with me." she yawned as she beckoned you over. You sighed but decided to indulge her, you frowned at the small amount of space between her and Levi and opted for the foot of the bed. Erwin dropped down into his desk chair and hunched over his homework, seemingly uninterested in hanging out with you just yet. You sank down onto the foot of Erwin's queen sized bed, Hange frowned and patted the space between her and Levi. You grimaced but still crawled up the bed and pressed your self to Hange to avoid entering Levi's bubble. Hange draped her arm over your waist as you settled your back against her chest.

"Leviiiii let us see" Hange cooed, reaching to pull Levi's elbow so you could see his phone screen. Levi frowned but obliged, angling his wrist so all three of you could see his screen. He was on tiktok, watching a deep cleaning video. His for you page followed the trend of the first video, reviews on cleaning products, amazon reviews and unboxings, some aesthetic videos, mostly boring things. Before you knew it Hange's head slumped down onto your shoulder and you felt her steady breath on your skin, her arm that had been holding you in her iron grip had also gone slack. Levi glanced at the two of you and tried to engrave the image in his mind, the crushing reality of leaving his friends was beginning to sink in. Anyone else would think that he would be happy to leave this bumpkin town for Paris, but they would be wrong. His phone buzzed in his hand, forcing him to tear his gaze off of the two of you. He blinked at the banner that had appeared at the top of his screen, an unknown number.

"Have a safe trip tomorrow big bro! ❤️(red heart emoji)" Levi allowed the corner of his mouth to curl upwards as he read the message. However it was short lived when he realized that it was around 7am in Paris, what on earth was she doing up? He rolled his eyes and opened the message to shoot her a reply:

"Go back to sleep brat it's a Saturday."  he shut his phone off as soon as the message went through, feeling a bit better about his impending departure knowing that his sister was waiting for him. He hadn't seen them in almost 7 years now, he had left France with his uncle when he was only 11 years old when his uncle had gotten a new job. He was only able to return now because he had spent the last three years working odd jobs to save up enough cash to purchase a round trip to France for the holidays.

"Penny for your thoughts?" your muffled voice brought Levi back to the present. He scoffed, glancing down he noted that your eyes were closed and your face pressed into the pillows. He spared another glance to your brother who was now typing furiously on his laptop with a pair of cheap headphones pushed deep into his ears.

"Well?" you pressed, cracking an eye open to gauge his reaction.

"There's nothing to share." he huffed, sinking deeper into Erwin's bed dejectedly.

"So you admit that your head is filled with nothing but elevator music?" you jabbed, a sleepy smirk on your lips. Levi's nose scrunched at the comment, he rolled over onto his side, propping his head on his hand as he glared daggers down at you.

"At least tell me what song is playing in there." you giggled, reaching a hand up to tap you index finger on his temple. He blinked slowly as he allowed you to tease him, knowing that this would be the last time you would get the chance for a whole month. You frowned when he said nothing still and sighed heavily.

"You really won't tell me?" you pursed your lips when Levi's lip twitched, threatening to curl upwards. So that's how it's going to be.

"I was thinking about you." Levi professed, his tone surprisingly tender. Your eyes widened, now you were awake, you felt hot embarrassment rush up your neck and cover your cheeks.

"W-What?" you stammered, the confidence that had flowed so freely through your actions earlier long forgotten.

"You heard me."

"Could you be more specific?"

"Eh" Levi shrugged and rolled over so his back was to you. Astonished, you sat frozen still being crushed under a sleeping Hange. You sat up as much as you could to peek at Erwin, yup he was still grinding on that Economy project. Carefully you shrugged Hange's arm off of your waist and rolled out from under her head. She only snorted and rolled so her back was to you. You sat up fully and grabbed Levi's upper arm to shake him, after a few seconds of jostling, he rolled over and opened his mouth to hand you a snarky comment. His eyes widened slightly to see your finger pressed firmly against your lips. You jerked your head towards the door before you threw your legs over Levi's and slid off the bed and quietly let yourself out of the room. Levi frowned as he watched you leave, a bit confused on what was about to happen. Did you want him to fuck you? Maybe, most likely not but a guy can dream.

He frowned at Erwin who was totally engrossed in his work, even mumbling incoherently to himself as he typed. Perfect timing, he padded quietly across the room and slid out into the dark hallway, a purple glow illuminating the hall as he opened the door. You turned and gave Levi a small smile, but just as he was about to demand why you had summoned him you turned and slunk down the stairs. Now he was officially stumped, still he followed you down into the empty kitchen, you didn't stop there though, you continued down the stairs.Casting a brief glance over your shoulder to make sure that he was following you. Once you had reached the basement you dropped dramatically onto the couch and leaned back into the cushions.

"So are you excited to leave tomorrow?" you asked, turning your sleepy gaze to him as he settled down onto the cushions next to you.

"You could say that." he shrugged as he threw an arm over the back of the couch and tilted his head to gauge your reaction.

"I would be too, I mean those French girls must be smoking hot." you chuckled as you rolled to your side to face him, a wry smile on your lips. Levi scoffed and averted his gaze, once you had stopped giggling you sighed contently.

"It's getting late." you groaned as you glanced at your phone. Levi hummed in agreement as he watched you avoid his gaze.

"Why did you drag me down here?" Levi asked outright, you licked your lips as you attempted to put your feelings into words. But how could you do that when you didn't even know how to feel.

"I guess I just wanted to, I don't know have a moment with you before you leave." you muttered your eyes trained on your hands as you toyed with a ring on your finger. Levi said nothing as he watched you fidget.

"Well here we are." his cold eyes were locked on you as you turned to shoot him a glare.

"I know." you replied meekly, desperately wanting him to ease the awkward atmosphere, but you knew Levi and he wasn't very good at breaking the ice. So the two of you sat in silence for a moment, just staring at each other.

"Even though you're a massive dick, I'm going to miss you." you broke the thick silence.

"Quit being so dramatic, I'll be gone for a month not a year." Levi rolled his eyes and let his arm fall from the back of the couch to drape over your shoulders. You winced, surprised by his sudden action. He tightened  his grip and pulled you into his side, his face still void of emotion.

"It's not like that, I'll just miss you cleaning my house for me. Now I'm going to have to pick up the slack." you joked, a playful smile spreading across your face, but the happiness didn't quite seem to reach your eyes. This didn't escape Levi's watchful gaze, instead of commenting on your obvious uncertainty Levi only pulled you closer to him.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll just be cleaning up after Isabel and Farlan." he spoke softly, his face still void of any expression in particular. You pursed your lips and nodded thoughtfully, you wondered if one day you would get the pleasure of meeting the pair. When you said nothing Levi tapped his finger against your bicep and inhaled sharply.

"Are you jealous?"

"Ha as if." you scoffed, throwing him a playful glance as you elbowed him sharply in his ribs. His lip quirked upwards, if you hadn't been paying attention you would have missed his small smile.Your chest swelled with pride, it was rare for someone to say something worthy of Levi smiling about, it was only recently that you had noticed that you had been able to coax a few brief smiles onto his face.

You wondered if you would be able to still make him smile when he comes back.

#snk levi #levi x reader #levi aot #levi x y/n #levi attack on titan #levi fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #aot fanfiction #aot fandom #levi ackerman fanfiction #levi ackerman #eren jeager #mikasa ackerman #armin arlert #eren mikasa armin #jean x you #jean kirschtein x reader #jean kirstein #sasha braus #connie springer #krista lenz #historia reiss #ymir aot #hange zoe #erwin smith #modern au #high school au #college au

[ahatintimepieces]

The Soul-Eater’s Sorrow

I was rereading @fedoraspooky‘s and @lovelycoris‘s weresnoodle rp to de-stress and then got story idea and I had to pen it to paper immediately so here we are! This takes place before Lukas has met Hattie and about a month after his first transformation, so he’s still getting the hang of his curse (4,767 words). Please enjoy!

Lukas stumbled towards the tree with unwieldy roots, exhausted after a particularly rough night and long morning of sequestering himself as deep into the woods as he dared. When he hurried to correct his footing, his bag jerked painfully against one of the gashes on his chest. He hissed, accidentally biting down onto his tongue with his fangs and once more the taste of iron pooled in his mouth. Trembling, he spat out the glob of blood and wiped at his lips with the back of his hand.

The guard’s anguished howl when Lukas’ jaws had clamped around his shoulder echoed in his mind. Lukas’ grip around his bag tightened.

No.

His chest, littered with wounds from the guard’s frantic silver blade during the fight from the night before, stung but not as much as the guilt when he recalled the man’s expression contorted by terror and how even the man’s mustache had trembled.

No, please. Stop thinking about it.

The guard’s partner had come running to his aid, yelling as she banged her sword against her shield to scare the serpentine shadow away. He recalled her words with crystal clarity despite not having been all there in his beast form.

“Get away you—!”

“Monster,” Lukas whispered out loud, his breath brushing against his fingertips.

The hushed forest didn’t respond to his despondent sigh. Instead, he dropped his bag off of his aching back and slid down against the tree. Leaning his head against one of the raised roots, he stared up at the sunlight trailing through the leaves.

He couldn’t stop playing the night over in his head. It had been a whole moon cycle since he first transformed and fled a frozen Subcon. But having sensed the new moon would have him at his worst again like that terrible night, he had done his best to remain far from the nearest town. He recalled how he had even caught a deer quite quickly after sunset and had a soul to soothe and ease his hunger.

But he still went towards the town.

Groaning, Lukas cupped his head in his hands. His long, disheveled hair fell around his features like a curtain and he curled his legs to his chest.

He remembered an orange glow from the lamps at the town’s gate. His beast form had been drawn to them. Did he think they were souls? No, he distinctly remembered the difference between a soul and a lamp. But both did feel warm…

Scratching a bit around the itching scabs, he tried to remain calm. He still had the later half of the afternoon, judging from the sun, and he had found a secluded spot far away from any people. This time he was sure of it.

The guard would be okay. While Lukas knew he left him with terrible wounds, the guard had access to help and medicine and would ultimately be alright. He was deep in the woods and there would be a sliver of moonlight. Not much, and he would still be dangerous, but he had to cling to anything that might help abate the curse a bit.

His arms trembled as he slowly unfurled. They, too, were covered in scratches from the guard’s sword but weren’t as bad as the ones on his chest. Coupled with the fatigue from not sleeping at all the past couple days, the painful transformations, and the lingering, gnawing anxiety of carrying a dormant beast inside of him that reared its ugly head every night, he was exhausted. Maybe that was good. Maybe, if he was lucky, he could sleep through the whole night. He had managed to ignore soul cravings closer to the full moon. Sure, he felt a little sick in the morning but…

A shudder ran down his spine as he thought about what it meant to eat souls. It felt worse than if he was just eating the meat of an animal. It was like he was devouring its feelings, its memories, and every part of it that knew love and sorrow.

And when he did, oh, the bliss. It didn’t taste like anything, but it felt like everything. The warmth from swallowing a soul felt like the hope that hitched in his chest when he looked at the moon as a human. The warmth he felt when Vanessa smiled at him and held him when her powers weren’t fluctuating. The warmth that kindled in his core when he remembered his mother’s gentle lullabies and how kindly she cupped his hand in hers when she led him through the castle. The warmth of his father’s laugh. The warmth of his brother’s doting whenever Lukas took a spill when they were children. Souls filled him with that kind of lightness, but each animal’s soul he had consumed burned with flickers of their own joys that flittered just outside of his understanding.

What kind of wretched creature needed to feed off others’ precious feelings to survive? The kind of wretched creature he had become. Apparently.  

Lukas shook his head, gaze tracing the lines in his palms. He still wasn’t sure how this all happened, but he could still try to fix it. While eating souls soothed his beast form, he would just have to try and do without. Clenching his fist, he solidified his determination. He wouldn’t eat a soul that night. He would hold himself back. He would be under control. He would prove he was more than just a…

Just a monster.

Lukas pulled himself forward, his back and chest protesting. Reddish-brown curls momentarily blinded him, and he tucked unruly locks back as he reached into his bag. If he was going to try to avoid hunting that night, he would need to fill up. He had found a handful of berries and acorns. A meal fit for a bird but not a human. Or soul-eating monster for the matter. But it would have to do!

Trying to taper his large appetite by eating slowly, he grunted as he pushed to a stand. He had passed a river as he fled civilization and thought now would be a good moment to refill his canteen and see if he could scavenge for more food.

At the river, he drank his fill and even found another berry bush. His stomach grumbled over the lack of protein, but he tried to savor the sweetness of the berries. While he snacked and gazed at the gurgling water surging over polished rocks, he tried to sort through his plans.

Because he had no lead on what kind of curse had been put on him and where it came from, as he traveled from town to town, he had been checking scarcely filled libraries and even chanced a few conversations with merchants or travelers, asking about their journeys and trying to get a sense of what manner of creatures and curses they might have encountered. Unfortunately, the longer Lukas lived with the curse, the more tattered and tired he appeared, making it harder to earn trust from anyone.

Still, he clapped some leaves and stems from his hands, he had to persevere. He had to break this curse and return to Vanessa. He hoped… he hoped she was okay. He hoped she was somehow not alone. Certainly, she was doing alright! He just had to remain positive.

Splashing some water on his face, he shook his head and tried to wake up. He had to wait out the rest of the day and would sleep through the night. He could not harm a single soul. He could control himself. Once he accomplished that, he could make his way to the next town and search its archives for anything that might help. He wished he could have safely entered the community his beast form had found, and maybe find out how the guard was faring, but since he had terrorized them and they might be especially wary of strangers with such a creature around, he figured it was best for him to move on.  

He returned to his bag and dropped down, pulling out a book to keep his mind alert and centered. But he paused. The patch of grass nestled between tree roots was currently bathed in golden sun. His eyelids grew heavy and his sore muscles relaxed in the toasty spotlight. Just for a moment, he chanced closing his eyes as he leaned back, hand on the book cover. He drifted into a much-needed nap.

Lukas snapped awake when the all too familiar feeling of swallowing something hot seared his insides.

“No, no, no!” he gasped, flying forward as he glanced down in the dark.

Shadowy patches of fur had already sprouted on his hands and his fingers were in the process of combining. He fumbled to untie his cloak, refusing to tear it to shreds as the seams of his shirt popped with his bones.

“Don’t eat,” he whispered frantically as he dropped onto changing knees. “Don’t eat. Don’t eat. Just sleep. Sleep—ah!” He cried out as his fangs thrust forward, pushing against and out of his upper lip. His claws clenched around soil and the sound of splitting fabric tore through his mental checklist he was desperate to commit to memory.

Sleep. Don’t eat. Just sleep.

His vision blurred and he felt his body lengthen and muscles stretch as a tail pushed out. His bones bent and realigned, lurching into a larger, ghastly shape. Lukas’ jaw cracked open and from it came an inhuman scream that howled through the trees. A flock of birds fled nearby treetops and Lukas panted, clenching claws into the ground while golden drool dripped from the edges of his mouth. A similar substance oozed from the re-opened cuts on his chest.

Night fully encased the forest and the beast’s golden eyes shone brighter than the barest shaving of moonlight and pinpricks of stars. Breathing heavily, the creature thrashed his tail with agitation as he glanced around, searching for a meal.

A white light, glowing like the gentle reflection of the moon on rippling water, hovered in the distance, beyond a grouping of trees. The creature’s eyes narrowed into slits. Flames licked the corners of his maw. Hunger gnawed at his insides and urged him to feast on the warm soul that would pacify his deep ache. He stilled, crouching into a position to get ready to lunge, but then fragments returned to his thoughts.

Don’t eat. The feelings behind the thought ached with a despair deeper than the pain gnawing his insides. The creature let out a confused growl, keeping his gaze locked onto the soul. He pawed at the ground, wanting to give chase but the feelings twisting his stomach were enough to give him pause. Pacing by the tree, the creature lifted a paw towards the soul, but the frantic thought shifted into a ghastly echo.

Monster!

The creature whined, shrinking back as he ached and hungered and hurt. His spiky mane flattened and the twisting feelings inside him urged him to turn around and try to sleep through the pain. He conceded. Curling up on a bed of grass and torn clothes, he laid down and gnawed on the tip of his tail. The chewing motion helped to dispel some of his anxious energy as he closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

Though ignoring his insatiable hunger long enough to fall asleep was tricky, once the creature drifted, he was exhausted enough to sleep through the rest of the night. His claws clenched and he occasionally growled, dreaming of chasing something he wouldn’t remember when he woke up.

Finally, dawn peeked through the treetops and the creature stiffened. With a high-pitched groan, the beast gripped the ground as his body reverted back into human. Painful pops resounded from his bones and his tail withdrew.

While shadowy fluff melted back into skin and Lukas’ auburn locks draped across his naked back, he tried to crack open his eyelids, but the soft sunlight stung his slowly adjusting eyes. He croaked, turning his face into the dirt and pressing his forehead against the ground to ease the pressure building in his throbbing temples.

Everything hurt. Not in the way it usually did after a night adjacent to the new moon but in a way that left him feeling like his limbs were securely trapped underneath an Alpine goat. He needed to get up, to try and put on some clothes. But when he so much as pushed his quivering hands beneath his chest and tried to push himself up, a wave of dizziness and nausea crashed into him and he dropped back down, groaning.

Why did he feel like this? He thought back to the night before. The soul he had seen and his hunger returned with clarity. But then, so too, did he recall his hesitation to pursue the animal. A swell of relief pushed through the torrent of unpleasant symptoms he was experiencing.

He did it! He had been able to control the beast a little!

The euphoria was short lived as pain pulsed through his head and he grunted, lifting his arms over himself as he tried to block out the sunlight and press back the ache. Maybe… maybe he would just rest a little longer…

Too many wasted hours later, Lukas had managed to dress himself in his spare clothes. He was able to fight past the headache to have the foresight to salvage the larger pieces of his ruined outfit from the night before. His legs felt like jelly beneath him and while moving too fast caused his stomach to flip, he heaved his bag over his shoulder and pushed on. Carding his fingers through his knotted hair, he blinked at the sunlight pooling in through the leaves and tried to focus on his objectives.

Find town. Find books. Break the curse.

Usually he would have ‘find breakfast’ somewhere in there, and while he certainly was aware of how empty his stomach was, his hunger was buried underneath how sick he felt.

Ambling aimlessly, he soon found the path and an apple orchard across from the forest. His stomach twisted, begging for food, as he stared at bright, red apples glinting in the sunlight. Salivating at the thought of sinking his teeth into a sweet, plump looking apple, he quickly swallowed.

No. No. The curse had made him many things, but he wouldn’t stoop to thievery. He still had a little bit of coin he could use in town. Turning onto the path, he felt something dribble down his chin. He brushed the back of his hand across his lip and found he had started to drool. Sighing, he glanced towards the apples, which taunted him as they perched just beyond a fence.

A small part of him still hesitated, wanting to at the very least find the owner of the grove and pay for a meal. His stomach growled (or, wait, was it his stomach that had growled?) and he took a step forward.

The hunger-induced stupor he had been in dissipated as soon as he chomped into an apple. He hadn’t realized he had hopped the fence or plucked an apple from the branch but now that the fresh juice revitalized his tastebuds, he dug in unabashedly.

It was only after he practically inhaled the fruit that he realized he was surrounded by other apples stripped to the core. His heart leapt to his throat as he examined the suddenly barer looking apple tree.

Did—Did he eat all of those without realizing?

Dropping the apple core dripping in his hand, he eyed the scene of his crime and lamented that even if he did find the owner and try to pay for the pilfered meal, he probably couldn’t afford it. What was worse was he was still hungry…

Grimacing as he reached for one more apple, he heard footsteps and quickly pressed his back flush with the tree bark.

“Muriel!” A feminine voice called from deeper in the grove. “Young lady, you better not be in the forest!”

Forest? Lukas’ gaze shifted as he scanned the uncultivated trees he had just come from.

The woman yelling for Muriel crossed towards the opposite side of the grove and Lukas exhaled. Carefully holding the apple between his teeth, he clumsily hopped back over the fence and dropped onto the path. He felt a bit more coherent now that he had eaten and while he could have kept going into town, the idea of a child wandering alone in the woods didn’t sit well with him. He promised himself it would just be a quick look around.

When he spotted a small footprint in a patch of soil, he decided he would be dedicating far more time to looking for the young girl. Finishing his apple, he discarded the core and followed the direction of the footprint.

In a turn of events, she found him when he reached the winding tree he had camped at the night before.

“Ha!” A small blur of red plunged out of the treetops and landed in front of him, waving a stick.

“Goodness!” Lukas jumped back. Still not feeling one hundred percent from skipping out on a soul, his dizziness combined with his trembling legs tripped him up enough that he fell back with an “oof.”

“Oh.” The girl wrinkled her nose. “Who are you?”

“Lukas,” he wheezed. Catching his breath and knowing he wasn’t ready to try and stand again, he opted to just straighten his sore back as he held the girl’s gaze. “Are you, by any chance, Muriel?”

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“Maybe. Why?”

“I believe your mother is searching for you.” Sensing her distrust, he summoned a gentle smile to try and ease her concerns. He knew he probably looked terrible despite his efforts. “Would you like me to accompany you back to the orchard?”

“I don’t need help!” Muriel turned on her heels, crossing over to the tree and jumping up onto the roots.

“I’m sure you don’t.” Lukas pushed himself up, stretching out his back and exhaling as it popped, “But your mother was worried—”

“I don’t care!” she snapped. “I’m busy!”

Lukas tilted his head, watching as she started to climb the tree.

“Busy doing what? If you don’t mind me asking?”

“I’m going to avenge the person who got mauled here!” she declared, scowling as she glanced down.

“Mauled?” He paled, thinking back. He hadn’t—Surely, he would remember—He couldn’t have in his beast form; he had slept the whole night! “What makes you think—”

“I found shredded clothes with blood on them.” Muriel lifted one of the remains of his shirt, a casualty of his transformation.

He sighed, wholeheartedly relieved.

“Oh no.” His mind whirled to come up with an explanation. “My deepest apologies for frightening you, but I camped out here last night and I suppose I accidentally left behind some… old… cloth I used for bandages.” He tried to conceal his wince at how poor an excuse he offered. Though he was still struggling with a headache and fatigue.

“You used a shirt?” Muriel catapulted from the tree and landed solidly in front of him. He jumped, reaching out on instinct in case she needed help, but she righted herself, brushing twigs from her scarlet tunic before crossing her arms. She crinkled her nose. “Are you homeless? And not the traveling-merchant-homeless but the pathetic kind?”

“Pa-pathetic?” Lukas bristled before slouching under her stare. “Well,” he admitted, lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck, “there’s no shame in being a wandering vagabond, but I’ll be the first to concede there are others who undoubtedly function better than I.”

Muriel’s lips quirked into a mischievous smile.

“You looked like a wild animal eating our apples.”

Lukas stiffened, his cheeks burning brighter than his newly awakened fire magic.

“Apologies. I don’t—I don’t know what, erm, came over me,” he stammered, already embarrassed by his ravenous appetite even without anyone watching him.

“If you camped out here, didn’t you hear that howl?” Muriel’s brows narrowed.

He froze, thoughts careening as he remembered the pain.

“I—well—yes, I did, but—”

“You weren’t scared?” Muriel’s eyes widened.

“A little.” He slowly exhaled, trying to calm his nerves. Offering a nervous smile, he added, “but I survived.”

“Wow,” Muriel gave him an impressed look. “Then you can help me!” She motioned for him to follow.

“With what, exactly?” He remained in his spot. A quick glance towards the sky told him the afternoon sun was slowly creeping. He wondered if he could even make into town at this point.

“Hunting the serpent shadow!”

He paled.

“Muriel—”

“Call me Mu!”

“Mu, then,” he implored, “It’s much too dangerous to try to hunt the beast and your mother is worried.”

She paused, looking over her shoulder with a scowl.

“You don’t have the equipment,” he continued, fiddling with his bag strap. “And I certainly don’t have anything to subdue the creature…” He intended to keep listing reasons for why it was a bad idea to chase after the beast without giving away he was the beast, but his growling stomach interrupted him.

“You’re still hungry?” Mu blinked incredulously.

He winced, tightening his fingers around the strap.

“You are pretty scrawny,” Mu huffed, turning around and shifting her stick to her other hand. Before Lukas could protest, she took his hand and tugged him back towards the orchard. “I guess you can’t go monster hunting on an empty stomach, but I don’t know how your stomach can be empty after eating nearly a whole tree’s worth of apples.”

“Ah, I-I suppose you’re right,” Lukas said faintly, letting her guide him back.

He inwardly sighed as he realized he hadn’t gotten any closer to figuring out how to break his curse. It was due in no small part to how ill he felt going without a soul, losing a whole morning as consequence. And, if Mu had heard him last night, even from the orchard, he was still far too close to others. What precious hours of daylight he had left would need to be used for putting distance between him and everyone.

If he was still this famished, he couldn’t imagine what the night would be like.

Soon enough, he and Mu reached the orchard again and there they found her mother, getting ready to head into the forest.

“Muriel!” Her mother dropped her bag before running up to Mu and enveloping her in a hug.

Lukas smiled, releasing Mu’s hand and stepping back on the path.

“Mom, stop!” Mu grumbled, pushing her away before pointing at Lukas. “I got lost and he helped me find my way back. We should feed him.”

“Ah, it was nothing so serious.” Lukas flushed. He saw what Mu was doing, but he really hadn’t done anything to help her and he really needed to be going. The way that her mother was eying him with suspicion also made him a bit nervous.

It wasn’t like he had looked at himself in the mirror lately, but if his appearance was anywhere near as terrible as he felt, he imagined he looked frightfully haggard.

“I actually need to be heading on my way,” he offered, wringing his hands a bit as he backed up on the path.

“What?” Mu pouted. “But we need to hunt the serpent shadow tonight!”

“Muriel!” Her mother frowned, protectively pulling her back with an exasperated sigh. “A witch hunter has already made it to town. Let them take care of it.”

While Lukas’ eyes widened, processing what that all entailed and how he needed to get as far away as possible for everyone’s safety and his, Mu’s mother turned to him with a defeated look.

“But it is dangerous out there.” Her features creased like she was trying not to grimace at Lukas’ appearance. “It would be cruel to make you fend for yourself while there’s a terrible monster out there.”

“I really must get going,” Lukas said, summoning a charming smile. “I appreciate the concern, but I’ll be alright.”

“If you don’t believe a beast is out there, it tried to torment the townspeople, and nearly killed my brother.” Her features darkened.

“Wh-what?” Lukas paled, digging his nails into his hands.

“Uncle’s captain of the guard at the town over!” Mu cut in. Her voice grew bitter as she explained, “the serpent shadow attacked just the other night, but it couldn’t have gotten too far! That’s why I was looking for it! I won’t let it hurt anyone else.”

“I-I’m so sorry,” Lukas breathed out, shoulders slumping. Guilt weighed him down as he remembered quite clearly the guard’s agonized screams and the taste of blood. Lukas’ features crumbled as he held the woman’s gaze. “Truly, I’m so sorry. Is your brother—” Okay? Healing? Not completely traumatized at the very least?

“The doctor says he’ll heal. Luckily, the gash isn’t infected, but,” the woman scowled, “I hope the witch hunter skins that monster before anyone else gets hurt or worst.”

Lukas swallowed thickly, only able to nod.

“Would you like to spend the night?” The woman softened. “I’d hate for you to get caught by the monster or wind up in a battle between it and the witch hunter.”

“I’ll probably find shelter in the town,” Lukas lied. “But thank you for your generosity.”

Mu tugged on her mom’s sleeve and she bent down, listening as Mu whispered in her ear.

“I suppose that would be alright.” Her mom ruffled her hair and Mu beamed before dashing off into the orchard, towards a house that could be glimpsed between the trees. “So, where exactly are you from?”

While Lukas numbly recited his cover story about coming from a town near Subcon and inwardly grimaced when the woman recalled hearing something about a terrible tragedy befalling Subcon Village. He hurried to change the subject, inquiring about the orchard as he tried to appear at ease while the sun moved through the sky, his back ached from standing still with his bag, and guilt chewed his insides. Finally, Mu returned with a cloth bag filled with jars of pale amber-colored apple jam and fresh bread. The jars had mustaches painted onto them.

“Here you go!” Mu shoved the bag into him, and he fumbled to grasp it, eyes wide at the heft.

“I couldn’t possibly accept this.” He gave them both a wide-eyed look while biting the inside of his cheek. His fang pressed painfully into it.

“You brought my mischief-maker back. It’s the least I can do.” The woman shrugged before bending down and scooping up Mu. Mu squealed as her mom tickled her sides and that only encouraged her mom to blow an affectionate raspberry near her cheek. Giggling, Mu swatted her mom away, though she seemed comfortable in her mother’s embrace.

“Thank you,” Lukas whispered, knowing he didn’t deserve it, especially after what he had done… But the bread did smell tantalizing and the idea of eating jam with it was too rare a treat to pass up. He hugged the bag to his chest, still itching with scabs, and dipped his head. “I better be going, but I really do appreciate this, and I hope your brother recovers swiftly.”

Please let him recover swiftly.

“You better get into town.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Before the beast tries anything again.”

“You can come back tomorrow and help me with chores!” Mu called as Lukas started down the path, waving.

“If I’m able,” Lukas returned noncommittally. “Please take care.”

Please forgive me.

Mu and her mother waved as he left, heading down the path until he was out of sight and then immediately changing direction. After tucking the bread and jam into his own bag, he groaned lightly as he heaved the more cumbersome weight over his shoulders. The jam jars clinked lightly, and he ran a hand through his tangled hair.

He needed to run. If the witch hunter had plans to search the forest, it would not be safe in the slightest, and after how awful he felt from not hunting for a soul, he didn’t think he could keep his beast form from feeding that night and he did not want to chance being too close to others in that state.

He couldn’t hurt anyone again.

Lukas pushed on, weaving through the forest, crossing the river, and hiking ever deeper into isolation. He would ensure that he wouldn’t hurt anyone again.

#a hat in time #fedoraspooky #lovelycoris #weresnoodle au #ahit weresnoodle au #ahit prince #ahit mustache girl #my writing #blood #painful transformation #i love..... the weresnoodle..... very much....... #also the guard is one hundred percent the mafia boss i thought it'd be funny #also right now Mu and Lukas are best friends in her mind but if she finds out about his curse #the friendship meter will crash down into the negatives like in the video game that's the vibe im going for #i got nothing else but Y'ALL SHOULD CHECK OUT THE RP IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY \O/ #seriously it's so good and cheers my heart so often and is one of my favorite ways to unwind #just so much love..... for this au ;~; <3333333333333333

[tallstars-rewrite]

Chapter 37

chapter list / previous / next

The park was bigger than Talltail thought it would be. It didn’t quite reach the woods that touched ShadowClan and ThunderClan’s territories, but there were still plenty of trees for cats to hide in. They spent the better part of the day looking and then the next day wandering a bit more, pausing to hunt squirrels when they could. Talltail taught Jake everything he knew about stalking, though they both had a bit of clumsy learning to do as Talltail was out of his element with forest prey like this that had a tendency to escape up trees. They worked out a sort of routine where Jake would creep up and scare a squirrel towards Talltail who would chase it down.

 They even came across a decent sized still body of water that Talltail assumed must have been the “duck pond”, complete with several mallard ducks floating lazily across the surface. But still, no trace of familiar scents. Yet despite this, Talltail found to his surprise when they were lounging in the sun that he felt much lighter than he had in moons. Enough that even when he remembered that he’d specifically told Jake they would part ways after arriving at the park, he didn’t do anything to remind his companion of that. Jake did not bring it up either, so they continued on together. Talltail struggled finding the motivation to send the friendly tom back to his housefolk, as he knew he should. Yet, a small part of him began to think...if they couldn’t find any trace of Sparrow here, then there wasn’t any other lead to go on. Suppose he never could find him at all. Maybe, if there was no other choice, he could just stay here with Jake?

But that quiet thought was short-lived. Lounging in the sunset as they took a break, Talltail closed his eyes in a patch of golden fading light. When the sun sank lower, the coolness of the earth seeped into his fur and his mind dropped him into the dark, suddenly feeling as if he were falling. Then once again he was pinned flat under a slab of earth.  Something was standing above him. His head was low to the ground, he saw only old, deteriorated paws. His monster was back. He was too afraid to look up into its face. Talltail closed his eyes and waited to feel a hare's blunt edged teeth.

His eyes flew open and he kicked out hard as he scrambled up right with a frightened yowl and caught Jake hard in the side, who yowled back in surprise.

“Ow--! Talltail!? What’s wrong?” Jake's fur was puffed out but he recovered quickly, trying to offer a comforting purr while Talltail shook the vision clear from his head. He was still in one piece. But he was left in a dark mood.

“I’m fine. Sorry. Just a bad dream.” He got up quickly, catching Jake by surprise in his haste. The fear reminded him of what he’d been hiding from. Who do you think you are, stalling like this? You’re doing it on purpose. He hissed at himself. You didn’t come this far just to start a cozy new selfish life for yourself after everything that’s happened. 

“We’ve rested long enough,” he turned to Jake. “I need to start looking again. We haven’t fully sniffed out the far side of the pond, maybe there’s some trace over there.”

“Oh, yeah.” Jake shook his fur and yawned. “Sometimes I almost forget you're on some kind of vengeance mission.”

“If you want to call it that, sure,” Talltail replied stiffly. “Which is why I should be resting as little as possible.”

“Can’t we hunt some birds first? Or just watch them? There’s a whole flock in that oak over there.” Jake offered. 

Talltail turned to stare at him. “We didn’t come here to look at birds, what are you talking about?”

“I-I just think birds are neat! There’s always time for vengeance later, right?”

Talltail narrowed his eyes at his companion, who blinked back at him innocently.

“Every day lost could be them getting further away. We hunted earlier, you’ll survive. We have to look for scents.”

Jake flattened his ears, “Alright, alright. Looking for scents. I’m coming.”

***

“I think I found something,” Talltail's muzzle was to the ground, nosing around a wet patch of reeds along the pond's muddy edge.

Jake padded up behind him and brushed against his side. “Who is it?”

Talltail pushed through the reed stalks and poked his head under a hollowed out bush hanging over the water. At its base where the soil was more dry were scraps of fur and flattened grass where cats may have been nesting before.

“I think I smell Algernon and Bess. Maybe Mole?” Talltail found it hard to recall their exact scents, as they were always tangled together. 

“What about Sparrow?” Jake asked

“I don’t...think so.” Talltail grumbled.

Suddenly there was a rustle and a scrambling sound as something shot out of the nearby bushes. Talltail let his instincts take over and he leapt after the noise, jumping right over Jake as he caught sight of dark scraggly fur. For half a heartbeat, he thought it was Sparrow.

A cat yelped in surprise as he slammed into them and set them rolling. It was not Sparrow, but Talltail recognized the face of one of the scrawny alley cats. The stray landed on his side and raised an unsheathed paw to block his face as Talltail towered over him.

“W-wait! I’m alone, I'm not-- er--no, I shouldn’t have said that,” he stuttered. “I mean, you’re surrounded so you better not hit me again!”

“Oh shut up already!” Talltail snapped. “What is the problem with you cats? I don’t have time to deal with you!”

“Oh, it’s just Roach,” Jake sounded unconcerned. “He’s not a threat by himself.”

“L-look, I’m sorry we tried to kill you, okay? That was rude.” Roach stared up at them pathetically, but with a flash of defiance in his muddy-yellow eyes. “But only because you clan brats tried to do the same!”

“I’m going to say this one more time, so try listening,” Talltail growled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, there are multiple clans in the forest and if you really have seen clan cats, they aren’t from mine! So sod off, you flea-pelt!”

“Whatever one you're from, you’re all trouble if you're trying to bother the visitors, and they aren’t here anymore anyway!”

Talltail stepped closer. “Did you tell them to leave?”

Roach put up his claws and hissed.

Jake gave Talltail a concerned look as he lashed his tail in agitation. Talltail  hesitantly put his claws away, and tried again calmly. “Why are you concerned with the visitors?”

Roach looked away. “Because Bess and them were nice to us...We like having them around, and we said we wouldn’t let cats bully them.”

“I’m not going to bully them, I have no interest in hurting Bess’s family. I only want to talk to the little dark one. He’s not nice at all! I’m just trying to figure out if he was with them.” Roach just glared at him. “I’m not saying anymore! Not spilling anything else, so you’ll just have to kill me! Do it! I’m not scared!” His words were fierce but his trembling fear scent said otherwise. “Sure,” Talltail rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to kill you, don’t be so dramatic. I can follow a scent on my own.”

“Let’s just go then,” Jake said. “We don’t have interest in causing trouble with you or your friends.”

“You only cause trouble!” Roach snarled. “It’s either you or your stinking mutt, that slobbering thing chased me half way here because it doesn’t have the sense to stay on a leash where stupid dogs belong!”

“Wait,” Jake bristled, "Dusty? He chased you? Was he alone?”

“Well he wasn’t tied to anything! Don’t pretend like you didn’t sick him on me on purpose.”

“You know I can’t do that! Oh no, this is terrible!” Jake tore anxiously at the grass under his paws. “He must have dug out of the fence again after I left! He has a terrible sense of direction on his own. He must be so lost and confused! Roach, where--”

But Roach had apparently had enough lying in tension, he sprang up without warning and dashed off into the bushes. Talltail thought about starting after him, sure it would be easy to run the mangy rogue down, but Jake stopped him.

“He won’t be of any help,” he moaned. “I have to find Dusty. He’s out trying to follow me again, and Cris can’t catch him on his own. Talltail I--” he looked up at him with pleading eyes. “I’m so sorry, I know this mission you’re on is important but I have to find where he went. He hasn’t been doing well lately and it’s so much more dangerous for dogs to walk around than it is for us. He can’t hide!”

“Ok,” Talltail was surprised at how easily he responded. The visitors have been warned that someone’s after them and they’re walking away, a voice screamed in his head. But Jake had done so much for him and he looked distraught. How long could it take to find a massive smelly dog? He couldn’t just abandon Jake. 

But the nagging voice went on all the same. You are stalling. You don’t even want to complete this mission, because you’re a coward. 

I know I am. Talltail relented. But he had to repay Jake after taking up so much of his time. It wasn’t fair to use him and then simply leave while offering nothing back. With that, he continued after Jake as they ran back the way they had come.

***

Jake paced up and down the paths they’d traveled on to get to the park, looking for a trace of Dusty’s scent.

 “I’d know it anywhere,” he said firmly. “He was around here! probably trying to find the park…”

Talltail believed it, Dusty’s stench was rather hard to forget. Jake walked at a nervous hurried trot. 

“Are you really worried?” Talltail asked. “What animal would try to attack such a big dog?”

“Other dogs, maybe.” Jake said sniffing along the fence “Or a car...He hates them, and sometimes he panics when they come close. He’s gotten out before, but back then he was following me and I stayed with him. I just don’t want him to get completely lost. Especially because he’s been so tired lately, I don’t know how long he can run from anything dangerous!”

Jake really seemed distressed. Talltail tasted the air carefully. Eventually they found it, clear as anything, it smelled like the dog had been pacing around in circles here before heading off along the town edge.

 Jake perked up. “It’s recent, if I just follow this, I'm sure he’ll be at the end of it!”

But passed the dog, trailing off into the woods, Talltail caught a different trail as well. His pelt bristled. That’s a fox, I know it is. Dawnstripe had made sure that he memorized every sign of those creatures, and they were perfectly capable of killing a cat that got cornered. He’d only ever seen one at a distance with a Thunderpath between them, and he had no desire to see one closer.

“Jake!” Talltail hissed, “Jake, come over here. Stay close to me.”

Jake looked up quickly at Talltail’s sudden change in tone. “What? What is it?”

A cat's yowl of fear somewhere off in the scraggly treeline interrupted Talltail before he could answer.

“Some cat’s in danger!” Jake gasped. Without a second of hesitation, the kittypet dashed off after the noise, completely abandoning their path.

“Jake!” Talltail called “Don’t go towards it!” 

But Jake was already off, and he had no choice but to follow. Just as Talltail feared, the musky doggish stench of fox hit the roof of his mouth so strongly and sudden he nearly gagged on it. Jake dove out of the bushes with Talltail on his heels and there it was, red bushy fur and long pointed muzzle concealing needle sharp teeth glinting under its curled lip. Sharp yellow eyes instantly shot towards the kittypet blundering towards it. Talltail smelled blood and was aware of a small cat crouched not far away, with two others standing near it. The fox had been circling them curiously, trying to decide if it was worth making a dive for the injured prey. But now it’s attention was fully on Jake, who had practically run into the thing. 

“Oh, stars--!” Jake gasped, clearly not expecting it to be as close as it was. The fox snapped at him in surprise and Jake just barely managed the wheel back before it could close its jaws on his neck. It grabbed the long fur on his hindquarters and tore a tuft free. Jake tumbled, eyes wide and seemingly with no idea what to do. He scampered back and the fox followed him, darting to the side and looking for somewhere else to bite.

Before it could snap again and get a hold of more than just fur, Talltail yowled and took a heavy swipe at the foxes muzzle, catching it on the nose as it yelped and jumped back. Jake puffed at the fox and growled and swiped as well, but he was clearly terrified and unsure of where to strike. The cats it had cornered puffed their fur and darted at it before leaping back. The fox, apparently liking its odds significantly less with so many cats, quickly turned and scampered away into the woods.

Jake sat up and shook out his fur with a nervous purr. “Well! that was pretty easy.”

Talltail wanted to cuff him on the head as he tried to calm his pounding chest. “Jake you practically ran into its jaws, what were you thinking? If you’d been just a bit slower it could have seriously hurt you!”

“I was thinking it was trying to hurt someone, and they could probably use a distraction? I don’t know, I didn’t think about it that hard!” Jake was clearly more shaken up than he wanted to admit.

Talltail was about to argue further when suddenly he froze as he finally got a look at the two cats who had been blocking the fox from the injured cat. It was unmistakably Algernon and Bess, looking far more frazzled and distressed then Talltail had seen them before. Bess’s light green eyes widened in recognition, and then confusion.

“Tallpaw?” she mewed, “Is...is that you? What in the spirit's name are you doing so far from home?”

“Talltail now,” he corrected, but that was all he could think to say. He was stunned. It couldn’t have been this easy. Had he really found them by accident? I wasn’t expecting it so soon, I thought I’d have time to prepare…. He just stared at the two cats. 

“Nevermind that,” Algernon said. “We’re so glad to see you, we heard this cat yowl and saw a fox trying to drag her away, we weren’t sure the two of us were going to be enough to scare it off.” Algernon's paws were still shaking, and Talltail remembered that the tom was clawless. And trying to take on a fox? What, hoping it didn’t call his bluff with useless swipes? 

The small injured cat saved him from trying to think of what to say. It wasn’t a cat Tallpaw recognized, but what he did recognize was the toothy grimace, sharp muzzle, and boggy stench. It looked a lot like a ShadowClan apprentice. The small scruffy molly had a bloody bite on her hind leg and she tried to push herself to her paws and dive towards the undergrowth, but she hissed in pain as soon as she put weight on her leg, drawing Bess and Algernon’s immediate attention. “Oh dear, you’re hurt! It’s alright, we only want to help you!” Bess fretted, but the shaking apprentice hissed at her.

“N-no! I don’t need your help, I’m not supposed to--”

Talltail leaped back as another blur of gray fur came charging out of the bushes, her back arched when she landed, pale eyes quickly darting around at the surrounding cats, before they settled on him. Talltail felt a growl in his throat as he recognized the lanky gray molly as Ashheart, one who had tried so hard to terrorize him and Shrewclaw in their apprenticehood. She didn’t keep her gaze on him long as she dashed to the injured apprentice, forcing Bess and Algernon to take a step back.

“Get back, all of you! No one touches her.”

“We saved her, you know!” Jake called out his ears flattened in indignation. “A fox was trying to eat her and very well would have by the time you got here!”

“Jake--” Talltail warned quietly, as Ashheart snarled at him.

Bess dipped her head “We mean you no harm, we truly only wanted to help.”

Ashheart looked sternly down at the apprentice who stared up at her with wide guilty eyes. “You could have been killed, Tanglepaw!” she hissed quietly. “You’re not supposed to come out here alone! Now I have to track down your littermates too!”

Tanglepaw flattened into the ground and Ashheart looked warily up at the cats surrounding her.

“Alright, rogues,” she hissed the word pointedly in his direction, but rather than being angry, Talltail was relieved. It’s better than them thinking WindClan is sending spies beyond our borders.

“I shouldn’t bother doing this but…” She hesitated, not looking away from Talltail. “I don’t know what your game is, deserter, but you’re certainly not safe here. My thanks for this is a warning. Get away from clan ground, because the next patrol that finds you won’t show mercy, especially not to you. If we meet again, the next time will be significantly less pleasant.” With that she nudged the young cat to her paws and, using three legs, the apprentice hopped along with Ashheart into the shade of the trees. “Wait!” Bess called, “we really need to ask you--” but they were already gone.

“Well, that was ominous.” Jake muttered, and he turned to Talltail “Were those...other clan cats?”

“ShadowClan.” Talltail replied stiffly. “They’re up to something they shouldn’t be, I know they are.”

Jake flashed a concerned look to the trees where the cats had vanished and then padded cautiously over to Bess and Algernon. “Are you two alright?”

“Yes,” Bess sighed. “We’re fine, the fox didn’t really have a chance to hurt us. We’re glad you showed up but…” She looked at Talltail, and he saw the hesitance and concern there. “You still haven’t told us what you’re doing all the way out here?”

“I’m not a WindClan cat anymore,” Talltail said quickly, “I’m just a wanderer now, and...um.”

Jake was looking back at him, a narrowed questioning look in his eyes that clearly meant “Alright, now what?”

I have no idea… Talltail thought. Bess and Algernon looked a little on guard. Why wouldn’t they be? Last time I saw them, I was yowling for punishment against one of their companions.

Algernon blinked at him. “So you left? But...why?”

“It’s complicated. And personal,” he replied curtly.

Jake sniffed, clearly a little put off by Talltail’s rudeness. 

Algernon glanced at his partner, then Bess took a small step toward him. “Talltail, I understand your view of us may be...tense after the horrible tragedy that occurred. I really can’t tell you how sorry we are for all of it. But...We’re in a bad place. I think those ShadowClan cats have been stalking around us ever since we left, this little one with a bent tail, and others. Always the same bunch. And now Reena, Mole, and Sparrow are all gone!”

Talltail froze. “Wait...What do you mean gone?”

“They’re just...gone.” Bess mewed, her voice was strained and cracked with worry.

Algernon leaned against his mate and continued for her. “Sparrow had been distant for some time, and when he took longer than normal returning to us, Reena and Mole went to look for him. And none of them came back. We’re so worried and we don’t know what to do. Do you think ShadowClan would have kidnapped them? Is that something they do?”

“I don’t know the clans to take prisoners very often, and certainly not non-clan cats. I haven’t seen any of them.” Talltail said. He was trying to think of what to do now himself and he felt frustration clawing at his belly. If not even they knew where Sparrow was, he could be anywhere!

“Maybe they just got lost?” Jake suggested.

Algernon shook his head. “Mole never gets lost. Something must have happened!”

“Whatever it is, we can’t help.” Talltail said brusquely as he turned to pad away. “Come on Jake. None of us should stay here. I don’t know what ShadowClan is doing, but I’m sure they will make good on their threats if they are around here. We’re too close to their border. You two should stay out of their way.”

“What?” Jake stared after him in dismay. “You’re just leaving?”

“What I’m looking for isn’t here."

“Talltail!” Jake sounded angry, and Talltail turned, meeting his gaze defiantly. Jake glared back at him. “These cats haven’t done anything wrong. We have to do something!”

“Do what? I can’t take on ShadowClan anymore than they can. I have to focus on my mission.”

 Algernon and Bess were looking helplessly at each other. Jake was still glaring and Talltail was the first to blink away from his gaze. Unfortunately he did have a point. Reena and Mole weren’t bad cats. As angry as he was, there was only one cat it was directed at. And now, he was starting to have an idea that made him even angrier. 

“Look,  I’ll…” Talltail scraped at the ground in frustration. “I’ll see if I can track their scent. But you guys...You’ll be killed if you're caught in ShadowClan’s path. You’re no good to your family dead.”

“But we can’t just leave them behind!” Algernon fretted.

“Keep an eye out and hope they find their way back to you. I’ll try my best to get to the bottom of whatever's happening. If I’m right, I may be able to find Reena and Mole as well.” 

At this point he wanted to get away from the two gentle loners pleading gaze as quickly as possible. He couldn’t actually promise them anything, and lying made his stomach twist in a knot. His heart was pounding. I didn’t want to get involved in clan drama! I don’t want to make promises to Reena’s family. I just want to find Sparrow!

 Now more than ever he wanted to find Sparrow. Because his suspicions before that the rogue had something to do with ShadowClan were even stronger. Ashheart clearly didn’t recognize or trust Bess and Algernon. That almost certainly meant Reena wouldn’t have anything to do with the ShadowClan warrior either, he could never imagine that kind molly going behind her parents' backs. But Reena and Mole followed Sparrow, and then they both suddenly vanished? If it was possible Sparrow had even deceived his own family and gotten them tangled up in something dangerous... 

The visitors were too naïve to see the evil in cats. A dark thought slowly began to surface in the back of Talltail’s mind. Maybe getting rid of Sparrow for good would even be doing them a favor. 

But what about Jake?  Talltail's focus had gotten twisted up ever since he’d found his old friend again. He’d gotten distracted, even though he set out on this journey promising himself he wouldn’t. He looked miserably behind him as the bright ginger tom came bounding up. I shouldn’t even have brought Jake this far...How can I take him any further into possible danger?

chapter list / previous / next

#FRU37 #chapter 37

[harrin-king]

just a lil dialogue idea: “...did you just sniff me?”

good luck with school :-)

“Not to sound, I don’t know, ungrateful for the redemption you’re providing me with here, but do you all have to stick your noses into everything? Because I think your whole little group needs a new hobby.” 

Steve wrinkles his nose. “You think this is redemption? That’s an interesting take. I’d call it charity, maybe,” he says, ignoring the rest of Billy’s comment. 

Billy follows his lead and ignores him too. “Like, you guys could start a knitting circle, I’m sure ol’ Joyce would enjoy that. Oh! A Bridge Club. What do you think, Harrington? Think that would occupy you enough to stop willingly tracking down monsters with nothing but a fucking baseball bat?” 

Billy has been out of the hospital for three months. He’s been adopted by Joyce Byers for two, and has been patrolling the woods for monsters with Harrington for one. 

None of it was really his choice, but neither was the possession back in July, and he finds this to be something much more tolerable to have thrust upon him. 

Steve gives a small smile, taking quick crunching steps through the dark forest. “Aw, don’t hurt my feelings, Hargrove. I might start thinking you don’t want to hang out with me.” 

Billy scowls, but he can feel it lacking its usual venom. Somehow, the events of the summer have made him someone worth saving, worth helping, worth befriending, instead of someone to be feared. 

No, the Mind Flayer taking over his brain and making him commit atrocities only encouraged Harrington and his whole flock of a family to put an axe in his hand and make him help to make sure it never happened again. Go figure. 

“I don’t want to hang out with you,” he grumbles, though it isn’t entirely true. What he doesn’t want is to be going after the very thing that almost killed him. The Harrington aspect is the only part that makes it less terrifying, makes his heart beat too fast for reasons far away from fear. 

“Fine then,” Steve says, but he sounds bemused more than angry. “Stay back next time and hang out with the kids. You can play Dungeons and Dragons with them, I’m sure that’d be fun for you.” A wide grin overtakes his face. “There’s your alternate hobby. Sorry it’s not quite as exciting as- what was it? A knitting circle?” 

Billy fights to keep the frown on his face, but it’s hard not to be intoxicated by Harrington’s humor, his ability to be light and brave, even when doing something as frightening (and fucking stupid) as combing the woods for monsters. “If I did that, I couldn’t hold a real axe, I’d have to have a fucking imaginary one and speaking of which: don’t you think you should stop antagonizing the person with a weapon walking behind you-”

Steve turns his head back towards Billy with his fingers to his lips, makes a Shhh sound. 

“Don’t you shush-”

“Shut up, Billy, Jesus,” Steve says, and all of the humor and goodness from his voice a few moments earlier is gone. 

It’s then that Billy notices the rustling sound, and the low growl emitting from a handful of yards away, its source hidden behind some brush. 

Panic shoots through him. In his mind there’s only him, being dragged down into the basement of that steel mill; him killing Heather, him killing Mrs. Driscol, him killing a third of Hawkins, all because of that thing, that thing that took him and is now only a minute or two away from doing it again. 

A hand clamps around his wrist and he has to keep from screaming. But when he opens his eyes to face death a second time, it’s just Harrington, tugging him away. “Come on, Bill. Just-”

Steve drags him by his arm all the way to a tree to their left. A generous piece of its trunk is hollowed out and Steve stuffs the both of them inside. “Just stay quiet. It’ll come out of the bushes in a second and we’ll see what it is.” 

But Billy doesn’t want to see what it is. He wants to be sitting at the kitchen table with Joyce, drinking tea at two in the morning when neither of them can sleep. He wants to be driving Max home from the arcade and pretending to hate the music she chooses. He wants anything but this. 

The panic is almost blinding. In therapy- another thing he does involuntarily, but can’t deny the benefits of -Dr. Owens is always trying to give him ways to calm down from anxiety attacks, claiming every new skill is a “tool for his recovery toolbox” or something like that. 

And it’s dumb. But Billy hates feeling like this. 

Five things you can see. 

Alright. Stupid hollow tree. Steve. Roots and grass under his shoes. His own hand. Some stars up in the sky. 

Four things you can touch.

Usually he’d reach out and actually touch the things he listed, but most of what is in reaching distance is Steve or on Steve’s person, so he refrains. Still, he finds things that he could touch. 

Tree bark. Steve’s hair. Steve’s shirt. Steve’s jeans. 

Billy��s breathing is still uneven, the world still feels like it’s going to cave in. He keeps trying.

Three things you can hear. 

Steve’s breathing. An owl hooting, distantly. That damn monster still rustling in those bushes, refusing to just reveal itself and put him out of his misery. 

Two things you can smell. 

The sappy, woody scent of the tree. And Steve, but Steve smells like a lot of things. Like hairspray and like cigarettes and like denim and sweat and expensive cologne. 

A bit of calm finally begins to settle on Billy. He takes another deep breath, breathing in Harrington. It’s comforting. 

He takes another. 

“Um.” He hears Harrington clear his throat. “Did you just sniff me?” 

Billy opens his eyes. Unconsciously, his face has moved closer to Steve, his nose a mere inch away from Steve’s shoulder. Billy jerks back. 

“Jesus. Sorry. Just trying to uh. Ground myself.” He pinches his wrist for how fucking stupid that sounds. 

Suddenly the rustling stops, but then it gets louder as, to Billy’s horror, the creature starts making its way out of the brush, the sound of it getting closer. 

Billy tenses, painfully glad that Steve is there with his bat and it won’t be Billy who has to be brave tonight. 

A head pokes out from between the trees and Steve’s body relaxes. Billy squints his eyes to look. 

A mountain lion. 

Steve gives a sharp, involuntarily cackle and then looks directly at Billy.

Billy looks back and then they’re both laughing impossibly hard, all of the coiled up energy in their veins escaping through loud guffaws in the otherwise silent forest. 

Steve’s head lands on Billy’s shoulders as they continue to laugh. As they settle down, Steve seems to remember something. He looks up at Billy. 

“Wait. Did you sniff me earlier?” 

Jesus Christ. “Don’t think so highly of yourself, pretty boy. I was just breathing, I don’t know, deeply to calm down.” 

Steve smiles. “Scared, huh?” 

They’re still in the tree, the small space seeming so much more cramped now that it isn’t fear that keeps them there.

“Oh, shut up. Of course not.” 

When Steve tilts his head up to meet Billy’s eyes, the change in angle makes his lips only a breath away from Billy’s own. “Do I smell good?” 

“Fuck off,” Billy breathes, but when he tries to break Steves gaze, to turn away or get out of this tree that feels so charged and hot, he’s shocked it hasn’t caught fire, Steve’s lips catch his. 

One thing you can taste. 

#thank you for the ask and for the luck!!!! #much love to you #steve harrington x billy hargrove #harringrove #my writing

[hakutaichou]

[CN] Main Story: Chapter 37 (Gavin Route)

⚠️ SPOILER AHEAD ⚠️

🚨 Warning: This post contains REALLY BIG spoiler from main story which some of them have not been released in JP, TW, Global, nor ASEAN servers. 🚨

A/N: “All Love Interest ANGST Route” takes place between Chapter 37-4 and Chapter 37-5.

Before read, please prepare a tissue and your HEART!!!

- Part 1 -

Northern Suburbs, temporary base for STF.

Days of natural disasters have raised the disaster prevention alert of Loveland City by several levels.

In order to deal with the doomsday, all countries in the world have established doomsday rescue operations headquarters, and jointly formulated a number of rescue policies.

The last issue of "Miracle Finder" is to record the scenes of these soldiers fighting against disasters in the doomsday.

The car stopped at the base station gate, and I got out of the car with camera crew.

In the empty wilderness, several special officers in white uniforms patrolled the surrounding area.

According to the forecast, a tornado is about to hit Loveland City, and the STF troops will be here to stop the crisis.

Minor: Brother, where did your commander go?

STF Officer : Commander is very busy, and has no time to see you.

Minor: Hey, we are...

MC: Hello, we have made an appointment for an interview, can you let us in?

The officer looked suspiciously at the press card hanging around my neck.

STF Officer: You are waiting here, I will confirm it.

Eli: She doesn't need to make an appointment.

STF Officer: Captain Eli!

Eli walked leisurely with his hands in his pockets, and nodded at me.

Eli: MC, long time no see.

He looked at the serious-faced officer again.

Eli: Do you know who she is?

The officer looked at me and then at Eli, with a suddenly realized expression.

STF Officer: Eh, she is Commander's...

I slapped awkwardly, blocked the officer's unfinished words first.

MC: If it is not convenient, let's go back first.

Eli: There is nothing inconvenient. By the way, do you need me to help you call Gavin?

MC: No need! I don't want to interfere with your actions.

Eli: Then don't bother, you are free.

Eli: However, according to forecasts, there will be less than five minutes before the tornado enters the area of ​​the city.

Eli: You'd better shoot near here, don't get close to the edges of those wind barriers.

MC: I understand!

Eli's remarks made everyone start scrambling to set up shooting equipment.

The wind became louder and louder, and a large funnel-shaped cloud soon appeared on the horizon, so gloomy that almost covered the entire sky.

Minor: I heard that the central wind speed of a tornado can reach 200 meters per second, which means that it will blow us away with people and machines in five minutes...

Willow: Close your crow's mouth.

Minor: Hey, I haven't finished speaking yet. With Bro Gavin, there is nothing to worry about.

The film crew quickly set up the machine, ready to start filming the entire process of STF team repelling the tornado.

After a while, the circular wind barrier erected all around shook violently, the surrounding trees were rustling.

A thick black shadow appeared at the end of the horizon, hurriedly approaching here.

The tornado is coming.

Photographer: Producer, the wind and sand are too big, it is difficult for us to get close to shooting!

MC: Let me find a way.

I thought for a while and took out the portable DV machine from my bag.

Just now Eli has divided the safety range for us. As long as we do not exceed that range for shooting, there should be no problem.

The violent wind that came in on the verge of blowing in the gap made the gap bigger, many of the team members who were in the front were injured.

STF Officer: The wind is too strong, we can't approach from the inner wall!

Anxious shouts from the STF members came from afar, and everyone present couldn't help but grab their hearts.

A calm and cold voice came from the communicator.

Gavin: I will go.

It's Gavin.

I resisted the urge to scream, my eyes and the camera stared at the distant sky unblinkingly.

The shifted wind barrier was quickly pushed back to its original position by another strong wind, and returned to the array.

The wind weakened, the tornado gradually deviated from its path.

Everyone waited nervously, and a few minutes later, the shadow of the tornado disappeared without a trace on the horizon.

Photographer: Amazing!!

MC: Gavin, you are so handsome!

Several injured officers were quickly taken away by the resident doctor, and I nervously searched for Gavin on the court.

From a distance, I saw a familiar figure approaching me.

My eyes lit up, and I ran towards him without hesitation.

MC: Are you okay? Isn't it hurt?

A look of helplessness passed across Gavin's face, he stretched out his hand, help me straighten my hair.

MC: What you looked like just now...

"Gavin, you are so handsome!"

At some point, my hand accidentally pressed the play button of the video just recorded, and the sigh was recorded verbatim into the screen.

MC: …When editing, this sentence will be deleted.

A smile finally appeared on his stern face.

Gavin: Wait here, I’ll come to you later.

.

- Part 2 -

STF Officer A: When Commander was still tasked as B-7, we have heard his rumors.

STF Officer A: Whether it is natural or man-made disasters these days, we can survive it, thanks to his judgment and decision-making.

STF Officer B: Yes, everyone was injured in the last rescue. Thanks to Commander, the situation was stabilized and the casualties were avoided.

STF Officer B: …But after returning, he formulated more stringent training plan.

MC: I see...

MC: Is there any moment when Commander makes you feel particularly tender?

The young officer in front of me "umm" for seven full seconds, and finally shook his head.

STF Officer A: More like medical insurance, count it?

Gavin: You seem to be very free.

Gavin stood behind us at some point, his voice cold.

STF Officer A: Commander!

The two STF members who were still babbling a while ago immediately stood up, saluted to Gavin together.

MC: .....

I turned around with a guilty conscience and looked at Gavin in front of me. When I looked down, I noticed that his wrist under his cuff was wrapped in gauze several times.

He just left temporarily, so he should simply treat the wound.

The crowd scattered like birds and beasts, soon only I and Gavin were left.

Gavin: What happened just now?

MC: Well... I just want to interview STF's recent work routine.

Gavin: I'm not asking about that. Your actions just now were dangerous.

MC: I said hello to Eli, and confirmed that I was in the safe zone!

I vowed to raise my hand, swear in my ear. Gavin's serious expression finally eased a little.

Looking at Gavin, I remembered all the rumors I had heard from the officers, their respectful and scared look, I couldn't help but laugh.

Gavin: What are you laughing at?

MC: Nothing, I was thinking about the last issue of "Miracle Finder", would you like to give a personal interview as Commander...

MC: But I'm just kidding, if it bother you, forget it.

Gavin: It's not bother.

His gaze moved down, and he scanned the line of drafted titles on the open page of the notebook in my hand.

Gavin: "The Commander's outside and inside". Do you want to know the outside, or the inside?

I smiled awkwardly, and the corners of Gavin's lips raised slightly.

Minor: Bro Gavin! Are you OK!

A noisy voice came from behind, Gavin glanced back and frowned quickly.

I don't know when Minor ran over, but he was dragged out by Willow before he finished speaking.

After both of them left, the surrounding area became quiet again.

Gavin: It's too noisy here. Let's change place.

I nodded and walked out of the base with Gavin.

***

A whistling wind came from the sinkhole in the distance, and a shallow layer of rain accumulated on the ground, reflecting the clear night sky and a little bit of starlight.

I followed the arched ridge all the way forward and photographed the traces of the tornado, asking Gavin one after another.

MC: I listened to Eli...

MC: NW put all its forces into establishing an airtight underground base, and didn't join your joint rescue...

Gavin: They aren't upside down.

Gavin: As long as that day doesn't come, STF won't give up protecting everyone here.

His tone is very flat, but it makes people feel extremely reliable.

I thought about it, and re-adjusted the DV mode, aiming at Gavin.

MC: Next, I will start an official interview.

Gavin: …Why do you want to give me an interview.

MC: Because you are the Commander of STF, what you say is the most convincing.

This interview is a temporary motive. I was not prepared for the question, so I just asked what I thought.

MC: The first question: What is the most important thing for the commander at the moment?

Gavin: Protect everyone's safety, and prevent disasters from happening.

MC: The second question: The commander felt that in this situation, for every citizens, what is the most important thing?

Gavin: This is varies from person to another.

…This minimalist way of answering questions, it's really Gavin's style.

MC: The third question...

Suddenly, the flapping sound of bird wings interrupted my question, and large swarms of pigeons started to start from deep in the woods.

MC: That is...

Gavin raised his head, looking solemnly at the flock of white pigeons in the sky.

Gavin: The abnormal weather in the past few days has caused the magnetic field in the vicinity to be disordered, and the return route of the pigeons has also been affected.

In the deep night, the pigeon flock wandered anxiously over the woods, flapping its wings constantly, as if calling for the return of their companions.

However, after the tornado struck, many birds were injured or died, and white feathers were scattered everywhere on the ground.

Several faint calls came from the bushes not far away.

Gavin and I approached and found two injured pigeons

One of them was badly injured, and dying; the other was still struggling.

MC: Will they die?

Gavin didn't speak, and rescued the two pigeons from the strange orange bushes, with a little blood stained on their messy wings.

It seemed to be frightened, its body trembling, and the warning sound of "cooing" as soon as we approached.

MC: Great, it seems okay!

Gavin: Be careful, don't get hurt by them.

Gavin: This is a wild pigeon that has not been domesticated, and is very wary of humans.

Gavin avoided the beak pecked by the pigeon, picked it up and checked it.

Gavin: No injuries.

The pigeon struggled to escape from his palm.

MC: Do they continue to fly forward?

Gavin made a soft "Mm" sound.

Gavin untwisted the withered grass entangled in its ankles, and another small gust of wind rolled up in his palms, drying its wet wings.

Gavin: If the wings are not wet, the flight home can be easier.

Its eyes rolled steadily, as if understanding the intention of Gavin, obediently gave up the struggle.

Perhaps after waiting too long, the group hovering in the sky gradually moved away, flying behind the invisible gray sky.

MC: Can this pigeon find its friends?

Gavin: Difficult.

MC: I see...

Gavin seemed to notice my loss, and changed his words.

Gavin: But it is not impossible.

Gavin: The migration of pigeon, is actually a story about commitment.

MC: Committed?

Gavin: Fulfill their promise to go back.

Gavin: No matter how far you fly, you will definitely arrive where you want to fly as scheduled.

The pigeon in his palm seemed to sense Gavin's words and tried to wave its wings again.

The small gust of wind gradually increased, escorting this child to the sky.

Soon, it struggling to flap its wings forward, disappearing into the night sky and the end of the stars.

MC: In fact, whether it is them or the wind, they all know their direction.

MC: Even if it takes a long time to walk, even if it will go away, it will not stop.

MC: Is that right?

Gavin didn't speak, but gently held my hand.

At this time, a few STF members came towards us, saluted to Gavin, and solemnly reported the situation of the other bases.

Gavin's face was always calm, as if no matter what kind of danger he encountered, he would not have the slightest panic.

MC: Is there another task?

I couldn't help but whisper to Eli, who was beside me, and he nodded.

Eli: I heard that there was a violent conflict in the city, and the situation is not very optimistic. They have to come to support tonight.

MC: I see... thank you very much.

Eli: Don't worry, Gavin will stay in Loveland City to lead. He is the backbone of all of us.

I'm a little embarrassed to be guessed by Eli.

Eli: But we have to rush to deal with a flood tonight. The disaster is dangerous, so you can't follow.

MC: I know, you guys must come back safely.

The bonfire ignited at the distant base dispelled the darkness, and the constantly rising tongue of fire brightened the night sky red, and occasionally there were a few crisp clashes of wine glasses and laughter.

This temporary celebration and happiness seem extremely precious on such a night.

I involuntarily rubbed my palms tightly, and some hope that the "moment" in that prophecy would come soon.

No matter where I go or what I experience, it would be great if I could reverse the ending.

After the officers reported, Eli stepped forward and said something to Gavin, patted him on the shoulder, and suddenly looked at me again.

Eli: I'll leave first, and meet again later, the young couple get along well.

Eli left after speaking, waved goodbye to me before leaving.

There was a brief silence all around, only cheers from afar broke the silence between us.

MC: Are you leaving now?

Gavin: Mm, we will leave in two hours.

I stepped forward, took his hand gently, and sat down on a rock.

The wind in the wilderness is blowing on the long stretch of grass in the distance, and there is a green smell in the darkness that fluctuates with the night.

MC: Then you need a good rest now.

MC: I wonder if Mr. Commander, who has been busy all day, is willing to agree to my request.

Gavin: Can I take a rest?

I was stunned by him, after a few seconds, I didn't expect Gavin was directly rest on my knee.

Gavin: Thank you for coming.

MC: ...You're welcome.

I opened my mouth again, trying to remedy my stupid answer, but Gavin had already closed my eyes.

For a long time, long and even breathing sounded from my knees.

This land is shrouded in night and cold, but my heart is very bright and warm at this moment.

I gently stroked his finally showing tired eyebrows, my heart soft.

MC: Thank you for the hard work, Gavin.

I hope you can also have a good dream.

.

- Part 3 -

In the vast expanse of the universe, a swarm of comets quickly fell to the blue planet.

Cities, forests, mountains, rivers and oceans were all engulfed by heat waves and tongues of fire, and vanished in the blink of an eye.

It seems that I am the only one left in the whole world, and the stars gradually shrink, hitting my heart like a burning bullet hitting the bullseye---

I woke up from the nightmare and took a deep breath.

Gavin: Woke up?

MC: I'm sorry... I fell asleep too.

I raised my head, met Gavin's worried eyes.

Gavin: Had a nightmare?

MC: Not a manifest dream, but a sweet dream.

MC: I dreamt that we became super cosmic warriors, saving the world from the brink of destruction.

I cheered up, and made a joke pretending to be relaxed.

Gavin: It seems that dream should be kept longer, it is best not to wake up.

He sighed, and gathered the jacket over me again.

There are footsteps approaching behind him.

When Gavin got up, the officer came over and whispered something to Gavin.

I was stunned, and quickly reacted: He is going to the next temporary base to command the mission.

MC: Are you leaving soon?

Gavin: There are still ten minutes left.

MC: Then I have one last question to interview you.

I turned around, fixedly looked at Gavin.

MC: Before the end, what is your wish?

Gavin: ...My wish?

MC: This is the question I want to ask you, so you can answer me alone.

MC: I have interviewed many people these days, and heard many people’s wishes, but I haven't had a chance to ask your wishes.

MC: I want to know what Gavin's wish is.

Gavin's expression was a little surprised, and he didn't speak for a long time.

Perhaps, this question is too vain and slow, he never put his wishes on unrealistic things.

???: Look, there are meteors!

The cheers of the crowd came from far behind, and Gavin and I raised our heads together.

The sky was passing by a meteor, dragging a bright trail, from loneliness to grandeur.

Under this bright and grand light, everything becomes small and quiet.

MC: Beautiful...

The falling trajectory of the meteor is long and narrow in the night sky.

The ubiquitous light illuminates the mountains and valleys in the distance, the river at the end of the horizon, and the city.

It also illuminates every face looking up on the earth.

Gavin suddenly grabbed my hand, his voice was very soft.

Gavin: When I was seventeen, I did have a wish.

Suddenly a large swarm of snow-white flew across the sky.

The flying dove in the dark night fluttered its wings and dropped a large piece of white feathers, drowning his voice.

I looked up in a different place, saw his star-lit eyes, and wanted to ask him what it was.

He looked at me with a deep retention and sadness. I always felt, that there were many emotions that I didn't understand.

In a second of distraction, I almost blurted out if he knew that I was going to leave.

But I didn't have the courage to speak up to verify this conjecture.

I grabbed his hand and tried to make a smile.

MC: I used to see meteors and could only think of wishing. I didn't expect that one day the meteors would actually destroy the world.

Gavin: Are you scared?

I shook my head.

MC: In fact, as long as I'm by your side, I'm not afraid at all.

Gavin lowered his head and put the kiss on our folded hands.

Gavin: I promise you.

Gavin: I won't leave you, until the last moment.

I heard his heartbeat on his chest, closed my eyes, and silently made a vow to the meteor.

May the world never end.

May he always be by my side.

.

- Part 4 -

The news broadcast the arrival time of the X1917 comet cluster, as expected, without any change.

As a commander, Gavin became more and more busy, and the occasional time together became exceptionally short.

Today, the STF is holding a major meeting.

Those present were all commanders from various countries' combat headquarters participating in this joint doomsday rescue.

After the meeting, I put down the interview draft and couldn't help but look at the meeting room.

Gavin came out last, and he was talking to a foreign man with a high nose and deep eyes.

The man seemed to notice me waiting on the side, he turned to me, his face stretched.

Foreign Commander: Eh, you are the producer. I have watched your show, Miracle Finder, which is great.

He gave me a thumbs up.

MC: ...Thank you!

I can't fully understand their small talk. I can only vaguely hear the commander's admiration and gratitude to Gavin.

After the conversation, he saluted to Gavin, and then left with his men.

I couldn't wait to walk to Gavin, wanting to open my mouth, but hesitated again.

The news specially told him today, perhaps compared with the important news he comes into contact with every day, is nothing at all.

Gavin: What's wrong?

MC: Gavin, I have good news for you.

MC: After the previous program was broadcast, some citizens contacted us and wanted to send you a loving lunch, medical supplies, and...

I counted the enthusiastic letters I received these days with my fingers. He listened carefully, his lips curled up unconsciously.

Gavin: STF doesn't need these for the time being, but it can be sent to disaster areas with more dangerous conditions.

Gavin: You can figure it out. I'll give you some addresses later.

MC: Okay!

Gavin's gaze flickered slightly, as if he had to say something, the communicator on his waist ticked.

Gavin: ...Wait for me.

MC: It's okay, go ahead.

I cheered up and bid farewell to Gavin, but the loss of separation was still unstoppable in my heart.

I let out a sigh of relief and began to think about how to arrange these supplies.

This time we are, fighting side by side with all mankind.

***

The last day of the countdown.

The days of waiting regretfully finally arrived, but it seemed to be no different from usual.

MC: How is the situation today?

STF Officer A: There were no casualties, and damaged communications and traffic are slowly recovering.

STF Officer B: That's right, Commander was not injured, so Sister-In-Law, don't worry.

MC: ...Okay.

While chatting, I looked around for Gavin's figures.

Soon, a figure dangled from behind the door of the headquarters.

Gavin, who had changed his uniform, walked towards me, the cuffs of the gray jacket were slightly rolled up, revealing a strong wrist.

At the moment when my eyes were facing each other, Gavin had already walked to me, and I was stunned for a second.

I raised my head and looked at him, as if I had guessed something in my heart.

Gavin: Come?

MC: You, there are no tasks today?

Gavin: I took half a day off.

MC: Eh....?

Gavin: I'll accompany you out for a walk.

Behind him, the whistle and the confession sounded one after another, Gavin faintly swept back, and the group of people suddenly made noise again.

MC: Is it really okay? I think it’s good to stay here...

Gavin took my hand and walked out. I turned around a little hesitantly, afraid that he would waste too much time.

Unexpectedly, Eli also waved at me and made a "rest assured" mouth shape.

Gavin: Leave them alone.

MC: I don't know why, but now I always have a feeling of occupying major public resources.

The corners of Gavin's mouth twitched slightly, and he looked at me helplessly, sighed.

Gavin: Can't the Commander go on a date after get off work.

He stood still in front of me, a little serious in his amber eyes.

Gavin: What stands in front of you now, it's Gavin that belongs to you only.

***

There was no one on the street, and the few shadows of trees stretched to the end of the empty road.

We unknowingly walked to the vicinity of Loveland High School and ate the last bowl of noodles at the still-open Lynn's Kitchen.

A live interview of STF to fight off the tornado is being broadcast on TV, and the boss exclaims while watching.

Boss: Did you really repel the tornado?

Gavin: Some news likes to exaggerate, you don't have to believe it.

MC: Gavin, this was taken by me.

Gavin: …Hmm, it was repelled.

Boss: Add more beef for you. Do you want other side dishes?

MC: I want it!

Gavin: Are you sure you can eat it?

MC: I'm able to eat it!

Gavin put down his chopsticks, looked at the side dishes on the table and the pile of beef in the bowl, he expressed doubts to me with his eyes.

MC: Is this a new flavor of noodles? It seems that I have never eaten it before.

Boss: Did little girl eat it? I updated the recipe of the soup. How does it taste?

MC: Super invincible and delicious!

Boss: That's good.

Boss: There are too many things that have been missed in a lifetime, and it's not worth beating.

Boss: However, it is still a pity that more people haven't tasted this bowl of noodles.

Boss: Thank you for finishing it.

***

MC: I'm so full...!

Gavin: You ate all the side dishes the boss gave.

MC: Because I don’t want to be a starving ghost...

Gavin: Nonsense.

Gavin gently knocked on my forehead, his eyes turned to the school gate across the road, his expression suddenly softened.

Gavin: You saved a cat here.

MC: You have beaten a few people here.

Gavin laughed.

Unexpectedly the school door closed tightly. Gavin noticed the loss on my face and patted my shoulder lightly.

Gavin: Do you want to go elsewhere?

MC: What a pity... I still want to go back and have a look.

MC: Wait, I get it!

***

Gavin: Are you sure you want to do this?

MC: No one, is afraid of anything!

With Gavin's help, I finally climbed the outer wall of the back door of the school.

MC: I wanted to do this a long time ago.

I clapped my hands, turned my head, Gavin was still standing under the wall, looking at me with a little speechless and a little funny.

MC: It doesn't matter, there is no one in the security room and no one in the school building. Come up soon.

Gavin touched his lips, with an expression of defeat by me.

He easily climbed up the wall and sat down beside me.

Gavin: Ready?

He seemed to see my hesitation and looked at me holding back a smile.

Gavin: I will count down for you?

This is the end of the matter, regret is useless. I took a deep breath and slowly released the fingers that were holding behind me.

Gavin: Three, two---

Before "One" hasn’t shouted out, I subconsciously let go of my hand because of tension, and my falling body was quickly surrounded by a gust of wind.

The violent heartbeat hit the tympanic membrane, and we landed safely on the ground.

MC: I didn't seem to have eaten so much just now.

Gavin: Can't walk anymore?

MC: ...I'm afraid you won't be able to hold it.

Gavin: Hold tight.

As if to verify this sentence, his hand pierced my knees and hugged me to the direction of the school building.

MC: But like this...!!

Gavin gently raised the corners of her lips.

Gavin: No one, is afraid of anything.

***

We came to Gavin's classroom.

The classroom door was not locked. I turned on the light, saw that the writing on the blackboard had not been cleaned.

MC: Gavin, which table is yours?

Gavin was a little surprised. He looked around and pointed to the back of the classroom by the window.

Gavin: There.

MC: Is this one?

I walked to the back of the classroom and stared curiously at the graffiti on this table.

MC: "Early" was carved upside down on the table,... I can't tell that you are quite easy to learn.

Gavin: …It’s the back one.

I followed Gavin's gaze and looked back. A desk was in the corner next to the wall.

MC: But after so many years, It must have changed many seats, and the table may not be this one.

I took the opportunity to sit down in the seat where Gavin had been, and looked around.

MC: Um... the vision from the blackboard is not very good.

MC: But the ventilation is good, it should be comfortable to sleep here in the afternoon.

I don't know if it was because of listening to my serious comments, there was a sporadic smile on his lips.

Gavin: Why are you talking about that suddenly?

MC: I told you before, we organized ordinary citizens and Evolver to build a wishing wall.

MC: I thought I would see a lot of fanciful and weird wishes, but after seeing it, I realized that this was not the case.

MC: "I want to eat hot pot for the last time", "Reunion with my family", "I want to reconcile with the lover who broke up"...

MC: That’s why I realized, everyone’s strongest wish is, actually a regret that has not been realized.

MC: That's why...

I want to make up for these regrets.

We left the classroom, and walked down the stairs. The sound of different footsteps echoed in the dim staircase.

Gavin: Are you scared?

MC: Hm?

Gavin: I remember many horror legends circulated in schools.

He slowed down as he spoke, always keeping a step away from me in front of him.

I hesitated for a moment and wanted to tell Gavin that I was not afraid.

In other words, I'm more afraid that the road under my feet will be finished soon than I'm afraid of these stories.

I hope the stairs below my feet can be longer, preferably without end.

MC: .....Gavin.

I stood on the edge of the steps, turned my head, and could not help calling his name.

A repressed impulse, drove me to do something.

He stood on a step lower than me, stopped, and looked at me with some doubts.

The few rays of light that leaked out of the window fell between us, cutting light and dark apart.

This light is like a crease, and I stand in front of him now, as if witnessing the folding of the years that have separated us.

Gavin: I know what you want to say.

His voice was lightened for an instant, with a sure smile.

The next second, he bent down, clasped my chin, and kissed me.

.

- Part 5-

The dim lights on both sides of the road passed through the dense leaves, scattered on the ground.

The library didn’t open, Gavin and I were strolling around the empty campus.

There seemed to be a warm touch remaining on the lips, I looked away pretending to be calm, always embarrassed to meet Gavin's gaze.

The bell rang in the distance, and the ginkgo leaves rustled down.

For a time, none of us spoke.

The meteors in the sky are getting denser, and my heart is beating faster and faster.

An uneasy premonition told me, that moment was approaching.

MC: Although shooting stars can be seen every day, it seems that many wishes are too late.

I pretended to smile with ease, breaking the deadlock between us. Gavin seemed to perceive something, and his amber-colored eyes looked at me.

Gavin: MC, You haven't finished what you just said.

Gavin: You keep asking about my wishes, what about yours?

MC: My wish...

My voice couldn't help but stop.

The ginkgo leaves on the branches are crumbling, and some are knocking on the windows of the school building behind them.

These leaves rustle on the branches in summer, and they creak when they fall in autumn. Every leaf makes a nice sound, but I have never noticed it.

I suddenly knew what my wish was.

I want to walk slowly at the school gate before the class bell rings.

I want to look up in the library and take a good look at the teenager sleeping opposite me.

I want to catch the wind at the age of seventeen, and say goodbye to him before the ginkgo leaves fall.

I looked up at Gavin, suddenly I wanted to cry.

MC: What if my wish will never come true?

Gavin was taken aback, for a long time, he rubbed the top of my head.

Gavin: Then go ahead.

Gavin: The wish that may not be reached now, but if you come back one day, it's already by your side.

I took a deep breath and grabbed his hand.

MC: Gavin, I am going to do something very important now.

MC: I kept busying myself a few days ago, thinking that if I didn't think about it, I wouldn't be sad until that time.

MC: But now I want to thank you, you gave me the courage to face it.

I felt like crying, but still managed to squeeze a smile.

MC: I'm leaving.

Gavin was silent, he gently stretched out his hand and stroked my face.

Gavin: I seem to be very bad at saying goodbye, and I have never been able to say goodbye to you every time.

Gavin didn't ask why or where I was going. He seemed to have known about this a long time ago.

Just hugged my arm hard and hot, as if to hold something at the last moment.

MC: This time it's my turn to say goodbye to you.

MC: We have experienced so many things, so this time is nothing.

I feel my body is getting lighter and lighter, and my limbs are gradually losing consciousness.

Perhaps that moment has come, my mind is getting harder and harder to concentrate, only vaguely seeing deeper and deeper sadness in my eyes.

MC: You told me...

MC: Regardless of the wind, the pigeon has its own direction, and I think I should do the same.

MC: But I am a person who has no sense of direction. I may go the wrong way and it will take a long time to get back to you...

Tears still fell unconvincingly, I sucked my mouth and wanted to speak again, but Gavin interrupted my words firmly.

Gavin: It doesn't matter if you go the wrong way.

Gavin: It doesn't matter if you come late.

Gavin: When I was seventeen, you let me know the direction of the wind.

Gavin: So it’s the same for you, just walk in your direction, no matter where you lead...

Gavin: My wish, is to meet you.

The white light was like a trickle, slowly seeping from the girl's body, illuminating the whole night.

MC: When the time comes, please correct my direction.

Feathers fluttered slowly from the girl's body.

The sky seemed to show a gleam of light, and the wine fell on the white feathers piled up under the girl's feet.

Gavin stood there quietly for a long time, his eyes always on the place where the girl disappeared.

He looked at the feathers scattered on the ground and the ginkgo that was blown away by the wind, his lips moved slightly and his hands slowly dropped.

The clear and distant "ding dong" echoed in the empty campus---

The bell rang after class.

.

#mlqc #mlqc cn #mlqc gavin #mlqc spoilers #mlqc chapters #ANGST #ANDSNSJKSJKSDJKNSK #GAVIN!!!!! #PG....WHY...WHY U LIKE TO STABBING OUR FRAGILE HEART?!!!!!

[sally-mun]

For whatever reason I was just thinking back on my 5th grade camp trip when I was 11, and how in the middle of the week it stopped being this fun, activities-filled, nature-enjoying break from real life. They hit us out of nowhere with this SUPER serious exercise that was meant to make us think about the value of the natural world vs. the expansion of the modern world, and it was designed to not have a clear right or wrong answer.

The way it worked was, we were all sent to the main lodge, and as we entered we were each given a random card with a string to hang around our necks. This card determined our roles in the upcoming roleplay that none of us knew we were about to participate in. Some kids got things like ‘building management,’ ‘gardening service,’ or ‘McDonald’s franchise owner.’ Others got things like ‘old tree,’ ‘flock of birds,’ or ‘timber wolf.’ My card said ‘bus driver.’ They sat us all down assembly-style and brought out a big whiteboard with a blueprint of the campgrounds drawn on it, and one of the main counselors announced that we were going to debate whether or not Clear Lake Camp should be sold to a development firm that wanted to buy it. I know that to your adult ears this is clearly just an exercise, but in 5th grade, a lot of us were still unworldly enough to wonder if the camp really did have a buyer and they were dropping this on us just to see what would happen, so for many of us this was already pretty unsettling.

What I remember most about this roleplay (which probably lasted for like an hour) was how quickly various students in my class flipped to the side of “let’s bulldoze the camp” as soon as a case could be made for how it would benefit them. When the counselor made the initial announcement of why we’d been called to this meeting, there was an immediate discomfort in the room, because we’ve been enjoying this camp all week and don’t want to see such a fun, beautiful place destroyed. But then he started proposing things like, hey, lumber mill owner! You could sure make a lot of money if this plan goes through and we need to cut down all these trees! And you, McDonald’s owner, could build a restaurant in the new development! Soon enough anyone that had an industry-related card around their neck had flipped their opinion on the situation and they were all calling out that they wanted to build on the land, and the counselor started modifying the blueprint to show the new developments.

The kids that had more nature-oriented roles, however, were way more inclined to stick to that original resistance we all initially felt. They pointed out that nature isn’t just a backdrop, and that all these plans to tear down the camp were going to affect living things and that there was value in leaving the camp the way it already is. Kids with roles such as trees and bushes pointed out that they can’t exactly just pack up and move to make room for the businesses to move in, and that they would necessarily die. Some of the students with animal roles pointed out that it’s not that easy for them to ‘just move’ either, because not every animal can survive in a new environment.

More than anything, I remember this moment where I was looking down at the card around my neck and just staring at the words ‘bus driver.’ There was a hot second where I started to think about how the land development could possibly benefit me; surely this new branch of civilization could use a bus stop or two, right? Public transportation could be an important component, and that would help me out. Maybe if the development got big enough I could run a bus station, and make even more money.

I had a moment where I considered speaking up to ask if bus stations could be added to the map so I could get on board, but I kept hesitating to raise my hand. I realized that, even though this is something that could potentially put me in a good position, this still isn’t something I wanted. I didn’t care if I could make money with a bus stop or bus station, I wanted the camp to stay the way it was. I didn’t want the environment bulldozed, I didn’t want the animals forced to leave or die, I didn’t want to knock down the enormous trees, I didn’t want to lose the songs of the crickets or the birds, I didn’t want to give up the clarity of the sky at night. Money wasn’t worth giving that up, and money sure as shit couldn’t buy it back afterward.

So finally I raised my hand, and I went on a mild rant about how it doesn’t matter if we CAN build all this stuff on the campground, the question is whether or not we SHOULD do it. Doing something just because you can isn’t good enough, and money isn’t the only thing everyone should be thinking about. The head counselor pointed out what I’d been thinking about, and how I could run a bus service and make a lot of money, but I said that didn’t matter me. What mattered to me was that we already HAVE gyms, we already HAVE McDonald’s, we already have ALL of these things. We DON’T have another Clear Lake Camp we can go to instead. There’s so much good that exists here and nowhere else, and if we develop the land, then we’re throwing away all of those good, special things just to get more of what we already have.

At the end of the debate period, the counselors had us each vote as to whether or not the camp should be sold and torn down. I felt really strongly that the student body would vote no, because there had been SUCH a strong response after kids spoke up about the reasons against development, including mine. There was so much applause and whoops and cheers when someone spoke in defense of preservation and calling out the greed. But as you’ve probably already guessed, the vote came out in favor of selling and developing. I remember just being so, so dumbstruck about it. I just honestly couldn’t understand how the votes could’ve come out that way. Everyone seemed so supportive of those that needed protection while they were trying to defend themselves, everyone seemed to agree that the greed of business was a bad thing and we needed to set limits. How had all those principles suddenly gone out the window in an instant??

It was an experience that, for a long time, I honestly tried to forget about because I found it so upsetting. In some ways it really affected how I saw my classmates after that, because it really didn’t paint a pretty picture about their morals and values. These days, though, I look back on it and realize that was one of my first glimpses at how disappointing the world can be. It’s amazing to think how that one little exercise so perfectly demonstrated exactly the sorts of obstacles and lack of empathy and greed that I’d be facing for the rest of my life, without me ever knowing it at the time. It was more or less a way to let me down easy, so I wouldn’t be quite so smacked in the face later to realize just how selfish and greedy people would turn out to be in the real world. At that time I did honestly believe that people were at least mostly good, and those that weren’t were a very small minority, and that things would continue to get better over time, even if it had to go slowly. I’m now glad I never succeeded at forgetting about that exercise, because I think it did a better job at preparing me for life than maybe any other lesson I’ve ever learned.

[a-little-birdie]

Nests and why they are important.

This is just idea thinking. For the winged au (when talking about birds and people and such I mean the people with wings, sorry!)

(This is really long so, sorry about that)

Okay so nests

They are circles made of blankets, pillows, feathers and a soft mattress that is difficult to tear or cut, because claws.

They are the place these feather heads sleep and keep warm but

There is way more than that!

Okay so,,,, lets get into the world building

Predators (eagles/hawks) are bigger than most other birds with only a few exceptions, therefore they need less blankets and pillows to keep warm since they themselves can keep warm just fine on their own plus there’s wings, so adding onto that a predator will keep molted feathers that have been gifted to them in their nest, gifting a feather is something very important because it’s like giving a piece of your essence.

A birds wings symbolizes their freedom and who they are, a slaves or prisoners wings may be broken, burned or torn right off to show what they are, that they have lost their freedom and who they are as a person.

A predators nest is usually a bit above the ground, but babies bounce so it’s okay. When they have chicks there will usually be many more blankets and pillows. You can actually tell where the chick/s sleep because there will be this little separate nest made of blankets and pillows, inside the nest, with these large imprints around them. It’s really cute. ^-^

A song bird’s (Robbins, starlings, sparrows, etc) nest is naturally smaller than a predators and have many more blankets and pillows to keep them warm and comfortable. A songbird might give hand made blankets or pillows with one of their feathers sewn in.

It is very unwise to refuse a gift from a songbird since gift giving is something very important to these small but mighty people and if you refuse a gift they will take great offence and you will find a pouty songbird (but like seriously these guys are tiny terrors DO NOT PISS THEM OFF TRUST ME. They can and will out fly and out maneuver you, theres a reason they’re hard to catch.) How you can get forgiveness is by giving them a basket with some bread and a few other things such as berries or seeds and some sweets.

A song birds nest will be on the ground usually in an open area (in their house of course!) where natural sunlight can easily come in. There would usually be a wide window on each side of the room to let in light from the sunrise and light from the sunset. Song birds rise and set with the sun.

A corvids nest (ravens, jays, magpies) is actually one of the only ones to still use sticks and natural items for their nests, it’s actually incredible. Their instincts are still rather strong when it comes to certain things, so they tend to have a liking for tradition but there are some who don’t follow tradition.

Please do not offer to help a corvid with their nest, in their culture it means you have a romantic interest in them and they will either A) explain to you what that means to them or B) tell you no or let you down gently or C) accept your offer. If they accept your offer hopefully you understand their culture or you’ll be having an awkward conversation.

They still have a mattresses it’s just more bowl shape and surround by sticks, moss and leaves. Plus blankets, pillows and feathers, they’re still keeping up with the times. Usually with a corvids nest (specifically magpies but all of them do this) you’ll find shiny little objects woven into the branches that keep the nest together. Taking one of these usually means untold doom, adding one and it staying there means that you are trusted, the corvid thinks of you as part of their flock. Congrats you now have a giant puppy that will commit theft for you /lh

A Corvids nest because of the bowl shape can be hard for chicks to crawl out of. This is actually used to the parents advantage so that until the baby birds can crawl out of the nest without any help they’re more or less restricted to the nest for safety reasons of course! The parents will take the chicks out of the nest so that they can get fresh air, meet people and actually learn how to walk and further develop their muscles and wings.

Owls who? Haha don’t mind the pun. Anyways, an owls nest well more like their cities are up high in the trees, in the ancient forests. The trees in the ancient forests are at least three metres across and the height is very tall. They’ll have their nests in either natural or homemade hollows in these large and ancient trees high above the ground. But don’t worry! The have decks and bridges and railings and all that to help keep them safe! There’s even ramps that lead to the ground incase any chicks who are branching fall to the ground or any elders or just people who can’t fly in general are on the ground!

You will not catch a single stair in the owls home, they believe that for everyone to be equal everything must accessible by everyone, there’s even some elevators using the pulley system! Everyone there does their fair share, even the children, instead of money being used people will trade items or help the other person out.

Their nests tend to have a lot of animal skins instead of blankets, with pillows made of fur that has been taken off of the animal skin and wrapped or tied together with string or fabric. Their mattresses are flatter and tend to be made of moss, leaves and bark softened through boiling of water then covered in more furs because soft = yes.

Burrowers are birds that live under ground, it’s in the name. Think hobbit holes but put them at the base of large trees or bushes and make them not hobbit holes. Because the term “Burrowers” spread across most families it is difficult to pin point a specific design or commonality between all of the different “Burrowers”. Usually you can assume a Burrowers nest will be like the rest of their species/ family but put it underground.

Tropical birds will have their nest anywhere, inside a hut, on top of the trees (literally), inside a tree, on the branches, on the ground, hanging in the air, anywhere they will put their nests. But there are two things in common, one: it’s always in a heavily forested place or the jungle, tropical birds have grown up with vines and branches and a lot of things getting in their way while flying, they have grown used to the chaos of the jungle and they revel in it. Two: the roof is always transparent, removable, nonexistent or it’s there simply so the house is attached to at least something while its hanging in the air.

Because of their choice of residence (where they want to live) it’s extremely hard to get to their homes so we had to ask a tropical bird when we found one and the most they told us was: “we have a mattress, pillows and blankets.” And they wouldn’t tell us anymore because. “What else is there to tell?”

A hummingbirds nest is rather small with high walls. Because the chicks are so fragile they spend most of their time inside the nest sleeping, eating and trying to strengthen up their bones. In fact their bones are so fragile that if a hummingbird chick were to try and walk their legs would simply snap under the pressure of gravity and their own body weight.

When under quite a bit of stress or experiencing quite a lot of emotions or just one strong emotion, the nest will be changed. However, how much of the nest that will be changed is is a different story.

Another time the nest will be changed is when the people of the house are expecting chicks, either the entire home will be cleaned or the nest will become nothing but a blanket Fort, or something like that.

Thanks for reading this thing on nests I guess, I’ve still got a lot of world building to do but if you have any questions about the world or anything please send it in! I would love it if you did! It would actually help me a lot on the world building!

#little birdie writes #winged!technoblade #winged!smp earth #winged!hermitcraft #winged!dsmp #winged!au #winged #worldbuilding #please send in asks! #it would make my day! #this isn’t really edited so have fun with tha! #if you couldn’t tell I was running low on mental energy near the end #this is actually way bigger than I thought it would be but it’s fun! #yeah it would actually help a ton if people sent in asks or something #because it’s gonna help get my brain going and then I’ll be able to expand more on that stuff in the world and such #like please #ask me stuff #yeah anyways have a good day!

[way-too-short-formysoul-corazon]

Here’s section 2, all wrapped up for you guys to enjoy!

1:      "What is she doing?" Keons asked from the control room. 

     "I'm not sure, but it seems she's up to something, she's not taking the drone with her. We should go check this out for ourselves," Nico replied. 

     "But what if she's doing it in order to not look suspicious to the rebels? She's a really smart girl -" 

     "And I'm not saying she's not, all I'm saying is that it's unusual. If she didn't want them to be suspicious, she could have told the drone to fly in stealth mode, could she not?" 

     "Well, I guess that's right... But can't we just wait a few more minutes for her to give us some indication if there are rebels in those woods?" Keons replied, starting to feel like he's been betrayed by the one whom he loves the most. 

     "Alright, we'll have it your way, Keons. I'll give her two minutes. If she doesn't turn up in that time, you will be the one to find her and execute her." 

     "Yes, sir." Keons replies, deflated, a knot welling up inside his stomach. 

2:      As I was walking through the thick woods, I began to think of what the people back home were saying about me. Were they proud that I went off in search of these "rebels"? What was my father thinking about behind those palace walls? 

     Does he even miss me?

     A few minutes into my walking around, I heard footsteps. Careful, soft footsteps, and I got excited. 

     They're here, they're here!!! Real Banditos, I get to finally see them, finally talk to them!!! 

     "Hello?! I know you're out there, I can hear your footsteps! Come out, please! I promise I won't -" 

     "Won't what, Savanna? Won't turn them in like you said that you would?" My father said, hurt encompassing his voice.  

     "Th- that's not what I-! Bu- But Dad! I- I wasn't- !" 

     "I'm sorry, Savanna, my daughter. I never meant for this to be this way. Just don't fight, and there won't be any pain." My dad said, a tear running down his face. 

     He's gonna kill me, feed me to the vultures, I thought, adrenaline pumping through my veins, I need to run. 

     And so I did. I ran at the fastest speed I could go, running through shrubs and prickly bushes, running for my life. 

3:      When I finally got to where I thought was a safe place, I collapsed. 

     I'm done running, I can't run anymore. I'm done. 

     I just sat there, thinking about my life, if I would make it out of this forest alive, and what they would do if they caught me. 

     Shall I be made to suffer the same fate as that man back in the city? Or will a worse fate await me? 

     I fell into a reluctant and fear-ridden sleep. A sleep in which I never wanted, yet needed immensely. 

4: Suddenly, I awaken from my nightmare sleep to find two people, Banditos, hovering over me. One of them has short, shaven hair while the other has somewhat curly hair and a pair of yellow drumsticks. I attempt to utter out the words "Who are you guys?", but nothing comes out of my mouth, and I'm stuck trying to speak and making no sound. 

     "It's alright, don't strain yourself. You're safe now," promised the one whose yellow duct tape was around him in an 'X' shape. 

      I nodded, and they helped me up. We started walking into the camp. 

     When we got into the camp, the Bandito beside the one with the mask suggested that I should have a tour of the camp, and his friend agreed. 

     "I'm sorry, we really haven't introduced ourselves, have we. My name is Tyler Joseph, this is my friend and head of the Banditos, Josh Dun," Josh waves and smiles, and Tyler motions towards the camp, "And this is our camp. Make yourself at home, please," 

     I nod my head. 

     "Do you have a name? I mean, if you're able to talk, that is. If not, we can get you something for that," Josh inquired. 

     Before I was able to try to speak, a flood of Banditos, young and old, came flocking towards me, Tyler, and Josh. All I remember of what happened next is that everything went black and I collapsed. 

5:      A young Bandito is patrolling the perimeter of the Bandito camp. As he walks, he scans the tops of trees and the edges of the beaten path below. Something catches his eye from the ground, beckoning him to take a closer look. As he stoops down, he finds a stranger's belongings. What lies there is a red robe and an identification card. The red robe smells of death and hurt. The name on the identification card reads Savanna Keons. The face seems familiar to the young Bandito. He knows this woman, but from where? He decides to put the red robe and identification card in his carrying sack and continue patrolling the outskirts of their small camp. He goes home and realizes who the young lady is and how he recognizes her. There will be a time to show this information, but now is not it, the Bandito thinks. 

6:      When I awaken, I seemed to be in an infirmary of some sort, and all I see in front of me is Tyler and something else. The "something else" was small and round, with a circular head, horns, and long ears. Its eyes were like deep chasms, vast and expansive. Its color was a silvery grey. At first sight, I was frightened. I'd never seen something like this before. 

     "What is that? What does it do?" I asked Tyler, frightened by the newness of the being. 

     "Oh, him? This is our little buddy, Ned!", Ned waved at me shyly, "He's a nice companion to have, not really used to new people though. I'm sure he'll grow to like you, though!" 

     "Oh, ok! Well, hi, Ned!" I said while sticking my hand out towards him. 

     Ned just takes a couple of steps back, like he’s frightened of me. 

     Tyler looks confused towards Ned, asking, “What’s wrong, little buddy? What is it?” 

     He turns to me, saying, “He’s not usually like this, I’m sorry, I just don’t understand why he’d be like this.” 

     I start to get nervous, “Is there any other times when he’s like this?” 

     “Yea, actually, he’s usually like this when there are Bishops around, but I don’t see any, and he’s doing it only towards you, oddly”, he says, scratching his head. 

     I had to make an excuse, and quick, “Uh, well, I got tackled by a Bishop, and I fought him and ran away,” 

     Tyler looked quite unimpressed, but just said alright and left it at that, “So, how was your day so far?” 

     “Boring, seeing as I have to stay in this hospital bed til you guys decide what to do with me.” 

     “Oh, don’t worry about that, we’re going to have a meeting tonight, that’s one of the topics we’ll discuss,” 

     “Alright. Well, stay safe!” 

     Tyler kind of chuckles and says, “Alright, I will, Logan. You stay alive now, ok?” 

     “Ok,” 

     “Promise?” 

     “Promise” 

7: “So, have we all came to a consensus?” leader Josh Dun inquires. 

     “Wait!” a young bandito exclaims, “I forgot about something important”. 

     “What is it, Jake?” 

     “I found this while I was walking the perimeter of our camp. It’s a Bishop’s cloak and a Dema identification card for a Savannah Keons,” 

     The entire crowd gasps, 

     “If you look closely at the picture, you’ll see it’s the newcomer”. Jake hands the cloak and card to Ned, who then hands it to Tyler. 

     Tyler and Josh take a while looking at it and debating what to do with the newcomer at this point, with all the new information that was presented just seconds ago. 

     “But Josh, she’s one of them! What if she came to spy on us? What if?” 

     “And, what if she was captured or found out the truth and is coming to start anew?” 

     “But, But what if-” 

     Josh puts his hands on Tyler’s shoulders, “Ok, ok, calm down, it’s all alright. Remember, my friend, everyone deserves a second chance, no matter what they’ve done,” 

     “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Tyler sighs. 

     “Now, go tell Logan to meet us at the bonfire tonight,” 

     “Alright,” 

8:      I was sitting on a stump fidgeting when Tyler and Josh came out. When I heard the flap of the makeshift tent door, I jumped up, terrified of what would come next. They already know, they already know, I’m gonna get fed to the vultures, or worse!!! 

     Tyler comes up to me while Josh hangs back, observing. 

     “Hey, Logan?” Tyler says when he gets closer to me. I start to get nervous and tremble 

     “Y-yes?” 

     “Uh, do you know what these are?” he shows me my past belongings: my cloak, badly damaged and worn, and my (former) id card, which insists on keeping me prisoner in my own skin. 

     I say, trying to keep the twang of fear in my voice at bay, to no avail, “Why are these here?” 

     “One of our Banditos picked these up patrolling the perimeter of camp. Are these really yours?” he inquired softly. 

     Terror runs through me as everyone’s eyes lock onto my frail being. I can’t keep it out as I yell, “It was never meant to be this way!!!” I fall onto the ground, my head forcing itself into my hands, curled up like a child. 

     I hear gasps, then silence. 

     After a while of this silence, I feel something touching my arm, like a kitten wanting affection. At first, I flinch at this new contact and yank myself up to a cradled sitting position, face wet from the salty tears that have striped patches of oil from my face, leaving them feeling like bandages. 

     When I look at what or who was touching me, it was Josh. He whispers to me, “It’s alright, we’ve accepted you into our crew. You’re safe from those who wish to do you harm here.” 

     Baffled by his actions, I say, “But I was one of them. I was sent to harm you guys,” I give a tear-filled inhale and exhale, “Why are you letting me in?” 

     He just smiles and says, nodding at Tyler at the end, “Because everyone deserves a second chance.” Everyone starts cheering and clapping, and Josh sticks his hand out to me. I grab his hand and he helps me up, “C’mon, we need to get you cleaned up, or else Ned’ll never warm up to you!” Josh says with a laugh. I laugh along, hearing everyone clapping and cheering me on. Me, not that dema kid who supported the murder of all those innocent people. That person was long gone, and I am what remains.  

9: After everything goes quiet and all the applause stops, I inquire, “Hey, Josh, where are we going, exactly?” 

     “East, to where your past wrongs will be righted, to where you can be free to start anew.” 

     “Alright,” I say, and continue following. 

     When we finally get to where Josh was taking me, all I can say is wow. The place looked magnificent, like the angels themselves carved this place from the earth and put their hearts and souls into creating it. 

     There was a shallow, burbling waterfall trickling softly into a pond lined with several light-colored rocks, some sparkling and some not. This wondrous sight was lit by the vivid green lampshade of the trees, the leaves deflecting the sun’s rays here and there. There was greenery and assorted berry bushes and shrubs around the pond, and the entire place looked like it came from the garden of Eden. 

     After I was done taking in the awe of this mystical and magical place, Josh turned around while I bathed in the healing waters of this pond. 

     When I was done, there was a towel and a pair of Bandito attire in the tree next to me. I say thanks and josh replies with, “Don’t worry, I didn’t look,” 

     When we got back to camp, Tyler and Ned were waiting on us. Josh went up to Tyler, did a secret handshake, and introduced me as the new member of the crew. 

     He started the bonfire, and for the first time in a long time, I was with family, with people who wouldn’t hesitate to die for my sake, and for who I would die for in an instant. I was with people of my own kind. At that very moment, I could care less about what they were saying about me in the city, cause they’re talking about someone who never was. 

10:      My first week at camp, and I already feel at home. I’ve gotten better acquainted with our leaders, Ned too, and found a couple of friends among the crowd. A couple of notable ones I met early on; one of them happened to be the first Bandito I ever seen, remember him? Well, it turns out his name is Rodney Garron, and he’s an aroace enby who’s in a platonic relationship with his straight adhd counterpart George Evergreen. When I first saw them both in camp, Rodney almost had a heart attack, shouting, “You’re that Bishop kid! Don’t take me back! You can’t take me!!!!” Now that I’m thinking about it, their friend had to calm him down. 

     Oh! I’m sorry about the confusion, Rodney likes to be referred to as he or they. Anyways, back to it then. 

     After their friend calmed him down, he explained everything about himself, how he grew up watching Good Day Dema, how they came to the camp in the middle of a snowstorm, and how seeing a Bishop take off their hood and offer their hand took several hours of heavy meditation to get over. I laughed and said sorry to that last one. 

     On another note, I got to see someone I haven’t seen since I was in training up in the city. he used to be my teacher, he was  my teacher for all of my training, and I was wondering what happened to him… 

     “I thought you were dead, teach?” 

     “Miracles happen, my young one,” 

     “But, they said you were exterminated! They said tha-” 

     “They say, they say, they say. They say one thing, but what does your heart say?” 

     I hesitate, give him a big hug, and demand him tell me how he escaped. 

     This is Logan Slife, and this is my story. 

#twenty one pilots #top clique #skeleton clique #dema #trench #dema/trench oc #Logan Slife Backstory #Sec. 2 Full #tw long post #tw italics #tw yelling #wow... this #i cant believe I actually wrote all of this... #and #guys #this took me several days to finally get up the will & brain power to edit #the only driving force i had for getting this done is the fact that I want to start reblogging the answers from the logan slife ask blog #on here #well #have a good day ;p #oof i sound like a good day dema announcer halp!!!

[calamarispiderart]

whats your au about? :0 any info?

so, assuming this is for the most recent stuff ive been posting--im not a hundred percent sure, but im gonna take this ask as a way to think thru it!

so. what i know for sure is that everyone, presumably, is small enough to do things like use mushrooms as umbrellas and acorns as hats and a single very small button to fasten their satchels and such. theres a specific kind of little people that i draw often with the ears and the tail and little paws? they are whatever that species is, which i need to think through...

i imagine they live in trees and bushes and under the dirt in deep tunnels under the earth, foraging for food. i also think itd be fun if, maybe, birds and mice were friends and possibly ways to travel a little faster, although they can already run very fast.

i Dont think this is like the borrowers though--while there are some similarities, the biology and way of life is quite different (???). for example, i think tommy lives in a hollowed out tree stump, and wanders around the woods between a variety of litte houses hollowed out of the earth. theres a dog (sunkist) who often jumps the fence of their home to visit tommy and eventually leaves completely to live in the woods!

gman lives high up in the tree branches, using old owl homes and is friends with a flock of crows that protect the woods.

benrey lives underground in a little pit of pebbles and rocks that occasionally gets overrun with rain water--during the rainy season they usually live either with the boomers or tommy, or stops up the entrance to their home and hibernates. they eat mushrooms a lot (this is in part due to the fact i associate them heavily with mushrooms now hdgdbdsg)

gordon i think Also wanders around the woods, using the same little homes tommy does. he does have a main place that he stays, partially buried under a rosemary bush. he raises a little mouse called joshua, and thankfully is on good enough terms with gman that the crows tend more towards protecting the two over eating them. gordon also has a prosthetic made by coomer out of scrap metals and wood, due to losing his arm to a Very bad experience with a cat

darnold lives near the forest stream, and also wanders often! he collects plants and seeds and makes potions with them--usually health and stuff, like a medic. he is also a big fan of soups and stews, and has a relatively (kind of) big pot he carries all his stuff in and straps to his back when travelling

i dont really know much about forzen? i think he also lives in a tree, nearer to the Big Peoples homes, and often hangs out with the cat that lives nearby. this is the same cat that took gordons arm, but forzen doesnt actually know that.

coomer lives in an area nearer to an old mine, dug out into moss covered stones and such. he collects stones and whatever scrap metal is around, and has a little furnace and metal working area--its Very dangerous to be around though due to how high the heat can be and how small everyone is. he makes a lot of needles and has figured out a number of different prosthetics.

bubby lives with coomer as well, but was raised by birds! some crows, the same ones gman is friends with. he Also helps with maintaining the furnace, and sews clothes with fibres made of dog fur and stuff i think? and some plants, although i need to do more research.

i think out of everyone, the boomers have the most stable living place--the mine is old and forgotten, and most people get fiercely attacked by crows when trying to enter the woods. theres Definitely some stuff i need to flesh out and this is all just thinking on the spot? i hope to draw more for it though hhsbshs. idk what exactly its About, since im mostly in a world building stage, but i suppose its just about their lives and stuff? thankyou for sending the ask though hsbshs!!

#calamarispeaks #ask #anon #still no au name... #hgsbshd this is a Lot of words i hope thats ok!! #im still figuring stuff out--mostly on the spot #hlvrai #hlvrai woods au